Thursday, January 28, 2010

A YA Mystery Recommendation!


The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford. I first picked this one up because it was written by a guy who grew up in Birmingham, and it is set in Petoskey. But I was hooked right from the beginning -- great narrative voice, intriguing mystery, interesting characters, and, of course, a good setting! If you like wry narrators and a little bit of noir in your mysteries, give this one a try.
UPDATE: The Morgue and Me was nominated for an Edgar Award in the YA category!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Some Cross-Cultural Reads

Interested in learning about how kids in other countries live? Read on!

The Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins. I enjoyed this peek into a different culture -- and Asha, the protagonist, is very relatable in spite of the differences. Set in India in the 1970s, Asha's roles as a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and granddaughter are rigidly defined, and she chafes under cultural mores that American kids may have a hard time understanding. The ending, too, is not the expected happily-ever-after; it's more realistic than that, and about as happy as it could be under the circumstances. I do wish there had been more descriptions of the setting, but, like Asha, the action was mostly confined to the home. A coming-of-age story for thoughtful girls interested in other cultures.



A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper. Though the narrator and setting are very similar to one of my all-time favorite books, Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle, the story is much different -- more of a historical adventure than coming-of-age. It takes place on a remote European island in 1936. Sophie's family has lived there for centuries -- they are royalty, and Montmaray is, in fact, their kingdom -- but they are fairly isolated from European politics until 2 German officers arrive. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but there had better be a sequel -- lots of loose ends! Good for readers 6th grade and up.




Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel by Leslie Connor, illustrated by Mary Azarian. What a beautiful picture book, a quiet look at one woman's immigrant experience. When Miss Bridie moves to America from Ireland, she chooses to bring a shovel instead of a keepsake -- and then proceeds to put it to good use! Its tone reminds me of Cooney's Miss Rumphius, one of my all-time favorites. I think I'd love it even more if it were illustrated in a style other than woodcuts.



Extra Credit by Andrew Clements. 6th-grader Abby is failing sixth grade -- so when she is offered the chance to earn extra credit by writing to a pen pal, she jumps at the chance. Her pen pal turns out to be a student from Afghanistan, and both of them have a lot to learn from each other. This isn't my favorite by Andrew Clements, but it's still a good read for 4th-6th-graders.



The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson. Paterson is one of my favorite authors, and as far as I'm concerned, all of her books are good! So even though I am only a little over half-way through listening to this one on audio, I feel comfortable recommending it. Meli and her family are Albanians living comfortably in Kosovo...until the Serbians start their campaign of terror against Albanians, and she and her family become refugees. A fascinating look at a recent historical event through the eyes of a 12/13-year-old girl.



Read any good cross-cultural stories lately?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Dinner


It is a lovely thing to come home from work to the delicious smells of a gourmet dinner cooked by my husband! Behold: horseradish salmon and warm baby red potato salad.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Inaugural Post

So, I've been considering blogging (for myself, not the library) for a while now...and since I now have more to share than book reviews (i.e., baby news), I thought now was as good a time as any! So, if you're interested, check back for baby news and book reviews and maybe some other random ramblings.

First piece of baby news: I will have the fetal anatomy scan on Monday, February 1st, and hopefully find out the baby's sex! Yay!

And, a question for you: Any advice about which Beaumont (Royal Oak or Troy) to choose for delivery? We are planning to visit both of them one of these days, but I thought I'd solicit opinions, if any of you have any experience with Beaumont.

Thanks for reading!