American Born Chinese

So this is American Born Chinese by Gene Yang.



It's a graphic novel. It is awesome. It has interweaving storylines all eventually about the struggles of a Chinese American high school student. Should he conform to the great white standard? Understand from the start - it's not a light topic, though the novel has its funny moments.
There are some sections that people find offensive - specifically the thread about cousin "Chin-Kee." But Mr. Yang intended to bring the stereotype right out into the open.
Yes, this is for a mature high school reader (not sex or violence wise - but in the ability to understand the overall message and the purpose of using stereotypes to fight stereotypes).

This book is on so many lists and won so many awards that I need to find a place to copy-paste...finalist for the National Book Award in young people's literature...Winner of the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature (first time a graphic novel has won)...etc., etc.

So get it for your high school or very mature middle school reader and make sure to discuss.

The only thing that was a little weird for me was the random Christian imagery. Monkey King as one of the Three Kings? What on Earth does that have to do with the rest of the story? It's all fine and well, but it was oddly out of place and sort of stuck in the middle of the Chinese Monkey King legend. I was like...what? But then I read that Gene Yang teaches at a Catholic high school...ah-ha! No biggie, and certainly not a deal-killer, but kind of a non sequitur.

By the way, I met Gene Yang at the library conference and he was totally nice. We got the chance to chat with him for quite awhile and he seemed very down to earth. He even sketched (and then inked) the Monkey King meditating in my copy of the book!

Enjoy!

Got Some Extra Time?

Here, my friends, are 120 titles that have been chosen by librarians in Texas for the various "lists" we use in library programs from age 2 through grade 12:
Texas 2x2 Books - ages 2(I say younger)through second grade
Texas Bluebonnet Books - third through fifth grade
Texas Lone Star Books - sixth through eighth grade
Texas TAYSHAS Book - ninth through twelfth grade...This is the only list that isn't annotated yet, but it will be soon...

I can not personally vouch for all of these books, but I will tell you these things:

I will be reading all of the 2x2 and Bluebonnet books for 2008-2009 before the end of the summer. I will certainly get back to you with any standouts or stinkers.

I have enjoyed everything I have read on the Lone Star List in my past two years at middle school, even if I really didn't think I would.

I regularly peruse the TAYSHAS list for my own pleasure reading material. I swear that most young adult literature from this list is better than the adult fiction I've been reading lately. And some so called "adult" books are included on this list. In the past TAYSHAS has led me to some of my all time favorite books for me, such as Stiff by Mary Roach.


Now the ages are only recommendations - the reading and certainly the content levels vary wildly within lists. If you have any questions about specific titles or about a reader you are trying to match with a book, PLEASE ask me - you can comment or e-mail me.

Happy browsing!!

Conferencing

I'm just back from a 4 day library conference and my head is about to explode with things I want to share with you. I have no clue where to start. I bought over 50 books for the library, got like 5 signed books for G, and scored over 20 free advance copies! It. Was. Awesome.

Before I start I did want to stress that even though I have focused on picture books so far, I do plan on discussing literature from board books through middle readers (mostly). But do check back no matter the age of your readers, because when I run into awesome teen lit (which I TOTALLY did this week), I will also talk about it here.

Stay tuned in a big way over the next week or so!

Todd Parr

Another author I just love so much is Todd Parr. I don't even know where to begin with him, so I will TRY to choose only two (this time).

As far as board books, The Feelings Book rocks our world.


Not just your ordinary parade of happy and sad, this book covers serious and silly feelings. "Sometimes I feel like eating pizza for breakfast." Me too!! "Sometimes I feel like kissing a sea lion" has had Greyson and I racing to smooch the grubby last page of this book for a long time now. In fact, when I read one of Eric Carle's books to Greyson and I got to the sea lion, he kissed it! At first I had no idea what he was doing, but then I just about puked from the cutenesss of it all. :)

Now on to the picture book, which is really the same format and level, just longer (and bigger of course). We have been enjoying The Feel Good Book



This books is (obviously) all about things that feel good! Rubbing noses feels good. Crying when you are sad feels good. Making monkey noises feels good. All of these things do feel good! Especially when you do them with your kiddo.

Trust me, Todd Parr rocks.

Pigeon

I have to start with one of my favorite children's authors, Mo Willems.

I absolutely ADORE the Pigeon books. I lovelovelove them and kids do, too. On April 1st, the new Pigeon book - The Pigeon Wants a Puppy - came out.





I feel like a total traitor for saying this, but (deep breath) I do not love it as much as the other Pigeon books. There, I said it...but it's still really good!! The thing that made me sad, I think, was that there was no double-page begging spread like there had been in the previous books. That was always my favorite part and the part where the kids really got into it. Why wouldn't they do it? Oh well.

I still say buy the book WITH all of the rest of the Pigeon books. NOW!

I feel like the word pigeon looks misspelled now after typing it so many times. Hmmm...
Here are the rest.

The funny thing about this website is that I don't really like to share it with the kids because the Pigeon has a specific voice. I find that children create their own voice for Pigeon. I have my own as well, and I was kind of bummed to hear what Mo must think he sounds like (Not like me? What was he thinking?).

As you can see, I am emotionally attached to Pigeon. You MUST read it with your children.

P.S. I will certainly be talking about Mo's other great books in time, but know that they are all really great - we are really digging on Elephant and Piggie around my house right now..

P.P.S. I had to look up how to spell pigeon, just in case...

Welcome to Storytime!

Welcome to Storytime with Mel! I plan on blogging some of the wonderful (and not so great) books that I come across in my life as both an elementary school librarian and a mother to a toddler. I predict that my focus will fall in those areas, but I also enjoy young adult literature so I may venture there. And what the heck, if I come across adult literature I just have to talk about I may post it here as well. Keep checking back!