Real Kids. Good Books.

patoney: KIRKUS REVIEW Readers will cheer the return of the...

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:12:30 -0700

KIRKUS REVIEW

Readers will cheer the return of the three sisters who captured hearts in the Newbery Honor–winning One Crazy Summer(2010).

The sequel finds sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern returning to their Brooklyn home, full of excitement about visiting their mother in Oakland, Calif. The girls, especially Delphine, are also eager to begin a new school year. However, home is a little different: Their father has a girlfriend, the teacher Delphine had been eagerly expecting has exchanged places with one from Zambia, and their beloved Uncle Darnell is returning home from Vietnam. But their favorite singing group, the Jackson Five, is coming to town, too. With the help of their father’s girlfriend, Miss Hendrix, the girls set out to save to attend the concert. Through all of their experiences, Delphine uses her new connection with her mother to understand things, questioning, challenging and reaching for a mother’s guidance. Whenever she pushes a bit too hard, Cecile’s tart, repeated advice to “be eleven”—even when she turns 12—resonates. Williams-Garcia’s skilled writing takes readers to a deeper understanding of Delphine as she grows up and is forced to watch her family take a new shape. Disappointments are not glossed over, even when they involve heartbreaking betrayal.

This thoughtful story, told with humor and heart, rings with the rhythms and the dilemmas of the ’60s through characters real enough to touch. (Historical fiction. 9-14)

Reasons I Feel Like a Cranky Queer, pt. 2

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:58:04 -0700

bonjourcass:

If I could ban the word “slash” from the English language, I would. Why do folks use it to refer to regular lesbian or gay fiction? Why are gay or lesbian romance novels referred to as f/f or m/m? No one specifies “heterosexual romance novel.”

I hate ittttt.

MADE IN GARDENA—Japanese -American workers pack noodles along...

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:37:09 -0700

MADE IN GARDENA—Japanese -American workers pack noodles along the production line at Tokyo-based Nissin Food Products’ new plant in Gardena. The noodles go into a product called Top Ramen. Firm had some problems in exporting noodles from Japan, so it opened a factory here.

Los Angeles Times

July 26, 1972

fuckyeahmarxismleninism: The 2nd day of a 3-day March for...

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:01:19 -0700

fuckyeahmarxismleninism:

The 2nd day of a 3-day March for Education Justice on the South Side of Chicago, May 19, 2013. The Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Board of Education are looking to close 54 schools in the city, but the people are fighting back against it.

More info here

Photos by Jenna Pope

permanentexhibition: This movie needed to be made. But I am so...

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:37:46 -0700

permanentexhibition:

This movie needed to be made. But I am so angry after finally watching the trailer that I am sure that I will not be able to see it.

826valencia: Today we released the latest issue of Slick...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:58:49 -0700

826valencia:

Today we released the latest issue of Slick Magazine, James Lick Middle School’s one-and-only lifestyle magazine. We’ve had so much fun working with the students throughout the semester, and we were excited to see just how much they’d progressed on their articles. Students, tutors, and teachers from the school gathered for a reading and pizza party in celebration on the magazine.

Congrats to all the students on their hard work, and thank you to the tutors and teachers for your dedication to the project. It’s hard to believe another school year is coming to a close!

queerbookclub: buzzfeedlgbt: Michelle Tea And The Queerest YA...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:56:28 -0700

queerbookclub:

buzzfeedlgbt:

Michelle Tea And The Queerest YA Novel You Will Ever Read!

It’s not just the ambiguous sexuality of the protagonist or the casual androgyny of the potential love interest; it’s the heart of the thing, the tilted lens of Michelle Tea’s Mermaid in Chelsea Creek that makes it the queerest young adult book I’ve ever read. It’s also no surprise that the 42-year-old Tea populated her foray into the genre with head-nods to outsider fantasy, Here, pigeons aren’t marginalized — they’re bearers of wisdom; and mermaids are surly and complex, not preening or diabolical.

Want it.

i-would-choose-this: We can do this, right?

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:24:16 -0700

i-would-choose-this:

We can do this, right?

wordbrooklyn: If you haven’t already experienced the awesome...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:38:54 -0700

wordbrooklyn:

If you haven’t already experienced the awesome that is First Second’s kids line, we recommend you start here, here, and here.

Hey Teen Books Hey: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Characters in YA Fiction

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:13:49 -0700

Hey Teen Books Hey: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Characters in YA Fiction:

diversityinya:

By Dena Little
Originally posted at YALSA’s The Hub

YA books with characters who are deaf or hard of hearing, or live with family members who are deaf, are few and far between, but they’re out there! These books have all the good stuff: first love, heartbreak, peer pressure, growing pains … but with the added perspective of teens who experience life in a diverse community.

Read My Lips by Teri Brown
Serena will do just about anything to fit in at her new high school, so when some popular girls find out that she is crazy good at reading lips, they befriend her hoping she can snoop out all the good gossip. But how far is Serena willing to go to reach the top of the school food-chain?

Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris
Theo has grown up as the only hearing member of his deaf family, and from a young age he was tasked with interpreting between his signing parents and the speaking world. As he comes of age, Theo recognizes his growing resentment of his family — especially his demanding and off-balance mom — but when his father has a stroke, the responsibilities of the family land on Theo’s shoulders.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
High school senior Piper is hit with the news that her parents have used her college funds to help pay for her little sister’s cochlear implants, so she strikes out to find a way to replenish her money and her self-worth. When the opportunity to become the manager of popular teen rock band, Dumb, is offered to her she grabs it and runs, soon finding out that her role as manager isn’t just about getting gigs for the band, but to referee the members and provide some needed leadership. However, her role as manager comes into question when Piper’s own deafness appears to be a barrier to her potential success in the music industry.

Strong Deaf by Lynn McElfresh
Strong Deaf captures the dichotomous relationship between two sisters who live in the same house but different worlds: Jade, the only hearing member of a deaf family, and her sister Marla, who antagonizes and shuts Jade out for not “fitting in” to the deaf community. These sisters have some serious sibling rivalry going on!

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby
13-year-old Joey Willis feels isolated as she struggles to communicate with everyone around her. Deaf since she was a young child, Joey never learned sign language because her mother insists that Joey “listens” by reading lips. When Joey’s chance meeting with an elderly neighbor and his signing Chimpanzee, Sukari, leads her to begin learning American Sign Language, Joey is finally able to communicate and experience friendship. When Sukari’s life is threatened, Joey has to find the courage to stand up for Sakuri’s rights, as well as her own.

Authors of Color: Dismantling White as the Default

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:23:37 -0700

Authors of Color: Dismantling White as the Default:

scribbleskhan:

I introduced one of of my key characters (who lives in a world almost entirely devoid of pale skin- we’ll see how that’s received) with:

“Hither came Azka, like dark iron.” And later on “As she passed, Kelechi saw locks like a mane turned all to feathers.”

In describing…

firstbook: “Leaves sail through the air/like lazy mariposas,” I...

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:32:09 -0700

firstbook:

“Leaves sail through the air/like lazy mariposas,” I say, and the bilingual children smile as they imagine lazy butterflies. Those children delight in sharing their linguistic knowledge. They feel included, a feeling we all appreciate. Read More…

YA!flash: COVERFLIP: WHAT NOW?

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:26:50 -0700

YA!flash: COVERFLIP: WHAT NOW? :

maureenjohnsonbooks:

Remember Coverflip? I hope so, because it just happened. But if you don’t know what I’m talking about, click the link or Google it or just make something up in your head.

It got a lot of coverage. First in the United States, the article went slightly supernova on

nerdylikearockstar: I am so torn between wanting to start writing book reviews and wanting to spend...

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:09:29 -0700

nerdylikearockstar:

I am so torn between wanting to start writing book reviews and wanting to spend that time reading more books.

This is what’s happened at my blog too. Reading more books has won out for the time being.

This happens at my house.

Fri, 10 May 2013 22:06:19 -0700

This happens at my house.

motherjones: Every year the Mama’s Day campaign produces some...

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:47:53 -0700

motherjones:

Every year the Mama’s Day campaign produces some gorgeous anti-Hallmark e-cards. See the rest here and send one to all the mamas in your life.

theinformationdump: Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers As...

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:58:53 -0700

theinformationdump:

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers

As described by Selnick’s article:

Author and doctor of clinical psychology Carolyn Kaufman has released a one-page body language cheat sheet of psychological “tells” (PDF link) fiction writers can use to dress their characters.

(via Gabriele Galimberti: “Delicatessen With Love” looks at...

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:02:23 -0700

(via Gabriele Galimberti: “Delicatessen With Love” looks at grandmothers around the world (PHOTOS).)

"Students of color are allowed to enter the classroom but never on an equal footing. When they walk..."

Sun, 05 May 2013 08:14:09 -0700

“Students of color are allowed to enter the classroom but never on an equal footing. When they walk in, they are subject to the same racial stereotypes and expectations that exist in the larger society. Students of color do not have the advantage of walking into a classroom as individuals; they walk in as black, brown, or red persons with all the connotations such racialization raises in the classroom. They do not walk into a classroom where the curriculum embraces their histories. They walk into a classroom where their histories and cultures are distorted, where they feel confused about their own identities, vulnerabilities, and oppressions. There is no level of liberal reforms that can alter these experiences for students of color without directly challenging the larger systems in society.”

- Critical Race Theory Matters: Education and Ideology | Margaret Zamudio, Caskey Russell, Francisco Rios & Jacquelyn Bridgeman (via yasodhara)

diversityinya: 10 Diverse Dystopian YA Books: The Drowned...

Fri, 03 May 2013 19:20:07 -0700

diversityinya:

10 Diverse Dystopian YA Books:

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown)

Above by Leah Bobet (Arthur A. Levine Books)

Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti (Tu Books)

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner (Candlewick)

The Blending Time by Michael Kinch (Flux)

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz (Dial)

Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knutsson (Atheneum)

Tankborn by Karen Sandler (Tu Books)

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Simon & Schuster)