Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This is another student recommendation although it was already on my list as a consideration for a reading ladder. I gulped it down in about one evening, so it is a good involving read.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with an unfortunate combination of genetic disorders that made his craniofacial structure severely deformed but left his intellect intact. He's a pretty normal kid coping with a pretty abnormal situation.

After many many surgeries, Auggie is finally ready to go to an actual school. He's still pretty disfigured though. So there is a lot of anxiety about how his classmates will react. Predictably, it's a mixed bag. Some kids really step up. Some descend into bullying the "weird kid." After years of working in a high school, it's kind of what I would expect to happen.

Palacio bounces around from point of view to point of view. While Auggie's voice is really interesting and engaging, I almost enjoyed the sections from Summer, Via, and Jack's point of view more. It's easy to forget how disabilities affect more than just the disabled person. These glimpses into the minds of the other teens are interesting because it's a reminder that even a nice kid screws up. Strong people have weak moments.

This is a good pick for Middle School and High School. The ideas, though complex, are expressed simply and without melodrama. Because of the multiple points of view, the story isn't completely linear which could cause confusion in a struggling reader.

FIts and starts

I'm having difficulty with Nanowrimo. Really it's pretty stupid and I get frustrated with my students when they do this, but . . .

So, I was hot to trot and good to go on Nov 1st, wrote 900 words in my morning session. When I went back to it in the afternoon, it was gone. Some sort of saving glitch. It's just 900 words, I know that, but now I'm just having the worst difficulty getting back in the swing. Maybe I need to switch ideas...I don't know.

It's getting the best of me. I know that, but I'm just so darned discouraged.

The Wilfrid Boxes

I have a coworker who is downsizing his house and needed to offload some books. He generously gave many of them to me. Some of them will be headed into the classroom library, many of them I'm going to read first. Below is the list of books. There are some incomplete series and a few that I've read before, but mostly I don't know these books or authors even if I'm familiar with their names. It's not my current reading list but there are so many here that I'm not sure where to start. If y'all have any input or recommendations of a good set to start will, let me know!

1. The Heritage of Hastur by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
2. Sharra's Exile by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
3. The Shattered Chain by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
4. Thendara House by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
5. City of Sorcery by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
6. The Shadow Matrix by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
7. Traitor's Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
8. Stormqueen! by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
9. Hawkmistress! by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover)
10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
11. Dhalgren by Samuel Delany
12. Deathstalker Honor by Simon R. Green
13. Silver Moons, Black Steel by Tara K. Harper
14. Rhapsody by Elizabeth Hayden
15. Prophecy by Elizabeth Hayden
16. St. Patrick's Gargoyle by Katherine Kurtz
17. In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen R. Lawhead (Dragon King 1)
18. The Warlords of Nin by Stephen R. Lawhead (Dragon King 2)
19. The Sword and the Flame by Stephen R. Lawhead (Dragon King 3)
20. Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish by Morgan Llywelyn
21. Druids by Morgan Llywelyn
22. Silverhand by Morgan Llywelyn and Michael Scott (Arcana 1)
23. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum
24. Nimisha's Ship by Ann McCaffrey
25. Pegasus in Space by Anne McCaffrey
26. Acorna: the Unicorn Girl by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball
27. The Chrome Borne by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
28. Power Lines by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
29. Power Play by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
30. Sky Dragons by Todd McCaffrey
31. The Thief's Gamble by Juliet E. McKenna
32. Once a Hero by Elizabeth Moon
33. Rules of Engagement by Elizabeth Moon
34. Against the Odds by Elizabeth Moon
35. The King of Swords by Michael Moorcock (Third Book of Corum)
36. The Bull and Spear by Michael Moorcock (fourth Book of Corum
37. The War Amongst the Angels by Michael Moorcock
38. The Integral Trees by Larry Niven
39. The Ringworld Throne by Larry Niven
40. Saturn's Race by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes
41. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
42. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
43. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
44. Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul
45. Dragonquest by Donita K. Paul
46. Stronghold by Melanie Rawn (Dragon Star 1)
47. The Dragon Token by Melanie Rawn (Dragon Star 2)
48. Skybowl by Melanie Rawn (Dragon Star 3)
49. The Mageborn Traitor by Melanie Rawn (Exiles 2)
50. Exiles by Melanie Rawn (Ruins of Ambrai 1)
51. A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo
52. The Ganymede Club by Charles Sheffield
53. My Brother's Keeper by Charles Sheffield
54. The Hollow Man by Dan Simmons
55. Field of Dishonor by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
56. Flag in Exile by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
57. War of Honor by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
58. Mission of Honor by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
59. On Basilisk Station by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
60. Honor Among Enemies by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
61. The Short Victorious War by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
62. The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
63. Changer of Worlds  by David Weber (Worlds of Honor 3)
64. Path of the Fury by David Weber
65. The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber
66. In Enemy Hands by David Weber
67. Ashes of Victory by David Weber
68. At All Costs by David Weber
69. March Upcountry by David Weber and John Ringo
70. March to the Sea by David Weber and John Ringo
71. Flash Gordon on the Lost Continent of Mongo by Al Williamson

Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

It would seem that with the end of The Warlord of Mars, John Carter's stint as a main character is over. Thuvia, Maid of Mars's protagonist is John Carter's son Carthoris. It seems a little odd to me that as devoted to John Carter as Thuvia was that Burroughs is now setting her up with the son, but that is clearly what is happening.

The book opens with a love triangle. Thuvia is promised to Kulan Tith but she is very careful to never say that she loves him. It's painfully obvious that she has feelings for Carthoris so the whole scene is awkward and stilted. If that's not enough, Thuvia has also captured the heart of a very ill-mannered Prince Astok. When he tries to force his attentions on Thuvia, Carthoris rescues her...aggressively.

Rebuffed and humiliated, Astok kidnaps Thuvia and frames Carthoris for it. By doing so, he throws three kingdoms at each other's throats.

Then follows the usual chases, captures, and escapes.

Actually, there's more in this one in the way of intrigue and plot...there is still plenty of action, but it's not a pure action-fest. In some ways, I found this the most enjoyable of the series so far.

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Ok, so this is another book that Ansley handed to me... and then got pretty feisty with me until I read it.  (And I thought I was a demanding promoter of lit, sheesh) I have to admit the girl has good taste in literature.

A few years back I got a little done with what I've been calling Holocaust Lit. It's not that I think it's overrated, or bad, or even boring. I just don't enjoy reading it. I can handle sad tragic lit. I love a good cry when I'm not crying over me. The Holocaust though, is on a completely different level from run of the mill tragedy. The reality is that most human tragedy is caused by the people/victims involved. Their choices, while ultimately flawed, make sense to us which is the source of the pathos.

The Holocaust was not tragic in that sense. Nothing those people/victims did warranted or invited what happened to them. It was a senseless reminder of how close to mindless beasts we still are. People talk about it like it couldn't happen any more, but I look at our current political situation here and I feel that we are all too close.

I'm getting off point.

Anna and the Swallow Man is set in Poland right after the Nazis rolled in and carted off all the intellectuals. Anna's father is an intellectual. A linguist to be precise. Anna, as his daughter, already speaks five or six languages by the time she is seven and her father simply disappears. Now a seven year old alone in Nazi Occupied Poland shouldn't stand a chance of survival, but a chance encounter with a strange spindly man with chameleon like powers of adaptation leads to an informal adoption. The pair tramp around the Polish wilderness living off the land and gently swindling people into giving them what they otherwise need. A moving target is hard to find, after all.

The Swallow Man is a vaguely sinister figure. While it is clear that he truly cares of Anna, I never find myself feeling comfortable with their relationship. Perhaps that's the point. Under those circumstances, what does trust really  look like.

I haven't really absorbed the ending yet. I'm not sure what Savit was getting at with it, but the book as a whole is a worthwhile read. Even with my issues reading Holocaust Lit, I found myself drawn in enough to finish it in a an evening.

Counting By 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan

The first reading ladder I'm putting together is thematically organized around protagonist types. My first ladder all has protagonists with some form of learning disability. When I finish it, I'll blog it out for y'all. However, I have some gaps so I'm doing a lot of research and reading to find books that can fill it in. 

Counting by 7's was my first attempt. Willow Chance is 12, freakishly smart, and almost completely unconcerned with what teen-age culture says "fitting in" looks like. She is highly knowledgeable in botany, almost encyclopedic on medical knowledge, and learned vietnamese for fun. Willow is smart. She's probably meant to be autistic. She is also adopted, and, when her adoptive parents die in a horrific car crash, her world is turned upside down.

Willow has to navigate the world of California's Child Services. All she has going for her is her incredible intelligence, her friend Mai (who lends her her family), and a semi-competent school counselor named Del. Del, incidentally, is a woeful case of the blind leading the blind. 

Every character is flawed but well meaning and if it all falls together a little too easily, it is also a good quick read with some beautiful moments. There's some good contemplation on the meaning and nature of grief and on what 'family' really means. 

This is a good solid read for a precocious middle schooler. The reading level is solidly in the middle range but the ideas are pretty sophisticated. Thematically, I don't think it's a good fit for my LD ladder, but it's definitely worthy of inclusion on a ladder...maybe about coping with loss or cross cultural friendship.

November's Novels Between Novelling

Alright guys. It's here. Nanowrimo. Experience has taught me that if I'm going to write, I must also read. I'm not sure why that should be so, but it most definitely is. However, at the breakneck pace of Nanowrimo it's easy to put reading aside. I know I can't do that and keep going. However, my reading pace will most definitely slow down. When my pace slows, it becomes much more likely that I will lose interest and drop a book. So, with all that in mind, here is my list for November. It is heavily weighted towards quick reads and YA fiction. Many of the titles were also on October's list, but there are many new ones out from the library as well.

1. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (L)
3. Five Flavors of Dumb by John Antony (L)
4. The House with the Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs
5. The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
6. The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring by John Bellairs
7. The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
8. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments)
9. Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings (L)
10. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (L)
11. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (L)
12. City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte
13. Year's Best SF12 ed David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
14. Demon Glass by Rachel Hawkins
15. Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser
16. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (B)
17. Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson (L)
18. Rules by Cynthia Lord (L)
19. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (L)
20. The Writer's Workbook by Jenny Newman et al (NF)
21. Family by Micol Ostow (L)
22. Wonder by R.J. Palacio (L)
23. Star 1 ed. Frederik Pohl
24. The Case Against Tomorrow by Frederik Pohl
25. Eric by Terry Pratchett (Discworld) (B)
26. Moving Pictures Terry Pratchett (Discworld) (B)
27. Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett (Discworld) (B)
28. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (Discworld) (B)
29. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (Discworld) * (RR)
30. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
31. The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan (L)
32. Stiff by Mary Roach
33. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (L)
34. Down to the Bone by Justina Robson 
35. Mappa Mundi by Justina Robson (L)
36. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling 
37. Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff
38. Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit (B)
39. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (RR)
40. Where the Sidewalk Ends  by Shel Silverstein (RR)
41. Our Children's Children by Clifford D. Simak 
42. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (L)
43. An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage (NF)
44. The Short Reign of Pippin IV by Steinbeck (B)
45. The Amulet of Samarkand by Johnathan Stroud (The Bartimaeus Trilogy)
46. The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen (L)
47. Window Boy by  Andrea White (L)
48. Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother by Xinran (B)
49. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (L)