Beneath a Meth Moon ~ Jacqueline Woodson

        Jacqueline Woodson mixes two realities in Beneath A Meth Moon (2012): Hurricane Katrina and drug abuse and addiction.   

            Laurel loses her mother and grandmother in Hurricane Katrina.  She has her father and younger brother, but they don’t they make her feel better or happy the way the moon does.  From the moment she tried meth, she was hooked; it placed a blanket over her losses and worries, and just makes life good.  The only way she can make this feeling last is to be on her own – and with the moon. Homeless and soon helpless, Laurel walks several journeys until she bottoms out, but not without someone to be there save her life.

            While this book has some strong reviews, I thought it was a bit disjointed. The story moves forward and backwards in time, but the distinctions are not always clear, and I had a hard time determining where Laurel was in time and space and her emotions.

            The impact of drug addiction is clear; however, I thought a lot of details were missing that could have added substance and depth to the story and characters.  I was hoping for something riveting that could serve as an engaging fiction story representing real and intense social issues.
            Not only are these types of stories needed, Woodson does exactly this kind of work in If You Come Softly.

Book trailers for 2014 Illinois Teen Choice Award

From Monica Tolva's YouTube Channel:

The Children and the Woves by Adam rapp - whew!

     The Children of the Wolves by Adam Rapp was a multi-faceted reading experience. I was surprised, disturbed, sympathized, and perplexed.  I have to say, based on those descriptors, Rapp has succeeded.  Though I don’t know his goals or purpose in writing this story, it creates a reality quite different from mine.  Unfortunately, characters like or elements of Bounce, Orange, and Wiggins probably do exist.  I’m reminded that a village is needed to raise a child, and positive role models and supportive adults are needed in the lives of children. 

   
     Not to judge a book by its cover is quite true with this slim, small book. It may seem “easy” and “nice” on the outside, but the inside is combustible (and the yellow, red, and orange of the book jacket certainly lends to the connotation of fire).

    
     I suggested my student volunteer to read it, which she did within 48 hours. I enjoyed our discussion about the story and characters – strong sense of voice, identity, conscience, and actions; it certainly is thought-provoking and could ignite a lively book discussion.  I do, though, recommend this book for mature high school students and adults. 

Good sounds in Beautiful Music for Ugly Children - Kirstin Cronn-Mills

             Cronn-Mills brings humor, sympathy, and awareness to a sensitive, yet important topic. 

             

              Meet Liz. Meet Gabe. Liz is becoming Gabe.  Emotionally and intellectually, Liz is Gabe. She has been making the transition for some time, and she is finally able to share her true self to her family and a couple of close friends. However, just as Liz is having a hard time, her family needs time to digest and reconcile with their own feelings and sudden change in their realities. 

           
            Gabe is a senior in high school, and graduation is approaching.  Soon, Gabe will have the freedom to be Gabe full-time.  In the meantime, Gabe has been given an opportunity to share his passion for music – to be a DJ on the local, community radio station where he hosts his late night show “Beautiful Music for Ugly Children.”  Quickly he garners a strong fan base of hundreds on the Facebook page.    Here, Gabe really can be himself - listeners get to know him– and he can spin some good music. Through the airwaves, there are no judgments, no assumptions, no negativity.

            When Gabe is finally willing to take a chance – to push his comfort zone and put Gabe in public – he gets burned, and burned bad.  Word gets out on the Facebook page and while the number of fans drops immediately, a couple of fans just can’t handle the reality of the situation, and want to hurt him physically. 

            The theme of Elvis Presley is found in the creative titles of each short chapter, and is one of the threads that binds Liz and Gabe to John, the neighbor, mentor, and friend of Gabe. 

            Liz is not gay. She is transgender, and the feelings and reactions portrayed seem to be realistic – there are those who can’t handle such a circumstance, others have enough life experience to accept and support Gabe, and others encounter the roller-coaster of emotions and concerns, and who just need time. 

            While I haven’t read all the LGBTQ fiction available, from what I have read, Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is a needed addition to the collection, for we all have B sides to our A sides. 

Beyond Courage - history in words and photos

 

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport.

I’ve enjoyed browsing this book. It accessible for research, for learning about people and events through words and pictures, and yet it could work as a small coffee-table book or simply sitting on a table for students to browse just because it's there.

Almost every page includes pictures of people and places (in both black and white and antique finish), maps, art work by children, and poetry, making the story personal and engaging. No image is disturbing visually, so to have it on display or near students would be appropriate. 

The summary in my catalog states “provides detailed accounts of twenty-one acts of defiance committed against Nazis in Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. “

To connect the history of individuals, and those who acted against "authority," with visual history is the essence of this book.

 The chapters are organized by place – occupied countries – with sub-headings about something specific to that place, time, or people.

The chapters are short, concise, and easy to read and understand, thus the pages turn quickly.

Even a pronunciation guide is included, just before the important dates, notes, and works consulted.  

All this book needs is a soundtrack. 

Fobbit - David Abrams - Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003-2011

 Thank you, David Abrams, for writing Fobbit.

     Although Fobbit is fiction, Abrams spent 20 years in the military and time in Iraq within public affairs. Obviously, he knows something about the military and what is involved within its sphere of communications.  However, with this writing being fiction, he is able to take any liberties he desires with his characters and their circumstances, which provides for an understanding of "life" for those working on base, and their experiences of war, which is not on the front lines.  This book acknowledges those who are involved in the daily activities of war "behind the scenes," and rarely, if ever, covered by the media.    For those reasons, I appreciate this book.

     To keep straight the various characters was difficult to do.  From decisions on deadlines to decisions of life or death, there was a lot of activity amongst many characters within each chapter.  In some respect, though, this was not an issue, since each character had his own situation to try to control, despite the environment and personal and professional expectations.  The internal conflict of some characters about working on base rather than in the field presents a new dynamic not seen in characters of typical books on war. I wonder if this conflict permeates the military and/or if we, as a society, hold double-standards of those in the military. 

     Understanding life and the roles of those working on base was refreshing and enlightening.  Many individuals are involved in daily operations and to support those who are in the field/on the front lines.  Yet, at the same time, as one character notes, some decisions are made easily and without reason or reflection when made within an office, with the strike of a pen, or the click of a box on a computer screen.

     I have read comments that some of this writing has come too soon after the war in Iraq.  However, for civilians in the U.S. and to off-set the media coverage, I think Fobbit and related books are necessary and important to our understanding of such a significant time and piece of history, and the influence on the individuals involved.