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It's early in the 23rd century, the age of space technology. Hutch is the pilot sent to evacuate a group of archeologists off of a world with a dead civilization, set to be terraformed. While she is there, she learns a lot about alien archeology, including some patterns of civilizations' decay. Her interest in alien archeology leads her on a dangerous adventure, uncovering knowledge that threatens her own civilization.
The world portrayed here is highly unlikely for a futuristic world, portraying the world much as it is now, with the largest difference being an incredible advance in space technology. In the acknowledgements, McDevitt says that Christian Epoch dates are used out of respect for everyone's sanity, but a whole lot more that dates from the current time are used. McDevitt assumes that societal values would stay constant, his constant being out of date already. Early in the book, we are told that marriages in this system expire in 5 years, a system which is not used later in the book, and which I cannot imagine being put into use. The actual threat to civilization is an interesting idea, but it is anticlimatical by the time it is presented, at the very end of the book.
Happy reading.
The Stupidest Angel A Heartwarming Tale of Chistmas Terror
by Christopher Moore
Pine Cove California has a host of really outragous people, one of whom has just gone off of her antipsychotics. An angel has been dispatched to Pine Cove to grant the wish of one child in honor of Xmas. Unfortunately, this angel is not particularly motivated or intelligent, and he goes about his mission in a way entirely unsuited to angels. This causes a horrific scene.
Otherwise, the plot in this book is mostly a series of bizarre relationships of the people in Pine Cove. The plot is not terribly intelligent or enthralling or believable or complatible with anything I know about how the world fits together, but it is funny. And it has a giant fruit bat.
Happy reading.
Psychiatrist Irene Cogan is excited when the murderer that the court appoints her to evaluate turns out to have an unknown form of Dissociative Identity Disorder, the patient(whose most powerful personality is Max) is excited to have run into a psychiatrist who can help to settle his system, (and a cute one at that!), and Agent E.L.Pender is excited to finally be in reach of the elusive killer he has sought for so long. But Max breaks out of prison and kidnapps Dr.Cogan, and now Irene and Pender have to scramble to make the cut.
This book is very easy to get sucked into; the plot is interesting, holds your attention, plays with your imagination. It does have some rather gruesome scenes.
Thrilling reading.
Not Even Wrong Adventures In Autism by Paul Collins
When two year old Morgan is diagnosed with Autism, his father, the author, is somewhat shocked, somewhat scared- the usual reaction of parents. When studying about Peter the Wild Boy, a boy from history who was found in the wild, acting like an animal, and who was then displayed and tamed, the author reads "an early case of autism". Peter was a favorite of King George I. He never was really civilized; he never learned to have a concersation or how to interact with people. Seeing the connection between Peter and his son, Collins begins to study the history of autism. A general history of autists and autism is interlaced with his account of how his son was treated and dealt with.
Collins tells us about famous and formerly famous autists from history, and about the evolution of thought on autism. He talks about some of the systems built to deal with autism, such as the Library of Faces, theories as to what autism, tests for autism. What Collins chooses to include and leave out seem to be somewhat strange choices; he does not discuss, for example ABA therapy, medications, or any of the treatments for autism that are more intrusive. He discusses sensory problems only to mention that part of sensory processing superior in the autist (synaesthesia), and doesn't mention that all autists have sensory processing disfunctions. He chooses only to present the theory that autism is genetic, finding evidence in his own family, rather than present other theories on autism, which is especially strange because of the fact that the incidence of autism is rising exponentially. He chooses to talk mostly about autists with extrodinary talents, and mention only in passing the existance of others. Collins chooses the most innocuous autists to cover, going so far as to say that you won't generally find autists in jail; however there are many dangerously irresponsible autists in jail. Epilepsy is very common in autists, as are a number of other medical problems, but Collins doesn't cover those either. Collins appears to have covered mostly that which he could parallel to his son, and mostly the positive parts of that. Because of this, Not Even Wrong has a much more cheerful, positive perspective on autism than most books on autism do.
Happy educational reading.
Bailey's mother is an alcoholic who left her family years ago, Bailey's big brother is about to join the army, and Bailey's father is about to get married. Bailey is having a hard time dealing with all of the above. She wishes her mother would quit drinking and come back home, her father would break up with Janet, and her brother would get back with his girlfriend and forget about the army. Bailey's inability to deal with the things she doesn't like threaten her relationships with everyone. She obstinately goes about getting her brother home, being mean to Janet, and not going easy on the world. Bailey only acts her age when she talks about imitating her brother's former girlfriend and even there it seems off; this story fits a confused kid. Bailey's attempts to understand the world she has to live in won't work; she's not as smart as she thinks she is.
Happy reading.
Piscine Molitor Patel was so named because the Piscine Molitor is the favorite swimming pool of his mamaji. In school, his classmates, and sometimes teachers, called him Pissing, and so at his second school, he introduces himself as Pi. Pi's father runs a zoo in India, in the late 1970s. The zoo has a shrine, but that's for business, not because Pi's parents are religous; they're not. Pi is. Pi takes polytheism to an extreme- he is Hindu, Muslim and Christian. He quotes bapu Ghandi and says that all paths are true paths. Pi's father does not like Mrs. Ghandi's politics and decides to leave for Canada. The boat that Pi and his family take explodes, and Pi is left on a lifeboat with a tiger, a hyena and a zebra. He must figure out how to survive in spite of them all.
This book is told mostly as though Pi were speaking to the narrator, which gives us flashes of the end. The narrator of the now tells us that this story is meant to give a belief in God- this story is supposed to be like a parable. You should not consider that until the end of the book, when the point becomes more obvious. In the meantime, enjoy the story.
Happy reading.
On the day that Adam and Miriam are paired for a poetry assignment, Miriam faints during physics class. Miriam's family belongs to the Sword and Spirit Church, a sect with 600 members, founded by Brother James. Brother James believes that God will heal all illness if only you have faith. Medicine is a sign of disbelief in Him. And so Miriam hides the pain she has from the school, and doesn't see a doctor. Adam, a nonreligous Jew, fascinates her- he doesn't fit her stereotypical view on Jews. They meet and discuss poetry for the assignment, and life goes on. One day, when Adam is out with his girlfriend, Diane, they see Miriam walking with Brother James. Brother James allows Miriam to walk with Diane and Adam. As soon as Brother James is out of sight, Miriam allows herself to show her pain, and sinks down to the ground. Adam and Diane take Miriam to the hospital, where she is admitted. The doctors run tests on Miriam and decide that she has Blanding's sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. With Adam's father as their lawyer, the Sword and Spirit Church fight to get Miriam out of the hospital. The court allows Miriam to go home, but subjects her to biweekly testing. The very first time, Miriam's test results test cancerous, and she is forced into the hospital. Adam has in the meantime befriended Miriam, and he visits her almost every day. He feels that his father is wrong to help the church prevent Miriam's treatment, because Adam's father believes that Miriam will die without treatment.
Real issues presented in a light objective enough that I don't know what the author thinks, although the dedication gives us some clue- For the people and ideals of Inter-Faith Ministries, Wichita. Adam, Miriam, and Diane are presented as high school seniors, but their behavior is much younger than that- perhaps 12 or 13. Miriam's Well ends on a definitive note as far as the story goes, but without really facing the main issue. What do you think: should the court have the right to force minors to have medical treatment against their will and religous convictions, and their parents' religous beliefs?
Happy reading.
The summer after her high school graduation, Remy's mom is getting married. Again. This time, she is marrying the owner of a car dealership. While at the dealership to discuss wedding plans with her to-be stepdad, someone knocks into Remy. He tells her that he saw her and knew that they were meant to be together. He grabs her hand and writes his name and number on it. On the day that Remy dumps her boyfriend Jonathan, she sees Dexter again at a bar. And at her mother's wedding, his band is the one playing. When his band leaves without him, Dexter begs a ride off Remy. In her car, he makes fun of the meticulous attention whe gives to its care, and leaves grease on her car: not what she is looking for in a guy. Not much later, Remy gets into a bar room brawl, and Dexter bails her out. Waking up in Dexter's room, Remy sneaks out via the window. Dexter then climbs into her window, and finally he becomes her boyfriend. But Remy's still not planning on permanence, the summer before collge.
In the backround, Remy's older brother is seriously dating Jennifer Anne, an impossibly priss woman who has reformed Chris. Remy's mother is a famous romance novelist and her new book is taking some unusual turns. Remy's friends romances all require her attention. The book's title is the name of a song Remy's absentee dad wrote for her. It became a classic, and Remy has ambivalent feelings toward it. Dexter's band, at wedding the G Flats, otherwise the Truth Squad, lives chaoticly together, hoping to make it with the record companies, hating their rival band Spinnerbait. And of course, Remy's got to live with her new stepdad.
Romance-themed-maybe-romantic reading.
Sometime in the future, on Iridis, capital city of the planet Valedon, the struggling artist Chrysoberyl answers an ad asking for subjects for a medical experiment on brain enhancers. After running numerous tests on her, the hospital decides she's perfect for their study. They call her in and tell her that they'd like her to become host to a colony of micro-organsims. She is more than a little startled- currently the biggest health concern is brain plague, groups of micro-organisms that release dopamine into the brain and make slaves of their hosts. Ads always on her "window" tell her- if someone offers to put micro-organisms in your brain... just say no! But the people at the hospital convince her that the micros are people. She allows two micro elders in her brain, and they speak to her, addressing her as their God, and she consents to receiving a group of micros.
Her life as a carrier is very different from her life as a struggling artist. For one, the micros help her with her art. For another, her friends shun her as a carrier. She becomes involved in defeating the brain plague, using her micros to help. And because her micros are a group that originally lived in the mind of a brilliant dynatect- now dead because now everybody likes carriers- she is hired to repair some of his work. Being a carrier is in and of itself not an easy job- she must be a good god to her people. Many witty references are made to the bible, with the micros as the Jewish people.
This book does contain errors- in a reference to the Jewish belief in 613 commandments, Fern gives 613 laws on behalf on her God to her people, but later, the 600 commandments are reffered to. Some other parts of the plot also seem to contradict themselves. The opinions presented in this book are anti-communist and anti-religous.
Happy reading.
Danny's Pop's a 'Nam vet, and he has what Danny thinks of as a head limp. When Danny's father has a flashback that keeps him in a tree for two days, Danny calls his pop's friend Tommy. Tommy takes Pop to the VA hospital, and Danny is left on his own. On his own, to find food, to pay the rent, to look after himself. He knows he has to do it; when he'd been sent to Miracle Home, before, the miracle had been that he had gotten out alive. Pop says the coyotes were in the land first, and that they're the Indian's friend. Which is good, because there are two coyotes living under Danny's trailer. The coyotes are wary of humans, tough, resourceful, street. Danny tries to be like them. Danny, amazingly enough, never thinks that life's not fair. His friends are all much richer than he is, and yet Danny is perceptive enough to understand that there are ways in which he's better off.
This is the companion book to The Adventures of Boone Barnaby, but the books are not dependant on each other in the least. Danny's strength is a hopeful light. His wry views (bankruptcy is for the rich) are always dead-on. Danny had to be wary to insure that no one would send him into foster care. If you knew a boy(13) who was managing on his own, what would you do?
Great reading.
When Artemis Fowl I regains consciousness, he tells his son that there is more to life than money, and that the two of them will have to stop their criminal ways. But Artemis Fowl II already has a plan in the works, and he decides, one last scheme. But that "one last" goes horribly wrong, and Artemis needs the help of the fairies to bail him out.
The third book in the series, this one shows Artemis as a person the most. It is the least arrogant of the three, as Artemis is shown to have his weaknesses. Butler's younger sister Julia comes up more, and we are shown the actual semantics of Artemis' planning.
Happy reading.
The Goof Who Invented Homework and Other School Poems
by Kalli Dakos illustrated by Denuse Blunkus
The first poem is what the school supplies and classroom features(including the gum under a desk) think about starting a new school year. The rest of the book is about that schoolyear, mostly about that classroom. The title poem is a conversation between the students in which they exchange interesting but false tidbits.. for example, they decide that George Washington must be the Father of The Lightbulb. And one third and one third equal a whole pizza. A number of the poems are stories- how the goldfish died, or how Jason drives his teacher bonk bonk BONKERS. But most of the stories are explanations of how a character is feeling, feeling that we can mostly sympathise with.
Happy reading.
Joella, Peter and Liane are right now on the run from the media, and with their dad. Why are they on the run? Well, that's the story Joella tells us. Earlier, she, Peter, and Liane were kidnapped, taken to perform in the Galax-Arena with the pebs, talented children acrobats. Peter and Liane are acrobats and fit in, but Joella is, if anything, out of shape and unfit. She knows that the only thing she is good for is P&E- Pets and Experiments.
The ending does not bring us back to the beginning of the story- at least, I don't think it does. It's ambiguous. But since there is a sequel, I think the ending really isn't the ending. The psychology of this story is deep. The children are survivors, and forced to let each other die, and of course that provides a different sort of interaction between children than we are used to.
Happy reading.
Families Like Mine Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is
by Abigail Garner
Abigail Garner's father came out of the closet and moved in with his partner when she was five. Her childhood experiences were different because of it. In this book, she and other adults with LGBT parents talk about their childhoods, what their parents did or should have done, and how their families affect their lives. A lot of things don't occur to the parents, such as; when parents try to raise their kids "normal" and inadvertantly pressure them to be heterosexual, or when kids are left out of pride events after getting too old. Garner also runs a site, Families Like Mine. The list of links she provides are on the index's sidebar.
Thoughtful reading.
Things I've Had To Learn Over and Over and Over(Plus a Few Minor Discoveries) by Charles M. Schulz
This is a collection of things that are or should be popular truisms, told to us by the Peanuts(TM) Gang. Some good ones:
The only real way to look younger is not to be born so soon.
Yelling at your brother three times is one more than the recommended daily allowance.
And when all else fails, blame the media.
Books Reviewed:18(The Woman In the Wall was actually posted on the 18th)
Total Books Reviewed:166
Days Blogged/Days In Period:13/30
New Members:none
Total Number of Members:1 active, 3 more were active, 2 more joined... total 6
Number of Hits This Data Period:137
Toal Number of Hits:1274
Features Added:none
Comments: I alphabatized the author links on the Index's sidebar.
In 1960, Nathan Price took his wife and his four daughters to be a light unto the savages in the Congo. The savages in the Congo do not prove to be the fertile souls waiting for salvation that Reverend Price had hoped for. The people of Kilanga scorn the minister who would give their children to the crocodiles in the name of baptism. The daughters tell us their stories; Rachel who is 15 when they arrive in the Congo, a blonde beauty whose malapropisms are very often accurate, Leah who tries desperately to appease her always angry father, her twin Ada who has hemiplegia and refuses to speak as a matter of principle, but instead writes all of her communications, and Ruth May, a child with a friendly and simplistic view of everything.
The people of the Congo revolt against their Bulgarian oppressors, and the missionary society advises Nathan Price and his family to move out. But the Reverend Price says that he will keep the mission in Kilonga going until his successors arrive, and no matter if the only planned successors have changed their minds on account of the war. The missionary society leaves the Price family to its own devices. They remain in the Congo, some for years and some for their lifetimes. This story is mostly narrated by the three daughters who live. Their mother also introduces and concludes each section of this book.
This book addresses the attitude of whites, Americans, and Christians towards those who are none of the above, in a critical manner. The atheistic views contrasted here with Christianity disturb me because they fail to consider other religous views- all of the rational views adopted here are atheistic.
Deep reading.
The eensy-weensy spider climbs up the water spout, sings, swims, goes in a big parade, scrapes her knees(six of them), buys shoes, walks with a glow worm, and goes to sleep. She has adventures like those of a little girl living in a bug world. In eleven verses, the spider interacts with a number of bugs and a frog. There is dialogue in most of the verses, making the story challanging to sing. The pictures are bright and informative, but not very detailed.
The Itsy-Bitsy Spider written and illustrated by Iza Trapani
The itsy-bitsy spider climbs up the waterspout, the kitchen wall, a yellow pail, a rocking chair, and finally a maple tree. Each time, something thwarts her, but when the something desists, she tries again. Finally at the top of the maple tree, she manages to build a web, and then she rests. In six verses, the spider interacts realistically with the world. In the story are included a mouse and a cat, and the narrator, who turns out to be a little girl. The plot is simple and repetitive, easy to sing. The pictures are detailed and show hints clearly linking each scene to the next.
My two year old brother loves both of these books. Most toddlers would. The Itsy-Bitsy Spider is easier to memorize, so that you can read it in the dark/ have your toddler read to you. Its pictures are interesting the fiftieth time around. The Eensy-Weensy Spider's extra verses make it less repetitve for multiple reading, and the familiar kiddie experiences make for good discussions (although I hope that your kid never has the eesy-weensy spider's experience of falling into a brook, you can still discuss forgetting to look). Better yet though, is reading both books.
A goose watches a spider climb up the waterspout. On one side of the page are the weather and the words, and on the other side is the goose watching the spider through the song. Simple expressive pictures, and the goose gives us a character who feels the same interest and concern over the spider that we do.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider Lorianne Siomades
This is the only spider who actually goes up the inside of the waterspout. He takes with him a flashlight and an umbrella, but when the water washes him out, the umbrella and flashlight get swept away! Luckily, his friend the butterfly comes to his aid. The next time, knowing what to expect, he takes an inflatable horse.
Eensy Weensy Spider illustrated by Heather Collins
A teddy bear watches as a coverall clad spider climbs from his web, up into a waterspout.The rain comes and washes the spider out, destroying the spider's web. He dries himself off with the bear's hanky, and when it's dry, he climbs up the spout again. This is a lot like Rosemary Wells' version.
Melodic reading.
Jay calls Ben, tells Ben he really needs to talk to him, it's urgent. They meet in a hotel room in Washington D.C., and Jay tells Ben that he is planning to kill President Bush. He outlines his preparations, his reasoning(most of which is skewed). Ben tells Jay not to kill the president. He outlines a list of saner reasons that Bush is bad, that Cheney is worse. Together they agree on the awfulness of recent polititions from an extremely liberal perspective.
This book is presented as the transcript of their conversation. It is an extreme attack on the president, the American political system, the CIA and the police. Becasue it is a novel, it does not have to present any proof for its wild claims. The style reads convincingly and pleasantly.
? reading.
A spaceship was spotted heading towards Earth from the area of Saturn, set to meet the Earth in six weeks. The Russians and Americans(the cold war is still going on) send a ship to meet the aliens. The aliens capture the ship and take the astronauts prisoner. The aliens, who look like elephants, have come to Earth to enlighten the people of Earth with the knowledge of their Predecessors and they are willing to exterminate as many humans as it takes.
It quickly becomes obvious that the aliens have greater weaponry, because they can move asteroids to come crashing down on Earth, and they have lasors that shoot with deadly accuracy. The president and his military put all of their hopes on a Project Michael. This story is told through the aliens(fithp) and through a zany web of humans. Political and social morals are strewn through this story, at times more obviously than others.
Happy reading.
You are the Pride of the Panthers, senior hotshot Austin Reid. You have a secret problem; you are being smothered by a sense that nothing matters. You are told that it is senior year, a great year, and you want to believe it, but.... The church has a quote up that seems particularly relevant to you "Be joyful always" and so you paste a smile on your face, and hope that you'll feel it. Then you get a girlfriend, and when you're down, you go to her, and you feel better, at least for a little while. The girl's dad committed suicide, and you know how he felt. You too want to let go of the world.
Written in the second person, you become Austin. For anyone who has ever felt as Austin feels, this book resonates with truth. I do not suggest reading this book if you are currently feeling depressed, because it doesn't give you any solution to depression. I do suggest reading this book if you are trying to understand depression. The back of the book gives two hotlines for suicidal teens:
National Hope Line Network 1-800-784-2433
Girls and Boys Town National Hotline 1-800-448-3000
Careful reading.
Count Us In Growing Up With Down Syndrome
by Jason Kingsley and Mitchell Levitz with a foreword by Joan Ganz Cooney
When Jason Kingsley and Mitchell Levitz were born in 1971 and 1974, their obstetrician's prognoses were not good. The two boys had Down Syndrome, and their obstetricians thought that the boys should be institutionalized. Their parents disagreed. Instead, they took their sons home and raised them to be the best they could be. In this book, the boys, now 18 and 21, tell us what they've done with their lives, and how they've managed to get high school displomas and live almost normal lives.
Reading this book, you can almost forget that the boys are different. What they managed to accomplish seems so far beyond what I perceive as being possible for people with Down Syndrome forces me to re-evaluate my perception of Down Syndrome. And if you're wondering what they accomplished, read the book!
Happy reading
