Book Review: THE KILLING SEA

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Lewis, Richard. 2006. THE KILLING SEA. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Sumatra, two teenagers, American Sara and Acehnese Ruslan, meet and continue together their arduous climb inland, where Ruslan hopes to find his father and sarah seeks a doctor for her brother.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

On one level, I dreaded reading this book. On another, I knew that, as a Junior Library Guild pick, the novel would be well-written, but each time I tried to pick it up, images of the 2004 tsunami flashed in my head. Well, I shouldn't have hesitated; THE KILLING SEA is a wonderful novel filled with love, friendship, courage, family, and yes, tragedy. Author Richard Lewis doesn't spare the reader realistic descriptions of the death and destruction wrought by the tsunami, but he weaves it into such a story of love and survival, that the overall sense is one of love and hope.

At the story's beginning, Sarah and Ruslan meet, and this encounter clearly highlights how completely different their worlds are. Soon their paths part, with each one's story being told in alternating chapters. This allows us to get to know both Sarah and Ruslan, their talents, weaknesses, dreams and fears. By the time they find each other again in the aftermath of the disaster, their worlds have changed, and they now live in an unimaginable place of death and danger. As Ruslan's faith in God is tested, Sarah's faith in family is renewed, and both find comfort in each other's strength. Their friendship and will to survive will leave you laughing and crying in turns.

I recommend this novel for anyone who likes adventure, survival stories, or stories of family and friendship. If you liked HATCHET or THE SHE, you'll like THE KILLING SEA.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
BOOKLIST: Drawing from his own experience as a rescue worker, Lewis creates a powerful fictional tale of survival and cooperation in the wake of the 2004 tsunami that killed nearly a quarter of a million people and devastated much of the Southeast Asian coastline....Although many of Lewis' descriptions are horrifyingly vivid, Ruslan's resilience and Sarah's emotional numbness will give readers some shielding.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: The author treats cultural differences with a gentle and honest touch. He also creates a vivid picture of the many horrors and challenges faced in the immediate aftermath of a large-scale natural disaster. Despite drawbacks, this book will appeal to fans of survival adventures like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet

5. CONNECTIONS
* 7th Grade SCIENCE - This novel, along with Plum-Ucci's THE SHE have sections that would be great read-alouds when studying earthquakes and tsunamis. The dramatic retelling of what happens would help students visualize the physical process. (pp. 18-42)

* 6th Grade SOCIAL STUDIES - Indonesia is not only a country torn apart by a natural disaster, but also one which is torn apart by a civil war fought by a dictatorial military government and rebel armies. THE KILLING SEA addresses both, along with the customs of the country's Muslim people. This novel would be an outstanding read-aloud while studying Indonesia.

* 6th-8th ELA - Structurally, THE KILLING SEA makes a good example of telling a story by starting with two main characters together, then splitting them in two by using alternating chapters, and bringing them together just before the climax and resolution. It is realistic fiction that also shows the importance of research. There are some really good examples of how to weave factual information (pp. 12-15, 32, 58-59 about tsunamis, the ocean, and leeches) into a fictional piece.

Book Review: PARANOID PARK

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Nelson, Blake. PARANOID PARK. 2006. New York, NY: Viking Juvenile.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
A 16-year-old skater knows he's taking a risk in going to Paranoid Park, a tough unofficial street skating "park" on the bad side of town, but he never thinks the night will end in murder. When it does, he keeps it secret, but, as a result, his life begins to unravel.

3. REFLECTIONS:
This is a gritty novel which is recommended by the School Library Journal for 7th grade and up. Nelson's first-person narrator is completely believable, and I spent the whole novel feeling depressed and tense as I sympathized with him.

As my students all know, "Mrs. K" likes fantasy more than realistic fiction, so I can't say that I enjoyed the novel, but I would recommend this title to those who like to read books that tend to be darker and more soul-searching. If you like Edgar Allen Poe or Dostoevsky, PARANOID PARK may scratch the morbid little itch that's been bothering you.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist: "Readers will have a visceral reaction to this story, but on a literary level, they'll also appreciate Nelson's clever plotting and spot-on characterizations...Nonstop page turning until the surprising conclusion."

School Library Journal: " Thus, this novel, which probes the cultural divide separating the narrator from the rough-and-tumble Streeters, examines the chasm separating moral responsibility from the eternal damnation of keeping a horrible secret. The story is less resolved than Michael Cadnum's Calling Home (Viking, 1991), but many teens will relate on one level or another to this teen's terrible dilemma."

5. CONNECTIONS
*This would pair well with classics such as CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Dostoevsky or CALLING HOME by Michael Cadnum.
* This novel also deals with the alienation caused by divorce and would be a good choice for a literature group discussion of alienation, divorce, or moral dilemmas.

Book Review: GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Hart, Alison. GABRIEL'S HORSES. 2007. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
12-year-old Gabriel lives as a slave on a plantation in Kentucky during the Civil War. While Gabriel's father fights to buy his mother's freedom, Gabriel hopes to use his skill riding horses to win enough money to buy his own freedom, too. But when the plantation owner hires a new horse trainer who is cruel to both slaves and horses alike, he sees his dream dying. Will he have the courage to risk his life by standing up for himself and his horses?

3. REFLECTIONS:
The first two novels of this trilogy are fast-paced, short, and very well researched. Considering the slim size of the books, the author manages to pack in a lot of historical material about slaves, the civil war, and the Kentucky horse racing tradition without slowing down the plot or bogging down the lively characters.

I read each novel in less than six hours (I know this, because I read them during a road trip of about that length!) and the endearing character of Gabriel captured my imagination so much that not only didn't I get car sick, but I couldn't help but tear up at the end of the book! Hart does a wonderful job of creating dialect which is at once of the period and very believable. The conversation between characters flows naturally, and the descriptions of the races were riveting.

GABRIEL'S HORSES and GABRIEL'S TRIUMPH will appeal to all level of readers, both advanced and reluctant, and will have special appeal to young adults who enjoy reading about horses, the Civil War, and African-American history.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Booklist: "The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity."

School Library Journal: "The author grounds this fast-paced tale in historical fact by providing a nonfiction epilogue. Readers will find this wonderful blend of history and horses appealing."

5. CONNECTIONS
* At Taylor Middle School, 8th grade students study the Civil War in both ELA and Social Studies classes. This novel would be great to read as a class novel or part of a literature circle.
* In the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month, and this series would be a welcome addition to a display of books by and about African-Americans.