Reading Through Life

Monday, September 9, 2019

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last week in posts:

Review: Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Review: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away

Last week in books:

Not Every Princess and Introducing Teddy are both books that deal with gender and gender roles. Either could be used to have a discussion around gender with young children. I think others may be better, but these were okay. Big and Little is a picture book about opposites and had cute dogs, but it was a little meh for me. Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist is a nice picture book biography. It was cool to learn about this Chinese American artist who was very influential with the art in the movie Bambi. I especially enjoyed the addition of actual photos at the end. Waiting for Chicken Smith is a simple book about someone waiting for a friend to show up and what he does in the meantime. It has unique art.

The rest of the books were the standouts. Why Indigenous Literatures Matter takes a while to read, but part of that is needing to stop and copy out quotes. I really appreciated what Daniel Heath Justice has to say about literature in general and Indigenous literatures in particular. I am really thankful to have listened to the podcasts This Land and All Our Relations prior to reading because I think those conversations really helped me to see relationships in a much broader way. We are relations to kin by birth, but also to others by choice. This is true of human relations, but also non-human such as animals, land, or the environment. And with our relations, we have responsibilities and obligations. One of the quotes I copied was, "In all cases, story makes meaning of the relationships that define who we are and what our place is in the world; it reminds us of our duties, our rights and responsibilities, and the consequences and transformative possibilities of our actions. It also highlights what we lose when those relationships are broken or denied to us, and what we might gain from even partial remembrance." Indigenous literatures matter for many reasons and Justice lays them out. I also copied this quote, "Literature as a category is about what’s important to a culture, the stories that are privileged and honored, the narratives that people—often those in power, but also those resisting that power—believe to be central to their understanding of the world and their place in relation to it."

Merci Suárez was a re-read for me since it's one of the book on our battle list. I loved it last year and loved it once again even though I cried - again. A Map Into the World is a beautiful picture book featuring a Hmong family going through the four seasons and their relationship with a neighbor and his wife. It deals with grief and empathy and connecting with others. I believe it's the first picture book written by a Hmong American author to be published by one of the big publishing company. I'm very excited to share it with students.

The two graphic novels were also very good. Mooncakes is a fun fantasy that made me smile and smile and smile. They Called Us Enemy did the opposite. I appreciated this memoir about a pretty grim time in the history of our country. George Takei shares his memories of the incarceration of Japanese Americans. He also draws parallels to present day issues.

The Coming Week:

Quite honestly, I do not have a plan beyond reading What Girls Know by Neesha Meminger for a review I'm doing next week. I literally have piles of books stacked in the room I am sitting in right now and I don't know where I'll begin. Happy reading!

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 708/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2019 - 249/275

#MustReadin2019 - 21/30

Year of the Asian 2019 - 29/30

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Review: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away

Title: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away
Author: Ronald L. Smith
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 215
Availability: On shelves now
Review copy: Final copy via publisher

Summary: Twelve-year-old Simon is obsessed with aliens. The ones who take people and do experiments. When he's too worried about them to sleep, he listens to the owls hoot outside. Owls that have the same eyes as aliens—dark and foreboding. Then something strange happens on a camping trip, and Simon begins to suspect he’s been abducted. But is it real, or just the overactive imagination of a kid who loves fantasy and role-playing games and is the target of bullies and his father’s scorn?

Even readers who don’t believe in UFOs will relate to the universal kid feeling of not being taken seriously by adults that deepens this deliciously scary tale.

Review: It has taken me a while to write a review for this book. There are simply not enough middle grade alien stories with a high creepy factor so I appreciated finding this one. There are aspects about this book that are excellent, but there are things that detract from the overall quality. Simon's obsession with aliens is overwhelming. He sees evidence and reminders of aliens every place he looks. And these aren't cute little cartoon aliens. They use humans as their lab rats and don't seem to have any moral or ethical standards that would keep them from harming or even killing humans.

Simon is a little nerdy what with his gaming and reading. His brother is athletic, but Simon believes there are other ways to be strong. He's dealing with a lot. His parents have him in therapy because of his beliefs about aliens. He's also afraid because of what the aliens are doing to him. Simon is a very confused and frightened child and readers will likely be able to identify with those feelings even if the alien thing is not something in their life experience.

The things that are distracting are the story within a story and some of the mental health interactions. Simon is the narrator and as he tells about his experiences, he also shares the story he has been writing. To me, the story within the story did not add a lot to the overall story and in fact seemed to make it more confusing than anything else. I was also uncomfortable with how the counselor and Simon's parents dealt with him regarding his mental health. And while not all medications do a good job, he has very negative reactions and thoughts about the meds they try with him so that might give some negative impressions to readers.

Recommendation: In spite of the detracting issues, I would still recommend this to middle grade readers who are looking for science fiction since there simply aren't enough middle grade alien books out there - especially not with biracial main characters. The story is intriguing and I finished it in one sitting even though the story within a story muddied the waters a bit. I'm not a big fan of creepy books, but this has just enough creepiness to give me a few chills, but no nightmares which is great for middle grade.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Review: Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Title: Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Author: Meg Medina
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 355
Availability: On shelves
Review copy: Advanced readers copy

Summary: Merci Suárez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.

Review: Merci and her family completely won my heart. Their relationships are strong, but sometimes messy. They give of themselves, but they also fuss at each other. There is no doubt that they love each other, but love doesn't keep siblings, parents, grandparents, cousins and other family members from being annoying. Merci comes to see that having so many family members living near each other can be a total pain - especially when it means babysitting for free, but it also has big benefits. Being able to raid multiple refrigerators is a plus, but it's also a true gift to have grandparents within reach and people who will jump in when needed for pretty much anything.

All of that is true, but there are changes happening and Merci is not liking these changes. Even more than that, she is being kept in the dark about some things and she gets extremely frustrated that her family doesn't trust her with information. Changes are hard. They're hard for everyone, but adults sometimes forget that when they are keeping things from children, sometimes that increases the worry for young people.

For anyone who has dealt with health issues in their family, this book would likely speak to them. Readers may experience emotions right along with Merci - frustration, sadness, confusion, and more. Anyone who believes childhood is generally a carefree time of life will surely see that they may not have the same exact issues as adults, but they can be just as impactful as situations adult face.

Recommendation: Merci and her family are people everyone should get to know. While reading, people can take a seat in the Suárez family homes and watch as they learn and grow together. It's a beautiful and heartwarming story in spite of the painful moments and is worth any tears that may fall. Never fear, there are also plenty of funny moments too. Merci's story won a Newbery medal so it will get into many hands, but if you haven't read it yet, you'll need to pick it up soon.

Monday, September 2, 2019

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last week in posts:

Review of Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi

on Rich in Color

Last week in books:

Fruit of the Drunken Tree was a hard book to read. It's on our adult Battle of the Books list though so I kept going. Darius the Great is Not Okay is also on our Battle list and it had been almost a year since I read it. I was happy to have an excuse to pick it up again as it's a favorite. I had heard a lot of good things about Maybe He Just Likes You, so I requested it on Netgalley. I'm glad I did. It's a really good book for upper elementary and middle school readers as it deals with consent, bullying, and gives a really good view into what it feels like to be sexually harassed as a young girl. It's all done in a very age appropriate way.

The author of Educated is coming to our city later this month & my adult book club is reading it. It was a quick read for me and an interesting one. It's a memoir of someone who had never had formal education, the mental health issues in her family, and how she managed to get to higher education in spite of or partially because of these pieces of her life. The three picture books were nice. I gave them 4 star ratings, but honestly, I don't remember much about them a few days later. Maybe life has just been to busy to retain everything. Twinchantment was a nice fantasy about twin princesses who have been hiding that they are twins. They've been living as one child due to beliefs about magic in their kingdom.

The Coming Week:

I am still reading Why Indigenous Literatures Matter. I am also going to re-read Merci Suarez and possibly some other books on our Battle List for our contest next week. Otherwise, I'm not too sure what will come my way other than the picture books I'll be reading at school. Happy reading!

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 698/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2019 - 244/275

#MustReadin2019 - 21/30

Year of the Aisian 2019 - 25/30

Monday, August 26, 2019

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last week in books:

I guess I read a few books this week. Yikes. The Wedding Date was very definitely adult and was hilarious. It's a fun romance and it was perfect for summer. It's on our adult Battle of the Books list. There were many mediocre picture books and a few gems. My favorites of these were A Friend Like Iggy, Pilar's Worries (their cafeteria has pot stickers day!), Bitter and Sweet and One Dark Bird.

I enjoyed Permanent Record and will review it at Rich in Color later this week. I thought Lost at School was okay, but wish it had been better. I learned a few helpful things, but it had a few issues.

The Coming Week:

I am reading Twinchantment, Why Indigenous Literatures Matter, and Fruit of the Drunken Tree. I go back for in-service this week so might not have a lot of time for reading. Have a great week.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 688/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2019 - 239/275

#MustReadin2019 - 21/30

Year of the Aisian 2019 - 25/30

Monday, August 19, 2019

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last few weeks in books:

How to Be an Indian in the 21st Century (YA+) is a wonderful collection of poems and the author is from WI so that added interest for me. Look Both Ways (middle grade) is a unique collection of interrelated short stories. Ho'onani Hula Warrior is a picture book re-telling of a documentary film about a young Hawaiian who feels that girl or boy as a designation doesn't always fit for everyone. There is a middle space and that is where Ho'onani is most comfortable. Ho'onani has people who support this identification and a space is held for people in this middle place in the Hawaiian culture - at least there had been until first contact with non indigenous people. There are people who are trying to make sure this is again something that is honored and accepted. Because both the picture book and the documentary are created by outsiders, I was worried, but for the most part, it seems to keep Ho'onani's perspective centered. It would be a powerful way to enter into discussion with people about what it means to be nonbinary. Aru Shah and the End of Time was a fairly light-hearted fantasy. I think it was modeled after Percy Jackson (it's part of the Rick Riordan Presents), but it's not as polished. Some people with Indian background have expressed concern about how the mythology/religion is presented, but I really can't speak to that. I get that it may be tricky though because these deities are actually still part of an ongoing religious belief unlike most of the deities in Greek/Roman mythology, so I can see how care would need to be taken. The princess and knight books I read (two this week) were okay, but nothing that made me gasp and get excited.

Señorita Mariposa is nice, but the bilingual text is a bit confusing. English is in one style of font and Spanish is in another. But not always. There are a few lines where it is swapped. I didn't really like that part because it popped me out of the text momentarily. It wouldn't be a problem for those fluent in both languages though and isn't a huge problem anyway. Jacob's Room to Choose is a little didactic and deals with who should be able to use which restrooms. It's welcoming and would be very helpful for having discussions around this issue. It also shows that clothing and other aspects of presentation don't always indicate gender and that gender doesn't have to be such an intense focus. None of the other picture books were super big standouts for me, but were just okay. We Are Still Here (YA+) is a fantastic collection of photos from the American Indian Movement. They're accompanied by some history of the movement. The photos were truly phenomenal. The history is nice to have with though.

The Coming Week:

I will be reading Twinchantment, Focused, and more children's lit for the committee I am serving on since I didn't do it last week like I planned. I am also still reading Lost at School for work. Have a great week.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 634/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2019 - 227/275

#MustReadin2019 - 21/30

Year of the Aisian 2019 - 24/30

Monday, August 12, 2019

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last few weeks in books:

Here is my dilemma. I haven't posted since July 22nd. So I have about three weeks worth of reading to report. You do NOT want to see that list. I promise. Why? Because I am reading for a committee and I have read approximately 370 books in the past three weeks. Granted, the majority of them are picture books, but still, it's a ridiculous amount of books. So I am only going to list a few of the stand outs.

The Coming Week:

I will be reading Twinchantment, Focused, and more children's lit for the committee I am serving on. I also need to read Lost at School for work. Have a great week.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 618/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2019 - 223/275

#MustReadin2019 - 21/30

Year of the Aisian 2019 - 21/30