Diva Delight: Dead End in Norvelt

We don't often feature books with central male protags, but this one from Jack Gantos also has a fierce senior female, Miss Volker, in the spotlight. And we don't regularly recommend middle grade novels. Yet, why not read outside YA? Isn't it the story that matters, not the age of the main character? Did you read, Dead End in Norvelt? You don't want to miss it. I was literally laughing out loud as I relished each page. I had to read passages to my family which in turn got us all giggling.

Blending truth and fiction, Jack Gantos writes of Jackie who spends the summer helping Miss Volker write the town's obituaries. The original citizens are passing quickly from the scene, even a bit suspiciously. The work brims with memorable characters living and dying in 1962.

The book won the Newbery in 2012 and the Scott O'Dell for Historical Fiction. Here are a few reviews:

A bit of autobiography works its way into all of Gantos’s work, but he one-ups himself in this wildly entertaining meld of truth and fiction by naming the main character . . . Jackie Gantos.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A fast-paced and witty read.” —School Library Journal

“A more quietly (but still absurdly) funny and insightful account of a kid’s growth, kin to Gantos’s Jack stories, that will stealthily hook even resistant readers into the lure of history.” —BCCB

“This winning novel, both humorous and heartwarming, takes place during the summer of 1962, when narrator Jack Gantos turns 12 and spends most of his days grounded. Jack’s main ‘get out of jail free card,’ and one of the novel’s most charming characters, is Miss Volker. The blossoming of their friendship coincides with the blooming of Jack’s character.” —Shelf Awareness Pro

* “There’s more than laugh-out-loud gothic comedy here. This is a richly layered semi-autobiographical tale, an ode to a time and place, to history and the power of reading.” —The Horn Book, starred review
“Gantos, as always, deliver
rs bushels of food for thought and plenty of outright guffaws.” —Booklist

* “An exhilarating summer marked by death, gore and fire sparks deep thoughts in a small-town lad not uncoincidentally named ‘Jack Gantos.’ The gore is all Jack’s, which to his continuing embarrassment ‘would spray out of my nose holes like dragon flames’ whenever anything exciting or upsetting happens. And that would be on every other page, seemingly. . . . Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Find this funny, poignant book, rgz, and get ready to laugh.

Dead End in Norvelt
By Jack Gantos
Square Fish, paperback

Diva Delight: Silence, by Deborah Lytton

What do you do when you are born to sing, yet, suddenly silenced? Stella finds herself in a world without sound. The challenge follows to find beauty in a silent world. It's Hayden, a teen boy who stutters, who will be her guide as she simultaneously leads him to find his true voice by looking at his past.

Deborah Lytton's YA release of Silence from Shadow Mountain is told from two incredibly honest points of view. The growth and truth discovered by the characters is inspirational. As Stella concludes:

"I know that dreams are for today, not for someday. They are for here. And now."

"Music is the silence between the notes." says Claude Debussy. We will be waiting for Lytton's next release, listening to the music resonating from Silence to her following work.

Silence
by Deborah Lytton
Shadow Mountain, 2015

Diva Delight: In the Time of Dragon Moon

Be ready to soar with dragons as you fly a final time over and into the luscious world of Wilde Island and Dragon's Keep. Janet Lee Cary's word choice glimmers as beautifully as her will-o'-the-wisps, and her mystery deliciously taunts the reader through her pages. A gorgeous conclusion to the trilogy, ringing with sensitivity, compassion, and deep truth.

"You are too anxious for what you want, Uma. Begin by wanting what you have."
"Joy and sorrow are songs women have long known. For women are healers."

Brava!



In the Time of Dragon Moon
Dragonswood
Dragon's Keep
by Janet Lee Carey
Kathy Dawson Books, 2015

Diva Delight: A Monster Calls and Rhyme Schemer

Don't miss these even if they are catalogued in middle grade. A good story is a good story, right? When I picked up both of these works, from the first pages there was that feeling of instantly knowing these are brilliant books. These are the ones to savor and then share. Go. Find. Them.



"At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined."

A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness
Candlewick Press, 2013



"Kevin has a bad attitude. He's the one who laughs when you trip and fall. In fact, he may have been the one who tripped you in the first place. He has a real knack for rubbing people the wrong way—and he's even figured out a secret way to do it with poems. But what happens when the tables are turned and he is the one getting picked on? Rhyme Schemer is a touching and hilarious middle-grade novel in verse about one seventh grader's journey from bully-er to bully-ee, as he learns about friendship, family, and the influence that words can have on people's lives."

Rhyme Schemer
by K. A. Holt
Chronicle Books, 2014

Diva Delight: Going Over by Beth Kephart

I trotted home with one book from ALA Midwinter. I was so excited to see Beth Kephart's upcoming Going Over being released from Chronicle. I love Beth. I love Chronicle. That's enough for me.

As always, the language is gorgeous, the love full of meaning, and the plot tight and tense.

"We live with ghosts. We live with thugs, dodgers, punkers, needle ladies, pork knuckle. We live where there's no place else to go."

Set in a 1983, within a divided Berlin, two teens in love are separated by the wall. The work is told in both their voices so that the reader can sit in the East and the West. An unexpected layer adds the plight of the immigrants of Kreuzberg and the further oppression of Turkish women.

Aside from the language, the imagery, and the sensory input, I marveled at the pacing. Beth creates these moments of stall, rewind, and then a lurch forward, over and over. As the story progresses, the pauses shorten and the reader is launched farther and farther. That so perfectly mimics the passing of time for the characters themselves, caught on either side of the wall. Simply brilliant.

Don't miss this important novel. There's a great giveaway over at Goodreads right now. Click here and leap over! Congrats, Beth, and bravo, Chronicle!

Me, I'm off to read: Nest. Flight. Sky. Beth's new memoir!



Going Over, starred review from Booklist
by Beth Kephart
Chronicle Books, 2014

Diva Delight: Herbivoracious by Michael Natkin

Joy of joy, readergirlz! A full cookbook from the winning vegetarian blog, Herbivoracious, by Michael Natkin! Packed with "global flavors" your palate will be delighted with the recipes in this extensive collection.

"Why vegetarian? Because vegetarian meals are good for you, tread more lightly on our planet's resources, and are kinder to animals. And personally, I figure that because I am a vegetarian I have a little leeway to indulge in extra chocolate, cheese, or French fries without overdosing on saturated fats."

So says Chef Natkin. Sweet! With an aim to pack immense flavor into each dish, you'll never miss the meat in the 150 original recipes. Photos of food dishes, not staged, give the book an honest, tangible feel.

How about chickpea fritters, white bean and kale soup, Persian rice pilaf, or caramel apple french toast? I am working my way through this beauty and enjoying the artistry, journey, and taste. Further features are found at the website where an interactive community thrives. Find Herbivoracious and eat your veggies, rgz!

Herbivoracious
A flavor revolution, with 150 vibrant and original vegetarian recipes
by Michael Natkin
Harvard Common Press, 2012

Diva Delight: Brain Storm, Unleashing Your Creative Self, Don Hahn

Hey, rgz! I have to share this work with you all because you mustn't miss it. My journal is fat with notes from Don Hahn's words of encouragement regarding the creative process. The work is easy and accessible and inspiring. I didn't realize how much I was gathering, until at the conclusion, I looked back at all my highlighted sections. I imagine you'll respond the same way. Don produced both The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. The work is full of fun production anecdotes which act as examples to the featured concepts.

Since we shoot straight at readergirlz, I'm going to share the most meaningful passage to me. Tuck it away, think on it, and maybe it will redirect your thinking about your pursuits the rest of your creative life.

"There is no compelling reason that people should care about your work. Most of what you will create will be for your own enrichment or will be a stepping stone to better, more insightful work. Maybe once or twice in a lifetime you will be recognized with public kudos, so in the meantime, create for yourself. Create because you have to, not to be famous, but because you are a living, breathing soul who must create or die a slow and boring death." 

There you have it. Take it and run, rgz!

Brain Storm, Unleashing Your Creative Self
by Don Hahn
Disney Editions

Diva Delight: Paradise by Joanna Nadin

Paradise by Joanna Nadin is so well-crafted. I was truly amazed. You will be rocked back and forth in time and through emotion. Sometimes it feels like a gentle pull of the tide, and other times, the story roars like a rogue wave. Consistently, the tug of the undertow will take you back, back, back until all the secrets are revealed, and peace is finally found.

When Billie inherits her grandmother's house, she moves from London to a small seaside town with her mother and brother. Her intent is to find her estranged father. Her quest unravels the secrets of two generations of women, secrets which she is completely entangled in without even realizing it.

Add Paradise to your stack. Listen to the whispers of women of the past, as they join the voice of a girl of today. Peek here to see Nadin chat about her personal casting and director choices. So interesting!

Paradise
by Joanna Nadin
Candlewick Press, Oct. 2012

Diva Delight: Vintage Veronica

Veronica is a girl using her fashion sense as an employee in the local vintage thrift store. She's a girl with amazing confidence in choosing her clothing, but having been hurt in the past as an overweight child and now teen, she's doesn't have the same confidence in finding or choosing friends. Tempted to be drawn in by the "it" girls, Veronica may lose the first true friendship and romance she's ever had.

Author Erica S. Perl creates vivid characters who will pull you directly into their lives turning inside the Clothing Bonanza store The thrift shop is a character in itself. You will definitely wish you could shop there!

I raced through Vintage Veronica worrying about the protagonist's choices every step. Her strengths are admirable, her hesitations understandable, and her failures palpable. Veronica and her friends feel like your own friends by the last page. Find it, rgz. And don your own fifties skirt for the day!

Vintage Veronica
by Erica S. Perl
Knopf, 2010

Diva Delight: Don't Breathe a Word

We had so much fun partying it up with Holly as Don't Breathe a Word was released in style at Mockingbird Books in Seattle. So many friendly, familiar faces came together to congratulate Holly, who looked gorgeous in her third trimester! 

If you haven't yet, grab a copy and read Joy's story. You'll race alongside of her as she runs through the streets of Seattle, trying to survive. Homelessness is portrayed with pointed honesty. You will be moved by Joy's desperate plight. Holly is a master at weaving the past and present through the work, creating beautiful tension and poignant reveals. Here's to a wonderful work which will touch and empower readers. 

Brava, Holly!

Diva Delight: How to Save a Life

We love Sara Zarr! She's inside our Circle of Stars. And her latest release, How to Save a Life, is an excellent addition to her life work. You will agree the FIVE starred reviews are spot on.

From two perspectives, two stories are told as two girls find their identity following a crisis. Jill is recovering from the death of her father, while Mandy is pregnant, possibly by her abuser. The two find themselves in the same home as Jill's mother plans to adopt the forthcoming baby. How do you learn to trust when you never could before? Who are you following great loss, and can you ever return to who you were before? Side by side, Jill and Mandy's stories illuminate each other beautifully. Golden threads repeat from one voice into the other.

I was captivated by Mandy's asperger-like frankness, and Jill's journey through her anger. Each created such poignant, palpable moments of discomfort for the reader. This work is honest from page one.

Brava, Sara! We celebrate this story holding your voice so beautifully!

How to Save a Life
by Sara Zarr
Little Brown, 2011

Diva Delight: Dan Eldon, Safari as a Way of Life

Do you know the story of Dan Eldon? His life and work as a photojournalist? Chronicle Books has released a collection of his imagery, collages, and pursuits in Jennifer New's Safari as a Way of Life. Here is a visual biography that will inspire your own journey.



Dying in the field at the age of 22 in Somalia, Dan Eldon's philanthropy, creativity, and robust life are caught in this collection. The above left spread is included in this work. (Further imagery can be found in The Journey is the Destination.)

Every page of Safari as a Way of Life is moving and inspiring. Whether it is Dan's photo in Newsweek, his record of starving Somalian children, or his homage to a recent love interest, the man's spirit and life are captured and shared. You cannot leaf through this work and leave unchanged.

Along with journal collages, postcards, an iron-on, a poster, and sticker in Safari as a Way of Life, Jennifer New has pieced together Dan's biography with her own words and others who knew him well. You can learn more about Dan at http://www.daneldon.org/site/ and daneldon.com

Do not miss this book, readergirlz. It embodies so much of what believe in our community. Read, reflect, and reach out!

Dan Eldon, Safari as a Way of Life
by Jennifer New
Chronicle Books, 2011

Diva Delight: You Are My Only, Beth Kephart

Can we take a moment to thank Egmont for publishing another Beth Kephart exquisite novel? Thank you, Egmont!

You Are My Only will be released October 25th, and I encourage you then to find Beth's newest book. In this realistic fiction novel, you'll breath despair along with several suppressed characters. You'll turn pages and yearn for them each to find hope. One story tells of a young mother's loss of her baby, while the second winds a tale of a teen sequestered from society. How the works intertwine is brilliant. From beginning to end, images and movements echo and resonate back and forth between the stories. At the reveal, I actually stopped reading, stunned by the moment of truth.


As always, I was mesmerized by Beth's rich writing. Even in the smallest detail:

"There is a bird making a tree branch heavy, her gray belly bottom like the high back of the sun."

"Outside the wind sneaks up under the loose skirt of the roof tiles..."

Nesting in the story are sweet truths of life that you can grapple with and then possibly hold.

"Tragedy and blessing," Miss Cloris says. "Sometimes they're the same one thing."

"What do you suppose any of us, Sophie, wish to be remembered for? For the things that tried to stop us or the ways we carried on?"

I'm still thinking over the latter. I'm challenged to find the truth that I would ultimately hold.

You Are My Only is current, relevant, and gracefully written with gripping realism. There is no shrinking back. Thank you, Beth, for staying truly dedicated to the fine art of writing.

You Are My Only
by Beth Kephart
EgmontUSA

Diva Delight: Prisoners in the Palace

First, a shout out for the beautiful cover of Michaela MacColl's novel, Prisoners in the Palace. Gorgeous, right? I'm so impressed with the list Chronicle is creating for YA. Brava, to this independent publisher for keeping it small and powerful.

It's my pleasure to recommend Prisoners in the Palace, A Novel of Intrigue and Romance About How Princess Victoria Became Queen with the Help of a Maid, a Newspaperman, and Scoundrel. The title encapsulates the plot. Historical fiction lovers will certainly embrace this work about Princess Victoria's 17th year, while other YA lovers will be won over to the genre quickly. Stringing together true events with a fictional protagonist, the work is compelling and fresh for today's readers.

A recently orphaned Liza finds herself as lady's maid to the princess. While finding her own path, voice, and power, Liza assists the future queen in her own journey as well. 

Visiting Michaela's blog I found she had said this at a recent school visit:

"I can’t have Victoria take a jaunt to Paris because I know she didn’t do that. But I can create new characters to move in and around documented facts. I told the kids that I do this not only so they will be interested in reading the book, but so I will be interested in writing the book."

Interesting! Here's to our historical fiction authors bringing to life the past! *a royal curtsy*

Prisoners in the Palace
by Michaela MacColl
Chronicle Books, October, 2010

Diva Delight: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Oh, I just have to jump in and say I loved Smile by Raina Telgemeier. Based on her own life, the graphic novel actually begins with one of my worst nightmares: falling and knocking out your front teeth. EEK!

What follows is a journey in dentistry, orthodontics, and a full coming of age story. Do you stay with childhood friends or can you redefine yourself and find other besties? How do you move through a first crush, a first dance, a first day of high school? Raina's pacing is spot on.

The graphic images are expressive and rich. I really enjoyed the color palette and the occasional half spread.

This is a one sitting read, rgz, because it's fun, tender, and real. Definitely a delight! Just watch the trailer and smile. *ding*

Diva Delight: Anis Mojgani, "Shake the Dust"

Anis Mojgani, the two time National Poetry Slam Champion, recently performed "Shake the Dust." I totally had to share it with rgz. Enjoy!

Diva Delight: Dancing with Myself

I love this, don't you???



Such good storytelling! And his voice: perfect.

Diva Delight: A Map of the Known World, Lisa Ann Sandell

How lovely is Lisa Ann Sandell? VERY! And not just because I'm partial to verse novelists. :~) Or because her middle name is Ann without an "e," too. Her latest work is prose, and it launches in a few short days!



Cora is dealing with the death of her older brother, Nate. Surviving in a small town while trying to unravel who her brother really was, she dreams of distant places she might one day visit. Her passion is to draw beautiful enhanced maps. When Cora begins to relate to Damian, the boy who survived her brother's car crash, she finds truth, friendship, and her own way through her world.

"They say no land remains to be discovered, no continent is left unexplored. But the whole world is out there, waiting, just waiting for me. I want to do things-I want to walk the rain-soaked streets of London, and drink mint tea in Casablanca. I want to wander the wastelands of the Gobi desert and see a yak. I think my life's ambition is to see a yak. I want to bargain for trinkets in an Arab market in some distant, dusty land. There's so much. But, most of all, I want to do things that will mean something."

A Map of the Known World is a beautiful contribution to YA lit. The inclusion of art as a means to heal and understand is so well done and uplifting. In keeping with the novel's themes, Lisa has uploaded a virtual gallery. What a marvelous idea! She was kind enough to accept my collage for my latest work in progress. Look for Secrets!

Brava, Lisa! And happy launch to you!

A Map of the Known World
Lisa Ann Sandell
Scholastic Press, 2009