CURRENTLY READING: The Stolen Child

Book: Donohue, Keith (2006). The Stolen Child. New York: Random House.

Website: http://www.randomhouse.com/nanatalese/stolenchild/index.html

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Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall

Book: Willingham, Bill. (2006). Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall. New York: DC Comics.

Illustrations by: Esao Andrews, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Mark Buckingham, James Jean, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Derek Kirk Kim, Tara McPherson, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, Mark Wheatley

Number of Pages: 140

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CURRENTLY READING: Extremely loud & incredibly close / Jonathan Safran Foer.

Book: Foer, Jonathan Safran. (2005). Extremely loud & incredibly close. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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JUST FINISHED: Gaiman’s Neverwhere

Book: Gaiman, Neil. (1999). Neverwhere. New York: Avon.

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Bowery Girl

Book: Taylor, Kim. (2006). Bowery girl. New York: Viking.

Number of Pages: 223

Protagonist Age: (estimated) 16-17

Reading Level: ages 15 and up

Summary: Mollie and Anabelle live in the poverty stricken world of 1880′s New York City. To survive from day to day and afford the occasional beer, Mollie pickpockets while Anabelle prostitutes herself to anyone willing to pay for her services. Their one dream is to cross the Brooklyn Bridge on opening day and start a new life where the streets are greener and life is wonderful. . .but the temptations of the street and the interferences of a mysterious philanthropist woman collide and interfere with their plans.

What I Think: This book provides a seemingly well researched portrait of late 19th century New York, and in that lies its primary value. Unfortunately, the plot is pretty predictable and the characters are not too well developed to the point that you never develop real compassion for them; in fact, I was disappointingly unmoved by the tragic demise of one protagonist . There are a few interesting scenes when Mollie describes her thoughts as she looks for pickpocket victims, and other, almost shocking scenes of Anabelle pursuing her profession (prostitute). The author’s note suggests that she wrote this in part to raise awareness of life in poverty, which still exists around the world.

Book Talk Possibility: I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historic fiction because the historic details seems pretty accurate, and the girls’ lifestyles may be titillating to a younger reader. The five points/summary may be the best way to describe the book:

1. NYC in the 1880′s: the fashions, the nearing of a new century, the street life, and the Brooklyn Bridge nearing completion.
2. Two city girls, abandoned at a young age, who must submit to a life of crime and lean on each other to survive.
3. Their boyfriends are thieves and gangsters, spending their nights in dance halls and fighting rival gangs.
4. A philanthropist who offers the girls a better life, on the straight and narrow.
5. And the big dream of cross the Brooklyn Bridge to a new life on the other side (the end of the Yellow Brick Road. . .?)

Gathering Blue

Book: Lowry, Lois. (2000). Gathering blue. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Number of Pages: 215

Protagonist Age: (estimated) 13-15

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

Summary: In an unnamed place at an unknown time, fatherless Kira, born with a twisted leg, is an outcast from her first moment of life. By the rules of her society, anyone who has a disability or has outgrown his/her usefulness is taken out of the community and into the Field to be killed by the Beasts; she was fortunately spared this fate by her mother’s strong will and her grandfather’s high position. Upon the loss of her mother and only protector, she expects the worse sentence from the Council of Guardians. In this miserable society, where mothers seem to disdain their own children and hateful words are more common than laughter, she holds out little hope for her future. To her surprise, they assign her to a special role in the community thanks to her unusual skill with thread. As she enters this new position, she discovers many secrets about her community, the values of friendship, and her true role in leading her community to a new future.

What I Think: From the moment I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. I was reminded somewhat of The Handmaid’s Tale, not so much because of the similarities between the worlds depicted, but because of the way that both worlds were so well thought out and convincing. The Handmaid‘s world is more recognizably our own at some point in the future, whereas Kira’s home requires some imagination to link to our own world. Also, Handmaid has an arguably stronger political message, but then again, it is also a book for adults (I think). Gathering Blue focuses on more basic values of community, self, and, most interestingly, creativity. The characters are well developed and interesting. The mystery of this community entwines the reader in the tale, and even offers some surprises.

Book Talk Possibility: I think focusing on the mystery might be most interesting:

Imagine a society where only the strong survive, where the weak are taken to a field to be eaten by wild beasts. . . village where the clothes are drab, the huts of mud, and children aren’t coddled, but instead put in throny fenced enclosures. . .where creativity is a rare talent, and where it’s only public expression is the annual recitation of the world’s history. Is it our world? Is this the present? Past? How does a society get to this stage? And what can a weak lonely girl do to survive in such a cruel uncaring society?

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Book: Zevin, Gabrielle. (2007). Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Number of Pages: 288

Protagonist Age: 16-17

Reading Level: ages 14 and up

Summary: As a baby, Naomi was found on the doorstep of a Russian orphanage in a typewriter case. Sixteen years later, she is smart, well-liked, dating a popular jock, and co-editor of the school yearbook along with her best friend, Will. But she doesn’t remember any of this or anything else that happened in the last four years. After falling and hitting her head, Naomi forgets everything, from her boyfriend, to her best friend, and even her parents’ divorce. Over the course of the book, she rediscovers herself, her family and friends, and new and old loves and tries to make sense of it all.

What I Think: The premise of the book is interesting, and the title is catchy, but it wasn’t all that memorable, despite a colorful cast of characters. Perhaps the cast was too big? Perhaps there were too many plotlines and too much time condensed into only 288 pages? I can’t pinpoint the exact problem, but despite some thought-provoking moments, the book didn’t stay with me for long. I would still recommend this book, however, primarily for the central idea of rediscovering oneself and trying to understand how our identity is formed, or how the past has shaped our present.

Book Talk Possibility: Probably provide a brief description of the book, (see summary above) and go into an early part of the book, where Naomi has just come home from the hospital and she is exploring her room for clues (p. 44-45 in ARC):

I went through the drawers of my nightstand. The most interesting thing I found was a plastic compact containing birth control pills, which meant I was either a)having sex with someone (!?!!) b) on the pill for some other reason. The second most interesting thing I found was a leather diary. THis might have beat the birth control pills for the official title of Most Interesting Thing in Naomi’s Nightstand, had it not been a food diary detailing every single thing I’d eaten for the last six months. . .

. . .(through)

I wondered if the former Naomi Porter had been, in all likelihood, a complete and total jerk, someone that I probably wouldn’t have even wanted to know.

I wondered. . .

How the Hangman Lost His Heart

Book: Grant, K.M. (2007). How the hangman lost his heart. New York: Walker Books for Young Readers.

Number of Pages: 256

Protagonist Age: 16-17?

Reading Level: ages 12 and up

Summary: August 10, 1746, Alice watches as her poor Uncle Frank is hung, drawn and quartered for treason. She keeps her eyes open throughout, as does her Uncle Frank. Alice is determined to get his head back from its place up on Temple Bar, and that’s where her adventures begin. She teams up with Dan Skinslicer, Uncle Frank’s very accomplished executioner, and the handsome Captain Hew Ffrench (yep, double F), capturing everyone’s hearts in the process. This practically true story is told with humor and a touch of magic, giving the reader a glimpse of earlier (and gorier) times.

What I Think: This was a fun read, and had some pretty humorous moments. There are some disturbing descriptions of the execution process, but the truly horrific details are not told so much. I enjoyed the author’s introduction, which describe the true roots of the story (her own family’s!), and the humorous description of the different characters. It is a light read, but quite amusing.

Book Talk Possibility: I really like the five point format of introducing the book:

1. London, 1746, and the public is hungry for blood!
2. Unfortunately, that blood is Alice’s own Uncle Frank’s, who was sentenced to be executed for treason.
3. This execution is not a simple affair: he is to be hanged, drawn and quartered in the hands of the most efficient hangman: Dan Skinslicer!
4. But Alice can’t let her poor uncle’s head rest on the Temple Bar and with her cornflower blue eyes, she can make even a hangman lose his heart.
5. And what about her ridiculously wigged Faraway Grandma and the lonely Aunt Ursula? Read on to see how this cast of characters brings Uncle Frank home.

Stardust

Book: Gaiman, Neil. (1999). Stardust. New York: Avon Books.

Number of Pages: 233

Protagonist Age: 17

Reading Level: 14 to adult

Summary: Once upon a time, in Victorian time, in the English town of Wall, Tristran Thorn falls in love with the prettiest girl in town and promises to bring her back a fallen star. To get this star, he must pass through the gate in the wall for which the town is named and enter the land of faerie. This gate is guarded year round, and passage is only allowed once every nine years for the magical market fair. But Tristran is a special case because, unbeknownst to him, his birth was the result of that very market fair. On his travels, he encounters interesting creatures, some kind, others cruel, and eventually captures that fallen star. . .but many more adventures and discoveries occur before he returns home to see his girl again.

What I Think: This is a sweet tale, with a touch of mystery, a touch of danger, a foul-mouthed star, and lots of magic. The overall storyline follows the expected epic quest trajectory. Still, this is an enjoyable read, in part because of the expected storyline, which provides a sense of comfort and perhaps nostalgia, but more so because of the interesting characters. The historical setting also provided an attractive background. Overall, it is an engaging story and full of fantastical details.

Book Talk Possibility: A combination of the five points and a section of the book is probably best, so that the audience can get a sense of the story AND the author’s voice:

1. A magical town bordering on the real world and faerie land, where both worlds converge once every nine years to celebrate the market fair
2. A boy born of an affair between faerie and human
3. A Victorian era hero willing to go to the other end of the earth for the kiss of his beloved
4. A foul-mouthed fallen star sought by all
5. A witch, murderous brothers, and evil trees. . .

And to get a bit of the author’s voice, perhaps read this section, where Tristran first discovers the fallen star (p. 96-97):

“Hello?” said Tristran.

The sniffling stopped. But Tristran was certain he could see a light beneath a hazel tree, and he walked toward it.

“Excuse me,” he said, hoping to pacify whoever was sitting beneath the hazel tree, and praying that it was not more of the little people who had stolen his hat. “I’m looking for a star.”

(THROUGH. . .)

“You are the star,” said Tristran, comprehension dawning.

“And you’re a clodpoll,” said the girl, bitterly, “and a ninny, a numbskull, a lackwit and a coxcomb!”

“Yes,” said Traistran. “I suppose I am at that.”

Sight

Book: Vrettos, Adrienne Maria. (2007). Sight. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Number of Pages: 272

Protagonist Age: 15

Reading Level: grade 8 and up

Summary: For many years, Dylan has kept a big secret from almost everyone in her life: since she was five, she has had disturbing visions of the last few minutes of a child’s life before they are murdered. She had her first vision when a classmate of hers was abducted and killed in kindergarten. . . and they have continued since. Her classmate’s murderer was never found, and this gave birth to the legend of the Drifter among Dylan’s friends and others in the small mountain community where they live. Now, the Drifter seems to have returned, and no one feels safe.

What I Think: I thought this was an interesting, if disturbing, premise for the book. The characters are interesting and pretty well developed, and aside from the principle storyline there are some underlying issues, including those between the year-round mountain-dwellers and the weekenders, the mentality of living on a mountain (perhaps the author’s own experience), the dynamics of the relationship between the protagonist and her close knit circle of friends, the big family secret, etc. Sometimes, there are almost too many issues going on, but Dylan’s vision is at the center of much of them. It is not an amazing book, but it does keep the reader’s attention. Also, the author has kept Dylan’s visions pretty tame for the most part, so although there is a definite sense of tragedy, and there are moments where a younger reader could feel some suspense, it is not too horrific.

Book Talk Possibility: The more graphic parts of the book are those that have to do with Dylan’s visions, but these are not so graphic so as to be especially enticing to the potential reader. A better booktalk plan would include the five points/highlights of the story:

1. For over ten years, Dylan has carried around a terrible secret: she has visions of the last few moments in the lives of children who have been murdered
2. This started when one of her kindergarten classmates was abducted and murdered, by a person that the town dubbed “the Drifter” and who was never found
3. Since then, she has worked with the local sheriff to help solve these murders, and help the grief-stricken parents understand their children’s last moments
4. But now, the Drifter appears to have returned, and Dylan feels helpless as everyone in her community relives the terror of ten years back.
5. A new girl has moved to her school and for some reason, Dylan decides to spill her big secret. But what secret does this new friend have?