Wonderstruck

Volume Six in the Books That Matter Series

For years, people have told me to read Wonderstruck. "If you read The Invention of Hugo Cabret--" which I have--"you'll love Wonderstruck," they said. So when I picked up the book this week, I had high expectations and it ended up exceeding them. I was used to Brian Selznik's set-up since I had also read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but I wasn't prepared for how skillfully structured this book would be. Just like Hugo, the pencil drawings were beautiful and added so much to the story but Wonderstruck took it to a whole new level.

Wonderstruck is two stories in one. It opens in the 1970's with Ben, who has hearing in one ear -- his story is told in text. Then, it gives a glimpse into Rose's life from fifty years earlier. Rose is deaf -- her story is told in pictures. As the story progresses, readers learn how isolated Rose feels because she is deaf. I loved how the drawings started with a vast scene where Rose is pictured as a small entity among a much larger world and then the drawings that follow continue to zoom in to show just how alone and isolated she is, even among a bustling city of people. Ben, on the other hand, has hearing in one ear when the story opens. His journey in words balances well with the silence that comes across in Rose's pictures.

As readers learn the connection between Ben and Rose, despite the fifty year difference in their stories, the pictures start with a zoomed in scene of a connection and then each drawing moves out again to show the characters' places in the world. The contrast between the opening drawings and the ending drawings show just how much things have changed.

Wonderstruck left me in awe of the story arc that took place in the drawings. If I were just to read Ben's section, the story would make sense. If I were to follow just Rose's pictures, the story arc would still be clear to me. The two distinct but connected stories blended well and carried a beautiful message to readers. I urge you to check it out.

See You At Harry's

Volume Five in the Books That Matter Series

Recently, I heard the author of this book, Jo Knowles, speak at an event. Her speech moved me to tears. I had read two of her books before: Jumping Off Swings and Pearl. But I was surprised to hear her work has been met with such harsh criticism. Because of her speech, I checked out one of her other books, See You At Harry's. Once again, Jo Knowles moved me to tears with her words. This book needs to be out there. It is so true to life. It should be available for a person who is dealing with grief, for someone who is gay and longs to see relatable characters in books, for people who need to know that love is not something that should be banned. This book impacted me greatly. See You At Harry's is a book that matters. And more importantly, Jo Knowles is a voice that matters.

Fish in a Tree

Volume Four in the Books That Matter Series

Who doesn't remember sixth grade and all the trials and tribulations that came with it? For Ally Nickerson, sixth grade is intolerable because of her inability to read, but everything might change when Mr. Daniels becomes her new teacher.

Just like Ally, math was my strong area and I struggled with reading and spelling. I remember being in elementary school, sitting in a circle, where each student had to read one line in whatever story we were reading. I used to dread having to sit there, waiting for my turn. I would count the sentences to figure out which one I would be asked to read. I would practice it over and over in my head so I would be ready. I had no idea what the other students were reading to the class because I was focused on getting all the words right in my own sentence. And it would never fail, as the student next to me read the sentence I practiced, I would realize I counted wrong. My stomach would lurch and then it would be my turn and I would have to read in front of the class. And always, there was at least one challenging word in the new sentence, the one I hadn't practiced.

It didn't help that I was in the lowest reading group. They never told you that in school, but just as Jeff Kinney stated in a Diary of A Wimpy Kid, you could always figure it out based on the cover of your book. The title of my reading book was Bears. The other group had Balloons. Their cover showed hot air balloons floating high in the sky. I suppose you can guess what my cover had on it. Let's just say that bears hibernate in the winter. It didn't take a genius to figure out which group had the higher expectations and which one didn't.

Fortunately for me, however, my learning disability was caught in second grade by an observant teacher. Then in third grade, I had a teacher who saw past what I couldn't do and saw what I had the potential to achieve. She encouraged my love for writing. She was the first person to teach me about first drafts and not to worry about the spelling, which allowed me to use vocabulary that was much higher than my grade level because I didn't have to worry if the words were correct. She was the one who showed me how to make revisions to my story and correct the spelling at that point. She was also the one who promised to help me turn my work into a real book. Like Mr. Daniels (the new teacher who Ally encounters in Fish in A Tree), my teacher believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. And just like the scene in the book when Mr. Daniels is out of school one day, my teacher was out on the day I was supposed to read my story in front of the class for a critique. And after all these years, I could still relate to the way Ally felt that day when the substitute did things differently than the way Mr. Daniels would have done it.

My third grade teacher helped me discover that my writing could be more than just a hobby. I could turn my work into real books. With her help, the guidance of my other teachers who saw my potential along the way, and of course the support of my family, I decided to go into the field of education and inspire others the way my teachers did. I understood what it was like to struggle in school. I know what it is like to want to prove yourself, and not just to others. In fourth grade, a friend learned that I only had to complete half of the homework assignments. What she didn't know was that the shortened assignments would take me double or triple the time to complete. I remember how my friend questioned it and how it made me think twice about it as well. So I started completing the full assignments because I wanted to prove to myself (and no one else) that I could do everything everyone else could do.

I was surprised that after so many years that Fish in A Tree could take me back to my own struggles and triumphs from those early years of schooling. Ally Nickerson's character was accurate to my own feelings in school and Mr. Daniels was true to the teachers who inspired me.

Over the years, I struggled with questions about my own writing. I wondered if my stories were good enough, if I had something worth saying, if I was capable of even writing something people would want to read. I know these concerns are normal for writers but I also know these questions are something more for me. They come from that young student who used to practice sentences before having to read in front of the class. So when rejections come in, they hurt, as all rejections do, but they also take me back to the place that maybe I am just not good enough.

But I continue to write, revise, and submit. Because I am a writer, and just as my teacher said all those years ago, someday my stories will be turned into a real book.

If you know a student who is struggling in school, Fish in A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is the book for them. It is not just for students either. Teachers and parents would benefit from reading this book as well. Thank you Lynda Mullaly Hunt for another moving book with a powerful message.

One For The Murphys

Volume Three in the Books That Matter Series

For twelve year old Carley Connors being someone's hero is a pretty tall order. Let's face it, for anyone this could be a huge expectation to have looming overhead. Though if you look at it closer, you might see that the potential is all around you.

When I heard Lynda Mullaly Hunt talk about her middle grade novel, One For The Murphys, I knew I had to read it. But it was sold out at the conference store. Then, my book headhunter told me that she had read it and that I had to read it too. So I went to a nearby store and bought the book.

Carley Connors is twelve years old and a foster child who has just been placed with the Murphys. Told in first person, readers get a point of view told strictly from Carley, which is an important fact to keep in mind when first meeting the Murphys. In the beginning, Mrs. Murphy appears as a Leave It To Beaver mom for the current day. Mr. Murphy is a firefighter and hence the reason Carley must sleep in a firefighter themed room complete with a fire truck bed and a sign above it that reads: "Be someone's hero." Daniel is the oldest of the three Murphy boys and the only one of his brothers who dislikes having Carley in his life. Adam and Michael Eric are the two younger boys who offer some comic relief.  Then, throw in a musical loving girl named Toni, who goes to school with Carley, and you have the makings of a great cast of characters.

The thing that stands out the most about this story, the one that still remains with me now even though it has been ten months since I have read it, is that expectation of being someone's hero. It resonated with me to the point where I wanted to use this message with the students in my classroom. So I asked them to name anyone they thought was a hero. Of course, superheroes and fictional characters were listed right off the bat and all of those went into one column on our list. Then, there were professions in another column. The students listed police officers, firefighters, those in the military, doctors, teachers, utility workers, and so on. The next column was for specific individuals who work in these professions. Someone's parent might have been a firefighter, teacher, or doctor. The list grew from the abstract and fictional to the concrete and real. Normal, everyday people can be heroes. And in return, you might be that person for someone else.

Wonder

Volume Two in the Books That Matter Series

August Pullman is ten years old. It's the first thing readers learn about him. And even though, Auggie also states that he is "not an ordinary ten-year-old", he goes on to tell readers all the things he likes to do that just about any American kid his age would also like to do. But the reason, he is not ordinary is due to a facial deformity that causes other children to be afraid of him. So when his parents decide to enroll him in school for the first time in his life, Auggie must face a new challenge: the fifth grade.

But Wonder is not Auggie's story. Not entirely anyway. He is the main character and the true inspiration of the book. But Palacio structures her work so that readers can follow this year of Auggie's life through not only his eyes, but those of his older sister, her boyfriend, his sister's former friend, and two other fifth graders at Auggie's new school. This change in point of view offers a look into the way other people view August and how he impacts their lives as well.

My mom first recommended this book to me. Then, a former student was reading it and told me that I should read it too. Finally, a member of my critique group--the same friend who recommended The Fault in Our Stars, who from here on out will be known as my book headhunter--highly recommended it. So after these three glowing reviews, I read the book and I was amazed  by the unexpected beauty that I found on the pages within the cover.

The Fault in Our Stars

Volume One in The Books That Matter Series

When a friend of mine told me about The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, I knew I had to read it. But when she told me how she almost stopped reading it because the subject matter hit too close to home, I realized that books have a way of finding the right people at the right time. And I am very thankful that this book found its way to her and in turn to me.

Being a teenager is tough, being a teenager with cancer is horrible, but being a teenager with terminal cancer describes Hazel, the sixteen-year-old main character from The Fault In Our Stars. Author John Green took a depressing, grim subject matter and turned parts of it into a lighter universal story about teenagers, allowing readers at times to forget that these characters had cancer.

Now, I don't want to be one of those people who goes on about fictional characters when real children and teenagers are facing cancer each day but John Green had worked with teenagers who had cancer and had wanted to write about it. So yes, this story is fictional and the characters made up but the subject matter is so strong and true that there is something much deeper here. John Green has mastered a balancing act with his blend of a heavy topic and a sense of humor that keeps the plot feeling like one about teenagers and not always one about terminal cancer.

If you are looking for a book with a powerful message, I strongly recommend The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It will make you laugh and cry, leaving you thinking long after you read the last word.

If you want more information about childhood cancer or are interested in donating to organizations that help children with cancer, please visit one of the following sites:

For St. Jude's Children Research Hospital: stjude.org

For The Tomorrow Fund Clinic:   tomorrowfund.org

For The Jimmy Fund:    jimmyfund.org

The World of Books

Up until now, most of my blogging has been about writing. However, one of the major rules of becoming a writer is to be an avid reader. Read the genre that you write, write the genre that you love to read. So I am a writer who enjoys reading. This wasn't always the case. I never really enjoyed reading as a child. I had my favorite books and my go to authors, but I was by no means an avid reader. Then, I became a teacher and I started reading all the wonderful books that were out there in the middle grade and young adult market. I talked with students about the books they were reading and recommended ones that I had read.

More recently, I started a reading journal so I could keep track of all the books I read. My original reason for doing this was to keep a log that would help me when submitting my work to agents and publishers. Then just this past weekend, I read a book so wonderful that I actually wrote in the log while reading it. I wanted to document all my reactions and favorite quotes from the book. Days after I finished it, I couldn't get the book out of my head. I am even thinking about reading it again because I read it so fast the first time that maybe this time I will pick up on even more.

So what is the name of this most wonderful book that caused me to stop blogging about writing and start writing about reading?

For that answer, check back tomorrow when I give you the name of this book and my opinion For What It Is Worth.