It was great to be back in the children's department today :) As much as I like doing storytimes and having more responsibility and independence with my new position in Outreach, I still feel homesick for the children's department. There's just something about staying busy and being able to really interact and make a connection with the patrons like you can working a service desk in the library. I love the variety, of people and issues; I'm so glad that I still get to do this at least one day a week!
Today it started out quiet, which I used as an opportunity to brush up on different features of the ILS and the summer reading database, straighten up the shelves and refill displays, and sort shelving carts for the night page. Things gradually got very busy by the latter part of the day. I had several summer reading finishers, and I always enjoy being able to give them their prize book and seeing what they choose. Of course there were the usual tasks: showing people how the catalog works, helping them locate materials, shelf checks, placing holds, checking books in, showing people how to use the self-checkout station, issuing library cards, and providing program information. In particular there was one family who were from another country and English was not their first language. The mom asked several questions throughout the time they were there, and kept apologizing. I assured her there was no reason to apologize and that that's what we were there for, and that I was happy to help her in any way I could.
Later in the day I did have a little drama. While I had a couple of people at the desk and the phone ringing, a younger teenage boy approached and said he needed help. I told him I would be right with him as soon as I finished helping the people that were there first, which I was able to do quickly. He said that some other kids were trying to start a fight with him. I called security right away [I am so glad we have them!] I thought he was probably being overly dramatic, but after the first security guard came and talked to him and checked out the situation, 2 others showed up to monitor the situation and be sure there was no trouble, and they felt he was indeed in danger. The boy called his mom to come get him (he had ridden his bike) and the guards waited until she got there so they could escort him out to the car safely. It's a shame this kind of thing happens, but I am very glad this boy handled it appropriately and came to me for help, rather than escalating the situation.
We have so many kids that just hang out at the library because they have nowhere else to go and nothing constructive to do. They don't read, they just play on the computers and run around the building and eventually get into trouble. Most of them aren't bad kids; they are just bored, undisciplined kids with nothing constructive to do. I wish we had some type of on-going program in the summer to give kids like this some badly needed structure and purpose.
The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell. June 2, 2015, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 368 pages. Ages 13 & up.
Seventeen-year old Abe Sora plays baseball, loves reading and learning, and dreams of being a professor and teaching others. Then one day he collapses on the field, his legs inexplicably weak. As the weakness worsens he undergoes multiple rounds of tests, only to finally arrive at the terrible diagnosis: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease).
In that moment, all Sora's dreams are dashed and replaced by a bleak prognosis of progressive weakness, pain, and helplessness, leading to death within two years. Eventually he is unable to attend school any longer, and turns to books and the internet to fill his hours at home, using an online chat room as way to connect with other teens without his illness getting in the way. He makes 2 new friends, first online, then in real life. The three friends talk about their dreams and pressures, and give each other the support and courage to make difficult decisions about their futures.
As his condition worsens and the weakness spreads to his hands and arms and he becomes more and more dependent on his mother, Sora struggles with the issues of death and dying with dignity, and has to make the most difficult decision of all.
My Thoughts
I thought this was a beautiful, bittersweet, story of friendship, goodbyes, and making peace with the cards you're dealt. Of course it was sad at times, but I liked seeing how the friendships between Sora, Mai, and Kaito developed, first from casual chatting online, then in real life. I was glad Sora was able to find peers he could connect with, who, once they got over the initial shock, could accept Sora's illness without pity but with honesty and sincere friendship. I liked how Sora opened up with them and could answer their questions honestly, without trying to put on a brave face or sugar-coating things like he felt he had to do for his mother.
While this can be a bit of a tear-jerker at times, I did not find it to be an overwhelmingly sad book. While an obvious comparison would be John Greene's The Fault In Our Stars as they both deal with teens that have serious illnesses and their relationships, the plot of The Last Leaves Falling is more simple, with no real plot twists. I would also compare it to If I Stay by Gayle Foreman, as both deal with teens making decisions about how and when to die. Another novel of the same genre would be Chris Crutcher's Deadline, which also stars a teenage boy with a terminal illness deciding to live and die on his own terms. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed any of the above, and those who are more interested in a thoughtful, character-driven story, rather than action and drama.
Other Works By This Author
This appears to be Sarah Benwell's first book.
Armada by Ernest Cline, July 14, 2015. Crown Publishers, 368 pages. Ages teen - adult.
Summary
Zack Lightman has spent much of his eighteen years wishing his life was different. Not that he has it bad; he has a mom who loves him, a couple of good friends, an easy part-time job where he gets paid to talk about his favorite past-time, gaming. But despite having a close relationship with his mom, he can't help but wish he had been able to know his dad, who was tragically killed shortly after he was born, and he has always felt his life was dull and mundane and he was destined for something greater.
As Zack himself puts it, "... ever since the first day of kindergarten, I had been hoping and waiting for some mind-blowingly fantastic, world-altering event to finally shatter the endless monotony of my public education." An avid sci-fi and gaming fan, he daydreamed about zombie outbreaks, super power-inducing accidents, and most of all, the arrival of little green men. Then one day, in the middle of math class, he looks out the window and sees a flying saucer! At first he thinks his eyes are playing tricks on him, but not only does it persist, as he gets a better view he sees that it looks exactly like the enemy fighter ship from his favorite videogame, Armada. Now he begins to seriously doubt his sanity and fears that he is truly loosing his mind.
Then events quickly unfold that prove the situation to be even more dire, and somehow connected to his father. Will Zack be able to uncover the whole truth?
My Thoughts
I do not typically enjoy most science fiction, nor do I expect a lot of it, but I did like Armada. As someone who came of age in the 1980's, I enjoyed all the references to 80's pop culture, and some of the older sci-fi movies and shows (I confess to being a bit of a Trekkie by marriage). While it was an enjoyable enough read, I did find much of the story pretty predictable and not really all that original, though fairly well written. I did feel the long, detailed descriptions of videogame play were boring and found myself quickly skimming past them; maybe gamers would appreciate them more, but they weren't necessary to the story. I can see this being made into a movie, and it seems it was written with that in mind, as though there are numerous references to pop-culture, the plot does not depend on actual images and clips of many of them, thus making it more feasible to produce without out the licensing entanglements that Ready Player One will involve.
Cline's debut novel was such a hit, very original, well-written and fun, I was afraid Armada would be a huge disappointment. While I don't think it was as good as his first novel or will have quite as wide an appeal since the first was not typical sci-fi and more of a quest or adventure, I still think it is a decent read. I would recommend it for anyone who liked Ready Player One, Ender's Game, or movies such as Independence Day, The Day The Earth Stood Still, or the Star Trek franchise. Also someone into gaming, especially the classics, or other children of the 80's like myself would probably enjoy it well enough. I wouldn't buy it, but it's worth checking out from the library if you're looking for something to read on vacation.
Other Works by This Author
Ready Player One, a quest for a hidden "Easter egg" in a virtual universe soon has real-life consequences.
Circus Mirandus, by Cassie Beasley, June, 2015. Dial Books. 304 pages. Ages 9-12.
Summary
Ten-year old Micah Tuttle has grown up listening to his grandfather's fantastic stories about a wonderful, magical circus called the "Circus Mirandus". There were stories about strongmen, fairies, fantastic creatures, and magical tastes and smells. Stories about the Amazing Amazonian Bird Woman who could not only fly, but sang like an angel, using her voice to communicate with and control her flock of magnificent birds. But what Grandfather Ephraim talked about most was The Man Who Bends Light.
But then things changed. Micah's grandfather, who has raised him since his parents died when he was very young, becomes gravely ill and is dying. Grandfather Ephraim's sister Gertrudis comes to help take care of him and Micah, but it becomes apparent that Gertrudis is not a happy person, and seems to take a particular dislike to two things: Micah and any mention of magic or the Circus Mirandus. Grandfather Ephraim sends a desperate message to The Man Who Bends Light, which Ephraim shortens to "The Lightbender," requesting a long-ago promised miracle.
Ephraim tells Micah that all his stories are true and that the Circus Mirandus is very real, and that he has requested his miracle from the Lightbender. Micah sets out to find the Circus Mirandus to plead for his grandfather's miracle, believing that he has asked The Lightbender to save him from dying. With the help of his skeptical friend Jenny, Micah actually finds the Circus and sees all the wonders his grandfather had told him about, as well as discovers a secret about his family tree.
Micah also discovers that The Lightbender does not have the power to save his grandfather, nor is that the miracle his grandfather had asked for, and has to make a leap of faith in order to ultimately fulfill Ephraim's last wish.
My Thoughts
Circus Mirandus is a fantastical tale about love, friendship, faith, and of course, magic. It reminds me of the adult novel, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, in many ways. It has the same sense of mysticism and illusion and some of the same elements, without the romance and deadly competition. It is entertaining and has you rooting for Jenny, the protagonist's skeptical friend, to become a believer. While the ending is pretty predictable for an adult, I think most young readers will be kept guessing.
I think this book would appeal to those who aren't in a hurry to grow up, and still want to believe in a little magic. I would recommend it to those who like imaginative stories about magic and fantasy, such as fans of Roald Dahl's books, Peter Pan, fairy stories, and Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series. I think it would probably be more appealing to the younger end of the recommended age range, as most 12 year olds I know are already into darker and more dramatic dystopian or fantasy fiction.
Other Books by This Author
Circus Mirandus is Cassie Beasley's debut novel
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. July, 2015. HarperCollins. 288 pages. For adults or mature teens.
Summary
Twenty-six year-old Jean Louise Finch leaves New York to return to her small hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, for her annual visit to see her remaining family and her oldest friend, Hank. However, this visit unexpectedly proves to be a turning point in her life and in her relationship with her father, Hank, and the whole town.
Jean Louise has always idolized her father, Atticus, believing him to be perfectly honorable, just, fair, and decent. She has always loved Hank, and despite not being in love with him, thought that she might someday marry him, an idea that scandalizes her Aunt Alexandra because Hank is not "their kind". Hank came up from what proper Macomb society views as "trash" and has had to work hard for everything he has and now works with Atticus in the practice of law.
Over the next few days, Jean Louise witnesses things that cause her to question everything: her upbringing, her relationship with the woman who helped raise her, Hank, and above all, her father's morality and integrity. As she wrestles with this crisis of identity and conscience, she remembers and re-examines various events in her childhood and her relationships. Finally, it comes to a head and she confronts Hank, then Atticus and ultimately finds herself.
My Thoughts
I liked To Kill A Mockingbird so much, I was almost afraid to read this book, especially amid all the controversy. But they are really two very different books, so much so, that it's easy to forget Jean Louise is Scout. Whereas To Kill A Mockingbird also deals with racism, it is treated more simplistically and not the sole focus of the whole book. The book is also full of funny childhood exploits, and the endearing relationships between Scout and the reclusive neighbor who ended up saving her life. I found To Kill A Mockingbird to be a more *enjoyable* read, but Go Set A Watchman to be a more *powerful* read.
Go Set A Watchman is set amid the turmoil of the civil rights movement, and shows how truly complex equality, racisim, and civil rights are, and ties them into the age-old arguments of federal versus states' rights, big government versus the individual. It also shows the emotional turmoil Jean Louise feels when facing that the father she has always idolized is not perfect and has opinions about people and race that she finds immoral and is viscerally opposed to, and feeling that she no longer fits in with the people and town she grew up with.
Go Set A Watchman is a very compelling, profound, and well-written story that even now can make one re-examine one's beliefs and shed new insights on race-relations in the South, and I was not disappointed after all. While To Kill A Mockingbird is often read and enjoyed by teens and middle-grade readers as well as adults, I think Go Set A Watchman would be best for adults and older teens with the knowledge and maturity to understand the true complexities of racism and the civil rights movement, as well as the emotional journey Jean Louise goes through when separating herself from her father. There is nothing horribly inappropriate (there is the brief mention of incest, a reference to the rape case in the prior book, and mild language); I just think much of it would be lost on younger readers.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed To Kill A Mockingbird, someone who is interested in states' rights, civil rights, and racial equality from a cultural or historical perspective, or someone interested in stories dealing with the struggle of adult children to separate from their parents and establish their own identity or reconcile reality with their idealized childhood perceptions. I also should mention that I didn't think Atticus was portrayed as negatively as I was expecting from what I had heard prior to reading the book.
I don't know what to make of all the controversy about the discovery of this manuscript and whether Ms. Lee was competent to consent to publication; I can only say I certainly hope everything is on the up and up and she was not taken advantage of or manipulated. While I am glad that this story was not initially published (otherwise we would have missed out on the wonderful story of Scout and Jem in To Kill A Mockingbird), I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it now.
