Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

If you follow this blog or talk to me about how I select books for our high school library, you'll know that I'm always on the lookout for books written for an adult reader but would appeal to teens as well. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan was one of those titles.

It is 1946 Mississippi - a time rife with prejudice that is angry and hateful. Laura reluctantly follows her husband into the rural countryside where he has bought a farm fulfilling a long-kept quiet dream. Their home has no electricity, no running water, no indoor plumbing, and LOTS of mud! There are Black sharecroppers who are proud of their work and land to till. Blacks and Whites each know their "place" and get by. The Jackson's are one sharecropper family. Their son, Ronsell, has returned home a war hero yet in spite of all that he gave to defend freedom, he must live in the Jim Crow south where he does not have full freedom.

Hillary Jordan writes with an authenticity that gives us, her readers, an experience approaching having lived it. You will fear for Ronsell and his safety. You may need to put the book down for awhile, as I did, because the pain is so palpable. You will question how Laura, a strong, educated city-girl, can give up that life to move to this 'backward' area. You will know mud!

One more thing you may like to know, this is author Jordan's first novel - AND she won the Bellwether Prize for Fiction! Author Barbara Kingsolver created the award and it is given for "fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships." Mudbound indeed delivers the human experience.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks is smarter than the average fifteen year old girl, and she’s determined to prove it to a secret society of boys in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Frankie is known as “Bunny Rabbit” to her a family, a name that annoys her because she feels that they underestimate her. 

When she returns to Alabaster boarding school for her sophomore year, she is minus her older sister (who graduated) and plus some new curves that developed over the summer. Suddenly the boys on campus find her attractive, and she finds herself being asked to a party by Matthew Livingston, a senior who she’s had a crush on since her freshman year. Matthew is sweet and loving, but she soon finds that he will cancel plans with her in favor of his friend Alpha. Frankie deals with this until Matthew cancels a much-anticipated date night. Upset, she follows him, and finds that he is meeting with the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds—an all male club her father belonged to during his days at Alabaster. Frankie becomes increasingly obsessed with the club and being able to be a part of it. She takes it upon herself to find the club’s history, entitled “The Disreputable History of the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds.” Upon finding it, she master-minds several campus-wide pranks which she gets the boys in the club to execute by masquerading as Alpha. Alpha goes along with her plans and takes credit for them, but soon the school is calling the pranks “vandalism” and someone is going to have to take the fall.

Frankie is a believable teenage girl with insecurities and a brilliant mind. The story is told from a third person perspective, by a narrator who is very matter-of-fact, which makes the book feel almost like a police case of psychology study at times. There is adventure and romance galore, all rolled into the feeling of exclusiveness that seems to automatically accompany a boarding school setting. The rule breaking that is performed by the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds often has a deeper meaning behind the surface of the prank, but it is never anything too dark or serious. Indeed, the pranks are often a call for some sort of improvement to Alabaster or to do away with the “old boy” mentality. This book is a wonderful read, and girls who have been waiting for a female with the capability of being an evil genius to emerge will be pleased. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Reviewed by Mrs. Fribley

Take Control of OCD : the Ultimate Guide For Kids With OCD by Bonnie Zucker

If you suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), this book might just offer you the help you seek. Take Control of OCD : the Ultimate Guide For Kids With OCD by Bonnie Zucker steps you through her proven method. Dr. Zucker is a licensed psychologist and has developed a specific cognitive-behavioral approach to help people with OCD and other anxiety disorders. This book will slowly, carefully take you through her steps that she has identified as developing your ladder. Just like climbing a ladder, you start out on the safest step, face your fears, then climb another step and face another fear. The best part is that YOU identify your own fears, obsessions, and compulsions - not your parents, teachers, or a doctor. YOU rank them in order by easiest to hardest to overcome.

Dr. Zucker's book also includes relaxation techniques and helps you to practice them. Again, YOU practice each one and find what works best. My favorites included calm, one-nostril breathing and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). With PMR you tighten then relax each muscle area of your body one-by-one beginning with your hands and working to the whole body. The face was most interesting because tensing my facial muscles meant making a very contorted look for sure.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm