A veterinarian who treats animals "royally" - Dr. Barbara Royal

     Animals are the center of attention and do receive the “royal” treatment from Dr. Barbara Royal, a veterinarian in Chicago.

    
     Her book, The Royal Treatment: A Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets is informative and entertaining, and not to be used as a way to self-diagnosis an issue with your pet. Please do consult your vet. From the raw food recipes to the 10 different types of litter for cats to “connecting” with your pet, Dr. Royal has keen insight on how to interact with and care for your pet, how to keep your pet healthy in a natural way, and some great stories along the way.

     Organized well and easy to read, one could anywhere in the book, and there are great ideas to implement or experiment with immediately and conveniently. 

    
     Her medical practice integrates Western and Eastern medicine, she is certified as an acupuncturist for animals, and she is committed to a healthy environment through natural and green choices for her office.  She is involved with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and has appeared on several well-known TV shows.

What is Period.8? by Chris Crutcher

     Period.8 by Chris Crutcher has just enough suspense and intrigue to keep the pages turning.

 
     However, I still don’t understand the cover illustration nor the teaser.  The plot thickens as the novel unfolds; yet, the ‘who’ or ‘what’ is behind the scheme is difficult to decipher; there’s no clear explanation of the circumstances that brought these individuals together.  How certain teenagers get involved and why is even more unclear.
     Manipulation, power and control, and trust are major themes throughout the story, and the students of period 8 are not quite sure who to trust, even though what’s said in period 8, stays in period 8.  More focus on the scheme could have provided deeper character development and various perspectives on issues that teens face and difficult decisions they make everyday.

     As with Crutcher’s other novels, Period.8 is a work of realistic fiction; yet, parts of this story are a little too unrealistic to me.  I just could not buy-into this storyline. I may recommend this book to students who like Crutcher. For those new to Crutcher or want a good story, I will recommend his other titles first.         

Imagination, Journeys, and real-life experiences - Summer 2013

According to the calendar, summer, officially, is not until June 21.
With warmer weather, summer break from school, and vacations planned, the season starts in May and early June for most people.

I hope you have some good titles on your list, and would be happy to know what you intend to read, too!

My list of titles to read this summer is long, as usual. A few titles include:

Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy by David Sheff
--author of Beautiful Boy about his son Nick Sheff, who struggled with an addiction to meth

This book looks at legalization of marijuana and the purpose and services of rehab centers

Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me by Jerry McGill
I am judging this book by it's cover, and it looks compelling and makes me want to open to the first page. 

 
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis
--When Ben suffers a traumatic brain injury during a military attack, he loses his ability to walk, talk, or remember anything about himself. The road to recovery will not be easy.

Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande
finalist for national book award
--the reality of medicine – a science that is not able to perform miracles or make promises, with a risk always present, yet an art to this science and in service to others.

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
--Jess is a curious young boy, and has to grow-up faster and earlier than his age would determine. He must gather the will and courage to do what is right and overcome adversity.

The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates

--“In this poetic and powerful memoir, we meet Paul Coates: a Vietnam vet and a Black Panther, an old-school disciplinarian and Aquarian believer in free love…enigmatic god to his seven children, with a mission to carry them across the shoals of inner-city adolescence..”

Calling Me Home by Juile Kibler
Isabelle McAllister and Dorrie Curtis are on a spontaneous road-trip from Texas to Cincinnati, and on this journey Dorrie learns of the elderly Isabelle’s secret past – a past that haunts Isabelle and may provide some answers for Dorrie

Brian Castner takes a Long Walk to Iraq, around the U.S., and to Iraq again

 The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life that Follows, is now in paperback.
  For more information on Brian Caster, his book, and his work, see his blog: Fever Blog

     Castner and his story have received so many positive reviews and from so many well-regarded sources.  This book could be added to numerous reading lists, including summer reading or class curriculum.  This book could fit into various English classes, including literature and film/psychology,  a course on war literature, outside/independent reading, as well as courses in psychology or sociology, U.S. History, or political science. 
     This non-fiction work is not just the experience of war, it is the experience of "modern" warfare, realities of military leadership, and life after war - a part of a soldier's life that could be more difficult to endure physically, emotionally, and psychologically than events during combat.

      Castner had many long walks in Iraq and the U.S.  In Iraq, he was a leader of a team with the responsibility to disable bombs, along with  many other responsibilities that come with leadership positions; he loved what he was required to do.  He had many long walks back to the U.S. for a new segment of training or an end of tour.  His longest walk, though, was upon his return home after his last deployment.  His honesty and reflections are raw emotion.  His willingness to be that vulnerable certainly is more than a form of therapy for himself; it's a sense of reality and human emotion that shares insight into the psyche of the contemporary soldier.  

     I have more bookmarks in this book than most books I read.  I think I could write a paper on it! As more soldiers and veterans return from the Middle East and elsewhere, hopefully their "long walk" in war and returning home can be a little easier by reading this book, and others of us can try to understand them a little better, too.

  

Beneath a Meth Moon ~ Jacqueline Woodson

        Jacqueline Woodson mixes two realities in Beneath A Meth Moon (2012): Hurricane Katrina and drug abuse and addiction.   

            Laurel loses her mother and grandmother in Hurricane Katrina.  She has her father and younger brother, but they don’t they make her feel better or happy the way the moon does.  From the moment she tried meth, she was hooked; it placed a blanket over her losses and worries, and just makes life good.  The only way she can make this feeling last is to be on her own – and with the moon. Homeless and soon helpless, Laurel walks several journeys until she bottoms out, but not without someone to be there save her life.

            While this book has some strong reviews, I thought it was a bit disjointed. The story moves forward and backwards in time, but the distinctions are not always clear, and I had a hard time determining where Laurel was in time and space and her emotions.

            The impact of drug addiction is clear; however, I thought a lot of details were missing that could have added substance and depth to the story and characters.  I was hoping for something riveting that could serve as an engaging fiction story representing real and intense social issues.
            Not only are these types of stories needed, Woodson does exactly this kind of work in If You Come Softly.

Book trailers for 2014 Illinois Teen Choice Award

From Monica Tolva's YouTube Channel: