Books Find Us

I believe books find us. The books that we need work their ways into our lives because they contain a message we need right now; sometimes to our great surprise. Evidence of this lies in the fragments that cling to us long after the books themselves have drifted away. I’ve been inspired by Ten Miles Past Normal to, “Live Large”.

For some time I have wanted to run an ongoing contest in our library inspired by Oprah's Books That Made a Difference column mixed with a mystery reader. Here's the plan. Invite, teachers in the building to select their Fabulous Five reads. Five books they loved, or made a difference, or everyone absolutely must read. Give it a catchy title like Who’s Fabulous? Here are Five hints. The books would be featured in a book and bulletin board display, with captions and comments about why they are amazing reads. Everyone, staff and students are invited to guess. Prizes of course would be awarded to the winner (whomever guesses correctly) and (of course) for the teacher for graciously participating. 

In preparation for when Oprah invites me, or while I wait, here are my Fabulous Five for your consideration.


I've already mentioned the first of my Fab Five: I Am the Messenger. Zusak has a beautiful way with words and is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. If you have already read I Am the Messenger,  try Getting the Girl.  If you've wanted a girl who always seems just out of reach, you'll appreciate Cameron's struggle. If you've always yearned for a boy who truly gets what your thinking and loves you on the inside for all of what you are, you will appreciate Cameron's struggle. If you just love a short summer read with characters that struggle with their relationships, you'll enjoy this one.  Or, try The Book Thief. Don't be intimidated by its size. It reads faster than you think. Besides, how can you resist a book about World War II narrated by Death who sees everything in swirling shades of color to communicate mood and atmosphere?

Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal  Summer is one of the few books I've read more than once. There is something about the characters, the setting and the blending of all the pieces together that always feels comforting to me. This is a book for all those readers who love to be spellbound by characters in impossible situations who somehow make it through. How do the lives of a loner park ranger tracking wolves, a farmer's widow, and an elderly organic apple farmer intertwine? Give Prodigal Summer a try to find out. Less like the tensions of Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer reads more like Kingsolver's the Bean Trees.

I, like lots of other people, got really interested in the food my family eats: where it comes from, who produces it, the value it holds and loses before it gets to my family. One of the books that truly encouraged me along my road to knowing and growing vegetables was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Co-written with her husband (who teaches environmental studies) and her daughter (who contributes recipes) it is a year in the life of food, a manifesto about the value of knowing where your food comes from and an encouragement to grow your own.  An interesting alternative is Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food.

If you have ever thought, even one time, about writing: a story, a poem, a novel, anything. Read On Writing by Stephen King. More than a how to book, it is an encouragement, a view inside the process of this writer. "The rest of it --and perhaps the best of it-- is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water  of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink." Fascinating stuff for lovers of King's books, and young writers getting started.

I stumbled onto Winter's Bone somewhere back in January when the movie version was being nominated for Academy Awards. I was hypnotized by the writing. I had read a review that recommended reading it twice: once for the story and once for the language. I agree. Woodrell's writing stunned me. I kept stopping to savor sentences. " Long, dark and lovely she had been, in those days before her mind broke and the parts scattered and she let them go." "The curtain closed so subtly Ree questioned whether it had truly been open or had she wished it open and sold the wish to her eyes." Ree is a heroine sure to strike a chord with young readers because of her age, her need to care for her younger brothers, and her absolute single-minded determination and refusal to give up in the face of all brutality. It is the story of 16 year old Ree as she hunts across the wilds of the Ozark mountains to find her father. He has skipped bail risking the family home as collateral. Since Ree's search will take her through the underworld of crystal meth production and the hidden secrets of long distant families, parts are brutal and require a mature reader. But like the sharp, brilliant edge of broken glass catching sunlight on sparkling fresh snow, Winter's Bone  will capture your attention. For the right readers, it will never let go. 

Since, technically, I didn't discuss I Am the Messenger, I am going to add one more: Kindred  by Octavia Butler. Read when I was teaching American History, this struck a chord with me because it answered the "what if" question we always ask of ourselves when we look back at historical events. What would I have done, had I been there? Dana is a strong, courageous African American woman in 1976 when the Civil Rights Movement is changing the landscape of America. On her 26th birthday she is drawn back in time for the first of many rescue missions. She finds herself drawn back to the antebellum South where she is a slave owned by Rufus. Rufus is drowning. Dana finds herself saving his life and discovers she is a slave owned by Rufus. Over the course of the book Dana finds herself drawn back and forth in time. Always returning at points when Rufus requires saving. If you have an interest in history and have ever wondered, what would I have done? This is a fantastic choice.

 

So, there you have them. My Fab Five +1. Of all the things you've read, recently or ever, what would you include? What are your Fab Five?

Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Be careful what you wish for when you are nine. It might come true and ruin your life when you get to high school. Janie Gorman knows this truth. Her nine year old self wished for a farm. Now she lives with her family on a “farm-ette, mini-farm”, which brings her continuous shame. Remnants of her farm life are always traveling with her to school: straw in her hair, goat poop on her shoe. Even more mortifying is that her mom, a freelance journalist, documents the family’s farm trials on her blog.  9^th grade has brought a change in Janie's relationship with her mother, who loved high school. Janie feels overwhelmed, insignificant, and ostracized in her enormous high school. As a result she shares less and less with her mom about school. “I thought it was possible I might actually punch my mother if she said one more positive word to me about the wonders of freshman year.” Instead of confiding in her mom, Janie now talks more to her goats Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. Janie struggles, like many brand new ninth graders, with fitting into a new gigantic high school. She eats lunch in the library because none of her middle school friends eat during her lunch period. Her best friend has virtually no classes with her. All Janie wants is to be normal, to fit in, and avoid drawing shameful attention. The farm makes it impossible. 

Like a basket full of baby chicks in the sunshine, Ten Miles Past Normal will warm your heart. Janie struggles in ways many of us have. Grounded, insightful, and courageous, Janie continues to make good choices. If you’ve ever spent your lunch period in the library because the social scene of the cafeteria overwhelmed you, read this book. If you desperately want to find, as Janie puts it, the “magical land” populated by “cute, smart boys who are interested in girls for their minds”, read this book. If you’ve ever struggled to maintain old friendships while rediscovering yourself in a whole new way, read this book. If you have ever wanted to learn how to play bass guitar, read this book. Struggling to find your own unique path in life? Read this and be encouraged.

Ten Miles Past Normal  is a great end of the school year read. Short chapters with great titles like: “Meanwhile Back at the Ranch” and “The Bus Ride of Doom” will keep the pages turning. What is "authentic funkiness"? Who is this Monster Monroe? Can he be trusted? Can Jam Band save your life?  What is  a klezmer band? Can you survive a hootenanny hosted by your parents? The 209 pages will pass like a breezy afternoon spent swinging in a hammock.

Ten Miles Past Normal would pair well with non-fiction books about farming and sustainable food. Readers who love Janie's story may be interested in books that inspired her parents move to the farm or about what it would really be like. Here are some good choices: Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable Miracle; Food, Inc.; Wisdom of the Radish by Lynda Hopkins; and Jenna Woginrich's Made from Scratch.

 

Luka and the Fire of Life

Luka curses a traveling circus and finds that it comes back to haunt him. A mysterious, magical night brings a strange sleeping sickness to his father, an avid story teller. As the sleeping sickness begins to drain his father’s life away, Luka becomes desperate to help. Early one morning, Luka walks out the front door to meet someone who looks strikingly like his father. Doing so, has brought Luka into contact with the being sent to claim his father’s life. Luka has stepped sideways into a magical, parallel universe where his pet dog and bear can speak, his father’s stories all come to life and magic is real. Luka embarks upon a quest to steal the Fire of Life and save his father’s life. Along the way he will ride on King Solomon’s Flying carpet, face down obstacles that feel remarkably like the video games he is used to playing and encounter a whole collection of gods and goddesses of yore.

Luka will appeal to a broad cross-section of readers, particularly those looking for a unique story. Older readers with an eye for detail will enjoy the treasure hunt of gods and goddesses. This fantastical tale has Greek and Roman goddesses and Queen of the Valkyries mud wrestling for the title of most beautiful; Coyote plays a significant supporting role and the whole pantheon of cultural gods and goddess make cameo appearances. Those who enjoyed Neil Gaiman’s American Gods will enjoy a similar cultural treasure hunt. The book will also appeal to younger readers looking for a great adventure / quest story full of obstacles and monsters and riddles and puzzles. It will also invite younger readers who are avid gamers to engage a different kind of entertainment. Luka enjoys electronic games. In fact the entire quest is structured as a game complete with Luka collecting lives, numbers in his field of vision that keep track of his levels and lives remaining; and golden balls to be touched at the end of each level to save progress. Readers looking for romance will be disappointed. But those looking for a quest novel and literary treasure hunt are in for a treat. Luka is a realistic, sympathetic character for whom it is easy to like and cheer. His desire to help his father is authentic. While this is a sequel to Haroun and the Sea of Stories, it stands alone as a satisfying read.

I am the Messenger by Mark Zusak

Since I mentioned it yesterday, I should explain I Am the Messenger. The Reading Rock Stars and Bookaneers will not be surprised when I say this is one of my favorite books – ever.

I am the Messenger is the story of Ed Kennedy. Ed is 20; drives a cab; fights with his mother.  She cusses him out regularly while pursuing her life’s work: convincing Ed that he has no future and his life is worthless. Oh, and Ed is in love with his beautiful, yet romantically unattainable, best friend Audrey. Ed’s life is run of the mill average until he foils the bank robbery and becomes briefly famous.

In the collapsed robbery’s wake, Ed begins getting playing cards. The first playing card has four addresses and four times. As Ed visits each address, he discovers situations he feels compelled to do something about. Later, there are more cards, late night visits from men in masks who assault him. Ed embarks on what can best be described as a hero’s journey that changes him.

I am the Messenger is by turns, funny, heart pounding, and bittersweet. It is full of characters that will endear themselves to you including Ed’s dog: the Doorman. It is a story about friends and how well we really know them. It is a book about amazing opportunities that present themselves unexpectedly in life and how they change us. It is a book not to be missed. You will never see the end coming – ever. Read it. Read it. Read it. 

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns plays out over the last six weeks of Q’s senior year. His friends are preoccupied with Prom and Graduation. Q’s focus is Margo Roth Spiegelman. Neighbors for most of their lives, Q and Margo have never really been friends. They orbit in entirely different social circles at school. His best friends are in the band. She is the queen of the social scene. One night Margo appears at Q’s window and invites him along on an all-night prank spree. They day after their adventure, Margo disappears. Where is she? Is she dead? Can Q follow the clues to find her? Should he? What’s more important: what to wear under his graduation gown or finding Margo? Fans of Mark Zusak’s I am the Messenger will find much to love here. Paper Towns presents a great mix of laugh out loud funny with moments of contemplation. How well do we really know the people who are our friends? Do we let people see the real us or only a mask of what we want them to think of us? What happens when you encounter cows on the middle of the highway during a 24 hour all night road trip to New York state powered on enthusiasm, caffeine, and beef jerky?   

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Slice of Cherry is set in a Portero, Texas known for supernatural activity. The town’s residents all wear black to avoid drawing the attention from the surrounding monster community. Residents are known to open doors to other realities. The Mortmaine, clad all in green, patrol the wild and dark places looking for monsters and protecting the local residents. The Cordelle sisters live here. Daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy have discovered their own violent tendencies as their father awaits execution. Kit and Fancy find that violence relieves their anger. Kit, the more outgoing of the two, has a particular talent with a switchblade. After Kit and Fancy attend the annual wishing ceremony at the Juneteenth celebration in Cherry Glade, they discover the power of wishes. Fancy discovers she can open a door to an alternate reality: her “happy place”. This provides them a “safe place” to exercise their violent talents. But wishes granted can be fickle. “It’s okay to wish for things, but wishes are fragile, and the world we live in is very hard.’” The girls exorcise their demons by using their violent skills to help people in the community: taking out their vengeance on a man who aims to assault them, a man who abuses his son and wife, and others. As word spreads of their deeds, popular opinion of them changes. Throughout, the girls meet and develop relationships with two brothers, sons of their Bonesaw Killer father’s last victim. The boys are as secretive and troubled as the Cordelle sisters.

Full of fantastical creatures: flesh eating flamingos, monsters with bodies the consistency of yellow jello, demonic imps that infest through kisses; Slice of Cherry is a fantastical hero journey that tracks the transformation of Kit and Fancy from the broken isolated sisters at odds with everyone to young women who blossom and rejoin the community. Slice of Cherry requires a more mature readership. Violence and death permeate the book. But the violence isn’t the focus of this novel. The real focus is on the relationship between Kit and Fancy. It focuses on their need both to protect one another and heal their own brokenness. Readers who appreciate flawed characters who examine their flaws and rediscover better selves will revel in this read. “It’s not about being saints or sinners or good or bad, Fancy. It’s about being both. You know? About being complete.” Ultimately the sisters’ biggest risk isn’t in killing people, it is showing others “the real you” and opening themselves up to the risks of relationships in the real world. This book should be dark, dim and brutal but it is not. Instead, it is hopeful and thoughtful. It is a book that is a fun wild read. But it also lingers after you’ve finished. Once you get all the way through and think back, the symbolism unfolds like the moon flowers of the text, revealing more of the mystery.

Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

“Everything changes when Tiffany Quinn disappears.” Kendall lives in a tiny farming community in Montana. One spring a classmate disappears. The entire community searches with no avail. Tiffany is simply gone. As summer turns to fall, Kendall and her classmates attempt to return to normal. Tiffany’s absence is obvious, since Kendall’s community is so small that the entire high school attends a one room school house. In spite of her OCD (“counting, always counting something”) Kendall feels like life is back on track with the beginning of school until her best friend Nico acts strange and then he, too, disappears. Kendall’s world is rocked. The community is unsettled, struggling to keep its young people safe with curfews and partner polices. But no one knows how to protect the teens because no one can find a clue about either Tiffany or Nico’s disappearance. Then, Kendall begins to hear the whispers. Will they leader her to Nico or something more sinister?  

Cryer’s Cross is not your average mystery. There is more brewing here than simply a “who done it?” Short, tight chapters are divided by clues from the “We, When it is over, We breathe and ache like old oak, like peeling birch. One of Our souls set free….Calling to Our next victim, Our next savior. We carve on Our face: Touch Me. Save my soul.” Kendall’s struggle over the mysterious loss of her best friend and perhaps boyfriend is authentic. Her escalating struggle with her OCD in the face of events spinning beyond her control becomes increasingly unsettling. Cryer’s Cross becomes ever more creepy and spooky in the second half. For all the clues and fingers pointed in frustration, the end remains entirely unpredictable. For readers who enjoy being kept in the dark waiting for things to bump and surprise, this is a great choice. Cryer’s Cross hooks readers and won’t let go. Read this book if you like thrillers, creepy stories, and surprising endings that also remain free of the gratuitous language and sex that often work their way into YA literature.