Goodbye Stranger

I have been told that girls are easy to raise while they are young. Being the father of two little girls, that is comforting to hear. I have also heard that while girls are easy to raise in their elementary years, they are nothing but headaches in their junior high and high school years. A fellow, more experienced father once told me that as his daughter grew older, he found himself worrying about her safety and well being far more than he worried about his son's. That makes me feel stressed and anxious, and let's just say up front, that reading Rebecca Stead's GOODBYE STRANGER did nothing to quell my fears!

Bridge, Tab, and Em have been best friends for a long time, and they don't fight with each other, by rule. Bridge survived a horrific accident when she was eight years old and often questions why she was left on this world. Tab is stubborn and opinionated and is beginning to see through the stereotypes present in society and the mean games kids play with each other. Em is growing into her teenage frame rather nicely and is even beginning to receive attention for it, from boys and girls. And she kind of likes the attention! As their interests and situations change, these three girls struggle to maintain their friendship.

One of the biggest strengths of GOODBYE STRANGER is its supporting cast of characters. Characters that seem to be secondary at first, begin to play larger roles as the story progresses. No one is exactly who they seem to be either. Sherm is a boy that befriends Bridge. Their friendship and chemistry is strong but neither can tell if they want to be more than friends. Patrick is an older boy who begins flirting with Em through texts. One of his requests causes things to spiral out of control for everyone about halfway through the book. Jamie, Bridge's older brother, competes tirelessly with his frenemy Alex at ridiculous bets. Adrienne is the new barista at Bridge and Jamie's father's coffee shop. She takes an interest in Bridge. Celeste is Tab's older, wiser sister, who imparts wisdom on the girls. All of these characters play integral roles in the girls' developing and changing friendship.

And then there's the Valentine's Day girl... an unnamed character narrating chapters in the near future in second person ("You wake up. You head down the stairs. You put your headphones on.") From the moment this unnamed character is introduced, we are drawn in, wondering who this person is and how they are connected to the story. This character is skipping school in the near future because something bad has happened. As the novel steamrolls toward it's closing, bits and pieces of details are referenced in these chapters that have been mentioned in the novel elsewhere. How do they fit? How did things come to this? How do we know this person?

If GOODBYE STRANGER seems like a lot to keep track of, it is. Because it is Stead though, it is worth it! It can be a confusing read. The three main girls are different, yet so similar that it was hard to tell them apart in the early pages. There are so many other characters in the story and it can be difficult at times to remember what was said by which character, because they all do so much talking! Dialogue is another one of Stead's strengths though, and she understands kids.

GOODBYE STRANGER is a book that needs to be read by teenagers. There is a scene early in the novel where the students gather in a gymnasium and sign up for a theme club. The existential crossroads these students are at in their lives parallels this scene nicely. It is the primary theme of this novel. Friendships change. People change. We change. How do we navigate it all? How do we not lose sight of ourselves while everyone and everything around us is changing? Stead is one of the best working today and her style and approach to these themes should prove to be poignant with young readers.

Looking Forward to 2012

So I understand how silly this post seems, now that we're turning the page on March and almost heading into April, but I haven't yet begun my reading of "newly" published books, so I feel like I can still write about the books I'm looking forward to reading this year.

I'm going to list my Top 10, and start with number one to alleviate any sort of suspense, and then even round out with some honorable mentions. The books I am putting in my Top 10 are books that I am bound and determined to read at all costs this year. The books in honorable mention, I will get to if I can. So without further ado, the top 10 children's books, that I am most looking forward to in 2012 . . .

LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead. The Newbery Medal winning author of WHEN YOU REACH ME is back and I'm not sure I can wait until August to get my hands on her latest. The world has been waiting patiently to see how she would respond to the success of WHEN YOU REACH ME. At the end of summer, we shall find out. There's not another book I'm looking more forward to. Everything else on this list pales in comparison. LIAR & SPY is a book of two friends, attempting to spy on a mysterious older man living in their apartment building.

THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE: THE UNSEEN GUEST by Maryrose Wood. I love these books. They are a guilty pleasure of mine. They probably will not be discussed thoroughly on Heavy Medal come Newbery Season, but this third installment (which I believed to be the final, but am now not so sure), will be a book I will drop other books to read. They remind me of the beloved SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. I think I have an idea where the plot is heading now, after book 2, but I'm ready to be surprised. THE UNSEEN GUEST comes out next week, so I will not have to wait long to find out. 

IN A GLASS GRIMMLY by Adam Gidwitz. The man who brought us A TALE DARK AND GRIMM is back, and this time he's brought Jack and Jill along with him. The book's tagline promises more fractured fairy tales (maybe The Frog Prince, maybe Jack and the Beanstalk) and I couldn't be more excited. This book doesn't come out until late-September though. Ugh. If it's anything like A TALE DARK AND GRIMM, it will be a hit amongst myself and my students, and worth the wait. I love the fact that Gidwitz is a teacher too. Behind LIAR AND SPY, probably the book I'm looking forward to the most!

INVASION OF THE DOGNAPPERS by Patrick Jennings. My Pal Patrick . . . After meeting him last year I became an instant fan . . . According to the man himself, Mr. Jennings finished the final draft of his latest novel while sitting in one of my own personal favorite local coffee shops (Cup of Joe), while staying in Cedar Falls, IA as the featured author of our annual Cedar Valley's Youth Read event. I became an instant fan of Jennings upon meeting him and am excited for his newest book. Jennings has a real knack for understanding kids. He runs a kid's writing group out of his own home and learns a lot from them. My students thoroughly enjoyed his novels GUINEA DOG and LUCKY CAP. This comes out at the end of April. 

WONDER by R.J. Palacio. This book appears to have an early leg up in terms of Newbery buzz. It is about a boy with sever facial deformities, going to a public school for the first time. It was released already in February and has people comparing it to OKAY FOR NOW, which as some of you know, was my favorite novel of last year. That's a comparison worth getting excited over! Blogger Betsy Bird featured it in her Spring Predictions and traditionally, she usually gets at least one title right. This is a book I want to be ready to discuss on Heavy Medal in the Fall.

THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I've recently become hooked on Game of Thrones. Not the books. The television series. The medieval era has always been an interest of mine, and I've read comparisons of this book to Megan Whalen Turner's magnificent THE THIEF. THE FALSE PRINCE kicks off The Ascendance Trilogy . . . could this be the next big thing among some of Turner's avid fanbase? Or will it fail to live up to the bar Turner set so high? This book isn't officially published until April, but for some reason a paperback was offered in a Scholastic book order, so I snatched it up.

THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE by Christopher Paul Curtis. Another man that I have had the honor of meeting, thanks to Cedar Valley's Youth Read. Another man, kind enough to spend a week in our community, among our students, talking about his books and his craft. I met Christopher Paul Curtis fresh off his Newbery win for BUD, NOT BUDDY and the man was as genuine as they come. BUD, NOT BUDDY was fantastic and so was ELIJAH OF BUXTON so why wouldn't THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE be? Plus, for some reason, that striking cover is one of my favorites of the bunch. Miss Malone looks to come with an abundance of sass. I've already purchased this book and can't wait to read it.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate. Another book receiving lots of early Newbery buzz. That buzz is perhaps the only reason it's on this list. I'm envisioning some discussions built around it on Heavy Medal and want to be prepared. Applegate's novel is written in verse and follows Ivan, an easy going gorilla, trapped behind glass, under the watchful eyes of humans, befriending an elephant and a dog. Applegate's novel promises to touch on deeper themes of friendship, courage, and hope in a kid-friendly way, in the vein of Emily Jenkins' TOYS series. This one was released already in January, yet I've failed to get my hands on it.

FAKE MUSTACHE by Tom Angleberger. I have recently been catching up on some reading that I feel I am far behind the world of children's literature on. Primarily the work of one Sara Pennypacker, Mac Barnett, and Tom Angleberger. I zipped through Pennypacker's CLEMENTINE series and loved them. I read Mac Barnett's BRIXTON BROTHERS series with my 5th grade students and we laughed hysterically. And I've caught up with Tom Angleberger's ORGAMI YODA, DARTH PAPER, and HORTON HALFPOTT books. Nevertheless, I am thoroughly stoked for his latest, FAKE MUSTACHE to come out on April Fool's Day.

JAKE & LILY by Jerry Spinelli. Speaking of guilty pleasures, Jerry Spinelli is another one of mine. I can't think of a book I've read of his, that I haven't enjoyed, and seen brilliance in. MANIAC MAGEE remains one of my all-time favorites and recent books like EGGS and SMILES TO GO are books I feel have been overlooked. It feels as if the children's literature world is bored of Mr. Spinelli. But I am not. JAKE & LILY is the story of two twins in the midst of a falling-out of sorts. Spinelli is always emotional and always effective and I'm rarely let down by his work. JAKE & LILY comes out in May.

Others that I am looking forward to and hope I have the time to read . . .

• THE LEGEND OF DIAMOND LIL by Doreen Cronin. This is the followup to her much beloved early chapter book, THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS.
• SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS by Sara Pennypacker. The author takes a break from her CLEMENTINE series.
• WHAT CAME FROM THE STARS by Gary D. Schmidt. A science-fiction/fantasy adventure. Not sure if I can imagine a Gary D. Schmidt sci-fi adventure, but I'm excited to see what it's like.
• THE HUMMING ROOM by Ellen Potter. Nina over at Heavy Medal was a huge advocate for Potter's THE KNEEBONE BOY. I've read some buzz over her latest and would like to give it a try.
• SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS by Laura Amy Shlitz. A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR was one of the best children's books I've read in recent years. I was not a fan of THE NIGHT FAIRY. But I'm willing to give anything she writes a chance thanks to A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR. Plus, I hear this is a full fledged novel, her first since A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR.
• TWELVE KINDS OF ICE by Ellen Obed. Not really sure what this is about, but Betsy Bird insists, it will be big. We shall see.
• IRON HEARTED VIOLET by Kelly Barnhill. The Minnesota author showed her chops with her debut novel THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF JACK last year. While I found it to be semi-flawed, the lady undoubtedly has potential. This appears to be another work of fantasy.
• THE CASE OF THE DEADLY DESPERADOS by Caroline Lawrence. I'm not sure I've read any good westerns for kids. I'm not sure I've ever wanted to exactly. But this promises to be one. A unique genre untouched by many kidlit authors.