The Unfortunate Son

Often Luc feels like he is incredibly unlucky.  After all, he was born with only one ear and his father seems to despise him.  But when he becomes an apprentice to a fisherman Luc feels that his luck might be changing.  It turns out that he has a real talent for life at sea, and soon his nets are full.  He develops strong bonds with Pons, the old fisherman, his sister Mattie, and Beatrice, the daughter of a disgraced knight whom Pons and Mattie care for.  Life as a fisherman is simple, but for the first time Luc is truly happy.  But Luc's luck changes again for the worst when he is kidnapped at sea and sold into slavery in Africa.  Luc's situation could certainly be worse - his master is a kind and respected man who gives Luc a wonderful education - but even under these favorable circumstances Luc is still a slave and fears that he may never be able to return to his home in France.  Meanwhile, Beatrice is determined that Luc be found and in so doing uncovers a secret about his origins that would change his life forever...if only they knew where Luc was. 

 

Set at the turn of the 16th Century primarily in France, author Constance Leeds has crafted a masterful piece of historical fiction in the form of The Unfortunate Son.  The writing is filled with so many little details about life in this time and place.  Each and every one of the characters is well-developed and likable.  The plot is filled with equal parts adventure and intrigue with a dash of subtle humor thrown in for good measure.  Most intriguing is the way that this book gets readers to think:  How does one deal with an unfortunate situation?  What does it really mean to be lucky or unlucky? 

 

This book remains on Elizabeth Bird's list of picks for the 2013 Newbery, and I'll agree that this book is certainly deserving.  Great writing, the setting, unique plotting, and interesting characters help this title stand out from the crowd and make it truly "distinguished."

 

Overall Grade:  A

Holds That Need Placing

My library is in the process of switching over to a new computer system.  This system hosts the library's catalog, allows us to check items in and out, keeps records of all of our patrons, allows us to add new items to the catalog, and of course, lets us place holds on items that are not currently available and/or that we need to get from other libraries.  Unfortunately, as we transition to the new system we have to temporarily give up certain tasks that we would normally do with the catalog to make the data transfer easier.  Three weeks ago we were forced to stop placing holds.

I didn't quite realize how much I relied on the ability to place holds until it was taken away.  In the meantime I have compiled a list of books that I desperately want to place on hold once we go live again:

My Truck Is Stuck by Kevin Lewis
I Love Trucks! by Philemon Sturges
I'm planning a truck-themed storytime that will happen only six days after go live, and I need these two books to read to my preschoolers.  Here's hoping that they arrive in time or I'll have to resort to my less-fun backups.

The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie
Another picture book that I'd like to use in an upcoming storytime.  It's one of my favorite storytime read-alouds.

Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
I'm super excited whenever Lemony Snicket (pen name for the glorious Daniel Handler) has a new book out because I love his brand of smart humor.  I'm especially excited because this book is the first in a new series that will document the life of a young Lemony Snicket (the character, not the "author") before his involvement with the awesome "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
This books is the sequel to A Tale Dark and Grimm. Probably won't win any awards, though it did find a place on the Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2012 list. Mostly I'm excited to read because of the fairy tale genre and because I liked the first book so much.

Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Obed
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
These three books are what currently remains on my list of highly acclaimed and/or potentially award-worthy books that I need to read before the end of the year.  And the sooner the better - my library system does a Mock Newbery event and I'll want to have these read before we meet.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
I mentioned both of these books in an earlier post detailing some YA titles I was dying to get my hands on. Should have placed my holds on these books then.

Reached by Ally Condie
I go back and forth on how excited I am about this final installment to the "Matched" trilogy.  But I should really get my name on the super-long hold list soon or I'll never get my hands on it.

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
This is next month's pick for my teen book club.  I need to place holds on about eight copies of the book so that I can give them to my teens. 

Looking for the Best of 2012?

I'm not the only one who's trying to decide what the best books published in 2012 were - lots of other names in the business are starting to produce their own lists.  If you're looking for the best in children's list be sure to peruse these websites:

Publisher's Weekly has a great list of book in lot of categories, both for adults and children.  Lots of great books to be found here, including a number of picture books that had slipped under my radar.

My children's lit blogging hero, Elizabeth Bird, recently posted her fall list of likely Newbery and Caldecott Medal contenders.  Betsy posts her picks three times each year - once in spring, once in summer, and again in fall - and it's interesting to see how her choices change as the year progresses.

On Goodreads, readers are invited to vote for their favorite books as part of the annual Goodreads Choice Awards.  Readers can vote in any of a number of categories for adults, teens, and children.  The nominated books for these awards are fascinating because they really take reader approval into account, not just the opinions of professional book critics.

Seen any other "Best of 2012" lists?  Please share your finds in the comments.  My own list of personal favorites will appear on this blog at the end of December.

Not a Biography

A woman came in today and asked if we had any books about Justin Bieber for her daughter.  Apparently she needed such a thing for a book report.  Unfortunately for her, the few books we have about the pop singer were checked out.  I asked:

"Can I help you find something else?  Does your daughter need a biography for her report?"
"No, she doesn't need a biography.  She needs a book about a famous person."

...

Oh boy.

Guitar Notes

Lyla seems to be perfect.  She gets perfect grades, has perfect friends, and plays the cello perfectly.  But despite how wonderful things seem, Lyla isn't happy with her life.  Tripp, on the other hand, is more of a loner with his own issues whose only comfort - his guitar - has been taken away by his mother in the hopes that he'll make some friends without the guitar crutch.  The two find themselves sharing a practice room at school, with Tripp using the room on odd days and Lyla on even days.  What begins as a few notes about practice room etiquette (please throw away your trash) soon evolves into an unlikely friendship as they bond over Tripp's borrowed guitar.  Lyla and Tripp share secrets with each other and challenge each other to write songs and to look at their music in different ways.  But circumstances and well-meaning parents threaten to end Tripp and Lyla's friendship just as it is starting to flourish. 

In Guitar Notes, author Mary Amatto has created a wonderful story of friendship.  It was great to get at the emotional core of both of these characters and see how two people who seem so different really do have much in common.  And how many teen books can you think of where friendship is the central, driving theme of the story?  Not many.  I greatly appreciate that Tripp and Lyla's relationship never evolves into romance so that we can focus on the frienship that both characters so desperately need.  The story is told in alternating viewpoints and includes Tripp and Lyla's notes, text messages, e-mails, and song lyrics.

Overall Grade:  B+

So Many Books...

As the end of the year is approaching, I've been trying desperately to read as many good books as I can in the hopes that I will a) be able to start fresh with 2013 titles when it comes time to flip the calendar, and b) have read a few award winners and won't have to play catch-up when awards are announced in January.  It's a tough but enjoyable process.  There are so many great books out there, and so little time to sit down and read!  Here are a few young adult titles that I'm hoping to sneak in very soon:

Shadow and Bone by Leign Badugo
The bones of the plot sounds a little familiar:  Ordinary girl discovers that she has mysterious powers.  Girl tries to learn to use said powers.  The plot thickens with intrigue and romance.  But predictable plots rarely get glowing starred reviews, so I'm looking forward to this one.  The Russian influences on the setting seem especially intriguing.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Set in the 1920s, Evie finds herself living in New York City with her uncle, who is the curator for the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. Evie is soon helping to investigate some occult-based murders. Add in a dose of "mysterious power" and we have ourselves the the recipe for an intriguing story.

Call the Shots by Don Calame
I love Don Calame's books. He's my go-to author for boys looking for something funny and I've been looking forward to this book ever since last year's Beat the Band. This time the gang has decided to make their own low-budget horror film. Antics and hilarity ensue.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Samantha's life seems very safe and calm, while Jase's family next door is loud and boisterous.  Of course, the two teens fall hard for each other.  Then tragedy strikes.  Elements of this book sound a bit like Jo Knowles' See You At Harry's, which I loved, and probably adds to my draw to this novel.

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Last year's Daughter of Smoke and Bone blew my mind with a story that began with the words, "Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love.  It did not end well."  I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel ever since.  Karou is a highly likable heroine and I need to know what happens next in the angel/chimera war. 

Does anyone out there have any other must-read YA titles from 2012 to share?  I'm definitely interested in adding to this list...