Bildungsroman

Poetry Friday: From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:35:41 GMT

No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.

- quote from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Read my review of/article about The Great Gatsby.

View all posts related to F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby at Bildungsroman. (Yes, I call him Fitzy.)

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View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

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Poetry Friday: Glow by Katy Rose

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:31:38 GMT

Nobody seems to hear
'Til I scream and shout
Even if you tie me down
And you blow my candle out
I'll still glow

I'll be the perfect someone
That you'll never know
I'll still glow

- selected lyrics from the song Glow by Katy Rose

Listen to the song.

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View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

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The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Sea Wolves by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:59:03 GMT

Jack London was best known for his novels, such as Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea-Wolf, just to name a few. But what if his real-life adventures were even more mind-blowing than his fiction? That question prompted authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon to create a series with a supernatural twist, using a young and daring Jack London as the main character.

The Secret Journeys of Jack London began last year, when the first book, The Wild, was released. The Sea Wolves, the second volume in the series, is just as action-packed as the first, if not moreso. When Jack is taken captive by pirates, he learns there's more to these bloodthirsty creatures than meets the eye...

High seas, fight scenes, renegade scoundrels - The Sea Wolves has all that and more. The action takes place on a boat manned by ruthless men who are revealed to be werewolves. Don't consider this a spoiler, since the cover art and title reveal as much. In contrast to many modern stories in which werewolves are sympathetic characters and/or love interests for the human protagonists, the wolves on board this ship are vicious, selfish, and wild. Each man seems to fully embrace the beast within. They will stop at nothing as they jockey for position in the pack, which is led by a murderous captain known as Ghost.

Re-imagining the life of a historical figure is a great undertaking. Golden and Lebbon have done their research into London's life and the stories he shared, both fictional and biographical, to create something both worthy of the man and engaging for readers. Let's not forget that though London's man vs. the wild novels may come to mind first and foremost, he also wrote The Iron Heel, which was one of the first dystopian novels. (Feel free to consider him to be Katniss's great-grandfather.)

Golden and Lebbon grab readers on page one of The Sea Wolves and hold on to them tightly until the very end. An example of the captivating writing:

A howl danced upon the wind, taken up and redoubled by the storm so that it seemed to echo across the ocean.

A haunting reflection on those who fell victim to the pirates:

He could picture every one of their faces - the trapper, the woman in her town dress, the man in the broken spectacles - but the one who haunted him most powerfully was the girl with the bow in her hair.

In other words, the role I would play. Sniffle.

In addition to the eye-catching covers, Greg Ruth has also created beautiful black-and-white interior illustrations for this series. Look at the picture of Sabine on page 72. She reminds me of Olivia Wilde there.

Sabine, a seer who is trapped on the boat alongside Jack, is a precursor to Firefly/Serenity's River, in a way. Ah, the gift of sight, simultaneously a blessing and a curse. While Lesya in the first volume proved to be untrustworthy, Sabine is someone you want to believe and help, someone you wish the bad guy would stop using as a tool to carry out horrible deeds. She's also the way I can talk people into reading this book who may not be into pirates or historical fiction but are into romance and tragic innocents (and innocence).

So boys, girls, librarians, historians, pirates, landlubbers - Check out The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Sea Wolves and set sail on the ride of your life!

Check out my earlier post about the series.
Read my interview with Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon.

Poetry Friday: Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:20 GMT

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

- the closing line of Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Click here to read the entire poem.

I recently saw One Week, a film written and directed by Michael McGowan, starring Joshua Jackson. That movie inspired me to post this quote this week.

My favorite Tennyson poem is The Lady of Shalott, which I first heard in Kevin Sullivan's film adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

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Just 1 Book

Tue, 08 May 2012 03:51:58 GMT

As reported by Melissa Walker at I Heart Daily and readergirlz:

When Sarah Dewitz, 12, from Orlando, Florida, learned about a town next to hers that was facing a lot of hardship and poverty, she immediately thought about the kids and what they had to do without. She wondered if they had access to books.

Then she had an idea: If every child at her school donated "just one book," it would amount to 763 books that could go to the neighboring town! In her proposal to her school principal, she wrote, "I want to do this because if I was a child who did not have any books to read I would not be as smart as I am today. When I read books it makes me feel like I am an entirely different person and the world escapes my mind... If this is what books do for me, imagine what it can do for other children and the difference it would make in their lives..."

Read Melissa's entire post.

Visit just1book.com

Best Books of April 2012

Mon, 07 May 2012 01:47:31 GMT

April 2012: 20 books and scripts read

YA Recommendations
Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando
Replay by Robin Brande
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins (conclusion to the Hex Hall trilogy)
Belles by Jen Calonita
Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis

For Kids and Families
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow by Courtney Sheinmel, illustrated by Jennifer Bell (second in the Stella Batts series)

Must-Have Anthology
The Letter Q edited by Sarah Moon (highlight: the piece by Jasika Nicole)

The Play's the Thing
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Sat, 05 May 2012 19:30:19 GMT

If Hermione had been American, she might have enrolled in Hex Hall. In Rachel Hawkins' wonderfully absorbing supernatural trilogy, we learn that Hex Hall is not your typical boarding school. Three years after learning she was a witch, Sophie Mercer performs a spell that lands her in Hex Hall, a reform school for Prodigium: witches, fairies, and shape-shifters. She makes both friends and enemies almost immediately as she encounters vampires, ghosts, warlocks, and strict teachers. As the series progresses, Sophie discovers secrets her family has been keeping from her and truths about her newfound friends, frenemies, and love interests.

There are many reasons why I enjoy and recommend this wonderful trilogy by Rachel Hawkins. First of all, the writing rocks. If you liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will like these books. I seriously want to put these books in the hands of every single BtVS fan. Hawkins has infused her stories with a wonderful mix of humor and drama, fantasy and (fictional) reality, friendship and romance. The dialogue is witty, the individual character histories and storylines are intriguing, and the mythology and magic are well-explained.

The characters rock. There are characters you love, characters you love to hate, and characters you can't decide whether or not to trust. My favorite characters include Sophie, as detailed in the next paragraph; her roommate Jenna, who has a wonderful storyline, personality, cool hair - and, oh yeah, a set of fangs; and Cal, who drew me with his introspective demeanor and his gentle disposition, which tied in so well with his healing abilities.

The main character especially rocks. Sophie is strong, even when she doesn't know it. The books are written in first person from her point of view. Allow me to reference Buffy again, so you understand how awesome Sophie is: both of them can fire back when attacked, verbally or physically; they both fight, defy, accept, and re-form their own destiny; they are surrounded by supportive and talented friends and family; and they hold their ground, no matter what, even when the going gets tough. I admire Sophie's strength and bravery. Her journey is just great - and I love that she takes a literal journey as well as an emotional one.

The pacing rocks. I raced through these books, the second and third particularly. In fact, I waited to read the second book until the third came out so I could read them back-to-back. All three books are page-turners, and each book raises the stakes.

I am cautious of revealing too much in this review because I really enjoyed all of the surprises that appeared throughout the series. If you pick up all three books at one time - which you should - do NOT allow yourself to read the cover flaps of the second book until you've read the first book, and do NOT read the cover flap of the third book until you've finished the second book. Trust me, you're going to want to meet Sophie's friends, foes, and family at the same time Sophie does, rather than knowing about now and anticipating their arrival. There's magic in the journey and in the reveal, in experiencing the twists and turns in step with the main character.

The character names rock. Nick, Daisy, Jenna, and Sophie are some of my favorite character names ever. (If you want to know why I like these names, just ask. Each name has a story or two for me.)

Bonus points to Hawkins for including quotes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland between portions of the books.

Really, the only thing about this series that disappointed me was the fact that each volume had each a black cat on the cover - and no such cat appeared in the story. Perhaps if I just shapeshift in a cat, I could attend Hex Hall too... Please? (Meow?)

Read all three books in the Hex Hall trilogy:
Hex Hall
Demonglass
Spell Bound

Read my interview with Rachel Hawkins.

Visit Rachel's website and blog.

Here's one of my favorite lines from the third book, Spell Bound:
...I studied my feet and tried to remember how to breathe without sounding like a hyperventilating walrus. - Page 114

Poetry Friday: All We Are by Matt Nathanson

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:05:40 GMT

I kept falling over
I kept looking backward
I went broke believing
That the simple should be hard

All we are we are
All we are we are
And every day is a start of something beautiful

- selected lyrics from All We Are by Matt Nathanson

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Poetry Friday: Labyrinth

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:00:22 GMT

Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great...you have no power over me.

- the opening monologue from the film Labyrinth

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Poetry Friday: The Old Violin by Maurice Francis Egan

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:26:49 GMT

Though tuneless, stringless, it lies there in dust,
Like some great thought on a forgotten page;
The soul of music cannot fade or rust,-
The voice within it stronger grows with age;
Its strings and bow are only trifling things-
A master-touch!-its sweet soul wakes and sings.

- The Old Violin by Maurice Francis Egan

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

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Diana Wynne Jones Blog Tour

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:30:59 GMT

Last year, we lost acclaimed fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones. To honor her life and her legacy, Penguin Books and Firebird have organized a blog tour, which I'm honored to be a part of today.

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones involve parallel universes, magic, and cats. Is it any wonder that I promptly read the first four books one after the other, many years ago? Diana often wrote about parallel universes, a subject I often like in fiction, be it in novels, in films, or on TV. (Can you imagine seeing her books in the home Walter and Peter Bishop of the TV show Fringe? How cool would that be?)

When I first read The Dalemark Quartet, I was curled up in a chair at my mom's workplace, patiently waiting for her shift to end. (This was a common occurrence, my reading and waiting.) The Dalemark Quartet transported me into a world of music and spies.

I recently asked other bloggers and authors what their favorite Diana Wynne Jones books were, and here's what they said:

My favorite Diana Wynne Jones book is] FIRE & HEMLOCK - I'll be posting about it (here) but mostly the message of finding your way & being brave.

- Colleen Mondor, author of The Map of My Dead Pilots

I don't even know where to begin! Here's the very long post I wrote when she died. And here's probably the most question-answering quote (okay, two paragraphs) out of it: "But reading DWJ's writing is different than reading other brilliant writers, too. Other brilliant writers, I read and think, "What an amazing book, I will never be able to write anything that good, I should just give up now." With Jones, I read and ... don't think anything about how my abilities compare to anyone else's at all. Instead, the floodgates of my imagination open, and I am suddenly seeing stories in everything again, hearing characters come to life in my head, THINKING LIKE A WRITER instead of like a wannabe-writer. I connect to her odd outlook on the world. It makes me feel like I have something worth writing about after all.

See, here's the difference between her and most people. See, most people will sit around a living room and maybe notice a unique piece of artwork, the brand name of the TV, whatever. An observant person might look at a pile of cushions on a chair and say, "Hey, that chair looks like it has a face." An IMAGINATIVE person (I dare put myself in this category) might say, "and it looks EXCEEDINGLY bad-tempered and grouchy for a chair." But DIANA WYNNE JONES would look at that chair and say "I AM SO WRITING A STORY ABOUT HOW THAT BAD-TEMPERED CHAIR PERSON COMES TO LIFE AND WREAKS HAVOC!" and we end up with the first story in her Stopping for a Spell collection. NOBODY ELSE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN THAT STORY. BUT SHE DID BECAUSE SHE'S AWESOME."

Technically, I discovered her three times. Apparently I read The Lives of Christopher Chant as a child but then forgot about it entirely until I picked it up again as an adult and realized I'd read it before. Then, as an adult, I read The Tough Guide to Fantasyland and loved it. But I remember looking at the name "Diana Wynne Jones" and feeling that it was one of the most famous names in the world of fantasy lit, so therefore I assumed I must have read SOMETHING by her in my life, but I couldn't remember what. Then, when House of Many Ways came out, I kept reading all these glowing reviews that kept referring to the ever-well-loved Howl and I said "Who IS this Howl and why have I not read anything about him before?" so I checked out Howl's Moving Castle and fell immediately deeply in love. With Sophie, actually. Halfway through Castle In the Air (which I naturally picked up next) I already decided I'd found a new Favorite Author Ever (for my list of Favorite Authors Ever).

Speaking of which, Howl's Moving Castle is one of my examples of a book adaptation which did NOT work for me as a fan of the book, completely on the grounds that Howl's character was so completely different between the two versions. I had no problem with the rest of the movie. I loved the castle. I thought the plot changes and conglomerations of secondary characters made sense. But you CAN'T take one of the most unique and interesting characters in literature and MAKE HIM BORING like that. I just couldn't get past that to enjoy the movie as a separate entity!

I could chat forever on this subject!

- Amy M. Weir aka rockinlibrarian

I'll be writing about this in a little more detail for our post at Finding Wonderland, but I'll always remember when I was first introduced to DWJ's books by my best friend in the 6th grade, who was also a voracious reader. It started with A Tale of Time City and Witch Week, followed by the other Chrestomanci books and Howl's Moving Castle. I dropped off a bit after that, but I have had so much joy and excitement over the past ten years or so in catching up on the ones I never got a chance to read. It started even before I got hooked on writing YA, when a couple of surplus copies of Charmed Life and Lives of Christopher Chant fell fortuitously into my hands, and happily, the catching up continues even now. When I'm done....then, of course, I'll joyfully re-read them!

- aquafortis

I actually have mixed feelings about her books. I was in my late teens when I first picked up Tough Guide to Fantasyland, and then Dark Lord of Derkholm. What I liked about Tough Guide was that when I finished I felt as though I had completed a fantasy novel. I read Chronicles of Chrestomanci but disliked it after a while - I thought the stories became repetitively similar and just too weird with the world hopping. My favorite is Castle in the Air. I love the elaborate compliments, the Middle Eastern flair, and the complex, wild finale without having to deal with whiny, cocky Howl, which can be frustrating to read if it goes on too long.

- Elaine Ziman

I don't remember when I first read Diana Wynne Jones but I have been a huge fan for decades - probably 3 or 4. My favorite of her books is The Lives of Christopher Chant. I have read it multiple times. I lost count after 18.

My first experience with DWJ was discovering Witch Week. Soon after that, I read Homeward Bounders and just this past week, I dashed through Earwig and the Witch.

There may be a DWJ book out there that I haven't read. I WILL find it and read it. I just wish there could be more. We lost a huge talent when Diana died last year.

- bookkm

What's your favorite Diana Wynne Jones book? Leave a comment below!

Follow the Diana Wynne Jones blog tour Tumblr. Click here for the complete tour listings.

Also check out Wikipedia's bibliography of Diana Wynne Jones, and Judith Ridge's essay, How Diana Wynne Jones changed my life. (In Memoriam)

Firebird has reissued three DWJ staples: DOGSBODY, FIRE AND HEMLOCK, and A TALE OF TIME CITY. To quote the publisher, "[E]ach is the definitive edition, and each has an intro by a star - DOGSBODY/Neil Gaiman, A TALE OF TIME CITY/Ursula Le Guin, FIRE AND HEMLOCK/Garth Nix. FIRE AND HEMLOCK also features the essay 'The Heroic Ideal,' which DWJ wrote about the writing of F&H; it has never before appeared alongside the book), or THE TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND (the Firebird edition is also definitive, entirely redesigned, with new art and material), the novella THE GAME, or her final book, EARWIG AND THE WITCH."

The 2012 Guys Lit Wire Book Fair for Ballou High School

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:41:19 GMT

The American Library Association (ALA) has set the standard for number of school library books per student to be 11:1. Eleven books per kid. Ballou High School used to have less than ONE book per student. Now, thanks to the efforts of Colleen from Chasing Ray and the bloggers and supporters of Guys Lit Wire, the school has two books per student. Please help us fill their library even more!

Here's an update from Colleen of Chasing Ray, who organizes these book fairs:

Between our spring book fair and a small holiday fair last November we have helped Ballou move from a library that had less than one book for each of its 1,200 students at the beginning of 2011 to a ratio now of two books per student. While this is an impressive achievement and something we are quite proud of, the American Library Association advocates ELEVEN books for each student. It's obvious that Ballou is still operating at a serious literary deficit and because of that we have decided to commit ourselves to the long haul and stay with this school library until they have everything they need.

So how can you help? Donate books with a click of a mouse! Go to this book wishlist for Ballou through Powell's Books. Colleen's directions:

Once you have made your selections (note: the school prefers NEW or "standard used" condition, NOT "student-used" condition) head to "checkout" and you will be prompted to inform Powell's if the books were indeed bought from the wishlist. This lets the store know to mark them as "purchased" on the list. After that you need to provide your credit card info and also fill in the shipping address.

Melissa Jackson, LIBRARIAN
Ballou Senior High School
3401 Fourth Street SE
Washington DC 20032
(202) 645-3400

It's very important that you get Melissa's name and title in there - she is not the only Jackson (or Melissa) at the school and we want to make sure the books get to the library.

Please share the links to both the wishlist (http://bit.ly/GLWBookFair) and Colleen's post at GLW through email, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs so we can fill up this library!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Don't let it stop there. If you know of a library, school, shelter, or hospital that's in great need of books and other items, give back. Rally up your co-workers, patrons, students, and friends, gather donated items (new or gently used), and donate them to your chosen organization or charity. Share your good fortune and good spirits with others.

Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:22:52 GMT

I have added a role to the list of parts I want to play: Luna Jane Dryden.

Before Jane and her brother Marcus were born, their parents loved to travel. Since her mother's sudden death ten years ago, Jane and Marcus have lived all over the world with their father, who uproots them almost annually due to his structural engineering jobs. Now, just in time for Jane's junior year of high school, her family moves to Coney Island, to a house which belonged to a grandfather she never met - the childhood home of a mother she barely remembers.

Jane's lived a lot of places, but none of them were like Coney Island. Her classmates at Coney Island High range from the typical (the interchangeable pretty girls, the quiet kids and the loud ones, et cetera) to the not-so-typical (the bearded girl, the contortionist). The first student who talks to her is Babette, a no-nonsense Goth girl who happens to be a dwarf. She only comes up to Jane's waist, but she's as fierce as a pack of wolves. Altebrando's writing allows readers to picture Babette immediately:

Her ears were pierced more times than it seemed an earlobe could sustain. Her charcoal-lined eyes were a fierce turquoise, the color of an ocean near the equator. [...] The goth's tiny black T-shirt had a white silhouette of a girl's profile, with teardrops falling from her eyes. For a second Jane felt like that girl; she wanted to jump into the shadows of the shirt. - Pages 27-28

While her older brother Marcus seems to have no problem fitting in and finding friends, Jane feels more like an observer at first. While watching the way other kids interact at school and watching the old films she finds in her grandfather's home, she becomes intrigued by the culture and history of Coney Island. Jane never would have imagined that her family's roots were here, where women dress like mermaids and swim in aquariums and where carnival barkers easily part you with your money. Jane learns that her grandfather was a premature baby, and he was presented in an exhibit during his infancy, and that her grandmother dressed up in elaborate bird-like outfits - as in, part human, part bird, see the wonder, watch her perform! - and went by the name Birdie. Right there in the house they've inherited, there's a horse from a merry-go-round chained up to the radiator, bound by seemingly unbreakable chains and a lock. Jane's search for the key to open the lock is paralleled by her search for herself, her yearning to learn more about her mother, to recall more of her childhood memories, and to unravel the mystery of the Dreamland Social Club, an exclusive group with origins surprisingly close to home.

Jane befriends Leo, a tattooed boy. Remember, this is Coney Island, so unlike the rebellious motorcycle-riding soap star you may be picturing, this is a real kid, Jane's classmate, who has lived his whole life on the Island. He loves it there. When asked why and when he got different tattoos, including a seahorse that Jane finds strangely familiar, Leo is very honest and open with her. In that way, he reminded me of Wes in The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.

It is through Leo that Jane learns more about the happenings on Coney Island. Developers are attempting to encroach on territories and close down old theme parks and other establishments. Jane realizes that the games her mother used to play with the kids were inspired by real games and rides at the theme parks, including Luna Park, the place that gave Jane her first name. (She has chosen to go by Jane, which is her middle name.) The tension builds when her father has the potential to get involved in projects that may remove these historic places in order to pave the way for new developments.

Tara Altebrando has incorporated the themes of loss and grief into all of her young adult novels to date. In The Pursuit of Happiness, the teenaged protagonist loses her mother; in What Happens Here, the main character loses a friend. Both of those novels detail the immediate reaction to and fallout from such a loss, whereas Dreamland Social Club takes place ten years after Jane's mother passed away. Losing someone is never easy, but experiencing loss as a young child is different than when you're a teenager or an adult. This, as well as one's hesitancy to open up to others, was addressed on one of my favorite television shows, Leverage:

"[I]f you lost someone when you were just a child, then you might put up walls to make sure that you never got hurt again. Trust me, this life is not worth living without the people that make us want to tear down those walls. The thrill of vulnerability, the danger of opening your heart, it makes us feel alive." - Sophie to Parker in Leverage: The Grave Danger Job, written by Rebecca Kirsch

Throughout the course of the novel, whenever Jane remembers and relives a memory from her childhood, it is expressed in first-person present tense, while the rest of the novel is in third-person past tense. The narrative shifts are easy to follow, as the memories are italicized and only appear here and there. Keeping those passages rare makes them more precious, as 90% of Jane's story is in third-person.

The characters in Dreamland Social Club are colorful, well-drawn, and memorable. It is great to hear and see (because you do, you really do) characters that are so passionate about their town's history, their personal paths, and their families and friends. It is their determination that drives Jane to speak up, to be a little more bold and expressive about her thoughts and feelings. As the band Switchfoot would say - would sing - they dare her to move.

Jane's brother and father are equally solid, and it's wonderful to see a family that gets along, even though each member of the family is quite different. Each has dealt with life's ups and downs in different ways, but they've stuck together through it all, and that's pretty cool.

Tara Altebrando has painted a picture of both a girl and a city who are struggling to find a balance between their past, their present, and their future. They must learn that it is possible to bridge the gap between the past and the future, to become who you can be without losing all that you once were. You should really join (read) the Dreamland Social Club and find out how.

Favorite lines and scenes include:

Mermaids were good at keeping secrets after all. - Page 137

"I read this essay once about how being on Coney Island is like looking at a double-exposed photograph, how past and present are both always there." - Leo, Page 233

Leo and Jane's argument, Pages 302-303

Leo's attachment to his father's workplace, Page 332

Back at their table Jane and Marcus revived an old game they used to play when dragged to their father's work functions. They acted like they were involved in a very deep conversation, but they were really saying nonsensical things like "Pudding has a bad reputation" and "It's funny you say that, because I've always found it to be the case that letters, when put together, make words." - Page 338

Leo quotes from The Beast at 20,000 Fathoms when he says: "I feel as though I'm leaving a world of untold tomorrows for a world of countless yesterdays." - Page 364

Keep Reading

In addition to picking up Tara's other novels, I also recommend that you check out Mermaid Park by Beth Mayall, a wonderful work of fiction about a young woman who discovers an old tourist place with underwater shows.

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Review: The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando
Review: Love Will Tear Us Apart by Tara Altebrando (as Tara McCarthy)
Review: What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando
Interview: Tara Altebrando (March 2006)
Interview: Tara Altebrando (August 2006)
Tough Issues for Teens Booklist

Poetry Friday: Baby Face by Carl Sandburg

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:01:08 GMT

White moon comes in on a baby face.
The shafts across her bed are flimmering.

Out on the land White Moon shines,
Shines and glimmers against gnarled shadows,
All silver to slow twisted shadows
Falling across the long road that runs from the house.

Keep a little of your beauty
And some of your flimmering silver
For her by the window to-night
Where you come in, White Moon.

- Baby Face by Carl Sandburg

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Replay by Robin Brande

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:43:52 GMT

While on the operating table, undergoing a simple surgery, 16-year-old Cara died. She was technically dead for forty-two seconds before the doctors revived her. Cara had a near-death experience that was so vivid, so telling, that it shook her to the core. When she went home from the hospital, she was no longer the girl she used to be.

One of the things she can't figure out: why she clearly thought of her classmate David when she woke up. Cara and David aren't in the same social circle: Cara is a popular girl, an athlete, ranked fourth academically in her class; David, at the top of their class, has no friends and no apparent hobbies or claims to fame. When Cara attempts to befriend David, thinking that he will somehow answer her questions, he is suspicious of her sudden kindness and curiosity and chooses to keep her at a distance.

Though Cara initially doesn't tell anyone else about her experience, she immediately takes action. She pulls away from her best friend, with whom she no longer sees eye to eye, and breaks up with her boyfriend, who is greedy for attention and affection in all the wrong ways. With a brace on her injured leg, she can't participate in the sports she once loved so much, and she wonders whether or not her heart is still in the game. Her injury affects her levels of mobility and independence. She must use crutches to get around school, and she must ask her mother and others to drive her around town.

She confides in her 13-year-old sister about some of the things she's thinking and feeling, hoping that Beth will turn out to be a better person than she (Cara) is. Their scenes are to be cherished. Even with all of serious things happening to them, the girls still find delight in sharing secrets and chocolate bars. Beth, a violinist who truly looks up to her older sister, is just the right mix of innocence and selflessness. She is beaming with such joy and loyalty that you'll wish she was your best friend and confidant.

The first novel to introduce me to the idea of reincarnation was Sisters, Long Ago by Peg Kehret, which I utterly loved because it involved Ancient Egypt and sisters. I still recommend the book to this day. All of the books I've read about reincarnation and resurrection have been fictional, and they usually (naturally - or unnaturally, perhaps) involve supernatural elements. Some of these reincarnation stories have seemed more plausible than others. I tend to give those with the fantasy/horror/supernatural elements a little more slack because their worlds have different rules than our real world, and their characters may have different abilities. Example: If the protagonist is part cat and it is explained that he has nine lives, I can buy that within the context of that story.

Robin Brande has chosen a harder, bionic-free, non-paranormal path for her character to walk, and both writer and protagonist do it well. The story and characters of Replay will be staying with me for some time. The book is interesting from page one, which begins with Cara's near-death experience, and the intrigue continues until the end of the book - which, like many good books, is clearly not the end of Cara's story. Like a well-edited movie, some chapters and scenes are longer than others because some moments are fleeting and some encounters are brief, whether or not we wish they were longer. Some chapters are extremely short, and when they are, the brevity is always warranted. Scenes have just the right amount of tension as motives are questioned, questions are answered (or lead to more questions), and characters determine their own truths. Cara heals physically, mentally, and emotionally at a steady pace. (I, meanwhile, raced through the book and refused to let real life interrupt me while I read.) Cara keeps some secrets from the reader, building a mystery in addition to that surrounding her near-death experience...and just you wait until the circumstances of her pre-operation experience are revealed.

Give Replay a try. You may see life and the people you love a little differently when you're done - and you may feel compelled to read the book again and again!

Related Booklists
Tough Issues for Teens
Booklist: Sisters

Poetry Friday: Wishmakers' Town by William Young

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:00:11 GMT

Awake! Awake!
All living things that be,
In nest or fold!—
All lives that solace take,
And dreamful ease, in tent, or wind-blown tree,
Or curtained couch, your wanderings forsake
In the dim realms of unreality!
Awake, for shame
Of languor's soft delight!
Lo, once again earth's heaving disk is rolled
In rosy flame,
And through the camps of night,
The flying Moon, beneath her splintered targe,
Sore-stricken by the feathered shafts of Dawn,
And harried by her hounds, like Actaeon, Kneels,
Stoops, and wheels
Adown the western marge!

- a stanza from Wishmakers' Town by William Young

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Best Books of March 2012

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 04:37:30 GMT

March 2012: 24 books and scripts read

Recommended for ages 14 and up
The List by Siobhan Vivian
Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Devine Intervention by Martha Brockenbrough (to be released June 1st, 2012)

Picture Book Pick
Zoe Gets Ready by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (to be released May 1st, 2012)

Poetry Friday: Apprehension by D.H. Lawrence

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:24:51 GMT

And all hours long, the town
Roars like a beast in a cave
That is wounded there
And like to drown;
While days rush, wave after wave
On its lair.

An invisible woe unseals
The flood, so it passes beyond
All bounds: the great old city
Recumbent roars as it feels
The foamy paw of the pond
Reach from immensity.

But all that it can do
Now, as the tide rises,
Is to listen and hear the grim
Waves crash like thunder through
The splintered streets, hear noises
Roll hollow in the interim.

- Apprehension by D.H. Lawrence

I selected this piece in honor of Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden. Read it! :)

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

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Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:27:38 GMT

Joe Golem and the Drowning City
by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

In 1925, earthquakes and a rising sea level left Lower Manhattan submerged under more than thirty feet of water, so that its residents began to call it the Drowning City. Those unwilling to abandon their homes created a new life on streets turned to canals and in buildings whose first three stories were underwater. Fifty years have passed since then, and the Drowning City is full of scavengers and water rats, poor people trying to eke out an existence, and those too proud or stubborn to be defeated by circumstance.

Among them are fourteen-year-old Molly McHugh and her friend and employer, Felix Orlov. Once upon a time Orlov the Conjuror was a celebrated stage magician, but now he is an old man, a psychic medium, contacting the spirits of the departed for the grieving loved ones left behind. When a seance goes horribly wrong, Felix Orlov is abducted by strange men wearing gas masks and rubber suits, and Molly soon finds herself on the run.

Her flight will lead her into the company of a mysterious man, and his stalwart sidekick, Joe Golem, whose own past is a mystery to him, but who walks his own dreams as a man of stone and clay, brought to life for the sole purpose of hunting witches.

Reviews

"Highly descriptive writing and grotesque imagery help to place readers in this truly fantastic setting with hints of elder gods and worlds beyond worlds. Enhanced by multiple points of view and deeply philosophical in its underpinnings, the lavish illustrations add immediacy to Molly’s world. Both [readers] who like their fantastic sprinkled with a little Lovecraft and steampunk and those who are interested in a wider view of the world should enjoy this."
- School Library Journal

"J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote about 'the leaf-mold of story,' the accumulated hoard of human imagination from which further stories always grow. One can only marvel at the richness of the compost that generations of active fantasizing have created—so many images, creatures, concepts. But it still takes something special to impose a unifying vision, and Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden have got it...The world that results (made even richer by Mr. Mignola's drawings) is one of the most powerful 'neverwheres' of the modern fantastic imagination. Joe Golem is surely booked for further adventures."
- The Wall Street Journal

"Rife with archetypes gleaned from the darkest gems of myth, folklore, and pop culture...It works because Mignola and Golden have written characters that give the tale a beating heart...These are people you can get behind, not shallow monster fodder...Fast-paced and entertaining, the novel's an easy recommendation for fans of Mignola and Golden. YA enthusiasts will find that it doesn't pander to the young, providing a dark, sturdy story that will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. It's also a gorgeous tome to behold, not least because of Mignola's always-stunning artwork. His black-and-white illustrations provide stark windows into the world of the novel, never giving away too much so the reader's imagination has room to experiment."
- Slant Magazine

"There's an appetite out there for these sorts of propulsive, fantasy-rich mash-ups of steampunk and mythic literature...But few combine literary sincerity and fun as well as Mignola and Golden. Here the pair construct a rich world ripe for sequels and prequels. With Jules Verne technology, ghosts, magic and multidimensional monsters...it's an awfully fun way to pass an afternoon."
- Kirkus Review

"The tone of the novel is pulpy, splashed with Mignola's eternally present Chthulian atmosphere...and Christopher Golden does a noble job of infusing the mood of Mignola's artistic style into the printed word...Fans of Hellboy, steam punk, and pulp mysteries should find a lot to like about Joe Golem and the Drowning City."
- Brodartvibe

"Joe Golem and the Drowning City is that most marvelous kind of book - wholly original and yet completely accessible. Set in a unique world full of vivid and moving characters, it is gritty, mysterious, moving, and surprising. A brilliant combination of steampunk, fantasy, mystery, and adventure."
- David Liss, author of The Twelfth Enchantment

"A race against supernatural disaster through a haunting, dreamlike, and partially submerged New York City full of freaks, ghosts, and other lost souls, a story that grabs from the first page and doesn't let go."
- Tad Williams

"Joe Golem and the Drowning City is a warm, wicked, frantic tale of noble monsters and monstrous men. Not merely weird and not simply gorgeous, this supernatural steampunk fable is intimate and profound. It is dreadful and sublime."
- Cherie Priest

Additional Details
Published March 27th, 2012
Hardcover
Published by St. Martin's Griffin
Click here to buy the book now!
ISBN-10: 0312644736
ISBN-13: 978-0312644734

Related Titles

Also check out the short story Joe Golem and the Copper Girl by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, which is available as an eBook for just 99 cents. Click here to get it now!

COPPER GIRL is a stand-alone short story which was released prior to the novel. Here's the premise: Hard-nosed private detective Joe Golem and his employer are faced with one of their strangest cases yet. When a young mother named Rachael Blum arrives on their doorstep, frantic about the bizarre changes in her daughter's appearance and the terrible dreams plaguing the girl, it's up to Joe to separate nightmare from reality. But Joe Golem knows better than anyone that sometimes, the two are one and the same.

You should also check out Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, another Mignola & Golden collaboration. This story began as an illustrated novel which led to two series of successful comics and graphic novels.

Newsflash! A limited edition of Joe Golem and the Drowning City will be released on September 26th, 2012. Signed by the authors, this special slipcase edition will offer extra illustrations and include the short story Joe Golem and the Copper Girl. Only 1,000 copies will be printed.

So get the regular edition of Joe Golem and the Drowning City now, and pre-order the special edition as well!

Poetry Friday: Gold by Fergus O'Farrell of Interference

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:25:10 GMT

And I love her so
I wouldn't trade her for gold
I'm walking on moonbeams
I was born with a silver spoon

And I'm gonna be free
I'm gonna be free
I'm walking on moonbeams
And staring out to sea

And if a door close
Then a road for home start building
And tear your curtains down
For sunlight is like gold

And you better be you
And do what you can do
When you're walking on moonbeams
Staring out to sea

'Cause if your skin was soil
How long do you think before they start digging?
And if your life was gold
How long would you think you'd stay livin'?
Hey

And I love her so
I wouldn't trade her for gold

- Gold by Fergus O'Farrell of Interference

This song can be heard in the film ONCE and the new stage adaptation of ONCE, which is now on Broadway. Listen to the version from the film - then get the original Broadway cast album, which has two beautiful versions, one fully orchestrated, one a capella.

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Anthony Stewart Head to Play Chiron in Percy Jackson

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:01:04 GMT

If you enjoy the Percy Jackson novels written by Rick Riordan and enjoyed the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will probably be delighted to learn that Anthony Stewart Head will be playing Chiron in the next Percy Jackson film, The Sea of Monsters. Read The Hollywood Reporter article.

Tony Head will be sharing the screen with:
Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Jack & Bobby) as Percy
Alexandra Daddario (White Collar) as Annabeth Chase
Brandon T. Jackson (Tooth Fairy) as Grover Underwood
Jake Abel (Supernatural, The Lovely Bones) as Luke
Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) as Hermes
Missi Pyle (The Artist), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), and Mary Birdsong (The Descendants) as The Fates
- and many other talented folks!

The Sea of Monsters, directed by Thor Freudenthal, will hit theatres in 2013.

Interview: Megan McDonald

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:09:50 GMT

I've been a fan of the Judy Moody series ever since the first book was published. When I found it in the bookstore, I pounced on it like the cat that I am and I started laughing as soon as I started reading it. As I wrote in my review of the series, I see a lot of myself in Judy, an energetic, dramatic, and determined little firecracker who just may rule the world someday. In the meantime, she'll rule her own little corner of the world, interacting with her parents, her cat, Mouse, her brother, Stink, her friends, and her teachers. Packed with witty dialogue, zany mishaps, and adorable illustrations, the Judy Moody books are a must-have for any household, classroom, library, or bookstore with elementary school-aged kids.

The Judy Moody series made me a fan of author Megan McDonald and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. I've been following both of their careers, reading their other works and recommending them for book clubs and classrooms. I was recently given the opportunity to interview Megan, and I will be speaking with Peter in the fall. What a joy to converse with creative people whose works I find so delightful! I'm very grateful for this opportunity, especially because I know both Megan and Peter are so busy.

Here now is my interview with the one and only Megan McDonald.

You hold a bachelor's degree in English from Oberlin College and a master's degree in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh. While working in libraries, bookstores, and museums, did you write your own stories as often as you read and recommended the stories of others?

I was a reader first, long before becoming a writer. As a children's bookseller and librarian, my greatest pleasure was connecting a child with that book. The one. The story or character that would change a life by turning a kid into a reader. When that book is a Judy Moody book, or a book about Stink, I'm thrilled. And honored.

What was the title and premise of your first completed novel?

Completed novel? I like that. My first completed novel was a YA book called The Bridge to Nowhere. It's a coming-of-age story, a bildungsroman if you will, set in Pittsburgh, where I grew up. The novel centers around a dramatic incident: A young teenager picks up the newspaper and reads that her father has driven off of a bridge, a story that was part of local lore I grew up with, since my dad was a bridge builder. (That doesn't happen until the end, though, so I wrote the book backwards!)

Did it take longer to write the first Judy Moody book or to sell it?

To write it. And even longer to re-write it once it sold!

How did you come to team up with Peter Reynolds?

That would be the genius of my beloved editor, Mary Lee Donovan, at Candlewick Press. She had wanted to work with Peter for some time, and thought this might be a good fit. Peter's drawings ARE Judy Moody to me now. I can't remember what was in my imagination before Peter came along.

Was the initial deal for a series?

Judy Moody was not initially conceived as a series. In fact, it started out as a collection of easy-to-read stories. My editor had the idea to connect the "episodes" and turn it into a short novel for third graders. Everything about Judy Moody at the beginning was intuitive and serendipitous!

How many books are planned in the Judy Moody series and the Stink series? Are they written as inspiration strikes, or do you have deadlines?

I don't have a magic number in mind, but often in the middle of writing the current book, the next one springs to mind. But once inspiration strikes, there are deadlines! The Stink series was inspired by my readers - boys who read Judy Moody kept asking for a Stink book.

You were heavily involved in the Judy Moody movie. What was it like to see your story come to life?

In a word, surreal. Even though I worked on the screenplay, it still didn't feel real until I got to the movie set and met Jordana Beatty, the spunky Australian redhead who plays Judy. There she was - my character - standing right in front of my very eyes! A whole constellation of creative people - producers, directors, artists, actors - brought Judy Moody to life, in eye-popping color, with her many funny moods. It's truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What was your favorite scene to write or film?

My favorite scene to write was the "fun sponge" scene. Judy and her friend Frank Pearl have a falling out, and he calls her a "fun sponge" for taking all the fun out of everything. My favorite scene to film was the black-and-white zombie movie within the film!

Will there be additional books in The Sisters Club line?

So far, it's meant to be a trilogy - though I do think about those characters and miss them.

I'm so sad that it's over! Which of the sisters most resembles a young Megan?

I'd have to say Stevie most resembles me, because she's always searching, trying to make sense of the world around her, hoping to discover who she is.

You also wrote the Julie series for American Girl, which was set in the mid-1970s. What, if any, of Julie's experiences resemble your own childhood?

A lot of the anecdotes in the Julie stories are based on my own growing-up years in the 1970s. Having a teenage sister (I have 4!), carrying a tape recorder around everywhere, fighting the metric system, sticking up for an important cause, trying to save the planet - these are all things that characterized my own youth.

You've written picture books, juvenile fiction, non-fiction, and more. What audience or genre would you love to write for next?

I love mysteries...and historical fiction.

Did you frequent a hometown library or bookstore when you were little?

We didn't have a library building nearby when I was growing up. But we did have a Carnegie library bookmobile come to the local shopping center. My sisters and I would pile on, and they'd tell me all the good books to read (measured by whether the ending made you cry or not). We had the idea to try to read ALL the children's books on the bookmobile. I didn't realize until I grew up that the truck went back each week and loaded up with more books!

In the newest Stink story, Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk, Stink and his classmates attempt to stack up one million minutes of reading for a school event. Did you ever participate in a reading marathon or reading-related fundraiser when you were in school?

Sadly, no. But I did have reading races with my sisters and book clubs with my friends.

What are your ten all-time favorite books?

Okay, I confess - I absolutely LOVE discovering what other writers are reading, but find it frustrating to answer this question myself. Here goes:

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
One-Eyed Cat by Paula Fox
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Memories, Dreams, and Reflections by Carl Jung

Oh, and reading Alice Munro once saved my life. But that's another story!

Visit Megan's website.

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Author/Illustrator Spotlight: Peter H. Reynolds
Judy Moody & Stink by Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds
The Sisters Club books by Megan McDonald
American Girl: Julie books by Megan McDonald

Rock the Drop on April 12th!

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:40:03 GMT

Once again, readergirlz and Figment are going to ROCK THE DROP in honor of Support Teen Lit Day, 4/12/12. We can’t wait! Here’s how you can get involved:

* Snag the bookplate - download it HERE - created by the uber-talented David Ostow (who blogs hilarious cartoons here), and add it to your blog and social networks, linking back to this post to share the love. Proclaim that you will ROCK THE DROP!

* Print a copy of the bookplate and insert it into a book (or 10!) to drop on April 12th. Drop a book in a public spot (park bench, bus seat, restaurant counter?). Lucky finders will see that the book is part of ROCK THE DROP!

* Plan to snap a photo and post it at the readergirlz facebook page. Then tweet the drop at #rockthedrop with all the other lovers of YA books.

Get ready for the celebration! Get ready to rock!

Poetry Friday: Splendour in the Grass by William Wordsworth

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:34:27 GMT

What though the radiance
which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
- a portion of Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by William Wordsworth

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

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The List by Siobhan Vivian

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:37:20 GMT

For as long as anyone can remember, the students of Washington High have arrived at school on the last Monday in September to find a list naming the prettiest and the ugliest girl in each grade.

This year will be different.

So begins Siobhan Vivian's fourth novel, The List. The prologue is immediately followed by the list, which contains the names of eight young women we'll meet shortly: the "ugliest" freshman, swimmer Danielle, who is tagged as "Dan the Man"; Abby Warner, the "prettiest" freshman, who is far trendier than her brainiac older sister; über-popular sophomore Candace Kincaid, who can't believe she's declared the ugliest girl in her class; new student Lauren Finn, who was homeschooled until recently; rebellious junior Sarah Singer, whose anger rolls off her in waves; Bridget Honeycutt, the junior girl burdened by what she did that summer; senior Margo Gable, sitting pretty at the top of the social pyramid; and her ex-best friend Jennifer Briggis, who has been named "ugliest" every single year.

Anyone who had to deal with social hierarchy in school, especially those who were hurt by a Slam Book, a Burn Book, or a school campaign or contest of some sort, will want this book.

Siobhan Vivian is adept at creating distinctive characters. The eight girls shoved into the limelight by the list are easy to tell apart. This is not an easy feat when you're talking about a book with a large ensemble, as opposed to a movie or TV show, where you can clearly see and hear the different actors portraying the roles. With a book, character separation is a combination of the information provided by the author and the imagination and memory of the reader. Vivian has given each girl a different voice and temperament, ranging from outspoken to modest, from self-loathing to overly confident. The girls come from different backgrounds and have different interests, motivations, and looks. We also meet the girls' family members and friends, some of which crossover into the stories of others.

Most importantly, each girl has a compelling story. I know I shouldn't choose favorites, but I've got to say that Danielle and Bridget garnered the most sympathy from me. Lauren reminded me of a girl I once knew - and so did each of the other girls, in other ways. With her appearance and her attitude, Sarah was screaming to be seen and heard, but she felt like no one was listening. Candace showed that her beauty was only skin deep, while Lauren wasn't aware that she was pretty. When Danielle found her stride, she truly shined, and I was so proud of her:

Her mind goes white as she breaks through the surface of the water. She pushes all the pain out of her arms, kicks the hurt free from her legs. She swims her broken heart out. - Page 279

Most of my favorite passages were observations and thoughts, moments where you not only got into a character's mind but also clearly saw through her eyes. There's this cinematic moment when Bridget's little sister Lisa happily jumps out of the car and bounds across campus which I found particularly affecting:

Bridget watches Lisa sprint across the yard toward Freshman Island, weaving in and out of human traffic, her overstuffed book bag slapping against her legs, her long black ponytail stretching down her back. Lisa is growing up so fast, but there are plenty of glimmers of the little girl that shine through.

It gives Bridget hope for herself. That there's still a chance to be the girl she was before last summer. - Page 51

Margo's memory of the end of eighth grade is also notable:

It had been the last day of school, minutes into no longer being an eighth grader but a high school girl, and to Margo, everything felt different. All that had happened earlier - the gym class water-balloon fight, the good-bye pizza party with soda served in little paper cups - were memories written in a kid's diary. She'd suddenly grown out of her life, even though she could still see the rounded tip of her middle school's flagpole from where she stood, like a doorknob for the sky. - Page 122

One of the girls is quietly struggling with an eating disorder. I think it's extremely classy that her weight is never revealed, and neither is her size. They are just numbers, after all - but we would automatically relate them to our own, wouldn't we? But instead of putting her on a scale of any kind, the author simply notes when the girl tries on a garment that is her size, or a size up or down. Granted, we know she is underweight as opposed to overweight, but by withholding actual numbers, the attention is rightfully placed on the problem, pulling us into her story and her mind rather than comparing her to ourselves or to others. What she sees when she looks in the mirror, and the personal "tests" and things she thinks and does but would never say out loud, made me want to hug her and point her towards BodyHeart.

What happens in our childhoods and our teen years really shapes us and stays with us. There's a reason why they are called our formative years. This book offers us six days to follow eight girls, from Monday to Saturday, from the day the list is first released to the night of the homecoming dance. So much is packed into those days, so many events, both big and small, including those little things that feel so important right when they're happening and those cursory glances and (im)perfect words that make us blush and burn. The List captures memories and moments that are light and heavy, fleeting and forever - all those things that high school is about, as rough and horrible and wonderful and defining and freeing as it can be.

The List by Siobhan Vivian will be available April 1st, 2012.

Related posts at Bildungsroman:
Review: A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
Interview: Siobhan Vivian