Tuesday, May 29, 2018

YALSA's Hub Challenge Part 2.5

Well, I finally got back to finishing my update for the challenge. Sorry for the long wait!

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Sandwiches!: More Than You've Ever Wanted to Know about Making and Eating America's Favorite Food by Alison Deering; illustrated by Bob Lentz (Quick Picks for Young Adults)

What a fun and useful book! I loved all the history bits about the different challenges and how the book is divided up by "levels" based on what kind of equipment you need to make the sandwiches. The challenge parts were a bit gross, but what teen wouldn't love this book?!

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They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (Rainbow List)

This was an interesting one--sad and happy at turns. It really makes you think about how you are living your life and how you would live it if you knew when you would die. The romance kind of reminded me of The Sun is Also a Star. I'll be thinking about this one for a while. I listened to it and really enjoyed the telling.

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Roughneck by Jeff Lemire (Alex Award)

I wasn't sure about this one at the beginning but by the end I was pretty moved. I really like Lemire for his ability to write very Canadian protagonists, stories, and settings. This one is all about family and identity and people who often feel displaced by society. Even the limited palate is very well suited.

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Jonesy vol. 3 by Sam Humphries; illustrated by Caitlyn Rose Boyle (Great Graphic Novels for Teens)

I had read the first two volumes before the awards were announced, so I can't count them. However, I have loved them all. I love the art style, the characters and most definitely the message that being different is okay. This final volume pull it all together nicely, using lots of anime references and a true punk rock feel.

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Bird by Angela Johnson (Edwards Award)

I didn't like this one quite as much as I liked Looking for Red. The atmosphere and the interwoven stories worked but the ending was very abrupt.

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#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women edited by Lisa Charleyboy (Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults and Amelia Bloomer List)

Touching, impactful and sadly necessary. I wish I could give this book to so many people. I am so glad this was compiled. I would love to see even more books like this one.

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; audiobook read by Bahni Turpin (Printz, Odyssey, Morris, Amazing Audiobooks, Best Fiction, Quick Picks, Coretta Scott King)

This was pretty much the YA book of 2018.  So well written and authentic voice. I caught myself singing along and picturing things that were referenced. I could hear these characters and feel their true emotions while reading. Having Bahni Turpin read it again to me just made it even better.

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Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash; full cast audiobook (Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults)

Originally I read this one when I was on the Great Graphic Novels for Young Adults committee. I was impressed by it then. Very real to my experience of camp and exploring your sexuality in a somewhat oppressive environment. Maggie’s story is moving and so true. I like how when Maggie feels really isolated a single panel is alone on a page. I'm not usually a fan of graphic novels as audiobooks, but the full cast and sound effects really work well.

Well, that's all for now. I should have one more update for the #hubchallenge for this year. Probably not going to try to read all of them, just 25 or so.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Newbery Rewind: 1923

Here we are finished with the Newbery winner for 1923, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle. Right in time for my Mock Newbery teen group to start back up!

1922
  • USSR forms with communism as the unifying political system following the Bolshevik revolution
  • BBC is created in Britain
  • Monhandas Gandhi is imprisoned for seeking the end of British rule in India
  • The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated in May.
  • Nosferatu premieres in Berlin and Stoker's widow claims plagiarism of Dracula
  •  Irish Civil War begins in June
  • Reader's Digest magazine begins publishing.
  • The Great Gatsby, Ulysses, and The Velveteen Rabbit are all published.
  • Jack Kerouac, Dick King-Smith, and Kurt Vonnegut are born.
  • President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio to the White House.
  • Egypt leaves the British Empire.
  • The Teapot Dome scandal rocks US government.
  • Construction on Yankee Stadium begins.
  • A typhoon hits Shantou, China, killing over 5000
  • Morocco revolts against the Spanish.
  • The National Fascist Party is formed in Italy with Benito Mussolini in power.
  • The Ottoman Empire is abolished.
  • Rebecca Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first woman United States Senator.
  • Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first people to enter the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in over 3,000 years.
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Strangely enough, there are no honor books awarded in 1923.

And the winner is....

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

First of all, I'm not sure why this is called the "Voyages" since it is really about one trip and the return, but whatever. As before, I read the original version, which involved downloading it from Project Gutenberg. While this is not my favorite way to read, it allowed me to see the original, un-PC version with the original illustrations even. And believe me, the illustrations were part of the problem.

Now, don't get me wrong, this was a highly readable example of early kid lit in the US. The doctor is affable, friendly and pretty progressive in his beliefs in many ways. His views on animals and natural science are downright revolutionary for the time period. And his treatment of children is exceptional.

However, we are at the tail-end of the colonial period of Western history, and therein lies the main problems with this story. Doctor Dolittle is the white savior, the benevolent and learned white man who will teach and save all the people of color he encounters. Both Prince Bumpo and Long Arrow are portrayed in very stereotypical manner. Bumpo often misunderstands the things he is supposed to be knowledgeable of and misrepresents his confused understanding of the world with mangled language. The depictions of him are of a "darkie" with a sloping forehead and big lips. Long Arrow, on the other hand, suffers from the "noble savage" cliche, with perfectly sculpted appearance, feather head dress, and arcane knowledge.

In the end, though, this book is one of the better early Newbery books on readability and sensibility toward child's nature and understanding.

Now I'm just waiting on the DVD of Doctor Dolittle (1967) to arrive from Netflix so I can peruse the movie and see if I remember it correctly and how I view it as an adult!

Sunday, May 13, 2018

What I Read in April--Very late edition

April was far busier than I expected it to be. I'll follow up this post with my next Newbery Rewind. For now, here's the best of April.

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
This moving book is based on the true story of Artemisia Gentileschi, a painter who began her career mixing paint for her father. She then moved on to creating paintings for which he took credit. Finally, she seemed to be headed for a career of her own when her father hired a painting teacher for her; unfortunately he was only there to take advantage of a young girl without the interference of her family.

In vivid verse, McCullough tells not only of Artemisia's rape and the trial that followed, but also the stories of two others who were misrepresented and used by the world of men. Definitely a Printz and/or Morris contender.

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Lighthouse by Paco Roca
A teen soldier washes up near a lighthouse while escaping from the Spanish Civil War. There the lighthouse keeper teaches him about hard work, adventure, and hope in a beautifully simple illustrated story. Like with most of my favorite graphic novels, the pictures tell even more of the story than the words.

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If I Had a Horse by Gianna Mario and They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki
Both of these picture books are gorgeous and have a great chance of earning a Caldecott award. The warm, glowing watercolor silhouettes in the first pull the reader into the dream, while the contemplative prose and the complex associations of the illustrations make the second a standout look at how a child's mind works. Try to get your hands on both!

 1. Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
 2. Firebug by Johnnie Christmas
 3. Flying Lessons and Other Stories ed. by Ellen Oh
 4. Sandwiches!: More Than You've Ever Wanted to Know about Making and Eating America's Favorite Food by Alison Deering
 5. Giant Days vol. 4 by John Allison
 6. Doctor Who: The Lost Dimension vol. 1 by Nick Abadzis
 7. Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill
 8. Sarah Scribbles: Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen
 9. The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
10. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy
11. The Wicked + the Divine vol. 6 by Kieron Gillen
12. The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
13. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
14. Look & Learn: Let's Make Music by National Geographic Kids
15. Floaty by John Himmelman
16. I Got It! by David Wiesner
17. Roughneck by Jeff Lemire
18. Narwhal and Jelly Book 3: Peanut Butter and Jelly by Ben Clanton
19. The Diabolic by S. J. Kinkaid
20. Jonesy vol. 3 by Sam Humphries
21. Bird by Angela Johnson
22. Nightwing vol. 1: Better Than Batman by Tim Seeley
23. #Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy
24. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by Anthony del Col
25. If the S in Moose Comes Loose by Peter Hermann
26. Lighthouse by Paco Roca
27. Ladycastle by Delilah S. Dawson
28. Motor Crush vol. 1 by Brendan Fletcher
29. This is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose
30. Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming
31. Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson
32. They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki
33. If I Had a Horse by Gianna Marino
34. The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Mallory Ortberg
35. Tales of the Talented Tenth vol. 2: Bessie Stringfield
36. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
37. Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash
38. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

YALSA's Hub Reading Challenge Part 2

Whew! Got 16 of these read since I posted last. So I'll break this into two posts.

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Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson (Best Fiction for Young Adults, Amelia Bloomer list, and Coretta Scott King Author Award as well as Newbery Honor)

Impressive and realistic story about a regular girl in a school where she doesn't quite fit. Also, tackles issues of race, privilege, police brutality and how anyone can make a difference in today's world. I like how Maxine is not perfect, how Jade's mom has a complex personality and reaction to the Woman to Woman program, how EJ both has it together and totally doesn't. Jade is conflicted and sure of herself, confident and shy, hopeful and hopeless; like all teens she is actively trying to discover who she is and how she fits in her world. Definitely deserves it's Newbery Honor. 

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My Brother's Husband volume 1 by Gengoroh Tagame (Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten)

I love this! The art is gorgeous; the story is so relatable and realistic and my experience of it was so visceral. I adore Kana and think Mike and Yaichi are people I would love to meet. The scene where the neighborhood boy finally tells them why he is hanging out around their house was very well done and made me cry. One of the best graphic novels of 2017 for sure!


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The ABC's of LGBT+ by Ashely Mardell (Rainbow List)

A good guide to the complex worlds of sex, gender, sexuality, romantic attraction and everything in between. I really like the diagrams and other visuals and the personal experiences of contributors.

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Brave by Svetlana Chmakova (Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten)

Chmakova returns to Berrybrook Middle School for the story of Jenson, a lonely dreamer with bullying issues. Jenson dreams of being an astronaut, but has trouble with math. He longs to make friends but doesn't recognize that some of those he consider friends are really mistreating him. Slowly he discovers how to be brave and still be himself while making friends.

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Looking for Red by Angela Johnson (Edwards Award)

I spent the first part of this book wondering if Red just ran away or was dead. Once the ghost parts kick in, things cleared up a bit. The atmosphere grabs you and so clearly inhabits the pain of unexpected loss that it takes your breath. An almost perfect story of how a teen deals with the death of a sibling.


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The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell; narrated by David Tennant (Odyssey Award)

"You have to listen to the stories, for stories always mean something."

With shades of the Tempest and a touch of Harry Potter, Cowell has created another world full of magic, sarcasm, and adventure. The fairy tale tone is spot on and the plot pulls you along for a wild ride. I can't wait for the next one!

And David Tennant does all the voices so well. It is a pleasure to listen to this story.


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Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone (Amelia Bloomer List)

Inspiring and illuminating stories of girls who have been saved from slavery around the world and are beginning to heal and become awesome women.

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Flying Lessons and Other Stories by Various authors; edited by Ellen Oh and narrated by Various Readers (Amazing Audiobooks for Teens)



An inspiring collection of diverse short stories read by a fabulous variety of voice actors. I especially liked Sol Painting and Flying Lessons.


It's book award season!!!

The winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards will be announced on Monday morning at 8 am PT (11 am here in NC). Here's the link if you woul...