The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

California Young Reader Medal Nominee for 2014-2015

This novel confronts the ugly reality of teens battling cancer.  It does not create euphemisms to avoid the harsh side effects of treatment or the depression often associated with this illness.  It is a raw and honest look into the lives and hearts of teenagers fighting an often deadly battle.  That being said, it is also a story of connection, hope, empathy and love.  Hazel, reluctantly falls in love with the witty and intelligent Augustus Waters.  Their connection begins in a cancer support group and follows both their relationship and the struggles and triumphs of the various members of the group.

I found the novel to be engaging and realistic.  I loved the fact that I could really gain access to the individual personalities of these characters, forcing me to read just one more chapter when I should have been asleep.  The characters were smart and well read.  There were several references to novels that I had read. The story is consuming, and although I was at times afraid to know what would happen next, I could not wait to read on and find out for myself.
Mrs. Flores

View the link below for a Book Brief podcast on this novel.

Episode 01: The Fault in Our Stars

Book Trailer

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Set in the deep south during the Depression, this novel poignantly reveals racism in America during that time.  The reader sees the story through the eyes of Scout Finch, a curious tomboy learning about the community she lives in, the people who inhabit it, and how life is not always fair, despite one's best intentions.  Scout begins to see the hate in her own community and struggle, like her father, to understand.

This novel is one of my personal favorites.  It is an amazing coming of age story where the young Scout learns that the people in her hometown are not all as they seemed.  She watches first hand as her father, Atticus attempts to open the eyes of the people of Maycomb, while doing his best to raise his own children to view all people equally.

View the Link Below for a book trailer:

Mrs. Flores TKM