New Library! and "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

To begin with, I have a job! It's going to be really wonderful, I think. I met many of my coworkers today and everyone's really friendly and welcoming. It seems like it's a supportive environment for everyone, I'm going to learn tons and I think that I can really contribute. And Defy Death.

"If I Stay" is a book with a lovely cover. I've seen it in the bookstores a few times, but the inside of the book never intrigued me. It's very sparse, which is probably because it doesn't want to give away the plot but it goes too far with that. However, I've got to say that you should ignore your first instinct. It's a lovely cover and a well written and touching story.

Mia is a teenaged living a charmed life. Sure, there's been stress in her relationship with her boyfriend, Adam since his emo core band has started getting more popular. Another thing that adds stress is Mia's cello playing. In all likelihood, she's going to get into Juilliard. She even gets along with her parents, former punk rock types who married young and adore Mia and her 6 year old brother Teddy with every fiber of their body.

See what I mean? Charmed life! But that all changed when Mia's family gets into a car one snowy day to go visit some friends. There's a car crash and both of Mia's parents die, while Mia and Teddy are hurt very badly. Mia ends up having an out of body experience.

That's where the title comes in. Will Mia stay? Or will she keep going on to whatever comes next?

I've got to warn you. This book is heartwrenching. I sobbed while reading it, sitting on my futon, so engrossed that I didn't realize it was getting too dim to read until the book was a couple of inches from my face.

I would recommend this book to teens aged 14 and up. It may play with some old saws (Lurlene McDaniel, anyone?) but does so in a lyrical way. The characterization is also very strong, making Mia a likable character and all the supporting friends and family sound like people that the reader knows and likes.

"World War Z" by Max Brooks

"World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War"

After the zombie virus decimated humanity, our planet has gone through many changes. Tibet is the most populous country. Cuba is the center of finance and banking. Russia is back to being an oligarchy. And Max Brooks is traveling the world, interviewing people who survived all over the world, learning what the zombies or "Zach" or "Zed Heads" did to humanity.

The book touches on many different types of people from Chinese doctors to American real estate agents to Russian priests, all with a different voice and story of their own. Although there is no real action, the book does begin at the beginning with the interviews and takes the reader through all the (10 plus) years of turmoil and war. Indeed, in the book, it is still not over. People are still fighting and some countries, such as Iceland are still completely overrun by zombies. But there is hope.

Brooks brings a terrifying view of what could happen, if there were ever zombies, all over the world. Indeed, it made me think out my very own zombie plan (get myself a sharpened hoe and head north to a friend's ski vacation house). It also made me think about sleeping with the lights on. It's so matter of fact that it just makes it that much more of a scary book, although it is not a traditional horror book. It's a scary book for those people who don't like Stephen King or other more typical horror books.

It's usually marketed as an adult book, however, I think that many teenagers would enjoy it. I would give it to teens 15 and up who are interested in documentaries and nonfiction but are looking for something maybe a little more "fun."

"Killer Pizza" by Greg Taylor

Toby McGill doesn't ask for much. He'd like to get a summer job. After all, he's 14, he doesn't have many friends and he's very bored. However, Toby has plans of becoming a celebrity chef, so he just needs some practice. Enter Killer Pizza. It's the only place to hire Toby, where he works with Annabel (a beautiful, smart and rich classmate) and Strobe (an angry older boy).

However, all is not as it seems at Killer Pizza. Instead of a pizza place with a monster theme, it's actually a front for a monster hunting organization and the leader, Harvey, wants Toby and his coworkers to be the start of the team in their area. The book involves guttatas (humans turned nasty beasts), humor and slowly growing friendships, along with danger and suspense. Toby is a likable main character and Strobe and Annabel seem like realistic coworkers and eventually, friends.

It's well written, however, sometimes it seems a little superficial. When reading about the author you learn that Taylor is also a screenwriter and that explains a lot, in that you can tell that sometimes the action is slightly more important than character development. The book reads like an action packed humorous horror movie and that's not a bad thing. I'd give it a solid B or even a B+ for some kids. I'd probably recommend it for kids 13 and up.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Auden, a teen who has just graduated from high school, loves to study. Really, I mean it. She always knows where she is with her books and classwork. This is unlike everything else in the world, like a social life and her family, especially after her parents divorced. She lives with her mother, a very serious professor who makes sure that Auden stays focused and driven as well.

However, her father and new, young stepmother live in a beach town with their new daughter, Thisbe. In a moment of almost panic, Auden leaves to spend the summer with them, where she attempts to find the childhood that she never had. She meets her first real girlfriends and a very intriguing boy. Will this lead to a new life for Auden? Or will she stay where she's safe?

This is another winner from Dessen. Although the bare bones of the plot sound like many of the other teen romances out there, the quality of the writing and the characterization sets it above the rest. Auden is, like most of Dessen's other heroines, for lack of another word, real. She seems like someone you would actually meet out in the world. This goes for the rest of the cast as well. Every character is well thought out. For example, Auden's parents aren't the most sympathetic characters, however, you want to love them because Auden wants to love them. Auden's new friends aren't just one note either. They all have backstories and traditions together.

Another very well done part of the book is the romance between Auden and Eli, who has problems of his own. They learn to know each other at night, as they are both insomniacs, while the rest of the world sleeps. One of the problems for me with many YA romances is that I can't understand why the characters are together. That is not true in this book. Dessen manages to write a very real chemistry between the two. And the problems that they have seem very understandable as well.

There are some minor problems in this book, however, I believe that it deserves an A. I would definitely recommend this to 14+ who are looking for something with great characters and solid plotting.

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye

Milton and Marlo are brother and sister and total opposites. Marlo is a bad girl (even though she's only 13) and her younger brother Milton is...not. Actually, he seems kind of boring. There is a bit of a marshmallow malfunction and they both die and end up in Heck. It's a horrible, horrible place and they, obviously, do not like it there.

All right, so when I picked this book up I was super excited about it. The illustrations on the front are amazing and the title makes me very happy. I started reading it and enjoyed Basye's language use and his humor. For example, the town where Milton and Marlo live is named Generica, Kansas. Perfect! The writing continues to be funny throughout the book. Once they get to Heck, some of the bad kids have been "Hooked on Phonics" and are trying to go through a drying out period. Milton's name and some other aspects in the book are obviously homages to other stories about hell (although I'm pretty sure that the intended age group probably wouldn't pick up on that).

Those are the good things. However, the components never meld with the plot. It's very light and kind of seems like it's mostly there to set up the sequel, as the plot just seems like a very long build up to the ending. I would also say that it's hard to feel invested with Milton and Marlo. They are fine characters but even though Basye tries to make them relatable, I never quite believed in them. Milton is too milquetoast-y. Marlo is more believable.

The book has so much potential but never quite delivers for me. If I had to grade it, I'd probably give it a low B. So to sum it up, there are some funny parts and good language use, but I was disappointed in the plotting and characterization. It also reads kind of like an introduction for a series (which makes sense, since there is at least a sequel).

The next book in the series is coming out in July and I'll pick it up. I have high expectations for it, since the characters are already introduced. Hopefully it lives up to all that I was looking for in this book. I would probably suggest this book to kids looking for funny fantasy type things, but with a list of others books as well. It's probably best for ages 8-12.

Laugh a Lot, Mostly

Bushweck! That is how you say hello in Slobavian, the country that our main character comes from in Voss:How I Come to America and Am Hero, Mostly by David Ives. Voss is a fifteen year old boy who, along with his father and uncle, the greatest (and only) Shakespearean actor in Slobovia, snuck into America in a box of Cheese Puffs.

First off, this book is hilarious, mostly. Voss writes it in the form of letters to his best friend Meero back home in Slobovia. Voss writes in a very sterotypical Russian/Eastern European accent, which goes along with everything we find out about Slobovia. This is a land where women are judged attractive only if they are shaped like fire hydrants and wear dresses made of "peeg iron." Where the old Slobovian proverbs are things like "Don't count your chickens. You don't have any" and "It is always darkest before the dawn, except maybe tomorrow."

However, things in America don't seem much better. Slobovians are viewed as the scrapings of the street in New York. No one wants to see them and the mood is gloomy in the illegal Slobovian section of the town. Voss and his family have some luck when they find Leena Aleenska and her grandmother from their village. They are fed 11 course Slobovian meals and Voss tries to avoid the fact that Leena is convinced they are "fated to marry, no matter what."

The United States has many problems for Voss and his family and friends, including kidnapping, discrimination and the fact that Bilias Opchuck the Slobavian gangster wants to core Voss like an apple.

I enjoyed reading this book and think it would probably be good for ages 12-16. It's definitely one that you should consider not reading in public though. I laughed out loud several times and would probably do so every time I read it. Voss is an entertaining character who has a very big heart and, although humorous, is also very brave.

Graduation!

I have an MLS (although I won't have the diploma for 12 to 16 weeks...Wow)!

We got to say a few words at the small graduation ceremony (for library students only) and I forgot to copy down this quote to say...So I'll put it in here.

"We have been called many things in our time: gentle and genteel, modest and mousy, dedicated and dowdy, unprepossessing and underpaid. I hope for the day when we shall be called the belligerent profession, a profession that is informed, illuminated, and radiated by a fierce and beautiful love of books' a love so overwhelming that it engulfs community after community and makes the culture of our time distinctive, individual, creative, and truly of the spirit."--Frances Clarke Sayers, on the subject of children's librarianship

Look Who Is Back!

Yes, that's right. I am still passionately interested in books and reading...Perhaps just not so much in typing about them in the last little while. This last semester of library school is coming to an end and I'm so excited about it! But that also means that I have pretend programs to plan, discussions to lead and storytimes to do!

I've been doing bits and pieces of storytimes over the last few weeks at my practicum, and I'm sure that they add up to several whole ones. However, my supervising librarian also loves doing storytimes so she likes to keep in there too. Which is good. It's nice to share! Haha, as soon as I typed that I thought that sounded like a storytime...Goodness knows that there are enough books about sharing.

Instead of doing a YA book post this time, I'm going to talk a little bit about several picture books that I've read lately. The first is an oldie but goodie that was one of my favorites when I was young, but has held up amazingly well over the years. I actually read it recently for a "Sweets and Treats" storytime to about 85 preschoolers...Craziness. But it kept their attention well and they loved the ending!

The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza. It's all about a scheming wolf who decides that the demure hen strolling through the forest would be just perfect for a delicious chicken stew. However...An idea comes to the wolf and he decides that it would be best to fatten the chicken up for a HUGE stew. He starts to make her hundreds and hundreds of tasty treats. Will the chicken survive? Or will the wolf have some tasty stew tonight? I love the illustrations. You can definitely see the scheming in the wolf's eyes as he stalks the chicken through the forest.

Another excellent book that I think is more of a lapsit book is Mini Mia and her Darling Uncle by Pija Lindenbaum and translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. In it, Ella or Mini Mia has a favorite uncle Tommy. They do all sorts of fun things, like dyeing Ella's hair multiple colors or people watching together. However, one day all that changes when Fergus enters Tommy's life. Mini Mia (called that because she loves soccer so much) hates having to share her uncle, but eventually learns that Fergus isn't so bad. This is a beautifully illustrated and funny book that shows a nontraditional relationship very naturally. It would be great for working with jealous little kids. There are so many books dealing with new siblings, etc but not quite as many for those who enter the family a different way, such as new uncles or aunts. The illustrations are quite amusing, especially Mini Mia's other uncles, who look exactly the same...BORING!

A book for people a little older, but still a picture book is Harlem by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Christopher Myers. The illustrations are beautiful and almost seem to be in motion. The poem that makes up the text is quite lovely and really makes you feel how much Harlem was and is for many people. Myers also alluded to specific historical events that, younger children probably wouldn't know. For example, on the very first page, talking about how people got to Harlem he said:

"The third deck down from Trinidad
A wrench of heart from Goree Island
A wrench of heart from Goree Island" (Myers 1).

Goree Island is an island in Senegal where many Africans saw their last glimpse of Africa before being sold into slavery. Many children would not understand why the term "wrench of heart" was used. But the poem is not all sad. It also talks of blues and rent parties and playing checkers.

I would definitely recommend all three of these picture books, perhaps for different uses but they all are excellent.

A Quick Note

Just a quick post to congratulate the following book for winning the 2009 Michael L. Printz Award:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. I haven't read it but I have read the synopsis and look forward to it.

Honor books were: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson. I have not read this yet.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. This was a good book but I don't remember that much about it.

Nation by Terry Pratchett. I loved this book and own it. After I heard that it was an honor book, I decided that later this week I will write a fuller review, hopefully.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. I haven't read this book yet either.

So congratulations! I hope to read all of these books soon!

Pain...Pain...Pain and the Start of the Semester

Yes, the semester has started here in the cold and snow. However, at least one day last week was above freezing! And I didn't wear my hat or my gloves! I should really sit in a corner and explain to myself (again) why I didn't go to library school in Hawaii. It's a tough one.

Right. So for my YA lit class we read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Let me start out by saying it's one of the most talked about books in YA lit since its publication in 1974. It's well written, well thought out and very real. That said, it wasn't my favorite book I've ever read.

In it, Jerry Renault is a freshman at Trinity, a school where the not so secret society, The Vigils rule the school. Archie, the brains behind this group gives Jerry an assignment, to not sell chocolates in the annual chocolate sale. The problem is, however, that Jerry continues to refuse to sell chocolates, making him into a sort of hero. This upsets one of the teachers, Brother Leon, who puts pressure on Archie. In turn, Archie and the rest of the school puts pressure on Jerry.

It's really rather painful to read. Especially in that you think that this could possibly happen. Not that you want it to happen. But that it could. Depressing. And I've got to say, I tend to like depressing. I devoured Lurlene McDaniel books when I was younger. I enjoy books when the main character doesn't always win. I'm not sure what it was about this one that really turned me off.

However, I do think that there is a large group of readers who would really enjoy this book. Guys might like the realism a little more. There are YA readers who need something that isn't as happy as some of the other books I've been suggesting. I would definitely suggest it for older readers who don't believe that the authority is always right.

Imagine This!

I am back! Michigan and I kind of broke up but it's the kind of break up that means we'll always love each other because I plan on going back to the state next winter. In other words, I am back from a ski vacation in the Upper Peninsula.

Anyway, when I was not downhill skiing or cross country skiing I managed to read in front of a fire. This was one of the best vacations ever, by the way. One of the books that I read was Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen. It's the first book in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. I think that it's a trilogy but I am not entirely certain.

The book starts on a dark and stormy night when three people: Charles, Jack and John are brought together by fate and suspected murder. They, Oxford men all, manage to go to their club to discuss things when they are found by Bert, who is an...interesting man. They join Bert on his daughter Aven's ship, The Indigo Dragon and their lives change forever.

John didn't know that he was being groomed to be a caretaker for the Imaginarium Geographica, a map that shows all the lands in the Archipelago, a chain of islands beyond our world. They include places like Avalon and Prydain (I was really disappointed that they never came upon an assistant pigkeeper in their travels).

But sadly, the Archipelago is in chaos. The dragons have left and all the members of the royal human family have been murdered. And of course, there is a villian, The Winter King, who wants one of the rings of power to call the dragons.

The plot is fast moving and the book is well written. Owen manages to make it seem like it's a British children's book from years ago. There is humor and danger and many interesting characters, both historical and original.

It's wonderful how many allusions that Owen makes to classic fantasy and adventure books. One of the previous caretakers is always referred to as Jamie and it's not until later that you learn that he is actually Sir James Barrie, author of Peter Pan.

I would recommend this book to older children and younger teens who were familiar with fantasy books. I'm actually having a hard time with some of my thoughts here. On one hand, one of the most charming and interesting things about the book is the fact that I could recognize so many people from mythology and books so it may be best for readers familiar with those as well. On the other hand, however, this book could serve as a good gateway to the fantasy world for readers. I think that, in the end, the book assumes a basic familiarity that it is likely that many readers would have, even through TV and movies by the time they pick this up.