November 17th, 2009

Teaser Tuesday: Body of Evidence

November 3rd, 2009

Teaser Tuesday: Mortals

TEASER TUESDAYS, hosted by MizB at Should be Reading:

1. Grab your current read and let the book fall open to a random page.
2. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page
3. Share the title of the book the “teaser” comes from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
4. Please avoid spoilers!

“There were two Boers who had come up for black sex where nobody they knew would see them.  But it was the hawkers, the lace sellers, who upset her the most.”

-Page 177 of Mortals by Norman Rush

June 26th, 2009

Product Review: Willow by Julia Hoban

I received Willow by Julia Hoban back in March, but, due to a slew of family events was unable to read it nor write my review in a timely manner. It’s a shame too because I have such good things to say.

Willow is the story of a young girl of the same name who is dealing with, on top of the typical superficial mishaps of being a teenager, the loss of her parents due to an accident of which she takes the blame. She is riddled with guilt, loss, fear, and isolation all while trying desperately to stay out of her older brother’s way. But, she finds a way to cope. She cuts herself with a razor in order to stop the pain of life from overpowering her. and even when she has made a connection with someone, she finds it difficult to give up her relationship with her razor.

I began reading this book on March 3 and my sister died on March 8. As I read Hoban’s beautifully written descriptions and highly emotional insights, my eyes would well and I found myself often times nodding in understanding.  As an adult I sympathized for her not as a mother but as a woman and as a sister. I understood the struggle that she felt to overcome an unhealthy attachment in order to allow healing to take place. And better yet, I understood the guilt not just because there were so many things left unsaid between myself and my sister, but because I could not save her.

Honestly, when I was teaching, I was very concerned that most young adult literature is really depressing and involves such horrible image- cutting, rape, and more. But Willow is not like most YA novels. It has depth. Willow is a multilevel character with intelligence way above her age level taking a liking to Shakespeare and Anthropology. Even her cutting is well planned and executed. Hoban writes about it as if she were writing about a functioning alcoholic who has planned his drinks throughout the day. Willow is so dependent on her “cure” that even after she is discovered, she cannot give it up.

Willow is a great read and very educational for parents and kids alike. It explains the reasons for cutting in a way that does not trivialize the real pain that goes along with it- emotional and physical. In addition, it may help young adults understand that verbalizing one’s feelings is the first step to healing.

November 10th, 2008

Product Review: the Library in Your Pocket

As parents we know how important reading is to a child’s brain development. Reading to a child everyday for just 20 minutes can help your child develop a love of books and increase his/her vocaulary skills. While I believe that is important that children be surrounded by books so that they can get used to touching them, turning the pages, and even the smell of them, I cannot deny that in this digital age, computers and video appeal to visual learners. While I often fight the lure of the electronics, I do admit that there are ways to use technology to help educate our children.

MobiStories, virtual books for children, allows parents to purchase “narrated digital children’s books with illustrations and music.” The stories on the site are arranged according to age groups and range in difficulty. There are board books that teach about the different seasons, and storybooks about dinosaurs and bears. And, you can download the books in almost any format to be played on iPhones, Computers, or even DVD.  In addition, you can also download just the audio version to burn on CD or add to your iPod for long trips in the car or on planes. The prices are reasonable and the stories are fun.

So go to MobiStories and look around. The company, together withMomSelect, is offering my readers $15.00 worth of free books. Be sure to enter the following code BSM107A.