Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING by Randy Ribay is excellent and I am highly recommending this newly available title.  The publisher, Kokila, is a Penguin Random House imprint “dedicated to centering stories from the margins with books that add nuance and depth to the way children and young adults see the world and their place in it.”  They have certainly succeeded with this coming of age novel which centers on a high school senior, Jason/Jay who was born in the Philippines, but raised in the United States by his Filipino father and American mother.  As a roughly 10-year-old child, Jay (with his parents and siblings) had visited family in the Philippines, where he developed a special relationship with his same age cousin, Jun. That young man and his younger sisters, Grace and Angel, led a privileged life due to their father’s role as a police chief.  But conflicts erupted in the family, causing Jun to run away and live on the streets, eventually being killed by anti-drug vigilantes sanctioned by President Duterte.  The sad news has a strong impact on Jay and he decides to spend his spring break returning to the Philippines, trying to learn more about his cousin’s death. In its starred review, Booklist says, “By deftly weaving key details into Jay’s quest for the truth, Ribay provides a much-needed window for young people of the West to better understand the Filipino history of colonization, occupation, and revolution.” PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING also received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal; the latter described the novel as “Part mystery, part elegy, part coming of age, this novel is a perfect convergence of authentic voice and an emphasis on inner dialogue around equity, purpose, and reclaiming one's lost cultural identity.” 

Because of the ties to World History, I have been actively encouraging Sophomore English teachers to consider adding PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING to the curriculum.  Hopefully, the publisher will be able to support this effort with a discussion guide and other teacher resources.  NPR recently posted an interview with the author, Randy Ribay.

As a side note, my fellow librarians and I have been previewing other possible texts including Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo (set in 1930s Malaysia and recipient of multiple starred reviews) and Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson (achieved six starred reviews and was named a New York Public Library Best Book in 2017). These, too, will expand student horizons by introducing memorable characters and situations.

The Robots are Coming! by Andres Oppenheimer

THE ROBOTS ARE COMING! by Andres Oppenheimer deals with “The Future of Jobs in the Age of Automation.” The author begins by referencing an Oxford study on the Future of Employment that was published in 2013 and predicted that 47 percent of jobs could disappear over the next fifteen to twenty years due to automation. The World Economic Forum and Aspen Institute have offered similar perspectives more recently. Next, Oppenheimer offers what he calls a “practical guide” for each of these professions: journalists, service workers (restaurants and retail), bankers, lawyers (with accounting and insurance), doctors, teachers, manufacturing/transportation, and entertainers. The final chapter and epilogue deal with jobs of the future (healthcare assistants, data analysts, digital security, robot maintenance (!)) and adaptations for other professions (teachers, entertainers, etc.). I spent most of my time on the section regarding changes to education where Oppenheimer stresses that teacher roles will evolve to focus even more on being a motivator, promoting curiosity, valuing persistence and grit. Although somewhat superficial in its pronouncements, positives of this work are that he traveled to numerous countries and is removed enough from most professions to be able to synthesize and more objectively label trends than current practitioners may be able to do. Hear more of Oppenheimer’s views on C-SPAN where he offers a lengthy discussion of THE ROBOTS ARE COMING!

The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan

THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE by Jennifer Ryan (The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir) is a work of historical fiction (World War II era) with a strong element of mystery.  The cast of distinctive (if somewhat stereotyped) characters is anchored by Mrs. Braithwaite, a well-meaning, but rule bound matron (I kept thinking of Hyacinth Bucket from the British sit-com Keeping Up Appearances). Ousted from local village leadership of the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS), she travels to London to commiserate with her adult daughter, Betty. Upon arriving, she learns from the landlord, Mr. Norris, that Betty is missing and then the adventures really begin. Kidnapping, government secrets, breaking and entering, black market goods, fascist activity, treason and espionage are all involved. 

With a fairly high number of convenient coincidences, THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE is an entertaining, although sometimes almost farcical, lark. Given the wartime setting, there are also reflective moments: “Sometimes you have to feel grateful for what you have, see the good and only the good. We only have one life.  One chance for happiness. And sometimes we forget that we can actually choose whether we want joy or cynicism.  Let’s pick joy.” THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE received a starred review from Library Journal and Ryan has left open the possibility of a sequel which could also be fun for anyone looking for a “cozy” mystery.

The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green by Erica Boyce

THE FIFTEEN WONDERS OF DANIEL GREEN by Erica Boyce has a bit of a sci-fi vibe (crop circles), some romance, and a mystery, but it is mostly about the relationships which we develop – especially when we can be open and vulnerable to others. As such, this debut novel is a melancholy story with a hopeful, uplifting ending. Daniel Green is a young man who creates crop circles and Sam, a resilient farmer devoted to his community in Vermont, secretly engages Daniel to fashion one and create excitement about the area. All seems to be going according to plan until Sam receives bad news about his health, causing his daughter Nessa to take off on a cross country driving trip in an effort to convince her estranged brother to head back to the farm.  Daniel accompanies her and readers learn a great deal about their background stories and struggles as the narration shifts back and forth between them. In fact, several other chapters are told from the perspective of Molly, Sam’s wife and Nessa’s mother, further adding to an understanding about why they settled in Vermont. All of these different voices are told in the first person and that is a bit disconcerting at times although each is written beautifully. One example is when Sam and Molly are comforting each other and she thinks, “I love you in my bones. I don’t say a word. Instead, I stretch my body out next to him and place my arm over his chest, my leg over his own. As if I could be a frame to house him, the beams and studs and foundation protecting him from everything.”