I grab a quick meal / while skimming through the paper. / Death, death, death, comics (7).
Zombie Haiku is a journal composed almost entirely of haiku poems about the zombie apocolypse. It begins as a poetry journal with lovely haiku about dandelions and magic and romance, but quickly turns into something else... along with the author. As the journal progresses, more and more people turn into zombies, or are eaten by zombies, or are eaten by zombies then turn into zombies, and all of it is recorded in haiku.
All I think about / is how hungry I will be / once I eat this foot (72).
In addition to the zombie haiku, there are also polaroid photos of zombies and zombie attacks. The journal is also covered in blood, duct tape, hair and guts. The journal begins and ends with notes scrawled by a person who found the journal (or took it out of a zombie's hand after he broke it off by smashing it repeatedly with a door). The note-scrawler reads the journal while he's waiting for certain doom, then finally a zombie himself. It is a scary, fun, quick, creepy read, "a thoroughly unique and entertaining experience." Robert Kirkman, author of The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies.
Mecum, Ryan. 2008. Zombie Haiku. Cincinnati: HOW Books. ISBN 9781600610707
Friday, December 2, 2011
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
Ruby Milliken's mother just died and now she has to move across the country to live with her scum-bag moviestar father, Whip, who divorced her mother before she was even born. Ugh, what a hideous way to start a book. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies is a novel written in verse by Sonya Sones. Ruby's poems and emails tell the story of what happens when she has to leave her aunt, best friend and boyfriend behind and move across the country to live with her father in his giant Hollywood mansion. She finds it difficult to fit in with the students of the L.A. school because they're used to having celebrities for parents. She's not used to it at all. She also finds it difficult to live in her father's shadow and to get used to his trainers and personal assistants and chefs and even him being around all the time, since he abandoned her and all....
Gillian Engberg (Booklist, May 1, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 17)) says of One of Those Hideous Books... "It's Ruby's first-person voice--acrimonious, raw, and very funny--that pulls everything together, whether she is writing e-mails to her deceased mother, attending Dream Analysis class at a private L.A. high school, or finally learning to accept her father and embrace a new life. A satisfying, moving novel that will be a winner for both eager and reluctant readers."
Since this is a novel written in verse, it's great for reluctant readers and also those just looking for something quick to read. Sonya Sones has written several other books in verse, like What My Mother Doesn't Know, which would be great to share with teens who enjoyed this one. (I liked it so much that I accidentally read it in one night!)
Sones, Sonya. 2004. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780689858208
(I wanted to share one of my favorite moments from the book, but since it's kind of long, I decided to place it here at the end.)
Grand Entrance
So much for trying to keep / my celebrity-daughter status a secret. / You should have seen the heads swivel / when we walked in here together. / It was like something out of The Exorcist. / And I bet you'd barf if you could see / how these women in the administration office / are falling all over themselves right now, / fluttering around Whip like a flock of butterflies on X. / They're telling him how grateful they are / for his generous donation / and how delighted they are that he's volunteered / to be the auctioneer at their second annual Noisy Auction . and how they're sure he'll draw / an even bigger crowd than Hanks did last year. / They're offering him mocha lattes / and Krispy Kreme doughnuts / and some kind of fruit that I've never even seen before. / And I'm sitting here right next to him, / crossing my eyes, sticking out my tongue, / and wiggling my ears. / But no one seems to be noticing me. / (Okay. So I'm not really doing any of that. / But they wouldn't be noticing. / Even if I was.) (69)
Metamorphosis: Junior Year
Metamorphosis: Junior Year is a quick read full of free-verse poetry and pen-and-ink drawings from Ovid, a junior high school teen, who has to be perfect to make up for the mistakes made by his meth-head older sister, Thena. If only his parents were as hopeful as they were when they named their kids, Ovid wouldn't have to try so hard to be perfect. He compares his life in high school to Roman mythology, comparing his friends to Icarus, Orpheus, Dalia, Cupid and Callisto among others. An artsy kid, Ovid is afraid to be himself around his parents, to show them his artwork and poetry, because he worries they'll think he's crazy and about to go off the deep end like his dear sister, which he may very well be close to doing.
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 1)) says of Metamorphosis, "Franco blends references to the classical canon with fast free verse and casual prose, and the wry combination of contemporary technology and archetypes will appeal to teens, even if they don’t get all the nods to the mythical stories."
A ForeWord review (Foreword Reviews, January/February 2010) says, "Like Ovid, famous for his epic poem, Metamorphoses, Franco's Ovid delivers a message of the transformative powers of experience and love."
The artwork shown in Metamorphosis is drawn by the author's son, Tom Franco, and if you happen to catch the audio version, it's performed by James and Dave Franco of movie and television fame. Who knew the Franco family would be so amazing?
Sharing this book with teens then asking them to write and draw their own poetry, or even asking for poems and drawings in response to the book, will be a sure way to grab and keep their attention.
France, Betsy. 2009. Metamorphosis: Junior Year. Ill. by Tom Franco. Somerville: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763637651
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 1)) says of Metamorphosis, "Franco blends references to the classical canon with fast free verse and casual prose, and the wry combination of contemporary technology and archetypes will appeal to teens, even if they don’t get all the nods to the mythical stories."
A ForeWord review (Foreword Reviews, January/February 2010) says, "Like Ovid, famous for his epic poem, Metamorphoses, Franco's Ovid delivers a message of the transformative powers of experience and love."
The artwork shown in Metamorphosis is drawn by the author's son, Tom Franco, and if you happen to catch the audio version, it's performed by James and Dave Franco of movie and television fame. Who knew the Franco family would be so amazing?
Sharing this book with teens then asking them to write and draw their own poetry, or even asking for poems and drawings in response to the book, will be a sure way to grab and keep their attention.
France, Betsy. 2009. Metamorphosis: Junior Year. Ill. by Tom Franco. Somerville: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763637651
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Bootleg
Spanning from the late 1800s to the 1930s and beyond, Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition tells chronologically what happened in America to lead to prohibition, and what happened before, during and after the years of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
From children drinking alcohol to them smuggling homebrewed bathtub gin to Mother's Against Drunk Driving, Bootleg tells the story of the wet and dry times in an informative, yet slightly humorous, way, which is easy for kids, teens and adults to understand and enjoy. A glossary contains terms used during prohibition, such as "hooch Slang for alcohol. Other slang words in the 1920s included 'apple-jack,' 'giggle water,' white lightening,' and 'whoopee'" and "ombibulous A term coined by the newspaper writer H.L. Mencken to describe his support of all kids of alcohol, despite prohibition. 'I'm ombibulous. I drink every known alcoholic drink and enjoy them all,' he said." Bootleg also contains many period photographs, an extensive bibliography and an index of terms.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2011 (Vol. 79, No. 8)) says, "Blumenthal acknowledges that Prohibition was successful in some notable ways: Arrests for public intoxication declined as did alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver. Whatever positive outcomes there were, however, were eclipsed by the widespread corruption and violence of bootlegging. An informative, insightful account of a fascinating period of American history."
Pairing this with an historical fiction book set around the time of prohibition, like Vixen and Ingenue by Jillian Larkin, would give the teen reader an insight into exactly what was going on during that period of history.
Blumenthal, Karen. 2011. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596434493
From children drinking alcohol to them smuggling homebrewed bathtub gin to Mother's Against Drunk Driving, Bootleg tells the story of the wet and dry times in an informative, yet slightly humorous, way, which is easy for kids, teens and adults to understand and enjoy. A glossary contains terms used during prohibition, such as "hooch Slang for alcohol. Other slang words in the 1920s included 'apple-jack,' 'giggle water,' white lightening,' and 'whoopee'" and "ombibulous A term coined by the newspaper writer H.L. Mencken to describe his support of all kids of alcohol, despite prohibition. 'I'm ombibulous. I drink every known alcoholic drink and enjoy them all,' he said." Bootleg also contains many period photographs, an extensive bibliography and an index of terms.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2011 (Vol. 79, No. 8)) says, "Blumenthal acknowledges that Prohibition was successful in some notable ways: Arrests for public intoxication declined as did alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver. Whatever positive outcomes there were, however, were eclipsed by the widespread corruption and violence of bootlegging. An informative, insightful account of a fascinating period of American history."
Pairing this with an historical fiction book set around the time of prohibition, like Vixen and Ingenue by Jillian Larkin, would give the teen reader an insight into exactly what was going on during that period of history.
Blumenthal, Karen. 2011. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596434493
Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow gives an excellently written, eye-opening view into Hitler's use and abuse of children in his rise to power and the Third Reich. While it is aimed at a juvenile or young adult audience, even adults can flip through the pages, looking at the photographs and reading about the lives of several of the children of the Hitler Youth and take something from it... the other side.
The 10 chapters of the book follow Hitler's rise to power, the organization and education of the Hitler Youth, what they were made to do before and during the war, and what happened to them after the resistance. Also included are a foreward and epilogue, timeline, author's notes, information about the photographs, a bibliography and an index. All of these make for an interesting and educational read, and a look into the other side of the Holocaust.
Stunning photographs mark nearly every page of the book, showing happy faces of families, child soldiers marching through the mud, Hitler's speeches, Jewish families in torment and the devastation of war. The book shares the back story of what happened during those gruesome years and how not everyone realized that what they were being asked to do was wrong. "'I can remember the feeling I had when he spoke,' said Sasha Schwarz, who was eleven when Hitler came to power. 'At last,' I said, 'here's somebody who can get us out of this mess'" (19). Was she ever wrong.
The CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2006) says of Hitler Youth, "Bartoletti’s carefully researched, fascinating narrative is a compelling work of non-fiction. She provides extensive documentation in a volume that not only informs but also inspires readers to ask difficult questions about choices they may face in their own lives."
That simple review leads to a good dicussion for teens. How does your life compare to the teens of the Hitler Youth? Does it at all? What would they think if they lived now?
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439353793
The 10 chapters of the book follow Hitler's rise to power, the organization and education of the Hitler Youth, what they were made to do before and during the war, and what happened to them after the resistance. Also included are a foreward and epilogue, timeline, author's notes, information about the photographs, a bibliography and an index. All of these make for an interesting and educational read, and a look into the other side of the Holocaust.
Stunning photographs mark nearly every page of the book, showing happy faces of families, child soldiers marching through the mud, Hitler's speeches, Jewish families in torment and the devastation of war. The book shares the back story of what happened during those gruesome years and how not everyone realized that what they were being asked to do was wrong. "'I can remember the feeling I had when he spoke,' said Sasha Schwarz, who was eleven when Hitler came to power. 'At last,' I said, 'here's somebody who can get us out of this mess'" (19). Was she ever wrong.
The CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2006) says of Hitler Youth, "Bartoletti’s carefully researched, fascinating narrative is a compelling work of non-fiction. She provides extensive documentation in a volume that not only informs but also inspires readers to ask difficult questions about choices they may face in their own lives."
That simple review leads to a good dicussion for teens. How does your life compare to the teens of the Hitler Youth? Does it at all? What would they think if they lived now?
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439353793
Fire from the Rock
Sylvia Patterson is about to finish middle school. She's, of course, concerned about what she'll wear on her first day of high school, if she'll have a boyfriend, what color her toenails should be, what her favorite song is, everything typical of a 15-year-old girl. There's something else she's worried about though. If she's strong enough to be one of the first black students to attend the all-white Central High School. She doesn't want to be a hero, she just wants to be normal!
Fire from the Rock is an historical fiction novel based on the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. The reader discovers along with Sylvia the trials and hardships of black students and families living in segregated times. She doesn't think they'll ever be black singers on TV or black leaders on the covers of magazines. She doesn't think black people will ever be allowed to do anything that white people can do, but when she's chosen to be one of the first students allowed to integrate in the all white school, she doesn't know if she can do it.
The integration of Central is not the only difficult task Sylvia has to face. Her best friend is a Jewish girl and her father's store is constantly vandalized with swastikas and even gets destroyed by homemade bombs while Sylvia is in the store. She and her younger sister, Donna Jean, are attacked after leaving their local library by a group of angry white teenagers. Simply walking down the street is something she fears to do, so will she be up to the task of integration? Will she make the right decision? Only she knows the answer to that.
Fire from the Rock is an historical fiction novel based on the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. The reader discovers along with Sylvia the trials and hardships of black students and families living in segregated times. She doesn't think they'll ever be black singers on TV or black leaders on the covers of magazines. She doesn't think black people will ever be allowed to do anything that white people can do, but when she's chosen to be one of the first students allowed to integrate in the all white school, she doesn't know if she can do it.
The integration of Central is not the only difficult task Sylvia has to face. Her best friend is a Jewish girl and her father's store is constantly vandalized with swastikas and even gets destroyed by homemade bombs while Sylvia is in the store. She and her younger sister, Donna Jean, are attacked after leaving their local library by a group of angry white teenagers. Simply walking down the street is something she fears to do, so will she be up to the task of integration? Will she make the right decision? Only she knows the answer to that.
Sylvia is not the only one chosen for this life-changing event. Several other students have been selected to enroll at Central as well, and with the help of their mentor, Daisy Bates, nine of these specially-chosen students successfully (and I use the term loosely) intergrate the high school. The governor, Orval Faubus, tries unsuccessfully to have the students removed from the school, but they attend anyway, becoming the most famous high school students in Arkansas' history. As Sylvia's brother says on page 205, "Yeah. Like something out of a history book," which is exactly what happens.
"Using the events that surrounded the black teens, now known as the Little Rock Nine, who were chosen to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, Draper offers an emotional tale about integrity, justice, and determination," says KaaVonia Hinton, Ph.D. of KLIATT Review (July 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 4)).
Ernie J. Cox (Library Media Connection, November/December 2007) says, "Sylvia faces one of the biggest questions of her life and generation-to accept the status quo or push for new rights. Through alternating third person narrative and Sylvia's diary entries, Draper populates this important historical event with convincing characters, flowing dialogue, and keen observations."
A fantastic historical fiction to read and share with teens, then ask them the question, "What would you do if you were in Sylvia's shoes?"Draper, Sharon. 2007. Fire from the Rock. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 9780525477204
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Among the Hidden
Luke is a 12 year old boy who likes helping his dad and older brothers, Matthew and Mark, out on their family farm. He likes reading with his mom. He also likes playing outside in the vast backyard... until the Government begins tearing down the woods behind the house and building a new neighborhood for the wealthy families - The Barons.
Barons have everything. Money, fancy cars, nice houses. Apparently, the also have the ability to break the law without penalty. The Government and the Population Police have outlawed having more than two children. Remember Luke's brothers? Yes, brothers. Matthew and Mark... and Luke. Luke is a hidden child, a shadow child, a third, confined to the house after the new neighborhood development, he now lives as a recluse in the attic of his family's farmhouse, never to step outside or darken a window again. Until he sees movement from one of the neighbor's houses. A Baron neighbor house who has two football jock sons that go to school and a mother and father that work in the city and leave the house every day. So why is there movement in the house?
Luke discovers Jen, another third, living in the Baron house. She has a computer, something Luke's only ever really heard about, since he's not allowed near the one in his house for fear that the Goverment is watching through the monitor. She also has chips, brown, fizzy drinks and cookies! There's something else Jen has that Luke doesn't, aside from luxurious foods and technology. She has doubts. Doubts that there isn't enough food for people to have third children. Doubts that the Government won't do anything to rid itself of thirds. Luke has something Jen doesn't have, though. Fear. Fear that the Government knows everything and will swoop in to kill them if they use the computer or watch TV. If only Jen had that fear...
After making friends online with other thirds, Jen decides to rally at the president's house. She wants to be free! She wants to live an actual life not cooped up indoors. Luke, of course, wants these things, too, but as he tells Jen before she leaves for the rally, "I still can't go. I'm sorry. It's something about having parents who are farmers, not lawyers. And not being a Baron. It's people like you who change history. People like me -- we just let things happen to us" (117).
If only Jen didn't have her doubts that the Government wouldn't do anything to a large group of rallying thirds.
They would.
And they did.
Jen and all her rallying buddies were shot on the steps of the president's house without a second thought. Luke goes to Jen's house a few days after the rally to see if she's made it home yet when he's greeted by someone else, Jen's father, who has a gun. Instead of killing the boy (as he should because he's a member of the Population Police) Jen's father gives Luke a fake ID and sends him to a boarding school. He gives Luke a chance to live. A chance to live outside of his attic room, to go to school, to change the world.
Will he? We'll see....
Betty Carter (The ALAN Review, Winter 1999 (Vol. 26, No. 2)) says of Among the Hidden, "Luke, mirroring his disenfranchised family, fears the totalitarian government; Jen using all the resources of her privileged background, challenges it. Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence."
Debbie Earl (VOYA, October 1998 (Vol. 21, No. 4)) says, "This is an easily understood, younger reader's 1984 or Brave New World, presenting a chilling vision of a possibly not-too-distant future."
Much like the VOYA review says, sharing this story along with 1984 or Brave New World or even The Hunger Games would be a great way to discuss the future and dystopian novels with tweens and teens.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780689817007
Barons have everything. Money, fancy cars, nice houses. Apparently, the also have the ability to break the law without penalty. The Government and the Population Police have outlawed having more than two children. Remember Luke's brothers? Yes, brothers. Matthew and Mark... and Luke. Luke is a hidden child, a shadow child, a third, confined to the house after the new neighborhood development, he now lives as a recluse in the attic of his family's farmhouse, never to step outside or darken a window again. Until he sees movement from one of the neighbor's houses. A Baron neighbor house who has two football jock sons that go to school and a mother and father that work in the city and leave the house every day. So why is there movement in the house?
Luke discovers Jen, another third, living in the Baron house. She has a computer, something Luke's only ever really heard about, since he's not allowed near the one in his house for fear that the Goverment is watching through the monitor. She also has chips, brown, fizzy drinks and cookies! There's something else Jen has that Luke doesn't, aside from luxurious foods and technology. She has doubts. Doubts that there isn't enough food for people to have third children. Doubts that the Government won't do anything to rid itself of thirds. Luke has something Jen doesn't have, though. Fear. Fear that the Government knows everything and will swoop in to kill them if they use the computer or watch TV. If only Jen had that fear...
After making friends online with other thirds, Jen decides to rally at the president's house. She wants to be free! She wants to live an actual life not cooped up indoors. Luke, of course, wants these things, too, but as he tells Jen before she leaves for the rally, "I still can't go. I'm sorry. It's something about having parents who are farmers, not lawyers. And not being a Baron. It's people like you who change history. People like me -- we just let things happen to us" (117).
If only Jen didn't have her doubts that the Government wouldn't do anything to a large group of rallying thirds.
They would.
And they did.
Jen and all her rallying buddies were shot on the steps of the president's house without a second thought. Luke goes to Jen's house a few days after the rally to see if she's made it home yet when he's greeted by someone else, Jen's father, who has a gun. Instead of killing the boy (as he should because he's a member of the Population Police) Jen's father gives Luke a fake ID and sends him to a boarding school. He gives Luke a chance to live. A chance to live outside of his attic room, to go to school, to change the world.
Will he? We'll see....
Betty Carter (The ALAN Review, Winter 1999 (Vol. 26, No. 2)) says of Among the Hidden, "Luke, mirroring his disenfranchised family, fears the totalitarian government; Jen using all the resources of her privileged background, challenges it. Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence."
Debbie Earl (VOYA, October 1998 (Vol. 21, No. 4)) says, "This is an easily understood, younger reader's 1984 or Brave New World, presenting a chilling vision of a possibly not-too-distant future."
Much like the VOYA review says, sharing this story along with 1984 or Brave New World or even The Hunger Games would be a great way to discuss the future and dystopian novels with tweens and teens.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780689817007
Elsewhere
Where do you go when you die?
Heaven or
The Undiscovered Country or
The Shadowlands or
The Big Sleep or
The Great Unknown or
The Great Beyond or
Elysian Fields or
Valhalla or
Fortunate Isles or
Isle of the Blessed or
The Kingdom of Joy and Light or
Paradise or
Eden or
The Firmament or
The Sky or
Wherever you are, whatever it's called
(242-243)
Like Owen then says, "Very thorough, but they never write Elsewhere" (243).
Elsewhere is where Lizzie Hall goes after she's hit by a taxi outside the mall shortly before her 16th birthday. In Elsewhere, you grow younger instead of older. You have avocations instead of jobs, because they're supposed to be something you actually want to do. You can get hurt, but you can never die, well, because you're already dead. Lizzie is upset when she finally realizes that she's dead because she thinks she'll never get her drivers' license, she'll never fall in love, and she'll never grow old. Well, she's right on one account, but just because you don't grow old doesn't mean you don't still grow.
While in Elsewhere, Lizzie lives with her grandmother, Betty, who died of breast cancer before Lizzie was born. Now Betty is a 30-something lady with a red convertible and an overflowing flower garden. Lizzie gets an avocation working with dogs and speaking their language, which is something that she's very good at. She also meets her favorite musician, Curtis Jett, who recently died of a drug overdose. She learns three-point turns and how to parallel park from a cute guy named Owen with someone else's name tattooed on his arm.
Ah, Owen... Lizzie soon discovers that she loves Owen, who died in his 30s but is a hunky 17-year-old in Elsewhere by the time Lizzie meets him. But that tattoo... Emily. Emily was Owen's wife back on Earth and he just can't seem to forget her, that is, until she comes to Elsewhere, too. Still in her 30s, Emily doesn't quite love Owen the way she used to, and finally, on the (reverse) day of when Owen got his tattoo on Earth (when he was 16) it disappears, and he realizes that he loves Lizzie now, not Emily.
Lizzie has just given up on Owen, though, right before that tattoo disappears. Since she died young, she can be a Sneaker, someone who died young on Earth and has the chance to go back before they reach babyhood for the second time. She decides she doesn't want to be on Elsewhere anymore, so she goes to the river where babies return to Earth, is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a teenager (awkward) and then she's on her way back to be reborn. Floating down the river of life, Lizzie decides she doesn't want to go back, but she's wrapped so tightly in her mummy swaddling clothes that she can't escape. Meanwhile, Owen realizes he loves her and goes out to rescue her. Now, Lizzie has everything she ever wanted in her life on Earth (minus the high school diploma and college and all that). She's happily in love with a cute guy, she has a job she enjoys, she has friends and loved ones.
Then the time comes, nearly 16 years after she died and went to Elsewhere, Lizzie is a baby again. She's wrapped in swaddling clothes (for the second time, they fit much better now) and is sent down the river to be reborn to a new life and a new family.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 16)) says of Elsewhere, "Zevin's smooth, omniscient third-person narration and matter-of-fact presentation of her imagined world carries readers along, while her deft, understated character development allows them to get to know her characters slowly and naturally. Hopeful and engaging."
Deborah Stevenson, Associate Editor (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2005 (Vol. 59, No. 1)) says, "Creative touches abound in the depiction of the Elsewhere lifestyle and in the human possibilities therein, and readers from a broad range of beliefs will find this a quirky and touching exploration of the Great Beyond."
This would be an excellent book to share with teens if they've recently lost someone they love, but are far enough past the death to have come to terms with it and are able to read something lighthearted.
Zavin, Gabrielle. 2005. Elsewhere. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9780374320911
Heaven or
The Undiscovered Country or
The Shadowlands or
The Big Sleep or
The Great Unknown or
The Great Beyond or
Elysian Fields or
Valhalla or
Fortunate Isles or
Isle of the Blessed or
The Kingdom of Joy and Light or
Paradise or
Eden or
The Firmament or
The Sky or
Wherever you are, whatever it's called
(242-243)
Like Owen then says, "Very thorough, but they never write Elsewhere" (243).
Elsewhere is where Lizzie Hall goes after she's hit by a taxi outside the mall shortly before her 16th birthday. In Elsewhere, you grow younger instead of older. You have avocations instead of jobs, because they're supposed to be something you actually want to do. You can get hurt, but you can never die, well, because you're already dead. Lizzie is upset when she finally realizes that she's dead because she thinks she'll never get her drivers' license, she'll never fall in love, and she'll never grow old. Well, she's right on one account, but just because you don't grow old doesn't mean you don't still grow.
While in Elsewhere, Lizzie lives with her grandmother, Betty, who died of breast cancer before Lizzie was born. Now Betty is a 30-something lady with a red convertible and an overflowing flower garden. Lizzie gets an avocation working with dogs and speaking their language, which is something that she's very good at. She also meets her favorite musician, Curtis Jett, who recently died of a drug overdose. She learns three-point turns and how to parallel park from a cute guy named Owen with someone else's name tattooed on his arm.
Ah, Owen... Lizzie soon discovers that she loves Owen, who died in his 30s but is a hunky 17-year-old in Elsewhere by the time Lizzie meets him. But that tattoo... Emily. Emily was Owen's wife back on Earth and he just can't seem to forget her, that is, until she comes to Elsewhere, too. Still in her 30s, Emily doesn't quite love Owen the way she used to, and finally, on the (reverse) day of when Owen got his tattoo on Earth (when he was 16) it disappears, and he realizes that he loves Lizzie now, not Emily.
Lizzie has just given up on Owen, though, right before that tattoo disappears. Since she died young, she can be a Sneaker, someone who died young on Earth and has the chance to go back before they reach babyhood for the second time. She decides she doesn't want to be on Elsewhere anymore, so she goes to the river where babies return to Earth, is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a teenager (awkward) and then she's on her way back to be reborn. Floating down the river of life, Lizzie decides she doesn't want to go back, but she's wrapped so tightly in her mummy swaddling clothes that she can't escape. Meanwhile, Owen realizes he loves her and goes out to rescue her. Now, Lizzie has everything she ever wanted in her life on Earth (minus the high school diploma and college and all that). She's happily in love with a cute guy, she has a job she enjoys, she has friends and loved ones.
Then the time comes, nearly 16 years after she died and went to Elsewhere, Lizzie is a baby again. She's wrapped in swaddling clothes (for the second time, they fit much better now) and is sent down the river to be reborn to a new life and a new family.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 16)) says of Elsewhere, "Zevin's smooth, omniscient third-person narration and matter-of-fact presentation of her imagined world carries readers along, while her deft, understated character development allows them to get to know her characters slowly and naturally. Hopeful and engaging."
Deborah Stevenson, Associate Editor (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2005 (Vol. 59, No. 1)) says, "Creative touches abound in the depiction of the Elsewhere lifestyle and in the human possibilities therein, and readers from a broad range of beliefs will find this a quirky and touching exploration of the Great Beyond."
This would be an excellent book to share with teens if they've recently lost someone they love, but are far enough past the death to have come to terms with it and are able to read something lighthearted.
Zavin, Gabrielle. 2005. Elsewhere. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 9780374320911
Weetzie Bat
Weetzie Bat and her best friend Dirk are two hip teens living in a fantastical, glittery, LSD-trippy LA. Dirk comes out to Weetzie when they're on the town, scoping for hunks, or Ducks as they're called, and then Dirk's hippy grandma gives Weetzie a magic lamp. Weetzie gets three wishes, a Duck for Dirk, A Secret Agent Lover Man for herself, and a cute little house that they can all live in, happily ever after.
Magically, all these wishes come true! Unfortunately, Weetzie decides she wants something else, a baby, but My Secret Agent Lover Man does not want one. He's too busy making his crazy movies and the world is too full of hate and sickness to have a baby. Weetzie has one anyway, a love-child with her two gay best friends. My Secret Agent Lover Man leaves the love nest, only to impregnate a witch, then he returns after Weetzie's baby, Cherokee Bat, is born. The witch curses My Secret Agent Lover Man and leaves her baby on the doorstep. Witch Baby is taken into the love nest to join the happy family.
After several more weird drug references, an AIDS scare, and other hipster trials, Weetzie goes to visit her dad in New York, begging him to come back to her mother in LA. He decides that LA is a crazy place and he never wants to go back, so much so that he kills himself. Everyone is sad and then the book is over.
This book was too much for me. I didn't understand half of it and it really bothered me. I'm a teenager, let's have a baby with no repercussions! We don't have jobs, but we do have a car and a house and babies and love! All you need is love! It's just too much! The fantasy elements were few and far between (a genie at the beginning and a witch at the end) and the entire book just seemed like an acid trip with all the colors and feathers and glitter and nonsense. There are so many other books I would recommend to my teens before I even thought about sharing this one with them.
The only part I did enjoy, however, was the arrival of the genie on page 26.
Weetzie could see him -- it was a man, a little man in a turban, with a jewel in his nose, harem pants, and curly-toed slippers.
"Lanky lizards!" Weetzie exclaimed.
"Greetings," said the man in an odd voice, a rich, dark purr.
"Oh, shit!" Weetzie said.
"I beg your pardon? Is that your wish?"
The Los Angeles Times Book Review says of Weetzie Bat, "One of the most original books of the last ten years."
Yes, it is original. The review didn't say good.
Block, Francesca Lia. 1989. Weetzie Bat. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0060205342
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Stuck in Neutral
How would you feel if you heard someone describe you like this: "A 'retard.' Not 'retard' like you might use the word to tease a friend who just said or did something stupid. I mean a real retard. Real in the same way that total means total. As in total retard: Everybody who knows me, everybody who sees me, everybody, anybody who even gets near me would tell you I'm dumb as a rock" (4)? What if someone said it to your face? How would you feel then? If you’re like Shawn McDaniel, who has been described in this way, you may get upset, but no one would ever know it.
Shawn McDaniel is the main character of Stuck in Neutral. He is a fourteen year old boy who is confined to a wheelchair with severe cerebral palsy. He can't function on his own, drools, uses the restroom on himself, etcetera. Everyone thinks he's mentally retarded, but he's not. He has cerebral palsy, but inside his head, he's intelligent, witty and sarcastic. He can remember everything he's ever heard or seen. He understands everything that happens around him although he's not in control of his body. Shawn also has seizures, which everyone around him thinks are painful and terrible, but Shawn has a type of out-of-body experience with each seizure. He can travel from his home in Seattle, Washington, to distant places and see and feel things he's never known before. Shawn's life may seem terrible to you, and sure, he'd like to not be stuck in a wheelchair being called names and never getting the girl, but his life is okay with him.
Stuck in Neutral is written from Shawn's point of view. The reader sees the story develop around Shawn. We see him living his life in the wheelchair and how, even though everyone thinks he's "a retard," we see that he's really not. Even his family treats him this way, especially his father. He doesn't believe that Shawn is living a happy life, which develops the theme of quality of life and how we determine it. Shawn seems to be moderately happy confined to his wheelchair. He's come to terms with it and accepts it, even though it's difficult to understand why. Since no one really knows how someone with severe cerebral palsy is feeling, the book is an interesting take on it, allowing the reader to see it from the mind of someone suffering with it (although we have no way of knowing if that's really how someone with CP feels). When Shawn's father decides that Shawn is suffering too much, that he's not living a happy life, the reader gets to decide if Shawn's father ends his suffering or if he has a change of heart.
Since there is not really any way of knowing how the mind of someone with cerebral palsy works, as in, we don't know if the person is intelligent and understands what we say, it is an interesting read. This really could be how it is. This is a definite strength of the book. A weakness of the book, however, is that I find it awkward. I think it may be because the author has a son like Shawn, which makes me think, Has he thought about killing his own child? and I don't want to think about that.
The CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2001) says, "Trueman's captivating first novel is hard to put down and has a delicious open ending. It will likely inspire lively discussion among teen readers of ethical issues such as euthanasia and quality of life." Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2000 (Vol. 68, No. 11)) says, "Though character is not the author's strongest concern here, ... Shawn will stay with readers, not for what he does, but for what he is and has made of himself."
To share this book with teens, it might also be a good idea to pair it with the companion novel Terry Trueman wrote in 2004 called Cruise Control that is from Shawn's brother's point of view. It would be interesting to read it and compare the two.
To close this review, I'd like to share a bit of Shawn's father's Pulitzer Prize-winning-poem that begins chapter nine on page 52.
Inside my chest
where my heart should be,
a ghost bird
is flying into a terrible wind,
a frozen winter wind,
and its eye is covered in ice,
and it has no voice,
and it is fading out of itself,
falling and falling.
Trueman, Terry. 2000. Stuck in Neutral. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780030285180
Shawn McDaniel is the main character of Stuck in Neutral. He is a fourteen year old boy who is confined to a wheelchair with severe cerebral palsy. He can't function on his own, drools, uses the restroom on himself, etcetera. Everyone thinks he's mentally retarded, but he's not. He has cerebral palsy, but inside his head, he's intelligent, witty and sarcastic. He can remember everything he's ever heard or seen. He understands everything that happens around him although he's not in control of his body. Shawn also has seizures, which everyone around him thinks are painful and terrible, but Shawn has a type of out-of-body experience with each seizure. He can travel from his home in Seattle, Washington, to distant places and see and feel things he's never known before. Shawn's life may seem terrible to you, and sure, he'd like to not be stuck in a wheelchair being called names and never getting the girl, but his life is okay with him.
Stuck in Neutral is written from Shawn's point of view. The reader sees the story develop around Shawn. We see him living his life in the wheelchair and how, even though everyone thinks he's "a retard," we see that he's really not. Even his family treats him this way, especially his father. He doesn't believe that Shawn is living a happy life, which develops the theme of quality of life and how we determine it. Shawn seems to be moderately happy confined to his wheelchair. He's come to terms with it and accepts it, even though it's difficult to understand why. Since no one really knows how someone with severe cerebral palsy is feeling, the book is an interesting take on it, allowing the reader to see it from the mind of someone suffering with it (although we have no way of knowing if that's really how someone with CP feels). When Shawn's father decides that Shawn is suffering too much, that he's not living a happy life, the reader gets to decide if Shawn's father ends his suffering or if he has a change of heart.
Since there is not really any way of knowing how the mind of someone with cerebral palsy works, as in, we don't know if the person is intelligent and understands what we say, it is an interesting read. This really could be how it is. This is a definite strength of the book. A weakness of the book, however, is that I find it awkward. I think it may be because the author has a son like Shawn, which makes me think, Has he thought about killing his own child? and I don't want to think about that.
The CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2001) says, "Trueman's captivating first novel is hard to put down and has a delicious open ending. It will likely inspire lively discussion among teen readers of ethical issues such as euthanasia and quality of life." Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2000 (Vol. 68, No. 11)) says, "Though character is not the author's strongest concern here, ... Shawn will stay with readers, not for what he does, but for what he is and has made of himself."
To share this book with teens, it might also be a good idea to pair it with the companion novel Terry Trueman wrote in 2004 called Cruise Control that is from Shawn's brother's point of view. It would be interesting to read it and compare the two.
To close this review, I'd like to share a bit of Shawn's father's Pulitzer Prize-winning-poem that begins chapter nine on page 52.
Inside my chest
where my heart should be,
a ghost bird
is flying into a terrible wind,
a frozen winter wind,
and its eye is covered in ice,
and it has no voice,
and it is fading out of itself,
falling and falling.
Trueman, Terry. 2000. Stuck in Neutral. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780030285180
The Killer's Cousin
David Yaffe is a high school senior... again. Recently acquitted of the accidental death of his girlfriend, David moves in with his aunt and uncle in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to avoid the sideways glances of his former friends and to finish high school. He believes that this move will help him to forget what happened to his girlfriend, the trial and the heartache, but he is wrong. In the attic apartment above his aunt and uncle's house, David hears a mysterious humming and sees shadowy figures. His aunt rarely speaks to him, his uncle is slightly aloof, and his cousin, Lily, is a troublemaker. Her parents never see it, though, but that's probably because they're still upset over the tragic suicide of their other daughter, Kathy, which happened some years before. Lily is in the spotlight, being the go-between of her parents, until David moves in. Now she plays evil tricks on him, trying desperately to get him to reveal the way he feels now that he's a killer, and to get him to leave the attic that once belonged to her sister. Through several plot twists, secrets, lies and the like, David discovers that his cousin Lily killed her older sister. After he finds this out, Lily tries to kill herself by setting the house on fire, but David rescues her and promises, "We'll help each other ... When it hurts, when we're afraid, if we're ever tempted (to kill again)--we tell each other. I'll help you. You'll help me. We won't use the power we have. And we'll find ways to do good. To .. to atone" (226).
David tells this mysterious story, the story of Lily, the killer's cousin, but reveals his story at the same time. By telling Lily's story, which tells his own, the reader sees the theme of living with consequences develop. David must live with what he has done, and so must Lily. Together, the two realize this and learn to live despite the terrible things they've done in the past.
This book is very intriguing and would be great for reluctant teen boy readers and those who like crime shows like Law and Order, NCIS and CSI. The only thing that I did not like about the book was the fact that Lily's parents saw no problem with the things she was doing, or ignored them, and put the blame on David. I believe to a certain degree that everyone thinks their child is precious, but you have to realize there's a problem eventually, and before the child burns the house down.John Peters (Booklist, September 1, 1998 (Vol. 95, No. 1)) says of The Killer's Cousin, "Positioning her characters in an intricate, shadowy web of secrets, deception, bad choices, family feuds, and ghostly warnings, Werlin winds the tension to an excruciating point, then releases it in a fiery climax... Melissa Thacker (VOYA, October 1998 (Vol. 21, No. 4)) says, "David and Lily are sympathetic characters, who compel readers to discover the whole truth behind their stories. Once they get started, readers will be hard pressed to put this book down."
To share this book with teens, it could be a good idea to read it along with another teen murder mystery by Nancy Werlin, The Black Mirror. A fun activity to include after this reading would be to have a murder mystery dinner, where the teens have to use the sleuthing skills they've obtained from reading these books to figure out who-done-it.
What follows is my favorite selection from The Killer's Cousin, from page 175, when David finally realizes the truth:
I was David Bernard Yaffe. I had not meant to kill Emily. I had not meant even to hurt her. But I had, and now I lived forever with the abyss that separated me from people who didn't know what it was like, to have killed. To be a killer.
Acquittal had nothing to do with it. I was a killer. And I knew in my gut when I met another of my kind. Until then, I had refused to see it. I hadn't wanted to know the truth. But the knowledge had been there, somewhere in me, for a long, long time. Guilt knows guilt.
Like knows like.
Lily had killed Kathy.
Werlin, Nancy. 1998. The Killer's Cousin. New York: Delacourt Press. ISBN 9780385325608
David tells this mysterious story, the story of Lily, the killer's cousin, but reveals his story at the same time. By telling Lily's story, which tells his own, the reader sees the theme of living with consequences develop. David must live with what he has done, and so must Lily. Together, the two realize this and learn to live despite the terrible things they've done in the past.
This book is very intriguing and would be great for reluctant teen boy readers and those who like crime shows like Law and Order, NCIS and CSI. The only thing that I did not like about the book was the fact that Lily's parents saw no problem with the things she was doing, or ignored them, and put the blame on David. I believe to a certain degree that everyone thinks their child is precious, but you have to realize there's a problem eventually, and before the child burns the house down.John Peters (Booklist, September 1, 1998 (Vol. 95, No. 1)) says of The Killer's Cousin, "Positioning her characters in an intricate, shadowy web of secrets, deception, bad choices, family feuds, and ghostly warnings, Werlin winds the tension to an excruciating point, then releases it in a fiery climax... Melissa Thacker (VOYA, October 1998 (Vol. 21, No. 4)) says, "David and Lily are sympathetic characters, who compel readers to discover the whole truth behind their stories. Once they get started, readers will be hard pressed to put this book down."
To share this book with teens, it could be a good idea to read it along with another teen murder mystery by Nancy Werlin, The Black Mirror. A fun activity to include after this reading would be to have a murder mystery dinner, where the teens have to use the sleuthing skills they've obtained from reading these books to figure out who-done-it.
What follows is my favorite selection from The Killer's Cousin, from page 175, when David finally realizes the truth:
I was David Bernard Yaffe. I had not meant to kill Emily. I had not meant even to hurt her. But I had, and now I lived forever with the abyss that separated me from people who didn't know what it was like, to have killed. To be a killer.
Acquittal had nothing to do with it. I was a killer. And I knew in my gut when I met another of my kind. Until then, I had refused to see it. I hadn't wanted to know the truth. But the knowledge had been there, somewhere in me, for a long, long time. Guilt knows guilt.
Like knows like.
Lily had killed Kathy.
Werlin, Nancy. 1998. The Killer's Cousin. New York: Delacourt Press. ISBN 9780385325608
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Eric Calhoune and Sarah Byrnes have been friends for nearly forever. They make the perfect pair... Eric is fat and Sarah Byrnes's face and hands were burned when she was three and are horribly scarred. They didn't have any other friends. They only had each other.
Several years have passed. Eric has joined the swim team and has earned the nickname Moby because he's a swimmer, but eats even more than he did before. His plan? Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. He cares so much for Sarah Byrnes that he's afraid to lose weight and make new friends for fear of leaving her behind. She acts tough and pretends she doesn't care about anything, that nothing fazes her, but it's just a faҫade.
One day, in the middle of class, Sarah Byrnes just quits. No more talking, no clever responses, no sarcastic quips. Nothing. In her catatonic state, she goes to Sacred Heart's mental facility. Eric visits her every day and soon discovers the truth behind her scars and the reason why she's in the hospital. Her father burned her when she was little and now plans to kill her. Eric wants to save his friend, so he turns to someone he knows he can trust, his favorite teacher and swim coach, Ms. Lemry. Lemry drives Sarah Byrnes to Reno in search of her mother, the only person who can tell the truth about her father and get him locked up for good. Sarah Byrnes's father knows something is up and goes to his daughter's only friend, Eric, for answers. To get those answers, he cuts Eric's face and stabs him in the back. This does not help his case, of course, and after a bit of a tussle, Mr. Byrnes heads to jail and Sarah Byrnes is adopted by Ms. Lemry. Everything is all wrapped up in a nice little package. Convenient, yes? Too convenient? I think so.
Written from Eric's point of view, we see only his side of the story. He's been kept in the dark about his best friend's scars, but still protects her and, honestly, risks his life for her. Not only does he face her father, who is completely crazy, but he also overeats on purpose, which can't be good for his health. This intense friendship is a strength of the book, as are Sarah Byrnes's sarcastic remarks, Eric's jokes, and the antics of Eric's new friend Ellerby. However, in my opinion, it's just too neatly wrapped up in the end. Could it happen that the 17 years and 364 days old Sarah Byrnes is adopted by her school teacher? I suppose. That kind of happened in Matilda, right?
The novel also has a swimming backdrop and in several scenes, Eric tells about the tricks he and Ellerby play on another student, making him swim harder than he has to, but honestly, I didn't understand really any of the swimming scenes, the way the were described was confusing for a non-swimmer, so that could deter others from reading it, once they make it to those parts.
All in all, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes was a good read, especially from chapter 11 or so onward. It would be a good book to share with boys who like sports, but want a more mysterious, story-driven plot instead of just relying on the sports to carry them through. It could be paired with other swimming stories by Chris Crutcher, such as Whale Talk and Stotan!
Janice Del Negro of Booklist (Booklist, Mar. 15, 1993 (Vol. 89, No. 14)) says of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, "Crutcher ties up loose ends and subplots a little too rosily for real life, but his book is satisfying all the same. It's strong on relationships, long on plot, and has enough humor and suspense to make it an easy booktalk with appeal across gender lines." Susie Wilde of Children's Literature says, "Once the story takes hold you move along at such a rapid clip that by the end you're holding on for dear life."
My favorite part of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is the letter that Sarah Byrnes writes to Eric. Here's a portion of it, from page 130:
These kids up here, they act like the toughest kids in the world, just like me, but this is the first time I've ever seen under that toughness--in anybody else or in me. I'm really scared, because if I'm going to have a life, I'm going to have to act different, and I don't know if I can.
Crutcher, Chris. 1993. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780688115524
Several years have passed. Eric has joined the swim team and has earned the nickname Moby because he's a swimmer, but eats even more than he did before. His plan? Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. He cares so much for Sarah Byrnes that he's afraid to lose weight and make new friends for fear of leaving her behind. She acts tough and pretends she doesn't care about anything, that nothing fazes her, but it's just a faҫade.
One day, in the middle of class, Sarah Byrnes just quits. No more talking, no clever responses, no sarcastic quips. Nothing. In her catatonic state, she goes to Sacred Heart's mental facility. Eric visits her every day and soon discovers the truth behind her scars and the reason why she's in the hospital. Her father burned her when she was little and now plans to kill her. Eric wants to save his friend, so he turns to someone he knows he can trust, his favorite teacher and swim coach, Ms. Lemry. Lemry drives Sarah Byrnes to Reno in search of her mother, the only person who can tell the truth about her father and get him locked up for good. Sarah Byrnes's father knows something is up and goes to his daughter's only friend, Eric, for answers. To get those answers, he cuts Eric's face and stabs him in the back. This does not help his case, of course, and after a bit of a tussle, Mr. Byrnes heads to jail and Sarah Byrnes is adopted by Ms. Lemry. Everything is all wrapped up in a nice little package. Convenient, yes? Too convenient? I think so.
Written from Eric's point of view, we see only his side of the story. He's been kept in the dark about his best friend's scars, but still protects her and, honestly, risks his life for her. Not only does he face her father, who is completely crazy, but he also overeats on purpose, which can't be good for his health. This intense friendship is a strength of the book, as are Sarah Byrnes's sarcastic remarks, Eric's jokes, and the antics of Eric's new friend Ellerby. However, in my opinion, it's just too neatly wrapped up in the end. Could it happen that the 17 years and 364 days old Sarah Byrnes is adopted by her school teacher? I suppose. That kind of happened in Matilda, right?
The novel also has a swimming backdrop and in several scenes, Eric tells about the tricks he and Ellerby play on another student, making him swim harder than he has to, but honestly, I didn't understand really any of the swimming scenes, the way the were described was confusing for a non-swimmer, so that could deter others from reading it, once they make it to those parts.
All in all, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes was a good read, especially from chapter 11 or so onward. It would be a good book to share with boys who like sports, but want a more mysterious, story-driven plot instead of just relying on the sports to carry them through. It could be paired with other swimming stories by Chris Crutcher, such as Whale Talk and Stotan!
Janice Del Negro of Booklist (Booklist, Mar. 15, 1993 (Vol. 89, No. 14)) says of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, "Crutcher ties up loose ends and subplots a little too rosily for real life, but his book is satisfying all the same. It's strong on relationships, long on plot, and has enough humor and suspense to make it an easy booktalk with appeal across gender lines." Susie Wilde of Children's Literature says, "Once the story takes hold you move along at such a rapid clip that by the end you're holding on for dear life."
My favorite part of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is the letter that Sarah Byrnes writes to Eric. Here's a portion of it, from page 130:
These kids up here, they act like the toughest kids in the world, just like me, but this is the first time I've ever seen under that toughness--in anybody else or in me. I'm really scared, because if I'm going to have a life, I'm going to have to act different, and I don't know if I can.
Crutcher, Chris. 1993. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780688115524
Friday, September 30, 2011
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
The Bibliography
Rennison, Louise. 2000. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780064472272
The Characters
Georgia Nicolson, a totally fab 14-year-old British girl, is the main character of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. Other characters include her 3-year-old sister, Libby, her parents, Mutti and Vati, her best friend, Jas, and her massive cat, Angus. Oh, and her sex-god of a love interest, Robbie. While the book is Georgia's diary, the other characters are what fill the diary with ridiculous problems and strategies for teen survival.
The Plot
Georgia writes about her life as a 14-year-old budding woman in this diary of a novel. She shares her ups (I am now nearly Robbie's girlfriend, hahahaha. Summer love, summer love!!! (234)) and downs (Eyebrows haven't grown back. (21)) and inner-most thoughts (Am I schizophrenic as well as a lesbian? (47)) in this hilarious diary. Will she make it through this year at school without completely embarassing herself? Probably not!
Rennison, Louise. 2000. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780064472272
The Characters
Georgia Nicolson, a totally fab 14-year-old British girl, is the main character of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. Other characters include her 3-year-old sister, Libby, her parents, Mutti and Vati, her best friend, Jas, and her massive cat, Angus. Oh, and her sex-god of a love interest, Robbie. While the book is Georgia's diary, the other characters are what fill the diary with ridiculous problems and strategies for teen survival.
The Plot
Georgia writes about her life as a 14-year-old budding woman in this diary of a novel. She shares her ups (I am now nearly Robbie's girlfriend, hahahaha. Summer love, summer love!!! (234)) and downs (Eyebrows haven't grown back. (21)) and inner-most thoughts (Am I schizophrenic as well as a lesbian? (47)) in this hilarious diary. Will she make it through this year at school without completely embarassing herself? Probably not!
The Setting
England
...Which is why there is a glossary and why none of the words will really make sense to a teenager outside of the UK reading this book. But that's what gives it so much charm!
The Theme
growing up while attempting to be normal
England
...Which is why there is a glossary and why none of the words will really make sense to a teenager outside of the UK reading this book. But that's what gives it so much charm!
The Theme
growing up while attempting to be normal
...like that's possible for any teenage girl, but that's all Georgia wants... and boobs, and a boyfriend, and a smaller nose, and a million other things every other teenage girl wants
The Style
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is a diary of a fourteen year old girl with a crush, best friends and a giant cat. These sometimes fragmented entries full of thoughts and feelings are really what make the book special.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
The book is absolutely hilarious. Laugh out loud funny even. (I'd never say LOL.) I nearly cried when Georgia waxed off her eyebrows! Anyone who picks up this book should get a good laugh out of it. Definite strength.
The Style
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is a diary of a fourteen year old girl with a crush, best friends and a giant cat. These sometimes fragmented entries full of thoughts and feelings are really what make the book special.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
The book is absolutely hilarious. Laugh out loud funny even. (I'd never say LOL.) I nearly cried when Georgia waxed off her eyebrows! Anyone who picks up this book should get a good laugh out of it. Definite strength.
The only weakness I can think of is that there is quite a lot of British slang in the book, but there's a glossary, so it shouldn't be a problem, really. Also, a lot of it is pretty easy to figure out. And all of us plain-ol' US folk should really pick up on that fancy way of British speaking anyway!
The Favorite Lines
"monday september 28
11:00 a.m.
At break I told Jas and Jools everything. They went, 'Ergghhhlack, that's truly disgusting. Your cousin? That is sad.' Jools said that she had actually seen her brother's 'how's your father' quite often. She said, 'It's quite nice, really, like a mouse.' She lives in a world of her own (thank God). Well bless us, Tiny Tim, one and all, I say" (66). Georgia's diary entry the day after her cousin tried to kiss her and what her friends thought.
The Reviews
Teri Lesesne (VOYA, June 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 2))
... Georgia is relentless in her journal entries, which come across as comic riffs. She questions all authority, wanting to know WHY and HOW and WHEN. It is Georgia's distinct voice that will capture readers and leave them wanting a sequel so they can find out how Georgia's budding relationship with Robbie pans out. The clever title and catchy cover surely will attract loads of readers. The only element that might keep this book from flying off the shelf is the preponderance of British slang in Georgia's journal entries and in the conversations among the main characters. Although the author includes a glossary at the end of the novel, some teens may not find using it repeatedly "double cool with knobs," but rather "poxy."
Michael Cart (Booklist, July 2000 (Vol. 96, No. 21))
American readers wondering what on earth "full-frontal snogging" is will find the answer in the helpful (and hilarious) glossary appended to this antic diary of a year in the life of an English girl named Georgia Nicolson.Snogging is, simply, "kissing with all the trimmings," and it's much on 14-year-old Georgia's mind these days. For even though she's still reeling from her devastatingly bad decision to go to a party dressed as a stuffed olive, she has fallen in love with an older man (he's 17), a Sex God named Robbie. The trouble is, S. G. is dating a girl named Lindsay who--brace yourself--wears a thong. Honestly, how wet (idiotic) can you get! In the meantime, life on the homefront is spinning out of control. Dad has gone to New Zealand in search of a better job, and pet cat Angus, who can usually be spotted stalking the neighbor's poodle, has gone missing. Although performer and comedy writer Rennison clearly owes a large debt to Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary (1998), her Georgia is a wonderful character whose misadventures are not only hysterically funny but universally recognizable. This "fabbity, fab, fab" novel will leave readers cheering, "Long live the teen!" and anxiously awaiting the promised sequel.
The Connection
A great way to connect teens to this book would be to have them write a diary of the everyday normal things that happen to them. They'd then realize that maybe some of their problems that they feel so terribly about maybe aren't all that bad. I'm sure Georgia thought it was absolutely dreadful when she shaved off her eyebrows, but later, if she were real anyway, she could laugh about it.
Harmless
The Bibliography
Reinhardt, Dana. 2007. Harmless. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 9780385746991
The Characters
Anna, Emma and Mariah are the main characters in Harmless. Each girl has her own personality that shifts as the lie they told gets progressively worse. Anna is shy, but becomes more outgoing as the story goes on; Emma is Anna's best friend, but recedes into the shadows; Mariah is a wild girl that slowly grabs the reigns of her life.
The Plot
Three girls tell their parents that they're going to a movie, but go to a party instead. When their parents find out that they didn't really go to the movies, they tell another lie in hopes of keeping the party a secret. Then, it blows up in their faces. It's just a harmless little lie...
The Setting
Orsonville, New York
This setting is important for two of the three girls. Emma's family moved to the small town of Orsonville from New York City, which she has a problem with and Mariah also hates the small town life.
The Theme
telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Reinhardt, Dana. 2007. Harmless. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 9780385746991
The Characters
Anna, Emma and Mariah are the main characters in Harmless. Each girl has her own personality that shifts as the lie they told gets progressively worse. Anna is shy, but becomes more outgoing as the story goes on; Emma is Anna's best friend, but recedes into the shadows; Mariah is a wild girl that slowly grabs the reigns of her life.
The Plot
Three girls tell their parents that they're going to a movie, but go to a party instead. When their parents find out that they didn't really go to the movies, they tell another lie in hopes of keeping the party a secret. Then, it blows up in their faces. It's just a harmless little lie...
The Setting
Orsonville, New York
This setting is important for two of the three girls. Emma's family moved to the small town of Orsonville from New York City, which she has a problem with and Mariah also hates the small town life.
The Theme
telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
What's the harm in telling one little lie? Okay, more than one little lie. Okay, maybe not even so little... These girls have to realize on their own that telling the truth is easier and safer than lying.
The Style
first person, written from Anna's, Emma's and Mariah's points of view
The reader gets an insight into what each girl is thinking, but only in her own chapter. The girls can't quite figure out what her friends are really up to, and that can be seen in each chapter as the story develops.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
I like that Harmless was told from all three girls' points of view. It gives a good idea of what is going on in each of their heads and how the lies are affecting them individually. This is good because it shows teen readers that everyone reacts to things differently.
I do not like that nothing bad really happened. Also, it's not very believable. I don't think any cop would walk into a school and arrest three girls that have never been in trouble before in front of all their classmates for telling a lie. The story would have been better if something would have actually happened. When I first started reading it, I thought that Emma was going to end up pregnant after sleeping with Owen, which would then cause the lie to be that she was raped by the man by the river or even Owen, which would have made for a better story, but no.
The Favorite Lines
The Style
first person, written from Anna's, Emma's and Mariah's points of view
The reader gets an insight into what each girl is thinking, but only in her own chapter. The girls can't quite figure out what her friends are really up to, and that can be seen in each chapter as the story develops.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
I like that Harmless was told from all three girls' points of view. It gives a good idea of what is going on in each of their heads and how the lies are affecting them individually. This is good because it shows teen readers that everyone reacts to things differently.
I do not like that nothing bad really happened. Also, it's not very believable. I don't think any cop would walk into a school and arrest three girls that have never been in trouble before in front of all their classmates for telling a lie. The story would have been better if something would have actually happened. When I first started reading it, I thought that Emma was going to end up pregnant after sleeping with Owen, which would then cause the lie to be that she was raped by the man by the river or even Owen, which would have made for a better story, but no.
The Favorite Lines
"I thought, more than once, more than twice, during those beats when Silas's hand held on to my arm, when his knees were touching mine, of telling him the truth. The truth about our lie. The truth about our lie? Or was it a lie about the truth? Truth and lies. Lies and truths. Lielielielielie. Truthtruthtruthtruthtruth.... Lies destroy you" (194). Mariah deciding whether she should tell Silas, her crush and Emma's older brother, the truth about what happened.
The Reviews
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 3))
... Reinhardt successfully avoids a sanctimonious tone in imparting this moral lesson and infuses the story with enough drama to avoid banality. Worthwhile, but not spectacular.
Linda Martin (Library Media Connection, April 2007)
Harmless is novel with a moral, but never preachy or condescending.... This novel is a page-turner that addresses real-life situations experienced by older teens, making it inappropriate for some middle-schoolers, despite its easy reading. Alcohol use and sexual experimentation are handled in sensitive, straightforward ways, but the negative consequences are clear. Students will like this book for its suspense, believable characters, and the non-judgmental way in which the girls learn right from wrong.
The Connection
Sharing this book, then having a frank discussion about lying and telling the truth would be a good program with a small group of teenagers, but teens that really trust you and wouldn't be afraid to tell you the truth.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 3))
... Reinhardt successfully avoids a sanctimonious tone in imparting this moral lesson and infuses the story with enough drama to avoid banality. Worthwhile, but not spectacular.
Linda Martin (Library Media Connection, April 2007)
Harmless is novel with a moral, but never preachy or condescending.... This novel is a page-turner that addresses real-life situations experienced by older teens, making it inappropriate for some middle-schoolers, despite its easy reading. Alcohol use and sexual experimentation are handled in sensitive, straightforward ways, but the negative consequences are clear. Students will like this book for its suspense, believable characters, and the non-judgmental way in which the girls learn right from wrong.
The Connection
Sharing this book, then having a frank discussion about lying and telling the truth would be a good program with a small group of teenagers, but teens that really trust you and wouldn't be afraid to tell you the truth.
Boyfriends With Girlfriends
The Bibliography
Sanchez, Alex. 2011. Boyfriends With Girlfriends. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416937739
The Characters
Lance, Allie, Sergio and Kimiko are the main characters of Boyfriends With Girlfriends. They each have a different sexual orientation, but SURPRISE, they're normal teens! (That was sarcasm. Of course they're normal!)
The Plot
Lance has never had a serious boyfriend. Sergio has had relationships with boys and girls. Kimiko likes girls, but hasn't found a way to tell her family that she's a lesbian. Allie's been dating Chip for a long time, but now she doesn't love him anymore, but she feels a strong pull toward Kimiko. They all have questions about their lives and relationships, but develop strong ones with each other after figuring themselves out first.
The Setting
Smalltown America
Setting a book like this, with all the different sexual orientations of the characters, in a Smalltown, America, nondescript sort of place lets teens know that if they're thinking these things and having these questions, chances are, someone else is, too. It's not just big city teens, it's teens in every neighborhood.
The Theme
figuring out just who you are, and being okay with it
That's the only way teens will survive. You have to love and accept yourself first before everyone else will.
The Style
third person subjective
The reader knows just what each character is thinking... almost to the point of wanting to shake the book and scream "YES, SERGIO!! LANCE LIKES YOU! CALL HIM BACK!!!" and/or "YES, LANCE!! SERGIO LIKES YOU! CALL HIM BACK!!!" and/or "KIMIKO, STOP SAYING 'DUDE'!"
The Strengths and Weaknesses
Boyfriends With Girlfriends is a sweet story of figuring out just who you are. It has a positive message and could be helpful for teens that are LGBTQIA, most especially the B and Q parts. And it's multicultural! A definite plus!
Those are the superficial strengths of the book. It has a great message and it's warm and fuzzy, but the characters are SO stereotypical and it bothers me. Definite weakness. Not all gay boys sing show tunes like Lance does on nearly every page. Not all lesbians wear motorcycle jackets and say dude like Kimiko does on nearly every page. It's not always so obvious to tell the sexual orientation of people, but this book makes it seem so. It's a little too much.
The Favorite Lines
"Why am I such a sex wuss?" (115) Lance to Allie about chickening out while making out with Sergio.
The Review
Michael Cart (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 13))
Starred Review* ... Leave it to Lambda Literary Award–winner Sanchez (for So Hard to Say, 2004) to sort it all out. In the process, he’s written another innovative, important book that explores, with empathy and sympathy, largely ignored aspects of teen sexual identity. While lip service is routinely given to these aspects in the acronym GLBTQ, there have been only a handful of novels that so plausibly and dramatically bring the nature of bisexuality and sexual questioning to life. Sanchez does both, and in the process establishes welcome possibilities for other authors to explore.
The Connection
Alex Sanchez shares a positive message in all of his books. Sharing any of them with teens that approach you as LGBTQIA would surely help them. Even beginning an LGBTQIA club would be good, especially at a public library, but then you might not want to advertise that fact since some of the teens might not be comfortable with themselves yet. It's a delicate balance, but at least being there for all teens and letting them know the library is a safe place for them and will make them feel better, no matter what.
Sanchez, Alex. 2011. Boyfriends With Girlfriends. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416937739
The Characters
Lance, Allie, Sergio and Kimiko are the main characters of Boyfriends With Girlfriends. They each have a different sexual orientation, but SURPRISE, they're normal teens! (That was sarcasm. Of course they're normal!)
The Plot
Lance has never had a serious boyfriend. Sergio has had relationships with boys and girls. Kimiko likes girls, but hasn't found a way to tell her family that she's a lesbian. Allie's been dating Chip for a long time, but now she doesn't love him anymore, but she feels a strong pull toward Kimiko. They all have questions about their lives and relationships, but develop strong ones with each other after figuring themselves out first.
The Setting
Smalltown America
Setting a book like this, with all the different sexual orientations of the characters, in a Smalltown, America, nondescript sort of place lets teens know that if they're thinking these things and having these questions, chances are, someone else is, too. It's not just big city teens, it's teens in every neighborhood.
The Theme
figuring out just who you are, and being okay with it
That's the only way teens will survive. You have to love and accept yourself first before everyone else will.
The Style
third person subjective
The reader knows just what each character is thinking... almost to the point of wanting to shake the book and scream "YES, SERGIO!! LANCE LIKES YOU! CALL HIM BACK!!!" and/or "YES, LANCE!! SERGIO LIKES YOU! CALL HIM BACK!!!" and/or "KIMIKO, STOP SAYING 'DUDE'!"
The Strengths and Weaknesses
Boyfriends With Girlfriends is a sweet story of figuring out just who you are. It has a positive message and could be helpful for teens that are LGBTQIA, most especially the B and Q parts. And it's multicultural! A definite plus!
Those are the superficial strengths of the book. It has a great message and it's warm and fuzzy, but the characters are SO stereotypical and it bothers me. Definite weakness. Not all gay boys sing show tunes like Lance does on nearly every page. Not all lesbians wear motorcycle jackets and say dude like Kimiko does on nearly every page. It's not always so obvious to tell the sexual orientation of people, but this book makes it seem so. It's a little too much.
The Favorite Lines
"Why am I such a sex wuss?" (115) Lance to Allie about chickening out while making out with Sergio.
The Review
Michael Cart (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 13))
Starred Review* ... Leave it to Lambda Literary Award–winner Sanchez (for So Hard to Say, 2004) to sort it all out. In the process, he’s written another innovative, important book that explores, with empathy and sympathy, largely ignored aspects of teen sexual identity. While lip service is routinely given to these aspects in the acronym GLBTQ, there have been only a handful of novels that so plausibly and dramatically bring the nature of bisexuality and sexual questioning to life. Sanchez does both, and in the process establishes welcome possibilities for other authors to explore.
The Connection
Alex Sanchez shares a positive message in all of his books. Sharing any of them with teens that approach you as LGBTQIA would surely help them. Even beginning an LGBTQIA club would be good, especially at a public library, but then you might not want to advertise that fact since some of the teens might not be comfortable with themselves yet. It's a delicate balance, but at least being there for all teens and letting them know the library is a safe place for them and will make them feel better, no matter what.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Outsiders
The Bibliography
Hinton, S. E. 1967. The Outsiders. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670532576
The Characters
Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers Sodapop and Darry, Dally, Johnny, Two-Bit and Steve are the Greasers, the main characters in The Outsiders. The main main characters are Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally. There are also other characters, the Greasers' rivals, the Socs.
The Plot
Greasers and Socs don't get along. They fight over anything and sometimes, for no reason at all, other than the fact that the Greasers don't have money and the Socs have too much. After Johnny gets beat up by the Socs, he's scared all the time. When he and Ponyboy get jumped by a couple of drunk Socs one night after the movies, things take a turn for the worse. The Socs try to drown Ponyboy, but Johnny just can't take it anymore. He kills one of the Socs with his knife, so he and Ponyboy have to run away. While they're away, the boys learn a few life lessons and, what else, become heroes after pulling kids out of a burning church. Tragically, Johnny doesn't survive long after the fire, which leads Dally, his mentor and hero, to get himself killed.
The Setting
a city in Oklahoma, or at least that's what I deduced from watching the movie and reading background information on the author
The Theme
division of social classes
The Style
first person, written from Ponyboy's point of view
The Strengths and Weaknesses
I know I've said previously that I think anyone with enough creativity and who does enough research can write anything they want to, but I think I'm going to have to retract that statement. S.E. Hinton, who happens to be female (which I didn't know prior to reading this book and doing research myself) was 16 when she wrote this book. I felt a little odd reading it and finding out that Ponyboy thinks his brothers are handsome and that some of the Socs look good in their burgandy sweaters. It seems a tad on the girly side to me. The Greasers get a little bit too emotional I think for dirty ol' boys that get into knock-down-drag-out fights. That's a definite weakness of The Outsiders.
Hinton, S. E. 1967. The Outsiders. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670532576
The Characters
Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers Sodapop and Darry, Dally, Johnny, Two-Bit and Steve are the Greasers, the main characters in The Outsiders. The main main characters are Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally. There are also other characters, the Greasers' rivals, the Socs.
The Plot
Greasers and Socs don't get along. They fight over anything and sometimes, for no reason at all, other than the fact that the Greasers don't have money and the Socs have too much. After Johnny gets beat up by the Socs, he's scared all the time. When he and Ponyboy get jumped by a couple of drunk Socs one night after the movies, things take a turn for the worse. The Socs try to drown Ponyboy, but Johnny just can't take it anymore. He kills one of the Socs with his knife, so he and Ponyboy have to run away. While they're away, the boys learn a few life lessons and, what else, become heroes after pulling kids out of a burning church. Tragically, Johnny doesn't survive long after the fire, which leads Dally, his mentor and hero, to get himself killed.
The Setting
a city in Oklahoma, or at least that's what I deduced from watching the movie and reading background information on the author
The Theme
division of social classes
The Style
first person, written from Ponyboy's point of view
The Strengths and Weaknesses
I know I've said previously that I think anyone with enough creativity and who does enough research can write anything they want to, but I think I'm going to have to retract that statement. S.E. Hinton, who happens to be female (which I didn't know prior to reading this book and doing research myself) was 16 when she wrote this book. I felt a little odd reading it and finding out that Ponyboy thinks his brothers are handsome and that some of the Socs look good in their burgandy sweaters. It seems a tad on the girly side to me. The Greasers get a little bit too emotional I think for dirty ol' boys that get into knock-down-drag-out fights. That's a definite weakness of The Outsiders.
There are strengths, too, of course. Anyone who reads this book will feel an attachment to anyone they consider a close friend. They'll relate to Ponyboy's devotion to Sodapop and Johnny's to Dally, and likewise, Dally's to Johnny.
The Review
Booklist
(November 15, 1997; 9780440967699 )
Gr. 7^-10. In a book now considered a classic, Ponyboy can count only on his friends when it comes to mixing it up with the Socs, a gang of rich kids who like nothing better than beating up on greasers like himself.
The Connection
The most perfect connection would be to read this book, then watch the film adaptation of it by Francis Ford Coppola. A lot of the girliness that I didn't like about the book was left out in the movie, although the boys do still cry a lot. Plus, all the 80s hunks are in it, like Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon.
The Review
Booklist
(November 15, 1997; 9780440967699 )
Gr. 7^-10. In a book now considered a classic, Ponyboy can count only on his friends when it comes to mixing it up with the Socs, a gang of rich kids who like nothing better than beating up on greasers like himself.
The Connection
The most perfect connection would be to read this book, then watch the film adaptation of it by Francis Ford Coppola. A lot of the girliness that I didn't like about the book was left out in the movie, although the boys do still cry a lot. Plus, all the 80s hunks are in it, like Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon.
The Graveyard Book
The Bibliography
Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. Ill. by Dave McKean. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060530938
The Characters
Nobody "Bod" Owens is the main character of The Graveyard Book. Other characters include his guardian, Silas, and the man who killed his famiiy, the man Jack Frost. There are other characters, but these are the most important ones.
The Plot
Nobody Owens is kind of a normal boy. When he was a baby, his parents and sibling were murdered and only he escaped. And to where did he escape? The graveyard. Taken in by ghosts, Nobody spends all his time in the graveyard until he discovers what happened to his parents and exact revenge.
The Setting
an English graveyard and the surrounding town
The Theme
belonging
The Style
The Graveyard Book is written in eight (very nearly) stand alone short stories.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
The creativity of this book is definitely a strength. Neil Gaiman never fails to surprise me in the oddities that he creates. The graveyard world that Bod lives in is beautifully described and imagined, but Gaiman's world's always are.
Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. Ill. by Dave McKean. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060530938
The Characters
Nobody "Bod" Owens is the main character of The Graveyard Book. Other characters include his guardian, Silas, and the man who killed his famiiy, the man Jack Frost. There are other characters, but these are the most important ones.
The Plot
Nobody Owens is kind of a normal boy. When he was a baby, his parents and sibling were murdered and only he escaped. And to where did he escape? The graveyard. Taken in by ghosts, Nobody spends all his time in the graveyard until he discovers what happened to his parents and exact revenge.
The Setting
an English graveyard and the surrounding town
The Theme
belonging
The Style
The Graveyard Book is written in eight (very nearly) stand alone short stories.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
The creativity of this book is definitely a strength. Neil Gaiman never fails to surprise me in the oddities that he creates. The graveyard world that Bod lives in is beautifully described and imagined, but Gaiman's world's always are.
As far as weaknesses go, since this book is made up of short stories, I think I would have been content to begin at The Interlude and finish the book from there. I really didn't care for the beginning, like, I almost put it down and didn't pick it back up, but I trudged along and finally made it to something worthwhile. I just wish it didn't take 165 pages for me to get there.
The Review
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 16))
Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. Gaiman's riff on Kipling's Mowgli stories never falters, from the truly spine-tingling opening, in which a toddler accidentally escapes his family's murderer, to the melancholy, life-affirming ending. Bod (short for Nobody) finds solace and safety with the inhabitants of the local graveyard, who grant him some of the privileges and powers of the dead—he can Fade and Dreamwalk, for instance, but still needs to eat and breathe. Episodic chapters tell miniature gems of stories (one has been nominated for a Locus Award) tracing Bod's growth from a spoiled boy who runs away with the ghouls to a young man for whom the metaphor of setting out into the world becomes achingly real. Childhood fears take solid shape in the nursery-rhymeûinspired villains, while heroism is its own, often bitter, reward. Closer in tone to American Gods than to Coraline, but permeated with Bod's innocence, this needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.
The Connection
I've had the (completely ridiculous) desire to make dioramas lately, and I think Neil Gaiman's books would be perfect to do that with. His books are so artistic and, well, macabre. Who wouldn't love making a miniature graveyard scene with ghosts all around from The Graveyard Book or a mom with creepy button eyes from Coraline? I think the teens in my library would!
The Review
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 16))
Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. Gaiman's riff on Kipling's Mowgli stories never falters, from the truly spine-tingling opening, in which a toddler accidentally escapes his family's murderer, to the melancholy, life-affirming ending. Bod (short for Nobody) finds solace and safety with the inhabitants of the local graveyard, who grant him some of the privileges and powers of the dead—he can Fade and Dreamwalk, for instance, but still needs to eat and breathe. Episodic chapters tell miniature gems of stories (one has been nominated for a Locus Award) tracing Bod's growth from a spoiled boy who runs away with the ghouls to a young man for whom the metaphor of setting out into the world becomes achingly real. Childhood fears take solid shape in the nursery-rhymeûinspired villains, while heroism is its own, often bitter, reward. Closer in tone to American Gods than to Coraline, but permeated with Bod's innocence, this needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.
The Connection
I've had the (completely ridiculous) desire to make dioramas lately, and I think Neil Gaiman's books would be perfect to do that with. His books are so artistic and, well, macabre. Who wouldn't love making a miniature graveyard scene with ghosts all around from The Graveyard Book or a mom with creepy button eyes from Coraline? I think the teens in my library would!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
I Am the Messenger
The Bibliography
Zusak, Marcus. 2002. I Am the Messenger. New York: Random House. ISBN 0375836675
The Characters
The main character of I Am the Messenger is Ed Kennedy, 19 year-old taxi driver in Australia. Other characters include his three best friends, Marv, Ritchie and Audrey, and several supporting characters - the recipients of his messages.
The Plot
Hopeless and lacking confidence in his life, Ed spends most days driving his taxi, playing cards with his friends, and sharing coffee with his smelly old dog, The Doorman. After foolishly stopping a bank robbery, things change for Ed. He receives a mysterious card in his mailbox, the Ace of Diamonds, and written upon it are three addresses. Ed realizes that he must visit these addresses and deliver a message to the people that live there. Not all messages are peaceful, not all are pleasant, but all are life changing, for Ed in particular.
The Setting
an unnamed city in Australia
The Theme
overcoming mediocrity
The Style
mostly first person vignettes
The Strengths and Weaknesses
I quite enjoyed I Am the Messenger. I had heard it was a good book, but sometimes, when people say something is great, I tend to avoid it on purpose. I don't like to be let down by books. This one was not a let down, though. I enjoyed that the sections of the book were broken down into 13 mini chapters/vignettes, one for each playing card value, Ace through King. I was impressed that Ed never did anything seriously terrible, like killing the rapist, even though I thought he did and/or should have. I'm also glad he ended up with Audrey in the end, even though she was a little on the easy side. I really find no weaknesses in this book.
The Review
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 1))
In this winner of the Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers, 19-year-old Ed Kennedy slouches through life driving a taxi, playing poker with his buddies, and hanging out with his personable dog, Doorman. The girl he loves just wants to be friends, and his mother constantly insults him, both of which make Ed, an engaging, warm-hearted narrator, feel like a loser. But he starts to overcome his low self-esteem when he foils a bank robbery and then receives a series of messages that lead him to do good deeds. He buys Christmas lights for a poor family, helps a local priest, and forces a rapist out of town. With each act, he feels better about himself and builds a community of friends. The openly sentimental elements are balanced by swearing, some drinking and violence, and edgy friendships. Suspense builds about who is sending the messages, but readers hoping for a satisfying solution to that mystery will be disappointed. Those, however, who like to speculate about the nature of fiction, might enjoy the unlikely, even gimmicky, conclusion.
The Connection
I think it would make an interesting scavenger hunt for teens at a library program if you sat them down with some playing cards to play silly games like Blind Man's Bluff, but then sneak secret messages on some of the cards where the teens will have to go scavenging around the library to complete these hidden tasks. It would be similar to the messages Ed receives in I Am the Messenger, but also a fun activity.
Zusak, Marcus. 2002. I Am the Messenger. New York: Random House. ISBN 0375836675
The Characters
The main character of I Am the Messenger is Ed Kennedy, 19 year-old taxi driver in Australia. Other characters include his three best friends, Marv, Ritchie and Audrey, and several supporting characters - the recipients of his messages.
The Plot
Hopeless and lacking confidence in his life, Ed spends most days driving his taxi, playing cards with his friends, and sharing coffee with his smelly old dog, The Doorman. After foolishly stopping a bank robbery, things change for Ed. He receives a mysterious card in his mailbox, the Ace of Diamonds, and written upon it are three addresses. Ed realizes that he must visit these addresses and deliver a message to the people that live there. Not all messages are peaceful, not all are pleasant, but all are life changing, for Ed in particular.
The Setting
an unnamed city in Australia
The Theme
overcoming mediocrity
The Style
mostly first person vignettes
The Strengths and Weaknesses
I quite enjoyed I Am the Messenger. I had heard it was a good book, but sometimes, when people say something is great, I tend to avoid it on purpose. I don't like to be let down by books. This one was not a let down, though. I enjoyed that the sections of the book were broken down into 13 mini chapters/vignettes, one for each playing card value, Ace through King. I was impressed that Ed never did anything seriously terrible, like killing the rapist, even though I thought he did and/or should have. I'm also glad he ended up with Audrey in the end, even though she was a little on the easy side. I really find no weaknesses in this book.
The Review
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 1))
In this winner of the Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers, 19-year-old Ed Kennedy slouches through life driving a taxi, playing poker with his buddies, and hanging out with his personable dog, Doorman. The girl he loves just wants to be friends, and his mother constantly insults him, both of which make Ed, an engaging, warm-hearted narrator, feel like a loser. But he starts to overcome his low self-esteem when he foils a bank robbery and then receives a series of messages that lead him to do good deeds. He buys Christmas lights for a poor family, helps a local priest, and forces a rapist out of town. With each act, he feels better about himself and builds a community of friends. The openly sentimental elements are balanced by swearing, some drinking and violence, and edgy friendships. Suspense builds about who is sending the messages, but readers hoping for a satisfying solution to that mystery will be disappointed. Those, however, who like to speculate about the nature of fiction, might enjoy the unlikely, even gimmicky, conclusion.
The Connection
I think it would make an interesting scavenger hunt for teens at a library program if you sat them down with some playing cards to play silly games like Blind Man's Bluff, but then sneak secret messages on some of the cards where the teens will have to go scavenging around the library to complete these hidden tasks. It would be similar to the messages Ed receives in I Am the Messenger, but also a fun activity.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Habibi
The Bibliography
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. Habibi. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 9780689825231
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. Habibi. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 9780689825231
The Characters
The main characters of Habibi are Liyana Abboud, her brother, Rafik, her father Kamal and her mother Susan. Other characters include Liyana's very large extended family.
The Plot
Liyana's family moves from St. Louis to Jerusalem, the land of her father. Liyana and her brother were born and raised in the United States and she definitely doesn't want to move, especially since she just got her first kiss from a cute boy named Jackson. After the family moves to Palestine, Liyana must get used to her huge family and the difficulties of the hatred between Arabs and Jews.
The Setting
Palestine
The Theme
finding and making peace
The Style
Habibi is written in short vignettes, mostly from Liyana's point of view, but sometimes in the form of essays written by her brother or some short sequences about her father and mother.
The Analysis
I really couldn't get into Habibi. It was very political and I try to avoid political things at all cost. And I also don't like very short chapters that don't necessarily flow together. Sure all the chapters come together to create this novel, but moving from an essay by Rafik to all the things Liyana did on her 29th day of school to what you can buy in Jerusalem to brushing your hair on the porch is just way too much for me.
The Cultural Markers
This book is all cultural markers, far too many to list individually. There are entire chapters dedicated things you can buy at a store in Jerusalem "You can buy gray Arabic notebooks .... You can buy miniature Christmas cards .... You can buy glass vases handblown in Hebron and olive-wood rosaries and creamy white mother-of-pearl star pins and shiny brocade from big bolts of cloth.... You can buy painted Palestine plates and roasted chickpeas and olive oil soap made in Nablus with a red camel on the package and saffron, that spice that costs a lot of money in American grocery stores, very cheaply .... You can buy sweets and treats, gooey, sticky, honey-dipped, date-stuffed fabulous Arabic desserts on giant round silver trays..." (120-122), descriptions of life in the West Bank for Liyana's distant family and how and where they live and many cultural traditions in the chapter To the Village. "When the cars climbed the steep hill into the village, children popped out of front doors to look at them, as if cars didn't drive up there very often." "Every house was made of golden or white chunky stone." "What Liyana would discover was this was positively everyone's favorite thing to do here - sit in a circle and talk talk talk." "A muezzin gave the last call to prayer of the day over a loudspeaker from the nearby mosque and all the relatives rose up in unison and turned their backs on Liyana's family. They unrolled small blue prayer rugs from a shelf, then knelt, stood, and knelt again, touching foreheads to the ground, saying their prayers in low voices." (50-56)
The Review
Marcia Mann (VOYA, February 1998 (Vol. 20, No. 6))
Liyanna Abboud is fourteen when her parents announce that the family is moving from St. Louis, the only home Liyanna has ever known, to Jerusalem, her father's birthplace. The Abbouds are welcomed by her father's sprawling extended Arab family in their West Bank village. New family, country, languages, and customs do not seem to faze Liyana nor her brother, Rafik, much. It is the lack of peace and the lack of empathy between the Jews and Arabs that are the main sources of angst for Liyanna and her family and friends. This story is told mainly from sensitive, introspective Liyanna's point of view, with a few disrupting shifts to those of her parents, Rafik, and her grandmother. This shifting viewpoint is a sign of the obtrusiveness of the author's agenda, as the question of just who has the "right" god is pondered. Although this heavy-handed approach might not be obvious to younger teens, a less didactic tone and more well-rounded characters would improve both the quality of the book and the reader's ability to enjoy it. However, glimpses of everyday life in a holy city and of how Arabs live in present-day Israel provide an interesting backdrop, and Liyana's vaguely mystical Arab grandmother is simply charming. Habibi is an Arabic word meaning "darling" and the oft-used term of endearment Liyanna and Rafik's parents use for their children.
The Connection
The only thing I really enjoyed from Habibi were the first lines of each chapter. Liyana kept a list of first lines of stories or movies she made up and would read over them to try to think of the rest of the story for them. I think a fun activity would be to have a group of kids write down a first line like Liyana, then pass them around and see if they could come up with the rest of the story for each line.
The main characters of Habibi are Liyana Abboud, her brother, Rafik, her father Kamal and her mother Susan. Other characters include Liyana's very large extended family.
The Plot
Liyana's family moves from St. Louis to Jerusalem, the land of her father. Liyana and her brother were born and raised in the United States and she definitely doesn't want to move, especially since she just got her first kiss from a cute boy named Jackson. After the family moves to Palestine, Liyana must get used to her huge family and the difficulties of the hatred between Arabs and Jews.
The Setting
Palestine
The Theme
finding and making peace
The Style
Habibi is written in short vignettes, mostly from Liyana's point of view, but sometimes in the form of essays written by her brother or some short sequences about her father and mother.
The Analysis
I really couldn't get into Habibi. It was very political and I try to avoid political things at all cost. And I also don't like very short chapters that don't necessarily flow together. Sure all the chapters come together to create this novel, but moving from an essay by Rafik to all the things Liyana did on her 29th day of school to what you can buy in Jerusalem to brushing your hair on the porch is just way too much for me.
The Cultural Markers
This book is all cultural markers, far too many to list individually. There are entire chapters dedicated things you can buy at a store in Jerusalem "You can buy gray Arabic notebooks .... You can buy miniature Christmas cards .... You can buy glass vases handblown in Hebron and olive-wood rosaries and creamy white mother-of-pearl star pins and shiny brocade from big bolts of cloth.... You can buy painted Palestine plates and roasted chickpeas and olive oil soap made in Nablus with a red camel on the package and saffron, that spice that costs a lot of money in American grocery stores, very cheaply .... You can buy sweets and treats, gooey, sticky, honey-dipped, date-stuffed fabulous Arabic desserts on giant round silver trays..." (120-122), descriptions of life in the West Bank for Liyana's distant family and how and where they live and many cultural traditions in the chapter To the Village. "When the cars climbed the steep hill into the village, children popped out of front doors to look at them, as if cars didn't drive up there very often." "Every house was made of golden or white chunky stone." "What Liyana would discover was this was positively everyone's favorite thing to do here - sit in a circle and talk talk talk." "A muezzin gave the last call to prayer of the day over a loudspeaker from the nearby mosque and all the relatives rose up in unison and turned their backs on Liyana's family. They unrolled small blue prayer rugs from a shelf, then knelt, stood, and knelt again, touching foreheads to the ground, saying their prayers in low voices." (50-56)
The Review
Marcia Mann (VOYA, February 1998 (Vol. 20, No. 6))
Liyanna Abboud is fourteen when her parents announce that the family is moving from St. Louis, the only home Liyanna has ever known, to Jerusalem, her father's birthplace. The Abbouds are welcomed by her father's sprawling extended Arab family in their West Bank village. New family, country, languages, and customs do not seem to faze Liyana nor her brother, Rafik, much. It is the lack of peace and the lack of empathy between the Jews and Arabs that are the main sources of angst for Liyanna and her family and friends. This story is told mainly from sensitive, introspective Liyanna's point of view, with a few disrupting shifts to those of her parents, Rafik, and her grandmother. This shifting viewpoint is a sign of the obtrusiveness of the author's agenda, as the question of just who has the "right" god is pondered. Although this heavy-handed approach might not be obvious to younger teens, a less didactic tone and more well-rounded characters would improve both the quality of the book and the reader's ability to enjoy it. However, glimpses of everyday life in a holy city and of how Arabs live in present-day Israel provide an interesting backdrop, and Liyana's vaguely mystical Arab grandmother is simply charming. Habibi is an Arabic word meaning "darling" and the oft-used term of endearment Liyanna and Rafik's parents use for their children.
The Connection
The only thing I really enjoyed from Habibi were the first lines of each chapter. Liyana kept a list of first lines of stories or movies she made up and would read over them to try to think of the rest of the story for them. I think a fun activity would be to have a group of kids write down a first line like Liyana, then pass them around and see if they could come up with the rest of the story for each line.
My Pal, Victor / Mi Amigo, Víctor
The Bibliography
Bertrand, Diane Gonzales. 2004. My Pal, Victor/Mi Amigo, Víctor. Ill. by Robert L. Sweetland. Green Bay: Raven tree Press LLC. 0972019294
The Characters
Dominic and Víctor
The Plot
Two boys have fun just being boys despite the fact that one boy is confined to a wheelchair.
The Setting
the imaginations and memories of two young boys
The Theme
taken from the summary: "Fun and friendship overpower physical limitations."
The Style
My Pal, Victor / Mi Amigo, Víctor is written in both English and Spanish and describes how great friends these boys are despite their problems.
The Analysis
I liked this book. I like most books that are bilingual, in fact. Since I knew from reading the book jacket and the summary that one of the boys had a disability, I looked for it on every page and in every illustration, but I didn't see it. Then I showed the book to a coworker and asked her to find how one boy was handicapped and I spotted it on the very last page. Víctor is in a wheelchair!
The Cultural Markers
Illustrations: The watercolor-looking illustrations show the actions of the story in rich colors. The boys are Latino and have dark, shiny hair and tan skin. The illustrations are careful not to show Víctor's legs on any page, but it's done in a very clever way.
Text: There are not many cultural markers in the text, other than the fact that it's also written in Spanish.
The Review
Michelle Negron Bueno (Children's Literature)
My Pal, Victor/Mi amigo, Víctor is a beautiful and insightful portrait of true friendship. The book is about two boys, Victor and Dominic, who enjoy a variety of typical activities including storytelling, baseball, riddles, swimming, roller coasters, coloring, fishing, and playing in the park. Victor tells the funniest jokes, swims better than a fish, loves the wildest amusement park rides, claps the loudest for his friend at baseball games, and above all accepts Dominic just as he is. The typicality of their relationship becomes something more profound when we learn that Victor is disabled and lives his open-hearted, fully active life from a wheelchair. The writing is unique and full of movement. For example, the author describes scary ghost tales as “heart-booming stories” in which even “goose bumps get scared.” The Spanish text is paralleled throughout and is just as exciting. A bilingual vocabulary list is included. The illustrations are bright, colorful and active, underscoring the author’s message. All the elements of this book work together to provide children and adults with a story that is both heartwarming and thought provoking.
The Connection
I'd share this tale along with another story of a best friend in a wheelchair, Best Friend on Wheels by Debra Shirley, even though I find the title a little offensive. Maybe, if the kids are old enough, we could discuss the differences in each book, how one doesn't even mention the fact that the child uses a wheelchair and how the other draws attention to it.
Bertrand, Diane Gonzales. 2004. My Pal, Victor/Mi Amigo, Víctor. Ill. by Robert L. Sweetland. Green Bay: Raven tree Press LLC. 0972019294
The Characters
Dominic and Víctor
The Plot
Two boys have fun just being boys despite the fact that one boy is confined to a wheelchair.
The Setting
the imaginations and memories of two young boys
The Theme
taken from the summary: "Fun and friendship overpower physical limitations."
The Style
My Pal, Victor / Mi Amigo, Víctor is written in both English and Spanish and describes how great friends these boys are despite their problems.
The Analysis
I liked this book. I like most books that are bilingual, in fact. Since I knew from reading the book jacket and the summary that one of the boys had a disability, I looked for it on every page and in every illustration, but I didn't see it. Then I showed the book to a coworker and asked her to find how one boy was handicapped and I spotted it on the very last page. Víctor is in a wheelchair!
The Cultural Markers
Illustrations: The watercolor-looking illustrations show the actions of the story in rich colors. The boys are Latino and have dark, shiny hair and tan skin. The illustrations are careful not to show Víctor's legs on any page, but it's done in a very clever way.
Text: There are not many cultural markers in the text, other than the fact that it's also written in Spanish.
The Review
Michelle Negron Bueno (Children's Literature)
My Pal, Victor/Mi amigo, Víctor is a beautiful and insightful portrait of true friendship. The book is about two boys, Victor and Dominic, who enjoy a variety of typical activities including storytelling, baseball, riddles, swimming, roller coasters, coloring, fishing, and playing in the park. Victor tells the funniest jokes, swims better than a fish, loves the wildest amusement park rides, claps the loudest for his friend at baseball games, and above all accepts Dominic just as he is. The typicality of their relationship becomes something more profound when we learn that Victor is disabled and lives his open-hearted, fully active life from a wheelchair. The writing is unique and full of movement. For example, the author describes scary ghost tales as “heart-booming stories” in which even “goose bumps get scared.” The Spanish text is paralleled throughout and is just as exciting. A bilingual vocabulary list is included. The illustrations are bright, colorful and active, underscoring the author’s message. All the elements of this book work together to provide children and adults with a story that is both heartwarming and thought provoking.
The Connection
I'd share this tale along with another story of a best friend in a wheelchair, Best Friend on Wheels by Debra Shirley, even though I find the title a little offensive. Maybe, if the kids are old enough, we could discuss the differences in each book, how one doesn't even mention the fact that the child uses a wheelchair and how the other draws attention to it.
The Popularity Papers
The Bibliography
Ignatow, Amy. 2010. The Popularity Papers. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810984219
The Characters
The main characters in The Popularity Papers are Julie Graham-Chang and Lydia Goldblatt. Other characters include Lydia's mom and sister, Julie's dads and various schoolmates.
The Plot
The Popularity Papers is about Julie's and Lydia's quest to be popular by the time they make it to junior high. Through several tests and experiments, lots of spying, and an occasional mishap, the girls find out that being popular is not the most important thing in the world, and that "your friends should be the coolest people you know" (205).
The Setting
an unknown elementary school
The Theme
learning that popularity is not the only thing that makes you a good person
The Style
The Popularity Papers is a journal/scrapbook style book. The text is all handdwritten and there are lots of silly drawings and doodles. Both main characters write the book, so it's from both of their points of view and both handwritings. All their plans on how to be popular by the time they reach junior high (and all the problems this causes) are sketched in the book.
The Analysis
I really liked this book. The drawings were very funny and the main characters are sarcastic and goofy, like me! The characters act just like two best friends that are beginning to make other friends, getting angry over silly things, so it seemed very realistic. The drawings are definitely the best part of the book.
The Cultural Markers
Illustrations: The illustrations show Julie Graham-Chang as a honey-skinned girl, probably Chinese or Japanese, and showed her two dads, Daddy (also of some sort of Asian descent) and Papa Dad, who has red curly hair and a matching beard. Lydia has blonde, curly hair, and so does her mom. Her sister, Melody, used to, before she dyed her hair black and became "goth." There are various other races and colors of people in the book, but everyone has their own shade and look. One of the girls' friends, Roland, and his family are from Norway, so there are several references to Norway and drawings about Norwegians. (Roland's dad's name is Thor, so he's drawn with Mjolnir, his hammer, and lightning, and a hat with wings (68)). The book is very well illustrated.
Text: Like with the illustrations of Roland and his family, there are some references to Norwegians and how they speak differently and eat differently. They ate hamburgers, but to Roland, they are called "Karbonader" (69) Even though everyone knows that Julie has two dads, there are also some hidden references to the fact that some people think that's a bad thing "But she made it soundn like having two fathers and no mom was bad" "She started to say tha tshe felt sorry for you because your family isn't normal, and Sukie told her to shut up!!!" (163).
The Review
Andrew Medlar (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 13))
Before they leave elementary school behind, two fifth-grade best friends are determined to uncover the secrets of popularity by observing, recording, discussing, and replicating the behaviors of the cool girls, because when you’re popular, “You are just better.” In a notebook format, this heavily illustrated title shows their research in dramatic, alternating, handwritten entries and colorful, hilarious drawings. Lydia lives with her single mom and pseudo-goth older sister; Julie lives with her two dads. All the girls' family members play big roles in the process, which lasts the whole school year and realistically includes instances in which the girls misjudge and misunderstand themselves and others. Their experiences may be typically tween (boys, cell phones, camping trips, and school musicals), but their reactions to them are laugh-out-loud funny and definitely on par with, though much more feminine than, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Ignatow offers a quick, fun, well-developed story that invites repeated readings.
The Connection
I think it would be a fun program to begin a scrapbook journal like Lydia and Julie in The Popularity Papers. The program could be based on scrapbooking and could include sharing books like Classic Scrapbooking by Vera Rosenbluth, Cut Loose!: Break the Rules of Scrapbooking by Crystal Jeffrey Rieger and, perhaps the best one, Imperfect Lives: Scrapbooking the Reality of Your Everyday edited by Tara Governo.
Ignatow, Amy. 2010. The Popularity Papers. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9780810984219
The Characters
The main characters in The Popularity Papers are Julie Graham-Chang and Lydia Goldblatt. Other characters include Lydia's mom and sister, Julie's dads and various schoolmates.
The Plot
The Popularity Papers is about Julie's and Lydia's quest to be popular by the time they make it to junior high. Through several tests and experiments, lots of spying, and an occasional mishap, the girls find out that being popular is not the most important thing in the world, and that "your friends should be the coolest people you know" (205).
The Setting
an unknown elementary school
The Theme
learning that popularity is not the only thing that makes you a good person
The Style
The Popularity Papers is a journal/scrapbook style book. The text is all handdwritten and there are lots of silly drawings and doodles. Both main characters write the book, so it's from both of their points of view and both handwritings. All their plans on how to be popular by the time they reach junior high (and all the problems this causes) are sketched in the book.
The Analysis
I really liked this book. The drawings were very funny and the main characters are sarcastic and goofy, like me! The characters act just like two best friends that are beginning to make other friends, getting angry over silly things, so it seemed very realistic. The drawings are definitely the best part of the book.
The Cultural Markers
Illustrations: The illustrations show Julie Graham-Chang as a honey-skinned girl, probably Chinese or Japanese, and showed her two dads, Daddy (also of some sort of Asian descent) and Papa Dad, who has red curly hair and a matching beard. Lydia has blonde, curly hair, and so does her mom. Her sister, Melody, used to, before she dyed her hair black and became "goth." There are various other races and colors of people in the book, but everyone has their own shade and look. One of the girls' friends, Roland, and his family are from Norway, so there are several references to Norway and drawings about Norwegians. (Roland's dad's name is Thor, so he's drawn with Mjolnir, his hammer, and lightning, and a hat with wings (68)). The book is very well illustrated.
Text: Like with the illustrations of Roland and his family, there are some references to Norwegians and how they speak differently and eat differently. They ate hamburgers, but to Roland, they are called "Karbonader" (69) Even though everyone knows that Julie has two dads, there are also some hidden references to the fact that some people think that's a bad thing "But she made it soundn like having two fathers and no mom was bad" "She started to say tha tshe felt sorry for you because your family isn't normal, and Sukie told her to shut up!!!" (163).
The Review
Andrew Medlar (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 13))
Before they leave elementary school behind, two fifth-grade best friends are determined to uncover the secrets of popularity by observing, recording, discussing, and replicating the behaviors of the cool girls, because when you’re popular, “You are just better.” In a notebook format, this heavily illustrated title shows their research in dramatic, alternating, handwritten entries and colorful, hilarious drawings. Lydia lives with her single mom and pseudo-goth older sister; Julie lives with her two dads. All the girls' family members play big roles in the process, which lasts the whole school year and realistically includes instances in which the girls misjudge and misunderstand themselves and others. Their experiences may be typically tween (boys, cell phones, camping trips, and school musicals), but their reactions to them are laugh-out-loud funny and definitely on par with, though much more feminine than, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Ignatow offers a quick, fun, well-developed story that invites repeated readings.
The Connection
I think it would be a fun program to begin a scrapbook journal like Lydia and Julie in The Popularity Papers. The program could be based on scrapbooking and could include sharing books like Classic Scrapbooking by Vera Rosenbluth, Cut Loose!: Break the Rules of Scrapbooking by Crystal Jeffrey Rieger and, perhaps the best one, Imperfect Lives: Scrapbooking the Reality of Your Everyday edited by Tara Governo.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Grandfather's Journey
The Bibliography
Say, Allen. 1993. Grandfather's Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395570352
The Characters
The narrator's Grandfather is the main character in this story. Other characters are the narrator's Grandmother, Mother, Father and the narrator himself.
The Plot
As a young man, Grandfather leaves his home in Japan to travel to the New World. He experiences many things - traveling by train and riverboat, seeing large deserts, walking through huge cities and gazing at towering mountains. He meets new people, "He shook hands with black men and white men, with yellow men and red men" (12). He decides to travel back to Japan to get married, then he and his wife move back to the US and have a daughter, but then, after his daughter is grown, he decides he wants her to see his home in Japan. They travel back and forth between Japan and the United States, calling both countries home.
The Setting
a small village in Japan and the United States
The Theme
home is where the heart is
The Style
Grandfather's Journey reminds me of looking at a photo album with my grandparents or parents and listening to them tell the story behind the photographs.
The Analysis
The soft, watercolor illustrations in this book show Grandfather on his journey from Japan to the United States. The paintings look like photographs in an album that has been passed through many hands from generation to generation. The story is sweet and makes me long to visit faraway places.
The Cultural Markers
Illustrations: The illustrations are rich in culture in Grandfather's Journey. The characters are painted in ranges of white, tan, yellow and gold with shadows and rosy hues, not simply one plain color. The clothes the characters wear show their Japanese-American heritage, sometimes wearing silk robes and wooden sandals, other times, wearing hats and bowties, shiny shoes and carrying parasols.
Text: There are not many cultural markers in the text. There are few mentions of Japan and a mention of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on pages 26 and 27, "But a war began. Bombs fell from the sky and scattered our lives like leaves in a storm. When the war ended, there was nothing left of the city and of the house where my grandparents had lived."
The Review
Roger Sutton (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 1993 (Vol. 47, No. 1))
In this companion to Tree of Cranes (BCCB 9/91), Say evokes the bittersweet dilemma of the immigrant who, happy in his new country, still longs to return to the old-and once returned, wants once again to travel. The narrator's grandfather leaves Japan for America as a young man, and marvels at the magnificent fields and cities and landscapes. He returns home to marry his sweetheart, brings her to settle in California, and later, in middle-age, makes a last journey back with his wife and teenaged daughter. War puts to an end his dream to see America one last time, but many years later, the narrator himself moves to California and has a daughter of his own. Both the joy in new vistas and the ache of remembrance are captured in Say's large watercolor paintings, fresh perspectives on purple mountains' majesty and amber waves of grain. (Japan looks pretty good, too.) As in Tree of Cranes, which is about the narrator's California-born mother, the paintings are precise, cool portraits and views that fix recollections into images, and the book as a whole is an album where both a picture of a family standing amidst war's devastation and a romantic pastorale of courting lovers find their place in memory.
The Connection
This would be a good story for a Grandparents' day at the library. We could share this story and others like Grandparents Song by Sheila Hamanaka and photos of our grandparents and hear the stories of their lives, learn where they grew up and what they loved as children.
Say, Allen. 1993. Grandfather's Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395570352
The Characters
The narrator's Grandfather is the main character in this story. Other characters are the narrator's Grandmother, Mother, Father and the narrator himself.
The Plot
As a young man, Grandfather leaves his home in Japan to travel to the New World. He experiences many things - traveling by train and riverboat, seeing large deserts, walking through huge cities and gazing at towering mountains. He meets new people, "He shook hands with black men and white men, with yellow men and red men" (12). He decides to travel back to Japan to get married, then he and his wife move back to the US and have a daughter, but then, after his daughter is grown, he decides he wants her to see his home in Japan. They travel back and forth between Japan and the United States, calling both countries home.
The Setting
a small village in Japan and the United States
The Theme
home is where the heart is
The Style
Grandfather's Journey reminds me of looking at a photo album with my grandparents or parents and listening to them tell the story behind the photographs.
The Analysis
The soft, watercolor illustrations in this book show Grandfather on his journey from Japan to the United States. The paintings look like photographs in an album that has been passed through many hands from generation to generation. The story is sweet and makes me long to visit faraway places.
The Cultural Markers
Illustrations: The illustrations are rich in culture in Grandfather's Journey. The characters are painted in ranges of white, tan, yellow and gold with shadows and rosy hues, not simply one plain color. The clothes the characters wear show their Japanese-American heritage, sometimes wearing silk robes and wooden sandals, other times, wearing hats and bowties, shiny shoes and carrying parasols.
Text: There are not many cultural markers in the text. There are few mentions of Japan and a mention of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on pages 26 and 27, "But a war began. Bombs fell from the sky and scattered our lives like leaves in a storm. When the war ended, there was nothing left of the city and of the house where my grandparents had lived."
The Review
Roger Sutton (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 1993 (Vol. 47, No. 1))
In this companion to Tree of Cranes (BCCB 9/91), Say evokes the bittersweet dilemma of the immigrant who, happy in his new country, still longs to return to the old-and once returned, wants once again to travel. The narrator's grandfather leaves Japan for America as a young man, and marvels at the magnificent fields and cities and landscapes. He returns home to marry his sweetheart, brings her to settle in California, and later, in middle-age, makes a last journey back with his wife and teenaged daughter. War puts to an end his dream to see America one last time, but many years later, the narrator himself moves to California and has a daughter of his own. Both the joy in new vistas and the ache of remembrance are captured in Say's large watercolor paintings, fresh perspectives on purple mountains' majesty and amber waves of grain. (Japan looks pretty good, too.) As in Tree of Cranes, which is about the narrator's California-born mother, the paintings are precise, cool portraits and views that fix recollections into images, and the book as a whole is an album where both a picture of a family standing amidst war's devastation and a romantic pastorale of courting lovers find their place in memory.
The Connection
This would be a good story for a Grandparents' day at the library. We could share this story and others like Grandparents Song by Sheila Hamanaka and photos of our grandparents and hear the stories of their lives, learn where they grew up and what they loved as children.
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