bookshelves of doom blog review

I chose to review this blog of the Canadian Library Association's list of the best young adult novels of 2007 because I thought it would be interesting to keep track of what Canadian teens are reading - and the name is cool. The blog includes a forum for teens to discuss the books.

The list includes:

Alison Acheson - Mud Girl (Coteau)
William Bell - The Blue Helmet (Doubleday)
Hadley Dyer - Johnny Kellock Died Today (HarperCollins)
Beth Goobie - Hello, Groin (Orca)
Maureen Hull - The View from a Kite (Vagrant Press)
Carrie Mac - Droughtlanders (Penguin)
Richard Scarsbrook - Featherless Bipeds (Thistledown)
Arthur Slade - Megiddo’s Shadow (HarperCollins)
Kathy Stinson - 101 Ways to Dance (Second Story Press)
Teresa Toten - Me and the Blondes (Penguin)

Here is a plot description of Featherless Bipeds and information about the author Richard Scarsbrook:

"Dak Sifter is playing drums in a great rock and roll band, impressing the girls, and generally having a blast. But then again, this is Dak Sifter; readers who know him understand that his life doesn’t run that smoothly. The second novel in the Dak Sifter Series, Featherless Bipeds finds Dak firmly centred in the minefield of youth with the temptations, seductions, and subterfuge that rock and roll, young love, and university life are sure to provide. While Featherless Bipeds is a novel about rock and roll musicians, love, poignant social politics, and the emerging value systems in youth culture, it’s also about Dak Sifter. Dak’s adventures still don’t make him the person he wants to be, and being a rock star will not change his relentless pursuit of Zoe Perry’s love.

Richard Scarsbrook is a Toronto writer, teacher, and drummer. His fiction and poetry have been published in literary magazines, anthologies, and journals. He has won the 2002 Lawrence House Centre for the Arts Short Story Competition, the 2001 New Orphic Short Story Competition, the 2001 Scarborough Arts Council Poetry Competition, the 1998 Hinterland Award for Prose, and the 1997 Cranberry Tree Press Poetry Chapbook Competition."

I am not familiar with any of the books or the authors. It would be interesting to know if anyone else knows about these books.

The link is:

http://bookshelvesofdoom.blogs.com/bookshelves_of_doom/2007/03/canadian_librar.html

Boneville.com Blog Review

Boneville.com is a blog for graphic novels and comics by Bone author Jeff Smith. He does of course hawk his merchandise, but he also provides information about graphic novels as literature. He includes a link to a guide for teachers and school librarians on using graphic novels in the classroom.

Many school and public librarians still consider graphic novels mere fluff and not worthy of being included in a serious library collection. Using the popularity of the Bone series of graphic novels and blogging Smith presents graphic novels as a legitimate form of literature; and anyone who has read even one of the Bone books will agree with him.

Besides the blog Smith includes a view of his studio, a discussion board, a forum for contacting the author and most impressive; the story of how, back in 1991, Jeff Smith started his own publishing house because no existing publishers would touch the story about the three Casper-like cousins and their adventures, especially in its comic book format. He succeeded because of the burgeoning power of the internet. "Grass roots support for Bone started on the Internet. It was one of the first comics to benefit from the new network of comics web chat rooms that were springing up all over the globe. For the first time in history, word-of-mouth could spread around the world at the speed of light." One of Bone's taglines even slipped into everyday computer speak; "Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures", a phrase used repeatedly to describe the vicious, not-so-smart giant rats that populate Bone's world, was adopted as on-line jargon to refer to inept end-users.

Boneville.com is a great introduction to the world of graphic novels and probably more than you will ever want to know about Jeff Smith.

The link for the blog is:

http://www.boneville.com/

THE MISFITS by James Howe

Four friends, Bobby, Addie, Skeezie, and Joe are outcasts at their middle school. Bobby is overweight and poor, Addie is very tall, smart, and out-spoken, Skeezie is hygiene-challenged, and Joe is gay. They call themselves the "Gang of Five" even though there are only four of them because, they reason, there is probably another misfit kid out there who will need to join their gang and they don't want to have to change the name. Together, they decide to run for student council on the "No-name" ticket promising to outlaw name-calling at the school.

The Misfits is the story of how four friends choose to deal with all the problems being a misfit incurs. James Howe, author of the Bunnicula series for children, makes a smooth transition to young adult literature with this true-to-life tale of life at the bottom of the middle school food chain. Anyone who was or is a misfit will applaud The Gang of Five's efforts to ban name-calling. Teens and tweens ten to fourteen will laugh and cry over the Gang's list of names that need to be permanently retired. Included are: "Fat Boy, Blubber, Lardass, Faggot, Mutant, Homo, Tinkerbell, Greaser, Ree-tard, Scuz, Beanpole, Einstein, Nerdetaa" and the one on everybody's list, "Loser." (139)

Review excerpt from Publishers Weekly: "In this hilarious and poignant novel, Howe (Bunnicula; The Watcher) focuses on the quietest of the bunch, overweight Bobby Goodspeed (the tie salesman), showing how he evolves from nerd to hero when he starts speaking his mind. Addie (the outspoken girl) decides that the four of them should run against more popular peers in the upcoming student council election. But her lofty ideals and rabble-rousing speeches make the wrong kind of waves, offending fellow classmates, teachers and the principal. It is not until softer-spoken Bobby says what's in his heart about nicknames and taunts that people begin to listen and take notice, granting their respect for the boy they used to call "Lardo" and "Fluff." The four "misfits" are slightly larger than life wiser than their years, worldlier than the smalltown setting would suggest, and remarkably well-adjusted but there remains much authenticity in the story's message about preadolescent stereotyping and the devastating effects of degrading labels. An upbeat, reassuring novel that encourages preteens and teens to celebrate their individuality."
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Howe, James. The Misfits. New York: Atheneum,2001.

TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Bella Swan's mother has remarried and needs some alone-time with her new husband. Consequently, Bella has boarded a plane in sunny Phoenix, Arizona and flown to dreary, drizzly, over-cast, Forks, Washington to live with her father Charlie Swan, the sheriff of Forks. Expecting nothing but boredom, Bella's life becomes a whirlwind of adventure, danger, and sexual tension when she falls head-over-heels in love with brilliant, unearthly handsome, Edward Cullen. Although he tries to push her away, Edward and Bella are helplessly drawn to each other. What are a boy and girl to do when all they want is to be together, but true togetherness can come only with Bella's death?

First time author Stephenie Meyer creates a modern day Romeo and Juliet with Twilight; except in this case the Montague's are vampires. Sometimes rambling and in need of editing Twilight is nevertheless an innovative combination of romance, horror, and fantasy told from a teenager's point of view. Teen romance fans in grades nine through twelve will cheer for Bella and Edward as they struggle to stay together despite their seemingly insurmountable differences.

Review excerpt from Booklist: "Bella's life changes when she moves to perpetually rain-soaked Forks, Washington. She is instantly drawn to a fellow student, Edward Cullen, beautiful beyond belief and angrily aloof. Bella senses there is more behind Edward's hostility, and in a plot that slowly and frighteningly unfolds, she learns that Edward and his family are vampires--though they do not hunt humans. Yet Edward cannot promise that his powerful attraction to Bella won't put in her in danger, or worse. Recklessly in love, Bella wants only to be with Edward, but when a vicious, blood-lusting predator complicates her world, Bella's peril is brutally revealed. "
Ilene Cooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005.

BONE: OUT FROM BONEVILLE by Jeff Smith

Fone Bone and his two cousins, Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone, have been run out of Boneville. Phony, always plotting some less than honest money-making scheme, has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Fone Bone, Bone to his friends, has again used his quick wits to save Phoney from an angry mob; Smiley is just along for the ride. Unfortunately, they have run so fast and so far, they are now lost and find themselves in a strange land populated by dragons, suspicious townsfolk, a beautiful mysterious girl, and giant killer rats who have an unexplained interest in Phoney Bone. Is Bone, though he is small, bald, and bears an uncanny resemblance to Casper the Friendly Ghost, the hero he seems to be? Can he save the townsfolk from a war with the rats; a war they are almost sure to lose? Can he and his cousins find their way safely back to Boneville?

Jeff Smith's graphic novel epic is told in a total of nine books. Bone: Out From Boneville, the first in the series, introduces us to Bone, our hero, his cousins Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone, the beautiful and mysterious Thorn, who Bone loves even though she is a human and he is, well, a Bone, and all the strange, magical creatures who inhabit Bone's world. Smith's black and white drawings and true-to-life dialog will make you laugh, cry, and whisper for your mommy. Kids 10 to 100 will love Bone. I could not stop until I had finished the entire series. I hope Jeff Smith writes more about the adventures of Bone.

Review excerpt from School Library Journal: "A whimsical journey, cunningly told. It combines fable with American legend in a tale of greed, friendship, and struggle. The story follows three cousins who have been thrown out of their town for cheating the citizens. Shortly thereafter, they are separated. Each Bone stumbles into a mysterious valley full of odd creatures that reveal strange happenings. The story is well paced with smooth transitions. It is dark, witty, mysterious, and exciting. The full-color art reflects that of classic comic books; one glance at the comic cells and one is reminded of old Disney and "Peanuts" cartoons. However, the animation and fresh story line put Smith in a league of his own."
Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smith, Jeff. Bone: Out From Boneville. Columbus: Cartoon Books, 2003.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by J.K. Rowling

Harry is about to turn 17. If the wizarding world were not at war Harry would be entering his seventh and final year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But, there is a war going on between Lord Voldemort and his followers and those who oppose him. Dumbledore is dead, Snape has come out openly on Voldemort's side; and when he turns 17 Harry will lose the protection his mother's love has afforded him when he still called number four, Privet Drive, home. However, Harry can still count on The Order of the Phoenix, the members of Dumbledore's Army, and Ron and Hermione who have vowed to follow Harry wherever his quest to defeat Voldemort takes him; even if that quest leads only to death. Will it be enough to help Harry end Voldemort's reign of terror once and for all?

J.K. Rowling's seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series is 759 pages long. Do not let that dissuade you from once again plunging into Harry' world. Witches, wizards, dragons, elves, goblins, giants, good guys, and bad guys are all here again in the tale of the boy wizard who holds the fate of the world, both muggle and wizard, in his wand. The pastels on print-making paper illustrations by Mary Grandpre introduce each chapter and give the mind's eye a preview of what is to come. Rowling does not hand the reader a neatly tied package, but gives us the opportunity to see that witches, wizards, elves, and giants are, after all, only human and deserving of a chance at redemption. Anyone, aged 10 to adult, who has followed Harry's adventures from the beginning will want to be there at the end.

Review excerpt from Publishers Weekly: "Potter fans, relax—this review packs no spoilers. Instead, we're taking advantage of our public platform to praise Rowling for the excellence of her plotting. We can't think of anyone else who has sustained such an intricate, endlessly inventive plot over seven thick volumes and so constantly surprised us with twists, well-laid traps and Purloined Letter-style tricks. Hallows continues the tradition, both with sly feats of legerdemain and with several altogether new, unexpected elements."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rowling, J.k. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, 2007.

THE CASE OF THE TEENAGE TERMINATOR by Angela Elwell Hunt

Nicki Holland’s older brother Tommy is not himself. Normally happy-go-lucky and kind, he has become secretive and angry. When the anger turns to violence, Nicki and her friends Laura, Kim, Christine, and Meredith decide it is time to put their sleuthing skills to work and find out what is wrong.

The Case of the Teenage Terminator is the third in author Angela Elwell Hunt’s Nicki Holland Mysteries series. Although written with a Christian slant the author avoids proselytizing; and the five girls who make up the mystery solving team possess enough differences, problems, and virtues to give readers ages eight through twelve characters they will both identify with and enjoy.

Interestingly, I could not find any reviews for this or any of the other eight Nicki Holland mysteries. I am inspired to pay attention to how many religion oriented books are reviewed by School Library Journal, Booklist, Horn Book, etc.

Hunt, Angela Elwell. The Case of the Teenage Terminator. San Bernardino: Here’s Life, 1991.

GOTHIC! edited by Deborah Noyes

The ten dark tales that make up the short story collection Gothic! are sure to send chills down your spine. Fantasy, humor, and pure horror are some of the genres included in this collection. In Have No Fear Crumpot Is Here! by Barry Yourgrau a whiny toddler vampire terrorizes a small rural town. A teenage girl reluctantly impersonate a corpse on a hunted hayride with disastrous results in Morgan Roehmar’s Boys by Vivian Van Velde, and Melanie spends the weekend with her Aunt Beryl who is keeping a terrible secret in The Prank by Gregory Maguire

Joan Aiken, Garth Nix, Neil Gaiman and other popular authors contribute to this ghastly, gory, giggly collection of short stories. They provide the perfect opportunity for teens grade nine and up to scare themselves silly.

Book review excerpt from School Library Journal: “These varied tales take place in the distant past and in the high-tech present. Some are humorous while others have surprising twists or are reminiscent of classic fairy tales full of malevolent characters, but all share a love of the surreal or supernatural. Noyes's insightful introduction defines what a gothic tale is and includes information about the authors and the origins of their stories. A sophisticated, thought-provoking, and gripping read.”
Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Aiken, Joan, Vivian Van Velde, M.T. Anderson, Neil Gaiman, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Barry Yourgrau, Janni Lee Simner, Gregory Maguire, Celia Rees, and Garth Nix. Gothic!. edited by Deborah Noyes. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2004.

POEMS FROM HOMEROOM by Kathi Appelt

Poems From Homeroom is a collection of 26 poems about the trials and triumphs of being a teenager. Included are Lost in the Blues; an observation on the classroom air guitarist who cannot bring his real guitar to school, The Fat Girl; who is in danger of forgetting her own name because everyone addresses her as “fat girl,” and my favorite, The Twirling Queen of Dogwood, Texas; who begins twirling her knife and fork when she is a tiny little girl and ends as the star of both her hometown and a Hollywood movie. The poems are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes frightening, but each one contains all of the fear, hope, and yearning that goes with being a teen.

Teens in grade six through twelve will identify in some way with each of Kathi Appelt’s heart-felt poems. Written in many different forms including free verse, haiku, and acrostics the book contains a second section where the author explains how the idea for each poem was formed and continues with suggestions on how to write poetry of your own.

Book review excerpt from Booklist: “The poems frequently shine with humor and tender, memorable images: "the cream colored cat, wild in her loneliness," that's left behind when a boy leaves his childhood home. But it will be Appelt's prose encouragements to young writers that will draw readers most. A warm, instructive resource for teens and teachers alike.”
Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Appelt, Kathi. Poems From Homeroom: A Writer’s Place to Start. New York: Henry Holt, 2002,

ZEN SHORTS by Jon J. Muth

Stillwater the giant panda meets Addy, Michael, and Karl when his big, red umbrella blows from his backyard into their backyard. He retrieves it and begins a friendship with each of them. The children take turns visiting Stillwater and he shares a story, based on Zen Buddhist literature, with each child. The three stories, Uncle Ry and the Moon, A Heavy Load, and The Farmer's Luck have been retold in many ways over hundreds and; in the case of The Farmer's Luck; thousands of years.

Jon J. Muth's books for children have won awards for both illustration and writing. With Caldecott Honor Book Zen Shorts Mr. Muth retells three stories; two folk tales from Zen Buddhist literature, and one from Taoist oral tradition. The large watercolor illustrations that accompany each story compliment and enhance the peaceful, loving attitude of gentle Stillwater the panda. Children in kindergarten through grade four will enjoy this unique and entertaining introduction to Asian folk tales.

Review excerpt from Booklist: "Muth's latest is both an accessible, strikingly illustrated story and a thought-provoking meditation. Here he incorporates short Buddhist tales, "Zen Shorts," into a story about three contemporary children. One rainy afternoon, a giant panda appears in the backyard of three siblings. Stillwater, the Panda, introduces himself, and during the next few days, the children separately visit him. Stillwater shares an afternoon of relaxing fun with each child; he also shares Zen stories, which give the children new views about the world and about each other. Very young listeners may not grasp the philosophical underpinnings of Stillwater's tales, but even kids who miss the deeper message will enjoy the spare, gentle story of siblings connecting with one another. Lush, spacious watercolors of charming Stillwater and the open neighborhood will entrance children, as will the dramatic black-and-white pictures of the comical animal characters that illustrated Stillwater's Zen stories."
Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Muth, John J. Zen Shorts. New York: Scholastic, 2005.

OUT OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse

Out of the Dust chronicles two years in the life of Billie Jo. Born in 1920 in the panhandle of Oklahoma, her Daddy wants a boy but gets red-haired, freckle-faced Billie Jo instead. Her Ma has one indulgence, playing the piano, a passion she passes on to Billie Jo.

By the time Billie Jo is fourteen the depression and the dust have done its best to beat the family down, but despite life's hardships they still have hope. The dust from the drought has made the milk chewy, but at least they have milk. Billie Jo is getting paid to play the piano; something she would do for free, but the money is welcome. And, after years of trying and almost giving up, Ma is expecting another baby. Maybe this time Daddy will get the boy he has always wanted.

Tragedy strikes when a fire takes the baby and Ma from Daddy, and burns Billie Jo’s hands so badly she cannot play the piano. Now both Billie Jo and her Daddy have to decide whether it is best to run from trouble or stay and see things through.

Children 5th grade and up will identify with headstrong Billie Jo who wants her parents’ approval and love, but also wants the freedom to be herself. Older children will appreciate the symbolism within Hesse's free-verse poetry. The sod symbolizes the people who steadfastly care for their children and the land while never losing hope. The dust symbolizes the people who have lost hope; swirling with no anchor and increasing the hardship of those they have left behind.

The setting is 1930s Oklahoma, but the struggle to maintain hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds is timeless. Billie Jo’s dilemma is the universal struggle of whether to stay and help the people who depend on you or to think only of yourself and run away.

Billie Jo sums up the spirit of Out of the Dust with these words:

The way I see it, hard times aren’t only
about money,
or drought,
or dust,
Hard times are about losing spirit,
and hope,
and what happens when dreams dry up.

Review excerpt from Publishers Weekly: "This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions."
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

AN AMERICAN PLAGUE by Jim Murphy

In the summer of 1793 a heat wave hit the city of Philadelphia. Bounded on two sides by the Delaware and Schuykill rivers the city, with its exposed sewers, usually smelled quite unpleasant during the summer months. However, the excessive heat and the unusual number of dead animals left to rot in the streets and alleyways, combined to make the stench almost unbearable. Before long the human inhabitants also began to die at an alarming rate. Before cooler weather brought relief from the awful smell and sickness, approximately 5,000 of Philadelphia's 51,000 inhabitants were dead.

Included in this Newbery Honor Book are the thoughts of some of Philadelphia's leading citizens such as George Washington, then President of the United States, who credited the timing of the plague with saving America from becoming involved in the French Revolution. Washington felt America could not afford to become embroiled in the problems of the French, but public sentiment ran highly in favor of aiding them because they had helped America gain freedom from the British. When the spread of yellow fever shut down government operations due to death and the flight of most of congress to other cities, Washington had the excuse he needed to remain neutral with the French.

Even though the plague killed almost 10 percent of the population, physicians and politicians of the day never could agree on what actually caused the illness in the first place; never making the connection between the red bumps that "resembled moscheto bites" according to Dr. Benjamin Rush, prominent physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the mosquitoes that swarmed the city that summer. Fortunately, improved sanitation was one of the results of the devastation of the 1793 plague mostly because "doctors agreed that foul smells were not healthy and might promote disease."

Review excerpt from Booklist: "Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures. With archival prints, photos, contemporary newspaper facsimiles that include lists of the dead, and full, chatty source notes, he tells of those who fled and those who stayed--among them, the heroic group of free blacks who nursed the ill and were later vilified for their work. Some readers may skip the daily details of life in eighteenth-century Philadelphia; in fact, the most interesting chapters discuss what is now known of the tiny fever-carrying mosquito and the problems created by over-zealous use of pesticides. The current struggle to contain the SARS epidemic brings the "unshakeable unease" chillingly close."
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion, 2003.