Nice and Mean

Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader. Grades 4-7. Simon & Schuster Children's, June 2010. Review copy provided by author. 261 pages.

Marina is your quintessential mean girl. When her best friends all get into the school play without her and her friend Rachel begins flirting with the boy Marina sorta likes, Marina knows just how to get back at Rachel. She'll film a parody of the hot fashion show Victim / Victorious for her Video class and cast Rachel in the role of Fashion Victim. Her plan is perfect except for one thing...

Sachi, voted Nicest Girl in last year's school poll. She's risked everything to be in the Video class this year and she can't believe her bad luck in being paired up with Marina. Marina only wants to do things her way and Sachi can see her dream of a provocative documentary about students' attitudes toward different nationalities disappearing into thin air.

Can the Nice Girl and the Mean Girl work together to get their project done? Or will it be a total disaster, ending in tragedy for them both?

The first thing I noticed when reading this middle-grade debut was the authentic tween voices. Both Marina and Sachi narrate in first-person, alternating chapters in each voice. The characters are totally believable and I definitely bought that they were seventh-graders. While I do wish that Marina's and Sachi's voices had been a little more distinct from each other, that tween voice can be tricky to nail down, and Jessica Leader has done an excellent job.

Ms. Leader gets props for including a cast of diverse characters, something you'd expect to see in a New York City middle school. Of our main characters, Marina is white and Sachi is Indian, emigrating with her family when she was five years old. Of their friends and teachers, Asian and African-American characters are included. I really appreciated the thought that went into that.

I also appreciated all the details that made the story pop. Marina's thing is fashion and the story's peppered with details about outfits and fashion. I love that it's so NOT done in a designer-name-dropping kind of way, but it's definitely an interest of Marina's. Sachi's interested in fashion too - namely trying to figure out how kids know what's cool and who decides what's "in" and what's "out". Also included are details of the video-making process. Sachi's chapters are preceded by an imagined film scene, while Marina's chapters are preceded by entries in her Little Black Book. Sachi has an interest in making documentary films and we're not only told that, we're shown it throughout the book.

Another nice thing about the book is that it's a squeaky clean book about mean girls, popularity, and culture. It's firmly in the middle-grade category. I'd hand it to fans of Peace, Love, & Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle  and Shug by Jenny Han.

Check out more reviews at Green Bean Teen Queen, The Book Scout, and Reading in Color, and check out all the posts from Jessica Leader's blog tour!

Nice and Mean is on shelves now!

Around the interwebs

Let's see... what links do I have for you this week? 

Parents of kids ages 3-12, this is for you! Researchers at the University of Connecticut are studying "parental motivations when purchasing illustrated children's books". All you have to do to take part is to fill out a brief survey (and as a bonus, you can elect to enter a drawing for a $25.00 iTunes gift card).

Ever wondered what exactly goes into setting up a publisher booth at the ALA Exhibits? Even if you've never wondered, check out this post from the Mac Kids Blog: Behind the Scenes at ALA. I had no idea how much work went into setting up those beautiful booths at the exhibits!


Speaking of ALA, what do we think about graphic novels and the Newbery? Is it time for an ALA graphic novel (or illustrated novel) award? Or should the Newbery criteria be tweaked to give books like Countdown a better shot at being recognized? 

Those of you taking part in Kristi's 2010 Debut Author Challenge will be interested in the post from On Our Minds @ Scholastic introducing you to their newest debuts! 


School media folk, do you know about the Elementary Library Routines Wiki? Check out this site for school library curricula from all over the country. Public librarians will want to check out this site, too. What ideas might translate into programs for your homeschoolers or for kids whose schools might not have a librarian on staff? 


Are you reading the blog Forever Young Adult? If not, oh you should start. I loves it so. Start with How to Judge a YA Book by Its Cover and Find Your "Hunger Games" Name. By the way, my Hunger Games name is Rusmet N. Sleepapple. 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. Grades 9 and up. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, May 2010. Review copy provided by my local library.

Amy Curry has not had an easy time of it. Her dad died. Amy blames herself. Her mom's avoiding her. Her brother's in rehab in North Carolina. And now Amy has to drive across the country because her mom's moving them from California to Connecticut. Only, after the accident Amy doesn't drive. So her mom's asked Roger, the son of family friends, to drive with Amy. The route's all planned, hotels reserved in such glamorous locations as Tulsa and Akron. But when Amy and Roger start off on their road trip, Amy makes an executive decision. She throws away her mother's carefully planned route and they decide to make a little detour. A little detour that will lead to the greatest adventure of her life, an adventure that will change everything and might just help her start to heal.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!

Okay, now that that's out of my system, I can give you a clear and balanced Who am I kidding? This is going to be one of those gushing reviews that's actually just more of a rave. And I'm okay with that.

What did I love? Well, first, I love the cover. And the title. Both really capture the feel and themes of the book.

I felt like both Amy and Roger were completely believable characters, both searching for a way to deal with loss. Ms. Matson builds the tension really nicely, including occasional flashbacks to show readers a picture of Amy's father and the events leading up to the accident. It's natural that Amy would blame herself and she's working out her feelings of guilt as well as her devastation at the loss of her father.

Amy keeps a road journal with notes about the places she and Roger go, updating it as they enter each new state. These sections with photos, receipts, road trip play lists, and journal entries, add to the text really nicely and make for a little something different.

And they go to Louisville! I was so excited when I saw that Roger's ex-girlfriend lived in Louisville and they'd be stopping there on the trip. Ms. Matson gets Louisville right, too, with a trip to the Brown Hotel for hot browns and Derby pie (Amy and Roger are taken there by a rich person - only a rich person would take you to the Brown Hotel for your one meal in Louisville).

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was a book I didn't want to put down. It made me want to take a road trip myself and I've got my Pandora Radio playing the artists on Roger's road trip mixes as I type this. :)

I'm not the only one who loves this book! Check out more reviews at A Patchwork of Books, Stacked, in which a girl reads, and Write Meg! (among others). 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is on shelves now and I must insist you get yourself a copy of this perfect summer book.

Librarians Are Easy

I was at an outreach event a couple of months ago. It was a great event - a baby fair put on by a local hospital - and I spent the morning talking up our programs and services and handing out early literacy information. At the beginning of the year, my library entered into a reciprocal borrowing agreement with our neighboring counties and it felt so good to be able to say "Yes! You can check out materials from my library!" to everyone that stopped by my table.

It got me thinking about how much I love to say "Yes!" to patrons. Nothing makes me happier than exceeding their expectations and I think it's situations like that - situations where you can go above and beyond - that will preserve the future of the library.

Librarians know all the reasons that people should use the library. Free books! Free internet! Access to databases! Great programs! Librarians know, but the rest of the world has to be convinced. How do we convince them to use the library? By providing something they can't get anywhere else - an exceptional experience.

And one way to provide an exceptional experience is to say "Yes!" whenever possible. Join a reciprocal borrowing consortium, be flexible about policies whenever possible, and go the extra mile in every customer interaction.

Okay, I know there have to be rules. If there were no due dates, we'd never have books on the shelf. If you allow first graders to come to a program meant for fifth graders, you may find that no fifth graders are going to want to come. If we didn't limit internet time, the same handful of people might use the computers all day without letting anyone else on. I get that we need some restrictions.

What I'm not on board with are rules that are unnecessarily limiting or that exist "because we've always done it that way". Think about your policies. Is there sound reasoning behind all of them? When you have to say "No", can you justify it to a layman (not just to another librarian)? If you're having to enforce a policy very often, it makes me wonder if that policy is serving your patrons. Might you be able to say "Yes" more often if you tweaked the rules a little bit? Would that be worth it to create exceptional customer service?

When you go to a restaurant or a retail establishment and you run up against a restrictive policy ("No, you can't return that." "No, I can't make that substitution."), does it make you want to return? What if it happens a second time? The same can be said for negative transactions. I'll remember a negative experience with a store for just as long (maybe longer!) as I'll remember a really positive experience.

Think about the businesses you frequent. Why do you go back? I love my vet because she not only gives my cats good care while I'm there, but she follows up with me. I got a letter welcoming me to the practice after the first appointment we had and I was made to feel valued and respected. I will go back there. Can people say the same about your library?

How many times do you have to run up against an unnecessary policy before you give up and don't return?

I guarantee you that if your customers get exceptional service every time they're in the library, not only will they come back but they will tell their friends. Know what's even better? Exceptional customer service - going the extra mile, welcoming patrons with a smile - doesn't cost anything!

And in this economic climate, with budget cuts circling around us like sharks, we need all the help we can get.

Librarians, be easy. Learn to love to say "Yes" and you'll have learned how to keep your customers coming back for more.

How to Clean a Hippopotamus

How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Grades 3-6. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, May 2010. Review copy provided by publisher.

This title has been nominated for the Cybils Award in Nonfiction Picture Books.  This review reflects my opinion, not necessarily the opinion of the nominating panel. 

How to Clean a Hippopotamus is all about symbiotic relationships - partnerships - in the animal world. You probably know about a clown fish's relationship with an anemone. The clown fish, immune to the sting, lives in the anemone, keeping it clean in exchange for protection. But their relationship is actually a little more complicated than that. For one thing, each clown fish is only immune to their anemone. Another anemone, even of the same type, will still harm the clown fish. For another thing, the clown fish has to build up its immunity by brushing lightly against the anemone's tentacles, gradually increasing its contact until it's not harmed by the sting. If the clown fish leaves the anemone for more than 45 minutes or so, it will lose its immunity and have to start all over again! And in exchange for protection, the clown fish also lures other fish to the anemone.

Now you know a little more about clown fish and anemones*, but did you know that sometimes badgers and coyotes work together to hunt prairie dogs? You may know about some species of fish that clean predator fish, but did you know that African helmeted turtles clean hippos in exchange for supper and a spot to sunbathe? Or that black tree ants and rufous woodpeckers make a truce and share a nest when it's time for the bird to raise chicks?

The cut-paper collage illustrations are laid out in comic-like panels, a layout that I found very appealing. And it's amazing how much information the authors were able to cram into a slim book (without it being overwhelming). Sections at the back of the book give additional information about symbiotic relationships and about the animals pictured (such as where they live, what they eat, etc.).

Hand this one to kids interested in nature and animals and they'll be sure to eat it up.

Check out more reviews at A Patchwork of Books, A Year of Reading, and Kids Lit.

How to Clean a Hippopotamus is on shelves now.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Go check out the roundup at 5 Great Books.

*And I think I have learned how to spell "anemone".

In My Mailbox #39

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Head on over there to check out what books arrived in bloggers' mailboxes this week.

I got a couple of books this week...

The Case of the Crooked Carnival (Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives #5) by Michelle Torrey. (Sterling Publishing, May 2010).

The continuing adventures of two kids solving mysteries with science! Check out my review of the first two Doyle and Fossey books.

The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu. (Puffin, February 2009).

Jacket copy:

Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old. Living in Texas, she's bored with her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the SASS program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She will be able to learn firsthand about her passion - anthropology - and have the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she gets quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about by birthright, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for? 


I won this book from the fabulous Ari at Reading in Color! I loved Cynthea Liu's Paris Pan Takes the Dare, so I'm excited to read this one, too.

And that's it for my mailbox, but I do have to give a shout-out to the magnificent debut author Morgan Matson for introducing me to the band Owl City through her book Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. I bought the first CD yesterday and I've been listening to it nonstop. I'm slowly making my way through the playlists in the book and finding some great music! I'm going to have a review of Amy & Roger up this week - I loved it!

The Summer of Skinny Dipping

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells. Grades 8 and up. Sourcebooks Fire, June 2010. Review copy provided by publisher.

Mia Gordon is excited for this summer. Her family's finally going back to the Hamptons where Mia's eager to reconnect with her cousin Corinne - the two used to be close, but lately Corinne's not returning her texts. When Mia arrives at her cousin's house, she's surprised to see that Corinne's changed. She's no longer the adventurous companion that Mia remembers. Now Corinne's a party girl, hanging with the right crowd, and Mia feels completely left out. Until she meets Simon, a boy spending the summer at one of the houses next door. At first Mia's not impressed, but the more time she spends with Simon, the more she likes him. But then everything changes forever, making this a summer that Mia will never forget.

Guys, I have to admit that I didn't finish this one. I just wasn't that into it and I put it down after about 100 pages. My problem was that I didn't connect with Mia and the story was just taking too long to get where it was going. I had no patience for Mia's problems, which seemed to be the same problems featured in so many other YA novels.

Now, while I didn't make it to the end, I did read some spoilers, so I'm aware that the ending is not what you might expect from your typical summer coming-of-age story. But even the promise of plot twists wasn't enough to make me want to finish the book.

What can I say? I just wasn't that into it. It's quite possible that it's not the book, it's me, so I think you'd better check out some reviews from people who actually did finish the book:

Pop Culture Junkie, Mother-Daughter Book Club, Stacked, The Story Siren, YA Librarian Tales, and The Book Cellar (among many others)

So, if it sounds like something you'd like, pick up The Summer of Skinny Dipping and give it a try. It's on shelves now!

Around the interwebs

Hello, hello! I hope all of you reading this in the States are ready for a fun-filled Independence Day weekend! I know I sure am! For your weekend enjoyment, I present the following links I found around the interwebs:

Asian fantasy doesn't sell, but maybe if we put a white girl on the cover it will. What. The. Eff. If you click on one link in the post, make it this one! Thanks to Librarian Pirate for the head's up. I gave Silver Phoenix a go awhile back and put it down for some reason, but I just purchased it (bargain price on Amazon!) so I can give it another go.

Last week I linked to Betsy's Newbery and Caldecott Award predictions. This week Kelly and Kim at Stacked have their halfway-through Printz picks! And Janssen at Everyday Reading has her Printz picks, too. I have read almost none of the books mentioned in either post, so I suppose I'd better get crackin'.

ZOMG, this is the cutest party EVAR. Annie of Annie's Eats posts about her son's Seuss-themed birthday party. Librarians, take note - there are many ideas here you could replicate for your own Seuss Celebration! Thanks to my good friend Meghan D for the link!

At my library, there comes a certain time of year that all the education students at the nearby university come in looking for books about multicultural families. There are many great resources available around the interwebs, but I want to point out this recent list from The Brown Bookshelf: Celebrating Dads. Take a look at your collection - could you use some more titles featuring dads of color?

As you probably know, the American Library Association Annual Conference was held in Washington DC last week. I was unable to go*, but many other bloggers were! So I point you to conference posts at 100 Scope Notes (also see the textual version), Blue Rose Girls (see also Grace Lin's recap of the Newbery Banquet, at which she was honored), Booklights,  A Fuse #8 Production, Green Bean Teen Queen (also see Part 2), MotherReader (also see Part II), and Read Roger. I swear, someday I will get myself to the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet!

And on that note, I'm out to enjoy my long weekend. Have a good one, Kidlitosphere!

*Though I was sorely tempted to fly in just for Sunday and visit the exhibits... until I found out that a last-minute plane ticket would cost $1900... So not in my budget...

AudioSynced June Roundup is at Stacked!

Head on over to Stacked for the June AudioSynced Roundup! Kelly's collected a lot of great links to audiobook news and reviews, but there's plenty of room for more! If you've reviewed or discussed audiobooks on your blog in June, leave a comment on this post or Kelly's post and we'll include your link in the roundup!

Taking a road trip this summer? AudioSynced is the perfect place to find audiobook recommendations for all ages!

Archvillain

Archvillain by Barry Lyga. Grades 4-7. Scholastic Press, October 2010. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Kyle Camden is just your slightly-above-average sixth grader (smart, super popular, and known prankster) until he's caught in a plasma shower in a field outside the small town of Bouring. Suddenly, his intelligence goes through the charts, he has super strength, and he can fly! But Kyle's not the only thing that changed that fateful night. Another kid was apparently caught in the storm. They're calling him Mighty Mike and the whole town adores him for his good deeds. Only Kyle can see Mike for w...more Kyle Camden is just your slightly-above-average sixth grader (smart, super popular, and known prankster) until he's caught in a plasma shower in a field outside the small town of Bouring. Suddenly, his intelligence goes through the charts, he has super strength, and he can fly! But Kyle's not the only one that changed that fateful night. Another kid was apparently caught in the storm. They're calling him Mighty Mike and the whole town adores him for his good deeds. Only Kyle can see Mike for what he truly is, only Kyle can defeat Mighty Mike and show the whole town his true colors... and if that turns Kyle into an archvillain, so be it! 

This is a fun and funny start to a new series. I was chuckling throughout the book. I love that the town is called Bouring. I love that Kyle's parents are such dips and that Kyle's honest attempts to help them are so misconstrued.

I thought Lyga managed to make Kyle's archvillain character a sympathetic one. And okay, he's kind of a punk, but hmm... I can think of some other books about punky guys that kids are gobbling up... I was on board with Kyle. One minute he's Mr. Popular and the next minute, not only is someone else upstaging him, but Kyle keeps cleaning up after Mighty Mike's mistakes. Kyle's progression into Mighty Mike's archvillain was believable to me and I'll be interested to see where it goes in the next books in the series. 


I'd definitely hand this book to kids clamoring for superhero titles and kids who like funny stories. 

Check out Karin's review at Karin's Book Nook, Professor Nana's thoughts at The Goddess of YA Literature, and this interview with Barry Lyga at Literary Asylum. 


Archvillain will be on shelves October 1.