A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust: March 2017

Friday, March 31, 2017

The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan

Charlie Law lives in Little Town and his new neighbor, Pavel Duda, is a refugee from Old Country. The people of Little Town hate Old Country. So Charlie quickly discovers that his budding friendship with Pav causes him all kinds of problems both at school and while he's out and about. As life in Little Town further deteriorates after a bombing and invasion from Old Country, Charlie finds himself in a life or death struggle to save his family at the sacrifice of someone else's.

The Bombs That Brought Us Together is both a beautiful story of friendship in the gravest of circumstances and a chilling dystopia that feels not too far into the future from our own reality. It gets to the heart of people's tendencies to fear what is different and to allow that fear to turn into hate.

     "Can't they just live here with us... in harmony or whatever? I said. "It's not as though they're perfect."
     "It's not as easy as that, Charlie," Dad said.
     "It's not charlie," Mom said.
     "Why?" I said.
     "The fact is, they don't like us, and we don't care much for them. We're not compatible. End of story. And anyone replacing one controlling Regime with another is hardly a progressive move, is it?" Dad said.
     "Our ways are different, Charlie," Mom said.
     "But how can I not like them when I don't even know them?" I said.

For those students (and adults) who love dystopia and are struggling with the state of the world, this would be a great book to include in a middle school or high school library. The vague and allegorical nature of the setting lends itself to lots of interpretation and connections to many conflicts in the world right now. This book has my highest recommendation to share with students and to read for yourself.

The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan
Published: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 361
Genre: Dystopia
Audience: Young Adult (Middle School and High School)
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.

Monday, March 27, 2017

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-27-17

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I finished reading:

March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
A must-have for every middle school and high school library. This series is so moving. I really hope Congressman Lewis will be at ALA to accept his Printz Award in June. Hearing his speak is at the top of my bucket list.

The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan
So many dystopias feel far away into the future. We think to ourselves. That couldn't possibly happen in my lifetime. But this one really hits home because what drives the narrative is xenophobia. Hatred of the outsider. It is a book I will be putting in my school library and recommending that teachers put in their classroom libraries.

Bob, Not Bob by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Poor stuffed up Louie. He wants his mom. But every time he calls for her, his dog Bob comes running instead. Because, you know, when you're stuffed up, Mom sounds like Bob. I have come to the conclusion that Audrey Vernick writes the best picture books ever. No contest. And this collaboration with Liz Garton Scanlon is no different.

Other Books I read and enjoyed last week:

Click, Clack, Surprise! by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds

I'm currently reading:

A Hundred Hours of Night by Anna Woltz

Currently reading with my ears:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Monday, March 20, 2017

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-20-17

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
There is no doubt this book is beautifully written. It kind of reminds me of a mashup of The Road and The Book Thief. I just couldn't get past the idea that this book felt more like adult literary fiction than YA.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
If you teach high school, this book must go in your classroom library.

Egg by Kevin Henkes
Egg has a magic about it that we've come to expect from Kevin Henkes. Both in its gentle, soothing illustrations and darling story. I could see this book being a Caldecott contender but especially a Geisel contender.

Sad, the Dog by Sandy Fussell, illustrated by Tull Suwannakit
When a dog's cruel owners abandon him when they move away, the new family that moves into the house takes him in as theirs. A sweet, heartfelt story about how pets sometimes find us instead of the other way around.

Currently reading:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I'm only on chapter 3 but I'm already completely gutted. This book is so important and a much-needed conversation starter.

Monday, March 13, 2017

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-13-17

Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner
This book kind of reminds me of a cross between All the Bright Places and The Summer of Letting Go.

Picture books that stood out in the pile last week:

Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
Pugs? Greedy? Never!

This is Our House by Hyewon Yum
Stories are how houses become homes.

Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio, illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb
Powerful picture book about the story of how "Strange Fruit" came to be Billie Holiday's most well-known song despite the fact that her record label refused to record it. There's quite the air of "Nevertheless, she persisted" in this amazing story.

Currently reading:

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
I'm only on chapter 7, but I was sucked into this story from the very beginning.

Monday, March 6, 2017

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-6-17

Last week I reviewed:

Martina and Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Brett Helquist

I finished reading:

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
If you never thought to consider where that chocolate bar you're eating came from, it might be a good idea to read this book. It will break your heart and then make you want to take action.

Picture books that stood out in the pile:

It Is Not Time for Sleeping by Lisa Graff, illustrated by Lauren Castillo
A wonderful bedtime story. Lauren Castillo's illustrations are perfection.

Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio, illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb
Powerful picture book about the story of how "Strange Fruit" came to be Billie Holiday's most well-known song despite the fact that her record label refused to record it. Another example of the recent rallying cry that Mitch McConnell inadvertently created: "Nevertheless, she persisted."

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Signed Giveaway: A Boy Called Bat by Elena K. Arnold

Thanks to Walden Pond Press for providing readers of A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust with the opportunity to win a signed copy of A Boy Called Bat by Elena K. Arnold, illustrated by Charles Santoso

On Sale: 03/14/2017

ISBN: 9780062445827
ISBN 10: 0062445820

From acclaimed author Elana K. Arnold and with illustrations by Charles Santoso, A Boy Called Bat is the first book in a funny, heartfelt, and irresistible young middle grade series starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum.

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises—some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter.

But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.

Critical Praise

“Delightful, endearing, and utterly relatable, Bat Tam is destined to be a dear and necessary friend for young readers. I adore him and his story.” — Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy

“Written in third person, this engaging and insightful story makes readers intimately aware of what Bat is thinking and how he perceives the events and people in his life. With empathy and humor, Arnold delves into Bat’s relationships with his divorced parents, older sister, teachers, and classmates.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Comfortably familiar and quietly groundbreaking, this introduction to Bat should charm readers, who will likely look forward to more opportunities to explore life from Bat’s particular point of view.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Brimming with quietly tender moments, subtle humor, and authentically rendered family dynamics, Arnold’s story, the first in a new series, offers a nonprescriptive and deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum.” — Booklist

Check out the educator's guide for A Boy Called Bat.

About Elana K. Arnold

Elana K. Arnold grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have her own perfect pet—a gorgeous mare named Rainbow—and a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She is the author of picture books, middle grade novels, and books for teens. She lives in Huntington Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. You can find her online at www.elanakarnold.com.

Giveaway Terms & Criteria:
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Don't forget to visit the other blogs participating in the blog tour:

March 1 Read, Write Reflect
March 2 A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

March 3 Bluestocking Thinking
March 6 The Official Tumblr of Walden Media