The Mozart Question

When a young journalist is sent to interview Paolo Levi, she never dreams of the information she'll glean from the straight forward talk.  She's told not to ask "the Mozart question," but not even knowing what this question is, she chooses to ask Paolo how he came to be a violinist.  What follows in Michael Morpurgo's The Mozart Question is an easy to read, short tale of how a boy came to learn of his parent's Holocaust journey.  I'm refraining from revealing too many details, as I think the story truly speaks for itself.

Although Morpurgo's story is short, it is powerful and allows students to see yet another side of the complex history of the overwhelming genocide.  I definitely recommend this story as a quick read aloud during a unit of the Holocaust.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period

Gennifer Choldenko's young adult novel If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period is the story of two middle school students:  Kirsten and Walker.  Kirsten is a fat girl with a self-deprecating sense of humor.  Walker is an African-American boy who has been transplanted from his city school to attend a hoity-toity all-white private school.  The novel is narrated by both Kirsten and Walker in alternating chapters.

Choldenko writes with the bitter honesty that is middle school.  She especially has a keen sense of how bitterly adolescent girls treat each other.  As a formerly plump teenager (now, I'm no longer a teen, but still plump!), I have felt that cruelty.  Kirsten's feelings are palatable.  I enjoyed reading the novel through Kirsten's eyes as I saw a bit of myself.

Walker's chapters were equally well-narrated.  It is impressive to me that Choldenko speaks as well for a young man as she does for a young lady.  However, the story itself is a bit contrived.  Up until the secret is revealed, the story was plausible.  I felt the story fell apart after that point.

All in all, I would definitely recommend If a Tree Falls, if merely for the bully aspects.  The scenes created will provide excellent talking points in the classroom.  I may even decide to use this story as one of my read alouds.

Margarettown

What an interesting book... Zevin certainly doesn't adhere to one writing style or genre.  This novel is so different from Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, I cannot believe it's written by the same woman!  While Memoirs was simply fiction, and Elsewhere was clearly fantasy, Margarettown falls somewhere in between.  In fact, I would have trouble classifying this book. To summarize the story, I feel, would give away too much of the plot.  Needless to say, Margarettown had me captivated and I read the book within a few hours.

Two interesting points to ponder that the novel brought up for me.  One, different versions of one's name for various life stages.  I've always been Kristin.  I can't imagine myself with any other name.  Yet, the in this book Margaret is May, Maggie, Marge, Meg... and it works for her.

The other thought that occurred to me is does your name destine you to a certain future.  Margaret has a variety of names for a various life stages, almost predicting personality changes, but Jane is Jane is always a Jane.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this tale and look forward to reading more Gabrielle Zevin creations!

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Good young adult fiction allows a teenager to place herself easily within a story, regardless of how unimaginable the story is.  Gabrielle Zevin has a knack for writing such stories.  Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac begins with Naomi waking up in an ambulance.  She has no recollection of the previous four years of her life.  This includes no memory of her parents' divorce, her boyfriend, her best friend, how to drive.

As Naomi recovers she questions things she's supposed to feel.  She no longer has the drive for yearbook that she once did, surprising as she is co-editor.  She longs to spend time with her mother.  This too is surprising, because she hadn't spoken with her mother for a very long time.  Naomi also has little or no feeling for her boyfriend, Ace.  Having amnesia allows Naomi to reinvent herself, which causes discord among the other key players in the novel.

While I enjoyed Elsewhere a great deal more than Memoirs, I did enjoy Naomi's journey.  I found myself wondering how I would respond in her situation.  I especially like the fact that Zevin's characters are human, they have flaws.  It is in the exploration of the flaws of her characters, I often find pieces of myself. 

Wench

Like many other blemishes in American History there are many hidden tales and secrets surrounding slavery.  Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez follows the story of three women who summer at Tawawa House in Ohio.  A luxurious retreat for Southern white men and their black mistresses.  Make no mistake, the women are slaves.  They travel in chains.  But, in the free territory of the resort the women reside with a modicum of freedom in small cottages awaiting visits from their masters.

The summer of 1852 is different.  Mawu is a new woman at the resort.  She speaks of slaves who have escaped and freedom.  Her ideas trigger a chain of events that continue through the following two summers.   Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet begin to question the lives they lead.

Wench brought humanity to a decidedly inhumane time.  The hypocrisy of the white men was appalling, but not surprising, in the way they showed their "love" to their black lovers and children, able to easily switch their view of both from humans to property in the blink of an eye.  Perkins-Valdez has written a beautiful story of perseverance in spite of everything.

Little Bee

The promises on the back of the book were intriguing!   The cover claimed a special story and a magical unfolding.  While Little Bee was a special story, I didn't necessarily view it as particularly outstanding or surprising.  Perhaps I've read a few too many Holocaust stories where personal sacrifice is more often than not, the theme.

Chris Cleave's Little Bee tells the story of a Nigerian refugee and her journey to Britain to thank them for saving her life.  But, that is not Little Bee's only reason for her journey.  There is more, and I believe that is where editors believe the shock and surprise enters the story.  Honestly, I was neither shocked or surprised.  Perhaps, I am jaded.  Or, maybe I just feel that people's motives are more bad than good.  I am not sure, but I just wasn't as moved by this story as I think reviewers feel I should be.

Don't get me wrong, Cleave writes an entertaining story.  The characters were very well written and multifaceted.  I was totally enamored by Charlie, better known as Batman.  Charlie's dialogue often reminded me of my three year old's manner of speaking.   The presentation of the novel provided a few challenges for me.  It often took be the better part of page to determine who the current narrator was.  Once I determined who was narrating, I had to go back and reread what I already read, to digest the context.


I would definitely recommend Little Bee, but I wouldn't tout it as a story with a surprising and shocking ending.

June 2010

June brings the official start of summer and the end of the school year.  Although I teach at a year-round school, I still have a summer vacation.  This year, vacation officially begins on June 10!  I am looking forward to a summer filled with books, swimming and relaxation!


I am fortunate enough to have sister with a wonderful pool and a float similar to the one picture!  I do believe that I can accomplish all 3 goals though a visit to Auntie Kara's house!

I have quite a few books I'm hoping to read this month.  I won't list them for fear of not reaching my goal, but hopefully I will amass a long list of reviews by the end of the month!


59.  Little Bee by Chris Cleave

60.  Wench by  Dolen Perkins-Valdez
61.  Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
62.  Margarettown by Gabrielle Zevin
63.   If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

64.  The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo
65.  Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1) by Charlaine Harris
66.  The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
67.  Josie and Jack:  A Novel by Kelly Braffet
68.  Surviving the Angel of Death:  The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri
69.  The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank:  A Novel by Ellen Feldman
70.  The Year of Wonders: A Plague Novel by Geraldine Brooks
71.  The Hole We're In by Gabrielle Zevin
72.  What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell 
73.  Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse #2) by Charlaine Harris
74.  Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #3) by Charlaine Harris
75.  Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse #4) by Charlaine Harris