Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

This book is 108 pages and I read it in one night. Once I started I couldn't put it down. What I really liked about this book is that it's all written in journal entries. Tish Bonner is a sophomore in high school and her English teacher Mrs. Dunphrey wants the class to keep a journal but if it's something they don't want her to read they can label the entry, "Do not read." Tish starts her journal entry's out with "do not read" to see if Mrs. Dunphrey can be trusted. When Mrs. Dunphrey proves trustworthy Tish starts writing about school, her job at Burger Boy, and her home life that is starting to spiral out of control. Her father has been gone for two years and her mother has been in an emotional coma since. She works but doesn't do much else. Tish takes care of herself and her younger brother Matt. When her dad comes back it looks like life might be better but she has a hard time trusting him and soon he disappoints. Then her mother leaves to find him leaving Tish and Matt alone. Tish feels like she can't trust anyone but likes writing in her journal and eventually trusts Mrs. Dunphrey with her secrets. This is an older book and I think the story was set in the 1980's but the issues talked about haven't changed through the decades. I think any teen picking up this book could relate to Tish and her problems. I think everyone has felt the way she felt about school a time or two. It was a very good read.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Reading Level: Adult

(3 out of 5)

Jodi Picoult does not shy away from controversial or hot topics. In this book a baby is found dead in the Fisher's barn. The Fisher's are Amish and the most likely suspect is their eighteen year old daughter Katie Fisher. She denies ever having a baby even when blood is running down her legs and the hospital confirms she gave birth. Katie's family didn't know she was pregnant and since she is unmarried it is a sin. Her father Aaron just wants her to take responsibility and not have representation but Katie's Aunt Leda, who has been shunned from the Amish community since she married and Englisher, has a niece by marriage that is a lawyer and just happens to be visiting. Ellie Hathaway came to her Aunt and Uncles to rest and take a break from law cases but she feels compelled to help Katie. To keep Katie out of jail and from having a bond she agrees to be responsible for her and has to live with Katie and her family on their farm. Ellie gets a first hand look at how the Amish operate and what their beliefs are. It takes awhile to untangle the mystery of what happened to baby Fisher. This book was very good but it was really long and a lot of the information given is repeated twice. Once before the courtroom drama and then again in the courtroom. The ending to me was shocking. I wasn't expecting it at all. That's what I like about mysteries. I don't want to figure out the mystery by the first few pages I want to be kept in suspense. To find out more about Jodi Picoult and the books she has written you can visit her website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Multiple Bles8ings by Jon and Kate Gosselin

Reading Level: Adult
(4 out of 5)








Eight children in three years? Impossible! For Jon and Kate Gosselin nothing is impossible. When Jon and Kate met it was love at first sight. Not to long after they got married. Both really wanted children but Kate found out she had Polycysitc Ovarian Syndrome, which means that she did not ovulate. So in order to get pregnant they were going to need a little help. In 2000 they got pregnant with twins. It wasn't an easy pregnancy. Nice months later Kate gave birth to Cara and Mady. Kate soon felt the itch to just have one more. Jon was against it at first. He remembered what it was like the first time around. Painful injections and then a turbulent pregnancy. Soon he came around and they started another round of treatments. In 2003 Kate successfully got pregnant. Before Thanksgiving a visit to the infertility specialist gave them the shock of a lifetime. From the ultrasound the doctor found seven fuzzy little blips that represented life. Jon and Kate were against reduction. At a following ultarsound it was determined that there were six babies. Jon and Kate were having sextuplets. On May 10, 2004 Kate gave birth to Alexis, Hannah, Leah, Aaden, Collin, and Joel. This book tracks their amazing journey from Kate's fight to keep the babies in her belly long enough for them to grow to finally being able to enjoy having a family of eight. It was amazing to read about all the support that they had and how their faith provided for them.

Jon and Kate also have a website: http://www.sixgosselins.com/ and they have a show called Jon and Kate Plus Eight on TLC.