Set in College

I recently read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, which is a charming novel about finding and standing up for oneself. I loved it, and if you haven't discovered Ms. Rowell yet, get to it! Great characters, witty dialog and lots of jokes, and real dilemmas getting in the way of love.

So anyway, Fangirl... somewhere on the web (because I tend to obsess and stalk favorite authors and books) another reader noticed that it's one of the few novels set in college. Which is weird when you think of it -- such a period of personal change seems like it would be cluttered up with books.

I haven't done any kind of systematic search yet (like a subject heading search on "college--fiction" in a library catalog because that would just be too easy), but here are the titles I could remember reading and enjoying:

Tam Lin, by Pamela Dean, is a classic in the genre of fairy-tale retellings. Set in the '70s in a small mid-western liberal arts college, Janet explores love and friendship as she comes to understand what's really going on in the legendary drama department.

The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach, was published just a couple years ago. Henry Skrimshander is the unlikely hero -- lower class, with no college aspirations, Henry just wants to play baseball. When a player from a small college sees him in action and recruits him to join their team, his unrealistic hopes begin to seem entirely possible. This is a beautifully written story about ordinary people facing their demons and staying upright.

Everything You Want, by Barbara Shoup, is a charming YA novel about a young woman who is miserable in college -- her old friends have cut her off and she's seemingly unable to make new ones -- when her parents win the lottery. What if everything you want can't be bought?

And of course, Fangirl, in which a college freshman, more comfortable writing and interacting in the fandom of a Harry Potter-type world than our own, learns to write and live her own story.

What can you come up with? What college stories have resonated for you?

Mmmmm... cookbooks

I just read a post from my current favorite web site, The Toast, with reviews of cookbooks. Yes, please! I love cookbooks! Like comic books (the old kind, not graphic novels) you can pick them up, read a page or two and put them down -- that's a great feature.

So anyway, this post got me to thinking about my go-to cookbooks. Joy of Cooking, for sure; Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book; Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair -- all great for everyday cooking and even for special occasions. Great Food without Fuss is a terrific compilation of recipes from cooks and chefs, but sometimes I want something even more special...

For the past year I've been drooling over the stories, pictures, and the dishes I've made from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. Her roast chicken Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux* has become my company standard.  Here's its essence: butter or oil a Dutch oven**; put a sturdy piece of bread in the bottom of the pan; stuff some herbs and garlic, maybe a lemon wedge in the chicken's cavity; and put it in a 450 oven. Pour yourself some wine and put your feet up for 90 minutes. Okay, if you really want to impress people you can throw some olive oil-glistened veggies in about half way through. After 90 minutes the skin will be all crispy and roasted, the meat will be tender and flavorful. Once you lift it out of the Dutch oven and put it on your cutting board or serving platter, you can snack on the gloriously dripping-saturated piece of bread while you are in the kitchen putting together the meal's last details. "Oh no, honey. Thanks, I've got it all covered."***

Sure, Greenspan's recipe has more specific directions, ingredients and amounts, but one of the things I love about her cookbook is that her recipes really are more guidelines than formulas. I love that! That's how I cook! I also love the stories in Around My French Table. Her anecdotes about living, shopping and cooking in France are transporting.

The school year has started; I can't go to Paris this week, but I can be there with Dorie, hearing about how two trips to the cheese shop made her "Janine's American customer" and how her husband achieved celebrity-status on a flight when he opened his black truffle sandwich en route. Gather your most essential French treats, settle in with Dorie Greenspan, and have a great trip!


*Lazy People's Roast Chicken -- sounds tres better in French, no?
**This is one brilliant step that makes this perfect for us lazy cooks -- those high sides? No more splatters all over the inside of your oven!!!
***You really don't want to share this.

The Start of a New School Year

Wednesday was the first day of school here at The Bush School, and once again we took part in what is my favorite school ritual, convocation. The whole community -- students, faculty, staff, board trustees, parents and special friends -- gathers in the inner courtyard to welcome new families and mark the start of another year. It's so invigorating to see all the excited new faces, friends we haven't seen for months, and of course our new pupils, young and old, looking anxious and hopeful all at once.

School is such a big part of kids' lives and obviously it features in many, many stories. Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dead Poets Society, School of Rock, Matilda -- there are scores of movies and shows set in schools. I read a few delightful novels in the past few months with school tie-ins too.

Secrets of Truth and Beauty, by Megan Frazier, was one. It's a great story about an overweight girl coming to terms with her parents' limitations and her own beauty and strength. At 7, Dara is crowned Little Miss Maine; at 9 she discovers that she has a sister her parents have never mentioned; at 17, a misunderstood school project leads her to leave home and connect with her sister. She finds a well of anger she didn't know she had until now, as well as people able to see and appreciate the real Dara. This is appropriate for roughly 8th grade and up.

Other young adult titles with school settings that I've loved recently are Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell (whose Fangirl is due out next week and is set in another kind of school -- college); Cameron and the Girls, by Edward Averett; and Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver. E&P and Cameron are both about outsiders, while Before I Fall puts you right in the middle of a mean-girl, popular clique. All three books are also about finding one's way through some hard reality.

For younger readers, Almost Home, Caddy's World and Operation Yes are three school stories that caught my attention in the past few months. 

In Joan Bauer's Almost Home, Sugar Mae Cole will need all of the life lessons she's learned, from her mom Reba, from her grandfather, and from her sixth grade English teacher, to sort out her situation after she and her mom lose their home to foreclosure and end up with Sugar in foster care and Reba in a psychiatric hospital. With the help of the most adorable (and frightened) dog ever and some other caring adults, she does.

Caddy's World, by Hilary McKay, is a prequel to Saffy's Angel, and we meet the Casson family when Caddy is 12 and just learning that change (something she has had entirely too much of, thank you very much) can be good and that loving your friends and family requires courage. Luckily Caddy is bravest of the brave.

Set in an aging school near a military base, Sara Lewis Holmes's Operation Yes is populated by a group of folks not often in kids' fiction. Bo's dad is an Air Force colonel, his cousin's mom is in the Reserve and stationed in Iraq. The dangers these families face is clear but only occasionally front and center. 6th grade, new teacher -- Bo hopes he can stay out of trouble and at first it looks like he will. Miss Loupe teaches them improv theater techniques along with the curriculum and Bo is her most enthusiastic student. That is until his cousin comes to stay and then he finds out is dad is likely to be transferred again. What's the use in trying, if he has to leave anyway?

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? As long as we are all back at school, pick up a school story just for fun.

The value of ambiguity

Twenty years ago, Lois Lowry wrote a little dystopian fable called The Giver. It's a pretty disturbing book about a people who decide to rid their world of all the things that cause problems -- envy, sadness, worry, hurt. In their zeal, even things like color, harsh weather, and love are erased. Once each citizen reaches puberty, he or she takes a pill every morning for the rest of their lives that stops them from the emotional changes of puberty. Such is Lowry's skill that she doesn't have to explain the mechanics for the reader to accept the reality.

Most people in this world are quite content; it's all designed that way. But there is one person -- most of them don't even know about this -- who holds all the memories of how their world used to be. What snow feels like, and the smell of your newborn's head. . . and pain, suffering, despair. Being reminded of these memories helps the world's leaders make good decisions.

There was a particularly interesting twist to this story. Stop now if you haven't read it. This post will still be here tomorrow or next week. The book is really short and found in nearly any bookstore. It won the Newbery Award for exceptional writing for children, ensuring that it will stay in print and be given (or assigned) to 9 year olds in perpetuity. It won't take long for you to read it.

Okay, I am now assuming you have read the book. What do you think happened at the end? Did Jonas make it out with the baby to another community; i.e. did they survive? Or was his fevered dream of hands reaching out to him, taking the baby, helping him up, simply that -- a fevered dream before death?

Since writing The Giver, Lowry has written many other terrific books, including three others about communities that share its landscape: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and most recently Son. They are also brilliant commentaries on societies and how/why they work or don't. But here's what I don't like about them. They answer The Giver's last, potent question for the reader. Lowry's a terrific writer. This series is . . . I'll say it again . . . brilliant. But

(I'll bet you could hear that coming.)

But, The Giver was perfect. It was a great novel with either ending, which had more to do with what the reader brought to the book than with the author, which is something that all too often gets lost when we think about reading. Good books provide one side of a conversation, a thousand conversations, a million conversations, each one between the author and each reader. I'm not sorry I read Gathering Blue, Messenger or Son, but I am sorry that reading them shut down my conversation with The Giver.

I am very pleased

Did you know that Ian Fleming of James Bond fame wrote a children's book? He did! In 1964 for his son, Caspar. In 1968, it was adapted (with a screenplay by Roald Dahl) into a musical starring Dick Van Dyke.

Ian Fleming's book had an inventor and his family, a car with a mind of its own, bad guys (of course) and a recipe for fabulous fudge. Our family read it aloud on a car trip to southern California and loved every minute! I'm not a huge fan of the movie, but Dick Van Dyke is always funny and the car is amazing so there's much to enjoy. Both are worth seeking out . . . especially in light of what comes next in the story.

In 2011, you may have heard a giant squeal of excitement as news broke that the Ian Fleming family had commissioned Frank Cottrell Boyce to write three sequels to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Be still my heart! Cottrell Boyce, who wrote Millions and Framed, charming books which have also been made into very good movies, was asked to take Chitty into the 21st century! What's not to love?

Well, it's probably been 25 years since I read Fleming's novel, but today when I picked up Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, the first of the sequels, I was transported. It's true that instead of the Potts family, we have the Tootings -- calm, resourceful mom, cheerful dad, wannabe nihilist 15-year-old, practical younger brother, and Little Harry, a very observant toddler -- and these are people I could recognize as worthy of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Here's the 15-year-old: "'I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay in my room now that I've finally got it the way I like it.' Lucy had got rid of all the ornaments and dancing certificates from her room, painted the walls and her bookcase black. Dyed her duvet. And her pillowslip."

It's the "and her pillowslip" that assured me Cottrell Boyce got the tone just right -- dry humor, great characters and crazy adventures all bring Chitty back to life, with a perfect cliff hanger of an ending. Any of the titles I've mentioned here are appropriate (and will be enjoyed by) kids from 7 on up. The books would be appealing family read-alouds, aimed as they are at boys and girls of all ages. Oh, and did I mention it's illustrated? I just love it when publishers illustrate children's books!

Chiaroscuro in Tween Fiction, or 12-Year-Old Girls with Moxie

I'm not quite sure how I ended up reading two books nearly simultaneously about families threatened with homelessness, but there it is. I do usually have two books going at a time, one downstairs and one upstairs, and usually they are different enough that I can keep them straight. This pairing was a bit too close for comfort to start, but they differentiated themselves soon enough.

Yesterday I finished My Life in Pink & Green, by Lisa Greenwald. It sounds sweet, doesn't it? And it is. It's a good book for intermediate grades, with strong messages about empowerment. Lucy, a seventh grader, wants to save the family business, but has a hard time persuading the adults in her life that she can actually do anything.

Today I finished Almost Home, by Joan Bauer. This one is also pretty sweet, which is perfect given that the main character is named Sugar and there's an adorable puppy on the cover. Bauer usually writes about girls who've got a lot on their plates and this book is no exception -- deadbeat dad, mom in denial, and a home in foreclosure. Bauer's characters have other strong adults around them, though, and that's what helps them through the tough times. While Almost Home is also appropriate for intermediate grades, the stakes are higher. Sugar and her mom lose their home and wind up in a shelter.

Spoiler alert, both books end well. My Life in Pink & Green is Greenwald's first book and it shows. She's got talent and will learn to trust herself and her reader, but Bauer knows that you've got to have some bitter with the sweet. Either book would be a good choice for your 9-12 year-old reader.

Love letter to Melina Marchetta

Dear Melina Marchetta

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Your girls and women: Francesca, Justine, Taylor, Hannah, Evanjalin, Phaedra, Lirah, Quintana. Your boys and men: Will, Thomas, Jimmy, Lucian, Gargarin, Froi.

They are flawed, but they persevere. They hope and dream despite horrendous challenges, and they grow. They develop backbones, morality, depth, and compassion . . . authentically. I remember reading The Piper's Son and feeling so proud of Frankie that she never gave up on Tom. Where did that feeling of pride come from? I had no hand in Frankie's creation. It's a novel, for goodness sake! And yet, there it was: because she feels so real, my heart was filled to bursting with affection and gratification that Frankie grew into such a loyal, loving and wise young woman.

Your novels stand testament to the ability of people to grow, heal and improve themselves, and make a difference in their worlds. Frankie finds her peeps and figures out that you save yourself. Those peeps? A necessary part of it; she couldn't have done it without Justine, Tara, Will, Thomas and Jimmy, but neither her mom nor her friends could do it for her. Your characters move beyond their tragic pasts to meet the future head-on.

Isaboe and Quintana do what must be done to save their people, despite pain, heartache and love. They do not give up; they do not accommodate; they act. Despite his curmudgeonly demeanor, Gargarin is never able to let go of hope. He designs irrigation canals for a king he despises and a people who have turned their backs on him. He despairs, but makes himself "lean to the side of wonder," day in day out.

I love your worlds: from contemporary Australia, both urban and rural, to fantasy island. I see the outback, the mountains, the gravina. I love that we can't lump the bad guys together. Yes, there are truly heinous individuals, but no nationality or ethnic group is all good or bad. In Finnikin of the Rock, we are shown the horrors of war, and we accept that Charynites are the enemy. But then in Froi of the Exiles, we meet some of the good people of Charyn and suddenly good and evil are not so simple. We are set up to hate the Townies and the Cadets in Jellicoe Road and slowly realize, with Taylor, that the whole war is a game, and that Chaz and Jonah are really great guys.

I love that you write realistic fiction based on what you know, whether your characters live with cellphones and Facebook or in some fantasy world. In the Lumetare Chronicles, I was reminded of the Khmer Rouge, Darfur, and Syria in 2013. I love that you remind us that "we have met the enemy and he is us": flawed, complex, amazing human beings worthy of love and compassion, in spite of everything.

A Cautionary Tale

Stop the presses! I'm actually reading a non-fiction book!

Yes, you read that right. Me, Lindi, who is a confirmed fiction lover and non-fiction hater, is reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, by Joseph Ellis, and what's more? I'm enjoying it.

It all started innocently enough with watching Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney in John Adams, the HBO mini-series. They claim it's based on the biography by David McCullough, but it's not a documentary, so that's safe, right? They are big Hollywood names; it's HBO. (Of course, I know to beware PBS and the History Channel!) I thought it would be more like that old Kevin Kline/Tracey Ullman comedy, I Love You to Death, based on a real-life Pennsylvania couple's story; i.e., the skeleton of truth is there, but it's fleshed out so that it's actually fun to watch.

Which is how I found myself addicted to John Adams. Little did I know it was a gateway drug, leading me to late-night forays into Wikipedia to check facts and before I knew it, there I was skulking in 973.3 for something to take home for the summer. I'm so ashamed.

Young people, be forewarned: you too may find yourselves reading something you never imagined you'd read for pleasure!

All you need is love

Do you know the Casson family? Bill and Eve, the artists? Four kids? Kind of a chaotic household in the English countryside?

You don't? Well, we have to remedy that right away! Let me introduce you to Bill Casson, living and creating in London. He's loving and generous (when he remembers to be) and very protective of his art. Here's his wife Eve, raising their four children and working, when she can, in her own painting studio at the end of the garden.

Eve is brilliant at color, even Bill acknowledges that, and she has named her children for paint colors from the big chart on the kitchen wall: Cadmium Gold, Indigo, and Permanent Rose. Astute readers will notice that there are only three names, when didn't I say they have four kids? Ah yes. Saffron. Eve didn't get to name Saffron, but her name was added to the chart later. . . and there begins the tale.

If you like stories about affectionate and messy families where the children have all kinds of adventures while the parents stay out of the way until needed, you will love Hilary McKay's Casson family series:

• Saffy's Angel
• Indigo's Star
• Permanent Rose
• Caddy Ever After
• Forever Rose

and newest of the bunch, but set before Saffy's Angel -- Caddy's World, in which we first meet Rose, and Caddy learns that friendship and family require great bravery.

Making Stuff!

Somehow the school year is over and we never composed our summer reading list! Oh dear! Instead, we are going to use our blog to occasionally post suggestions, so check in now and again to see what we are reading and recommending this summer.

In honor of the Seattle Mini Maker Faire this weekend, here are my favorite crafting books:

Quilting with Style: Principles for Great Pattern Design, published in 1993. Every time I pick it up, authors Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham remind me that quilting (and indeed any craft) is about process. It is not a race and it's not about shopping for the newest gadget.

Improv Sewing by Nicole Blum (2012), also encourages the process of creativity. Yes, there are some patterns and directions, but the underlying theme is empowerment -- figure out what you want to do and I'll bet that if sewing is involved Blum's book will have at least one project that you can adapt to make it happen.

Two great magazines supporting the maker community are Make: Magazine and Cloth Paper Scissors. Look here for inspiration as well as techniques. There are scores more periodicals, not to mention all the blogs and YouTube videos out there teaching everything from making a wallet out of keyboard circuit sheets to cross-stitch samplers.

Cooking is making too. Do you know Edna Lewis? She was the grande dame of Southern cuisine, writing several cookbooks. Tonight I made a rustic rhubarb pie from The Art of Southern Cooking, co-authored by Scott Peacock, and all I can say is delicious. There's also a charming picture book about Miss Lewis called Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie. It's by Robbin Gourley, and is available from your public library. While you're there, sign up for their summer reading program.

Lindi

How to Raise a Reader, Part 2

Okay, so little Chumleigh or Dot can read, but he/she doesn't love it. How can you make your child (or student) love books?

You can't. Can you make me love football? No. We are all different and, theoretically at least, we appreciate that, right? Richness and variety and all that jazz (which I'm not so fond of. I prefer pop, to be honest). Yeah, well, we love the diversity of life until someone we love doesn't love what we love. Did you follow that? I love romance novels, therefore my daughter must love romance novels. I keep giving them to her, but she just won't give them a chance. I know as soon as she does, she'll love them, just like I do. Right? Meanwhile she wastes her time on short stories. What's up with that? You get no time to fall into the story and it's over. Ick.

Do you understand how ridiculous my position is? You can't make your child love reading just because you do, or even worse, just because you think they "should."

Stories on the other hand -- well, I believe story is one of the strategies humans use to make sense of the world. Luckily there are plenty of places to get stories outside of books: music, movies, theater, tv, jokes, video games, art, play, storytelling. The list goes on and on. Encourage telling stories with your children -- tell stories to them, help them tell their own, talk about the stories in songs or games, talk through what's going on with LEGO and building blocks and cooking and dress-up and . . . and . . . and.

It's true that in our culture reading fluently is crucial. I'll admit that. The way to become fluent is to practice. So the way I interpret that first question -- how do I make my kids love reading -- is to ask how do I get my kids to read more, to read fluently? Choice. See "How to Raise a Reader, part 1."

Thanks to J.K. Rowling, fantasy reigns right now in the publishing world. That's okay. So what if little Chumleigh won't read anything else? Who's he hurting? If you want him to try a little historical fiction, read it out loud to him. Invest your own time, if it's that important to you. Don't ask him to give up what little choice and free time he has just because you want to expose him to historical fiction.

What if little Dot doesn't read in her spare time at all? Is she a fluent reader? If so, then who's she hurting? If she isn't, you making her read a whole book isn't going to help. Meet her where she is -- soccer rules, iPad user guide, song lyrics, blogs, even -- gasp -- gaming cheat codes. Talk about what you are reading; share recommendations and listen to hers. Share your stories with your kids and ask them to share theirs with you.

In short, relax. Enjoy your children and students. Talk about and share stories, encourage them and trust them to find out for themselves what they love and why.

How to Raise a Reader, Part 1

As school librarians, we are often asked how to make kids read more. Here's my answer based on years in a school library as well as having raised three grown children who all love to read. The most important thing is choice. Let them read what they want. I'm going to say that again.

Let. Them. Read. What. They. Want.

Got it? That means if they love to read comic books, let them read comic books. If they will only read horse stories, let them read horse stories.

If you are concerned that your child won't try anything new, remember that reading is a hard skill to learn and  practice makes perfect. They are practicing. Familiarity with the plot or format means at least one less thing to worry about as they read. Have some faith that your child's reading tastes will progress. Honestly, do you know any adults who still read the Hardy Boys for their own pleasure?

Absolutely introduce new stuff. Make variety available by borrowing library materials on your own account. You must be willing to invest your own time and resources in this endeavor, or your child will wonder just how valuable it is. Read new books or genres out loud to them. Miss Manners had a brilliant strategy to get kids to read: read out loud to them until you get to a cliff hanger, then perkily say, "Okay. Lights out." Of course you have to make sure they have a working flashlight first.

I'm a big advocate of reading aloud, but it's important that it is pleasurable for both parties. Years ago, I had read three Redwall books by Brian Jacques out loud to my then 9-, 10- and 12-year-old children. It was great; I did the voices and we relished every feast day menu, going so far as to plan our own, until they realized Deeper-n-Ever Pie was made out of vegetables. By the end of number four, the fun had worn off for me and I told them it was time to read them themselves. "But," whined my 9-year-old, "I can't read that well." "You're going to want to practice then," I said without pity. There were just so many great stories to share with my kids, I didn't want to spend any time on books that weren't fun for me too.

Read aloud with your kids as long as they will let you and schedules permit. I'm pretty sure that we read our last novel together the summer my oldest son got his driver's license, but 15 years later we still take turns reading aloud picture books on Christmas Eve.

If you need strategies for opening up a non-reader's mind to new stories, try making bargains -- "I'll read Knuffle-Bunny (even if it's for the umpteenth time), if I also get to read one chapter of The Children of Noisy Village." The bargain must be reasonable (i.e. one chapter, not the whole book) and you must have read Knuffle-Bunny or whatever so often that you both have it memorized. Trust that their tastes will change, and that all too soon you'll be wishing you had even one more snuggle with a contented, sleepy preschooler and Mo Willems.

The point is that when reading is pleasurable, they do it and they'll keep doing it. Kids stop reading because it becomes work: textbooks and class reading and beautiful passages analyzed to within an inch of their lives. Of course there are things that we have to read, but that's not what makes us fluent. Being fluent is what allows us to read the necessary stuff. Encourage reading fluency in your children by honoring their choices.

Comfort Reading

What do you turn to when you need comforting? I'm partial to re-reading a familiar book. A book that will delight, but not surprise me. It can have a bittersweet ending (84, Charing Cross Road, by Helen Hanff) or be unabashedly romantic (Beauty, by Robin McKinley). It can be heartbreakingly sad (Refuge, by Terry Tempest Williams) or laugh-out-loud funny (Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott). I'm going to choose the book depending on whether I need tears or laughter, and I'm going to get what I need. Predictability is key with comfort reading.

I have to love the main character, and I do mean LOVE. I have to know who that person is and that this ending is right for them at this point in their life. In Izzy, Willy Nilly, by Cynthia Voigt, the protagonist is a 15-year-old cheerleader squarely on her way to becoming one of the popular kids. A single date with a senior changes everything and propels her development from shallow Izzy who chooses to go out with a boy for the status to Isobel, a young woman learning who she is apart from friends and family. She doesn't "get the guy" in the end. No, she gets something more; she gets what she needs -- herself.

Humor is good. It can alleviate whatever it is I'm distressed about, and even my saddest comfort reads have moments with laughter, for example Carol Shields's Unless. Reta Winters is a successful translator and author whose oldest daughter disappears. As Reta tries to make sense of her daughter's choices she views them through the lens of her own experience and blames the patriarchy. Peppered throughout the story are the scathing letters Reta has written but not sent, hilariously pointing out the idiocy of our blatantly sexist culture.

A couple movies have sneaked onto my comfort list -- I adore Jane Austen. I've read her novels several times each, but when I'm depressed she's little too much work. So then I pull out Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. Anne Eliot's transformation from worn spinster to vital and desirable woman is subtly and masterfully portrayed by Root. It's not that Anne changes; no, she is steadfast. It is that the people around her (and the viewer) begin to recognize her depth. Closeups of hands and shifting focal points heighten tensions, felt but unspoken. I know everyone thinks Colin Firth is THE quintessential Austen hero, but I'll take Hinds as Captain Wentworth any day. All action and certainty only barely concealing devastating heartache.

I've experienced every one of these stories -- watched, read or listened to -- too many times to count. And every time they help me through whatever emotional wreckage I'm mired in. It's the familiarity, the absolute rightness of the ending, the humor that helps me through . . . and it's allowed me to stop sucking my thumb.

The statistical improbability of young love lasting

Having just read two well-written YA romances, I am thinking about what it is about young love that transports saps romantics like me. Almost certainly, the strength of the attraction is heightened by its novelty, and I think adults like to be reminded of how that first experience with love felt. Look at Romeo and Juliet. He's someone who wants to be in love, right? When we first meet him he's pining over some other girl and only goes to the party to catch a glimpse of her. Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline pales to what he feels for Juliet. Yes, the language is poetic, there's humor and drama, unforgettable characters -- all the things that make Shakespeare great. And added to that is the amazing rush of young love which we have experienced and crave.

So I get why grown-ups love these books, but why do we write them for teens? It's not like we want to encourage them to settle down with the first person they love. I would never dismiss those intense feelings as puppy love, and I'm not the most experienced 58-year-old, but I do know that a deep and abiding attachment is not always enough for a lifetime of living together. In If You Come Softly by Jacquelyn Woodson, Ellie says, "I think only once in your life do you find someone that you say, 'Hey, this is the person I want to spend the rest of my time on this earth with.' And if you miss it, or walk away from it, or even maybe, blink -- it's gone." She's 18; she gets to think that, but I hope the reader can understand it's coming from a very limited perspective.

The first novel I remember reading about teenagers falling in love and trying to make that love last was Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones. I know -- excellent title. It's by Ann Head and was written in the late 60s, pre-Roe vs. Wade. July and Bo Jo are high school sweethearts who become pregnant and decide to raise their baby together. Bo Jo gives up his college scholarship; July drops out of school. They are still, intentionally, together at the end of the book, but they are also still teenagers, so who can say what the next 5-10 years will bring?

Well, whatever, I still love these stories. I love being swept away by the rush of emotion. It should have more than just that going on, of course -- Shakespeare's language, Woodson's characters -- but I love being reminded how I felt that first time. That people are nicer, that colors are brighter, that everything will work out fine.

Here's my top please-let-them-make-it list in YA:

If You Come Softly, by Jacquelyn Woodson
Impossible, by Nancy Werlin
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, by Jennifer E. Smith
Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

What would you add?

Imaginary Friends

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A few plot holes mar this otherwise excellent kick-ass girl mystery. Kami is a great main character -- fearless, smart, funny AND she has had an imaginary friend all her life! (I wish I could have held on to mine. I miss you, Suzanne Davis!) She and Jared talk to each in their minds all the time and it's great. Okay, so they don't think too much about it, because doing that makes them wonder about their sanity . . . as in "really? I have apparently made up a whole life for my imaginary friend?" As long as they don't think to closely about it, it's cool -- there's always someone to talk to, to comfort and commiserate with.

And then they meet IRL. Oh dear.

Isn't that a terrific set up? I'm in awe -- what an absolutely brilliant concept for a paranormal novel!

But honestly, if you were told about some sinister happening in an abandoned mansion out in the boonies which no adults will tell you about, would your first step be to go there? Or might you check the local archives in the library or the newspaper office? Especially considering you do know that you can check local history in the library and the newspaper office? Hmmm? Aside from the creep factor, this is why I have trouble with reading scary books -- the characters do such stupid things.

I'll take off my grinchy hat now and admit that I have already looked up when book 2 is scheduled for publication -- next October! Woo-hoo!!


View all my reviews

Thinking about reality

One of our long time library friends loaned me Listening for Madeleine: A Portrait of Madeleine L'Engle in Many Voices, by Leonard S. Marcus. What a fascinating read!

I'm sure you all know of Madeleine L'Engle's books -- A Wrinkle in Time, Meet the Austins, A Circle of Quiet, etc. etc. She was a prolific author of books filled with the wonder of family and the world. Ms. L'Engle was an outspoken defender of the freedom to read and generously gave of her time to other writers, readers and librarians.

As was made public in a notorious New Yorker article published in 2004, she also was an accomplished editor, excising unpleasant or unflattering truths from her journals before publication and retooling memories to suit herself. In Listening for Madeleine, Marcus interviews people from all parts of Ms. L'Engle's life to try to capture the full story of a larger-than-life personality, and presents the resulting stories pretty much as is. I was rapt.

He's taken some flak, Cynthia Zarin (of the New Yorker profile) has taken some flak, Ms. L'Engle's daughters have certainly taken some flak, for exposing misery and ugliness in her life, but I'm grateful. These interviews remind me that people are multi-faceted, that memory is flexible, and that learning and growing as a human being means we must work through our personal demons, sometimes in very public ways. I am sorry that her family was harmed by her writings and her denial, and yet I still love The Twenty Four Days before Christmas and A Ring of Endless Light and Two-Part Invention.

A Wrinkle in Time introduced young readers to the concept of other, unknown dimensions. I appreciate being reminded that people, too, have many dimensions, known and unknown.

Nothing skeletal about these reviews ~

One fifth grader submitted three book reviews to Destiny Quest today!
Skeleton Man Great. Awesome. Breathtaking. Amazing. These are some of the many words that can positively describe this incredible book. Once you finish a given page, you always have the urge to flip to the next one. I highly recommend this great book. The Graveyard Book This is one of the best books that I have ever read in my life. I found this great read at a bookstore in the "used" section and decided to buy it. Then, when I started to read it, I found out that it was really incredible. If you have not read this, then you really should.

grade 3 book and movie spine poetry

Cars

The Dead of Night

It Happened on a Train

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

by Oliver and Shoshana

The NeverEnding Story

Ella Enchanted

What Came From the Stars

Despicable Me

by Alden, Aniyah, Cailen and Quinn

Charlotte's Web

The Bus People

Vampireology

by Carmela and Sebastian

Pippi Goes on Board

Like the Willow Tree

The Ruby Key

Sold

by Daisy and Madeline

Crime Scene

Detective LaRue

Super Guinea Pig to the Rescue

by Noemi

Geromino Stilton

Dead End in Norvelt

Sparrow Road

Dark Water

Heartbeat

by Amanda and Saylor

Energy

Treasure

Swords

How Strong is It?

by Aaron, Dhruv and Teddy

Fly High Fly Guy!
The Search for WondLa

The U.S. Air Force

Special Military Forces

Shazam!

Bomb

Hideout

It Happened on a Train

The Dead of Night

Crime Scene

by Andrew and Claudio

Spring Book Fair

We're in Day 2 (of 3) of the spring Book Fair. The indefatigable Julie Pottinger is in charge, in partnership with the University (of Washington) Bookstore. There is, as always, a great selection of books for readers of all ages. Proceeds from the Book Fair are used to support the purchase of textbooks for students on financial aid. Come to the Community Room and indulge yourself in the luxury of boooooks!

In the Face of All that is Changing in the Library World, I choose to Write

I am surrounded by all this new stuff! There is a Lilypad kit on my desk, and a reminder to order the 9th grade novels from OverDrive so that we have them in digital format. There is an iPad in my drawer that needs setting up and three technology blogs in my soon-to-disappear Google Reader to catch up on. I am feeling paralyzed by how quickly technology is changing and how unprepared I am for that change.

But I need to stay current, so I will resurrect our old Bush Readers Blog. It's a start anyway!

Most recently I have been reading coming-of-age novels to present to the 9th grade English classes. The presentation happened last Monday and was a lot of fun. And all week long 9th graders had something to say when I asked what you reading, what did you choose. It was great! Here's the list:

• Reservations Blues, Sherman Alexie
• Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
• Cities of the Plain, Cormac McCarthy
• The White Boy Shuffle, Paul Beatty
• City of Thieves, David Benioff
• A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon
• Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
• The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Kidd Monk
• The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie King
• Rumors of Peace, Ella Leffland

What would you choose?