ARC giveaway: Going Over by Beth Kephart

My current giveaway is for an ARC of:

Going Over by Beth Kephart
Expected Publication: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pages: 262
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: ARC acquired at NCTE convention 

Goodreads summary:
In the early 1980s Ada and Stefan are young, would-be lovers living on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall--Ada lives with her mother and grandmother and paints graffiti on the Wall, and Stefan lives with his grandmother in the East and dreams of escaping to the West.

Read my review of Going Over. 

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The "Did Not Finish" Chronicles: Sekret by Lindsay Smith

 Goodreads Summary:
Yulia’s father always taught her that an empty mind is a safe mind. She has to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive in Communist Russia, especially because she seems to be able to read the minds of the people she touches. When she’s captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she’s thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power where she can trust no one.

She certainly can’t trust Rostov, the cruel KGB operative running the psychic program. Or handsome Sergei who encourages her to cooperate with the KGB. Or brooding Valentin who tells her to rebel against them. And not the CIA, who have a psychic so powerful he can erase a person’s mind with his own thoughts. Yulia quickly learns she must rely on her own wits and power to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

 I really, really wanted to like this book. I mean Cold War Soviet teenage spies? This had slam dunk written all over it. I am fascinated with all things Cold War and Soviet Union. But here's why it ultimately failed for me: there was too much internal conflict. Normally I love internal conflict. I'm a character driven girl myself, but a novel about Russian spies begs for an external conflict and as I said, there was way too much internalizing going on here. I realize the main character has psychic powers and that needs a level of internalizing, but it still didn't work for me. I abandoned the book after 100 pages. Maybe it picks up and gets more action-packed later in the novel, but I had already lost interest to wait and find out.


Sekret by Lindsay Smith
Expected Publication: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Pages: 337
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: ARC acquired through NetGalley

ARC review: Going Over by Beth Kephart

Ada and Stefan are in love. But like any star-crossed love story, there is something preventing them from being together: a wall that divides their city. Pink-haired Ada lives in West Berlin where freedom and self-expression rule the streets and have emboldened her to become an angsty, teenage graffiti artist. Stefan lives in the straight lines and drab colors of East Berlin where his life and job have been forced upon him, so he waits for the day when he can escape to the West to be with Ada.

I was very excited to read Beth Kephart's Going Over because, you see, Berlin is my absolute favorite city on earth. History resides on every corner and yet it possesses a vibrant, youthful energy. It is like no other city in the history of the world. A wall divided it for decades: on one side, the free west, on the other, the oppressed east. The duality was striking and it still is to this day. When you go up to the top TV tower on Alexanderplatz in what is former East Berlin, you can clearly see where East and West once resided. When the wall came down in 1989, it was by the will of the people rather than weapons that

West and East: still obvious when I visited in 2004

brought it down, which is what makes this city's story so compelling. When Beth Kephart says in the author's note:

"When I traveled to Berlin in the summer of 2011 I discovered a city palpably alive, brilliant with color. I stood before memorials. I cried inside museums. I touched pieces of the old graffiti wall and imagine the ache of being separated from people I loved, from landscapes I yearned to see."

That was my experience with Berlin when I traveled there in 2004. I loved everything about it. Its storied past. Its hopeful and frenetic future. I own a t-shirt that says "Ich bin ein Berliner" because I love this city so much (Side note: saying "Ich bin ein Berliner" is a totally legit thing to say. It doesn't mean "I'm a jelly doughnut.") 

It is fitting that I chose to post this review on Feburary 27th because it was ten years ago today that I first set foot in this amazing city. So given my clearly emotional investment in the city of Berlin, I think it has skewed my impression of Going Over somewhat. It was difficult to find MY Berlin in this book and that's precisely why I had a hard time with it. I was looking for the Berlin I experienced in 2004, but how could that be when the story takes place in 1980s Berlin? And despite the fact that I drink up every piece of Berlin history I can get my hands on, I didn't feel the spirit of my beloved city in this story. Again, why would I? It was a different time and place.

But also, I just wanted to feel the city more in this story. When you have such a strong setting like Berlin, the city should almost be another character, much like I felt Prague was in Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It should be so vivid that you feel like you are there, and I didn't feel that sense of place I was longing for. And that's precisely why it's difficult for me to review this book objectively.

But despite my difficult experience with this book, I want to thank Beth Kephart for writing it. I think the Cold War is just now starting to become an era of history authors are beginning to explore and I think Berlin is a goldmine of fictional - and true! - stories just waiting to be told in young adult literature. Even though I didn't connect with the story as much as I would have liked, I will still recommend it to people and hope that they connect with it. Maybe it will even inspire people to visit and fall in love with the city the same way I did.

Read my blog post from 2009 celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall:
Remember, Remember the 9th of November.



Going Over by Beth Kephart
Expected Publication: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pages: 262
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: ARC acquired at NCTE convention 

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandPre

As a child Vasily Kandinsky learned to be a proper Russian boy: studying hard in school, practicing piano, and sitting mannerly at a dinner table full of adults. But everything changed the day his aunt gave him a box of paints. Suddenly, colors came alive for Vasya, as each shade created new sounds in his ears.

Eventually growing weary of his adult life as a lawyer, Kandinsky quit his job teaching law in Moscow and moved to Munich to be a painter. The famous teachers he studied with didn't understand his art, and encouraged him to portray lifelike depictions of subjects instead. But Kandinsky wanted to explore his feelings through his art and the sounds they created in his mind.

So eventually Vasya worked up the courage to paint what he felt and heard rather than what he saw, and is now one of the most well-known creators of abstract art.

As I was reading The Noisy Paint Box, I thought to myself that Kandinsky's inspiration for his paintings sounded a lot like he had synesthesia, and when I reached the end of the book and read the author's note, I found myself correct in that assumption. Although this condition wasn't diagnosable during his lifetime, based on his experiencing sounds as colors and colors as sounds, it is highly likely he would have been diagnosed with the condition if he were alive today.

I really appreciated learning about Kandkinsky's life and work through reading The Noisy Paint Box because music has always been such an important part of my life, so the idea of an artist being inspired by music and seeing sounds as colors is a really fascinating idea to me.

Whenever a picture book makes me want to learn more about a subject, I consider that a satisfying reading experience. After reading The Noisy Paint Box, I really want to read up on Kandinsky and his paintings. I would love to do what Barb Rosenstock says in the last couple lines of the author's note:

Large collections of his art hang at the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, Musee National d' Art Moderne in Paris, the Stadtische Galerie in Munich, the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and many other museums around the world. Maybe someday you will go and hear them.

Check out Barb Rosenstock's interview with Mr. Schu on Watch. Connect. Read.


The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kansinsky's Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandPre
Published: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture book biography
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library copy

Happy book birthday to A Snicker of Magic!

Congrats Natalie Lloyd on your debut novel, A Snicker of Magic, out today in hardcover. If you follow me on Twitter or read this blog with some regularity, you know that this is already my favorite book of 2014, but it's so much more than that. It's only just out today, but I'm declaring it an instant classic. It belongs in the same sentence as books like A Wrinkle in Time, Charlotte's Web, Because of Winn-Dixie and When You Reach Me.

Goodreads summary:

Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.

But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster.

Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.

Check out my Nerdy Book Club review of A Snicker of Magic and my interview with Natalie Lloyd.

Order your copy of A Snicker of Magic today!

It's Monday! What are you reading? 2-24-14

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

So I'm still reading this:
 
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer    
But I'm bound and determined to finish it this week. Especially since my lit class is on break this week so I'll have some time for pleasure reading.


I'm currently listening to:

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai


I did finish a few audiobooks last week:
 
Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson  
This was a fantastic sequel to Hattie Big Sky. It was just as good as the first book, in my opinion. 

 
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
I like Neil Gaiman's silly and nonsensical side here in Fortunately, the Milk. I much prefer it to his morose side. The way I recommend reading this is listening to the audio, that Gaiman narrates himself, while also following along with the text for its varying fonts and fun illustrations.

I would LOVE to use this book as a mentor text, having students write their own nonsensical story entitled Fortunately, the _______  (choose your noun here)


  
King of the Mild Frontier by Chris Crutcher
I really enjoyed listening to Chris narrate the audio version of this memoir. What really stood out for me was chapter 13, which is where he justifies the strong language and less-than-pretty situations he writes about in his books and why he will always write about controversial topics. I immediately ordered a copy of the book after reading that chapter. I will give it to any parent or administrator who challenges a book in my classroom. 


Picture book I loved last week:

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
 What a wonderful book to share with students about the importance of stepping away from a project and letting time and distance give you a better perspective. So many great lessons about writing and life in general in this little picture book about a perfectionist and her canine sidekick.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 2-17-14

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

I've gotta be honest: I'm in a total reading funk right now. I think it stems from two things:

1) The American lit class that I'm taking that's eating up a lot of my reading time
2) I cannot tear myself away from the Olympics.

So I'm still reading the same thing I was last week:
 
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer   


And I'm still listening to the same thing too:

Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson 


I did finish a couple picture books: 

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore
Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner
Both were unique and interesting in their own way. I have to say I'm a bit perplexed by Mr. Wuffles, but I can definitely see this as a picture book that kids in a classroom pick up and then all of a sudden there's a big group of kids surrounding the book, marveling at what's inside.

But other than that, I got nothin'

Oh wait, I did have an awesome interview with Natalie Lloyd last  week, author of the soon-to-be classic A Snicker of Magic. And I also wrote a review of the book on Nerdy Book Club too. If you haven't already put this book on your TBR pile, do it now. It is one of the most perfect middle grade books to ever grace the children's literature world.

Author interview: Natalie Lloyd discusses A Snicker of Magic

Have you all heard of A Snicker of Magic? If you haven't, this is a book that needs to be on your radar. It was written by debut author Natalie Lloyd and it is positively delicious. Natalie graciously agreed to an interview here on A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust, and if her own words aren't enough to convince you to read the book, head on over to Nerdy Book Club today to read my review.

Goodreads Summary:

Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.

But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster.

Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.


Foodie Bibliophile: Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today Natalie! In my review of A Snicker of Magic, I call you the sommelier of words because you just know how to pair the right ones to make them positively delicious. Where does your decadent love of words come from?

Natalie Lloyd: Thank you for such a kind compliment! I think my obsession with words blooms out of  several places. For starters, I don’t remember ever not being obsessed with stories. Books have always made my heart spin, and as a young reader, they helped me find my voice and learn how to express myself. But I also feel so blessed to have grown up in the mountain south, which is a storytelling culture. As a kid, I loved hearing my family tell stories as much as I liked reading them. I don’t see words the way Felicity does, but I’m inspired by how words connect people.

 I’ve given lots of thought to how powerful words can be. Like most everybody I know, my middle school experience was bumpy. I can still remember the exact words someone said to me that broke my heart. But on the flip side, I remember my third grade teacher, Mr. Watson, telling me I would write a novel someday. And I remember so many of the kind, wonderful things my parents and friends said to me. I believe the good words you hear (and choose to say) have a way of sticking to a person’s heart. Affirmation can be such a lifeline for someone else. And I think it’s incredible how words have such staying power. How “I love you” - even though it’s been said billions of times - can be the sweetest, most original words you’ve ever heard. How “I forgive you” can feel so healing. Words are magical, powerful things.


FB: Midnight Gulch, Dr. Zook’s Dreamery Creamery, Ponder’s Pie Shop. Are there real-life places that inspired you to create these magical settings?

NL: Yes! The boundaries of Midnight Gulch only exist in my imagination (and I hope a reader imagines the town any way they want). But there are definitely places I love, and pulled from, to give the Gulch some life. One of my favorite drives in Tennessee is Highway 11; the part that stretches between Knoxville and Chattanooga. If you drive that road, you’ll pass through adorable downtown Loudon. To get to Loudon, you cross a bridge over the Tennessee River. The first thing you see once you get off the bridge is a mural painted on the side of a building. (This layout will sound familiar to those who’ve visited Midnight Gulch. ;).

 If you park your car near the mural, it’s a short walk to a funky little ice cream shop called Tic-Tok. Athens, Tennessee is only a short drive from Loudon. It’s another wonderful little town, and boasts a well-known ice cream factory. In my mind, Midnight Gulch also looks quite a bit like Franklin, Tennessee (a gorgeous town near Nashville), where song lyrics and guitar-strums are tangled up in nearly every breeze that blows your hair back. So, yes, I definitely tried to pack several places I love into a fictional place.

But, for me, Midnight Gulch has always been more of a heart-place. I realize now that I wrote the book because I was homesick for people I love and miss (my grandparents, in particular). While I was writing, I was remembering how they made me feel: unconditionally loved and brave and capable of magic. It’s like that Edward Sharp song lyric, “Home is whenever I’m with you.” I believe that’s so true. I feel most at home when I’m with people I love.

The mural in Loudon, TN that Natalie is referring to

FB: Have you experienced a snicker of magic in your own life?

NL: I love this question! As Felicity would say, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

 I’ve been reading L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon (my editor sent me the book, because I’m an Anne Shirley fangirl, and yet somehow I missed Emily!). Whenever Emily experiences other-wordly, “magical” moments, she calls them “the flash.” I’m smitten with that description. I feel lots of flash-magical moments in my life. Falling in love is magic. Writing, when it’s good, feels that way. (And it’s not that way every day, but there are times when I write, and time falls away, and I know there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.) I experience lots of magical moments when I’m around my niece and nephew. Nature is full of flash-magic, too. When I saw Mt. Rainier for the first time a few years ago, I was trembling with excitement. There are so many examples: When I look at stars and feel small in a good way. When my dog nuzzles my tears away. When I hear a song with my heart before I hear it with my ears. Surprising, personal moments of faith that feel so personal, so quietly sacred.

Seeing this story published has felt that way; I would certainly describe “magic” as a dream come true moment. But for me, the term also applies to more common flash-snap-blink moments that open my eyes to how beautiful the world is. Ultimately, I think being loved, and loving someone else, is the best magic anybody can experience in a lifetime.


FB: I am fascinated by authors whose stories are inspired by musicians they admire. Lenore Appelhans was inspired by Tori Amos when she wrote Level 2 (now called The Memory of After), and in the acknowledgements of A Snicker of Magic you thank your favorite band, The Avett Brothers, who "kickstarted this whole adventure for me.” What about their music took you to Midnight Gulch and introduced you to Felicity Juniper Pickle?

NL: Sigh, my Avetts. I’m a big fan of the Avett Brothers, and a few years ago I finally got to see them live. I knew they put on a rowdy, wonderful show, but my heart was not prepared for how enchanting the whole experience would be. As soon as the lights dimmed, chillbumps rippled up my arms. People were dancing in the aisles and screaming along to every lovely lyric. The air was charged with joy. I remember thinking how incredible it was that so many people could come together that way - people who believed different things, who had different backgrounds - and yet music became this magical, invisible thread that bound all of us together for a bit. I elbowed my brother and yelled, “This is more like a magic show than a concert!” I think that concert, and their music, helped me find my way to Midnight Gulch, even though I didn’t start writing the story until several months later.

 I don’t know if this makes sense, but someday I would love to be able to write the way the Avett Brothers make music. It’s obvious that they’ve worked hard at their craft, but there’s also so much heart in what they do. Their music is never too refined; it’s a roughed-up kind of pretty. So genuine and full of wonder.


FB: And last but most importantly, since ice cream plays such an important role in the story, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream, either real or imagined?

NL: Alas, one of the saddest things about finishing A Snicker of Magic is that I can no longer justify eating ice cream as “research”. (…Or can I?) For now, my favorite real flavor is Blue Bell’s Pistachio Almond. But I’m always open to new suggestions! My favorite imaginary ice cream is Dr. Zook’s Blackberry Sunrise. If I ate Blackberry Sunrise right now, it would give me a sweet memory. I would remember eating wild blackberries with my granny on a summer afternoon – late-day sun spilling over the walls and our inky, purple fingertips and how happy I was to be sitting there beside her. That’s the memory that inspired Blackberry Sunrise to start with. I think Granny’d be happy to know I hid that memory in the pages of the book.


Thanks again for stopping by today Natalie! I see only wonderful things for you this year as A Snicker of Magic makes its way into the world and into the hands of kids. This book, just like a favorite song, is felt first with the heart.


Follow Natalie Lloyd:
Blog
Twitter
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Read my Nerdy Book Club review of A Snicker of Magic.
Pre-order your copy of A Snicker of Magic today! Trust me, this isn't a book you're going to want to "eventually get around to." It's a "you must read this NOW!" kind of book.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 2-10-14

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's the Winter Olympics everyone! That means one thing for me: I'm not going to be getting a whole lot of reading done in these next two weeks. If you didn't already know this about me, I'm telling you now: I'm a die-hard figure skating fan. Ask me for my opinion about a particular skater, and I will give it to you. Heck, I'll give you my opinion even if you don't ask me. :)


Last week I finished listening to:

Dark Life by Kat Falls 
This book has good middle grade/YA crossover appeal. I really liked the world building and was intrigued by the wild west feel that Falls gave to life below the sea. The story itself didn't keep me as engaged as the actual world building did so I think I probably won't continue with this series. 


Picture books I read last week:

No, David!, David Gets in Trouble, Too Many Toys by David Shannon
I found these gems at my library's used bookstore and couldn't believe I hadn't read No, David! yet. 


Love Monster by Rachel Bright
Oh my heart! I just want to give Love Monster a big hug. The only thing preventing me from giving this book 5 stars is given the way the story ends, the message seems like it's more appropriate for single adults than little kids. It's still an adorable book though.

 
Poem-Mobiles: Crazy Car Poems by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes
The illustrations make this book. the poems were good, don't get me wrong, but there is something really special about the art in this book. I loved that each page had a different color palate and yet despite that, it all felt very unified. The style of Jeremy Holmes's illustration is such that the pictures seem to leap right off the page. I could see this book in the running for a Caldecott. 


The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister 
I'm always very leery of any book for kids that has an obvious underlying political agenda - whether I agree with that agenda or not. Not a fan of this one. 


Currently (still) reading:

Endangered by Eliot Schrefer   
   

Currently listening:

Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson 


Abandoned:

Scowler by Daniel Kraus 
Listened to two whole discs. I gave it the old college try. Loved Kirby Heyborne's audio narration, but ultimately I just couldn't do it. I just don't do scary, let alone terrifying. 

Potato and Chorizo Tacos: a quick, easy weeknight meal

Earlier this week I was perusing my Pinterest boards for some dinner inspiration when I came across this recipe for potato and chorizo tacos.

With very few ingredients, this dish is big on flavor and texture. I will definitely be making it again.

Here's how I prepared it:

Potato and Chorizo Tacos
Adapted from Project Foodie
Serves 4-6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes (the original recipe says to peel the potatoes, but I'm lazy and don't like to peel potatoes, so I didn't)
• 1 pound bulk Mexican chorizo (or casings removed)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup queso fresco
• 1/2 cup guacamole (I used already prepared guacamole from Whole Foods)
• Corn tortillas

Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch dice and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

In a saute or cast iron  pan, heat olive oil and then add chorizo. Once chorizo is mostly cooked, add potatoes and let flavors meld. Once chorizo and potatoes are crispy, serve on softened corn tortillas and top with cilantro, queso fresco and guacamole.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 2-3-14

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?


My reading wasn't very kidlit-centric this week. I'm currently taking an American lit class that is naturally taking up a lot of my reading time so this is what I finished reading:

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
While the concept of this book is interesting -- what would it be like if there was a country full of nothing but women -- it was poorly executed. It was all telling and no showing, and also incredibly didactic. There was no subtlety or complexity to the narrative. I remember when I was in high school I used to complain about metaphors and hidden meanings. Why don't authors just come out and say what they mean? Well, after reading a book where the author pretty much did nothing but say what she means, I can now see THAT'S BORING! Add some complexity and nuance to the narrative for goodness sake! I certainly would have abandoned this book had it not been required reading for a class.


Picture book that really stood out to me last week:

Here I Am, story by Patti Kim, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
A young child moves from his own country to New York City, still clinging to a seed that reminds him of home. When he loses the seed out his window, suddenly, he begins exploring his neighborhood in search of what he lost, eventually finding a new friend. What a beautiful, wordless message of being open to the wonder and beauty around you, even when it's new and difficult to understand. As Patti Kim asks in the author's note at the end of the book: What happens to us when we forget to be afraid?  


Currently (still) reading:

Endangered by Eliot Schrefer  


Currently (still) listening:

Dark Life by Kat Falls