And Now for Something Completely Different

How about a little non-fiction? I had the next book in my pile to read for eight months. And it was a library book. Luckily, it was from the school librarian, and they like me down there because I actually get kids to check out books. Go figure. So I am returning it tomorrow through the slot so I don't have to face them in person.

I know, I'm a biblio-wuss.

Anyhow, once I started reading The Boy who Harnessed the Wind by By William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, I pretty much couldn't put it down. This book is not necessarily intended for a teen audience, but there's no reason at all why you shouldn't read it. And I bet you'd find it to be a page-turner, too.

William is from Malawi. He details his life from early childhood through a crippling famine that struck his community. You know how your parents tell you not to waste your food and not to take all the things you have for granted? This book will explain why, once and for all. The fact that William and his family survived is a miracle. What he did next is beyond belief.

William self-taught himself physics, chemistry, and electrical and mechanical engineering from a couple of science textbooks in a community library. He created a windmill that supplied electrical power to his home. Hos goal was to use the power for irrigation of the family's crops year round so they would never go hungry again.

If this guy doesn't inspire you to be a better person, I just don't know who will.

And since I'm being random today, let's talk poetry. I LOVE poetry. Except for William Carlos Williams. I will never understand the red wheelbarrow, and you can't make me. So there. Sometimes a wheelbarrow is just a wheelbarrow and a chicken is just a chicken.

But reading poetry, in general, leaves me awed and inspired. I have the Poetry Foundation app on my phone, I sometimes I spin it (go and try it right now...it's free) just to read someone's concise and richly worded perspective on some random topic. Poetry rocks.

I'm currently digging into a pile of novels written in verse -- full-length narratives written in poetic form -- to use in a poetry unit with my students. There are many, many great examples, but The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle is the most recent one I've read. This book chronicles the history of Cuba from the late 1800s until present day through the eyes of dictators, refugees, revolutionaries, and survivors. This is one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time about a place that tends to keep its secrets very well. The poems are short, told from the point of view of a handful of recurring characters. You have to pay attention a bit to keep track of who is doing what, but it's well worth it.

This one will make you finish your dinner and take care of your stuff, too.

Triple Play!

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch had all the initial trappings of an apocalyptic showdown. I really wanted this to be the adolescent version of The Stand…or something like that. The cover totally gave me the creeps.

And the book was fine, but it did not knock my socks off my any means. The climax  involves a completely unbelievable prank, one that would be incredibly dangerous and stupid even in a non-dystopian world. The two main characters are smart and savvy. I absolutely did not buy the choice they made even as cranky teens whose frontal lobes aren’t quite developed 100%. There’s impulsivity, then there’s just plain unlikely.

And the biggest conflict on the story hinges on a run-in with livestock. Really? It didn’t make sense to me at all. So I spent the second part of the book second-guessing everything the protagonist did. If he was so dumb, how did he turn into this sage and mature potential martyr at a chapter break. Nope, not authentic.

This is an easy read, and it is mildly engaging, but I did not find it suspenseful in the least. If the world as we know it is going to end, I want it to be with a bang, not a whimper.

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors reminded me a bit of the classic Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Stork creates a quirky and endearing relationship between two very different boys. I enjoyed this aspect of the book.

But the reason I chose to read this in the first place was because I was looking for titles that could qualify as mystery/suspense in a very loose interpretation of the genre. This book did not work in that sense, but ultimately, I don’t think that was Stork’s intent. It’s definitely a YA volume with some fairly juicy references to the desires of horny teenaged boys. There is also an underlying thread of violence to do with Pancho’s (the protagonist) sister. It’s actually a pretty dark book.

I was not awestruck by the Death Warrior idea; I wanted to be, but no. What I liked about this book the most was Pancho’s growth. Otherwise, I found the plot to be pretty flat.

But then I was reminded of another of Francisco X. Stork’s books, Marcelo in the Real World. I actually read this one last summer, so this is kind of a cheat. Nonetheless. Marcelo is a high school student with autism. The book is told very convincingly from his point of view, and it definitely gave me food for thought. Neither Stork nor I can really know what it’s like inside the mind of a genius on the spectrum, but I think this book gives it a really good shot.

The thing I probably liked best about Marcelo is that he spends the book fighting against being like everybody else instead of wanting and trying desperately to conform. I would totally hang out in his tree house with him. Again, YA; again some sexy-sexy references and some language, but I was not mortified at any point while reading this book.

Better Late?

I have been a slacker for the past couple of weeks. I got uber-organized and set up a posting schedule, then all of a sudden, NaNoWriMo was upon me. And my posts went out the window. I will proceed to catch up…

For those of you who enjoy historical diversions, you may want to give Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. However, this is not a book for the casual reader of historical fiction. This is the real deal. This is an incredibly detailed account of the French Revolution and a real historical character that definitely caught my attention. (There’s also a fictional character that I wanted to be real. He reminded me a lot of the Vampire Lestat in a sexy, 8^th century rockstar kind of way.)

Donnelly’s attention to detail is quite astounding, and I loved the descriptions of various settings I have visited in and around Paris. What I didn’t care for was the protagonist. How dumb is that? I found her musings to be drawn out and unnecessary. I wanted to get into the historical narrative and stay there without the interruptions of the present-day Andi. I got tired of her moping and self-loathing. Granted, the character was depressed, but that was evident early on. But the pages of angst became a turn-off early on. I’m afraid that only a teen slightly obsessed with history would wade through the murk to reach the end of the book. I did really enjoy Andi’s love interest, though.

If you like historical fiction with a touch of romance, give this one a chance. Stick with it. I think you might like it.

On a completely different note, Borderline by Alan Stratton is a contemporary fiction novel dealing with terrorists cells within the United States. The protagonist is a sixteen-year-old boy named Sami whose father is arrested in the middle of the night under suspicions of terrorist involvement. I loved the premise of this book, and I would really like to read a suspenseful, tight novel on the subject. Unfortunately, Borderline is not that book.

I like that the book has a Muslim protagonist, and I appreciate the discussion of bullying in a universal sense but also in the wake of 9-11. The book is worth reading in terms of adolescent exposure to these issues.

However, I did not find the conclusion to the story remotely believable. I wanted the ending to be edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting goodness. It ended up being very anticlimactic. The book is a quick read with a reasonable pace, so there’s not much of a time-investment. I imagine some of my middle school boys would enjoy the ride. But for me, the resolution matters, and I wasn’t feeling it with this book.

Four Reasons Why

Here are four reasons why you should head for the library. Right now. Or as soon as you get to school. Try to contain your enthusiasm.

Disclaimer: All of these titles have some sexual content ranging from implied to explicit. 

 

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

This book absolutely terrified me. Granted, I have a brother who has undergone two organ transplants to date, so novels like this one and Never Let Me Go by the masterful Kazuo Ishiguro haunt me at a very basic level. But I am not easily scared, in general, by literature. Neal Shusterman has managed to tap into a dystopia so disturbing that I couldn't sleep the night I finished it. The action is intense, the three protagonists are fascinating in their similarities and their differences, and the ethical questions about our society today are downright eerie. The actual unwinding scene is one of the most beautifully crafted I have ever read, but it also made me want to throw up my lunch. Have I got your attention yet?

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I didn't love this book, but you might. It deals with bullying and suicide prevention, both of which are incredibly serious issues. Here's the issue I had, and it's personal, so you can disagree with me in your head, but you can't tell me I'm wrong. So there. I was bullied from the end of elementary school to the beginning of high school; I have the scars to prove it. But I'm still here. I wasn't convinced that Hannah would have made the choice she made and reached out when she did. I still sense a flicker of hope in her voice. So for me, the premise of the book, ultimately, did not ring true with the girl I came to know. Nonetheless, you should read this book, think about it, and carefully consider your words and actions for a long time afterwards.

The Secret to Lying by Todd Mitchell

This was an interesting read. The protagonist, James, goes through a transformation as complete as any I've seen in recent YA titles. And it's not pleasant. A realistic, contemporary story, this one will make you squirm in your seat. The decisions James makes are uncomfortable and his personality is unlikable. The book brings up some difficult questions about the identity of a teenager who feels like a non-person. Read this book and let me know if you dislike James as much as I did.

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger 

This one I loved. About 110%. And I read A LOT, people. I read this novel at the suggestion of my good friend, The Boy Reader, who is an elementary school teacher. But this isn't an elementary school book. Don't let the flying lady with the umbrella fool you. The main characters, T.C., Augie, and Ale, are all incredibly authentic high school students. I loved their interactions, their crises, their friendship...every last drop of it. But what I loved the most is that this book normalizes the experience of being a gay high school boy. Augie is Kurt Hummel before Kurt Hummel came to be. Or maybe he's Chris Colfer. Or something like that. You get the point, right? READ THIS BOOK. It is gentle, beautiful, and a revelation all in one neat little package.

Urban Edibles Part 4

Once your plants are in the ground, you need to be responsible about how you water. Veggies like lots to drink. You can let them get a little thirsty, but if you wait until they’re parched, it’s too late. Talk to your parents about the possibility of installing a drip system onto an existing hose or sprinkler line. That way you can control when and how much you give your plants. You won’t waste any water, and you can turn off the hose if it rains. You can also hand water your plants with a hose, just don’t forget! A dehydrated plant is an unhappy plant.

Here are some raised bed planting ideas:

·       Plant basil and tomatoes for caprese salads. We grow heirloom    

        tomatoes of all different colors. Some of our favorites are Flamme, 

        Dagma’s Perfection, Green Zebra, and Black Cherry. These make a 

        boring old red tomato salad jump of the plate. So to speak.

·       Plant a Three Sisters garden.  

     

     Tween Trivia: Native American Iroquois Indians planted 

     corn, beans, and squash together for spiritual and   

     practical reasons. As the corn grows, the beans use the 

     corn stalk as support. The beans have lots of nitrogen on 

     their roots that gets into the soil and helps the 

     other plants grow. Squash plants grow low; they help 

     hold back weeds and keep moisture in the soil. Pretty 

     ingenious.

What a gorgeous example of a Three Sisters garden!

·       Grow a pizza garden: Tomatoes, basil, oregano, peppers, onions, 

        garlic…pepperoni. Just kidding.

·       Grow a pumpkin patch for a fall harvest party. Fair warning: If you are  

        nice to pumpkin seedlings they will take over the world. I'm only 

        exaggerating a tiny bit. Plan ahead.

·       Grow a tipi garden. Caution: This one takes more room than a raised 

        bed has to offer. Think back yard. Have a couple of willing grown ups 

        help you make a tipi out of branches, bamboo, old bits of wood…you 

        get the idea. Grow peas, beans, nasturtiums, hops, grapes, anything 

        that will climb, up the tipi. Plant other yummy things around the base. 

        The result: A late summer hide out and dinner to boot.

At the end of the growing season, when your plants are not producing anything yummy and the first frost is around the corner, it may be time to shut down your beds for the winter. But don’t let the remains of all those amazing plants go to waste! They can be turned into super-rich vitamins for next year’s crops. Which leads us to our next topic...

Choose Your Own Adventure

Okay. Three books in one post. I'll be brief.

I was disappointed in Insurgent. Granted, this is not unusual when the first book blows your mind. I enjoyed the second, and I will read the third, but I was not nearly as impressed with this one. The tension felt much weaker, very drawn out. Way too much waiting for something to happen. And the massive cliffhanger? I didn't really think it was that devastating. I presume we're headed for Zombie-ville or cannibals or Stepford outside the fence, but I am not crushed that the third volume won't be out until next year.

I still love Tris and Tobias. They rock. I would totally have wanted to be one of them when I was fourteen-ish. I still do, if I'm being honest.

I felt like several conflicts should have been addressed in more depth including Peter's bizarre explanation of redemption, what's up with those wacky Amity folks, and Fernando and the ladder? Really? Tris shows no emotion, and there is absolutely no transition. I'm pretty sure he's still hanging out up there.

Next, Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs. This is a book from 2008, but a title I didn't know. I hold Will Hobbs in high regard because he's a really cool guy, and because boys swallow his books whole. (Girls like them, too; they just chew more slowly.) This is a middle-grade read, 100% action. Mountain bikes, road bikes, caves, Martians, near-death experiences...what more could a boy ask for? It's a quick, light read, under 200 pages. Many of my 6th grade boys would LOVE this book.

I didn't, but that is so not the point. I'm always on the lookout for solid boy reads. Fred is a pretty awesome antagonist, too. Oh, and then there's the medieval catapult and the toilets...

And finally, The Fault in Our Stars. A mentor of mine, the amazing Mark Overmeyer, recommended this to me, so I moved it to the top of the pile. I loved this book. As an adult, I loved its treatment of terminal illness and the absolute blind terror of dying that haunts me.

For an adolescent reader there's Hazel's voice, the excellent and highly entertaining vocabularies possessed by both her and Gus, and the heartbreak.

Just read it.

There are so many dreams and realities embedded in this book, I was devastated when it ended. Yet it ended perfectly. I do believe this. I do.

Okay?

Urban Edibles Part 3

So once spring rolls around again and you get the itch to dig, you can buy seedlings at any home-improvement store or garden center starting in about April. But beware! If you want to be a true Green Tween, find out where and how the plants are raised. Many small, local greenhouses grow their plants nearby. Taking it a step further, if you look for heirloom seedlings, you will be helping to save a variety of plant that may be hundreds of years old! (An heirloom plant is one that has been grown for generations and generations, and is not being mass-propagated anymore.)

Ask someone before you buy; if the salesperson can’t tell you where the plants were grown, maybe you could try a smaller, independent store. The closer to home your plants are grown, the more environmentally responsible you will be.

So now that you’ve brought home your adorable little seedlings, what about the dirt? Raised beds have an added bonus if the dirt in your yard is bad. Ask your parents about this. If they’ve ever tried to grow ANYTHING, they will know. Your dirt may be rich and dark, dry and sandy, or heavy and full of clay. Raised beds allow you to decide on the kind of dirt that will make your plants happy. You are the master of the raised bed universe. Cool, yes?

We use a mixture of topsoil, store-bought organic compost, and chicken poop mixed with wood shavings. The plants LOVE this. We just pile it into the beds and stir it all together with a shovel. We have also used a process called permaculture, where we in the fall we create layers of cardboard, vegetable waste, grass clippings, pine needles, etcetera, until we have created a sort of raised bed lasagna. Through the winter, under several feet of snow, all the layers decompose and add their nutrients to the earth. 

Check out SproutRobot for a handy tool to tell you when to plant what in your area. This super-cool website provides easy raised bed plans and ideas for Tweens to make WITH THEIR ADULTS.