2011 Battle of the Books - Round 1 - Hinds VS Williams-Garcia

Have you read the judges decisions?  Check out what Francisco Stork, Dana Reinhardt, Barry Lyga and Susan Patron have to say about some of this year's books.  Such a mix of writers! I'm happy to say I've read at least one of all of their books and you should too!  Weirdly, I don't really remember what my votes were but I think I'm 3-1.  How are you doing?  Check out some first half of the contest stats at What We Read and Write, such cool charts!

Now, on to the match!

The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds
I have fallen in love with graphic novels.  So much so, that I joined The Graphics Novel Challenge! Oh, sure, I'm not reviewing them but I am reading them! That counts right? Anywho, it's been one billion years since I've read the Odyssey but I must say this was the sexiest version I'd ever encountered.  I mean the guys and ladies are buff! Unfortunately, that's all I can remember right now and I don't have the book here because I lent it to a teacher! Sorry Mr. Hinds!

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
I reviewed this one back in June and you can read my full review.  Here's an excerpt:


"We didn't come for a revolution. We came for breakfast." 


One Crazy Summer was not about the Black Panthers but about family and what it means. How family comes in forms we are not always ready for. How sometimes it just might be necessary to take care of yourself first. Or not.


There were times when I felt Delphine's voice was too grown-up but when I thought about her years of taking care of her younger sisters, of sitting around with Big Ma watching the news, of pretty much raising herself, I understood that she would say those things and act that way. Her eleven year-old inner self was in a battle with her forced to be older behavior.

Winner?
Gareth Hinds does a good job of making an old story seem new and I can see students flocking to this book. I've been creating our graphic novels section - we mostly had manga - by adding titles from ALA's list and other places. This will be included but, Rita Williams-Garcia makes historical fiction interesting.  She details the people instead of the historical event. So, I gotta go for One Crazy Summer.  I know it's won it's share of awards - Newbery Honor, 2011 Notable Children's Book, National Book Award Finalist, and Coretta Scott King Award!  It even won an honor from the students in my Mock Newbery Club!  I really think it deserves to go the next round!

The cover of this book is pretty childish though and I really hope they change that for the paperback! No self-respecting middle schooler wants to pick it up. The Newbery clubbers and I worked hard to get others to read it, including tempting students with Jumped!

I'm giving the nod to
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.


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The 48 Hour Book Challenge - Post 3 - One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer
Rita Williams-Garcia
Amistad/HarperCollins
215 pgs

Delphine and her sisters, Vonetta and Fern, are on their way to Oakland, CA to visit their mother who they haven't seen in 6 years.
"Cecil Johnson--mammal, birth giver, alive, an abandoner - our mother. Statement of fact."

Delphine, the eldest at eleven, had always taken care of her sisters and she didn't really know how to do anything else.  She wasn't sure she wanted to spend 28 days with this woman.  Cecil, AKA Nzila, did not want children.  Then or now.  She warned the girls to stay out of her way.  They were sent to Black Panther meetings in the morning, to get breakfast.  "We didn't come for a revolution.  We came for breakfast." But they met people who would quickly become friends and they learned more about their relationships with each other as well as with the woman who gave them birth and then left over a name.

One Crazy Summer was not about the Black Panthers but about family and what it means.  How family comes in forms we are not always ready for.  How sometimes it just might be necessary to take care of yourself first.  Or not.

There were times when I felt Delphine's voice was too grown-up but when I thought about her years of taking care of her younger sisters, of sitting around with Big Ma watching the news, of pretty much raising herself, I understood that she would say those things and act that way.  Her eleven year-old inner self was in a battle with her forced to be older behavior. 

I give this one 4 copies. Pick it up.

Challenge Update:
Books Read: 1
One crazy Summer By Rita Williams-Garcia
Total pgs.: 215
Total time: 3 hrs 30 min
Reading: 3 hrs
Blogging: 30 min.

The 48 hour Book Challenge - Post 2 - One Crazy Summer

I'm still reading and liking this one.  Not sure if it will fly with middle-graders though.

The writing is fresh and funny and I can relate as I grew up around this time period.  So different from Jumped. 

Challenge Update:
Books read: 0
Total pgs: 116 pg
Time: 2 hrs

And We're Off - The 48 hour Book Challenge - Post 1

I'm 4 hours late! Busy day buying Nooks for the school library. This sets my goal to 26 hours this year!

I'm going to start off with One Crazy Summer. Most of my stack is realistic fiction so I'd better include some fantasy or I wont make it.  I'll see you at 10pm or when I finish the book.  Whichever comes first!
BTW, It's 8pm!

Review - Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

Readin'
Jumped
Rita Williams-Garcia
HarperTeen
Pgs: 168
Rdg Time: 2 hrs

Writin'
This is the story of Trina, Dominique, and Leticia. We follow them around school one day. Dominique, the ball player, who uses force to get what she wants, Trina, or Cute Trina, who uses her looks to get what she wants, and Leticia, who blames everyone else for not having what she wants. Dominique can't play because her grades have fallen and her teacher won't change the grade. Leticia has to take zero hour math and French I and the guidance counselor won't switch classes. Trina is walking around being Trina but she sets the action in motion.


Rithmetic'
The story rotates among the main characters and each have a distinct way of speaking. I could actually "hear" their voices!

You have Dominique Duncan, the "boy-girl":

"I'm a yard with a big-ass sign: DO NOT TRESPASS. It's that simple." p. 33

Cute Trina who believes all the girls want to be like her and all the boys want to be with her.

"Its like the world can witness your greatness and you don't have to say a word" p.84

And Leticia who doesn't want to take responsibility for herself or anyone else.
"What Principal Bates should do is find a song called "Mind Your Business." If people minded their business everything would be straight." p.72

Williams-Garcia keeps the story rolling and you get to know each character a little better each time they speak. The pictures form in your head and you know them. I enjoyed the pacing and the story has a lot of everyday humor to offset the feeling of doom. You know we are racing towards something but we actually enjoy ourselves on the way there. There were so many times that I found myself smiling or laughing or writing down quotes. I enjoyed the insight into the teachers, the guidance counselors, and the absent Bea, who was at work.

I found the plot realistic. Sometimes what we see as small stuff is enough to set someone else off. Each person brings his or her own schema and somewhere in there, is something only they know about.


**********SPOILER ALERT*****************************



The ending was spot on - no one changes overnight! This is real and it didn't make me mad because the rest of the book fit right in, no neat wrap up necessary!


**********END SPOILER ALERT********************


This book was thought-provoking and entertaining and something I must buy for the library. It has 4 copies written all over it. It is YA though for some sexuality which is only alluded to not explained nor explored. All in all, a great read. Again, I say 4 copies!

Are you my Newbery:
IMHO, I don't think this will go for Newbery. I think the mature themes make it more of a Printz contender. I hope to see it on the shortlist for one of these though.

Favorite Lines:

"I see how it all relates to my life because every other day I'm up a tree pushing some loser to his eventual death, then breaking out into a soliloquy." p. 39

"He's teaching his teacher heart out. He's funny as hell to watch but I get it. He just wants to play his full game." p. 59

"By closing my folder she clicks the power off on the remote, signifying The Leticia Comedy Hour is over." p. 77

"Pretty cheerleaders with bouncy hair and pom-poms are a necessity." p. 106

Funny stuff! I must find more Rita Williams-Garcia!