Losers Take All by David Glass

Wow, wow wow is what I kept saying to myself after reading this novel. Mr Glass has put his finger on something that has been brewing in the American psyche for years.

Jack Logan's dad used to be called the Logan Express back in his day as a student at Fremont High. Fremont, also known as Muscles High is a place where jocks rule and have ruled for decades. Jack's two older brothers were also football stars at the school and his dad has always tried to encourage his sons. Jack, like most sons, desperately wants his father's approval.

When a drill sergeant principal is appointed principal things get weird for Jack and his athletically challenged friends as they are forced to join a sports team. They choose soccer and soon are the talk of the town. There are some at the school who don't take kindly to the lovable losers however and that is when things get really exciting.

I for one like football and cheer my beloved Denver Broncos (Super Bowl 50 champs!) on weekly but I would never allow my sons to play the game and many of the parents I know feel the same. Though soccer is portrayed in the book as a sport that is manly than football those who play it know that this is not necessarily true (Google Football's wildest tackles and fouls if you don't believe me).

 This book is a not so veiled commentary on American sports culture and I can see it being discussed in many schools across this country. People on both sides of the spectrum will of course have differing views but no one deny that sports, important as they are just games at the end of the day. Producing students with big character should be the focus of high school sports programs because as has been mentioned time and time again only a small portion of these athletes will go on to play in college and an aeven smaller amount will make the pros. Good food for thought. I recommend this novel for ages 13+.

The Rest of us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

This is a clever novel unlike many I have seen before and I won't be surprised if it gets on many "must read" lists. I say that because while it mentions many of the popular YA tropes of the past few years, the overall theme is that real life is a much scarier proposition for teens to navigate.       

Mike and his older sister Mel have their own problems for which they have sought help. Their mom is determined to achieve her professional goals and perhaps this has caused her to shirk some of her motherly duties. Their dad is little help since he has his own demons to manage. 

Mike's best friend Jared, a giant teddy bear of a kid is a loyal and supportive ally even though he has his own issues. Mike is also experiencing the classic teen conundrum- how to tell someone you've known alllll your life that you may have feelings for them. While all this is going on, there are some weird happenings in the town and some weird flashing blue lights are seen at night. 

 I admire Ness' forthrightness. The characters in this novel are on the cusp of adulthood but they are just as scared as little kids.  They do however have a variety of coping mechanisms some good some bad and they will have to learn to distinguish between the two.  Dealing with feelings is perhaps the most difficult part of adolescence and even smart kids have a tough time with that. Ness' characters do end up much better for their experiences however. This was a great read but because of some language and other sensitive material I think this book is best served for kids 13+. 

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall

I picked this book up because of its title and appealing cover image. While I would not have been disappointed if the story dealt with an American kid from the suburbs taking a trip out West, this book exceeded my expectations because it features Native American protagonists.

Jimmy Mclean is proud of his Lakota heritage even though despite his mixed ancestry he doesn't look like a full-blooded member of the tribe. Two of his peers remind him daily of this fact as well much to his dismay.  He confides in his grandfather and the latter decides to take him on an epic road trip.

The pair visit various monuments in several states in an effort to follow Crazy Horse's path and along the way grandfather gives his perspective on the many adventures the famed Lakota warrior had in his life. As with most famous individuals whose deeds were larger than life, Crazy Horse's life was filled with highs and lows and Marshall makes sure and provide some insight into why the Lakota and their allies did what they did in some cases.

Sherman Alexie may have the market cornered for fiction based on Native Americans for teen and older readers but Marshall may just be on to something here with this sensitive, honest portrayal of Native Americans. It is not every day that children and younger readers can read a book that is a labor of love and in which the author is actually sharing a piece of himself in the process. This book is one such novel and I highly recommend it for readers of all races, colors and creeds. I firmly believe that literature is one way in which we can learn about each other.

An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes:In Real Life You Need Real Friends by Randy Ribay

So a black kid, a white kid and a nerdy kid walk into a park. No that's not a joke but it is one of the turning points of this great new novel by Randy Ribay in which he brings together a diverse group of friends who are entering senior year in high school and life chooses just this moment to throw some curve balls at them all.

Feelings for the opposite sex are perhaps the most difficult obstacles to navigate since teens are just coming into their own as individuals and have so much other pressures (schoolwork, family etc.)  In this novel, Archie's parents have just divorced and he suddenly finds himself attracted to Mari, a girl with whom he plays a board game with every Monday (and has done so since middle school). Mari for her part has her own issues bubbling up as do the rest of the group, gentle giant Dante and the odd couple Sam and Sarah.

It is the latter two persons who propel the narrative forward and the book turns into a road trip of epic proportions. Some of the supporting characters are unforgettable to say the least.  As the old saw goes, travel broadens one's horizons and I would add that travel with friends does this even more and can either make or break a friendship.

Ribay doesn't sermonize or come off as preachy but he makes his point. Life is hard but turning away from those who genuinely love us and care for us makes no sense and may very well ends up hurting us.  Adolescence is fraught with many dangers and kids, for some reason try to move away from the very people who most want to help them (their parents) and move closer to the people they think can empathize and help them. While I don't think that many parents would be as permissive as the ones in this novel I do think that as parents we learn when to step away and let kids learn lessons for themselves. This is a good read for older tweens and teens due to some of the topics covered and the language used.

A-maze-ing winter crafts

     First, before I say anything else I must give props to my colleagues in the Children's department of the Denver Public Library and in particular Amy Forrester. She was the mastermind behind a huge family friendly Harry Potter-themed maze made of cardboard. After the event she generously allowed staff at other branches to recycle the maze however they wanted.

     My colleagues and I jumped at the chance and we decided to make the maze winter-themed. The timing was right since area schools are on winter break until the first week of January and we are also on a story time break. Whenever we are on a story time break we usually try to have other events for families to do when they come to the branch.  This maze could never have come together without the help of a small army of coworkers, volunteers and helpers. Thank you!!



Here are some of the crafts that my colleagues Melody and April came up with.


This bird feeder uses chenille sticks and cheerios. Kids can twist the sticks into whatever shape they want. We saw some wacky shapes!










 







 Kids will use a penguin template, cotton balls, googly eyes and other little pieces to make their own creation.












This activity was actually on the back of the maze itself. For some reason it reminds me of the old Price is Right game Plinko. I know my own sons enjoyed it very, very much.

 These last few crafts were some simple things that I may use this year after we take the maze down or use next holiday season. I am blessed to have a very artsy teen volunteer, the reindeer came out looking even better than the picture online!   (She also drew the Yeti in the maze)

Last week I had my volunteer make some example tree ornaments for me to use with our weekly craft hour.

















Finally here is a short vid that I put together of the maze itself. Enjoy!  Happy Holidays!

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

I have a passing knowledge of spiritual lore and can usually tell a jumbie from a douen and a la diablesse from a soucouyant. With that said it is always good to see new twists on old themes and yfic novels featuring minority characters. The cover image on the book features a proud Latina and that will definitely attract some readers (and  perhaps turn off others).

Sierra is a homegirl from around the way in Brooklyn who loves to draw and do murals. Her family is cool although her aunt's casual racism gets on her nerves. Her abuelo is a kindly old man who is not in the best of health but then one day he begins telling Sierra a bunch of stuff about the past and about powers that she can barely believe exist much less use.

As if things on the home front weren't complicated enough, Robbie is a Haitian American kid who comes into Sierra's life. He introduces her to new spots in the city where the patrons sweat to the rhythms of Caribbean music. The problem is that when the weird stuff starts happening he always disappears. Sierra is caught between catching feelings fro him and wondering if he is not good for her.

Like many other novels aimed at teens the story is as much about adolescence and making your own decisions as it is about dealing with magic powers. The book is also a commentary on something that I have heard before from talking to academics- cultural appropriation for personal gain. The novel's antagonist tries to use powers that he barely understands in order to gain even more power.

Here's why I think you should read this book:
-Sierra is as good a protagonist as any that I have seen in the dozens of novels I've read this year.
-Magic and mystical powers are not confined solely to European or European-American characters, the Caribbean has its fair share of those as well.
-Murals that actually change appearance!

Highly recommended.

Canciones para storytime

 At my library we have to do read alouds and since I speak Spanish I am responsible for a class of Spanish-speaking students. Prior to doing this I did a Spanish (not bilingual) storytime and over time I developed a repertoire of engaging songs, rhymes and finger plays to use. I will share some of them in this blog.

A classic in many languages is the Itsy Bitsy spider. This is a cute version and I like how the singer is very engaging as she sings the song, with silly sounds and hand movements galore.  For a bit of a twist on the song I could see one using a spider puppet or prop to really provide a good visual.

Jose Luis Orozco has cd after cd replete with songs for every occasion. Los elefantes is one of my favorite rhymes for children and I like it because you can use it as an action song to get kids up and moving around. Feel free to use some of these elephant prop masks or make some yourself with paper plates for example.

Another action rhyme that never fails me is El chocolate. Use the cd version or sing it yourself. I like to do exaggerated movements for the songs as the kids really get into it. The version I linked to is just one version and I know that Mr. Orozco has several. It is good to be able to switch things up as necessary so try to learn as many versions as possible.

 Back in my teaching days one of my colleagues swore that her older students would ask her to do this song that they learned back in kinder and 1st grade, such was their affection for the song.  Juguemos en el bosque is a good song in that it builds suspense, can be used to teach various vocabulary words (clothes, body parts etc.) and is just plain fun. The version here is a bit slower paced but as usual feel free to modify and adjust.

This next song is called El loro Tico Tango and to me it is more appropriate for preschool aged kids especially if you are going to use it as a flannel board as I have done. The actual cd (which comes as part of a book) has the song. The song may be a bit long so feel free to modify, skip parts etc. I found an excerpt here.  I like how the overall message of the song is sharing and caring for ones friends.

I will finish this blog with my personal favorite, Mi cuerpo as done by my namesake Josh Levine. It is a simple song to get kids up and shaking their hips and is a good break especially if you are in a storytime an the kids have been sitting for a while. Here is another bilingual version of the song. I find however that the English part lacks a little bit of the catchiness but it is still good nonetheless.

Hasta luego!!