American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yan
This has been the summer of YA/teen books for me again as they are the perfect summer reading books. They have great stories and don't get really hung up in some of the stuff that adult books get hung up in, plus they are quick reads. Two other books that I've really enjoyed in the last few weeks are American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang was the winner of the Winner of the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award, which is the award for excellence in young adult literature. It's a graphic novel and one of the best graphic novels I've read. Bryan and I really enjoyed it and both highly recommend it.

(2007 Michael L. Printz Award winner, National Book Award Finalist)

The Giant's House

The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

A really nice story about a giant and a librarian.

(February 24- March 15, 2007)

Sold

Sold by Patricia McCormick

I read a lot and rarely does one book make me want to tell the entire world about it. Yes, there was Prep but this book is different. This is one of those books that everyone should read. I started it on Wednesday night and have been so drawn in by the character that I’m already half-way through. The book is Sold by Patricia McCormick. It’s an important story about a girl from Nepal, who thinks she is going to work as a maid in the city, only to find out the hard way that she’s been sold to a brothel. After arriving at the brothel, she dreams about her pet goat which almost had me in tears because I can’t imagine the horror of being sold to a brothel and being torn away from everything I love, my family and my kitties. The character is drawn from many women that the author interviewed in India and Nepal, who have been sold into brothels in India. It’s a horrifying reality for millions of girls in poor countries and has been getting a lot of attention in recent years. Last night as I was lying in bed reading it, I was thinking, “I am so lucky to be born in this country.”

If you’re looking for your next book to read, I highly recommend Sold. It’s a book that’s a must-read for everyone and one that is one of those books that is heart-breaking but very important to read.

started: February 7, 2007
finished: February 9 or 10, 2007