Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella - Review

Mini Shopaholic
Sophie Kinsella
Bantam Press/Random House UK
September 2010

Mini Shopaholic opens with letters from Minnie's playgroup, including one telling Rebecca that there won't be any dress up clothes for adults.  We then move into our very first Minnie vs. Rebecca showdown where she's trying to convince herself that Minnie is NOT difficult and can't have everything she wants.  Rebecca institutes "pocket money" for two-year old Minnie and precedes to give Minnie "advances" so she can learn the value of budgeting.  HA!  Minnie's behavior is so out of control that she gets ousted from her fourth Santa's wonderland type place and they decide to call in "Nanny Sue" the equivalent to our Super Nanny.

In the meantime, The Bank of London crashes and everyone has to cut back. Rebecca has agreed to wear everything in her closet THREE times before she can buy anything new.  And she can't believe some of the things she's bought.  Rebecca also wants to throw Luke a surprise birthday party since he never celebrates but she has to do so on a budget.  She starts planning by going to the pound shop (dollar store here) and getting party invites. Too bad they already have a  name written on them and it's not Luke!

All the while, Becky and Luke are trying to find a house and each one they love falls through for some reason, including having "stolen" bedrooms.  They live with Rebecca's parents, who look forward to the day they move out.  It's gets so out of hand, Becky pretends they find a house and decides they should move out.

It's really difficult to relay the fun, witty tone that runs throughout Shopaholic.   I mean, Becky comes up with this Shop in Private plan that allows women to shop and have their purchases sent home in a computer paper box or delivered to the house at a "suitable specified time (i.e. when no one else is in.)"
or
"Is this how he thinks a marriage works? With one person knowing a movie star and not telling the other one?"

There are also letters throughout the text that are replies to Becky from a variety of places including the Central Departmental Unit for Money Policy since she keeps trying to give them tips on how to run the country.  I wish I had read the other ones in the series because I really enjoyed this one.  I will look for Kinsella's Undomestic Goddess because that sounds like a lot of fun, too. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good time, with a book.

Thank you to Random House UK for this ARC.

The Sunday Salon - Mock Newbery Club

I'm running my first student Mock Newbery book club this year.  I went on our school news, WDMS, and directed students to a Google Form on my staff blog.  I have 17 students signed up so far!  I'm so excited.  This will be my second year assisting Kris Springer, Children's Manager, at St Joseph Countly Public Library with her Mock Newbery club and last year I did one with some of the teachers at our school.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this will work.


Since Kris has actually been on the Newbery Committee and has done her club for five years, I'll be running my club very similar to the way she does hers!  I've only changed a few of the main reading selections.  We will meet once a month until December and then twice in January for voting.  

Here are our selections:

October

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine
Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

The Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia


November
Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Saving Sky by Diane Stanley
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood


December
Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata
Scumble by Ingrid Law
Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord
Cardturner by Louis Sachar


Students read at least 3 books per month and there are more titles on an extras list. Students are encouraged to read as much as possible from all lists! I will try to read ALL of the titles from both the main selections and the extras list.  


Are there any crucial books you think I've missed?  Students can suggest additional titles and I'm asking that you do that too!  Please remember that books had to be published in 2010 and are for children up to ages 14.

Cybils!

I am super excited to announce I will be a second round judge on the Cybils YA Panel!  Yay!! 

What are the Cybils?  It's the Children and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards.  The cool thing about the Cybils is they look for books that have both child appeal and literary merit.  These are the books I KNOW my students will read and enjoy. And so will I!

What Now?

Book nominations will run from October 1 - October 15.
You can nominate one book in each genre.  Books should be published from October 16, 2009 to September 30, 2010. 

What is the best MG and YA books you've read that fit those criteria?

Round 1 judges will be reading like crazy and announce their short list on New Year's Day! Happy New Year, here are some books to read!

Round 2 judges will read those books and announce the winners on Valentine's Day! I Love You and I love these books!

This is truly an honor for me.  I've followed the Cybils longer than I've followed the Newbery or Printz awards! And as a past NF MG/YA panelist, I know how much time and attention these bloggers put into finding the best books! That's one of the reasons they post all the past finalists on the right hand side of the blog, these are the books you want to buy for your library or classroom.  Print out one (or all) of the lists posted in the Cybils right side bar and start shopping! 

Don't forget to nominate some books!

Amigas: Fifteen Candles by Veronica Chambers - Review

Amigas: Fifteen Candles
Veronica Chambers
Hyperion
May 2010

Alicia Cruz never had a quinceaneras, the traditional cultural ceremony that many Latinas participate in to celebrate their daughter's becoming fifteen, and therefore, becoming a woman.  Alicia instead chooses to go on a trip with one of her best friends.  As quinceaneras, or quince, season gets underway, Alicia starts to realize all she's missed so when the opportunity to participate vicariously in a quince, by planning one, arises Alicia jumps on it.  She decides to bring her buddies; Gaz the hottie musician, Jamie the designer, and Carmen the cool-setter along for the ride.  With all of their talents, and Alicia's talent for business, there's no way Sarita can have anything less than the fiercest quince in all of South Miami.

As Amigas, Incorportated, Alicia's new business, gets underway, she's determined to keep things running smoothly and decides to combine her internship with her quince planning.  The internship at City Hall is a major coup and will look fantastic on her Harvard application in two years.  She's working in the Office of Film and Cultural Affairs and learning more and more about the city as well as being able to make sure she has the space she needs for Sarita's quince.

As the Amigas get closer to the quince date, Alicia finds it's way more work than she anticipated and she's starting to get overwhelmed.  Also, working with Gaz has uncovered deeper feelings for him than she's ready to admit.  What if he just wants to be friends?  But that's the least of her worries as things start to fall apart on both the internship and Amigas, Inc. side.

What I'm Thinking

The writing in Amigas: Fifteen Candles was at times, contradictory.  We'd see Alicia full of self-confidence on one page; "Alicia stopped just short of high-fiving herself..." and feeling like a loser two pages later, "...she was feeling like a big, giant loser."  Alicia would diss a chica for name-dropping during her quince vows but name-drop herself every time she mentioned getting something "slighty worn" from her mother.  Throughout the book we aren't sure of Gaz's feelings for Alicia and then he drops a huge bomb at Sarita's quince. This was very out of character for him as he seemed reserved throughout the book.  I liked Alicia's parents as they seemed to struggle between giving their daughter everything and encouraging her to earn her way.  They wanted what was best for her and wanted her to appreciate what she had.

Alicia's friends were interesting and I hope they each star in the successive Amiga books.  We were given just enough background information about each to want to learn more.  I would especially like to see more of Jamie, the transplant from Brooklyn.  She's fiesty and I'm hoping she stays that way.

Amigas: Fifteen Candles is a decent start to a middle grade series. It will give readers some insight into Latino culture as well as encourage them to follow their hearts.  It would be a good read for students in beginning Spanish too, as there are Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout.    I give this 3 copies until I see how student's react.  I'll be sure to booktalk it to 6th graders and give it some publicity.  It would pair well with Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader as well as the Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow.

Thanks to Hyperion for the opportunity to read this.

The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter - Review

The Kneebone Boy
Ellen Potter
Feiwel and Friends
September 2010

Otto, Lucia, and Max Hardscrabble live in a small town with their Dad, Casper.  Mom disappeared years ago.  Lucia thinks she's dead because the alternative, that she left, is just too hard to fathom.  Lucia takes care of Otto "an avid collecter of the strange and unusual" who stopped talking soon after their mom left and has a reputation for being strange and unusual himself.  The youngest, Max, is a genius and he makes sure everyone knows it!  Their Dad is always on the go, painting the portraits of deposed royals.  Each sketch he brings home is an opportunity for the Hardscrabbles to make memories as they gather around to hear the story of the pushed out king or queen.

In the Kneebone Boy, Casper has to go away suddenly and sends the Hardscrabbles to stay with their cousin Angela. When they arrive in London they find that Angela is gone! They use this mix up to embark on an adventure that ends with them running for their lives!  They finally get to Snoring-On-The-Sea and start to search for their great aunt Haddie.  And that's when the real adventure begins!

The Kneebone Boy has this wonderful, dark humor combined with a great mystery.  Or many great mysteries!  The voice is snarky but fun and the Hardscrabble's word choice demonstrate Ellen Potter's belief in the intelligent reader.  "I honestly think kids are getting stupider by the year." This story proves that she really doesn't feel that way.  The chapter subtitles are like little stories themselves "In which" Potter gives a tiny glimpse into the future or at least the chapter.  The characters were just that, characters.  Great Aunt Haddie sounds like the relative we all want to go visit, an adult that doesn't try to be your friend by making jokes and being corny but becomes your friend for that very reason.   And just when you think you can't possibly keep snickering aloud, Potter throws in something that makes you sigh and possibly tear-up.

I must say, If I didn't know Ellen Potter wrote SLOB, I wouldn't believe the books had the same author. The tone and voice were so different....although both stories do have missing moms...  I give this 4 copies.  It's a must read! I really loved it! Give it to the students in 6th who need a challenge and one's who like their mysteries smart.  I'll put it right next to The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom by Stephen Giles.

Ellen Potter talks about the book jacket
Ellen Potter website
Ellen Potter twitter

Thanks to Feiwel and Friends for this ARC. 

Guest Post - “The Familiars” by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson

The Familiars
Adam Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
HarperCollins Children
September 2010

Today is the release day for The Familiars! As a special treat I have the authors, Adam Epstein and Andrew Jacobson as guests on The Brain Lair.  



“The Books on our Nightstand”


Adam is Reading
“Westmark” by Lloyd Alexander
It’s a book I started when I was younger, but because of one assignment or another, I got sidetracked and never finished it. Set in vaguely colonial times, it tells the story of a young printer’s apprentice who goes on the run after his master is murdered. Alexander influenced writers like JK Rowling, Piers Anthony, and Holly Black.

“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick
It’s big, thick, and filled with pictures. I like comic books. I like YA. I like a combination of the two. And it’s going to be a Martin Scorsese movie.

“Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse” by Rick Riordan
The third installment in the Olympians series. I’m half way through this book, and so far it’s on par with the others. Which means incredibly enjoyable.

Adam

Andrew is Reading
“Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow
A cautionary YA tale about a kid who gets mixed up with a terrorist attack on San Francisco. This book came up multiple times during our pre-pub tour while meeting with independent booksellers. Their word of mouth truly drives the buzz on what books to read. Neil Gaiman’s blurb is also so glowing that it made me buy it.

“One Day” by David Nichols
Episodic story that takes place on a single day over two decades between Dex and Em. I’m trying to get this in before the movie comes out. Sounds charming and like a fast read.

“What to Expect when you’re Expecting” by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
One of the dozen baby books piled high on my nightstand. Yes, I am expecting. And no, I have not started reading any of the baby books.

“Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins (not on my nightstand yet, but pre-ordered)
Add me to the list of people who simply can’t wait for this final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy.

Andrew


I totally loved Little Brother, Percy Jackson, Hugo Cabret and now, Mockingjay! These guys know their stuff.  If you are looking for a new book to read, please pick up a copy of The Familiars by Adam Epstein and Andrew Jacobson.  Meanwhile, check out this great video from their website, The Familiars.





About the Authors

ADAM JAY EPSTEIN spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, while ANDREW JACOBSON grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the two met in a parking garage out in Los Angeles. They have been writing for film and television together ever since. The Familiars is their first book.

One day, Adam asked Andrew, “Are you familiar with what a familiar is?” And from that simple question, Vastia was born, a fantastical world filled with the authors’ shared love of animals and magic. They wrote every word, sentence, and page together, sitting opposite each other.

Adam Jay Epstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jane, their daughters, Penny and Olive, and a black-and-white alley cat who hangs out in their backyard. Andrew Jacobson lives with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Elvis, four traffic lights away.

THE FAMILIARS will be produced for film by Sam Raimi and Sony Animation.

You can follow Adam and Andrew on Twitter - http://twitter.com/the_familiars  and Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86480756047!

Happy release day guys!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - Review and Blog Tour

Outlander
Diana Gabaldon (website)
Diana Gabaldon (facebook)
Delacorte Press/Random House
850 pgs.

Frank and Claire Randall have been married for almost eight years but they don't really know each other.  For most of their marriage, Frank has been away on assignment. They decide to vacation in Scotland in the hopes of rekindling their romance before Frank takes a new job as a professor.  Things are going well until Claire walks through a stone henge and steps into 1743, almost 200 years into the past.  She's captured by Jack Randall, a distant relative of Frank's, and rescued by the clan Mackenzie.  She's taken to Castle Leoch where clan leader, Colum Mackenzie, decides she's to become their new healer based on how she's taken care of Jamie MacTavish while they were on the run. Claire soon settles into a routine at Castle Leoch but she can't put Frank and 1945 out of her mind.  Only her friendship with Jamie helps to ease her mind. But being English in Scotland during 1743 is risky business. The clan Mackenzie thinks Claire is a spy and so does Black Jack Randall. He'd as soon have Claire hung then allow her to live to tell his secrets.  In order to save her from Black Jack and prove her allegiance to the clan, she's forced to marry Jamie.  Which is not as bad as it should be. Her life with Frank starts to slip away as she's plunged into clan politics and grows closer and closer to her new husband.

Outlander is an absorbing read.  Gabaldon laces the story with so many details, including history and a description of the land, you feel as if you are right there with Claire.  Jamie's upstanding hero antics are charming and captivating and you can understand why Claire is confused about going back to Frank or staying in 1743.  Black Jack Randall was a little more depraved than I wanted to know about though.  The scenes Jamie recounts from Wentworth Prison were disturbing and, I felt, unnecessary.  I believe we could have still shared in Jamie's emotional struggle without the level of description Gabaladon provided.  Other than that, this book was hard to put down; so I didn't.  I pretty much read it straight through in 9 hours! I only stopped for a cross country meet, my daughter's not mine, and to eat.  If I had more time I would definitely pick up the next book in the series!  I would be interested in seeing how Claire's being in 1743 changes the future as she knows it.

About the Author

Diana Gabaldon is the New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Outlander novels–Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and A Breath of Snow and Ashes (for which she won a Quill Award and the Corine International Book Prize)–and one work of nonfiction, The Outlandish Companion, as well as the bestselling series featuring Lord John Grey, a character she introduced in Voyager. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.


TLC Tour Stops
Wednesday, September 1st: My Two Blessings (Outlander)
Thursday, September 2nd: Life in the Thumb (An Echo in the Bone)
Tuesday, September 7th: That’s What She Read (Dragonfly in Amber)
Monday, September 13th: Suko’s Notebook (Outlander)
Tuesday, September 14th: Luxury Reading (Outlander)
Wednesday, September 15th: The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader (An Echo in the Bone)
Friday, September 17th: Devourer of Books (Outlander)
Tuesday, September 21st: Rundpinne (An Echo in the Bone)
Monday, September 27th: Hey, Lady! Whatcha Readin’? (Outlander)
Thursday, September 30th: Pop Culture Junkie (Outlander)

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Random House for this free copy.

The Sunday Salon - Epic Summer of Reading - August 29, 2010

I had a wonderful reading summer! I participated in Donalyn Miller's invitation to average one book per day during your summer vacation.  I also read a few professional books in order to prepare for the TV Studio class I'm in charge of.  I had a great time driving The Amazing Dancer to and from her summer PE experience since it afforded me time to listen to a few books.  I would also make a point of being there early so that I could read in the car.  Our library was awarded a grant to purchase 10 e-readers.  I'd written the grant for Kindles because of how I could see it beign used by student's with special needs as well as by teachers and small groups. But, alas, due to purchasing issues we got the Nooks instead.  So I spent the summer learning how to use the Nook and read a fair number of books on it.

Anyway, I need to do a July Monthly Update and my final NO Summer Slide both of which are late!

July Monthly Update
12 Young Adult
12 Middle Grade
3 POC
8 Library

Total books read in July - 26
Best Book Read in July - The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

NO Summer Slide
Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (A) - re-read these in anticipation of Mockingjay release.

The Magician (E), The Sorceress (E), and The Necromancer (E) by Michael Scott - must read series.  Did you know John Dee is based on a real person?  I will be booktalking the heck out of these books. There's action and adventure and history.  So good.

The Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck - short, fun book of mysteries.  Our 6th graders read Don't Feed the Bully and are usually looking for another short mystery and this is the one I'll be pushing.

Manifest by Artist Arthur - reviewed.

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine (N) - interesting story of a student with Asperger's dealing with the death of her brother who was killed as a result of a school shooting.  Told from the point of view of the student, it gives insight into how people with Asperger's struggle with emotions and feelings.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - been meaning to read this one since December.  I finally received an audio copy from HB and started listening.  I stopped cleaning so I could read it.  My daughter then borrowed it to read, she loved the audio too!

Sit in: How Four Friends Stood up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney (N) - great way to bring this story to a younger audience.

Premiere and Catwalk by Melody Carlson -great new series that combines fashion and faith. Reviewed.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (E, P) - Mock Printz contender.

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher - sequel to Incarceron.

Rae by Chelsea Swiggett - great story by a teenager that many of us can relate to. Reviewed.

Flipped by Wendalin Van Draanen - in anticipation of movie release.  Really liked this one and loved the flip at the end.  Told in alternating voices that were very distinct.  Fun to see what each person thinks really happened.

Over the End Line by Alfred Martino (A) - found this one through SYNC YA Listening.  Great story of what how it feels to be on the fringe as well as the cost of keeping quiet.  Johnny was a little bitter though.  The ending was fantastic.  Great audio.

How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway - adult read. Reviewed.

So that was 19 books and it brings my NO Summer Slide total to 63, just two short of goal.  That was an insane amount of reading and though I'm proud, I'm not sure I could do it again!  May actually work next year...

Happy Sunday!  Must get some reading done before I have to do my August update!

The Death (and further adventures) of Silas Winterbottom by Stephen M. Giles - Review

The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief
Stephen M. Giles
Sourcebook Jabberwocky
August 2010

They all received the check for $10,000.  And the letter.  They all needed the money.  But only one of them really wanted it.  Adele Winterbottom did not want to leave her dad and her books for two months to visit an uncle she'd never met.  But her mom threatened her with Ratchet's House, a boarding school that no one ever left.  Milo Winterbottom never wanted to see the man who killed his parents.  He would be fine if Uncle Silas dropped dead today.  But maybe he should go and make sure it happened sooner rather than later.  Isabella Winterbottom was running out of money. There were only so many times you could pilfer items from your rich "friends".  She did not want to go back to being poor.  She would not only visit Uncle Silas, but convince him that she was the only one worthy of his money, and she would do whatever was necessary.The three cousins arrive on the strange island with one thought - Uncle Silas is a weirdo.

The Death and Further Adventures of Silas Winterbottom has a cover that makes you believe this will be a light, funny, tongu- in-cheek sort of tale but alas, it's anything but!  Uncle Silas is creepy and sinister.  He rolls around in his wheelchair pretending to be nice but the next scene uncovers his true colors.

"Silas moved his chair forward rolling the front wheel directly over Bingle's right foot."

Someone tries to murder Silas but he senses it and gets away and then uses the attempted murder to carry out his own sinister plan.

"...the...children must never leave Sommerset.  Not alive anyway."

The Death and Further Adventures of Silas Winterbottom is a fast, engrossing read.  I kept trying to figure out what Uncle Silas was up to and hoping the cousins could figure it out before it was too late. I really enjoyed this one and give it 4 copies.  Hand this to a middle grader who likes mysteries and suspense with a just a little peek at danger.

About the Author

Stephen M. Giles lives in a shambolic apartment not far from the beach and spends most days wandering about his imagination – which is where he met the Winterbottoms. When Stephen is not busy writing he likes to collect old people and hopes one day to have enough of them to open a shop.

Stephen M. Giles website




Thank you to Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for this ARC.

Waxed by Robert Rave - Review and Blog Tour

Waxed
Robert Rave
St. Martin's Griffin
August 2010

Waxed is the story of three sisters, Carolina, Anna and Sofia.  Carolina has built Impresario's into the best wax salon in Manhattan, at least according to New York Magazine.  To get to the top she's had to make some tough choices and has no time to give out sympathy.  She work's hard and doesn't believe in handout.  Even for her sisters.

Anna's husband walked out on her and left her with three kids.  She's has to go back to work and finds she doesn't remember how to do this.  Her clothes are out of date and she's "overweight".  She feels out of place and Carolina has decided she needs to start at the bottom.

Sofia has the "perfect" life.  She and her husband, Scott, live a comfortable life in a great apartment.  Sure, Scott works a lot, but she doesn't mind being at home waiting for him.  He's always happy to see her and gives her lots of attention.  Sometimes she misses the night life but that's what getting married means, right, giving up on the partying?

Waxed is a fast, simplistic read.  Rave's tone is uneven as he alternates between excessive snarkiness, naming every store, every hip store, and all the latest products, and actually telling a story. Reading Waxed feels like you're reading the latest Star magazine.  I never felt any sympathy for the characters because there was so much going on it felt like a soap opera; so fantastic but you can't stop watching. You get these little sensationalistic bits of each person's life and then move on before getting too involved.  None of them seemed real, luckily.

About the Author

Former New York City publicist Robert Rave has worked on numerous public relations campaigns and high profile special events in the lifestyle, fashion, nightlife and entertainment industries. He is the author of Spin and currently lives in Los Angeles.

You can find Robert Rave:
On his Website
On Twitter
On Facebook

TLC Blog Tour
Monday, August 23rd:  Pop Culture Junkie
Tuesday, August 24th:  Starting Fresh
Thursday, August 26th:  Ask Miss A


Thanks to TLC Blog Tours and St. Martin's Press for this copy.