INSOMNIA and book reviews

After flipping and flopping in bed for the last 1.5 hours, I gave up sleeping as pointless for the time being and came out to the living room. I love laptops and WiFi!

Occasionally I make it to the library. It's pretty sad; me, the literature geek, not able to regularly visit the library, but it's true. However, due to WASL testing this week, I didn't begin piano teaching until 3 pm on Weds, so at 1 pm the family --ME INCLUDED!-- walked down to the library.

Hence, I've read a couple new books. Let me preface by saying (if you don't know already) that I really don't read "grownup" books and never have done much of that. I honestly prefer reading young adult fiction. It's a throwback to my teaching days, trying to find "that perfect book for so-and-so" - but also, I just enjoy the whole genre. With the exception of the Printz award books, but that's another post.

Before I got to the library, though, Tuesday night I picked up Robert Newton Peck's book A Day No Pigs Would Die. Geared for early teen boys, it's a serious coming-of-age story. If you're looking for similarities to Peck's VERY funny Soup series of books--you won't find any, except that the main character is named Rob Peck. I've got mixed emotions on this book; in a nutshell, it's like your classic boy and dog story, except PIG replaces dog. And you know what happens to the dog in all those "classic" books!! It's (overly) graphic at times; the language is occasionally rude, but not gratuitous. One of my 6th grade English students had LOVED THIS BOOK and his mom told me about it, so I followed through and read it myself. I could see where it would appeal to Philip; I'd use caution with other, different kids though! Rob (main character, first person narrative) is a Shaker boy growing up in Vermont. He helps a neighbor's cow give birth; and in gratitude, the neighbor gives Rob a piglet. The pig is more pet than pork - but the Shaker lifestyle (according to this book) doesn't put up with frills, so when the piggie doesn't produce piggies of her own.....well, that' s just an extra mouth to feed, so to the butcher she must go. Oh, and conveniently, Rob's Shaker dad is a butcher. There's a lot of conflicting emotion there! "I love my dad, but I love my pig==I hate my dad, who has to kill my pig....I love my dad, who does what's right even though it's difficult..." etc.
Ironically enough, from what I know of Shakers, they were celibate. Which is why the sect has just about died out. So for this boy to be living in a "Shaker Family" makes me wonder about the rest of the "Shaker traditions" mentioned in this book --artistic license?


Yesterday I read a library book that I got entirely because of the title: How To Train Your Dragon, by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, translated from the Old Norse by Cressida Cowell (btw her husband's name is....Simon. Isn't that the guy on American Idol?? (which I have never seen, for the record) (like it matters, but some people start to wonder about your "spirituality" if you mention something like that without some foolish disclaimer. BUT I DIGRESS.) ) )

Anyway, back to the point! CHARMING book. I'm going to read it to the kids, especially since we are studying the Vikings right now in History. In the book, Hiccup has a huge problem: he's the chief's son, therefore he's expected to be More Viking Than Thou--the issue is, Hiccup tends to use his brains, rather than the typical Viking response of brawn (which he lacks). To pass the rite of initiation into their tribe, he and each of his age-mates have to go steal a baby dragon from a dragon nursery, and train it/make it obedient by Thor's Day (which my two children could tell you is where we get our day "Thursday" thanks to History lessons) (excuse the parental moment). Well, Hiccup ends up getting the smallest, toothless dragon. (How will THAT look as a chief's son?) The book details How To Become A Hero The Hard Way. Hiccup's brains (plus his ability to understand and speak the dragons' language) eventually save the day when a huge Sea Dragon washes ashore and threatens the entire tribe. Geared toward lower elementary, but not quite a read-alone book until grade 3 or so.

Tonight's book was Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang. Unputdownable. Should be required reading for every middle school student. It's Ji-Li's autobiography of growing up in China during Chairman Mao's quest to abolish the Four Olds: old culture, old traditions, old ideas, old habits. She is devoted to Mao and his ideas, and longs to be a revolutionary, but finds herself increasingly held back, because her grandfather was a landlord---hence, a capitalist who exploited others. THroughout the book, she struggles with her family's bad class status and witnesses the propaganda campaigns launched against many people whom she loved and respected. I'm still processing all the ramifications of this, plus I'm a little sleep drunk (do I hear robins chirping outside now? NUTS. It's 5:25 am and I've been awake since 3!!!!) --- but this is a book I plan to get and keep on my shelves.

OK. I have to be out the door at 8:45 to take the kids to piano. Hopefully I've sat up long enough now to be able to scrounge another few hours of sleep. Begorrah!