Song of the Week: Her Beautiful Ideas AND a bonus….

This week has been a mixed bag. I am listening to a ton of Muse, but have found myself mixing other songs in here and there.

Her Beautiful Ideas Lyrics

I do not know much about The Guggenheim Grotto but I do know that I like many of their songs. Her Beautiful Ideas is one of their songs that plays over and over in my head. This is a mellow song, yet, it is also a song that begs for movement. The video, well, I really like it…a lot. These type of videos tend to grab my attention because I think the creativity is rather cool.

Bonus Song…

You know this must happen…I must add in a Muse video. You know that I must as my “date” with Muse is only two weeks away. :D

Citizen Erased Lyrics

As you know, if you have been reading my music posts, Muse is on my list of favorite bands. I really do not tire of listening to their music. This means, there are many songs by Muse that I really, really like. Citizen Erased is one of those songs. When I first started listening to the album, Origin Of Symmetry, I was not that thrilled with Citizen Erased and then one day it connected. What do I like? I like the guitar pieces. I like the beat, the rhythm…a lot. I find that this song fits when I run or my mood to enter my own world of ignoring all else that is going on…that all means that the volume is cranked. I will admit, the ending is…well…not my favorite part of the song. It is almost as if the song fizzles out which is not good when I am actually running. Even so, the ending has grown on me, and the rest of the song rocks!

Citizen Erased is another song that I hope to see at the show, but just know, I am most sure that I will not be seeing this one.

What says you? What songs have been fitting your mood this week? What songs make you want to rock?

Special Needs: Information, Understanding…links,links,links….

I need to share with you a very cool blog. I am so excited that I ran across it because it has already proven to be very helpful for me.

How is it helpful? Well, several of the post that I have found on this blog has informed, and pointed things out to me in a clearer way than the information has ever been given. I understand a few things better now, plus a few things validated my thoughts that I had already.

Autism Games is the blog I am speaking about, a blog that you should visit if you have a child or know a child that is on the autism spectrum. Her idea about play is one that I am not unfamiliar with, but the way she explains this idea has made this approach, for me, lucid. I would like to point out a few specific posts that I found very helpful.

By the way, I came across this information this past July. This post has been rearing to go since then, but lately I don’t seem to be too timely with my posts. Under each post link, I am going to update my thoughts.

Translating and Supercharging Your Child’s IEP
A great post that had me thinking about IJ’s IEP in a different light. I am going to do as she suggests.
( Well, dummy me, I just had an IEP meeting and did not even refer back to this article. In my defense, the IEP meeting was not what I was led to believe it would be so I did not think I had to prepare. Ugh. Still, I am going to go over IJ’s IEP this fall to see how I can manage these suggestions.)

Don’t Boss a Child Around and Call That Playing
Okay...this is one was key to me because I am wondering if this is a big part of IJ’s therapy issues. I am going to take what she has suggested here, and try this out purposefully with IJ throughout the rest of the summer.
(oh yeah, big fail on my part. Why? Well, the summer got carried away, and I was managing other IJ issues that I totally forgot to give this one a try. I need to do this. He does arrive home from school by 2:30 pm so there is plenty of time in our day to plan this out purposefully…to try.)

All Blue, Only Blue, No Other Color Will Do
This post was interesting, but the part that stood out to me was child 3. A bit similar to IJ in that child 3 was adamant in doing the activity his way, and was not going to budge. But the following quote is what really stands out to me because I think this is true for IJ...
“Never argue with a child who has autism. You can disagree but there is no point engaging in an argument.” She then switched topics/activities and then worked their way back into the original activity with success. I find that with IJ that if we keep pushing an idea, a subject, a need of ours while he is resistant to it...forget it...he will put his brakes on and his negative behaviors come out in full. If we step back, let him think about it or do something else for a bit, he will then become compliant with our original said activity. This, however, takes patience and time, but it does alleviate stress...non-compliance....argument...behaviors.
(update: this information has been most helpful. As we continue to put into play of giving IJ time to process we have eliminated a lot break-downs, and “arguments”. Still, it is hard at times to remember to do this especially when we are on a time crunch.)

Invading a Child’s Home
IJ has troubles when have parties. He gets worked up, his behaviors pop out. When we go to others homes, he is not so off, but our home...not good. He is getting better, but I have also been taking some time to talk to him a bit before the event. Even so, I need to step it up a bit, be a bit more prepared. This post is good as it explains this need well. However, I will adjust her suggestions a bit...use picture cues (better), and limit the list to only a few points.
(update: I suck. I have a hard time putting items together, so I have not really utilize picture cues very much. I still talk to him about the event before it happens, but as we noticed on Sept 10th – his sister’s 13th birthday party- this is still an issue. I need picture cues…he needs them. A good thing, yesterday during our AT meeting for IJ, we brought up this issue. The team jumped all over it and are going to help us create some social stories, and maybe video stories. This is cool. We have never been approached about social stories before so I hope it will be helpful.)

I hope the above links prove to be helpful to you. I am curious, if you have been aware of these suggestions and have put them into action with your child, how is it going? How about the IEP, have you looked closely at your child's IEP as suggested?

Please share your experiences. I would love to know.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Queen of Attolia
Queen’s Thief Series, book two
by Megan Whalen Turner
Copyright 2000
Pages 360
Source: Own

Back Cover:
When his small mountainous country goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia, Eugenides the thief is faced with his greatest challenge. He must steal a man, he must steal a queen, and he must steal peace. But his greatest triumph – as well as his greatest loss – can only come if he succeeds in capturing something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago.

First Sentence:
He was asleep, but woke at the sound of the key turning in the lock.

I am trying to figure out how to give you a sense of this book without giving spoilers to the first book, or this book for that matter. Things will be vague.

Truly,I found myself mesmerized by all that was accomplished within these pages. Not only do we have action, we have strategy, we also have wit, and we have clever thinking. Yes, The Queen of Attolia was another clever book in this series. It left me incredibly pleased with the read. With that said though, you should know, that once again, the book started off slow. The upside was that before I fully realized how slow it was moving, it picked up; I became deeply enthralled with the story, eagerly reading page after page. The Queen of Attolia kept me in constant awe with the twists and turns.

For the story itself, there were a few moments that I struggled with mostly because I just could not completely buy into a relationship, I thought... “Oh, really? I’m not certain.” I was, however, willing to go along with this turn of events even though I was not fully in that camp. Why? Well, must I say this again? I think I need to, the book is clever.

As with The Thief, I liked the setting, and the layout of the land. I was able to visualize the story; I like that. The plot thickens with the political turmoil, and emotions. There were turns that I had figured out, but many other twists took me by surprise. Yes, yes, I sound like a broken here with the use of the word “clever”, but honestly, that is the word immediately pops into my mind when something happens that I did not expect, and it makes sense; I get it, it fits the character, it fits the story.

The Queen of Attolia may actually be a stronger read than The Thief, and I say maybe because I did miss Gen’s narration. Still, I do think that the strength of this story was that it did not rely only on one character’s ability to see past the obvious. Nope, this time around, we had two other strong characters that kept me in awe; Eddis, and Attolia. Granted, they were both characters in The Thief, but they were prominent within the pages of this story. Eddis, and Attolia are women with strong, thinking minds; were leaders, and acted as such. Not only that, they both had their hands in the pot of twists and turns; clever, indeed. Magus is still a great secondary character, in my opinion. I think he is understated. His value to the story is great, especially when he plays off Gen. No worries, even though I have not spoken much of Gen, he remained ever present. The beauty with Gen, this time around, was he has matured into a man who realizes that he is not the be all of everything. Even so, his wit and strategic thinking mind remains intact. He continued to keep my reading eyes alert and awaiting for what he would deal out.

This story certainly did not disappoint me; the writing, and the characters are fabulous!

Side Note: I have one more review for this series awaiting to be posted. Within that review, my 11-year old daughter, EJ, will put in her thoughts on this series thus far. She and I do need to read the next book, A Conspiracy of Kings.

Other Reviews:

It’s All About Books – a fantastic review of this book.

Stella Matutina – this is one of the reviews that hooked me into reading this series.

Giveaway: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Back Cover:
The Historian is the story of a young woman plunged into a labyrinth where the secrets of her family's past connect to an inconceivable evil: the dark reign of Vlad the Impaler and a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive through the ages. The search for the truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking us from monasteries and dusty libraries to the capitals of Eastern Europe - in a feat of storytelling so rich, so hypnotic, so exciting that it has enthralled readers around the world.

My abundance is your good fortune. Since I am sharing my abundance, I would like to share it with my followers so this means you must be a follower. ;)

One copy, my extra, is open to US and Canada

One Copy via Book Depository is open to my International readers. (did not want to neglect my international readers).

When entering , please let me know if you are International or US/Canada, if not included then you will not be entered.

Guidelines:
* Open Worldwide
* Contest ends on October 15, 2010 at 11:59 CST
* All entries can be in one comment
* Winner will be announced on this blog.

How to Enter:

11. Leave a comment with your name AND you must be a follower via Google Friend Connect or Email Subscription.

2. Leave your email in the comment. No email means no entry.

3. Let me know if you reside in the US/Canada or International. No location means no entry.

For Extra Entries; NOT necessary but appreciated:

1. Blog – post or sidebar link – about the giveaway. +3

2. Tweet this post on Twitter – leave a link to your tweet. +2

Good luck to everyone. I am enjoying this book, so far, and I think you will too.

The Graveyard by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard
by Neil Gaiman
Copyright 2008
Pages 307
2009 Newbery Medal Winner
Read for R.I.P. V Challenge

Inside Flap:
He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy – an ancient Indigo man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack – who has already killed Bod’s family….

First Sentence:
There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.

EJ’s Thoughts (age 11):

The Graveyard is just a book that Neil Gaiman would write; spooky, and mystery is his best subject!

I fell in love with this book right in the beginning, especially with Silas. He is a calm and interesting character.

My favorite part, if anybody asked me, probably would be when Bod tried to run away from the graveyard.

So, this book isn’t my usual fantasy-animal book; the books that I read most. This is more of a mystery that will excite you, and make you stay awake at night to read.

My Thoughts:

Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard won the 2009 Newbery Medal, and I have heard many sing its praises, so, I went into the read with high expectations. I went away in awe with Gaiman’s ability to tell a story. He has a tremendous gift for storytelling of creepy, and alluring settings with outstanding characters that have depth.

Did this story wow me from the start? To tell the truth, even though the beginning was suspenseful, it did take a bit for me to really understand at how much the story had crept into my being because the beginning, for me, was a little slow; it took me a bit to connect with the flow, and the characters.

A sense of eerie creepiness is indeed embedded throughout just by the fact that a boy is growing up within a graveyard; with those who are dead, but their spirits still live and surround the boy – Bod (short for Nobody). The suspense was felt as Bod came across new situations; especially with the ones that could cause him harm.

I was waiting for something real intense, and frightening to happen because, you know, the book is called The Graveyard. This did not happen, but it did for my 11-year old. What did happen was beyond my expectations; a story of truth, friendship, love, and finding oneself all the while having amazing “adults” surrounding Bod with love, guidance and care. It is a story of growing up; learning to live life with respect while not being afraid to go where it takes you. Gaiman subtly and fantastically wove it all together.

There is so much to like with The Graveyard, but the one thing I keep coming back to is the characters of Bod, Silas and those who reside within the graveyard’s grounds.

I simply adore Bod. He has a few creepish, misguided thoughts, but what is amazing about him is that he has an outstanding why of looking at life. He actually grows up to be a normal, well-guided and adjusted boy which is amazing considering that ghosts of the graveyard raised him. He processes circumstances, suggestions, ideas and then makes rather solid decisions. He is a boy who listens to those who care for him, albeit he still does rebel a bit. Bod really did capture me.

I found myself intensely interested in all the different characters that resided in the graveyard. Each and every one them brought their own tale into the tale of Bod’s life. Their experiences of life, during the time-periods they lived, brought a richness into the story, and a bit of history. These character’s added depth and dimension into Bod’s world, and in one way or another, they helped to shape Bod into a fabulous young man. I found myself impressed with how beautifully, and seamlessly that Mr. Gaiman wove their stories into Bod’s life.

Silas….ahhh…Silas. He is a fabulous character. I truly appreciated his caring of Bod. He guided the boy fabulously through childhood without being over dominate, and authoritative. He cared, and loved. He was his protector, and counselor. We know that Silas is dead, but he is different than those who reside in the graveyard. At first, I did not think much of that, but as the story went on their were clues here and there as to the status of Silas. I will say, I had a good idea to who Silas truly was, but was not 100% certain, but by the end I was certain even though the story does not make an obvious statement.

I did have one obstacle with the story, and that would be with the Jacks, Bod, and the Honor Guard…what is their connection? I can honestly say, I think I missed something. I know it was explained to the reader, but I still do not fully comprehend as to why Bod was so important to destroy.

My experience with The Graveyard was most definitely intensified by the fact that I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by none other than Neil Himself. His narration was incredible, awesome, amazing….the best narration I have heard. While listening, I thought, this man must have had these character’s voices and nuisances within his mind while he was writing the tale of The Graveyard. There was depth. I highly, highly recommend at some point that you not only read The Graveyard, but that you experience The Graveyard through Neil Gaiman’s narration.

The story itself, like I said crept up on me, and then embedded itself within my thoughts. It is a rather simple story, but yet complex with all the graveyard personalities, Bod’s personality, and the reason why he was sought by an particular organization. It is a story that left me with a sincere sigh of enjoyment.

I will leave you with the following quote, a quote that I fully agree.

A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest. – C.S. Lewis

The Graveyard is a great children’s book that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Side Note: Remember how I said that I did not fully get as to why Bod was so important to destroy? If you comprehended this, would you please clue me in…I want to know. But, umm…don’t clue me in here on the comments area because I do not want full blast spoilers here. You can email me at ibeeeg(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks! :D

EJ did not listen to the audiobook, rather she read our print copy. Our book contains illustrations by Dave McKean. EJ appreciated the illustrations, and mentioned several of them to me. While I am speaking of the actual physical book, why did they choose to put the Newbery Medal where they did? It ruined the beauty of the cover. I know, I know…where else could they put it? Nowhere, but still…

I find graveyards very creepy and eerie but also incredibly interesting. There are so many unknown stories lying beneath the ground, and the grave markers give a glimpse…the names, the dates. Then the grave marker stone itself runs from plain to ornate…they tell a story too.

Yes, the photo above was taken at a graveyard, and so you know, EJ was all for it. We went on a hunt to locate my grandparent’s gravestones. We first went to my maternal grandparents site, but the cemetery closed…we missed it by 20 mins. We then went on hunt to find my paternal grandparents grave markers, bingo, we found them, and that is where the book photo was taken…my grandparents grave marker. While we hunted, we noted many different markers, names and dates…more photos were taken. Weird? Creepy? Morbid? Some may think so, but we think it is fascinating.

EJ was a good sport…don’t you think?

Book & Movie: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula
by Bram Stoker
First Published in 1897
Pages 381
Source: Won in a giveaway
Read for R.I.P. V Challenge

Back Cover:
Count Dracula sleeps in a lordly tomb in the vaults beneath his desolate castle. His stony eyes are open. His cheeks have the flush of life beneath their pallor. On his lips – a mocking, sensuous smile and scarlet-fresh blood. He has been dead for centuries, yet he may never die…Here begins the story of an evil ages old and forever new. It is the story of those who feed a diabolic craving into the veins of their victims, into the men and women from whose blood they draw their only sustenance. It is a novel of peculiar power, of hypnotic fascination. The reader is warned that he who enters Castle Dracula may not escape its baleful spell, even when he closes this book.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula was not at all what I thought it would be. I thought it would be creepy, and suspenseful for which it was not. I thought it would be about Dracula, and it really wasn’t. Even though it did not meet those expectations, I did like Dracula. I liked it because I see it as the corner stone for all the vampire stories that have come after this book. It is the foundation for the vampire lore. Much of what I think a vampire ought to be came from Stoker’s Dracula. This is classic, and one that ought to be read, especially by those who do like vampire lore.

I said that liked Dracula, but I was not blown away. Actually, for most of the book, I was a bit bored. The beginning, during Jonathon’s time in Transylvania, held a lot of intrigue and some suspense for me. The story was coming to a suspenseful moment, and then bam…the narrator changed. Just like that. It then took me a bit to become acclimated with the narrator change. It then took me a bit to become acclimated to the frequency of the changing between narrators. While there were several narrators, the later part of the book was mostly told through Mina and Dr. Seward’s diary entries. At first, I would become confused until I realized that I needed to pay attention to dairy entry dates. Once I was acclimated to this style of storytelling, the story moved along with a much better pace.

Beyond the style of storytelling, I felt a disconnect with the characters themselves. That is huge to me; I’m a character driven reader. Dracula just did not provide me much connection with Jonathon (once he left Transylvania), Mina, Dr. Seward, Van Helsing, or the other characters. They were there to tell the details of Dracula, and their hunt; this was good, but I just did not feel their suspense, their emotion. I was not worried about their outcomes. Not only that, I was not even all that scared by Dracula himself. I will admit, during Jonathon’s experience, I was creeped out by Count. After those moments, not so much. I believe the reason was because I was never brought into the moments when Dracula was terrifying people, or toying with them through manipulation, except for Jonathon’s and Mina’s experiences. Much of Dracula was told to me like an article in a newspaper. I was expecting to see more of Dracula in way of the wickedness and horridness of one such as Vlad the Impaler for whom Stoker based his story. That did not happen. Yes, there were some historical facts woven into the story, but not the essence of evil, and horror.

I will say, with only about 100 pages left of the read, the story picked up for me again with intrigue and suspense, but unfortunately that did not last. Still, the ending was good.

This all sounds like I really did not like Stoker’s Dracula, but I really did. I like vampire lore, and reading Dracula has given me a different view. I appreciate Stoker’s Dracula and the influence it has had over a variety of media. I am glad I read this story, it was most definitely worth my time.

Side Notes: I found myself wondering how this book was received by the public when it was first published. Was it viewed as a terrifying book? Was it liked? Through some of my searches, I came to learn that while this book was received well when it was first published, it did not start to reach a higher status until the early 20th century. While Stoker’s Dracula was not the first vampire story, it was the story that had the greatest influence on the vampire lore.

Nick @ Lions and Men recently hosted Dracula Week towards the end of August. If you are interested in Vampire lore, take a look at his posts; they are interesting.
Vlad the Impaler – the Man Behind the Myth
Know Thy Enemy! Anatomy of a Vampire
Origins of the Vampire

The Movie: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Rating: R
Release Date: 1992

I viewed this movie, and while it had moments of interest, it ultimately, for me, fell flat. Even though it fell flat, there were a few things that did work; Dracula was wicked, and creepy. His change in physical appearance was horror. The violence of “drinking” was gross, and the ways of killing a vampire was blood splashing yuck. Those visuals worked for me. However, there were two main things that bothered me most about this movie. First, the sexuality. Granted, today’s vampires are sensual creatures, but Stoker’s was not portrayed that way in the book. And why the flashing of breasts when women were being feasted upon or doing the feasting? Was that necessary? Nope. The other thing that bothered me was the relationship between Dracula and Mina. There was too much of a romantic twist embedded within their storyline. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for romance, but not in this instance. For me, if the movie is going utilize the title of Bram Stoker’s Dracula then the movie ought to be just that….Bram Stoker’s.

Song of the Week: Exo-Politics

Alright, you knew this was coming.
If you didn’t then that means you did not read this post.
Need I say anything more? I think not! :D

Exo-Politics Lyrics

This is one of my favorite Muse songs, well, I do have many, many, many favorites, but this one…it gets me pumped, and apparently it does the same for my youngest daughter.

A few days ago, while GD and I were eating lunch, I had this song playing with the volume, let us just say the volume was not low, when I looked over at GD and noted that she was bopping around in her chair. I asked, “Doesn’t this song just make you want to get up and move?” Her reply, “Uh-huh!” with a grin. I then said, “Well, Let’s do it! “ We left our lunch and proceed to dance (you know, the stupid dance moves one does in the privacy of their own home. I don’t even think you can call it dancing, but we certainly were having a great time moving!). Our lunch, it was cold by time we got back to the table, but a great lunch it was!

By the way: this is one of the songs that I wish they will play when I see them in a few short weeks. I am thinking that is not going to happen, especially since it did not happen last time. My next wish would be that I could find one real good video of them playing this song, but I am finding that not to be happening either. Oh well.

How about you? Is there a song that gets your blood pumping? A song that beckons you to move?

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief
Queen’s Thief Series, book one
by Megan Whalen Turner
Copyright 1996
Pages 280
1997 Newbery Honor

Back Cover:
After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task -- to steal a hidden treasure from another land. To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

First Sentence:
I didn’t know how long I had been in the King’s prison.

I have been thinking about how to write my thoughts about this book. I suppose I will start with why I chose this book to read.
Stella Matutina wrote a post about one of the Queen’s Thief series books. I cannot remember which post I read first, but it was not about The Thief, it was either The Queen of Attolia, or The King of Attiola. Either one, does not matter because with both those reviews she sung high praises for this series which in return had me wanting to read the books.

I started reading The Thief and thought, “this is good, doesn’t blow me away, but good it is.” While I felt the story was a bit slow going in the beginning, I kept reading. Why? For whatever reason, the story beckoned me to its pages, and I wanted to read the next two books that Memory thought more highly of than The Thief.

What kept beckoning me back to the pages of The Thief ?
I think it was Gen; the story is told from his perspective. The interesting thing about that is I did not really like Gen all that much. Let me clarify a bit. Gen elicits mixed emotions within my brain. He is the thief for whose story this book centers around. When we meet Gen, he is filthy, dirty, and in jail. You could say that he is down and out on his luck. Yet, he is cocky; overly confident of his thieving skills. Not only that, he is a bit of a smart aleck. He actually reminds me of a bratty teenage boy, the cocky one who is bit full of himself. While those qualities are not appealing, there was something about Gen that I liked…that is what led to my confusion. It is hard to not think of Gen as intelligent because the way his mind worked out situations with the use of common sense, knowledge, and practicality; all of which were always impressive. Towards the end of the book, I was liking Gen a whole lot. Why? He is clever, and he started to use a bit more sense in how he would talk to others.

Not only was Gen well written, the other characters of Magus, Sophos, Pol, and Ambiades were intriguing. They all, in their own right, had me wanting to know more; who were they? how would their stories play out? Of the four characters that I have just mentioned, Magus was by far the most provocative. There was something about him that I did not like and liked all at the same time. There were moments that I thought he was a donkey’s behind, but then there were times that I realized that this man does have compassion. He was an excellent character to play off of Gen.

I was wondering about each of the characters; what was their purpose, why were they at this point in their lives? Overall, they each contributed greatly to the story.

The fantastic thing about The Thief was that not only were the characters well-written, the storyline, after the beginning part, moved along with its own twists and turns that grabbed, and held me captive. I truly did not realize the power the story had until I was about a good 1/3 of the way into the read.

The Thief won the Newbery Honor for the year 1997. I am always thinking, when I start a Newbery medal or honor read, is the book worthy? When I was done reading the book, all I could do was gasp in awe with the ever constant thought rolling through my brain....
Clever! Clever! Clever!

The Thief is one of the most clever books that I have read this year. It truly is an awesome read with well-written characters that pull at your emotions in one way or another. If you find the story a bit slow, as I did in the beginning, keep with it because the story on the whole is incredibly worth your time!

Clever! Clever! Clever!

Side Note: My daughter, EJ – 11 years old, read this book over the summer. She really liked this book a whole lot. She went on to devour the next two books in the series. At this time, she politely declined to write me a little summary. ;)
Just know, she highly recommends The Thief.

Since this book is only a Newbery Honor book, I wonder how good is the 1997 Newbery Medal book? Is it more clever? Better written? Is the pace better? What sets the 1997 Newbery Medal apart from this Newbery Honor book? I think I need to find out. Oh gasp…this means that I may be starting down Jody’s journey of reading Newbery Medal books. Hmmmm….. ;)

Other Reviews:

Stella Matutina
She has a slightly different take and insights to the story than me.

It’s All About Books
I have to say, I like my book cover better than Suey’s. Just saying. Besides that, it seems that all three of us have at least one thought about this book in common. Can you guess the common thought that stood out to me?

People… I Am Pumped!! Awesome Music, and Fantastic Books….

These last several weeks have had me feeling a bit down and out with details that I needed to attend to, but when I was on my way to work, this past Saturday, I realized a very important fact which totally started to get me psyched, and then early Sunday morning, I came across a post that most definitely added to my ever increasing “I am psyched! I am pumped!” emotions!

Whoa…Whoa…Whoa! Saturday morning, I realized that it is just a tad over three weeks before I am sitting in Section 200, Row J, Seat 9 or 10 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee listening to one of my favorite bands, Muse! Am I pumped? Oh, you better believe I am! My gosh, I cannot believe that October 6th is almost here. At the moment of this writing, my date with Muse (ha…) is only three weeks away! My heart is pumping!

For the last few months, I have been purposefully trying to listen to music other than Muse because my girls were starting to roll their eyes at me a bit too much. Now, all bets are off! It is Muse all the way, all the time! Well, okay, maybe not *all* the time, but I do believe they will be dominating my playlist…once again.

There is most definitely something about their music that really pumps my psyche. They have so much energy that I find contagious. Well, maybe not that contagious because you will not be seeing me ramp it up like Bellamy. All the same, the music gives me a high! Love the stuff! :D Awesome!

Amazing how music can turn my blah mood of late into a fun mood, if not fun at least one that is not blah! :) Pure awesomeness!

For more of my thoughts on Muse check out my posts here, here and here.

You will have better sound if you are able to view these videos in HD.

Muse turned my blah mood around, but on early Sunday morning, some blog reading led me to a post that was so humorous….loved it! What it really did though, besides bring me laughter, was the realization that a book that I have been looking forward to will be released in about a week, September 21st to be exact. Oh my! How could I forget???? How? I ask you! That is most truly a sign of how preoccupied I have been with other details in my life.

Anyhow, The Thrillionth Page posted this… Why aren’t men like Jamie Fraser? and goodness, my heart start pumping with such excitement and anticipation over the release of The Exile by Diana Gabaldon besides, Carolyn brings up some really good points!!

Seriously, if you know me…at all….then you should know what a HUGE Gabaldon fan I am. I love her work. I love her characters. I love her stories! She is one amazing, and awesome writer. I am very excited to get my hands on The Exile so I can read another version of Outlander stories because yes, yes, yes….this is not a graphic novel thatis just retelling Outlander story in pictures. Oh no! The Exile is a brand new story set during the time of Outlander. So yeah, there will be familiar incidents and characters, but a different angle to the story. Yes! By the way, in case you did not fully realize this, I would be perfectly fine with The Exile being Outlander in pictures because I absolutely love that story, but since it is not, for me, I think The Exile will be frosting on the cake! Fantastic!

For Launch Party information, take a look at Diana Gabaldon’s blog, Voyages of the Artemis.

An excerpt from The Exile can be seen a Scribd. The excerpt talks about the making of the graphic novel.

For a look at some of the artwork panels, take a look here.

Unexpurgated Artwork
A bit too graphic, what do you think?

Have you preordered? Believe it or not, I have not….not yet. Don’t know why, but that is just how I roll…I wait until the last moment. :|

Bottom line for me: Two huge areas of interest are both giving me some moments of bliss with the satisfaction that I am going to get more… what a high! :D

What about you? Anything in your life giving you moments of blissfulness? Anything exciting?

Meshing of Minds Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Meshing of Minds Review introduction:

My friend, Jody, and I love to talk books. Probably a week has not gone by that we have not had at least one book related conversation. While I do like reading children’s literature, I tend to lean towards adult reads such as historical fiction and fantasy. Jody leans towards children’s literature but will also read adult books that spark my interest. The most fun we have is when we read the same book and talk up a storm about a character, storyline, whatever. Since we do find great enjoyment talking books whether we agree or not, we decided that it would be great fun to blog our thoughts…to mesh our minds. We hope that you, dear reader, will find our “meshing of minds” review style interesting and enlightening as we present to you several books throughout the year in area of children’s literature as well as adult literature. For our reviews, we have decided to add a spoiler page which will be linked to the end of our main review post. Please, if you have read the book reviewed, check out the spoiler page. Regardless if you have read the book or not, please comment with your thoughts. We love conversation and would love to strike one up with you.

I am thrilled to announce, Jody is starting a book blog. Yay!! I am seriously excited about this. I love Jody’s take on things and I think you will too. Her blog, Bery Picking, is brand new and will focus on Newbery Medal winners, and other great reads. I am psyched and want to encourage Jody to share her book thoughts when she can manage it in her schedule. Please check out her introduction post, and help me welcome her to the book blogging community. I look forward to reading posts at Bery Picking.

When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
Copyright 2009
Pages 197
2010 Newbery Medal Winner

Inside Flap:
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.
But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:
I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

First Sentence:
So Mom got the postcard today.

JODY
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As you know, Deanna, I’m a bit of a Newbery Geek. I have been for years. When I heard that Rebecca Stead, this year’s Newbery winner, was coming to a bookstore nearby, I jumped at the opportunity to go and meet her. I went having not read any of her books - this is only her second. I was skeptical that an author with such little writing experience with published children’s novels could be selected for such an esteemed award. I was also skeptical because I’m a title girl - a title has to grab me - and I thought this title was well, blah. I had also looked at the cover of WYRM and I was equally unimpressed. It looked like random objects placed on a childish drawing of a map. The title and the cover definitely did not appeal to me. And the back of the book did not meet my expectations either. When I pick up a book, I look at the title and cover art, then, I flip it over and read the back. I expect those 3 things to give me a feel for the book. The back of the hardcover edition of WYRM has “Praise for First Light” on the back. I don’t want to pick up a book and read about how great a different book is. I want to read about the book in my hand. Yes, the inside flap of the jacket did have the summary I was looking for. However, had it not been selected for the Newbery, I don’t think I ever would have picked the book up. How about you? What was your initial impression of the cover and title?

DEANNA
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Ahh, yes Jody, you are a bit of a Newbery Geek. I say that with love. Anyhow, I never thought of myself as a Newbery reader. I actually considered myself as a very limited Newbery Medal or Honor book reader. I realized recently that I am being drawn to Newbery Medal or Honor books and have read more than I originally thought.


My initial thoughts about the book title, cover, and summary was not much beyond the fact that it won the medal and I know you are reading all the Newbery Medal books. Then you read the book, and was rather excited about the story. I promised that I would read the book, but told you that it would not happen before May which was true. So, I did not give the book title or cover much thought because I already knew you would read it, and then I knew you liked it so I knew then I would most definitely read it regardless. You have yet to lead me astray, and When You Reach Me did not make an exception.

Generally speaking though, titles and covers are not deal makers or breakers for me as they can be for you, but back cover summaries are huge for me, but even with that, I am not as picky as you because I am okay if the summary is on the inside flap. With that said, I do like my titles to make some sense in regards to the story, and I do believe, after reading this story, the title When You Reach Me makes great sense. The covers, yes, in general, the more appealing a cover the quicker my attention is gained. However, I would prefer a simple cover over a flashy trendy type cover, but wretched covers tend to always make me wonder what the publishers were thinking. As you know, my most favorite series has very simple covers for which I greatly like. I’d rather have a simple cover to let my own imagination take over rather than have a preconceived idea of the story. Covers with a model face already gives an “image” of a character, and I tend to not care too much for that but am still not bothered. The cover with When You Reach Me, I will agree, is not an attention grabber, and does make the story look rather dull for which it is not, but again, once done with read the cover makes sense.

I read Rebecca Stead’s first book, First Light, before I read When You Reach Me, and I really liked the story. I have to admit, I was very much blown away by the change of her writing with WYRM. It seems to me that she went from a straight-forth storyteller to one whose imagination had my brain guessing, thinking, twisting the whole way through the story. The mental work-out that I went through with the story was simply amazing. When done reading, I was immensely satisfied and blown away by the quality of literature I had just read, and I am an adult - meaning that I left the read wondering if that maybe...possibly...I am dunce because, with this middle-grade read, I did not see the ending nor the plot turns come my way. I felt like a dunce, wondering, if I did not see all the twist and turns, did children grasp what I did not during the story? I felt better knowing that you felt pretty much the same because I view you as an intelligent, and analytical adult. What were your first thoughts when you finished the read?

JODY
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When I finished the book, I was blown away! The story itself was so simple. A good story that moved along at a nice pace. It was easy to understand and a thoroughly enjoyable read. The storyline was simple in that there were not too many characters to keep straight or complicated time-lines to keep track of. There were basically two stories to follow... Miranda’s life at home and her life with her friends. Both were easy to follow and intermingled nicely.


Rebecca Stead, however, did an amazing job weaving an element of mystery through the entire story. The mystery did not overtake the story; it was woven into the storyline seamlessly creating a curiosity that would not allow me to put the book down. I finished the book in one sitting - it was impossible to stop reading it.

The simplicity of the mystery is the reason that the end of the story blew me away. Simple signs that pointed to the solution were hidden because they fit into the story so well. Events that were easily overlooked in the first read of the book ended up being significant in solving the mystery. I finished the book and instantly wanted to read it again. I wanted to look for the clues that I had missed. I wanted to read it the second time like a detective, looking for the every sign that I had missed during the first read. When I finished the book, I sat there in total appreciation of Stead’s talent as a writer. Never before have I seen such a complex story written so simply without confusing the reader or leaving lingering questions. Everything came together in the end to make me realize that I had just read a puzzle that put itself together. I didn’t have to put the pieces together, they just magically joined together through Stead’s amazing storytelling. And in the end, I looked at the puzzle and just said, “WOW!”
I think the simplicity of the story makes it a perfect read for late elementary and up.

You mention a “mental workout,” “intelligence,” and “analytical” thinking in regards to reading this book. Do you think the “average” kid would get it or do you think only a “gifted” or older kid would understand it? Along those same lines, do you think being set in the 70’s and The $20,000 Pyramid references will make the story unrelatable for kids today who have no familiarity with that decade? I guess what I’m asking is, do you think the story is too complex or too foreign for today’s youth?

DEANNA
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The story is set in the 70’s and yes, the $20,000 Pyramid show is referenced many times, but would these factors make it hard for today’s youth to relate to the story? I don’t think so. I think that Rebecca Stead did a great job with the setting without making that the focus point. In other words, the storyline is about Miranda, her life at home and with her friends which gives familiarity to all, regardless of the times they are growing up. But, to be sure, I asked EJ, my 11-year old daughter, this question since she read the book.

EJ stated, “No, they did not make it hard, but because Miranda lives in a city and had a job, it was difficult to relate because I don’t live in the city, and kids don’t have jobs at that age. Still, those things did not make it difficult for me to understand Miranda.”

I used the words “mental workout”, “intelligence”, and “analytical” because that is how I felt about this story once I was *done* reading not *while* I was reading because it was simple story as you stated above. The story arc was easy to follow as well as interesting. I was curious throughout the read, and most definitely wanted to understand a few things, for instance, who was sending Miranda the notes?

I do think this story is attainable for children age 10 and up. I do not think a child needs to be “gifted” in order to read, and enjoy this story because the complexity of the story with the clues are not overwhelming; they are subtly woven throughout the story. Once the story has ended, the reader will most likely say, “Oh yeah, I didn’t see that coming... How cool!” Then, I do hope the child will like the story well enough to re-read it at some point in time, and then during that reading will gain a greater appreciation for the complexity of the simple story.

OVERALL

Jody and I both loved this story. We were both blown away by the author’s ability to create a complex yet simple story. When finished, we both thought... “WOW!”

When You Reach Me is a book that I am glad resides on my bookshelves. This is a book that I want all my children to read, at some point. And, one day, my grandchildren.

This is a book that calls out for a re-read, and after our initial meshing of minds review, we re-read the story.

The spoiler page discussion between Jody and I will concentrate on our re-read thoughts. If you have already read this fabulous book, please read our re-read thoughts, let us know what you think. If you have not already read this book, why are you waiting?

To discuss the book in further detail; please take a look at our re-read thoughts... remember Spoilers may be present!

SPOILER PAGE DISCUSSION LINK