Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier
PRMS hardcover 198 pages
genre: YA graphic novel memoir

Love her work! This one tells of a roadtrip with mom, Raina, little sister, and little brother. Delightful mix of humor and pathos. Wonderful artwork and storytelling. Another growing-up gem!

Stolen

by Lucy Christopher
PRMS paperback 299 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

Again, I can't believe how long it took me to read this. Gemma is kidnapped from a major airport by a handsome young man who drugs her and takes her away to the Australian outback. I liked the camel, the rocky outcropping area, and her growing awareness of him as a human being. Didn't really care for most of the story, though. Was it "about" Stockholm syndrome? Appreciating what you have? Being more aware? Creepy people have lives, too? Not sure how I'd booktalk this . . . but I'm sure there are some readers who would thoroughly enjoy it.

The Waiting: the true story of a lost child, a lifetime of longing, and a miracle for a mother who never gave up

by Cathy LaGrow and Cindy Coloma
Hennepin County Libary hardcover 311 pages
genre: biographical

Amazing! I read a review of this book somewhere and put it on my library requests list. By the time I got it, I had mostly forgotten about it. I had tears streaming down my face for the last hundred pages . . .

Minka was a shy sixteen-year-old when she got to go on a sewing class picnic in August 1928. Used to the hard work on her stepfather's dairy farm, the picnic was a huge treat. She had even sewn a new dress to wear! Toward the end of the picnic, Minka and another quiet girl, Clara, went for a walk around the lake. The girls were accosted and raped by some older men. Neither girl told a soul . . . but Minka's mother guessed when the teenager didn't have any rags in the laundry that fall.

The story of her pregnancy, giving up her daughter for adoption, and her life until she saw her again at age 94 is stunning and worthwhile reading. I would recommend this to anyone! I would even consider buying a copy to own and re-reading it. What an amazing woman.

I love, love, love the cover pic (of Minka's actual hands holding the only photo of her with her baby Betty Jane):

The Revenge of Seven

by Pittacus Lore
personal hardcover 371 pages
genre: fantasy

It took me longer to read this than I anticipated. I like reading them in quick succession so that the story sticks together better . . . and I may go back in and write in the name of the character for each chapter. The different fonts and the "voice" aren't enough. I will impatiently wait for the next book, but was pleased with many of the surprises in this one. Ella was the best . . . and Sam's surprise at the end. Next book, please!

Two Boys Kissing

by David Levithan
read by the author
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
genre: teen realistic fiction, relationships

I couldn't even get past disc one. . . not enough of the *stories* of Craig and Harry, Peter and Neil, Avery and Ryan . . . and too much of the historical and cultural perspective on teen and young adult homosexual relationships and how much has changed in the past few decades. I know I'm not his target audience, but this just didn't appeal even from a "story" perspective. The back flap gives more info:

The Whipping Boy

by Sid Fleischman
read by Spike McClure
Hennepin County Library audiobook 2 discs
genre: YA historical fiction, adventure

Re-read / listen. Jemmy the rat-catcher's son learns to read and write when he lives in the palace. Whenever he gets a beating for the prince's misbehavior, he refuses to cry out in pain, antagonizing the prince. Jemmy values the literacy he gains more than the fine clothes and good food, but plans his escape nonetheless. When Prince "Brat" informs Jemmy that they are running away together, Jemmy goes along so that he can ditch the prince as quickly as possible. They run into nefarious criminals Hold-Your-Nose Billy (garlic eater) and Cutwater and get further and further into trouble. Prince Brat really just wants a friend and clings to Jemmy as he realizes how very disliked he is throughout the kingdom.

They run into Betsy and her dancing bear Petunia, as well as the near-sighted Captain Nips (potato seller) on their run from the villains. A delightful short novel (novella?) and a fun one to share with kids. McClure's vocal work is excellent.

Lock and Key

by Sarah Dessen
Hennepin County Library audioCD 10 discs
read by Rebecca Soler
genre: YA realistic fiction

This was a much more gripping story than I anticipated. Ruby has been living alone for a few months since her mom took off. She has been pretending that everything is "fine," even though the heat doesn't work, the cockroaches are rampant, and she has to get water from the bathroom to do any cooking in the kitchen. When social services take her away to put her in the care of her sister Cora, the seventeen-year-old decides to take off after everyone is in bed. But when she tries to jump a fence that leads to the neighbor's pool area and Roscoe the dog barks like crazy, Ruby ends up with a new definition for the word family.

Poignant, painful, and very real . . . Nate and his dad, a new classmate and her cousin Lainie, Cora and her husband Jamie, the high-strung jewelry artist who hires her, . . . this is a mature story about relationships and humans learning to trust. Soler's vocal work was stellar.

Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought)

by Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
PRMS hardcover 94 pages
genre: non-fiction

This was entertaining and easy reading, but not a very good source of information for history day. This would be good for someone who isn't sure about their topic choice, especially if they are interested in strong women. The info is interesting and accurate (I believe), but none of the people are written about in-depth. From Cleopatra to Elizabeth I to Rigoberta Menchu, I knew of most of the women featured, but learned about a few new ones.

The Naturals

by Jennifer Barnes
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Amber Faith
genre: YA murder mystery fiction

This is like Criminal Minds with teenagers. The premise is that the FBI has a small group of "naturals" - two profilers, one who can "read" emotions, one who can analyze evidence like a computer, and one who is a natural lie detector. When Cassandra (Cassie) Hobbes joins the other teenagers, she is taken aback by her inability to hide what she is thinking and feeling. In the five years since her mother's disappearance, she has perfected the art of being "fine."

Leah - liar, sneak, gorgeous chameleon, very protective of Dean, on and off relationship with Michael
Sloan - human computer, petite, Cassie's roommate
Dean - father was a serial killer, he's the other profiler, initially wants to have nothing to do with Cassie
Michael - gorgeous, rich, can read emotions but is effective at hiding his true self

Love interests, murder cases, danger lurking around every corner. I don't want to even hint at the heart of the story because to ruin the ending would defeat the purpose of reading the book! Cassie was too much of a wimp for me, but it was a compelling story (enough that I'll read book two if/when it comes out).

Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy

by Tui T. Sutherland
PRMS donation paperback 304 pages
genre: fantasy

I read this (not sure where it came from) because one of the YAC books is #5 in this series and none of my kids wants to read that without reading 1-4. Not sure I want to buy all the books in the series (since my budget for the year is almost gone) . . . but I enjoyed this. It reminded me a lot of the Warriors books, but with dragons instead of cats. Lots of "clans" - SkyWing, MudWing, NightWing, etc. Lots of fighting, the young trying to find their place in the world.

Clay
Sunny
Glory
Starflight
Tsunami

Clay is the clear focus of this first book. I'm going to booktalk this to my 8th grade book club first and then see if there is interest in the series.

A Clockwork Orange

by Anthony Burgess
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Tom Hollander

At first, listening to the author's note, I was really intrigued. Why had the American publishers (back in 1962) agreed to publish Burgess' book, but without the final chapter? He purposely wrote it with three parts, seven chapters each . . . and allowed it to be published in the U.S. without the final chapter. Stanley Kubrick's film was based on this shorter version. The rest of the world knows the original UK version (even the international translations were based on the full work). This is another of those titles that I've heard of for decades, but never read or watched.

Oh my. I kept having to pause the story because it was / is so awful. I was aware that it was a work filled with violence, but it was too horrible to listen to. My curiosity kept me going and I'm glad that I've "read" the whole thing, but I will definitely never see the movie!

I was intrigued by Burgess' choice to use a made-up language. I am fascinated by language and found myself doing two things: one, "translating" as I listened and two, having some of the words like "malenky" crop up in my mind. Words like "ultraviolence" and "horrorshow" were used throughout, as well as:
cancer = cigarette / rot = mouth / lunar = moon / viddy = see / sluishy? = hear / smeck = laugh . . . I should just find a website with a glossary. I'm sure one exists. This playing with the language fascinated me. It was horrifying too . . . "the old in-out, in-out" referring to sex was awful when I knew he was raping someone (especially when he drugged the two ten-year old girls). The cruelty - downright evil - of these amoral marauding teenagers was really, really hard to read.

On 11/19/14, I made a note at a stoplight while listening in my car. This was part two when he went to prison. He was fifteen years old!!! I cannot fathom a group of young teens doing this kind of destruction. When he's in prison, he "befriends" the chaplain and spends time playing music for the services and reading the Bible. He is mostly doing this to avoid some of the nastier parts of prison, but also because the adults see his "reform" and he hopes to get out earlier than his sentence of 18 years. As he reads the Bible, he prefers the Old Testament with all it's fighting and smiting. When he is finally talked into reading the New Testament, he fantasizes about helping to torture Christ.

In part two, he agrees to a treatment that involves conditioning him to feel sick at the mere thought of violence. In part three, he is adjusting to life outside of prison and is taken in by revolutionaries who are protesting the government. I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone who hasn't read it and wishes to . . . but it is truly fascinating in many regards. But horrible, too. And pretty darn depressing if this is what Burgess thought the world was coming to . . .

I'll probably add more to this entry later. I got the print version because I need to return the audiobook. It took me a long time and a lot of renewals to get through it! The narrator's voice was excellent! He really captured the essence of the story and communicated very effectively. Alex's concern that his "droogs" were looking to usurp him as leader, his realization of whose house he was at for recovery after a beating, . . . so much happening in this fairly short book.

22 December 2014
I've had the "restored" print version for over three weeks and I am not eager to re-visit this work. I read the editor's introduction and am again fascinated by what Burgess has done with this book. The use of Nadsat as a created language is fascinating. Burgess' drug references and culture were apparently *not* adopted by Kubrick into the screen version. The number of artists (musicians especially) who reference A Clockwork Orange is astonishing.

I love the quotation from Shakespeare which opens the book. "I would that there were no age between ten and three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the rest; for there is nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, fighting . . . "(from The Winter's Tale, act III scene 3)

The only known chapter of a non-fiction work on the use of brainwashing written by Burgess was found in 2012 and is included in this book. I didn't take the time to read it . . . too much to do and I'm ready to move on. At least now I better understand allusions to this novel.

What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

by Sonya Sones
PRMS paperback 291 pages
genre: YA prose poetry, romance, realistic fiction

I often recommend Sones' books to my students, but this is only the second one I've read. Told from the boy's point of view, this is a "response" of sort to the Sophie story What My Mother Doesn't Know. Robin Murphy can't believe he is dating Sophie Stein and he worries that she will dump him. When their romance continues, but her former friends start being cruel toward her, he wonders what he should do. He is a talented artist and making friends with other artists at Harvard (he's a high school freshman). That was my favorite part of the story . . . his artwork and the cartooning that he and Sophie did together.

page 168

And Even if I Did Tell Them

They'd probably just say something like,
"We trust you implicitly."

And you know what's really annoying about that?
They actually do trust me.

And, frankly, that pisses me off.
Because, I mean, I'm a teenager.

They aren't supposed
to trust me.

But it's like they think I'm such a loser
that I'd never do anything wrong.

Which sort of makes me feel
like doing something wrong.

Just to show them.


Ah, teenagers. This book reminds me of where they're at developmentally and emotionally. It was a quick read. I removed it from the collection because it's too tattered. I think I have another copy on the shelf. Prose poetry really works well for some readers. Mostly because there's less text on the page . . .

Greetings from the Flipside

by Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay
Hennepin County Library paperback 307 pages
genre: Christian fiction, realistic

This was a much lighter read than usual. Hope Landon is finally getting married and OUT of Poughkeepsie, NY. But when her fiance' stands her up on her wedding day, she runs out to the parking lot in a soaking rain . . . and the story diverges. In one thread, she is comatose in a hospital. In the other, she is living the life she dreamed of, going to New York City and getting a job at a greeting card company.

I like the background info on Poughkeepsie, especially the part about the game Scrabble and its literal meaning.
I laughed that the honeymoon trip gift from her mom was a trip to Idaho - especially after we had talked about what Idaho does and does NOT offer for visitors. (Makes me think of Stacie J and smile.)

page 47 - I'm struck by the description of her mother's run-down house. The "garage door hasn't worked since 1992" . . . some of us can relate! I love her observation that "I guess everyone needs their mothers when they're in a crisis." Yep. Miss my mom.

". . . give the ComicCon guys a shot, because you and I both know that Nerd is super-hot right now."

page 65, while talking to her pregnant friend Becca, "her belly is swollen with new life growing inside, which changes the chemistry in women's brains to believe they have insight into all life, in any form, in any predicament, regardless of their own life experience. It doesn't say that in What to Expect When You're Expecting, but I'm certain a lot of men can confirm my suspicions."

There were a lot of great laugh lines. Page 248 when her mother shows up in the NYC (coma) work place and grabs hands with all the employees . . . "'Lord!' Everyone but me ducks because nobody ever expects someone's first word in a prayer to sound like the shriek of a vulture."

And despite her mom's habit of praying in a somewhat crazy, super-loud manner, page 304 has a great observation. "Maybe I just saw what my life might have been if I hadn't had a mom who prayed so much for me."

The Hundred-Year House

by Rebecca Makkai
Hennepin County Library hardcover 335 pages
genre: hard to place - realistic, historical, . . .

I read a review of this book that intrigued me, was on the waiting list for a long time, and had to read it within the three weeks alloted by the public library because there are 37 people still waiting for it!

"In this brilliantly conceived, ambitious, and deeply rewarding novel, Rebecca Makkai unfolds a generational saga in reverse, leading the reader back in time on a literary scavenger hunt as we seek to uncover the truth about these strange people and this mysterious house."

Beginning in 1999, the story focuses on Zee, her husband Doug, her mother Gracie and husband Bruce, and the "Texans" who show up - Cole (Bruce's son) and wife Miriam.

Part II is set in 1955 and focuses on Grace, George, "Max," and Amy. I can't really write what I want to because that would be incredible spoiler material. Actually, my brain is still having a tough time untangling all the threads.

Part III is set in 1929 and focuses on the artists' colony and all the artists themselves. Gamaliel Devohr plans to shut it down and they are determined to keep it open.

Part IV is set in 1900 and is quite short. The house is being planned and we finally, briefly, meet Violet.

I almost feel like re-reading the entire book to have the pieces fit better in my mind! It is an intriguing story. I marked page 172 where Grace is thinking about why she loves the attic so much. "She figured she loved it for the reason we always love attics, for the reason they figure in our dreams: because they are the hidden rooms where we store our pasts. Where we stick the things we can't bear to throw away but hope we never have to see again."

I also marked page 331 - "What is the opposite of memory? What is the inverse of an echo?"

I love how the house is the main character throughout the story. I love the mystery of who's who and what's what. I would have liked to know even more about Violet and many of the other characters.


Spoiler:
(I have to make note of this!)
The poet, Edwin "Eddie" Parfitt faked his suicide by drowning in Wisconsin. He actually came back to Laurelfield (the house) and took on the persona of Max, the caretaker. When Amy had George's baby (I presume) - they named her Zee after Zilla - and they raised her as though they were George and Grace Grant. So Doug trying so hard to learn more about the poet Edwin Parfitt was futile . . . his own wife had been raised by him! And Gracie could have given him first-person perspective on his life and work.

My Friend Dahmer

by Derf Backderf
CMSE paperback 214 pages
genre: graphic novel, non-fiction

Told through the author's memories, interviews with others who knew Dahmer in the 1970s, and with research, Backderf tells the story of the Jeff Dahmer he knew as a teenager growing up in Ohio. It isn't as horrid as I had expected, but it is disturbing that Dahmer didn't seem to make strong positive connections to any human beings as a young man. Neither of his parents seemed to know what was going on with their son. Enlightening and sad, this isn't a book that I will get for my collection, but it isn't sensationalistic . . . it would actually be a really good one for teachers to read. We are already aware of kids who struggle to fit in or have unusual interests, but this is a wake-up call to what can happen when no one intervenes.

Mexican Whiteboy

by Matt de la Pena
PRMS hardcover 247 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age, baseball

Liked:

• Danny as a character, struggling with his identity (not "white" enough at his school, not "Mexican" enough with his relatives)
• the baseball! Great descriptions of his pitching and hitting and competition
• his cousin Sofie and how tuned in she was to him

Disliked:

• so many different characters . . . hard to keep them all straight! Ray, Tommy, Cecilia, Raul, Lolo, Liberty, Randy, Carmen, Raquel, Angela, Bee, Juanita, Flaca, Guita, Uno, Chico, Manny, etc. AND many of them have multiple nicknames, too
• more drug and alcohol references than I'm comfortable with . . .
• somewhat confusing story line. Not sure how this works for middle schoolers, but there were times it made me go back to figure out what was going on

Overall, this is an amazing story. It follows Danny as he goes to spend the summer with his relatives. His white mom is in San Francisco with her new boyfriend and her daughter. His Mexican dad . . . well, that's part of the story. Danny is a wonderful, complex character.

Shades of Blue

by Karen Kingsbury
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Roxanne Hernandez
genre: Christian realistic fiction

I read this over a month ago, but found notes on it by my computer area. Apparently, I never blogged it. I think the reader's voice was fine, but the story bugged me. It dragged on too long and had too much navel-gazing. Brad Cutler, the main character, is ready to marry the girl of his dreams (coincidentally the daughter of his boss) but he is stuck. Memories from his past are causing him to reflect on what it means to do the right thing. His first love, Emma, was deeply hurt by Brad and he never apologized. Laura, the fiancee', does most of the navel-gazing that bugged me, but both Brad and Emma chew up their tortured thoughts for many pages as well.

My notes:
- repetitive. THREE TIMES (at least), the author writes of Brad something to the tune of "He wanted to turn back time, but he couldn't." (Repeat.)
- text or reader? (I was trying to figure out which was bugging me most.)
- irritating
- Mega-anti-abortion / I can think of people who would love this book simply for that reason!
- Very positive on Scripture and the power of prayer. Emma's students and their situations were my favorite parts of this book.
- Excellent as an anti-abortion "manifesto" - I actually wrote that. Hmmm.
- WAY too introspective
- foot washing - I love this act of love, even though Laura and her attitude were bugging me.
- I love Gavin as a character (along with Frankie and Kristin)
- the author's "forever in fiction" program is neat. Love that!

This One Summer

by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki (cousins)
YAC book paperback 319 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, coming-of-age

Rose and her parents are heading to Awago Beach for the summer, just like they always do. Only things feel different this summer. There's a tension that Rose doesn't know how to deal with. She and her younger friend Windy are in that painful gap between childhood and adulthood. As they check out horror movies at the convenience store and listen in on the older teenagers' dramas, they are both drawn toward and horrified by some of the messages they see and hear. This has some swearing and mature content, but is very appropriate for a serious-minded teen.

Added 8.11.15
I re-read this for Litwits 2015. I concur with my earlier (11.3.14) comments. The "F" word was used more than I remembered, and the artwork is sometimes confusing but overall this is a solid coming-of-age graphic novel. A bit edgy for some of my middle schoolers, but realistic as Rose's parents deal with marital issues and Rose isn't sure how to handle it all.

Mindset: the New Psychology of Success

also subtitled: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential
by Carol Dweck, PhD
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by ??? I don't remember and the jacket doesn't list her name!
genre: non-fiction

I am still on the last disc, but need to get this back to the library. I requested this in June or July and just got it three weeks ago. There's still a long waiting list!

Interesting . . . I won't go back and re-listen to the first part of disc one, but I know the author is not the reader. I even made a note in my car. "Reader voices - Dweck yuk." She did her own intro and it was almost painful to listen to her! I was/am so glad that the professional reader did the rest of the book. I'm kind of surprised that her name isn't listed on the jacket!

I loved the first quarter of this! People who read it over the summer said it was dull and not worth the time to read. I was pleasantly surprised by the power of having a growth mindset vs. a fixed mind set (something I'm too often guilty of). There were times when I thought I should get this audiobook for my dad . . . would he "get" it? The characteristics of a classic fixed mindset - blaming, perfectionism, etc. . . . SO him! (And me, too often, I admit.)

I made a note on bullies vs. victims. I had a bit of a problem with this section. It seemed to me that Dweck overgeneralized. The examples that she gave about Columbine almost made it sound as though Klebold and Harris were taunted mercilessly and their tormentors were never reprimanded. That contradicts what I've read about the situation. I don't think of those two teens as "victims."

When she did the section on athletes, I thought "Enough!" She went on and on and on . . . it wasn't only a long section; it was repetitive. This was definitely overkill. I wonder if it's because she found it the most interesting, or she thought her readers would.

The section on teaching (this is the problem with not having a print copy - I don't remember the chapter titles and don't have time now to look them up) was mostly on parenting and coaching (more athletics!). There was a little on teachers like me, but not nearly as much as I'd have liked. I can take the basic ideas and try to foster the growth mindset (or actively teach my students about it) but she didn't do as much here as I'd have liked.

Some of her generalizations and extrapolations (especially in the section on relationships) were pretty wild. I know she's done a lot of research, but humans are complex (not just Bobby Knight being "complicated") and have many factors playing on their decisions and actions.

Overall, I'm really glad I "read" it. It made me realize how much of a fixed mindset I tend to have and how limiting that is.

Love and Other Perishable Items

by Laura Buzo
Hennepin County Library hardcover 243 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, romance

Told through the writings of 15-year-old Amelia and 21-year-old Chris, this story is set in Sydney, Australia. Amelia gets a job cashiering at a grocery store. She feels like an odd duck - she doesn't smoke (hates it, in fact) and is too young to go to the pub. She loves chatting with Chris. He is interesting, charismatic, and smart. Over the course of time, she falls in love with him but is held back by the gap between their ages and her social awkwardness.

Lovely story, but a little too alcohol-focused for me. I don't think I'll buy it for PRMS, but it is a nice coming-of-age story that kept my attention.

Coaltown Jesus

by Ron Koertge
Hennepin County Library hardcover 122 pages
genre: YA prose poetry, realistic fiction

Walker's brother Noah is dead and neither Walker nor his mother have really come to terms with it. When Walker cries out a prayer, Jesus shows up and talks with him. This Jesus is much more earthy than Walker anticipates, but their conversations and interactions effect change in Walker's life.

This is a super quick read (122 pages of prose poetry!) yet there is a lot going on. Still contemplating a purchase of it for PRMS.

I Lived on Butterfly Hill

by Marjorie Agosin
YAC book hardcover 454 pages
genre: YA historical fiction

What I liked about this book: the cultural aspect (set primarily in Chile during Pinochet's revolution, though he is not named), the relationships (friends, family, neighbors), some of the lovely details (the pelicans, the houses, etc.)

I tried really hard to like the book as a whole, but it took me longer than normal to read it due to its slow pacing and contemplative tone. Celeste Marconi is a very young protagonist (eleven years old at the start, but even later as a fourteen-year-old, she comes across as very young) and she has a childlike reaction to so many things that she encounters. There were some nice moments in the book, but I can't enthusiastically recommend it to other readers.

The Testing

by Joelle Charbonneau
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Elizabeth Morton
genre: YA dystopian

I thought this story was okay. The premise seems a bit of a stretch . . . seven wars have devastated the earth, poisoning the water, land, and creatures. The people who survived are trying to revitalize the land. So . . . each colony's best and brightest students are sent to Tosu City for the testing. The testing is barbaric and weeds out young people who err by letting them die horrible, violent deaths.

It's kind of like a Hunger Games with more strategy and lying. I have more notes out in my car. I'll probably update this entry, but it's not worth a lot of effort. It kept my attention and now I know how to booktalk it. I may or may not read books 2 and 3 . . .

Thief of Glory

by Sigmund Brouwer
Hennepin County Library paperback 319 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I loved this! I can hardly wait until Monday for our book club discussion! And I cannot believe that I've never heard of this author before. I need to get more of his books!

I don't want to spoil this for those who haven't read the book, so I'll be brief here. Set in the Dutch East Indies (now called Indonesia), a young boy named Jeremiah has his world turned upside down in a day. He meets and falls instantly in love with Laura Jansen. He also meets and instantly loathes Georgie Smith. Soon after, the Japanese take over the island and put all the Dutch men into work camps. The Dutch women and children are held in a small, barbed wire-enclosed camp guarded by Japanese soldiers with guns. This story is told with such vivid language - the sights, sounds, experiences, and emotions are powerful. The scene with the python - incredible! I was holding my breath!

The things I did NOT like:
- The author uses so much foreshadowing that there were times I felt that I already knew where the book would end. Enough already! Just tell the story.
- The cover image . . . is that woman supposed to be Laura? Elspeth? What is she symbolizing there?

Possible spoilers:
page 228-9 - I love the way that Sophie responded to young Jeremiah's doubts, questions, and frustrations with God and faith. "I understand," she said. "It is sometimes difficult, with evil around, to believe in what is good."

 page 238 - "Our bodies are the carriers of our souls. Too often we get lost in the physical world when our souls should focus elsewhere. Just as often, we get lost in the darkness of our souls when our bodies can so easily provide escape and distraction."

page 263 - "To be human is to tell story, and to tell story is what makes us human. Our lives are unfolding stories, and when we lose our stories, we lose ourselves."

page 281 - Finally! I finally find out (almost at the end of the book) why he didn't meet her! Grrr. This was an "aha" moment that made a huge difference in the storyline!

page 296 - "What a gift given to me, that at my age, I still felt that little catch in my heart at an unexpected glimpse of her." Sweet.

page 302 - I love when Laura says, "Unless there is more to life on earth than this life on earth. Like my grandmother, I believe there is, that we have a soul and another destination. That's what gave her courage in the Jappenkamp. Now I need to find that same courage."

page 304 - "This was a new sensation for me, the feeling of being able to trust the help of someone. I was proud of my daughter and, more importantly, was able to tell her that by leaning in and whispering. My reward was a radiant smile from her."

page 310 - "It would be wonderful if we could always see that what we have in common as humans outweighs our differences."

page 318 - Hooray! "Thus, in solitude one night all these decades later, while still cognizant of the words I spoke, I found the strength and courage to fold my hands together and bow my head and finally ask His mercy."

Another thing that bothered me . . . he spent SIXTY years of his life with a woman he didn't love, and then a daughter with whom he shared almost no affection or real communication. Such a sad waste of a lifetime! I'm glad most of the story focused on the year he was ten.

added 10/28/14
Book club discussion was enjoyable last night. No surprise, since this was such a good book. I added a marker to pages 44-45 where Jeremiah's dad sits down to talk with him and prepare him for the future. That is a remarkable scene. This is a book I would actually re-read . . . 

The Golden Day

by Ursula Dubosarsky
Hennepin County Library hardcover 149 pages
genre: YA ??? realistic fiction, historical

I don't remember what it was in a booklist that piqued my interest on this title . . . but I'm really glad I got it from the library rather than just buying it for my collection. It's weird. Eleven girls in an Australian school have Miss Renshaw as their teacher. She takes them to the park where she chats with "Morgan," the groundskeeper. One day, . . . things happen and Miss Renshaw is gone. The girls are questioned, but remain quiet about the day's events.

Set primarily in 1967, the last few chapters occur in 1975. I didn't see the ending coming. And it wasn't entirely satisfactory, as endings go.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl

by Tanya Lee Stone
gift paperback 223 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction, coming-of-age, prose poetry

The bad boy is never mentioned by name, but we know that he is a handsome football player who is trying to have sex with as many girls as possible at his high school. At least he uses condoms.

The story is told through the perspectives of three of the girls he gets involved with - Josie, a freshman; Nicolette, a junior; and Aviva, a senior. Their strengths and weaknesses are shown in their struggles to be true to themselves as they get completely wrapped up in this gorgeous new boyfriend.

I like Josie's addition to Blume's book Seventeen . . . I wonder if teen girls will see this as a cautionary tale or an enticement to the pleasures of sexual experimentation. This won't be added to my middle school collection, but I am curious to hear a teen's response to it.

Peer Gynt

by Henrik Ibsen
Hennepin County Library hardcover 153 pages
genre: play, realism? fantasy?

The copyright on the physical book I got from the library is  1906! The checkout sheet (see pic below) had dates from July 15, 1944 to June 16, 1947.

This was odd. I didn't really understand it. This is part of my desire to have a better handle on some of the cultural references I encounter (Citizen Kane, for example). I wanted to have a frame of reference when someone said "Peer Gynt." But I need to dig deeper than just reading the script for the play.

Peer comes across as a complete selfish jerk. Even his own mother is torn between wanting to protect him and wanting to hurt him in act one. He bedded someone else's bride, then the troll princess, then has Solveig wait for him for five decades or so. He was a slave trader and a liar. This was odd and confusing. I wonder if I'll ever go see it on stage.

From Wikipedia:
Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt in deliberate disregard of the limitations that the conventional stagecraft of the 19th century imposed on drama.^[9] Its forty scenes move uninhibitedly in time and space and between consciousness and the unconscious, blending folkloric fantasy and unsentimental realism.^[10]

 

Ouran High School Host Club

by Bisco Hatori (story & art)
Hennepin County Library paperback upaged
genre: YA manga, romance

"In this screwball romantic comedy, a poor girl at a rich kids' school ends up working for the school's swankiest club - and gets mistaken for a boy!"

Sigh. A student requested this series. I really don't like manga. This is relatively clean (though I'm not quite sure if the "hosts" offer sex to their "guests" or if it's all just flirty). The characters are all stereotypical. The drawing style has the big eyes and "beautiful" people down. The focus is on money, family status, fitting in, etc.

I can honestly say that this wasn't repugnant. I can also honestly say that I'm spending enough of my budget on graphic novels and manga already. I'm not going to add another title to my collection unless my budget increases a lot.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

by Avi
PRMS paperback 221 pages
genre: YA historical fiction, adventure

Spoiler alert!

It has been a long time since I read this and I wanted to see if it would work for book clubs. I still love this story - the adventure, the changes in Charlotte's perspective, the characters . . .

I had forgotten the ending. Her dad's fierce rejection of her experiences and perspective. Her decision to run away and re-join the ship's crew. I think it's a good choice for book club. It's a very accessible book.

The Good Luck of Right Now

by Matthew Quick
Hennepin County Library hardcover 284
genre: realistic fiction

Bartholomew Neil - 38, unemployed, has taken care of his mother until her recent death from cancer, odd, somehow both intelligent and moronic . . . , gentle, timid

Father McNamee

Wendy - therapist

Arnie - "group" therapy guy with the yellow room

Max - cat lover who uses the F word incessantly

Girlbrarian - Elizabeth, Max's sister,

Richard Gere - entire book is written in letters to him

This was amazing and worth reading. I don't have time to blog now. I'd like to read more of Quick's work, both the YA and Silver Linings Playbook. He's an intriguing author!

World War Z: an oral history of the zombie war

by Max Brooks
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
genre: zombie fiction
read by: a huge, amazing cast of people

This surprised me. I still really dislike zombie stuff - it's too creepy and gross. But the socio-economic, political commentary interwoven into the "eyewitness" interviews were fascinating. Brooks has created an intriguing tale. I'd love to talk to someone about the story . . . maybe I should get together with Sarah Rother!



Wow. I blogged this book exactly three years ago. That's almost creepy. I listened to the audiobook again because I remembered that I had been pleasantly surprised. I shouldn't make notes while I'm driving, but here are some of what I noted:

• culture, history, philosophy, psychology . . . I love how the author weaves so much into the narrative
• don't like: swearing, gross stuff, zombies in general
• universal health care in the U.S. - wouldn't that be nice!
• accents, voices, narrator (journalist) - love how "real" this seems
• chapter on U.S. and war weariness . . . costs of war in dollars and lives
• vaccine / big pharma / FDA underfunded / money and power - too real. Makes me sad.
• I'm an interesting mix of gullible and skeptical . . . one of the chapters talked about research done in the 1970s in Moscow. The scientist stood outside a door and waited. Soon enough, a line of people formed behind him, even though there was no point or purpose to the line. It sounded believable enough to me, so I googled it. I tried lots of different combinations of key words. This article is the closest I came up with.
• Darnell, dog handler - "used to hate dogs" ". . . dirty, smelly, slobbering germ bags that hump your legs." refused to pet them "oversize barking hamsters" (I waited until I was parked to hit the back button to re-listen and get the text.)
• dogs and dog handlers in the military - dogs as assets, not equipment. Made me think of Cracker, Best Dog in Vietnam!
• decimate - one of every ten (literally) not to completely wipe out
• South Africa / Redeker (?) Plan - actor too hard to hear and understand, even when I cranked the volume up.
• horrific, yet fascinating

I believe my initial listening was 2011. The above was added on 10.16.2014. Now it is 2.19.2020 and I've just finished my third listen-to of this book. I could finally hear a few of the quieter entries. One of these days I may actually read the physical book. But with all the amazing literature in the world, why oh why have I listened to a zombie book three times?

• Brooks is a talented storyteller.
• I spend a lot of time in my car and audiobooks help pass the time.
• This is an intriguing idea - post-Zombie war interviewing.
• It already seems very dated. Set in what seems to be the late 1990s or early 2000s, technology and society have changed a lot since this was written! (We have fewer and fewer survivors of the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor, etc. . . . )
• Just googled it. Written in 2006, it was made into a movie in 2013. Extremely confident I wouldn't like the movie.

One Word: that will change your life

by Dan Britton, Jon Gordon, and Jimmy Page
Hennepin County Library hardcover 89 pages
genre: non-fiction motivational

Considering it's such a short little book, it sure took me a long time to read this thing. Dana had raved about it during workshop week. I tried to keep an open mind, but it kind of bugged me.

Early on in the book, the authors talk about how important it is to take time to consider your one word. "Take the time to look inward by opening your heart." This idea and the "assignment" to pick one word was thrown at us in a meeting during workshop week. WHY we were doing it and WHAT to do with it wasn't terribly clear. (This concern is not with the book itself, but with how this concept was introduced to staff.)

The religious theme of the book was curious to me . . . as a Christian, I should enthusiastically embrace the references to God, right? "Get a God word, not just a good word. When we look up, we recognize that God knows what is best for us." The problem I have with this is that I wonder who their audience is? Everyone? I think most non-believers would be put off by this. I don't know that, but I think it's distinctly possible. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't think they go far enough. Why pick one word per year to focus on? Why not continually study God's Word and seek his guidance daily? If you are trying to evangelize, go all-out! This just seemed like a self-help book with a dose of God on the side.

So my "one word" for this school year is "Listen." I had brainstormed a bunch of words in the staff meeting and picked "power" - thinking of the power of the Holy Spirit, the power I feel when I am right with the Lord, and wanting to empower my students. But as I reflected over the weekend, the word "listen" spoke to me. Listen to God's voice. Listen to others. Don't talk so much! I like this word and the suggestions to "keep your One Word front and center" are good:

• write it down and post in prominent places
• create a screen saver
• paint on a sign and hang where you'll see it every day
• take a picture and save it on phone
• keep a journal with insights about the word
• discuss with family
• sayings or quotes that relate to word
• song
• poem or prayer
• share with a "stretch team" - (e.g. the Academy PLC)

 In the section where they talk about schools and focus, I had to laugh. "Unfortunately, by the time October rolls around, the positive energy and optimism felt in August has given way to the stress and challenges of the classroom." Yeah. Even this year, when we did the energy bus AND our "one word" thing . . . people are exhausted and tired of being exhausted.

Pet Peeve Alert!!!
WHY do editors and proofreaders let crap get published with so many errors!!!! 
Page 72 starts with "One Word basketball and placed it in their locker room before every game!" This sentence doesn't make sense here and doesn't work as a caption for the images below it. On the previous page, there are three paragraphs. This is the last two lines of the middle paragraph, repeated on the next page for no apparent reason other than carelessness.

There was another one, but my non-post-it bookmark fell out. Irritating! Doesn't anyone care about doing quality work any more?

Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini
Hennepin County Library hardcover 329 pages
genre: realistic fiction

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this! Jenifer gave me her book club copy a few years ago and it sat on my shelf until August. Ben had chosen it as his summer reading book, but hadn't started it so I gave him my/his mom's copy. Then I got a copy from the library so we could talk about it. Sigh. My time-management skills continue to challenge me.

I finished it about a week ago and need to get this copy back to the library. What an amazing, painful story. Amir is the protagonist - a wealthy boy whose mother died when he was young. He loves to read, isn't very brave, and craves his father's approval. Hassan is a "Hazara" - a servant of the lower classes. The boys grow up together, close yet with a gulf between them.

Some places I noted:

page 92/93 - "He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time. I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake." Oh my. This scene broke my heart. How Amir could be so incredibly wretched, cruel, and conflicted!

page 178 - The adult Amir has gone to Pakistan to meet with Rahim Khan, his father's good friend and the only adult who understood the child Amir. "I see America has infused you with the optimism that has made her so great. That's very good. We're a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we? . . . We give in to loss, to suffering, accept it as a fact of life, even see it as necessary."

One of the things I love about a book like this is how it stretches my understanding of other cultures. This book taught me a little about Afghanistan and some of the joys and pains of being from there. When Rahim Khan talks about greeting the Taliban with joy because they thought better things were in store, it almost makes me want to cry. Hopes dashed.

page 195 - When Amir finds out about Hassan's life (after reading his letter). Oh my. Powerful. Painful.

page 238/239 - The scene in the stadium when the cleric gets up to pray and says "We are here today to carry out Shari'a" . . . his "prayer" appalls me. What hatefulness. I am glad I follow Jesus.

Throughout the book, the photographs of people and places enrich the story so much! They show ordinary people (for the most part) doing ordinary things. I was surprised by how rocky, dry, and non-green the country looks! Where do they grow their food?

page 265-7 - Rahim's letter to Amir. Again, painful and powerful. "But I hope you will heed this: A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer. I hope your suffering comes to an end with this journey to Afghanistan."

page 288 - When Amir finally tells his wife everything! What a difficult but necessary conversation. I love her reaction. What an amazing woman!

page 307 - Amir turns to God in prayer. Beautiful! Right in the hospital, he prays even though "I haven't prayed for over fifteen years. I have long forgotten the words." He cries out. "There is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray, I will pray that He forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years, forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need, I pray that He is as merciful, benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is."

This made me think of the missionaries who said they find the commonalities between their Christian faith and the faith of their Muslim neighbors and work from that common bond. There is One God.

page 328 - When they are at the picnic and Amir asks Sohrab if he would like Amir to run the kite for him (chase down the ones Sohrab cuts down). When Sohrab nods, Amir says, "For you, a thousand times over." . . . the same thing Hassan had said to him so often.

Shackleton Antarctic Odyssey

by Nick Bertozzi
YAC book, paperback 125 pages
genre: non-fiction graphic novel

This was delightful in many ways! It had some details that weren't included in other books I've read about Shackleton's voyage. There were some great moments of humor along with the courage. The art work isn't my favorite . . . but I've been spoiled by some phenomenal graphic novels. The storytelling was delightful.

Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality

by Elizabeth Eulberg
Chaska HS hardcover 261 pages
genre: YA realistic, coming-of-age

This was an interlibrary loan from CHS for one of my students. I was curious, so I read the first chapter. And was hooked. Since my student wasn't at school Friday, I took it home. But I didn't actually open it up until Sunday evening . . . and was almost to the halfway point when I needed sleep. So I brought it to PRMS yesterday and asked the student in question if I could finish it before giving it to her. She was so gracious!

What I like:
It has the romance without going overboard. It has the soul-searching identity issues without being overdramatized. It has wonderful characters with many facets (Taylor, Cam, Benny . . . ). It was just a really fun book to read! I will need to get some of this author's work for my collection.

page 92: "I know that's a tad pathetic, but I think it's normal to want (or crave) the acceptance of the Beautiful People." Yep. That's how I felt in high school. Us and Them.

page 112: "Am I supposed to act different around Taylor? Has anybody written The Dating Guide for Clueless Teenage Girls yet? I need that book." I love the gentle humor in this book. Sometimes it's Lexi using self-deprecating humor, yet she acknowledges that's what she's doing.

page 138: "I remember being seven. I loved that age. Being seven's awesome. You don't have that much responsibility of homework. And it's illegal to work, so you get to play a lot. Being seven rocks. Or it should rock."

Although Lexi despises the pageant scene and how bratty her seven-year-old sister gets, she can empathize and even go out of her comfort zone to help Mackenzie get out of doing pageants. I'm most sorry for the mom, who has spiraled down into obesity, escapism, and overspending as a result of the divorce seven years earlier. Where are this woman's friends?!

Great story. Sweet story. Friendship between Lexi, Cam, and Benny is wonderful.

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer
PRMS hardcover 387 pages
genre: YA fantasy futuristic

I LOVED this book! It's a Cinderella story with an unlikely heroine. Post-WW IV, Cinder is living and working in the Eastern Commonwealth's "New Beijing" as a mechanic. Repairing androids and other pieces of software and machinery, the crown prince shows up at her booth one day to hire her to fix his android.

Add in a deadly plague, the evil Lunars who can use their glamour "magic" to manipulate people, and you have more fun going on than the stepmother and stepsisters could ever have provided.

I wish I had time to read book two!

Secrets Over Sweet Tea

by Denise Hildreth Jones
Hennepin County Library paperback 387 pages
genre: Christian fiction

Loved this! She is such a wonderful author! I don't love the style of introducing two major characters per chapter for the first three chapters . . . even though I know the story will weave them together, it's disconcerting at first to try to keep all the characters straight.

Scarlett Jo Newberry - flamboyant pastor's wife, large woman, wears bright clothes, gets into people's business
Pastor Jackson Newberry - almost too-good-to-be-true husband to Scarlett Jo and father to their four (or five?) sons
Grace Shepherd - early morning newscaster, unhappy in marriage, wishes they'd had children
Tyler Shepherd - hockey player, alcoholic, impotent and unwilling to even be affectionate with Grace (unless they're in the public eye)
Zach Craig - lawyer, feels unfulfilled in his marriage, twin daughters always fight, wife is cold and controlling
Caroline Craig - runs a clothing store, kowtows to her mother

There were many more characters, but these are the main ones. I loved Scarlett Jo!

page 23 - I like that Grace can call her friend Rachel to "talk her home" after work. She says "usually I am an advocate for your husband, just as you are for mine. You know Jason always says you're the best friend of this marriage." I think that's a cool idea - to be a best friend to another couple's marriage. To build up and encourage.

page 85 - Never having actually lived in the South, I can only imagine the truth in a statement like this: "The jab was real and purposeful, though delivered with the sugarcoating that Southern women were so adept in adding to insults." This makes me think of the comedian who talked about Southern women adding "bless her heart" to any critical comment . . .

page 122 - "Scarlett Jo watched as Grace studied her. She knew the look. She'd been measured on this scale so many times - the can-I-trust-you? scale. People needed to know that their heart was safe, their story was safe."

page 124 - "Baby, we're all broken. About the time we start believing we're not, that's when it all falls apart and we realize how bad off we are."

page 188 - "Okay, let me make this a little clearer. We come into this world with this carefree child's heart. It's open. Alive. It's connected with God and believes anything is possible. It doesn't know much fear, and it has this kind of abandoned wonder. But then at some point - I don't know when, maybe in high school, maybe in college, maybe after we graduate - something happens to us."

page 248 - "Hold on there, chief. The only one living in the exploding Crayola box is you. Me and Grace here are chocolate and vanilla kind of girls, not rainbow sherbet."

page 252 - made me think of Jodi! "Scarlett Jo read so much, in fact, that her kids said she needed one of those e-readers. But she liked real live books, the kind with paper and ink - which was why she liked Landmark.  They still sold read books."

page 331 - Grace's observation that she was "so consumed" with her own story and problems that she never asked Scarlett Jo about her life. How true! We tend to focus on our own stuff and neglect to realize that other people are dealing with their own issues.

page 368 - I could see it coming . . . ugh! But the scene didn't turn out the way I expected. Thankfully.

page 376 - my favorite scene in the whole book! Scarlett Jo has a heart-to-heart with Caroline. Loved this!

What a wonderful book!

Amulet 6: Escape from Lucien

by Kazu Kibuishi
personal copy paperback 213 pages
genre: YA graphic novel fantasy

So glad this finally came out! I was so excited to get my copy! Love this series and can hardly wait for number seven. Emily and Navin are fighting in different arenas now, but their sibling love and sense of right and wrong is holding true. The shadow creatures are taking over more people and areas.

The Invention of Wings

by Sue Monk Kidd
Hennepin County Library hardcover 359 pages
genre: historical fiction (based on real people)

This book has been getting a lot of buzz and I was interested. There were things I loved about the author's Secret Life of Bees and things that frustrated me as a reader. This book is absolutely wonderful!

Told from the points of view of Sarah Grimke' and "her" slave Hetty / Handful, the story takes us from their earliest childhood memories in 1803 Charleston to their "wings" in 1838.

It's 5am and I have to hurry, so this review will not be well-done.

page 145 - When young Sarah asserts that the slaves should not only be free but also equal to the white people, she realizes that she has her thoughts about this topic and "could only attribute it to God, with whom I'd lately taken up and who was proving to be more insurrectionary than law-abiding." I love that! The slave owners were using Scripture to "prove" their right to own slaves and to keep the slaves in line, but she was learning something different about God's intentions.

page 115 - When Sarah catches Handful bathing in the copper tub in her room, she is shocked. "I saw then what I hadn't seen before, that I was very good at despising slavery in the abstract, in the removed and anonymous masses, but in the concrete intimate flesh of the girl beside me, I'd lost the ability to be repulsed by it. I'd grown comfortable with the particulars of evil. There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it."

page 207 - When Thomas (her beloved brother) draws Sarah out of her depression by sharing news of Jefferson's writing and the possibility of the country being split by slavery . . . When she responds, "If the Union dies, as our old president says, it will be from lack of imagination . . . It will be from Southern hubris and our love of wealth, and the brutality of our hearts!" I love when he says, "There she is. That's my sister." It's sad that women of that era had such a narrowly defined range of options. Sarah had wanted to study law like her brothers, but was soundly discouraged when she stated her wish. Her father even forbade her entrance to his library which he had previously allowed.

page 291 - I love when Handful takes Sky to see Denmark Vesey's house. "He would've called you daughter if he'd had the chance." Handful is such a deep and amazing character. I love that her mother hadn't taken the money. It was in the story quilt all along! I love the quilting throughout the story and the meaning it had for these women who were never supposed to read or write (though I'm glad Sarah taught Handful).

page 297 - Sarah writes to her sister Nina, "It has come as a great revelation to me that abolition is different from the desire for racial equality. Color prejudice is at the bottom of everything. If it's not fixed, the plight of the Negro will continue long after abolition." How true!

Author's notes - when I first encountered Lucretia Mott's name in the story, I was a bit surprised because she really lived and worked in women's rights . . . and then I discovered that the story of the Grimke' sisters is based on women of that name who lived and worked in the abolition and women's rights movements. They were truly ahead of their time! They were speaking out well before Seneca Falls . . . how have I not heard of them before?!?! This makes me want to do some research. Kidd has a great bibliography and these are a few titles she highlights:

Baby, Come Home

by Stephanie Bond
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Cassandra Campbell
genre: romance

Yep. I "read" another dumb romance novel. Amy Bradshaw. Kendall Armstrong. The town of Sweetness, Georgia. Re-building the covered bridge. I actually yelled at the characters while listening and driving. Idiots. I must resist the urge to check out any more of these.

Scat

by Carl Hiaasen
Hennepin County Library, audiobook 8 discs
read by Ed Asner
genre: YA realistic fiction, humor

At first I was excited that Asner was the reader . . . then I decided that while I enjoy his acting, I don't think he's a wonderful reader. The women sounded terrible and much of the text was flat. Oh well.

It's another fun environmental story set in Florida. The kids (Nick, Marta, and Smoke) are delightful! The educators are all horrid - what an embarrassment to the profession! When cruel Mrs. Starch takes the grade level to the Black Vine Swamp for a science field trip, a fire sends them leaving early. Only Mrs. Starch is missing. Mystery ensues.

At least now I've read it and can booktalk it better to kids.

(Above written 9/7/14. Below written 5/8/17.)

I got this because Louie and I had enjoyed Chomp so much (and I didn't immediately remember that I had already "read" it. Again, we did NOT like Asner's vocal work. Here's my ordering of Hiiasen's YA books from favorite to least (yes, I know there are others I've not yet read):

Chomp
Flush
Hoot
Scat

Passing Strangers

by Angela Hunt
Scott County Library paperback 341 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

This was the July book club title, but I was out of town and waiting a long time for the libraries to get a copy . . . I enjoyed this story (and thought I had already blogged about it) but thought that the resolutions were a little too pat.

There are three interwoven story lines. Andie Crystal (aka Christie Huggins) has worked to distance herself from her family fame as a singing sensation in a reality show (a la The Partridges, but "real."). She has thrown herself into her work, changed her name, and kept to herself.

Matt Scofield (?) is a high-powered attorney who let his children be raised almost entirely by his wife until she died. Then the nanny took care of them. Now he's running through babysitters like a hot knife through butter. He hopes to have his mother raise them for a few years.

Janette Turlington is at wit's end (though we don't know why until the end of the book) and needs to get away to think.

All three of these characters buy a ticket to ride the train to ten different southern cities. All three of them get incredibly involved in one another's lives.

page 161 - I like it when Andie is in her mother's hospital room and remembers Janette's words of wisdom. "Some people are simply blind. They only see what they want to see, and they're not going to change just because life hands them a tragedy. But they don't have to make us suffer. We can accept them, forgive them, and move forward." Amen!

pages 252-3 - I was so glad when Matthew's mom chewed him out! She told him what he needed to hear. Then in his dream he sees his wife who tells him, "You are the foundation of this family and our children's father. Nothing you do is as important as raising them." Love it!

page 275 - When Janette is spilling everything to a stranger on the bus, she thinks that "good mothers and loyal wives don't run away. When the going got tough, tough women stepped up to the challenge." So heart-breaking on either extreme - when people try to be strong enough to handle it all, and when people absolve themselves of any responsibility . . .

page 292-5 - I liked that Janette realized that her appearance wasn't important. Relationships are important. The random angel-type guy seemed out-of-place for the story. He was a divine appointment, but it just felt forced (especially when he also showed up later in the hospital in a different city).

Overall, an enjoyable story. But definitely not my favorite Angela Hunt book. Each character's dramatic change in attitude and life situation seemed unlikely.

added 10/1/14 with notes from 8/30/14:
- Pet peeve - at least four major errors! (Don't they hire proof readers any more?) read from page 39 . . .
-Andie Crystal (aka Christy Huggins), Janette Turlington, and Matt Scofield (lawyer, lost wife Inga a year ago, lost Irish nanny Nessa a month ago to go back home to boyfriend) - Kids are Roman and Emilia
- unrealistic "neat" ending / major life changes for Andie & Matt w/ minimal impetus
- page 326 - Annalisa talking about her struggle

 

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate
PRMS hardcover 300 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction w/ fantasy (talking animals)
Cina recommended

Ivan - a silverback gorilla, taken as a baby with his sister Tag. She died en route to America. His gorilla name is Mud (because he liked to draw using it)

Stella - older elephant, from a circus, most of her life in captivity (domain vs. cage)

Bob - stray dog

Ruby - baby elephant

"Humans waste words. They toss them like banana peels and leave them to rot."
"Patient is a useful way to be when you're an ape. Gorillas are as patient as stones. Humans, not so much."

My favorite part was pages 207-213 when Ivan gets angry. Excellent! I loved the ending. This is based on a true story. I love what Applegate has written in this novel.

Julia - artist, gives Ivan "Not-Tag" (stuffed gorilla), George's daughter
George - cleans the mall, is compassionate toward animals
Mack - owns the mall, down on his luck, money-focused

Here I Am

story by Patti Kim, illustrations by Sonia Sanchez
Hennepin County Library paperback picturebook
genre: immigration fiction, friendship

This lovely wordless picture book has a lot going on. A boy moves from Asia with his parents and baby sister into a large American city. When he accidentally drops a special seed from home and someone picks it up, he is forced to get out of the apartment and into the new community around him. This would work well with The Arrival, Home of the Brave, or other immigrant stories.

The Manny Files

by Christian Burch
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Daryl Anderson
genre: YA / kid fiction, humor

Too bad main character Keats Dalinger is only a third grader. This is a delightful book about two professional parents who hire a nanny to watch their four children (at the start of the story, Lulu is in 7th grade, India in 4th, Keats 3rd, and Belly - Mirabelle - is three years old). After they go through the "nanny of the month" - Uncle Max's comment - they find "the Manny." He's a man nanny and he is different from anyone they have ever met.

Delightful story. I really enjoyed it. Cried during chapter 24 . . . very well-done. A little put off by the child-like view Keats has of the world. Odd that his sister India, only a year older, is so much more savvy. How did he not know until the very end of the story that Uncle Max and the Manny were a couple?

Craig as a bully and Keats showing compassion - nice.

Every Good & Perfect Gift

by Sharon K. Souza
Hennepin County Library paperback 367 pages plus author extras
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

DeeDee (Doris Day) and Gabby (Angel) are best friends from the moment they meet as kids. DeeDee is dynamic and daring. Gabby is careful. They marry a pair of good friends who start their own software business right out of college. DeeDee decides she wants to have a child before she is forty, after having declared herself someone who never wanted to become a mother. Fertility issues ensue.

I thought the book would be perfect for a woman struggling with fertility or fascinated by every aspect of pregnancy. That does not include me. I thought DeeDee was overbearing and selfish. I thought Gabby was a wuss who needed to live her own life.

I marked a bunch of pages, but I don't really feel like writing about this book. We had a good discussion at book club last night. Most of the women liked it better than I did. I liked the husbands and laughed at some of their lines. The scene where Gabby's dad dies made me sad. I loved Sonny's prayer!

Page 171 - Love how Gabby described her mom's Bible and talked about wanting her own Bible to be as worn-out! Amen! Her mom was wonderful and commented on how she wished she'd had a friend like Gabby in her life.

In the author section, under the question of what she wants readers to take away from this book, Souza says (in part), "I've experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: 'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His Provision."

Edible: an adventure into the world of eating insects and the last great hope to save the planet

by Daniella Martin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 247 pages
genre: non-fiction, entomophagy (insect eating)

This was interesting and well-written, but didn't convince me to change my dietary habits. Eating bugs makes sense since they are plentiful, nutritious, and easy to harvest. Until they become easily available, I'm not going to go out of my way to access them. The only bugs for food I've seen have been insanely expensive. I am not interested in harvesting my own for food.

page 49 - in talking about prehistoric humans - "Despite the fact that women were providing a daily stream of protein, insects were less valued culturally, of course, than the giant mammoth kill that fed the whole tribe for a month and got all the hunters laid like crazy. Seriously, coming in from the bush dragging a giant dead animal made you the caveman version of Jon Bon Jovi crossed with Bear Grylls - rock star, killer, provider. Those cavewomen couldn't get their leather panties off fast enough, even while their own daily drudgery was overlooked as less culturally valuable."

page 83 - the section where she talks about her friend trying to get rid of slugs without being cruel . . . was a bit much for me. How is letting them drown in beer - "at least they will die happy" - any better than driving them out into the country and letting them go? (Yes, her friend actually did that until she realized that she was altering the ecosystem in the countryside by adding more slugs to it.) I am completely okay with squishing bugs that I don't want in my space.

page 135 - eating the huge Japanese hornet larva that grow into an adult hornet which "reach well over an inch long and has a quarter-inch stinger with venom so potent it can dissolve human flesh." Her willingness to try different insects around the world was admirable in the name of research but reminded me of the guy who had a tv show about eating disgusting things.

page 145 - I actually liked the part where she was in Thailand in a store she describes as a "Thai Costco" (even though it's not actually a Costco store). She tears up at the frozen food aisle - "Nestled between the ostrich patties and the crocodile filets is a small but solid section of frozen insects in one-kilogram bags. Fat white sago palm grubs stacked together like wontons, frosty crickets, potato string-like bamboo worms, and nutlike silkworm pupae. Just sitting there, like it's normal. I stand there and stare for a while. Some people fly thousands of miles to see the Taj Mahal, Chichen Itza, or the Sistine Chapel. I, apparently, had flown this far to stand gaping at the frozen food aisle."

If and when we actually get to the point of them being this easily accessible in America, I might be willing to eat insects. A lot of her points actually make sense.

I have to admit that I ran out of time and skipped pages 192-225 (essential list of edible insects) and 227-247 (recipe section). This is due at the library and cannot be renewed because it's on hold. I won't get it again later . . . 

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart
PRMS hardcover 225 pages
genre: YA mystery

The start of the book sets the scene and characters. The majority of the book is Cadence's struggle to remember what happened leading up to her accident. The end finally answers the questions! I think kids will really like this. For some reason, I did not.

The Sinclairs are a wealthy, snobbish family. Cadence, her cousin Mirren, their cousin Johnny, and their friend Gat are the four "liars." They do not necessarily agree with their grandfather or their parents (most of the dads are AWOL). They are typical teens, but their lives take a dramatic turn one summer day.

Trouble at the Wedding

by Laura Lee Guhrke
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Anne Flosnik
genre: historical romance

Christian De Quesne, Duke of Scarborough, needs to find a way to save his estate after his brother spent it dry and died. He is opposed to marrying an American heiress after a bad experience in his youth.

Annabel Wheaton does not care about love. She is marrying the Earl of Rumsford as a business proposition: he needs her money and she needs his status. Growing up poor in the country, she is tired of being shunned by "society."

Yes, it is predictable and typical of romances. So why do I bother? Eh. Escapism. Romance. Happy ever after.

I like this author's work. The vocal work by Flosnik was pretty good. I would read more of this author, but ought to avoid it like the plague. So many good books to read! And I spent time on this.

It's Complicated: the social lives of networked teens

by Danah Boyd
Hennepin County Library hardcover 215 pages plus notes and index
genre: non-fiction, research on teens and social media

This was harder for me to get through than I anticipated. There's a lot to digest in this book; it would be a great discussion for educators! I need to get it back to the library, so these are the places I noted:

page 12 (introduction) - "In networked publics, interactions are often public by default, private through effort." This is so true! It almost makes me paranoid to think that things I write on Facebook or shop for on Amazon are pretty much available to the entire world. Since FB continues to change settings, I have no idea who can see what I post. I don't post anything that I'm ashamed of, but it's hard to be completely cognizant of what is "out there" about me online. A person really does have to work at keeping things private if that's the goal. (Or be like Louie and don't have much of an online presence at all.)

page 19 (introduction) - "Coming of age is rife with self-determination, risk-taking, and tough decision-making." Yes! And this is no different now than in the 1910s, the 1810s, etc. Some of what teens grapple with is age-old. Technologies just change the specifics.

page 22 (introduction) - "Eszter Hargirtai has quipped, many teens are more likely to be digital naives than digital natives." Love this! Boyd points out that the popular term "digital natives" implies that current youth naturally have some inherent tech skill. "The teens I met knew how to get to Google but had little understanding about how to construct a query to get quality information from the popular search engine. They knew how to use Facebook, but their understanding of the site's privacy setting did not mesh with the ways in which they configured their accounts."

page 28 (introduction - last page!) - "This book is not a love letter to youth culture, although my research has convinced me that young people are more resilient that I initially believed."

page 30 - She talks about audience and how teens and adults tend to view online info differently. The schism between what teens share about themselves and adult perceptions about what that communicates creates conflict and misunderstanding. Interesting stuff.

page 51 - In the same chapter on identity, Boyd says, "They (adults) take content out of context to interpret it through the lens of adults' values and feel as though they have the right to shame youth because that content was available in the first place. In doing so, they ignore teens' privacy while undermining their struggles to manage their identity." I can't completely agree with her here, although I understand the point she's making. If teens (or ANYONE) choose(s) to post photographs or comments online, they are no longer private! You cannot say that something posted online ought not be used or misused by others who have access to it. The decision-making about what to post is something kids need to learn.

page 72 - In the chapter on privacy, Boyd quotes a mom who basically says that she has the right as a parent to see whatever her child does on the computer. Boyd calls this "intensive parenting" and describes these parents in what I think seems a very negative way. Again, I have to disagree. Parents can definitely go too far on this spectrum, but parents have to be aware of what their children are doing. I think of kids who've gone on shooting rampages . . . and then their computers are filled with hate speech. Hello? Parents?

page 78-9 - In the chapter on addiction, Boyd does a nice job of delineating true addictions (gambling, alcohol, technology) and differentiating them from teens who spend a lot of time online so that they can socialize with their friends (my generation's time at the mall). "The language of addiction sensationalizes teens' engagement with technology and suggests that mere participation leads to pathology."

page 80 - "Teens turn to, and are obsessed with, whichever environment allows them to connect to friends. Most teens aren't addicted to social media; if anything, they're addicted to each other."

page 83 - "Many adults believe that they have a sense of what's 'good' for teens - school, homework, focus, attention, and early bedtime - and many teens are acutely aware of how much society values such adult-oriented pursuits. But many adults are unaware of how social their everyday experiences are and how desperate teens are to have access to a social world like that which adults take for granted." (Makes me wonder if the author has children . . . parenting is different when you're doing it than when you're theorizing about it.)

page 92-3 - She mentions The Shallows by Carr (which I've read and reviewed), Everything Bad Is Good for You by Johnson, and Now You See It by Davidson . . . I wish I had more time!

page 102 - "Online safety is also a particularly complicated issue, in part because a culture of fear is omnipresent in American society. . . " The "culture of fear" really resonated with me. Her examples are quite good and it makes me want to read more about this idea.

page 120 - again she writes about the culture of fear, the role of the media, and more in her chapter on danger. Very interesting that the media hypes a danger, but when the truth is found (and is less scintillating), they are not conscientious about sharing the actual situation. The fear and panic are incited, but the calm resolution is missing.

page 123 - In talking about Amanda Todd's case, Boyd says, "The internet is not just a place where people engage in unhealthy interactions. It's also a place where people share their pain. Although not all youth who are struggling cry out for help online, many do. And when they do, someone should be there to recognize those signs and react constructively. Increasingly, there are tremendous opportunities to leverage online traces to intervene meaningfully in teens' lives. But it requires creating a society in which adults are willing to open their eyes and pay attention to youth other than their own children." To me, this is contrary to her earlier point about giving teens privacy and adults staying out of teens' online business as they learn to navigate social networks!

page 125 - "Although most teens are doing okay, those who aren't really aren't." She talks about how kids who are struggling online are often the ones who are struggling in all or many facets of life.

page 136 - on bullying, "The language of bullying often presumes that there's a perpetrator and a victim. By focusing on blaming the perpetrator and protecting the victim, well-intentioned adults often fail to recognize the complexity of most conflicts."

page 141 - self-harm / self-bullying online . . . what a bizarre concept. Why on earth would a kid bullying him/her self online? To create drama, sympathy, . . . ? I just don't get it.

page 172 - "Yet just because people have access to the internet does not mean that they have equal access to information." Inequalities still exist! The teen who has a laptop, smart phone, etc. has an advantage over a teen who uses the internet at the public library.

page 177 - Literacy chapter! "Whether in school or in informal settings, youth need opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to engage with contemporary technology effectively and meaningfully. Becoming literate in a networked age requires hard work, regardless of age."

page 181 - "Even though media literacy programs have been discussed and haphazardly implemented for decades, most people have little training in being critical of the content that they consume."

page 188 - "Wikipedia can be a phenomenal educational tool, but few educators I met knew how to use it constructively." She had great info on using Wikipedia's revision history and discussion pages educationally. I love this! She goes on to say on page 191 "Wikipedia provides an ideal context for engaging youth to interrogate their sources and understand how information is produced."

After the just-over 200 page book, she has six pages on the profiles of the teens she spoke with across the country, 23 pages of notes, 22 pages of bibliographic info, five pages of acknowledgements, and an eight-page index. Whew! Good stuff, but weighty.

Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry

by Akiane Kramarik and her mother, Foreli Kramarik
Hennepin County Library hardcover 128 pages
genre: memoir

How odd for a child of twelve to have an autobiographical book published! I was curious after reading about her somewhere else. Her personal story is quite interesting. Her paintings and drawings are stunning - especially of people's faces. Her poetry just doesn't do much for me . . .

Most of all, I love that her dreams and visions and conviction about God showing her things to draw and write impacted her family, her neighborhood, and people around the world. I hope she continues to glorify God!

The Beet Fields

by Gary Paulsen
Hennepin County Library audiobook 3 discs
read by Macleod Andrews
genre: YA coming-of-age

This was a re-read and I love Paulsen's ability to tell stories! Andrews' vocal work is wonderful. I always wonder how much is fiction and how much is true to Paulsen's own experience. I would love to share some of the opening sections with working in the beet fields with the Mexicans . . . with my students. But some of it is inappropriate for middle school.

How to Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator

by Dave Burgess
Ramsay County Library paperback 176 pages
genre: non-fiction, education, pedagogy

Overall, I liked this book. I'm just now feeling ready to start thinking about another school year. Since the last one was so rough, I am relieved to have read this extremely positive book about being a great teacher.

page 30 - "Every student in your class in those first few days of the semester is evaluating whether or not your room is an emotionally and psychologically safe environment. They're wondering if it is worth their time and effort to give school a real shot. After all, it's easier to not give your best and then blame failure on a lack of effort, than to be forced to realize you really don't have what it takes. At least you can save face with your peers when you fail if you don't try in the first place." This immediately made me think of kids like this - don't try at all, because then you don't have to lose face if you fail.

page 36 - Brain awareness and filtering. I like his example of not being aware of minivans at all to being hyper-aware of Honda Odysseys after buying one. Priming the brain to be receptive to creative ideas will make those ideas appear everywhere!

page 41 - "We must collectively agree educating the next generation is worth the time and effort and that our students deserve to be uplifted and inspired." Love this!

I love his example of alchemy on pages 52-54 but I'm too lazy to write it all here. He had three different things that were niggling his brain and he was able to bring them together for a beautiful solution! Strips of paper left from origami, assembly-line lesson, and helicopter-making shared by student.

Two questions to ask: If your students didn't have to be there, would you be teaching in an empty room? Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?

page 60 - I sometimes struggle with this idea - that we need to make learning as entertaining / engaging as possible for kids. At some point, the world will not cater to their needs and expectations. What then? Do they tell their boss that their job isn't fun enough? I understand what the author is saying about getting kids excited about learning (instead of turned off by it), but I question our need to continually ramp things up to keep them entertained.

page 62 - reframing - I like this! "Sometimes we need to change our students' perceptions of the material we're teaching." This is a great strategy to get kids away from "History is boring." or "I'm bad at math." This makes me think of Dr. Idzerda at St. Ben's! I also like, "Don't position your material as if it is awful-tasting medicine! Position your content as if it's amazing!"

page 69 - "Act as if" Even when you don't feel enthusiastic about your lesson, act as if you are . . . and the way you feel will probably change.

page 70 - "As a teacher, your days comprise enough positive and negative experiences to either make you feel energized and amazing or beat-down and depressed. What you choose to attend to creates your reality."

page 78 - "In addition, no content standard in any class at any level is more important than nurturing and building a love of learning." Amen.

So he had a list of questions in the second half of the book that I do NOT want to re-type. I may just need to buy a copy of the book to use these to find ways to make lessons better. Here are the topics (with 4-8 questions under EACH one):
Kinesthetic Hook
People Prop Hook
Safari Hook
Picasso Hook
Mozart Hook
Dance and Drama Hook
Crafts Store Hook
Student Hobby
Real-World Application
Life-Changing Lesson
Student-Directed
Opportunistic
Interior Design
Board Message
Costume
Props
Involved Audience
Mystery Bag
Storytelling
Swimming with Sharks
Taboo
Mime
Teaser
Backwards
Mission Impossible
Reality TV
Techno Whiz
Contest
Magic and Amazing
Chef
Mnemonic
Extra-Credit Challenge

page 157 - "An all or nothing mentality exacerbates the fear of failure. If you believe everything you do has to work one hundred percent of the time, you are less likely to take risks and step out of your comfort zone."

PIRATE stands for Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm. I want to teach like a pirate!

Re-reads

I re-read three Mrs. Pollifax books. Why does a person read a spy book which she has already read at least once? I think I just like her cheerful innocence amid the espionage of an older age (most are set in the 70s or early 80s). Fun, relaxing books.

A Kiss in Time

by Alex Flinn
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Angela Dawe and Nick Podehl
genre: YA fantasy, romance

This author certainly has an art of creating obnoxious teen characters, twisting an old fairy tale into a modern-day setting, and making the ending come out well. This is a retelling of sleeping beauty, with the fairies, witch, spindle, etc. Dawe's voicing of Princess Talia was irritating with its little-girl breathiness and odd accent. Podehl voiced Jack with all his teenage awkwardness and sincerity very well. I'm not a fan of Flinn's, but I think he does a great job for a certain type of reader. Between this one and the Beauty and the Beast, I think I liked B and B better . . .

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

by Holly Black
Hennepin County Library hardcover 419 pages
genre: YA horror

This book was just creepy. Tana wakes up in a tub after a major drunken party (page one) and finds all her friends are corpses. She can tell they were killed by vampires and she wants to get out before dark falls again. Her ex-boyfriend Aidan (who is a major league selfish jerk) is tied to a bed and alive but infected by the vampires. A vampire named Gavriel is chained to a chair next to the bed. She rescues both of them and off they go to the closest Coldtown (contained vampire city). This book glamorizes the vampire culture while pretending to warn of the horrors. Too many descriptions of blood being licked from fresh cuts . . . too many vivid images of disgusting depravity. I almost liked the budding romance of Tana and Gavriel, but this book was way too horrible for me.

Radiance of Tomorrow

by Ishmael Beah
Hennepin County Library hardcover 240 pages
genre: novel, realistic fiction

Sad, beautiful, depressing, hopeful. Although this is a work of fiction, it rings so true. The corruption of people in this story made me so sad. Why are people so evil toward other people? A lot of the scenarios are ones I have read about in the newspaper. Money and food are sent for people who are poor and suffering, but it never reaches them because people in power take it and sell it on the black market to make themselves richer.

I don't even want to list the characters. This is a book worth re-reading!

page 60 - After the principal gives a pep talk: "The teachers could do little with his inspirational messages. They were missing all the ingredients: salaries, school materials, and faith in the educational system itself."

pages 60-1 - Backarie responds to a student who questions the value of education if even educated teachers are poor and hungry: "Its (education's) purpose is far greater than just improving your economic condition. In your case, you all need education so that you can be in a position to take advantage of opportunities that will come along. You cannot wait for the opportunity and then get an education when it arrives. You'll be too late."

page 93 - Comparing Colonel's and Miller's tactics with the mining company's actions: "But what was more violent than making people disbelieve in the worth of their own lives?"

page 124-5 - Salimatu coming home after being raped and Colonel going out for revenge. He says to Bockarie: "I learned something during the war. . . . you are not free until you stop others from making you feel worthless. Because if you do not, you will eventually accept that you are worthless."

page 144 - Benjamin's notes (he reads these before his first day on the job with the mining company): "Teach them how to absorb knowledge as opposed to just memorizing. Teach them to become individual thinkers and not part of the majority that agrees with what is popular."

page 167 - Mama Kadie's speech. Radiance of tomorrow. Strength. So beautiful I had to scan and include the whole thing.

 page 170 - Where was the editor?! Proofreader?! Last sentence says "Later that night . . . . Benjamin, his father, Kula, . . . . " Benjamin was dead! This should have said Bockarie. Then later on page 228, a character's name is spelled as Maita instead of Miata. At first, I was trying to figure out who the new character was. Errors like this are so disappointing!

page 236 -  " . . . she (Mama Kadie) knew the little girl (Oumu) was ready to receive the stories of the past, the ones that strengthen your backbone when the world whips you and weakens your spirit."

This book is so lyrically beautiful. Beah uses language to paint pictures and affect the reader's mood. He grew up in Sierra Leone, which has 15 languages and 3 dialects. He spoke seven of them. He said that Mende, his mother tongue, is very expressive. For example, where we might say, "night came suddenly," he'd say, "the sky rolled over and changed sides." Or "ball" becomes "a nest of air."

Overall, this was such an unbelievably beautiful book. Hard to read some of the very realistic portrayals of suffering, but so worthwhile.

500 Things to Know About the Ancient World

by Carolyn Howitt
PRMS hardcover 151 pages
genre: non-fiction, ancient history

Interesting, quick read. Lots I knew, but much more that I did not. Organized by theme (clothing, food, weapons, etc.) and included info from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Sumer, Aztec, Maya, Viking, Anglo-Saxon civilizations. I was surprised with all the gorgeous images and cool info that a few tidbits were repeated . . . the picture of a cuneiform for practice writing appeared twice (pages 33 and 140).

What Hernando Cortes did to the Aztecs saddens and horrifies me. To think of him gaining their trust, robbing them blind, and then murdering so many people . . . he also destroyed native texts and art. The perceptions of good and evil were not exactly what Jesus teaches in Scripture.

Code Name Johnny Walker: the Extraordinary Story of the Iraqi Who Risked Everything to Fight with the U.S. Navy SEALs

by Johnny Walker (alias) and Jim DeFelice
Hennepin County Library hardcover 277 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir, war stories

This was definitely not my kind of book. The war, killing, machismo, etc. just turns me off. The cultural differences between what he described about living in Iraq as a child (not to mention later during the war) and what is familiar to me are stunningly different. My notion of honor and the Iraqi notion of honor are radically different. Reading about Chris Kyle (and the recent Jesse Ventura lawsuit) makes me more curious about this man and his American Sniper book . . . though I still don't like war books.

Soheila and their kids coming to America - it would be interesting to hear their perspective on the difference between life in Iraq during war and life here. This book was very, very positive toward the SEALs. There were lots of different missions and it all seemed to blur together - both for the audience of this book and for the protagonist himself. DeFelice's author note at the end talked about this difficulty of remembered how things happened.

Iraq seems to be a very messed-up country. The destruction and corruption are so devastating! How can people have hope to see better days when there are so many factors conspiring against them? The Shia and Sunni . . . even though he explained them pretty carefully, it still doesn't make much sense to me. Why are these people so busy hating one another and trying to exterminate the others? When he talked about informants giving bad "intel" to cause their neighbors / enemies pain and distress, all I could think of was how messed up that is. So if I get mad at one of my neighbors, I can call the police, lie and say they are terrorists, and watch as their house gets torn up and they are terrified by men storming their home with guns? Not okay.

The author's emphasis was continually on building up instead of tearing down, but I don't think anyone in Iraq is listening to him.