Spinal Cord Injury and the Family

by Dr. Michelle J. Alpert and Saul Wisnia
Hennepin County Library paperback 329 pages
genre: non-fiction

This is an amazing book - so much so that I'm ordering my own copy off Amazon. It is informative, positive, and has lots of examples from different people's lives. It covers an incredible range of issues for SCI individuals and their families.

I also liked (but not nearly as much) - Mayo Clinic Guide to Living with a Spinal Cord Injury. I didn't read a lot of it, but it was definitely informative and had helpful graphics.

I absolutely could not get much out of a third book I got at the same time. I've already returned it and don't remember the title, but it was written by two doctors who are apparently unaware that lay people do not have their medical knowledge.

Added 2/6/14
I finished reading all of SCI and the Family. What an incredibly well-written book. The authors are compassionate, helpful, realistic, and encouraging. They talk about physical issues, parenting, sexuality, dating, and different types of relationships. I'm glad I read this. I hope that it reaches a large audience of people who have been affected by SCI.

Deeply Odd

by Dean Koontz
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by David Aaron Baker
genre: paranormal adventure, mystery

This one actually had me wondering what would happen to Odd. It was so very dark in places . . . I still like the very first Odd Thomas book the best. This one was hard to listen to in places with the demons and the evil. I liked Edie Fischer, though thought her unusual addition to Odd's life to be a bit too coincidental. I liked the interactions with Alfred Hitchcock's ghost, though I still prefer Elvis Presley - again, the first story is best! This is a new release, but I'm already anticipating the next installment. I haven't ever read any other Koontz books, but I love this character. As always, Baker does an excellent job voicing it.

Bugged me: repetitions. I understand Koontz including info from other stories to "catch" readers up if they haven't read the other Odd Thomas books, but he repeated within this book. For example, Odd explaining Stormy's interpretation of the afterlife to Mrs. Fisher and then again to Alfred Hitchcock. It gets old! It was fun to read some of the reviews on Amazon. I should pay more attention to my writing! But as always, this blog is just my spot to record my reactions. I liked this book a lot.

Ask the Passengers

by A.S. King
Hennepin County Library hardcover 293 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age, GLBTQ

Astrid Jones isn't sure of a lot of things. Feeling unloved (by her parents, friends, etc.), she sends her love to the airplanes that pass overhead as she lies on the picnic table in her back yard. Her "best friend" Kristina is popular and cute in the small town culture of Unity Valley. Her dad gets stoned. Her mom is a perfection / control freak. Her little sister Ellis just wants to fit in. Her co-worker Dee is sometimes too aggressive, but Astrid loves kissing her. Her philosophy class is really challenging her to think about truth, life, and her paradox: Nobody's perfect.

My favorite scene: when Astrid and Ellis finally talk to one another about life toward the end of the book.

I didn't like this one quite as much as Everybody Sees the Ants, but King is an amazing writer who captures the thoughts and moods of teenagers. The small-mindedness and gossip of this small town will resonate with lots of kids.

Pendragon: the Lost City of Faar

by D.J. MacHale
personal copy paperback 386 pages
genre: YA fantasy adventure

Like: Cloral, Spader, Faar, reading it rather than listening to it as an audiobook
Dislike: ponderous storytelling style, Mark being a wuss about Andy Mitchell the bully and not telling Courtney about the problems with him and the journals until the end, the author's use of outdated slang terms . . .

I don't think I'll continue with this series. I just don't enjoy his writing style (especially compared with Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series which are super-quick and engaging reads).

Mrs. Pollifax books - short

by Dorothy Gilman
personal paperbacks

I know it is pretty weird to re-read spy novels . . . since I know how they turn out! But I really enjoy these and sometimes up at the lake it's nice to just relax with a familiar comfortable story. Sigh. It's R&R reading.

The Racketeer

by John Grisham
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 CDs
genre: crime, intrigue
read by J.D. Jackson

Jackson's vocal work was excellent and I appreciate that the story wasn't overboard with swearing. I didn't like the second half where Nathan Cooley was being yanked around, but it made sense when I got to the end. Not sure why Jeff recommended it to me . . . I'll have to ask him. I like how clever Malcolm / Max was. I don't like the fictional look at the insides of our country's FBI, judicial, and other systems which can be so corrupt and wasteful. I know Grisham made up the story, but a lot of this nasty stuff really happens and I find it discouraging.

That Certain Summer

by Irene Hannon
Lake Agassiz Regional Library paperback ~300 pages
genre: Christian realistic fiction

I really enjoyed this book! Parts of it resonated with me very strongly.

Karen - cares for negative mother who has had a stroke. Husband left her for a younger woman. Struggling to raise teen daughter mostly alone. Doormat for everyone.

Val - the sister who left for an acting career. Teaches high school theatre in Chicago. Has avoided home and family for a long time.

Scott - talented musician in a horrible accident that killed his three best friends and damaged his hand.

David - newly moved to small town with young daughter. Widower. Physical therapist.

Favorite parts - the growing friendship between the two sisters, Karen learning to stand up for herself, Scott's transformation.

There are a lot of themes running throughout this book, primarily dealing with relationships. I really enjoyed this story and would love to find more of this author's work!

Anya's Ghost

by Vera Brosgol
PRMS paperback 221 pages
genre: YA graphic novel ghost story, coming-of-age

This was so weird and good! My favorite part was when Anya realized what a scumbag Sean was and when she said, "I don't think murder is an appropriate reaction to disappointment." Drawn in black and white, it has an appealing style. The ghost Emily's transformation is especially creepy.

Drama

by Raina Telgemeier
PRMS paperback 233 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, realistic fiction

Callie is a seventh grader who loves theatre, but tends to stay backstage. She and her friend Liz are designing sets and costumes (respectively) for their middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi. The drama is both offstage and on. It includes romance, broken hearts, unrequited love, and coming-out stories. It is well-written and drawn.

Divergent

by Veronica Roth
PRMS paperback 487 pages
genre: YA dystopian adventure romance

I'm so glad I read this! I like it a lot better than some of the other dystopian stuff I've read lately. Tris (Beatrice) has been raised in the Abnegation faction, but doesn't feel that she belongs there. She struggles too much with serving others and being selfless. When she goes to be tested, she learns that she is Divergent and can choose her faction. But she is also warned not to let anyone know; it is very dangerous to be Divergent. She chooses Dauntless (after watching her brother Caleb choose Erudite). Amity and Candor are the other factions. Four (Tobias) is one of her trainers in Dauntless, but he becomes her friend and then her love interest as the story progresses. I'm intrigued enough to want to read the second book, Insurgent!

Also Peter, Eric (nasties), Christina, Al (friends) and the evil mastermind of Erudite. At the end of this story, our heroes are safely tucked away in Amity, but aware that the temporary refuge will not last.

added 2/24/14:
Notes that I had on a piece of paper at the lake -
Tris (Beatrice)
Four (Tobias)

5 Factions - Dauntless / Abnegation / Amity / Erudite / Candor

Peter
Eric
Christina
Al
brother - Caleb

4 stars out of 5

Interesting that the movie is out next month and this is a super popular book right now. All three of my school copies are out and I have a waiting list! I haven't yet had time to read book #2 (which is probably also checked out). Good stuff!



The audiobook was narrated by Emma Galvin. Her vocal work was fantastic! I remember really disliking book two . . . and have never read book three. After listening to this, I kind of want to watch the movie again. Not sure what it is about this story that I like so much.

Bitter Is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-ass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office: A Memoir

by Jen Lancaster
Hennepin County Library paperback 400 pages
genre: memoir, humor

I'm not sure where I saw a review of this, but it piqued my interest. I didn't find it super-funny, but Lancaster is very witty. I couldn't relate to her high-powered executive days (or her fashionista shopping habits), but she tells the story so well that I liked her and wanted to know more. After 9/11 and losing her job, Lancaster and Fletch (her boyfriend, then husband) had to move to a less-expensive rental. Her job search and subsequent selling off of her former (expensive) possessions led her to some soul-searching. I enjoyed this book a lot, but will probably not read the others she's written (though they definitely have fun titles!)

Split

by Swati Avasthi
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Joshua Swanson
genre: realistic fiction, abuse

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this! I met the author at an event a year and a half ago and love to support local authors. Sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon drives cross-country after a major fight with his dad and shows up at his older brother's door. After not having seen one another in five years, a lot of painful ground needs to be covered. This story is very believably written and has different layers of conflict and emotion going on. Jace is a very likeable character. Swanson's vocal work is excellent.

The Merchant of Death: Pendragon #1

by D.J. MacHale
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by William Dufris
genre: YA fantasy adventure

This is one of those books that I am extremely confident I would have enjoyed better in a print version. Dufis' vocal work made the kid characters sound like clueless idiots. Judging by how much readers enjoy this (including Louie and Alex) and the contrast with my irritation listening to it, the challenge here is in the listening experience. I'll have to read #2 in print up at the lake and see.

Bobby Pendragon learns he is a "traveler" when his uncle whisks him away to Denduron. Without really having much of anything explained to him, he must help save a planet and the entire universe. Eh. We'll see. . . .

All I Need

by Susane Colasanti
Hennepin County Library hardcover 212 pages
genre: teen romance

I wonder if all Colasanti books are like this . . . it was actually boring to read. Skye and Seth fall in love at first sight. After two days together, they both know they are soul mates who are destined to be together. Through a misunderstanding, they don't get one another's contact info. So Skye heads back to her junior year of high school and Seth goes for his freshman year of college. And they spend the entire year pining for one another. Yeah. Whatever. Not sure why my eighth grade girls are crazy about these books . . . there is a lot of kissing, but no real story.

The Monsters' Monster

by Patrick McDonnell
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: children's book, monsters, kindness / behavior

I love this book! Three terrible little monsters build a huge monster, hoping it will be the biggest and the worst of them all. But the creature who comes out is sweet and kind. They are horrified, but watch him and learn.

172 Hours on the Moon

by Johan Harstad
Hennepin County Library hardcover 353 pages
genre: SciFi horror

I shouldn't have read this so soon after The Dumbest Generation. The teens in this book were selfish, vapid, and kind of idiotic. The premise of the story was not even remotely realistic. Three teenagers (none of them Americans) are selected by lottery to go to the moon on the next NASA mission. None of these teens actually wants to go. NASA is doing this for PR and to get more funding (from Norway, France, and Japan? Well, that's where the kids are from). Sigh. I really couldn't enjoy it because it bugged me so much. I think there are some students who would enjoy it. There was definitely some suspense in the "will anyone make it out alive?" sense. Not a book I'll rave about, that's for sure.

Extra Yarn

by Mac Barnett & illustrated by Jon Klassen
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: children's book, fantasy

Annabelle finds a box with yarn on a dreary cold day. She knits a scarf for herself and for her dog. She knits more scarves until the town is blanketed by her colorful creations, but the yarn doesn't run out. So she knits for cars, houses, trees . . . until a horrible archduke steals the box from her. (She had refused to sell it to him, even for millions of dollars.) A lovely book and definitely fun to look at!

The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future*

* Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30
by Mark Bauerlein
Hennepin County Library hardcover 236 pages
genre: non-fiction, commentary, society

I'm not sure I'm ready to write a response to this book. There were times I thought, "You may say you're not a curmudgeon, sir, but you sure sound like one." Other times, I thought, "This is so very sad. The proliferation of self-centered, shallow young people may well ruin our society." I often thought of the many young people I know who are intelligent, curious, well-read, problem-solvers.

Here are some of the notes I made.

page 16 - After sharing some of the scary statistics on how little the Millennials read and know, the author says, "Most young Americans possess little of the knowledge that makes for an informed citizen, and too few of them master the skills needed to negotiate an information-heavy, communication-based society and economy. Furthermore, they avoid the resources and media that might enlighten them and boost their talents. An anti-intellectual outlook prevails in their leisure lives, squashing the lessons of school, and instead of producing a knowledgeable and querulous young mind, the youth culture of American society yields an adolescent consumer enmeshed in juvenile matters and secluded from adult realities."

page 52 - "But these discrepancies indicate that leisure reading does have substantial influence on school performance, much more than one would assume after listening to public and professional discourse about reading scores, which tend to focus on the classroom and the curriculum, not on the leisure lives of teens."

page 68 - He identifies some troubling paradoxes about Millennials, who have so many resources and yet are declining in most measures of knowledge. "If the young have acquired so much digital proficiency, and if digital technology exercises their intellectual faculties so well, then why haven't knowledge and skill levels increased accordingly? As we've seen, wealth, cultural access, and education levels have climbed, but not intellectual outcomes. If the Information Age solicits quicker and savvier literacies, why do so many new entrants into college and work end up in remediation? . . . If their digital talents bring the universe of knowledge into their bedrooms, why don't they handle knowledge questions better?"

page 101 - He identifies the transition from print books to digital media with an observation about history and civilization. "In 50 years, as Boomers and X-ers pass away, digital natives grow up, and technology proceeds apace, civilization will look different." In a way, it seems that he's being too dramatic. Yet isn't it true that as the years pass, society changes? The world I live in now is different from the world of my childhood. In some ways, that's a good thing.

page 126 - "Digital natives are a restless group, and like all teens and young adults they are self-assertive and insecure, living in the moment but worrying about their future, crafting elaborate e-profiles but stumbling through class assignments, absorbing the minutiae of youth culture and ignoring works of high culture, heeding this season's movie and game releases as monumental events while blinking at the mention of the Holocaust, the Cold War, or the War on Terror." This one troubles me because it rings pretty true. For many students (especially in middle school), their personal ups and downs are far more insignificant than the experiences of others throughout history. I will never forget seeing the news about the tsunami that destroyed so much in 2004. A student's comment was, "Cool!" All I could think of was the suffering, the loss, the pain of survivors. Certainly NOT cool.''

page 127 - I won't quote this section, but he talks about the importance of language acquisition and practice at HOME! It is so very, very true that students show up in kindergarten with the "achievement gap" already in place! Children who grow up in homes with conversation, reading, etc. do far better in school than children who grow up in a vocabulary-poor environment. "Everything depends on the oral and written language the infant-toddler-child-teen hears and reads throughout the day, for the amount of vocabulary learned inside the fifth-grade classroom alone doesn't come close to the amount needed to understand fifth-grade textbooks."

page 136 - "That's the pull of immaturity, and technology has granted young Americans ever more opportunities to go with it, not outgrow it."   "Instead of opening adolescents and young adults to worldly realities, acquainting them with the global village, inducting them into the course of civilization, or at least the Knowledge Economy, digital communications have opened them to one another - which is to say, have enclosed them in a parochial cosmos of youth matters and concerns."

page 158 - "The Web universe licenses young Americans to indulge their youth, and the ubiquitous rhetoric of personalization and empowerment - MySpace, YouTube, etc. - disguises the problem and implants false expectations well into adulthood. They don't realize that success in popular online youthworlds breeds incompetence in school and in the workplace." Certainly, students seem to thrive on peer approval and have little sense of true quality work and creativity . . .

page 199 - He writes about the double-dose of youth culture that students get during their leisure time and during their academic time. With educators striving to make lessons "relevant" to kids, tradition gets pushed aside. "In slighting the worth of tradition, in allowing teenagers to set their own concerns before the civilization of their forebears, mentors have only opened more minutes to youth contact and youth media."

page 221 - He writes about the struggles between traditionalists (think Bloom, Bennett, Bellow)  and the complacency of professors and others entrusted with educating the young.

page 225-228 - In this section, he talks about the changing dynamics within the youth culture. It was fascinating, but also more anecdotal than his citing of studies. Were there intellectual slackers in the late 1930s? I'm confident there were. Are there young people today who are aware and concerned about politics, society, and change? I'm confident there are. Yes, the overarching society is different. The world is different! But I don't think that it is fair to write off the Millennials.

page 234 - He compares the current youth generation to Rip Van Winkle, sleeping through major historical changes but being unaware and unconcerned.

page 232 - I like how he calls for an intellectual "minor leagues" - where students can be encouraged, coached, and trained in intellectual thought and discussion so that ten or more years hence, they will be prepared to lead.

A worthwhile book, but I'm still pondering a lot of his material. I would love to have my sons read it and discuss it with them!

Martin the Warrior

by Brian Jacques
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
read by the author
genre: fantasy adventure

I hadn't read / heard this one before! The story opens in "modern" times with travelers coming to Redwall. They share the history of Martin the Warrior, who founded Redwall. Martin was a feisty mouse enslaved by the evil stoat Badrang at his fort called Marshank. Martin, Rose, a troop of actors, and other freed slaves go to battle against Badrang. The thing that really stood out for me was the elaborate descriptions of meals . . . I think that's part of why Nick liked these stories so much when he was young. Epic battles and epic food.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green & David Levithan
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 7 discs
read by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl
genre: teen romance, friendship, GLBTQ acceptance

Will Grayson is friends with flamboyant and huge Tiny Cooper, who tries to set him up with Jane.
The other Will Grayson is an angry in-the-closet gay teen who's on anti-depressants. His "friend" Maura takes goth and darkness to new levels.
What I like about this story: the characters' growth as individuals, the compelling story.
What I didn't like: extreme profanity, the second Will Grayson's depression and anger.

Z is for Moose (That's Me!)

by Kelly Bingham
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: picture book

This is on our 2013 Litwits list. A very cute book! Zebra is conducting a show of the alphabet, but his friend moose can hardly wait his turn. When M ends up as "mouse," moose has a tantrum. A funny story, an alphabet story, and a story of friendship as zebra makes sure that moose feels included.

The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger
PRMS paperback 536 pages
genre: romance, relationships, time travel

What an unusual book! I wonder how the author conceived of it. Henry DeTamble has a genetic disorder which causes him to time travel. He has no control over it, though, and ends up nude in a different time and place. The author weaves together his story with that of Clare, a girl he meets when she is only six and he is an adult. It is a strange friendship, with him knowing that they eventually get married and she curious about her own future. Odd, disturbing, beautiful, curious, interesting . . . this took me a while to read, but it was worth it! I love how Henry's personal story unfolded throughout the book.

Duma Key

by Stephen King
loaned by Jeff Beaudoin audioCDs 18 discs
read by Joe Slattery
genre: paranormal mystery

I usually don't like King's work that much; it tends to be too creepy. This one, though still full of the F-word and a bit scary, had some really interesting components. Edgar Freemantle is horribly injured in a construction accident. Though his life has been spared, his right arm is amputated, his right hip has major reconstruction, and his marriage is in a shambles. Struggling to regain his ability to do things and articulate his thoughts, he takes a year to go to the Florida Keys to begin his "next life." Duma Key has some very strange effects on Edgar, particularly in enhancing his artistic ability. His neighbors, Jerome Weyrman and Elizabeth Eastlake, make a tremendous difference in Edgar's life. "Perse" is sheer destructive evil. Intriguing story and not as violent as other King books I've read.

Riding the Bus with my Sister

by Rachel Simon
PRMS paperback 293 pages
genre: memoir

I finally read it! This was a Chaska community read a few years ago.After having read Simon's beautiful book this fall (The Story of Beautiful Girl), I really wanted to read her memoir. It's wonderfully written, with honesty and insight. She organized the book into the twelve months of the year, sharing childhood reflections along with insight gained from riding the buses with her mentally handicapped sister, Beth. The story is both complex and simple, with family dynamics, personal feelings of failure, and striving for a better life. A truly worthwhile read!

I need to photocopy the discussion of words and names on pages 99-100 . . . excellent to use with students!

I marked pages 228-229 when the author loses her cool with Beth for constantly turning the conversation to her own complaints. This resonated with me far too much! When I get frustrated with my dad, I just want to scream. I try to tell myself, "this is just how he is, Jeanne. He doesn't want dialog or discussion; he just wants to complain and go over the same things he continues to drone on about." But it doesn't change how I FEEL. These pages jumped out at me.

10/7/13 - Finally added the pages with words & names. I made marks to show the section in context, rather than cropping out all the extra.

In the Garden of Iden

by Kage Baker
subtitled "A novel of the company"
PRMS hardcover 329 pages
genre: ? fantasy / historical sci-fi?

A weird book, this one caught my attention when I was looking for mystery titles. It has immortal cyborgs and time-travel. It starts in the 2300s with Dr. Zeus and his brilliant plans. Then it moves to 1500s and Spain, with a little red-haired girl and the Inquisition. The girl becomes Mendoza, an operative with the company. She's a botanist who despises humans and is sent to England for her first mission.

Weird, smart, and full of history, theology, and science, I'm still not sure what kind of reader to recommend this book to. I'm also not sure if I will read on in the series.

The First Gardener

by Denise Hildreth Jones
Hennepin County Library paperback 414 pages
genre: Christian fiction

This was our May book club title. I didn't get into it immediately, but I'm so glad I read it! Mackenzie is wife to Governor Gray London of Tennessee. They are a loving couple with a wonderful daughter named Maddie. Tragedy and grief knock Mack off her axis. Her mom, Eugenia Quinn, is a nutcase. Jeremiah, the gardener for the mansion, is a gem. What a beautiful story worth reading. We had a good discussion at book club. I may have to find more of this author's books.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

by Jeff Kinney
PRMS paperback 217 pages
genre: YA humor

I don't know why I keep reading these. Greg Heffley is such an egocentric jerk. But in some weird way, it's entertaining. Greg tries to get a date to the dance. He ends up going with Rowley and a girl, trying to leave Rowley out of it.

The Last Investigation

by Gaeton Fonzi
Hennepin County Library hardcover 400+ pages
genre: non-fiction Kennedy assassination

I couldn't finish this. There's just too much going on in my life right now. After the sensationalized Bill O'Reilly book, I really wanted a more academic and scholarly take on the Kennedy assassination. It is definitely more dense reading than the O'Reilly book, but also much more enlightening. I'll have to pick this one up at a later date. I don't think I even got to page 100. Had an infuriating conversation with my father-in-law, though.

The Book of Three

The Prydain Chronicles, book 1
by Lloyd Alexander
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 discs
genre: children's fantasy adventure

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper at Caer Dallben along with enchanter Dallben and retired soldier Coll. When Hen Wen, the prophesying pig escapes, Taran follows her and embarks upon a grand adventure. The Horned King is scary and on the move. Gwydion, the crown prince; Gurgi, Eilonwy, and others people Taran's world as he grows up (a little) and struggles with his choices.

Interesting, but I'm not sure I want to continue reading this series. It was a fine way to pass time on our drive through Iowa.

We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda

By Philip Gourevitch
Hennepin County Library paperback
genre: non-fiction genocide

I only got through chapter four. The book was due back, on hold for someone else, and I'm too busy right now anyhow. It is a chapter of recent history about which I am woefully ignorant. (I was taking care of little children in 1994 and not aware of much outside my home.) I am horrified by the murders, and fascinated by the history of the Hutus and Tutsis. I need to learn more and may get this book again later.

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas
Hennepin County Library hardcover 404 pages
genre: fantasy adventure romance

Ceaena Sardothien is an 18-year-old deadly assassin who has been in the prison hell-hole of Endovier. Crown Prince Dorian and Captain of the Guard Chaol come there to invite her to compete to be the king's Champion. The king - who has murdered her people, sent her to prison, and has the power of life and death over her.

At times, this book bugged me with its amateurish feel. I finished it in two days, however, because I wanted to know which guy she would end up with, who was the source of the evil, what Princess Nehemia was up to . . .

Again, I'm not in the mood to blog tonight. I enjoyed the book and am curious about what the author is working on for a sequel. Not going to be a highly recommended by me, though. It just wasn't stunning enough.

Hope Was Here

by Joan Bauer
PRMS paperback ? pages
genre: realistic fiction, coming-of-age

Hmmm. This was a re-read and I was just going to add some notes to my original post. But I cannot find an original post. Darn! I don't really feel like blogging.

Synopsis: Hope Yancey was left by her mother with her aunt Addie as an infant. She's never known a father and her mother drifts into her life sporadically, calling her "Tulip," a name given her at birth but which she shed on her twelfth birthday. Hope is an excellent waitress (like her mother) and makes a great duo with her aunt who is a marvelous cook. Their lives have moved them across the country, but Hope loves Brooklyn and her friends. Until they are double-crossed by a "friend" who takes their money and runs off with the night waitress and their trust. And so they move to a small town in Wisconsin to help G.T. run his restaurant. Dealing with leukemia, G.T. needs them. And the more they get to know him and others in town, the more they need him.

Eddie Braverman - young cook who didn't go to college because he's supporting his mother and sisters.
Deputy ??? - I can't remember her name. Tough cop from Minneapolis who isn't afraid of the crime in town.
Mayor Millhouse(?) - lying lowdown skunk
Sheriff - also a dirty dog

Some nice romance, great civics lessons, wonderful story. Won a Newbery Honor award.

Killing Kennedy: the end of Camelot

by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Hennepin County Library hardcover 302 pages
genre: historical / biography

I don't really feel like writing this right now. I wish I had read it *before* book club. It was interesting, a little too much (how do these men know what Oswald was feeling and thinking in the last two hours before he was caught?) but I'm glad I've read it. Unfortunately, some people now think this book is "it" even though the authors state that we'll never know what really happened. I should have made notes as I read, because there were some things that caught my attention. I didn't realize that Marilyn Monroe's death was possibly NOT a suicide . . . . I am saddened by how rude the Kennedys were to LBJ after they used him to help win Texas in the election. I wonder about Marina and her children and how their lives have turned out. (Oswald's Russian wife) And I wish I had more time to read other books from other perspectives.

I made a note of this review quite a while ago . . . (adding it 7/2/13):
http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Kennedy-The-End-Camelot/product-reviews/0805096663
I find this intellectually stimulating, but have so many more things to attend to right now.

The Girl in the Glass

by Susan Meissner
Hennepin County Library paperback 325 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

Basic story: young woman named Meg (Marguerite) has always wanted to go to Florence, Italy. Grandma promised to take her for high school graduation, but died when Meg was only 12. Dad promises to take her, but keeps flaking out. Meg called off an engagement when she realized she didn't love him as much as he loved her. She works at a publishing house and dates Gabe . . . on and off. Intermingled story line is the manuscript sent to her by Sophia, a native of Florence who lives across from a brother and sister team of photographer and author. Sophia's story is part memoir, part travelog for the beauties of Florence. Intertwined with these two stories is a narrative from Nora, a Medici who lived in the early Renaissance.

It was enjoyable, but not gripping. Meg's attraction to Devon (mom's younger boyfriend) was the most interesting part to me. I wish I could go to Italy. I'm a bit surprised at who Meg ends up with at the end of the book. The stuff with her dad was a bit much.

Her Last Death: a memoir

by Susanna Sonnenberg
Hennepin County Library audio 7 CDs
read by the author
genre: memoir, dysfunctional families

This was disturbing (as in, why did I listen all the way to the end?) but well-written. Sonnenberg is a gifted writer, but this story is either more fiction than fact, or she grew up in one of the most dysfunctional families I've ever read about. Her mother told her about orgasms when she was eight years old, offered her cocaine when she was twelve, and encouraged her to lose her virginity when she turned sixteen. Really?

Yet I was compelled by her story and her love-hate relationship with her mother. There were parts of her story that actually resonated for me with my own childhood! She is a very gifted writer, but her choice to use pseudonyms for everyone other than herself made me curious. So of course, I went online and did a little research.

Mom (Daphne in book) is Wendy Adler
Maternal Grandma (Patsy) is Eileen Walser, model
Maternal Grandpa (?) was Larry Adler, famous harmonica player
Eileen Walser's second marriage was to Arnold Maremont
Dad (Nat) is Ben Sonnenberg,editor / publisher of literary magazine
Stepmom (Isabelle) is Susan de Verges Snodgrass (marriage #2)
Dorothy Gallagher is Ben's wife #3

Paternal Grandpa is Benjamin Sonnenberg (?-1978), Russian immigrant
Sister (Penelope) is Emma Sonnenberg-Snowden-Jones

Half-sister (?) is Saidee Brown Sonnenberg
Stepbrother (Joe) is Stephen Verges

Husband (Christopher)
Sons (Daniel & Jack)

For a truly awesome review, read this: http://headbutler.com/books/memoir/her-last-death
Wow.

Her dad's autobiography is title Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy

Odd Interlude

by Dean Koontz
Hennepin County Library paperback 253 pages
genre: paranormal mystery

This shorter novel takes place between Odd Hours and Odd Apocalypse (Magic Beach & Roseland). Odd and Annamaria have just left Magic Beach and are driving along the California coast when they are drawn to Harmony Corner. There is "something" in this place that demands their presence . . . and off we go into mystery and mayhem as only Odd can do it. Wonderful little story. I'm hooked on this character! Can hardly wait until Deeply Odd is available! (I'm #232 on Hennepin County's waiting list for it; it's "on order" in their system.)

Everybody Sees the Ants

by A.S. King
Hennepin County Library hardcover 280 pages
genre: Teen realistic fiction

Lucky Linderman is a 15-year-old who has been terrorized by bully Nader McMiillan most of his life. His parents don't deal with problems directly and Lucky dreams himself into Vietnam where he tries to rescue his grandpa (MIA/POW).

Complex, harsh, beautiful, awful. This book is amazing. Some of my middle schoolers could definitely handle it, but it should absolutely be in high school collections.

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

by Francis Chan
Hennepin County Library paperback 166 pages
genre: non-fiction Christian faith

I love this book! But I'm torn about buying a copy to keep (when I'm trying to be frugal and decrease my possessions) or just re-checking it out from the library. Chan raises some important questions about faith and living for God versus self.

I want to take time to reflect on these passages:

I was vacillating between just getting out of this book whatever I could (and getting it back to the library since someone else was waiting for it) and wanting to own a copy. I'm trying to own fewer things, yet after paying $2.10 in overdues fees, I think I just want to own a copy. It would make a great devotional, in a way. He keeps writing that you should put the book down and pray about what he has brought up. I love how he keeps putting the focus onto God and God's Word. Phenomenal book.

Saturday Night Dirt

by Will Weaver
PRMS paperback 163 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

This is for 8th grade book club. I didn't especially enjoy it (especially compared to other Weaver novels). There were waaay too many characters for a short book like this: Trace, Mel, Johnny, Patrick, Beau, Amber, Tudy, Sonny, Leonard, Cal, Larry, Richie, . . . .it was a challenge to keep them all straight! Car racing. Okay.

Perfect Chemistry

by Simone Elkeles
Hennepin County library audiobook 8 CDs
genre: teen romance
readers: Roxanne Hernandez & Blas Kisic

Intriguing. I'd say it's a bit too mature for my students, but I already know of one girl who has read it (a copy she borrowed from another of my students). Brittany is the "perfect" blond cheerleader who doesn't let anyone know her real story. Alex (Alejandro) is the tough but gorgeous gang member who's not really as bad as everyone thinks. Naturally, they fall for one another after being assigned as chemistry partners. There was some nice layering in this story and enough conflict to keep it really interesting. I definitely liked Alex's story better than Brittany's. Neither reader had an overwhelmingly wonderful quality, but they weren't total turnoffs, either. Brittany was a bit too whiny for me. Not sure yet if I'll read the other books in the series, but if I do, it will be the print versions!

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd

by Jim Fergus
Carver County Library paperback 302 pages
genre: historical fiction

Amazing book. Powerful and painful. I have notes, but I'm too tired to check them now. I didn't have the book read before we discussed it, but I'm so glad I've finished it. I had to put it down at times, because I knew it would come to bad parts. Will write more later.

I'm always amazed when a male author so successfully writes from a woman's perspective.

(added 4/5/13 from notes)
 pages 30/31 - letter "from" her father giving permission for May to participate in the Indian bride program . . . interesting how well she knew her father and how to write this deceptive letter

page 54 - Narcissa White is supposed to be an evangelical Christian, but she's just an awful, judgmental woman. I was so thankful for the character of Brother Anthony to counteract her!

pages 58/59 - the buffalo kill, just for the sport of it. Horrible.

pages 74/75 . . . not sure about this note. Perhaps marking my page from when I had to return the book to the library??? I went back and forth between the print & audio versions.

(added 4/27/13 from other notes . . . I have a lot of clutter in my life right now.)

Captain Bourke
Euphemia
Martha
Susan & Meggie Kelly
Chief Little Wolf
Horse Boy
Reverend Hare
Father Anthony

page 163 - Gertie and May talking about what a person needs - safety . . . security . . . love, perhaps.
 Love - that's the easy part. Don't appreciate what you've got until you don't have it.

Page 255 - white vs. Indian philosophy - ". . . the only true hope for the advancement of the savage is to teach him that he must give up this allegiance to the tribe and look toward his own individual welfare." Great paragraph! The irony of what the "civilizing" of the Indians would mean, in becoming more like the whites and less like their own culture is both painful and amazing.

page 273 - Father Anthony - "The People recognize a holy man by his own actions, and the monk's simple faith and self-denial, his fasts and penances are something the Cheyennes well understand . . . "

Page 293 - Father Anthony's codicil - God is not vengeful - "God is full of Grace, Light, and infinite Mercy."

 

<Above posted 3.22.2013. Below added 10.07.2024.> 

Someone whose judgment I trust recommended this book. I got the audiobook via Libby, but when I opened it the message was that I was 100% done. Hmmm. I started to listen to it from the beginning and recalled the story in part. As I continued listening, I realized that I probably blocked the book from my mind because it horrifies me so much. 

Over and over again, the Cheyennes are described as "savages" and "heathens" while the whites are "civilized" and have so much to teach the Indians. Sadly, over and over again, the whites are barbaric in how they treat the Indians. I know it's a work of fiction, but historically white people HAVE violated treaties and been evil toward natives. This book is well written, but just makes me so sad.

May Dodd is our protagonist and the chronicler of her life's experience. She was a wealthy girl who fell in love with a working man (Harry Ames). She and Harry had two children, William and Hortense. Her father (Harry's former employer) had her committed to an asylum for promiscuity and took her children. Her "out" from the asylum (which was like jail's solitary confinement) was to become a "Brides for Indians" participant.

It's interesting to try to search for info on if such a program ever really existed. What mostly shows up are results about Jim Fergus' books. (He has a sequel to this called The Vengeance of Mothers which is told from the Kelly twins' point of view.) One blurb said that these books were based on "what IF" such a program existed? In any case, it's fascinating and horrifying.

Characters and comments:

• Hortense - May's sister / early letters were written to her / namesake for daughter?
• Euphemia - "Phemie" black former slave determined to become the master of her own life /warrior
• Daisy Lovelace - Southerner with little dog Fern Louise / painfully racist, but changed over the book 
• Helen Flight - British birder, talented artist
• Narcissa White
• Captain John G. Bourke
• Martha - sweet little thing / dependent on May
• Gretchen - Swiss, powerful
• Sarah - young, sweet, truly fell in love with her husband
• Kelly sisters - Susie and Meggie
   

 

Once again, I was saddened by the senselessness of the men on the train shooting the gentle grazing buffalo. They didn't want the meat or the hides; they just wanted the "sport" of killing.

Later in the story, I smiled at the observation that the Cheyennes and whites had something in common - the men sit around and talk while the women do all the work!

Jules Seminole was such an awful skunk! I was disgusted by him throughout the entire book and especially at the end when he falsely told the soldiers that Little Wolf's camp was the camp of warlike Sioux. What an awful human being.

 

When Gretchen was arm wrestling and winning, I didn't remember the outcome of her match with Jules and was so scared she'd be abused by him. I loved that she won! I was sad for her that she was disappointed by her husband's choosing whiskey over her. The whiskey was so incredibly destructive and horrible for the tribe.

 

I didn't like the swearing and using the Lord's name in vain. I especially didn't like characters being evil to other humans. I didn't like the Cheyenne being called "Injuns" and worse. 

 

I liked "Dirty Gertie" (alias Jimmy the driver). She was a fascinating character with a unique perspective.

 

The scene where the Crow horse thieves kidnapped a group of the women was so awful! I'm glad Sarah was able to pull a knife on the man who raped her, but sad that she was killed. It was noble of May to protect Pretty Girl.

 

May married Little Wolf, the chief of that tribe. He also had his wife Quiet One and her daughter Pretty Girl, his second wife Feather on Head and her baby, an old crone (his mother?), and Horse Boy living in his tent. Sounds crowded!

 

I'm a little curious to read Fergus' sequel, but I'm also cautious.  While listening to this, I didn't remember how it ended. As it got to the ending, I think I must have blocked it from my mind because it made me so sad.

Narrators were Laura Hicks and Erik Steele.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach their Kids about Money that the Poor and Middle Class Do Not

by Robert Kiyosaki
Hennepin County Library paperback 183 pages
genre: non-fiction financial literacy

I wish I had kept track of the review I read that recommended this book. I wanted to read it as an educator - what is it that kids in less affluent families need to know? But as I read it, I thought about my own life and financial knowledge (or lack thereof). I still would rather follow Jesus, be poor, bless others, and store up my treasures in heaven. But here are some notes I made (before I return this to the library!) and things I'm still pondering:

page 55 - "Because students leave school without financial skills, millions of educated people pursue their profession successfully, but later find themselves struggling financially. They work harder but don't get ahead. What is missing from their education is not how to make money, but how to manage money. It's called financial aptitude - what you do with the money once you make it, how to keep people from taking it from you, how to keep it longer, and how to make that money work hard for you. Most people don't understand cash flow. A person can be highly educated, professionally successful, and financially illiterate. These people often work harder than they need to because they learned how to work hard, but not how to have their money work hard for them."

page 70 - he says that people like me (and most people) are 1. - working for the company, 2 - working for the government (taxes), and 3 - working for the bank (paying mortgage & interest)

page 112 - "Most people never win because they are afraid of losing. That is why I found school so silly. In school we learn that mistakes are bad, and we are punished for making them. yet if you look at the way humans are designed to learn, we learn by making mistakes. We learn to walk by falling down. If we never fell down, we would never walk. The same is true for learning to ride a bike. I still have scars on my knees, but today I can ride a bike without thinking. The same is true for getting rich." I agree with him on making mistakes - too often, we're looking for students to "get it right" rather than to actually learn . . .

page 134 (back to theme of willingness to lose) "I've said that falling off my bike was part of learning to ride. I remember falling off only made me more determined to learn to ride, not less. I also said that I have never met a golfer who has never lost a ball. For top professional golfers, losing a ball or a tournament provides the inspiration to be better, to practice harder, to study more. That's what makes them better. For winners, losing inspires them. For losers, losing defeats them."

Lots to think about and consider. He readily admits that most taxes are paid in by the poor and middle class . . . for me it brings up thoughts of Leona Helmsley - "taxes are for the little people" or whatever she said. Interesting and sad. But he also says that giving is very important and that he and his wife give a lot of money away. But he basically advocates for making money off investments (real estate, stocks) and not paying taxes to the government.

No Easy Day: the Autobiography of a Navy SEAL

by Mark Owen, with Kevin Maurer
Dakota County Library hardcover 299 pages
genre: memoir

This was our book for school book club. It was apparently very controversial because SEALs are supposed to keep everything they do very hush-hush. The author said he got tired of listening to the president and lots of other people who weren't present at the raid on bin Laden's compound talking about the event (and the media for misreporting lots of info). So he wrote his own book talking about the SEALs and their missions, especially the mission to take out bin Laden.

I didn't enjoy this book. It was somewhat interesting, but I do not get excited about prose that is mostly full of military acronyms and "we got these weapons and got on this chopper and took out this target" language. It's just not the kind of language that an author like Cleave uses. And the whole "take out the target" mentality . . . you're murdering people. And whether or not those murders are justified, it's still murder. And think of the little kids who saw these men come into their home and gun down their father. Do you think they're going to grow up to have any willingness to work with Americans? I'm not just referring to the raid on bin Laden's compound - there were lots and lots of other "missions" with "targets" in Afghanistan, Iran, and other places. I can't wrap my head around the mentality that we (Americans) are doing this all around the globe and justifying it as fighting terrorists. I think many people in other countries see us as the terrorists.

My opinions did NOT go over well at book club  . . . . guess I'm in the minority here.

Gold

by Chris Cleave
Hennepin County Library audiobook, 10 CDs
read by Emilia Fox
genre: realistic fiction

Chris Cleave is an amazing author! Although I like Little Bee more than this story, his writing is powerful and gripping. This tale of personal demons and Olympic glories entranced me. I couldn't completely dislike Zoe as she and Kate battled for supremacy in track cycling. Kate's story broke my heart with her love for Jack, daughter Sophie, and even her love for Zoe as a friend. Even though this was due back at the library three days ago, I *had* to finish it!!! I'll gladly pay the fine.

Fox's vocal work was impeccable! She got Tom's Aussie accent, Jack's Scottish brogue, and the women's lovely accents as well. Fantastic all the way around.

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio
PRMS hardcover 315 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

I read this more than a week ago . . . and truly enjoyed it. I didn't cry as much as I expected to (based on other people's reviews), but it was definitely moving. August (Auggie) has a seriously deformed face but will be starting fifth grade at Beecher Prep school. His sister is also starting a new school and her life's story is intertwined with that of her little brother. Touching, sad, funny . . . this book is a worthwhile read for people of many ages!

All Things New

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 412 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Josephine Weatherly (Jo, Missy Jo, Missy, . . . )

I just can't blog right now. Here's the back of the book: "Josephine Weatherly struggles to pick up the pieces of her life when her family returns to their Virginia plantation. But the realities of life after the war cannot be denied; her home and land are but a shell of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken. Her life of privilege, a long-ago dream. Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival - and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak . . . but a bitter hatred fuels her. Can hope - and a battered faith in God - survive amid the devastation?"

We discussed it on Monday. Good story. 

Playground

by 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson III) and Laura Moser
personal paperback 314 pages
genre: realistic fiction

Leslie Geissler gave this to me as a gift! I already had it in my collection, but had not read it yet. Butterball resents his mother for making him live in a town where he doesn't have his old friends or the entertainment of the city where his dad still lives. This is sure to resonate with kids who feel out-of-place and a bit angry with parents or other authority figures. My favorite part of the story is when he sticks up for his little neighbor kid. I disliked the stupid things he did in his anger.

The Looking Glass Wars

by Frank Beddor
PRMS hardcover 358 pages
genre: fantasy adventure

So many people have raved about this book, but it has taken me the longest time to actually read it! What a strange book - what if Alice in Wonderland were a real person? In this book, Alyss Heart is heir to the throne of Wonderland until her Aunt Redd kills Alyss' parents and seizes control. Filled with imagination, adventure, and lots of vivid characters, this story is only book one in a series. Of course, I like the developing romance between Alyss and new captain of the guard, Dodge Anders.

Clockwork Angel

Infernal Devices - book one
by Cassandra Clare
PRMS paperback 478 pages
genre: paranormal romance, steampunk

This was for eighth grade book club. I had to force myself to read it. Yuk. I really do not like this author's work. Other than the romantic tension between Tessa and Will, there wasn't much for me to like about it. Only one of my eighth graders read the whole thing! She truly enjoyed the story. A few of the girls who usually like this genre said they just couldn't get in to it . . . and some didn't expect to like it and didn't get past chapter one.

Tessa has come to England after the death of her aunt in New York. All she has left is her brother Nate. But there are two sisters who greet her at the docks, saying they were sent by her brother. Soon Tessa is locked up and being "taught" / forced to use her special powers to change into other people.
The Nephilim are angel warriors from Heaven (but with all the attributes of human attitude - these angels have nothing to do with glorifying God) and of them all, Will is stunningly gorgeous and a powerful fighter with a reckless attitude. Jem (James) is his best friend and the only one to whom Will shows gentleness.

One thing I liked were all the references to literature and reading. On page 94, Will says, "I've never seen anyone get so excited over books before. You'd think they were diamonds." It's a nice scene (though their reading tastes are somewhat different from one another's).

One thing that makes me crazy - why point out that vampires have no hearts, no lungs, no need to breathe, and then have the battle scene be full of vampires being cut and bleeding all over! Or they explode or spurt or burst with blood . . . what? That's just a strange mixing of ideas.

Pretty Little Liars

by Sara Shepard
Hennepin County Library hardcover 286 pages
genre: realistic (?) fiction (what I call "mean girls")

What I liked: . . . good question. I really tried to keep an open mind. I think Aria was my favorite character.

What I disliked:  the meanness of the girls' "friendship" - based on lies, coercion, threats, and taunting; the fact that "The Jenna Thing" was never explained; the ugly behaviors (drinking, smoking pot, shoplifting, sleeping around, bulimia, drunk driving, . . . and NO apparent negative repercussions for negative behavior other than the censure of their peers); the shallow and materialistic focus on shopping, name-brands, etc.; . . .

Why I read it at all:  for a few years, I've just said "no" when kids have asked about this series. This year, I've had more requests than ever and lots of disappointment when I said "no." Then I thought perhaps I was being unfairly biased. I'd never actually read one of the books or watched the tv show . . . I ought to at least try. So I got this and was ready to stop at chapter five. What garbage! Then I pondered WHY I hated it so much. After all, I have other books in this collection that include teenage drinking and promiscuity. I have other books I don't "like." So I decided to read through to the end. Yuk. What an awful book! I'm not sure why it's so popular.

A Stolen Life

by Jaycee Lee Dugard
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 6 discs
read by the author
genre: memoir

This was SO hard to listen to! I give her kudos for sharing her story and not letting Garrido off the hook for what he did. It just makes me so incredibly sad that ANY child has ever had to endure such terror, loss, and confusion. She tells her story in a childlike voice and with fairly simple, straightforward writing style. I found myself actually hoping that Phillip Garrido has received treatment from fellow inmates in prison that would help him understand a little bit of what he did to an eleven-year-old girl . . . . but I know that I shouldn't think that way.

I also hated that he would read the Bible and put his own sick twist on it. Hearing from "demon angels" and blaming his evil acts on them . . . again, it makes me so angry. I suppose I should have more compassion and forgiveness for someone who is truly messed up. But one cannot overlook the evil he (and his wife Nancy!) inflicted on this courageous young woman.

Science Verse

by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith
Hennepin County hardcover picture book w/ CD
genre: snappy science poetry

These two are so creative and smart! I love their work, but I'm glad I read this from the library before buying it for school. It's an odd mix of too simple & yet too-over-kids'-heads. But I may not be giving my students enough credit. I love the literary allusions. Very clever!

Every Soul a Star

by Wendy Mass
PRMS paperback 322 pages
genre: realistic fiction, relationships, coming of age

Eighth grade book club will discuss this today; glad I finished it last night! I liked the three perspectives - Ally, Bree, and Jack - though I didn't find the girls' scenarios to be very realistic. The author did an amazing job of weaving the astronomy and wonder of science throughout the book. I think our earth science teachers might enjoy this book . . .

Ryan - has changed from Ally's reliable friend to a workout-focused guy looking for "hotties"
Melanie - Bree's positive, energetic little sister who's unconcerned with peer pressure, societal norms, etc.
Kenny - Ally's brainiac little brother who loves bugs
Stella - the little old lady who befriends Jack, then Bree; knits a red scarf

The Unusuals - interesting, yet also a little too New Age-y for me . . .

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean

by Susan Casey
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
read by: Kirsten Potter
genre: non-fiction, science (sort of)

Likes: lots of interesting stories and information, Potter's voice work is great

Dislikes: seemed to be 80% surfing . . . which got really, really old. Info on tsunamis was minimal (and I still question the accuracy of her wave height information in relation to tsunamis).

My dad wants to re-listen to it.

Zita the Spacegirl

by Ben Hatke
PRMS paperback 184 pages
genre: YA graphic novel fantasy adventure

Love it! Already know the kids I'll recommend it to, and looking forward to re-reading it. Hatke's storyline and artwork effectively tell an enchanting tale full of (clean) adventure, drama, and friendship. Wonderful book!

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

by Liz Kessler
CMSE hardcover 209  pages
genre: YA fantasy

Emily finds out she's a mermaid! She has adventures with her new mermaid friend Shona, rescues her mother from the evil Mr. Beeston who has been wiping mom's memory and spying on them for years, rescues her dad from the merpeople prison, and convinces Neptune to change his tune on human / mer love relationships. Perfect for dreamy sixth graders. I won't read the sequels, but at least now I "get" why some kids love them.

Debt Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About

by Kevin Trudeau
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
genre: non-fiction financial advice

What I liked:
He pointed out that if you pay your bill in full, any new charges do not accrue interest for thirty days. BUT if you have a balance from one month to the next, any new charges start accruing interest immediately. I hadn't really thought about that . . . all the more reason to pay credit cards off completely!

What I disliked:
- he's a blowhard whose vitriolic speech is NOT helpful
- he read his own book - fine. BUT he paces his reading ineffectively and unprofessionally. You can also hear the rustling of papers in the background. Not a high quality audiobook.
- in the intro, he implies that anyone who is listening to his book doesn't read or can't read . . . insulting. There are commuters who listen to audiobooks while they drive!
- he keeps saying what he's going to tell us about / teach us. It got to the point where I wanted to scream "just say it, then!" Very similar to the last audiobook I tried about financial advice.
- he is terribly unethical, advising people to unload old debts by lying. I cannot imagine trying to get out of paying for things that I charged.
- he doesn't seem to think that consumers need to have any kind of personal responsibility for their choices. It's all about the evil consumer credit industry and the evil government conspiring to screw us out of our money and keep us enslaved . . .

I couldn't even finish disc two. This guy was just too obnoxious. Any good points he might have to offer are lost in his inflammatory language and ineffective communication style.

Bad Island

By Doug Ten Napel
PRMS paperback ? pages
genre: YA fantasy adventure

A family goes on a sailing trip but encounters a huge storm. They end up on a strange island with unusual flora and fauna. The teen son, Reese?, ends up being a pretty cool hero. The whiny daughter carries her dead snake around - nasty. It was a little jarring when the space fight story interrupted the family story, but it all worked out in the end. I really like Napel's work! I will re-read this one, but it's already checked out to an avid graphic novel reader.

Broken for You

by Stephanie Kallos
Mary's paperback 372 pages
genre: realistic fiction

This was a get-under-your-skin book on so many levels! Margaret Hughes is elderly and has a tumor in her brain. Wanda Schulz is by turns an efficient stage manager and a sobbing basket case. Both women have past hurts hidden deeply. The day they break Margaret's wedding china (on purpose), their lives start to change in significant ways. Mosaics, Detective Lorenzini, Michael (aka MJ), Paris, Gus, Susan and Bruce, August (Augie), dreams, Irma, bowling, and of course Troy! What an amazing wonderful challenging book. I had to keep wiping my tears away at the end.

What a Difference a Dog Makes: big lessons on life, love and healing from a small pooch

by Dana Jennings
Hennepin County library audioCDs 3 discs
read by the author
genre: memoir, pets, cancer

Quick read. I mostly liked it. It was irritating when he practically deified dogs . . . they're just dogs, not mystic entities. I liked where he talked about dogs living in the "now" - that's definitely a wonderful trait!

Too distracted right now to write . . . too many people asking me questions and needing things. Tiring day. I appreciate the author's candidness about his prostate cancer and how it affected him. I was surprised that he included so little about his wife in this book.

Canned

by Alex Shearer
PRMS paperback 237 pages
genre: YA mystery

What an odd book. Written by a Brit, I love the language differences - taking things to the "dip" rather than the dump, a grocery trolley rather than cart, . . . Fergal Bamfield is a strange boy. He doesn't really have friends, but he does have a reputation for being clever. When he starts collecting cans (unlabeled, sealed, bargain-bin cans), his parents tolerate it for a while. But when he finds some strange things in a few cans, he doesn't share it with his parents. Or the police. Enter Charlotte, another strange child with a can-collecting hobby.

It will be interesting to hear what my sixth grade book club thinks of this one. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.

The Eleventh Plague

by Jeff Hirsch
Hennepin County library audioCDs 6 discs
read by Dan Bittner
genre: dystopian adventure

Liked: characters and their growth, especially Stephen and Jenny. Loved Violet, Marcus, and Jackson & their family dynamics.

Disliked: more depressing futuristic nihilism (sp?) / lack of explanation of the actual plague and its immediate aftermath / Mr. Tuttle and his 1950s-style of "education" . . . seriously?

The story opens with Stephen and his father burying grandpa, whose strength and discipline have ruled their lives since the Collapse. When Stephen and his father encounter some nasty Slavers, things go from uncertain to downright scary. Entering Settlers Landing is like going into a whole new world.

Bittner's vocal work is quite good, but I think I might have enjoyed this story more if I were reading rather than listening, especially in the suspenseful parts.

The Horse Boy

by Rupert Isaacson
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
genre: memoir, autism, spiritualism
read by the author

Too tired to blog now. Son has severe autism. Wife is vegetarian Buddhist. Author has excellent accent (British). He seeks healing for his son via shamanism. They travel to Mongolia to visit different shamans. Interesting and thought-provoking.

Just read a review here: http://the-word-of-jeff.blogspot.com/2009/07/horse-boy-book-review.html

1/15/13 note:
One thing that bothered me with this book was how he would use the Lord's name in vain and then be praying to God in the next sentence. Isaacson's theology seems to be a hodge-podge of New Age spiritualism and a dash of anything that may work for him. It was disconcerting to hear him using the Lord's name as a swearword, and then praying to the Lord for his son's healing. Anyhow, this book made me appreciate more than ever how healthy my own children are! It also made me wonder (a lot) about the causes and treatments for autism.

Thunder and Rain

by Charles Martin
Hennepin County Library hardcover 367 pages
genre: Christian fiction, adventure

Tyler Steele is a third generation Texas Ranger who pretty much sees life in black and white. The story of his life is engaging and I enjoyed it for the most part. There was a little too much gun-love, Texas-love, and Ranger-love for me . . . but it was balanced out with a great cast of characters (I love Georgia and Dumps!) and his love for Andie as well as for Samantha created a lot of tension. Brodie and Hope were great kid characters, but Hope's journal often sounded much, much, much too mature and reflective for a ten-year-old.

Grace Kelly: American Princess

By Elizabeth Gillen Surcouf
PRMS withdrawn / hardcover 64 pages
genre: non-fiction biography

This is one of the books I weeded out of the collection at school this fall. It was interesting, but fairly superficial. I enjoyed reading it both out of curiosity and because the photographs are stunning (of Princess Grace and of Monaco). She was a gorgeous woman. I would have liked more details about her life and death. The author doesn't really even explain how her daughter survived the car accident that took Grace's life.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

by Barry Deutsch
PRMS paperback 139 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, adventure & fantasy

Interesting title, but not destined to become one of my favorites. Tag on the top of the front cover: "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl." Hmmm. Mirka is likable enough. It is instructive without being overbearing in regard to Jewish customs. The plot just seemed a bit too awkward to me, though.

Slumdog Millionaire

by Vikas Swarup
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 9 discs
read by Christopher Simpson
genre: realistic fiction

This was a re-listen. What an incredible story! Mr. Simpson voices it very effectively. The tale of Ram Mohammed Thomas and his unlikely success winning a billion rupees amazes me in its intricacy and beauty amidst the horrors. In searching online to find out how to spell his unusual name (to satisfy the expectations of three different faith leaders), I'm horrified that his name is different in the movie version. Yet another reason NOT to watch the movie! The story of his name is one of my favorites in this wonderful book of storytelling.

Twisted

by Laurie Halse Anderson
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 5 discs
read by Mike Chamberlain
genre: YA coming-of-age

It always surprises me when an author's protagonist of the opposite gender hits the nail on the head. Tyler has transformed from a nobody nerd to a troublemaker with muscles. One dumb act of vandalism has changed his life; hormones and growth do the rest. I just don't feel like blogging now. Good book. Intense. Deals with a LOT of teen topics including suicide (thoughts and attempts), sex, drugs, bullying, family violence, etc. Chamberlain's vocal work was excellent.

Odd Apocalypse

by Dean R. Koontz
Hennepin County Library hardcover 355 pages
genre: paranormal mystery

I was on the waiting list for this for a looooong time so it was gratifying to get it and have time to read it (on the bus to TIES and waiting for a tire rotation). Odd and Annamaria have ended up at Roseland, an impressive estate with something very wrong. As Odd lets his psychic magnetism guide him, the dangers mount on all sides. I love the role Nikola Tesla played in this story. I find it amusing that Alfred Hitchcock is manifesting to Odd in this tale. Koontz has woven many current pop culture references in this story (including Justin Bieber). Delightful story, though I'll probably take a listen to it again when it comes out on audio. I simply adore the vocal work that David Aaron Baker does!

Vampire Knight

by Matsuri Hino
Dakota County Library paperback less than 200 pages
genre: YA manga paranormal romance

Surprisingly, though this one had the creepiest cover, I liked it best of the four I read recently. The school in this story has day classes and night classes (for vampires only, though that's top secret). Two students are members of the disciplinary committee - making sure students don't go in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yuki Cross (who looks shockingly young for so much responsibility) and Zero Kiryu (hot & older, naturally) have a strange mix of attraction and frustration toward one another.

Kitchen Princess

manga by Natsumi Ando & story by Miyuki Kobayashi
Dakota County Library paperback 200ish pages
genre: YA manga romance

I actually kind of liked this one - it's emphasis on food anyhow. Shocker - there are two boys interested in the same girl. The girl looks waaaay too young to be interested in older guys (she's middle school; they seem older teen / early 20s). I liked the drawings of the different desserts and the recipes at the end.

Story basics - Najika is in the Seika Academy and entered in a baking contest. The youngest contestant there, the academy's director points out that she's the daughter of two famous (but dead) pastry chefs. He basically wants to use her for marketing for his school. She's in love with one of the director's sons, but the other son is interested in her too.

Gakuen Alice

by Tachibana Higuchi
Dakota County Library paperback 200ish pages
genre: YA manga, fantasy

Sigh. In this one, best friends Mikan (looks like Alice in Wonderland) and Hotaru are separated when Hotaru goes to a special "Alice" school. Heart-broken, Mikan decides to go find her. Lo and behold, the school is for students with special giftings (called "Alices" - even for the boys). Turns out whiny Mikan has a special talent, too, only she doesn't even know what it is.

At least this one had some suspense and adventure in it, but it still isn't my cup of tea! I'm trying to find something that will meet the needs of my girls who keep asking for The Black Butler (because he's hot, basically, in a graphic sense of the word).

Land of the Blindfolded

by Sakura Tsukuba
Dakota County Library paperback 202 pages
genre: YA manga paranormal romance

"Kanade can sometimes see the future and Arou can always see the past. Even with the chemistry they feel, it's impossible to forecast what will become of their relationship. Adding to the tension, Namiki (a new student who can also see the future) develops a crush on Kanade."

My reactions to this (and other manga of this style):
1. I don't really get it or like it.
2. Why is the female drawn like a little girl and the guys drawn like hot teenagers? That's just creepy.
3. What is it with the female crying like an idiot every two seconds?

Nuff said.

Why I Fight

by J. Adams Oaks
sort of PRMS (long story) paperback 228 pages
genre: realistic fiction (gritty)

Twelve-year-old Wyatt is a neglected kid. When he accidentally burns down his house after being left alone for several days in a row, his uncle takes him out of the shelter where he ended up with "Fever" (his father) and Ma. Uncle Spade is not exactly a wonderful role model or parent figure for Wyatt. This book is well-written but made me sad. Wyatt is uneducated, unloved, and used for his size and strength. Spade has Wyatt train as a bare-fist fighter and lies about his age. Wyatt navigates the confusion of cities, Spade's "lady friends," grandma's strange religious rants, and the neglect of his own parents by zoning out.

Since it has been drawn on and is no longer officially in the collection, I read it to decide whether or not I'd replace it. It's worth replacing, but I'm not sure I will. Not many kids will be able to relate to the kind of life Wyatt is leading.

Cardboard

by Doug TenNapel
PRMS paperback 283 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, fantasy

Loved it! I need to buy the author's book that I don't yet own. Cam's unemployed carpenter dad gives him a cardboard box for his birthday. When the two of them make a cardboard boxer that comes to life, things quickly get out of hand. The evil neighbor Marcus adds much to the story!

Let Love Find You

by Johanna Lindsey
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 8 discs
read by Anne Flosnik
genre: historical romance

I might have enjoyed this story more, but the reader's voice was irritating and over-the-top on the romantic scenes. It ended up being more silly than romantic. I don't really know why I grab romance novels . . . with the exception of Lavyrle Spencer, I usually find the stories hopelessly lacking in good storytelling.

Amanda Locke is on her third season (almost an old maid at age 20!) and Devin Baldwin is the gorgeous, blunt bastard who makes her angry. Yeah, they end up together. No surprises in this genre. I wonder / think . . . would have I enjoyed it more if I had read the text instead of listening to Ms. Flosnik? Yes, but not much.

The Fireman's Wife

by Susan Farren
PRMS hardcover 200 pages
genre: memoir

Caught my eye when I was weeding. Interesting look at the life of a fireman's wife - the challenges, fears, and frustrations as well as the joys and celebrations. A great inside look at the life of firefighters from a spouse's perspective!

It's Not Summer WIthout You

by Jenny Han
PRMS hardcover 277 pages
genre: YA romance, coming-of-age

This story continues with Belly spending her first ever summer at home rather than at Cousins Beach until Jeremiah asks her to help find his brother Conrad. Details (such as what happened on that winter night at the very end of book one when Belly and Conrad take off in the middle of the night) are filled in as the story develops. Flashbacks, two pov (Belly & Jere), and other techniques tell us about Susannah's death, relationships, and grieving. Not great, but good. And now I'm curious to read book three . . .

Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip

by Nevin Martell
PRMS hardcover 231 pages
genre: biography

How tough it must have been for the author to write about a living person who wanted to be left alone! The book is lacking in information, but it's not for Martell's lack of effort. He talked to anyone who had anything to say about the reclusive Watterson. At times, I almost felt bad about even reading this book . . . if Watterson wants to stay out of the limelight, why not let him? Like the author, though, I have a strong affinity for Calvin and Hobbes (owning all the books except the $150 complete edition set) and am curious about the man who created such an incredible phenomenon. Throughout the book, Martell injects himself and his struggles into the tale. The interview with Watterson's mother truly was a pinnacle moment - at last, something new and substantive. Overall, not a book I'd recommend to anyone except the most diehard C&H fans.

Ostrich Boys

by Keith Gray
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 5 discs
read by Bruce Mann
genre: YA coming-of-age, grief

What an interesting book! I loved the British and Scottish accents (great vocal work by Mann), the way Blake analyzed what was going on in the wake of his best friend Ross' death, and the journey (physical and emotional) that the boys take. I did not like how much swearing and especially the use of the Lord's name in vain that the dialogue included.

Not sure this title would appeal to my readers, but the humor lightens the sadness of the boys' anger and hurt at the loss of their friend. I liked this story quite a bit. I liked Sim's ability to name different collective nouns. This seems to me a good companion story to Thirteen Reasons Why . . .

Two Destinies

by Elizabeth Musser
Hennepin County Library paperback 450ish pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

The culmination of the trilogy jumps 20 or so years and picks us up with everyone's lives, adding another dozen or so characters. Just as with the first book, I had to force myself to read it for the first 100 pages or so. Then I enjoyed it thoroughly and was drawn into Ophelie's and Rislene's story. I love how El Amin's encounters with others (except Yassir) turned out. Not loving how Musser drops hints for many, many, many pages before finally telling the story of what she's alluding to . . . (e.g. the terrible tragedy that has saddened Remi & Eliane Cebrian, the back story about Bachir, etc.) It's kind of maddening, but overall this was a good story. I like #2 the best, then this one, then the first one. Glad I'm done with them, though.

Stupid Fast

by Geoff Herbach
PRMS paperback 311 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age

I first encountered this book while trying to help an eighth grader write a character sketch. (A tough task, given he'd only read about 27 pages of the book . . . ) I was intrigued enough by the book to put a copy in my online shopping cart. Then a few days later, I met the author at Bookology! Talking with him (and buying a copy on-site for him to sign), I knew I had to finish reading this book! It's got so many layers to it - grief, cliques, romance, talent, suicide, bullying, family dynamics, communication, . . . it's a wonderful book! The author uses the Lord's name in vain and swearing more than I'd like, but I don't think teenagers will have a problem with that. Felton Reinstein goes from "joke to jock" during the summer between his sophomore and junior years in high school. His best friend is in South America visiting an ailing grandparent. His second-best friend would rather hang out with the debate team. His little brother is a piano prodigy. And his mother is changing. Felton just wants to eat, sleep, and grow hair. Highly recommended book.

Sleeping Freshman Never Lie

by David Lubar
PRMS paperback 279 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age

This was a re-read because I remember loving this book, but not the kind of reader to booktalk it to . . . I loved it again and it is pretty funny. I didn't remember, however, that it is about a really smart kid who dislikes PE. Hmmm. I've been trying to "sell" it to the wrong type of reader. This book is smart, funny, wonderful! Scott is a normal kid who is a bit unsure about starting high school. Of his three best friends, one gets a girlfriend, one moves away, and one becomes an athlete. Scott is wondering where he fits. Great themes - touches on friendship, bullying, suicide, literacy, . . . an English teacher is pretty much the adult hero in the book. Sigh. Right up my alley!

Two Testaments

by Elizabeth Musser
Hennepin County Library paperback 476 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Book two in the trilogy, I enjoyed this one much more than the first. Getting David out of Algeria, Hussein at the orphanage, Ophelie's sweet spirit, the future of the orphanage . . . good story! The funeral (I won't say whose!) was the most gripping part of the book. I could barely read for my tears. Loved it. I'm about 100 pages into book three and struggling to enjoy it (like with book one). Book club discusses #2 & #3 next Monday, so I'd better finish!

Feed

by M.T. Anderson
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 5 discs
read by David Aaron Baker
genre: dystopian SciFi

I hated this book. It's a magnificent piece of writing. (And I adore David Aaron Baker's interp! He also does the Odd Thomas books. I think I'll see if I can find books read by him, no matter the topic or author.) One of my colleagues looked at me as though I was crazy when I shared my love-hate for this book. Another colleague nodded in understanding. It reminded me of when I was a teenager reading The Lord of the Flies for the first time. Completely sucked in to the story, talking to the characters, traumatized by the events. Feed is also a powerful story, but I didn't "like" it much.

Set in the not-so-very-distant future, Titus is a typical rich American kid. The moon "sucks" and he's pumped to get his own "up-car." Violet has had a very different upbringing, with parents who resisted getting their own feeds and didn't want her to have the implant, either. When her feed was installed, she was older than most children are and her parents bought a budget model. Not good. Intimately affecting people's brains, tracking their interests, controlling their body's systems, the Feed also floods their minds with advertising.

Awesome, horrible book. I took a look at the print version in my library, but I think the audio brings it to life (especially the sensory overload) so much more effectively. Worth a read!

Added 2/6/14:
I did a re-read (of the print version) to get ready for 8th grade book club. It was a little too coarse for my students - one didn't finish it. I had warned them about the swearing, but this wasn't the right book for the readers! I am still impressed by how thought-provoking this book is . . . how much is already true? Could this happen in the future? I marked a lot of pages!

page 8/9 - "You put the 'supper' back in 'suppuration.' . . . and the subsequent reactions by characters.

39 -  "I missed the feed. I don't know when they first had feeds. Like maybe, fifty or a hundred years ago. Before that, they had to use their hands and their eyes. Computers were all outside the body. . . . . "

This entire page! I should just scan and post it! He goes on to talk about the educational advantages and how everyone is smart because they can look things up right away. ". . . like if you want to know which battles of the Civil War George Washington fought in and shit."

54 - "She asked me, 'Do you know how to read?' I nodded. 'I can read. A little. I kind of protested it in school TM (trademark). On the grounds that the silent 'E' is stupid.' 'This is the language called BASIC,' she said."  Just the issue of literacy and what it means to humanity . . . this book really, really resonates with me!

58 - the way the author intersperses "the feed" with the storyline . . . it's amazing how invasive the feed's messages are in these characters' lives. And it's amazing how much like real life with kids and cell phones this really is.

I honestly haven't figured out the role / purpose of the news briefs on world events (which most of the characters are either unaware of or unconcerned about). Only Violet is paying attention. These are the pages I marked with those scenes:  70, 98, 126, 151, 191 (Titus and Violet talking about it), 214, and 223 (when Titus is finally starting to understand).

80 - Violet and Titus at the mall, trying to skew the statistical analysis of their shopping profiles. It absolutely creeps me out how realistic this is! I hate being "sold to" based on past purchases.

90/91 - commentary on education and no one being willing to pay for it!!! "Now that school TM is run by the corporations, it's pretty brag, because it teaches us how the world can be used, like mainly how to use our feeds."

103 - conversation between Violet and Titus' dad about the trees being cut down to build an oxygen factory . . .

116 - the filet mignon farm . . . I actually found this part kind of funny, but also sad if you look at how a lot of food is mass-produced.

133 - Titus deciding to act *exactly* like his father when he is angry. Kids really do learn from our behavior!

192 - Titus' mind is on other things when the news in his upcar includes ". . . the physical and biological integrity of the earth relies at this point upon the dismantling of American-based corporate entities, whatever the cost."

200 - to me, the most heartbreaking moment in the story. "I deleted everything she had sent me."

211 - on their vacation getaway, the romance doesn't happen because Titus says, "I keep picturing you dead already."

219 - Titus starting to realize that commercialism and materialism aren't getting him anywhere.

221 - Violet's dad sharing his struggle with getting the feed for his daughter.

Paranormalcy

by Kiersten White
PRMS paperback 335 pages
genre: paranormal romance

My 8th grade book club is reading this and our discussion should be lively. So far, I've heard, "This is the worst book ever written!" and "I LOVE this book! It's the best!" Personally, I liked it more than I expected. It's different, quirky. Evelyn (Evie) can see through paranormal creatures' glamours to what is really inside (vampire, werewolf, hag, etc.). She works for the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agreement). Lend is a new creature she's never encountered before. A teenager like her, she is continually drawn to visit him in detainment. Funny, odd, interesting . . . I'm almost curious to read book two. And I'm definitely looking forward to discussing this with my students. BTW, the romance isn't very romantic, but it's still a fun book.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

by Jenny Han
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 6 discs
read by Jessica Almasy
genre: realistic fiction, romance, coming-of-age

"Belly" (short for Isabel) is almost 16, has been in love with family friend Conrad (2 years older) for all her life, and is heading to the summer house at Cousins Beach with her mom and brother Steven. Rounding out the summer crowd are Conrad's brother Jeremiah (Belly's best friend) and their mother Susannah. Relationships are key in this story - friendships, siblings, parent-child, and of course, romance!

Almasy's vocal work was perfect for this. Belly was a bit too immature for me, but realistic and believable for a 15-year-old. I'm sort of curious to read the next book to see how the characters develop. The author also left this story with a cliffhanger - Conrad showing up at Belly's house in the winter and the two of them taking off.

My Descent Into Death: a Second Chance at Life

by Howard Storm
error copy, hardcover, 146 pages
genre: memoir, Christian testimony

This book was wrapped in a jacket for Gary Paulsen's Notes from the Dog. The spine on the hardcover under that jacket even had Paulsen's name and title on it! Imagine the confusion of the student who checked it out, then brought it back with a confused, "I don't get this." Mackin quickly replaced it with the correct book.

I, however, have a hard time chucking books into the garbage. So this sat in my home for a few years until I started reading it while I brushed my teeth. Over the past few months, I've read the whole thing with a mix of joy and disbelief. I'm not sure why I have such a strong bias about people's return-from-death stories. . . who am I to doubt another person's experience? And I should just stick with the joy that this former atheist now believes in Jesus. Still, his time hanging out in heaven with Jesus sounds pretty involved, lengthy, and detailed . . . and not as authentic as the rest of his testimony. I'd be curious to have other believers read this and give me their opinion.

The Silent Boy

by Lois Lowry
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 CDs
read by Karen Allen
genre: YA

I don't remember a lot about this story, but recall that it was touching. I read this four years ago; the title was on the sheet with the info for The Time Machine . . .

The Time Machine

by H. G. Wells
Hennepin County library, paperback 115 pages
genre: SciFi

I read this with my 8th grade book club three (?) years ago . . . or four. Wow! If those kids are seniors now . . . I'm losing some excellent helpers for my book fairs. Here are notes I found that I want to save.

Ch. 1 - gentlemen discuss four dimensions / time travel
2 - dinner guests / time traveler shows up
3 - travel into the future
4 - 802, 701 A.D. exploration / his theories on human development
5 - time machine missing! Panic, exploration, saving Weena, finding Morlocks
6 - time traveler goes down into the Morlocks' tunnels
7 - flowers in pocket / green building / overnight outdoors
8 - the museum (green palace)
9 - the fire / exhaustion & night in the open
10 - the Sphinx and the time machine
11 - 30,000,000 years into the future
12 - finishing his story / disbelief / he goes

Narrator / "I"
Time Traveler
Filby (red hair)
Psychologist
Very Young Man
Provincial Mayor
Medical Man / Doctor
Editor / Blank
Journalist / Dash
Silent Man / Choose
Weena / Eloi
Morlocks / underground

pg. 29 - para 2 last sentence
pg. 35 - para 1 families
pg. 46 - "Occidental" - define
pg. 54 - sun / planets / future
pg. 58-59 - Haves & Have-nots
pg. 70 - Carlovingian (def.)
pg. 74-75 - constellations different
pg. 76 - "Carlyle-like scorn of . . . "
pg. 80- deliquesced

I remember these kids watching the movie. I think they said something like, "H.G. Wells would turn in his grave if he saw that." Nice that they appreciate the literature and see how Hollywood can ruin a story.

Sweet Sanctuary

by Sheila Walsh & Cindy Martinusen-Coloma
Hennepin County Library paperback 302 pages
genre: Christian fiction / relationships

This one took a while to get going for me. The main character, Wren, is delightful (librarian, literary fan) but she is so conflicted about her own life that I want to yell at her (the way I'm always tempted to yell at Hamlet in his indecisiveness). It also frustrates me when the author(s) immediately make it clear that some horrible thing happened . . . but you have to wait to find out what it was. Since it so clearly impacted Wren and her entire life, it's a bit frustrating to wait for it to unfold. Paul was my favorite character. Bradley added a bit of intrigue - liked him.

Families can be maddening.

Matched

by Ally Condie
PRMS paperback ? pages
genre: dystopian romance

My 8th grade book club discussed this today. Since I read it last year, I didn't re-read it. I did okay discussing it with the kids, but was curious to see what my initial response was. Checked my blog for the last year and a half (after searching for the author's name and the title) and came up empty. I never wrote about it! Grrr. How often do I do that? I really, really like having this record of books and impressions so I don't get so darn confused.

Memories:
Liking Ky better than Xander, but feeling kind of bad for the "safe" best friend.
Not liking it as much as Hunger Games.
Comparing grandpa's death in this society to a Logan's Run scenario - the old are killed before they get to be too much of a health expense.
The beauty and power of poetry and literature.
The fearfulness of a tyrannical government (very Big Brother-ish)

The Story of Beautiful Girl

by Rachel Simon
Dakota County Library, hardcover, 340 pages
genre: historical fiction

What an amazing, beautiful story! I can hardly wait until we discus it at book club! Simon follows Beautiful Girl (Lynnie), Number 42 (Homan), the old lady (Martha / Mathilda), and sundry other characters as their lives interact and are ripped apart. Lynnie and Homan are residents of The School (or as he calls it, The Snare), placed there because of their developmental disabilities. Set in the early 1960s, the warehousing of handicapped people was fairly common.

Tonette's death, Clarence's & Smokes' cruelty, Doreen's situation . . . . so many realistic, painful scenarios. But the story never gets confusing; Simon does an amazing job of weaving the different lives together. I love Hannah's role in her sister's life! I love the significance of the lighthouse. I indentified most closely with Kate. This is such an amazing book! Beautifully written!

Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

by Trenton Lee Stewart
Carver County Library audiobook 11 CDs
read by Del Roy
genre: YA mystery / adventure

I would have enjoyed reading this much more than I did listening. The narrator did a fine job, I suppose, but it just didn't work for me. The children seemed too childish and silly. In book one, they were clever and resourceful. In this story, they are headed to visit with Mr. Benedict after six months apart from one another. But they don't get the message warning them not to come. Mr. Benedict and Number Two have been kidnapped! They decide to embark on an adventure to try to save him anyway. Some of the clues and mysteries were engaging; others just irritated me and I know I would have read those sections much more quickly. Will I go on to book three? TBD. Not right now, for sure.