It's good to be done...

It’s official…I’m done.  My diploma came in the mail last week.  It feels really good, but I’m finding that I’m having to rediscover my hobbies. I got so used to coming home from work to start on my “second job” these  last two years that I think I’ve forgotten what I like to do for fun :)  The first thing I rediscovered was curling up with a book that *I* want to read.  Not a textbook.  Not even a YA novel that I was assigned to read.  I had a couple of children’s and young adult lit. classes and no, not all of the books we read were horrible…I just think it makes a difference when it’s something you are being forced to read for an assignment vs. something you want to read.

So I’m going to try and get back to this blog and posting about books I’m reading.  I also want to post about some that I read for my classes…but I’ll have to find where I stuck my flash drive with all my assignments before I can do that.  Hahaha – can you tell I was ready to be done?  I came to despise the sight of that flash drive.  Anyway, I did come across plenty of good books in my classes that I want to share.  Some of them I hated and would never recommend to anyone.  Others, I was surprised how much I liked them due to their tough content and would therefore recommend some of them with caution.  Not all books are for everyone.  For example, my sweet baby sister couldn’t even get to “The Games” in The Hunger Games because she started having nightmares.

Here are a couple of books I've read since graduating that I’ve really enjoyed.  And there should be lots more to come now that I’ve got my soul back from the graduate school gods :D

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Ages 8 and up

Yes, this is by the same author as The Hunger Games. But this series is geared toward a much younger age group.  It was actually Suzanne Collins debut in children’s literature and is the first book in a five-book series.  I’ve read the first two and have the third one on hold at the library.  I liked each of them equally well - - and a lot!  

Gregor is eleven and his dad went missing a few years ago.  Actually, Gregor  can tell you how many years, months, days, hours and minutes ago his dad went missing.  There’s no trace of what happened to him, and Gregor doesn’t believe his dad would run out on them, despite what the cops say.   His mom has to work a lot to make ends meet, which means that during the summer, Gregor is stuck in their tiny, un-air conditioned apartment in New York City for most of the day, taking care of his youngest sister, Boots (her real name is Margaret), who is two, and his senile grandma.

Things take an interesting turn when Gregor is doing laundry in the apartment building’s laundry room.  Boots goes head first through a hole in the wall for her bouncy ball and without thinking, Gregor dives after her.  They keep falling….and falling…and falling…Until they find themselves in the Underland, where they encounter creatures that they are used to encountering at home, except in the Underland, the creatures are as big (or bigger) than the humans.  Cockroaches (crawlers), rats (Gnawers), bats (fliers), spiders (spinners), just to name a few.  Gregor and Boots are initially rescued by the Underlanders: pale-skinned humans with violet eyes who think that the appearance of Gregor and Boots is fulfilling a prophecy made by their founder hundreds of years ago.  By fulfilling the prophecy, not only will Gregor save the Underlanders from being destroyed by the Gnawers, but he’ll also have a chance to save his father who is being held prisoner by the Gnawers.

I couldn’t put these books down and am excited to read the third one.  It’s definitely a page-turner and Gregor’s humor, as well as adorable Boots, kept me laughing out loud.  Suzanne Collins said she got inspiration to write The Underland Chronicles from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  She wanted city kids to be able to relate more to a story like that.

Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye

Ages 10 and up

Hermux Tantamoq is a mouse who takes great pleasure in the simple things of life: a good doughnut, his pet ladybug, and reading a good book at home at the end of the day.  His world is turned upside down though when the beautiful and charming Linka Perflinger, “dashing daredevil aviatrix and adventuress”, comes to his watch shop and asks him to fix her watch.  She stresses that it must keep time perfectly (it is a matter of life or death) and will be back the next day to pick it up.  It was love at first sight for Hermux and he eagerly sets to fixing the watch.

When Ms. Perflinger doesn’t return to pick up her watch, Hermux becomes worried and starts trying to piece together what happened to her.  He is soon in way over his head as he uncovers a trail of kidnapping, betrayal, murder, and cover-ups.  “He must be daring.  He must be vigilant.  And he doesn’t know how.  But as sure as corn is sweet and cheese goes moldy in the rain, Hermux must rescue Ms. Perflinger and, in the process, find out just what kind of mouse he really is.

Time Stops for No Mouse is the first of four books in the Hermux Tantamoq Adventure series.  I’m currently reading the second one and haven’t been disappointed.  I think it is Hermux’s genuineness and inquisitiveness that I like most about the books.  The chapters are short and therefore lead to that problem of…."Well, I’ll just read ONE more chapter before I go to bed…Okay, maybe two more…”.  You know how it is.  :)

Copper Sun

I'm back! I'm pretty sure that my mom and sister will be the only ones still checking this blog, but I'll post anyway. :) I just finished my last final of the semester (Cataloging is the pits, in case you were wondering) and am now free until June 7!!!

I was also in a Young Adult Lit. class this semester. I wish I could just post the reading list from the class, but that's not going to happen. I could not believe how many trashy books I had to read! The professor selected 21 books that we had to read and have class discussions about and then we selected 20 of our own. I always knew that YA lit can be questionable, but HO-LY COW! I'll spare you the details and just tell you to trust me, you don't want to read most of the books I had to read. :P Some of them created quite the moral dilemma for me and there was one that I decided not to finish, so we'll see if/how it affects my grade. But let's not get into a discussion about moral relativism since Elder Christofferson has done a great job of it already (I used his talk as a base for some of my arguments in class; I didn't quote him directly or anything, just used it as a guide. Most of my classmate just thought I was a prude (so be it) but it got some of them thinking).

But I digress... This book by Sharon Draper might not be for everyone. It deals with slavery and can be somewhat graphic, but I think the author does an excellent job of balancing the good and the ugly. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres (probably my most favorite :-) and this is definitely a well-researched, well-written book.

The story is about two girls: Amari, who is stolen from her village in Africa, and Polly, who is an indentured servant who ends up on the same plantation as Amari. When I was taking notes for my class while reading this book, one of the first things I wrote was "What human beings are capable of :(". Again, this book is not for everyone -- it deals with rape, severe beatings, and murder, including a newborn baby (I just want you to know what to expect if you decide to read it). As I got a little further into the book though, I decided that my thought about humans and what we are capable of can be viewed from the other end of the spectrum too. Amari and Polly both overcome horrific things and come out better human beings because of it. I cried at the ending because it was really inspiring to see them rise above the schmuck around them (schmuck that I can't even fathom) and decide they were going to try and make the world just a little bit better.

I'll post other books that I actually did enjoy reading and think are quality pieces of literature. That's what I don't understand: there are so many GOOD books out there; why did my professor only choose books that use drugs, sexuality (in all its forms...), swearing (one book we had to read said the F-word about every third paragraph; I'm not exaggerating either) as a crutch to capture teenagers' attention!?! I think teens should be insulted/offended by this. But what do I know?

Pictures of Hollis Woods, by Patricia Reilly Giff

"This can be a new start, Hollis. A new place." She licked her fingers and scratched at the mustard stain. "No one knows you. You can be different, you can be good, know what I mean?"

Maybe she gave this speech to every foster kid in every driveway as she dumped them off like the UPS guy dumping off packages on a busy day, but I didn't think so. I had looked into her eyes once, just the quickest look, and I had seen that she felt sorry for me, that she didn't know what to do with me. Too bad for you, mustard woman.

Hollis Woods is almost 12 when the book begins and has been in the foster care system her entire life. Called a “mountain of trouble” by one of her foster caretakers, Hollis is tough because she doesn’t know how to be anything else. But underneath all her prickles, Hollis has a tender heart. She’s never stayed at any place too long (she frequently runs away) but really wants a family more than anything. Hollis is living with Josie Cahill at the beginning of the book, an eccentric, retired art teacher who lovingly pulls Hollis under her wing and whom Hollis trusts completely.

Hollis is also an artist who has a natural talent for drawing. She has a series of pictures that she drew the summer before. They serve as flashbacks to when she was living with the Regan family in Branches, New York. The Regan’s wanted to adopt Hollis and Hollis had never been happier until a tragic accident happened and Hollis let her fears take over, blamed herself, and ran.

While living with Josie, the social worker tells Hollis that the agency will be moving her again when it becomes obvious that Josie frequently forgets things and cannot take care of Hollis. In order to not be separated from her, Hollis runs one more time and takes Josie with her. It’s hard not to fall in love with Hollis and to hurt for her as she tries work through what happened with the Reagan’s last summer. For those of you who like to listen to books-on-cd while driving etc, check your local library to see if they have Pictuers of Hollis Woods on cd read by Hope Davis, who does a fantastic job reading the story.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Once I'm on my feet, I realize escape might not be so simple.

Panic begins to set in. I can't stay here.

Flight is essential.

But I can't let my fear show.

Somewhere in the ruins of North America, there are a total of twelve districts in the nation of Panem which surround the Capitol. Every year, the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games. On a day called the Reaping, a boy and a girl from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games . The twenty-four participants fight to the death on live TV. The Capitol chooses the setting and has complete control over the elements.

Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen-year-old girl in District 12 where conditions are hard for her and her family. She lives with her mother and sister in the Seam of District 12. Katniss is tough. She has provided food for her family since her father died in a mining accident. She hunts illegally with her friend, Gale. He is a couple of years older than Katniss and is single-handedly taking care of a family of five. I admit, I have a bit of a crush on Gale.

On the day of the Reaping, Katniss's little sister, Prim, is chosen for the Hunger Games. There is a rule in which a person may volunteer to take someone's place. Katniss quickly volunteers. Peeta, a boy the same age as Katniss who she knows from school, is chosen to represent District 12 as well. Katniss earliest remembrance of Peeta is when he purposely burned some bread in his parents' bakery so he could give it to Katniss who was rummaging through garbage cans outside. I admit, I have a bit of a crush on Peeta as well. They are thrust into the Hunger Games and I think you will be suprised by the outcome.

This book is fabulous. It is well-written and I can't wait for the next one in the series to come out this fall. On a very superficial level, this is reality TV gone extremely wrong. On a deeper level, this is an example of how a person is able to remain human, even when terrible things are happening all around them. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

"Green, my mother said to me that day, moments before they left for the city, we're leaving you behind because you're the one who's needed most of all.

"Now that she was standing next to me, I was surprised to find that I was almost as tall as my mother. I felt my love for her in the back of my throat, like a stone, heavy, making it impossible for me to speak. I was almost a woman myself. Too old to admit I was wrong, or so I thought then. Too old to race after my mother when she turned to leave. I had too much pride to say good-bye. I kept my nose in the air and my back to them. I was Green, moody and prideful and angry.

"I will forever remember that I turned away."

I've been sitting here for 30 minutes trying to decide how to summarize this book. If I had to absolutely, positively, no exceptions allowed declare to the world my favorite book, Green Angel would be it. The words still aren't coming. Here's the summary from the back of the book:

Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.

The disaster that takes Green's family away from her is of apocalyptic proportions and actually destroys the whole city they live in. Green turns into Ash. The story is about Ash becoming Green again. This book has some deep, thought-provoking messages. To put it simply, it explores how people deal with the same event in different ways and that love is the only thing that can truly heal a person...at least that's my interpretation. And I learn something new every time I read it. It is different book and it definitely comes down to a matter of personal taste. Other people who I've recommended it to have either loved it like I did or said, "That was really weird." That being said, check it out if you'd like and let me know what you think.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

"Feel any different?" Pigeon asked eagerly.

"A little," Nate said. "Sort of tingly. It tastes really good. I almost feel..."

He moved to take a step and floated right up into the air.

Any Fablehaven fans in the house? The Candy Shop War is by the same author, Brandon Mull.

Nate Sutter just moved to Colson, a small town in California. His first day in town he meets Summer, Trevor and Pigeon (known as Paul to his mother). He is relieved to be initiated into their club, The Blue Falcons, so he has some friends when they all start 5th grade at Mt. Diablo Elementary.

The four friends meet Mrs. White, a grandmotherly woman who just opened a candy shop in Colson. After earning her trust, she reveals to them that she is a magician and she makes candy with magical side effects such as: "Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise." These candies prove to come in handy as Mrs. White has The Blue Falcons search the town for a long lost treasure.

Enter Mr. Stott, an ice cream truck driver that Summer and Pigeon have known their entire lives. He turns out to be a magician himself and tries to recruit The Blue Falcons as well. They don't know who they can trust and it doesn't take long before they are in way over their heads. The mysterious man in the fedora hat and dark overcoat that is following them around does nothing to rest their minds either.

This book was fast paced and very funny. Like Fablehaven, Mull's characters are witty and age-appropriate. I reread the last few chapters because there was so much to take in! How authors can keep track of all the details and tie everything together at the end is amazing!

Let the war begin...

P.S. For those who haven't heard yet, I got accepted to graduate school and will start working on a Master of Library Science in Children and Youth Services degree in January. One of the first classes I will be taking is History of Children's Literature. Wahoo!

East, by Edith Pattou

Rose has always been different...

In keeping with the fairytale theme, I decided to post about East, by Edith Pattou. People often mistake this as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. While it is definitely Beauty and the Beast-esque, it is actually a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon , a Scandinavian fairytale (the Norwegian version, to be exact).

Here is the synopsis from the back of the book:

Since the day [Rose] was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home...but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever.

So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage Rose to come away with it - in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family - she readily agrees.

Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart - and finds her purpose - and realizes her journey has only just begun.

Each chapter is told from a different characters perspective, namely: Rose, Neddy (Rose's brother), Rose's Father, Troll Queen, and White Bear. Each chapter is fairly short, so I give you a fair warning: You will be tempted to read "just one more chapter" and the next thing you know it is 1am and your alarm is set to go off in just a few hours but you HAVE to find out what is going to happen.

So, that being said: Enjoy at your own risk :)