Ash by Malinda Lo
Ash is a finalist for the 2010 William C. Morris YA Debut Award.
Malinda takes the skeleton story of Cinderella (a young girl loses her mother; father remarried before following his first wife to the grave; girl lives miserably with stepmother and two stepsisters) and builds a new story involving the seductive and deadly faeries of lore, the king’s huntress as friend and love interest, and storytelling.
The writing is solid. I’ve always loved fairy tales (not the sugar-coated Disney retellings but the gritty originals) and you will enjoy this book if you do as well. Some of my favorite passages were the fairy tale stories within the story; cautionary tales of humans caught in fairy rings or by the fairy hunt or those who seek out Fairy Queen aid.
I enjoyed this retelling far more than A Curse as Dark as Gold so I wouldn’t be surprised if won, but I have yet to read the other nominees.
Love, Aubery by Suzanne LaFleur
“I had everything I needed to run a household: a house, food, and a new family. From now on it would just be me and Sammy–the two of us, and no one else.”
I couldn’t help but compare this book to Ann Dee Ellis’s Everything is Fine.
Both books feature a female protagonist whose physical well being has been abandoned by the adults in her life and her mental well being has been disrupted, both by family tragedy.
Love, Aubrey is an excellent first offering from new author Suzanne LaFleur but Ellis’s story is more concise, literary and ultimately more haunting. Both authors navigate their precious girls through the horror and confusion of one life-altering moment and the aftermath with elegance and poignancy. Both also do an excellent job building suspense.
I’ve seen this on some mock Newbery lists but decided to pass on it for our Library’s final list.
Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman
I was reluctant to pick this one up because of its Pollyanna cover art. It’s initial tone was as I suspected. Set in Connecticut during the Great Depression, it follows eleven-year-old Allie as her family moves from New Haven to Stamford when her father lands a job.
Much of the story is reminiscent of a simpler time when girls played hopscotch and boys played marbles, where mothers were homemakers and divorce was rare. But while these nostalgic images are pleasant, Hoberman reminds her readers that life was equally as difficult then as it is now; jobs were scarce, hobos weren’t bad people but rather men who could not find work, across the ocean anti-Semitism was growing.
As the story progressed, I grew more interested. Allie developed in so many lovely ways. Take this passage on page 160,
When we got home, I went into the dining room and stared at my grandmother’s cups and saucers. My mother has said that someday they would be mine. I wondered whether when I grew up I would let my little girl drink from them like Mrs. Minnick or be like my mother and keep them safe behind glass doors.
The supporting characters were also well developed and while Allie’s best friend and her family met with a happy ending, her other friends and their families had more ambiguous futures. Definitely a contender for the Newbery but it’s not my front runner.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate grabbed my attention immediately. Not only is the cover gorgeous but the early descriptions are lovely:
Our house was separated from the river by a crescent-shaped parcel of five acres of wild, uncleared growth. It would have been an ordeal to push my way through it except that the regular river patrons–dogs, deer, brothers–kept a narrow path beaten down through the treacherous sticker burrs that rose as high as my head and snatched at my hair and pinafore as I folded myself marrow to slide by. When I reached the river, I stripped down to my chemise, floating on my back with my shimmy gently billowing around me in the mild currents, luxuriating in the coolness of the water flowing around me. I was a river cloud, turning gently in the eddies. I looked up at the filmy bags of webworms high above me in the lush canopy of oaks bending over the river. The webworms seemed to mirror me, floating in their own balloons of gauze in the pale turquoise sky (p 3).
This coming of age story follows eleven-year-old Calpurnia, the only daughter of seven Tate children, as her burgeoning friendship with her paternal grandfather opens her mind to the natural world around her and the possibilities therein. But like any women ahead of her time, her evolution meets many obstacles. Kelly takes a timeless subject and excels. From vivid description to the subtle accompaniment of literary tools like alliteration that allows sentences to roll of the tongue, the writing is captivating and beautiful.
If not for an unsettling disconnect, this would be a perfect book. The story is told from the first-person limited point of view – Calpurnia’s. Yet the vocabulary (as evident from my list below) is mature. I don’t know any eleven-year old that wouldn’t have trouble understanding many of the words Calpurnia uses. That Calpurnia would even use them is doubtful, as evident from her difficulty pronouncing ‘prerequisite’ (p 119) and her misspelling of ‘piss’ (p 234). This was my only fault for this otherwise excellent book, even if Hemingway would balk at the vocabulary, I think he would approve of the setting. Of course, just because this is about an eleven-year-old, I don’t believe it belongs in a Children’s Department.
That being said, I could definitely see this book with a Newbery Honor sticker on it.
Here is a list of vocabulary words used in The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate that your students might need to define prior to reading:
pestiferous (p 3), benzene (p 4), chivvy (p9), torpid (p 11), loiter (p 13), envisaged (p 16), torrid (p 17), excelsior (p 18), dilapidated (p 18), consternation (p 19), curios (p 20), malacca (p 24) , laburnum (p 27), morass (p 30), transom* (p 33), cadge* (p 37), octoroon (p 50), aborning (p 58), dissonant (p 62), pedagogic (p 63), protuberant (p 74), salvo (p 76), ostentatious (p 86), petulant (p 88), interminable* (p 89), bonhmonie (p 91), pargon (p 96), daguerrotype (p 117), codger, prodigious (p 118), prerequisite (p 119), inane* (p 142), uncinate, desiccated (p 160), rank (p 167), deference, ensconced (p 172), expunge (p 179), kowtow (p 185), onerous (p 210), veritable (p 211), dross (p 213), distaff (p 218), tumbrel (p 223), quagmire, efficacious (p 230), detritus (p 231), noxious (p 232), aspics, assiduously (p 237), futile, convivial (p 238), cannily (p 240), pompously, rota (p 242), tetchy (p 245), dyspeptic (p 245), futile (p 260), redolent, tarpaulin (p 271), foofaraw (p 287), insipid, odious (p 288), citadel (p 298), perspicacious (p 321), deckled (p 329), tepid (p 330).
(* signifies a word used more than once)
Have your students find pictures of the following:
pinafore (p 3), swallowtail coat (p 4), hackberry tree (p 10), spool table (p 19), Woolly Caterpillar (p 109), spittoon (p 118), vetch (p 160), cirrus cloud (p 286-87)
Play a game with your students: Statues (p 17), Dominoes (p 118)
Discussion Questions:
- What is the Flat Earth Society (p 13)?
- Explain the controversy surrounding Charles Darwin’s Evolution of Species (p 13-14). Has the issue been settled or is it alive today?
- Has there ever been a book you wanted that the Library or your parent refused to provide you with? If so, what type of library was it: a school library or public library? What reason did the Librarian or parent give for not having the book? Do you think Calpurnia is treated fairly by the Librarian when she requests a book they do not own (p 14-15)?
- While pondering the gender of her pet Petey, Calpurnia remarks, “I wonder why human children weren’t given the option in their grub stage, say up through age five. With everything I had seen, I would definitely choose to be a boy grub (p 115).” Why do you think she would prefer to be a boy. Are there any perks to being a girl?
- Calpurnia is treated differently than her brothers by her parents and the rest of the community. In what ways is she treated differently and why? [examples: behaviour expectations (p 145), salary (page 199-200), and Thanksgiving turkey watch (p 264)] How does she react to this treatment? Are girls treated differently then boys today - at school, at home or in the workforce?
- While discovering the natural world, Calpurnia has some hiccups, experiences miracles and at times, is completely grossed out. Track her evolution. Would you have enjoyed her experiences? Relate your own experiences with nature.
Everything Beautiful in the World by Lisa Levchuk
Edna’s mother has just been diagnosed with cancer, inconveniently suspending a rather heated argument between Edna and her mom. Instead of visiting her mother in a NYC hospital, Edna has an affair with her Sculptures/Ceramics/Art History teacher, Mr. Howland – her senior by about 15 years.
I picked this one up after reading it reviewed at BookEnvy. But unlike Envy, I thought Levchuk brought something Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy didn’t (though, overall, Boy Toy is the superior book) – restraint.
When I read the chapter entitled “The Secret Spot,” Levchuk caught me off guard! By this point, the reader knows Edna and Mr. Sawyer Howland are going to consummate their relationship. Howland has just finished serenading Enda.
“Do you need to know what happened? … You probably want to know the X-rated details, the stuff that’s I’m not going to tell you because nothing about what we did felt wrong or X-rated at all” (p 61).
Unlike Josh from Boy Toy, Edna is fully aware of the moral implications of her affair. But like everything else in her life, she’s pretty apathetic about it. Because this story isn’t really about a student / teacher affair. It’s about Edna dealing with guilt, grief, and fear. Most of it caused by misinformation and neglect. Mr. Howland is far from perfect and Edna knows this, though she adores many things about him… which led to Edna controlling the termination of their relationship in the end.
I’d liken this book to aspects of Melvin Burgess’s Doing It rather than Boy Toy (which is more about seduction and lust). Teach Me is another excellent novel that captures the teacher / student affair though it ends very differently than Everything Beautiful in the World.
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
I picked up the recently reissued paperback version of Sarah Dessen’s fourth YA book, Dreamland. Having read only Just Listen, Lock and Key, and the yet to be released Along for the Ride, I was interested in reading an earlier work and this one seemed like a quick read. I was wrong. Where Along for the Ride had me so hooked I couldn’t put it down, I often set Dreamland down and was almost loathe to continue. But it provoked my anger and I had to finish it.
When Caitlin’s older sister runs away (though she is 18) the summer after high school graduation, Caitlin O’Koren’s life is disrupted. When she meets Rogerson, everything seems to be set right again. Until he hits her. (Read a full summary at Teenreads.com)
My first issue with this book was character inconsistency, something I haven’t seen in the other Dessen books I’ve read. The O’Koren’s spend a lot of time with their neighbors Boo and Stewart. These two are painted as easy-going, vegetarian, hippy-ish, zen-like people. Now examine this comment by Boo, “It’s bad luck to mess with tradition” (p. 38). This immediately jolted me and I thought, “Boo would never say this. It’s so conformist and patriarchal. She is not so unthinking.”
I’m also sceptical about the use of dreamworlds in this book. When Caitlin chooses Rogerson over Mike, it is a crucial moment. She later reflects, “I wasn’t even sure why I’d hung out with them. It had just sort of happened, like everything else in my life. Now, with him, I finally felt like I was making my own choices, living wide awake after being in a dreamworld so long” (p. 94). But was she awake? Briefly. For this is the only conscious choice she makes. Prior to it, she lived in her sister’s shadow. After this choice, her alertness is soon dulled by drugs and her decision making ability totally corrupted and actions manipulated by Rogerson. How long would the abuse have continued if her neighbor hadn’t intervened? If a dreamworld is supposed to represent repose (she wants to meet her sister in the dreamworld), how does that fit with the real life nightmare she sleep walks through?
On the flip side, Dessen knows high school boys. I found her metaphor for Mike spot-on. “Mike was a nice guy but very, very bland. Like a big saltine cracker” (p 53). And Rogerson was the most detailed character. I almost couldn’t help falling in love with him myself. But Dessen’s foreshadowing always kept him at arms length. Examine the instance when he and Caitlin first meet:
“[Rogerson] raised his chin, backing up, keeping his eyes on me. I stood there, my breath clouding out around my face, as a police car raced by on the road facing us, the siren screaming” (p 51).
Or as Caitlin stands at the door to her house, waiting for Rogerson:
“My mother, on the couch, turned and looked out the window, but she couldn’t see the stoplight, turning from yellow to red again” (p 73).
I also found the sports metaphors (Caitlin uses basketball chants when dealing with Rogerson’s abuse) out of place and oddly jolting (not the cheerleading comments, which I thought were ironically funny).
An excellent discussion guide can be found at the Penguin Reading Group.
Fire by Kristin Cashore
“There are the ordinary humans; farmers, shepherds, soldiers, a king, and his court. This other land is also populated by a mutant species of creatures known as “monsters.” A monster mouse is mouselike except that it is covered in brightly colored fur and stunningly beautiful. There is a monster human with hair the color of flame. She is of devastating beauty and has the ability to bend other minds to her own.”
The human monster is named Fire. Imagine Aphrodite and then amplify her power.
This is not a sequel to Graceling but a companion, as the only character readers will recognize is the future King Leek. I had high hopes for this book and I wasn’t disappointed. I won’t give a detailed review, as I read a very early galley copy. But I will say I really enjoyed the main character, Fire. Cashore writes some really excellent dialogue – witty and poignant. I found myself laughing out loud or squealing at points. Those who enjoyed the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer would LOVE Cashore’s writing. Only Chashore’s much better!
I can’t wait to see the final version 
Other (more detailed) reviews/commentaries at Eva’s Book Review and The Magic of Ink.
Updates (9-7-09): NOMINATED FOR THE PRINTZ! While this is super exciting for a fantasy book I greatly enjoyed, it’s not my top pick for the prize, though it is much better written than many of the other popular titles nominated.
A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Reading this retelling of “Rumplestiltskin” was like squishing through a wetland in a chest wader. For the first three quarters of the story, I was overwhelmed with more information of wool processing than I ever wanted to know. By contrast, I thought Mary Hoffman seamlessly wove information on the process of painting and color preparation in her book, The Falconer’s Knot, so that it added to the story rather than bogged it down.
That being said, my persistence was rewarded by the final quarter of the book. I won’t reveal the ending but I was pleased with it. We learned a little more about our Rumplestiltskin character but I wish his character had more page time or presence.
One of the most interesting characters was Uncle Wheeler. A classic rogue reminiscent of Mr. Wickham (Pride and Prejudice) and Joseph Sedley (Vanity Fair), I was most interested in the revelation of his childhood and connection to Jack Spinner. There were other elements I liked about this book, but it was all tarnished by… rather lenghty and boring passages. If other bloggers hadn’t spoken so highly of it, I should never have finished. I found this surprising as I generally adore fairy tales though this is the first reimaged fairy tale I’ve read. I think I will see how Shannon Hale’s books compare.
Other reviews at: bookshelves of doom, look books, and AmoCcalli
No Cream Puffs by Karen Day
Madison is the first girl to play organized baseball with the boys in Michigan… Read about how Madison navigates the cinfusing and often treacherous waters of friendships, mother-daughter relationships and first boyfriends as she learns to listen and trust that voice inside of her. -Karen Day
This book is a delightful slice of 1980: neighborhoods (remember those? when everyone knew everyone on the block), Kool-Aid, and banana bikes. Madison is a lively twelve-year-old who just wants to be: a girl, a gifted athlete, a girlfriend (Tommy is so cute!). But everyone else is so busy judging her because she is the first girl to play little league baseball that she’s getting confused! Soon the whole town is weighing in, tearing Madison further from her friends, her mother and the sport she just loves to play.
In addition to taking me back to the glorious decade of my youth, I’ve learned there is a name for my favorite breakfast (has been a fav since the 80s!). “An egg pop is a fried egg laid across a piece of toast smothered in butter and jelly” (p139). No Cream Puffs is an solid read with a hooking beginning (Fight! Fight! Fight!).
The protagonist is fiesty enough to carry through but young enough to make mistakes along the way (I could have been reading about myself had I been born a decade earlier). The secret concerns she has are so touching and endearing that it is easy to relate to and love her. “I slip on my uniform and stare in the mirror. HINTON’S, the name of the team’s sponsor runs across the front of my shirt in red letters. No matter how hard I tug at the shirt, my left breast refuses to go anywhere but in the middle of the O. It’s as if someone has drawn a red target around it” (p 29). So she wears leotards underneath even though it scrapes her underarm.
I highly recommend this to young female athletes who also like a touch of romance.
Undercover by Beth Kephart
Another engaging and delightful book! Elisa is the second daughter - the plain, invisible daughter to the older, beautiful Jilly. “In a modern day Cyrano de Bergerac, Elisa ghostwrites love notes for the boys in her school. But when Elisa falls for Theo Moses, things change fast. Theo asks for verses to court the lovely Lila – a girl known for her beauty, her popularity, and a cutting ability to remind Elisa that she has none of these.”
I enjoyed this book because it talks about language and evokes feeling through poetry. Because the Lily’s of the world will try to hold the Elisa’s back but this Elisa rises. She is a strong girl and knows her self-worth (thanks, Dad!). She is courageous even in the face of truth (she never tries to put her own physical beauty on the same level as Lily or Jilly, but she brings out what she can and finds a different kind of beauty – one that Theo, showing his depth, appreciates and chooses in the end). Well-paced and realistic, Kephart weaves a story about every-day school experiences, marital problems and joys, friendship and first love into Undercover. I can’t wait to recommend it to my teens because I couldn’t put it down and wanted more when it ended (though she ended it perfectly, if in a slightly Hollywood fashion). I’m sorry this one didn’t make it to the 2009 Garden State Teen Book Award List.
