Sisters Red Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red Jackson Pearce
I love this cover. The artist behind it goes by the name Strawberryluna. As far as I can tell Strawberryluna designs mainly posters. I think this is their first book cover. Hopefully it won't be their last. There are alot YA readers in the bookstore I work at, including myself I'd say about seven. When Sisters Red came in, E, a YA reading co-worker told me that Pearce had stopped in to sign stock. Part of the novel is set in Atlanta. (giving it a local connection) And since E. loved it, I moved it up my queue. It was worthy of the jump.

When Scarlett March is 11 yrs old and Rosie March is 9 yrs old a werewolves knocks on their grandmothers door. Werewolves are handsome, charming desired and are known as Fenris. The sisters don't recognize the Fenris for what he is and let him into the house. The Fenris kills their grandmother. Scarett loses an eye, and her body is scarred protecting Rosie.

If little red riding hood survived the attack and had a sister, you'd have Sisters Red

The sisters hunt Fenris. They are the bait, wearing red capes and flowery perfume walking down isolated streets to attract and kill. Scarett likes to use a hatchet, knives are Rosie's weapon of choice. Silas is Scarlett's hunting partner. Their families have known each other forever. The three move from their small GA town to Atlanta when Fenris numbers get out of control. The Fenris are searching for the next Fenris "the potential" they will know him by scent.

The chapters alternate between the sisters. Scarlett and Rosie both have very distinct voices and personalities. Scarlett's dedicated her life to the hunt. It defines her and she's very good at it. Rosie understands why hunting is important but wants more. She struggles with how much she owes Scarlett for saving her life.

Two things stand out for me early. 1) The grandmother, Oma March screaming in German. It may seem like a small thing but I appreciate that the author gave her characters roots. 2) The sisters financial struggles. They must pawn a few items to pay for their half of the rent in a crappy apartment in a dangerous neighborhood. When characters have to worry about essentials like food and shelter it adds another dimension to the story for me.

Scarlett and Silas are partners and very good friends. When Silas gets involved with Rosie it changes the dynamic of all three relationships. Sisters Red has two strong female, wevewolves fighting, heroines who refuse to wait to be saved, even when cornered. Its been a week since I read Sisters Red, and the more I think about it the more I like it.

Though I do wish the March sisters had more interaction with other people. I think this would allow the reader to get to know the sisters a little better, and give a better feel for their surroundings. I was also surprised the March sisters and Silas didn't run into any other Fenris hunters in Atlanta. In a small town its understandable that there wouldn't be any more. Though in a big city I would expect others to see the truth behind the Fenris human mask and what to fight it.

From the beginning its clear that the author's approach is different. And that is why I

will keep on recommending Sisters Red.*

I've actually discussed Sisters Red a few times with two of my coworkers* who have also read it. Many things come up, including the ending. I (or we) love what Pearce did with it. Its one of the best endings I've read all year.

*I do plan on milking the did you know part of this story is set in Atlanta line for all its worth.

*we've also discussed how we plan to stalk, I mean pay Pearce a lot of not creepy in anyway attention.

A NerdsHeart YA Interview With Neesha Meminger

This the second year of the NerdsHeartYA . This year the tournament is looking at under represented YA literature. A few of the shortlisted authors have been interviewed by bloggers turned judges. I am second round judge. I hope people are paying attention to NerdsHeartYa since it feature 2009 YA titles that deserve and need a little more recognition. I have reviewed and enjoyed 15 of the 32 of the very diverse shorlisted titles.


One was Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger It was released in paperback this week. This debut novel came to my attention after reading a guest post Meminger's did at Racialious called On Race and YA Lit After reading Meminger's guest post I wanted to read Shine Coconut Moon. Meminger just has a way with words. My review


Hi Neesha - I suppose everyone doesn't follow your blog. For those who don't please who is Neesha Meminger? And what is Shine, Coconut Moon about?

Neesha Meminger is an Indian-born, Punjabi, Sikh woman who grew up in Canada and now lives in the US with her husband and children.

Shine is about an Indian-American teen who grows up with little knowledge of her family background and history, but after the attacks on September 11th, 2001, her uncle comes back into her life, opening the door to so many of the mysteries of her past.

While I was reading Shine, Coconut Moon, I kept thinking about how different everything felt right after the 9/11 attacks. I saw a lot of American Flags on cars and in houses. Patriotism that can be attributed partly to fear scares me.

Do you think Shine, Coconut Moon being one of the first YA novels set right after 9/11 made it harder or easier to get a publisher?

Hmm, this is a good question. I think some publishers were probably afraid to touch the issue at all. I was lucky to find an editor who connected with the characters and the story, and saw the potential for Shine with teens and older readers, alike.

17-yr-old Samar (Sam) and her mother, Sharan have assimilated into western culture. Neesha, from reading your blog and a few interviews I know you are well acquainted with your South Asian heritage. So why did create two characters who weren't?

Actually, Sharan (the mom) grew up quite immersed in her South Asian-ness. That was part of the reason for her rejection of it. Her culture felt oppressive to her, restrictive. She blamed all of her pain and childhood struggle, in part, to the way her parents raised her - in strict adherence to cultural norms and traditions. And, because she wanted to spare her own daughter the pain of being "different" and alienated, she raised Sam to see herself only as American - as no different from any of her peers. Obviously, it backfired because Sam *wanted* to know more about herself and her history. Growing up without it left her feeling rootless and without community.

And in comes Sandeep who reaches out to his older sister and niece after 9/11. When I think of Uncle Sandeep, I always think of Ah Yuan's review of Shine, Coconut Moon. She's right, there is a lot to love about Uncle Sandeep.

Is it more satisfying to create a main or secondary character readers can relate to or love?

I love that people love some of the characters I've created! I try very hard to put ALL the aspects of my characters on the page - their flaws, their imperfections, their annoying habits, as well as their endearing qualities. They are like the rest of us - multi-faceted, full of contradictions, and still learning. If that's something readers can relate to, wonderful! If not, then that's okay, too. I don't necessarily like everyone I meet, either *smile*.

You said you wrote Shine, Coconut Moon for your daughters. Has your oldest one read it yet?

She is desperate to read it. She has read the first chapter and, since it is geared to ages fourteen and up, she knows she'll have to wait just a little longer to finish it! :) But in saying that I wrote it for my daughters, I meant that both literally and figuratively. I wrote the story for them and their generation - those who were born on this soil and have grown up here. Theirs is a very different experience than those of us who crossed over. We are the bridges and they are the seeds we've planted here.

Our parents were raised and nurtured on the soil of the past and of the other side of the ocean. I wanted to explore what it would be like, for this new generation, to grow up on foreign soil, but soil that was called "home", nonetheless - whether this land accepts them or rejects them, it is home. I wanted to see what it must be like for them to be leaning, like sunflowers toward the sun, to the other side of the ocean for clues as to who they are, where they are from . . . reaching, reaching for echoes of a distant past and getting only fragments.

If you met a mother like Sharan who thought the best way to get along was to blend, what would you say to her?

I would tell her to read my book - ha! LOL. No, seriously - I don't judge any mother's decisions. I might ask her if what she was doing was working for her and for her children. If it was, I would be glad. If it wasn't, I might ask what community, traditions, culture, etc., she was including for her children. Did they feel connected to a community - whatever that might be? Were they secure and comfortable in their identity?

Those are some of the tough questions we "hybrid moms" have to struggle with.
We're a blend of cultures, yet we exist within this push for homogeneity. We raise children among their peers - other children who are often taught to value sameness and punish difference. It's a tough place to be and requires a fine balancing act.

Fiction by South Asian authors is pretty popular. Unfortunately, that popularity doesn't cross over into YA fiction. Why do you think that is?

Thank You for pointing this out. Lately, there have been many discussions online about why there isn't more writing by, for, and about people of colour. I think this industry is changing, but it is s-l-o-w. I think children's/teens books are behind adult books when it comes to representation and diversity, though the numbers there are not great, either. Still, there are more and more people who see this disparity as the glaring problem it is and want things to change.

In terms of South Asian writing, I see a couple of things: 1) South Asians in the US have a very different history than South Asians in Canada and the UK. There is far more South Asian representation in Canada and the UK. More books, more on television, more in films, more in magazines. Part of that is the long history between Britain and South Asia, particularly India. So, Canadians and the British are far more versed in all things South Asian, are more familiar and, perhaps, accepting of South Asians in their cultural products.

Gurinder Chadha, who directed films like Bend it Like Beckham, Bhaji on the Beach, Bride and Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices and several others, came out of Britain, as did Narinder Dhami, author of the Bindi Babes books (which were made into a television series). South Asians have also made far more headway in cultural products in Canada than in the US, as well. In short, I think the US is allowing its own myopia to swallow opportunities for reaching wider audiences. The engrained belief that certain types of work "won't sell" is simply the result of focusing on a narrow market. There's a whole world out there that wants to read. And not all of it is monochromatic.

Thanks, again, Doret.

Thank you Neesha. Good luck in tournament.

The Little Piano Girl Ann Ingalls - Mary Ann Macdonald - Giselle Potter

The Little Piano Girl: by Ann Ingalls & MaryAnn Macdonald illus. by Giselle Potter This is the story of Mary Lou Williams a famous female jazz musician. She played around the world and composed and arranged music for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman.
Duke Ellington said of her, Mary's music retains a standard of quality that is timeless. She is like soul on soul." (the above came from the afterword)

The story itself is a wonderful look at a female jazz musician many might unfamiliar with (inculding myself) When Mary Lou Williams was three years old she would sit on her mother's lap and play a tune on the piano. Mary Lou spent most of her time playing the piano. When the Williams family moved to Pittsburgh in search of employment at the steel mills, they had to leave the piano behind.

Mary Lou was bullied in Pittsburgh. Though she had no piano that didn't keep her from playing.

"Ugly names and cruel words. Mary called them bad sounds, and she taught herself to play them out. Even without a keyboard, she could do it. Tapping on the tabletop, she beat back the bad sounds. She crooned and whispered and shouted out until her spirit was lifted free."

I love the rhyhtm of that passage, and many others. The authors give readers a very good appreciation of Mary Lou's muscial skill and how much people enjoyed it.

"When Mary cut loose, people couldn't stay still. They set to clapping, tapping, finger- snapping. Her blue notes made people want to cry at just how hard life can be. Her crazy chords made people shimmy their shoulders and shake their heads, high and happy. Mary would play a deep, powerful bass with one hand and lay a lacework of edgy blues over the top of it with the other. Her music rolled and slid and jumped along, zigzagging and giant- stepping."

The illustrations are great and a perfect fit for the text. I always love Potter's use of color. While reading , I was reminded of something else illustrated by Giselle Potter and it finally came to me. The album cover for Jazz for Kids: a great jazz CD for kids.

The Little Piano would be a great addition to any library. ages 5up. It could be paired nicely with Piano Starts Here: by Robert A. Parker. A biography on jazz great Art Tatum.

Read an excerpt
A review @ NC Teacher Stuff

I've linked this post to Non Fiction Monday. The round up can be found this week at Books Together

Tell Us We're Home

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

Jaya, Maria and Lola are in the 8th grade and live in the wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, NJ. Their classmates never have worry about money. Some spend good money on clothes to look like they have no money. The three friends, Jaya, Maria and Lola aren't as privileged financially. All three have immigrated to America. Jaya is from Trinidad, Maria is from Mexico and Lola is from Slovakia. Their mothers are maids and nannies working for the parents of their classmates.

Jaya and Lola are the first to meet. They get along instantly. The two are bonded by the work of their mothers, going to the rich middle school, and being on the outside. When Jaya and Lola meet Maria the threesome is complete.

Budhos does a wonderful job with the friendships. The three take great comfort in each other, no explanations, lies or excuses are necessary.

Jaya's mother is fired for stealing. Jaya wants to clear her mother's name. Maria and Lola want to help but something goes wrong. The three friends begin to grow apart.

Jaya, Lola and Maria. have very distinct personalities and stories about how and why they came to America. The chapters alternate between the three and that worked very well for me. I was able to enjoy the stories of all three girls.

Jaya is worried about her mother's unjust firing. Maria likes and is tutoring a guy who comes from money. Lola is dealing with anger issues. There is much more like the unspoken divide of the have and the have nots. The author does an excellent job of seamlessly pulling it all together.

Tell US We're Home is a beautifully written novel. Budhos has created three very realistic three dimensional protagonist. She doesn't play favorites, each girl gets the same amount of page time. In those pages we learn about them and their friendships. Ages 12up

Read an excerpt

Author Lynn Miller Lachmann's review @ Readergirlz

Branding and Me

With blogging sometimes its funny how topics align. Over at Chasing Ray, Colleen Mondor has two recent post up about online branding be it authors or bloggers, inspired by a recent manifesto by author Maureen Johnson The first time Colleen brings up branding its with a few other things of interest. She follows it up with an entry solely on branding

I feel not branding as hurt me. When I started my blog I knew was going to focus on diversity but I wasn't going to only talk about or review books with kids of color. I like what I like don't think I should have to make various categories. Though there was a time when I considered starting a sports centered blog. In the end I didn't because I thought it would take the fun out of reading sports novels. I figured I would always be looking at sports novels and feel like I had to read them. Must reads quickly take the joy out of reading.

Over at the Shelf Talker there is a new article by Elizabeth Bluemle called The Elephants in the Room. Its about the lack of diversity in children's literature. She list a few blogs of interest.

I believe my lack of branding or not only reviewing books with kids of color kept me off this list.
My blog first and for most is about the books. If it ever gets to the point where I want it to be about me I will stop blogging. Though, I would be lying if I said not being listed didn't bother me. I am not a bells and whistles type of girl but I do work hard on my blog.

I like working at a bookstore. I have a lot of regular customers I always enjoy helping. Anyone who has worked retail knows there will always be customers you want to avoid. I've mastered the dip, dodge and pass so I don't usually have to deal with unkinds.

I am good at what I do and like it but some day I want to find a job with a publishing house. I don't know if my blog being a link of interest would help my chances. Though not being one must hurt. I mean how good can I be if there aren't that many children's blog's that focus on diversity ( though I have seen more children's books with kids of color being reviewed this year) and yet I don't get linked.

If I had to do it all over again would I brand? No, because, that is simply not me. Though recently I have been thinking about making my blog more searcher friendly. So people can access old reviews and interviews easier.

I thought my talking about books I like no matter the race, ethnic, religious or sexual orientation of the characters was what the publishing industry was striving for. Maybe I did brand myself unknowingly. Good writing is good writing. It is written by authors of all nationalities. Recongize it, love it and enjoy it. That is my brand.