When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

Carver County Library, paperback, 336 pages

Book club meets tonight and now I understand why everyone's been asking, "Have you read it yet?!" This was really good! The question of why Reese was trying to hide out was answered well. Emma's back story was doled out in small portions. Annie, Cindy, Davis, Charlie, Termite, Sal Cohen, . . . they were all memorable characters. The ending surprised me a bit (with a twist before the expected conclusion). I loved it when Charlie produced one last letter from Emma. This was a beautiful book. One I'd consider purchasing and owning. I will also put his other titles on my "to read" list.

Miracle of 49th Street by Mike Lupica

Audiobook on 5 CDs, Hennepin County Library

This was so much like "Between Sundays" by Karen Kingsbury that I found myself laughing at the cliche'. A mom dies, leaving a child who has never known his / her pro athlete parent. The child informs the parent, who goes through denial, exploration, and becomes a loving and devoted parent to the child he never knew existed. Right.

Only this story bugged me even more than Kingsbury's version because Molly (the child) is such a brat. Again, maybe the reader's voice swayed my opinion (though she did a splendid job!) but I just wanted to smack Molly upside the head. And how many superstar athletes with a reputation for self-centeredness would keep a housekeeper who mommed them to death? And then spend excessive quantities of time and attention on a 12-year-old who showed up out of the blue. Whatever.

When I've recommended this book to kids, I've done it on the strength of Lupica's reputation as a sports writer and the image of the girl with the basketball on the cover. This book will NOT appeal to my typical sports fans. It's definitely a relationship story (with a bratty, immature girl as the main character). Yuk.

Okay, what did I like??? The housekeeper Mattie rocks. She is the best part of this whole story!

Beethoven's Hair by Russell Martin

Carver County Library, hardcover, 276 pages

This is one of those books that I really should NOT have forced myself to finish. I picked it up about two months ago because it looked intriguing. The subtitle is "An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved."

It really is about Beethoven's hair.

Specifically, a chunk of it that Ferdinand Hiller cut from the composer's corpse soon after he died. This book chronicles the chunk of hair and has more to say about Hiller and his family than it does about Ludwig van Beethoven. The parts that do actually talk about Beethoven make him sound like a hideous human being, rude and self-absorbed. He was chronically ill and incredibly selfish.

Yet the author clearly reveres the composer, including descriptions like this: "the greatest composer Europe ever had known." Mozart who? This book's intended audience seems to be people who already adore the composer and want to know more. For me, it was a turnoff. Now I wish I didn't know more about him . . .

My favorite part was when the author wrote about the work of one of the modern-day scientists who tested the hair. This scientist has done chemical analysis on the hair of prison inmates (and their non-violent siblings), looking for differences in the chemical makeup. Some of his findings sound very interesting for learning more about how chemicals affect behavior.

It was also interesting that they conclude that Beethoven's many documented illnesses were most likely due to lead poisoning. Overall, though, I wish I'd returned it to the library unread a month and a half ago.

The Lost Boy by Globe Fearon

When we pulled this out of the box from Mackin, Sara and I both thought "huh?!" Did I accidently order this instead of another copy of Pelzer's story with the same name? I still haven't checked my original list, but I took this one home to read anyhow.

It's written at about a second or third grade level, but is about a seventeen-year-old who's torn between basketball, his job with his uncle, and helping a homeless boy. It's clean and has a positive message. I think some of our students will appreciate this title.

It's book 7 in a series, but I'm not buying others unless I have students who want them.

Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine
CMSW, hardcover, 232 pages

I re-read this because it's been quite a few years. I remembered truly enjoying this Cinderella re-telling, but then seeing the movie & being disappointed. My memory serves me well - this book is delightful! Blessed / cursed with obedience, Ella is compelled to obey every command. I love this book! The movie, however, is dopey and a waste of time.

TinTin and Alph-Art

by Herge'
CMSW 62 pages

A graphic novel in progress at the time of the author's death, this book is an intriguing look into the creative process. The rough sketches show the development of the storyline and the French text intrigues. Fortunately, the person who published this book gave us a nice translation of the pictures and words into a cohesive story (for the most part - the ending's abrupt). What a delightful book!

I'm having fun seeing the Copper Cougar kids get excited about reading the TinTin books. Some kids don't "get" them, but many others have found a wonderful new source of reading entertainment.

On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God

by Louise Rennison
Performed by Sina Nielsen
5 CDs, Hennepin County Library

Okay, I just didn't enjoy this one at much. It still made me laugh out loud at parts, and I love Nielsen's delightful delivery, but the story is based on a character who is less than admirable.

Georgia Nicholson is probably the worst friend ever - and I include the vapid Princess Diary books in this. She is selfish and cruel, caring not at all for her best friend's thoughts or feelings. When she dumped "Dave the laugh," it was just another example of her selfishness and shallowness.

Still, a lot of the humor is self-deprecating and terribly funny. As Georgia fixates on Robbie, she loses track of herself. Not sure yet if I want to "read" the next book.

My favorite part to this one was again due to Georgia's interactions with her little sister. Too funny! And the parts about Angus amused me, too.

Georgia's attempts to "get stuff" from God or Buddha or whomever will give her what she wants just add to her "mememe" mentality.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

by Louise Rennison
Performed by Stina Nielsen
5 CDs (5 hours) from Hennepin County Library

I hadn't read this in a very long time. It still makes me laugh out loud! It doesn't seem to appeal to my students much - I wonder if the British slang and humor puts them off, or if they just don't like the story. It is a bit abrasive and abrupt at times.

My favorite laugh-out-loud part was when Georgia was taking her little sister for a walk and she ran into Robbie, her "sex god." When her three-year-old sister says, "Georgia had a big poo this morning," the embarrassment inherent in the situation just glares. What an adolescent angst story. Too fun.

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

by Sid Jacobson & Ernie Colon
Carver County Library, 131 pages

What an interesting book! I could never have read the actual Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. But this graphic novel communicated the salient info in an interesting manner. This would be a wonderful discussion book . . . I'm still mulling over what I read. It would be interesting to get the commission's opinion on what has happened (and not happened) in the four years since they published their findings. I wonder if the different government agencies are working together any better than they used to.