New Crayons (FINALLY) + Future Post Ideas

New Crayons is a meme hosted by Color Online in which participating bloggers share what new books they got for the week whether by buying them, going to the library, trading or as gifts.

Except for one, these books all have one feature in common that makes me happy. Guess what it is.

I've been thinking lately about what I want to write about on this blog. I've got plenty of books to review and I am slowly (but surely) finding the motivation to resume reviewing. I am open to suggestions; is there anything people would like to see me discuss? Or answer any questions? I have a few ideas but I am open to any others. For now I know that I want to write the following sometime soon (as in before I go to college):

-resume my monthly literacy non-profit spotlight
-Write a follow-up Jane Austen post (and respond to all the comments)
-Read/review books about one country for one week in which there is a humanitarian crisis occurring (a la my Haiti week)
-Publish my before-college bucket list
-write a 2012 MG releases about kids of color post (a la my 2012 YA releases about teenagers of color)

For those who are curious about my colleges so far I was accepted into Tulane University, University of Rochester, Loyola University Chicago, Fordham University and Northeastern University. If you have any thoughts on any of those colleges, feel free to share them since I have an idea of where I want to go but I'm not 100% sure yet. And I hear back from a few others in late March.

Now for my New Crayons (most of the books arrived weeks ago)

Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott

Release Date: Feb 28

When 11-year-old Dmitri (D) loses his mother to breast cancer, he finds himself taken in by an elderly white woman, Mrs. Martin. D loves to watch birds and, while in the park, is amazed to find an injured bird that can talk. He takes it home and soon learns there are malevolent forces inhabiting the region beneath Prospect Park and they are hunting for the bird; Nuru is a life force that has been kept hostage by the earthbound spirits who are ghosts of soldiers that died in the Revolutionary War. Nuru's mission is to guide the ship that will carry the souls of the dead back to her realm. D has been chosen as Nuru's host, and must carry the bird from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan where the dead await deliverance.

-Thank you so much Zetta and congratulations on the Booklist starred review! Zetta Elliott is one of my favorite authors after reading her debut, A Wish After Midnight so I'm impatiently waiting for school to settle down so I can devour this book.

Cat Girl's Day Off by Kimberly Pauley

Release Date: April 1

Natalie Ng’s little sister is a super-genius with a chameleon-like ability to disappear. Her older sister has three Class A Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her mom has laser vision and has one of the highest IQs ever. Her dad’s Talent is so complex even the Bureau of Extra-Sensory Regulation and Management (BERM) hardly knows what to classify him as. And Nat? She can talk to cats. The whole talking-to-cats thing is something she tries very hard to hide, except with her best friends Oscar (a celebrity-addicted gossip hound) and Melly (a wannabe actress). When Oscar shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on…and it’s not funny. (okay, yeah, a frou-frou blogger being taken down by a really angry cat named Tiddlywinks, who also happens to be dyed pink? Pretty hilarious.) Nat and her friends are catapulted right into the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets. Can she keep her reputation intact? Can she keep Oscar and Melly focused long enough to save the day? And, most importantly, can she keep from embarrassing herself in front of Ian? Find out what happens when the kitty litter hits the fan.

-The words "Ferris Bueller's Chicago" made me fall in love with this book's summary, can't wait!


Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Release Date: July 3

When a vampire shows up at Mel's high school, it's up to Mel to keep her best friend from falling in love with him. Add a mysterious disappearance, a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and poignant.

-Both authors are hilarious and great writers, what more could a reader want?


Into the Wise Dark by Neesha Meminger

Release Date: March

Pammi has a Secret--she is an Able. At night, she travels through time to an ancient city called Zanum. She's been visiting Zanum since she was seven and she's kept it a secret from everyone--including her own mother. Especially her mother. Everything's been fine...until now.On the night of an important Zanum ceremony, Pammi follows her gut instinct and defies an elder's orders, inadvertently leading evil directly to the door of the city she loves. Now the evil that plans to wipe out the city is coming after her. Can she save herself, and Zanum, before it's too late? Or will she seal the doom of all Ables and witness the annihilation of everyone she loves?

-I love all the cool links related to the book the author features on her website, I'm a sucker for research and historical tidbits. Again Neesha Meminger is one of my favorite authors so I'm dying of anticipation :D


What books did you get this week? Share the titles. Have you read any of the books I got? What posts would you like to see me write?

No More Books for Review Please (Temporarily)

The heading of this post makes me sad but it's simply not possible for me to read YA as much as I did last year. Between college applications, playing a fall sport and pre-calc (WHY would they make pre-calc harder than calc? And why did my counselor not tell me to not waste my time in this class? And why can't I do basic math? So many questions ha) I'm lucky if I finish a YA book within the month! Part of the problem is my interest in YA is waning, in my few minutes of spare time I'm (slowly) devouring True Compass by Edward Kennedy and Madame Secretary by Madeline Albright. I currently have six books I need to read AND review and two books I need to review. Books that have already been sent to me will of course be reviewed and I sincerely hope to have all ARC September reviews published soon. So please authors and publishing houses email first before mailing me a book, unless you don't mind if I don't review it right away.

I will continue to sporadically post and please help keep me in the 'know' by sharing links of importance on this post :) Especially happy news because I've been tired/depressed these past few months so I really want to share in other people's happiness!

New Crayons, Did I Mention That....

I'm excited because I have three reviews planned for this week and I've written five college essay rough drafts. Progress!

New Crayons is hosted by Color Online a meme in which I share what new books I received for the week. Don't forget to pre-order What You Wish For, all the proceeds go to BookWish which helps build refugee camp libraries.



Have I mentioned that I was the 2011 Best Teen Blog winner at the Black Weblog Awards? No? Considered it mentioned. Thank you so much to all who voted for me! You can watch the entire show here or just skip to me being announced here ;) It's super embarrassing though!





Traded Subway Girl for


Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life-like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition-Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles.

Through Kimberly's story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about.

-EVERYONE has recommended this book to me (well not any teens but whatever) and so I had to read it. Thank you so much de Pizan!


For review from Little, Brown & Company

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Image from Tansyrr.com (I couldn't find any other images of the U.S. ARC cover)

Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers.

As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year's Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most.

As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?

-I haven't started reading this yet but I did skim through it and I'm failry certain the main character is Maori so it fits with my blog's theme. I was relieved to see that since lately I've been getting quite a few books that don't and I don't have the money to mail them out just yet to other reviewers. I don't like reading books about serial killers though... thank you L&B!

Enjoying your end of summer? For those in school, how's it going? Any last-minute summer reads?

New Crayons, New Plans

I had been thinking that once summer arrived I would have more time to blog, but that will be on hold until at least July. I will have scheduled reviews that I already promised to do in June but I am going on a service trip to Guatemala for ten days and we will not have Internet access. So I'm hoping this won't become a regular thing, me having no time to blog but for now I'm taking it a day at a time. Tomorrow starts my last week of school and then I have finals but I leave for Guatemala a week after my last final so my days will be spent hanging out with friends. But I'm going to try and write a review everyday next week, whether to be published immediately or while I'm gone.

New Crayons is hosted by Color Online (which I've neglected so much :(

Hey Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and On the Streets by Mandy Van Deven, Joanne Smith & Meghan Huppuch

At every stage of education, sexual harassment is common, and often considered a rite of passage for young people. It's not unusual for a girl to hear "Hey, Shorty!" on a daily basis as she walks down the hall or comes into the school yard, followed by a sexual innuendo, insult, come-on, or assault. But when teenagers are asked whether they experience this in their own lives, most of them say it's not happening.

Girls for Gender Equity, a nonprofit organization based in New York City, has developed a model for teens to teach one another about sexual harassment. How do you define it? How does it affect your self-esteem? What do you do in response? Why is it so normalized in schools, and how can we as a society begin to address these causes? Geared toward students, parents, teachers, policy makers, and activists, this book is an excellent model for building awareness and creating change in any community.

Founded by Joanne Smith, Girls for Gender Equity is a nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn committed to the physical, psychological, social, and economic development of urban girls.

-I have mixed feelings on this topic because on the one hand blatant sexual harassment (insults and assaults) is wrong but on the other hand I can personally attest to the fact that some compliments/come-ons are a confidence booster. Should it be that way? Probably not. But is it anyway? Yes. So I'm very interested in reading this book. Received from one of the authors, thank you!

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent," with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?

-I met Nnedi Okorafor at Diversity in YA and hearing her speak was awesome especially when she said that she doesn't mind using difficult Nigerian Igbo names for her characters because we teen readers are "big kids" who can power through it. haha. Anyway yay more speculative fiction diversity!

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.

When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

-WoW. Received as part of a blog tor, thank you :)


What did you win/buy/trade for this week?

Some Changes & New Crayons

Before we get to New Crayons I want to prepare you. There's going to be a few more off color reviews popping up. As you may recall off color reviews are ones in which the book is by an author of color but the main character is not of color or the book is by a white author with a diverse supporting cast. Recently, I was offered the opportunity to be a part of an amazing opportunity. The literacy charity First Book which has provided over 80 million books to children in need. So where do I come up and what's it got to do with off color? Well each month a blogger (there are 32 of us I believe) picks a book from the First Book Marketplace (registered organizations and schools that serve low-income families can buy heavily discounted books from there) to read and review. The point is that on a given day all these bloggers will be reviewing YA books. The hope is that educators and librarians who work with teens will learn more about First Book and register with them. I wanted to participate because it's about giving books to kids who many not get that many, and that means the world to me. A bonus was that there are several diverse titles in the collection, I'm going to have a hard time narrowing down which book to choose when it's my turn! In short, some bloggers will pick books with white main characters and I will review them here. I hope that there will be diverse secondary characters as well (not so in this first book choice but maybe the next one :) You'll learn more tomorrow in my first review.

I've also decided to s-l-o-w-l-y start including off color reviews as books where the main character is Jewish (in heritage and/or religion). Why? Because I don't see many of those books being reviewed and I don't go to school with kids who are openly Jewish (i.e. i have no idea if they actually are because it's not mentioned) and I want to learn more about that culture and religion. I've already got several in my TBR on Goodreads so I should hop to it (and besides a few of them feature the main character being half poc, half Jewish. Like Orchards by Holly Thompson or I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Cristina Garcia) I hope you don't mind, but hey it is my blog ;) Seriously though, I welcome your input on the subject.

Back to New Crayons!

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield. The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the "manly arts" of the Mongols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling. Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting 'dragons' and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier.

-Won from Rebecca's Book Blog. whoo-hoo! Already read and enjoyed :) Review March 8th. Thank you Rebecca & Random House!

From the author

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

-Yes I'm friends with this author and OMG yes I was included in the acknowledgements! Ahhhh. Anyway *calms down* As I type this my camera's dead, but otherwise I would take a picture of this gorgeous cover. It's the UK version and it has this to-die-for gold foil that makes the book POP. I'm in love (and I haven't even had a chance to red it yet, I'm waiting for next week when I get out of school early so I can carve a few hours out of my day). Thank you Kaz!

The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee Frazier

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.

-We are studying genetics in science class and we briefly discussed how twins can be born looking white and black if they have white ancestors in their parents' past and/or have biracial parents. Which reminded me of Passing by Nella Larsen and how both Gertrude and Clare were terrified that their children would be born dark-skinned even though they were both light. Getrude says something like 'you never know how our kids are going to turn out' (meaning how they're going to look. They could be extremely light or darker than you expected. Obviously it doesn't matter but back then it did. And some people today are still stuck thinking light is better). Anyhoo, all that rambling is meant to convey that I'm very eager to read this book. Thank you Ms. Frazier!


What wonderful books did you get this week? Do you have any changes being made to your blog?

New Crayons, Nominations & My Guest Post

Whew it's been a busy week! I still have a party to plan for one of my friends and to finish buying all my friends gifts (I know, I know, I'm awful for doing this after Christmas). I have been reading A TON. I have about 10 books waiting to be reviewed so hopefully I'll be able to get those reviews written and scheduled to run this upcoming week and the week leading up to finals.

New Crayons is when we share what books we got with a multicultural theme. Hosted by Color Online

This week I got exactly what I needed which is 'lighter' reads. I've been reading some intense books lately and I really need some good books with less complexity.


Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger

Release Date: January 10, 2011 (but it's already available to buy)

Jasbir, a.k.a. Jazz, has always been a stellar student and an obedient, albeit wise-cracking, daughter. Everything has gone along just fine--she has good friends in the "genius" program she's been in since kindergarten, her teachers and principal adore her, and her parents dote on her. But now, in her junior year of high school, her mother hears that Jazz was seen hugging a boy on the street and goes ballistic. Mom immediately implements the Guided Dating Plan, which includes setting up blind dates with "suitable," pre-screened Indian candidates. The boy her mother sets her up with, however, is not at all what anyone expects; and the new boy at school, the very UNsuitable hottie, is the one who sets Jazz's blood boiling. When Jazz makes a few out-of-the-ordinary decisions, everything explodes, and she realizes she'll need a lot more than her genius education to get out of the huge mess she's in. Can Jazz find a way to follow her own heart, and still stay in the good graces of her parents?

-Gobbled this one up already and it's wonderful :) We need more books about teenagers of color with us doing everyday things. And interracial romance! And same culture romance! This book has us well on our way. Funny and heartwarming. Review to come in the new year. Thank you Neesha!!


How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen

Release Date: February 22, 2011

Thirteen-year-old Lamar Washington is the maddest, baddest, most spectacular bowler ever at Striker's Bowling Paradise. But while Lamar's a whiz at rolling strikes, he always strikes out with girls. And Lamar's brother, Xavier the Basketball Savior, is no help. Xavier earns trophy after trophy on the basketball court and soaks up all of Dad's attention, leaving no room in the house for Lamar's problems.

So Lamar starts hustling at the local alley with bad boy Billy Jenks. When one of their schemes goes awry, Lamar ends up ruining his brother's shot at college and wreaking havoc on every relationship in his life. Can Lamar figure out how to mend his broken ties, no matter what the cost?

-I've been wanting this for forever! Well it feels like forever. And now I'm waiting to read it till Jan 1, 2011 so that it will count for the debut YA/MG author challenge. I could really use a hilarious and uplifting read so close to finals. Thank you Zetta!

Reading in Color News

I got a Sony touch Ereader for Christmas! Pretty crazy. I didn't ask for it or even hint at it. But I know that I'm going to be using it to download classics for sure. Is there anything I need to know about the Sony Touch Ereader? I haven't charged it yet or read the instructions but I will try and figure it out soon. I welcome all and any tips =) I also got Decoded by Jay-Z. I'm SO PSYCHED to read this. Not sure if I'll review it but it's got a positively luminous cover and ahhh it's written by Jay-Z!! Love him (well his music anyway). I got other gifts to but those are the book-related ones.

I did a guest post for Steph Su about my top ten 2010 favorite female protagonists. Stop by and tell me your favorites, do you agree or disagree with my choices?

Finally I've been nominated for best blog of 2010 (reader's choice)! Say whaaa?? The competition is beyond ferocious but (not to sound like a total cliche) I'm just thrilled to even be nominated. Voting ends on Dec. 31 so if you think I deserve to win, please vote for me. Or just vote in general because there are a lot of really really great blogs nominated.

If you celebrate Christmas, did you get any bookish-related goodies? Do tell! If you don't celebrate Christmas, please share what new books you got for the week.

New Crayons, 2011 Feature & Poetry Update

New Crayons is a meme hosted by Color Online. For this meme, all you have to do is share what new books you got for the week. Easy, yes?


Before we get to the New Crayons I wanted to thank everyone for their British poet recommendations. I should have clarified that we are not allowed to do American or Canadian poets, even though they were once colonies of Britain.


At the moment, I'm leaning towards some Roald Dahl (hilarious!), Jackie Kay (utterly moving), Grace Nicols (funny) and Benjamin Zephaniah. But feel free to continue to leave recommendations. I hope to have made my final selections in about two weeks. And of course I will tell everyone who I chose and thank the person who recommended them!

Just in Time for Halloween-From Book Fairy Numero Tres



Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love; edited by Trisha Telep

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.

Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

• Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
• Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
• Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
• Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss)
• Daniel Marks (ghost kids)
• Justine Musk (sorcerers)
• Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
• Michelle Rowen (demons)
• Carrie Ryan (zombies)
• Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
• Rachel Vincent (banshees)
• Daniel Waters (zombies)
• Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

-I want to read more paranormal stuff so these anthologies seem like a good place to start. I'm most curious about the story with banshees and the one with sorcerers (I feel like no one does those anymore for fear of being accused of being a 'HP rip-off' but I like them).

Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Within every woman there lives a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. She is the Wild Woman, who represents the instinctual nature of women. But she is an endangered species. In WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES, Dr. Estés unfolds rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, and stories, many from her own family, in order to help women reconnect with the fierce, healthy, visionary attributes of this instinctual nature. Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine. Dr. Estés has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche. Fertile and life-giving, it is a psychology of women in the truest sense, a knowing of the soul.


-I'd never heard of this book before until Sarwat Chadda mentioned it as a book he read for research for the Billi SanGreal series. Naturally I had to read it. The funny thing is, I never mentioned to my book fairy that I wanted, it was just in the back of my mind. This is my first "serious" feminist read, I'm ready to be initiated ;D


From Book Fairy #4

Boy vs. Girl by Na'ima B. Robert

Farhana swallowed and reached for the hijab. But then she saw with absolute clarity the weird looks from the other girls at school, and the smirks from the guys. Did she dare? And then there was Malik... What should she do about him?

Faraz was thinking about Skrooz and the lads. Soon he would finally have the respect of the other kids at school. But at what price? He heard Skrooz's voice, sharp as a switchblade: "This thing is powerful, blud. But you have to earn it, see? Just a few more errands for me..."

They're twins, born 6 minutes apart. Both are in turmoil and both have life-changing choices to make, against the peaceful backdrop of Ramadan. Do Farhana and Faraz have enough courage to do the right thing? And can they help each other - or will one of them draw the other towards catastrophe?

-J'adore (am I fancy or what ;) books in which stereotypes are completely broken down and this sounds like a fabulous book to do it. How many times have you read about a handsome, rebellious Muslim teen guy? Or a Muslim girl who does not want to wear the hijab? Exactly.


News

The Mysterious Benedict Society covers were un-whitewashed! Again, thank you to everyone who spoke out on this issue!!

Finally, introducing my 2011 feature titled, Elated Over Eleven =D I'm pumped for this feature. The first interview will be up this Friday, on October 29th. In this feature, I interview 2011 debut YA/MG authors of color. The interviews will run 1-2 months before their book debuts. So far I know of 9 2011 YA/MG debut authors, but feel free to email/comment with the names of any debut authors of color that fit the criteria. I haven't contacted all the authors yet (especially not the ones with summer releases), so if you're an author of color and your debut comes out in the summer and I haven't emailed you yet, that's why :)

What books did you get this week? What do you think of my new feature idea?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Other Side of Dark + 2011 Debuts

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this meme you share what new book you are eagerly awaiting on this week.

This week I'm waiting on....

The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith

Release Date: November 2, 2010

From the other side of dark they come, the ghosts of the violently dead. George Perkins, a mentally challenged boy who has been put in charge of a bloodsoaked treasure. Katie Mullens’s father who died in the Middle East. And the Others…

Law Walker, son of a famous African American professor, had a crush on Katie before she went crazy. Before her mother died. She was always a talented artist, but now her drawings have gone crazy too. They’re dark, they’re bloody—and they’re real. Katie draws what she sees. Dead people. Ghosts.

Now Katie needs Law to help the visions stop. And Law wants to help her. So what if his dad doesn’t want him dating a white girl? But Law needs Katie too, to find out what George knows about the treasure … and what Katie is going to see will be much bigger, much more shocking than anyone expected.

This powerhouse novel is about ugly histories, brave and desperate choices, and learning to see people—dead and alive—for who they really are.

-I see dead people! (haven't even seen that movie. ha) I'm normally a big fan of books that state upfront that there will be an interracial romance but I like that this is a fantasy/paranormal (I don't really know which genre this book falls into) that involves ghosts, craziness and a PoC main character. Plus the added in romance should keep the book from terrifying me ;)

Summary from author's website (sarahsmith.com)

Reading in Color News

It's official my as yet unnamed 2011 debut author of color YA/MG feature is a go! I only have about nine authors so my fingers are crossed that I will find more authors of color making their debut in YA/MG. If you'd like to be featured (no ebooks) please email me or leave a comment. I also need suggestions for what to call this feature. Any ideas? Email or leave a comment.

Possibilties:

'Ello Elevensies

Esteemed Elevensies

Something that reminds with 2011?

As you can see, I need help! I'm looking for a creative title, but the only creative bones in my body are related to dance :) So I've got nothing.

What are you waiting on this week? Any PoC releases?

New Crayons & Reading in Color Updates

New Crayons is a meme (no one ever did tell me what a meme was. Does this mean no one knows or people just don't care enough to explain? haha) hosted by Color Online.

A quick note on reviews for the month of September. September is Hispanic Heritage Month. I thin by now everyone knows how I feel about these cultural months. However I'm going to use this month not to overly emphasize books about Latinos, but to review all the books I own by/about Latinos. As you will see from the books I got this week, I have quite a few to review with Latina main characters. I also own some that still need to be reviewed (yes I'm looking at you: The Dreamer, Girl vs. Boy, Roberto and Me, The Surrender Tree and a few others). Hooray for cultural months that help me lower the number of books in my TBR pile ;)

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

Release Date: November 23, 2010

A dancer driven to succeed.

A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.

The summer they share.

And the moment it all goes wrong.

Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.

But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.

-The only downside to getting this book over Labor Day weekend is that I've been out and about and haven't had as much time to read it. But now I'm almost done and dear readers, this story ROCKS. Totally going to be another favorite book of the year. I try to review books closer to their release date, and that should give me time to think of an adequate review because right now all I can think is 'WHOA' (in a good way). I'm probably going to have to buy a hardcover copy because I want to see what the back cover will look like. This cover is one of my absolute favorites too. This book is such a win. Check out my Waiting on Wednesday post in which the author commented explaining why she chose the title. It's based on a song and the lyrics completely fit with the story (it's sort of eerie ;)

Amigas series by Veronica Chambers, crated by Jane Startz, inspired by Jennifer Lopez (I received #s 1-3 in the series)

Amigas #1: Fifteen Candles (Summary of the first book)

Four friends. One sweet fifteen. Miami is heating up!

Miami, Florida, has it all--beaches, boys, sun, and fun. It also has quinceneras. Lots of them! The fantastic parties thrown for Latina girls turning fifteen are a staple of the Miami social scene. For Alicia Cruz and her three best friends--Carmen, Jamie, and Gaz--they are just part of the background of summer.

But this summer, things are going to change. After meeting Sarita, a new girl in town, at her internship, Alicia ends up volunteering to help organize Sarita's quince. She also volunteers her friends. Soon Alicia is drowning in preparation and turning into a quincezilla--and it isn't even her party! But there is just so much to do--there are shoes to be bought, dances to choreograph, and then there is Gaz. He is being flirtier than usual with Alicia and she's not sure what to do. It seems like Alicia is dangerously close to losing her friends...and her mind! Will she learn to trust her amigas and rock the party?

-My fingers are crossed that one of the friends is Panamanian (the author is). I'm a little tired of all the quinceaneara books out there but this may be due to my jealousy over not having one. I never reviewed any of those books here anyway so might as well start. I love the idea of teens planning parties and getting paid to do so.

La Linea by Ann Jaramillo

Miguel has dreamed of joining his parents in California since the day they left him behind in Mexico six years, eleven months, and twelve days ago. On the morning of his fifteenth birthday, Miguel’s wait is over.
Or so he thinks. The trip north to the border—la línea—is fraught with dangers. Thieves. Border guards. And a grueling, two-day trek across the desert. It would be hard enough to survive alone. But it’s almost impossible with his tagalong sister in tow.
Their money gone and their hopes nearly dashed, Miguel and his sister have no choice but to hop the infamous mata gente as it races toward the border. As they cling to the roof of the speeding train, they hold onto each other, and to their dreams. But they quickly learn that you can’t always count on dreams—even the ones that come true.

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I actually haven't read that many books about crossing the border. At least, not the actual process. I remember passing this book a few times at my elementary school library, but I never read it (this was when I was in my phase of not reading books about Mexico. I had pretty much reached my capacity for books about Mexican teenagers. Don't get me wrong, the stories were good and I enjoy learning about Mexican culture, but that was all I seemed to be able to find. I got tired of it, I wanted to learn about other Latino cultures. It was only in the summer before high school that I first discovered books that were not about Mexicans, but were about Latinos). Regardless, I look forward to reading this book. I received this book from Melissa at YA Book Geek, thank you so much!

White is for Witching by Helen Oyemi

As a child, Miranda Silver developed pica, a rare eating disorder that causes its victims to consume nonedible substances. The death of her mother when Miranda is sixteen exacerbates her condition; nothing, however, satisfies a strange hunger passed down through the women in her family. And then there’s the family house in Dover, England, converted to a bed-and-breakfast by Miranda’s father. Dover has long been known for its hostility toward outsiders. But the Silver House manifests a more conscious malice toward strangers, dispatching those visitors it despises. Enraged by the constant stream of foreign staff and guests, the house finally unleashes its most destructive power.

With distinct originality and grace, and an extraordinary gift for making the fantastic believable, Helen Oyeyemi spins the politics of family and nation into a riveting and unforgettable mystery.

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This book may end up being an off-color review but since Miranda is supposed to be a fraternal twin of Haitian descent, it may be a regular review. We shall see. Also I've been assured by Tricia that this book is not that scary (scary as in horror movie scary which neither of us like). If it ends up being utterly terrifying, I'm coming for you Tricia! Kidding :) Thank you so much for this book. I've been meaning to read The Icarus Girl for awhile now, but I just want to read anything by Helen Oyemi. By the way, Tricia recently wrote an excellent letter to Borders

I've come to the conclusion that during the school year I simply can't blog everyday and that's OK. It helped for me to realize that I can't handle it when blogs post EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I love the content and I admire bloggers who either have the time, drive or the wisdom (to pre-schedule posts) to post everyday. But I feel overwhelmed. I constantly think I'm missing something if I don't check the blog everyday, and I don't always have time to do that. So for me and my blog, I won't post every day. Every week there will be six posts (most likely my Throwback Thursday meme participation will fall to the wayside because I don't get sent many books that are pre-2007) or less. I will always have a Waiting on Wednesday post and at least a few reviews (Male Monday and 2010 releases). Maybe not always a New Crayons. I'll play it by ear.

Anyway, what new books did YOU get this week? Any books by/about PoC? Do tell =)

Blogaversary Giveaway #3, Winners, Update

I'm baaaaaaaaacccccckkkkkkk =) I had a blast (I visited Brown University). I didn't get a chance to check my mailbox
so I'm not sure what I got, but I'm excited to check on Monday.

The winners of the POC on Covers/Whitewashing giveaway are...

Katie PB! (Magic Under Glass)
Diana Dang! (Liar)
Niranjana Iyer! (Silver Phoenix)
Vidisha! (His Own Where)

Congrats to all winners and thank you to all those who entered! Of course I realized for the Whitewashing giveaway that I forgot to include a space for your email address. So winners of that giveaway please email me within 48 hours, but since I messed up I will allow you an extra day for 36 hours, but 48 is ideal.

If you didn't win, cheer up, I have another giveaway! Author Lyn Miller Lachmann has kindly offered a signed copy of Gringolandia. It's U.S. only My REreview of Gringolandia My original review

To enter: Must be a U.S. follower. Fill out THIS form Ends: July 24, 2010 11:59 CT

I was pleased to see that most people who entered my giveaways so far are old followers. I'm not throwing these giveaways to get more followers, I want to thank my followers, the people who have been with me and supported me for quite some time. Besides, if you only follow me for giveaways, you may want to unfollow me now because after July ends, giveaways will be over for awhile (unless an author offers to mail out the book) due to my lack of a steady income.

I also want to share my Summer reading list updates.

Classics Reading List

1. Middlemarch by George Eliot (currently reading, longer than I expected!)

2. Kindred by Octavia Butler

3. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

4. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

5. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

6. Persuasion by Jane Austen (I want to read this by August)

7. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

8. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

9. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (I want to read this next)

10. The Living is Easy by Dorothy West (I want to read this next along with The Wedding)

Adult Fiction

1. Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

2. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

3. Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice

4. Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead

5. Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant

6. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (Book 1 in Easy Rawllins series)-currentyl reading

7. White Teeth by Zadie Smith

8. Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan

9. Feminista by Erica Kennedy

10. Bloody Waters by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera (Book 1 in Lupe Solano Mystery series)

Off Color (To reiterate: These books will not be reviewed here. I may review them on Goodreads)

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (plan to read next)

2. Graceling by Kirsten Cashore

3. Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1) by Diana Peterfreund

4. Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

5. The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson

6. The Daykeeper's Grimoire (Prophecy of Days #1) by Christy Raedeke

7. Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker

8. The Eternal Kiss: Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire (anthology), edited by Trisha Telep

9. White Cat by Holly Black

10. Levithian by Scott Westerfield

As you can I'm not doing so well. Ideally I want to read every book I have listed, but I'll settle for reading all the books on my adult fiction list and half on the classics list.

Check out this fun link, it lists 50 novels to read when you need a good laugh. I haven't read any books on the list but I do intend on reading many of them. I would also add Catcher in the Rye to the list and a host of other YA books. What would you add? Leave a comment here or at that post.

New Crayons, BBAW Registration & Blogoversary Prep

New Crayons is a meme created and hosted by Color Online

In New Crayons I share what new books I got this week, crayons being a good metaphor for multicultural literature.

Quick Blogoversary Update: I want to have one guest post a week, but this could change depending on how many I get. Let me know if you're interested and try and submit before July ends. Thank you :) Also my actual blogoversary is July 4th and I want to have a giveaway a week so if anyone wants to donate prizes, leave a comment or help me. Thanks!

This week I got....

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When (The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 1) by Annette Laing

What a nightmare.
Hannah Dias, California Girl with attitude, and Alex, her laid-back brother, have moved from exciting San Francisco to boring Snipesville, Georgia. Life doesn't improve when they meet Brandon, a dorky kid who is plotting his escape from the Deep South, and the weird Professor, who has a strange secret.
Suddenly, the kids are catapulted thousands of miles and almost seventy years to England during World War Two.
They fall into a world of stinging nettles, dragon ladies, bomb blasts, ugly underwear, stinky sandwiches, painful punishments, and non-absorbing toilet paper. They learn so much more than they could ever learn in a history class. Not that they want to learn it. But they can't go home unless they find George Braithwaite, whoever he is, and whatever it is that he has to do with Snipesville.

-From the author, thank you Annette! Charlotte from Charlotte's Library really liked this book and that helped me decide to give it a try. Based on her review and a few others, it sounds like this book talks about being Black during WWII and being Portuguese (a bit random but who cares!). Plus time travel is always cool :)

Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong

When you're so skinny people call you Skeleton Boy, how do you find strength for the fight of your life?

Twelve-year-old Vonlai knows that soldiers who guard the Mekong River shoot at anything that moves, but in oppressive Communist Laos, there's nothing left for him, his spirited sister, Dalah, and his desperate parents. Their only hope is a refugee camp in Thailand—on the other side of the river.

When they reach the camp, their struggles are far from over. Na Pho is a forgotten place where life consists of squalid huts, stifling heat, and rationed food. Still, Vonlai tries to carry on as if everything is normal. He pays attention in school, a dusty barrack overcrowded with kids too hungry to learn. And, to forget his empty stomach, he plays soccer in a field full of rocks. But when someone inside the camp threatens his family, Vonlai calls on a forbidden skill to protect their future—a future he's sure is full of promise, if only they can make it out of Na Pho alive.

In her compelling debut, Laura Manivong has written an evocative story that is vividly real, strongly affecting, and, at its heart, about hope that resonates in even the darkest moments.

-My review. Thank you so much Laura!

Moonshine by Alaya Johnson

Imagining vampires at the heart of the social struggles of 1920s, Moonshine blends a tempestuous romance with dramatic historical fiction, populated by a lively mythology inhabiting the gritty New York City streets

Zephyr Hollis is an underfed, overzealous social activist who teaches night school to the underprivileged of the Lower East Side. Strapped for cash, Zephyr agrees to help a student, the mysterious Amir, who proposes she use her charity worker cover to bring down a notorious vampire mob boss. What he doesn’t tell her is why. Soon enough she’s tutoring a child criminal with an angelic voice, dodging vampires high on a new blood-based street drug, and trying to determine the real reason behind Amir’s request—not to mention attempting to resist his dark, inhuman charm.

-This will be my first reviewed vampire book. It might quite possibly have the coolest setting every: NYC in the 1920s (if the Harlem Renaissance is mentioned I may pass out, haha). So 1920s, New York City, social activism and vampires. For the win! I won a copy =) Thank you so much Terri from Brown Girl Book Speak and Ms. Johnson for hosting this giveaway!

The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

Mary Quinn is back, now a trusted member of the Agency, the all female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Her new assignment sends her into the grimy underbelly of Victorian London dressed as a poor boy, evoking her own childhood memories of fear, hunger, and constant want. As she insinuates herself into the confidence of several persons of interest, she encounters others in desperate situations and struggles to make a difference without exposing —or losing —her identity. Mary’s adventure, which takes place on the building site of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, offers a fictional window into a fascinating historical time and place.

-I love this series. I love the blog tour. I love the author. 'Nuff said. I can't wait to start reading this book! Received for the blog tour. Thank you Candlewick!

Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15, 000 Books Beat Hip-hop Culture by Thomas Chatteron Williams

Into Williams's childhood home-a one-story ranch house-his father crammed more books than the local library could hold. "Pappy" used some of these volumes to run an academic prep service; the rest he used in his unending pursuit of wisdom. His son's pursuits were quite different-"money, hoes, and clothes." The teenage Williams wore Medusa- faced Versace sunglasses and a hefty gold medallion, dumbed down and thugged up his speech, and did whatever else he could to fit into the intoxicating hip-hop culture that surrounded him. Like all his friends, he knew exactly where he was the day Biggie Smalls died, he could recite the lyrics to any Nas or Tupac song, and he kept his woman in line, with force if necessary.

But Pappy, who grew up in the segregated South and hid in closets so he could read Aesop and Plato, had a different destiny in mind for his son. For years, Williams managed to juggle two disparate lifestyles- "keeping it real" in his friends' eyes and studying for the SATs under his father's strict tutelage. As college approached and the stakes of the thug lifestyle escalated, the revolving door between Williams's street life and home life threatened to spin out of control. Ultimately, Williams would have to decide between hip-hop and his future. Would he choose "street dreams" or a radically different dream- the one Martin Luther King spoke of or the one Pappy held out to him now?

-Kathy from the Brain Lair sent this book to me when we were talking about my Apples, Bananas, Coconuts and Oreos post (aka The Food Post, lol) because it addresses similar topics that I was talking about. However I do want to make something clear: I love hip hop. I know some of the lyrics can be misogynistic, but I love the beats and the clever wordplay. Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Eminem, T.I., B.o.B, Nas, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Travie McCoy. These are some of my favorite artists, and while they curse and aren't always positive, for the most part they aren't too misogynistic. So honestly, I'm not too sure if I'll ever stop listening to hip hop but I don't think that's what this book is calling for anyway. I do abhor the saggin' pants, dealing drugs, smoking, etc. lifestyle that some artists celebrate with their songs. All that being said, I'm really eager to read this book and it will get a full review since it's a memoir. Thank you Kathy!

What books did you get this week? Any POC ones?

Reading in Color News

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is September 13-17. I didn't get to participate as much last year but I did a meme, wrote a guest post (this was two months after I started my blog so the post may sound a little rough. I'm too scared to read it again. lol) and was nominated for a few things so I had a lot of fun :D There are guest posts, memes, giveaways and much more. I highly encourage everyone to register to participate in all the activities! Also if you register you can nominate a book for best General Fiction, Best Kids Book, Best YA Book, Best Cultural Book, etc. You don't want to miss out on making your voice heard (psst if we get some POC nominations in there that would be super awesome too. But nominate the best books you've read, don't just nominate them because they are POC). Register ends July 7th.

I finally registered although I wish that you didn't have to nominate yourself for categories, it makes me silly for even entertaining the notion. Oh well. Also, if you have to nominate yourself I wish that you could nominate yourself for multiple categories, I couldn't decide if my blog was cultural or eclectic. I ended up going with cultural.

So here are my 5 posts for Best Cultural Blog (It was quite difficult to narrow it down, it too me FOREVER to pick one review!)

There Are No POC in History

An Open Letter to Bloomsbury Kids USA. Other Publishing Companies Take Note

February=Time to Show We Love and Understand Black People

The Food Essay

Bleeding Violet Review

Then for the fun of it, I decided to go for Best Author Interviews. I had to include 4 interviews and one other post of my choice.

Interview with Lyn Miller Lachmann

Mini Interview with Jessica Leader

Interview with Dia Reeves

Interview with Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich

Eighth Grade Superzero Review

I appreciate feedback on my posts that I selected, but keep in mind that it's too late for me to change it.

Waiting on Wednesday: What Momma Left Me + Celebrating June Jordan, Award

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is another you-should-be-waiting on post (again I haven't read this one yet but I plan on reading it this weekend).

What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson

Release Date: July 6, 2010

How is it that unsavory raw ingredients come together to form a delicious cake? What is it about life that when you take all the hard stuff and rough stuff and add in a lot of love, you still just might have a wonderful life? For Serenity,

these questions rise up early when her father kills her mother, and leaves her and her brother Danny to live with their kind but strict grandparents. Despite the difficulties of a new school, a new church, and a new neighborhood, Serenity gains strength from the family around her, the new friends she finds, and her own careful optimism. Debut author Renée Watson's talent shines in this powerful and ultimately uplifting novel.

-
Why I want to read it

Reading in Color News

This week I am teaming up with Neesha Meminger and the Rejectionist to celebrate June Jordan (June in June, heehee). Neesha talks about the life of June Jordan and shares some wonderful quotes. The Rejectionist reviews His Own Where, Junde Jordan's young adult book. I will also be reviewing His Own Where tomorrow and I will talk about being a newcomer to the awesomeness that is June Jordan. Just to let you know, my review will not be nearly as good or thourgh as Neesha's or the Rejectionist's. So stop by their blogs to read and learn about June Jordan.

I received the Trendy Blog Award (I know I'm just as shocked as you are :D) Thank you so much Jeanette!

The Rules

1. Post the award

2. Pass it on to 10 other bloggers

Oh goodness, there are so many trendy blogs out there. I basically picked blogs that have inspired me in the past to write about certain topics. I love their honesty and how they keep me in the loop about what's going on in the YA world (both books and movies). Ok here goes

1. April at Good Books & Good Wine

2. Maggie at Bibliophilia-Maggie's Bookshelf

3. Ah Yuan at Gal Novelty

4. Adele at Persnickety Snark

5. Steph at Steph Su Reads

6. Leila at Bookshelves of Doom

7. Doret at theHappyNappyBookseller

8. Tarie at Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind

9. Nathalie at Multiculturalism Rocks!

10. Kris at Voracious YAppetite

What are you waiting on this week? Any POC releases? I'm doing pretty good finding upcoming YA/MG POC releases, I've found enough to last me till October.

Los Tres Cochinitos (Happy Father's Day)

*Due to the fact that I'm out of town, I have no idea what new books I got this week. Plus, I'm my father's daughter and I wanted to write something about him and where I got my love of reading from :)

I have many beloved books from my childhood but the book that will forever be near and dear to my heart is Los Tres Cochinitos. When I was little, we owned a few books that were bilingual or completely in Spanish. Los Tres Cochinitos (written by Sally Bell, illustrated by Ellen Dolce and translated by Ivan Vazquez Rodriguez) is the Spanish translation of the Three Little Pigs.

It's often said that if parents read to their children, it helps instill a love of reading in them. I am proof that this statement is true, both my parents read to me and I am a bona fide bookworm. They read me everything from Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now, to The Napping House to fairytales.

My most vivid childhood reading memories center around my father reading to me in his dramatic voices; he would really get into reading the story. With Los Tres Cochinitos he would growl and deepen his voice to be El Lobo (the wolf) and when El Lobo came to knock hard on the door ("cochinito, cochinito, dejame entrar"), my father would bang on the back of the book (startling me every time). He would make his voice high-pitched for the pigs and he would blow air on us to demonstrate El Lobo huffing and puffing. I can still hear him shouting "And then he BLEW the house down" (he usually had to translate the book for us; to this day I don't remember much of the Spanish used in the book).

It's funny, I can't remember learning to read and I vaguely remember books I read in grade school, but I always remember Los Tres Cochinitos. I firmly believe that if it was not for my father's dramatic flair, I wouldn't have started reading as early as I did (I was an early and voracious reader, starting in the first grade with Beverly Cleary). My father's storytelling skills made the books even more interesting. As a result, I wanted to be able to read them myself and impress him with my own reading skills.

To me, Los Tres Cochinitos symbolizes more than just the story of the Three Little Pigs; it represents my father, my love of reading and my love for him. I can look at that book or just hear those words and fondly remember my father acting out the story through his voices and movements. However looking at the book also makes me sad. I don't have many memories of either of my parents reading on their own. My mother squeezes in reading time, but my father rarely reads books. This saddens me because they both love to read and they instilled this love in us, but it's a love that they can't act on because they are too busy. One of the sacrifices of having kids resulted in them buying and reading fewer books. I've also taken over many of the bookshelves in the house, regelating my parents' books to a few shelves. I am going to work on cleaning out our bookshelves to give them more space and read aloud to my younger brother. My hope is that this will repay them, in some small way.

Papi (if you're reading this), thank you not only for giving me more bookshelf space but also for buying me books when I was little. Thank you for reading to me and for entertaining me. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made without complaint. You mean the world to me and this blog would not be here without you; your influence can be seen in many of my more serious posts. You have always urged me to not only speak my mind, but be able to back up my ideas. You always talked candidly to me about issues of race, literature and the world, and the result is (hopefully) a girl well on her way to being a well-rounded young woman.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers! Feliz Dia de los Padres, Papi!

New Crayons + Blogaversary Help!

New Crayons is a meme created and hosted by susan at Color Online. In this meme I share what new multicultural books I got for the week. This week was an amazing week of books!

Also, I've got a pretty good idea of what I'll be doing for my blogaversary (I have no idea how that's spelled). Are there any bloggers or authors who want to do guest posts? Please email me willbprez at aol dot com your ideas for a guest post. Try and stick it to the general theme of my blog =) Great example If there any authors who want to be interviewed, email me as well (please don't ask me to interview you unless I've read your book or am currently reading your book). finally if anyone wants to donate prizes, let me know! I don't have any award for donating prizes except I will be so grateful =D

*Ahem* Back to New Crayons.

Won

Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Still haunted by nightmares of her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to Indonesia with her father’s relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post traumatic stress disorder—something Sienna knows a lot about. Since her mother’s plane went missing over the Indian Ocean three years before, Sienna doesn’t do anything if it involves the ocean or planes, so this trip is a big step forward.

But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage, and just so happens to be HOT. When Deni hears a rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn’t think twice about running away with him to the epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they find there could break both their hearts.

-Won from Lizzy at Cornucopia of Reviews. Thanks so much Lizzy! My WoW explains why I want to read this. I mean the gorgeous cover, setting of Indonesia? Sounds like a win!

Keesha's House by Helen Foster

Keesha has found a safe place to live, and other kids gravitate to her house when they just can’t make it on their own. They are Stephie – pregnant, trying to make the right decisions for herself and those she cares about; Jason – Stephie’s boyfriend, torn between his responsibility to Stephie and the baby and the promise of a college basketball career; Dontay – in foster care while his parents are in prison, feeling unwanted both inside and outside the system; Carmen – arrested on a DUI charge, waiting in a juvenile detention center for a judge to hear her case; Harris – disowned by his father after disclosing that he’s gay, living in his car, and taking care of himself; Katie – angry at her mother’s loyalty to an abusive stepfather, losing herself in long hours of work and school.

Stretching the boundaries of traditional poetic forms – sestinas and sonnets – Helen Frost’s extraordinary debut novel for young adults weaves together the stories of these seven teenagers as they courageously struggle to hold their lives together and overcome their difficulties.

-Won from Evelyn! Thank you so much :) Summary from the publisher's website. I'd never heard of this book before but it sounds really good, "stretching the boundaries of traditional poetic forms".

What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson

How is it that unsavory raw ingredients come together to form a delicious cake? What is it about life that when you take all the hard stuff and rough stuff and add in a lot of love, you still just might have a wonderful life? For Serenity, these questions rise up early when her father kills her mother, and leaves her and her brother Danny to live with their kind but strict grandparents. Despite the difficulties of a new school, a new church, and a new neighborhood, Serenity gains strength from the family around her, the new friends she finds, and her own careful optimism. Debut author Renée Watson's talent shines in this powerful and ultimately uplifting novel.

-Won from Charlotte at Charlotte's Library. Thank you so much Charlotte =) I love this cover! It's absolutely adorable. Doesn't seem to fit the tough subjects this book will address (her father kills her mother!). Also, the book is published by Bloomsbury. See Bloomsbury I don't only point out your mistakes ;)

From April at Good Books and Good Wine. April is someone everyone should know. Go check out her blog and you will understand because she is beyond awesome (she picked these up at BEA). big thank you to April!

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins

Chiko isn't a fighter by nature. He's a book-smart Burmese boy whose father, a doctor, is in prison for resisting the government. When Chiko is forced into the army by trickery, he must find the courage to survive the mental and physical punishment meted out by the training facility's menacing captain.

Tu Reh can't forget the image of the Burmese soldiers burning his home and the bamboo fields of his oppressed Karenni people, one of the many ethnic minorities in Burma. Now living in a Karenni refugee camp on the Thai border, Tu Reh is consumed with anger and the need for revenge. He can't wait to join his father and the other resistance fighters in their efforts to protect the Karenni people.

Chiko and Tu Reh's stories come to a violent intersection as each boy is sent on his first mission into the jungle. Extreme circumstances and unlikely friendships force each boy to confront what it means to be a man of his people.

Set against the political and military backdrop of modern-day Burma, Bamboo People explores the nature of violence, power, and prejudice as well as the healing power of tolerance.

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This one is going to be a tough read, I hate reading about teenagers in war. At the same time, their stories are so uplifting and filled with hope because the kids are so strong. Can't wait to read this one. And it's autographed! Did I mention that April rocks? Thank you for sigining it Mitali!

Samurai Kids: White Crane (Book 1) by Sandy Fussel, Illustrated by Rhian James

Can a one-legged boy become a great samurai warrior? Meet some unique aspiring champions in this kick-off to an exciting new martial arts series.

Niya Moto is the only one-legged samurai kid in Japan, famous for falling flat on his face in the dirt. The one school that will accept him is the Cockroach Ryu, led by the legendary sensei Ki-Yaga. He may be an old man overly fond of naps, but Ki-Yaga is also known for taking in kids that the world has judged harshly: an albino girl with extra fingers and toes, a boy who is blind, a big kid whose past makes him loath to fight. A warrior in his time, Ki-Yaga demands excellence in everything from sword fighting to poetry. But can the ragtag Cockroaches make the treacherous journey to the Samurai Trainee Games, never mind take on the all-conquering Dragons? In a fast-moving, action-filled tale that draws on true details of feudal Japan, Niya finds there’s no fear they can’t face as long as they stick together — for their friendship is more powerful than a samurai sword.

-This is the Australia/UK cover where the book was originally published. I have an ARC so the cover is different but I can't find any pictures of it. I've never heard of this book but it sounds really cool, a group of kid samurais with some interesting characteristics.

For Review

Manifest by Artist Arthur

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener-and everything she'd ever want-except that he was killed a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door-Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly call themselves the Misfits. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

-Check out my WoW for more info on why I want to read this one. The cover is very pretty, I love the flowy font, it reminds me of a ghost/spirits and I really like the M on the back of the girl's neck. As for the inside of the book, we need more POC in YA paranormal so I hope this is a start to filling the void. Thank you Lisa!

The Pack by L.M. Preston

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that she is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens, her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. But in order to save her brother's life, she is willing to risk it all.

-I know people always want to see more sci fi/fantasy reviews around here so these two books are a good start! I've read good reviews of The Pack and I think it will help me get over my self-publishing funk. I've never read anything set on Mars so I'm eager to see how the author portrays Mars.

Bought-Good news These sound amazing. Bad news: I'm so broke, I need to stop buying books!

Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins Mysteries, Book 1) by Walter Mosley

Los Angeles, 1948: Easy Rawlins is a black war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. Easy is drinking in a friend's bar, wondering how he'll meet his mortgage, when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will simply locate Miss Daphne Money, a blonde beauty known to frequent black jazz clubs....

-I'm beyond excited to read this. Everyone raves about the Easy Rawlins books and my mom said the movie of this book is fantastic. I can't wait to read and watch it! It's set in the '40s and is about Black detective. I'm in heaven :D

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Fifteen-year-old Kambili's world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.

When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili's father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father's authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways. This is a book about the promise of freedom; about the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood; between love and hatred, between the old gods and the new.

-I went to Printers Row yesterday and the highlight was hearing and meeting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie! She is such an amazing speaker, hypnotic. She's funny (someone asked why her endings were so open ended and she said she hacked off the last paragraph of each book to annoy the readers) and full of stories. I wish I had recorded what she said, but I'm not sure it would have been allowed and I got there late. She had this great quote and I'm not sure if it's hers but she said "I refuse to apologize for my ideas", that really stuck with me. She also talked about how she is "happily black" and "happily feminist." She talked about how Africans can look down on African Americans (so true!) and how many Africans don't know about the rich African American history. She wanted to learn about the history of Black people in America so she began reading African American literature and history books. There was Q&A and someone asked her about her favorite African American literature and she said James Baldwin is her favorite and she also really likes Toni Morrison. It was amazing and so informative, she also talked about her nonprofit where she gives writing workshops to people in Lagos, Nigeria. After she spoke, she did signings. While she signed Purple Hibiscus, I summoned the courage to ask her if she's ever considered writing for children/teenagers. She said she had thought about it and even tried but that she didn't have a childlike mind, her topics and words would be too rough for children. I haven't read any of her books yet but from what I've heard about them, I would agree that it's not for children but I bet teenagers could handle it. She said that she encourages writers in her workshops to write for young people, she's a big believer in making children's literature more diverse (obviously, just listen to her "Dangers of a Single Story" speech). I managed to stammer out that i hoped she would think about writing for teenagers and she laughed and said maybe. I then fled, feeling so embarrassed! But at least I got to hear her, the autograph and question was a welcome bonus. Although I forgot to tell her that I love her Single Story speech =/ Regardless, I just wish I hadn't been late but it was a fantastic experience!

Did anyone else go to Printers Row today or yesterday?

All summaries from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted.

What books did you get this week? Any books featuring a POC? Share in the comments and happy reading!