The Local News by Miriam Gershow

I quit the P.D. James book.  I loved her beautiful sentences, and I truly believe she is some kind of a genius, but the timing was off between the book and me.  The book was like a nice-looking, smart boy I once dated too soon after a messy break up, and I ended up feeling tired and sarcastic whenever he opened his mouth to speak, even though I knew I was the one with the problem.  The real issue is that I was too dim to keep up with the characters/plot without constantly flipping back to previous chapters, and I was reading the book on my Kindle iPhone app, of all crappy, impractical mediums.  So I quit.  Basta.  Done.  The book is good, though.  It'll find someone who treats it right.

But I quickly cuddled up with Miriam Gershow's The Local News, inconstant thing that I am, and proceeded to blow off my life until I finished the last page.  In The Local News, fifteen-year-old Lydia Pasternak struggles to survive the aftermath of her brother's mysterious disappearance.  As her parents and community grieve, Lydia wrestles with ambivalent feelings about life without her indomitably popular, sometimes cruel, older brother.  Lydia is an over-achiever, and she throws her energy into organizing any clues that might lead to her brother's recovery.  Her hunt for information causes her to tunnel into her own mind and heart, leading her to confront and make sense of a crumbled family dynamic that--if she's honest--predates her brother's disappearance. 

This books was top notch.  Emotionally taut, painfully and deliciously pitch perfect, sharp, focused, darkly funny.  Not a word wasted--I did not happen upon a single skim-worthy paragraph.  At one point, Lydia  watches her grieving father and describes the things he mutters to his missing son when he thinks no one is listening, and I'm telling you:  the scene is grip-your-sides-and-rock-sad.  And yet, Lydia's highschooler-y musings are also so earthy and devastatingly true that I laughed quite a bit (and read out loud to myself) as well.  Why can't every book be this engaging?  I was convinced that Gershow had a brother who went missing, and that this book was a quasi-true tale, but nay.  I googled it.  I'm definitely looking forward to Gershow's next thing.

I know many of you reviewed this book a few months ago, and I wondered if you might link up those reviews below so that I can read through them and mentally muse with you, book-club-style.  Please and thank you.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

I'm sorry to report that I accidentally chose a "four books in one" monster of a P.D. James novel to kick off the year, and it is taking me forever to finish it.  I didn't realize the heft of the book because I bought it on my Kindle, and I didn't pay attention to the number of pages.  I did, however, manage to read 1971 Newbery Medal Winner Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien to my kids last week. 

The story is about a widowed mouse named Mrs. Frisby who must find a way to move her house (a cinder block) from one corner of the garden to a safer one. Her frail, thoughtful son, Timothy, has recently recovered from a bout of pneumonia and will not survive if he is exposed to the cold, early-summer nights.  She seeks help from a colony of elusive rats who harbor a secret that involves her late husband, Jonathon. She learns that the rats have undergone chemical experiments at the National Institute of Mental Health, resulting in their being over a thousand times more intelligent than natural rats.  With the help of Nicodemus, the leader of the NIMH rat colony, she learns the truth about her husband's early life and uncovers a strange, cautionary tale about science and ethical limits. 

The book was everything quality children's literature should be:  funny, interesting, cozy, nerve-wracking, and thought-provoking.  And all of this without being a thinly-veiled Disturbing-Story-For-Grown-Ups told in a Kindergarten-Teacher-Voice.  I hate those kind of books. 

The book is 233 pages with the occasional pen-and-ink illustration.  The target age for the book was 8-12, but I read it to my 6, 7, and 9 year olds, and they were all rapt.  Oh--and if you've seen the movie, don't skip the book.  As usual, the book is densely packed with philosophical discussions and character development that the movie omits.  Also, the movie throws in a bunch of bite-your-knuckle plot twists that don't happen in the book. In the words of my nine-year-old, "How dare they change the plot?  After all Robert's hard work?"  (She and Robert are tight, it would appear).  The biggest offense in her mind?  That the movie changes Mrs. Frisby's name to Mrs. Brisby, and that Jenner is portrayed as a Stone-Cold-Killa, which he isn't in real life.  (Real Life=The Book.  But I don't have to tell you people that).

Q for you:  What other children's books-turned-movies have you read?  Tell me in the comment section, and if you've reviewed any children's books-turned-movies, Mr. Linky-it-up!

How To Make A Blog Sidebar Button (Re-Run)

Sorry for the deluge of posts.  I've gotten all my 2011 challenges up and running.  I will make challenge buttons for anyone who wants to grab one for her/his blog, but other than that, we're in business.  All of the 2010 pages are still functional, so feel free to wrap up your 2010 reviews and post them as time permits.  In the meantime, I thought I'd re-post the How To Make A Blog Sidebar Button discussion in case anyone wants to give that a whirl this year.  Happy New Year!  Let the games begin.


***RE-RUN***

Sometimes, a blogger will want to display a picture on the sidebar of her blog that links to another blog (or a specific page on another blog). Often, book bloggers use these picture links, or "buttons," to connect to the various challenges in which they are participating.

Let's say you are participating in the 100+ Challenge on this blog, and you like to interact with other bloggers who have signed up for the same challenge by visiting their blogs, reading their reviews, and providing links for them to read yours. A blog button will allow you to access the specific page (in this example, the 100+ Challenge sign-up page) on Home Girl's Book Blog with a single click. Also, a well-made button will show an image (a picture) that suggests something about the link to increase the interest of your blog readers.

The two main pieces of information that you need to make a blog button are the following: a link to the page you wish to access, and a link to an image.

Notice I said a link to an image. Not an image that you have saved on your computer. You may wish to use an image that you have saved on your computer (like the 100+ Challenge image on this blog, which you can "rip" from this blog by right-clicking on the image and saving it to your computer); however, the image will THEN need to be stored in a public place. To store an image in a public place, you simply need to open up an account with http://www.photobucket.com/ (free and easy) or a similar image hosting site. Then, upload an image from your computer and follow the directions on the site to save the picture. Every photo that you upload will now have a "direct link" which you can copy and use later. You will probably wish to resize your photos so that they are smaller and fit neatly in your sidebar. Photobucket offers lots of easy photoshopping options, including resizing.

To begin, you will need to copy the URL of the exact page you wish to access when clicking your sidebar button. In our example, I would want to access http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-2010-reading-challenge-100-reading.html (the 100+ Challenge sign-up page) and not merely this blog's web address. Do you see the difference?

Now. Go to your blog's "Layout" option ("Layout" is accessed by clicking on "customize" on the top, right corner of your blog). Under "Layout," you will see an option to "Add A Gadget." Click the "+" mark to the right of the words "HTML/JavaScript." A blank box will appear. You may choose to add a title, or simply move your cursor so that it is blinking in the main box. It is time to begin to write the HTML code. For blog button making, you need to begin by typing these characters exactly: <a href="

Got it? Okay. Now, paste the direct page link that we copied before directly after the quotation mark. So now we have: <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-2010-reading-challenge-100-reading.html

Next, we close the tag by adding "> directly after the "html" ending of our link. All together now: <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-2010-reading-challenge-100-reading.html">

Now, we are ready to add the image code. Below the code (it doesn't seem to matter if you have a couple of hard returns between the lines of code, so long as the code lines themselves are not broken), type these characters exactly: <img src="

Now, we are ready to paste the "direct link" to the image we copied from photobucket directly after the quotation mark: <img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af69/HomeGirlRachel/HomeGirlsBookBlog/100_Reading_Challenge-1.jpg

Finally, we close the tag by adding these characters after "jpg":" /></a>

The whole image code should look like this: <img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af69/HomeGirlRachel/HomeGirlsBookBlog/100_Reading_Challenge-1.jpg" /></a>

So for our example, the whole code--direct page link and image together--should look like this: <a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-2010-reading-challenge-100-reading.html"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af69/HomeGirlRachel/HomeGirlsBookBlog/100_Reading_Challenge-1.jpg" /></a>

Click "Save," and when you view your blog, you should have a button on the left or right sidebar, depending on where you added the code.

Voila. Magic.

2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge: Post Your Book Reviews!

This is NOT the sign up page. If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, click here.

Although it isn't required, some bloggers like to link their reviews when participating in a reading challenge. That's the purpose for this post. Use the Mr. Linky Widget to link your review page.

Posting reviews for this challenge is optional.

2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge Sign Up Page

1. The goal is to read 12, 25, 50, or 100 books from your local library. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the Post Your Reviews post.

2. Any book from your local library counts.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st and continues through the end of December, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge

I heart my local library. I recently moved from Kentucky to Virginia over the 2010 holidays, and even though I was up to my forehead in boxes and chaos, I certainly did schlep my kids to the local library the day after we arrived here. I was so excited to meet the library ladies and gents. They would've been excited to meet me, too, if they knew how much money they'd make off of me in late fines in 2011. This challenge works as a great companion to THIS and THIS and THIS challenge, so go ahead and sign up for all four.

Sign Up Page

Post Your Reviews

2011 Short Story Collection Challenge: Post Your Book Reviews!


This is NOT the sign up page. If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, click here.

Although it isn't required, some bloggers like to link their reviews when participating in a reading challenge. That's the purpose for this post. Use the Mr. Linky Widget to link your review page.

Posting reviews for this challenge is optional.

2011 Short Story Collection Challenge Sign Up Page

1. The goal is to read short story collections. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the Post Your Reviews post.

2. Any collection of short stories counts.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st and continues through the end of December, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

2011 Short Story Collections Challenge


I love a good short story collection. I really slow down and savor short stories, and I find that short fiction often provides a pants-down peek into the psychology of the writer. (Don't judge--you like it, too). Short story collections are sometimes expensive to buy, but libraries often carry a good selection. I thought this challenge would overlap nicely with the Library Challenge. Get on board, people. Mix it up this year with some short stories. They're worth the effort.

Sign Up Page

Post Your Reviews

2011 100+ Challenge: Post Your Book Reviews!

This is NOT the sign up page. If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, click here.

Although it isn't required, some bloggers like to link their reviews when participating in a reading challenge. That's the purpose for this post. Use the Mr. Linky Widget to link your review page.

Posting reviews for this challenge is optional.

2011 100+ Challenge Sign Up Page

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. --Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st and continues through the end of December, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

2011 100+ Challenge

Ready for the Big-Daddy-Challenge? If you are aiming to read a hundred books or more in 2011, this is the challenge for you. To make it more friendly, I'm structuring the challenge in levels.

25+ Challenge: You rock.

50+ Challenge: You are a reading machine.

75+ Challenge: You are a frickin' marvel.

100+ Challenge: The world has never seen your equal.

Sign Up Page

Post Your Reviews

2011 Winners Challenge: Post Your Book Reviews!


This is NOT the sign up page. If you'd like to sign up for this challenge, click here.

Although it isn't required, some bloggers like to link their reviews when participating in a reading challenge. That's the purpose for this post. Use the Mr. Linky Widget to link your review page.

Posting reviews for this challenge is optional.

2011 Winners Reading Challenge Sign Up Page



1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. We still want to know what you think about what you read!

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, Library books-- any book counts as long as it has won an award for excellence in children's literature.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st and continues through the end of December, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your Winners Challenge books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

****You do NOT need to review your books. That is optional.****

2011 Winners Reading Challenge


I have three children in elementary school, and it's important to me to cover as many great books with them as possible. I like to read challenging and emotionally dense literature aloud to them so I can help them unpack the themes, define the vocabulary, etc. As is the case with all good books we read, quality children's literature brings up all kinds of valuable conversations--even if we end up hating the book, feeling weird about the characters, etc. Some of my favorite moments with my kids are when the four of us are piled on my bed, reading and talking about what we read. This year, I'm setting the bar at completing 25 award winning novels for young people in 2011. See here for a list of medals awarded to quality literature for young people, and what the qualifications of each award are. I hope you join me!

Sign Up Page

Post Your Reviews