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Banned Book Week

A break from the reviews for a moment to talk about Banned Book Week. 

The following is a personal opinion. Please don't get mad and think I'm a bad person if I don't agree with you. I respect your opinion if it is different. This is just what I'm thinking about on this week where we are tipping our hats to books like Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time and just about every teen book Judy Blume ever wrote.

I, personally, don't believe in banning books. I do believe we live in America, a country where freedom is kind of a big deal. Banning books goes complete against the notion of freedom.

I do believe in protecting children from things they should not be exposed to. I believe in protecting innocence. I believe there are some books that may not be appropriate for children of a certain age, but those same books might be just right for an older child.

Primarily, I believe that when it comes to the issue of a book's inappropriateness for a child, that is it not the government's right to decide. It is the right of the parent. And the only way a parent can do that is to be involved with what their child is reading or interested in reading.

Nuff said.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

As a big fan of the first Penderwick story, I was eager to see what Jeanne Birdsall would do with the girls back at home. These stories remind me of classic stories from years past like All of a Kind Family (maybe it's all those sisters) and Betsy, Tacey and Tibb. Birdsall's voice is reminiscent of a more classic author in a current setting and I enjoy every word.

Back home after their adventures at Arundel, Rosalind, Skye, Jane and Battie are confronted with the wishes of their dear departed mother that their widowed father begin dating. Horrified by the idea, they put their clever heads together to make sure a step-mother is not part of their future. With misadventures and cherished moments, this second tale of the Penderwick sisters has all the appeal of the first, with a little romance thrown in for good measure. 

While it may seem a "girl" book, it should most definitely appeal to younger boys -- and might give them a good lesson about their female counterparts as well. The first book won the National Book Award... I'll be interested to see if this one is nominated on October 15th. In my opinion, it absolutely should.

A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. My son, my husband and I all read (separately) "Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life" and love-love-loved it. (We all cried. All of us.) Ever since, I've been wanting to check out some of her other books and I found the title of this one intriguing. The story did not disappoint.

Mia is an unusual girl in that she has a "disorder" called synesthesia. I put disorder in quotes for two reasons. One, at first Mia doesn't realize she is any different than anyone else and two, because the synesthesia is not a detriment to Mia. Quite the opposite. So what is synesthesia? Well, if you have it you might taste bananas every time someone sneezes. Or you might see puffs of mango-colored clouds come out of your cat's mouth every time she breaths. Apparently, synesthesia is different for everyone, but it's a connection between your senses and for Mia it means she sees letters and numbers in color, and with patterns and texture.  When she hears sound, she sees shapes in the air before her eyes. Life has always been like this for her, and she doesn't know any different. Until she realizes that nobody else in her world experiences things the way she does. And from then on, Mia thinks something is wrong with her. She struggles in school, has few friends, and finally confides in her parents. I won't give away any more of the story, because the from there on out, the story pulls you along magnificently as Mia and her family work to find out what's going on.

And of course, Mia's beloved cat Mango (named for the color of her breath) plays a pivotal role in helping Mia discover that who you are is not always defined by what you can or cannot do.

As a reader, I was fascinated with synesthesia and loved discovering this subculture of people who experience the world in such a unique way. As a pet lover, this book broke my heart. Mia is totally believable in how she deals with her only friends, her classmates and her siblings. Once I hit the end of the first chapter, I literally couldn't put the book down -- the pacing is excellent and I was completely engaged in Mia's world. A rare 4.75 bookmarks for this one and I can't wait to read Wendy Mass' other books -- look for upcoming reviews on Leap Day and Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall.

a moment to reflect

This image was posted on literary agent Janet Reid's blog this morning. It's perfect.

9-11.

Never forget.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

I'm reading a lot of books lately where the kids converse or think in ways more adult than their years. In The Mysterious Benedict Society, however, one could argue that it fit with the characters being "exceptional children." In Savvy, Mibs is a delightful character, confused as a thirteen year old girl should be, especially when coming into her special family talent. The problem comes when she figures things out.

In Mibs (short for Mississippi) Beaumont's family, coming of age has an interesting twist. On the day of their thirteenth birthday, children in that family discover their savvy, another word for a special gift that is uniquely theirs. Mibs' grandfather can move mountains. Her mother is perfectly perfect in every way. Her oldest brother conducts electricity and her other brother, Fish, raises storms with his emotions. Literally. The children are home-schooled after their 13th birthday because controlling a savvy is tricky. Which is why Mibs is a bit nervous about what hers will be.

And then, the day before her birthday, a terrible accident puts her beloved father in a coma. Now Mibs, Fish, and their youngest brother, are stuck under the protective watch of their pastor's wife. When Mibs' birthday dawns, and she starts to get hints that her savvy might help her father, she decides to stowaway on the bus delivering Bibles to the church (along with both her brothers and the pastor's two kids). This begins a wild adventure trying to get to the hospital, and all the wrong turns along the way that help Mibs discover that her true savvy may be something more than she even realizes.

I liked the originality of this book. It was an enjoyable read and the story pulled me in and carried me right along. My only issue, which I hinted at above, is that in the first person POV, Mibs tells us a little too much about what she's thinking. The conclusions she reaches about "growing up" are a bit too wise for someone her age, and come too easily within a 48 hour period. If only figuring yourself out at that age were so easy. I almost think that if the author had not explained so much about "how Mibs was feeling" and let her actions show us, it might not have felt as forced.

Still, I think the book has a wonderful message that each of us have a uniqueness that can have an impact. Definitely worth a read. 3 and a half bookmarks.