The Weird Series by Erin Frankel, illustrated by Paula Heaphy, is a trilogy about bullying that would be appropriate for elementary ages (but also adults working with children).
In Weird! Luisa is the kid being bullied (she speaks Spanish and wears polka dots!) Dare! is from the perspective of Jayla, a bystander, and former victim of bullying, watching Luisa's struggles. Tough! is about Sam, the bully. The colors in the illustrations pop, and add to the story. It's interesting to note things that carry over from one book to the next.
This trilogy of bullying and conflict resolution from different perspectives would be a great addition to any home and library. Each book is great as a stand-alone, but the three together are powerful.
Each book comes with a series of thought-provoking questions, a letter from the main character explaining how they felt and why they took the actions they did. There's a teacher's guide (well, Leader guide), an Activity Corner, and information for both adults and kids on approaching the issue of bullying. I think some good discussions would come from sharing this with your children or students.
Note: Also meets Common Core standards.
The Weird Series is published by Free Spirit Publishing. Digital ARCs provided by NetGalley.
Release Date: 09.01.2013
Awaken by Meg Cabot is the third book in the Abandon trilogy...which I have really enjoyed keeping up with. I love pretty much anything by her- and have you seen her YouTube Channel? Dying!!! (in that Who Framed Roger Rabbit "laugh yourselves to death" kind of way).
As with most series installments, it took awhile for my brain to catch back up with everything that happened beforehand. Ha, "previously on Abandon..."
So, without giving away too much, in this final book of the YA series:
We are again thrust into The Underworld. Pierce Oliviera and John Hayden are together, herding souls onto ships on the River Styx. However, John has broken a strict rule- he brought a human back to life. Furies are furious, and the life-death balance is all out of whack. Pierce has to go back to Isla Huesos. We meet Thanatos, the personification of Death. There is an epic battle in a cemetery. Lobster Tacos are offered. All on the quest to restore balance to the Underworld.
I have always loved Mythology, and I like how Meg Cabot took the Hades/Persephone story and gave it an awesome twist. The lead characters are interesting- flawed yet...noble? I think that's close to what I'm looking for. And the supporting characters are very likable- I want Kayla to be my best friend. They have some great one-liners and situations- I found myself snickering quite a bit. There's also a lot of action, and Pierce gets to show off some pretty cool bad-assery.
This final installment was an emotional roller-coaster for me. It was very "Wait, what!?! NOOOOOO!!!! Oh yay!!!!! What the crap!?!" So thumbs up Meg Cabot, two thumbs way, way up!
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Meg Cabot's other books (especially the others in the Abandon trilogy), mythology, fantasy, and Florida weather.
Awaken is published by Point, an imprint of Scholastic. Digital ARC provided by NetGalley.
Release Date: 07.02.13
