#29
Does My Head Look Big in This?
Does My Head Look Big in This?
By Randa Abdel-Fattah
In my quest to read through my library, I picked up this colorful paperback the other day. I have been wanting to read this book for awhile, so I was excited that I was finally making in a priority.
This novel tells the story of Amal, an Australian-Palestinian girl who decides to wear the hijab, or head-covering, all of the time. She is now a "full-timer." Many people weigh in on her decision. Her mother, also a "full-timer", and her father warn her of the prejudice she may face. Her close friends support her decision to embrace her religion and culture. The principal of her very exclusive, private high school requests a meeting with her parents and her classmates ignore her....at first. What will Amal do? Will she continue to wear the hijab, despite the stares and treatment she gets? Or will she decide to take it off to return to anonymity? An interesting read, I would recommend this to any students who have faced bullying or harassment, or those interested in learning about other cultures.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
This is appropriate for all teens.
#30
Reality Check
By Peter Abrahams
Cody is the "Big Man" on campus, dating the cutest girl and enjoying his success as quarterback of the football team. His girlfriend, Clea, comes from a very wealthy family and her father does not agree with the seriousness of their relationship. She is sent away to a boarding school and she and Cody make plans for the future. He will get a football scholarship and they will meet back up at an Ivy league school. Cody faces a career-ending injury at the beginning of the season and eventually drops out of school, feeling no hope for he and Clea's plans. One day, he is wandering through town, when he sees a newspaper headline stating that Clea has disappeared from the grounds of her exclusive school. Cody feels a strange pull to help find Clea and heads to Vermont. Once there, he meets her new friends and boyfriend and discovers that the rich have some terrible secrets. This mystery will delight readers who yearn for suspense, yet also want a happy ending. I actually stayed up really late to finish this book....it's a good one!
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommended for: Mystery lovers, those that like a little romance with their suspense, boys who may need to be "hooked" with a football story
Reality Check
By Peter Abrahams
Cody is the "Big Man" on campus, dating the cutest girl and enjoying his success as quarterback of the football team. His girlfriend, Clea, comes from a very wealthy family and her father does not agree with the seriousness of their relationship. She is sent away to a boarding school and she and Cody make plans for the future. He will get a football scholarship and they will meet back up at an Ivy league school. Cody faces a career-ending injury at the beginning of the season and eventually drops out of school, feeling no hope for he and Clea's plans. One day, he is wandering through town, when he sees a newspaper headline stating that Clea has disappeared from the grounds of her exclusive school. Cody feels a strange pull to help find Clea and heads to Vermont. Once there, he meets her new friends and boyfriend and discovers that the rich have some terrible secrets. This mystery will delight readers who yearn for suspense, yet also want a happy ending. I actually stayed up really late to finish this book....it's a good one!
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommended for: Mystery lovers, those that like a little romance with their suspense, boys who may need to be "hooked" with a football story
