interactivereader

Rotters or Let's All Just Get Cremated

2012-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

Rotters. Oh Rotters. You were disgusting. Just as I thought it was as gross as it could get, there'd be something else more appalling, repulsive, and desecrating.

Joey Crouch's mom is dead. He's in nowhere Iowa where people hate him just because of his strange and very smelly dad, who locals refer to as The Garbage Man. What his dad actually does is far more disgusting than waste management - he's a grave robber and the scent of rotting corpses clings to him. Soon, the grime and stink of his father's illegal trade will cling to Joey, too. This will bring him more difficulties than adjusting to a new town and getting over his mother's death. It will bring with it a familiarity of death and decay and danger.

The opening is magnificent. Joey catalogues all the ways his mother could die, but doesn't, ending with her actual death. The rest of the novel is propelled from that point, both in how his life changes, and how the past brought about his mother's death, and his future.

However, after that there's almost 200 pages of set-up. It's not unnecessary, and it's vital to Joey's character development, but between the gorgeous prologue and page 195, (where we're treated to a rousing and detailed explanation on how to escape being buried alive - and yes, I've committed this to memory, Lord save me. One must be prepared for anything), there is little to truly advance the plot, and is, therefore, the weakest portion of the story. Daniel Kraus' language is strong, but the school bullies, especially Woody and Celeste, are generic, lack depth, and could be transplanted to any book where bullies are required and fit right in. The first 200 pages is primarily devoted to making Joey miserable enough that he's able to descend low enough for the rest of the book to happen.

Science teacher Gottschalk was extreme, but not overboard, until the reproduction lesson on pages 142-3. Here he crosses over into sexual harassment of Joey, which seemed too much, given the character was cruel, but didn't seem stupid, and there's no real way to know that someone wouldn't rat him out to someone else who would make a stir. Gottschalk by action and even previous speech clearly felt he was a law upon himself in that school, and based on the behavior of the principal and vice-principal, I can see why - but those two did respond to incidents that could result in bad press, and this was surly one of those. Although it did not.

Continuing with first half character issues, is Boris and his family. They were so close to Joey that they shared his grief, and took him in until his father could be found, but Boris more of less immediately drops him? His parents never inquire after him? Make any overtures? When my reading of the situation was that had his father not been reached, it was likely that he'd just stay with them permanently? I know that this was done to further isolate Joey, but why even have the family in the story? Why not just throw him in temporary foster care after his mom dies? It'd be much easier for me to believe that some sketch foster family didn't care about him after he left, than Boris' family. But then, without friends, Joey had less to lose.

The grief and alienation of the first half of the book, leads to a desperation so strong that once Joey is brought into the "digger" clan, and is bestowed a nickname, "Son", he muses, "I felt an unexpected rush: If I were given one of these names, I would be part of a club. I would no longer be alone" p225. It's all he has, it's his only option, and, as he did with his academics, he throws himself all in. Into grave robbing.

Enter Boggs, who is a fantastic, believable, horror villain in his invincibility, psychosis, and grotesqueness. He he seriously one of the best villains I've encountered in ages, and it is his mania, unpredictability, and, er, villainy that propels the last fourth (plus) of the book. Unfortunately, it takes him far too long to enter the story. I would have liked, at the very least, more build-up or foreshadowing regarding him, to work us up to a good lather, since, let's be honest, yeah, there's the whole self-discovery, bildungsroman thing going on, but it's Boggs who gets the plot moving, and Boggs who drives Joey into the rocks at the bottom.

The details of grave robbing are fascinating, as are the rather disgusting details of decomposition. These are largely what keep the reader going during the first portion of the book. I should have pulled some of the really disgusting quotes for you, but I didn't think of it at the time, oh, wait, that's what Amazon's Search Inside is for. Let's just enter a rather unique phrase I remember, "coffin liquor." Yes, that'll do.

If you happen to be eating, I'd skip this next quote. Don't say I didn't warn you.

"I concentrated on my father. He was dealing with another ring that wouldn't dislodge from its puffy finger. He let the hand drop and it smacked into two inches of black slime. We call that coffin liquor, my father said as he reached for his wire cutter, and it's the result of bacteria in the casket's vacuum turning the corpse to mud. I watched him take the woman's left hand. Most of the skin sloughed off in a single sheet like a translucent glove - slip skin, my father assure me, nothing more. He let the skin dissolve into the coffin liquor and regripped the moist green hand. I noted with dull astonishment that the woman's nails were painted candy pink" p 110.

lalala. But really, you can't look away from that, right? And imagine your teens' reactions? Oh, I'm almost tempted to read that paragraph aloud during my next book talks... excellent.

I do think, ultimately, despite taking it to task above, that this is an excellent book. And if you can stomach (or revel) in that last quote, you definitely should read it. Or at least know who should.

On bullying: "The noses of the Incorruptibles [the popular bullies] were trained to detect fear, and in my metamorphosis to the Son I had lost that musk. A new target, therefore, had been chosen" p 350.

The question remains of whether or not there are grave robbers among us...

Annual Wild Guesses for the ALA Youth Media Award

2012-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

I think I'm going to skip the live stream of the announcement this year. Largely because it's not on MLK day, which means I'll have to work, and getting up at 5:30 am on a workday doesn't sound as good as being able to go back to bed after the announcement. But we'll see.

Printz

The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf
Honest truth? I was bored out of my mind for the most part - and still flummoxed that anything about the Titanic could ever be boring, but this one managed it. HOWEVER, I can acknowledge that it is very literary. The biggest hurdle Watch will need to overcome is whether or not the committee thinks the enormous cast of characters is hindered by its sheer size. The fact that the reader spends so little time with each voice may result in less passionate arguments - and arguments that some characters are superfluous or under developed (not all, some were palpably wonderful, but they were buried in the avalanche of voices and struggle to be heard through the melee). The appendix is excellent and massively interesting, though, highlighting that the research was thorough. Watch will get bonus points for that.

Life, An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet
So I'm a little unsure this is really a book for teens, despite it's publishing status. However, Peet has yet to be recognized by this award, and Life might be the book to do it. The fact that only a very small portion of the narrative is devoted to teen characters may hurt it's chances.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I think the librarians who buzz about these things will be shocked if this doesn't get recognized. Shocked. I think that if there was gambling on the Printz outcome, this is likely the safe money. It transcends ilk in language, structure, world-building, and originality. It's ultimately a paranormal romance with angels, which you'd think would be kryptonite to adult readers of YA by now, but there's always an epic quality to Taylor's writing, and never moreso than here.

Rotters by Daniel Kraus
This is probably a bit of a dark horse, but I absolutely wouldn't be surprised to see this horror story get a nod. It all comes down to the composition of the committee, and whether they can stomach it (not that they aren't objective, they are, but... Rotters is gross. More on that later [as in I have a post-worth to say about it].).

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Buzz for this seems to have dropped off some, but including it, especially with the Wolf and Peet might be thought to balance out the list, and would represent only the second time a graphic novel has been recognized by the Printz. Anya's art is supurb, and the illustrations speak just as loudly as the words, which is exactly why this is worth looking at.

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
I confess that historically Marchetta and I don't jibe, and I have put off reading Piper because of that. It seems to me that the world of YA readers breaks down into those who love Marchetta, and those who do not. Those who do are rabid, and I'll concede there is a lyrical quality to her language and that her characters are robust, but her plotting dives me batty.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
I'm not holding my breath for this to be recognized, but it was the Costa winner, and I loves it with all my hearts. Not a big fan of the cover (or title) of the sequel, though it won't stop me from reading it as soon as I can possibly get my hands on it.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
It has a lot of starred reviews, but while I haven't read it (it's next up), I've never warmed to Stiefvater's language. I wouldn't be shocked if it was announced, but... I don't know. My gut instinct doesn't go there. But perhaps I'd change my tune if I had/have enough time to read it before the announcement.

Newbery

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Schmidt is well-loved and this one (which won my system's mock Printz) is definitely adored, despite an over-the-top ending that could seriously hurt its chances. While I believe the ending was a misstep plot-wise, I can't say that I wouldn't be anything but happy if this ends up with a medal. While it would be eligible for the Printz, I think it's chances are better with the Newbery.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
I always though that Ness was British, but I guess he just lives there? If he's still a citizen of the US, then this is eligible, and stands a good chance. Would this be more comfortably set in Printz catagory? Probably, and then we wouldn't have to think about citizenship issues, which make my head hurt.

Hidden by Helen Frost
Likewise inhabiting that tough zone in between middle grade and YA, I think Hidden could find a home here. Frost got a Printz honor back in 2004 for Keesha's House, but despite that, I feel that she's largely underrated. She continually shows how verse novels should be done, and force you to take them more seriously than many of the popular free-verse examples would lead you to believe. She is innovative in form and structure. There's nothing wrong, and many thing right, with free verse, but Frost hammers home how much more the verse novel can do than simply be sparse. *ducks*

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
I don't know if this is a real contender, but it's sweet, fun, and clever, and I think it would be lovely to recognize this in the vein of Princess Academy. Regardless, I believe that someday George will get a silver or gold SOMETHING.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
To my recollection there aren't many National Book Award finalists that crossover to the Youth Media Awards, but this would be the one to do it this year.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Selecting Breadcrumbs would be a crowd-pleaser. I haven't read it yet, I'm still on the waiting list, but with at least three starred reviews and an entire community worth of Twitter buzz behind it, you know the committee has read it. I really do think I'm the only one who hasn't read it at this point. This probably has the best odds.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
In direct competition with Okay for Now, will this be an either or? Or will they split the vote and usher in a lesser-known? Of course, we've seen more than one girl-protag historical in one year before, so both would make it an amusing turn-around. But Gantos has more of the gross-out ground covered, and depending on how prim our committee is, Norvelt could take a hit.

Caldecott
I like I Want My Hat Back by J. Klassen and Where's Walrus by Stephen Savage. But let's be obvious here, my picture book cred is random and not to be trusted.

Morris
We already know the finalists. My imaginary money is on either Girl of Fire and Thornes or Where Things Come Back. I don't know why but I don't think it'll be Paper Covers Rock or Under the Mesquite. Which leaves Between Shades of Gray as a wildcard. My heart is with Where Things Come Back, as you probably know.

Coretta Scott King
Bronxwood by Coe Booth was good, but had a touch of the middle book syndrome, so look to Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri and Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson to be recognized.

Schneider
I'm wracking my brain here and having a tough time isolating the titles I'm aware of that would be eligible. Stick by Andrew Smith comes to mind. There's way more in the abuse and other topics that take center stage, and there are ending issues (a common refrain this year), but Stick is noteworthy. I'd love to see Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt recognized, but it's much more about a daughter coping with her own issues that are triggered and magnified by her father's illness than about the dad's disease - which definitely meets criteria, but I think the focus is nevertheless unlikely to match with the Schneider. It is an absolutely delightful read, though. Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe, is utterly compelling, but the ending isn't as hopeful as these tend to be. And that's what I've got. That I can think of.

Alex

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and ~~Room by Emma Donoghue~~* are easy targets for inclusion on this list. I wonder if Ready Player One might be, as well, although I don't know if the heavy 80's references are a plus or a minus for its chances. I haven't read any of them, but I'm waiting for RPO's audio book to come in. A collegue enlightened me to the fact that Wil Wheaton narrates and that it is awesome in general and hilarious in specific when Wheaton is forced read aloud about himself.

*For some reason my brain forgot what year it was by the end of this massive post. Room was of course recognized by the Alex in 2011, as DDB pointed out on my Facebook link to this post. *faceplant*

Book City: Historical London

2011-11-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

image by Tanita Davis

A while back a group of us were kicking around a collaborative endeavor, and well, we're all pretty busy, so it turned into a celebration of cities. Any city, in any representation, anywhere in the world. An especially great companion to this post, among the many participating, is Sarah Stevenson's Alternate London, over at Finding Wonderland. Check out the entire (growing) tour over at Chasing Ray*

I don't know what it is about London. I don't tend to specifically get into much of the contemporary realistic fiction set there, but historical? I can't really get quite enough. Between Reformation and Restoration and the hell London went through during WWII, I'm fascinated. I intended to give you a list of some of my favorite titles set in historical London, but this post got hijacked - by the latent passion I discovered that I feel toward one of the books:

FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michelle Cooper
I have unbridled love for this second book of the Montmaray Journals. The enormous love I thought I felt for A Brief History of Montmaray pales in comparison for this longer, quieter, less axe-laden sequel. Our fictional royalty has moved off their island nation because of Nazi bombing, and now find themselves in London in the late 1930's as WWII is reving, fascism is creating divisions among and within the classes, and the city has no real understanding of what is in store for them just over the horizon.

Sophie, whose journal we're reading, Veronica, and the rest of the Montmaray Royalty... wait. Let me explain this first. That sounds all posh. It's not...

So, the first book, A Brief History of Montmaray, finds Sophie, her younger sister Henry and her cousin Veronica holding up the crumbling remains of their castle as her uncle the King gets progressively more insane, and her brother comes home more infrequently. They get by on selling the treasures of their formerly wealthy kingdom. They don't have much left and are the very picture of impoverished royalty. Then the Nazi's arrive. The Nazi's have their eye on their small but strategically located island nation for a couple of reasons. The impact of this results in lots of drama, some lethal axe-wielding, and some things that aren't going to be shared with the high society the group finds themselves plunged into at the start of FitzOsbornes in Exile. They've lost control of their beloved and historic nation, and they want it back. Now in the titular exile, and having fled to London and the estate of their long-expat, and very wealthy, Aunt Charlotte, the girls find themselves torn between Charlotte's expectations (they must be presented to society as proper royals of the highest order, and find very wealthy husbands) and their own concern for Montmaray. The girls, however, are far past the pretentious and uselessness of one ball after another (even if Sophie sometimes doesn't hate it), and their goal is to speak to the League of Nations and secure support for them to reclaim their island. But, royal or not, they're just a bunch of teenagers from a country no one remembers existing.

It is beautifully written and character-driven, full of fascinating historical and political details that are so perfectly woven into the plot that there is nary a single example of those pesky info-dumps so frequent in epic historical novels like this. You will learn a ton about the era without even realizing it - and it's definitely not at all the point. It perfectly captures the atmosphere of the location and time. None of it could have happened anywhere else. What you have is a quintet of characters desperately trying to grow up while being respectful to their heritage in a most tumultuous time. Oh, and due to the youngest of the clan, it's also often quite hilarious. It's not easy to prep a tomboy used to having reign of an entire island to become a debutante someday. Luckily (?) for Henry, we know that by the time she comes of age, there won't be so many balls.

The balance of fantastic, fully-developed, and lovable (no mere likable here!) characters set in a fascinating fully-realized setting, with a plot that is seemingly insurmountable for anyone, except maybe the particular talent combination of these characters, makes this a book that will always have a place in my heart alongside my rabid love for Ellen Emerson White's President's Daughter series, and Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia series. Cheesy or not, there you have it. Total fawning love.

Oh, and FitzOsbornes at War will be out on October 9, 2012. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that I get another one. Sadly, it looks like that's the final one, making this a trilogy, when I was hoping for a series taking us at least to 1945. Something epic like that.

Comparisons to I Capture the Castle are of course obvious, but even the most rapid fan of Dodie Smith's classic will not be disappointed with this trilogy.

As for the cover: Kelly pointed out some crazy about it some time ago, but regardless of phantom smoke (which until she said something, I'd just assumed it was light from a window I couldn't see), I think that it perfectly captures the tone of the book. Sophie right there in the thick of things, but still outside, looking in, and observing with an eye more aware than even she realizes.

Now, those other books I was planning to tell you about:

Newes From the Dead by Mary Hooper
Once upon a time I interviewed the author, and reviewed this one. It's based on a true account of a girl who failed to die when hanged, and was paralyzed, but fully aware, as the medical community of 1650 prepared to preform an autopsy. If you poke around enough, I bet you can find a digital version of the pamphlet this story was based on.

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Ok, I'll be honest here. I stopped reading this series. No, not like that. I switched to consuming these on audio. Katheryn Kellgren is THAT GOOD. She is, in my opinion, the absolute best audio narrator out there today. She rivals Jim Dale in talent. I'm not kidding. The ninth (!!) book in the series was just released in October, and while this series has covered almost every ocean and continent on earth, Bloody Jacky Faber often returns to good olde London (and Boston!). When she's not fighting pirates or the British government itself. The first book is most effective in its depiction of life a street urchin in the 1790s, and how desperate that life was.

Cat Royal Adventures by Julia Golding
Very much a Jacky Faber with a bit less sparkle, this still raucous adventure series starts with Cat being abandoned in a theater in London around 1790. There's more focus on mystery than with Jacky, at least in the first novel, and much more focus on slavery for the whole series (I've liked what I've read, but I haven't read them all).

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
An older title with tinges of fantasy, this is set in Cromwell's England. As with any situation of tyranny, it's a frightening and precarious time where any misstep can end with deadly result. I posted about this one way back in 2006 (!). Notable mostly for the setting during the English Reformation and the fascinating (and/or horrifying) political situation, as well as the unusual combination of fantasy. I still think there should be more books set during this time period. Gardner has since come out with The Red Necklace and The Silver Blade about the French Revolution, which has been recommended with the highest enthusiasm, but I've yet to get to it. But I will.

A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant
Reviewed back in 2007 (I'm really mining the archives here, aren't I?) this is set just a bit after I, Coriander, during the Restoration. Meg desperately wants to be a writer, but in the 1680's the "gentler sex" were not respectable writers. This remains a favorite four years later.

The Agency: Mary Quinn Mysteries by Y.S. Lee
I haven't yet read the second in this series, The Body at the Tower, but the interwebs reveal that the third book, The Traitor and the Tunnel was released in the UK in August. I'm hoping to see this hop the pond, because I was pleasantly surprised with the nuance of the first title, A Spy in the House. It was just a Victorian mystery, it explored every aspect of class of the time, from the upper, to the poor, to, most interestingly, the hidden Asian population of London.

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn
Speaking of Victorian... This was a tough read. One thing you have to know is that there was no tolerance of unwed pregnant servants during this era (and several after). A maid would find herself ruined if she were to be discovered to be pregnant. She would get dismissed without reference, reputation ruined. Many of that era then found themselves in squalor, and often turning to prostitution to survive. Mary Finn is lucky, comparatively, but she's still got a hard road in front of her. Side note: Holy new cover! I hadn't seen this, and I think it'll reach more readers than the original.

*and read Colleen's book The Map of My Dead Pilots!

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky or Pretty, Pretty Titles sometime aren't

2011-11-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

I'm going to say that I loved the first chapter of this. Loved. Even now, as I read it for the fourth time, I believe that first chapter and a few that follow it are beautifully written, tonally perfect, and bleak as hell. Bleak in a deliciously appropriate way. It is, after all, set during the Dust Bowl. All the Earth Thrown to the Sky by Joe Lansdale begs to be read aloud, and I was happy to oblige with Kyle as my quickly engrossed victim.

"The wind could blow down a full-grown man, but it was the dust that was the worst. If the dust was red, I could figure it was out of Oklahoma, where we were. But if it was white, it was part of Texas come to fall on us, and if it was darker, it was probably peppering down from Kansas or Nebraska.

Mama always claimed you could see the face of the devil in them sandstorms, you looked hard enough. I don't know about that, it being the devil and all, but I can tell you for sure there were times when the sand seemed to have shape, and I thought maybe I could see a face in it, and it was a mean face, and it was a face that had come to puff up and blow us away" p 1.

June 4, 1937. Goodwell, Oklahoma (picture by Mrs. Emma Love)
Found here.

There's nothing left in Oklahoma for Jack Catcher. His parents are dead; his mom from the dirty pneumonia of the dust storms, his dad, suicide. There's nothing left for Jane and Tony Lewis either. Their dad got run over by his tractor as he fruitlessly tried to plant in dead ground, and their mom disappeared as easily as the good farming soil that used to provide a living for both families. It's the Great Depression, and there's nothing left for anyone, so the three of them might as well set out and just hope for something better than the nothing they've got. There's nothing to lose but their sorry lives - which might be exactly what the wind takes next as they spin from one adventure to the next, stealing cars, hopping trains, running into murderous bank robbers and criminal farmers and traveling circuses.

To my disappointment, while the writing is always beautiful, as the madcap - well, madcap isn't quite the correct word as it implies a levity that the book lacks, but we'll go with it - as the madcap plot revs up it never quite matches the tone of the writing. Does the writing match the barren setting? Yes. The hopeless era? Definitely. What you essentially have in this novel is an old-fashioned adventure plot that has potential for serious consequences. But despite the horror of the first chapters, and even of the repeated danger of the subsequent events, there is a distancing that takes away the visceral impact the first chapter had, and therefore removes the feeling of true danger the events warrant. Now, of course, that's my interpretation, so perhaps others felt differently while reading. However, when you never really believe the worst will actually happen to the characters, dire situations become less threatening and that bleak, hopeless writing doesn't have anywhere to go.

This is what I believe the intent to be: I think Lansdale wanted the plot to mirror the uncontrollable dust storms with three kids swept up in adventure and danger as though they were the earth that had lost its ground. It is in part, successful. But not entirely. After those first few chapters I never felt invested in Jack Catcher again. He's overshadowed by Jane and her lying ways (despite the fact that we never really understand quite why she's so pathological in her falsehoods). The driving force is not so much the wind and it's random ways, as it is Jane. Now, does Jane personify the wind? Perhaps. Everyone and thing must fall in line with her whims, and she'll say anything to make it happen. Which is not bad, but if this is her story, and Jack is detritus that helps her on her way, her character isn't quite developed enough for the reader to become anything but irritated at how she gets in everyone's way by lying outrageously each time she opens her mouth.

It ceased to be the character driven novel one would expect from the opening chapters and the traditional "road trip" theme, and became merely a series of crazy events that were not only improbable in a setting that was all too real, but didn't possess gravitas in tune with that beautiful opening. You can't have a character be the driving force unless you want to have a character-driven plot, and you can't have a plot-driven plot diven book unless you want to invest in some sort of logic to the series of events. What happens in cases like these, when you don't pick a side (or fail to invest enough in either side), is that the whole thing flounders. And that's what happened here. It just got boring. Which, HELLO, there are murderous robbers, and kindly old ladies, and alligators, and carnies, and... and... WHY WAS THIS BORING?

"The humming blackness came doen from the sky and hit the willows down below, and in a moment the grasshoppers ate the green off of them, and the willows shook like they was in a high wind, but the only wind was the wind the grasshoppers made" p 76.

It may appeal to those who liked As Easy as Falling of the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins. Or those who really dig the old-time romantic bank robbers and gangsters from that era like Bonnie and Clyde and Babyface Nelson, who were clearly inspiration to the plot. Although those looking for that subplot will probably be left wanting more than the book delivers on that subject. It was beautifully written on the technical and art side, but lacked both plot and character development.

Found here.

Copy obtained through publisher, Delacorte Press. Started to read because I wanted to, finished because it is a Cybils 2011 YA Fiction nominated title.

Leverage by Joshua Cohen, or There's No Way this Book Doesn't Feature Roid Rage

2011-10-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Which is totally true, by the way. Lots of steroids, and all the ways that drug can destroy things in high school.

The three football captains are the king of the school, and no one, no matter how talented in any other sport is excused from their bullying. Especially not the gymnastics team. Danny has a real chance at eventually qualifying for the Olympics in gymnastics and Kurt is a stuttering hulk who’s new to the school and the football team. Neither of them like the bullying, and they forge an unlikely friendship that is in jeopardy after they both witness a graphic attack that has tragic consequences. Leverage has some of the most awesome sports writing I’ve ever read, but this is also the most intense and possibly disturbing book I have ever read, so I recommend it to more mature readers.

Kurt is damaged going into the story. He's a foster kid, and in his last placement he experienced treatment that will scar him for his entire life. This is told in flashback in slow and desperate reveals, and the memories send him into a red rage. Danny and his teammates have been trying to hold their ground, retain their dignity, and fight the football team for access to the weight room, something they all know they need to be able to truly compete on the level they aspire to. But every which way they turn, they keep running into the immovable bulk of the impossibly large football team.

Characters are flawed, even broken. Some come into the tale that way, others will fall apart right before your eyes. You will hold your breath and read faster to get through the dark, drastic, brutal parts, most likely wiping tears of fury or sadness away as you turn the pages. They make huge mistakes out of fear and shame and pain. They suffer consequences that will haunt them.

I wish I could say that these kids experience abuse and bullying so brutal that it is unbelievable, but sadly, we all know that isn't true. And that's one reason I think that this book is important. Maybe it will help some kid out there find his voice and stop the cycle. Get help. It's a solidly upper high school read, unless you know, or have an inkling, that it's something an 8th or 9th grader may have had some experience with. Or the kid's just a fan of A Child Called It (I jest, don't give it to those 5/6th graders).

The horrible thing is that it is all so frighteningly believable. Until you get to the Hollywood ending, where you witness a shift from bleak to a resolution that doesn't match the tone of the rest of the book. Which, while satisfying, doesn't ring true, because despite the honesty in which the rest of the novel was handled, this was just a little too neat. A little too grand. A little too unrealistic. That's not how these stories ever end in real life. Fine, usually, for most novels. But not when nary a punch was withheld during the previous 270-ish pages.

I will admit that I booktalked this (along with around 30 other titles) this past June for 7-10 graders. I did so ONLY with a strong emphasis on the graphic nature of the story, and encouraged the teens to self-censor if they didn't think they were ready for it, but that I thought that it was an important story because this level of abuse and bullying does happen. I had warned the school librarians and teachers of the title before I talked it, and after hearing about it, I had specific requests from a few teachers to be sure to share it with some classes, which I found very interesting. Of the 875 holds I placed for students after my June visits, there were 25 for this title.

Recommend for older fans of:
Ellen Hopkins. Patricia McCormick. Compulsion by Ayarbe. Courtney Summers. Dirty Little Secrets by Omololu. Laurie Halse Anderson. Anything brutal.

Between Shades of Gray (mini post)

2011-10-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

"'Nothing could be worse than Stalin," said one of the men at the dining room table. 'He is the epitome of evil.'

'There is no better or worse,' said Papa, his voice low. I leaned farther around the corner to listen.

'But Hitler won't uproot us,' said the man....

'My point is that we're dealing with two devils who both want to rule hell'" p168.

wow.

Books I Want to Read

2011-10-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a post of non-content for you. I want to read:

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe R. Lansdale. Because that is a beautiful title, and the writing continued to be beautiful when I started. Unfortunately the Cybils nominations began, and I really can't read or finish anything that isn't on that list for the next three months. I read the first chapter aloud to my insanely critical husband, and even he was impressed.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. Because I haven't read a good ghost story since Beating Heart by AM Jenkins. Or Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light. Whichever came out later. I shouldn't be able to count good ghost stories published for teens on one hand.

Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith. Because I truly loved The Way He Lived, and I very much want to see more from her. It's been out since April, so the only excuse I have is that I've never once seen it on the shelves here at my library.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. Because everyone seems to be falling over themselves for this, and because I've been waiting for my hold to come in FOREVER. Which is really unusual for a first-time novelist. Although, Amanda did say "It's no Book Thief." But, really, what is?

Big Crunch by Pete Hautman. Again, this one's been out for ages. I think for the first 6 months I wasn't able to even understand that this brightly colored cover actually had Pete Hautman's name on it.

Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern. Because I loved Into the Wild Nerd Yonder with unbridled passion. And the title reminds me of the Queen song.

Everybody Sees the Ants by AS King. Because I think AS King is one of the truly fresh voices of YA.

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan. Because it's David Levithan. Even though the cover model looks just not-Joseph Gordon-Levitt enough to weird me out.

A Plague Year by Edward Bloor. Because how many books for teens have you read about meth?

The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall. Because I'm curious as to what happens when a someone who's written a metric ton of horse books for tweens writes a murder mystery for teens. I tend to forget that she also wrote Eva Underground (which I liked a lot), and a few other teen titles.

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis. Because there's a certain 13 Reasons Why angle there, but I'm hoping for a little bit more depth.

I don't think I meant for this list to get so long... lala, back to Cybils madness. Have you submitted your nominations yet?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, or Psychological is better than Paranormal

2011-09-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I picked up The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I was aware of its existence when I took it, but knew nothing whatsoever about it. By just the cover, it looked like yet another entry in the revolving door of paranormal teen fiction. But the title itself, specifically the word "Unbecoming..." that was interesting to me.

Mara was in a coma for three days. Upon awakening, she is told that her life-long best friend, her boyfriend, and another girl, died in the accident that plunged Mara into unconsciousness. Understandably haunted by the events, the loss of her memories surrounding the accident, and the loss of her friends, Mara is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Her entire world is a reminder of what she's lost, and she manages to convince her family to move away and start new lives in Florida, where she continues to struggle with reality, but with the eventual addition of a couple new confidants.

Mara's family is awesome. The characters are excellent. Their interactions are immensely believable. You love the family and the love interest even as they walk up and smile at that line that would make them a little too perfect. Even the villains are enjoyable, albeit less dimensional. Sadly, the character of Jamie, who plays the role of first new friend, and openly refers to himself as the token black Jewish bi-sexual, entirely disappears two thirds of the way in. There's an explanation for it, but it's weak.

For 300 pages, this was a compelling psychological exploration of a fragile, damaged, teen mind coping with tragedy and change. And then, suddenly, all of that subtlety was thrown out on page 309. Look. It's a heck of a lot harder to get a reader to buy into an unreliable narrator working with a sliding scale of reality than it is to simply throw in super powers - it's a heck of a bigger feat as a writer, too. Hodkin did it. I was totally on board with this damaged girl. It was brilliant. And then it all gets cheapened with paranormal solutions. I don't believe that the story needed paranormal elements. I'm ranting about this, but I feel that it's almost like this beautiful, straight psychological novel got marred by a sudden infusion of deus ex machina. There was a fantastic way out of the story without using the fantastical.

Now, don't let me confuse you, the ground work for the paranormal elements was set early on, they were definitely there, but those elements were far more compelling with a straight, non-paranormal, interpretation. "Is she nuts? Is she hallucinating? Is it the PTSD? A coping mechanism? A psychotic break? Is she a murderer?" Nah, she's just got super powers. It literally, up until page 309, could have gone either way, and in my inconsequential opinion, it went in the wrong direction chasing a fad that's already blotto.

I've clearly my knickers in a twist over this, and I do want to say that despite my plot issues, everything else stands up pretty well. It's quite well written and compelling. The dialog is lively with well-executed and clever banter. The romance has chemistry, even if it was a tad contrived (the hottest guy in school that every girl wants, with an English accent. But he's only got eyes for her, and that makes ALL the popular girls conveniently hate her.). Whatev. I can imagine a bond between them being shared through traumatic pasts (non-paranormal explanation) or through magic (paranormal explanation), which means it works.

It ends in a blatant cliffhanger.

Recommend as an interesting match to Liar by Larbalestier, Compulsion by Ayarbe, and The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand, as well as Choker by Woods. It also goes well with Lisa McMann's Wake Trilogy and Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls; two others I think would have been stronger had they chosen to follow straighter genre lines.

300 pages. I still can't get over that.

Where Things Come Back, or let's hope the cover doesn't

2011-08-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Did you know that many of the youth awards accept field nominations? I've never nominated anything. Until now. I actually field nominated Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley for the Morris Award. It turns out that you don't find out what happens after you nominate something, but I'm happy just to force a committee to read something that I believe in.

Yes, I do enjoy being evil.

Before Gabrielle disappeared, Cullen Witter held onto the hope that he wouldn't end up trapped in tiny Lily, Arkansas. He bides his time by coming up with book titles and imagining the zombie apocalypse (especially zombies attacking people who annoy him). Without Gabrielle, Cullen does his best to maintain normal amid pain and absurdity when the town forgets one of their own has gone missing and instead becomes obsessed with the reappearance of a supposedly extinct woodpecker. But if a bird can reappear after 60 years of assumed extinction, surely a little brother can come back, too. This is a coming of age tale of hope, redemption, grief, and wonder.

I stumbled upon this book by sheer luck. I peruse all new teen titles that come into the library, and often set several aside to share with my teen advisory board, or book group. This was one of the random newbies that came in several months ago, and I was so captivated by the quirky jacket flap that I had to read it. But let's face it, it was probably the promise of zombies. You know me.

I'm not going to pretend that this is anything other than an odd book. It's weird. There's a B plot going on there that seems rather inconsequential for a long time. It isn't, of course. Adding to the quirk factor is the fact that Cullen occassionally slips from first person into third as he distances himself from pain, embarrassment, or boredom, and starts narrating his life as though it were just a chapter in a book that he could close when things get to be too much. Cullen wants to be a writer, and maintains a growing list of book titles inspired by the happenings around him.

What Whaley has created is an unusual story that never fails to captivate despite its oddities. It's also wryly humorous (the book titles), and so well-structured that it calls for an immediate re-read. It feels fresh even while covering the well-trod small-town and missing child plots, and reminds me of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or John Green before he got tediously repetitive. For newer titles, Where She Went by Gayle Forman, The Lucky Kind by Alyssa B. Sheinmel, and Okay For Now by would probably be good matches. I will definitely be watching to see what's next for this first-time novelist. Regardless of whether the Morris committee agrees with me.

If you are a NPR nerd like me, you might have heard the NPR feature about the real return of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. The story was framed by a Sufjan Stevens song The Lord God Bird. I believe (but don't quote me) that this story, which stuck with me for so many years, was what inspired John Corey Whaley. So, that Lazarus burger and haircut in the book? Yeah, that really happened. In Brinkley, Arkansas.

The potshot about the cover is perhaps unfair since it is appropriate for the story, however, I can't deny its questionable appeal to the intended audience. But perhaps the kid who would pick this one up because or in spite of the cover would be the exactly right audience for it.

RIP Perry Moore

2011-02-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

Perry Moore, whom I interviewed here back in 2007, has been found dead in his NYC apartment of, according to sources in the NY Daily News, possible prescription overdose. He was found by his partner, Hunter Hill. This is nothing but sad, so I'm reposting the interview (sans most of my commentary) from when he was hot off his YA Title, Hero, and the success of producing the first of the new Narnia movies.

November 6, 2007:

In Hero, we find a teen who wants more than anything to have a superpower, to work with the heroes he admires, and to bring his family out from under the infamous shadow his former superhero father casts. There's more though; Thom is gay. His father makes openly homophobic statements, and as Thom slowly discovers that he does have superpower, he has to hide more that just his sexuality from his dad, since heroes and power are just as forbidden as being gay.

Perry Moore enters the world of teen lit from a unique angle, his other job is as a producer on the Chronicles of Narnia movies. This of course makes me rather curious:

1. You are a first time novelist who's coming from Hollywood. Have you read much of the current fiction written for young adults? What have you especially enjoyed? As a producer, is there a teen book out there you'd love to see on the screen?

I’ve always been a rabid fan of YA literature. That’s how I came to play such a special part in getting the Chronicles of Narnia made. Sheer passion for staying true to what makes the source material special. By the way, I don’t come from Hollywood. I live in NY. Only lived in two places in my life. First Virginia, then New York. I go to Hollywood often to work, but I’ve never lived there. To be honest, I think that played a crucial difference in helping to get the rights to Narnia. I’m not very Hollywood. It’s funny because most reviews will often mention this like I’m some Hollywood producer taking luxurious baths in all my cash, but it’s not like that at all. My passion is good storytelling. Always has been. I live in a modest one-bedroom in NY. I work out at the local rec center. I play tennis on public courts. I surf waves in Montauk, not Hawaii.

At any rate, I loved so many books growing up. I never knew how much of a bookworm I really was until I started working in Hollywood where few people have time to read books. My favorites, among so many others, were The Chronicles of Narnia, Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, S.E. Hinton’s books, I went through a huge Lois Duncan period when I was a boy, too. I’m sure they’re so many more. Actually, I’d classify Stephen King’s Carrie as a YA book, too. I just loved that one. The movie was good to, It was such a dream to co-direct a movie with Sissy Spacek as the star. I would love to make Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles into a movie franchise like Narnia. Same for Madeleine L’Engle’s books. Not to mention HERO! (Stan Lee is hard at work?)

2. Thom is mostly unaware of the extent of the power he wields - to the point that he doesn't even take credit for what he does. Not only that, but he doesn't SEE the good he does - only the inadvertent side affects. Poor kid's got some serious self-esteem issues. Even taking away the power element, Thom's got a lot of normal-kid angst. What do you want reader's to take from Thom's experiences?

The book doesn’t feel like homework: it’s a fantastic book, full of love, hope, loss, bottoming out, seemingly insurmountable challenges, and redemption. My theme is very true: That those very things that may make you feel alienated are actually what make you unique, and once you embrace those things and integrate them into your life, well, that’s about the most powerful thing you can become!

3. There is a lot of inherent conflict with Thom's power. What stops him from getting bombarded with people wanting him to heal them?

Wait until the sequel for more on that one.

4. Much relies plot-wise on Thom remaining ignorant of the extent of his power. I had difficulty believing that once he accepted that he had power that he didn't run around experimenting and familiarizing himself with it. Could you enlighten me?

Well, Thom grew up in a household where powers were strictly taboo. Much like being gay. I didn’t run around experimenting with being gay when I was young, much like Thom doesn’t run around doing that or experimenting with his powers. Plus, he doesn’t have one of those obvious powers like flying that we all want to have where you’d just love to soar the heavens if you found out you could do it.

5. You took a bit of a risk on page 203 in allowing Thom's first kiss to happen with a stranger who offered him a ride. Why the choice? Any worry that might incur some opposition?

You have to write the truth. This was the truth to the story. I’d been there, a lot of people have been there, and Thom went there. It happens. At a certain point the characters take over, and you just have to make sure that you, as the writer, doesn’t get in the way. As far as opposition goes, I’m not really all that bothered. Sure there will be some people who don’t want to recognize truth, there always are. But the truth will set you free!

6. In your opinion, what are some of the lamest super-powers out there? What were some of the powers you discarded?

Look at Pied Piper. One of DC’s token gay characters. Sometimes a good guy, sometimes a bad guy. Blows on a pipe to make others do his bidding. Ugh.

7. On your site you've listed gay characters in comics. Listed thusly, it becomes disturbingly clear that most of them are either evil or meet horrible ends. Why did you decide to write this as a novel, where we find many positive depictions of gays, rather than in Graphic Novel format, where you could perhaps enact some change?

First, YA books changed my life. They opened me up to a world of hope and change. It’s why I loved all the books I mentioned above. CS Lewis taught me that tapping into a young person’s mind, without condescending to them, is one of the most powerful things you can do. Don’t think young people are as stupid as what you see on MTV. They’re not. They’re imaginations are limitless. So I chose to tell the story in book form first. Would love to do a 12 part miniseries for Marvel or DC, too. About time they stepped up to the plate. They’ve never had a story starring the world’s first gay teenage superhero, and if HERO is any indication, there’s a tremendous appetite for it. With regards to the list, let’s make it better. Let’s update it. Things will get better! E-mail me!

My parents taught me two very important things. One, none of us were put on this great earth to ride on the back of the bus, and two, the pen is mightier than the sword. Write Marvel, write DC, tell them what you want!

8. Superheroes first made their indelible mark on society just before and during WWII, and have experienced a recent resurgence of mass appeal with movie after movie adaptation, when, at the same time, the world has become increasingly unstable. What do these powered heroes provide us both then and now?

What a great question. Not sure I can articulate the best answer because being a lifelong comic book fan that aspect of superheroes has always been so ingrained in me, just part of my nature. I believe there’s a HERO in all of us! There’s a tremendous appeal in that inspiration.

9. In my limited comic knowledge, I've found that alien superheroes always comment disparagingly on humans tendency to abuse our environment, and that evil alien supervillians use it as an excuse to try and destroy earth, under the famous and brilliant "you-weren't-appreciating-it-anyway" clause of argument. Since both of these things happen in HERO, what do you have to say about the trend? Is it merely an environmental message or chastisement? (p415)

I didn’t know it was a trend. As far as I know, it’s not the majority of what supervillains are after in the comics I read. I guess there are a few. Please write me about trends and things you see or things you want to see explored in the sequel. I’d love to hear more. Excellent question.

(Jackie: I was mostly thinking of Karolina's alien betrothed in Runaways & The Silver Surfer in F4. And possibly all the Captain Planet cartoons I watched as a littlie. Admittedly, this is not my area of expertise.)

10. "I had never let myself fantasize about being with someone my age, because it stopped being a fantasy at that point. It entered the realm of possibility, and that's where you can really get hurt" (p396). That? That right there? That stopped my heart. It's more than just about relationships - I think it applies to anyone who wants something but is too scared to go after it. What was your great fear that you had to overcome to get what you truly wanted?

You got it. Man, you really got it. I think anyone can relate to that unrequited crush in school that was so very real. There was a guy two years older than me on the basketball squad above mine. In many ways, he inspired Goran. Obviously I could never say anything to him. What would you say to that person now?

11. I was surprised to find myself thinking of Nick Hornby when reading HERO. Are you a fan? Would you put HERO in the category of "Lad Lit," albeit on the younger side?

I’d consider it an honor to be lumped in with Nick Hornby on any list.

12. In your interview yesterday (part 1, part 2) with The YA YA YAs, you said: "Anything Walden Media makes will be good, for instance, because they stay so true to what makes the book special in the first place. If you want to satisfy both audiences, you must stay true to that great story." Do you stand by this statement now that they've released The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising in conjunction with 20th Century Fox? Cheeky, aren’t I?

You are indeed cheeky. I wasn’t involved in that movie, so I don’t have anything to say about it. Haven’t seen it either, but I do love anything Susan Cooper writes. Moreover, I do stand by my words regarding Walden Media’s commitment. Their support of Narnia is the reason those movies exist! Same goes for Bridge to Terabithia and Holes with Shia LaBoeuf. Unless you’ve made one, you can’t imagine how hard it is to make a stellar movie. Truly it takes a miracle of commitment. And Walden has that commitment. They’ve revolutionized the industry in so many ways.

13. You've told us to wait for the sequel. Can you give us any hints (no spoilers) for what's to come?

I love this question! Yes, this will be a series. Like I said, please e-mail me about what you want to know more about, because I’m in major planning stages. Now that these characters are alive, they keep coming to me with their stories. Hmmmm? hints. Well, what do you think Thom’s mom has really been up to all these years in her absence? And how do you know the Invisible Woman is really dead if you can’t find a body? Wonder about where Thom and Goran’s relationship is headed? And what exactly are the true natures of Goran’s abilities and his background? Expect a lot more from Typhoid Larry, Scarlett, Golden Boy, and some new characters, too! Remember, as Thom learns in the first book, things aren’t always what they seem!

Thanks, Perry, for spending some time with us!

Read the full interview with my obnoxious commentary.

Here's hoping I never have to do this again.

Sorta Like a Rock Star or Fame With or Without Spotlights

2011-02-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

There's always chatter among writers and publishers about the slush pile. The great mass of unsolicited manuscripts that publishers are sent every day. While I've never worked at a publishing house, I have to say that for me, the first few weeks of the Cybils is always a little like being confronted by an enormous slush pile that you have three months to get through. After five years, I've somehow come up with an odd balance of excitement and apathy that works for me. Essentially, I lower my expectations, and don't put too much thought into what the next book to read will be. I allow myself to be pleasantly surprised.

One particular quirk I have about reading is that I don't like to read to far into reviews, or the book description before I read. Invariably, too much is given away, and it sucks the fun out of the whole thing for me. Going along with that, I don't pay a whole lot of attention with the blurbs that show up on everything. But, in the Cybils slush pile that appeared on my kitchen table, I couldn't help but notice that Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick (Incidentally, I went to college with a guy with this name, so that never stops weirding me out.) was blurbed by Justina Chen and Sara Zarr. When I flipped open the back cover, there was a blurb from Dana Reinhardt. I love all three of these authors. All three. I knew what I was reading next.

There is no one like Amber Appleton. She's frank, honest, and not only willing to see the bright side of everything and everyone, she's going to make the world a better place through sheer force of will. She WILL win over even the most curmudgeonly. But her unfailing optimism isn't merely altruism. It's how she gets through the day. It's how she can bear her life. Amber Appleton doesn't have the best of mothers. When mom's last boyfriend kicked them out, they had nowhere to go, and now live on the school bus mom drives for a paycheck. It's cold on an unheated bus in Pennsylvania in the winter. It's lonely when mom's out trolling for men until late. It sorta, like, sucks. But Amber Appleton knows it will get better. Because, really, it can't get worse. Of course, it can, and it does. And even the spectacular, remarkable hope that Amber has always possessed and shared freely can't raise her above the pain she's about to endure.

I want to repeat this for emphasis: There is no one like Amber Appleton. She is both annoying and uplifting. Her voice is so unique and so powerful. One of both the strengths and weaknesses of Sorta Like a Rock Star is Amber's jargon. As someone who works with teens, I know that many have weak filters and an annoying habit of saying the same phrases and exclamations over and over. Most of that stuff is normally cut out of novels in favor of readability. That's not necessarily the case with SLARS. "True? True."

"[Mom] never again tried to make me play sports, although we ate many more hoagies on that bench and fed flocks of ducks for years to come -- and the feeding-ducks memories are something I truly treasure. Quack, quack. Ducks. Pretty killer" p 14-15.

Random meanderings like that are fairly typical for Amber, and frankly, I've known a teen or two who would say things like that. It serves to lighten up the rather serious mood of the preceding thoughts, and prevents Amber for dwelling on the horrible situation she's saddled with. But, it doesn't necessarily make it easier to read if you haven't already been completely captured by her voice in general. Which I was.

But above voice, and above a great depiction of setting, is character. Amber is kicked when she's already down, and it changes her. She goes from the most positive, uplifting person in that town, to an angry, hurt, sad individual. Regardless of whether a reader understood Amber before, by the time she gets to the depth of her depression, you simply can not look away. Her pain is palpable.

"I decide to quit being Amber Appleton, which isn't to say that I change my name or anything. I just decide that I can't keep living the way I used to live -- swinging for the fences, believing that things are going to work out, that everything is worth fighting for, and that I am brave and strong enough to change my reality, because I'm not and I can't. Joan of Old was right. I get her now, and what she said about life being a hell that I was only beginning to experience -- that makes sense suddenly" p 178.

However, even though she herself wouldn't have believed it, Amber Appleton isn't one to stay down.

I think more than any other book I read this year for the Cybils, this is the one that stays with me. This is the one that has a special place in my heart.

Obviously, the sequel should be entitled "I'm Kinda a Big Deal." <-- Joke.

Bitch Media's Got Something to Say About Teen Lit

2011-01-31T13:13:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: Ok, so there's a bit of a kerfuffel about this list. Seems someone got offended by the inclusions of numbers 49, 69, and 83. The comment thread at the original link below has gotten CrAzY. Bitch Media (whom, it seems are lacking the backbone you usually find in those claiming such a descriptor), wishes to replace those three with a different three. I think the whole thing it quite ridiculous, although I recognize that their intentions are good, if wildly short-sighted and ill-informed. Their actions, while calling the worth of the list itself into question and screaming a passive sort of censorship, have also managed to piss off just about everyone in the YA Lit community. But it's just a list, and it's worth about as much as any such thing is. I, being contrary, am just as happy to have three titles to add to the list, as no, removing, isn't really the way to go here. Besides, it ups my numbers to 47 read out of 103. *grin*

Original post:

45. I'm a little appalled that I've only read 45 of Bitch Media's 100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader. Appalled, because this is clearly the most awesome list of titles ever compiled. They even pull out six super awesome titles for extra commentary. One of which is Tanita Davis' Mare's War. As if the list needed to be MOAR AWESOME.

Bold are the ones I've read.

1. Estrella’s Quinceañera by Malin Alegria
2. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
3. Choir Boy by Charlie Anders
4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
5. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
6. Alt Ed by Catherine Atkins
7. The Rhyming Season by Edward Averett
8. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
9. Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black
10. Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block
11. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
12. Forever by Judy Blume
13. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
14. Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers
15. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
16. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
17. The Plain Janes by Cecil Castelluci and Jim Rugg
18. This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers
19. Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone
20. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
21. Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP
22. Celine by Brock Cole
23. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
24. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
25. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
26. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
27. Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
28. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
29. For the Win by Cory Doctorow
30. Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
31. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
32. El Lector by William Durbin
33. The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
34. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
35. Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
36. Crossing Stones by Helen Frost
37. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
38. The Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden
39. Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobie
40. Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies) by Justina Chen Headley
41. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
42. It’s Not What You Expect by Norma Klein
43. Uncommon Faith by Trudy Krisher
44. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
45. Toning the Sweep by Angela Johnson
46. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
47. Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby
48. White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages
49. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
50. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle
51. Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
52. Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin
53. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
54. Gravity by Leanne Lieberman
55. Ash by Malinda Lo
56. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
57. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
58. Sold by Patricia McCormick
59. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
60. Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. McKay
61. The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton
62. Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
63. Night Flying by Rita Murphy
64. Revenge by Taslima Nasrin
65. A Step from Heaven by An Na
66. Skip Beat! By Yosiki Nakamura
67. Simply Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (although I have read others in this series)
68. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
69. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
70. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
71. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters
72. Luna by Julie Anne Peters
73. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
74. Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
75. What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci
76. Imani All Mine by Connie Rose Porter
77. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
78. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
79. Beneath My Mother’s Feet by Amjed Qamar
80. The Sweet In-Between by Sheri Reynolds
81. Flygirl by Sherri Smith
82. Lucy the Giant by Sherri Smith
83. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
84. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
85. Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught
86. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
87. Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian
88. Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt
89. Cress Delahanty by Jessamyn West
90. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
91. When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune by Lori Aurelia Williams
92. Blue Tights by Rita Williams-Garcia
93. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
94. Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger
95. Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
96. The House You Pass on the Way by Jaqueline Woodson
97. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
98. When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright
99. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
100. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

ADDED:
101. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
102. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
103. Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

So, consider this a meme. Repost it at your site, and leave me a link in the comments. Or, just comment. No need to have a blog. Obviously.

What's the most shocking book on this list that I haven't read? What should I drop everything and Read. Now.? Forever? Make Lemonade? Izzy Willy-Nilly? Dangerous Angels?

Many thanks to the great Kelly Fineman for tweeting about this list!

The Beautiful Between, or Rapunzel's on the Upper East Side

2011-01-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

I like quiet books. Books that slip under the internet buzz, books that take their time, aren't splashy, and don't make a big fuss with outrageous plots, but that take you by surprise at how well they can speak to one small part of your soul or being, or the magical wonder juice that makes us all tick individually from each other. It's why I like Jenny Valentine so much.

We haven't seen Valentine's new books here in the states, yet, so I was looking for a fix. Alyssa B. Sheinmel's The Beautiful Between was just that. Quiet. Dreamy. Believably introspective. So, obviously it's got to be the one reviewed after Zombie Haiku. I gotta keep things balanced around here.

Connelly's content in the middle. She does exactly what she has to do not to get noticed, she speaks up, but only enough so that her silence doesn't mark her as a freak. She blends in with the mediocrity. She spends her idle moments fantasizing about the similarities between high school and fairy tales, quietly casting her peers in the classic stories. So, when the school prince, Jeremy Cole, proposes a tutoring trade with her (he'll help her with physics, she helps him with vocab), it's a little surprising. What's even more surprising is the interest he takes in her life - but there is a reason for his interest and when it turns out that Jeremy knows more about Connelly's father than she does, it throws her life and her past into a spiral that risks fractured relationships and has to end with major revelations.

The Beautiful Between was elegantly written, dripping with genuine emotion, and believable as a character-driven piece. The pace is steady, and it's short enough that you never get bored with it's thoughtfulness, or Connelly's introspection. The little bit of mystery helps propel both the reader and the protagonist forward.

The writing is lyrical, the story of loss is moving, and I will definitely keep an eye out for Sheinmel's next book, The Lucky Kind, due out in May.

Mare's War Giveaway

2011-01-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

Tanita Davis, a dear and beloved friend, has just received copies of the paperback version of her Coretta Scott King Honor-winning book Mare's War (is that cover not STUNNING?!).

She's giving away copies to the first 25 homeschoolers or homeschool-serving librarians to comment (read here). She's written also just written a teaching unit for teachers to use along with the book, so you should take a look at that.

If you count yourself of the legion of homeschoolers, definitely hie thee to her post!

Predictions, Now with Winners!

2011-01-10T00:13:00.000-08:00

So I really did try to go to bed without posting my ALA youth media award predictions, but I couldn't do it... so... here ya go. And yes, I know none of you save possibly Tanita will read this before the announcement. I had to get it off my chest before I could sleep.

Newbery: I've only read Once Crazy Summer & Mockingbird, so I'm just going off of internet chatter, reviews, and colleague love for most of these. Oh, and the fact that I actually want to read the ones I haven't gotten to yet.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Innocent but seeping with the flavor of a contentious time, Williams-Garcia does an excellent turn on 1969 and the Black Panther movement making it accessible for the audience. It's a little short on the reasons why Panthers were getting arrested, but since it's all from an 11-year-old's point of view, that might be forgivable. For slightly older students who are intruigued, don't forget about last year's excellent The Rock & the River by Kekla Magoon.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. The fact that this one won the National Book Award probably hurts it, but even given the fact that I'm completely over Autism/Asperger books, this one had me completely within it's charming grasp. This said, it's probably a shoo in for the Schneider.

Books getting the buzz, that I can't speak personally for:
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan.
Countdown by Deborah Wiles.
Keeper by Kathi Appelt.
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Printz: Theoretically, the Printz should be easier for me to predict since I'm so much more familiar with it, but gosh, I'm just stabbing in the dark here. I wouldn't be surprised to see more science fiction and fantasy on the list here. The fact that I spend the last quarter of the year willfully and painfully ignoring SFF for the Cybils hurts me a little when SFF is strong. This said, if any of my Cybils YA Fiction titles made it, I'd be through the roof.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. The world-building and the voice are what stand out miles from the crowd here. The pacing is excellent, and it would certainly be a crowd pleaser if it made it in.

They Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. This is exquisitely done. Bartoletti manages to keep a completely objective tone, letting primary source documents speak for themselves. A few more facts on the KKK today would have been appreciated, but as for a historical account of this subject, I don't think there's anything better out there. It's immensely readable, and should be found in every library. I won't consider the Printz complete this year if this one isn't included.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. I can't tell if this is eligible or not, and it's too late for me to be willing to research it, but in case it is... Since, I, personally, disliked it greatly, it's chances are good. I thought it dull and racked with pacing issues, but I appear to be the only one, so since those are my usual complaints about winners I don't like...

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The seven stages of grief are worked through by this mean girl as she goes a bit Groundhog's Day with death. While I, personally, think it could have been a little shorter, especially in the beginning, what Oliver was able to do with character development deserves recognition. It's not a perfect book, but it's damn close.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta. I don't think that this one really breaks any special ground when it comes to epic fantasy, in fact, it might even be a little derivative. But people love it, and it's got healthy buzz. None of which actually means anything. I hated Jellicoe, but it won, so perhaps this author and I will just never get along.

Coretta Scott King:

Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson. I can't tell you how much I loved this one. It's lyrical language and complicated structure begs a second or third read. It's not a bad bet for Printz, either. However, some do have issue with it's place as the last in a trilogy. I don't think it matters.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. As mentioned above.

Caldecott: I would say that the birth of my niece almost exactly a year ago means that I have more knowledge than usual in this category, and I've certainly read more this year than in a long time, but in reality, who ever knows? I also have to give props to my desk-mate Sarah Z., my children's librarian, who makes sure I see all the good stuff. I also might take a more populist view on the Caldecott. For that, I blame my short attention span. I think.

Art & Max by David Wiesner. It's never bad to bet on Wiesner, but with this one, I actually believe that the text detracts from the illustrations - to the extent that I believe they are unnecessary. That's the only thing I can think of that would keep this favorite from receiving yet another nod, 'cause the illustrations are mind-bending, beautiful, and full of personality.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown. I have a real soft spot for this one. I can't but help get a kick out of it, and I totally dig the retro illustrations. They are spot on in tone and whimsy.

Chalk by Bill Thomson. This is a bit of a weird one, taking pages from both Wiesner and Van Allsburg, but the illustrations are truly remarkable as they slide from one style to the next.

Oh No!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World by Mac Barnett. This one is super fun. There's more of a plot than any of the other books I'm talking about here, and it's equally clever, thoughtful, and funny. The illustrations match it perfectly on those three counts with small details that will appeal both to the kids, and the reading adult.

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton. I don't know that I actually expect this to make it on the list, but it is by and far my favorite picture book of the year, and since this is the absolute only time I talk about picture books on this blog, I'm mentioning it. Because if you DON'T already know this book, you simply must. Seriously.

Schneider Award: I always think it's odd that the Schneider only picks one book per age group. I don't think it would hurt them to toss off a few Honors now and again, but whatevs.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly. It's probably too dark and racy for the committee, but it is an excellent portrayal of a teen with Asperger's where the disorder isn't really the issue. It's more just a quirk as she gets through a very normal life. Well, normal in the world of dark teen books.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk. This will probably win the teen grouping. It's lovely fun with a noir twist. Very Veronica Mars, had she been a deaf, overweight boy. It approaches many of the issues and controversy within the deaf community (or so I've read), while not making that the issue itself. No, the issue is murder.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. As mentioned above. Shoo-in for the middle grade demographic. I hope.

Since most likely you've already heard the results (probably before me, as I'll be teaching homeschoolers at the time of the announcements), what do you think? What's missing? What makes you glad?

UPDATE:

Printz:
Winner: Ship Breaker! Yay!
Honors:
Nothing by Janne Teller. I'm kicking myself for not mentioning this one. That's what I get for posting predictions at midnight. This is a WILDLY disturbing read, but very well done.

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick. I always wanted to like Sedgwick, but I was burned by My Swordhand is Singing, and haven't been able to read anything else by him because of it. I'll try my luck here, and see what happens.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. This was nominated for Cybils YA Fiction panel, and having enjoyed Dust of 100 Dogs, I was eager to read it. I had to stop when I got to the talking pagoda and kick it over to SFF. I was totally digging it, though, and was sorry to have to move it on. I haven't had a chance yet to return, so I'm excited for the impetus.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This book forced me to coin the phrase "creep-ass love." Which then got applied all over the face of teen literature. Well, at least by those of us on the Cybils YA Fiction panel this year. This was one of our finalists.

Newbery:
Winner: Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. I got nothing. Looks like something I would have been first in line to read when I was a kid, though.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. All I know is that it's supposed to be good, but that there's hate for both covers. I figure now that it's an honor, there will be plenty of opportunity for new covers.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus. Looks interesting.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman. I was scratching my head trying to figure out why this was familiar, when I remembered it was a Cybils Poetry Finalist. cool.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Yay!

Caldecott:
Winner: A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead. *Shrug* The cover looks pretty strange (yes, I did just judge it by it's cover. Whatever. You know I'll read it.)

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill.

Interrupting Chicken illustrated and written by David Ezra Stein. Called in the comments by Trisha.

Coretta Scott King:
Winners:One Crazy Summer! and Dave the Potter from the above Caldecott.
Honors:
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers. I didn't think this was one of his best. At all.
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri. I've heard really good things about this one. I love it when graphic novels get honored, so I'm already waiting a hold on this one.
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio. I hearby predict that this will forever be in Seattle bookstores.

Schneider:
Winners:
The Pirate of Kindergarten written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril. I'm fairly certain I've read this, but it wasn't terribly memorable. Although fun.

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick. This makes me happy. Too bad I didn't think of it last night.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. Again, to Trisha in the comments. I haven't read it, but I know it's set in Seattle, and I noticed a review of it last week sometime, so it was on my distant radar... That's about it, though. My system doesn't have it, so I've placed a hold at my home library.

KidLitCon

2011-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

Some of you already know that I'm co-hosting the 2011 KidLitCon with Colleen Mondor of Chasing Ray and Bookslut fame. We are still very much in the planning stages and we could use your help. If you have ever attended on of the conventions, or have ever even thought you might someday want to, please take this survey, so we can best plan the 5th annual convention here in luscious, green Seattle.

Start thinking about sessions you'd like to present or see, too!

More on this as we have it!

Thanks!

Poetry Friday: Zombie Haiku

2011-01-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Poetry Friday has been around forever. And I've never participated. I've looked at posts over the years and though, gee, I really should join in. I like poetry! I definitely think we should promote this oft under-appreciated form. And yet, I never have.

Until now.

Because, really, if I am ever to participate, it really should be with this book. This marvelous collection of haiku. And yes, I do mean marvelous. I don't even think it has anything to do with my obsessions about the zombie apocalypse. Much.

Now, admittedly, you might need to be one who appreciates the macabre, as ZOMBIE HAIKU by Ryan Mecum alternates equally between the grotesque, the disturbing, and some of the most hilarious poetry I have ever read.

The pages are a blood spattered and offal smeared account (including pictures & illustrations) of the last days of the zombie apocalypse, not from the view point of a survivor, but that of one zombie. The voice is clear and entertaining, and pacing is such that the reader has no time to think about the feasibility of a zombie being able to manage fine motor functions well enough to write. In fact, this poor guy is better as a zombie poet than he ever was as a human one.

I've been sharing passages with coworkers to general hilarity.

My favorite passages:

My instinct steers me
to my gourmet dinner feast,
a nursing home.

The side door is shut.
From the side window, they stare.
So many meals stare.

They are so lucky
that I cannot remember
how to use doorknobs.

I circle around,
and a great surprise greets me:
automatic doors.

It is hard to tell
who is food and who isn't
in the nursing home.

I really need blood.
Moaning "brains!" is hard to do
with a dried out tongue.

Little old ladies
speed away in their wheelchairs,
frightened meals on wheels.
p 44-47.

My shoes are slushy,
with my decomposing feet
leaking clear liquid.
p 57

Elbows bend one way,
except for this guy screaming.
His bends two ways now.
p 72

One eyeball has shrunk.
I'm glad it's tied to something
so it won't fall far.
p 110

I keep saying "brains."
I remember other words,
but I just need one.
p 118

I cannot wait to bring this on school visits.

This week's Poetry Friday is with Irene Latham at Live. Love. Explore.

synchronicities

2011-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

synchronicities: 1. the quality or fact of being synchronous. 2. the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality —used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung.
--Merriam-Webster Online

This list of similarities and coincidences among the 2010 Cybils YA Fiction nominations is humbly submitted to you by the 2010 Cybils YA Fiction Panel. It is no way to be considered completely exhaustive, as we are certain nominated books and coincidentals will have been missed. This list was originated out of amusement as the seven panelists read their way through the 182 titles. If you know of a nominated title that should be included in one of the synchronicities below, please feel free to submit it in the comments! To get the entire list, you’ll have to visit all seven of the panelist’s blogs:

#1-10 Amanda Snow, A Patchwork of Books [TW]

#11-21 Ami Jones, Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian [TW]

#22-32 Cherylynne W. Bago, View from Above and Beyond [TW]

#33-42 Jackie Parker, Interactive Reader [TW]

#43-52 Justina Ireland, The YA 5 [TW]

#53-63 Kelly Jensen, Stacked [TW]

#64-72 Melissa Wiley, Here in the Bonny Glen [TW]

**Please, if considering buying any of the nominations, do so through the Cybils, so we can give our deserving winners a tangible token of their merit.

33. Jewish Characters: The Beautiful Between; Hush; Life, After; Queen of Secrets

34. Journals of Dead People: Hold Still; Revolution; The Secret Year

35. Kidnappings: Girl, Stolen; Stolen; The Tension of Opposites; Woods Runner

36. Lunchtime Oak Tree: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend; Hold Still (ok, treehouse!); A Little Wanting Song; Lifted (under a Pecan tree - it IS Texas!)

37. Meaningless Sex to Forget the Issue at Hand or Deaden the Pain: Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour; The Duff; Forget You; Hold Still; Saving Maddie; Nothing Like You; Not That Kind of Girl

38. Mental Issues of Some Sort or Another: Abe in Arms; A Blue So Dark; The Brothers Story; Compromised; Forget You; Revolution; The River; Tangled; The Unwritten Rule

39. Michigan: Exit Strategy; I Now Pronounce You Someone Else; Sing Me to Sleep

40. Murder: All Unquiet Things; The Dangerous Days of Hamburger Helpin; The Deadly Sister; The Less-Dead; Revolution; The River; The Space Between Trees; The Twin’s Daughter, Wicked Girls; Woods Runner; When I Was Joe?

41. Musicals or Theater: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend; Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour; Hold Still (Play); Nothing Like You (drama class); Scrawl (Play); Sorta Like a Rock Star (talent something); Will; Will Grayson, Will Grayson;

42. Musicians: A Little Wanting Song; Beat the Band; Dirty Little Secrets; Freefall; Friend is Not a Verb; Harmonic Feedback; The Less-Dead; Indigo Blues; Mindblind; Revolution; Sing Me to Sleep; The Sky is Everywhere; Somebody Everybody Listens To; Stringz; The Summer I Got a Life; Will; Rhythm and Blues

Emerging from a Cocoon

2010-10-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett is a beautifully written book. Each scene is precisely set up with succinct and tiny details, and each character is given intent and motivation. Sentences are long, but elegant and containing a penchant for listing.

These facts, as I relate them, may indicate that beside its beauty, Butterfly is a dense story. Despite it's relatively short length of 232 pages, it is not a quick read. I'm unsure of who the audience is, as I would find it surprising if the average teen readers I know will make it all the way through the text. I myself fell asleep several times while reading. In the middle of the day on a Saturday. When I didn't previously feel sleepy.

The intent of Butterfly is to show Ariella "Plum" in the throws of her last weeks of being a child, as she miraculously changes into an adolescent with real hints of becoming a woman. These few weeks are supposed to contain the actions and consequences of what will form her nascent adult self. I don't feel that it is entirely successful. Plum does change, but I'm not convinced that it is into a butterfly, but rather something a little more callous. The reader is introduced to all of the major players in her life, her two brothers, Justin and Cydar, her parents (sadly underdeveloped), her flock of girlfriends (an assortment of cruel and kind, where she and we witness mob mentality), and the neighbor woman who is having an intent affair with an apathetic Justin.

Cydar, the middle brother is easily the most interesting character in the book. Supposedly brilliant, and not without flaws, he is observant and good, and cares more about his family and especially his baby sister than anything else in the world. He is hyperaware of his compulsion toward a tarnished nobility and is a little rueful about it - knowing that he'd sacrifice for Plum's benefit even if he were to suffer as a result.

"Plum loves Justin more than she loves Cydar, people usually do and cannot be blamed, and although he'd hoped that his sister might be something other than usual, Cydar accepted the situation years ago. It's never diminished the rumble of responsibility he feels in his chest for her. But the honk of her voice, the slope to her stance, the sore look of the skin on her forehead, the unwillingness of her clothes to fit well: all of these are making Cydar, who loves Plum more than anyone does, reluctant to look at her. The desperation which singes the edges of her - this is even worse. She's not fourteen, but sitting on the bungalow step Cydar is sure he sees how her life will unfold. Be fearsome, he wants to tell her. Defy. His own life depends on her doing so. His existence will never be all it can be if Plum stands in its corner, happy for and proud of him, but misaligned and alone. She will stunt him, and he will let her" p 62.

and

"And in [Cydar's] tightly stoned state he has a profound realization: Everyone in his family is sad. Mums and Fa, living lives that never managed to rise above the ordinary. Plum and Justin, aware of the peril, but neither of them clever enough to avoid a similar fate. Cydar himself, who will achieve enough for all of them, but will never feel rightly made for the world" p 106.

I should also address the fact that the book is set vaguely in the 1980's. There's no discernible reason for the setting, nor is it a major character. The only hints are an acknowledgement of a previous love of ABBA from some of the girls, and a subtle lack of modern technology. It brings up the argument of whether a quasi-historical setting was necessary, and if authors should set stories in the past if there's no reason beside the author's own faint nostalgia.

I'm putting this in the same boat as I put The Spell Book of Listen Taylor and The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kent. Well written, dense, slightly pretentious, and will probably have more adult fans than teen. If you, or anyone you know liked either or both of those books, Butterfly is one to investigate. If you have a great deal of patience and want a true character study, Butterfly will also hit the mark. If you're craving some plot-driven action, this one moves through thick, dark, sticky sludge. But it'll force you to create new synapses in your brain.

It's a good-for-you book. And probably has a shot at the Printz, depending of course, on who's on the committee.

2009 Top Ten for readergirlz

2010-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

Every year the divas at readergirlz ask each of us on their advisory panel for our top ten favorite girl-power books we read during 2009. It's usually a pretty gut-wrenching list to create, as anything with a female main character, regardless of publication date is game. Beyond that, the criteria is created by each of the individual postergirlz.

What I tried to do with my list was pick books that were entertaining, memorable, and containing enough meat that they would have enough fodder if rgz were to pick a title for a month-long feature.

Here's what I gave them:

2009 Top Ten for rgz

1. Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney
I've really got to dedicate a whole post to this one. Three girls. Three generations. One family. Three times the drama, three times the heartbreak. But each girl can't help but hope for something a little better than what her mother left her with.

2. Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
Much like Valentine's last book, this one is quiet and introspective, and very British. Rowen's brother has just died. Her father is entirely absent, and her mother has entirely withdrawn into herself. Reality doesn't really play a part of her mom's world anymore. So it's up to Rowen. Not a big deal, except that means she's got to take care of her little sister, too. And really, she's not completely over her brother's death either.

3. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
This is a girl you can't help but love - even though she'll be the first one to cut you down. Parker is in pain. No, make that Pain. Something happened, and it was all her fault. She can't forgive herself, she can't stand herself - and as part of the punishment she's going to make darn sure no one else wants to be around her either.

4. The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Zombies. I can't help it. IF there were to actually be zombies, this is actually plausible to me. And it makes me want to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. Which I was already worried about.

5. How It Ends by Laura Wiess
The one book sure to reduce you to a quivering pool of slobbery tears. It starts out all normal, then WHAP, this ain't your typical YA anymore.

6. If I Stay by Gaye Foreman
Girl in coma. To Live or To Die...

7. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Ah, hilarity. What do you do when the only friends you've ever had turn out to suck? Well, it's off into the wild nerd yonder to see if you can to any better than back-stabbers. It shouldn't be too hard, right?

8. Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles
Teen pregnancy - and how, for once, it effects those around the pregnant teen. Including the father - who's possibly more surprised than any at how this effects him.

9. The Miles Between by Mary Pearson
Coincidences. Is there meaning behind them? Is it fate's payback? Should you steal a car just because it's there, and then escape with three people you don't even like, just because you can?

10. Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle
This is a truly wonder sister story. I don't have any sisters, but I think Myracle really hit the dynamic perfectly. The simultaneous love/hate relationship was well played out.

11. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
I wasn't sure about this one at first. It was a pretty slow-moving train, but as all that tension mounts, and as the stakes get raised, the transformation of Evie is complete and irreparable.

Honorary, but too young for Rgz

1. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
This is the book that soothes my Green Gables soul. Even though the passion is for science, rather than books. You just can't help but be charmed by this book.

2. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
There's something deliciously old-school about this one that, at the same time, feels entirely fresh. I won't go into the insanely convoluted plot (when time travel is involved, how can it help being any other way?).

Awards Speculation

2010-01-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I know you don't really need another one of these, especially since the announcement is mere hours away, but I'm thinking about it, so I might as well think about it aloud. Besides, I did pretty good last year.

Printz:
I think the front-runner in everyone's mind at the moment (well, except the committee themselves, as I do believe they've already made their decision) is MARCELLO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork. It handily won my library's Mock Printz, but IF I STAY got an honor through us, so take that with a grain of salt (this is not to say I wasn't moved by IIS, but... I don't know if it's "Printz-worthy").

ASH by Malinda Lo is also a Morris Award contender. People have been fairly gobsmacked by this Cinderella retelling, so I think it's got an outside chance despite the potential of a double win.

GENTLEMEN by Michael Northrop. This one lingers, and it is in the aftertaste that you begin to truly appreciate all that went on here. Kyle has even picked GENTLEMEN up, read it, and loved it, and wrote a review for me that is forthcoming.

BLUE PLATE SPECIAL by Michelle D. Kwasney. I love this book. I don't think anyone's heard of it (unless they've been good little readers and paid attention to the Cybils), but I can't help but evangelize all over the place for it. So now I'm doing it here, too.

LIAR by Justine Larbalestier... I don't know what to say about this one. I certainly didn't like it. BUT. It is kinda remarkable that the reader can choose to read it as a psychological thriller (?) or a fantasy novel. Of course, if you read it as fantasy, you are totally wrong in my mind.

NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL by Justina Chen. People love this book. Really, really love it. It's not without it's faults, but in a roomful of YA Lit people, this one will, no matter what, have ardent supporters. As an added, but completely irrelevant since it's not qualifying criteria, bonus: teens love it too.

LIPS TOUCH by Laini Taylor. Haven't read it. I'll be starting tonight, now that my hold has finally come in. From what I can tell, everyone who isn't a fantasy or short story hater seems to think it's brilliant. And even some of them confess love.

Newbery:
I think there might be librarians rioting in the streets if Rebecca Stead's lovely WHEN YOU REACH ME doesn't take home at least an honor.

I only read a handful of middle grade books, so my knowledge is limited but I'd love to see HEART OF A SHEPHERD by Rosanne Parry and THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly with shiny medals on their covers. Though I have not read it, I wouldn't be surprised to see 11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass on their list. Grace Lin's WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON seems to have everyone drooling of late, so keep that one on your radar, as well.

Schneider:
If MARCELLO IN THE REAL WORLD doesn't take home the Schneider, blood was probably spilled in that committee over it, so walk carefully if you know anyone of that group. They might still have their blades out.

Honor- and other level-wise, I have no idea. ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH was a pretty awesome depiction of both PTSD and amputation, while still being mad entertaining, so I wouldn't be completely surprised to see it, despite the slightly far-fetched premise. I also have a ginormous soft spot for HOW IT ENDS by Laura Wiess, and it's earth-shattering depiction of Parkinson's Disease. The ending might provide a bit of a problem for the committee, though. Chen's NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, depending on how the committee decides to interpret disability, could also be a contender.

Coretta Scott King:
I gotta tell you that I'm pulling for THE ROCK AND THE RIVER by Kekla Magoon. Of course, I would be ecstatic to see the lovely Tanita Davis win for her wonderful MARE'S WAR, and quite happy to see Sherri L. Smith's FLYGIRL win as well. I'd be less happy if JUMPED by Rita Carlos Williams wins, but what with the "outstanding inspirational and educational" criteria, I'm not entirely sure JUMPED qualifies.

Actually, I say all this, but I'm sure CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE will be recognized. Pinkney's THE LION AND THE MOUSE is sure to be recognized for the illustrator award.

Caldecott:
Yeah. I got nothin' here. Perhaps Scanlon's ALL THE WORLD and/or THE LION AND THE MOUSE.

This was fun. I should blog more often.

Alibi Junior High

2009-09-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

While it is not entirely uncommon to find a haunted 13-year-old, Cody, in Greg Logsted’s Alibi Junior High, is haunted in an unusual way for teens in the western world.

You see, Cody has been living deep undercover with his CIA agent father pretty much his whole life. He speaks five languages, has two black belts, has lived all around the world, and can make lethal weapons out of whatever is around him. But in all of the dangerous situations he’s survived, he and his father have finally encountered someone who REALLY wants them dead. And now Cody must go into the deepest cover he’s ever known: Normal Kid. And junior high? Far worse than anything he’s ever imagined.

Just so we are clear, THIS IS NOT A TWEEN NOVEL. I know you might be tempted to give this to your average 10 year-old, but know this:

“There’s someone lying next to me. I look over and see the waitress who had winked at me. Her lifeless eyes are now permanently opened wide and there’s a large piece of metal sticking out of the center of her chest. The Yankees cap is still on her head, but it’s now soaked in blood and almost unrecognizable.

There’s an arm near me. Just an arm, and it has a wedding band on the ring finger. I pick my head up and look around at what’s left of the restaurant. There’s blood and bodies all around me. I start to scream but it’s a silent scream. All I can hear is the ringing” p 11.

I just made you either move this one up your queue or drop it entirely, didn’t I?

We originally had this one in the children’s section. We don’t anymore. That passage is by far the most graphic incident in the novel, but since it looks so incredibly kid-friendly with that cover and title, I thought you might want a heads up.

All of this said, you can also probably tell from that excerpt that Logsted captured the spy novel tone. Logsted also did well with that captured, helpless, alienated feeling junior high instills in most of us. Even with the fact that I MUST believe that he exaggerated the nightmare of school a little bit. That school was a misery, although the principal did begin to develop some depth through the novel.

Unlike some of the other characters. Most of Cody’s friends remain one-dimensional. Logsted did far better with the adult characters, most notably the Iraq War vet, Andy, who lost an arm in combat. Logsted handled the disability of that character frankly, never pandering and without didacticism.

An obvious match for Alex Rider and Charlie Higson fans. It’s more… believable than either of those, and immensely readable. Could be a series, although I've found nothing in my cursory searching that indicates it will be.

Don’t ALL throne rooms have that feature?

2009-09-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was published 6 years ago, so I’m not really worried about spoilers at this point. If you are, you might want to stop reading. However, I assume that if you are reading this blog you are in possession of an astute and finely honed intelligence, and nothing I say here would be any surprise to you, even if you haven’t read the novel.

I say that because there was nothing about The Goose Girl that was not entirely predictable. Entirely. I mean, it’s a given in this type of story (usually) that the heroine wins the prince, however, this went beyond the natural level of predictability with the villain being obvious, the villain’s goal and motive being clearly apparent (before there was ever real confirmation of WHO the villain would be, or, at that, IF there would be a villain), who the mysterious noble was, and, above all, exactly HOW it would all work out (not THAT it would work out, of course that would happen).

But here’s the remarkable thing. I DID NOT CARE. I did not care one whit that I knew how it would all play out, down to the very mode of resolution. And that, my incredibly intelligent friends, is a remarkable feat of writing. I read The Goose Girl almost straight through.

Now, I can’t really say that fairy tale plots get old; they generally turn into cozy blankets (although, to be honest, I’m a little sick of that 12 dancing princess tale, authors, please stop adapting it, thanks), but that alone can not make a compelling read to a discerning audience. What carried this novel were the characters.

It is not a surprise to me that this one book has gone on to inspire an interlocking series. The secondary characters were interesting and varied, and I am eager to read Enna Burning and River Secrets based on my introductions to the main characters in those two titles in this book. And Ani. Oh, Ani, how you grew through this novel. How you learned strength in yourself, first through (possible) artifice, then strife. And while I hate this term, you truly blossomed into a confident future queen. You never would have been able to rule your birthland, not with their nature (for even the settings had character), nor without the travails.

The language was great, and Hale truly captured the tone of the fairy tale in a wonderfully developed world. Some of that predictability, is as I said, unavoidable when working with this genre, other elements are due to some rather clunky foreshadowing.

The novel, as I’m sure you realize, is based on a fairy tale, but Hale, as she did with The Book of a Thousand Days, owned that world, skillfully setting up the next installments. Or so I assume, as I haven’t read them yet. But, as I picked up Forest Born at WASHYARG last week, I’ll need to read all of them before December 4th, when my review is due for that. Since I’m cursed with an obsession with chronology…

I'm sure this is someone's favorite book...but...

2009-09-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here's some honesty for you: I don't care for novels where the protagonists are unlikeable. Sometimes the novel can overcome unlikeable characters, and it is realistic to expect them to pop up occasionally, since, you know, they pop up more often than occasionally in real life. Of course, I generally read fiction to escape reality or experience new realities, so that whole concept doesn't really jive much with my goals. But, like I said, I can get over it if the book is good in other ways.

Unlike A KISS IN TIME by Alex Flinn.

(omg, that was so harsh.)

That is not to say that this book didn't have it's high points - there was definitely some very good humor. And the two protagonists, I suspect, were supposed to be unlikeable, and they DO become more endearing as the book neared the end...but...they just...GRATED against my skin. I read on mostly because the plot was interesting and I wanted to see how it would all work out:

Talia was always told never to touch a spindle or the curse would descend upon their kingdom. Problem was, no one ever bothered to tell her what a spindle looked like... and so Sleeping Beauty slept for 300 years. And her prince never came. Well, until Jack stumbled into the forgotten kingdom... But Jack was no prince, he was just a kid from Florida whose parent's had gotten rid of for the summer by sending him to Europe. Now Talia's parents, the King & Queen, are FURIOUS at Talia and she so she runs away with Jack - back to Florida. Hijinks ensues.

So, Talia is a spoiled, but ignorant, princess who has just been plunged into the 21st century after 300 years of sleeping. Jack is largely ignored by his parents and expected to follow a career path he has no interest in. It's not that they don't have issues or the right to be surly. But seriously. Stop whining.

High points:

Talia, upon leaving her kingdom:

"...it will hard to be a commoner. They have to do a great deal of work, and sometimes they smell bad" p 113.

Talia, on living in the 21st century:

"I have never heard of a party without gowns. This is turning out to be a very disappointing century" p 167.

It's actually out-Disneyed Disney in that even the bad guys aren't really all that bad - just misunderstood. It has a happy ending. Which I can appreciate.

I know that I should write more in depth about other issues I have with the novel, but, I just don't want to expend the energy. So instead, I leave you...

Other opinions:
Young Adult Literature Review Blog
Sonder Books
And Another Book Read

Ok, now here's something I've never done:

2009-09-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

turn this blog over to someone else. Sure, I've done interviews, but I've never allowed anyone to wrest this helm from my cold, diamond encrusted hands (ha!). But, then there's the encruster.* He has unusual sway over me. And by golly, since he had something to say about Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins's sequel to her blockbuster, Hunger Games, and I had no intention whatsoever to spend any time on the most reviewed title of the season, I thought why not? Besides, he just introduced me over at the Cybils.

Here's Kyle:

Being the wonderful librarian and fiancé that she is, Jackie handed me Hunger Games to read on our recent vacation to Michigan. I read the whole thing in three days, and, as she reasonably expected, I loved it. Looking around on the internet and talking to friends of Jackie, it's very clear that I'm not alone. Hunger Games is just one of those great books.

Jackie and her mom, giddy about their success of getting me, a typical non-reader, so interested in a book, quickly got my hands on Catching Fire, the sequel. However, I can no longer say that Jackie is now batting 1000, because in so many ways, Catching Fire failed in all of the places where Hunger Games succeeded. By the end, I found myself frustrated with just too many things to enjoy what I felt could have been a good story.

So naturally I was quite surprised when Jackie tells me that she'd be interested in having me write a review and post it on her blog. I've never written a book review before, let alone one that's going to be read by as many readers as Jackie has. Not to mention, this is a sequel to a very popular book - the second in what is going to be a very successful trilogy. Who am I to affect other people's reading of this book? However, I will still try my hand at this.

The end of Hunger Games is a good non-ending. In fact, it is so good, that it could have stood on its own without the promise of a sequel (I could go on for a while about my opinion of sequels and non-endings, but not now). I spent some time between finishing Hunger Games and starting Catching Fire thinking about how the sequel should play out, and I struggled coming up with anything good. The games were over, Katniss had successfully defied the Capitol, and she had broken two hearts in the process. But back home, she would once again be a powerless teenager. The only hope I saw for an interesting story was for something to happen that would cause her to become the strong character that she was by the end of the first book, the survivalist with a strong grasp of humanity, character, and defiance.

Well, that "something" happens in Catching Fire. Suzanne Collins puts in the perfect story arc that could precisely pull out the crafty, cunning girl that I'm begging for Katniss to be. Except, to my dismay, the arc happens at the end of the book, and the arc doesn't cause any transformation in Katniss at all. Instead, we are treated to 2/3 of a book full of angsty love tryst where Katniss realizes over and over again that yes, both boys in her life are perfectly nice boys who she could end up with if she had to, and yes, it would be unfair if she had to.

In the meantime, a rebellion is starting all around her, and Katniss is practically oblivious to it except to feel fear and guilt whenever someone gets hurt. The entire time, I felt like reaching into the book and strangling her saying "Where's the anger? Where's the defiance?" Instead, except in a few small instances, the only defiance she shows is a completely illogical defiance of her friends who she is aware are going out of their way to save her. She simply doesn't care. What I assume is supposed to be seen as a decision based on logic and self-sacrifice instead comes across as a decision based on the selfish belief that it’s better to die than to live in guilt even if it means making everyone else around you live in guilt. The level-headed thwarter to the Capitol from the last book suddenly became the emotionally-wrecked thwarter to her level-headed friends. This goes so far as to make me wish that I could listen to another character narrate for a little bit just so I would stop wringing the book in my hands.

Katniss remains completely unaware of the situation around her until the last few pages of the book when the whole mystery is explained in one unsatisfying quick paragraph. I think that it was supposed to be a mystery to the reader as well, but it was too obvious to not guess. For a character who, in the first book, was so quick to correctly judge a situation or a hidden message, the entire final third of this book was filled with way too many things that were clear to the reader but somehow not so clear to the smart girl that we wanted to root for.

The ending of the book sets the stage for the third book, and it does so in a way that successfully makes me want to pick it up and read it. Some of that optimism is because I think that the only way to write the third book is to have Katniss step up and become the strong character she was always meant to be. However, there's a worry in the back of my mind that Collins is going make the same mistake as Catching Fire, and spend too much time dealing with the main character's irrational emotions and less time dealing with actual plot advancement.

----

Thanks, hon!

It's Jackie again. If that wasn't apparent.

Ah, how I love disgruntled reviews. They are by far the most entertaining to read, don't you think? I asked Kyle whether he was Team Gale or Team Peeta, he decided that she should just dump both of them (well, he did after I explained what Team Fill-in-the-blank WAS) and move on with her life.

If you are a tweet-a-holic like us, you can follow Kyle (and me!) if you so desire!

*By the way, Kyle reallly doesn't want me to call him the encruster. He really prefers something sappy, like fiancé, or beloved betrothed. I'm liking encruster. Personally. ;)

You might think YOUR power sucks, but at least it's not Rogue's.

2009-09-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty "meh" about this one. There wasn't enough paranormal activity early on for me to really buy into the premise, and frankly, I'm having a truly difficult time separating DEADLY LITTLE SECRET and WAKE in my mind. Now, partially that is my fault for being on a paranormal kick and reading similar books right in a row (followed by EVERMORE, I might add - which I have pretty much ENTIRELY forgotten - to the extent that I know I read it, but can't remember what it was about. My notes tell me that it was massively similar to WAKE, TWILIGHT & Meg Cabot's MEDIATOR series, that I was emotionally invested, but not intellectually. And that I didn't plan on reading the sequel.)

Anyway, back to the actual book on hand (don't expect a review on Evermore, k?):

What was, I believe noteworthy in Laurie Faria Stolarz's book was that the main character wasn't the one with any paranormal powers. Why I say this in the wake of Twilight, I have no idea, except that while Camelia, like Bella, lacks a certain self-preservation gene, she does struggle with believing in the paranormal powers Ben claims to have, and does, for fleeting moments wonder if she should trust her instincts. Furthermore, at the end of the book, there really isn't anything special (power-wise) about our main character, just that she's para-paranormal.

Two things have coincided in Camelia's life: the arrival of a new boy she's inexplicable attracted to and creepy, threatening messages start plaguing her life. Her instincts are to trust Ben, but the coincidence of his arrival and the stalking starting at the same time is certainly suspicious. Besides, there are some seriously worrying rumors about this guy. Rumors from his last school regarding his last girlfriend. The girlfriend that died...

There was definitely a well-crafted tone to the novel - oniminous and tense. It followed the constructs of a classic mystery/thriller teasing you with the unnamed villian's point of view, leaving the reader to suspect everyone, even when aware of who it can and can not be due to the nature of the genre (like, it can't be the most obvious person because this is a book, not real life, right? right?).

So, well done. It is exactly what it was supposed to be.

Love is the Higher Law

2009-09-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is a remarkable book. Even, I think, for David Levithan, who has a history of remarkable books.

Some of you know that I take notes, of varying depth, while I read. Sometimes it's just notes on plot and character. Sometimes the notes consist of sentences that strike me as emblematic of the novel as a whole or are just beautifully written. In LOVE IS THE HIGHER LAW I took no notes on plot. I did however manage to copy out ONE WHOLE PAGE of the text into my notebook. I thought it would just be a couple sentences, but it ended up being pretty much the whole page (page 39, if you were wondering).

Anyway, I didn't read this because the eighth anniversary of 9/11 was coming up. I don't really need to relive that day - ever - I haven't read or watched anything dealing with the subject prior to this. I read it because it was David Levithan writing about 9/11. I know that Levithan is a New Yorker. And I trusted him as an author to deal with this subject with barefaced honesty, never pandering, never with any sense of self-importance or false heroism, or anything else that sullies that day.

Or something.

Love is the Higher Law follows three teenage New Yorkers through September 11, 2001 and beyond that to the marvel of living on. It follows how one day has lingering effects on their lives and what it meant to be a New Yorker, and a human, on that day.

It was beautiful from the first page. Each of the three voices were distinct and unique.

Claire started out the morning of 9/11 paranoid and worried over the what-ifs in life. It took a what-if she never expected to realize what life - and love - is.

Jasper began that day self-absorbed and self-important and deals with it by pushing everyone away.

Peter sees the world through the goggles of the truly music-obsessed, but is at a loss when the world drowns out his music.

These three teens who barely know each other before these events somehow eventually find each other in a masterful and utterly believable weaving of storyline. High school and college typically see teens grow and change, but those who came of age during this period had their transition sparked by one shared event, which makes them unique among recent generations. Levithan explores this thought with sensitivity.

Yes, I'm raving. And nominating it for my library's Mock Printz.

Here are some quotes:

Peter, p 39: "I know if I press play, the song will never be able to work for me again, because instead of the song playing under the moment, the moment will weigh on top of the song, and I am never going to want to remember this, I am never going to want to be here again, so I walk withougt anyone else's words in my ears, and all the music falls away from the world, because how can you have music on a day like today? Whitenoise is not the same as silence. White noise is different because you know white noise is deliberate, composed to cancel everything out. It is the opposite of music, and it is all that I can hear and all that I can imagine hearing right now. I keep going back to that first moment - seeing that black hole on the tower, seeing the site of the crash, that image, that one image is what I am picturing right now. That tower is our history, our lives, all the minutiae and security and hope. And that black hole is what I'm feeling. It will effect me in ways I can't even begin to get my mind around. This day is a dark crater. There is no room for songs. The songs are wrong. Every song is wrong. And I don't know what to do without music."

Claire, p 106: "I think that if you were somehow able to measure the weight of human kindness it would have weighed more on 9/11 than it ever had. On 9/11, all the hatred and murder could not compare with the weight of love, of bravery, of caring. I have to believe that. I honestly believe that. I think we saw the way humanity works on that day, and while some of it was horrifying, so much of it was good."

Jasper, p 125: "I went the whole day withought thinking about it...I didn't let the world in at all. or that day. Until, of course the end of the day, when i realized I had gone the whole day without thinking about it, and wondered what that meant."

Claire, p 111: "...you can't find a common humanity just because you have a common enemy. You have to find a common humanity because you believe that it's true."

There were no ghosts in this book.

2009-09-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

I say that upfront because the fact kinda ruined the book for me. In turn, that fact makes me contemplate the idea of reader expectation. Which I'll subject you to for a moment (nice, right?).

Reader expectation can be formed in more ways than I am likely to think of. On the most basic level it can be the cover, the jacket material, summaries, blurbs, reviews, word of mouth, the reader's past experiences with the author, etc. I'll admit that, personally, I am most swayed (one way or another) by a cover.

So, what led me to believe that there were ghosts in this book? Well, the title, for one. It seems reasonable that a book called Nothing But Ghosts, would in fact, contain ghosts. Now, I have not read anything else by Beth Kephart, but via word of mouth, I have heard nothing but praise toward the author's work. That, combined with a very lovely cover, and the potential for ghosts made me want to read this particular book.

So, as stated, I liked this book less because it was so very different than what I was expecting. I picked it up wanting and expecting ghosts, and in a way I got them, but they were metaphorical ghosts. And, frankly, those are less interesting to me when I'm hoping for the ones that say "boo" and give me goosebumps.

Now, had I read the jacket copy, I might have been prepared, but since those are notoriously spoiler-riffic, I avoid them like the plague if I actually plan on reading the book.

ULTIMATELY, ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE LET DOWN BY A BOOK FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT ABOUT WHAT I EXPECTED IT TO BE ABOUT IS NOT FAIR TO THE BOOK ITSELF. Basically, it's my own fault for being swayed by marketing. Especially when you figure that the author, who owns the words, most likely had nothing to do with the marketing department, who owns the appearance. I hate it when that happens.

So, let us set all that appearance crap aside and take a look-see at the ACTUAL BOOK (also, let's have MORE CAPITALIZATION!):

This is a book about grief. This is a book about a mystery. This is a book that takes a mystery to understand the mystery of death. And life. And a little about how cope with both.

Katie's mom died. She and her dad are operating in an autopilot haze that insulates them from the world they were forced out of upon her mother's death. Katie doesn't see her friends; her father pours himself into his work and trying to make up for his wife's absence. They are both functioning, but miserable.

Katie takes a summer job landscaping a local mansion to keep herself away from the memories and plunges herself into distraction by researching the mysterious landlord who communicates her instructions only through the groundskeeper and hasn't left the mansion in decades. But the groundskeeper has his own mysterious plans and he's using the summer help to find something himself. Why hasn't Martine Everlast left the house, and what, exactly is the groundsman looking for?

In researching a woman who decides to waste her life shut up alone for decades, when her mother could have used those years, Katie begins to understand some of her mother's last actions and wishes - and what she would have wanted for Katie.

"Maybe I can't really save my dad from sadness, but maybe so much time goes by that you start to understand how beauty and sadness can both live in one place" p 165.

The dynamic between the grieving father and daughter is quite well-done. The metaphysical musings of the opening ("There are the things that have been and the things that haven't happened yet. There is a squiggle of a line between, which is the color of caution..." p 1) that will turn off some, more reluctant, readers. The story is interesting, but frustrating, both in pacing and plot.

Other than the lackage of ghosts, my biggest problem with the novel is the level of coincident: just as Katie becomes curious about Martine Everlast a box of historical clippings containing important clues to the reclusive heiress shows up at the public library; her father, out of nowhere, suddenly takes an art restoration job on a painting he suspects was done by Martine's father. No one has heard anything of this family in decades and suddenly, just as Katie gets curious two clues surface? hmm.

Voice was good. The style weaving flashbacks and present day was effective. The setting was very good, so good that I'd be interested in other books set in this small town that concerned completely different characters. The primary and secondary characters all felt well-rounded. Kephart did not answer all of the questions a reader might ask, but she left breadcrumbs toward those answers that can be reached with some reflection.

Besides, all is well, because there was a pretty kick-ass librarian character. No bun OR sensible shoes included. ;)

Books to recommend alongside this one:
If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
and many, many more. Feel free to add to these three in the comments.

I say all this, but I still totally liked it.

2009-08-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

I've got a soft spot for Michigan authors. Even if they don't live in Michigan anymore (like me!). I've got even more of a soft spot for books Actually SET in Michigan. It is NOT easy to find books set in Michigan.

So, what that means is that I'm willing to cut books from the homeland a lot of slack. But even I have my limits.

Lisa McMann's WAKE and FADE are massively successfully, so I'm not going to spend a ton of time here telling you what you already know: It's fast-paced, compelling, fresh, and thrilling. Super easy sell. Here's the booktalk I've used:

Getting sucked into other people's dreams is a bit annoying to Janie, but she's used to it. It isn't until she finds herself in slacker Cable's nightmares that things get truly frightening, because for the first time she's not just a witness, she's a participant.

The but:

Wake lost direction during the last third of the novel, suddenly transforming from a paranormal romance into a crime novel. The transition was weak and pretty jarring. It sets up a trilogy well, but failed to really honor the individual book and reader's expectations (at least this reader's). The book stopped being about the basic premise (girl gets sucked into other people's dreams! boy dreams of horrible things! she must help him!), and adopted another plot entirely.

Further hurting this transition was what I've come to call the "ZOMG We Can Love Each Other!" section. These sections are chock-filled with melodrama, insipid introspection, and copious making-out. Obviously this is all the rage with the Twihards, and WAKE definitely feeds that audience, but it just wasn't in line with the pacing set up in the first two thirds of the novel.

Nevertheless, just looking at the sales figures or the waiting list at your local library will tell you that, really, these things don't matter. It's a page turner.

I know it's a fantasy, but that flower doesn't look like that.

2009-08-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

I know, cause I looked it up. Not that it really matters. I'm just saying. We seem to be talking a lot about covers lately.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry is a very loose Cinderella story. Lucinda was the prized daughter of wealthy and influential parents, but when they die, she is left penniless and sent to live with her uncle and evil step-aunt. Now she's fifteen, her life is bleak, and she doesn't see a way out. All of this changes in a matter of hours when three strangers separately enter her life - a mysterious lady, a handsome thief, and a prince (princes don't need adjectives).

Strengths: The evil aunt is given a reason for being evil - not an excuse, but the reader understands a bit better why she behaves the way she does. She's also not entirely irredeemable. Basically, she's a villain with a little bit of depth. Nice to see, and not something required of a Cinderella retelling. So, points for that.

Lucinda was interesting. The plot was compelling - I did want to know how it turned out (ok, mostly I wanted to see the bad guy vanquished and find out what boy she ended up with). I laughed in a few places. I was invested.

But.

Yes, but. You knew this was coming.

I have to question if any fantasy elements were even necessary. I honestly don't think they were. This could have been written as a simple historical fairy tale (minus the, er, fairy bits) and, frankly, I think it would have been a stronger story for it. Alternate realities? Preternatural goats that that verge on magical, but are left without explanation whatsoever? There was a whole secondary world built up here, and very little need. It's like normal evil wasn't evil enough and needed to be ramped up with magic evil. And, ok, if magic was needed, why the alternate reality? Why go to the trouble? It's not like the powers were all that special to require that. They were pretty typical magical powers.

It was just too damn complicated. Which is a pity, because Berry did a good job with giving a known entity (Cinderella) a very fresh turn. I just, in my humble opinion, think she went a bit too far, straying out of my ability to suspend disbelief.

And, seriously, WTF was with that goat?

Other opinions:
Official reviews
The Book Report
Kiss the Book

"Sometimes he'd tell me the myths that go with the constellations, or we'd talk about who was the better general, Odysseus or Patton" p 42.

2009-07-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry made me cry twice. That's not really a trait I look for in books, but, hey, that's later on, lest it be a turn-off for you. Before all that, Heart of a Shepherd made me laugh and cheer out loud. Full of endearing characters, it was just what I was hoping to read over the holiday weekend.

See, I was headed to Spokane, in eastern Washington. My betrothed's (yes, betrothed, if you missed the updates on Twitter or Facebook) family lives there. It was 4th of July. Heart of a Shepherd looked both patriotic and like the topography I was headed to. Also, it was short. And sometimes, you just want a short book. One that lacks a little commitment.

Brother (that's what everyone calls him) is counting down the months until his officer father returns from combat in Iraq. In the meantime, he's the man of the ranch with his aging grandparents while his four older brothers are off at school or stationed elsewhere, and a barely known artist mother in Italy. Brother, being the youngest, is the only one not somehow involved with either the Army or ROTC. Everyone else knows just who they are and what they will do with their lives, but Brother can't really see himself as a soldier or a rancher. And those are about the only things he knows.

Brother is a charming and thoughtful boy who purposefully crumples up his perfectly done homework (to keep up appearances) and has read all the dragon books on his shelf - so he steals ship books from his brothers. He's shouldering a great deal of responsibility and handles it seriously, but appropriately, for a kid his age - there is the necessary worry and fear that would be inherent in that situation. He also personifies his chess pieces as his loved ones - and purposely loses because he can't bear to kill his grandpa's queen (being grandma). Adorable.

There was a lot of honesty in this story. It felt like real people in real situations. While religion was portrayed in the best of light, this isn't an "inspirational fiction" book (keep reading, I know that phrase makes many of you shudder). There was a really awesome priest (all the characters, save grandpa, are Catholic) and Brother's grandfather's a devout Quaker. It's the same kind of versatile combination we found in Hattie Big Sky: safe for the wholesome-seekers and entertaining for the heathens. There was no blatant didactics that overshadowed all other features of the story, there were no conversations with, or beseechments to, God, just a quiet religion that served as the foundation of identity for several characters. Or perhaps this is exactly what inspirational fiction should be.

Basically, as the worst kind of Catholic (lapsed) who regards religion with suspicion, this book didn't piss me off AT ALL.

I especially loved the grandparents; the chess-playing grandfather, the mechanical wiz grandmother. Both veterans.

I truly have nothing bad to say about this book, and you do know how much I like to balance these overly positive reviews with something negative. I mean, it can't be THAT good, right? *shrug* I'd love to see a sticker on this. It's probably a shoo-in for a Christopher Award, and here's a hope for a Newbery (honor, I'd imagine) from my direction (but what do I know? A: nothin'). I really need to do a negative review. I miss being snarky.

Oh, wait, I DO have one complaint. I couldn't tell the four older brothers apart. They all blended together into lovable mush (clearly, not a huge deal for me).

Anyway, give it a go, it's both enjoyable and a good one to have in your arsenal. It's solidly middle grade, I'd say 3rd-6th.

Here's some quotes, in case you were on the fence:

p 2-3: "Rosita's my queen, of course. She's a fifth grader up at the school and my best friend's sister. She can birth a lamb and kill a rattlesnake with a slingshot, which is what I look for in a queen. Plus, she's as pretty as a day in spring, and she laughs when I'm the one talking."

p 27: "The lambs aren't supposed to have names - only horses and dogs are allowed to have names - but I call them Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Bilbo. I know better than to call one Sam, because Sam is my favorite Hobbit in the whole story."

p 30: "I reckon my grandpa's the only Quaker member of the National Rifle Association. he's a dead-serious pacifist and the best marksman around. he's gotten coyotes, cougars, and even a full-grown bear. No trophy antlers cluttering up our parlor, though. It's not the Quaker way to shoot a vegetarian."

Getting the Juby

2009-05-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

I'll confess. I haven't read any of Susan Juby's other books. I started Another Kind of Cowboy, but after a few pages I realized I was still scarred from Freak Show and couldn't go on. I avoided her Alice series (Alice, I Think, Miss Smithers, Alice MacLeod: Realist at Last) despite good reviews, because I was having a difficult time separating it from the Phyllis Reynolds Naylor books; a syndrome I have about similarly names books; see Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies) by Headley and the book by Avi I read in junior high that shares the first half of that title. I don't like to read two same-ish titled books out of an, I don't know, twisted loyalty to the first book, or more likely, the idea that there would be some Back to the Future-like conundrum where the world would cease if I held both plots of same-titled books in my head at once.

Anywhoo.

I was wrong then and now; not reading Juby's other books?* "Big mistake. Big. HUGE." Getting the Girl is a laugh-out-loud mystery. A funny book? A mystery? Aimed at teens? Omg. I'm happy to encounter ONE of those qualities in YA books. Add in a side detail of food and cooking? I think Juby wrote this book just for me. And all the teens I'm going to make read it. Will this make it into my summer booktalks? Yep. And to make it even more awesome, I can talk this one up in both the middle schools and the high schools. Making MY life just a little bit more easy.

Shall I stop gushing and tell you why I like it? Hell, why not.

Sherman Mack is really into Dini Trioli. She's the perfect girl - cool, aloof, older. Sherm is sure an older girl will appreciate his sensitive ways, despite her dating the popular jock. But when he figures out that Dini is in serious danger of getting D-listed and ostracized by a cruel school ritual, he decides that if he can uncover the D-listers and make the school safe for all girls, Dini will have to fall in love with him. What he doesn't know is that there's physical danger, a pink bike, some crossdressing, and a burnt omelet in his future.

Short chapters help with a snappy pacing that's in tune with the book's sharp and witty dialogue. There's certainly a level of predictability with the plot and romance, but it's with the B-level lines, so it provides more a level of comfort than an annoyance; Juby maintains a balance between predictability and surprise (humor helps a ton with this) that will please readers coming from different interest points (mystery, romance, humor, etc).

It's been so long since I've read something I've truly fell in love with. Not since Ellen Emerson White, and I've been making the EEW love last a long time by reading the out of print stuff at the rate of about one a month. The added bonus with Juby is that it's going to be so much easier to sell than EEW due to the better covers and the more plot-driven story (rather than EEW's entirely character-driven ones - although I was able to sell THE ENTIRE President's Daughter series to an aspiring writer-teen last week. Which made my day.).

Anyway, Getting the Girl should be a sure bet across the board. Well, maybe not for the emo kids. It would cheer them up and ruin their demeanor. We wouldn't want that.

*And let us not forget that there is another teen book called Getting the Girl. One by Marcus Zusak. But as I'm not convinced by Zusak; i.e. yes I, too, believe Book Thief is brilliant, but as I Am the Messenger made me want to die slowly, I don't care a whit. Therefore, my opinion is still out on the man. Also, I haven't read Zusak's version and have little to no intention to do so. Especially not with a subject heading of "self-actualization (psychology). Fiction." ugh.

And there's my completely cheesy answer...

2009-05-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

to the rgz monthly theme.

Really. I should have spent more than those 10 minutes on it.

At readergirlz. At Buildungsroman (it's the same both times).

All the same. If you're reading this, you are probably part of the family I speak of. Unless you are reading this with malice. Then you aren't.

Also, while my blog promises tend to be hollow, I think you'll get a book review sometime this week. If you like that kind of thing. If not, well, stop being so malicious.

Rgz gets an Innovations in Reading Prize!

2009-05-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

This just makes me so happy. Partially, because they asked me to write a letter of recommendation for them, also because they honestly needed the money to continue making it all happen, but mostly because they deserve it.

So I thought I'd share.

Here's the list o' winners. Read more about it at the rgz blog.

While we're talking about readergirlz, this month their theme is family, and we're focusing on RED GLASS by Laura Resau. I read Resau's book back in 2007 when I was a Cybils nominating panelist. Since it became a finalist, it would be safe to assume Red Glass is a good'un.

If you haven't noticed, rgz has recently separated from the refresh-madness of the MySpace forum, opting for a more live-action chat with CoverItLive on their blog. The chat with Laura Resau will occur there on Wednesday, May 20th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST.

IF you have something to say about what family means to you, get ahold of Little Willow. She'll be posting answers to that question all month long at Bildungsroman and the rgz blog. My answer should be going up tomorrow-ish.

Bridget Zinn

2009-05-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I don't remember whether or not I met author and librarian Bridget Zinn at the Kidlitosphere conference in Portland last fall. But she was there.

Currently Bridget is battling cancer. A rather severe and expensive cancer. Jone MacCulloch, the woman who spearheaded the Portland conference is now taking on an auction to help Bridget out with all the bills that this disease is racking up. Read about Bridget here. Email Jone (macrush53 [at] yahoo.com) if you think you can help. Otherwise, take a look at the online auction and bid on something.

If biding in an auction just won't fit in your budget, and even if it does, I encourage you to check out Bridget's blog and lend her your support that way.

Thanks.

Race, My Library, and More!

2009-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the SLJ article by Mitali Perkins, my own review of A la Carte by Tanita Davis, and my experiences at my library that relate to race, I started to tell you about some experiences I've had at my library in a footnote in the last post. It turned out to be a bit long... and warranted it's own post. So, here we go:

The other day I had a gaming program at the library. We had some time to kill before the program started, and I had three boys just hanging out with me, setting stuff up and chatting. All three are multi-cultural, two half black, half white (I've met both parents), the third at least half white (I've met mom), but clearly has something else going on there (1/2 or 1/4 black, I suspect - but do not know). Great boys, I heart them dearly, and I haven't at all talked about race with them. To fill up time, and because they are regulars, I had them make their own Mii's on our shiny new branch Wii. It was FASCINATING to watch them choose the skin color on their avatars. The lightest skinned (and youngest) of them chose the darkest coloring - far darker than he actually is. One paged through all the options and stuck with Caucasian coloring - far lighter than he is. The third (and oldest) seemed pretty unhappy with the Nintendo-offered shades (as well he should have been - they suck) and kept going back and forth between the options.

I'm not raising this to talk about my interpretation of the psychology of their choices (so not qualified for that), or even suggest that there is some interpretation beyond my neophyte observations, but nevertheless, it was truly interesting. I know it's just a video game, but in light of the discussion I had with Mitali & the Seattle-based readergirlz when Mitali was in Seattle and writing the article appearing in this month's SLJ, as well as the study she referenced within it, I can't help but think of the entire event in a different light. Not that it wouldn't have been fascinating without that conversation.

When all the kids showed up for that epic Mario Kart tournament? I was the only white person. Fifteen kids, and not one of them solely Caucasian. Most of those kids? Not readers. "Reading is boring." "I don't read." "Reading is for school." Why is that? I would say, and this is a gross estimation, most, though not all, of the teens who come to my programs don't read. It's like there are two different clans - the kids who come to the library for programs, and the kids who come to the library to get books recommendations from me. Guess where more of the white kids are? And rarely shall the twain meet.

In a completely separate instance of race and teen literature, I was working with Lorie Ann Grover to find compelling teen novels featuring Native American girls. I will never be able to convey in words what an incredibly frustrating experience that was. Readergirlz is committed to featuring non-white heroines. Being in the world I am, and doing what I do, I'm quite aware of how critical the Native American community is of books depicting them. Who wouldn't want their culture to be portrayed accurately? At the same time, it was incredibly disheartening to think I've found a good, compelling book, then research it more, only to find an essay eviscerating it for inaccurate portrayals. How much of that is no different than the standard inaccuracies of historical fiction? Why aren't there more teen books that have the Native American seal of approval? I sincerely hope that those who are most critical of these books are writing their own. Otherwise, I'm not sure how it will get better.

It may have nothing whatsoever to do with reading habits or the relative availability of books featuring kids that look like them, it may simply be how comfortable they are looking to me for advice. I don't know. But either way, the fact that I find a solid, well-written book like Tanita's more remarkable because it features middle class black people, coupled with scarce YA novels accurately portraying Native Americans... Well, whatever the connection there, I'd like to see more books like Tanita's, for all races. I actually hate to think that whether they read or not has anything to do with race. Kyle wants to believe that it's more class than race (and that very well could be true - there aren't that many books featuring poor happy people either in YA lit).

I'm not writing this in an attempt to solve anything, or come up with some pat answer, I'm more interested in sharing and hearing your experiences along this vein. I'm truly interested in what you have to say, so please comment or email me!

(and I'm cool if you also want to suggest more books like Tanita's or, actually, especially, if you have some accurate Native American YA lit)

A la Carte? I'd like Ice Cream, then, with everything.

2009-04-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

Now that I've explained myself, we can get down to business. I like A la Carte, and I have something to say about it, so forget the author and our tenuous claim on friendship, I'm going to freakin' have my say. Finally. So there. *harrumph*

Lainey has been (not-so) secretly in love with her (male) best friend Simeon for, well, ever. Sim's always been the one friend Lainey could always be herself with. They've recently grown apart, or, rather, Sim seems to have grown away from her. Now Sim has come back into her life. But is he there for friendship or something else? Is he needing her, or using her? When he disappears, Lainey's not sure she's ready for the answer, so she hides behind lies and what might just be the real love of her life - the kitchen and her budding talent as a chef.

There are books out there for all of us that speak to our individual souls. In these books, often unexpectedly, we find some plot point, characteristic, phrasing, or some quality that hits us, sparking memory or topic or something else that communicates on a deeper level than the simple words on the page belie. For me, in A la Carte, it is Lainey's attachment to a friendship that is no longer healthy for her, that speaks to me. How does one cut ties to a person who once meant so much? How do you override what your heart wants for what your head knows? How do you sever the hopes for a fantasy when reality gives you every indication that it will never happen. Hope is powerful. It is, in my opinion, the most powerful element in our overcoming hardship. If you can believe in your dreams, they can happen. Hope is also what helps delude us and lead us into less than wise situations. For Lainey, it is ultimately about choosing a dream that might be different from the dream she has a habit of dreaming. If we are able to take stock of the reality, severing it from the old hopes, we might just find that what we really want is a little different. We might even discover ourselves in the process. That's what Lainey does in this book. And THAT is why I recommend this book. And why, when I find it on the shelf in my library, I pull it face front. Not because I want to hug the author. Or, well, not just because.

I'm alarmingly prone to psychobabble these days, aren't I? Jeeze. I so apologize.

What I think is remarkable above all else in this book, is that whilst the main characters are largely minorities, they just happen to be black. The race is interchangeable. She's dealing with the everyday issues and heartache of growing up - something not contingent upon race. Perhaps I am naive (I'd believe it), or, at best, simply unaware of many teen titles that *don't* deal with some sort of race issue when the main character is anything other than white, but I think it's noteworthy and wonderful. Because, you know what? There are teen readers of color, and something tells me they'd like to occasionally read about someone who looks like them AND just has a normal, middle-class, financially stable, stereotype-free life. (On that topic, if you haven't already read the SLJ article by Mitali Perkins, you should. Right now. It's more important, and better written, than this review. No offense, my dear Tanita.). All of this said, I'm a white girl who really doesn't know what I'm talking about.*

And, speaking of surface topics, I think that, while the cover of A la Carte is an unusual choice of art for a teen book, it is beautiful. Frame-and-put-on-my-wall beautiful. Not sure how compelling it is to teens, though. The beauty is continued throughout the book, with the caring details in the recipes sprinkled within. They appear on battered recipe cards, and it's a fantastic choice. All art direction does successfully convey how hungry you'll get reading the book. And, speaking of food, while Lainey is concerned about healthy food and reducing calories and fat in the food she makes, she has a healthy relationship with food and eating. With so many books portraying teens with eating disorders, this pleasant to read.

I am SO looking forward to her WWII novel, Mare's War, out in June. The day before my birthday. *nods* I'm also going to try and leverage my relationship with this author for an interview. What do you think T?

* Ok, this was going to be a long comment about race in my library, but it's turned into a post of itself. Come back later (tomorrow?) for the thoughts.

More Angst-Ridden Babble

2009-04-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

There's something weird about being a book blogger, especially one in the kidlitosphere. There's a weird symbiosis about writing about books and interacting with their creators. Others have oft noted it and bloggers have been accused of being unable, as non-professional reviewers (a whole different beef), to be objective about the task. I think it's bullshit, at least as it pertains to me (the only case I'm qualified to talk about). Because, trust me, I can like you and not think your book is anything special - I'll try to be nice about it, though. But even basing my argument on "trust me" opens me up to valid accusations of self-referential, fact-free, unprofessional writing (cue eye roll).

What does this mean to you, my reader? Well, it means that you may well find from time to time that I'm talking about a book by an author I've somehow become friends with. So how does a blogger review a book written by a friend without appearing biased or unreliable? This is a growing concern for me as I immerse myself deeper into this kidlit world and start creating friendships with the people whose creative work I may well criticize in this space. Most of the time, I've simply chosen to either not read or review books of authors I consider friends. But that's not really fair, either - to me, or them.

For instance, in this very case - I really, truly, like A la Carte, I want it to do well, and I want readers who maybe haven't seen this title to be aware of it - or better yet - pick it up. And not because the author is my friend - but because I liked that book. I've had a hard time with this. It doesn't have anything to do with the book - it's the all about the author. See, Tanita S. Davis? I've never met her, but I would absolutely not hesitate to call her my friend. If I were in Scotland, I'd absolutely stop by and have a cup of tea. Or force them to feed me something more substantial than that (b/c she and her husband have a food blog. A food blog that always makes me hungry.) Or even, if I suck up really well, stay with them. Three years ago, Tanita and I served as nominating panelists during the very first year of the Cybils. During that process received she her contract for A la Carte. We were a tight group. We bonded. I'm still very attached to the members of that group. They are amazing women whom I watch to this day with interest and love (me = total sap). Can I judge the products of Tanita's imagination without bias or predisposition?

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if you find my content unbiased and of quality. I suspect you will, and that I'm far more likely to lose (and have lost) readers due to my irregular posting. A point I'm not willing to adjust, since I'd rather have a life than be a star blogger (of course, if someone wanted to PAY me, the whole equation is null). If you don't like what I review, the way I review, or how I review, well, I'm not quite sure why you are even still here, so I'm not terribly concerned about that.

Like I've said, I've struggled a great deal with this decision, but ultimately, I've decided that, to over simplify the whole damn thing, it's my blog and I'll blog about what I want to, regardless of who wrote it and how much I like that person. Since really, as we all know, liking a particular book isn't what makes me talk about them here. And *that* more than anything, should tell you whether to give credence to what I say, as I think I've proved with the content of this blog that I can like something just fine, and still have negative things to say, and dislike something and still have good things to say. So, as I said in my last angst-ridden post, I'll speak up when I have something to say. 'Cause I'm not reviewing the author, I'm reviewing the book. I hope you'll stick around.

Why I don't blog more.

2009-03-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

So I've gotten some grief for not posting in a month. I understand that. I suck. Ultimately, it takes me a hell of a long time to write up my thoughts on books - far more time than it did when I began this blog, and that is time I'm not spending reading or living. As I become a more critical reader, I become more exacting in what I expect of myself in my reviews here. I also must acknowledge that since I've gotten the new job (which happened in March '08) as a teen librarian, I've needed this outlet less. Not to mention that I blog and tweet for work and do teen stuff all day. Which, to be honest, burns my enthusiasm out a little.

This said, I am not abandoning the kidlitosphere (meaning the kid lit-centered blog world, for those of you who don't know the term). I'm just planning on staying unreliable. If I lose (or, um, have already lost) readers, well, so be it. I'll pop up when I have something to say.

I'd just rather live (away from the computer screen) than feel obligated to do something that used to be fun. I don't want blogging -or reading- to become an onerous duty - which is the way its been feeling in the last six months or so.

However, your comments are always so welcome. If I didn't receive any comments (or emails asking why I haven't posted in so long) I probably would have given up ages ago. I am continuing my role (actually, increasing a bit) with readergirlz and still plan to do the bi-yearly author interview event.

Also, if you are really wanting to hear more from me, get thyself on Twitter and follow me there. It's such a small little time committment, I find myself addicted. Probably because I can tweet from my phone.

Me, the Missing, and the Dead

2009-02-27T05:11:00.000-08:00

Seems an apt title for the first review after a long absence, doesn't it? It's also the title to the Morris Finalist by Jenny Valentine. I read it quite some time ago (last Spring? Summer?), but it just shouted out at me from the bookshelf and, finding I had taken copious notes, I agreed to review.

Of course, that all is probably the vicodin talking. But nevertheless.

Me, the Missing, and the Dead (hmm. That's a long title, isn't it. Let's be more familiar and call it MMD. We'll pretend that doesn't sound like a vaccine) is a quiet, unassuming novel with a clever, but equally unassuming cover. It is also obviously British from the very first sentence - instantly evoking place within a few words.

Lucas is a drifting, introspective young man who idealizes his father - his father who's been missing for most of his life. He's always hoped to find him, but it isn't until one day, when he walks into the office of a taxi business that he starts his true search. Why there? Because it is there he meets Violet - or, we should say, the urn containing Violet's ashes. She knows something about his father. And weirdly, Violet is talking to him.

There are a few oddities about this book - one of which is that as a reader you go back and forth between wondering if Violet is really talking to him or not. Another is its sorta odd ending. But that, you should discover on your own, and here's why:

While the plot starts off slow, momentum is gained when the grandparents (of all characters. Is it just me, or is there a prevalence of spunky/cool grandparents in kid lit these days?) enter the scene. They are quirky and full of amusing thoughts, like:

"Pansy [the grandmother] hated it in the hospital. She said an airless room full of ill people was like dying in Tupperware" p 95.

Valentine does something fairly restrictive in her storytelling technique - she shies away from actual dialog in most instances. Rather than have a scene of he said she said, we get something like p 144:

"Martha said maybe I was clinging on to all Dad's stuff because I didn't have enough good memories of him to fill the spaces."

Let's forget that the obvious choice would to actually have a scene where that's revealed between Lucas and his love interest; instead, we are forced to deal with one perspective beyond the normal level for a first person perspective novel. There is certainly still dialog, but the tactic lends a general tightness to the writing that fits the introspection of the character and the plot, as what was said doesn't matter so much as how Lucas interpreted it. Actual dialog scenes are then left for truly important or comic bits. By large.

MMD is a novel very much about identity and memory. And, of course, it is a bildungsroman, but then, most of YA is. Lucas is going in search for his father, and on the way has to challenge how he sees him, how everyone around him sees him and try, maybe, to see him without any bias or expectations.

"And come to think of it, how well does anyone know their own mum and dad? I'm only just beginning to learn. You start off thinking they own the world, and everything is downhill from there. Parents do so many things to wake you up to the idea that they are less than perfect" p 89.

"How many versions of Dad are we all missing, me and Mercy and Bob and Norman and Mum and Pansy? A different one for each of us and not one of them is real" p 94.

It occurs to me that there are loads of stories with this basic plot: kid figures out that X person is not who s/he thought X was, and in the process finds his/herself. Paper Towns. White Darkness. Ok, naming two doesn't amount to loads, but I'm on vicodin. I'm sure you can come up with a few more. You're clever. Either way, it's interesting (to me) that I keep seeing this plot pop up, and yet I'm not tired of it. I wonder if it's just our general anticipation that people, someone, will inevitably let us down.

Ok, that's waaay too much crazy introspection from me.

There's also a lovely romance. With Martha. Who's got her own problems.

To sum up: Good book. Well written. Somber, but surprisingly funny. Quietly lingers in your mind without you realizing it had surreptitiously crept in. Give to teens who like to think.

I have to say, I'm surprised at myself that of all the books I could have reviewed, this is the one that caught my eye and made me sit down to write.

Phew

2009-02-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

*wipes forehead*

We have a Cybils YA Fiction Winner!

Nope, I'm not going to tell you which book it is!

You can find out on Saturday on the Cybils Blog!

IF you can, and are planning on buying something from Amazon anyway, please think of getting there through the links on the Cybils site. The proceeds go directly into promoting the Cybils and prizes for our winning authors. Or just use the JacketFlap Cybils widget in the right column - that goes toward the Cybils, too.

But I can read something *new* now! Yay!

What should I read AFTER I read my two Ellen Emerson White ILLs (Friends for Life & Welcome to Vietnam) and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Let me know in the comments which looks most interesting to you:

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

The Humming of Numbers by (Seattleite!) Joni Sensel

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

My meager predictions for the ALA Awards.

2009-01-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Though by the time 99% of you read this, you'll already know the answer. I'm not going into deep analysis with this, and I'm only covering the really high profile ones (I really sucked at reading this year, I feel very disconnected).

Printz:

I'm going to keep mum on the Printz, just because I wouldn't be even a little surprised to see titles from my Cybils list show up there - and I'm pledged to total secrecy on what I think about Cybils titles. But, if Audrey, Wait!, Frankie, I Know It's Over, Jellicoe Road, Sweethearts, Ten Cents a Dance and/or Thaw makes it, I'm counting it as though I called it. Are you cool with that?

However, if we were to branch out into non-Cybils YA finalists, for which I have no Cybils secrecy obligations, I wouldn't be surprised to see Nation. I don't think we'll see Octavian Nothing, Volume II, as I don't think it stands alone well enough. I would love to see The Adoration of Jenna Fox, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't think there's a chance in hell The Hunger Games will make it, despite all the buzz (but really, what do I know?). I would be happy with Graceling, but find that event unlikely. I wouldn't blink at What I Saw And How I Lied. Mostly because my mother assures me it is excellent - and I listen to my mother. Most of the time. I think Impossible has an outside chance, although I'm not as enchanted with it as many are. I feel the same way about Chains, though it's got more than an outside chance. With the Newbery, too, methinks.

While I think that John Green's Paper Towns is actually better than An Abundance of Katherines (I have a review of PT I started back in July that touches this topic - a review I still haven't posted. I'm weird.) I think that there would be open rebellion if John Green got up there again. But you never know. Which is why all this speculation by me is something I'm not getting worked up about. I'm just spouting off. I love this stuff.

Hmm. I didn't keep very mum, did I?

Newbery:

Shooting the Moon. God I loved this book. Seriously one of my favorites this year. So touching, so well balanced.

The Underneath. Everyone I know who's read this one won't shut up about it. Srsly. They have me convinced, but I haven't read it yet. I will.

The Graveyard Book. Can't decide if it should be teen or not. Might be a tad controversial. Don't really care, as I haven't read it, even though I think I have two copies floating about my house. Probably will, eventually, but who knows.

And, as we all know, The Ever Prestigious Newbery Award will do whatever it wishes.

Caldecott:

What To Do About Alice? Ok, this might just be my picture book biography bias (did you know I had one?), but it's also deliciously illustrated by Seattleite (whom I've not yet met, but keep meaning to track down & interview) Edwin Fotheringham.

Wabi Sabi. 'Cause it's pretty. And already feels like a classic. I love the texture and depth of the pictures as well as the integration of the words.

I'm setting my alarm tomorrow for 6:45am even though I have the day off. I'm gluing myself to the awards Twitter account. Actually, I think I'll set Twitter up to txt me the ALA tweets, so I don't have to get out of bed. Yes, that sounds like the PERFECT solution! Awesome! I'm excited! And, now that I think about it, the fact that I'm excited makes me feel like a total dork. But whatever. Still excited.

I wonder if I'd get lynched

2009-01-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

if I wore this to a teen program:

Which you can find here.

Via QuotableBuffy!

Veronica Mars Movie!

2009-01-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

No, really! I'm so there.

Rob Thomas says a Veronica Mars movie his next project (which means it's a long ways off) and that it'll probably take place a few days before her college graduation.

Thomas: '"I've talked to Jason Dohring, I've talked to Enrico Colantoni and I've talked to Kristen, obviously. I know that Kristen wants to do it. I want to do it."

As for funding, Thomas reveals: 'Joel Silver does have a certain pile of money that he can decide on, and he called me asking, ‘Can we do this now?' "

This is the best week Ever!

via Mom. Thanks, Mom!

This gives me chills:

2009-01-21T18:54:00.000-08:00

In a good way.

via RGZ blog:

Learn more about The Girl Effect here.

New Year's Blog Resolutions

2009-01-13T00:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's practically the middle of the month. But that's about what you'd expect from me, right?

Nevertheless:

1. Read More
2. Blog More
3. Review More
4. Publicly keep track of the books I read via Google Docs.

So far I'm failing at #1. But not failing too badly at #2.

Shocking, right?

Well, this isn't exactly fair...

2009-01-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

since Meridian by Amber Kizer isn't out until, oh, August, but I can't help myself. And I want to pass on my (rare?) ARC (that I got from the author herself, she being relatively local to the Seattle area, after I obviously ogled the cover from a distance) and know I won't until I write about it.

Also, look at that freakin' cover! It's gorgeous! There are skulls! And roses!

Let's start off with the actual first sentence, as that's a better advertisement than any else I can give it:

"The first creatures to seek me were the insects; my parents cleaned the bassinet free of dead ants the morning after they brought me home from the hospital" p 1.

and then the end of the prologue, a perfect bookend to the first sentence:

"My world was, and is, me and death. It's a lonely place to live, but I thought things were getting better. My name is Meridian Sozu, and I was wrong" p 3.

I WAS WRONG. Holy mackerel! Ok, sold.

Meridian Sozu has been surrounded by death all of her life. As she grows, larger and larger animals seek her out, then die (imagine waking up to the staring eyes of a dead mouse on your pillow). She doesn't know why, and as she gets older, it becomes increasingly difficult to hide and endure - she's ostracized at school and plagued by a mysterious, chronic, illness. And then she turns sixteen. On that day something horrible happens and she is sent, without explanation, off to her great-aunt halfway across the country. That's bad enough, but it's made very clear to her that there is something malevolent out there after her, and she doesn't know who or why.

This is absolutely a book to give your Twilight-lovers, Holly Black & Melissa Marr fans, possibly Devilish fans, and really, any urban fantasy readers. It's not quite as gritty as Black or Marr, but is somewhere in between that and Johnson. Srsly. The prologue and first chapter gave me chills, even as I wished I hadn't tried to read them whilst eating. Dead beasties in bedding are not conducive to soup. I'm just sayin', coulda used some warning there, Amber Kizer. Just a quick, don't start this while eating would have sufficed.

It's a complete page-turner. And I really, really hope it's to be a series or trilogy or something. It was left wide open for one.

I do have a couple spoiler-y issues with it, although they did not take away from my enjoyment of the book:

I'm not kidding here, there will be spoilers, so if you care (and really, I think you do), don't read this next portion until AFTER you've read the book. I promise, I'm not going to say anything that is so important that it can't wait until after you've read the book.

Spoilers...
Spoilers...
Spoilers...

While Meridian definitely grows as a character, and becomes stronger, it just seemed a little too easy, when it came down to the wire, for the Sangre to pop in and take care of the problem. What triggered his arrival? Why then and not before? Why save Meridian, but not countless other Fenestra through the years? Why is she different? If it's simply because of the escalating nature of the whole conflict I really wish there had been some (more) resolution, revelation and explanation on this front.

Tens is also one of those too perfect to really believe boys (coughEdwardcough). I wanted more backstory than we got, more flaws than simply his irritated gruffness in the beginning before I can truly buy into that character.

So, there are my spoiler-y issues, but seriously, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it right and left, backwards and forwards.

As I continue to be behind the times...

2009-01-07T00:18:00.000-08:00

This is a book about what happens when you go against everyone in your life, knowingly commit social suicide, and stand up for what you believe in. Even if you aren't really, really sure of it yourself.

At least, it is as I remember it. Most of you read Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande ages ago. I, for some reason, have fallen far, far behind the curve. Whatever. I'm just glad I finally picked it up.

Mena has been ostracized by everyone she's ever cared about. She either no longer exists to them, or they are blatantly rude to her. Even her parents are angry at her. And all she did was follow a gut feeling and do the right thing. She's been hoping that things would slowly just fade away and return to normal, but, as school starts again it's about to get a whole lot worse. Why? Because Mena's life has, up to now revolved around an evangelical (fundamentalist? both?) church, and her science teacher just started a unit on evolution, and simultaneously started a feud with Mena's former church. There's open rebellion in biology.

The discussion of Evolution vs. Intelligent Design is less important than the acceptance of self and independent thought. I think that's actually the real strength of the book - that it never devolves into some pedagogical lecture of religion and/or science and instead is peppered with humor and heart.

I'm a sucker for books that shake teens awake and make them actually look around and SEE the world as more than what someone has told them it looks like. Mena has to do that if she doesn't want to become a total hermit - though she has to battle her instinct to just hide until it goes away. Luckily, she has some very awesome supporting characters to help finesse her into herself.

I would have liked to see more... variation in the behaviors of the church members, but the sheer fun of the book totally makes up for the simple good/bad dynamic. Especially since the "good" characters are so incredibly well developed.

And, as the opening quote by Charles Darwin points out, "Nothing is easier to admit in words the truth of the universal struggle for life," be you beetle, monkey, or teen girl.

By now it's ancient info, but I'd be remiss not to mention it:

2009-01-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

Yanked directly from the Cybils:
2008 Cybils Young Adult Fiction Finalists

Audrey, Wait!
written by Robin Benway
Penguin USA

Audrey started it by breaking up with Evan, but when he releases a hit song about her things quickly spiral out of control in this fresh, funny novel by Robin Benway. Audrey's distinct, snarky voice and her passion for music immediately sucked me in to the story. Lots of musical details and a cast of well-developed supporting characters flesh out the book. This is a fun read, but it also takes a look at the flip side of being a celebrity - maybe being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be!
--Abby Johnson, Abby (the) Librarian

Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The
written by E Lockhart
Hyperion

The summer before her sophomore year, Frankie Landau-Banks blossomed. Upon her return to prep school, she finds that she is suddenly one of the most sought-after girls on campus. E. Lockhart has written a novel that is an utter joy to read. Not only is her prose delicious, playful, and lovely, but she created a completely irresistible character and a completely irresistible storyline, complete with a secret society, first love, and the discovery of the delights to be found in the novels of P.G. Wodehouse. Viva La Frankie!
--Leila Roy, Bookshelves of Doom

I know It's Over
written by C. K. Kelly Martin
Random House Children's Books

Nick is sixteen and still in love with Sasha when she tells him she thinks they need a break, still in love with her weeks later when she tells him she's pregnant. In her debut novel, C. K. Kelly Martin writes with precision and honesty about an emotional subject: first love. I Know It's Over traces the arc of Nick's relationship with Sasha from the beginning through the end. But this is not just another story about a guy in love or teen pregnancy; it's a novel in which every detail feels so real and true that you could swear that Nick, Sasha, their family, and friends all actually exist.
--Trisha Murakami, The YA YA YAs

Jellicoe Road
written by Melina Marchetta
HarperCollins

My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted. It happened on the Jellicoe Road." Thus begins the beautiful and haunting novel, Jellicoe Road, by Australian author Melina Marchetta. The narrative hooked me with the prologue and while I'll be the first to admit that the novel had its challenging moments--it's not a straightforward novel; it weaves two stories together--I never once considered abandoning it. It's intricately and exquisitely written. It's bittersweet, tragic, beautiful, and redemptive. A true must-read in my opinion.
--Becky Laney, Becky's Book Reviews

Sweethearts
written by Sara Zarr
Little, Brown

Jenna has left behind a painful childhood. With her mother's remarriage and subsequent move, she's reinvented herself. Then her grade-school friend, who Jenna thought was dead, shows up at her high school. This novel's crisp focus on the relationship between Jenna and the ghost from her past gives this story heart and soul. It will have readers wondering how the traumas of their young childhoods affect who they are today--and how much any of us are capable of helping the people who have touched our lives the most.
--Kate Fall, Author 2 Author

Ten Cents a Dance
written by Christine Fletcher
Bloomsbury USA

In this beautifully crafted piece of historical fiction about a Chicago taxi dancer in the 1940s, Christine Fletcher brings to life the shady world of a girl who is paid to dance with lonely strangers. Getting to know spirited Ruby was a pleasure, and the gorgeous use of language and 1940s slang in Ruby's authentic voice made this book truly captivating. The experience of being immersed in the vividly captured setting, accompanied by characters that feel like real people, is one that shouldn't be missed.
--Jocelyn Pearce, Teen Book Review

Thaw
written by Monica Roe
Boyds Mills Press

Temporarily paralyzed by Guillain-Barre Syndrome, popular jock Dane is sent to a rehabilitation center in Florida, where he's forced to change his icy exterior while breaking down physical and emotional walls. Though instantly filled with dislike for this exasperating main character, the incredibly powerful themes of love, patience, and honesty had me hooked from the very beginning, both on the plot and on Dane.
--Amanda Snow, A Patchwork of Books

----

The rest of the finalists in all eight other categories.

Now, even though I've been in this up to my elbows as YA Coordinator, I'm walking in up to my neck now as I take on the role of one of the judges, along with Little Willow, Sarah, Lili, & Casey. I'm eager to read (and reread) the nominees. To this point, I've read all but Thaw & Jellicoe Road, which I'm in the midst of. However, I'm going back to all of them and will have read all at least twice before we pick our winner. Gotta find that balance of Quality & Appeal!

Please don't hate me if I don't pick your favorite. I'm a little scared at the responsibility of it all. Good thing I've got 4 other people to blame if it all goes horribly awry. Kidding. It's all my fault. Sigh.

My Rgz Top Ten read in 2008

2008-12-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

Every year Readergirlz asks their postergirlz to come up with our individual top ten. Not specifically just the best books published of the year, but the best girl-power books that we read this year, regardless of copyright date. Each of the postergirlz (Little Willow, Miss Erin, Alexia, Hip Writer Mama, Shelf Elf) comes up with their own list, which we then send in to the powers that be, who then work through the lists and think about whether the titles would work within their vision for featured titles. If it does, and they wish to devote a month to a title, they then see if they can get the author's participation. I spend months agonizing over it - this one was started in October.

And so, after much gnashing of teeth, here are mine!

My Top Ten for Readergirlz 2008 (in alpha order, no less!)

1. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
2. Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught
3. Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The by E. Lockheart
4. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Allison Goodman
5. Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
6. The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
7. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
8. Graceling by Kristen Cashore
9. Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands) by Meg Burden
10. Ten Cents a DanceTen Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher

Mighta made its if we hadn't picked them/the author already:

1. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
2. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
3. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White

Almost made it, but were cut at the last second:

1. A la Carte by Tanita S. Davis
2. Impossible by Nancy Werlin
2. Meridian by Amber Kizer
3. The Plain Janes (Minx) & Janes in Love (Minx) by Cecil Castelucci

What would you have included in your girl-power Top Ten read in 2008? What am I missing (Hunger Games, I'm guessing you'll say...)?

Can't get enough of Twilight Mockery

2008-12-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

I wonder if that's because Breaking Dawn was such a let down? Probably. I no longer feel any the need to defend it as I did after Eclipse.

Anyway, I'm several weeks behind in my blog reading, but I had to share Alan Gratz's TWILIGHT IN SUNNYDALE. Forgive me, those of you who have already encountered it. Those of you who haven't, enjoy!

Interlude

2008-12-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

I love Meg Powers.

That is all.

PS: Loved her here, too. Two more!

Over the Rainbow (music meme!)

2008-12-10T00:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, I skip a lot of memes, so it's a little strange that I'm doing one that I don't have to do, but Sara Zarr stuck it up on her blog, it's possibly the best meme ever, and the questions sound very much like high school. That all makes it relevant for this space, right? So... let's have some fun!

Take your iPod in your hand:

1. Put your Music on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Mr. Pinstripe Suit - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (um... I did just buy a cool fedora inspired hat...)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
So Long-Farewell-Goodbye - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (omg. Kyle, you aren't allowed to leave me)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Mind Trick - Jamie Cullum (Am I diabolical or something? Has no one told me this?)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Oh God - Jamie Cullum (is shuffle even working?)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
My Funny Valentine - Michael Buble (that's better, if weird)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
(I am so scared to hit the forward button) That's the Way - Led Zeppelin (wait, what's this song actually about?)

WHAT IS 2+2?
Space Boy - Splender

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Forever - Dropkick Murphys

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
You'll Never Know - Michael Buble (HA!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Homeward Bound - Dropkick Murphys

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Good People - Jack Johnson

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Jackass - Bloodhound Gang (BWAHAHAHAHHAHA!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ...Mom?)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Screaming at the Wailing Wall - Flogging Molly

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Barroom Heroes - Dropkick Murphys (they appear to be disproportionately represented, also, I really don't want to die in a bar fight.)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Lady Madonna - Beatles (This really would have been better under the parents question. Let's interpret this as I Like Art. 'Cause I do. Like Art.)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Blue Rain - Glenn Miller (lame...everyone knows that I'm in Seattle...and that I miss the 5-hour-away boyfriend...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
A Man's Gotta Do - Neil Patrick Harris, Felica Day & Nathan Fillion (Dr. Horrible! Yay!)

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
I Could Write a Book - Harry Connick, Jr. (well, there goes that thought...)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
(wait, I thought I was dying in a bar fight?) Queen Anne's Revenge - Flogging Molly (man, I'm really going to die violently, aren't I? sad.)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
People Watching - Jack Johnson (heh)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
In Too Deep - Sum 41 (laugh because I kinda can't believe that's on my iPod...)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson (aw.)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Next Door Blues - Harry Connick, Jr. (since the song is instrumental, I guess we're not supposed to know.)

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
The Gauntlet - Dropkick Murphys (I totally do. It's all, "Is this ok?" and I'm like, "to The Gauntlet with you!")

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
The Mooche - Duke Ellington (dude, it's MY money!)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me - Louis Armstrong (say it together now, awwwww)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead - Harry Connick, Jr. (???!?!?!)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Michelle - The Beatles (damn you Michelle)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Over the Rainbow - Ingrid Michaelson (yeah, that's the way to do it, iPod, pick the least interesting title. Thanks. Love the cover, though)

Zarr didn't tag anyone, and I'm not sure it's a requirement, but Kyle, my love, you're done with exams, so you have to do it. Also, Shane. And Erin I think, when she gets a chance, because I'm interested to see what's on her iPod. The rest of the Kidlit world, feel free to do it, and if you do, let me know in the comments, 'cause I'm interested.

Mock Printz 2008 UPDATED

2008-12-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Or should it be 2009, since they are eligible for the 2009 Printz? I don't know. Whatev.

Today my library is having their very own Mock Printz. It's the first time they've done this (although the Teen Coordinator did it at her last library system), and the first time for me too.

A couple months ago all the teen librarians voted on our shortlist (pretty much our favs that were published before about August (to give everyone a chance to read):

The Adoration of Jenna Fox
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Little Brother
Sunrise Over Fallujah (just finished last night! Review to come!)
Sweethearts

We're supposed to go solely off of the Printz criteria as we understand it for this.

I'm so excited! Who do you think will win amongst those five? Can you guess which one *I'M* rooting for?

UPDATE:

Frankie won with 28 points.
Jenna had 23,
Little Brother had 14,
Sweethearts had 11, and
Sunrise received 4.

I went in rooting for Jenna, argued myself into Frankie, then voted for Jenna anyway. Because I'm psycho like that. But see, Jocelyn said that Jenna's writing was "Elegant" and that made me happy. It was interesting to discuss these titles and disregard popularity entirely, judge them on just their literary merits - something we didn't take into account when nominating the titles in the first place. It was also just nice to talk to people about books in real life.

My system has a staff member on the Printz committee this year, and she came in to talk to us about process and rules and all the little things involved that you wouldn't think of, like that you have to read any nominated book at least twice, but that listening to an audio book doesn't count as a read, since the audio version can give a different interpretation than the print with vocal emphasis, acting and production. Fascinating stuff. It didn't dissuade me from wanting to be on the committee someday, despite the fact that it did dissuade some of my colleagues.

Morris Award Shortlist.

2008-12-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Dedicated readers of this blog probably realize that I'm even more sporadic about posting awards stuff than I am at posting this blog at all. I figure if you care you'll get the info elsewhere, if you haven't already sought it out on your own. I'm only going to say something if I have something to say. However, this is the inaugural year for the ALA's Morris Award which is to be given to the best debut novel for young adults; it must be the author (or illustrator's)first published book. I'm interested in the limits and freedoms they have ascribed here, especially this part: "Its proven or potential appeal to a wide range of teen readers."

Here's the shortlist:

A CURSE DARK AS GOLD by Elizabeth Bunce
Despite good recommendations by Sarah Miller, I'm pretty ambivalent on this one. I think it needed to be tighter and cover a shorter period of time - the plot just flat out draaaaged for me and I felt that it was trying to be a cross-over novel to adult women; that it didn't have a clear sense of its audience and was therefore uneven. Concept was sound and interesting, it just didn't move fast enough for me.

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore
Love this book. Love. Love, love, love. Strong girl character in the fantasy tradition of Tamora Pierce plus a hot, idealised, love interest? Yeah, I'm predisposed to like that. Add in the fact that the girl has special killing powers? I couldn't get this into my hands fast enough. It lived up to the buzz.

ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS by James Lecesne
Haven't read, but have heard great things. I want to read.

MADAPPLE by Christina Meldrum
Also haven't read, and have heard mixed opinions, although most have acknowledged it's uniqueness. I can't decide if I want to read.

ME, THE MISSING, AND THE DEAD by Jenny Valentine
I liked this far more than I thought I would. It's very British. Not that that means anything other than it being a reflection of a very strong voice. The more I reflect upon this title, the better I think it is, however, if not thinking terribly hard, I forget it entirely. Weird.

This is just the shortlist - the winner will be announced in January at ALA Midwinter. I like the whole shortlist concept. I wonder if there would be less shock and controversy for the Newbery and Printz if people had a little warning and time to read the books themselves. Or, maybe not.

More here and here.

More Twilight Hilarity

2008-12-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

This time attempting to figure out why women love Edward so much:

Full post here.

Thanks Kelly!

Well that snuck up on me.

2008-12-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

Huh. It's December 7th. That means this blog is three years old today.

Didn't see that coming.

Here's the first post. Not that I can imagine any scenario where you'd be interested.

Now that's just not fair

2008-12-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

Right, so that last post? I just got notification that someone picked up the Travel Bug in order to TAKE TO FLORIDA.

That is not the right direction. That is the exact opposite direction. You can't really get much further away from Seattle and stay in the Lower 48. I have to say, GISH1982, you aren't really following directions well. Posing with a giant bronze Humpty Dumpty won't make up for it. I'm a TEEN librarian, nursery rhymes won't work on me.

Just you watch, it will finally get out of the, er, warmness of Florida and slowly work it's way NW before getting stuck in Kansas for another year. Not to be pessimistic or anything.

All of this said, if someone were to pick the thing up and take it to another country, I'd be cool with it.

I think I need to do another experiment, sending one to my brother in Virginia and see what happens.

UPDATE: Yep. There it is. In Florida. Sigh.

View Larger Map

Kansas is like the Bermuda Triangle

2008-12-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

or something.

A year and a half ago my mom released a Travel Bug into the wild (Swimming Upstream). It's goal was Spokane, where I was living at the time. I've since changed that goal to Seattle, where I live now, but I somehow doubt that it matters 'CAUSE IT CAN'T SEEM TO FREAKIN' GET PAST FREAKIN' KANSAS. Please, any readers in Kansas, will you please, please, please move the little fishy along? North and West, please.

View Larger Map

If you aren't a Geocacher* and none of this makes sense to you AND you are actually curious read here, or if you are the lazier sort, wait for Justina Chen Headley's upcoming book NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, out in February. It's touching, wonderful, and full of all sorts of geocaching awesomeness. But I might be a little biased as I'm in the FREAKIN' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS! Holy Rusted Metal, Batman! I didn't do anything to deserve it, I swear! My mother is nevertheless quite proud.

I promise I'll talk about more books soon.

*I've been Geocaching for probably 5 years, but I never log any of my finds, so please don't judge me by my profile. But feel free to friend me if you are a fellow cacher!

I love sarcasm.

2008-11-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

THIS is hilarious. You must read.

thanks whomever tweeted it. I can't find you now, but that was awesome.

WBBT Interview with Emily Wing Smith

2008-11-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

At the Kitlitosphere Conference my evil twin (she is too more evil.) and I were mingling away from the main throng when none but Sara Zarr pushes someone aside saying that she wanted to give me a book. I then tried to take the book from her with mild interest saying, "Oh is this your new one?" but Sara Zarr would not let go of this book, despite my tugging. She proceeded to clutch this book close to her chest and say wonderful, passionate things about it with genuine fervor in her eyes. I wasn't sure she would actually let me have the book, and then I worried a little for her sanity that she had gotten so worked up and had chosen ME ( I mean, ME? wha...?) to share it with. Nonetheless, eventually she relaxed her grip and gave me the book.

What was that book, you say? What made the illustrious Sara Zarr so fervent? THE WAY HE LIVED by Emily Wing Smith. I should have simply left the hotel lobby then and gone up to read the book in our room, but I did not. I did manage to crack the cover on the train ride back to Seattle, where I was instantly engrossed, but I was with the evil twin and knew I'd be unable to give it the attention Sara Zarr clearly implied that it needed, so I returned home where reality and reading commitments returned, leaving THE WAY HE LIVED to gather dust until just last week.

Upon finally reading the book, I found myself compelled to turn page after page, reading it with a speed and eagerness that Sara Zarr was undoubtedly familiar with.

A synopsis most basic:
Joel meant many things to many people, and now that he's dead six teens are coping with the hole he's left in their lives.

Emily Wing Smith shows enormous restraint with this title. She doesn't shy away from portraying religion and the implications of religion in an insular community, but does it with such deft skill that conclusions are left up to the reader, and there are no right answers. The novel is broken up into six parts with six distinct narrators. Each character's complete story is told individually, short story style, and based upon the Monday's Child nursery rhyme, with each character claiming a birth day, Joel being Sunday, the missing day. It's very well written and I was eager for every page. It isn't entirely mournful by any means, but it is moving and empowering. Smith also raises some very interesting commentary about how easy it is not to know a person no matter how much information you think you have - if you can't get in their head, you really don't know that much.

Moral of the story: If National Book Award Finalist Sara Zarr ever tracks you down in a large hotel among large groups of people, in order to give you (you specifically, how freakin' cool is that?) a book, but actually has a hard time letting the book out of her hands because she feels that strongly about it, read it. Push the large stack of books on your shelf (and night stand... and floor... and kitchen table...) out of the way, and read it right then. She seems to have rather good taste. And then when you feel compelled to interview the author you won't have email Sara Zarr and rudely demand that she get you that interview post haste.

On to the interview:

Jackie: Each of the six narrators have clear, distinct voices that are in a small part aided by the different points of view you choose to write their portions in. Were there challenges to working with that many P.O.Vs, let alone that many narrators?

Emily Wing Smith: Definitely! People often ask me why I chose to write the book with multiple narrators and points of view. I didn’t really choose to write it that way—this story came to me as a collage of voices, each voice telling me how he or she was dealing with Joel’s death. So having six different narrators wasn’t as much of a challenge as each one needing to be told in a specific style.

This was most obvious with my character, Miles. I heard his voice in my head as if he were talking to himself, clearly saying “You don’t know shit.” All I could think was: “I can’t start out a story like that! There must be some way I can filter and still be true to his voice.” I worked on turning that line into a first-person account of a guy whose world was falling apart around him, but something about it was just off. Finally, I wrote the story from second-person, just the way his thoughts were coming to me, completely unfiltered. It worked! I eventually changed it back to first-person, but this time it was as simple as replacing every “you” with “I.”

While the novel is a portrait of Joel, it is a very open-ended depiction that focuses on how a person can be different things to different people. We can't ever hear from Joel himself, so we are left to piece him together from the people who knew him best, but even their knowledge of him is imperfect. It is an astounding feat to show that even six people can't know everything about one person. The reader is left with the perfect balance of suspicion and conjecture about a beloved character, but no solid answer - what motivated you to tell the story like this?

As a teenager, I moved to a community where a boy my age had recently died on a camping trip. Occasionally, I would meet people who had known and loved him, and I was amazed by their diversity—Bad Boys, Good Girls, and everyone in-between. It’s interesting to get to know someone only through what others say about him—especially when you know you won’t get the chance to meet him yourself.

With Joel, I am trying to re-create that experience. Joel’s not around to tell us his story, so we’re left to come up with our own conclusions. Some people are upset that the book has no solid answers, but that’s the point: you can hear a million different stories about someone from a million different people and still have questions.

Religion plays a significant role in THE WAY HE LIVED. Your treatment of it was subtle, yet deft. Religion was THE foundation for the community and many of your narrator's lives, but each of them had a very different relationship with it. You dealt with (let's be honest) a slightly controversial religion in a completely objective and realistic way - it was good for some, had cracks for others, and wasn't a big deal to most. I'm curious to your relationship with religion and how you chose to include it in this way.

As I mentioned, I moved as a teenager. My new town was overwhelmingly populated by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was—and still am--also LDS, and used to both the religion and the culture that surrounds it. But this place (which is very similar to the fictional Haven/West Haven) took the Mormon culture to a whole new level! So the culture in this specific town plays an important role in the book.

However, I’ve always been curious about what happens when over ninety-percent of a population has the same “belief.” I mean, obviously not all of those people can have the exact same beliefs, right? So I wanted The Way He Lived to explore how death affects characters with different degrees of the same belief.

One of the big, unresolved questions in THE WAY HE LIVED was if Joel was gay or not. I also think it was very interesting that Joel's sisters, when searching for comfort after his death both find themselves in situations that surround them with gay culture - without either ever making any conscious acknowledgement of Joel's sexuality.

The other big unresolved question is whether or Joel killed himself, a prospect that becomes more probable when considering his insular community, its stance surrounding his sexuality (if the reader decides he's gay) and events revealed in the final section. I don't want to stray too far into the realm of conjecture, but I'm curious as to how much a product of his environment Joel may have been, and basically, why you chose to deal with homosexuality in this fashion.

Speaking of big, unresolved questions--you’ve done an excellent job with this one here, Jackie! (Jac sez: She only says this because she saw my tweet about how I was struggling with making this a fair, um, unbiased question. Darn you internets!) This is a pretty broad question which I could discuss at length, but I’ll try to be as concise as possible.

Two things jumped out at me as the idea for THE WAY HE LIVED percolated in my brain. One was the idea of how the boy in my community had died—by giving up his water on a hiking trip. At face value, that is the ultimate in unselfish acts, and from what I know about this real-life boy, I fully believe that this caused his death. But I also couldn’t help thinking that there was no way I’d do the same thing in that situation. I mean, I like to think I’m pretty unselfish. But I’m also practical. Lots of people on a hiking trip + all of them requiring water to stay alive – enough water for everyone = someone isn’t going to make it. What if you did the math and decided the person who wasn’t going to make it would be you?

The other thing that jumped out at me was the last line of the nursery rhyme that connects these stories: “The child born on the Sabbath day is fair and wise and good and gay.” These days, you can’t use a line like that without considering the double-meaning of the word “gay.” That’s when the story took off.

I wanted to address the subject of Joel’s sexuality the exact same way it would be addressed in his community: “He’s a member of the [LDS] Church, and therefore isn’t gay.” LDS doctrine considers homosexuality a sin, and Church members, even those with same-gender attractions, cannot practice this lifestyle and remain in good standing with the Church. To me, it’s always been heartbreaking that some faithful Church members struggle with this “forbidden” attraction for years, without anyone acknowledging that it’s a struggle (for example, thinking it’s a choice to “become” gay and you can just as easily “choose” to be straight). What if you decided you couldn’t spend your whole life trying to be someone that you weren’t?

You mentioned the process of writing the Miles character. Were you particularly attached to one or another of the narrators (or characters, it doesn't have to be one of the six. The mysterious Adam perhaps?)

Not really, although I do hold a particular fondness for “the mysterious Adam.” While in the process of writing this book, I told my critique group, “Each one of these narrators is completely different, yet they each sound exactly like me. How is that possible?” I think the reason I’m not most attached to any certain character is because a part of me is in each one of them.

Oftentimes you read books that simply rotate narrators, interweaving the stories, rather than letting each narrator have their own section. THE WAY HE LIVED is very much short story-like because of its presentation - did you purposely fall into that format, was it automatic? Are you a fan of short stories (and if so can you share some of your favorites?)?

The first YA manuscript I wrote (unpublished, and likely to stay that way, at least for awhile) had dual narrators who alternated chapters. Since I had experience with “rotating” narrators, I already knew that wasn’t right for THE WAY HE LIVED. I think the short story format of novel writing is difficult—in my experience, more difficult than one with rotating narrators. Still, I felt the stories of the individual narrators would be too diluted if I separated their stories, and it just wouldn’t be right.

My main inspiration for using this style was M.E Kerr’s YA novel I Stay Near You: One Story in Three. The novel is written in three distinct sections. Part one is narrated first-person and revolves around a girl coming of age in the 1940s. Part two is the third-person account of the son of this same “girl” twenty years down the road. Part three is in the form of a letter sent in the 1980s. This book is amazing in the ways it ties a single story together through three generations of family, using a variety of narrative structures. I don’t mean to imply that my book is anywhere near as well-crafted as hers—but it did give me a starting point.

I have to be honest, I was a little afraid during Tabbatha's portion that the plot would turn toward watching her in beauty competitions. How did you know when you were done with each character? Many of them left me wanting (not needing, as they were all complete storylines) more.

Um, yeah. Having never competed in a pageant of any sort, and knowing nothing about that world in general, I knew Tabs would never enter that arena. Besides, I knew from the beginning that actually competing wasn’t part of her journey—it was realizing that she could have. But I digress…

Deciding where to end the stories was certainly a challenge. I wanted each portion to have a complete storyline, but sometimes that made me want to tack on endings to each of them. I’m not particularly skilled with writing endings anyway, so writing six of them was a dead-end. Now I feel like each of the stories, particularly those of Claire and Norah, end at a place that is really only a beginning. But it’s a beginning where I felt comfortable leaving them.

You use the Monday's Child nursery rhyme to connect the narrators, and each line directly relates to each character. Why that poem? When and how did it come into play?

The nursery rhyme came into play early in the writing process. I had all these voices, and as they came to me, I would write down snatches of what they said (interestingly, very few of these “snatches” remain in the book). I would draw lines from one voice to another as their connections became clearer to me. As I figured out more about each character’s role in Joel’s life, and his role in theirs, I would draw more lines. It was a crazy mess, but for some reason it reminded me of a nursery rhyme about the characteristics of children born on different days of the week. I had six characters, each exemplifying one of the traits mentioned in the rhyme. I re-read the nursery rhyme to remember the exact phrasing of the line for the child born on the Sabbath day, and everything clicked. In fact, the book’s original title was SUNDAY’S CHILD.

Can you tell us a little about what you are working on now, and how it is a different writing experience from THE WAY HE LIVED?

My wonderful agent, Michael Bourret, has just sold my second young adult novel, BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE, to the wonderful Julie Strauss-Gabel at Dutton. In some ways, I feel like this is my first book. THE WAY HE LIVED was told more or less through short stories, so it didn’t have the same beginning, middle, end trajectory that most novels require. It’s been quite a learning experience!

Ok, last question: You said in your interview with the 5 randoms that you prefer reading YA over other books (Yay! Me too!). Who/what are some of your favorite authors/books for teens?

I am extremely fortunate to live near some amazing YA authors like Sara Zarr, Ann Cannon, and Ann Dee Ellis. I also grew up reading and loving the work of veteran YA writer M.E Kerr. I think John Green is crazy-talented; ditto for author duo Laura and Tom McNeal.

Thank You EMILY for playing along with me - especially at such short notice!

The rest of today's WBBT schedule:
Mayra Lazara Dole at Chasing Ray
Francis O'Roark Dowell at Fuse #8
J. Patrick Lewis at Writing and Ruminating
Wendy Mass at HipWriterMama
Lisa Ann Sandell at Bildungsroman
Caroline Hickey and Sara Lewis Holmes at MotherReader
A.S. King at Bookshelves of Doom

So they made a movie of that book? You might have heard of it? Twilight? 'Sbout vampires or some such. I hear it's pretty popular.

2008-11-21T03:33:00.000-08:00

Right so, I have a few friends who were really excited to see the movie, so we went to the Midnight Showing, da dum dum. Can we say packed? Holy moly with the girls everywhere! Giggling, screaming. What a scene. My grouping was made up of 3 librarians, one wannabe librarian, one reading teacher and brother, all of varying degrees of interest in the whole thing.

I'm not sure how much you'll get out of the movie if you haven't read the book. My mind kept filling in the long mood shots with what all wasn't being said. It was an interesting audience to be in; I can't quite tell if they were just having a ton of fun with it and not taking it too seriously, or if they actually were an incredibly cynical bunch, or if all the laughter was genuine, and in fact, intended by the filmakers. Because, I'll be honest - we all laughed far more often than any of us anticipated. It was genuinely campy in parts. Not at all a direction I was expecting. So ultimately it was an odd mix of angsty melodrama, camp, and action. Every time a main character was introduced there was laughing - not giggling, or tittering, but actual laughter. Especially for Jasper (which I have to believe was intended - we all concluded afterward that he was very Johnny Depp/Edward Scissorhands-y) and Carlisle (not sure why there). Edward, of course, got some screams. It was odd.

Otherwise, I think it was pretty much as you'd expect. Some changes, but mostly quite honest to the book. Yes, Edward sparkled, though it was weird looking and reminded me of the kind of glitter you find on greeting cards that DOESN'T rub off on everything. You'll probably like the movie however much you like the books.

Washington looked beeeaaautiful though. Definitely inspires me to get back out to the peninsula one of these days.

Remember that dreck of a film

2008-11-20T20:36:00.000-08:00

Ella Enchanted? Remember how mad we all were (possibly still are...or is that just me?) that they took such a beautiful, magical, sweet book, gutted it, lobotomized it, and did other unsavory cruelties too horrible to mention here? Well, if you still yearn for a movie that captures the beauty of Ella Enchanted and is more true to the spirit of the novel then its eponymous film - try PENELOPE.

With Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Reese Witherspoon, and Peter Dinklage, you can't really go wrong, right?

I'd upload a picture or two, but my computer needs to be replaced. Desperately. It's being especially uncooperative tonight. I hope it doesn't mess too much with my interview with Emily Wing Smith that goes up tomorrow.

Thursday's WBBT

2008-11-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

Today's WBBT interviews:
Martin Millar at Chasing Ray
John Green at Writing and Ruminating
Beth Kephart at HipWriterMama
Emily Ecton at Bildungsroman
John David Anderson at Finding Wonderland
Brandon Mull at The YA YA YAs
Lisa Papademetriou at MotherReader

(thank you LW for the code!)

Occasionally, they've got a good chart:

2008-11-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Graph Jam can be amusing. Or boring. Thanks boyfriend.

WBBT, day 3

2008-11-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

Today's WBBT schedule:

Ellen Klages at Fuse #8
Emily Jenkins at Writing and Ruminating
Ally Carter at Miss Erin
Mark Peter Hughes at HipWriterMama
Sarah Darer Littman at Bildungsroman
M.T. Anderson at Finding Wonderland
Mitali Perkins at MotherReader

An Author-riffic Day

2008-11-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

Today marks not only Day 2 of the Winter Blast Blog Tour, but ALSO the LIVE CHAT with Ellen Emerson White (Ellen! Emerson! White!) at the Readergirlz MySpace Forum. Last night I told my boyfriend I wanted to name a daughter Meg after Meg Powers, if that tells you ANYTHING about how much I love EEW.

Today's WBBT links:

Ellen Datlow at Chasing Ray.
Tony DiTerlizzi at Miss Erin.
Melissa Walker at Hip Writer Mama.
Luisa Plaja at Bildungsroman.
D.M. Cornish at Finding Wonderland.
L.J. Smith at the YA YA YAs.
Kathleen Duey at Bookshelves of Doom.

2nd Annual WBBT

2008-11-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Things are a little crazy in my world of late, so I wasn't able to truly participate this round of the Blog Blast Tours, but then I read THE WAY HE LIVED on Friday, sent the author, Emily Wing Smith, questions fairly immediately after finishing, and will now have one interview at some point this week. So, yay.

Here's what's a-happenin' today:

Lewis Buzbee at Chasing Ray
Louis Sachar at Fuse #8
Laurel Snyder at Miss Erin
Courtney Summers at Bildungsroman
Elizabeth Wein at Finding Wonderland
Susan Kuklin at The YA YA YAs

HAVE FUN!!

We should all be personally offended now and again.

2008-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

It means that we care about something. It means we aren't going about life as zombies. As a librarian I'm happy to direct you toward topics that personally offend me when you ask for them. I don't impose my personal ideologies upon you, in fact, when I'm at the library I'm not even going to tell you WHAT I think, personally, about ANY topic - save whether that novel over there is worth your time or not. You can bait me and try your darndest to engage me in your personal belief system all you want - I won't bite when I'm at the library. Many (many) tried in this past political season. I won't even agree with you when I agree with you. It's not going to happen.

All of this is fine and well - any librarian worth her salt should do the same. And while I have no intention of turning this blog into a mouthpiece for my politics, this has always served as my outlet. I need that outlet now, but in a different way than usual. It took a week for my elation of finally voting for the winner in a presidential election to wear off and the horror, again, at the perversion of civil rights by voters to set in. I still read coverage of The Transition with joy, but that joy no longer overcomes how heartbroken I am at the fact that what amounts to personal offense overriding civil rights.

If they had voted in the 50's about integration, would it have passed?
If they had voted then about interracial marriage, would it have passed?

When I boil down freedom, the basis of our government, to its core, its very essence, I believe that a person can do whatever they want to do as long as it does not impinge on another's rights. And here's where some of you and I are bound to disagree: I do not believe that same-sex marriage is harmful to anyone. You can send me as many articles and biased studies as you want, I will never agree with you. Be personally offended all you want about the "homosexual lifestyle", but I will never believe that a gay couple's right to be legally recognized as MARRIED will negatively affect your life. You'll go on living the exact same way you did before. Your 50% chance of marital success will be the same.

We aren't supposed to legislate just because something offends us. Not when it doesn't harm. Same-sex marriage will not erode "traditional" marriage any more than interracial marriage eroded same-race marriages. Let's disregard what the talking heads tell you and what they expound in the pulpit. Let's make it personal - because it is personal. It's not abstract. THINK about what you believe and why you believe it. Make up your own mind. Consider what you would take away. And what it means to those you would directly affect because you are indirectly, personally, offended.

I know some of you reading this don't agree with me. That's ok. If you've gotten this far, I applaud you. I don't think you are the enemy. I hope you don't think I'm yours, and that we can peacefully agree to disagree on this one. Sometimes we can vote in change. Sometimes social change has to be thrust upon us.

What I'll be doing on Saturday.

It'll be my first rally/protest ever.

For my cousins.
For my friends.
For civil rights.

*"Not Equal Sign" image stolen from James Price's striking entry here.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

2008-11-04T03:06:00.000-08:00

I just want to say that at the moment, I'm completely enamored with FLYGIRL BY SHERRI L. SMITH. Completely enamored. I'm only 50-odd pages in, but I'm already very invested in Ida Mae's story, and I hope it continues to make me happy.

'Cause really, all that matters is MY happiness, right?

From what I can tell at the moment, it will be about a black girl passing as white to fulfill her dream of flying - taking her only chance to do that by joining the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP - anyone else find that ironic?) during WWII.

(This is me, trying to microblog and keep this blog alive. Let me know what you think.)

'Course I outta put it down in favor of Steinbeck's Ghost since I'll be having dinner with the author Lewis Buzbee on Thursday, along with uber-fan Colleen & the so-awesome-I'm-a-little-scared-of-him Philip Lee.

Blog the Vote

2008-11-04T02:00:00.000-08:00

The hardest task in living in a democracy is respecting the viewpoints of someone who believes in everything you despise. To stand next to them - or sit across a table from them - and allow them their voice, and consider their point of view, is a challenge to any normal human being. But it is the tenet of our First Amendment, and the foundation of my chosen career. It is something that I believe the next president must be capable of doing before he has any hope of fixing any of our nation's problems. It is something I can not do my job without (though possibly not to those extremes).

For the great majority of my life, I lived in communities where I was among the political minority. That's changed in the last eight months, however it, that underdog mentality, carries over. It is almost surreal to be surrounded by people who, by large, agree with me. It insulates me from the opposing viewpoint, and I feel disconnected from the perspective I've always had - the easy knowledge of the opposition from simply being surrounded by people who espouse that with which I disagree. I believe that being in the political minority for so long made me better understand my own viewpoints - if it was simply knowing where I differ. To better know your rival is to better know yourself, your surroundings, and your community. To understand that, in America, the goal is the same - the methods are merely different. Everyone wants health care. Everyone wants students to succeed, their families to thrive. Everyone wants to live in a clean environment. No one wants to worry about the next paycheck. Everyone wants peace.

So what we are voting for is methodology - the HOW not so much the WHAT. I have been decidedly partisan in most election cycles since before I could vote. But this said, and get ready for it, those of you who know me - I have never in my life voted a straight ticket. And I will not today. I believe that many people feel this way, regardless of the party they may feel kin to. I vote for the candidate I think will go about their job in the method I think appropriate for that position. I vote for the HOW they want to fix things, and the attitude they bring to the problem. You can not discount those who disagree with you simply because they disagree. Right and good knows no party - neither do wrong and bad. If you start off thinking less of an opinion before the opinion is even stated, you won't be truly open to solutions - but in order to get your opinion across you must put forth your vote.

In the millions of votes cast in elections, it is hard to see the significance in one vote. One vote is the one small gesture that everyone can make to demonstrate their investment in their country and community. Four years ago the state I currently live in elected a governor by 129 votes. I can't really get my head around millions of votes, but I personally know more than 129 people. I can get my head around that number. The millions came down to a mere handful, and everyone who didn't vote could see how much each one of their ballots would have mattered. Every vote is one more affirmation toward the methodology you believe in - and one more reason for both politicians to respect your point of view - to recognize that there are passionate opinions on all sides.

One person. One voice. One vote. Your voice is never alone, and your vote will be amplified by the multitude. Millions will agree with you - millions will not, but they are not your enemy. It's your turn to speak and your turn to be listened to with respect and consideration with an absolutely even ratio for every voter.

The things that are hardest are oftentimes the most worthwhile. The things that are hardest are oftentimes the most important. I'm voting because I want you to be able to say things that irritate me, and I want to be able to find information that personally offends me when my patrons ask for it. I'm voting because I want to have my voice heard - even when MY questions irritate and challenge people. I'm voting because I'm invested in the future of my country. I'm voting because if our democracy was easy, we'd be doing it wrong.

Vote. Just vote. Blog the vote.

For more non-partisan Blog the Vote posts, see Colleen Mondor's post.

To hear to why others vote, listen to this 5-minute clip on NPR.

Sherman Alexie on Colbert

2008-10-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

I like the part where Colbert is speechless. And the other parts, too.

Thanks RGZ!