Bloggiesta Wrap-Up

Phew! I spent most of Friday and Saturday working on my blog with a little time here and there today, which I'd say amounted to roughly 15 hours. Here are the major things I accomplished:

• Added a new profile picture, linked to my profile from it
  
• Updated my profile
• Joined the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge and linked to my post in the sidebar
• Added a Subscribe button
• Signed up to be a mentee at the Bloggie Cult for this Mini-Challenge
• Moved from Bloglines to Google Reader (this was a big decision!), cleaned up my feeds, and updated my sidebar
• Graded my blog at WebsiteGrader (it's a sad, little number)
• Added meta tags
• Commented on 16 other blogs for the Comment Mini-Challenge
  

So, I didn't do as much as I wanted to in terms of content (writing up posts in advance, choosing a review style, coming up with features), but I think that now that I am more happy with the way my blog looks and feel like I have at least a tiny readership, I'll be more motivated to post regularly and creatively. Before, I felt like I was just talking to myself, so it didn't really matter how often I posted or what I said, really. I have been thinking more about my purpose in the blogging community and what I have to say, and I've decided that I do like the direction in which my blog is heading. Personal reviews with some library love splashed around and bits of news every now and then.

Thanks to Natasha at Maw Books for this challenge, as it did just that, challenge me to make my blog better, which I think I did as much I could in the time and space of one weekend. Definitely glad for the opportunity to connect to other bloggers and much less shy about having my voice heard and responding to others. :)

Kirkus' Best YA of 2009

Since I've declared January my catch-up month for reading, I thought I'd browse around for some more "Best of 2009" lists. Not sure how I overlooked Kirkus' lists - there are so many! I was most interested in their Young Adult Best Books of 2009, so here are three that I've decided to add to my to-read pile:

Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh
published March 2009, HarperTeen
288 pages (hardcover), YA

Inside flap:

When Toby breathes on Mama Inez's bird-shaped invitations, giving them the power to fly, plans for the Serendipity Market begin. Soon, eleven honored guests travel from afar and make their way to the storytellers' tent to share their stories. Each tale proves what Mama Inez knows—that magic is everywhere. Sometimes it shows itself subtly—a ray of sun glinting on a gold coin, or a girl picking a rose without getting pricked by the thorn—and sometimes it makes itself known with trumpets and fireworks. But when real magic is combined with the magic of storytelling, it can change the world.

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
published October 2009 by Little, Brown
224 pages (hardcover), YA

Inside flap:

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

Crossing Stones by Helen Frost
published September 2009 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
192 pages (hardcover), YA

Inside flap:

Eighteen-year-old Muriel Jorgensen lives on one side of Crabapple Creek. Her family’s closest friends, the Normans, live on the other. For as long as Muriel can remember, the families’ lives have been intertwined, connected by the crossing stones that span the water. But now that Frank Norman—who Muriel is just beginning to think might be more than a friend—has enlisted to fight in World War I and her brother, Ollie, has lied about his age to join him, the future is uncertain. As Muriel tends to things at home with the help of Frank’s sister, Emma, she becomes more and more fascinated by the women’s suffrage movement, but she is surrounded by people who advise her to keep her opinions to herself. How can she find a way to care for those she loves while still remaining true to who she is?

Except for Once Was Lost, which has gotten quite a bit of media exposure, I hadn't heard anything at all about these books. Which makes me think about a recent blog post I read (and for the life of me, I can't remember where it was or who wrote it) about popular books receiving tons of media attention, especially when they get reviewed on blogs, which generates even more buzz and readership. But books from smaller presses don't get much hype at all and tend to get overlooked. It also made me think of So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld, which deals with how trends are created - and now I'm being challenged to read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, which apparently deals with similar topics. Although it all seems tangential, these are the thoughts that came to me while I was browsing through a "Best of" list - because wouldn't you think that if a book makes it to such a list that I would have heard about it before then? But if only Kirkus seems to think it's a "Best of" book, then no, probably not. It makes me wonder about how much influence bloggers really have about what gets promoted/read/sold - and that's a scary thought.

2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Hosted at J. Kaye's Book Blog, this challenge encourages people to use the public library. Woo! Roaming around the book blogging community, I'm astounded at how many people purchase books - that's an expensive habit! Obviously, I'm biased toward libraries, but I'm rather excited that so many people are participating in this challenge. I hope visiting your local library also becomes a habit. :)

Anyhow, there are four levels in this challenge:

The Mini – Check out and read 25 library books.
Just My Size – Check out and read 50 library books.
Stepping It Up – Check out and read 75 library books.
Super Size Me – Check out and read 100 library books.

I will be participating in the Super Size Me level. My personal challenge will be to read at least 100 library books because I know that I will check out far more than that!

I'll be posting my books here as I read them, and hopefully linking to reviews. :)

1. Ash by Malinda Lo - review - read 01/06/10
2. Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley - review - read 01/07/10
3. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima - review - read 01/10/10
4. Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew - review - read 01/16/10
5. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - review - read 01/17/10
6. Need by Carrie Jones - review - read 01/18/10
7. Adventures in Burrwood Forest by John Lechner - review - read 01/19/10
8. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - review - read 01/24/10
9. The Case of the Missing Marquess (An Enola Holmes Mystery) by Nancy Springer - review - read 01/25/10 
10. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton - review - read 01/28/10
11. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George - read 01/30/10
12. Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney - review - read 01/31/10 
13. Darklight by Lesley Livingston - read 02/01/10 
14. Splendor by Anna Godbersen - read 02/09/10
15. Korgi (Book 1): Sprouting Wings! by Christian Slade - review - read 02/10/10
16. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (An Enola Holmes Mystery #2) by Nancy Springer - read 02/11/10
17. Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund - review - read 02/15/10 
18. Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman - read 02/16/10 
19. Once was Lost by Sara Zarr - read 02/19/10
20. High Five by Janet Evanovich - read 02/20/10
21. The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff - review - read 02/22/10
22. The Maze Runner by James Dashner - review - read 02/26/10
23. Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi - review - read 02/27/10
24. Amulet: The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi - review - read 02/28/10
25. Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough - read 03/05/10
26. Aurelia by Anne Osterlund - review - read 03/09/10
27. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - review - read 03/14/10
28. Chibi Vampire (Volume 1) by Yuna Kagesaki - read 03/14/10
29. Chibi Vampire (Volume 2) by Yuna Kagesaki - read 03/14/10 
30. Gone by Lisa McMann - review - read 03/16/10
31. Soulless by Gail Carriger - review - read 03/18/10
32. Heist Society by Ally Carter - review - read 03/24/10 
33. Hot Six by Janet Evanovich - read 03/26/10
34. The Rain Came Down by David Shannon - read 03/27/10
35. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes - read 03/27/10
36. My Garden by Kevin Henkes - read 03/27/10
37. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - read 03/28/10
38. Too Many Toys by David Shannon - read 03/30/10
39. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd - review - read 04/03/10 
40. What Happened to Marion's Book? by Brook Berg - review - read 04/07/10
41. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon - review - read 04/07/10
42. Hansel and Gretel retold by Rachel Isadora - review - read 04/07/10
43. Blankets by Craig Thompson - read 04/10/10
44. The Dream Stealer by Sid Fleischman - read 04/10/10
45. No, David! by David Shannon - read 04/15/10
46. David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon - read 04/15/10
47. David Goes to School by David Shannon - read 04/15/10
48. Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas - review - read 04/15/10
49. The Squeaky Door by Margaret Read MacDonald - review - read 04/15/10
50. Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton - review - read 04/15/10
51. It's Spring! by Jimmy Pickering - read 04/15/10
52. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan - review - read 04/16/10
53. Strega Nona Meets Her Match by Tomie dePaola - read 04/18/10
54. Big Anthony and the Magic Ring by Tomie dePaola - read 04/18/10
55. Koi and the Kola Nuts: A Tale from Liberia by Verna Aardema - read 04/18/10
56. Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile by Won-Ldy Paye - read 04/18/10
57. Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa by Niki Daly - read 04/18/10
58. Luba and the Wren by Patricia Polacco - read 04/18/10
59. What Kinds of Seeds Are These? by Heidi Roemer - read 04/18/10
60. Flip, Float, Fly!: Seeds on the Move by JoAnn Early Macken - read 04/18/10
61. Fruit Is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean Richards - read 04/18/10
62. Jack and the Beanstalk retold by E. Nesbit - review - read 04/19/10
63. Jack and the Beanstalk retold by Richard Walker - review - read 04/19/10
64. Jack and the Beanstalk retold by John Cech - review - read 04/19/10
65. Zeus: King of Gods by George O'Connor - read 04/20/10
66. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher - review - read 04/25/10
67. Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell - read 04/25/10 
68. Waynetta and the Cornstalk: A Texas Fairy Tale by Helen Ketteman - read 04/27/10 
69. The Princess and the Beggar: A Korean Folktale by Anne Sibley O'Brien - read 04/27/10
70. How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long - read 04/27/10
71. Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long - read 04/27/10
72. Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes by Bruce Koscielniak - read 04/27/10
73. Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup by Tomie DePaola - read 04/29/10
74. Tony's Bread: An Italian Folktale by Tomie DePaola - read 04/29/10
75. Little Grunt and the Big Egg by Tomie DePaola - read 04/29/10
76. Tom by Tomie DePaola - read 04/29/10
77. The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola - read 04/29/10
78. Papa Gatto by Ruth Sanderson - read 04/29/10
79. Beastly by Alex Flinn - review - read 04/29/10
80. Changeless by Gail Carriger - read 05/02/10
81. Count Silvernose: An Story from Italy by Eric A. Kimmel - read 05/02/10
82. The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood - review - read 05/04/10  
83. Calamity Jack by Dean and Shannon Hale - review - read 05/05/10
84. Franklin's Library Book by Sharon Jennings - read 05/10/10
85. Miss Daisy is Crazy! by Dan Gutman - review - read 05/12/10
86. Mrs. Roopy is Loopy! by Dan Gutman - review - read 05/12/10
87. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - review - read 05/12/10
88. Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon - read 05/15/10
89. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund - read 05/22/10
90. Robot Zot! by Jon Scieszka - read 05/22/10
91. Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead - read 05/26/10
92. Princess Hyacinth by Florence Parry Heide - read 05/28/10
93. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
94. Today I Will Fly! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
95. Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
96. I Am Invited to a Party! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
97. There is a Bird on Your Head! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
98. I Will Surprise My Friend! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
99. Are You Ready to Play Outside? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
100. My Friend Is Sad (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
101. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
102. Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems - read 05/28/10
103. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - read 05/29/10
104. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr - read 06/01/10
105. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder - review - read 06/05/10
106. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan - review - read 06/05/10
107. The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee - review - read 06/06/10
108. The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler - review - read 06/06/10
109. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich (audiobook) - read 06/07/10

Since I've already reached my goal and since I'm lazy, here's a link to my Goodreads "read" shelf for everything I've read since the summer. :) 

Bloggiesta!

I started this blog last summer with no real direction, purpose, or sense of community. I had no idea how connected kidlit bloggers are or how much fun (and work!) blogging could really be. So, I confess that I've been lurking in the shadows - reading a handful of kidlit blogs religiously, browsing tons of others, and secretly updating my own blog every once in awhile.

I must say that this is a big step for me - participating in the Bloggiesta, graciously hosted by Natasha at Maw Books. This means exposure! Other bloggers may actually stumble upon This Purple Crayon, leave a comment, or secretly lurk me like I've been lurking them. Oh, the horror! Truly, it's a scary experience, but I hope that it will help me feel more a part of this wonderful community and push me to do more with this blog. To make it my own, to have a distinct voice, and to give back just a little.

Here is my list of things I would like to accomplish during the Bloggiesta:

• Participate in the Comment Challenge over at MotherReader.
  
• Add more sidebars - visit other blogs for inspiration
• Make myself an avatar - I've always wanted to do this but never found one I liked. Well, it's not a cartoon me, but I like the old photo feel to it. Created at BeFunky.com.
  
• Create a review style. Read past reviews to look for common elements.
• Library spotlight? Find a way to promote libraries and their use.
• Signatures seem to be popular. Maybe make one of my own.
  
• Clean up my Bloglines. Add new blogs. Or should I switch to Google Reader?
• Brainstorm ideas for blog posts - thanks Jenn for this mini-challenge!
  
• Sign up to be a mentee at The Bloggie Cult for this mini-challenge. I need help!
• Spruce up my profile. It's a little sparse.
• Add meta tags
  

Phew, this seems like a lot for the weekend! Here goes...

Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley

Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
published August 2009, Egmont USA
357 pages (hardcover), grades 5-8

My Goodreads review:

This book pleasantly surprised me. Of all the faerie books I've read recently, I can't remember one that actually took place nearly entirely in the land of the Fey, or Feyland as it's called in this book. Zaria is a young fairy about to come of age, but she is special. She is an orphan with no knowledge of how her parents and brother "died" and she learns that she is a Violet, Level 100 fairy - which basically means she can wield more and more powerful magic than other fairies dare dream of. Unfortunately, she gets stuck with a shady mentor who can only be described as "diabolical." Zaria gets tangled in her mentor's schemes and must fight with all that she has in order to take her down and learn the truth about her family.

This book was action-packed, yes, as I could not turn the pages quickly enough, but it was also quite descriptive of Feyland and the fairies and genies themselves. Each chapter began with an excerpt from "Orville Gold, genie historian of Feyland," which included information about the world, its inhabitants, and their practices. Generally, I find quotes at the start of chapters rather annoying, but I enjoyed getting the inside story apart from the actual plot sequence in the book. It actually reminded me a lot of Harry Potter - witches and wizards are replaced by fairies and genies, but essentially the magic is still there and hey, there's an orphan and a bad guy must be defeated. And of course, friendship is at the heart of this story.

Ash by Malinda Lo + additions to the catch-up pile

Ash by Malinda Lo

I am a sucker for retold fairy tales. Ash is a Cinderella retelling, but it's its own unique story, so much its own that at times I would forget its origins.

Ash is the Cinderella in our story - a girl in love with fairy tales living in a country town filled with old superstitions. As she is orphaned, she must move in with her late father's recent wife, a lady with two daughters of her own, and is reduced to being merely a servant in the house. At the beginning of her new situation, Ash wants nothing more than to have her mother back, so much that she considers striking a deal with a faery, which will more than likely cost her her life. As the story progresses, Ash is wrapped up in dreams and the Wood - and then she meets the King's Huntress, who slowly changes her mind about life and love. It's their blossoming relationship that allows Ash to re-learn how to live her life as her own.

This is a beautiful story that demands to be read with an open heart and mind. More than a tale of a girl falling in love with a prince and living happily ever after (which doesn't exactly happen, by the way), Ash delves deep into our protagonist's soul and exposes her fears and desires. While I was not completely satisfied with a few plot points and scenes (especially the end - when a faery merely succumbs to Ash's will), I was left with a contented sigh of appreciation for this story.


I went to the library to pick up a few more books that I had put on hold many moons ago. These, too, will easily make it to my favorites list of 2009.

Darklight by Lesley Livingston
The sequel to Wondrous Strange, which I enjoyed quite thoroughly. Have I recently mentioned my love for all things faery?

Splendor by Anna Godbersen
The fourth (and final?!) installment of the Luxe series. Early twentieth century New York never seemed so glamorous.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
I'm most excited about this book. Probably because I ate up The Time Traveler's Wife. But this story sounds rather intriguing as well - twin 20 year-old gals from Chicago head to London to live in their late aunt's flat, uncovering secrets and mysteries about her neighbors and her past.


And I'm still waiting for these to show up with my name on them on my library's hold shelf...

Catch-up January

Looking back on my YA favorites of 2009, I noticed that there are quite a few books published last year still sitting on my to-read pile (and waiting for me at the library). So, I decided to play catch-up this month and read these fine books which are sure to find their way to my favorites list as well.

Ash by Malinda Lo (currently reading)
Cinderella retelling. Too bad the CIP gave away a major plot point - Ash doesn't fall in love with the prince but instead the King's Huntress.

Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
Faeries!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Southern goth? I don't know, but lots of people are talking about it. The 500+ pages do intimidate me though.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier
I've avoided this book for months because I am never in the mood for mind games. Is the whole story a lie? When is she lying? How am I supposed to know?

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
I really liked her Heir trilogy, so I'm excited for this new series. But again, the size of this volume does worry me.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling. Dragon Slippers got me hooked on this wonderful author.

Need by Carrie Jones
Pixies! And the sequel, Captivate, is out, so I need to read this one first!

2009 YA Favorites

I didn't read as much as I wanted to this year, but isn't that always the case?
Here are my favorite YA books of the year:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Werewolf love story.


Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Dystopian bloodbath... love story.


Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Identity struggles in historical fiction.


Forest Born by Shannon Hale

The land of Bayern revisited.


The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Religious extremists and polygamy.


The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Dystopian visions of the undead.


Fade by Lisa McMann

Falling into others' dreams.


Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

Protecting vampires' lazy, elitist butts.


Envy (Luxe #3) by Anna Godbersen

High society New York a century ago.


City of Glass (Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare

Action-packed incestual love story.

Lion, Mouse, Ogre

The Lion and the Mouse
written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Displayed above is a side-by-side view of the front and back covers of this book. Generally, I'm not fond of covers without title and author information, but I will make an exception for Mr. Pinkney. This wordless picture book of Aesop's fable "The Lion and the Mouse" is in fact exceptional, and there's nothing else for me to say about it. Go buy it. I think I will too.

And then there's Awful Ogre, who warms my heart in an entirely different way. I first read Awful Ogre's Awful Day written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky about four years ago when I was student teaching in a third grade classroom. I read it aloud to my students, and they gobbled it up. They loved it so much that it inspired us to explore poetry for the next month or more. I recently shared it with my third grade students in the library, which received mixed responses. Nonetheless, I love this book of poetry and wanted to share my enthusiasm for it with a new group of students.

So, how excited was I to find that there's another Awful Ogre book that I have yet seen?! Pretty darn excited, let me tell you. I snatched it up from my free library's new books section and took it home to read aloud (because you have to read poetry aloud!). Awful Ogre Running Wild is indeed a companion book, written and illustrated by the same duo, and it is just as much fun as the first. In fact, there are many parallels between the two books, which makes them very useful for lessons on poetry in the classroom or library. Not having Awful Ogre's Awful Day in front of me, the most obvious correlations I could make were the following:

Running Wild

• "Awful Ogre's Picnic" with his girlfriend
  
• "Awful Ogre Enters a Cook-Off"
• "Awful Ogre Pays a Visit" to his grandma
• "Awful Ogre Stays at an Inn"
• "Awful Ogre Has Insomnia"
  

Awful Day

• AO writes a letter to his ogress girlfriend
  
• AO wins a gardening contest
• AO's great-grandnephew (or something of the sort) visits him
• AO goes out to eat at a restaurant
• AO dreams
  

The one problem I have with this new book, however, is that there are some poems that take up four pages instead of a two-page spread. I expected the poem to end, but then I turned the page and there was more! But that's not much to gripe about, eh?

Two middle grade novels with strong female protagonists

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
Oh, how this book broke my heart. Over and over again. Aubrey is an eleven year-old girl who has just recently been in a devastating car accident. Her father and younger sister were both killed, while her mom and Aubrey both survived. But Aubrey doesn't consider herself a survivor, and she doesn't think of herself any differently than before. Even when her mom leaves home and doesn't come back. Not that night, not the next day, not even a week later. But after a week of living on her own, Aubrey is whisked away to live with her Gran, her mom's mom, for the summer, while the search is on for her mother. She makes a friend next door, and she writes letters that she never sends, all in the hopes of dealing with her grief and abandonment. Aubrey's voice is distinctly eleven years old - she's emotional yet pragmatic, sensitive and on the brink of a meltdown. But she finds ways to cope.

We received this as a new book a couple weeks ago, and I snatched it up before any students could check it out. I read it in one night and brought it back the next day for fifth grade students to have a chance to check it out. I did pass it on to one girl, warning her that it was a very emotional book dealing with some difficult subjects, but she decided that she still wanted to read it. She came back after Thanksgiving break and told me that she read it over the weekend and cried. She really liked the book, so much that she shared the story with her family - and they seemed to get a bit emotional over it too. I was so happy to hear back from her and especially to find that she had engaged her family in discussion over the book. It was definitely one of those moments that reminded me why I love my job.


Newsgirl by Liza Ketchum
I'm not generally a fan of historical fiction, but I'm always in the mood for girls taking charge of their lives and going out to make it on their own. This book is set in the late 1800s with a girl, her mom, and her mom's friend shipping out from Boston to San Francisco, a ridiculously long and complicated boat journey. They finally make it to the coast with hardly any money left and completely alien surroundings and customs.

I'm about halfway through this book, and I am loving it. Amelia, the 12 year-old girl, is a problem solver. She knows what needs to be done, so she goes out and does it. She sees injustice in the ways that women and girls are treated, and she will not stand for it, even if that means getting bopped in the head or worse. Although the girl disguising herself as a boy story has been played out in many ways, I'm still interested to see where this one goes.