Celebrate

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on Saturdays where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every day.

1. Eggrolls! Yesterday the Hmong Cultural and Community Agency had an eggroll fundraiser. Yum. It was fun to see so many people bustling around the building. The best part though was biting into a fresh warm eggroll. With this fundraiser, they hoped to retire the debt on their building so it was even better knowing that.

2. World Read Aloud Day was tons of fun. We had multiple Skype visits and lots of reading happening around the school building. I will create a post just about that at some point.

3. Fancy Friday was a blast. As part of our PBIS plan, we wanted to have celebrations throughout the year. Fancy Friday was one of those. We dimmed the lights in the cafeteria, covered the tables in paper, set out crayons and had battery operated tea light candles on the table. There was also jazz music being played and there were ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Staff and students were also encouraged to dress up for the day. There were smiles all around.

4. I met up with friends this week and enjoyed some great conversations.

5. I finished a scarf that I had been working on for a while. It was lovely to finally wear it.

6. I made it to a pilates class that I often intend to go to, but have only actually attended once.

7. We had student conferences this week. Families came to the library and chatted, but I also got some weeding done when things were slow. Yay!

Tuesday Trailer

Here is a trailer for one of the most popular books in my library right now. I didn't know it had a trailer until I saw Mr. Schu's tweet, but I am sure my students will be excited to see it. Now I need to order more copies.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

The Past Week:

Picture Books

Young Adult

This was a good reading week with many enjoyable reads. I especially liked reading The Archived as part of the Batty About Books online book club. The cover is mysterious and intriguing just like the book. I am still working on the Diversity on the Shelf Challenge and Latinos in Kid Lit also. It is so cool to find so many titles that are new to me.

The Coming Week:

I am listening to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making when I am in my car. It is a book I abandoned at one time, but maybe on audio I will make it through. I have some Nerdybookclub friends who loved it, so I am giving it another shot. While I am running, I am listening to Son of a Witch - another book that I abandoned in the past when reading in print. I am also reading a memoir called Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog which is interesting. I like hearing a first-hand account of some of the AIM activities. Also, we spent time in the Badlands a few summers ago and will be returning again this summer. I like knowing some of the history of the area we will be passing through on our way to visit family. I also just started reading Akata Witch. I am loving it so far. What are you reading? Have a great week.

Review: Scar Boys

Title: Scar Boys

Author: Len Vlahos

Publisher: Egmont USA

Pages: 256

Review Copy: Digital ARC from Edelweiss

Availability: On shelves now

Summary: 

A severely burned teenager. A guitar. Punk rock. The chords of a rock 'n' roll road trip in a coming-of-age novel that is a must-read story about finding your place in the world...even if you carry scars inside and out.

 In attempting to describe himself in his college application essay--help us to become acquainted with you beyond your courses, grades, and test scores--Harbinger (Harry) Jones goes way beyond the 250-word limit and gives a full account of his life.

The first defining moment: the day the neighborhood goons tied him to a tree during a lightning storm when he was 8 years old, and the tree was struck and caught fire. Harry was badly burned and has had to live with the physical and emotional scars, reactions from strangers, bullying, and loneliness that instantly became his everyday reality.

The second defining moment: the day in 8th grade when the handsome, charismatic Johnny rescued him from the bullies and then made the startling suggestion that they start a band together. Harry discovered that playing music transported him out of his nightmare of a world, and he finally had something that compelled people to look beyond his physical appearance. Harry's description of his life in his essay is both humorous and heart-wrenching. He had a steeper road to climb than the average kid, but he ends up learning something about personal power, friendship, first love, and how to fit in the world. While he's looking back at the moments that have shaped his life, most of this story takes place while Harry is in high school and the summer after he graduates. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Review: Harry's story certainly grabbed my attention with the freak lightning event and the cruelty that led up to it. The combination of music references and humor is what kept me reading. Initially, I was only glancing at the song titles heading the chapters and imagining what was to come. After a few chapters though, I started looking them up on Youtube and listening.  Sometimes I even watched the videos. Many were videos that I haven't seen since watching MTV in my earlier years. For me, that was a nice part of my reading experience. Sometimes it delayed my reading and sometimes I read with the songs as background, but it created a unique reading situation. One example is the melancholy Cat Stevens song that related to the relationship Harry dealt with in that chapter. The title fit the events in that chapter, but the sound of the song matched too and added atmosphere like the soundtrack of a movie.

The book takes place in the 80s. Some of the references may be lost on teens now such as Mork and Mindy, but overall, I don't think that they will miss much. Many of the pop culture that shows up goes beyond that time frame like Star Wars, Hitchhiker's Guide, and the Grinch. Most of the music is easily accessible online too especially since Vlahos set up a Spotify playlist which I didn't know about until after I finished reading.

I appreciated that this book looks at the relationship between guy friends. Harry gives his friendship with Johnny a close-up inspection throughout the book. How did they become friends, why are they still friends, what do they each get out of it, and most importantly, is this a relationship that should continue?

I essentially read this book in one sitting and enjoyed the journey with much laughter. I would recommend Scar Boys to realistic fiction fans and anyone interested in garage bands or rock music in general.

This book would match up well with Eric Gansworth's If I Ever Get Out of Here and Patrick Flores-Scott's Jumped In which also feature music and male friendship.

Celebrate

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on Saturdays where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every day.

• I got a big hug from a first grade student who also said, "I love you." I don't think I will ever get tired of hugs from students.

• My tech crew does a great job creating announcements for our school about once a week. I fill in with things, but they film, speak, offer topics, and edit. I am lucky to be able to work with such creative students.
• I am officially on a team for Ragnar! I will be part of a 12 woman team who will be running about 198.5 miles over two days. We will start in the morning and run through the night in a relay. It's still a few months away, but I am excited. 

Met a fan of the @Rich_in_Color blog! pic.twitter.com/H11KAtt6rt
— K. Imani Tennyson (@K_Imani) February 28, 2014

• I loved seeing this post about another blog that I am part of, Rich in Color. It's almost our one year anniversary. It's cool to have proof of at least one fan. :)

• I have watched this video at least three times and I get teary with every view. I love that Yuyi Morales shared her joy through dance. Yuyi makes my heart smile.

Review: Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices

Title: Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices
Author: Edited by Mitali Perkins
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 127
Availability: On shelves now
Review Copy: From the public library

Summary: Using humor as the common denominator, a multicultural cast of YA authors steps up to the mic to share stories touching on race. Listen in as ten YA authors — some familiar, some new — use their own brand of humor to share their stories about growing up between cultures. Henry Choi Lee discovers that pretending to be a tai chi master or a sought-after wiz at math wins him friends for a while — until it comically backfires. A biracial girl is amused when her dad clears seats for his family on a crowded subway in under a minute flat, simply by sitting quietly in between two uptight white women. Edited by acclaimed author and speaker Mitali Perkins, this collection of fiction and nonfiction uses a mix of styles as diverse as their authors, from laugh-out-loud funny to wry, ironic, or poingnant, in prose, poetry, and comic form. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Review: Open Mic provides glimpses into that territory of straddling two cultures. Ten different authors used a bit of humor, remembrances from their past, and their writing talent to create a unique collection of works that spoke to me in different ways. I appreciated that there were even a variety of forms. The book contains poetry, non-fiction, a comic, and short stories to show readers what it can be like to live between cultures.

At the very beginning, Mitali Perkins shares a few rules about the humor in the stories. To view the rules, visit her guest post over at Cythia Leitich Smith's blog. She seems to believe that humor can make conversations more pleasant, less serious. I would have to agree.

As I look back over the ten stories, I notice that although many of them contained humor, a significant number of them were dealing with pretty serious issues. The line, "I thought I knew the face of racism" from "Confessions of a Black Geek" speaks volumes. Gene Luen Yang's comic is a fascinating look into a bit of activism delivered in a matter of fact tone. Other stories, simply tell about life as a teen and include some of the complications of living between cultures and facing typical teen issues.

The pieces that wrung my heart the most were "Confessions of a Black Geek" by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, "Brotherly Love" by Francisco X. Stork, and "Lexicon" by Naomi Shihab Nye. The face of racism is exposed in one and a heart is broken, a boy sees himself through his sister's eyes in another, and the other shows the soul of a loving man, friend to all.

Others in this collection came with more laughter than tears. I loved the amusing game that a family plays on the subways and the stereotype defying characters in several stories. There are playful moments mixed with everyday events and on occasion ugliness. Overall, the stories are upbeat and encouraging. Beyond sharing cultural issues, the stories also speak to anyone who has been an outsider for any reason.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers of young adult lit. The pieces are fresh and meaningful without being preachy. I would love to see more works like this and am hoping for a second volume.

Extras:
Podcast "Mitali Perkins Steps up to the Mic"



Guest Post on Cynthia Leitich Smith's Site by Mitali Perkins

Review: Saving Baby Doe

Title: Saving Baby Doe

Author: Danette Vigilante

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages: 230

Availability: March 20, 2014

Review Copy: ARC from publisher

Summary: 

Lionel and Anisa are the best of friends and have seen each other through some pretty tough times--Anisa's dad died and Lionel's dad left, which is like a death for Lionel. They stick together no matter what. So when Lionel suggests a detour through a local construction site on their way home, Anisa doesn't say no. And that's where Lionel and Anisa make a startling discovery--a baby abandoned in a port-o-potty. Anisa and Lionel spring into action. And in saving Baby Doe, they end up saving so much more.

Danette Vigilante crafts an accessible, heartfelt and much needed story for the middle grade market featuring Latino characters. 
--Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Review: Danette Vigilante sure knows how to grab a reader's attention and keep it. The first page drops you right into the presence of a mother giving birth. There are flashes of humor here and there, but the book often has a high level of intensity. My emotions were involved early on in the book. I was rooting for Lionel throughout the serious complications that life threw his way. He is a young man who cares about his friends and wants to be helpful. He doesn't always make the best choices as he tries to help, but he certainly has good intentions and a big heart.

Vigilante has delivered a fairly gritty book for the middle grade audience. It is living up to the label realistic fiction. Things are not sugar-coated. An abandoned baby, religious conflicts, violence, and instruction on condom use are all topics that come up among others. Saving Baby Doe is labeled middle grade. The publisher information says grades 5 and up and I would say that this is pretty solidly middle school territory. Lionel himself is thirteen and dealing with mature issues even though the cover may lead readers to believe that it is a more humorous book with a younger main character.

What really made this book work for me were the relationships. Lionel and Anisa have a friendship that anyone would envy. They will do just about anything for each other. The adults in the story really appealed to me too. Aside from a loving mom, Lionel has two mentors in his apartment building, Miss D and Mr. Owen. These two look out for Lionel and help him in more ways than he even understands. Miss D gives him piano lessons and love. Mr. Owen listens to Lionel and shares himself. 

I found it interesting that Vigilante tackled subjects that don't often come up in children's literature. One example is the conflict between the religious views of Lionel's family and Anisa's. Anisa's mother has gone through a religious experience of some kind and wants little to do with anyone who is not saved. This puts a decided strain on the relationship between the families.

No matter what was happening around Lionel, including getting mixed up with some shady characters, I worried for him and my emotions were all in a tangle. Is it appropriate to admit that I cried while reading this book? It happened. This is a book that will stick with readers as it touches their hearts.

I would recommend Saving Baby Doe for fans of realistic fiction or issue books and those who don't mind a bit of a cry.