Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

If I could, I would read these books again for the first time. These books all seemed magical to me the first time I read them. I still like all of these books but the first time through was extra special.
(Hosted by Top Ten Tuesday at the Broke and Bookish)

1. Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss

2. The Borrowers by Mary Norton

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline Engle

4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

6. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

7. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

8. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

9. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

10. Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

What books do you wish you could read again for the first time?

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

Moby Dick, the whale, could be a symbol of a ghost or phantom. And his white color could, therefore, represent innocence.  Surely a regular-colored whale would represent no such thing. Captain Ahab's relentless chase then might be a symbol of an attempt to regain innocence.

I'm certainly no Melville expert. I haven't even read Moby Dick yet I reveled in all the literary allusions in Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard to the great masterpiece of American literature. It is a coming-of-age story about Alex who experiences a loss of innocence after the death of Thomas, a friend and classmate. No matter what he does, he cannot go back and regain it.  Alex describes loss of innocence as "the knowledge that your brain, no matter how much you cajole it, can never make your heart pure." (73) Alex, in an attempt to purge his soul, attempts to write the not-so-great-American-novel (journal). In the process he "falls in love" with his English teacher as she helps him find his gift of writing and the music of poetry which seems to just pour out of him.

Rarely have I found a YA book so full of symbolism, poetry, and literary allusions. This book begs to be taught right along side its inspiration, Moby Dick. But that does not mean that it is dry or stuffy. I think, rather, it is meant to be chewed on and savored. Even the title of this book is perfect. Named for the childhood game ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS it becomes clear that certain decisions trump others.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book which I think will give you for the a sense of the beauty of Hubbard's writing.  I hope you enjoy and savor them!

"After Thomas dies, everything seems outlined with electricity as if the school is at attention, poised for war. The boxwoods long the brick sidewalks appear taller, topped with a hundred little eyes. Even the lampposts look as if they are conspiring." -p.10

"In the days after Miss D-- read my poem in class, a whole new vista of knowledge spread out before me...I was learning how to float across the horizontal lines that I'd always thought were reasonable borders." -p. 29

"Writing is about making choices, Miss D-- says. One word or phrase or title over another. So many options that they're almost overwhelming. Which is why it is sometimes so easy to grab the cliché, to reach out to what is familiar. But don't."  -p. 72

"It is the time of day when the sun turns treetops into keepers of light.  After redoing my homework...I run through that light, up one side of the hill and down the other, imagining possiblities..."  -p. 93

"The brain is like a tree, and the tree has roots so deep that you have no idea what it is that grounds you." -p. 130

"Poetry is a language unto itself, where words carry more than their weight, where white space on the page is profound silence. Poetry is a way of seeing the world with your feelings." -p. 148

"I conjure Miss D--'s voice reciting my poems, the clip-clop of the lines carried her voice, her rocking voice, which is the rocking of the water, which is the rocking of my body as I lay me down to sleep."  -p. 161

"I want to pick up the words that have fallen out of her mouth and hide them away somewhere dark, somewhere deep." -p. 169

Hubbard, Jenny. Paper Covers Rock. New York: Delacorte, 2011. Print.

It's Monday, 10/10/11, and I'm reading...

Book Journey

It's Monday and I'm reading:

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King--- I'm not very far but I do know that this book has a fantastic opening.  I'm reading this as a potential Mock Printz book.

I recently finished:

Chime by Franny Billingsley---The first part of the book was confusing with its mixture of realism and fantasy but the conclusion was very satisfying.  In fact, I reread it immediately after finishing the book so I could savor it a bit longer.

I am listening to:

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente. It is a fun, odd tale that reminds me a bit of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. 

What are you reading?

Sunday Salon 10-9-11

From the web:  Shaun Tan's website.  I am just crazy for this guy's work. 

I'm listening to: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne Valente.  I'd say the story is sort of a mash up of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, a very creative, yet odd tale. Ms. Valente is the reader of her own book, which really bothered be for the first few hours of listening. 

I'm reading: Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard.  Wow, the writing is incredible. 

Book reviewed this week: Ummm.  None.  Unless you count the gushing I did over Shaun Tan and his book, Lost and Found.  How did that happen?  I did finish two books this week so I need to write p those reviews. 

Funniest YouTube Video of the week: Silly, bleating goat I bet you can't listen to it without laughing. 

Scripture lesson in church: My church participated in Faith in Action this week-end.  Which means we all did organized service projects. Instead of going to church, we were the church.  I helped out at a clothing bank that gives clothing away to people living in poverty and then collected donations for people living in homelessness. No scripture lesson this week...we were living the scripture.

I'm praying for:  a mother and her two daughters who recently became homeless. My oldest daughter is in a position to help them and I am very pleased to see her heart of compassion coming forward.

Around the house:  My youngest is home from college for the week-end.  I love having her around and miss her when she's away at school.  She's playing the cello right now.  I miss that, too.

From the kitchen: I cooked up a big batch of vegetable beef and barley soup.  My husband just chowed down on another big bowl of it and commented on how the flavor improved every day since I made it.


Author events I went to last week:: 

• Northwest Bookfest in Kirkland, Washington last Sunday.  We attended "Smart Chick Kick-it Tour" Several popular YA authors were part of two different panels: Kelley Armstrong, Melissa de la Cruz, Melissa Marr, Richelle Mead, Sara Zarr and others. I'm glad I went but the problem with these types of panels is that one doesn't really get to know much about each particular author, not become familiar with their writing styles, etc. The authors are touring together so there were quite a few inside jokes, etc. which I felt detracted from the event.  But I am eager to get more acquainted with the books of several of the authors that I wasn't familiar with before.
• Sherman Alexie spoke at the Puyallup Public Library on Tuesday evening, just a few miles from my home.  He was so funny and made so many excellent points about the smallness of the world for some people are who think that a book should be banned rather than to discuss or debate the issues within. As a native American he said that he often feels like an immigrant in his own country which, of course, is ironic.  That makes him "an ironic, indigenous, immigrant." If you ever get a chance to go hear him speak, do it!

What's on the calendar this week:  The UO Duck Football Game next Saturday vs ASU Sun Devils at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.  Go Ducks!

Have you read any Shaun Tan books lately?

Shaun Tan

Have you experienced a Shaun Tan book lately?  If not, you really must.  His books are described as children's/picture books because of his incredible art but the story lines are deep and thoughtful and worthy of being categorized as books-for-all!  I am a huge fan.  I just spent over an hour perusing his website (see link above) and enjoyed every minute falling in love with his art and his style.

Lost and Found by Shaun Tan is a collection of three stories which were previously published but from earlier work by this genius illustrator. All had something to do with the title, Lost and Found.  The artwork is incredible. Like this illustration from the story, "The Red Tree":

Wonderful Things are Passing You By

And this from "The Lost Things", which was my favorite story of the three:

"Saying hello"

Ane this picture from the third story, "The Rabbits":

The Rabbit Houses

If you haven't read one of Shaun Tan's book you are missing out on one of the truly amazing, marvelous experiences of life.  Drop by your local library today and check one out today.  I promise that you, too, will be transported to a new dimension.

Friday...Blog hops 10/7/11

TGIF, hosted by GReads, question of the week:

How big is your pile? Which book keeps getting pushed down the stack, but you keep meaning to read it?

I have the ability on my library catolog to create personal and public resource lists.  When I find a book I want to read, if it is in my library,  I add it to my personal "I want to read list." I currently have 45 books on that list that I really want to read someday but most of them keep getting shoved off to the side in favor of the "popular" books of the day. Eight of these books have been on the virtual "pile" for a long time:

• The Radioactive Boy Scout: the frightening true story of the whiz kid and his homemade nuclear reactor by Ken Silverstein*
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers*
• The Burn Journal by Brent Runyon*
• A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
• Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
• North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
• The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
• The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whelan Turner

Quite a diverse list, if I do say so myself.  *Books are nonfiction.  I wonder if there is a correlation between that and continually getting shoved to the bottom of the pile?  Hmmm.....

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@



Follow Friday hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.
Featured blog this week: A Neverending Fantasy Congratulations!!!

Q.If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

Easy answer: Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice or Emma Woodhouse in Emma both by Jane Austen.

Monday, Oct. 3rd and I'm reading....

Hosted by Book Journey

It's Monday and I'm reading:

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard--- I'm only a chapter in, but already I am captivated by the writing.

I'm listening to:

Chime by Franny Billingsley---I put this book on hiatus for a week so I could focus on banned books, but now I am back and hope to complete it soon.  It seems to be dragging a bit, but likely that is my fault.

I recently finished:

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho---I listened to this on audiobooks. Thanks, Sheila, for the recommendation. It was as wonderful as you said! This was a triple re-read for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it again.

Up next:

Divergent by Veronica Roth--- I've been told this is a dystopian novel similar to Hunger Games.  Any thoughts on that?

And

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King---I just received a copy Friday.  I'm looking forward to reading it as I'm a huge fan of the author's previous book, Please Ignore Vera Dietz.

What are you reading?

Sunday Salon 10-2-11

I'm reading on the web:  I read a lot on the 1st Amendment and the case law related to book banning.  The funniest webpage a stumbled upon was this one related to publishing errors: The Worst Typos Ever.
 
I'm thinking about: Weight Watchers.  For real this time!.

I'm listening to: Chime by Franny Billingsley. I just finished the marvelous audiobook version of The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho on Friday.  Jeremy Irons is a fabulous narrator.

I'm reading: I just finished Karma by Cathy Ostlere. Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard up next.

Book reviewed this week:  Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher and Pick-Up Game edited by Aronson and Smith.

Lists I am making: Meetings and appointments this coming week.

Scripture lesson in church: Luke 9:10-17.... Jesus asks the disciples to feed the five thousand and then performs a miracle.

I'm praying for: Jace, a young neighbor who had surgery this week for a very rare skin cancer. He's only 23 years old.

Around the house: My husband and I ran outside between rain storms Saturday to dig up grape hyacinth bulbs which had been spread all over the garden when we had some landscaping done during the summer. 

From the kitchen: First baked acorn squash of the Fall.  Yum.

Author Events I'm looking forward to: 

• Northwest Bookfest in Kirkland, Washington today.  I will be attending "Smart Chick Kick-it Tour" with the other high school librarians in my district, Sandy and Sandy.  Several popular YA authors will be speaking: Kelley Armstrong, Melissa de la Cruz, Melissa Marr, Richelle Mead, Sara Zarr and others.
• Sherman Alexie who is speaking at the Puyallup Public Library, just a few miles from my home, on Tuesday evening.
  

Review: Pick-up Game: a Full Day of Full Court edited by Marc Aronson and Charles R. Smith, Jr.

The Cage, a fenced-in basketball court on West 4th Street in NYC, is the setting for this collection of nine short stories by nine heavy hitters in YA lit. Imagine a summer day full of pick-up basketball game after game. Try to picture the characters who both come to play and those who came to watch. What mental images come to mind? I see sweaty guys and gals. I hear lots of smack-talk, the sounds of competition and teamwork. I picture girls who come to attract attention, photographers seeking shots, boys who have something to prove and those who just love to play the game. That is what is fun and real about this book, Pick-Up Game: a Full Day of Full Court, the way that each story comes alive in my mind.

The photography and poetry of Charles R. Smith serves to introduce and create a divider between each story. Characters in one story show up in the next with each successive story giving us a few more details of their lives. I spent a bit of time wondering how nine different authors pulled this off until I read somewhere that the first story was finished before the second was started.  In the Afterward Marc Aronson says, "When you walk out on a basketball court, you walk into a story: I win, you lose." This isn't just the story of the game itself, though, it is the stories that players bring with them to the game.

Admittedly, I am not the target audience for this book.  I am an old, non-basketball playing female who lives in suburbia in Washington State. Obviously kids who live and play in urban settings will be able to relate to these stories more than me. But I wonder if kids at my school will be able to relate to the stories from The Cage. My favorite story, "He's Gotta Have It" by Rita Williams-Garcia is about a kid who wants to get into the NYU film school and has decided to shoot a video about several characters playing games in The Cage. Another favorite, "Just Shane" by Adam Rapp, is about a runaway kid, Shane, who is living with Waco, one of the basketball stars of the day. He is making a living as a dog-walker. My two favorites are less about basketball and more about the characters.  Hmm...guess that says something about me.

I hope and suspect this book is one that reluctant readers and sports fans will want to read.

2011 Banned Books Week Wrap Up

It's been quite a busy week in the GKHS library with the Banned Books Week emphasis.  Here is a wrap-up:

• I gave over eight book-talks this week with the emphasis on banned/challenged books. When I told the students how Slaughterhouse Five was "sort of" unbanned in the Republic, Missouri school district, not a single student I asked would have his/her parent to come to school to check it out for them.  So we all decided that the book is essentially still banned.
• We checked out over 425 books this week.  That is about 100 books over the weekly average.  Obviously all the extra books weren't banned books, but a lot of them were.  As Mark Twain said, "Nothing like a little dirt to encourage literacy."
• Where's Waldo, The Holy Bible, and The Harry Potter series are the books that kids are the most shocked to learn are/have been banned books. Here's my favorite explanation of why Where's Waldo is banned.  It is a very funny explanation. The Holy Bible has obviously been banned in some Islamic countries, but I often have students act surprised that I have a Bible in my library collection. "Why not?" I ask.  "I have a Koran (Qur'an), too!"  Teens today are too young to remember the whole kerfuffle that Harry Potter caused when the books were first becoming popular in the US.
• The irony of banned books and 1st Amendment issues.  Banning books is a travesty in generalities but kids aren't so sure about specifics.  For example, I presented a lesson to the Business Law class on 1st Amendment issues. I talked about case law as it related to book banning, ending with and introduction to Board of Education v. Pico (1982), which held that school boards had limited power when it came to removing books from their libraries. The students were nodding in agreement.  No one should tell them they can't read a book...that is until I told them about the top banned book this year, Tango Makes Three. Tango is the true story about two penguins at a zoo which adopt a rejected egg and raise the baby penguin.  When I told them that the two penguins were males. I lost the class at that point.  All maturity evaporated at that point and the boys acted like that was the worst book ever written.  When I pointed out that the book says nothing about homosexuality, they commented that it was implied. They could think of nothing grosser.  Isn't that sad? Prejudice and peer-pressure at work.