Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos

The title is the first thing that caught my attention. It reminded me of some of the off-the-wall titles of Paul Zindel's young adult novels. As I read the blurb, I knew I had to check this book out. It looked just too interesting to pass up.

I'm glad that I did read it. It was not always an easy read. James, the main character and narrator, has self-confessed mental issues. He is in an abusive home where recently his sister, Jorie, had been kicked out after being expelled from school for fighting. His best friend, Derek, is not always nice to him (and is having an affair with an engaged woman). He desperately wants to get the attention of Beth, the pretty blonde girl of his dreams.

But who is he kidding? He hugs trees (literally), yawps his barbaric yawp, and has extreme social anxiety. Plus, when he tried to impress her by saving an injured bird from getting run over, he literally gets hit by a bus. He is stunned when she starts talking to him. It appears his sister was the major contributor to the school's literary magazine. With her gone, there is a problem. Beth, the co-editor of the magazine, asks for his help.

Throughout the story we see through James's eyes the many misadventures he has as he tries to understand what led his sister to be expelled and banished from the family home. He also struggles to understand his burgeoning relationship with Beth. The ending was satisfying because it was believable in context.

I identified a lot with James. While I never hugged trees or had a giant pigeon as my imaginary therapist, I had my own bouts with social anxiety when in high school. I don't think I would recommend this for younger teens, but for older teens (and adults, too, for that matter) I would say give it a try. I liked it.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

This was different. This is a loose biographical account of Cece Bell's loss of hearing as a child. What makes it different is that the book is a graphic novel and all the characters are anthropomorphized rabbits. With rabbits being renowned for their good hearing, having the characters be rabbits accentuates how much the loss of hearing hurts.

I liked that the book was not a self-pitying type of read. The main character was believable. She had her faults as well as her strengths. She never felt sorry for herself about being deaf, but did often feel stupid for not understanding things as quickly as others. She also was more of a follower than a leader. These qualities gave her an underdog aspect that had me rooting for her throughout the book.

In her imagination she is the superhero El Deafo, using her Phonic Ear to hear all and to fight for right. These flights of imagination often have real life consequences for her. Not all of them are good.

Full of lessons on how it feels to be deaf without being preachy, I recommend this book, the first Newbery Honor book in graphic novel form that I have read. I am looking forward to getting a copy to put on the shelf of my classroom library.

Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove

I am a longtime fan of Harry Turtledove. It all started with How Few Remain, a story of what would happen if people from the present managed to import AK47's to the Confederate forces during the Civil War.  Agent of Byzantium, A Different Flesh--both short start anthologies were next. And I continued to read his works, knowing they were firmly rooted in history.

This book, Joe Steele, is another of his looks at an alternate 20th century. What if FDR had never been president? If he and his wife had died in a mysterious fire on the eve of his nomination to run as the Democratic candidate? What if the fire may have been set by agents of his rival for that nomination, one Joe Steele, the child of Georgian immigrants?

In this version of reality, the parents of Joseph Stalin emigrated to the US before he was born, making him a US citizen. Although he was raised here, his basic character is the same. He is looking for power and willing to get it in whatever way he can. While it may seem strange that growing up in California, which would have provided for much different experiences growing up, did nothing to alter his character from the one in or reality, it makes for interesting reading.

The story is told through the eyes of two brothers, Mike and Charlie Sullivan, both starting out as reporters for New York newspapers. Over the course of Steele's long presidency, their lives take wildly differing paths.

There are many parallels between a Steele-run US and FDR's. There are also many differences that are all too plausible. It seems that Turtledove, as he has often done with his work, is commenting on our own world. Showing us the fragility of our constitutional democracy is frightening. It leads to thoughts of what is going on in today's world. And it has an absolutely terrifying ending.

I would definitely recommend this book to be read. It is compelling and was hard for me to put down. I read about half of it in one sitting. This is one that would absolutely be welcome in my classroom library, even despite the sometimes rough language in the book.

Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 2 by Tom Taylor

In a dark, twisted version of the DC multiverse, Joker tricked Superman into killing Lois Lane, their unborn child, and all of Metropolis. This set Superman and many of the DC heroes down a dangerous, slippery slope. In order to keep the world "safe" they have decided to take action and make the world a more peaceful place.

The alternate versions of the characters in this alternate reality are interesting to me. The bloodthirstiness of Wonder Woman. The calm, cerbralness of the Flash. The angry, scared, vengeful Superman.

And not all of the heroes are with Superman and his new world order. With the help of Lex Luthor, the only survivor of the nuking of Metropolis and Superman's friend, a plan is formed to create an army of superpowered people to enforce the new rules Superman wants. Many of the non-powered heroes, led by Batman, are opposed to this plan. This sets the two sides on a collision course that leads to unforeseen, previously unthinkable actions. Heroes I thought I knew were distorted. The very closeness of these versions to the "real" ones makes them all the more frightening.

The writing of this series is scary good. The logical extrapolations that Tyler creates make my hair stand on end. It is easy to see how one small bad decision, and sometimes even a decision that isn't so bad, can lead these heroes further and further away from the right path into a morally gray area that seems to just keep darkening.

I highly recommend this series. The writing and the artwork are outstanding. The story is, as said previously, scary good.

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman

Sometimes I come to something a little later than everyone else. Case in point, this year (2015) I just discovered Parks and Recreation on Netflix. That led me to the good fortune of getting to enjoy Nick Offerman's portrayal of Ron Swanson, the Head of the parks department in the mythical town of Pawnee, Indiana.  That led to seeing his special, American Ham, on Netflix as well. Between that and my fiancee raving about it, I finally got to listen to Offerman narrate his book, Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living.

This book made me laugh. Out loud. A lot. It also made me think a great deal as well. While Offerman is often self-denigrating when it comes to his own intelligence, he seems to me to have the thoughtfulness of one who has spent a great deal of time in contemplation. He knows who he is, and he is comfortable with that person. He has his own strong, definite opinions, and is not shy about expressing them in a plain and blunt manner.

This book is part autobiography, part philosophical treatise. That does not mean it is dry or dull, just the opposite, in fact. It is extremely entertaining. It is also very honest. He does not try to pretty up some of the mistakes he made. He does explain what he learned from those mistakes that he incorporated into his life. I agree with many of the points he makes in this book, with many of his precepts for "living a delicious life." He has somehow managed to escape become all-consumed by his career and remains intent upon recognizing that there are more important things in life.

I would recommend this book to adults--it would never find its way into my classroom library. There is too much profanity and too many "adult" situations of one kind or another. If you like the character Ron Swanson, you will probably like the book. He makes it clear early on the he is not the character he so masterfully portrays, but the two men have a great deal in common.

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle

I first heard about Father Greg and his ministry while participating in the JustFaith program at my church. He works with gang members in East Los Angeles. He has done this for more than 20 years so far. He started Homeboy Industries as a way to help gang members transition to a life after gangs.

In this book, which he reads himself, he comes across as humble and loving. It is his love that has created a way out for his “homies.” They call him G or G-Dog. He calls them worthwhile human beings. More than calling them that, he treats them that way as well. And he shows their humanity in this book, breaking past stereotypes and letting the readers see it as clearly as he does.

Written after his diagnosis of leukemia, which has been in, as one of his homies put it, “in intermission” for several years now.  He wrote it to preserve the stories he has told for years. Stories that should live on even after he does.

This book has moments of pure hilarity and deep sorrow. More than once this book caused me to tear up, and I don’t easily cry over a book. He writes of successes and of disappointments. He has had many, presiding over 172 funerals of gang members at the writing of the book. But this is not a sad, morose book. Quite the opposite. Some of his stories made me laugh out loud, causing some startled looks from my daughter.

There is a strong dose of religion in this book; it was, after all, written by a Jesuit priest. But Father Greg comes to religion from a place of compassion and inclusiveness. He is the kind of Catholic I hope to be. I think that he and Pope Francis are on the same wavelength.

I strongly recommend this book. It presents a real view of how life in East Los Angeles can be. Better yet, it shows that there is always hope. Even the hardest heart can be opened to compassion, by compassion.

Pure Water: Poetry of Rumi by Coleman Barks

The first time I ever heard of Rumi was when I watched The Language of Life series by Bill Moyers. It must have been in the mid to late 90's. I fell in love with the Sufi mystic's take on life and God and love and... Well, you get the idea. I have read a couple of books of Barks's translations. They are always worth it.

There is something soothing about the voice of Coleman Barks. After spending his life translating the works of Rumi, he can read the poems like no other. In addition to Rumi's works, Barks also reads a few of his own poems. I rather enjoyed that.

If you have never heard of Rumi, or if you are a fan, this audibook is a good listen.