Walk Me Home - but get some decent shoes first!

Walk Me Home –by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Fiction, Coming of Age

374 pages / 479 KB

5 Stars

Walk Me Home is a well-written and captivating story of two young girls – Carly, 16 and Jen, 11 – who find themselves orphaned in New Mexico and fear the authorities will separate them, so they take off on their own.

Carly wants to go back to Tulare, CA where her mother's ex-boyfriend, Teddy, is thought of as a step-father, and she knows he will want them, take them in, and keep them safe. What she doesn't know, or rather chooses to not believe, is that Teddy tried to molest Jen the night her mother kicked him out and took the girls to live with her new boyfriend, who died with her mother.

The girls manage to walk into Arizona, and end up at the dead end of a road in the middle of nowhere on the Wakapi Indian Reservation. Tired, thirsty, and afraid of everyone, they lay in wait to break into the hen house of an old Indian woman who lives alone out in the middle of this nowhere. She catches them, and makes them stay for a week to work off the damage they caused.

Carly with the Chip on her Shoulder finally decides to leave Jen, who doesn't want to go any farther, and sets out to find Teddy on her own. By the time she does, she's done a remarkable amount of growing up, and recognizing some things about her – and Teddy, and her sister, Jen, who is now living someplace in Arizona on an Indian Reservation.

I could not put this book down until I finished it. I had to know how it would end. It was truly worth the late 'light out' to get there, too.

I think most adults would enjoy this story, even though it is intended for Young Adults. Then, again, maybe I don't fit in the category of 'most adults'?

Thank you, Ms. Hyde, for a great read, and a remarkable story. Not to mention an ending that brought smiles to my face.

It's the Truth. Honest. Trust me.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian –by Sherman Alexie

Novel

Grade Level: 7 and up

Footnotes/Endnotes: No

Suitable for eReaders: Yes, but**

Illustrations: Yes

5 Stars

I admit it, I've ben in love with Sherman Alexie's writing for years. Especially his poetry. I don't know why it took me so long to read this book, but I now have and truly admit, I love it.

Oh, there is a ** above, I'd best explain now, before I forget. I read this on my Kindle Fire, and there are several delightful illustrations, unfortunately, I could not expand them beyond postage stamp size, which is too bad, because they are wonderful. They are drawn by the protagonist, and add a great deal to the story. They should be seen full size.

Mr. Alexie is a member of the Spokane Indian Tribe, and this is his story, with a few changes. The hero of the story, Arnold "Junior" Spirit, is a young man struggling to find himself, and decides to leave the reservation and attend a 'white' school in town. He is the only brown skinned student. And the poorest of the lot, but he has an upbeat attitude and earns acceptance from his white friends, and enmity from his Indian ones.

This novel tells about those experiences, being half white while on the 'rez' and half Indian while at Reardon with a great sense of humor. Mr. Alexie is not afraid to tackle situations that the young people of today face, and he does it well. I can offer absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book. In fact, there are several study questions in the back, making this an ideal book for classroom reads.

Arnold is a very likable protagonist, as are most of his friends. He is fourteen, hormones are beginning to rage through his veins, he's discovered girls, one in particular. He competes on the basketball court, and when Reardon plays Wellpinit, his old Indian school, he is booed and beaten by his ex teammates who think he's a traitor. The first game. The next game is a bit different.

I laughed out loud in this book. Although I didn't cry, I was genuinely sad in a few places. I would love to have Arnold stop by for a visit, he's quirky, and fun, and not afraid of life. I strongly suspect Mr. Alexie is the same. I'd love to have him stop by for a visit, too.

For a good read from twelve years on, buy and read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I think it would make a great movie. Would love to see Studio Ghibli do something with it!

The Peculiars --by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Fiction – Young Adult, Steampunk

359 pages

Footnotes/Endnotes: No (yes, but not called out in the text, and worth reading!)

Illustrations: No

Suitable for eReaders: Yes

Disclaimer! In the interests of Honesty, Rainy Day must tell the truth, not only does she know the author, but they are in the same writer's group! Just because Rainy Day says this is a fantastic read – believe her, it is! (She received nothing of value to promote this book. Honest. Trust her.)

The Peculiars was Rainy Day's introduction to Steampunk, a genre she'd heard about, but knew nothing. Steampunk is set in a very specific time, in the 1880s, and everything is powered by steam – including typewriters.

Our heroine, Lena Mattacascar had the misfortune to be, well, peculiar. Her feet were long and soft, and her fingers were too long, with an extra joint. She showed the true signs of Goblinism and was, well, peculiar. When Lena turns eighteen, she takes her inheritance from the father who abandoned her mother and herself many years prior, and goes north to the land of Scree in search of him and the family she never knew. And answers.

Her mother's family and the family doctor are all sure her father has goblin in his blood (where else would Lena have gotten it?) and that he has, uh, personality flaws. Lena must find out if she, too, has these flaws, whatever they are.

Peculiars are different people, some have long feet and fingers, some have wings, some have 'powers' and they are being outlawed because they are different. They are being sent north, to the wild lands of Scree. How different is Lena? Will she find her family, or be sent north as a prisoner? Oh, you will have to read the book to find out, Rainy Day will never tell.

Is being different a bad thing? Is it something to fear? Is it something to celebrate? Rainy Day has many questions about being different.

Rainy Day says: Buy and read this book! It is a great read, a lot of fun, and, well, different!