I Wanna Be Your Shoebox

Christina Garcia seems to have created the ultimate in non-didactic multicultural literature in the central character of her novel I Wanna Be Your Shoebox. Yumi Ruiz-Hirsch is part Cuban, part Japanese, and part Jewish. But she is also part musician, part surfer, and part historian. Yumi's eighth grade year seems to be more than a little filled up. Within the span of a few months, she has found out that her school will be cutting her beloved orchestra from its budget, her mother is remarrying, and her grandfather is dying. As Yumi listens to her grandfather Saul tell his life story, she also begins to learn to fight for the things she wants as she works with her classmates, father, and soon-to-be step-father to organize a punk rock orchestra fundraiser. She also quickly realizes that life doesn't always turn out the way you planned - sometimes you just have to make do the best you can and join in the dance.

Episodes from Yumi's year are beautifully described by the author, who was a National Book Award finalist in 1992 for her adult novel Dreaming in Cuban. Garcia's experience as an adult author shine though clearly in her first mid-grade novel, giving Yumi's narration a literary tone that will appeal to most, but could potentially turn away some less-experienced, less-patient readers. Overall, however, this novel's characters are beautifully drawn and Yumi's adventures show a delicious combination of youthful vigor and wise understanding. Saul's own narration of his life story, presented at the end of each chapter, is given a very distinct voice which makes his character stand out and adds a dynamic all its own as the reader learns along with Yumi about how his experiences have shaped the man he became.

Overall Grade: A-

The London Eye Mystery

The London Eye Mystery is a thrilling tale of a boy named Salim who gets on the famous London "Ferris Wheel," but never exits the ride. Now it is up to Salim's cousins Ted and Kat to figure out what happened to him. Ted and Kat come up with a list of theories as to what may have happened to their cousin, but nothing seems quite right. Did he simply stay on for a second trip around the Eye? Is it possible he simply got lost in the crowd? Did he spontaneously combust? The two of them slowly use their intuition to follow the clues - not all of which are obvious on the first go - and figure out what happened to Salim.

Ted's characterization is especially well done. He suffers from an unnamed syndrome that affects the way he socializes and the way he thinks about things, which clever readers may conclude to be a form of autism known as Asberger's Syndrome. Ted's syndrome provides him with a very unique way of looking at the world around him and offers a fairly unique, yet truthful perspective on his own and his family's reactions to Salim's disappearance. Through a combination of Ted's unique mindset and beautifully metaphoric writing, author Siobhan Dowd has created a gripping tale about love, loss, and family that will appeal to upper-elementary and teen readers.

Overall Grade: A

Goodreads.com

I've recently been given a whirlwind tour of goodreads.com, and I'm in love. It's a great place to keep track of the books that you've read (or the books you want to read...). You can then rate each book on a five-star scale, or even write your own review of the book. Users can also compare the books that they have read and ranked with their friends to see how similar their tastes are, or how much their opinions of the books match up.

This is a great website for avid readers! You not only have a place to share your opinions on books that you've read, but also a means of looking at other books that you may enjoy. For example, if you have a friend on Goodreads whose taste you trust, you can look to see what they've read to give you ideas for what to look for next. And if you're like me and read lots of books, having a list of the one's you've already tried has the great potential to be helpful when you just can't remember what that book's title was.

I try to post a book review here about once a week or so, but I really read a lot more books than that on average. If anyone else is curious to see what else I've been reading lately, feel free to take a look at my profile on Goodreads and browse my "bookshelves." Maybe you'll see something else there that you'll enjoy!

Becca at Sea

The episodic tale Becca at Sea describes one girl's series of adventures at her grandmother's house throughout the year. Becca's grandmother lives on an island off of the Canadian coast, lending to the story a very cozy and unique environment filled with midnight swims, oysters, and seals. In every adventure, Becca is able to come out on top and save the day. By the book's end, Becca has come to realize just how capable of a person she really is and just how much she has grown in the past year.

While the book is beautifully written, the episodic nature may be problematic for very young readers. Some elements, such as the impending arrival of Becca's new baby sibling and Becca's aunt's budding yet troubled romance with the local plumber, weave their way in and out of each story, but as a general rule a new adventure begins with each chapter with much time sometimes passing between events. Whether or not readers view this as a pro or con is a matter of personal preference. What all readers will certainly agree on is that author Deirdre Baker has created a beautifully inviting setting for Becca's story, one that will make this book stand out from other coming-of-age or new-sibling stories for this age group.

Overall Grade: A-

Twilight Movie

I finally made it to see Twilight yesterday! I actually really enjoyed it. Yes, it was a cheesy low-budget teen film, but it was highly entertaining and stuck very nicely to the book.

Especially Nice Things:
-Robert Pattnison (Edward) was much more attractive and far less over-drawn than I expected from what I saw of the movie posters.
-Billy Burke (Charlie) was excellent. And uber-feminists will be happy that they didn't have Bella slaving over a hot stove for him. :P

Especially Obnoxious Things:
-Kristen Stewert (Bella) really needs to see a respiratory therapist. She kept breathing deeply and gasping in really random places. It was probably supposed to help build tension, but it really just made me laugh.
-Every last one of the boy vampires, save Emmett, needed a haircut. The whole windblown thing was just a little crazy. Jasper's was especially bad.
-I actually did not like the scene where Bella revealed that she knew that Edward was a vampire. Too much gasping (seriously, give the girl an inhaler) and Edward was much too crabby. It was too bad considering that scene in the meadow (which they worked into this scene) was so good in the book.

My Dad's a Birdman

In My Dad's a Birdman, author David Almond's first book for young readers, we meet a young girl named Lizzie whose very eccentric father is building wings so that he can fly like a bird. Everyone, including Lizzie's dumpling-obsessed Aunt Doreen, is sure that Lizzie's father is off his rocker is will only get himself and Lizzie into trouble or even seriously hurt. Lizzie, however, ultimately joins her father on his quest to enter the Great Human Bird Competition and discover a way to make his dreams really take flight.

The wacky characterizations are very reminiscent of Roald Dahl's writing, while the bright illustrations by Polly Dunbar remind us of Quentin Blake. Readers will realize that while Aunt Doreen may be logically correct - that flying is best left to the birds - in the end it is really more important that Lizzie and her dad try their best. After all:

"It doesn't matter if we fly of if we fall. We've got each other. We're doing it together. That's all that matters."

Overall Grade: B