award-winning literature – Page 2

When You Reach Me

Rebecca Stead

(2009)

Newberry Winner

     This lovely tale created by Stead gave me chills-the good kind, like when someone else brushes my hair-certain books give me a soft tickle up my spine as I turn the last page. [dreamy sigh] I didn’t want it to end but yet the end was so GREAT! How could I not want it to end.
     It’s the story of 12-year-old Miranda and her mother, who is preparing to win a spot on “The $20,000 Pyramid” and their quirky 1970’s New York neighborhood.  Miranda loves Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and reads it over and over and carries it with her.   Her life is coasting comfortable down one path when things begin to go topsy-turvy and change course. Her best friend, Sal, gets punched randomly by an older kid on the street and suddenly Sal doesn’t want to hang out with her at all. The laughing guy on the corner keeps getting closer and she begins to get notes tucked in odd places that don’t make sense until she starts putting the pieces together. It’s lovely when that aha! moment lights up.
     It’s a crazy story; really layered so well and it had to be hard to fit it all together. At the back of the book, Stead says “I had to be rescued several times while writing this book…” this I can believe but the fact is it comes together brilliantly. I adored all the characters-loved Miranda and her mother, Richard, the steady and reliable boyfriend, Cal and Annemarie, her friends, Louise, Sal’s mom, and especially Marcus, the kid who punches Sal. Miranda’s mom is a particularly well-written 1970’s activist mom. Here’s a quote:

While she listened, Belle made me a turkey sandwich and gave me about ten chewable vitamin C’s because she thought I sounded a little nasal. When she went to the bathroom, I sneaked a bunch of grapes, which I love but can’t ever have, because Mom doesn’t like the way the grape pickers are treated in California and she refuses to buy them. (8)

I identified with this mom’s attitude and choices and loved her relationship with Louise, the one-floor-down neighbor and fellow single parent of Sal. I could pick dozens of quotes and gush over each character but really I think you should just go read it, buy it, share it with a friend…so you can feel that lovely chill up your spine as the story ends.
After perusing Stead’s website I’m wondering about her first novel, First Light, and whether it is worth reading?
What other books tingled my spine, you ask?

1. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
2. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
3. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
4. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I’m sure there were a few more but these are the books that come rapidly to mind.
What about you…what book gives you the slow tickle of happiness??

Buy When You Reach Me here:

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The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

(2007)

Watch this fantastic video [below] of Markus Zusak discussing his book. He has a sexy accent and he talks about the book with such passion. I loved that this book is set from a German village giving us the opportunity to see their take on Hitler’s Germany (it wasn’t all Yeah Heil Hitler) and I enjoyed death as the narrator. It gave me a sense of peace at death’s interaction in our daily lives.
This book like Chris Cleave’s Little Bee is about having hope in the midst of waiting. I highly recommend this book and plan to read other Zusak novels because of his ability to create such real characters and twist the storyline around. If you, like me, let this one slip by-go find a copy and read it. You won’t be disappointed.

5/5 peaceful stars
Highly Recommended for HS and adult audience
Maw Books review of The Book Thief (2008)

p.s. I received this book in 2007 as an ARC (before I even blogged and knew what an advanced reader’s copy really was); I passed it on to my son instead and then let it languish on my bookshelf!!

***Reading from my own shelves challenge***

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

All readers must stop and eat or cook, in order to be able to eat! Obviously, author Kate DiCamillo understands this as well-her references to soup in The Tale of Despereaux are one of the reasons I love the book so much. Saturday night I had to put down my copy of The Magician’s Elephant–I’m only one chapter away from finishing-to make dinner so we could eat before going to a play. I had a recipe from my Veg. Times I knew I was making but I also had a very large eggplant staring at me. I googled a recipe and came up with Eggplant Fries! Recipe from VT-Chickpea Croquettes-and they were yummy!! Dinner was delicious and we made it to both plays on time! Right before the play I had an extra 20 minutes and I was w/out children, which left me with quiet time to read the last chapter.
It was so worth it!!!

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (September, 2009) is a beautiful, sweeping novel for all readers and it’s only 201 pages long.

It begins…

At the end of the century before last, in the market square of the city of Baltese, there stood a boy with a hat on his head and a coin in his hand. The boy’s name was Peter Augustus Duchene, and the coin that he held did not belong to him but was instead the property of his guardian, an old soldier named Vilna Lutz, who had sent the boy to the market for fish and bread.

Peter, in a rash moment, decides to use the money for a fortune teller, who tells him his sister is alive and if he follows the elephant, he will find Adele. How is Peter supposed to find an elephant in Baltese? His need to locate his sister is so great he listens to his heart. Little does he know forces have been set into motion and a magician trying to do achieve something amazing utters a spell unlike any he has ever uttered and an elephant appears. Piece by piece everyone finds just what they need.

Like Desperaux, this book threads together several characters to create one finale. Peter shows us all that if you listen to your heart and your dreams, good things will follow. I love DiCamillo’s style of writing and this book proves her skill once again. I really love the names her characters are given…I’m sure they just come to her! Peter’s name is beautiful while Vilna Lutz just doesn’t sound like someone you want to hang around. If you haven’t read any of her books start at the beginning with Because of Winn-Dixie, a great book as well as a great movie-not easy to find that combination.
If you want to read synopsis of The Magician’s elephant click here.
Read another great review here at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

This book has been on my mental to-read list for awhile and I finally found it in at the library. I suggested it to my book club to read and I thought perhaps I should pre-read it to see what I got everyone into.

The book began slowly for me, then I got involved with the characters and loved it.

Olive Kitteridge is set up in thirteen different vignettes, each one giving us just a little bit more information about Olive and her husband, Henry in Crosby, Maine. This book made me think; information is doled out in small snippets and even then you need to read between the lines to fully understand how each person fits into the big picture. Olive is not a friendly character yet I grew to love her and her gruffness. The book slowly winds you from one part of Henry and Olive’s lives together, finishing with Olive alone, having learned something of herself. I can understand why this book won the Pulitzer Prize as it is a real snapshot of American culture. The characters are human and believable and this is the meat of everyday.

Here are two of my very favorite quotes from the book:

“That’s what Kathleen says. Tim met her when he was driving around the country following some band. I guess people just follow this band around, Fish or Pish. Something. Remember Kevin talking about Dead Heads, people who followed around that mess-what were they called? The Grateful Dead? I always found that offensive.”
“He died,” said Harmon. “That fat fellow Jerry of that band.”
“Well, I hope he died gratefully,” Bonnie said. (pg. 89)

and

In the doctor’s waiting room she sat, reading a magazine. After an hour, the nurse came out and said, “Mr. Kennison’s worried about you waiting so long.”
“Well, tell him to stop it. I’m perfectly comfortable.” And she was. In fact, it had been a long time since she’d been this comfortable. She wouldn’t have minded if it took all day. It was a newsmagazine she was reading, something she hadn’t done for quite a while-she turned one page quickly, because she couldn’t stand to look at the president’s face. His close-set eyes, the jut of his chin, the sight offended her viscerally. (pg. 255)

The idea of someone being more comfortable in a doctor’s waiting room office than somewhere in her own life is so very much Olive. To understand why you’ll have to read the book!!

Here is the NY Times article about Olive Kitteridge.

The List

I’ve looked at this book, The Patron Saint of butterflies by Cecilia Galante several times at the library.
I finally brought it home to read.
I read it in one blissful day.
Interesting cast of characters including the independent and courageous Honey and when the time is right, Agnes and Benny persevere.
Religion is at the center of the story.
Not just any old religion but a cult led by Emmanuel and Veronica.
The cult began in some small Iowa town where Emmanuel was a professor.
Love the grandmother-Nana Pete (Petunia); she is not part of the cult-thank heavens!!
Winky, another cool character, has a beautiful butterfly garden(something I aspire to have also).
You should read this book just so you can see the battle that rages inside of Agnes and maybe all of us from time to time.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

I finished The Underneath today!! I began this book as a read-aloud for my 6-year-old daughter because of the cute dog and kittens on the front cover. J and I, soon concluded it was not a good story for her.Gar Face’s character scared her, she did not like the Grandmother Moccasin sections and it simply confused her as to how any of the stories were connected. She liked Ranger’s tale and how the cats all became part of one family. I decided to keep reading on my own. I am still struggling with how I feel about the book. I thought some of the images were beautiful. I love Ranger’s story and I honestly wanted the book to just stick with that relationship. I didn’t think the three stories merged enough to make it work. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate Dicamillo is, for me, a great example of various stories merging to make one great tale. Gar Face did not have any redeeming qualities and yes, he gets it in the end but it all just ties together in one quick knot. I thought the writing was repetitive and went on to long (i would have cut out a few chapters). As a school librarian my main concern is who to recommend this book to; what age group; what teacher for read-aloud. I am left wondering. Many students would love the animal aspect but be very put-off by Gar Face’s treatment of animals and his swilling of every known spirit available to him. The snake, Night Song and Hawk Man thread is complicated and students have trouble traveling back and forth, back and forth so frequently. Was this bookmeant for elementary students? I am glad I read it and parts of it will stick with me; I have especially enjoyed reading the variety of comments about this book from other bloggers. There seems to be no definitive answer on this book and perhaps that is what makes an interesting tale.