Halfway Normal
Everything I Know About You
Juvenile fiction
"The second I stepped into the room, somebody screamed.
I turned to look behind me--for a rock star, or a grizzley bear,
or the Loch Ness Monster. But no one was following.
The scream was for me."
When Norah, narrator of Barbara Dee's Halfway Normal, starts
seventh grade, it's the first time she's been in school in two years
after battling cancer. Academics won't be a challenge. She's been
tutored. In fact she's being bumped up to eighth grade in math and
science.
That's a good thing. In other facets of her life she faces
challenges galore.
Some of Norah's classmates treat her like a survival miracle.
Others think she's milking her survivor status to get special
privileges. They all seem to see her as The Girl Who, forgetting all
other aspects of her personality.
Norah's guidance counselor hovers, trying to get her to take it
easy. She can take the elevator instead of climbing stairs. She's
also pushing her to participate in an Overcoming Challenges program by
sharing her story with the whole school. But she uses euphamisms for
cancer, seemingly unable to say the word.
Nora's parents have a whole list of rules, many involving
distancing from her potentially germy peers. And she must rest much
of the time. She can't participate in the popular after school
programs or hang out with friends on weekends.
There's a really cute guy in Norah's math class who seems to
like her. If only she can keep him from learning her secret!
Everything I know about You
"Immediately people started buzzing. ASSIGNING roommates? No,
wait. We're supposed to be with our FRIENDS in the hotel! That's the
whole point of this trip, to have fun! They aren't doing this right.
IT ISN'T FAIR."
Tally, narrator of Barbara Dee's Everything I Know About You and
her classmates are really excited about the traditional seventh grade
field trip: four days and three nights in Washington DC. Then the
teachers in charge throw water on their good time plans. In order to
promote class unity they will be assigning hotel roommates.
Tally gets her absolute last roommate choice, her nemesis, Ava,
a school spirit rah rah, slave to fashion, seemingly perfect girl,
always judging her peers and being sneaky mean to those who don't live
up to her standards. She and her best friends, Sonnet and Spider,
come up with a plan to make the sleeping arrangements bearable.
They'll spy on their roommates and learn their secrets.
At first they're innocuous: baby shampoo, a stuffed animal.
Then Tally notices troubling things about Ava. She hardly eats a
thing. She's always exercising and writing numbers in a cryptic
notebook. She's emaciated.
"Under her cami, Ava's ribs stuck out. When she did a sit up,
you could see every bone in her spine. Her bones looked like twigs..."
Tally is worried, especially when she figures out what the
notebook numbers mean. She tries to talk to Ava who takes a very
unflattering picture of her and threatens to post it on social media
if she says a word to the adults.
This book is a very personal one for Dee. When she had an
eating disorder in college people didn't talk about them. Her journey
to health was mostly a matter of luck. She's glad that there's now a
wide range of treatments. "Kids need to know that caring
professionals are out there and that full recovery is possible."
On a purrrsonal note, today was Eugene's Uncle Phil's funeral. Some
family members shared memories that really moved everyone to both
tears and laughter. But this minister dude presiding seemed to think
that because Phil was a born again Christian all his friends and
family members were. He was saying stuff like we can all see Phil in
Jesus' arms. I can't. Apart from his physical body I have no clue
where Phil is. I was thinking WTF, Dude? We aren't all in the club.
It's this Christian supremacy thing to assume that everyone is on
board with their theology. Of course this dialogue all happened in my
critical thinking brain. I didn't want to hurt people who were
grieving and vulnerable. (Jules)
Before the funeral she made a Goodwill run to get a sincere sympathy
card for her mother-in-law. While she was there anyway she looked to
see if there was a cat shirt and found an awesome one. Then she got
ice cream at Hannaford. Only there wasn't enough room in the
freezer. Oops! So we had to eat it for lunch. We can't let ice
cream go to waste! (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to ministers see the validity of other
faiths and the deity questioning or nonbelieving options.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
They Call Me Guero
They Call Me Guero
The Truth About Twinkie Pie
Juvenile fiction
Guero, 12, narrator of David Bowles' They Call Me Guero, is
growing up in a border town. He speaks Spanish and English and feels
at home on both sides of the border. He loves his family, the
traditions passed down on both sides, and his close knit community.
He does not like the checkpoints they must constantly pass through.
Guero is one of a group of derds (diverse nerds). They're into
comics, books, and gaming. They call themselves The Bookworm Squad.
Much of their time they hang out together and try their best to avoid
bullies. Guero seems to have caught a cute girl's eye.
Although many of Guero's experiences are similar to those of
most readers, there are several points at which he alludes to darker
issues. He offers to tutor a new boy from Honduras and learns that he
and his family had to flee through Mexico, riding precariously on top
of la Bestia (a train). A wheel cut his brother's leg off.
Then there's the trip to a playoff game when his sister's team
makes the cut. When they pull ahead fans of the other team begin
behaving very badly.
"'Go back wetbacks! Build that wall!'
Adults and teens begin to call.
A sea of white faces, twisted in rage
Like all the brown bodies are there to invade."
With its very relatable protagonist They Call Me Guero is a
great way of introducing younger readers to the complexities of life
at our nation's southern border.
"...We don't talk about it to anyone. But if we did, I guess
most people would be wondering what millionaires living on the North
Shore of Long Island are doing in a one-bedroom apartment above the
salon where Didi cuts hair. Going about life like we're still in that
trailer park back in South Carolina."
Gigi, protagonist of Kat Yeh's The Truth About Twinkie Pie, lost
her mother as a baby when their trailer burned down. All she and her
big sister/guardian, Didi, have of hers is her beloved recipe book.
After Didi won a lot of money in a cooking contest the sisters moved
to New York. Didi desperately wants Gigi to have the opportunities
for a good education and a career she had to forgo, dropping out of
school to parent her sibling. Every cent possible must go toward that.
For the most part Gigi finds her new middle school fine. She
has friends. A really cute boy seems to like her. The only fly in
the ointment is Mace, a mean girl classmate who never passes up an
opportunity to insult her.
So can you imagine how Gigi feels when Didi and Mace bond over a
haircut? Didi has always pushed Gigi to excel, never letting her hang
around her workplace or get close. Now she's hanging out with and
mentoring her rich, snobby nemesis. Talk about no fair!
What makes this fine coming of age narrative even better is the
recipes interspersed with the chapters. Of course I had to try some
out. Mmm, mmm good, especially the twinkie pie!
On a purrrsonal note, my weekend was good for a pandemic. It was
mostly homework, housework, writing reviews for my blog, cooking...
But I got an unexpected treat when Saturday afternoon was unexpectedly
warm and sunny enough for me to read outside. (Jules)
I wish I could go outside. My hoomans say outside is too dangerous.
So why do they go out? (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, dear readers, with hopes that
you had a safe and happy weekend!
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
The Truth About Twinkie Pie
Juvenile fiction
Guero, 12, narrator of David Bowles' They Call Me Guero, is
growing up in a border town. He speaks Spanish and English and feels
at home on both sides of the border. He loves his family, the
traditions passed down on both sides, and his close knit community.
He does not like the checkpoints they must constantly pass through.
Guero is one of a group of derds (diverse nerds). They're into
comics, books, and gaming. They call themselves The Bookworm Squad.
Much of their time they hang out together and try their best to avoid
bullies. Guero seems to have caught a cute girl's eye.
Although many of Guero's experiences are similar to those of
most readers, there are several points at which he alludes to darker
issues. He offers to tutor a new boy from Honduras and learns that he
and his family had to flee through Mexico, riding precariously on top
of la Bestia (a train). A wheel cut his brother's leg off.
Then there's the trip to a playoff game when his sister's team
makes the cut. When they pull ahead fans of the other team begin
behaving very badly.
"'Go back wetbacks! Build that wall!'
Adults and teens begin to call.
A sea of white faces, twisted in rage
Like all the brown bodies are there to invade."
With its very relatable protagonist They Call Me Guero is a
great way of introducing younger readers to the complexities of life
at our nation's southern border.
"...We don't talk about it to anyone. But if we did, I guess
most people would be wondering what millionaires living on the North
Shore of Long Island are doing in a one-bedroom apartment above the
salon where Didi cuts hair. Going about life like we're still in that
trailer park back in South Carolina."
Gigi, protagonist of Kat Yeh's The Truth About Twinkie Pie, lost
her mother as a baby when their trailer burned down. All she and her
big sister/guardian, Didi, have of hers is her beloved recipe book.
After Didi won a lot of money in a cooking contest the sisters moved
to New York. Didi desperately wants Gigi to have the opportunities
for a good education and a career she had to forgo, dropping out of
school to parent her sibling. Every cent possible must go toward that.
For the most part Gigi finds her new middle school fine. She
has friends. A really cute boy seems to like her. The only fly in
the ointment is Mace, a mean girl classmate who never passes up an
opportunity to insult her.
So can you imagine how Gigi feels when Didi and Mace bond over a
haircut? Didi has always pushed Gigi to excel, never letting her hang
around her workplace or get close. Now she's hanging out with and
mentoring her rich, snobby nemesis. Talk about no fair!
What makes this fine coming of age narrative even better is the
recipes interspersed with the chapters. Of course I had to try some
out. Mmm, mmm good, especially the twinkie pie!
On a purrrsonal note, my weekend was good for a pandemic. It was
mostly homework, housework, writing reviews for my blog, cooking...
But I got an unexpected treat when Saturday afternoon was unexpectedly
warm and sunny enough for me to read outside. (Jules)
I wish I could go outside. My hoomans say outside is too dangerous.
So why do they go out? (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, dear readers, with hopes that
you had a safe and happy weekend!
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, November 12, 2021
Say No More
Say No More
He Started It
Adult thrillers
"'Did you see that silver Cadillac? What he did?' Jane Ryland powered
down the car window to get a better look. 'He plowed right into that
delivery van. Pull closer, can you?'"
When television reporter Jane Ryland becomes witness to what
seems to be a routine hit and run it quickly becomes anything but.
The DA wants her to answer some questions. And there are the cryptic
warning messages to "Say no more."
"And next to the pool, the unmistakable juxtaposition he'd seen
again and again over the past ten years on street corners, in blood
soaked living rooms, in a rain-sodden suburban woodland, even once,
years ago, on a klieg-lighted high school football field. A dark
shape on the ground, motionless, still, as of waiting for answers the
victim would never hear. The attending shape of the medical examiner
crouched over the body, ministerial, intent."
Homicide detective Jake Brogan (Jane's fiancée BTW) has been call
ed to the scene of a drowning that may or may not contain sinister
elements. The deceased, Avery Morgan, was a guest lecturer at a small
college (Adams Bay). Her upscale neighbors aren't forthcoming with
clues. Even the woman who called the police seems to be hiding
something.
"Was calling the police my first mistake?...But what she'd seen in
Avery's yard was so disturbing. How could she not report it?"
Willow Galt has ample reason for reticence. It has nothing to
do with Avery's fate. She and husband Tom have moved clear across the
country and assumed new identities. Her call to the police may very
well blow their cover.
It became surprisingly easy to keep to herself. Friends faded
away, most of them. She ordered food from the delivery place, got
books online, and sent assignments via email."
Isabel Russo is an Adams Bay student and victim of a traumatic
incident. When she reported it to her dean he did nothing to help
her. In fact he bullied her into remaining silent. She now is afraid
to leave her apartment.
"Just like he's handled yammering students complaining about
their unfair and life-ruining Cs. Or about the roommate who was too
dumb or stoned or noisy or quiet or rich or poor or whatever. These
were college kids, for God's sake. They had to learn that life wasn't
fair. Unless the parents were ready to join the endowment list. Then
lives could be made a little more fair."
And if scandal aversive parents want to give him gifts for his
part in making troublesome incidents go away Adams Bay College Dean of
Students, Edward Tarrant, isn't going to say no. These "gifts" aren't
all he's keeping on the down low. Exactly what was his relationship
with the deceased?
Hank Philippi Ryan, author of Say No More, spins these
narratives into a complex and intriguing web, one mystery lovers will
take delight in untangling. Can you figure the intersecting plots out
by the end of the book?
"We've been on this road trip before. Twenty years ago it was
Grandpa's trip for us, the grandkids, and it was because our parents
hadn't been getting along. Lots of yelling, lots of slammed doors,
and too many silent meals. Dad slept on the couch and pretended he
didn't. And Mom pretended not to be mad..."
Pretending and yelling are merely the mildest vices of the clan
portrayed by Samantha Downing in He Started It. Family relationships
consist of constantly shifting alliances. Avarice is rampant. Before
the last page every one of the ten commandments will be broken.
Take the Grampie and the kids cross country trek. The patriarch
is more Stephen King minor villain than loving ancestor. The
attractions they visit aren't exactly child friendly. There's a car
following the group for at least part of the trip. Chances are good
that, although it's allegedly for their benefit, Mom and Dad have not
signed off on the trip.
Now Grandpa's dead. But he's dictating a bizarre sequel. The
now grown kids are now heirs to his sizeable estate. But they won't
get a cent unless they reinact the road trip and scatter his ashes at
the end.
So the siblings, reunited for the first time in ages, along with
two spouses, are reenacting a nightmare. A truck is probably trailing
them. A couple of times their vehicle is sabotaged.
But the biggest danger for family members may not be one they
can shut out. They're not very good at sharing. At least one may
want the whole enchilada.
If you're a hard core thriller affecianado you'll want to get
your hands on He Started It.
On a purrrsonal note, it's a grey day. At least the rain won't start
until afternoon if my smartphone is accurate. Work was really light
yesterday. There were very few students. Probably with a day of no
classes those who could went to do something fun with friends. I envy
them. It's been so long!
The news that I'll be able to stay with Wells next semester and do the
work part of my internship in the summer has brought great joy to my
coworkers, management, and the students we serve. They need me,
especially where we're so COVID short staffed and I'm a dilligent
worker and morale booster. (Jules)
Well who can blame them? I need her. Hey, guess who's home!!! (Tobago)
Yep, Eugene. He's been at camp a few nights. I'm glad he showed up
before I went off to work. I don't hear from him while he's at camp
because there's no cell reception out in the boonies. (Jules)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
He Started It
Adult thrillers
"'Did you see that silver Cadillac? What he did?' Jane Ryland powered
down the car window to get a better look. 'He plowed right into that
delivery van. Pull closer, can you?'"
When television reporter Jane Ryland becomes witness to what
seems to be a routine hit and run it quickly becomes anything but.
The DA wants her to answer some questions. And there are the cryptic
warning messages to "Say no more."
"And next to the pool, the unmistakable juxtaposition he'd seen
again and again over the past ten years on street corners, in blood
soaked living rooms, in a rain-sodden suburban woodland, even once,
years ago, on a klieg-lighted high school football field. A dark
shape on the ground, motionless, still, as of waiting for answers the
victim would never hear. The attending shape of the medical examiner
crouched over the body, ministerial, intent."
Homicide detective Jake Brogan (Jane's fiancée BTW) has been call
ed to the scene of a drowning that may or may not contain sinister
elements. The deceased, Avery Morgan, was a guest lecturer at a small
college (Adams Bay). Her upscale neighbors aren't forthcoming with
clues. Even the woman who called the police seems to be hiding
something.
"Was calling the police my first mistake?...But what she'd seen in
Avery's yard was so disturbing. How could she not report it?"
Willow Galt has ample reason for reticence. It has nothing to
do with Avery's fate. She and husband Tom have moved clear across the
country and assumed new identities. Her call to the police may very
well blow their cover.
It became surprisingly easy to keep to herself. Friends faded
away, most of them. She ordered food from the delivery place, got
books online, and sent assignments via email."
Isabel Russo is an Adams Bay student and victim of a traumatic
incident. When she reported it to her dean he did nothing to help
her. In fact he bullied her into remaining silent. She now is afraid
to leave her apartment.
"Just like he's handled yammering students complaining about
their unfair and life-ruining Cs. Or about the roommate who was too
dumb or stoned or noisy or quiet or rich or poor or whatever. These
were college kids, for God's sake. They had to learn that life wasn't
fair. Unless the parents were ready to join the endowment list. Then
lives could be made a little more fair."
And if scandal aversive parents want to give him gifts for his
part in making troublesome incidents go away Adams Bay College Dean of
Students, Edward Tarrant, isn't going to say no. These "gifts" aren't
all he's keeping on the down low. Exactly what was his relationship
with the deceased?
Hank Philippi Ryan, author of Say No More, spins these
narratives into a complex and intriguing web, one mystery lovers will
take delight in untangling. Can you figure the intersecting plots out
by the end of the book?
"We've been on this road trip before. Twenty years ago it was
Grandpa's trip for us, the grandkids, and it was because our parents
hadn't been getting along. Lots of yelling, lots of slammed doors,
and too many silent meals. Dad slept on the couch and pretended he
didn't. And Mom pretended not to be mad..."
Pretending and yelling are merely the mildest vices of the clan
portrayed by Samantha Downing in He Started It. Family relationships
consist of constantly shifting alliances. Avarice is rampant. Before
the last page every one of the ten commandments will be broken.
Take the Grampie and the kids cross country trek. The patriarch
is more Stephen King minor villain than loving ancestor. The
attractions they visit aren't exactly child friendly. There's a car
following the group for at least part of the trip. Chances are good
that, although it's allegedly for their benefit, Mom and Dad have not
signed off on the trip.
Now Grandpa's dead. But he's dictating a bizarre sequel. The
now grown kids are now heirs to his sizeable estate. But they won't
get a cent unless they reinact the road trip and scatter his ashes at
the end.
So the siblings, reunited for the first time in ages, along with
two spouses, are reenacting a nightmare. A truck is probably trailing
them. A couple of times their vehicle is sabotaged.
But the biggest danger for family members may not be one they
can shut out. They're not very good at sharing. At least one may
want the whole enchilada.
If you're a hard core thriller affecianado you'll want to get
your hands on He Started It.
On a purrrsonal note, it's a grey day. At least the rain won't start
until afternoon if my smartphone is accurate. Work was really light
yesterday. There were very few students. Probably with a day of no
classes those who could went to do something fun with friends. I envy
them. It's been so long!
The news that I'll be able to stay with Wells next semester and do the
work part of my internship in the summer has brought great joy to my
coworkers, management, and the students we serve. They need me,
especially where we're so COVID short staffed and I'm a dilligent
worker and morale booster. (Jules)
Well who can blame them? I need her. Hey, guess who's home!!! (Tobago)
Yep, Eugene. He's been at camp a few nights. I'm glad he showed up
before I went off to work. I don't hear from him while he's at camp
because there's no cell reception out in the boonies. (Jules)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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