Parting is such sweet sorrow...but you gotta do it. Return ALL library books!

People laugh, but I like Mr. Bookman!

Yeowza, the library has 451 books still checked out and only about 5 good days in which to collect.  If the average book costs $20.00, that's $9020.00 in books (or let's say, taxpayer money,) that the school and YOU lose if they are not returned.  Not to mention the overdue notices that have gone out, the bills about to go out (paper, stamps, labor, $$$).

Save the trees; turn in library books TODAY.

*The Ruining*

Well, The Ruining started out promising.  After reading the flap, I was intrigued (sounds like the author is living the life, "Now she lives, writes and au pairs in Paris,"  big sigh.).  Annie Phillips is thrilled to escape impoverished  trailer park life she shares with her drunken mother and equally drunken, slovenly stepfather (who sexually abused her?  It's a little foggy.).  She jumps at the chance to nanny for the picture-perfect Cohens in sunny, glamorous and richie rich Belvedere Island off San Francisco.  With promises of a paid education, time off and the chance at normalcy (if you're super rich), who could say no?

Once you learn that Libby Cohen, the mom, knows that Annie suffered the trauma of losing a little sister to a drowning, while the sister was under her care, you get a little suspicious.  Quickly, the picture perfect life starts to unravel.  Libby plays mind games such as referring to Annie as "Nanny", as if that's her name.  Libby thwarts all of Annie's attempts at finding friends.  Libby has the door to Annie's bedroom removed...getting the drift?

Poor Annie doesn't.

I'm not in the habit of ruining endings, so I won't.  But I think this is summer read worthy;  though not un-put-downable such as the titles Divergent, Matched or Ashes.

If you're into the nanny, au pair thing you may want to check out  The Nanny Diaries or The Au Pairs (forgive the cover, but it's indicative of what's inside -there's a reason for the saying...).

Son and the lost art of THE END

Lowry brings her Giver quartet to its conclusion in Son, the story of Claire, Gabe's mother.  (If you remember, Gabe is the baby with whom Jonas b escapes in The Giver.)  Personally, I found the beginning to be the most interesting part.  I just like it when everyone is on "the compound" as I call it (but since there is never rain, it isn't a natural place and I'm not sure what word I should be using).  Very Handmaid's Tale.  I'm not going to give you a synopsis here, just being the conclusion to The Giver really should be enough to recommend it (and I do!), but I found this New York Times book review podcast interview with Lois Lowry to be particularly enlightening. (she is the first interview on the podcast so, mercifully, you don't have to ff)

Apparently, Lowry's adult son died when training for the military in a routine exercise, due to a mechanic's error.  Not in the line of duty.  The case was brought to trial in Germany and Lowry was called to testify but refused. On the first day of trial, the accused shot himself in the head.  As evidenced by this man's suicide, the accident had more than the direct victims.  The ramifications of this error are manifold, and tragic.   Lowry saw no good coming out of her testifying.

"I cannot kill someone, he thought."

In the above podcast, the interviewer makes a parallel between Lowry's personal passivity (as in, non-violence, not as in "no-action") and her characters'.  Indeed, with its Faustian quid pro quo element, Lowry drives home the message that without something to feed on, evil dies.  Love is more powerful than hate.  Mercy, more powerful than revenge.

 I suppose that to some extent, Lowry's personal views are reflected through her novels, and aren't most authors?  I know that for me, listening to the interview added yet another layer to this quartet that has forever colored the way I view young adult literature.

And the ending?  THE END says it all.  Is it just me, or has the finality of an ending become pass?

YAB Fest, YAB Fest, YAB Fest - say it quickly 3 times

The Book Spot, Round Rock HS and other district librarians have organized what will be an *awesome* young adult book festival this Sat., May 11th.  

(it's free)

I met two of the attending authors at our TLA conference a couple of weeks back, Jessica Lee Anderson (are you reading this?  Thanks for the great conversation - I'm hopeful!) and PJ Hoover (I hear her new book Solstice is "like crack" - that's according to Mrs. Hance over at Grisham).

(it's free)

Who will be there?  Only fabulous authors such as the above mentioned, Greg Leitich Smith, Rachel Harris, DAVID LEVITHAN (Mrs. Bligh's bff after one dinner)  (if he remembers her) and many more.  Read the poster.

(it's free)

Stop by, chat with an author, get a book (like say, Calli or Solstice) signed and do something different.  Have fun!  Opportunities like this don't happen every day.  Who knew we had so much local literary talent?

May 11
9:00 am-5:00 pm
1100 Building of RRHS off Deepwood Dr.

It's FREE people.

I heart testing! Or, How I Learned to Love Testing Because I Recommend Books to Students Who are Forced to Read

Here are two books I not-so-subtly passed on to students to read after STAAR:
 "Wonder" - is it possible that I haven't blogged about this book yet? The book that got me back into ya lit? (I admit, I've been reading more non-fiction than anything else lately.) Please watch the above trailer. If you have a heart, you'll love Auggie. Love his sister. Understand his friends. Your heart will break (but it will be repaired). You may cry a little. You'll cheer. You'll even find some sympathy for a bully.

Lovelovelove the book.

Be on the lookout: RR librarians and others are planning on making this our first community-wide read beginning in the fall.  I expect some great things to come out of this!

 So yes, I threw Wonder at someone. My next victim, I mean student, got into Fallen Angels (and oldie but goodie). So, given my druthers, here are a few books I have lying around for those students testing in the library with "nothing" to read:

Orange is the new black: One year in a women's prison  - true story (self explanatory, no?)


Fitz
A father.  A son.  A gun.


For ambitious readers (those who brought a book and have finished it already - and those who seem super cool and can handle it):
The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao 
I read this one twice, back-to-back.  Love it.  Love Oscar.  Love Junot Diaz.  Diaz was my John Green, before I knew John Green.


My lobotomy
Dr. Walter Freeman performs a lobotomy on twelve-year-old Howard.  You don't know what a lobotomy is?  It's when part of your brain is removed.

I'm not kidding.



Ack.  I think I'm on the verge of a dark theme again....maybe it's the testing getting to me.  I promise that my next post will feature sweet books with hearts and rainbows.  Except for my review of Son (sequel to The Giver).  I am this close to finishing it.   I love the book, but surprise!, it isn't a lighthearted one.