The Boy On The Wooden Box

Title: The Boy on the Wooden Box\Author: Leon LeysonPages: 240Content: PG13Language: PGLevel: Elementary/Middle/High SchoolRecommendation:  Good Read

Summary: This powerful memoir of one of the youngest boys on Schindler’s list deserves to be shared. Leon Leyson grew up in Poland as the youngest of five children. As WWII breaks out, Leyson’s ingenuity and bravery, combined with the kindness of strangers and a bit of serendipity, save his life, time and again. The storytelling can at times meander, and the various reflections of his life in Poland during the war can result in a certain patchiness, but Leyson’s experiences and memories still make for compelling reading about what it was like to suffer through the Holocaust. 

Review:  Great book with the straightforward story of Leon, perfect for YA readers. I was impressed with the brilliant descriptions of such horrific events. Truly a moving piece of work and a must read for those interested in the holocaust.  Understated in some parts, but tells enough of the story to understand the terrible experiences without being too graphic. 

Out of the Easy

Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Pages: 346
Content: PG13
Language: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Review: It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.  Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.  With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

Review: I LOVED the author's first book, Between Shades of Gray, and was anticipating another book from this author.  When I knew she had a new book, I was a bit saddened when I realized the book was about a prostitute's daughter.  I loved the character in this book, as well as the peculiar, yet loving people who took care of Josie in the only ways they knew how.  I would be hesitant however, to have this book in my library simply due to the subject matter invovled.  Although there is nothing graphic in the book, there are enough references to prosititution and subject matter of the like that I don't feel that I could recommend this book to the majority of the readers in our school.

I Am A Seal Team Six Warrior

Title: I Am A Seal Team Six Warrior
Author: Howards Wasdin
Pages: 192
Language: PG13
Content: PG13
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  FOR YOUNG READERS—A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE BESTSELLER, SEAL TEAM SIX.  When the Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six—a secret unit made up of the finest soldiers in the country, if not the world. I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior is the dramatic tale of how Howard Wasdin overcame a tough childhood to live his dream and enter the exciting and dangerous world of U.S. Navy SEALS and Special Forces snipers.  His training began with his selection for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S)—the toughest and longest military training in the world. After graduating, Wasdin saw combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. But he was driven to be the best of the best—he wanted to join the legendary SEAL Team Six, and at long last he reached his goal and became one of the best snipers on the planet. Soon he was fighting for his life in The Battle of Mogadishu. This is Howard Wasdin's story of overcoming abuse and beating the odds to become an elite American warrior.

Review: I was suprised at the limited swearing and graphic content that was in this book, considering the topic.  The book follows an elite Seal from youth to adulthood, following his training and career as a SEAL.  I knew that Seal Team Six was the best of the best, but it was unbelieveable to read all the rigorous training that Wasdin endured. This book offers a unique view into a very specialized world.

Can't Get There From Here

Title: Can't Get There From Here
Author: Todd Strasser
Pages: 198
Level: High School
Language: PG13 (0 "f")
Content: PG13
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Tired of being hungry, cold, and dirty from living on the streets of New York City with a tribe of other homeless teenagers who are dying, one by one, a girl named Maybe ponders her future and longs for someone to care about her.

                        

Review: Very realistic, but dark and somewhat depressing, the book follows a group of runaways living on the streets of New York City. A quote by one of the characters, OG. "Here is where you are. There is where you want to be. But you can't get there from here."
Although there was not a lot of foul language, but it does touch upon mature themes, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, alcohol poisoning, suicide, drug use and prostitution.  Any teen or grown up who has ever contemplated running away from home should read this book.