Moon At Nine by Deborah Ellis

I am posting this review of Moon At Nine by Deborah Ellis just as our school is joining in the observation of a “Day of Silence.” Ellis, award winning author of Breadwinner and Kids of Kabul, has crafted another memorable novel set in the Middle East. Based on actual events, she writes this time about Iran in 1988, several years after the Revolution and overthrow of the Shah.  Her main characters, Farrin and Sadira, form a bond and deep affection for each other. That is extremely dangerous for them, in a society filled with many secrets and taboos. 

Like Breadwinner and non-fiction Kids of Kabul, Moon At Nine lends itself to classroom discussion and readers will quickly empathize with the characters. There is a helpful appendix with suggested questions and contact information for Amnesty International and several other human rights groups.  

In her author’s notes to Moon At Nine, Ellis reflects on her life as a writer and a proud, gay woman, noting that homosexuality is illegal in 70 countries around the world and punishable by death in 7. Her publisher provides more information through a Q&A with Deborah Ellis which contains “insight into the process of telling a difficult true story to young people; the state of LGBT rights in Iran and around the world; and Deborah's advice to young people facing persecution.” 

Much to think about on this day – more titles and reading suggestions are on display and available through the public Resource List called Day of Silence in our catalog.

Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs

A fabulous story for a student who loves books, Breakfast Served Anytime makes repeated references to Scout Finch and To Kill a Mockingbird.  Sarah Combs’ debut novel tells about the friendships formed at a summer “Geek Camp” between Chloe, Calvin, Mason and Gloria.  Along the way, we see each one’s character develop in the kind acts they perform, in the ways they support and reach out to others, and even in a newly found and surprising appreciation for nature (and blue butterflies!).

Yes, this story is solidly rooted in a time (a summer made slower by a vow to not use gadgets and social media) and “right at the place the country’s heart would be if it placed its hand across its chest to say the Pledge of Allegiance”: Kentucky. But to me, the author adeptly handled the many feelings we ALL have about transitions in our lives, especially about leaving high school and moving on to college; about moving from a self-centered place to one where we can more readily attempt to empathize with others.  Do you recognize or remember those times? When you first met people from different states? Or different backgrounds and suddenly realized they were not all that different? When you were forced to question your own assumptions?  Or perhaps asked yourself (as Gloria does), “How many other fascinating people had I missed? Why hadn’t I made half an effort?”

Breakfast Served Anytime is a “feel good” story with a touch of mystery, romance and humor. Mostly, though, it is filled with memorable characters, each of whom is trying to find himself; to define herself in terms of relationships with peers and parents; to grow more independent while still cherishing those moments and mantras that truly form each of us.

This is a wonderful selection, particularly for those middle and high school students who are looking for something other than the dystopian novels which often seem to dominate YA fiction.  

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando (realistic fiction)

Definitely a book for girls, and what a book for girls to read during their senior year of high school or during the summer prior to going to college. The chapters switch between Elizabeth (EB) on the east coast and Lauren on the west coast, who are slated to be roommates at UC-Berkley. Through e-mail, they share their interests, likes/dislikes, what to bring to college, and the issues they face with friends, family, leaving home, and budding romantic relationships.

They also encounter the challenges of e-mail communication and the difficulties getting to know someone without face-to-face interaction.

What does seem unrealistic is they don't talk on the phone until something goes wrong, and they each share quite the personal information when they are complete strangers. One challenge they encounter also seems quite unrealistic, and while it forces each girl to reflect on what she did and why, it could prevent a reader from relating to these characters. What could have been quite real, remains a bit within the imagination.

Command and Control by Eric Schlosser

Our students are familiar with the writing of award-winning journalist Eric Schlosser, author of Chew on This and Fast Food Nation.  Now they can choose a newer title by him, Command and Control, which fits well with the increased emphasis on non-fiction choices for Junior Theme.

Command and Control: nuclear weapons, the Damascus accident, and the illusion of safety is Schlosser’s take on the dangers inherent in our nuclear program today.  Schlosser’s investigative reporting and research on newly declassified materials results in a truly fascinating read filled with details of an accident in 1980 at a nuclear missile silo in rural Arkansas.

With starred reviews from around the world, including being named a New York Times notable book for 2013, Command and Control is called “nail-biting … thrilling…” and “vivid and unsettling;” no wonder I found myself reluctant to pick it up as before bed-time reading. I did enjoy it, though.  This exciting page turner deftly and immediately immersed me in the underground environment at the military base. As Schlosser develops this narrative, he also focuses on the development of nuclear weapons since WWII, describing the historical context which is so important for our students’ essays and research.

Think about it: although they have certainly heard concerns about “weapons of mass destruction,” almost all of our high school students have been born since the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was extended indefinitely (May 11, 1995) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was signed (Sept. 10, 1996). Yes, they have recently been exposed to talk of “Cold War” rhetoric and resurgence, but Schlosser is writing about near misses, concerns about the American bureaucracy and a domestic nuclear detonation. His own extensive research is documented with over 120 pages of notes and bibliographic citations.

This important book will help to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue on a key issue.  More reviews and interviews are available here:  

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21586814-unless-things-change-accident-may-be-inevitable-start-worrying

Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/09/interview-eric-schlosser-command-control-nuclear-weapons-accidents    

Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/q-a-eric-schlosser-on-the-secret-history-of-americas-nuclear-arsenal-20130916

San Francisco Chronicle:  http://blog.sfgate.com/bookmarks/2014/01/07/qa-with-eric-schlosser-author-of-command-and-control/

Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324549004579065750053378722

and C-Span video: http://www.c-span.org/video/?314853-1/words-eric-schlosser

Titles by A. S. King

I have been reading, enjoying and recommending several titles from A. S. King lately, especially Ask the Passengers (where a young girl movingly deals with reaction to her being a lesbian) and Everybody sees the Ants (with a dysfunctional family and “ghosts” from the Vietnam War ) .  These novels, plus King’s recent Reality Boy are very emotion-packed and thought-provoking. All three invite readers to look at difficult situations from varied perspectives and offer insights about coping with bullying, rejection, and anger. A. S. King is a high energy author -- I really enjoyed an online session last Fall when she discussed writing Reality Boy -- it is obvious that she cares deeply about her writing, her characters and her readers. If I had to summarize her stories in one sentence, it would be about acceptance, seeing past the labels and understanding the hurt.

Award winning author King’s Reality Boy made several “best lists”, including being rated as a “Perfect 10” from Voya in 2013 as was Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown.  Students really like Brown’s Hate List and have strongly recommended it TO me.  That novel is about emotional problems and a school tragedy and I am looking forward to another new title from her, Torn Away which deals with the aftermath of death and destruction from a tornado and will be published next month.

Our Brains on Books

Regular readers know that I love using my brain to make connections between books … so I am excited to share ideas about several books which deal with our minds and how they impact our feelings and reactions.

One title is Your Mind is what your Brain Does for a Living, published earlier this month by Greenleaf and written by Steven Jay Fogel.   He is a self-made millionaire, CEO of Westwood Financial, and affiliated with UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate. I liked the book’s emphasis on the importance of being self-aware, but felt that it seemed to have somewhat of a “preachy,” condescending tone.  The premise is intriguing and there were numerous promotional “blurbs” from medical doctors and celebrities, but overall the execution is disappointing. For example, some of Fogel’s sources were books from 5 or even 20 years ago.  More recent citations came from articles in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine.

Contrast that with The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist, City College of New York professor and New York Times best-selling author. No lack of references and experts here – in fact, the acknowledgments include over a half dozen pages of scientists and Nobel laureates. Kaku takes a futuristic look at complex ideas and offers explanations to make them understandable. Kaku calls his book “a high tech look at the nature of thought” and he discusses the potential for implanting artificial memories, robotics, and the use of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), plus other neuroscience advances. Being speculative in nature, The Future of the Mind is also not without controversy, but as this New York Times review suggests, “Keeping these questions in mind … only enhances the enjoyment of this wide-ranging book.”

What aspects of the mind/brain topic interest YOU?  If your bent is more towards the “business” of thinking consider reading Mobile Mind Shift (to be published in June), Big Data or Contagious.  If, as suggested in Fogel’s sub-title, you are looking to “create a happier life,” then you might also check-out some recent titles such as

• Happiness Project  (2009) by Gretchen Rubin
• 10% Happier  (2014) by Dan Harris or
• Biology of Belief (2005) by Lipton and highly recommended by our parent community

In addition, the following recommended titles are filled with case study examples and offer suggestions for ways to “stretch” your own thinking. They make for fascinating reads (and re-reads):

• Thinking in Pictures (2006) by Temple Grandin
• A Whole New Mind (2005) by Daniel H. Pink
• Switch (2010) or Decisive (2013) by Chip and Dan Heath

I worked earlier this year with a group of students who were very interested in “brain research,” learning about topics ranging from concussions, to the impact of strokes and Alzheimer’s and the benefits of sleep, especially for adolescent brains. There are numerous resources from which to choose and this posting merely highlights a few which we have considered for our collection.  If you have a title to recommend, please add it below.