42 Miles- Children's Lit

By Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Another Sasquatch nominee. First, let me say, that I didn't feel the cover spoke to the book. The cover invoked some sort of traveling adventure and frankly, the slightly sullen look of the girl, while somewhat fitting, didn't really hit the content and makes it look like a downer. I know how much a cover impacts our impressionable youth and I think this cover is going to make me work a whole lot harder to sell this book to the audience I think will enjoy it. The book does deal with some heavy subject matter, but there is a joy to it that isn't present on this cover. Yes, our students like "grown up," but not depressing. I liked this book too much for it to have that cover! I wish the cover mirrored some of the perfect illustrations, by Elaine Clayton, found inside the book.

So onto the content- this book is a beautiful collection of poetry that expresses the torn life of a young girl as she lives between her two households of her divorces parents. That isn't to say that she doesn't enjoy both lives, because she does, but it isn't ever on her terms. When she was born, her parents couldn't agree on a name, so they combined one, calling her JoEllen. So now she is Joey with her father on the farm and Ellen with her mother in the city. We get a lovely look at the life she shares with each and the love they share, along with a peek at the faults of each. But we also get how difficult it is to live in 2 worlds sometimes, with the quietness about the "other life" that is unspoken, but expected. We hear the anguish in the poem "Symmetry" of holidays divided- her life, like a hexagon in math class, split down the middle.

We also get to witness, through rich, sometimes sweet, sometimes slightly sour, poems about this 12 year old girl's life, her friends, the female school bully, school itself, her asthma (which shows a sweet tenderness between a father and daughter) and how she spends her leisure time with her parents. We get to enjoy the best of the city and the best of the farm as well. Zimmer's observations, filled with detail and insight, make the prose feel alive and genuine. The characters breathe because of her ability to capture small moments and find the truth in them and the settings are easy to picture. When describing the movie theater, we get to enjoy little details, relatable to kids, like

"There's a place in the carpet

that's so worn

it looks like a scraped knee.

And the gold tassels at the bottom

of the red velvet curtains

seem to unravel a bit more each week."

When Ellen/Joey gets an assignment at school to write an autobiography, she isn't sure what to write. Is she going to tell Ellen's story or Joey's? As her 13th birthday approaches, she begins to feel empowered and has the courage to try to start making her two lives meld. She decides to be JoEllen with both parents and makes attempts to start living her life on her own terms, like sometimes missing a weekend with Dad to do something special with her friends because she has always missed out on those events. She invites her friends to come out to the farm with her on another occasion, allowing people from each separate life to meet, becoming one life instead of 2. She has her birthday with everyone together and though it is uncomfortable for her parents, they do it out of love.

Though I truly loved the empowerment our young lady felt and the permission it gives others to try to live to live on their own terms, I did wonder if it presents just a bit too much of a fairy tale ending to divorce. I guess the parents don't get back together, so maybe it isn't truly "happily ever after," but I wonder how many kids would be let down by less mature parents when maybe trying the same thing?

I truly enjoyed this book- for it's beauty and for the content it offers our young readers. It makes a fine addition to the Sasquatch nominee list this year and I look forward to selling it, despite the droopy cover.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

"The Graveyard Book" is yet another children's book, albeit an acclaimed one; it was the somewhat controversial winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal. The controversy stems from its darkness and gloom (certainly hinted at by its title); indeed, though I am not a roses-and-kittens kind of guy, I was a little taken aback by its darkness at first as well. The opening scene is the knife-murder of the protagonist's entire family as they sleep. I'm happy to say that that is as overtly violent as the book gets, and the book won me over quickly with its warm characterizations, novel concept, solid writing, and quick-paced, keeps-you-guessing plot.
The protagonist (who's real name we never actually discover) is the lone survivor of his family's murder when he's only two years old; he toddles innocently from the bloody house and wanders into a graveyard. The ghosts who inhabit the graveyard take him in, protect him from his bloody-knifed pursuer, and give him a name: Nobody Owens (the "Owens" part comes from the kindly old ghost couple who agree to act as his parents). He goes by Bod for short, and he is raised quite happily by the departed and deceased in the walled, overgrown, mostly forgotten English graveyard. Its a great concept, and Neil Gaiman (truly a master storyteller - he also wrote the creepy children's novel "Coraline," recently made into a 3D movie) develops the characters, plot and setting with great skill and affection. There's a lot more plot to it - mostly dealing with Bod's education and his quest to discover the truth about (and exact vengeance for) his family's murder - but it really is the concept and memorable cast of characters that carry this commendable read. Its a page-turner that I've been meaning to read since it came out, and I'm very glad I did. I can't wait to press it into the hands of mature readers, and I'll do so with confidence that they'll thank me later. Frankly I'm surprised that the committee selected it for the gold medal, though I do feel that it deserves it. It was a bold pick, quite a bit "out of the box," and I think they made the right choice. It's one I'll be thinking about for quite awhile, and one that I may even have to pick up down the road and read again.

Maya Running by Anjali Banerjee

"Maya Running" is another youth book, though not in this year's Sasquatch list. I picked it up at a writer's conference I was attending because the author was there doing a book signing.
The book is a quick read; it concerns mostly the struggles of growing up as a cultural minority (in this case, as an Indian immigrant in Canada), but has a mythical plot as well. The protagonist is an adolescent girl struggling with finding herself and her place stuck between two cultures; its typical adolescent stuff (boys, friends, body image, parents, identity), but Anjali Banejee handles it with deft sensitivity and humor. The voice of the protagonist (also the narrator) is believable and real, and her struggles and perspectives seem very authentic and true-to-life. The mythical plot is, strangely, almost an afterthought: the girl wishes for a new self, basically, and is granted that wish by a statue of the Hindu god Ganesh. That plot - which is introduced late in the book, and wrapped up rather quickly - has a standard, rather unremarkable "be careful what you wish for" message and isn't terribly compelling. It isn't a book I would recommend as required reading (or required purchasing for school libraries), but it is well written and fits comfortably in the adolescent, coming-of-age genre of youth literature. Girls struggling with identity - especially those also dealing with a culture clash - will certainly identify with the narrator and enjoy seeing "their" story convincingly related. It's "good-not-great," but the right reader would be sure to love it.

Leepike Ridge- Children's Lit

By N.D. Wilson

Following Dan's lead, I will review the 2011 Sasquatch nominees I read as well. I finished reading "Leepike Ridge" today and felt it was a read that will appeal to those that love adventure books. I have to say that it felt exciting most of the way through as our main character, Tom, ends up washed down a river on the foam packing from a recent refrigerator delivery and is swept under and into a mountain. He barely survives and ends up in a cavern with only a dead body to keep him company. Cozy. Eventually he is joined by Argus, a friendly dog, who thinks of Tom as a buddy and the dead body too (dead body makes for fun pullin'!). Eventually Tom ventures deeper into the mountain, nearly falling to his death riding a plummeting waterfall. Luckily he is caught in the net of Reg, a dude that has been trapped inside the mountain for 3 years, living on trash from the river and the crawdads he breeds.

Once we meet Reg, we discover that there are connections between him and Tom's dead father and the dead man in the previous cave is connected too, plus a cast of not-so-nice treasure hunters that are convinced that an ancient treasure lives within this mountain. Tom's mother has an unfortunate experience with this crew of slimeballs too.

There are other themes, like the prospect of having a step-father, but survival and adventure are the most explored. Reg provides some much needed humor, but it is a sarcastic humor with jokes that sometimes felt like they might not land with kids. There are some other times in the story where I felt that way- like saying that a character at the end "went to a remote part of Mexico, where he immediately drank the water." I get it and so will most grown ups, but I doubt that the vision of this character experiencing Montezuma's revenge will jump to mind for much of the youth of America. :) Too bad, because it is a nice image...

The pace was good and I can see reluctant readers responding to this, though I did find the climax so improbable that I found myself literally thinking "Yeah, right." It was a fun adventure and read easily, with no lulls in the story. Is it great? Nope, but it has it's place for pleasure reading and think it will be an easy sell to our adventure loving students.

Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen

This book is the real reason its been so long since I've added to this blog. This book is loooooong...even longer than its page count(892) indicates...but, in the end, probably worth the read. Let me elaborate.
"Shadow Country" is actually one story, split into three separate books, then combined in one volume. Sound confusing? Its actually this book's confusing development and path to its current state that got me interested enough to pick it up, as a writer and a reader. Peter Matthiessen originally wrote what is now "Shadow Country" as one gigantic tome. It is historical fiction, set in the wild Everglades frontier of Florida at the turn of the century, and details the death and life (in that order) of a fictional pioneer/planter/outlaw/murderer E.J. Watson. Publishers passed on it due its length (despite the fact that Mr. Matthiessen is a two-time National Book Award Finalist), and he was finally persuaded to break the story into three separate books, to be published individually. He rewrote it as three books, they were published, and they enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim...but the author never felt good about it (this, by the way, is all explained in the introduction). So, recently, he rewrote it AGAIN, from start to finish, to restore it as one cohesive book, a little shorter than the original (from 1500 pages to 900). "Shadow Country" is the result of all that work, and it also has received plenty of acclaim. So...that's how the book got to where it is...but how does it read?
Well, at about the 500 page mark, I was prepared to pan it. It is just so long, and so dark (I mean dark...its chief themes and plot points all deal with murder, racism, rape, violence, deception, poverty and viciousness), that I found it exhausting and burdensome to battle through, no matter the clear and undeniable quality of the writing. But, then, I hit the last third or quarter of the book, and I was hooked. Hooked like rarely I've ever been. It transformed from a book that I had to force myself to pick up (I am a fast reader, and this book took me more than two months...I normally would have read 8-10 books in that time) to a book I could not put down.
Why the hook? A very brief plot summary might explain. The story begins with the death/murder of the main character, E.J. Watson, by a group of his neighbors. The first third of the book (which was once, remember, its own book entirely) details the immediate events leading up to that traumatic event, told from the various perspectives of about a dozen people who were involved. This constant changing of perspective and voice, with occasional backwards movements in time or jumping ahead, would normally alienate me, but Matthiessen pulled it off. You're still left unclear on Watson and his murder...was he a misunderstood hero, or a bloody murderer? Was his death a necessary act of justice, or a case of cold-blooded vigilante lynching? The second third of the books is all from one perspective, that of Watson's son; he digs around, investigates, interviews, trying to piece together the truth of his father's life and death; really, he is seeking to vindicate his father, but the information that he finds is murky and troubling and unclear (this middle third, by the way, was the least interesting and compelling and was where I really started to fall off the boat). The last third, though, is told from the perspective of Watson himself, going back to his earliest childhood. Page by page, year by year, event by event, we see what really happened. Slowly, the truth in all its complexity and ugliness, is revealed to us. And, all along, you know that you are hurtling toward that last climactic scene where Watson, who is now our narrator, gets gunned down...and all along you (or at least I was) are dying to finally see that event through his eyes, to understand what really happened. And...it doesn't disappoint. I've rarely been so sucked into a story - especially one I'd grown disenchanted with. I just had to know the truth behind the violent event that had started the story over 800 dark pages previous.
Its quite a work, "Shadow Country." Would I recommend it to all readers? No. To most readers? Probably not. To readers who love dark fiction, and historical sagas, and biographical character studies...you betcha. But I wouldn't read it all at once...I'd read something light and breezy between each third. Dave Barry, maybe. But...if it's your kind of thing, and you stick with it, "Shadow Country" does not disappoint.

First Light by Rebecca Stead

I'm on a roll!
"First Light" is a children's novel so it may not be the most appropriate book to blog about here, but since I'm trying to alternate between reading adult and youth books (and since a couple of the readers here are also children's librarians), I thought I may as well include my thoughts on this one.
"First Light" is a contemporary fantasy book (and one of 2011's Sasquatch nominees, hence me reading it) set in Greenland. The best brief summary of the plot is also the best brief criticism of the plot: "First Light" is "City of Ember" on ice. I mean, really. I won't summarize "City of Ember" (a great children's book), but those who've read that will see the similarities in "First Light:" a young boy and girl live in a secret, hidden society that lives underground; the society retreated there years before to escape external dangers; resources are running out, and the children are convinced that there is a way out to world outside after finding a mysterious map and clues; the adults are stuck in fear and the status quo and forbid exploration; the children go anyway, discover the outside world, and save their civilization. That is an exact summary of BOTH books...but "City of Ember" did it first, and did it better. The only real differences are that "First Light" happens under Greenland's glacial ice sheets, and that in "First Light" there is a parallel plot happening above ground as a boy (doing field research with his glaciologist father) simultaneously discovers the outside entrance to the buried civilization.
Now, "First Light" isn't bad; it has some compelling aspects and is not badly written. It just loses points on originality. It's overly long (327 pages) and takes too long to get to the meat of the story, but once you're there it moves along pretty well. The characters are believable enough and the setting is intriguing, but it will not be a good choice for reluctant readers because of its slow pace, length, and slightly bland writing.
I don't regret reading "First Light" and I don't quibble with it being on the Sasquatch list, but in future years when a kid comes to me looking for a cool, realistic fantasy, I'll put "City of Ember" in their hands every time over this one.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Finally! I'm back in the saddle! I actually finished this book like in April but I haven't written it up for two reasons: 1. TIME! 2. I wasn't sure just what to say about it, or how to say it. Well, now that I've got the time I'll just have to stop worrying about getting it right and focus instead on just getting it done!
In short: this is a GREAT book!
"The Glass Castle" is a memoir of the author's childhood, but it is so much more. Her parents are eccentric to say the least...the are artistic, paranoid, possibly mentally ill and quirky to a truly dysfunctional level. Her father, Rex, is a troubled genius of sorts who also battles raging alcoholism. Her mother is a frustrated and bitter individual with dreams of being a famous writer and brilliant artist, but can't seem to make either work out. The childhood of the author and her siblings is one spent in vagabond poverty, moving from apartment to RV to the homes of relatives, and living frequently in the family's parade of battered cars. Her parents, unwilling or unable to keep and hold a job, have a hands-off approach to parenting (the kids cook for themselves from age 3, run wild through whatever town they happen to live in, play freely with guns and local perverts, and are encouraged to run outside and play during lightning storms) that runs the gamut from amusing to neglectful to outright abuse.
The story is told through a rapid-fire series of short (1-4 page) vignettes; its not a style of storytelling I usually like, but it really works in this one. The passages were short and self-contained but still held an overall flow and momentum that kept me turning the pages long after I should have turned out the light (I finished the book, during a busy time in my life, in one day and two nights).
What's so compelling, though, is the balance and perspective the author manages to find in her approach to such a personal and important aspect of her life; her parents are, quite honestly, fairly worthless as parents: the children are often in danger and are almost constantly "neglected" based on contemporary definitions. However, there is never any doubt in the author's or reader's mind that the parents, in their flawed way, love their children incredibly. It is a palpable and sincere feeling that fairly pulses from the page. Likewise, there is never any doubt that children, even when they are grown, love their parents fiercely, no matter the abuse and neglect. The author is honest and unblinking and pulls no punches: she shows with complete frankness the neglect she dealt with and the pain and suffering that her parents mindlessly inflicted on her...but she never drops down into bitterness, or condemnation, or petulant victimhood. She does not let them off the hook, but neither does she demonize them. They were flawed, like we all are, but she loves them in spite of it.
It is a fascinating examination of our understandings of such profound and integral concepts as family, love, neglect, caring and understanding. It is a book which would make any thoughtful reader think, and feel. The characters - real people, all - are round and complex and living, and making up your mind about how you feel about them is one of the toughest and most delicious challenges of this book. Bluntly sensitive and tragically beautiful, "The Glass Castle" is a perfectly written book.
Since reading this book I've pressed it into the hands of four or five people, and all of them loved it - not just liked, but loved. Its a book that sticks with you. I could not recommend this book enough.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

By Stieg Larsson

I really enjoyed this book and I only started reading it on a whim. I was tinkering around with the free services our public library offers and decided to check out their e-books. I saw the cover and recognized it as one I'd heard folks mention and it also happened to be on the most recent cover of the only magazine I subscribe to. I consider that magazine as my only true buy-in to pop culture- Entertainment Weekly. I like the quotes and reading about the upcoming movies in it and such. So I thought, why not download it and read something lighter for a change?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo proved to be a fun mystery with interesting, flawed characters, some of which had a likability factor (yea for me). It explores the disappearance of a 16 year old girl from a wealthy family back in the 1960's in Sweden, researched by a disgraced journalist, at the request of the very old patriarch of this wealthy family that could not rest until he had an answer as to what happened to his beloved Harriet. Haunted by the delivery of a pressed flower on his birthday year after year, he is convinced that someone from the family murdered her and enjoys taunting him. It is an interesting plot and one that starts to boil as our journalist gets closer to the truth, aided by a socially inept, but brilliant-minded young lady that is lost, but a true independent and anarchic spirit that doesn't understand how to relate to others. There is some sadistic stuff in this book and also a fair amount of sex, though only once section that was uncomfortable for me and if you read it you'll likely have the same repulsion- necessary enough to the plot that it didn't feel vulgar and exploitive to me.

On top of the main plot, there is a sub-plot about the disgrace brought on the journalist and his attempt to right the wrong closes the book in a satisfying way. The two stories intermingle enough that the corporate intrigue here, while less captivating to me, still felt necessary and provided the vindication our hero journalist required.

The book is a neat, tidy package and felt like the kind of fun summer reading I was longing for. I plan to mix it up from here on out- a lil' classic reading and lil' fun reading. My reading palate craves both!

Madame Bovary

By Gustave Flaubert

It took me a long time to complete this novel. Life most certainly got in the way, but I did finally finish it tonight. I have mixed emotions about it. It was a beautifully detailed, rich study of character and the desire for excitement and escape from the drabness of ordinary life (pretty applicable over 150 years after it was written, I'd say). The main character, our Madame Bovary, spends her life completely unsatisfied with her unglamorous existence and seeks out her imagined perfection of wealth and love that she never really finds, though there are times she thinks she has. So fleeting! She appreciates nothing, lives beyond her means and engages in 2 separate affairs outside of her marriage in search of the life she thinks she wants. The stale of monotony eventually taints them too.

Her marriage is beneath her as she is married to a very plain, ordinary man with no special skill. Her husband happens to adore her and looks past and around and over and under her flaws, wanting her love and approval and making excuses for her rebuffs. His affection for someone that is so apathetic towards him is pathetic and serves to help the reader understand her disdain for him. And yet, I felt so sorry for him too- he tried to be the best husband he could be. He just wasn't very good at that either. She needed a challenge and he gave her none.

So why the mixed emotions? It was precisely, perfectly written. It is masterful and should be read, but I wonder if anyone actually likes any of these characters? I found myself so frustrated with Emma, especially her lack of appreciation of the gift of motherhood, that I wasn't at all sad for her suffering. And her husband Charles? I felt pity, but his lack of any sort of strength made him hard to like (for Madame Bovary too, so I guess that works). What is it with me and needing to like characters to enjoy a book?

And I have to add, it is so sweet to me that this book was controversial when it came out and is considered in any way to be a "naughty book." Seriously, that's cute. If there is a disconnect between the time it was written and today, that would be it right there. It was quite tame and except for the fact that adultery is a significant part of the book, there is nothing distasteful at all. Damn it. ;)

There is so much that is universal to the human existence in this book that I don't think it will be hard for today's reader to appreciate it for the genius writing that it is. The rewards in this book are in the details- insightful and poetic. Not a word is out of place.