Whatcha readin'? Weeks 19-20
- Le Nerd Librarian
- May 21, 2019
- 5 min read
Hi, on the menu for these past two weeks (yes, I’ve only read 3 books, but, you know, Game of Thrones).
[Shoutout to A.C. and Y.B. for making this beautiful throne for the sixth graders' end-of-the-year play!]
- Toys travelling back and forth between their world and ours
- A seriously obtuse narrator who doesn’t want to see that his best friend is in love with him
- Life in a French “inclusive” class (U.L.I.S.) for disabled kids
Let's get to it!
The Land of Neverendings
[Fiction (novel/Fantasy), Lang.: English]
Kate Saunders. Faber & Faber, 2017. 336 p.
[This novel is on the 2019 Carnegie shortlist, so I read this as homework for my book club.]
This book was lovely and yet I don’t think my students will like it or that it will win the Medal.
First, the elephant in the room: it is EXTREMELY similar to last year’s shortlisted Web Wabbit: a grieving girl whose toys come to life and whose mission it is to save the toys’ land from destruction. Already last year I was the only one in the club to like it.
Who is the target audience?
To me, the main problem with The Land of Neverendings (and Wed Wabbit) is that it is hard to tell who this was written for. The topic of toys coming to life and the “adventure” will appeal to younger readers (maybe 10+), but this book is quite long and VERY detailed, and I don’t see a 10-year-old finishing it, as even I skimmed through the second part. It could have done with a few ellipses.
On the other hand, I don’t see teenagers liking this either. Even though the protagonist is in Middle School (Year 7) and is faced with Middle School-age appropriate problem (dealing with mean girls, being in the school play, finding friends who treat her nicely…), I don’t think the whole ‘toy thing’ will work for them, since they have outgrown teddy bears and barbie dolls (or are trying to).
Knowing this, I would still recommend it, because it is a sensitive story about grieving for a family member. The main character is lovely; we understand her and we root for her from page one. The inter-generational friendship that she strikes with Ruth (the antique shop owner) and their conversations about death and grief are heartfelt and probably the best thing about the book.
In short: I liked this, but it could have been a good 50 to 100 pages shorter.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
[Fiction, Lang.: English]
Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. 359p.
You know, I was certain I would love this, but I struggled to get to the end. The only thing that kept me going is that I came to care a lot about Dante, and I wanted to make sure he was OK.
1) I loved Dante and this novel is a waste of a brilliant, adorable character.
Dante is lovely and unapologetic about who he is and such a positive presence in the book, in the vein of a Simon from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I got really worried for him at some point, and the whole time I wanted to scream at Ari to stop his emo interior monologue and drop the baaahh-what’s-wrong-with-me-why-can’t-I-connect-with-the-world attitude.
2) Ari: enough with the lies. You know we know you know.
I mean, I appreciate an emotionally-crippled character and an unreliable narrator as much as the next girl, but this was too much. The blah blah just went on for too long and was too expository. Ari is so obtuse when it comes to Dante’s feelings that it brought me back to that terrible book Althea and whoever that had angered me not too long ago.
If you are going to have an obtuse narrator, we still need to get hints here and there of what’s really going on underneath the surface, of what is left unsaid, otherwise the 360-type of ‘big reveal’ happening on the penultimate page is just not credible and incredibly frustrating for the reader. The big ‘tadaa’ moment of “oh my god, Dante was the missing piece the whole time” feels rushed, and frankly, a bit of a cop-out. It seems that Ari is jumping into a relationship just to fill the void in his heart. We’re not even sure he’s attracted to Dante. We are told this he is, but I didn’t really buy it.
3) It’s a Fitz-and-the-Fool disaster all over again [sensitive subject!]
These two storylines and character arcs were equally frustrating, as we witness the narrator/main character turn into a insensitive a*hole, and the subsequent havoc that he wreaks in his sidekick’s life. Good thing that here, the author went for a crowd-pleasing last couple of pages, or I would have just thrown the book out of the window. I have no patience for this.
4) To end of a positive note
The style of this book is really easy to read, with very short sentences, which makes it a prime candidate for ESL readers.
Nos cœurs tordus
[Fiction (middle school drama/humor), Lang.: French]
Séverine Vidal & Manu Causse. Bayard Jeunesse, 2017. 150p.
I had heard dramatically different things about this (i.e. librarians tend to hate it while French teachers love it), so I was a bit wary but but but this is ADORABLE. It passed the grinning-on-my-own-like-an-idiot-on-the-bus test (embarrassing!). It’s a cheerleader in the form of a book.
First of all, it is a somewhat realistic portrayal of the woes of teenage love, and a somewhat accurate rendition of life in an inclusive class in France (different disabilities are represented), even though this particular school must have incredible funds for EACH KID TO GET AN A.V.S., and right from THEIR FIRST DAY. The cynic in me was like – really? But anyway.
I really liked the friendships that develop throughout the book, mainly thanks to the big ‘film project’ that they all take part in. I would have appreciated more emphasis on the kids’ daily lives, but the love stories are cute enough. They do take up A LOT of the story, though. Clearly, this book wouldn’t pass any type of reverse-Bechdel test. But I guess that’s good? To show that guys have a heart too! Also, Middle School students are obsessed with who’s dating who and she likes you and does he like me blah blah blah.
Oh, just one thing that bugged me. The imaginary language that the twins speak is annoying, and its use to drive the plot was too on the nose. I could have done without it.
Other than this, I’m glad I read this. I think 12-14-year-olds will love it!
[Edit: just found out that the sequel came out a few months ago!]
Aiiight, that’s all for now! Happy readin’!
Comments