Biblio Reviews

I had been worried about Jerry Craft's New Kid (2019), a graphic novel chronicling seventh grader Jordan Banks's first year in a predominately white private school.  Brilliant in every way, I had felt like the book wasn't getting the attention it deserved. And so, it was with joy that I heard it won the 2020 Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Medal. Both awards are well-deserved, for New Kid is beautifully crafted (pun intended) and addresses serious topics with humanity and humor. Exploring the concept of identity--the factors that influence, change, and/or define it--my seventh graders were primed to fall in love with New Kid , too, once I recommended it for independent reading. By the time they finished the first chapter, my students were sold on the novel. This is because Jordan's personality and family were quickly and clearly established and presented in ways that my kids could relate. Jordan Banks is your regular, seventh grade boy trying to find his p...

Great book design can be said to achieve two things: they announce and brand themselves. Some become Jurassic Park level iconic, with the book's cover art replicated in their paperback and international editions, and even movie posters--if the book is successful enough to capture Hollywood's attention. They're the type of covers that you can't imagine being anything other than what they are, though I have liked another cover of  Educated  (2018) that I think also captures the essence of the story (not the one with a childhood photograph of Westover on a swing).  Below are a sampling of favorite book cover designs, along with my reflections of a few of them.              I hope that whoever was involved in the design of Shusterman's Arc of the Scythe  book series received an award. Everything about those book covers bring joy: the paper on which they're printed, the graphic but simple nature of the image, the typography, the co...

"Beautiful cover" is what I thought when I first saw Maika and Maritza Moulite's Dear Haiti, Love Alaine (2019) on the new books display at BN a few months ago. It certainly achieved its purpose: grabbed my attention, particularly because the particular red used reminded me of the hibiscus flowers I associate with Haiti. Having now read the book, the cover also does effectively capture the attitude of the 17-year old protagonist, Alaine Beauparlant: bold, sassy, and quick-witted. I generally like sassy and admire quick-wittedness, but something about Alaine just didn't work for me; I couldn't get lost in her characterization. Maybe it has to do with her voice: it just didn't ring true as a teenager's, even a well-educated middle-class one. In fact, the indistinguishable nature of all the characters' voices is this book's biggest flaw. The story is that of Alaine who, after a prank gone wrong during the presentation of her senior project, is ...

Illustrated with gorgeous autumnal-hued watercolors, Tanja Hiti-Stearns' A Tale of Two Tails  (2018) is a lovely picture book that relates the tale of Mr. Bits's conflict with a golden-haired tabby, Fred. Written in rhyming couplets and with rich vocabulary, the story is that of Mr. Bits whose plan to stock up for the winter by taking supplies stored in the tabby's home goes awry. Vowing to avenge his lost pride, Mr. Bits convenes a council of fellow chipmunks to enact their plan. Mr. Bits and crew succeed, and in doing so teach Fred a lesson about kindness. It is clear that a lot of thought and care went into the creation of A Tale of Two Tails , down to the font used, an element which really added to its appeal. In doing so, the book feels like a classic, evoking the old world charm captured in the Peter Rabbit books.  A Tale of Two Tails  brings comfort and is worthy of being added on one's bookshelf.

There's something to be said about book covers: Well done, they elevate the greatness of a book; poorly done, they intensify the disappointment in a not-so-great book. While there is wisdom in the adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover," there's also the reality that first impressions matter. I have no degree and have never taken any courses on design, so I lack the technical language to describe why a design works or does not work for me. Still, I find myself examining and critiquing various aspect of design that converge into a good book cover: color, layout, typeface, artwork, creativity, and originality. My willingness to buy the e-reader vs. the physical or paperback vs. hardcover copy of a book is entirely dependent on the cover. There are some book covers that I appreciate as pure art and find them worthy of being framed and displayed. (e.g., Neil Shusterman's Arc of a Scythe  series).  For this reason, I love when a book's cover entices me, f...

Should I be embarrassed to share that until I recently read Michelle Obama's memoir  Becoming (2018), I hadn't really known too much about her history? Or that I didn't fully understand others' obsession and deep admiration of her? Like many Americans, I reveled in the election of Barack Obama as 44th President of the United States, though I remained fearful and prayed for the family's safety throughout their eight years in the White House. While I admired the Obamas for what they symbolized, I wasn't obsessed with them. Other than a now defunct website dedicated to Mrs. O's fashion, I hadn't kept up with many of the articles or biographies that populated many shelves and websites since they first stepped into the national spotlight. Most of my perception of the Obamas came from reading 2/3 of Dreams from My Father  (2007) way back when and whatever had made it in the headlines during their initial presidential campaign. Having read  Becoming , I...

The first time I read Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do (2017), I was caught up not only by the evocative and tragic aspects of her illustrated memoir but also the commonality among seemingly disparate groups. At the time, I worked in a community consisting of a large group of Haitians and Vietnamese, two groups I had not considered as sharing much in common other than their immigrant status. However, through this memoir, I learned that both groups historically share a language because both had been colonized by the French. For some reason, the knowledge that my French-speaking Haitian students could theoretically hold a conversation with my French-speaking Vietnamese students' grandparents intrigued me. The idea that language served as both a barrier (for my Vietnamese-American students who couldn't communicate with their grandparents) and an opening because of a shared language uniting two generations from different cultures really struck me. Similar to Celeste Ng's E...

Sona Charaipotra's Symptoms of a Heartbreak (2019) in idea sounds great. A modern female Doogie Howser works to knock out cancer while trying to balance life as a teenager. In execution, however, the story...falls flat. It's unfortunate, really, because the book has so many good things going for it: teenage romance, friendship troubles, work drama, and overall likable secondary characters. On a technical front, the writing is also strong with effective pacing. An additional plus is that the story is centered around Indian-American female protagonist, sixteen-year-old Saira. So what's the issue? In the end, Symptoms of a Heartbreak suffers from too much: a lack of definition and focus on a central conflict. In addition to balancing the everyday growing pains of teenage life with being a "girl genius" medical professional, Saira is also contending with the following: maintaining professional relations with a patient, managing others' expectations of her girl...

One of the best things to have happened with books in the last decade has been the increase in published graphic novels and their status as "real books." Once limited to the comic book genre, the publication and critical acclaim of Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese (2006) cracked the door. The popularity of Raina Telgemeier's graphic novels signaled a new wave, particularly for the middle grades. I started to really invest in these books when I tried to stock my classroom library for my middle school students. Varied in their interests, reading levels, and reading desires, I wanted to find something to appeal to every single one of them. Graphic novels were my carrot, particularly for the boys who really struggled to engage with independent reading. Of the new crop of graphic novels for younger readers, here are some of the characteristics I've noticed: They feature characters who are in middle school. They're often part of a series. They central...

I was drawn by its contrasting but complimentary colors, simplicity, and directness. Evoking ancient history and a type of brusque masculinity that I could immediately visualize, the cover of Madeline Miller's  The Song of Achilles  (2012) beckoned me each day it remained a Kindle deal. Lured by its siren call, I read the sample pages, and before the first chapter ended, I was enchanted by Patroclus and the longing that I discerned in his voice. I was an emotional wreck when I finished the book. Days after reading, I struggled to find the words to capture the magic of Patroclus and Achilles's love story. In short,  The Song of Achilles  is a work of beauty. The story is related by Patroclus, a prince sent to live in exile after he accidentally kills the son of a wealthy merchant. He is taken in by Peleus, Achilles's father, and eventually by Achilles himself. Over time, Achilles and Petroclus's relationship becomes romantic and inspires the wrath of Achilles's sea...

Living to the age of 100 has never appealed to me. However, from a historical standpoint, I am fascinated by knowing that people are still alive today who have seen the world transform and advance in ways that may have been perceived as fantasy/science fiction. When I think of the advancements in technology in the last twenty years, alone, I am am left in wonder. What must Beverly Cleary, Cicely Tyson, or Betty White make of the world they're living in today in comparison to the one they grew up in? Is their desire to remain in this world stronger than their desire to depart from it? Which aspect of this new world fascinates them? Inspires them? Depresses them? Do they view their long life as a blessing--or a curse? Based on their experiences and given the chance to, would they--we--choose to live forever? The question of immortality--blessing or curse--is at the center of Natalie Babbitt's classic,  Tuck Everlasting  (1975), a fantasy children's novel about 10-year-o...

"To each, his own," I say when it comes to runaway bestseller  The Woman in the Window  (2018) ,  the debut novel of A.J. Finn. A "thriller," the story is that of agoraphobe, former child psychologist Anna Fox who spies on her neighbors. When she witnesses a murder, she becomes entangled in a film noir much like the ones of which she is a fan. Attempting to deal with her own guilt and trauma, Anna self medicates by guzzling bottles of Merlot mixed with prescriptions with heavy side effects. As a result, she lacks credibility when she reports what she witnessed and is quickly dismissed by authorities. Therein begins the "suspense," for Anna is now in danger with no allies to rely on. This book did not work for me for various reasons. The pacing: very slow. I understand that Finn was trying to mimic the pacing of the noir films that he, himself, and the character love, but good grief! I did not need thirty-plus chapters dedicated to background. I did not...

Emergency Contact (2018), the debut novel by Mary H. K. Choi, is a book I judged by its beautiful cover: a soft pink backdrop, a female and male in near fetal position, back to back, staring into their cell phone in perfect contrast along with a cursive title in gold superimposed at center over both characters. The cover is perfect in balance and harmony--unfortunately, the story is not. Snarky, angst-filled, anti-social Penny Lee is a freshman with mommy issues at the University of Texas. On a forced excursion out with her roommate to a local coffee shop, she meets Sam, who works there. Penny immediately falls for him. Sam, homeless and slightly older, has in own serious life problems to get through, so Penny isn't immediately on his radar.  After a disorienting experience for both, they exchange numbers and become each other's "emergency contact," a person to talk to in moments of crisis, and develop their relationship over text messages. In the end, they get tog...

I have been on a great reading streak in the past week, so much so that I find myself in a state of squee. Currently Reading: The Song of Achilles  (2012) by Madeline Miller The Sun Is Also a Star  (2016) by Nicola Yoon Recently Finished: Rebound  (2018) by Kwame Alexander Eleanor & Park  (2013)   by Rainbow Rowell The Song of Achilles  is so good that I'm getting butterflies in my stomach as I read it. I want to consume and savor its beauty. At the same time, there's also the lingering butterflies from  Eleanor & Park,  which I finished a couple of days ago. Why had it taken me so long to read it?! I read an e-reader version but then went on to buy the hard copy today so I could re-read my favorite parts easily. Taking a pause from each book to read the other has been maddening--but oh so deliciously satisfying! Reviews for all these book and others should be coming, though I've found that the more I love a book, t...

Love is that which alters when it alteration finds best sums up Sophie Love's five-book (and counting) series, The Romance Chronicles, which chronicles 28-year old Keira Swanson's whirlwind romances while on assignment as a travel writer for Viatorum, a cosmopolitan lifestyle magazine based in New York City. When readers meet Keira for the first time in  Love Like This (2017), she is at a crossroads in both her personal and professional life: she's living with her boyfriend of two years and wants more; she works at her dream job but is simply a role player desperate to be a superstar. Keira gets her lucky break when her boss gets injured and she is given the coveted assignment--just when she and her deceitful boyfriend have a fall out. Thus begins Keira's professional and romantic world tour. Destination one is Ireland, a thirty day escapade documenting the legendary Lisdoonvarna Festival of Love--to prove that true love does not exist. The story that follows is.....

Had I the financial means, I often think I'd be quite content living as a recluse. I prefer spending personal time in solitude. I attribute this to being an introvert, though that is possibly an excuse. This introversion and desire to minimize social interaction on a need-to basis may explain why, to date, I have never had a social media account and have absolutely no interest in doing so. Jon Ronson's  So You Have Been Publicly Shamed  (2015) only strengthens my resolve. Zooming in to the experiences of Justine Sacco and Jonah Lehrer while peppering other relevant anecdotes throughout, Ronson examines and details what he considers to be a resurgence of public shaming, which has historically been used as a form of social control. Ronson argues that this revival of the form, however, is unprecedented in that the viral nature of public shaming via social media, particularly Twitter, has catastrophic effects unlike anything experienced before in history. Informative and eng...

I didn't meet my CBR9 review goal (26 books), but I certainly met my reading goal (read regularly). Below are the 34 I can account for having read, though a couple more that I did not read digitally may have slipped by my memory. Fiction A Man Called Ove  - Fredrik Backman Till You Hear from Me  - Pearl Cleage Major Pettigrew's Last Stand  - Helen Simonson (Auto)Biographies/Memoirs You Don't Have to Say You Love Me  - Sherman Alexie Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice  - Phillip Hoose The New Old Me  - Meredith Maran Teacher Misery  - Jane Morris Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir  - Liz Prince The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl  - Issa Rae Brown Girl Dreaming  - Jacqueline Woodson Informational/Nonfiction Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married  - Larry Chapman Six-word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak  - Larry Smith Graphic Novels Sunny Side Up  - Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm Swing I...

At 464 pages, Angie Thomas's  The Hate U Give  (2017)   is a surprisingly quick read for a text that deals with such a heavy and heated topic: the fatal shooting of an unarmed, black male at the hands of a white cop and the surviving witness who has to cope. "Tragically timely" (to quote Adam Silvera), the novel is another entry into what is unfortunately, in the lyrics of Smokey Norful, the "same old sad song." Nearly twenty years ago, Jacqueline Woodson first tackled the same subject in her typically poetic and poignant style in the novel  If You Come Softly (1998). It is a story of first love, an interracial one between fifteen-year-old Jeremiah and Ellie who meet at their private school. They have to deal with society's response to their relationship. In the end, this modern day Romeo and Juliet comes to an abrupt end when Jeremiah is fatally shot by police. Woodson continues these characters' story with Behind You (2004) which focuses on the imp...

The story of Sharon Creech's Jack from  Love That Dog  (2001) continues. Early in his school year, Jack reveals to his teacher that 1) he hates cats and 2) his college professor Uncle Bill does not believe that the poems Jack had written in the previous school year are "real" poems because they are short, lack rhyme, a regular meter, symbols, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and alliteration. Thank goodness Jack has Miss Stretchberry as his teacher again because she tells him that all those elements his uncle mentioned are not requirements. A poet writes according to his own images, rhythms, and sometimes chooses elements like onomatopoeia and alliteration to  enrich  their poems. And with that, Creech, again, takes us on Jack's journey and growth as a writer and person during this fourth grade school year. This time around, readers learn a bit more about Jack's home life, why he hates  that  cat, and how he finally does move on from the loss of his beloved pet,...

I generally try to avoid anything that is a "hit" or trending with the masses. In fact, the more something is a "hit," the less likely I am to consume it, for my tastes often seem to not be aligned with the crowd's. At CBR, Rainbow Rowell is a hit, so much so that, for many, anything she writes is an automatic "must buy." A couple of years back, I chose to find out if all the hype was warranted by reading  Attachments  (2011), her debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, though for seemingly different reasons: I loved the male protagonist whereas others loved the cleverness of the email exchanges between the two female characters. Fangirl  (2013) is another of Rowell's character-driven  YA novels that has been well-received by readers and well-reviewed by critics. As of this post, it has a slightly higher rating on Goodreads (4.12) than her very much revered  Eleanor & Park  (4.11), also published in 2013. A coming-of-age story,  Fangir...