Taking Stock - September

Oh golly! September already!

Total Books: 21/ 270
Total Posts: 28
Total Reviews: 13

Challenges:
Debut: 2/13
Audio: 7/ 64
Picture Books: 8/91

The Good: Still managed to review nine books!

The Bad: I fell a bit behind in my GR goal.

The List:

250. The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage (9/1)*

251. The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen (9/2)

252. Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the spirit of New Orleans (9/3)*

253. How Sweet the Sound: the story of Amazing Grace by Carole Boston Weatherford (9/3)

254. Bat Citizens: defending the ninjas of the night by Rob Laidlaw (9/4)

255. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed (9/4)

256. Santa Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins (9/5)

257. Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt (9/8)

258. Good Rosie! By Kate DiCamillo (9/8)

259. Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor: the woman who loved reptiles by Patricia Valdez (9/9)

260. Nothing Stopped Sophie: the story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe (9/9)

261. Revenge of the Teacher’s Pet by Jennifer Ziegler (9/10)

262. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (9/13)

263. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar (9/14)

264. Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry (9/17)*

265. From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon (9/23)

266. Who Says Women Can’t be Computer Programmers? By Tanya Lee Stone (9/23)

267. Bone Soup by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (9/23)

268. Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the first woman pilot by Matthew Clark Smith (9/23)

269. Fear by Bob Woodward (9/29)

270. Black Panther: the young prince by Ronald L. Smith (9/30)

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:

America Border Culture Dreamer: the young immigrant experience from A to Z by Wendy Ewald. 60 p. Little, Brown and Company, October 16, 2018. 9780316484954.

Publisher synopsis: First- and second-generation immigrants to the US from all around the world collaborate with renowned photographer Wendy Ewald to create a stunning, surprising catalog of their experiences from A to Z. 


In a unique collaboration with photographer and educator Wendy Ewald, eighteen immigrant teenagers create an alphabet defining their experiences in pictures and words. Wendy helped the teenagers pose for and design the photographs, interviewing them along the way about their own journeys and perspectives.

America Border Culture Dreamer presents Wendy and the students' poignant and powerful images and definitions along with their personal stories of change, hardship, and hope. Created in a collaboration with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, this book casts a new light on the crucial, under-heard voices of teenage immigrants themselves, making a vital contribution to the timely national conversation about immigration in America.

Purchased: Nothing! Another virtuous week!

That's what's new with me. What's new with you? Leave a link to your haul in the comments and I will stop by. 

Fact Friday: We will Not be Silent:

We Will Not be Silent: the White Rose Student Resistance Movement that defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman. 104 p. Clarion Books/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May, 2016. 9780544223790. (Own)

This went on the morning announcements: Fact Friday features We Will Not be Silent: the White Rose Student Resistance movement that defied Hitler by Russell Freedman. This is the gripping true story of Hans Scholl and his sister, Sophie. Hans was a medical student and Sophie was a college student in 1943. Both were enthusiastic Hitler youth until they began to doubt Hitler and Nazi doctrine. Then they got to work organizing fellow students to produce anti-propaganda leaflets. Meticulously sourced and beautifully written, this story of resistance and courage is a must-read.

I reviewed it in 2016 here.

#tbt: Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes. 338 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, 2007. 

Five misfit students who don't know each other sit in detention when a jingle on the radio causes each to play or sing along. Their impromptu collaboration inspires them to form a band and this leads to friendship. Disney adapted the book to film in 2011 and a sequel, Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up was released in 2012.

Picture Book Review: Bone Soup: a spooky, tasty tale by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Bone Soup: a spooky, tasty tale by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Illustrated by Tom Knight. unpgd. A Paula Wiseman Book/ Simon & Schuster, July, 2018. 97814811486088. (Review from finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Three hungry witches find that their cupboards are bare, save for one little bone one Halloween morning. Naggy Witch tosses the bone into their cauldron and suggests they go door to door soliciting additions to their "bone soup!" The village is filled with ghoulishly delightful inhabitants like a monster, a ghost and a werewolf, all of whom contribute ew-worthy additions like claws and worms and even toenails. As the hungry crowd grows impatient, the witches find they need a little help from a little monster and all is well when the bone soup is ready.

The rhythmic text occasionally floats and meanders in larger, playful fonts on the page, inviting participation. The palette, with ghoulish green, black, orange and purple predominating, adds to its Halloween appeal. The illustrations have a bit of a retro feel to them and feature the characters that are a nice mix of cartoonishly approachable and scary.

It's a pleasing variation of the Stone Soup tale and a nice addition to any collection. Bonus points for doing double-duty as a Halloween story. The ESL teacher has a "Stone Soup" unit and is delighted to add Bone Soup to it. An author's note and a recipe for the bone soup (with edible substitutions) are found on the final page. Visit the author's webpage to download a story time kit.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman. 288 p. Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins, January 8, 2018. 9780062563880.

Publisher synopsis: A hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and bestselling author Gordan Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher—perfect for fans of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day.

The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Like Aldo, with anger management issues; Parker, who can’t read; Kiana, who doesn’t even belong in the class—or any class; and Elaine (rhymes with pain). The Unteachables have been removed from the student body and isolated in room 117.

Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement. But the superintendent has his own plans to torpedo that idea—and it involves assigning Mr. Kermit to the Unteachables.

The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction—and maybe even a shot at redemption.

A new book by Korman is something to celebrate.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry. Unabridged downloaded audiobook. Read by Michael Crouch. 9 hours, 4 minutes. HarperAudio, August, 2018. (Review from downloadable audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Michael's father has broken his promise and he is furious. His rather emotionally distant father has a penchant for moving the family whenever there is a possibility of a raise or a promotion. He had promised there wouldn't be a move until Michael finished high school. Now, Michael, a devout atheist  finds himself, not only moving, but attending a Catholic high school. He's not into the school uniform, his stern principal, his teachers, most of whom are nuns or his classmates, many of whom come off as pious and judgmental He fears he is destined to sit alone at lunch until he hears Lucy engage Sister in a discourse about saints, feminism, and religious patriarchy. Intrigued and hoping to have found someone to sit with, Michael rather creepily follows Lucy until she turns and confronts him. Reluctantly, she invites him to sit together at lunch where she introduces him to her bestie, Avi, who is Jewish. Eventually, he is inducted into Heretics Anonymous, a secret society. The other two members are Max, a Korean American who is a bit obsessed with capes and may be autistic and Eden, a Wiccan. Has Michael found his people?

Boy, do I love a smart novel dealing with religion and belief! This debut is impressive from its catchy title, irresistible cover somewhat evocative of "grilled cheesus" from the second season of Glee, to the voice of its narrator, Michael. Michael's bitterness is palpable and understandable. While he's a bit self-absorbed, he's also inquisitive and intelligent. Every character is interesting, including the zealously devout, his father and his teachers. They are not one-dimensional cardboard figures. 

Fave narrator, Michael Crouch turns in another great performance. I've listened to enough audiobooks narrated by him to amend my early impression that he is a chameleon. That said, he sounds appropriately youthful, imbues his character, Michael with humor and paces his narrations well. 

Heretics Anonymous is so appealing. Hand to your thoughtful teens who enjoy laughing and want a smart romance. I am eager to read more from Katie Henry and hope the Morris Committee is reading.