To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I know everyone in all likelihood knows what this book is about, and has probably read it.  I however, had not.  I will post a quick bit from goodreads on here: Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic, Puliter Prize-winning novella, a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus's children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unanswering honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s.

My Take
Please do not send me hate mail.  That's all I ask.  While I loved the overall message behind this book, I personally wasn't thrilled with the book as a whole.  I became mired in extreme descriptive nature of everything.  I kept waiting for something to happen to really draw me in to this story. 

Once the trial came about, that really solidified it for me.  That pulled me in and I was cruising along through it.  But, that was a fair amount of the way through the book.  The railing out against the hideousness of racism and learning that the world is not always a fair and just place.  That in itself is a tough lesson.  I appreciated the deeply steeped principles that Atticus lived and raised his children with.  The fact that you can never really know someone until you can place yourself in their skin.  Tolerance and understanding, two virtues that in many places, have remained unknown.  In this day and age, that is a sad statement indeed.

I like the characters.  Miss Maudie Atkinson, Atticus, Calpernia, Jem, Scout and Dill.  I thought they were endearing and loveable.  I could almost see each one of them.  It's been forever since I've seen the movie too, so I really didn't have that to go by. 

Since this book was written, I believe writing has changed drastically.  There's much more action in novels now.  The writing is tight and sparse on descriptors.  I cringe because I know I've set quite a few people's teeth on edge saying all of this.  I'll just stop now and say I'm giving this one 3 kisses!

This Side of the Sky by Marie-Francine Hebert

Here's a quick blurb from the Amazon page for this book: On this side of the sky, Mona and her kid sister, Bird, hide in the woods each day because it's far better than being home. But then there's the other side, the side Bird dreams of while she sits in the tall trees she climbs to get away from a life devoid of love. Bird may be eight, but her mind's only five, and Mona has to babysit her most of the time. All their father can do when he gets home is lie on the couch and watch TV, and with another baby on the way, it seems like Mona's mother is always too occupied with her own problems and misery to pay any attention to her.

They don't have many friends, but Mona and Bird have always had each other and the hideout of the hidden lake to run to when they needed to escape from mothers and fathers and teachers and bullies and the friends they want and the friends who need their help. But then Mona and Bird witness something terrible in the woods, and suddenly life changes forever for Mona and the others trapped on this side of the sky.

Written from Mona's perspective, this translation of a Governor General's Literary Award-nominee and winner of the PRIX DU LIVRE M. CHRISTIE explores themes of racism, sexual abuse, low self-esteem and the pain all these inflict on those who deserve it least.

My Take
I discovered this little book at a library sale.  It was a thin, small little book and sounded interesting from the cover description.  This little innocent looking book deals with some heavy hitting topics.  Racism, sexual abuse, alcoholism, among other things.

Mona and Bird are let to their own devices just about all the time in this book.  Mona is constantly told "go watch your sister".  Mona does her best to keep Bird from climbing too high in the trees, for fear she will fall and injure herself. 

It's discussed how Bird's mind is lagging behind her physical age.  However, I thought of the characters Bird was insightful and wise beyond her years.  She climbs trees escaping the live below.  If only she could get to the other side of the sky.  It was sad to see these two rag-a-muffin girls slog through life with little love or joy.  Not much in the way of role models among the adults surrounding them either.

This book is touching and inspiring to see how Mona and Bird finally handle the incident they've witnessed.
My favorite line: "This time our gift comes from life itself and is served up on a tray of stars."

Worth checking out for sure.  I would say due to the delicate nature of some of the themes, 13 and up is my recommended age.  I'm giving it 3 1/2 tender kisses!