Author Archives: KLevenson
The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller
Terrific book! Loved it. Lyrical. Captivating. Love story. Sad parts. Retelling of Classical stories before and during the Trojan War. Timely in that it describes a great love between two Greek princes, not unusual for the time period, but now … Continue reading
Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger
Speaking of symmetry, at one point, I wondered in Niffeneger’s name was an anagram…Reggeneiffen? Too much Scrabble, I guess. The first thing I learned was that Highgate Cemetary is a real place. It sounds so well described in the book … Continue reading
The Boy in the Black Suit, by Jason Reynolds
This book won the Coretta Scott King Award. The scenes of the neighborhood reminded me of the film Fences. People sitting out on their stoop, reading the newspaper and watching neighbors walk by. Kids playing in the street. People’s lives … Continue reading
If I Was Your Girl, by Meredith Russo
This was my first book about the life and thoughts of a high school age transgender teen. I was interested to read the author’s notes at the end. “To my cisgender readers — which is to say, to those of … Continue reading
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, by Anton Disclafani
This book is so different from what I expected and I loved it. I saw this book in our high school library and expected a sort of “I love horses and a halcyon vision of summer camp.” The story is … Continue reading
Iron Jawed Angels, film
This is a moving film on the fight for Women’s Suffrage in the United States. Iron Jawed Angels stars Hilary Swank, Julia Ormond, Angelica Huston, and Frances O’Connor. Just after the Presidential Election, it is being shown in classes at our … Continue reading
Getting In, a novel, by James Finney Boylan
“Dylan looked at the other students and knew that he had no chance of getting into Yale. These other students were obviously better than he was: smarter, richer, braver. Yale was for people like this Polo here, someone who wanted … Continue reading
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Excellent book. I have recommended to a number of my high school students. Our school students perform yearly at a Consent Assembly. We will have a discussion on the true stories presented at the assembly. This novel is about a … Continue reading
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson
Several people I told about this book already had heard of Dr. H. H. Holmes, a supposed doctor who built a murder hotel in Chicago near the World’s Fairgrounds. He preyed on young women with few other family members. Estimates … Continue reading
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