;)
Author Eli Stutz had an exciting weekend in Toronto! He handed none other than Queen Elizabeth a copy of his new novel PICKLE IMPOSSIBLE and has the photo to prove it.
Read about his awesome encounter over on his blog, and watch the video too!
]]>Author Eli Stutz had an exciting weekend in Toronto! He handed none other than Queen Elizabeth a copy of his new novel PICKLE IMPOSSIBLE and has the photo to prove it.
Read about his awesome encounter over on his blog, and watch the video too!
]]>Engaged in a business “that is all customer relations and rapport,” morticians deal with the vulnerable, emotionally unpredictable, and sometimes distraught, and if the dead can’t complain, their families sure can, as these gleanings from mortuary professionals across the nation attest. Whether a survivor insists on putting false teeth in after the deceased’s mouth has been “frozen” shut by embalming or demands a false eye be placed in its rightful socket, it’s all in a day’s work, along with staring down a hostile, 275-pound biker with “toilet seat-size hands.” The chapter “Wives and Girlfriends” demonstrates that “the lies and secrets we maintain in life cannot be perpetuated in death,” for bank accounts will be inspected, and titillating pictures found. The most common postmortem revelation is the illicit sexual relationship, with its potential for funerary fireworks when spouse and children sit on one side of the front row, the paramour on the other. McKenzie and Harra keep us reading because these true mortuary tales are poignant—and suddenly, gaspingly, in-your-face funny. --Whitney Scott
]]>Sweet 15, by Emily Adler and Alex Echevarria
9780761455844, $16.99
Marshall Cavendish
April 2010
Core Audience: Girls ages 12 and up.
Notable Aspects: Puerto Rican girl growing up in NYC, some unabashed feminism (hurray!), lots of humor
Review: "Destiny Lozada is turning fifteen, and her parents want to throw her a traditional quinceañera, celebrating her transition into "womanhood" with a religious ceremony, a big expensive party, a silly dress and tiara—the works. Destiny’s older sister calls it an antiquated, misogynistic ritual that just gives their mother a chance to show off. As usual, Destiny is caught in the middle and afraid to say anything. She’s not a princesa like her mother imagines or an activist like her sister. So who is she? Destiny isn’t sure yet, but she knows she’d rather be watching TV, riding her skateboard, and confiding to her cat and her stuffed bear. She also wouldn’t mind finding the guy of her dreams to be her escort for the quince. . . .
When the plans, bills, and fights start piling up, Destiny has to stop being a spectator to "The Lozada Show" and take a stand once and for all in her family and her life." (Publisher description) .
There's nothing not to like about this first novel. Destiny is an appealing character trying to find her place in the world, in high school, and in her family. She deals with big issues, like worrying how her parents will pay for both the quinceañera and the rent, and not so big issues, like when she babysits her sister's friend's little brother and he poops in his pants. In a hilarious scene, her best friends arrive to save the day with a backpack full of supplies - facemasks, towels, sponges, rubber gloves, Comet, Pine Sol, air freshener, hand sanitizer, and a pair of pliers. I love her feminist sister America. The ending is happy for everyone. It's a great feel good book.
Rondi Brower, Blackwood & Brouwer Booksellers Rating: 8.0
PATNEAUDE, David. Epitaph Road. 272p. Egmont USA. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-055-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-070-2. LC number unavailable.
Gr 6–10—Fourteen-year-old Kellen lives in a future in which 97 percent of the world's male population has been killed off by a virus. Women have taken over all governments and have relegated the remaining men to second-class-citizen status. Boys like Kellen have very few options. Something sinister is brewing, and an uprising of men who live independent of female rule coincides with a new outbreak of the virus. Kellen and his friends, Sunday and Tia, travel to the Olympic Peninsula to investigate and make sure that Kellen's dad, who lives in the colony, is protected from the virus. Each chapter begins with a haunting epitaph for one of the deceased. Most of these epitaphs express sorrow, but some are clearly for men who were abusive and are not missed by survivors. The story is fast paced, and the concept intriguing. The competent world-building allows readers to fully accept the book's premise. The author makes intriguing points about gender relations and the danger of polarization. The ending is satisfying in and of itself, but it does leave a potential opening for Kellen to have further adventures. This dystopian thriller will appeal to fans of the genre. Those who liked Neal Schusterman's Unwind (S & S, 2007), in particular, will appreciate the way a specific current-events issue is incorporated into a science-fiction context.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH
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Fourteen-year-old Kellen Dent is one of the few males left on Earth after a plague in 2067 killed 97 percent of the males and left women in charge of the world. By 2097, wars have ceased, crime rates have dropped, prisons have emptied and the number of males is strictly controlled. More money now goes to health care, medical research, education and environmental concerns. However, Kellen and his friend Tia discover that the plague that killed billions of people was no natural disaster but was created on purpose, and Kellen's long-missing father is part of a movement to oppose those in power. The opening chapter describes the plague, and each chapter that follows opens with an epitaph for someone killed, effectively linking the plague year with Kellen's life 30 years later. The first-person point of view and the page-turning plot of this post-apocalyptic thriller will hook readers awaiting the final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy and provoke more than a few thoughts as well. (Science fiction. 10& up)
]]>Destiny Lozada’s fifteenth birthday is approaching, and Mami is set on a traditional quinceañera ceremony. However, Destiny’s fiery, feminist older sister, America, is against the whole thing, and Papi is trying to stay out of it. Meanwhile, Destiny worries about finding a “caballero,” the traditional male escort; starting high school; and her Puerto Rican-American family’s financial struggles. With pressure mounting, Destiny seeks escape in skateboarding and watching TV. But she can’t avoid things forever, and, ultimately, she finds the confidence and courage to speak out for what she wants and to determine what her quinceañera means—to her. Destiny is a well-drawn protagonist whose lively narrative is sprinkled with Spanish vocabulary and heartfelt moments that explore quinceañera traditions and the challenges of balancing dual cultural identities. Destiny’s struggles with self-discovery and relationships—with her family, friends, and potential dates—make for an enjoyable read.
]]>Fourteen-year-old Destiny Lozada sees her world turning upside down when her parents force her to celebrate her 15th birthday with a lavish Puerto Rican–style quinceaÜera party. Destiny does not want to disappoint her parents; she is proud of her Latinidad, but she is not sure that she wants to switch her skateboard for high heels or her jeans for a fancy, uncomfortable dress. Destiny is growing and changing, but she cannot picture herself attending a religious ceremony or having a caballero, a court and chambelanes. Will she give up her own dreams to please her parents? Or will she stand by her sister's side and refuse to be part of the traditional celebration? Destiny's resolution, the engaging dialogue, boys, gossip, best friends, fashion, texting, the first kiss and the city of New York all play a part in this charming, fresh and funny coming-of-age novel that will entertain teen readers, especially girls.
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