STACKED

books

Blast from the Past!

|

Did you have a favorite book or series from your youth you sometimes think about rereading? Well, if you’re like me and were enamored with The Babysitters Club right down to owning the movies and the board game, then you’re in luck. Not only are you in luck, but you’ll get to experience it in an entirely new way.

Scholastic has begun republishing the series as graphic novels. Although I am definitely biased and prefer the traditional text series, I think this is such a cool idea. Not only will it appeal to a new generation of girl readers who may otherwise find a lot of The Babysitters Club “old” (much like I did with The Bobbsey Twins), but it will definitely be a great series for those of us 80s and 90s kids who grew up with Kristy, Mallory, Claudia, and the rest of the gang.

You can preview the first few books here. Not only can you preview them, you can also partake in the quizzes to find out which babysitter you are (I’m Kristy). I’m kind of sad my favorite sitter, Abby, has yet to make the cut here. I’ll also confess here that one of the reasons I’m still fascinated with the series is that Ann M. Martin was indeed the first author I ever met (my mother let me miss a couple of hours of school to go see her in person back in 2nd grade!).


And if The Babysitters Club isn’t enough excitement for you, then hold your horses for this one. The Boxcar Children series — you know, the kids who solve mysteries — turns SIXTY years old. What better way to celebrate than to see the books being rereleased for a new reading audience to celebrate its inception more than half a century ago (WOAH!). You can check out the website here for more Boxcar Children fun.

Do you have a favorite series from your youth you’d love to see make a reappearance? I think it’s great that youth reading has gotten so good lately through not only strong promotion but through strong and interesting writers and stories. I’m just as excited to see these old staples of my childhood reappear, either in their traditional sense or remixed.

Once Upon a Time in the North, by Philip Pullman

|

I’ve mentioned before how much I love Philip Pullman and his trilogy His Dark Materials, so it comes as no surprise that I went into reading Once Upon a Time in the North knowing that I would love it. A few years ago, Pullman published a little red volume called Lyra’s Oxford, a companion to the trilogy that told a short story about Lyra set a few years after the events of the last book took place. Once Upon a Time in the North is a similar companion book, a little blue volume that tells a sort of prequel to the famous trilogy, focusing upon Lee Scoresby (the aeronaut from the country of Texas – Mr. Pullman knows how to flatter us Texans!) and how he came to befriend the great armored bear, Iorek Byrnison. The story is essentially an adventure tale about a corrupt politician, a greedy oilman, a seedy bar, a few hired killers, two pretty but very different ladies, and the cowboy who gets embroiled in it all. It has a distinctive Old West flavor (despite being set in the far, frigid North) and is written with the considerable level of skill I’ve come to expect from Pullman. This book is a treat for fans of His Dark Materials, who finally get to see how two of the most pivotal characters met each other. It’s also heartwrenching at one point, when Pullman makes reference to an event that will happen much, much later.

The story is only about a hundred pages, so naturally it left me wanting more. Still, it was a good way to tide me over until The Book of Dust is published (hopefully sometime before I die), and I’ve read there will be a third little green volume that tells Will’s story.

While I love audiobooks, listening to these books on CD would be unconscionable. Once Upon a Time in the North is a beautifully-made book, and it’s chock full of “extras” that require hands-on reading. Aside from the short story, the reader is also treated to two letters from Lyra concerning her doctoral dissertation, snippets from a manual on aeronautics, beautiful woodcuts by John Lawrence, and an honest-to-goodness board game in a pocket at the back, which I am going to coerce someone to play with me very soon. It has thick, high-quality paper and is all wrapped up in a beautiful cloth cover. It’s a perfect complement to Lyra’s Oxford, which contains similar extras, including woodcuts by Lawrence and a postcard from Mary Malone. Instead of a board game, the story about Lyra features a beautiful fold-out map of the alternate universe Oxford in which Lyra lives (pictured to the right). I have always loved the tactile feel of a book, but these volumes take my love to another level.

I’m interested to see how libraries deal with books such as these. At the library where I work, the copy of Lyra’s Oxford includes the fold-out map, but the copy of Once Upon a Time in the North does not include the board game. My local library, on the other hand, retains the board game as well as the map for patrons. I haven’t been able to get my hands on the library copy, so I don’t know if all the pieces in the game are still there or if the map has been torn.

I’ve always loved the extras that books sometimes have. When I was very into epic fantasy as a teenager, I’d pick the book with the map on the endpages over the book without the map every time. I especially loved it when the author’s world was so intricate and detailed, it merited a glossary at the back. Is there a particular book you’ve read where the extras really enhanced your enjoyment? How does your library handle books with easily torn components or parts that are easily stolen/lost?

Because I Am Furniture, Thalia Chaltas

|

It’s tough to find a book that takes on a challenging issue relevant to teens and manages to twist it from what could be a trite retelling to a new, imaginative, and fresh take. Thalia Chaltas in Because I Am Furniture is successful, though, in her story about an abusive father.

Because I Am Furniture is told in verse and follows Anke as she witnesses the physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse of her brother, mother, sister, and friend. Anke is spared nearly all of this abuse because she is space taker in the family, and that is all — she is, as the title states, furniture in the family. Her father is an abuser and because of the fear that her family has in furthering his anger, they do not report him nor speak about the terror he causes. That is, until Anke witnesses a girl with whom she is friendly come under the power of her father’s abuse. When Anke is told that nothing will stop her father, she knows that because of her role as the family furniture, she can use that as her power to change the family’s situation for the better.

Imaginatively and creatively told through verse, Because I Am Furniture broaches many difficult teen topics from the perspective of an outsider. The verse enhances this perspective, as it is just descriptive enough and sparse enough to leave the reader wanting something to happen but ultimately understanding the feeling of helplessness. Chaltas is spot on in her storytelling, and she paces the story perfect. The book is a quick read, but it is not a fast enough read at the expense of the story and the emotion. This is the type of story that a reader will sit down with and go cover to cover with in one sitting.

Because I Am Furniture would be a fantastic companion novel for any of the novels about abuse or rape available, including Halse Anderson’s Speak. What makes this book stand out from the crowd is not only its imaginative and thoughtful use of verse rather than traditional narrative style, but also the important lessons that can be learned from Anke, including the lessons she learns about the importance of all people in a family. This is the sort of book that will resonate with readers and could inspire them to better themselves by not being afraid of being who they are. Anke goes from furniture and accepting her lot as such to learning how important she is as an individual in all of the varied roles she plays in her life within and outside her family.

Going, going… gone.

|

Theft is an unavoidable part of being a librarian. I’m amazed at the amount of material that I never see again after it hits the reading room floor. But theft also has its good points – popular items get stolen more (yes, this is an obvious statement). Consequently, I know what I need to buy more of during the next month’s ordering process. This kind of loss is one of the better ways to judge trends in the community. At times, when I’m buying books, I feel like Sisyphus, rolling that boulder up the hill another day. But at least I know that I’m on the right track with my collection development by purchasing such desirable items.

I work at a busy urban branch in an economically depressed area of Los Angeles, so what’s most stolen will not corroborate with branches in other cities. Hey, it doesn’t even corroborate with our closest branches! As a disclaimer, this list was not scientifically compiled in any way. I have no real facts or figures. And despite how many times I ask, I don’t have access to many statistics from the circulation system in our library. This post is just a collection of anecdotes and personal observations from fellow librarians and clerks. I can’t count all of the torn covers we’ve found underneath computers or library bar code stickers balled up and tossed behind the magazine racks. These are some of the items that stand out.

Theft of Naruto has reached epic heights. The Young Adult librarian recently received an additional $2,000 as a prize for winning a competition. She had an amazing shopping spree at Borders, filling out all of the gaps in the Naruto collection. Within a few weeks, the Naruto books in the library were down to 6, despite the catalog showing over 35 books on the shelf.

Troubles for our YA librarian doesn’t end at manga. She also buys skateboarding books, many of which grow legs and walk (skate?) out of the library on a regular basis. This particular volume has been missing since December of 2008. We have a huge skateboarding population; we desperately need more skating books, not to mention a proper skate park. Hopefully a park would also cut down on the number of patrons run over by the droves of kids practicing their tricks outside the entrance.

Evidently it’s tough to read the future with only a three week loan period. This was the most recent addition to the tarot collection, but it’s been missing since March of 2008. Unfortunate, especially because I get asked for tarot books on a regular basis.

People still love Tupac Shakur. He may have died over ten years ago, but he still captures the imagination of this community. We’ve “lost” countless hardcover versions of this book. Even last week, a messenger clerk found a torn cover from a paperback copy stuffed in between cookbooks.


Popular movies have high shrinkage figures, unsurprisingly. Around here, Tyler Perry, Wall-E, and big-budget action movies are the most popular. One of our clerks mentioned Batman Begins as a particularly notable case. It was put out on the shelf, and within the hour, it was gone. I guess Christian Bale has some rabid fans in South Los Angeles!

Double Take, Part III

|

I really don’t look for this intentionally, but perhaps it just happens as a matter of looking at and reading so much material. This one struck me and not because the covers are so similar that it’s an obvious double take.

The first book is North of Beautiful by Justine Chen Headley, which was published February 1, 2009 by Little, Brown Young Readers.

North of Beautiful is a coming of age story about Tessa who was born with a large port-wine stain on her cheek. The book follows her as she comes to terms with who and what she is while delving into the big themes of love, family, and abuse. It’s been getting a lot of attention around the blogosphere, though I did not find it as exciting as the other reviewers. I DO really like the cover — it’s clean, fresh, and captures the essence of Tessa and one of the big themes in the book, cartography. You can’t see it here, but the edges of the cover are a beautiful fresh blue color.

The second book is this one:


Evermore by Alyson Noel was published a mere two days after North of Beautiful on February 3, 2009 by St. Martin’s Griffin. Evermore is the first book in a series by Noel that follows 17-year-old Ever after a terrible accident leaves everyone but her dead in her family. Of course, she falls for a boy in her new home who has magical powers, including the ability to produce tulips and disappear when he needs to.

Though immediately the covers don’t look alike, look again. It’s the same girl in both photos, but in the second one, her image has been mirrored. The hair is piece-y in both, the lips are full in both, and her eyebrow is distinct in both. Both covers show the part of her hair behind her ear with part tumbling down her shoulder. The lighter-colored strand of hair in the front is distinct, as well. In Evermore a tulip has been added since it’s a crucial part of the story, but I can’t help but wonder, too, if this was done to create more distinction with the cover. While the images are exactly the same girl, it is a big relief that the cover for Evermore is darker. It helps differentiate the two, particularly when both may be sitting on a shelf of new materials.

Who did it better? I like both of them, but I’m very bothered by both of them, as well. It makes me wonder how this sort of copying can happen. The publishing world is huge but so is the photography world/stock image world — it seems way too coincidental for two books to have this image published two days apart. What’s crazier is if you go to Amazon and look up North of Beautiful, you will be recommended Evermore. Wonder why?