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 #2

Having to go through Interlibrary Loan for this week's titles slowed me down quite a bit, but I did finally get a stack of books. I only completed two challenge books this week, but filled in the empty spaces with Dan Brown's latest, as well as the first two Harry Potter books (which I have read so many times that I consider J.K. Rowling to be a close, personal friend).

Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw

Shane Burcaw writes with honesty, humor, and often in graphic detail about what it's like to live with spinal muscular atrophy.  

My favorite quote: 

"Every single one of us has problems. That's part of being alive. The beauty begins when you connect with other people and realize that we're all in the same boat. Once we accept the fact that life is inherently difficult, we can move on and focus on having a good time despite the tough stuff."

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

Maggie is torn from her life in Chicago and transplanted in a tiny town in Ireland after her mother remarries. She is lonely and isolated in her unfamiliar surroundings. Just when the new place starts to feel like home, tragedy strikes. Maggie sets out on a risky adventure to fulfill a dying wish. Maggie's coming-of-age story is peppered with observations about love and what it means to live.

My favorite quote:

"...that's what living people do. They shatter and rebuild, shatter and rebuild, shatter and rebuild until they are old and worn and stooped from the work of it."

2014 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge Check-in #10

I've been much more interested in reading the new books that I was able to purchase with my recently acquired Donors Choose funds, so I haven't read much from the challenge list in the past few weeks.   

Star Wars:  Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown

Roan has always dreamed of living up to the family legacy and becoming a pilot.  When he doesn't get selected for flight school, he's crushed.  He is surprised and not all that excited to get an invitation to attend Jedi Academy--usually students are recruited at a very young age.  Middle school is awkward at the best of times, but learning to use the force at the same time? Well, let's just say that some embarrassing moments ensue. 

Kind of Wimpy Kid-ish.  Star Wars fans will want to give this one a look.

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These are some of the titles that I have been able to share with my students, thanks to the generosity of some wonderful friends (and the kindness of some complete strangers).

Stickman Odyssey, Book One--An Epic Doodle by Christopher Ford

Fans of The Odyssey or other epic tales will recognize some familiar gods and monsters. When Zozimos is banished from Sticatha, he sets out on a hero's quest to find his way home.  I giggled all the way through this book, and it is already very popular with my middle school students.  One of my favorite lines is representative of the humor you'll find:

"I'm so hungry, I'm farting fresh air."

Blood on the Handle by R.A. Montgomery

Choose Your Own Adventure #33.

You are an orphan living with your uncle. You come home one day to discover a bloody knife in the study and hear a car speed away. What do you do?  Depending upon the choices you make as you read, endings will vary.  

The City of Ember:  The Graphic Novel by Jeanne DuPrau

This adaptation might hook a few readers who wouldn't pick up the regular novel, but they'll be missing out on a lot of the story. The suspense while the main characters are figuring out Ember's secret is what makes the book so good.  In this adaptation, the mystery is solved way too quickly.  I was disappointed!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Origami Yoda, book #1.

A class of sixth graders learning to navigate the social world of almost-adulthood are guided by a pair of unlikely advisors--socially awkward Dwight and his origami Yoda finger-puppet.  Written as a case file/journal with contributions from several students who (mostly) benefitted from Yoda's advice.  Funny, but also includes realistic problems that many kids will recognize from their own lives.  Great for Wimpy Kid fans. 

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger

Origami Yoda, book two.

The kids at McQuarrie Middle school are starting 7th grade and, thanks to Yoda's advice, they are convinced it's going to be a great year.  Unfortunately, Dwight's nemesis, Harvey, has his own finger puppet--Darth Paper.  Are Harvey and Darth Paper drawing on the power of the Dark Side to get Dwight expelled and destroy his friends' whole year?  Read the latest case file to find out!

An excellent choice for middle grade readers looking for a good laugh.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

This beautifully-drawn memoir illustrates both first love and a journey away from religious beliefs. I absolutely loved the artwork, and will keep a lookout for more from this author.  For mature readers.

Stitches by David Small

After his parents take him in for a supposedly routine surgery, David wakes up with a huge scar and no voice. Only later does he discover that he had cancer, probably due to the x-ray treatments prescribed by his radiologist father. 

Memoir is one genre that seems to lend itself especially well to the graphic novel format.  Haunting and powerful, David Small's memoir examines a dysfunctional family destroyed by repression and denial. He also illustrates the way that we all have the power to leave a difficult childhood behind and triumph in the end.

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise

 

43 Old Cemetery Road, book one.

Crusty old children's author (who can't stand children) finds an unexpected family when he rents a haunted mansion for the summer.  Told in letters, newspaper clippings, etc. Cute!

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #17

Oh, the excuses never end. I intended to get significantly more reading done this week than I actually did, especially since Thursday was the last day with students. A new exercise program and some quality time with the hubby turned out to be more engaging than reading this week. We are starting the summer off right, even though it's looking ever more unlikely that I'll meet my goal of reading every book on the list by the end of this month. I'm now at 44 books, which is enough to have officially finished the challenge, but only slightly more than half of the 85 titles. I've also been working on one book, Pure, all week that I just can't seem to get into. It's got all of the elements I love, but it's not grabbing me. Maybe I'm finally fed up with dystopian fiction. Hmmmm, I'll keep going and review it next time. Meanwhile, I did finish one this week.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis


As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Sunday has a whole lot of magical potential, but feels inadequate and overlooked compared to her dashing and daring elder sisters (all also named for days of the week). Her brothers are pretty interesting too, but Sunday feels like her talent, writing stories that have a strange way of coming true, pales in comparison to those of her many siblings.

One day, she meets an enchanted frog in the forest who is fascinated by her stories. Gradually the two become friends, and yes, something more. However, when the frog is finally transformed into his former self, Prince Rumbold, Sunday is not there to see. He slowly regains his memories and realizes that Sunday and her family blame him for the death of her brother, Jack. 

As always, there is more to the story than first appears. Rumbold and Sunday, along with the rest of their families, are soon caught up in a struggle to renew the balance between light and dark.

Fairytale fans will enjoy picking out the references to many different tales and seeing how they come together in one new tale. I will be interested to see how the rest of the series plays out. A fun read!

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #12

I enjoyed the audio version of The Diviners so much that I listened to it again this week. Since that took many hours, it considerably slowed down my other reading and listening. I am also having a hard time sticking to the list, as other things I want to read keep cropping up! I finished one book from the official list, bringing my total for the challenge so far to 31.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

American teenager Aurora (Rory) Deveaux arrives in London to spend her last two years in high school at an English boarding school. She has a bit of trouble adjusting to cultural differences, but soon makes a couple of good friends. But when she chokes on a piece of meat at dinner and has a near-death experience, she suddenly starts seeing people that no one else seems to notice.


Meanwhile, the city of London is overtaken by "Rippermania" when a Jack the Ripper copycat killer starts murdering young women. Rory sees a suspicious man who turns out to be the prime suspect in the murders and who has made her a target. 

The story dragged at times, especially the "ghost police" sections. However, overall, I enjoyed the story, especially the ending. I will be looking forward to the next installment of Rory's adventures.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #9

I've been more focused on writing this week than reading. It's week two of Camp Nanowrimo and I've written about a third-ish of my novel--some 19,000 words of literary awesomeness. At least that's what my mom thinks. Still no title, but my characters are starting to come alive and not do what I planned that they would. I completed only one book this week, but it was a "slow read." Next week's list should be more impressive, as I've got a couple of quick-read graphic novels up next.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Geraldine Coutts, an Ojibwe woman, lives on a reservation in North Dakota with her husband and teenaged son, Joe. Joe narrates the tale of the day his mother is brutally attacked and its aftermath. Geraldine knows the identity of the man who raped her, but is too afraid to tell either the white or tribal police who did it. Joe teams up with his friends to investigate the crime and to try to bring his mother's attacker to justice. 


The writing is absolutely beautiful and the story, although it meanders off the track occasionally, is one to savor. 

Celebrating Banned Books Week 2012

I celebrated Banned Books Week by reading two books that have made the ALA's most challenged list for more than one year, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (which I've read before) and Deadline by Chris Crutcher.

I read Perks a couple of years ago, but wanted to reread it before going to see the movie (Emma Watson as Sam--yay!).  If a frank treatment of homosexuality, sexually active teens who use drugs and/or alcohol, and child abuse offends you, then you will probably hate both the book and the movie.  I love this book because it definitely pushes the envelope of YA literature and takes on some serious topics.  Charlie is an academically gifted, but socially awkward high school freshman who becomes friends with two seniors, Patrick and Sam.  Their friendship helps Charlie learn to live his life, rather than to simply observe others, and to come to terms with trauma in his past.

As I would with any book to movie adaptation, I strongly suggest that you read the book before seeing the movie.  For a reminder to do just that, try out this website to receive a monthly newsletter:

I started read Deadline several months ago and then got interrupted when Bill and I had to drop everything, pack up the house, and make yet another cross-country move.  I finally found it again while unpacking one of my many boxes of books and happily curled up with it this afternoon.  The main character, 18-year-old Ben Wolf, goes in for a sports physical and finds out that he has a terminal disease that will kill him in a year.  He decides to try to live an entire lifetime during his senior year and takes all kinds of risks that he would have only dreamed of before (like going out for football and finally talking to his dream girl).  As he prepares to die, Ben examines his relationships and finds it ever more difficult to keep his secret from those he loves.  As always, Chris Crutcher takes on a multitude of issues--racism, child abuse, teen pregnancy, censorship, suicide--that some will find offensive.  The scene where Ben's favorite teacher burns a book is one I found especially delightful.  Add to that some mildly explicit sex scenes and some profanity and the book banners start pulling out their torches.

To see Chris Crutcher's awesome responses to multiple attempts to ban his books, check out his website here.

I went to John Green's website after noticing his wonderful book, Looking for Alaska, on one of the ALA's top challenged lists.  I found this nerd warrior response video that made me go, "Whoa, I need to read more of this guy's books."  Check it out!

Let's Make Fun of Twilight

I have to admit to a love of fairytales and happy endings. When I first encountered Stephenie Meyer's book, Twilight, I must further admit that I kinda liked it. I could relate to Bella--an awkward, bookish girl with low self-esteem. Maybe it had something to do with my job as a middle school teacher, constantly surrounded by teenage angst, but Bella made sense to me. And I also liked the fact that the story was set in a real place, and that she based some of the backstory on genuine Quileute legends. I am fascinated by stories that blend realism and fantasy.

Okay, with that out of the way...

Even though the writing wasn't stellar, I continued reading the books and recommending them to my students. These books definitely strike a chord with teen girls, especially reluctant readers. And then came Breaking Dawn. Getting to the end of that book killed the series for me. I have not recommended these books to a single person since.

A message that young girls (and fully-grown women) do not need is that they are not important, that their only purpose in life is to have children and sacrifice themselves for everyone else. I ran across this humorous article with summaries of how Twilight might have been written by famous authors. The following, Twilight by Dr. Seuss, was posted in the comments below the original article. Not only is it hilarious, but it will save you a lot of time if you are curious about the books, but don't want to slog through them.

Twilight, by Dr. Seuss

Jake likes a girl. Her name is Bella.
Bella likes a different fella.

See this vamp? This is Ed.
Ed is pale. Ed is dead.

Ed saved Bella from a van.
Ed must be a special man.

Ed won't kill boys. He won't kill girls.
Ed gets fed on deer and squirrels.

This is James. He's a tracker.
He's a sort of vamp attacker.

James hunts Bella for a thrill.
Will Ed kill him? Yes, he will.

But James gave her a little bite.
Will she be a vamp? She might!

Edward fixes Bella's cut.
She won't be a vampire.
But...

She becomes one. Read some more.
She's a vampire in book 4.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Wow. This is amazing book had me enthralled from the very first sentence. The writing is beautiful and the different perspectives of each character ( Laura, Henry, Jamie, Ronsel, Hap, and Florence) dovetail neatly together in this meticulously crafted story.

The book opens with the digging of a grave. Then we meet the characters. Laura, a teacher resigned to spinsterhood, who marries steady, dependable Henry, mainly because he's the only man who ever asked. Henry isn't a bad guy, but he's not very aware of his wife's needs. He buys a farm in Mississippi and springs it on Laura. Not pleased, city-born and raised Laura dubs the farm "Mudbound." Despite the fact that Henry's crotchety father comes to live with them, Laura makes peace with her lot in life, only occasionally letting herself acknowledge her wish for something more.

Hap is one of the sharecroppers who lives and works on Henry's farm. His wife, Florence, is a midwife. Both are strong, hardworking people who have struggled to make a better life for themselves and their children.

The real heart of the story, however, revolves around the friendship of two soldiers recently returned to Mississippi after WWII. Both are heroes tortured by their memories of the war; both feel like strangers in the place they once called home. Jamie is Henry's charismatic younger brother. He deals with his demons by drinking. Ronsel is the son of Hap and Florence. A gifted student, he was the first in his family to learn to read. He served in the 761st Black Panther Battalion, the only colored tank unit in the US army. It is especially difficult for him to get a taste of being treated like a human being, only to return to his "boy" status when he comes home.

Hauntingly beautiful and tragic. A must read.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

I don't usually post book reviews here, but this beautiful and heartbreaking book is one that everyone should know about.

Set in the fictional town of Bayonne, Louisiana in the late 1940s. Two African American men, proundly different, are both struggling to be men in a racist society.

Uneducated Jefferson witnesses the murder of a white storekeeper during a robbery. The perpetrators are also killed, and Jefferson is put on trial for murder. In Jefferson's defense, his lawyer says not that Jefferson is innocent, but that killing him would be like slaughtering a hog. The all white jury is not swayed by this argument and sentences him to death in the electric chair.

Jefferson's godmother, who raised him, asks a black school teacher, Grant Wiggins, to visit Jefferson in jail and help him to face his death with dignity.

Grant longs to leave the South and is unwilling to take his task seriously. He really doesn't believe it will make a difference. After all, though he is well-educated, he still feels bound and limited by the same racist attitudes that resulted in Jefferson's conviction and death sentence. Eventually, however, the two men form a bond that transforms them both.

Heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. A MUST READ.

Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track by Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

Roller derby is back, but very different from the banked track derby that many people remember from the 70's. The reimagination of derby as a flat track, skater-run sport started with a single league in Texas in 2003. Today, there are leagues of smart, strong women all over the country ready and willing to step into their skates and knock a bitch down.

Melicious traces the fascinating history of flat track roller derby, starting with the founding of the Texas Rollergirls in 2003, and continuing through the Dust Devil National Championship in 2006. Quotes, stories, and profiles from real rollergirls, in addition to fast-paced derby action, make this a book that will be almost impossible for skaters or fans of derby to put down.

Melicious describes her immediate enchantment with the sport after seeing a bout and her subsequent trip to the rink for her first practice. I could relate because I had the same reaction. Even though I hadn't been on skates since middle school (a loooong time ago), my local team has welcomed me and is patiently teaching me how to hold my own on eight wheels.

I highly recommend this book to skaters of all levels. Melicious combines a detailed history of this exciting sport with stories from skaters that explain exactly why so many women are willing to pay money for the privilege of working so hard and risking injury in order to participate. Humorous and informative.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

Eighteen people respond to an offer to live in complete seclusion for three months in order to complete the novel they have always wanted to write. The writer's retreat turns out to be a sinister experiment that unlocks the participants' baser natures and reveals them in all their horrifying inhumanity.

Their host shuts off the power and heat, and leaves them with an empty pantry. Then he waits to see what will happen. No one actually writes anything, but each participant does share their personal stories--each one more disgusting and disturbing than the last. For example, one story involves a teenaged boy who decides to masturbate at the bottom of the pool. Soon, he is stuck to the filter and his intestines are being sucked into it. Another story is set in a police station where the officers have sex with the anatomically correct dolls which the social worker uses to help children talk about being abused. The phrase indescribably gross comes to mind, but Palahniuk does describe the scene, in vivid detail.

Instead of actually writing, each "writer" envisions the made-for-TV movie that will result when the story behind the writer's retreat is sold. Each person plays little tricks on the others to make their situation more horrifying (so it will play better on TV). The revelation of the real reason for the writer's reatreat made me gasp and then made me think. So, even though this book was over-the-top gross, both in sexual and gore-factor descriptions, I can't stop thinking about it. I recommend anything that inspires thought, but beware if you are squeamish or easily offended.