TheHappyNappyBookseller: Search results for lucy the giant

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Lucy the Giant Sherri L. Smith

Lucy the Giant by Sherri L Smith, I read and loved Smith's new release Flygirl and from all the great reviews it receiving I know I am not the only one. So I decided to read something else by Smith. Lucy the Giant is her first YA novel. Though Flygirl was more polished ( and it should be, its Smith fourth novel) Lucy is tall for her 15 yrs, in her small Alaskan town she's known as Lucy the giant. Lucy lives with her alcoholic father, her mother left when she was seven. Lucy doesn't have the best life, she's ignored by her father and teased by her classmates. After Lucy's stray dog dies, she decides to leave her small town. Lucy uses her height to her advantages and pretends to be an adult. Lucy get a job on a fisherman's ship as a crabber. After reading this book, I think crab should be more expensive. Crabbing is a very dangerous. This is where Smith writing shines in Lucy the Giant. The time and care she takes in showing what fishermen go through and the dangers they face. Many people contribute to making this country what it is, and its nice to read a story that focuses on people who don't get much attention like Alaskan fishermen. Remember this was written before the Discovery channel show Deadliest Catch. Lucy catches on fairly quickly to the work and begins to make friends. I really enjoyed Lucy the Giant, Lucy is a very believable character.

Diversity Roll Call/ Win Free Books not 1 but 5

Diversity Roll Call week #6 is being hosted by Susan over at Color Online We are asked to focus on YA fiction. Addressing one or a few of the following: 1) Provide a list of YA writers of color that you think deserve more exposure.2) Showcase cover art that does not reveal the race/ethnicity of the characters. Do you think these covers accurately represent the storyline? 3) Spotlight sub-genre YA fiction with teens of color i.e. graphic novels, romance, mystery, fantasy and science fiction.4) Briefly discuss YA novels with teens of color but race is not a dominant factor in the story.5) If you don't read YA fiction, do a little research and report back on a YA novel/comic you intend to read in the future.

If I do question 1. I may not stop, so I've decided to do 2 and 4

2) Showcase cover art that does not reveal the race/ethnicity of the characters. Do you think these covers accurately represent the storyline?

One of the first books I thought of was Girl Overboard by Justina Headley, The main character Syrah Cheng is Chinese but for the cover they don't focus on her race but rather her love of snowboarding. The cover is great and its a perfect fit for the novel. Its a teenage girl holding a snowboard looking down on a mountain.

I loved Sherri Smith's Flygirl, so I went back and read her first novel Lucy the Giant, and it works perfectly for this Roll Call for questions 2 and 4. In Lucy the Giant, 15 yr old Lucy is big for her age and she ends up running away and working on a crab boat. The cover depicts black rubber work boots, a fisherman net and a hand reaching down. I unsure what the hand is suppose to signify, though I do like this cover. I think the white back drop with the boots and fisherman's net is intriguing than you add a title that hints at a female giant, I think it would be hard for a reader not to at least glance at this book.

4) Briefly discuss YA novels with teens of color but race is not a dominant factor in the story.

I'll begin where I ended, with Lucy the Giant, Smith makes mentions Lucy brown skin once. Lucy the Giant has nothing to do with the characters race but everything to do with her height. 15yr old Lucy is over 6 feet tall and her fathers drinking problem.

A la Carte by Tanita Davis - 17 yr old Lainey dreams of having her own vegetarian cooking show. I love the fact that Lainey is Black but the author doesn't try to do anything to prove this,she just is who she is. The fact that Lainey is Black doesn't have any bearing on this story or her dreams.

Finally The Making of Dr. TrueLove by Derrick Barnes. Diego is trying to figure out a way to win his girlfriend back. Diego's best friend convinces him to take on an online relationship persona. Susan and Edi, like it or not you must agree it has nothing to do with race.

Free Books

Ali is upping the book giveaway to get more people to participate with Roll Call and Diversity Rocks. Up for grabs two sets of five books. One set by Latino authors and the second set by Asian authors. And if you win you don't get one book but all five. Yes people, you can win five books for simply doing a few Roll Calls or linking a few diverse titles. So go check out what titles could be yours for the low low price of free. Diversity Rocks

Sunday, January 9, 2011

2011 Titles That Caught My Eye

Here is a list of 2011 titles I am looking forward to. Many of the titles in January have already been released I was a little heavy handed with the cover images but I couldn't help it, there are a lot of great covers.

If the title is italicized the story - features kids or color or has a diverse cast. If such a title is not italicized either I forgot to do it or I didn't know. So please feel free to tell me in the comment box.

All authors and illustrators of color will have an asterisk next to their name.

Before I get to January, here are three YA books that were published at the end of December

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow* - Ari's review
Teenie by Christopher Grant* - My review
Shadow Walker by L.A. Banks* - No review, but check out an excerpt

January
Picture Books

Shoe la la by Karen Beaumont illus. by Leuyen Pham*
A Nation's Hope : The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Pena* - Kadir Nelson* Giant Steps to Change the World by Spike Lee* and Tonya Lewis* illus. Sean Qualls*
Roots and Blues: A Celebration by Arnold Adoff illus. by R . Gregory Christie*
Before there was Mozart by Lesa Cline Ransome* illus. by James E. Ransome*

Middle Grade