Tag: Relationships

Posted on

The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais

There’s a difference between deaf and Deaf. The former is a physical condition, the latter is an identity. Having grown up with a deaf sibling, I’d always been aware of the frustrations in communicating with someone who can’t hear, but until recent years I had not known there was an official community. Deaf with a capital D.

In The Silence Between Us, Alison Gervais gives us a personal and very real peek into how deaf people are forced to deal with the hearing world. In addition, she presents the Deaf community’s ongoing discussion (debate? argument? quarrel?) over cochlear implants. Should they endure the surgery or not? Should they make it easier to live in the hearing world, or should they insist the majority population give consideration to those who communicate with their hands and not their voices?

Synopsis

Maya lost her hearing after surviving meningitis. Her deaf school uses sign language as the best means of communication. ASL is so much easier than reading lips.

When her single mom moves the family across the country for her job, Maya must attend a hearing school. In classes, she has the convenience of her delightful interpreter, Kathleen, but only two students show any interest in reaching out in friendship and learning sign language. Beau is annoying and endearing all at the same time, and Nina isn’t good at sign language, but her friendship is precious.

The stress of Maya’s little brother, who has cystic fibrosis, combined with the chip on her shoulder and her worries about getting into a hearing college, and you have a great story with dozens of obstacles to be overcome on a daily basis.

Pros

  1. If you want to know what it’s like to live as a deaf person in a hearing world, The Silence Between Us will answer every question. Maya immediately immersed me into her world.
  2. Alison Gervais addresses the quandary that hearing people have in relationships with deaf friends and family. Like many of the hearing characters in the book, I am so slow in learning ASL and in reading combinations of signs at flying-finger speed.
  3. The Silence Between Us is one of those stories that you don’t want to end. Where is the sequel of new challenges for Maya at the college level? Or the obstacles she faces when she begins her career as a respiratory therapist?

Cons

My only objection to any part of this novel is how unlikable Maya was for several chapters. But then again, how many teenagers are likable when every day is an exercise in frustration?

Discussion Questions

  1. As a hearing person, if a new student attended several of your classes, would you try to welcome him or her? Would you go so far as learning sign language?
  2. If you were a deaf person and you were a new student in a hearing school, how would you try to cope? Would you be as angry as Maya was?
  3. Dating between hearing people and members of the Deaf community is often frowned upon. What was Maya’s answer to that criticism?
  4. Another bone of contention within the Deaf culture is whether to use cochlear implants or not. Do you agree with Maya’s decision not to use an implant even though the device would make it easier to communicate in her future job? Why or why not?

Conclusion

Of all the books that I’ve reviewed  that contained deaf characters, The Silence Between Us is my favorite. Alison Gervais has done more than tug on my heart strings. She inspires me to do more regarding my own relationships with the Deaf community. Inspiration. That’s what makes a great book!

Posted on

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis, a Coretta Scott King Honor Winner, is the story of a journey of trust.

 

Fifteen-year-old Dess—white, rebellious, defensive—who long ago learned that she had to depend on herself has accepted the necessity of becoming a foster child. Not that she couldn’t make it on her own, but this foster family also cares for her half brother Austin (age four) whom she hasn’t seen for three years. She will do anything for him.

Fifteen-year-old Hope—African-American, a compliant kid most of the time who wants to please—accepts that the foster kids in her home have had it rough. She should be kind. Until she meets Dess. It’s awfully hard to be kind to Dess.

.Hope doesn’t realize the terror that follows Dess in the form of a criminal birth father. Dess doesn’t understand that some people are trustworthy. Like Hope and her parents.

In spite of the initial antagonism, both girls gain compassion for one another as each sees the neediness in the other.

Pros

The author gets her characters’ voices just right. Real teens with all their flaws and their idealism. Since Davis grew up in a family who truly cared for their foster children, it’s no wonder that both Hope and Dess seem like real people. And Davis would understand that not all foster homes were as loving as hers was, which allows Dess to be a totally sympathetic character.

Cons

What cons? Peas and Carrots is one of those books that I couldn’t put down, not even to make supper!

Discussion Questions

  1. If Dess were the new kid in your school, what would be your first impression?
  2. If Hope attended your school, do you think you would be her friend? Why or why not?
  3. How did Dess use her talents?
  4. Why was Dess willing to throw away her happiness near the end of the book?

Conclusion

If you haven’t read Peas and Carrots, do it. Dess and Hope teach us the pithy truth about families—their flaws and their beauty.

Posted on

Lety Out Loud by Angela Cervantes

I’m always good for a compassionate tear-jerker of a story, and Lety Out Loud with its sympathetic characters and focus on abandoned pets blessed me with three separate crying jags.

Synopsis

Lety Muñoz is an ESL student fresh out of fifth grade. She loves putting just the right words together—in Spanish or in English–to get the perfect meaning. Although she’s not very good with English yet.

She also loves animals. When she gets to help out at an animal shelter, she volunteers for the position of “shelter scribe,” writing animal profiles to be posted on social media.

But there’s a problem. Hunter, an arrogant boy in her mainstreamed class, also wants the job. Hunter figures he’s a shoe-in  since Lety doesn’t know English as well as he does. However, the veterinarian in charge has them split ten profiles between them. Not satisfied, Hunter challenges Lety to a competition: whoever succeeds in getting all five of their featured pets adopted first, can remain the shelter scribe. The loser scoops dog food.

Both Hunter and Lety work hard to create the best profiles, and as the competition draws to a close, they learn a little more about each other. Lety grows in confidence, and Hunter allows her to glimpse the kind heart under his self-protective armor.

Pros

  1. Angela Cervantes uses several Spanish phrases matched with the English, an excellent way to teach English-speakers a little more of a foreign culture. My favorite: “sueños azules oscuros,” or “deep blue dreams.” Beautiful word picture in either language!
  2. The book is filled with themes of forgiveness and self-sacrifice. To build a child’s character while reading a great story is the best that any writer can accomplish.

Cons

I can’t think of a thing.

Discussion Questions

  1. If you wanted to volunteer for a certain job but weren’t sure if you were good enough, would you volunteer anyway or would you look for something you knew you could do, even if it wasn’t as interesting?
  2. How does Kennedy show support for Lety?
  3. Do you think the rules of the competition between Hunter and Lety were fair? Why or why not?
  4. When Hunter is introduced at the beginning of the story, he is full of confidence, convinced that he’s the best man for the of shelter scribe. Did you like him at that point? How did he change by the end? Did you like him once he had changed?

Conclusion

Most kids love animal stories, and they also like rooting for the underdog (pun intended).  Lety Out Loud is a sure winner in both categories!

 

 

Posted on

Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska

The publishing powers-that-be claim today’s readers are impatient. If you don’t hook them on the first page, the first paragraph even, you’re not publishable.  Vintage Reads always start a little slower. Teach your children patience for this book.  In turn, it will teach them how to respond to life’s challenges with integrity and faith, especially appropriate for middle grade boys as they search for what will make them good men.

Synopsis

The first paragraph caught my interest. Everyone in the bullfighting town of Arcangel expected Manolo to follow in his father’s footsteps as a bullfighter. The rest of the chapter? Not so interesting because the writing style is from fifty years ago –until the last lines that added deeper emotion: “…that hero had left them a son who was growing up once again to take arms against death. They were waiting for the son to be like his father.”

Except the son had no interest in becoming a bullfighter, which is the gist of the plot. How Manolo comes to terms with honor and bringing pride to his family and his town is what makes Shadow of a Bull a gripping read.

Pros

  1. Maia Wojciechowska gives us an enlightening peek into the world of bullfighting. Personally, I have always been adamantly against the “sport,” but the author shows us the spirit of a magnificent bull. As one character put it (and  I paraphrase): such a creature prefers to die in battle rather than be shoved into a slaughterhouse unable to defend himself.
  2.  Manolo’s character matures as he prepares for his first bullfight (at the age of twelve!). His final decision will please the bullfighter aficionado as well as  those who abhor bloodsport.

Cons

As with any Vintage Read, children of the 21st century will find it difficult to stay with the long descriptions and inner monologue, so maybe it can be a read-aloud for the whole family.

Discussion Questions

Lots of deep thinking abounds! I will limit myself to three.

  1. Why didn’t Manolo just tell people (or at least his mother) that he didn’t want to be a bullfighter?
  2. Did Manolo ever see the beauty in bullfighting? Explain your answer.
  3.  Did you like Manolo’s final decision? Why or why not?

Conclusion

If your public library, like mine, has a section on Newbery Awards, Shadow of a Bull should be there. Relish the story.

Posted on

Interview With Chip Mattis

Yesterday, I reviewed Chip Mattis’s picture book, Under the Dancing Tree. Today, I want to find out the “story behind the story.” Chip has graciously answered  the questions I often ask authors.

What was the seed of this story? What got it started?

In 2010 my family moved my dad into a nursing home, and his house was left empty. So my wife, two kids, and I moved in. At the time, my daughter was 2 and my son was about 6 months.

The front yard had this beautiful willow tree right outside our bedroom. We could see it from every window on that side of the house. I was looking out at it one afternoon, and I saw my daughter hanging onto a branch and twirling without a care in the world.

It left this huge imprint in my mind. Most parents will understand when I say the memory is chiseled into my brain, not just written, but permanently etched there. I knew that the beautiful moment in front of me wouldn’t last forever. I looked at the little girl in front of me, and I dreamed of the woman she’d become. I mourned and celebrated at the same time.

It was out of that moment the inspiration for the Dancing Tree came. The words poured out, and when it was done, I knew I had written something that would be special to me forever.

 

Did you help design the cover or have any input into its concept?

I’m pretty lucky to have found the publisher I did. I had a ton of creative input in the design of the artwork. I had originally planned to self-publish, so I had hired a freelance artist to do all the illustrations. I used images I found on the internet that inspired me with each of the illustrations I was after. A friend of mine helped me manage the project with the artist, and we worked through the concept for each illustration, including the cover art.

When I found a traditional publisher for the book, Elk Lake Publishing, my publisher’s team laid out the font, color, size, and position.

I assume you have a daughter. What was her reaction to the book?

I have two daughters now (and a son stuck in the middle). My first-born, now almost 11, was the original inspiration for the book, but it is no less true for my youngest. Both girls inspire these profound moments of joy at the gifts they are to me and hopes for their futures.

When I wrote the poem, my daughter was too young to really get what I was trying to say. Now that both my girls are older and there are illustrations to go along with their dad’s words, they both understand a little more.

Of course, my oldest knows the book was about her originally, so I think she takes a certain amount of pride in that, but my girls both enjoy the book a lot. They are proud that I made a book that another person thinks is worth buying.

Do you have other books in mind, or ready for publication?

I do have other books in mind! That was one of the great things about finding an agent and a publisher. They were both looking for a writer with more than one book up his sleeve. As it stands, I currently have another 6-10 books that are written and in some state of review with my agent. I hope to have another book published in the next 12-18 months.

Are picture books in rhyme your go-to when you write, or do you write in several genres?

It’s funny you ask that. As a debut author I’m still getting a sense of myself and my audience. As a reader I am voracious. I read books in many genres, so it’s really no surprise that I want to write in multiple genres.

However, right now I feel strongly that I should build my brand around children’s picture books. I’m not currently looking to become a full-time writer, so I don’t need children’s picture books to pay the bills. It’s not the most lucrative genre to write in. I write these stories because I can’t not write them. They come to me because I’m in the thick of parenting young kids. I’m constantly inspired by them. It also helps that I’m silly, nerdy, and look at the world a little upside down.

Do I have a middle-grade novel in me someday? I hope so. I’d love to try my hand at adolescent fiction and non-fiction Christian living as well. But for now, I’m content writing what I love, which is children’s picture books.

What do you hope readers take away from your book?

I hope this is a book that changes parent-child relationships. I encounter too many parents who don’t stop to enjoy the few short years they have with their kids. Too many parents get wrapped up in their own lives and the interruptions kids inevitably are. But it’s those moments when we parents stop and get out of our own little zone that can be the most precious.

I want parents, particularly dads, to read this book and fall in love with their daughters all over again. I want daughters to feel deeply secure in their dads’ love for them. Daughters should know they will always have a partner, helper, and cheerleader in their dads.

Please add anything else that you feel is important to any interview about Under the Dancing Tree and about you as an author.

I love connecting with real people. So as you read Under the Dancing Tree feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts. What does the story mean to you? I’m always open to emails (chip@chipmattis.com), tweets (@chipmattis), or Facebook. I might have written this story for my family, but I’m sharing it with you. So please feel free to share with me.

Posted on

Under the Dancing Tree by Chip Mattis

Under the Dancing Tree is one of those rare picture books that caresses my heartstrings with the same tenderness of a harpist’s fingers creating a gentle glissando.

If you’re a parent or a grandparent, you may want to make this a new, favorite, read-aloud. I believe it launches on Amazon this week.

Synopsis

Opening with the picture of a tiny girl dancing under the willow tree in her yard, Mattis creates a variety of scenes throughout the book, depicting day-to-day life as the little girl grows up.  The willow tree is included in each stage of their lives, but the story, much like the song, “Butterfly Kisses,” is all about a father’s love for his daughter.

Pros

1. The art. I love the colors, the choice of subject, the tranquil atmosphere. Obviously, I am no art critic, but I know what I like.

2. The book is done in rhyme, not easy to do well. Chip Mattis does a good job with the rhythms he created, and again, I love the serene atmosphere that results from those rhythms.

3. I can see this title being passed from generation to generation, much as what has been done with Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Love You Forever gives us a completely different feel for everyday life within a family, but the message still matches Under the Dancing Tree–how much a parent loves his or her child.

Cons

Some readers may find the focus of Under the Dancing Tree too mild. No conflict. No problem to solve. However, conflict does exist–that ancient ache of a father knowing his little girl will grow up, and there’s nothing he can do to stop time.

Conclusion

Just as I read Love You Forever to my sons, and my sons read it to their little ones today, so do I expect that dads will read Under the Dancing Tree to their daughters. And may those little girls grow up, hand the book to their husbands, who will read it to their little girls.

 

Posted on

The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia Toney

Last month I interviewed one of the Scriblerians’ own, Cynthia Toney, regarding her Birdface series. Cynthia also has another book out which is historical fiction, and I loved the story. I don’t give five stars all that often, so you know it’s wonderful!

Synopsis

In a southern U.S. farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his Italian immigrant father become involved against their will in a crime that results in the murder of an innocent man and family friend. Amidst bigotry, bootlegging, police corruption, and gangland threats, Sal must discover whom he can trust in order to protect himself and his family and win back his father’s freedom. Sal’s family, their African-American farmhand, and the girl who is Sal’s best friend find their lives forever changed as dreams are shattered and attitudes challenged in a small community called Freedom.

Pros

1. Books set in America in the 1920s are not nearly as numerous as those set during World War II or the Civil War. Cynthia Toney brings the Prohibition Era to life, living in a time of gangsters  and graft.

2. The premise of the story is based on moral dilemma. A young teen finds there is no easy right or wrong answer as to what he should do. If he does what he knows is morally right, someone dies. If he compromises his values, evil continues, and he is guilty of allowing it to continue. Middle-graders are ready to confront ambiguities in life, and Cynthia Toney does a marvelous job of keeping Sal’s anguish at a gentle level rather than going at the problem with a battering ram.

3. The Other Side of Freedom has won several national awards with good reason. I’ve included a small portion of the list.

2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: 1st Place, Grand Prize Fiction, 1st Place, Children’s/Juvenile Fiction.

2018 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards: Gold Medal, Children: Coming of Age

2018 Literary Classics Book Awards: Gold, Upper Middle Grade, General and Gold, Upper Middle Grade, Historical.

Cons

What cons?

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Sal wanted to leave Freedom as soon as he was old enough?

2. Sal’s Uncle Enzo was both a friend and a mentor to him. Why was Sal so concerned for him?

3. Name something Sal chose to do that his parents would not have approved of. Why did he do it? Was that a good reason?

4. Why did Antonina’s father want her to stop being friends with Sal?

Conclusion

The Other Side of Freedom is a novel of struggle and hope, of friendships gained and friendships lost. With a boy as a main character and a girl as a strong secondary character, children of either gender will enjoy the book.

Posted on

3 Things to Forget by Cynthia T. Toney

We’re adding a new segment to Scriblerians book reviews–reviews on books written by the Scriblerians! Several of us have been very busy in the publishing world, and it’s time to crow a little over our successes.

Cynthia is one of the original Scriblerians, initiating a small critique group for yet-to-be-published young adult/middle grade authors. She is now multi-published. The Other Side of Freedom is an award-winning historical fiction, and 3 Things to Forget is the fourth and final book of her Bird Face series from Write Integrity Press. Read on to see what goes on in Cynthia’s writing process.

  1. What was the seed of this story? What got it started?

My main character, half-Cajun Wendy Robichaud, finally makes it to Alaska to see her dear friends Mrs. V and Sam. Readers particularly wanted to know more about Sam and how his friendship with Wendy would develop.

In Alaska, Wendy thinks she’s left behind the problems resulting from her mistakes in Louisiana and wants to forget them. But starting the summer at her friend Sam’s house and volunteering with Alaska Wildlife Conservation bring not only strange surroundings but also strangers into her life. And those strangers have a secret involving a troubled girl who threatens Wendy’s friendship with Sam.

As Wendy struggles to understand the Alaskans she meets and gets to know, she must also say good-bye to old friends she might never see again and decide whether to forget the past or to learn from it.

NOTE: While 3 Things to Forget concludes one season in Wendy’s life, each book in the series is easily read as a stand-alone. 

2. In your writing process, what was the balance between research and your own life experiences?

This novel required more research than the previous Bird Face books. I had traveled to the Anchorage area of Alaska years ago, but I did not visit the Wildlife Conservation Center that is featured in this story. I also sought help with depicting my Jewish characters. I had worked among deaf adults, so I had some knowledge of deaf culture, but I read other novels with deaf teen characters to try my best to portray them realistically.

3. Did you help design the cover or have any input regarding its concept?

No, I didn’t, but I liked this design right away when my publisher showed it to me. I offered more input for the previous Bird Face covers.

4. How do you come up with names for your characters?

Sometimes I use a name I’ve heard only once, but it has stayed with me. I use place names I’m familiar with for people and people names for places. Sometimes I use a surname for a first name or the other way around. I’ve even created character names that don’t seem to exist anywhere. I really admire the clever character names other authors create.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which one would it be and what would you do together?

It would have to be my main character, Wendy! I think we’d have fun riding bicycles or hiking through woods and trying to identify plants and animals.

6. Are you a plotter or a pantser? What works for you in that modality?

A little of both. I start with how I want the story to begin and to end. Then I create the most exciting middle I can think of for my main character’s predicament. My first drafts tend to be sparse, perhaps because I see so much in my mind’s eye but forget to write it all down for the reader. I’ve learned to expand my descriptions and my characters’ reactions. After the first two books, I was able to let my character start telling me what she’d do next!

7. What do you hope readers take away from your book?

That change is inevitable. Change in relationships, in family dynamics, in resources, and sometimes in physical environment. But God gives us the power to adapt, to find creative solutions, and to find acceptance and love.

Cynthia writes for tweens and teens to show them how wonderful, powerful, and valuable they are. Her interests are American Sign Language, Cajun and Italian culture, growing herbs, and rescuing dogs. She also enjoys studying the complex history of the friendly southern U.S., where she resides with her husband.

Posted on

Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris

Third in a series of reviews about deaf characters and their siblings, Of Sound Mind zeroes in on the burdens a CODA (child of deaf adults) carries when his parents cannot or will not connect with the hearing world.

Synopsis

Theo, a senior in high school, learned sign language before he learned to talk.. His mom is a famous artist—with a stereotypical temperament to match—and his dad is a carpenter. Both are deaf and rarely speak, which means Theo is their live-in interpreter. He hates the never-ending responsibility.  Then there’s Theo’s little brother Jeremy, who is also deaf.

A loner, Theo takes refuge in mathematics until he meets Ivy. Ivy lives with her deaf father, also serves as his interpreter on occasion, but she embraces the world with a vitality that Theo has never witnessed before. He’s smitten.

As he spends more and more time with Ivy, he meets her dad and the people she serves in her after-school catering business. She welcomes Theo’s family into her circle, especially Jeremy, who is one lonely little kid. Theo begins to dream he can break free of the family chains and actually attend MIT next year. Then his dad has a stroke, and the dream disintegrates. It’s Ivy who provides a solution to the dilemma, at which point Theo must come to terms with the flaws in himself.

Pros

  1. Jean Ferris provides the best view of Deaf Culture at home that I’ve ever read. She has Theo point out where hearing people commit errors in etiquette, from turning away while you’re speaking to grabbing a person’s hands who is signing.
  2. In life, people make choices as to how they will respond to the situations that come up. Ferris demonstrates how a hearing child living with deaf parents reacts in a variety of ways. Theo started to look at his life more optimistically with Ivy’s help. Ivy also had to face some of the negatives in her life, things she had repressed, covering them with an almost-manic desire to nurture others.

Cons

For some younger readers in this overlapping category of middle grade and young adult, the life issues that come up might be overwhelming. Theo’s mother is not in the least bit motherly, and his father dies. Ivy’s mother abandoned her.

Discussion questions

  1. If you were the only hearing person in your family, would you resent being given the job of interpreter for your parents and brothers and sisters, or would you be happy to help out every day?
  2. Why did Theo’s mother refuse to talk in public (and hardly ever at home either)?
  3. Why did Theo resent other people coming in to help his dad, even when they knew sign language?
  4. Theo decided to attend MIT in spite of everything that went wrong. Why did he make that decision?

Conclusion

With the best of intentions, people often fall into the trap of needing to be needed. Of Sound Mind teaches us how to climb out of that trap.

 

 

 

 

Posted on

…and now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold

The “coming-of-age” story. When a boy becomes a man.

…and now Miguel is a great read for boys ages nine through thirteen. Joseph Krumgold really gets into the head of a kid during that in-between age, wanting to be respected as a man yet child enough that he’s not quite ready for a man’s responsibilities.

Synopsis

Set in the Korean War era, the heart’s desire of Miguel Chavez is to be allowed to join the men when they take the sheep to the mountains. During his twelfth year, he meets every challenge to prove he is old enough to go with them. But his father says, “Not yet.” So Miguel prays to San Ysidro for a miracle allowing him to join the men. And his prayer is answered—only not in the way he would have desired.

Pros

  1. The novel peeks into the Hispanic-American culture giving children new insights.
  2. Krumgold teaches his readers all kinds of details about life on a sheep ranch. I learned a lot!

Cons

As a child, I might not have been interested in finishing the book because there is so much narrative. Dialogue exists, but not in the abundance of a modern novel.

Discussion Questions

  1. What is the difference between Pedro and Miguel?
  2. Why does Miguel respect his father? His grandfather? Gabriel?
  3. What is your opinion of Faustina?
  4. Name two ways that Miguel has begun to grow into a man by the end of the book.

Conclusion

Miguel’s moment of ultimate reality is this: we spend minutes upon minutes anticipating desired change. Change happens—for maybe one whole minute. After that, we live our changed lives minutes upon minutes.

This lesson is central to life, which is why …and now Miguel is a classic. For life is complicated. Even when you get your heart’s desire (glad), it may not be what you wanted (sorry). As Miguel’s father told him, “Always two things.”