My 7th grade students and I are continuing to study THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z by Kate Messner. We enjoy the humor woven throughout, commiserate with Gianna as she faces a daunting science project, and recognize our own families in hers.

After taking the What Kind of Tree Are You? personality quiz, the students tried a little writing assignment. I made it extremely opened ended so that my creative and talented writers would not be conscripted by too many parameters. I did give them some ideas so that students who struggle with this type of activity would have some guidelines to help them get started.

The results? Fabulous depth and breadth in their choices. I had students turning in personal poems they'd written, as well as poems using a tree as a narrator. There were letters: from the owner to the tree, from a child to a tree, and from the tree to the owner! Some students created fictional diary entries, while others added new choices to Messner's Tree Quiz, matching personalities to trees they'd studied in science and creating an expanded quiz. One student even made a Venn diagram comparing himself to the tree that matched his personality - the American Beech! My students are talented, funny, and willing to share their work.


Here are three samples. The first is from the POV of a high-maintenance tree:

Dear Owner:
I am very disappointed in the way you've been treating me. First of all, what's with all these kids climbing all over me? Don't they know I'm an ornamental tree? They should climb that dumb old oak tree or something. And, you haven't clipped me in, like, two weeks! Hello?! Do you want me to look ike some scraggly old tree? If I were you, I'd get right on that! Also, we haven't been getting very much rain lately. European Mountain Ashes are supposed to have extra water during drought. Okay, three days isn't exactly a drought, but still! I'm thirsty. And another thing, I like FULL sun. As in, no big fat oak trees blocking my light.
Best Regards: 
The European Mountain Ash in your front yard


(NOTE: The following poem has been editing - slightly - to remove some personal student identifiers. The balance is well done, don't you think?)

I am a Sugar Maple
I am [student name]
Colorful leaves;
colorful personality.
Uneven coloring; scattered.
Ideas - scattered unevenly.
Fluttery leaves in the wind.
Fluttery words when I'm rushed
Prettiest in Autumn?
Of that I'm not sure.
Need to focus?
Maybe a little...
Sweet sap in the spring
Sweet to others (I try)
Important in society
A dream I'll pursue,
hoping it will come true,
until my roots rot.
Until another sugar sprouts.
Until another [student name] sprouts
Until then,
I am who I am
I am a Sugar Maple.
I am [student name].

Another letter, this time from a very business-like tree:

Dear M. V-----:
You have not been outside lately, so I am not sure if you remember me, but I am the big Red Oak tree that sits in the middle of  your backyard. We have a little problem on our hands that I would like to discuss with you.

I do not mind the blue jays, or the woodpeckers, but your crazy red squirrel, named Nutty, is driving me up a tree. He is constantly making Woody the Woodpecker peck a giant hole in me. I am beginning to think that he is up to something. He has been traveling up and down me every day, and his cheeks seem to be full of something. I m almost certain that he is planning on moving in for the winter and is stealing all of my acorns.

I would like to remin you that I am a rare tree in this area, and I happen to be the most inportant wildlilfe tree. However, wildlife should not include a crazy red squirrel. I am not a condo, and I am not looking for a tenant. I think that you should take Nutty for a ride to the park and introduce him to the big White Oak tree. I hear that he is looking for a tenant and I think they will be very happy with each other.

Thank you for your help with this problem. If I have any more issues, I will be sure to let you know.

Sincerely,
Red Oak Tree


As you can see, my students are everything I said they are! The next post will have their hilarious creative writing assignment that I downloaded from Kate Messner's website. (It is another exercise in VOICE!)

Once again, Jeff Kinney's bringing the laughs with his new DIARY OF A WIMPY KID - DOG DAYS. In this fourth installment, our favorite wimpy kid, Greg, is looking forward to his summer vacation. Poor kid. Little does he know! My students and I love THE WIMPY KID books - they are a fun, fast read. (Although it can be quite annoying during SSR when the whole room is silent and the student...or teacher...reading a WIMPY KID book keeps laughing out loud.)

The day DOG DAYS was released I ran to the local bookstore and bought a copy. Luckily, Border's had a special...buy a book and get a great deal on a WIMPY KID t-shirt. It only came in kids sizes so I bought an XL and hoped for the best...it fit! I love it, Jeff Kinney's cartoons are awesome!


I ran home to read the book...Greg's summer turned out worse than I'd hoped! I particularly loved the scenes with his mom and the book club. Oh my. My students who are reading Kinney's books always have great comments and connections when they write their weekly reading letters to me and I love hearing about their version of "the cheese touch" or how an older brother particularly resembles Rodrick. Invariably they come up with hilarious ideas for the next book.

There's also Kinney's DO IT YOURSELF book, which lets students try their hands at being a cartoonist is fun for those wanting to learn more about drawing, as well as kids interested in recorded the absurdities of their lives. We highly recommend WIMPY KID books for gifts.

Where's the Wimpy Contest come into play, you ask?

I wore my shirt to school today, with the caption bubble blank. The shirt comes with a permanent marker...but I can't just write ANYTHING there...it has to be PERFECT. So I need your help! Here are the rules:

Want to win a copy of Jeff Kinney's DIARY OF A WIMPY KID - DOG DAYS?
Suggest a caption for my shirt...the winning entry gets the book. You may enter up to three captions.
KEEP IT CLEAN, peeps, since kids read my blog!

I am the judge. After all, it's a permanent marker and it's my shirt.

If you are not a livejournal member, be sure to put your name in the comment box!
(If you are a student at my school, use only your first name & last initial, with Stafford Middle School in the comment box.)

The contest will close at midnight on November 15, 2009. The book winner will be announced on the blog and I will contact the winner.
In the event a winner is not chosen, or the winner is unable to be contacted, the remaining names will be thrown into a hat. Or a bucket. Perhaps even that large flower pot out in my garage. Then I will have a random stranger (or my husband who is often random and quite frequently strange) pull one name out of said hat/bucket/flower pot. I will then try to contact THAT person. I will repeat ad nauseum until ONE lucky person finally connects with me and I can mail out the book. If you've already purchased the book, I'd be willing to go out and buy the DO IT YOURSELF book, maybe even a little kid's wimpy shirt, but don't push it. Those are hard to come by, I've heard. So, you'll get a prize and you'll be happy and then you can write something nice when you get it. haha!


GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!

In last week’s 7th grade English class we discussed the upcoming creative writing assignment that is tied into our study of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z by Kate Messner. Students can choose from one of my ideas or come up with something on their own. As an exercise in voice, they can write a letter in the voice of their tree (from the What Kind of Tree Are You quiz mentioned in the previous post), write a metaphor poem using the tree, or a diary about discovering their tree personality. (Some students have their own ideas, which you can find out in the next post!)

Later we talked about how the description of Gianna’s room in the book fits her personality. Students sketched and labeled a diagram of their own room. Then they turned the paper over and wrote two or more paragraphs describing what someone would see if he walked into their room at that very moment. The students included what kind of assumptions the person would make about their personalities from their rooms, including appearance, belongings, and décor. Students enjoyed sharing their room descriptions with the class before we read the next three chapters.

This week we began the class by looking at the responses to the What Kind of Tree Are You quiz in the previous livejournal post. Students had a good time laughing at Mr. Larkin’s boastful response, as well as smiling over Mrs. Bernard’s and Ms. Quarles’ statements. We were happy to see that a few other people had responded to the quiz. Some of the students are going to have their siblings and parents take the quiz and then post the results on that journal entry.

The creative writing project is due in the next class and some students are really thinking out of the box! I will post some of their ideas here next week.

For now, here are some of the room descriptions from one class that students said I could post. (This is great insight into teens’ lives for those writers out there…) ☺

Student One:
The bed is to the left and the desk is on the right in front of my door. My slippers are next to the dresser, my clothes are all around the hamper, and the dresser drawers are open. My laptop is opened and probably still has a game on it I did not finish. They would probably think, “This kid is pretty messy!”

Student Two:
If someone walked into my room right now, they would see teal walls, an unmade bad, with pillows everywhere. They would see two hoodies on the floor. At the side of my bed you’d see a book and a tissue box. On my bed stand, you’d see the bookshelves are all messy. You’d see a Batman calendar, two marine posters, a hairbrush on my desk, papers, and a few comics and my desk. They might think I am a messy person.

Student Three:
When you walk in, you might have to sit down or you will get dizzy! I have splats of paint all over my walls and my room is themed on that. My dog would be o my bed and my clothes would be all over the floor so bad you probably couldn’t see it. My bed would be un-made. And lastly, you would see my trophy shelf. Luckily, you can’t see the stuff in the corner (that’s all my dirty stuff). The person would think I am spontaneous and sloppy.

Student Four:
If you walk into my room on your right you will see a closet door that leads to my messy closet. On my closet door there are posters of cute guys. I used to have a hall of Jonas, but I got rid of it because my brother and all his friends thought that they’re stupid and his friends are cute, so I got rid of it. My walls are blue and I want to paint them HOT pink, baby blue, and brown…my three favorite colors. Straight ahead is my bed with my favorite stuffed animal: Booberry – he’s a blue bear. To their left will be a dresser and with junk on it…junk on the floor, as well. Also, behind my door is a dollhouse. Next to my bed are two nightstands. I have a fan above my bed, also one right on my face. People will think I’m outgoing, but organized.

Student Five:
If someone were to walk in my room, they would probably think I’m a slob. My bed is a huge mess because I just throw my clothes on it and leave them there. On my floor there are lots of clothes, shoes, and socks everywhere. My closet isn’t that bad, but there is absolutely no room to hang anything up. It’s a good thing that they would not be able to see the top shelf in my closet, because it is horrible! Also the table in my room has junk on it. The person would see that my hair supplies would be scattered around my mirror. My mirror also has lipstick on it because my friend wanted to write on it.

Student Six:
If you were to walk in my room you would think it was messy. If you look to your right, you would find a tall dresser with hair stuff, jewelry, candles, and two pictures. If you looked to the right, you would find my bed and my tv. My dog is on my bed. There are cups and food on my shelf. My soccer bag has stuff thrown all around it. My bed is not made and my pj’s are on my floor, clothes from trying them on this morning. I have a dresser straight ahead, with who know what in it! A director’s chair is to the left next to my sliding glass door. My closet is on the right, with blue walls all around. They probably think I am disorganized.

Student Seven:
I am a neat freak – my closet is all organized, my books are alphabetized, and my bed is made. Everything is organized. My room is empty and really clean. My dresser has a lot of hockey trophies because our hockey team has been good for a while. I am waiting for my first trophy from the Junior Cardinals after two teams I made this summer. A person would think that I am pretty neat. My downstairs closet…now that is another story!

Before we started reading THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z by Kate Messner, the science teacher on my team, LaShauna Quarles, assigned the exact same leaf collection project the main characters in the book are doing to our students. The students must collect and identify twenty-five leaves (they should also include some nuts or berries of the tree). They may present the information how they choose.

In preparation for reading this heart-warming mid-grade novel, I shared the stories of my experiences with the leaf collection from my own two children, one who is a planner and the other a procrastinator. They easily identified with one or the other. In Messner's book, the MC gets herself into a jam because she keeps putting off this large project. The students then wrote in their journals briefly, sharing their progress with the project. Here are some of their responses, which I think you will enjoy reading:


Student One:
I was so scared when I heard about the leaf project. I had NO idead how I was going to collect all of them. Lucky for me, my dad has a degree in forestry and knows a thing or two about trees. I worked with my best friend, with help from my dad. He...works in the woods, so we weren't short on resources. It took us three weekends total, one to collect most of them and two to put it together. The best thing was having it done and being able to look at the finished project. The worst thing was running around and collecting.


Student Two:
So far, Ms. Quarles' leaf project has been enjoyable. I have twenty pairs, so I need to get five more. My parents and I like to go outside and collect the leaves on a path near the lake. There are a lot of leaves there. For the identification part, I work alone for the presentation and how the leaves are organized. That's because I know that onlly I know what I want and nobody else. The thing I liked most about the project was going outsdie to collect the leaves - breathing the fresh air, walking my dog, and having fun with my parents. I didn't like having to identify the leaves. I like knowing things, but I still didn't like being inside to figure out what they were.

Student Three:
I am still working on my leaf project. Right now I am laminating and working on finding info about my leaves. I found the majority of my leaves behind the Field House {at the State University in our city} and around my neighborhood. My mom is sending me some leaves from Florida. I worked on my leaf project with 3 friends. The best thing I liked was hanging out with all of my friends. My least favorite was looking up ALL the information.

Student Four:
I had a lot of fun doing my leaf collection because we had to walk around in the woods to find them. I got most of the leaves from our woods, but my sister's boyfriend had a lot of land, so we got leaves there, too. My Mom and Dad helped my identify them and I wrote all of the facts down and helped preserve them. It took about three weeks to do the project. I turned in twenty-eight different leaves. What I liked about the project was that is was outside and I love being outside when the leaves change color. The worst thing about the project was that I had to write a lot of fact.s. I really couldn't identify any leaves before, but now I can identify about 15 (without the guide book).

Student Five:
All I had to do is go to the park and I collected ten. Then I went to the cemetery across the street to get some more and got about ten. My dad and I went to get a project binder at Staples. Then we are identifying them. Now I'm going to go over to my Mom's and write stuff about them. The best part was doing the collecting with my dad. The worst is writing stuff about it.

Student Six:
I got most of my leaves around my neighborhood looking for leaves. When I found an interesting one I asked the person who owned the tree if it was ok if I took a sample of it. My mom helped me. She borrowed her laminator from her business she owns and we laminated the leaves and found all of the resources I needed to get an A+. The best thing about the project is that I found very uncommon leaves and it is very interesting. The worse thing is when my mom borrowed the first laminator and the berries got stuck in it and squeezed juice all over the machine.

Student Seven:
I got most of my leaves close to my house and I am not doing it all by myself - my sister is helping me. She is only helping me find the leaves, so I still do not have it done. The best part about the project is collecting the leaves because it is the simple part. The worst thing is identifying them because it is harder. I can't id none of them without the book.

Student Eight:
I have had a good time working on my leaf project. My grandpa helped me the most out of everyone. He got my supplies that I needed to complete my project. He took me to Pt. Au Roche  {a nature preserve} to get most of my leaves. We went on walks also. He is taking them to a college professor to make sure that I identified them all correctly. I couldn't have done it without him. The best thing about the leaf project is that I got to spend time with my grandpa because we never just hang out just the two of us. The worst thing about the leaf project was having to go out in the cold and having to do homework.

Student Nine:
I am almost done my leaf project. I am the kind of person that just wants to get the project over with. There are three things I have left that I will get done tonight: One is gluing my leaf to the information about the leaves. Two, I have to write or type my table of contents. Three, I have to write or type my bibliography. I had a little bit of trouble finding thirty different leaves and identifying them all. The best thing about the project is that it is a fun project once you get the hang of it. The worst part was it took a long time to find 30 different leaves . I can identify 15 different kinds of leaves now (without a book) without any problem!

Student Ten:
I finished my leaf project last week. I worked on it with {a friend} and her dad was helping us pick leaves. It took us about two weekends to do it because I would spend the night there and her mom doesn't have a printer so we had to do it at her dad's house. It was really easy - there were only three that were hard to identify. The best thing is that we were allowed to work with a friend so that when we were doing the project we were having fun at the same time. The worst thing is that I don't like leaves.

Student Eleven:
I am finished my leaf project. I had a lot of help from my Uncle Bill. He let me find most of my leaves at his maple sugar farm. He would
show me great spots to get leaves and cool trees. My mom also helped me a lot by identifying the hard leaves. It was hard but fun and I am glad I got it done. I found some great leaves. The best thing is seeing the coolest trees that you really never noticed before. The worst thing about the project is the few leaves you can't figure out what tree they come from.

Student Twelve:
My experience with the leaf project is sort of great! And it is great because it is very, very easy because I have a brother that did it two years ago. So he knows how to perfectly identify them, but the downside is he does not like to help me, but my mom makes him. I also went behind the Field House to get them and around my neighborhood. The best thing is that is went by fast and easy because my brother helped me with it. The worst thing is that I had to get so many leaves and I had to spend time with my brother.


After we shared how the project was progressing, we read the first two chapters of the novel. The class broke into small groups to discuss various topics I posted on the board.

Stay tuned for more insights into TEACHING GIANNA Z!

BOOK REVIEW:
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet
By Erin Dionne

Erin Dionne’s done it again! Her first novel, MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, won praise and garnered some excellent reviews. The latest, THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET, another mid-grade novel, is sure to have students talking (and reading!). Dionne’s sense of humor is woven throughout her tightly written plot, filled with funny situations that would give any student angst. In honor of the main character, appropriate quotes from Shakespeare’s play are sprinkled throughout the review.

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
-    William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”

Just how embarrassing can your parents be? In Hamlet’s case: very. Imagine your parents walking around dressed like they just teleported from Shakespeare’s England and saying things like, “Goodwill to you” and “Huzzah” in the halls at your school. More humiliating, imagine they named you, their little girl, after a guy in a Shakespearean tragedy. Hamlet’s life seems pretty rotten, right? But wait, there’s more…and it gets worse.

“To be, or not to be: that is the question”
-    William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”

If you’ve ever had to follow in the shadow of high-achieving older siblings, then you will surely commiserate with Hamlet. She has a little sister, Dezzie, who’s a genius and is going to attend Hamlet’s middle school. Oh, the embarrassment. Although Hamlet reluctantly shines in drama, she is struggling in math. In the meantime, guess who becomes one of the math tutors?

Dionne does a fabulous job illustrating the perils of middle school, as Hamlet tries to juggle not wanting to stand out against the attention she’s receiving. The author also adeptly shows Dezzie’s forays into the tangled world of cliques. We are torn between rooting for normalcy for Hamlet and wondering why she doesn’t embrace her own gifts. It really is tough to be in eighth grade!

"This above all: to thine own self be true”
-    William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”

As the novel progresses, Dionne manages to keep the pace and the humor moving forward. The mystery of the Globe, wondering whether or not she will see her talents, and hoping the family can learn to speak one another’s language keeps us turning the pages. In the end, we await discovery if Hamlet will be true to herself.

"A rhapsody of words."
-    William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet is well crafted and an enjoyable read. Erin Dionne is a skillful writer who has captured the life in a typical (but funny) middle school. Her use of voice and interspersed dramatic vignettes shows how carefully she crafts her work. This novel is perfect for a class set for reading together or literature circles, as it is a wholesome book that has themes of family, friendship, and discovering oneself. It would make a great gift for a mid-grade level reader. I highly recommend it! Coming in January 2010 from Dell Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group, Inc. Preorder from a bookstore near you!

-Marjorie Light

Support independent booksellers – keep our neighborhood bookstores alive!

 

My last post was August 2! Why so long, you ask? Good question. The reason: On August 3rd I was in Albany working and went out to dinner with colleagues. After dinner, right as we were getting ready to leave, I was struck by a large tray in the back of my head. Talk about a freak accident! I ended up in the hospital with a concussion and had a headache for weeks.

What was worse than the headache was my brain slowdown. I had trouble driving and processing. (Don't worry, I stayed off of the road!) 
What really bothered me, though, was I had some wonderful books I'd already read and wanted to share them with you all, but my writing just didn't sound like me.

So now I'm back! Back to normal (perhaps that should be in quotes, ha) and to blogging about writing.

Thanks to all who sent me well wishes through Facebook - I appreciated it.

Please look for my first new review tomorrow.

Oh, and one more thing: Watch your back!
Marjorie : )

Spare, beautiful prose, full of truths and ironies, fleshes out a modern-day version of Beauty and the Beast. Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted works her magic, weaving a tale of a high school reject-of-his-own-making and the lovely, pure girl who sees beyond his hideousness.

Lucius and Aurora begin telling their story on their first day of school, where both are new students, and the viewpoint alters chapter to chapter. Particularly interesting is how the same incident is told first from one character’s perspective and then from another’s. The tension is increased with the unfolding, as we yearn for the characters to see the light of truth beyond their misconceptions. As the legend becomes life, Lucius withdraws further into himself and sees the glimmer of her goodness from the bottom of his despair.

The minor characters serve their purpose well – Jessup, the nemesis of Lucius; and Celia and Deanie, foils for Aurora. Even Misty, Lucius’ little sister, who begins the novel as the perfect tormentor, has an interesting role in the drama. As in most fairy tales, the parents take a secondary role, but are important to illustrate how the main characters became the people they are. The contrasts of their families heightens the comparison between Lucius and Aurora.

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL flows smoothly and pulls us toward the inevitable ending. Like any fable, some portions of her novel are painted with large, bold brushstrokes, but Baratz-Logsted is deft at intricacies, as well. Her precise word choices spring from the page and paint a portrait of two teens fated to be together, while having many obstacles thrown in their converging paths. She softens the blow of their tragedy with humor, woven throughout.

This novel is appropriate for middle school students to high school, even though the main characters are of high school age. As both the male and the female protagonists share the narrator’s role, either boys or girls will appreciate it. As a retelling of a fairy tale familiar to most, it is sure to attract reluctant readers, too. Lauren Baratz-Logsted has spun a romance worthy of the ages between a guy with hooks for hands and the beautiful girl, whom he longs will notice him. Due out September 2009 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

When a proven, talented, award-winning writer like Nancy Springer has a new book out, it is wise to take notice. In her recent offering, SOMEBODY, we meet a girl who needs to be noticed, as well.

As the novel opens, we do not know the name of the main character (MC) telling her story through first person narration, and we soon discover why. There is a mystery swirling around her and her family’s need to move from two-bit town to another; and it takes a library nerd to help her get to the heart of the matter. (Don’t worry, no spoilers in this review!)

One of the main questions in this YA is, “Who am I really?” This is a question many teens ask themselves, and the main character is dealing with self-discovery on a variety of levels. Without giving any of the novel away, I can safely say her search for identity also incorporates her search for a name…one that suits her, that feels right.

This novel is perfect for younger YA readers, and its accessibility and high-interest would make it suitable for older, struggling readers. Springer takes this quest for identity with a well-developed MC and an interesting cast of supporting characters. She weaves imagery throughout, but not so subtly that it's missed by inexperienced readers. Although the book is not weighty in length and number of pages, its themes of friendship, belonging, family, self-worth and identity give it substance.

The end of the book had me crying as I watched the MC grow and make choices leading to a satisfying end. Springer has some surprises in store for her readers and doesn’t tip her hand too soon. I can’t wait to share this with my middle school students (no language, sex, or violence here) and highly recommend this for older, reluctant readers, too.

This book is available now through an indie bookstore near you or online. Published by Holiday House, Inc., Nancy Springer's SOMEBODY is a book that my students will pass around, recommend, and talk about in literature circles.

Since the day I read Give a Boy a Gun, I’ve been a Todd Strasser fan. His writing is authentic and scary, sort of like that feeling you get when you are all alone and you think someone is watching you. You feel your hair standing up on your arms and little beads of sweat break out over your upper lip. “Is someone there? Hello?” His new novel, WISH YOU WERE DEAD keeps the chills coming.

From the first chapter, Strasser’s YA thriller sets us up for more scares than a Halloween haunted house. We cautiously turn the page ahead to the next chapter, readying ourselves for another shock. He makes sure the evil keep popping out at us, giving us fright after fright.

WISH YOU WERE DEAD features a blend of four narrations: an anonymous teen’s blog listing the kids she hates, a first person narrative by a nice girl named Madison from a wealthy community, a bit of omniscient narration, and strange ramblings from a possible psychopathic kidnapper. Strasser is able to pull off having this many different narrators through his talent as a writer and the use of font styles to indicate a change in narration.

The main character, Madison, is losing her close friends, one by one, and is receiving strange emails and notes warning her of each impending disaster. To compound matters, she is attracted to the new guy in school, but is unsure whether he is involved in the disappearances or not. When Madison decides to take matters into her own hands, we cringe, knowing no good can come out of a choice like that. The pace is fast and the end is shocking. As I sat curled up in my chair at 1:00 am, wanting to finish it, I was wishing I had started it earlier in the day…it was so dark outside and only a thin screen separated me from the noise on the porch…

Strasser’s WISH YOU WERE DEAD is published by Egmont USA and is due out late September 2008. Some language and violence, but nothing over the top for most teen readers. The themes of bullying, tolerance, and friendship are all ones to which students can relate. A perfect read for chill seekers…make plans to spend the wee hours of the night with this one.

BOOK REVIEW: WHEN YOU REACH ME

I’ll never forget the day I learned the wonders of the Mobiüs strip…mathematics wasn’t my thing – I am a word nerd. So I was caught off guard when I was handed a thin blue strip of paper. “Now put a small twist in it like this,” he explained. “Next, bring the ends together and tape them, like so.” Then, I took my pencil, as instructed, and drew a thin carbon line, starting on the outside. I was stunned when I eventually connected it back and had one continuous strand, looping around on itself. I hung up that paper in my room and would stare at it, trying to figure out how it all worked. Not really understanding the physics behind it all, but loving the impossible rightness of it all.

That’s the way I felt about WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead. It is just SO perfect, so impossible, so right…so perfectly impossibly right. I was stunned when I finished it, too. I propped it on the arm of the chair and just stared at the cover. “What in the world are you doing?” my husband asked. I was taking it in…turning the story over in my mind…reflecting on the perfect circle I had traveled. I could only say, “Wow.” This book is an original, showing me logical ideas that seemed almost enchanted. Oh. My.

Here’s the official summary: “As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1970’s television game show, “The $20,000 Pyramid,” a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.”

What the official summary for WHEN YOU REACH ME does not tell you is that this mid-grade novel will make you laugh…and then cry. It doesn’t say this book is like a birthday present scavenger hunt, where you relish the chase of the clues to discover your gift. It doesn’t warn you that you may never look at others the same again. Or explain that maybe what passes for commonsense is just you not opening your mind. That anything is possible.

Stead brings us back to the 1970’s with ease – the fads, fashions, and life’s everyday imagery is woven in seamlessly. I recognized it all, but never felt she was waving nostalgia in my face, shouting, “Look here, I did my research!” It was comfortable and right, just like it was penned in the year of the setting.

Her characters are just the right amount of flawed, not too perfect and not too odd – normal sixth graders, who are beginning to experience that innocent teenage angst. And then there is that mystery! We see it in the first chapter and spend the rest of the novel puzzling over it. I am not going to give you any hints or spoilers, because that would ruin the fun of discovery. Let’s just say the students in my classroom are going to love the premise of those freaky letters mentioned in the official summary and they are going to sit with their mouths hanging open when they figure out who wrote them. Oh. My.

WHEN YOU REACH ME, Stead’s second novel (after FIRST LIGHT) is amazing. I’m actually going to read it again right now. I want to watch closely how she did it…the way I want to catch the magician conjuring a rabbit…the way I used to trace that thin line around the Mobiüs strip. It seems like it just isn’t possible, but she did it: The circle that flips and turns in on itself, forever spiraling.

Just released in July 2009, WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead was published by Wendy Lamb Books/Random House and is perfect for mid-grade readers, girls or boys (and the adults in the house, too). I know my students will love Stead's new offering and I can't wait until school starts so I can introduce them to this work of mind-blowing fiction.

Once I had the pleasure of hearing Jo Knowles present at the NESCBWI agent/author panel and she was simply lovely – intelligent, gentle, and giving. Then I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of her latest novel JUMPING OFF SWINGS and that forever imprinted her in my mind. Her talent is evident here – the prose straightforward, but powerful, while the dialogue is natural and emotionally charged. I stayed up until I finished it, because I couldn’t wait for morning to discover the ending.

This YA novel examines the tragedy of teen pregnancy from four points of view – Ellie, the girl who becomes pregnant; Josh, the teen father, and Corinne and Caleb, their two best friends. That choice of having four first-person narratives is perfect, as we see how the pregnancy impacts each one. The chapters alternate between them, each labeled. Knowles’ writing is so clear and her voices so distinct, however, that I found myself actually ignoring the titles as I rushed to see what would happen next…and I always knew whose voice I was hearing.

The imagery in JUMPING OFF SWINGS is well done, too. I especially loved the scenes in the playground, tender, laced with regret. Knowles makes each setting distinct and provides the reader with enough variety to keep it interesting, but not so much that it confuses. The structure of the novel is even, with a nice flow from beginning to end. The plot arc pulls us through each scene, tugging us toward the ending, as we yearn for answers to Ellie’s situation.

As an educator and writer, I always love a book for teens that has a vital message and strong themes. Often times, unfortunately, authors feel they need to beat the reader over the head with both to get them to understand. Jo Knowles knows better. She understands her readers. She doesn’t say, “Hey, kids, let’s all remember: don’t have a baby when you’re still a kid yourself!” Instead, she shows us the pain it causes, the chasms it creates, and the scars it leaves. She gently takes us by the hand and leads us along the darkened path, illuminating the characters’ souls, exposing their needs and wants to all. We are left to make our own decisions, but her writing is so poignant and lyrical – and true – that there is really only one path we can follow after the last word is read.

Sadly, I had a friend who experienced a similar situation to Ellie’s when she was young. Her gut-wrenching sobs came back to me as I read this novel. Knowles captures that angst perfectly. Her characters wrestle with the same torments, made all the worse when Ellie’s pregnancy becomes known. At one point, I actually clutched the book to me and cried, as if I was consoling my friend all those years ago.

The dialogue throughout is thoughtful and natural, and even though there are surprises with the plot, it is all so realistic. Teens will love this novel for the straightforward way it deals with a sensitive topic and the path Knowles takes in capturing the anguish. Although the subject matter is weighty, the reader is shown patches of light through use of humor and the strong theme of friendship.

This YA novel has both adult situations and language, but is not too graphic. Both male and female teens will appreciate the style and alternating points of view and JUMPING OFF SWINGS would make for great discussions with literature circles and book clubs. Adult readers, especially women, will find this novel of interest, as well. If you are searching for a novel that will touch your heart and leave you contemplating it long after you are finished, read JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles.

Available August 11, 2009 by Candlewick Press from both indie bookstores near you and major booksellers! To see Jo Knowles' website, click here.

If you like your writing linear, like little white picket fences surrounding a tidy green lawn, this book might not be for you. If you like your writing similar to little Russian nesting dolls, one opening to a smaller duplicate of itself, this book might not be for you.

But let’s just say you love John Irving with his unique characters and threads of subtle plot that tie themselves up into an inextricable knot in the end. And let’s also assume you adore Kurt Vonnegut with his snarky commentary on life and distinctive settings. Like your novels laugh-out-loud funny? Good. Throw all that in a snow globe, shake the snot out of it, and when the dust snow finally settles, well, there it is…the hilariously well-written Going Bovine by Libba Bray.

Bray’s first-person narration by her sixteen-year-old male protagonist, Cameron, is spot-on (I should know, I have a boy at home). Cam finds out he is dying of mad cow disease, which is just another added insult piled onto his already crappy life. He is offered a chance of survival from a punk-rock angel, who may or may not be a delusion related to his spongy brain. Going Bovine launches from there into the swirling chaos of a teen’s journey to find himself before it is too late and it is in this wild ride that Libba Bray weaves a tale worthy of a comparison to  Irving and Vonnegut.

Cameron’s ensuing road trip to save himself, accompanied by a midget and a garden gnome, feels like getting lost in a fun house while on Percocet. (Don’t ask.) Some passages made me snort with laughter, while others I had to go back and reread them just because it was such well-crafted prose. The author weaves social commentary throughout the odd tribulations Cam encounters, leaving the reader to question values and life’s purpose, as Cam is. The situations become more entangled, yet symbiotic, as the novel progresses, while fate drags Cam nearer to either a cure or his demise.

At novel’s end, you are standing in a room of mirrors. You see the now, the past, the future as each reflection is captured and multiplied. You are turning with Cam, quickly, dizzyingly, trying to find the you in you. If you escape intact, throw a quarter in the Fortune Telling machine and ask it, “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my future?”  or… scarier still, “When will I die?” Going Bovine is a wild ride, one worth standing in line, the kind of ride you want to never stop, and the one you dream of late at night when the carnival has left town.

This YA novel will undoubtedly appeal to adult readers, too. Rated for ages 14+, the language and adult situations might be a bit too graphic for some, and the twisting plot devices will require a student who can keep track of the many threads that are weaving together throughout the novel. Going Bovine would make a great gift for high school or college-age guys, along with any adult who appreciates witty, riotous writing.

Coming in September to a bookstore near you! Click here to order from an indie bookstore.
Click here to see Libba Bray's Going Bovine website.

NAME DROPPING NOTE:
I first heard of Going Bovine when I attended an agent/author panel at NESCBWI, which was fascinating, and Barry Goldblatt was waxing eloquent about his bride, Libba Bray. (I could name drop and say I had dinner with him later, but really…he was on one end with his agent friends and I was FAR AWAY on the other, plus there were many successful writers between us…so actually, he probably didn’t even know I was there. ☺) But there we were, at dinner, and he was talking about “Libba Bray” this and Libba Bray” that, until I thought maybe it was her name, you know, like a Cher or Madonna…Libbabray. Later I found him on FB and he was again going on and on about Libba Bray (“@libbabray”) and I was thinking to myself, “Isn’t that adorable how gaga he is over her?” and “Now really, how brilliant could she be, really?” Then I read Going Bovine and I must say, Barry, you were right. She is every bit of brilliant you claimed and then some. 


P.S. (Yes, I know she already was a New York Times best selling author, but I like to find these things out for myself.)

Scholastic’s answer to vampires? Werewolves.

Lucky me, I was loaned an ARC of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater! Shiver has a believable first-person narration, with the chapters rotating between the two main characters, Grace and Sam. Their love seems fated from the beginning and we, the readers, yearn for the two of them to be together. One slight problem…Sam is a werewolf. (NOTE: No endings are revealed in this review...)

By allowing us to watch the unfolding of their love and the tension of the transformations through both Grace’s and Sam’s point of view, Stiefvater helps the reader suspend disbelief effectively. At no time does she falter in her narrative, even with elements that defy logic, her explanations of the fantastical are clear and reasonable. The chapter headings are listed with the character’s name, as well as the temperature, a key element in the novel.

As the tension builds through the novel, with elements of apprehension coming from various plot devices deftly woven in, Shiver keeps us hungering for more information and urging Grace and Sam toward a satisfying resolution. The sub-plots that thread through the novel are convincing, as well. The conflicts between Grace and her friends ring true, with family problems rounding out the issues that simultaneously bring the two together, yet drive wedges between them.

While Stiefvater’s overall story arc pulls us through the novel, the poetry of her writing makes one pause, lingering over beautifully crafted lines. The wolf imagery is entwined, running through the narrative, skillfully allowing us to enter Sam’s world as he shows Grace, and us, his life in the pack.

One of my favorite chapters is when Sam takes Grace on a date to the bookstore. I’ll admit it…I’m a sucker for a good bookstore. This one sounds cozy, welcoming to its reader customers, a place where customers can browse unhindered. Sam’s choosing this place as a dating destination adds to his romanticism, with his painful past, soulful eyes, and love of poetry.

There are many appeals to Shiver's well-written prose that will attract the readers Scholastic is seeking. The ending was satisfying and left only a few lingering questions, which may not bother most readers. (Perhaps a sequel is in the works?) Another key feature is that this YA novel features the total adoration by the love interest, which many young women seek. The love scenes are realistic, without being too graphic. (The only thing jarring was the beginning of the acknowledgements.)

Overall, the tension, conflicts, and themes are all ones of high interest to teens. Combine that with great voice, imagery, and a fast-paced plot and you have a book destined for the best-seller list. There is plenty of buzz being generated about this book, with good reason. Read Shiver – let yourself be transported to a world that is both fantastical and believable. Get caught up in Grace and Sam’s love. You will never look at wolves the same again.

For more information, check out the author’s website: http://bit.ly/151l9d and the publisher’s: http://bit.ly/VdO4n

Let's all join in and wish KATE MESSNER a very happy day! You are a good-hearted person who is full of talent! I'm so fortunate to know you. Happy Birthday and many more!

Here's Kate hard at work on her latest novel this past Monday night!
What a wonderful writing year this will be for her (and hence, us!)