SOLD

Hey! You, reading this blog. Please keep reading. I know I have been away longer than I would have liked, but this is a book that everyone should read... No, it's a book that everyone NEEDS to read. Though this book is fiction, it could very well be true, and the events that occur in this book are true events and true problems that need to be addressed. This is YOUR chance to do something. This is YOUR chance to educate others. It's up to YOU. The more we know, the more we can do to help. Together we can end human trafficking.

A Novel by Patricia McCormick

Summary: Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small village in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to help, Lakshmi journeys to India only to learn the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution. 

An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi hat she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt- then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.

Gradually, Lakshmi forms friendships that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision- will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

Official Reviews: "An unforgettable account of sexual slavery as it exists now." - Booklist (starred review)

"Hard-hitting... poignant. The author beautifully balances the harshness of a brothel life with the poignant relationships among its residents."- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers can't help but be moved by Lakshmi's fate." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"Searing...poetic" - The Horn Book

"Told in a series of haunting vignettes, Sold is a harrowing account of sexual slavery. Alternating lyrical imagery with precise detail, McCormick gives the voice to the terror and bewilderment of a young girl robber of her childhood but who finds the strength to triumph."-National Book Awards

"Stunning... this novel is not to be missed." - VOYA

"McCormick provides readers who live in safety and under protection of the law with a vivid window into a harsh and cruel world." -Kirkus Reviews

"Heartbreaking... McCormick's research for this novel involved interviewing women in Nepal and India, and her depth of detail makes the characters believable and their misery palpable. This important book was written in their honor." -School Library Journal

My Review: This book is one that should be ready by everybody. It should be placed in classrooms around the world. Sex Trafficking has been going on for eons, there are so many of us who are clueless to its horrors. This book is so sad, not in ways like Tuesdays With Morrie or like in The Book Thief where characters that you've grown attached to die. This novel is sad in that it could very well be true. Events like the ones in this books could be happening right now in some remote country, and so many of us would never know it. Everybody needs to read this book. The more we know about sex trafficking and child trafficking the sooner it can be addressed and stopped. For more information on human trafficking and ways that you can help, please visit http://www.endhumantrafficking.org/. 

WARNING: Though I say everyone should read this book, there are a few things that I need to clarify. The events that occur in this book are very raw. Sex trafficking is not something to be taken lightly, and McCormick would never get that message across if she censored out what happens to this thirteen-year-old girl. This is a very graphic novel, and though I do recommend everyone read it, I would advise you to talk to your parents about reading this book if you are under the age of fourteen. I believe everyone should know about this book despite their age (because there are children as young as ten years old if not younger being trafficked for prostitution worldwide.) but some material may not be suitable for younger children. Talk with your parents. Who knows, maybe you can be the one to inform them. The future is ours. Let's try to make it a future free from human trafficking.

Facts about Child Trafficking:

   *What is human trafficking? -Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html

  

  *The International Labor Organization's estimated in 2002 that 1.2 MILLION children are being trafficked each year. That's over 3,000 a day and over two children every MINUTE. http://www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58005.html

   *According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. 

   * It is estimated that there are approximately 27 million slaves around the world.

   * 68% of female sex trafficking victims meet the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.

   * Around half of trafficking victims are under the age of 18. That's approximately 13.5 MILLION.

   *Trafficked children are significantly  more likely to develop mental health problems, abuse substances, engage in prostitution as adults, and either commit or be victimized by violent crimes.

   * Trafficking victims normally don't get help because they think that they or their families will be hurt by their traffickers, or they will be deported. http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-human-trafficking

Come on everyone, we may not be able to start a reading revolution, but maybe if we join together, we'll be the generation to end human trafficking for good.

Also, to all victims of the Colorado shooting (including their families) my heart and prayers are with you. The innocent will never be forgotten.

Returning

Hello everyone! Sorry for the hiatus, but I promise I've been away reading some good books, seeing some good movies, and I'm back and ready to report. I've got two entries for you tonight, one of them a well-known book that I'm sure most of you have read, and another one that I found recently that has a really moving message and I'd really love for everyone to read it (or at least read the review and give it some thought). Keep Reading Readers, and together we can spark the Reading Revolution!

The Replacement

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. Something's Rotten, beneath the Town of Gentry...

Summary: Mackie is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement- left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, he's slowly dying in the human world.
 Mackie would give anything to live a normal life, play his bass, and find out more about an oddly intriguing girl named Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, he is drawn into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the slag heaps and find his rightful place, in our world- or theirs. (Summary found on book cover)
Official Reviews: "Funny and brave, scary and touching." Lauren Kate, New York Times best selling author of the Fallen novels
"Shockingly original and frequently breathtaking." Booklist, starred review
"A devastating look at familial love, sacrifice, and loneliness. Yovanoff's spare but haunting prose creates an atmosphere shrouded in gloom and secrecy." BCCB, Starred review
"A fast-paced, dark delicacy." Kirkus Reviews
"This book has the makings of a success." Publishers Weekly
"I loved this eerie and beautiful story of ugly things. It should be read aloud after dark, at a whisper." Maggie Stiefvater, New York Times bestselling author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series

My Review: I finished reading this book today, and I still can't seem to figure out what it was about. When I saw this at the book store I though that it looked like a neat book. The cover art was very neat in a creepy-Stephen-King sort of way and I liked the idea. I'm very into old folklore and the character Mackie is a Changeling which are creatures from folklore. The story however wasn't developed very well. I the plot revolved around the fact that the children of Gentry (the town) were being killed, but I just couldn't figure out why. I know there are many points where this idea is discussed and they tried to explain why the children were being killed, but Yovanoff's characters over explained this point and made it more confusing than it should have been.
The characters didn't seem super developed either. Though I did like the family dynamics between Mackie and his older sister Emma, I felt like she was one of the only strongly developed characters.
The events that occur in the story seem kind of jumbled and don't seem to do anything for the story, and it doesn't help that they aren't elaborated on making them unnecessary.
Another issue I found was a) the swearing b) the sex and c) the drinking an issue I find when it comes to books about teenagers. For the swearing, yes I understand that in this day and age, many people think that by swearing you look "cool" but in novels is it really necessary? Even if they do swear in a novel, do the characters have to use the "f-word" every other page? Maybe I'm just old-fashioned that way. Now even if the characters do cuss like sailors, I have a big problem with the whole sex-and-drinking-without-consequences theme in books. That just absolutely drives me insane. I know some teenagers do have sex and the do drink in real life, but not every single teenager does these things. In this book, it seemed as though everyone partied like that. If they didn't drink or have sex with the "popular kids" than they wanted to. I thought drinking was illegal to drink underage? Where are the police? Where are the parents?
I digress, I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. It wasn't nearly as good as I thought it was, lacking a clear plot, little-to-know character development, and stereo-typical teenagers. I couldn't see myself reading it again and I'd give it two and a half out of five stars max. That's just my opinion. If you've read this book and disagree, I'd like to hear from you. What did you think of this book? Have any book suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know! Together we can start the reading revolution!

Soon to come: Last book in the Hunger Games series, The Clockwork Prince, and maybe some old books. I've become rather fond of them. Until next time, keep reading!

Tuesdays With Morrie

An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson. A book by Mitch Albom.

Before I begin this post, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Years eve, and would like to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012, hope it'll be a good reading year! Just as a reminder, only about nine hours left to vote on your favorite book reviewed in 2011. You can vote in the side bar to the right. >>>    >>>     >>>     >>>     >>>     >>>      >>>     >>>     >>>    >>>     >>>     >>>     >>>
Summary: Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient, and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world. (Summary found on the book)

Official Reviews: "Mitch Albom's book is a gift to mankind." Philadelphia Inquirer

"A wonderful book, a story of the heart told by a writer with soul." Los Angles Times

"An extraordinary contribution to the literature of death." Boston Globe

"One of those books that kind of sneaked up and grabbed people's hearts over time." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"An Elegantly simple story about a writer getting a second chance to discover life through the death of a friend." Tampa Tribune

"As sweet and nourishing as fresh summer corn... the book begs to be read aloud." USA Today

My Review: I liked this book. Tuesdays with Morrie isn't exactly a book I would have read on my own (I prefer fiction personally), but it was a book that I would recommend for anyone who has read other books by Mitch Albom, or I am the Messenger  by Mark Zusak. This is one of those books that makes you want to review your life and become a better person. Just as a fair warning, this isn't a super cheerful book. There are funny moments like when Morrie worries most about is how someday someone will have to "wipe my ass" (page 22), but for the most part, it takes place as Morrie is dying making it a bit of a tear-jerker. But don't let that discourage you, it's still a very good book.

Well folks now you know what I think. I'm not going to go through that whole spiel about leaving a comment telling me what you think. It you want to leave a comment you will. As a reminder, you can follow the Teen Reads Referee on twitter and remember to vote!!! >>>
Have a happy New Year!

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Classic Novel by Harper Lee.
Summary: The novel takes place in the "tired old town" of Maycomb Alabama during the Great Depression. It follows six-year-old Scout, her older brother Jem, and their newfound friend Dill as they stir up child-like trouble while trying to lure Boo Radley, a sort of Maycomb monster, out of his home. As the story progresses, Atticus, Scout and Jem's father and local lawyer, is assigned to defend a black man during a period in which racism was still very huge. The story follows the children as they grow to learn that Maycomb isn't the "tired old town" that they had initially thought it to be. They learn of the cruelty of racism while discovering that perhaps not all Maycomb rumors are true.

Official Reviews: "A first novel of such rare excellence that it will no doubt make a great many readers slow down to relish more fully its simple distinction.... A novel of strong contemporary significance." -Chicago Tribune
"That rare literary phenomenon, a Southern novel with no mildew on its magnolia leaves. Funny, happy, and written with unspectacular precision." -Vogue
"Novelist Lee's prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life." -Time
To Kill a Mockingbird was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.

My Review: After reading so many old, school-assigned books that I had never heard of before, I was actually excited to read To Kill a Mockingbird, a book I had heard so much about. It didn't disappoint. I can honestly say that this has been one of the only school assigned books, where I actually read ahead of what was due to be read. It's a very eye-opening book, and I'm glad I've read it. I think more people should read books like this and would recommend this book to anyone middle-school aged and up. A good book, that doesn't necessarily have to be read just in the classroom.

The Hunger Games

Yes folks it's true, I've finally gotten around to reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and I'm so glad that I have.

Summary:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love. (Summary found at http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-book.htm)

Official Reviews:  "I was so obsessed with this book....The Hunger Games is amazing." Stephanie Meyer author of the Twilight series.
 "exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns" Elizabeth Bird of the School Library Journal
"brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced the considerable strength of the novel comes in Collins's convincingly detailed world-building and her memorably complex and fascinating heroine." John Green of The New York Times
"closest thing to a perfect adventure novel" Rick Riordan
Kirkus Review also gave the book a good review but writes "poor copyediting in the first printing will distract careful readers—a crying shame"
Stephen King praised the addictiveness of the book but said the "displays of authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults" Overall he rated the book with a B grade. (Reviews found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games)

My Review: After months of being told by multitudes of people how much they enjoyed reading the Hunger Games, I finally borrowed it from the library and I wasn't able to put it down. The plot is intense with twists and turns on every page. A phenomenal book (and hey, with the holidays right around the corner, it'd make a great gift). There are more violent adult themes so I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under twelve, but otherwise, I would recommend it to everyone. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, the Hunger Games movie comes to theatres in the US March 23, 2012. May the odds be in your favor.
I know I've probably said this a million times, but I do need your help in expanding this website. I'd love to read what you thought of this book or any other book I've reviewed, and if you have a book suggestion for me, leave a comment and let me know. For mobile updates you can check out my twitter page and follow the Teen-Reads-Referee @Teen_Reads_Ref. Thank you so much for your support, and remember, with your help we can spark the Reading Revolution.

New Icon

Hey folks, so so far, I have gotten no help in creating an icon. So... The other day, I took this photo, did a little editing on it, and created a new icon that I think is far more poppy and flashy than the old one. Personally I like it waaaay better. So, if you like it great! Let me know! If not, you can still submit images that you'd like to become the new icon. Until next time... Keep Reading!