Mighty Miss Malone review

The Mighty Miss Malone

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Wendy Lamb Books

January 2012

First line: "Once upon a time... If I could get away with it that's how I'd begin every essay I write."

Tenacious 12 year old Deza Malone handles everything life throws at her with irrepressible spirit in this  companion novel to Bud, Not Buddy. Starved for work during the Great Depression, her father disappears and the family attempts to reunite with him by traveling across the country. They end up in a "Hoovertown" - an improvised tent city full of other folks down on their luck. This is the first book with a female protagonist that Curtis has written - I enjoyed his attempt, even if I thought he writes a male voice much better.

Deza's a promising student, but school becomes difficult if not impossible with all of the family's financial difficulties that drag them down. Her teeth are rotting so badly, that she nearly faints from the pain, and of course, paying a dentist is completely out of the question. This all sounds pretty grim, but luckily Deza and her brother Jimmy approach everything with such pluck and humor the book is actually a fairly amusing read. Deza makes everything sound like a grand adventure, even living out of a tent in a park.

This seems like a good introduction to the Depression era for children. Plenty of serious topics like racism, homelessness and poverty are explored but never at a level that children will find inaccessible or too overwhelming. Despite the blatant racism the Malone family has to face, there is an upbeat ending - things get wrapped up pretty neatly. 

Compare to:
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred D. Taylor
My Name is Sally Little Song - Brenda Woods
Bud, Not Buddy - Christopher Paul Curtis

I borrowed this book from the library.

The List review

The List
by Siobhan Vivian
Push
April 2012

First line: "For as long as anyone can remember, the students of Mount Washington High have arrived at school on the last Monday in September to find a list naming the prettiest and the ugliest girl in each grade."

This is a pretty large ensemble cast - 8 girls, plus their friends and family. Each girl is so unique, with her own reactions to being forced into the spotlight.

Abby is delighted to be named prettiest freshman. Her older sister Fern, is a science nerd whose devotion to "The Blix Effect" fantasy novels knows no bounds. I loved these sisters so much. I loved how the girls speak two completely different languages - Abby is fluent in fashion and personal grooming but struggles with classwork. Fern is a serious student, and was formerly on "the list" as an ugly girl. My favorite quote from Abby was regarding the Blix Effect style hair that Fern wants help with. "Fern only ever wants Abby to give her two French braids, even though Abby can do a knot or an up-twist - hairstyles Abby feels are better, more sophisticated choices for her sixteen-year-old sister. But Abby never says no to Fern's requests, even though she finds it weird that Fern wants to dress in what is essentially a costume, because the braids do make Fern look better, or at least like she cares a little bit about how she looks."

Danielle, aka Dan, is a lady athlete. She's a powerful swimmer, and knows her way around a weight room, too. Her boyfriend Andrew is always worried about what other guys will think. The news that Danielle has been voted ugliest freshman is nearly enough to drive him away. As much as Danielle is embarrassed to be nicknamed "Dan the Man," in her own words, "She knows she is not a boy. But sometimes her boyfriend needs to be reminded." I felt like Dan was a teenage version of Glee's Coach Beiste.

Lauren is the unexpected pick for prettiest sophomore. Her family dynamic is cray-zee! She's been homeschooled her whole life, and while she's intimidated and overwhelmed to be attending high school, on the other hand, she is starting to enjoy herself and make friends. Her domineering mother needs to cut the cord!

Candace takes a lot of pride in her personal appearance and is shocked to make the ugly list. She's a queen bee, a mean girl, and her idea of having friends is so that when you say, "Jump!" they will all ask, "How high?" It would be satisfying to see her finally getting her comeuppance now, if she wasn't so heartrendingly pathetic. She really doesn't understand what she's done to drive people away.

I felt so bad for poor crazy Bridget. The other kids at school don't know that her new trimmed down look is only due to a summer spent battling anorexia. When she's named prettiest junior, it sends her into a tailspin. She decides to starve herself again, but the scenes where she sees her little sister who idolizes her start to copy her behavior broke my heart.

The scenes with Sarah, a punk-rock girl who is voted ugliest junior probably made the least sense to me. She's kind of unhinged after discovering a secret from her boyfriend Milo. She's embarrassed and regrets losing her virginity to him. I couldn't figure out what the secret was though! My mind wandered to the worst possible scenarios. I didn't feel like the secret was ever satisfactorily revealed. Was it just that he had an attractive ex-girlfriend? I didn't get it. The other part about Sarah's story that didn't totally make sense was her decision to stop bathing. She decides to punish the students at school by becoming as odoriferous as possible. The events of the book mostly happen over a four-day span though. I probably spend too much time with people who do not bathe, but I don't think only four days would be enough time for her to really work up the kind of horrific body stench that she describes.

Margo is delighted to be named prettiest senior, but horrified when her former best friend Jennifer is named the ugliest girl... for the fourth year in a row. Margo and her older sister, (also a former prettiest girl) who is now in college have a really interesting dynamic. Interestingly, Margo is mostly horrified that her carefully cultivated friend circle of popular girls take pity on Jennifer and start to include her. Which is not what Margo had envisioned at all.

And Jennifer! Where do I start? This girl is maybe the craziest of them all. She kind of seemed Single White Female - a little too stalker-y towards Margo.

I thought the mechanics of how the list is sealed with a stolen school stamp (to prevent impostor lists from cropping up) seemed a little overdone. But, I loved the way that Vivian skillfully interwove so many interconnecting threads. There is a great twist at the end. I kind of suspected it, maybe a little, but getting at all the details was fascinating.

Compare to:
The DUFF - Kody Keplinger
Boyproof - Cecil Castellucci
The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls - Julie Schumacher
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares

I borrowed this book from the library.

Pulp-o-Mizer

Check out this cool website: PULP-O-MIZER: the custom pulp magazine cover generator.
Fun! Here's one I cooked up... 

There are lots of options to change the image, text, font, everything, and when you're done, you can purchase posters, mugs, iPad covers, you name it, with your image. Enjoy!

New Harry Potter covers

I'm so excited to hear that Kazu Kibuishi has been selected to create all new covers for the 15th anniversary of Harry Potter. I love seeing different artists interpret the series in different way. This new cover may even rival my favorite version so far, the Signature covers, featuring J.K. Rowling's signature and a simple image on a cream background. Seeing the 10th anniversary edition cover, with Harry gazing into the Mirror of Erised by Mary GrandPré, the same artist who did the covers for all the American editions, was also a special treat, but I have to say, I'm even more thrilled with the Kibuishi design. I like this moment - when Harry and Hagrid go shopping for school supplies on Diagon Alley. Hedwig's wings, spread behind Harry make him look particularly angelic. I'm glad they kept the iconic Harry Potter jagged lightning font. And those bored wizards milling around in the background totally complete the scene! I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the Kibuishi covers.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone review

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor
Little Brown and Company
September 2011

First line: "Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well."

It's hard to know where to start on this review. All I can say is, that like many readers, I was swept away with the amazing world-building and intrigue in this expansive and well-thought out fantasy.

This book was so suspenseful and mysterious. Here's Karou, this blue-haired teenage art student in Prague, who's secretly been raised by a family of teleporting magical chimera. How and why did they end up with a human child in their care? What on earth are they doing with all of the teeth that they ask her to acquire? Karou's childhood, growing up in New York and Hong Kong, and the jet-setting lifestyle that she leads, eventually landing in Prague, seemed exotic and amazing enough on its own. When you add in Issa, her half-snake, half-human surrogate mother, and Brimstone her half-ram, half-human stern father figure - it just takes everything to a new level.

The writing is incredibly lush and lyrical. It completely draws you in to the world. As details are slowly revealed, the love story is both beautiful and intense. I loved all the twists and turns to this story. There are a number of shocking revelations. I did not see the whole world behind the wardrobe door, so to speak. This book is everything one could hope for in an epic fantasy, so its popularity is not surprising. If you haven't picked up already, you definitely should!

Compare to:
Seraphina - Rachel Hartman
Chime - Franny Billingsly
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Valentines Feltboard

Valentine's is over, but I just had to share this fun little feltboard I put together. I found this on Storytime ABC's, and if imitation is the highest form of flattery, I hope they are feeling very flattered, as I pretty much copied the pattern outright!

This was a real hit at storytime - a fun rhyme, and easy to remember.

Five little Valentine's were having a race.
The 1st Valentine was frilly with lace.
The 2nd Valentine had a very silly face.
The 3rd Valentine said, "I love you!"
The 4th Valentine said, "I do too!"
But, the 5th Valentine was sly as a fox!
'Cos he ran the fastest to your Valentine box."

Mothstorm review

Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Uranus Georgium Sidus!
by Philip Reeve
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
October 2008

First line: "Dunderhead! Clodpole! Ninnyhammer! Booby! Nitwit! Gumph! Yes, 'twas the season of Peace and Goodwill at Larklight, and my sister Myrtle and I, snug in our fleece-lined, winter-weight spacesuits, were out upon the front porch, decorating our Christmas Tree."

The final installment in the Larklight trilogy provides more of the fantastic steampunk Victorian sensibility made familiar to us in Larklight and Starcross. While Mothstorm could easily stand on its own, reading the earlier books is highly recommended. Humorous footnotes accompany the text, and as usual, David Wyatt's intricate illustrations add much to the feel of the book. We are treated to a few of Myrtle's flowery diary pages, but Art is the main narrator.

It's Christmastime in the Year of Our Lord 1851 and Art Mumby and his fussy sister Myrtle  have settled in for the holiday at their home, Larklight, a mansion located on one of the most distant asteroids of the British Empire. They are interrupted by a space-faring pudding worm, which disguises itself as a raisin and eats Christmas puddings from the inside out. In the meantime, Georgium Sidus (aka Uranus) has sent a distress call, and the siblings head out with the crew of the spaceship Sophronia to investigate.

The omnipotence of Art's mother, in actuality a Shaper, or incorporeal alien being who created and continues to influence the solar system for the past several millennia, is neatly sidestepped. Encountering an alternate Shaper in another solar system, we see a glimpse of how the world would be if ruled by a despot, rather than a gentle being committed to letting her creations have free will.

Brave and intrepid Charity Cruet, an explorer in need of rescuing, provides a great counterpoint to the always proper young Victorian lady, Myrtle. Charity and Art seem well-suited to each other. Space-pirate Jack Havock and Myrtle's romance shows signs of not being over yet, as they find themselves thrown together again.

The mysteries of Ssilissa's origins are finally revealed. The quiet girl-lizard pilot on Jack Havock's ship turns out to be a member of the Snilth race, from far beyond our galaxy. The Snilth recognize in Ssilissa's knobby tail the former royal family of their people, and abandon their warlike ways to settle on Pluto with her as their queen.

I thought the attempt to rescue Jack's family from the Venusian tree virus could have taken up a whole book on its own, but everything is rather quickly taken care of in the final chapter. Fans of the series will either be happy to see every loose end so neatly wrapped up, or (like me) wish that there were more.

Compare to:

Girl Genius - Phil Foglio

Calamity Jack - Shannon, Dean and Nathan Hale

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone review

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone
by Kat Rosenfeld
Dutton Juvenile
July 2012

First line: "The night before Amelia Anne Richardson bled her life away on a parched dirt road outside of town, I bled out my dignity in the back of a pick-up truck under a star-pricked sky."

Debut author Rosenfeld digs deeply into a small town's secrets with atmospheric and lyrical prose. This is a selection for older teens, with a nasty murder mystery, and plenty of unpleasant, awkward teen sex driving the action.

The language is evocative and haunting - no doubt about it - this is a beautifully written book. But, the author did not shy away from ugly topics. Of course, any book with a murder mystery at the heart of it is bound to be serious. Flashbacks gradually reveal that the murder victim Amelia Anne was a graduating college senior with big dreams who was ultimately held back by a petty, controlling boyfriend. Mainly, the book is about how much it sucks to grow up in a small town. Your business is everybody's business. You can be born there and live there your whole life, but if your parents moved there from somewhere else, or your family has money, or if your family doesn't have money, or if you are in any way different at all - that's it, you'll never really be one of "them" - you'll never be accepted or fit in. The townsfolk are harsh and judgmental. There's a brief scene, describing how the town finally rallies around a woman (an outsider) whose son has died. I think it's meant to show that if you are on the right side of things, being an "insider" in a small town can feel like being in the warmest, most loving, supportive cocoon. For me, this scene was too little, too late.

I can't remember the last time I have read such a suspenseful book. The main character, Becca is a high school senior who talks a lot about how no one ever seems to escape from their small town, living drab, boring, humdrum lives. She herself seriously considers giving up her college dreams and just staying in town for her boyfriend, high school dropout James. Paired with all the descriptions of nausea that she feels, the way her stomach is always feeling clenched, and another time when she randomly vomits for almost no reason - I thought I had it all figured out! The poor girl must be pregnant! That's why this whole college plan is weighing so heavily on her. I was dead wrong on that account and confused by the ending. I was absolutely taken by surprise by the twist at the ending - did not see it coming, at all. 

I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to. Probably mature YA readers, who are mostly reading adult literary fiction of the sort that is simultaneously awful, sad, terrible yet poignant. Thoughtful, serious and sad, this is a beautiful book that stays with you, long after the final page is turned.

I purchased a copy of this book.

Picture books mini-review 26

Mossy
by Jan Brett
Putnam Juvenile
September 2012

What a lovely, whimsical and weird picture book. Mossy is a very unusual turtle with a whole garden growing on her back. She's been taken to a museum where visitors love marveling at her - but she misses her friend, fellow turtle Scoot. All I could think of was that it would be terribly uncomfortable to have a garden growing on your back! Brett's typical colorful, detailed illustrations feature plenty of ornate borders. There's a nice message about respecting nature and all the creatures in it.

I borrowed this book from the library.

Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure
by Wynton Marsolis, illustrated by Paul Rogers
Candlewick Press
October 2012

"A sonic adventure" indeed! This picture book features jazzy onomatopoeia with a loving African-American family. Large, crisp digital illustrations look well from across a room which makes this very nice for storytime. Pair this with Froggy Gets Dressed for some "noisy" fun. Blue and white endpages show off all sorts of instruments.

I borrowed this book from the library.

Each Kindness
by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Nancy Paulsen Books
October 2012

Wow. Wow. This book hits it on the nose, in terms of schoolyard politics, and the effects of unkindness, even when it doesn't escalate to flat-out bullying. This book gives a good look at poverty, too. Its The Hundred Dresses for our age and is sure to be a classic. When the classroom teacher talks about kindness going out like ripples from a stone thrown into water - that part choked me up. What a wonderful book.

I borrowed this book from the library.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
by Helen Ward
Templar
September 2012

What an absolutely gorgeous book!!! Lyrical text, and lush watercolors are filled with details. Online pictures don't do justice to the eye-catching shiny gold cover. There's a hint of Christmas. The dangerous city cat is replaced by a moody pug in this version. I loved this book so much!

I borrowed this book from the library.

Top Ten Bookish Memories

Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is: Top Ten Best Bookish Memories.

I've been pretty fortunate - working in bookstores and libraries, I've had the opportunity to attend some pretty awesome author events. Here are a few of my favorite bookish memories.

1. My first ARC bookshelf
I'll never forget my first day working at an independent bookstore, when I was being shown the staff work room. There was a whole shelf of Advanced Reader's Copy books, and I was told that I was allowed to, no, in fact, highly encouraged, to take them home to read. I had never heard of ARCs before, and the idea blew my mind - reading a book before it was published? It was like peeking into the future!

2. Ray Bradbury
I worked a book signing with Ray Bradbury. It was so amazing getting to meet him. He was rather irascible in person - the kind of guy who loves a "good argument." We had a great conversation about theatre and he was very passionate about hating when playwrights lean on using swear words to create controversy. I agreed with him wholeheartedly, and I think he was a little disappointed that I didn't disagree. He was pretty hungry and we got him a grilled cheese sandwich - when he was signing my books at the end of the night he got greasy crumbs all over my copy of The Martian Chronicles! I was cringing inside, but didn't dare say anything!

3. J.K. Rowling
I was working in a bookstore before Harry Potter had come out - it was a whole different world then. Fantasy was not popular. Only "nerds" enjoyed books about wizardry. Kids books did not make money, not big money, anyway. Rowling agreed to a book tour, before her book had come out - her books were just catching on in England, and there was some question if they'd be popular in the States or not. Her publisher booked her on a grueling tour of the U.S. to promote the book. By the time the date of her book signing rolled around, her books were already climbing the bestseller charts and things had really spiraled out of control. It was crazy! We limited the signing to "only" 400 people and it was still a complete mob. Jo was such a trouper. Even though she was exhausted, she still had a smile for every fan, and signed the whole time while chatting with everyone. Obviously, she'll never do a "small scale" event like that again. Getting to meet her was so awesome!

4. Lemony Snicket
This was another author I got to meet before he was really famous. I'd read The Bad Beginning from The Series of Unfortunate Events and loved it. I was so excited to work a book signing with Daniel Handler. He came dressed in a 1920's seersucker suit, complete with boater and spats! A lot of the parents were completely taken aback. They had no idea what to make of this guy, who cheerfully played the accordion and sang songs about orphans and death. It was so much fun. We gave him a "thank you" gift of an Edward Gorey book which turned out to be absolutely perfect.

5. Avi
I got to meet Avi! I was invited to dinner with Avi and a couple of book industry people. It was so nervewracking, because he was one of my favorite authors as a kid, and I was sure that I'd be completely tongue-tied. He ended up telling us all about cold winters in Colorado which really "broke the ice" so to speak.

6. Brandon Sanderson
Another of my favorite authors, I had the opportunity to go to dinner with him and work at one of his book signings. It was an awesome experience. Apparently, he has a legendary love of salty food - and I can confirm that was absolutely true. He put a ton of salt on everything! I think he ordered a steak, and pretty much salted every bite! It was great talking to him about his books - he is so intelligent and inventive when it comes to manipulating magic systems. The man has a sharp, sharp eye for business as well. He was very focused and involved in creating his "brand" - his online blog, promoting his books, running a podcast and teaching new writers. At his book signing I got to meet a lot of his fans, many of whom had traveled from several states away just to see them. Everybody there had an interesting story and we had a really good time.

7. Susan Patron

I was working at Los Angeles Public Library when Susan Patron, who was then working in Collection Development won the Newbery award for her book The Higher Power of Lucky. It was a thrilling time! While Susan Patron wasn't my direct boss, she had done quite a bit of my training when I first started as a professional librarian and she'd always been someone I really looked up to. I was so excited for her and her book which was a complete dark horse. Plus, I got to hear a "sneak preview" of her acceptance speech before she spoke at the awards ceremony.

8. Carmen Agra Deedy
While I've been lucky to host lots of authors for storytimes at various libraries I've worked at, I think Carmen Agra Deedy must be one of the most entertaining storytellers I've ever met. Lots of authors are actually quite sensitive and shy - but Carmen was absolutely vivacious. We actually had a lot more teens come to the program than we'd expected, and she instantly adjusted her story, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach turning it into a sassy, hilarious, Cuban "dating game" that the teens could really relate to. She did different voices for all the characters and was absolutely a hoot!

9. ALA Teen Coffee Klatch
Last year, I finally got to attend the American Library Association Teen Coffee Klatch. It was an incredible event. Basically, it's musical chairs in a room full of YA authors. They'll come and sit at your table and talk with a group of 5 or 6 librarians for about 10 minutes. Then, a bell rings, and they get up to go to the next table, and you get to meet someone else. There was a great blend of debut authors and "big names." I wrote more about it here.

10. Book festivals - Texas, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Suwanee, Decatur
This has got to be a 5-way tie! I always love a book festival, and I've been lucky to get to go to some pretty big ones - the Texas Book Festival in Austin, Texas, the Los Angeles Festival of Books, the West Hollywood Book Fair, the Decatur Book Festival right outside Atlanta where I got to be a featured storyteller and even minor festivals like the Book Festival in Suwanee, GA. It's so great when the weather is nice, and you're among fellow book lovers, and you never know which book celebrity you're going to meet or what book you're going to discover. I love book festivals!

Youth Media Awards 2013

Well, all the dust has settled, and the award winners announced. What do we think of the award winners this year?

The Newbery award went to The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. I wasn't surprised by this pick! I'd heard a lot of positive buzz about it. There's a lot of excitement in Atlanta for this book, since the gorilla in the story spends part of his life at the Atlanta Zoo.

The Caldecott went to This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. The only thing that surprised me about this one is that such a popular book was chosen! I think it's a lot of fun, and kind of off the beaten track.

I love all of the Caldecott honor books as well:
Creepy Carrots! illustrated by Peter Brown, written by Aaron Reynolds
Extra Yarn illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
One Cool Friend illustrated by David Small, written by Toni Buzzeo
Sleep Like a Tiger illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Mary Logue was the only one that I hadn't heard of.

The Coretta Scott King Award went to Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America by Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney. I really expected that Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis would win, but at least it got an honor.

The Printz Award for young adult fiction went to In Darkness by Nick Lake. All right, I'll just come out and say it. I feel like the Printz award is running away with itself. In Darkness seems like a dark horse. I certainly hadn't heard any buzz about it. It doesn't sound like the kind of book I'd normally pick up, but most reviewers had rated it highly, as a beautifully written, challenging work. I've heard a lot more positive things about Code Name Verity, one of the honor picks in this category.

I hadn't given much thought to the Schneider Award for books that address characters with disabilities until last year's debacle when the committee opted not to give any awards, stating they didn't feel there was anything worth recognizing that year. This year was totally different. Back to Front and Upside Down by Claire Alexander was the winner for the category for books for children under 10. It's a sweet little encouraging book about a student who may be dyslexic.

The Batchelder winner was My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve, translated by Tammi Reichel. I hadn't heard of this one, but it was translated from German, and I do think German books generally translate very successfully into English.

The Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award went to Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert illustrated by David Diaz and written by Gary D. Schmidt. No surprise there. David Diaz is a real favorite of mine.

The Geisel Award is for the most distinguished beginning reader book. I'm sad to say, I hadn't heard of the winner, Up, Tall and High! by Ethan Long, but it sounds charming. Sometimes I think the award could be renamed, "The Mo Willems Award" since the man seems to sweep it nearly every year with his wonderful Elephant and Piggie series. Let’s Go for a Drive! did get an honor. I was very surprised that Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean won an honor. I look at that book and think, "picture book" or even, "great storytime pick" but I don't think "beginning reader" even though it technically qualifies with it's simple and repeating vocabulary and fun to sing-along-to rhymes.

I was thrilled that Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, won the William Morris Award for a first-time author writing for teens. It's no secret that I have a special soft spot for dragons and this book was one of the best reinventions of dragonlore I've seen in a while.

This isn't a complete or comprehensive list, by any means. For a complete listing of award winners, check out the American Library Association website's official press release.

Read in January 2013

This month I read the following the books:

1. Amulet #5: Prince of Thieves - Kazu Kibuishi
2. The Accidental Courtesan - Cheryl Ann Smith
3. His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik
4. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris
5. Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style - Tim Gunn
6. A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J. Gaines
7. The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken
8. Throne of Jade - Naomi Novik
9. Black Powder War - Naomi Novik



Picture credit: Girl Reading by Charles Edward Perugini