The Other Life

Ellen Meister's The Other Life is what I would term fantastical realism. While the book is mostly women's fiction, there are elements of fantasy thrown in. Not being much of a fantasy/science fiction person in general, this mix worked for me.

Quinn is a housewife, living with her husband Lewis and six year old son Isaac in the suburbs. She is happily pregnant with her second child. Yet, in Quinn's other life, she is still dating her ex-boyfriend, Eugene. In Quinn's house there is a portal that allows her to go from one reality to another. Although she had not visited her other reality for years, when she learns that her unborn baby may have serious birth defects, she decides to visit her alternate reality to visit her mother. Quinn's mother Nan committed suicide years earlier, yet is still alive in the alternate reality. Quinn continues to visit her alternate reality, even though the portal allowing her to do this grows smaller each time, making it harder (and eventually impossible) for her to move between realities.

I really liked the realistic fiction/women's fiction aspect of this novel. I liked the idea of Quinn seeing what her life would have been like if she had chosen a different man. I never quite understood what happened to Eugene when she was not with him and was instead busy with Lewis and her son. At one point she entered the portal with Eugene as they vacationed in Fiji and was scuba diving off of a ship. There must have been a "different" Quinn who traveled to Fiji with Eugene for her to just be able to come into this reality mid-activity without anyone thinking anything of it. In her "real" reality, when she left there was a noticeable absence such as the day Quinn returned late and Isaac was left alone after school. Mostly I tried not to think about those specifics and just enjoy the story. Meister includes several subplots: Quinn's relationship with her mother and Nan's untimely death, the struggle between Quinn's brother and his boyfriend, and the emotional struggle that Quinn and her husband undergo as they look to the uncertain future of their unborn child.

Quinn eventually realizes how much her children need her, and even though she has been able to move through portals for her entire life, it appears that the portal is now closed once she finds some peace about her own mother's struggle with depression.

Fantastic realism must be the thing this spring; I have two more books that fit in this category that I am working on, and so far am very entertained by this type of story.

Throwback Thursday

Tonight, as the night before the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis approaches, excitement is starting to mount at my house. I admit I am the reason for the excitement. As a child I began collecting things about Britain's royal family. Even before I began collecting things and became a true royal watcher, I woke up early to view the wedding coverage of Prince Charles marriage to Lady Diana Frances Spencer. Now, thirty years later, their son Prince William will be marrying with millions of viewers watching around the world. As I grew up my collecting became something that ebbed and flowed. At times I did a lot of acquiring, and other times - especially during my high school years- the royal family was only a distant blip on my radar. As an adult, I no longer cut out every news article from the paper or from magazines, and I can not recite trivial information about William or Harry after their toddler years. But, I am still quite interested in this wedding. Unfortunately I have to work tomorrow, because I would like nothing more to sit on my couch and take this all in. Instead, I will prepare myself for the onslaught of publications sure to come chronicling every last detail of this event.

And, as I await the approach of the nuptials, I am also looking over the books I collected and pored over many, many times as a child. I saved every spare penny to buy these books that even in the early 1980s cost $15-$20. Above are just a few of my favorites. Most are packed away now, but every once in a while - like on this special occasion- I still like to look through them and remember how much I enjoyed reading about the royal family.

Queen of Water

I have read Laura Resau's writing before and enjoyed it, but her latest book, Queen of Water, written with Maria Virginia Faranango, is a fabulous account of Faranango's life growing up in Ecuador. Virginia is a poor indigena girl, sold by her parents to a better-off mestizo family at a young age. Although she has enough to eat and a home to live in, she is treated as their maid. And although Virginia wants to leave her mestiza family, the opportunities that arise cause Virginia to ponder what it would be like to return to her village. She is hopeful that her family will come through on their promise of a diploma, and decides to stay with them longer, letting opportunities to leave pass her by. Years pass, and Virginia believes her mestiza mother and father who tell her that her indigena family does not care about her. As Virginia ages she begins to dream of getting an education and going to school. She becomes embarrassed by her indigena roots. It is her drive to learn and her indigena roots that eventually help her find a way out of her situation. She begins to attend school, never mentioning to her group of girlfriends that she is indigena. She pushes herself to excel and also takes a part-time job to earn money. Eventually Virginia takes part in a competition with other indigena girls and is awarded the title, Queen of Water. Now everyone will know about Virginia's background. Virginia is amazed by people's reactions - or lack of reaction- and is pleasantly surprised how accepting others are of the culture she came from.

I would consider this to be a true story because of the information given in the author's note, yet it is listed as a novel. Resau met Maria Virginia Fernango in Colorado and the two collaborated on this book together. Fernango has led an amazing life, and this book shines light on a population and their lifestyle that was unknown to me. Fernango's story is one of hope as she persevered and found a way out of her humble beginnings. The author's note at book's end explains the practice of the indigena selling their children to other families to work for them. This group is looked down upon, yet it is their ancestors that first populated Ecuador, Chile, and Peru. Over time Virginia learns to appreciate the Quichua language she has forgotten over the years and the family she left behind.

Of course there is more to this story as Fernango is now married with a child of her own. I would love to read more about her life after she was chosen as the Queen of Water and moved forward in the pursuit of her dreams. Laura Resau's website is a good source of more information about this book as well.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection:

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

Due out May 10, 2011

Product Description from Amazon:

Erik Larson has been widely acclaimed as a master of narrative non-fiction, and in his new book, the bestselling author of Devil in the White City turns his hand to a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power. The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.

Cleaning Nabakov's House

Leslie Daniels novel Cleaning Nabakov's House is a women's fiction novel with humor and a little romance.

Barb Barrett is newly divorced and has just lost custody of her two children. Her husband has managed to prove that Barb is not a fit parent and now she is allowed only one weekend visit each month. Although her ex-husband has moved on with his life, quickly moving in with his new social worker girlfriend, Barb feels stuck. She is living in a town where she has no friends and nothing to look forward to. Her job answering mail for the Daitch Dairy company does not demand much of her attention and without any money Barb has few options of what to do with her time and energy. As a further blow, Barb's ex-husband decides to move the children to a town two hours away.

Although I found the idea of Barb losing her children almost devastatingly sad, Daniels writes this novel with great humor. And despite this rough start, Barb doesn't give up. Over time Barb finds a few friends - the mailman Bill and his wife Marge. Marge becomes Barb's agent as she pursues publishing some writing she found in the house she now owns, which was once famed writer Nabakov's house. Barb also begins to look at the women around town, trying to find a business to start that would appeal to them. She soon opens a cathouse (a new term to me) and hires several young men to meet with the women who pay for services. Finally Barb is able to prove she has money to pay her mortgage and in her savings account and will be able to care for her children. And of course there is a little love interest for Barb herself.

Despite the fact that I didn't like Barb losing her children to her ex-husband, I did enjoy this novel. There were parts that made me nearly laugh out loud. I also liked the resolution Daniels provided and found this to be an entertaining read.

I Love My Job

Today I had to step out of the library for a minute. It seems that when that happens people are always looking for me. Heaven forbid I need to use the restroom.
Anyway, when I returned I found a note a student had left me. It read:

"This is Kianna. Write me back. I need a tragic book."

What's not to love about that note?

Small As An Elephant

Jack and his mother have gone camping in Maine just days before the start of the new school year. When Jack awakens in the morning, his mother is gone. Although Jack is concerned, he is not extremely alarmed. His mother has left him before. So, Jack sets off to try and find his mother. With little money and a lot of ingenuity and bravery Jack does a pretty good job of trying to get himself back to Boston without anyone finding him. He manages to get food when he needs it and find places to sleep at night. However, Jack takes a small elephant from a store in Bar Harbor and is sure the police will arrest him for stealing. Jack has a minor obsession with elephants. Each chapter begins with a fact or quote about elephants and Jack remembers that the one thing he and his mother fought about before her disappearance was that his mother would not take him to see Lydia, the one elephant living in Maine. Now, as Jack tries to walk home, he decides to make a detour and visit Lydia.

I think this book will be a winner with both boys and girls. As an adult, I tried not to pick apart some things that I found unbelievable- like the fact that Jack didn't realize that even if he manage to make it home at some point another adult was going to need to intervene on his behalf. Tween readers will be rooting for Jack to make it home, and like Jack be hopeful that his mother is there. Unfortunately for Jack, his mother's mental illness caused her to become estranged from Jack's grandma, and the one person who he could have called for help seemed inaccessible to him. By book's end there is a resolution for Jack and his grandmother, and the way in which his mother's illness is addressed allows Jack to develop an understanding and acceptance of the way his mother's mind works.

Jennifer Richard Jacobson's debut novel was a great read and one I am hoping to place in the hands of many of my tween readers at school.

The Reading Promise

Alice Ozma's memoir, The Reading Promise, had my attention from just the brief snyopis I happened upon months ago. Alice's father, an elementary school librarian (which helps explain how the reading promise was even possible) and Alice decide to challenge themselves to read each night for 100 consecutive days. Once the hundred day challenge is complete, Alice and her dad decide to take it a step further and try to read for 1,000 nights without a break. And, upon completing that challenge, the two continue The Streak (as it is called) until Alice leaves for college nine years later.

While I wish that more of this book would have been about the books that were read, it is really more a memoir of Alice's childhood and a tribute to reading aloud and its importance. Alice's father, Jim Brozina, writes a forward for his daughter full bits I flagged to read and re-read later.

I do read to my daughters each night, yet I will admit that I have skipped some nights because it is too late when we get home from something, or someone is sick, or (and this I feel bad about) we have had some behavior issues and taking bedtime reading away really hits 'em where it hurts. I have also not practiced my reading ahead of time which makes me feel like a slacker compared to Brozina who read ahead each night before reading aloud to Alice.

While this book is a memoir, I would also consider it a tribute to Jim Brozina and his dedication to his daughter. Sadly, Brozina retired before he was ready when the schools he served chose to believe that reading aloud to children was unimportant and unnecesary. Instead of igniting a passion in children for reading, Brozina was supposed to teach computers, and as this book was published, Brozina is now looking to being elected to the school board. To carry on his love of reading aloud, Brozina now visits the elderly in nursing homes and reads aloud to his captive audience.

At book's end there is a list of many of the books that were read aloud during The Streak. Ozma admits not having kept records of what was being read, so it is possible that some titles were inadvertantly omitted. I enjoyed looking through the list and getting a few ideas for my own nightly read alouds. While I need to update my list, I did start a notebook for my girls chronicling the books we read aloud together. My mother, when I told her this, didn't understand the significance of this, yet perhaps someday this list will lead to a memoir about how reading aloud impacted our family.

I loved this book, and even more than that, I loved Jim Brozina, Alice's dad, for his love of reading and his ability to instill this same passion in his own child.

Visit Alice's website, Make A Reading Promise.

Earth Day Read Alouds

This past week at school I have spent reading books about Earth Day to the lower grades. The upper grades are finishing up some different projects and have missed out on these books.

Last Friday I met Marc Brown at a reading conference. His latest book, Arthur Turns Green, is a perfect addition to Earth Day literature. Arthur spends time going through his home finding ways to protect our earth. The classes I read this to taled about different ways Arthur went green: using cloth napkins instead of paper, unplugging cell phone chargers when not in use, and turning off the water while brushing teeth were a few ideas that led to discussion.

Diane De Groat's Gilbert series has long been a favorite of mine. De Groat's books all are centered around a holiday, and her latest, Ants In Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants (Gilbert Goes Green) is another book about Earth Day. Gilbert has to think of a project for school that deals with going green. In true Gilbert fashion he just can't come up with an idea. His friends all know what type of project they are going to do - one uses energy efficient light bulbs, one makes recyclable bags....there are many ideas. Gilbert wants his idea to be unique. Eventually Gilbert does come up with a great plan and teaches his class about composting.

The third book I used this week is 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World by Melanie Walsh. This is a fast book listing ten different things that kids will be able to do to help their world. Picking up trash, sorting recycling, turning off the television all make the list of things that children can do to help out.

I have several other Earth Day selections displayed at school. Most are non-fiction, so I am espeically thankful for the latest offerings by De Groat and Brown who have created great stories using popular characters to teach about helping our environment.

New Addition

Meet Sammy, our new addition. I picked Sammy up last night from a foster family who was caring for him and his two brothers, Lenny and Mickey. Isn't he cute? His mother was a dachshund/pug mix and his father was a beagle/cocker spaniel mix. His head looks cocker spaniel-ish while his body looks long and weiner-dog like. He has short stubby legs. So far he has pooped once in the house and peed in the house once, too. Obviously we are going to be working on that. The girls are thrilled because this was a big surprise. Chris and I had talked about it, but didn't let them know just in case something didn't work out. Perhaps now they will want to pick their things up off the floor.

Made For You and Me: Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home

Caitlin Shetterly and her husband Dan head west from their home state of Maine to make their way in Los Angeles in 2008. Both are freelancers- Dan as a photographer, Caitlin as a writer/actress. Although the economy isn't good, at first the couple is unaffected by the economic downturn. They are enjoying being newly married, and although Caitlin suffers horrible morning sickness as they prepare for the birth of their first child, the two are also having fun exploring new places in Los Angeles. Then in just a matter of weeks, Dan's jobs dry up. Suddenly they, too, are affected by the economy. While Dan hustles to find a way to make money to support them, there are no jobs available. After searching in every available place for work, their only option seems to be to move back to Maine. The couple and their infant son move in with Caitlin's mom, helping her out and learning to live together again. While they get along well with Caitlin's mother, there are small annoyances amongst them as Caitlin's mom was used to living alone, and Dan and Caitlin are adult children being forced - by circumstances- back into a parent's house.

Eventually Dan and Caitlin are able to move out, after Dan is accepted to graduate school. Yet, Shetterly notes in this book's final chapter, there is a continuous ebb and flow in life, and while things are going well now, there may continue to be times when they once again struggle. Losing a job and being forced to move back with a parent is something that many people can relate to and Shettlery chronicled their experiences for NPR. Those readers allowed the Shetterlys to feel they were not alone.

Caitlin continues to write on her blog, where readers can keep up with the Shetterlys. As a memoir-lover, this one was an interesting read. And, despite the fact that many people experienced something similar to what Caitlin and Dan went through, hers is the first memoir I have read chronicling how the economic downturn affected them.

"I learned I could live in the fine mornings of my present rather than strive constantly ahead. We need each other. I need my family, I need my friends, I need my communities (neighbors, colleagues, fellow writers, strangers who might listen to me on the radio). And these days I think that until all Americans realize this- how much we need each other- that some of us will always be falling through the cracks, every single moment of every single day."

Throwback Thursday

In celebration of Easter, my Throwback Thursday selection is a favorite picture book from my childhood. My mom introduced me to this title when I was five or six. I purchased a copy as an adult- a thirtieth anniversary copy- to have for myself. While this is not really an Easter story, it is about an egg.

Fletcher the dog is feeling unloved. Alexandra is enchanted with the new baby chicks that have just been born and Fletcher is feeling left out and unloved. Beaver and Otter want to help their friend and come up with a plan: Fletcher should hatch from an egg. The two friends construct an egg with Fletcher inside. This enormous creation is then placed on the path many people used to go to school. Fletcher listens to everyone talk and guess what type of creature might be in this egg.

Alexandra, for her part, spent the night crying her eyes out, missing her dog Fletcher. When she approaches the school she could care less about the big egg that has everyone's attention. When Fletcher hears poor Alexandra's sobs, he can't contain himself any longer. Fletcher hatches, reunited with Alexandra and leaving the spectators shaking their heads.

I love reading this one to groups of students and sharing my own experiences with this book as a child. I've never asked my sister if she remembers this book, but certainly it was read to us so many times in our childhood I can't imagine it is not a part of her reading biography, too.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick: Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton

Due out: August 16, 2011

Product Description from Amazon:

Lisa Patton won the hearts of readers last year, her book Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter became a sleeper-success. Building on a smashing debut, Lisa’s poised to go to the next level—because whether in Vermont snow or in Memphis heat, Dixie heroine Leelee Satterfield is never too far from misadventure, calamity...and ultimately, love.
Having watched her life turn into a nor’easter, 34-year-old Leelee Satterfield is back home in the South, ready to pick back up where she left off. But that’s a task easier said then done…Leelee’s a single mom, still dreaming of the Vermonter who stole her heart, and accompanied by her three best friends who pepper her with advice, nudging and peach daiquiris, Leelee opens another restaurant and learns she has to prove herself yet again. Filled with heart and humor, women’s fiction fans will delight in this novel.

I loved Patton's first novel, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter and have been anxiously waiting for this one. I love the cover! What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Where She Went

By now I feel as though any review I could add about Where She Went by Gayle Forman will be redundant. Forman's companion novel/sequel to If I Stay came out earlier this month, and I was one of the lucky few who had a review copy mailed to me from the publisher.

If I Stay was one of my favorites of the year when it was published. Mia is in a tragic car accident that kills her parents and younger brother. From her hospital bed, still unconscious, we learn of Mia's life story as she grapples with the decision to choose to live, or join her family who has died. I don't think I am spoiling anything by saying that Mia chose to live- could there be a second novel without her?

In Where She Went, Forman switches voices, and has Adam, Mia's ex-boyfriend narrate the story. Three years have passed since the accident and Adam and Mia are no longer a couple. He is a famous rock star, while Mia has pursued her own musical career and become very successful. While at first the reason for their break-up is unknown as the story unfolds more information is shared. And then Mia and Adam meet up again.

I loved this one almost as much as If I Stay. It is a great follow up novel, and while I didn't love it quite as much as the first, I'm not sure anything could have lived up to my expectations. Although I knew that Forman was writing another novel about these characters, I was surprised at book's beginning that it was written in Adam's voice, yet I easily adapted and bought into this.

Each chapter begins with lyrics from one of Adam's songs. Normally I am the reader who skims right over these things. However, I did actually take the time and read them for this book - and was pleasantly surprised by how good they were and how much I enjoyed them.

From the brief note sent by the publisher, it appears Forman has moved on to other projects and other characters. While Where She Went offers a neat resolution, I would still like to check in on Adam and Mia at some future time.

History of a Suicide:My Sister's Unfinished Life

"Kim's suicide has forever altered the way in which I respond to the world around me. It has transformed the way I think and feel about intimacy, motherhood, friendship, and our responsibilities to others. Her early death changed every preconceived idea I had of suicide, depression, suffering, parenthood, and our debt to another person. Before Kim ended her life, I thought, like most people, that someone who would take his or her own life was somehow different from the rest of us. I was wrong."

I was struck by this paragraph written in the first pages of History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life by Jill Bialosky. Bialosky's thoughts about the effects of suicide are ones that I believe are universal to this experience. Throughout her book, Bialosky tells the story of her sister, Kim, who killed herself at the age of twenty-one by closing herself in the garage and turning on her mother's car. Although this happened back in 1990, Bialosky continues to think of Kim daily even twenty years later. She is still affected by her sister's death. Part memoir of her life and that of Kim's, part research about suicide, and part poetry about suicide and death, Bialosky's book covers her own personal story of losing someone to suicide and society's beliefs and reactions about suicide.

As I was reading this book, I thought to my own experiences with suicide - knowing people who have decided to take their lives. While I have not been close to anyone who has chose to commit suicide, over the course of my teaching career, two students in my school (both at the age of ten) have committed suicide. More recently, my oldest daughter's teacher's brother killed himself. We have had conversations about suicide and what it means with our two older children who have asked questions about this now because of what they have heard at school. While I think we gave them enough information - but not too much- they were both very confused as to why someone would decide they didn't want to live anymore. Perhaps that innocent confusion is what adults also feel, yet are better able to grasp the difficulties some people have dealing with daily life and finding hope in the future.

History of a Suicide is Bialosky's tribute to her sister, Kim. It is also an important book about losing someone you love in a way that leaves a lasting impact on those left behind.

Rock Star

On Friday I had the pleasure of seeing Marc Brown, the creator of Arthur, speak. Awesome! Marc Brown was this year's speaker at the Beginning Reading Conference at the University of Northern Iowa and I was thrilled to be allowed a day off of work to go to this.

I was also lucky enough to get to the conference early enough that I had a seat in the second row, just behind where Brown sat before he was introduced to begin his talk.

During the forty five minutes Brown spoke, he read his newest Arthur book, Arthur Goes Green, acknowleding that this was an audience who wouldn't be put to sleep by an adult reading to them. As you can see from the pictures, Brown shared some tricks about how to draw his characters with us.

His speech touched on a variety of topics:

*the state of children's literature and how celebrity authors have managed to garner big dollars for their books that aren't truly quality children's books (Amen to that!).

*he Today show's snub of the Newbery and Caldecott winners this year due to lack of time. On that day's show they did manage to devote 15 minutes to Snooki.

*Brown shared with us the real-life people who he based his characters on: his sisters became D.W. His best friend in third grade was Buster. The Brain and Sue Ellen were also in his classroom composite. Brown remembers getting in trouble for two things: daydreaming and drawing when he was at school. Both of those things later helped him to create Arthur.

I walked away from Brown's talk feeling happy that I was able to see this children's literature rock star in person. He came across as a nice, kind man. Later when I went to have my books signed by him, time was short because his plane's departure time was moved up an hour. Despite the fact that we were not able to pose for pictures with him due to lack of time, I still felt as though he took time to look at each person in line and make eye contact with each of us.

My daughters were disappointed they didn't get to meet this icon of children's literature. Brown did meet with groups of elementary school students during his brief stop in Iowa, but sadly, we do not live in the district where he visited. Brown shared a few of his future projects with us, and I am so hoping that there are more adventures with Arthur yet to come.

Deadly

Julie Chibarro's novel Deadly is an historical fiction YA novel about Typhoid Mary and it was awesome- as much as a novel about death and disease can be. It was also full of such interesting information about healthcare and science and medicine in the early 1900s. While I know I have heard the term "typhoid Mary" before I didn't know anything more than that. Somewhere in my brain I must have just decided that it was a bad storm. You know....typhoid/typhoon. Not impressive on my part. To make myself feel better (and thank goodness this didn't backfire which could have happened if my husband would have been able to answer this question correctly) I asked my husband what he knew about Typhoid Mary. He didn't know a thing about it, either, and in fact, asked me if it was a band. Apparently our knowledge of history - at least this topic- is lacking.

Prudence is sixteen years old, living with her mother, going to a finishing school. The studies in school - school of this kind, at least- don't interest Prudence who is craving knowledge about science. When she finds a job as an assistant to Mr. Soper in the health department she is ecstatic. Mr. Soper begins to research typhoid fever and the source of this disease which the two track to Mary Mallon , a cook for many different families. Each family she comes in contact with contracts typhoid despite the fact that Mallon herself is quite healthy. This idea- that a healthy pserson could carry a disease and infect others without getting sick themselves- is a new one, and Chibarro conveys the way in which scientists stretched their minds to adapt what they already knew to what they could see in front of them.

In addition to this being a great source of information about Typhoid Mary and the developments in science, Chibarro explores the idea of women in medicine. Prudence begins to formulate her own ideas about her future and is blessed with meeting a female doctor who encourages her. Prudence and her mother also learn to forge ahead with their lives after waiting for nine years for their father/husband to return from the Spanish American War, finally allowing themselves permission to move on.

I can see so many uses for this book aside from just enjoyment. Book clubs would find this novel fascinating. Deadly would make a great read aloud and is a wonderful springboard to researching diseases and Typhoid Mary, life in the early 1900s and healthcare at the time. I will be recommending this one to many - and for the record, I now know a great deal about Typhoid Mary and will never confuse it with a natural disaster.

Thowback Thursday

I love revisiting the books I read over and over as a child. My parents - mostly my mom- did a great job of taking us to our small town library and also to a larger library frequently to get a better variety of books to read. Often it seems I was sort of stuck in a certain pattern of checking out the same books repeatedly. There are certain Nancy Drew books I have read repeatedly and others I have never read at all.

One of the series I owned that was on a constant reading and re-reading cycle was The Girls of Canby Hall series by Emily Chase. This series came out when I was in fifth or sixth grade, featuring three girls: Dana a sophisticated New Yorker, Shelly an Iowa farm girl, and Faith a hip African American girl from Washington, D.C. The three girls meet at Canby Hall, the boarding school they will be attending as sophomore in high school. At first the girls can't stand each other and find living together impossible, but as the series progresses the three girls become best friends, learning to appreciate their differences. I looked so forward to each moth's Scholastic order so I could purchase the next installment. This was a series that I forced myself to read slowly, making myself put the book down after each chapter so that I didn't read it too quickly.

When the original three girls graduate, I was sad and hoped that we would get to follow them to college. Chase moved three new girls in to replace the first Girls of Canby Hall and Jane, Andy, and Toby were just as different from each other as their predecessors.

I still own the entire collection of these books. At one my point my mother gave these books away, telling me that I would never read these again. I was OK with this originally, and let her take them to the school she taught at that I had attended. The seventh/eighth grade classroom there put them in the classroom library. Years passed and when I started my teaching career at that same school I happened across my books in a teacher's room. She generously told me I could have them back after I asked if I could check some out to re-read. Not all of the series was intact, so after bidding on ebay I managed to pick up the entire series.

This is not a well known series - at least by the standards of Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden, but a few of my friends have heard of and read these books. What about you? Do you remember The Girls of Canby Hall? Just recently the Sweet Valley High fans were treated to a chance to see what the Wakefield twins were up to ten years later. I would love, love, love to know what Dana, Faith and Shelly are up to now, too! Any ideas?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick:

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

Due out July 5, 2011

Product Description from Amazon:

From the acclaimed author of Still Missing comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers. All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara did not have an ideal home life. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and to find closure. But some questions are better left unanswered. After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother---only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: Her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her. What if murder is in your blood? Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive. . . .

I really enjoyed Stevens' first novel Still Missing, so I am excited to see how this one stacks up.

What are you waiting on this week?

The Children In Room E-4

I love books about education - most likely because I am a former classroom teacher turned school librarian. I also come from a family of educators. My mom taught kindergarten for over twenty five years and is now a high school resource room teacher after finishing a masters in special ed. My dad also taught and was a Lutheran school principal. A few of my aunts and uncles teach. While I was growing up I was surrounded by all things education and remember many a Sunday afternoon conversation at my grandparents' after a big lunch where schools and teaching were discussed.

The Children In Room E-4 by Susan Eaton looks at education in the state of Connecticut. While Connecticut is the focus, education around the United States can be examined after reading this book. Eaton spends time in a Hartford, CT elementary school, watching students in Ms. Luddy's class learn, work and play. This elementary school is very segregated and many children will spend their entire elementary careers never having a white child in their classroom. Eaton includes many statistics about Hartford's urban schools, comparing them to other schools in major metropolitan areas.

Despite many things working against them, Ms. Luddy tries each and every day to reach her students and help them succeed. Although extra time is required and the curriculum is scripted for them, Ms. Luddy never gives up. Eaton contrasts this with suburban schools around Hartford that present a much different picture. Students at these schools are allowed some freedom in their learning. Recess is given twice a day (unlike the urban students who rarely get to go outside). The curriculum allows for teacher individuality and creativity - and these students learn, showing growth in their knowlege and skills. Without a doubt the standardized tests the suburban students take yield high results. The urban students put in time on Saturdays, stay late each weekday and still struggle to meet standards set before them.

The school my own children attend falls neatly into the suburban school model, while the school I work at is definitely urban with many of the same issues the school Eaton writes about faced. As I was reading I could see so much of my own school in this book and so want to talk about it with my co-workers. I don't think there are any easy solutions to problems in education, but there certainly are many opinions on how we can fix them.

Although the state of Connecticut is taken to court to try and fix the problem of segregated education, the resolution to this problem does not yield any noticeable results, and at present Connecticut's urban schools are more segregated than they were when the issue first arose.

The school where I work has just been named a PLAS (Persistently Low Achieving School) and received a grant from the federal government for the next school year to help our students make academic progress. Education reform is definitely a topic at the forefront of our minds here at school, as we look at our own system and how to better it.

Book Blog Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books.

This week's belated blog hop's question:

Outside of books, what's your guilty pleasure?

Books are - of course- my major guilty pleasure. I have tried to stick mostly to books since having more hobbies is almost impossible with three young children, a husband, and a full time job. If I had more time, I would definitely enjoy doing some knitting again. I still manage to find time to exercise, so running is a guilty pleasure that I do make time for. I rarely watch TV, even though I can find lots of shows I know I would enjoy. Someday I hope to find time for that again. I also still keep up with several friends that I talk to a few times a week.

What fun things do you enjoy beside reading?

Split

A few weeks ago my friend Kristin remarked that the novel Split by Swati Avashti looked interesting. Without even knowing more, I decided to check it out. This must be the sign of a problem of some sort, since the mere mention of a title makes me want to read it.

Since it was close to coming due, I pulled it out and started reading with little prior information.

Split is the story of two brothers who have been abused by their father. Avashti's characters are interesting and complex and real. Jace has been kicked out of his home by his abusive father. He seeks out his older brother who left their family several years ago and now lives in Albuquerque. He only knows Christian's whereabouts from his mother's whispered goodbye as she placed some money in his hands. Now the two boys get to know each other again. The only contact they have with their mother is Jace's emails the two exchange. While at first she promises to come to them by Thanksgiving, it is apparent that although their mother has attempted to leave their father before, her ability to strike out on her own has vanished and she will never leave her abusive spouse. There is a lot of different emotions at play in this book. The two brothers have temperaments that are very unlike each other and have different ways of dealing with their own anger. Jace is still trying to understand his anger after having hit his girlfriend in the face. Christian has managed to separate himself from his home life and now with Jace's presence he is forced to confront his feelings about his parents and his childhood.

This novel was well written and interesting in several different ways. Split explores the idea of abuse in a home, allowing the brothers to offer different insights into their experiences and different ways of reacting to what happened to them. I found it remarkable that Avashti chose Jace's family to be well educated and affluent. Jace's dad was a judge, and while abuse can happen at any socioeconomic level, most of the books I have read where abuse is present often occur with characters who are not educated or poor. There are no easy answers in this novel and both boys struggle to move forward in their lives and move beyond the abuse and the memories of their childhood.

I'm glad my friend Kristin mentioned this book - it was a great read about a tough subject.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

I have never participated in a Read-a-Thon, but perhaps this weekend would be the one if I were to pick a time to start. I have managed to read a good amount already tonight and don't have any major weekend plans -aside from the normal weekend agenda. Whatever Little Sister has has been diagnosed as viral, and her doctor jokingly (at least I hope it was a joke) said she would feel better by next weekend. Ugh. So, I think things will be low-key here.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang was a book I picked up at the public library, happy to have a chance to read it after seeing it a few places. Lucy is in sixth grade, loves basketball, and is upset when her grandma's sister visits from China, forcing Lucy to share her bedroom for several months. Lucy's family doesn't really understand Lucy's love of basketball, and Lucy often feels that attention is given to her older brother and sister for their academic success. Although Lucy resents her great-aunt's presence, she does eventually give her credit for her great cooking, and over time develops an appreciation of all Yi Po does for Lucy. Lucy's initial annoyance with Yi Po is replaced with an understanding the two seem to share as Lucy learns more about her great aunt's past and her life in China. The suspense in this novel is created by Lucy's rivalry with a classmate, Sloane, who tries to find ways to sabotage Lucy and her hopes of being the basketball team manager. When it comes right down to it, Lucy is happily surprised by the people in her life who do come through for her.

I liked this tween novel that explored issues many girls face- mean girls, a crush on a boy, and trying to fit in. I also liked that this novel explores what it is like for Lucy to be Chinese American and have parents who want her to continue to be Chinese - to attend a weekend Chinese school, to learn to speak Chinese, and to share the values and ideals her parents have.

This book will appeal to lots of middle grade readers who enjoy the realistic fiction genre.

Throwback Thursday

It wasn't until I was getting ready for school this morning that I realized it was Friday - and that I had somehow missed my Throwback Thursday post. I'm not sure how that happened, except that my youngest daughter has been sick all week. Even with the antibiotics we got on Monday night at (In)Convenient Care she seems no better. I have missed a half day of work and so has my husband, with my mom and mother-in-law taking care of her the other days. Today I will be taking her again to the doctor so she can see her regular pediatrician and perhaps decide if this is just viral and needs to run its course, or if we need to try something different.

My Throwback Thursday post is about a book I read, re-read, and read some more - times too many to count. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume is one of those books that I loved each time I read it. While I have read everything written by Blume this is one of my favorite books by her.

Davey is devastated when her father is killed in a convenience store robbery. She suffers anxiety over this and sleeps with a knife under her pillow. She moves with her mother and younger brother, Jason, to stay with her father's sister, Bitsy, and Bitsy's husband Walter in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Davey makes some new friends, especially Wolf, a young man she meets while hiking With his friendship Davey learns to deal with her feelings of grief and loss, and grow up a little.

It has been fifteen years since the last time I read this book, and I am still able to recall characters names and events as though it were yesterday. Growing up, Blume's writing was something I could count on as understanding the feelings of tweens and young adults. Her writing was influential enough in my childhood that Tiger Eyes will not be the only contribution she makes to my Throwback Thursday posts.

Second Fiddle

Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry was sent to me from her publisher after I had exchanged emails with Parry herself, and after I was totally in love with Parry's first novel, Heart of a Shepherd. This sophomore novel by Parry felt entirely different to me than her first, but equally as wonderful.

Set in 1990, Parry revisits her own time living in Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I only have vague memories of this time; I was busy being a teenager in 1990, and the "real world" and this life changing event for the German people seemed remote and not a part of my daily life.

Jody and her two friends are Americans living in Germany during this period in time. Jody has lived many places in her short life because of her father's job and will soon be moving again- this time back to the United States where her family plans on making their home permanently. These friends, Vivian and Giselle, are two girls that Jody has known longer than any other friends and she dreads leaving them. She has enjoyed being a part of a friendship that allows her to share her passion for music, as the friends study under Herr Muller. When the three girls are thrown into a suspenseful situation, trying to move a Russian soldier who has been beaten and left to die to Paris where he can be safe, their friendship grows.

I have seen a number of postings about the opening paragraph in this book. Although I don't want to appear repetitive, it is just too good to overlook.

"If we had known it would eventually involve the KGB, the French National Police, and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, we would have left that body in the river and called the Polizei like any normal German citizen, but we were Americans and addicted to solving other peoples' problems, so naturally we got involved (1)."

What a wonderful first paragraph, full of the ability to suck a reader right in.

Parry does a great job explaining a bit about the changes in Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Russian soldier, Arvo, is also interesting, as his country is Estonia and he does not want to be a part of the Russian army. As a child growing up in the 1980s, the Cold War and communism was something I thought about. Today's middle grade readers know little about the Russian's government or communism. Parry is able to convey enough information about this without overwheming readers.

Second Fiddle has already been named an Indiebound Children's Selection for Spring 2011. As for me, I am hoping that Parry continues to write for middle grade readers. I have loved both books she has written.

Learning to Swim

Sara Henry's debut novel Learning to Swim grabbed me from the first page. Troy Chance sees a bundle being thrown over the side of a ferry. Although she isn't sure, she jumps in to rescue what she believes is a little boy. After the heroic rescue (where Troy really does rescue a young boy), Troy takes Paul home with her, not calling law enforcement. Somehow Troy decides to find out on her own what happened to Paul and who threw him overboard. Although Paul, who speaks French, eventually tells Troy what he knows of his family, she is reluctant to return him, unsure of the type of parents he has who would let their son be put in harm's way. After doing some searching on the internet Troy decides to meet Paul's father for herself, and then decide how she will proceed.

While this story could have been neatly tied up at this point, there are many more twists that Henry creates. Paul's father does care about his son and is elated to have him back. He invites Troy into his home as Paul transitions back into "normal" life. While there, Troy decides to do a bit more investigating, trying to learn about Paul's mother who she believes was kidnapped along with Paul and then killed.

There were so many things I enjoyed about this story. I liked the Lake Placid setting with a portion of the book taking place in Canada. As a person from the midwest I like hearing about this area of our country and how close and convenient trips across the border are. I liked Troy as a character. Although she did some rather improbable things- like not alerting law enforcement when she rescued Paul, Henry was still able to develop Troy as a believable character. Henry also allowed there to be enough suspense in this book to make me want to keep reading. In fact, I had a hard time setting this book aside, and spent my lunch yesterday reading by myself.

Learning to Swim ends in such a way that there is potential for more to happen in Troy's life. While I doubt there is any sequel - the mystery in this novel was neatly tied up - I could see Troy in a mystery series and would happily read more of Sara Henry's work.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick: Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner Due out: July 12, 2011 Summary: In the latest from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, four women bound by obligation and opportunity struggle to find a way to make a family… Jules Wildgren is a Princeton senior with a full scholarship and a family she’s ashamed to invite to Parents’ Weekend. Tall, blond, and outwardly identical to her prep-school-educated classmates, her plan is to take the ten thousand dollars she’ll receive from donating her “pedigree” eggs and try to save her father from addiction… Annie Barrow is a working-class mother of two who scrapes by on her husband’s single paycheck. After watching a TV show about surrogates, she thinks she’s found a way to recover a sense of purpose and bring in some extra cash… India Bishop, thirty-eight (really forty-three), believes she’s found her happy ending when she marries a wealthy, older man, Marcus Croft, but decides a baby will seal the deal. When her attempts at pregnancy fail, she turns to technology, and Annie and Jules, to make her dreams come true… But each woman’s plans are thrown into disarray when Marcus suddenly dies, and his twenty-three-year-old daughter Bettina is named guardian of the unborn child. As the baby’s due date draws near, these women—with nothing and everything in common—discover what makes each a mother in her own right. With her laugh-out-loud humor, and spot-on characterizations, Weiner once again takes readers into the heart of women’s lives, in an unforgettable story that interweaves themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and donorship, parental rights and the measure of motherhood.

Three Stages of Amazement

Carol Edgarian's novel, Three Stages of Amazement, is what I would consider literary fiction. There is more to it than just a quick women's fiction read, and once I got into it, I enjoyed this story.

Lena and Charlie are busy with married life - raising two children after the loss of a premature twin. Charlie's business situation is challenging and Lena feels alone as she parents, missing her husband.

Living near them are Lena's uncle Cal and his wife Ivy who seem to have it all. Lena has cut her ties with her uncle because of finanical issues that arose after her father's death. Now, Charlie and Lena and Cal and Ivy's lives become intertwined again as Cal is able to offer financial support for Charlie's struggling business.

Although it seems that Charlie and Lena are the couple who are struggling, it is Cal and Ivy who encounter a crisis that brings everyone together again.

I had to stick with this book in order to get into it. I'm blaming myself for this because once I actually had time to sit and read without interruptions I did enjoy it. I could identify with Lena and Charlie and their lifestyle - constantly being busy raising children, trying to get ahead, not being able to find time for each other. Many a reader will be able to understand Lena's struggle and point of view as well.

In My Mailbox and Sunday Salon

Ah! Today the weather has hit the 70 degree mark. Although it is windy, it is a wonderful spring day. I am so excited for nice weather. I have managed a trip to Wal-Mart where I spent much more money than I ever intended. It seems the list I make before I go seems to get longer once I enter the store. The $5 movies really kill me because they seem like such a bargain.

I have had a great week of mail again. Amazingly enough I have already reviewed two of the items I got in the mail this week. Here's the loot:

I also broke down and bought two books this week. I have been doing a great job of not purchasing books, but somehow had a weak moment - or two- this week. Heaven is for Real has been receiving a ton of buzz and my mother-in-law read and enjoyed it. Normally we don't have the same taste in books at all, so it will be interesting to read this one. And Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal is such a blast from my past. I still have books #1-#88 in a Rubbermaid box somewhere. I saved my precious money when I was in sixth-eighth grades to buy these books. Sadly, I would save and buy one and it would last me all of an hour or two. There definitely wasn't much to the books. Even though I have read less than stellar reviews on this one, I can't help but want to find out what happened to Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield and their friends.

This week I am back to teaching a normal schedule. Last week we administered the ITBS tests at our building. I still need to type my lesson plans, but at least have in my mind what I am planning to do. Supper tonight is a recipe I took from Janssen at Everyday Reading - the Sweet Potato Foil Taco Packets. We had those a few weeks ago and they were fabulous!

April 2001

While my blog was first started in 2008, I have been recording what books I am reading for far longer than that. I love looking through my old notebooks to see what I was reading when. While sometimes I can't recall much about different titles, there are times I can remember vividly reading certain books and what was going on in my life while I was reading them.

In April of 2001 I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, teaching first grade. I had a lot more free time to read, yet only managed to get 14 books done (really not so shabby, but by my standards lately, it is).

The highlights include:

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Silent to the Bone by E L Konigsburg

Upstairs at the White House by J B West

Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake

A decade has passed, but I still remember these books. When I read Dances With Wolves, I was reading it for the second time already. Lately I have been thinking about re-reading JB West's Upstairs at the White House, which I find fascinating as he served several administrations. Silent to the Bone was published right after we were subjected to the Louise Woodward trial in America about a British nanny who shook an infant. This book reminded me a lot of that. And the Princess Diaries - who knew how popular this book/series was to become? That might have been my first experience with Meg Cabot.

Ten years from now I wonder what I will remember about what I am reading this month. How about you? Can you remember any books you read ten years ago?