Book Blog Tour: Interview with R.J. Anderson

As I mentioned on Monday, I was lucky enough to send R.J. Anderson some questions.  Her answers are below for your amusement.  Be sure to read the entire interview, R.J. gives some hints about her third book in the series, Arrow, below.

The end of Faery Rebels sets up the reader for Wayfarer well.  Did you always intend to have a sequel to Faery Rebels or did the plan for the second book come around in the editing process?

I wrote Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter so that it could stand alone if need be. But I always hoped I'd get the chance to write a second book, because there were still unanswered questions and unresolved issues at the end of Book One -- and I already knew who the main characters of that book would be. So when my agent said that yes, editors would like to see a proposal for a second book along with the manuscript of the first, I jumped at the chance.

Did you research a lot of faery lore for your books or did you feel free to make your own rules?

A little of both. I grew up reading fairy tales and folklore, so a lot of the traditional ideas about faeries were familiar to me. I used some of those basic principles and put my own twist on them, invented a few ideas of my own, and then did some delving into more obscure faery legends for further ideas.

I really like Knife/Peri as a strong female character.  Did you base her characterization on anyone?

Thank you! I do, too. But no, she isn't based on anyone in particular, though her personality and characteristics were influenced by the superhero comics I read as a teenager, and some of the more intelligent and resourceful heroines I encountered in fantasy novels.

I also really like how you created vast differences among the human, Oak, London and Children of Rhys faery cultures and perspectives.  Did those different philosophies about how to treat one another come about naturally in the writing or were the varying stances something you intentionally wanted to explore?

I did want to make the various cultures distinct, because I think that's only realistic -- people who've grown up in different circumstances and with different privileges, not to mention different forms of government, are going to inevitably have different priorities and attitudes to life. I believe in objective moral standards, but even among people who agree on what those standards are, there's often a wide range of ideas on how best to maintain them. And none of us ever gets it perfectly right -- there's always room to have one's complacency shaken up and challenged a bit, and I think that's a healthy thing.

Judging by the end of Wayfarer, it seems there will be a third book in the series.  Can you give us some hints about the content, conflicts and characters that book will involve?

The third book is called Arrow, and it deals with the repercussions of some of the things that happened inWayfarer -- particularly with regard to the Children of Rhys and their contact with the outside world. The heroine of the third book, Rhosmari, is a very minor character in Wayfarer but ends up being instrumental in the conflict between the rebels and the Empress... plus having some fairly harrowing experiences of her own.

And that is the most I have told anybody about this book yet! See, now you have an exclusive. :)

(YAY!  Thank you for that!)

What are some of your favorite books?

As a child I loved the Narnia series, Tolkien's LotR and The Hobbit, and George MacDonald's Curdie books. More recently I've been impressed by D.M. Cornish's Foundling and Lamplighter, as well as Catherine Fisher'sIncarceron and Sapphique and Megan Whalen Turner's series about Gen (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia and A Conspiracy of Kings) -- all have fantastic worldbuilding, beautiful language, clever plots, and rich characterization, and that's what I look for in a good read.

Thank you very much for sharing!

To learn more about R.J. Anderson or Wayfarer, check back over the next few days or visit some of the other blogs on the tour:

Whispers of Dawn, The Book Cellar, The Hungry Readers, My Own Little Corner of the World, KidzBookBuzz.com, Reading is My Superpower, Book Crumbs, Becky’s Book Reviews, Fireside Musings, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, Homeschool Book Buzz, Homespun Light, Book Review Maniac

Blog Tour: Sand and Stone and Back Again

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to send Nancy Bo Flood some questions.  You'll find our conversation below.

Q.  Have you spent a lot of time in Monument Valley?  Do you have any funny stories from your time there? 

Monument Valley is actually a sacred area of the Reservation, it is a part of Navajo Tribal lands kept as a monument open to visitors.  The sandstone buttes, chimneys, and spires are truly stunning.  Every time I do visit the area it looks different depending on the time of year, weather, time of day, etc.   Monument Valley is about a 2-hour drive from where I live at Chinle, next to Canyon deChelly.

Q.  How did it feel when you first saw the photos Tony Kuyper had taken for your book?

I had seen Tony’s photographs the first time my husband and I visited his studio at his home at Inscription House near Shonto, Arizona.  Tony is a pharmacist working at one of the Indian Health sites, an excellent pharmacist who works as precisely with medications as he does with a camera.  I was in awe.  Tony works hours and hours to capture the right focus, the right light, the right contrast.  Tony invites anyone intereted along on his photo expeditions and each time I would see the landscape in a new way.  Over several years he took more photographs and I revised more drafts.  Eventually we found the storyline that brought the two together.

Q.  The picture book is an incredible mix of poetry and information.  Did you intend to have that combination of form and information early on or did it come out through the writing?

Thank you. My goal was to create story through images and words.  The idea of rock changing needed to be understandable to a young reader as well as meaningful.  Finally I found the connection.  Then it took many tries to weave information into story without diminishing either aspect.  It is exciting to understand something. Information is fun. I wanted the words to sing with that excitement.

Q.  What's your typical writing day like?

I teach so even though I try to have a routine, it seldom works, routine falls apart as students’ papers need reviewing, lectures and projects need preparing, and the dishes need washing.  But I try each morning to ‘clear my desk and computer of the business aspects of writing and publishing,”  go for a long walk in the desert with my dog (thinking or writing in my head as I walk), and then once I return home, ignore the rest of life and write.  For several hours if possible.  In the afternoon when my brain is tired, I walk again, then work on teaching projects.  Of course there is always supper to fix, cookies to bake, oh, yes, books to read.

Q.  Many of your books seem to have an international emphasis or pay attention to the myths and legends of various cultures.  

Yes, I think they hold for us universal truths.  

Q. Do you travel often? 

I love to travel, if possible to work wherever I travel.  To learn from the people.

Q. Are you interested in folklore?

Two favorite quotes:  “There is more truth in legend… than in truth.”

  “To see the world in a grain of sand

And heaven in a wild flower

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour.”     Blake

         

Blog Tour: Sand and Stone and Back Again

For the first half of this week, we'll be participating in a blog tour of Nancy Bo Flood's Sand to Stone and Back Again.  I'll be posting my review of the picturebook tomorrow.

But today, I thought I'd introduce you, my few beloved readers, to a conversation she has contributed to.  At Through the Tollbooth, Nancy Bo Flood any many others have having a conversation about race (and particularly the portrayal of Native Americans) in children's literature.  Some of the issues raised have related to who can share the perspective of Native Americans.  Can someone who is not a member of a culture or race still represent that experience authentically?

Another track the conversation took was to focus on the need for all kids and their experiences to be represented in the literature.  Flood notes, "We need books that celebrate the experiences, the imaginations, the history of all children. As individuals, without stereotypes, without clichés."


I'm very glad she said that.  And I would like to focus on the fact that she typed the word "all."  When I teach my education students, one of the central lessons I try to have them take away is this idea that when they are in the classroom, they will need to have literature present that will represent as many of the students' backgrounds, experiences and histories as the classroom can possibly fit.  And when the room is full of ideas and voices, take the kids to find more in the library.


While most students take in comments like these silently, one will occasionally express concern about having the resources to get all those books.  Others will just disagree with the experiences depicted in some children's literature.  As a teacher, I firmly believe that every child has a right to hear their own voices reflected in literature.  I consider it to be part of my job to put those books in my students' hands.  And if there are no books they can relate to.  Then I will help those students write their own stories.


Ranting over.  


Refocusing....

The experiences of the Navajos is of particular interest to Flood and she has written about their Calendar (the New Year begins in October) in her picturebook The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons.

For more information on Nancy Bo Flood and on Sand to Stone and Back Again check out Nancy's website or the other blogs on the tour:

Interview with Nathan Hale

Better late than never!  Below, you'll find the questions I'd sent to illustrator Nathan Hale.

He most recently illustrated Calamity Jack.  But you can also stay up to date with his work by checking out his blog.  He posts almost daily!

My Questions are in purple.

And Nathan's replies are in bold black.

1.  On the book jacket of Rapunzel's Revenge, it said you listened to 68 audio books while creating the illustrations for the graphic novel (and I'm guessing you've listened to a couple more while working on Calamity Jack).  Did any on those books stand out in your memory or help you to work more quickly on your art?  What are some of your favorite books to listen to or read?

Hmmm. Let me get out my “Book Book,” I keep a journal of what I’ve read, just for kicks. I don’t read exclusively in one genre or age group. I basically take what I can find (selection is limited on audio books.) Let’s take a look back at the Rapunzel period…I listened to the Bartemaeus trilogy, I really liked that. The reader was fantastic! Fire on the Mountain by Edward Abbey, Split Images by Elmore Leonard, The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O’Brian (I only have four books left in the 21 book Aubrey-Maturin series, I’m going to be so sad when they are over.) Some of the George R. R. Martin series, some of the Stephen King Dark Tower series.  Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (everyone assumes Steinbeck = heavy. But a few of his books, this one, Cannery Row, for example, are pure party-hard good times.) This Gun for Hire by Graham Green—lots of books. Some I may go back and relisten to…it’s been four years now. Wow!

2.  In terms of creating the illustrations for Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack, to what degree were you allowed to choose the actions and the ways that the characters were depicted?  (I ask because I really liked some on the repeated imagery.  For example, when Rapunzel falls into a pond at the Gothel's villa than when she falls into the water after escaping her tower four years later in Rapunzel's Revenge.)

Thanks! Some of it was written out in detail by Shannon and Dean, but a lot of it was my own—the scene you mentioned, with the tree climbing was mine. Our process was pretty organic. A lot of things were formed in the collaboration, I can’t quite remember who came up with what.

3.  Did you have to do research to capture the settings, animals and costumes in the graphic novels?  Do you have any stories about your research or illustrating process?  Did you learn anything new about yourself or the subject matter?

I do a lot of research—too much in fact, especially on JACK. I had stacks of costumes and buildings I never got to use on JACK. I’m very interested in historical dress and detail, it’s fascinating stuff, and  I’m constantly getting hung up on weird stories and details that pop up. Like, for some reason, when looking at old west costumes, I came across a paragraph on Lon Cheney (Sr. not Jr.) He was raised in Colorado, both parents were deaf and mute. So his childhood was totally silent. That’s why he was such a wiz at pantomime. Cool huh?

4.  You also make webcomics on your blog, spacestationnathan.blogspot.com.  What is your inspiration? Do you ever have trouble thinking of ideas?

The blog is my idea generator. Since starting it, I have more ideas than I have blog space for. When you have to post every weekday, which I do. You have to always be thinking ahead, planning stories. I love doing it. I usually cram two, maybe three stories into each month. Come visit, it’s a pretty small blog, not a lot of followers, I comment on everyones’ comments. Come check it out!

5.  On your blog, you said that you drew all the time as a child.  Did you ever get in trouble for drawing with your parents and teachers or were they always encouraging?

Yeah, they just left me alone. I think I had one teacher who told me to knock it off and pay attention, that was Drivers’ Ed.

6.  Here's a strange question for you.  Do you think or dream in illustrations?

I never thought of that. But I guess I do, because if I want to explain something, the first thing I do is map it out on paper.  And I can’t drive very well, because I’m always staring at the scenery—my wife drives the car, so I can look out the window.

7.  Do you show your children your illustrations as you work?  Do you share the final products with them? Has either of them expressed interest in following in your footsteps?  What are some ways you can recommend for teachers or parents to encourage students to appreciate or create art?

My kids (8 and 4) aren’t that interested in what I do. I think they assume every kid’s dad draws pictures for a living. They live with it, to them it’s more exciting when I’m NOT drawing.

To encourage drawing? Boredom. If a kid is bored enough they will eventually start drawing. You just have to really bore them. And give them some paper.

Boredom, eh?  I'll have to keep that in mind when I'm teaching....

Thanks, Nathan, for the wonderful interview!

REVIEW: Just Grace and the Snack Attack

Harper, C.M.  (2009).  Just Grace and the Snack Attack.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

9780547152233

164 pages

Appetizer:  After Owen 1 makes an insensitive comment about Sunni's lunch, all of the students in Grace's class have to spend a whole unit researching the foods of different parts of the world.  As the students pick their foods, Grace has some trouble figuring out how she feels about the troublemaking Owen 1, who has saved the class from having to research frogs, a topic Grace wasn't looking forward to exploring.

Guys, this book made me want to eat potato chips.  Lots of potato chips.  I didn't have any potato chips in my house.  It was torture!  TORTURE!

*Glances around*  In fact, I still don't have any chips.  The torture continues!  Why, oh why didn't I think to buy potato chips?!?!  I wants them.  I wants them now!

...

Moving on...

This is the fifth book in the Just Grace series and I'll admit the first book of the series that I have read.  While I was still able to understand what was going on just fine, characters were referenced with the expectation that the reader should already know who most of them are.  Grace lives with both her parents and a French flight attendant, named Augustine Dupre, rents a room in their basement.  Grace's best friend Mimi lives right next door.

When I first read the first few pages of Just Grace and the Snack Attack, my immediate reaction was, "It's like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  But not funny."  But to boil this book down would be unfair.  And mean.  I think making that immediate judgement of the illustrated diary-like account led me to judge too harshly.  Much of the narrative of the Just Grace series includes lists and small illustrations completed by the author, Charise Mericle Harper, herself.  (See her studio?  Such a nice space to work in!)  While many of the illustrations are cute, few actually add a deeper level of meaning to the text, but would (more than likely) inspire young girls (let's be honest here, a boy book, this is not) to include drawings in their own assignments.

I had difficulty getting into Just Grace and the Snack Attack.  Aside from Grace's tendency to make lists, nothing about her voice or characterization really captured my attention.

I also had problems with the plot.  Essentially, when the principal witnesses a culturally insensitive moment among two students in the lunchroom, Grace's class is forced to study the "weird" foods of the world.

As a teacher, I had a lot of trouble with Grace's class being given an assignment such as this one.  I had some trouble putting my finger on exactly why that was though.  Part of my issue is the fact that the book doesn't go deep enough.  There's a lot more to culture than just the foods people eat.

I also didn't like that the story created an idea of what was "normal food" (snacks like rice crispy treats, etc.) and separated out other foods as different.  For example for her project, Sunni decided to "keep a journal of foods that her family ate, because they pretty much ate unusual things all the time" (p. 58).  While in a classroom, a project like this could allow a child to have a voice in the room, but at the same time, it emphasizes how Sunni is supposedly different from the others.  It bothered me and the text never really resolved this tension for me.

Now, I know I've spent the last four...five-ish, paragraphs seeming to tear apart Just Grace and the Snack Attack, but the book did grow on me as I kept on reading.  Honest.  I started to like the emotional struggles Grace went through.  She worries about being jealous of her best friend.  When she is annoyed by Owen 1, she retaliates and then worries about whether or not she is still good or whether she is becoming a troublemaker.  When considering Grace's emotions, this book felt very real to me.  I can remember having similar worries last week when I was in elementary school.


Dinner Conversation:

"Some unexpected good things
1.  Finding money on the sidewalk.
2.  Getting all the worlds right on your spelling test even though you forgot to study.
3.  Meeting a famous person." (p. 1).

"At lunch today Owen 1 told Sunni that her lunch looked like worms, and that she was weird for not eating a sandwich like everyone else.  Normally this is not a good thing, and it was even more of a not-good thing for Owen 1 because Mr. Harris, the principal of the school, was walking right behind Owen 1 when he said it.  After Owen 1 got into lots of trouble, and after lunch was over, Mr. Harris sent a special note to Miss Lois.  And now for the rest of the week, we are going to study foods of the world instead of the insides of frogs" (p. 5).

"Somehow, having the comic be in a little book makes it feel so much more special than just having it on a piece of paper.  I looked at it about a million times.  This is probably what real authors do when they get their books for the first time.  When you work really hard on something, it's nice to be able to hold all that hard work in your hands" (p. 82).


To Go with the Meal:

Just Grace and the Snack Attack touches on a number of topics a teacher could pursue further in class.  Among them are food and world cultures.  Where the text falls short, a teacher can go into more geographical information about different countries and why they tend to eat some of the foods they eat (keeping in mind there's still a wide variation of dietary habits within each country, culture, even family).  Since the need for healthy eating habits is only briefly mentioned toward the end of the book, a teacher could design a lesson (and class party!) around healthy snacks.

Sticking with food for one moment longer, at heart, one of the messages of this book is to try new foods, something many second, third and fourth graders are still very unwilling to do

This would be a good book to share in a literature circle of students who have a special interest in arts and crafts and writing and drawing.  Since the book goes over the process of how to construct a zine, each student can create a story or research a topic to create their own zine (or paper booklet).  Students could also make paper or cloth dolls, as Mimi likes to do.


Tasty Rating:  !!!




To find out more about Charise Mericle Harper and her Just Grace series, check out the other blogs on this book tour:

The Hungry Readers, Our Big Earth, All About Children’s Books, Looking Glass Reviews, Fireside Musings, Green Bean Teen Queen, KidzBookBuzz.com, Book Crumbs, My Own Little Corner of the World, Reading is My Superpower, Never Jam Today, The 160 Acre Woods, Carrie’s YA Bookshelf, Everyday Reading, Cafe of Dreams




P.S.  In case you didn't guess, I received a free copy of this book as a part of the book blog tour.

Interview with Lise Haines!

After finishing Girl in the Arena, I managed to snag an opportunity to ask author Lise Haines a few questions about her debut young adult novel. (SO EXCITING!) You'll find my questions and Ms. Haines's replies below.

1) Could you describe your writing process? Did you handwrite a draft? Did you work at a desk? Did visiting Rome help only with the chapter when Lyn reflects on her trip there or did it have broader implications for the book?

I write on a MacBook—and like so many laptop users, it almost feels like an extension of my body, I’m on it so often. I’m afraid I’ve developed a bad habit of working in bed so I’ve been trying to switch back to my desk. On weekend days and during the summer, I grab my laptop and start working even before I’ve had breakfast. Sometimes I look at the clock and it’s noon and I’m still working away. It’s not uncommon for me to work during the middle of the night as well. Another habit to break!


In some ways being in Rome made the whole book more real and tangible. And I certainly feel there are some parallels to be made between our culture and that of the Ancient Roman culture. I just saw an article in the NYTs about how many nonfiction books have been written on this subject in the last few years. It’s quite an industry.

2) Your background is as an academic. How has that influenced the writing of Girl in the Arena? While Lyn attempts to decide on a gladiator costume, you make mention of postmodern influences on culture and Lyn wonders what comes next. Do you have any ideas of what theories are on the verge of influencing culture?

Where I teach at Emerson, I mentor young novelists and short story writers, primarily in writing workshops. But in the process of our working together, we talk a lot about our culture, and I think their take on things has had a big influence on me.


I believe I’d need Thad here to see into the future. Like Lyn, I’m wondering what comes next.

3) As I was reading Girl in the Arena, I couldn't help but make comparisons to Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy. How do you feel about your readers making such a connection? Can you write to how you think two very different authors can come to incorporate similar conflicts, themes and critiques of culture in their writings?

I’ve just started Hunger Games. But I can see why readers are so drawn to it and I look forward to curling up and reading the whole thing. So, at this point, I just can’t answer your question much as I’d like to. But I can say that both Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut found something to say about the experience of war—so this kind of look at the world from two voices, two perspectives happens.

4) What do you imagined happened to Lyn after the events of Girl in the Arena? Does she continue her education? Does she finish and publish the history she'd been working on? Does she develop a romantic relationship with Uber or Mark?

You’ve nailed some of the basic questions that are left open. And if you and I were sitting down for coffee, no doubt I’d try to pick your brain to find out what you imagine has happened to Lyn and Thad, Mark and Uber. But I hold open the possibility that I might write a sequel or even a trilogy, so I don’t want to give anything away.

5) At one point, Lyn contemplates The Bhaghavad Gita and thinks about how a god can approach a mortal to discuss the moral implications of war. Lyn narrates that she could reach out to the spirits of one or two of her loved ones. Did you consider adding in such a moment into Girl in the Arena? You also include mention of oracles. DId you ever consider incorporating more of ancient Roman mythology into the story? If so, what made you decide not to?

Your questions illustrate so beautifully how many possible directions a single book can take. And that’s one of the things I love about writing. Some people claim, from time to time, that novels or short stories are dead, or that all the stories we have to tell have been told. But your questions point out that there’s endless variety and so much to be explored. I believe I’m aware, as I create a novel, that I have an essential story to tell. If I throw too much into a book, I can lose the story and then my reader will as well. I am, however, fascinated by mythology.

6) I found Lyn's relationship with her mother, Alison, to be central to my understanding of the story as I read. Can you speak to how you developed their relationship as a writer? Did writing it influence your own relationships with your family members or friends?

I absolutely agree, their relationship is key to knowing Lyn and understanding how one can assimilate into a world that instinctively feels wrong. And I realize there are many reasons not to like Allison. But maybe, in understanding the succession of events, and just what she’s up against, we can understand one or two of her choices. This I’ll have to let you decide, of course. I was able to write about their relationship, because internally, I lived with these characters for a very long time.


I can’t really say writing about Lyn and Allison changed my own relationships, though that’s a good question. It makes me think about the way some actors get into a role and have a hard time getting out of it at the end of the day. There was one death in the book that was very hard to write about, but I don’t want to say which one and spoil what happens for those just thinking of picking up my book. But it’s possible my daughter saw how sad I was as I wrote that scene.

Is there anything else you'd like to say about yourself or Girl in the Arena?



I have some things on my website about how GIRL came about. And a few of my daughter’s avatars up, with a list of gladiator movies, little known facts on gladiators and so on. I hope readers will take a look: www.lisehaines.com. There are plenty of places to make responses, and I love hearing from young writers in particular.


Thank you so much for including me on the SJ Kessel site and for reading Girl in the Arena!

UPDATE:  There's now a musical trailer for Girl in the Arena:



Learn more about Girl in the Arena and Lise Haines (who you can follow on Twitter) from the other book bloggers on tour:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Patchwork of Books, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Maw Books Blog, My Own Little Corner of the World, Reading is My Superpower, The Hungry Readers

P.S.  I was given a free copy of this book through Bloomsbury USA along with the other tour members.

REVIEW: Girl In the Arena

Haines, L.  (2009). Girl in the Arena. New York:  Bloomsbury Publishing.

9781599903729

PLOT SUMMARY:  Set in a world similar to our own, but with some decidedly more advanced technology and some cultural differences, Lyn is a member of a neo-gladiator subculture.  She has had seven fathers, all save the seventh have died in the arena at the hands of other gladiators.  Now, Tommy, the seventh and last father is facing his most dangerous fight against an undefeated younger gladiator named Uber.  The consequences of this fight will be unprecedented, despite the oracular predictions Lyn's younger brother, Thad, has made.  Lyn will be forced into a very difficult situation, one that will take all of her skills to get out of with her freedoms in tact.  That's assuming of course she doesn't die in the attempt.

The world Haines has created splinters off from the events of the Vietnam War, as the world turns to reinstate gladiator fights in the hopes of curbing aggression and war.  Girl in the Arena includes many references to classical Roman culture and critiques of modern culture (notably celebrity culture, human nature and television programming).  While Lyn certainly is a character with some feminist beliefs, she's still very realistic in her portrayal (as opposed to some other books that give their feminist characters some unrealistic powers or skills).

I really liked this book.  After I started reading it, I didn't want to stop.  What more can you ask for?  I'm a hungry glutton.  Yum, book!

Informed readers probably won't be able to help making comparisons to The Hunger Games trilogy.  Both Girl in the Arena and The Hunger Games include strong female protagonists who are manipulated by organizations or governments to fight or develop romantic relationships with certain competitors, and incorporations of ancient Roman culture with science fiction twists.


ACTIVITIES:

Girl in the Arena can be used to discuss the various critiques it makes of popular culture and of the state of civilization.  It could be paired with lessons on Ancient Roman culture.  It also lends itself to comparison to The Hunger Games.

This book would be a good mother-daughter read since Lyn's relationship with her mother, Alison, is strained.  Mothers and daughters could focus on the implications of how Lyn and Alison's choices affect one another and how family member can help to provide emotional assistance to one another.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

"Joe Byers introduced neo-gladiator sport into American life to involve teenage boys in a new form of athletic competition that would be exhilarating while releasing aggressive energy in a safe, clean way.  He hoped there would be less need for war over time, especially for useless, savage wars like Vietnam" (p. 1).

"No man is allowed to hold your dowry bracelet, except your father.  If a man holds your dowry bracelet he's required, according to GSA law, to marry you.  Bylaw 87" (p. 55).

"Sometimes I dream of becoming a gladiator" (p. 100).

"Uber lunges in an effort to grab my arm.  Tripping over my dress, I sail forward and land stomach first.
I begin to think our relationship is purely physical" (p. 137).


TASTY RATING:  !!!!



Learn more about Girl in the Arena and Lise Haines (who you can follow on Twitter) from the other book bloggers on tour:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Patchwork of Books, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Maw Books Blog, My Own Little Corner of the World, Reading is My Superpower, The Hungry Readers

Also, check back here tomorrow, when I'll be posting an email interview I was lucky to conduct with Lise Haines.

P.S.  I was given a free copy of this book through Bloomsbury USA along with the other tour members.

Introducing Lise Haines and Girl in the Arena

Today through Wednesday quite a few book bloggers and I will be taking a close look at Lise Haines's Girl in the Arena.  You can expect my review tomorrow.

But I thought I'd spend today focusing on the cover and on Lyn, the teenaged protagonist who has grown-up in a neo-gladiator subculture in the United States.

First off, the book cover.  I dislikes it.  I don't think it properly represents the book.  Lyn only spends a small percentage of the book in the role of a gladiator. Plus, the hair of the pictured model is nothing like the hair style (which has some significance throughout the plot) Lyn has for most of the book.  It's just not a cover that'd make me go "Ooh, I wants to read me that!"  Not that I'm big on the cover-judging.  What are your thoughts?

As a character, Lyn faces some difficult decisions throughout Girl in the Arena.  So, I thought I'd present you, my few but dear readers, with some of her choices in a brief poll of Would You Rather.  Just to get you thinking about some of the difficult choices Lyn faces.







Learn more about Girl in the Arena and Lise Haines (who you can follow on Twitter) from the other book bloggers on tour:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Patchwork of Books, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Maw Books Blog, My Own Little Corner of the World, Reading is My Superpower, The Hungry Readers

P.S.  I was given a free copy of this book through Bloomsbury USA along with the other tour members.

Saying goodbye to Andrew Peterson and the Wingfeather Saga (for now)

On this last day of looking at Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga, I thought I'd take the time to get on my feminist soapbox.

While this series seems intent on sharing "great values" as the creater of Veggie Tales described it. I had trouble with the way gender was constructed (most particularly in On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness).

Nia, the Igiby mother, and Leeli, the youngest child, are the two main featured female characters. Overall, they are described in terms of beaty, nurturing, victimization or in Leeli's case, her bad leg, which marks, restricts and makes her dependent on others more often than her brothers.

The only situations when Nia and Leelie aren't acting in passive ways are when cooking, cleaning, bribing or feelings of compassion are involved. When Nia finally becomes assertive in deciding where her family is going to go, she declares her authority as a mother and not as *SMALL SPOILER for the first book* the queen of a besieged country.

This got old. And by old, I mean I was ready to stop reading when Leelie was put in the position of being victim for the second time during the first book when she was kidnapped by a Fang into the forest as bait and made to wait for men to ride to her rescue (Nia similarly isn't considered as being a potential rescuer). But alas, I was only reading the first book to have a better understanding of the second book, which I hadn't even started yet. So I read on.

The second book initially seemed as though it would follow along in much the same way and I almost lost hope. That is, until the Igibys are captured by Stranders, or thieves. One in their number, Maraly, is pretty tough. The girl can fight. She becomes friends with Tink, but is still described with terms about her "meanness" and tendency to fight "dirty" (p. 118). If there'd been a few more positive implications, I'd have been happier.

Now, I'll admit, I grew up reading and loving literature that incorporated female warriors and women in roles traditionally reserved for men. I like it when the ladies kick ass. Always have, always will. So, I am bias. I'd love to read others' opinions on the way gender was presented in this series.

To find out more about Andrew Peterson and his books, you can check out his website, here or his blog, here. Also, be sure to find out what other bloggers have to say about North! Or Be Eaten:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Booking Mama, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, My Own Little Corner of the World, My utopia, Novel Teen, Olive Tree, Reading is My Superpower, Through a Child’s Eye

REVIEW: North! Or Be Eaten

Peterson, A. (2009). North! or Be Eaten. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press.

9781400073870

Weeks have passed since the end of the events of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. The Igiby children are drilled each day to be prepared for danger. With the approach of autumn, the family prepares to leave the safety of their hiding spot to travel north in the hopes of finding distant relatives and allies who will help them to avoid the evil despot, Gnag the Nameless. With a warning from a friend they had thought dead and a marching band of Fangs, the Igibys must flee sooner than expected and encounter danger after danger during their escape to the North.

While I have to admit, I wouldn't call myself a fan of this series, I did like that North! or Be Eaten began with a much faster pace as the Igibys encountered danger after threat after beastie after danger after avoiding capture after DANGER after actually being captured after more danger and threats during their flight North. The Igiby family makes many new friends along their journey and encounter many new enemies as the children struggle to understand their new roles and future jobs. Tink struggles the most, unsure if he can handle the responsibility that comes with being the second born.

A religious subtext was more noticeable in this book than in the last one, with an ancient book being translated that reveals a way to reclaim a city with a possible link to the Maker and a past of holiness. A teacher could use this aspect of the text to discuss allegory or the history of Israel.

One drawback to the series overall (and something Peterson has no control over what so ever), is the amount of text on each page.

Crud. The picture doesn't really seem to capture the amount of text the way I'd hoped it would. Fail. But believe me when I say, I first opened my copy of the book and went "Whoa!" Some could accuse me of being too used to the big font of other children's books. But I would argue this book has more text per a page than many of my rambling literary theory books from the library. Truth!

I could see a middle grade student being VERY intimidated by this.

To help ease a child in, a teacher or parent could begin the book as a read aloud or remind the child that the chapters are relatively short and there is the occasional illustration. But at the end of the day, I'd rather read a 500 page book and feel like I'm making more progress by flipping pages than sitting on one page for 10 minutes. (I know that'd mean more paper and would make the book more expensive and I would like to say sorry to the trees of the world and that, in my defense, I have invested in a Kindle)

Activities to Do with the Book:

Students could focus in on the way Peterson attempts to build a complete world and culture (focusing in on the information included in the footnotes). A teacher could guide them into a conversation about how so many sayings, activities, celebrations are hinged on insider knowledge of a culture.

Quotes of Note:

"Toothy Cow!" bellowed Podo as he whacked a stick against the nearest glipwood tree. The old pirate's eyes blazed, and he stood at the base of the tree like a ship's captain at the mast. "Toothy cow! Quick! Into the tree house!"

Not far away, an arrow whizzed through some hanging moss and thudded into a plank of wood decorated with a charcoal drawing of a snarling Fang. The arrow protruded from the Fang's mouth, the shaft still vibrating from the impact. Tink lowered his bow, squinted to see if he had hit the target, and completely ignored his grandfather.

"Tooooothy--oy! That's a fine shot, lad--Cow!" (p. 1).

"Gnag the Nameless and the Fangs of Dang still terrorized the land of Skree, and the shadow they cast covered more of Aerwiar with every passing day. It was only a matter of time before that shadow fell again on the Igibys" (p. 4).

"What were you doing back there? All day we've been in danger, but you keep standing around! Is this a game to you?" (p. 51).

"I'll know better once I've had more time to translate. But if there is a chamber, if there is some secret there that can protect Anniera..." Oskar looked over his spectacles at Janner. "That could be the reason your father risked his life to get you this book" (p. 132).

To find out more about Andrew Peterson and his books, you can check out his website, here or his blog, here. Also, be sure to find out what other bloggers have to say about North! Or Be Eaten:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Booking Mama, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, My Own Little Corner of the World, My utopia, Novel Teen, Olive Tree, Reading is My Superpower, Through a Child’s Eye

Introducing Andrew Peterson and the Wingreather Saga

For the next three days, tour bloggers (myself among them) will be focusing on Andrew Peterson's latest installment in his Wingfeather Saga, North! Or Be Eaten.

Peterson has a background as a singer/songwriter (and has several CDs available). His first published book is a middle grade story called The Ballad of Matthew's Begats, which is a ballad to help bridge the old Testament with the New, accommodating his background as a singer and songwriter. After that, he began the Wingfeather Saga, which has a Biblical/folklorish, classic fantasy feel since it begins with the origin of the Aerwiar world.

Since North! or be Eaten is the second book in the Wingfeather Saga, I couldn't possibly let you go these three days of Wingfeather trilogy discussion without a review of the first book, now could I? No, I couldn't.

Peterson, A. (2008). On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness introduces readers to twelve-year-old Janner and his younger brother and sister, Tink and Leeli. The three siblings leave their mother and grandfather (Janner's father died years before and until the day the book opens with, Janner didn't even know his father's name) to go into the town to attend the Dragon Day festival. Problems arises as group of Fangs, the Lizard soldiers who serve the evil king encounter Leeli and her dog, Nugget.

While Peterson has a lot of fun with language--I particularly like the name of the Gnag the Nameless. But I felt like this fun didn't go far enough. Take the title "the dark sea of darkness" as an example: campy fun.

I wanted to like this book. I really did, but small things prevented me from really getting into it. The narrative often jumped from point of view to point of view among the Igiby children or their mother or grandfather within the span of a few paragraphs. I had trouble keeping some of the characters straight, especially since the Igiby children's mother was called by her first name, Nia (instead of say, Mommy-dear). I felt like the idea of the missing Jewels of Anneira or the mysterious map Tink and Janner find needed to be presented earlier.

I read this book using the Kindle edition. I feel this book is probably more impressive on paper. I found the Kindle illustrations (particularly the maps) to be difficult to decipher.

Activities to do with the Book:

In response to the book, students could write journal entries in the voice of one of the supporting characters. They could create maps of their own neighborhood, town or of imagined places.

They could make predictions about what will happen in the rest of the series or about what happened previously to Peet the Sock Man.

Quotes of Note:

"The old stories tell that when the first person woke up on the first morning in the world where this tale takes place, he yawned, stretched, and said to the first thing he saw, "Well, here we are." The man's name was Dwayne, and the first thing he saw was a rock. Next to the rock, though, was a woman named Gladys, whom he would learn to get along with very well. In the many ages that followed, that first sentence was taught to children and their children's children and their children's parents' cousins and so on until, quite by accident, all speaking creatures referred to the world around them as Aerwair."

"What could possibly happen in just a few seconds?"

"Each stranger in Glipwood that day was a reminder to Janner that he had never, never left the town. They lit up his imagination and filled him with an ache to see the world."

"If anyone reads this without permission, he will be most certainly and brutally slain. Or at the very least I'll chop off a finger or two. Or three."

"I'm just saying there's a lot more to this little down than we thought. Our mother has a hidden stash of jewels that we didn't know about. Mister Reteep gets an Annieran journal in a crate from Dang. He has a hidden map. And some mysterious person with perfect aim saved our lives yesterday."

To find out more about Andrew Peterson and his books, you can check out his website, here or his blog, here. Also, be sure to find out what other bloggers have to say about North! Or Be Eaten:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Booking Mama, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, Homeschool Book Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, My Own Little Corner of the World, My utopia, Novel Teen, Olive Tree, Reading is My Superpower, Through a Child’s Eye