My LIfe Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick, is more than meets the eye

     I liked the optimism, humor, personal challenges, ethical dilemma, and various types of relationships. Although Samantha is privileged, she is down-to-earth, sensitive, and has challenges all her own, even if these aren't visible to others. 

     What is visible to her is the reality that is the family next door - the Garretts, honesty is the best policy, and privilege doesn't equal better than.  She knows there is more to life than how she was raised.

     Though slightly unrealistic, and somewhat predictable, I appreciate Samantha for her genuine personality, the reality of her mother and the Garretts, her relationship dynamics, and the ethical dilemmas she and other characters encounter.  A story that was fun and engaging to read, made me smile, and finished with a slow close of the book and an "aaahhh."  

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

     This book is one to let simmer.  The story is deep, yet appears "simple" and/or superfluous. 

     This is one of those books that I could predict some people to say "Oh, that is YA," without really knowing the definition of and significance of the YA category (which is about 15 - 25 years of age, written for and with characters that 'real' young adults can understand and relate to on a personal level).  As we know, looks can be deceiving.   

     Eleanor and Park have important moments of maturity and emotional sophistication, yet are not immature, but awkward, with other social circumstances and personal conflicts.  However, this is what happens to almost every teenager, and a great way for adults to remember and/or be reminded of this state of uncertainty and struggles. These characters are real, personable, and searching.

     I found the plot lines to be a bit disjointed. The back-story on Eleanor would have been helpful earlier in the story to understand her relationships and perspectives.  The last part of the story seemed like an entirely new plot-line, and some foreshadowing earlier in the story would have been helpful, so it wouldn't have seemed as such a sudden turn of events.  Like so many books that are great for females and males, this book has a cover that most likely will not be selected by males. This is unfortunate. Eleanor and Park are characters students (and probably adults) could relate to on different levels or within certain circumstances, and would lend to a great book discussion/conversation between females and males. 

     Eleanor and Park pack together humor, social and personal ethics, topics of socio-economic levels, bullying, peer and family relationships, and personal identity.  Rowell nicely brings together the "complex" in a very "simple" form.

Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye

Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye is written by Kenneth O’Donnell and David Powers, “men who loved John Kennedy and were totally loyal to him” according to a Christian Science Monitor article from 1973, the time of the book’s original publication. Consequently, the book is filled with memories and accolades, insights and drama, curtailing events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas in 1963. The unique perspective of Kennedy insiders resulted in a 1973 best-seller and the book was re-issued by Open Road Media last month, just prior to the 50^th anniversary of Kennedy’s death.  We will be setting up a display with that book and many other titles as we draw nearer to Nov. 22^nd.  It should be interesting for our students to glimpse images – dress, mannerisms and political wrangling – of those times compared to today.

I will also be looking at the Associated Press’s recounting in The Torch is Passed. If you have a favorite biography about John Kennedy or a story/memory to relate, please add it in the comments section below.

The following video includes coverage from the major networks (Cronkite begins aout 5:25):

Thinking in New Boxes

I have been working with students and teachers on shifting paradigms this year and was definitely interested in seeing a new book from BCG consultants de Brabandere and Iny: Thinking in New Boxes.  The five step process they suggest (summarized as (1) Doubt Everything; (2) Probe the Possible; (3) Diverge; (4) Converge; and (5) Reevaluate Relentlessly) could be applied in many situations, not just the business ones they most often describe.  Perhaps we might even want to consider Thinking in New Boxes as an all-Department read so as to “challenge rigid rules and tired frameworks” as we consider what a newly renovated library of the future should contain?

The importance of shifting perceptions and Eureka! moments are discussed and contrasted with those Caramba! ones where someone else is taking the lead in developing new models and strategies. I can readily see using the simple exercise in Chapter Two with my research students.  They would look at these two sentences:

An example of a bird is …. or

A bird is an example of …..

Then, they would consider how they answered each AND, from there, how following too narrow, deductive thinking could be blocking some exciting connections in their research and future papers.  Students tell us they need help creating keyword lists and formulating a thesis; how refreshing to use activities in this book in order to more actively support our students in taking risks and asking deeper questions.

In  any case, Thinking in New Boxes will definitely be added to my student non-fiction booktalks next year since it fits so well with several titles which they often choose to read and research further: Switch, Made to Stick or Decisive (by the Heath brothers), Why We Make Mistakes (Hallinan), Drive (Pink), Mindset (Dweck), and Paradox of Choice (Schwartz). Maybe Thinking in New Boxes should even be considered as a summer read for the whole school community? 

World's Water

We own Bottled and Sold by Peter Gleick and will soon be exploring the World’s Water, volumes 7 and 8, which is a biennial publication dealing with current issues involving freshwater resources.  The relatively short articles (some with accompanying case studies) seem relevant for students preparing reports for Science and Social Studies or for our American Studies classes. 

Volume 7 topics covered include Climate Change, Corporate Water Management and Great Lakes Water Agreements, plus several data tables are appended. Volume 8 contains material about hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and the role of water in the Syrian conflict. These resources, often held at local universities, will further supplement materials available through databases like Global Issues in Context and CQ Researcher as student interest in this important topic continues to grow.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

On a recent visit to the library at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, I was very pleasantly surprised to see the award winning Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and other Alan Bradley mysteries on the shelf in the high school.  Even though the main character, Flavia de Luce, is only 11 in the first book, she is a favorite amongst adults and students.  And quite an unforgettable character she is, given her fascination with arsenic, strychnine, and other poisons. Through the first few books, we watch as she follows her passions to solve mysteries, navigates relationships within her less-than-functional family, and reaches out to others in the community.  

The books are intertwined but can be read separately and I thoroughly enjoyed the most recent offering, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, where Flavia explores her Mother’s life, meets Winston Churchill, and takes to the skies.  The aspect I liked best, though, was watching Flavia’s struggle to maturity: “This was one of the troublesome thoughts with which I had recently begun to be plagued: new, raw, and still not entirely to be trusted.  It was like thinking, sometimes, with someone else’s brain….and I wasn’t sure I approved of it entirely” (Chapter Four).    What adolescent has not felt similarly?

There are hints of travels in the future for Flavia …. Please, please, please do not let this 6^th book be the last!  We will miss Flavia’s wry insights: “One of the marks of a truly great mind, I had discovered, is the ability to feign stupidity on demand” (Chapter Ten).  All of us (including the many readers who enjoy these books in Italian, German, French, and other languages) want to continue to read about how “unstoppable” Flavia truly is!  For readers new to the series, see the author’s website.