#8--Dead End in Norvelt--Jack Gantos

I happened to pick up a newspaper today from last week and was flipping through it when I noticed an article announcing the 2012 Newbery and Caldecott winners.  The Newbery Award had been given to Jack Gantos for his book, Dead End in Norvelt.  I knew we had a few copies of this book because I had purchased them after attending a conference on new young adult literature in the fall.  I quickly went to the stacks and grabbed one of the copies off the shelf to bring home with me.

This story is part fiction and part nonfiction....and I would love to know exactly where the line is drawn!  The main character, Jack Gantos, has started off his summer vacation grounded for life!  His prospects aren't looking good for an early release when his father makes him mow down his mother's corn field...which makes his mom clamp down even further in his punishment.  He is only allowed out of his room to do chores, use the bathroom, possibly eat meals with his family, and to help his neighbor Miss Volker write obituaries for the town paper.  The town of Norvelt was named for First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, because of her interest in the town--it was created out of the Great Depression as a way for the unemployed miners to get "a hand-up instead of a hand-out."  There were 250 original families in Norvelt and Miss Volker has vowed to write the obituaries for all the old-timers and be the last one standing--she is also the medical examiner, a post she was given by Mrs. Roosevelt and one she takes very seriously.

Jack has a "tiny problem"--his nose squirts blood anytime he gets startled, spooked or over-excited.  Add to this, Miss Volker has arthritis so bad that she has to warm up her hands in hot parafin wax so they work--the first time Jack sees this creates a rather amusing scene, as he believes she is melting her body parts off to be eaten.  And his best friend is a girl--who is the daughter of the local undertaker, and enjoys torturing Jack with stories of dead bodies and other gross things.  Oh, and these's also someone buying up the old houses in Norvelt and moving them to West Virginia, and even the possibility of a murder investigation too.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I will be sharing it with students in the very near future.

I looked up Norvelt, PA, and discovered that the town actually exists in Westmoreland County, southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.  It also looks like much of the historical facts offered up by Miss Volker to Jack as they write obituaries and Jack learns to drive her car (very under-age), are pretty acurate....which makes me wonder even more how much of the rest of this story is fact and how much of it is fiction!!

Happy Reading!

#7--The Himmler Brothers: A German Family History--Katrin Himmler

Last year while on spring break, I got the chance to visit my cousin in Portland, OR, and he took me to a librarian's nirvana....Powell's Books.  Now, I have to admit, I find bookstores overwhelming.  I think a lot of it has to do with their organization--they aren't set up the same way a library is, so I have no idea where to start.  To say Powell's was overwhelming is a gross understatement, but it was an awesome way to spend four hours!!  Unfortunately, my luggage and my wallet couldn't handle all the titles I found that interested me, so I had to limit myself to three, but I also came across many titles that I do want to read sometime in the future.  One of the titles I did purchase was today's post.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, World War II and the Holocaust fascinate me.  Today's book was no exception.

I can't imagine what it would have been like to grow up with the last name of Himmler in post-war Germany.  It couldn't have been easy.  The author, Katrin Himmler, is the great-niece of Heinrich Himmler, the head of Hitler's SS and the chief perpetrator of the Holocaust. 

I've been racking by brain all afternoon trying to come up with an American equivalent, but, with the exception of our best-known traitor, Bennedict Arnold, I couldn't come up with an equal, and Bennedict wasn't anywhere near to being on the same level as Himmler.

I found it interesting to learn about Himmler's family, growing up and what happened to them after the war.  It can't have been easy for the author to delve into the research of her own terrible family history, especially when family stories painted a much different picture of Heinrich and his two brothers, Gebhard and Ernst (the author's grandfather).  The book takes the reader from the birth of the oldest Himmler son, Gebhard, in 1898 through to how Katrin came to write the book and some brief information about her marriage to a Jewish Israeli.  She wrote the book for their son. 

This book was difficult to get through for three reasons.  1) The translation from the German sometimes didn't come out in the best English, which required that some sentences/passages be re-read for understanding.  2) There needed to be a cast of characters so that it is easier to keep track of everyone and their relationships to one another.  I found myself confused at times as to who was who.  3) A timeline of events would also have been helpful as each chapter covered a span of time and they often overlapped, depending on the subject of the chapter.  It was also frustrating when a day and month would be given and I'd have to back-track to the beginning of the paragraph to confirm what year was being referred to. 

Overall, it was an interesting, if difficult, read.  It is always good to view history through a lens that you didn't experience/learn about.  So, if you're a history buff, I would recommend it, but otherwise, not so sure.

Happy Reading!!

#6--Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick

So, this time around, I read a book that my students picked for me.  I created a survey for them to fill out and it ended up being a tie--Zen vs. Eragon.  I went with Zen because the author, Jordan Sonnenblick, is coming to our school this spring and I hadn't read Zen yet.  I'm sure at some point I'll get to Eragon, but for now, it will have to wait.

San Lee has attended more schools and had more identities than he can keep track of anymore.  The latest move has him and his mom moving to Pennsylvania from Texas--in the middle of winter.  On his first day of 8th grade in PA, San tries to decide what his identity will be this time around: goth, skater, prep, jock, emo, a Bible-thumper?  Almost by accident, San becomes known as Buddha Boy or Zen master.  The deception starts to take on a life of its own and San finds himself in over his head--and eating a nasty vegetable wrap instead of juicy hamburger.  San is also Chinese--most assume his family emigrated from China and that is where he gets all of his knowlege about Zen Buddhism--but he is, in fact, adopted, and never tells anyone this.  So when his mom shows up and she is most definitely NOT Asian, the walls come a'tumbling down.

I liked this book, but it was not my favorite of Sonnenblick's.....some of his other books include Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie; After Ever After; and Notes from the Midnight Driver (where I got my inspiration for the title of this blog).

Happy Reading!

#5--A Conspiracy of Decency: The Rescue of the Danish Jews During World War II by Emmy E. Werner

When I was a senior in high school I had the opportunity to hear Thomas Keneally speak at Mount Union College when I was there for a visitation day.  For those of you unfamiliar with his name, Keneally is the author of Schindler's List.  Up until that point, I knew about the Holocaust, but I don't think I had given it too much thought outside of history class.  Mr. Keneally made events and people come alive during his presentation and made me want to learn more about the people and the time.  After that, I made a more concerted effort to learn about this period of our world's history.

As a freshman in college I had the privilege to travel to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of an educational trip I took with several of my classmates.  We had a few hours to spend in the museum.  While it was emotionally draining, I found that I could have easily spent the entire week there, absorbing everything.  The following year I took a Holocaust literature class as one of my English electives.  I found this class fascinating while also taxing.  The more I read about this time period, the more interested I became.  Which brings me to today's book.  My mom picked it up for me at the local library's semi-annual book sale this fall because she knew it would interest me, and she was right. 

During 1943, Hitler had decided it was time to take care of the "Jewish problem" in Denmark.  A German named Georg F. Duckwitz learned of the plan and warned the Jews of the impending action.  Almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark was saved by their fellow Danes and the Swedes who gave them asylum.  When many of them returned to Denmark after the war, they found that their homes, belongings, and even pets, had been taken care of.  This book tells the story of many of the rescuers and those they helped, based on first-hand accounts. 

I had learned somewhere along the way that Denmark was an anomaly during World War II in this respect, but I had never gotten the full story, until now. 

If you are interested in this time period, or reading about heroic acts, this was a fascinating read.  There is also quite a bit of literature available, written by those who lived it, if you want to check out something new.  I'd suggest heading to your local library for more information.

Happy reading!

#4--The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

There is something about Jack the Ripper that fascinates many....and I am one of the many.  At least, I am ever since I took a trip to London with some friends a few years ago and we took a "Jack the Ripper" tour on our last night in Jolly Olde England. 

When today's book arrived in the library a few months ago and I was cataloging it for my students, it sparked my interest because of the Ripper connection....and so I knew eventually that I would read it.

Rory Deveaux is from Louisiana and spending the year at a boarding school in London.  The day she arrives seems like just your average day, but something is off.  There has been a murder in the Whitechapel section of London--where the famed Ripper murders occurred during late 1888--and the media are in a tizzy.  When a second murder occurs on September 8--the same day Annie Chapman was murdered in 1888,a woman named Fiona Chapman, and murdered in the same manner that Annie Chapman had been--the tizzy becomes a full-fledged frenzy.  Everyone is concerned that the "double event" of September 30 is coming up.  In the meantime, Rory is seeing people out and about that no one else sees, including who she believes is the murderer, the Ripper.

Why can Rory see these people but no one else can?  Will her parents ship her back to Louisiana before the end of the year because of the danger?  What is going to happen if the police can't capture this new Ripper?

And the big question I want to know the answer to....will there be a sequel?!?!

For further reading on Jack the Ripper, you may want to check out The Ripper and the Royals by Melvyn Fairlough.  I read this one after coming back from England, at the recommendation of our Ripper tour guide.  It is a heavy but fascinating read.

Happy reading!

#3--Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff

I have a confession to make.  I have a problem.  I have a really bad habit of buying books (whether physical books or ebooks) and then not reading them.  I have way too many books in my house that I have never read.  So, I guess it is a good thing that I'm doing this challenge....time to read the books that are in piles all around my house.

Today's book was purchased several years ago (yes, that was years) with the intent to preview it for school....and I'm just now getting around to reading it....

Andy is the fat kid in his school....no, make that the second fattest kid at school.  The day before the first day of school, Andy meets the girl of his dreams, April....never dreaming that she would be at his school the next day.  He decides that in order to get the girl, he needs to impress her by doing something manly and heroic--he goes out for the football team.  Andy knows very little about football, and hasn't exactly been a star athlete, ever.  And with his asthma, there is no way his mom will let him play.  Andy finds a way around these obstacles, but in the meantime, almost loses his best friend and himself along the way.  Will he get the girl?  How will he handle the changes to his social status?  Better than Ronald Miller did in the classic 80s movie Can't Buy Me Love, which Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have reminds me of. 

There are some funny scenes that made me laugh out loud as well as some deep-thinker scenes since Andy never really gives up his inner-geek.

I have a feeling that this one will be making its way to the shelf at school sometime in the near future....

Happy reading!

#2--Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

I picked this one up awhile back and simply put it on my shelf with the intent to read it sometime.  Decided I needed a quick easy read today and this was perfect.  It is the story of Colton Burpo's trip to heaven.  Colton was almost four years old when his appendix burst and he had to have emergency surgery.  It was during this surgery that he visited heaven and got to sit on Jesus' lap.  Several months later he tells his parents that the hospital where he had his surgery is where the angels sang to him.  He asked them to sing "We Will, We Will Rock You," but they declined.  :)  It took several years for Colton's story to unfold and here it is.  There were some points that I gigled when I was reading and others when I was sniffling away the tears.  If you want more information about Colton, his family, or his story, you can check out their website www.heavenisforreal.net

Happy Reading!

#1--The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I've been wanting to read The Help ever since the book club at school read it last year.  Finally got a copy of it from my friend RuthAnn a few months ago and decided that it was high time I read it--since it seemed like everyone around me had read it (including my dad) and I hate going to see a movie for a book I haven't read yet.  I picked it up Monday after school and finished it Tuesday night, after midnight--couldn't put it down, even for sleep. 

The characters and relationships seemed so believable and authentic.  I would like to think I would have had the guts like Skeeter, had I lived in Mississippi during the early 1960s, but I'll never know for sure.  Having never read anything from the point of view from the help, this was an eye-opener. 

If you are one of the individuals waiting for the Cliffs Notes version to come out, don't wait....it was worth every single word!!

Happy Reading!

And so we begin

Two years ago I challenged myself to read an average of a book a week for the entire year.  I was successful in that endeavor, so this year, I wanted to up the ante, so to speak and get others involved in the process, namely, my students.  You see, I'm a middle school librarian who is always looking for ways to get my students hooked on reading.  So, the idea is that one week of every month, my students will have a say in what I read for that week.  The other weeks, I will fill with books that I have stacked in many rooms around my house, many of which were lent by friends and family and have been collecting dust for many a moon, as well as recommendations.  The only rules are 1) a re-read doesn't count, 2) if my students recommend it, it must come from the library, 3) I reserve the right to not finish a book--and it won't count toward the total goal of 52, and 4) if one of my Langauge Arts teachers would accept it on a student's reading log, it is fair game.