Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Rating: 1.2.2

Recommended audience: Pre-teen and up

Category: Juvenile, Newbery, Realistic fiction

Rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this Newbery Honor book. This is the story of 13 year old, Brian, who gets stranded in the Canadian wilderness. He fortunately has a hatchet that his mother had given to him and it proves to be crucial to his survival. I loved the way he learned through experience what he needed to do to survive, but I loved even more the progression of his emotional and mental survival tactics. My 3rd grader's teacher read this book to her class and I get the impression from my daughter that it kept them on the edge of their seats. I can believe it. Great book! Highly recommended.

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza

Rating: 2.3.1
Recommended audience: Mature teen to adult
Category: Memoir

Review: 5/5

Left to Tell is one of those books that everyone should read. It is both profoundly sad, yet uplifting and inspiring as you read about the triumph of the human spirit. I listened to this book on CD's and even though Immaculee did not read it, I felt like she was speaking to me and telling me her story. Immaculee Ilibagiza begins by telling the reader (or listener, in my case) the story of her idyllic childhood, how she was raised by a loving family in a beautiful country. She had no sense of the racial tension that was running through the society because her parents taught her to respect all people. She did run into discrimination as she got older and wanted to go to high school and university but was able to overcome it. Before she could graduate from university, though, chaos erupted in Rwanda. That was in April 1994. Her story is horrifying and miraculous at the same time. I highly recommend this book. Just as the title says, Immaculee believes that she was preserved, "left to tell" her story, and it is one that should be heard.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Rating: 1.3.2
Recommended audience: Teen to adult
Category: Adventure, survival




This book has two parts. The first is about Pi Patel, a teenager living in India who accepts and practices three religions--Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. The second part is the story of his survival at sea. You've probably heard at least a little about this if you haven't already read it. I loved this book. I loved it even more the second time I read it. For some people the first part is a little boring but please just keep going. It is so different from other books out there. Make sure you know someone else who has read it or will read it because I can guarantee, you'll want to talk about it with someone.