Review of Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

It feels so strange to read a book about what happened on 9/11.  It’s been a while since I thought about what it felt like that day to be watching events unfold on the TV, but it sure came back when I started reading this book.  There are 5 parts: What Just Happened, The Next Hours and the Next Days, The Drown of Things and the Swim of Things, Hold Dear, and After; and each section is told in 3 voices: Claire, Jasper and Peter.  After awhile I did get tired of the sort of mystical-speak of one character in particular.  But, at least at the beginning, the voices of the kids rang very true and, like I said, brought back a lot of memories.  Definitely worth reading.  Review by Stacy Church

Review of King of the Screwups by K.L. Going

This is the latest book by K.L. Going, the author of one of my favorite YA books, Fat Kid Rules the World.  Liam Geller is the son of a fabulously wealthy and successful CEO and a formerly fabulous supermodel.  He himself, as the title says, is the King of the Screwups.  His father is abusive and neglectful, seemingly  seeing Liam as an extension of his wife, who he seems to loathe.  The only real insight into this situation comes from the short chapters recounting past events in Liam’s life.  Reading them makes you want to shake Liam and tell him to pay more attention to what has brought him to this point: being kicked out of the house after being caught by his father about to have sex on his desk while he and Liam’s mom are right downstairs.  Instead of getting shipped off to his grandparents (who seem to hate him as much as his father does), Liam’s mom arranges for him to go to his dad’s brother, who was ousted from the family 17 years ago for some unnamed transgression.  And so Liam finds himself living in a trailer park with a glam-rocker/night DJ he calls “Aunt Pete.”  Liam proves to himself that he’s still a screwup by immediately becoming popular in his new school despite his best efforts at being nerdy (joining the AV club, befriending the outsider girl who lives in the next trailer).  I love the description of Liam getting dressed for the first time in the trailer. “…I make a hundred trips back and forth to the tiny, filthy bathroom at the other end of the trailer.  I consider rushing, but getting ready is a ritual, so I do each thing carefully.  I shower, shave, moisturize, and choose cologne –the one that matches my mood – then put together the right clothes.  Nothing high fashion or anything –those are best left for the runway –just the brands and designs that will fit in but are interesting enough to catch people’s attention.  Getting ready is the only part of my day I can be sure I won’t screw up.”  It’s hard to believe that anyone could be so oblivious to the true nature of his situation as Liam is, but Pete and his friends do their best to get him to see his good qualities.  The book has a satisfying ending (which I won’t hint at, except to say that the dad loses out).  Review by Stacy Church

Poetry!

Not sure if you like poetry?  Here are a couple of unusual books to take a look at.

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The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle with art by Sean Qualls

Juan Francisco was born into the household of a wealthy slaveowner in Cuba in 1797, and spent his early years by the side of a woman who made him call her Mama, even though he had a mama of his own.  Denied an education, young Juan still showed an exceptional talent for poetry.   His verses reflect the beauty of his world, but they also expose its hideous cruelty.  In this book, Margarita Engle uses her own powerful, haunting verses to evoke the voice of the Poet Slave of Cuba.

The Spoken Word Revolution Redux edited by Mark Eleveld

In the tradition of The Spoken Word Revolution, Redux brings more of the gripping, moving, innovative, often hilarious poetry in the oral tradition.  75 minute CD of live poetry: slam, hip-hop, and musical interpretations.