A Shout Out From James Preller!

I was so excited to see a comment on my blog from James Preller, author of the "Jigsaw Jones" mystery series and the recent, "Bystander". I reviewed "Bystander" earlier in my blog and he responded to it and gave me a shout out on his blog! Wow....I am being constantly reminded everyday, in little and big ways, of why I want to be a librarian and a writer and an artist and a kid....

Here's what he had to say:

"...* Here’s a cool new blog, titled Future Librarian, Kids! He’s just up and running, and I remember those early months of trying to figure it out, so hop on over and say hello. He’s posted some well-written reviews and also took the time to remember School House Rocks — and you’ve got to love that in a blogger. In a review that was obviously written with great care, the unnamed “future librarian” writes: “The theme of keeping silent over speaking up runs deep throughout the book . . . Needless to say, I read Bystander fairly quickly and really enjoyed it. It captures the feeling of middle school quite well and I really felt compassion and understanding for all the characters.”"

http://www.jamespreller.com/

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

Summary:

Frederick is the shy new boy and Xio is the bubbly chica who lends him a pen on the first day of class.

They become fast friends-but when Xio decides she wants to be more than friends, Frederick isn't so sure. He loves hanging out with Xio and her crew, but he doesn't like her that way.

Instead, he finds himself thinking more and more about Victor, the captain of the soccer team. Does that mean Frederick's gay? He can't be-he sees how everyone makes fun of Iggy, a boy all the other kids think is gay. Frederick has to deal with some tough choices: Even though he is curious about Iggy, he's just started fitting in at his new school, and he doesn't want to lose Xio, his best friend.

In So Hard to Say, Alex Sanchez, acclaimed author of the groundbreaking novels Rainbow High and Rainbow Boys, of which School Library Journal said, "It can open eyes and change lives," helps younger readers look at self-discovery, coming to terms with being gay, and acceptance of people who are different from us. He says, "The book comes in response to so many teachers, librarians, and students asking for a story like this."

I was a big fan of Sanchez's YA novels Rainbow High and Rainbow Boys so I chose So Hard to Say because I was curious to see how he wrote about gays issues from a tweens point of view. A tweens struggle with coming out of the closet can be one of the most difficult events in his or her life because its usually a time when hormones are racing, voices are changing, and wanting to be accepted among your peers is top priority. Not only is it a struggle for the gay tween, but the other tweens who must learn to form opinions and views about homosexuality. Is it right or is it wrong? Is it more important to fit in with the popular vote and continue to use terms like "that's gay" or "faggot" or is it more important to stand up to homophobia at the risk of being shunned? So Hard to Say tackles these issues through the voices of Frederick, the shy new boy at school and Xio, the sassy popular girl in love with him. It's a simple story with each chapter alternating from Frederick's voice to Xio's. Frederick tries to figure out why he doesn't feel the same way about Xio as she does for him. He feels those ways about Victor, the captain of the soccer team. Frederick finally begins to come to terms with being gay via the picked-on gay kid at school, Victor. The revelation forces everyone involved to deal with what it means to be gay and to have friends who are guy. In the end some of the kids make the right decision yet some choose to follow the crowd.

I love a well-written book that is a positive resource for kids struggling with sexuality and this book is definitely one of them. Another great one from Mr. Sanchez! I wish I had authors like this around when I was growing up!

About the author:

http://www.alexsanchez.com/Teen%20Reads.asp.html

More on the book:

http://www.alexsanchez.com/So_Hard_To_Say/So_Hard_To_Say_Excerpt.htm

http://books.simonandschuster.com/So-Hard-To-Say/Alex-Sanchez/9780689865640

OMG! I am so on this one!!! Golden ticket here I come!

This post is not a review. I just had to share my excitement. I wish I could get all Veruca Salt with this Willy Wonka promotion...but I don't have the spoiled luxury of having a rich dad so I'll probably be relying on luck just like Charlie.



Here's a bit of info I found about the contest

http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/01/willy-wonkas-golden-ticket/

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Summary:

There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road.

A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath.

Kittens, however, are notoriously curious creatures. And one kitten's one moment of curiosity sets off a chain of events that is astonishing, remarkable, and enormous in its meaning. For everyone who loves Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling, for everyone who loves the haunting beauty of writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Flannery O'Connor, and Carson McCullers, Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love -- and its opposite, hate -- the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.

The Underneath was recommended to me by Valerie, the children's librarian at the Bernal Height's branch in San Francisco where I work. I was a little reluctant to read a book about kittens and dogs, but I trust Valerie and was not disappointed. What I thought was going to be a fluffy, feel-good type of children's book turned out to be so much more. The themes that run through the book, in my opinion, may be a bit mature for readers younger than 11. The main characters are the twin kittens, Sabine and Puck, whose mother befriends a tortured and chained up bloodhound named Ranger. Ranger's owner is the main human character, Gar-Face who is a horribly violent man who lives in the swamps, hunts alligators, and drinks...a lot. In a terrible chain of events started by the cute and curious Puck, Gar-Face captures Puck and his mother and attempts to drown them. Puck survives, but loses his and Sabine's mother. In her last breath she makes Puck promise to go back for Sabine and Ranger and save them from the evil Gar-Face. Interwoven into the story of Puck, Sabine, and Ranger is the story of the swamp creatures who are hundreds if not thousands of years old: the mystic moccasin/cottonmouth snake with an evil plan revenge, her friend the old alligator who plays a catch-me-if-you-can game with Gar-Face, the shape-shifting daughter of the mystic snake and her shape-shifting lover Hawk-man. Their story is one of love, jealousy, lies, revenge, and redemption that is told like a Native American fairy tale. Both story lines have a strong theme of being true to promises and learning from mistakes and always choosing love and family first.

There are a lot of dark themes running through this book: familial violence (as a young boy Gar-Face is beaten by his father), animal abuse (Gar-Face kicks and beats Ranger), scenes of death. This is definitely a book for older 'tweens', but a parent may be able to read it to a younger child without it being to scary or sad. The fact is there is always a feeling of hope throughout the book and that's what kept me hooked. I wanted the cute motherless kittens to win and save the poor abused hound! I really loved how Appelt was able to make me visualize these animals growth and motives. Lovely book!

More on the book:
http://www.kathiappelt.com/

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/underneath

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Underneath/Kathi-Appelt/9781416950585

Bystander by James Preller

Summary:

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.

But something isn't right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it.

As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: he’s a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.

Preller's book takes on the subject of bullying which is all too common in the news today. It's always a very sad day when I read in the news that a young boy or girl has committed suicide because of the fear and isolation s/he feels from being bullied at school. Bystander looks at bullying through the eyes of the new kid at school, Eric. From the moment Eric meets Griffin he knows that something isn't so nice about the kid. Griffin has the gifts of good looks and charm, but underneath he has a dark side. Griffin uses his 'gifts' to win over the other students and in doing so he is able to use them to create a world of chaos in which poor souls like the homely, overweight, David Hallenback, get physically and emotionally abused everyday. Eric isn't sure whether or not to be friends with Griffin or to be afraid of him and fight back. The first half of the book has Eric and many of the other students caught in a battle between doing what is right, or staying silent about the horrible things that Griffin does. Griffin's acts take on a whole different meaning when he physically injures David while the other students watch and do nothing. Eric must decide between right and wrong. This means going against Griffin and suffering the consequences. Preller does a wonderful job at developing the characters. Griffin isn't just a bully for no reason. The reader is briefly taken into the turmoil and chaos of Griffin's home life. He has a abusive, alcoholic father. I feel sorry for him when he shows up to school with a black eye. Everyone knows why, but the students don't want to talk about it. How often does this happen in schools today? The theme of keeping silent over speaking up runs deep throughout the book. Eric's character also comes from a family torn apart over their father leaving them. We find out that Eric's father is schizophrenic and Eric must deal with his anger and come to an understanding about his father's disease, or else he fears he may end up like Griffin. The minor characters of David and Mary also go through the struggles of fitting in and deciding right from wrong. I don't want to give away the ending, but I will say I'm not so sure how realistic it was. The character's in the book do come to their own resolutions with minimal help from adults. Possible yes. In this situation though I'm not sure how realistic it is.

Needless to say, I read Bystander fairly quickly and really enjoyed it. It captures the feeling of middle school quite well and I really felt compassion and understanding for all the characters. As far as the 'tween' set goes, I think this book may be a bit too much for younger kids to understand, but is perfect for those kids entering into middle school.

Further websites and reviews:

http://www.jamespreller.com/category/bystander/

http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/bystander-by-james-preller/

Remembering 'School House Rock!'

While shelving juvenile DVDs the other day I came across School House Rock! I know I'm totally giving away my age, but I got so excited and ran right to circulation desk to check it out for myself, the whole way singing, "Conjunction Junction what's your function..." And who could can forget Inter-planet Janet...she's a galaxy girl! I couldn't wait to get home and re-live one of my favorite childhood memories! Then I started to wonder how School House Rock! would go over with the kids of today. I asked myself because I remember being really excited when a friend of mine had old episodes of Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter, but once I began watching them some of the magic seemed to have disappeared. Was it age? Was it the horrible special effects? Back then I thought it was so magical. Would I feel the same about School House Rock!? The answer is yes AND no. The concept is still great. Learning about grammar, government, math, history, and science all through animation and song is a wonderful way to help children learn. Of course I still loved almost all the videos because they bring back such good memories, but I know if I showed this to my niece or her 'tween' friends, she would roll her eyes and say, "Uncle Jayson, what is this? Those cartoons look old." She'd be right on that. I think School House Rock! AND kids could benefit from an updated version of the series. If the animation was brought up to par with what kids watch today (think Pokemon or even Spongebob) and the songs were sung by current tween sensations (think Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber) I think there'd be a lot of learning going on. Oh, and now that Pluto is no longer considered a planet, Interplanet Janet would have to re-write a few lyrics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock!

Here's a few memories:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman, the author of the popular book Coraline, gives us this tale of a young boy named Nobody Owens. Nobody is raised by the spirits and ghost of a graveyard after his family is murdered by a mysterious and scary man named, Jack. The Newbery Medal winning book starts off a bit scary with the murder of Nobody's family but I believe it is written in a way that gives the reader a feel of the horrible situation without being too graphic...no gory details are given they are only alluded to. Nobody is only an infant at the start of the book. He escapes his would be assassin by climbing out of his crib and wandering out the open door and into the graveyard where the ghost of his recently deceased mother asks the spirits of the graveyard to watch over him. Nobody grows up in the graveyard and has many adventures with ghouls, a witch, and human bullies. As he grows older he begins to understand and learn why he lives in the graveyard and the truth about his family.

http://www.thegraveyardbook.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/books/review/Edinger-t.html