Tag Archives: Sports

Spring Break #BookaDay Goals

1 Apr

I didn’t know if spring break would ever arrive, but it’s finally here!  Keith and I talked about going to Chicago for a few days, but because of the weather being a tad sketchy lately we decided to stay home.  I love taking trips with my husband, but I also love being at home with him while relaxing and reading.  Spring break officially starts tomorrow, but I’ve been organizing and starting my #bookaday goals this weekend.  I will admit, however, that I was pretty darn lazy yesterday (I slept for most of the day) and didn’t get much reading done.  The laziness has continued today, but I’m determined to finish a book!  I think I have my list pretty much narrowed down, even if it’s a lofty list.

A majority of the reading I’m doing this week is work-related.  When I say work-related, though, I’m referring to Y.A. titles I need to read for work, which is quite happy-making!  My freshmen are in the middle of reading Romeo & Juliet, but this year we’re including a group of Y.A. titles to read with To Kill a Mockingbird that fit with some of the themes and issues (prejudice, maturity, loss of innocence, etc.).  Most of them I’ve already read, but there are some titles that others in my department have read and I have not, or titles my friends on Twitter recommended when we were deciding on this list that I still need to read.

I’m also working on narrowing down ideas and titles for my Y.A. Lit II class that I’m teaching next year.  My goal for the class is that we’ll still read three novels as a class, but this time the novels will be genre-focused and the students will read an additional title that fits that genre.  I’ll be pretty flexible when it comes to which title they pick as their additional title, but I’d also like to have some new titles that the school can purchase extra copies of for my students.  I know for sure that we’re reading dystopian and fantasy, but I haven’t decided which genre to read for the third genre.  Historical fiction really isn’t very popular, but paranormal fantasy is, so I was thinking about  a title that mixes both of them.  Then I could allow students to choose either another like that or either a paranormal fantasy or a historical fiction title as their additional choice.  I was also thinking about verse novels even though I don’t consider those a genre.  I know sci-fi is a good choice, but I already have a hard enough time reading those that I don’t know if I really want to teach one.  I feel like a bad teacher saying that. :/

Anyway, the real reason behind this post, the books!

Timeless by Alexandra Monir (Goodreads)–The publicist sent this to me, so I’m reading it now and enjoying it so far.  I think there might be a giveaway in the near future as well!

Cover BittersweetBittersweet by Sarah Ockler (Goodreads)–My girls in book club chose this as our next title, and we’re meeting to discuss this after school on the Tuesday we get back from break.  I need to read it ASAP!  I started it a while ago and it’s pretty good, as I expected, so I’m looking forward to finishing it.

Book Cover Out of the PocketOut of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Goodreads)–Homosexuality isn’t an issue in To Kill a Mockingbird, but the prejudice involved compares with the prejudice in TKAM.  We also wanted to include some LGBT novels because it relates to some of our students and it’s often ignored or misunderstood.  There’s a good chance there will be upset parents, but we’re preparing ourselves for that.

Book Cover Marcelo in the Real WorldMarcelo in the Real World by Franciso X. Stork (Goodreads)–This is another title we’re using with our TKAM unit.  I think the students should read this book because we have some many autistic students in our building, and the summary makes me think of Boo.  I could be wrong, and that might be a stretch, but it still has many of the issues that TKAM does.

Book Cover StartersStarters by Lissa Price (Goodreads)–I’m thinking about this for my dystopian unit in Y.A. II.  I’ve heard great things about it, so I’m excited to try it.  I hope it’s as good as everyone says it is!

Book Cover The Girl of Fire and ThornsThe Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Goodreads)–I have this at school right now, so I bought a copy for my Kindle.  Ever since I challenged myself to read more fantasy, I’ve found that I really enjoy it.  I’ve read mostly good reviews for this debut.  One of my freshmen read it and asked about the second book as soon as she returned it because she enjoyed it so much.  I hope it’s a winner because I’m considering this for the Y.A. II class.  I’m trying to choose a novel that’s newer for this genre study because I have so many avid fantasy readers, and it’s difficult to find a book that none of them have read.  Or at least most of them haven’t read.

This is a pretty ambitious list considering I still have a number of plans this week which involve travel, so I don’t know if I’ll actually read all of these in a day each, but I’m going to try!  I challenged my students to try #bookaday, even if it meant reading 20 pages, one book, or five books.  I hope they update me in the comments of this post, or at least have some exciting stories to tell me when we return from break.  Are any of you on spring break and setting up a reading challenge?  Have you already had spring break?  I know not all of my readers get a spring break, so maybe you’ve read some of these books.  I’d love to hear from you! :)

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

26 Mar

Title:Catching Jordan

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: December 1st, 2011

Interest: 2011 Debut Author / Student Recommended

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starting position… suddenly she’s hoping he’ll see her as more than just a teammate.

When Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally released all I found were positive reviews, so I knew it was a book to buy for my classroom.  I bought Catching Jordan for my classroom back in January, and I haven’t had a chance to read it myself since then!  Every time one of my girls reads and returns it, another girl is standing right there waiting to read it next.  The only reason I was able to read Catching Jordan this weekend is because one of my girls in my 5th hour (our last hour of the day), finished it and handed it back to me.  I quickly stashed it in my bag and the rest is history.

Miranda Kenneally’s debut novel is a quick read that teens obviously love based on what I’m seeing in my classroom.  It has plenty of appeal including sports, friendships, love and relationships, etc.  Most of my girls that have been reading it are very active in sports, but my romance fans have been picking this up as well.  I like the balance of sports and romance because many of my girls ask me for books without too much love.  Based on the amount of football scenes and references, I might even attempt to have one of my boys in class read Catching Jordan.  I teach primarily freshmen, and many of my boys are self-conscious about this sort of thing but it’s worth a shot.  I think some of them would genuinely like it.

I’d like to ask my students what they think of Jordan.  I love her dedication to football and her teammates; her actions as captain are believable and realistic.  I felt for her in regards to her wanting/needing her dad’s attention.  She’s really hurt that her dad doesn’t appreciate all of her hard work and skill in football.  When she meets Ty, she keeps telling herself that she doesn’t want to lose her focus and get too wrapped up in him.  I like this about Jordan, even if this does happen to some degree.  I did worry about her and how quickly their relationship becomes a sexual one.  Part of me thinks I feel this way because of how their relationship is written and how fast that part of the story progresses.  I also didn’t see Jordan acting that way based on what I knew about her at that point in the story.

Speaking of Ty, I definitely liked him and understand why Jordan is attracted to him.  He’s a talented athlete, even if she’s threatened by him, he’s loyal to his family, and he’s really attractive.  I enjoyed getting to know him with Jordan, but I kept wondering about her best friend Henry.  He’s always there for Jordan and sticking up for her.  It’s obvious that he really understands her, and I kept wanting to steer Jordan towards him!  The scenes with Jordan and Henry made me think of my best guy friend in high school.  I kept thinking about him as I was reading this and it made me wonder if maybe he liked me more than as a friend.  He’d come to our house all the time and even called my mom “Mom” although he never slept over.  Another guy I like in Catching Jordan is Jordan’s brother, Mike.  It’s nice to see an older brother character that’s supportive and looks out for his sister.

I’m looking forward to reading more of Miranda Kenneally‘s books in the future.  Catching Jordan is a really cute book that appeals to a variety of readers.  I’m happy I read it and look forward to recommending it to more of my students.

Review–Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

19 Mar

Curveball: The Year I Lost My GripTitle: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, 285 pages

Author: Jordan Sonnenblick

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Interest: Sports / Guy appeal

Release Date: March 1, 2012

Source: ARC received at the ALAN Conference

Summary (From Goodreads): Sometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field.  Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls’ swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class? In his new novel, teen author Jordan Sonnenblick performs his usual miraculous feat: exploring deep themes of friendship, romance, family, and tragedy, while still managing to be hilariously funny.

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick is the first book I’ve read by this author.  A friend of mine told me that she read After Ever After to one of her classes, but other than that I haven’t heard much about Jordan Sonnenblick’s work.  After reading Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, I feel let down that I didn’t know about his other books before.  I adored this book.  I loved the characters, the plot, the balance of sports and family and art, everything.  I just looked up some of Jordan Sonnenblick’s other books and found them at my local Barnes & Noble, which means I have a trip to the book store scheduled for today.  If his other books are great like Curveball, then I can’t go wrong!

Like I said, I love the characters.  Usually when I can’t finish a book, it’s because I don’t connect with the characters.  Peter is a likeable character.  He’s entering his freshman year of high school, and he and his best friend A.J. have big plans.  Peter and A.J. have always played baseball together, and they know they can dominate in high school.  Sadly, Peter’s dreams of playing high school baseball are crushed because of an injury.  This unfortunate injury really sets the pace for Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, because at the very beginning of a new chapter in Peter’s life, he is forced to change more than he planned.  Peter has always identified himself as a baseball player, but now he doesn’t know what to do or who he’s going to be.  Thankfully he has his grampa (an odd spelling, but that’s how it’s spelled in the book), who is a well known photographer.  Peter’s grampa has been teaching him about photography for almost as long as Peter has been playing baseball, so it’s second nature to him.  No more baseball and a depressed Peter leads him to taking a photography class (so he can find something else to focus on) where he meets the lovely Angelika.  Jordan Sonnenblick has a great cast of characters here.  A.J. is completely focused on him and Peter playing baseball together, but Peter can’t find the words to break the bad news to him.  He’s not an overly heavy presence in the book, but when he’s in a scene with Peter, it’s great and usually funny–especially when A.J. wants to give Peter love advice.  Angelika is Peter’s love interest, and while she makes him incredibly nervous, she’s very level-headed and really helps Peter.

While I love all the characters, I need to touch on Peter a little more.  He’s obviously a very talented baseball player, but he’s also very talented in the field of photography.  I love this balance because a majority of the YA I’ve read usually focuses on one ability, like art for example.  Because Peter can’t play baseball anymore, he needs to find a new focus and consequently finds that he’s really good at photography after everything his grandfather has taught him.  Teens who enjoy reading about sports will still enjoy Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip because even though Peter isn’t playing baseball anymore, it’s still a big part of who he is and also because he takes pictures at sporting events.  Peter is simply an endearing character.  He’s loyal to his family and friends and really cares about them.  Readers will love him.

Sonnenblick tackles some big issues in this book, but he does a fantastic job of balancing these issues with humor.  Not all of the humor is laugh out loud funny, but it’s enough to make a reader giggle.  In one scene, for example, Peter’s talking to Angelika and getting ready to take some photos of her.  “‘I think it makes sense to try for some, uh, full-body shots’–UGH, that sounded sleazy–’and then, if we don’t like what we’re getting, we can get a little closer in.  With this telephoto lens, I mean.  Not like I’d be, uh, getting closer to you. Uh.’ That’s great, I thought. End a freaking sentence with ‘Uh,’ why don’t you?  Smooth.“  Peter’s insecurity around Angelika really brought out some fantastically funny lines and scenes.  A.J.’s advice is an excellent source of humor.  “‘Because, as your wingman and personal hormonal advisor, I have to analyze your moves, her countermoves, your counter-countermoves, her counter-counter-countermoves. . . . Wow, this is really complicated stuff.  Maybe we should stop by Staples on the way home so I can buy a clipboard and some graph paper.”  I read this part at the end of SSR, and one of my freshmen noticed my smiling and giggling to myself.  He asked about it, so I read it to my class.  Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip has been added to my future read alouds list because the characters in this book are funny and their voices are very well defined.

I don’t want to get into the heavier topics because it will spoil a big part of the book.  If you want to read a novel full of humor and heart, then I can’t recommend Jordan Sonnenblick’s newest novel enough.  I absolutely love Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip and can’t wait to read more of his books.

Review: Boy21 by Matthew Quick

9 Mar

BOY21 CoverTitle: Boy21, 256 pages

Author: Matthew Quick

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: March 5th, 2012

Interest: Diversity / Sports / Guy appeal

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads):

Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights and Finley is left alone to take care of his disabled grandfather. He’s always dreamed of somehow getting out, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. The life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won’t pick up a basketball, and yet answers only to the name Boy21—taken from his former jersey number.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21″ may turn out to be the answer they both need. Matthew Quick, the acclaimed author of Sorta Like a Rock Star, brings readers a moving novel about hope, recovery, and redemption.

Plain and simple, Boy21 is a GREAT book.  I was on the search for a quality read aloud for my freshmen English classes, so I picked up Boy21 on a whim.  I wanted to read it anyway, but I kept thinking about my 3rd hour freshmen class that’s primarily boys who don’t enjoy reading.  Boy21 seemed like the perfect fit for them, so I went with my hunch and started reading it.  As soon as I read the first couple chapters I knew I made the right decision.

Finley’s voice really stands out on the page, which is ironic considering he doesn’t like to talk much.  He actually reminds me a little bit of Lucky Linderman from Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King.  Both Lucky and Finley have a sort of innocence about them.  They both have trouble speaking up for themselves, and they also want what’s best for those around them.  Just like Lucky, Finley is an admirable character.

One of the reasons I like Finley is because he’s so loyal to his friends, coach, and family.  When his coach approaches him about helping Boy21 (Russ), Finley doesn’t hesitate to offer his help.  He trusts his coach, so even though he worries that Russ could take his starting position on the basketball team, he still tries to make friends with Russ.  Russ has an obsession with space and refers to himself as Boy21, but he and Finley pair up well.  They’re both amazing basketball players, even though Russ doesn’t show this right away, and they both deal with unfair treatment.  They’re both treated poorly for different reasons, much of which is based on race and rivalry, but it still serves as a bond.  After a startling and tragic turn of events, Finley really grows as a character.  His loyalties are tested and he begins to doubt what’s truly important in his life.  He begins to question his life, where it’s going–if anywhere–and what really happened years ago that caused him to be such a quiet, good kid.  I love being able to witness this kind of characterization, which is one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed Matthew Quick’s novel so much.

Boy21 by Matthew Quick is a novel that appeals to a variety of readers.  My basketball players and sports fiction fans will enjoy the basketball scenes and references in Boy21.  My fans of great contemporary realistic fiction will recognize what a superb example this is of that genre.  Readers will connect with Finley, Erin, and Russ.  They’ll feel the tension and suspense, they’ll laugh out loud, and they might even cry (I did).

Book Trailer Thursday (54)–BOY21 by Matthew Quick

23 Feb

I’m sick with a cold, so I’m keeping this post simple today.  Hopefully next week I’ll have more energy for my post!

Summary (From Goodreads): Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights and Finley is left alone to take care of his disabled grandfather. He’s always dreamed of somehow getting out, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. The life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won’t pick up a basketball, and yet answers only to the name Boy21—taken from his former jersey number.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21″ may turn out to be the answer they both need. Matthew Quick, the acclaimed author of Sorta Like a Rock Star, brings readers a moving novel about hope, recovery, and redemption.

 

Waiting on Wednesday–Boy21 by Matthew Quick

25 Jan

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

Embarrassing fact–I haven’t read Sorta Like a Rock Star which is Matthew Quick’s first novel.  I really don’t have an excuse for I haven’t read it yet either.  I received Boy21 over the summer, but have been waiting to read it closer to the release date.  I have a boy in my Y.A. Lit class who’s eating up my sports fiction and pretty much everything else I recommend.  I handed him my ARC the other day and noticed today that he has mere pages left.  I’m guessing he likes it!  I’m looking forward to hearing his thoughts and reading it myself.  I hope you add it to your TBR list :)

Title & Author: Boy21 by Matthew Quick

Release Date: March 5th, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary (From Goodreads): Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights and Finley is left alone to take care of his disabled grandfather. He’s always dreamed of somehow getting out, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. The life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won’t pick up a basketball, and yet answers only to the name Boy21—taken from his former jersey number.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21″ may turn out to be the answer they both need. Matthew Quick, the acclaimed author of Sorta Like a Rock Star, brings readers a moving novel about hope, recovery, and redemption. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Underrated Books

9 Aug

I’m switching things up this week by participating in the weekly meme Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.  I’m not going meme-crazy this week, so I’ll probably skip Waiting on Wednesday tomorrow since I’m doing this today.  I do have reviews to write…

ANYWAY, I saw the topic for this one–Underrated Books–and felt the need to participate.  I love paranormal YA just as much as the next YA reader, but realistic fiction simply doesn’t get enough attention.  This post is all about my top ten realistic fiction picks that deserve more press, readers, attention, etc.

My Top 10 List of The Most Underrated (Contemporary/Realistic) YA Titles
(In no particular order)

1.  Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell (Goodreads): This was released a few years ago, but I just found it a few weeks ago.  It’s full of wit, humor, and heart.  It deals with issues like self-esteem, fitting in, self-identity, etc.  It’s a book that’s hard to put down and one you won’t easily forget.  I can’t wait to introduce my students to this awesome novel.

2.  Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard (Goodreads): I’m just about finished with this 2011 debut and I can’t understand why I haven’t read more reviews for this book.  I know quite a few YA bloggers are adults, myself included, but if they’re reading and loving YA books, why haven’t they read and reviewed Like Mandarin?!  I know we can’t read them all, but this is a stellar YA title.  If you are ever wondering what book you should recommend to a freshmen/sophomore girl, please hand them this book.  I see girls like Grace EVERY DAY at school.  The girls who just want to fit in.  The girls who are incredibly gifted, but are afraid to show it.  The girls who want to break out of their shell.  I need to save some of this for my review, but to make it simple, I’m going to talk this book up like crazy when the school year starts.  This book definitely needs more attention.

3.  Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman (Goodreads): I think I’ve read one review for this book.  ONE.  Shawn Goodman works in juvenile detention centers which is where his inspiration for this book came from.  I decided to read Something Like Hope when I came home from work and found it in my mailbox.  The only reason I put it down was because I simply had to sleep so I could function at work the next day.  My first couple of classes the next day had SSR longer than normal because I couldn’t stop reading Shavonne’s story.  I cried at the end, and thankfully I finished reading it during my prep.  Twitter was on fire this summer over the dark YA controversy.  This book is written for those teens.  It’s also written for the teens who want to understand their troubled peers.  I can’t wait to read another book by Shawn Goodman because he knows exactly how to tell the stories of teens who often fall to the wayside.

4. Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach (Goodreads): Honestly, this book might get more attention than I think it does, but I still feel like it should be on this list so it gets more attention.  Geoff Herbach hit the nail on the head when he wrote Stupid Fast.  It’s the PERFECT book for teen guys who like sports, but it’s also the perfect book for teen guys who are awkward and feel out of place.  I love the writing and Felton’s asides as he’s narrating.  The humor is fantastic–I laughed constantly.  Seriously, this is a gem of a book that deserves more attention.

5. Party by Tom Leveen (Goodreads): I read this 2010 debut last summer and really enjoyed it.  There’s an end-of-school party and each of the characters in the book gets a chapter devoted to them from their perspective.  This ended up being one of the more popular additions to my classroom library last school year.  I think it’s because of the switching in perspective.  Since we’re experiencing the story through so many different characters, it gives us the opportunity to see the whole picture.  It also gives readers the chance to see that parties and people aren’t always what they seem.

6. Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn (Goodreads): I read this one the summer after I graduated from college, which was really fortunate because I had it for my classroom library (it was so small then!) when I was hired at Clio.  Unfortunately, women often become the victims of domestic abuse; it’s even sadder when teenage girls are abused by their boyfriends.  There are books like Dreamland by Sarah Dessen and But I Love Him by Amanda Grace that deal with this issue from the girl’s perspective.  Alex Flinn wrote the story of an abusive relationship from the guy’s point of view.  We see the story from present day forward, and also from when Nick and Caitlin started dating up until the present via Nick’s journals.  I teach this book in my Young Adult Lit course and it’s always interesting to hear what my students have to say.  Some of them end up with conflicting feelings for Nick.  Some start questioning their own relationships.  It recently received a new cover, so maybe it will get a little more attention.

7. Sold by Patricia McCormick (Goodreads): Not only is this book beautifully written in vignettes, a first for Patricia McCormick, it tells a very important story about a girl from Nepal sold into prostitution.  I read this in one sitting.  What Lakshmi goes through is horrifying.  McCormick wrote this story in such a way that you certainly know what’s happening to Lakshmi, but it’s not overly detailed.  It’s a powerful story of survival and hope.

8. Right Behind You by Gail Giles (Goodreads): This is a book that I read during my first year of teaching and quickly discovered that it’s a home run book for many of my reluctant male readers.  The story will grab you within the first couple pages when Kip tells you that he set another boy on fire.  The book follows Kip’s life from that moment on–when he’s at a juvenile detention center and as he’s trying to start his life over.  One of my boys even admitted to crying when he read this one.

9. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy (Goodreads): This is a spring 2011 debut and it’s utterly fantastic.  Ellie Taylor is a girl who knows where she stands and speaks up for herself.  She loves public speaking and wants to attend a prestigious high school that will broaden her horizons.  To help improve her chances of getting into the school, she goes to a Christian camp where she’ll compete in a public speaking competition.  The prize is a scholarship to this school.  The problem Ellie faces is that she’s Jewish, and she comes to suspect that the scholarship benefactor may not be okay with this.  I was so impressed by Amy Fellner Dominy’s writing.  This is a wonderful, character-driven story dealing with tough issues gracefully. Without a doubt, I’ll be reading more of her books.

10. Paper Towns by John Green (Goodreads): I know John Green is a very popular author, and deservedly so, but I don’t know if Paper Towns really gets the attention it deserves.  It’s full of Green’s usual fantastic wit and humor.  I love the sense of adventure in this book.  Quentin is kind of nerdy, but so very awesome.  And while I love Looking for Alaska, I think I like that Margo isn’t really present in most of the book.  It gives us a chance to really get to know Quentin.  In LfA, Alaska has a real influence on Pudge and how he acts.  This isn’t a bad thing, but it was nice getting to know Quentin without the direct influence of Margo.


Students Want to Know: Geoff Herbach

6 Jun

I’m very excited about this Students Want to Know post.  Geoff has written an utterly fantastic debut that appeals to both guys and girls.  Stupid Fast has been a home run book for my reluctant boys because of its humor, sports theme, and honesty.

This is a long interview, but one of my boys that read it really enjoyed it and had great questions for Geoff.  Thank you for doing this with my students, Geoff, and taking the time to answer Adam’s questions!  If you’d like to win a copy of Stupid Fast, fill out the form at the end of the interview.

Summary (From Goodreads): Fifteen-year-old Felton Reinstein has always been on the smallish side, but in his sophomore year he starts growing…and growing.

During gym one day he smokes the football jocks in a 600-yard race. Felton has never been interested in sports, but there’s no doubt-he is “stupid fast.” As he juggles his newfound athletic prowess, his mom’s sudden depression, an annoying little brother, and his first love, he discovers a shocking secret about his past which explains why he’s turning out the way he is.

** Geoff’s Website **
** Add Stupid Fast on Goodreads **
** My review of Stupid Fast **
** Stupid Fast is in stores now!! **

Adam:

  • Where did you get the inspiration for the plot?
    In some ways, I got the plot from my own history.  I was a pretty weird kid who sort of found myself in sports.  The only time my crazy, yappy brain shut up was while playing sports.  I wasn’t Felton good, but pretty good.  I’ve been thinking for years about a story of a kid with many more problems than I had and also huge ability and how that might play out.  A couple of years ago when I thought of the title Stupid Fast, it all fell into place.  Here’s a kid who does exactly what comes naturally to him and that reveals the truth of his life.
  • I thought Andrew’s persona was hilarious.  The way he said whatever he wanted and his antics to get attention from Jerri was super funny, especially when he burnt his clothes up. Did you know somebody like Andrew that you used to work off of?
    I’ve known a couple of people who are sort of like Andrew.  I love mega-geeks who are fearless about who they are.  It would never occur to Andrew to be anyone but who he is.  He is the opposite of angsty.  One day on public radio I heard an interview of a young musician and the kid said something like, “Yes, I like music, but I might want to be a zoo keeper, except I don’t like poop, because it smells bad.”  I thought, ooh.  I have to use that.  That’s perfect.
  • To me, the setting seemed like pure farm land.  Why did you choose this setting?
    I grew up in Platteville, Wisconsin, which shares a lot of attributes with Bluffton.  What I wanted to get across about these little towns is that they are on one hand exactly what you’d expect (farms, a little rough, a little boring), but also changing and multi-cultural and connected to the big world (especially through cable and internet).  I know these places well.  I live in one today.  Mankato, Minnesota, where I teach college is also both small and dynamic and interesting.
  • Why did you choose the piano as the instrument that Andrew and Aleah shared in common?
    My dad was a really good pianist.  He showed me a lot of good classical music when I was growing up.  I felt like I knew enough about the instrument and the music to write well about it.
  • How come Jerri didn’t want her kids to call her “Mom”?
    It was part of her half-baked politics.  She wanted her kids to see themselves as equals with her and not part of a power dynamic.  I know people who raised kids similarly.  It didn’t do the kids any harm (except making them seem a little weird to others).  Funniest thing I remember about a kid (several years younger than me) who called his parents by first name: When he three or four-years-old, after he used the bathroom, he would shout, “Bill, Mary, please wipe my bottom!”  It totally killed me.  I’d fall on the floor laughing (even though I was like seven at the time).
  • How did you come up with the nicknames for the different stereotypes of people in the town like “honkies”?
    With the nicknames, I wanted them to sound inflammatory, like the dorky Felton and Gus were really trying to be mean, but also show they had no idea about why these names would be inflammatory.  Gus and Felton are teetering between childhood and adulthood.  They’re really sort of innocent.  So, they call one group honkies (although they don’t know why) and another group poop stinkers, which is totally childish.  I also find Gus and Felton hilarious, so the names have to be funny!
  • Are you working on any other books?
    I’m working on a follow-up to Stupid Fast (due to my editor in one month!?) that is more focused on Andrew.  It’s called Nothing Special.
  • I really think this should be an award-winning book (when it officially comes out).  What was your goal for this book when you first started?  What is your goal for it now that you’re done?
    Wow, thank you!  I really just wanted to tell a good, simple, funny story (my first novel for adults is this complex form that I think gets a little lost).  I still just want people to be entertained and to care about the characters. But, yeah, my experience with decent fiction is that it makes me more compassionate, helps me understand the world better.  So, if Stupid Fast can do that for a few people, I’ll be pretty psyched.
  • Did you intend for this book to be more about football and Felton finding his gift, or the relationship side of it?
    I think the football story ends up being a way to get into the relationships.  Football is a trigger for Jerri, for Felton getting to know Cody, for Felton having the confidence to speak to Aleah.  Felton finding himself allows for the other things to happen.  So, it’s about both sides, but the important stuff is on the relationship side (Felton will one day grow old and not be Stupid Fast, but those relationships are lasting).
  • What authors do you recommend that write like you or about the same topics?
    I’m a big fan of John Green.  I haven’t read a lot of Chris Crutcher, but I’m on it!  I really enjoyed Gae Polisner’s The Pull of Gravity.  When I was a teen, I read Vision Quest by Terry Davis, which was the first book that showed me that sports topics can tell deeper stories.   Also, I watched the movie The Breakfast Club the other day and realized how hugely influenced I’ve been by 80s John Hughes movies.  Probably shouldn’t throw that in, huh?

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Payback Time by Carl Deuker

24 Apr

Carl Deuker Payback Time

280 pp.  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children  2010

Summary (From Goodreads): Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel.  When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least not one he is willing to discuss.  Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel’s incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field.  Is he an undercover cop, wonders Mitch?  Or an ineligible player?  In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is and what he’s done.  In the end, the truth surprises everyone.

I’ve heard wonderful things about Carl Deuker’s books, so I decided it was finally time to read one.  I bought Night Hoops a while ago and it’s currently sitting on my Mrs. A Needs to Read shelf.  I don’t know why I haven’t read that one yet, but I saw Payback Time and decided to give it a go.  I’m glad that I did because my sports fans and football players in class will most likely enjoy it.

Mitch is an aspiring journalist that wants to write about serious topics in hopes that it will help build his portfolio to impress prestigious universities.  When he finds out that he isn’t going to be the editor of his school’s paper, he’s extremely disappointed.  To add salt to the wound, he’s been assigned the sports section.  Mitch is overweight, and while he enjoys sports, being teased about his weight has kept him from participating.  This isn’t exactly a match made in heaven, but he decides to take his new role seriously.

This is where the story really gets rolling.  Mitch is starting the school year by writing stories about the varsity football season.  He attends a practice to interview the team’s star, Horst Diamond and Coach McNulty.  While there, Mitch and his photographer, Kimi, spot Angel Marichal who appears to be quite the player himself.  Mitch isn’t really interested in giving more attention to Horst than needed, and when he asked McNulty about Angel, Mitch is told that Angel isn’t worth interviewing or paying attention to.  So despite the fact that Angel appears to have quite the arm, he’s benched and almost never put on the field.

Mitch’s journalistic side gets the better of him because he knows there’s a story about Angel, so he and Kimi start digging.  The story takes off and we get a mix of Mitch and Kimi looking up information about Angel, Mitch trying to lose weight and feel comfortable in his own skin, and getting play-by-plays as Mitch watches and reports the football games.  Teens who enjoy a good mystery will like the hunt for Angel’s story.  Readers who like books about teens with body issues will enjoy Mitch’s personal story.  And the sports fans are sure to enjoy the play-by-plays.

Deuker has written a fast-paced book which I enjoyed.  I skimmed over most of the “what’s happening on the field” sections because I’m not interested in that, even though I know some readers are.  I enjoyed Mitch’s personal story, but it felt detached from the rest of the book.  His running route is what brought him to Angel’s neighborhood and sparked more curiousity about him, but besides that and a few small parts in the book, I didn’t really see the point of adding it to the story.  The climax of the story was exciting, but the ending left me disappointed.  It was rushed and felt disconnected from the book.

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