The Honest Truth

THE HONEST TRUTH by San Gemeinhart. Scholastic, 2015.

What to take along:
food, water, gear, and a dog.
And lots of courage.

One Death Nine Stories

ONE DEATH NINE STORIES edited by Marc Aronson and Charles R. Smith. Candlewick, 2014.

It all begins with
Kev's death, not unexpected,
But it's far-reaching.

Counting by 7s

COUNTING BY 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Dial, 2013.


Willow Chance is an extraordinarily gifted 12 year old. Her mind is constantly seeking more and more information, especially about her passions, one of which is gardening. Her parents (who adopted her when she was a baby) encourage Willow to be herself. But when Willow wants to wear her gardening clothes on the first day of middle school, they are a little hesitant. Willow IS different from the other students, at least most of them. When she achieves a perfect score on a reading test, her teacher accuses her of cheating and Willow is sent to see a counselor. And this is where the already rather eccentric tale takes an incredible turn. While Willow is seeing her counselor, her parents are killed in a car accident. What will happen to Willow now? How can she possibly cope with this situation? A counselor, a family who runs a nail salon, an apartment complex that has seen better days: all of these seemingly disjointed things and people combine to create a story of hope, family, coping, and so much more.

Mira In the Present Tense

MIRA IN THE PRESENT TENSE by Sita Brahmachari. Whitman, September 2013.

For the most part, Mira can tolerate her noisy and chaotic family life. Especially when it comes to being with Nana Josie, her artistic grandmother. Like Josie, Mira has a talent for art. She is about to discover she also has a talent for writing. Her school has offered a before class visiting author program and Mira is one of the 4 students who signed up for the class. writing helps Mira find her voice both literally and figuratively. This is especially crucial as Mira's beloved Nana Josie enters a hospice to deal with the final time she has before cancer claims her. Brahmachari has penned an emotionally realistic book, never sinking into the maudlin or self-indulgent or even too self-reflective. Mira is a 12 year old with tween thoughts and feelings. As she deals with loss, she is also gaining a new friend, a boy friend, and confidence in her own abilities.

Anger Mismanagement

PIECES by Chris Lynch. Simon & Schuster, 2013.

This companion to ICEMAN will draw readers into the continuing story of Eric (though note that this book stands on its own. One does not have to have read ICEMAN first. I do think the reading would be enhanced, though, if one had read ICEMAN). As the novel opens, Eric's family has made the decision to turn off life support machines keeping Duane, Eric's older brother alive after Duane broke his neck. Eric is not at all at peace with this idea nor with the idea of his brother's organs being harvested. However, he is having to deal with the fact that he has no power in this situation. Eric decides to meet some of the recipients of his brother's organs. This meeting, which is not all sweetness and light, does lead, though, to some rather profound changes in Eric's life, a life he feels is in pieces. Lynch explores the inner turmoil of the adolescent male, one with huge anger issues, thoroughly. Eric is not evil nor is he a saint; there is no magical transformation. Instead, there is a growing awareness of others, perhaps the best lesson of all to be learned.

At the center

THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING by Linda Urban. Harcourt, 2013.

From the opening paragraph to the final pages of the last, Linda Urban charms readers with a trio of characters: Ruby, her best friend, Lucy, and her maybe new friend Nero. At the center of the story of the doughnut, the reason that the town of Bunning even exists. When Ruby's grandmother Gigi dies, Ruby regrets that she failed to listen to her grandmother one last time. Maybe what she was saying was so important, maybe it was something Ruby needs to know. And so there is a special wish, a speech at the annual parade, and some research into physics that need to be conducted. Maybe it is possible to make sense of Gigi's last words after all.

Dealing with Loss

MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE by Annabel Pitcher. Little Brown, 2012.

Jamie was only a child when his sister Rose was killed in a terrorist attack as they played in a park in London. Rose's twin, Jas, is the anchor in jamie's life as his father is too consumed with his own grief. The urn with Rose's remains (and Jamie observes there was not much left) seems to almost glare down from its place of honor on the mantelpiece. Jamie remembers almost nothing about Rose and longs for a father who would be more involved in the present than in the past. When Jamie becomes friends of sorts with Sunya, a Muslim girl in his class, he knows his father would disapprove. After all, as his father roars, "Muslims killed your sister." Bullies, loss, moving on, and so much more make this an unforgettable novel. <578>

Grave Business

GRAVE MERCY by Robin LeFevers(Houghton Mifflin 2012) combines romance, intrigue, and assassination in an action packed romp through 15th century Brittany. Ismae is sold to a pig farmer by her father. However, when the pig farmer sees that Ismae was poisoned in the womb by her own mother, he throws her into the cellar. Ismae escapes and flees to the convent of St. Mortain, a convent dedicated to service to St. Mortain, Death. There Ismae is trained in the wiles of seduction and in the many ways of assassination. Her first mission sends her the court of Anne who is supposed to be crowned as Duchess of Brittany. However, there is some opposition to this move. Betrayal, love, war: all will entrance readers of paranormal romance. <317>

Revisiting an old friend

THE HUMMING ROOM by Ellen Potter (Feiwel and Friends 2012) was inspired by THE SECRET GARDEN. While the book might have its roots (pun intended) in the classic, it is wholly its own modern day classic. When Roo is sent to live with her reclusive uncle following the death of her father, she is shuttered away from almost everyone. Her uncle is not to be disturbed when he is even present; Roo is forbidden to explore parts of the old house in which she now lives. Of course Roo is quick to break all the rules. In doing so, she discovers a new friend, a nephew who has been hidden away, and a glorious garden now in ruins. Potter has created a wonderfully resilient heroine in Roo. Only Roo would be brave enough to have discovered all of the wonders lurking beneath something that appears to be lifeless. Warm, wise, witty: explore the world created in THE HUMMING ROOM. <199>

How they croaked

Catching up with my postings about the ALA YMA winners. Here is HOW THEY CROAKED: THE AWFUL ENDS OF THE AWFULLY FAMOUS by Georgia Bragg with illustrations by Kevin O'Malley (Walker 2011). How did Cleopatra die? Was it the asp? Nope, hat pin. George Washington? Too much bloodletting. How about Henry VIII? I do not think you want the details especially if you have recently eaten anything. Bragg brings the dead back to life and provides information and some speculation about cause of death for figures from ancient to more modern times. O'Malley's illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to the text which spans just a few pages per person. Kids will love all of the gory facts! <102>

Love for Books

A confession first. I love John Green. I downloaded THE FAULT IN OUR STARS on its publication date (Penguin 2012) and read it "cover to cover" on the iPad. I then read it again within a week so I could participate in an online chat on the book. And now that I won a hard copy, I suspect i will read it at least one or two more times. That was some time ago, and I have been mulling just what I wanted to post about this book. Others have written about it eloquently. I have little to add to the myriad of starred reviews. But I do have something I need to add to the discussion.

This was a tough book for me to read. I lost my mother and daughter to cancer. Losing my daughter was, as everyone will tell you, difficult. We are not meant to survive our children. I sat with my daughter for the last 36 hours or so of her life. I spent her last night alone in the room with her. I talked to her about all manner of things. So, when it comes to a book about losing someone you love, watching them die, I know more than I want to know about the subject. Critical eye, indeed. I read Green's book with some trepidation. Don't get this wrong, John, I thought. This is so important. it has to be right.

Green gets it right. From the dark humor to the whispered conversations to so much more, he knows this terrain and explores it fearlessly. It would have been all too easy to descend into pathos or even worse sentimentality. This novel rises above that. It celebrates the life of the mind even when the body is in decline (and that is a comfort for older readers like me, intentional or not).

I am not retelling plot here. I will leave that to the reviewers. Instead I am celebrating this smart, funny, and touching exploration of how human we all are, how wonderfully and fully human. <149>

See You at Harry's

SEE YOU AT HARRY'S by Jo Knowles (Candlewick, May 2012) absorbed my total attention on a flight to Chicago. I was actually happy (well, as happy as one can be on a plane) with the delay on the tarmac before take off and the delay in finding an open jetway on the other end of the journey as I did not want to leave this book unfinished. Fern's family owns and operates a restaurant, Harry's. Fern's Dad is always looking for a way to get publicity, but his latest scheme is, well, embarrassing. When you are 12, all is potentially embarrassing, but having to take part in a commercial wearing a doofus t-shirt is almost more than Fern can bear. But then events conspire, and the embarrassment of the commercial seems a silly thing of the past. Knowles has created a family that will resonate with so many readers, a family they will come to love. Hers is a story of family, of heartbreaking loss, of finding hope again. of moving forward despite the stultifying pain of doing so. Here is a book that will make you laugh in rueful recognition and make you weep because you care about these characters so lovingly created. Order your copy now. <659>






Note: I used my Magic Wand to scan the cover of the ARC. Thanks @skajder for telling us about it at #ncte11!

miracles can happen

Sixteen year old Cam is wise beyond her years. She has been battling cancer most of her life. Now, it seems, she has run out of options. Her mother, though, a dancer in one of the Disney Polynesian shows, is not daunted. She packs up Cam, her younger sister, and the car and heads off to Promise, Maine, a town so magical that one must find a way into a town that exists almost like Brigadoon (obscure reference for some, but one of my favorite Gene Kelly movies). Cam and her family find Promise, and things appear to be as advertised. There are magnificent scenes all around, a flock of errant flamingos, a possible love interest, and for Cam some respite from her disease. Is this a miracle? THE PROBABILITY OF MIRACLES by Wendy Wunder (Razorbill 2011) examines what could be dark territory. Wunder shines intense light, a light that brings comfort and sorrow in measured doses. The feelings seem spot on, the humor is dark. It is the character of Cam that remains. <624>

Putting makeup on dead people

PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE (Hyperion 2011) is certainly a title destined to make browsers pause and give the book a second glance. The cover will make it a good long glance, I'll warrant. Jen Violi gives readers an interesting career choice in the form of Donna, a teen who has seen dying and death up close. She is fascinated rather than repelled by it, and plans to study mortuary science after high school. You can imagine how this decision goes over with her mother and her friends. Issues of faith, family, reverence for the dead, and even romance are blended skilfully in this novel, one that readers who like Sarah Dessen will find of interest. <580>

the picture books keep on coming

WILD ROSE'S WEAVING by Ginger Churchill with illustrations by Nicole Wong (Tanglewood 2011) gives readers the story of a girl who is much too busy to learn how to weave from her grandmother. Instead, she runs over the hillsides and dips her feet into the river. When she returns, she is amazed to see what her grandmother has created on her loom. Pair this one with ANNIE AND THE OLD ONE. <563>



EVERY-DAY DRESS by Selina Alko (Knopf 2011) is a bit deceptive from the outside. It appears to be a book about a young girl laying dress up with clothes from an old trunk. Look inside, though, and you will see this girl transform herself into Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Maria Tallchief, and other women. An appendix gives brief biographies of the women featured in this book. <564>



In THE SCAR (Candlewick 2011), a young boy is angry over the death of his mother. Who will take care of him? How could she leave him? His father will never learn how to cut his toast just right. Charlotte Moundlic and illustrator Olivier Tallec have produced a book that is simple in its approach to death. It is frank and heartbreaking but always hopeful. <565>



THE ORPHAN by Anthony Manna and Soula Mitakidou with illustrations by Giselle Potter is a Cinderella story from Greece. It will be familiar in places to those who know more than the sanitized Disney version of this classic tale. Rhyme and repetition and other motifs make this a strong addition to a fairy tale collection. <566>




MY DOG, MY CAT by Ashlee Fletcher (Tanglewood 2012) presents the differences between the two pets. One has a wt tongue; the other's tongue is rough. However, there are some similarities as well: both pets love their owner and their owner loves them. Simple illustrations with splashes of color to accentuate are perfect for this easy reader. <567>

Liar, liar, pants on fire

LIE by Caroline Bock (St. Martins Griffin 2011)has at its heart, a hate crime and the lies it takes to try to cover it all up. Skylar is still reeling from the loss of her mother. Her father works double shifts, in part to control his own grief. When the new student at school shows Skylar some attention, she falls into a relationship so dependent that Skylar is able to rationalize Jimmie's odd behavior. One night, Jimmie and a friend beat two brothers, putting one in the hospital barely alive. Jimmie's friends all agree to lie to cover up his part in this crime. The mantra is "everybody knows, nobody's talking." Skylar is torn: she loves Jimmie, but she did witness the brutality of his attack. She has difficulty reconciling the two images. Multiple narrators keep this story moving along quickly. <556>

tuck a kleenex inside the covers

SIGN LANGUAGE by Amy Ackley (Viking 2011) is one of those books that a poet once wrote should come with kleenex tucked inside. Twelve year old Abby's father has terminal cancer. The first half of the book follows Abby and her family as they deal with Dad's declining health and eventual death. However, the second half of the book deals with the grieving process of Abby and her mother. Anger, denial, depression: it is all here. Abby pushes away all those close to her in her desperate grief. <533>

You go, girl!

PEARL VERSES THE WORLD by Sally Murphy (Candlewick 2011) with illustrations by Heather Potter is a slim novel in verse all about Pearl. We learn quickly that Pearl lives with her mother and her grandmother. We also learn that Granny is now bedridden and dying. In school, Pearl's teacher exhorts the students to write poems and to make sure they have rhythm and lots of rhyme. This is a difficult task for Pearl whose life, in her own words, "there is no rhythm in me/no rhythm in my life." As Pearl grapples with the troubles and joys in her life, they are recorded in her singular voice in this gem of a book. <484>