Well, being curious after reading Necklace of Kisses, I got Witch Baby, Baby Be-Bop, Missing Angel Juan, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys and Guarding the Moon from the Public Library.
This helped me to realize why, although I think Block has a fresh and original voice, the writing irritates me.
Guarding the Moon is about her experience with motherhood, and it didn't read much differently than the others, which is to say that there is too much baby talk in all of the books. Funny nicknames, diminutives, overly long descriptions of things not essential to the plot. I have been able to get Weetzie Bat checked out, but I am not going to go to great lengths to get the rest of the series. Maybe it's an Ohio hang up. These books shriek CALIFORNIA!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Piles o' stuff
Rather depressing pile this weekend. Bleah. Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon (1927). I'm sorry, Newbery or no, it's going to be almost impossible to get anyone to read this. Not only is there the title, which middle schoolers will ridicule mercilessly, it's just boring. And the pigeon talks to them, in the language of all animals. Tastes change. I have two copies. Hmmm.
Diane McKinney-Whetstone's Tempest Rising (1998) is probably a very fine book for adults, but I don't know why it's in this collection. If a book uses the f-word to describe being hit by bird poop, then I have to really rethink it. It's lucky that it's only been checked out twice in a dozen years.
And with four check outs in 18 years, we have Georgess McHargue's See You Later Crocodile(1988). Girl befriends old woman with cats. Old woman speaks in heavy northeaster accent. A lot. Don't know why children would be turned off-- I thought the description of a house of many animals, run by an infirm woman, was just lovely. Bleargh.
Now, I did say I rather liked three Anne McCaffrey books, but Dragonsdawn(1988) was not one of them. The whole prehistory, spaceships AND dragons thing got to me. Did have a nice conversation with a friend who loves the books, and she said that the series took on a life of it's own, and some books are better than others. I am not just being difficult.
Gloria Miklowitz's Standing Tall, Looking Good (1994) is a serviceable account of three teens who enter the army. This one I can get into students hands today.
Wanted to like Graham Gardner's Inventing Elliot(2003), about a boy who was bullied who turns to bullying himself, but it was just too disturbing, and no good came of it in the end. Plus, even though it was disturbing, it lost me at the end. I just put the book down and didn't want to pick it back up.
Did like Candace Fleming's Our Eleanor (2005) about Eleanor Roosevelt. It's a fun book, done scrapbook style, but I have enough trouble getting students to check out the biographies I have. Will have to pass on purchasing, although it was fun to read.
Diane McKinney-Whetstone's Tempest Rising (1998) is probably a very fine book for adults, but I don't know why it's in this collection. If a book uses the f-word to describe being hit by bird poop, then I have to really rethink it. It's lucky that it's only been checked out twice in a dozen years.
And with four check outs in 18 years, we have Georgess McHargue's See You Later Crocodile(1988). Girl befriends old woman with cats. Old woman speaks in heavy northeaster accent. A lot. Don't know why children would be turned off-- I thought the description of a house of many animals, run by an infirm woman, was just lovely. Bleargh.
Now, I did say I rather liked three Anne McCaffrey books, but Dragonsdawn(1988) was not one of them. The whole prehistory, spaceships AND dragons thing got to me. Did have a nice conversation with a friend who loves the books, and she said that the series took on a life of it's own, and some books are better than others. I am not just being difficult.
Gloria Miklowitz's Standing Tall, Looking Good (1994) is a serviceable account of three teens who enter the army. This one I can get into students hands today.
Wanted to like Graham Gardner's Inventing Elliot(2003), about a boy who was bullied who turns to bullying himself, but it was just too disturbing, and no good came of it in the end. Plus, even though it was disturbing, it lost me at the end. I just put the book down and didn't want to pick it back up.
Did like Candace Fleming's Our Eleanor (2005) about Eleanor Roosevelt. It's a fun book, done scrapbook style, but I have enough trouble getting students to check out the biographies I have. Will have to pass on purchasing, although it was fun to read.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Kate Brian
Liked Princess and the Pauper(2003) , loved Lucky T(2005), and really, really enjoyed Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys (2006). Light, fluffy romance/school book-- comfort reading at its finest, and since it was a long day, it definitely improved my mood.
Megan's parents are transferred to Korea, so she goes to live with family friends who have seven boys. Misunderstandings and mayhem abound. There is a wonderful substory about a soccer rivalry between Megan and another girl (Hailey, also one of the brother's girlfriends) that I liked, as well as a brother with Asperger's Syndrome whom Megan tries to draw out by understanding his quirks.
The problem is that it's not a middle school book. When Hailey is jealous of Megan, she retaliates against the brother she is dating, Evan, by, um, having relations with his brother at a drunken party. There's some language, too much drinking and out past curfew behavior.
Too bad. I wasn't even annoyed by the e mail messages between chapters, which usually irks me beyond belief. Just can't justify it as a purchase, even though it made my day. Maybe for high school.
Megan's parents are transferred to Korea, so she goes to live with family friends who have seven boys. Misunderstandings and mayhem abound. There is a wonderful substory about a soccer rivalry between Megan and another girl (Hailey, also one of the brother's girlfriends) that I liked, as well as a brother with Asperger's Syndrome whom Megan tries to draw out by understanding his quirks.
The problem is that it's not a middle school book. When Hailey is jealous of Megan, she retaliates against the brother she is dating, Evan, by, um, having relations with his brother at a drunken party. There's some language, too much drinking and out past curfew behavior.
Too bad. I wasn't even annoyed by the e mail messages between chapters, which usually irks me beyond belief. Just can't justify it as a purchase, even though it made my day. Maybe for high school.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Gentle Ben and Countdown, etc.
Morey's Gentle Ben (1965) was a very serviceable and engaging story which will be great for my animal adventure and Jim Kjelgaard fans. A little schmaltzy, but then the animal stories where the animal does die are so depressing. This story is a little vacation to the wilds of Alaska, and wonderfully undated.
Ben Mikaelsen's Countdown(1996) will be a little harder sell, but has such an interesting premise. A young American boy is chosen to go up in space; in a parallel story, a young Maasi boy is yearning for an education. I really couldn't see how the two were going to meet up, but they end up talking on a Ham radio when the shuttle passes over Kenya. A tiny bit forced, with their discussions of their different ways of life, but an interesting idea that people really can be very much alike even though their lives are very different. Will get both of these into someone's hands today.
I normally really like Gloria Miklowitz, but The Emerson High Vigilantes (1988)was disturbing, and not in a good way. Sure, it's nice that the students want to improve their school and save it from drug pushers and whatnot, and it's great that the author ends the book with questioning whether they should have tried to accomplish this is the way they did, but ultimately this failed for me because the vigilantes were no better than the people they were trying to punish, and they didn't suffer enough for their own acts. The students will probably love it, although it's been sitting neglected on the shelf a while. Dated cover art.
Ben Mikaelsen's Countdown(1996) will be a little harder sell, but has such an interesting premise. A young American boy is chosen to go up in space; in a parallel story, a young Maasi boy is yearning for an education. I really couldn't see how the two were going to meet up, but they end up talking on a Ham radio when the shuttle passes over Kenya. A tiny bit forced, with their discussions of their different ways of life, but an interesting idea that people really can be very much alike even though their lives are very different. Will get both of these into someone's hands today.
I normally really like Gloria Miklowitz, but The Emerson High Vigilantes (1988)was disturbing, and not in a good way. Sure, it's nice that the students want to improve their school and save it from drug pushers and whatnot, and it's great that the author ends the book with questioning whether they should have tried to accomplish this is the way they did, but ultimately this failed for me because the vigilantes were no better than the people they were trying to punish, and they didn't suffer enough for their own acts. The students will probably love it, although it's been sitting neglected on the shelf a while. Dated cover art.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Murphy and Mooser
Two slow moving titles (circulation-wise, that is)-- Claire Rudolph Murphy's Gold Star Sister (1994) and Steven Mooser's The Hitchhiking Vampire (1989). The first is about a girl whose grandmother moves in with her family because she is dying of cancer. The grandmother has a box of letters among her things, letters from her brother who was killed in WWII. With these letters is a letter to another man, and the girl tries to track down his family before her grandmother dies. An intriguing story, good for girls who like problem novels, because it will introduce a little history to them.
The vampire book is more problematic. It's more of a comedy of errors, which is not what students who want vampire books would like. And the boys who want comedy--- I don't know. I will try it on some of my more voracious readers and see what they think. It's only gone out about four times the whole time it has been here at Blendon. It is further handicapped by a less-than-appealing cover.
It's amazing to me that some books will not go out no matter how hard I sell them. I have a rounder of books that is depleted daily, but there are some books that will not circulate even when they are sitting on the very top. Sometimes it is condition-- I have an Ellen Conford book that I love staring at me now, but it's worn and faded. I've had some success recovering books, so maybe I will try that as an experiment. The McKiernan The Dark Tide (Fantasy, Fantasy, 4/18) did go out yesterday, and the student really liked it, which just goes to prove that whether I like a book or not can be irrelevant if I see other merits in the book.
The vampire book is more problematic. It's more of a comedy of errors, which is not what students who want vampire books would like. And the boys who want comedy--- I don't know. I will try it on some of my more voracious readers and see what they think. It's only gone out about four times the whole time it has been here at Blendon. It is further handicapped by a less-than-appealing cover.
It's amazing to me that some books will not go out no matter how hard I sell them. I have a rounder of books that is depleted daily, but there are some books that will not circulate even when they are sitting on the very top. Sometimes it is condition-- I have an Ellen Conford book that I love staring at me now, but it's worn and faded. I've had some success recovering books, so maybe I will try that as an experiment. The McKiernan The Dark Tide (Fantasy, Fantasy, 4/18) did go out yesterday, and the student really liked it, which just goes to prove that whether I like a book or not can be irrelevant if I see other merits in the book.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Assorted Spring Break Reading
Really liked Sue Corbett's Free Baseball (2006). The boys will love the idea of running away from home and working for a baseball team, and I liked the more serious issue of political asylum from Cuba and missing his father. Good stuff.
Manning's Guitar Girl was great fun, but too much sex and drugs for my library. Notice, however, that I read the whole thing.
Meyer's Last Domino was interesting, about bullying and the psychological torture that is high school, but the main character ends up killing his parents rather brutally, and it was a very hard book to take.
Manning's Guitar Girl was great fun, but too much sex and drugs for my library. Notice, however, that I read the whole thing.
Meyer's Last Domino was interesting, about bullying and the psychological torture that is high school, but the main character ends up killing his parents rather brutally, and it was a very hard book to take.
Block's Necklace of Kisses
Ah, Weetzie Bat. How little we know ye. Francesca Lia Block's Necklace of Kisses (2006) was screaming to be read. Weetzie has a midlife crisis at 40, leaves her husband and business, and checks into a magical hotel where she failed, at her senior prom, to kiss the boy she thinks might have been her soul mate. Okay. The fashion asides are interesting, although if Weetzie has a similar figure to Block's, I don't really see why the crisis!
I enjoyed this book, but am really confused as to the audience. Weetzie Bat(1989) doesn't get a lot of readers these days, and I don't have the rest of the series, although I feel compelled to read them now. No middle schooler wants to read about a 40 year old, and how many 40 year olds would have read the original? I was married by the time it was published, and not reading about high school students.
The ending also didn't quite do it for me. She went back to the husband after meeting with former boyfriend. That just wasn't resolved to my liking. Something about the whole book left me feeling more conflicted about the character than ever. But, as I said, I feel a need to pick up the rest of the books, so there is something oddly compelling about the writing.
I enjoyed this book, but am really confused as to the audience. Weetzie Bat(1989) doesn't get a lot of readers these days, and I don't have the rest of the series, although I feel compelled to read them now. No middle schooler wants to read about a 40 year old, and how many 40 year olds would have read the original? I was married by the time it was published, and not reading about high school students.
The ending also didn't quite do it for me. She went back to the husband after meeting with former boyfriend. That just wasn't resolved to my liking. Something about the whole book left me feeling more conflicted about the character than ever. But, as I said, I feel a need to pick up the rest of the books, so there is something oddly compelling about the writing.
Fantasy, fantasy!
Finished McCaffrey's Dragondrums, and feel that I can now finish off the series (what I have of it) without taking the entire summer. It is confusing to figure out the order that the books go in, and they are challenging reads.
I wish that I liked Dennis McKeirnan's Iron Tower Trilogy better, since he visited Blendon years ago and lives locally (I think), but when I opened up the book and saw the map of the imaginary kingdom, my heart sank. When I read the Foreward, I knew I was sunk; he wanted more books like LeGuin and Tolkein, and he succeeded admirably in creating a series (Dark Tide, Shadows of Doom, The Darkest Day) that showed an intriguing world, a good fight against evil, etc.
Now might be a good time to mention that it took me until I was 32 to finish all the Tolkein books, and then only because I was pregnant and ill and didn't have the energy to do anything else. I don't like fantasy as a general rule, so this was hard going. It will be fabulous to hand to my 8th graders who claim to have read everything, however.
Also read through Sam McBratney's The Ghosts of Hungryhouse Lane (1988), and decided that it's just too young for the students. It was good, but at this age the students want ghosts who cause major mayhem and shed a bit of blood. Think I'll send it to the elementary school, where it should get more use.
I wish that I liked Dennis McKeirnan's Iron Tower Trilogy better, since he visited Blendon years ago and lives locally (I think), but when I opened up the book and saw the map of the imaginary kingdom, my heart sank. When I read the Foreward, I knew I was sunk; he wanted more books like LeGuin and Tolkein, and he succeeded admirably in creating a series (Dark Tide, Shadows of Doom, The Darkest Day) that showed an intriguing world, a good fight against evil, etc.
Now might be a good time to mention that it took me until I was 32 to finish all the Tolkein books, and then only because I was pregnant and ill and didn't have the energy to do anything else. I don't like fantasy as a general rule, so this was hard going. It will be fabulous to hand to my 8th graders who claim to have read everything, however.
Also read through Sam McBratney's The Ghosts of Hungryhouse Lane (1988), and decided that it's just too young for the students. It was good, but at this age the students want ghosts who cause major mayhem and shed a bit of blood. Think I'll send it to the elementary school, where it should get more use.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Assorted "M" authors
Gloria Miklowitz's Good-bye Tomorrow (1987) is interesting, but I wonder if the students today won't quite get it. It is about a boy who gets HIV from a blood transfusion. Treatment, both medical and social, has changed so much in the last twenty years that the book might be irrelevant. I'll run it by some of my problem novel fans.
Liked Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear(2001), and a lot of the boys who really liked The Outsiders might like it, as well as the boys who have read all of the survival fiction I have. I thought the way that Cole's anger was portrayed was especially effective, and it's still believable that he learns to deal with it by living alone in the wilderness.
Adem's Cross (1996), by Alice Mead, depicts the Yugoslav war in the early 1990's, but the descriptions of violence, frustration, and survival during war time ring true and could describe many different wars. A good one to have read; I think a lot of students will be encouraged to read it.
Marisa Montes (who is apparently the cousin of one of my students) did a good job with Something Wicked's in Those Woods(2000). So many things are covered-- Javi's parents die and he must move from his native Puerto Rico to live with his aunt in California. His little brother has an imaginary playmate, who might not be so imaginary. There are good explanations for some of the paranormal phenomena. The only thing that annoyed me was one character who kept uttering exclamations like "Crackers!" and "Crickets" and perhaps once "Cricket Crackers". But that's just me being easily annoyed.
Liked Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear(2001), and a lot of the boys who really liked The Outsiders might like it, as well as the boys who have read all of the survival fiction I have. I thought the way that Cole's anger was portrayed was especially effective, and it's still believable that he learns to deal with it by living alone in the wilderness.
Adem's Cross (1996), by Alice Mead, depicts the Yugoslav war in the early 1990's, but the descriptions of violence, frustration, and survival during war time ring true and could describe many different wars. A good one to have read; I think a lot of students will be encouraged to read it.
Marisa Montes (who is apparently the cousin of one of my students) did a good job with Something Wicked's in Those Woods(2000). So many things are covered-- Javi's parents die and he must move from his native Puerto Rico to live with his aunt in California. His little brother has an imaginary playmate, who might not be so imaginary. There are good explanations for some of the paranormal phenomena. The only thing that annoyed me was one character who kept uttering exclamations like "Crackers!" and "Crickets" and perhaps once "Cricket Crackers". But that's just me being easily annoyed.
Anne McCaffrey
Didn't get as much reading done over break as I would have liked, but did get most of the way through the Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums trilogy. Liked it more than I thought I would and will definitely recommend it to some of my hard core fantasy fans who have "read everything in the library".
My daughter started reading, and thought the books were a little confusing. There were a lot of odd names, and many characters to keep track of. At least these three seem to be fairly coherent together, unlike some of the others, which make me feel like I've missed a book somewhere along the way.
My daughter started reading, and thought the books were a little confusing. There were a lot of odd names, and many characters to keep track of. At least these three seem to be fairly coherent together, unlike some of the others, which make me feel like I've missed a book somewhere along the way.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Horror, realistic and supernatural
I think I've picked up Eve Bunting's The Presence (2003) before and didn't like it, but this time I enjoyed it very much. It is about a girl who goes to visit her grandmother in California. The girl is feeling guilty about a car crash which she survived but which took the life of a friend, and an evili spirit who lives in a church and preys upon young, guilt-ridden girls targets her. Pleasantly creepy with a good side romance. It will be well read.
Kristen D. Randle's Breaking Rank(1999) was great, and I hope I will be able to find a copy. A boy who is a member of a threatening but morally upright gang gets chosen to be in honor classes despite a history of these gang members not even speaking in school. He is given a tutor, a young girl who thinks he deserves a chance. It is a very complex novel, filled with teen angst, but bears the important message that education is always a good thing and worth the struggle. The fans of The Outsiders will love this one. The ending confused me a bit by being abrupt, but I was also dealing with the aftermath of finding out the dog we were going to adopt was not going to be coming to live with us.
Carrie Rosten's Chloe Leiberman (Sometimes Wong) (2006) irritated me. It went on for pages and pages about what everyone was wearing, until I got bored. Sure, girls are interested in fashion, but there needs to be some other character development as well.
Kristen D. Randle's Breaking Rank(1999) was great, and I hope I will be able to find a copy. A boy who is a member of a threatening but morally upright gang gets chosen to be in honor classes despite a history of these gang members not even speaking in school. He is given a tutor, a young girl who thinks he deserves a chance. It is a very complex novel, filled with teen angst, but bears the important message that education is always a good thing and worth the struggle. The fans of The Outsiders will love this one. The ending confused me a bit by being abrupt, but I was also dealing with the aftermath of finding out the dog we were going to adopt was not going to be coming to live with us.
Carrie Rosten's Chloe Leiberman (Sometimes Wong) (2006) irritated me. It went on for pages and pages about what everyone was wearing, until I got bored. Sure, girls are interested in fashion, but there needs to be some other character development as well.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Barbara Brooks Wallace
Having received the nicest letter from this author, I looked up some of her nonmystery books at the public library. I loved Hawkins (1977), about a boy who wins a "gentleman's gentleman" for a month. My son liked it, too, because he likes funny books.
Of course, this author's Peppermints in the Parlor is the best of the "orphan with evil relatives" books. She said her work is often called "Dickensian", but I actually think it is better.
Read Better than Running at Night; well, half of it. It is about a girl who is starting college and had too many inappropriate things for middle school. It started out well, but completely lost me half way through.
I'm slowing down, I know. Spring break is coming up, so I will have to redouble my efforts when not trying to train my family's new dog!
Of course, this author's Peppermints in the Parlor is the best of the "orphan with evil relatives" books. She said her work is often called "Dickensian", but I actually think it is better.
Read Better than Running at Night; well, half of it. It is about a girl who is starting college and had too many inappropriate things for middle school. It started out well, but completely lost me half way through.
I'm slowing down, I know. Spring break is coming up, so I will have to redouble my efforts when not trying to train my family's new dog!
Monday, April 03, 2006
Kevin Brooks
This author had a real hit with Candy (2005), although I was less thrilled with Kissing the Rain (2004) and Martin Pyg (2002). Over the weekend, I read Road of the Dead (2006), which wasn't quite as good as Candy, but was better than the others. A murder mystery, which we always need, about two half-gypsy brothers whose sister is killed. When they go to investigate on their own, they uncover conspiracy and intrigue. The older brother is rather unstable and commits many acts of violence, so I thought long and hard about this, but I think I will get it. The students will flock to read anything by this author, and this one is good.
Will pass, however, on Blake Nelson's Prom Anonymous. It didn't pull me in, and this author is prone to gratuitous sex and language. Same is true of Jenny Pollack's Klepto, which had a very pretty cover but too many cultural references from 1981.
And yes, I tacitly ban certain books from my collection. I am too busy to fight with parents about the contents of my collection. Also, there are certain words which I don't really want to read myself. Didn't our parents teach us that people use profanity when they are not clever enough to think up other words? When did using profanity become creative? I am still, literally, not buying it.
Will pass, however, on Blake Nelson's Prom Anonymous. It didn't pull me in, and this author is prone to gratuitous sex and language. Same is true of Jenny Pollack's Klepto, which had a very pretty cover but too many cultural references from 1981.
And yes, I tacitly ban certain books from my collection. I am too busy to fight with parents about the contents of my collection. Also, there are certain words which I don't really want to read myself. Didn't our parents teach us that people use profanity when they are not clever enough to think up other words? When did using profanity become creative? I am still, literally, not buying it.
Friday, March 31, 2006
The Geography of Girlhood
Kirsten Smith, while not using traditional verse, did a nice job with this new title. There are two poems (Fourteen and Population 9,761) that may force me to buy the book, although as a rule I dislike novels in verse, and I didn't like the direction that the plot of this one took. (Girl decides to skip town with boyfriend of sister, who decides to rob a convenience store.)
My idea of the most truly hideous book in the world is a novel in verse about soccer playing talking animals with quirky, dysfunctional families who live in the deep south. We all have our prejudices.
Novels in verse that I liked because the poems were so good are Helen Frost's Spinning through the Universe and Keesha's House. Wow. I also like that she explains the verse forms in the back.
My idea of the most truly hideous book in the world is a novel in verse about soccer playing talking animals with quirky, dysfunctional families who live in the deep south. We all have our prejudices.
Novels in verse that I liked because the poems were so good are Helen Frost's Spinning through the Universe and Keesha's House. Wow. I also like that she explains the verse forms in the back.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Princess Academy
This new title, by Shannon Hale, was good but problematic. I don't know who the audience will be about this semi-fantasy story of a mountain village whose daughters are all trained so that one may marry the prince. I enjoyed it, but my fantasy fans don't want to read about princesses (unless they fight dragons; the only conflict here is a band of thieves who want to hold the girls for ransom) and my princess fans don't really want fantasy. I may get it anyway-- it would be good for my fantasy fans who have read everything else, and I did enjoy it. My only question is: why do so many fantasy stories have that medeival Europe ring to them?
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Tired of reading
I know, I know; it happens to the best of us. Maybe it was the McCullers that pushed me over the edge, but the only thing I read over the weekend was The Beany Malone Cookbook.
Like Nicky Deuce: Welcome to the Family by Steven Schirripa, which the publisher sent to me. The author is apparently an actor on The Sopranos; I liked the book for the snapshot of Italian-American life in Brooklyn. Fairly standard comedy of errors, but a pleasant read, and I think the students will enjoy it.
Cupid Computer (1981) by Marg Milcsik may need to go. I don't think the children would appreciate the novelty that the computer afforded when the book was written. I will give it to a few students to see what they think.
Also am reading a fluffy, pink adult novel set in England. Sometimes that needs to be done, just to cleanse my palate for more young adult literature.
Like Nicky Deuce: Welcome to the Family by Steven Schirripa, which the publisher sent to me. The author is apparently an actor on The Sopranos; I liked the book for the snapshot of Italian-American life in Brooklyn. Fairly standard comedy of errors, but a pleasant read, and I think the students will enjoy it.
Cupid Computer (1981) by Marg Milcsik may need to go. I don't think the children would appreciate the novelty that the computer afforded when the book was written. I will give it to a few students to see what they think.
Also am reading a fluffy, pink adult novel set in England. Sometimes that needs to be done, just to cleanse my palate for more young adult literature.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
McCullers/Things I dislike in fiction
Read Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940). While it was good to read some adult fiction for a change, it was an utterly depressing book. None of the characters were happy. A lot of it was their own fault. It depressed me greatly, because there didn't seem to be salvation for any of them. I don't know that this is a book that many middle school students would appreciate.
Read McDaniels' No Time To Cry. Must admit that I would have read all of her stuff in middle school, not for the depressing topic (cancer) but because they are basically school stories.
Things that I Dislike in Fiction:
1. Talking animals.
2. Dialect, especially multiple ones.
3. Quirky, dysfunctional people, especially Southern.
If Brian Jacques lived in Alabama, I would never have made it through Redwall.
Read McDaniels' No Time To Cry. Must admit that I would have read all of her stuff in middle school, not for the depressing topic (cancer) but because they are basically school stories.
Things that I Dislike in Fiction:
1. Talking animals.
2. Dialect, especially multiple ones.
3. Quirky, dysfunctional people, especially Southern.
If Brian Jacques lived in Alabama, I would never have made it through Redwall.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
McKay and McDaniel
Read my first Lurlene McDaniel book. (Don't Die My Love) Went quickly, had just enough teen angst as well as serious issue. My only problem is that when I describe these books, from what is written on the cover, I tend to say "Everyone dies in them". Not entirely true, or there would not be a quartet about a girl with cancer, but the mortality rate is a bit higher than real life. Still, they are popular with children, and should make them think. Have a few more to read.
Hilary McKay's Dog Friday and The Amber Cat were rather amusing. A boy living in a bed and breakfast with his widowed mother, and the accident prone family of four children that live next door. English, so some British phrases to get through, but generally fun.
Also liked The Toothpaste Millionaire (1970) by Jean Merrill, even though it is dated. ("You may not believe it, but up to the time we moved to Cleveland, I had never met a black person." Made me think--"Moved from where? Mars?") The amounts of money involved in making the toothpaste and selling it are also anachronistic, but the story is good. Will recommend to my humor fans.
Really disappointing batch of new books that I glanced through: Turner's Hard Hit, which is a novel in verse, and I can't get anyone to read those, not even the good Helen Frost ones; Frederick's Crunch Time, about the SATs, which would be okay for high school; Morgan's Mondays are Red, about synethesia, which was just too confusing; and Russel Hoban's Riddley Walker (1980), which sounded so good but was written in such a profound dialect that I wanted to hurl the book across the room. Also was disappointed in Kathleen Odean's Great Books for Boys, because I thought she was wrong so much of the time. I guess that just goes to prove that each population is different.
Hilary McKay's Dog Friday and The Amber Cat were rather amusing. A boy living in a bed and breakfast with his widowed mother, and the accident prone family of four children that live next door. English, so some British phrases to get through, but generally fun.
Also liked The Toothpaste Millionaire (1970) by Jean Merrill, even though it is dated. ("You may not believe it, but up to the time we moved to Cleveland, I had never met a black person." Made me think--"Moved from where? Mars?") The amounts of money involved in making the toothpaste and selling it are also anachronistic, but the story is good. Will recommend to my humor fans.
Really disappointing batch of new books that I glanced through: Turner's Hard Hit, which is a novel in verse, and I can't get anyone to read those, not even the good Helen Frost ones; Frederick's Crunch Time, about the SATs, which would be okay for high school; Morgan's Mondays are Red, about synethesia, which was just too confusing; and Russel Hoban's Riddley Walker (1980), which sounded so good but was written in such a profound dialect that I wanted to hurl the book across the room. Also was disappointed in Kathleen Odean's Great Books for Boys, because I thought she was wrong so much of the time. I guess that just goes to prove that each population is different.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Maximum Ride
A student recommended I read James Paterson's Maximum Ride (2005). I liked it, and it will be perfect for my fantasy AND adventure/spy fans, but reading it left me with the mental equivalent of eating a pound of candy corn. Somehow, I felt a little queasy and I knew it wasn't good for me, but it tasted really good! I will also buy the sequels. I don't buy much fantasy, since I have a good collection, but this was a longer book and would be good for the students who have read "everything". (Even I haven't read everything yet!)
Also read Eloise McGraw's The Moorchild (1996) which has not checked out in 5 years, but will also be good for hard core fantasy readers. The story of a changeling child who doesn't fit in anywhere, it's better than this author's Mocassin Trail that I read last week. Took my Accelerated Reader test on it, got 100%, so now have 223 points for this nine weeks. About 550 for the year. Hey, if we make the students take them, I should take them, too, so I know what they are up against!
Did not care for Harper's Flashcards of My Life (2006). I don't think it would age well. Too many scrapbook type pages, cartoons, and the sort of thing that detracts from plot. Well, it would if there were much in the way of a plot.
Also read Eloise McGraw's The Moorchild (1996) which has not checked out in 5 years, but will also be good for hard core fantasy readers. The story of a changeling child who doesn't fit in anywhere, it's better than this author's Mocassin Trail that I read last week. Took my Accelerated Reader test on it, got 100%, so now have 223 points for this nine weeks. About 550 for the year. Hey, if we make the students take them, I should take them, too, so I know what they are up against!
Did not care for Harper's Flashcards of My Life (2006). I don't think it would age well. Too many scrapbook type pages, cartoons, and the sort of thing that detracts from plot. Well, it would if there were much in the way of a plot.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Mostly Misses
Did like Peg Kehret's The Ghost's Grave (2006). Kehret's mysteries are a bit hit in my library, and this one starts out with a great line, too: The night I moved in with Aunt Ethel, she shot a bat in the kitchen." Well, okay. Tell me more! A definite purchase!
Liked Catherine Forde's Fat Boy Swim (2003), but have no audience for it.
Ehrlich's Joyride (1988) was originally published under the title Where it stops, nobody knows, which we already have. No wonder it seemed very familiar.
Did not care for: Taylor's Air Raid: Pearl Harbor (1971) because it was just too slow, and the boys who want WWII books want something faster paced; Castellucci's The Queen of Cool (2006) because she used the f-word pointlessly on page 3; Zeises' Contents Under Pressure(2004) because it just didn't go anywhere; Clement's What Erika Wants (2005)because it took so long to figure out what was going on that I lost interest; And Booth's Falling From Fire (2002) because it just didn't interest me.
If I find the books dull, chances are good that the students will, too. I'll read anything.
Liked Catherine Forde's Fat Boy Swim (2003), but have no audience for it.
Ehrlich's Joyride (1988) was originally published under the title Where it stops, nobody knows, which we already have. No wonder it seemed very familiar.
Did not care for: Taylor's Air Raid: Pearl Harbor (1971) because it was just too slow, and the boys who want WWII books want something faster paced; Castellucci's The Queen of Cool (2006) because she used the f-word pointlessly on page 3; Zeises' Contents Under Pressure(2004) because it just didn't go anywhere; Clement's What Erika Wants (2005)because it took so long to figure out what was going on that I lost interest; And Booth's Falling From Fire (2002) because it just didn't interest me.
If I find the books dull, chances are good that the students will, too. I'll read anything.
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