by Angie Thomas
Hennepin County Library hardcover 444 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
I was on the waiting list for this for three months! First-time novelist Thomas has definitely hit a nerve with this powerful book. It didn't resonate as strongly as All American Boys (Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely) but it is a worthwhile read.
I was a little uncomfortable with some of the language - lots of F-bombs and other swearing (though I loved that Maverick put a dollar in the swear jar every time his youngest son commented on it). But the language was definitely realistic for teenagers, especially ones living in a "ghetto" beset with poverty, drugs, gangs, etc.
Main character Starr Carter is a fantastic protagonist - smart, conflicted, hopeful, . . . She goes to school at Williamson, a mostly white private school. "Williamson Starr is approachable. No stank-eyes, side-eyes, none of that. Williamson Starr is nonconfrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn't give anyone a reason to call her ghetto. I can't stand myself for doing it, but I do it anyway." This is so sad! But it completely makes sense. This reminds me of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and the challenges of living in two worlds, culturally.
Pages 167-171 are worth re-reading. Starr and her dad are talking about THUG LIFE (The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody), racism, society, drugs, . . . I learned a lot! I've never listened to Tupac Shakur's music. I don't like rap music. I always thought "thug life" was glorifying drugs and violence. I had no idea it was about systemic poverty and racism. This was a big eye-opener for me.
Page 226 made me laugh when Maverick made a crack about his mother-in-law . . . "'I'll be waking up in Jesus's face, trying to figure out what happened!' 'Like you going to heaven,' Daddy mumbles." This is one of those things that won't be funny at all on my blog, but worked well in the book! Because it deals with such incredibly serious issues and emotions, this levity was appreciated!
Page 252 - "That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments when you shouldn't be?" I love the way Maya and Starr work through some of their frustrations with racism, friends, and silence together.
Page 320 - "He kneels in front of me and sits the Glock beside my feet. He lifts my chin. 'Point one of the Ten-Point Program. Say it.' My brothers and I learned to recite the Black Panthers' Ten-Point Program the same way other kids learn the Pledge of Allegiance." This (and the earlier part about what black parents tell their children about responding to the police - do what they tell you to do, keep your hands visible, don't make any sudden moves, only speak when they speak to you . . . ) makes me incredibly sad. Louie and I *never* had these conversations with our children. White people who deny white privilege simply have not had to deal with the issues that come with racism in our country. I know too many black people who have had these types of conversations with their children out of necessity. This saddens me.
The author's acknowledgements at the end of the book were so sweet and worth reading! I love that she starts with "I first have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm not worthy of all that you have done for me." I also love the notes about her parents, and especially her mother. "To my biggest champion, Mom/Ma/Momma/Julia Thomas: You are the ultimate light in the darkness; a true "Starr." I'm blessed that you're my mom and hope to be half the woman you are."
The main character, Starr, has parents who are her anchors; Ms. Thomas has brought them vividly to life. This is a powerful and worthwhile book. The ending brought me to tears. "Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I'll remember how he died." She goes on to list other characters in the book, then a list of real people who have been killed by the police. The list ends with Philando (shot in Minnesota) and then "It's even about that little boy in 1955 who nobody recognized at first - Emmett. The messed-up part? There are so many more." She offers hope, too, in this intense closing of the novel. "They're not forgetting. I think that's the most important part. Khalil, I'll never forget. I'll never give up. I'll never be quiet. I promise."
Showing posts with label Litwits 2017. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Litwits 2017. Show all posts
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
Hennepin County Library hardcover 285 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir
This was a very interesting book to read, even though I didn't know who Trevor Noah was in modern culture's context! He's a very handsome young man who is clearly popular in America (even though I didn't know about him until reading this book and then googling him.) Trevor's mom is black and his dad is white. As a light-skinned man raised in Apartheid, then post-Apartheid South Africa, he has a very unique perspective on race.
Page 25 - "As far as her white neighbors knew, my mom could have been a spy posing as a prostitute posing as a maid, sent into Hillbrow to inform on whites who were breaking the law. That's how a police state works - everyone thinks everyone else is the police." This gave me chills - so much like Nazi Germany - and it made me very thankful that I don't live in this place of fear.
Page 52 - "There were so many perks to being 'white' in a black family, I can't even front. I was having a great time. My own family basically did what the American justice system does: I was given more lenient treatment than the black kids. Misbehavior that my cousins would have been punished for, I was given a warning and let off. And I was way naughtier than either of my cousins." This is so sad, but I recognize the truth of it. I get frustrated with white people saying white privilege doesn't exist! If you are the one who is privileged, you don't experience the injustice of being treated unfairly!
Page 54 - "I soon learned that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language." I loved his stories about using language (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, etc.) to connect with people. This is so powerful! I should just scan and post a few pages . . . but I'll move on. The "Chameleon" chapter has so many excellent lines and stories about communication and connecting with different groups of people.
Page 56/7 - "But the real world doesn't go away. Racism exists. People are getting hurt, and just because it's not happening to you doesn't mean it's not happening. And at some point, you have to choose. Black or white. Pick a side. You can try to hide from it. You can say, 'Oh, I don't pick sides,' but at some point life will force you to pick a side."
Page 72 - "As modestly as we lived at home, I never felt poor because our lives were so rich with experience." I credit his mother with her amazing attitude and the way she raised him! Fantastic.
Page 73 - "My mother showed me what was possible. The thing that always amazed me about her life was that no one showed her. No one chose her. She did it on her own. She found her way through sheer force of will."
Page 110 - "I walked out of his house that day an inch taller. Seeing him had reaffirmed his choosing of me. He chose to have me in his life. He chose to answer my letter. I was wanted. Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being." His dad was such an interesting person! I'm really glad that Trevor was able to connect with him. What a difference a caring parent (even from a distance) can make in a person's life.
Page 195 - "There is also this to consider: The name Hitler does not offend a black South African because Hitler is not the worst thing a black South African can imagine. Every country thinks their history is the most important, and that's especially true in the West. But if black South Africans could go back in time and kill one person, Cecil Rhodes would come up before Hitler. If people in the Congo could go back in time and kill one person, Belgium's King Leopold would come way before Hitler. If Native Americans could go back in time and kill one person, it would probably be Christopher Columbus or Andrew Jackson." This paragraph is part of the reason I *need* to read books from different points of view! This really made me think. Every time I think of the most evil person ever, Adolf Hitler is the name that comes to mind. For that name to *not* be seen as horrible, I thought you must be a neo-Nazi and actually admire the man. But for others from a completely different perspective, it simply doesn't hold that meaning or power. I think of the difference between this perspective from a young man who was friends with a boy named Hitler and the fiction book read by my book club a few months ago . . .
Page 209 - "The hood made me realize that crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn't do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand. Crime offers internship programs and summer jobs and opportunities for advancement. Crime gets involved in the community. Crime doesn't discriminate." Again, this was a perspective that I had not even considered! His experience with crime certainly backs up the points he makes. I think for those of us who have not struggled with poverty, racism, and hopelessness, it's hard to see this point of view. The author is effective in communicating it!
Page 222 - "Because if white people ever saw black people as human, they would see that slavery is unconscionable. We live in a world where we don't see the ramifications of what we do to others, because we don't live with them. It would be a whole lot harder for an investment banker to rip off people with subprime mortgages if he actually had to live with the people he was ripping off. If we could see one another's pain and empathize with one another, it would never be worth it to us to commit the crimes in the first place."
Page 225 - "Once, when I was ten years old, visiting my dad in Yeoville, I needed batteries for one of my toys. My mom had refused to buy me new batteries because, of course, she thought it was a waste of money, so I snuck out to the shops and shoplifted a pack. A security guard busted me on the way out, pulled me into his office, and called my mom. . . . . 'Take him to jail. If he's going to disobey he needs to learn the consequences.' Then she hung up. The guard looked at me, confused. Eventually he let me go on the assumption that I was some wayward orphan, because what mother would send her ten-year-old child to jail?" I love his mom!!! She is an amazing woman!
When I got to the end of the book, I wanted to know more (especially about his mom) and went online. There's a lot about Trevor Noah online! I'm glad I read this book.
I listened to the audiobook (read by Trevor Noah). I forgot how much he swears! Lots of F-bombs and other language. I still really admire his mom - what an amazing woman! I'm still appreciative of his book and getting a window into his experiences in South Africa. I wish the book had been better edited, though. I'm fine with it not being chronological, but at times it is repetitive, contradictory, or just confusing. For example, he talks about Abel not allowing them to keep the dogs. Then a bit later, he talks about Abel kicking the dogs. And he retells about how Abel came into their lives. I think the stories would flow better with good editing. Still, he's an incredible young man with a unique perspective.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 285 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir
This was a very interesting book to read, even though I didn't know who Trevor Noah was in modern culture's context! He's a very handsome young man who is clearly popular in America (even though I didn't know about him until reading this book and then googling him.) Trevor's mom is black and his dad is white. As a light-skinned man raised in Apartheid, then post-Apartheid South Africa, he has a very unique perspective on race.
Page 25 - "As far as her white neighbors knew, my mom could have been a spy posing as a prostitute posing as a maid, sent into Hillbrow to inform on whites who were breaking the law. That's how a police state works - everyone thinks everyone else is the police." This gave me chills - so much like Nazi Germany - and it made me very thankful that I don't live in this place of fear.
Page 52 - "There were so many perks to being 'white' in a black family, I can't even front. I was having a great time. My own family basically did what the American justice system does: I was given more lenient treatment than the black kids. Misbehavior that my cousins would have been punished for, I was given a warning and let off. And I was way naughtier than either of my cousins." This is so sad, but I recognize the truth of it. I get frustrated with white people saying white privilege doesn't exist! If you are the one who is privileged, you don't experience the injustice of being treated unfairly!
Page 54 - "I soon learned that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language." I loved his stories about using language (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, etc.) to connect with people. This is so powerful! I should just scan and post a few pages . . . but I'll move on. The "Chameleon" chapter has so many excellent lines and stories about communication and connecting with different groups of people.
Page 56/7 - "But the real world doesn't go away. Racism exists. People are getting hurt, and just because it's not happening to you doesn't mean it's not happening. And at some point, you have to choose. Black or white. Pick a side. You can try to hide from it. You can say, 'Oh, I don't pick sides,' but at some point life will force you to pick a side."
Page 72 - "As modestly as we lived at home, I never felt poor because our lives were so rich with experience." I credit his mother with her amazing attitude and the way she raised him! Fantastic.
Page 73 - "My mother showed me what was possible. The thing that always amazed me about her life was that no one showed her. No one chose her. She did it on her own. She found her way through sheer force of will."
Page 110 - "I walked out of his house that day an inch taller. Seeing him had reaffirmed his choosing of me. He chose to have me in his life. He chose to answer my letter. I was wanted. Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being." His dad was such an interesting person! I'm really glad that Trevor was able to connect with him. What a difference a caring parent (even from a distance) can make in a person's life.
Page 195 - "There is also this to consider: The name Hitler does not offend a black South African because Hitler is not the worst thing a black South African can imagine. Every country thinks their history is the most important, and that's especially true in the West. But if black South Africans could go back in time and kill one person, Cecil Rhodes would come up before Hitler. If people in the Congo could go back in time and kill one person, Belgium's King Leopold would come way before Hitler. If Native Americans could go back in time and kill one person, it would probably be Christopher Columbus or Andrew Jackson." This paragraph is part of the reason I *need* to read books from different points of view! This really made me think. Every time I think of the most evil person ever, Adolf Hitler is the name that comes to mind. For that name to *not* be seen as horrible, I thought you must be a neo-Nazi and actually admire the man. But for others from a completely different perspective, it simply doesn't hold that meaning or power. I think of the difference between this perspective from a young man who was friends with a boy named Hitler and the fiction book read by my book club a few months ago . . .
Page 209 - "The hood made me realize that crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn't do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand. Crime offers internship programs and summer jobs and opportunities for advancement. Crime gets involved in the community. Crime doesn't discriminate." Again, this was a perspective that I had not even considered! His experience with crime certainly backs up the points he makes. I think for those of us who have not struggled with poverty, racism, and hopelessness, it's hard to see this point of view. The author is effective in communicating it!
Page 222 - "Because if white people ever saw black people as human, they would see that slavery is unconscionable. We live in a world where we don't see the ramifications of what we do to others, because we don't live with them. It would be a whole lot harder for an investment banker to rip off people with subprime mortgages if he actually had to live with the people he was ripping off. If we could see one another's pain and empathize with one another, it would never be worth it to us to commit the crimes in the first place."
Page 225 - "Once, when I was ten years old, visiting my dad in Yeoville, I needed batteries for one of my toys. My mom had refused to buy me new batteries because, of course, she thought it was a waste of money, so I snuck out to the shops and shoplifted a pack. A security guard busted me on the way out, pulled me into his office, and called my mom. . . . . 'Take him to jail. If he's going to disobey he needs to learn the consequences.' Then she hung up. The guard looked at me, confused. Eventually he let me go on the assumption that I was some wayward orphan, because what mother would send her ten-year-old child to jail?" I love his mom!!! She is an amazing woman!
When I got to the end of the book, I wanted to know more (especially about his mom) and went online. There's a lot about Trevor Noah online! I'm glad I read this book.
I listened to the audiobook (read by Trevor Noah). I forgot how much he swears! Lots of F-bombs and other language. I still really admire his mom - what an amazing woman! I'm still appreciative of his book and getting a window into his experiences in South Africa. I wish the book had been better edited, though. I'm fine with it not being chronological, but at times it is repetitive, contradictory, or just confusing. For example, he talks about Abel not allowing them to keep the dogs. Then a bit later, he talks about Abel kicking the dogs. And he retells about how Abel came into their lives. I think the stories would flow better with good editing. Still, he's an incredible young man with a unique perspective.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Caraval
by Stephanie Garber
Hennepin County Library hardcover 402 pages
genre: YA fantasy
Scarlett and Donatella have a cruel father who punishes mercilessly. When they run away to partake in Caraval, a magical adventure, they are fighting for their lives and future.
I enjoyed it as a lightweight fantasy book with lots of questions to keep me reading. It's not surprising that it's being made into a movie - the book is very visual, with its descriptions and colors. Someone at our discussion said they think it will be a more enjoyable movie than book. They may be right!
Hennepin County Library hardcover 402 pages
genre: YA fantasy
Scarlett and Donatella have a cruel father who punishes mercilessly. When they run away to partake in Caraval, a magical adventure, they are fighting for their lives and future.
I enjoyed it as a lightweight fantasy book with lots of questions to keep me reading. It's not surprising that it's being made into a movie - the book is very visual, with its descriptions and colors. Someone at our discussion said they think it will be a more enjoyable movie than book. They may be right!
Lab Girl
by Hope Jahren
Hennepin County Library hardcover 282 pages
genre: non-fiction, biography
This book is amazing, but a somewhat challenging read! I'd love to go hear the author speak. She uses language beautifully and made her love of science so accessible. That said, I'm not sure I would purchase this book for a high school (much less a middle school) collection. I will, however, recommend it to my friend Mary for her daughter-in-law.
Page 22 - I love that as she talks about the financial challenges of being a research scientist, she includes this sentence: "If you're reading this, and you wish to support us, please give me a call. It would be insane of me not to include that sentence." I love how down-to-earth she seems!
Page 24 - "No writer in the world agonizes over words the way a scientist does." I love her examples and her attention to the nuances of words and their meaning!
Page 25 - Bill is such a huge part of her career and identity. I love how their relationship was such a powerful force in both their lives. "We made eye contact and recognized fifteen years of our shared history reflected back in each other's eyes. I nodded my acknowledgment, and as I was still struggling to find the right words to thank him, Bill turned and walked out of my office. He is strong where I am weak, and so together we make one complete person . . . "
Page 29 - "Science has taught me that everything is more complicated than we first assume, and that being able to derive happiness from discovery is a recipe for a beautiful life."
Page 49 - When she worked in the pharmacy as an undergrad and had to deliver meds to the psych ward: "But once inside I found it to be the slowest-moving place on Earth, and I saw that these patients were unique only in that time had stopped inside their wounds, which were seemingly never to heal. The pain was so thick and palpable in the psych ward that a visitor could breathe it like the heavy humidity of summer air, and I soon realized that the challenge would not be to defend myself from patients, but to defend myself against my own increasing indifference toward them."
Page 75 - "That whole summer in Colorado was a data-gathering bust, but it taught me the most important thing I know about science: that experiments are not about getting the world to do what you want it to do." I love that she can take an experience that was not a success and find the lesson in it.
Page 117 - When they take a trip to "Monkey Jungle" with some undergrads, this scene made me laugh! "The fascination between Bill and the monkey was so complete that it was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. . . . Bill finally stated, without redirecting his stare, 'It's like looking in a f****** mirror.' I doubled over into a series of helpless guffaws that eventually progressed into a sort of prayer for relief."
Page 135 - Her description of ". . . The Getting Tree, and it was about an arboreal parent figure that slowly cannibalized its offspring because of its progressive and oblivious greed." As someone who strongly disliked Silverstein's The Giving Tree even though it was lionized in my childhood, I found this section incredibly amusing!
Page 140 - I marked this to share with my daughter-in-law to be, who just graduated from vet school as a DVM. It's a scene where one of their former assistants got an internship at the Miami zoo. This was incredibly funny and somewhat sick . . . but I think Mari might find it amusing.
Page 214 - When she is pregnant and cannot take medication for her manic depression . . . how very frightening! What courage for her to share this. "I beg the doctors and nurses to tell me why, why, why this is happening to me, and they do not answer." I had also marked page 144 (to represent the entire chapter) . . . "Full-blown mania lets you see the other side of death" is how the chapter begins. I didn't really understand what was going on in this chapter. It kind of felt out of left field. Then at the end, she writes "But that particular day of health and healing is still many years distant within my story, so let's go back to 1998 in Atlanta and I'll keep describing how the world spins when mania is as strong and ever-present as gravity." She is an amazing woman and I'm glad she wrote this book!
Page 218 - "Then I catch myself and listlessly wonder again for which of my sins I am being punished. I am sick to death of this wound that will not close; of how my babyish heart mistakes any simple kindness from a woman for a breadcrumb trail leading to the soft love of a mother or the fond approval of a grandmother." This made me once again want to know so much more about the author's childhood and her mother . . . and how old she was when her father died . . . because I can't imagine he was still alive at this point in her life. And her older brothers - did they stay in contact?
Page 226 - ". . . and the smile that she gives me is like a hundred-dollar bill that I can stuff into the pocket of my heart." Jahren is a wonderful author! I love how she uses language!
Page 228 - "I decide that I will not be this child's mother. Instead, I will be his father. It is something I know how to do and something that will come naturally to me." Again, this really made me want to know so much more about her childhood and her mother's treatment of her. And it made me sad.
Page 245 - Her friendship with Bill and her attachment to him were so powerful! I love that aspect of her story. "I wanted to tell Bill that he wasn't alone and that he never would be. I wanted to make him know that he had friends in this world tied to him by something stronger than blood, ties that could never fade or dissolve. That he would never be hungry or cold or motherless while I still drew breath. That he didn't need two hands, or a street address, or clean lungs, or social grace, or a happy disposition to be precious and irreplaceable. That no matter what our future held, my first task would always be to kick a hole in the world and make a space for him where he could safely be his eccentric self." This is such a beautiful paragraph about friendship!
Page 255 - I love books that teach me! "And today, just three monocot species - rice, corn, and wheat - provide the ultimate sustenance for seven billion people." I vaguely remember learning about monocot and dicot at one point in my life . . . but she explained this in a way that made such complete sense!
Page 256 - "That I have been given one chance to be someone's mother. Yes, I am his mother - I can say that now - for only after I released myself from my own expectations of motherhood did I realize that they were something I could fulfill." I loved this! But then, I love being a mother.
Page 267 - She is one of those people who honestly doesn't seem to need sleep. After a full day of work, parenting, and home life, she heads back to work at night?!?!? When does she sleep?! I love that she said the Lord's Prayer and asked the dog to keep an eye on her son. I love that she and her husband seem to be so incredibly well-matched. But going back to work at 10:30 p.m.??? I cannot fathom this!
Page 277 - This entire paragraph! The contradictions in people's expectations for her and attitudes toward her. I'm so glad she wrote this book. What an amazing woman!
I'm so glad I read this book, but I'm not sure how many students - middle school or high school - would enjoy it. One person at Litwits said her eighth grade daughter loved it! That surprised me, but also pleased me. It is a book I will recommend to a dear friend whose daughter-in-law is a geologist. Even though Jahren is a botanist, she does plenty with soil science. This was a worthwhile book to read! I love how she made observations about plants and related them to human lives and experiences. There were times I felt that she anthropomorphized the plants she worked with (especially trees), but that's her prerogative.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 282 pages
genre: non-fiction, biography
This book is amazing, but a somewhat challenging read! I'd love to go hear the author speak. She uses language beautifully and made her love of science so accessible. That said, I'm not sure I would purchase this book for a high school (much less a middle school) collection. I will, however, recommend it to my friend Mary for her daughter-in-law.
Page 22 - I love that as she talks about the financial challenges of being a research scientist, she includes this sentence: "If you're reading this, and you wish to support us, please give me a call. It would be insane of me not to include that sentence." I love how down-to-earth she seems!
Page 24 - "No writer in the world agonizes over words the way a scientist does." I love her examples and her attention to the nuances of words and their meaning!
Page 25 - Bill is such a huge part of her career and identity. I love how their relationship was such a powerful force in both their lives. "We made eye contact and recognized fifteen years of our shared history reflected back in each other's eyes. I nodded my acknowledgment, and as I was still struggling to find the right words to thank him, Bill turned and walked out of my office. He is strong where I am weak, and so together we make one complete person . . . "
Page 29 - "Science has taught me that everything is more complicated than we first assume, and that being able to derive happiness from discovery is a recipe for a beautiful life."
Page 49 - When she worked in the pharmacy as an undergrad and had to deliver meds to the psych ward: "But once inside I found it to be the slowest-moving place on Earth, and I saw that these patients were unique only in that time had stopped inside their wounds, which were seemingly never to heal. The pain was so thick and palpable in the psych ward that a visitor could breathe it like the heavy humidity of summer air, and I soon realized that the challenge would not be to defend myself from patients, but to defend myself against my own increasing indifference toward them."
Page 75 - "That whole summer in Colorado was a data-gathering bust, but it taught me the most important thing I know about science: that experiments are not about getting the world to do what you want it to do." I love that she can take an experience that was not a success and find the lesson in it.
Page 117 - When they take a trip to "Monkey Jungle" with some undergrads, this scene made me laugh! "The fascination between Bill and the monkey was so complete that it was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. . . . Bill finally stated, without redirecting his stare, 'It's like looking in a f****** mirror.' I doubled over into a series of helpless guffaws that eventually progressed into a sort of prayer for relief."
Page 135 - Her description of ". . . The Getting Tree, and it was about an arboreal parent figure that slowly cannibalized its offspring because of its progressive and oblivious greed." As someone who strongly disliked Silverstein's The Giving Tree even though it was lionized in my childhood, I found this section incredibly amusing!
Page 140 - I marked this to share with my daughter-in-law to be, who just graduated from vet school as a DVM. It's a scene where one of their former assistants got an internship at the Miami zoo. This was incredibly funny and somewhat sick . . . but I think Mari might find it amusing.
Page 214 - When she is pregnant and cannot take medication for her manic depression . . . how very frightening! What courage for her to share this. "I beg the doctors and nurses to tell me why, why, why this is happening to me, and they do not answer." I had also marked page 144 (to represent the entire chapter) . . . "Full-blown mania lets you see the other side of death" is how the chapter begins. I didn't really understand what was going on in this chapter. It kind of felt out of left field. Then at the end, she writes "But that particular day of health and healing is still many years distant within my story, so let's go back to 1998 in Atlanta and I'll keep describing how the world spins when mania is as strong and ever-present as gravity." She is an amazing woman and I'm glad she wrote this book!
Page 218 - "Then I catch myself and listlessly wonder again for which of my sins I am being punished. I am sick to death of this wound that will not close; of how my babyish heart mistakes any simple kindness from a woman for a breadcrumb trail leading to the soft love of a mother or the fond approval of a grandmother." This made me once again want to know so much more about the author's childhood and her mother . . . and how old she was when her father died . . . because I can't imagine he was still alive at this point in her life. And her older brothers - did they stay in contact?
Page 226 - ". . . and the smile that she gives me is like a hundred-dollar bill that I can stuff into the pocket of my heart." Jahren is a wonderful author! I love how she uses language!
Page 228 - "I decide that I will not be this child's mother. Instead, I will be his father. It is something I know how to do and something that will come naturally to me." Again, this really made me want to know so much more about her childhood and her mother's treatment of her. And it made me sad.
Page 245 - Her friendship with Bill and her attachment to him were so powerful! I love that aspect of her story. "I wanted to tell Bill that he wasn't alone and that he never would be. I wanted to make him know that he had friends in this world tied to him by something stronger than blood, ties that could never fade or dissolve. That he would never be hungry or cold or motherless while I still drew breath. That he didn't need two hands, or a street address, or clean lungs, or social grace, or a happy disposition to be precious and irreplaceable. That no matter what our future held, my first task would always be to kick a hole in the world and make a space for him where he could safely be his eccentric self." This is such a beautiful paragraph about friendship!
Page 255 - I love books that teach me! "And today, just three monocot species - rice, corn, and wheat - provide the ultimate sustenance for seven billion people." I vaguely remember learning about monocot and dicot at one point in my life . . . but she explained this in a way that made such complete sense!
Page 256 - "That I have been given one chance to be someone's mother. Yes, I am his mother - I can say that now - for only after I released myself from my own expectations of motherhood did I realize that they were something I could fulfill." I loved this! But then, I love being a mother.
Page 267 - She is one of those people who honestly doesn't seem to need sleep. After a full day of work, parenting, and home life, she heads back to work at night?!?!? When does she sleep?! I love that she said the Lord's Prayer and asked the dog to keep an eye on her son. I love that she and her husband seem to be so incredibly well-matched. But going back to work at 10:30 p.m.??? I cannot fathom this!
Page 277 - This entire paragraph! The contradictions in people's expectations for her and attitudes toward her. I'm so glad she wrote this book. What an amazing woman!
I'm so glad I read this book, but I'm not sure how many students - middle school or high school - would enjoy it. One person at Litwits said her eighth grade daughter loved it! That surprised me, but also pleased me. It is a book I will recommend to a dear friend whose daughter-in-law is a geologist. Even though Jahren is a botanist, she does plenty with soil science. This was a worthwhile book to read! I love how she made observations about plants and related them to human lives and experiences. There were times I felt that she anthropomorphized the plants she worked with (especially trees), but that's her prerogative.
American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
Scott County Library hardcover 324 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
The story opens with teenager Fabiola Toussaint being allowed into the United States from Haiti, but her mother being detained. As she travels to Detroit to meet with her aunt and cousins, her primary goal is to get her mother back.
Liked: Fabiola's resilience, especially when she points out that her life in Haiti was as precarious as her cousins' experiences in Detroit.
I also like the character of Kasim and how basically good he was . . . in comparison to Dray.
The language was both beautiful and ugly. Zoboi has a strong voice and this is a memorable book.
Disliked: The swearing and violence! I think this is a bit much for middle schoolers. I also think it would be interesting to hear reviews from black teens who live in Detroit - my perspective is so different as a white woman living in rural Minnesota.
On page 247, there is a scene that really struck me. Fab is comforting her cousin Donna, who has been injured by her boyfriend. "My cousins are hurting. My aunt is hurting. My mother is hurting. And there is no one here to help. How is this the good life, when even the air in this place threatens to wrap its fingers around my throat? In Haiti, with all its problems, there was always a friend or a neighbor to share in the misery. And then, after our troubles were tallied up like those points at the basketball game, we would celebrate being alive."
This is a powerful book for more mature readers.
Scott County Library hardcover 324 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
The story opens with teenager Fabiola Toussaint being allowed into the United States from Haiti, but her mother being detained. As she travels to Detroit to meet with her aunt and cousins, her primary goal is to get her mother back.
Liked: Fabiola's resilience, especially when she points out that her life in Haiti was as precarious as her cousins' experiences in Detroit.
I also like the character of Kasim and how basically good he was . . . in comparison to Dray.
The language was both beautiful and ugly. Zoboi has a strong voice and this is a memorable book.
Disliked: The swearing and violence! I think this is a bit much for middle schoolers. I also think it would be interesting to hear reviews from black teens who live in Detroit - my perspective is so different as a white woman living in rural Minnesota.
On page 247, there is a scene that really struck me. Fab is comforting her cousin Donna, who has been injured by her boyfriend. "My cousins are hurting. My aunt is hurting. My mother is hurting. And there is no one here to help. How is this the good life, when even the air in this place threatens to wrap its fingers around my throat? In Haiti, with all its problems, there was always a friend or a neighbor to share in the misery. And then, after our troubles were tallied up like those points at the basketball game, we would celebrate being alive."
This is a powerful book for more mature readers.
Friday, August 11, 2017
The Distance Between Us (Young Readers Edition)
by Reyna Grande
Hennepin County Library hardcover 322 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir
This was amazing! I'm tempted to get a copy of the original version she wrote. This was such a powerful piece of storytelling by a girl from Mexico who just wants her family together. I love how her sister Mago (Magloria) cared for her!
Page 261 - When Reyna has her belated Quincenera due to Mago's efforts and is dancing with her father, turning his face away from the alcohol on his breath: "Always my eyes returned to my sister standing by the door looking proudly at me. And I knew I should have been dancing the waltz with her."
Page 268 - "Was my uncle right? Was it better to be poor but together? Or was it better to try to find a better life, even if it meant breaking up your family?" These are questions that many people probably ask. There are life-changing decisions at stake. I can't imagine choosing abject poverty . . . but I can't really imagine my family being separated, either.
Love, love, love the photographs! Between pages 294 and 295, there are so many lovely pictures! I'm so glad she included these. She was such an adorable little girl!
Page 309 - "I grabbed the book and found a comfortable spot on the couch, where I read The House on Mango Street while Diana graded papers. It's difficult to describe the impact this book had on me. It was absolutely beautiful. Exquisite. I was in awe of the poetic language, the beautiful images, the way the words just flowed together." I love this for two reasons - an educator made a difference in her life and literature opened doors for her.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 322 pages
genre: non-fiction memoir
This was amazing! I'm tempted to get a copy of the original version she wrote. This was such a powerful piece of storytelling by a girl from Mexico who just wants her family together. I love how her sister Mago (Magloria) cared for her!
Page 261 - When Reyna has her belated Quincenera due to Mago's efforts and is dancing with her father, turning his face away from the alcohol on his breath: "Always my eyes returned to my sister standing by the door looking proudly at me. And I knew I should have been dancing the waltz with her."
Page 268 - "Was my uncle right? Was it better to be poor but together? Or was it better to try to find a better life, even if it meant breaking up your family?" These are questions that many people probably ask. There are life-changing decisions at stake. I can't imagine choosing abject poverty . . . but I can't really imagine my family being separated, either.
Love, love, love the photographs! Between pages 294 and 295, there are so many lovely pictures! I'm so glad she included these. She was such an adorable little girl!
Page 309 - "I grabbed the book and found a comfortable spot on the couch, where I read The House on Mango Street while Diana graded papers. It's difficult to describe the impact this book had on me. It was absolutely beautiful. Exquisite. I was in awe of the poetic language, the beautiful images, the way the words just flowed together." I love this for two reasons - an educator made a difference in her life and literature opened doors for her.
Dark Energy
by Robison Wells
Hennepin County Library hardcover 276 pages
genre: YA SciFi
This was fairly fluffy, but kept my attention. I liked that it was set in Minnesota (Lakeville, where the spaceship landed, and Minnetonka at a snooty private school). Alice's dad is in charge of NASA's "special projects" team and he relocates from Florida to the crash site, enrolling Aly in the Minnetonka school to be nearby while he works.
The aliens from the ship, the friendships at the school, and her maternal grandmother on the reservation in New Mexico . . . interesting story but not especially memorable. I could easily see a sequel.
Rachel, Brynne, Kurt, Coya, Suski . . . and the Masters. Interesting notes at the end about the Ancestral Puebloans / Anasazi.
page 166 - When Rachel asked about the Anasazi. "They're a tribe that was huge in the Four Corners area from about the seventh century to the fourteenth. It's kind of amazing how we don't know all about them here in America - they were huge." So true! We know so little of our own history.
page 186 - ". . . I pledged that I would learn the art of foos and return to crush him." This made me laugh! The romance between Alice and Kurt was understated and sweet.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 276 pages
genre: YA SciFi
This was fairly fluffy, but kept my attention. I liked that it was set in Minnesota (Lakeville, where the spaceship landed, and Minnetonka at a snooty private school). Alice's dad is in charge of NASA's "special projects" team and he relocates from Florida to the crash site, enrolling Aly in the Minnetonka school to be nearby while he works.
The aliens from the ship, the friendships at the school, and her maternal grandmother on the reservation in New Mexico . . . interesting story but not especially memorable. I could easily see a sequel.
Rachel, Brynne, Kurt, Coya, Suski . . . and the Masters. Interesting notes at the end about the Ancestral Puebloans / Anasazi.
page 166 - When Rachel asked about the Anasazi. "They're a tribe that was huge in the Four Corners area from about the seventh century to the fourteenth. It's kind of amazing how we don't know all about them here in America - they were huge." So true! We know so little of our own history.
page 186 - ". . . I pledged that I would learn the art of foos and return to crush him." This made me laugh! The romance between Alice and Kurt was understated and sweet.
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
Gen Z @ Work
by David Stillman and Jonah Stillman
Hennepin County Library hardcover 285
genre: non-fiction, generations, future
This was interesting, but I didn't love it. Technically, I'm a "Generation X" child, but I often feel more like a Baby Boomer or even a Traditionalist. I am very proud of my own children, who are wonderful adults and *not* stereotypical Millenials. I'm not sure I see the wonders of Generation Z the way these authors (or my former employers) do.
Page 9 - The father author referring to his teenaged co-author son, "He knows that no generation is better, worse, right, or wrong . . . they are just different." I like this caveat in the intro. I'm not a huge fan of generational generalities, but I know that trends exist. This reminded me to try to keep an open mind.
The seven key traits of Gen-Z: phigital (physical / digital equivalents), hyper-custom, realistic, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), Weconomists, DIY, and driven. I don't want to elaborate on my thoughts (or their points) here . . . I just wanted to hang on to these seven traits that they explain more fully throughout the book.
Page 14 - "Like many Gen Zers, giving back is just part of my DNA." Hmmm. How much is truly typified by this generation and how much is the way in which Jonah's parents raised him? In teaching, I didn't necessarily see this trait. But then, most middle school kids are much more egocentric than giving-oriented.
Their identifiers:
Traditionalists (born pre-1946) - 75 million (they didn't indicate if the numbers were how many were born or how many are still alive . . . )
Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) 80 million
Generation X (1965-1979) 60 million
Millennials (1980-1994) 82 million
Generation Z (1995-2012) 72 million
(And what will the next generation be called???) Lindsay said she read that the Millennials were through the year 2000. Whatever . . . this is not an exact science.
Page 51 - "This could be one of the reasons that there are more Millennial stay-at-home parents than any other generation." Really? I wonder if they looked at this carefully. I'd guess that the Traditionalists had more stay-at-home moms, even though women were joining the work force more during WWII.
Page 55 - "Birth years are a starting point to help people get their minds wrapped around the different generations." So true! Delavon and I are in different generations according to this book, but we were raised in very similar times and circumstances. This is part of why I am generally not a fan of generation talk.
Page 112 - Ugh! This hyper-custom stuff makes sense, but also makes me crabby. "So if online experiences like Amazon or the colleges we attend can create these personal experiences that really make us feel that they know us, it would be only natural for my generation to expect this level of customization when we hit the workplace." As though the entire world should cater to their wishes and needs! I wonder how the military deals with these kids who expect a custom experience in every aspect of their lives!
Page 114 - "One thing I worry about is being labeled as entitled. I understand how it could be perceived that way . . . " And he goes on to explain that "This is not about a sense of entitlement but it is all about the realities of the world we have grown up in." This is one of the things I had to try really hard to understand from Jonah's point of view . . . and failed. I see it as an attitude of selfishness and entitlement.
Page 125 - Also in the hyper-custom chapter, referring to education, both father and son refer to Gen-Z driven learning. Just having left my career because of this facet of teaching, I was very tuned in and sensitive to this issue. My post-it note comment was "BUT Letting 11-year-olds learn this way means they don't choose to learn if they don't care about the topic." If they are not innately interested in math, history, biology, etc. and they can always learn what they need on YouTube, do we abdicate that role of opening their minds to bodies of knowledge that they may be completely unaware of and allow them to self-select their interests? This is a chilling thought to me.
Page 133 "Sounds exhausting . . . and probably will be, but ask teachers and they will tell you that this level of custom access and frequency is not all bad. It has taught students the value of self-monitoring." Umm . . . are they thinking only of high school and college students? Have they spent time with middle school kids? Have they spent time with kids from dysfunctional homes? Have they spent time with kids who are not adept at self-monitoring or simply don't care? Ugh! Now I just sound like a negative nelly.
Page 135 - The Echo Chamber. "As I have studied this generation and just how hyper-customized their world is, I've come to have some big concerns as a parent and future employer." Yep. Me, too. Since things are skewing toward this demographic, it's affecting the rest of us. The things that show up in my news feed are customized to what I've clicked on in the past. Google is giving me what it things I want. This makes me crazy! I want to read widely! I want opinions from the right and the left. I want to be aware and think for myself. For kids to already be locked in to their youthful opinions is very concerning.
Page 137 - Still on the hyper-custom chapter and the Echo Chamber section (this really set me off . . . is it obvious?). "This will only lead to the other generations naturally labeling them as bad sports, poor negotiators, or just downright spoiled. We will have to look for tangible ways to help Gen Z get out of their own silos."
Page 177 - "Most important, Gen Z will have to know that investing in skill development is not being inefficient." Seriously? "A concern is that if we let Gen Z delegate all tasks that they aren't good at, they could likely plateau. Part of coming of age in the world of work is developing new skills." This makes me glad that I'm not an employer. I'm very curious to see how this plays out in the future.
Page 210 - "Of course, no one likes to be bored, but there is still a difference. Other generations have dealt with it, compared to Gen Z, who grew up believing that boredom is not something you need to ever endure." How will this generation deal with raising children?! Or caring for their elderly parents?! Life isn't always fun and it isn't always about you!
Page 217 - FOMO - "If companies do not have a robust research and development department, Gen Z will be here to start one. The upside is that they embrace what many are calling MVP - minimal viable product. They will keep teams from overthinking things and instead focus on going for it and learning from it." I can actually see the need for sometimes just jumping in versus killing something via committee.
Page 284 - "They (older generations) will need your help in pulling them along. Trust me, they will not be jumping up and odwn over the fact that once again they have to look at everything from office space to communication techniques to recruiting to rewards." Yep. I'm the older generation here. I'm not just trying to be resistant to change. I'm not sure that I agree about the changes at all.
I'm really glad I read this book. It gave me good food for thought. It is well-written and clear. It was very interesting to have both father (Gen X) and son (Gen Z) as authors. Their dialogs were my favorite part of the book. The questions from famous people and the survey results from teens were okay - they were interesting and gave little breaks to the text.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 285
genre: non-fiction, generations, future
This was interesting, but I didn't love it. Technically, I'm a "Generation X" child, but I often feel more like a Baby Boomer or even a Traditionalist. I am very proud of my own children, who are wonderful adults and *not* stereotypical Millenials. I'm not sure I see the wonders of Generation Z the way these authors (or my former employers) do.
Page 9 - The father author referring to his teenaged co-author son, "He knows that no generation is better, worse, right, or wrong . . . they are just different." I like this caveat in the intro. I'm not a huge fan of generational generalities, but I know that trends exist. This reminded me to try to keep an open mind.
The seven key traits of Gen-Z: phigital (physical / digital equivalents), hyper-custom, realistic, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), Weconomists, DIY, and driven. I don't want to elaborate on my thoughts (or their points) here . . . I just wanted to hang on to these seven traits that they explain more fully throughout the book.
Page 14 - "Like many Gen Zers, giving back is just part of my DNA." Hmmm. How much is truly typified by this generation and how much is the way in which Jonah's parents raised him? In teaching, I didn't necessarily see this trait. But then, most middle school kids are much more egocentric than giving-oriented.
Their identifiers:
Traditionalists (born pre-1946) - 75 million (they didn't indicate if the numbers were how many were born or how many are still alive . . . )
Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) 80 million
Generation X (1965-1979) 60 million
Millennials (1980-1994) 82 million
Generation Z (1995-2012) 72 million
(And what will the next generation be called???) Lindsay said she read that the Millennials were through the year 2000. Whatever . . . this is not an exact science.
Page 51 - "This could be one of the reasons that there are more Millennial stay-at-home parents than any other generation." Really? I wonder if they looked at this carefully. I'd guess that the Traditionalists had more stay-at-home moms, even though women were joining the work force more during WWII.
Page 55 - "Birth years are a starting point to help people get their minds wrapped around the different generations." So true! Delavon and I are in different generations according to this book, but we were raised in very similar times and circumstances. This is part of why I am generally not a fan of generation talk.
Page 112 - Ugh! This hyper-custom stuff makes sense, but also makes me crabby. "So if online experiences like Amazon or the colleges we attend can create these personal experiences that really make us feel that they know us, it would be only natural for my generation to expect this level of customization when we hit the workplace." As though the entire world should cater to their wishes and needs! I wonder how the military deals with these kids who expect a custom experience in every aspect of their lives!
Page 114 - "One thing I worry about is being labeled as entitled. I understand how it could be perceived that way . . . " And he goes on to explain that "This is not about a sense of entitlement but it is all about the realities of the world we have grown up in." This is one of the things I had to try really hard to understand from Jonah's point of view . . . and failed. I see it as an attitude of selfishness and entitlement.
Page 125 - Also in the hyper-custom chapter, referring to education, both father and son refer to Gen-Z driven learning. Just having left my career because of this facet of teaching, I was very tuned in and sensitive to this issue. My post-it note comment was "BUT Letting 11-year-olds learn this way means they don't choose to learn if they don't care about the topic." If they are not innately interested in math, history, biology, etc. and they can always learn what they need on YouTube, do we abdicate that role of opening their minds to bodies of knowledge that they may be completely unaware of and allow them to self-select their interests? This is a chilling thought to me.
Page 133 "Sounds exhausting . . . and probably will be, but ask teachers and they will tell you that this level of custom access and frequency is not all bad. It has taught students the value of self-monitoring." Umm . . . are they thinking only of high school and college students? Have they spent time with middle school kids? Have they spent time with kids from dysfunctional homes? Have they spent time with kids who are not adept at self-monitoring or simply don't care? Ugh! Now I just sound like a negative nelly.
Page 135 - The Echo Chamber. "As I have studied this generation and just how hyper-customized their world is, I've come to have some big concerns as a parent and future employer." Yep. Me, too. Since things are skewing toward this demographic, it's affecting the rest of us. The things that show up in my news feed are customized to what I've clicked on in the past. Google is giving me what it things I want. This makes me crazy! I want to read widely! I want opinions from the right and the left. I want to be aware and think for myself. For kids to already be locked in to their youthful opinions is very concerning.
Page 137 - Still on the hyper-custom chapter and the Echo Chamber section (this really set me off . . . is it obvious?). "This will only lead to the other generations naturally labeling them as bad sports, poor negotiators, or just downright spoiled. We will have to look for tangible ways to help Gen Z get out of their own silos."
Page 177 - "Most important, Gen Z will have to know that investing in skill development is not being inefficient." Seriously? "A concern is that if we let Gen Z delegate all tasks that they aren't good at, they could likely plateau. Part of coming of age in the world of work is developing new skills." This makes me glad that I'm not an employer. I'm very curious to see how this plays out in the future.
Page 210 - "Of course, no one likes to be bored, but there is still a difference. Other generations have dealt with it, compared to Gen Z, who grew up believing that boredom is not something you need to ever endure." How will this generation deal with raising children?! Or caring for their elderly parents?! Life isn't always fun and it isn't always about you!
Page 217 - FOMO - "If companies do not have a robust research and development department, Gen Z will be here to start one. The upside is that they embrace what many are calling MVP - minimal viable product. They will keep teams from overthinking things and instead focus on going for it and learning from it." I can actually see the need for sometimes just jumping in versus killing something via committee.
Page 284 - "They (older generations) will need your help in pulling them along. Trust me, they will not be jumping up and odwn over the fact that once again they have to look at everything from office space to communication techniques to recruiting to rewards." Yep. I'm the older generation here. I'm not just trying to be resistant to change. I'm not sure that I agree about the changes at all.
I'm really glad I read this book. It gave me good food for thought. It is well-written and clear. It was very interesting to have both father (Gen X) and son (Gen Z) as authors. Their dialogs were my favorite part of the book. The questions from famous people and the survey results from teens were okay - they were interesting and gave little breaks to the text.
Wednesday, August 02, 2017
You're Welcome, Universe
by Whitney Gardner
Hennepin County Library hardcover 293 pages
genre: YA realistic
This one surprised me. I didn't "like" it a lot, but kept reading. The protagonist was challenging - Deaf with an attitude and a penchant for pushing people away. Graffiti / street art is not something I am passionate about . . . but I can see both sides (personal expression vs. vandalism). Julia has two moms (both also Deaf) and the books open with her being expelled because of her tagging. Turned in by her "best friend" Jordyn (who has cochlear implants), Julia is determined to never have friends again. At her new school, she has Casey as her "terp" (interpreter) and is rude toward her as she resents Casey's interference in her life and "tattling" to her moms.
I ended up really liking this story and the unfolding of the mystery about who was tagging her tags.
Page 59 - "Just because I'm brown doesn't mean I'm Muslim. Not that it should even matter. Take your hate to Chik-fil-A." Reading this made me sad. Apparently, identifying as a Christian and trying to uphold Biblical beliefs is now synonymous with hatred. Sigh. (Not that I actually know that much about Chik-fil-A . . . but I think this is where the author is going.)
Page 152 - When Mee says "Oh, . . . um . . . it's for this thing, for the shop. Trying to . . . ah . . . do some renovations." I suspected a major plot twist! What this was really about barely registered for me. It just didn't seem that big a part of the story.
Page 209 - Wow. I guess I really didn't understand Julia or the significance to her of her graffiti. She is a teenager, though, and the reputation for teen drama is well-earned.
Page 217 - The whole scene in the car with Donovan - ouch. That's a harsh way to make a statement. Again, I didn't really like Julia very much in this part of the book.
Page 281 - Ah. The happy ending. The author made the journey challenging, but worthwhile. I wouldn't call this a "coming of age" novel . . . but I almost want to know Julia more. What was her childhood like leading up to this? How will she continue to grow and change. I ended up caring about her (and YP, too!)
Hennepin County Library hardcover 293 pages
genre: YA realistic
This one surprised me. I didn't "like" it a lot, but kept reading. The protagonist was challenging - Deaf with an attitude and a penchant for pushing people away. Graffiti / street art is not something I am passionate about . . . but I can see both sides (personal expression vs. vandalism). Julia has two moms (both also Deaf) and the books open with her being expelled because of her tagging. Turned in by her "best friend" Jordyn (who has cochlear implants), Julia is determined to never have friends again. At her new school, she has Casey as her "terp" (interpreter) and is rude toward her as she resents Casey's interference in her life and "tattling" to her moms.
I ended up really liking this story and the unfolding of the mystery about who was tagging her tags.
Page 59 - "Just because I'm brown doesn't mean I'm Muslim. Not that it should even matter. Take your hate to Chik-fil-A." Reading this made me sad. Apparently, identifying as a Christian and trying to uphold Biblical beliefs is now synonymous with hatred. Sigh. (Not that I actually know that much about Chik-fil-A . . . but I think this is where the author is going.)
Page 152 - When Mee says "Oh, . . . um . . . it's for this thing, for the shop. Trying to . . . ah . . . do some renovations." I suspected a major plot twist! What this was really about barely registered for me. It just didn't seem that big a part of the story.
Page 209 - Wow. I guess I really didn't understand Julia or the significance to her of her graffiti. She is a teenager, though, and the reputation for teen drama is well-earned.
Page 217 - The whole scene in the car with Donovan - ouch. That's a harsh way to make a statement. Again, I didn't really like Julia very much in this part of the book.
Page 281 - Ah. The happy ending. The author made the journey challenging, but worthwhile. I wouldn't call this a "coming of age" novel . . . but I almost want to know Julia more. What was her childhood like leading up to this? How will she continue to grow and change. I ended up caring about her (and YP, too!)
Monday, July 24, 2017
Sticks and Stones
by Abby Cooper
Hennepin County Library hardcover 276
genre: YA fiction
Basic premise: Sixth grader Elyse has a rare condition with the acronym of CAV. Words people call her show up on her arms and legs. If they are nice, like "beautiful" or "cool," they tickle or soothe. If they are unkind, they itch badly.
This book is clearly written for younger readers and I had to shift my mindset to that of an eleven-year-old.
What I liked:
- Her monthly letters to her future self got better (more interesting) as the book went on (as the character matured over the course of the year)
- The humor of Dr. Patel saying "People are changing. Your body is changing." / Elyse: "Ew. I squirmed in my seat. That was one change we really did not need to discuss." That reminded me of the time my dad offered to talk to me about menstruation. I was thirteen and thought, "Why on God's green earth would I talk to YOU about that when I have mom and two sisters?!?!" Or something along those lines . . .
- The truth of some of the experiences, like Jeg handing out invitations to her birthday party and skipping her former-best-friend Elyse. "She saw me looking at her empty hands and gave me one of those you-don't-get-it looks people give me when they pat my leg. Then she skipped away with Snotty Ami and Lindsey, laughing loudly at something (how was something always funny?), just as boppy and perky and annoying as she had come."
- I like that she made other friendships. "I forced my gaze away from Liam and Jeg and looked at JaShawn, Hector, Layla, and Nice Andy. My friends. Why did I care so much about people who didn't care about me?"
What I disliked:
- How does a best friend and defender suddenly ditch her and act so awful? The reasons are explained late in the book, but baffles me all the same. Perhaps because I've not experienced that kind of betrayal.
- The overall shallowness of the storytelling . . . probably because the protagonist is a sixth grader. Or because I've been reading other books that are more complex lately.
- With such a focus on name-calling and how hurtful it is, why does she consistently refer to a classmate as "Snotty Ami"? Again, she addresses this later in the book, realizing that Ami is a person, too. And she is even extremely kind and thoughtful to this unkind girl, but still . . .
I think what I liked best about this book is learning that the author is from Minnesota and a former teacher and school librarian. Hey, I'm biased!
Hennepin County Library hardcover 276
genre: YA fiction
Basic premise: Sixth grader Elyse has a rare condition with the acronym of CAV. Words people call her show up on her arms and legs. If they are nice, like "beautiful" or "cool," they tickle or soothe. If they are unkind, they itch badly.
This book is clearly written for younger readers and I had to shift my mindset to that of an eleven-year-old.
What I liked:
- Her monthly letters to her future self got better (more interesting) as the book went on (as the character matured over the course of the year)
- The humor of Dr. Patel saying "People are changing. Your body is changing." / Elyse: "Ew. I squirmed in my seat. That was one change we really did not need to discuss." That reminded me of the time my dad offered to talk to me about menstruation. I was thirteen and thought, "Why on God's green earth would I talk to YOU about that when I have mom and two sisters?!?!" Or something along those lines . . .
- The truth of some of the experiences, like Jeg handing out invitations to her birthday party and skipping her former-best-friend Elyse. "She saw me looking at her empty hands and gave me one of those you-don't-get-it looks people give me when they pat my leg. Then she skipped away with Snotty Ami and Lindsey, laughing loudly at something (how was something always funny?), just as boppy and perky and annoying as she had come."
- I like that she made other friendships. "I forced my gaze away from Liam and Jeg and looked at JaShawn, Hector, Layla, and Nice Andy. My friends. Why did I care so much about people who didn't care about me?"
What I disliked:
- How does a best friend and defender suddenly ditch her and act so awful? The reasons are explained late in the book, but baffles me all the same. Perhaps because I've not experienced that kind of betrayal.
- The overall shallowness of the storytelling . . . probably because the protagonist is a sixth grader. Or because I've been reading other books that are more complex lately.
- With such a focus on name-calling and how hurtful it is, why does she consistently refer to a classmate as "Snotty Ami"? Again, she addresses this later in the book, realizing that Ami is a person, too. And she is even extremely kind and thoughtful to this unkind girl, but still . . .
I think what I liked best about this book is learning that the author is from Minnesota and a former teacher and school librarian. Hey, I'm biased!
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Adventure North: 2,200 Miles by Canoe, 49 Days in the Wild
by Sean Bloomfield
foreword by Colton Witte
Hennepin County Library paperback 208 pages
genre: Non-fiction memoir
I have known Sean for a few years; I taught at a different school in district 112 and had met him at some meetings. I didn't connect the teacher to the teenager I had read about in the Star Tribune years earlier! Having read Sevareid's Canoeing with the Cree, I appreciated these young men being inspired by it and following through on their idea to recreate a canoe trip from the Twin Cities to the Hudson Bay.
The writing was engaging and I loved having the photos in the back to look at periodically, to see their chronicle of the trip. I wish the book had included clearer maps, though.
Page 19 - Colton's humor comes through early and often. ". . . we turned the corner and they were out of sight. Suddenly, all was silent. We were alone. 'And here is where we hid our trolling motor,' Colton joked." I don't know Colton Witte, but he seems to have an amazing personality!
Page 33 - "There was no real reason for checking our location, other than to interrupt the monotony and to emotionally confirm progress. If we knew where we were, then we could calculate how fast we were traveling, and more importantly, how far we would get in that day. Apparently, boredom makes arithmetic fun for even the most mediocre of math students. We used enough algebraic equations that it seemed only fair we should have received some type of grade bump on our high school transcripts."That could be a bumper sticker: "Apparently, boredom makes arithmetic fun." Or maybe not.
Page 49 - "While environmental advocacy would have surely benefited our finances, it added a complex element to a trip whose crux was something simple: a boyhood dream." I love this! Recognizing that the purpose was to fulfill a dream - in today's world, I think that simple focus is lovely.
Page 61 - "Many strangers went out of their way to lend a helping hand. I became certain that there was not a better way to learn about small-town America than a canoe journey through its core." This is also quite lovely - seeing the positives in people and in life instead of just the ugly side of things.
Page 98 - When their parents connect with them near Winnipeg and they got into the vehicle, Colton's mom exclaimed, "Whew! Let's get you two into a shower!" Again, Colton's sense of humor shone through when he said, "Gladly. Sean stinks!" Of course, they were both pungent with all the exertion and no shower in almost a week. I can only imagine what they smelled like by the time they got to Hudson Bay!
Page 172 - When Sean talks about Minnesotans and being passive-aggressive, it makes me think of a new T-shirt design I saw recently from Tom Foolery. I don't really think much about this phenomenon, having lived here all my life. When he describes how the stress started affecting him and his friend, I had to think about how most people would handle it. How would I handle it? I didn't realize / remember that Sevareid and Port had fought at this point in their trip. (Perhaps I need to re-read Canoeing with the Cree!) This would be a wonderful discussion book - planning, persistence, learning by experience, . . .
I'm glad this made it on to our summer reading list! I may reflect on it during our BWCA trip next month.
foreword by Colton Witte
Hennepin County Library paperback 208 pages
genre: Non-fiction memoir
I have known Sean for a few years; I taught at a different school in district 112 and had met him at some meetings. I didn't connect the teacher to the teenager I had read about in the Star Tribune years earlier! Having read Sevareid's Canoeing with the Cree, I appreciated these young men being inspired by it and following through on their idea to recreate a canoe trip from the Twin Cities to the Hudson Bay.
The writing was engaging and I loved having the photos in the back to look at periodically, to see their chronicle of the trip. I wish the book had included clearer maps, though.
Page 19 - Colton's humor comes through early and often. ". . . we turned the corner and they were out of sight. Suddenly, all was silent. We were alone. 'And here is where we hid our trolling motor,' Colton joked." I don't know Colton Witte, but he seems to have an amazing personality!
Page 33 - "There was no real reason for checking our location, other than to interrupt the monotony and to emotionally confirm progress. If we knew where we were, then we could calculate how fast we were traveling, and more importantly, how far we would get in that day. Apparently, boredom makes arithmetic fun for even the most mediocre of math students. We used enough algebraic equations that it seemed only fair we should have received some type of grade bump on our high school transcripts."That could be a bumper sticker: "Apparently, boredom makes arithmetic fun." Or maybe not.
Page 49 - "While environmental advocacy would have surely benefited our finances, it added a complex element to a trip whose crux was something simple: a boyhood dream." I love this! Recognizing that the purpose was to fulfill a dream - in today's world, I think that simple focus is lovely.
Page 61 - "Many strangers went out of their way to lend a helping hand. I became certain that there was not a better way to learn about small-town America than a canoe journey through its core." This is also quite lovely - seeing the positives in people and in life instead of just the ugly side of things.
Page 98 - When their parents connect with them near Winnipeg and they got into the vehicle, Colton's mom exclaimed, "Whew! Let's get you two into a shower!" Again, Colton's sense of humor shone through when he said, "Gladly. Sean stinks!" Of course, they were both pungent with all the exertion and no shower in almost a week. I can only imagine what they smelled like by the time they got to Hudson Bay!
Page 172 - When Sean talks about Minnesotans and being passive-aggressive, it makes me think of a new T-shirt design I saw recently from Tom Foolery. I don't really think much about this phenomenon, having lived here all my life. When he describes how the stress started affecting him and his friend, I had to think about how most people would handle it. How would I handle it? I didn't realize / remember that Sevareid and Port had fought at this point in their trip. (Perhaps I need to re-read Canoeing with the Cree!) This would be a wonderful discussion book - planning, persistence, learning by experience, . . .I'm glad this made it on to our summer reading list! I may reflect on it during our BWCA trip next month.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
by Chelsea Sedoti
Hennepin County Library hardcover 383 pages
audiobook 2/8 CDs . . . read by Jessica Almasy
genre: YA realistic fiction
I did not like this book. Because of the audiobook's reader's voice? (I had to return them to the library after only getting through two of them.) Because I wasn't in the mood for angsty teen fic? Because it's inane?
I'm honestly not sure, but I tried to finish by speed-reading it because I disliked it so much.
Notes:
Page 307 - "'Hawthorn, you've got it in your head that I'm supposed to, I don't know, be the hero of your story. But I'm not. Life doesn't work like that, OK? You need to let people be who they are, not who you want them to be. Stop making everything so complicated.'" Tell her, Enzo!
Part I liked! The curses Hawthorn dished out (after her mom told her when she was little not to wish something truly awful, like death) - When her mom's friends the hippies showed up - page 130. "I wished all their tents would blow away. I wished the government would place a ban on tie-dye and unwashed hair. I wished their pot would turn into oregano." These rants that Hawthorn had were so amusing! Too bad there were only a half-dozen in the entire book.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 383 pages
audiobook 2/8 CDs . . . read by Jessica Almasy
genre: YA realistic fiction
I did not like this book. Because of the audiobook's reader's voice? (I had to return them to the library after only getting through two of them.) Because I wasn't in the mood for angsty teen fic? Because it's inane?
I'm honestly not sure, but I tried to finish by speed-reading it because I disliked it so much.
Notes:
- self-centered narrator (Hawthorn)
- Cool names - Hawthorn and her brother Rush (short for Rushford)
- egocentric, bad attitude
- friend Emily - how did they become and stay friends?!?! (answered later . . . )
- wishing "curses" on people / mildly amusing / very creative / may well have been my favorite part of the book! (example below)
- what a whiner!
- overactive imagination
- very immature
- werewolves? Seriously?
Page 307 - "'Hawthorn, you've got it in your head that I'm supposed to, I don't know, be the hero of your story. But I'm not. Life doesn't work like that, OK? You need to let people be who they are, not who you want them to be. Stop making everything so complicated.'" Tell her, Enzo!
Part I liked! The curses Hawthorn dished out (after her mom told her when she was little not to wish something truly awful, like death) - When her mom's friends the hippies showed up - page 130. "I wished all their tents would blow away. I wished the government would place a ban on tie-dye and unwashed hair. I wished their pot would turn into oregano." These rants that Hawthorn had were so amusing! Too bad there were only a half-dozen in the entire book.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Comics Confidential: Thirteen Graphic Novelists Talk Story, Craft, and Life Outside the Box
by Leonard S. Marcus
Hennepin County Library hardcover 163 pages
genre: YA non-fiction
This was in our Litwits list as a graphic novel . . . but it's actually a non-fiction book about graphic novelists (or as the newer term "comics artists.") Each of the thirteen includes an interview and a two-page comic about "the city." I loved seeing the different styles and interpretations. The interviews were interesting, too. Many of these people were new names to me!
I loved in David Small's foreword where he wrote, "Art-making at its best is a confrontation with the mysterious and the irrational. If we listen to the people concerned mainly with classification or marketing, we end up not making honest and true works of art, but only product, rubber-stamped and made to fit into a prefab box that might as well be a casket."
As a fan of comics and the history of the form, I found this book to be very interesting. The rise of web comics has fueled a lot of fresh creativity and a new generation of talent. I have long loved comics and to me, "graphic novels" still describe full-length stories told in comic book form.
In the interview with Matt Phelan, I like how he said, "You don't have to be a professional to benefit from pursuing creative work." I think that's a powerful idea. These thirteen people all make a living from their creativity, but he acknowledges including in one of his stories that "various 'ordinary' folks they know who paint or play music for the sheer enjoyment of it is crucial to the story."
Hennepin County Library hardcover 163 pages
genre: YA non-fiction
This was in our Litwits list as a graphic novel . . . but it's actually a non-fiction book about graphic novelists (or as the newer term "comics artists.") Each of the thirteen includes an interview and a two-page comic about "the city." I loved seeing the different styles and interpretations. The interviews were interesting, too. Many of these people were new names to me!
I loved in David Small's foreword where he wrote, "Art-making at its best is a confrontation with the mysterious and the irrational. If we listen to the people concerned mainly with classification or marketing, we end up not making honest and true works of art, but only product, rubber-stamped and made to fit into a prefab box that might as well be a casket."
As a fan of comics and the history of the form, I found this book to be very interesting. The rise of web comics has fueled a lot of fresh creativity and a new generation of talent. I have long loved comics and to me, "graphic novels" still describe full-length stories told in comic book form.
In the interview with Matt Phelan, I like how he said, "You don't have to be a professional to benefit from pursuing creative work." I think that's a powerful idea. These thirteen people all make a living from their creativity, but he acknowledges including in one of his stories that "various 'ordinary' folks they know who paint or play music for the sheer enjoyment of it is crucial to the story."
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Samurai Rising: The Epic LIfe of Minamoto Yoshitsune
by Pamela Turner
Illustrated by Gareth Hinds
Hennepin County Library hardcover 163 pages plus LOTS of author's notes, time lines, glossary, chapter notes, etc.
genre: YA non-fiction
The author certainly did extensive research and has a passion for her topic and Japan's history. That said, I can't think of many middle school readers who would read this book start to finish. She made it as interesting and story-like as possible. It made me think of Jean Fritz' history stories, in a way.
But there were so many names that were so similar, and it was hard to appreciate and admire samurai who were pretty ruthless murderers. And the poor commoners! Imagine having your home set on fire to provide light for warriors to go on their rampage. Ugh. I basically forced myself to read this.
Illustrated by Gareth Hinds
Hennepin County Library hardcover 163 pages plus LOTS of author's notes, time lines, glossary, chapter notes, etc.
genre: YA non-fiction
The author certainly did extensive research and has a passion for her topic and Japan's history. That said, I can't think of many middle school readers who would read this book start to finish. She made it as interesting and story-like as possible. It made me think of Jean Fritz' history stories, in a way.
But there were so many names that were so similar, and it was hard to appreciate and admire samurai who were pretty ruthless murderers. And the poor commoners! Imagine having your home set on fire to provide light for warriors to go on their rampage. Ugh. I basically forced myself to read this.
Friday, July 07, 2017
The Book of Mistakes
by Corinna Luyken
Scott County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
This was fun to read, though the story is most definitely told through pictures! Each time a mistake is made, she finds a way to adapt the illustration to accommodate it. This would be great with students who are perfectionists . . . to see that perfect isn't necessarily best. I love the more and more detailed drawings as more and more mistakes are made and modified.
Scott County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
This was fun to read, though the story is most definitely told through pictures! Each time a mistake is made, she finds a way to adapt the illustration to accommodate it. This would be great with students who are perfectionists . . . to see that perfect isn't necessarily best. I love the more and more detailed drawings as more and more mistakes are made and modified.
They All Saw a Cat
by Brendan Wenzel
Scott County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
I loved this! As in, I may need to buy a copy for when I have grandkids. This could totally be used with middle school and high school kids on the concept of perspective. Wenzel did an amazing job with the art - using colors, styles, etc. to portray the cat so differently to different individuals. This would be a great read-aloud! It has enough repetition to engage the audience's familiarity while drawing them forward to see what's next.
Scott County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
I loved this! As in, I may need to buy a copy for when I have grandkids. This could totally be used with middle school and high school kids on the concept of perspective. Wenzel did an amazing job with the art - using colors, styles, etc. to portray the cat so differently to different individuals. This would be a great read-aloud! It has enough repetition to engage the audience's familiarity while drawing them forward to see what's next.
Happy Dreamer
by Peter H. Reynolds
Scott County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
This one is lovely, but it didn't really wow me . . . and I'm not sure why. I gave it four of five stars. It has a great, positive message. The artwork is lovely. I made a note to check out his website.
Scott County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
This one is lovely, but it didn't really wow me . . . and I'm not sure why. I gave it four of five stars. It has a great, positive message. The artwork is lovely. I made a note to check out his website.
Punk Skunks
by Trisha Speed Shaskan, illustrated by Stephen Shaskan
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
My favorite thing about this book is that the author/illustrator wife/husband team are from Minneapolis. The story itself wasn't as enjoyable as some of the other picture books on this summer's list. Since I haven't had my own "littles" for a long time (my "baby" is 25 years old and engaged to be married), I am not aware of current popular titles. A few years back, when I heard about Fancy Nancy, I was clueless. Are the Punk Skunks the latest craze? I guess so. I gave it three of five stars.
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
My favorite thing about this book is that the author/illustrator wife/husband team are from Minneapolis. The story itself wasn't as enjoyable as some of the other picture books on this summer's list. Since I haven't had my own "littles" for a long time (my "baby" is 25 years old and engaged to be married), I am not aware of current popular titles. A few years back, when I heard about Fancy Nancy, I was clueless. Are the Punk Skunks the latest craze? I guess so. I gave it three of five stars.
There Might Be Lobsters
by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Laurel Molk
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
This was so sweet! A small pup named Sukie is frightened of everything at the beach. There was nice repetition in the text, but not overdone. Saving her toy monkey Chunka Munka helps Sukie overcome her fears. I gave it four of five stars.
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: "Everybody" picture book
This was so sweet! A small pup named Sukie is frightened of everything at the beach. There was nice repetition in the text, but not overdone. Saving her toy monkey Chunka Munka helps Sukie overcome her fears. I gave it four of five stars.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Let Me Finish!
by Minh Le, illustrated by Isabel Roxas
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: children's book
This was fun! The main character is a book-lover who keeps getting interrupted by animals who spoil the story. The illustrations are engaging and it's a delightful little book.
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: children's book
This was fun! The main character is a book-lover who keeps getting interrupted by animals who spoil the story. The illustrations are engaging and it's a delightful little book.
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