Break for Summer Reading

Our library's summer learning club (formerly known as the summer reading program) will begin on Monday. I have spent the last month preparing and promoting the programs for this summer.  I will be spending the next two months up to my eyeballs in programming and kiddos and prizes and story times and crafts and performers, etc. etc.

Mondays: kids crafts in the afternoon, family story time in the evening
Tuesdays: toddler story time in the morning, science club in the afternoon
Thursdays: visits from the city child care group for story times and tours in the afternoon, book club in the evening
Fridays: our Maker Space will be open for patrons (including children) to use
Saturdays: a performer or special event every week - puppets, animal shows, etc.

In short, I will be busy.  To quote a friend of mine, "I am not legally responsible for anything I say or do until after August 1st."

I might have glimmers of free time in which I can write blog posts.  More likely, however, this blog will gather dust until August, at which time I can tell about all the things we did in the summer and how they were awesome (or how they could be made to become awesome).

Backlash

Littman, Sarah. Backlash. Scholastic Press, 2015.

Lara's online crush told her the world would be better off without her. On her Facebook wall. When others start to chime in, Lara decides he's right. The doctors are able to pump the pills from her system before they kill her, but soon the police are investigating this incident. Who is this online crush, and why did he say things that would make Lara do something so drastic? Lara's family and friends have to deal with the backlash after Lara's suicide attempt.

I picked this book up and immediately thought of the after school specials I used to watch while waiting for my mom to come home from work. The lesson in this book is obvious, but there's enough mystery and drama that many readers will be drawn into the the story even if they can already guess what is going to happen. I had already guessed at many of the "plot twists," and I didn't even find any of the characters likable, but I found myself staring at the pages as I turned them, much the way passing motorists will find themselves compelled to look at an accident site. The main character, her ex-BFF, and their parents and younger siblings are all pretty deplorable people. I don't like them. I don't think you're supposed to like them. But the message of this story is a needed one, and this is a book that will be on the shelves at my library and will be easy for me to book talk to middle school and high school students who attend our programs.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: suicide attempt, bullying, mild language issues
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Mosquitoland

Arnold, David. Mosquitoland. Viking BYR, 2015.

Mim lives with her father and stepmother in Mississippi, but when she hears her mother has been hospitalized, she steals money and sneaks away on a Greyhound bus so she can be with her mother. The bus crashes, she's nearly raped, and many other crazy mishaps happen along the way.  This is definitely a book that is more about the journey than the destination.

Confession: I really didn't like this book. I didn't hate it, and I have hated some books, but I did NOT like this one. Mim is not a likable character, and I find it disturbing when I read a book and can't sympathize with or identify with the main character at all.  I find it hard to believe that Mim was able to steal all of that money and run off with no one looking for her.  I find it equally hard to believe that the Greyhound bus would crash and everyone would get a free hotel room and then GET ON ANOTHER BUS WITH THE SAME DRIVER THE VERY NEXT DAY.  I don't like the way this book treats the beliefs and rituals of Native peoples.  I don't like the way this book treats a character with Down syndrome. It was very difficult to be inside Mim's head on this very unbelievable journey.

It's pretty obvious by now that mental illnesses are the next "big thing" in young adult literature, but I think there are better books out there. Read if you must, especially if you believe all the 5-star reviews this book has gotten, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: Mim struggles with a mental illness and is medicated for much of this book. She discusses her medication (which has a very similar name to a medication currently on the market IRL) and takes a very anti-meds stance throughout the book. Mim is nearly raped by a creepy man on the bus; this event happens suddenly enough that rape survivors should take gentle care.
Overall Rating: 1.5 / 5 stars - some of the writing is pretty, even if it is pretty unbelievable

Read-Alikes: Challenger Deep, Cameron and the Girls, All the Bright Places, Every Last Word

Book Club: Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy

This month my Page Turners book club (9-12 year olds) read Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, which is the first book in a seven-book fantasy series.  The story follows five dragonets (baby dragons, to the unenlightened) who are part of a prophecy that is supposed to end the war between different dragon factions. Most of my book club kids loved this book, and many of them said it was their favorite of the books we have read so far this year.

After a brief discussion (I found my questions here), we started in on our activities:

1.  Dragon corner bookmark.  Corner bookmarks are relatively simple to make, and I like that they can be personalized to match the topic at hand.  In this case, I set out a sample, a couple of templates, and a stack of craft supplies.  The kids didn't need much more in the way of direction.

2.  Seven Dragons Game. I always like to incorporate card games or board games, because most of my young patrons don't have enough opportunity to play these with anyone else.  There happens to be a dragon card game that has a regular version and a simplified version. I wrote up the simplified version directions on a paper and set those out with just the necessary cards instead of the entire deck.

3.  Jointed Dragon.  This was way more popular than I thought it would be. I found a paper dragon online that can be colored, cut out, and attached with paper fasteners so that the various joints actually move.  The kids loved this activity, even though it took most of their time just to cut the dragon out.

Although this month's activities were not as, ahem, explosive as those we did last month, we still had a great time and the patrons (and I) are looking forward to next month.

Prairie Fire

Johnston, E.K. Prairie Fire. Carolrhoda Books, 2015.

This second installment in the Dragon Slayer of Trondheim series follows Owen, a dragonslayer, and Siobhan, his bard, as they join the Oil Watch.  Those who enjoyed The Story of Owen will also enjoy this sequel.

I enjoyed The Story of Owen, although it wasn't a book I would have picked up based simply on the cover. I also very much enjoyed Prairie Fire. The characters are relatable, the jabs at the differences between Canada and the United States are amusing, and the story moves along at a good pace with plenty of action. I would recommend keeping tissues nearby, though.  Any further details would constitute a spoiler, so just take my word for it.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series, Eragon, Seraphina