Hundred Dress / Eleanor Estes 80 p.

Wanda Petronski is different from all the other girls in her class.  When they joke and carry on, she just smiles from the sidelines.  She never has much to say.  She wears the same old blue dress every day.  It is always clean, but it's the same dress every day.  When she tells about the 100 dresses hanging in her closet at home, her classmates laugh at her.  They ask her about the dresses.  They carry on about all these 100 dresses.  Wanda describes them in great detail.  But the classmates scoff-- till they learn Wanda's secret.  A wonderful story that tackles the subject of bullies and those who don't actually participate...but let it happen.

See you at Harry's / Johanna Knowles / 310 pgs.

"Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible in her family, where grumpy eighteen-year-old Sarah is working at the family restaurant, fourteen-year-old Holden is struggling with school bullies and his emerging homosexuality, and adorable, three-year-old Charlie is always the center of attention, and when tragedy strikes, the fragile bond holding the family together is stretched almost to the breaking point." - From Catalog.

Once in awhile, the right book falls into the hands of the right person at the right time; and it is Exactly what they needed.  This is what happened to me as I just grabbed this book off the shelf only because it was a Truman Award Nominee and I had a three day 4th of July weekend coming up.  I had only started the book when I left for the holiday weekend to visit family.  When I returned, I was shaken and saddened over a terrible tragedy that befell one of my distant relatives over that weekend.  Overall I just felt helpless in not knowing what I could say or do to help and comfort my family members

I was at first disturbed when I continued reading this book only to find out that the "tragedy" was very close to what had just occurred in my family's life.  However, I kept reading because I wanted to see if the book had any insights into how to explain the un-explainable.  Why do terrible things seem to randomly happen in life?   and when tragedy strikes, what can we do to pick up the pieces?  Of course the book cannot explain why bad things happen, but it acknowledges that life can be terribly unfair at times.

I would never suggest that someone who has been directly affected by a loss and is grieving be given this book "to make things better".  But I am suggesting that anybody, especially teens, that want to understand what kinds of thoughts and emotions a grieving person goes through should read this book.  The book does a great job showing the main character's process and conflicting emotions from anger, helplessness, loss of faith, feelings of guilt and blame, extreme sadness, and loneliness.  It also shows the things people do and say to help bring a grieving family back to life after such sadness.

Miracles on Maple Hill / Virginia Sorensen / 180 pages

     This is a Newbery winner from the 1950's about the transformation within the family after the father returns from war (probably WWII).  It sounds like PTSD before that was identified.  The father is angry and wants to be alone.  The family moves to the mother's grandmother's farm in rural Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh.     They arrive at sugaring time.  The story continues until after the next year's sugaring time.
     Marly, the daughter, is the main character and her interactions with her brother and family and the neighbor, Mr. Chris, form the story.  Her love of nature is the basis of the story.  It has the transformative power of nature as a theme similar to the book The Secret Garden.  The father mellows out and returns to his former self.  The descriptions of the flowers and plants make you wish you were on these adventures.  Marly's love of animals is a great addition as it points up the conundrums of man vs. animal ethics.  (I see her as a future animal rights activist).
     Very interesting in this book are the male/female roles.  Marly many times "lets' her brother be the first to see or do something because he is a boy and boys "need" to be first.  She is not allowed to roam while her brother can go anywhere he wants without even saying where he is going.  She also does the "women" chores while her brother does the "men" chores.  I love how she has glimmers of the future when she questions some of these things.  I see a budding feminist.  Good book.

Out of my mind / Sharon M. Draper / 295 pages

This Mark Twain winning book is a book most everyone should read.
Sharon Draper writes the story of a girl on the "special bus", a girl with cerebral palsy who is locked inside her uncooperative body.  Melody's mind is perfect - more than perfect in that she has a photographic memory.  It is the story of understanding that appearances can be deceiving.  What Melody really wants is to fit in with her classmates.  Fifth grade is a difficult year.  Girls, especially are transitioning to young teens and are extremely socially conscious which makes it even more difficult to fit in and make friends.  
In this story, Melody gets a speaking keyboard which gives her communication for the first time.  It turns out to be a gift with a price when she enters a whiz kid competition.  Will the discovery that she is smart make her accepted by her classmates?  (spoiler: Ha! but you knew that was coming)
Beyond that are the questions of where Melody fits in her family and what are the important things to remember.  It was an awesome book.

Something Like Normal/ Trish Doller/216 pages

Travis is returning home after a tour in Afghanistan, his parents are getting divorced, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and he is haunted with nightmares of his best friend's death. Everything looks pretty bleak until he runs into a girl from his past, Harper. Harper becomes his lifeline as Travis deals with PTSD and trying to return to a "normal" life. Sometime it's easy to forget our soldiers are young men and women trying to deal with emotional scars of war. Told from a male perspective but most guys won't read because cover leads readers to believe that it is a romance. Trish Doller has an impressive debut novel in "Something Like Normal".

The One and Only Ivan / Katherine Applegate / 300 p.

Sweet, sweet story that tugs at the heart strings. Ivan is a silverback gorilla who has lived a sad and solitary existence for decades in a cage in a mall. But he has a few other animal friends with whom he has bonded. The introduction of a new baby elephant to the mall's odd menagerie spurs Ivan to a bold move to work toward a better life for them all. This would be a great read-aloud--a couple of chapters at a time--for children around 7-10 years old. 2013 Newbery winner.

Flora and Ulysses / Kate DiCamillo / 231 pages

Newbery Winner.  What else should I say?
     Very engaging book about a girl, Flora, a squirrel, Ulysses, a neighbor boy, William Spiver, and other assorted people, including her divorce parents.
     At first it seems like an entertaining fantasy about a squirrel that can type poetry, but there are many more layers to the story.  This book has the relationships questions and shifting feelings about parents, divorce, and how kids feel about it.  William Spiver has his own issues beyond Flora's and while unresolved, he is at least heard.
     The vocabulary is a big part of this book.  kids will definitely know what "malfeasance" is by the time they are through with the book.  It is rather like her Tales of Despereaux.
     The ending is awesome, but no spoiler alert here!

The Burgess Boys / Elizabeth Strout / 11 cds / 336 pages

  When challenged to read Literary Fiction what do you do? Most of the published lists are from the popular mainstream and don't include the offbeat or below the radar writing. I suggest to begin looking at what the Pulitzer Prize committee or Mann Booker Award committee has long listed. Using those lists as a jumping off point, I believe Burgess Boys falls into the category of Literary Fiction. We have family issues galore, a not so positive ending, and several characters that do not 'grow' during the unraveling of the story.
  The Burgess brothers grew up in Shirley Falls, Maine and escaped as fast as they possibly could. Unfortunately Shirley Falls never let them go. Their sister calls with the news that her son, Zach has been arrested for a hate crime. Susan needs their help and with that phone call all of their carefully constructed lives begin to unravel. Jim and Bob who are New York lawyers arrive and begin to find their legendary status isn't going to make the trouble go away.
  As we follow the course of Zach's troubles we find out about the beginnings of the Burgess brothers, their life choices and the women they have loved and/or lost. This isn't a book to find a redemptive ending. Several of the characters are downright unlikable. Is the situation resolved to our satisfaction? I think Strout dodged what could have been an excellent novel exploring family relationships by choosing to have a character leave for a while. I also think the narrator chosen for the audio has a voice that really didn't catch my interest and it was a struggle to keep pushing ahead. But hey, its Literary Fiction, what did you expect?

Six Degrees of Reading: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. 

Nine (9) Books Read / Eight (8) Readers / 3,157 Total Pages / 2 Bram Stoker 2012 Nominees

RAteam Reads for October 2013

The RAteam continued learning about the HORROR genre in October, with a book talks session held on Wednesday, October 30th. There were eight (8) participants for the Horror book talks (with one person reading two books!) and the titles read during October were:

  
 Joyland / Stephen King / 283 Pages





                                   Red Rain / R. L. Stine / 369 Pages




Let the Dead Sleep / Heather Graham 
/ 331 Pages




                                    Breed / Chase Novak / 310 Pages



   

The Haunting of Maddy Clare / 
 Simone St. James / 330 Pages

                      Wide Open / Deborah Coates / 304 Pages

                             [Bram Stoker 2012 Nominee]

 
 
Doctor Sleep / Stephen King / 531 Pages 

        Charlotte Markham and the House of 

                    Darkling / Michael Boccacino / 296 Pages    

                                  [Bram Stoker 2012 Nominee]      

          

 
 
The Wolf Gift / Anne Rice / 403 Pages






The annotations for these eight (8) titles will be posted on the Tales from the RAT Queen blog.

Code Name Verity/ Elizabeth Wein/ 9 disks/ 352 pages

  It is very rare for me to be rendered completely speechless about a book. This YA novel has me completely gobsmacked. I am unable to find the words to describe just how spectacular, gut wrenching, emotionally draining and fulfilling story this is. We have two narrators. One is a pilot and the other is a spy and both are best friends. they are young ladies living in Britain during World War II. They are doing their bit for the war effort and meet during their training. On one night of unforeseen circumstances, the pilot Maddie and spy Verity are shot down over France. One has a chance while the other doesn't. What follows is the story of each girl struggling to survive while remembering her past. Get ready for one punch of a story.
   One of the benefits at the end of the narrative is the author herself talking about the research undertaken and what she may or may have not tweaked in order to make the story work for the two young ladies. The work done for historical accuracy is a great tribute to persistence for making sure things like ball point pens actually were around during World War II. I enjoy little trivia details like that. I was sucked into this story and just couldn't stop wondering what would happen to each of our heroines. I will admit to being so emotionally attached to our pilot and spy that I cried at the end of book. You will be rewarded.

Six degrees of reading: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse, B for Buster by Iain Lawrence.

Mudbound / Hillary Jordan / 324 p.

Would I have loved this novel quite as much had a read it instead of listening to it? Probably, but I'll never know. It certainly wouldn't have taken me as long to get through it.  But I sure LOVED the audio version. Six actors were used for the main characters voices and they certainly brought the story to life.  I was especially taken with the voice of Laura--down-to-earth and womanly--but they were all good.

There certainly is bad that happens--it's set in Mississippi in the late 1940's and involves a white family and a black family.  How could something bad not happen?  It also shows a time and place far different from what I am used to--a husband who ups and moves the family to a farm with no word of warning to his wife--because he's the man and he can do that; a community of extreme racism. But this is also a story of love, devotion, hardship, despair and resilience.

What a wonderful "read."

REDSHIRTS / John Scalzi / 317 Pages

What to say about a novel which spoofs a classic Science fiction TV series from the 60's? One which also has life and death situations and pop culture references? A novel which deals with time travel, writers block, coming of age, and finding true love?

Well, it is fast paced, hilarious and just just won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel for author John Scalzi!

If you like Science Fiction, a quick read, or would enjoy the chance to laugh out loud while reading, then Redshirts is for you!

The Great Gilly Hopkins / Katherine Paterson / 148 pages

This is a 1978 Newbery Honor book about an angry foster girl named Galadrial and called "Gilly".  She is very angry and the author is able to maintain her hostile tone throughout the first half of the book.  She has an unrealistic dream that her wonderful mother will come to claim her and they will live happily ever after.  Discovering reality and adjusting to it is a theme of the book.  She lives with "Trotter" an overweight, but loving foster mother and a fragile boy W.E.  The ending where she finally meets her real mother is realistic and the story stops without saying too much of what will happen next.  The reader can speculate on that.  While this is a pretty interesting book, it is dated and I knew it was from the late '70's.
Not a lot of kids will choose this book today.

Until She Comes Home/Lori Roy/338 pages

A lot is changing on Alder Avenue in Detroit, 1958, and it's not just that Grace is having a baby. The working class white neighborhood is changing with new neighbors moving in, men losing their jobs at the local factory, and vandalism becoming a daily occurrence. The recent murder of a black woman near the factory where their husbands work put on the women on edge, but then the disappearance of Elizabeth, a young woman with a child's mind, pushes everyone over the edge.

There's a lot going on in this novel of secrets and lies in suburbia. Most of it is tied up in the end, and overall, it's an engrossing book.

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin/Robert Byrd/

A picture-book biography of a fascinating Founding Father.  A true Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin was the first American celebrity. In pictures and text, master artist Robert Byrd documents Franklin's numerous and diverse accomplishments, from framing the Constitution to creating bifocals.   Listed as an ALA Notable Children's Book for 2013.

The Last Thing I Remember/Andrew Klavan/346 pages

Charlie West has just woke up in someone else's nightmare. He's bruised and bloody and a strange voice from outside the door has just ordered his murder. The action is non-stop in this story and the author literally leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat at the end of very chapter. The main character, Charlie is a 17 year old boy with very strong faith and morals. This book would be great for a reluctant reader or a younger reader looking for an adventure story. Very clean, but not really preachy. No sex or bad language, very little violence or gore. One reviewer said it reads like a teenage version of the television show "24". I'd say that's a pretty good comparison!

Book 1 of Homelander Series.

The Space Between/Brenna Yovanoff/363 pages

Daphne is half demon,  the daughter of Lucifer and Lillith.  Brenna Yovanoff writes of a world where the demons and fallen angels aren't really that bad and where Archangels really aren't that good.  Here is a world where the citizens made a bad choice in the Angel War, lost and now are making the best of their situation for eternity.  Can demons learn to love and are they inherently evil?  The Space Between is a beautifully written novel that was listed as one of the Best Notable YA books of 2012 by ALA

The Probability of Miracles/Wendy Wunder/ 360 pages

Grab the tissue box! This is one of those teen books where you have already guessed the ending, but you keep hoping for a "miracle".  When a book starts with "She hoped this is what it would  feel like in heaven", you know it can't end well. Cam is a sixteen year old that has spent the last seven years in and out of hospitals. She is crossing things off her "flamingo list" and the last thing she wants to do is move 1600 miles away to a town called Promise, Maine, a place known for miraculous events. The story has wit, romance, humor and a cast of quirky characters. Cam did find her own little miracles and the story will touch your heart. Similar to John Green's, The Fault in Our Stars and Before I Die by Jenny Downham, but not near as heavy or sad.

Twelve Kinds of Ice/Ellen Bryan Obed/64 pages

Twelve Kinds of Ice was a quick, short read, but with beautiful writing.  Until now, I thought that ice was just ice.  I have a new appreciation now of the different types of ice that Ellen Obed grew up with in Maine.  Starting with the first ice, which is a thin layer that forms in the water bucket and ending with the perfect ice skating ice, Obed defines many types of ice that make up the winter months in her neighborhood.  With each arrival of new ice, the children of the area eagerly anticipate the next with text explaining, it's not just ice, it's a new adventure with each layer.  Each description was so lyrical, it made me want to visit Maine in the winter, just so I can experience all twelve kinds of ice.

Belly Up/Stuart Gibbs/294 pages

2012-2013 Mark Twain Nominee

I had high hopes for this book, the description and first few pages made it sound over the top hilarious.  However, after the first chapter it settled into a basic children's mystery story, never again to become laugh out loud funny.  All in all, though, it was a quite acceptable read.  Worthy of being nominated for the Mark Twain, but I agree with the children of Missouri that is was not a winner.  I love the cover and the map of FunJungle on the endpapers.  It was enough to get me to read the whole book.

Teddy's parents work for FunJungle, a zoo based on the concept of theme parks rather than the average zoo.  While this sounds like fun and the dream of every kid his age, he's actually very bored because he is the only kid there.  FunJungle is 30 miles on the middle of the Texas Hill Country with only the residents of the zoo living in the vicinity.  This leads to Teddy getting into mischief.  He also stumbles upon a mystery where it seems all the adults around don't seem too worried.  Henry the Hippo, FunJungle's mascot has died.  While Teddy was not overly fond of Henry, no one was a particular fan of Henry's, he still thinks that someone should have to pay for murdering the hippo. With the help of Summer, the daughter of the owner of FunJungle, Henry sets about discovering who and why they are covering up Henry's murder.