House of the Scorpion

I finished reading House of the Scorpion a while ago and highly recommend it. It's a long book, so it's perfect to take with you on a trip. This is a science fiction story set in a country which lies between the borders of the United States and Mexico-- a place governed by powerful drug lords who grow poppies to produce opium which is sold to foreign countries. The poppy fields are tended by zombie-like people who have been captured by the border patrol when they tried to cross through "Dreamland" on their way either to Mexico or the United States. The main character is a clone, and is looked down upon because of this. The reason for his existence is a terrible secret which he eventually discovers-- too late?

To be perfectly honest, when I heard what the story was about it didn't really appeal to me, but I had heard so many good things about it that I decided I would read it. I really liked the characters and it was hard to put the book down. Easy to understand why it won the Newbery Award. Don't let the length deter you-- it's worth it!

I'm still working on those Battle of the Books questions, so I've also just finished reading The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman and Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret. Both of these are quick, easy reads. I liked the determination of the main character in Million Dollar Shot and the choices he makes. Escaping the Giant Wave is a timely choice following last winter's devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia. This giant wave occurs off the coast of Oregon-- where my sister has just bought a new house. Uh-oh! I'll have to check to see how far from the ocean she is. Anyway, this was a fast-moving story which reminded me a lot of Earthquake Terror, also by Peg Kehret, except I liked the characters much better in Escaping the Giant Wave. I only have one more 5th and 6th grade Battle of the Books book to write questions for. Whew! ...Then I start on the 7th and 8th grade list.

Back From Vacation...

Well, I've been away on vacation, but I haven't stopped reading. Before leaving for New Mexico, I crossed two more Battle of the Books books off my list: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner and Finding Buck McHenry by Alfred Slote. Two very different books, and I enjoyed both. The Thief is set in a fictional land in a long ago time. The main characters are on a quest to steal a legendary stone which was a gift from the gods. If you like fantasy and mythology, get your hands on a copy of this book. It's a fast-moving story with a surprise ending!

Baseball fans will like Finding Buck McHenry. It made me interested in finding out more about the Negro Baseball Leagues and the players who played on its teams.

I always take several books on vacation with me and this year I decided they would NOT be kids' books! On the flight out, I read Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. This was a mystery, and a rather odd one. The main character comes home to find his wife dead, having fallen 25 feet out of an apple tree in the backyard. He's not sure whether her death was an accident or not, and he's determined to learn the truth. There is only one witness-- his dog. He decides that if only he could teach the dog to communicate, he could know what really happened. His friends, of course, think he's nuts, but that's what he sets out to do. The story has some funny parts, some sad parts, and some parts that are disturbing. Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought the dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback was pretty cool.

Then I read It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong. I've wanted to read this one for a few years now. Knowing how sick Armstrong was makes his achievements as a cyclist even more amazing. An inspiring story which I finished reading while sitting by the pool in Albuquerque on the first day of the 2005 Tour de France-- Lance's final professional race.

On the flight home, I started reading House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, another book I've wanted to read for a long time. I haven't finished it yet, but it made the flights home go really fast!