Flying Lessons, and Other Stories

Flying Lessons, and Other Stories - edited by Ellen Oh (ISBN: 978-1101934593)

Is this my first time reviewing a collection of short stories?  I think it might be!  This book is another I read on my quest for summer reading options that address diversity.  What an absolute winner!  PLUS, it's a nominee for this year's Delaware Diamond book award, which means I'm encouraging Delawarean children to read it anyway. ;o ) This delightful book includes short stories by: 

- Matt de la Peña

- Grace Lin

- Meg Medina

- Tim Federle

- Kelly J. Baptist

- Tim Tingle

- Jacqueline Woodson

- Soman Chainani

- Kwame Alexander

- Walter Dean Myers

With a line-up like that, how could I not read this book?  As mentioned previously, our school is looking to expose students to the broader idea of diversity as something that we all have.  Just because you are Caucasian in a predominantly white area does not mean you lack diversity as an individual.  Likewise, a school filled with Muslim children is still diverse in the many ways that each child might approach political issues or math problems.  We are all unique in some way.

So with short stories about Hispanic ballers, Middle Eastern travelers, young crushes, alcoholic parents, loss and heartache and stereotypes and coming-of-age, there is something here for everyone.  If the most controversial thing I could think to say about this book is that in one story, the word "ass" is used one time, I think we're doing a great job.  I believe this book would be perfect for reluctant readers, or any person who only has a few minutes to read while sitting in a doctor's office or on the toilet.  We need books like this!  Furthermore, this book is published in large part because of the phenomenal work of the people at We Need Diverse Books (and we really do, too).  Because really, every child should be able see themselves in the pages of a book - or become more aware of those outside of their tiny part of the universe as well.

Want more?

Here's a little tidbit about how this book came to be:

Homemade tees: with a book that includes many stories, it's hard to sum up this tome in a single tee.  So instead, I found one that hints at my favorite, most hilarious part of one of the stories.  You'll have to read this great collection in order to get my silly reference.

As Brave As You

As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds (ISBN: 978-1481415910)

Guys, can we talk about how much I love Jason Reynolds? (Is he the next Walter Dean Myers... we shall see.)  Also, anyone who knows me knows I love a good Schneider Family Book Award winner.  So this book is the perfect formula for "a book Katelynn will love."  

Set in Virginia (the rural version) in the summer of (insert recent year here), Genie and Ernie have to spend several weeks with their grandparents so that their marriage-on-the-rocks parents can spend alone time fixing their relationship.  The boys are used to the streets of their native Brooklyn, not the hills and knolls of the South.  To make matters even more complicated, their grandfather is completely blind and never really ventures outside of his house.  While inside, you'd never guess that Grandpop is visually impaired; however, outside, a simple thing like walking through the grass can be an anxiety-inducing activity.  Genie always thought his Grandpop was pretty brave, but some of his thinking shifts when he realizes how limited his grandfather's life really has become.  

A young girl down the street inspires the boys to venture into the woods, where they uncover other family secrets about their deceased veteran uncle, and the tension between their dad and his father.  Needless to say, there is a lot to be unpacked in this generational story about young African American boys figuring out how to function in the world and in their own family.  The book addresses what true bravery really is, and how to be courageous in our relationships with each other.  It will make you smile, and cry, and long for more pages at the end (why must good books always end??).  It was a five out of five stars book for me, and I can't wait for students to read it too!

PS - it won a bunch of other awards too.  Like... a bunch.

Kirkus Award Finalist, Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens, and a bunch of starred reviews.

Want more? There are so many great videos of Jason Reynolds accepting awards and talking about reading, and just being generally awesome.  But check out this one about why he thinks it's important that kids read:

Homemade tees: This book teaches the lesson that we can all learn from each other what it means to be brave through the situations of our lives.  Check out this t-shirt for a beautiful visual reminder of this fact - 

Home of the Brave

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate (ISBN: 978-0312535636)

Every year, our school chooses books for students to read for summer reading. We're looking for about six options for our students this summer, and we'll be reading books for the next several months in a hunt for the best ones. Our theme this year is diversity, and not just racial diversity. You see, diversity is really all of the various parts of us that make us unique - it could be race, but also religion, gender, sexual orientation, cultural upbringing, languages spoken, adventures experienced, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, physical disabilities, learning styles, and so much more. Therefore, we want books that will give our students windows into the lives of other kids and teens around the world, and which will also provide some of them with mirrors to see that they are not alone in their experiences.

And so, we now enter Home of the Brave. I was looking for books that have characters from other places, and this book fits the mold. Kek lived in Darfur, Sudan (Africa) with his mother, father, and brother. But after tragedy strikes, only Kek and his mother survive. They become separated and Kek travels to the US to live with an aunt and cousin in Minnesota. Equal parts haunting and sad, heartwarming and funny, the story narrates how Kek learns to find his way in a strange new land. Thinking that the "washing machine" will help his aunt with her pile of dishes, he puts all of the plates and cups in only to find that the agitator breaks them all. Another young friend has to tell him that a washing machine for clothes and a dishwasher are two different appliances. Kek eventually discovers, not too far from the urban metropolis where he lives, a small farm with a forlorn cow. From a family of herders, Kek has finally found the familiar: a sad cow who just needs a bit of attention and who becomes like family. Despite struggling with a language barrier, missing his parents, attempting to acclimate to a whole new culture, and living with extended family with their own share of issues, Kek finds his own sort of success in the Home of the Brave.

The cover of the copy I read was so terrible. I thought to myself, "What kid is going to want to pick up this book?" Monochrome and sort of strange illustration, I had a negative initial reaction. But after only a few pages, I was hooked in this story. It is honestly one of the best books I've read about the refugee experience, and such an accessible story as it deals with common issues like loss, the desire to fit in, and friendship in unexpected places. I was so excited to discover that the book has been re-released with a fresh cover and I'm keeping all my fingers crossed that this book makes it to our final cut of summer reading options!

Want more? If you want to hear the author talk about the book in her own words, check out the following video!

Homemade tees: there are not a lot of shirts you can find with "Home of the Brave" on them without there also being American flags, bald eagles, and assault rifles on them. (This seems like a whole other blog post waiting to happen...) So instead, I'm going the route of diversity. How can you celebrate what makes your experience unique? How can we also find common ground with those around us? This shirt is a fun place to start!

The Seventh Most Important Thing

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall (ISBN: 978-0-553-49728-1)

Sometimes a book comes along that reminds you that you just love good books about real life.  This is one of those books.  Subtle, uncomplicated, sweetly told, predictably heartwarming.  It's also an interesting piece of history about James Hampton's folk art - a piece of Americana that I was unaware of until reading this book.

The story goes that Arthur Owens throws a brick at a man's head, and ends up in juvie court to discover his sentence.  Rather than return to jail, he is sentenced to community service helping the very man he attacked.  The Junk Man, aka: Mr. Hampton, is the neighborhood quirk though.  He travels the streets with a rickety shopping cart, picking through trash cans to take tidbits that others have discarded.  Arthur is definitely not excited about helping with this rubbish-collecting endeavor or what it will do for his reputation.  To make matters worse, at his first day on the job, he's given a difficult list of the Seven Most Important Things to find: light bulbs, foil, mirrors, pieces of wood, glass bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard.  Mirrors aren't just hanging out in everyone's garbage cans.  For weeks, Arthur continues to trudge along, collecting these items.

But it's one day that Arthur finally discovers what all of his collecting is for.  Mr. Hampton is building, within a garage behind a tattoo shop, a creation beyond description.  The Throne of the Third Heaven is pieces of what he believes Heaven will look like - but made out of... you guessed it... the Seven Most Important Things.  Light bulbs covered in pieces of sparkly foil and cardboard attached to chairs to look like angels' wings.  It's something to behold and Arthur begins to realize that his hours digging through refuse have paid off in a beautiful way.

The ending of the book I'll protect - but I'll say that reading about a troubled young boy forming a tender relationship with an eccentric aging gentleman was really a treat.  Anyone with a middle grade reader should encourage them to try this book, and then do a bit of Google image searching to learn more about the real artist behind the story.  Yay!

Want more? Watch this Vertigo-inducing video of the actual art display (seriously... something is up with this video quality - but it's still cool looking!)

Homemade tees:
I sort of feel like this shirt would be perfect for Arthur or Mr. Hampton.  Maybe you too could become a neighborhood recycler?

Solo

Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess (ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9)

Well, one of my favorites has struck again!  Kwame Alexander is really on fire with his YA-free-verse-lyric-filled-multi-format novels (this is a phrase I just invented to describe his genre).  This story is told in free verse, but also includes lyrics and homages to famous songs, text chains, non-punctuated dialogue threads, and an adventure to Ghana.

Blade is the son of a famous rock-and-roll god: Rutherford Morrison*.  This means he pretty much can buy whatever he want and his family's name appears in tabloid magazines weekly.  But his dad is famous more now for debauchery and public embarrassment than notable music or humanitarian endeavors.  Blade is always left in fear that he'll wake up to a dead father or more public shame.  To make matters worse, his mother is already dead, and his sister cannot seem to understand why he doesn't want the life he's been given.

A quest for self-discovery leads him to the fact that his biological parents might not be the ones he grew up with, and he journeys half way around the world to discover his true self.  Picture the scene:
"When we get/ to the point/ where vehicles/can no longer/ pass,/ Elvis explains/ that we will walk/ a trail/ then hike/ a mountain,/ cross three canopies,/ above/ the rainforest/ and arrive/ at the village."

This novel is full of beautiful language, enlightening descriptions of a people far away, and the realization that life isn't about what you have, but who you share it with.  Blade journeys from love to hate to understanding.  His father journeys from life to addiction to death and acceptance.  I have a few complaints about the way this story evolved - especially a romance in the early chapters. Some readers may have a hard time resonating with a person whose life is so full of opulence and wealth (who can just fly to Africa for an indeterminate amount of time?). But overall, it conveys a strong message at the end: "Hope never drowns... Hope swims."

Here is a spiffy video of Kwame Alexander explaining how he arrived at such a music-filled book and what really gets his groove going:

OR you might enjoy one of the poems from Solo being performed by Randy Preston... it's pretty sweet.

Homemade tees:
Blade's father gives him a custom-built Eddie Van Halen Frankenstrat guitar which becomes his most prized possession.  Show your fandom of this book by wearing the t-shirt that pays homage to the instrument:

Because if we're being honest... wearing those striped overalls might be one step too far...






* Not a real person.  BUT Mike Rutherford, Rivers Rutherford, Van Morrison or Jim Morrison surely are real.  And they're musicians.  Just sayin'.

The Pledge series

Soooo - warning - I'm doing something different this time.  This summer, I read a series of three books, and rather than write three blogs, I'm just going to write the one.  Because I'm lazy.  And probably no one cares that much if I switch it up.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (ISBN: 978-1-4424-2201)

In Ludania, the population is segmented by status, and each stratum has their own language.  For example, the merchant class speaks a completely different language than the politicians.  Speaking another language is completely illegal, and even looking up while someone is speaking a different language is punishable by death.  There is a common language: Englaise, but we meet in the first chapter a very uncommon girl.  Charlaina keeps secret that she can actually understand every language she hears, and touching ancient manuscripts or symbols reveals the meaning for her as well.  In a world in which this could spell her end, she hides her truth carefully, even from close friends.

Ruling Ludania is a queen with unspeakable powers - the ability to kill by simply raising her hand in the direction of a person.  But not everyone wants to serve this queen, and an underground rebellion is gaining power.  What are they looking for?  An ancient bloodline that might usurp the current monarchy - someone who could truly govern the land fairly.

Now here is where I have to pause.  If I'm going to talk about three books, how do I not give away important plot twists?  How do I keep you interested in an entire series without ruining book one or two?

Well I'll tell you this - of course Charlaina survives!  She's the main character (sort of like how you know that Harry Potter isn't going to die because the entire series bears his name).  You know that she's eventually going to come in contact with royals, and have to choose sides.  You know that secrets involve lies and sometimes the truth gets out. 

Don't want spoilers?  Don't read on... because... this story evolves into...
The Essence by Kimberly Derting (ISBN: 978-1-4424-4559-8)

What if a usurped queen actually lives on?  What if her essence remains to both torment and advise the next leader?  Charlaina has to figure out how to stay true to herself when Sabara is constantly clawing at the back of her mind, trying to regain power.  She struggles daily to remember that there is good and light in the world, that she loves who she loves and not who the queen previously preferred.  Charlaina also has to make sacrifices to save her family and friends when they are constantly under attack because of her position.  Furthermore, she has to figure out how to navigate political alliances and nation-building when previously her biggest concern was bullies in the school yard.  What will she become if she starts to use the same murderous tactics as the previous monarch?

Still curious what becomes of our fearless heroine?  Then you'll have to read the action-packed conclusion:

The Offering by Kimberly Derting (ISBN: 978-1-4424-4562-8)

Having found her stride as a ruler, and still desiring what is truly best for her kingdom, Charlaina realizes that sometimes leaders have to sacrifice their own desires for the good of others.  She wants technology to flourish, and the impoverished to more than just survive, for children to be free of slavery and orphanhood, and for those with magic to be safe in the open.  All of these must come at a cost - and other countries exact payments the way Shylock demands a pound of flesh.  Charlaina is advised in several directions, and none of them seem compatible with the desires of her heart.  So she ventures out, putting herself at risk, in order to save Ludania from what she believes is its greatest threat: dictatorship.

Don't worry - lots of people die, sure - but the ending of this series is still satisfying in its own way.  There is nothing worse than sticking with a series for three (or four... or seven) books only to find that it ends poorly.  This isn't one of those series.  Also, there are some pleasant kisses throughout.  Nice tender ones.  Nothing too avert-your-eyes-PG-13-warning for readers who just want a story without the ooo-la-la.  Overall, I'd highly recommend this fun series from Derting. 

Want more?
Here is a quick video of the author talking about The Pledge and how she got the idea for this book and series!

Homemade tees:
Sometimes in life, you dream about being a princess or a butterfly catcher or the first female quarterback in the NFL.  #JustSayin  Sometimes, a mantle is thrust on you and you wish you could trade it away.  Either way, Charlaina has to come to grips with her destiny and here's the perfect shirt to help her do it:

The Sun Is Also a Star

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (ISBN: 978-0-553-49668-0)

Okay, so I just reviewed Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon earlier this month, but I wanted to read her other book right away since I loved the first so much!  Another beautiful cover, another story told in vignettes, I was just delighted to pick it up.  I really did like this book too.  As much as Everything, Everything? No... but it was still a really solid read.  

Natasha is a Jamaican American who was born on the island.  Daniel is a Korean American who was born in the States.  But both are dealing with the issue of straddling two worlds - parents at home who want their children to have respect for their culture, versus their own teenage inner desire to just fit in.  They meet by chance on Natasha's worst day ever - she and her family are about to be deported because of her father's poor choices.  Daniel, however, is having the kind of day where it seems like the universe is causing everything to come up roses.  The initial spark of an interesting conversation, a bold proposal, a shared lunch, the confiding of secrets... all things culminate in a day that totally changes both of them forever.  Can poetic Daniel persuade scientific Natasha to fall in love with him before she leaves the country forever?

I won't give away the most important plot points or surprises - or even ruin the ending.  But you know that feeling when you're getting closer and closer to the end of a book and you're worried that things are just not going to be resolved in the way you want them to?  Then sometimes they just aren't.  And you're a little bummed... almost like you spent all of those hours reading for nothing and you can't shake the unfinished feeling.  That's how I felt with this book... until literally the last six words.  Then all was right in the world.  The. Last. Six. Words.

It's a story you might like - especially if you love New York City, love stories that involve multicultural characters and references, or like a little bit of loaded-topic-exploring in your fictional reading material (aka: extramarital affairs, racism, immigration, birth order stereotypes, poverty, loss and grieving, drunk driving, etc.).

Want to hear from the artist who created the beautiful cover for this book?  Check it out!

And here's the author herself talking about this second book, the art, the format, the characters, and some of her difficulties in writing a book that takes place entirely within the span of 12 hours (with a tiny cheat at the end).

What shirts do you think Natasha and Daniel would wear?  Why... these two, of course!

 

OR you could sport some band gear and wear this Temple of the Dog tee since it's while listening to "Hunger Strike" that Natasha first catches Daniel's eye.  You know, it's whatever floats your boat.

Birth Marked

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien (ISBN: 978-1-59643-569-8)

As I was doing my end-of-the-year library inventory and scanning every book on the shelves, I came across this one and just figured I'd take it home to read over the summer.  The cover was appealing, the back blurb sounded interesting, so I put it in my pile.  I'm so glad I did!  It's another dystopia book, but sometimes these books involve regimes utilizing extreme technologies, or even repressed groups developing some kind of fantastic-supernatural abilities.  This one instead discussed what might happen to a gene pool of the wealthy without enough genetic diversity.  Yay for something different!

Gaia Stone is a midwife, and the daughter of a midwife, living in the poor area of Western Sector 3 - outside of the Enclave and next to Unlake Superior.  Only the wealthy and powerful can live in the Enclave, and residents of the outer sectors have difficult lives and further must submit to the baby quota.  Every month, each midwife must give the first three babies she delivers to the nursery inside of the Enclave.  These babies are raised inside of the walls, adopted by wealthy families.  This is supposedly to show how the Protectorate cares for those outside of the walls too.  However, the reason for the baby quota is really that the families inside of the walls are becoming inbred with side effects like hemophilia and other defects.  Those mating with their close family members are convicted of genetic crime, and not everyone inside of the walls feels that the Protectorate is doing enough.  Gaia's mother and father are arrested and this becomes the catalyst for Gaia to find out what is really happening within and outside of the walls.  Aided by Leon, the adopted son of the Protectorate himself, she seeks to figure out the code her mother used to mark babies to save both her family and perhaps her entire sector.

Anyone who enjoyed "The Giver" by Lois Lowry might also really like this book too.  They both include many of the same themes and plot points.  Furthermore, this book touches on the topics of adoption, genetic disorders, and the problems with dictatorship, torture, and surveillance.  Overall, a solid book that's actually a part of a trilogy, the rest of which I can't wait to read!  Want someone else's review?  Check it out!

After reading this book, you'll totally understand why this is the only shirt that you could wear to represent your love of this story. #Birthmarked

Red Queen

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (ISBN: 978-0-06-2310644)

I know that I am late to the game with this one, seeing as how it was published in 2015 and has been heavily marketed by Scholastic during their book fairs, and other places too, I'm sure.  But I'm glad I finally picked it up off my nightstand and gave it a go.  My favorite genre is totally dystopia, and this falls right into the mix with some of my other favorites. 

To start, Mare Barrow is growing up in a world in which common red blooded people are disenfranchised and poor because of their lack of special abilities.  Silver blooded elite who have evolved to have these special abilities are really the ruling class, and they hold all of the power over the reds.  Mare is about to be conscripted into the army when she meets a random stranger in a pub.  This stranger gets her a job at the palace, and on her first day of work, she realizes that she'll be serving during the Queenstrial.  This is the event which happens when the eldest prince is ready to choose a wife.  Mare realizes two things: the stranger she saw in the pub was really prince Cal, who will be selecting a wife, and she is in grave danger.  In a chance turn of events, Mare finds herself falling into the arena where the daughters of the most powerful houses are competing for the prince and as her life is in grave danger, she is able to summon electricity from her hands.  She is a never-seen-before red... with silver powers.  You can perhaps imagine where the story goes from there.

Will Mare be able to change the world in which she's grown up?  Will the silvers realize they should view their red brothers and sisters with a bit more respect?  Will there be a love triangle?  You'll have to read this book to find out!

PS - did anyone else read "The Pledge," by Kimberly Derting?  If you did and liked it, you'll totally like "Red Queen" since they're essentially the same book.  OR, if you read "Red Queen" and like it... try the rest of the series (duh), and then try "The Pledge."  Okay, you get the idea.
Here's a clip of the author talking about her book and it's chances of being turned into a movie!

And here is a quick teaser for the book that says the same things as me... only differently. :)

Want to see other books on my Dystopia shelf?  Check them out on Goodreads.com!

Katelynn's bookshelf: dystopia

Carve the Mark

by Veronica Roth

The Forgetting

by Sharon Cameron

United as One

by Pittacus Lore

The Last Star

by Rick Yancey

Burning Midnight

by Will McIntosh

Want to know what t-shirt I would wear if I was going to wear one to show my fandom of this book?  Well here it is!  Mare is thrust into a world of power, but has her own powers to conquer and hone at the same time.  This conquer the storm shirt seems like a perfect fit!