Young Adult

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

I really really liked the characters in Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. I did not want the book to end the way it did.

I wanted them to live in Mrs Cobbs house.
I wanted them to head off to the territories.
I wanted them to start a great baseball team, the way baseball ought to be played.
I wanted them to hang out with some more whales, but not THAT way.

I wanted a lot of things to happen in this book – but most of those didn’t happen. Still… great book. Probably greater because those things didn’t happen.

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A Wreath for Emmett Till

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

When I created the Printz Challenge, I paid absolutely ZERO attention to which books I’d be reading. When I add them to my library reserve list, I don’t look at the listing in the card catalog at all. So when they arrive, I’m often a wee bit surprised by what I’m holding in my hand.

A Wreath for Emmett Till was one of those surprising “what the heck is this” moments. It’s a tiny little book, it looks more like a kids book than a YA. But then you open it and you realize – ah it’s a poetry. Sonnets. Written in Petrarchan Rhyme. With a lot of big words YA kids will not know. Tough read. Interesting though. Also led to TW giving me MORE instructions for her funeral.

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I Am the Messenger

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

I didn’t have very high hopes for I Am the Messenger but it turned out to be one of the more interesting YA books I’ve read in a good long while.

Interesting because it was different. No vampires. Not really one of those typical high school “problem” books, though there were plenty of “problems” to go around.

Really interesting storyline. Over on Amazon, a review or a description or something says “unpretentious” – good description. I like that in a YA book. So many of them are very pretentious…

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Black Juice

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, short stories, Young Adult /

On Tuesday, Prince J said several times — “No more short stories, YAY!” or ” Thank goodness we are finished with short stories!” The boy is not a fan of short stories and I can understand that. Some short stories for kids and teens really really stink. But, some are fantastic.

That sums up how I felt about Black Juice. I loved some of the stories, others I wanted to just sleep through.

The elephants – loved.
Wooden bride – loved.
Yowlinins – loved.
The tar pits – fascinated but not sure I loved it. I’d like to read the book, she should write the short story into a book.

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Surrender

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Don't Read This, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

Aye yi yi Surrender is another one of those books that has been given an award because adults think it’s great writing for kids. I can’t imagine the average teenager enjoying this book or being drawn to reading this book or doing anything except griping about being forced to read this book.

Surely there are better ways to present schizophrenia to teenagers.

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Looking for Alaska

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

It finally happened. I have finally joined the John Green fan club. Not the real one (if there is such a thing) the metaphorically speaking one. I’ll never gush about him or even blog about him as often as sassymonkey does but every time she does it, I’ll be nodding my head. That’s the kind of John Green fan club I’ve joined. I’m going to nod my head a lot. And anytime someone wants a YA recommendation I will say “anything John Green has written”. The man is a YA genius.

Looking for Alaska was the book that put me over the edge and pushed me into joining the John Green fan club. Until then, I could admit that I liked some of his books and LOVED others (Abundance of Catherines anyone?) but I just wasn’t ready to declare him genius.

I’m ready now.

The man is a genius.

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The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Pox Party

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

Darn “Now Reading” plug in is not finding books automatically so I have to enter each one and it’s driving me nuts. Boo, I hate it when a plug in stops working.

Back to Octavian Nothing: Pox Party – MT Anderson is excellent, as usual. A little wordy for a YA novel but I think it’s important to BE wordy when you’re talking about these types of experiments. I was a wee bit depressed to have predicted the direction the experiment would take when the “College” landed in financial trouble. Blah.

Considering just how many books I’ve read about slavery… it’s refreshing to see something just a little new and a little different. Now to find time to read the next one.

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The Earth, My Butt, and other Big Round Things

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

I finished The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, as part of my personal Prinz Award Challenge and of course, it’s been banned. Happy Banned Books Week.
Based on what I know about challenged and banned books, it makes sense.

This is a very difficult book to read – I’ve eaten non-stop while reading it. Every time Virginia eats a piece of lettuce or hurts herself, I feel the urge to eat. Weird.

Good book, but very difficult.

Loved the Ani references. The only thing I didn’t like was Virginia’s list at the end. It didn’t seem quite Virginia-like.

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