SPECTACULAR POSSIBILITIES

I took a trip up to the Bay Area last weekend. It’s a 5.5 hour drive (without traffic) from LA, and I settled into the driver’s seat, automatically reaching for a familiar audiobook: Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt, read by Lincoln Hoppe. It’s a trip I’ve made several times and a story I’ve listened to several times more since its publication in 2011, yet it has never failed to elicit the same depth of emotion each time. It draws me back to a place I’d never visited and a time I’d never experienced: a small town in upstate New York in 1968, the peak of the Vietnam War era.

Fourteen year old Doug Swieteck is starting eighth grade in a new school in a new town, where his father has just secured a new job after being fired for a poor attitude and a questionable work ethic. The Dump, his family’s latest residence, is small and dingy. His father is spiteful. His older brother is a menace. His gentle mother rarely smiles anymore. And Doug can’t think of a single good thing about the stupid town they've just moved to.

You can easily envision the trajectory for a kid like that: he’ll grow up to be a bully, a thief, a liar, a victim and a victimizer. And everyone else in town thinks so too-- including Doug himself.

Until he finds unexpected solace in a public library and purpose in a rare copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America. There’s something mesmerizing about the paintings in Audubon’s book, even for Doug, who would be the first to tell you he’s no artist. Soon he’s drawn into the stories he sees in each carefully crafted bird, which become the metaphor by which he interprets his world. His spirit soars and dives throughout the novel as he faces a deluge of circumstances that test his resolve to sketch a different future for himself.

Another librarian (whose name I unfortunately cannot recall) wrote in her review of the book that it had broken her heart and put it back together a thousand times. I can certainly relate to that feeling. There’s a lot to mull over here: the tangible and intangible effects of the war on returned veterans and their families, the dichotomy of wealth and poverty, the cyclical nature of abuse, and the problematic prejudices of adults. At the same time there’s the thrilling freedom of art, the unexpected kindness of others, the gentle glow of first love, the healing found in offering compassion even when it seems undeserved, and a long lingering note of Possibility. It’s a tale of resilience and redemption.

I highly recommend listening to the audio version of book (which still counts as reading, in case you’re wondering!) Lincoln Hoppe’s reading of Okay for Now received an American Library Association Odyssey Honor in 2012 as one of the best audiobooks produced for children and young adults, available in English in the United States.

A truly rewarding read for grades 6 and up.

CREEPY UNDERWEAR: SO CREEPY! SO COMFY!

It’s been a superb year for picture book sequels, and I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t highlight Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown’s latest collaboration: a long-awaited follow up to the amazing Creepy Carrots! For those unfamiliar with the original (please rectify this situation ASAP), the spooky story centers around young Jasper Rabbit, who, after enjoying one too many tasty carrots from a nearby field, suddenly finds himself relentlessly and creepily pursued by the vegetables in question. Noir-styled black and white illustrations enhance the spook factor, while the premise (creepy... carrots, um really?) and text lend an air of ridiculousness to the whole affair. This book makes a fantastic read-aloud for grades 2-5, and was such a hit with Children’s Room staff, that we even dressed up as the titular characters one Halloween.

The sequel, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, shares the same combination of spooky + ridiculousness, as Jasper Rabbit, now a “big rabbit,” goes underwear shopping with his mother. Yielding to Jasper’s cajoling, mom agrees to purchase one pair of Creepy Underwear for him in addition to his standard Plain White. Unbeknownst to the no-longer-a-little-bunny, however, properties of the the new Creepy Underwear include: glowing a ghoulish green, alarmingly replacing other underpants on his body despite deliberate removal, and eerily reappearing everywhere after being thrown out and snipped into pieces. Will Jasper Rabbit ever succeed in ridding himself of unwanted Creepy Underwear?

Share Creepy Pair of Underwear! with one and all--you can be sure this children’s librarian will!

Grades 2+

A SEQUEL TOLD IN STUFF

Five years after the publication of Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf, Jennifer Holm returns to Ginny Davis’s story as the now eighth-grader tackles another year of friendships, family life, and school. Ginny’s big plans for the year include, among other things, trying out for cheer, falling in love, looking good in the family holiday photo, and teaching Grandpa Joe how to email.

In this scrapbook-styled sequel told through homework assignments, photographs, notes, bills, and other “stuff,” Ginny faces new challenges with a new baby sibling on the way, her mother’s transition to stay-at-home parenting, and her step-father’s unexpected job loss. Big brother Henry is still getting into trouble; little brother Timmy is still getting into Ginny’s things. 

Those who read and enjoyed the first book will notice the updated tech: Ginny now has a cell phone, photos are higher resolution, instant messaging boxes are streamlined, and there’s nary a mention of VHS tapes anywhere. 

As in the first novel, Eighth Grade Is Making me Sick: Ginny Davis’s Year in Stuff tackles difficult, age-appropriate topics. Both funny and heartfelt, Jennifer Holm’s novel will appeal to fans of James Patterson’s Middle School series, R.J. Palacio’s Wonder, and Raina Telgemier’s Smile.

NEVER AFTER CONTINUED

After Raven Queen decided not to sign the Storybook of Legends, Ever After High has been turned upside down.  It's Rebels vs. Royals, with Raven leading the rebels and Apple White leading the Royals, but neither of them can seem to get the two groups talking and getting along again.  That is, until they all have a cause to unite behind when Madeline Hatter gets into trouble and might be expelled out of Ever After High - forever!  Can Raven and Apple bring the school back together?  Can they reconcile their own differences?  Will Raven's mom, the Evil Queen make an appearance in her mirror and wreck havoc?  Find out in Shannon Hale's second installment of Ever After High, The Unfairest of Them All for kids in grades 6-8.