Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

 

The story of the Titanic is one that we all know, but Stacey Lee gives us a new perspective on that fated voyage with Luck of the Titanic.

Valora Luck dreams of escaping London and becoming a circus performer with her brother in New York City. Although she has a ticket for the Titanic, she's turned away at the gate because she's Chinese and the US has recently passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. Thus begins her ruse - she drapes herself in a mourning veil and sneaks aboard as a widowed English aristocrat. Once onboard, she must deftly navigate her two identities - her real one, as a Chinese-British acrobat desperate to convince her brother to join her once they get to New York- and her fake identity as an imperious upperclass London socialite.  The deep striations in society are highlighted by the differences between the third class and first class experiences on the ship; Valora is charismatic and is able to move between the two worlds with relative ease, but she knows that she (and her new Chinese friends) are constantly on the brink of being found out.

And then, of course, tragedy strikes. We all know how the story ends, but I was surprised by how this story ended. Historical fiction fans will enjoy this one. 

They Went Left by Monica Hesse

 

I have read many, many, many books set during World War II. It's rare, though, to find one set just after the war ended; They Went Left captures the chaos and complete disintegration of society that was left in the wake of World War II. 

For three years, Zofia managed to survive in the Gross-Rosen concentration camp.  She knows that her parents are dead, so when the camp is liberated in 1945, her only thought is of reuniting with her younger brother, Abek. With the help of a Russian soldier, she makes her way back to the only house she and her family ever knew. In a jarring scene, she finds that everything is the same, but completely different. Her brother, though, is not there, so she sets off on foot to find him.

Zofia is something of an unreliable narrator, but Hesse's descriptive writing gently reveals the truth of the heartbreaking realities that Zofia and other displaced persons experienced.  Although this is a painful read, it is not without hope. They Went Left provides today's readers with a look at a unique time in history and for me, it was interesting to experience Zofia's uncertainty and fear as a reader in the midst of a pandemic. Historical fiction readers will find much to appreciate in this North Star YA Award nominee. 

The Degenerates by J. Albert Mann

Set in the early 19th century in the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded, The Degenerates is an eye-opening story based on real events.  Rose, Maxine, Alice and London are all "patients" at what is effectively a prison - although none of them have done anything wrong.  Despite their differences, they band together to survive the incredibly harsh conditions of their institutionalization, the bullies who torment them and their tenuous dreams of escape.  

Each of the characters has been sent to the "School" for transgressions against society - Maxine was caught kissing another girl, her sister Rose was born with Down Syndrome, Alice has talipes equinovarus, or a clubfoot, and London is fourteen, unwed and pregnant.  They are an unlikely crew, but their bond is fierce, protective and even funny, at times, despite their dire and dangerous situation.  

Mann has crafted a beautiful narrative that shows readers how love can not just endure, but indeed strengthen, in the darkness.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/18/16

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.

One of my big lifetime dreams came true last weekend when I attended the ALA Midwinter Conference and the Youth Media Awards.  The Oscars have nothing on kid lit awards!  It was an amazing experience and although I was befuddled initially by the Newbery Medal winner (a picture book?!), I am coming around on that choice after having shared The Last Stop on Market Street with students.  They have loved it and wholeheartedly endorsed the Newbery committee decision, which has been rather eye opening for me.  Perhaps the kids have a more organic sense of what the Newbery Medal means!

I had been feeling a little bit burned out on reading recently (a new experience for me) but The Sound of Life and Everything by Krista Van Dolzer snapped me out of it.  This is a really unique, thought-provoking book and I loved it.  

Set in California shortly after World War II, The Sound of Life and Everything After blends the line between historical fiction and science fiction because although it is set in the past, scientists and doctors have discovered how to bring people back to life using DNA.  Ella lost her brother Daniel and her cousin Robby in the war; her aunt is determined to bring Robby back to life with the help of the mysterious Dr. Franks.  A shocking thing happens, though.  Instead of Robby, the person who returns to life is Japanese.  Convinced that this man is the one who killed Robby, Ella's aunt wants nothing to do with him.  Ella and her mother, though, feel both sympathy and tenderness for this new/old person and they bring him home to care for him.  

Their decision is met by outrage by both their family and the community.  Xenophobia and racism are the expected reactions to a Japanese man (especially one thought to be the killer of Robby), but Ella remains steadfast in her care for Takuma.  Despite the horrific behavior of adults and kids alike, Ella lets her heart feel love for this mysterious being and in so doing, changes her family and her community.

The Sound of Life and Everything feels like such a timely read to me.  It asks us how we can transform fear into love and grief into hope.  The ending is poignant - extremely so - and the characters are unforgettable and I highly recommend this book!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 11/2/15

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.

If I had to pick one genre as my favorite, I would have to go with historical fiction.  As a children's librarian, this is a bit unfortunate, because it can be hard to convince elementary-aged kids to invest in reading about the past.  If the topic is "exciting" enough (think: World War II), historical fiction will sell itself, but books that take place during quieter or less well known times require a bit of a leap of faith for many middle grade readers.  Often, kids are missing the background knowledge needed to make sense of the setting, so they are often wonderful read alouds, as an adult reader can fill in the gaps that kids might have.

This week I read a brand new historical fiction title that I loved.  Sara Joiner's debut novel is After the Ashes, set on the island of Java in the 1880s, at the time of the eruption of Krakatua.  While I had a vague knowledge of Krakatua (or Krakatoa), After the Ashes made it real to me in the way that only historical fiction can.  

Katrien Courtland is Dutch by ancestry, but Indonesian in every other way.  She has lived her whole life on Java, and feels most at home in the jungle, studying the plants, animals and insects that live there.  She is an unusual girl for the time and place - obsessed with Darwin's theory of natural selection, more interested in spending time with her native friend than in fashion and social niceties.   She is being raised by her father and her aunt (after the death of her mother) and they grow increasingly concerned about making her into a proper Dutch young lady.  Katrien has no interest in that and is resolute about her scientific experiments and study.  Everything changes in an instant, though, when Krakatua erupts.  Suddenly, Katrien's life is turned upside down (literally) and her knowledge of nature becomes lifesaving.  

Joiner's description of the island post-Krakatua is stark and shocking and it is hard to imagine a disaster of such a magnitude.  Although it is not war, I think that I'll be able to "sell" this book to kids based on the survival/adventure angle.  Hopefully, once in, they'll be invested to finish this unique offering by first time author Joiner.

Other books I read this week and enjoyed:

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/11/15

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.

After a rather lengthy blogging vacation, I'm back!  My blogging hiatus helped me realize that I read too much to try to extensively review all the books I read.  So, in this new, improved version of my blog, I am only going to highlight one (or maybe two, if I can't help myself) book from the previous week.  I'll continue to review books on GoodReads, but here at Bibliothecary Prescriptions I'm going to really just focus on my favorite books, or maybe those that are the most thought-provoking or question-inducing.  So, without further ado...

Pam Munoz Ryan's latest book, Echo, is truly magnificent.  It is getting lots of Newbery buzz and was starred by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews.  Oddly, I was a little bit reluctant to read it.  It is HUGE, and I mean HUGE, coming in at almost 600 pages.  Generally I don't shy away from long books, but I know that many of my upper elementary student readers do.  So, I didn't want to waste my time reading a book that my students won't touch simply because it is so long.  Having read it, though, I now know that the trick will be convincing them that despite its heft, this is a surprisingly quick read.  Once I picked it up (sitting outside in the sun, which was an astonishing thing to be able to do here in mid-coast Maine after an epic winter), I truly couldn't put it down and finished it over the course of a weekend.

Echo is a beautiful blend of fairy tale, fantasy and historical fiction.  It opens and ends with a fairy tale and sandwiched in between are three different stories, all tied together by one unique harmonica.  The three middle stories take place just before through just after World War II.  Without giving too much away, I will only say that the voices of Friedrich, Mike and Ivy are all distinct and unique.  Ryan captures something beautiful and lonely in each of them.  One extraordinary, magical harmonica unites them and  readers can feel, almost viscerally, how music can bring comfort even in the most desperate of situations.  The end of this book - don't worry, no spoilers here - is truly brilliant, breathtaking, astonishing... all the superlatives that can be applied to a book.  

I love this book.  Now, my challenge as a children's librarian is to figure out how to convince my middle grade students that 600 pages is not too many when the story is this extraordinary!

It's Monday! What are You Reading? 12/8/14

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.

I'm behind on my blogging, so here's what I've been reading of late:


The Perfect Place

Sparkers

The Map to Everywhere

Saving Lucas Biggs

Nightmares!

Boys in Blur

Seven Stories Up

Like Water on Stone

Hunt for the Bamboo Rat

Winter Bees

A Sudden Light

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 11/10/14

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.

Here are some highlights from my last week or so of reading:

Recommended for gr. 6-12

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander: 
What a wonderful voice for middle school readers!  Josh Bell plays basketball and the words on the pages of this book express the lyricism of the game.  It's not just about basketball, though.  I was impressed by how deftly Alexander wove themes of family and friendship into this poetic narrative, and all does not end happily, to my surprise.  I appreciate it when authors have the nerve to inject sorrow into the end of their books - it's rare and I know that not everyone likes it, but to me it feels true to life.  Alexander manages to do sorrow without being depressing, which is a feat!





Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana:

Recommended for gr. 5-8

It's interesting that 2014 brought more than one exceptional Hurricane Katrina book to the world of children's literature.  I loved Rodman Philbrick's Zane and the Hurricane and I thought it was going to be hard to top it in terms of emotional impact, but Lamana's story is both brutal and realistic.  Readers who felt that Philbrick's treatment of the subject contained a few too many coincidences and and an unrealistic happy ending might appreciate Lamana's hopeful yet honest conclusion.  The characters in Upside Down and in the Middle of Nowhere will stay with readers for a very long time. 

Recommended for gr. 5-8

The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell:
Mending magic, curses, saints and princesses - this is a rich fantasy with both fairy tale and dystopian elements.  The two main characters, children from very different backgrounds who are stuck together in a castle guarded by malevolent thorns, are both sympathetic and realistically flawed.  The world that they create behind the castle walls is lovely and magical.  Fantasy readers will delight in this beautifully written and well imagined tale.

Recommended for gr. 8-12

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia 
by Candace Fleming:
Another winner by Fleming!  This is a very fascinating account of the end of the Romanov family rule in Russia.  While it is ostensibly a family biography, Fleming provides a vast backstory, including information about the Russian society, politics, religion, history and economy.  I was captivated and now have a few other Romanov books on my "to read" list.


 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 10/27/14

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.

The Here and Now

Prenna is a time traveler from a future devastated by climate change and a plague. When she lands in 2014, she must adapt to the rules of the leaders of the travelers, but she breaks all of them when she befriends Ethan, a “regular” boy. Creepy and romantic, this is a timely and eery read.

Operation Bunny

Operation Bunny started a little bit slowly for me, but once it got rolling it was hilarious and hard to put down. The main character befriends a giant magic cat and together they seek to save a group of fairies. Sounds wacky and it is - in all the right ways.  And finally, a cat hero to cheer on!

The Princess and the Foal

This exceeded my expectations and I think the cover and title slightly misrepresent the depth of the story (although maybe that’s a good thing because it looks fluffier than it is and some kids who wouldn’t otherwise pick it up might be drawn in by the horse and the princess).  It's based on the real life princess of Jordan, Haya, who is a very sympathetic and likable character.  Her story is pretty amazing as she defies stereotypes and inspires those around her.  

Tell Me

Anna is spending the summer with her grandmother while her parents work out their marital problems. She witnesses what appears to be a girl being held against her will and resolves to rescue this mystery girl with “baby animal eyes.”  I usually love Bauer's work, but some of the plot curves in this one were pretty far fetched; nevertheless, the author's reputation and the cover will help this book find middle grade readers.

Caminar

A beautiful poetic narrative set in Guatemala at the start of the civil war.  Carlos is in the jungle when the army sweeps into his village, massacring everyone who is there.  He decides to continue up the mountain to his grandmother’s village, befriending a group of rebels along the way. The beauty of this book is in the way the writing captures the intensity and brutality of this moment in time without overwhelming Carlos’ voice. It's an extremely heavy topic, but the poetry, somehow, remains light.

Arcady's Goal 

Set in Stalinist Russia, Arcady is in an orphanage for children of “enemies of the state” until he is adopted by a somewhat mysterious but kind man. Arcady dreams of playing soccer for the Red Army team and hopes that his adoption will help facilitate this dream. Eugene Yelchin's unique illustrations capture the mood of the time and place beautifully, adding immeasurably to an already rich story.  Now that I've read this one, I plan to go back and read Yelchin's 2012 Newbery Honor winner, Breaking Stalin's Nose.  Like Caminar, Arcady's Goal is set in a heavy and horrible time, and the author does not gloss over the horror, but instead provides a very human face for an inexplicable era.  

Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 10/6/14

Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee for inspiring and hosting the #IMWAYR meme.


Finally, a middle grade fantasy with cats!  Given the title and topic of The Forbidden Library, I thought it might be one of those books that appeals more to librarians than anyone else. As it turns out, though, it is a rich fantasy with a sympathetic protagonist and some interesting (and shady) secondary characters.  Set in a Victorian-era-esque time, Alice overhears her father being threatened by a menacing fairy shortly before his death. She is sent to live with an “uncle” who has a creepy, magical library. Before long, she is entering books (à la Inkheart) and trying to figure out who is friend and who is foe.  One of the more endearing characters in this rich book is Ashes, a talking cat (or, as he likes to remind Alice, half cat).  Like so many other characters in this story, Ashes is not clearly good or clearly evil - his identity keeps shifting, keeping readers guessing about his intentions.  The Forbidden Library appears to be the first in a planned series and I look forward to the next one!



Tony Abbott has published ninety nine books.  Yes,  ninety nine!  He has it down.  His latest series, The Copernicus Legacy starts with The Forbidden Stone.  In it, four preteens and one dad head to Europe to attend the unexpected funeral of Uncle Henry, an astronomy professor who has, as it turns out, been murdered.  One of the kids has a star chart given to him years before by Uncle Henry; quickly the group realizes that the chart holds the key to a tremendous, deadly mystery.  Together, they try to solve it.   For whatever reason, I had a hard time feeling invested in this quest.  The characters all worked well, but their mission itself never quite became cohesive to me.  This may be because The Forbidden Stone is only the first of a planned twelve book series and it is just getting off the ground.



The most astonishing thing about Just Jake is that it was written by a 7th grader (Jake himself).  Jake is living at the pinnacle of "awesomeness" when his family must abruptly move from Florida to Maryland, where he is decidedly less cool.  He slowly makes inroads with his new peers, constantly assessing the best way to become cool once again.  The format of this book is very friendly, with cartoons, sketches and photographs embedded throughout.  For readers who enjoyed The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and are ready for a slightly older narrator, this will be a hit!







Finally, I was thrilled to receive an advance readers copy of Anita Diamant's The Boston Girl from NetGalley.   I've read a few of Anita Diamant's books and my memory of them is that they are a bit tome-like.  The Boston Girl was much lighter, easier, in a sense, to read.  It takes place in Boston in the early 20th century and it is really the coming of age story of three sisters who are daughters of immigrants.  The narrator, Addie, is the youngest daughter and she yearns to escape the confines of her parents' rigid upbringing and the constrictions placed on women in the early 1900s.  Through her eyes, we see the way a woman, a family, a city and the world change over the course of close to one hundred years.



Now that the (Red Sox) baseball season is over, I'm happily becoming even more of a book geek.  Happy reading to all!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/24/14

I am excited to be a part of the conversation at #IMWAYR! Thank you to Sheila, Jen and Kellee
for inspiring and hosting this meme.

I've been taking a little blogging hiatus, but I've been busy reading and reviewing.  Last weekend the Maine Student Book Award committee met and finalized the MSBA list.  It is exceptionally difficult (way more so than I realized) to create a balanced list that will appeal to a wide variety of readers.  I love many of the titles on this year's list and I'm looking forward to sharing and discussing them with my students.

Now, it's on to books with a 2014 copyright!  I've been treating myself to a few adult books, but also trying to get a jump on next year's MSBA possibilities.   So, this is what I've been reading:

For grades 7+

Threatened, Elliot Schrefer’s follow up to Endangered, does not disappoint.  Set in Gabon, Luc is indentured to Prof.,  a mysterious man who says he wants to be Africa’s own “janegoodall.”  Together they venture deep into the jungle to observe and study chimps.  Luc’s painful loneliness after losing his family, his bravery and fear and his growing friendship with Prof. are all beautifully rendered.  The setting is extraordinary and feels like a character all of its own and the chimps are fascinating.  I loved this book.

For grades 3-6

Wanderville, by Wendy McClude tells the story of three kids who, through differing tragic circumstances, end up on the orphan train headed to Kansas. Terrified by the stories they hear about what will happen to them when they are “adopted” they jump off the train and find themselves adopted by Alexander, a boy who has created his own little utopia in the woods. This is an easy reading Boxcar-esque first in a series that I think middle grade readers will enjoy.

For grades 5-8

Piers Torday's The Last Wild is a dystopian fantasy about a boy named Kester who can’t speak to humans, but who can communicate silently with the few animals that are left in the world after “the red eye” killed off most of them.  He teams with a group of animals, including a beautiful and fierce stag, a mischievous wolf cub, a cockroach called “General” and a flock of pigeons to try to save the world from both disease and evil humans.   I loved the characters, both animal and human, in this imaginative tale.

My adult reading was pretty heavy hitting this past week - both Susan Minot's Thirty Girls and Alex Myers' Revolutionary are memorable for their contrasting darkness and light.