emily_m_green's reviews
59 reviews

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I received Play to Win from GoodReads Giveaways. Thank you to GoodReads and to St. Martin’s Press for the review copy of Jodie Slaughter’s Play to Win. 

In Jodie Slaughter’s Play to Win, Miri’s life is not what one would call easy: her husband ran out on her eight years before, she lives with her mother in a rundown rental, and her job at the nail salon just covers the bills. When she wins a big lottery, an enormous lottery, she knows that her life is going to change, but she does not anticipate that her estranged husband will be the largest part of that change. A financial advisor tells her that her husband has legal rights to the money, and suggests that she reach out to him with divorce papers and a fixed amount of cash. And so Miri asks the man who tore her to shreds back into her life and even offers to pay him.

Leo, he ex husband, on the other hand, has spent the last eight years acting as the guilty dog he is, not moving on from their marriage, and wallowing in his own atrocious actions, too terrified to do anything about it. When Leo gets the call from Mira to come back, he cannot return to her fast enough. 

With Leo back in town, and the immaturity and money woes that stifled the relationship of their younger selves, the couple might have a second chance. If Leo can step up. And if Miri can forgive. 

Play to Win is a sweet love story that revolves around both romantic love and self-love. Part of both Mira’s and Leo’s journey is figuring out how to forgive their younger selves and make better decisions. For Leo, this also means healing relationships with family and friends that were collateral damage of his fleeing his marriage. For Miri, this means deciding what she wants and finally giving herself what she needs. 

As the two make chess moves back and forth--Leo trying to convince Miri that he is worthy and Mrir trying to determine if Leo is worthy--there is a whole supporting cast of family and friends in their small community who are eager to assist Miri and Leo through their journey. 

Play to Win has some spice, but it is more focused on the romance and community than it is on spice. With Leo back in town, he must ingratiate himself back into his sister’s and her family’s life, his old school friend’s life, and Miri’s mother’s life. The apologies he must make, and the hurt he caused that he must confront create an emotional core for the novel. It also gives the novel some weight, as the rest of the cast are not merely onlookers, but also have their own stake in the couple as well as desire to see them happy. This is not to say that Miri and Leo make choices based on what other people want them to do, but just like in life, those around us want happiness for us, and our relative happiness has an impact on their lives. It is in large part the ensemble cast that makes Play to Win easily imaginable as a movie. 

Would I teach Play to Win? I must admit that this is unlikely--as a romance, Miri and Leo are fine characters, but they don’t stick with me as much as other characters have. The romance is not epic and even the lottery ticket is not handled in an extravagant way. Not bad for a beach read or to take on a plane, but there would be no guilt in leaving it for the next person. 

 

Revival by Stephen King

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Revival by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A big thank you to Montgomery County Public Library for making Stephen King’s Revival readily available to the public, free of charge.

Revival starts out pretty normal for a Stephen King novel. Jamie Morton, a kid in a small town, befriends the new minister, who shows him a trick with electricity. The minister is a bit electric himself, and he, his wife, and their son make a golden family that reels the local townspeople into the church. Reverend Jacobs' residency is short lived, and when he leaves the community, Jamie has no reason to think that he will see him again. However, as the story continues and Jamie grows up and grows into a budding rock star, he finds himself in Reverend Jacobs' presence again and again.

The plot gets strange at about a quarter of the way through the book, maybe even quicker than that, and Jamie realizes that he has a tie to Reverend Jacobs, whether he likes it or not. And if he doesn’t like it, then Jamie has to decide what he’s going to do about it.

It is difficult to discuss this book without spoilers, though what I can say is that at points the story feels like an homage to Lovecraft. It is both a pure part of the King cannon and a departure.

Would I teach this book? While I enjoyed Revival, it would not be my first candidate to teach. In the grand future, when I am given full-reign to design a literature course and I make it all Stephen King, all day, maybe I would include the book to demonstrate a foray in science fiction/horror. Maybe. But Jamie is not the strongest of King’s characters, and he’s a bit lackluster, especially for a rockstar. However, if you are a King fan like me, then it is worth a read at the beach. Or in the car. Or over Shabbat. Or any old time when you want to tempt the darkness. 

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

When Castle first stumbles into a track practice, he can’t believe that anyone would need to practice running—it is just something the body does. However, his competitive streak kicks in and he starts racing against one of the team members. The impressed coach asks his name and Castle tells him to call him Ghost. He allows himself to be talked into going out for the team. Coach makes clear, however, that if he wants to be on the team, he will have to stay out of trouble. For Ghost, this might prove to be a challenge. 

What started Ghost running in the first place was domestic violence, and the trauma, combined with the financial strain of his now single-parent household, makes him respond to teasing in ways that do not always reflect the best of him. His mother works in a hospital cafeteria and is taking classes to become a nurse. Every night they eat leftovers she brings from work, but still, there isn’t money for things like new clothes. Ghost doesn’t want to make her feel bad, so he tries not to mess up and he doesn’t ask her for anything. When Ghost does lose it, you can’t help but feel for him. 

Would I teach Ghost? I did teach Ghost this year. It was one of the books my sixth grade students could choose during a book club unit and almost every kid who read it loved it. The author, Jason Reynolds, who also wrote Look Both Ways is a fantastic writer. One of the best things that he does is not talk down to his audience followed closely by not making things melodramatic. His characters feel real and genuine and are very sympathetic. Even though Ghost does not have an easy life, you don’t pity him, you root for him. 

For this unit, students worked together in book clubs, each with their own jobs. At the end of the unit, they made slideshow presentations to share their reflections on the book. I am happy to share materials if you reach out, and if you have materials to share, I would appreciate that, too!

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

When I was in seventh grade, I read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I loved it so much I read every other book Hinton wrote. I was delighted to learn that Hinton was fifteen when she wrote The Outsiders--as an aspiring writer, I found it inspirational. Her writing felt fresh even though it had been written before I was born. 

 

The Outsiders, as the title suggests, is about a group of teenagers who live on the outside of town, and operate on the outside of the social scene. Their group is called the Greasers for their slicked back hair. Most of them have rough home lives, very little money, and few prospects. The main character, Ponyboy, is the youngest member of a gang of Greasers. An orphan, he lives with his older brothers Darry and Sodapop, both of whom work to make ends meet. Still in high school, Ponyboy is different from the rest of the gang, because he is the dreamer, the kid who excels at school but might walk home by himself in the dark without considering that he is an easy target for a group of Socs. The Socs, shorts for Socials, are the in-town kids, whose parents buy them expensive cars, but cannot seem to give them the attention that they crave. 

 

Though the Greasers and the Socs seem to live in two different worlds, Ponyboy meets Cherry, a Soc who does not seem snobby, but seems kind and understanding. Meeting Cherry sets of a series of events that changes Ponyboy’s and the lives of every other character, forever. 

 

Would I teach this book? I am teaching The Outsiders to my seventh graders, and I am glad that I am. First, that I can remember reading The Outsiders in middle school and still remember it clearly shows what an impact it had on me. When I reread it this year in order to teach it, I noticed that while the book is emotional and hits many of the adolescent angst notes, the prose itself is quite simple. Simple prose can sometimes make class discussions about themes and characters easier, as students are not taking as much time untangling the prose. It is sad at times, but also has action and a lot of heart. It is a fun book to teach. 

 

In fact, Hinton is considered to be one of the earliest authors to focus on the young adult age group, as opposed to the often sappy chapter books for kids or the adult books that often don’t hit the mark for adolescents. My brilliant colleague helped me do a project with the students in which they designed T-shirts to represent the different characters. It was a fabulous project that the students enjoyed and encouraged them to think symbolically. 

 

So, yes, teach The Outsiders. There’s a good chance that your students will appreciate it. And if you haven’t read it yet, read it already. 

Sleeping Beauties by Owen King, Stephen King

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

In Sleeping Beauties, a collaboration between Stephen and Owen King, a powerful feminine force has created an epidemic in which women form a cocoon around themselves when they fall asleep. Once they form the cocoon, they don’t wake up. 

 

As women around the world fight to stay awake, the men do not know what to do. Some try to cut away the cocoon, which makes the women respond violently and to often kill the male who woke her up. In this epidemic, women are trying to stay awake by any means available and men are trying to find an answer to wake the women. Maybe, however, they don’t want to be woken up. 

 

One of the themes of this book is the violent behavior of men. Men abuse, fight each other, harm animals. Women, however, work together and create new opportunities. While there is some violence amongst the women, it is rare. And while men do work together, it always brings violence, even when they’re getting along. 

 

As an allegory, the book presents an extreme view of the cruel behavior of most men. The criticism of men within the book is frighteningly harsh. I am surprised by how extremely bad the men are painted. One of the focal points is a women’s penitentiary, and nearly every woman has been lead to incarceration as a result of being treated abominably by men. 

 

The plot is interesting and while the characters are pretty flat, it is still fascinating to see where they lead and to learn the fate of the women—and the men. I just can’t wrap my head around the hard headedness of the male characters in this book. 

 

Would I teach this book? Probably not. The starkly negative look at men’s behavior is so extreme that it would need to be discussed and I am not sure it could be explained in a satisfying way, even as an allegory. Discussing a gendered epidemic in our post Covid world would certainly spark conversation, especially since Sleeping Beauties was published pre-Covid. 

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mark the date on the calendar—my daughter and I read our first real chapter book together! And it was a Ramona book. Does it get any better than that? 

 

Ramona Quimby is probably Beverly Cleary’s, the famed children’s book author’s, best known character. Ramona is precocious, funny, and perhaps the most frustrating younger sibling of all time. As a book character, she is delightful. 

 

Beezus and Ramona is a classic. While it is the first book about Ramona, it is actually attached to her older sister, Beezus’s, point of view. Beezus is nine years old and often straddled with looking after Ramona, who is four years old. Beezus is the neat, sensible sister, and Ramona is the noisy, troublemaking, attention loving sister. Beezus finds that life with Ramona is often unfair, because Ramona always seems to get her way, even when, especially when, she does not deserve it. 

 

Take, for example, in the opening scene, when Ramona is riding her tricycle indoors and playing the harmonica, making Beezus absolutely wild—the only way to get her to stop is to do what Ramona wants to do. How will Beezus be able to put up with her exasperating sister? 

 

Each new chapter is a new adventure, and through each one, the reader sees not just Ramona’s wackiness, but also Beezus’s resilience. 

 

Would I teach this book? Given the opportunity, absolutely! I have loved Beverly Cleary’s writing since I was very young and am happy for the opportunity to read it to children or use it in a children’s literature course. Cleary’s sense of humor and imagination in Beezus and Ramona  is just as brilliant now as it was when it was first published, nearly seventy years ago. 

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Eleven-year-old Stella lives in the segregated south and the novel opens with Stella viewing the KKK burning crosses. When Stella tells her parents, the African American community of the town holds a meeting to discuss their options—which are few. White people can still beat and kill African Americans without suffering any legal repercussions. Eventually, though, the preacher has some challenges the community is not sure they are strong enough to support. Will they be able to defend themselves? 

Stella by Starlight is by Sharon M. Draper, the same author as Out of My Mind, the summer read sixth graders. Stella by Starlight is one of the choice books for the African American book circles. It is a little longer than some of the other choices, but has shorter chapters. 

Stella is a character that makes the reader think: she is brave and hopeful, and also struggles with the writing in her school work. At night, she slips out to practice her writing, even though the is not easy for her. 

The book also highlights the indignities and some of the dangers of segregation. How one town can easily function as two and how the good people also have to work within the same restrictive system to do any good. 

There are some moments that feel unrealistic based on the adult things Stella is asked to do, but it seems that the choices were made to strengthen the plot. 

Would I teach this book? I am teaching this book and it has put into context some aspects of American history and helped the students to ask questions. 

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

In Lois Lowry’s follow up to The Giver, the story begins with Kira, an adolescent girl, grieving her mother’s death. In losing her mother, Kira also lost her protection, as her father died when she was a baby and she was born with what she describes as a “twisted leg.” In her community, infants with physical differences were abandoned, but Kira’s mother fought for her life. 

When Kira ends her grieving period, her life and position are immediately challenged. When she is brought to trial, she is saved by her weaving talent, and she soon learns that things in her community are not quite what they seem.

Unlike The Giver, which was set in what seemed to be a prosperous town, Gathering Blue is set in a place ruled by poverty, and without strong shelters or modern technology or other modern conveniences. Kira weaves at a loom, and she has a kind of magical knowing in her fingers that allows her to create beautiful patterns. She finds deep pleasure and wonder in her weaving, and the book becomes, in part, a discussion of art and how artistic talent is used. 

The story does not seem related to The Giver or even necessarily in the same universe. However, Lowery is an excellent writer who wrote many books worth reading. Gathering Blue is much slower than The Giver and seems to have a more sophisticated voice. Those who loved The Giver may not love Gathering Blue in the same way, though it is a beautiful book in its own right. 

Would I teach this book? It is yet another option in the dystopian novel unit I recently wrapped up. Gathering Blue is a quieter novel than the other books from the unit—there is not so much adventure and Kira does not seek the same kind of danger the protagonists of many of the other books do. She is certainly brave, but she is not shooting arrows or fighting mechanical monsters in a maze or being tapped to kill people in a deathless society. 

It would seem that not every book need be a fight to the death for the protagonist. Many of the choices from the dystopian fiction unit certainly offer their share of fear and violence, but it is good to offer a slightly quieter choice, one in which power struggle and rebellion mean something slightly different.

End of Watch by Stephen King

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

In Stephen King’s The End of Watch, Bill Hodges isn’t doing too great—he’s in some pain and he does not really want to see the doctor and find out what’s going on. Besides, some strange things are happening, which seem to be somehow related to the terrorist acts of Brady Hartsfield. Bill decides that he will get to the bottom of the strange goings on and his partner, Holly, signs on, too.

End of Watch is the third book in the Finders Keepers trilogy, more often called the Bill Hodges trilogy, named for the main character of Mr. Mercedes, the first book in the series. Bill is a retired police officer who becomes a private investigator. I may be the only one who prefers to call it the Finders Keepers trilogy, but I am a big fan of Holly Gibney, co-owner of the private investigator business, as well as Jerome Robinson, the neighbor boy who also joins their team. To call it the Bill Hodges trilogy leaves out two such important partners. However, if called the Finders Keepers trilogy, the trilogy part would be factually untrue, as the series continues after End of Watch with The Outsider and Holly as well as a novella entitled If It Bleeds. So, perhaps I would call it the Finders Keepers series.

Of all of the books in the series, End of Watch is not my favorite. While it is an interesting read, there was a certain point at which the plot became hard to swallow, even for a Stephen King book, which tend to hang on the audience’s willing suspension of disbelief. I just felt like, really? This is where you’re going with this?

Would I teach this book? Most likely not. It is not the best King book out there, nor is it the best in the series. As stated earlier, I find parts of the plot a little silly, and the slide from mostly realistic to what borders on the supernatural feels strange and unnecessary. Even supposing that I wanted to teach a class on book series, and even if I included this series, I would probably skip this book. 

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 

In The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, Kenny Watson tells us that there’s a reason his family is known as the Weird Watsons. His mother’s Southern upbringing makes her react to the Michigan winters by making the children wear so many layers that they are dripping with sweat by the time they get to school. His father is full of extra wacky dad jokes. And his older brother, Byron, is so cool he’s always getting into some sort of trouble. Kenny’s only friend seems to play with him only to steal his toys. 

But life is changing--Byron is causing even more havoc, a new family with a boy Kenny’s age moves in, and the country is going through turmoil, particularly in the still segregated South. 

The Watson Go to Birmingham is funny, silly, and sad, as Kenny navigates an older brother who can be cruel or caring, a younger sister who can be a pain, and all of the social difficulties a ten-year-old can have nightmares about. The book is told mostly in vignettes, and many chapters feel as though they could stand independently. The last part of the book feels more coherent and plot driven, but it is also more emotionally intense. 

In his introduction to the edition I read, Christopher Paul Curtis describes the reactions he has received from kids who said that they never liked to read until they read The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, and the book was unusual in its time (1995) in terms of a major publishing house (Penguin Random House) releasing a middle grade novel about an African American family who is comfortably working class and full of humor. The book certainly has its share of tension, but it does not always stay at a dramatic pitch and allows us to see the family being a normal, silly family. The book is, in part, about race in the United States, but it is not all about race. In fact, the majority of Kenny’s challenges have nothing to do with race. 

Would I teach this novel? I teach the book as part of a unit during African American History Month, and students have the option to choose The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 from five novels. The students who chose to take the trip with the Watsons are surprised at the mother’s physical forms of discipline--she believes in corporal punishment, which is unfamiliar to many of them. They see her as abusive, with no frame of reference for physical discipline. For me, this reminded me of how much parenting has changed in the last sixty years. Students also questioned if it was appropriate for the father to mock Southern accents, which also shows how understanding of race and class have changed since 1995--I don’t think many middle schoolers in 1995 would have batted an eye at such humor. For these reasons among others, some frame of reference for 1960s America would be helpful for students to get some of the context of the story, though it is not necessary for them to appreciate the book. So, yes, there are many aspects of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 that will help create discussions and make the students want to keep reading.