A student gave me Eason's Hungry(2007), which I had somehow missed. It turned out to be a great science fiction book for students who aren't particularly interested in science fiction. I loved the cover!Deborah knows that she and her family are space aliens, but she is not too keen on the fact that they are planning on taking over the world... soon. The biggest problem with it is that the aliens view the world as a food source, and while Deborah didn't mind eating the odd homeless person, she isn't keen on the idea of eating her best friend! When her grandmother arrives with the first installment of the invasion party, Deborah knows that she has to do something. Subplots about her friend's law suit to force the school to allow him to dress like a vampire, a math competetion, and her parents' struggles with Earth life and the invasion all add up to one interesting book.
After I read this, my son picked it up. Since I just gave a presentation on Connecting Boys and Books yesterday, I appreciated the fact that the cover does not have a girl on it. There's enough gross detail about the aliens eating humans to intrigue some kids, but not so many that it turned my delicate stomach. This will circulate well.
Anyone out there want to tell me what to read? I feel like going up to a library counter and whining "I need a book!"
Thank you so much for your kind words about Hungry. I was a reading specialist in California. (I've lived in Chile for the last year and a half, due to return next week. Looking at a 6th grade in September.)
ReplyDeleteI wrote Hungry as a book that would encourage kids who weren't natural readers. I do agree about the cover!!!! It's great.
Alethea Eason