4 out of 4 stars
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We all know those kids in school. The ones that would rather make the class laugh than take anything seriously. The ones that brag about failing classes and seem to not have a care in the world. What made them stop caring though? Poverty, drug use, death, abuse, hunger, maybe something worse has sucked all of the care from them. Mr. Foxx, the teacher of a remedial class known as “Reading Hell,” asks his class full of the “stupid” kids this same question. “When did you stop giving a crap?” A Bloody Book is Maxx’s answer to this question. Maxx tells us about his life, his struggles, and why he stopped giving a crap.
This story will touch your heart and make you think twice about those kids that didn’t seem to care in school. It’s a reminder that the world isn’t fair, and it doesn’t care if you’re a nine-year-old boy merely trying to hold on to hope. Life may just push people to do things they shouldn’t. It may even push a few kids to make trouble their best friend. Because at least when you’re in trouble, you don’t have to deal with all the other terrible things going on in your life.
As a teacher at a Title I school, this book definitely touched home. It’s heartbreaking to think some of my students have home-lives similar to the characters in this book. For some of them, school is the only place they get a decent, hot meal. School is the only safe place in their lives. School is the only place that someone may actually care about them. If you don’t have it in you to read about homelessness, drug abuse, domestic violence, and murder, then don’t pick up this book. However, if you do decide to give it a try, I promise the story will impact you.
At the beginning of the book, the author asks us to “Start for the story. Care for the characters. Stay for the twist.” When I initially started reading the story, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to finish it, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Maxx, our main character, has a way of telling stories within stories. It felt a bit like chasing squirrels at first, but after awhile I could see why the extra details were necessary. The characters in this story are easy to care for. At thirteen, they’ve had to deal with more than most adults. The author does a great job at making them believable and making the reader sympathetic towards them. As for the twist at the end, I did not expect it. I’m not sure what else to say about it, so I’ll leave it at that.
I don’t really have anything negative to say about this book. There’s enough negative within it. I did encounter a few errors, but that won’t stop me from giving the book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend A Bloody Book to those who aren’t afraid to read about the heartbreaking reality of low-income families. I highly recommend it to teachers. Sometimes it’s easy to make false assumptions and forget our students may not have perfect lives outside of school. This book serves as a reminder of that.
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A Bloody Book
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