Notes from the Dog-Paulsen

Finn is looking forward to summer vacation. His goal is to talk to no more than twelve people all summer. His dad, his buddy, Matthew, and his dog, Dylan, that only leaves room for nine more. That all changes when Joanna enters his life. She is a college student who is house- sitting next door. She seems to know just what Finn needs to bring him out of his shell. Finn ends up working harder than he could have imagined. He also ends up caring more about Joanna then he knew he could.

Bystander-Preller

Griffin Connelly is a bully. Everyone knows he is a bully but no one wants to stand up to him. Really, because standing up to him might just make you his next target. Who wants that kind of trouble? He has quite a group of followers. They always seem ready to carry out Griffin's orders.

Eric is the new kid at school. He has just moved to town with his mother and younger brother after his dad left the family. Eric is struggling with the fact that his father is suffering from a mental illness. It doesn't make him any less angry at his father for leaving them but he is trying to understand things.

David Hallenback is Griffin's main target. Eric hates how David is being treated but is afraid to get too involved. What should he do? Should he be a bystander or possibly the bully's next target?

One of my favorite lines in the book comes after a class meeting on bullying. The quote is, "In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." I looked it up. This quote is from Martin Luther King, Jr. I will remember it always!

The Watcher-Howe

While the book was published in 1997 the message is still very relevant today. James Howe has written a story about child abuse and the impact on the victims. The characters are interesting individually but even more so once their lives start to intersect. He makes a point of showing us that things aren't always as they seem.

SLOB-Potter

Owen Birnbaum is a bully-magnet. Kids make rude noises and snide comments every time he walks by. To make matters even worse his PE teacher loves to find ways to humiliate him. It could be because Owen is the fattest kid in school, he also happens to be one of the brightest. He is trying to do something about his weight but the one thing he won't give up are his favorite cookies at lunch. Someone has started stealing them right out of his lunch bag each day. Owen can't catch a break. Owen's family suffered a tragedy two years ago and it still haunts him. He is working on an invention that he hopes will help him get some closure and allow him to move on. Now, he has a mystery to solve as well.

Jerk, California- Friesen

Sam Carrier used to be "normal" until the the jerking and twitching began. Then, not only did Sam's life change but the way people reacted to him began to change as well. His abusive stepfather, Old Bill, (who has some issues himself) is always ready to make Sam feel worse about having Tourette's by bashing on Sam's father. You see, Sam's father also had Tourette's. The only thing his father gave him before he died.

Running is Sam's release. He loves running and is really good at it but Bill would never allow him to "waste" time after school so he can't try out for the track team. One day as Sam is running home from school he meets another runner on the path. Naomi becomes very significant to Sam as the story progresses. Another key character is an old "coot" named George. It is through George's persistence and kindness that Sam learns about himself and the true story of his family.

I really enjoyed this story. I was somewhat surprised to learn that the author, Jonathan Friesen, has Tourette's Syndrome but you could tell from the writing that he was speaking from his heart. The emotions that Sam expresses are very real.

Summertime Reading!

Wow, I didn't realize how much time has gone by since I last updated on this blog! It's not that I haven't been reading...far from it. Let me tell you about a couple books I've read this week. Then I will go back and write about some of the others I have read and enjoyed! Can't wait to hear about what you are reading this summer.

Mr. G.