Book Report: January 2011
The tween materials class I took last semester got me in the habit of keeping track of what I've read - and even writing reviews! I'm thinking this is a good thing and a one I should try to continue. Especially since I plan on taking the teen materials class next fall and the tween class is going to be a piece of cake compared to that.
I have been diligently keeping track of what I have read, am reading, and plan to read on good reads. But I am thinking that is not enough as I can easily see myself, once August rolls around, having forgotten just why I loved/hated such and such by so and so. And yet...I really have no desire to write a review meant for widespread public consumption for each book I read. gah!
So, since all the cool kids are doing it, here is what I read in January, with notes about quality and content:
Cooking Up a Storm by Sam Stern
(ghost written by Jamie Oliver?)
I liked it at as I was reading it. It seemed like a good mix of stuff and I especially liked the tips on how to change your eating for studying, preparing for a big game, etc. The second after I finished the last page, though, I started getting annoyed by how little technique was covered, compared to just listing recipes. Which seems rather odd for a beginners cookbook. (I blame Brother Alton. And possibly Chef Anne.) I think I'd give any new cook - even teens - How to Boil Water over this. Although I would love to see something that blends the the two.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
I can totally see why this won the Newbery Medal and is a favorite among middle grade boys. However, it never completely gelled for me and I think that mostly has to do with the ending feeling rather nicely wrapped up in a pretty, perfect bow - especially compared to the delightful messiness of the rest of the story. I loved the tall tale feel of it all, though. Overall I enjoyed it and am glad that I finally got around to reading it.
Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace
I never read this series when I was little; I never even heard about them until a few years ago, actually. I gave my niece the first one in the series last year - and read it before I gave it to her. I did the same with this one this year. I have no idea if she is enjoying them or likes them (she hasn't gotten to the "needs to share" stage of reading, if she ever will) but I like them. They remind me of both Anne of Green Gables and the B is for Betsy series, which makes sense.
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman
Unlike the two neuroscience books for tweens that I read this past fall, this is one of those non-fiction books that is told in a more narrative format. It pretty much starts with Gage's accident and follows not only his life but also the scientific advancements since his death that have shed light on what happened to him, how he survived, and why he survived in the way that he did. It's not spectacular in a unforgettable sort of way - and it doesn't really need to be, as Gage's story is memorable enough by itself - but it's well done and will keep many tweens turning the pages.
TTFN by Lauren Myracle
Bad things first: the three best friends in these stories sometimes come across rather more as modern archetypes than actual girls; while they do grow they don't always seem to have a lot of depth to them.
Now for the Really Good Parts: every time I finished one of these books I am just flat out amazed at how much plot and personality Myracle packs into a book that is made up of nothing but dialogue. Like, this is pretty much a play, ppls, with emoticons instead of stage direction. And no chance for prologues or asides to the audience. I get the impression that a lot of people see this series as sort of a gimmick and that their popularity is due mainly to said gimmick. I have to strongly disagree. I think they are popular because they speak to girls experiences. The fact that they also validate their experiences with making and maintaining friends through electronic conversations is a huge plus and attention getter, but only a piece of the puzzle.
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
This was very unexpected. In a good way. It's very surreal in a way that manages to not be disconnected from life. Also, it has an ending that feels complete and yet isn't wrapped up prettily so as to diminish hurt in the rest of the story. And last but certainly not least, it's one of the few books where discrimination/culture is a main theme, the main character is white, and I don't want to shake the author and ask "if you care so much about people caring about/understanding non-white people, why didn't you tell [his/her] story instead?!?!"
Regarding the last - not that I wouldn't have liked that book as well. It just avoided my aggravation on that front because it wasn't so much "nice white kid learns a lesson about the other half" - instead, unfairness, privilege, and suppression of the truth was an overall theme - with race and culture being a big part of that, but not the only part. but! ymmv
The Greatest Moments in Sports by Len Berman
So...this was a pretty book. And the accompanying cd was well done - unlike the Apollo book I read for class, the tracks are all clearly marked, and Berman gives intros and transitions when needed, making them easy to navigate and understand. But....it felt very much like an old school sports guy wanted to tell tales of his favorite sports (football, baseball, basketball) to kids, and then tried to pretend he was being balanced by tossing in a few other things (Jesse Owens, US Women's Soccer Team, Michael Phelps). But...the unbalancedness of it all served to cheapen the "other" things by making them look like tokens and not really worthy of being there. Resulting in some impressive FAIL.
The Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
This was fun. Lots of fun. And I really want to see where she is taking it. I totally want to be reading the rest of the series NOW, but I've told myself that I have to finish all my overdue library books before I can read anything else.
I was about to say "that's all I can think of to say until I read the other two" but actually, I do want to say that I love how she handled the whole adoption thing; that she set it up so that she could do the typical adoption story for dramatic affect, but still have a method for dispelling some of those same myths.
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Wow. Just wow. I mean, it feels like it's moving kind of at a snails pace for most of the book (largely due to the flap cover intro giving away the Dramatic Event that happens in one of the final chapters - arg! DO NOT READ FLAPCOVER), but really it's doing this amazing buildup and showing us how Elijah has lived a charmed and immensely privileged life in comparison to his parents and any other black person who has not spent their whole life Buxton. Which isn't how we Americans generally think of black children prior to the Civil War, even those lucky enough to live in Canada. Even better, by grounding us in Elijah's relatively happy-go-lucky life first, the sheer amount of danger and conflict that Elijah does eventually face because of his race feels new and fresh to us, just as it does to him.
I could talk for ages about this book, and possibly might in the future, but for now...just wow.
And why the hell did this get a Newbery Honor? I suppose I must request Good Master! Sweet Ladies! and find out.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
This was another unexpected delight. Before I read it, I think I had sort of imagined it as something more along the lines of Ella Enchanted - feminist but still rooted in traditional princessy fairy tales. Instead, this reminded me much more strongly of Graceling and Fire, but meant for younger readers. Also, with interesting stuff about friendships, girl group dynamics, and the value of labor.
Sasquatch by Roland Smith
Blech. I didn't hate the book - at first. Until it was clear that it was an actual traditonal BigFoot. It's not that I don't do unexplained phenomena/urban legends, I just have an aversion to the ones that go the shallow "scientific" route instead of the supernatural, fantasy, or even in depth scifi explanation. So my hatred of this book is quite possibly a me thing and I will try something else by him. Eventually.
Rosa, Sola by Carmela A. Martino
This was a halfway decent book, I just felt like it was shallower than it needed to be. Rosa felt more simple sometimes than childish, as if the author thought her lack of maturity meant a lack of emotional complexity rather than the inability to sort out the complexity. Still, it had it's moments.
The Graveyard Book by Niel Gaiman
I didn't hate this book, but considering that this is both an award winner and Neil-freaking-Gaiman, writing that feels as though I just wrote "this is the worst book evah!" instead of "I didn't hate it". It's not the worst ever. There's even some interesting bits in it. But. But. But. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it left me feeling more "meh" than "yay!" It may have something to do with not living up to the hype; I may have liked it better if I hadn't spent so much time thinking "I thought this was supposed to be spectacular."
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
This was kind of an odd book in many ways, and not always in a good way. Also, I think I am burned out on this kind of coming of age story after my tween class. Still, it was good (in a sad way) and the main character, her Carnivale friend, and her mentally disabled uncle all felt nicely realistic.
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Like Maniac Magee, I enjoyed this story, I thought it was very well done, and I thought the themes were interesting, but I didn't really become excessively emotionally attached to it. Which is a good thing to keep in mind when recommending books to kids; this is the second book that is well loved by middle grade boys that I didn't really connect to and I need to remember that when doing reader's advisory. (oh, gee, not that that matters now)
Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
Oh, yeah. I'm definitely burned out on stories about tween girls lives changing over the course of a summer of revealed secrets. sigh. This may have felt new and fresh if I had read it last year - or waited another year to read it. Right now, I can recognize that it's good and I was interested enough to keep turning the pages, but that's about it.
Keeper by Mal Peet
I'm not really sure all the focus on the adult characters really worked for me and I'm interested to see what teens thought of that aspect of it (but currently to lazy to look it up). However, I absolutely adored the magical realism and how it was blended into what the cover/blurb suggested was going to be just another sports/coming of age story.
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
This book was way cool. A nice, fresh, vivid take on neurodiversity and acceptance of such. With lots of realistic focus on the universal challenge of maintaining friendships and family relationships when one is 13, suddenly discovering all sorts of new things about oneself, trying out new experiences and friendships, and not really sure who one is anymore.
And OMG! that's it! That's all the books I read in January 2011!!!
Halfway through this post, I thought I would never be done, but that wasn't so bad.
I may write up the books I read between when class ended on December 10th and New Years Day, but otherwise, expect the next round up sometime early in March.
I have been diligently keeping track of what I have read, am reading, and plan to read on good reads. But I am thinking that is not enough as I can easily see myself, once August rolls around, having forgotten just why I loved/hated such and such by so and so. And yet...I really have no desire to write a review meant for widespread public consumption for each book I read. gah!
So, since all the cool kids are doing it, here is what I read in January, with notes about quality and content:
Cooking Up a Storm by Sam Stern
(ghost written by Jamie Oliver?)
I liked it at as I was reading it. It seemed like a good mix of stuff and I especially liked the tips on how to change your eating for studying, preparing for a big game, etc. The second after I finished the last page, though, I started getting annoyed by how little technique was covered, compared to just listing recipes. Which seems rather odd for a beginners cookbook. (I blame Brother Alton. And possibly Chef Anne.) I think I'd give any new cook - even teens - How to Boil Water over this. Although I would love to see something that blends the the two.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
I can totally see why this won the Newbery Medal and is a favorite among middle grade boys. However, it never completely gelled for me and I think that mostly has to do with the ending feeling rather nicely wrapped up in a pretty, perfect bow - especially compared to the delightful messiness of the rest of the story. I loved the tall tale feel of it all, though. Overall I enjoyed it and am glad that I finally got around to reading it.
Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace
I never read this series when I was little; I never even heard about them until a few years ago, actually. I gave my niece the first one in the series last year - and read it before I gave it to her. I did the same with this one this year. I have no idea if she is enjoying them or likes them (she hasn't gotten to the "needs to share" stage of reading, if she ever will) but I like them. They remind me of both Anne of Green Gables and the B is for Betsy series, which makes sense.
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman
Unlike the two neuroscience books for tweens that I read this past fall, this is one of those non-fiction books that is told in a more narrative format. It pretty much starts with Gage's accident and follows not only his life but also the scientific advancements since his death that have shed light on what happened to him, how he survived, and why he survived in the way that he did. It's not spectacular in a unforgettable sort of way - and it doesn't really need to be, as Gage's story is memorable enough by itself - but it's well done and will keep many tweens turning the pages.
TTFN by Lauren Myracle
Bad things first: the three best friends in these stories sometimes come across rather more as modern archetypes than actual girls; while they do grow they don't always seem to have a lot of depth to them.
Now for the Really Good Parts: every time I finished one of these books I am just flat out amazed at how much plot and personality Myracle packs into a book that is made up of nothing but dialogue. Like, this is pretty much a play, ppls, with emoticons instead of stage direction. And no chance for prologues or asides to the audience. I get the impression that a lot of people see this series as sort of a gimmick and that their popularity is due mainly to said gimmick. I have to strongly disagree. I think they are popular because they speak to girls experiences. The fact that they also validate their experiences with making and maintaining friends through electronic conversations is a huge plus and attention getter, but only a piece of the puzzle.
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
This was very unexpected. In a good way. It's very surreal in a way that manages to not be disconnected from life. Also, it has an ending that feels complete and yet isn't wrapped up prettily so as to diminish hurt in the rest of the story. And last but certainly not least, it's one of the few books where discrimination/culture is a main theme, the main character is white, and I don't want to shake the author and ask "if you care so much about people caring about/understanding non-white people, why didn't you tell [his/her] story instead?!?!"
Regarding the last - not that I wouldn't have liked that book as well. It just avoided my aggravation on that front because it wasn't so much "nice white kid learns a lesson about the other half" - instead, unfairness, privilege, and suppression of the truth was an overall theme - with race and culture being a big part of that, but not the only part. but! ymmv
The Greatest Moments in Sports by Len Berman
So...this was a pretty book. And the accompanying cd was well done - unlike the Apollo book I read for class, the tracks are all clearly marked, and Berman gives intros and transitions when needed, making them easy to navigate and understand. But....it felt very much like an old school sports guy wanted to tell tales of his favorite sports (football, baseball, basketball) to kids, and then tried to pretend he was being balanced by tossing in a few other things (Jesse Owens, US Women's Soccer Team, Michael Phelps). But...the unbalancedness of it all served to cheapen the "other" things by making them look like tokens and not really worthy of being there. Resulting in some impressive FAIL.
The Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
This was fun. Lots of fun. And I really want to see where she is taking it. I totally want to be reading the rest of the series NOW, but I've told myself that I have to finish all my overdue library books before I can read anything else.
I was about to say "that's all I can think of to say until I read the other two" but actually, I do want to say that I love how she handled the whole adoption thing; that she set it up so that she could do the typical adoption story for dramatic affect, but still have a method for dispelling some of those same myths.
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Wow. Just wow. I mean, it feels like it's moving kind of at a snails pace for most of the book (largely due to the flap cover intro giving away the Dramatic Event that happens in one of the final chapters - arg! DO NOT READ FLAPCOVER), but really it's doing this amazing buildup and showing us how Elijah has lived a charmed and immensely privileged life in comparison to his parents and any other black person who has not spent their whole life Buxton. Which isn't how we Americans generally think of black children prior to the Civil War, even those lucky enough to live in Canada. Even better, by grounding us in Elijah's relatively happy-go-lucky life first, the sheer amount of danger and conflict that Elijah does eventually face because of his race feels new and fresh to us, just as it does to him.
I could talk for ages about this book, and possibly might in the future, but for now...just wow.
And why the hell did this get a Newbery Honor? I suppose I must request Good Master! Sweet Ladies! and find out.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
This was another unexpected delight. Before I read it, I think I had sort of imagined it as something more along the lines of Ella Enchanted - feminist but still rooted in traditional princessy fairy tales. Instead, this reminded me much more strongly of Graceling and Fire, but meant for younger readers. Also, with interesting stuff about friendships, girl group dynamics, and the value of labor.
Sasquatch by Roland Smith
Blech. I didn't hate the book - at first. Until it was clear that it was an actual traditonal BigFoot. It's not that I don't do unexplained phenomena/urban legends, I just have an aversion to the ones that go the shallow "scientific" route instead of the supernatural, fantasy, or even in depth scifi explanation. So my hatred of this book is quite possibly a me thing and I will try something else by him. Eventually.
Rosa, Sola by Carmela A. Martino
This was a halfway decent book, I just felt like it was shallower than it needed to be. Rosa felt more simple sometimes than childish, as if the author thought her lack of maturity meant a lack of emotional complexity rather than the inability to sort out the complexity. Still, it had it's moments.
The Graveyard Book by Niel Gaiman
I didn't hate this book, but considering that this is both an award winner and Neil-freaking-Gaiman, writing that feels as though I just wrote "this is the worst book evah!" instead of "I didn't hate it". It's not the worst ever. There's even some interesting bits in it. But. But. But. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it left me feeling more "meh" than "yay!" It may have something to do with not living up to the hype; I may have liked it better if I hadn't spent so much time thinking "I thought this was supposed to be spectacular."
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
This was kind of an odd book in many ways, and not always in a good way. Also, I think I am burned out on this kind of coming of age story after my tween class. Still, it was good (in a sad way) and the main character, her Carnivale friend, and her mentally disabled uncle all felt nicely realistic.
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Like Maniac Magee, I enjoyed this story, I thought it was very well done, and I thought the themes were interesting, but I didn't really become excessively emotionally attached to it. Which is a good thing to keep in mind when recommending books to kids; this is the second book that is well loved by middle grade boys that I didn't really connect to and I need to remember that when doing reader's advisory. (oh, gee, not that that matters now)
Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
Oh, yeah. I'm definitely burned out on stories about tween girls lives changing over the course of a summer of revealed secrets. sigh. This may have felt new and fresh if I had read it last year - or waited another year to read it. Right now, I can recognize that it's good and I was interested enough to keep turning the pages, but that's about it.
Keeper by Mal Peet
I'm not really sure all the focus on the adult characters really worked for me and I'm interested to see what teens thought of that aspect of it (but currently to lazy to look it up). However, I absolutely adored the magical realism and how it was blended into what the cover/blurb suggested was going to be just another sports/coming of age story.
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
This book was way cool. A nice, fresh, vivid take on neurodiversity and acceptance of such. With lots of realistic focus on the universal challenge of maintaining friendships and family relationships when one is 13, suddenly discovering all sorts of new things about oneself, trying out new experiences and friendships, and not really sure who one is anymore.
And OMG! that's it! That's all the books I read in January 2011!!!
Halfway through this post, I thought I would never be done, but that wasn't so bad.
I may write up the books I read between when class ended on December 10th and New Years Day, but otherwise, expect the next round up sometime early in March.