The House in the Cerulean Sea: Remember to Live with Passion

The House in the Cerulean Sea

(Goodreads)

I have not read a book like this one in a while and I think every book lover should pick it up at one point in their life. This book felt like the most honest hug I have ever received. With big messages on complacency and acceptance told through a charming tale, The House in the Cerulean Sea is a must for High School classrooms. I strongly believe this will become a classic that will be taught in the next ten years. 

We start the book off in the rather grey world of Linus Baker, a minimally happy caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY). At 40, he feels like his life is less than exciting and follows a strict schedule day in and day out. He is well known for his in-depth reports of the orphanages on his caseload. You may be asking what I mean when I say "magical youth." Imagine a world where one can be born with superpowers. These people, like most of the X-men, were children once. These children are often more than most families can handle, so they end up in "orphanages" that DICOMY regulates.

Linus unexpectedly is called to meet with Extremely Upper Management. In all his time at DICOMY, he has never talked to or even seen Extremely Upper Management. This is cause for a bit of alarm, but Linus soon finds out that he is being recognized for his exceptional work. With the recognition comes a new assignment that is highly classified. With the knowledge that his career could very much ride on this new assignment, Linus packs up his grumpy cat and heads for an island that five rather unique magical youth inhabit with my mysterious caretaker. Forced to stay on their island for a month, Linus must determine if these children should be removed from this home and placed elsewhere. 

Things become a tad much for Linus to compute when he opens his new case file and finds out that the "antichrist" is one of the children at the orphanage he now must live at for a full month. Completely overwhelmed, Linus faints, only to find himself being shaken awake by one of the residents of the island, Zoe Chaplewhite. Linus learns that she is the island's sprite and it belongs to her. As a man well versed in magical creatures, Linus knows that he must tread lightly on the island of Marsyas if he doesn't want to find himself thrown into the ocean. 

Suddenly surrounded by color and things he had never expected, Linus's view on the world and magical children is turned on its head. The first child he meets is an ill-tempered female gnome who repeatedly threatens to kill him and bury him in her garden. Beard and all, she is quite a rarity. Then he is introduced to Phee, a particularly powerful forest sprite who Zoe mentors. These two young ladies introduce Linus to the rest of the children. He meets Theodore, one of the very few remaining wveryns left in existence. Theodore loves to collect small shiny objects and Linus is soon forced to forfeit many of his shirt buttons. Then he is introduced to Chauncey, a green blob with tentacles and two wobbly eye stalks. All Chauncey wants in the world is to be a bellhop. Sal is a shapeshifting were-pomeranian that changes into a small dog when frightened. Sal is slow to trust and if he bites you, he can change you into a were-pomeranian too. Last, but never least, Linus meets Lucy which is short for Lucifer. Lucy is a sweet 6-year-old boy that is struggling with the weight of who his father is and what that means for his future. 

This group of raggamuffins is looked after by one Arthur Parnassus who acts as a father figure to them all. He loves them and fosters their passions unless it means taking over the world and plucking out their eyeballs. Linus soon finds out that many of the things he thought were true about DICOMY are a lie! Arthur shares what it was like to grow up in an "orphanage" run by DICOMY, explaining the lack of funding and appalling abuse that often takes place in these homes for magical youth. Linus and Arthur also start to fall for one another. The real question is, will they both be able to save the home that Arthur has made for the bright young people, or will DICOMY get what they want in the end? 

Student Suggested Age: (depending on student maturity) 11 and up

I was really surprised that this book was categorized as "adult." 

Warnings: Religious themes (minor)

***** SPOILERS *****

Whew! I thought I would never get to the part where I get to genuinely spill my soul about this book.

 

This book is one of my new, all-time favorite books. The characters are so sweet and the reader goes on the same emotional journey that Linus does. I laughed. I cried. It moved me, dear reader. Linus starts out in a grey world where he feels like he is wasting his life away behind a desk. Ever been there? I know I sure have been. Linus is worked relentlessly by a system that squashes any sense of individuality. I mean this book feels like it might be speaking to me only here, but dang! T.J. Klune, you didn't have to make it that real dude. Forced on an assignment he is really questioning, Linus meets a group of beautiful people and learns that everything he has been told is twisted to make his job look good. 

Linus falls in love with each kid, just like teachers fall in love with their students over time. They became Linus's family. In a world where Linus had pretty much nothing, this ragtag group of people fills the hole in his heart. 

I was absolutely in love with the way that Klune represented a gay relationship. It wasn't a flash in the pan or forced. Linus and Arthur get to know one another and grow together over the month they spend on the island. Both find various ways to force each other out of their comfort zone. As a teacher looking for genuine gay relationships that my gay students can see themselves in, well done Mr. Klune. 

All in all, this book is about more than just magical children. It focuses on found family and moving past appearances to find the true person underneath. This book explores the dangers of complacency and that even the smallest person can fight for what is right. Never give up on your dreams and never give in when you believe in something. This book teaches some of the most valuable life lessons all in one go, you just need to be open enough to realize this book is not just about magical kids. 

The Cost of Knowing: A Heartbreaking Tale of Brothers

 

The Cost of Knowing (Goodreads)

Be prepared to get super attached to these characters. WARNING: I cried like a baby.


The Cost of Knowing focuses on two African American brothers struggling with the deaths of their parents. Not long after the car accident took their parents, Alex Rufus, a 16-year old ice cream shop employee, and big brother finds out that he has the power to see into the future. The catch; Alex has to touch the item and he can only see the futures of the things he touches. Most people would think this is an awesome superpower, but being forced to see the future every time he touches a person or item is distracting. At work, when he touches a scoop, he has a vision of himself scooping the ice cream. Things get intense when he touches his girlfriend's hand and sees the future where they are on the brink of breaking up. This power has a lot of drawbacks. Struggling through it, Alex thinks it is more of a curse than a gift and would love to get rid of it. This knowledge of what his touch causes makes him pull away from everyone he loves and extremely anxious. Alex thinks he has it under control until he touches a picture of his brother and sees his imminent death.


Now he is forced to embrace his visions in order to save his brother, Isaiah. As the two brothers struggle through their grief and discomfort of being the only black kids in the neighborhood, Alex must find a way to save Isaiah before it is too late. If he can't find a way, his vision might come true.

My Review:

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. I am so glad I stumbled upon this book. The characters were real and really showed the struggle of young black men in America. As a teacher who has taught in a variety of situations, I struggled when it came to the characters. I instantly saw my students in them. Any teacher who has had a deep love for their students knows what I mean. This can make reading a book all that more difficult. I cannot even explain the number of students that I have had that shared many of the struggles these boys experienced. I am very excited to add this to my classroom library.

Many of my students who had read this book, upon my suggestion, have loved it. It was a great book to get your boys reading. *fist pump* As a teacher, my only thought was, “Heck yes! A book that finally got them reading” Middle school boys view reading almost like they view bathing. Safe to say, it is rough. Alex and Isaiah really give an honest look into the minds of 12-16-year-old boys. They have realistic worries and struggles. Throw in superpowers and you have a perfect storm. For anyone who experiences a teenage boy on a regular basis, you know that the hormones they have pumping through those little bodies are enough to drive them crazy. No teen needs special powers on top of that!

All in all, this book does a stellar job at talking about two other touchy topics: Racism and Grief. When a kid loses a parent, there are many different ways that they deal with it. This novel, by Brittney Morris, explores how teens deal with loss and the damage it does. Alex chooses to accept the situation but cuts himself off from everyone in his life under the impression that they would view his grief as a burden. Isaiah focuses more on the fear of losing others and never leaving the house. Both desperately need help, but refuse it repeatedly. In regards to racism, the book shares the ideas of “good black kids” vs “black thugs.” Alex and Isaiah are referred to by their white neighbors as “good black kids.” All of this comes to the surface as their Aunt Macky struggles to explain to the head of the neighborhood society that having a rap concert in the nearby park does not mean that it would bring in “black thugs” and drugs. Alex is fired up by the neighborhood’s perspective that all people who listen to rap must be drug-using, black criminals. He fights to end this stereotype and prove that no matter the color of your skin, you can be a bad person. Later, his opinions and ideas are proven to be correct.

Suggested Student Age: 14 and up (This is even a bit low)

Warnings: Sex (discussed), loss, racism, racial profiling, murder

***** Spoilers *****

In the whole book, I was praying that Isaiah would not die and that the future would change. I will admit that I cried when he did die. I cried like a dang baby when Alex realized he had failed. Maybe some of that comes from the fact that I myself am an older sibling, bent on protecting my sister, even as an adult. It also may be that I have lost students to senseless violence and seen the grief and trauma that follows. I knew the whole book that Alex had seen Isaiah’s death, but I refused to believe that this could possibly be the end for such a sweet 12-year-old boy. Nope, I was not going to accept it. I know that this is the reality of young boys of color and that destroys my soul. Imagine a poor teacher, crying in a ball, next to this book. An exaggeration, yes! A true representation of how devastating it was, you bet your butt it is! Definitely worth the read for someone who has never and will never experience this level of racial discrimination. Aunt Macky also acts as one heck of a parent to these boys. She is a strong, independent, successful black woman raising two boys and she is killing it the whole time. Not only that, but she too, is sifting through her own grief of losing a sibling. FINALLY, an accurate representation of black women. I am so sick and tired of Black parents being represented as absentee, drug addicts, or crazy. Is that the reality of some kids; heartbreakingly, yes. But I think that many people think that that is the only thing that they are. Very rarely do we see hard-working, devoted parents that want the best for their kids. It is time that we truly represent this long slept on group of people.


Books with Miss Bekkers gives this book 5 out of 5 stars. Bonus points for representation and a truly unique story idea.

Pride: A Study in Class and Following Your Dreams

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

(Goodreads)  

Today's post is in honor of Valentine's day! I figured I would review a new favorite of mine, Pride by Ibi Zoboi. I am going to say it right now, I know that Ibi Zoboi is going to become a household name in YA literature in the next 10 years.  This book is a must-have look at a classic story.

Enough of me singing praise for this book. (Hallelujah Chorus)  Let's get to the synopsis. 

Zuri Benitez is our main girl in this beautiful retelling of a timeless classic. Proud doesn't even begin to describe how Zuri feels about her Haitian- Dominican family and her hood, Bushwick, Brooklyn. Zuri is the kind of girl that will fight anyone who has something bad to say about her family or her neighborhood. Fiercely protective of both, Zuri doesn't really look too far past her street or her overcrowded apartment. Enter in Zuri's four sisters. Janae is home from college for the summer. She is the pride and joy of her parents, who came to America to have a better life. Janae is a quiet, sweet young woman who loves her sisters with her whole heart. then comes the thirteen-year-old twins Kayla and Layla. They cannot get enough of cute boys and believe that they are grown enough to make their own decisions. (z snap)  Finally, comes Marisol, a money-conscious hustler that is always looking for ways to make money and start a new side hustle. Everything is shaping up to be an amazing summer as the five fabulous Benitez sisters.

This quote from the very first page of Zoboi's book gives an amazing picture of the struggles those fabulous five are about the encounter. 

"It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it’s a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they wanna do is clean it up. But it’s not just the junky stuff they’ll get rid of. People can be thrown away too, like last night’s trash left out on the sidewalks or pushed to the edge of wherever all broken things go. What these rich people don’t always know is that broken and forgotten neighborhoods were first built out of love."

Zuri's perfect world is suddenly shaken when a family moves in across the street from her apartment building. The Darcy family bought the house and renovated it, making it stick out like a sore thumb in Bushwick. Not only did they change the house, but they brought two cute sons with them. Enter in Darius and Ainsley. They are both very attractive young black men and Janae falls for Ainsley pretty quick. Zuri goes into protective mama bear mode and tries to keep her sisters from the people she is sure will destroy everything. Zuri is often self-centered in her protection, blind to the wants of those around her. 

Zuri soon meets Warren, a smooth-talking brother from the hood. He thinks his smooth-talking will win her over like every other girl in the neighborhood. He could not be more wrong. Zuri doesn't hesitate to put him in his place, but she soon finds herself drawn in by his charm and street smarts. 

All of this is what we see on the surface of who Zuri is. Underneath, she is a poet that longs to go to college far from home at Howard University. At an impromptu poetry reading that Zuri attends while touring Howard, she meets up with Darius. Tensions have been rising between the two and they start to admit that they like one another. Zuri begins to realize that class and money don't make a person good or bad. It is the content of their character. Much like the classic, Pride and Prejudice, which this book is fashioned after, Zuri and Darius have their fair share of spats. However, all is resolved when Darius helps Zuri get Layla out of a terrible situation with Warren. In the end, the gentrification of the neighborhood is not stopped and the whole neighborhood is forced to accept that change is a good thing. The Benitez family finds their strength within and not just in a neighborhood. Zuri understands that following your dreams does not mean you love your family less than you love yourself. She is forced to recognize that sometimes our first impressions of people are wrong and we grow by admitting those wrongs. 

Student Suggested Age: 14 and up

Warnings: Suggested blackmail, underage drinking, implied sexual pictures

***** SPOILERS *****

I don't have much for this section this time. This book is a fresh look at a timeless classic that any teacher should love to have in their classroom. Many of my African American female students have mentioned that they felt "seen" when reading this book. Too often books paint African American teenage girls as angry, with a nasty attitude. This book flips that idea on its head and shows that they love fiercely and protect the people in their life with everything they have. It also gave a voice to first-generation college students that struggle with the pressures put on them by parents that never had the opportunity to go to school. All in all, a great read that takes a classic and makes it relevant for a new generation. 

 

Mortal Engines: Fear the Machine

Mortal Engines

(Goodreads)

Calling all teens who love steampunk, I found the book for you. This book, by Philip Reeve, is an interesting look into a dystopian future where technology takes over. Even though it takes over, technology certainly doesn't advance or help humanity quite how we would normally think.

If you have students who love to tinker with electronics or mirror those kids from Stanger Things, this is one book you are going to want to put in your classroom library pronto. 

Long ago, in a history Tom Natsworthy knows very little about, humankind created horrible machines meant to kill one another. Not just kill, but obliterate all life. They were almost successful but after the "Sixty Minute War," Humans were forced to attach their cities to engines and roam the earth in search of resources. The war was such a violent and destructive affair that it was no longer safe for humans to live in one stationary place. So thus the idea of Municipal Darwinism was born. Now that cities were 100% mobile, it was survival of the fittest. If a smaller city was unable to outrun a large city, much like London, they were eaten up. The people and resources within the smaller city became the property of the bigger one. Only the strong survive. 

This book features a lovable dope, Thomas Natsworthy, a Third-Class Apprentice Historian with dreams of grandeur. His hero, Thaddeus Valentine is a famous archeologist and head of the Guild of Historians in the bustling traction city of London. Tom would do anything to simply be noticed by his idol. After getting in trouble for skipping out on his chores, Tom is sent to the "gut" to help sort all of the new materials that were brought in by the town that London just captured. When he bumps into his life-long hero, Tom is starstruck. This all ends in a flash as one of the newly captured residents, Hester Shaw, attempts to murder Valentine. Eager to prove his worth, Tom intervenes and chases after the would-be murderer. Before she throws herself down a garbage shoot, Hester tells Tom that Valentine is responsible for the horrible, disfiguring scar that mars her face, as well as the death of her mother. Tom is absolutely bamboozled. Valentine soon catches up to Tom and asks him what was said between them. Hesitant, Tom only shares that she said her name. Well, this earns him a one-way trip straight into the garbage chute, courtesy of Valentine himself. Tom finds out Valentine is actually a bad guy and mopes about it for a decent while. 

For some unknown reason, Hester decides to let Tom tag along as she tries (again) to kill Valentine and get the vengeance her mother deserves. Tom spends most of the book as a kind, awkward, idiot that Hester is pretty nasty toward. God knows how it happens, but the two manage to avoid a killer superhuman robot bent on a mission to kill or turn Hester into a robot. Not only that but they get swept up in a rebel movement that is hellbent on stopping Valentine from getting his hands on a superweapon.  All of this is a bit much for poor orphan Tom's brain to process. 

In true YA fashion, cool characters end up dead for no reason other than character growth and the idiot character magically manages to save the world. Kudos to this book for having a generally unlikeable character that never really changes. Hester starts out the book as a jerk and nothing really changes by the end. Tom is the one that changes and grows up. It is beyond me how these two polar opposite characters fall in love. Hint: it is awkward. 

Suggested Student Age: 12 and up

Warning: Murder, violence, death

***** SPOILERS *****

This book was a bit painful. I think the writing and ideas were cool. However, I hated the characters. I can get behind almost any book as long as it has good characters and a decent plot. This one had a good plot but terrible characters. Imagine Shaggy from Scooby-Doo wandering through a desolate wilderness. Add the female version of Squidward to it and you have Tom and Hester. It was about as enjoyable as one can imagine. (NOT) The sad part was that all of the characters that were interesting were the secondary characters AND most of them die. WHY?! They were honestly one of two reasons I finished this book. The second was that I disliked how cocky Valentine was and wanted to see if he ever got punched in the face. *Sigh* overall, I was let down by this book. Students enjoy it because of the nerdy technology aspects and because it is easy to read. Teacher, not so much. 

Stalking Jack the Ripper: A Murder Most Foul!

Stalking Jack the Ripper

(Goodreads) 

 

Hold onto your butts, this book is one heck of a wild ride. Please keep all hands and belongings in the vehicle while we are on this ride. 

All jokes aside, this book is a bit of a rollercoaster when it comes to the plot, but I loved every second. If you are a fan of strong female main characters that fight against the social system, this book is for you. 

Enter in Audrey Rose, a 17-year-old spitfire. Born into Lord's home filled with wealth and comfort, Audrey Rose is forced to live a life of lace and proper tea parties. Gross! If she had her way, she would spend her days in her uncle's laboratory learning the tricks of the trade, forensic science that is. Audrey Rose has a deep passion for science and learning about the human body, much to her family's horror. Weighed on by the death of her mother and the following breakdown of her family, Audrey Rose tries to be the picture-perfect daughter. Behind the back of her pompous, broken father, Audrey continues her studies with her Uncle Jonathan. Jonathan Wadsworth is one of the foremost forensic scientists of the time and, though withdrawn from those around him, he deeply loves his family. With that in mind, he can't bear to keep Audrey Rose from studying what intrigues her. 

    Everything would have gone swimmingly, but Uncle Jonathan takes on a rakish young man to be his student. Upon first meeting Thomas Cresswell, it is clear to most readers (well anyone who loves YA like I do.) that this pair will play out the popular enemies-to-lovers trope over the course of this book. Thomas seems less than interested in Audrey Rose and ignores her for the most part. What do you get when a headstrong young girl is ignored by a self-important young man? Sexual tension. Nothing about their relationship over the course of the book is untoward. It is all very 1888 and ankles would make a man pass straight away. 

    Jack the Ripper has taken to the streets of London. Audrey thinks this is the perfect case for her to cut her teeth in the field while showing her family that girls are better for many things OTHER than marriage and baby-raising. Due to the relationship that Jonathan Wadsworth has with the local constabulary, Audrey Rose gets her wish and is thrown headlong into one of the most prolific serial murder cases in history. The question isn't if she knows what she is doing, but if she has a strong enough heart for what will happen as a result. 

Suggested student age: 14 and up

Warnings: Body Horror and Violence (Obviously, there are murders.) 

******SPOILERS*****

    Now that the basic synopsis is out of the way...

This book was a bit of a wild ride for me. I love a strong female character as much as the next feminist teacher, but Audrey Rose fell a bit flat. I know that having the book set in a particular time period limits the ability of the writer to take too many creative liberties with her radical behavior/ ideas. However, Audrey Rose felt weak and like a shadow. There was so little that defined her as a person outside of defying family expectations, science, and her budding romance for Thomas. I was hoping for a bit more from her. Why didn't she have any female friends? That was something that bothered me more than anything. In all of London high society, there wasn't a single girl who even felt slightly like Audrey did? NONE? It made her less believable. Girls, regardless of age and mental focus, have friends. In all my time as a teacher, I have never met a single girl that didn't try to have friends. 

SUPER SPOILERS

The whole thing at the end with her brother, Nathaniel, being the killer was a bit off. It became very steampunk with Nathaniel trying to bring their long-dead mother back from the grave through harvested body parts and "science." I thought that was just too much. The madness was believable, but the "logic" was so farfetched that I struggled to finish the book. Thank goodness that it was at the VERY end. 

Now you may ask why I am giving this book such a high rating when I struggled with the ending. My simple answer is my students. They love this book and it was able to get even my most reluctant readers to actually pick up a book. I guess nothing interests a teen more than murder. (Yes, I am concerned about their TV habits when they can tell me about how stupid the murderer was.) However, they reacted to the book and thought critically about it. Many of my timid girls found a little bit of strength in Audrey that they have been trying to muster themselves. I think this book, despite its flaws, offers so much to you people. 

An Introduction to your Humble Writer

 Greetings Readers! 

It has been forever since I started something like this. I wanted to take a second to share a bit about myself, your humble writer. 

My name is Heather Bekkers and I am a Middle School teacher. Every year, I try to read a total of 50 books, while working to be the best teacher I can be. That being said, I am expanding my horizons and reading books to help inspire my students and help other teachers to expand their classroom libraries. 

When reading this blog, be prepared for an honest, quirky approach to analyzing books. It will be focused on my perceptions and how that book would fit into anyone's classroom library. If you are still with me, get ready for some fun book reviews!