From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun

From the Notebooks of Meanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson

Have you ever had a secret. A secret that you couldn't tell anyone? Well, Melanin's mama has a secret. A secret that she finally decides to reveal to Melanin. That secret is that she is gay.

Melanin is shocked to learn his mother's secret. He is shocked and ashamed. He doesn't know how his friends or the other people in their neighborhood will react. He decides to make his mother's secret his secret.

Melanin has a hard time dealing with his mother's secret. He is just relieved that no one knows about it. That is until Kristen shows up.

I can't tell anymore without giving away the ending of the book. I will say this though, it is a great book for anyone who is struggling with their feelings about homosexuals and homosexuality in general. A well done book for teens and young adults on a very delicate subject.

Dead High Yearbook

Dead High Yearbook

I haven't done a blog on a graphic novel, so I decided to do one on a new and interesting one entitled, Dead High Yearbook. The neat thing about this graphic novel is that it has a hardback cover, making it look like a yearbook. Inside are a bunch of short horror stories to both frighten and intrigue readers.

Each person featured in the yearbook has the gruesome tale of their death recounted in its pages. These deaths include: vampire attacks, murders, accidents, and other frightful ways you could not imagine. A perfect read for anyone in high school or anyone who loves a good horror story.

Forever in Blue

Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

The last book of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Even though it is sad to see them go, it really was time. However, with that being said, I must say that this book wasn't the best way to say good-bye.

Unlike the previous three books, this book has a definitely more mature theme to it. Young readers be advised. Maybe Brashares was trying to have her books grow in maturity just as its characters did, similar to Harry Potter. Even if that is the case, I didn't want to know as much about the four's sex lives as I learned.

This book was less about the Sisterhood and more about each girl's love life. I believe it is important for young adult books to discuss sex and it is something young girls like to read about, however I don't think that the attitudes in this book matched those of the previous three.

My overall opinion is that the end of the book was a great farewell to a beloved series, the rest of the book was not a part of the series. It should have become a different book. Just as Meg Cabot did with the American Girl duo, I think that Brashares used this book discuss teen sexuality instead of talking about the friendship of four girls.

Mississippi Trial, 1955

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe

Hiram loves living with his grandparents in Mississippi. He thinks that there is no better place in the world. He loves riding in his grandfather's pick-up truck, he loves Coca-Cola, he loves fishing, but most of all he loves his grandfather. Hiram's father doesn't get along with his grandfather and when Hiram's grandmother dies, he is forced to go live with his parents in Arizona.

Years pass and Hiram is not allowed to go and visit his grandfather, that is until the summer of 1955. That summer will change Hiram's life forever. It will change his views on Mississippi, his father, his grandfather, and most of all life. And, it is all because of a Chicago boy named Emmett Till.

This book is a great read if you like historical fiction. It deals with the murder of Emmett Till and the subsequent trial. The perfect book for a young person wanting to learn more about this hateful event.

Golden

Golden by Cameron Dokey

So, you think you know the story of Rapunzel? Well, think again because in Cameron Dokey's book, Golden, the classic story of the maiden with the lovely golden locks has been turned upside down. Rapunzel is now a bald-headed girl and she lives on a farm not in a tower.

Part of the Once Upon a Time series that puts new twists on old fairy tales, Golden is a quick and delightful read. I can't tell you too much about it without giving away its secrets, but I can tell you it is sure to please any young girl who likes this new fairy tale genre.