He has a badge...

...and he's not afraid to use it.

Griff Carver is a kid with a mission.  He wants to make the hallways of Rampart Junior High School the safest they can be, and he's not opposed to taking down anyone who gets in the way of justice.  Griff arrives at Rampart after being expelled from his previous school for reasons unknown.  He wastes no time securing a position on the Rampart Hallway Patrol, even though he's promised his mother he wouldn't be involved with any other patrol units after what happened at the last school.

Griff's determination to keeping the hallways safe is steady, despite having to be a partner to Tommy Rodriguez, the kind of clean-nosed Boy Scout that Griff despises.  When a conspiracy from above causes Griff to lose his badge (and very nearly his mind), it takes Tommy and a sharp-nosed school newspaper reporter named Verity to help take down the crime ring and return Griff to his rightful place as a patrolman.

This book was a lot of fun to read!  Jim Krieg did a great job giving Griff the stereotypical clipped voice that you hear in most cop shows and movies.  I loved Griff's dripping sarcasm and the hard edge that he used to deliver his thoughts.  The contrast between him and Tommy's sunshiny attitude made for excellent interactions and hilarious situations.

Recommended for any reader who is a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books or books like Josh Lieb's "I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President".

(Photo from fantasticfiction.co.uk)

A World All Their Own

We have all seen the headlines...girls held captive for years in sheds and small rooms, forced to be slaves to their captors.  The recent stories were Jaycee Dugard, kidnapped and held in a backyard in California for 18 years, and Elizabeth Fritzl, held by her father in a locked basement dungeon by her father.  Both women had children by their captors.  "Room" is the story of one such child.

Five-year-old Jack lives in the little one-room world that Ma has created for them.  His friends include Dora the Explorer, Plant, and TV, though he only gets to see TV for a little while each day.  Jack and Ma play games, learn new words, and read the few books that they have.  Jack loves Ma and Ma loves Jack.  But one person that Jack doesn't love is Old Nick.  Every night when Jack goes to sleep in the wardrobe, he hopes that Old Nick won't come so that Ma won't be sad again.  Jack doesn't get to see Old Nick, but he knows he's come when he hears the beeps of the opening door and the smell of the air from Outside.

Jack lives happily in this little world, as it's all he has ever known.  When Ma drops a bombshell one day and tells Jack that the world that he sees on TV is really in Outside, he doesn't know what to think.  And when she asks Jack to be very brave and rescue the two of them from Old Nick, Jack is forced to face the big scary world outside of his beloved Room.  At five years old, he could never be ready to deal with the changes that come to his and Ma's life when they enter Outside.

This is one of the most-talked about books of the year, and I completely understand why.  Emma Donoghue made a very hard story bearable by telling it through the innocent voice of a child.  While my heart broke throughout the entire book, first for Ma in her captivity and then for Ma and Jack in their freedom, I also found myself rooting for Jack and hoping that he would find his happiness again in the big new world.  Donoghue did an excellent job of taking these big news stories and putting real human faces to them.  It was also interesting to see how Ma and Jack's story didn't end with the rescue, that is actually just the middle.  Both of them experienced real struggles after they left Room, and these are the struggles that we don't hear about in the news.  The media story stops when the so-called torture ends, but there is still much more for these people to endure.

I had to prepare myself to read this book, thinking that it was going to be emotionally draining.  But Donoghue's method of telling the story through Jack made it much easier to read.  "Room" is worthy of all of the accolades and acclaim it has received, and I recommend it for adults who want to get behind the news stories we've heard so much about.

Defining Love

"Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life.  No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough."

David Levithan views a relationship in a new way in his novel, The Lover's Dictionary.  The relationship is viewed through a series of dictionary entries, with each entry being no more than a page and a half.  As the entries are in alphabetical order, the relationship is not in chronological order.  The reader gets bits and pieces of the relationship's story through the entries and has to piece together the whole picture as they read.

Levithan does a great job of choosing a variety of words and using them in ways that most wouldn't assume to be part of the story.  He writes with sincerity and depth, and it feels as though he has been in these situations before.  The great thing about this book is that he never names the narrators, or even distinguishes which gender they are.  It's up to the reader to determine which entries belong to which narrator, what their genders are, and, therefore, what type of relationship they have.  Levithan is known for writing stories about same-sex relationships, such as "Boy Meets Boy" and "Will Grayson, Will Grayson", so many readers will pick up this book assuming that it will be about the same topic.  However, the ambiguity of the narrators makes this story applicable to everyone, which is pretty ingenious.

I admit that I did assume that this was another Young Adult novel of his, as that is what he is known for.  His past novels include the two mentioned above, as well as "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist".  But this book is definitely NOT for teens.  Not because of inappropriate material (there is none), but simply because teens most likely could not fully identify with the characters and the story.  The maturity level is that of 20- and 30-somethings in terms of the depth of emotion and issues with which the couple deals.

Overall, this was a satisfying read that will be relatable to all readers in one way or another.  I felt the happiness and sorrow of the couple through their journey, and I felt that it was all very realistic.  Recommended for adult readers.

(Photo from Tower Books)

Librarians - Masters of the Universe!

Check out this brief piece from CNN librarian Kerith Page McFadden about the importance of librarians in our society.  Love to see fellow Tar Heel librarians doing great work and spreading library love!  :D

Somebody gets it!!

The editorial at the link below was featured in the Houston Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2011_4958826

Thank goodness there are people out there who understand how important and relevant librarians still are!

*The editorial mentions librarians teaching high schoolers how to use Wikipedia correctly.  For the record, I teach my elementary students that too.  :)

Young Love and Loss

"Nothing ever really goes away - it just changes into something else.  Something beautiful."

Beautiful is a great word to use to describe this novel, Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.  Other good words to describe this novel are: devastating, heart-breaking, joyous, and free.

I heard about this novel last year because it was being challenged (people were trying to have it removed from libraries) in some parts of the country.  Adults weren't happy with the sexual activity portrayed in the story, or with the part of the storyline in which two teenage girls agree to try to find twenty boys to hook up with in one summer.

After reading this novel, it's clear to me that those who challenged based on those grounds didn't read it (as is often the case).  If they had read it, they would have seen it for what it actually is.  A beautiful story about two girls who lose one of the most important people in their lives, and try to cope with their loss however they can.

Anna and Frankie are the teenage girls at the center of the story.  They are next-door neighbors and two-thirds of a lifelong best friend trio.  The third member is Frankie's older brother, Matt.  Two years older than the girls, Matt has always been their protector and leader.  At the age of ten, Anna fell in love with him.  On the night of her fifteenth birthday, she finally finds out that Matt is in love with her too.  For the next month, Anna and Matt meet secretly at night, testing out their new relationship and figuring out the best way to tell Frankie.  Matt wants to be the one to tell her and makes Anna promise not to say anything.  He plans on telling Frankie when they take their annual family trip to California.

But then the unthinkable happens.  He dies the day before they are to leave for the trip.

After a grief-filled year, Anna is now the one making the trip with Frankie and her parents to Zanzibar Bay, California.  Frankie has spent the year trying to deal with her brother's death with makeup, boys, and secret cigarettes.  Anna has spent the year trying to fulfill her promise to Matt and take care of Frankie.  In preparation for California, Frankie decides that they should make it their goal to meet one boy per day, twenty in all, so that they can each have one summer fling during what is supposed to be the Absolute Best Summer Ever.  The trip unfolds in ways that neither girl could predict, as emotions are broken open and wounds are made and healed.

I really enjoyed this book and the emotional journey on which it took me.  My heart broke for both girls for different reasons, and I believe readers will be able to associate with either Frankie or Anna.  Even if you've never suffered a loss as they did, the characters are so personable and easily relatable that it's easy to put yourself in their shoes.  Readers will find themselves rooting for these girls, and pulling for them in their struggle to figure out how to live the new post-Matt lives in which they find themselves.

Recommended for readers in high school and above.

Digital Media and Education

Though I may be a little behind, I finally watched the PBS special "Digital Media" that aired last month.  If you haven't watched it, especially if you're an educator, I encourage you to do so immediately.  It can be viewed through the link below:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/digital-media/

Watching this special gave me a couple of different reactions.  First, I was greatly inspired.  While the schools and programs featured in this show are undoubtedly special when it comes to the tools with which they work, the message and ideas are universal.  Digital media is here to stay, and kids need to be equipped with the skills necessary for using it to their advantage.  I immediately started thinking about how I can use the technology that I have with my students to enhance their learning and allow them to create to their full ability.  We don't have as many technology tools in my library as I would like, but I have more than a lot of programs and I have been guilty of not using it as I should.  That will change.

The fact is technology isn't going anywhere.  As much as some of us would like to stick to the traditional methods of learning with which we were educated, we can't.  It may be scary, and it may be intimidating, but it's reality.  Our kids are going to be using these technologies for the rest of their lives and they need to be taught how to use it ethically and responsibly.  This leads to my second reaction.

We need librarians and media specialists now more than ever before.  In case you didn't hear that, let me repeat.  WE NEED LIBRARIANS!!  I can't count the number of times I've been questioned about what I actually do anymore.  The general public seems to be convinced that because we have the Internet and e-Readers (Kindles, Nooks, iPads, etc.) that librarians are becoming careers of the past.  They couldn't be more wrong.

Librarians are necessary to the future generation's ability to learn and understand the technology with which they are working.  Yes, kids have the Internet for information.  No, they don't necessarily need print encyclopedias anymore.  But how many kids understand that Wikipedia doesn't always present accurate information because anyone can edit it?  How many adults understand it for that matter?  Not many.  They need people who do understand that, and who can explain that to them.  Like librarians.

Does it sound like I'm fighting for my job?  Yes, because I am.  Librarians all over the country are in the middle of fighting for their jobs.  School districts are cutting them left and right because they are "non-essential teaching positions" or "non-teaching positions".  There are many things wrong with our education system, and this is a big one.  The kids are the ones who are suffering by these cuts.  They need their librarians to be there to teach them how to use technology to better themselves and others.  This includes being taught ethics and responsibility.  It means being taught that bullying on the Internet is the same as bullying in person, if not worse.  That the ideas that are presented to the public on the web are still someone's ideas that are protected and should not be stolen to use as your own.

Many school districts are saying that classroom teachers can take over that part of education.  To them, I say that's not fair.  It's not fair to add yet another responsibility to teachers who are overworked and underappreciated as it is.  It's not fair to expect them to be experts in yet another huge field that is constantly growing and changing.  I work on this full time, and it's hard enough for me to keep up with all of this.  I couldn't imagine having the ability to be an expert in digital media and technology (and all that goes with it), as well as an expert in every other area of education, as we ask our teachers to be.  They need someone who is an expert in media (again, librarians) to work with to present the opportunity for a full education to our students.

If we value our children and the opportunities for societal growth that they are, we need to take a serious look at how we handle our ever-changing technological landscape.  Giving a computer to every child is pointless if we don't provide the education on how to use it well.  The students on the "Digital Media" special were using technological tools to create amazing things...music, movies, games...all incredible tools for learning and incredible tools for communication and personal growth.

Parents and educators often worry about what our children are doing with technology.  How are they abusing it?  How is it hurting themselves and others?  We often forbid cell phones and iPods in schools.  What if we actually get involved with what they are already using?  What if we take the things in which they are already interested, like movies, music, and games, and turn them into educational opportunities?  What if we actually have conversations with our kids about all of this?  How would that change the American educational picture?  How would it affect our students' ability to be competitive with students from other countries?

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we need to completely abandon all of the work we have been doing thus far, or that we need to replace everything with technology.  I'm not saying that at all.  We just need to tweak it.  Integrate what we are already doing with what we COULD be doing.  One teacher in "Digital Media" used a great example...without art, kids wouldn't know colors and shapes.  Without colors and shapes, they can't expect to become the graphic designers they want to be.  Integration.  (Now, art teachers are being cut all over as well...but that's another topic.)

It's important to understand that this is a new direction, and we are going to have to be flexible in our learning as well.  We are not going to have all of the answers.  Problems are going to arise that we don't anticipate.  We're going to have to solve them as we go, and not let those issues slow us down.  It's going to take work to change some of what we've been doing, but we don't have to change everything at once.  It's very easy to get overwhelmed by all of this, but pretending it doesn't exist or that we don't have to use it is not going to help anyone.  Baby steps are okay.

At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves a few questions.  As one of the principals in "Digital Media" stated, "What do we want our schools to be?  What do we dream for our schools and for our children?  What are the most important things that schools can teach kids?  And wouldn't it be wonderful to have a national conversation around that?  And at least start to figure that out.  And then, from there, start the process of maybe trying to reinvent what education looks like in this country."

I'm a Barbie Girl...

Barbie.  It's amazing how that one name can conjure up feelings of love and hate.  Devotion and loathing.  Joy and misery.  All of these are addressed in Tonya Lee Stone's "The Good, The Bad, and The Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us".

When I saw this book on several "Best of 2010" book lists, I knew I had to read it.  I was a Barbie fan as a child.  I have memories of spending hours locked in my room with Barbie and her Dream House.  I used to spend most of the time just setting up the house...furniture in the right places, all of the miniature food set up properly in the refrigerator.  Then Barbie would begin her day.  She would wake up, take her bath, pick out her clothes, eat her breakfast, and hop in her convertible.  But then she never really went anywhere.  I was usually so tired by the time I did all that to make Barbie really work or do any other activities.  But it didn't matter.  That was all that I needed Barbie to do to fulfill my playtime with her.

There are several people mentioned in this book that have similar happy memories of Barbie, and others who hate her with a passion for various reasons.  The book details how Barbie began, starting with the story of Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, who founded Mattel with her husband, Elliot, and a friend.  From the start, Barbie was controversial.  The fact that she had breasts was seen as wrong to many adults, though most girls instantly loved her.  Barbie was marketed as a "teenaged fashion model" with all of the most fashionable clothes to show off her glamour.  But that was only the beginning.

Stone does a good job of detailing the changes in Barbie's life over the last 50 years, as well as presenting the variety of opinions about her.  There are those who hate Barbie and don't want children exposed to her perfectly proportioned, unachievable form for fear of creating complexes and eating disorders.  Interestingly, most of those people are adults.  While there are some children who have no interest in Barbie because of her perfection, most girls don't really pay attention to that.  I know that I never did.  I never felt like I had to look like Barbie.  I just loved her fabulous clothes.  Mattel changed her shape within the last 10 years to make her "more realistic", yet I feel like there is more of a problem now.  Before, her shape was unattainable...ridiculous in it's proportions.  Now, she still looks ridiculously thin, but in a way that people could actually look.  It almost seems more dangerous now than it used to be.

But all in all, I felt in reading this book that people need to relax.  While Barbie is undeniably an American icon, it's because we have put her there.  In reality, she's a toy!  Love her or hate her, that's all she is.  Adults who are concerned with Barbie's influence on their children need to talk to their children about her.  Once again, the problem is not the item, it's the lack of communication between parents and children.  And, really, as the book states:

"...girls figure out who they want to be by trying things on for size, acting things out.  By seeing how it feels to put on makeup, being a girly girl, being a tomboy, pretending to be a flight attendant, a race car driver, an astronaut, a housewife.  Playing with Barbie lets them experiment with all things feminine.  They impose their will upon Barbie - not the other way around.  Girls are strong, and no plastic, eleven-and-a-half-inch doll could ever change that." (p. 107)

Barbie opens up new worlds to the girls who are interested in playing with her.  This book does a fairly good job of showing all of that, though sometimes the information seems bunched together and somewhat rushed.  There are more than enough opinions on the doll to present a balanced argument, and many of them come from emails sent to the author by children and teens.  The pictures throughout the book are in black-and-white, except for the color photo section in the middle of the book.  All in all, a worthy read for anyone interested in the history and controversy of Barbie.

Recommended for grades 6 and up.

(Photo from juniorlibraryguild.com)

Celebrity isn't all it's cracked up to be...

That's the lesson learned by Brooke Alter in Lauren Weisberger's latest novel, Last Night at Chateau Marmont.

Brooke's days may not be perfect, but she enjoys the life she's built with her husband, Julian.  She loves working as a nutritionist for pregnant women and new mothers, and doesn't really mind the second job she's taken on to support her musician husband.  Working as a counselor to teenaged girls at an elite prep school helps her feel even more fulfilled.  Brooke works hard to help her talented husband succeed, but when he actually accomplishes his dream and hits the big time, Brooke finds that it comes with much more than she bargains for.

Julian is suddenly hiring new agents and publicists, flying around the country for weeks on end, and showing up in all of Brooke's favorite tabloid magazines.  As she holds down the fort at home and tries to balance the career she loves with the new demands of her husband's career, Brooke feels pulled in a hundred directions.  She's suddenly forced to make difficult decisions about her life and priorities.  These decisions become even harder to make when she finds out that Julian has made an error of judgement that has landed in the pages of the most widely-read magazine in the country.

This is Weisberger's fourth novel, following The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, and Chasing Harry Winston.  Having read the former, I felt the latter was pretty on par with the others.  Weisberger is not my favorite chick lit author, yet I always find myself wanting to read her books.  The stories she tells aren't ground-breaking, but there is a familiarity with them that most other authors don't have.  I always get the feeling that she has been around the celebrity scene enough to tell authentic stories.  After all, that's what made her famous.  The Devil Wears Prada was supposedly based on her experience working for one of the major fashion magazine's Editors-in-Chief (rumor was Anna Wintour at Vogue).  This novel is no different.  There are many references to real people, and the processes that Julian experiences in his rise to the top seem very realistic.

What I liked most about this novel, and Weisberger's others, is that her main character is real...the glue that holds our faith in humanity together.  They always figure out how to come back to reality and get what they truly wanted, which usually has nothing to do with the glam lives in which they ended up.  Brooke is no different.  She struggles through the changes in her life, marriage, and husband.  She fights to be able to keep the career she's always wanted.  And in the end, she makes the hard decisions.  While Julian's fame goes to his head, it's not the same for Brooke.  I like how Weisberger showed how instant celebrity affects the "normal civilian".  Privacy?  Gone.  Family?  Hassled.  Friends?  Only the true ones stick around and are worth keeping.  I think a lot of people fantasize about the perks that come with celebrity status but never really consider everything else that comes with the package deal.

One of the funniest things to me about the story was Brooke and Julian's dog.  His name was Walter Alter.  Something about that struck me as humorous and real.  I found that the dog actually made me feel more connected to Brooke, probably because his name was so cute and cheesy...something that I would be likely to choose.  I felt like I could understand her better as a character because I could relate to her in that way.  Weird, I know.

I recommend this book for adults who want a breezy read with emotion.  Great for a vacation, and of course, a great beach read! :)

(Photo from bookfinds.com)

What Happens "After"?

I realize it's been a little while since I last posted, but I needed some time to process the book I recently finished, "After" by Amy Efaw.

This intense book tells the story of Devon Davenport, 16-year-old honors student and premier soccer player.  Though she seems to have everything going for her, Devon's home life is strained.  Her single mother's immaturity and focus on men forces Devon to mother herself.  Because of this relationship, Devon holds herself to ridiculously high standards and a set of rules that is nearly impossible for anyone to maintain.  When Devon breaks one of her rules and becomes pregnant, her disappointment in herself leads to a state of denial about her situation.  When the baby is born on the floor of her apartment bathroom, Devon does the unthinkable...wraps the baby in a garbage bag and throws her in a dumpster.

Devon is arrested the next morning, after almost dying from post-delivery complications, and is placed in the juvenile detention facility to await her trial.  For a girl like Devon, who has never done a wrong thing in her life, this is more than a shock and it takes a little while for reality to set in.  Her lawyer, Dom, works to prepare her for her declination hearing, which will decide whether she'll be tried as a juvenile or adult.  Through her sessions with Dom, Devon recalls the events that brought her to that place, and faces a lot of realities about her life, some harsher than others.

My first thought about this book was that I was disappointed that it was told in third person.  I expected a story like this to be told through Devon herself, rather than an outside narrator.  It took me a little while to get used to the "Devon did this...Devon did that" style of writing.  But as I read more, I realized that it was actually quite fitting to the story, as Devon's denial makes her see the situation as something that is happening TO her from the outside rather than something of which she is a part.

"After" is definitely not the easiest story to read, especially when the birth scenes are finally played out, but I think it's an important story to tell.  We often hear about these cases where babies are dumped shortly after birth.  I know that I've always felt that the mothers who do that are horrible people, but this book gave me a different perspective.  I realize now that some of them are probably sick and troubled in ways we don't consider.  That's not to say that their actions should be excused, which the author addresses well through Devon's decisions at the end of the story, but they are ill people who need help.  The power of denial as a coping mechanism is very strong and makes people do things they normally would never do.  Sadly, the victims in these instances are innocent and defenseless.

It's important to note that many states have laws that protect people from being prosecuted if they drop their babies at acceptable places, like hospitals.  Many people are like Devon, incapable or unwilling to raise a child or afraid of what will happen when others find out about the pregnancy.  Rather than harming the children, they can be taken to hospitals, police stations, and fire departments within the first 24-36 hours of birth.  I don't think that's a widely known fact in our country, and it needs to be shared.

Teens especially need to be aware of these laws.  Many of the dumpster baby stories that we hear involve teen mothers who have hidden their pregnancy or claim they did not know they were pregnant.  When the babies appear, they panic.  They need to know that there are people out there who will help them give their babies up responsibly.  Devon learns during the hearing that there are many people in her life who would have helped her if she had asked, and I think there are a lot of teens who are unaware of the possible support they could have as well.  Their shame leads them to hide away rather than reach out to anyone around them.

"After" is a thought-provoking story that will leave readers with sadness and satisfaction.  It could be a great read for book clubs and classes, as there will be a great deal of discussion over the issues presented within it.  I recommend this book to people aged 14 and up.

(Photo from readergirlz.blogspot.com)

The Comic Genius that is Mo Willems

If you haven't picked up a book by Mo Willems, shame on you.

You may be using excuses like "I don't know who he is!" or "I don't have kids!".  Well, today is the day that all excuses are thrown out the window because you're getting your education on Mo Willems.

Willems is the author of the following examples of hilarity:

,

, and

.

Each of these books are marvelous examples of his amazing humor.  Why so amazing?  Because kids and adults laugh equally!  If you have kids, you probably know that sometimes there are books that your kid LOVES, but you cannot stand! (And you read it anyway, because you're a good parent.)  But I promise you that even being the responsible and mild-mannered adult that you are, you will laugh your head off reading anything by Mo Willems.

Why do kids love them? Because they can relate to them! Willems knows what he's doing when it comes to tricking kids into empathizing with characters.  Know a kid who swears he's not tired and wants to stay up?  Or maybe one who is having a hard time sharing with others?  Give him Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late or The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!.  For the kid who needs help growing up and letting go of childhood things, the Knuffle Bunny trilogy is a MUST!  (It's based on his real-life daughter, Trixie, and her beloved Knuffle (say: KA-nuffle) Bunny).  And for those kids who need to know it's okay, and even usually preferable, to do things differently than their peers, there is Leonardo the Terrible Monster and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed.  Willems has experience in writing excellent material for kids as he won several Emmys as a writer on Sesame Street.

For the littlest readers, Willems has the Cat the Cat series:

Beginning readers will learn to read with rhyming words and phonetic sounds (not the mention the adorable and fun illustrations!).

But my favorite, above all of his other works, is the Elephant and Piggie series.  

With 15 titles, and more on the way, these books are literally LAUGH OUT LOUD funny.  I had my fellow teachers ROLLING over the book, Can I Play Too?, in which a snake wants to play catch with Gerald (the elephant) and Piggie.  The problem?  The snake was missing something essential for playing catch: arms.

Other titles like I Broke My Trunk!, Elephants Cannot Dance!, Pigs Make Me Sneeze!, and There Is a Bird on Your Head!, will provide you and your children with hours of hysterical entertainment.  And if you have no children, you'll be laughing anyway!  The cover art alone is enough to get you giggling:

So the next time you're feeling down, or your kids are pestering you for a new book, do yourself a favor and pick up a Mo Willems title...and maybe a second pair of undies...you'll probably need them. ;)

Jennifer

**For those of you who are already familiar with Willems' work, keep your eyes and ears open for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, currently in the works.

***You can also follow Willems' Pigeon on Twitter: @The_Pigeon.

(Photos from various blogs and Google Images)

Join the "Revolution"!

"It goes on, this world, stupid and brutal.

But I do not.

I do not."

I'm really excited to share this book for my first review on this blog.  It's the latest addition to my favorites list: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

This part-realistic, part-historical fiction novel centers around two teenage girls who spend their lives in completely different worlds, centuries apart.  Andi Alpers is a high school senior living in Brooklyn.  A talented musician, Andi lives with her artist mother and attends the prestigious St. Anselm school.  Music is Andi's outlet, her source of expression, and one of the few things that gets her through her pain-filled life.  She's still carrying around immense guilt and trauma from the death of her younger brother, Truman.  When Andi's Nobel Prize-winning geneticist father hears that she is failing out of St. Anselm, and finds that Andi's mother spends her days trying to paint the perfect portrait of Truman, he decides that Andi must go with him to Paris for her holiday break while her mother is hospitalized.  Andi doesn't share his opinion, but is forced to go.

In Paris, Andi and her father stay with friends G and Lili. G is a historian and an expert on the French Revolution.  He has enlisted Andi's father's help in conducting DNA tests on a heart believed to be the heart of Louis-Charles, the young son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.  G explains that Louis-Charles was imprisoned by the Jacobins following the death of Louis XVI, and there were theories that the young prince may have survived the Revolution and grown up under an alias.  Andi's interest in the story of Louis-Charles deepens when she discovers a diary in a hidden compartment in an 18th century guitar case.  The writer of the diary, Alexandrine, was Louis-Charles' companion and entertainer, hired by Marie Antoinette to keep her young son happy.

Alex's story begins in the early days of the Revolution.  Her family works as puppetteers, putting on shows for money.  But she wants to be more.  She wants to be a star actress on the Paris stage.  When a chance encounter with the royal family gives her a position near to the Queen, she decides to use it to her advantage, believing that if she does her job well, Antoinette will help fulfill her dream.  What Alex doesn't understand is how her life will change over the course of the Revolution, how she will grow to truly love the young prince, and how she will sacrifice herself for him.

As Andi works to complete the outline of her senior thesis on French guitarist and composer Amade Malherbeau, she is simultaneously immersed in Alex's story.  The similarities between Alex's relationship with Louis-Charles and Andi's with Truman are striking.  Alex's diary brings the Revolution to life, and begins to help Andi do the one thing that she couldn't do before: heal.

I never realized how little I knew about the French Revolution until I read this book.  The only thing I really knew was that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined.  I didn't know about the thousands of others who met the same fate, or how the catacombs were filled with stacked bodies with no heads, or how the children of the king and queen were treated after their deaths.  Louis-Charles' story is especially gut-wrenching.  A small boy torn from his parents and put in a tower with no care, only to go insane and die there two years later.  This book has motivated me to learn more about the French Revolution and the people involved.  As a librarian, I really appreciate the research that went into writing it.  Donnelly lists the many resources she used at the end of the book, and I'll be reading a couple of them in the future.

Another thing I loved about this book was the music references.  Donnelly traveled all over the music spectrum: Beethoven and Radiohead, Wagner and The Ramones.  The musical ties are amazing, whether you know the music or not.  It's clear that Donnelly did her homework.  She also provided a complete song list on her website.  It's quite extensive and the choices fit the story perfectly.

But the most amazing thing about this book is watching Andi travel through her struggle with pain and depression.  She tries to medicate it, tries to end it all, but eventually finds her way...her own revolution.  I couldn't help but think about the young people that will be helped by Andi's journey.  Those that will realize that they are not the first and only to feel the way they do.  Being able to follow and relate to a character that is experiencing that kind of pain will be very helpful for many.  Seeing the people around Andi who try to love her, even when she doesn't want them to, is a powerful thing.

Overall, I can't say enough about this book.  I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great historical fiction novel...and to everyone else as well.  There is a reason that it was named to the Best Books of 2010 lists for Amazon.com and School Library Journal.  Revolution is not to be missed!

(Photo from rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com)

Here we go...

I'm taking on the world of blogging!  A little intimidating, I must admit, but also very exciting.  I've been wanting to start this blog for a while, but I couldn't think of a name that I liked.  So a BIG thanks to Cortney and your creative mind for the suggestion of "Too Literate to Quit".  I think it suits me...a little fun, a little random, and a shout-out to awesome 90s music! Haha!

On this blog you will find book reviews, news about the worlds of libraries, education, and technology, and any other tidbits that I feel inclined to throw out.  Comments are welcome, and kind comments are encouraged!

I can't guarantee that I will update this every day, but I will try to update often.  As I read, you'll get to read, and the books will be random.  You'll see a wide range of genres in adult, young adult (YA), and children's books.  I will go ahead and say that most of these reviews will probably be on YA books, as those are the books I enjoy the most.  If you've never stepped into the world of YA, you should!  I hope that some of these titles will catch your attention and that you'll learn that YA books are not just for teens anymore.

I'll be playing around with the look of the blog in the coming weeks (and maybe longer than that) so don't be surprised if it looks totally different from one day to the next.

Feel free to pass this address on to other interested readers.  And feel free to visit my Goodreads page for a more complete listing of books I've read and plan to read:

http://www.goodreads.com/jen482

So here goes nothing!  Thanks for reading and enjoy!!

Jennifer :)