Audiobook: The House at Pooh Corner

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by A. A. Milne
Read by: various British actors including Stephen Fry and Judy Dench
ages: 4+
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

What can you say about Pooh Bear? Nothing. Seriously. Pooh Bear is Pooh Bear, and if you don’t love him you are either not a child, don’t have a child, never have been a child, or are a grumpy curmudgeon in need of some humor in your life.

Because the Pooh Bear stories are absolutely wonderful. Funny, sweet, tender, silly, and captivating. How can you not love the characters, Pooh with his earnestness, Eeyore and his sarcastic grumpiness, Piglet and his insecurity, Tigger in his enthusiasm, Rabbit with his bossiness and worry, and Owl with his self-educated importance. I love them all. And the stories: this one has two of my favorites: the one in which Christopher Robin goes to school, leaving a note that says “Gone. Be back son.” and the animals try to figure out what a “backson” is. And Pooh sticks. Yes, I play Pooh sticks with my kids. I love Pooh sticks.

So, when K asked to listen to something for her very own, of course I thought of Pooh. This recording has the benefit of being unabridged, even though it is a full-cast production. I usually prefer a single reader over full-cast, but in this case it worked. It helped K keep track of who was talking — every voice was quite distinct, even if I did find Tigger’s and Piglet’s portrayals a bit grating — and some of them — Stephen Fry’s Pooh and Geoffrey Palmer’s Eeyore, among others — were dead on perfect. I noticed things that I didn’t when I’ve read these to the girls in the past; it’s amazing what a different interpretation of a specific line, what a different emphasis and inflection will do to the meaning of the sentence. And yes, the end in which we have to say good bye did find me teary.

Wonderful, wonderful Pooh.

10 Questions for Clare Vanderpool

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When I picked up Moon Over Manifest, Hubby took a look at the author bio, and said, “You should interview her.” Of course, I thought, I really should. And then I put it off (sorry!) for various reasons. And then January came around, and Clare Vanderpool won the Newbery. I despaired; I’ve never interviewed anyone who’s won a big award (save Shannon Hale, but she’s awesome enough to let me interview her anyway), would Clare Vanderpool say yes?

Well, yes, busy as she is, Clare did take time out from her busy schedule to answer my questions about her book, her inspiration, and life after winning the Newbery.

MF: What inspired you to tell the stories of small-town Kansas?
CV: I’m a Kansas girl, so of course Kansas would be the first place I would look to set my story. I chose the real town of Frontenac for my fictional town of Manifest because my maternal grandparents are both from that area. What a stroke of luck that was, as Frontenac and other small towns in southeast Kansas have such a rich and colorful history that really drove the story. With the mining, bootlegging, immigrants, orphan trains, and the Spanish influenza, there was no shortage of drama and intrigue going on in southeast Kansas.

MF: Not many people think of drama when they think of Kansas, though there was quite a bit in our history. You tackled not one, but two time periods. What kind of research went into making that work, and making sure each was authentic?
CV: I did a great deal of research and loved every minute of it. I’m a very nostalgic person so poring through old newspapers, yearbooks, and magazines is a great way to while away an afternoon. I also read books on the Great Depression, World War I, the Spanish Influenza, and bootlegging along with the memoirs of a WWI soldier and the experiences of immigrants traveling through Ellis Island. I find it all interesting but the research/writing process is also interesting in figuring out which parts of the research feed the story and which ones don’t. I don’t care for a story that beats the reader over the head with the historical knowledge of the writer. For me, if it doesn’t serve the story it doesn’t go in.

MF: I agree: as a reader, it’s hard when there’s more historical information than plot. Was it hard (or not) to find the voices of your characters? Did you do anything in particular to find them? CV: The voice of the main character, Abilene Tucker, was very clear from the beginning. I knew she was a level-headed girl with her very practical list of universals – even though she does come to question those throughout the book. Some of the other characters evolved as the story went along. Shady’s voice developed quite a bit. He is a soft-spoken character and for his voice and his character to rise to the surface, I had to focus on his actions as much as his words.

MF: I know it’s hard to choose, but do you have a favorite character or scene from the book?
CV: This is a difficult question to answer. I love all the characters, even the prickly ones. I like the fact that some characters who have their flaws, have opportunities to redeem themselves. If I had to choose one favorite scene, it might be the one with Abilene, Lettie, and Ruthanne, out in the woods at night and Lettie has brought gingersnaps to share. It is in this scene that Abilene realizes that Lettie and Ruthanne know things about each other, unspoken things, through shared experience. For the first time, Abilene begins to question some of her long-held list of universals. And it ends with Lettie singing her down and out train song. The sad mixed with the sweet. I like that.

MF: Did you always intend to write for a middle grade audience, or did that just happen?
CV:Yes, I set out to write a middle grade novel. That age group just seems to be the voice and point of view I settle into.

MF: So, congratulations on winning the Newbery! That must have been quite the experience. What went through your mind when you got the call?
CV: When I got the call and realized it was the chairperson of the Newbery Committee, my heart started racing. I thought she was going to say that I had won a Newbery Honor. And I would have been thrilled. Then when she said it was the Newbery Medal, I went from thrilled to stunned and the tears started rolling. My husband happened to be home and he just stared at me wondering what was going on because a)I’m not normally a spontaneous crier and b)he had no idea the Newbery was being announced that day. I sputtered a few words of thanks but couldn’t say much. It was amazing.

MF: Amazing, indeed! How has winning the Newbery changed things (in your life, your writing, etc.)? Or has it?
CV: My professional life has changed quite a bit. I haven’t done much writing lately, but hope to get back into a routine soon. I have done many interviews and have received invitations to speak around the country. That is exciting as I plan to take my children along on a trip or two. As far as home life everything is pretty normal. We have one computer in the house and with a multitude of snow days, sick days, and assorted days off lately, I have had to beg, borrow, and steal to get time on the computer. My husband and I had a little sit down with the kids shortly after the award was announced and said our plan is to enjoy the whole experience, appreciate the gift that it is, and keep things normal at home. In other words we still shop at Target, nobody gets a cell phone until they’re in high school, and you still have to do your jobs – every week! They seem good with that.

MF: Sounds like you’ve got some good kids. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy the trips! Who or what inspires you to write?
CV: My inspiration revolves around stories. The stories I read as a kid, the stories I read now, and the stories that emerge in my head and wrap themselves around my heart. My influences as a young reader were Scott O’Dell, Madeleine L’Engle, Elizabeth George Speare. In fact, I noticed recently that those three authors won consecutive Newberies in the early 1960’s. I guess that makes them some sort of Newbery Triple Crown.

MF: I like that: the Newbery Triple Crown; I love all those authors, as well. Speaking of reading, what’s the most recent book you’ve read and loved and why?
CV: I just finished Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm and loved it. There were parts that made me laugh as well as sweet, tender, and sad parts. Jennifer is a wonderful story teller and I love her sense of humor. I feel like I just spent time with Turtle and the Little Rascals.

MF: If you don’t mind me asking, what can we expect from you next?
CV: The book I’m working on is about a Kansas boy who is uprooted from his home and put in a boys boarding school in Maine. His story involves a journey, a quest really. Fortunately, I was close to finishing a draft of my current work in progress. I say fortunately, because if I hadn’t been that far along, I think it would be very difficult right now to be trying to create and flesh out the storyline. As it is, the story is clear enough in my head that I think I’ll be able to finish the draft before long and then begin the process of tinkering and editing. I would describe it as moving past the “M & M” stage (what I tend to eat when I’m staring off into space trying to figure out where the story is going) and heading into the “Buckle Down” stage which usually involves more concentration and fewer calories.

MF: Thanks, Clare, for your time!

February Jacket Flap-a-Thon

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It’s the end of February, and much like the short, but dreary, month, we have a short but dreary jacket flap-a-thon. Nothing seemed to jump out at me this month, and though the following were adequate, they weren’t stellar.

Pay the Piper (Starscape): “A rock ‘n’ roll band to die for…. When fourteen year old Callie McCallan scores a backstage pass to interview the lead singer of the famous band Brass Rat, she’s thrilled. Peter Gringras is so cool. When he plays his flute, it’s as if he has some kind of hypnotic power. But there is something strange about him, something Callie can’t quite put her finger on. Then, on Halloween night, Callie’s little brother Nicky disappears, along with all the other children in town. It’s crazy, but Callie thinks she knows where the children have gone–and who took them. To prove it, and to rescue Nicky and the other children, Callie must journey to a mythical world filled with fantastical creatures. A world from which there may be no return….”

The writers did something amazing: made the book sound a lot more interesting than it really was. There’s something about those three little dots…

Daughter of the Forest (Tor Books): “Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, they are determined that she know only contentment. But Sorcha’s joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever. When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all…”

Good; it gives you the basic plot, enough to know it’s a fairy tale adaptation, without coming out and saying so. And yet, doesn’t give you so much that you’ve basically got the whole plot, which leaves you wondering why read the book.

The Disappearing Spoon (Little, Brown and Company): “The Periodic Table is one of man’s crowning scientific achievements. But it’s also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues’ wives when she’d invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country and their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? From the Big Bang to the end of time, it’s all in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON.”

This is the best of the lot. It says “Look, fascinating science facts, but written in such a way that’s not for just science geeks.” Total win.

Other books read:
Guys Read: Funny Business
The Magician’s Elephant
The Lincolns
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You
The True Meaning of Smekday
In a Heartbeat
King of Bollywood

King of Bollywood

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Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema
by Anupama Chopra
ages: adult
First sentence: “Dreams come true in Dalton.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

First off, a disclaimer: four years ago, when I saw this on the shelves, I took a look and said, “Hmm… could be interesting.” But, since my older two girls and I have been on an Indian Cinema bender lately (don’t ask how many movies we’ve watched in the last month…), I put a hold on this one. M read it in one sitting, devouring information about Shah Rukh. I took it a bit slower.

It’s basically one of those Hollywood tell-all biographies; Chopra did sit down an interview Shah Rukh and those closest to him, so it’s an “authorized” version. Reading it reminded me why I prefer memoirs over biographies: I like hearing the stories by the person themselves, rather than being interpreted through someone else. That, and questions I had (like: why is his name Shah Rukh Khan when his dad’s last name was Mohammed? Why did he change it? When did he change it?) weren’t really answered.

That said, even with the meandering and slightly clunky writing style, it was a fascinating look into Indian cinema. To explain how Shah Rukh became the massive superstar he is, Chopra felt it necessary to explain the history of Hindi film, and with that, a bit of Indian history as well. Some really interesting stuff. That’s not to say that Shah Rukh isn’t fascinating: the amount of naked ambition he has is boggling. And yet, he’s an incredibly down-to-earth individual (or at least Chopra made him seem so). Additionally, he’s a halfway decent actor, if a bit on the goofy side. Other than that, there isn’t much to say about this book.

Good for those who are slightly obsessed with Indian cinema.

In a Heartbeat

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by Lortetta Ellsworth
ages: 12+
First sentence: “I’m fatalistic.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy sent to me by the publisher

Eagan is a dedicated figure skater. She’s given her whole life over to the sport, living and breathing it. Much of the reason is because her mother pressures her to do so, and when Eagan finds a boyfriend, her mom goes ballistic.

Amelia is a dying fourteen-year-old. Her heart is slowly giving out on her, and she doesn’t have much longer to live. She’s on the heart donor list, but it doesn’t look too hopeful. She’s slowly wasting away, dreaming about living.

Then, the worst happens: Eagan dies in a freak accident.

And the best happens: Amelia gets her heart.

Alternating chapters between Eagan’s and Amelia’s points of view, the book tells their stories, and how, after Amelia gets Eagan’s heart, the transplant changes both Amelia’s life and Eagan’s death. (Yeah, well, go with it.)

It sounds like an interesting idea. Or at least a not-terrible idea. And yet, it never got of the ground floor for me. It may have been because it was trying to tell two stories, and I never connected with either. I understood what Ellsworth was trying to get at, trying to find a connection in a tragedy, but it never really got there for me. I never particularly cared for the characters, and it all seemed overly melodramatic for me. It wasn’t laughably bad or cringe-worthy, but it wasn’t really exciting or even interesting either. It occupied that gray netherworld of just “meh.”

Unfortunately.

The Disappearing Spoon

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Madness, Love, and the HIstory of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean
ages: adult
First sentence: “As a child in teh early 1980s, I tended to talk with things in my mouth — food dentist’s tubes, balloons that would fly away, whatever — and if no one else was around, I’d talk anyway.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Me and science aren’t exactly friends. (Or is it science and I? Bad grammar day.) I’ve taken a few science classes, and while I think I liked chemistry the best (who doesn’t like blowing things up in a beaker?), I really haven’t given science (or it’s application) much thought over the years. In fact, save visits to hands-on science museums (my favorite), I haven’t given it any thought.

Enter Sam Kean and this book. It’s perfect for people like me: those who kind of like science (especially chemistry) in a passing sort of way, but aren’t scientists by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a sweeping book, one that explains basic chemistry as well as looking at the history of how different elements were discovered, the periodic table was put together, and about the scientists behind both. All the famous people are there: Einstein, Pierre and Marie Curie, and… that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. But, he goes beyond the famous people, and delves into the all the stories. One I loved was how x-rays were discovered. Or about the kid who decided he needed to help the world break its oil addiction and built a nuclear reactor in his mother’s backyard. Or how elements influenced pen making. Or the politics of Nobel Prizes and naming elements. Or this throw-away line: “Still, chefs and chemists tended to distrust one another, chemists seeing cooks as undisciplined and unscientific, cooks seeing chemists as sterile killjoys.”

It’s got everything, and yet, it’s an incredibly balanced book. It’s amazingly accessible (a must), and even though I think I only understood maybe a third of what Kean was explaining, I found I was never bored. Kean knows how to talk science to unsciency people, so that even if we didn’t understand all the technicalities, we still can thoroughly enjoyed the book.

And that’s a feat unto itself.

Daughter of the Forest

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by Juliet Marillier
ages: adult
First sentence: “Three children lay on the rocks at the water’s edge.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. She’s led an idyllic childhood, for the most part (aside from her mother’s death with Sorcha’s birth, and her father’s unwillingness to show any affection towards her after that), in ancient Erin, playing and exploring with her brothers in the forest behind their home. Then, as she hits the cusp of adulthood, her father remarries an enchantress who, for various reasons, becomes jealous of Sorcha and her brothers. When, in a moment of spite she turns the brothers into swans, Sorcha is devastated. And, even more so when she finds out the only way to break the curse is to sew shirts of a thistle plant without speaking until she’s done. It’s not an easy task, and only the love she has for her brothers can see it through.

A grand, sweeping retelling of the Brother’s Grimm tale, The Six Swans, it has a little bit of everything: magic, faeries, and, of course, romance. It’s set in ancient Britain/Ireland, which allows Marillier to explore the tension between the old ways and the newer religion. A grand book.

When Kelly suggested this as a buddy read, I jumped at the chance. She has the first part of our conversation at her blog; come back and read the rest when you’re done!

—————

Melissa: I agree: when it’s done well, it’s a joy to read. And I thought Mariller balanced the fantasy and the history quite well. Have you read anything else by her?

Kelly: I have read Wildwood Dancing, which is a young adult novel that is also a fairy tale retelling. I quite liked it, so I am happy to have finally read something else by her. All of her books look really good, actually, and I even ‘collected’ her for a while because I just figured I was going to like her. I don’t have everything by her, obviously, because I have only actually read one book by her until this one. I think she is going to continue to be an author I enjoy. What do you think?

Melissa: I also read Wildwood Dancing, but I loathed it. Seriously. Which, I suppose, was part of my subconscious hesitation to read this one. But, I‘m glad I gave her a second chance; I liked this one a lot better. (And it’s unusual for me to like an adult book better than a YA one!) What did you think about the brothers, and the love triangle (of sorts)? Did it work for you?

Kelly: Really? I really like fairy tale re-tellings… They are one of my favourite parts of fantasy, so it is hard for me to find one I don’t like. I actually read a couple in the last few years that share the same fairy tale with Wildwood Dancing. Anyway, I really liked Connor. There was something compelling about him, but there were times near the end of the book where I was a bit shaken in that liking. Then, there was one conversation that he had with Sorcha and it made him appear better in my eyes again. I think that all of the brothers added something to the story and to their family. Do you mean Sorcha and her brothers as the triangle or Sorcha and the other two brothers?

Melissa: I generally like fairy tale re-tellings; I just had issues with Wildwood Dancing in particular. I liked Conor as well, though I’m not sure he was my favorite brother. I agree: there was a time near the end of the book when I wondered what he was doing. He was very out of character, and I’m not sure I quite bought the reasoning for it. I liked Sorcha’s relationship with Finbar at the beginning, and I found it interesting how the enchantment affected him. I liked Liam, as well; I felt he was a good eldest brother, fair and firm and yet loving. And I meant the love triangle with the British brothers. Did it work for you?

Kelly: I am not sure which brother was my favourite… Finbar was for a while in the beginning, but then he changed and I was never entirely sure what to make of him. He was a very brooding character. There were times where I felt really bad for him. As to the love triangle, I am not really sure. When it all played out, it seemed to make sense… And, I liked Red more than Simon. I think if the triangle wasn’t there it would have been a very different book and then I am not sure exactly how it would work out. I suppose it made sense for me and really, it was more the Fair Folk than the people themselves for a while there. Speaking of the Fair Folk, do you think the step-mother and the woman that constantly appeared to Sorcha really were the same people?

Melissa: Wow, I never even thought about that. Two sides of the same coin? I didn’t get that vibe, though I did feel like the step-mother was a part of the Fair Folk. I really liked Simon, for what it’s worth, though I can see the appeal of Red. I agree about it being a different book, though, without the love triangle. In this case, it made the book a better one. Anything else?

Kelly: I think the Fair Folk and her step-mother will be explained more in the second book. Then we will know if our thoughts are correct. See, I liked Red better. I knew that Simon would be upset, but Red was a more interesting character. Simon might have been, too, if the circumstances were different and we got to know him a bit better, but it is hard to say. I think that is most of the story covered without giving too much away. It was fun, though. I am glad we read this book together because otherwise I may never have got through it!

Melissa: Me, too; it’s always good to have extra motivation.

Sunday Salon: Fun Stuff

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I have realized, thanks in part to my on-line book groups, that I really want to read non-fiction this year. I usually like to read to escape, and I still want some of that — how else to explain my curiosity about Heat Wave and Naked Heat or my desire to read Rick Riordan’s Tres Navarre series; I usually don’t go in for mysteries, either! — but, I think I’m going to try and read more non-fiction. Maybe I’ll even learn something.

In other news, it’s time for two of my favorite bloggy events. First is Nerds Heart YA: the celebration of unsung and unmainstream (I know: not a word) YA books. The nomination form is up and running. Click through for guidelines, etc., but please nominate something. The more, the merrier.

And last, but definitely not least, the Undead Poll for the Battle of the Kids Books is open. The point is to vote for the book that is likely to die in an early round so it can be judged alongside the other two finalists. The problem, for me at least: I’m horrid at predicting these sorts of things! Do I vote for a book I love? Or do I get strategic (bad idea, really) and try and figure out what will get eliminated but which deserves to be considered? And should I lobby (Bartimaeus! Gen!) for a particular book? Decisions, decisions. You have until March 6th to vote.

Additionally, the judges will be announced on Tuesday; I’ve always found that the most fun part of this whole “competition” is reading what the judges have to say about the books. It will most definitely prove to be tons of fun.

Happy Sunday!

Audiobook: The True Meaning of Smekday

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by Adam Rex
Read by Bahni Turpin
ages: 8+ (though my 4 1/2 year old loved it, too)
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I’ve enjoyed audiobooks in the past, but I think it’s a rare occasion when I listen to an audio book and then realize that I probably would have not liked the book as much if I had read it. (The last time that happened was with The Tale of Despereaux quite a few years ago.) This was one of those books. Although there were a few moments when I wished I had the book to browse through, Bahni Turpin did such an amazing job with the narration, that I know if I had read the book I would not have had as good of an experience with it.

But, the audiobook? I loved it. (As did all the girls, for the record. And they didn’t even hear the whole thing. We need to go on a nine hour roadtrip so they can all hear all of it. Amanda, you want some visitors??)

The story begins with a school assignment. Gratuity Tucci (“my friends call me Tip”) is assigned to write, for the National Time Capsule contest, an essay answering the question: What is the true meaning of Smekday. See, a year earlier, aliens called the Boov invaded Earth, which they renamed Smekland, on Christmas (henceforth known as Smekday). Gratuity has an interesting story: her mother was kidnapped by the Boov, and Gratuity with her cat (named Pig), set off to Florida (where all the humans were being relocated) to find her mom. Along the way, she falls in with a renegade Boov named J.Lo, who has made a bit of a mistake of his own. The long and short of it is that because of J.Lo’s mistake, and because of Gratuity’s determination, it ends up being their job to save the world.

It’s hilarious, especially as read by Turpin. The voices she picks for the Boov, were at first annoying, but by the end of the book became endearing. You could tell the personalities of the people from the voices she chose. And the book was so funny — I wish I had a copy here to pull out one liners — from the pokes at pop culture to the Boov massacring English, it had us all in stitches. But that’s not to say it’s all fun-and-games; Rex pairs the funny with a darker undertone: there’s strains of Manifest Destiny and imperialism going on. Aren’t the Boov doing to us what we did to the Native Americans, or what the British did to so many other countries? I’m sure my younger kids didn’t pick up on that, but I found it interesting. There’s also themes of prejudice and stereotyping, and going beyond first impressions to find the truth of a person, race or species. It’s fascinating.

I also discovered that listening to the story, for me at least, ramped up the suspense. I couldn’t flip to the back of the book to find out how it ended (confession: yes, I do that). I was forced to listen, to wonder where the HECK was he going with the story, and how in Smekland was it all going to turn out?

Highly, highly recommended.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You

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by Ally Carter
ages: 12+
First sentence: “I suppose a lot of teenage girls feel invisible sometimes, like they just disappear.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

This is fluff. There’s no beating around the bush on that one. Pure, unadulterated fluff. In fact, I’m not sure it can get much fluffier than this.

Cammie goes to an all-girls school. One for exceptional girls. Though the general public doesn’t know how exceptional: The Gallagher Academy girls are training to be spies. Which means they are not your normal, average, run-of-the-mill girls. What happens, then, when one of these girls (well, Cammie, specifically) meets an average, everyday boy and kind of falls for him? Well, for starters, she can’t let him know who she really is, which creates all sorts of problems.

As far as fluff goes, it’s fun fluff. It didn’t really grip me, and it wasn’t as fun as Heist Society, which was more complex and exciting, but it as far as straightforward spy/romance books go, it held its own. The characters were fun, the asides were amusing, and Ghallager Academy itself was a fascinating place. I wasn’t head over heels in love with the book by the end, but M says the second book in the series is better, so I’ll probably give that a try. Eventually.