One Last TAB...

We end the 2007-2008 school year with a final TAB review by our top reviewer of the year, CM:

"Peak" by Roland Smith. I liked this book because it explained one boys climb to Mt. Everest, but it also had lots of other parts to the story besides his climb which made it unique and interesting.

Our HBW Top Ten is posted on the school library website. The HBW TAB Top Ten will be posted on the public library soon. Thanks to all for a terrific year.

TAB Reviews!

CM writes:

“Book of a Thousand Days” by Shannon Hale. I liked it because it was from a serving girl’s point of view, not a princess. It was neat to see the other side of the story, kind of like what royals are like behind the scenes.
“Captives” by Tom Paw. I liked this book but at the same time I hated it. It had a unique writing style and the plot flowed, but I HATED the ending!!!
“The Off-Season” by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. I liked this book because it was about a normal girl that was able to do extraordinary things. It also had lots of unexpected twists that made you want to read it all in one sitting.
“The Game” by Diana Wynne Jones. This book was a modern version of greek mythology. I liked it because it was true to the old stories but it had a new twist.

MJ writes:

“The Book of Lies” by James Moloney. It was full of magic and mystery in a new kind of way.

CK writes:

“Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf” by Jennifer L. Holm. I loved this book because you had to really read everything on every page to understand what was going on. It’s different from any other books I’ve read. It was really fun to read because you have to try to figure out what’s going on. This book was kind of like eye candy.

IH writes:

“Son of the Mob” by Gordon Korman. The best thing was the original subject; it’s about the son of the mob boss of NYC.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Nine months. That’s how long it took me to read this book. In part, it took that long because I am a slow reader and this is simply a long book, and in part, it took that long because I had to keep putting it down to read new YA books gaining some notoriety. But the truth is, this book isn’t ~that~ long (448 pages of teeny-tiny type), it’s just ***dense***. This isn’t so much a novel as it is an epic – an epic that spans two decades (with meanderings back to WWII and the Jamaican earthquake of 1907) and three families. There is Archie, a stereotypical lower-class Englishman, a virtual Babbitt of his unremarkable world. There is Clara, his second wife, a Jamaican. There is Samad, Archie’s best friend, a thoroughly British Bengali with a crippled hand, and his wife Alsana. Then there are the Chalfens, a family that manages to make the worst liberal stereotypes look tame. Archie is a paper-folder, Samad a waiter. Both are pretty much miserable, and their children, starved of any level of emotional support from their parents, end up miserable as well. The book does have humor – in an arch, sarcastic, dark way. If you found “Running With Scissors” to be a laugh riot, you will enjoy the dysfunctional family fun here. And it is extremely well-written – with the kind of literary merit that turns books into classics. A sample: “She wore her sexuality with an older woman’s ease, and not (as with most of the girls Archie had run with in the past) like an awkward purse, never knowing how to hold it, where to hang it, or when to just put it down.” Nothing is left without history – every room, every passerby, is given a detailed, Dickensonian history. All of this made it very rich, very deep reading. Aside from the extreme “British-isms” and the vernacular speech patterns (written phonetically) for many of the characters, I think many would find this to be an extremely strong debut novel. But did I like it? It wasn’t engrossing in the traditional sense. Some of the paragraphs go on longer than a page (or even two) and the pacing is more of an observatory style than one of a driving plot. Instead of wanting to turn the page and see “what happens next” I found myself slowing down to digest what I had just read. The characters are deeply flawed, at times morally questionable, and have little growth over this twenty year snapshot. Aside from the build-up to a rather inevitable event, there is little difference between the beginning of the book and the end. The author has much to say – I’m just not sure what all of it is. The ending, which I read three times to understand, seemed to indicate that life is essentially cyclical – the past drives us in the same paths over and over. And yet Ms. Smith seems to resent a focus on the past, often having the character of Irie (Archie’s daughter and the seeming author mouthpiece) wax on about the suffocating nature of living inside memory. There are also many cultural issues raised. What it means to be British, what it means to be an ethnic or religious British minority, what it means to be a British citizen whose family comes from a land conquered by the British. Only the questions, not the answers, are provided. (It is easy to see why this book is so popular with book clubs…) Zadie Smith’s characters are at once both archetypes and individuals. They aren’t truly the anti-heroes that seem to populate every aspect of our culture these days, but they aren’t good people, either. Ms. Smith does deserve congratulations on keeping her characters true to their nature, and, for the most part, refusing to make comment on their choices. In the end, I have to say (in the style of the book), that I really don’t know how I felt about this book. I appreciated its value without falling in love. It made me think, but left a lot of questions. If you have some time to devote, you may want to dive in – but it is not the kind of book you can dip your toe into, so be prepared.

Ignoring Binky: The Life and Times of Victor Evertor by Beverly Red and Mitch Hall

In doing a unit on graphic novels, I set this one out after skimming it. Although it has its fair share of PG-13 content (“S” words are said, while the “F words” are blanked out), the “relations between adults” are shown with underwear rather than full-on nakedness. The opening birthing scene, however, left the kids in a fit of giggling so it was put aside for use by some of our older readers. In reading through it I felt torn. Clearly, this is a left-wing publication that triumphs the voice of the IMF protestors, anarchists and the like. They have some valid points: We have damaged our world, and ourselves, perhaps beyond repair, by focusing on power and greed. The lead character, Victor Evertor, is raised by parents who judge and hate and he follows the predictable path of using an ROTC uniform to hide his bullying tendencies. He is a womanizer who loves neither his wife nor his children, but is willing to sacrifice all – even his own life – to be at the top of his perceived “mountain of success”. Binky is the social consciousness of the piece, and follows Victor from birth to “brink of death” with chidings to be a better man. The artwork succeeds in conveying complex emotions (anger, in particular) and the simple line drawings are good accompaniment to the extensive text (this actually took some time to read). My only problem with the images is that the character of Victor is sometimes hard to discern in the groupings of businessmen, as his visage changes with age and mood throughout the book. My bigger issue with the story is that it is almost too leftist … which is saying a lot, coming from me. Do I believe in the total overthrow of all corporations? No. Do I think that all companies are essentially evil at heart? No. It is in the broad characterizations and stereotypes that this story fails. While I do know someone like Victor, someone who seemingly has no love for humanity, I find it hard to believe he is real. Victor, his meek then emancipated wife, his resentful kids, his Vietnam war soldier brother who goes from addict to granola-munching kayaker – it’s all just a little too flat. We live in a complex world, and solving the problems we face (media manipulation, the power of big brother, consumerism without understanding of consequences) requires complex and layered thinking. An attempt to understand the forces that create monolithic industries, and a visionary effort to move us into a myriad of possible “better” futures requires thinkers and doers, not simply condemnation. This book may spark some strong reactions, and that’s good, but the next step is to begin work on answers.

“Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village” by Laura Amy Schlitz

Finally! The two-month wait to get the Newbery title has been rewarded. It arrived yesterday and I was able to read it in a single afternoon. Chalking this one up to another esoteric pick by the arcane Newbery committee, I was pleasantly surprised by this off-beat and unusual award-winner. The book is a series of 21 monologues, meant to be performed by 23 young actors. The intertwined stories are those of villagers in the Middle Ages, and are accompanied by a number of brief informational sections describing historical roles and events. The monologues themselves include a number of notes and there is an extensive glossary as well. Although the work is meant for performance, it was enjoyable to read – and had quite a number of interesting facts that I was completely unaware of (although I fancy myself a decent historian when it comes to this period in time). The book works best when the author’s humor and cleverness comes out (including some arch comments about the crusades) but is a bit of a mystery in terms of who might pick it up. The detailed and well-matched illustrations by Robert Byrd are a perfect accompaniment to the text, but the book presents as a picture book. High schoolers will not pick it up for this reason, yet the text was a challenge for ~me~, so I hardly think younger children would “get” it. Many of the monologues are in verse, which I did find a bit challenging, as they don’t adhere strictly to any one form – sometimes rhyming, sometimes not, sometimes very metered but breaking the meter as needed. That was a minor distraction in reading text that seemed very legitimate in terms of language of the period. The book was entertaining, engrossing and enlightening, so try to find an hour or two to peruse it. I guarantee you will learn something you didn’t know before!

The Lost Years of Merlin, by T.A. Barron

The following review was written by NW, from the 6th grade reading class:

If you read this book, you will find that it will be worth you time. It describes the journeys and adventures of a young boy who goes on a quest do discover his place in the world. Throughout the book Merlin makes friends and enemies alike, with detailed interactions between the characters in every encounter. After a long journey, Merlin discovers his past, and his future- to become one of the greatest wizards of all time and pass on his knowledge to a famous king in the future.

Though the start was slow and laborious, when I got into the exciting parts I started reading at a rate of about 10 pages per second. When the book was over I went right to the library to get the next one. I very much recommend this book to anyone who can appreciate a book that unravels a magical but lifelike tale from the first page to the last.

Interesting Times, by Terry Pratchett

The following review was written by DK, from the 6th grade reading class:

This is an amazing book that takes place on a planet called Discworld, it is a flat disk on top of four elephants which stand on top a huge turtle called the Great Atu'in. This book is about Rincewind a funny and forgetful wizard. The wizards guild send him to another continent because of an evil tyrant that they need to stop. They were also in need of a "great" wizard. There he meets up with Cohen the Barbarian who is 95 years old and his silver horde (5 very old people) who try to take over a kingdom, and battles against an army of 100,000. Rincewind also meets with his old friend Twoflower! I recommend this book for 6-8 graders. I would really recommend this book it's awesome and really funny. It has action and suspense through the entire book, it'll have sitting at the edge of your sitting laughing.

The Five Ancestors: Book 3, the Snake, by Jeff Stone

The following review was written by KL, from the 6th grade reading class:

This is the third book in a series about the five ancestors. This particular book is about a Kung fu monk named Seh (snake) and the temple in Canghzen. The temple was destroyed by his brother, Ying (eagle). This meant that Seh and the monks had to reteach the people animal style Kung Fu. Ying was trying to kill his brother and keep the monks from reteaching the monks Kung Fu.

The book has fighting, action, fighting techniques, and awesome descriptions of battles. I like how the author really trains in Kung Fu at Canghzen, China, and he passes his knowledge of fighting techniques to the reader.

It is a great book for people in the fourth grade or older. I think that anyone who reads this book is going to think it is cool that the monks can turn into different animals even when they fight.
My favorite part in this book is when Tsung confronts Ying and almost kills him. I really like this part because Jeff Stone really gives good information about the battles of the monks.
Reading these books in order is very important. Each book adds a little more information to the story. All the books in this series are a fast reads with over 180 pages.

American Born Chinese, by Gene Yuan

The following review was written by SS, from the 6th grade reading class (see another review of "American Born Chinese" in the Previous Posts section):

"American Born Chinese" is a book with many stories in it, 3 stories to be exact. It seems at the start that it makes no sense, but all the stories get interlinked and make perfect sense. Gene Luen yang has a great imagination with all his characters, so you really get into the book and enjoy it. At the start you get into the first story, but then say, “Oh, well, let’s see what this story is going to be like.” After a while you start to get the tempo and feel of how the book is going. The main character, Jin Wang and his family keep moving un till they settle after moving 3 times, Jin Wang was pretty young at the time. When he started his new school he made a good friend pretty quick. As Jin Wang gets older he struggles with new problems and has to make serious choices. To find out what choices Jin Wang needs to make, what he will choose, and what the out come will be, read American Born Chinese. This funny book is a great quick read for anyone over 8 years old because anyone under that age might not get the full affect.

Holes, by Louis Sachar

The following review was written by AC, from the 6th grade reading class:

"Holes" is a book full of trust and discovering new beginnings. Stanley Yelnats, accused of stealing a pair of famous shoes without knowing it was a crime. Was sent to Camp Green Lake along with 6 other delinquent boys. Stanley has to dig holes everyday as he tries to fit in with the other boys. He notices that all the boys have nicknames and gains himself the name of Cave Man along with X-ray, Zig-Zag, Armpit, Squid, Magnet and Zero.

An impressive storyline packed with adventure. A little slow paced but that’s what makes the book interesting and make you want to read on. If I were to rate this book on a scale from 1-10 I’d give it a nine. Holes is a good read for almost any age and I recommend reading it.

More TAB Reviews!

TAB Reviews

MJ writes:
“A Friend at Midnight” by Caroline Cooney. It is a book for everybody. It has a little bit of romance and some adventures, but it’s also realistic fiction. This book really shows what one family went through.

CM writes:
“Tasting the Sky” by Ibtisam Barakat. “Tasting the Sky” was a *huge* eye opener to me. It is a diary of a Palestinian girl’s childhood and all the violence and war and poverty she saw. It was a sad book but I really liked it and could not put it down. It makes me realize how lucky I am, and I think everyone should read it.

CK writes:
“The Off-Season” by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The book deserves to be a TAB pick because it was a good story with a good plot, but at times it just dragged on and on and some parts were worded weirdly. The first book (Dairy Queen) was better than the sequel.
“Harmless” by Dana Reinhardt. I really liked this book. I liked how the story is told through three different points of view. I could relate to the girl's problem but never have told a lie this big.

IH writes:
“Millions” by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. “Millions” is one of the most touching books I have ever read. The plot is fairly simple, but the first person narrative by Damian is so innocent and hilarious. This book is great for all ages.

And the winner is…

Tis the season of award-winners. Since things have been a tad slow, I’ve been able to work my way through a few of the books that have won awards for illustration. As always, it’s a complex and delightful grouping of books. So let’s hear it for picture books … they ain’t just for little kids any more!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Winner of the Caldecott Medal for Best Picture Book for Children

One look at this unusual book makes it clear – this is not for young children. At 525 pages, it might even challenge a teen reader. About half image and half words, the book almost defies description. It is not truly a picture book nor graphic novel, but uses pictures in the way one might imagine a film unfolding, with layered dialogue and image, conveying story and emotional context. The film concept is intentional, and this European-styled story of an orphaned boy living in a train station is engaging, if not rather unusual. Based on historical events and characters, the story of Hugo is one of small mysteries -- a time when the mechanical and the magical blended in the minds of people -- before the great wars and technology changed everything. The book was enjoyable on many levels and will be interesting to a wide variety of readers if they can get past its size to pick it up. Make sure to read the acknowledgements and go to the website where you can see a real automaton at work.

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

Caldecott Honor Book.

Have I mentioned how much I love Knuffle Bunny? These are some of the best laugh-out-loud picture books out there. Trixie and her best friend, Knuffle Bunny, are drawn in light pastels, and with a broad simplicity that is bound to entertain young children, but the “reality” of the childlike dialog and the subtle looks of exasperation on the faces of the adult characters make these books hysterical to adults. That, and the background, created with real photos from New York city, make the Knuffle Bunny books far more layered than one would expect. These are truly picture books that can be enjoyed by all … and don’t miss the “epilogue” in Knuffle Bunny Too – it left me on the floor!

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis

Winner of the Sibert Medal for Best Informational Book and a Caldecott Honor.

Peter Sis authored one of my favorite books of all time, “Tibet Through the Red Box” and this book, mostly autobiographical, was just as stunning. Again, not for little kids, Mr. Sis once again fills his pages with detailed text and imagery, layers of meaning to be found in both. The irony, sadness and occasional humor to be found here is obvious from skimming the pages, but the work by this author/illustrator demands that you take time to absorb the story. In fact, re-readings are recommended, as it is entirely possible to gain new understandings with each review. Very easy to see how it picked up two awards – and Bravo to this talented man.

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson

Caldecott Honor Book.

A true picture book, these images and simple text would be accessible to almost any age – but the nature of this true story, that of an escaping slave, is deeply painful and could be uncomfortable for some younger readers. Henry “Box” Brown was a slave who faced one tragedy after another. Unable to stand it, he eventually planned an escape that involved sealing himself inside of a box and mailing himself to an abolitionist in Philadelphia. The rich images, painted by Kadir Nelson (who has had his share of well-earned awards) bring a strong emotional tone to this brief tale, and makes it rather indelible in your memory once the story is over. A rare note in history and a positive message, but very sad nonetheless. Ironically, some of our 6th graders were doing research on slavery recently – this would make a great companion book for kids who need to see an individual’s face to truly understand this awful part of our past.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes and Yuyi Morales

Winner of the Pura Belpré Award for Best Illustration of the Latino Experience, and an Honor Award in the Pura Belpré Author category.

On one hand, this is a simple picture book, with an equally simple poem illustrated throughout. On the other hand, many of the English nouns are replaced with Spanish words and phrases, and the Tim Burton inspired artwork – rich and dark, would scare some of the youngest readers, methinks. Placed in a “slightly older” range, this fun little ode to Halloween works on several levels. There is the humor, when human trick-or-treaters disrupt the ghouls from their party, and there are the soft-palette pictures which engage but disturb you all at the same time. The glossary, translating Spanish words used in the book, makes this a great choice for one of those kids in an immersion program. As for those of us who love Halloween – it’s delightfully creepy.

Houdini: The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi

This one is getting mixed reviews. Touted as a biography of Houdini in graphic novel form, it is really more of a snapshot. The introduction, written by Glen David Gold, is intriguing. Written in “plain speak” it comes to the point about who Houdini was, and wasn’t, and encourages the reader to really think about the impact of a life lived large. The panel discussions at the end are similarly interesting, providing some neat (and unknown) facts about the time period and various events portrayed. It is the “graphic novel” section itself that I struggled with. While the artwork is quite good – clean line drawings do a great job of creating a likeness of Houdini – the story is far too short and the dialog is campy. The entire “story” told here is that of five hours, and one escape, by this master of the art. And, while Houdini’s temper and his wife’s dedication were well-documented, they are depicted here with two-dimensional portrayals. Houdini is egotistical and mean, his wife never stops smiling and telling him how wonderful he is. It reminded me of those cartoons in the Sunday paper which show very “cleaned up” history. While some graphic novels are able to convey complexity and depth within their slim volumes, this isn’t one of them. I say, read the text at the beginning and end, then look for one of the other Houdini biographies to have come out lately (such as “The Secret Life of Houdini” by William Kalush and Larry Sloman). This book might make for an intriguing tease about the life of Harry Houdini, but it really only wets the appetite for something more substantial.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

This wordless book is absolutely stunning. I’ve read it twice through and it still takes my breath away. Don’t be fooled by the “wordless” description. This is not a picture book for little kids (although some of the more sophisticated ones might enjoy it). The story, of a man immigrating to a new land, is told both clearly and symbolically. The artwork, a kind of sepia-toned print, is rich and powerful, and heavily influenced by one of my favorite artists, Hieronymus Bosch. Everyday actions, such as the man leaving his home and family, are combined with fantastical elements, such as the shadow of a dragon tail weaving itself through a town poised for destruction. The new world is full of unintelligible signs, strange creatures and bizarre machines … all of which makes this “stranger in a strange land” feel that much more isolated. The passage of time is beautifully depicted, by endless panels of clouds during his boat trip across a sea, and by plants blooming in the spring only to be covered in snow as winter progresses. The great thing about wordless books is their universality and their ability to be interpreted on deep and complex levels. Our lead character encounters many people along the way, none seem to be “from” this country, but all have stories about the struggles that drove them to seek a new home. As the American grandchild of immigrants, I saw this as a uniquely American experience, complete with Ellis Island. Imagine my surprise to discover that the author is Australian! Some of the images he used were from the Ellis Island archives, but much of this story comes from the immigration stories of Australians. As proof of the web of human experience, the book ends with a story much like those throughout its pages. An immigrant girl who has acclimated assists another “fresh off the boat” arrival. Each time I look at this image, I feel it drives its way further into my heart. This book is a joy. Take time to delve into it.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

HYSTERICAL. This “novel in cartoons” is a very guy-centered depiction of young Greg as he begins middle school. Greg is not a wimp, nor is he a bad kid, but he is very much a “boy” and his attempts to do good while creating the most gain for himself had me laughing out loud. This fast read could be appreciated by younger readers as well as older ones. The font is large, made to look like hand printing on school ruled paper, and the cartoons are plentiful. The book borders on a graphic novel given the extensive images and the strong connection between picture and text. The drawings add emotional undertone to the words and the words convey subtleties in the cartoons (I love the Orphan Annie eyes on mom). As an older reader, I also enjoyed the book. The humor is obvious, but also arch and sardonic. If you have a free hour (our computers crashed and I got a chance to read for a change) then I highly recommend this book as an amusing diversion. (Side note: the author was local! He grew up in DC).