Liv, Forever - Amy Talkington

Talkington, Amy. Liv, Forever. New York: Soho Teen, 2014.

 

In my quest to find some good, new ghost stories, I stumbled on a good little ghost story set in a boarding school - a win, win for me. When Olivia arrives at Wickham Hall as a scholarship, she is pretty uncertain about what to think. She doesn't exactly know how to relate to the students here. she is attracted to Malcolm Astor, and he seems attracted to her, in spite of their very different social statuses. She likes Gabe, a fellow scholarship student, but he seems just a bit odd, even seeing people who just don't seem to be there. The mean girls hate her for no real reason. But oh the art building and the potential for her art that exists in it - worth all the confusion of being at Wickham Hall. Until she finds herself unexpectedly murdered and a ghost, perhaps doomed to Haunt Wickham Hall forever. She finds help in unexpected corners and finds herself "getting to know" ghosts from a variety of decades in this refreshingly unique tale.

I loved getting to know Liv and watching her find her footing, first at her new school and next in her ghostly dimension. Readers will relate to her uncertainty, and the honesty with which she shares it. Certainly, her developing romance will be a lure for many of the girls. Others will be intrigued by the decades long mystery that Liv, Malcolm, and Gabe uncover. The brief glimpses into the other decades, artfully rendered are a lovely bonus.

I set out to add the to my creepy Halloween book talk for junior high. However, I am leaning toward my boarding school favorites now...Liv is a bit like e lockhart's Disreputable Frankie Landau Banks, and I've loved her for while now. I think Liv is just a bit more suited for my older readers and will be introducing her to them soon.

 

Long Lankin - Lindsey Barraclough

Barraclough Lindsey. Long Lankin.

Not a book for the faint of heart - Long Lankin is at ghost tale of epic proportions - it is history, folklore and gothic horror. As I prepare for my spooky ooky seventh grade book talk, I got into quite the tale. Cora and Mimi find themselves unceremoniously dropped at their Aunt Ida's house by their dad as their mom is mysteriously away...again. Aunt Ida certainly seems less than pleased and dictates a series of rules that the girls must follow as Ida tries to find a way to send her home - windows remain nailed shut; don't go to the church; stay inside if the tide is out. Together with 2 neighborhood boys, Roger and Pete, Cora finds herself inexplicably drawn into the horrific mystery that is Long Lankin. A story that spans generations and decades the has nearly destroyed Cora's mom and aunt, and very nearly Mimi.

This horrific title requires a dedicated reader. I worry a bit that my typical 7th grade readers won't stick it out. The book is lengthy. The story bounces back and forth quickly among several narrators. The vocabulary is at times intense. The setting, it's time and location may create some confusion. That being said; I hope my lovers of ghost stories will give this one a try. The residents of this small village are uniquely individual, and this large cast is fully rendered. These readers will be challenged, intrigued, and I'm guessing just a little bit scared. All worthwhile adventures in reading!



Shakespeare Saved My Life - Laura Bates

Bates, Laura. Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, 2013.

Surely not a new title, but one I have been interested in reading.  I am grateful to the committee who chose this title as part of a local reading competition, providing me with the perfect reason to purchase and read this memoir. I love a good memoir.  I am fascinated by the genre. I love reading and teaching Shakespeare.  My passion for exposing students to quality literature, just to expose them to quality literature aside, this title offers a variety of ways that Shakespeare speaks to men and women of today.

 

I find myself fascinated by Dr. Bates’ work. I sometimes fancy myself as awfully brave, offering up Shakespeare to reluctant high schoolers.  But her work in a maximum security prison in her home state of Indiana puts me to shame.  Further, the results she gets both in writing and orally, stunning.  Certainly I will share the videos and transcripts of some of this work that is available with my students who are seldom convinced of the bard’s accessibility. I am actively trying to locate the workbooks that she wrote in conjunction with Larry Newton, one of her first and most successful Shakespeare students.

 

Dr. Bates does a lovely job of intertwining her own life, learnings, and inspirations with that of the prisoners with whom she works, creating a bridge that many readers might refuse to believe exists between those in and outside of prison.  Larry Newton’s insistence on the idea that we all are imprisoned, some just more physically irrevocably than others is certainly one for my students to consider.  I see them create and maintain boundaries all of the time.  What a challenging way for them (&me!) to look at life.  The idea that we are not all that difference from the maximum security prisoner is also one worth consideration. At some level this notion is explored in The Other Wes Moore also in my library.

Certainly, I will be using this in my AP Literature course, and have already mentioned it to our other teachers who teach Shakespeare. I am also seeing potential for some book talking.  Because of the core, we have intentionally increased the focus of these talks on nonfiction.  I can certainly pair this with the Wes Moore titles.  I also have many modern renditions of Shakespeare’s work that would work nicely for a whole Shakespeare theme. I am eager to get started in all of these directions.

I enjoyed this Ted talk as I was working through the memoir - Shakespeare in Shackles: The Transformative Power of Literature: Laura Bates at TEDxUCLA. And...and an NPR interview to look at.


Because You'll Never Meet Me - Leah Thomas

Thomas, Leah. Because You'll Never Meet Me. New York: Bloomsbury, 2015.

So, sometimes I read a book and just wish I were the first time author who had written it. My reading of this title evoked just such a reaction. I find this a difficult book to summarize.  The story of Ollie and Moritz told in epistolary form explores the world through two interesting lenses.  Ollie is allergic to electricity and lives in relative isolation in the woods with his mother.  Aside from occasional visits from his doctor and the special friendship with the girl who visits the woods, Ollie has little human contact.  His letters to Moritz become a lifeline of sorts.  Moritz attends public school and lives with his father, but has no eyes and navigates the world with his unique talent of echolocation. Because he is so difference, he too is largely isolated.  These boys challenge each other, via their letters, to step outside of their comfort zones.  The results are challenging, emotional, and difficult. This novel tackles a variety of tough issues;  how we perceive and judge others, how we find love in a difficult world, what it means to be a parent, and what it means to be a child, what lengths should scientists go in the name of improving (?) the human condition.  I loved this book.  And I envy first time novelist Leah Thomas who drew these characters so expertly for me.  These boys were simultaneously exasperating and endearing. Thomas created a plot that is unique and engaging - both realistic and science fiction like. She sent me right to the internet to see if allergies to electricity exist.  She gradually builds suspense in the back story that I didn’t even realize I was looking for.

I have to get this in the hands of my kids.  I want them to always be considering new ways of seeing people and being compassionate to those who are different.  I want them to stand up to the bullies in their world.  I want them to think outside of the box in the way this novel demands. BUT...I don’t have a clear idea of how to sell it.  I’ve talked about it with some of my avid readers, and they are treating me as if I’m a bit crazy when I try to describe this title.  I will get there, though. I will hook someone, and then circulation will likely take off as they talk among themselves.  I look forward eagerly to hearing what my young readers have to say and if they will share my fascination with this title! Kudos Leah Thomas.

 


Wynn in Doubt - Emily Hemmer

Hemmer, Emily. Wynn In Doubt. Seattle, Washington: Lake Union Publishing, 2015.

I continue to explore the new adult genre in this title. I was drawn immediately in with the author's prologue about her great grandmother. That the main character is named Wynn, my grandmother's name surely didn't hurt. Wynn's story is likely a common one. At 28 when just isn't where she had hoped to be in life. Her career has gone nowhere. She isn't in a relationship, still pining over a boy who kissed her just once in high school. But, she makes a discovery. She learns of her gram's mom Lola who left her daughter behind to find a new life. Her own mother hates even the thought of this woman who hurt her mother. Her sisters side with her mom, but Wynn just finds that she needs to know. She feels a connection, off she goes with Oliver (the kiss...a bit of a coincidence that he is back in town and looking for her...) to find out what she can about Lola and her life. This quest is the beginning of her coming of age.

Wynn's journey resonates me she gives hope to the young person who struggles. Hope to be bold. Hope to try new things. Hope that it is never too late to redefine who you are. I can overlook the romance that doesn't completely work for me - my age perhaps? I seem consistently jarred by the relationships of the genre. But I like Oliver and I like how things work out...no spoilers. I like to read about women who insist on charting their own course, the historical story, the research, the diary all add to the narrative  I love the lesson of learning from the ones who precede us. The lesson that urges forgiveness. Much to be admired in this work.

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