S-P-E-L-L-D-O-W-N by Karen Luddy

Officially titled Spelldown: The Big-Time Dreams of a Small-Town Word Whiz by Karen Luddy, this book is going to be a tough one to review. I loved it, I really did, but I am not sure I would recommend it to anyone I know in particular. This is the first novel for Luddy and I feel like she will really have a place in young adult literature. It is just that.... Grrrr.... I am not a prude, but come on with the language! I think I got tricked a little because my library had this book in the juvenile section and it is clearly NOT. I just really can't get past the way the main character used curse so much??? I swear to you I am no angel. I do not believe in judging a book on the language it uses. I am known for reading books with cuss words in them aloud to my class. (And of course politely changing the words to keep my lady-like image and explaining why an author would chose to use those particular words.) But with this book I couldn't even come up with a good reason. Then of course there was the topic of puberty and puppy love that comes in most any young adult book. Even that may have gone a little too far in this book. But... saying all that, I still can't say I didn't love it!
In the story the main character, Karlene, is a thirteen year old spelling whiz, growing up in the 1960's, who is mostly trying to hold together a dysfunctional family. I can so appreciate Karlene's life, not as a child living in a dysfunctional world, but as an adult. The ups and downs Karlene goes through are truly something no child should ever live through. By spelling her way to D.C. with the help of a generous and mentoring teacher, Karlene manages to hold some parts of her life together.
I think Karen Luddy did a beautiful job developing characters who really stand out. She sets the scene and develops the plot with a satisfying resolution. I really would only recommend this book to adults. I am sure a teen in the range of 13-15 could take a lot from the book, but I would never recommend it to anyone under that age. See for yourself, don't take my word for it.
Other reviews:
Semicolon
Emily Reads (Cool Haiku review)
Franklin Park Teens and Tweens

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

The very first book I read this summer was Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. What a great book to begin with! I didn't take good notes on this book, because I wasn't thinking ahead to the future, so I am going to do this from what I can remember.
What struck me first about this book is the fact that it has a boy main character but... he has a best friend who is a girl. This is helpful because it leaves no one out when trying to get students interested. I hate to give away the premise or plot of any book, so I am not. Basically Jeremy the main character's father passed away when he was 8 (?). Mysteriously right before his 13 birthday he receives a box containing a present from his dad to be opened on his 13th birthday. The box claims to hold the Meaning of Life. To further complicate this mystery the box takes four keys to open, and of course they are all missing. The story unfolds as Jeremy and his friend, Lizzy go on a quest to find the keys to open the box. In the meantime they are actually unraveling the mystery of the Meaning of Life.
I would recommend this book for students at the end of sixth grade or the beginning of seventh grade. Some of the ideas would be way over the head of my fifth grade students. But I can see 12/13 year olds relating to most everything about this book. I did shed a tear or two in the end. Okay- I was bawling. I hate to mention something bad about this book but I am going to anyway. The book was a bit long. Some of the plot could have been shaved down so as not to lose the meaning of the book, in my opinion. But then again... I didn't write the book.