Short - an audiobook review

Short
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Read by Tara Sands
Listening Library, 2017

I recently had the opportunity to review Short for AudioFile Magazine.  A link to my complete review of Short is available here. [http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/123871/short-by-holly-goldberg-sloan/] It's a realistic fiction chapter book featuring Julia, a young girl whose mother insists that she try out for a summer community theater production with her younger brother.  Because of her small stature, Julia is chosen (along with her brother) to play a munchkin in "The Wizard of Oz," hardly the way she wanted to spend her summer. 

Please read my review for AudioFile for more details, but if you don't have time right now - keep this kernel of information in mind:  If you have a customer, child, parent, or patron seeking a book that includes adult little people, this is the book for you. 

#WeNeedDiverseBooks


 
A personal note:
 
I do not want to post medical information about a family member, however, I'd like to mention that one of my children has suffered a life-changing accident, only as a reason to explain my lack of blog posts.  It is the latest of many changes in the last year including a move to Florida, a new job, a hurricane, and now this - the most impactful of events.  I will be posting posting sporadically while I help my child heal and recover.

#YA audiobook reviews

Here are two #YAlit audiobooks that I recently reviewed for AudioFile Magazine. I am not permitted to reprint the reviews here, but have provided the links (which include audio excerpts).  Both books offer a unique viewpoint of the adolescent male experience - Me and Earl and the Dying Girl through the medium of film making, and 100 Sideways Miles through the medium of abstract concepts.  But now I've had my fill of angsty boys for a bit.  Time for a change of pace.  Up next:  Sci-fi and a new picture book roundup.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. by Jesse Andrews, 2013

Read by Thomas Mann, R.J. Cyler, Keith Szarabajka, Hillary Huber, Kirby Heyborne, Abigail Revasch, Adenrele Ojo

6.25 hrs.

I didn't see the movie, but the audio book was fantastic! Here's the link to my review:

http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/101740/  

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith, 2015

Read by Kirby Heyborne

7 hrs.

 If you're looking for a change of pace, this may be the one for you.  It's quirky in a good way.

 http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/104201/

Shark Girl and Formerly Shark Girl - audiobook reviews

My reviews of Shark Girl and Formerly Shark Girl, as they appeared in the November, 2013 issue of School Library Journal.














Shark Girl. By Kelly Bingham. 3 CDs 3:06 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781469274997. $54.97.

Gr 6–10— In her hometown of Santa Clarita, California, 15-year-old Jane Arrowood's life changes in just a few moments when a shark attacks her. Near death, she's rescued by her older brother and spends months in the hospital—first in a coma and then undergoing painful operations and therapy to deal with the amputation of her drawing arm. Peppered with letters, text messages, and newspaper clippings, this first person account offers themes of fate and rebirth as Jane, a talented artist, strives toward recovery and self discovery. The callous nature of social media is a subtext, as the shark attack was filmed by a beachgoer and went viral on the Internet and in newscasts. A young amputee helps Jane as she battles doubts and depression. Listeners will not likely recognize that this is a novel in verse because Kate Reinders's reading does not reflect the poetic structure of the text; instead, it comes across as a stream of consciousness. Reinders's vocal dynamics guide listeners easily in the frequent transition between spoken word and thought. Though it has obvious similarities to Bethany Hamilton's nonfiction memoir, Soul Surfer (Paw Prints, 2008), Bringham's novel (Candlewick, 2007) is bursting with raw emotion and is a powerful story in its own right. Short and affecting, this would be a great choice for a book discussion group.



Formerly Shark Girl. By Kelly Bingham. 5 CDs. 5:06 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781468274911. $54.97.

Gr 6–10— It's been a year since the shark attack that cost Jane Arrowood her right arm. Now, as she returns to school with her new prosthesis, she adds the more mundane problems of a high school senior to her recovery regimen. While suffering frequent and debilitating nerve pain, she must find a date for the prom, boost her grades, and struggle with the fact that her mother may be secretly dating. Her biggest dilemma is choosing a school. She had always planned to go to art school, but her drawing hand was lost in the shark attack, and her artistic endeavors with her left hand have not measured up. The alternative is to enroll in nursing school to learn a profession for which she has a great deal of admiration since her accident. A new boyfriend adds another wrinkle to an increasingly complicated life, as does the possibility of another surgery. Like Shark Girl (2007), this sequel (2013, both Candlewick) is told in present tense verse, though listeners will not likely notice the pattern of poetry. Instead, they will hear the poems as very short, titled chapters. Kate Reinders turns in an excellent characterization of Jane, using inflection to highlight the difference between Jane's utterances and her frequent unspoken thoughts. Her youthful voice is well-suited for the part. Listeners who made a connection with Jane in Shark Girl will enjoy the sequel, but it lacks the raw simplicity and emotional punch of the first book.

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Copyright © 2013 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

Listen to a sample here

Eighth Grade is Making me Sick - a review

I've been reading a slew of serious books lately for the mock Newbery group, Newbery Blueberry Mockery Pie, so I took a slight detour between The Lions of Little Rock and Wonder, to read the latest in the "Stuff" series.


Holm, Jennifer L. 2012. Ginny Davis's Year in Stuff: Eighth Grade is Making me Sick. New York: Random House. (Ill. by Elicia Castaldi)

Using an updated version of the wonderful format that served the Klise Sisters so well in the Regarding the ... and 43 Old Cemetery Road series,

Jennifer Holm has crafted a winning series consisting of a collection of correspondence and realia.  While the aformentioned series rely heavily upon letters, newsletters, newspaper clippings and such - all rendered in black and white sketches, the Stuff series is illustrated by Elicia Castaldi and is a wonderfully fun and colorful combination of collages created from sketches, artfully chosen backgrounds, Post-it notes, screen shots, cell phone messages, scribbled notes, a brother's cartoons - virtually anything that might convey information to or about Ginny Davis, 8th grader at Woodland Central Middle School.

Changes are coming to Ginny's financially struggling family.  The biggest change? Mom's pregnant.  Didn't notice the positive pregnancy test stick in the garbage? No worries, just check the IM window running next to spider solitaire,

GinnyGirl
OMG mi mom is pregnant! I though she was just getting fat!
beckysooboo1
OMG! OMG! She's a grannymom!
GinnyGirl
What's a grannymom?
beckysooboo1
an old mom!
GinnyGirl
She iz pretty old. She's 39!
beckysooboo1
Do u think shez having twins? Or 3lets? I love all those shows with multiples!
GinnyGirl
omg.  I hope not.
 

In addition to mom's pregnancy, Ginny has to worry about making the cheer squad and earning some new privileges, specifically, permission to bike to school and join an online movie fan group, "Vampire Vixens Den." Hopefully, persistent stomach trouble and a troubling family financial situation won't keep her from completing

Ginny's big To-Do List

1. Try out for cheer
2. Convince Mom to let me bike to school
3. Fall in love
4. Work on art (sketch every day)
5. Save money
6. Look good in family Christmas photo
7. Join  Vampire Vixens Den
8. Teach Grampa Joe how to email
9. Have a cool Halloween costumer for once
10. Ignore horoscopes!

There are so many reasons to like this book. It tackles the very real problem of declining middle-class income. It embraces modern culture. It's fun. It's funny. It's artistic. Ginny is a likable young girl.  Kids (especially girls) will love it.  Do I sound like a Jennifer Holm fan?  I am.

Want to see more of Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick? 
Watch a "behind the scenes" video on the author's webpage.

Another review @ Kirkus Reviews

Note:
If you're a teacher who shies away from assigning any form of illustrated novel, here's an idea for you - with the current focus on cross-curricular instruction, pair up with the art teacher, if you're lucky enough to still have one! Let students tell their own stories in this appealing mix of text, art, and reality.


Note: This post had been edited to correct an incorrect attribution that I realized after posting.  My apologies, LT