Book Review - The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

The continuing saga of Miss Barnes reads all the Printz winners.

Only one left (Sonya Hartnett's Surrender), now that I've finished Marcus Zusak's stunning and hefty The Book Thief. Starting in the lead-up to World War II in Munich, Germany, this is the story of Liesel, a young German girl who lost her family but found a new one in Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who live on Himmel Street. This is a coming of age story, for Liesel, as she becomes a teenager in Nazi Germany. It is filled with awkwardness, embarassment, first love, and loss, but it is so much grander because of the situation in which it is set. While Liesel is becoming a teenager, she is also watching the very people she most cares for leave to fight in the war, and her family hides a Jewish man in their basement. And she is stealing books, often with the assistance of her best friend Rudy. One thing that makes this book so fascinating and different from the plethora of titles about World War II and the Holocaust, is that it is narrated by Death. I hesitate in writing too much more, for fear of giving away anything else about this tremendous book. It may be 550 pages, but you can easily read it in a few days; it is so captivating, memorable, and utterly heartbreaking.

Harry Potter Lock-In

The book is released! Owl feathers in the air!
Originally uploaded by Young Adult Services - Homewood Public Library

Pictures from the Harry Potter Lock-In are now up on the library's flickr page! Click to see more! Hooray!

Paging all Stephenie Meyer Fans

There's a fantastic six page article in the Phoenix New Times about Meyer, her legions of fans, Stephenie Meyers proms, and leaks of her latest books. Check it out!

Book Review - The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume 1: The Pox Party, by M.T. Anderson

So, the other week I sat through the delightful Michael L. Prinz award ceremony, clapping and when everyone else around me stood up, giving standing ovations. To books I hadn't read yet. So my goal now is to read the three award-winning titles from this year that I had not gotten around to yet: The Book Thief, Surrender, and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. When I returned to work, I tried to check them all out but only Octavian Nothing was in.

The titular character, Octavian, is an African-American boy growing up in colonial Boston, in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Octavian and his mother Cassiopeia live in unusual circumstances. They are being studied by a group of philosophers who are interested in seeing the capacity for Africans to learn the classics. So, Octavian is being taught works of Greek mythology, how to play classical music, and learning to speak Latin. He is raised unaware that other African children living in America are not being given the advantages, and the odd training that he is. When the philosopher's school loses its funding, an older Octavian is quickly introduced to slave life. His mother dies as a result of a horrific experiment - Caucasian and African Americans were deliberately infected with smallpox to examine how their bodies reacted. This event leaves a deep mark on Octavian, and he is no longer a vivacious, thoughtful, curious boy, but a sullen, silent man. He manages to escape his owner and makes his way into the chaos that was the American Revolution, and at the end, manages to be reunited with his former teacher. Meant to be the first of a two-book series, the Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing is terrifically thought-provoking and one of the most grim tales of colonial life that I have ever read. On a whole, I'm not the most avid reader of historical fiction, but I could not put this one down. Even though it looks like a kind of large book, it reads very quickly, due to short chapters and how interesting Octavian's story is. M.T. Anderson has written another intelligent book that is bound to have a deep impact on its readers.

Sometimes, librarians have adventures too

Some of you may have noticed I was gone for a week. This is because I was lucky enough to go to the American Library Association Annual Conference. This year, it was held in Washington, D.C. So, for an entire week, I hung out with librarians from all over the country, chatted up award-winning authors, attending banquets honoring authors for their achievements in children's and young adult literature, and explored the city. Here are some of the highlights:


This is me with Phyllis Reynolds Naylor! My hero! She's signing some Alice books for me and my friend.


Sometimes coworkers make you do things and then take pictures of it. Thus, me, riding waves at ALA.


Me and Marcus Zusak at breakfast.


John Green!


Laurie Halse Anderson and her editor.


Lots of award-winning young adult authors. Can you spot your favorites?


My fancy place-setting at the Newbery/Caldecott banquet. I quickly learned that this award ceremony is basically the Oscars of the children's publishing industry. Every author and publisher was there, dressed to the nines!


A view of the exhibit halls. So many freebies!


Nick Hornby reading from his forthcoming young adult novel debut, Slam!


Carolyn Mackler, author of The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things, reading from her forthcoming book


Cecil Castellucci, who read from both P.L.A.I.N. Janes and her new book Beige


There were 700 people in attendance at the Printz awards! Each award winner (M.T. Anderson, John Green, Sonya Hartnett, Marcus Zusak, and Gene Luen Yang) gave a fantastic speech.


On my last day there (when it was 95 degrees) I finally had the chance to do some sightseeing. Finally, I saw the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.


We also went to the Smithsonian Museum, you know, for the air conditioning, the gift shops, the dinos, the gemstones, and the delicious greasy pizza.


The reflecting pool and the Washington monument.