Blog Archives

Book 78 has a wonderful first person narrator who is spunky and vulnerable and is convincing in both counts. The turns of events are tense with high drama (sometimes too high, perhaps?) and the resolution is a realistic and fair one: definitely not a “fairy tale happy ending.” I appreciate this very much — and yet, I also feel that the author’s setting up of this possible ending and the delay in reveal of a crucial piece of information is somewhat contrived and not as credible.

It’s probably not the most ideal situation to read two books similar in tone and presentation: 1st Person Present Tense, again… BOTH! back to back. I have to really pull back and think individually about the pluses and minuses of each book and try not to view the second one unfairly simply because it’s so similar to the previous one — although they don’t have the exact same themes or same characters. There are actually at least three books this year that I group in my mind as The Trio: all with realistic kids and situations; all of them feature the same gender kids; all are somewhat tear-jerkers; and all of them use first person, present tense; all are presented for the same age group readers. Each one is well told in its own way. Now, I have to decide which stands out more for me: and which speaks best to its intended audience, with the added value of tighter and better handled prose/dialog/arc.

The slim novel based on the author’s family history told in a special format came through as another solid, but not outstanding offer. I applaud the author’s dexterity in composition and can see some young readers interested in ethnic personal histories reflected in fiction find book 77 a satisfying read, but it definitely won’t have wide appeal. (Not that wide appeal matters when I evaluate this for Newbery.)

There are quite a bit of interesting pieces in book 76 that keep me engaged but also many not-so-great elements that make me think, “Is this one ‘distinguished’?” My answer would be: nope — it’s “nice” and I can see a younger reader who has not had a lot of experience with fantasy stories might find it quite intriguing. However, compared to complex and fully realized fantasy worlds found in some other books, this one is a bit light weight. My biggest issue with it is how conveniently the magical solutions are presented and reached at each turn. The author sets up an obstacle and offers a way for the protagonist to magically (and quite easily) jump over the hurdle without really laying the ground work for these solutions to work organically. And I even found myself missing rich language in the prose. (I’m usually not one to place significant weight on metaphorical or descriptive language in books but when you start comparing books for their literary values, every facet needs to be at least solid, if not outstanding. The prose is just too plain for me here.)

Book 75 is excellent!!! The young narrator’s voice is slightly mature for the age, but it is fitting because the life experience of the character makes the insights and resourcefulness believable. I am impressed at the depth, complexity, and realism of emotions the author manages to illustrate through a fairly short story. There are moments that I had to suspend my disbelief — willingly so because I cared too much about the welfare of the characters — and thought that this “realistic fiction” really borders on “a happy real life fairy tale.” But, hey, that’s why we read, right? The young readers will definitely find the happy ending satisfying (and not too forced) and be fascinated by the events showcasing the struggles (and the successes) of these fictional peers.

In the hands of a highly accomplished and skilled storyteller, book 74 definitely entertains! Following similar formula as the author’s previous, highly popular books, this title features lightly incompetent and immature adults, resourceful and compassionate young protagonists, exciting (and sometimes dangerous) events, and easy-to-grasp humor. Many young fans of the previous books will gobble this one up happily.

A change of pace for me to read a low middle grade (2nd and 3rd?) book that is fun and breezy. The author turns everyday school and family life into small drama full of crises and inventive resolutions. It feels authentic and I can see many children enjoying the protagonist’s adventures.

I thought there was some overwriting (too much figure of speech thrown into the passages) at the beginning of the story — and it did not quite draw me in right away, but for the majority of the tale (85% or so after the set-up), I was thoroughly engaged: both by the loving parent and the singular and sorrow-stricken child and the weird effects these two have on those on their weird road trip. This reminds me a bit of Because of Wynn-Dixie but less precious and seems more realistic. It also has an ending that is believable and uplifting without becoming sappy. I will say book 72 is outstanding!

Honest, haunting, depressing, thoughtful, intriguing, and brave: these are some adjectives that I could attribute to book 71. It definitely turned out to be highly unlike what I thought the book was about: instead of being a murder mystery with lots of tension and drama, it is contemplative, pleading, and it does not offer a crowd pleasingly easy ending. This is not a book that I can lure young readers into reading by telling them some tantalizing tidbits from the tale: I want them going into the story knowing that they will encounter something tough and might be emotionally hard to process. I also don’t see this as a book designed for “children” as much as for slightly older readers and for the author as a way to close a long lasting, achy wound. I am pleased to have read it, though, and will recommend it to my teen readers.

On a blog mostly about children’s books, may I use WTF? to describe my final reaction to book 70? I just did! Reading through the book, repulsed and confused for the most part, I was hoping that perhaps the final scenes/chapters/resolution would have wrap the story up and give me some worthwhile reason to have to wade through the entire book so my small “wtf’s” can combine and become a big “Oh, I GET it!! Wow… so brilliant… ” but… um… nope… it left me with a STRONGER sense of lament: of wasted time (which could have been spent on reading more enjoyable or revelatory books.) But, a nagging doubt is pulsing in my mind, too — perhaps this IS the most brilliant book of 2012: it surely is the most different book, with its surreal and totally repulsive settings and major events, its unapologetically non-scientifically sound explanations of WHY the beings exist, and its host of characters that perhaps are meant to be allegorically significant but my feeble mind simply cannot grasp all their meanings. I need time and discussion to make sense of the book and why some readers seem to think it highly worthy. (One possible worthiness comes from demanding readers to unpack the emotional and ethical turmoil of the main character and the other might be that it does not offer easy two-tone answers: nothing seems entirely black or entirely white. ) There are definitely gaping holes (both emotional and logical) in the telling and those are what, to me, eventually, bring down the worthiness of the book.

Delightful and fast-paced, book 69 definitely has strong child appeal — reminding me slightly of the Klise sisters work, especially the Regarding the … series. Outlandish setting and outrageously exaggerated characterization, balanced with a few normal, gentle, quiet kind of souls — and suddenly you have this interesting story with a gentle but important message of being true to oneself and what really matters in life, without ever being too didactic. The happy ending is well suited for a sunny kind of humorous story.

I’m still digesting the many literary aspects, topsy-turvy events, exposition of emotions, and the author’s sly way of revealing the characters’ past histories in book 68. The book is surely a feat: highly inventive and richly layered. I did not, however, have a strong emotional attachment to the story. Mildly curious and expectant of horrific events (as how it is described on the jacket flap) were my most prominent feelings to the book. The story never got really scary which to me is somewhat disappointing. And as the story progressed, I started missing the strong sense of melancholy and darkness the story started with – since it became more of an adventure, survival, friendship, and redemption story than the potential tale I imagined in my head: out-of-the-box macabre with elevated philosophical revelations. Perhaps I expected too much.

This interesting historical event in book 67 was somewhat familiar to me already — having read and seen movies about them — but the author manages to make the story about the people involved a truly fascinating one. Even though the author never hides the truth or makes it mysterious from page one, there is still a sense of suspense: readers wonder how and when the world would find out the real events behind the hyped up story. I sense the author’s deep compassion toward all who were involved: their motivation, their odd passions, and their actions were all clearly delineated without boring long exposition paragraphs… the text and structure of the chapters flow naturally and keep the readers engaged. I find this an outstanding nonfiction!

I had been waiting to read book 66 for a while and it definitely did not disappoint!!! It’s short, powerful, suspenseful, witty, wise, sometimes painful, and so well crafted. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to re-read it! This, like book 65, is told from a first person middle school boy’s point of view — and like book 65, both boys sound authentic: even when they are being wise and observant, you don’t feel that the authors are speaking from their experiences accumulated through the years. These kids THINK and TALK like kids.

Book 65 is a solid realistic contemporary story that feels genuine and earnest. Earnest is sometimes my code word for “trying too hard and I think the young readers might find it too preachy to appreciate it.” In this case, though, I feel that the young readers who liked 50 Cents’ Playground or Paul Volponi’s Black and White will definitely find both the characters and the events authentic. It is also gentle enough for pre- or early teens: especially because the main character/narrator does not get into the most serious situations as some of the others in the story. (Unlike Black & White, where the main characters are the ones accused and arrested for their crime.) However, since it is so gentle and so positive: I do feel that it lacks the punch toward the end. And it might not be a truly realistic solution for troubled youths…

Reading book 64 felt incredibly intimate: there are so many details (never boring, never detracting) that make the reader feel right there and then with the characters. And the characters! Fierce, honest, full of passion and so real — even though they’re from a much earlier time, and a very different place from the one the reader is in. The story transports and transcends. (I dislike the cover or the back cover copy that highlights ONE event in the story: although it being a crucial turning point, it gives the false impression of what the flavor of the book truly is.) This is a quietly powerful book — the adventures are as much with-out as with-in — but for that it is a lot more effective and makes a lasting impression. So glad to have followed some of my goodreads friends’ recommendations (and not my superficial first impressions!) Now, onward! Started two books tonight and put them both down… not in the right mood. Going to look for a 3rd option.

Dark, humorous, gruesome, full of earnest intents, child-pleasing, potentially controversial … book 63 made me ponder and wonder a LOT. As a reader, I devoured the book and its many twists and turns with a high level of delight and often marveled at the narrative voice: how it keeps a great balance of “teaching some wise lessons” and “presenting tales that will just sucker the young readers/listeners in” and how it has that leaping-out-of-the-pages, simply begging to be read aloud and shared quality. I cannot WAIT to read this to my students in the fall.

In my assessment, book 62 (which arrived as I was leaving New York and which both I and my 13-year-old daughter promptly were attracted to by the handsome design) is probably above what we consider “presentation for 14-and-under audience” level. However, it gave both of us great pleasure to read the selections and served as a great quick airplane read for her. She kept exclaiming: “This is so great! Oh, I love this one!” And I couldn’t agree with her more: the form and the content both work and of course, it is one of my favorite subgenres: fairy tale reworked (with a somewhat sinister twist.)

It was effortless to read book 60 — because it did not demand any mental power or deep thoughts to get through it. The book reads like a made-for-TV movie featured on Friday nights in the summer on Disney Channel: very little that challenges my thoughts or expectations. I can see pre-teens gobbling it up and thinking that this must be what it’s like as a high school senior… Drama drama and pressure pressure. The individual first person present tense (yup, that again) voices also are not that distinct. The dialogs feel authentic, although all very clean and proper. And these teens can definitely hold focused conversations for long stretches of time… (unlike the real high school kids I know whose thoughts jump around every where and each conversation tangent is triggered quickly by random thread starters within the original conversation.) Being a slow reader, I spent a lot more time than the two hours usually demanded to watch a TV movie and I’d say that I felt my time was a bit wasted without deriving more (or even as much, depending on the actual movies) pleasure out of it. Now, on to 61: a completely different kind of book :)