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.

Let it Snow...But I Hope it's Not Snowing.

So recently I read the book Let it Snow which has three stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. I picked it up because I'm a fan of An Abundance of Katherines which is by John Green as well. I keep meaning to read his others but I never find them in the library when I'm there. Which is very sad. Anyway, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle are also names in the YA field (Johnson's written 13 Little Blue Envelopes, etc and Myracle wrote TTYL...Which I haven't read on principle, as it is like naming a book LOL or something). However, after reading this book I think I will definitely read some more by both of these writers.

This was a really good book to read on a snowy day near Christmas, which I just so happened to do. All the stories are interconnected, which I didn't realize until I was halfway through the second one. However, an observant reader would probably read all of the back of the book before buying. The stories were entertaining and dealt with love and friendship and the holiday season.

The first story "The Jubilee Express" is about a girl (Jubilee) who has to leave town in a hurry to get to her grandparents. Jubilee ends up in a snowbound train and meets some interesting folks in a town, including a very intriguing boy. This may have been my least favorite of the three, solely because I think Johnson needed more space to tell her story. It was still well written and entertaining.

Green's story, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" was my favorite. In it, Tobin and two of his best friends (including The Duke, a girl) try to make it to a Waffle House in a blizzard. It made me sad that there was only one short novella/story about these quirky characters. Guess I'll have to pick up Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska to get a Green fix.

The last story, "The Patron Saint of Pigs" is about a girl who is a bit of a drama queen and who has kind of ruined her own life. Myracle also brings together most of the main characters in the end.

The things I liked least about this book was that it was a book of stories...Which I knew when I bought it. So I suppose it is actually a kind of a compliment to the writers. I thought that each of the authors wrote about characters and happenings that could easily stand on their own and would have liked to see them fleshed out more. It helped that the stories were interconnected, especially since all the characters ended up in the same place at the end.

Another exciting thing in this book was the...Waffle House! Where I'm from, there are no Waffle Houses, so I've always counted them and tried to go in while on vacation in the South. Sadly, however, it has not yet happened. However, the hashbrowns sound really good as described in this book.

I would recommend this book to teens who would enjoy holiday themed romances with a bit of quirk.