Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing

Julia Gillian is accomplished at many things including the art of papier mache mask making, spreading her gum across her top teeth, and knowing exactly what her dog Bigfoot is thinking. She is still trying to master the claw machine at her Minneapolis neighbourhood hardware store. She has been trying for 3 years to get the meerkat perched inside. Julia Gillian is also good at the Art of Knowing. For example, in the morning, she's knows exactly when her mother will butter her toast, and what plate she will put her toast on.

But this summer, her Art of Knowing is letting her in on the fact that things change. Her parents haven't been taking her for picnics, or really spending any time with her at all. They are busy taking double load grad school courses. And they keep sending her out for walks in the 9 block area she is allowed in her neighbourhood. That's not exactly fun. She still has her green book to finish and she is just certain that it is going to have a sad ending. She tries talking to her babysitter and neighbour Enzo about everything, but Enzo is a woman of few words. Thank goodness Julia Gillian can put on her raccoon mask when she needs a bit more courage to head out the door.

Alison McGhee has written a sweet "moment in time" story about Julia Gillian's summer. She is growing up, and fighting parts of it. Black and white illustrations by Drazen Kozjan perfectly compliment the story. Julia Gillian is a great read for fans of Ivy and Bean, Clementine, and those who have outgrown Amber Brown.

Daisy Cutter The Last Train -- Guest Blogger Jesse Karp

Jesse Karp is back! This time blogging Daisy Kutter The Last Train




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Kazu Kibuishi put together the Flight anthology to great creative success. In 2005, he applied his sharp creative eye and hand to Daisy Kutter: the Last Train, a steam punk tale of the "future" Old West filled with robots, cattle wrastlin' varmints and the best, take-no-prisoners comic book heroine this side of Babymouse. Daisy wants to leave her locomotive-robbing days behind her, but when a mysterious stranger shows up with an offer she can't refuse, she and her old partner (and now local sheriff) are off to beat the unbeatable mechanical security guard in charge of a fast-moving money train.
This is really Ameri-Manga at its finest, with atmospheric black and white art and furious, exciting action sequences that fly at you a mile second. Most appealing of all is Daisy herself, a no-nonsense, somewhat foul-mouthed, gun-toting gal with a twinkle in her eye and a soft spot in her heart for just the right guy. She's the right lady to pull in female readers suspicious of the graphic format or surprise a male reader by making him forget he's cheering for a member of the opposite sex.

The Dragon's Child and Chiggers ...

...are over at Tweendom!

Would You

Ahhhh...summer when you're a teenager. I don't care if you lived in city or in country, chances are you were wandering the streets with a group of your friends getting into various amounts of trouble. You were free of adult constraints answering your parent's question of "Where are you going?" with the simple word "Out!"

This is the summer scene for sisters Claire and Natalie. Claire is soon heading off to university. She's ready to dump her boyfriend for an unknown future full of promise, and she cannot really wait to go off on her own. Natalie, on the other hand, is a bit anxious. She's never been without Claire, and cannot imagine going from sharing a room to seeing Claire occasionally. But Natalie is spending her summer like she always does. She's hanging out at the Ding-Dong where Audrey works with the rest of her friends. She's playing hideous games of "Would you rather..." with them, waiting for everyone to show. You know...how gross can it get? The rest of the night is spent pool hopping when the owners aren't around.

And then everything changes.

After the accident, Natalie doesn't know what to do. Is it wrong to go to work while your sister lays comotose in the hospital? Is it wrong to kiss a boy when your parents are so distraught that they can't even talk to you? Would you rather see your sister die, or be hooked to machines for the rest of her "life"?

Written in sparse prose, Marthe Jocelyn brings the reader into a family tragedy, and introduces some amazing teenage characters. Natalie's feelings are so raw, and her life with her friends is incredibly realistic. They are smart, and sharp, and genuinely care for one another. While this is a sad story, readers will find themselves hoping that Natalie can find her way and hoping that her family can keep it together. Would You is a perfect choice for the teens who have recently enjoyed Before I Die, by Jenny Downham

Again, in the interest of full disclosure, I do know Marthe Jocelyn, but rest assured, this book would not appear on my blog if I didn't think it was great!

Cicada Summer...

...by Andrea Beaty is over at Tweendom!

Totally Off Topic Poll

When I saw this over at 5th grade reads I knew I had to participate. I feel like I've lost my accent over the past 12 years...but....


What American accent do you have?

Your Result: North Central

"North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.

The West

The Midland

Boston

The Inland North

The South

Philadelphia

The Northeast

Life Sucks

Dave Miller is stuck in his dead end job at the Last Stop convenience store. Really stuck. Ever since he applied for the job and the owner turned him into his own personal vampire wage slave. The only bright spot in his nights is when the goth girls leave the local juice bar and come into the store to pick up snacks. Dave is particularly taken with the beautiful Rosa, but feels destined to be "just friends". Especially since there are other gorgeous vamps like Wes around, who are ready to make girls like Rosa who think they want to be vamps into their vampire brides.

Vegetarian (re blood bank drinker) Dave challenges Wes not to use his powers over Rosa, and to try to win her the old fashioned way. Will the good guy win?

The amazing team of Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria and Warren Pleece have created a fabulous vampire story that takes away some of the romance and makes readers see that life as the undead isn't as glamorous as it seems. Eternity is, after all, just that. The panels on page 139 brilliantly portray this.

Now as a former goth girl, I am a little particular about the portrayal of that segment of our population. I think that Life Sucks hits it spot on. From the clothing and style of the goth kids, to the reactions of those outside of the circle, it all felt right. The illustrations themselves are rich and defined, and the reader seems somewhat unaware of the fact that everything is taking place at night.

Do yourself a favor and pick it up. A great and different take on the vampire story.

The Professor's Daughter

It's 19th Century England, and the Professor's daughter Lillian has gone and fallen in love with the handsome mummy of Imhotep IV. Not exactly the best match, hmm? After Imhotep gets loopy from taking tea and smashes up the tea room, police come calling. Lillian doses the tea she offers to the police, thinking that she will be able to get Imhotep out of her father's suit, and put away before any more trouble ensues. Alas, she ends up killing the officers, and what follows rivals many an action film.

From long lost fathers, to kidnapping, to noble sacrifices for love, Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert have put together a graphic novel that zips along. The far-fetched story did not grab me as much as the GORgeous illustrations. From the sepia tones of early panels to the bright red coats of the palace guards, The Professor's Daughter is a visual stunner.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little...

...is over at Tweendom!

Repossesed

Here's a cover that will catch your attention!

Kiriel is one of the demons of Hell who guards over the minions reflecting their souls back to them. It's a gig he's done since the Rebellion. But he's tired. The Boss doesn't notice him, the Creator doesn't notice him, and frankly, he's sick and tired of the misery.

Time for a vacation.

The vacation's name is Shaun. Shaun is a typical, run-of-the-mill teen who is about to get run down by a cement mixer. Kiriel steps in seconds before the event, and while Shaun is no more, Kiriel is happy to start another existence.

Kiriel chose Shaun specifically because he has some autonomy, but doesn't have to truly take care of himself. Kiriel is soon experiencing a teenage boy lifestyle, and while his style is a bit different from Shaun's, he is doing quite well!

The beauty of this title for me is the fact that author A.M. Jenkins explores some pretty heavy territory, including not only the nature of life itself, but our place in it and our appreciation of it. While the viewpoint is a Christian one, the story and message are definitely universal in scope. The fact that Jenkins can get the voice of a teenage boy so well is part of what makes this such an authentic story. While readers wait and see how long Kiriel can get away with hijacking Shaun, we simply enjoy Kiriel's quest to get noticed and to live this life he has taken to its fullest.

Year End

So, here we are at the end of the year once more. How did my A-Z read go, you ask? A-hem. I had the best intentions, really I did. But I have learned that my reading cannot be disciplined like that outside of committee work!

There are a couple of goals for 2008 in regard to this here blog!

1) I want to actually blog more of the books I read. There were some gems like No Flying in the House (an A-Z too, btw) that never made it online. For shame!

2) Do some historical blogging. Especially of picture books. There are so many great old folktales that I use in my curriculum that I would love to share with others!

3) Make it a point to post either here or at Tweendom three times a week. I still want to remain focused on recommendations, but with all those books read that never made it here....it should be possible.

4) Click away in order to find new(ish) blogs that I like. Just found the 3 Evil Cousins today!

5) Get/stay active in the Kidlitosphere. What a great conference this year! Most likely I won't be able to make it out West for '08, so I want to be involved however possible!

This March will be my 3 year blogoversary! Who knew it would be this much fun?

Over at Tweendom...

Here are 3 recent reads over at Tweendom!

Beige

Katy cannot believe that her mother is leaving her with her father while she goes off to an archaeological dig in Peru. After all, her father is actually referred to as "The Rat". From the band "Suck". Can you imagine? How embarrassing.

She knew that her mom has somewhat of a sordid past. Ran away from home. Hooked on heroin. Pregnant so young. But her mom changed as soon as she found out she was pregnant with Katy. The Rat didn't change quite so quickly. Katy has not even seen him in years. His yearly visits dried up when she was about 7.

But here she is now in L.A. in the Rat's dive of an apartment. For two weeks! How will she last?

When Katy is introduced to Lake (who she finds out has been paid to hang with her), Lake dubs Katy "Beige". As in boring. As in milk toast. It's not that Katy doesn't have interests. It's just that they have always been safe interests. Predictable. Katy thrives on order.

When she finds out that her mother is extending her stay in Peru, Katy is devastated. She just can't understand why her mom would do this. They have always been a team. They keep each other steady. Now Katy is stuck in L.A. for the summer with her aging punk rock dad, and her only friend is a paid friend.

This is my favourite of the Castellucci novels. I loved the Montreal touches, and I really believed in Katy. No, there wasn't a huge transformation in Katy, but she's not the kind of girl who would change so drastically over a summer. Her layers of fear do peel away, and it is a pleasure to read. And look to the chapter titles to give yourself a bit of a punk rock education.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Frankie has always been underestimated by people. From her family calling her "Bunny Rabbit", to her virtual invisibility on campus her first year at Alabaster, Frankie is seen as less than. Less than her big sister Zada. Less than the boys on campus who take up too much space. Not even capable of wandering into town on her own at the Jersey shore.

And then she falls off her bike.

Suddenly, gorgeous senior Matthew Livingstone is Frankie's boyfriend. His friends are her friends and she loves all of the attention that she gets. But she doesn't like the fact that Matthew seems to be at Alessandro's (Alpha) beck and call. So one day when Matthew dumps her for the boys, Frankie engages in some espionage. Turns out that the old boy network that her dad is always going on about is still alive and well at Alabaster. Frankie is certain that she could do it better.

Since this is still in arc format, I am not going to give too much away, other than to say that I love this book. Boarding school, feminist sensibilities, and smart characters. From wordplay to the introduction of other authors and social theory, from discussions of class to that of following the crowd and the rules, there is so much going on in this book. Frankie is an amazing girl, and I think that E. Lockhart has outdone herself. Every student at our school who has read this is raving about it. The readers who love Waiting for Alaska will fall for this title as well.

The Luxe

The cover, the cover, the cover! The first time I saw this arc hanging out on a co worker's desk, I was just about overcome with jealousy. Nonchalantly I said, "Hmmm, this looks interesting...maybe I could borrow it when you are through?" She decided to read it, and it's been on my pile for a while now. I just started it yesterday, and finished it 5 minutes ago. I am going to buy myself a copy of the hardcover tonight.

The year is 1899, and NYC's social elite is doing what they do best. Going from fete to fete, and getting involved in scandal.

Sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland couldn't be more different. Elizabeth is just back from some finishing in Paris, and Diana still has her wild ways. Since their father died, their mother has been aging quickly and looking more distressed by the day. At the Hayes ball celebrating their new Fifth Avenue mansion, Elizabeth's mother presses her to dance with several suitors telling her daughter ominously that time is of the essence. While Elizabeth is off doing the proper thing, Diana is luring men into the coat closet in search of the perfect kiss.

Meanwhile, Penelope Hayes is waiting for handsome Henry Schoonmaker to make his entrance. She is certain that the time to make their affair public is upon them. He comes from one of the wealthiest families, and Penelope is certain that her own family's new wealth is enough for the Schoonmaker family.

What will happen when Mrs. Holland and Mr. Schoonmaker deem that a marriage between Henry and Elizabeth is a boon to both families? Will Penelope take this lying down? And what of Elizabeth's maid Lina? The one with a bit too much information about "sweet" Elizabeth and a certain stable boy.

Anna Godbersen has written a deliciously decadent story about love, betrayal, social class and friendship. Richly laden with historical detail, the characters are developed so well that readers will love and loathe each of them in measure. Sexy, but not over the top, fans of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and just released The Sweet Far Thing will eat this title up. With an open ending, I am hoping to read more about Elizabeth, Diana, Lina, Penelope and the boys!

Freak

Miriam is quite happy to be herself. At least when she is not in school. She yearns for the time in the past when she and sister Deborah would play together at home and have great imaginative adventures. But Miriam has noticed how much that Deborah has changed. She wears fashionable clothes and makeup, talks for hours on the telephone, and has enough assets to garnish the attention of Artie Rosenberg, who has just happened to move in with their family for senior year.

When Miriam is at school, things are almost unbearable. Not that she complains. The pretty, cool girls smell of watermelon lip gloss, get the attention of the boys, and Jenny Clarke, in particular, seems to live to torture Miriam. This is not big obvious bullying...rather the subtle girl sort. Miriam almost plays along...just to make it go away.

Miriam is, however, close to the breaking point. There is no support at home. Deborah just doesn't want to be embarrassed, her college professor dad is busy, and her self absorbed mother is getting ready for an art show. What will happen when Miriam breaks? And why is Jenny Clarke so venomous?

I think that Marcella Pixley has written a gripping first novel about the underbelly of middle school. Miriam is so real, as are the watermelon girls. She is weird enough but not so much so as to be unbelievable. And the Fisher household is truly something to behold. There are many middle school girls (and their teachers and parents) who should be reading this book. Brilliant.

The Dead and the Gone

So, you can imagine that part of my impetus to read Life As We Knew It was the shiny arc of this title showing up at work.

The time frame is the same, but this time the setting is NYC and the Morales family's experience of the meteor.

With Papi missing in Puerto Rico, and Mami missing from a hospital in Queens, Alex is the head of the family. He has Bri and Julie to take care of, but he is sure that this is just a glitch, and that his plans of Georgetown and the Presidency may well come to fruition.

Alex is a kid who knows that there are a couple of different NYCs. He is, after all, on scholarship at his school, and some of the boys never let him forget it. He doesn't wonder too much when money loses its' value, and he and schoolmate Kevin turn to body shopping in order to provide what each of their families need.

Somehow I thought that the story told from NYC would hit me harder. I found myself persnickety about facts like feet above sea-level in my borough, and a certain lack of terror that surely would have taken place.

I wonder if it is the lack of first person narrative that led me to yearn for the feeling of Life As We Knew It. That said, however, The Dead and the Gone does several interesting things. I love the way that Pfeffer built the disparity between social classes so easily into the plot line. Rich families do not experience the losses that Alex and his family do. Folks that exist in a perpetually clean NYC do not have to see the filth of the dead, do they? This is a reality of NYC. People who live here have incredibly different existences, one could say solely because of income. Also, I enjoyed the difference between the country and city post apocalyptic experiences.

These books really make readers wonder, "What would I do if...?"

Life As We Knew It

This is a book that I have been meaning to read for a while. I do love a good dystopia title, but for some reason this was slow to come to the top of my pile. Jen kept telling me to read it. I should have listened sooner.

Frankly, Miranda is a bit sick and tired of hearing about the meteor and the moon. She knows the meteor is scheduled to hit, and understands that it is a big deal, but do all of her teachers need to give assignments involving the event?

Well, it turns out that this meteor is the biggest thing to happen to Miranda's life. All of a sudden, there she is with her mom, her little brother, and neighbour Mrs. Nesbitt, at the supermarket. They are loading up with everything they can think of that they might need to survive. With the moon out of its' traditional orbit, everything changes.

Readers follow Miranda's family and their post meteor months through Miranda's diaries. The unthinkable has happened, and now they are trying to deal with human nature in the worst circumstances. Extreme weather, plague, and no electricity are only some of the things they face.

This is a riveting, and somewhat terrifying read. As a mother, I would like to think that I would be as organized as Miranda's mom. I love the fact that Miranda is flawed...she is 16 after all. It was so interesting to see how she and her friends dealt with the situation in completely different ways. I cannot wait to read Pfeffer's follow-up The Dead and the Gone.

Swim to Me

It is a long way from Grand Concourse in the Bronx to Weeki Wachi Springs in Florida, but to Delores Walker it is the place that she hopes to call home. 16 year-old Delores' father walked out a couple of years ago after a typically horrendous fight with her mother, and since then, Delores, Westie and mother Gail were on their own. The move is not a hard decision for Delores (except for the part of leaving her little brother). Her family's cramped, food stained apartment is not exactly paradise, and ever since she first saw the mermaids perform at Weeki Wachi, she knew that is where she belongs.

A long, hot bus ride later, Delores is in Florida, auditioning for Thelma Foote -- head honcho of the show. Even though Delores isn't exactly a beauty queen, her grace in the water and sage advice from mermaid Molly see her through, and she is moving into the dorms and is destined to become the star of the show, not to mention the local news.

In a series of interwoven events, the Walker family is brought back together (at least partially), and Delores is determined to break out of the cycle of poverty and abandonment that has been part of her family history.

Betsy Carter has written an engaging slice-of-life story that immediately draws readers in. The dysfunctional Walker family isn't too extreme, and many will be able to see parallels to corners of depression within their own family circles. Delores is quietly determined and strong in ways that are believable and heartwarming. The setting of 1970s America is perfect for these characters who do not know who they are yet, but know who they are not.

The first I had heard of Weeki Wachi Springs was this year on a reality-type television program. I have to say, that I have a soft spot in my heart for Americana such as this park. When my daughter finds out that people are actually mermaids for a living, we may be in trouble here!

The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy

...is over at Tweendom!