WAW Reviews: Hello, I'm Johnny Cash and The Fourteenth Goldfish
I hope you had a great Fourth of July, readers! I am back with another pair of books from the William Allen White list.
Today I am sharing with you Hello, I'm Johnny Cash by G. Neri and The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm. Below you will see a summary of each book as well as my personal thoughts based on what students might say, so you might know what to expect when your readers get ahold of these books.
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash by G. Neri
Summary: This biography, entitled after the way Johnny Cash started his concerts, is told in beautiful free verse. The author shares his story from being an ordinary boy with an extraordinary talent to a young man finding the true gift of his voice, who later becomes a household name while on the world stage.
"Before he became
Johnny Cash,
he was simply called J.R. --
a name that stood for
nothing,
and nothing
was all he had
coming into this world."
Thoughts: Wow! This book was such a pleasant surprise to me. I wasn't too excited about reading a biography about a country star I wasn't very familiar with. I further doubted that my students would enjoy it because of those factors and the high reading level, but I definitely think otherwise now that I've read this book. The stories of his childhood were shocking, such as when his brother, Jack, fell on a table saw while cutting fence posts or the fact that they lived in serious poverty and were forced to flee Arkansas because of the Great Depression. Among many other life stories of Cash's, I was shocked to hear that he saw Elvis Presley singing on the back of a flatbed truck and soon they were "trading licks" on their guitars. His first big show would be opening for Elvis himself! I learned so much about Cash and fell in love with his rags to riches story. I know the kids will enjoy it as well and I can't wait to share his music along the way!
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm
Summary: Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer. Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far? Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this gawky teenager really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility. (Review from Amazon.)
Thoughts: I think this book might be my Doll Bones from last year's list. (I didn't enjoy it, but the kids loved it for all it's creepy, fantasy ways.) To be fair, I listened to this book on audio when it first came out. I wasn't to impressed so I didn't give it my full attention. If I were reading it in person I probably would have abandoned it. To make matters worse, the voice of the "gawky teenager grandpa" was like nails on a chalkboard. Like I said last week, I have a really hard time with fantasy, especially science fiction. I would love to hear from people who did enjoy it so I can share those opinions with my students!
Have you been able to jump into the list any?
What have you loved? What have you struggled with? Let's talk!
Back to the books,
Audra
