New Crayons + An Apology

New Crayons is a meme hosted by susan at Color Online. In New Crayons I share what new books I got this week.

Note: To all those who may have sent me books this past week, I was out of town and I have yet to check my mailbox so I very likely received the books already.

While I was in Florida over Spring Break, we went to an outlet mall. While there we (we meaning my sister, brother and I. My parents didn't care) discovered the wonder of the Book Warehouse. The books were such bargains! I think the most a YA/children's book cost was 8.00. The books I bought were $3 and $2. Such a great deal :) Sadly, I couldn't buy as many books as I wished because I'm on a tight budget and I had no room in my luggage for additional books :(

Without further ado, this week I bought

Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon

Baby, the first thing I need to know from you is do you believe I killed my father?"

So begins Upstate, a powerful story told through letters between seventeen-year-old Antonio and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Natasha, set in the 1990's in New York. Antonio and Natasha's world is turned upside down, and their young love is put to the test, when Antonio finds himself in jail, accused of a shocking crime. Antonio fights to stay alive on the inside, while on the outside, Natasha faces choices that will change her life. Over the course of a decade, they share a desperate correspondence. Often, they have only each other to turn to as life takes them down separate paths and leaves them wondering if they will ever find their way back together.

-That first line is like "BAM!" Sucked right into the story. I bought this book because I remembered how much Doret raves about it. I wholeheartedly trust her taste in books so I'm looking forward to reading it. This book sounds like a tearjerker so I'll have some tissues ready (*please don't let him have killed his father*).

I Want Candy by Kim Wong Keltner

Fourteen-year-old Candace Ong is wasting away in wonderland—Eggroll Wonderland, the restaurant where her under-Americanized family toils in San Francisco. She loves rock candy and rock music, jelly beans and jelly shoes—and hangs with her best friend Ruby, whose wild life she envies. Candace wants more than another stifling summer stuck in the kitchen. So when a new opportunity arises, she leaps at the chance—even though it means leaving home to experience a tantalizing, dangerous life far beyond the dim sum ho hum. But the waiting world may be a lot more than one brainiac Chinese Lolita can safely handle.

-I got this book because it sounded interesting and original. Also I'd never heard of it. I'm always looking for books that don't get reviewed much. However, after I bought it I've been seeing some unfavorable reviews for it. Oh well, this has only piqued my interest and I'm eager to make my own judgement. For the record, I found this book in the YA section of the store and it's said to be the author's first novel for young adults (reviews I read were saying that the book seemed more geared toward adults).

Bought from Borders

Ruby and the Booker Boys: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby by Derrick Barnes (Book 1)

Eight-year-old Ruby Booker is the baby sis of Marcellus (11), Roosevelt (10), and Tyner (9), the most popular boys on Chill Brook Ave. When Ruby isn't hanging with her friend, Theresa Petticoat, she's finding out what kind of mischief her brothers are getting into. She's sweet and sassy and every bit as tough as her older siblings. She sings like nobody's business; she has a pet iguana named Lady Love; her favorite color is grape-jelly purple; and when she grows up, she's going to be the most famous woman animal doctor on the planet. She's the fabulous, oh-so-spectacular Ruby Marigold Booker!

In Book 1, Ruby is leaving her old school and headed to a new one where nobody knows her--and where her older brothers rule. But that's about to change, because Ruby Booker has BIG plans! Although things don't go according to plan, Ruby manages to grab the spotlight when she sings a song over the P.A. system during announcements. By the time school lets out, one thing is clear: Ruby Booker isn't "the Booker Boys' baby sis" anymore.

-I don't intend on making this habit; reviewing books that are early reader/chapter books. However, the author is in trouble. His series, Ruby and the Booker Boys is in trouble, since the people in charge don't think it's making enough sales. Basically, the publisher is saying that the books receive enough support in schools, but they need to see more of them being sold in bookstores and from orders. I want to help because the series sounds so cute and I'm sad that there was no series like this for me or my siblings while we were at this age. So I went to Borders, put in an order for this book and I'm going to read and review this and then send it to my little godsister.

Finally, I have an apology. It was recently brought to my attention (let me know if you wish to be given credit) that my poll asking where visitors to my blog are from was not completely inclusive. I forgot Africa! Imagine my embarrassment. I sincerely apologize to my African readers. It was completely unintentional and I'm ashamed that I didn't think of Africa when creating this poll. Thank you immensely to the person who brought this to my attention. I'm going to let this poll continue to run and then when it ends, I'll fix it and add a new one that includes Africa. I'll also make the question clearer since it could be interpreted as either 1) What is your cultural background or 2) Where are you reading this blog from? I meant for the poll to be about the latter.