Non-fiction book review - Race Against Time

 

Race Against Time by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace

I had some knowledge of the Elaine Massacre, but only because I listen to podcasts. It's certainly not something that was ever addressed in my history classes. The facts of the case are laid out in this text in a clear and concise manner. We learn about the initial incident, the arrests, and the years long fight to see justice done. Obviously, we get a fair amount of information about Scipio Jones, more about him than an of the victims. The most interesting part to me was the compromises. The results of the legal battles were far from ideal but Jones knew he had to accept these compromises to keep the men alive. There's no satisfaction in reading this book, no sense that good was done. But that's as important as a story of triumph. We need to learn about failures to help prevent their repetition. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Benny Feldman's All-Star Klezmer Band

 

Title: Benny Feldman's All-Star Klezmer Band

Author: Allison & Wayne Marks

Genre: realistic fiction 

Similar books:  My Year of Epic Rock by Andrea Pyros

                       I am Drums by Mike Grosso

Rating: 

 

a unique perspective to a predictable plot

Summary (provided by publisher): Eleven-year-old Benny Feldman spends his days at Sieberling School obeying his number-one rule for surviving sixth grade: blend into the background.
So when he signs up his klezmer band to play in the school talent show, his classmates are shocked. Teased by guitar superstar and former friend Jason Conroy, Benny vows to win the trophy and erase the embarrassing nickname that has haunted him since his disastrous debut performance in an first-grade Sabbath play.
But, there is a problem. Benny Feldman's All-Star Klezmer Band is only a figment of Benny's imagination. He loves the traditional klezmer music of Eastern Europe, but how is he going to find other players to join him?
With the show a few months away, Benny, an accomplished fiddler, embarks on a quest to assemble a band that will beat Jason's rock group at the talent show. His search takes him to an arcade convention, a potato chip factory, an oddities shop, and a storage room stacked with cans of creamed corn and succotash. Along the way he meets Jennifer, a jazz-loving drummer; Royce, a bow-tie-wearing clarinet prodigy; and Stuart, a braggart accordion player from Cajun Country. He also learns a great deal about the joys and sorrows that lie at the heart of klezmer and discovers that being different can be wonderful.
Eventually, the ragtag and renamed "Klez Misfits" mount the stage and the tension-filled climax will have young readers wondering until the end if Benny and his band can pull off a miracle.
This fun and feel-good story shows how friends, family, history and culture can all build confidence. Benny learns to believe in himself and has fun and finds love along the way.

My opinion: I enjoyed this one more than I expected. It addresses a couple of things that are often overlooked in fiction. Most often, when religion comes up in a book it involves the characters telling us how their family is religious in name or culture only. While we don't get details of Benny's family's belief system, we do get the sense that Judaism is a significant part of their lives, an inbuilt part of their reality. And we're seeing how that influences their every day life, not just surrounding bar mitzvah prep (the typical usage in fiction). Even more, we see how religion and music and culture are all twined together in Benny's life and in his family history. And let's talk about the music. Not a rock band. Not a country band. But music as it is wrapped into a culture. As Benny explains klezmer music to other musicians, he sees the parallels to other musical traditions. Now, I will say that the writing is a bit stiff and some of the plot elements a bit fantastic. It may have benefited from a little more nuance. Overall, though, I call this one a net positive.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Custom flamingo

 I have something of a fondness for lawn flamingos, especially if they are unusual in some way. I have one that I usually keep in my yard that has wiggle eyes. But I wanted something a little more unique. So I bought a plain flamingo at the dollar store.

And then spruced it up with some multi-surface acrylic paint.

Listen with me

 

The June Boys by Court Stevens

What better way to travel into the new year than by listening to a thriller while running? With missing kids, family secrets, and complex plots this one promises to be a compelling listen.

Non-fiction book review - The ABCs of Black History

 

The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez

The reader will not be surprised to discover that this is far from a typical alphabet book. Really, Cortez is using the alphabet as a framework to introduce a wide variety of topics related to Black History and culture. Sometimes this is famous figures (Langston Hughes or Malcolm X). Some letters are represented by important events. More intriguing are the letters represented by concepts, things that can be hard to explain but which Cortez handles masterfully. I mean, I've never seen a picture book that uses the word "diaspora" before. Each letter gets just a few rhyming lines in the main text but is explained in more depth in the final pages of notes. The content is appropriate for young children but doesn't sugarcoat reality. This would be a great framework for a Black History Month curriculum, using each letter's concept as a focus for study.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Escaping Eleven

 

Title: Escaping Eleven

Author: Jerri Chisholm

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau 

                      The Seclusion by Jacqui Castle

Rating: 

 

a decent addition to the genre

Summary (provided by publisher): In Compound Eleven, the hierarchy of the floors is everything.
My name is Eve Hamilton, and on my floor, we fight.
Which at least is better than the bottom floor, where they toil away in misery. Only the top floor has any ease in this harsh world; they rule from their gilded offices.
Because four generations ago, Earth was rendered uninhabitable—the sun too hot, the land too barren. Those who remained were forced underground. While not a perfect life down here, I’ve learned to survive as a fighter.
Except my latest match is different. Instead of someone from the circuit, my opponent is a mysterious boy from the top floor. And the look in his eyes tells me he’s different…maybe even kind.
Right before he kicks my ass.
Still, there’s something about him—something that says he could be my salvation...or my undoing. Because I’m no longer content to just survive in Eleven. Today, I'm ready to fight for more than my next meal: I'm fighting for my freedom. And this boy may just be the edge I've been waiting on.

My opinion: We've seen a scant few dystopian teen novels in recent years. It's a shame since they were some of my favorites. Now that we're seeing more of them again, they're more innovative. Authors are finding new approaches to these worlds. Consider the world of Compound Eleven: heavily stratified by economics, limited opportunities for those in the lowest levels, a leader interested only in his own comfort and power. This is a fairly standard set-up. And Eve is a fairly standard protagonist. She's a have-not who dreams of escape. But there are some variations. For instance, Eve is not one of the lowest tier. This is important so that she has something to lose beyond her physical being and allows us to see her as compassionate. The role of fighting in the culture is an interesting twist. This is a world where fighting skills might get you a guard job or just as easily a professional fighting gig. A more interesting twist is Eve's view of her world. She begins the book plotting her escape. Most dystopias have the hero coming to a gradual realization that has them leaving on a whim. Eve plots out every step of her escape. Instead of learning reasons to leave, she's making ties with people and finding reasons to stay. With additional reflections on guilt and responsibility, I find this one well worth the read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Framed print

 Last year my brother brought me a signed print from a comic-con and I've been storing it carefully ever since, waiting for the perfect frame to hang it. Nothing ever really seemed right. And then I bought a large box of Pokemon cards and realized that the inner cardboard was a fantastic shade of teal. 

 

It was just what I've been looking for. It's the perfect frame for my print.