Waiting on Wednesday: The Turning & Tell Us We're Home

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

This week I'm waiting on...

The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis

Release Date: May 1, 2010

Nobody can know your secret.
Nobody can know your power.
But if nobody knows who you are to begin with...what's stopping you?

I whisper, "What's so special about me all of a sudden?"

Nick says, "The Turning."

Mary feels different, but can't explain why. The fainting, the strange cravings...and worse, the things she's noticed about her body.

Mary doesn't know where to turn. If she tells her parents or her sister, she'll risk losing everything. She has no other family, no way of knowing if what she's going through is normal. Everyone she's ever known and loved could reject her...

-I have two books that I'm waiting on this week because I wasn't sure if The Turning is about a POC. I assumed Mary is a POC because of the cover (which I love, the eyes are so cool!), the girl looks like she could a POC. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. This book sounds really interesting.

ETA: Read the comment by Jacqueline, she states that Mary's ethnic background is not mentioned but her best friend is black. So I may make this an off-color review. We shall see




Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Being the daughter of a maid or nanny, it wasn’t like everyone was so bad or mean or stupid. It was just weird. You knew your mother put extra bleach in the underwear of some girl who was walking up the aisle at assembly in her best corduroy jumper dress. Or those shoes you wore were some hand-me-downs from the kid in the grade above you, and you just prayed she didn’t notice. Or how you hated Monday mornings, when half the class came in sporting sweatshirts with big letters that said I ROCKED AT JONAH’S BAR MITZVAH! Which of course you were never invited to.

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 frappés 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.

Marina Budhos gives us a heartbreaking and eye-opening story of friendship, belonging, and finding the way home.

-From the author's website I don't know of many stories about immigrants that center around their jobs and the difficulties they have as domestic workers. The premise of this novel is quite original and I like the cover (I'm curious as to why the key is pink).

ETA: I forgot to mention that I first heard about Tell Us We're Home from Kris's blog, Voracious YAppetite

Acting

Acting by Sherri Winston 2004

Rating: 2.5/5

IQ "Eve desperately searched her mind for a character, any character, she could play, whose lines were already written and spoken and tested, because she had no words of her own." pg. 22


Eve feels unappreciated by her mother and twin sister, Al (their mother named them both Eve with different middle names; Eve Alexandra and Eve Belinda). Eve is always trying to be a "good girl" to please her mother, but her mother just wants Eve to be more like her twin. The only time Eve feels truly special is when she's on the stage and she spends all her time acting and playing in the make believe. Eve soon feels that she is shedding her "good girl" image when she begins to fall for a "bad boy" (named Luscious). "Acting gives us a backstage view of one of life's most brutal auditions-the audition for true identity and sexual awareness, the discover of what it takes to be yourself" (inside flap)

This book had an air of ridiculousness to it and unlike in other books where that's charming, in Acting I just found it annoying. First off, the names. Who names both their daughters the same thing?! I mean really. Also, Luscious? That was his actual name. I almost gagged. Also, the characters were unappealing. Eve was annoying and whiny. She seemed to be completely clueless as to what was going on in her family and she constantly jumped to conclusions. Luscious was so far from actually being 'luscious'. He was ok, he had cute moments, but for the most part I felt that the author used the fact that he's an artist as a crutch (if that makes sense). What I mean is, the only attractive part of him seemed to be his artistic talent (and I suppose his 'hot bod') and the author relied on that only (I suppose her point could have been to make him undesirable but I wanted to learn more about him, why was he bad?). I didn't understand Al's mood swings either; sometimes she would be totally sweet to Eve and other times she would be totally vindictive. Eve's mother was just awful and I don't feel that she grew at all. She was bitter and I was skeptical as to her claims of why she acted that way. The only person in Eve's family I always liked was her Aunt Mary, who was sweet and no-nonsense (Eve's father is in the picture, but he was passive). Finally, it's supposed to be a big mystery as to who the father of Al's baby is (she won't tell), but I had it figured out within the first few chapters.

This book's main redeeming factor was that it talks about an issue that is not often addressed in YA literature; that of a girl wanting sex. It's rare to read about a girl who actually wants to have sex (because we have to be "good and pure" *rolls eyes*) and this part of the story was well done. Eve's struggle is the only thing that made her sympathetic but at the same time I wanted her to just own up to it (or at least stop with her "holier than thou" act). I also enjoyed reading about the production of The Crucible put on by Eve's school. Eve had an interesting take on the role of Abigail Williams and it gave me pause (in a good way).

Acting was a novel that had great promise, but it didn't really deliver. I do think the message of having girls comfortable in their sexuality is an important one to tell and I liked that this book was even trying to tackle that subject. The book is at its best when it focuses on sexual awareness and theater. The scenes involving acting and plays were enjoyable. However, the characters were never fully developed, intentions were never fully realized and I finished this book without caring to read it again.

Disclosure: From the library.

Male Monday: My Most Excellent Year: A novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger 2008

Rating: 5/5

IQ "I figured out that it's not just the people we love, but the people we let love us back who us how high we can really soar." Augie pg. 391

My Most Excellent Year is told in alternating viewpoints of Anthony Conigliaro Keller (called T.C.), Alejandra Perez (Ale) and Augie Hwong. Augie is T.C.'s best friend (he is the only one allowed to call T.C. "Tick") and they've been brothers since they were six (after T.C.'s mom died). They are not biologically related but try telling them that (they get stares when they say they are brother since Augie's Chinese and T.C. is white, but they get around that by saying they have different mothers). Augie is passionate about musical theater and soccer. He's also gay and everyone knows it except him. Ale is the daughter of a former ambassador and she has so many connections. She's also really into musical theater, but she's never considered it anything more than a hobby, she is going to become a diplomat or government official. All T.C. wants to do is make Ale fall in love with him and save Bucky Weaver (you'll have to read this book if you don't know who that is). Add in a large spoonful of Mary Poppins, a deaf boy named Hucky and Japanese American interment camps and you will have yourself My Most Excellent Year.

This book is hilarious. Within the first few pages I was already chuckling as T.C. explains that every member of his family has the name of a famous Red Sox player "I even have an Aunt Babe and an Aunt Ruth. (This was a lucky coincidence. They met thirty-eight years ago at a Bobby Kennedy rally in Rockport and they've been together ever since. Aunt Babe swears they would have fallen in love even if Aunt Ruth's name had been Sheba, but I'm not so sure). " (pg. 2) Ale, T.C. and Augie are the greatest group of friends. Witty, kind, loyal and a tad bit insane. They do some frustrating things (Ale made me finally understand why guys think girls are so impossible to understand. I didn't even always understand her reasoning on issues of romance, and I'm a girl!) but almost always redeem themselves. This is one of the rare YA novels where the parents don't fade into the background. We meet Augie's surreal parents (both accept the fact that he's gay without question, they always know what to say and his mother trashes every Broadway play that comes to town), T.C.'s engineer father (his romantic endeavors are so cute and he's so supportive of T.C.), and Ale's parents (her father was an ambassador to Mexico, I'm not sure what her mother does). Ale's parents weren't as prominent as Augie and T.C.'s but we learned more about them than usual for a YA novel. Ale, Augie and T.C. have to keep a diary during their freshman year for their English class. Augie writes to a different diva every week (ranging from Angela Lansbury to Judy Garland), T.C. writes to his mother and Ale writes to Jacqueline Kennedy. These diaries provide an intimate look at their thought process and help keep the story moving.

I have two minor quibbles with this book; the adventures the kids have and the baseball references. This book isn't the most realistic in portraying the escapades of high school freshman. These kids are too perfect (learning sign language in a week, while in school? Right). However, they are also original and really funny which makes up for their amazing academic and athletic abilities. They also have fantastic parent(s) who are laid back and very unique (and rich. It's never explicitly stated except in the case of Ale, but they all must have had a lot of money and time on their hands). Parents really do shape their children and if these kids hadn't ended up with the parents they did (and if it wasn't a book), this book wouldn't be nearly as good. In hindsight, the impracticality of this book should have annoyed me, but it didn't. Everything just flows so well, you don't question it. Most importantly, we all know the Yankees are better than the Red Sox :) Seriously though, there are a lot of baseball references and I'm not the biggest fan of baseball, so many of the references went over my head, but I learned a lot.

My Most Excellent Year contains a wonderful air of incredulity but readers will be so charmed by all the characters, the swift moving plot and the setting of Brookline, MA that they won't mind. The IMS, emails, letters and newspaper articles all add to this story and give a better idea of the events and characters. The humor will delight readers and the actions of the characters are truly inspiring and very touching. Readers will walk away from this book knowing a lot about Broadway and its divas, the Red Sox and knowing that they will have to decide whose better: Jack Kennedy or Bobby Kennedy? (It's hard to say, but I choose Jack)

Disclosure: I'm a Cubs fan first, Yankees 2nd, no room for Sox of any kind (White Sox on a very very bad day). From the library

PS Sorry for such a long review but I LOVED this book. I want to re read it and fall in love all over again. I'll have to go out and buy it.

New Crayons & Wrap Up

New Crayons is a meme when I share what new books I got this week. This meme was started by Susan at Color Online

Haiti review week has now ended. I enjoyed reading books that all revolved around the same country, I learned A LOT. Unfortunately, I think this would be too hard to do with other countries but I'll keep my eyes out for YA/MG books that revolve around a particular country (I could do Mexico and maybe Cuba). Did you guys like having a week of reviews that revolved around one country?

Male Monday: Every Time a Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams Garcia
Tuesday: Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti 1490 by Edwidge Danticat
Throwback Thursday: Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin
Friday: Taste of Salt by Frances Temple
Saturday: Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat

Did anyone notice these were reviewed in chronological order (except for Monday), starting in the 1400s to the 2000s.
Bought

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley

The worst thing about having it all is having to deal with it all-the good, the bad, and the just plain weird. Like seeing more of my dad when he's on the cover of Business Week than I do in person. Like the surgeon whose schedule was too jammed with professional ballplayers to deal with my busted up knee...until he heard who my parents were and miraculously his calendar was wide open. Like the pseudo boyfriend who was more in love with my last name than with me.

Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything any kid could possibly desire, right down to a waterfront mansion, jet plane, and custom-designed snowboards. But most of what glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate her, her best friend Adrian's girlfriend is ruining their friendship, and her own so-called boyfriend is after her for her father's name. When her broken heart results in a snowboarding accident that exiles her from the mountains--the one place where she feels free and accepted for who she is, not what she has--Syrah must rehab both her busted-up knee, and her broken heart, and learn that she's worth her weight in real gold.

-The What a Girl Wants talk at Chasing Ray on girls who play sports in YA literature made me feel ashamed and ignorant because I have read so few of those books. Especially about POC. I didn't plan on buying this book, but I saw it in Borders and decided to go for it. I'll read it over break when I'm in the warmth :)


Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Love can be a dangerous thing....

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

-Hooray, I finally bought this one!! I'm so super excited to read this, I've just been staring at the beautiful cover. I'm trying to save this for the plane ride. *Must resist* Here's the cover story as told to Melissa Walker (isn't the whole wrap fantastic?!) And the tagline? "Crazy never looked so beautiful." It's a package of awesomeness (and I'm convinced the content will be even better).

Received

Paris Pan Takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu

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.

-I loved Great Call of China and I'm looking forward to reading Cynthea's middle grade debut. And I'll be giving this away after I finish it =) Thanks Cynthea!

What POC books did you get this week? Did you discover any new ones?

Behind the Mountains

Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat 2002

Rating: 3/5

IQ "At Saint Jerome's, Haiti did not seem so far away. I felt that if I reached out and touched anyone at the mass, I could be back in Haiti again, as though every person there was carrying a piece of Haiti with them in the warmth of their skin, beneath their winter coats." Celine pg. 95


Behind the Mountains starts off in 2000, during the time of Hati's elections. There is unrest sweeping across Haiti and bombs are going off in Port-au-Prince, which is where Celine's aunt lives. Celine and her family (her maman and older brother Moy) live in Bea Jour, Haiti, a rural area out far from all the violence. But they often to go to visit Celine's aunt and on the way back from their trip, a bomb explodes in their tap tap (a painted bus, called so because to get off, people tap on the side two times). Celine's mother decides that it is even more urgent that they leave Haiti and join Celine's father, who moved to New York a few years ago to make a better life for his family. Some things are better in New York, some things only get worse.

Celine is quite a mature thirteen year old with an active voice. This story added a new layer to the classic immigrant story. Celine observes from her father's actions, that perhaps having his family with him in New York is more of a burden than a blessing. The father seems to be frustrated with his family's inability to cope and understand all the new ways of America, but who can blame them? They aren't used to all that America has, ranging from electricity to snow. But they are trying. As usual, every family is different and the story of Celine and her family is interesting. The most intriguing aspect of the story was the strong Haitian population in NYC. Celine is in a class of children who are all Haitian, which allows her to skip the awkward new immigrant fresh off the plane stage.

I didn't love this book and it's not one that I will be rereading but it tells a good story and its a quick read. Celine is the only character we really hear about and I didn't see much growth in her. I was also disappointed because Celine is young and she doesn't care much about politics, so we never really get the gist of why all the violence is going on. Her voice is very limited. The other characters fell flat for me. We don't hear too much about Celine's brother, Moy or her maman or her father. While we do see the father develop a little bit, it's not until the very end and we didn't know how he acted in the past, while in Haiti with his family. I kept wondering if living in America had changed him.

Behind the Mountains gives a small look at the violent times of the 2000 Haiti elections and explores Haiti in the present day. Haiti and its rich culture and traditions are presented (they celebrate Day of the Dead, I had thought that was only a Mexican holiday). Celine and her family have a unique story and it's nice to not only read about Haiti, but about Haitian people in New York and their strong sense of community. This story didn't hold my interest, but it may be because there's too little action/adventure for my taste. 6th grade and up

To Learn: A 10 minute video on the history of Haiti

To Help: Donate money to help the children of Haiti at unicef

Disclosure: From the library

This is my last Haiti review of the week.

Taste of Salt

Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti by Frances Temple 1992

Rating: 4/5

IQ "Other thoughts push to my mind. How there be two kinds of freedom. The one kind I already did know about, had a taste of at Titid's, and before, too with Lally. That was a run-around freedom that seem far away from me now-freedom to make your plan, drum on the shoeshine box, earn a little money, buy a chicken, read the paper. But the other kind, when I think about how in time I will be dead, it seem more true. that be freedom from worrying what to do for Djo. That's the kind of freedom Donay had always. Donay not think about himself. And I think if I can find Donay's kind of freedom, then I will be ready for the other kind. Be ready to use it right." Djo pg. 89

Taste of Salt is told through the alternating viewpoints of Djo and Jeremie (like the town in Haiti). The story takes place in the 1980s when Duvalier's dictatorship is overthrown. Djo is one of "Titid's boys, a member of Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide's election team that is fighting to overthrow the military dictatorship in Haiti. However, when the story starts, Djo has just been critically injured in a bombing at the home for "Titid's boys". Jeremie has her own story, one that she is not willing to share. She was sent to record Djo's story by Father Aristide and that's all she wants to do. She's not particularly concerned about the future of Haiti, all she wants to do is get a good education and leave Haiti. But listening to Djo's story stirs something in Jeremie and her plans for the future (and his) may change.

Taste of Salt is no longer a modern story of Haiti. It does describe the tumultuous time when Haiti was struggling for democracy. I didn't know much about Father Aristide (nicknamed "Titid") and I thought it was quite interesting to hear that a priest was running for president. The story starts off being narrated by Djo and ends with Djo. Djo has gone through a lot and its been traumatic. But he's turned out ok. He's becoming a man and it's a delightful journey to read about. Jeremie was a good character with an intriguing story. She's passive in the face of all the danger and events occurring in Haiti. She wants to go places and really make something of herself. What she doesn't seem to realize is that she can leave and make something of herself, but she can't just abandon her home country. I enjoyed reading about her struggle to listen to Djo's story, it's not easy to listen to and he looks terrible as a result of the bombing. He can hardly move his limbs and he's black and blue. At first, Jeremie is repulsed by him and how he looks but she gradually learns to conquer her fear and just listen. The cruelty of Duvalier and his cronies (called the Tonton Macoute) was horrifying especially in relation to how they treated women and children.

The only thing that was a bit disconcerting was the way Djo spoke. He often referred to himself in 3rd person and he didn't use the best of grammar, but I quickly got use to it. It seemed quite realistic, because I just kept imagining that Djo was telling the story in English and his English wasn't perfect.

Taste of Salt is a through story that gets the reader involved, from violence, revolutionaries religion, to Dominican-Haitian relations, this story covers a wide spectrum of issues that Hatti faced in the 1980s. The characters have a dry and almost naive sense of humor. The readers witness history in the making and the outcome is not clear as Haiti is still developing. Djo and Jeremie have been through a lot and you know in closing the book that unfortunately, life is going to continue to be hard for them and Haiti. Both characters had to work hard to get to the point where they are and they came from nothing. They are remarkable characters who somehow manage to make the unbearable scene in Haiti, bearable. They never stop working and believing that Fr. Titid will be elected. This story isn't entertaining, but it does educate and inspire. The writing isn't anything spectacular but it's teens making a difference, actively taking a role in making a change and tells a story that is not often told. High school and up.

To Learn: Here are two lists on books about Haiti. Lyn Miller- Lachmann's suggestions and Mitali Perkin's Kid/YA Books Set in Haiti

To Help: Donate to Yele. This organization was started by musician Wyclef Jean. It's come under some controversy about its financial management, but it was dismissed. You can donate money directly or shop in the store and the proceeds will go to the organization.

Throwback Thursday: Touching Snow

Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin 2007

Rating: 5/5

IQ "There's a real good story behind every dumb thing that happens in life, and an even better story about the dumb people who do them." Karina pg. 162

In Touching Snow, thirteen year old Karina is worried about a few things; her grades (3 Ds, one C), being sent to the principal's office, being the most unpopular girl at her school and bracing herself for being beaten by her stepfather. Her stepfather is finally put in jail on child abuse charges. Problem solved right? Wrong. Karina's family and a few other adults want Karina to take the blame for the injuries her stepfather (called the Daddy) gave to her older sister, Enid. At the heart of this novel is the question of how far people will go to protect the ones they love (along with the idea of some adults only seeing what they want to see "Why did I keep thinking some adult somewhere was finally going to start acting like one?" Karina, pg. 101). This story might have one of the best opening lines ever: The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone." I was instantly transfixed. What was Karina referring to?

I hated this book. Yup, you read that sentence right. But it gets a 5/5. I hated that a story like this one needs to be told. I hate that parents abuse their kids and that husbands abuse their wives (and in the rare case, the wife abuses the husband). I don't want these incidents to happen anymore. I hate that this novel made me want to cry and that oftentimes, I forgot that happiness does exist in the world. I hate the Daddy and at some point I got fed up with all the adults in Touching Snow as well. I also grew angry at Karina, her two sisters and her cousins.

I was amazed by this book (it just seems wrong to say I loved this book). I love that the author wrote about a story that needs to be told, from a different perspective. There are few books on child abuse told from the perspective of an immigrant and their family. The issues run a lot deeper. I wholeheartedly believe that it would be easier for a woman born and raised in America to leave her abusive husband than it would be for a recently arrived immigrant from (insert country name here, specifically a 3rd world or an under developed country) to leave her abusive husband. I loved most of the characters in this novel. Karina lives with her mother, the Daddy (her stepfather), her mother, her older sister Enid, her younger sister Delta, her younger brothers Gerald and Roland, Jack and Joseph (her two cousins) and their aunt, Merlude (Jack and Joseph's mom). Karina is completely crazy and yet she can be very rational. She makes up some strange stories and gets herself into odd situations but she is very determined and resourceful. Her oldest sister Enid is fantastic. Enid really steps up and takes care of the house while their mother works long hours. She protects her relatives when she can and she' makes big sacrifices for them. From Karina's Menudo-obsessed friend Rachel (who happens to be white) to the mysterious Augustin to the Daddy's brother, Uncle Jude, all the characters are fleshed out.

Touching Snow is intense. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't have the time to finish this novel in one sitting because I needed a break from it, to see some happiness and sunshine. Obviously a story about child abuse is going to produce a strong reaction in anyone, but I think the reason this novel really resonated with me is because the author did such a great job with the details. She doesn't shy away from anything and her choice of words to describe the injuries inflicted by the Daddy make it painstakingly clear and vivid in the reader's mind. At the same time, she managed to make me smile through the pain. While we are reading about the abuse, we are also learning about Haiti and its culture and how difficult it is to be an immigrant in America. One of my favorite lines from the novel is when Karina is explaining about her extended family: "Gran and Aunt Jacqueline are more like sisters than mother and daughter, and they don't get along at all, but they live together. My cousin Edner says that's because Haitian people like to torture themselves. They're so used to being miserable that whenever they aren't, they have to go find something to be miserable about. He says that's why Aunt Jacqueline-that's his mom-went and got Gran from Haiti. After Aunt Jacqueline's first husband died, she didn't have anyone to fight with except her kids, and that wasn't enough." (pg.73) Doesn't this sound like someone you know? Ignore the Haitian part for the moment. Don't we all know someone in our lives who likes to be miserable all the time? This statement seemed to be maddeningly accurate when I read about the actions of the characters. Besides the assimilation story, another interesting subplot was about how Haitians don't view themselves as Black. But white Americans do.

Touching Snow is a powerful, compelling debut novel. M. Sindy Felin is truly gifted in that, she injects some light-hearted moments into this novel that threatens to suck you into an abyss of sadness. The apathy of the well crafted characters is so frustrating, you will be absolutely riveted. The worst and best part is that the reader will be able to sympathize or at least understand all the characters and the motives behind their actions. There are some loose ends (nothing too suspenseful), but not everything is wrapped up neatly in life either. My emotions in reading Touching Snow ranged from apprehension to sadness to anger. Although, the very last chapter made me smile (let's just say that the person Karina is telling this story to is a pleasant surprise). Ages 15 and up (high school).

Learn more: Why Haiti Matters (title is self-explanatory)

To Help: Even if you don't have a lot of money to spare, you can still do something. Like give blood! In most states you can give blood if you're at least sixteen and have parental consent (that's the rule in IL and I've given blood three times already). It's not painful and you will feel so good because you just helped save at least one life in a quick and easy process. By the way, March is Red Cross month so donate money, blood or time to help them out and say thank you :) Have I convinced you yet? Visit redcrossblood.org for more information and to find a location near you where you can donate.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Crossing

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on....

Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda

Release Date: April 27, 2010

A loner in his all-white high school, Chinese-born Xing (pronounced “Shing”) is a wallflower longing for acceptance. His isolation is intensified by his increasingly awkward and undeniable crush on his only friend, the beautiful and brilliant Naomi Lee. Xing’s quiet adolescent existence is rattled when a series of disappearances rock his high school and fear ripples through the blue collar community in which he lives. Amidst the chaos surrounding him, only Xing, alone on the sidelines of life, takes notice of some peculiar sightings around town. He begins to investigate with the hope that if he can help put an end to the disappearances, he will finally win the acceptance for which he has longed. However, as Xing draws closer to unveiling the identity of the abductor, he senses a noose of suspicion tightening around his own neck. While Xing races to solve the mystery and clear his name, Crossing hurtles readers towards a chilling climax.

-I don't read many mysteries and this isn't technically categorized as YA. BUT, the main character is an Asian American guy teenager (which is a rarity in YA literature) so I'm going to review it. Also the author is a criminal prosecutor so the mystery should be really juicy and suspenseful. Can't wait to read it!

Anacaona

Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti 1490 by Edwidge Danticat 2005
Royal Diaries Series (MG), Scholastic

Rating: 3.5/5

IQ "Why must we wait until people are dead/to realize how much we valued them? Because whether we are nitainos or naborias, whether we are born of high or low stature, he [Behechio] said, we still lack the wisdom of our ancestors, who have been through life and death." Anacaona pg. 47

Naturally, Anacaona tells the story of Anacaona who is a Haitian princess. The diary starts off in 1490. During this time Haiti and the Dominican Republic were essentially one country, divided into different areas. Anacaona was princess of Xaragua, (which was in Haiti) and is the possible successor to the current ruler of Xaragua, her uncle. However, the throne could also go to her brother, Bechechio or they could have joint rule.

The most annoying thing about Anacaona was the premonitions. Throughout the book, Anacaona describes all these visions she has about events in the future, ranging from the white men's arrival to her death. It was quite irritating, mainly because I don't believe in visions but also in the historical note at the end, no mention is made of the real Anacaona having actual visions. Obviously, historical fiction can take some liberties with history, but I didn't like that it threw in a supernatural element. It was almost like a spoiler. Also, I wanted it to be longer. The Epilogue made me want to learn even more about Anacaona in "her own voice" (so to speak).

Ancient Haiti was fascinating to read about, especially the superstitions and cultural beliefs. For example, during Anacaona's time, the healers had to take the same medicines that they gave to their patients. (Imagine taking NyQuill when you don't even have a cold, just because your patient has one, yuck!). A scarier tradition was that when a husband died, the wife chose to be buried with him after he died. Meaning, after the husband died, the wife would take poison or kill herself in some way. They did this because wives believed their husbands would be lonely and lost without them in the afterlife. I suppose that is the highest form of true love, sacrificing yourself for your true love. Most of the names of people, places and things aren't that confusing. There's a glossary and enough context to help the reader figure things out. The only truly confusing part is knowing the difference between the enemies of Anacaona and her people; the Kalinas (Island Caribs?) and the Spanish. I still don't know what an Island Carib is, because wouldn't Anacaona and her people be Island Caribs? The characters were surprisingly well developed for a diary about a royal person (I never expect them to get into much detail about people 'beneath' them, but then again it is fiction) and it shows the wide spectrum of classes and roles in Haiti during this time. Another surprising element was the lack of sibling rivalry between Anacaona and Behechio. I would have thought they would argue over who gets the throne, but they didn't. They wholeheartedly support each other and would be happy if Xaragua was ruled by either of them.

Anacaona is well researched and a compelling read. Not much is written about Haiti in its precolonial period (before the Spanish arrived), so I enjoyed reading about the Tainos and the lush landscapes of Haiti (the countryside sounds truly breathtaking). Anacaona is a strong, independent and modest ruler. She puts Xaragua first, always. I could have done without her visions, but if you like that sort of thing then you will enjoy this book even more. It's an easy read and may grow tedious to some older readers, but if you know little about Haiti, I doubt you will be bored. 5th grade and up.

This is the 2nd review in Haiti review week.

Learn: Author Debbie Rigaud is Haitian American and she did a great interview (there are two parts) in which she spoke about herself, her book Perfect Shot, double dutch and Haiti. She's so nice and Perfect Shot is such a fun read! Read my review here

Help: Donate to Haiti Village Health

FYI not all the ways to help will feature giving money so don't worry if you can't afford to right now!

Male Monday: Every Time A Rainbow Dies

Every Time A Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams Garcia 2001
HarperCollins

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "There was never any peace around her. Instead he felt sick and brave at the same time, ready to jump into the unknown only to be hit." Thulani pg. 62 (An unusual feeling about love to have, right? Or is it? ;))


Every Time A Rainbow Dies starts off with sixteen year old Thulani saving Ysa after she had been raped. Since his mother died, all Thulani does is go to school (literally, he just goes to school. He doesn't actually try to achieve good grades) and care for his doves. He lives with his brother and his sister-in-law and it's not a happy situation. But there's something about Ysa that makes him want to do more than that. He doesn't even know her name but he sets out to find her. However, Ysa is hard to find and when he does find her, she doesn't want him in her life at all.

I loved the atmosphere of this book. It's set in Brooklyn but it explores a group of people that is not often shown in YA novels, that is those from the Caribbean. Thulani is Jamaican and Ysa is Haitian. Based on the dialogue I could hear the accents and the patois drifting from the page. Everyone and everything is described so well. I could clearly picture Ysa and her colorful clothes, Thulani and his birds, his 'crazy' sister-in-law and Tant Rose. All the characters have a presence, the best example is Thulani's sister-in-law, Shakira. I dismissed her because Thulani didn't like her but she surprised him and me with some of her actions. Also, this novel briefly deals with girls liking sex, it's a refreshing difference from the whole 'good girl=not liking sex or wanting to have it before marriage.' Ysa was an awesome character. She had goals and nothing was going to get in her way of achieving them, even being raped (if you've read the book, the Best Scene is hands down the one where Ysa is in the marketplace and goes off).

I realize life is full of grey areas and many situations are ever fully resolved but I wanted that to not be the case in this book. Instead, it ends on a high note of anticipation. But there's no sequel! How can this be?! I don't think this book should have cleared up everything but a sequel is definitely needed because an important scene is left to the reader's imagination, off the page. Grr. Something that did bother me is that I never understood why Thulani was so bothered by Shakira. She treated him better than his own brother, Truman did. I did think Thulani's actions were stalkerish and that was creepy. Ysa handles the situation better than I would have, and I understand how him stalking her is a sign of love (yes that is a creepy statement but I don't know how to word it better. It's nonviolent stalking!).

Every Time A Rainbow Dies has a wonderful title and explores some different types of love in Caribbean accents. This novel doesn't shy away from issues of sexuality, attitudes of Caribbeans concerning African American and family. The characters are strong and refuse to be regulated to the background. The story has a unique setting and Thulani and Ysa are unforgettable (which is why the lack of a sequel will be so distressing). High school and up.

The current situation in Haiti as faced by women and girls, courtesy of Heidi R. Kling's post (her husband is a doctor and he just got back from Haiti. He sounds like a great guy)

To Help: Donate to Doctors Without Borders or volunteer to help them. They are a fantastic organization that provides meals, vaccines and as much medical help as they can provide. We need more doctors to help out!

This is the first review of Haiti review week (reviews centered around Haitians and Haitian Americans. Included in all posts will be ways to help and links to articles about Hati's past, present and future).

New Crayons

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

Haiti review week is for sure happening next week! I have almost all the books (I'm only missing Ruined by Paula Morris but that's ok). All the books were sad =/

Spring break is two weeks away for me. I'm so impatient, I can hardly stand it! I need a break from school and I need warm weather and most importantly I need to read more!

Here's my planned list of books to bring on my trip over Spring Break

1. Bleeding Violet (I'm ordering it this week, I NEED it and can no longer wait for Borders to have it in stock)

2. Exclusively Chloe

3. Indie Girl

4. Fabulous

5. An Ocean Apart, A World Away

6. We Were Here

From the library-These books all fit in the theme of March being Arts Appreciation Month

Blue Tights by Rita Williams Garcia

Growing up in a city neighborhood, fifteen-year-old Joyce, unsure of herself and not quite comfortable with her maturing body, tries to find a place to belong and a way to express herself through dance.

Summary from barnesandnoble.com

Read my review

Acting by Sherri Winston

It’s hard to discover the "real you" when you have a twin with an identical face who hates you and a mother who wishes you were the other twin. At least, that’s how life feels to Eve. Pushed away from the one-time closeness she shared with her sister, Eve delves into the thing that has sustained her throughout her whole life: acting. Eve loves playing the role of the family’s good girl, but after her sister ends up pregnant and Eve develops a romantic interest for the local "bad boy," Eve begins to realize that there’s a very thin line between "bad" and "good." Told with wit and a good dose of melodrama, Acting invites readers on a backstage tour of the teenage years.

-I read this a little while ago and I remember I liked it but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. Let's see if I enjoy it more this time around (I loved Sherri Winston's other book The Kayla Chronicles)

The Amah by Laurence Yep

Amy feels conflicted when her mother becomes an amah (a nanny) for the perfect Miss Stephanie. While her mother's at work, Amy has to watch her younger brothers and sisters, which means missing ballet practices. Amy wants to be a good daughter, but she also wants to keep her role in the upcoming dance production. Can she find a way to balance family obligations with her desire for independence?

Read my review

My Most Excellent Year:A novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

Dear Anthony:
I appreciate your recent interest, but I’m not accepting applications at this time. Your letter will be kept in our files and someone will get back to you if there is an opening. Thank you for thinking of me.
Respectfully,

Alejandra Perez
P.S. It’s not “Allie.” It’s “Ale.”

Meet T.C., who is valiantly attempting to get Alejandra to fall in love with him; Alejandra, who is playing hard to get and is busy trying to sashay out from under the responsibilities of being a diplomat’s daughter; and T.C.’s brother Augie, who is gay and in love and everyone knows it but him.

-Based on reviews I've read (and the jacket flap) this book sounds hilarious. Apparently it combines humor, social activism, Broadway and baseball which sounds like an interesting combination and I love reading about all of them. The original plan was to buy this book and read it over spring break, but since it deals with musical theater I decided to review it in March.

So what wonderful books did you get this week? Any fun links to share with me? Comment away :)

The Amah

The Amah by Laurence Yep 1999
Penguin Books (G.P. Putnam)

Rating: 3/5

IQ "There's two kinds of people: those who can change and those who don't. The people who do change can maybe become happy. The people who don't stay miserable. Now which do you want to be?" Amy pg. 137-138

In The Amah, twelve year old Amy's mother has gotten a job as an amah, (which is a Chinese nanny or governess) to a wealthy family. She watches over Stephanie, who is the same age as Amy and who seems to be perfect. As Stephanie and her mother spend more time together going to special events, Amy is forced to babysit her four younger siblings more often which results in her having to miss her ballet classes. Amy loves ballet and she has a good part in the production of Cinderella (she plays one of the evil stepsisters) that she doesn't want to give up. However, if her mother continues to make her miss ballet classes, she could get kicked off the production. Another issue is raised when Stephanie comes to visit and Amy's siblings all seem to like her more than they like Amy, their own sister. Not only do her siblings seem to like Stephanie more, but Amy's mother understands Stephanie better than she understands her own daughter.

The Amah was rather predictable. The characters served as a mere backdrop to the main character and the story follows a smooth path, with only one curveball thrown in. Amy is the only character whose personality is developed and even then we don't get a full picture of her. I believe Amy's best friend Robin is from the previous book of his, Ribbons, but it's not necessary to have read it in order to read this one. Perhaps Robin is not a fully developed character because two books have already been written about her. However, Amy's other friend, Leah fell flat as well. I disliked Leah, she didn't seem to understand the stress and pressure Amy was under. That family must come first, even before ballet, a concept Leah could not grasp. Another one of Amy's friends, Thomas popped in and out but added nothing to the story, not even comic relief. I was a bit curious as to how Amy's father died. Did he die in America or China? I was also a bit disappointed that we never read about how the Cinderella ballet production goes. Furthermore, I was surprised at where Amy's dedication to ballet came for because she didn't even want the role of ugly stepsister to begin with. If she was so passionate about ballet and hated to miss classes, wouldn't she have jumped at the chance for a more important role as a stepsister?

Amy was a good character though. She had a dry sense of humor as evidenced in this scene when Amy's mother asked her to skip ballet practice because she's staying late for a dinner party with Stephanie "'You understand, don't you?' Whenever Mama asked you to do something unpleasant, she always finished that way. If she was an executioner, she'd probably have ask the condemned prisoner if he understood before she hung him." (pg. 24) For the most part Amy was a good sport about having to miss her ballet classes (I'm ashamed to say that I would have whined so much more) in order to watch her argumentative younger siblings. Amy did make constant references to Cinderella, comparing herself and others as Cinderella or the stepsisters. The mother's role as an amah is interesting to read about because they do so much more than an American nanny (although I think that is changing), they essentially have two families. Mama's charge, Stephanie, was the only other character (besides Amy) that had more personality. I too was ticked off that Stephanie was so perfect, but that facade falls by the wayside (although even her flaws seemed perfect, in that they weren't that big of a deal). There is a lack of technology and pop culture references which keeps the book from being dated. As I read this ten years after its publication, it wasn't totally obvious that the story wasn't taking place in the 21st century.

I've always really admired Laurence Yep. He's written over 70 books and they all have to do with Asian Americans in different situations, in the past and the present. I've read all his ballet books and I learned a lot about Chinese culture through them. The Amah offers a light, entertaining look into the world of amahs and Chinese families. One of its best qualities is that it is not a dated story.I think this book will especially be popular amongst the oldest of siblings and for those who are only children. 6th grade and up.

Disclosure: From the library

Blue Tights

Blue Tights by Rita Williams Garcia 1988
Penguin Books

Rating: 3.5/5

IQ "She pulled shape out of her very being as though she could extend both inside and outside and beyond her physical limitations. She carved her contractions out of love not being made all the way, babies not being born, and Mama's testimony of girlhood gone by. She delivered each phrase with clarity and continuity, transforming the twists and inclinations into the dance she knew." Joyce pg. 138

In Blue Tights, all Joyce Collins wants to be able to do is dance. She's not a big fan of ballet especially because the teacher is always picking on her. Well, she also wants to be cool. Being cool means that Joyce can hang out with Cindy and Jay-Jay, the two most popular girls in the school and it means that maybe, just maybe, Andre "the lady-killer" Miller will be interested in her. Joyce's ballet teacher essentially tells her that Joyce's butt is too big for her to be a ballet dancer. Joyce is crushed and goes looking for other ways to be dancer. She discovers not only an African dance troupe, but her African heritage. Finally, she has found a style of dance where she is accepted and excels.

I liked the idea behind this book, but I just couldn't get into it because of the main character. Joyce got on my nerves. She had flaws, but they were ones that were never noticed therefore they weren't resolved. Of course, flaws can't be fixed easily and what some people see as flaws, other people see as good things, so I guess that could go either way with Joyce. Joyce is considered uncool, mainly because she has a big butt which makes guys think she's easy so they spread rumors about her and then the girls don't want to associate with a "slut". This makes Joyce a sympathetic character, because (as is often the case) she's more innocent then people expect. However, Joyce was too desperate for me. She was always throwing herself at all the wrong people; the stuck up popular girls at school and guys that were clearly only after one thing. At first I was able to understand why Joyce wanted to fit in, most of us do want to fit in. But after awhile, it just got tired. It becomes evident to the reader that these people are jerks and I grew increasingly frustrated that Joyce was too myopic to see it. Also, she's amazingly self-absorbed. She has a high opinion of herself and she's so off base sometimes. It's all about her and I didn't enjoy reading about someone with that attitude. Finally, the narration was a bit confusing. The author would essentially switch up the point of view and get into other people's heads to show the characters' thoughts, and it was not a smooth transition. I was never completely sure if the observation was Joyce's or another character's.

Joyce did have redeeming moments, sometimes she would wake up and do what needed to be done. She has an attitude and she's funny and I can appreciate her vulnerable moments. I sympathized with her over being confused about her very mature body (as her mother observes "her daughter who was capable at age ten of cooking, cleaning, getting a man to look twice and making babies." pg. 114). Granted, I've never had to deal with that but I can imagine the pressure she must have been under and the stress her body would have caused. The dancing scenes were right on; especially when the dance teacher is constantly urging Joyce to "tuck that butt under", it took me back to my dance days when that's all the teacher would tell me. This book articulates how difficult it can be for a girl whose thick and who wants to be a ballet dancer to gain respect in the ballet world. I enjoyed the descriptions of African dance as well, I was able to imagine it and I was proud of my heritage just reading about it. The best is when Joyce is describing how dancing makes her feel. Any true lover of dance will be able to relate. Besides the dancing scenes, I also thought the not-romance was excellent. I wasn't expecting the end result and it's very different from other books I've read. It's sweet, but at the same time, a bit uncomfortable. You'll have to read to find out what I mean :)

Blue Tights helped pave the way in the YA genre for books about African American dancers (this is a guess, it's the oldest book I've found that deals with AA dancers but there could be another). The characters can't be placed in a box and while Joyce will drive you crazy, her story is heartwarming and she does mature mentally. While this book was written in the '80s, the issues addressed here are still (sadly) prevalent today, especially in the African American community. The dance scenes are well done and any dancer will will appreciate them. It's a nice coming of age story with a few unexpected twists.

Disclosure: From the library

PS I really like this cover. Not just because there's an African American girl on there but because it's so colorful. Joyce wears an orange leotard and blue tights and that's accurately depicted on the cover. Also it looks like she's standing on a drum (very important) and there's a ballerina in the background. All these aspects of the cover are actually mentioned in the story (which is not always the case).

Waiting on Wednesday: Efrain's Secret + Saving Maddie Winners!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on....

Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero

Release Date: April 13, 2010

Ambitious high school senior Efrain Rodriguez dreams of escaping the South Bronx for an Ivy League college like Harvard or Yale. But how is his family going to afford to pay for a prestigious university when Moms has to work insane hours to put food on the table as it is? And Efrain wouldn’t dare ask that good-for-nothing father of his who has traded his family in for younger models. Left with few options, Efrain chooses to do something he never thought he would. He embarks on a double life—honor student by day, drug peddler at night—convinced that by temporarily capitulating to society’s negative expectations of a boy like him, he can eventually defy them.

Sofia Quintero makes a stunning debut writing for young adults with this gritty, complex, and real exploration of the life of an urban teen whose attempt to leave one world behind for a better one could cost him everything.

-Doesn't this sound like a great novel? Selling drugs to make money to support your family is a big issue in many communities. Also I've read Sofia Quintero's other books; Divas Don't Yield and her story in the collection Friday Night Chicas and really enjoyed them. She was funny while still getting her message across. I did read them when I was younger and perhaps I shouldn't have due to some content but I was desperate to find books about Latinas (I learned a lot about adults while on my search for POC literature and let's leave it at that. LOL). Her books helped fill in the gap. They just weren't about teens so now that she is writing a YA novel, I must get my hands on it!

As always summary is from Amazon.com

The three winners of Saving Maddie chosen by random.org are....

1. rhapsodyinbooks

2. Ishta Mercurio

3. Donna

Congrats to all the winners! I'm emailing you right now and you have 48 hours to get back to me.

To those who didn't win; I have some more giveaways coming up so stay tuned! Also you can win one of three copies of Saving Maddie at BookNut. So go enter! You have till March 21

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle

ARC Macmilliam (Henry Holt & Company)

Release Date: March 16, 2010 (Today!)

Rating: 4/5

IQ "when she [Fredrika Bremer] describes Cuba as one of God's most beautiful creations-an island of eternal summer/like an outer court of Paradise/ where she has inhaled new life,/ although she can't imagine/ having to stay here/ and live in this garden/ where freedom/ does not grow." pg. 69-70 Cecilia describing a poem of Fredrika's

The Firefly Letters describes Fredrika Bremer's visit to Cuba in 1851. Fredericka was a big supporter of women's equal rights and the first woman novelist in Sweden. Fredrika roams Cuba accompanied by Cecilia (a pregnant, teenage slave) and Elena (the daughter of a wealthy sugar mill owner). Elena must sneak out to join them since Fredrika's ideas are 'revolutionary' and 'unseemly' for a rich young lady to listen to. As Fredrika explores Cuba she observes the gorgeous scenery, the cruel conditions of slavery and learns about the mix of Spanish and African culture that makes Cuban culture.

I feel as though I would have enjoyed this book more if it was not in poetry form. The poetry flowed quite nicely and was lovely to read, BUT I was left wanting more information (which may have been the author's intent). The author does not get into Fredrika's background or explain in too much detail what Fredrika saw in Cuba. Most of that is saved for the biography in the end of the book. while the poetry gave me a good idea of who Fredrika was, the biography explained a lot more and really shaped how I viewed her. Considering how Fredrika spent three months in Cuba, I think this book could have been in poetic verse with short prose but been made longer. Elena was a flat character. Unlike Cecilia she was a fictional character and I wasn't invested in her character. Her growth and maturity as a character came rather suddenly and contrary to how the book sounds, she doesn't spend that much time with Fredrika. I thought Elena could have been left out of the story all together, though she does have a shining moment.

I much preferred reading about Cecilia and Fredrika. Cecilia was a real person who did accompany Fredrika around and she introduced her to the horrors of slavery. Cecilia also showed Fredrika (and the readers) the beauty of Cuba and its culture, mostly as influenced by the African slaves. Cecilia is Fredrika's companion because she speaks English and Fredrika spoke no Spanish, so Cecilia was her translator. Cecilia was resilient and I admired her strength in the face of being young (fifteen), pregnant, and married to a fellow slave that she did not know or love. As I've mentioned before, Cuba is one of my favorite countries to read about so I was quite intrigued by the Cuban customs and beliefs described. For example; Cubans back then (I have no idea if they still do) believed that moonlight was harmful. Whenever they went outside at night, they covered their heads. Interesting. As Fredrika says "How can anything as beautiful as a moonlit night be dangerous?" (pg. 42)

Overall, I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of Cuba, from its landscape, to its culture, the good and the bad. I finished this book wanting more and I was grateful for the references listed at the back of the book so I can read more about Fredrika Bremer. She was an amazing woman (she sat in the back of church with the African slaves which was "terrible"!) who not only promoted equal rights for women, but equal rights for Blacks. Cecilia is another wonderful character who offers a perspective of Cuba not often seen; that of a slave. Elena's story could have gone further than it did and it would have been nice to read more about her. The alternating three viewpoints add interest to the story and the poetic prose will delight readers of all age (though the shortness of the book may frustrate older readers, 144 pages but it's a fast read).

Disclosure: Received from Colleen. Thanks so much!!

PS This was unintentional but my reading and reviewing of this novel coincided with Women's History Month. I realize I haven't done a post on it, but I don't think I need to. I love reading about strong, female characters and I love reading about feminists from the past. Sadly, my school does not celebrate Women's History Month so I don't know as much about women's history as I should. But I do lots of reading (like this) to make up for it.

Male Monday: Kimchi & Calamari

Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent 2007
HarperCollins

Rating: 4/5

IQ "People always used to think I'm Chinese; they think anyone with narrow eyes is. It used to bug me, but like Mom always says, you gotta get over the idiots in this world." Joseph pg. 43

Kimchi is a Korean dish that consists of vegetables, spices and is covered in sauce (I hope I'm getting that right, anyone who is Korean feel free to correct me in the comments, ETA: it's spicy fermented cabbage) and calamari is Italian for squid (which I never knew). Joseph Calderaro is Korean but he was adopted by two Italians who are very proud of their culture. They eat Italian food and speak in Italian. Joseph has never given much thought to his Korean heritage until his social studies teacher assigns an essay about ancestors. Joseph knows nothing about his Korean ancestors, but writing about his Italian ancestors won't feel as authentic to him. Thus Joseph embarks on his quest to find out about his Korean heritage and his Korean birth parents.

Kimchi & Calamari opens up with a few lines that will make you smile "You wake up and you're fourteen. The world is your supersized soda waiting to be guzzled, right? Wrong. My birthday tasted more like Coke that went flat." Interesting comparison but one that many kids would make (if we ever thought to compare the world to something). More than anything this book made me smile or laugh out loud a few times. Joseph is quite an entertaining narrator with a unique way of looking at the world while still remaining a genuine teen. He makes a lot of food comparisons and has a peculiar way of describing himself and others, along with things that he does and he's awesome because "I was born in Korea and my family is Italian, but I've got the soul of a reggae drummer." Ya man! Joseph is a drummer and I liked how he described band practice, with self-deprecating humor while still acknowledging the talent and hard work it takes to be in band.

The romance was sweet, though it grew to be predictable. Joseph and his friends are on a mission to find dates for the Farewell Formal and the result is both cute and amusing. All the minor characters are funny and while they do fall flat a few times, when they do reappear they are hilarious. Nash was my favorite secondary character (if you've read the book then you understand this word that best sums up Nash: potatoes! I was laughing so hard at this). Joseph's quest to find his birth mother is heart-warming, and I think all adoptees and those who have adopted will be able to relate to his story and recognize exactly how he feels. One of the best parts of the novel is that we learn a lot about Korea right along with Joseph. Joseph discovers Sohn Kee Chung (who is quite impressive and I recommend everyone read this book and then google him to learn more) as well as Korean food and Korean culture (no shoes in the house, Hangul, dojangs and more). Besides Korean culture, Italian culture is obviously a huge part of the novel was well. Joseph's Italian family seemed so warm and real. I wanted to meet all of them and eat some of his mom's calamari, spaghetti and risotto and sausage. There's also a mention of a corno (I had no idea what that was so I thought it was cool to learn about.I have lots of Italian friends and I'm curious if they themselves or their fathers/brothers, etc. wear a corno).

Kimchi & Calamari is a salivating read (seriously have some Korean/Italian food handy or better yet both because you will be hungry!) that will make you laugh and have you cheering Joseph on. Joseph makes some seemingly predictable and careless mistakes but everyone messes up and that is accurately portrayed here. Middle school readers will be able to relate to Joseph and his wacky friends. All readers will learn something about Korea and/or Italy and close this novel appreciating their own loving family (whether biological or not) and ethnic heritage. 6th grade and up

Disclosure: From the library

Blogger Spotlight! TheHappyNappyBookseller

I've grown lax on my blogger spotlight. It's supposed to be weekly so I will work on having that feature more since I enjoy the interviews!

This week I'm talking to Doret whose blog is TheHappyNappyBookseller, which is one of the best blog names. Doret is someone I count as one of my godmothers. She was one of the first supporters of Reading in Color and she is THE person to go to when you are looking for upcoming releases of YA/MG books that feature POC. She is a great resource and a wonderful cheerleader :) She's also working on the publishing project with Laura and I.

1) Explain about your blog

I had a hard time finding blogs that talked about books featuring characters of color, so I decided to start my own. My blog stands out because of my focus on books with kids of color. Though I will happily say how much I loved a book that features all White characters- good is good. I wanted my blogger name to be catchy and say that girls got melanin.

2) What 2010 debut book are you most looking forward? Non-debut?

There are two 2010 debuts I am looking forward to;

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork. I am also looking forward to Finding My Place by Traci L. Jones

RiC note: The Last Summer of the Death Warriors is amazing! I really want to read Finding My Place.

One non debut I am looking forward to is Better Than I Know Myself by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant. Someone I work with loves their books, so I am excited to finally be reading one.

3) What are your top 5 favorite POC books?

Only 5? That's hard. I will keep it strictly YA to make it a little easier

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Upstate: A Novel by Kalisha Buckhanon

Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

4) Talk about yourself =)

I am from NY, I currently live in Atlanta. I am pretty quiet person. I enjoy watching sports, I don't play any. I have been known to randomly stop and admire a tree or two.

RiC: To learn more about Doret and her love of sports and literature read this interview she did with Justine Larbalestier!

5) If you could have dinner with any two POC characters who would it be and why?

My favorite novel is Mama Day by Gloria Naylor. I would love to have dinner with the sisters Miranda (Mama Day) and Abigail. They can trace their family tree all the way back to 1799, I would like to hear a few of those stories. Plus both sisters can throw down in the kitchen.

Finally any advice to those who want to start reading POC? And to those who are starting a blog?

Anyone who doesn't normally read books with poc, I would suggest getting a personalized recommendations. You'll have a better chance so starting with a book you will enjoy. Also if a friend or blogger, who reads poc novels has similar taste in books try reading one of their favorite books with poc.

To anyone starting a blog: It may take a while to find your blogger voice and style but you'll find it. Make yourself known by commenting at other blogs. Take full advantage of your local library. Have fun with it!

Wonderful advice from a wonderful blogger! I expect everyone to go become a follower of theHappyNappyBookseller now.

If you would like to be featured in the blogger spotlight email me or leave a comment.

New Crayons

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

I've decided next week will be Haiti review week. I still don't have Every time A Rainbow Dies or Ruined but I have four out of the six books now so I'm going to go ahead with the reviews. I'm also going to try and do a post on all the authors I appreciate for Author Appreciation Week (I'll do five authors in one post).

Finally, March is Arts Appreciation Month so I've decided that March 22-27 will be reviews of books that have to do with the arts (and yes it will mostly be dancing since that's what I know, but I'll try and look for acting, music, singing and art as well). Hopefully, I'll find enough books so that the reviews will run longer than a week. And of course it's Women's History Month and I will try and find some YA POC lit with a feminist bend but I'm not sure if I know of any. Suggestions? I have read and reviewed The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston which is about an African American feminist, but that's the only book I can think of that is about a POC, YA and explicitly feminist.

This week I got

The Adventures of Sili Page: The Case of Benjamin Laire by Dew Platt

Silli Page is no ordinary teenager with her sleepwalking and lucid daydreams. But when fifteen year old Benjamin Laire drops dead after a lab accident, she begins a new adventure in reality. Molly, her best friend, believes his death wasn't an accident. To find the truth she'll need the help of three unlikely people: the Englishman who, due to her foolish actions wants nothing to do with her and the two thirteen year old geek boys she and Molly often bully. Can they all stand together to ask-did someone plan Benjamin's death to look like an accident?

-Thank you Dew! I'm always willing to give self-published books a chance and I love that it's a mystery being solved by a female POC. We need more POC detectives and spies!

Legacy: The Becoming by Dew Platt

Eighteen-year-old Tutu Bade has it all going for her: a bright future, a loving family, and great friends. But what she inherits from her grandmother sends her life into a different direction. With a new supernatural awareness, when her best friend's cousin's death is labeled a suicide and the dead sixteen year old cries foul, she is thrown into an investigation. In solving the case, Tutu will have to trust her newly found instinct against everything she once believed and held dear.

-I'm trying to read more paranormal books so I look forward to reading this one. Thanks Dew!

Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes

When twelve-year-old Izzy discovers a beat-up baseball marked with the words 'Because magic' while unpacking in yet another new apartment, she is determined to figure out what it means. What secrets does this old ball have to tell? Her mom certainly isn't sharing any especially when it comes to Izzy's father, who died before Izzy was born. But when she spends the summer in her Nana's remote New Mexico village, Izzy discovers long-buried secrets that come alive in an enchanted landscape of watermelon mountains, whispering winds, and tortilla suns. Infused with the flavor of the southwest and sprinkled with just a pinch of magic, this heartfelt middle grade debut is as rich and satisfying as Nana's homemade enchiladas.

-I can practically feel the warmth of the sun on my face (ha! Scratch that. It's still cold, wishful thinking on my part). Anyway, I'm quite looking forward to reading this debut which consists of; baseball, secrets, family and Mexican food :) Thanks Chronicle Books!

From the library

Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin

"The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone."

Karina has plenty to worry about on the last day of seventh grade: finding three Ds and a C on her report card again, getting laughed at by everyone again, being sent to the principal -- again. She'd like this to change, but with her and her sisters dodging their stepfather's fists every day after school, she doesn't have time to do much self-reflecting. Finally her stepfather is taken away on child abuse charges, and Karina thinks things might turn into something resembling normal. The problem is, he's not gone for good. And as Karina becomes closer with a girl at the community center where her stepfather is not showing up for his parenting classes, she starts to realize a couple things. First, for all the problems her family had tried to escape by immigrating from Haiti, they brought most of them along to upstate New York. And second, if anything is going to change for this family, it is going to be up to Karina and her sisters to make it happen.

M. Sindy Felin's debut novel is the story of a young girl's coming-of-age amid the violent waters that run just beneath the surface of suburbia -- a story that has the courage to ask: How far will you go to protect the ones you love?

-I've already started reading this one and it has quite possibly the best opening sentence (it's in the summary in quotation marks) I've ever read. Sucked me right in. I'm not far along yet but the book sounds so sad. I may cry =/

Happy reading everyone and thank you in advance for your recommendations!