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.

Teen Tuesday (audiobook review): Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway. Unabridged audiobook on 1 MP3-CD. Read by Julia Whelan. HarperAudio, December, 2017. 9781538518755. (Review from purchased audiobook.)

Teen Tuesday features Far from the Tree by Robin Benway. Benway won the National Book Award for Literature for Young People for this book last November. The story is told from three perspectives - Grace, a sixteen-year-old girl who, having given up her own daughter for adoption decides that she wants to learn more about her own birth mother who gave her up at birth. She learns that she has two half-siblings, a sister, Maya, who was also adopted at birth and an older brother, Joaquin, who was surrendered to foster care, was never adopted and is about to age out of the system. This multi-layered, (make no assumptions) deeply emotional book (there will be tears) is best read by students in grade 8 and up. 

I enjoyed this one but I had to get over the narrator's annoying voices for any male character. While she was rather soft-spoken, the whole narration was a bit dead-pan and dry. 

Middle Grade Monday: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya

Regular readers of this blog might be thinking, "Wait, didn't she review this already?" You get an A for the day, faithful and observant reader! Yes, I have! But I recently reread it with my ears and it's the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya. Unabridged Audiobook on 5 compact discs. 5 hours, 7 minutes. Read by the author. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, May, 2017. 9781524775179. (Audiobook purchased.)

I reviewed the arc here in April. I rarely get to reread books, but this was a book I didn't mind rereading with my ears when I learned that the author did the recording.

It sure was nice to visit with the Zamora family again! In April, I wrote that Arturo is an endearing character who clearly loves his large, boisterous extended family. The drama and sweetness of this debut held up on rereading. The author sounded suitably young and read his work well. I especially loved to hear the fluent Spanish words and dialogue.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins in the middle of September because September 15th is a significant date for quite a few Latin American countries, like Costa Rica, which gained their independence on this date. With the exception of Banned Books Week, I will be highlighting books written by Hispanic authors or about Hispanic characters until October 15. 

Audiobook Review: Yellow by Megan Jacobson

Yellow by Megan Jacobson. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 CD. 7 hours, 6 minutes. Read by Marny Kennedy. Audible Studios on Brilliance, July, 2016. 9781522642121. (Review from purchased audiobook)

Wow! It has been forever since I reviewed an audiobook! I've been reading with my ears quite a lot lately - 25 so far for 2017. I cannot recall how this one came on my radar. Perhaps it was via a starred review of the audiobook in SLJ. It wasn't available through my library cooperative, nor as a book. Since the audio was inexpensive online, I bought it.

I really wish the book was available in the U.S. I may have to send to Australia for it because the writing was often stunning. Since I listened in my car, note taking was not an option. I often gasped at all the lovely bits of imagery and unique metaphors. Quite an impressive debut! I would love to reread this with my eyes and a highlighter! I'd also love to read her next book! (Visit the author's website for a sneak peek of the cover!)

Okay, this review is a bit topsy-turvy. Usually I start out with a synopsis. What is it about? Fourteen-year-old Kirra is in crisis mode. She lives in public housing on the poor side of an Australian beach town with an alcoholic mother and a recently departed surfer-dude dad. This departure has escalated her mother's drinking and Kirra is tired of being the parent. She's devastated but not really surprised when her dad, Lark turns down her request to live with him. He lives with a new girlfriend who clearly calls the shots and, with a new baby on the way, insists there's no room for Kirra. She's bright but tries to keep her smarts under the radar so as not to draw attention to herself. She is routinely berated by her frenemies and is on the outs with them as the novel opens. She's tiny and quiet and absolutely hates her eyes, which are huge and yellow. In fact, her father's nickname for her is, Yellow.

As books that portray bullying go, this one is very good, excellent even. But there are tons and tons of good books about bullying out there. What sets this one apart? The ghost. Kirra answers a ringing pay phone (the story takes place in the 1990s) to find herself talking to a ghost named Boogie. He's lonely and wants her help in bringing his killer to justice. He tells Kirra that he was just fourteen when he was murdered and promises to help her if she helps him. When he reveals who his killer is, Kirra is truly scared but she agrees to try to help Boogie, especially if he can help with her popularity and getting her parents back together. The paranormal aspect lent an interesting twist and suspense was high throughout.

The Australian coastal setting was vividly drawn as well as the characters who peopled Kirra's community. It was small and stifling and folks tended not to move out.

Marny Kennedy's narration was pitch perfect. Her pacing, her voice, that gorgeous Australian accent all made for a riveting read. I will confess that I was let down a bit by the ending. It felt a bit rushed and too happy - not that I wasn't rooting for Kirra. And, while the portrayal of her mother's alcoholism was incredibly spot on, Kirra's, hm-m, (how to be non-spoilery?) solution was not. Still, the book is well worth a look. Kirra is a memorable character you won't soon forget.

Audiobook Review: Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley. Unabridged audiobook on 6 compact discs. Read by Bronson Pinchot. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, June, 2015. 9781101892312. (Purchased.)

Micah Tuttle has lived with his beloved grandfather, Ephraim ever since his parents died. The two are as thick as thieves. Ephraim taught Micah how to tie knots and Micah grew up listening to his grandpa's stories about Circus Mirandus. Now, his grandpa is ill and his odious great-aunt Gertrudis is taking over. She restricts Micah's access to his grandfather and has absolutely no tolerance for any talk of magic in general and Circus Mirandus in particular. What's more, Micah's going to disappoint Jenny Mendoza, the smartest girl in the fifth grade, because he hadn't been able to work on his part of their project on ancient Incans. 

When Micah finally slips in to visit, he learns that his grandfather has sent a message to the Lightbender. You promised me a miracle. Micah knew these words to be part of the story, and while he hoped, he never truly believed that Circus Mirandus was real. Grandfather Ephraim had saved his miracle all these years and now the Lightbender would come and save him. Micah was sure of it.

What a world debut author, Cassie Beasley has created! Step right up, folks! There's something here for everyone - young readers or old, voracious readers and, quite possibly reluctant readers. The beautifully designed cover will lure readers with the promise of magic. Who doesn't love a circus? Micah is instantly likable. His relationship with his grandfather is achingly palpable. His budding friendship with Jenny Mendoza is authentic. The flashbacks to grandpa Ephraim's childhood are seamlessly woven and perfectly paced - inducing and enticing the reader to turn the page, if reading with eyes or continue, if reading with ears.

The world Beasley builds is intricate, fascinating and wholly believable and the language is absolutely lovely. There's suspense and adventure but there's a subtle underpinning of sadness, of yearning, of disappointment and dashed dreams. The narration by Bronson Pinchot is beautifully understated. His voice choices for a myriad of characters are fitting and consistent. He imbues Micah with such a sense of longing and hope even as he is grieving. The narration is perfectly paced. As much as I couldn't stand to stop for want of knowing what would happen next, I was sad to leave the world of Micah and miracles. While the ending was satisfying, there are some loose ends that might warrant a sequel, which would be welcome.

It is because of the audiobook that I would recommend Circus Mirandus to struggling or reluctant readers. Stories told through flashbacks can be a challenge for even the best of young readers. Reluctant readers may not have the patience or stamina and struggling readers may not have the ability. Pinchot's performance makes the story accessible to everyone.

I received an arc of Circus Mirandus back at ALA Midwinter. The rep said, "This lives up to the hype," as she handed me my copy. I am happy to report that it does. Do not miss this one. Read it and share it with your patrons/ students. 

Audio review: Carter's Unfocused One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford

Carter's Unfocused One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3-CD. Performed by Nick Podehl. Brilliance Audio, August, 2013. 9781480543409. (Purchased)

Will Carter and his boys are now sophomores in this third book featuring the hilarious, horny and clueless crew. Abby is angsting over whether she should attend drama school in New York. She thinks Carter should come with her. Carter would love to, especially since it increases his chances of getting in her pants. Only, he doesn't really want to leave his boys. His appreciation for the "drama geeks" is growing as are his friendships with several, especially Jeremy. Rumor has it that Scary Terry is out of juvie and gunning for Carter and E.J. This has the boys practically wetting their pants with anxiety; so they start a fight club. They only have one pair of boxing gloves so they split the pair with a pair of ski gloves and take turns whaling on each other. Yeah. Good times.

These books are not everyone's cup of tea. There's something to offend just about everyone here- profanity, bodily fluids of all sorts, unfiltered, impolitic opinions, fighting, drinking, the unbridled desire to get laid crippled by the sheer terror of talking to and getting rejected by a girl, teenage pregnancy and vandalism. We can't forget the vandalism, nor the acts of mass stupidity that usually elicits the question, "If they jumped off of the bridge, would you follow?" by exasperated adults. 

It is also the perfect boy book. No, I don't mean this is just a book for boys or reluctant reader boys. It is a book for all boys and ex-boys and the girls and ex-girls who love them, teach them, mother them, are maddened by them or are stuck with them. Carter is so endearing. His voice is honest and yearning and hopeful. He's so lovably insecure, intuitive and courageous. He's a football jock who is also a drama geek. He befriends fellow drama geek, Jeremy, who is gay and doesn't hesitate to defend him when Jeremy is confronted by homophobic bullies. (Unnecessary help, by the way, since Jeremy was perfectly able to defend himself but sweet of Carter, nonetheless.) His perpetual tardiness and inattention earn him suicides in football and Saturday morning detention where, he hilariously finds he can actually get some work done!

Carter's world is magnificently brought to life in Nick Podehl's hands. Podehl is a gifted performer with all sorts of material (Chaos Walking Trilogy, Personal Effects, Boundless, Everlost, anything!), but he consistently and perfectly nails the comedy of male adolescence. His timing is impeccable. Carter's interior monologues are especially appealing. While his female voices are not the best, his stable full of male voices are distinct and fitting.

Teens who enjoy the Carter trilogy will love Don Calame's Swim the Fly books (which Podehl also nimbly narrated) and Geoff Herbach's Felton Reinstein trilogy.

While this is billed as the conclusion of a trilogy and does end quite nicely, I, for one, would not mind an installment featuring Carter and Abby at drama school.

Audiobook review: The Contract by Derek Jeter, with Paul Mantel

The Contract by Derek Jeter, with Paul Mantel. Jeter Publishing Series. Unabridged audiobook on 4 compact discs. Read by Jesse Williams. Simon & Schuster Audio, September, 2014. 97811442375437. (Purchased)

"Earnest with a side of syrup," is what I posted to my Goodreads page. Had anyone other than Derek Jeter written this, eyes would've been rolling. But the legendary Yankee shortstop lived/ lives the life he wrote about in this semi-autobiographical series beginner. Jeter is one of the few sports celebrities who is a true role model. He seems like a genuinely nice person. If young Jeter seems a bit too perfect, if the baseball action a bit too advanced, a sibling relationship without conflict and endlessly patient parents, I'm willing to give the twee a pass. The Contract is a perfect middle grade novel. There's decent baseball action, good depiction of friendship, and plenty of positive messages. Sometimes I forget that not all middle grade readers are ready for or want angst and issues.

The novel incorporates several themes of diversity. Jeter is bi-racial and problems his parents had to deal with are referred to. He also has a close friend who is from India - the first family from India to move to the neighborhood. The issues are stated rather matter-of-factly and are not the center of attention; but they certainly inform Derek's empathy.

The new-to-me narrator read with understated cool and obvious affection for the material. The pace is leisurely and occasionally slow. He doesn't change voice for the characters though and occasionally it's hard to tell who's speaking. Jesse Williams' voice was vaguely familiar, but not his name. The thumbnail photo of the bespectacled narrator did nothing to jog my memory. A bell started ringing yesterday afternoon and, when I had the chance, I checked the name in IMDB. Sure enough, Williams portrays Jackson Avery on Grey's Anatomy. In a weirdly funny coincidence, the last two audiobooks I read were narrated by April and Jackson! 

The book version of The Contract hasn't spent much time on the shelf at my school. I'm eager to see if the audio circulates when I donate my copy. Both would be fine additions to school, classroom and public libraries. 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. Unabridged audiobook on 10 compact discs, 12 hours. Read by Christine Lakin. Hachette Audio, September, 2013. 9781478924692. (Purchased)

Tana awakens in the bathtub the morning after a wild party at which she downed a few too many shots. The house is eerily quiet. This is because it is filled with corpses. Apparently, the party was crashed by marauding vampires and somehow, Tana escaped notice having been passed out in the aforementioned bathtub. She needs to leave. Quickly. As she searches for her stuff, she discovers her ex-boyfriend tied to a bed and a chained vampire near him. Her relationship with Aiden, the ex, is complicated and, while he has been bitten and surely infected, she cannot bring herself to leave him behind. Her relationship with Gavriel, the chained vampire is about to become very complicated since she saves him as well. From what? Apparently, there are an unknown number of vampires waiting for the sun to set to kill Gavriel.

Tana has no choice other than to load them up in her car and head to the nearest Coldtown, a walled off city where humans, possibly infected humans and vampires live quarantined from the rest of the population.

No sparkly, stalkerish vampires here (thank goodness). This is purely predator and prey, violence and blood and gore. That a romance could arise in such an unforgiving atmosphere is testament to Holly Black's storytelling. Through the narration by her kick-ass heroine, Black paints a wholly believable, terrifying world. The performance by Christine Lakin is pitch perfect. She gives Tana that slightly monotonous, tough girl tone, a charming accent to Gavriel, and an appropriately bad-boy whine/cajole to Aiden. Other characters receive individual voices as well. I was so totally swept up by this story that I actually hoped for traffic since I was listening to it in my car. And it was one where I frequently lingered in my driveway to listen longer. 

Had I been reading this with my eyes, I might have swallowed it in one big gulp. Reading with my ears, while excruciating because I couldn't hurry up the narration, allowed me to appreciate the worldbuilding, setting and character development in a way I might not have had I barreled on reading with my eyes.

This is a new favorite and one I will recommend to my more mature, thoughtful readers.

The Ash Mistry Adventures by Sarwat Chadda

 

The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda arrived in my Junior Library Guild subscription sometime during the 2012-2013 school year. It looked interesting to me but I didn't have the time to read it then so I shelved it and there it sat. When book 2, The City of Death, released and it arrived in my subscription, I was reminded that I never got to read the first. Coincidentally, a student came in asking for an adventure book so I showed him The Savage Fortress. In a few days, he came back asking if there was a second book. He also brought a friend who wanted the book he was returning. And so began brisk circulation. The student also told me that I should read them. I always try to read the books students recommend to me. Since the books were always out, I ordered the audio from my amazing library cooperative and listened in the car.

Both books are productions of Listening Library and narrated by Bruce Mann, a new narrator to me. Wowzers! Why had I not heard more about these enthralling books? I'm embarrassed to admit that I missed the starred review in SLJ.  I digress.

Ash Mistry is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed nerd who freely admits he's a bit pudgy, soft around the edges and bully bait. He doesn't care all that much. He has his gaming mates and is enjoying his crush on Gemma. He and his sister, Lucky are spending the summer holidays with their aunt and uncle in India. He loves his uncle, who sacrificed much for his father, but the oppressive heat and relative lack of technology is making Ash pine for London. 

When his uncle is hired by the rich and powerful Lord Savage to translate some ancient parchment for a million dollars, Ash is happy for his uncle. But then he inadvertently overhears something ominous and realizes that Lord Savage's intimidating henchman is really a demon. Later, he accidentally stumbles upon the very item Lord Savage is seeking - the Kali aastra. Lord Savage wants to use it to awaken Ravana, who will rule the world and destroy the humans. 

There's plenty of death and destruction thanks to Lord Savage and his rakshassas. It's pretty gruesome actually. Action, danger, suspense, betrayal, beating hearts ripped from chests. It appears that Indian mythology is not for the faint of heart. This will definitely appeal to Riordan fans and I hope the books inspire requests for Indian mythology.

Ash is an intelligent kid with a good heart and a sense of loyalty. He understands the sacrifices his uncle made and loves his sister dearly, but they both can get on his nerves. And he's not so keen on this super-hero business.

The Savage Fortress ends nicely with a hint of a sequel. The City of Death has a twist at the end that has left my students (and me) panting for the next book. The third book, The World of Darkness is already out in paperback in the UK. When I found nothing here about a U.S. release, I queried the publisher and was given this response, "There are no firm plans for the third book yet." Ack! That just cannot be! I may have to make a transAtlantic purchase.

The audiobooks are spectacular. Mann employs an arsenal of accents and maintains a good pace. I highly recommend adding them to your collection along with the books.
Visit the series website for more information. It's a gorgeously designed site and explains the gods and monsters in a bit more detail. The covers shown are the British covers. 

Audio Non-Fiction Monday: Courage Has No Color, the True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's first black paratroopers

by Tanya Lee Stone. Unabridged book on 1 MP3-C, 3 hours and 1 minute. Read by JD Jackson. Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, January, 2013. 9781469262581. (Purchased.)

Tanya Lee Stone opens her brilliant book with a compelling hook, "What is it like to jump out of an airplane?" After asking the reader to imagine, she recounts a typical paratrooper jump, from pre-jump inspection to the thwap of a parachute opening. I got dizzy just listening and know for sure that I would've made full use of more than one of the nearby puke buckets had I been there. That's what Stone does so well here and in all her writing. You see, not only is she is a meticulous researcher, she is a storyteller. She digs up all this great stuff and makes it interesting.

I was not unaware of the rampant racism in the military during WWII, of the segregation and marginalization, but Stone's matter-of-fact and concise narrative lays it out so painfully and clearly that I got angry and felt ashamed for my country as I listened. I love reading books like this. I continue to appreciate the efforts of those brave souls who stood up and spoke out and continue to do so. Thank you for writing this book.

I chose to read this one with my ears instead of my eyes when I learned that it had been done as an audio. I thought I could focus more intently on the narrative as I have a tendency to get distracted by the photos when reading non-fiction. I have somewhat solved that problem by "reading" the photos first then reading the text, but I've had good success with listening to non-fiction and then going back to read the photos. I've also enjoyed audiobook performances by the narrator as well, so I was sold.

There are two stories here, the story of racism and segregation in America and the U.S. Military and the story of the "Triple Nickles." Stone gets up close and personal with a few of the major players, most notably, Walter Morris. The historical context is valuable to young readers who are most likely new to the subject. Indeed, this older reader appreciated it. 

JD Jackson's narration was well-paced. He modulated his voice when narrating direct quotes. I don't know how he managed not to choke up or get angry during some passages, but he maintained a fairly matter-of-fact tone and let Stone's facts speak for themselves.

Listening only is not an option though. Do check out the book. It is beautifully designed and chock full of black and white photos. There is a timeline and suggestions for further reading at the end. Surely a must-have purchase for all school libraries. 

Non-Fiction Monday is hosted this week by Bibliolinks.

Thoughts on Rereading

I don't reread often. I haven't looked back to check, but I would say that I reread books with my eyes slightly more often than rereading books with my ears. What I mean to say is - rereading books I've read with ears with my eyes and vice-a-versa. So far, my love for books I've reread with my eyes tends to remain unabated. My audio rereading after reading originally with my eyes hasn't fared very well. At least lately.

I've mentioned before that one cannot dog-ear or post-it an audio. Also, most of my audio reading is done on the run so I can't keep a notebook handy. If I try and stay stationery while reading with my ears, I often fall asleep, which is an argument for doing all stationery reading with ones ears via compact disc for easier finding of place upon awakening. I think I reread with my eyes to appreciate the language better.

I recently reread three books with my ears and found my opinions of the books changed in two of the three times. I've already written about my thoughts on revisiting The One and Only Ivan. I adored that book, and continue to do so, but didn't love the audio version. My negative feelings had to do with the voice of the narrator, or performance issues, not a change in opinion about the story. I'd like to ruminate a bit on the recent two audio-rereads.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar. Unabridged audiobook on 8 compact discs, 9 hours, 7 minutes. Read by Oliver Wyman and full cast, with afterword by the author. Brilliance Audio, January, 2012. 9781441878083. (Borrowed from public library)

This is the story of Anne Frank's annex from Peter's POV. When I read the arc several years ago, I had mixed feelings. I complained that I didn't connect with Peter and it seemed a bit fragmented. I liked a lot about it but wondered whether Anne's story was too iconic to approach with any other POV.

Thanks to a brilliant performance by Oliver Wyman, I have changed my mind. I did connect with Peter through the audio. The rest of the cast were equally successful at making this book come to life. I did have trouble with the shifts to Peter's dying thoughts. These were delineated by italics in the text. But by and large, I came to appreciate this book more fully through audio.

Splintered by A.G. Howard. Unabridged audiobook on 10 compact discs, 12 hours, 42 minutes. Read by Rebecca Gibel. AudioGo, May, 2013.  9781620647257 (Purchased.)

I enjoyed this Alice in Wonderland spin back in January. I even commented that the requisite love triangle didn't gag me too much. All that flew out the window upon rereading with my ears. Rebecca Gibel's performance was serviceable, I didn't like her male voices and her voice for Morpheus drove me batty. Not that her voice for Jeb was much better. The male patronizing and posturing leaped from my car speakers and made me gag. I facepalmed more than once and asked myself how I missed this nauseating nonsense the first time around. 

I lost tons of credibility with my husband since I recommended this to him for a long drive to and from the beach house on a changeover weekend. It's a good thing that he can read and sleep easily in a car because that's what he did. "I hated it. How can you stand this crap?" was his comment upon returning home. 

How could I, indeed? I guess I just glossed over the ridiculous romance and focused on the way the author weaved in and/or played with the Alice story when I read with my eyes. I even featured the sequel, Unhinged, in a Waiting on Wednesday post. Am I still on board for the sequel? If I am, I will definitely be reading with my eyes. 

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (audio reread)

Unabridged audiobook on 3 compact discs, 3.75 hours. Read by Adam Grupper. Recorded Books, April, 2013. 9781470351236. (Borrowed from the library.)

Ivan, a silverback gorilla, contemplates life as "the ape at exit 8." He has a few friends in Stella, the elephant and Bob, the stray dog who likes to sleep on his stomach. He has little regard for humans and almost no memory of life before living in his painted cement "domain."

I read The One and Only Ivan with my eyes back in July but never got around to reviewing it. Not because I didn't love it, I adored it and had some Newbery hopes for it. I just fell behind  in my reviewing. I mentioned it in a post at the end of the year when I looked back on all the books I read in 2012 and noticed all the books I loved but didn't review.

So when I saw that SLJ gave the audiobook a starred review last month, I put it on my list to revisit, but with some trepidation. You see, among this novel's many strengths is Ivan's voice. He is an ape of few emotions and even fewer words. The voice in my head was rumbly and gravelly with lots of pausing as the short sentences and couplets reflect in the book. 

     "Humans waste words. They toss them like banana peels 
      and leave them to rot."

     "Humans speak too much. They chatter like chimps, 
     crowding the world with their noise even when they
     have nothing to say."

     "Gorillas are as patient as stones. Humans, not so much."

Perhaps it is for this reason that I rarely reread books that I've read with my eyes with my ears. My audio reading consists mostly of fantasy, YA, or books I tried with my eyes and didn't get into but got lots of great reviews. 

But what with the starred review in SLJ and the fact that I attended the Newbery banquet a couple of weeks ago, I felt the need to reread the book after listening to the author's acceptance speech. I can't begin to describe my disappointment when I realized that Adam Grupper's voice for Ivan was not gravelly and rumbly and that, while his pace was rather slow, did not reflect the poetic rhythm of the writing.

I almost stopped reading within the first few minutes of the audiobook. But then, I was ironing and the cd player was in my pocket. I decided to give it to the end of the first cd and just concentrate on Applegate's lovely writing. (Plus, I rarely abandon a book because I'm stubborn like that.) 

I'm glad I soldiered on because then came Bob's voice. It matched the one in my head. So I committed. I got teary when <spoiler alert!> Stella died. I finished my ironing and sat and sat, totally immersed, and listened to the story in one sitting. And, while I didn't fall completely in love with Grupper's reading, I did fall in like and came to appreciate his performance and interpretation of the book. I'm not sure I would've given it a star had I been the SLJ reviewer though.

I don't wish to dissuade you from reading The One and Only Ivan with your ears. I just want to say that to read it with your ears means that you're missing out on the white space. Yes, the white space. Sure there are lots of lovely bits of spot art that endearingly portray characters but the white space speaks volumes. There aren't many long paragraphs in this book. Most are two sentences, many are one. Ivan doesn't waste any words, after all. The white space represents Ivan's thoughtful processing, his gradual awakening. It's Important.

There are many moments of lovely writing to stop to appreciate along the way here as well. Sometimes, it's nice to stop to marvel over a turn of phrase or an observation. This is rather difficult to do when reading with my ears, especially since I'm usually doing it while walking my dog, gardening, driving, folding clothes or vacuuming. But perhaps I'm listening wrong.

My apologies for this non-review. I suppose this post is more musing than analysis, perhaps it's fodder for an essay post on expectations or some such. 

How do you read with your ears?

Now by Morris Gleitzman

Unabridged audiobook on one MP3-CD. 3 hours, 26 minutes. Read by Mary-Anne Fahey. Bolinda Publishing Pty, Limited, May, 2012. 9781743111017. (Purchased.)

Australian eleven-year-old Zelda’s physician parents have sent her to live with her grandfather, Felix, while they are working in Africa. While Zelda adores Felix, it means switching schools. In her effort to impress, she came off as bragging and found herself on the wrong side of a group of Year Nine bullies. Verbal harassment quickly escalates to physical and before Zelda knows it, her attacker has found the locket around her neck. The one Felix does not know she has. The bully dispatches the locket in a stunning display of cruelty, leaving Zelda to deal with it as best she can, with the assistance of a boy from her class, in a scene that is not for the queasy.

Zelda knows about her grandfather’s experience during the Holocaust and about her namesake, Zelda, ten-year-old Felix’s brave six-year-old friend. Zelda tries to be brave like her but feels she constantly falls short. She seems to have inherited young Felix’s naïveté as she struggles to read social cues and behave appropriately. She thought that he would enjoy his birthday present, a book that she found from his childhood. She hadn’t anticipated the pain it would cause. She thought he would enjoy a birthday picnic in the woods and hanged the many thank you letters from patients on tree branches as decoration never anticipating that they would go up in flames when a birthday candle caught the nearby dry grasses afire. Even though she put the flames out, she still feels responsible for the bush fire that is threatening their town.

Felix is celebrating his 80^th birthday and, while he has lived a full and successful life, he has not yet buried Zelda. He feels incredible survivor’s guilt and is not necessarily honored by his son’s decision to name his daughter Zelda. In fact, Zelda notes that he does not call her by her name but mostly with the endearment, “Babushka.” She believes it is because she is not good enough to live up to the memory of her namesake.

There are many issues explored in this slim volume yet it does not feel laden. There is nary a wasted word and each scene packs a punch. Following the motif of the two previous Felix and Zelda books, each chapter begins with the title word, “Now.” The author writes a note at the end, that readers need not read the books in order. While I agree that he provided enough background for a new reader to appreciate Now, I recommend reading Once and Then for a more powerful experience.

I read this one (kind of) simultaneously with my eyes and ears. I started with my eyes. The narration was well-paced  and Ms. Fahey conveyed Zelda's naiveté subtly. Reading with my ears constantly reminded me of the Australian setting. I don't happen to read accents when I read with my eyes. I very much enjoyed the audiobook. 

Even though this book feels like the end, as we meet Felix near the end of his long and successful life, the author revisited Felix as a thirteen-year-old in a fourth volume called, After. I do hope that the publisher is negotiating with the author to bring this next volume to the U.S. soon.

You can read the first chapter of After on his website.

A note about the cover(s):

I've had the hardcover edition in my library for a year now. One of my eighth grade reluctant readers read all three books this year and just loved them. He told me that Now is his favorite. While the audiobook cover (above) features an important scene from the book, the hardcover art is more in keeping with the other two volumes in the series.

 

Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie

Unabridged audiobook on 1 MP3-CD. Read by Nick Podehl. Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, September, 2013. 9781469206677. (Purchased)

Seventeen-year-old Matt is still reeling six months after the death of his much older brother, TJ, in Iraq. He's barely holding it together at school, even knowing that if he blows it, his abusive father will force him to enlist. He's a walking time bomb of bottled rage, which he unleashes on an obnoxious classmate, whose in-your-face anti-war sentiments rub Matt the wrong way. 

While Matt is cooling his heels at home during an out-of-school suspension after sending said classmate to the hospital when he crosses the line of decency by wearing a provocative tee shirt bearing TJ's name, Matt ponders the months since the casualty assistance officers knocked on the front door to inform his dad and him of TJ's death, the closed-casket funeral where Matt was terrified of crying in front of his father, the unopened condolence cards, the missing dog tags. It seems that Matt's dad is determined to erase TJ's existence in the same way he erased Matt's mother after she left the family and ultimately died. So when three trunks of TJ's "personal effects" are delivered, Matt knows he must act fast if he is to be able to hold on to anything that was TJ.

When he does summon the courage, in addition to the familiar items, sweatshirts, iPods and hiking books, he discovers bags filled with letters that reveal TJ's life away from Matt, which leads Matt to question whether he knew his brother at all. When Matt finds an unsent letter, TJ's last to this mystery girl, who may or may not have had TJ's kid, he decides to ditch finals despite the fact that his father will surely kill him and travel to Madison, Wisconsin to deliver the letter and learn more about TJ.

This is actually an audio reread for me. I read the arc way back last April and was totally blown away by this sad, sad story. My heart broke for Matt and TJ over and over and over. Even though it was one of my favorites of 2012, I never did blog about it. Terrible omission, though I did give it 5 stars on Goodreads. 

I can't remember where, but I happened upon a review, which I believe was starred, where I learned that one of my favorite narrators, Nick Podehl, performed the story. A quick check of my library cooperative revealed that no libraries owned it, so I purchased it.

I fell in love with the recording within minutes. Matt's voice is heartbreaking from moment one and Podehl absolutely nailed it. I could feel it. He didn't just narrate; he inhabited Matt. 

The present-tense, first-person narration makes for an emotional, often suspenseful read with one's eyes. Matt is an earnest, endearing, wounded, and bewildered young man. He's a memorable character and I just wanted to hug him and call DYFS on his awful, hateful father. In Podehl's capable hands, Matt felt as though he was sitting in the car with me. (I listened in the car.) That's how real it felt. Even though I already knew what Matt would discover in Madison, Matt's shock and rage still surprised. 

That this was a debut novel is most impressive. I can't recall any "ah, no" moments, even upon rereading. I don't understand why it didn't get any Morris committee love. I've read only two titles from the list, Seraphina and one other. Seraphina, the winner, was spectacular. The other, not so much. I will get to the other three eventually. I was happy that it made the BFYA list. I'm also eager to read Ms. Kokie's sophomore novel. 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Unabridged MP3 audiobook, 13 hours, 14 minutes. Read by Mandy Williams, Listening Library, Inc. July, 2012. 9780307968937. (Purchased.)

Sixteen-year-old Seraphina doesn't like the spotlight because she has a secret to hide. But she's inquisitive and brave and is also terrifically musical, a talent she inherited from her mother. Unfortunately, that's not the only thing Seraphina inherited. She has scales, as in dragon's scales. Her mother was a dragon, who passed as human, fell in love with the queen's lawyer, hid this small detail from him and died giving birth to her daughter. 

Dragons and humans in the kingdom of Goredd have abided by a treaty uneasily for the past forty years. There's lots of racism on each side, but a half-breed is unheard of. In fact, Seraphina's mother was expelled from her family and dragonkind for mating with a human.  Her father took pains to keep Seraphina out of sight until her musical talent burst forth and could not be contained. She's now assistant music mistress at court, music instructor and friend to the heir to the crown as well as friend to the princess' fiance. 

And that's just the beginning of the intrigue. I can't remember being sucked into a world quickly and so completely. I was instantly smitten by Seraphina - her voice, her intellect, her moral compass. The worldbuilding was vivid and fascinating. I could see Goredd in my mind's eye. This debut definitely lived up to the hype and, I wouldn't mind visiting again should there be a sequel. 

Mandy Williams' voice was perfect for Seraphina. Tinkling and musical, with just the right amount of reserve and humor. The voices she uses for the large cast of characters were distinctive and unique.  I'm glad that I chose to read it first with my ears. Although I am a huge fantasy fan, I find that the unusual names, places and objects can be stumbling blocks for me. Hearing it read fluidly helps me become immersed in the setting. Did I mention the worldbuilding? So fine.

Give this utterly original fantasy to middle school fans of dragon stories, especially fans of that other dragon series, the one that, um borrows heavily from better stories.