Monday, October 31, 2011

The Ballad of Tom Dooley by Sharyn McCrumb - REVIEW

I had high hopes for this book right from the beginning, and couldn't wait to start it. I knew I would breeze right through it because it is everything I am interested in: a great author, a great setting (time period and location), and a phenomenal storyline with the type of characters that I love reading about.

Book Summary:

A literary triumph—what began as a fictional re-telling of the historical account of one of the most famous mountain ballads of all time became an astonishing revelation of the real culprit responsible for the murder of Laura Foster

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley…The folk song, made famous by the Kingston Trio, recounts a tragedy in the North Carolina mountains after the Civil War. Laura Foster, a simple country girl, was murdered and her lover Tom Dula was hanged for the crime. The sensational elements in the case attracted national attention: a man and his beautiful, married lover accused of murdering the other-woman; the former governor of North Carolina spearheading the defense; and a noble gesture from the prisoner on the eve of his execution, saving the woman he really loved.

With the help of historians, lawyers, and researchers, Sharyn McCrumb visited the actual sites, studied the legal evidence, and uncovered a missing piece of the story that will shock those who think they already know what happened—and may also bring belated justice to an innocent man. What seemed at first to be a sordid tale of adultery and betrayal was transformed by the new discoveries into an Appalachian Wuthering Heights. Tom Dula and Ann Melton had a profound romance spoiled by the machinations of their servant, Pauline Foster.

Bringing to life the star-crossed lovers of this mountain tragedy, Sharyn McCrumb gifts understanding and compassion to her compelling tales of Appalachia, and solidifies her status as one of today's great Southern writers.

My Thoughts:

I have to be candid and say that the reviews on this were so amazing that it kind of set me up to think that this book could have no faults...I usually know better than that. Not to say that this book was bad, my criticisms do not lay with the story but more the delivery simply because it left me confused.

Honestly, this story was slow and it was hard for me to get through it. In fact, took me over a week and I can usually tackle a historical fiction novel in about two days. And what frustrates me the most is that this isn't a bad story, it was just hard to keep interested in. I started out fascinated by the legend that has haunted North Carolina for a while now so I thought I would breeze right through.

The story bounces back and forth between the actual character involved in the storyline and the lawyer, Vance, who ends up defending them. It is told from Pauline's point of view, but it is convoluted with so much repetition (really because Pauline and Vance repeat things each other have said and even themselves from time-to-time) and hard-to-follow details that it makes it hard to invest in her or the supporting characters. And with all of the repetitions between Vance and Pauline's stories, I found myself becoming somewhat bored with it.

The murder mystery was a good element of the story, but I am not sure I ever clearly understood what happened, which may have been the author's point. I know the author tried to explain it, but it was hard to follow until the Author's Note where we got all of the possible scenarios. I do have to commend the author here, I think this was the best part of the book.

The author did do a phenomenal job with the setting...I really felt like I was with Pauline on those dirt roads and the muddy terrain. I love Southern Appalachia, and any novel set there captures my attention. She described it all perfectly. I think this was one of the strongest attributes of the novel, for sure. Pauline's character was great too, but I just couldn't relate to her complete lack of emotion and indifference to even her own child. But on second thought, I believe that she was a great character because that is probably exactly how she was in real life. Just because I can't identify doesn't mean the author didn't do a great job. However, I do think that is one of the hardest things for me about this book.

I hate it when a book that I just knew I would love turns out like this...elements that I really did like, but some that I just couldn't get past. It is really frustrating, but you just can't love them all.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

100 Books to Read in Middle School

I am a middle-school teacher so I am always on the lookout for books that I think my students should read and ones that I can add to my classroom library. I found this list today of 100 books that every middle-school student should read and I am excited to share it with you - I plan to share it with my middle-school book club also!

This list is from: http://www.avon.k12.ma.us/librarymedia/100bookstoreadmiddleschool.htm

1.

Alexie, Sherman

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian

2.

Avi

Nothing but the truth: a documentary novel

3.

Bloor, Edward

Tangerine

4.

Boyne, John

The boy in the striped pajamas : a fable

5.

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker

Leap of faith

6.

Brashares, Ann

The sisterhood of the traveling pants*

7.

Butler, Dori Hillestad.

The truth about Truman School

8.

Cabot, Meg

Shadowland *

9.

Card, Orson Scott

Ender's game*

10.

Choldenko, Gennifer

Al Capone does my shirts

11.

Choldenko, Gennifer

If a tree falls at lunch period

12.

Colfer, Eoin

Artemis Fowl

13.

Collins, Suzanne..

The Hunger Games*

14.

Compestine, Ying

Revolution is not a dinner party : a novel

15.

Cooney, Caroline B

Code Orange

16.

Cooney, Caroline B.

The face on the milk carton*

17.

Creech, Sharon

Walk two moons

18.

Cummings, Priscilla

Red kayak

19.

Curtis, Christopher Paul

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963 : a novel

20.

Curtis, Christopher Paul

Bud, not Buddy

21.

Deuker, Carl

Runner

22.

Draper, Sharon-

Double Dutch

23.

Ellis, Deborah

The breadwinner

24.

Emerson, Kevin.

Carlos is gonna get it

25.

Feinstein, John

Last shot : a Final Four mystery *

26.

Fergus, Maureen

Exploits of a Reluctant (But Extremely Goodlooking) Hero

27.

Flake, Sharon

Who am I without him? : short stories about girls and the boys in their lives

28.

Fleischman , John

Phineas Gage a gruesome but true story about brain science

29.

Freedman, Russell.

The voice that challenged a nation : Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights

30.

Gantos, Jack

Joey Pigza swallowed the key

31.

Giff, Patricia Reilly

Pictures of Hollis Woods

32.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson

Among the hidden*

33.

Halpin, Brendan.

How ya like me now

34.

Hiaason, Carl

Hoot

35.

Higson, Charles; Fleming, Ian.

Blood fever

36.

Hobbs, Will

Crossing the wire

37.

Horowitz, Anthony

Alex Rider Adventures series

1) Stormbreaker *

38.

Houston, Julian

New boy

39.

Johnson, Angela

The first part last

40.

Kent, Rose

Kimchi and calamari

41.

Kinney, Jeff

Diary of a wimpy kid*

42.

Konigsburg, E. L.

The outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

43.

Korman , Gordon

Schooled

44.

Korman, Gordon

Son of the mob

45.

Lasky, Kathryn

Blood secret

46.

Lawson, Kirby

Hattie Big Sky

47.

Lichtman, Wendy.

Do the math : secrets, lies, and algebra

48.

Lipsyte, Robert

Yellow flag

49.

Lisle, Janet Taylor

The art of keeping cool

50.

Lord, Cynthia.

Rules

51.

Lupica, Mike

Travel team*

52.

Lupica, Mike

Heat

53.

MacHale, D.J.

The merchant of death*

Pendragon series

54.

Magorian, Michelle

Good night, Mr. Tom

55.

Mass, Wendy

A mango-shaped space : a novel

56.

Meyer, Stephanie

Twilight*

57.

Meyer, L. A.

Bloody Jack : being an account of the curious adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, ship's boy

58.

Moriarty, Jaclyn

The year of secret assignments

59.

Myers, Walter Dean

Monster

60.

Myers, Walter Dean

Sunrise over Fallujah

61.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Almost Alice*

62.

Nelson, Blake

Gender Blender

63.

Nelson, Kadir

We are the ship : the story of Negro League baseball

64.

Nye, Naomi Shihab.

Habibi

65.

Park, Linda Sue

Project Mulberry : a novel

66.

Paterson, Katherine.

Bread and roses, too

67.

Paulsen, Gary

How Angel Peterson got his name : and other outrageous tales about extreme sports

68.

Perkins, Mitali.

First daughter : extreme American makeover*sequel is First daughter : White House rules

69.

Pierce, Tamora.

First test *Protector of the small series .

70.

Rees, Celia

Pirates! : the true and remarkable adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, female pirates

71.

Rinaldi, Ann

An unlikely friendship : a novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley

72.

Riordan, Rick

The lightning thief*
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

73.

Roth, Matthue.

Never mind the Goldbergs

74.

Rowling, J.K

Harry Potter and the deathly hallows*

75.

Selzer, Adam.

How to get suspended and influence people

76.

Selznick, Brian

The invention of Hugo Cabret : a novel in words and pictures

77.

Sharenow, Robert.

My mother the cheerleader : a novel

78.

Shull, Megan.

Amazing grace

79.

Sones, Sonya

What my mother doesn't know

80.

Sonnenblick, Jordan

Drums, girls, & dangerous pie

81.

Sonnenblick, Jordan.

Zen and the art of faking it

82.

Spinelli, Jerry

Crash

83.

Stroud, Jonathan.

The Amulet of Samarkand.* - Bartimaeus trilogy ;

84.

Tolan, Stephanie

Surviving the Applewhites

85.

Trueman, Terry

Inside out

86.

Trueman, Terry.

7 days at the hot corner

87.

Van Draanen, Wendelin

Confessions of a serial kisser

88.

Velde, Vivian Vande

Remembering Raquel

89.

Voight, Cynthia

Homecoming*

90.

Wallace, Rich.

Shots on goal

91.

Weeks, Sarah

So B. It : a novel

92.

Whittenberg, Allison

Sweet thang

93.

Winerip, Michael

Adam Canfield of the Slash

94.

Winthrop, Elizabeth.

Counting on Grace

95.

Wolf, Joan M.

Someone named Eva

96.

Wolff, Virginia Euwer

Make lemonade*

97.

Woodson, Jacqueline

Hush

98.

Yee, Lisa

Stanford Wong flunks big-time
Millicent Min, girl genius
So totally Emily Ebers

**3 books - different viewpoints on same story.

99.

Yolen, Jane

The devil's arithmetic

100.

Zusak, Markus

The book thief


I am unsure why the titles are not capitalized correctly but retyping would have been monumental so there you go...Happy reading!