HELLO!
Thanks for looking us up. Our absence has been lengthier than expected...because we're packing! We're boxing up our Blogspot days, and we're moving!
See you next year at WritingYA.com
December 31, 2018
July 03, 2018
Books to Read, Revisions to Write, Summer to Enjoy
Please stand by, as we make a few changes around here! See you in September JANUARY!
Meanwhile, read your hearts out.
June 25, 2018
Monday Review: NEVERWORLD WAKE by Marisha Pessl
It's been a year since graduation; a year since Beatrice's boyfriend Jim died under mysterious circumstances deemed a suicide, with his body found in a quarry near their exclusive Darrow-Harker School. It's been almost that long since Beatrice has seen the rest of the members of their group, but out of the blue she accepts an invitation from her former best friend Whitley to join them at her family's estate up the coast, Wincroft. Beatrice is sure they'll know something more about Jim's death, and she's ready to find out.
Problem is, while they're all there, the five of them end up stuck in a time loop—a splinter, according to the mysterious Keeper who shows up at the door of the estate. Each time the time loop ends, they have to vote—and AGREE—on who gets to survive and live on, because only one of them can get out of the time splinter alive.
Observations: There are multiple sources of suspense in this one: Beatrice's quest to find out what happened to her boyfriend Jim, and also the group's repeated attempts to foil, fake out, or otherwise exit the time loop. Each day, something different happens, except when it doesn't. And each character copes differently: Kipling (the one character I was a little less sold on, because I couldn't buy his character quirks) and his drinking and attempts at suicide; Cannon the computer genius, who disappears for days at a time; Martha, the odd one, who brings her considerable intellectual faculties to bear; and Whitley, who seems determined to party and commit mischief until the end of time.
I'd only read Marisha Pessl's book for adult audiences, Night Film, which was both strange and suspenseful as well. This one combines elements of the supernatural and time theory with the classic page-turning greed of a thriller. Despite a few lingering questions about the how and why of it all, I ended up enjoying this one quite a bit.
Conclusion: If you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting, dark thriller, and aren't put off by hints of the supernatural, then you might enjoy this one. Also, fans of timeslip, time travel, and alternate universe fiction should give it a try.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of my library's ebook collection. You can find NEVERWORLD WAKE by Marisha Pessl at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
June 21, 2018
No Kids in Cages
We don't usually get overtly political over here, but there are times when it's unavoidable. Times when something is so unconscionably, unimaginably WRONG that speaking out is not an option. Over the past few days we've seen the rights and well-being of migrant children, of "their" children, clearly articulated as less important than the rights and well-being of "our" children, doing irreparable damage to thousands as a result. Even with the promised incremental change to policy, kids have already been harmed, and it's inexcusable.
A vast swath of the kidlit community has come together in protest of this policy, publicly signing an open letter in opposition to the conditions under which these immigrant children are being held, and raising an incredible $173,533 so far for donation to Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) and a handful of other organizations providing services to immigrants and refugees at the border. You can read more and donate here.
The final thought I'd like to leave you with is this tweet from fellow author Carrie Jones:
A vast swath of the kidlit community has come together in protest of this policy, publicly signing an open letter in opposition to the conditions under which these immigrant children are being held, and raising an incredible $173,533 so far for donation to Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) and a handful of other organizations providing services to immigrants and refugees at the border. You can read more and donate here.
The final thought I'd like to leave you with is this tweet from fellow author Carrie Jones:
If you are writing books for teens and kids, it is usually a good idea to actually care about teens and kids.— Carrie Jones (@carriejonesbook) June 19, 2018
Not just some kids and teens.
All kids and teens.
June 11, 2018
Monday Review: THE STONE GIRL'S STORY by Sarah Beth Durst
The story has a rather sad, poignant beginning, though. It's been a long time that Mayka has been caring for the cottage and its inhabitants on her own—stone lives longer than flesh, after all. We join the story long after Father has gone, but Mayka is saying goodbye to another longtime companion, Turtle. His marks have faded, and he has slowed to a stop. Mayka, determined to find another Master Carver who can recarve the marks and save her friend, leaves her remote mountain for the first time and ventures in the direction of the city of Skye, where she's sure to find someone skilled enough. She also, of course, finds adventure.
Observations: There's a classic quality to Mayka's journey—a quest that brings danger, new friends, and surprises, and ultimately ends in Mayka realizing (minor spoilers – highlight to read) that what she seeks lay within her all along. At the same time, she'd never have experienced that empowerment without going on her journey. The friends she meets along the way, and the wondrousness of the setting and its magical stone creatures, provide a nice counterpoint to the notes of sadness and urgency that are inherent to Mayka's situation.
The story itself, as I mentioned earlier, is really ABOUT stories, and the idea that our experiences carve themselves upon us and make us who we are. It's a gorgeous idea, and one that is echoed in the idea of tattooing, which for many people does tell a story of who they are, and who they might be. But don't be deceived into looking only at the surface--this book is also about power, who wields it, and who has the right to tell someone else's story. As in all of Durst's books written for younger readers, the simplicity is deceptive, and along with the whimsy are complex ideas shining through.
Conclusion: I feel like this is one of Durst's strongest middle grade books yet. Its starred reviews are well deserved, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's an award contender—but whether it is or not, I highly recommend it for fantasy fans and fairy tale enthusiasts of all ages.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the author and publisher (thank you!!). You can find THE STONE GIRL'S STORY by Sarah Beth Durst at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
June 07, 2018
Happy Summer!
Between early-summer travel, summer school class prep, copious novel rewriting, and some much-needed down time, it's been quiet here on the blog, but here's me and Tanita just cruising in to say HAPPY SUMMER and we'll be back with some more book reviews and other fun stuff soon! In the meantime, enjoy this happily reading hippo I found.
May 31, 2018
Throwback Thursday: Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading
This was pretty typical of me at a certain age (by which I mean all the ages including now...). I believe that is a Sweet Valley High book I was reading. We're at a Christmas party, and my mom and stepdad are engrossed in an actual conversation which I was trying very hard to ignore.
In all seriousness, this was a Christmas party I loved to go to as a kid, at the house of one of my mom's former teachers from Gardena High School, Richard Cody. We used to attend annually, driving from our home in the Inland Empire to their house in Santa Ana. In my role as endless, annoying fountain of Christmas spirit from July onwards, I was dazzled by something as simple as the taillights of the traffic on the 91 freeway, festive ribbons of red and white that were probably making my parents cuss under their breath.
Richard Cody and his wife had a huge network of extended family and friends, former students, children biological, foster, and adopted, and so on and so forth. We'd enjoy Christmas carols around the piano (often with me or my mom playing), orange sherbet punch, and a reading of The Night Before Christmas that culminated in Santa coming down the stairs and handing presents out to all the kids. When I was little, Santa was this really tall man named Benjamin, and then his son Malik inherited the post--that might be him on the left in the picture, or possibly his brother Ibi. (Clearly nobody was alarmed by Santa suddenly changing from white to black in the space of a year.)
That diverse cacophony of names, though: Malik, Ibi. Their mom Twyla. Erlene, Richard's wife. Ted and Ariana, their biological kids. Moises, Marcos. Plenty of others I don't remember. It was a music, just as much as the notes from the piano; a very SoCal music. The Codys' expansive and generous social circle taught me a lot about the diversity of where I lived.
This would probably be a good December post, but in keeping with my childhood singing of Christmas carols at any given time of year, I'm posting it now.
May 25, 2018
SAVE THE DATE: KidLitCon 2019 in Providence, RI
It's hard to believe, but I don't think we've posted about this yet--the next Kidlitosphere Conference is already well into the planning stages, spearheaded by our own Charlotte Taylor of Charlotte's Library and Mia Wenjen of Pragmatic Mom. It'll be in Providence, RI on March 22-23, 2019, and it's got its own nifty website!The latest awesome news about the conference is that Charlotte applied for and GOT a sizeable grant from the Providence Tourism Council, which means we can stretch our small budget and make the conference an even more memorable experience for everyone. This next con promises to be bigger and better than ever, too, with Charlotte and Mia at the helm. Reaching Readers is the theme, and there's already an incredible list of attending bloggers and authors who have plans to come.
If you've been to KidLitCon before, you'll know that it offers a far more intimate and less formal opportunity for bloggers, authors, librarians, teachers, illustrators, and other devotees of kidlit to come together and discuss current and ongoing issues, as well as sharing our areas of knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the kids (and, let's face it, adults) who read and enjoy books for young people. Speaking personally, it's at KidLitCon that I "found my tribe," so to speak--I've made lifelong friends with fellow book lovers who might be writers, readers, or both, but regardless of our actual job titles, we share that same passion.
I'm planning to attend (although there's a possibility I might be traveling elsewhere at the time, I'm hoping to make it all happen!) and look forward to meeting even more members of the tribe--so if you're interested, go check out the programming notes and get involved in a panel!
May 17, 2018
Mental Health Awareness Month: A Review Roundup
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| Source: Mental Health America |
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we've reviewed a number of titles over the years that we thought were exceptional portrayals of the experience of mental illness and related difficulties. As we all know, reading a good book can make us feel less alone--and, honestly, sometimes that's the one thing you need in order not to go over the edge. So here, in no particular order, is a by no means exhaustive list of recommended reads for Mental Health Month:
The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini
Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
100 Days of Cake by Shari Goldhagen
Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos
This is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky
Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn
Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk-Bonn
These Gentle Wounds by Helene Dunbar
May 11, 2018
Turning Pages Reads: YOU GO FIRST, by ERIN ENTRADA KELLY
Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!
It's another E.E. Kelly book, which means there's going to be a lot of heart, and a lot of funny. Erin Entrada Kelly is a Filipino writer, so include this book in your list of titles for the Asian American Heritage Month celebration this May.
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Charlotte has something important to say, only, right now, it's sticking in her throat. Her best friend, Bridget, knows. Her mother knows. The teacher and the school counselor knows... but Charlotte, who is brilliant and articulate and knows the name of more rocks than you do; Charlotte can hardly say it out loud. Her father, who had a stent put into his heart, whose difficulties sent Charlotte down the rabbit hole of open-heart surgeries and knowing more about hearts than probably any other kid in junior high, Charlotte's father has had a heart attack. And it feels like the end of the world.
What's worse is that, in a way, it's only the beginning of the end. If nothing else, at least Charlotte can distract herself playing a good word on her online Scrabble game.
Ben wishes that people would take recycling more seriously. He wishes that people knew the impact of all of the plastic and paper that gets into the ocean, and harms dolphins, turtles, and fish. He wishes that people really cared about how species evolved, and he also wishes he weren't so furious with his father. If he'd paid attention to his life - and not spent so much time in his head - maybe he'd have friends. Maybe he'd be better equipped to survive middle school. Maybe all of his current difficulties wouldn't be so hard to get through.
But, right now, Ben can't even think of who he'd call if he won the lottery.
It's a good thing he plays online Scrabble with a girl called Lottie. At least he knows he can call her.
Observations: Two gifted and talented kids with the tiny bit of myopia all kids have, Ben and Charlotte are only able to see the world right in front of them, in terms of their friends, their concerns, their hobbies. Their bright minds only make their socializing challenges all the more difficult, and when there's a challenge to their families and home lives they are abruptly forced out of their unseeing days into a confusing, painful world where they question not only what they're looking at, but how they could have missed so much. Charlotte, through her father, is realizing her mortality -- and HIS. Now the times she's brushed him aside rise up, and she feels so guilty she's paralyzed - and later, as she questions her social behavior, she's paralyzed by horror and shame. Ben is furiously ignoring the chaos outside his bedroom, and is determined to evolve past the quiet, inward-turning boy who drifted along through elementary school. However, with the active pushback of some of his classmates, it seems that it may be too late for him to turn into a different kind of bird than he's always been. It's a troubling, difficult time for both tweens. Told in alternating voices, we see where both Charlotte and Ben use words to conceal and reveal the ragged edges of honesty and pain now informing both of their lives. There's a lot of emotion, a little humor, and a few hard knocks, but in the end, readers will be relieved as both Ben and Charlotte find a tiny bit of land under their flailing feet, and begin the long process of standing tall.
Conclusion: Middle school is an intense time of transition, and this seems to be one of Erin Entrada Kelly's "big idea" truths. I appreciate the realism that Ben and Charlotte do not confide in each other; they're virtual strangers, literally. While we trust each other with playing a game online, and while Charlotte and Ben share the occasional brief phone conversation, they're not emotionally equipped to use each other to lean on in the traditional sense of friendship. However, their isolation allows them to be helpful to each other at key points. This book will resonate with the emotionally intelligent tween who is looking for the truth in the statement that we're all alike, under the skin, and no one suffers alone.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of my public library. You can find YOU GO FIRST by Erin Entrada Kelly at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
May 08, 2018
2♦sdays@the treehouse: Challenge Five: May
Welcome back to our monthly Second Tuesday writing challenge!
From January - June, every second Tuesday of the month, we're going to post an image here on Wonderland of a Creative Commons licensed Flickr picture to which you can respond - with poetic, prose, or whatever kind of writing - and hopefully, you'll share a link in the comments below, so that we can visit your site, read your work and respond. No genre or style limit - just come and join the fun!
Welcome to May!
I think we're over it with the May showers, but we're just getting started with Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month. This month, it's time to celebrate National Salad Month, which, likely, features women laughing. Alone. With Salad. As they so often do. Additionally, May is National Bike and Barbecue Month as well, and extra points if you can celebrate these holidays simultaneously. This month's image comes from Flickr user Stefano Arteconi of Bologna, Italy:
>I have... so many questions, don't you? Just leave your link in the comments below, and we look forward to reveling in your inspiration! Happy writing!
May 01, 2018
Turning Pages Reads: SONG OF BLOOD AND BONE by L. Penelope
Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!
Synopsis: Earthsinger Jasminda ul-Sarifor has always wished she things were diferent - that she had greater magic, a better relationship with the xenophobic Elsiran village in which she lives, and fewer Lagrimaran features than her father's ancestry has left her. But, alas, things are as they are, and she stubbornly persists in ekeing out a living on the side of the magical barrier that separates these two very different kingdoms, in a place that doesn't love her... until one day, a beaten scrap of a man falls into her path, and everything changes.
It's easy to want to trust Jack, because he's clearly honest - he's in dire straits, and not afraid to say so. It would be stupid to help Jack -- he's an Elsiran spy who was dropped into the midst of Lagrimaran soldiers. There's no real reason for Jasminda to help him - it looks better if she doesn't, after all - but what Jasminda sees of his treatment, and later, what Jack has to say about his mission leaves Jasminda horrified. The barrier - the wall that keeps the kingdoms apart - is about to fall. And when it does, the Lagrimaran religious zealot called True-Father who began the violence between these two countries will come roaring through, in full power, and begin a 'cleansing' of Elsira, and millions of innocent will die...
Jasminda doesn't want to believe this - doesn't want to change her whole world... but it's already changing. Refugees are flooding through in places where the barrier is thin, and it is clear that there is nowhere for them to go -- there's destruction and murder on both sides. Jasminda can't just sit around wishing things were different and better anymore - things aren't, they won't be, and she cannot simply hide. Furthermore, Jack is becoming way too important to her, and Jasminda is beginning to have a fearfully important reason ti want the world to continue...
Observations: Isn't this a beautiful cover?
It's always delightful when a self-pubbed book is picked up by a traditional publishing house. (Or, it's delightful to me, anyway; it might be really fraught and scary for the author, but my joy is more readers for that book.) L. Penelope is a black writer who majored in film AND computer science and who first published this book in 2015.
This book was described in marketing materials as "Romeo & Juliet meets The Return of the King," which is an awkward juxtaposition, to my mind (it read more like a rewritten piece of Greek mythology to me), but it is very high fantasy, with the romance of danger and heightened everything - and also features star-crossed lovers, insofar as Jack and Jasminda are from warring countries and do not share a skin color. Readers will enjoy this novel not because of the love story - which I didn't entirely need, but they will enjoy that this is "just" a fantasy story, of the sort which has a big, sweeping cinematic drama between warring nations, and doesn't attempt to parallel any true history, or anything else. It's actually a bit of a quiet story, for all of its scope, and readers who go in looking for a major war or magic being thrown around will at first have to adjust their expectations.
This is a new volume in the Heroine's Journey, and while the path is somewhat familiar, this is such a beloved tale that many readers will be sucked right in. The first volume in L. Penelope's duology is mostly scene-setting and lining up allies v. enemies. I look forward to how it all ends.
Conclusion: A sweeping romance of warring nations, a mysterious Queen Who Sleeps, and a black girl poised to save the world through her personal brand of magic - which she believes to be insufficient and unimportant. A good starter book for young fantasy readers who aren't as familiar with the genre, the writing is clear, and the pacing is at times a little slow, but engaging.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. As of TODAY, May 1, 2018, you can find SONG OF BLOOD AND BONE by L. Penelope at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
April 30, 2018
Monday Review: THE QUEEN OF SORROW by Sarah Beth Durst
Right, on to the good stuff. In this last installment of the trilogy, we pick up where the second book, The Reluctant Queen (reviewed here), left off. The forested land of Aratay is settling into having two queens: the young Queen Daleina, left in power after the violent slaughter of the other potential heirs; and Queen Naelin, a mother of two who possesses more raw power over the land's spirits than just about anyone. But while the two queens of Aratay have been figuring out how to rule in tandem, the ambitious Queen Merecot of Semo, to the north, has been making some plans of her own in order to deal with her country's excess of spirits. When two strange, foreign spirits swoop in and steal Queen Naelin's children, Merecot is the natural suspect…
Observations: Fans of the first two books will find this a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, continuing the complex and believable character development of the first two as well as the action, adventure, and intriguing setting. Naelin and Daleina are both very relatable characters, with flaws and quirks that balance out their strength and power. They have love lives and families, feelings and interests beyond the paths that have been chosen for them, and they struggle to maintain normality and humanity in the face of challenges ranging from the everyday to the wondrously, frighteningly magical.
There was also a twist toward the end of the book that I loved. I could sort of see it coming, but not in the sense that it was predictable—just in the sense that that was the choice *I* would have made if I'd been writing, and it was what I really WANTED to see happen. It felt very RIGHT. As someone currently struggling with some plot dilemmas, I really appreciated seeing the story build toward what felt like a natural, inevitable conclusion.
Conclusion: What more can I say? A strong, exciting, page-turning conclusion to the trilogy, and another wonderfully unique world from an always imaginative author.
This review is based on the advance review copy, which I received courtesy of the author and publisher. Starting on May 15th, you can find THE QUEEN OF SORROW by Sarah Beth Durst at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
April 27, 2018
The Return of Five & Dime Friday: my five cents
What? I haven't done one of these Friday roundups since, like, 2015? Yeah, I know. Mainly it was because I felt like I was rounding things up everyone already knew, but the more I'm on Twitter (which, granted, is not very much) the more I realize that there's a LOT of things announced and discussed, which, with the firehose stream of information pelting us, are missed by quite a few folk, thanks to social media algorithms... so here I am again, talking about what was significant this week to me, if no one else... So, without further ado:
Okay, wait, Taco Bell, what? - Travis side-eyes a questionable read-aloud choice. Who knew, librarians have a panic room. Apparently.
Duologies are the new trilogies, and that is all things wonderful.
Lee Wind has finished serializing QUEER AS A FIVE DOLLAR BILL, which I still cannot believe did not find a traditional publisher out of the gate, but ANYWAY - and now he's doing behind-the-scenes on the research and inspiration for it. If you haven't had a chance to read this book, do.
Meanwhile, some are still not sure quite what sensitivity readers are supposed to do for them... while others love having them, so they feel justified with whatever they do. Hm.
A lot of people didn't understand when the mother of the little boy who modeled the "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle" shirt didn't get what the drama was with H&M. However, she's Kenyan, and lives in Sweden. Edi highlights the problematic in BABY MONKEY, PRIVATE EYE, while walking us through the historical ties of anthropomorphism and black people in America. Art is never apolitical, is it?
Randomly: Ladies and gents, origami pasta that folds itself.
The Edge of the Forest, back in the day was one of the kidlit blogosphere's earliest academic-style journal for readers and creators, about readers and books. I'm grateful The Book Smugglers has taken up the gauntlet and fulfilled the idea's promise with their Quarterly Almanac. Last September's piece by Mimi Mondal on the poor apology that Hermione Grainger's sudden blackness is for the ingrained racism that infests the Potter books (something which is still being discussed,, now that "Cursed Child" is on Broadway) is both a boldly unpopular opinion and a brilliant essay, giving readers something to chew on. DO read it if you've not seen it (especially if you're asking yourself, "Wait, what racism!?).
I'm thrilled when children's lit rises above the level of fangirling and gushing (although that definitely has its place) to really engaging deeper with literature, tropes, and representation. I'm sad to say I've not been very timely about reading the Almanac, but after seeing the discussion springboarding from Zetta Elliot's essay, Minstrelsy is the New Black in Volume 3, I'm definitely intrigued. Zetta takes on book packaging as cosmetically "correcting" books by black people into something more "acceptable" - another wildly unpopular take, but again, well-written and thought-provoking. These are the discussions we should be having.
Happy Weekend.
April 23, 2018
Cybils Review Roundup: 2017 Graphic Novel Finalists
Young Adult
WINNER: Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld,
WINNER: Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Real Friends by Shannon Hale, ilustrated by LeUyen Pham (check out Tanita's take on it, too!)
Suee and the Shadow by Ginger Ly, illustrated by Molly Park
The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner
The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo and
April 16, 2018
Cybils Review: DIESEL: IGNITION by Tyson Hesse
Observations: Diesel has an irresistible mix of fantasy and steampunk that is intriguing from the very start—part-animal/part-human characters like Bull, who is a sort of minotaur kid, and the Teppan, who are bird-people, as well as robots and flying cities and airships. The plot is full of continuous action and adventure, and the setting is incredibly cool—at the same time, the characters have problems with family and friends and responsibilities that are relatable. There's also plenty of humor and a super cute robot sidekick who talks in little lines, like Woodstock talking to Snoopy.
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| Click to embiggen. Also, check out a chapter preview at Comics Alliance. |
Conclusion: I'm really glad the Cybils brought this one to me as part of this year's YA Graphic Novels finalists—I don't know how well-known it is, but I was intrigued by both the unique twist on steampunk and the fun characters. Book 1 also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping to read more.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher for Cybils judging purposes. You can find DIESEL: IGNITION by Tyson Hesse at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
April 10, 2018
2♦sdays@the treehouse: Challenge the Fourth: April
Welcome back to our monthly Second Tuesday writing challenge!
From January - June, every second Tuesday of the month, we're going to post an image here on Wonderland of a Creative Commons licensed Flickr picture to which you can respond - with poetic, prose, or whatever kind of writing - and hopefully, you'll share a link in the comments below, so that we can visit your site, read your work and respond. No genre or style limit - just come and join the fun!
Welcome to April!
April brings with it, famously, showers and May flowers, but also National Poetry Month, as well as the National Welding Month celebration, which, I'm sure, is all the rage wherever it is. Additionally, there's National Pecan Month to celebrate as well. This month's image comes from Flickr user Claus Rebler of Korneuburg, Austria:
I've already got stories simmering, don't you? Just leave your link in the comments below, and we look forward to reveling in your inspiration! Happy writing!
April 09, 2018
Cybils Review: SUEE AND THE SHADOW by Ginger Ly and Molly Park
And then things start to get REALLY weird. First, her shadow has come to life and started talking. But even more alarming is when she discovers that the school hierarchy consists not only of the usual groups of jerks and wanna-bes, it also includes the Zeroes, who walk around all zombie-like and weird and have to go to a special classroom. What's going on at this crazy school? And just what does Suee's shadow have to do with it all?
Observations: I really enjoyed how relatable this one is; it takes place in a Korean school, but it feels like it could be any elementary school anywhere in terms of the worries and feelings of the students, and in the types of challenges they face. Suee is quirky, but with depth, and a well-developed sense of snark. I really enjoyed the artwork in this one, too—the blend of humor and spookiness was well done, the characters were easy to follow, and the overall style was appealing.
The book does a good job of weaving in common concerns of school and home and family with the suspenseful and supernatural creepiness of the ghost story, with thought-provoking moments that deal with the meaning of friendship, the subtle provocations of classism, and the emotional cost of bullying.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. You can find SUEE AND THE SHADOW by Ginger Ly and Molly Park at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
March 30, 2018
Turning Pages Reasd: SAINTS AND MISFITS by S.K. ALI
Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!
Content commentary: This novel contains a physical assault, which is processed throughout the book, and may be unsettling to some readers. It is nothing younger readers can't read, and it is powerfully done, but FYI.
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Janna Yusef is smart and snarky, kind, and ...conflicted. She's navigating a new world, one where her father has married his administrative assistant and lives in a massive eight-bedroom house across town, one where her brother has changed his major and moved home from college for a year, and one where she's suddenly being inundated with the perfectly poised Saint Sarah, her brother Muhammad's fiancée - and organizer of the Fun Fun Fun Islamic Quiz Game. Janna isn't sure that this new world is all it's cracked up to be - she's wearing hijabi like her mother, but her father hates it. She's supportive of her brother changing his major at college, but she doesn't want him to move home, because sharing a room with her mother means no more privacy, ever. And Janna needs her privacy, especially as she fiddles with her graphic novel about the Prophet, daydreams a little about her non-Muslim crush, and seriously tries to figure out how to deal with the monster who has blighted her life ... and is circling, stalking her like prey.
Janna's keeping her head down, studying advanced math as hard as she can, but the sexist comments from the boys in the class against the only two girls, and the ways some students at her high school treat others, because of a birthmark or how quiet they are, just doesn't add up to the world the way it should be. At least Janna has Mr. Ram, the elderly man she walks to the Senior Center. He's always got wisdom about the world - even if Janna doesn't always have time to listen to it. And Tatyana listens - mostly, when she's not trying to Make Sure Janna gets what she wants out of life, which, Tats thinks, is her crush.
All Janna wants to do - sometimes - is run along under the radar, just keeping out of trouble, hanging with her friends, and admiring her crush on the sly. But lately, that hasn't seemed possible. Now, just when she needs her, Janna's best Muslim friend seems less friend and more faith, and her best non-Muslim friend is bent on managing her relationship with her crush's perfect forehead, and a mean girl named Sausun is friendlier than she thought possible. And now, Jeremy, the non-Muslim boy whose forehead she's been crushing on likes her back, and Janna realizes she hadn't thought things through beyond his perfect head. Muslim girls don't date... but maybe she's not as much of a saint as she ought to be? And, if she's not a saint, how can she figure out how to deal with the monster everyone calls a saint? If she calls him out, won't everyone look from him, to... her? And see how ashamed she is?
Conflicted, distracted, and nearly destroyed, Janna is a contemporary girl cherishing a traditional faith, and struggling to make sense of growing up, change, and a messy world.
Observations: Rudine Sims Bishop's "mirror books and window books" description is relevant to this novel, as non-Muslim readers will find both contemporary mirrors of their own life experiences inside, as well as mirrors into Janna's Indian-Egyptian culture, her modest clothing, and her faith practices, from the washing before prayer, to the right thing to say when someone dies. As Janna is fifteen, this book also falls into that little not-quite-middle-grade/not-quite-teen wasteland into which many books fall which are difficult for some publishers to characterize. Janna's story falls into YA because of her experience of assault, but she is otherwise a classic fifteen year old - full of weird impulses and funny thoughts; not too old, and not too young.
Janna has friends who are non-Muslim, but also people of faith. Hindu, like Mr. Ram, or open to anything, like her bestie, Tatyana, or even Christian, like Mr. Khoury. No one gets to swan through the world surrounded solely by Their People, even if they come from a fairly tightly-knit community. Janna, as her Amu - her uncle the iman - describes it, bobs through the seas of life with other souls, and the books spends time allowing her to have a critical perspective on people from other walks of life, sometimes complimenting her own, at other times, challenging it.
I was very impressed with Janna's explanation of wearing hijab, and exploration of niqab. No one's faith observance is going to be a cookie cutter same-as-hers experience, and Janna's observance is unlike her friend Fizz's, unlike her frenemy Sausan's, and also unlike her brother and mother's. Throughout the book, Janna is herself, imperfect, impatient, wrestling with her own impulses while contrasting them against what is against her personal rules and her parent's expectations.
S.K. Ali also gives readers the most horrifyingly accurate picture of the internal silencing which occurs after an assault that I've ever read. After the incident, the cognitive dissonance just swallows Janna, and she's frozen still in a moment that has long passed. This mirror resonated really strongly with me, and will with other readers who have experienced something horrible, and have struggled to move past the moment and go on. Other mirrors include Janna's crushes, her scholastic successes - and bombs - and the push-back she receives from racist teachers and sexist fellow students as she changes and grows organically throughout the story arc. A lot of this is part and parcel of the fabric of living life in contemporary times, and I think how Janna deals with them - how she thinks things through - is very appealing.
Conclusion: Goth-emo girls, fluffy floral girls, average, low-maintenance girls - all the girls are here, and quite a few of them are wearing hijab or niqab. SAINTS AND MISFITS shows that not every follower of Islam is perfect or some kind of misfit - that Muslims are real people, with real struggles, and though their communities are not perfect, neither are they the breeding grounds for insanity that some people seem to think they are. Full of wisdom, snark, and genuine emotion, this book deals with heavy, thoughtful topics in a way that is neither facile or heavy-handed, imparting a solid story with a big heart. Bring your tissues.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of Overdrive at the public library. You can find SAINTS AND MISFITS by S.K. Ali at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
March 29, 2018
Cybils Review: SOUPY LEAVES HOME by Cecil Castellucci and Jose Pimienta
Our narrator Pearl has run away from an abusive home life to try to find a new existence, and when she stumbles on a hobo camp she takes on a new identity: Soupy, a young boy new to the hobo life. An older hobo named Ramshackle takes Soupy under his wing, and they continue their journey Westward together. They might not have much food or shelter, but they share what they do have…and both have their secret hidden baggage that needs to be dealt with if they want to reach a satisfying end to their ramblings.
Observations: Running away to find yourself is a timeless topic and one that has enduring reader appeal—I was immediately drawn into the idea of Pearl leaving a difficult home life for a life on the road. Also, there is a certain romanticism to the old-style hobo way of life depicted in this book. It provides an inside look at a lesser-known cultural lifestyle of the time period (including a glossary of hobo signs!), and the difficulties of the Depression that forced so many onto the road.
I loved the art style and judicious use of color in this one—it manages to be both stark and whimsical in equal measure, with a lot of fun little hidden drawings that make it rewarding to explore slowly and re-read.
Conclusion: It's clear why Soupy Leaves Home ended up on the Cybils shortlist for 2017. The timeless story of journeying to find oneself, along with the intriguing historical backdrop, make for an appealing combination.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of my library. You can find SOUPY LEAVES HOME by Cecil Castellucci and Jose Pimienta at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
March 27, 2018
Turning Pages Reads: RELATIVE STRANGERS by PAULA GARNER
Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!
Synopsis: Jules, a senior, lives with her librarian mother, who is, by Jules' lights, not much of one of mother. She dislikes her job at the library, cares indifferently for Jules, but she lives and breathes painting. And she's got talent, too - but her humanity as a mother and her humanity as an artist seem to be two wildly different things, in Jules' opinion. Sometimes she vanishes into her art and doesn't surface for days. Jules is grateful for the roof over her head, but longs for the kind of mother who asks about her, is interested in her day to day, and who is more like her friends Leila and Gab's mothers - women who show their love by cooking and providing a beautiful home, where nothing is taped together, or cracked. Unlike her mother, who is thrifty and tidy to the point of throwing away even memorabilia, Jules loves antiques, is fascinated by how the world was in days gone by -- but with no grandparents, no antecedents, and no connections, she feels cast adrift in a world full of odds and ends - nothing with real value, nothing anyone would keep, or put in a museum.
Jules - on yearbook staff - has been asking for a baby picture for yearbook for weeks, and now that the deadline has passed, she finally goes into her mother's room to find one... but discovers that there's a nineteen month gap from her newborn photograph to when she's almost two years old. Why aren't there any good, real baby pictures? And, why's there an envelope of paperwork from the Department of Children and Families? What happened in her and her mother's lives? When Jules discovers the answer, her world tilts off its axis. She's always wanted more of what she had - more family, more connection, more life, more love -- and now she realizes that somewhere, she might have had it. Pursuing the connection she finds on the other end the love she feels she's been denied. But, is it really all for her? Does she have the right to it? And, if she tries to grab all of that love with both hands... what happens to everything else? Wanting more can lead to having more, true - and some of the chances Jules takes have panned out into a past and a history she could never have dreamed existed. But, Jules is unable to let go of the temptation to have it all... with predictable results. After Jules is left with her hands empty, she has to learn to accept that you can't have it all in life -- but appreciating what you have is the key to everything.
"It didn't escape me, despite all my angst about family, about finding family and having family and missing out on family that this was a very real thing I had: friends I would drop anything for. Friends I'd take a bullet for. Friends I'd handle dead rats for.
There is more than one kind of family."
- RELATIVE STRANGERS, unfinished copy
Observations: This book will resonate with anyone who has had an unsatisfying relationship with their family, who ever dreamed of having been adopted, or who always wished they could be part of a huge, amazing family, or closer friends with the people with whom they hang out... which means that this book will resonate almost every teen at some time or another. There is such a huge well of wanting in Jules that her desires slip into the heart like a little hook. Is there anything so wrong with wanting more love? More family? More people to pay attention and SEE you? The desires seem innocent - and they are - but the narrative shows how easily pandering to the desire for more than what you have can ultimately overwhelm you.
I don't think I've ever read a YA book quite like this before, which deals with the ignorance immaturity and privilege provides, convincing us to believe the convincing narratives others present to the world, and to envy them in a destructive way in response. Most people can pull back from that brink, identify that the lives we encounter - whether at work or school or digitally curated on Instagram - are airbrushed and carefully displayed for maximum affect. Most of us know that when people are out in public, they wear a public mask... however, this is a book about someone who believed the hype so thoroughly that she allowed herself to wallow in that envy, and made selfish choices based on what she believed she saw, what she believed people had that they could stand to share, and the luxuries of family and affection which she felt she needed but which she hadn't been given.
Garner is a practiced write, and Jules' voice is confident and assured - but there are other YA novels with that confident, wry, snarky voice. What sets this novel apart is that most of us aren't able to articulate the dangers of ...unexamined neediness, maybe let's call it. Jules grieves for what she doesn't have in such a realistic way - and the repeated lashings of grief, the haunting, nostalgic longing, the sadness and the hope blends together to make a truly beautiful, quiet, thoughtful, emotional read. (I teared up repeatedly through the entire last half, surprising myself.) This was an unusual book topically, and I can't imagine how many fewer mistakes I might have made as a teen and nascent adult had I had this book then.
While there isn't a lot of ethnic diversity necessarily, this book has titanium strong male and female friendships and a realistic depiction of the judgment and confusion surrounding understanding friends and a burgeoning sexuality.
Conclusion: A quiet, thoughtful book with humor and insight, and a HUGE miscalculation, which may catch some readers off guard, but to others may be perfectly understandable, if still cringeworthy. A very real book about fumbling our way to a very real understanding and acceptance of who we are, and what we truly need.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After April 10th, you can find RELATIVE STRANGERS by Paula Garner at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
March 23, 2018
Turning Pages Reads: PERIOD 8 by CHRIS CRUTCHER
Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!
It's another Crutcher book! And I can't really tell you much of the plot without ruining the story! Come along and read about it anyway.
Synopsis: Period 8 lunch at Heller High school is where they've always met, just to hang out. Paulie, Justin, Hannah, Josh, and the rest have always felt comfortable with Mr. Logsdon, their government teacher. Some of them have been coming to his lunchtime salons since they were sophomores and juniors, and others are new. Since this is their senior year, and Logs' last year teaching, the meetings feel necessary. Logs always says that leaving school without any clue about what's really out there is what messes people up, so they meet at Period 8 to be honest, to talk about what's really on their minds, to purge their family griefs, and to just ...make it through. Period 8 is honesty - and confidentiality. What's said in Period 8 stays in Period 8.
It was supposed to be a safe place for everyone. And it is, mostly, except if student body president Arney's doing his usual politician schtick. Lately Paulie's made it a little less safe for himself, since he cheated on Hannah - and she needs to talk about betrayals and guys and their stupidity. Paulie needs to talk about it, too... because he's still not quite sure what happened. He's terrified he's turning out to be like his philandering father -- but there was just something weird about the whole thing. Mary Wells, the girl they call "the Virgin Mary" came on to him, hardcore. What was that about? And, why is Arney, his supposed friend so... smug about it? And lying to him? And, worse, making time with Hannah? What kind of friend does that? Certainly not a real one.
At least there's truth to be found in open water. Paulie and Logs have been swimming as a year-round workout for a long, long time, and as things unspool, Paulie discovers more lies, and Mary continues to fling herself at him. Everything is unclear - people he thought he knew are wearing masks more than at any point in his life, but there are answers. Until he finds them, Paulie pushes himself harder and harder in the water. When no where else is safe, it will be his salvation.
Observations: Wonderland loves Chris Crutcher. I may have even stalked him at Conferences (Tanita style, which is, showing up where he was speaking, but not looking at/speaking to him), and AF and I interviewed him back in 2006. Which made discovering I'd missed the release of one of his books a bit bittersweet. On one hand, the field has changed immensely since I first started reading Crutcher; there are more honest, diverse voices speaking louder in the field, so his books maybe don't stand alone on a solitary plane anymore. That's all to the good -- but I'm a little sad I missed this release, yet grateful he's still writing and that I eventually discovered this book, though I must admit, it's slightly different from Crutcher's usual fare.
The realistic male voices and the immense athletic focus usually found in Crutcher books is present - swimming again - but this time it's sport unrelated to school, but to a personal challenge, which I loved. There is ethnic and gender diversity, the usual wry send-up of the "thumpers" - the Bible-reading religious kids -- but with a sense of humor this time, giving them the grace of allowing them to be characters with their own thoughts, and lessening, a bit, their usual roles as narrow-minded idiots, which was LOVELY. Also, as expected in a Crutcher book, there's the great discussions of values and ethics, and the sympathetic, wise adult figure - in this case, he's nearly retired, so has a lot less to lose than many adults within a school system, thus the conversations really go deep. Finally, there's the group of kids who are, on the surface, average teens, wrestling with issues of life and love. This time, there are real stakes -- real losses, and real pains which don't come up in the presence of the honest, wise adult mentor, or even the values-clarifying classmates. This time, the secrets stay hidden until it's nearly too late, and everything is destroyed. Without telling too many details, when all is said and done, it's a helluva way to end a senior year.
Conclusion: I wanted to put this book down - repeatedly - and spent time screaming pointlessly at the characters "Nooooooooo!" Readers will anguish as characters are manipulated and make Really Bad Choices, but there is within the human psyche the inability to look away from a train wreck for very long. Suspenseful, unnerving, and a subtle, nuanced discussion of whether we really know each other, and what we owe each other, this fast-paced book will reverberate with readers for days.
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the bookstore. You can find PERIOD 8 by Chris Crutcher at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
March 22, 2018
Cybils Review: PASHMINA by Nidhi Chanani
Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions―the topic of India is permanently closed.
For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew.
Observations: Pashmina is a wonderful and colorful rendition of growing up Indian-American, with all the cultural baggage (sometimes literal baggage) that entails. Children of immigrants in particular will see a lot they recognize here, and those who aren't children of immigrants will catch a vivid glimpse of what it's like to have that relationship with the "old country," its traditions and religion and even cultural mores. The shock of what it's like to visit India for the first time is also nicely rendered.
The book is nicely pitched to appeal to a wide range of ages. The cute animal characters in the world revealed by Priyanka's shawl are adorable and mysterious, and the elements of darkness in this tale are thought-provoking without being scary. I loved the deceptively simple, appealing style of the artwork, too. The drawings of places in India contrasted well with America, and the images were easy to read.
In terms of the language used, the use of Hindi and "Hinglish" was really well done, and provides not just a particular "flavor" for non-Indian readers but is accurate and recognizable for those American-Born Confused Desis among us. The glossary is a great addition, too, although the visuals make it possible to figure out vocabulary from context.
Conclusion: This is one of those books I wanted to hug (but I couldn't, because it was a digital review copy!). There still aren't enough stories about and/or featuring 2nd-generation Indian-Americans—it's such a complex and multilayered and varied experience—so I was happy to see one that not only covers the topic an a thought-provoking and satisfying way, but also doesn't limit itself to being a particular "type" of story. (Priyanka draws comics, and has an identity that isn't just about being South Asian.) I look forward to seeing more from this author!
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher for Cybils. You can find PASHMINA by Nidhi Chanani at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
March 20, 2018
Turning Pages Reads: DREAD NATION by JUSTINA IRELAND
Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!
NB: Readers will be glad to know that this is a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, but be aware that said ending has left a clearly marked door open for a sequel. This is a duology, so weather this battle, and keep your powder dry/your scythes sharp to win the war.
While it can be difficult to present an unbiased review of the work of an acquaintance whose intellect the reader deeply respects, I believe I have achieved it; your opinion may vary.
Synopsis: The Battle of Gettysburg has had a vastly different conclusion than any battle before; the dead have risen and... are eating both friends and foes. Two days later, Jane McKeen is born on the plantation at Rose Hill, as the North and South join forces to combat the newest threat to the States. The Native and Negro Reeducation Act, which forces African American and Native children to enroll and learn to fight, is at the forefront of protecting the world. However, in Baltimore, it is believed that the threat is receding. Jane, who was taken from Rose Hill to be trained to fight zombies at Miss Preston's school, is almost ready to graduate into being an Attendant, but for her sharp tongue and quick temper - and who can blame her, really? Katherine Devereaux is entirely too light-skinned, snotty and pretty for her own good. So, Jane's not so much what you'd call a model student. She's wanted to leave Miss Preston's school pretty much for the moment she arrived. Other than goading Katherine, and wandering around outside at night, there have been...a few other, er, missteps... one of whom is called Jackson Keats.
No matter that Jackson a.) doesn't love Jane and b.) is a low-down, fast-talking, redbone con man, c. and is too pretty by half, Jane remains a loyal and faithful ...frenemy. No matter that her head tells her that the world is harsh and bitter and full of awful people, her heart remains curiously, humanly, tender. When Jack's sister, Lily, vanishes, along with the white family with whom she lives, Jane's curiosity - and loyalty to Lily - urges her to look into some of the oddities at the Mayor's house. Predictably, Jane's prying gets her in trouble - and sent to a shockingly bleak Survialist colony in Kansas called Summerland. Now on essentially the very front lines of the war against the undead, Jane has new obstacles between herself and Rose Hill. She'll have to dodge zombies and Survivalists and all kinds of insanity -- as well as find new allies and combat her own tender heart to see herself back where she belongs.
"It's a cruel, cruel world. And the people are the worst part."
Observations: I grew up with family from near New Orleans, consequently, I grew up with a childhood of tales associated with 'haints, Marie Laveau, and a distorted depiction of "voodoo." Zombie books, for me, are generally a very hard pass -- but the truthful voice and keen gaze of Jane McKeen, and the determination and fury which drives her survival will hook even zombie-averse readers and draw them in for the, um, kill.
The pettiness of shade-ism and class at Jane's school where she's learning to be a zombie-killing Attendant to white ladies is emphasized by the (mostly) well-meaning teachers whose insistence on manners and appearance at a school where they do scythe drills are amusingly reminiscent of the oddly misplaced pride Victorian ladies held for their finishing schools. Readers meet Jane's classmates, and judge her education, manner, bearing, and her teachers, while childhood memories of Rose Hill are revealed. When they finally arrive, the zombies loom large, but after the other monsters which readers encounter, they become almost background characters.
Primarily, DREAD NATION is a Reconstruction-era zombie novel, but merely skim the story's surface, and readers will discover that it is equally about the true costs of and the inhumanity and injustice of racism. The narrative grapples with the idea of who owns the rights to The Good Life, and at what cost we sell each other into the fell dark for a chance to reach it. Significantly, in DREAD NATION, former Confederates twist their poisonous ideology into a new belief system. "Survivalist" beliefs twist older Manifest Destiny ideas with Latter Day Saints theology about black and brown people to create a new horror. In Biblical literature, Noah's son, Ham, was cursed, and 18th century reasoning used this to explain why Africans are dark - because they were "blackened" by their sins, and by distant being relatives of Ham. This sin/salvation framework for race "allows" the Negro and Native peoples the "opportunity" of propitiation for their sins by giving their lives in the service of fighting zombies for their "betters." Readers will shudder at the Preacher, the single most creepy character in the Survivalist's colony for me, as I am well versed in religious ideology, and throughout World History (not to mention American) it is very clear how the devious and morally bankrupt can twist religious ideology and belief to suit their needs.
Conclusion: Star-studded reviews of this book use the word "subversive" to describe it, as well as "suspenseful" and "sinister." This novel is all of that, plus lively storytelling, as well as sharp-edged and clear-sighted critique of inequality and injustice. All of this is folded into a fast-paced, exciting, and (somewhat) fictional package. There are more monsters in this narrative than those shuffling along the Kansas prairies - and readers will be drawn to reevaluate the presence of the monsters lurking in their own society.
The best truths are wrapped in parable - Ireland takes the bitter pill of racist reality and wraps it into a blood-tingingly exciting adventure. It's better than I could have even hoped, and there are cinematic elements lying around all over the place. Dare we hope the novel gets a film treatment? For this reader, hope springs eternal...
I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After April 3 - less than fifteen days! - you can find DREAD NATION by Justina Ireland at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!
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