Review: Destiny, Rewritten

Destiny, Rewritten
By Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Expected publication February 19, 2013 by Katharine Tegen Books

Emily Elizabeth Davis was named for a poet. She's heard the story probably a million times - her mother was inspired to name her after Emily Dickinson, and she believes that Emily's destiny is to be a famous poet as well. Emily herself is not so sure - poetry seems a little fussy. She might like romance novels better. But what she's most concerned about is knowing who her father is - is it her destiny to find him again?

I requested an e-galley of this title on my quest to read more tween books. I liked the cover art (judge me, it's okay) and I thought the book could be an interesting exploration of what destiny might mean to an 11-year-old. What I mostly feel after finishing this book is underwhelmed. Let me talk about the good first. Emily has a very distinct voice - I love her fixation on romance novels and I can almost hear her rolling her eyes at her mother's pontifications on destiny. I appreciated her earnest quest to discover what destiny really means - do we control it ourselves? Is it all planned for us ahead of time? These are questions that many people struggle with and, as a tween, may be among the most serious things you think about. I like that she consulted a variety of experts in her quest and how she was willing to take chances in an attempt to change her destiny. I like the happily ever after ending (really? who doesn't?) and how a series of seeming coincidences lead to it. What I feel underwhelmed with is the story as a whole - maybe I just don't get it because I'm not a mother, but I found Emily's mom a bit unreasonable about revealing the identity of her father. She was a bit too out there for me. The short chapters are good for keeping the story moving along, but they also felt a bit too short at times. A lot of the dialogue felt too forced and the writing didn't quite flow for me. Overall, everything just felt a bit too stilted for this book to really work for me. Is it appealing to kids? I think so - tweens are often just starting to ask the big questions about things like destiny and who they will turn out to be. But, for me, it just didn't quite grab me.

Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy provided via Edelweiss.

Program: Homemade for the Holidays

How is it February and I'm just writing about programs that happened in December? It seems that now I'm doing so much programming and only blogging about it once a week that I've fallen very far behind schedule. Maybe I'll have to re-evaluate my blogging schedule. Anyway, the tween program for December was called "Homemade for the Holidays." I decided to offer two crafts - one that could be given as a gift and one that was more for decorating the home. In hindsight, I probably should have just stuck to one, as we ended up feeling a bit rushed to get through both projects in an hour. But, this was one of my best attended programs, so I'm still happy. Our two craft projects were both things I'd found on Pinterest: a t-shirt scarf, and a 3-D paper snowflake.

The kids (okay, girls) brought their own t-shirts and I walked them step-by-step through the process of cutting and stretching to make a new scarf out of an old, unwanted t-shirt. The directions I followed are here. It's ridiculously simple to do and a lot of fun - the pulling and stretching of the pieces was a good time for all. It comes out looking pretty cool. It only took me about twenty minutes to make when I created an example beforehand, which is part of the reason I thought I should do more than one craft. Slowly but surely I'm learning that just because it only takes me twenty minutes doesn't mean it's going to go as quickly for the kids. Some of the girls had no problems, but there are always kids that struggle or are perfectionists (we had a lot of those this time around). Since I hadn't anticipated such a large group, it was, at times, a bit difficult to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they understood the directions. I roped in a couple of our regular teen volunteers to help out, but there were still a few mistakes. One girl had thought to bring some extra t-shirts, so we lucked out there. I took the girls step by step through the process, explaining and visually demonstrating each step at the front of the room, then walking around to make sure everyone understood. In the end, I think they all thought the craft was very easy and looked cool and many of them were trying to decide what to do with their scraps.

For the home decor craft, I wanted to do these 3-D paper snowflakes. They look amazingly cool and incredibly complicated but are actually really simple and quick to make. However, since the t-shirt craft had taken a bit longer than expected, we were rushing a little to get this one finished. The girls were confused with the instructions at first, though I explained and demonstrated them in the same way I did for the t-shirt project. However, a few girls caught on quickly and helped explain to their tablemates, and I walked around helping, as did my volunteers. They were all very impressed with how easy this was to make and how cool it looked when finished.

In the end, everyone walked away with two projects and new knowledge. They were all happy and excited and I made sure to plug my January program, so hopefully some of them will come back. I did have some adults interested in the program, so we mentioned that to our adult services department. I think easy crafting is very popular right now (I mean, obviously) so I'd definitely like to do more programs like this in the future. Which programs are most popular for the tweens at your library?

Picture Book Saturday

Zoo Girl
By Rebecca Elliott
Published 2012 by Lion UK
This has a bit of dark beginning, with the titular girl an orphan all alone in the world. But it moves on to happier things, with simple text and lovely illustrations. I liked the simplicity of the story, though it might be a bit jarring for young readers, especially with the gloomy start. I think it's a cute book, but you definitely have to know your audience when sharing this one.

There Was a Tree

By Rachel Isadora

Published 2012 by Nancy Paulsen Books

A new picture book version of a favorite children's song, I adored this book. I quite enjoy the song (though I know it as "The Green Grass Grows All Around") and I loved seeing it in picture book form. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful - Isadora has transported the song to Africa and the illustrations evoke the African countryside perfectly. The colors are just lovely to look at and the style is simple but lush. Isadora has transformed the text slightly, making it into a rebus. I think this is really well done, and I like the additional layer it adds to the text.

Creature Count: A Prehistoric Rhyme

By Brenda Huante, illustrated by Vincent Nguyen

Published 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Very cute and sure to be very popular, this simple picture book combines counting with dinosaurs in a rhyming text. This would be perfect in storytime, though some of the pronunciations would be tricky (and there is no helpful guide at the end). If this were trying a little harder, this could be considered a non-fiction book as well, but a note at the end points out that the creatures depicted didn't all live during the same time periods, despite being shown alongside each other. However, kids will likely not notice this (though some dinosaur fanatics will be eager to point that out) and will definitely enjoy the pictures and rhythm of this book.

Bailey at the Museum

By Harry Bliss

Published 2012 by Scholastic

This is an adorable story of Bailey, who accompanies his class to the Museum of Natural History. He's very excited about it. I liked the simple joy depicted through Bailey as he does what many schoolchildren love to do - go on a field trip! Though maybe museums weren't always at the top of everyone's list, there is usually something for everyone there. I liked the little friendship that develops between Bailey and the museum security guard. This is just a sweet little book.

Review: The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, book three)
By Rick Riordan
Published 2012 by Hyperion

WARNING: There will be spoilers for the first two books in the series. To read my reviews of those titles, go here and here.

With a prophecy hanging over her head, Annabeth is a bit of a nervous wreck. She's about to be reunited with her boyfriend (who she hasn't seen in many months) - that is, if she can get her ship past the Romans, who are poised for battle. In addition, she carries a gift from her mother that feels more like a burden than a delightful present. Will Annabeth - along with the other demigods - be able to find and close the Doors of Death?

I, like many others, had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of this title (perhaps not as much as my boyfriend, who has a literary crush on Annabeth). The more time passes, the more this new series grows on me. As I've said in my first two reviews, this is due in large part to the deeper complexity of the plot in this series. There are multiple prophecies being explored throughout this series, as well as two entire sets of mythology to mine for characters and stories, leading to a richer world. I do, in fact, like Annabeth as a character and was excited to see her as one of the narrators of this story. Once again, Riordan has a great sense for compelling the story along, as this is his longest book yet and the pages just flew by as I read. However, on the whole, I don't think this is executed as well as his previous titles. I'm pretty sure that, as a series, The Kane Chronicles is my favorite, but I've enjoyed all of his books. With this one, for the first time, I felt a sense of ridiculous. The book is told in alternating narratives: four characters take turns telling the story. But, this time I noticed a lot of "meanwhile, back at the ranch..." type storytelling and it just seemed a little tedious. I suppose this has actually been going on throughout this whole series (and actually, probably occurs in the Kane Chronicles as well) but this was the first time I noticed it. I feel like I rolled my eyes at the beginning of every new narrator's section.

That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book - like I said, it's fast-paced, complex and exciting. And, maybe this is a weird sentiment, but these characters feel comfortable. Percy and Annabeth have now been characters in eight books, more than Harry and Ron and Hermoine, though they've been more or less present throughout the two series. But there is something about reading these characters that just feels comfortable, despite the fact that their lives are usually in mortal peril. I love seeing the characters and their relationships with each other develop over the course of the series. I like discovering the new twists and turns that they will have to navigate in order to achieve their destinies. I love that I still continue to learn new things with every book I read.

So, though I may have felt a little less enthusiastic about the telling of this story than the others, I still love these stories and hope Riordan continues to create new ones.

Review: Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey
By Jerry Spinelli
Published 2013 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

It all starts when the girl steals Jack's beloved bike, Scramjet, and soon nothing in Hokey Pokey seems quite the same. At least for Jack. As he begins to see things differently, he wonders what it means for his time left in Hokey Pokey and what exactly he should do about it.

All right, for the most part, I love Jerry Spinelli - I adored Maniac Magee when I was younger (keep meaning to revisit it - someday!) and have loved most of the novels of his I've read since then. It sort of amazes me that he's still writing books, though I don't know why it should. I was delighted last year to discover Jake and Lily, which I thought was a great portrait of siblings. So, I was once again excited to find out he was publishing another new book this year. I have to admit, I'm not sure what to say about this one, though. You see, this is a very interesting book, not what I've come to expect from Spinelli and, while I appreciate the trying of new things, I was not enjoying this book at all when I started. As a matter of fact, I found the book rather tedious for probably the first half. Then I decided to just let my expectations go and read, see what I would discover. I won't say I loved the book after that point, but it was definitely easier to read once I stopped fighting against its uniqueness. I don't want to give it all away but I have to say this - what changed this book for me was the ending. You see, dear reader, this ending sucker-punched me. It brought the whole book together for me, changed the way I thought about it all, and made me want to turn right back to page one and read it again, this time knowing the secret. This book is, amazingly enough, already getting Newbery buzz (yes, the awards were just announced last week - we're talking about the ones that'll be announced in 2014) and I will be very interested to see this one being discussed around the awards blogs. I have a feeling it'll be a very black or white book - you'll either love it or hate it. For me, the ending clinched it - I'll never doubt Spinelli again.

Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.

Review: Hero

Hero
By Perry Moore, read by Michael Urie
Published 2011 by Brilliance Audio

Thom gets that his father is suffering. That's part of the reason why he doesn't confide in him about his special powers. Or that he's joining the League, an organization of superheroes that shunned his father. The worst secret of all is that Thom is gay, and he doesn't know how to figure out who he truly wants to be.


This book came highly recommended from a few friends. I don't really read a lot of superhero-type books but I'm willing to try pretty much anything. I was interested to see how the intersection of two secret identities would play out in the novel and which would be the more difficult for Thom to come out about/come to terms with. Unsurprisingly, Thom struggles about equally with both aspects of his emerging identity and the two pieces seem to interact in unexpected ways.I liked the slow reveal of Thom's history - we know something big happened to his father but not what. As the pieces are revealed, Thom's struggles make even more and more sense. I loved Thom's ragtag band of up-and-coming superheroes. Though it's cliche for us to be presented with a band of underdogs to root for, there's a reason it's a cliche - it's genuinely a great feeling to get behind the underdogs. I love that they had some real but also some ridiculous powers and I liked that Thom worried he wouldn't be much good in a fight because his ability is healing instead of something defensive. Despite this being a book about superheroes, Thom's feelings of being overwhelmed by his struggles are incredibly realistic. I felt like the divide between Thom and his father was also realistic and very well-done. I did think that the truths of Uberman and the Dark Hero were a bit obvious, but with so much else going on in the story, I suppose it didn't seem that poorly executed. My main issue comes from the format. While I had no problem with Urie as a reader, I felt that the book dragged in audio form. Though this is a superhero book, the action is very spread out, so I found a number of sections dragged while listening. It was a disappointing experience. However, as a whole, I thought the book dealt with the twin secret identities very well and is an impressive addition to superhero books.

Program: American Girl Club

For our second installment of American Girl Club, we chose a doll with a unique holiday celebration, as we were holding the program in December, close to a number of holidays. We chose Kirsten, pioneer girl and Swedish immigrant. Here's what we did for the program!

As before, we started the program with a short historical and cultural presentation. Kirsten's story takes place in 1854, as her family immigrates to Minnesota from Sweden, enduring the long Atlantic crossing and the solitude of prairie life. We explained to the kids (we had boys this time!) that the pioneers lived isolated lives. Towns were often many miles away, so pioneers would save and reuse as much as they could to get them through the year. Doctors were often very busy and far away, so we explained some of the herbs that pioneers used to create their own remedies for various illnesses. We talked briefly about bees - Kirsten's family keeps honeybees in the books - and how important they are to our crops. Then we discussed Kirsten's Swedish heritage and some of the traditions and festivals she would have celebrated.

Then we moved on to our first hands-on activity: making butter! Surprisingly, I don't remember ever doing this as a child myself, but I definitely remember hearing about it, as well as seeing it around the web as a fun Kirsten/pioneer activity. I tested it out about a month before the program, to make sure it actually worked and wouldn't take the entire program. A small amount of heavy cream in a glass baby food jar and constant shaking. After about 10 minutes, I had a solid mass of butter and some buttermilk. Yay! It was a go for the program. Of course, nothing ever works exactly the way you test it when you're programming for kids. Part of it was my fault - I filled some of the jars too full of cream, not leaving enough room for the agitation. Another part was the kids - they probably weren't shaking constantly or as briskly as they should have been. We worried about this ahead of time - would the kids complain about having to shake constantly for ten minutes? To preemptively combat this, we showed two videos while they were shaking: one of a St. Lucia's Day procession and one briefly introducing Kirsten's story. I don't know that the videos were actually necessary - the kids didn't complain about shaking their jars. They seemed to be starting mini competitions among themselves - who could shake fastest, whose would turn to butter first. I think we were more concerned than the kids were - we didn't plan on the butter making to take up so much of the program time. Once we started to get some actual butter, we passed out homemade St. Lucia rolls (I made them the day before the program) and the kids spread their butter on the rolls. As we (the adults and teen volunteers in the room) frantically continued to shaking jars for some kids, they moved on to the final activity.

For the last part of the program, we made yarn dolls, another common pioneer activity. We wrapped the bodies around cardboard pieces ahead of time to make the process move a little quicker. The kids were responsible for cutting and segmenting the head, hair, arms, and legs of the dolls. Since the butter making took longer than expected, this part of the program was a bit rushed, but we stayed to help the last few kids finish up.

Overall, everyone seemed to have a great time at the program. A few girls even commented that they had more fun with this one than the Molly program. I certainly had a good time. I'm looking forward to our next American Girl Club!