So Hard to Say

So Hard to Say
By Alex Sanchez

Like in Wendelin Van Draanen's book Flipped (see post from April 2011), this novel is told by alternating voices in each chapter:
Xio (short for María Xiomara Iris Juárez Hidalgo) is funny and super social, and has a major crush on a new boy in 8th grade...
Blue-eyed Frederick has just moved to southern California from Minnesota with his parents, and really likes Xio--as a friend...
They each tell their side of the story chapter by chapter. Xio confers with her group of friends, Las Sexy Seis, as Frederick begins to make friends with some of the soccer-players, especially Victor.
Things are going along fine until Frederick begins to wonder why he's not as attracted to Xio as she is to him--and he wonders why it feels like his crush is on Victor, instead.
Frederick finally realizes he is gay, and he secretly seeks out the school bully-victim, Iggy (who is thought to be gay) to talk to.
Alex Sanchez has written a very believable story of middle school, crushes, friends, and one boy's first awareness of being gay.

The Great Brain

The Great Brain
By John D. Fitzgerald

This book, the first in the humorous Great Brain series, was published way back in 1967 but takes place when the author was a little boy, growing up in small town Utah way, way back in 1896. I learned a lot about what life was like back then--getting the first indoor toilet in town, making homemade ice cream with a wooden, crank ice cream maker and ice from a frozen pond, and the types of games kids played before there was television or--gasp!--computer games. However, the types of games include things that are kind of unacceptable nowadays, like "Cowboys and Indians." There are many references to Indians, in fact, and many of them are not very kind or accurate. But that's how a lot of white folks--especially those new to the West--viewed the local tribes, so it gives a critical reader something to think about.
Mostly the story is about little John D. getting swindled by his older brother, Tom, who is a smart kid, and always looking for a way to make money (a few pennies, or a whole dollar was a LOT of money back then!). There are other important--and tragic--parts of the story, however, like when the mostly-Mormon community realizes a Jewish man new to town has allowed himself to starve to death rather than ask for charity. Or the cruel treatment of a family of Greek immigrants by some of the townsfolk.
All in all, The Great Brain is a surprisingly funny tale of brotherhood, childhood, and changing attitudes in small town America at the turn of the last century.

Smile

Smile
By Raina Telgemeier

From the creator of the very popular Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels, comes the author's own true dental nightmare story from her middle school years...

Poor Raina knocks out her two front teeth when she accidently falls while running to her front door. She has to endure many major trips to the dentist--and the orthodontist, endodontist, and periodontist to deal with the damage, and also to get braces! Meanwhile, middle school is happening: crushes, puberty, issues with friends, etc. I loved this graphic novel, and especially how it takes place in our own foggy, earthquake-prone San Francisco! Raina Telgemeier grew up in SF, so the book has a very familiar setting.

The Arrival

The Arrival is told purely through pictures--no words at all. The illustrations, as usual, are captivating, whimsical, and full of wild details. This is the story of one man who leaves his wife and little daughter to seek out a better life in a new place...the settings are fantastical, with creepy beasts and other threats, and bizarre contraptions for traveling, and everyday use. The man must make his way through this strange new "city", and luckily he meets some other immigrants who help him out. They tell their own stories of arrival. Finally, the man has enough money to send to his family in a "letter," and he waits for their arrival...This graphic novel really blew me away, I have to say. It is beautiful.

The Arrival By Shaun Tan
I just love Shaun Tan's books. And this one is really brilliant.

Strudel Stories

I found this little book in the library when I was putting One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street back on the shelf (see previous post), and it was a real treat to read another of Joanne Rocklin's books.

Strudel Stories
By Joanne Rocklin

If you love stories and you love to bake (like me!) you will probably enjoy this sweet collection of tales of a Jewish family, short stories that are baked into the layers of generations of homemade apple strudel and passed down orally from one relative to another.
Some of the stories are humorous, some sad...they cover ghosts, the brutalities of war and persecution, and the hardships of immigrating to a new country. But all of the stories, however bittersweet, are testaments to the strong and enduring human spirit.

Operation Redwood

Operation Redwood
By S. Terrell French

After sneaking a peek at his rich and powerful Uncle Sibley's email, 12-year-old Julian realizes his uncle is planning to destroy a giant redwood tree grove as part of an investment deal.  Julian starts corresponding by email with a girl named Robin, who lives near the redwood forest.  With the help of his loyal friend Danny, Julian decides to join Robin in the struggle to save the trees.  He also wants to get away from his cruel uncle and aunt in San Francisco.  He has to sneak out of their house (his mom is away in China) and get to northern California on his own.  Will he be able to do anything to help the desperate situation?  Julian and Robin and Danny are determined to make their plan work.  But the redwoods are part of a million dollar deal...

Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go
By Jerry Spinelli

9th grader Will Tuppence has a pretty nice life, if you don't count his annoying sister: he has two great friends, BT and Mi-Su, who play Monopoly and eat pizza with him every Saturday night, his own telescope (he wants to be an astronomer), and an awesome skateboard.
But a few unexpected events turn his world upside down--the death of the proton he heard about on the news, some surprising first kisses, and his 5-year-old sister's terrible skateboarding accident. Great story about 9th grade, friendship, family, and changes.

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street

I loved this sweet and bittersweet tale of one day on one neighborhood street in L.A., where a bunch of kids each have their own moments of happiness and sadness, and issues with growing up. The big Valencia orange tree in the empty lot--the last remaining tree from an old orange grove--unites them, and brings out courage in each person on the street. A wonderful book!

AND our library now has an audio book version of One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street, read by my dear friend up in Northern California, Lisa Baney! So come check it out.

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street
By Joanne Rocklin

Fred Korematsu

Fred Korematsu: All American Hero
By Anupam Chander and Madhavi Sunder
Illustrated by Angelia Loi


This informative graphic novel tells the story of Fred Korematsu, who spoke up and fought for justice for his Japanese American community despite great challenges. During WWII, Fred and his family and 120,000 other Japanese Americans living on the West coast were forced to live in internment camps for no reason but that they were of Japanese ancestry. Fred Korematsu took his case to the Supreme Court--twice--before the U.S. officially apologized to him, and to the entire Japanese American community. He continued to fight for justice for all people in the United States until his death at age 86, in 2005.
The story also mentions similar unfair treatment of Muslims after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.

  

California now commemorates this impressive civil rights activist each January 30th (this began in 2011) with Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberaties and the Constitution.