Here are some (in my opinion) fantastic books to kick this month off to a good start!
This month's recommendations:
The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly
Never heard of this book? That's what I thought. This book is actually one of my personal favorites, and though not well-known, it's a very thoughtful book that people of all kinds would enjoy. Here's a little bit of the plot designed to draw you in: Charlie is looking for his lost younger brother, Liam. Accompanied by his best friend, Ana, he searches everywhere for him. There's only one problem. Nobody remembers Liam. Not his mom, not his dad, not even Ana. It's like Liam never existed at all. Anyway, (this is not part of the little summary) this book handles some tough topics like depression, but it satisfies everyone in the end.
The Jungle Book
At first glance, this book may appear to be too long, too hard. That's okay. You've got all the time in the world now that we're stuck in quarantine. A piece of advice: if you don't understand old English, don't go for it. The language in the book is very tough and confusing. I'll bet some of you have watched The Jungle Book one, if not many times. Was it really all Mowgli, though? Some things had to have gone on without him involved. And that's a fact. The Jungle Book movie did not cover it all. Want to see what you missed?
Out of My Mind
I am being completely honest with you when I say that if you haven't read Out of My Mind, you are missing out! This book is not for the weak-hearted. There are cruel things that go on in this book. In fact, I cried in some parts because I was so passionate about the characters in the book. I can't give anything away, but let me just say that throughout the book, you journey along with Melody, a girl with cerebral palsy (a disability that affects your body) who is probably smarter than everyone in her grade. Unfortunately, she has never spoken a word, and she's in the fifth grade.
Well, I am certain that if you read these books, you will love them, and that's the end of that conversation!
If you want more, check out The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly website or Sharon M. Draper's website for more on Out of My Mind. You can also check out Rudyard Kipling with the Poetry Foundation.