Monthly Archives: June 2014

The Freak Observer

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In giving voice to memorable teenager Loa Lindgren, Blythe Woolston offers us a penetrating look into the heart of a wounded but marvelously unique soul working her way through the pain of losing loved ones to death, overcoming nightmares in which death (The Bony Guy) haunts and menaces her, coping with seemingly merciless parents, loving a little brother, retrieving her own hope, and making us care as she does.

This voice is not a common one. Loa, assigned to explain “The Freak Observer” by her Physics teacher, laces her experiences together with dreams and physics questions as she works her way through them. Compounded by confusion about Corey, her friend/lover, and his enigmatic, seemingly threatening postcards from Europe, Loa’s life appears bleak and unpromising.

Then change happens just when it should, and it is not, thank the stars, all up to her anymore. As her understanding shifts, there is starlight where before there was a universe of regret, and, as so often in life, new friends and art pave the way for hope, self-love, and fulfillment.

“The Freak Observer” is a conscious entity that pops into being in its own universe because there may be other universes to observe. So, in a sweet dream that comes at last, Loa finds she is able to breathe underwater in a world astonishingly beautiful and new, realizing “this is only another universe. And I’m its observer.”

Well-written and absorbing, this book is a fine path through the brain of a tender young person well on her way. Highly recommended.

The Symptoms of My Insanity

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Izzy has issues: she has huge boobs that the boys tease her about mercilessly,her mother is hypercritical of her appearance, constantly implying that she looks slutty, and her best friend is acting totally weird. But none of that compares to the fact that her mother is hiding something. She had cancer – but she is better, isn’t she? And why is her bff acting so weird? Why is the hottest guy on the basketball team hanging around her? It seems like everyone is keeping something from Izzy. Her method to deal with everything is to look for symptoms and self-diagnose. If Izzy is sick, her mother will have to pay attention to her, and not just for her boobs, right? When a risque picture of her goes viral and her mother needs surgery, Izzy’s entire world falls down around her.  There is a lot going on in this book. And the boys who make sure the picture is seen by everyone are not held accountable for what they do. But this book is about relationships and truth. Izzy is believable and readers will root for her to figure out what is going on around her and overcome the challenges that face her. Lots of humor here, but some serious issues as well. I wish the ending didn’t seem so pat.

The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy

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The dinosaur tooth fairy has been lonely as it’s been a long, long time since the dinosaurs were around.  She hangs around the natural history museum and sees a child who has just, at that moment, lost a tooth, and the dinosaur tooth fairy realizes she needs that tooth.  She chases after the child, to her home, and has to wrestle the  human tooth fairy for it.  They compromise and the dinosaur tooth fairy gives the human tooth fairy a dinosaur tooth, and the dinosaur t.f. gets the human’s tooth.  They are now bff’s.  A little too much going on here and it’s confusing.  It’s a difficult concept for kids to think of how long ago the dinosaurs actually lived, but then to add the tooth fairy to the mix is unnecessary.

Recentering the Universe: The Radical Theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton

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This book explains the history of the theories of the universe. Miller provides a short segment on Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology before exploring the Greek theories that eventually formed the basis for Christian thinking on the geocentric view of the universe. These views became so fixed in church doctrine that anyone questioning the theories was deemed a radical and an enemy of the church.

Miller does an excellent job explaining the theories of the scientists who have considered the nature of the universe over time: Anaximander, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton among others. The information is accessible even for those who are not well-versed in science. His emphasis, however, is on the courage the scientists of the Renaissance and later displayed in the face of condemnation by the church for their pursuit of knowledge. While many people are aware of Galileo’s trial, not as many know Copernicus, who died in 1543, was buried in an unmarked grave and the Catholic Church banned his book. His remains were not discovered until 2005 and he was finally given an honorable burial in 2010. Photographs, sidebars, a glossary and a list of additional resources provide even more information on the topic. This book was surprisingly interesting and would make a excellent addition to a school library’s nonfiction section.

A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return

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This stark graphic novel tells the story of the residents of one building on a bombed out street in Beirut during the civil war in Lebanon. Two children are waiting at home for their parents to return from a visit to their grandmother’s house and when they don’t return, all of the residents of the building come down, one by one, to care for the children.  They tell stories, look at wedding photos, make dinner – distract the children as best they can until their parents come home or there is news.

The book is illustrated in black and white, with angular characters and occasional photos or maps in the background. The events take place in the course of one night, although the reader sees the course of many events of the war through the stories of the inhabitants. Inspired by the story of the author’s family, this novel is compelling; I read it through quickly the first time to learn the fate of the residents. Then I went back and reread it, examining the drawings for the incredible details. I think the form and style will attract readers, who might otherwise never learn much about life in war-torn Beirut.

50 Successful University of California Application Essays

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This reference focuses on how to write the scholarship application essay that will get you into one of the branches of the University of California. Not quite as easily accessible as other guides by the Tanabes, this is very definitely aimed at a different audience. The book begins with a chapter called “25 Essay Mistakes that Guarantee Failure,” followed by a question and answer chapter that has UC admissions officers responding to questions. The next 15 or so chapters include essays about different topics, such as literature, family, challenges, and more. Each essay is followed by an analysis which offers an excellent critique and pointers on what to do and not do. The last two chapters are full of advice on topics and writing from University of California students. Traditionally, there have not been many students in my building applying to UC schools, but the lessons in this guide should apply to any four year university.

Zen and Xander Undone

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Zen (Athena) and Xander (Alexandria) are trying to deal with the death of their mother, with no help from their father who has withdrawn from his family and the world. Zen buries herself in her karate training and instruction; Xander, who has always been somewhat of a wild child, is now on a path of total destruction. One day, the girls receive a letter from their mother, which promises that there will be more letters and packages to come. What also arrives is a mystery. The girls find out that their mother had a secret, and since she isn’t there to ask, they decide to find out on their own. However, the closer they get to an answer, the less certain they are that they want to know.

The sisters are realistic and believable; their struggle to deal with their grief rings true. The supporting characters are interesting; it is a shame that their father is so crippled with grief that he is just a side character. There is some language and quite a bit of objectionable behavior; however, it is not gratuitous. It is Xander’s way of dealing with her grief and quite understandable, if misguided.

Definitely for grades 9+.