"Books Unmasked"

Think you know kids' books? Think you can't get stumped by a quiz? Then go check out Sarah Miller's post on books without their "costumes." I sucked at it.

REVIEW: When the Whistle Blows

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton (Philomel, June 2009)

I'm incredibly torn on this book because it comes down to the age-old debate of quality versus taste. Some would disagree with me but I believe you can be awed by a book's quality...and yet still not enjoy it. I call it the Shakespeare Syndrome (I also mentioned it here) - I recognize Shakespeare's greatness (nay, his genius)...but that doesn't mean I actually like reading his stuff. It just doesn't do anything for me.

If I were to give this book a rating (on GoodReads) based on quality, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 - the storytelling is fantastic. In particular, Slayton's sense of place is impeccable. I do wish some of the characters were more fully drawn, not to mention that there are too many peripheral characters. Overall, though, I was impressed with the whole book. Especially for a debut author. Holy crap. And it's no accident that Richard Peck is blurbed on the interior cover of the ARC - Slayton's writing style is invocative of Peck's A Year Down Yonder and Long Way from Chicago.

That said, I gave the book 3 stars on GoodReads based on my personal tastes. First, I'm not a big fan of historical fiction. So there's that. I also don't find trains particularly interesting, or the time period in which this story takes place. And while I do love stories about relationships, I just wasn't drawn to the stoicism on display here. It left me cold. Again, though, let me state that this isn't reflective of Slayton's writing. It's all me.

So while it wasn't my cup of tea, I do think it was exceptionally written and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised, nor disappointed, to see a shiny medal on it come January (though it's definitely too early in the year to be making big statements like that). An excellent debut novel.

Other reviews:

• Tarie's review at Into the Wardrobe
• Diane's review at SLJ
• Jen Robinson's review (I love that she points out the authenticity of Jimmy's voice - it does indeed ring very true)
• Sarah Miller's review (Agreed. There are multiple times a day when I wish I could hurl rotten cabbages at things...or, more specifically, people.)

Back in the saddle again...

We finally have Internet at home, but I've had an impossible time getting back into the swing of blogging there. Especially when, as was the case last night, drinking wine and watching Zoolander with Adam sounded like a lot more fun!

Luckily (or unluckily, I suppose), there are neither movies nor wine available to me during my lunch break at work. So I'm here with an eclectic mix of links, both food- and children's literature-related:

• Sarah Miller posted a series of publishing jokes involving screwing in lightbulbs. As I mentioned to some colleagues, I found the jokes hilarious, mostly because I found each of them to be based on truth.


• The New York Times Dining section has an article on corporate America' adoption of the term "local". Which is a good sign in that it means "locavore" has become a widespread philosophy. But I take it as more of a bad sign: the marketing teams of these companies will no doubt mar and twist and spin the word "local" until it's nearly unrecognizable from its original meaning. And mainstream America will have no idea which end is up. Just like the word "organic".


• Slow Food NYC is now working on its answer to Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard: Harvest Time. I'm thrilled and will be reading their blog closely.


• Yesterday was Queens Library's annual children's/YA "Literature Meeting" (here is a recap from last year's meeting ). This year we focused on audiobooks and had the folks from Listening Library talk to our librarians: Cheryl Herman, Dan Zitt, and Rebecca Waugh. They discussed audiobooks and literacy - Cheryl shared that a child can listen to a book two grade levels above where they can actually read. Rebecca discussed the acquisitions end, and I was surprised to learn that Listening Library records books that are "library exclusives," which tend to be the more literary or classic materials that don't do so well in the retail market. Dan, who is in charge of production, shared all kinds of wonderful stories about working with the actors. He talked about the celebrity (he wouldn't give names) who asked for a hot towel promptly at 2:00 p.m....and followed by a square of chocolate! He also talked about Broadway stars who love recording audiobooks because they get to play all the characters versus playing the same single character night after night. Overall, an informative and entertaining presentation!


• I'm in the midst of reading Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton (HMH, May 2009). Thus far, I'm really enjoying it - I wish that it had been available when Bug was a baby! Even so, there is still information in the book that I'm finding helpful with my now-7-year-old. There are some very interesting recipes so far, like Yeasted Waffles, that I'll be trying real soon. Also, there appears to be a Hungry Monkey website, but my computer won't load it - maybe you'll have better luck. Gluten-Free Girl, who is a good friend of the author, reviews Hungry Monkey here. And someone mentioned in the comments on G-F Girl that the first 3 chapters of Hungry Monkey are available on Amster-Burton's website in PDF...so clearly other people have been able to access the website. Whether you have older children, babies, are pregnant...or even thinking of having children in the future...this is a recommended read.

And as a final note, my Facebook account has been repeatedly hacked by "nefarious villians," in the words of Maurie Manning. So please disregard any messages from me. It's only hackers wearing Laura masks, trying to trick you with poisoned apples.

Eat, drink, and fight the forces of darkness and evil!

What alcoholic beverage pairs best with your favorite children's book?

Examiner.com came out with a few fantastically awesome (and spot-on) lists of books to read with alcohol: beer, wine, and hard liquor.  I went through an embarrassing Victoria Holt stage in high school so I got a particular laugh out of the recommendation to read her with a glass of white wine.  I also snickered over the recommended pairing of Budweiser/Miller with America (The Book) by Jon Stewart - it's the perfect antidote to my overdose on election coverage.

So what about children's literature?  And young adult?  Am I the only one that does imbibe (sometimes) while reading?  What are some pairings you would choose?  I mean, obviously, you have to pair a raspberry cordial with Anne of Green Gables - that's a no-brainer.  Any others?  Here's a short list off the top of my head:

Beer:

- Sammy Keyes series by Wendelin Van Draanen (is it just me or is she Stephanie Plum in training?)

- Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka (totally!)

- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (probably something cheap and domestic...they are in high school, after all)

Wine:

- Sweet Valley High and Sarah Dessen's books are white wine books (I mean NO disrespect to Sarah Dessen by pairing these together!!!!  If it helps at all, SVH is a white zin and The Truth About Forever is a complicated, rich Viognier)

- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares (totally white wine fare)

- My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath and Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller (these are Pinot Noir books - warm, cozy, lovely, complex but not weighed down)

- The Giver by Lois Lowry is a Zinfandel - Before I Die by Jenny Downham is a Zin too.

- The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen is soooooo champagne perfect!

Hard Liquor/Cocktails:

- Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series is the perfect thing to read with a Cosmopolitan, anything pastel-colored, anything with -tini at the end of it.

- Whiskey neat: I think if Kiki Strike were to be an adult and a drinker, she'd go for a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails whiskey neat.  10 Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher is a whiskey neat too, given the speak-easy nature of the setting.

- Harry Potter is challenging, but I would have to choose the pumpkintini I've been dreaming about for two years...you know, they drink all that pumpkin juice...get it???

- Lastly, I don't know if I'm getting the time period right here but doesn't it seem like you should drink mead with Good Masters!  Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz?

Eat, drink, and read children's books while doing so.

Announcement: Sarah Miller's new book!

Sarah Miller has announced her new book!  It's called OTMA: Daughters of the Tsar!  The sad news?  2011.  For god's sake, I'll be almost 40 years old by then.  

If you're not excited about this or don't know what I'm talking about, it's because you haven't read Miss Spitfire.  So go do that now.  Go.  Buh-bye.

When you're finished and all in love with it too, then we can talk.

(Note: Here was my review of Miss Spitfire)

Alison at PW totally cheered me up

Why I Don't Want to Write about Kids' Books Today:

Reason #1

Reason #2 (and, gosh darn it, I love pretty* in the city!)

Why I Still Love Kids' Books and Kidlitbloggers:

Reason #1

Reason #2 (I commented that I'd make out with MT Anderson, Donna Jo Napoli, Shannon Hale, and Kadir Nelson...but other commenters reminded me that I'd also make out with Christopher Paul Curtis, Sarah Miller, Louise Rennison, and Gary Schmidt. 'Cause I'm kind of a whore that way...)

The One Where I Can't Think of a Clever Title for Children's Literature News

I've been home with a sick kid all day - this winter has been so brutal! - and I had all kinds of lovely intentions to put up several posts. Then I had to do some work because I had a deadline today. And then I started reading (and finished) Rumors, the sequel to The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen (*whispers aside* - it was deliciously wicked and indulgent, just as good as the first). Then I had to watch Hairspray with the coughing kid. Then I had to have lunch. Now it's 4:00 and I've posted nothing. Siiiiigh.

I have had the chance today to collect all kinds of information, though. First, Matt Holm, of the famed Babymouse series, has a fantastic blog post up about a French comics creator, Cyril Pedrosa, who is apparently declaring that there is no such thing as a graphic novel. Naturally, all of us librarians, know this is a ridiculous assertion. Matt does, too. Go check out his great response.

Apparently there's a new children's book coming out: My Beautiful Mommy by Dr. Michael Salzhauer. It's written by a Floridian plastic surgeon and it's a way to help explain to kids why mommy is getting plastic surgery. According to this article, the plastic surgeon (named Dr. Michael, of course) is portrayed as a superhero, making mommy "feel better" and be "beautiful." You know, it would be soooooo easy to rip this book apart. It's so tempting. But I'd like to play devil's advocate here and say that this could be a useful tool for parents. As a mother myself who has toyed with the idea of a tummy tuck, one of the biggest challenges in my mind has been how to explain to my daughter why I'm doing what I'm doing. Granted, I wouldn't buy this book to do it. But, still... Far be it from me to deny it to another parent who needs a little help. All those issues aside and on a more professional level, the cover illustrations look like classic amateur self-published quality (read: bad). I'm just sayin'.... (Thanks to Big A little a for the link)

And oh my god, I had no idea that Jim Dale, the narrator for the Harry Potter audiobooks, was the Dr. Terminus in Pete's Dragon!!! Did you?!?! Thanks to Sarah Miller for providing my shocker for the day: no, darling, you're not the last to know - I am!

I won't dedicate a whole post for it, but I finished reading the galley A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis; I received it in galley form at a Random House preview. If you'll remember from this post, I was very excited to see my love of food and children's/YA lit combined together. Unfortunately, there's bad news ahead: I didn't enjoy this book at all. Now, as a YA book, I suppose it was fine. It had all the requisite teen literature stuff: angst, romance, conflict, crushes, struggles with parents - you know the drill. But as food writing, it didn't work at all. When you read food writing, you need to be salivating. You need to have immediate desire for food because the writing has inspired it in you. You need to have all your senses engaged because the writing has brought it alive for you. A La Carte did not do any of that...at all...for me. But for teens that aren't budding foodies, then this book will suffice. I only fear that teens who are budding foodies will read this as an example of good food writing when they really need to be picking up Ruth Reichl.

Okay, one blog post down. Hopefully I can crank out one more - something food-related, of course, before the kid starts coughing again!

A bouillabaisse of children's literature stuff, if you will

I sure do seem to be posting a lot lately, don’t I? There are a couple reasons for this:

1. I had an end-of-the-year project at work that completely prohibited me from blogging during my lunch break. And I was too burned out to do it when I got home. So November and December were pretty shot.

2. Adam has been working late the past few nights so, rather than drinking a glass of chard with him (or a pint of beer, for him), I have been glued in front of the computer. This is the last night he has to work late – you’ll probably see a bit of a drop-off after today.

3. I’m feeling drained after ALA, and I don’t feel like working. Boo.

But I just discovered Bloglines and I am the happiest camper right now. All the time I’ve freed up! I can spend it…you know…blogging more!

Sarah Miller reviewed Ever by Gail Carson Levine – argh! I’m completely pining for that book! Sure, I could probably get a hold of my contact at Harper, but I don’t like to play that card too often. Anyone else have a galley out there and want to do a switch? I have Meg Cabot’s new one, Airhead, or the new Mysterious Benedict Society. Anyone? Anyone?

Thanks (again!) to my daily Shelf Awareness email, I’ve found a new blog! And thanks to Bloglines, I’m not sweatin’ it. It’s Collecting Children’s Books, and I’m completely fascinated. In particular, he has a discussion going about the merits of opening up the Newbery discussions. Apparently, for about 4 years in the 1970’s, the Newbery committee came up with “nominees” – Peter has proof of this – and this allowed everyone to read those books and discuss, discuss, discuss before the actual winner and honor books were announced. I think there is definitely something to this: I like the idea of increasing sales and circulation for a wider circle of books; additionally, this process would allow libraries and booksellers to actually have decent stock of the winners when they’re announced! Can you imagine! The meaningfulness of Mock discussions would increase. Everyone – teachers, librarians, booksellers, children, teens, adults – would feel part of the process and feel invested in the outcome, rather than this hush-hush weird sequestering thing that happens now. If the “youth media awards” are truly the “Academy Awards of the children’s literature world”, it sure would be fun if we tried a system revolving around nominees. Maybe I could even do a spread and take bets? Perhaps?

Ultimately, I’m the rare librarian who actually likes and encourages change. Why shouldn’t we try a different approach and see what happens? If it doesn’t work out, how about we go back to the sequestering?

REVIEW: Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller

I finally read Miss Spitfire! As those of you who read my blog know, I’m a big fan of Sarah Miller’s blog. And even though I have read lots of great reviews for Miss Spitfire, it slipped off my radar. Then I got a review copy of Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures and I started on a whole Helen Keller kick (I reviewed the book here). Which inspired me to read Miss Spitfire.

Whoever over at Atheneum got the blurbie from Richard Peck needs to be commended. He’s quoted on the cover: “Miss Spitfire is high drama about how language unlocks the world.” That sums it up so concisely and eloquently. However, while I do believe that the book is about language, I connected with it on a more personal level. Specifically, I connected with Annie Sullivan’s character: strong, willful, intelligent, stubborn, sensitive, determined. Given her history at Tewksbury and with her family’s dysfunction, could you even call Annie Sullivan damaged? I was caught up in the human struggle for connection and communication, the need for love, acceptance, and family.

Miller does a masterful job here because she takes those timeless, universal human struggles and puts them in the context of Annie Sullivan trying to teach Helen Keller. So even though I am far removed from that world and that time period, I still felt such a deep connection with everything and everyone in the story. Miller creates delicious tension in holding back that moment where Helen has her breakthrough at the water pump. I’m a novice when it comes to this story, but I do know all about that water pump moment, as most people do. So by holding back that one recognizable moment, Miller keeps you turning pages in anticipation for the happy ending we all know so well.

Sarah Miller has a really beautiful writing style:

By nightfall my body thrums with exhilaration. If I'd ever seen a child born, it couldn't compare to what happened at the pump today. Helen opened before my eyes, and whatever it is that makes us human flowed into her as if I'd poured it from my own hands.

I just loved that passage. Annie Sullivan's anger, frustration, and love become such palpable things to the extent that sometimes you feel like you're banging your own head against the wall. Which is a good thing.

I’ve always loved the quote “A life well-lived is the best revenge.” And I found myself thinking of that as I read Miss Spitfire. For Annie to survive everything she went through, to thrive amidst the struggle and fight, to have success and love and family in her life…that always makes for a dramatic and passionate story. And Sarah Miller has told it skillfully and eloquently.

Note: Just make sure that you have Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures in hand after you read this one - you'll want to look at the real life pictures of all these marvelous characters.

Other reviews of Miss Spitfire: Fuse #8, Becky's Book Reviews, Greetings from Nowhere, and read an interview with the author at Miss Erin.