Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks

Lauren Myracle is a name that I have heard frequently in the blogosphere, but I had yet to read any of her books. Though I was more familiar with her titles, ttyl and ttfn, Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks was the only one available on audio CD at my university library. I was curious to see what her writing style was like.

I chose to listen to her book first out of the three that I picked up about a week ago. The voice of the novel instantly had me hooked. However, to my dismay, my car CD player is not the highest quality and the CDs would play to about mid CD and then it would jump a bunch of tracks. On the bright side, my laptop was able to play them just fine, but that meant that listening to it was delayed.

Before I began to commute, I never thought that I would listen to audio books. Now, I have started thinking that it is also perfect when I am doing house cleaning. That's just what I did today. Among loading the dishwasher, putting away dishes, loading the washer and dryer, folding and stacking, and scrubbing my bathroom counters, I was listening to Carly's story. In fact, even after I had cleaned what I was going to, I found myself looking around for something else to do so I could keep hearing the story.

In the book Carly is dealing with her little sister Anna growing up and entering her freshman year of high school. She wants to play the big sister role, taking care of her at school. The only glitch is she finds herself jealous of her sister, which makes for an interesting plot throughout the book as their relationship evolves in this new stage of their lives.

The girls are surrounded by privilege - they live in a rich neighborhood and go to a private school. However, Carly is sick of it all. She looks around and sees that she is living among a bunch of fake people. Carly's search for self and making sense of the various relationships in her life added different layers.

Based on this book, I would expect that I would love all of her books because of Carly's strong voice. I'm sure that I will be picking up more of them in the future.

Marcelo in the Real World

This weekend after my last YA literature class I was skimming the YA section of my university's library for audio books. I could not believe my luck when I saw that Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork tucked among the hardcover versions. Some of my classmates mentioned it, as well as one of Stork's other books during the class.

While reading I was in awe. During the summer before his senior year, Marcelo's plans are thrown for a loop. Growing up he has found comfort in attending Patterson. It is his safety net in dealing with a condition similar to Asperger's. He would have loved nothing more than to work at his school for the summer caring for the ponies before continuing there in the fall.

However, his father has different ideas. He thinks it is time for Marcelo to experience life in the "real world" and demonstrate that he can cope with the rules. He tells him that he needs to work at his law firm for the summer and if he meets expectations, he can choose where he attends school in the fall. If not, his dad would send him to the regular public high school. At work Marcelo experiences more than he ever could have imagined, not sure how he feels about all of it. Prior to the job there were multiple emotions that he had never experienced first hand. At the heart of the book Marcelo must decide how people know the difference between right and wrong and determine how he will respond when confronted with confusion.

Told from Marcelo's point of view, I was fascinated. Early on in the book it was evident that he was very intelligent, even though many people treat him as if he is stupid. Throughout the book he continues to amaze those around him, sometimes much to their chagrin. However, despite his high level of thinking, I started to cringe with about the third CD. A boy at the law firm that his sister had warned him about confirmed his sister's portrayal; yet, it is unclear how much Marcelo understands about his intentions because of his lack of previous experiences with someone like him. From that point on, the tension continued to build with that and other components of the plot, making for a suspenseful commute.

This evening I pulled into my driveway having just popped in the 8th and final CD. Typically I have only listened to the audio books in the car, but I will not have to go back to school until Monday. I just could not wait, so this evening, as soon as the house quieted down, I listened until the end - well worth it. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for Stork's other books.

Audio Books 2010

Donnelly, Jennifer
A Northern Light

MacLachlan, Patricia
More Perfect Than the Moon

Myracle, Lauren
Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks

Curtis, Christopher Paul
Elijah of Buxton

Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Stork, Francisco X.
Marcelo in the Real World

More Perfect Than the Moon

While commuting to my summer school classes I have been listening to audio books. This week when I realized that the book I was reading was going to only have a few minutes left for the ride home, I picked up a short middle grades book from the library, More Perfect Than the Moon. When I saw that the library had it, I was thrilled to read it because I have it in my classroom library. A few years ago one of my students loved the book and wanted to re-read it after she had already read it once in the year. I thought it would be a great chance to see what she loved about it so much. Then, I can book talk it when school starts back up in under a month.

In the book Cassie's mom is pregnant and she is not happy about it at all. However, she does find pleasure writing in her journal, which is actually a mixture of reality and her imagination playing with the seeds of true events. I always love books that have main characters who love to play with words and express themselves through the joy of writing. It made me think of El color de mis palabras and Sharon Creech's Absolutely Normal Chaos.

When I unpack my classroom library I will be excited to find it to see what it looks like format wise, as that is one thing that I miss with audio books. I am imagining that there will be textual cues, such as a different font to distinguish the journal writing from the regular narration.

When I went to get the Amazon link for the book I realized that it is part of the Sarah Plain and Tall series. I don't know how I missed it. I don't remember if I read it or not, but I remember my mom watching the movie versions with us on TV when I was younger.

Today I went to return this to my university library and had a chance to browse through their YA shelves on the look out for more audio books because they are all mixed in. I checked out three more books and then had to pull myself away from browsing because I knew I would be tempted to get more. We'll see how many more I can get through with my last three weeks of summer school.

Middleworld Blog Tour

Earlier this month I posted my review about J&P Voekel's Middleworld. Now, I am excited to be a part of their blog tour. In under a month I will be heading back to school to get my classroom ready. I can't get set-up to book talk Middleworld at the start of the year, and share this background information with my students. I hope that you enjoy finding out more about Jon and Pamela Voekel and their book as much as I did.

Q: It sounds like you extensively traveled and researched in order to write this book. What are some fun anecdotes that you have while writing/researching the book?

A: There was the time in the Calakmul biosphere when our youngest daughter was practicing her howler monkey calls and the local howlers came to investigate.  They were hanging from the trees by their tails and reaching out to her.  We were laughing until we suddenly realized that they thought she was one of them and were going to vanish with her into the trees.  I grabbed her and ran.  Another memory that makes me smile/cringe happened in Belize.  We were driving along, in the middle of nowhere, when our son needed a rest stop.  We pointed to some bushes across a swampy field. “Go behind there,” we said.  He was gone a long time, so I went to look for him. The first thing I came to was a sign saying: “Danger. Crocodile reserve."

Q: What can you tell me about fact versus fiction in the book, other than the information mentioned about characters and setting in the author's note?

A: That’s an interesting question, because it’s something we wrestled with.  We wanted to give our readers a new take on the Maya, because they’re often portrayed as grim, humorless savages.  From our studies of their art and architecture, we see them as intellectual, sensitive, gleeful, party people!  To associate them only with human sacrifice is like defining the Romans only in terms of the Colosseum or medieval Europe in terms of witch-burning and beheadings.  So we invented the Jaguar Stones to embody five key pillars of Maya society – agriculture, astronomy, creativity, military prowess and kingship.  Bringing back the king and his mother as howler monkeys enabled us to have some fun with them, but also emphasize the close connection between the Maya and the jungle. It’s our intention to keep the fiction entertaining and the facts accurate. With that in mind, we have our manuscripts checked by a Maya expert at Harvard.

Q: Who illustrated the pictures, and how did you decide which scenes to accompany with a drawing?

A: Jon does the illustrations. For the full pages, he takes dozens of photographs and collages them together, before finally drawing on top of them.  I think he’d like to illustrate every scene if he could, but the ones we choose are the hardest ones to imagine – for example, the scene in the cave underneath the red pyramid, or looking down on the city of Itzamna.  Jon is also very keen to convey the Maya aesthetic to readers and he takes a lot of trouble to get all the glyphs and decorative elements exactly right.

Q: I always love hearing more about collaborative writing projects. What was it like for you two to write the book?

A: In the beginning, we used to switch off, each working through a full draft before passing it back.  Then we settled into our current roles with Pamela doing most of the writing and Jon doing most of the illustrating.  The best thing about working together is that we can discuss the plot all day and all night.  We both know our characters equally well and we like to surprise each other with unexpected twists and turns.  It’s amazing to be able to talk through scenes with someone else who’s seeing exactly the same thing in their own head.  It’s like watching a movie together.

Q: When can we expect book two?

A: The Jaguar Stones, book two: The End of the World Club will be released on December 28^th 2010.  It’s a Tuesday.  

Thank you to the Voekels for stopping by. I am amazed with all the time you take to get the story "right". I teach at a dual immersion school. My students learn about the Maya from the Spanish teacher in 4th or 5th grade and most of our students have ties to Mexico, so they are always enthusiastic about the culture by the time they get to my class. They are going to be thrilled when they hear about Middleworld. I am glad that book two will be coming out soon!

Choose Your Own Adventure

When talking about point of view, I remember teachers talking about how second person was very uncommon, with the Choose Your Own Adventure series being one of the rare exceptions. Though I could not remember the last time I picked up a Choose Your Own Adventure book (I am guessing around 3rd grade or younger), I would always think of the series whenever I heard about books with multiple endings or about second person point of view. For example, earlier this year one of my students brought in a couple of books from the Scenarios series after receiving them for Christmas.

Since I have fond memories of the series from my childhood, I was excited to have a chance to review a re-release of one of the classic stories, along with a new release.

While reading the classic, House of Danger, it was much as I could remember, except I was shocked with one thing. I had forgotten how quick it was to read one of the scenarios. When I got to my page that said "The End," I went back and counted, realizing that it had only been ten pages long, and a lot of the pages aren't even a full page length. I thought about how this could be especially nice for students who are still in the transition to chapter books. They are able to read a book that looks like a regular chapter book, but it is actually not as challenging as a full length chapter book. The series provides for going back and reading various scenarios, and if a student went back and re-traced through every scenario possible, they would read closer to the length of a regular chapter book. Thus, they can read to whichever capacity they decide is the best fit for them as a reader, also taking into consideration their level of motivation to enjoy their first picks or to continue seeking every possibility. In addition, the series prompts active reading as readers have to pause and think about the next route they should take.

While I love the improvements to the cover design in the newer update, I was a little turned off from the plot in this particular book (Zombie Penpal) because it was a little dark, especially when thinking that these books are best-suited readability wise for elementary students in the younger grades (although, they would also work well for older students who are not well-established readers or those who want to have an easy read). They are recommended for ages 7-14.

However, my luke-warm feelings for Zombie Penpal is not to say that I would feel the same about the whole series. The books come in a wide variety of topics: sports, mysteries, ghost stories, exotic travel, space exploration, sea exploration, other worlds, and history. While on their site, I saw that the same company also has a series out called Fabulous Terrible, a YA series recommended for girls 12+ that looked like it had a fun plot.

*Review copies provided by the company.

Rich Boys

Gearing up for five weeks of summer school classes, I decided to have what may be my one last fun summer read. Sure, I will squeeze more in if at all possible, but it looks like I will be so busy with required course readings, that my reading for pleasure might be very limited or non-existent. Just in case, I put off pre-reading the chapters for the first week of class and opted to pick up Jenny O'Connell's Rich Boys instead. It was the perfect book to fit that category.

The book gives glimpses into the lives of two friends, Winnie and Jessie, during the summer before their senior year. Though the book follows Winnie's summer, it gives many insights into Jessie's life and the realizations that she is having. At the start of the summer Winnie's biggest concern is trying to figure out how she will spend her afternoons after her morning summer job. However, she quickly ends up not having to worry about that as she is offered an afternoon babysitting job. Things get more interesting when the older step-brother shows up for the summer where she is babysitting.

The book was a good balance of summer fun and romance, as well as teens dealing with complex issues that come up, such as making difficult decisions and coming to grips with situations outside of their control.

I also loved Jenny O'Connell's Plan B, and I would love to eventually read the other two books that she has out. I just realized that there is a blog for MTV books, and Jenny O'Connell also has one.

Nice and Mean

I read my first m!x novel, The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney, a few years back. Since then I realized through reading books such as Tricia Rayburn's Maggie Bean books, that I could trust that I would love any book with the m!x label on it. My first year at my new position as I was buying more books for my classroom library, I bought every m!x book that I saw available at the time. When I received a review copy of Jessica Leader's Nice and Mean, you can imagine the added excitement when I realized that it was a m!x novel.

I wasn't surprised when I loved the book. Seemingly polar opposites in the grand scheme of middle school Marina and Sachi are paired up to be partners in film class - a class that Sachi should not even be in since her parents did not give her permission. Marina is the "mean", popular girl, and Sachi is the "nice", shy girl in the 7th grade. Needless to say, they have different visions for the videos they want to create. They realize they are in a bumpy ride, but they didn't expect that they might not even get to make a video after all.

The book alternated between the two girls' perspectives. Marina's chapters typically started with an excerpt from her LBB (Little Black Book), while Sachi's usually started with a screenplay, typically a nightmare, in her mind. I loved that Leader decided to have this visual cue to show the shift between perspectives. I have always loved books with multiple perspectives, but they are often confusing for some students if they don't pick up on cues of who is talking right away. The LBB vs. screenplay was a good support for readers to familiarize themselves with multiple perspectives.

Another aspect that I absolutely love in books, and have mentioned before, is issues of identity. Yet, when I think through my mind of books that I have read covering this topic, they are all YA or adult books, which makes sense because I remember in college when we discussed identity, developmentally high school is an age where people really start to delve deeper into identity issues. However, in this book, Sachi's side begins to explore identity issues. I am so excited to have this in my classroom library for students to have a stepping stone into other books that they might read about identity when they are older, and it might also prompt them to think about their own identities now.

For Marina's side, I loved that her narrative raised issues of bullying and harassment, something so relevant to middle school. For so much of the book Marina just doesn't get it. Marina and her friends allow for a representation of girls from a wide range of involvement, showing how it is easy to get swept up into bullying. Recently a group of authors started a Facebook group, YA Authors Against Bullying. Although I would consider this a middle grade book, middle school is where so much bullying begins, and this book would be an excellent starting point to discussions about peer relations.

I can hardly wait for August to come around so I can add this to my classroom library and book talk it. Eventually, I would love to get about 4 more copies, as it would be a great book club book, rich with discussion points. If you would like to learn more about Jessica Leader, she has a really fun website.

A Note on What's To Come (Or Not)

Starting next Monday I will begin five weeks of two doctoral courses. They will finish on a Thursday, and I will go back to work on Friday. Then during the school year I will take two courses a semester. Spring semester when I took one course there was a notable difference in my free time. I am anticipating that it will be a whirlwind five weeks, followed by a busy school year, and it is very possible that I will have very little time to read for pleasure and write posts once all of my coursework readings are completed and I spend time exercising and with my family. I hope that I will still be able to post regularly, but it might be very invariable until the completion of my doctoral program.

Ghost Ride

When I picked up Marina Cohen's Ghost Ride, based on the information on the back I thought that it would appeal to a group of my 8th grade boys who are drawn to problem novels. However, as I started the book, I did not think it would hook them. The more I read, I realized that it actually had ghost story elements, rather than realistic fiction, opening up possibilities for a whole new target audience.

From the first day Sam McLean drives into his new community, Sleepy Hollow, strange events occur. It just keeps getting weirder as time goes on, including his dad's behavior. In class the students are reading "Sleepy Hollow" which juxtaposes with the events that Sam is living through.

Sam often becomes confused as he tries to navigate the realization that the way he is perceiving events happening do not match up with what everyone else is seeing. He has to figure out why he is living the horrifying events, while others live them on a different level. It is like the difference between a nightmare and waking up and realizing that it was not so scary after all. Only, Sam does not have the luxury of waking up.

I look forward to having this in my classroom library. I want to have "Sleepy Hollow" available to read along side it.

*Copy provided by publisher

Candor

This summer when I heard about Candor, I couldn't stop thinking about the book. I just had to buy it. The topic of subliminal messages controlling a community, as well as the front cover captivated my interest. As an educator fascinated with the way literacy is changing to encompass a wide variety of 21st century literacies, I often read about how teens are never "unplugged". Reading the description about how this book is about a model son who would not be suspected deciding to help other teens out of the controlling town made me think of the reality of technology today.

Lately some of my students have been enthralled with dystopia. I too find that it captures my attention, making me think, what if? This book kept me actively engaged, right up to the shocking ending that I did not expect. It was bitter sweet; I was left feeling happy, yet sad, wondering what would happen to the characters after the last page.

While reading the book, I could not help but think of The Giver. My incoming 8th graders and I read this book together when they were 6th graders. Those who loved The Giver will probably love reading this book to think about how they compare and contrast. They both have many similar themes, but Oscar, the main character in Candor is an older teen, as compared to Jonas, so his concerns are more geared to those of a typical high schooler.

Middleworld

I teach at a dual immersion English-Spanish school, and many of my students absolutely love Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. When I saw that Jon & Pamela Voelkel had written a book called Middleworld similar to Percy Jackson set in the Mayan jungle, I was very excited. The front cover image made me think of the journeys and adventures the book would contain, wondering what was in store for me.

Throughout the book, the narration is intermixed with beautiful, detailed sketches. Max takes an unexpected journey to San Xavier (a fictional country based on present day Belize) in search of his parents who went there on an archeological dig and then disappeared. He is portrayed as a stereotypical teen at the start of the book - very self centered and obsessed with video games. However, once in San Xavier he finds himself thrown into the challenges that make him feel like he is living a real life video game. After meeting Lola by chance one evening, his life changes as they get swept up into a quest of good versus evil. Max realizes that the Mayan culture is not ancient history afterall.

There is a brief author's note in the beginning explaining that all of the characters are made up except for one, Friar Diego de Landa. As I was reading I realized that I would have loved to brush up on my Mayan history so that I could separate out more of the fact versus fiction in the book. I can see my students loving this adventurous book. They are fascinated with pre-columbian cultures, so the mixture of content and the Percy Jackson style book is sure to catch their attention. Reading the book might also make them want to read more about history, especially the Mayans and Belize. They can start out by looking at the fairly extensive glossary at the back of the book.

While this book had a satisfying conclusion, there were plenty of loose ends to leave readers wishing that that the second book was already out!

Many of the teachers in my YA lit course have been thrilled with the Percy Jackson series, thinking their students will also love them. I will be telling them about this series at our last class meeting, as I am sure that they would love to hear of similar books.

*Copy courtesy of the publisher