Male Monday: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before by David Yoo 2008
Hyperion/Disney Book Group

Rating: 3/5

IQ "What can't be debated is that my story is definitely going to turn out to be a cautionary tale. Future mothers tucking their sons in at night will warn them, 'You'd better not try to get what you want in high school, or else you'll get Albert Kimmed' My name will become a national catchphrase denoting abject failure." Albert pg. 3

This is the story of Albert Kim, an intentional loser who falls in love with one of the most popular girls in school. Albert decides to be an intentional loser because he's tired of being made fun of and trying to make friends with people who are constantly laughing at him, why not just accept loser status and move on? Over the summer while working at a local Inn he meets Mia Stone, a surprisingly nice girl for someone who is so popular. He learns that she has just broke up with her long-time boyfriend, Ryan "The House" Stackhouse and lo and behold she thinks Albert is funny. They spend long days working together and by the end of the summer, she declares that they are "something". For the first time since starting high school, Albert is looking forward to the first day of school, entering the building with Mia on his arm. But then they learn that Ryan has cancer and he needs Mia to take care of him. Albert believes Ryan is using his cancer to get Mia back because he's still a jerk and his form of cancer requires radiation and is 95% treatable. Albert is determined to get Mia back, but the whole town of Bern is hoping for his failure.

I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would but I still enjoyed it. I think I was expecting more laugh-out-loud humor, but the humor here is more dry and you may miss some of the references and jokes. My biggest problem with Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before was Albert. It's not good when you don't like the main character. Perhaps I was like the rest of the kids at Albert's school, succumbing to the spell of The House. I thought Albert acted like an almost completely clueless jerk. I understand that The House was a jerk, I was Albert in wanting to shake Mia and get her to wake up on this issue. BUT Albert got so frustrated with Mia for just being a nice person and trying to help her ex-boyfriend (who she is still friends with). Some of Albert's jokes were in poor taste and at first it was amusing, after all in real life, people make awkward jokes in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Albert does this too often for my taste. Ultimately, I didn't have any sympathy for Albert.

Albert's parents are completely clueless as to what's going on in their son's life and I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, I could understand why they don't ever question him if they worked two jobs or something like that, but Albert's father has one job (I think his mom works from home or is a housewife because she always makes dinner at 5) and they seem comfortably well off. However, I suppose I can believe that Albert's parents didn't care what he did as long as he got good grades and stayed out of trouble. Besides the parents and my issues with Albert, I thought this novel was really funny and it puts an original spin on the 'first love' story by having the ex boyfriend become an almost sympathetic character. Mia was a nice girl and I liked how she didn't care about what's on the outside. Contrary to popular thought it's not unheard of for a 'geek' to date a popular girl. Their relationship was realistic, full of confusing emotions and miscommunication. When they interact with each other, it's a lot of fun to read because their relationship is so cute.

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before is a refreshing take on the classic first love story, full of humour, confusion, odd characters and characters that you almost feel sorry for but not quite. I would have liked to see Albert have more endearing qualities, more of the negative stuck out in my mind than the positive. Albert and Mia as a "something" is charming, they have lots of inside jokes and they are both incredibly patient with each other. It was nice to read about Albert giving up on being an intentional loser, he came out of his shell and started to meet people. The group of friends he starts to make is an eccentric and merry group. Read this book for the cute unnamed relationship and ignore the clueless parents and try to keep from wanting to smack Albert (if you've read this book than think about the Cancer Walk incident. I was so mad at him for this!). The ending was unexpected and I appreciated that.

Disclosure: From the library

New Crayons, Giveaways and Chicago Printers Row Fest!

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

In my next New Crayons post I intend on sharing what's on my summer reading list (not the whole list since that would be way too long!) I have finals this week so I won't be commenting on other posts as often as I would like. I'm going to try and write up at least two reviews today and schedule them to publish during the week.

From Book Fairy #3

Growing Yams in London by Sophia Acheampong

Makeeda is a fourteen-year-old Ghanian whose love of all things western causes her family to despair. She is always being compared to the dutiful and obedient Afua, her Aunt Grace's daughter. But it seems that whatever Makeeda does, it ends up in trouble. She just wants to hang out with the fit Nelson and her mates, and forget about the Ghanaian stuff. But when she has to do a school project, she begins to understand the depth of her cultural heritage and wonders if she can honour her culture and enjoy life as a London teenager.

-summary from Amazon.co.uk I'm really excited to read this book because it's YA about a POC in London! It sounds cute and I don't know anything about Ghana so it'll be nice to learn about Ghanaian culture. Thank you so much Kaz!

Ipods in Accra by Sophia Acheampong

Makeeda's plans for the summer holidays are falling apart!
Her parents suddenly announce that the family is going on a trip to visit their relatives in Ghana – and then she splits up with her boyfriend Nelson. Can things get any worse?

But in Ghana things are different, and Makeeda, the sophisticated London girl, makes some surprising discoveries about herself, her family and her friends. And, while she's struggling to reconcile her two cultures, could it be that she's found true love where she least expected it?

-Summary from Piccadillypress I didn't read the summary of this book because I don't want any spoilers since it's the sequel. Thank you Kaz!

What POC books did you get this week?

In Other News

Want to win a copy of Gringolandia by Lyn Miller Lachmann? I really liked the book and Lyn is a total sweetheart. Enter here for your chance to win and spread the word! Check out my sidebar for other giveaways going on that feature YA/MG POC books.

Also June 12-13 is Chicago's Printers Row Festival. It's THE literary event in Chicago, but it's mostly for adults. I usually don't go but this time I have a reason....Walter Dean Myers and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are going to be there! *Passes out* I'm so excited because all authors stay for at least an hour after their presentations to sign books. So expect to see a lot more reviews of books by Walter Dean Myers (he's written at least 70 books!). I want to have read as many books by Myers and Adichie as possible before the event (sadly since I have finals I won't have read that many) I plan on buying Monster (I'm pretty sure that's the book he is most well known for) to get signed and I also own Fallen Angels and Harlem Summer. I want to buy Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and I'll get her other books (The Thing Around Your Neck, Half a Yellow Sun) from the library. I highly encourage authors of color to go, it's a well attended event and a great way to get some publicity. Authors to learn how to set up an exhibit of your books go here (let me know if you are going or plan on sending in an application, I would love to see you there!) Are any of you guys going to Printers Row Fest?

Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Thank you to all all our veterans for your immense sacrifies. I love America for being the land of the free because of the brave :D

Paris Pan Takes the Dare

Paris Pan takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu 2009

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "I contemplated whapping Tom's broken arm with my crutch. But I held back. I was above PDA." Paris pg. 240

Paris Pan is twelve years old and her life is a mess. Her family constantly moves around so that her father can renovate the house they live in and then they move again so he can renovate a new house. This time they have moved to a tiny town in Oklahoma where her friends don't really act like friends, her older sister is super popular, she rarely sees or talks to her brother and the guy she has a crush on is a dork. Even worse, Paris learns that the house she lives in is the former home of a girl her own age who died years ago taking part in the Dare. The Dare is a rite of passage for every seventh grade girl, you spend the night in the woods near Paris' house. Soon Paris is hearing creepy noises, finding dolls and she might possibly be able to communicate with the dead. Needless to say Paris is not thrilled with her situation, especially because her two new "friends" are ready to do the Dare and if Paris doesn't participate, she will officially be branded a loser. But will she come back alive?

This is a really cute and funny read, but I was not expecting to find the mystery so creepy. Honestly, I thought 'oh it's for younger readers, the mystery is probably a cute harmless thing', but it wasn't. If I was in Paris' situation I would have been freaking out too, regardless of age. Would you want to live near a place where a girl mysteriously died? Um no! Seriously, a dead girl, dolls popping up in the backyard, strange sounds, it all made for a surprisingly chilling read. The writing was well-done and suspenseful, in fact, the ending is happy but still leaves things a bit unclear (it's a mystery after all!). The ending was a surprise because I expected it to be wrapped up neatly, although some parts are obvious (like the mystery of whose writing Paris anonymous notes). I liked how Paris didn't want to solve the mystery, she wanted to pack up and move which I thought was very realistic.

Paris is a really funny character. Her voice reminds me so much of what I thought about in seventh grade, it took me back :) Just like her, I would hate to leave in such a small town (her seventh grade has 9 kids, 9!), I felt so bad for her and I completely understood her frustrations. Her older sister (in 8th grade), Verona's antics kept me laughing. In the small town in OK, all the girls at Paris and Verona's school play basketball, it's a big deal, but they stink. Neither Paris nor Verona likes basketball and while Paris can't get out of it, the way Verona wiggles her way out of playing is really funny, although you have to suspend your disbelief and just go with it. This is also the time when Paris is really discovering guys and developing crushes, her attitude towards her crush is quite funny and one that every middle school student can relate to, girl or boy. She's "in like" and quite confused by this, but at the same time she likes it. The relationships Paris has with her parents is well done, they are a presence in the book, but not in her life because they work so hard. Paris is really frustrated by this, since usually the baby of the family gets paid the most attention (in my experience anyway, it's the oldest or the youngest), but Paris is ignored. I wished that there was more focus on Athens (Paris' brother, her father named them all after cities because he wanted them to want to travel) but he's a senior in high school and he doesn't spend much time with Paris so it fits that they don't talk much. He was a sweet older brother, but he could be really dense when it came to Paris and her fear of their new home. I was so frustrated that no one in Paris' family understood or listened to her fear, they could have at least made her feel better by listening to her! Paris isn't used to having friends since they always move around so she puts up with the way her "friends" act; making fun of other people and just going along with the (small) crowd. Mayo was crazy, but I understood why no one wanted to cross her, she was charismatic, stubborn and mean. I wanted Dana to grow a backbone and not leave Paris to do all the hard work of trying to stand up to Mayo (which usually failed since there were only three girls to hang out with). The one other person Paris could hang out with was Robin and Robin's a "freak" whose family owns a candy shop (that everyone visits but they completely ignore Robin).

Paris Pan Takes the Dare was a cute read that I would highly recommend. Paris is a great narrator, she has a funny and honest voice and the other characters have distinctive personalities. It's an amusing read with an unexpected mystery thriller aspect to it (it's not that scary, totally appropriate for its targeted readers, I was just taken by surprise by how much I enjoyed the mystery part of it).

Disclosure: Received from the author to give away. Thanks so much Cynthea!

Want to win this book? Enter here for your chance!

The Great Daring Giveaway!

The fabulous Cynthea Liu graciously sent me autographed copies of her two books: The Great Call of China and Paris Pan Takes the Dare. So I decided the best way to encourage people to read books about Asian Americans all year round (not just in May during the heritage month dedicated to celebrating the culture of all Asian people), is to give books away towards the end of May that feature Asian Americans as the main characters.

The What


Paris Pan Takes the Dare

So what if it’s a rite of passage for every seventh grade girl in town to spend a night in the woods? Paris Pan only just moved here, the woods are supercreepy, and she has enough weirdness to deal with in her own family. Finding out a girl died mysteriously years ago while on the Dare—right near Paris’s new house, no less—is bad enough, but the unmistakably ghostlike noises coming out of the broken-down shed at the edge of the Pan’s property? Definite deal breaker.

All Paris wants is to make friends, try to fit in, and not have to deal with a dead girl. But everyone has to take the Dare, and the new girl’s turn is up. .

My review

The Great Call of China

Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she’s bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi’an, China, she jumps at the chance. She’ll be able to learn about her passion—anthropology—and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she’s been looking for?

My review

Summaries from Amazon.com

The Who: 2 winners (1 book per winner). U.S. & Canada only (I'm sorry international book lovers!)

The How: Fill out THIS FORM or leave a comment with your email address and which book you would like. For one extra entry, leave me a recommendation of a YA book with an Asian main character that I have not reviewed already! (That shouldn't be hard, I'm sadly lacking in reviews of books featuring Asians)

Ends: June 8th, 2010 11:59 PM Central Time

Good luck and a huge THANK YOU to Cynthea!

Waiting on Wednesday: Nice and Mean

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Thanks Jill!


Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader

Release Date: June 8th, 2010

Middle Grade

Marina is mean. Sachi is nice. Marina is Barney's. Sachi is Burlington Coat Factory. It's bad enough that they have to coexist in video class—but now they're being forced to work together on the big semester project. Marina's goal? Expose her wanna-be BFF as a fashion wanna-be to the entire middle school. Sachi's goal? Prove that she's not just another honor-roll Indian student and get people talking. Work together in harmony? Yeah, that would be no. How can Sachi film something meaningful, and Marina, something fabulous, if they're yoked to each other?

From the author's website

-How will Marina and Sachi coexist? Nice and Mean sounds like a cute and fun read. I love the idea of a video class (wish we had that at my middle school!) Plus Jessica Leader's blog is a lot of fun to read, so I imagine her book will be fun as well!

The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle

The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle by Deva Fagan 2010
Henry Holt Books For Young Readers

Release Date: Today!

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "Our words were a shaky ladder; all I could do was climb, uncertain if I was about to surmount a glorious peak or fall and smash myself upon the rocks below." Prunella pg. 262

Prunella Bogthistle wants to be a proper bog witch, she wants to have warts and be able to finally cast evil spells. She needs to be uglier and meaner or her family will continue to view her as a failure. Barnaby is a former-thief who needs to prove himself a hero, by recovering the Mirable Chalice. He trespasses into Prunella's grandmother's garden even though it is strictly off limits because he thinks the bogwitches have it. Prunella was left in charge to watch the garden (which has some fabulous asparagus) and she accidentally lets
Barnaby escape, resulting in her basnihment from her home, the Boglands. Her grandmother will not allow her to come back until she has proven herself to be a truly evil bog witch. Prunella sets off with Barnaby to find the Chalice, because the person who has the Chalice also has a book of powerful spells that will make Prunella the best and most fearsome bog witch. She'll show everyone, if she can survive traveling through the non magical Uplands.

My only minor quibbles with this book concern the lack of information about Prunella's family. Why was she living with her grandmother? What happened to her parents? I was really curious and I hoped it would be revealed later on, but it's not. I also wanted to know more about Prunella's grandmother, her cousins and her great-grandmother Esmeralda. Where were all the men (not that they are needed, but I was curious if Prunella even missed her father or if she didn't think about him at all). Maybe this will be a series (or at least have a sequel) and then my curiosity will be satisfied. The other thing that slightly bothered me was that the story seemed rather predictable. BUT then I remembered it is geared for younger readers and perhaps the twists will throw them off. The book isn't entirely predictable, but I had the real villain already picked out rather quickly along with Barnaby's true story. I'm going to give my middle school aged sister this book and see if she thinks it's predictable. Other than those two things, The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle was an absolute delight to read.

Prunella is such a spunky character. It was a lot of fun to watch her bemoan her kind thoughts towards other people and she's always got her guard up to avoid non-witchy behavior. "He'd called me a bog witch. He knew what I was! In that moment, I didn't care that he was glaring at me. If it weren't an entirely unwitchly thing to do, I would have flung my arms around his neck and danced with him under the moonlight. " (pg. 7) Something funny about bog witches is that they carry everything in their hair. Prunella receives many strange looks from the non magical folk because she has feathers, grass, a chicken foot and other seemingly random things in her hair. It's an interesting take on witches. She's brave, but she can act really tough in an effort to scare people which only drives away anyone from being her friend. Also, she's terrible at reading people and their intentions so she's constantly dealing with misunderstandings. Prunella's age is never discussed and that didn't bother me so much, she was young, definitely around 12-14 years old. She is a heroine anyone can relate to, we all want to be accepted by family and friends and that's the only thing Prunella cares about at first, but later on she begins struggling with moral issues. What if doing the right thing results in you losing your family and friends, the people you love most? This book explores the themes of following your conscience and making your family proud. I think this is particularly crucial for young readers and teenagers, many of us face all these expectations from our parents and we fear that we won't live up to them. Our parents may want us to have one career, when our heart tells us that we really want to do something else. Barnaby also struggles with this issue of conscience versus family expectations and he's a pleasing character. He doesn't understand why Prunella would want to commit evil acts and he doesn't completely trust her. His past is shrouded in mystery and much of what he does seems to have ulterior motives. Deva Fagan has created a charming world of the magical Bottomlands and the dismal world of the unmagical Uplands. Both worlds are creative and full of odd creatures or people. It's a mix of the real and unreal, there is Prunella grandmother's pet alligator (Yeg) and then there are pondswaggles, jacks and other creepy creatures. The story never becomes tedious because Barnaby and Prunella are either in the midst of a grand misadventure or they are arguing (which is amusing to read).

The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle is an enchanting read that connects a fantasy world of magic to a the modern day world. There are lessons to be learned, but they are layered so far down that the reader will not realize the bigger picture until later. It is first and foremost, a story to entertain and it does just that. Deva Fagan has put her own twist on witches and it's quite imaginative and enjoyable. The plot twists and thickens and the ending is not entirely foreseeable. An alluring group of main and supporting characters along with fantasy elements and lots of fun adventures keep this book moving. I highly recommend it.

Disclosure: Received from publisher/author. May I just say that I really like the little cards that come with Henry Holt books? Fancy swirly script that says "With the Compliments of The Author". I love it.

PS I also adore this cover. Not only does it have a brown-skinned witch on it, but I love the alligator that looks ready to pounce on Prunella and Barnaby. I also love the ominous woods in the background. Great cover!

Male Monday: Samurai Shortstop

Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz 2006
Penguin/Dial Books

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "He suddenly understood what had drawn him to baseball in the first place-why he and the others loved the game so much. At its heart, baseball was Japanese. How else to explain the samurai nature of this gaijin [foreigner/American] game? It was at the same time both modern and ancient, mental and physical." Toyo pg. 134


Samurai Shortstop takes place in Tokyo in 1890. Toyo is starting his first day at a boarding school (and high school) and he immediately faces hazing. The upperclassmen have a reign of terror, the first-years are called "girls" (obviously not an insult, but this is 1890 so I'll go with it) and so they are not allowed to go to the men's bathroom or officially become part of clubs or sport teams, because they are not yet "men". This is upsetting to Toyo, he wants to join the baseball team as shortstop (the player who is in between 2nd and 3rd base) and he thinks he has a fair shot since the current shortstop stinks. But the seniors haven't "made him a man" yet so he can't join the team, or even enter the infield. However, Toyo has more important things to worry about; his uncle Koji committed honorable suicide (seppuku), while everyone sees this as heroic, Toyo has a hard time seeing the honor and courage in it. Worst of all, Toyo fears his father will commit seppuku next. Seppuku is connected to bushido, which is the way of the samurai. Even though samurais have been outlawed, Toyo's father begins teaching him about bushido. Toyo's father hates everything Western, he can see no good from opening Japan up to American and European influences. Toyo loves trains and baseball, he wants his father to understand that not all things from the Western world are bad.

Samurai Shortstop may have one of the most intense first lines EVER "Toyo watched carefully as his uncle prepared to kill himself" (pg. 1), I was sucked right in. Seppuku is similar (in a way) to the kamikaze (the Japanese suicide pilots), death is better than dishonor (or surrender). I really sympathized with Toyo, not only did he have to deal with his uncle committing suicide, but he had to watch his father cut off his uncle's head and then he had to help by setting and cleaning up. Toyo is a likable main character and frustratingly human. The hazing at his school (Ichiko which is a real boarding school in Japan) is horrific and the reader can't blame him when he makes decisions to go with the crowd to save himself, while not faulting him, we can still be frustrated. However, he redeems himself. The other characters are not just stock characters, there for drama or comic relief. Some are funnier than others, but each one of Toyo's friends (and enemies) represents a small part of the Japanese experience in the late 1800s. The only thing that really bothered me about this novel were all the mentions of peeing. I mean really? I know it's a book about guys, but does it need to be mentioned in every other chapter (they "make rain"). The sexism in the novel bothered me, but it can be overlooked since the author was being authentic to the time period. Life at Ichiko is a little bit like Lord of the Flies because the boys govern themselves; they dispense punishments, cook, etc. The idea is that Ichiko is training future leaders of Japan so they boys should become men by self-governing themselves and others. Also, it's boarding school and the boys are supposed to be learning, but they might as well just be in school to be hazed and to play sports, because classes are never really discussed. I wanted to know more about the boys being in charge of their peers and the sort of classes a Japanese boarding school for boys would offer.

The story takes place during Emperor Meiji's reign in Japan. I've always been fascinated by Meiji's Japan, he brought Japan speedily up to date. My history book makes him sound like a sort of hero, it sings his praises. He did a lot of great things for Japan through modernization, and I do wish the book had focused more on his reign, especially the negative. The samurai were the elite group, Meiji had them banned because he saw them as old-fashioned. Most samurais accept this and become involved in government and business, but some (like Toyo's father and uncle) resist the ban. The author does an excellent job of remaining neutral throughout Samurai Shortstop. He presents the positive side of samurais, they were honorable, brave and loyal. He also presents their negative side, they were often cruel towards peasants and they held an elitist view. The reader must make up his or her own mind about the ways of the samurai and whether or not they think they are right. Even if you end up disagreeing with the samurai, you will come away from this book with new found respect for the samurai.

Samurai Shortstop tells the story of a time in Japanese history that is not often discussed in American textbooks. The author immerses us in 1890 Japan, through the food, language, clothes, samurai, athletics (judo and sumo wrestling) and yes, baseball. For those of you whose eyes glaze over at the mention of sports, don't hesitate to pick this book up. It's light enough on baseball information to keep those who are not baseball (or sports) fan interested, but there's enough baseball talk to keep sports fans happy. I loved reading how the author connected the way of the samurai (bushido) with baseball, Toyo begins to see connections and he uses his samurai training skills to become a better batter and shortstop. The terms for baseball plays in Japan are similar to English terms; homu ran is home run, pu-re boru (play ball) and besuboru is baseball. Toyo learns about bushido and honor and he also learns about compromises and standing up for what's right. This is historical fiction at its finest in my opinion, the author cleverly inserts details about Japanese culture into the story that is ultimately a coming-of-age and one that represents taking the good from both cultures with some fun and sports filled moments.

Disclosure: From the library :) Thank you so much Heather for recommending this book (and to everyone else who recommended it to me) it was a great read.

New Crayons

New Crayons is a meme hosted by susan at Color Online. New Crayons is a metaphor for multicultural literature and in this meme I discuss what new books I got this week. This week was all about quality not quantity (meaning books that I REALLY REALLY wanted), books that I've had on my wishlist and/or WoWd.

By the way, for those of you wondering, the publishing project will be resumed in June. I had to pause the project while I was in school, but school is over in two weeks and then I fully intend on researching the company that publishes the most diverse books.

From Book Fairy #1


Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

Jaya, Maria, and Lola are just like the other eighth-grade girls in the wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, New Jersey. They want to go to the spring dance, they love spending time with their best friends after school, sharing frapp - s and complaining about the other kids. But there's one big difference: all three are daughters of maids and nannies. And they go to school with the very same kids whose families their mothers work for.

That difference grows even bigger—and more painful—when Jaya's mother is accused of theft and Jaya's small, fragile world collapses.

When tensions about immigrants start to erupt, fracturing this perfect, serene suburb, all three girls are tested, as outsiders—and as friends. Each of them must learn to find a place for themselves in a town that barely notices they exist.

-I believe Jaya is Polish, Lola is Trinidadian and Maria is Mexican. Jaya is Trinidadian, Lola is Slovakian and Maria is Mexican (thanks Lyn for clearing that up since I was way off!)This novel sounds like it will be a good combination of friendship, heartache and (in)justice. I haven't seen many reviews of it but I WoWd it a little while ago after hearing about it from Kris at Voracious YAppetite. Thank you Lyn!

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school—but no one knows it. Most people—her teachers and doctors included—don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write. Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind—that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it.

-Oh boy, sounds like a tearjerker for sure. Sharon Draper is one of my favorite authors so I'm really anxious to read this one. I haven't seen it reviewed much either except at Eating Y.A. Books. Thanks so much Lyn :)

From Book Fairy #3

Sellout by Ebony Joy Wilkins

Release Date: July 1, 2010

NaTasha has a wonderful life in affluent Park Adams. She fits in, she has friends, and she's a member of the all-white ballet troupe. Being nearly the only African American in her school doesn't bother NaTasha. But it bothers Tilly, NaTasha's spitfire grandmother from Harlem, who decides NaTasha needs to get back to her roots or her granddaughter is in danger of losing herself completely. Tilly whisks NaTasha away to a world where all of a sudden nothing in NaTasha's life makes any sense: Harlem and Comfort Zone in the Bronx, a crisis center where Tilly volunteers her time to help troubled girls get on the right track. Girls who are completely unlike anyone NaTasha has ever encountered. These girls are rough, beautiful, streetwise, sure of themselves, and wield their secrets like knives--and they dislike NaTasha and her world of privilege with a passion.

If there is ever a time when NaTasha feels like running away from something, now is it. But she doesn't. She stands her ground. And what she discovers surprises everyone, especially NaTasha.

-Dancer? check. "Oreo"? check. Volunteering? check. The makings of some really god realistic fiction? You bet. I WoWd this one about a month ago and I was bemoaning the fact that I had to wait till July to read it. Now I have it and I'm ridculosuly excited. Thank you so much Colleen! I'll probably save my review of this book for closer to the release date but I'll be reading it very soon :D

All summaries from Amazon.com

So what POC books did you get this week? Have a great weekend (it's finally warm here in the city)!

Off Color: Absolutely Maybe

Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee 2009
Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic

Rating: 4/5

IQ "I don't care if you're Thai, Chinese, French or from Mars. You'll still be mine, all mine, no matter what. God, I love you, Thammasat Tantipinichwong Schneider!" Maybe pg. 272

Maybelline Mary Katherine Mary Ann Chestnut (she was named after mascara and various Miss Americas, just call her Maybe) has had enough. Her mother, Chessamay (Chessy) Chestnut Abajian Wing Marshall Wing Sincalir Alvarez is getting married again, for the seventh time. The men Chessy marries are almost always jerks. However, the latest husband is a particular sleazeball. Once again, Chessy chooses a man over Maybe so Maybe decides to go find her father in L.A. Maybe has never met her father, she doesn't even know his name since he never got married her mother and her mother refuses to talk about him. Maybe's best friends Ted and Hollywood (who is going to USC) head to L.A. with her, where they meet some interesting characters. They see the best and the worst of L.A. from movie stars to taco trucks to the homeless.

This is probably one of my favorite friendship novels of all time. Maybe, Hollywood and Ted (Thammasat Tantipinichwong Schneider) are fantastic. as seen in the IQ above, they are deeply loyal to each other and completely accepting. I mean, how many of your friends would head off on a road trip to California with you? (well Hollywood was already going since he got in to USC but Ted had no reason to go). Ted is organized, smart, a know it all, dynamic and short. He gets terrible grades and he is very in-your-face, in fact he can be quite arrogant, but he is so so lovable! Hollywood (Daniel Jones, one of the few main characters who doesn't have an extremely long name), is quiet, a white boy with an Afro and an aspiring filmmaker. These characters have layers and you will fall in love with them as you learn more and more about them. After much thought I have come to the conclusion that Ted is my favorite character. He's from Thailand and was adopted, but his white parents really want him to connect with his culture, so they take him to Thai Cultural Club meetings so that he can learn about the language, food and traditions. They cook Thai food fro him and he calls them Maah and Paww (Thai for mother and father). The relationship between Ted and his parents is absolutely adorable and Ted deserves his own novel. I love Little Willow's title idea of Definitely Ted (which we discussed during the readergirlz chat with Lisa Yee that I participated in). Maybe is a rebel, a fighter and an amazing individual. She dyes her hair various different colors (pink, blue, etc.) and she wears baggy clothes, disregarding fashion. Her mother runs a charm school and is appalled by Maybe's lack of fashion sense and her disregard for proper makeup technique. Sammy was the most amazing father-like figure, Willow made me laugh (unintentionally), Ridgeway was fresh and random and even the reclusive Miss Gloria De Tour (a famous actress in the movie whose career is just about over, she takes a strong liking to Ted) added something to the story.

At first, every time I saw the word "Maybe", I thought the characters were just always very indecisive, it took me a little while to remember and get used to the fact that when the characters said "Maybe" they were talking to the character, not trying to make up their minds! I think the outcome of Maybe's search for her father was fairly predictable, but that's OK because it's realistic and not really what the novel is about anyway. Maybe touches people wherever she goes, pushing them to follow their dreams, but sometimes she neglects to inspire and help herself. Sometimes she seemed to just give up, which was understandable but other times I wondered why she was so unresisting (like when her guy friends basically refused to help her anymore and she ended up homeless. Or when they made her sleep on the floor). The novel is a bit unrealistic (especially Ted's job), but that adds to the appeal of the novel. Maybe ends up working at a taco truck and the author does a great job of making you salivate over her descriptions of various types of tacos. There is a lack of taco trucks in my neighborhood, but I will be taking a trip to the city in order to find one :)

Absolutely Maybe is a charming story with original characters that make for a funny, fresh read. Be prepared to have some tacos on hand to eat while you read this book. This book is a great summer read, it takes place over the summer and it's so much fun with the outrageous characters and crazy situations. I did get frustrated with Maybe at times, but I was invested in her well being and happiness throughout the whole book. She's a heroine you will find yourself cheering for and you may even be inspired to dye your hair (hmm any suggestions for a hair color for someone with black hair??) ;)

Disclosure: Won from Lizzy at Cornucopia of Reviews. Thanks Lizzy!

Check out the cover story of Absolutely Maybe to see the different covers considered (I wish they had used the last one with Ted and Maybe, Ted is so cute!)

Off color reviews are reviews of books that are by authors of color but not about POC and/or the main character is white, but there are important secondary characters of color.

Throwback Thursday: Unpolished Gem

Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung 2006

Black Inc. Books (Australia!)

IQ "Old people, I thought, grew younger the older they became. They would see things differently, making a difference in whatever way they could, without being afraid of looking foolish." Alice, pg. 171

Unpolished Gem is a memoir of the first eighteen years of Alice Pung. Alice's Chinese-Cambodian family immigrated to Australia for the opportunities (it was that or Canada, too cold!) and life in Australia is full of difficulties and hardships. "Armed with an ocker accent, Alice dives headfirst into schooling, romance and the getting of wisdom. [...] And every day her grandmother blesses Father Government for giving old people money." (back cover) Alice's mother makes jewelry and her father joins a franchise by opening an electrical-appliance store.

You may have just read that summary and wondered who is Alice Pung? I have no idea. Even after finishing this book, I don't really know what she does. The book ends with her wanting to be a lawyer and her biography says she is a writer and lawyer, but her memoir only briefly hints at this. The thing that irked me the most about this book was I felt that Ms. Pung had not done anything that justified her writing a memoir. In my opinion, you should write a memoir if you've achieved something (preferably achieved many different things and then you write a memoir when you are older), like Barack Obama wrote his after becoming the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He did something. I don't mean to insult Ms. Pung, it seems that she has had a successful writing career (I do own both books) but she wrote a memoir before all that and I didn't really understand why she chose to write a memoir. Was it simply because she's Asian and lives in Australia? I think the immigration experience is important but I think she should have either written a novel previously to this book or published an anthology (which is what her second book is, Growing Up Asian in Australia). Honestly, I was bored at times. The ending was jarring too, because it was so random and sudden. I could sort-of understand why Alice did what she did and I'm glad that she was able to honestly evaluate her relationships, but I think the story should have continued a little after that (the scene should not be cut out because it's a very key scene, but it needed a follow-up).

You may think I despised this book but I didn't. The author has a great sense of humor and she's able to poke fun at the strictness of her parents while still remaining the ideal obedient daughter. Although I am confused by her family's background. Alice's father's mother was definitely Chinese, she immigrated to Cambodia because she was a revolutionary and the government was after her. There she met Alice's father's father and I'm not sure if he's Cambodian or Chinese. She met him at a Chinese school, so I do think he's Chinese but he was way older and a teacher so maybe he was Cambodian and just taught at a Chinese school. I'm pretty sure Alice's mother is Cambodian though, Alice doesn't reveal much about the beginning of her life, her story starts when her mom is thirteen. Alice's mother was fortunate, when Pol Pot came to power, she was able to escape with her family to Vietnam. Alice's father and his family were not so fortunate, they were sent to the Killing Fields, but they miraculously survived and met up in Vietnam (the families knew each other from their days in Cambodia, but Alice's future parents did not know each other, Alice's father was many years older than her).

Nevertheless, I loved reading about the Chinese-Cambodian culture and Alice's interesting family. There are two things that really stuck me in reading this novel, how Alice and her family call white people "ghosts". I found this quite amusing and smiled to myself every time I read it. I also thought that their definition of gossip/insults was brilliant, "Words with bones in them, my grandmother calls them. Words to make the other person fall flat on their back and die a curly death, my mother says. The sharp ones, the ones you can use if ever you need a weapon to protect yourself." (pg. 36). I also loved the glimpse into Australian culture in general, mainly though vocabulary. For example, an ocker (see summary of the book above) is someone with an Australian accent who speaks and acts in an "uncultured manner" (thanks Wikipedia!). I had no clue what an ocker was but I had fun reading the bits of slang (bugger!) scattered throughout the novel and I was pleased that there was no translation (I'm not even sure if this book was published in the U.S., I don't think it was) you had to use context clues or just go look it up.

Alice and her grandmother have a special relationship that was really heart-warming to read about. Alice respects most of her elders because of her grandmother's example and attitude (see the Incredible Quote above), Her grandmother made me laugh (well, the way Alice described her grandmother made me laugh. "If anyone dared to feed her, she would yell 'Stop it! Stop it or else when I finally go, I'm going to drag you with me!' When her threats did not work, she would pick up her porcelain bowl and attempt to do grievous bodily harm to the poor soul who had dared to offer help" pg. 173) and she is a great role model for Alice. I also liked how the book started off with Alice on the appearing to be super obedient and not wanting anything for herself and being OK with it. But there is a negative effect of her always being pushed in academics and in all the hard work she has to do and this is portrayed so authentically, it's one of the biggest strengths of the book.

Unpolished Gem was a humorous look into the life of an average Chinese-Cambodian family living in Australia. I learned a lot about Chinese-Cambodian and Australian culture. The strong characters, rich history and culture are never sugar-coated which keeps the book interesting and original. I do think the ending could have been way better and the story becomes tedious at times, but the author's light hearted look at things and her way with words, helped me finish the book. I cheered when she said "I wanted to know whether it was only because I was 'exotic' and if so, what that word meant to him. If he told me he liked my almond eyes and caramel skin, I would tell him to buy a bag of confectionery instead, because i was sick of it all-how we always had to have hair like a black waterfall, alabaster or porcelain skin, and some body part or other resembling a peach." (pg. 230)I LOVE this line! I have mixed feelings on this memoir, but I would say if you want to learn about being Asian in Australia then this book is a must-read for you.

Disclosure: Received from Justine. Justine is one of the most amazing people I know and last summer (don't really click the link, it's so awful, I didn't even include pictures and summaries do to laziness! I'm going to have to a re-do post) she sent me several Australian books by/about POC that she thought I would be interested in. This is my first review of one (I'm wincing as I type this). I'm mortified at how long it's taken me to read one and I'm so sorry Justine! My goal is to review them all before this upcoming summer is over. Anyway, thank you so much Justine!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Other Half Of My Heart

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

This week I'm waiting on....

The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee Frazier

Release Date: June 8, 2010

The close relationship of a pair of biracial twins is tested when their grandmother enters them in a pageant for African American girls in this new story from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Sundee T. Frazier.

When Minerva and Keira King were born, they made headlines: Keira is black like Mama, but Minni is white like Daddy. Together the family might look like part of a chessboard row, but they are first and foremost the close-knit Kings. Then Grandmother Johnson calls, to invite the twins down South to compete for the title of Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America.

Minni dreads the spotlight, but Keira assures her that together they'll get through their stay with Grandmother Johnson. But when grandmother's bias against Keira reveals itself, Keira pulls away from her twin. Minni has always believed that no matter how different she and Keira are, they share a deep bond of the heart. Now she'll find out the truth.

-This MG novel sounds so cute and I'm sure it will tug at heartstrings!

Summary from Amazon.com

What POC release are you waiting on this week?

Male Monday: Love is the Higher Law

Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan 2009
RandomHouse/Alfred P. Knopf

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "There's the drown of things and the swim of things, I guess. I've been going back and forth, back and forth. I feel the weight of it. And this bewilderment-how can something that doesn't have a form, doesn't have a definition, doesn't have words-how can it have such weight? And yet, there's the need to swim.
"Life goes on," I [Jasper] offered
"Yeah, but you see, Life goes on is a redundancy. Life is defined by its going on." Claire pg. 102

Love Is The Higher Law is about the days immediately after 9/11 and of course, love. When two planes crash into the World Trade Center, Claire is in school, Peter is waiting for Tower Records to open and Jasper is asleep. They don't really know each other well, they all meet briefly at a party, and Peter and Jasper go on a date (late on 9/11). Claire knows Peter, but only vaguely knows Jasper. In the aftermath of 9/11 they get to know each other better as the devastation and loss of NYC bring them together. In reviewing this book I will also talk about my 9/11 experiences and what I remember later on.

The character of Claire keeps me from giving this book a perfect rating. Claire comes off as way too preachy, as only a vehicle for the author to preach his message of love, kindness, volunteering and being anti-war. These are all noble things, but I felt that the author should have showed us Claire's beliefs and not had her preach to anyone who would listen. I know that one character shouldn't ruin a book, and she didn't ruin it. But her chapters were often the longest, and while they were deep, they were my least favorite. Also the lack of parents seemed a bit unbelievable to me. I think that a tragic event such as 9/11 would bring families together or at least have kids thinking about their parents. Jasper's parents have a presence in the book and Claire's mother is occasionally mentioned (I don't think anything was said about her father) and Peter's parents are mentioned in passing. I wanted to see how 9/11 affected family relationships as well. The two other main characters were awesome. Jasper keeps people at a distance with his sarcasm and random comments. He can be rude but is so lovable. He's also gay. And Korean. I love him. He was never once a stereotype and he had me laughing at all the ignorant or silly comments he has had to face as a gay Korean. He shrugs them off and pokes fun at them. Peter was a great character, although I didn't get as much of a feel for his character either. He loved music and was gay, but other than that, I don't know much more about him. I enjoyed reading about him because he was so awkward and sweet, he was obsessed with "love signals" which could be quite funny. The story is told in alternating POVS but largely focuses on Jasper and Claire's thoughts (Claire has longer chapters but Jasper has more chapters).

The most compelling part of this book was the description of 9/11 and what happened afterward. What did it look like, how did people react? The author states in his note that he wrote the book because readers "will have less and less firsthand experience of what it was like to be in New York in those hours and days and months." (pg. 165) Basically, he wrote the novel for me and others like me. I was in 2nd grade when 9/11 occurred, about to turn eight. I don't remember being told about 9/11, I do remember being annoyed (*wince*) at all the television coverage that "planes crashing into buildings" was getting, even the kids channels were constantly being interrupted (from what I remember). That's all I remember. I don't know if my school even announced that it happened, I do remember people being afraid that the Sears Tower (a lot closer to home for me) would be next and there was a bit of paranoia and hysteria on the news and in the community. Reading Love Is The Higher Law was an emotional read for me because it so vividly described what happened, the horror and disbelief people felt, the memorials that went up and the most importantly, the simple goodness that people showed. "This, I think, is how people survive: Even when horrible things have been done to us, we can still find gratitude in one another." (pg.76). The seemingly small actions that people took to help one another, business owners giving things away for free that people needed, people helping each other, parents hugging their kids and remembering to say "I love you". It blew me away because this experience was so foreign to me. I got choked up reading about the second plane crashing into the towers, I've seen the pictures, but reading about it first-hand (the author says that many of the thoughts and descriptions of this book are from what he remembers since he was about 20 blocks away) left a big impact (but the pictures are very powerful too).

Something that absolutely shocked me was that gay men can't give blood if they've had sex but straight people who have had sex can give blood My mouth literally dropped open. I' m a huge supporter of giving blood and I encourage everyone to do it. Blood is always needed and to restrict a growing part of the population from helping out in such an easy and affordable (it's free!) way, is utterly ridiculous. But then I looked it up and LifeSource at least, has no restrictions (according to its website) about gay people giving blood. I could be wrong, maybe the website wouldn't say that so blatantly. If you know otherwise or if the rules have changed about this since 2001, please let me know in the comments. This novel is an emotional read, but it has tender and light-hearted moments. Love Is The Higher Law is needed for all the readers like me who do not remember 9/11 or who are not even born yet. It's not an enjoyable read, but 9/11 was the defining moment of the early 21st century (still is) and it's important that people understand why it had such an impact and what New York City went through. I think that all people can benefit from this final lesson, expressed by Peter, "Maybe in the end that's all we need. Talking and listening." (pg. 158) Love, listening and talking, sounds good to me.

Disclosure: From the library

PS Sorry for such a ridiculously long review and the glimpse at my own personal experience, do people like reading about personal experiences in reviews? (Personally I do, but if people don't want to hear them, I won't share them).

New Crayons

New Crayons is hosted by susan at Color Online.

May being Asian Pacific Heritage Month has been good for me. It's pushing me to read books I keep claiming that I'm going to read soon (like Samurai Shortstop) or books that I've had for an embarrassingly long time (Unpolished Gem). It has also made me look for more YA books with Asian male protagonists (Love is the Higher Law). There is a terrible lack of books that fit the criteria.


From the Library

Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan

First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . .

The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.

-I just finished this book and wow. I don't really remember 9/11 so this book was really eye-opening. Review coming tomorrow


Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz

Tokyo, 1890. Toyo is caught up in the competitive world of boarding school, and must prove himself to make the team in a new sport called besuboru. But he grieves for his uncle, a samurai who sacrificed himself for his beliefs, at a time when most of Japan is eager to shed ancient traditions. It’s only when his father decides to teach him the way of the samurai that Toyo grows to better understand his uncle and father. And to his surprise, the warrior training guides him to excel at baseball, a sport his father despises as yet another modern Western menace. Toyo searches desperately for a way to prove there is a place for his family’s samurai values in modern Japan. Baseball might just be the answer, but will his father ever accept a “Western” game that stands for everything he despises?

-Heather loves this book and she has great taste so I'm really looking forward to reading it. I mean, samurais and baseball? Fantastic mix!


Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before by David Yoo


Before he met Mia, resigned loser Albert Kim was too busy dodging high school sociopaths to imagine having a girlfriend. Much less the adorable ex-girlfriend of alpha jerk Ryan Stackhouse. Yet somehow, by the end of a summer working at an inn together, Al and Mia are "something."

Then September arrives with a thud: Ryan has been diagnosed with cancer and needs Mia at his side. As the school year turns into one giant tribute to Ryan, Al can’t help but notice that Ryan may not be quite who everyone--particularly Mia--thinks he is. Before his heart shatters completely, Al has just a few more things to point out...

-Another book recommended to me quite often. It sounds like it will be a fun read.

Wait for Me by An Na

Mina is the perfect daughter. Bound for Harvard, president of the honor society, straight A student, all while she works at her family’s dry cleaners and helps care for her hearing-impaired little sister. On the outside, Mina does everything right. On the inside, Mina knows the truth. Her life is a lie.

At the height of a heat wave, the summer before her senior year, Mina meets the one person to whom she cannot lie. Ysrael, a young migrant worker who dreams of becoming a musician, comes to work at the dry cleaners and asks Mina the one question that scares her the most. What does she want?

Mina finds herself torn between living her mother’s dreams, caring for her younger sister, grasping the love that Ysrael offers, and the most difficult of all, living a life that is true.

With sensitivity and grace, An Na weaves an intriguing story of a young woman caught in the threads of secrets and lies, struggling for love and finding a voice of her own.

-Meh. Read my review

From Lyn

A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar

From America to the Middle East and back again- the sparkling story of one girl's childhood, by an exciting new voice in literary fiction

In this fresh, funny, and fearless debut novel, Randa Jarrar chronicles the coming-of-age of Nidali, one of the most unique and irrepressible narrators in contemporary fiction. Born in 1970s Boston to an Egyptian-Greek mother and a Palestinian father, the rebellious Nidali-whose name is a feminization of the word "struggle"-soon moves to a very different life in Kuwait. There the family leads a mildly eccentric middle-class existence until the Iraqi invasion drives them first to Egypt and then to Texas. This critically acclaimed debut novel is set to capture the hearts of everyone who has ever wondered what their own map of home might look like.

-This is not YA but the main character is a teenager and I've been wanting to read this one so it will be reviewed here. Thanks so much Lyn, what a wonderful surprise!

Won

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds--led by Jess's archenemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

-I won this from Jill at the O.W.L. I'm excited to read this because the author seems so nice on Twitter and I've been reading a lot of serious books lately so I need some fun chick lit. Also I've been down in the dumps lately, so I need some girl-power!

For Review
The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle by Deva Fagan

All Prunella wants is to be a proper bog-witch. Unfortunately, her curses tend to do more good than harm. When her mixed-up magic allows a sneaky thief to escape her grandmother’s garden, Prunella is cast out until she can prove herself.

It’s hard enough being exiled to the unmagical Uplands, but traveling with the smug young thief Barnaby is even worse. He’s determined to gain fame and fortune by recovering the missing Mirable Chalice. And to get what she wants, Prunella must help him, like it or not.

-I like all the different types of magical/paranormal creatures, but I want to go back to basics with this one. It all began with witches :) I love this cover too; the POC witch on the cover, the alligator, it all screams "magical and adventurous MG read!" WoWd a while ago

That's what I got this week. What POC books did you get this week?

All summaries from Amazon.com

Becoming Billie Holiday

Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford, Art by Floyd Cooper

Rating: 5/5


IQ "If he ["two-bit critic"] dares, he'll get a mouthful, hear just how I got to Harlem and became Lady Day. Oh, the tales I'll tell." pg. 11 Intro: What Shall I Say?

I was delighted to read this book. It's a YA poetry book with illustrations about the life of Billie Holiday in her heyday as told by Billie. It starts with her birth, but ends in her twenties, before her tragic fall. There are about 98 poems, 95 of those poems have the names of songs sung by Billie Holiday, the other three tie into the poem's content.

I knew very little about Billie Holiday. I once recorded Lady Sings the Blues (the movie about Billie Holiday starring Diana Ross), but it ended up getting deleted before I could watch it. Therefore this was my first time reading about Billie Holiday. After I finished this book I did some more research on Billie Holiday and I also began listening to her music. I was only familiar with two of her songs: Gloomy Sunday (the amazing Dia Reeves introduced me to that one because she considers it a theme song for Bleeding Violet) and Strange Fruit (which I just realized was the former name of Dia's WiP. Crazy coincidence!). Anyway, the point is, I learned so much about Billie Holiday and she is so talented. Her story leaps off the pages through the exquisite illustrations and the wonderful poems. I'm amazed at the author's ability to connect her poems about Billie Holiday with song titles, she brought her to life and she presented her thoughts in an authentic manner.

Eleanora Fagan (Billie's real name) had a hard life, she was born to her thirteen (!) year old mother and spent her early years with various relatives. She was raped, ditched school, ended up in a reform school of sorts, worked in a brothel and eventually became the jazz/blues star. I never knew that Billie suffered because of her weight, but she never let it get her down. She was proud of her body and shot right back at critics. Her emotional, deep and low voice more than made up for her "roly-poly" body and she's a great role model to girls in that you shouldn't listen to the critics and to love yourself (not that she always did that) because you are more than outside appearances. I'm not sure if the whole book is true but I loved reading about the reason behind the flower Billie always wore in her hair and why she changed her name (Billie for her favorite movie star, Holiday because it was sort-of like her absentee father's name of Halliday). The story ends with Coda: Strange Fruit, which was one of the highlights of Billie's career. I never knew the meaning behind Strange Fruit or how it came about so reading the poem about it was an eye-opener. I then listened (REALLY) listened to the song again. One of my favorite poems, "With Thee I Swing" is about Billie being tired of all the racism she faces traveling with an all-white band (she was the first African American woman to do so)

Racism ripped America at the seams,
and jazz stitched the nation together
one song at a time. But music
alone couldn't mend the tear.
The needle pricked my fingers
till my soul was sore, and I longed to hop a train for home." (pg. 103)

Becoming Billie Holiday is a great book to introduce teenagers to Billie Holiday and re-introduce her to her fans. It presents a fresh (and more positive) perspective on her life, it trumpets her achievements, but it does not shy away from the hardships she dealt with. The poems and illustrations are vivid and fitting for such a dynamic lady. I highly recommend that you listen to a Billie Holiday CD or playlist while you read this book :) The book includes an afterword, a list of references for further reading/listening and brief biographies of key people in Billie's life and during her time.

Disclosure: Received from the author. Thank you so much Carole!

Listen to an interview with the author, Carole Boston Weatherford where she talks about the book, Lady Day and some Billie Holiday songs are played (she also reads from the book and she does a lovely job reading it!) Everyone should also listen to Billie Holiday's fantastic song, Strange Fruit. My new favorite song by her is Getting Some Fun Out of Life (after all, isn't that what we all need sometimes?)

Throwback Thursday: Wait for Me

Wait for Me by An Na 2006
Putnam

Rating: 2.5/5

IQ "Even the most insipid song had something. A beat, a melody, that lone bass holding everything together. But when a song was right, when everything fell together, each note, each rise and dip of the voice filled me with a sense of yearning. A vastness. The sensation of flight seeping into my skin until I was skimming through the air, the music holding me aloft." Mina pg. 6

Mina is a lot like the lone bass described in the IQ, she seems to be holding her family together. She's president of the Honor Society, headed to Harvard with straight A and she works at her family's dry cleaners. She also watches out for younger sister, Suna who is hearing-impaired. However, Mina is not nearly as perfect as she appears, her life has been carefully constructed out of lies. This story is told in the alternating points of view between Mina and Suna.


I just couldn't get into this book. The prose was beautiful, but I just didn't care for this story. Maybe I'm tired of the demanding immigrant mother who just doesn't understand. I don't know what it was but I never connected with Mina or Suna. It didn't seem necessary to have Suna's point of view in the novel anyway, her point of view was usually about two pages and her view of the world was rather fuzzy. She's supposed to be going into middle school, but she acted really immature at times. I didn't have too much sympathy for Mina either. I did wish her mom wasn't so strict (and racist towards Latinos), but all the trouble Mina got in and was a result of the hole she dug for herself. She couldn't blame it all on her mom. Honestly, sometimes I think she just lacked common sense. And towards the end she does something awful towards Ysrael and I was appalled. SPOILER/Hightlight to Read: When she doesn't stand up for Ysrael after he is accused of stealing from the family. Even though it's her that's been stealing, my mouth dropped. And then after she fails to apologize he still takes her BACK! I would have dumped her so fast...

I picked up this book after reading a review at the Writers of Color 50 Book challenge because it mentioned an interracial romance. Mina falls in love with Ysrael, a Mexican immigrant. There are not many YA stories that deal with interracial romance between two POC. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with books about two POC being in love with each other, or a POC and a white person being love, or two white people in love (as long as there is some diversity in the romance about the two white main characters). However, I want to see more YA books that show that not only do black and white people date each other, but so do Indians and African Americans, Koreans and Mexicans (in the case of Wait For Me), Latinos and Native Americans, etc. Ysrael was the only character I really felt something for. He was incredibly sweet, talented (he dreams of being a singer/musician) and patient. I liked how this novel was all about scars; both physical and emotional ones. Ysrael has a scar on his face that causes him much pain, especially when he was a child and it was much worse (some American doctors fixed it for him, but needless to say he's bitter about their treatment of him and his family). The emotional scars have more to do with a mom who puts so much pressure on her children and manipulation. A few of the characters in the novel are just using each other, including Mina's mother.

Wait for Me was a disappointment for me, but it tells a good story with some rare elements in YA; interracial dating between POC, and the handling of a disability. The characters were mostly underdeveloped, perhaps the novel was too short for the reader to really connect to the characters. I felt detached to all that was occurring throughout the book except for the romance between Ysrael and Mina. Their romance developed slowly and it felt authentic. The ending was surprise because it seemed far too abrupt. I was sure the epilogue would clarify things but it doesn't.

Disclosure: From the library

Waiting on Wednesday: Abe In Arms

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This week I'm waiting on...

Abe in Arms by Pegi Deitz Shea

Release Date: June 1, 2010

Portraying the pressures of teens to live a normal life while facing mental illness, this suspenseful young adult novel follows the journey of success-bound Abe, who struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A senior in high school, with a loving and wealthy adoptive family, Abe is on track for a big scholarship and an open future. Suddenly, horrific flashbacks rip him back to war-torn Africa, where five years previously he lost his mother, sister, friends, and almost his own life to torturous violence. During therapy, he uncovers even darker moments from his past that make him question how he survived. This action-filled thriller will open the eyes and hearts of teenagers to the lives of young people who have been exposed to profound violence around the world.

-I'm on the lookout for more YA dealing with mental illness and this one is about a POC so it seems like a double win. There needs to be more YA written that deals with mental illness (thank you Francisco Stork for working to fill that void!). Also it sounds action packed so I'm anxious to read it.

Summary from Amazon.com

What POC releases are you waiting for?

PS What does the cover look like to you? I couldn't figure it out until I really looked, but I think it's really cool!

Toads And Diamonds

Toads And Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson 2010
Henry Holt & Co.

Rating: 4/5

IQ "She wouldn't think about him. [....]She wouldn't remember their every previous encounter and search it for a hint of his feelings, the way she'd examine a rough gem, teasing out the glory hidden within its heart. No, no, no. How could she do anything else?" Tana pg. 104

Diribani is sweet, generous and loves seeing the beauty in the world around her. When she goes to the village well she meets a goddess. The goddess gives Diribani a wonderful gift, when she opens her mouth and speaks, flowers and diamonds fall out. When she arrive back home from the well and shows her step-mother and step-sister Tana the jewels, her mother sends Tana out to the well to get a blessing from the goddess. However, when Tana goes to the well, she is hesitant, bold and honest, the goddess gives her a gift so that whenever she speaks toads and snakes come out. Diribani herself is quite beautiful and her beauty attracts a prince and attempts on her life. Tana's gift ends up with her being forced to leave her home because the governor is afraid of snakes and thinks she's a witch. Each girl is beginning to think that her blessing is more of a curse.

This is a retelling of Charles Perrault fairytale "Les Fees" (The Faeries), which I was unfamiliar with. One of the biggest differences between the original and the author's retelling is that neither girls are arrogant. Both Tana and Diribani have minor flaws, but they are good, almost annoyingly perfect. I think that's one of the few things that I didn't like about this book. The main characters didn't really have any flaws. They were critical of themselves, but I didn't see anything wrong with what they actually did. I had to keep in mind that since this was a fairy tale, the ending was going to wrap up neatly and be happily ever after for most people. The characters were all excellent, again they had no big flaws so it was hard to relate to many of them, but I could understand their fears and trials. Also, both girls were really independent which I loved. The romances were sweet, especially between Diribani and Zahid. They have a really cute scene that involves trader-talking which is a concept that I found really cool. In trader-talk you don't talk, customers and merchants use their hands (that are hidden under a table or cloth) to make bargains. Tana and Kalyn were more frustrating, but their relationship felt authentic. There was more action in Tana's side of the story, but I was more interested in Diribani's story even though the pace was much slower. The word choice is lovely and provides excellent imagery "The gaiety rolled over Diriban's head like a spring storm, all wind and heat lightning, without the relief of a good soaking rain." (pg. 220) In that one little sentence I was transported to life in pre-colonial India and understanding what the weather was like there.

I wasn't expecting this novel to have so much of a focus on religion, but it turned out to be a good thing and one of the most rewarding experiences of reading Toads & Diamonds. Diribani is a Believer and she struggles with how to follow her faith when she is living in the midst of white-coats whose beliefs are seemingly so different from her own. Now Jodie and I disagree (all in good fun) with which religions in this book are based on real life ones. The author is quite clear in stating in her Acknowledgements that the religions of the white-coats and the Believers (the two main religious groups in the story) are based on real religions, but not completely. That being said, I think the white-coats are most strongly based on Christianity. Jodie says Islam. I think the only thing about the white-coats that reminded me of the Islamic faith was the head and face covering, but the early Church insisted women at least cover their heads. The Believers worshipped one God which is the biggest clue that they are Christians, but I suppose it could also have elements of Judaism. Jodie and I both agree that The Believers seemed to be largely based on Hindus in large part because of the multiple gods and goddesses and the vegetarianism. I also could clearly see the Buddhist influences. However this is pure speculation on my part since I know very little about world religions. The author does say in her note that she drew influences from Sikhism and Jainism as well which are two religions I'm not too familiar with (I know a little more about Sikhism from Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger). Another interesting thing about the book was temple dancing. I don't want to give too much away, but the idea of dancing and self-defense was one that I was enthralled by and I wish that I could really see it!

Toads & Diamonds is a delightful read that brings to light a relatively unknown fairy tale. I love how the author wrote a retelling of a less popular fairy tale, it was a lot of fun to read about. I do wish that the characters weren't so flawless because it made them unrealistic, but I was still able to relate to some of their thoughts and emotions. The surprise addition of religion into the mix was a welcome surprise and adds a bit more depth to the novel than the normally fluffy Disney fairy tale. Settle in for a trip via armchair/sofa/bed to India before the British took over.

Disclosure: Received from the author. Thanks so much Heather!

PS Sorry for such a long review!