Tag Archives: Faith

YA – Full Flight

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Schumacher, Ashley. Full Flight. Wednesday Books, 2022. 978-1-250-77978-6. $18.99. 309 p. Grades 9-12.

In the provincial town of Enfield, Texas, Weston Ryan seems a rebel with his leather jacket and motorcycle and his bad reputation for cutting down the sapling Memorial Tree on the high school campus. His vulnerability is what shy, curvy, sixteen-year old Anna James sees. Both are members of the school’s marching band, and when they are paired for a duet, sparks fly. Perpetually obedient Anna tells lies to carve out time with Weston as their sweet romance builds. Her tight-knit family–strict but nurturing parents and 12 year old sister, Jenny–keep tabs on her every move and don’t approve of Weston. While Weston, reeling from his parents’ recent divorce, bounces back and forth between his depressed father and his distant mother. As the band competition approaches, Anna and Weston have ironed out the bumps in their duet and displayed their mutual love confidently to friends and classmates. Weston’s joy in life is Anna, and Anna is an expert in plunging Weston’s depths and revealing his goodness. Only the hurdle of Anna’s parents needs to be vaulted. All seems in proper alignment for these star-crossed lovers until tragedy strikes. Told in alternating voices, this well-written love story offers two teens masking insecurities and depression who learn to understand each other and themselves. All characters seem to be white. 

THOUGHTS: Though no evidence is present, this book seems to be reflective of an experience in the author’s life. Perhaps because of this, little diversity appears. It does deal with body image, judgment, and depression. The boyfriend dies in an accident in the end; but Anna lives through it, a stronger person for having been loved. The story may appeal to those longing for a romance; students who come from small towns may identify with having one’s life in view of everyone. A strong Christian element runs through  this book: One example, one of Anna’s and Weston’s successful ruses is going to the Church youth group. Schumacher writes well and the dialogue between Anna and Weston is unique and meaningful, thus raising this novel to a higher level. After a long prelude, Anna and Weston eventually have intercourse, but with no graphic details. I did not like the cover. Though well-written, the story was not compelling to me, but may appeal to a niche audience. 

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke  School District of Philadelphia

Elem. – One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers

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Khan, Henna. One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers. Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Chronicle Books, 2022. 978-1-452-18272-8. $17.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3.

For Muslim children, One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers, is a mirror; for non-Muslim children, it is a window. Saturated in rich colors– golds, reds, turquoise–this horizontally-shaped book uses simple yet significant objects special to the Muslim community to correspond to the numbers. The story focuses on a young boy’s family and some basic precepts of the Muslim religion: kindness, generosity, and prayerfulness. This visual presentation illustrator Mehrdokht Amini’s drawings connect perfectly with the sparse text. Characters are depicted realistically with enlarged faces, full of expression; the calligraphy conveying the four-line rhymes on each page is readable and large font, also. The double-page spreads take up the entire space with vibrant paint or, in some instances, with a collage effect. Islamic motifs repeat in tablecloths, book covers, and window panes; minarets in the skyline indicate a Middle Eastern setting. The story marks an intersection of the ancient and the modern. Though the young boy dons western dress, the adults wear traditional Muslim garb as they make their pilgrimage to Mecca. Children of other faiths may find similarities, such as gathering to study the Quran, doing good works, fasting, or repetitious prayer. Though targeted for a primary grade audience, the book can inform older students as well. Includes a helpful glossary.

THOUGHTS: From end page to end page, this gorgeous picture book emanates a Middle Eastern tone. Though this book is an easy reader, the information it conveys may dispel any misconceptions young people may have about the Muslim religion. For this reason, teachers could use this book for students of higher grades, too.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

The Distance Between Lost and Found

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Holmes, Kathryn. The Distance Between Lost and Found. New York: Harper Teen, 2015. 978-0-06-231726-1. $17.99. 292p. Gr. 7 and up.

Hallelujah Calhoun has been a selective mute since “the incident” six month earlier with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son.  Now, at a church youth camp in the Great Smoky Mountains, Hallie must confront her friends, Luke, and his friends or remain quiet and alone forever.  With her choice to remain quiet and take the cruelty from the group, new-comer Rachel realizes something is wrong with Hallie and is determined to get to the bottom of the story.  During a group hike, Rachel has enough of everyone and decides to leave the hike and head back to camp in order to be sent home.  Hallie and Jonah, Hallie’s ex-friend and Luke’s best friend, go with Rachel because they want to go home too.  After a mistake on the trail, the group becomes lost in the mountains with only the clothes on their backs and the food they backed for a day-long hike.  Will they be saved before it’s too late, or is the vastness of Creation the trigger each needed to confront their situation, accept the past, and move forward?  THOUGHTS: With Christian undertones that allow the reader to question his/her beliefs without being preachy or overbearing, this is a great addition to adventure/survival collections, especially for female fans of the genre.

Realistic Fiction, Survival Erin Parkinson, Lincoln JSHS, Ellwood City

This is a great novel for female readers who enjoy realistic fiction, a little bit of romance, and some adventure, but don’t think this is completely for girls because the adventure and character of Jonah will definitely keep boys interested too.