Truth in Fiction Challenge

I was not going to sign up for another reading challenge. I really wasn’t. But this is just too neat to pass up.

The Truth in Fiction Challenge, hosted at Fig and Thistle.

From her post:

The Details:
Challenge runs from 01/01/12 – 12/31/2012

Goal:  read a specified number of book pairs that are comprised of one fiction book and one related non-fiction book.  Think outside of the box; the non-fiction book could also be journals, letters, memoirs, etc…. The pairs needn’t be exact matches, although there should be an easily detectable common thread.  Overlapping with other challenges is fine.

The catch:   Instead of individual reviews, after each book pair write a joint review.  For example, if I read The Bell Jar  by Sylvia Plath and then The Journals of Sylvia Plath then my review post will be focused on both books.  


Levels:
Freshman:  1 pair
Sophomore: 2 pairs
Junior: 3 pairs
Senior: 4 pairs
Masters: 5 pairs
PhD: 6 pairs
Professor:  7 pairs

Doesn’t this sound like fun? I put my name in for Freshman Level, planning on reading Jeanette Winterson’s Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? and re-reading one of my favorite books, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.

I can think of at least two more pairings, though. I never did get around to reading Carole Estby Dagg’s The Year We Were Famous, which I was planning to read paired with Linda Lawrence Hunt’s Bold Spirit. And, of course, there’s Wendy McClure’s The Wilder Life, which just begs for a re-reading of Little House on the Prairie.

Thoughts? Suggestions for pairings with books already on my TBR list? Want to join in?

Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favorites

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I love this topic! I had a lot of difficulty picking out 10, though. I went with the ones that stand out in my memory today, and I decided to stick with middle-grade fiction and skip the picture books and the YA. Ask me tomorrow, and I’ll probably give you a different set.

Except Phantom Tollbooth will still be on it. Always.

Top Ten Childhood Favorites

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

In elementary school, we went to the school library once a week. My closest friend, D*, and I raced each other through this whole series. I remember having a big discussion with the Librarian to convince her I would, in fact, read more than one book over the course of the week before she would let me check out two books.

I loved the whole series, but Ozma is the one that stands out in my memory. It’s that whole scene with the Nome King.


Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

I worked my way through just about all of Blume’s books as a kid (Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great is also a stand-out memory). Growing up in the suburbs, I wanted more than anything to live in a Big City. I was fascinated by Peter’s New York City life.

 

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

I loved all the Ramona books. As an older sister myself, though, I always had a certain sympathy for Beezus (and Judy Blume’s young Peter Hatcher). Ramona and her Father was also a favorite in the series. I remember reading that one during the summer at my grandparents’ house. I wanted to make coffee can stilts like Ramona and Howie. My Grandpa went one better and made me a set of wooden stilts instead.

 

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Ah, Harriet. Always observing, writing down everything in that little notebook. Since I was a rule-following sort of kid, I got a vicarious thrill from Harriet’s sneaking into Mrs. Plummer’s house via the dumbwaiter. (And, for that matter, I learned what a dumbwaiter was.)

 

 

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

What can I say about my very favorite children’s book? From King Azaz the Unabridged to the Princesses Rhyme and Reason and everything in between, I enjoy Milo’s adventure more every time I return to it.

And any time I hear the phrase “killing time”, I think of Tock the Watchdog.

 

 

Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kastner

This is the book that inspired the movie The Parent Trap, but I didn’t know that when I first read it. I stumbled on it in the library because I was looking for books about kids going to summer camp. The story of twins trading places was a bonus.

 

 

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

What bookish kid  didn’t fantasize about running away to the museum after reading this one?

 

 

 

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

The books in this trilogy were the topic of many playground discussions with D*. I’d like to reread this one sometime soon.

 

 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

She could solve any problem with some clever reverse psychology. I still want to visit her upside-down house.

 

 

 

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I’m not sure I ever actually read all the books in the series, but I loved this one. Wendy McClure’s Wilder Life is on my TBR list. I think it’ll be interesting to revisit Wilder’s books from my adult perspective.

 

 

 

What are your top 10?

Les Miserables Readalong!

It’s not another Reading Challenge, see? It’s a Read-along. Totally different.

And it’s just one book!

OK, so it’s a 1286-page book (in the edition I’ll be reading).  I downloaded it from Project Gutenberg months ago, with the intention of reading it “someday”. It looks “someday” is coming soon! I especially like that other people will be reading it right along with me, a sort of virtual book club. The fact that I can count it toward the EBook Challenge (oh! and the Off the Shelf Challenge!) doesn’t hurt, I must admit.

One More Challenge

Really, we’re using the word “challenge” a bit loosely here. But I realize my relationship with my local library is a little different from people who don’t, you know, work in their library.

It’s the 2012 Support Your Local Library Challenge, hosted at The Eclectic Bookshelf. For this challenge, I’ll be going for Level 4: Read 37+ library books. (For comparison, so far this year, I’ve read 75 library books (and I’d just like to note here how happy I am to have finally figured out how to do multiple filters on my GoodReads list. Very handy.).)

I think this is a fantastic idea for a reading challenge, personally. Join in! Go forth and check out library books!

That Wonderful Time of Year

No, not that one.

It’s Reading Challenge (Planning) Time! I’ll do a wrap-up on my 2011 Challenges sometime later this month, but the time has already come to start planning those 2012 TBR lists.

First up, the challenge that started me down this merry path: The Story Siren‘s Debut Author Challenge!

I had a lot of fun with this one in 2011, and I’m looking forward to finding more great new MG/YA authors in 2012. My preliminary reading list:

    1. The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet (January 3, 2012)
    2. Shadow’s Edge by Maureen Lipinski(January 8, 2012)
    3. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (January 10, 2012)
    4. The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards (January 17, 2012)
    5. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth (February 7, 2012)
    6. Above World by Reese, Jenn (February 14, 2012)
    7. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (February 14, 2012)
    8. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen (February 14, 2012)
    9. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould (March 13, 2012)
    10. Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank (April 10, 2012)
    11. You Can’t Have My Planet, But Take My Brother, Please by James Mihaley (April 10, 2012)
    12. The Mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash (April 24, 2012)
    13. The Selection by Kiera Cass (April 24, 2012)
    14. The Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes (May 15, 2012)
    15. Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy (June 14, 2012)
    16. The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin (August 21, 2012)
    17. Touched by Corrine Jackson (December, 2012)
    18. The Marble Queen by Stephanie J. Blake (??, 2012)
    19. The Nightmare Factory by Lucy Jones (??, 2012)

Subject to change, of course.

Next up, the EBook Challenge, hosted this year at Workaday Reads. My poor little Nook has been underused of late, since my focus has been on the deluge of Cybils books. I’m going to shoot for the “DVD” level – 25 e-books. No reading list yet, though.

I’m going to take another crack at the Off the Shelf Challenge, hosted at Bookish Ardour. I was clearly too ambitious last year (or maybe distracted by all those shiny new e-books and debuts), so I’m just committing to the “Tempted” level. Five books. Just 5 of the many unread books on my shelves. I can do that, right?

My working list is really just a repeat of last year’s list. Don’t judge.

  1. Crossword Obsession: The History And Lore of the World’s Most Popular Pastime by Coral Amende
  2. Brazen Femme: Queering Femininity edited by Anna Camilleri and Chloë T. Brushwood Rose
  3. Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale by Catherine Orenstein
  4. Wild Heart: A Life: Natalie Clifford Barney and the Decadence of Literary Paris by Suzanne Rodriguez
  5. We Look Like the Enemy: The Hidden Story of Israel’s Jews from Arab Lands by Rachel Shabi

I couldn’t help but add one more this year, but it overlaps quite a bit with some of the other challenges. It’s the YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge, hosted at The Book Cellar.

My working list so far:

  1. Above World by Jenn Reese
  2. The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
  3. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
  4. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
  5. Shadow’s Edge by Maureen Lipinski
  6. The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin
  7. Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
  8. Touchedby Corrine Jackson
  9. The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
  10. Winterling (Winterling, #1) by Sarah Prineas

I’m thinking that quite a few of the titles will cross over into the e-book challenge. I can hardly wait!

But, for now, Cybils nominees are calling my name….

CYBILS!

Cybils Round 1 Judge A while back, the call went out for judges for this year’s Cybils. Since this blog has clearly shifted from being a craft blog to more of a kidlit blog, I went ahead and threw my hat in the ring.

I’m a first round judge for Middle Grade Fiction, along with these fantastic bloggers:

Colby Sharp at Sharp Read 
Jennifer Donovan at 5 Minutes for Books 
Karen Yingling at Ms. Yingling Reads 
Cheryl Vanati at Reading Rumpus
Grier Jewell at Fizzwhizzing Flushbunker
and
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin at Middle Grade Mafioso .

Now, I love kids’ fiction, as you can tell by looking through my reviews. (Good thing, too, what with the being a Children’s Librarian. It’s a lot easier to make book recommendations when you read a lot of books!) I’ve read a few of this year’s nominees already, but I have stacks of books coming my way via the library’s holds system.

I’ve been spacing out my reviews on this blog, posting kids’ books on Tuesdays and YA books on Thursdays. With so many books coming in, if I keep that up, I’ll end up with once-weekly reviews scheduled through the end of next year. That seems… excessive. So, those of you on the other side of the screen, what do you think? Should I start posting them more often? (And, no, I don’t see myself posting a review for every single nominee. There just aren’t that many hours in the day.)

This does also mean that the Challenges I signed up for back at the beginning of the year are on hold. I’ve read seven of my original 12 titles for the Debut Author Challenge, with one more of those currently in the TBR-for-Cybils queue. I hit my 12 titles (and then some) for the E-Book Challenge back in April. The Off the Shelf Challenge, sadly, has suffered this year. I’ve read one book from my Challenge List. Whoops. I don’t see myself making up any ground there before December.

Book Review: Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

When kids come to the library looking for a biography, there are a few usual suspects, and Amelia Earhart is one of them. There is a lot of information about Earhart floating around out there, some of it more legend than truth, as Fleming notes at the opening of this attractive biography. I enjoyed Fleming’s biography of P.T. Barnum, and she brings much the same approach to the famous “aviatrix”.

Amelia LostAmelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“We believed we were about to see history in the making — the first woman to fly around the world, but she didn’t come, and she didn’t come.”

Fleming begins her biography of Earhart near the end of the story, joining the crew waiting for her arrival at Howland Island as they realize that the famous pilot is lost. She then jumps back to the beginning, and the chapters of the book move chronologically from Amelia’s birth to her final flight. In between the chapters, though, are brief two- or three-page sections about the progress of the search. This dual narrative maintains a feeling of suspense throughout the book, even though the reader knows the search is ultimately unsuccessful.

Beautifully designed, full of photographs and sidebar notes, with a striking red, black, and gray cover, this biography has plenty of visual appeal for children and adults. Fleming dug through mounds of research (many sources are noted in the back matter) to tease out the truth of Earhart’s life from the legends. She portrays an Amelia Earhart who is daring and inspiring, yes, but also a very real human being. A truly outstanding biography.

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Book Review: Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

At the age of nine, I started playing the violin. I played in the school orchestra right up through Senior year of high school. I took private lessons in junior high and high school, and for a little while in college before giving it up for good. I was never so passionate about music as the girls in Sara Bennett Wealer’s Rival, but I recognize the stresses and pressures she depicts. But this novel is about so much more than music.

RivalRival by Sara Bennett Wealer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Source: checked out from my public library

Even with all those people between us, even with our folders up, our eyes on Mr. Anderson, and our voices busy on a really hard Bach catata, I feel a steady ping coming off of Brooke like the signal from a giant antenna.

Brooke and Kathryn used to be friends, and now they are bitter enemies. From the outside, popular Brooke and shy Kathryn have nothing in common but a love of music. Their shared history is gradually revealed in sections that alternate between present events and what happened one year earlier.

After reading the first chapter, narrated by Kathryn, it would be easy to think that this is a simple drama of Mean Girl bullying, but Wealer weaves a more complicated tale. That becomes clear by the end of the second chapter, as Brooke begins her side of the story. Both girls are flawed but sympathetic characters; neither one is really the hero(ine) or the villain. Wealer perfectly captures the complicated lives of teenage girls: the secrets, the rivalries, the betrayals. The raw emotions are true to life, as are the pressures that both girls deal with. Tensions build on all fronts until a satisfying conclusion that manages to avoid being too neat or easy. A terrific contemporary realistic read.

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Book Review: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

The Great Wall Of Lucy WuThe Great Wall Of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Source: Checked out from my public library

Who did Regina think she was, telling me how or how not to be Chinese?

Lucy Wu is all set to have the best year of her life. Her older sister, Regina, is going off to college. Not only will Lucy get out of the shadow the Perfect Chinese Daughter, but she will also get their shared bedroom all to herself. She’s looking forward to starting sixth grade and being among the oldest kids in the school, playing basketball, and having a big joint-birthday Halloween bash with her best friend, Madison.

And then, it all falls apart. Her parents announce that Lucy is about to get a new roommate – a great-aunt from China. A new Chinese school is opening in the area, and her parents want her to go on Saturday mornings – when she has always had basketball practice. Nothing is going according to Lucy’s plans.

Shang creates an utterly believable tween in Lucy, blending all the sweetness and prickliness that come with being an eleven-year-old girl. She wants to do the right thing, but sometimes she really wants her way, too. She wants to fit in and have the boy she likes like her back. She doesn’t want to be too different from everyone else. She has been content to fade into the background everywhere but on the basketball court. When a bully makes her a target, her impulse is to hide away. When some of the popular girls spot Yi Po at the mall and make fun of her, Lucy denies being to related to her.

As the weeks pass, and Lucy gets to know Yi Po, she also starts to figure out how to bring together and accept the various parts of her own identity, and how important it is to stand up for herself. Her realistic responses to frustrating situations will have readers cringing and laughing right along with her.

Highly recommended for grades 4-6, this is a stand-out debut novel.

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Book Review: Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz

History was never my strongest subject. Much to my American History teacher spouse’s chagrin, I know next to nothing about an awful lot of people and events. It just doesn’t stick. But I do know that to learn something new, the best place to go is a children’s book. So, I was excited to see that Jean Fritz had a new biography coming out about Alexander Hamilton. I knew so little about Hamilton! I knew he was on the $10 bill, of course, and that he had, um, something to do with banking, and, well, I knew about Aaron Burr. So, thank you to Jean Fritz for pulling Hamilton out of obscurity for at least one reader!

Alexander Hamilton: The OutsiderAlexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Source: Checked out from my public library

Noted autor Jean Fritz turns her keen eye for historical detail to the life of Alexander Hamilton. From his early years in the West Indies to that fateful day in Weehawken, NJ, Fritz puts Hamilton’s story center stage while also setting it in the context of the birth of the United States. The tone of the narrative is conversational and should appeal to middle grade readers. Historical images are reproduced throughout the book; while lovely and certainly helpful in setting the mood and tone in certain passages, the lack of captions may leave some readers a bit puzzled. The image credits are squeezed into a text-dense single page in the back matter. The back matter also includes several notes on particular points, but there is no indication in the text itself that the notes exist. (This is entirely reasonable, since children’s books do not generally use footnotes, but it is a little odd to reach the end and discover the notes.) The included bibliography indicates her research sources and points to further reading. An impeccably researched, fresh look at a figure who frequently fades into the background for kids studying American history.

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