The Prairie Library

In My Mailbox: Post Graduation Reading

2012-02-12T16:20:00.001-06:00

It's certainly not the first time I've gotten books in the mail but it is my first time participating in IMM. I am getting closer to graduation and the anticipation cursed through my veins and prompted me to order books to read when I'm done. Here's what I got last week:

Why Does E=mc2 (And Why Should We Care?) by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw

An explanation of Einstein's famous equation. I enjoyed all my hard science classes and think I'll enjoy this book on relativity, gravity, mass, etc. It purports to be in layman terms. We'll see about that.

Keeper by Mal Peet

I was first introduced to Paul Faustino, sports reporter, in Exposure. He's an interesting character who's intrigued me despite my utter indifference to sports.

The Abhorsen Trilogy paperback box set with Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix.

I've read the first two and they were instant favorites. I know I'll be reading them again and again. I began listening to Abhorsen but got busy. I'm looking forward to finishing the series after school!

Review: Books: A Living History by Martyn Lyons

2012-02-11T09:15:00.000-06:00

Attention Book Lovers! Are you interested in the creation of “the book?” Are you curious about its future at a time when ebooks are gaining popularity? In this fascinating and wonderfully illustrated tome, Martyn Lyons chronicles the development and status of the book.

More than a tribute to the codex (what we recognize as a book with two covers, a spine and paper in between), Lyons looks at how books have come into being -- the reasons people bothered to write things down, how books were treated and the technological changes that made new formats possible. He covers ancient texts like cuneiform tablets and Chinese bamboo books to the rise of modern publishing houses, genres, the mass marketing of books and finally ebooks.

Lyons creates a flowing account of the book’s history that is easily digested. The photographs of artifacts, rare books, paintings and people that appear on nearly every page make a rich and visually appealing reading experience. If you would like to be a book aficionado as well as book lover then may I suggest Books: A Living History.

Publisher: Getty, 2011 Pages: 224
Rating: 5 Stars Source: purchased copy

Review: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

2012-02-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

Ha is ten when war comes to her home. She and her family leave Saigon on the last ship fleeing the city. Even after they land in the U.S. Ha, her mother and brothers still feel adrift in a new and often hostile culture.

Inside Out and Back Again addresses war (in Vietnam), immigration, racism, bullying and family with simple verse. In each poem, Ha tells about her day, what went wrong and what went right. She talks about what it's like to learn a new language and what it's like to leave one's home not by choice but by necessity.

One feature that stood out for me was how simple cultural misunderstandings were dealt with by various characters. Some were willing to laugh and learn together while other characters let prejudice fuel cruel actions and prevent learning. Another interesting character interaction (or lack thereof) was between Ha and her teacher who seemed completely unequipped and uninterested in learning about Ha's situation and how best to help her feel comfortable and to learn.

Lai's book of free verse is told narratively, like a story, from Ha's perspective. So, don't let the poetry factor get in your way of reading this significant story which, Lai tells us at the end, is partially based off her personal experience. I tend to be critical of issue-oriented fiction and Inside and Back Again certainly is such a book; yet, I enjoyed it for it's rich description of setting and emotion and for the plain fact that it had a good story to tell. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

The above video is Lai reading her book. My favorite poem begins at 2:53!

Publisher: Scholastic, 2012 Pages: approximately 200
Rating: 4 Stars Source: borrowed from my teacher =)

People of Color Reading Challenge 2012 Sign Up

2012-02-05T14:47:00.001-06:00

This challenge was such fun and so interesting last year that I am participating again this year.

What it is: "Any book (by any author) with a main character that is a person of color qualifies for this reading challenge, as well as any book written by an author of color. The goal is to encourage readers [to] have a more diverse reading experience and to support diversity in the publishing industry by reading and reviewing books by or about persons of color."

Why I participate: Last year I was motivated to diversify my own reading. This year, I realize more how important it is to encourage our publishing industry to make books available about and written by people of color. As a would-be children's librarian, I've come to realize how few representations there are of people of color in children's books. We can encourage the publishing industry with our purchasing choices and by highlighting books by and about people of color on our blogs. I am signing up for level 5: 16-25 POC books.

POC Books I Plan/Hope to Read This Year:
Reviews added as I read.

Children's and YA Titles:

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
I Am Different: Can You Find Me? by Manjula Padmanabhan
The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle
Little Owl's Night by Divya Srinivasan
Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood
The Friendship Matchmaker by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
Blue Jasmine by Kashmira Sheth
Saraswati's Way by Monika Schroder
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson

Adult Titles:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie

Review: Just Juice by Karen Hesse

2012-02-05T13:48:00.000-06:00

Juice is nine, the middle child in a family with five girls. Times are tough. Pa is out of work. Ma is pregnant. And Juice struggles to hide the fact that she can’t read. When Pa receives a letter announcing their home has been sold for back taxes Juice devises a plan to pay the taxes and keep their home.

This is a story about learning to read. Neither Pa nor Juice can read and it affects the entire family. Juice tries to hide her inability by keeping away from school and “pretend” reading to her younger siblings. Juice is a smart girl, resourceful, proactive and hardworking; yet, this one thing, her struggle with reading, dominates her life.

Little cues tell the reader that Juice is dyslexic which may need to be pointed out and discussed with young readers. When Juice’s sisters make flashcards with letters made of string Juice is able to touch the letters, to feel them, and a breakthrough is made.

This is a story about poverty. Pa and Juice work hard in their shop but sometimes there isn’t any work to be done. A social worker comes to the house to check on Ma and the baby and to bring food.

There is a lot going on in this story. Mini-spoiler alert: Juice even delivers a baby. Juice is lovable and her iron will to succeed kept my interest. But I could have done with more comic relief, fewer issues (for such a short book), and a more complicated ending than the one we’re given.

Published: Scholastic, 1998 Pages: 138
Rating: 3 Stars Source: purchased copy

Review: The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

2012-01-26T13:33:00.000-06:00

“When Jack is sent to Hazelwood, Iowa, to live with his strange aunt and uncle, he expects a summer of boredom. Little does he know that the people of Hazelwood have been waiting for him for a long time...” - from inside the jacket.

Jack is invisible. At least he feels that way. His parents sometimes act like they can’t remember he even exists and then they dump his at his aunt’s. What’s a twelve-year-old to do?

Jack does not believe in fairy tales. But strange happenings force him to reconsider who he is and what he’s capable of.

I loved Barnhill’s writing for two reasons. First, as a native Iowan I know she’s spent time here, listening to the corn grow and cicadas chirping at night, because it’s reflected in her writing. Iowa isn’t flashy -- there aren’t any mountains or big cities -- but it has a quiet beauty which Jack discovers as he investigates the mysteries written in The Secret History of Hazelwood, written by his uncle. Secondly, Barnhill captures the essence of otherness in her writing which makes for good fantasy. I love writing that creates a mysterious atmosphere by leaving room for the imagination. It makes you go, whoa, what in the world?

There is resolution in the ending but not a “happy ending” in a traditional sense. I found it very satisfying and think children readers will, too. Jack must make a difficult choice and any decision will have its consequences for him and those he cares about. This book shows how the world is not black and white, that good and evil are more complicated concepts than we wish they were. It’s unusual to find a children’s book that is willing to show this. I felt Barnhill’s representation of the ideas of good and evil, sacrifice, bullying and true friendship were masterful. The characters were great though there may have been one too many. That’s my only “complaint.” I loved the bodyguard cats, Gog and Magog. Hysterical! I can’t wait to see what Barnhill writes next!

Publisher: Little Brown, 2011 Pages: 323

Rating: 4.5 Stars Source: Public Library

Musings of a Grad Student: Final Semester in Library and Information Science!

2012-01-19T19:44:00.000-06:00

It is my last semester as a graduate student! I’ve been to each class once and they all look interesting.

Here are descriptions of my classes:

Search and Discovery: A required course, it covers online information sources like subscription databases. We’ll also cover info-seeking behavior, the reference interview and types of searching structures found online.

Interesting Assignment: Client Based Final Project in which I will identify a real-life client with an information need. I will produce an annotated bibliography of resources for this client.

Topics in Book Studies: Creating Library Content: Digital or physical, library materials are diverse. How did they get to the library? How did they get written/coded/filmed, why, and who publishes these materials and why? How do different medias work together and influence the creation of other materials?

Interesting Assignment: Topic-Specific Contributions. Each week I will discuss how my chosen topic (an aspect of children’s lit that I haven’t nailed down yet) interacts with the publishing model under investigation that day.

Children’s Literature II: Reading Gender in Children's and Young Adult Literature: Oh, my, I am excited for this class! Most of the books are geared towards children with a few that overlap into middle grade YA. I’ll be posting about my reads for this class so watch for those reviews!

Interesting Assignment: Bookstore/Library Visitation and Field Notes. I’ll be spying on a children’s library department while my colleagues check out a book store children’s department for an hour observing workers, shoppers, displays and the general layout.

It is fast approaching, the wave. The crest grows higher as the base swells. Soon I will lose sight of the sky. Will it swamp me this wave? Will I drown? Will I ride up and over the crest, breaking through the foam and soar into empty air? Am I ready to fall, splash and start rowing? Yes. Yes, I am. Four months to May!

Review: Flat Broke by Gary Paulsen

2012-01-10T08:34:00.000-06:00

Kevin is becoming one of my favorite characters. He’s such a …. character! Always scheming someway to get things done, he’s a path-of-least-resistance kind of teen who acts before thinking things through.

In Flat Broke, Kevin needs to make quick cash to take his crush to a dance. Due to his previous shenanigans (in Liar, Liar), Kevin’s allowance has been taken away, his aunt won’t hire him anymore and his babysitting gig isn’t paying like it used to. Kevin, crafty and undaunted, finds creative ways to make a fast buck. But like most get rich quick schemes, Kevin’s plans don’t work out as he hoped.

I laughed a lot while reading. Below are some quotes to demonstrate the humor that any attempt by me to analyze will surely ruin. I’ve added who is speaking for clarification.

Kevin: I don’t want a ride.

Sister: What do you want?

Kevin: Money

Sister: How much? And Why? And you know I don’t just give money away for nothing. There’s a vig.

I raised my eyebrows, glad that one of the books I’d read had been written by a guy in the witness protection program, explaining his former career as a loan shark. I knew that a vig was the interest due on money borrowed. My sister is a dark and mysterious person. More likely, she read the same book in our basement. I was starting to like her more and more. (Paulsen 20).

Kevin: Auntie Buzz.

She looked up from her desk, started to smile, remembered she was still mad about the way I’d lied to her, and scowled.

Kevin: I’m here to make you an offer, I said

Aunt: I have an MBA, I’m wired on too much caffeine and I have a grudge against you. You think you have what it takes to do business with me?

Kevin: Yup.

Aunt: I’m a sucker for self-confidence. State your case. (Paulsen 22)

Despite the fact that all my ideas turned into poo on a stick, everyone around me farts gold dust these days. (Paulsen 115)

I hope Paulsen writes more about Kevin! If you're looking for a good middle grade book that's funny look no further!

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (Random House), 2011 Pages: 118
Rating: 5 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

2012-01-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

If you’re new to the classics scene, especially Victorian era classics, and have been previously daunted by the length of Victorian novels, I recommend trying A Christmas Carol. I enjoyed this novella. In only a few pages, Dickens creates interesting characters that you care about and a story you want to finish. Even if you've seen movies based on this tale the book is still worth reading.

Dickens was a master at writing for his audience, pulling on just the right strings, and those strings still pull 21st century readers. The supernatural element creates a surprisingly spooky environment for a Christmas story. I have to wonder if people thought Dickens was crazy -- “You’re going to write a ghost story about Christmas?” -- but it works and is truly a wonderful, touching little story about a greedy man who reconnects with the important things in life -- people. Did you read A Christmas Carol? What did you think?

Publisher: Dover, 1991 Pages: 68
Rating: 5 Stars Source: purchased copy

2011 Challenge Complete: POC

2012-01-06T22:09:00.002-06:00

The People of Color Reading Challenge was the first reading challenge I participated in and I am so glad I did. I've come across interesting and creative authors and illustrators that I might have never read had it not been for the challenge. I signed up for level 4, 10-15 books, and read 17 total that counted towards the challenge. So, here are the books I read with my brief thoughts. Links are to my reviews.

Children's and Young Adult Titles:

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

I loved the three stories melded into one! The Monkey King story especially ruled! The illustrations were excellent.

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie

Awesome Western story. Awesome illustrations. A favorite for sure.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

I've read little fiction set in the Middle East and I just loved this heartbreaking story.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose

The photos from the 1950s surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Claudette's involvement in it really made this book stand out for me.

Exposure by Mal Peet

Poverty, wealth, obscurity, celebrity. An assigned read that turned out to be great.

Latasha and the Little Red Tornado by Michael Scotto

Written by a newer author this was a touching little story about a girl and her dog.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

A boy works through his troubles by writing poetry. Received much praise but not from me.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia William

The sisters' rivalry made this otherwise slow story interesting for me.

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey

A look through a child's eyes at what it was like for African American families to travel by car during the Jim Crow era. A thumbs up.

Shadow by Suzy Lee

A wordless book. It's strength was its simplicity.

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

It left me feeling a little unfulfilled but incredibly immersed in culture -- and very hungry.

Wave by Suzy Lee

Another wordless book. Very imaginative.

WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

The illustrations were great. The narrative got a smidge slow.

Zan-Gah by Allen Richard Shickman

Was hoping for a bit more action though there is plenty of it.

Adult Titles:

The Broken Kingdoms by J.K. Jemisin

The second in a trilogy. I liked it ok but nothing to write home about.

The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave Related by Herself

Very cool edition of this narrative. A second read which I enjoyed again.

In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.

Ok, I never want to be a doctor. That's what I learned from this book.

Musings of a Grad Student: Semester Three Complete

2011-12-22T15:57:00.003-06:00

Classes are over and winter break is here! To recap, this semester I took Organizational Management, Literacy and Learning, and Beginning Cataloging and Classification. To read descriptions of these classes see my previous Musings post.

Literacy and Learning was my most interesting course. Our readings examined theories of learning while class discussions examined pedagogy in practice or, how exactly to implement those theories in the real world, as well as current trends and standards in library practice. One week, groups presented on the state of instruction in different types of libraries: special libraries, university libraries (including archives), school libraries and public libraries. My partner and I researched instruction in public libraries. We briefly covered youth services instruction then discussed adult instruction available in Iowa public libraries. This was my favorite assignment as it allowed me to research the type of institution I am most interested in while getting a feel from the other groups' presentations for what is happening in other libraries, too.

The management course looked at potential real world scenarios librarians encounter as managers. I appreciated the chance to read real grant proposals as well as writing our own theoretical grant proposal since this is something librarians do in order to get funding for special events/projects.

Looks like her cataloging book did kill her.

The cataloging class covered technical jargon which librarians use like MARC, AACR2, RDA, DC, etc. Most of our time was spent learning to catalog according to the guidelines of AACR2 and applying MARC tags. The cataloging book tried to kill me by putting me to sleep then falling on my face (it's a brick of a book). But I'll have to say the information was worth the risk of reading and the instructor made the class fun. While studying for the final I was laughing at jokes in his power points. If you're going to study the Dewey Decimal classification system you might as well crack a few jokes, right?

The library children's department where I work is keeping busy. Our librarians our gearing up for a children's literature festival January 13-15. The festival is put on by the UNESCO City of Literature and the Pearson Foundation. Our library will be playing an active role. Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird, will be there and there will be activities and movies so if you're in the Iowa City area bring your kids! Learn more about the festival here.

Review: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

2011-12-21T15:22:00.000-06:00

Today's review is from my mom! Enjoy!

With a cute cover and holiday-themed title, Skipping Christmas had all the rightstuff to entice me to read it. Having anobvious Scrooge-like sentiment as its title, I wanted to know what would makesomeone have that mentality, and how they could pull it off in a modern world.

Luther Krank, the tax accountant protagonist, decides he willnot participate in Christmas, and he means allof it – the money spent being his number one complaint. Living in a large city where he isconstantly, aggressively bombarded with pleas for his charity and goodwill, hedecides to forgo Christmas and take his wife on a luxury cruise instead. What follows is a “shock and awe” reactionfrom his friends, coworkers and neighbors. No Frosty the Snowman on hisroof? No annual Christmas dinner for 50 ofhis closest friends? No tree, calendar,fruitcake purchased for the Boy Scouts, Policemen's Charity, Fireman's toydrive? Scandalous! Ridiculous! Unheard of!

Although not everyone will experience the Krank's stressduring the Holidays, everyone has experienced some form of these stressors:traffic congestion, sickness, absent children, needy people, greedy people, badweather, etc. I could understand whyLuther decided to escape to a tropical climate and indulge in a little “metime.” But his carefully calculatedscheme unravels and is rewoven into a celebration of a different sort, one withan unusual twist, wrapped in kindness and generosity.

Snow or no snow, presents or no presents, in sickness and inhealth, Christmas will come and go, and this story emphasizes that it's how webehave and live out our values that matter much more than whether everythinglooked, smelled and tasted picture-perfect. After all, that only happens in our dreams!

Publisher: Doubleday, 2002 Pages: 177 Source: purchasedcopy

Review: The Death Cure by James Dashner

2011-12-06T08:05:00.000-06:00

The Maze Runner trilogy comes to a dramatic conclusion in The Death Cure. Thomas and the Gladers escaped the Maze (book 1) only to be thrown into the zombie infested Scorch (book 2) as part of a desperate experiment to save mankind from the Flare -- the zombie disease. Now, as all the variables have been tested for, Thomas realizes his role in the testing runs deeper than he knew.

The setting of each book is distinct, creating unique environments which the characters must survive in. The Death Cure's is an urban setting in the dead of winter. The last surviving towns are walled off to ensure the Flare is quarantined but civilization is crumbling as more and more people succumb to the disease.

Thomas realizes that fleeing is not an option as the city of Denver goes mad with disease and desperation. Instead, he confronts WICKED, the organization responsible for the tests, in order to get the answers he needs about his past so he can decide what to do with his future.

Confronting WICKED results in a lot of fighting and near death escapes much like the first two books. Yet, I felt like The Death Cure dragged on a bit. Unlike the first two, this book did not keep my attention. I wasn't hanging on at the end of each chapter. The answers to some of the long-standing questions throughout the series were a little flat. I expected something slightly more clever or more grey. And the grand conclusion was a tad too easy and felt unusual for Thomas' character.

Fans of the series won't want to miss The Death Cure because if you're like me you'll have to know the ending to the story. Many characters from the first two books resurface to play interesting roles. This series isn't for the faint of heart. There's gore, death and destruction. Don't get too attached to a character because you never know when someone will turn zombie or turn coat. Despite the slight let down in book three, I have really enjoyed this young adult series and recommend it to dystopia fans.

Publisher: Delacorte, 2011 Pages: 336
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Liar, Liar by Gary Paulsen

2011-10-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

A while back I was perusing the children’s new shelf at mylibrary and looking for slim books that might catch my eye. With its catchytitle and fun cover, Liar, Liar looked promising. I read the blurb and itsounded amusing. So, I was shocked, just shocked, when I saw who the author was– Gary Paulsen. Gary Paulsen? He does humor? Ok, so, my only other experiencewith Gary Paulsen was the Newbery Honor book Hatchet which I found a tad dull andboring (how a survival tale can be dull and boring is beyond me). And whilesome say that Hatchet was a favorite when they were young I simply don’t see it…

Anyways, so I was amazed by how much I liked Liar, Liar. Imean, I read it straight through (which, despite its being a short book isstill a big deal for me). And I laughed frequently and uproariously.

It’s about this eighth grader, Kevin, who attempts to get ingood with a crush by telling a massive amount of lies. Of course, the lies comeback to bite him in the butt. Kevin’s first person point of view, with his rationalesfor lying, are hilarious, and while obviously these rationales are flawed onmany levels they are oddly a little truth revealing, too. I enjoyed the siblingrivalry between Kevin and his older brother and sister and Kevin’s devious waysof getting back at them. It sounded real to me. Really scary and really funny and true.

For fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books who have grown abit and are ready for something new (without pictures and daily entries) Liar, Liar is a goodchoice. There’s a sequel, Flat Broke, and I’m definitely going toread it! Gary Paulsen – who knew? I'm still stunned.

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (Random House), 2011 Pages: 120

Full Title: Liar, liar : the theory, practice, and destructive properties of deception

Rating: 4.5 Stars Source: Public Library

To Ban, or Not to Ban: The Motivations of Censorship

2011-09-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

The drive to ban a book is driven by one or two motives: book challengers wish to protect or control. There is a fine line between protecting and controlling.

Person A, when he's upset and deeply disturbed by a book, wants to protect others from having a similar negative experience by suggesting a book ban. Yet the trouble, of course, is that what bothers someone deeply may be treasured and loved by another. If we let whoever gets offended dictate book bans there will simply be no library. There are books I like with religious connotations, like A Wrinkle in Time, which I know some people have challenged because religious messages bother them. So, when I come across a book that really puts me off I try to remember that the freedom to read A Wrinkle in Time is only guaranteed because others are allowed to read what they want as well and that includes books I find repulsive, false or potentially dangerous.

Person B is driven to challenge a book because he fears ideas in the book will cause others to move outside of his control. Person B often thinks he is protecting the others but really it boils down to control. First, ask yourself, can I really control [people's religious beliefs, my child's sexuality, if my neighbor will grow up to be an ax murderer, etc.]? There is next to nothing we can control so the answer, if we're being honest, is likely a no. Secondly, ask, will banning a book containing religious beliefs, sexuality or violence make these issues go away? I think not. These issues are not in our society because someone wrote a book about them; rather, they are issues our society grapples with so authors are writing about them.

That being said, I do not want to underplay the power of books. I would not have majored in English or gone to school to be a librarian if I believed books do not have the power to change people. Words are not "just words." Words have meaning, they convey ideas and ideas can be persuasive. But we have minds with the power of discernment, too, and if we want others to respect our minds, our rights to our ideas and beliefs and our rights about what we read, then we must, must, must respect others' rights to the same. Down with mind control!

After much thought, I feel these rights ought to be extended to minors as well. I understand the motivation to protect and minors do need protection but do not forget to respect children and teenagers. Respect their right as growing people to make choices about what is wrong and right. Respect their intellectual pursuit, through reading, of figuring out what they believe about the world. Discuss the issues they are reading about -- don't attempt to ban the issues by banning the book because, well, you can't. The issues are here to stay. If we want kids to be strong thinkers, and not just sponges soaking up every idea they come across, then we must allow them to flap their wings, intellectually with reading, when they are ready and be there to support them if they are unsure of the ideas they encounter in the atmosphere in which we live.

Reading is an intellectual pursuit whether it's a romance novel or a graduate student's dissertation that one reads. Reading is a quiet conversation with oneself of which the text is a catalyst. Reading prompts thinking, thinking prompts creativity and creativity solves problems. Encourage reading and support Intellectual Freedom!

Banned Books Week is celebrated Sept. 24-Oct. 1st, 2001. To find out more, visit ALA's website.

Musings of a Grad Student: Officially a Second Year Student

2011-09-28T14:29:00.003-05:00

I am now in my third semester on my way to becoming a librarian. Here's a list of classes I'm taking:

Organizational Management: Survey of management issues common to all information environments--understanding organizations, decision making, hiring and personnel, grant writing, and marketing.
Beginning Cataloging and Classification: Systems for describing materials and information in catalogs and organizing them for effective retrieval in libraries, museums, and other information centers; AACR2 descriptive principles, Dewey and Library of Congress classifications, Sears and LC subject headings, cataloging networks and services.
Literacy and Learning: Learning and literacy theory relevant to work in information services; how librarians can help people process information and use it to form understanding and create new knowledge.

Course descriptions taken from my school's website.

I agonized over what courses to take this semester as there were so many good ones offered. Organizational Management is a required course and so far I think very worthwhile. I feel like much of what I learned in Research Methods last semester is beginning to make more sense as we actually write proposals and create surveys.

A part of me really wanted to take "Resources for Children" and a topics course on archives/preservation but I knew I wanted to take Literacy and Learning. It was recommended by a recently graduated student and I am enjoying the course. The readings are very theoretical but about important educational issues like convergence culture the nature of research strategies and assignments. Class discussion is very interesting and makes me think about what role public libraries play in supporting literacy and learning.

The cataloging class was a last minute decision and while reading rules from AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition) is not the most exciting thing, I do feel I'm learning very useful information that will help me as a librarian some day even if I do not actually do the cataloging. Main entries, the chief source of information, subject headings -- all good things to know about when working in a library.

In addition to classes, I am still working at my public library as the Children's Department intern. I'm hosting Wii Gaming once a week and, about once a month or so, do a storytime. There are lots of little projects to keep me busy otherwise and I'm enjoying working with veteran children's librarians. I even got to order some books for our paperback collection! That was fun!

Are/were you a LIS student? What are the most valuable courses you took? Thinking about being a librarian? Feel free to ask questions!

Books I Want to Reread

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is "books I want to reread." See what others want to reread at The Broke and the Bookish!

1. Anne of Green Gables - It's been years since I read the book. I recently watched the movies again but I've been wanting to reread this book for awhile! I still have the mass marketed copy I pilfered from my sister's bookcase years ago. And now I have a hardback Reader's Digest copy so maybe I should return my sister's book. Although, I doubt she's missed it too much in the past 15 years since she's never mentioned it.

2. East of Eden - I credit this book for turning me into a literature lover...and reader for that matter. I like randomly opening it and reading bits. Definitely read the book before watching the James Dean movie. The film is ok but hardly scratches the surface of the book's complexity.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird - Also a book I enjoy randomly sampling. I was lucky enough not to have been assigned this book. I was able to read it for fun and from what I hear that can make a big difference with this title.

4. Pride and Prejudice - I read it before I saw the movie and am glad I did - nothing spoiled before hand. I count this book among my favorites but I've only read it once.

5. Pygmalion - the play that My Fair Lady was based on. The play is like the movie minus the singing. "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!"

6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian - funny and poignant. Worth a reread for sure.

7. Jane Eyre - love it! Saw the movie first so I knew more-or-less what expect, but I still loved the book.

8. There Eyes Were Watching God - complex but accessible, beautiful and down to earth. I read it for a class but it became a favorite. There is a movie but I thought Halle Berry did not deliver.

9. Stargirl - A little book with a big punch. Lovely YA.

10. Little House on the Prairie - it's been eons since I've read it and really don't remember it well. The T.V. show interferes with my memories of the story.

Review: Lirael by Garth Nix, Read by Tim Curry

2011-09-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

“Whena dangerous necromancer threatens to unleash a long-buried evil, Lirael andPrince Sameth are drawn into a battle to save the Old Kingdom and reveal theirtrue destinies.” Lirael, thesecond book in The Abhorsen Chronicles/The Old Kingdom series, begins deepwithin the mountains of the Calyr (those with the “sight,” who see the future).Lirael is parentless and sightless, an oddity in the Clayr household. She isyoung, too, only 14 and wants nothing more than to gain the sight. To take her mind of her shortcomings Liraeltakes a position as an 3^rd Assistant Librarian in the Clayr’smassive library.

The commentary onlibrarians and librarianship is hilarious if somewhat disconcerting to a futurelibrarian. Lirael chooses the profession because she knows she can hidethere and avoid people – a perfect job for an odd, quiet girl! Hmm. On the flipside, Lirael looks forward to the adventures she will have in the library whenalone there: long forgotten corridors, chained books with protective spells, interestingancient trinkets and dangerous creatures! Of course, Lirael opens one too manydoors and the story really begins.

Lirael’s companion, theDisreputable Dog, is now one of my all time favorite characters. Smart andsassy this K-9 offers comic relief while proffering mysterious insights forLirael to digest. “Does the walker choose the path or the path choose the walker?” A dynamic character, the Disreputable Dog is beggingfor a walk one minute and guiding a dangerous mission the next. “Dog, I want astraight answer. Who or what are you?” asks Lirael. And dog the replies, “I’mthe Disreputable Dog! And your friend.” *Watering eyes*

Garth Nix is a greatwriter. The content is great. He builds a unique but believable world andsets interesting characters in it. He is a great storyteller but also a goodwriter in a technical and artistic sense, too. He never complicates passages. I’mnever stumbling over sentence structure. The diction is good which shows in thedialog and descriptive passages which made my skin tingle as much as they made me laugh. I feel transported in these stories.

I listened to the audiobook (samples) which is read by Tim Curry who did an outstanding job. I was leery at theidea of listening for 15 hours but, wow, it was worth it. I was sad when theend came. I looked forward to listening to Curry’s dynamic voice every day. Somuch so, in fact, that I drove to the neighboring town and got a library cardthere so I could check out the third book, Abhorsen,with Curry reading again. (Oddly, my library only owns Lirael in audio format.) Curry booms, leers, whispers, lingers,rushes and pauses in all the right moments making the listening experiencetheatrical. It’s not over done but done just right.

Two tiny issues:

1) Notwithstanding Tim Curry’s awesome voice acting, thefirst two disks of the story had me worried that Lirael was going to be a dud. Lirael spends a great deal of timemoping in the beginning. It’s not that she hasn’t cause to mope but I did wantto reach into the story and slap her face, tell her to stop obsessing aboutherself, to stop waiting for things to happen to her and make something happen!Of course, this is exactly what occurs as Lirael grows up (minus the slapping).And when Lirael began her struggle tofind her place in the world I began to like her very much.

2) Lirael is not astandalone novel. It’s not that the reader misses too much info from Sabriel to understand what’s going on inLirael but the ending is veryunresolved. Personally, this did not bother me at all since I am enjoying thestory. As I am writing this I have already begun the third book (good so far!)and feel as though Lirael and Abhorsen are the same book, really, justcut in half.

If you are a fantasyfan I highly recommend this series. I fully expect I’ll be purchasing thesebooks in some format. Definitely re-reads. Read my reivew of the first book, Sabriel, here.

Publisher: Listening Library, 2002 Duration: 14 hours, 44 mins on 13 CDs
Rating: 5 Stars Source: Public Library

Top 10 Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

2011-09-20T11:55:00.000-05:00

Here is my very first Top 10 meme! Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Check it out!

Top 10 Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

The Great Gatsby – there’s something about a Daisy and aGatsby and I know not what else. I have this notion that the story is depressingand so I haven’t bothered with it but I do feel out of the loop for not having readit.

Catch 22 – same sentiments as above.

Fahrenheit 451 – the classic dytopian novel aboutcensorship. Sounds good but I just can’t bring myself to crack the cover. Speakingof which, the cover sucks.

Eat, Pray, Love – Everyone was talking about it and now noone is. I did see the movie and liked it but not enough to read to the book.

Vampire Academy – this one is waiting on my shelf until I’mdone with school and my brain is fried and I will neither notice nor care aboutcheesiness as I suspect this book may be susceptible to though I could bewrong.

The Devil in the White City – murder at the Chicago’s worldfair. It sounds awesome. I saw Larson speak and he was awesome. I tried thebook but it moves painstakingly slow. There's TMI about every little detail.

Hamlet – there’s a ghost. That’s all I know. It mocks meevery time I walk past my bookcase. I will never be good at Jeopardy until I’veread this play.

Things Fall Apart – what is this book? I don’t know but Ican’t escape references to it.

Outlander – the great Scottish historical romance. I pickedup a discarded and falling apart copy from the library. It looks good.

The Lovely Bones – This isn’t something I’d normally choosebut I’ve heard such good things. This also waits on my shelf.

Review: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

2011-09-19T09:05:00.000-05:00

This book will make you hungry. I'm not kidding. I had to fight the urge to order chinese takeout more than once. Pon uses culinary dishes to great effect, creating a distinctly east Asian fantasy novel. I swear I could smell the food while reading.

From the back cover: "Ai Ling can see into other people's minds and reach into their spirits. But she doesn't know why this power has awakened inside her. She only knows that it is growing. It leads her on an epic journey -- one that brings her to to edge of the deepest evil."

Mythology plays a significant part in this story as Ai Ling and her traveling companions, two brothers, encounter strange beasts, spirits, immortals and other worlds that seem to co-exist with our own. Some of these mythical scenes went by too fast for me. The text felt too rushed to continue the storyline and so some sections felt like they were not fully realized. Many traditional fantasy novels are heavy on world exploration, developing the setting. Many, what I consider "light" fantasy novels are heavy on character development/relationship building and the setting gets much less attention (Graceling comes to mind). I found Silver Phoenix to be somewhere in the middle but perhaps leaning towards heavier character development.

The text lingers on the relationship between Ai Ling and her traveling companions. A romance crops up between Ai Ling and Chen Yong. With Ai Ling's special ability she spends time analyzing, not unlike regular teen girls, what others are thinking. While there is action in this novel and plenty of other-worldliness, I think young readers who enjoy watching the development of relationships will be as drawn to this story as much or more than traditional fantasy readers. This text counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Greenwillow, 2011 (hardcover in 2009) Pages: 338
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Received from the author for participating in the POC Reading Challenge. Thanks, Cindy!

"The Other Side of the Hedge" by E.M. Forster: A Short Story Saturday Post

2011-09-10T08:10:00.000-05:00

It's time for Short Story Saturday! Today's story, "The Other Side of the Hedge" by E.M. Forster, can be read for free here in about 10 minutes or less. I hope you'll read it and share your thoughts with me!

Forster's short story is striking commentary on the drive towards a preconceived notion of success. It also makes me think of times in life when things were in limbo like after highschool when I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. The protagonist is shocked when the the other side of the hedge leads nowhere: "But it must lead somewhere!" Sometimes there is such pressure (as often self-imposed as not) to proove we are progressing on a prescribed track that it leaves little room for exploration. The man is so consumed with making progress, so focussed on tracking his steps, that he can't see he's been going around in circles and not truly advancing. He's also abandoned relationships with those he viewed as competition.

Though not my favorite short story nor favorite Forster text, "The Other Side of the Hedge" can get you thinking critically about what you're doing and why you're doing it. And if a text as short as this can accomplish that then it gets a thumbs up from me.

Review: The Adventures of Old Bo Bear by Alice Schertle

2011-08-30T06:30:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid it wasn't unusual for me to pack some snacks, my binoculars and teddy bear and head out into the great unknown of my backyard. It seemed the whole world existed there. I could go anywhere and be anybody. Alice Schertle's book captures imaginative play in all its glory as well as the bond between child and toy. When kids play with toys they aren't just playing, they're practicing. Imaginitive play with toys offers a safe way for kids to experience new things, fun things and maybe even scary things.

Old Bo Bear loses his ear in the washing machine but he's just as ready for action as he ever was. In fact, the lost ear sparks a series of imaginitive play that is sure to resonate with preschoolers and amuse adults. The story is told in verse which creates read-a-loud appeal. The pictures are bright and attractive letting the reader see both the real world and inside the little boy's imagination. Teddy and I no longer romp in the backyard but I enjoyed reminiscing while reading about Old Bo Bear.

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2006 Pages: 32 Illustrator: David Parkins

Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: But I Don't Wanna Take a Bath! by Mildred Pope

2011-08-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

Mike's been playing with his friend, Bud, and dog, Tyke, outside in the mud but as the sun goes down his mom calls him in to take a bath. Mike parades in various costumes, including Sponge Bob and Barney, to evade a sudsy scrub down. The story is set in verse and and the rhymes make this story a good read-a-loud option, something to read with your kids. I noted three pictures are repeated several times; yet, the pictures are bright and cute. The text is fairly small, centered on a blank colored page. In a few places, the text is "fancy" looking and I immediately thought of how young readers find small/ fancy text difficult to read. And text alone on a blank page is often intimidating and discouraging for young readers. While these presentation issues exist the rhyming patterns are fun and many little mess-makers will easily relate to Mike's aversion to bath time. To see pictures from the book check out Pope's website. This text counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2011 Pages: 36
Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: Received for free for review. Thanks!

Review: Latasha and the Little Red Tornado by Michael Scotto

2011-08-05T14:10:00.001-05:00

When I opened the package that Latasha came in I was surprised. The cover was so cute, the colors vibrant! This is a good sign, I thought. When I accept a book for review by an unknown author and press it creates a bit of suspense and anxiety. I never know what to expect.

I began reading. Eight year old Latasha has a crazy dog and she believes that if she can train her dog it will prove she's mature and grown up. Her mom gets a great new job as a nurse's assistant but it means Latasha has less time to spend training her dog and she must be babysat by a strange old neighbor lady, Mrs. Okocho -- the horror! I wavered in the first short chapter. I don't about this. Is this going to be a cliche ridden story?

As the story began to flow I was sucked into Latasha's world. Her cares and concerns were so real. The text made me remember both the easy delights and frustrations of being eight. Latasha is an endearing character who learns about the weight of responsibility and how to make and keep friends. I appreciated that the neighbor lady was a well-rounded character who was not just a "prop" but a real character with depth. Ella, the dog, offered comic relief as she tested Latasha's resolve to train her.

While the text may have special appeal for city kids (Latasha lives in Pittsburgh) or dog lovers I think this is a good book for late elementary and early middle school readers. Latasha and the Little Red Tornado was a delight. I read it in one sitting. When I closed the book, with a few tears in my eyes, I thought, What a good story. This text counts towards to the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Midlandia, 2011 (Book released November 15th, 2011) Pages: 141 Illustrator: Evette Gabriel
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Received for free for review from the author. Thanks, Mr. Scotto!

Review: Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

2011-08-02T19:33:00.001-05:00

After Lonnie's parents died he and his sister live in separate foster homes. Lonnie uses writing assignments in school to cope. The result is a short novel in verse -- a book of poems that tells a story. Lonnie deals with some heavy stuff for an eleven year old. Grief, loss, separation, loneliness and uncertainty are a few of the themes. But Lonnie also talks of hope and his affection for his sister.

The poems are short, ranging from three lines to a little over a page. From free verse to Haiku there is a variety of poetry Lonnie experiments with to express what he sees, feels and remembers. Locomotion would make great teaching material to use as examples of poetry. The book may also appeal to elementary kids who are ready to move beyond strictly rhyming and silly poems (not that there anything wrong with silly rhyming poems!).

From my perspective, Locomotion was a little sad and ended abruptly. There is a follow up novel called Peace Locomotion in which Lonnie writes letters to his sister. For such a short book it took me a long time to read. The text was often introspective. I don't think I was in the mood for it. Yet, I would recommend this text to kids interested in poetry or for someone looking for a book about grieving. This text counts towards to the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Speak, 2003 Pages: 100
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.

2011-07-27T08:30:00.096-05:00

Tony was raised to be a doctor. His parents would except nothing less. Growing up as one of two Asian-American kids in a small town wasn't easy. Neither was medical school. In Stitches is a lighthearted memoir about Tony's progression from awkward child to confident doctor.

The first of five parts covers Youn's premed years: birth-college. He recounts many failed attempts at gaining a girlfriend. The rejections begin piling up. Like most kids, he struggles with his looks and as his jaw juts out it sabotages his lustful ambitions. The text focuses on his attempts to score and until he finds a steady girlfriend the story is more about chasing skirts than becoming a doctor. About a third of the way through, once Youn finds said girl, the text focused much more on his medical school days which was what kept my attention. For all the emphasis on finding a girlfriend I would have liked a bit more about their relationship. We really don't know anything about her.

Things get dicey and interesting in part 4, "Third Year," where Youn recounts the "highlights" of clinical rotations. He encounters interns from hell, detached cool-as-a-cucumber doctors, horrible trauma and quirky surgeons. Tony is drawn to plastic surgery and ends his last year in school working with plastic surgeons around the country.

Youn tells the story as one looking back, who's breathed a sigh of relief that those grueling years of med school are behind him. One can only imagine what a current medical student might write -- a whoa-is-me type of journal. But Youn's memoir is light and funny. This text counts towards to the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Gallery Books, 2011 Pages: 271 Written with Alan Eisenstock
Rating: 3.5 Stars Source: Won from Crazy-for-Books. Thanks, Jen!

Genre Cooties - Do You Have Them?

2011-07-22T21:11:00.003-05:00

This week's Book Blogger Hop question is: "What's the one genre that you wish you could get into, but just can't?"

Inspirational books - gag! The Chicken Soup, Hugs for so-and-so and generally feel-good books I just don't do. If you like these types of books, great! Just don't assume everyone else does and burden us with them as gifts because you want to avoid giving a candle, bath salts or some other generic gift. The sentiment is great it's just I don't want to slog through pages of mush. Personally, I love bath goodies!

A close second is horror. I can handle scary and suspenseful (Like McCarthy's The Road) most of the time. But the few horror books I've tried (Stephen King, I'm looking at you) I found disappointing, boring and I didn't finish them. So, there are few reviews here at The Prairie Library of inspirational or horror books.

Review: Sabriel by Garth Nix

2011-07-18T09:28:00.001-05:00

Sabriel comes from a long line of necromancers. But instead of bringing the dead back to life, the Abhorsen family takes what has come back to life and returns it to death where it belongs. When her father sends a messenger from death bringing Sabriel his bells and sword -- the special tools of a necromancer -- she knows her quiet life at school has ended. She must enter The Old Kingdom, her place of birth, yet foreign and lurking with danger, if she is to bring her father, trapped in death by an unknown evil, back to life.

Sabriel was a nice treat. It was classic high fantasy with swords and magic yet it was original. I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't think a story about necromancers would be my thing. But I was hooked from the first page. The idea of using bells as a magical tool was new and I enjoyed it. The descriptions were clear and easy to understand which was good because Nix has created a fascinating world with rules of its own. These "rules" are important in fantasy as they help build the setting and if you're going to bother writing fantasy then the creation of the world is very very important so you better do it right. And Nix does. The descriptions of the necromancer passing between life and death were nothing short of awesome.

The characters were interesting, too. I liked Sabriel. She was hard core and did not become obsessed with the romantic male figure. I appreciated that the focus of this book was not on a romantic relationship but an awesome story. It was refreshing. The secondary characters and villains were engrossing, too. I liked Mogget -- the magical being bound in a cat's body. It's sounds silly, I know, but Nix carries it off.

Sabriel is a unique and adventurous tale sure to please teenage fantasy fans. This is some of the better storytelling I've come across in YA fiction in a very long time. Don't miss it!

Publisher: Eos, 2004 Pages: 311
Rating: 5 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Meet Einstein by Mariela Kleiner

2011-07-12T08:30:00.001-05:00

Meet Einstein encourages children to explore the world. It validates a child's wonder and intense curiosity by showing how scientists are curious people, too, who ask questions, make observations and investigate things that we may take for granted. I was hoping for more information in the story-line about Einstein. The text could have been about Sir. Isaac Newton or Einstein and no one would know the difference. The story will teach preschoolers about gravity and visible light (colors!). I do think it would have been okay to go even deeper and show how light acts like waves and that there's "light" we can't see. Viviana Garofoli's illustrations in Meet Einstein are super cute and demonstrate the many things scientists do. The pictures are appealing and should make science interesting to youngsters. All in all, a good book to share with kiddos aged 2-5.

Publisher: Meet Books, 2008 Pages: 32
Rating: 3.5 Stars Source: Free from the publisher. Thanks, MB!

Musings of a Grad Student: Summer Break!

2011-07-07T08:30:00.027-05:00

Spring was a challenging semester but it ended well! I completed three courses -- Database Systems, Resources for Young Adults and Research Methods -- on my way to becoming a librarian. I also began a new job as an intern in my local library's children's department. While I'm not taking courses this summer I am keeping busy! Here are a few things I've been doing this summer as a intern:

Library Playground and Ped Mall

Children's Day was the first Sunday in June. We had 20-some tents outside with kid-friendly activities like face painting, making music, crafts and more. Estimated attendance for the four hour event was 4,000. This was the kick-off for our summer reading program. I helped our librarians locate materials and prepare crafts weeks in advance. The day of the event, we (library staff) and volunteers set out the day's materials. I helped direct volunteers to the booths they signed up to man and registered kids for our S.R.P. program. It was a busy, hot and exciting day!
Wii Gaming, hosted by yours truly, is once a week for two hours. I set up two TVs and a projector so up to 12 kids can play at a time. I keep out sign up sheets for the different games and switch every 15 minutes so everyone gets a chance to play. I get between 30-35 kids each week. It's great to see the regulars as well as new kids all interacting and having fun. While many just want to play video games (I'm cool with that. I wasn't a reader as a kid and LOVE video games to this day) I'm always amazed by those who sprawl out books and can read with all the noise! There's always a few who enjoy board games so I set some out.
Special Summer Reading Program Events are once a week with an a.m. program for preschoolers and a p.m. program for elementary age kids. I help our librarian cart supplies and set up the room (i.e. tape the floor for walkways, hang banners, etc). We often have volunteers which are a lifesaver as there are between 150-300 people at the programs.
Children's Reference is ongoing even if I'm not at the desk. This is one of my favorite parts of the job. It can be tricky to find the right book for a kid but is very rewarding. I love all the different questions kids have: Are Tasmanian Devils real? Do you have books on volcanoes? Do I have this book at home?
Book Babies is once a week for 6-18 month old babies. I help our librarian with the program singing songs, doing finger plays, reading books and setting out/picking up toys and board books. I'll be hosting my first book babies program on my own next week!

There's a look at what's keeping me busy this summer! Break is flying by. It's hard to believe I only have one year left of school. After this long, it feels natural to keep learning indefinitely. And that's my mantra here at The Prairie Library - The Spirit of Learning is a Lasting Frontier! For more about being a grad student click on the Musings of a Grad Student link below.

Review: Zan-Gah by Allan Richard Shickman

2011-06-28T08:30:00.030-05:00

Zan-Gah is eager to become a man but his journey towards adulthood is perilous. The story opens with an exciting lion hunt which captured my attention right away. Later we learn that Zan’s twin brother, Dael, is missing and Zan-Gah is determined to find and bring Dael home. Like most quest stories the object sought is less important than journey. Zan’s travels test his strength and wisdom as he crosses the borders of hostile clans and landscapes.

The novel left me wanting more. I enjoyed the descriptions of the landscape and liked watching Zan survive harsh environments. Yet I wanted even more description. Sometimes I felt the plot moved too quickly, skimming over things I wanted to know more about, like Zan’s time with the Wasp people where he spends a year which is briefly mentioned in one sentence. Shickman’s writing was clear and never confused me. The tenor of the prose gave me the feeling that the story is very old which is fitting since the subtitle is A Prehistoric Adventure. Yet the simplicity of the prose, and its many well-used figures of speech, again left me wanting more.

The story has a lot of action and brief but strong violence which kept my attention. It also has some great themes like learning to forgive and asking for help. I was a little surprised at the ending. Shickman chose to end the novel talking about Dael, and not the hero Zan-Gah. I found this a bit anti-climactic. Though he fit into the storyline, Dael was a bit of a downer character and since it’s not a story about Dael I was confused why it ended talking about him. There is a sequel, Zan-Gah and The Beautiful Country which I suspect will fill in some of the blanks and looks like it will continue the twins’ story.

While reading, I kept thinking about Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. Personally, I enjoyed Zan-Gah more than Hatchet but they are very similar in that a boy is on his own surviving in the wilderness for a good part of the story. I would recommend Zan-Gah to middle school boys who enjoy survival stories. This text counts towards the PoC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Earthshaker Books, 2007 Pages: 148

Rating: 3 Stars Source: Received for free from the publisher. Thanks, Earthshaker!

Review: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

2011-06-26T08:00:00.035-05:00

On the bottom of Matt’s foot a tattoo states: “Property of the Alacrán Estate.” He is a clone, an exact replica of a powerful drug lord, El Patrón, who rules Opium, a small country between the U.S. and what was once Mexico. While El Patrón dotes on Matt, the rest of the Alacrán family is openly hostile save for one girl, Maria. Everyone seems to know something Matt does not. Who can he trust when everyone seems to be hiding something?

The story is constantly changing direction. As Matt grows up, and his understanding of his situation becomes less fuzzy, his circumstances change – sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Farmer takes her time developing Matt’s character. The chapters are grouped into sections which divide Matt’s life into ages: 0-6, 7-11 and so on. I found Matt’s story gripping, especially the last half. I was reading while riding the bus and I didn’t notice the bus come to stop. I didn’t see everyone get off. Nor did I hear the driver twice tell me the bus was out of service and I needed to get off. (Yeah, I felt a little silly.) That’s how engrossing the story was.

It was exciting and bit scary watching Matt figure out answers to his questions and unearth the dark secrets of El Patrón. Each new chapter of his life required Matt to adapt in order to survive in Farmer’s world. It is an intriguing world with a bizarre political structure, a dangerous drug lord, a psycho family and a resilient protagonist. If you know a middle school or high school reader who enjoys thoughtful science fiction then make sure to recommend The House of the Scorpion.

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2004 Pages: 380

Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

2011-06-22T09:00:00.117-05:00

Hale's writing is heavy with simple but lovely metaphors. She transports the reader to Miri's village where the mountain dominates their lives until the Princess Academy alters them forever. It wasn't until about half way through the book that I really got into it. I was reading on the bus and had a hard time keeping back tears. Miri's fear of being useless because of her small size was so sad and sweet. I enjoyed watching Miri overcome her fears and develop the self-confidence she needed to help the village and other girls at the academy. If you're looking for a sweet, gentle read with a bit of suspense then Princess Academy may be what you're looking for. This is definitely a girly read great for elementary and early middle school readers.

Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2007 Pages: 336
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Summary: "Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess. Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates."

Books in My TBR Pile

2011-06-18T09:16:00.000-05:00

This week's Book Blogger Hop question is: How many books are currently in your to-be-read pile? I have approximately 100 books on my TBR shelf. That sounds like a lot but many are kids/YA books which don't take as long to read as adult books. My pile was higher about a year ago. I haven't bought as many new/used books lately. So, my personal stack is dwindling. I'm thinking about weeding some out, like used Tom Clancy books I bought years ago, and will likely never read. I borrow a lot from the library, too, causing me to neglect my own books. I've been trying to remedy by reading more of my own books but it's not easy!

Review: The Broken Kingdoms by J. K. Jemisin

2011-06-17T09:00:00.013-05:00

Summary: "In the city of Shadow, beneath the World Tree, alleyways shimmer with magic and godlings live hidden among mortalkind. Oree Shoth, a blind artist, takes in a strange homeless man on an impulse. This act of kindness engulfs Oree in a nightmarish conspiracy. Someone, somehow, is murdering godlings, leaving their desecrated bodies all over the city. And Oree's guest is at the heart of it. . ."

My interest in the story fluctuated. I found Oree complex but overall a boring character. The world of Shadow, however, was interesting. The way magic worked for mortals and the social structure of the city, Shadow, helped make up for my disinterest in other parts of the book. It became obvious who was behind the intrigue and why so I wasn't reading to see what happened.

What kept me coming back to the book was Jemisin's writing style. I love the way she describes the world and action scenes. Sometimes I find many writers have difficulty writing concise action scenes that are easy to picture but Jemisin's action scenes were great. The chapters are titled like paintings and we are told with what materials the "painting" is made. Along with Oree being an painter, the chapter titles gave the book an artistic feel. I liked trying to figure out what the chapter would be about based on the titles.

The Broken Kingdoms continues where the first book, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, left off but does so through mostly new characters. Only a few from the first book made brief appearances. I found the first book to be very heavy on the romance while The Broken Kingdoms focused much more on the "the story."

I'm not sure if I'll read the final book in The Inheritance Trilogy when it comes out. I felt like the story ended with this book but I may read the last just to see it through. I do suggest reading the first book and not jumping ahead. It will make much more sense who this "homeless man" is and why he acts the way he does if you've read book one. This text counts towards the PoC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Orbit, 2010 Pages: 416
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

2011-06-15T20:37:00.005-05:00

Mmm, cupcakes. They're cute and taste good! Who doesn't like a cupcake? The pictures below are of cupcakes I made using recipes and decoration ideas from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

All recipes are from scratch. Except for a few decorative candies, the marzipan and fondant, this book will teach you how to make everything in your own kitchen. No box mixes!

While having fancy equipment is nice it's not necessary to make the cakes and frosting. I own a Sunbeam mixer (with a wonky beater) and find I can still make my frosting stiff or fluffy - whichever I need. If you want to do the fun and fancy frosting decorations you will need a piping bag and tips. I bought a 12 piece Wilson set and find I can make everything so far in the book. The frosting is most of the fun and I recommend getting some tips, even if just a few, so you can swirl and peak and make petals. Having an offset spatula facilitates doing frosting like on the book cover but you can always use a butter knife. Picture: White and Devil's Food cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream in roses and peaks.

Buy the best quality of ingredients as your budget allows because these cakes are meant to be delicious! If you skimp you could run into problems. For instance, I used chocolate chips once instead of baker's chocolate and the frosting was very disappointing. I learned my lesson! If it says use cake flour, not regular flour, buy the cake flour, etc. These recipes are for gourmet (but doable) cake so don't waste your time and money on the wrong ingredients! That being said, I only use imitation vanilla when it calls for the real deal. The only ingredient I've had trouble finding is marzipan. Picture (above): Devil's Food cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream for grass and marzipan for ladybugs. Tip: don't do frosting with sweaty hands or the frosting will melt in your piping bag and refuse to form well. Also, these were outside in June so, the "grass" looks dewy. Picture (left): Banana-Pecan w/ Swiss Meringue Buttercream (chocolate version gone wrong) and fondant monkey faces.

The instructions are thorough and easy to follow. I am never left guessing. The writing is clear and there is a helpful section, The Basics, in the back on baking tools, ingredients, cookies, frosting, presentation ideas and templates, ingredient sources, and an index. The recipes are grouped as follows: Swirled and Sprinkled, Filled and Layered, Piped and Topped, Birthdays, Holidays, and Celebrations. Each has at least one full-page color photo of the finished cupcakes and several other photos show how to make frosting and decorations. Picture: One-Bowl Chocolate cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream as beetles and butterflies. Cake not recommended for humid days. The wings were difficult to cut, with lots of crumbs, as the cake was super moist.

Total times for making these cakes ranges from two to six hours depending on the complexity of the cake and frosting and how many you make. There is truly a cake for every occasion. I began baking not knowing what I was doing and am getting better with each try. There's really no reason to be intimidated by any of the recipes. It is totally possible to make parts at a time - bake the cakes and refrigerate/freeze them one day then make the frosting the next.

I'm not a Martha Stewart junky at all. I've only seen parts of her show. Yet, I've enjoyed baking these cakes and will keep making more from this book. The cakes are always a big hit. You won't go wrong with Martha Stewart's Cupcakes!

Picture (above): Applesauce-Spice cupcakes with Brown-Sugar Cream-Cheese Frosting. Picture (right): Yellow Buttermilk cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream as pigs. Picture (below): Black Forest Cupcake with sweet pastry cream (inside), cherries and chocolate ganache!

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2003
Pages: 352
Full Title: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat
Source: Christmas Gift
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

2011-06-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Finally, I've read Harry Potter! Wow, what great characters! I loved Hagrid, the giant "gamekeeper," who befriends Harry and sees him through his first year at the wizards' school, Hogwarts. Harry's story as "the boy who lived" is so endearing yet sometimes I found him dry... that is, until he meets Ron and Hermione and they get into some close calls while tracking mysterious happenings at the school. Need a plot summery? Click here.

The interactions between characters felt so real and there was some great dialogue. Despite the fact that they have magical abilities, it felt like I was reading about otherwise normal kids who worry about wearing hand-me-downs and meeting expectations. The professors were equally as interesting. I liked never knowing what to think about professor Snape - is he good, bad? Don't tell me! I want to read the books without spoilers!

The Hogwarts world is very creative with it's own candy, newspaper and sport, quidditch. Reading about the quidditch tournaments was a little boring for me but they worked into the plot of the story so well that I was soon happily reading again. I enjoyed the academic environment of Hogwarts and got a chuckle out of the library scenes with magical books and a very old-fashioned librarian guarding them.

There were a few dark moments (that unicorn scene, ick!) but that's the nature of fantasy. In order to have an epic tale of good vs. evil there must be dark moments. I didn't find the dark parts too overwhelming for young readers.

I'm glad I made time for Harry Potter. I'll slowly make my way through the series. Has anyone listened to them on CD? Are they any good?

Publisher: Scholastic, 2008 Pages: 330
Stars: 4 Source: Public Library

Review: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

2011-06-11T13:14:00.003-05:00

My library's summer reading slogan for children this year is "One World, Many Stories." I've been trying to read a few titles off our book list so I can be helpful when kids or parents ask about them. So far, I've read The Breadwinner and now Number the Stars.

Summary: "Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, often think about life before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their town. The Nazis won't stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," thus Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now."

Historical fiction comes in many forms. Some texts strain for historical accuracy while others take liberties for the sake of an engaging story. Lowry creates an engaging story while adhering closely to actual events. Readers will gain an appreciation for the Danish resistance during WWII while being swept away by Annemarie's bravery. My great grandfather was from Denmark so I had fun picking up a bit of Danish history. If you know an elementary or early middle school reader who likes historical fiction I highly suggest Number the Stars.

Publisher: Yearling, 1990 Pages: 137
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

The Author I Want Most to Meet?

2011-06-10T18:50:00.003-05:00

This week's Book Blogger Hop Question: Who is the one author that you are dying to meet?

I have this fear about meeting authors. I worry they will fail to meet my ridiculous expectations and I will never be able to read his or her books ever again. I've heard/met a few authors and this has never happened... but it could. And then I couldn't read them anymore!

For instance, what if I had the good fortune to walk into a cafe, sit at the counter, and there next to me, sipping coffee like a cool cowboy, was the ever private Cormac McMcarthy? First of all, what would I say knowing he values his privacy? I think I'd go with the librarian bit to try and earn brownie points:
"Hey, I'm a librarian and I love your books"? That sounds dumb.

And what if he did talk to me - Cormac and I chewing the fat as we dip our fries in chili - and he turns out to be a total douche? I don't think I could handle that. Like I said, I've never had a negative encounter with an author before. They've been very exciting and positive experiences. But meeting them just makes me nervous!

Review: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

2011-06-08T11:00:00.025-05:00

Parvana lives in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. When her father is taken prisoner, it falls to Parvana to keep the family alive. She sheds her tresses and chador and dresses like a boy to move freely in public and make money by reading for those who cannot.

Parvana's story is a page turner. I was fascinated by her struggle to be a young girl who loves to play and learn but who also shoulders a heavy and dangerous burden. Living in a one-room apartment created tension within the family especially since women could not go outdoors without a male escort. The bickering between Parvana and her older sister, though sometimes funny, was mostly heartbreaking since each knew she shouldn't add to the other one's suffering. It was exciting to watch the family cope and make the best of their situation. The realities of living in a war-torn country are harsh but Ellis creates dynamic and captivating characters who shine through the darkness. The Breadwinner, the first in a trilogy, stands well on its own and is a great read for 5th-7th grade readers. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Groundwood, 2001. Pages: 170
Rating: 5 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

2011-06-07T20:08:00.002-05:00

Coraline goes exploring in her new house where she finds a door that opens to a brick wall. Little does Coraline know that she's opened a portal to a strange and eerily similar world. When the bricks disappear, Coraline steps through the door to find a house identical to her own but with fantastic toys and wonderful food. But there is another mother and father and the "other mother" intends to trap Coraline forever.

Gaiman's writing was fantastic. I kept thinking this guy can write. The story reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland -- there was even a snobbish cat. While I enjoyed Coraline it did not evoke much of a response from me; however, I think kids who enjoy fairy tales and those who like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland will appreciate this book. There is a movie out, too, which I plan to watch. I think it looks good. Have your read or watched Coraline?

Publisher: Boomsbury, 2002 Pages: 176
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Public Library

Wordless Books Review: Shadow and Wave by Suzy Lee

2011-06-04T10:37:00.000-05:00

Shadow begins as a young girl enters a garage full of tools and junk. Using her imagination, and aided by her shadow, the girl creates a wonderland to play in. The text is laid out so that the pages flip up like a calendar. On the top page is the real world and the bottom page displays a mirror of shadow images which show the reader what the girls sees in her mind. As the story progresses, the real world and shadow world begin to blend showing how the girl becomes immersed in her imagination. I recognized myself in the the text's little girl as I was often happily lost in my own fantasy world at that age. If you notice children playing by themselves, who are completely immersed in their play, and wonder what it is they are seeing, I recommend reading Shadow to find out.

In Wave, a little girl plays in the ocean's surf. It begins with her charging towards to water and timidly testing it with her toes. Soon she is splashing away, scaring off sea gulls and collecting sea shells. It is a cute story in which the girl learns the exciting power of the sea. As she leaves with her mom, the girl looks back over her shoulder and waves goodbye to the ocean.

A book without words can still tell a story. In Shadow (2010) and Wave (2008), Suzy Lee captures childhood in its simplistic glory. The plot of each story is less important than the overall experience conveyed. The stories' brevity remind me of a haiku in that they capture one moment in an exquisite manner. Here is a link to the Suzy Lee's website. These books count toward the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2010 and 2008 Pages: 44 and 40
Rating: 4 and 3.5 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson

2011-06-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

Reading Bill Bryson’s Neither Here Nor There was a new step for me as a reader. I have entered the realm of the travelogue. As my first read in the genre I cannot readily compare this book to others like it nor have I read Bryson before. There were things I liked and things I loathed about this book so bare with me.

The text starts out strong, as Bryson explores Hammerfest, Oslo and Paris. It was a rough start to his journey and for these fifty pages I was laughing out loud. Actually, I read this section aloud to my mom. Bryson’s journey to Hammerfest revived memories of our foreign travels and we cracked up to Bryson’s sarcastic and self-deprecating sense of humor.

The next seventy pages were pure tedium as Bryson recounts mostly negative experiences and impressions while visiting several Germanic countries. The text also gravitated towards lewd jokes based off Bryson’s observations of trashy magazines, porn and such which simply did not interest me. Naked people can be found anywhere. One needn’t go to Europe to find them. This paired with his negative impressions caused the middle to drag.

Finally, Bryson breaks his route early and heads to Italy where his experience and the text became much more enjoyable. I enjoyed his Roman holiday having spent a week there myself. It was fun reliving some of the sights through the text and makes me want to go back.

The book is nearly twenty years old and while the ancient splendor of Europe remains some things have changed. For instance, the Euro has replaced country-specific currency which Bryson used. So, if you’re looking for up-to-date information this book is not what you need. Yet, if you want a feel for what an average American might experience while traveling in Europe, Bryson’s book may be for you.

Publisher: Perennial, 1992 Pages: 254

Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: purchased copy

Review: Redheart by Jackie Gamber

2011-05-29T12:17:00.006-05:00

Redheart is an adventure story for fantasy readers who enjoy foreign lands and mythical creatures. It’s a soaring tale about outsiders who find friendship in each other. I enjoyed how several characters are connected in ways they are unaware but must figure out. It added a bit of mystery. My favorite characters were Kallon and the dragon hunter who must learn to work together even though they hate each other.

Summary: “Kallon Redheart lives with his back turned on his fellow dragons, on humans, and on everything he once understood. Riza Diantus is a young woman with dreams too wide to fit inside her village fence. Their unexpected friendship is risky in Leland Province, where drought has stripped the land and superstition has cowed its people. And the danger only grows. Fordon Blackclaw, Dragon Council Leader, resents Leland's time-worn venur system. He has inflamed tensions between dragons and humans to the brink of war. He wants to trample humans into utter submission, or wipe them off the face of the land. Anger erupts, scorching innocent lives in its path. When Riza is threatened, Kallon is the only one with the power to save her. But first, he must confront his past and the future he stopped believing in. He must claim his destiny."

Much of the story is revealed through characters’ verbal interactions. While characters must interact I wished the third-person narrator would have narrated more of the story to keep the plot moving. This is probably just my reading preference, though. The age of the characters was a bit ambiguous but to me they all felt like adults. While some parts, like the dragon interactions, felt like a young adult novel, others, like Riza's interactions with the much older dragon hunter (though rather innocent), felt out of place. So, I had trouble determining what age range this book is for.

Redheart is the first in a series yet stands well on its own as a single read. If you’re looking for an adventure story or know someone who loves reading about dragons and magical kingdoms Redheart may be what you’re looking for.

Publisher: Seventh Star Press, LLC., 2011 Pages: 294

Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: Free from publisher. Thanks, Seventh Star!

Armchair BEA Post 1: Introductions

2011-05-23T19:12:00.001-05:00

So, BEA stands for Book Expo of America which is a giant deal in the publishing industry. Those of us not able to attend the expo in NYC can participate online with blogs through Armchair BEA. I participated in Armchair BEA last year and it was a lot of fun so I was happy to hear that it was being undertaken again this year!

refried bean chili eater

Today's prompt: Who are you, and how do you Armchair? I'm Chelle (that's pronounced shell) and I'll be Armchair BEA blogging from my desk. Most of my reading goes on in a big stuffed blue chair but the PC's at my desk so here I am, too.

Random fact about me: I put refried beans in my chili. Chili is not a soup, it's chili, and as such should never be runny....in my humble opinion (sorry I just finished watching My So Called Life).

For standard info about me see my About Me page. For information about being student, read my Musing of a Grad Student posts found in the labels in the right column. Last but not least, here are some titles I really want to read this summer:

Harry Potter - that's right, I've never read it. I know, I KNOW! I'll get on that.
Any Neil Gaiman book...I've started Coraline and like it so far.
The Crossing (The Border Trilogy, book 2) by Cormac McCarthy
The Long Ships: A Saga of the Viking Age by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson
and so many more that I'm just going to stop here.

Happy Armchair BEA everyone!

Check out all the fun and interesting posts by those who are at the Expo on the Armchair BEA Central website!

Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

2011-05-21T08:20:00.088-05:00

If you've hung around The Prairie Library for awhile you know I'm a fan of dystopias. I really enjoyed Ryan's The Forrest of Hands and Teeth for it's bizarre society...and of course the zombies were perfectly creepy. I didn't mind the obligatory romance either. The characters were well-rounded...yada, yada. I loved it.

The companion novel, The Dead-Tossed Waves, picks up several years after Mary's escape from the zombie infested forest. Gabrielle, Mary's daughter, lives in Vista, a walled-off sea city. Gabrielle is not like Mary. She spends much of the novel wishing things had been different, indulging in "if only"s. This was rather off-putting for me. Unlike Mary, who was always looking towards the future, Gabrielle is stuck in the past. It felt like I was reading the same lines over and over again -- things like "only yesterday things were better" or "a week ago so-and-so kissed me and life was good" -- and it really got plain-old-fashioned boring. The dystopian part, which is what I was reading for, was barely there. I wished more focus was given to Vista and its social dynamics. I felt like I didn't know the town.

Zombies strike (but not often enough), people fall in (and out) of love, (not so mysterious) mysteries and twists abound. And Gabrielle just didn't cut it for me. She was a little too damsel-in-distress.

That's the truth, how I really felt when I was reading the novel. I do suggest reading the first novel, The Forrest of Hands and Teeth, if you enjoy dystopias or zombies. Since The Dead-Tossed Waves is a companion novel, and not a sequel, you needn't worry about having to read the "next" book. What about you all? Did you like The Dead-Tossed Waves?

Publisher: Delcorte, 2010 Pages: 416
Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself edited by Moira Ferguson

2011-05-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

Mary Prince was born a slave in Bermuda (a British colony) around 1788. She became the first black women to escape to England (blacks were “free” as long as they stayed on English soil) and this account about her journey from slavery to freedom is as fascinating and inspiring as it is horrifying.

The History of Mary Prince is a rich narrative, in the genre of slave narratives, which is focused on enlightening readers on the brutal nature of slavery. Along the way, Mary’s narrative gives interesting accounts of salt harvesting in the West Indies, the politics of both the anti- and pro-slavery moments, and the precarious role of black women in the 19th century. Mary’s narrative is multi-layered. Since she could not write, Mary’s story was transcribed by another women. Mary’s editor, Mr. Pringle, was also the secretary for the Anti-slavery society and Mary’s employer in whose house she lived. With this knowledge, gaps arise in The History, little idiosyncrasies that appear to be censored or altered in some way that will make Mary’s story palatable to its intended audience.

The marginalia make The History absolutely fascinating. Moira Ferguson’s excellent introduction sheds light on English and West Indian politics that influenced Mary, her many owners and the the making of her narrative. Also, Pringle’s short preface and lengthy supplement prove the intensity of the anti-slavery campaign. In the appendix, Ferguson includes copies of newspaper articles of two court cases surrounding The History and other contemporary events which influenced the abolition of slavery in the West Indies in 1833.

Those interested in slave narratives should put The History of Mary Prince at the top of their list. Also, those interested in the making of history through narrativity, autobiographies, black women narratives and British history will appreciate this text. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: University of Michigan Press, 1997 Pages: 173
Rating: 5 Stars Source: Purchased Copy

Review: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose

2011-05-07T12:25:00.003-05:00

The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 protested racial segregation. You probably remember Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on the bus, BUT did know it was a 15-year-old girl who started it all? A year before Rosa took her now famous seat, Claudette Colvin, acting entirely on her own and fed up with racial segregation, refused to move for a white passenger. Claudette was drug off the bus while shouting "It's my constitutional right!" She was jailed that night and eventually testified "as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and swept away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South."

The structure of this book is amazing and to take full advantage of it I highly recommend reading the hardback. The photographs are in black and white and several take up full pages. They give readers a glimpse into how racial segregation affected lives in the South. There are several photos of Claudette and her family, too. Separated from the main text are black boxes offering extra information that the reader can choose to skip over, continuing with the story, or stop to read to learn more about issues and people introduced in the text.

Claudette's bravery, her struggle for justice, once on the bus and again in court, as a teenager no less, is inspiring as much as it is informational. Claudette's story is an excellent choice for middle schoolers, or anyone, looking to learn about the Civil Rights Movement and how one person really can make a difference.

Publisher: Farrar, Strause and Giroux, 2009 Pages: 144
Rating: 4.5 Stars Source: Purchased Copy

Review: A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

2011-05-05T17:31:00.001-05:00

A Long Way from Chicago is a novel told in stories. Joey is nine when he and his sister, Mary Alice, begin visiting their Grandma in rural Illinois each summer. Their visits begin in 1929 and end in 1935. Grandma is an eccentric character, living on the edge of town, who takes matters into her own hands.

Each story is something of a tall tale. While Joey and Mary Alice are from “the big city” where Al Capone and Public Enemy Number one, John Dillinger, hang out, more often than naught, the kids are more scared of the bizarre adventures grandma takes them on than anything they knew in Chicago. The Depression is raging and they occasionally bump shoulders with drifters and poverty. Grandma’s questionable methods of doing good thrust Joey and Mary Alice into uncomfortable but funny situations.

Joey’s grandma reminded me much of my own grandma with her frugal ways and crisp manner. Grandma was tough but her chocolate chip cookies said I love you. If you’re looking to feel nostalgic about grandparents or would like to share fun stories with your kids then this book may be for you. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Publisher: Dial, 1998 Pages: 192

Rating: 5 Stars Source: Purchased Copy

Book Poetry Contest and Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Melody at Fingers & Prose! You've won an uncorrected proof of Robert Hass' The Apple Trees at Olema and a used copy of Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson! Here's Melody's poem made out of book titles:

after the quake,
   things fall apart.

   march a thousand acres
   for the children's sake--
   a voyage long and strange.

   snow.
   the blood of flowers.
   small wonder.

   as I lay dying,
   everything is illuminated.

Great poem, Melody!

Picture Book: The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by D. and A. Wood

2011-04-28T10:26:00.003-05:00

The Little Mouse was published the year I was born. I'm inclined to think that's why it's such a good book. Well, maybe it has to do with the awesome story and Don Wood's super cute illustrations!

Summary from back cover: "The little mouse will do anything to save his strawberry from the big, hungry bear. The bear holds all the cards, but who is playing the fox's role?"

The narrator speaks to the mouse throughout the story, alerting him to the bear's presence. I loved how the mouse tries desperately to hide the strawberry but is ultimately convinced to share half the berry with the narrator. It's such a cute story, with a little suspense and a lot of humor, that I envision young children really enjoying it. The Little Mouse is definitely a classic!

Publisher: Childs Play Intl Ltd., 1984 Pages: 32
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Lost & Found by Shaun Tan

2011-04-24T16:26:00.003-05:00

Tan’s paintings create a surreal reading experience that is fantastic and poignant. The paintings themselves are exquisite but difficult to define. Their concepts are rather abstract in that Tan represents emotions and everyday experiences by slightly altering traditional metaphors. Tan uses the unexpected and foreign to create a different perspective on the familiar. From observing the pictures, it appears Tan uses many different substances including oil, pencil and text clippings that look like they are from newspapers or books.

Lost & Found is a collection of three previously published stories, The Red Tree (my favorite), The Lost Things, and The Rabbits (written by John Marsden and illustrated by Tan). While the stories can be dark they remain stories about humanity and the human experience. The themes are presented in such a way that anyone should be able to relate.

Categorizing this book, defining its genre and audience, is difficult. On his website, Tan explains that he does not write or paint with children in mind yet, it is children who often pick up on the subtleties in his paintings. It is a testament to his ability that Tan’s books reach a wide audience. If you have not heard of or read anything by Shaun Tan, I highly suggest you give his books a try.

Publisher: Author A. Levine Books, 2011 Pages: 128
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Reading through Authors at the Book Blogger Hop

2011-04-22T00:24:00.004-05:00

This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at The Paperback Princesses. She asks: "If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

My Answer: Yes, I do...eventually. If I really liked a book I'll look up the author and see what else s/he has written but it may take awhile before I read the other books. I think I do this for two reasons. First, I do enjoy variety so if the author is a genre writer then I might hold off just so I'm not reading the same type of books. Secondly, I was not a big reader as a kid or teen. So, in a way I always feel like I'm playing catch up and need to get a base-line of background reading hence the need for variety. Actually, I think the second reason is dumb and just me pressuring myself unnecessarily.

Examples of authors' books I've hunted:

                 -Amy Tan                  -Charlotte Bronte          -Tobias Wollf
                 -Sherman Alexi       -Jane Austen

If you're hopping by, hi! Do say hello! And check out my poetry giveaway in celebration of National Poetry Month! There are some fun poems made out of book titles by myself and other bloggers as well. Not sure what a book titles poem looks like? Then check out the link!

Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

2011-04-19T17:31:00.003-05:00

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is my first steampunk read. When I picked up the book with its shiny elaborate gears on the cover I knew I was in for a different type of story than my usual science fiction reads. Steampunk, at least traditional steampunk, falls under the science fiction category of alternate history. And in the case of steampunk that means an alternate Victorian era history.

In short, Leviathan is about two teenage characters on opposites sides during World War One (1914-1918).* Deryn, wishing to serve in his majesty’s military, disguises herself as a boy and changes her name to Dylan. She becomes part of the crew on a the Leviathan, a huge genetically engineered hydrogen whale capable of flight - a new twist on the dirigible.** Alek is the fictional son of Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination sparked WWI.*** Alek must flee for his life and evades capture by traveling in mechanical bi-pedal “tanks” known as walkers.

Darwinists (Allies)

-What they make: beasties (like the Leviathan)

-How they make them: DNA manipulation and incubation period

-Maintenance requirements: organic food supply and healing time

Clankers (Axis)

-What they make: gadgets and machines (like walkers)

-How they make them: gears and pistons

-Maintenance requirements: oil supply and spare parts

Westerfeld creates a fantastic world with its bizarre creatures and machines. I enjoyed reading to see how these creations helped and hindered Dylan and Alek. There is a fair amount of suspense and quite a bit of action and violence. Dylan and Alek are faced with uneasy decisions which ask them to handle grown up situations. There are a slew of interesting characters to help them along the way. My only complaint is with the totally abrupt ending. I enjoy series and do not mind waiting to read the next book to find out what happens but Leviathan’s ending left me going “Really, that’s the ‘end’?” If you’re a one-and-done sort of reader this book may not be for you. I, however, will be putting the sequel Behemoth on my TBR list.

Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2009 Pages: 338
Rating: 3.5 Stars Source: Public Library

*While technically the Victorian period ends with Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, many consider the Victorian age to last a decade or two longer calling it, no surprise, the “Long Victorian Era,” therefore including WWI.

**Steampunk revels in dirigibles.

*** In reality, Ferdinand did have a son, Max. He and his sisters were exiled after the assassination.

Musing of a Grad Student: Update and Advice

2011-04-10T08:30:00.087-05:00

The end of my second semester as an LIS student draws near! Here are a few things I've been learning so I will be a competent librarian some day.

I am now able to make a database using MYSQL and create web forms using PHP. This means that I can take user input (from the web), store it as data in a database on a server and recall the data and display it to the user on a web page. I'm not that good at it yet (it takes me a long time) but I can make a very simple database function.
Having worked at a medical library for six months I am familiar with many medical database resources. I like using PubMed's MeSH terms! It's so easy but most people don't know about MeSh terms because...well, MeSH is a dumb acronym and no one knows what it means. I am no longer working there but my reference desk experience at the Health Sciences Library was valuable training.
My new job as a children's department intern at my local public library is going great! I'm looking forward to helping with our Book Babies program and other programs, too! It's a very busy library so I'm trying to keep up and learn as much as I can!

I recently attended a conference called "Unpacking the Library" held by my Library and Information Science Student Organization in which a university librarian on "The Hiring Squad" panel made a remark to this effect: It's better to get the "B" and have work experience than to get the "A" and have little or no work experience in libraries. I am usually a very grade-driven student but I've changed. It's not that I don't take my classes seriously but I think the advice is sound. I am learning as much if not more on the job than I do in class. I'm trying to make my classes work for me. I'm getting what I need out of them. And frankly, I don't need an "A." I need to be learning and I am.

I work at my job but I need my job to work for me, too. If you're not getting the experience and skills you want to list on your resume seek out opportunities to get those skills. Take temporary jobs (I did and for two weeks I worked in our Special Collections Library. I know more about archives than I did before!), volunteer (I did at an after-school program for a few hours to get experience with kids), market yourself (I make it known to everyone that I am interested in working with youth and that's partly how I got an awesome internship - word-of-mouth!). Make your time in school work for you. It's the best opportunity to try out different areas of librarianship to see what you like doing. By being pro-active you'll build your resume. "The Hiring Squad" made it clear that the degree just isn't enough. Besides, you're a library student so working in a library should be fun!

Book Poetry Contest and Poetry Giveaway

2011-04-07T08:30:00.068-05:00

In honor of National Poetry Month I have created my own bit of verse. I chose books from my shelf that sounded like spring and put them together. In case you can't read sideways here's what my poem says:

Shadows on the rock

Gone with the wind

A walk in the woods

Just listen

Make your own Book Poetry!

Enter your poem for a chance to win an uncorrected proof of Robert Hass' The Apple Trees at Olema (2010). Hass is a winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize and served as Poet Laureate of the U.S. from 1995-'97. In addition to Hass's book the winner will receive a gently used copy of Emily Dickinson: Selected Poems.

Your poem must be made from complete book titles but can be about anything! I'm looking forward to your poems! Feel free to leave a poem even if you don't care to win anything.

You can enter one of two ways:

Option 1: Leave your book poetry poem in the comments below along with your email address (1 entry).

Option 2: Create a blog post of your book poetry poem and leave the URL in the link list below (2 entries).

One extra point for tweeting this page. Leave the URL to your tweet in the comments!

Contest open to U.S. residents only. Must be 13 or older to win. The contest will close April 30th. The winner, chosen randomly May 1st, will be emailed and must respond with a mailing address by May 3rd or a new winner will be chosen. The winner's poem will be shared on the winner announcement page.

Review: Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey

2011-04-06T13:59:00.004-05:00

Ruth and the Green Book shows how racial segregation affected an average African American family. When Ruth's dad buys a car the family decides to drive from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma. There were few places the Jim Crow laws didn't reach and the "open road" was no exception. Many hotels, restaurants and service stations refused to serve Ruth's family. After eating and sleeping in the car, Ruth's excitement about her vacation is tainted with worry and fatigue.

A friendly traveler gives Ruth's family a copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book. Published by Victor H. Green from 1936-'64, The Green Book listed gas stations, barber shops and homes of those willing to give African American travelers a place to rest, eat a good meal and fix up their cars between destinations. Ruth enjoys picking out "Tourist Homes" from the book. Cooper's illustrations capture the scenic countryside and intimate family dynamics as Ruth's family travels to grandma's house.

If you are interested in The Green Book you can view a full 1949 edition in PDF here. It's a lot of fun to look up your state and see the names of people and businesses from a town near you that accommodated traveling families like Ruth's during the Jim Crow era. Ruth and the Green Book is a touching story great for early elementary students. Listen to a podcast with illustrator Floyd Cooper here. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, 2010 Pages: 32
Illustrator: Floyd Cooper Source: Public Library
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Review: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

2011-04-01T14:29:00.006-05:00

If you like history, sports or awesome art then you need to read We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson. It turns out "America's favorite pastime" has a complex and fascinating history.

The players in the Negro League lived for baseball. Conditions weren't always great for these ball players, and sometimes conditions were terrible, but they knew they were doing something important.

Nelson's oil paintings are fantastic. Several reminded me of trading cards with players striking a pose. Some show the team on the road and others catch players in action swinging the bat or pitching the ball.

The book immerses the reader in baseball. Each chapter is an "inning" building suspense to the end of the League's history. The book also immerses readers in the history of racial segregation and shows how these men wouldn't let anything stop them from playing ball - their way.

Summary: "Using an 'Everyman' player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so authentic... But what makes this book so outstanding are the dozens of full-page and double- page oil paintings--breathtaking in their perspectives, rich in emotion, and created with understanding and affection for these lost heroes of our national game."

While I found this book in the kids section the narrator is compelling and has an adult voice. Baseball enthusiasts of any age will appreciate this amazing true story. This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge! For more information visit the book's website!

Publisher: Hyperion Book, 2008 Pages: 96
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

2011-03-25T17:17:00.003-05:00

In American Born Chinese three tales are woven together, contributing to one overarching theme. Unlike a traditional short story collection, in which a story can be read at random, Yang’s short story cycle works best when the tales are read chronologically. Each story builds on the last story’s theme or lesson. Yang uses three characters to explore the construction of identity.

Opening the cycle is the Chinese folktale of The Monkey King. Yang’s adaptation of this “journey to the west” myth is hilarious and surprising. The Monkey King works hard mastering Kung Fu and wants to be recognized as an equal among other deities. Alas, his superiors are not impressed and The Monkey King undergoes many trials before realizing who he is and who he wants to be. The second story introduces Jin Wang, the son of Chinese immigrants, living in California and combating stereotypes as he tries to fit in, make friends and woo an all-American girl at high school. Chin-Kee visits his cousin Danny every year. Danny is horrified to be seen with Chin-Kee who exhibits extremely stereotypical Chinese behaviors.

Adaptation is a major theme connecting each story. The characters realize they must adapt to the culture already established. Each character struggles to adapt while deciding whether or not to embrace his own cultural heritage. Eventually, they take control of their identity but not before making a few mistakes. The text explores what it means to be a nation of immigrants and how the American identity is continuously forged. The three tales are linked in a surprising way which is slowly revealed.

When reading a short story the reader must look for information left off the page. Similarly, graphic novel readers must interpret the narrative when the full story is not supplied in text. In other words, you can’t skip over the pictures without losing significant parts of the narrative. This is true of American Born Chinese. The words and pictures complement each other. American Born Chinese leans heavily on its comic roots. Yang uses onomatopoeia with words like “SMACK” and “WHUMP” creating a fun sensorial reading experience.

Yang manages to bring humor and tenderness to a serious subject. While the format is sure to draw reluctant readers I would not hesitate to hand American Born Chinese to any teen reader. It has a little something for everyone. Yang speaks about A.B.C. in the video found below!

Publisher: First Second, 2006 Pages: 233
Rating: 4 Stars Source: IC Public Library
This text counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Review: Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande

2011-03-23T10:09:00.009-05:00

For teenagers like Brande’s characters, the competing messages of faith and science and the desire to express themselves in a perceived hostile environment is confusing and scary. I loved how Mena turned to blogging as way to express her beliefs, a place where she could think out loud and include others in respectful discussion. There were a number of totally unbelievable characters including the pastor and the teenager who falls down on the floor praying for people. The characters did not need to be so over the top to get the plot moving.

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature is the first audiobook I’ve completed. Kaili Vernoff’s voice was perfect for teenagers with her ability to reach those high, fretful notes teenagers are found of. Her subtle distinctions between characters made the text easy to follow. The book is written from Mena’s perspective as though she’s writing in a journal. I had the chance to see the print version and the audio is not missing anything. After the story, Brande interviews Kennth R. Miller, a biology professor at Brown University who argues that a belief in evolution is compatible with a belief in God.

I’ll definitely try an audiobook again in the future. It was a long listen and I could have read the book much quicker. But I did get some house chores done while listening so that’s a plus!

Summary: "Your best friend hates you. The guy you liked hates you. Your entire group of friends hates you. All because you did the right thing. Welcome to life for Mena, whose year is starting off in the worst way possible. She's been kicked out of her church group and no one will talk to her—not even her own parents. No one except for Casey, her supersmart lab partner in science class, who's pretty funny for the most brilliant guy on earth. And when Ms. Shepherd begins the unit on evolution, school becomes more dramatic than Mena could ever imagine . . . and her own life is about to evolve in some amazing and unexpected ways.

Publisher: Listening Library, 2007     Duration: 6 hours 25 minutes     Pages in print: 272
Narrator: Kaili Vernoff     Director: David Raplin
Rainting: 3.5 Stars     Source: IC Plublic Library

Musings of a Grad Student: Big News!

2011-03-20T14:33:00.002-05:00

With only eight weeks of the semester left it’s about time for an update on my journey towards an MLIS degree. Spring break is over and that means end of semester projects are underway.

For my Resources for Young Adults class, I am collection resources on Steampunk literature. In a few weeks I am facilitating class (giving a presentation and leading discussion) on science fiction and fantasy in YA lit. We are reading Jonathan Stroud’s The Amulet of Amarkand and Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan which I am currently reading. For my hour long facilitation I’ll be focusing on Levitathan and the steampunk genre, that is, if my teacher approves my plan. This is my first steampunk read and I’m enjoying it. If you know of any YA steampunk titles (or resources) let me know! I’m on the lookout for a read-a-like list. I’ve found a lot of fun sites about steampunk but haven’t found any controversy yet. Is there any controversy?

Projects for Database Systems and Research Methods are to be announced this week. Not sure what to expect for Databases but for Research Methods I’ll be researching a primary source. That’s all I know right now.

Click Photo for Source

Now for my Big News! I’ve been hired for a children’s internship position at my local public library. The position became available early so I’ll be working for 16 months instead of the usual 10. I am so excited to be working side-by-side with librarians in the field! I have about two months to be trained before Children’s Day when they expect 4,000 visitors! Expect posts about what I learn in the field!

Review: Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism by Michael Cart

2011-03-19T08:30:00.007-05:00

Michael Cart’s latest work chronicles the development of young adult literature from its recognition in the 1960s to its present boom in the 21st century. Expanding upon his 1996 edition, Cart includes new discussions about poetry, nonfiction, graphic novels, audiobooks and the role of young adult literature in a multimedia age. Cart showcases various breakthrough texts and awards in the category revealing his role as an expert in and contributor to young adult literature.

In “That Was Then,” the first of two sections, Cart and investigates how cultural shifts influenced YA lit in the 1960s-1990s. Realism emerged in issue-oriented/problem novels like Robert Cormer’s The Chocolate War. But many were plagued by formulaic plots and imitation in the late 70s. Cart perceives “the problem novel is to YA what soap operas are to good dramas” (32). Eventually, readers rejected the problem novel and to some extent realistic fiction.

Providing escape, romance dominated most of the 80s and one can sense Cart’s dismay as problem novel sales plummeted in the early 90s. Cart blames sensational TV (like Jerry Springer) for reality’s unpopular status in literature. In part two, “This Is Now,” Cart explores the rise of new genres and formats in the 21st century. He delves into the Harry Potter phenomenon and consequent appeal of crossover novels.

Clearly Cart prefers darker, edgier literary titles, which he believes reflect reality. Whether this is true or not, his zeal for young adult literature is impossible to escape. Pointing out YA lit awards, such as the Printz Award which he helped create, Cart continuously reveals how libraries help shape and are shaped by young adult literature. Cart leaves the reader pondering creative formats which champion realism such as nonfiction graphic novels and photoessays. The text provides a comprehensive history of young adult literature and is an insightful and often humorous text. It is likely to interest MLIS students, current practitioners interested in improving readers’ advisory skills to young adults or those doing literary studies. If you’re looking to understand how YA literature is created today there’s no better way than to study its history in From Romance to Realism.

Publisher: ALA, 2020 Pages: 242

Rating: 4.5 Stars Source: U of Iowa Libraries

How Many Do You Read?

2011-03-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

This week's Book Blogger Hop question is: "Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?" My Answer: During school I usually have several going. Right now I have six going...a chapter here, a chapter there. During the summer I like to read one book at a time. Sometimes two. I prefer to get sucked into one good story that I don't want to stop reading.

If you're stopping by from the Hop, hi! I'm generally an eclectic reader but have been reading a lot of young adult books for a class. I generally read an array of children's, YA and adult fiction. I get in a few nonfiction every now and then. Thanks for hopping by!

Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2011-03-16T10:24:00.001-05:00

Anderson's books act as beacons. They alerts readers to the existence of hard places. In Wintergirls, Anderson tells the story of one nearly dashed to pieces by loss and emotional burdens. The lyrical prose reflects Lia’s decent into the depths of anorexia and the self-hatred and despair that accompanies her inability to control her life, to stop bad things from happening and to stop her pain.

The text is not a magnet. It never made me want to be near or experience Lia’s self-inflicted wounds but only to better understand the disorder. Lia’s eating disorder is severe and she does more than resist food. She also cuts and self medicates. And she is not the only person her actions hurt. Her family is wounded as well. The truths about anorexia are ugly. It was hard for me to read the book because Lia’s depression is deep and her emaciated body revolting to behold if only in text.

Yet, beacons are necessary. If no one tells us about the danger, if no one tells others who are caught in life’s storms that they are not alone, what a tragedy that would be. Yes, we need beacons like Wintergirls. Visit Laurie Halse Anderson's website here.

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 2009 Pages: 288
Rating: 3 Stars Source: Purchased

News: Brief Status Update and Giveaway Winner

2011-03-10T10:48:00.000-06:00

The winner of the $35 credit to CSN Stores is Katherine! Congrats!

Today is my last day of class before spring break - finally! I thought it would never get here! This week has been crazy with midterms/papers and the usual homework so posting has taken a back seat. I have several unwritten posts swirling in my head so expect your blog reader to fill up in the near future! =) What posts, you ask?

Book reviews, of course! I'm excited to review Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism by Michael Cart. It was great and should be of interest to many of my followers.
Musings of a Grad Student post because the semester is half way through and I have much to report.
A post about Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Something thought out and beefed up with references. Such a post is a ways off but I think it could be cool!

Three Children's Books!

2011-03-06T11:15:00.003-06:00

If a Dog Could Blog is written by Lolo LeDeaux, a basset known as "Killer." Each page is a post from her blog. Killer gets into plenty of mischief and adventures. This is a cute tale that might be fun to read with kids who show an interest in your blogging. I recommend reading it with your kids as many of the terms and phrases might be unfamiliar to youngins. Illustrated by Susan Shorter, the pictures are simple but bright.

Daddy's Little Squirrel by Kayle Shurley Davidson is a tribute to the bond between fathers and daughters. Kallie loves helping her dad around the ranch getting the day's chores done. I like how this story shows a kid and parent working together. I remember doing so with my parents and it built great memories while teaching me that work wasn't a plague to avoid. Stephen Adams' illustrations are cute and cheery. However, I was surprised that one illustration is repeated three times. The book ended rather abruptly but was still cute.

Sohpie Gets Curtains! by Adelene Keeler Smith follows the construction of a terrier's elaborate dog house. Sohpie has a team of designers, architects and financiers to make her dream house a reality. Upon completion Sophie's doggie friends arrive for a house-warming party. The back includes a glossary of terms. The illustrations by Floyd Ryan Yamyamin are lively and capture Sohpie's lavish lifestyle.

Of the three, Sohpie has a traditional plot to follow with the party being the climax and a swift resolution of a content dog. The previous two lacked the traditional plot - exposition, rising action, climax and resolution which would have brought better focus to each story. Killer's blog posts are fairly random as are Kallie's adventures. Nonetheless, the ideas behind these stories are cute. My favorite was definitely Daddy's Little Squirrel.

All three children's books were given to me for free for review.
All published by: AuthorHouse, 2010 Pages: 28 for each
Rating: 1.5, 2, 2 Stars respectively Source: Free from publicist

Review: Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

2011-03-04T18:43:00.000-06:00

The daughter of a gypsy mother and the son of a fame-seeking father appear to have nothing in common but the wackiness of their families. But what is family? Calliope and Eliot find each other at a cross-roads in their lives. Each is puzzled by their parents’ choices and struggles under their need for parental affection and care. Scrambled Eggs at Midnight is a quirky, funny and charming romance of two teenagers itching for adulthood but longing for family.

The characters were a lot fun. Cal is smart and Eliot is adventurous. Eliot’s mom is totally unpredictable and her actions made my eyebrow raise more than once. Cal’s mom and Eliot’s dad were not the most realistic characters. A Renaissance fair “wench” and a religious fat camp director are not the most normal jobs. But the sentiment of not understanding one’s parents is relatable. And fear of abandonment is a terrible burden which Cal deals with. I wish the parents were better developed. It’s too easy to read the story and assign everyone’s problems to these two people. And that’s hardly realistic. Cal and Eliot’s romance is cute and innocent. Quickly they realize that they have a friend, someone to count on and someone to love. If you’re in the mood for a fun, happily-ever-after story, Scrambled Eggs at Midnight may be for you.

Publisher: Speak, 2007 Pages: 272
Rating: 3 stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

2011-02-28T19:09:00.001-06:00

The strength of this book lies in Christopher’s first-person voice. The reader is able to see the world through the eyes of one with Autism. I understood Christopher’s strange actions better because he explained his reasoning. But the point of view was also a weakness for me. The repetition became tiresome. I already know he doesn’t like yellow or brown. I don’t need to be reminded of it over and over.

Christopher’s story is not the only one being told. The Curious Incident examines what it is like living with and caring for someone with Autism. I found myself more interested in Christopher’s parents as the story continued. Professionals are trained and choose to work with special needs populations. Parents are not usually trained nor do they choose the child they get. Christopher’s parents are flawed, make mistakes, and I really felt for them. They want what is best for their son but are people with needs, too.

I’ve known autistic kids and while I saw some similarities to Christopher there were significant differences. The term autism covers a wide spectrum with vastly different manifestations. No one voice can even remotely represent it. If you’re looking to educate yourself on this disorder you’ll need to go beyond reading this book because truly, it does not represent the spectrum.

Summary: "Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the colours yellow and brown. This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years. Mark Haddon make this an excellent book for children and adults alike." "

I enjoyed the charts and diagrams which Christopher uses to explain things. Some readers find them distracting. I think they added to the story and helped me follow along. The humor is dark. It is funny but is tempered by Christopher’s serious situation. Overall, the book didn’t do much for me. However, I think it is an important text. It discusses a serious disorder that is increasing in our population and manages to make the reader laugh while making him aware.

Publisher: Vintage, 2004 Pages: 226
Rating: 3 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

2011-02-26T08:05:00.024-06:00

This book was awesome! Gun fights, chases, escapes! Indians, cowboys and slaves. Hardship, justice and honor. It’s the Wild West folks and this is the true story of a slave who became a U.S. deputy Marshal. His name is Reeves. Bass Reeves. And he is Bad News for Outlaws!

This is nonfiction done right. I loved the art work (looks like oil paintings) and the story was fascinating. Both totally captured the spirit of the old West. Many of the text blocks look like they are printed on yellowed paper. The font looks Western, too, big and bold. R. Gregory Christie’s illustrations capture the emotion of each moment being described. Bass’ gaze is piercing. There’s no messing with that man.

This is well researched book and it shows. There are many amazing anecdotes pieced together from historical records. There are extra resources in the back including a glossary of Western terms used in the book, a timeline, a further reading list and much more.

I was completely captivated with Bass’ story. Although it’s aimed at 2nd-5th grade readers, if you know anyone who enjoys all things Western I urge you to put this book in their hands. This title counts towards the POC Reading Challenge! Well, this was a hard review to write. I just wanted to use the word "awesome" over and over!

Publisher: Carolrhoda, 2009 Pages: 40 Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Full Title: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Rating: 5 Stars Source: IC Public Library

CSN Stores Giveaway!

2011-02-23T18:15:00.005-06:00

Want to win $35 to spend at CSN Stores? CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be lights, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!

Sign up by reading and filling out the form below!

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I receive nothing from CSN Stores for hosting this promotional. Good luck!

Review: Exposure by Mal Peet

2011-02-22T08:10:00.020-06:00

When I picked up Exposure at the library I internally groaned and several fears cropped up before I got past the book jacket blurb. First of all, it has sports in it and I don’t “do” sports. And not just any sport but soccer (yeah, I'm American =) of which I know nothing about. Then I made the connection to Shakespeare’s Othello and worried about having not read the play. Then there was a celeb chick on the cover in a strappy dress and dangly earrings.

Exposure was nothing I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it. At every chapter I expected the themes to shallow or the prose to deteriorate. The prose was excellent throughout. The themes were dealt with realistically despite the unusual and extravagant lifestyles of the characters. Celebrity is an unusual phenomenon, especially when popular individuals do not seek fame or do nothing particularly excellent to warrant huge fan bases. The novel explores the phenomenon of fame and how people come into it and how they deal with it. Dezi and Otello seemed like real people coping as best they could in situations they never expected to be in.

Summary:"This is the third "Paul Faustino" novel by multi-award-winning Mal Peet. A massive soccer star has it all, but someone is plotting his downfall...Revered as a national hero...married to the desirable Desmerelda...cherished by the media...soccer star, Otello, has it all. But a sensational club transfer sparks a media frenzy, and when he is wrongly implicated in a scandal, the footballer's life turns into a tragic spiral of destruction. South America's top sports journalist, Paul Faustino, witnesses the power of the media in making and breaking people's lives." "

Teenagers, much like Bianca (a teenage street rat), become enamored with celebrities. They look up to these fashionable trend setters with expensive toys who appear to have the world at their fingertips. With reality T.V. we do get a glimpse at some celebrities’ lives. But we know that they know we are watching and that they are being paid to perform a role that may or may not be who they are. Exposure shows a negative reality that accompanies fame which is often masked or overlooked in the media. By changing perspectives in the novel, seeing celebrities through the eyes of several characters from different walks of life, Peet shows the three dimensional lives of the rich and famous and the many people affected by their fame.

There are so many aspects of this book – the racial issues, the class divides, the consuming quest for success, balancing family relationships and literary comparisons – that make Exposure one I want teens to read. Luckily, I won’t feel like I’m pushing an “issue” book. Exposure is a mix of mystery, pop culture and foreign culture which was interesting to me. Being fun to read is the icing on the cake. There is great substance to the story but I still had fun reading it. Actually, I think Exposure is an excellent adult read, too. I'm looking forward to reading more by Peet!

This title counts towards the POC Reading Challenge!

Publisher: Candlewick, 2009 Pages: 448

Rating: 5 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

2011-02-20T08:05:00.024-06:00

From gently falling flakes and flurries, to swirling gusts and mounting drifts, snow-falls always look beautiful. One of the first crafts I remember doing in school is creating cut-out snowflakes. Sometimes a flake will stick to a window and you can see it’s sort of pokey looking. But then it blows away, or worse, melts.

This beautifully illustrated children’s book chronicles the work of Willie Bentley, the man who showed us the snowflake. Bentley loved snow so much he dedicated his free time to studying it. He perfected the photographic technique needed to capture snowflakes on film so that the whole world could see how beautiful they are. He knew that seeing a single flake under a microscope wasn’t good enough. He wanted their crystal-like beauty to last and be enjoyed by all.

Illustrator Mary Azarian’s woodcuts set a perfect tone for Martin’s text. Together, they remind me a time gone by. A time my grandparents knew. A time that can still be found in the quiet of a gentle snow-fall. I enjoyed how the text was displayed with more biographical or technical details in sidebars and the general story-line at the bottom. As a reluctant reader in my youth, I really liked books like this (thinking Magic School Bus) where the text was broken up. I could choose what to read and keep moving on if I thought it was “too much text.” I enjoyed going back later and discovering more parts to the story.

As winter comes to a close and the last of the snow is melting remember Snowflake Bentley’s passionate efforts. I know snow can seem a bother. But if you didn’t this year, remember next winter to take a moment to enjoy the beauty that is a snowflake.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1998 Pages: 32
Rating: 4.5 Stars Source: Christmas gift! Thanks, Mom!

Review: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

2011-02-15T08:30:00.036-06:00

Imagine this is you: Eleven years old. Alone. In charge of two younger sisters. A girl. African American. 1968. Flying for the first time on an airplane. Meeting your mother years after she’s abandoned you – who still ignores you while you stay in her house.

This is Delphine’s life. Her father is crazy for shipping her and her sisters across the country to spend their summer in Oakland with her crazy mother. Delphine and her sisters attend a summer school run by the Blank Panthers. Things get crazy as Delphine finds herself drawn into a world she fears could lead to trouble.

Delphine narrates One Crazy Summer in an immensely introspective voice. It surprised me. I loved her, and I loved her sisters Vonetta and Fern. I loved how they stuck together and how Delphine looked out for them. I even loved their fights (that poor doll). But so much introspection makes me suggest this book is for advanced young readers or tweens. One Crazy Summer reminds me of a book adults want kids to read but kids find difficult to get through. There are a lot of historical figures and the writing utilizes dialect which slows the pace for me as a reader. I imagine some kids may have a similar experience. I think it will take the right kid to appreciate the narrative since there isn’t a whole lot of action. The action did pick up a bit in the last third and I felt rewarded for having made it through the slower parts. I enjoyed the conclusion and am glad I read the book.

This book counts towards the POC Reading Challenge.

Publisher: Amistad, 2010 Pages: 218

Rating: 3.5 stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: The Little Prince Graphic Novel adaped by Joann Sfar

2011-02-13T08:30:00.028-06:00

The classic tale by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry gets a face-lift in this graphic novel adaptation. The water colors found in the original have been replaced by Sfar's more whimsical style. The little prince's big eyes give him a slightly alien look, something akin to those found in manga. The text is very close to the original with only minor changes keeping the spirit of the original story intact. I found myself partial to the original text and art-work but the graphic novel was still fun to read. The new format may appeal to wider audience as well. It's interesting to note that Sfar's work was approved by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's family. Though at first not my style of art, I find the more I look at these pages the more I like them.

Summary:"After being stranded in a desert after a crash, a pilot comes in contact with a captivating little prince who recounts his journey from planet to planet and his search for what is most important in life. For more than sixty-five years Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince has captured the hearts and minds of its readers."

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010 (first published in the U.S.)
Translator: Sarah Ardizzone Pages: 110 Rating: 3 Stars Source: Purchased

Review: Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

2011-02-11T08:05:00.002-06:00

Attention Jane Austen fans: this is a book for you! Even if you haven’t read any Austen novels you can still enjoy this story. But if you have any experience with Austen’s novels you will see elements of then throughout Polly Shulman’s Enthusiasm. I had fun identifying plot elements from Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion (the three Austen novels I’ve read). But there are allusions to all of them. The characters, Ashleigh and Julie, reference Austen’s heroines and try, sometimes successfully and other times not successfully, to imitate them.

I enjoyed this novel so I’m having a hard to telling what it was that was so great. You see, this book might be called a feel-good novel. It doesn’t push the envelope and is a sweet story with a happy ending. But I liked it! Yes, it was a tad predictable (at least for me). But that did not keep me from enjoying the story at all.

Julie and Ashleigh’s relationship was my favorite part. They seemed like a couple average girls. They are having their first serious crushes and dealing with boys for the first time. They’re not sure how exactly to act. What do you do when a boy obviously likes you but you don’t like him? You don’t want to be mean. How do you show a boy that you do like him? Without feeling like an idiot? The girls are

Summary: Julie’s best friend, Ashleigh, is an enthusiast. Julie never knows what new obsession will catch Ashleigh’s fancy, but she does know she’s likely to be drawn into the madness. Ashleigh’s latest craze is Julie’s own passion, Pride and Prejudice. But Ashleigh can’t just appreciate it as a great read; she insists on emulating the novel’s heroines, in speech, dress, and the most important element of all—finding True Love. And so Julie finds herself with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks, sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys prep school, where they discover some likely candidates. The problem with Ashleigh’s craze this time, however, is that there is only one Mr. Darcy. So when the girls get a part in the boys’ school musical, what follows is naturally equal parts comedy and romance, as a series of misinterpreted—and missed—signals, dating mishaps, and awkward incidents make Julie wonder if she has the heart for True Love.

at a tender and vulnerable age. They know it and try to be good to each other. Not all girls are “mean girls” who harbour jealousies and constantly criticize. Julie and Ashleigh are regular teens with regular issues - school, boys, parents. And I liked them for it.

Publisher: Speak, 2006 Pages: 208
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Amazon Storefront

Musings of a Grad Student: Courses and Assignments

2011-02-10T06:00:00.013-06:00

The U of Iowa Pentacrest. Click image for source.

The fourth week of spring classes is coming to a close and I have yet to post on school (for you newbies, I'm getting an M.A. in Library and Information Science).

Going into the program I had little context and very little exposure to the literature of the field. It was information overload all semester long. Now that I've got a bit of background knowledge I feel more prepared for classes and confident that I'm in the right field.

Here's the skinny on what a second semester LIS student is doing.

Class Schedule:

Monday: Database Systems - learning a little PHP and SQL. Two weeks ago I knew nothing about the creation of databases. This week I am creating my own modest database.

Wednesday: Research Methods - learning about qualitative and quantitative methods and reading theory on the subject. We will be doing our own research at some point about...something. In a few weeks.

Thursday: Resources for Young Adults - reading articles and books about young adults, their emotional/developmental needs, while reading an array of YA books. Yeah, this class is fun! There will be several reviews of books I'm reading for this class.

Work: I'm working a few hours at a library reference desk, too.

Assignments with due dates closing in on me:

-Class facilitation about (how did I get so lucky?) book reviewing and what it means for librarians. This requires reading outside of assigned texts and collaborating with teammates.

-Creating a database - it's scary because making computers do what I want is always tricky.

Review: The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown by Louise S. Robbins

2011-02-08T07:45:00.001-06:00

History, what we know of the past, is often told by the victors. Having transcribed countless interviews, faithfully scoured dusty files and coils of microfilm, Louise S. Robbins forms a more complete account of Ruth Brown’s career as a librarian. The text is a scholarly endeavor to bring about a more accurate picture of a “perfect town” that wasn’t so perfect after all. It’s a true story about racism and about standing up for what you believe. About censorship and the public library’s role towards it at a critical time in American history.

An abbreviated summary: “In 1950 Ruth W. Brown, librarian at the Bartlesville Public Library, was dismissed from her job after thirty years of exemplary service, ostensibly because she had circulated subversive materials. In truth, however, Brown was fired because she was active in a group affiliated with the Congress of Racial Equality.”

If you are interested in the civil rights movement, information and library science, libraries generally, censorship or American history I definitely recommend this book to you. It is told like an elongated form of investigative journalism and tends to be fact heavy. What I most enjoyed about Ruth Brown’s personality was how, despite her appearance, she was anything but a stereotypical librarian (especially for her day).

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 2001 Pages: 256
Rating: 3 Stars Source: purchased

People of Color Reading Challenge 2011 Sign Up

2011-02-06T13:38:00.019-06:00

My first challenge! Wooo! Ok, calming down.

What is it: "The persons of color reading challenge has been put in place to highlight and celebrate authors and characters of color." Authors and characters of color. I'm going to read that as a book about a person of color counts, too, even if it was written by a white person.

I'm signing up for Level 4: 10-15 books. Since I read several Children's/YA books I think I can handle it. Here's a potential reading list.

Children's and Young Adult Titles:

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory Christie
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose
Exposure by Mal Peet
Latasha and the Little Red Tornado by Michael Scotto
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia William
Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey
Shadow by Suzy Lee
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson
Wave by Suzy Lee
WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
Zan-Gah by Allen Richard Shickman

Adult Titles:

The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
The Broken Kingdoms by J.K. Jemisin
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave Related by Herself
Train Whistle Guitar by Albert Murray
In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.

I'll edit the list as I go and update it with links to reviews I've written. If you've reviewed any of these books feel free to leave a link in the comments below!

This challenge is complete! Read my wrap up post here.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

2011-02-05T20:30:00.002-06:00

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is what you might call a mash-up. A mash-up in literature takes one genre and inserts elements of another genre into it. In this case, we have a classic mashed with elements of parody and horror/pop-culture zombie elements. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is more of a spoof, a comedy aimed at poking fun at the original text, and not a scary tale.

Let’s compare the first lines of each book.
The original Austen: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
The Grahame-Smith version: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

Clearly, the zombie book is making fun of the boy-crazy Bennet girls who, in the original text, spend the entire novel looking for a boyfriend/spouse. In the new novel, a girl of good repute will have renowned martial arts skills which she employs to kill zombies. The zombies appear in “slow” parts of the novel – during a coach ride or during a walk. They aren’t scary

Summary: "As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is something you'll want to read and is a great book to read along with the original."

and the battle-scenes were not what I usually expect from a scary zombie or funny zombie book/movie. I think the idea behind this novel is a great one - take a classic and make it relevant to 21st century readers. But it was hard for me to finish and left me wishing I had reread the original.

For more information on mash-ups, particularly historical ficiton YA mash-ups check out this article by blogger/librarian Melissa Rabey.

Publisher: Quirk Books, 2009 Pages: 320
Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Multiculturalism at the Hop

2011-02-04T08:20:00.026-06:00

This week's Hop question asks "What are you reading now and why are you reading it?" This is an interesting question for me this week as I've chosen a book I might not normally read. I'm reading One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. I saw this book listed as the winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King Award.

I decided to give it a try because looking at my books read in 2010 I realized I had read few books with multicultural themes and especially few with African American characters. I read some Native American authored books and some Asian-American themed books. And I did read The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (realistic fiction/historical fiction type of book) and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (fantasy/romance) which have women of color for protagonists. The Help had some great black female characters. It is easy for me to just go with the flow...read books that readily appeal to me because I easily identify with white characters. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But this year I want to continue to push beyond my known world with my reading.

One reason for this is that I'm tentatively thinking about Youth Services Librarianship. Of course, I want to be familiar with books that all children/teens might like. But I also want to be familiar with books which might particularly reach out to kids with backgrounds unlike my own. Not to mention I want to know more about my country's heritage concerning race and the array of different cultures that make America what it is. So, here I am consciously reading One Crazy Summer. I'll let you know how it goes when I finish!

Writing Reviews for Readers' Advisory by Brad Hooper

2011-02-03T08:45:00.003-06:00

In Writing Reviews for Readers' Advisory Brad Hooper, the Adult Books Editor at Booklist, offers new and aspiring book reviewers pertinent advice for writing reviews that people want to read. He describes the difference between reviews and criticism and in which setting each is appropriate. In today’s busy book industry, knowing what new books have to offer is invaluable to librarians and booksellers. Pre and postpublication reviews are how book providers and book readers make many of their selections.

Emphasis is placed on writing short (around 175 word), concise, prepublication reviews meant to advise book providers. No matter the length, Hooper gives several enlightening tips on what a good review should include. For instance, Hooper advises that a good review “judges a book only against others of its ilk” (48). In other words, don’t judge a book by Danielle Steel by comparing it to one by Edith Wharton. Each author is a leader in her own genre and deserves to be compared to herself, to her own works. Good advice, right? There’s more where that came from though at times I wished Hooper went a little deeper.

Writing reviews is tricky and challenging. How do you write a review for a book you didn’t like? What aspects of a book should you highlight? Keep in mind Hooper’s advice is meant for writers reviewing for a specific audience with specific needs and not book blogging. However, I’ll be attempting to apply Hooper’s advice as I continue learning how to review. The next step according to Hooper is to read books, read reviews and write!

Publisher: American Library Association, 2010 Pages: 96

Rating: 4 Stars Source: ILL through UI Libraries

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon

2011-02-01T08:05:00.028-06:00

The Pirate of Kindergarten is a compelling story about a fun-loving girl with double vision. Through Lynne Avril's illustrations the reader sees as Ginny sees – double – which gives the reader an idea of how difficult the world is for children with vision impairments and reading disabilities. Ginny, unaware that she is different, does her best to keep up with class activities. After a vision screening she is sent to the eye doctor and given a patch to wear. Ginny embraces the patch and incorporates it into her persona as an adventurous pirate.

The book’s focus is not on the disability, not on the patch, but on the person. We see through Ginny’s eyes how it is to be affected and are able to gain an appreciation for her position. The illustrations are bright and cheerful. They show us the fullness of Ginny’s emotions. For instance, when Ginny plunges her scissors into glue we see how overwhelming the situation is for her. A cute and enlightening book for preschool to early elementary readers.

Publisher: Atheneum Books, 2010 Pages: 40
Rating: 4 Stars Source: Public Library

Review: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

2011-01-30T08:10:00.002-06:00

Ok, so this post is less of a “review” and more of a book talk. I mean, Shakespeare has been dead for how long? (395 years!) But I find this play's long-lasting fame a bit of a mystery.

There’s a lot to draw from Shakespeare’s plays especially if you read them as historical texts. It’s great fun to read the plays from a feminist perspective. The whole “women as commodities” lens is just too easy to apply. (For an in depth look at this idea read Luce Irigaray’s “Women on the Market.”) Of course, we could read through a Marxist lends or a psychoanalyst lens.

But let’s put these lenses aside and explore what a reading of Romeo and Juliet is to the modern reader who has no direct interest in Elizabethan England but just wants to read a good story. Immediately we have a problem. Romeo and Juliet is a play not a book. I think it loses its magic when there are no actors to interpret the text and put it in action.

The reading experience, having the original text side-by-side with a modern interpretation, was strange. I had to stop and read the modern version so often it severely altered the flow of the play. While it added to my understanding, the modern version lacked the linguistic beauty of the original. However, I think high school students might benefit from the modern version. If the original is just too cumbersome to read they will still get the gist of the story by reading the interpretation. But I find I prefer knowledgeable footnotes.

The story is pretty straight forward. Two powerful families are fighting and their respective son and daughter fall in love at first sight. The young lovers are unable to successfully run off together because they are kids without powerful enough connections and the romance turns tragic and they die. The families learn their lesson. End of story.

Why does Romeo and Juliet get so much attention? The story is just ok. The original prose is not as captivating as other plays. There are a couple great monologues by the two protagonists but otherwise the lines drag on. It’s a story of young love so I guess that’s why they teach it in high school. But what’s wrong with The Tempest? Or As You Like It which is much funnier?

What about you guys? Do you love Romeo and Juliet? What is your favorite Shakespeare play?

Publisher: Barron’s, 1984 Pages: 282
Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: Purchased at Walden Books (right before they closed. Boo!)

Winner!

2011-01-29T13:18:00.001-06:00

The winner of the Dusting My Bookcase giveaway is

Lah @ Lazy Girl Reads!

She'll be getting two gently used ARCs of
Numbers and Violet Wings.

Congratulations!

Anticipated Books of 2011 at the Book Blogger Hop

2011-01-28T13:55:00.002-06:00

This week's Hop question asks: "What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?"

Well, that's easy - The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner. I really enjoyed the The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials. I can't wait to see how Dashner ends the series. These book are really fun reading and great "escape" books for me.

I don't often anticipate new books. I have a hard enough time getting to older books. I generally like to wait to hear some buzz about a book by readers (such as yourselves) before I pick up something "new."

In other news, my giveaway of Numbers by Rachel Ward and Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley ends today. Sign up here if you would like to win either or both! (U.S. only) If you're hopping by, thanks for the visit! What book are you anticipating this year?

Last Chance to Win!

2011-01-28T13:23:00.001-06:00

Today is the last day to sign up to win Numbers by Rachel Ward and Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley. Open to U.S. Residents only. Not necessary to be a "follower" to enter.

If you would like to win either or both of these books fill out the form here!

Review: The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Creativity without direction, privilege without motivation, difficulty grieving, fear of isolation - these phrases define four children who are changed by a chance encounter with a library card. It’s blue, it’s plain and unmarked but somehow each child knows that the card is special. It appears at critical moments in their lives when things could easily turn for worse if no one, or nothing, intervenes. The card’s magical properties draw them to libraries they never knew existed where they encounter books and people who make a difference in their lives. In turn, the children begin to touch the lives of those around them. The Library Card is a sweet if somewhat dated homage to the power of books and librarians in the world of children.

Publisher: Scholastic, 1997 Pages: 148
Rating: 3 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope

2011-01-26T08:00:00.018-06:00

The American War of Independence takes on a whole new twist in Elizabeth Marie Pope’s classic young adult book The Sherwood Ring. Peggy lives in her uncle’s mansion, alone and bored when ancestral ghosts, dead for over a hundred years, appear to entertain her with stories of their victories and losses in battle and love during the Revolutionary War.

The young officer, Dick Grahame, eager to prove his worth in the Continental Army, is chosen by General George Washington to root out a Tory bandit, Peaceable Sherwood, who is stirring up trouble for rebel forces in New York. Like Robin of Locksley, Peaceable Sherwood is witty, cunning and altogether difficult to dislike. Sherwood slips through Grahame’s grasp time after time to Dick’s utter embarrassment.

An unlikely romance between a Rebel and Red Coat complicate Dick’s loyalty. By no coincidence (Pope loved Shakespeare), this romance mirrors that of Romeo and Juliet (without the dramatic deaths). Back in the present, Peggy is dealing with complications as Pat, a young scholar from England, pesters her uncle for family documents. Peggy’s relationship with Pat mirrors the romantic story told by the ghosts. It’s an enjoyable parallel even if it’s a bit predictable.

On the one hand, this book is completely charming and cute. There’s action, adventure, sword fights and romance. I enjoyed how the ghosts told their stories, creating a string of first person narratives to tell about a bigger picture. Yet there are some perplexing issues that arise.

Barbara Grahame is characterized as witty and sharp, a women of action, quick to think of solutions. Yet she pines hopelessly for her lover. Hmm, ok. I’m not sure what else she could have done. And Peggy, dear Peggy, what trouble’s in store for her. Pat is not particularly nice to her calling her “idiot” and “lamb” more than once and she just takes it. They hardly know each other but at the end are engaged even though Peggy is only 17. Now, I’m a proponent of young love having married at 19 but...literally, they’ve only spent hours together.

One last issue. Pat repeats how his poor salary as a history professor means Peggy will live in a tiny house looking at a bad view darning his socks once they’re married. Geesh. Not a way to woo a woman. At least not in this century. This book was published in 1958 so at first I thought “well, it all makes better sense now.” But Pope had a Ph.D. and was a college professor for over 30 years. Was the pressure to write a culturally acceptable “domesticated” female character so strong that Pope felt obliged to write Peggy this way? Peggy has NO ambition and little self esteem. I am surprised that a women with Pope’s background wrote a character like this.

P.S. A note on the cover. When I began reading it took me some time to figure out when the story took place. By the cover I thought the entire story was in the 18th or 19th century. But as I looked closer I saw Peggy is not "in" the painting yet she looks painted. Despite the otherwise droll appearance, I thought this illusion was very clever of the artist. It symbolizes Peggy's relationship with the ghosts and their past pretty well.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1986 Pages: 266
Rating: 3 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: In the Land of the Lawn Weenies by David Lubar

2011-01-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

This is one of the most beat up books I’ve ever seen at my library. A large chunk of the cover’s right corner is missing. The spine is fraying. And there is an unidentifiable substance staining the end pages. In short: this book is being loved to death. If you have reluctant readers or want quick stories to read after recess In the Land of the Lawn Weenies may be just what you’re looking for.

In the Land of the Lawn Weenies is a collection of funny, outlandish and spine-chilling short stories for kids aged 9-12. An enchanted battle ax transforms its bearer into a monomaniac intent on slaughter. Bullies are forced to face their worst nightmares. A substitute teacher revolts against jeering pupils. With its kafkaesque distortion of reality tempered with Lubar’s humor, this book will have kids laughing during the day but plugging in their nightlights before bed.

Publisher: Starscape, 2003. Pages: 240
Rating: 4 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Short Story Saturday: The Door by E.B. White

2011-01-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

So, you think you know E.B. White, huh? Charlotte’s Web. Stuart Little. Both classic children’s stories. Who doesn’t love Wilbur? Well, creativity knows no bounds. Prepare yourself for an entirely different side of this beloved American author.

“The Door”

by E.B. White (1899-1985)

It should take about 7-8 minutes to read.

After reading the story what do you feel? What do you think? What are the words that come to mind?

Are you feeling confused? Perhaps a bit uneasy? Maybe even chuckling to yourself or thinking “huh, what was that?” Then not to worry. You totally got the story.

White takes us through a tormented mind and makes the reader experience the madness of the character. The reader begins to go crazy trying to keep up with the shifting point of view as the male protagonist describes modern life as a rat maze. We have so many choices but how real is our control? Can the chaos of life be conquered? Is reality what we make of it or, is reality out there regardless of whether or not we see clearly - that curb coming up to meet our foot? This story, first published in The New Yorker in 1939, is a great example in the shift from modernism to postmodernism in literature.

Not your average barnyard tale is it? I hope you enjoyed “The Door.” I’d love to hear your thoughts on the story!

50 Great Short Stories, pages 348-353.

Publisher: Bantam Classics, 2005

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Review: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

2011-01-18T08:00:00.058-06:00

The Reader examines adolescence, pubescence and sexuality while questioning what it means to be a grandchild of Nazi Germany. What should they feel towards elders who went along with or participated in the Nazi regime. What responsibility should they place on parents who were relatively powerless and did nothing. Are justice and assigning blame the same thing?

The Reader is not concerned with answering these questions as much as it is with pointing out the complexity of the situation made more complex by the protagonist’s teenage love affair with a strange women twice his age with a murky past.

In the first part, the protagonist, Michael, is sexually assaulted but goes back for more. Calling it a love affair is misleading. It’s infatuation to the extreme. The second book revolves around the woman’s trial for alleged war crimes. The “twist” is that she is illiterate and had this been publicly known would have exonerated her. Who would go to prison for life rather than admit they can’t read? Totally unbelievable for me but then again I’ve had the luxury of an education. The third part continues with Michael’s selfish introspection on the the woman’s importance to him and how her absence is why he never had a stable relationship...whine, whine, whine. Slightly more thoughts on the role of his generation towards their parents.’ Dull writing screwed this book over. If the prose had been beautiful in German it did not translate well.

What are we to take away from The Reader? Michael’s selfishness and moral misgivings prevent him from forgiving the woman enough to genuinely demonstrate his love for her. He makes it clear there will always be a barrier separating them - one he feels neither he nor anyone else can remove. Is this supposed to be symbolic of the divide between generations? Any thoughts?

Another thing that struck me is the lack of forgiveness in this novel. Blame and punishment are doled out. Regrets are voiced. But not much forgiveness. How can one who is wronged heal if he cannot forgive? How can one who has wronged another be changed if they never ask for forgiveness? Saying "I'm sorry" is easy. Saying, "Will you please forgive me" is hard. It puts oneself at the mercy of another. Does Hanna, the woman, ever really ask for forgiveness? Does she ever receive forgiveness?

Publisher: Vintage, 2008 Pages: 218
Rating: 2.5 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

2011-01-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

Forgive me if this post seems a little…phony. Apparently, since I’m an adult it can’t be helped. Or so says Holden Caulfield, teenage wise guy extraordinaire. Did you ever wish as a child that you would never grow up? I know I did. I thought life was as close to perfect as it was going to get and any change could only be bad.

Holden is experiencing this fear of change, too, but on a grander scale. He’s lost his little brother to cancer, a friend has committed suicide and he’s failing school. He is growing up and can’t put adulthood off much longer. Life is sucking. This is where we find Holden when the book opens.

While Holden thinks that nobody understands him countless readers have identified with him throughout the book’s life. The first time I read The Cather in the Rye I disliked it. It was hard for me to feel sorry for a spoiled rich boy who can’t seem to think of anyone but himself. On my second read, I was surprised to find how funny and perceptive Holden is. Granted, his views are tainted with teenage angst and attitude. But much of what Holden perceives as “phony” does warrant criticism. The problem is, Holden has trouble seeing his own phoniness.

The Cather in the Rye brings mortality to the present. Death is always in the future tense (especially for teens) - I will die...in a distant future so far I never need to think about it. However, death is always around us and cares not for time frames. The good news is death tends to leave life in it’s wake. When you’re grieving, though, the circle-of-life kind of theorizing doesn’t help much. For many survivors who have lost loved ones, life can feel phony.

What Holden experiences is far from phony. Perhaps Holden is not typical, but certainly his experiences with friends, teachers, parents, sexuality and death have an undercurrent of truth which reflect many reader’s feelings.

Publisher: Little, Brown, 2001 Pages: 277
Rating: 3.5 Stars Source: IC Public Library

Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

2011-01-11T08:00:00.071-06:00

I’m going to go out on a limb and declare that, despite the general raving about this text in the blogosphere and elsewhere, I did not like The Handmaid’s Tale.

The fictional regime, “looking out” for women, screws them over and the majority seems to go along with it. Really? It felt like I was reading about Iran's current government, not America. The American attitude about individuals' rights is so ingrained in us that I really don’t ever see something as incredible as Atwood’s dystopia ever existing here, thank goodness. Anywho, the plausibility factor was at zero for me concerning the plot in The Handmaid’s Tale.

As a dysopian novel, all the factors were there. An uber terrifying government and a brainwashed, messed up society: check.

Summary: "Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gildead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in a age of declinning births, Offred and the other Handmiads are valued only if their ovaries are viable.

Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

Funny, unexpeted, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force."

A character getting the boot from said society who knows there's soemthing wrong: check. Crushing of said character's soul: check. Atwood is great with description. Maybe too great. There was at least one disgusting, revolting description of the handmaid's "ceremony," a.k.a. having sex with the Commander while his wife is present to demonstrate her consent (gag). It's graphic and bizarre. I wanted to see Offred revolt and burn the house down.

Spoiler Alert! **************************************************************************
I kept reading to see what, if anything, Offred was going to do. The ending was, I felt, very disappointing. Rescue? By the chauffeur/Offred’s sex outlet? Realistically, she would have been apprehended, killed, whatever. The text leaves a teeny tiny bit of room to believe Offred was caught while escaping but most everything points towards her success.
End Spoiler ***************************************************************************
As a cautionary tale about protecting the rights we women have it somewhat succeeded. As a story it was boring and unbelievable. The writing was just ok (Offred's point of view didn't endear her to me). I’m not completely turned off by Atwood though and suspect I might like her other books. She certainly has imagination and a flare for description (another reason why I kept reading). My suggestion: skip The Handmaid’s Tale and read 1984. It will be much more rewarding and interesting.

Publisher: Harcourt, 1998 Pages: 320
Rating: 2 Stars Source: Purchased through Amazon Storefront