YALSA 2015 Hub Reading Challenge, Update #1

Even knowing that the YALSA Hub Reading Challenge was coming up, I still managed to get a late start with most of the list. Luckily, I've already read the Morris and Nonfiction selections, so I should be able to catch up. I'm only reviewing one book this week. This book is what set me so far behind! Even though there were many elements that I SHOULD have connected with, I simply couldn't get into it. I checked it out from the library in January and forced myself to finish it today. I'm not sure why it was such a difficult read for me, possibly because I have very little background knowledge about the information presented. Here's my review.  

Ida M. Tarbel: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business--and Won! by Emily Arnold McCully

Ida Tarbell was a successful investigative journalist at a time when most women did not work outside the home. Despite the fact that she herself was not a "typical" woman of the day, she did not support the right of women to vote. Her investigative work helped to shine a light on the dirty business tactics of John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil.

While this book is well-researched and written, it just never really grabbed me. I think it's because I'm not all that interested in this particular period in history. That said, McCully's book would be an excellent resource for students looking for quality research about the social and political landscape of the early 1900's.

2015 YALSA Morris/Nonfiction Reading Challenge, Update #1

The challenge before the challenge started a few weeks ago. I'm a little late to the party, but jumping in anyway. I can get through at least one of the lists before February 2, but I'm shooting for both. I love doing the YALSA Challenge every year because it helps me discover great books that I might otherwise miss. Thanks to a couple of snow days, it was a marvelous week to curl up and read.

Here is the Morris List:

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Here is the Nonfiction List:

Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business--and Won! by Emily Arnold McCully
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin
Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

 

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This week's completed books:

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos 

Growing up is hard enough, even under ideal circumstances. After being horribly burned by a near-miss lightning strike, Harry Jones struggles to deal with the accident and to face himself. Thanks to a caring therapist and, eventually, some good friends, Harry learns to be an active participant in his own life.  There were many times as I read that I wanted to smack Harry upside his fat head. He isn't good at standing up for himself and he makes some dumb decisions. He also has a sly sense of humor that I loved and I rooted for him, even as he learned every lesson in the hardest possible way.

This is a well-done story about the power of music and friendship to help us transcend difficult times and to be better people. 

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Gabi, a Mexican-American high school senior with a love for poetry and sopas, deals with all kinds of issues, as do her friends. Through her diary entries, which are fresh and funny, thoughtful and yearning, we join her as she and her peers deal with drug abuse, rape, teen pregnancy, self-esteem and body issues, homosexuality, faith and the lack of it, and sexism. Gabi struggles to come to terms with these issues in her life, and takes the reader along for the ride. The author is obviously trying to teach a few lessons here, but is never too heavy-handed. I love Gabi's sarcastic humor and her good heart. She is definitely a character who readers will care about and root for.

Some favorite quotes:

"Family. Familia. And while familia is the glue that keeps us crazy, it is also the glue that makes us who we are."

"Never ask the fat girl if she is hungry. She's always hungry. Even if she is not, she is, because food is safe and controllable and soothing and salty and sweet, and it doesn't scream at you or make you feel bad unless you are trying on clothes."

"Cinco de Mayo! Woo! Another holiday where people get to use sombreros and fake mustaches as proof of their understanding and commitment to learning about my heritage."

"...for a lot of people, high school is it--the best time of their life. Oh my God, if high school is supposed to be the best time of my life, I'm going to have the shittiest life ever." 

What kept this from being a five-star book for me was the awkward grammar and the way the Spanish was kind of unevenly integrated into the narrative. While I assume that the author used this style to make sure that Gabi's voice was authentic (and it did work) it brought me back to all the hours I have spent grading poorly edited student papers. I realize that other readers won't be as bothered by the grammar; I'm certainly glad that I read this book and will happily recommend it to teen readers.

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

Maya is an unpopular, nerdy middle schooler who is inspired by an old book, Betty Cornell's Teen-Age Popularity Guide, to spend her eighth grade year attempting to climb the social ladder.  Each month, Maya follows some of the tips in the book and writes about how her peers react. The results are all over the place--sometimes hilarious, sometimes thought-provoking, and sometimes utterly cringe-worthy. Regardless of the outcome, Maya handles herself with grace and kindness. She is wise beyond her years.  

This is a book that would have helped the shy, lonely teenager I used to be. I can't wait to share it with my students, and the other teens in my life. 

I'll leave you with Maya's final popularity tip: "Popularity is more than looks. It's not clothes, hair, or even possessions. When we let go go these labels, we see how flimsy and relative they actually are. Real popularity is kindness and acceptance. It is about who you are, and how you treat others.

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin 

Though I knew a bit about how African American soldiers were treated during WWII before I read this book, I had never heard about the Port Chicago 50. Especially in light of recent events, this is a timely, engaging, and thought-provoking story. 


Without even basic safety training, African American soldiers were given the dangerous job of loading munitions from rail cars onto ships. When the inevitable accident finally occurred, hundreds of people were killed and injured. The navy officers blame the soldiers for the accident, but then expect them to get right back to the same work. The men refuse and are eventually told that if they continue to disobey orders, they will be charged with mutiny. Fifty men end up being charged and put on trial for mutiny. I won't give away the ending, but Thurgood Marshall gets involved. 

Though these men were instrumental in the Navy's decision to integrate, they have never received much recognition. This book left me better informed, but angry. The United States has certainly come a long way, but we're not there yet. 

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Russian history has never been all that interesting to me, and I must admit that I had very little background knowledge going into this book. I vaguely remembered reading about "Bloody Nicholas" in high school. Candace Fleming has done a stellar job researching and writing a book that brings  the Romanovs to vivid life. The intimate portrait of their private lives makes them seem much more human, and their ends that much more terrible. She also adds in snippets about the dreary lives of peasants from primary source documents. For them, it didn't matter much who was running the country--their lives were just hard. Finally, other figures who affected the complicated course of Russian history make an appearance--Lenin and Rasputin are highlights.

Even though I knew how the story was going to end, I was riveted nonetheless, a small part of me holding out the hope that Disney got it right about Anastasia after all.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #16

Three more books checked off the challenge list this week, although I am still not going fast enough to be able to read all 85 titles by the end of this month. At just under half of the list done, I do need to get my read on. It's only bragging rights, but still...

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan


"Your life must be an open city, with all sorts of ways to wander in."

The economy sucks and Clay Jannon is laid off from his job as a web designer. When an odd little shop catches his eye, he wanders into Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, and is soon hired as the newest clerk. It doesn't take long for Clay to suspect that there is more to Mr. Penumbra and his store than meets the eye. The few customers check out books from the towering shelves in the back of the store, what Clay calls the "Wayback List," but never buy any of the newer books displayed in the front of the shop. 

Curious about what is really going on, Clay designs a program to map out the store and the movement of the customers. When this leads him to a perplexing discovery, he enlists the help of his friends to uncover a mystery that stretches far beyond the walls of the shop.

The characters are more like sketches of common fantasy archetypes than fully-realized people, but I still went along for the ride. I absolutely loved the ending, especially the final page. 

Lovers of books will appreciate the intersection between technology and good old-fashioned books.

"...the right book exactly, at exactly the right time."

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert

Helen Keller was trapped in a dark, silent world until Annie Sullivan came to be her teacher. Annie, partially blind herself, struggled to communicate with Helen and to let her know that everything has a name. Finally, they had a breakthrough and Helen began to learn at an amazing rate. 


I've always been fascinated with Helen Keller's story, but this book really didn't live up to my expectations. The jumps back and forth between Helen's present and Annie's past were distracting and made the story hard to follow.

Code Name Verity (audiobook) by Elizabeth Wein (narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell)


Maddie and Queenie, raised in very different social circles, become best friends during WWII. Maddie is a pilot and Queenie a spy.

When Queenie is captured by Nazis in France and broken by torture, she agrees to cooperate in return for a quick death. Her written confession makes up the first half of the book. Initially, the flow of her narrative is hard to follow because of the switches from present to past tense. Once you get used to it, though, it actually helps keep track of past versus present events.

The last part of the book is more reliably narrated by another character and sheds light on Queenie's story in some surprising ways.

The friendship between Maddie and Queenie is realistic and moving. They are both strong characters, each a hero in her own way.  The narrators do an amazing job of bringing Maddie and Queenie, as well as a cast of other characters, to life. While I'm glad I read the print version first, the audiobook is the version I'll revisit again and again.

Highly recommended historical fiction. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #10

Got a lot of reading done this week, thanks to the need to avoid writing my own novel. Well, at least I was productive on one front.

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Beautiful artwork accompanied by an engaging story.

After being homeschooled for most of her life, Maggie is ready to start her first day at the local public high school. She's kind of a tomboy, since she's used to roughhousing with her three older brothers. Maggie gradually comes to terms with her mother's abandonment and makes a couple of good friends. In the meantime, she tries to solve the mystery of the ghost who follows her around.

Ultimate Comics Spider-man, v.1 by Brian Michael Bendis

Though I enjoyed both the artwork and the storyline, some of the panels were confusing. Most of the time, the panels moved from top to bottom on one page before moving to the next page, but sometimes they stretched across two pages. 

Miles Morales gets bitten by a spider and soon finds that he is developing powers reminiscent of Spiderman. After Miles witnesses Peter Parker's death, he decides to take up where Peter left off, despite the fact that his father will most definitely not approve.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

I am old enough to remember when AIDS began to enter the public consciousness. No one really understood what it was or how it spread and that freaked everyone out. Tell the Wolves I'm Home, set in 1987, is a coming of age story of a teenager named June Elbus. She is kind of a square peg and the only person who really "gets" her is her uncle and godfather, Finn. Unfortunately, Finn dies of AIDS and June is feels alone.

After Finn's death, she meets his partner, Toby. Despite the fact that her parents blame Toby for Finn's death, June befriends him, if reluctantly at first. That friendship may be what they both need in order to make peace with Finn's death.

This was a beautiful, heart-wrenching story from the first word to the last. Highly recommended and one to savor.

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

Having already read Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, I didn't really learn anything new about him in this one, but I did enjoy the way Blumenthal used his 2005 commencement address at Stanford to frame the story of Jobs' life.

This biography is accessible to younger readers and is, overall, inspiring. Despite his idiosyncrasies and his difficulties relating to other people, Jobs certainly provided an innovative spark that revolutionized the way we communicate today.

As a person who is old enough to remember life before computers, internet, and iAnything, it was fun for me to reminisce about where I was when each of Apple's new gadgets became a part of my world. I'll never forget the day my husband came home with a first generation iPod and explained what it was. My response..."You spent HOW MUCH on a music player when we have a perfectly good walkman?" 

These days, Apple products are an integral part of my daily life and I appreciate the genius of the man who not only pushed great ideas forward, but who also cared about making them simple and elegant.