The Smell or the Burn?

When speaking to my colleagues about these novels - we all have the same reaction. Meh.

Burn Baby Burn did not appeal or catch our attention. Some of us found the characters and plot somewhat stereotypical and predictable. None of us were engaged and committed to this novel. In fact, I found myself skipping several pages just to get through the text.

As for The Smell of Other People’s Houses, we were a bit more engaged with the setting and the character development. In our conversations, we talked about wanting to travel to Alaska based on the description of the setting. We did discuss that there were too many perspectives that detracted from the message of the text. We believed that to focus on one or two perspectives would have lent to deeper storytelling.  For myself, I had a difficult time engaging with some characters, until the end of the novel and then wished that the author focused more on Ruth’s grandmother.

For our Hillcrest and Dan Knott group - we vote for The Smell of Other People’s Houses.

A couple of us had a hard time deciding which book to vote for and came in willing to
go with themajority. It turned out there wasn’t a strong majority, we really enjoyed both
books. They both feature brave, empowered, flawed, female leads. They were both hard
to put down (Dianne protests that she could have put Hate down at many points in the
middle).

Holding up the Universe was especially compelling. The main characters, Libby and Jack,
have problems we’d never have - fattest teen in America and profound face blindness -
but we could relate to them. Most of us hide parts of ourselves and work to adapt to cover
our weaknesses. We felt their struggles and had empathy for them. Not only do we not
have prosopagnosia, we didn’t even know what it was. Curiosity about that was one of
things that kept us reading. The novel inspired us to want to learn more about
prosopagnosia and the book Libby was obsessed with. But let’s face it, we’re busy
teachers, none of us actually got around to doing the research. Still, we’d like to know
more (some day, when we have spare time - stop laughing!). We wonder about the title
and its reference. Can some LA teacher explain it to us?

The Hate U Give brought an issue that’s often in the news to life and personalized it. We
have a better appreciation for the realities this culture faces. On the other hand, the
situations were so far out of our realm of our experience, it was hard for most of us to
relate. A typical Canadian teen will not identify with the characters’ experiences. Some
will have experienced subtle forms of racism and may see this as an affirmation of their
struggles though. Angie Thomas also presents two strong, black, male role models at
different extremes - the rebel and the rule follower. This novel is important, it’s topical,
and timely, and shines a spotlight on a world we should learn more about it, but there
were slow spots. As a result, our scales tipped in favour of Holding Up the Universe.

Ottewell - Renee, Deb, Dianne and Alisha

Richard Secord - Jill
Shauna May Seneca - Linda and Bernadette

Scythe vs Refugee

For me this is an easy choice. I have been a Neil Shusterman fan for many years and this novel is just as engaging as his previous books have been.  I enjoy the complex worlds that are created and the way in which the characters are forced to face problems and issues that are not that far removed from our own issues.

I understand that Refugee is also a strong book that is also accessible to many students but when I read it I was not as drawn to the plot as I was with Scythe.  Therefore  my vote is for Scythe.

OCDaniel vs The Girl in the Blue Coat

Despite the fact that all of us thought “OCDaniel” was quite good and would likely appeal to young readers, “Girl in the Blue Coat” won out with all four of our votes! “OCDaniel” is a nice story, that also touches on a mental health issue that we don’t often hear as much about, in OCD. Being written by someone who has OCD, it adds veracity to the story, and an emotional hook for the book. Aside from that, it manages to stuff a whole ton of genre conventions into one novel, in a way that (mostly) doesn’t feel overwrought or overfull. You have a quirky love story, mystery plot, sports underdog story and Daniel coming to terms with his condition. It was a fast read, that as discussed by other groups, may also appeal to reluctant readers. However, despite all of this, it didn’t blow any of us away, and the promising mystery was a little too cleanly solved. It is not as though any of us want to be storm clouds on the happy ending here, but the resolution is so clean for all the story arcs, that we felt a little grey may have made for a stronger message. In addition, while I noted earlier that the multiple genre conventions weren’t necessarily overwhelming, in a short text, it made it hard to dig into any one aspect. With all of that (mostly) praise for what was the loser, let’s get onto the real thing!

I was more hesitant about “Girl in the Blue Coat”, despite strong reviews from previous groups, because I feel that WW2 fiction and “_____ Girl” or “The _____ Girl” novels have been somewhat done to death. In addition to this, I thought the cover art left much to be desired, and certainly didn’t look like anything I would pick up unprompted, (acknowledging, of course, what a sin it is that I judged a book by it’s cover). This, at least for me, then, left me surprised when I actually cracked it, and realized why the adage holds true. I am certainly glad I picked it up! It focused on telling unique small stories in a way that attempts to be historically accurate, while shrouding itself in an engaging larger mystery. It was powerful and poignant, with engaging characters and a fast-moving plot that drew us in. The writing overall, was a strong point, and we felt that the protagonist would be relatable for younger readers. One interesting point of discussion we had about the novel, was how accurate the teenage behaviour was for the time, as one of our group felt that they behaved too much like 2018 teenagers situated in that context. That being said, this could help young readers place themselves within the novel, and lead to more readership! Overall, it was a great story that we are happy to pass along!

posted by LauraJ on behalf of Ben S

Burn baby Burn VS The Smell of Other People's Houses

Well, after first reading The Smell of Other People's Houses, I assumed that it would have been the winner.  But you know what they say, you can't judge a book by its cover (or it's summary or a cursory flip through).  We got to know the MANY characters in The Smell of Other People's Houses and I found it interesting to learn about the time period, but Burn Baby Burn was a richer read.  It wrapped up a little to neat and tidy for me, but overall I felt that the writing was better and the characters seemed very realistic and representational of  kids that we have all met. 

Burn Baby Burn is my winner. 

A challenge to choose....

 


I am continuing my theme of not engaging in an email dialogue with my team before I blog and provide my pick - sorry team.

SCYTHE: Humans have conquered hunger, disease, war, and death itself. Scythes are the only ones who are commanded to kill to keep the world at an ideal population. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. Told through different points of view, the reader is drawn into the characters' world and may be forced to examine "what does it mean to be human if we cannot die?".

REFUGEE: A historical novel that shares three stories of families that are desperate to change their future. These stories tug at your heart and mind. The hopes and trauma of escaping your home country are poignantly and respectfully explored.

Choosing a book to continue is a challenge. I can see how both books could support much discussion and exploration of what it means to be human. However, a vote must be given - my vote is for Scythe.

Maureen

Smackdown the 8th - Round 3

By Van, Debbie, Anna and Cristina

OCDaniel                                  vs      The Girl in the Blue Coat

             

It was the weirdest start to a round we’ve had yet as the four of us had just read OCDaniel in the previous round.  So...here’s what we had to say about the battle with The Girl in the Blue Coat.

Vanessa and Deb: This is a tough one for us.  Both books were great in their own right but the subject matter is soooo different that we liked them for different reasons. AND... as weIl, we think about who we would recommend the books to, it might be 2 different kinds of kid.  So, for Van, I am going rogue because I am not a fan of historical fiction and I it was an effort for me to start the Girl in the Blue Coat but...it’s going to be my vote. For Deb, she is not going rogue because she does like historical fiction. The story took place in Amsterdam instead of Germany and although it was about the German Invasion, it was also a mystery and focused on the ingenuity of the people to evade capture. Van and Deb are voting Blue in this election!

Cristina: If we are basing our judgement on how well these two VERY DIFFERENT books presented a common theme, it would have to be a journey around an isolated one becoming connected to the world and pushing onward. Girl in the Blue Coat ticks all my boxes. A damaged heroine fighting through impossible barriers to achieve something and in the end, coming to grips with her own pain and scars. It's why Wolf by Wolf was MY STORY in 2017. Hanneke is I think, a raw glimpse into the hearts of so many people who initially feel comfort in their own silo, but can no longer swallow the horrors going on around them and so, the struggle to protect themselves OR to take a stand against obvious injustice burns inside of them. How many times have we felt a tiny fraction of this struggle?

This book gripped me from the first chapter. OCDaniel is an excellent book, and it is worth reading and talking about to any kid who'd listen to me, but I'm smacking it down and choosing Girl in the Blue Coat as my winner.

Vanessa: OOOO nicely put Cristina!

Anna: OCDaniel was very good, but I loved the Girl in the Blue Coat. Excellent WWII story reflecting the injustices - atrocities of war and what needed to be done to survive. The main character, Hanneke, is relentless and determined to find answers to things that don’t make any sense to her. The end was so unexpected - what a twist! Smacking down - Girl in the Blue Coat!

So there you have it, Team SweetGrass/Strembitsky/Westlawn are moving Girl in the Blue Coat to the next round!