They say I must be one of the Wonders...

(From SchoolLibraryJournal.com)

I felt it necessary to start this blog post in the same way that R.J. Palacio started her novel, "Wonder", which is with a lyric from Natalie Merchant's song of the same name.  From the time I started reading this amazing book, that song was in my head non-stop.  It was one of my favorite songs when I was in middle school, which I also thought was appropriate for this book as the story chronicles Auggie's journey into middle school.  I realized when I finished reading the book that the song is extremely fitting for the story. Auggie truly is a wonder, as is this story.

I read it at the end of the last school year, and immediately wanted to share it with my outgoing fifth graders. Because there was only about a week of school left, we weren't able to fit it in.  So I decided to ask the two fifth grade language arts teachers to read it, and to consider using it with this year's fifth grade class.  I thought they could possibly read it aloud and discuss it with the students.  I wasn't necessarily expecting a large project to come with it (though I encouraged that, as is my job as a Media Coordinator).  I just wanted the students to hear this story.

What actually happened is that my fifth grade teachers LOVED the book, and felt the same way I did: our students need to hear this story and they need to hear it now!  So they decided to use it as the first read-aloud for this school year.  As the fifth grade team teaches, each teacher has two language arts classes per day, which means reading it aloud twice every day.  No worries there!  Both teachers love this story so much, and recognize the importance of it that they are enjoying having the opportunity to read it multiple times.

And the kids?  I'm not sure I have the adequate words to describe how much they are loving this book!  It's so cool to see each class with different opinions and thoughts and reactions about Auggie's story.  They agree on a few things: Julian is a jerk, as is his mom.  They're recognizing the learned behavior in that connection, which is also interesting.  They all think Auggie is hilarious, but they're also recognizing his negative qualities - crankiness, selfishness, and rudeness at times.  We're talking through all of these emotions, and why he's experiencing these things as well as why his reactions may be different from ours at times.  Our students have fully embraced this book, and we couldn't be more excited!

We've decided to use this book in a number of ways.  Once the teachers finish reading, which should be pretty soon, the students will be asked to create written responses to the story in which they will choose a character and discuss the story from their point of view.  Point of view is a big part of their LA standards this year and they're still figuring out what it means to "walk in someone else's shoes".  Our school is a STEM school, so we are also going to tie in their Science curriculum.  They happen to be studying the human body and genetics this quarter, so we are going to have them think about Auggie's deformations in the physical, genetic way.  They will research a few different genetic disorders (Down Syndrome, Tay Sachs, colorblindness, etc.) to see how they appear in humans and what the effects are for the people who have them.  We can then tie that back to Auggie and discuss how his disorders would have been carried by his parents and then showed up in him.

Once the three of us read the story, we knew we wanted to get our Guidance Counselor involved as well.  So we gave her the book and asked her to read it too.  She loved it just as much as we did!  In her words... "I love the book because it touched on several topics that I discuss such as Bullying, Self-Esteem, All the Character Traits on Wake County's list, the 7 Habits of Happy Kids book I'm using this year, and dealing with feelings."  She's planning to use the book with the 5th graders this year to tie the story into her curriculum and activities.  She's also thinking about using the story as a focus for February's Pennies for Patients coin drive, discussing with students how Auggie's medical needs would be similar and different from the students for whom we raise money.

Lastly, what have we done with it in Media?  We spent this week using Wordle to create word clouds that describe the story and Auggie.  I was so impressed with the words that the students wanted to use, and their feelings about Wonder and Auggie.  Here's our collection of Wordles...

They are now posted on the wall outside of their classrooms.  Here's one of the word clouds for Wonder...

We discussed how even though the plot summary of the story sounds like it would be a really sad book, most of the words that the kids used to describe the story were positive words: funny, happy, emotional, cool, awesome.  And here's one of the Auggie examples...

The students wanted to know if it was okay to use the word deformed, and I told them they could because that is part of who Auggie is.  He wouldn't be the same wonderful kid without that part too.  But I loved the words they used to describe him the most: smart, happy, good friend, awesome, cool, inspiring.  Many kids also listed words like brave, rare, distinct, unusual, courageous, and, of course, Star Wars fan!

As you can already tell with this LONG blog post, we LOVE this book!!  We're so happy that our kids have latched on to it as much as we did.  I really believe that our love for the story translates to the kids, and that their recognition of that makes them love it that much too.  One of our teachers was talking about how she cried as she read the same part in both classes, and how silly she felt doing it, but I think it's moments like that that help our students know that it's okay to be moved by a story.  Many of my students have asked me where they can buy the book, and if a movie is going to be made from it.  Their excitement for this story makes me realize again why I love my job so much - I get to help connect kids with stories that change their lives.  It's the most wonderful thing I get to do!

We'd like to issue a big thank you to R.J. Palacio for writing this story that is changing the way a lot of us think and act in our daily lives.  Stories like Wonder help us to understand each other a little better, and everyone benefits from that. We're so proud to be a #WONDERschool !!

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)

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.

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)

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)