Hour 18

Hours read 10.25
Books read 4.5
Pages read 1092

Jake, Reinvented Gordon Korman

A most fantastic retelling of The Great Gatsby. Jake Garrett is a former math nerd transferred to a new school and has completely reinvented himself as the coolest guy around who throws the best parties. But it's all to win the heart of the star quarterback's girlfriend. Didi may enjoy making out with Jake, but Rick knows she'll never dump Todd for him.

This is the best kind of retelling. The source material completely fades into the background while still providing the structure of the story. Gatsby fans will enjoy this one, as will readers who have no idea about the green lantern at the end of the pier.

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Review-a-thon

Well! The notable books discussions for YA and Children are all over, so I'm onto reading ADULT LITERATURE! And how! Not only is the language archaic, but my, my, my Moll Flandersis a racy read! I'm reading it for Knit the Classics, and am enjoying it so far, but I must admit that it reads a bit like some lady just prattling at you, and sometimes, I tune her out and then later realize that I have no idea what happened in the previous 5 pages and need to go back. Oh well.

But, here is the last of the kiddie books I read:

Saffy's Angel

Indigo's Star

Permanent Rose






All by Hilary McKay, these are the stories of the Casson family, an eccentric bunch of kids with an artist mum (who paints and sleeps and "escapes from life" in the garden shed) and a REAL ARTIST father, who escapes from family life and obligations into his posh London studio and apartment. There are 4 kids: Caddy, Saffron (Saffy), Indigo, and Rose, all named for the colors on a paint chart... except for Saffy (Who, as we find out early in the first book, it turns out, is not really a sibling, but rather an orphaned cousin). They have crazy mad adventures and a good sense of family and togetherness, but the amount they're allowed to get away with (Rose paints large murals on all the walls, for instance) and the frank discussion on adultry, divorce, and hedges around sex (like when they try and find out who Saffy's father is) might make some parents a bit squemy, unfortunately. They do have a very British sensibility. I love love love love these books and am anxiously awaiting the release of Caddy Ever After which Amazon is slating for a June 6 release. CAN NOT WAIT!!!!

The Scarecrow and His Servant Philp Pullman

Yeah... I really didn't like this one. I mean, it was well-written, but I just didn't get into the story. If I were a kid, I would have LOVED this book, but it didn't hold the same appeal as a grown-up (not that I'm one of those either, but you know...) I will fully disclose that all the other librarians at the table loved it and thought it was a fantastic original fairy tale. I was just "meh". Basically, a scarecrow gets hit by lightening and comes to life and wants to go home again and enlists a young boy as his servant and they meet brigands, actors, soldiers, and lots of birds. A mad adventure that I just didn't get into.

Son of the Mob : Hollywood Hustle Gordan Korman

Well, you know how much I loved Son of the Mob and this is the sequel. Vince has gone all the way to California for college to escape the um, vending machine business and of course, it follows him out to the coast. Nothing more spectacular than the first, but if you liked the first one, this one's fun!!!!

Amazing Grace Megan Shull

This is just a fun, sweet, teen chick lit novel. Grace Kinkaid is a young tennis superstar who decides that she's had enough and drops out of the game and her multi-million dollar endorsements to go live with her "aunt" on a small island in Alaska, where she learns how to be a normal kid. Well done and not too deep, I really liked this one.


Also, I just went ahead and ordered Bhangra Babes (I know you were on the edge of your seat, waiting for that one!). I also got ordered Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers in the new paperback version, mainly because I realized that if my books don't match, then I can make them really not match and just get the hardcover of Startled by His Furry Shorts which comes out next week and I'm all excited. I also see that they're rereleasing all the paperbacks with the new covers. Part of my really really wants to replace the copies I have with the new ones, and then they'll all match, but even I'm not going to actually do it, because that's money that could be spent on NEW books, but hey. If I had that type of money to throw around... but I don't, so whatever.

Also, I'm really enjoying the new Nancy Drewgraphic novels. They're not good at all, but I really like them. I also checked out old school Nancy Drewbecause I've never read any and just want to see how it compares.

Reading! (Reading!) Reading! (Reading!) Reading down the river! (Reading down the river!)

Review-a-thon!

I have book discussions for Notable Children's Books AND Notable YA Books coming up soon, so all my reading is based around that! Plus, last weekend I read a lot of banned YA titles. (It's a hard life I lead, I know...)

So...

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's ShadowSusan Campbell Bartoletti

This is a beautiful book, a big lap book, almost a coffee table book with heavy pages. Much in the vien of Russell Freedman's work it uses photographs well to help tell the story. The book talks about the lives of children growing up in Germany and Europe during Hitler's rise to power and reign. Children who were exuberant and reluctant members of the Hitler Youth, children who joined the resistance movements, Jewish children, soldier children. The amazing thing about this book is that it tells the story plainly and truly, with no sugar coating and no melodrama. I highly recommend. I keep talking about it, actually.

Detour for Emmy Marilyn Reynolds

This was on the ALA's top 10 banned books for 2005. (Because God Forbid that a book that is all about the consequences of having sex should actually... contain some sex!) But oh my god. I would really be against this book being assigned in class because it just... sucks. It's so poorly written. I'm all about having it in the library but this isn't what we should be teaching. It's really preachy and sacharine and just didn't ring true at all. AND THE WRITING IS JUST AWFUL. Blech. I like how the girl who gets knocked up is the one with the not-there alcoholic mother and jailbird brother. Because only kids from messed up homes make mistakes like this. But I had friends who were pregnant in high school and this story just didn't ring true and didn't speak to their experiences. There has to be a better book on this subject out there. I have a hard time believing this is the only one that can be taught.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky

I will always love this book if for no other reason than turning me onto "Asleep" by The Smiths. I love this song possibly even more than Charlie does, if that's possible. AND I now have the mix tape he made as a play list on my Napster account. It's OK, but seriously, I love this song. LOVE. (And put it on my new mix CD) I also like the book. Charlie is a freshman in high school, writing letters to someone, telling of his first year and life, as he navigates high school and family and the recent suicide of his best friend. Also, I just love Charlie. He resonates with me as someone who hung out with the arty kids. I totally would have lusted after him quietly and angst-riddenly all through high school. That said, I really didn't like the ending. Click here to read about why, but you know, I'll give it away, which is why it's hidden!

Also, I would just like to point out that the Arizon superindendant of schools has pulled this book out of all school libraries in the entire STATE of Arizona. Probably because of a very non-graphic scence of rape early on in the book. It makes me want to cry.

Geography ClubBrent Hartinger

Also frequently banned. I love that the reason I most recently saw for the banning was that it doesn't deal with the negative consequences of meeting some that you met on the internet. Ha ha ha. We all know it was banned because it's about a bunch of HOMOSEXUAL TEENAGERS! (No! Gasp! The horror! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!)

Seriously. This is a great little story about love and relationships and being the only gay kids in town and how to date and love and be a normal kid and NOT get outed. Not too deep, not to shallow, not hitting you over the head with the lessons you're supposed to learn to much and a quick read. I liked it.

The Penderwicks : A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting BoyJeanne Birdsall

This is just an old fashioned summer adventure story. Birdsall knows that's what she was writing and doesn't try to make it anything more than it is, and she does so splendidly. I also loved the interaction between the four sisters-- it was so true to life and the little things like the OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) and MOPS (Meeting Of Penderwick Sisters) really made the story special. Also, one more comment on the very very end here.

Son of the MobGordon Korman

On Friday night, I was going to read the first chapter or two of this before I went to bed. It was finished before I turned the light off. This is light and funny and wonderful and unlike a lot of YA novels, doesn't contain seriously messed up kids and GIANT LIFE LESSONS. Just a sweet simple story about a guy trying to get through high school despite the fact his father is the head of the largest crime family in New York and his girlfriend is the daughter of the FBI agent who's been bugging his house for the last five years. Love. I've already checked out the sequel.

There's more to review. But I'm tired.