Protector of Humans, Eater of Bugs

Binky the Space Cat
by Ashley Spires

Holy hairballs! This might be one of my most exciting discoveries in quite some time. There are three graphic novels in the Binky series, and a coworker handed me the third today when it came in with a batch of new books. She said I just had to see it. After reading the third book, I went in search of the first two, because really, how could I read the third and not go back to understand the origins of this little fuzz ball? So now I want to tell you about Binky the Space Cat.

Summary
As you might have guessed from the title, Binky is a space cat. However, this does not mean he lives in space or is from space or anything of that nature. No. Binky is a housecat who spends his days eating, napping, playing with his best friend, a mouse toy named Ted, and protecting his humans from aliens (aka, bugs -- he looked them up and saw they have a remarkable resemblance to aliens, so they must be the same). Binky has also never been outside, i.e. Outer Space. So when he finds a flier in his cat food bag advertising certification to become a space cat, he jumps on it! Once certified, Binky begins assembling a space ship that will allow him to travel safely in Outer Space (because without proper protection, he could choke, float away, or not get any oxygen). After much hard work, Binky's craft is complete, and he's ready to head for Outer Space. But he may have forgotten something important ...

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up 'Till Dawn

I loved Binky so much that I may go home and look at cats available for adoption tonight! Seriously, if you or a youngster in your life enjoys cats, silliness, and graphic novels, go get this book! Binky is an adorable, pudgy little kit cat who has all the random quirks of our real life feline friends. He chases and eats bugs, err, aliens (the crunchy ones give him space gas), he likes to nap, cuddle, and knead, and he has the occasional hairball. The story is so silly, but Binky is very determined and thoughtful, which makes you cheer him on the whole way through. I loved the illustrations, which were simple yet expressive. Binky's movements are enhanced by simple descriptors that help the reader really feel the action (swooshes, padding feet, etc.), and his expressions and physical actions were hilarious. Binky is sure to please readers young and old!

Oh, and I'll be sure to tell you about the other Binky books soon!

Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Silly Storytime

Storytime recap!

I know I’ve said it before, but wow, storytime is such great stress relief! We had a crazy half hour when we opened yesterday morning, so I was more than ready to escape the madness and sit down with some books and goofy children. Lucky for me, our theme was silly animals! We read:

Cows Can’t Fly, by David Milgrim
Ducks Don’t Wear Socks, by John Nedwidek
Bark, George!, by Jules Feiffer

The kids seemed to enjoy the books, and liked pointing out the weird things going on in Cows Can’t Fly. Ducks Don’t Wear Socks was definitely the big hit. I think it helped that I acted totally goofy when I read Duck’s exclamations. There was plenty of laughter among the group.

For our craft, we made our own silly animals. I actually recycled the leftover cloud cutouts from last week by cutting them down into smaller shapes. These were the “bodies,” and I gave the kids a bunch of stuff to make their animals with: pipe cleaners, colored pom-poms, crayons, googly eyes, and strips of colored crepe paper. My own animal had a twisty, gold pipe cleaner tail, green and pink spots, a green pom-pom nose, and multi-colored crepe paper hair curls. Sometimes the kids burn through the craft quickly, but this one seemed to get them thinking and spending a little more time on their work. That was kind of cool, because once they got an idea of how their animal would look, they really got into making it look silly.

How to Cure the Bedtime Woes

Itsy Mitsy Runs Away
by Elenna Allen

I learned of Itsy Mitsy while skimming through a copy of Publisher's Weekly. The cover was cute enough to make me want to read the book, so I quickly put in a request to check out my library's copy!

Summary
Bedtime. It's a bad word to children all around the world, and Itsy Mitsy is no different. She hates bedtime. When her dad tells her it's time for bed, Itsy Mitsy (donning the cutest dinosaur costume I've ever seen), declares that she is going to run away. Dad graciously helps her pack, and then tells her she should probably bring a friend, you know, so she won't get lonely. Itsy Mitsy decides this is an excellent idea, and grabs her "most friendly dinosaur, Mr. Roar." As she heads for the door, dad points out that Mr. Roar will probably need a snack. Again, Itsy Mitsy agrees. The suggestions from dad escalate until Itsy Mitsy finds herself loaded down with stuff - all of it necessary, of course - and she falls down in a sudden fit of sleep. Luckily, dad was there to tuck her in.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up 'Till Dawn

As I said, the cover alone was cute enough to entice me, and the contents did not disappoint! Itsy Mitsy is great on so many levels! Colorful illustrations of Itsy Mitsy, dad, and Itsy Mitsy's things are set against simple black and white sketches, that still contain detail and interest. The story itself will appeal to any bedtime-haters, and dad's method is so clever and amusing, you can't help but feel bad for Itsy Mitsy as she tries to accomodate all the things she realizes she'll need in order to successfully run away.

Recommended for all ages, especially those who have trouble going to bed at night!

A Colorful Storytime

Week two of my September storytimes! This week’s theme was colors. Once everyone got arranged and comfortable on the floor, we sang our hello song and read our books:

The Color Box, by Dayle Ann Dodds
Alexander the monkey finds a box and crawls in, discovering multiple worlds of different colored objects and animals. Each color leads to another, and he eventually finds himself back in a world that contains all the colors together. Great opportunities for kids to identify different colors one by one.

Blue Chameleon, by Emily Gravett
The blue chameleon is feeling, well, blue. So he becomes the color of all the things he meets and tries to make friends with them. A yellow banana. A brown boot. A stripy sock. But no one is interested in a matching friend, until he stumbles upon another chameleon, who is all the colors! They are happy to be colorful together. Very silly, more to look at than read or listen to, but fun and not too demanding on little attention spans.

Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, Have You Any Milk?, by Phillis Gershator
A young boy travels around the farm, asking each animal if they have something for him. Down from the goose, milk from the cow, honey from the bees. Each animal gives him something, and tells him what he can make with it. Fun, rhyming verse that holds kids attention.

In between the second and third books, we had a little action rhyme about red apples. I was quite happy with the result of this one, as I forgot some words to “Pat-A-Cake” last week. The kids definitely got a kick out it, and they really got into the motions. I thought I’d share it with you because it was quite fun!

Ten Red Apples (Rhyme – Author Unknown)

Ten red apples growing on a tree. (Hands high, fingers extended)
Five for you and five for me. (Wave one hand, then the other)
Let me shake the tree just so, (Shake hands!)
And ten red apples fall down below. (Lower hands with fingers extended and wiggly)
One, two, three, four, five, (Count fingers on one hand)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. (Count fingers on other hand)

Source:
1,000 Fingerplays & Action Rhymes: A Sourcebook & DVD, by Barbara A. Scott

Once we finished our books and our apple song, it was time for crafts! Keeping with the color theme, we made rainbow streamers. Each kid was given a paper cloud, a handful of cotton balls, and crepe paper streamers in five bright colors. They made their paper clouds “fluffy” with the cotton and attached the streamers to the edges. The kids enjoyed the cotton and all seemed very pleased with the finished product.

Hope everyone has a colorful weekend!

Summertime Blues

That Summer
By Sarah Dessen

Remember awhile back I mentioned that I felt like I had missed the Meg Cabot bus, and have been working to rectify that situation? Well, I have some work to do getting caught up with Ms. Sarah Dessen as well. You can’t read a YA book blog or browse the teen section without seeing her work (not in an obnoxious way, just in a way that shows she’s established and loved), so I finally decided to dive in and learn for myself what everyone has been raving about.

Summary
Haven is having a rough summer. On the morning we meet her, Haven’s father is getting remarried – to the woman he left her mother for. As if one wedding wasn’t enough, Haven’s sister will be getting married later in the summer, and has turned into Bridezilla, a quirk that everyone seems more than happy to accommodate. While Haven mucks through the emotional ups and downs of all her family issues, she thinks back to a summer several years ago, when everything seemed perfect. Her sister had a boyfriend who lit up the whole room and helped create a more peaceful sisterly atmosphere, her parents were happily married … it was a good summer. But as Haven makes her way through the current summer, she starts to realize that she can’t always hold onto the ideals of the past, and has to work on making peace with the way things have turned out and the direction her life is heading in.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Early Morning Hours

I’ve had a hard time trying to figure out how to describe my reaction to That Summer. The story is not wild, outlandish, or exciting. The characters are not bizarre or unusual. These are, in essence, seemingly average people with everyday concerns and feelings that are completely relatable. What drew me in was Dessen’s style. She conjured up a cast of characters and situations I wanted to know more about. I had a lot of empathy for Haven, particularly when her best friend returned from summer camp and was suddenly boy crazy and rebellious. I remember when some of my friends started changing like that and how I was completely baffled by the seemingly instantaneous transformations that had come over them. Haven’s musings and the way she troubled through her summer kept me reading quickly until the end. I imagine any teen girl would easily do the same.

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Walk Like a Hominid

Fat Cat

By Robin Brande

Remember how I raved about Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature recently? Well, almost as soon as I finished reading it, I found Brande’s second novel, Fat Cat, and the jacket description was enough to make me snatch it up immediately.

Summary

High school junior Cat is a self-proclaimed science geek. She has been for years, and she loves it. Not only does she love science, she loves competition, and she has enrolled in Mr. Fizer’s Special Topics in Research Science class, which is entirely dedicated to building a science project to enter into the big science fair at the end of the year. The only catch is that the project must be based on a photo Mr. Fizer gives them, and when Cat gets a look at her photo of prehistoric humans, she just about has a panic attack. This is not at all in the realm of fig wasps - the insect she spent the summer studying at her internship.

But as Cat ponders the image, she focuses on the woman. Muscular, lean, healthy, and standing near her dinner of freshly killed deer (which she probably had to work for). Then Cat thinks of herself. Overweight, prone to headaches and grumpiness, and reliant on the diet sodas and candy bars available in the snack machines. And she begins to wonder if maybe she could look like the prehistoric woman if she acted more like her. Eating natural foods, walking instead of driving, and eliminating various modern conveniences. Thus begins Cat’s great scientific experiment – on herself.

The complete alteration of her lifestyle also allows Cat the chance to review other aspects of her life. She begins to look at issues unrelated to her diet – like the long-standing grudge she holds against her former best friend Matt McKinney. And the fact that she hasn’t ever dated. As her body and mindset begin to change, Cat starts to step out of her comfort zone and explore what she needs and wants in order to be happy healthy inside and out.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Up ‘Till Dawn

Another winner from Robin Brande! This book was fantastic! I loved Cat’s science experiment so much. The topic of healthy eating and eliminating processed foods is extremely important and interesting to me, so I was probably a bit of an easy draw for this one. However, Cat was a great character and I think she would appeal to many readers. Adapting to her Hominin lifestyle was not easy, and she makes no pretensions about how bad her cravings are when she starts the project. Even when she’s deep into it and loving the new foods she’s making for herself and her family, she admits to times of stress and temptation. Luckily, she has an awesomely supportive best friend, and a knack for cooking, so she manages to muddle through the caffeine withdrawals and sugar slumps.

As with Evolution … Brande hooks her readers by revealing early in the story that Matt McKinney (the former best friend) did something horrible enough to ruin the friendship between himself and Cat, BUT the details come out at a slow trickle throughout the book. Tricky! But not in an annoying way, the development of the characters and their history was very interesting and I was happy with Brande’s pacing and development of the characters and story.

Enthusiastically recommended for ages 14 and up!

Gather 'Round for Storytime

Storytime!

There’s nothing like having 20 some-odd preschoolers crawling around you (and on you) to give you an end-of-the-week boost. Even better, these kiddos were all attending my storytime! I’ve been given the wonderful opportunity to present weekly storytimes at my library for the month of September, so I thought I’d share my experiences here!

Today's storytime theme was lunches and eating. We read:

Worms for Lunch?, by Leonid Gore
Hungry Hen, by Richard Waring
Sylvie, by Jennifer Sattler

The stories were a lot of fun, and Hungry Hen definitely held their attention best, as there’s a lot of suspense and build up to the end. Worms for Lunch is really great for an interactive group, because there are lots of opportunities to let kids identify the animals they see on the pages.

After reading two books, we had a round of “Pat-A-Cake” to get rid of some of the wiggly energy that was building. Following all the stories, the kids decorated their own paper lunch sacks. We have a great selection of fruits and veggies for the die-cutter, and I made bananas, carrots, broccoli, peas, oranges, apples, and grapes. The kids wrote their names on the bags and decorated them with the cut-outs.

Overall, I’d say the event was a success. I forgot to sing my closing song (nervous brain = forgetful), but I’ll get it in next week.

Your Breath Smells Like Granola

Schooled
By Gordan Korman

Do you ever wonder what it would be like for a homeschool student to be suddenly thrust into the hairy, scary world of public school? What if that homeschool student wasn't just homeschooled, but homeschooled on a commune that maintained all the free spirited ideals of the 1960s? Gordon Korman explores that very idea in Schooled ...

Summary
Capricorn Anderson is anything but your normal teenager. Having been raised and educated by his grandmother, Rain, on a 1960s-era commune that is now home to just the pair of them, he knows nothing of the modern world. So when Rain falls out of a tree and needs several weeks of hospital care, leaving her grandson in the care of a social worker, poor Cap thinks he’s practically landed on another planet. While his long hair, tie-dyed shirts, and corn husk shoes were perfectly acceptable at the Garland Farm, Cap’s new middle school classmates take one look at him and decide they have a perfect new target for torture.

But while the eighth graders at Claverage Middle School do their best to let Cap know they think he’s the weirdest thing ever, Cap isn’t fazed. In fact, he takes the opportunity to observe all the social interactions and behaviors he’s read about but never seen. He takes it all in stride, and never fights back (because “violence is not the answer”). And at some point, some of the students start to appreciate his resilience and decide to see what it would be like to do some of the things Cap does. Is Claverage ready for Tai Chi and The Beatles?

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Good Night’s Sleep

Okay, I liked this book. I thought the concept was hilarious, and I’m totally intrigued by homeschooling and the questions of socialization that it raises. However, I had a few issues with this book. I think the main thing I didn’t like about it was the fact that Korman uses multiple narrators. Each chapter is narrated by a different character (I think there were about five total), and it was a little hard to follow sometimes. I liked getting the different viewpoints, but sometimes I had to stop and remind myself who was talking. I also felt that the middle school environment Korman created was a little too sophisticated (football, pep rallies, and dances), and that clashed a bit with the personalities of his characters.

On a positive note, I loved Cap’s easy-going nature and the way he took every opportunity – whether he was observing other people or being teased by them – to learn something new. He never wore down, and was inspirational in his patience and observations of society. Overall, a fun read, and an interesting situation to consider.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Dressed for Success

Ducks Don’t Wear Socks
By John Nedwidek
Illustrated by Lee White

Picture book time! Silly animals make for fun stories!

Summary
Adorable little Emily is quite the serious girl. When we meet her, she’s reading The Big Book of Serious Things. So when she meets Duck outside one day and notices he’s wearing socks (while riding a unicycle and juggling, no less), she points out to him that ducks don’t wear socks. But Duck just says he has cold feet and rides off!

Emily continues to encounter Duck around town, always observing him in a new item of clothing. Duck always has a reason for his attire. After a few of these meetings, Emily begins to feel a smile creep up her face, her serious demeanor wavering. And by the end of the book, Emily surprises Duck with an unusual outfit of her own!

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up ‘Till Dawn

Duck is just the guy to make you smile. His responses to Emily's "Ducks don't ..." comments cracked me up, and I loved his adventurous nature. Kids and adults alike will be curious to see what Duck will show up wearing next, and the conclusion of the book is just perfect.

Recommended for all ages! For extra enjoyment, wear a pair of silly socks while reading!

Fins vs. Feet

Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature
By Robin Brande

I had heard about this title previously and when I saw it on the shelf the other day, I decided it was high time to check it out!

Summary
Mena Reece is starting high school on a low note. She’s recently been kicked out of her church and has brought about lawsuits against the pastor and multiple people in the congregation. All because she saw something she thought was wrong and decided to say something about it. As her entire world has revolved around Paradise Christian until now, this has put quite a damper on her social life. Throw in the fact that her parents are barely speaking to her and Mena might as well be invisible.

But while the first day of school proves torturous in many ways – from insults hissed in her ear to getting “accidentally” hip-checked by angry ex-friends – there is an unexpected bright spot. Mena’s biology teacher, Ms. Shepard, who is funky, dynamic, passionate about science, and just all-around intriguing. Ms. Shepard soon begins a unit on evolution, and while Mena would have previously been part of the “back turners” – the group of kids from her church who demand to be taught intelligent design and turn their chairs around in protest of the teaching of evolution – she finds herself really thinking about Ms. Shepard’s lessons, and begins to think about things on her own for change.

The events that occur during the evolution unit become bigger than anyone could have anticipated, and Mena finds herself facing questions about the co-existence of science and religion. In the end, she must decide what truths are those that are most comfortable to her, and find her own path to accepting what she knows is best for herself.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up ‘Til Dawn

Oh wow. If you are at all interested in a fiction story that sinks its teeth into some controversial real-life issues, get out and read this book. Yes, there are plenty of teen books out there that deal with topics like sex, drugs, bad parenting, etc., but I can’t think of one I’ve read that tackles religion like this one did. I love that Brande decided to tell the story from the point of view of a girl who maintained her own faith, but wasn’t afraid to question things she saw, thought, and felt. Some of the situations and questions Mena encounters are delicate (she’s never seen Lord of the Rings, because her parents believe it contains witchcraft), but Brande skillfully portrays Mena’s sheltered existence and the countering beliefs of her new friends with grace and respect for all parties. In the end, Mena makes decisions that are comfortable for her while simultaneously learning to open her mind to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

You Are What You Eat

Sylvie
By Jennifer Sattler

An adorable pink flamingo named Sylvie. How could I not read this book and share it with you?

Summary
Sylvie appears to be the baby among her flock of flamingoes. After observing her pink relatives and realizing that everyone and everything else at the beach doesn’t have just one color, she asks her mom what makes them pink. Shrimp! Flamingoes eat pink shrimp, so they are, therefore, pink! Sylvie then decides to experiment a little and try eating different colored things. She has a fun day changing colors, but toward the end of her experiment, her tummy begins to get a little full … maybe being just pink is okay for her after all.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up ‘Til Dawn

One look at adorable Sylvie and you won’t be able to resist flipping open this book and devouring it whole (and considering it’s a picture book, you won’t be all that tired in the morning!). Sattler’s illustrations are adorable, and Sylvie’s curious nature is entertaining and fun. I imagine any child would think the same thing as Sylvie – “if I’m pink because I eat shrimp, then I bet different colored foods will make me different colors, too!” Sylvie’s experiment is great fun to watch unfold, and our heroine even learns a little lesson by the end of the story (don’t eat too much or you’ll get a tummy ache!), though she manages to keep a little extra color in her diet in addition to the shrimp!

Recommended for all ages!

Witchy Woman

Jinx
By Meg Cabot

As usual, I found this as I was perusing the library shelves in the teen section. I loved the cover, and I felt it was high time to delve into another Meg Cabot book!

Summary
Sixteen-year-old Jean “Jinx” Honeychurch earned her nickname at birth. Wherever she goes, bad luck or little accidents seem to occur. Jinx bumps into things, people forget important information when she’s supposed to meet them, etc. Nothing horrible, but a number of little misfortunes can add up to a great deal of annoyance for anyone. She’s also supposed to be the descendant of a witch, Branwen, and is one of two daughters born to the current generation of her family who is destined to have Branwen’s powers. The other daughter is her cousin, Tory, whose family Jinx just happens to be moving in with in New York. But where Jinx doesn’t want anything to do with magic or witchcraft, given a failed spell in the past, Tory is determined to prove her power as a witch, and will stop at nothing to do so, including using black magic to win the heart of the boy she and Jinx are both crushing on.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up ‘Til Dawn

If you could have seen me yesterday, you’d have noticed the bags under my eyes that I earned by reading this book waaaay beyond the time I intended to go to sleep. But it was worth it! This was my second non-Princess Diaries Meg Cabot book and I loved it! Jinx is such an endearing character and I fell in love with her right away. I loved her innocence and friendly nature, and I thought she was a great example of a teen that didn’t have to be wild, complicated, or extremely unusual. Okay, yes, she might have some witch powers, but she didn’t flaunt them, and was quite educated about the whole religion of witchcraft.

This story could easily have been hokey. Witchcraft, voodoo dolls, spells to make boys fall in love with you. But Cabot did an excellent job of making the story accessible, fun, and yes, informative. And as she did with her descriptions of Washington, D.C. in All American Girl, Cabot did a perfect job of evoking the feel of New York City in Jinx. I love it when an author really knows the characteristics of a setting and can make you feel like you’re right there with the characters.

Enthusiastically recommended for ages 14 and up!

In Which Teeth Become Treasure

The Tooth Fairy
By Peter Collington

A wordless picture book! I love these! I feel like my interest in and appreciation of these books has increased since I started exploring graphic novels. There are so many ways to tell a story, and words are not always necessary. A coworker who shares my love of Flotsam handed this book to me this morning and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Summary
As indicated by its title, The Tooth Fairy is about the little lady who collects our lost teeth when we sleep, leaving money in their place. However, the process is much more than just taking a tooth and leaving a coin. The young girl we meet on the first page loses her tooth as she gets into bed, and dutifully places it under her pillow before turning in. In the tree-filled landscape outside her house, a tiny fairy clad in white emerges from a doorway in a tree, and flies into the night. But rather than going straight to the tooth, she goes into a secret tree, where she mines for silver and smelts a coin by hand!

(Can we take a moment to celebrate the awesome Tooth Fairy girl power here? She mines silver and smelts it! Smelts! How cool is the Tooth Fairy?)

After smelting the coin, the Tooth Fairy goes and collects the tooth, leaving her handmade treasure behind. When she gets back to her cute little tree home, she sets up shop again, this time working with the tooth. She cuts strips from it and makes a key for a piano, and the view of her house shows that she has made countless objects from the teeth she has picked up.

As the sun rises, we see the girl find her coin, and the Tooth Fairy is contentedly playing her now complete piano.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up 'Till Dawn

This was an insanely imaginative book and I loved going through the images to discover all the tiny details hidden within. Collington did a great job taking a well-known legend and putting his own spin on it.

I do have to say, I was a little creeped out by all the things the Tooth Fairy made with the teeth. I saw a picture frame, drawer pulls, and an umbrella handle all made of teeth. As much as I support recycling and favor the use of non-ivory products, there was a little bit of a gross-out factor for me. But, to each her own!

Recommended for all ages, especially those with wiggly teeth.

Back to School Reads (not required)

Have you noticed them yet? The subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) changes that mean school will be starting soon? I sure have. Children who are bored with everything and increasingly prone to fits of whining and crying at the drop of a hat; elementary parents and high school students rushing to the library with required summer reading that was forgotten until the last minute; and my personal favorite, the back to school section at Target!

In honor of a new school year starting, I thought I’d recommend a few of the books I remember reading and loving when I was in elementary school. Fit these in when you need a break from shopping for new clothes, planning what lunches to pack, or just want to sit under the fan and cool off (anyone else still suffering 100+ temperatures?).

Happy reading and happy new school year!

Bunnicula, by James Howe

When I was in elementary school, I went through a phase where the start of a new school week made me slightly nervous. So Sunday afternoons were my time to relax and ease into the new week. For awhile, I remember always reaching for a book from the Bunnicula series. They always transported me to a fun and new place, and totally calmed my worries and put me in a good state of mind.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst

A classic that every kid should read! Whether you’re having a bad day or not, everyone can relate to Alexander at some point in his or her life!

Kristen Learns a Lesson: A School Story (American Girls series), by Janet Beeler Shaw

I read the American Girl books when there were only a handful of them. I had the whole set of books about Kristen, and I loved reading about her life on a country farm and the things she learned as an immigrant to America. In this book, she meets an Indian girl from a local tribe on her way to school, and learns a lot about a way of life different from her own.

The Magic Schoolbus Inside the Human Body, by Joanna Cole

For some reason, this particular Magic School Bus stands out in my mind above the others. I distinctly remember the picture of the bus among the blood cells, and there’s something with the stomach and digestion … possibly involving Cheetos, if memory serves me correctly. Such an imaginative and informative book!

A Ms. with an M.S.

I'm really tired right now. Yes, I was up late last night (not reading amazingly, but seeing the awesome Matisyahu in concert!), but I am also coming off a long week of activity that included a trip to the beach, the birth of a best friend's baby, and, oh yeah, MY GRADUATION!

That's right, I am now officially a master's degree holder. M.S. in Library and Information Sciences. What a great feeling. The last two years flew by and I still can't totally get my head around the fact that I don't have to study, read, research, and post discussion comments every day and night. However, as I was straightening up the shelves at the library this morning, I realized that I have time to read whatever I want! I immediately grabbed two books to take home, and acquired another shortly after. Reviews to come!

Oh yes, and the photo is me with my favorite reading buddy on graduation morning. I think the dress and mortorboard really rocked, though I broke down and wore the polyester robe for the ceremony.

Power to the Pink

Cancer Vixen
by Marisa Acocella Marchetto

All right ladies, listen up, because this one’s for you. Normally I try to reserve my personal opinions until after I summarize the book, but this is different. This book performs the magical task of making you laugh, cry, think, and wonder, all at once. Not just about your body and the “what ifs” of breast cancer, but about your strengths as a woman. So read on, because I think Cancer Vixen is a book that should cross the hands of every woman.

Summary
Marisa Acocella Marchetto has such a cool life. She’s a cartoonist who lives in Manhattan, she’s engaged to an Italian restaurateur who feeds her delicious food every day, and she gets to do awesome research for her cartoons that often leads to free haircuts, meals, products, etc. And then one day, she finds a lump in her breast. It turns out to be cancerous, and Marchetto must dive headfirst into surgery, chemo, and radiation therapy. Luckily for us, she chronicles her experience the best way she knows how – in cartoons – and Cancer Vixen is her story. Her writing and illustrations are honest and fun, and she holds nothing back, a quality that makes for some hilarious and insightful statements and images.

Marchetto’s story is not unusually heroic or noteworthy, but her willingness to share her experience in so much detail is unique, and the knowledge and insights she presents will open the eyes any reader, male or female.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up ‘Till Dawn

I absolutely loved this book! The title immediately caught my attention, and the cover holds the image of a strong, fun, independent woman who I immediately wanted to get to know. Marchetto is honest and funny, and isn’t embarrassed to share the nitty gritty details that come with cancer treatment.

Perhaps one of the things that stuck with me most after reading Cancer Vixen was how much I learned about the ins and outs of cancer treatment. While cancer is a widely-discussed topic in current health news, this was the first time I had read such a personal story in such an accessible format. When I finished the last page, I was left with a dozen things to think about, and every time I’ve had the chance to talk about the book with people, I can’t stop raving. So go out and read it!

Recommended for any and all women, ages 14 and up. And the men in our lives could do with reading this, too, as it might give them a little insight into a highly important and personal topic we all need to be aware of!

Sit. Stay. Read.

Dog Loves Books

by Louise Yates

A book-loving dog. How can I not share this with you?

Summary

Dog is a book lover of the truest kind. He loves everything about books -- the smell, the feel, all of it! One day he decides to open a bookstore of his very own. But on opening day, no one is there. After two confused customers stop by, Dog begins to feel down. But then he realizes he is surrounded by books, and he begins to read. Dog forgets that he is alone and loses himself in the great stories between the covers! And when a real customer who wants a book comes in, he knows exactly what to recommend, since he's been doing so much reading.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Early Morning Hours

As with all picture books, it’s easy to get through this in one sitting, but it still deserves a rating that would imply late-night reading! Dog is so sweet! I loved the art in this book and Dog's expressions reminded me of those I've seen on many a real pup. The message of the book is a great one: when you read, you can be transported to any time and any place, no matter what's happening right around you!

Recommended for ages 5 and up.

You Say You Want a Revolution

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

By Marjane Satrapi

I waited a little longer than I originally intended to start posting my graphic novel reviews. This being my first experience reading them, I had to let it all sink in a little. The text readings assigned for my class have helped, too, and I feel that I can better review and explain things now that I’m more familiar with the genre and its techniques.

Summary

Persepolis is the memoir of author and artist Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian woman who spent the first 14 years of her life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Her parents oppose the restrictions placed on citizens, and though they follow the mandates forced upon them, such as women wearing head veils and men growing beards, they rebel in their own ways, and talk freely of their contempt for the situation. Persepolis follows several years of young Marjane’s life, and readers see the situation from her young eyes. Neighbors homes are bombed, family friends are arrested on minimal charges or turn up dead for no reason. As Marjane witnesses the war-torn country move forward, she develops her own thoughts and feelings for the situation, freely expressing her contempt for the restrictions imposed on the people of Iran. The story ends on a cliffhanger (spoiler alert!) when Marjane is 14 and her parents have decided that there are not enough opportunities for their smart and outspoken daughter in Iran, and they send her to Austria to continue her schooling.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up 'Til Dawn

Persepolis was the first graphic novel I have ever read, and it grabbed my attention from the start. Marjane’s illustrations are a fantastic accompaniment to her story, and she does a wonderful job presenting her thoughts, feelings, and emotions as she grows up in such repressive and frightening conditions. Persepolis is one of those books that not only leaves you feeling like you’ve learned a good story, but you’ve really learned some valuable information as well. Throughout the story, Marjane explains elements of the Islamic Revolution, explaining cultural situations and beliefs that I was not previously familiar with. I love that I gained some historical knowledge from this book.

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Would You Like Some Graphics with that Novel?

Late this spring I was observing a school visit at my library. As one of our librarians began a book talk for a room full of seventh graders, she started off asking them if they liked to read. There was a low rumble of "noooo" around the room. "Why not?" my coworker asked. One kid responded "because the books don't have pictures anymore."

...

I had to make a conscious effort to keep my jaw off the floor at that point. Within that same moment, however, I thought to myself "gee, I wish I knew more about graphic novels, those would be a good gateway book for kids like this." Luckily for me, the timing was such that I needed to sign up for one last class for my masters program (!), and I had been hearing good things about the graphic novels course offered by my favorite professor. I reserved a seat that very day.

And so, on Monday, I will begin the final class of my library sciences program. This will be an interesting experience for me, as I know next to nothing about the genre. In order to help really get myself thinking about the books, I am going to post about them here. I've already read three (I feel like Hermione, reading everything before class even starts!) and I'm excited to start sharing them with you. I hope this experience will allow me to make even more recommendations to kiddos in the library!

Summer Lovin'

Girlfriend Material
By Melissa Kantor

The cover of this book just screams “summer beach read.” I actually avoided this one for a bit because it looked a little too cute for my taste. (Yes, I’m working to get past that whole “judging a book by its cover” thing.) But after a man came into the library and asked for a copy for his daughter recently, I was intrigued enough to flip through the first few pages.

Summary
A summer on Cape Cod sounds great, right? Generally, yes, but unfortunately for Kate, she’s been dragged to the coast against her will as part of her mother’s need “for some me time” that arises from a dispute with Kate’s father. Though Kate’s summer had been going great in her hometown of Salt Lake City, she suddenly has to fly east with her mother to stay with their family friends, the Cooper-Melnicks, and their daughter, Sarah, whom Kate hasn’t seen for several years. Though Kate begins the journey with a happy fantasy about bonding with Sarah and spending the summer living it up east coast style, her dreams are quickly dashed when she realizes Sarah isn’t too keen on the idea of having a new BFF for the summer.

Luckily, Sarah’s friends aren’t as icy as she is, and Kate soon meets the handsome Adam, with whom she begins a lovely summer romance. Determining how to maintain the easy breezy affair, however, becomes a challenge, and Kate has to ask herself many questions about what she wants and needs in order to move forward and remain true to herself.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Good Night’s Sleep

Overall, a great, light read, especially for summer. I read this book shortly after the spring semester ended and it provided a great mental break. Kate was a good character, and I like that she was both smart and cool. She’s an aspiring writer, and makes some references to classic literature throughout the book, which I appreciated. I also found her incredibly relatable when she was debating what to do about Adam. Her internal dialogue was so similar to how thoughts and situations play themselves out in my head ... I’m guessing I’m not the only person who does this. That being said, there were a few times when I just wanted her to SHUT UP and do something! This girl can spend a lot of time considering the “what if’s?” of a situation, and after a few occurrences of “maybe when he said ‘see you later,’ he meant it like ‘whenever we run into each other.’ Or maybe he meant he’d find a way to see me later ... or maybe ...”* I had to resist shaking the book to make her stop debating and start doing. But in the end, I was happy with how things played out, and definitely enjoyed this for a good, light read!

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

*Not actual dialogue from the book.

Creating Happy Summer Readers!

I was preparing to write a little blurb about summer reading when I stumbled on this great post about nurturing a summer reader on Shelf Consumed, a blog by a lovely school librarian in the North Texas area. This post hits all the right notes, and I especially love the list of ways to “nurture your reader.” There's great advice in here, whether your summer reader is six, 16, or 60!

I’ll be back with a sweet summer reading story soon ... reluctant readers converted to eager readers! Love it!

Dance, Dance, Dance

Prom

by Laurie Halse Anderson

As I started typing this review, I realized I have yet to share with you an earlier title by author Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak, which is an amazing and powerful book. I’ll put that on the to-do list! For now, onto Prom ...

Summary

Ashley Hannigan is a high school senior in Philadelphia. She comes from a lower-middle class family (members of which drive her insane, though she really does love them all), is dating a guy who dropped out of high school the previous year, and she has no plans beyond high school except to find a job and live with her boyfriend. Oh, and she could care less about the senior prom, even though one of her best friends is on the planning committee. But when the faculty advisor for the prom is caught stealing the money for the event just over a week before the big night, Ashley gets pulled into the maelstrom of activity that is the cobbling together of details, donations, and bribes of arranging a new prom.

Though she’s a reluctant participant, Ashley can’t let her best girl down. And somewhere in the process, she begins to reevaluate some aspects of her life she didn’t think were all that important before. By the time prom night rolls around, Ashley has made some discoveries about herself and her life that no one saw coming.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Early Morning Hours

Seriously, go out and get a copy of this book. For anyone who has read Speak, well … this isn’t the same, though it deals with some tough teenage issues. I actually saw the cover and did a double-take because it looked too cutesy for the Anderson I know. However, as soon as I read Ashley’s dialogue, I knew I had found another gritty but admirable teen character. When we first meet her, Ashley has already resigned herself to a future of low-expectations. The examples that have been set for her defined her course, and she doesn’t see herself being any different. But when she gets pulled into helping her best friend save the prom (a task she is literally pulled out of bed for and bribed to do), she begins to realize that some of the stupid teenage ideals that she has shunned aren’t as meaningless as she once thought. And as she helps pull together a seemingly impossible event, Ashley learns that she may have more talent than she thought, and dares to see her future in a new light. She's a tough girl, and there were a few times I wanted to smack her across the back of the head because she couldn't see her own worth, but Ashley has a good heart and I was rooting for her from the start.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

And Here's to You, Mr. President

All-American Girl

by Meg Cabot

I feel like I’m a little late to the Meg Cabot party. I’ve read several of the Princess Diaries books (love ‘em!), but nothing else from this lovely author. When the spring semester ended a few weeks ago, I was desperately in need of some fun and light reading. I grabbed a copy of All-American Girl from the library for a trip to D.C. and it was just the book I needed to kick off my (slightly) slower-paced summer!

Summary

Samantha Madison, a high school sophomore at a private school in Washington, D.C., seems like your average, tortured-artist type teenager. She wears all black and shuns any type of conformity or popular teenage stereotypes. Samantha is also an artist, and one day after an art class (which she was forced to take because her parents thought she needed an outlet for her creative energy), she unwittingly throws herself into the national spotlight when saves the President from a would-be assassin standing on the street corner next to her.

Suddenly, everyone - from news reporters to the popular kids at school who never used to give her the time of day - wants to talk to her. While Samantha’s older sister, who happens to be a member of the popular crowd, loves the newfound celebrity, Samantha is more concerned with other issues: namely, how to convince her sister’s boyfriend, Luke, that he is with the wrong Madison girl. There’s also the issue of her confused and jumbled feelings about fellow art class student David, who just happens to be the President’s son.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Early Morning Hours

I’ll be honest - I was worried this book would be a little too cheesy when I first picked it up. I am so glad I was wrong! Samantha is hilarious, and the book is peppered with her very entertaining “top ten” lists that relate to her current dilemmas and irritations. Cabot made the book fun and attention-grabbing, and found a good balance with the plot of saving the President’s life from being too over-the-top corny. I think Samantha was a relatable character, and I loved reading about a teen living in D.C. - I don’t think I’ve encountered too many characters in that city.

Happily recommended for ages 12 and up!

Just A Few More Minutes! Pleeeeease?

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late

by Mo Willems

I fell in love with Mo Willem's work when I read Knuffle Bunny. The art is funky and fun, and the story is both hilarious and relatable. His other books are a bit more off-the-wall, but still enjoyable. I picked up a copy of Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late while at the library recently, and I just had to share it with you all.

Summary

As with some of Mo Willems' other pigeon books, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late speaks right to the reader. We (the readers), have been asked not to let the pigeon stay up late. The pigeon immediately begins to bargain and distract, denying any signs of sleepiness ("that wasn't a yawn! I was stretching!"), and asking about other activities, like having a hot dog party, or watching an educational show about birds on television instead. He eventually wears himself out and falls asleep on time.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Early Morning Hours - Well, technically it would be hard to stay up until the early morning hours with a picture book, but this one is worth a few extra minutes beyond bedtime! The pigeon's attempts to stay up are perfectly in tune with what a child might try to do, and his sleepy yawns were convincing enough that I began to yawn as well (although I admit to being completely affected by seeing ANYTHING yawn - if my dog yawns, it makes me yawn, no joke). Definitely a great laugh before bedtime!

Recommended for any age, particularly those who are reluctant to go to bed.

Eye of the Tiger (Mother)

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

by Amy Chua

I did this once, and I’m going to do it again. I want to tell you about a book that’s not for kids, but about them. As with Hungry Monkey, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a memoir from a parent.

Have you all heard of this book? It caused a bit of an uproar when it came out. For anyone interested in parenting styles and the ways people can and do raise their kids, I think this book is a must-read. Detailing her technique of Chinese parenting, Amy Chua made a lot of people mad when her book hit the shelves, mainly because she is sooooo strict with her kids. The bits and pieces of her parenting style I learned from early reviews were rough: constant music practice, no sleepovers, no grades lower than A’s. I was curious to read it, if only to find out how extreme Chua really was. I finally got around to putting it on my request list at the library, and when it arrived, I surprised myself by tearing through it in less than four days.

Summary

Amy Chua is the oldest daughter of Chinese immigrant parents. She was brought up “the Chinese way” which means that she and her sisters were held to the highest standards (and more) by her parents. Only perfection would do, and even then, they could probably do better. While it was a tough upbringing, Chua was grateful for it, and attributes much of her success (she’s a highly successful professor at Yale Law School, as well as the author of a few other books) to the values and strict standards she was raised with. So when she became a mother, Chua wanted to raise her girls in the same way. Her Jewish-American husband agreed to let her handle this aspect of their children’s upbringing, and so began her traditional Chinese parenting regime.

Battle Hymn revolves around Chua and her two daughters, Sophia and Lulu. From the beginning of their young lives, Chua lets her girls know she expects nothing less than 110 percent from them. They practice their instruments for two hours every day; they do not attend sleepovers; they do not participate in extracurricular activities; they do not earn any grade less than an A. The list goes on and on. Chua does not sugar-coat her story, and is completely honest about the difficulties she encountered, both with her children and other members of her family. She is opinionated and demanding, and has no problem playing the bad guy. What is surprising about her story are the realizations she slowly makes, and the questions she is forced to consider when her parenting standards begin to show no sign of affect on her youngest daughter.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Good Night’s Sleep - Yes, I did plow through this book in four days, but it wasn’t one that I had to force myself to part with in order to turn out the light. It was a relatively quick read, but a fascinating one at that. Chua is an interesting person. I was alternately shocked by her firm and uncensored opinions and curious about the ideas behind such an extreme parenting style.

As my only experience in this area is on the daughter side of the mother-daughter relationship, I cannot say how I view this as a parent. But it made me consider some of the ways in which American parents allow their children to behave and the standards they do (or don’t) hold them to. Whether you think Chua’s methods sound insane or somewhat reasonable, this book provides great thinking points for anyone who has or works around youngsters.

Recommended for anyone who has/teaches/works with kids!

Tweaks

Now that I’m on a slightly less hectic schedule for the summer, I’ve been trying to pay more attention to Up Past Bedtime. From here on out, you’ll be seeing a few different things. The main one is a ranking system for my reviews! I think I do a pretty good job of describing what I do and don’t like about the books I review, but I thought it would be even more helpful to give each review a concrete ranking. In addition to my thoughts and comments, I’ll be using the following rankings when I review a book:

Up ‘till dawn: This book was amazing and I happily forfeited sleep in order to keep reading.

Early morning hours: This book was great and I kept bargaining with myself for “just one more chapter!”.

Good night’s sleep: This book was good, but I put it down once the clock hit bedtime.

Turn in early: This book couldn’t even keep me going until my usual bedtime.

I also want to start adding in more non-review material. News about movies based on YA books, etc.

I hope these little changes provide some improvement to the blog! Keep an eye out!

Cooking with Harry!

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

by Dinah Bucholz

I just wanted to share a quick look at one of the awesome books I received for my birthday! One of my fabulous coworkers (and fellow book fanatic) presented me with the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook last week! I don’t really have experience with “unofficial” books - in all honesty, that word makes me think of unauthorized biographies by crazed or angry fans of various celebrity personalities. But this cookbook is not like that. Yes, the author is obviously a fan, but this is such a sweet form of fan-dom! One of the aspects of the Harry Potter books that I’ve always loved is the rich description and detail JK Rowling provides, and these recipes help bring that to life. I love any scene that takes place in the Weasley house, because I can just imagine how cozy and lived-in it must feel. And the scenes from Christmas Day in the first book - the feast, Harry and Ron toasting marshmallows and crumpets over the fire in the Griffindor common room - I can just imagine being there!

This cookbook includes recipes for dishes and snacks mentioned in all seven HP books, as well as some other British-type recipes. Each recipe is preceded by a little description of which book it made an appearance in, and most include some fun facts about the history of the foods! I’m particularly interested in making the chocolate birthday cake that Hagrid presented to Harry on his eleventh birthday, as well as the crumpets that Harry enjoyed while talking to the Minister of Magic after he blew up Aunt Marge and took the Knightbus out of Little Whinging into London.

I promise to share the results as soon as I start cooking!