Looking Like a Local

General Winton’s Daughter by Sharon Shinn

I should really be finishing an American Lit paper that is due this week for finals, yet I am here on LDIW writing about another good YA read. It has been a meager season for reading due to the heavy work load involved with earning a teaching degree. I managed to squeak only a few reads (at least novels I wanted to read) in over the last four months.

Thanksgiving was cold so I could not think of anything better to do than to plant myself in my reading chair with a chai tea and a good book, General Winston’s Daughter. Can I just say how much of a treat the personality is of the novel's protagonist, Averie Winston? She is spunky, opinionated, feisty, and compassionate. This novel has the feel of an historical fiction book, but the countries and port-of-calls are fictious. This book is a mix of exotic locales, military talk, and cultural diversity. Think British imperialism meets Pirates of the Caribbean (well…close enough). By the end of the book, you will be rooting for both sides too!

Three Things to Love in this book…

1. The Chiarrin culture—their dress, their customs, their engineering ingenuity, their perseverance.

2. Lieutenant Ket Du’kai—he is the kind of guy you want to know more about. He is a Xantish foreigner serving in an oppressive Aebrian army occupying a subordinate country, Chiarrin.

3. Jalessa, Chiarrin native—she will surprise you at every turn and you can’t help but want to be on her side.

Noteworthy writing in GWD: “And if that meant that a thousand independent ship captains lost their trade, and the shopkeepers who rely on their merchandise had nothing to sell, and the shop owners’ sons and daughters starved to death, and the mills in northern Aeberelle went silent, and all of the mill workers and their families went hungry because they had no jobs? You would condemn all of them to privation because of your soft heart?” (Morgan and Averie difference of opinion about imperialism)

Let’s Rate It

The Cover: A shimmering mirage in the Sahara of books. The image of the girl on the cover reflects the description given of Chiarrin dress.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: Oh no, it’s the last page! A satisfying ending.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: Worth the price of three gallons of gas.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Chocolate with sprinkles.

Eating Concrete

Slam by Nick Hornby

Hmm…when I say “Slam was a bowl of plain oatmeal”…well you get the picture. I wanted this novel to be good. This is the first Hornby novel I have read, but I have seen movie adaptations of two of his other novels, High Fidelity and About a Boy. I loved both of them, especially the ideal castings of John Cusack in HF and Hugh Grant in AAB. They both fit the quirky male protags that Hornby hones his craft on.

I liked the way the first chapter began. Sam’s one way conversation with superstar skater, Tony Hawk, was funny and endearing. I wish that more of the “skater” world had invaded Slam. It would have made the novel cool and rad (sorry for the 80’s reference.) Take for instance when Sam talks about eating concrete while skating. I think I would have like him describing his life in skating terms, rather than moments from Hawke's memoir. The rest of the novel just seemed to bog down with too few details in some parts and too many in others. Sam just did not fit the bill of quirky character. Perhaps that is what was missing from this novel for me. The first person dialog that worked in HF did not work here in Slam. I did have a few good laughs over a smattering of comedic scenes in the book, but they were few and far between. The book could have used more humor and even a little more stress. After awhile I just felt like the end would never come. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the ending! (Spoilers below.)

Noteworthy writing in Slam: “Where did it go? It was like there had been a lot of food on a plate in front of us, and we ate it really quickly, and then there was nothing left. Maybe that’s how couples stay together: they’re not greedy. They know that what they have in front of them has to last a long time, so they kind of pick at it. I hope it’s not like that though. I hope that when people are happy together, it feels as though someone keeps piling seconds and thirds on their plates.” (Sam talking about the status of his relationship with Alicia, pg. 65)

Three reasons why Slam was not a slam dunk.

1. Let’s do the time warp again…the flash forwards to the future drove me crazy. I think there were three, possibly four, total jumps to the future. Each one took place in Sam’s dreams. The future dreamscapes just did not work for me. The time spent on time travel would have been better spent on character development.

2. Teen romance…where was it? I just could not even picture Sam and Alicia together. The little I had to go on with their personalities made them completely wrong for each other. I was left to ponder how they even manage to like each other enough to have sex and (spoiler) procreate. Sam was just so apathetic at times. He did not seem to react in a believable manner to the news that he is going to be a Daddy at the tender age of 16. I disliked Alicia even more than Sam. The only time I felt an inkling of cheering her on was when she stood up to her mum on the decision of the last name of said procreation.

3. Mamma mia...Sam’s mom was a dis-o-pointment. I wanted her to be feistier. I needed her to be more opinionated and stricter with her son. She seemed so laissez-faire about raising Sam.

Let’s Rate It…

The Cover: Umm…the colors match.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: I was half way through the book, I had to finish.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: What were they thinking, not another moonlight movie? This story would not even be on par with the quirky, creative movie adaptations of High Fidelity and About a Boy.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Just plain vanilla.

Yes, this book did get my lowest rates across the board. I have to say that it is not a terrible book. The writing is good, but it looses points because of little character development and a male protag who is dispassionate. You want to root for him, but you just can not find a reason to. The sentiments noted above were reflected in the Books Like Us book group meeting.

And now we bring you the following preview…

Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth (DC Comics Graphic Novel by Paul Dini)

Talk to a horse about a man

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

OK. I know I am a sucker for historical fiction. HF was my first love as an adolescent because it combined history, literature, and usually some level of action and adventure. This is why it is still my favorite genre to read. Aurelia fits this bill to a “T.” The historical aspect of the novel places it somewhere near the Renaissance, but the author creates a fictitious kingdom, Tyralt, for the setting of the novel. Osterlund gifts us with a head strong protagonist, Aurelia, who battles against social mores and the strong armed will of her father. The novel was full of unsolved mystery and intrigue, and teased with a smattering of romance. This romance is sure to blossom in the sequel to this novel. The character of Aurelia’s childhood friend, Robert, lends the novel a sense of expectation as the interplay between the two of them builds the anticipation of romance. Only a small amount of information about Robert, his character, and his intentions towards Aurelia are revealed. I am eager to read the sequel, Exile, which is sadly not due out until April 2011. I am sure it will be another swashbuckling adventure.

Top Five Action & Adventure Catalysts in Aurelia

1. Mystery: Between the assassination plot, the reason for Robert’s visit, and Aurelia’s sad family history this is a good who-done-it.

2. Danger: A murderous horse, a Princess who sneaks away from the safety of the castle walls, an obstinate King, and the villain who is situated to close to the king’s court.

3. Class System: the haves and the have nots, the dissention between citizens of Tyralt and citizens from the Outer Realms. There is sure to be more strife and conflict over this immigration tug of war.

4. Horse Talky: the horse fair, Drew’s big personality, the range ponies, a horse enslaved to its cruel owner, Robert’s horse sense, and the manner in which Aurelia chooses to ride her horse.

5. Romance: the word play between Aurelia and Robert, the walls they have built around themselves, and the social impediments of Aurelia’s position as Princess.

Let’s Rate It…

The Cover: Those graphic artists know what they are doing.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: I demand a sequel. Lucky for me, there is one in the works.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: Worth the price of three gallons of gas.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Chocolate with sprinkles. This was a hard decision. It really was somewhere between vanilla swiss almond and chocolate with sprinkles. This was Osterlund’s first novel and I am hoping that the second installment of Princess Aurelia will push it closer to vanilla swiss almond.

Coming up...Slam by Nick Hornby.

More than bananas

Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis

I have found reading young adult literature by non-American authors is an enlightening experience. Banana Heart Summer was no exception. I do however question the classification of this novel as young adult/teen literature given the fact that the story of the adolescent is told from the 40 + year old perspective of said adolescent. One of the best things about YA lit is that it is in the moment, raw, and uninhibited. The characters make decisions based on how they feel or what they are motivated by in the story. YA Lit is about the minute that something happens to a character during their teen years. Rarely do you find characters who engage in prolific introspection in the way you find Nenita, the story’s protagonist, doing so in BHS. The introspection added an element to the story that seemed unnecessary. This is not to say that I did not enjoy the novel itself, because I did. I just do not really think that this should fall under YA Lit.

Three ways to prepare yourself before reading this novel:

1. Have snacks on hand because you will be hungry as you delve into Nenita’s world. This novel is chalk full of exotic Filopino meal and food description—turones, macapuno, and sweet kundol. I love trying new foods and there was a feast of tasty morsels described in each and every chapter.

2. Watch a movie that centers on child abuse. I know this seems a bit extreme, but there are several moments in the novel where I just cringed and experienced knee jerk reactions, both physically and emotionally, during Nenita’s confrontations with her mother. The summary on the back of the novel gave no indication of this type of relationship between Nenita and her mother.

3. Check out the a tourism site on the Philippines. I have several friends who are Filipino and they have a rich and enduring culture. You will do well to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and flavors of this beautiful island country while reading this novel.

I have to mention one of my favorite quotes from the novel. Page 229 “Close to midnight, when the heart bows from its stem, wait for its first dew. It will drop like a gem. Catch it with your tongue. When you eat the heart of the matter, you’ll never grow hungry again.” Read Banana Heart Summer and you will understand the beauty of the quote.

Let’s Rate It…

The Cover: Those graphic artists know what they are doing. What I really like about the cover is the raised pattern that looks like banana or palm fronds on the front and back of the novel.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: I was half way through the book, I had to finish.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: What were they thinking, not another moonlight movie? There is just too much to this novel to condense into a two hour movie.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Chocolate with sprinkles because of all the wonderfully described ethnic dishes.

David's Goliath

The Killer’s Cousin by Nancy Werlin (1998). I just love a good mystery.

How does it stack up to our Off the Charts rating?

The Cover: Ummm…the colors match. O.k., I could not figure out the image on the front of the book even after I finished the novel. It was the next day when it dawned on me what it was. It was the feet that threw me off. Apparently I am not a super sleuth.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: Oh no, it’s the last page! Something unexpected and noteworthy in each chapter.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: Worth the price of three gallons of gas. I would leave the theatre feeling satisfied and entertained.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Chocolate with sprinkles. I was eating ice cream while reading this.

I was not always a fan of mystery novels, that is, until I read some classic detective fiction including: Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Hammett’s The Thin Man, and Christie’s A Pocket Full of Rye. After taking a detective fiction class at the local community college a few semesters ago, I am now a huge fan. While reading TKC I felt like the detective who is always one step ahead of the "criminal" while reading this novel. Only in this case there is no real criminal. This novel is paced so well and the gleaming carrot of truth and knowledge kept me devouring each page. I just had to know what happened in the back stories of David and Lily. I love how Werlin intertwined their lives and suffering. Perfect mystery reading while you sunbath on the beach. Did I mention the novel won The Edgar Award in 1999?

Top Ten Ways to be a Super Sleuth like Miss Marple:

1. Have a Watson in your life—Frank Delgado

2. Know your suspect subject, study them closely.

3. Smell the smoke before the fire starts.

4. Accept that jealously knows no age limit.

5. Work with plausible evidence, not assumptions.

6. Crazy as it may sound listen to the ghost.

7. Realize marriages can hide a multitude of faults and fissures.

8. Use your own past mistakes as an intuitive guide.

9. Trust the prickled hairs on the back of your neck.

10. Never underestimate the power of the 80’s band, Talking Heads.

Our next read is Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis.

Outside the club Cherry Bomb

Arrgghhh….less than a month into LDIW and I am already shirking my blogging duties. I promise to catch up, really I do. This of course means that you will see blogs on two different books this week and next week. See what happens when summer hits in the North East. All of those summer projects and plans pile up to conspire against my best blogging intentions.

Back on topic…Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman. I have to admit that this was a good read. Going into it I really did not think I was going to like it. It’s not the type of novel I would normally pick up, but in order to expand my YA reading horizons I stepped out of my historical fiction/sci-fi/fantasy/strong fem character box.

I liked the trio of girls who are besties in this novel—Charlie, Sydney, and Nidhi. They are fun and provide humorous moments in the drama that is high school. The guys are a bit annoying, although they do finally grown on you by the end. Wiseman covers a plethora of teen issues in BGOHM including: hazing, underage drinking, relationships, friendship/frenemies, racism, school politics, and bullying while creating a fun and engaging cast of characters.

So here is my top five list of “hazardous material” to avoid in high school:

1. Scary upper classmean athletes whose only goal is to make freshman grovel at their feet.

2. School clubs that support superficial attitudes. Pick the school paper, activism, and community outreach instead—they make you smarter.

3. Frenemies--pick your friends based on how they treat you and not by what their connections you get by association.

4. The cute, but not so smart jock, especially if he exhibits stalking tendencies.

5. Any kind of team building activity that involves a jeep, the devil’s brew, and pizza boy on scooter.

And now for the Off the Charts Rating:

The Cover: Those graphic artists know what they are doing. I have an advanced copy which features a comic bookish cherry bomb with a fuse. It is cute and eye catching and fits the title, but it seems that head mucky-mucks chose to issue the book in January with a guy/girl snuggled up behind a book…?!? So my book gets a good rating, while the other released cover gets an OK.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: I was half way through the book, I had to finish. It was fun, but I did not devour each page.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: What were they thinking, not another moonlight movie? This would make a better television show on ABC Family or the Disney Channel.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Just plain vanilla. And you know there is nothing wrong with vanilla. It is a good choice for light, summer reading.

Man and the Moon

Off the Charts Rating:

The Dead and The Gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Cover: A shimmering mirage in the Sahara of books

That’s right. You can even feel the craters in the moon.

Page Turner Factor: Oh no, it’s the last page!

At the Box Office: Worth the price of three gallons of gas.

Ice Cream: Chocolate with sprinkles.

My three favorite scary moments in The Dead and The Gone:

• Alex body shopping with Kevin.
• Julie and Alex thinking they found an intruder in the apartment.
• The sled trek across NYC to meet the convoy.

Best quotation:

Page 118: “When we get home, I want an Oreo,” Julie said. “To celebrate.”

“Two Oreos,” Alex said. “Let’s live dangerously.”

In next week's episode we will be checking out Rosalind Wiseman's novel Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials.

I see the moon, the moon sees me.

And we are on to our next dystopian novel, The Dead and The Gone (aka another world gone mad) by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I read the first novel in this trilogy, Life as We Knew It, last fall. I am also planning in the not so distant future to read the third novel, This World We Live In. For now though, I need a break from dystopias because they are a bit gloomy and I am having some wacky dreams lately that involve chaotic storylines. Lighter fare in the reading department is in order.

So the premise of the trilogy in a nutshell: huge meteor hits moon thereby shoving it closer to the Earth; which upsets the tides and the magnetic flow of the Earth’s poles; tsunamis, tidal waves, earthquakes, and volcanic ash clouds ensue; food supplies, energy, and gas run low; humanity in chaos. Did I miss anything? Nope, that sums it up. In LAWKI, a young girl and her family are trying to survive in small town PA. In TD&TG, a young boy and his two sisters are trying to survive in the Big Apple. Yikes…I think if I had the choice of PA or NYC, I would choose PA. NYC is a scary place when the world is going to pot.

Author’s Website

Below are the top ten survival skills I learned from The Dead and The Gone should a meteor hit the moon.

1. Always have a backup plan. If you are going to a coastal town in Meheco, make sure you know where the high ground is in case of tidal wave.

2. Have a fully stocked pantry of canned and dry goods. You never know when you will need them (several months worth).

3. Quick! Run to an ATM, deplete your bank account and race like a crazy person to the nearest grocery and hardware stores to stock up.

4. Have an alternate energy source other than what is delivered via public utilities. Can we say solar, wind, water, etc?

5. Be willing to barter. Just act like it is the neighborhood yard sale and you’re negotiating for a good price.

6. Shoes and a coat are more valuable than diamonds during a world disaster.

7. Have an "in" with someone who works in the city, state and/or federal government.

8. Have plenty of books and board games on hand. Yes, check that one off the list!

9. Channel your inner boy/girl scout and be prepared.

10. Do not, I repeat, do not be anywhere near Yellowstone.

I have to let you in on one thing about this novel and it predecessor, there are not many happy moments. Author Pfeffer does provide small flashes of hope in the novels, but most of the plots are just scary. I think that is what makes them a good page turner. The novels depict scenes of destruction and loss that are very plausible, and at times, gut wrenching. The novels also covertly speak to humanity’s obsession for possessions and it’s dependence on fast evaporating fossil fuel supplies. If anything, the novels made me think about what is most important in my life and all the many things I can do without.

Catch the next post on the favs from The Dead and The Gone and, of course, my Off The Charts rating.

Unraveled

As promised, noted below are ramblings about my favorite two characters, best quotations, and book rating of Unwind, but first some housekeeping from my last post.

Blog correction: Question number 2 that I most want to ask Shusterman. Sometimes when you are reading a novel that is so intense, small details escape your notice. For me, it was the part in the novel where the future of CyFi is revealed. Don’t worry. No spoiler here. My book group this week helped to clear away the confusion cobwebs about what happens to CyFi and they gave Unwind a stellar rating by the way.

“Off the Charts” Rating--Unwind

Cover: Those graphic artists know what they are doing.

Page Turner: Oh no, it’s the last page!

Movie Potential: Only if J.J. Abrams directs it.

Ice Cream: Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond

Why I love the character of Risa—A not so helpless, no damsel in distress kind of girl:

1. She takes on the responsibility of a storked baby at the threat of being captured.

2. She is blunt and honest, most of all with Connor.

3. She fights off an angry mob of teens while trying to protect the admiral.

4. She is not defined by a boy.

5. She is not afraid to make a difficult choice at the cost of her own life.

Why we all need Hayden’s character in our lives:

1. He is the only bright light in the cramp quarters under the antique shop.

2. His willingness to question his own existence and the value of his life.

3. He is a veritable fountain of sarcastic, comic relief.

Best Quotations:

Page 23: Risa can’t listen to them anymore, so she shuts them up by saying what they don’t have the courage to say themselves. “I’m being unwound?”

Page 111: “Maybe, maybe not. One thing you learn when you’ve lived as long as I have—people aren’t all good, and people aren’t all bad. We move in and out of darkness and light all of our lives. Right now, I’m pleased to be in the light.” ~ Sonia

Page 192: “Tell him what he needs to hear!” Lev says. He stands there with such wrath in him he feels that earth itself will split from his anger. He told Cy he’d witness this. But he can’t witness it and not take action.

Page 333: “We will have a voice, and we will use it. We will make ourselves be heard.” ~ Connor

Stay tuned to next week for my ponderings on Susan Beth Pfeffer's The Dead and The Gone.

All that and a bag o'chips!

How does this book stack up?

Some people like numbers, some like letters, and some like stars. So to bring order to chaos, I have scientifically developed (through educational guessing, a touch of smarminess, and a little bit of bippidyboppidyboo) the following rating scale for my reads. Under each category, there are three individual descriptive ratings which equal awesome, good, and just o.k.

The novels will be ranked according to the following categories:

The cover

Page turner factor

Should the novel be made into a movie?

How does it compare to a bowl of ice cream?

See, I told you it was scientifically developed.

The Cover:

• A shimmering mirage in the Sahara of books.
• Those graphic artists know what they are doing.
• Ummm…the colors match.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor:

• I demand a sequel.
• Oh no, it’s the next to the last page!
• I was half way through the book, I had to finish.

Coming to a Theatre Near You:

• Only if J.J. Abrams directs it.
• Worth the price of three gallons of gas.
• Not another moonlight movie?

Better than a bowl of ice cream:

• Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond
• Chocolate with sprinkles.
• Just plain vanilla.

Wind Me Up

Unwind by Neal Shusterman is a novel I have had a hankering to read for at least six months. Lucky for me, the book group I host selected this novel as our June read. (Me doing the happy dance.) The cover alone was bait enough for me to be completely interested in reading the novel. And the question on the cover, “What if your parents could unwind you?” Unwind??? What the heck does that mean? Thumbs up on the brilliant marketing and slick advertising by Simon & Schuster. Baited and hooked me right in.

Author’s Website

The book in a nutshell: Le Civil War Due fought over reproductive rights, outcome is no more abortion, instead parents can choose to unwind (process by which an entire person is reused and parted out to help to other people who are ill or injured or who just want a set of nice new bright white teeth or a full head of hair) their children between the ages of 13 and 17. Three teens escape this “death” sentence and are on the run to avoid being unwound. Trust me, read the book and this will all make sense. They just want to stay whole.


And we are off…(drum roll please)

Top Ten Moments of Unwind:

1. Connor finding the order his parents signed for him to be unwound.
2. The 10, no 20, no 30 car…o.k. it was huge highway pile up that felt like a scene from Speed.
3. Conner’s memory of the storked baby.
4. The school yard ruckus and Risa & Connor posing as clappers.
5. Landing and uncrating at the graveyard.
6. The admiral’s teeth.
7. Connor and Risa’s connection realized.
8. Roland and his day of reckoning and unwinding.
9. Connor’s walk of honor.
10. Lev’s sacrifice and subsequent selflessness.

I was so tense through many parts of this book that I felt like I needed to take a yoga class after reading it. This is not a bad thing. Believe me I could use a good yoga class. Shusterman just kept me on the edge of my comfy I-could-sit-for-hours-reading chair. The suspense is cut with a knife thick in every chapter and I had many questions. The true life blurbs (aka soul for sale on Ebay and Ukrainian babies taken for their parts) at the beginning of the chapters are chilling and foretell the events of the story. Awesomeness if they make this into a movie. I kept hearing two songs in my head while I read this book: “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon during the scenes between Connor and Risa and “Beds are Burning” by Midnight Oil when the characters are at Happy Jack Harvest Camp.

Three questions I most want to ask Neal Shusterman:

1. Where in the h-e-double hockey sticks did you come up with this idea?
2. What happens to Cy-Fi/Cyrus-Tyler/Cy-Ty after Lev leaves him in Missouri? Please tell me he is not unwound!
3. Do you get chills thinking that the human race could be “one rationalization away from reality” and actually implement this kind of horror?

The novel centers on a world that is off kilter. I have read several dystopian tales in the last few months including: Feed, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and Life as We Knew It. Unwind tops the list for me under the premise of “a world gone mad.”

Stay tuned to my next post about my FAVS: characters and quotations from Unwind.

A Little Soap'll Do Ya

So…a little clarification is in order from my posting on June 3rd. My reasons for blogging about YA Lit are not just to be a walking encyclopedia of YAL knowledge. They are rather, more selfish. I simply love, love, love YAL. And I hate, hate, hate to hear anyone say that the writing is sub par to literature written for adults. I admire the talent, guts and ideals of so many YAL authors. Perhaps one of the things that impress me most about YAL is the broad range of sub genres, topics, characters, environments, and plots. Every time I crack the brand, spanking new spine of a YAL book I get excited about the possibilities that are in store for me.

I willingly agree that there are many books out there that make you want to roll your eyes and use the pages for a donkey piñata. However, you must agree with me that these undesirables can be found in any genre—adult, young adult and children. The good, bad, and ugly can be found anywhere, anytime. Key point: young adult literature appeals to a broad range of readers no matter the age, sex or education level. OK I am off my soapbox for now…

Also it is not my intent to deliver a “review” of the YA novels I read. The blog will serve as more of a way for me to digest, dissect, and muse about the questions, complaints, compliments, and ponderings that I have about the current reading selection. My tirades (good or bad) could contain spoilers, but I will do my best to not reveal too many important parts of the plot.

Blogging a goal...

A friend of mine encouraged me to finally get on the Web 2.0 bandwagon and start my own blog. So here I am...the beginning of a blog life. I have to also admit that I was inspired by the movie last summer Julie and Julia, the book by the same name, and the blog by Julie Powell.

Hmm...but what should one blog about? So many choices and so many interesting things. I had the privilege to meet and hear young adult literature author, Ned Vizzini, speak at an education conference last fall. He gave excellent advice about how to blog based on his own blogging experience and the numerous blogs he follows. I will do my best to expound upon my musings and thoughts using his noteworthy wisdom. Thanks Ned!

I have a goal. I took a young adult literature class last semester and fell in love with the whole genre. My goal is to have an extensive knowledge of young adult literature by the time I begin teaching. Which is roughly two years from now after I finish course work, student teaching, and find a wonderful teaching position. My desire is to cultivate the life of a reader and learner within myself. This will only enhance my ability to be a resource guide for my students in their reading selections/choices. I typically read from a variety of genres, but this blog will focus on my reading choice from young adult literature. In order to meet this goal I must read, read, read!

I also host a young adult literature book group, Books Like Us, once a month. So one week a month will be devoted to the novel I am reading for this book group. No sense in over taxing myself or setting impossible goals right??? OK...I am now going to shamelessly put in a plug for the book group. In case you are interested, we meet once a month in Vestal, NY at Barnes and Noble. Here is the website which includes meeting info and upcoming book selections. Feel free to join us if you live in the area. Plug finished.

For those of you who have stumbled on to this blog or who are my faithful friends, and you are wondering "What is young adult literature?" check out this white paper resource from the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a branch of the American Library Association) written by Michael Cart. Also an article in the Los Angeles Times provides further information about YA Lit.

Now to the important stuff:

The goals...

1. Read one young adult literature novel per week

2. Blog about the novel I am reading at least twice a week

3. Compile a resource guide for my future students

The first ten novels...

1. Unwind - Neal Shusterman

2. The Dead and The Gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer

3. Chains - Laurie Halse Anderson

4. Banana Heart Summer - Merlinda Bobis

5. The Killer's Cousin - Nancy Werlin

6. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne

7. After Tupac & D Foster - Jacqueline Woodson

8. A Long Way Gone: Memories of a Boy Solider - Ishamel Beah

9. Th1rteen R3asons Why - Jay Asher

10. Quiver - Stephanie Spinner

I would like to invite followers of this blog to submit comments and recommendations about their favorite YA Lit reads. This will aid me in making future book selections. Since last fall, I have amassed a YA literature book collection of close to 200 novels (maybe more because they are spilling off of my bookshelves onto the floor--time to recount). I have read a little over a 1/4 of them. So many of my future selections will be based on this existing library, but I would love to receive your recommendations. And who doesn't need more books.

So to all of my fellow book lovers, book worms, and bookies...happy reading!