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 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'.
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:
