2023 My Year in Books: Rachel

One of my favorite things about the beginning of the year is seeing the books that others have read and celebrating the reading goals that were met in the previous year. No two people will experience books in the exact same way, so it’s neat to think about what they’ve experienced, and it can also be helpful to build your TBR list for the next year. While I still didn’t use any one set tool (like Goodreads) to track my titles or plan to read a certain number of books, I am glad that I kept a list with a short description of each book to help refresh my memory and think about the journeys I got to go on last year.  

If I had some awards to give out, this is what I’d choose:

Favorite Read: Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd 

This book put me in my feels. We meet a twelve-year-old girl named Olive who dreams of being able to go to school. Her parents have always been hesitant to send her, due to her dealing with osteogenesis imperfecta (what we know as brittle bone disease). However, she gets the chance to go, and learns about the legend of a magical hummingbird that can grant your deepest wish if you find it. While searching for the bird, she learns the lesson, that reminds the reader, that while we think we may know our “perfect” wish, life has a way of surprising us along the way.  

*Honorable Mention: My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen 

I loved this story that was mixed with both salty and sweet moments. Two friends (Helena and Penelope) are in their final year at the Royal Academy. They meet Elijah, and a project unlike any other begins to unfold. Elijah is a lonely street merchant with not much to his name. Penelope’s goal is to turn him into a refined gentleman chef. Will her plan succeed like the perfect recipe, or will things blow up in her face? If you’re a fan of My Fair Lady, you’ll likely enjoy this sweet, clean young adult romance.  

Most Likely to Recommend: The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh 

I don’t read a lot of self-help books, but this one was very easy to read and practical in nature.  

It reminded me about being able to make simple changes to allow myself to better listen and understand those around me and the world as a whole. As one that doesn’t appreciate all seasons, one of the best parts was remembering to see the beauty in each one and to find opportunities to experience different things.  

Least Likely to Recommend: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 

I want to start by saying that I didn’t dislike this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Kya’s story was interesting to read, but truthfully, not a lot of it stayed with me. One part that I did enjoy was her description of the marsh. I’m not always the best at visualizing, but with her writing style, I felt like I did better than normal.  

One I’m most glad that I tried: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 

I don’t do well with branching out to different genres very much. I will most often read middle grade, young adult, romance, or historical fiction.  However, after last year’s March Book (& Movie) Madness, I decided to venture into the mystery genre and read Murder on the Orient Express. I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and was excited to see how everything would unfold. While mystery still isn’t my favorite genre, I was reminded when reading this book how important it is to branch out from time to time.  

Most Unexpected: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (Available through ILL)  

The reason I gave this book this award is that sometimes a book comes along that you need to read, but you didn’t know how much you needed it. There are times when I get into a reading funk and the desire to pick one up is gone. Life can be hard sometimes, and I think books are often the perfect escape into a different reality. This is what The Wishing Game was for me; it was the type of book that made me think about why readers fall in love with reading.  

Jack Masterson was the author of a highly popular series of books called Clock Island. Lucy Hart found peace while reading these pages, and since adulthood, she has desired to read another story, but Jack has stopped writing. Unexpectedly, there is news that Jack has written another installment in the series, and for those that can solve the riddle, they will be invited to the real Clock Island (where Jack lives) with a chance to win the one copy that’s available. This book made me think some of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the opportunity to experience something unlike any other. If you’re looking for something to pick up your spirits, this may be the one for you. 

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Thanks for reading. Come back next week to learn about Darius’ year in books.   

Rachel Bloomingburg’s reviews reflect her personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university. 

2023 Award Winning Children’s and Young Adult Literature – Part 2

Each spring the American Library Association (ALA) announces the award-winning books in several categories including children’s, middle grade, young adult, fiction, and non-fiction. The award committees determine which books exemplify creative and original work. Below, you will find reviews of some of the award-winning books available in the Union Library.

Pura Belpre

The Pura Belpre Award honors a Latino author or illustrator who best portrays the Latino cultural experience. This year’s winners included Where Wonder Grows by Xelena Gonzalez and illustrated by Adriana Garcia (Youth Illustrator Award), Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega (Youth Author Award), and Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado (Young Adult Book).

The Coquies Still Sing — This book portrays a family in Puerto Rico and their experience during and after Hurricane Maria hits. It shows in simple text and pictures how life goes on, and nature eventually comes back. This is an important book because of the content and also due to the lovely illustrations.

A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexican Word Painters– As librarians we may be biased, but A Land of Books shows the way books and words were preserved in the Aztec culture.  A young girl tells her brother about the important work her parents do painting words into codices. The illustrations lend themselves to the Aztec style while the text creates a poem about the creation of a land of books.

Magic: Once Upon a Far Away Land — A lovely book set in Mexico, based on the author’s young life there, where magic brings pineapples from seed and weaves thread into cloth. There is also a brief mention of Day of the Dead, apparently connected with her mother passing away, but it’s gentle. A nice portrayal of that culture.

The Phenomenal AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – This picture book follows AOC’s life from her childhood in the Bronx to her election as congresswoman. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest congresswoman, and her biography shows how AOC used her voice to accomplish her goals.

Still Dreaming — A poignant story about a young boy and his parents driving to the Mexican border so they’re not separated in the Mexican Repatriation. The book highlights the importance of family in times of uncertainty and does well to capture the feeling of leaving all you’ve ever known behind.

Frizzy — In this graphic novel, middle-schooler Marlene comes to grips with her heritage. Her mom has been requiring weekly visits to the salon to have her hair straightened, but Marlene feels like it doesn’t reflect who she is inside. It takes her compassionate (and curly-haired) aunt to help her accept herself as she is and stand up to her mom. An important reflection on what it means to be black and to learn to like who you are.

Schneider

The Schnieder Award is given to authors or illustrators whose work displays the experiences of those with disabilities for children and young adult audiences. The Young Children Award was given to Listen by Shannon Stocker. The Middle Grade Award went to Wildoak by C. C. Harrington. And the Teen Award was given to The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart.

In the Blue – Children don’t always understand their parents’ moods or mental health, but In the Blue uses colors to help a young girl understand her father’s depression. The girl sees how her family handles the father’s depression. The author and illustrator expertly use words and colors to show changes in mood.

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion — A neat pictorial biography of Evelyn, who went deaf around age 10, but because of a creative percussion teacher, learned to feel the percussion. She became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world. A marvelous story of actually embracing a disability.

Hummingbird — 12-year-old Olive Martin has been homeschooled her whole life in Wildwood, Tennessee, which has allowed her to pursue her love of birding, write poetry and plays, spend time with her eclectic family, and heal when needed – for Olive has osteogenesis imperfecta (aka brittle bone disease) and spends most of her time in a wheelchair. But she doesn’t want OI to define her, and she really, really wants to go to Macklemore Middle School and find her BFF. Successfully convincing her parents to let her try middle school, Olive quickly enters the ups and downs of 6^th grade, makes a few friends, discovers the theater, and gets caught up in the excitement around the legend of The Hummingbird, which really becomes the center of the novel. The magical hummingbird is supposed to return to Wildwood on May Day, and those it chooses will have their wish granted if they can figure out the riddle. Humming with magic and wonder, this novel is beautiful and honest, exploring themes of friendship, self-discovery, and confronting one’s fears.

Honestly Elliott — Elliott is struggling. There’s 6th grade (which he nearly flunked the first semester), and his BFF Malcolm who moved away, and his ADHD and his dad’s new family…it’s a lot. The only place he is really comfortable is in the kitchen creating food. This appealing novel shows a growth trajectory for a 12-year-old that is amazing, if a little unrealistic. Tackling tough subjects with humor and compassion, Elliott’s narrative definitely deserves an audience.

Wildoak – 12-year-old Maggie has a stutter, and it gets in the way of the things she wants to say, of expressing what is important. The only times she doesn’t stutter is when she talks to nature — the turtledove whose wing she is helping mend, the mouse dubbed Wellington. When her parents send her to her grandfather’s house in Cornwall for a few weeks, she discovers the Wildoak forest and — unbelievably — a snow leopard that someone has dumped there. Told in alternating chapters between Maggie’s perspective and the snow leopard’s, this wonderful tale celebrates the responsibility we all have to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and how a girl learns to speak up when it matters most.

The Words We Keep – After Lily finds her older sister trying to commit suicide in their bathroom, she tries to move past it and be strong for her family. But Lily is experiencing a lot of anxiety and is afraid she is starting to become bipolar just like her sister. She wants to ask for help, but she doesn’t want to be a burden. This is a realistic and powerful story about how a family copes in the aftermath of a suicide attempt.

Coretta Scott King

The Coretta Scott King Award is given each year to an author or illustrator whose work embodies and appreciates the experiences of African Americans and celebrates universal human values. The New Talent Award went to We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds and Choosing Brave by Angela Joy. The Children’s Award was given to Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford. Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson won the award for Young Adult books.

Me and the Boss: A Story of Mending and Love – A cute story told from the perspective of a little boy who looks up to his older sister. Wanting to impress her, he learns to sew and uses his newfound skill to mend his sister’s old stuffed animal.

Swim Team In this graphic novel, Bree has never learned to swim but must take Swim 101 at her new middle school. A neighbor offers to teach her to swim, and it turns out she is terrific. A positive story on all counts including themes of friendship, hard work, and pursuing your goals.

Victory. Stand! Raising my Fist for Justice – Tommie Smith, an Olympic Gold medalist, writes this graphic novel memoir about his life living in rural Texas and becoming a star athlete in California. The book covers how Smith stood on the Olympic podium in 1986 in black socks with a black gloved hand raised in protest against the treatment of African Americans in the United States. This protest cost Smith future chances in the Olympics as well as caused future financial hardships, but Smith stands by his actions.

Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual – Based on the popular spiritual, “Standing in the Need of Prayer,” this picture book highlights the history of African Americans in the United States. Weatherford includes tragedies and triumphs from slaves arriving in Jamestown and being sold at auction blocks to Nat Turner’s Rebellion and present-day protests. The book also celebrates the accomplishments of African American athletes and musicians.

Library Staff Book Club: Your Choice

For this month’s library staff book club meeting, we decided to take a break from what we normally do and have everyone read a book of their choice. Book club members shared the books they read and their general thoughts and feelings about it. Check out the books they read below and feel free to add any to your “To Be Read” list!

Sarah Blevins, Circulation Associate: I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. This isn’t my usual type of read, but I’m still glad I read it in an effort to branch out. I liked the dynamic between the two sisters, even though their relationship became strained in some parts of the novel. It was also interesting to read a book from the point of view of women in continental Europe during World War II. Content warning: the book does deal with a lot of heavy themes and includes some scenes of violence and assault.  

Rachel Bloomingburg, Circulation Manager: I read The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. If you’re looking for a feel-good story, this may be the book for you. It is broken into four shorter stories within the longer story. Despereaux is smaller than the average mouse, but the size of his heart makes up the difference. He shows bravery and kindness, despite the difficulties in his life. Throughout the story, it speaks to you as the reader, and it encourages you to focus on and look for the light in your life. This was one of those books that filled me with joy and helped me remember the power of a story. There were a couple of characters that I hoped would have a few more good things happen to them, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. 

Esperanza Gonzalez, Director of Disability Services, Student Life: I read The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma. It’s a fiction story about 4 main characters who learn the secrets to success through good habits. The book teaches us that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things once we create a routine of building good habits and getting out of our comfort zone. Human beings embrace comfort, so getting out of the comfort zone by becoming an early riser is a good way to begin building extraordinarily good habits. “Everyone dreams of being a legend until it comes time to do the work that legends do.”

*Students, faculty, and staff can get The 5AM Club through Interlibrary Loan.

Sara Hand, Circulation Associate and Administrative Secretary: I read Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. It’s a stand-alone young adult fantasy novel about a 16-year-old girl named Elisabeth who has grown up as an orphan in one of the Great Libraries of Austermeer. The libraries contain the tools of sorcery, such as grimoires that speak and have unique personalities. Elisabeth has been taught her whole life that sorcery is dangerous, and she should stay away from it. But when the library where she lives is attacked by a sorcerer, she must reluctantly partner with another sorcerer named Nathaniel Thorn, and his demon servant to save the other Great Libraries of Austermeer. Sorcery of Thorns is full of humor, action, and a smattering of romance. Parts of it reminded me of Harry Potter, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast.

Melissa Moore, Library Director: I read two books…

Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd

12-year-old Olive Martin has been homeschooled her whole life in Wildwood, Tennessee, which has allowed her to pursue her love of birding, writing poetry and plays, spending time with her eclectic family, and healing when needed – for Olive has osteogenesis imperfecta (aka brittle bone disease) and spends most of her time in a wheelchair. But she doesn’t want OI to define her, and she really, really wants to go to Macklemore Middle School and find her BFF. Successfully convincing her parents to let her try middle school, Olive quickly enters the ups and downs of 6^th grade, makes a few friends, discovers the theater, and gets caught up in the excitement around the legend of The Hummingbird, which really becomes the center of the novel. The magical hummingbird is supposed to return to Wildwood on May Day, and those it chooses will have their wish granted if they can figure out the riddle. Humming with magic and wonder, this novel is beautiful and honest, exploring themes of friendship, self-discovery, and confronting one’s fears. Just stellar.

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao

Christina has started middle school (7^th grade), and while she has her friend Megan to hang with at lunch and every weekend, she feels the stress of adjustment. She is aware of her father’s Thai heritage and deals with some bullying from classmates related to her ethnicity. Everyone seems to be into sports, so she and Megan decide to try out for the cheerleading squad. But what if only one of them makes the squad? Will it ruin their friendship? This heartfelt graphic novel gets everything right – new friends, social stressors, the thrill of competition, and the reality of life – while avoiding easy answers. This graphic novel is rooted in the author’s (A Wish in the Dark, All Thirteen) own experiences in Texas as a middle schooler. I am not a huge fan of graphic novels, but this one is spot on.

Darius Mullin, Evening Circulation Supervisor: I read Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey. 

Rembrandt is in the Wind is a series of art history essays written by a pastor whose storytelling and thoughts on art, community, and the artistic process are extremely engaging. The publisher describes the book as “part art history, part biblical study, part philosophy, and part analysis of the human experience; but it’s all story.” I had heard a few lectures by Russ Ramsey on The Hutchmoot Podcast that were fantastic, so when I found out he was writing a whole book I knew I would want to read it. I wasn’t disappointed. Ramsey’s writing is not only great storytelling and art history, but also prompts the reader to think more deeply on the importance of beauty, the ways God works in the lives of believers, the role of community, brokenness, calling, relationships, technological innovation, and even race. The titular chapter is a good example of Ramsey’s storytelling prowess, weaving together Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, the biblical account of that storm, a Boston art museum and its founder, the story of the widow of Nain, and an unsolved art heist into a moving and thought-provoking commentary on the nature of this broken world.

Because Rembrandt is in the Wind is written as a series of roughly chronological essays, a reader could plausibly jump in with whichever chapter sounds most interesting to them (although I would certainly recommend reading the book in its entirety). The book also includes several full-color prints of the pieces being discussed, as well as helpful appendices such as “How to Visit an Art Museum” and “How to Look at a Work of Art.” As someone who has long been wanting to appreciate visual art more deeply, I enjoyed this book immensely. Perhaps you will too!

Micah Rhodes, Cataloging Associate: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is a familiar yet refreshing telling of a coming-of-age hero’s journey. Whereas many of these stories are set in a great conflict of good-versus-evil, A Wizard of Earthsea takes a more introspective, intimate approach. The protagonist, Ged, is a young man with a particular affinity for the magical arts. While studying to become a great wizard, he attempts to demonstrate his ability to a rival but ends up unleashing a dark entity that proceeds to pursue him. Ged must reclaim his confidence and his honor by finding a way to dispel this dark specter. His travels take him across a fantastic world of isolated islands, oceanic travel, and a defined magic system more akin to the Taoist-inspired Force in Star Wars than the whimsy of Harry Potter. I found A Wizard of Earthsea to be a thoughtful, wholesome, and quick read, suited to any age.

Amber Wessies, Instruction Librarian: I read two books…

 The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

I don’t think I have a negative thing to say about this book. The Hiding Place is the biography of Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker who helped Jews during WWII. The book starts when she was a child and follows her through her experiences in concentration camps until after her release. Corrie and her sister, Betsy’s, faith is so encouraging and convicting. They trusted and praised God even in the horrible conditions. They were thankful for every little thing, including fleas, and they continually shared the gospel with the other prisoners during their time.

 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

This book is about Lia Lee, a Hmong girl with epilepsy, and the experiences her parents had with Western medicine. The parents feel the doctors are making Lia worse by giving her too much medicine and the doctors think the parents are making her worse by not giving her the medicine as prescribed. Lia’s life is an example of cultural differences and the need to understand differences in order to be successful. Fadiman also weaves in the history of the Hmong people that is most likely not widely known.