"The Four Stages Of Cruelty" by Keith Holliman

The Four Stages Of Cruelty by Keith Holliman gives a realistic view of a prison through the eyes of a female prison guard.  She was my favorite character.  This is a good story with a surprising twist at the end.   (5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Zoo Story: Life In the Garden Of Captives" by Thomas French

Zoo Story by Thomas French is a documentary about Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.  It gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look at the struggles of zoo directors, zookeepers, and the animals in captivity have.  By reading Zoo Story, I learned some interesting facts about elephants, chimpanzees, seahorses, frogs, monkeys, and tigers.  Zoo Story shares both funny and sad stories about the zoo, including how dangerous it can be to be a zookeeper.  Zookeepers put in long hours for little pay, but the benefit is that they become attached to the animals in their care and develop relationships with them.  My favorite part was the story of Herman, the chimpanzee, and getting a peek at what it’s really like being a zookeeper. 

 

Here is a quote that stood out to me:

 

Against all this logic, some staff members still wished sometimes there was some way they could let the animals go.

 

“Any good keeper absolutely feels a guilty conscience,” a veteran on the staff confided one evening after Lowry Park was closed.   “‘There are definitely days when you walk in and you look at the animals, and you say, “I wish they didn’t have to be here.’”  p. 59

 

Although not a “page-turner,” Zoo Story is a worthwhile read if you like animals and enjoy visiting zoos like us.  I just skipped over the boring parts about PETA and some of the other political details.  It seems as though certain groups are completely against zoos in general and just look for things to pick at.  Overall, I enjoyed Zoo Story and have a better understanding about conservation.  

(Karen's review)

What a wonderful book!  Zoo Story by Thomas French is the story of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.  You will just love the stories Thomas French tells about the animals and the humans in charge of taking care of them.  I loved this book!  If you are an animal lover and like going to the zoo, this is the book for you!  Great read!

Karen and I are both members of the Cleveland Zoo and go often.  My favorite animal is the tiger and Karen's is the red panda and the monkeys.  This book gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the zoo.  There is so much to zoos that we don't see.  I learned a lot more about animals and also about zookeepers when I read Zoo Story.

(Gerard's review July 2009)

What is your favorite zoo animal?   

Here are some posts we did about our Cleveland zoo you may enjoy:

Welcome To The Cleveland Zoo 2008

Things We Learned At The Cleveland Zoo Saturday

A Visit To The Cleveland Zoo In Winter

Creature Comfort Day At The Cleveland Zoo 2008

Harry and Brookside Park, Now The Cleveland Zoo

"The Boy In The Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne

Don't Miss This One!  (100 stars)
I could have The Boy In The Striped Pajamas in just one day!  This book is about a 9-yr-old boy named Bruno whose father becomes the commandant of a Nazi death camp for Jews.  Bruno becomes friends with one of the Jewish boys there named Shmuel.  What a powerful story this is!!  The ending really shook me to the core.  It was also made into a move.  Here is the link to view clips: 

(Gerard's review 3/20/09)

This is a sad story about two lonely boys who befriend each other through a fence of a concentration camp. It is told from Bruno's (the Commandant's son) perspective which is very innocent in contrast to the awfulness of the Holocaust. Both boys are the same age but one lives very well and the other is in a death camp. It shows how unfair life is and has a shocking ending, yet Bruno's words that Shmuel is now his best friend for life came true. Bruno was an adventurous boy who was curious what life was like on the other side of the fence. He loved his father and knew that it couldn't be too bad if his father was in charge. I can't express all that this book encompasses. It's a great book that you will long remember.
(Karen's review 3/20/09)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"The Lock Artist" by Steve Hamilton Deserves The Hype

"The Lock Artist" lives up to the hype! Now I know why this book made the top 10 teen books of the year.  It’s that good!  The lock artist, Michael, tells the story.  He has two special things that make him unusual:  (1) he does not speak out loud; (2) he can open up any lock.  The writing is very good.  I got into it right away!  Both story lines kept my interest.  I was “locked” into this book!  I give this 10 stars and highly recommend it!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Perfect Chemistry" by Simone Elkeles Is Great!

What a fun read “Perfect Chemistry” by Simone Elkeles is!  I enjoyed reading Perfect Chemistry very much because it was such a cute high school romance story about the “perfect” pom-pom girl, Brittany Ellis, and the Latino Blood gang member, Alex, who had the reputation for being the most dangerous guy in school.  The Fairfield high school is cross cultural with the uppity rich kids from the North and the poor drug-dealing gang members from the south.  The Chemistry teacher and principal are determined to get the kids to learn from each other.   

When Brittany and Alex are paired together as partners in Chemistry it takes them awhile before they feel comfortable with each other to actually work together.  Although the plot is simplistic and predictable, it’s a fun read because of the characters, the humor and a great ending.  I liked Alex better than Brittany because he seemed to have more love and respect for his family than Brittany had for her parents.

Alex also struggled with deeper decisions whereas Brittany’s biggest decision was which guy she should go with—the jock that everyone expected her to like or Alex who she was attracted to and really liked.  I think the author did a good job at presenting both sides of Brittany and Alex—their caring and loving natures as well as the superficial ones they presented to the world.

I really liked this book because I like stories about teens, school and interesting characters.  Brittany and Alex discovered that stereotypes are not always right and were surprised to discover that they had more in common than they would have ever imagined as they got to know each other better and actually became friends and lovers.  This book addresses the issues of image, popularity, premarital sex, family, dealing with cerebral palsy, judging by appearances, teaching and gangs.  I didn’t care for the foul language interspersed throughout the book or the fact that premarital sex was taken so lightly, but it reflected the general attitude of most high schoolers.  I am so glad I read Perfect Chemistry and highly recommend it to anyone who likes YA fiction/romance.     
(Karen's review)


I discovered this one at Miss Page-Turner's city of Books
Have you read this one? What did you think of it?