Fifteen-year-old Cole Matthews has been angry his whole life, and he takes his anger out on everyone around him. When he faces prison time for beating up a fellow student, he sees 'Circle Justice' as a way to beat the system. A Native American tradition, 'Circle Justice' attempts to heal the offender, the victim, and the community. When the Circle decides Cole's punishment will be one year alone on a remote Alaskan island, Cole figures he will simply swim away. He burns his shelter and supplies, is mauled by a large white 'spirit bear', and is nearly killed. When he is finally rescued, he spends 6 months in the hospital. Upon his release, Cole must convince the court and the 'Circle' that he has truly repented. Will Cole take responsibility for his actions? Will he ever return to the island? Can he help the student he beat up?

Similar authors: Gary Paulsen, Will Hobbs

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Nominee 2004

Reviewed by: donna

Date read: 6/28/2011

ISBN-10: 0380977443

ISBN-13: 9780380977444

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Some readers may find this book unbelievable, worthless, or unideal for kids. It is worth reading for preteens through adults (me) because many aspects of it could be true. The reader needs to be able to distinguish what is right and wrong and understand about lying and stealing. It is based in an unnamed third world country roughly based on Smokey Mountain in the Manila, Phillipines. Trash is and has been thrown on the mountain for many, many years. The stench and its related senses are written about in a way that makes them seem real. Gardo, Raphael and Rat have houses built in the pile and a mission school is set up near the trash pile which is an important part of the story. After finding a wallet with a key in it while they are foraging for items to sell, a mystery presents itself to be solved. With alacrity the boys set about doing this through twists and turns that are exciting, scary and finally resolved.

Awards nominated: 2013 Rebecca Caudill Nominee

Reviewed by: cjones

Date read: 4/16/2012

ISBN-10: 0385752156

ISBN-13: 9780385752152

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Imagine Mr. and Mrs. Haktak's surprise when they discovered that the pot that Mr. Haktak found while digging in the field was a magic pot. It seemed that everything that went into the pot came out double. For Mr. and Mrs. Haktak who lived in a humble little hut and were very old and poor, this could be the answer to all their problems. Or does the pot bring with it a double set of problems as well. Enjoy reading 'Two of Everything' by Lily Toy Hong to find out what happens when Mrs. Haktak takes a tumble into this amazing pot.

Similar authors: Hans Crhistian Andersen, Amy Lowry Poole; Yeh-Shen; Ai-Ling Louie; Ed Young; Eric A. Kimmel

Similar books: Little Sima and the Giant Bowl: A Chinese Folktale by Zhi Qu; The Dragon Emperor: A Chinese Folktale by Ping Wang; The Lost Horse: A Chinese folktake by Ed Young; Ling-Li and the Phoenix Fairy: A Chinese Folktale by Ellen Greene

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 7/29/2011

ISBN-10: 0807581577

ISBN-13: 9780807581575

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'Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa' by Jeanette Winter tells about Wangari Maathai's stuggle to bring the 'green' back to her native Kenya. Due to an increasing demand for lumber, most of Kenya's trees had been cut down. Where it had once been a paradise, Kenya was now battling soil erosion, crop failure, and barren land. Wangari was determined to reverse these changes. She decided to start reforesting Kenya by planting nine little seedlings. She enlisted the help of village woman to plant additional trees. This idea, known as the Green Belt Movement, spread throughout Africa. All across Africa, women were planting trees. In 2004, Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution to world peace. In this story, we learn how one person's courage and determination changed the world.

Similar authors: Donna Napoli; Nelda La Teef

Similar books: Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Napoli; Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton; The Market Lady and the Mango Tree by Pete Watson; The Hunter and the Ebony tree by Nelda La Teef; Nobel's Women of Peace by Michelle Benjamin; Path's To Peace: People Who Changed The World by Jane Breskin Zalben

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 7/28/2010

ISBN-10: 0152065458

ISBN-13: 9780152065454

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The creators of this book asked 25 families from around the world to display all the food they eat in one week. The reader is provided with both photographs, including the entire family and tables full of the food they eat in a week, and statistics about what food is shown, how much of each item the family eats, and how much it all costs. There is also a brief chapter about each family including the parents' jobs and the ages of the children, which helps present a more complete picture of how these families live. With families from six continents, the reader can see diverse family sizes and cultural eating habits. Short chapters address factors that contribute to the vast differences in families and food habits, including population distribution, street food, life expectancy and fast food. These sections touch on global health and, with such vivid illustrations, it is easy to see the differences in eating habits and lifestyles for people around the world. This global adventure covers families from Bhutan to Guatemala, Poland to Mali, with stops in Egypt, Greenland, Chad, the United States, and many more! While the information in this book is incredibly interesting, the photographs are astounding. You feel like you can eat the food right off the page!

Reviewed by: mlp

Date read: 6/2/2011

ISBN-10: 9781582462462

ISBN-13: 9781582462462

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