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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Speaking of science fiction...

I had never been into science fiction until I read The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. I could not put it down! The country of Opium between Mexico and the United States is the empire of a drug lord, who has created a society of clones and eejits. The eejits have computer chips in their brains that direct them to do the jobs they are programmed to do.
Matt is a clone of El Patron, the evil dictator. He feels privileged until he realizes the future that is planned for him. His escape attempt gets him into more hot water. Anyone who loves an adventure would like this book. It is futuristic but entirely believable.

The House of the Scorpion
Nancy Farmer
New York: Athenium Books for Young Readers, 2002
National Book Award
380 pages
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2 comments:

Lori said...

I am not usually a "sci fi" person either, but this book really sounds interesting; I'll look for it next time I'm at the library. I think it's great that your blog is geared toward middle schoolers; there are a lot of great books out there for students at this level and anything that can be done to help students discover new reading material can only be beneficial.

March 28, 2008 at 11:48 PM
teacher09 said...

Thanks for your comment. You sound like you are interested in good reading for middle school students. Please feel free to post!

March 29, 2008 at 8:20 AM

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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins
By Scott O'Dell
Boston:Houghton Mifflin Co., 1960
181 pages

Karana, an Indian girl, learns to survive alone on an island after her people go away. Her solitude becomes full of animal friends and useful work. She confronts dangers and challenges with creativity and courage. After 18 years she is rescued and rejoins the world of people.
This beautifully-written story is based on a real person.

Hard Times for Jake Smith

Hard Times for Jake Smith
By Ailene Kilgore Henderson
Canada: Milkweed Editions, 2004
192 pages

The Depression era of the 1930s was a hard time for everyone, especially families who could not take care of their children. Maryjake wondered why her father sold the cow, and then her dog. When they packed up the car and drove off, she was ordered out and abandoned. Her mother gave her some final instructions and a mysterious package. Maryjake survives by becoming Jake and disguising herself as a boy. She makes new friends and solves the mystery of her family.
This is a great book about resourcefulness and commitment during hard times.