“The Ginger Tree”

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd (294 pp.)

When Mary Mackenzie is sailing from Great Britain to China in order to marry her fiancé, she finds herself feeling restless. Her chaperone is too rigid, and Mary must even hide the fact that she is not wearing her corset under her clothing despite the fact that the humidity and heat are greater then anything she ever has ever before experienced.

Mary arrives in Peking; weds in the Church of England (although she refuses to drop her Presbyterian roots) and upsets the people who know her husband; finds her husband is a tight wad and cannot understand why he married her. She is seated near Kentaro at a few formal dinners and tries to draw him out. On a vacation with her friends, Mary bumps into Kentaro praying at an abandoned temple. They have brief affair which leaves Mary pregnant.  Richard, her husband, is gone on a secret mission as military attaché.

When Richard returns home to find Mary pregnant, he throws her out of the house, not allowing her to ever see her daughter again. The rights of women (or lack of them) are a central theme in this book. We see how Mary is treated by the British, the Chinese, and the Japanese. Mary falls under the protection of Kentaro, who believes it is his duty to support her. She becomes his “second wife,” but this arrangement still leaves her at the will of a man. He comes and goes according to his schedule. When the baby is born and has Japanese features, it seems Kentaro is content and visits and loves the baby.

However, one day, the baby simply “disappears.”  This is the work of Kentaro. He believes the baby will be better off raised in an adoptive family. A family would be easy to find since the child has royal blood. Mary would never have agreed to this scheme and has been left out. When one of the maids, a woman who took part in the scheme, comes back to Mary’s house while she is away in order to collect some belongings, Mary wrestles her to the floor and demands information. The newspapers later say that Mary tried to murder the maid.

Mary decides that she cannot live under the protection of Kentaro since he has taken her son. However, she cannot leave Japan because she hopes to learn something of her son and his fate. The rest of the book is about her search for independence as a foreigner women in a man’s Japan, her opportunities to get back in touch with her daughter and her son, and the difficulties of maintaining relationships as World War II arrives.

This is a good read for budding feminists and for students who want to read (loosely) historical fiction or who wish to start with fiction and then do research on the historical period/setting of the book.

Posted in Fiction, Historical Fiction/Historical Element, Multicultural | Leave a comment

“A Gift of Magic”

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

A Gift of Magic by Lois Duncan (201 pp.)

When Nancy’s Grandmother dies, she gives all her gifts to her grandchildren. Kirby, the oldest, gets the gift of dance. Nancy, the second gets the gift of magic and Brendon, who is yet unborn when the grandmother dies, gets the gift of music.

Nancy learns that she has ESP. She can sense the past, the future, and can tell where others are and what they’re doing. Upset about her parents’ divorce, she has a bad feeling about Tom Duncan, the high school counselor who used to date her mother.  Nancy also hates her teachers and finds that she can control objects–make things fly out of her teachers’ hands, etc.

One day, Kirby falls down the stairs at school and breaks her leg. Nancy believes she has caused this accident by thinking that she never wants Kirby to leave the family to train as a dancer. It seems Kirby’s career is cut off.

Is Nancy’s ‘gift’ controlling her life?

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“The Last Olympian”

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

I have a brand new copy of this latest (and last—5th) installment of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series by Rick Riordan. It’s a hardcover format.  I thought it would be fun to give it away to any COHS student out there who is a Percy Jackson fan and may not have a copy.  If any COHS student writes about why s/he likes the Percy Jackson series as a comment on this blog, I’ll give him or her the book. If more than one answers, I’ll choose my favorite answer.

I loved ‘The Last Olympian” as much as the rest of the Percy Jackson series. It’s action-pack from the first scene. Though this completes the series, this is an indication that we will see another series on heroes as the oracle gives this prophecy:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call.

To storm or fire, the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Posted in Adventure Stories, Fable/Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Fiction, Over 375 pages, Young Adult Literature | Leave a comment

“Slam”

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

“Slam” by Nick Hornby

I finished “Slam” recently, and it’s one of my favorite YA books of all time. The premise and outcome are realistic, but there are some fantasy aspects to Sam’s life that will make this book interesting to teens who are reluctant readers.

Sam is a skater (that’s on a skateboard, he tells us, not ice). At fifteen, he’s pretty easy-going. While his parents are divorced (he lives with his mum), and neither reached their life’s goal, he attributes this to the fact that they married too young because his mom was pregnant with him at sixteen. One of the important lessons of his life is not to repeat that mistake.

Becoming a father too early doesn’t seem like an issue for Sam. He’s no lady’s man and he looks to the skater Tony Hawk for advice—that is, he looks to a poster of Tony Hawk for advice. This is very funny because when Sam asks the poster of Hawk a question, the answer is always a direct quote from Hawk’s autobiography. (Sam has read it so many times that he knows it by heart.) Yet Sam meets a beautiful girl who has just broken up with her boyfriend. They fall madly in love (or so it seems), and are intimate immediately. They can’t bear to be away from one another—that is for about three weeks.

So Sam is already beginning to get bored of the relationship when Alicia sends him an urgent text-message on his sixteenth birthday to tell him she is pregnant. From here, Tony Hawk often propels Sam into the future without Sam having any knowledge of what has passed in the interim. (Why does his son have a dumb name like ‘Roof’? Sam wants to know.)

And here’s where I want to stop the plot summary, and say that this is why I like this book so much. Most books on teen pregnancy that I’ve read have unrealistic endings—they are too happy (the couple gets together) or too sad (no one helps the girl out and she is plunged into despair or suicide). In “Slam,” Sam and Alicia’s parents are trying to make this easier for them, but there is never a doubt that this is a mistake, and it will make both of their lives much harder. In addition, the teens realize about three weeks too late that what they are experiencing isn’t true love and it isn’t long-lasting. They are two very separate people with a baby in common.

Despite the tough subject matter, the novel is often hilarious. And if you are a skater, there’s the bonus that lots of the action and narrative is about something you love. Read it!

Posted in Fiction, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , | 2 Comments

“The Silver Kiss”

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

“The Silver Kiss” by Annette C. Klause

It’s been a while since I read “The Silver Kiss,” but I want to recommend it to fans of the “Twilight” series.

Zoe, coming home from a hospital visit with her mother, who is dying of cancer, stays out past midnight–sad, lonely, and brimming with memories. While sitting in a playground that she loved as a child, she sees a tall, thin boy with pale skin and silvery hair. She is very afraid, remembering recent news headlines about a woman who was killed and drained of blood.

When Zoe later meets Simon, the two are attracted to one another. That Simon is a vampire causes Zoe to think desperate things—could he keep her mother from dying? Is he the murderer mentioned in the news? The two need each other to understand death, to keep from being caught in grief, and to stop the cycle of murder in town.

“The Silver Kiss” is by the same author who wrote “Blood and Chocolate,” a book several of you liked. This one is less overtly sensual, perhaps a bit more thoughtful. I highly recommend it to fans of vampire romances.

Posted in Fiction, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Young Adult Literature | Tagged | 2 Comments

“The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

356 pp.

Sidda Lee Walker, engaged to Connor, is coming to terms with the legacy of her mother, Vivi “Dahlin” Walker. Many years earlier, Vivi had “dropped her basket” and beaten her children. Sidda is left with physical as well as mental scars. When she tells an interviewer from the New York Times about the incident, the headline is Tap Dancing Child Abuser. Vivi reads this and refuses to forgive Sidda for misinterpreting her. “My love was a privilege you abused. I have withdrawn that privilege. You are out of my heart. You are banished to the outer reaches. I wish you nothing but unending guilt.”

As the book moves forward, Sidda postpones her wedding. She goes off alone to think about her mother and their relationship, and to bring back memories of her mother at an earlier time. Vivi has lent Sidda a scrapbook entitled the ‘The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood’ that chronicles the friendship of Vivi and three other girls.  These girls remain inseparable into adulthood, so the other women are like aunts to Sidda, their children her cousins. As Sidda looks through the scrapbook, alternate chapters give the real story behind each of the mementos. Though Vivi’s life had many difficulties, the Ya-Ya sisterhood helped her survive and grow. The four girls had nights out in the woods pretending to be Indian maidens, giving themselves Indian names; they played several pranks and often got in trouble. In adulthood, they were pregnant at the same time, and in old age, they still picnicked and drank together.

The feel for Louisiana and the South in general adds local color to the novel. It is definitely a “chick” book, glorifying the long, fruitful friendships among women. I found the premise of Sidda as a dramatic director and her need for the scrapbook to help her in directing her next play too contrived.  A homecoming seemed a little easy as the outcome of such anger. However, there are wonderful moments in the book, especially on Vivi’s youth and her time in a convent school—and maybe I’m too harsh a critic because everyone else I know loved this book. If you are asked to read a loosely historical fiction to start a project, this is a good choice.

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“Hatchet”

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

“Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen

195 pp.

Brian’s parents have divorced and he is going to visit his father in Canada, flying in a small Cessna with a middle-age pilot whose name escapes him (Jim or Jake) The trip is alternately exciting and boring until the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian tries to call for help over the radio, but he does not know his flight number or location. Eventually his cries are not heard. When the plane runs out of gas, Brian has been preparing mentally to land as close to the edge of the lake as he can manage to steer.

Brian’s survival in the wilderness is never a certain bet. The book depicts the difficulty of his situation. The only useful tool he has is a hatchet his mother insisted he take. Things that work in the movies don’t work for him; whenever something does work, it is though patience and persistence. Lighting a fire or gathering food can take all day. Mosquitoes nearly eat Brian alive; he is sunburned and blistered and always hungry.

Some of Brian’s first food is raw snapping turtle eggs, and the details of his eating them provide a context for understanding what true hunger is. However, he learns new survival techniques each day and become more aware of his environment. Eventually he is able to spear fish and shoot ruffed grouse with a bow and arrow. When a tornado strikes, Brian’s “house” is ruined, and it’s easy to understand how basic live can become.

This is a good tale of maturing, of survival. It is a detailed description of all that Brian must do to continue to exist and seems very realistic. Many students read this one before they get to high school. If you haven’t read it, do so, just so that you have same experience in reading a good adventure book as the rest of your classmates. (It’s a ‘cultural literacy’ thing.) I don’t like when Paulsen seems to imitate Hemingway’s style, but it may appeal to others—and who knows? Maybe there’s a literary criticism essay on ‘style’ just waiting to be written.

Posted in Adventure Stories, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Read 180, Young Adult Literature | Tagged | 5 Comments

“The Giver”

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry

180 pp.

Jonas lives in a future utopia in which everyone seems to behave well and apologizes when they hurt someone’s feelings or do something wrong. In the evenings, families share their days, expressing their happiness and frustrations. In the morning, they dutifully report their dreams to one another.

There are many indicators that children are growing up. All children are presented with jobs or tools at the yearly Ceremony. Jonas’ sister, at 8, will start her volunteer hours and at the age of 12, Jonas receives his assignment for life. Rather then become the usual such as an engineer or nurturer, Jonas is to be the receiver, the most important job in the community. He will go to the current Receiver to be given communal memories which individuals don’t know about. Memory is considered too powerful and painful for the general population. The communities, encased in an artificial and perfect environment, know nothing of the heat of the sun or the cold of the winter snow. Jonas is disturbed by many of the memories he receives–of war especially. But he also receives a memory of love that that is more deep and binding than possible in the rational world of his community.

Jonas’ father is a nurturer. He accepts babies from the birth-givers, and works in a nurturing center where babies are kept until they turn one year old. One baby, Gabriel, is not very healthy, and Jonas’ father gets special permission to bring him home to sleep at night, hoping the extra care will help him gain a little weight. If Gabriel does not do better, he will be “Released”. Jonas helps Gabriel sleep by giving him memories, which is strictly forbidden.

Gabriel does not do as well as Jonas’ father had hoped and is scheduled for Release. Jonas and the Giver hatch a plan to bring memory back to the community, but to do so, Jonas must flee “elsewhere.”

I know that many people read this novel before they get to high school, but if you haven’t read it, do so. It is often censored and would make a good read for “Banned Books Week.”

Posted in "Banned Book", Controversial Issue/Debate, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Read 180, Young Adult Literature | 1 Comment

“Blood and Chocolate”

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

264 pp.

Though “Blood and Chocolate” is a young adult book (that is, it’s meant for a teen audience), it is a very sensuous, even sexual book. Vivian, the she-werewolf, thinks a lot about having Aiden, a human, as a lover. She introduced herself to him after reading a poem he wrote about becoming a wolf. There are many scenes of the two almost having sex. In the end, Vivian decides to show Aiden that she is a werewolf. His reaction and subsequent behavior alienate Vivian from others at her school.

In the meantime, a werewolf is killing people in town. Vivian can’t remember doing the killing, but she keeps finding evidence that she is the culprit.

Throughout the book, Vivian has a conflict about her place in the wolf pack . At one point, a renegade she-werewolf attacks Vivian’s mother. When Vivian defends her mother, she becomes the lead female wolf, but rejects the pack leader Gabriel.

“Having fallen for a human boy, Vivian must battle both her pack mates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.” (book jacket) The beautiful human Aiden or the werewolf Gabriel—with dual wolf and human natures?

If you are looking for a book with supernatural characters and are finished reading the “Twilight” series and “Vampire Academy”, I think you’ll like this one.

Posted in Fiction, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Mature Readers, Movie Tie-In, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Fallen Angels”

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Victoria Waddle

“Fallen Angels” by Walter Dean Myers

309 pp.

Richie Perry is an African-American boy who goes to Vietnam. His experiences there change his perception of the world. On his first day out, another new recruit is blown apart when he steps on a mine. A favorite understanding officer, Lieutenant Carroll, is killed a few months later. Soon after, a favorite companion, Brew, has his leg ripped open and dies during the evacuations as Perry holds his hand. Perry also finds that he often does not understand who is the enemy and is frightened of some of the villagers as they may be part of the Viet Cong. On one trip to a local village to search for VC, a woman hands a baby to a GI. The baby explodes, killing the GI. Other soldiers then kill the women and the other child who was with her.

Periodically, Perry is bored. There often seems to be racial tension in his platoon although it is never explored.

Among his other gruesome experiences, Perry is wounded twice. The book has a lot of suspense and excitement. The view of a young soldier seems to be realistic. Someone interested in what the Vietnam War was like or even what it feels like to be a soldier would “enjoy” reading Fallen Angles. This would work for projects requiring you to began with loosely historical fiction, but you can’t have a weak tummy. War is gorey.

Posted in Fiction, Historical Fiction/Historical Element, Junior Project, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature | Leave a comment