Readings #17-25 (5385)

Anderson, J. (2017). Midnight at the Electric. HarperCollins. ISBN-10: 9780062393548.

Jodi Lynn Anderson’s creation of Midnight at the Electric will leave readers captivated from beginning to end. The setting takes places in the future of 2065 with Adri Ortiz as a chosen colonist for Mars. She’s been waiting for this moment her entire life. She is smart, witty, and has no connections to people on Earth since she’s been in foster care all her life. Her attitude has never helped her make friends either. Adri is ready to leave Earth behind and start a new life in another planet. Before her mission to Mars, her team’s director gives her one last assignment on Earth. She has to spend a few months with her long lost, 107-year-old, cousin in Canaan, Texas, close to the Wichita science facility where she will be training. Her director wants her to have some closure before the journey of no return. When Adri arrives at the house, she is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farmland. She sees a small little house that looks ancient, as well as a giant tortoise in the back yard. Her curious nature leads her to snoop around the house and finds old letters and postcards dating back to the early 1900’s. One of the post cards has a tortoise named Galapagos in it. In the morning, she finally meets cousin Lily; the sweetest old lady, who is thrilled to have Adri in her house for the following months. Adri quickly puts her walls up and avoids her throughout the first few weeks. As the weeks go on, she is struck by boredom and decides to find the letters of the home owners before Lily. She reads the letters from dusk ‘til dawn. The book breaks into Catherine, Part 1. Catherine is a young restless teen who lived in the farm with her mother Beth, sister Beezie, and teen helper Ellis. She has been in love with Ellis since they adopted him. Her mother is a stern woman of a few words, who holds many secrets. Her sister Beezie is sick due to the Dust Bowl that has invaded their town. Catherine is desperate to cure her sister, so she spends Ellis hard earned ten dollars to have access to the carnival’s electric sphere which is said to be a miraculous source. Beezie gets worse and another dust storm covers the entire town. Catherine’s mom is too stubborn and refuses to leave the farm. She then reveals a stack of letters for Catherine to read. The book then continues with Lenore, Part I. Lenore is Beth’s best friend from London. Lenore writes to Beth regularly expressing her feelings about her brother’s death in the war and about a burnt victim, Kaiser Wilhelm, she just met in a cottage she discovered. She is determined to reunite with Beth in America. The book then shifts back to present time and Adri is left wondering whatever happened to them, and she can’t understand why she cares about those people from the past. As the weeks go on, her connection with Lily grows stronger. They even spend Christmas together which is a special moment in which Adri breaks down her walls. She continues her trainings, but she avoids connecting with her team members. She is desperate to find out Catherine’s and Lenore’s fate, that she even goes to the library’s archives to find death records. She decides to look for the missing part of the letters in one last spot, Elli’s old bunkhouse. To her amazement, everything she had been looking for was there. She begins with Lenore’s, Part 2. Lenore was too scared to leave to America at first. She continues her daily life and she reconnects with Wilhelm. They spend one last night together before his trip to Indonesia, where he gives her Galapagos as a gift. She then embarks on her journey to America, when she arrives to Beth’s home, she is pregnant. She dies while giving birth, and Beth raises Cathy. The letters are followed by Catherine, Part 2. Catherine finds her real mother is Lenore! She decides to takes Beezie to New York to find a better life where she meets Sofia Ortiz, who helps save her sister. Beezie is cured, Beth finally visits their apartment, and Cathy makes the decision to leave the farm to Sofia while she journey’s to London to reconnect with her long-lost family. The book then shifts back to present time. Adri requests to send Galapagos back to the wild, and that serves as closure for the entire family. Adri feels a sense of relief knowing that the people that came before her got their closure and made difficult decisions to make their life better. They all had to venture into unknown lands in hopes of creating a better life for themselves even if it meant leaving loved ones behind. This story is a huge puzzle peace that connects in very significant ways. It may be a little confusing at first since there are many shifts to different time frames and different characters. But in the end, everything intertwines to make sense. Adri leaves to Mars knowing that she is about to change her world. This book is part of the YALSA’s 2018 Best Fiction for YA list. Another recommended novel by Anderson is, The Vanishing Season, about different characters that connect in special ways.

 

Kim, H. (2018). Sweet Revenge: Passive-Aggressive Desserts for Your Exes and Enemies. Capstone Press. ISBN-13: 9781630790899.

This sweet, delicious, and tasty treat of a book by Heather Kim is specifically formulated as a passive-aggressive revenge mechanism. This cookbook is not just any ordinary cookbook, it’s like having a conversation with a best friend after a terrible fall out, and cooking therapy all in one. The book starts with a table of contents all titled with phrases like, “Kiss my Molasses”, “It Takes a LATTE Balls”. The author makes this cook book as relatable to a heartbroken person as it can get. The book then begins with an author’s note which serves as the theme of the story, “Revenge is Best Served Warm”. She urges people to let their frustration and anger out in different ways other than online. If you broke up, your best friend betrayed you, or your classmate is making your life miserable, she encourages you to bake! She literally means it when she says, “sweet revenge”. She reassures readers this is a cook-book for the broken-hearted because, “Baking takes thought, exactitude, and above all else… patience.” Readers also get a guide at the beginning with colorful symbolic illustrations for instructions they will see through out the book. Throughout the book, the reader will find recipes, instructions, illustrations, and little funny comments of encouragement and purposeful digs at your enemies. The book contains 45+ recipes of all types of inventive desserts from cookies, cakes, pies, to all types of pastries. At the end Sweet Revenge provides complimentary tags to gift your desserts with sayings like, “I hope this is AWKWARD for you”. It also has an index on the very back with page numbers. This book is part of the 2019 YALSA’s Quick Pick for Reluctant YA Readers, and it is obvious for so many reasons. Readers will connect with this book because it’s an outlet for frustration, anger, and let downs. Another good recommendation for cookbooks is Sugar Rebels by Nick Makrides.

Andersen, S. (2018). Herding Cats: A Sarah’s Scribble Collection. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN-10: 1449489788.

Sarah Anderson gives readers an adorable, humorous, and ever-so-clever graphic/comic novel that is sure to put a smile on your face. Sarah compiles a set of black and white graphics that are comical but very true, about day to day situations and events. The first graphic shows a quote that says, “Herding Cats: A futile attempt to control that which is inherently uncontrollable.” This is symbolic of life. You can’t control cats, as much as you can’t control the news, politics, interactions with people, and other responsibilities. Sarah draws relatable illustrations about herself and her thoughts on how to deal with being an introverted artist in this day and age. Throughout the book, Anderson depicts graphics of her love of cats and dogs. It seems that theses animals are her comfort in the day to day monotony. She mentions what it’s like to be a mature adult and the fears, anxieties, responsibilities, interactions, and issues that go along with it. She pokes humor at the whole situation and will make readers laugh along the day. Towards the end of the book, she focuses on specific content titled, Making Stuff in the Modern Era: A Guide for the Young and Creative. It starts with Part 1: What’s Happening? In this section she focuses on how the internet has been a great game changer for artist, writers, and creatives of all kinds. The internet has helped creators of all sorts have a place to express their work, but at the same time it can be damaging. She gives advice on both sides of the topic. Then, it moves on to Part 2: Artist Survival. Anderson talks about growing pains, criticism, harassment, feelings, taking breaks, not giving up, and just doing what you love. This book is from the 2019 YALSA’s Quick Pick Reluctant YA Readers list. Another graphic novel by Anderson is Adulthood is a Myth: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection.

Engle, M. and Rodriguez, E. (2015). Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 148143523X.

Margarita Engle writes a beautiful and unforgettable childhood poetic memoir about growing up within two different worlds; her American restricted city life, and her liberated Cuban farm life. She writes about being of mixed race, not belonging, and hoping for a better future. Engle starts the story from the time her parents fell in love in the terrace of an art school in Cuba. Her father was an American artist who traveled the world and her mother was a Cuban university student. They could not communicate, but they fell in love and got married. Engle was born in the U.S. along with her sister, but every summer they traveled to Cuba to visit her grandma and relatives. Engle loves Cuba in an indescribable way. Through her poetic descriptions, she gives Cuba the most magical rendition. She talks about Cuba as a mystical and fairytale-like place that makes you feel one with nature. She describes the air, plants, animals, insects, and people in such vivid and colorful ways that makes the reader fall in love with Cuba themselves. Engle wants to have a future in Cuba and ride the horses freely. Her parents are constantly traveling and moving places to accommodate her father’s job as an artist. They get to experience different cultures, lifestyles, living environments. Her father’s side of the family is originally from the Ukraine but are now U.S. citizens who escaped war in Europe. Throughout the poetic memoir, Engle emphasizes of the differences of cultures between her mother and father’s families. Engle is also an intellectual. She loves to read and write poetry. She is fascinated with books that give her mind the ability to be transported all over the world. As a young child everything is intriguing and captivating for Engle, but as soon as she starts junior high, life starts becoming more difficult. Since she is of mixed race, she feels as if she doesn’t belong. She can’t make friends, and even teachers question her. She starts rebelling to fit in with a group of girls, but ends up in trouble. She only connects with her books, animals, insects, and family. When a political air of Cuban mistrust arises, Engle and her family experience discrimination by neighbors, teachers, students, and government officials. She is too young to understand why the heavenly island that she loves could be a potential enemy for the United States. Everything changes after that. They are not allowed to visit Cuba anymore. All her future hopes and dreams are destroyed. Even the family stops communication for a while. As Engle grows and experiences more family travels and a long Europe stay, she learns that beauty can be found in all parts of the world as well. She never stops dreaming of visiting Cuba one day and being reunited with her family, but she also decides to make life beautiful in her own way. This book won the 2016 YALSA’s Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. Another recommendation for memoirs is Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson.

Larson, H. (2018). All Summer Long. The Eagle Rock Trilogy. Farrar. ISBN-10: 0374310718

Hope Larson’s, All Summer Long, is the perfect summer graphic novel. It’s light-hearted, fun, dramatic, and humorous. Larson’s illustrations are like a movie, and the text will keep readers wanting more. The story conveys the coming-of-age teen drama that involves family, friendships, and changes. Thirteen-year-old Bina and Austin have been friends and neighbors since before they can remember. They have a summer tradition which they call “fun index”. Austin reveals to Bina that he is attending soccer camp for a month, leaving Bina devastated. Everyone seems to be preoccupied with something; vacation, visiting relatives, working, etc. Bina feels alone, so she does whatever she can to distract herself. She eats, binge watches series, and reads. Austin seems to be ignoring her texts. When she loses her house keys, she breaks into Austin’s home to get the extra key, she meet’s face-to-face with Austin’s older sister, Charlie. They end up befriending each other after finding they’re interested in the same rock music. Bina follows Charlie on different occasions, but they end up having a fall out. Bina starts practicing songs on the electric guitar every day. When Austin returns from camp, he starts acting really weird. Things don’t seem the same anymore. He invites her to her favorite band’s concert, where she is inspired by the band members to start her own band. Austin and Bina finally sit down and talk about their friendship and how no matter how different they may be, they will always remain friends. The story ends with Bina starting her new band in the 8^th grade. This graphic novel is a good read for pre-teens and young teens that want to feel a connection with characters. The topics are kept light and simple. Parent’s won’t have to worry about language or inappropriate content. All Summer long is on the 2019 YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. Another recommendation for YA graphic novels is Camp (A Click Graphic Novel) by Kayla Miller.

Caletti, D. 2018. A Heart in a Body in the World. Simon Pulse. ISBN-10: 1481415204.

Debb Caletti’s, A Heart in a Body in the World, is a memorable masterpiece about strength, inspiration, and resilience. This novel won the 2019 YALSA’s Printz Award for excellence in YA literature. This book deals with strong topics of trauma, death, and violence, but at the same time conveys courage, passion, and a lot of heart. Annabelle Agnelli, 17, soon-to-be 18 years old, is battling severe PTSD and anxiety due to a tragic event that happened a year ago. She is trying to escape her demons, and the only way she feels she can deal with them is to, run. She decides to go on a 2,700+ mile cross-country run from Seattle to Washington D.C. At first her family is against the idea. Her mother, Gina, is a worry freak and she doesn’t want Annabelle to get hurt. After some convincing, Grandpa Ed sacrifices his free time and RV to follow Annabelle on her journey. He cooks for her every evening and cheers her on when she feels like giving up. Annabelle’s journey serves as healing therapy. She writes on her notebook each day, and focuses on the human heart; its history, purpose, and its power. Through her journey, she gets to experience nature, meets new people, and she learns to face her fears. Her thoughts are constantly haunting her, taking her back to last year’s tragedy. The readers get bits and pieces of her memories that all lead to the tragic event that changed her life forever. There are times she cannot get up and run, but her friends and brother back home have set up a GoFundMe page to support her journey, and she immediately gets followers and donations. Every state that she passes through has groups of people supporting her to keep going. She even gets press interviews, articles written about her, and pictures taken along the way. She never thought her story could inspire other women across the U.S. After the immense guilt and constant hopelessness, she feels inside of her every day, something inside her starts shifting. She realizes she needs to fight for herself and for other women who are inspired by her. Annabelle finds purpose in her tragedy and speaks up when she reaches Washington D.C. Through her slow healing journey, the author reveals the tragedy that has been haunting Annabelle every single day. Back at her high school in Seattle, a new student she calls, The Taker, befriends her and falls in love with her. One thing leads to another, and he becomes obsessed with Annabelle. When the feelings are not returned, he plans his attack. The Taker kills Annabelle’s boyfriend and best friend, Will and Kat, at a high school summer party.  Annabelle has been putting the blame on herself since that day. She has carried a devouring shame for a year, until she realizes she doesn’t want The Taker to have control of her life and her future anymore. Her grief, guilt, and shame slowly change through her symbolic journey. She heals her heart and learns to feel once again. She learns that family, friendship and love are powerful tools that no one can take away from her. Although Annabelle doesn’t attend her prom, graduation and misses half of her senior year, she gets to overcome her internal struggles and wins in the end. This powerful and unforgettable story also makes a political statement about gun violence in the nation. It spreads awareness and takes you into the mind of a teenager who suffers PTSD due to gun violence. The author does an incredible job at taking readers into a journey of healing the human heart. Another recommendation for YALSA’s Printz Award is The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.

Reynolds, J. (2016). Ghost. ISBN-10: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. 1481450158.

Ghost is part of a fictional series written by award winning author, Jason Reynolds. Ghost is the first book in the “Track” series. The book centers on the main character’s, Castle Crenshaw, life. He gave himself the nickname after his alcoholic father tried shooting him and his mom in their home. They had to run away as fast as they could to escape being killed. Castle has so much anger, resentment, and frustration built up inside him since the day his father tried to hurt them. He was locked up after the incident, which only left Castle in confusion. Sometimes he’s happy that he’s locked up and they’re safe, and other moments he wishes they were eating sunflower seeds and watching a game on TV. Castle has an obsession with sunflower seeds. He eats them every single day, partly because they were his father’s favorite snack. His mother works at a hospital cafeteria and takes college classes, in hopes of becoming a nurse one day. The struggle to get by. Money is tight, dinner is always a leftover from the cafeteria, and they live in the worst neighborhood, Glass Manor. Kids bully him at school for wearing knock-off shoes, and baggy clothes, and for his mom’s haircut. He is constantly getting himself into “altercations”. His life changes the day he decides to go watch a track try-out. He challenges one of the fastest runners. The coach is instantly drawn to him after he proves himself. Coach is persistent on making him join the team after he sees his potential. After some convincing, and mom’s approval, Castle joins the team, but struggles to fit in at first. He doesn’t have the right clothes or shoes to practice in; he doesn’t even have a water bottle. He keeps getting into trouble at school, and Coach bails him out on several accounts. After a traditional newbie dinner, the new team-mates bond over shared personal secrets. They all learn they have something to fight for in life.  Things start getting better at school, and with the team, until he decides to steal some expensive running shoes from a sports store. After Coach finds out, he threatens to kick him out of the team. Coach reveals his own personal secret; he also lived in Glass Manor growing up, and his father was abusive as well. Castle apologizes to the store’s clerk, and Coach pays for the shoes on one condition, that he never do that again. On the day of the first race, Castle gets to wear his new uniform and running shoes. His mother is so proud of him and her mood changes. His aunt and mother go to the race to cheer him on. He is about to run the race of his life. The story ends with the race about to start and the gunshot fired, and the rest is left to the imagination. Reynold’s does an amazing job at giving readers a story about fighting through adversities. The entire time, the reader will be rooting for Ghost, even when he keeps failing. This story teaches about persistence, discipline, and change. The next book in the line of series is Patina, by Jason Reynolds.  

Chilvers, I., Welton, J., Zaczek, I., Bugler, C., and Mack, L. (2013). Art That Changed the World: Transformative Art Movements and the Paintings That Inspired Them. DK. ISBN-10: 1465414355.

Art That Changed the World: Transformative Art Movements and the Paintings That Inspired Them, is part of the current YALSA’s 2014 Outstanding Books for the College Bound; under the section of Arts and Humanities. This nonfiction book is a compilation of art in chronological order from the ancient times all the way to modern times. The book is arranged by five time periods, starting with an introduction. The various authors have created a book that will take readers into a journey of art from its earliest manifestations to the present day. The first section is titled, “Ancient and Medieval”. It presents Prehistoric Art, Egyptian art, Greek and Roman Art, Early Christian and Byzatine, the Dark Ages, and Romanesque and Gothic Art. The second section is titled, “Renaissance and Mannerism”. It relates to The Birth of the Renaissance, Flowering of the Renaissance, High Renaissance, Venetian Renaissance, Northern Renaissance Italian Mannerism, and Mannerism Outside Italy. The third section is titled, “Baroque to Neoclassicism”. It conveys the Italian Baroque, Flemish and Spanish Baroque, Dutch Baroque, French Baroque, French Rococo, Rococo Outside France, and Neoclassicism. The fourth section is titled, “The 19^th Century”. It shows Romanticism, Romantic Landscape, Pre-Raphaelites, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Symbolism. The fifth section is titled, “The Modern Age”. It depicts Expressionism, Cubism, Birth of Abstract Art, Dada and Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop and Op Art, Recent Abstraction, and The Figurative Tradition. Through each section, the readers will see different visuals on the pages as they read through the significance and history of each art form. The book contains dates ranges, time lines, charts, tables, photographs, paintings, captions, quotes from archeologists and experts, and background history on each art piece. At the end of the book, readers will find a glossary, index of artists, general index, and the acknowledgments. This book is rich with art from all the different eras that have helped shaped art today. Another recommendation, Artists: Their Lives and Works, by Ross King.

Lippincott, R. (2019). Five Feet Apart. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 1534451560.

Rachael Lippincott is the author of Five Feet Apart, a New York Times Best Seller for Young Adults. This story will teach readers about strength, death, and purpose. This novel focuses on two teenagers, Stella and Will, who have Cystic Fibrosis and have to remain 5 feet apart at all times. Each chapter switches from Stella, to Will’s point of view. They are both in the hospital for treatment for their CF on the same floor; just a few rooms away from each other. Stella is a responsible, organized, and inspiring individual. She has a famous YouTube channel in which she gives information, motivation, and encouragement to viewers who are battling CF. She has been receiving treatment in the same hospital since she was 6 years old. From the outside, it seems she has her life in order, except for her illness, her parent’s recent separation, and her sister’s death. Will, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He is a rebellious teen, with no purpose to live. His father left when he was a toddler, and his mother is obsessed with his illness. Will has been in over 50 hospitals all over the world to battle his illness. He also has B. Cepacia, and is under a special new treatment at this hospital. When Will and Stella first meet, they are instantly drawn to each other, but at the same time, they’re annoyed by one other. Will refuses to wear his face mask, vest, and doesn’t take his medication seriously, while Stella is extremely organized with her medications, that she even created an app to help others stay on track with medications. They have a few encounters in the hospital halls, until one night when Will decides to go to the roof in the middle of the night. He gets a cough attack which makes Stella run outside in hopes of helping him. Since that night, she is determined to keep him alive. They make a deal that he will take his treatment daily, only if he gets to draw her. Stella and Will’s relationship starts to grow stronger from that moment. They communicate each day through Facetime, text, Skype, and phone calls since they cannot be around each other too often. Their sicknesses can cause each other’s deaths. They have several meetings, but under strict rules; they must always keep a distance, and no touching. They go on their first date, breaking the rules, on hospital grounds. They start revealing personal things about each other, and their personalities start to change. Stella becomes more carefree, and Will starts to care. They start falling in love with each other, but their relationship is forbidden by doctors. They can kill each other if they ever touch, hug, or kiss. After their friend Poe dies on the night of Will’s birthday party, Stella decides she cannot waste one more minute in that hospital. Will and Stella escape the hospital and start breaking rules. One thing leads to another, and Stella falls into ice cold water. Will jumps in after her and uses his strongest breath to save her, risking infecting her. She is taken to the hospital where the family and friends meet. Stella has new lungs waiting for her. Even though she refuses, Will makes sure she gets the transplant. After her surgery, he plans a farewell for Stella. Even though he has never cared for anyone before, his love for her has changed him in many ways. He wants her to recover and live longer, as much as he wants to be near her, he knows the best thing to do is to stay away. Stella’s heart is broken. Eight months go by, Stella is brand new. Her recovery went amazing and she is full of life. Will is still sick, his treatment didn’t work, but he plans to visit some of the places on his to-do-list. By destiny’s fate, they meet in the airport minutes away from boarding their plane. They look at each other, and the story ends. Readers will immediately connect with the main characters. Their struggle is so real, moving, and inspiring. Their fight for life each and everyday is proof that hope is always around the corner. Another book recommendation is The Sun is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon.