2012 Reviews by: Seymour
Not caring what people say
Great book! This book treats a delicate subject masterfully. Astrid is in high school and she is really enjoying philosophy class. This makes sense because she is smart and a thinker and feeler who is just trying to make sense of her world. She has a job at a catering firm on weekends where her major responsibility is deveining shrimp. And she likes to de-stress by laying down on the picnic table in her backyard and sending up love to the airplanes flying overhead--she likes to send love to the passengers who are traveling on the planes. Her landscape is populated by some not very supportive people: her mother who is self-involved and critical of Astrid; her father who is coping with their new small hometown life by abusing marijuana; her sister Ellis who is very eager to fit in and is also homophobic; her friend Kristina who is pretending to be the popular girl at school; her friend Justin who is pretending to be the popular boy at school; the love of her life, Dee, who is being too physically aggressive. Astrid ponders when she feels comfortable and when she doesn't; when she feels most like herself and when she is happy. The reader is rooting for her all the way because she doesn't want to be pigeonholed especially when she sees how much effort the people around her put into keeping up appearances (and how detrimental that can be). There are gems throughout this book but the final description of passenger #587, at the very end of the book, is very poignant and thought provoking. So good!
Getting past the loss of a limb
This is a lovely book about perseverance and recognizing that everyone is struggling with something. Jessica loses her leg, below the knee, in an accident, when a vehicle runs into the bus that she is traveling on with her track team. The loss of a limb is devastating but knowing that she can't run really hurts Jessica. During the course of the book Jessica learns that she has the ability to both walk AND run again through the technology of prosthesis. As she retrains her body to adjust to her new leg and to reach for higher goals, we are cheering her all the way! She also learns about noticing other people--among them are Rosa, a peer who has cerebral palsy; Ms. Rucker, her math teacher, who is deeper than her tough veneer; Chloe, the receptionist where Jessica is fitted for her new leg, who has a story of her own to tell. I love that the accident heightens Jessica's awareness. You often hear about that kind of transformation in people. And I loved the comparison of the starting line to the finishing line and how they can be the same!
How do you move on from the abyss of sadness?
This debut book for this author is AMAZING. Caitlin loses her best friend Ingrid. (they are in high school) Caitlin is grieving very hard and we journey with her as she comes to terms with her grief. Her parents take her on a trip in the summer to help her start to heal. When they get home her father leaves a pile of plywood in the backyard for her to build something which will give her a challenge and renewed purpose. Caitlin finds Ingrid's journal under her own bed and as she reads it, little by little, she realizes that she missed out on a lot of what her friend was thinking and feeling. Caitlin feels guilty but eventually gets to the point where she does some very positive things with the journal to help others on their grief journeys, too. For sure, the author does justice to the fact that everyone experiences grief in a different way. I love how art is shaped therapeutically in this book. *The scene where Caitlin goes to see "Rome and Juliet" is so well written. *Also, when Caitlin's mother sees her purchasing a rope in a hardware store. (These blew me away, among others!)
In the name of science...
This was a very well written and thought provoking book. Ben's parents are both researchers and they bring in an addition to the family. It is a baby gorilla that they call "Zan". Over time, Ben becomes very close to Zan and he considers him a brother. Zan is being observed to see if he can learn language and he is treated like a human such as having him wear clothing. The research team is teaching Zan ASL (American Sign Language). On the surface, it appears like the treatment of the gorilla is "fair". However, as the story progresses the reader is confronted with the ethical implications of what is going on. This was fascinating because these types of experiments were going on in the '70s and I don't think the "common person" really thought about what was happening. Zan, indeed, ends up becoming much more than an "animal". Simultaneously, Ben is coming into his adolescence and he is trying to get attention from a girl at school by being "methodical". Again, this seems tame on the surface but when you realize how calculating he is being you begin to question his strategy. This book is hopeful and sad about how we try to control others. I highly recommend this book.
A band tour/life changing tour
Colby has been best friends with Bev ever since they were young children. (They are now high school graduates.) Bev is in a band with two other young women, Meg and Alexa. The band has some end of the summer gigs before college begins. Colby is the driver for the band on this small tour. Through his eyes we discover his conflicts over who he is; how he behaves; how he misunderstands relationships around him. (I give the author a lot of credit for being able to write as a teen male protagonist.) The tour, and all of the events that the four experience during it (running Sunday to Saturday)both large and small, show how one intense week can change the course of lives. Colby finally gets both closer to Bev and, in my opinion, healthily dis-attached so that he can shape his own future. The teens witnessing of the adults in their lives and how they have coped with "life questions" gave a layer of richness to the story. This book also highlighted that no matter what stage you are in your life, there are struggles. However, art (in all its forms) is a powerful elixir.
A sensitive book about finding out who you are
It is tough when you are brand new to a high school and you have moved from Wisconsin to California. It is tougher when it seems like everyone is dating and pairing off. And it is even tougher when derogatory language about homosexuality is used around you. Frederick is experiencing all of this and more as he grapples with whether he may be gay or not. His first new friend in the school is Xio who desperately wants to be Frederick's girlfriend. Will it work out? How will both Frederick and Xio mature from their friendship? This book is a well written slice of the high school pie.
Tremendous
Bluefish is the fourth book by Wisconsin author Pat Schmatz (rhymes with jots, not cats) who was born in Amherst, WI.
This book is an introduction to two main characters. Travis is new at the middle school. Velveeta, confident and individualistic, attends the same middle school. Inherently, both of them are lonely. Travis is a lover of the outdoors whereas Velveeta has a penchant for colorful scarves.
Travis is suffering from the loss of his dog and Velveeta is sad about the death of a good friend. This is one of many parallels they share. However, Travis has a deep-seated secret that is thwarting his ability to succeed.
A special teacher and a special librarian help Travis and Velveeta out. Other adults are described, flaws and all, which make for a realistic portrait of life. The dialogue in this book resonates, too.
The symbol of bluefish begins as derogatory and evolves into a triumphant emblem of empowerment!
This enjoyable and uplifting read leaves the reader grateful for friendship and hopeful. During the course of the novel, a gamut of feelings is tapped which is a satisfying growth experience. An appreciation for literacy is also achieved with this story.
Praise goes to Pat for her sensitive writing style. Her ability to express the middle school mindset, in particular, and humanity, in general, is to be lauded.
A great one in the fantasy genre
This was a terrific story of intrigue. Sunny is a young albino woman living in Nigeria. She discovers that she has special powers and becomes friends with Chichi, Orlu and Sasha. As a team they are being trained by a local wizard and other mentors of a group that is fighting for good. An evil force that they are needed to dismantle is the Black Hat who is a serial killer of young children. Each of the young people are learning about their powers and growing in their experience of their abilities. The juju (powers) that they are finding out about are very amazing. This has great elements of fantasy in it and is well set up for another book! It is enjoyable to learn about another culture and it is also good to note that teens are similar wherever they are. Also, the librarian loves that a library serves as "headquarters".
