No More Divisions

Efrén Divided was an excellent book that reminds all of us, especially those who are attempting to follow Christ, we are all one.  People matter.  When we put a name and face on those we might otherwise simply call "undocumented" or even, "illegal" it makes a difference.

Since I Fell for Buyea

I have been a loyal fan and a very happy reader (listener) when Robert Buyea comes out with a new book.  I was super glad to see a second book with the characters from The Perfect Score and I hope there is another yet to come because The Perfect Secret was another great one, with real kids in real situations.  And this one addressed very timely issues.  Now that Andrew Clements has gone to his reward, it is even more important to have writers like Buyea who can preach without preaching and develop middle school characters who speak with authenticity. 

A Winner

in every sense of the word.  The Only Road is the first book and now I MUST read the sequel, The Crossroads.    TOR by Alexandra Diaz was named a Pura Belpré Honor Award for narration in 2017.  And may I just say in my humble opinion, it deserved it.  Don't know if this was 1954 because I have not yet read the winner, Juana & Lucas. 
This book is timely and heartbreaking.  And boy did I learn a great deal.  Jaime and his cousin travel from their home in Guatemala across the border to Mexico and then into the United States. 
Please note that in the past I have linked countries to the CIA World Fact Book.  I love this country.  But right now it is run by an administration that has proven time and time again to be untrustworthy, that is why I am not linking to them this time. 

Time Was...

when I would feel bad if I didn't know when one of my favorite authors was coming out with a new book.  I felt like I was "slipping."  Well, I KNOW I am slipping!  So that doesn't bother me anymore.  Also, it was actually an awesome surprise to see Harbor Me sitting on the desk at my local library!  And then an even GREATER surprise to see that the audiobook available for download.  And then NO SURPRISE that Jacqueline Woodson has written another beautiful, incredible book.  This was timely and timeless.  Very typical of Woodson in her atypical ability to write like that.  That is what makes her such an incredible author. 

The BIG Read

In 2019, God willing, one of the libraries in which I work will be participating in The Big Read.  The book will be In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.  She wrote Before We Were Free, which was a remarkable book.  I discovered Tia Lola Stories on a library audio app and listed to both books included in this one download:  How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay and How Tia Lola Came Learned to Teach.  Realistic, funny (especially when Tia Lola is practicing her English by saying everything she knows at once) and touching.  Just great!  I wish that the other books in the series were available on audio!

Drawing Lines

I really loved the boy, Michael, in The Lines We Cross.  Talk about being brave.  His parents were just the worst.  The worst.  They just made my skin crawl.  Especially the mom because she was an "educator."  Yeah, the dumbest educator ever.  Great book, even though I don't usually like books not set in the US!  Also, it was interesting to see the similarities between idiocy in the US and idiocy and hatefulness in Australia. 

American Girl

Fabiola is an American who has lived in Haiti with her Haitian-born mom for most of her life.  The book chronicles her first year back in the US as she lives with her aunt and three cousins and hopefully awaits the release of her mother from an immigration detention center.  American Street is one of the best books I've read this year and I would hope that it would get some kind of Printz recognition.  It takes place in Detroit on American Street.  Excellent book. 

Really, Really Excellent

Alan Gratz was a speaker at PSLA a couple of years ago, and he was talking about his then new book, Prisoner B-3087.  I had not heard of the book or the author prior to that, for which I was embarrassed and so very thankful that I learned of him and read the book.  It was incredible.  After reading Refuge, I am even more glad because it was even more incredible, if that is possible. This is my pick for the Newbery so far, for sure.

So THAT'S how it happens (not really)

I have always wondered how people flee a country.  When I read Exit West and read of the doors through which those seeking to leave scramble, I admit I honestly thought for a second, "Oh, wow. How is that possible?  Huh."  Well, no, it doesn't happen that way.  That is the magical realism part of the book, but the rest seems very raw and real.  This was a love story, and a refugee story and a story of the evils of humanity story and a story of the beauty of humanity story.  And it shows how life does go on, in small and in "ordinary" ways, like falling in love and feelings and "normal" things, even in the midst of the very worst of times.
On goodreads, Diane S. said this about the book, "We need more books like this, or no, maybe that's wrong, what we need are more readers of books like this. The country it takes place is unnamed, but one part makes it sound as if it is in Asia somewhere. A country under siege by opposing parties, a country at war with itself, a dangerous place, how so many in this world live in constant danger, constant war.," and I couldn't agree more.

My Favorite Star

has to be sun, right?  I mean, without the sun, what would we do?  We wouldn't do anything, we'd all be dead.
That has nothing to do with The Sun is Also a Star.  I can't remember why this title fits.  I mean, I can't figure out the reason for the title.  The fact is mentioned in the book.  Natasha is fond of "provable facts" and really doesn't want to have faith or trust in anything that is not a "provable fact."  Whereas Daniel believes dreams are important, that passion is important, that feelings are important.
And girl meets boy and they fall in love.
But the book is more than just boy meets girl and they fall in love.  It is really beautiful.  It is really moving.  It is really well written.  This is my favorite for the Printz this year.  Will it win?  Probably not, but I would like it to win!

Save Me a Seat, Please!

Save Me a Seat was such a fresh book!  From the cover to the first page to the last.  I really, really enjoyed this book!
It is told from alternating POVs, Joe, an American born kid going to the same school he has always gone to, dealing with the same stuff he has always had to deal with, like his Auditory Processing Disorder and the bullying behavior of Dillon Samreen; Ravi, an Indian born kid who has just moved into Joe and Dillon's class and is having a hard time figuring out who he is in this new country.  Middle school is hard for everyone!
Both Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan do an incredible, evenly awesome job bringing their characters to life.  And also the bully character and the supporting characters.  Just so great and so real.  I need to read more Weeks books and Varadarajan needs to write some more!  Highly recommended!

Reading through the USA

I have been trying to find a book set in Delaware.  Harder than you think, if you aren't a big fan of Colonial and/or Revolutionary American history. When I found The Book of Unknown Americans, I got super lucky.  The book is about a group of immigrants in Delaware from various countries.  Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela and I can't remember where else.  I guess I never thought of Delaware being a place with a lot of immigrants.  1 in 10 people in Delaware are Latino or Asian immigrants.  In PA this number is 1 in 11.  1 in 7 in Virginia.  There are more very interesting and easy to understand facts from the American Immigration Council here.
This seems to be one of those adult books that are good for teens as well. YALSA has this Alex Award for books that are made for adults, but would be good for teens.  It didn't make the list.  But it should have.  I can't begin to give a summary of this book.  So please, just read the goodreads description and then, please, please do read this book.  It is outstanding.

St. Joseph's Day

I know I have written this before...my buddy and former roomie, Nancy Lou was Nancy Joseph before she married Dick Jenkins.  A big day for her was St. Joseph's Day.  That is March 19.  And March 19 is also the day when the swallows return to Mission San Juan Capistrano.   It was on March 19 of this year that I saw the book The Year the Swallows Came Early and decided to give it a listen. I didn't know if it had anything to do with swallows returning to Capistrano, but it turns out, it did.
This was a good book, man.  It really shows you that dualistic thinking doesn't work in the world.
The book begins with Groovy walking her dad to work and her dad getting arrested.
This isn't an action book, it is a thoughtful and thought-provoking one.  And it has a lovely, very subtle, totally non-preachy, pro-church and faith message.  I really liked it.  I just wish maybe it had a wee bit more action, but really, it was a very, very good book.

The Year of the Goat

This year is the Year of Goat.  But In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is set in the Year of the Boar, hence its name.  This was one of the books that I have feel like I should have read a long time ago because EVERYONE has read it.
The book begins in China where a young girl finds out that she and her mother are going to be joining her father in America.  The year is 1947 and the rest of the book is set in Brooklyn.  Jackie Robinson is America's hero.
A lot of the book is about the young girl's (she names herself Shirley Temple) adjustment to American culture, but there are timeless and applicable to a kid moving from China to the US or from Bethel Park to Upper St. Clair.

So Many Songs

about trouble.  Here, here, here, and I am sure that there are more.   Those are all great songs, but non really compare to the greatness of the book Trouble by the incredible Gary D. Schmidt.
Incredible.  I know I seem to say that about a lot of books lately, but that's because I have just discovered some really incredible authors. These books are totally out of my usual go-to-i-like-this-kind-of-book box.  That's what reading and reading and reading did to me.  Before I started writing this blog, I never would have picked up a book like Here Lies the Librarian, Tiltawhirl John, Graceling, The Orange Houses and so many more.
In Trouble we meet the Smith family from Massachusetts, the very definition of WASPs.  But not in a stereotypical way.  Schmidt is an incredible author and I don't think he is capable of resorting to stereotyping in his writing.  I was sure that the family would be cold and heartless, but no, they really weren't.  They were real people.

I don't want to recap what happens, just read the goodreads summary, but right after that, read the book. Incredible.

"Build a bridge out of her!"

Patrick Jones is one of my "heroes in the field."  He is an amazingly talented man, with a heart for teens and libraries. Bridge.  I wrote about him here, when I read The Tear Collector, which was a terrific book.  I was blown away when he posted on my blog, because well, he is Patrick Jones!  And he's brilliant and he also seems super kind!  And he is just so cool!
When I saw Bridge on netgalley, I just had to request it.  Turns out that Bridge is part of a series called The Alternative.  I can't wait to read the other.  I am going to purchase all of these for the Library!  Hooray!

Sister from another mother

Sisters/Hermanas was an audiobook that I bought and read from audible.  I knew it would be worth it because, of course, it is Gary Paulsen and everything he has written is worth it.  This is a thought-provoking, sad and memorable little book.  The audio is done first in English and then in Spanish.
It is story of two girls, one a prostitute, from Mexico, in the US illegally.  Another a rich caucasian girl living the "ideal" life.  Their differences are huge and their similarities are there when you look.  One of those books you need to read.

What a Story

The Crossing is a must-read.  I didn't know much about Juarez, Mexico.  I still don't, but The Crossing is one of those books that will cause me to do tons of research on it.  This book takes place fairly recently after the Vietnam War and is centered around a young boy named Manny who lives in the streets of Juarez and an American Army General who is still reliving he horror of his time spent in country.  The conditions on the streets of Juarez at that time were horrible.  In an author interview at the end of the audiobook, Paulsen tells that he spent time in Juarez and his time there inspired this book.  He says in the interview that at the time of his taping of the interview, the condition of life for the children of Juarez were reported as being still horrible.  I googled it today and found much the same, though, promises of much hope.  What an incredible story of the impact of greed, war, of children and hope and hopelessness.  An incredible, incredible story.

Steps Away

Great book even though it won the Printz! I need to look at who it was up against but man, it was quite good. A Step from Heaven is written by An Na who wrote Wait for Me, which I really enjoyed a big bunch.  I guess the fact that it was a medal winner kept me from reading this one.  But man, it was really good.  It's the story of a young girl who comes with her family from Korea to the US.  Her father is a rotten SOB and very abusive and man...this is just such a powerful, powerful book.  Highly recommended. 

Man...

Even though I felt that last year's Newbery was a good choice, now that I have read Inside Out and Back Again, I feel like maybe it should have won.  But Dead End in Norvelt was awesome...so I don't know.  It is close.  It is def not like 1954.  For sure.  But wow, Inside Out and Back Again was incredible and heartbreaking and eye-opening, well, eye-opening to a dummy like me who didn't know much about Vietnamese refugees, after the Fall of Saigon.  What a beautiful story about ignorance and understanding and human folly and the human heart.  I loved this book.