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.