The Dark Divine

The Dark Divine
Bree Despain

"The Christmas dance?" the dance hadn't passed my mind in days.  Did people who knew the secrets of the underworld go to dances?

This is the quandary of Grace Divine, our heorine.  Grace is wonderful.  Grace is flawed.  Grace is caught between two guys.  But not THAT way.  She's caught between being loyal to her brother Jude and her love Daniel.  Grace wants to keep her promises, she really does.  But she isn't always successful.

Mostly, Grace is a fixer.  She wants to fix Daniel.  She wants to fix Jude.  She just wants everyone to be happy, like they were 3 years ago.  The trouble is, Grace isn't sure what happened 3 years ago.  When she finally finds out, she doesn't want to know.

The Dark Divine is a finely crafted book about secrets, redemption and love.  The ending is fabulous.  It leaves the option open for more Grace-ful adventures!

I was hooked on this book before I owned it. I read the first 4 chapters on line.  I entered contests to try to win a copy.  I was so excited when I received a Border's card so I could run out and buy it.  I finished the book last night and I've already passed it on.  I like to post reviews once a week but I love this book so much I wanted to get the word out ASAP.   This is a MUST READ. 

I would recommend The Dark Divine to anyone who enjoys romance with a little underworld mixed in. 
Length: 372 pages
Rating: ALL TIME!!

BTW - you can learn more about The Dark Divine's author, Bree Despain at her blog.  I highly recommend it as well!

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature
Robin Brande

Mena Reece is an outcast of the highest order.  Her own parents wouldn't talk to her.  YIPES!  She must have done something really bad, right?  Wrong.  She simply did what she thought was right. 

But, such is life.  Sometimes doing the right thing produces wrong results (or what you think are the wrong results).  At the beginning.  It's the waiting for the turn around that stinks.  Big time.

Brande does an excellent job of bring us to the middle of Mena's misery.  You really get to know and feel how bad is sucks to be her.  And then we get to see the glimmer of hope.  You get to figure it out before Mena and she's the one telling the story.   Mena is so in the middle of her misery that she can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I go back and forth about the ending.  Sometimes I like how it ended, sometimes I want a different ending.  But, again, such is life.  Most times, get better but the misery-causer doesn't get what's coming to them.   In those cases, I'm reminded of what my daddy used to say, "What goes around comes around and gains momentum in the turns."

I loved this book.  I love it when characters are real and working hard to do the right thing.  I love it when characters become who they are meant to me.  It's awesome and one of my new all time favorites!

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to 7th grade girls and up.  It contains a great lesson about becoming yourself and real friends.
Length: 268 pages
Rating: All Time!

Suck It Up

Suck It Up
Brian Meehl

Morning McCobb wants to be a super hero.  Really, who doesn't?  And it almost works out for him.  Almost.
Morning is an average teenager graduating from a school of beautiful people.  Really, who isn't?
Morning thinks a girl likes him but he's not sure if she does or if he likes her back.  Really, who hasn't?

But Morning is completely different.  Morning is a vampire.  He's even different from all the other vampires.  He became a vampire in an unusual way.  And Morning has the opportunity to show us "Lifers" that vampires are perfectly normal.  And that's where it gets interesting.  Really interesting.

I must confess at this point that I don't generally like vampires or stories about vampires.  I didn't even like THE story about vampires.  I'll wait while you regain consciousness.  I know I'm like the only person in America who didn't like THE story about vampires.  But that's for another day. 

I don't want to say that I started reading Suck It Up expecting to not like it.  I mean the title alone will endeared it to me (I say suck it up all the time).  But I did think it would be a bit of struggle.

Thankfully, that was not the case.  Suck It Up has lots of action to keep the story going.  It's so outside the normal that you can't guess where's it's going.   It has a little love story that keeps you guessing too.  The supporting characters are interesting.  Although I have to say that the PR agent/mom didn't hit home with me too much as a mom.

Recommendation: Overall, I enjoyed it.  I would recommend it for boys looking for themselves in a character.
Length: 321 pages
Rating: Loved It!

2010

School's back in session and I have 3 book reviews waiting in the wings.  But first, please indulge me in some musing.
2010 (two thousand ten or twenty ten, your call) WILL be a good year!  That's not wishful thinking, it's fact.  2009 stunk worse than 3 day old fish.  I'll recap for you:

started year worn out from Brennan's Christmas pnuemonia, moving to NY, opps...not moving, hubby laid off instead, Brennan can't stop pooping (TMI I know), hubby out of work, assorted illness for Brennan,  part time job ended sooner than expected, lost 35 pounds, $2000 in dental work for Zac, landed really excellent job, had to wait to start really excellent job, part time job landed, have to stop feed Brennan food - formula only, Brennan bout 2 with pneumonia, hubby starts new 'temp' job, turn 35, finally start excellent job, feel like a middle schooler all over again trying to make friends at the excellent new job, Sam and Zac get swine flu, various financial difficulties, Brennan bout 3 with pneumonia, Breast Cancer 3 Day, asthma fall out, hubby decides 'temp' job is THE one, Brennan decides to eat and grow, freaking about holiday money, holiday money arrives just in time.

So, that's the short version.  Many ups but many many downs.  But Thanksgiving brought an amazing up.

For years, I have wanted to write.  I wrote as a young girl.  I won a poem contest in elementary school (my dog makes me smile, he makes me smile for a mile, he makes me grin until I'm ten, I love my dog).  Impressive since I remember writing it the morning it was due and had no dog at the time (did not have a dog until high school).  I won a Stuart Hall writing contest about the school of the future.  Honorable Mention, I think.  I remember writing the essay but not the subject matter.  Schools of the future, maybe?  Then I forgot about it until huge box of Stuart Hall school supplies arrived.  I hadn't told anyone I had entered the contest, didn't keep a copy of the essay, couldn't remember the contents of the essay.   But LOVED the free school supplies.  I wrote an entire series of books (or maybe short stories) about boy and girl twins - Fred and Rita.  They did the things I did but the outcomes were better.  I never showed them to anyone.  I wish I knew where those notebooks are.

I don't know why I gave up creative writing.  But I did.  Probably some crappy teacher hurt my feelings.  Who knows.  But, as you may have guessed, I enjoy it but I'm EXTREMELY shy about anyone reading what I write.

Two years ago I wrote 2 picture books.  I took a junk course about selling a book.  I followed all the instructions.  I spend a good deal of money to go to New York to Book Expo America to try to sell it (as instructed by the course - course was not related to BEA).  My instructions were to walk up to people and tell them about my books.  OMG - I cried everyday after a day at BEA.  My feet hurt, I was alone in NYC (see country mouse, city mouse story) and I was trying to do something foriegn to me.

So, again, I put writing away.  Until Thanksgiving 2009.  Before Thanksgiving I decided that I needed to read more.  And I decided to start this blog to review books out of our school library.  During this process, I stumbled upon the Young Adult Book Central website.  Somehow from there I ended up on Twitter following Kimberly Pauley and Myra McEntire.  I felt extremely stalker-ish.  Then, to up the stalker ante, I started reading Myra's blog.  She seems a lot like me.  I enjoy her humor and style of writing.  But what's been most helpful is her openness about her journey in writing.  It gave me hope. And something to do.

In the meantime the Friday before Thanksgiving, while in the shower (TMI again sorry) I got THE IDEA.  A sweet young girl named Caley started talking to me in my head.  I had been waiting for years for THE IDEA.  And here it was finally.  What the heck do I do with it now?  Well, I started writing down what was in my head.  And I remembered Myra. She blogged about reading about the craft of writing.

As usual around the holidays, time flew.  I thought of Caley often and wrote down what came up.  But I've never written anything long.   I wasn't sure what to do.  So, I put Caley up and headed back to Myra's blog to find the name of the books she recommended.  I had blown my 'play/me' money on new jeans so I turned to the library.  (the quest for this book in another story)

I checked out Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell and How I Write by Janet Evanovich.  I read Evanovich first.  Very helpful.  Quick read. Good stuff.  Then last night after the kidlit chat on Twitter (another Myra recommendation), I started reading Plot and Structure.  WOW!  The first page was written directly to me.  How sweet of Mr. Bell.  I am excited to continue reading, learn the craft and give Caley the voice she needs.

So, there 2009. 2010 is gonna kick your tail.  And if all goes well, 2013 or 2014 or 2015 (or whenever) will see Caley in bookstores.  And maybe I'll be able to inspire a stranger to run out to a library at 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday (the library closes at 6) to get a book that changes his or her life.  Thanks Myra!

The Willoughby's

The Willoughby’s

Lois Lowery

First, I have to admit that The Giver is one of my all time favorite books.  So, whenever I see something from Lois Lowery, I usually give it a try.  Second, my all time favorite Christmas book is Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree.  So, I had a double good reason to pick up this book.  Then I read the cover “A Novel Nefariously Written &  Ignominiously Illustrated by the Author” and I was hooked.  Hadn’t even opened the book yet. 

The Willoughby’s is a dark comedy.  The children want to be rid of their parents.  The parents want to be rid of their children.  But they don’t just want to be rid of them, they have a plan to GET rid of them.  Across town eccentric millionaire candy maker is drowning in trash and grief.  The Willoughby’s inadvertently help him learn to live again.  In the end, everyone gets what he or she wants. 

But what I really love about this book is the rich vocabulary and references to orphan themed children’s literature.  And because she’s awesome, Lowry provides both a glossary and a bibliography.  


Recommendation: I would recommend this book for 4th-6th graders.

Length: 176 pages
Rating: Loved It!

My First Book Review!

Bird Lake Moon
Kevin Henkes

Spencer and Mitch meet by chance at Bird Lake.  Both are dealing with family secrets.  Both need a friend.  Mitch is spending the summer at Bird Lake with his mom and grandparents unexpectantly.  His parents are getting a divorce and everyone is hurting.  The tension at his grandparent’s house mounts the longer the summer goes on.  Mitch thinks the house next door is a solution to his problems.  Until Spencer and his family arrives.  Spencer’s family is deal with their own family tragedy.  The boys end up becoming friends and being just what the other needs. 

Bird Lake Moon is a quick read and enjoyable read. Henkes’ writing style is very descriptive. The cover alludes to more suspense than is actually in the story.  The boys overcome their initial difficulty in a very “boy” way (not fighting ;).  The characters are well developed.  The reader understands why they do what they do. I enjoyed the story being told from each boy’s point of view in alternating chapters.  I would have loved more suspense.  And the ending was a little too tidy.  But overall, a good book.

I would recommend Bird Lake Moon for boys 5^th grade and up. 

Length: 179 pages

Rating: Liked It!

OCD?

How do you know you have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)?  You do stuff like this...

I have this awesome supply bucket.  I love school/office supplies.  I also love things to organize my supplies.  I ordered this bucket when I taught 5th grade.  I used it to keep supplies handy on my overhead projector cart.  This bucket is usually well organized and I can find things easily.  Not lately though.


This year my two older boys come to my classroom before and after school each day.  Zac is in kindergarten.  He's an artist.  He loves to get into my stuff.  He has his own stuff - it's not good enough.  He needs my stuff.  So, my bucket is not well organized lately.


This morning I needed a certain Sharpie to make a congratulatory sign for 4 of my keyboarding students.   (they had to match the others, hence the certain marker).  I could not find it.  I dumped the bucket.  I organized everything into 6 piles: non-writing utensils, Sharpies, Crayola thin markers, highlighters, smelly markers and general pens.  Actually, general pens were divided into ordinary pens, colored pens and cool pens.  But, in the end, all the pens end up in the same section of the bucket so it didn't matter.


Here's everything organized on my desk. I could bear to take a picture of it all dumped out there.

And yes, I did test them all to make sure everything is in good working order. I also threw out some markers that didn't match anything else (like 1 lone thick Crayola marker).  And yes, in true Monica-style, I clicked all the lids closed.

Here's my newly organized bucket.  Which is off limits to outsiders (anyone but me).

Honestly, I'm not OCD - just weird about my stuff.  Which brings up a question for another day: Do people get to be weird anymore?  Or must we label everything?