Wonder by R.J. Palacio

 

Wonder R.J. Palacio’s debut novel is topping all of the Best Books of 2012 lists, and with good reason.  Wonder is joyful and sad and beautiful.

Auggie Pullman is about to start 5^th grade at Beecher Prep, a rather progressive school in Upper Manhattan.  Auggie has been home schooled up to this point in his life because he was born with severe facial deformities that have required surgeries, hospitalizations and constant care and attention. 

While Auggie’s looks have always garnered stares and unwanted attention,  he was generally safe in the cocoon provided by his family: Mom, Dad, big sister Via, his beloved dog, Daisy, the dog and a few friends.  All that changes when Auggie agrees to attend Beecher Prep.  While transition is difficult, Augie perseveres.  

This is a family story, a school story, a story of self discovery and self acceptance.  I read it in one sitting.  While I was captivated by Auggie and how he grows, the novel also features some full realized secondary characters like:  Auggie’s sister,  Via, and her estranged friend Miranda, and Summer who befriends Auggie in the dreaded cafeteria.    Although, the story is primarily Auggie’s, I enjoyed the alternating narrators and felt it helped us to learn about Auggie struggles and the effects on their family through others, specifically Via. 

Everyone is struggling.  Auggie works at adapting to school and the inevitable cliques, friends and bullies. Via is trying hard to figure out where she fits in the family as Auggie’s sister and protector and to find her place in her own new school and with and without friends.  Their parents are on new shaky ground, wanting Auggie to spread his wings, attend school and make friends and terrified how the world will react to Auggie’s deformities. Everyone learns  to cope and there is much humor and hope along the way.  

Our Mother Daughter Book Club recently read Wonder and everyone’s sentiments echo my own.  Wonder is thoughtful and well written and so worthwhile.   I think you should run to the library and get a copy today!  And it wouldn’t hurt to have some tissues handy!  

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

I am sorry to tell you that I was very much a latecomer to the graphic novel.  I was resistant. I didn't want to like them or endorse them and now looking back, I am not sure why. 

Smile by Raina Telgemeier was the first graphic novel I read and it was a completely wonderful experience.  So much in fact, that Sarah and I selected it to be our Mother-Daughter book club book for the month of February.  

Smile tells the story in words and pictures of Raina, a 6th grader who suffers a fall on her way home from Girl Scouts and suffers a rather traumatic injury that leads to several years of painful dental visits, retainers, and braces. 

We follow Raina and her dental tribulations through to high school and along the way she learns the difference between friends who tease and bullies who are just mean.  Raina's story isn't all doom and gloom, she tells it and draws it with a great deal of humor. And one of the most beautiful points of the story is that Raina learned to cope with her problems, dental and otherwise, by focusing on her art!  And now she is a published and award winning cartoonist.  My favorite frame in the book is of Raina, upside-down on the living room couch, reading the Babysitters Club!  Telgemeier has adapted the first four books in this series into graphic novels.  What a fabulous tribute to a favorite childhood book! 

Smile is a great graphic novel and a great story.  It is sweet and funny and shares lessons of friendship without ever being preachy or heavy handed.  

The girls in our book club overwhelming loved Smile.  One girl in particular who is usually quiet was very participatory. Everyone had great thoughts and shared them with the group.  To compliment the friendship theme and 80's setting, we made friendship pins and the mom's seemed to enjoy this as much as the girls!  

Girls Night Out Book Club! Favorite Books Edition

Along with my fellow librarian and good pal Sarah, I  have been hosting a Mother - Daughter Book Club once a month since September.  We've read some great books and some not so great books and each time we have had some really interesting and fun discussions.  I am continually surprised by the thoughtfulness  each of these young girls brings to our talks and how eloquent they are.

For January, we decided to change things up a bit. Each girl was to bring in their favorite book tell the group about it.  While I loved this idea, it presented me with quite the dilemma. Due to time constraints we limited the girls to one book, two tops.  How was I to choose only one? I have hundreds of favorite books, across so many genres.

I carefully weighed my options, I developed a list and culled it.  I thought of all of the wonderful books I had the opportunity to read both as a girl, and as a librarian. And while it was hard, I did narrow it down to one.

Drum roll, please! 

Lois Lowry's Summer to Die is a simple and wonderful read. And in my opinion often over shadowed by Lowry's other work.  I took this book out of the Haverstraw Library when I was in 7th or 8th grade and kept it out for a long time.  I would dread those overdue notices when I pulled them out of the mailbox.  I couldn't give it back, it would be like giving away a family member.

Summer to Die, chronicles the Chalmers family and the year they leave their comfortable University town for rural Vermont, as Dad needs the peace and quiet to finish his book.  The story focuses on Meg & Molly- sisters who couldn't be more different.  Molly is a bubbly, popular cheerleader.  Meg is taciturn, fears she has no real talent and is tired of constantly being compared to her vivacious sister.  Vermont life brings many changes to their family- its always cold, and the girls have to share a bedroom. It also brings new relationships. Molly acquires a boyfriend and makes friends with the couple down the road, preparing for the birth of their first child; Meg befriends Will, their landlord, who teaches her about photography and more.

 This is the story of sisters, a story about growing up and a story about learning how to cope when someone you love is sick, and possibly dying. I fell in love with Ms. Lowry's storytelling and her characters.  This is a book I look forward to re-reading every year or so.

  Eventually, I did have to give the Haverstraw Library their copy back.  But not before I bought my own copy, which I am proud to tell you Lois Lowry herself signed when I saw her at NYPL's Bookfest!

Runners Up!

Here in no particular order are some of my other favorites.  This list was so hard to cull.

Little House Books-  by Laura Ingalls Wilder-
I loved them so much as a child, but couldn't get through the first one as an adult reader.  Must remember to try again.

Baby Island- By Carol Ryrie Brink-
Another book I very nearly stole from the Haverstraw Library.  Two tween sisters stranded on a deserted island with 4 young babies after their ocean liner sinks.  Of course they do great taking care of their young charges and of course there is a happy ending!

All of A Kind Family-  by Sydney Taylor
Five sisters growing up on the lower Eastside of New York just before World War I.  I was fascinated by their simple lives- trips to Coney Island, dressing up for Purim, visits from the iceman.