My Month of More "Colorful" Reading

29 days ago, I challenged myself to read only books written by or about people of color. This challenge was partly inspired by Black History Month, and partly due to a realization that since leaving my classroom in Baltimore, I had pretty much stopped looking for books that reflected the faces of "my" students.

I can almost guarantee that I would not have read most of these books without taking on this challenge, and boy-oh-boy would I have been missing out! In an effort to summarize this month of reading, here are a few awards and a few "similar interest groups" for quick reference.

Favorite YA Read of the Month: Tie between Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis and Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena (these two couldn't be more different, but I'll remember them both for a long, long time)

Favorite MG Read of the Month: The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani (love, love, love this book)

Favorite New-to-Me Author: Ashley Hope Perez - I thoroughly enjoyed What Can't Wait and am eagerly awaiting The Knife and the Butterfly. I can't help but feel a TFA bond with Ms. Perez and I'm so thankful that teachers like her exist!

Favorite Blast from the Past: American Girl - Cecile's New Orleans series

Favorite Illustrations: Heart and Soul - The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson (Abigail Halpin is pretty fabulous too, but Kadir Nelson's paintings were just breathtaking)


Favorite Book that Brad Pitt Should Turn into a Movie: Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams

Novels in Verse:
- Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
- The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle
- Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Contemporary Urban Fiction:
- Pull by B. A. Binns
- Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri (technically nonfiction)
- Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena
- What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez
- Carmen: An Urban Adaptation of the Opera by Walter Dean Myers
- 8th Grade Super-Zero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Books Featuring the Joe Lewis - Max Schmeling Fight:
- The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
- And I just got A Nation's Hope by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Kadir Nelson from the library yesterday. Wooooooo!

Good Conversations:
- C'mon Now: Is This Really Historical Fiction?
- C'Mon Now: Are Girls in Pretty Dresses Really the Problem?

Thank you all for joining me throughout this month's reading adventures! I love hearing your reactions and recommendations. Now let's all psych up for March and SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books!

Under the Mesquite

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Lee and Low Books, 2011, 224 pp, ISBN: 1600604293

Recap:
Lupita is the eldest daughter of eight siblings. When her mother's cancer won't stay in remission, Lupita has to decide what is more important: taking care of her family or pursuing her dreams.


Review:
This sure has been one heck of a year for author Guadalupe Garcia McCall! Her debut novel, Under the Mesquite, was published. And then it became a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut Award. And then it won the Pura Belpre Author Award. Wow. 


Under the Mesquite is my third novel in verse this month, and it stands out as the most "novel like." Let me explain what I mean. For me, many novels in verse are just sooo slim, they read more like short stories or collections of poetry. But Under the Mesquite has some weight to it. Many of the free verse poems go on for several pages, so I actually felt like I was reading whole chapters, rather than little snippets of a story. Even so, this story flew by.


All of the books that I've read this month about Mexican families have featured a similar theme: an inner struggle between duty/loyalty to one's family and personal hopes and dreams. Lupita's story absolutely shared that same theme. Her family moved to los Estados Unidos from Mexico when she was young, and while she still covets weekends spent across the border with her abuelita's family, she adapted quickly to American life - even losing her accent with the help of her drama teacher.


I don't want to give too much away, but I thought the way Lupita handled herself, especially as a teenager, was pretty amazing. She was incredibly selfless. Although at times, I found it strange that she showed so little emotion. I mean, she was a senior in high school, her mother was dying of cancer, she more or less became full time mom to 7 siblings, and for a while they literally had to go begging to the neighbors for dinner ingredients because they had absolutely no food and no money to buy any. But I think she only cried - or really even acted upset - a small handful of times. That just really struck me as odd. At one point I realized that, although they were going through something devastating, I just didn't have any emotional attachment to any of the characters.


That being said, I found this debut novel to be an interesting look at a culture and set of experiences that is very different from my own.  I'll look forward to reading more of Guadalupe Garcia McCall's work in the future - particularly if she continues writing novels in verse!


Recommendation:
I would recommend Under the Mesquite to readers who appreciate Mexican culture, who enjoy novels in verse, and who are struggling with their own decisions between duty and dreams. It would be equally appropriate for middle and high school readers.


Quotable Quotes:
Cancer has more than
invaded our home.
It has closed the doors
behind itself, drawn the curtains,
and locked us in for good.

C'Mon Now, Are Girls in Pretty Dresses Really the Problem?

Lately I've noticed lots of complaining about the plethora of covers featuring girls in fancy-schmancy dresses. And yes, those covers do get old after a while. (Except the dress on the cover of The Selection - that dress is so Carrie Bradshaw, I will never get tired of it!) But are the girls in pretty dresses really the problem?

This month I was really reminded of something that I used to be much more cognizant of: all of the faces, on almost all of the covers, are... well... white.

When I took on my February personal challenge to read only books written by or about people of color, I had a pretty short reading list. I knew I wanted to read Mare's War and The Mighty Miss Malone, but after that... ? Building up my reading list for this month took a little research. I scoured blogs like Reading in Color, Fledgling, and The Brown Bookshelf for suggestions. While I did find some absolute treasures, it really is shocking how few books are published each year by/about people of color. And that deficit is pretty darn obvious if you just scan the covers in the YA section at your local bookstore.

I think there are several reasons for the lack of "color" on YA covers. First, there just aren't a ton of books being published featuring non-white main characters. Second, sometimes the books that are published "hide" the ethnicity of their main characters. Take Marie Lu's Legend. This book is outstanding - one of my favorites so far this year. But looking at the cover, you would never know that June's dominant ethnicity is Native American. I wonder how (or if?) a cover reflecting that face would have affected the public's perception of Legend?

So what's your take, book lovers? Do you really notice race or ethnicity when you're scanning book covers? Does that factor really even matter when choosing a new book? And why do you think so many of our YA covers are so pale?

The Whole Story of Half a Girl

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani, Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2012, 224 pp, ISBN: 0385741286

Recap:
Sonia is half Indian and half Jewish, but that has never really seemed to matter. At Community, all of the kids in her class are unique, and their teacher - Jack - makes a point of teaching them about all different cultures. But Sonia won't be going to Community any more. Her dad has lost his job, and she will be starting 6th grade at the public middle school.


At her new school, everything is different. Her skin is too dark for some kids, and too light for others. She dresses all wrong, brings the wrong food for lunch, and can't even make the cheerleading team - even though she's definitely better than some of the girls on the squad. On top of all of that, her father is becoming seriously depressed since he still hasn't found a new job. But when Sonia starts hanging out with Kate, it seems like everything is going to change for the better.


Review:
The Whole Story of Half a Girl is 100% wonderful. I mean seriously, completely wonderful. This is Veera Hiranandani's first novel, and she needs to write another pretty much immediately.


This is the second middle grade novel featuring an Indian main character that I've read this week, and I hope that Indian culture is slowly becoming more of a trend in MG/YA lit. That being said, I would have loved to have gotten more details about what makes Indian culture unique and different. Sonia has to tell a kid at her new school that her father doesn't wear a turbin, or a feathered headdress for that matter, but other than a brief mention of a family trip to Bombay and a beautiful Indian dress, she really doesn't elaborate on that part of her background. Sonia is also half Jewish, although her mom makes a point of saying that Judaism is a religion, not an ethnicity, so she can't actually be "half" Jewish. As Sonia's mother isn't particularly religious, Sonia herself has received little exposure to Jewish customs, so readers hoping for a mini-lesson on Judaism may be disappointed.


Now I know I'm starting to sound a little negative, but remember what I said: 100% wonderful. Every character is written so realistically, it wouldn't be surprising if Sonia's story turned out to be nonfiction. This could be partially due to the fact that the main character is partly based on Hiranandani's own experiences growing up half Indian, half Jewish, and not feeling like she really fit in anywhere.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the characterization of the "antagonist." I'm not even sure if I can call Kate an antagonist, because I think that she really did mean well. Kate was the queen bee of the 6th grade girls, and she wanted to be friends with Sonia. But becoming Kate's friend meant some changes for Sonia - changes in clothing, hobbies, lunch food... She even had Sonia lying to her own family. But seriously, I liked Kate. And I didn't see Sonia as weak or a liar or anything like that when she was with Kate. They were both just 6th grade girls, trying to figure out where they fit in to the world. And their story didn't need any super mean girls, or paranormal activity, or deep romantic love, because 6th grade is challenging enough without any of that extra stuff.

The other part of the story revolved around Sonia's father, who sank into a deep depression after being out of work for several months. When he actually went missing, their entire family was forced to take a step back and re-evaluate what was really important in their lives. This part of the plot was written so realistically, I think it could be a true source of comfort for other children and teens who have a parent going through depression.

Recommendation:
If you're a fan of extremely well-written contemporary fiction, you are going to love The Whole Story of Half a Girl. I would be particularly excited to recommend this book to middle grade girls who are struggling to fit in. 


Quotable Quotes:
"...where were you supposed to sit if you were too dark to be white and too light to be black?"


"I thought she liked me because I was different, but maybe she just liked me because she thought she could make me the same."

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Una Krishnaswami, Illustrated by Abigail Halpin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011, 272 pp, ISBN: 1416995897

Recap:
Eleven-year-old Dini and her best friend Maddie are in love. They are in love with Dolly Singh, the most beautiful and talented actress/singer/dancer in all of Bollywood. But they have been picking up on signs - signs that only a true fan would notice! - that Dolly is in some kind of trouble. When Dini's family suddenly moves to India, she knows this is her chance to find Dolly and fix everything. The only problem is, she'll be leaving Maddie behind...


Review:
Doesn't this book just look adorable? I love the fact that the protagonist is Indian-American and that much of the story takes place in India. That is certainly a country we don't get to see much of in MG or YA literature. And the introduction to Bollywood, complete with song lyrics and descriptions of big dance numbers, was a welcome break from more typical tween obsessions.

Dini and Maddie's friendship was very sweet, and I can envision two little girls giggling over this book together in real life. In fact, it could be a perfect "going away" present for a friend who has to move - proof in print that distance doesn't end friendships!

And I need to mention that the illustrations throughout are just as charming as the cover.  I think Abigail Halpin just might be my new favorite artist. Check out this interview with both Halpin and author Uma Krishnaswami for more images and details on the creation of The Grand Plan to Fix Everything.

But... something about this story just didn't sit right with me. The third person narration was a small factor in that I never truly connected with Dini. It was also a little too convenient that Dolly just so happened to be living in the same remote, rural village that Dini had moved to. *Don't worry: That's not really a spoiler. Dini figures it out the day that she moves.* In fact, all the way through the book, the narrator makes it seem like Dini is having such a hard time "fixing everything" for Dolly, when really everything just kept (very unrealistically) falling into place.

I hate being negative, and this really was a very cute book, but it's just not going to make it on my Favorites list. I picked it up from the library because it's one of the contenders for SLJ's Battle of the Kids books. It's up against Allen Say's Drawing from Memory which is a completely different book in almost every way. So... I can't wait to see which comes out on top!

Recommendation:
If you have a young tween reader looking for a book about moving, best friends, or Bollywood, this could be a great choice. If you're just looking for a good MG novel? This wouldn't be my first pick. 


But of course, lots of others readers disagree. Check out these blogs for a second opinion:
- GreenBeanTeenQueen
- Heavy Medal
- The O.W.L.
- ReadKiddoRead

Drawing From Memory

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say, Scholastic Press, 2011, 72 pp, ISBN: 0545176867

Recap:
Allen Say uses photographs, cartoons, paintings, and of course, words to illustrate an autobiographical look at his early years as an artist.


Review:
When was the last time you met a twelve-year-old who lived on his own in an apartment in a huge city? Probably never, right? Well that was real life for Allen Say. 


Say had always known that he loved to draw, even when it was to the detriment of his school work and strongly discouraged by his own father. But when his grandmother told him that he could live alone in his own apartment if he got into a prestigious middle school, he suddenly got a lot more interested in studying. Once he was living on his own, Say tracked down the famous Japanese cartoonist - Noro Shinpei - and asked him to be his sensei, or mentor. Shinpei agreed, and forever changed the course of Say's life.


It was fascinating to read about an life that was so completely foreign from my own experiences. Independent from his parents, he spent the vast majority of his time with Shinpei, other teachers, or other art students. He was committed - heart and soul - to developing his craft, willing to spend whole months on a single sheet of paper, learning to draw with charcoal. 


Not surprising when you consider the fact that Say is an artist, the illustrations are critical in reading and understanding his story. In fact, Drawing From Memory reads almost more like a scrapbook than anything else, with a collage of photographs, archived cartoons, and "drawings from memory" filling in the gaps left by the words.


I picked up Drawing From Memory only because it was a contender in this year's Battle of the Books. While I was presently surprised by how engaging it was, I have to admit I'll be surprised if it makes it out of Round 1 of the BoB. It just seems a little too simple. Then again, I've yet to read its opponent - The Grand Plan to Fix Everything - so who knows? *Update! I recently finished TGPtFE and wasn't a huge fan... In fact, I think Drawing from Memory now has my vote for this round!


Recommendation:
Drawing From Memory would be a terrific choice for an aspiring artist or someone who was interested in biographies.

Now I Get It

Last night I almost un-followed a blog because they wrote a (not even completely) negative review.

Now let me backtrack and say, I typically have about zero interest in book blog/author drama. It seems like every so often an author or a publicist or some bloggers (or all of the above) will get all riled up about some negative reviews and then the responses to those reviews. Generally, I think, "Well, we can't all love all of the books, right? So, cut your losses and let's move on."

But then I read that review. It was for a book written by an author I actually know. And have a ton of affection and respect for. And I just so happened to really like her book too. So when I read the review, well, I got all riled up. I huffed upstairs and said to my husband, "Can you believe that someone said blankity-blank about so-and-so's book???" And, long story short, he could actually believe it. Because like I already said, we can't all love all of the books.

So, I get it now. I get the author/blog/book drama. Because it's not just books that inspire great emotions, our reactions to those books can cause us to react just as strongly. And next time that there are a bunch of bloggers/authors/human beings getting all riled up, I won't be so quick to judge.

What about you book lovers? Do you ever get invested in the blogger mini-dramas? And don't you just love that image? It's an original print by Jen Ramos of MadebyGirl.

Pull

Pull by B.A. Binns, WestSide Books, 2010, 310 pp, ISBN: 1934813435

Recap:
After his father shoots and kills his mother, it's up to David to keep his family together. Determined to reinvent himself at his new school, David changes his last name and works to keep a lower profile. But even the best of intentions aren't enough to hide who a person really is inside. And for better or for worse, keeping a low profile just isn't in the cards for someone like David.

But as David stands out more and more - battling with Malik, aggravating the principal, dazzling on the basketball court, and winning the attention of the tempestuous Yolanda - will he continue being able to protect his family? Or is he only pushing them away?

Review:
Yes, Pull fits pretty perfectly in my February personal reading challenge, but I also picked it up because the boy on the cover looks exactly like one of my former students. The resemblance is just incredible. He's only in 7th grade now, but once he hits high school, I am recommending this book! Once he gets over his reflection on the cover, he is going to love David's story.


I was shocked to learn that author B.A. Binns was a woman. She has 100% nailed the voice of a teenage boy. Check out this article from Ms. Binns on how she learned to "write like a boy."In fact, she wrote so convincingly, that sometimes I actually wished we could hear less of David's thoughts. For example, do I really need to hear a detailed description of the...effect...Yolanda has on him every time that she comes close? No, I do not. But that (frequent) over-sharing is my only David-complaint. His voice was aggressive, strong, and at turns both arrogant and achingly guilt-ridden - depending on the topic of his thoughts. Just when he got a little too cocky, Binns would show David hard at work at his night job - a construction site - or give us a tender scene with David and his sisters and I would be back on his side again.


The general premise of David's story revolves around his mother's shooting, his and his siblings' guilt over not being able to stop it, and David's efforts to start over. While threads of that tragedy run throughout the entire novel, it gradually becomes much more about David's relationship with a girl named Yolanda and her boyfriend, Malik. It still turns my stomach a little just to write Malik's name down. He was a true villan - literally using and abusing any girl who would let him, and they all let him. That aspect of the plot was a sad, sad commentary on the role that far too many young girls think they have to play in order to get status today. Yolanda was veeery different from the way that she was initially portrayed, and she eventually became my favorite character.

There were a few aspects of the plot that just bothered me all the way through. Like... David's youngest sister completely stopped speaking after the shooting, but no one ever makes an effort to connect with her or get her in counseling. Really?? And Barney's (the older sister's) insistence on pretending that David was her boyfriend at school. Did she seriously think that no one would ever find out? And Yolanda Dare's supposed nickname "The Dare." I just thought it was a little too corny for such a stand-out character.

But, do those things mean that I didn't care for Pull? Absolutely not. In fact, I read the entire novel in a day because I was so anxious to find out what would happen with David, Barney, Malik, and Yolanda. The ending was not at all what I expected, but it was all the more satisfying because of that.

Recommendation:
High school readers who appreciate contemporary, urban stories will get addicted to Pull. But when recommending the book, keep in mind that there is plenty of profanity, sexual innuendo, and compromising sexual situations. Pull is not a book for younger readers.

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle, Henry Holt and Co, 2010, 160 pp, ISBN: 0805090827

Recap:
Fredricka Bremer - Swedish suffragette, novelist, and humanitarian - traveled to Cuba in the hope of discovering a modern-day Eden. Instead, she found an island of contrasts: sparkling, tropical waters carrying boats full of children in chains; lush, vibrant landscapes that Cuban women were not free to explore, or even learn about.


Together with Cecelia, the slave girl who was her interpreter, and Elena, her wealthy host's daughter, Fredrika tells the tale of the Cuba that she experienced - both the ugly and the beautiful.

Review:
Novel in verse: yay! Multiple narrators: double yay! These are two of my favorite writing techniques, and I believe that they elevated this extremely short story into something more like art.


The Firefly Letters is a sleek little novel - I think it only took me about a half hour to read cover to cover - but the themes that it tackles are huge: slavery, gender roles, education, and classism. Whew. Real life suffragette Fredricka Bremer traveled to Cuba in 1851. Author Margarita Engle was able to use Bremer's letters, sketches, and diary entries from that time period in order to write The Firefly Letters. Bremer was shocked and dismayed to find that slaves, some as young as eight-years-old, populated much of the island. On top of that, she protested against the limited rights and educational opportunities that were afforded to free Cuban women and girls. In The Firefly Letters, the other two narrators - Cecelia and Elena, are both confused and delighted by Bremer's "radical" ideas concerning freedom and women's rights. 


For me, Elena never became a very "real" character. Instead, she seemed more like a generic representative of all girls born into privilege on the island. And maybe that was because she was a product of Engle's imagination, while Cecelia was actually based on a real person - a young slave girl who Bremer described in her diary. Cecelia was clearly extremely intelligent; she could speak multiple languages and because of her skill as a translator, she was one of the most valuable slaves on the plantation. I imagine that her interactions with Bremer had a life-changing effect, and I hope that her baby was able to grow up as a free person.

For all of the weight behind this novel's history, it is truly a simply told story. It could easily be used in a classroom as part of a study on women's rights, slavery, or the history of Cuba. The poetry throughout would provide a fascinating foundation for lessons in perspective or making inferences.

Recommendation:
I would recommend The Firefly Letters to readers of all ages who enjoy novels in verse and/or learning about other cultures.


Quotable Quotes:
The distance
between then and now
is too vast for memory
or a calendar
or a map.
- Cecelia
------


When I ask her to tell me
what the rows of squiggles mean,
she reads her Swedish words out loud,
translating into English
so that I can understand
when she describes Cuba as one
of God's most beautiful creations -
an island of eternal summer
like an outer court of Paradise
where she has inhaled new life,
although she cannot imagine
having to stay here
and live in this garden
where freedom
does not grow.
- Cecelia

American Girl: Cecile's New Orleans Series

The American Girl 1853 series: Cecile and Marie Grace by Denise Lewis Patrick and Sarah Masters Buckey, American Girl, 2011

Recap:
Cecile Rey is one of the "gens de couleur libres" or "free people of color" living in New Orleans in 1853. Together, she and her friend, Marie Grace, experience all that the diverse, busy city has to offer: Mardi Gras parades and costume balls, outdoor French markets, helping to fight a yellow fever epidemic, volunteering at a local orphanage, and performing at a city-wide benefit for the orphaned children.


Review:
Happy Mardi Gras, book lovers! In honor of the holiday, today I'm featuring a series set in New Orleans, and the first two books take place during Mardi Gras!


I was first inspired to cover this American Girl series after seeing a feature on author Denise Lewis Patrick on The Brown Bookshelf. I'd never given a thought to the authors behind my beloved American Girl books, and reading the story of how Patrick was asked to author the Cecile series piqued my interest. The Cecile series is unique from that of the other American Girls because she shares her books with a girl named Marie Grace. I read "Meet Marie Grace" and then all of the Cecile books in the series, and it's very clear that the two authors plotted the stories out together. Between the two "Meet ____" books, some lines were actually word-for-word the same. I'm really not sure why they chose to have two main characters this time. If any of you know, please fill me in!

On the surface, the Cecile/Marie Grace series follows the same "formula" as every other in the AG line.  We "Meet" the girls, they go through some "troubles" but eventually save the day, and everyone ends up stronger and wiser. A little didactic, yes... but these characters are brave, self-confident role models for little girls today. I really like the fact that each book includes a chapter of nonfiction in the back, explaining how the events in the story are a reflection of real events from the past.


Cecile's story is notable because, unlike so many black characters in historial fiction - including Addy!, she has no ties to slavery. In fact, her family is one of the wealthier in New Orleans. She speaks French fluently (a french glossary and pronunciation key is in the back of every book!), takes lessons from a well known Opera singer, and attends a private school. Stereotypical, Cecile is not. Now I love Addy and I think her story is an important one, but I also think it's exciting to see such a unique narrative through Cecile.


Recommendation:
Gosh, I love the American Girls. This series, and the rest in the AG collection, are perfect for elementary school aged girls. And have you been to the AG website lately? There are games, videos, and apps galore!


PS:
I was home just a few weeks ago while I was in the middle of Cecile's series, and took this picture of my and my sister's dolls. I had forgotten how much fun they were! Did you have one of the dolls or read their books when you were younger? Who was your favorite??

The Mighty Miss Malone

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis, Wendy Lamb Books, 2012, 320 pp, ISBN: 0385734913

Recap:
It's going to be darn near impossible for me to recap this gem without going into a three page summary. So, here are the highlights.


- Deza Malone: quite possibly one of the best tween characters ever written. For real.

- The Malone Family: "We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful." And they are.

- The Great Depression: No one is escaping this monster, and the Malones are hit harder than most.

- Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling: The fight the whole world watched, and a catalyst in Deza's own story.

Review:
If I had to describe this book in just one word, it would be Delightful. For about the first 89 pages I simply could not wipe the smile off my face. That Deza Malone is just a hoot and a half! After page 89, well... her story got a whole lot more depressing. But even when she could have been wallowing in the depths of despair (I think Roscoe Malone's penchant for alliteration is rubbing off on me), Deza was never anything short of delightful.


I haven't read dialogue this good since the amaaaaaazing Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. I have a bad habit of turning down pages when I want to remember a line, or two, or five, and I think I turned down about every other page. Whoops. Read the Quotable Quotes below to get just the tiniest idea of what I'm talking about.


Set in the midwest during the Great Depression, Christopher Paul Curtis takes his readers on a tour of the streets of Gary, IN - where work is all but impossible to find, then on to the homeless camp near the tracks outside of Flint, MI, and then finally to the glamorous speakeasies of Chicago. He also uses each distinct setting to illustrate the fact that even though these cities may be "geologically located" pretty near to each other, people's attitudes about race varied widely from place to place, dramatically impacting the Malones' opportunities at each stop.


Curtis also made a point of including the 1936 fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. Initially, Deza couldn't imagine why everyone was so hyped up over "two grown, old, bumpy-muscled men in their underwear trying to kill each other with big, fat, puffy, ridiculous red mittens." But her father explained - and this is just one line out of a particularly poignant family discussion - that, "It's silly to put so much importance on one fight, but you have to keep in mind that this fight is the one chance we have to show the Nazis, and some of our white brethren here in America as well, that we are people too. It's ironic, but Joe will show we're human by beating the stuffing out of someone." And the end result of that fight did have a significant impact on the Malone family.

The Malones may have been "on a journey to a place called wonderful," but it sure did take them a while to get there! I mean that both literally and figuratively. Each member of Deza's family had to endure a number of serious trials, testing their own resolve, and eventually testing my own patience as a reader. I thought The Mighty Miss Malone was pretty darn special, but 2/3 of the way through I was just anxious for some resolution. And when the resolution finally came? Well, it was really, really sad. But not without hope.

Recommendation:
The Mighty Miss Malone is one of those books that doesn't come along but once in a great while: historical fiction that is alive on each page and makes the reader laugh, cry, and grind their teeth in frustration over the way things used to be - and in some cases, still are. Appropriate for all ages, I wholeheartedly recommend Deza Malone to everyone who loves a great story that's based on the truth.


Quotable Quotes:
"James Malone, if I ever give one-half a hoot what a lot of people are saying, you have my permission to slap me silly." - Deza


"Right, think of 'credit to your race' as that first growl... But be grateful too, because they're letting you know exactly who they are." - Roscoe Malone, Deza's father


"Jimmie is always very generous, even with his lessons on how to be a criminal." - Deza


"You can tell you're reading a really good book when you forget all about everything else and know you'll die if you don't get to at least the end of the chapter." - Deza

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri, Lee and Low Books, 2010, 96 pp, ISBN: 1584302674

Recap:
Yummy has been convicted of dozens of felonies.
Yummy is a member of the Black Disciples.
Yummy is a murderer.
Yummy is only 11-years-old.


This is his true story.


Review:
This book just might break your heart. G. Neri has taken the very true story of Yummy, a pre-teen killer whose mugshot graced the cover of Time magazine, and made is accessible for adolescent readers.

His story is horrifying and just really, really sad. For all intents and purposes, Yummy was parentless. Although he was supposed to live with his grandmother, she had nearly 20 other kids in and out of the house, so Yummy could disappear for days at a time without anyone noticing. He started out small - stealing kids' lunch money and breaking into cars, but as his crimes escalated, he garnered the attention of the Black Disciples - a well known gang. The gang used young kids like Yummy to do their dirty work, because sentencing was always more lenient for minors. Yummy was so eager to prove himself and belong somewhere, he would have done anything. And he did. He killed a 14-year-old girl he had grown up with.

Neri's text and duBurke's illustrations highlight the fact that no one can know for sure why Yummy did what he did, although many have certainly speculated. This book also shines a light on what is perhaps the most disheartening aspect of this story: Yummy was only a child. And in his last days, he was most likely not the swaggering criminal that he had tried so hard to become. He was a scared, young boy.


I can't honestly say that I enjoyed this book. Instead, I asked myself over and over again, "What can I do, what can my family do, what can our society do to prevent something like this from happening ever again?" And I don't know how to answer that question, because I know that stories similar to Yummy's are spinning out in cities all over America today. Honestly, I'm not even sure how to end this paragraph. I just want to see more hope for real life boys like Yummy.

Recommendation:
I would recommend Yummy to readers who appreciate graphic novels and true stories. And this is definitely a book I'd recommend to boys who think reading is boring! Oh, they will be proven so wrong.

What Can't Wait

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez, Carolrhoda Books, 2011, 234 pp, ISBN: 0761361553

Recap:
Marisa is the good daughter: cooking for her father and brother, babysitting whenever her sister asks, giving half of her paycheck to the family each month.


But Marisa dreams of going to the University of Texas to study engineering, and ber calculus teacher thinks that Marisa is actually smart enough to make it happen.


But her father has all but forbidden her to go to college.
Her mother doesn't want her to leave home.
Her sister needs her to be a full-time babysitter for her niece. 
So college can wait. Family can't, right?


Review:
What Can't Wait really struck a chord with me. I saw so much of myself in Marisa's calculus teacher. Ms. Ford was constantly pushing Marisa, telling her not to make excuses, emphasizing that college was her "ticket out." But as the reader of Marisa's story, I knew that she was barely keeping it together - that she was bound by duty and loyalty to her family, and most especially to her niece. I actually found myself getting angry at Ms. Ford for not cutting her some slack. Why couldn't she try to understand what Marisa was going through? At the same time, I kept flashing back to conversations that I had with my own students. Pushing, pushing, and pushing them to do their best, to be the best - even when I had no idea what they were up against outside of the confines of our school. But then at the same time, wasn't Ms. Ford ultimately right? No matter how valid an excuse is, it's still an excuse. At some point, everyone has to decide for themselves "what can't wait," and then follow through and live with that decision.


Ashley Hope Perez has written a novel that is sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes uplifting, and always 100% realistic. She has given her readers a candid look at what it might mean to be a part of a Mexican family. She has infused the Spanish language into nearly every paragraph, making her readers feel like they are truly listening in to Marisa's world. She has forced me to reexamine my own thoughts on teaching and urban education. 


Have you read What Can't Wait? Because I'd love to talk about it with you.


Recommendation:
Teachers, parents, and students will all have something to gain through What Can't Wait. Whether it is a deeper understanding of Mexican-American culture, a new perspective on teen pregnancy, an opportunity to examine your own attitude about education, or just the pure and simple pleasure of being immersed in a really outstanding story... this book has something for everyone.


*I would say that this might be better suited for high school students, but I'm well aware that many of the challenges Marisa faces are also present in the lives of middle schoolers. So, I'll say this. If you're planning on passing What Can't Wait along to younger students, make sure you've read it first so that you are prepared for any discussions that may follow.


PS:
Much of Perez's inspiration came from her own students in Houston, where she initially taught as a Teach For America corps member. I taught with the TFA '06 corps in Baltimore. Interested in TFA or urban education? Because I'd love to talk about that too :)

Mexican Whiteboy

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena, Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2008, 256 pp, ISBN: 0385733100

Recap:
Danny is half Mexican, half white, and completely lost. His dad left him, and now he doesn't feel at home with his mom at his fancy private school in San Diego, or with his dad's family in National City. He used to feel at home on the pitching mound, but lately even that part of his life has been spinning out of control.


Now Danny is in National City for the summer, staying with his dad's brothers and his prima Sofia. He figures that if he can just make himself more Mexican, if he can just learn to speak some Spanish, if he can just get his pitching back under control, then maybe he'll finally make his dad proud. And then maybe his dad will come home.


Review:
I have found my new favorite author. So many authors can spin a great story, but it's rare to find a writer whose voice hums like a heartbeat through every page. Matt de la Pena is one of those writers.


I feel like Danny and Sofia and Uno are actual people - alive and walking around southern California. I can vividly picture Uno laughing under his breath, wearing his Steelers jersey. I can see Danny's faded Vanns toeing the dirt on a pitcher's mound. I can hear Sofia busting on them both while she types out a text to one of her girlfriends. Seriously - Matt de la Pena wrote each character so clearly that I wouldn't be surprised if Mexican Whiteboy turned out to be nonfiction.


Through Danny, a wildly talented but also deeply depressed teenage boy, de la Pena describes what it can be like to come from a mixed background, and never truly feel like you belong. Danny's longing was so intense in some passages that my heart literally ached for him.


But Mexican Whiteboy isn't a sad story. It is a brightly painted picture of what life is like for a group of teenagers one summer: the sad and the joyful, the painful and the laugh out loud hilarious. De la Pena writes about young love, but romance really isn't the heart of this story. It's about finding one's family, coming to terms with one's heritage, and developing true friendships. And it is one phenomenal read.

Recommendation:
Read it, read it, read it. A perfect book for boys who want to read about sports. A perfect book for boys who think reading is nerdy. A perfect book for Latino boys who are too used to not finding themselves in YA lit. Girls will definitely like it too, but isn't it always a bonus when you find a go-to Boy Book? *And it should be said: there is plenty of cursing and underage drinking, so I would certainly think twice before handing this off to someone younger than high school.

Quotable Quotes:

"Senior smiles. 'That's all right, Danny,' he says. 'You ain't gotta say nothin' about this. You just listenin', right? Maybe this is the part of your life where you supposed to be listenin'. To the world. To grown folks. To biographies and good movies, even the winds. Nature. The talkin' part, ma, that shit can come later on. Too many people rush into that part. They talk before they know what they wanna say."
-------------

"And Danny smiles, too. If only on the inside. Because this is so much fun. Pitching to Kyle. Pitching to Uno. Pitching when almost everything in life is so hard to figure out. But not this. This is just a game. Two guys with smiles trying to get the better of each other. This is simple. This makes sense. This is what he loves."

Nikki Grimes is a Queen

In my humble opinion, it seems like there is kind of a "ruling class" of African American authors of YA: Walter Dean Myers gets to be the king - the man has published more than NINETY books and won NINE Coretta Scott King author awards/honors. Talk about talented. And busy.

As for the women, Sharon Flake and Sharon Draper are certainly writing royalty as well. I know literally dozens of young men and women who fell in love with reading because of books like Sharon Flake's The Skin I'm In and Sharon Draper's Copper Sun. If you haven't read either of these phenomenal books, I HIGHLY recommend them. And pretty much everything else both women have written. Getting to listen to (and briefly meet!) Sharon Flake with my students is still one of my favorite memories from teaching in Baltimore.

But today, I'm talking about a woman who is most certainly a queen: Nikki Grimes. As an author she is prolific, and I think she has a beautiful heart. If we're talking favorites, her book, Bronx Masquerade, is a masterpiece. Written in alternating "chapters" of prose and poetry, with each narrated by a different student, Bronx Masquerade is the story of a group of high schoolers who overcome their differences through a series of year-long poetry slams. And it is AMAZING. I had seriously struggling readers pestering me every day for more reading time so that they could dive back into Bronx Masquerade.

I just finished reading two of Ms. Grimes' newer books: Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel and Planet Middle School.

Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel is the first in a series of early chapter books featuring - who else? - Dyamonde Daniel. Dyamonde is the kind of kiddo that we would love more of our young students to look up to. She's proud of her smarts, stands up to (and then befriends!) the sulky new kid, and has a sense of humor that will make early readers laugh out loud.

The illustrations throughout only added to this enjoyable reading experience. As Dyamonde is a third grader herself, her series seems perfect for younger elementary schoolers.

Want a second opinion? Check out Betsy Bird's review.

Planet Middle School is a novel in verse for middle grade readers. Joylin, our narrator, is 100% tomboy and can beat most of the boys in her class, including her best friend Jake, in a game of basketball.

But when Joylin starts middle school, she starts seeing the boys around her in a whole new way. And now she's wondering if it's time to turn her basketball shoes in for some girly high heels...

Planet Middle School deals with a variety of different stereotypes and gender roles. Although I have a feeling that many middle school girls will connect with Joylin's inner confusion and Grimes' free verse poetry, I have to say that this wasn't one of my favorites. The book as a whole just didn't have much "oomph" for me... until the end, when things suddenly got very serious. I felt like the intensity there, even though it was foreshadowed on the first page, was just a little too abrupt. But, that's just my 2 cents. I would still be eager to recommend Joylin's story to middle school girls - especially those girls who would rather run up and down a court than walk around the mall!

What about you, book lovers? Are you already a Nikki Grimes fan? Which of her books would you recommend?

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson, Balzar + Bray, 2011, 108 pp, ISBN: 0061730742

Recap:
"Most folks my age and complexion don't speak much about the past. Sometimes it's just too hard to talk about... [but] you gotta take the good with the bad I guess. You have to know where you come from you so can move forward. Most of us are getting up in age and feel it's time to make some things known before they are gone for good. So it's important you pay attention, honey, because I'm only going to tell you this story but once." - Heart and Soul

Review:
First off, the cover is pure gorgeous. I would like to frame it and hang it on my wall. And this weighty book is bursting with similarly stunning paintings - all by author and illustrator Kadir Nelson. What incredible talent.


With a sub-title like "The Story of America and African Americans," you know that this is book is going to be full. Full of history, full of emotion, and full of questions and connections and feelings that come up, long after one has finished reading.


It is told through the voice of an "everywoman" character, whose family history can be traced back to Africa and connects throughout history with both Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. Her strong, comforting voice comes through crystal clear. Tracing the path of her family from slave ships, through cotton fields, across multiple wars, into Reconstruction and the Great Migration, and ending around the dissolution of Jim Crow, there isn't much that this story doesn't touch on. President Barack Obama made his appearance in the Epilogue. 

An incredibly deserving recipient of both the Coretta Scott King author award, and Coretta Scott King illustrator honor for Heart and Soul, Kadir Nelson is a force to be reckoned with. He has made decades of history engaging and accessible for both school children and adults - no easy feat. 


My one little nitpick? I wish Claudette Colvin would have made an appearance in these pages. Ever since reading Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice it just irks me to see Rosa Parks getting all of the credit for staying seated on the bus.

Recommendation:
Teach it in your classrooms and treasure it in your homes - Heart and Soul is truly a work of art.

Celebrate Love!

This is our first Valentine's with our precious little Babe Lincoln. Today I'm eager to forget the fact that we all only slept for about four hours last night, and just celebrate the abundance of LOVE that he has brought to our lives. And of course, this day will be filled with our favorite love books...

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton
Hands down, Lincoln's favorite book of all time. We can read it over and over and over again. He squeals with delight every time we get to the "Ooooooh!" lines.

Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell
This sweetly rhyming story is my personal favorite to read aloud. Jules the kitty travels the world, trying to give every single animal a hug - even a gigantic blue whale. I love it. I kind of want the board book version too, just because this book is so lovely. And! I just figured out author/illustrator Patrick McDonnell is also the creator of this year's big winner: Me... Jane. Nice.

Spot's Valentine by Eric Hill
Spot is the next best thing to Snuggle Puppy for Linc. And I love this one because the book is as tall as my baby when he's sitting up! Sometimes it's just fun to read really big books :)

What are you reading today, book lovers?

Now is the Time for Running

Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011, 240 pp, ISBN: 0316077909

Recap:

Deo and his family might be slowly starving in the Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe, yet they have confidence that their President will send soldiers with food. But when the soldiers arrive, they bring death instead.

After everyone in his village in murdered - except Deo and his brother Innocent - the two boys must escape from their home country to the safety of South Africa. Yet while that in itself will be a harrowing journey, surviving South Africa will be just as dangerous to attempt.

Review:

Wow. I was expecting a soccer book. Instead, I got a real-life survival story with sprinkles of soccer mixed in. Now is the Time for Running was intense from start to finish.

Author Michael Williams has written a story that reflects the lives of far, far too many people living in parts of Africa today. Using real places that are traceable on a map, Williams has readers holding their breath as the brothers travel from Masvingo to Beitbridge, across the Limpopo River, and into South Africa.

After the atrocities that they had experienced in Zimbabwe, I was actually furious that life got better, and then got so much worse once Deo and Innocent were in South Africa. Deo is a character that readers will love: a gifted athlete, fiercely protective of his older (developmentally delayed) brother, and forced to grow up far too soon. He and his brother did not deserve a single thing that happened to them, and my heart broke for all of the real people who have had similar experiences.

As a Humanities teacher, I immediately recognized that Now is the Time for Running is rich with opportunities for teaching both Language Arts and Social Studies: Zimbabwe's child soldiers, the history of apartheid in South Africa, South Africa's xenophobic attacks in 2008, the geography of southern Africa, the various languages that are spoken across the continent... There is just so much to digest here.

Without revealing the ending, I can say only that I was sad, but also satisfied. And I have a brand new sports obsession come World Cup time. And no, I don't mean the World Cup.

Recommendation:

I would feel comfortable recommending Now is the Time for Running to mature middle school readers and up. There is some extremely graphic violence, but it is violence that is based on truth. I think this could be a fantastic book club selection as discussion points leap off of every other page.

Map from here.

C'mon Now, Is this Really Historical Fiction?

A few weeks ago I was reading The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Set in 1996 and filled to the brim with 90s references, a question kept coming back to me - Is this historical fiction?

Just the other day I finished Ninth Ward by Jewell Rhodes Parker. Set in 2005 (only 7 years ago!), it made me ask the same question again - Is this historical fiction?

The most basic definition of the genre - "fiction set in the past" - leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Sarah Johnson, a professor at Eastern Illinois University, half-joked that one could say, "All novels are historical, but some are most historical than others." Sidenote: If you're looking for more info on this topic, I was thoroughly engaged by her entire article, "What are the Rules for Historical Fiction?"

Personally, I think the genre of historical fiction is much broader than I used to believe. In fact, I feel pretty comfortable labeling both The Future of Us and Ninth Ward as such. So what do you think, book lovers? Does a novel need to be set at least a certain number of years in the past? Does it need to focus on a specific event in history? Where do you draw the line?