"Dairy Queen" by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Synopsis:

"When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said."

Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can't help admitting, maybe he's right. When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn't so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won't even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league. When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.

Comments:

I enjoyed this book a lot. The story is told from DJ’s first-person POV and her voice radiates through the whole narrative. Murdock doesn’t shy away from sarcasm or snark – but the story has a down-to-earth tone that seems more genuine than some YA books that are supposed to be about real-life teens.

DJ Schwenk is basically running her family’s dairy farm in Red Bend, Wisconsin by herself after her two older brothers get in a fight with her dad. Her younger brother, Curtis, is busy with little league baseball and her mother is about to get a position as the principal of the school where she’s been teaching sixth grade. Jimmy Ott, a family friend who coaches football at Red Bend’s rival school, Hawley, suggests that the Schwenks have Brian Nelson, a second-string quarterback for Hawley, work on their farm during the summer to train up for football season so he can be the starter. In the course of this, DJ ends up being Brian’s athletic trainer (her brothers always had her run after their passes and she became a pretty good player just from practice). Along the way, she decides to go out for Red Bend’s football team because it’s something nobody would expect her to do. And, of course, she develops a crush on Brian.

This book is nothing like the usual high school, Romeo-and-Juliet-esque YA romance. First off all, the romance plot is secondary – the main crux of the story is DJ dealing with work on the farm, issues with her family, issues with her friends and keeping people from finding out about her plan to try out for the football team (until tryouts actually begin, that is). It’s an authentic look at a strong female character who is truly a tomboy and doesn’t even dawn on her that she would like boys (it’s the revelation that her best friend, Amber, is a lesbian and has a crush on DJ that gets DJ to start thinking that she does like boys). The unspoken conflict between DJ and her father is so believable and real. I loved the contrast between the Schwenks, who never bring any kind of family conflict out in the open until it becomes a big blowup, and the Nelsons, who talk about everything (DJ often refers to Brian’s mother as Oprah Winfrey and she sometimes imagines the Schwenks going on Oprah to talk about their problems. The scenarios DJ imagines bring a tone of levity to an otherwise emotionally burdensome situation).

The small-town dynamics are wonderful, especially the wrench of the Red Bend vs. Hawley rivalry (I speak from experience when I say that small-town high school rivalries are SERIOUS BUSINESS – nothing about this rivalry is exaggerated). DJ’s older brothers played football for Red Bend and they lost a big game to Hawley, so the fact that DJ would even consider being friends with Brian (never mind dating him) is a major factor in her self-discovery. She feels a great loyalty to her family and her team, but she also wants to be friends with Brian (after he quits being a whiny brat about working on the farm).

There are two other follow-up books after “Dairy Queen” – “The Off Season” and “Front and Center,” both of which are very good and I recommend them.

Publication Info: 

ISBN: 0-618-86335-4

Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin

Date of Publication: June 2007

Reading Level: ages 12-17

Keywords:

From Books in Print –

JUVENILE FICTION / General

JUVENILE FICTION / Lifestyles / Farm & Ranch Life

JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / Football

CHILDREN'S FICTION

FOOTBALL-FICTION

FARM LIFE-FICTION

Awards and Recognition:

Original Voices Award (NOMINATED) 2006

Great Lakes Book Awards (WON) 2007

Beehive Young Adults' Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007

Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (WON) 2007

Young Reader's Choice Award (NOMINATED) 2009

Maine Student Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007

Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007

Teen Buckeye Book Award (NOMINATED) 2008

Nutmeg Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2009

Iowa Teen Award (NOMINATED) 2008

"The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen

Title: The Truth About Forever

Author: Sarah Dessen

Synopsis: (from Books in Print) –

In this contemporary romance, Dessen ("This Lullaby") gracefully balances comedy with tragedy and introduces a complex heroine worth getting to know. While recovering from her father's sudden death, Macy clings to things that are safe and predictable, notably her brilliant, oh-so-steady boyfriend Jason. ("Anything he did, he did well," Macy explains. "A lot of people might find this annoying, even loathsome. But not me. He was just what I needed.") When Jason goes off to "Brain Camp" for the summer and announces (via e-mail) that he wants to put their relationship on hold, Macy must find happiness and reassurance on her own. Much to her sensible mother's dismay, Macy impulsively takes a job at a disorganized catering company, working for very pregnant Delia, a woman who thrives on chaos. As a caterer's assistant, Macy endures flying meatballs, spilt wine, irate clients, inebriated guests and, at the same time, feels more alive than she has since her father's death—especially when she's around Wes, the sensitive, artistic bartender who seems to understand Macy better than anyone else. On one level, the novel traces the growing intimacy between Macy and Wes; on another, it examines the healing process as Macy allows herself to grieve. Readers will cheer Macy on as she tentatively reenters the world of the living by taking risks and relearning how to act spontaneously, embracing change rather than avoiding it.

Comments: I. Love. This. Book. When I first picked it up, I thought it was going to be the typical whiney-piney story about a high school girl that develops a crush on a boy that she meets during a summer job and the plot would only get as complex as wondering if their relationship could make it after the summertime.

How wrong I was (and Sarah Dessen really ought to have a talk with the person who writes the summaries for the back of her books).

Very much like “Dairy Queen” – which I also enjoyed – this story deals with changes in Macy’s life and how she copes with them. She has a number of choices: either do what everyone else thinks is best for her (including her sort-of-but-not-really boyfriend Jason) or latch onto this new group of friends that really are the ones helping her deal with her father’s death.

I love that Macy falls in with the Wish Catering crowd almost by accident, but that they are the ones that help her out the most. It goes along with the theme of the book that amazing things in life are typically the things that you don’t plan for. As I read the book – especially the climax of the story where Macy and Jason finally meet up again when Jason comes home from camp – I realized a lot of things about myself and how my life has gone the past year and a half. Without getting too personal, I experienced a change very much like Macy in that things I thought were solid and secure really weren’t and I wound up latching onto something rather unconventional, but it was exactly what I needed at that time. My point is that this book resonated with me and that’s probably why I enjoyed it so much.

I suppose that’s why we want teens to read a variety of things. You never know what is going to change a kid’s life – even if it’s just a moment when they need something to take their minds off whatever problems they have. There are a lot of good things out there to read and experience – many in the most unlikely places. Just take the time to get out of your comfort zone to find it.

Publication Info:

ISBN: 9780142406250

Publisher:  Speak

Date of Publication:  May 2006

Reading Level: 14 and up

Keywords:

Books in Print:

Grief -- Fiction.

Death -- Fiction.

Caterers and catering -- Fiction.

Interpersonal relations -- Fiction.

Young adult fiction.

My additions –

Life Changes

Friendship

Decision Making

Emotional Depth

Family Relationships

Awards:

ALA/YALSA Teen’s Top Pick

Iowa Teen Award (Nominated) 2008

"Something Happened" by Greg Logsted

Title: Something Happened  

Author: Greg Logsted

Synopsis:  (from Books in Print) –
"All around me I see people laughing, joking, and walking around with these huge, goofy smiles plastered on their faces. I've begun to wonder how they do it, and more important, will I ever be able to be like that again?" Five months after his dad's unexpected death, Billy Romero is still struggling with the loss. Billy's mom spends more time talking to her Bluetooth than to him, and his best friend, Ziggy, just doesn't get it. There's no one who understands how alone Billy feels...except his new English teacher, the young and beautiful Miss Gate. Miss Gate offers support and friendship, even giving Billy extra help with his writing outside of school. Billy isn't really sure how he feels about spending so much time with his teacher. It's a little weird, but it's also kind of exciting that someone like Miss Gate wants to hang out with him. But the closer they get, the more Billy wonders what kind of friendship this really is....

Comments: “Something Happened” was a very intriguing book to read.  It deals with Billy Romero, a boy whose father died five months prior to the beginning of the story.  He’s become withdrawn and shy.  He’s somewhat resentful to his mother, who has buried herself in her job as a real estate agent, and toward his therapist, Dr. Bragg.  Billy’s English teacher, Miss Tess Gate, reaches out to Billy saying she wants to help him because her father died when she was Billy’s age and she remembers how difficult it was for her.
Early on in the story, it’s evident that Tess’s actions toward Billy are very inappropriate.  To say that it takes some time for Billy to realize this is an understatement - he doesn’t realize until Tess is chasing him down the street in her Mustang wearing nothing but a bathrobe.  Even though on some level I find that ludicrous, on another level it must realistic in these situations.

As someone who works around high school kids, I cannot imagine what would compel a teacher to try to seduce a student.  I’ve seen news reports of these things happening and every time I see them, I really don’t understand why.  I did enjoy the way Logsted told this story from Billy’s point of view, but it would be interesting to read it from Tess’s point of view.  Also, it would be interesting to read a story where the student reciprocated the teacher’s feelings, because that happens in the news as well and it’s another thing that I just don’t understand.

This was a nice, short read – nothing terrible happened in the book, but the situation still wasn’t good.  I wouldn’t recommend this to someone dealing with a death of a loved one, but it was a fluffy, guilty-pleasure sort of story.

Up Next: “The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen

Publication Info:

ISBN: 9781416950783
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Date of Publication:  November 2008
Reading Level: Age 13 and up
Keywords:
from Books in Print:
JUVENILE FICTION / General
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Dating & Sex
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Death & Dying
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Values & Virtues
CHILDREN'S FICTION
DATING (SOCIAL CUSTOMS) - FICTION
DEATH - FICTION
SEX - FICTION
VALUES - FICTION

My additions –
Teacher/Student Relationships
Coping with Death
Family
Friends
 

"Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

Well, that didn't take long, did it?

Title:  Gregor the Overlander

Author: Suzanne Collins

Synopsis:  (from Books in Print) -
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.


My Review: This was a good enough book – typical kiddie-fantasy-quest fare.  It’s the first of a larger series that seems to follow the formula set forth in books like “Fablehaven” (or maybe “Fablehaven” copies “Gregor"?)  Basically, Gregor and his two-year-old sister, Boots, wind up falling down below the streets of New York into the Underland where humans live alongside gigantic cockroaches, bats, spiders and rats and they have done so for years.  Oh – and Gregor’s father mysteriously disappeared two years ago and Gregor has to be the “Man of the House.”  When Gregor and Boots find themselves in the Underland, Gregor is named as a great warrior put forth in a prophecy to fight off the rats that threaten the unsteady peace in the Underland.

I actually lost interest partway through the book.  This is another book I might not have finished if I wasn’t planning on writing a review of it.  The plot is so formulaic and trite – just the names and places change.  Eleven-year-old Gregor could be any number of pre-teen hero in any sort of young adult adventure novel – Percy Jackson, Kendra and Seth from “Fablehaven,” Meggie from “Inkheart,” Jared, Mallory and Simon from “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”  Those are the ones that I thought of initially, but I’m sure there are others.  The pre-teen fantasy/adventure genre has been around for a long time and the formula’s hardly changed much.  The main difference is probably that Collins includes Gregor’s little sister in the story.  Boots is easily the best character here.  She is unafraid of the giant creatures and even befriends two of the cockroaches (they call her their “princess”).  I think she saves this story from being a completely mechanical plot.  In fact, I would much rather have had the story told from Boots’ point of view than Gregor’s.
Having read “The Hunger Games ,” I sort of expected more from Suzanne Collins.  I do understand that this was her first foray into YA literature, so this could be a case of an author’s talent getting better with time.  Or maybe I just expect more from the books I take the time to select and read.

Up Next: “Something Happened” by Greg Logsted

On Deck: "Pretties" by Scott Westerfield, "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen

Here's Where I List Publication Information.  Feel Free to Skip if You Like:
 
ISBN: 9780439648131
Publisher:  Scholastic
Date of Publication:  August 2004
Reading Level: 7^th grade and up

Keywords:
from Books in Print:
JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General
JUVENILE FICTION / General
CHILDREN'S FICTION
ADVENTURE AND ADVENTURERS - FICTION

My additions:
Family Relationships
Death and Dying
Sibling Relationships
Fantasy

Awards: (from Books in Print) –
Beehive Children's Fictional Book Award (NOMINATED) 2005
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2005
Nutmeg Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Sunshine State Young Reader's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Sasquatch Reading Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Great Stone Face Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2005
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Garden State Children's Book Awards (NOMINATED) 2006
Bluebonnet Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Young Reader's Choice Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Virginia Reader's Choice Awards (NOMINATED) 2006
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (WON) 2006
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007
Young Hoosier Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007
William Allen White Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007
Sequoyah Book Award (NOMINATED) 2006
Nene Award (NOMINATED) 2007
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (NOMINATED) 2007
Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED) 2007
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED) 2007

Starting the Bookshelf!

Well, it was inevitable.  I've been reviewing books for my Young Adult Literature class and posting those reviews on my regular cj's notebook blog.  But those became so prevalent and frequent that I decided to give them their own place.  Hence, cj's bookshelf was born! (yes, in all lowercase, thank you very much).

For now - until I decide to change it - the posts here will have a similar format as the YAL Blog posts did at my other blog.  Some of the info I include - like ISBN or publication dates - might not be interesting to non-library types (or maybe it will - who knows?) so I'll put that at the bottom of my review so no one has to scroll through stuff they're going to skip anyway.

I also want to expand this to include news of interest to fans of books including (but certainly not limited to) upcoming releases from favorite authors, library-related events, even potential movie news.  This is certainly not going to be an exhaustive endeavor - I'm not pretentious enough to think that I'm anyone's main source of news.  Mostly I'll be giving my reaction to any kind of news I hear about.

A note regarding spoilers: I am fully aware that there are people who avoid spoilers like the plague.  Be ye therefore warned that I am NOT going to make any effort to keep my reviews from being spoilery.  It's just way too difficult for me to review anything - books, movies, TV shows, theater, food, really small rocks - without giving away the plot.  Sometimes I can manage it, but not all the time.  So if you're the type that hates being spoiled on anything, wait to read my reviews until after you've read the book.  However, do come back to discuss what you thought of it.

On that note - if you read my review and have a different thought from what I've said, please leave a comment.  I would love to hear other people's opinions on the books I've read, even if it's completely opposite of what I thought.  Maybe I missed something - this isn't anything professional by any stretch of the imagination.  This is just me spouting off my ramblings.  As long as it's done in a mature and respectful manner, I'm totally cool with it.  Bottom Line: Bloggers thrive on feedback.  Please leave some :)

So - that's enough of the housekeeping stuff.  I have an empty bookshelf that needs filling!