#tbt: Matched by Ally Condie

Image: Penguin Random House

Matched by Ally Condie. 416 p. Penguin Random House, November, 2010. 9780525423645. (Own)

Happy Thursday! #tbt celebrates the 10th anniversary of the publication of Matched by Ally Condie. Matched is book one of the Matched trilogy. It's a dystopian set in the near future where life is very scripted and orderly. There is no crime and the streets are clean. The Society decides everything for its citizens from jobs to death day. Seventeen-year-old Cassia is eagerly awaiting her Match Day. A computer program matches teens with their life partners and Cassia fervently hopes her match will be her best friend, Xander. When Xander's face appears on the computer screen, Cassia's thrilled. Later, a glitch in the software flashes another boy's image across the screen and she begins to have doubts about the Society and questions about free will and choice.

This YA dystopian/ romance has been compared to The Giver. If you enjoyed that, you will enjoy Matched and its sequels.

Friday Memes: All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: Penguin Random House

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor. 484 p. Viking/ Penguin Random House, January, 2020. 9780399257308. 

Publisher synopsis: The saga of the Logan family–made famous in the Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry–concludes in a long-awaited and deeply fulfilling story.

In her tenth book, Mildred Taylor completes her sweeping saga about the Logan family of Mississippi, which is also the story of the civil rights movement in America of the 20th century. Cassie Logan, first met in Song of the Trees and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is a young woman now, searching for her place in the world, a journey that takes her from Toledo to California, to law school in Boston, and, ultimately, in the 60s, home to Mississippi
to participate in voter registration. She is witness to the now-historic events of the century: the Great Migration north, the rise of the civil rights movement, preceded and precipitated by the racist society of America, and the often violent confrontations that brought about change. Rich, compelling storytelling is Ms. Taylor’s hallmark, and she fulfills expectations as she brings to a close the stirring family story that has absorbed her for over forty years. It is a story she was born to tell.

First Line: Man and I were waiting for the bus.

Page 56: I met Stacey's eyes in the dark and knew there were no further words to say. He was right, and that's all there was to that. He was right about everything. We drove the rest of the way home in silence. Like the night, the streets were beginning to quiet, and in silence I thought about the city of Toledo without its signs, but segregated anyway. I thought about Toledo with all its opportunities, but segregated anyway. At least down home in Mississippi and throughout the South, folks were direct and honest about what was expected. Everybody knew exactly were a body stood. There was no pretense to equality. The signs were everywhere. White Only, Colored Not Allowed.

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

Image: Penguin Random House

Dancing at the Pity Party: a dead mom graphic memoir by Tyler Feder. 208 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, April 14, 2020. 9780525553021. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Teen Tuesday features Dancing at the Pity Party: a dead mom memoir by Tyler Feder. Graphic artist Tyler Feder remembers her mother in this achingly beautiful memoir about love and loss. Feder and her mom were close. She was a sophomore in college when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. Using a subdued pastel palette, Feder chronicles the myriad of feelings she and her family experienced over the year that followed - shock, terror, guilt, hope - through the process of grief when her mother succumbed.

I grabbed this on my way to the airport in November and read it while I waited for my flight. I wept copiously. But I also laughed. So much about this lovely, important graphic novel resonates. It truly belongs in every possible library collection. I wouldn't necessarily hand it to someone newly grieving the loss of a loved one, but certainly to anyone who wants to help.

Look for Dancing at the Pity Party in April.

#tbt: Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. 352 p. Speak/ Penguin Group (USA), 2008. 9780142412145. (own)

#tbt features Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. Let It Snow is a romance that consists of three interconnected novellas featuring teens who are snowbound over the holidays. Break-ups and make-ups, crossed signals and humor abound. What else would one expect from these YA favorites? Let It Snow  was published in 2008. It was also optioned for film, which released on Netflix this past November. 

Friday Memes: Wink by Rob Harrell

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: Penguin Random House

Wink by Rob Harrell. 316 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, March 30, 2020. 97819884815149.

Publisher synopsis: A hilarious and heartwrenching story about surviving middle school–and an unthinkable diagnosis–while embracing life’s weirdness.

Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn’t want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don’t know what to say to “the cancer kid.” But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table.

Based on Rob Harrell’s real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this incredibly personal and poignant novel is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, hilarious, and uplifting story of survival and finding the music, magic, and laughter in life’s weirdness.

First Line: I'm lying on a steel table, all too aware of the giant ray gun pointed in my direction.

Page 56: There are som fields behind Abby's subdivision that lead down to a small creek, where we've spent hours splashing around and catching crawdads. It's kind four spot. Or one of them, anyway.
     We climbed over the rail fence and set off into the waist-high weeds and grass at the back of their property. I walked quietly for a minute before I started in.
     "The news isn't, um...good."
     Abby watched me while I grabbed a big stick out of the path and threw it to the side. "So, it's cancer?"
     

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. Unabridged recording on nine compact discs, 10 hours. Read by Kim Man Guest, MacLeod Andrews, Shannon McManus, and Robbie Daymond. Listening Library, May, 2017. (Review of audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hardcover.)

Five stereotypical teens walk into detention one afternoon after being caught by a hard-ass teacher for having a cell phone in class. By the end of detention, one is dead. By the following day, the four are murder suspects. It seems Simon, was about to post incriminating details about each on the gossip app he created. In the eyes of the police, they all have a motive. 

Books like this are not my cup of tea. Several students recommended it to me and I always try to read books my students recommend. I am glad I did and glad I read with my ears. First, because the performances were spot-on perfect. Secondly, because I tend to read thrillers fast in one tense sitting because I can't stand the suspense. Being locked into the audio made me pay attention to clues. I kind of figured out who early but not the how. That kept me guessing. 

I also liked the fact that these "stereotypes" all had surprising depth and got over their prejudgment of each other to get to know one another. The suspense was high throughout. The big reveal was plausible. 

This won't be a shelf sitter. While it's a tad mature for the middle school crowd, my eighth graders who love fast-paced thrillers will be all over this. I am sorry it took me so long to get to this debut. I am now eager to get to the arc of the author's next book, Two Can Keep a Secret.

Blog Tour and Arc Review: The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage

The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage. 360 p. A Mo & Dale Mystery #4. Kathy Dawson Books/ Penguin Young Readers, September 11, 2018. 9780803739628. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)

If ever there was a series I never wanted to end, it is this one. Mo and Dale reside in my heart next to Moose Flanagan, Heidi It and only one or two other characters. A visit to Tupelo Landing makes all right in this crazy world. Indeed, the town is very nearly a character! It is a place kind of frozen in time. A place where everyone knows everyone. If one were to sneeze at one end of town, another would say, "Bless you!" on the other end. A place where kids ride their bikes and leave them unlocked in driveways and against fences. 

The Law of Finders Keepers can stand alone. But if you have not read the three earlier books in the Mo & Dale Mystery series, you are missing out. 

Sixth graders Mo LoBeau and her partners, Dale and Harm are the Desperado Detectives. Mo continues to search for her "Upstream Mother" and writes letters to her faithfully. The Desperado's newest case arrives when snow and a treasure hunter named Gabriel Archer blow into town. It seems that Tupelo Landing and the dastardly pirate, Blackbeard have history. It may just be that Blackbeard buried his lost treasure in Tupelo Landing. Everyone's going treasure hunt crazy and it's bringing out the worst in some residents. Crimes are being committed. Mo is also dealing with some new clues in her search for "Upstream Mother" on top of it all.

Turnage's storytelling is masterful as she juggles her large, eccentric and colorful cast of characters. I feel like I could amble into Miss Lana's cafe, grab a seat at the counter and recognize everyone who walks in the door! The rich dialogue is at turns amusing and dramatic as clues and suspense mount. I just adore the friendship between Mo and Dale and Harm. Dale just cracks me up and I admire how Mo and Harm gently help him. I am curious about the adults they will grow up to be. 

So readers, sadly, it is over. We bid goodbye to Tupelo Landing with a tear or two and many laughs. The Law of Finders Keepers is a perfect conclusion to an absolutely must-read series. 

Friday Memes: The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage. 360 p. A mo & Dale Mystery #4. Kathy Dawson Books/ Penguin Young Readers, September 11, 2018. 9780803739628.

First Line: The Desperado Detective Agency's biggest case ever crept up on tiny Tupelo Landing in the dead of winter, and kicked off on the rarest of days. Unlike most of our borderline famous cases, it started with two things found.

Page 56: "Pieces of eight what?" Dale asked, grabbing a stick and raking a spiderweb away.
    "Silver coins they broke into eight bits, for change. That's why old people say a quarter's worth two bits. Get it? Two-eighths equals a quarter."
     "Pirate fractions," Dale muttered. "That's just wrong."

I just love these books! The voice, the characters, the humor and the setting are all just so memorable and endearing. I am participating in a blog tour the week this releases. So look for my review then.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Speaker by Traci Chee

The Speaker by Traci Chee. Sea of Ink and Gold #2. Unabridged audiobook on 11 compact discs. 14 hours, 12 minutes. Read by Kim Mai Guest. Listening Library, November, 2017. 9780525495277. (Review from audio borrowed from the public library. Own the hardcover.)

Teen Tuesday features The Speaker by Traci Chee. Astute TMS Readers may recall that I featured The Storyteller a couple of weeks back on a Waiting-on-Wednesday post. I was reminded that I had not read The Speaker when I realized that the conclusion to the trilogy was on the horizon and borrowed the audiobook from the public library. No second book slump here! 

Archer and Sefia are on the run. Archer is tormented by nightmares of his time as prisoner of the impressors, where he was forced to kill or be killed. Sefia is trying to plan their next move. They stumble upon a gang of impressors and decide to fight them and free the boys that are being held. The boys pledge their loyalty to Archer who vows to hunt down each impressor crew and free their captives. As Archer's fame as leader of the freed fighters grows, Sefia worries that Archer might be the warrior the Guard is looking for. 

Plenty of threads are tied together here as the reader learns more about other colorful characters like, Captain Reed and Jules, and Tannen (spelling?) and even Sefia's parents' stories. But just as those connections are made, new threads emerge to follow, new mysteries and new betrayals. There are also new characters introduced and some deaths to mourn. Yes, there were tears. Sefia's world is dark and brutal. There is a lot of violence and one wonders how either Sefia or Archer will emerge unscathed.

Readers who love rich fantasy will have no trouble immersing themselves into The Reader. I do not recommend that you start with The Speaker, the story, saga really, is too involved to truly appreciate without having read the first book.

Kim Mai Guest is becoming a favorite narrator of mine. She has a nice range of voices and pacing. She can also ramp up the excitement and not sacrifice the clarity of her reading. That said, I think I will be reading The Storyteller with my eyes. As I mentioned in my review of The Reader, there is a story within a story that is sometimes not obvious when listening. Also, there's a map! Maps are helpful.Then there's the issue of the spelling of character names. Finally, there were plenty of times that I was so surprised that, were I reading with my eyes, I would've flipped the pages back to reread. Now, you might argue that I can rewind the audio and, sometimes I do, but it's not quite the same. 

Even though I love to read arcs and new releases, sometimes it's nice to be a bit behind in my reading. The reveals in The Speaker have me panting for the next book. Now, I don't have to wait too long!

#tbt: Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law. 342 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Reader's Group, May, 2008. 9780803733060. (Own)

#tbt celebrates the tenth anniversary of Savvy by Ingrid Law. Law made her debut with Savvy in May of 2008 and received a Newbery honor for it in January of 2009. It is the first-person narration of Mississippi Beaumont, or Mibs and she's about to turn thirteen. That's when all the members of the Beaumont family come into their savvy, or gift. No one knows what it will be and how it might upend their lives. The family had to move inland when Mibs' older brother, Fish turned thirteen. His savvy is a hurricane.

Just before her big day, Poppa's sent to the hospital after a terrible accident and Mibs now wants a savvy that will save him. 

This fast-paced work of magical realism will engage readers with its endearing narrator, short, cliffhanger chapters and  tall-tale quality. Here's a picture of the tenth anniversary paperback:

Middle Grade Monday: Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin

Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin. 300 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons, April, 2016. 9780399173301. (Own)

I reviewed this as an arc here; but this is what went on the morning announcements today:

This one is a TMS favorite. If you like sad books, especially sad books with a side of funny, you should consider reading Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin. Thyme Owens' little brother has cancer and her whole family's life has been turned upside down. She wants what's best for him; but can't help but be a little miffed  about the family's move clear across the country so that Val can be part of a drug trial. She misses her grandmother and bff and doesn't want to make friends in New York City because she'll be back home soon.

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff. 298 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Young Readers Group (USA), May 26, 2015. 9780399164064. (Arc courtesy of the publisher)

I have occasionally wondered, usually in response to a news article, how one learns to live with oneself after accidentally killing another. I can't imagine it and I'm an adult, supposedly with a lifetime of coping skills. Lisa Graff revisits the tragedy from Umbrella Summer. In Lost in the Sun, we learn how Trent deals with the aftermath of being the one responsible for killing his friend. 

Understandably, the twelve-year-old is consumed with guilt, has withdrawn from family and friends, and suffers panic attacks when faced with trying to play any sport. Although he saw a counselor for a while in the beginning, he no longer does. He has continued to follow her advice to keep a journal but finds himself filled with rage that erupts in frightening ways. He's raging at his father, his new homeroom teacher and his gym teacher, who happens to be his ex-best friend's uncle and coach of the intra-mural baseball team. Luckily, he is close with his brothers and his mother, with whom he shares a passion for the Dodgers. But even they are at a loss as to help Travis. It seems he has also snagged the attention of Fallon, a girl who dresses a bit oddly and has a mysterious scar. She has every intention of making Travis her friend and he reluctantly goes along.

Trent's voice is immediately engaging. Trent's a likable kid who has walled himself off from the world and trying to find a way out. His guilt and rage are palpable. He's in pain and the people around him who love him can do nothing to ease it because there is no timetable with grief. Only he can forgive himself. So they wait. But now, as the rage boils over, he's in danger of hurting himself and others.

Graff tackles the unimaginable and makes the subject manageable. Students who read this unflinching portrayal of grief and forgiveness will walk away changed. I can't recommend this one enough.