In this verse-novel sequel to Minn and Jake, Jake has gone back to LA for the summer. Jake thought it would be fun to go back to LA, but his grandmother keeps stuffing him full of food (but not the kind he likes) and Soup keeps waking him up at 6am. Not only that, but his friends have all moved on and and don't have time to hang out with him.
Then Minn comes down to LA, despite the fact Jake hasn't written back once all summer. Sadly, things don't go well. Minn's upset that Jake never told her his grandmother is Korean. Jake's upset that he cares. Then, when Minn and Jake run into cute Haylee at Disneyland and Jake totally ignores Minn, things get really bad.
An excellent look at friendship, going home again, and trying to navigate the whole boy/girl dynamic. I liked it even better than the first one.
Albert Kim is an intentional loser--in a life where was always on the fringe and never really fit in, he decided it was just easier to stop trying. No one can reject you if you don't make advances towards friendship in the first place. But then, he ends up spending the summer working with Mia, 1/2 of the school's power couple. Only, Mia and Ryan have broken up and by the end of the summer, Albert and Mia are... something. Albert's days as an intentional loser are over, not that it's that easy, of course. To make matters worse, Ryan gets cancer and needs Mia by his side constantly. Can Albert hang on to her without making everyone in town kill him?
Part of the book are funny and Yoo writes an unbelievably authentic voice in Albert. Sadly, it was also one that really annoyed me. I knew Albert in high school--not my favorite person and I was never sure why Mia went for him. Part of me felt really sorry for him when things went wrong, but part of me just wanted him to shut up. I think teen boys, especially the lovable losers, will identify and like it.
Full disclosure: ARC provided by publisher, via Picnic Basket.
Laugh out loud funny. Maya is a straight-A student who spends her nights working in her family's Thai restaurant in what I'm thinking is Ann Arbor. One glorious weekend, her parents go to DC and leaves her in charge of the restaurant. At the end of the night, 2 horrible mean women are complete b----- and don't understand the difference between vegan and vegetarian, but want to be snotty about it. After having to be nice to such people, Maya and her brother decide to skip cleanup. Of course the horrible ladies complain and the health inspector comes and slaps them with a $10,000 fine.
Maya can never tell her parents and knows they can't afford it. They're going to lose the restaurant... unless... unless Maya can raise $10,000 in 6 weeks. There's stripping, prostitution, or taking Camden up on his offer. Camden--super hot, super rich, super jerk Camden wants to pay Maya to do his homework for him. If she does Camden's, and some of his friend's homework... she just might do it.
Of course, then it turns into a huge ring that requires hiring help. And there's that pesky kissing thing that Camden keeps doing...
I loved Maya's comebacks to Camden's ickyness. And I loved the horrible, horrible customers that started this whole chain of events--it's no secret that my years in Ann Arbor were fairly miserable. A large part of it was working customer service in a town that is so filled with self-important a-holes. I mean, there are a lot of really lovely people in Ann Arbor, but... at the same time, I know live in DC, the capital of self-important a-holes, but a lot of that type in DC have a reason to be self-important and where I heard "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" all the time in Ann Arbor, not so much in DC. Really. Anyway, the horrible customers were spot-on. I think those ladies used to shop at the co-op.
Anyway, She's so Money is hysterical and you should read it. I couldn't put it down.
This is a prose novel about Emily, a high school student who falls in love with the new boy, the new boy who has a thing for Asian girls and wants her to be his geisha but he thinks he's racially sensitive. Emily has to be nice to her parents' friends' son, Alex, even though he has an accent and sticks out like a sore thumb. Emily is an artist and has to paint a mural with Alex. Emily wishes her mother would stop trying to own the art Emily creates...
There is a lot going on beneath the surface of these poems. It's not a funny book, but a true one.
Also, I like the paperback cover (the green one with the tube of lipstick) MUCH better than the hardcover cover. Such a huge difference and they seem like such different books, but I think both covers work for the story that's inside, but the paperback cover will entice more people to read that story.
Ok, I had a hard time telling if this book, or the forthcoming Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before was the Fusion Story. Given that Stop Me... isn't out yet, I read Girls for Breakfast.
Yay for a funny boy book. It starts out when Nick Park is nine and first discovers girls. After this, girls become his whole life. But, girls don't seem to like him. Is he a total loser? Or is being the only Asian guy in town a draw back? Or is it because he's the ultimate banana? Too Asian for the white chicks, and too white for the Asian ones?
As we follow Nick from age 9 until high school graduation, we start to form our own ideas about why he's so unpopular with the ladies he loves (well, lusts after) so much.
It's funny and true. To the point where I wanted to smack Nick upside the head for being such a... teenaged boy. So annoying. But in a way that makes him a real character.
Today's schedule brings you more Fusion Stories! And limited blather!
These reviews are a little lame though, because I really liked these books. So, it's all THIS BOOK ROCKED! YAY! But seriously, you should read them. The books, not the reviews (well, hopefully you'll read the reviews but... you know what I mean...)
Patti tries to be the Perfect Korean Daughter (PKD). She gets straight As, is active in her youth group, and is an amazing violinist-- her hook to get into HARVARDYALEPRINCETON. But then she meets Ben, aka Cute Trumpet Guy at her auditions for All-State Orchestra. Maybe there's more to life than being the PKD? Is there a way she can please her parents and still do what she wants?
I love this book. I couldn't put it down and the super-short chapters didn't help. I love how Patti described her relationship with music. I love the inclusions of all of Patti's mom's Spam recipes (but not enough to actually try one.) And I really, really loved the ending. More about that here, full of spoilery action.
Syrah Cheng seems to have the perfect life-- her dad's one of the richest men in America and whatever she wants is hers.
Except... her parents are never home. Her older (half)siblings hate her. She wants to be a pro-snowboarder but she busted her knee on a fall that should have killed her 6 months ago and her best friend's new girlfriend has put a complete embargo on their friendship.
Oh yes, and her nanny is moving to California and her family is moving to Hong Kong.
There is no snow in Hong Kong.
But... then she meets Lillian, the daughter of her father's new VP, who treats her like a normal person. Then she meets Lillian's sister, who's dying of cancer. Syrah is frustrated at having all the money and connections and the world and being unable to help... but maybe she can help after all.
This is a great book about finding your talents and your family in unexpected places. Syrah is a great character that I would love to be friends with, and not just for her recording studio. I also really like that instead of keeping a standard diary, Syrah draws her entires manga-style.
I was a little wary of this one. I was rather underwhelmed by Wait for Me. But I liked this. Before I talk about why though, I'm going to blather a bit. Sorry.
This song was getting a lot of airplay in Nanjing in 2000. It's unbelievably catchy, but the lyrics touch on something-- I'm not your style... he only likes double-eyelid girls, but with my single eyelid I can't be picky...almond-shaped eyes almond-shaped eyes...
Joyce's family owes her aunt, Gomo, a lot. She's the one who sponsored them so they could move to the US from Korea. But... Gomo can be more than a little over-bearing. When she wins the lottery, she gives everyone a present to make their lives easier, but it's not necessarily what everyone wants. Joyce's gift is a plastic surgery operation to give her eyelids a double-fold. If Joyce can have the "good" eyes, she'll be more pretty, like her perfect older sister, Helen. But... it's someone taking a knife to your eye and Joyce doesn't have a high pain tolerance.
Joyce is not the world's most likable character, but she is very, very real and believable. I like all the consideration she puts into her decision to accept or decline Gomo's present. Even more than her decision about the surgery, this was more a story of Helen and Joyce's relationship. I saw the end revelation coming and wasn't entirely sure it was necessary, but the tension in that relationship kept me enthralled.
I'm trying out Amazon's new MP3 widget in my sidebar. You can listen to a 30 second clip of my top songs at the moment and buy them if you so choose. Amazon MP3s are DRM free which means you can put them on your iPod! yay! Trust me, Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go will be the best $.99 you'll ever spend. Because it's "Tainted Love" and then it morphs perfectly into a little Baby, baby, baby where did our love go? while still maintaining the "Tainted Love" feel. It totally works. Also, I'm a big fan of This Is Us which is what my sister and her husband recessed to at their wedding. This is us on our wedding day... on our way to a barbecue which is exactly what it was...
Other musical things you wouldn't think work, but totally do:
Anyway, by this time you're thinking "Jennie, this isn't a music blog. It's a book blog. Get on with it already..."
So, we have a Fusion Story today. But this Fusion Story is a sequel, so I had to read the first book first. Yes, I'm anal. SHUT UP! I'm a librarian, I'm supposed to be! It's what they pay me for.
This story starts and ends with Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Dog, which is the year that Grace was born in, so it's supposed to be a lucky year. It's also supposed to be the year where she discovers what her gift is, but she's having a hard time of it! Maybe a new friend, Melody, can help Grace discover her gifts, or at least be a good partner for adventure along the way.
Very episodic in plot, this book draws heavily from Lin's life, so it's extremely realistic and covers day-to-day life perfectly. It's so heavily drawn from Lin's life that it turns out that Melody is really Alvina of Blue Rose Girls (where Lin also blogs!)
Lin's illustrations are sprinkled throughout, as are special side stories from Chinese tradition, family stories, and stories of what happened to Grace before The Year of the Dog. Very fun and a great recommendation for 3rd graders.
This is actually the Fusion Story. It takes place a few years after The Year of the Dog, once again starting with Chinese New Year. The Year of the Rat is a year of change and this year brings a big one-- Melody is moving to California!
Grace knows she wants to be an author and illustrator when she grows up, but she hears that being an artist is a "cold door" and that she might starve! If being an artist is a "cold door" should she try and find something else to do?
Then a new Chinese family who just moved to the US from China move into Melody's old house. Their son, Dun-Wei is Grace's age and everyone thinks they should go together, just because they're both Chinese! Grace doesn't want to be stuck with the new kid "Dumb Way" but if she sticks up for him when the other kids tease him, she might be stuck...
If you liked the first one, you'll love this one. It's longer and Grace handles some bigger issues that face all kids. I especially "liked" (that's really not the word I'm looking for) how the kids changed "Dun-Wei" into "Dumb Way" mainly because of this conversation:
Mark (my boyfriend at the time): What's your name in Chinese Class? Me: Wei Rong [Wei being one of the 3 Kingdoms and Rong meaning hibiscus flower] Mark: Wait, your name is WAY WRONG?
Let's just say Way Wrong stuck. But it was a good dodge in Chinese class when I got called on and completely botched the answer "Dui bu qi. Wei Rong is WAY WRONG. Can you call on someone else? Xie Xie"
Doesn't fail, does it? Friday and Sunday, when I'm home, it's rainy out. On Saturday, when I was at work? Super sunny! Well, last night I enjoyed the weather at any rate.
And my flowers and herbs are loving the rain. The cilantro bush is threatening to eat my house it's gotten so huge. My peonies are blooming and they're lovely. My favorite flower. So I've been doing indoor things-- like reading and napping and occasionally watching TV. Today I baked-- Devil's Food cupcakes with a mocha butter cream frosting. (Recipe in How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food)
This is one of the Fusion Stories that I'm reading my way through this month.
This one picks up with Sparrow and her family moving into the White House. Her mom needs to find a domestic cause to champion. Her cousin is sensitive to the grand income divide between the two of them and looking for a way to help support herself. And Bobby isn't calling-- because his parents think his sick grandfather won't approve of him dating someone who's biological parents were probably Muslim. To top it off, one of her commenters on her blog has called Sparrow rich and privileged and pointed out she wouldn't be able to "make it" in the real world. Sparrow isn't sure how to respond-- the criticism has more than a ring of truth.
If you liked First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, you're sure to enjoy Sparrow's continuing adventures. Perkins manages to tackle some big issues while still having a fun book. The issues don't get in the way of a light-hearted story, but she still manages to do justice to them.
My complaints are minor--it's always hard to read fiction that's set in the place you live when large parts of the scenery are realistic but still, well... fiction. And Perkins choses the issues she wants to tackle-- such as racism, underfunded schools, and the Hindu/Muslim divide. She doesn't tackle other things-- I find it hard to believe that every member of the junior class in a DC public school could pass a background security check to be let into the residence of the White House. On the other hand, Sparrow is determined enough she might have pulled a few strings with the Secret Service.
Throughout it all, Sparrow remains assured, focused and determined, while at the same time being likeable and seems like a real girl that I'd like to hang out with. (Especially if she can get her cousin to make me some of those cookies!)
Ok, so... this isn't out in the US yet. BUT! Amber, Jazz, and Geena (of Bindi Babes fame) are back! (Also, you can buy it here with free world wide shipping! I buy from the Book Depository all the time when I can't wait for British books to come across the pond-- sometimes it's even cheaper than the American version will be! Fast delivery, too-- I highly recommend them!)
The girls have been bickering a lot lately and Amber decides it's because they need a project. Coppergate's new building has several rooms named after companies that donated large amounts of money--why not name the library after their mum? The sisters all over it, except it means raising 10,000 pounds. In 6 weeks. Nothing the Dhillon sisters can't handle, right?
Of course, there are other things going on as well. Their spoiled cousin Baby has moved in. Auntie and Uncle Jai seem to be having marital issues and they JUST got married! Plus, Dad's never home anymore and Geena has a secret. About a boy. But what is it?
Can Amber solve all these problems and raise the money in time? Maybe it will all happen when she gets her most brilliant stroke of genius-- a real live Big Brother-type reality show, right in Coppergate, staring her family. What could go wrong?
This series deserves a higher readership. Every time I have a 5th/6th grade girl come in looking for a "funny" book, this is what I hand them. We need more funny for girls. These books hasve fashion, big plans, friendship, girls making their own way in the world, and a healthy dose of literary slapstick. The latest installment doesn't disappoint and continues the wacky and endearing adventures of the Dhillon Sisters.
So, May is Asian-American Heritage Month. To celebrate, 10 children's and YA authors got together to spotlight "Ten new contemporary novels by Asian Americans aren’t traditional tales set in Asia nor stories about coming to America for the first time."
I thought this was an awesome idea, so to join the party, I'm reading all the fusion stories this month, substituting earlier works if the highlighted story isn't published yet.
But, first I'm going to ramble on about myself for a while, because it's my blog! I can do what I want!
Mainly, the wedding I went to this weekend was wonderfully fun AND I got to meet some other kidlit dorks, including someone who knows David Levithan. And Rachel Cohn! My geeky heart just about died! My response was "Can I touch you?!" Initially, he thought I was being a bitch, when really, I was in total AWE!
And now I'm off to North Carolina for my sister's wedding!
Also, I want to give a shout-out to Lauren. She's my new-ish coworker and she is awesome. I don't think I've mentioned that yet. But who else would randomly burst into song with you on the reference desk? Especially when said song is a medley of the Simpson's musical version of Street Car Named Desire?
You can always depend on the kindness of strangers! To buck up your spirits and shield you from dangers! Now here's a tip from Blanche you won't regret: A stranger's just a friend you haven't met. You haven't met! STREETCAR!
That's what too much story time can do to a person!
Also, here's a video I've been watching a lot of lately:
Because do you know what's better than a Kate Pierson muppet? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Also, how awesome is it when you look like a total moody rock star while rocking out on a banjo?!
I haven't read an American Girl book in years. Like, not since I was the targeted reading age and read all of the Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly books. Yes, only those three, because BACK IN MY DAY there only were three. Initially, there were only 3 books for 3 dolls! Yes, I was a recipient of the original Pleasant Company catalog.
Anyway, Yee's book took me right back there. And it was weird at the same time, because after reading Yee's other work (by which I mean the hysterical Millicent Min, Girl Genius) this has a very different voice. This... reads like an American Girl book, which it should. I think writing like that, in someone else's corporate voice must be very hard, but Yee's awesome at it. (Ok, I've drafted my share of press releases in hoity toity British English in the proper corporate voice. I know it's hard.)
Anyway, the book. Ivy Ling is not feeling lucky. Her best friend, Julie (who is actually the American Girl) has moved across town. Her parents are really busy and can't help Ivy with her Chinese school project. Plus, they've been eating take-away Chinese food from her grandparent's Chinese resteraunt. And Ivy's grandparents heard her complaining.
But that's not the worst of it. The big inter-city gymnastics tournament is coming up. Ivy needs to compete in the all events, but she fell off the balance beam last time and is having a hard time getting her routine right again. As if that weren't bad enough, the big Ling family reunion is coming up. On the same day as the gymnastics meet.
Ivy can't go to both, and her parents are making her decide, only they have different ideas about which one is more important.
Whatever will Ivy do?!
I loved the "American Girl" ness of it. Also, in the background material, there are some awesome pictures of Lisa Yee in the 70s.
I had forgotten how many appearance details American Girl books put in. As a kid I really liked that, but it's a little jarring to me as an adult.
This is not really a fusion story. Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer is a Fusion Story, but it doesn't come out until August, so I have to wait for it. So, I read the one that came before it instead. But, as far as the reader knows, this one doesn't have any Asian-Americans in it, because the fact that Jake is 1/4 Korean comes out in the next book and causes some tension when Minn wonders why Jake didn't tell her. At least, that's what the various blurbs I've read tell me.
Anyway, in this book (a prose novel)
Minn is feeling very empty, and very tall, and very odd, and very pigtailed, and very lizardy, and very much alone.
Because her best friend laughed at her with another girl. She ends up being paired with the new kid,Jake, who's afraid of lizards. Catching lizards is the only thing kids do in Santa Brunella. So, Minn is going to teach Jake how to catch lizards. But there are accidents and mean kids and other grade-school stuff to endure.
Very well told. Minn and Jake, as well as the rest of the kids, are authentic, and their trials and tribulations are small, as they are for most kids, but aren't trivialized, which is refreshing.
And now for some non-Fusion Stories, because who knows when I'll get to blog again?
This is a retelling of Thumbelina, in the sense of straight-up retelling it with a few variations, not recasting it, a la Shannon Hale or Gail Carson Levine.
Except the ending is different. But the narrator warns us. I'm quoting from an ARC here, so it might not be 100% accurate (but I hope it is, because it's the very matter-of-fact voice that the narrator and Thumbelina use throughout)
Now you know exactly what happened and can write a book report, if you need to do that, or count this as part of your summer reading list. Nobody will mind or think any less of you if you just close the book and DO NOT READ ANOTHER WORD.
But, to tell you the truth, there is something more. If you felt there was something forced about that ending, you were right."
And that's why I loved the book. That, and the wonderful illustrations that were made by cutting out black construction paper. A nice retelling of a fairy tale that gives Thumbelina back her spunk without detracting from Anderson's original.
Just when Clementine and her 3rd grade teacher have figured each other out, Mr. D'Matz is going to go off and go to Egypt IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR! And the new teacher has new rules that Clementine can't guess.
If you liked the others, you'll like this. I'm seriously starting to worry about Margaret though. That girl's going to need therapy sooner rather than later. I do like how well Clementine handles her, though.
In the paint section, hundreds of little paint tubes, all neat and new, sat on the shelf. Margaret threw her hands up and backed away, as if the tubes of paint were just waiting to burst all over her clean clothes. Margaret doesn't even liket o look at things that might get her dirty.
"Quick, run over to the paper aisle!" I told her. "Just keep staring at all those nice clean stacks of paper!"
I also like how the trip to the Chinese grocery store yields a whole new host of vegetable names for her brother. Bamboo shoot, scallion, daikon radish...
Random musing of the day: Lunch is in 45 minutes, to be eaten on my way to a meeting. I did not pack it, I need to buy it. Starbucks or McDonalds? That is the question.
Blog musing: Well, for May's reading challenge, I've decided I'm going to try and read all of the Fusion Stories to celebrate Asian-American Heritage Month. (If you're not familiar, they're "Ten new contemporary novels by Asian Americans aren’t traditional tales set in Asia nor stories about coming to America for the first time") Sadly, not all the fusion stories are published yet, so unless someone hooks me up with ARCS of Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before by David Yoo and Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer by Janet Wong, I'm going to have to substitute their other books.
But that's not bad.
Also, the Top 9 for April is up at the Amazon Store, which is where I pick my random picks of the month...
Until then, here are two totally random reviews that have nothing in common besides "I read them recently"
Only, this school year has some challenges. Jane and Skye switch homework with disastrous results, and Rosalind has some awkward guy issues.
But, there's a lovely new next door neighbor who has a toddler son. Ben and Batty have a good time playing secret agents until they stumble upon the Bug Man.
On top of that, their beloved Aunt Claire has delivered a letter that their mother left in her keeping. A letter ordering Daddy to start dating again.
Dating means there might be a step-mother and everyone knows step-mothers are evil things. Aunt Claire and Mr. Penderwick have a deal that he has to go on 4 dates over the course of a year. The girls figure if they can set him up with the most awful women, there will never be a second date, just 4 really bad ones, and everything can go on as before.
This is before Mr. Penderwick meets someone in a bookstore and has multiple dates with her. All the girls can find out is that her name is Marianne Dashwood, she likes walking, hates flannel, and "She's sensible and clever, but eager in everything. Her sorrows and joys can have no moderation." (Really, I pegged Mr. Pen as more of an Eleanor Dashwood man myself, but that's just me)
It has the same old-fashioned splendor and joy of the first one. Well done.
Brendan is half-white, half-black and is a scientist. He does all sorts of experiments to answer his burning questions, which he writes down in his notebook.
What Brendan can't answer is why some white people are mean to black people, and why his mother won't let him see his grandfather.
After accidentally running into and meeting his grandfather one day at the mall, Brendan discovers that he, too, is a geologist and rock-collector. On that basis a friendship forms, but it has to be done by sneaking around and lying.
An interesting, fun read that looks at race without being depressing or beating the reader too hard over the head. I'm not sure if a I really "buy" the ending, but it was a nice read that will appeal to boys and girls.
