Ms Rush Reads

In the case that you have never heard of John Green, allow me to introduce you: Beloved Student, meet John Green, author of some of the best books.  Ever. {click on invisible captions under pictures to watch videos} Looking for Alaska An Abundance of Katherines Paper Towns Will Grayson, Will Grayson The Fault in Our Stars (Coming in Jan. 2012) Admittedly, you did not find these books on the shelves in my classroom.  One reason is that they are really more appropriate for mature high school readers, like yourself.  However, if I am truly being honest here, I have to admit that another reason these books are not housed in my classroom is because I am a John Green hog.  If you read his books, you might understand.  You see, John Green is a rare genius.  He has this way of making nerdiness seem REALLY cool.  If you don’t believe me, check out the video blog (vlog) he created with his equally amusing and brilliant brother, Hank. I was recently lucky enough t

copyright date: 2011 primarily marketed for: young adults (middle/high school) Although Willa’s life is not perfect, she has always believed she is part of a “happy family.”   Until something happens to change that.   Willa lives with her mother, stepfather, and stepsisters.   She has never really known her biological father, who her mother ran away from when Willa was young.   She has never wanted to know him because of the way he treated her mother.   He has never been part of her life.   Until now. Willa gets news one day that her biological father is suspected of having killed his new wife and two daughters.   His third daughter is missing, and so is he.   The police believe he is on his way to find Willa and her mom.   This sounds like the makings of an action packed thriller of a story, right?   But it’s not.   Instead it is a touching coming of age story set against one of the most gruesome and dramatic plots I’ve ever read.   The story of Willa’s biological father

copyright: 2011 primarily marketed for: intermediate readers Wonderstruck: experiencing a sudden feeling of awed delight or wonder (according to google) What a delicious word to describe a delicious feeling.  What a perfect title for this book.  I am not even sure it should be called a book at all, but rather an experience .  Unlike The Invention of Hugo Cabret (also by Brian Selznick), where the images pick up and carry the story right where the text leaves off, the images in Wonderstruck tell a story that is parallel to the text.  The way the images and text work together reminded of me of a ‘match cut’ edit in film.  The action being described in the text matches the image that follows or precedes the text.  However, the character, the time, the place, and the situation of the action are not the same.  In film this is a way to visually bridge two separate scenes.  In the book, this serves to link the two stories together, so that as a reader we expect them to eventua

copyright: 2009 primarily marketed for: young adults I believe that if everyone read Hate List the world would be a better place.  I always say that the story is in the character, and this book is no exception.  This is the story of Valerie.  The book opens immediately after her boyfriend Nick brought a gun to school, shot multiple people (including Valerie), and ended things by turning the gun on himself.  Jennifer Brown does a beautiful job of unfolding the details of the events of that day throughout the book via news articles.  It is gruesome and detailed, but because the reader gets the details in small doses, it is slightly less horrifying and easier to absorb.  As the author unfolds the events of that day, Valerie begins her journey of coming to terms with those events, her journey of healing.  Many of the people around her, including herself and her parents, wonder if she is to blame because she is the one who started the Hate List that Nick referred to as he shot pe