13 minute read
Book Reviews
Reviewed by NewGate Secondary Students
Edgar Allan Poe Classic Stories
Written by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe had an incredible talent when it came to turning the truly disturbing into something beautiful. This book shows some of his more famous works. Personally, Edgar Allan Poe appeals to me because of the more poetic aspects of his stories. I decided to choose two of his works, but if I could have, I would have done a review on the entire book.
The Premature Burial
Although there are many unfortunate events that occur in our world (often romanticized by the media), being buried alive is one of the most terrifying. In the 1800s, they didn’t have as much technology as we do now. Seeing if somebody had died was based on appearances, and there were a few problems with that. When someone is extremely ill, they can sometimes resemble a corpse. Take a coma for instance. We now have ways to tell if a person in a coma is alive, but back then, all they saw was a pale, sunken face, the lack of warmth, and the faltering pulse.
The narrator of “The Premature Burial” has a medical condition that puts him in danger of being buried alive. This rare condition puts him into comas at random.
These comas last for days and make him look dead. After being diagnosed, he starts to look into cases where somebody was buried alive. The more he researches cases, the more his paranoia grows. He starts to prepare, just in case he is mistaken for someone deceased. This fear of being buried alive starts to limit what he does. Will he ever overcome his fear?
The Cask Of Amontillado
In “The Cask Of Amontillado,” the narrator, Montresor, has a secret. Although, on the outside, he seems to always smile around his friend, Fortunato, he only smiles when fantasizing about killing him. He truly despises, Fortunato, and he starts to plan his murder.
Fortunato is a man very proud of his ability to taste wine. Using that fact, Montresor plans to lure Fortunato to a place where it will be just the two of them. “I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts,” said Montresor. Hearing that, Fortunato, flattered that Montresor would go to him for help first, follows him back to the Montresor House. Of course, Fortunado, who can’t see past the smile on his dear friend’s face, could never predict that the real reason that Montresor is smiling is because the plan is going perfectly.
Edgar Allan Poe has many more works than just these two, each one unique but fitting his overall gothic theme. I would recommend this book to anyone who is at least 13 years old and has an interest in poetry or horror.
Reviewed Spring 2021 by Mia Morales, 8th grade, NewGate Montessori School, Sarasota, FL
Five Total Strangers
Written by Natalie D. Richards
Mira is traveling home to Pittsburgh to see her mother over the holidays. Since her Aunt Phoebe passed away, her mother has been trying to keep herself together, and Mira knows she needs her now more than ever. But there’s been an unexpected setback; her plane must land due to turbulence and forces Mira to find other means of travel: hitching a ride with four complete strangers. It was fine at first, but after many of their things go missing along the ride, it becomes evident that someone is sabotaging their plans. Mira’s panic makes everyone seem more sinister, yet she must put all her trust into them, because there is no other way home. Five Total Strangers, shows the phrase “stranger danger” at its finest.
This suspense/mystery/thriller is one of my favorites for many reasons. I love how the whole story is told from Mira’s point of view. You only know what she is thinking, and you are never really sure whose side to take because of it. The book is mostly dialogue. I thought it would be hard to keep track of who is talking, but each character has such a clear personality that it was a very enjoyable read. Some of my favorite parts of the book are when they each go back and forth, trying to control the situation together, but not having enough trust in each other to do any one thing.
Richards has a way of keeping you on edge in the best way possible. It’s a fairly quick read, but it just made it all the more exciting and fast-paced. I don’t want to give too much away, but the reveal at the end will definitely change your perspective. This book is great for teens, but a slightly younger audience can read it, too. If you find yourself intrigued when you read the first paragraph, you may want to give Five Total Strangers a try.
Reviewed Spring 2021by Veda DiPiero, 7th grade, NewGate Montessori School, Sarasota, FL
The Giver
Written by Lois Lowry
In 1994, Lois Lowry won the John Newbery medal for the book, The Giver. Ms. Lowry has won this award twice in her career.
The Giver is the first book of a four-part series, called The Quartet. The collection includes: The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. In this book, the reader will quickly connect to the characters and want to read more. The writing style flows, is easy to read, creates a vivid picture within the mind, and is filled with suspense. However, the book is not just for entertainment. It is written to show the importance of human connection with one another and the planet. At the end of the book, the reader feels as if something has been gained and will want to read the next book in The Quartet.
The protagonist in The Giver is a twelve-year-old boy named Jonas. He lives in a community in the future. Everything around him is controlled, monitored, and is called the “Sameness.” There is no choice, and people are drugged to keep them from feeling certain emotions. The people in the community do not recognize this as being wrong. They are told this living environment is ideal because all unpleasantness has been eliminated from society.
The Ceremony of Twelve occurs annually and involves all twelveyear-old children receiving their life assignments. As this event nears, Jonas worries about what role he will be appointed. The reader experiences a feeling of anxiousness for Jonas. When he is given his role, everyone is shocked, even Jonas. The rising action of the story is Jonas’ training, which quickly leads to the story’s conflict. This is when he discovers the dark truth behind his community’s happy façade.
The Giver is an award-winning book that will not disappoint. It is appropriate for upper elementary through adulthood. The reader will, more than likely, finish this book in one sitting. It is truly that good!
Reviewed Spring 2021 by Collin Carpino, 9th grade, NewGate Montessori School, virtual student in Stuart, FL
We would love to publish reviews of your favorite books. Send book reviews to Lorna at: lornamcgrath@montessori.org
BOOK REVIEWS
Reviewed by Lorna McGrath
A Wish in the Dark
Written by Christina Soontornvat
A Wish in the Dark is this year’s winner of the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, from the Jane Addams Peace Association (www.janeaddamschildrensbookaward.org).
This novel was a page-turner novel for me. There is adventure, suspense, mystery, and magic along with friendship, injustice, and mind-changing experiences throughout the entire story. The setting is in an imaginary city and an outlying village in a land much like many in East Asia. It felt like long ago to me, even though the governor has magical powers with which he creates energy for lights, motorized vehicles, and cooking.
The main characters included Pong and Somkit, orphans in prison, whose mothers were incarcerated, and then died in childbirth; Nok, daughter of the well-to-do prison warden; Father Cham, a wise man from the village temple; Ampai, a woman in the city who was a champion for the poor and a rebel rouser for social justice; and the Governor, a magical being with the power for good or evil.
There are many philosophical and moral issues to think about as one reads this novel. There was one question very close to the end of the book that really struck me as relevant to the current pandemic situation as well as the gun violence in America. I took the liberty to change the verbs to present tense. “Which is better: being safe or having freedom? And do you have to choose?”
I would definitely recommend this book for secondary students at home or at school. You can find it at most sellers.
Something Happened in Our Town
Written by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
This is a child’s story about racial injustice. I was trying to decide how old a child should be to either read the book themselves or to have it read to them. Honestly, I’m still not sure about the answer. What I do know is that parents know their own children best, and they know their values and beliefs. As with many subjects, such as death, sexuality, injustice, or divorce, parents need to decide when and how to tackle sensitive or disturbing subjects. Most importantly, parents need to make it safe for their children to ask questions, answer truthfully, and answer age appropriately.
We know that young children often hear about things that we wish they did not; from television, the internet, older siblings, or adults talking. We don’t want them to hear about violence, hate, pandemics, or injustice. But the truth is – they do.
Sometimes, we don’t answer because we don’t want them to lose their innocence or to worry about things that we think they can’t understand. In reality, it can be more upsetting to a child if their questions go unanswered, because we don’t know how to or are uncomfortable about answering them.
The good news is that this book will help parents with the very difficult subject of racial injustice. It looks at a situation that involves a police shooting of a black man and how two families of different races explained the incident to their lower elementary age children. These families were honest and emotional when answering their children. They also helped their children see that there are things they could do to make changes in how people treat each other. Both children put the lessons from their parents into practice at school the next day. It reminded me of the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
The illustrations are realistic. They depict a town/city and the children at home with their families and at their school. They do not show the shooting itself. The authors also included eight pages of “Notes to Parents and Caregivers” to help adults answer their children’s questions about racial injustice.
My grandson will be five years old in June. He and his family live in City Center, Philadelphia, PA. He’s bright, curious, and is very aware of things that happen in his city. This story could (and does) take place where he lives. I’ll send this book to him after I’ve reviewed it for you.
Jada Jones: Sleepover Scientist
Written by Kelly Starling Lyons Illustrated by Nneka Myers
This is one in a series of Jada Jones early readers. The print is quite large, and the illustrations are fun! This series is a great way to bridge the gap between easy readers to confident readers. The stories are engaging and relatable.
This book is about Jada planning her first sleepover party with her friends. She planned what she thought would be so much fun for everyone – lots of science experiments because Jada loves science! Unfortunately, not all her friends feel the same way, and the party was almost a bust! In the end, the girls decided on a fun game that they all liked, built a fort for all of them to sleep in, and had a dad-made pancake breakfast in the morning. All went well and they had a blast! I would definitely recommend this series for lower elementary-age children.
Jasmine Toguchi: Super Sleuth
Written by Debbi Michiko Florence Illustrated by Elizabeth Vukovic
Here is another good reading series. The print is a bit smaller than in the Jada Jones books and there are still quite a lot of illustrations to keep the confident reader engaged. Each book in this series has a Table of Contents, and there is often a special project for readers to try in the back of the books.
This story is fun, culturally diverse, and has some mysteries in it. Jasmine is a Japanese- American girl, and she has plans to include her friend, Linnie, in her Girl’s Day celebration, a special Japanese holiday. However, as the two girls start to gather clothing for the celebration, Jasmine has the feeling that something was wrong. Her older sister didn’t want to participate, and her friend, Linnie, decided to go home early. Jasmine had to pay attention to the clues and figure out how she could make things go right on Girl’s Day. The special project in this book is making an origami paper doll. Recommended for lower elementary age children.
Our Peaceful Classroom
Written by Aline D. Wolf Illustrated by Children from Montessori schools worldwide
This book is not new. It has been around for years because it is a classic book about Montessori early childhood classrooms around the world, told and illustrated by the children who attend them. It is an all-time favorite book because it captures the essence of Montessori classrooms; the learning materials; the atmosphere of friendship and caring; the sense of ownership the children have for their classroom; the respect that the teachers show to the children; and the community that the adults and children create together. If your child is about to begin a Montessori early childhood program, this book will help your child feel comfortable as they transition from home (or another more conventional childcare center) to a Montessori classroom.
The Little Montessori Me Picture Book
Written by Inez Bunclark
This is an interesting book for children whose parents choose to create a Montessori-inspired home. In it, the author takes the young child through his day at home. She includes many Practical Life activities, such as food prep, helping with the laundry, gardening, and more. She also shows how a bedroom could be set up, an eating area, an art area, shelving for activities, and equipment for indoor climbing. She chose to write the story in rhyme. Children will enjoy the flow of the language. The illustrations are lovely, realistic drawings. The Little Montessori Me Picture Book would be helpful for parents and children who don’t have a toddler Montessori program in their area or who choose to keep their children at home because of age or health-related concerns.
Jack Goes to Montessori School
Written byAllyson Collins Illustrated by Lindsey R. Smith
This book is written by a Montessori mom who wanted other families to know how terrific Montessori school is. I think it would be a good way to help prepare three- and four-yearold children for the three-to-six (or primary) classroom.
It’s about a boy who loves his classroom, his friends, and his lessons. In the story, the author has pointed out quite a few of the basic materials, which are illustrated well. There are many, many more activities and lessons in an actual Montessori classroom. Reading this book to children who have never been in a Montessori classroom will give them a sense of how the day goes and some of what’s in store for them. It could be a real help with the transition from home to school or from the toddler level to primary.
