Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Book Jacket

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear--part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify.  But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer...to join "the real world."

There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.  He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire.  But it's a picture he finds in a file--a picture of a girl with half a face--that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of The Curious Incident of teh Dog in the Night-Time in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary novel is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside.

Review

I don't know if this is simply the psychology minor in me talking, but Marcelo in the Real World was absolutely fascinating!  Its narrator, an autistic seventeen-year-old boy, describes his view of the world in such a way that causes intense empathy for him, and by extension, all autistic persons.  When other people call Marcelo stupid or retarded, you want to slap them in the face, because you know he's not;  you've been in his head and you see all the thoughts and cognitive steps he takes.  If anything, I've come away from this novel thinking that autism is really a heightened intelligence--so much going on in their brains that they can't express what they feel as quickly as "normal" people can. 

Aside from all the interesting themes about mental disorders and are they really disorders?, the running idea of suffering, and what we as mere individuals, can do to fight it or endure it was just wonderful.  Very realistic, but very encouraging. 

"The right note sounds right, and the wrong note sounds wrong." 
... 
"That's what faith is, isn't it?  Following the music when we don't hear it."

Marcelo in the Real World is a beautiful story.  There is some intense language, although it used more thoughtfully than violently.  That's hard to explain, but for mature readers, this book is definitely a must-read!

Five out of five mailrooms.

Release Date:  March 2009
Reading Level:  Grade 8+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  YPL STO

Winter Break Programs: Movie and Craft

We finished our winter break programs with, I think, the best yet.  For the first hour, we watched one of the Planet Earth segments: Pole to Pole.  I've seen this several times before, but the beauty of our planet always overawes me.  I was very excited that all the kids sat through the whole thing--the awesomeness of nature is just as entertaining as any cartoon.

For a while now, I've been collecting random bits of librarian life--boxes and paper from packaging, receipt wheels, that sort of thing.  After watching Planet Earth, the kids used all that junk that would have been thrown away and made some truly cool creations!  With the new year approaching, and recycling more necessary than ever, it was encouraging to be reminded that kids love to create with anything--even stuff adults consider garbage.

From the awesomely bizzare to the bizzarely awesome, these kids definitely created works of art.

Winter Break Program: Duct Tape Purses

Nathan Holzinger, Dunlap alumnus, made a purse for his mother out of duct tape.  One of our librarians saw her with it, and long story short, we asked him to teach a class on how to make them!  They really end up looking sleek, and even though I'm not crafty, I'm pleased with my creation (from the outside--the pockets I attempted inside are another matter entirely).

Pictures below.

Winter Break Programs

Pictures speak louder than words, right?

Last Wednesday (December 22) we provided materials for drop in children to create a Make and Take craft--a snowman made of a peanut butter jar.

Last Thursday we showed Miracle on 34th Street. 

This week we will be providing space for Nathan Holzinger to teach us how to make purses and wallets out of duct tape (Wednesday, December 29 at 1:00--$2 fee and bring your own duct tape!), then showing a 45 minute segment of Planet Earth before making a recyclable and creative craft (Thursday, December 30 at 1:00--FREE).  Sign up for both by calling 243-5716!

Check out all our upcoming programs HERE.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Book Jacket

Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier.  She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse.  Home is all she's ever known, and all she needs for happiness.

But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.

Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried.  And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.

One night beyond the Barrier...

One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery...

One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.

Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past.

Review

The Dead-Tossed Waves is a companion novel to Ryan's first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth (review here).  Although the plot is reminiscent of Forest, the personality of the protagonist breathes new life into the (ah! zombie breach! escape!) storyline.  Whereas Mary was single-minded in her hope for a better life and wouldn't let anyone or anything stop her, Gabry is content to stay where she is, too scared to dream of anywhere bigger than her home.

The best part of this story is Gabry's growing self-awareness.  She thinks she can never be as brave as her mother.  Yet while she worries and pities herself, she risks infection to visit a friend outside the Barrier.  She is far braver than she realizes, and it is a joy to watch her discover the inner strength she always had. 

Between the first and second books, the world has grown.  Whereas we wondered along with Mary whether there were any other survivors or any safe place left in the world, now we know.  I found that the existance of other cities and societies added both hope and hopelessness to the weight of the story.  There is a world to see and explore, but everyone is fighting the same battle (zombies as a metaphor for death = awesome).

The romance in this book is once more heartbreaking, realistic, and mostly skipping the melodrama (which is how I like it).  I particularly loved the character of Elias, who always hides one more secret than he tells.  I thought I knew where Ryan was taking his character, and I was prepared to be very upset.  But then she pulled yet another twist, and everything fell together perfectly.

This book is gorgeous.  If I ever have to survive a zombie apocolypse, I can only hope to face such disaster with the courage and hope of Gabry and Mary.  If only March 22, 2011 (and therefore, Ryan's third book, The Dark and Hollow Places) would come quicker!

Five out of five stars.

Release Date:  March 2010
Reading Level:  Grade 9+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  YPL RYA

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Book Jacket

Welcome to the tyrannical city of Jewel, where impatience is a sin and boldness is a crime.

Goldie Roth has lived in Jewel all her life.  Like every child in the city, she wears a silver guardchain and is forced to obey the dreaded Blessed Guardians.  She has never done anything by herself and won't be allowed out on the streets unchained until Separation Day.

When Separation Day is canceled, Goldie, who has always been both impatient and bold, runs away, risking not only her own life but also the lives of those she has left behind.  In the chaos that follows, she is lured to the mysterious Museum of Dunt, where she meets the boy Toadspit and discovers terrible secrets.  Only the cunning mind of a thief can understand the museum's strange, shifting rooms.  Fortunately, Goldie has a talent for thieving.

Which is just as well, because the leader of the Blessed Guardians has his own plans for the museum--plans that threaten the lives of everyone Goldie loves.  And it will take a daring thief to stop him...

Museum of Thieves is a thrilling tale of destiny and danger, and of a courageous girl who has never been allowed to grow up--until now.

Review

I can officially declare that my new favorite genre is dystopian stories.  I love books that expand upon one aspect of our current culture until it becomes something monstrous and eerily believable.

Museum of Thieves is a fascinating picture of a society so bound by fear that there is little joy or excitement left in life.  Children are chained to their parents until they are sixteen for their own protection (lest they drown in water or be kidnapped by pirates), and everything that could possibly be dangerous (from dogs to plague) is kept hidden in the Museum of Dunt.

I loved this book, and I found myself questioning the value of safety and security.  What good is life without a little danger?  One of my favorite moments is when Goldie discovers the joy of running, something she had never been allowed to do before, because of course, you're far more likely to fall when running than walking.

This book has magic, adventure, villians, heroes, and awesome animal sidekicks.  There were times when the mythology was a little confusing, but regardless, I couldn't put this book down.

Four out of five hidden rooms.

Release Date:  September 2010
Reading Level:  Grade 4+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  Not yet owned by Dunlap.

Geektastic edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

Book Jacket

Haven't you heard?  Geek is the new cool!  Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside) and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to bring together stories from some of the bestselling and most promising players in young adult literature.  This collection includes stories form the following geeks:  M. T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Tracy Lynn, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Laron and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geekly, from Klingons to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers.  Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on!

Review

I don't know if geek is the new cool, but does it matter?  Geeks are people who love something passionately, and that is awesome in my book (which is probably a biased opinion, because I am by all accounts a geek).  This anthology reminded me of all the ups and downs a geek can experience, whether it's being shunned by the popular crowd or finding acceptance from likeminded individuals. 

Geeks see the world with different eyes, with more wonder and more imagination.  This anthology of short stories definitely captures that unique quality, and if you have ever considered yourself a geek of any kind, you will find something to love in this book.  I know I have been inspired to up my geek quotient!

Four out of five stars.

Release Date:  August 2009
Reading Level:  Grade 9+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  Not yet owned by Dunlap.