Social Issues Books - Page 5

Uglies (Boxed Set): Uglies, Pretties, Specials (The Uglies)

Scott Westerfeld

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great series! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This series keeps you interested with new language, exciting characters, constant action and a great plot. The themes of taking care of the earth and appreciating individuality are strong but subtle. Tally, the main character, is a typical teenager with concerns that are beyond what most current teens have to deal with, but are familiar. There are times when the books are predictable, but with satisfying results. Overall, an enjoyable read. I would love to see more about Tally and her further adventures.

Amazing 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great series. Ignore the "young adult" label and read it. Or better yet, have everyone in the family read it.

Loved the "trilogy" 5 out of 5 stars.
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I really enjoyed reading this trilogy. If you like futuristic sci-fi/fantasy and don't mind a somewhat gimmicky, lower brow YA writing style, this is great book to look to for adventure, thrills, interesting plot mythology, very engrossing on all counts. My one criticism would be that I hated "Extras", which oddly is the 4th book in the "trilogy". I guess he's not one of those authors that can "do no wrong" but I still enjoyed the first three immensely.

Editorial Review:

This arc of Scott Westerfeld's UGLIES trilogy follows the high-tech adventures of Tally Youngblood. As an ugly, then a pretty, and finally a special, Tally works to take down a society created to function with perfect-looking people who never have a chance to think for themselves.

Glass

Ellen Hopkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Emotionally Touching 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The sequel to the popular novel "Crank" definetly strikes your heart. I found myself constantly doing things that books normally do not make me do. For instance I found myself yelling at the characters and raging on about what was and wasn't fair. The characters hit me with full force and now I'm more attached to them than ever.

All though "Glass" can be quite depressing it truly unleashes the truth about the drug meth or as Kristina/Bree calls it - the monster. This monster comes in different forms but the outcome is always the same - it will ruin you.

Something to note is that all of Ellen Hopkin's novels are written in poetry format. I was very surprised after reading her first book at how talented she is. The format is original and even though there aren't as many words as a normal book, it still puts a lot of things into those few words.

Kristina used to be a good girl - used to have real friends - until she met the monster. In this second book crank/glass/the monster has officially taken over her life. While trying to raise her baby boy, Hunter while dealing with her deadly drug addiction, life is rough as ever. Soon even a loving family and friends becomes scarce. But of course do you really need a friend while you're having such a blast with glass? Bree says no but Kristina says yes.

Bree is the part of Kristina that's wild, wreckless, and not well. Kristina is the side that is good, has common sense, wants to stop. Will this girl do what's right or will her bad decisions lead her into even more trouble?

Editorial Review:

Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go.

Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she's determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive.

Once again the monster takes over Kristina's life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves -- her baby.

The sequel to Crank, this is the continuing story of Kristina and her descent back to hell. Told in verse, it's a harrowing and disturbing look at addiction and the damage that it inflicts.

The Outsiders

S. E. Hinton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1533 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

one of my favorite books of all time 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

For me, this is one of those books that you can read over and over and over, and even though you know the ending, you still can't put it down and you wish that maybe this time, there'll be a different ending.

I won't bother writing a detailed review about this book because I'd probably go on and on about it. I read it in my early teen years, and though it was never really relevant to my life (the setting, for one, is completely different from what I'm used to, and I was always somewhere in the middle of high school cliques - not on the outside, but not on the inside, either), but even then, I couldn't help but care deeply for each of the greasers. Ponyboy and his friends & family were flawed, but still likable, and they made me want the best for each of them.

Highly recommended. I can't say that enough.

Editorial Review:

Written over forty years ago, S. E. Hinton’s classic story of the struggle between the Socs and the Greasers remains as powerful today as it was the day it was written, and it is taught in schools nationwide. Now available in a great new package with an improved trim size, a stunning new cover, and bonus material. Designed with classroom use in mind, the new edition will maintain the same pagination as the previous edition.

Masquerade (A Blue Bloods Novel) (Blue Bloods Novel)

Melissa De La Cruz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Masquerade an apt title 4 out of 5 stars.
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Masquerade picks up a few weeks after Blue Bloods ends with Schulyer and Oliver searching Venice for Schulyer's grandfather, Lawrence Van Alan. She does find him and events move more quickly once he enters the picture.

I don't want to give away too much of it, but Mimi gets accused of being the harborer of the Silver Bloods, and a Silver Blood herself after she was found in the possession of dark magic.

Schulyer ends up saving her because as the daughter of Gabrielle, she is the only one of the Blue Bloods who can taste the blood of other vampires without succumbing to the addiction and memory overload that can cause madness.

The action is far from being over - they managed to find out about one Silver Blood and the rest of Council knows about the danger but nothing else has happened to really put a stop to them and they are all in danger until then...

The action moves along with a nice pace and the title sums the book up nicely. There is an actual masquerade ball but the title seems to really bring out the idea of not knowing who is on which side of the 'fight'. Sometimes it even seems like the characters themselves don't know which side they are on.

It's well worth reading but I think I'd have absolutely confused if I had not read the first book first. This is not a series you can just pick up on from the middle.

Editorial Review:

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help--her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and unhuman--a true Blue Blood affair.

But it's at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

Rich with glamour, attitude, and vampire lore, this second installment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

The House on Mango Street

Sandra Cisneros

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 605 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

the house on mango street 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

i remember having to read this in freshmen year of high school and i hated it. its a book about a depressing little girl who moves into this red house with her family and each chapter is just little story like things that happen to her. it was not entertaning at all, it was depressing and i hated this book. its not worth money OR TIME!

ok 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The House On Mango Street written by Sandra Ciserno, it is a bunch of short stories or vignette. The whole story describes the thoughts, feelings, and memories of Esperanza, a hispanic girl living in the poor area of Chicago. She dreams to escape her world and getting a house of her own. At the same time, she grows up and starts to leave her childhood, while learning about the fears and dangers of the world she never knew of before. She finds out becoming an adult turns out to be a hard challenge.
When we first started reading this book I thought it was going to be a depressing book about a family leaving in poverty. It was exactly that it did not appeal to me at all. The only thing that I enjoyed was Cisneros way of telling a story. The way she would describe some of these situations you felt you were right there with experonza. My favorite vignette was the one about how she visited her sick aunt.

Editorial Review:

In hardcover for the first time--on the tenth anniversary of its initial publication--the greatly admired and bestselling book about a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, this novel depicts a new American landscape through its multiple characters.

Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 217 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, a novel of large beauty and power, creates a magical world out of four generations of black life in America, a world we enter on the day of the birth of Macon Dead, Jr. (known as Milkman), son of the richest black family in a mid-western town; the day on which the lonely insurance man, Robert Smith, poised in blue silk wings, attempts to fly from a steeple of the hospital, a black Icarus looking homeward...

We see Milkman growing up in his father's money-haunted, death-haunted house with his silent sisters and strangely passive mother, beginning to move outward--through his profound love and combat with his friend Guitar...through Guitar's mad and loving commitment to the secret avengers called the Seven Days...through Milkman's exotic, imprisoning affair with his love-blind cousin, Hagar...and through his unconscious apprenticeship to his mystical Aunt Pilate, who saved his life before he was born.

And we follow him as he strikes out alone; moving first toward adventure and then--as the unspoken truth about his family and his own buried heritage announces itself--toward an adventurous and crucial embrace of life.

This is a novel that expresses, with passion, tenderness, and a magnificence of language, the mysterious primal essence of family bond and conflict, the feelings and experience of all people wanting, and striving, to be alive.

The Power of One

Bryce Courtenay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 370 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Inspiring 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I just happened upon this book at the bookstore, one of the employees highly recommended it to me. It was magical; the writing was to me reminiscient of the works of Mark Twain. I am a history buff so the fact that it it takes place in South Africa during World War II was a plus to me. The only (slight) criticism I have is that it is a very long book (500+ pages) and I have a bit of ADD. This does not stop me from giving this book five stars.

Editorial Review:

"Unabashedly uplifting."
THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER
Set in a world torn apart, where man enslaves his fellow man and freedom remains elusive, THE POWER OF ONE is the moving story of one young man's search for the love that binds friends, the passion that binds lovers, and the realization that it takes only one to change the world. A weak and friendless boy growing up in South Africa during World War II, Peekay turns to two older men, one black and one white, to show him how to find the courage to dream, to succeed, to triumph over a world when all seems lost, and to inspire him to summon up the most irrersistible force of all: the Power of One.

Bud, Not Buddy (Readers Circle (Laurel-Leaf))

Christopher Paul Curtis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 463 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Bud, Not Buddy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 3rd grade class really enjoyed listening to this story. The adventures of Bud, while many times being funny, touch my students and help them to see what another 8 year old in a past era had to endure. Great story line.

Bud, Not Buddy_Literature Review 4 out of 5 stars.
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It is in our most difficult times that we discover our true character and that of those around us. This type of discovery is at the heart of the tale of Bud, the 10 year-old main character of Bud, Not Buddy (Random House 1999), a novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. In this wonderful piece of historical fiction, Curtis artfully crafts Bud's story, weaving together inspiration, humor, and the realities of the Great Depression to create a heartwarming and upbeat story about the power of the human spirit.

Bud's story is a fast-paced narrative describing a resilient, determined orphan in search of a new home at a time that was difficult for many Americans. After running away from an abusive foster family, Bud is forced to move through a difficult world in search of a compassionate and caring new home that he hopes he will find with the man he believes to be his father. Armed with a beat-up suitcase filled with all of his possessions and only a flyer as his guide, Bud sets out to find a better life and ends up finding more than he could have imagined.

In his search, Bud encounters a number of helpful and interesting individuals who assist him along the way. At one point, Bud meets a homeless family who helps him sneak into a line to get bread. Bud also encounters a shantytown, known as a Hooverville, where families sleep in tents after becoming homeless. Bud meets families who wait while fathers and husbands hop trains in search of work. Bud's tale recounts the difficulties for many individuals, especially African Americans, during the Great Depression. Throughout his travels, Bud encounters the difficulties of finding food, shelter, and money, as he looks to others and his own strength to continue his journey.

Fortunately, Bud meets a number of individuals who are willing to share the little bit that they have in order to help him. Bud's search eventually leads him to the man in the poster that he believed to be his father. Although Bud's final destination may not be exactly what he thought when he set out, it is exactly what he needed. Despite the difficult times, Bud's journey is a heartwarming tale about the compassion of strangers, the beauty of music, and the power of family.

Curtis' novel is a great read for families and a perfect selection for middle school children. The 243-page novel moves quickly as Curtis' narrative-style leaps off the page. Based on the Fry readability formula, this book has a fifth grade reading level, but it may be a great for students above that level as well. Although the realities of the Great Depression may be difficult for younger readers to grasp, the life lessons that Bud encounters are valuable for any student. Despite the bleakness and difficulty of the historical setting, Curtis does an excellent job of describing the strength and compassion of the individuals. I personally enjoyed this book a great deal and would recommend it to others.

Editorial Review:

It’s 1936, in Flint, Michigan, and when 10-year-old Bud decides to hit the road to find his father, nothing can stop him.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Kit an American Girl (6 Book Set)

Valerie Tripp

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Quality reading for any preteen! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I just bought this set for a neighbors daughter and she hasn't been able to put them down. She is on book six and looking forward to the new movie coming out. It is a beautiful compilation of stories that go to the heart of any young girl. Ann Clarke, author of People Are So Different! based on tolerance and understanding.

Books 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The American Girl boxed set came in the amount of time promised and was in great condition. The price and shipping were both very reasonable. Will definately purchase more in the future

Great set of books for young girls and young at heart. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great set of books for young girls and young at heart. Kit Kittredge is believable and this series teaches kids about the Great Depression without making it too depressing or sugar-coating it in any way. An excellent series!

My 5-year-old really loved these books 5 out of 5 stars.
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My 5-year old daughter is fairly persnickety about what I read to her. We've tried other chapter books, including Disney's Fairy Series, Alice in Wonderland, L. Frank Baum's "OZ" books, and Peter Pan. This is the first that she's really connected with.

Kit is a strong role model for girls, modeling intelligence, hard work, and kindness in a way that doesn't seem fake or contrived. I admit that I bought the books just to better illustrate the movie, but I'm sold. I intend on buying more of the American Girl series to share with my little girl.

The Arrival

Shaun Tan

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Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"A shockingly imaginative graphic novel that captures the sense of adventure and wonder that surrounds a new arrival on the shores of a shining new city. Wordless, but with perfect narrative flow, Tan gives us a story filled with cityscapes worthy of Winsor McCay." -- Jeff Smith, author of Bone

"A magical river of strangers and their stories!" -- Craig Thompson, author of Blankets

"Magnificent." -- David Small, Caldecott Medalist

In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life - he's leaving home to build a better future for his family. Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can't communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character's isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy.