This Purple Crayon

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

2012-01-15T20:46:00.000-06:00

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
published October 2011 by Random House
467 pages (hardcover), YA

I have to give you what's written on the inside flap because it's most of the reason why I read this book. I know it's long, but it's a whole lot more concise than any summary I'd write!

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal disease that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

C'mon, how do you not rush to the library to get your hands on this book after a description like that? Nora Dearly is my favorite kind of female character - stubborn, feisty, and smart. When she's kidnapped by undead soldiers, she assesses the situation and makes the best of it. Sure, it takes her a moment or two to come to grips with her strange new reality, but she's practical and chooses to ask questions instead of cower in fear. I wish more of the book were told in her perspective, but in fact, it alternates between quite a few characters.

I also loved the setting in this book and actually wanted more backstory and description. I kept checking the covers for a map or something, but no such luck. New Victoria in 2195 is an interesting concept, and I love the world Habel has created there. It's wonderful steampunk - a blend of the old and the new. The society has modeled itself after a more genteel time period, the Victorian Era, but one that they ultimately never could have known in great detail because of the many hundreds of years separating them. So, they try to behave in ways they imagine that the Victorians did, but who are they kidding? There are Punks and free-thinkers and people who do not appreciate the classist society they've created. Not to mention the walking dead.

Anyhow, I liked this book. I wanted to love it, but the alternating perspectives were irksome. The dialogue was also odd to me - sometimes it would be very contemporary and others very Victorian. I understand why, but it was still a little jarring to read. But because I like the story and the setting, I will definitely be reading more from the Gone With the Respiration series.

December Reading Recap + Challenges

2012-01-01T23:04:00.001-06:00

I am constantly amazed by how quickly the time goes by. And I know I state that fact often. Somehow, I only managed to read two novels in December. Two, really? That's a sad, sad tale. Especially since I have plenty checked out of my various libraries. But you know, they were two truly fantastic books.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins --- I could not put this book down! I started it before bed and didn't stop until the wee hours of the morning. Ms. Perkins truly has a talent for nailing those teenage romances. Lola is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, but he's a few years older and not always pleased about having Sunday brunch with her dads (yes, I said dads). When Cricket, Lola's first love, moves back into the house next door, Lola is inexplicably drawn to the boy who broke her heart. Who's it going to be? The hot, older bad boy boyfriend or the always-on-her-mind former flame? Delicious, I say! A wonderfully sweet book read over Winter Break.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (review) --- Oh, what a pretty little dystopia. Why did I wait so long to read this book? Like Lola, I read this book in one sitting. That's become my preferred method of reading lately. I don't like to slug through books. I like to gobble them up. And this one, my friends, was rather tasty. I can't wait for the next book, Insurgent, to come out in May so that I can see if Amity really is my favorite faction. Dauntless is definitely not for me...

Looking back... 2011 Challenges
I may have started the year out strong, but as soon as summer ended and work began, I fell into a crazy hectic schedule with very little time for reading. So it's no surprise that I failed nearly all of my challenges. If you're curious, you can head on over to my 2011 Challenges page to check out my stats.

Looking forward... 2012 Challenges & Reading Goals
I'm not going to be overly ambitious in 2012. Because I know that this year will be filled with life changes (good ones, I hope!) that will take up a lot of my would-be reading time. But I have set a few more realistic challenges for myself...

Last year was my first year participating in the Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren, and I failed pretty miserably. The goal is to simply read 12 YA/MG books by debut authors. Me? I read 3. So, to redeem myself and to read more from new authors (because I tend to rely on old favorites), I'm joining the 2012 Debut Author Challenge with the goal that I'll read at least 6 books from debut authors. Twice as many as last year, but still half as many as everyone else.

2012 Reading Challenge

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Since I use Goodreads for my reading activities, I also joined their reading challenge and set a goal of 150 books to read in 2012. Goodreads tells me that I read 140 books in 2011 (though I know I read more than that, counting picture books), so 10 more should be no problem.

Finally, I hope to read a couple more books from my Lifelong Reading List, starting with Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, since the movie comes out this month. I also need to add quite a few books to that list...

So, those are my meager goals for this year, I think.

2012, I don't know you very well, but I hope I'll like you and all the new books you bring me!

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

2011-12-11T12:19:00.001-06:00

Sarah from YA Librarian Tales was my Secret Santa for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap this year, and she was fabulous. I got the package in the mail yesterday while expecting guests and squealed in delight when I saw the box wedged in between my doors. Here's the before picture - isn't it nice that she wrapped each gift? I totally didn't think of that for mine...

And after! She got me two of my favorite books that I did not own:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead

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

And some cute tech speak magnets and a Mockingjay bookmark. Woo! :)

THANK YOU, SARAH!

November Reading Recap

2011-12-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

Oh, November, I'm so happy to see you go! But now December is here, and I get to wondering where in the world my year went. Is this really the last of 2011? How is that possible? I see all of those 2011 Challenges on my sidebar that I haven't updated in months, and I'm feeling like a bad blogger. Yes, my reading has suffered this year, but the rest of my life has been great, so I'll take that trade. Here's what I read in November:

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke --- A science fiction graphic novel with a girl protagonist? Woohoo! Zita and her best friend are outside one day when they discover this giant crater. Inside it is what looks like a remote control with just one big red button. Well, what are big red buttons for if not pushing, so Zita does just that and her friend, poof!, disappears. Zita goes after him and finds herself on another planet, galaxy even with all sorts of aliens and creatures. She slowly befriends a couple and begins her quest to find her friend. An absorbing read with illustrations that remind me a lot of Amulet - will definitely appeal to that crowd.

What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones --- I've read a Sones book every month for the past three months, and that makes me happy. That also means that she's going to have to start pumping out books a whole lot more frequently if this trend is to continue. Just saying. Ah, I don't think I've read this particular one before, and I, of course, enjoyed it almost as much as my favorite, What My Mother Doesn't Know. It picks up where Mother leaves off but is written mostly in Robin's voice (Sophie's new boyfriend) instead. I just love Sones' poetic prose!

Lost & Found by Shaun Tan --- This is a collection of Shaun Tan's early works; you know, before he became famous for the inventive and gorgeous sepia-toned wordless graphic novel The Arrival. The three stories in this book are admittedly odd and rather dark (I wouldn't buy it for my elementary school, that's for sure), but have a bit of hope and charm reflective of Tan's style. A quick read with few words and lots of quirkiness.

Mudkin by Stephen Gammell --- My review from Goodreads: The negative reviews of this book make me laugh - a book with few words? How dare he! (Pardon the sarcasm.) I generously appreciated this whimsical story of a girl playing outside after the rain on a muddy day. Her conversations with Mudkin were inspired - do we really need to know what he says? No; we can INFER! Inference is such a tricky skill to teach, but this book practically does it itself without needing much teacher direction. Love it. Will recommend to teachers, for sure.

Cloaked by Alex Flinn (review) --- I liked Beastly best (and I haven't even seen the movie yet), then Cloaked, and finally A Kiss in Time, when comparing the fractured fairy tales I've read by Flinn. Cloaked had a lot of unexpected twists and turns that I sometimes appreciated (other times I was just like, huh?), and I did enjoy the little love story too. As long as Flinn keeps writing these retold fairy tales, I'll keep reading them!

Igniting a Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers by Steven Layne --- A must-read for anyone who works with children and young adults. Steven Layne is an educator and public speaker, so I was wary that he wouldn't address the librarian side of things, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how warmly and intelligently he speaks of librarians and what we do. He starts the book with a rationale for reading aloud (at all grade levels) and focuses each chapter on different ways to get students excited about reading. I found that I was already doing quite a few things right (I'd hope so!), but I also learned new strategies and tricks that I immediately implemented in my own practice. Simple things like a special bookshelf or display area of my favorite books, a sign or bookstand with what I'm currently reading, book talks, book passes, and much more. I'd be happy to lend it to anyone if you can't get ahold of a copy!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

2011-12-04T14:34:00.000-06:00

Divergent by Veronica Roth
published May 2011 by HarperCollins
496 pages (hardcover), YA

Dystopian Chicago. Need I say more?

That's all I needed. Perhaps you require a little extra.

Beatrice is at that delicate, life-changing age, 16, when she needs to decide what to make of herself. Which of the five factions of the city (Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite) will she choose to dedicate her life to? She was brought up in Abnegation, with her selfless parents and brother, but she's never quite fit in. She's curious, asks too many questions, and doesn't always think of others before herself. So, at her choosing ceremony, Beatrice gives up her family ties and joins the daredevil Dauntless. But to prove herself to this new faction, Beatrice, now Tris, has to go through a series of trials that will truly test her strength, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Plus she has a BIG secret to hide. And a budding love interest with one of her trainers. And the possibility that she will die before she proves herself as a member of Dauntless. Woo!

I can't hide how much I loved this book. Picture this - a Thursday after school. No errands to run. No lesson plans to write. No new shows on the television. Time! Time to read! Curled up on the couch with my very own copy of Divergent (which I've had since the summer; yes, shame on me). I start reading and can't stop. A tweet, quick dinner, and six hours later, the book is finished, and I'm thoroughly sated. Time for bed! That, my friends, is what I call a luxurious evening at home. I haven't had one in a long while and was so happy to share it with this wonderful book.

Lots of people have compared Divergent to The Hunger Games, and okay, I guess I see that. They're both dystopias. They're both rather violent. But the world in Divergent appeals to me much more. Maybe because it's set in Chicago. Maybe more because although it's a dystopia, there's SO MUCH HOPE. I don't know how Veronica Roth made me feel so hopeful, especially in the depths of Dauntless (which is definitely not the faction I would choose :shudder:), but she did. Tris is one strong female, and I believe she can change the whole system. The factions were originally created to play on the good, to have people specialize in these ideal character traits so that they could rid society of all the bad. But over the years it has turned into a competition instead of collaboration, and what used to be good about each faction is now lost in the struggle to remain relevant and most of all, powerful. It's all so complex and political, and I love it.

I'm really late to the conversation about this book (hey, I was in Italy! and then work took over my life...), but if you honestly haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? Easily one of the best books of the year. School Library Journal says so too.

Four purple crayons for a new dystopian trilogy that I can't wait to keep reading! Insurgent comes out in May 2012!

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

2011-11-06T18:57:00.000-06:00

Cloaked by Alex Flinn
published 2011 by HarperCollins
341 pages (hardcover), MG/YA

Okay, the front flap is too good not to share:

I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.
It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.
There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.
Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

Oh, Johnny. You poor boy. Literally. Johnny's a cobbler (not the yummy kind, though I imagine he might be ruggedly handsome) and a hard, hard-worker. He repairs shoes day and night so that he and his mom can afford to live. One day, Princess Victoriana shows up at Johnny's hotel and his ogling turned accidental meeting changes his life. Victoriana is gorgeous, obviously, and flashy in the spotlight, giving the paparazzi exactly what they want, but she is devastated on the inside. Her brother has been kidnapped and she needs a trustworthy someone to find him. Someone like Johnny. Did I mention that her brother's been turned into a frog? Right. But if Johnny finds him, this frog prince, Victoriana will marry Johnny - not a bad proposition for a boy who has no wealth or any chance at finding love with someone so beautiful. Yes! Of course he'll help! With a magic cloak that can transport him anywhere, Johnny begins his quest to find Victoriana's brother.

This is a fairy tale retelling of sorts, though it doesn't follow one story but rather seven different ones, which are briefly summarized at the end of the book. This is something I wanted to know beforehand, and I should have checked the back to find it. So, I thought I'd list them for you, just so you know:

The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Frog Prince
The Six Swans
The Golden Bird
The Valiant Tailor
The Salad
The Fisherman and His Wife

That's quite a collection of tales! But Flinn weaves them all together so wonderfully. It's an insane adventure that Johnny has, but it works. I liked the story, and I alternated between reading the book and the e-book (which I've never done before!) so that I could finish it. I was a little disappointed in some parts of the writing - the love story was a little too predictable and could have been left a little more elusive. But overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to more fairy tale retellings from Alex Flinn. A solid three purple crayons.

October Reading Recap

2011-11-01T21:42:00.001-05:00

Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat by Philip C. Stead --- This could quite possibly be my favorite picture book of the year. Oh, how I love the collage illustrations. And the story! Jonathan, a little boy, has lost his teddy bear and is on the hunt for it, using his big blue boat, of course. Along the way, he meets a host of quirky characters that join him on his journey. I need to get to a bookstore pronto to buy this book! Love love love.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins --- This is #2 in the Hex Hall series. In Hex Hall, Sophie raised a lot of hell. It's a school for supernatural misfits, and Sophie fit right in. In Demonglass, Sophie moves to England with her father, whom she's just met, so that she can learn more about her demon self. This was a good book to read in October, with those spooky nights of howling wind. I like Sophie's spunky character and her forbidden love with her sworn enemy. I'll keep reading the series, I think.

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter --- Another second in a series (Heist Society #2), this book follows Kat as she breaks out of her lonesome streak and learns to play nice with others. The target - Cleopatra's emerald, that which has never been successfully stolen, except upon its discovery during an archaeological dig long ago. The emerald has quite the history, one that Kat seems to be tangled in. Love the adventure. Will read more in the series.

Scary Godmother by Jill Thompson (reviewed at my library blog) --- This is a collection of Scary Godmother stories previously published by Dark Horse Comics. I bought this for the library and thought kids would flock to it this month. Not so much. I don't get it. I absolutely devoured this book. The deeply saturated pictures pop off the page and the content was perfect for this month. But there was no excitement. Sure, it got checked out a couple of times , but it didn't get the peer pass-off. Friends didn't tell each other about it. Sad tale. I still like it, though.

Bake Sale by Sara Varon --- I loved Varon's Robot Dreams, so I had high hopes for this graphic novel. While I love her signature drawing style, the story itself didn't do much for me. I don't bake. And I mean that emphatically. I really, really hate to bake. Cookies, cakes, cupcakes - I can't do any of it. So yeah, the subject material was a bit foreign and of little interest. But in the warm, gooey center, it's another friendship story, and I appreciated that.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr --- Told in alternating perspectives, this is the story of a girl (not to be confused with Story of a Girl, which I loved by Zarr) who's just lost her father and another girl who's about to give birth. They're similar in age but couldn't have more different stories. Jill's had a tough time dealing with her dad's death, but her mother has seemingly moved on, so much that she's taking in Mandy and adopting her baby. An interesting premise, but I had a hard time getting into it. Realistic fiction is not my favorite genre, especially "issues" novels, and this one read like it sometimes.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead --- Can someone please tell me what this book was about? Because I ate it up while traveling one weekend, but now I can't remember a darn thing about it. The blurb says that it's about alchemist Sydney moving in with Moroi princess Jill (to keep the Dragomir bloodline safe by hiding Jill away), but the details are kind of fuzzy. That's how it is with these books though. Love em and leave em is what I say, and that's not a bad thing. Can't wait for the next one!

The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones --- I love that I'm too young for this book. I read it anyway because I love Sonya Sones' way with words, but I don't have a nest, and even if I did, it would certainly not be empty at this point, so I really and truly can't relate. If anything, I put myself in the shoes of the daughter going off to college (even though it's been a generous few years since that was true). But anyhow, it doesn't matter if you can relate or not. I still laughed and nearly cried at all the right parts and know that in some decades, I'll appreciate this book a little more.

September Reading Recap

2011-10-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones (my review) --- I re-read and reviewed this book for Banned Books Week and was baffled by why it would be so frequently challenged. So, I visited Sones' website and she let me in on the big secret - on page 46 of the book, Sophie is examining her newly developed breasts and performing a little experiment on a cold window. Really? This short poem (that's so totally relatable, might I add) is what people find so offensive? Silliness (and extreme prudishness), I say. Changing bodies are causes for enormous stress and that little poem shows girls they're not weird or alone. It happens to all of us! Anyhow, just thought I'd add that little info since I missed it in my review. So much love for this book!

Lush by Natasha Friend (my review) --- I also read this book for Banned Books Week and am so glad I did. After looking at Friend's website, I learned that almost one in five adult Americans lived with an alcoholic while growing up. Wow! Here's another "you are not alone" book that some people feel the need to censor. I'm not one for hiding the ugly bits of life - they only get uglier that way. And this book is so empowering for teens that have to deal with more than their fair share of those ugly bits.

All Stations! Distress! April 15, 1912: The Day the Titanic Sank by Don Brown --- Children's nonfiction is not a genre I frequent often, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a few nonfiction titles on this year's Bluestem Award list. What I love about this book is that the amount of research that went into it is blended so well with the narrative. I read it aloud to fifth grade students, and we talked about how the quotes from the book came from people who were actually survivors of the Titanic, and they were pretty fascinated by that. Lots of great discussions!

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles --- This is the third book in the A Perfect Chemistry trilogy, and it tells the love story of the youngest Fuentes brother, Luis. He's lived in Colorado with Alex for awhile but has now moved back to the Chicago suburbs, back to the old hood, where living on the wrong side of the tracks could get you killed. And you certainly don't associate with people who live on the other side either. Except that the spicy Nikki Cruz lives in a big ol' house in fancy pants Fairfield, even though her parents are from Mexico too. But she knows nothing of her heritage and is perfectly fine with that. When Luis and Nikki collide (quite literally), there's no mistaking the sparks that fly.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer --- Sequel to Nightshade, this book picks up where the first leaves off and reminds you of what's happened so far because goodness knows I could not remember. I do remember love love loving Nightshade and being extremely disappointed that it was the first in an unfinished series. I hate when I do that to myself. Unfortunately, Wolfsbane didn't enchant me the way that Nightshade did, and I really couldn't tell you much about the story besides what you'd read in the jacket flap. I know that I liked it (okay, I couldn't put it down and finished it in one weekend), but the fact that I can't recall any details tells me it didn't leave a lasting impression.

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

2011-09-28T19:14:00.000-05:00

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
published 2001 by Simon & Schuster
259 pages (hardcover), YA

Jacket flap:

My name is Sophie.
This book is about me.
It tells
the heart-stoppingly riveting story
of my first love.
And also of my second.
And, okay, my third love, too.

It's not that I'm boy crazy.
It's just that even though
I'm almost fifteen
I've been having sort of a hard time
trying to figure out the difference
between love and lust.

It's like
my mind
and my body
and my heart
just don't seem to be able to agree
on anything.

I think that's enough of a summary, really. You've got the main character (Sophie), the basic content of the book (her love life as a 15 year-old girl), and the style in which it's written (series of poems).

What My Mother Doesn't Know shockingly made it to #7 on 2010's Most Frequently Challenged Books list for reasons that I cannot comprehend. So, I'm just not going to even try. Instead, let's talk about why this book is absolutely amazing and why I love it so. :)

The title of this book makes it sound like it's going to be super trashy, but it's not - not at all! I don't like to do this, but I'm going to reveal the secret of the title for you. Cover your eyes if you really don't want to know. Here it comes ... What Sophie's mother doesn't know is that Sophie doesn't want to wear the ugly rose-printed dress she guilted Sophie into buying and that Sophie actually will be changing at a friend's house into a slinky black dress more suited for the Halloween dance. Oh Sophie, how could you! (Pardon the sarcasm.) C'mon, who hasn't performed the good ol' switcheroo? I know I certainly did as a teen!

What's wonderful about the book is Sophie's voice. She's so disarmingly honest. Her poems transport you right into the depths of a specific feeling. From the initial sparks of a new crush to the empathy of a lonely classmate and the longing for a better relationship with her mother, Sophie feels everything so acutely that you can't help but feel it a little too. On the back cover of my book, there's a blurb by Laurie Halse Anderson that sums up my thoughts about the story - "Tender and sexy and honest. With the poetry of an innocent kiss and the passion of a teenager's heart, Sones has created a book that feels like real love." Exactly! It feels like real love.

I remember reading this book when it first came out and absolutely devouring and adoring it because I could relate to it so well (even though I was a few years older than Sophie), but even reading it again just last night, 10 years later, I'm still right there with Sophie. It's not that it was a good book for me at the time because I could relate to it - it's just a good book, period. It's one that I'll re-read again and again because it'll remind me of what it's like to be a teen in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. Sophie and I are kindred spirits, that's for sure, but I think Sophie's charm can extend to those who may not relate so closely too. Gosh, I want to read it again right now! I'm not properly conveying how excited about and grateful for this book I am. You'll just have to read it for yourself to see why it makes me so giddy and tongue-tied. :)

So yeah, I was indeed surprised to find this book on last year's Most Frequently Challenged list mostly because it's so old. Ten years is a long shelf life for a YA novel! Does that mean it's on its way to becoming a classic? Are teens still gobbling it up like I did back in the day? I sure hope so! And I hope that this list appearance makes it a little more popular still.

Five purple crayons for one of my favorite books ever!

Cross-posted to the Banned Books blog.

Banned Books Week - Lush by Natasha Friend

2011-09-25T12:50:00.001-05:00

Lush by Natasha Friend
published November 2006 by Scholastic
192 pages (hardcover), YA

Thirteen year-old Samantha has a fairly normal life. She has three fantastic best friends, an adorable and energetic four year-old brother, and a mom who is quite obsessed with yoga. Oh, and her dad's an alcoholic. But he's not the blatantly belligerent type. He doesn't come crashing down the street, alerting the neighbors to his unseemly state. No, he just crashes around inside the house and forgets about it all in the morning. After one crash too many, Sam just doesn't know how to deal anymore. She can't tell her best friends because they're just so normal and who knows how they'll react. So, she's been writing notes back and forth to AJK, some anonymous person she "met" at the library. All the while, she's also "mashing" (is that really the new word for kissing?) with a cute high school boy at the water fountain, who just so happens to invite her to a party. You can guess what happens there. This is Sam's life, a bit messy and complicated, but honest and real.

I downloaded this book last night because it was #6 on ALA's Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2010 list, and it is now Banned Books Week. The reasons it was so frequently challenged? Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group. Yes, alcohol is a drug, and it's a running theme throughout the book. But it's not glorified in any way. Samantha hates that her father drinks. She tries it at a party one night, without thinking really, and realizes even more afterward how horrible it actually is. I won't even go into defending the other reasons because I think they're all unjustified and ridiculous. Common Sense Media does a good job of highlighting any questionable content, if you're really into judging a book before you read it. The one other thing I'd mention, though, is that it's definitely not "unsuited to the age group." I'd hand this book to a mature 10 year-old, I really would. I have students in 5th grade that would read this and really appreciate it.

Samantha's voice is just so honest. Lush isn't only about Sam's feelings about her alcoholic father. That would translate into problem novel, and it's definitely not one of those. We get to know her as a complex 13 year-old. A girl who wears baggy shirts because she's developed faster than her friends and doesn't know how to communicate those feelings. A girl who so desperately needs someone to talk to that she writes notes back and forth to someone she's never met. But a girl who still has her head on her shoulders (most of the time) and who knows the difference between right and wrong.

Natasha Friend articulates Sam's thoughts about her father so well - the way she analyzes his words and movements to tell if he's drunk, the way she checks all the supposedly hidden bottles of alcohol in the house to see if there's any liquid missing. And she makes Sam strong. Sam tells her father the truth - she doesn't believe him when he says he'll stop, and she says so. Although having an alcoholic father is a seriously tough issue, Natasha Friend provides a realistic way for teens to respond, cope, and make amends. It's not cutesy or wrapped up nicely. But it offers hope.

I'm so glad that I looked at this year's list of challenged books because I definitely missed this one when it came out. And I'm torn between being furious that it's been so frequently challenged and happy that it has been because it means that much more exposure for the book. You don't have to have an alcoholic in the family to get this book. But if you do, goodness gracious, you're not alone, and it feels so good to know that. Four purple crayons to Lush by Natasha Friend.

So, that's my banned book reading for the week - what will you read?

Cross-posted to the Banned Books blog.

July/August Reading Recap

2011-09-03T13:46:00.002-05:00

*Title links lead you to the book's Goodreads page.

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown --- A classic in children's literature, but I had never read it. Cute, though slightly disturbing story if you fail to suspend disbelief. Kids enjoy it though - and who wouldn't like to send themselves to faraway places through the postal service?

Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson --- The subtitle of this book is "The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal," which doesn't sound all that thrilling until you realize that he was African-American which is pretty special for the time. A picture book biography this book is, but it's one meant for upper elementary students, especially during their studies of Westward expansion. I appreciated the story and will use it especially in lessons on research because the back matter is so thorough and just as engaging as the story itself. Oh, and it's nominated for the 2012 Bluestem Award, too.

Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan --- Another book set in the Wild West and also nominated for the 2012 Bluestem Award. The main character is an orphan girl who is forced to either run away from the orphanage or spend her life working in the kitchen. She loves taking care of and riding horses and dreams of owning her own ranch someday. Don't know which of my students would read this one as it was a bit slow going. I'll be sure to promote it when I know they're studying the same in social studies.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare --- Took me an entire month to get through this book. But I persevered. And wish that I hadn't. Bad timing is what I'll call it because I'm sure that if I had re-read the series and picked this one up where the last one left off, I'd be perfectly satisfied. But that was not the case, and I ended up confused and just didn't care about the story or characters anymore. Sad tale, I know. Must not start series unless I know that they are complete.

Ida B by Katherine Hannigan (review over at my school library blog) --- Oh, how I loved Ida B! She reminded me so much of my students. She's imaginative and free-spirited and lovely - until she learns that her mom has cancer, and then her world just about falls apart. Everything changes, and the only way she knows how to cope is to guard her heart by putting up walls and shutting everyone and thing out. Heartbreaking, yes, but there's hope!

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot --- I'm not ashamed to say that I've seen the movie countless times and never even thought to read the book. C'mon, Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews! But now that I've read the book, I can appreciate most of the creative liberties taken to revising the screenplay. But why the location change? I love San Francisco, just don't know why NYC got robbed.

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater --- Is it horrible to say that I can't remember this book? I know that Isabel and what's his name, the Narkotika guy (Cole?), were more prominent in this book and that Grace had some shifting control issues, but eh. I'm all about character-driven stories, but I feel like I really missed out in the story department here. The writing was beautiful as always, though.

Seduced by the Wolf by Terry Spear --- It's not summer unless I read at least one paranormal romance not aimed at the YA set. This story was interesting - the main character was a werewolf woman who was also a wolf biologist interested in actual wolves and pack dynamics. But she falls for an alpha male of her own kind... and there goes her independence (compromise, they call it).

Stolen by Lucy Christopher (my review) --- I haven't re-read this one yet like I said I wanted to, but I'm so glad I bought it for my Kindle because I'll be able to read it again anytime I feel like it, which is a true luxury for me. Just looking at the cover, I get goosebumps all over, and I remember the story and the emotions so vividly. Just go read it.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Every Teen Should Read

2011-07-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is created by and hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

Go there to check out more Top 10 lists and add your own to the mix!

This week's topic is:

Top 10 Books Every Teen Should Read

Is it awful of me to change the meme slightly? I've read quite a few lists from others recently, and while I agree with many of the books they've included, I've also seen many people comment on how it's impossible to compose a list of books that every teen should read because every teen is different. So, I thought I'd give you a look into my life instead.

Top 10 Books My Teen Self Loved

(or would have loved had I read them as a teen)

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

It's the namesake of my blog because it's the one I always go back to when I think about why I love stories so much. I actually first read it in high school - I was browsing my local bookstore and found myself in the picture book section. I randomly picked up Harold and started reading. I had no idea it would be one of the books that changed my life. I didn't feel any different afterward. But then I read it again. And again. And Harold's imagination inspired me. Still does!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I wore this book out in high school, and it's coming to a theater near you in 2012. The subject material in Perks is quite raw, and perhaps that's why I loved it so. It was so different from my ordinary life as a teen, but the emotions were still all too familiar. I like this line from the blurb - "The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite." Oh, and if I ever start using the word "incidentally," you'll know I've recently re-read this book. :)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I fear the day when this book will no longer be relevant. I don't think it's here yet. But it's awfully close. How can you connect to this book if you already do not see the value in the printed word? I'm afraid many teens do not. But for those who do, like my teen self did (and of course I still do), Fahrenheit 451 will strike a chord. It will reveal a reality that cares not for knowledge or wisdom but is happy for ignorance and complacency. There will always be knowledge seekers regardless of the format, so this one's for them.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

It's already on many required reading lists, but I read it as a senior in high school when it first came out. I remember being completely ripped apart by it. Before then, I had never had so much emotion spew forth all because of a book. I cried and cried and felt too much for Melinda. And I had never experienced anything like it nor known anyone else that had. It's a new classic, for sure.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This was not required reading in high school - I actually picked it up on my own. It's not one that I would even think to recommend, but I remember it vividly from high school. It was the summer after my junior year, and I was attempting to devour the classics. I had read too much Victorian lit and was looking for something with a little more edge, and The Bell Jar certainly fits that description. I like to say that I was Emo before Emo even existed, and this book brought out all sorts of crazy emotions. It was a trend for me - to read the books that evoked strong emotions. Yep, it still is.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

You either love it or you hate it, I think. And I happen to love it. Holden Caulfield is a voice you will not be able to get out of your head for weeks after reading Catcher, and it just may stay with you forever. Not that it's a particularly inspiring or heroic voice. He's basically a pain in the rear. But that's why I love him.

Man, my junior year of high school was such an influential reading year. So many of my favorites come from then!

That concludes the "books I read in high school" portion of the list. I read the following books in college and beyond, and they are listed chronologically by when I read them. They're books that I would have loved in high school had they been published back then.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

This was one of my first forays into science fiction, a genre I did not think I would enjoy, and oh, how I loved it! Tally Youngblood, you quietly rebellious little thing, I couldn't help but want to be you. More than the characters though, I was impressed that I could be so into the description of Westerfeld's dystopian society. And the language! Just make it all up, why don't you? Such creativity, how could I not love it?

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

I remember reading this book in college while lounging with a friend and stopping after every paragraph to discuss something Frankie just wrote or said. It must have been supremely annoying, but I couldn't help it. I would squeal and giggle and just be so happy that Frankie was such a strong girl, so attuned to the injustice happening at her school and unwilling to take her place as a docile woman in a male-dominated society. You go, girl.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

My high school self would have LOVED this book. And it was so perfectly channeled while I read it last year - I acutely remembered what it was to be 16 again. There are just certain books that click with you, like kindred spirits, and this was one for me. And shocker - the main characters are both male! Nonetheless, the setting and situations were entirely relatable and believable in a too real way, and I just glowed while reading it. :) I wish that every teen could share that experience!

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I wish I had this book in college when my grandmother passed away. Not that I'm sold on bibliotherapy, but for me, it would have done a world of good. It still did, as grief seems to be never ending, and I'm quite thankful for it. But I don't think you need to have experienced the loss of a loved one to connect to this story. Maybe to understand some of the choices that Lennie makes that seem completely inappropriate. What I love most about it is that it wasn't a sobfest - there was an equal amount of love and laughter. Thank goodness!

So, those are my Top 10 this week! I'm off to go read some others!

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

2011-07-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

Stolen by Lucy Christopher
published May 2010 by Chicken House
304 pages (hardcover)
Kindle edition published February 2011

On route to a summer holiday in Vietnam with her parents, sixteen year-old Gemma is kidnapped from the Bangkok Airport over a simple cup of coffee. One minute she's staring into a handsome face with beautiful blue eyes, and the next she's lying in a bed wearing unfamiliar clothes and feeling the aftereffects of some nasty drugs. Terrified and confused, Gemma slowly realizes that there is little hope for escape in this Australian never-ending desert, and that Ty, her captor, actually means her no harm. Told as a letter written to Ty, this story is unlike other kidnapping tales in that he's not actually a bad guy. Really.

For the record, I've never been kidnapped. So, I don't personally know how it feels. But if I ever do, I sure hope it's by someone like Ty. The guy has good intentions, mind you. He wants to save Gemma from her life of plastic parents and ugly concrete London. He's been watching her, and he can sense that she's different like him, that she just might want to run away to the desert and live in isolation on the land. Maybe that sounds crazy. But he's convinced, and he had me convinced too. And Gemma? She's a trooper. She must have aged ten years in the short time they spent together, with all the emotions she went through. She responded quite appropriately to finding out she had been kidnapped - hurt captor, run away. She repeated these actions until they proved useless. Until she grew weary of the fight and realized Ty wasn't fighting back. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that Gemma and Ty had a complicated relationship. You're supposed to root for Gemma, to want her to escape and find her way home. That's a normal response. But goodness, how could you not feel for Ty? He was severely misguided, yes, but he has such a good heart.

I never understood it when people finished reading a book and then immediately went back to re-read it. Yeah, I get it now. Maybe not tonight, but I will revisit it soon because I loved it that much. Not just loved it either. I love a lot of books. I can't help it that I love stories so. But because it moved me (I know that's corny, but how else to say it?). It made me feel and think things I didn't think I could, and that is a rare gift. Maybe it's not a feel-good story, but it's a feel-something story, and I do appreciate it.

Thank you to Chelsea from Coffee and Cliffhangers for blogging about this book last week and unintentionally giving me exactly the recommendation I didn't know I was looking for. :)

Do I even have to say it? Five purple crayons for reminding me what it means to be human.

May/June Reading Recap

2011-06-30T07:36:00.002-05:00

Shine by Lauren Myracle
This is the first book I've read by Lauren Myracle, and I can't say that I enjoyed it because the subject matter was heavy, but I'm glad I read it. I've been watching a lot of TV lately, The Killing and Twin Peaks come to mind, and this really reminded me of those shows because of the murder mystery feel to it, though it's much more than that.

Oubliette by Megg Jensen
Book two in the Cloud Prophet trilogy - oh, how I hate having to wait for book three! Go check out Megg's blog because she's pretty awesome, and she loves to give stuff away! :)

Anathema by Megg Jensen
Ooh, I have such love for this book! It's the first book in the Cloud Prophet trilogy, and I love me a trilogy. I started writing a review for this and the next book, but I have yet to finish it. Perhaps when I read the last book.

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa
This is an Iron Fey novella. Here we have Ash and Puck off on an adventure together. Wait, what? Yes, the two fellas are working together, even though they want to kill each other. Read it on my Kindle because it was free - yay!

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos
I wanted to connect with this book more than I did. It's told in three voices of immigrant girls who become friends at school because of their inabilities to fit in with the Americans. More about it here.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Whoever led me to believe this was a love story did not read the same book. No, it's the story of a man looking back on his life, focusing on memories of his time in the circus as a young twenty-something (where he happens to fall in love). I liked it okay. Haven't seen the movie yet, which is mostly why I read it when I did.

The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez
I'm so happy I had the chance to judge this book for Nerds Heart YA because I may not have read it otherwise, and that would be a shame. Review here.

Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne
I liked Moonlight and was still in the mood for some werewolves, so I picked up the next book in the Dark Guardian series. Each story follows a different girl who is approaching her first transformation and in need of a boy to coach her through it. It sounds awful, I know. But the way it's written is not so. :)

Huntress by Malinda Lo
I read this at the wrong time. I didn't have the attention span for it, and I never felt propelled forward in the story. But the writing is so beautiful! More here.

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
I was in the mood for a werewolf book, and this one fit the mold nicely. More about it here.

Nerds Heart YA - First round winner!

2011-06-13T08:23:00.119-05:00

Today is the day! The first judging decisions of the Nerds Heart YA Tournament are revealed!

To review, the Nerds Heart YA Tournament is a way to publicize fantastic YA books with diverse characters and settings that didn't get a whole lot of buzz last year. Nominations were accepted online, and the Nerds Heart YA team, composed of dedicated book bloggers, narrowed the list down to 32 titles. From these 32 books, there will emerge the 2011 Nerds Heart YA Champion!

Heather from Book Addiction and I co-judged the following two books in this first round of judging. Take a look at the brackets to see what else is coming up soon!

THE BATTLE

VS.

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

published May 2010 by Random House

288 pages (hardcover), MG/YA

Fourteen year-old Lucia, her little brother Frankie, and her parents are living in Cuba at the start of Castro's Revolution in 1961. This doesn't mean much for Lucia because she's your average Cuban girl - interested in fashion, American magazines, and of course, boys. But the Revolution recruited followers for only so long before it became mandatory to outwardly support Castro or be labeled a rebel and punished as an enemy. This means that either Lucia and her brother sign up for Castro's youth camps or they get sent to the U.S. to try to find a better life. Lucia's parents made the painful decision to send their children away as a part of Operation Pedro Pan, so they flew to Miami, Florida and were taken in by a Catholic church with many Cuban members. From there, the brother and sister were moved to a foster family in Nebraska, who took them in and treated them as their own.

Goodness gracious, how I loved this book! I'm astonished at how much I liked it since historical fiction isn't a genre I normally read. But I felt like this book wasn't boxed in by genre labels. The Cuban Revolution provided a very distinct context for the story, but the story itself - a family torn apart because of their beliefs, immigrating to another country for a better life, and hoping to reunite - could be plopped into a variety of cultures and/or time periods. Knowing that the book was largely based on the author's parents' personal experiences was a huge bonus because it added that authenticity I would have questioned otherwise. And when a book is that personal, I think the writing really shines. It was such an emotionally-charged story, and the characters and settings were so well-developed that I felt like I knew Lucia and could walk through her Cuban town. When they moved to the U.S., I felt how scared they were that they wouldn't see their parents, that they would even be separated from each other, but how brave they were trying to be so that they could make it on their own. And thank goodness a wonderful and kind family fostered them because I was not going to have a sad ending in this book! That's all I'll say - please go read it if you haven't! It's a gem.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos
published May 2010 by Simon & Schuster
297 pages (hardcover), MG/YA

This book is told in different perspectives by three eighth-grade immigrant girls who find comfort in their shared otherness and become friends - Jaya, Maria, and Lola. They live in Meadowbrook, New Jersey but come from different parts of the world, and their mothers are all nannies and/or maids. The girls struggle to fit in at school and to experience what it's truly like to be American.

I liked this book. In my mind, I kept comparing it to The Help by Kathryn Stockett (which if you haven't read, you need to go do so - like right now) because the mothers in Tell Us We're Home were, in fact, the help. I could relate to much of the book because I come from an immigrant family too, and even though our life situations were different, the feelings of being an outsider and not quite understanding the culture were very familiar. Although I liked getting to know three characters from distinct backgrounds, I felt like I often got their cultures confused, got the characters themselves confused because each chapter jumped from one character to another. And there wasn't one that I was really interested in - they each had a unique story, I guess I just didn't connect with that part. That being said, I think it's a good story, and a story that needs more telling because the immigrant experience is so vast and diverse.

THE WINNER

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez wins in the First Round of Nerds Heart YA!

While Heather and I liked both books, we both LOVED The Red Umbrella and declared it our clear winner. Yay! I can't wait to see how the other battles go...

I love my Kindle.

2011-06-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

No, Amazon didn't pay me to say that. And they certainly didn't pay me to write this post. But I felt compelled to. Mostly because it's taken me SO long to get on board with e-readers. Especially with this Kindle thingamajig that just kept disappointing me at every turn. No library lending? No Harry Potter? Bad editing? Hmmph! What do I need it for?

But it's little. And it doesn't weigh very much. Less than the lightest of paperbacks. Yet I can store as many books as I want on it. Huh. What a thought. Stop rolling your eyes at me; I know I'm a bit slow. Or if you're rolling because you're a non-believer, well, I understand. I was one too. All I can say to that is you just have to try it to believe it. The reading experience is not so different from print books. And dare I say it's enhanced? Yes, I just might. I haven't figured out all of the advanced features, but I do appreciate the built-in dictionary and the ability to highlight favorite passages. I like also that I could change the orientation from portrait to landscape, so that it felt more like I was holding a real book. Yes, it still feels fake to me. I'll get over it, eventually, maybe.

So, the first book I read on my Kindle was Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos. It was a good choice because I had to read it for Nerds Heart YA (and you'll hear more about the actual book in a couple days), which meant that I had to read it. The one thing I missed was the actual feel of turning pages (not quite the same as clicking a button) and being able to physically see how much I've read (a percentage bar of progress isn't enough for me). As for the display screen, it felt just like a book. I read it in bright sunlight without any glare and at night with a lamp just fine. Love it!

But then comes the lending problem. I'm a library user - hello, I'm a librarian. I buy books for my school library, not for myself. So what's a girl to do with this Kindle when Amazon promises to play nice with libraries soon but never specifies when that will actually happen? Be a savvy shopper, that's what! I certainly can't afford to buy all the new releases, but there are some great books out there that are free or relatively inexpensive, and I was thrilled about this. Because I don't have the luxury of going to my fabulous library here in Italy. They do have libraries, but see, their books are written in Italian. And I don't speak Italian. Mmhmm. So yes, I was saying - let's find some free/cheap Kindle books!

Here's what I downloaded last night:

Shine by Lauren Myracle
published May 2011 by Amulet

$2.99 on Kindle

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

The Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennett
published November 2010 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

$0.00 on Kindle - that means FREE!

This one sounds like a fluffy beach read. Lots of fashion and fun for the younger teen crowd. And it's free!

Summer's Crossing: An Iron Fey Novella by Julie Kagawa
published June 2011 by Harlequin Teen

$0.00 on Kindle - FREE!

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.
Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents by Elizabeth Eaves
published May 2011 by Seal Press

$0.99 for Kindle

Spanning fifteen years of travel, beginning when she is a sophomore in college, Wanderlust documents Elisabeth Eaves’s insatiable hunger for the rush of the unfamiliar and the experience of encountering new people and cultures. Young and independent, she crisscrosses five continents and chases the exotic, both in culture and in romance. In the jungles of Papua New Guinea, she loses herself—literally—to an Australian tour guide; in Cairo, she reconnects with her high school sweetheart, only to discover the beginning of a pattern that will characterize her life over the long-term: while long-distance relationships work well for her, traditional relationships do not.

Seduced by the Wolf by Terry Spear
published August 2010 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

$0.00 for Kindle - yes, that means FREE!

This looks more like a book my mom would read, with the half-naked man on the cover and all. But look at the pretty wolf! And I have been in a werewolf mood recently. So, hopefully the romance isn't too sleazy for my taste.

That's FIVE books for less than FOUR dollars! Pretty fantastic, if you ask me. AND! That's not all! There are SO many cheap or free books in the Kindle store that I've already read and wish I hadn't, so that I could read them on my Kindle (because I don't usually re-read, that's not my thing).

Check out these links for more info:

Oh! And I didn't even mention all of the classics that are in the public domain that are free too. I downloaded Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, Bulfinch's Mythology, and The Tales of the Brothers Grimm. And there are free word games too! Okay, okay, I'm done. Really. :)

Read recently

2011-05-22T16:56:00.001-05:00

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
published March 2009 by Harper Collins
272 pages (paperback), YA
YA Reading Challenge ; Shifter Challenge

A little while ago, I had a serious werewolf book craving. I haven't been reading very much lately as life has kept me plenty busy, so having any sort of literary craving was good news to me. Except that I couldn't believe how difficult it was for me to find the kind of story I was looking for - that I hadn't read already. Has there not been a werewolf craze yet? Really? There's a handful of our furry friends in contemporary YA novels, and the rest are all adult romance - which I like too, but it wasn't what my mood called for. Anyhow, I was happy to find this series, the Dark Guardians, by Rachel Hawthorne because it was unique and exciting enough to captivate my attention.

So, I use the term werewolf incorrectly because in this story, the characters label themselves as shifters - even though they do in fact change into wolves. This pack lives and works in a national forest, where they preserve nature and their own secrets. Kayla visited the park last year with her adoptive parents in order to deal with her devastating past - when she was very young, her parents were killed by hunters in that forest. This year, she has come back on her own as a summer employee to enjoy the beauty, make friends, and continue to heal. The group ventures deep into the forest, leading a group of academics doing research, unaware of the danger that awaits them.

Hmm, a synopsis isn't quite enough for this story. I liked it quite well. It was fast-paced when it needed to be and slow and thoughtful at other times. I do want to read the rest of the series because each book follows a different character, which I do appreciate.

Huntress by Malinda Lo
published April 2011 by Little, Brown
384 pages (hardcover), YA
YA Reading Challenge

I remember really loving Ash by Malinda Lo when I first read it. I recommended it to just about everyone and could not stop gushing about it. I didn't re-read it because this book takes place centuries before Ash, even though the setting is the same.

Huntress is the story of a kingdom that is slowly dying - the Xi (the Fay) have been toying with magic and upsetting the balance of the earth. The seasons are off kilter, which disrupts food production, leaving the people hungry, poor, and a little angry. So the King sends his son and two girls who are studying to be sages (one with quite a bit of talent and the other with fairly none at all) on a journey to meet with the Fairy Queen, where they will hopefully figure out what is causing this unbalance in their world. Kaede is the untalented one, though she has spirit and some basic fighting skills. She is forced along on this trip because Taisin, the gifted sage-in-training, saw her in a vision of this quest, an upsetting vision in which the prince and Taisin must leave Kaede alone to paddle across an icy river to a foreboding fortress of ice.

I read an absolutely beautiful review of this book recently, over at Reading in Color, and I recommend that you go read it too. Admittedly, I didn't love this book as much as Ash, and I know it's unfair for me to compare. I'm not really into the quest storyline, so this book was slow going for me. I liked the characters but wanted to know them better. It took me over a week to read it, but what I loved is that I was instantly transported back into the story every time I picked it up. That's something serious! I just wish I could have connected more to it - but that also has a lot to do with me and not necessarily a flaw of the writing.

In other news...
I've been away so much because the end of the school year is rapidly approaching (five more days!), and I have tons to do. And instead of being a lazy bum this summer, lounging around my town and reading all that I didn't have time for before, I decided to spend two months in Italy. I leave in a week and a half! I'm excited and fretful and a bundle of nerves, and one of my major worries was actually - how am I going to read without my public library!?

So, my mom generously bought me a Kindle for my birthday, and while I won't be doing all of my reading on it, it is so nice to know that if I run out of print books, I have a backup! Is that horrible to consider my Kindle a backup? Sorry e-reader enthusiasts, but I still love me some paper. I have a handful of books that I plan on taking with me, if I can make those luggage weight limits. So if it seems like I've fallen off the face of the planet, I haven't - I'm just across an ocean, enjoying my summer. :)

Nerds Heart YA Shortlist + I'm judging!

2011-05-10T21:45:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard yet, the Nerds Heart YA Shortlist was posted recently! Okay, so maybe you have heard that - but do you know what it is?

The Nerds Heart YA Tournament is a battle of the books for underrepresented YA literature. Specifically, it highlights books that:
Were published in 2010
Have received minimum press on blogs
Feature characters, or are penned by authors, who fall within the following categories: Person(s) of Color (POC); GLBT; Disability; Mental Illness; Religious Lifestyle; Lower Socioeconomic Status; Plus-size

I am SUPER excited about this tournament because I'm a first-round judge! Heather from Book Addiction and I will be co-judging the two books below and sending one on to the second round, where Kai from Fiction State of Mind will take over.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

(So, I'm showing you the paperback cover because, personally, I like it so SO much better than the hardcover, which you can go look up on your own if you really want to.)

Here's what seems to be the inside flap or back cover synopsis:

Jaya, Maria, and Lola are just like the other eighth-grade girls in the wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, New Jersey. They want to go to the spring dance, they love spending time with their best friends after school, sharing frappÉs and complaining about the other kids. But there’s one big difference: all three are daughters of maids and nannies. And they go to school with the very same kids whose families their mothers work for.
That difference grows even bigger—and more painful—when Jaya’s mother is accused of theft and Jaya’s small, fragile world collapses.
When tensions about immigrants start to erupt, fracturing this perfect, serene suburb, all three girls are tested, as outsiders—and as friends. Each of them must learn to find a place for themselves in a town that barely notices they exist.
Marina Budhos gives us a heartbreaking and eye-opening story of friendship, belonging, and finding the way home.

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

(Lots of people I know have read and enjoyed this one, and I actually haven't yet, so I can't wait!)

From the publisher:

The Red Umbrella is the moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan—an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution.

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?

Expect to hear more about these two books sometime in early June, and see which one will move on to the next round!

April Reading Recap

2011-05-01T12:21:00.002-05:00

Books Read in April

Chapter Books, mostly

Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks

Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson

The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise

Picture Books from my library

Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor

The Three Little Tamales by Eric A. Kimmel

There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake by Hazel Edwards

The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth

Picture Books from the public library

Vampire Boy's Good Night by Lisa Brown

Floop Does the Laundry by Carole Tremblay

Bedtime for Bear by Brett Helquist

Let's Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile

The Three Bully Goats by Leslie Kimmelman

Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Standouts

Yes, Eric E. Stead won the Caldecott this year for his heartwarming illustrations, so hello, why did it take me so long to read this book?!

You know how you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover? I confess - I do it (c'mon, so do you), and I didn't particularly fancy this one. It looked old-fashioned and not kid-friendly at all. But the story! The sweetest thing you will ever read. And with Eric's beautifully nostalgic illustrations, it has that much more impact.

This is a five purple crayon book for sure - I want my own copy!

Some other honorable mentions... The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth is a Ukrainian folktale about a boy who loses his mitten while playing out in the snow - he returns home and Grandma notices that it's missing, so they go out looking for it. I cannot wait to share this with students next year, since it's a Monarch Award nominee. My students just love folktales, and I know they'll enjoy this one too.

Do I have to say anything about Fancy Nancy? Kids love her, teachers love her, and I'm happy to say that I love her too!

Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell has lots of teacher potential. If you're studying classic fairy tales, use this at the end of the unit to inspire students to come up with their own original fairy tale creations. You'll have to check it out to see what I mean. :)

Readalouds
I'm reading Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up to first grade students, and they absolutely love it! It's our only chapter book readaloud for the year, so they realize it's something special. But they can totally relate to Keena too, which is what holds their attention. Keena makes some bad choices at the beginning of the book and has to figure out how to set them right - a universal theme, especially for this age group. Plus, it starts out just as Keena is beginning second grade, so it gives students a glimpse into their futures for next year.

I read The Dunderheads to third grade students, and it's probably the most engaged I've seen them all year long! The book is about a group of students, affectionately (not) nicknamed The Dunderheads by their mean teacher Mrs. Breakbone (who reminded students of Mrs. Trumbull from Matilda - yay for literary connections!). Breakbone confiscates Junkyard's birthday gift for his mom, so the gang plans a way to sneak into Breakbone's house to get it back, along with all the other goodies that she's taken from the kids. They're a motley crew of characters, each with special talents that help them to break into her house. Love it!

What happened?

Oh, so you noticed the lack of YA this month? Yeah. Just yeah. I've been in a reading slump. Nothing seems to hold my attention. I get 50 pages in, and then I'm done. Bored. Frustrated. Uninspired. It's not that I'm picking up bad books! But I'm in a hard-to-please place. I'm looking for something to wow me, to captivate me, and I just haven't found anything like that lately. I enjoyed Delirium quite a bit, but I need a break from YA dystopia. And I feel like that's all there is lately! I want to get swept away like I did with Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy or Anna Godbersen's Luxe series. I hope I can find that right book at the right time to dig me out of this slump.

ALA Teens' Top Ten 2011 Nominees

2011-04-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

Although I've temporarily severed my ties with the American Library Association (a bit too expensive for my budget this year), I'm always interested in their book awards and lists. For the Teens' Top Ten, teens across the country will vote in late August/early September for their favorite book from this list of 25. Here they are, straight from YALSA's website:

Bachorz, Pam. Drought. Egmont USA. 2011. (978606840160).
Beam, Cris. I Am J. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2011. (9780316053617).
Beaudoin, Sean. You Killed Wesley Payne. 2011. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. (9780316077422).
Black, Holly and Justine Larbalestier. Zombies vs. Unicorns. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books. 2010. (9781416989530).
Card, Orson Scott. The Lost Gate. Tor Books. 2011. (9780765326577).
Clare, Cassandra. The Clockwork Angel. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry. 2010. (9781416975861).
Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. Scholastic. 2010. (9780439023511).
Collins, Yvonne. Love, Inc. Disney/Hyperion. 2011. (9781423131151).
Condie, Ally. Matched. 2010. Penguin/Dutton. (9780525423645).
Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade. Penguin/Philomel. 2010. (9780399254826).
Fitzpatrick, Becca. Crescendo. Simon & Schuster Children’s. 2010. (9781416989431).
Grant, Michael. Lies. 2010. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books. (9780061449093).
Hawkins, Rachel. Demonglass. Disney/Hyperion. 2011. (9781423121312).
Hakwins, Rachel. Hex Hall. Disney/Hyperion. 2010. (9781423121305).
Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King. 2010. Harlequin. (9780373210084).
Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four. HarperCollins. 2010. (9780061969553).
Moore, Peter. Red Moon Rising. Disney/Hyperion. 2011. (9781423116653).
Nelson, Jandy. The Sky is Everywhere. 2010. Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers. (9780142417805).
Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2010. (9780061726804).
O’Neal, Ellis. The False Princess. Egmont USA. 2011. (9781606840795).
Patterson, James. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel. Little, Brown & Company. 2011. (9780316036207).
Pearce, Jackson. Sisters Red. Little, Brown and Company. 2010. (9780316068680).
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Blessed. Candlewick Press. 2011. (9780763643263).
Westerfeld, Scott. Behemoth. Simon Pulse. 2010. (9781416971757).
White, Kiersten. Paranormalcy. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2010. (9780061985843).

I can't believe I've read 10 out of 25! That's pretty impressive for me. I doubt I'll read many more, though.

How many have you read? Which were your favorite?

My favorite of the ones I've read? It's no contest -

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-04-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
published February 2011 by HarperCollins
441 pages (hardcover), YA

In the near future, the borders of the United States have been completely closed, borders to individual states and cities similarly regulated, and the greatest threat to society is the disease amor deliria nervosa - or what we know simply as love. Fortunately, a cure has been found for this vicious disease and is administered to most teens when they turn 18.

Lena can't wait to get the cure, to finally be rid of rumors and whispers about her mother, who committed suicide because the cure just didn't work on her - she didn't want it to. But Lena has always believed in the dangers of the disease and the safety of her controlled life. Until she meets Alex. He first shows up unexpectedly at her Evaluation (which will determine her choice of mate) then again as she is running with her best friend Hana and they stop to explore a restricted area. She's never really talked to a guy before - there are strict rules about segregating uncured boys and girls - and she feels strangely around Alex. Luckily, he's already been cured, so it's safe for them to talk. Safe. Right. Suffice to say, it's a classic case of boy shows girl how sheltered her life really is and how different it could be.

I love this book. You know me, I can't resist a YA dystopia, and neither can you, I'm sure, but that's not why I love this book. I love it because it doesn't have to be a dystopia. This story is all too familiar - teenagers with their reckless abandon and intense emotions get what life is all about, while adults slug on by, devoid of that spark of life they once had. This quote says it better:

Most of us won't see one another after graduation, and even if we do it will be different. We'll be different. We'll be adults--cured, tagged and labeled and paired and identified and placed neatly on our life path, perfectly round marbles set to roll down even, well-defined slopes.

I don't think I'm reading too much into it when I think about how some adults in today's society completely shed any sense of adventure, curiosity, passion, art, or anything interesting at all about themselves once they outgrow their teens (and maybe now twenties) and enter "the real world." As if there's something magical and carefree about being young that can't be carried through to adult life. Sure, we have more responsibilities and most of us choose professions that require us to keep a schedule and live a certain, stable way, but all is not lost! There's too much beauty in the world to get bogged down by work and responsibilities. Yes, that's a friendly reminder to myself. And a tangent, I know.

Back to the story - Lena goes through many changes in this book. She has a carefree spirit that sometimes peeks out, but she is usually cautious and afraid. I loved reading about her childhood, those brief moments with her mother when they would sing and dance in their home (with the blinds shut, of course), in comparison to her current life of daily routines and anticipation of the cure. Some have criticized her character as not being believable because of this stark contrast, but it makes perfect sense to me. Her mother's life (and death) serves as a cautionary tale, and even though she still has those warm, fuzzy feelings of the past, she knows they need to stay hidden for fear of triggering the disease. Well, you know, until Alex turns her world upside down. That's when Lena's character gets real interesting, but I won't go there.

This is a book to be read and shared and discussed. Which is why it's hard for me to write about it. So, I'll leave you with another of my favorite quotes:

One of the strangest things about life is that it will chug on, blind and oblivious, even as your private world - your little carved-out sphere - is twisting and morphing, even breaking apart. One day you have parents; the next day you're an orphan. One day you have a place and a path. The next day you're lost in the wilderness.
And still the sun rises and clouds mass and drift and people shop for groceries and toilets flush and blinds go up and down. That's when you realize that most of it - life, the relentless mechanism of existing - isn't about you. It doesn't include you at all. It will thrust onward even after you've jumped the edge. Even after you're dead.

Also reviewed by:

YA Reads ; Bookworming in the 21st Century ; Becky's Book Reviews ; Fantastic Book Review ; Confessions of a Bibliovore ; Candace's Book Blog ; The Neverending Shelf ; and many others

March Reading Recap

2011-04-01T19:16:00.001-05:00

Books Read in March

YA Novels

Awakened by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Miscellaneous

What I Was by Meg Rosoff

The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

Readalouds

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco

Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen Harold

John Henry by Julius Lester

Dona Flor by Pat Mora

Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes by Margie Palatini

The Runaway Tortilla by Eric A. Kimmel

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Did you miss me?

It looks like I was a lazy bum in March, but I assure you that life kept me plenty busy. I pretty much lived at work until Spring Break, and then I collapsed from exhaustion and tried to recharge. It worked... and I started a blog for my school library! Want to check it out? C'mon, you know you do...

King School Library Blog

It's definitely K-5, so if that's not your thing, you just stay right here, 'kay?

You know how I said I wasn't lazy? Hmm, well, I'm feeling it at the moment. So! If you want to know what I thought of any of those lovely books I read in March, please ask, and I'll let you know. Otherwise, I'm off to go read Delirium by Lauren Oliver. :)

Weekday Thoughts

2011-03-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

I don't feel like writing one of those formal-looking review/reflection/reaction things that I do after reading a book, but I do feel like writing, so here I am. Consider it an asynchronous conversation. What about, I'm not sure yet. I suppose I could tell you about what I've been reading lately.

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll have noticed that I was reading Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly last week. I posted a few quotes that I enjoyed that I'll share with you again:

"Beautiful people don't need coats. They've got their auras to keep them warm." (p. 34)

"What is it that mends broken people? Jesus? Chocolate? New shoes?" (p. 136)

"I don't like hope very much. In fact, I hate it. It's the crystal meth of emotions. It hooks you fast and kills you hard. It's bad news. The worst. It's sharp sticks and cherry bombs. When hope shows up, it's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt."

For some, it's a depressing sort of book. The main character, Andi, is miserable, forced to spend three weeks in France with her father (yes, I said forced), when all she'd rather do is wallow at home. She feels responsible for the death of her younger brother, so she's understandably pretty torn up about it. But it's not just about Andi - it becomes almost a dual story, with Alex, an 18th century girl who is intimately linked to the royal family in the midst of the French Revolution, coming to life through her journal that Andi finds. Truthfully, I could have parted with the history lessons in this one and maybe skimped on Alex's story a little, but I'm not a historical fiction fan. I loved Andi's characterization, her depression, her hopelessness, her pain, the emotion in this book. What a mood I've been in.

I've felt a slight reading slump lately - not that I've been reading a lot less (well, maybe a little), but rather that what I'm reading isn't exactly hitting the spot. Good books, to be sure, but not that "right book at the right time" kind of books. Maybe it's just my lack of time available to devote to books. Hmm.

I started reading What I Was by Meg Rosoff over the weekend. Have I ever expressed how much I love Meg Rosoff? No, I do not think I have. I've only read How I Live Now and The Bride's Farewell, but with some authors, you just know you're going to love everything they write. She has this particular style, this something, about her writing that I can't describe but love oh so very much. It's deceptively simple but packed with emotion and meaning. But I have to be in a certain mood for it, and here I am. Listening to "The Freshmen" by The Verve Pipe and needing another Mountain Dew. Thinking that Spring Break is only three days out of my reach. I leave you with a quote from What I Was:

"The featureless trundle of my existence began to change. At the time, I didn't have the insight to wonder at the transient nature of despair, but now that I'm older I've seen how little it takes to turn a person's life around for better or worse. An event will do, or an idea. Another person. An idea of a person."

February Reading Recap

2011-03-01T20:47:00.000-06:00

Books Read in February

Black History Month Books

I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont

Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford

Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia C. McKissack

Books Read While Browsing our Scholastic Book Fair

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Ready for Anything! by Keiko Kasza

Aliens Love Underpants! by Claire Freedman

Fractured Fairy Tales for First Grade

Chicken Big by Keith Graves

Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberley

Henny-Penny by Jane Wattenberg

The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone

The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth

Chicken Little by Steven Kellogg

Rosemary Wells Author Study for Kindergarten

Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration for Second Grade

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Scrambled Eggs Super!

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

New Picture Books & Graphic Novel

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon

A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates

A Pirate's Guide to First Grade by James Preller

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi

What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter

Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln

Other Goose by J.otto Seibold

Dear Primo by Duncan Tonatiuh

The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood

Animal Crackers Fly the Coop by Kevin O'Malley

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Young Adult Novels

Matched by Ally Condie

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves (review)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (review)

Challenge Progress

Debut Author Challenge: 1

Graphic Novels Challenge: 1

POC Reading Challenge: 1

Shifter Challenge: 0

YA Reading Challenge: 4

Notable Mentions

While selecting books for our guest readers to read during our African-American Read-In this week, I happily stumbled upon Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia C. McKissack. From the first page, I was swept away in this delightfully whimsical tale. I only wish I got to read it aloud myself!

Do you want to giggle? Do you? Yeah? Then read Aliens Love Underpants! by Claire Freedman. Aliens visit Earth for one reason alone - to steal your underpants! Silly pictures and rhymes make this one a super-fun readaloud for spring fever days.

It's a little embarrassing to be an elementary school librarian who doesn't know her folk and fairy tales, but I have inexperience on my side here. I never read them as a kid and don't remember having them read to me, so here I am trying to play catch-up. And I love it! I read The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone, an oldie but a goodie, last week to first grade, and they loved it too (followed by The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst, a story about the boy's younger, smarter sister).

I'm having a blast going through my new books, though it's been a slow process. These two - What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger & The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood - are both short and mostly illustrated with very little text, but oh the impact! What If? shows two friends playing with a ball in the ocean and has several alternate scenarios of what would happen next when the ball rolls onto the beach. So much teaching potential here! Perspective, making choices, interpreting illustrations, writing text to accompany pictures, etc. And I recommended The Quiet Book to a teacher who absolutely loved using it with her students - it describes all the different ways one can be quiet. Lovely and thoughtful, both of these books are.

Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter is the true story of a barge full of garbage with nowhere to go. From the Jersey shore down to New Orleans and almost up the Mississippi, this barge has no place to unload and a long journey it's taken. The illustrations remind me of clay-mation (remember when that was popular?) and are decidedly creepy at parts, but the story is fascinating and rather shocking.

To Read in March

Well, I knew I would read a lot of picture books in February, and that I did. March may be my month for early readers and middle grade chapter books. I've neglected those lately. And then there's Spring Break, when I hope I'll be able to read an adult novel, gasp! Water for Elephants is my choice, but it's still a few weeks away. I've had enough YA, I think. Or maybe it's just that I really don't like the one I'm reading now. Oh, and all those books turning into movies this month! Oof, another busy month.

How'd you do in February?

2011 Page to Screen Reading Challenge

2011-02-23T19:26:00.000-06:00

Last night, I had the brilliant idea to start my own book club in town because I don't currently have one (nor have I ever), and that just seems ridiculous since hello, I'm a reader. So, I decided that the theme had to be universally loved, and BAM! books to movies came to mind - who doesn't love going to the movies? I do this anyway. I don't generally see a movie in the theatre unless I've read the book first. This is my idea. It's so original, right?

Okay, maybe not. A quick search on A Novel Challenge showed me a few others who may have had this same idea. Thus, I'm now joining the 2011 Page to Screen Reading Challenge hosted by Reading Extensively because even if I don't get my in-real-life book club going, at least I'll have some pals to read with online.

This challenge is fairly simple. Read at least five books-to-movies. I like it.

Here's what's on my to-read and to-watch list so far:

I Am Number Four, movie released February 18, 2011

Update: YES, I read this! But I still haven't seen the movie...

Beastly (re-read), movie released March 4, 2011

Update: No, I didn't re-read it. But I did just see the movie! And I really liked it, even though it strayed from the book a bit.

Jane Eyre (re-read), movie released March 11, 2011

Update: Haven't re-read or seen it. Maybe over the summer...

Atlas Shrugged, movie released April 15, 2011

Update: Did this movie even come out? No, I didn't read it or see it. Yeesh...

Water for Elephants, movie released April 22, 2011

Update: Yes, I read it! I actually read this one in Italy and was going to see the movie in Italian... except that the theatre was closed for the summer. Hmmph! So no, I haven't seen it yet.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (re-read), movie released July 15, 2011

Update: No, I didn't re-read it. Though I really should have because I saw the movie and was less than impressed. Am I the only one who is glad that it's over?

The Help (re-read), movie released August 12, 2011

Update: Didn't re-read it and still haven't seen it. I guess I watch less movies than I thought!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, movie released November 23, 2011

Update: I'm currently reading this one and hope to see the movie this month.

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

2011-02-21T20:08:00.001-06:00

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
published January 2011 by Simon & Schuster
512 pages (hardcover), YA
YA Reading Challenge ; POC Challenge

Kit and Fancy are the daughters of the Bonesaw Killer, living in Portero, Texas, where reality and fantasy (or rather, horror) are confused easily. Fancy's the baby of the family, and at fifteen, she has yet to learn how to properly dress herself or experience emotions like a real-life human teen. Kit and Fancy have been the closest of sisters, sharing secrets and animal anatomy experiments, but Kit's got a boyfriend, and that means that Fancy is no longer privy to every detail of her life. Sure, their dad's in jail for hacking people up, and perhaps they have a knack for the family trade too, but the girls aren't immune to the hazards of growing up.

Other reviewers get into the gory details of this story, but that's not what it's about for me. I'm okay with the torturing, the killing, the twisted dark sides that Kit and Fancy possess, so plot-wise, I have no trouble reading about the disturbing ways of life for these Portero residents. Kit can communicate with the dead and Fancy can create a "happy place" to transport the evildoers of their town to. So what? What intrigues me are the characters themselves - their motivations, self-perceptions, and attempts at growth. This, Ms. Dia Reeves does well. Fancy hates people beyond her family and is so child-like that it's almost comical - until she gets a good look at herself and nearly unravels. Kit is such a flower, blossoming in her strange world, trying new things and spending more time away from the comfort of her home. This is a story about two sisters paving their own paths in life, while still attempting to hold on to each other.

I loved this book. More than I loved Bleeding Violet. But like I said about that one, it's not a book for everyone. People have compared it to Dexter, and I guess if you need to compare it to something, that works. Except that Portero is nothing like Miami.

Five purple crayons because I'm still a little dumbfounded by how much I love love loved this book. Will read again. Need to buy my own copy.

Reviewed elsewhere:
La Femme Readers ; Dear Author ; Steph Su Reads ; Good Books and Good Wine

Across the Universe by Beth Revis + Giveaway!

2011-02-13T22:17:00.002-06:00

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
published January 2011 by Penguin
416 pages (hardcover), YA
2011 Debut Author Challenge ; YA Reading Challenge ; Dystopian February
*reviewed from ARC

This book begins as Amy and her parents are being frozen, to be awakened in 300 years when the starship Godspeed will land on a new inhabitable planet. Unfortunately, Amy wakes up about half a century too early, as her block of ice is rolled out of its freezer to thaw. Luckily, the doctor on board and future leader Elder are able to save her. The story shifts between Amy and Elder, as they try to figure out who wanted her dead and who is continuing to sabotage the cryogenically frozen people on board the Godspeed.

Elder is a leader in training, under the guidance of Eldest, who has the responsibility of keeping the 2,000+ person society on the Godspeed safe and peaceful. The ship is on autopilot, but the people need someone to watch over them. The society functions smoothly, with clearly defined generations (mating is only allowed during the Season) and jobs. People work in fields, genetics labs, and other parts of the ship out of necessity. Although they may not all live long enough to see the Godspeed land on Centauri-Earth, they have hope that their children will. The back cover of the ARC calls this book Titanic meets Brave New World, and I say that's about right. But I can't tell you why!

Others have already said this, and I will agree that the first half of this book was slow. I took frequent breaks because I just couldn't get into it. But then there's a whole lot of action and secrets revealed all at once, and I was flying through it to see what would happen next. I thought the story was lacking at first - I'm a Star Trek fan, I know how these things work. But this is no ordinary science fiction or dystopia - we have murder mystery as well, and tons of twists and turns. There were quite a few "didn't see that coming!" moments that I was rather happy for. Overall, a solid debut and a refreshing dystopia - what can I say? I'm a fan of space travel. Three purple crayons from me.

Reviewed elsewhere:
Becky's Book Reviews ; holes In My brain ; The Story Siren ; Candace's Book Blog ; A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust ; La Femme Readers

GIVEAWAY

Though the book is out already, I do have an ARC to give away. Fill out the form below for a chance to win!

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Pirate picture books

2011-02-12T12:31:00.002-06:00

My latest book order came in a week or two ago, and I've been slowly reading through all my new library books. I don't know how I managed it, but I kinda maybe sorta bought THREE picture books with pirates. Um, oops? I must have had Johnny Depp on my mind. Anyhow, here they are!

A Pirate's Night Before Christmas written by Philip Yates, illustrated by Sebastia Serra (2008)

Quite the retelling, this one is! It begins, "'Twas the night before Christmas aboard the Black Sark / Not a creature was stirrin', not even a shark!" I love the invented pirate rhymes, but I love more the pencil & ink digitally colored illustrations. They're soft, yet vibrant, and rather tropical because of course instead of reindeer, we have seahorses pulling the sleigh. A pirate glossary at the end of the book will help translate some of the jargon to curious listeners (and readers), though the illustrations tell the story perfectly well.

A Pirate's Guide to First Grade written by James Preller, illustrated by Greg Ruth (2010)

Add this to your collection of "first day of school" books to read and share with teachers. I love it because of its potential to jump right in with a discussion of how illustrations tell a story separate from yet complementary to the text. Yes, it's a book about a boy's first day of school, but on this journey, he brings with him a crew of pirates, drawn in sepia-like tones while the rest of the story is done in watercolor oilstick and pastels. Are the pirates really there or not? Students will catch on to the fact that they are a figment of the boy's imagination. The text is done in pirate-speak but the endpapers provide a glossary, and of course, the illustrations show what may get lost in translation.

The Pirate of Kindergarten written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril (2010)

This one's not actually about pirates, but since it has pirate in the title, I thought I'd share anyway. Ginny always has her nose in a book, quite literally, and has trouble making out which bunny ears to cut. During her vision screening at school, she finds out that most people don't see two of everything like she does, so she goes to the eye doctor to fix her double vision - hence the eye patch. I like how the eye patch at the end turned her into a pirate, which was something positive and special for her. Great readaloud for kindergarten students before their own vision screening at school.

Other pirate favorites:
How I Became a Pirate written by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon (2003)
Pirates Don't Change Diapers written by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon (2007)
Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies written by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by John Manders (2005)
Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates written by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by John Manders (2009)

In My Mailbox

2011-02-06T21:19:00.001-06:00

I know it's a little late for an IMM post, but I just had to share my excitement! I don't get books in my mailbox very often, so it's a special occasion. :) Look what I got!

I won an ARC of Across the Universe by Beth Revis from One Librarian's Book Reviews. Thanks, Melissa! Even though the book is already out, I'm still happy for the ARC because I'm #6 on my library's holds list, which may take months, and I just can't wait that long. You have seen all the rave reviews of this book, right?

I also got quite a few beauties from the library this week. Lookie here.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (because everyone love love loved it)

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin (because it's noir and got mixed reviews)

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves (because Bleeding Violet was delightfully dark & twisted)

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (because I liked Incarceron and wonder what's next)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Head on over to see what goodies everyone else received this week!

P.S. You see that Dystopian February button to the right? Clickie clickie to go to Presenting Lenore's blog, where she'll be reviewing dystopias all month long! I'll be reading a few myself. :)

January Reading Recap

2011-02-01T13:21:00.000-06:00

Books Read in January

PICTURE BOOKS

Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama, illus. by Loren Long

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach, illus. by David Small

Cowboy & Octopus by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Fred Stays with Me! by Nancy Coffelt

A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner

Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery, illus. by Jean Cassels

CHILDREN'S NONFICTION

My Uncle Martin's Big Heart by Angela Farris Watkins, illus. by Eric Velasquez

Coretta Scott poetry by Ntozake Shange, paintings by Kadir Nelson

Martin Luther King Jr. by Joeming Dunn, illus. by Chris Allen

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illus. by Brian Pinkney

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman, illus. by Ross Macdonald

YA FICTION

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (review)

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber (review)

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian (review)

XVI by Julia Karr (review)

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (review)

The Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (mini-review)

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (mini-review)

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (mini-review)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (mini-review)

Challenge Progress

Debut Author Challenge: 1

Graphic Novels Challenge: 0 (for shame!)

POC Reading Challenge: 2

Shifter Challenge: 3

YA Reading Challenge: 12 !

Belated Reactions

Goodness, did I read a boatload of YA this month! Even more, I wrote about much of it. Don't be fooled though - just because I didn't review it all doesn't mean I didn't love it.

I read Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles on Sunday night (way past my bedtime) and loved it just as much but quite differently than Perfect Chemistry. This one follows the middle Fuentes brother, Carlos, as he moves from Mexico to Colorado to live with older bro Alex, in an attempt to stay out of trouble and finish high school. So who's the chica this Latin boy is going to fall for? None other than his peer guide Kiara. Kiara is smart, independent, athletic, and cares little for her outward appearance or for impressing Carlos. I loved the tug-of-war between Kiara and Carlos in this book. And of course, I can't help but root for them both, underdogs in their own ways. I never thought I'd enjoy YA romance as much as I do these books. They're funny, edgy, and definitely sexy. Can't wait for the third, Chain Reaction, to come out this summer!

I also finally finished my beloved vampire series, Vampire Academy, this month with The Last Sacrifice. I didn't love love love it as much as some of the other books, but like Mockingjay, it was a fitting ending to the story. Sigh. I feel so lonesome when series I love end.

But! I started a new werewolf series that I absolutely adore and can't wait to read more of - Nightshade by Andrea Cremer was absolutely fantastic, and I am not too keen on waiting until July to read Wolfsbane. If you haven't read it yet, a word of friendly advice: don't! Wait until the next one is published so you can read them together and then groan in anticipation for this third. Oh series, we have such a love/hate relationship.

Oh, and this isn't YA, but if you haven't read President Obama's picture book Of Thee I Sing, why not? It's a beautiful letter to his daughters, highlighting key figures in history and seeing their greatness in his children. The illustrations by Loren Long complement and help tell the story so so perfectly. Go read it!

To Read in February
My books for my graphic novel grant are trickling in, and I need to read them. Many because I want to and others because I need to know that I made good decisions. But I just haven't been in the mood lately. YA has taken over my world. I expect it will soon taper off, and then I will have time to read these precious graphic works. February is a short month, so I suspect I'll read less, but who knows. I'm falsely snowed in (where's the snow? the ice? why am I home on a Tuesday afternoon?), so I should be reading right now. I'll probably do an author study with kindergarten (Rosemary Wells? Kevin Henkes? or just jump right in to Mo Willems?), fractured fairy tales with first grade, and Coretta Scott King Award winners with 4/5th grade, so my picture book numbers will be higher. We'll see how it goes!

Of faeries and werewolves

2011-01-30T12:58:00.000-06:00

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
published August 2010 by Harlequin Teen
304 pages (paperback), YA
YA Reading Challenge

This is the second book in the Iron Fey series, so if you haven't read The Iron King, you may want to skip this review. Meghan Chase has just saved her brother from the Iron Kingdom with the help of Winter Prince Ash and best friend Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck. In exchange for Ash's help, Summer Princess Meghan has offered to go to the Winter Court with Ash. Meghan is practically a prisoner and certainly despised by the Winter Fey, and her interactions with Ash are hot and cold. One minute he's kissing her and about to confess his love and the other he's ridiculing her and speaking to her as if she were scum. Romantic complications aside, the Iron Fey are gaining power even though Meghan had slain their King, which could mean the destruction of both the Summer and Winter Courts. Do they join forces to defeat the unnatural Iron Fey or fight each other, oblivious to the danger about to befall them?

This book started a little slowly for me. I appreciated the recap at the beginning because it had been awhile since I read The Iron King. But once I was about halfway through, I could not put it down. I love this world. I love Meghan's strange powers that I'm still trying to figure out. I even don't mind the little love triangle between Meghan, Ash, and Puck. And Grimalkin! Oh, I was so happy to see him again - that cat had quite a few witty remarks. There's action, suspense, romance, heartache, and comedy - what more could you want?

Four purple crayons from me! I can't resist a fanciful faerie story. :)

P.S. The Iron Queen is out this month!

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

published December 2010 by HarperCollins

292 pages (hardcover), YA

YA Reading Challenge ; Shifter Challenge

Celeste and her two best friends are dating three star athletes - the perfect high school sixsome. They spend their time at games, parties, and the mall, just like any other suburban Eastsider. Celeste has never liked the way the Eastside and Westside students ignored each other, Eastsiders the more privileged, wealthy and snobbish types while the Westsiders were more working-class, down-to-earth and humble. The groups didn't mix. But then Brandon moves to the Westside, and Celeste can't take her eyes off of him. She knows she can't like him, but she does anyway. Especially since he saves her life by warding off a pack of wolves on her snowy, misguided walk home one afternoon. Oh, and by the way, legend has it that werewolves exist in this town.

Like Celeste, I try to find the good in any situation, person, or book, in this case. I really battled with this one. Why was the writing so bland? Why was the story so unoriginal? Why did I even finish reading it? And I finally decided that I was not the target audience. This book would be just fine for middle or younger high school students, particularly struggling readers who still want to read the same kinds of books as their peers. The writing reminded me a lot of what I see in early readers for K-1 students - short, choppy sentences; stilted dialogue; and brief chapters to propel you. But then, what of the plot? The character development? They were both a bore and entirely too predictable. And maybe that's fine for a younger, less experienced in this genre audience, but not at all what I was expecting.

So, that makes it a two purple crayon book for me.

P.S. The only thing that kept me reading this book was its resemblance to Kirk's movie in Gilmore Girls. The dialogue is eerily similar in style!

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

2011-01-26T22:29:00.001-06:00

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian
published September 2010 by Scholastic
336 pages (hardcover), YA
YA Reading Challenge

I don't usually use blurbs, but this one said all I wanted to say. From the dust jacket:

Life is about choices, and Natalie Sterling prides herself on making the right ones. She's avoided the jerky guys populating her prep school, always topped honor roll, and is poised to be the first female student council president in years.

If only other girls were as sensible and strong. Like the pack of freshmen yearning to be football players' playthings. Or her best friend, whose crappy judgment nearly ruined her life.

But being sensible and strong isn't easy. Not when Natalie nearly gets expelled anyway. Not when her advice hurts more than it helps. Not when a boy she once dismissed becomes the boy she can't stop thinking about.

The line between good and bad has gone fuzzy, and crossing it could end in disaster... or become the best choice she'll ever make.

This book was good. I can't believe how many negative reviews I read for it, though. Most of them cried the same - Natalie's not a likable or a relatable character. Well, no, she's not very friendly or approachable. She's goal-oriented, with very little people skills and a know-it-all attitude. Reviewers said that made her unbelievable, that they'd never met anyone like her in real life. Really? I certainly have! Especially in a teenage girl who is trying so hard not to let boys and high school drama rule her life. Who wants desperately to be successful - to leave a legacy behind and make a name for herself in all that she does. Who acutely feels the pressure of being a female in a male-dominated society, to the point where she cannot see beyond herself. Yes, I've known (and know still) girls and women like that. Natalie is determined to be assertive in all that she does, and she sometimes fails to see how that hurts others. So, sure, she has flaws, and she is slow to realize them, and we don't really get to see her change her ways, but there are morsels of hope by the end of this book.

One reviewer also said that when dealing with teens and sex, there's no need for subtlety. Others called the book preachy. I don't know that it was either. I suppose I'd lean towards the subtle side. It was complex, that's for sure, and Vivian didn't attempt to explain away all the iffy decisions Natalie and her small group of almost-friends made. There is much room for interpretation and discussion in this book, and that's why I liked it so. The characters were developed just enough that you could guess why they did and said the things they did but not too much that it was spelled out for you.

I wish I had this book in high school. I might have questioned more and thought of absolutes less. Even looking at the title, I cringe when I think about how many times I've probably said those words about myself. So damaging - to myself and other girls. Because isn't that how you say it? I'm not that kind of girl. Like you're better than that girl. You have higher standards, morals, ethics, whatever. And those kinds of girls are all the same, lumped in the same category, on the receiving end of your disdain. Too much measuring, too much hate - let's all just be ourselves and be happy with each other, okay?

Anyhow, back to the book. Another fantastic YA read - goodness, I'm on a roll! Go read it. Have thoughts of your own. Share them, please. :) Four purple crayons from this Natalie.

XVI Winner!

2011-01-24T20:30:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Charlotte of Charlotte's Library for winning a copy of XVI by Julia Karr!

Your book will go out in the mail tomorrow. :)

XVI by Julia Karr + Giveaway!

2011-01-20T21:21:00.002-06:00

XVI by Julia Karr
published January 2011 by Penguin
272 pages (paperback), YA
Debut Author Challenge ; YA Reading Challenge

Nina is fifteen, going on sexteen. In 22nd century Chicago, for a girl, turning 16 means getting tattooed with XVI on her wrist, broadcasting to the world that this gal's ready for sex, anywhere anytime from anyone. They all want it anyway, right? Well, Nina doesn't. She's not completely brainwashed by the Media. She wants to be a Creative, go to art school, and have a life. But then her life spins out of control, with her family in danger and her views of the world shattered, and what begins as a simple dystopia quickly turns into a murder mystery.

I was initially attracted to this book because of the setting - I'd love to know what Chicago looks like in 2150 in someone else's imagination. I was disappointed that it didn't seem so different from today. I understand that's plausible, I suppose, but I wanted a little more fancy. The technology jargon is different, but the devices are familiar. And the society? Well, we only get glimpses into the government, but what is made very clear is that the Media runs the show.

Nina and her friends have designated themselves private investigators and protectors (of each other). It's not safe to talk unless in a Dead Zone (can you hear me now?), and they have much to puzzle through. What if the government is lying to them? What if Nina's father is still alive? What if embracing life as a sexteen isn't all that it's advertised to be? If I'm not making sense, good. There's not much explanation I could give without retelling the story. If you're intrigued, give it a whirl. It should be a quick read.

For me, I read this book at the wrong time. I forced it, and I shouldn't have. I may have liked it better had I not just read The Sky is Everywhere. But still three purple crayons for an interesting story.

Reviewed elsewhere:
Forever Young Adult ; Fiktshun

GIVEAWAY!

I bought this book with the intent of passing it on to one lucky winner. All you have to do is fill out the form! Contest ends Monday, January 24, 2011. Open to U.S. only.

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The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

2011-01-16T17:39:00.000-06:00

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
published March 2010 by Penguin
275 pages (hardcover), YA

Two peas in a pod, but now there's just one - Lennie's lost her older sister Bailey and is slowly spinning out of control. Bailey was the outgoing one, the vibrant spark, the actress, and the racehorse, and Lennie was happy to be at her side, inseparable, sharing stories and secrets. Who is Lennie supposed to be without Bailey? To say that this is a story about grief isn't enough. It's also about quirky families, falling in love at the most inconvenient time, and figuring out how to go on living when Bailey will not.

You have no idea how much restraint I'm displaying right now. I want to jump and shout "Best book ever!" all over the blogosphere and make everyone love this book as much as I did. But I am subdued because it was such an emotional book to read. Ecstatic and exquisite highs of first love and gut-wrenching, heartbreaking lows of loss and abandonment all at once. The writing was beautiful - I can turn to any page and find a quote-worthy passage. Here, I'll show you:

I start to think about all the things I haven't said since Bailey died, all the words stowed deep in my heart, in our orange bedroom, all the words in the whole world that aren't said after someone dies because they are too sad, too enraged, too devastated, too guilty, to come out--all of them begin to course inside me like a lunatic river. I suck in all the air I can, until there's probably no air left in Clover for anyone else, and then I blast it all out my clarinet in one mad bleating typhoon of a note. (p. 84)

Beautiful. But what really pulled me in was the first paragraph. This was when I decided that this book and I would have a long-lasting relationship...

Gram is worried about me. It's not just because my sister Bailey died four weeks ago, or because my mother hasn't contacted me in sixteen years, or even because suddenly all I think about is sex. She is worried about me because one of her houseplants has spots. (p. 1)

Did you giggle? If not, you may not love this book as much as I did. I'm just saying. Because it's not that the story is all that original. People die in books all the time. But the characters are unique, and their interactions are something special.

Joe Fontaine, who we meet in the second chapter, may be my second favorite character to Lennie. He has just moved back to Clover and is a "musical genius" (among other yummy things) who just so happens to be a little smitten with Lennie. Lennie! The same Lennie who eats her lunch up in a tree so she won't have to face the sea of sympathetic faces in the lunchroom, the Lennie who plays her clarinet half-heartedly even though it's obvious she can be a musical genius too, and the Lennie who walks around in a daze, every so often suddenly realizing the gravity of her life without Bailey. Who could like her? Their interactions keep this story from becoming a depressing sobfest. This over-the-top, let's-fall-madly-in-love-in-a-matter-of-days plot line might feel contrived, trying too hard to achieve a false balance, but when I think about times in my life when I've felt that deep, unending grief, I find that love was also magnified. We do try to reach some balance in our lives, as inappropriate as it might seem, and I'm happy for that authenticity in Nelson's writing.

I could go on and on about this book, but I'll save it for a second reading. Yep, you heard right, I'm buying this one, folks.Which makes this a five purple crayon book, one that will find a home on my sparse shelves along with other all-time favorites of mine. Goodness, how I loved it.

Reviewed elsewhere:
Holes in My Brain ; The Page Flipper ; Presenting Lenore ; Fantastic Book Review ; Tattooed Books ; etc.

MLK Day Read-alouds

2011-01-12T19:44:00.001-06:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a big deal around here.We have a special section in the library devoted to books about him (because goodness knows there are a zillion books published about Dr. King), and teachers have been checking them out all week. Just in the nick of time, one of my book orders came in today with four new books that I couldn't wait to read and share. :)

Coretta Scott / poetry by Ntozake Shange, paintings by Kadir Nelson
published January 2009 by HarperCollins

I absolutely love the paintings in this book! I love how they take up an entire two-page spread and are vibrant and, in some cases, larger than life. You can see this by the cover alone. The poetry puzzled me. There is no punctuation, which frustrated me and had me stumbling over my words as I read it aloud to myself. The words per page are sparse and let the artwork tell the story too, which highlights Coretta's childhood, marriage, and key events in her life. I learned that she went to school to sing, and the last page has her and Martin singing together cheek by cheek, my favorite painting in the book. So pleased with this book and plan to share it with students when we study the Coretta Scott King Award.

My Uncle Martin's Big Heart by Angela Farris Watkins, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
published October 2010 by Abrams

Yes, this book is written by one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s nieces. And that's what I love about it - its conversational tone and portrait of a man who we all know as someone who did Great and Important things for society but who she just knew as a loving uncle. Love the illustrations in this one too - similar style to Coretta, but what I like most is that many of them are ordinary. There's one of Uncle M.L. asleep on the couch (fully dressed and with shoes!), one hanging out in the backyard with all the kids, and another smiling as he sends a telegram. It's nice to see another side of him, one that isn't so solemn and serious (though of course there's some of that too). This would be a good choice to share with the little ones.

Martin Luther King Jr. by Joeming Dunn, illustrated by Chris Allen
published July 2008 by Magic Wagon

This book is part of a graphic novel biography series, but do not be fooled, it's not a graphic novel. Not in the sense of the word as I know it, at least. While the illustrations are drawn as comics, the story is narrated completely rather than being driven by dialogue. And it's not really a story either, as it's written very much like an informational book about Dr. King, with chapters for his education, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, etc. That being said, I think this will appeal to students who wouldn't normally pick up a biography or any informational text, the students who read comics exclusively (and I have plenty of those), and who will read anything as long as it's shelved in the 741.5s. So now I have a dilemma - where do I shelve it?

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
published February 2010 by Little, Brown

Oh, how I love this book! I am just consistently amazed by the Pinkney family - they have talent oozing out of their ears, they really do. I think I may have cried when I first read this book. It's so powerful in such a quiet way. Sprinkling Dr. King's words throughout, we are told the story of the Greensboro Four, the first four black students to sit down at a whites only Woolworth's counter and ask to be served donuts and coffee. It tells the story of King's nonviolent, peaceful approach to affecting change, using the metaphor of baking bread. Brian's watercolor and India ink illustrations are a perfect match for this story, but I couldn't tell you why. Perhaps because of the contrast between the delicate watercolors and the harsh black lines - the rightness of blending the two to create something beautiful though not clearly defined. I also love the added material at the end - a Civil Rights timeline, a note from Andrea about her research, and a bibliography of books and websites (selected by ALSC!) to consult "for further enjoyment." Gush gush gush. I love it. Definitely use it with 4th/5th grade students - and be surprised by the great discussions you will have.

Read this week (8)

2011-01-09T14:48:00.000-06:00

Though I try not to make a big fuss over the new year, I do like joining reading challenges and read the most for them during these first few months of the year. And so I bring back my abandoned Read this week feature. I only use it when I have a particularly heavy reading week, and I want to jot a few notes down about each book before they all start blending together. This was definitely the case this week, as I started intensely on the YA Reading Challenge.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
published August 2010 by Scholastic
YA Reading Challenge

What's to say that hasn't already been said? I'm so glad I re-read the first two. And someday I know I will want to re-read the trilogy. Yep, it's that good. Admittedly, this third book was my least favorite. But isn't that usually the case with series' ends? The trilogy itself reminds me of the Back to the Future trilogy - first two were fantastic, very similar to each other, and hard to pick a favorite. But the third was a little random - much different setting, different problems, but you can't help but like it because of familiar characters. Mockingjay's storyline was a bit too political for my taste (I don't generally read war novels, much too sensitive for that), and all the killing was hard to read, but the character depth achieved was well worth it. A satisfying end to the trilogy.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
published August 2010 by HarperTeen
YA Reading Challenge

Will I ever tire of YA paranormal fantasies? Not anytime soon, I suppose. Evie is a sixteen year-old girl working for the government, the International Paranormal Containment Agency, that is. She's gifted with the ability to see through glamours and into monsters, to see them for what they really are, and so she is a rare commodity that this agency has put to good use. Evie's daily life consists of apprehending and putting ankle bracelets on anything from vampires to hags, chatting with her best friend (a mermaid), and watching her favorite teen drama, Easton Heights. She doesn't live a normal teenage life - she doesn't go to high school or have human friends her age or even drive. But she has adventure and plenty of drama and perhaps a little love interest in a newly discovered paranormal who breaks into the agency. Reminded me of the Alexia Tarabotti books because of the action, adventure, and variety of paranormals. Fun, quick, and light.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
published November 2010 by Little, Brown
YA Reading Challenge

This, for me, was The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks + Speak (both favorites of mine): major girl power surrounded by the very serious issue of date rape. What impressed and startled me most about this book was how calmly Alex reacted to her situation. The book begins with Alex naked in a boy's bed, obviously hungover with next to no memory of the evening before. As the story progresses, she slowly remembers more about that night, with emotional triggers from friends, songs, and smells. Her confidantes are the ones to suggest she has been date raped, and she has to mull over that idea and ultimately decide if it's true. The setting (boarding school) is crucial to this book, as Alex also needs to figure out what action she should take next. Should she call the police? Tell her parents? The school's administration? But there is a fourth option. The Mockingbirds. A secret justice agency created by the students for the students. The more I think about this book, the more I like it. It saddens me that the students are dismissive of the adults in their lives, that they feel like their problems wouldn't be taken seriously by their teachers or parents. But it makes me proud that they are capable and willing to sort them out themselves. Definitely glad I read this one.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
published December 2009 by Egmont
YA Reading Challenge
Shifter Challenge

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about this book. I didn't know much about the story before I picked it up, so I was surprised that the main character was a preacher's daughter attending a Christian school. I'm usually very aware of faith-related books before I start reading them because it requires me to open my mind a little more and not be so judgmental. But I rebounded quickly and was able to suspend prejudices, if you will, enough to get into the story. Grace is a good girl. The only bad part of her life seems to be Daniel, her childhood friend who disappeared years ago but now is mysteriously back in town to finish high school. Grace is inexplicably drawn to Daniel, but whenever she's with him, strange and dangerous things happen. Secrets abound. Promises are made and broken. And Grace questions her world incessantly. The questioning was tiresome for me. The writing too literal. I wanted more magic and mystique. And the story? Not entirely original and not my cup of tea. But I know many people loved this book and are jumping all over the recently published sequel, The Lost Saint, so to each his or her own.

Phew, that was my reading week. I love it when I binge on books. :) Have you read any of these? What'd you think?

2011 YA Reading Challenge

2011-01-02T19:04:00.009-06:00

In 2010, I read 44 YA novels. Not for any challenge. Not for work. Just because. And I don't know if I'm happy with that number. I'm sure I wanted to read hundreds (seriously) more.

So, I'm very happy that Jamie is hosting the 2011 YA Reading Challenge because it will give me a reason to read even more YA. Yay. :)

The rules:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Create a post about the challenge and link your challenge post up in the linky below.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. There are four levels:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.

--The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.

--The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. The Challenge starts on January 1, 2011 and goes until December 31, 2011.

It's mega-size for me! I'll list my books as I read them here...

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (review)
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (review)
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (review)
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (review)
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (review)
XVI by Julia Karr (review)
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian (review)
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (review)
Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber (review)
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Matched by Ally Condie
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (review)
Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves (review)
Awakened by Kristin and P.C. Cast
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (review)
Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne
The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez (review)
Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos (review)
Anathema by Megg Jensen
Oubliette by Megg Jensen
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Stolen by Lucy Christopher (review)
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
Lush by Natasha Friend (review)
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones (review)
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Cloaked by Alex Flinn (review)
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Divergent by Veronica Roth (review)
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2011 POC Reading Challenge

2011-01-02T18:53:00.002-06:00

Last year, I couldn't help but notice the whitewashing of covers, as cases popped up all over the blogosphere. And it bothered me, as it should. But I have to be honest and tell you that I didn't read any of the books affected, and I'm sorry for it. So, this year I'd like to officially join the POC Reading Challenge, "to highlight and celebrate authors and characters of color."

The levels of participation are:

Level 1: Read 1-3 POC books
Level 2. Read 4-6 POC books
Level 3. Read 7-9 POC books
Level 4. Read 10-15 POC books
Level 5. Read 16-25 POC books

I haven't yet chosen a level for myself. It seems too easy to go for Level 1, but if I can review and write honestly about that many books, then I'll be happy. And really, I'm joining more for the discussion and community than anything else.

I'll post books here as I read them...

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (review)
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves (review)
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Huntress by Malinda Lo
The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez (review)
Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos (review)
Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Update: Not included here are the tons (tons!) of picture books I read for work. We have an extremely diverse population of students, and I'm always reading them books from different cultures.

2011 Shifter Challenge

2011-01-02T18:33:00.004-06:00

I've given too much vampire love since Twilight came out (6 years ago, really!?), and I think it's time for me to take my paranormal reading elsewhere. I've already ventured into wolf territory on several occasions, but honestly, besides Shiver and Linger, I haven't read too many shifter books that have stayed with me. Thus, I am joining the Shifter Challenge so graciously hosted by Parajunkee's View!

THE RULES:
Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating. That post is the link that you will include in the Mr. Linky below. The link should be the post link not just your blog link.
Grab the button and display it in the post (use grab code underneath the button) or on your sidebar so others can join in the fun.
Challenge goes from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011
The challenge is to read 20 books that have a SHIFTER as a main character, either protag or antagonist
There will be a post that goes up for January 1 where you add each book as you read them and discuss books read in the comments

Yep, you read that right. Twenty shifter books! I'll tell you right now that I have little hope of achieving that goal. So, do I pick a number? Or see how it goes? I think I'll start at 5 and take it from there. I'm secretly hoping for 10. :)

I'll list my books here as I read them...

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (review)
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber (review)
Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne
Seduced by the Wolf by Terry Spear
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

2011 Graphic Novels Challenge

2011-01-02T17:29:00.001-06:00

Another year of the Graphic Novels Challenge, and I'm excited. Although it's not my preferred format or one that I can judge with any sort of authority, I do appreciate the blend of art with words. My students can't get enough of them, so this is for them too.

Last year, I set an unbelievable goal for myself and, of course, did not manage to attain it. This year, I'll stick to the rules, which are as follows:

The challenge starts January 1, 2011 and ends December 31, 2011. You can start anytime you want to especially if you want to start early.
The level of participation: Beginner (3 comics or graphic novels), Intermediate (3-10 books), or Expert (10+)
Overlaps with other challenges is definitely okay
Re-reads count
Feel free to post your list at any time

I'll be going for the Expert level, and maybe I'll even write that many reviews. I'll list the books here as I read them:

Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost (review at my school library blog)
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Joeming Dunn, illus. by Chris Allen
Copper by Kazu Kibuishi
Bake Sale by Sara Varon
Scary Godmother by Jill Thompson (review at my school library blog)
Lost and Found by Shaun Tan
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

That's all for 2011, folks! No, I didn't meet my goal. I really thought I read more than 7 graphic novels this year...

December Reading Recap

2011-01-01T21:19:00.000-06:00

Books Read in December

PICTURE BOOKS

The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia McKissack

NOVELS
Young Adult

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Graphic

Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess by George O'Connor

Amulet: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi

NONFICTION

You Know You Want It: Style-Inspiration-Confidence by Eric Daman

Reflections
I know I read more picture books than that, but I wasn't very good at keeping track of them this month. Oh well. I am pleased at my selection of YA, even though I wish there was more on that list. And if you're wondering about that lonely nonfiction book (because you know I generally steer clear of anything true), I've been a little obsessed with the fashion on Gossip Girl (hello, guilty pleasure!), so I looked up the show's stylist (Eric Daman) and found that he had written a book! The book itself is mostly common sense advice, but I still enjoyed looking at all the outfits he put together. What an artist.

And did you see? I read two of the three Hunger Games books this month! (I finished Mockingjay today!) I am so happy that I re-read those books, and you know what? Just as good as the first time. Still five purple crayon books, which is even surprising to me. I am a tough critic, especially when it comes to re-reads, but these were well worth reading again. And I feel like they made me enjoy and understand Mockingjay much more than I would have otherwise. All those surprises people alluded to in their reviews of this final book, I just didn't see. It flowed, and it made sense, and I'm happy for it. But I shouldn't be talking about it here. :)

So, my mind is a bit scattered, and I'm having trouble with the words. I'm off to watch some more Mad Men...

Winter Break

2010-12-18T00:11:00.000-06:00

It's here! Winter break is here! It's been a wonderful school year so far, but I must say that I am looking and feeling a little ragged around the edges and could definitely use some r&r. I won't be online much over the break, but I thought I'd join this challenge at least in spirit because I do plan on reading a ton over these next two weeks.

Books that I have checked out from the library:
Bright young things /
by Godbersen, Anna.

Catching fire /
by Collins, Suzanne.

The exiled queen /
by Chima, Cinda Williams.

Extraordinary /
by Werlin, Nancy.

How to say goodbye in Robot /
by Standiford, Natalie.

The hunger games /
by Collins, Suzanne.

The Mockingbirds /
by Whitney, Daisy.

Nightshade /
by Cremer, Andrea R.

Revolution /
by Donnelly, Jennifer.

The sky is everywhere /
by Nelson, Jandy.

You all know how long I've been meaning to re-read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Because I still have a borrowed copy of Mockingjay, well, mocking me, in fact. So, those three are top priority.The rest will be left up to my moods. :)

Have a splendiferous holiday season! (Did you catch that kidlit reference?) See you next year...

Book Blogger Holiday Swap!

2010-12-13T14:31:00.001-06:00

Can I just say that this has been the best Monday off of work ever? Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but oh boy, did I have a lot of housekeeping to do today! While I was busy making flight & hotel reservations, my mailman happened to knock on my door and drop off this box of holiday goodness. :)

Thank you to Smash from Smash Attack Reads! for all of these goodies!

Filling in the gaps

2010-12-08T18:40:00.004-06:00

During my clicky clicks from blog to blog over the weekend, I stumbled upon this fantastic idea.

Choose 100 books. Books to "fill in the gaps" of your personal literary canon. Books that most people have already read (or perhaps just say they have), and you have not. Books that you truly have been meaning to read but have avoided because of their daunting length or exalted literary status or an array of other excuses that just will not do. Books that every person "should" read.

Of course, I was inspired. This is exactly what I need! Sure, GoodReads is fine and well for keeping track of newly released books that I want to read right now, but what about all the others that I just never get around to? So, I decided to make my own list. And I will slowly fill that gap, one book at a time.

According to Vasilly and Moonrat, the challenge is supposed to last 5 years from the start date. Ha! There's not a chance in the world that I can read these hundred books in merely 5 years, considering the amount of kidlit and YA reading I do. Even giving myself 10 years would still mean that I'd have to finish 10 books a year, which is a little less than a book a month, which again, is not realistic given my reading habits. What to do, what to do? I'm honestly not much for long-term planning, so this is very new territory for me.

My goal: I don't yet have 100 books on my list - I'm about halfway there. But since it's such a long challenge, I'm okay with that, as I'll be continuously adding books to it. I do plan to check in every year around this time, the winter holidays, to assess my progress. If I read a handful of these books in one year, I think I'll be satisfied with that.

I'd love to know if anyone else is doing something similar. Or if there is a group out there committed to doing this challenge and encouraging each other along the way. The book blogosphere is ginormous - it's sometimes hard to figure out who's reading what and what challenges are hot. If I so obviously missed the "host" of this one, let me know, please!

Without further ado, my list of books to fill in my personal reading gaps:

A
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen

B
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

C
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

D
White Noise by Don DeLillo
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

E
Middlemarch by George Eliot

F
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

G
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

H
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

I

J
The American by Henry James
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

K
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

L
Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

M
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Beloved by Toni Morrison

N
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

O
Nineteen Eight Four by George Orwell

P
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Q

R
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson

S
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dracula by Bram Stoker

T
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolsoy
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

U

V
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

W
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

X

Y

Z
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

What do you think? Am I crazy? Are there any other "classic"-type books you'd recommend?

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

2010-12-04T23:05:00.001-06:00

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
published October 2010 by Random House
272 pages (hardcover), YA

Dash hates Christmas. He can't stand the throngs of bipolar people who'll be spreading yuletide joy one minute and cursing you in a certain department store the next. He's surly and snarly, but he's a teenage boy, so he's partially entitled. Lily, on the other hand, is full of Christmas spirit, baking the most delicious and inventive holiday cookies and creating her own caroling troupe. Both teens are on their own for Christmas this year, which inevitably leads them to one another. When Lily's brother devises a plan to get Lily's goody-two-shoes bum out of the house and into the real world for some adventure and excitement, what Dash finds from these two is a red notebook in his favorite bookstore, daring him to do the same. So begins the correspondence between Dash & Lily.

I'll get the unfair comparison out of the way first - I'm a big fan of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist as well as Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, so I knew that I would enjoy this book as well. Levithan and Cohn write alternating chapters in each of these books, and they're quite good at it. Remember when I said that I love author collaborations? I really, really do. I feel like there's more character development there somehow, but I suppose it's just because there are two narrators and the reader gets to know them both fairly well. At any rate, Dash & Lily are just as memorable as the previous, and I'm rather happy for it.

Coincidentally, here's my favorite quote from Dash:

I was attempting to write the story of my life. It wasn't so much about plot. It was much more about character (p.198).

So, the story is about a boy and a girl who do not know each other in person but only through the dares they write to each other in this red notebook. From the bookstore to Santa's lap to a wax museum and much more, these two teens not only dare each other to do silly and annoying things but they also open up and share parts of themselves in their writing. Do I want to go buy a red notebook and try the same? You bet! It's fun and a little reckless - the idea is hopelessly romantic and does require you to suspend disbelief in order to properly enjoy it.

As with any author pairing, I was curious to see which character I would prefer. It took me a little while to decide, but I think Dash is my guy. Although Lily's sweet and innocent self was adorable, I had just a bit of trouble reconciling how sheltered she was in New York City. Not to say that everyone in the city is harsh and jaded - well, maybe I am a little. I'm not from there, so what do I know? But for that reason, Dash made more sense to me. And I'll be honest, I totally would have had a crush on him in high school. His unabashedly nerdy love affair with words is hot.

Though this book was told in two voices, there were quite a few supporting characters that stood out too. Dash's best friend Boomer, his ex-girlfriend Sofia, Lily's brother Langston, her great aunt "Mrs. Basil E," her cousin Mark and a few others. Through their eyes, the reader learns more about Dash & Lily, which does say something about a person's character, no pun intended.

So, there it is. Stick this entry into Wordle, and you'll get what I look for in a good novel: character. It's almost comical how many times I used that word. But that's what I enjoyed most about this book, even though the dares were fun too. It's definitely an appropriate read for this time of year - I appreciated it during our first snow! Go pick it up and pass it along to a teen over the holidays. They might not admit it, but they will definitely eat it up.

Three purple crayons for an enjoyable story with excellent characters.

Around the blogosphere:
Eating YA Books ; Guys Lit Wire ; Pure Imagination ; Chick Lit Reviews ; Book Aunt

November Reading Recap

2010-12-01T22:21:00.000-06:00

Goals, Goals, Goals
I was right - not much time for reading this month. I had trouble choosing which novel to read first, so I didn't read any, well all but one. I squeezed one by Simone Elkeles in because I was so enamored with her presentation at ISLMA. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but I just didn't have the brain capacity for it. And The Hunger Games trilogy? Sitting on my coffee table. Calling to me. Begging, pleading, hoping that I'll re-read and read them. I will. Really.

What I Read & Why
Because being a good blogger means following through on those reviews

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk by Dav Piley
Zoey Zeta and the Sisters of Power by Robert Simon

Because I bought a boat load of picture books for my library with a generous grant

Because part of my job lets me read to and for kiddos

Because I didn't spend very much time at the public library this month

December Dreams
So, that's a lot of picture books in November. I need more YA in my life. Please, December, give me more time and energy to read novels. I miss it! I won't even begin to name what books are sitting in various piles around my house because I'll just be sad in January to see all those I did not read. Let's just say that I'll read more than I did this month! The snow will force me to cozy up to some good books, right?

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk + Scholastic Giveaway

2010-11-30T18:56:00.000-06:00

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Dav Pilkey
published August 2010 by Scholastic
176 pages (hardcover), middle grade graphic novel
*copy received from publisher

Meet Ook and Gluk, best caveman friends who are always falling into adventures. They like playing the part of brave heroes, saving a dinosaur from sinking into quicksand, a cavewoman from an unappealing marriage to the Chief, and the whole of civilization from a man out to destroy the world to make a buck.

All I have to say is - kids are going to eat this book up. They'll rip it up, for sure. There are Flip-O-Rama pages in this book, which create seemingly animated scenes, that are destined to be torn to shreds. I'll be taping up those pages in advance.

As for the story, I have many mixed feelings. Obviously, the spelling irks me. Perhaps it's meant to be easy to read, to mimic kids' invented spellings, or whatever - I just don't think it has a place in published works. It gives students the idea that spelling really doesn't matter, and while I'd love to hop on that bandwagon, it's not exactly socially acceptable. But I digress.

What I absolutely loved about this book can be found in the following pages:

You see those arrows on page 9? I love them. Towards the beginning of the book, there were a few arrows to direct the reader to follow the story in the correct sequence. This is much appreciated because contrary to popular belief, not everyone just knows how to read comics.

I also liked the friendship between Ook and Gluk and their ease of making new friends. They had good hearts and wanted to help people, which is nice. But the violence! And the language! A bit too much name-calling for my taste - and I say this because I hear it every day in school, and I can't stand it. Another nasty habit I'd not like reinforced, thanks. The violence is minor, I suppose, but not really, because a kick or a punch is still violence, and again, I don't want to see it in school. But that's just my perspective. Maybe kids are just desensitized to it and won't even notice it the way I did (which I also think is sad, by the way), I don't know.

Anyhow, it seems like this book brought out a whole lot of social commentary in me, and I don't mean to sound so old and cranky. Know that kids will like it and will want more of it. And I do think there was a balance of what I liked and didn't like in it, so I'd certainly put it in one of my student's hands and hope for the best!

Three purple crayons from me - I suspect five from the kiddos. :)

SCHOLASTIC GIVEAWAY!
But that's not all! Along with sending me a shiny new copy of Ook & Gluk to review, they are also hosting a ginormous holiday giveaway. I'm sure you've seen these delectable prize packs among other kidlit blogs (I know I have!), so here I am offering you yet another chance to win this boatload of great holiday reads. Here's what Scholastic has to say about it:

Give the gift of reading to your child this holiday season! Scholastic books make the perfect stocking stuffer for any child on your list.

We have a HUGE prize pack filled with the most popular children’s books in the marketplace to offer one lucky reader! Titles include CAPTAIN SKY BLUE, IT’S CHRISTMAS DAVID, OOK and GLUK as well as TONY BALONEY, ODIOUS OGRE and I SPY CHRISTMAS A CHRISTMAS TREE!

Seriously, check out those books! To enter, you must have a U.S. mailing address. And that's about it.

Fill out the form below for a chance to win! Contest ends Wednesday, December 8, 2010.

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2010-11-28T01:46:00.001-06:00

Kristi of The Story Siren is hosting the third annual 2011 Debut Author Challenge, which highlights new authors who write middle grade or young adult books. The challenge is simple - read 12 books by a debut author in 2011. Kristi has spreadsheets and lists a-plenty on her blog (and on Goodreads), so finding books and authors should be a cinch. The hard part is narrowing those choices down!

2011 Debut Author Challenge participant information:

The objective of the DAC is to read at least twelve novels from Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit! I encourage readers who can read more than twelve to do so!
Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States.
You do not have to have an blog written in English to participate.
You can join at anytime. The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.

I'm going to attempt this challenge this coming year because I was secretly jealous of those participating in it this year. I was afraid of the time commitment, but honestly, I bet I've read at least five 2010 debuts this year without even realizing it! With a little concerted effort, I know I can manage twelve. :) This will be a good way for me to stay on top of the YA scene too, since the bulk of my YA reading lately has been catching up on series or making sure I read the new one from [insert beloved author here]. As much as I love my K-5 kiddos, the time I spend with them and reading books for them leaves me wishing for and wanting more YA lit.

Here's a list of 2011 debuts that I'm contemplating reading. I'll update it throughout the year to reflect what I've actually read.

EDIT:
And what did I actually read? It's shameful, really. I only managed to read 3 debut novels this year. But many are still on my to-read list! The year flew by, what can I say?

I read...

XVI by Julia Karr (review)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (review)

Divergent by Veronica Roth (review)

I think I'll join the challenge again in 2012 and make a concerted effort to read more than 3 debuts!

Happy Haul-idays!

2010-11-21T00:34:00.001-06:00

Chronicle Books is hosting quite the fantastic contest for the holidays - they're giving away $500 worth of books to one lucky blogger and one lucky commenter. How absolutely wonderful!

So, of course I chose the books below for my library. A few of them I will most certainly purchase (like Chicken Big!) if I don't win, but the majority will just have to wait for another day and time when money grows on trees in library courtyards. :) It's a pleasant dream, isn't it? Wish me and my students luck!

ETA: After visiting some other blogs entering the contest, I noticed that there's a handy Wishlist on Chronicle Books' website that you can use. Not that I spent a ridiculous amount of time composing my bookboxes or anything. Or even more time going back to create a Wishlist. Okay, maybe I did. Here's my Wishlist, including 2 more books because I was a little under $500. Don't make my mistake! Create a Wishlist! Or if you're too lazy and actually like the books I chose, just comment here and you're entered.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

2010-11-20T16:10:00.000-06:00

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
published December 2008 by Walker & Co
368 pages (paperback), YA

We all know the story - good girl falls for bad boy. She's popular, rich and college-bound, the envy of all her friends. He's in a gang, living on the poor side of the tracks, and hoping to at least graduate high school. Inevitably, the two must spend their school days together as chemistry lab partners. On their first day, they're forced to introduce each other to the class:

"This is Alejandro Fuentes. When he wasn't hanging out on street corners and harassing innocent people this summer, he toured the inside of jails around the city, if you know what I mean. His secret desire is to go to college and become a chemistry teacher, like you, Mrs. Peterson."

Brittany flashes me a triumphant smile, thinking she's won this round. Guess again, gringa.

"This is Brittany Ellis," I say, all eyes now focused on me. "This summer she went to the mall, bought new clothes so she could expand her wardrobe, and spent her daddy's money on plastic surgery to enhance her, ahem, assets. Her secret desire is to date a Mexicano before she graduates."

I don't read a whole lot of realistic fiction or romance for that matter, but I quite enjoyed this one. Perhaps it's because I saw Simone Elkeles speak at ISLMA last month, and she was just so bubbly and hilarious. Perhaps because the trailer for this book is genius and fall-off-your-chair funny. Or maybe because I read it over a long weekend traveling to visit a friend. It made for great airport and plane reading.

One thing Simone mentioned when she talked about her writing career is that she was never great at school and she never saw herself as a writer or even reader. But a trip to the public library and a handful of romances later changed her mind. She loves the happy ending that all romances promise and deliver, and that's what she tried to do with this book. Personally, I could have done without the happy ending, especially in a YA romance, but I liked the rest of the story enough to be okay with it. Brittany and Alex are three-dimensional characters, with complicated family stories and even more complicated friendships, with thoughts and feelings so at odds with each other that they're constantly fighting and trying to figure out what's right. Simone's passion and general emo qualities shine in this book. Honestly, that's what I love most about teens and books for teens - the raw emotion and incessant need to question everything.

So, four purple crayons for a fantastic if predictable story. I smiled and laughed and wanted to hug someone when I was finished reading it. :)

Help!

2010-11-16T18:58:00.000-06:00

So, I sort of became an aunt last night. I say sort of because my sister surely didn't have a baby, but my cousin-in-law did - and our families are so close that I think aunt is a fitting title. Anyhow, I need help choosing books for this little one!

I have a hard enough time finding books for kindergartners that I am just completely clueless when it comes to baby books. I know that board books are in, especially textured ones. Simple pictures. Not a lot of text. I guess? I really don't know.

Please offer your suggestions of favorite books for babies!

Zoey Zeta and the Sisters of Power by Robert Simon

2010-11-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

Zoey Zeta and the Sisters of Power: Family Secrets written by Robert Simon, illustrated by Tomomi Sarafov
published April 2010 by Zeta Comics
unpaged (paperback), children's graphic novel
*received from publisher

In this first story of Zoey Zeta and the Sisters of Power, Zoey the scientific genius, middle sister Ella the indestructible, and youngest sister Lexi the supersonic are getting ready for an activity-filled summer vacation when evil villain Dr. Impossible thwarts their plans and puts the country-most importantly kids and their parents-on lockdown. But these girls are superheroes; well, they will be, at least, once they come up with a name and a plan to stop Dr. Impossible.

I quite enjoyed this full-color graphic novel aimed at elementary girls who like superheroes too. The dialogue is smart, as shown by one of my favorite lines, "Parents are cautioned not to weep openly or uncontrollably in front of their children," (in reference to Dr. Impossible taking control of the media world). Because it's aimed at a young audience, I was afraid that the text may be too difficult for my students especially, but I don't think that's the case. Where the language is a bit more sophisticated, the illustrations clearly support it so that the story is not lost. The panels are easy to navigate and the colors just pop right off the page. I'm intrigued by the story, but I'm disappointed that it's separated into three parts. It was over before I really got into it.

Here's a part of the letter I received from the author/publisher about the creation of this comic:

I created Zeta Comics to address the lack of science fiction for young girls. You see, fairies are great but they're not cool. Not unless they're packing molecular disintegrators. Girls need more imaginative, science and engineering based fiction and fun. That's where Zeta Comics is positioning its stories and characters. Get ready for an action-packed adventure starring three powerful little girls with big powers, big attitudes and big adventures.

I'm just going to pretend he didn't bad-mouth fairies there. Because you all know my fascination and love for fairies. Mmhmm.

Anyhow, I plan on sharing this book with my students, and we'll see how it goes! From me, it gets three purple crayons. Solid but too short.

October Reading Recap

2010-11-01T20:02:00.000-05:00

Goal-Making
Did I read more for myself? Yep, I think so. Could always read more, though. Especially since the bedside stack has now split into two for fear of falling over. Oy. Public library, how I appreciate your 4-week loan period and generous renewals. I pretty much decide what I'm going to read based on what book cannot be renewed because it's requested by someone else. Tonight's selection is Blameless because it's due on Wednesday!

What I Read and Why

Because reading for me makes me happy

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich

The Body at the Tower (The Agency #2) by Y.S. Lee

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles

Because the public library buys EVERYTHING

What is Money, Anyway? by Jennifer Larson

A Fairy-Tale Fall by Apple Jordan

The Leaves Fall Around by Steve Mack

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin

The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall

Thanks a Lot, Emily Post! by Jennifer Larue Huget

Because Halloween has so much read-aloud potential

The Scariest Monster in the World by Lee Weatherly

Pumpkin Town! by Katie McTy

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligot

The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo

Hallowilloween by Calef Brown

The Monster Princess by D.J. MacHale

Because they're nominated for the Monarch Award

Oh, Theodore! by Susan Katz

Help Me, Mr. Mutt! by Janet Stevens

Abe's Honest Words by Doreen Rappaport

Dog and Bear by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Because I bought them for my library

Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert

AlphaOops! H is for Halloween by Alethea Kontis

Big Babies, Little Babies by DK Publishing

Mentionables

Did I really only blog three times in October? I need to get better at blogging quicker. These entries take me hours on end. Anyhow...

Clockwork Angel was by far my favorite. The first book in The Infernal Devices series, which is a prequel to The Mortal Instruments series, all books that I have loved. Tessa finds herself at the Institute in London after being imprisoned by demon sisters, with the new knowledge that she's a Downworlder with the unique talent of shape shifting. Woo! Need I say much more? :)

Just read How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles this weekend because I went to one of her sessions at the Illinois School Library Media Association's annual conference on Friday. She was so full of spunk and spark that I immediately rushed to my mom's public library to get one of her books to read - this was the only one on the shelf. And I rather enjoyed it. I love her easy style - she absolutely writes how she speaks, and it works for her. Can't wait to read more from her!

Not much else to say that I haven't said here, here, or here.

November Aspirations

Honestly, I'll be surprised if I get any reading done in November. So much to do! I said that I would revisit The Hunger Games and Catching Fire during Thanksgiving break so that I can finally read Mockingjay, but I don't know that I'll have much free time while visiting family. I do plan on reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because I just got it from the library after waiting months on their holds list. I'm not about to give it back without reading it! Also looking forward to Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld and The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima, both sequels to first books in a series. And I want to read everything Simone Elkeles has written because she's refreshingly honest, funny, a tad silly, and so full of life and emotion. OH! And Harry Potter 7, Part 1 comes out this month?! Goodness gracious, there's no way I'll have time to re-read it. Best I can hope for is to re-watch #6.

Nonfiction Monday: Big Babies, Little Babies

2010-10-25T14:07:00.000-05:00

Big Babies, Little Babies
published April 2010 by DK Publishing
64 pages (hardcover), children's nonfiction

You and your kids will ooh and ahh and mostly aww your way through this book. I surely did! This collection of animal babies is all about the photographs. Each two-page spread features a different baby, including bears, dolphins, elephants, giraffes, penguins, monkeys, and much more. The photographs (a collection of stock images) drive the text in this book, with thought bubbles for the babies and captions that describe a small aspect of the baby's life.

The details in this book are what really sold me on it. And the organization. Each spread contains a large, bold, unique title with two or three sentences of description. The rest of the text is written in a smaller font size and serves as caption or thought bubble. Also, the spreads contain a dominant background color which is pulled from the images and also serves to outline the text and photo boxes. The page numbers wouldn't be complete without a paw print, webbed foot, or other stamp to match the animal.

I have every intention of sharing this book with students in the library as a read-aloud. I probably won't read the whole book, or every single word on each page, but I will definitely hit some of the especially aww-worthy pages. This one might even work well using a document camera to project it on the board for enlarged images. Tie into teaching about how to read nonfiction text, what's a caption, text box, photograph, etc. Oh, the curricular connections are endless.

Check out more Nonfiction Monday posts at the round-up, hosted this week at Write About Now.