Kennedy Connection

My grandfather was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh  and he worked at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind a billion years ago and he started this adaptive physical education program thing for people who are differently abled, physically and/or intellectually.  A billion years ago he received a letter from Eunice Kennedy Shriver, which said really cool things about his work.  Rosemary:  The Hidden Kennedy Daughter was a good book.  I wanted to read it after reading JJAL.  I find myself REALLY not liking Joe or Rose Kennedy at all after reading this book. 
I find myself REALLY liking Eunice and Anthony Shriver after reading this book.  And especially Rosemary herself as, like Anthony said, seems to have been the Kennedy who did the most good in her life.  “The interest [Rosemary] sparked in my family towards people with special needs,” Anthony claims, “will one day go down as the greatest accomplishment that any Kennedy has made on a global basis.”

Hatchet Cannot be Compared to Johnny Tremain

I really loved Absolutely Almost.  It reminded me a bit of Sahara Special.  There is a lot of Newbery Buzz around Absolutely Almost.  As much as I loved this book, I will be incredibly aggravated.  Yes to Absolutely Almost and no to Sahara Special? What is going on here?  I think, sadly, it would be easy to see exactly what is going on.  Just like After Tupac and D Foster, One Crazy Summer and Elijah of Buxton. But there is no reason to complain now.  I will save that for later.  And I I do not want to take anything away from Absolutely Almost.  This was a great, great book about Albie, who is not a great student, not really an "average" student either.  He is a kid who has trouble in school.  Like so many kids.  Tiny spoiler:  his mom gets upset when it is discovered that he doesn't have dyslexia.  She would rather he had this very challenging learning disability than just be a regular kid who has trouble at school.