Ms. Haigh Reads – Under a Painted Sky

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Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee is an exhilarating western filled with numerous twists, turns and near misses. Set during the California gold rush, the story follows the unlikely pairing of two young women: a young Chinese fiddle player and a runaway black slave who must fight to stay alive. Brought together by unfortunate circumstances the girls lean on each other as they begin the treacherous journey West towards safety and a potentially better life. Pretending to be boys to keep their identities hidden, the girls befriend a group of young cowboys and struggle to learn the pioneering skills necessary to stay alive. This is a book filled with painful moments of racism, the power of friendship and the difficulty of unrequited love. But most of all, it is about adventure, survival and the ability we all have to surprise ourselves with our own strength. Though the events are at times implausible, it is still a good read if you enjoy exciting stories about the Wild West.

Ms. Haigh Reads – We All Looked Up

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In We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach an astroid called Ardor is barrelling towards Earth and has a 66.6% chance of destroying the world forever.  Told from 4 different points of view, the story follows 6 high school students as they come to terms with the possibility that their lives are over in a few weeks. With the Apocalypse looming, the main characters make the most of the little time they have left and go after the things they`ve always wanted, causing their lives to intersect in unusual ways. Suddenly the dead-beat is hanging out with the straight A student, and the star basketball player is second guessing his relationship with the popular beauty. But as they work to maintain a human connection, the world around them starts spinning out of control, with violence and destruction at every turn.

Though this story is about the end of the world, it is actually quite hopeful and is filled with lots of humour, friendship and love.

Recommended for fans of Eleanor and Park and We Were Liars.

Warning: some mature content, so recommended for 15+

Ms. Haigh Reads: The Carnival at Bray

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The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley is a good read for anyone who has ever dreamed of living in Ireland, or likes a book filled with musical references, as it is set during the height of the Grunge era(think Nirvana).

The story follows 16 year old Maggie Lynch as she’s forced to move from her settled life in Chicago, Illinois to the unknown world of Bray, Ireland (a small seaside town outside of Dublin). The move is prompted by her alcoholic mother’s quickie marriage to an Irishman and though Maggie is none too pleased about the move at first, she she tries to find comfort in her simplified life, despite having no friends. Though she misses her favourite uncle desperately, Ireland officially starts to feel like home when she befriends one of her elderly neighbours and even meets a handsome local boy.

But when an important person in her life dies suddenly, Maggie goes off on a secret journey that is both dangerous and exhilarating. But will there be devastating consequences?

This is an exhilarating read about finding out who you are, learning to grieve, taking risks and falling in love.

Recommendation: Grades 10+

Awards:

  • Top Ten List of 2015 – American Library Association’s top fiction for young adults
  • Chicago Weekly’s Best Books of 2014
  • Michael L. Printz Honor Award Winner
  • 2014 Helen Sheehan YA Book Prize
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014