Harry Ainlay - Darius

At Harry Ainlay, we vote for Darius the Great is Not Okay. We felt that the novel showed strong characterization, relationships between parent/child, friendship, and facing mental health challenges. We enjoyed the cultural perspective too.

Far From The Tree Far Better Than OK

Almost exactly three months ago (and, brothers and sisters, those have been three long months) we pushed forward Darius The Great is Not Ok over Saints and Misfits. The title of the post was “Darius is Not Great, but Pretty Ok” which is about as lame a recommendation as you are going to get from this writer. So, needless to say it wasn’t going to take a real masterwork to take Darius down for us this round. Far From The Tree is not the best book I’ve read in this year’s Smackdown - that honor goes to Poet X - but I really enjoyed it on a number of levels and I think it is a book that would speak to a lot of kids. The premise of the novel itself -long lost siblings find each other and themselves - probably wouldn’t do much for me if it was just described to me, but I think the author was able to use that basic story-line to navigate through some terrain that we all tread at some point in our lives. When I first saw the title I actually assumed it was a young-adultized version of Andrew Solomon’s non-fiction work Far From the Tree which explores the relationships between parents and their dissimilar offspring. It is a thought-provoking (and lengthy) read covering everything from adoption, to parents of children who have killed other people. While there is no explicit connection between the works beside the title, they actually do cover some of the same complex ground. This novel moves beyond just parents and children and takes a pretty deep dive into the nature of relationships. The dialogue here will either wow you or grate a bit, but I was firmly in the former category. Yes, the snappy patter - particularly, between Grace and Rafe - gets a little Sorkinesque at times, but for me the dialogue helped me understand where these characters were at, both through what was said and what wasn’t said. I think this constant tension between what characters told themselves and what they were able to voice to the other people in their lives was really the essence of the novel and it took a very skilled writer to move between these two different realities for three complex characters.The main characters are fully-realized and I think there is something in each of them that will speak to kids. We move Far From The Tree on into the final round. And, we put forward Marrow Thieves as our zombie pick, unless there is some madness on the other side of the bracket that sees Poet X knocked out.

Poet X vs. Nevermoor

Both books in this round were close competitors, but that being said, neither was in the rock star category.
Nevermoor was a filled with action and fantasy that is fairly entertaining. It’s a quick read that doesn’t go too deep and would be a good choice for division 2 kids.
It was a little too reminiscent of Harry Potter but maybe that makes it an easy to follow and predictable storyline.
Our vote goes to Poet X. The prose style reads easily making it a good recommendation for those kids who claim to hate poetry or those like myself who are not inclined to choose novels written in prose. The audio book would also be a good choice (perhaps a better choice) to use in the classroom.
The main character (Xiomara) is relatable to teens as she is trying to find her voice in the world while growing up in a strict religious family.

4 out of 4 of us vote for Poet X (1 of us was on the fence until we pushed her over to the poetry side:)

A Lukewarm Vote

A short blog...a dilemma in what to choose Darius the Great Is Not Okay battles against Far From the Tree.   For me both books were good but not great (hmmm....makes me wonder how did they land in this final four?).  My vote is for Far From the Tree.

Maureen

Darius The Great Is Not Okay vs. Far From The Tree

My vote this round goes to Darius The Great Is Not Okay. As I was reading, I could really visualize what Darius was experiencing. I enjoyed the little details that were included by Khorram. The high school experience was realistically portrayed (the treatment towards Darius by his peers). The only downside to this book, I thought, was that there was nothing exceptionally "big" that happened. The story was nice. It developed gradually. The ending was nice. It's a good coming-of-age book. I just think for those teenagers looking for an exciting book where a big event happens, they would need to look elsewhere. For those readers who enjoy a good, steady coming-of-age novel, this would be a decent recommendation. Although I also enjoyed Far From The Tree, I connected more with Darius and therefore, my vote goes towards towards that novel this round.


                         

When You Have a Party and Nobody Comes

At ABM we decided to have an in person meeting so we could say that we met and talked and fought in person which is an outstanding way to do your SMACKDOWN voting. Unfortunately, only four of us were able to make it. Field trips, professional learning, floods, locusts...they all got in the way. In the end Lisa, Andrew, Tammy and I got to talk about Darius and Far From the Tree. Turns out we had a lot to say. Lisa and I are TEAM DARIUS. For us the Tree was a nice light snack but does not come close to Darius.

Lisa and I both loved this quote: “Everyone wants you here. We have a saying in Farsi. It translates 'your place was empty.'  We also loved the unreliable narrator and the quest to find yourself at home when you feel like you are an outsider in both. The writing was beautiful for both of us. Lisa felt Tree was melodramatic, over the top and sentimental but Annabel who has left us for parts south email us this:

The writing didn't even seem like writing - I truly felt I was inside the characters heads living this story with the characters. Obviously a strong difference of opinion though they both could agree on the positive portrayal of adoption. Tammy said Tree resonated with her because of her husband's work in the foster system.  

All of this to say the same message I've been observing all year..the writer writes the book and reader comes to read it and can reach very different endings. Andrew did not get his ending as he didn't finish Tree but felt the other side of the draw (Nevermoor and Poet X) were much stronger so he will abstain this round.

So it is two votes Darius, one vote Tree and one abstention. Here are some thoughts from our non attenders:

Lil:  I believe this book may resonate with some of our demographics and how they may feel and be received during their visits to family and friends overseas. Vote: Darius

Holly: Far From the Tree is my vote. Not because it is the BEST book but because I think it is the one that would be more widely read and enjoyed bu students even though the ending is a little toooo perfect.

Andrea: Far From the Tree 

Ben:  Darius was a treat for me as I resonated with the character on many levels but mostly I loved how his friendship with Sohrab allowed him to understand that his place was empty.  (Editor's note - his comments on Tree were pretty bland so VOTE Darius)

Arlene: Far From the Tree for the Vote. I listened to both . I was much more captivated by Tree. (Editor's note - Arlene and I never agree about books. I like that.)

In the end that looks like:  4 votes each.

Poet X vs. Nevermoor

As others have stated below, Nevermoor is like Harry Potter, and my colleagues tell me that many students would like this book because of the similarity. 

We thought Poet X was probably suitable for older readers, and that there were some unexplored side stories that could've been further developed or taken out. However, it is nice to have a greater selection of novels written in poetic style for students who do not like reading "long books". I also saw some similarities between this title and Piecing Me Together, which was another title I really liked this year.

At a vote of 2-1, DDM is voting Nevermoor through to the final round.

  The Poet Slammed theWundersmith
We enjoyed both and depending on which audience you have in mind, could easily vote for either. Nevermoor is a magical, fantastic world. It was entertaining and moved along quickly. It would be a great read for upper elementary and grade 7s. For more mature readers, Poet X is a unique take on coming of age, both in its content and its verse delivery. Those of us who read both books could really go either way, but as junior high teachers we see more appeal in Poet X.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow is action packed, though perhaps lacking depth. It presents a curious magical world. It's Harry Potter-ish. In fact, perhaps too much of the content is "borrowed" from Rowling - a cursed child, an eleventh birthday, discovering magical abilities, finding an alternate magical community, passing trials, a rival student, and a mortal enemy. Nevertheless it is a fun read.

One of our voters doesn't normally don't like poetry, but liked Poet X. It reads like prose. One reader switched to audiobook part way through. She highly recommends the audio version which is read by the author,  a renowned slam poet. One voter was disappointed by the quality of the poetry in a verse novel about poetry! Said voter would like it known that her zombie pick, Jason Reynold's Long Way Down, was much more poetic.

We thought it would great for a high school English -2 class. The theme is at their level, but the language is approachable for a dash 2.

One reader didn't like the contradiction Xiomara expresses: on the one hand she doesn't want to be objectified by boys, but on the other hand she objectifies boys in one of her poems. On the other other hand, we know that teenagers are full of contradictions.

Although Xiomara's life and experience are very different from our students' experiences, there was a lot here that teens could identify with - strict parents, questioning religion, feeling objectified, slut shaming, worrying about coming out. Speaking of which, we'd have liked more on Twin.

In the end our vote, though close, is 4 counts for Poet X.

Renee, Dianne, Megan, and Alisha (Ottewell)

The Poet X vs. Nevermoor

The Poet X:
 I am voting this one through reluctantly as I didn't totally love it but I did like it more than Nevermoor. It could be the disconnect as I listened to the audiobook version and am easily distracted when doing so. I often encourage students to listen to audiobooks but perhaps the disconnect I felt with Xiomara was because of the audiobook and not the writing. X is a believable and compelling character with all of her struggles and teenage angst growing up in a family with religious overtones and strict expectations from her mother. Typical of most YA fiction, there's a girl and she must find her voice in the world BUT the selling point on this novel is that her voice comes through in her poetry. Exposing young people to poetry and having them buy into the form is constantly a struggle as students shy away instantly out of fear. Kwane Alexander has opened up the form to young people with his various novels, specifically The Crossover and the more that authors utilize poetry, the more we have a chance at teaching kids to connect to it and not fear/ loathe it. X reminded me of my many students that have found their voice in our spoken word poetry unit and for me, this made the novel a hit! ~ Krystal (Jan Reimer)

Nevermoor:

This round I thought both books were okay. Neither really captivated me but Poet X had a slight edge over Nevermoor. It is difficult to read Nevermoor without comparing it to Harry Potter. For those students who loved reading Harry Potter they will want to read this. I enjoyed that it was a female protagonist, Morrigan Crow, who was blamed for her town’s misery and doomed to die on her eleventh birthday. The story is light-hearted and fun compared to the darker side of Harry Potter and the violence of The Hunger Games trilogy. Despite the main character being sentenced to death, there was still humour and a sense of playfulness. For this reason I believe upper elementary students would enjoy Nevermoor as well. ~Rachel (Jan Reimer)



My vote is for Poet X, as I found the protagonist to be someone with whom many students could relate. As well, I appreciate how her love of poetry could help to engage my own students in poetry. I think students see poetry as difficult, perhaps due to the types of poems we introduce in the classroom? I would use this novel to demonstrate how poetry does not need to be so prescribed and difficult. As for the book Nevermoor, this just isn't my type of book. Was not a fan of the genre, but feel bad because I do think some of my students would enjoy it. ~Karen (Michael Strembitsky)

Darius was OK...

I really, really wanted to love Darius.  I had read raving reviews and bought it for the library early this year and already started it twice.  I was happy to have a new book to offer kids who were looking for a Persian character.  I figured this round was going to give me the excuse to finally get around to finishing it.  And I did.  And it was okay. 

What I liked about it was that it took me to Iran as a tourist and described interesting places I didn't know about.  It brought me a little way into Persian culture and explained some points of view and customs I knew little about.  I liked that the story had characters living with depression rather than the story being about overcoming depression.  It took me a little too far into understanding a good cup of tea (I prefer coffee).   In the end, though, I was only left with, "That was okay" (insert shrug here).  One of my reader colleagues here really felt Darius was just a little to whiney.  I just wasn't bowled over.  Perhaps I had set my expectations too high.  I simply had enjoyed the characters and story more in Far From the Tree.  Westmin votes for Far From the Tree. 

Smackdown the 9th - Fourth Round

Debbie Piasetsky - Alberta Ed

Norma Johnson - Sweet Grass

Vanessa LeCaine - Sweet Grass

Poet X                 Nevermoor

vs

Vanessa : I’m still reeling from the notion that 57 Bus got knocked out in the last round but I have not lost all my faith in humanity...yet. It’s round 4 and there has been a lot said about these 2 books and while I really liked Poet X, I’m staying true to Nevermoor. It was a richer story with greater appeal .. and I just liked it better. Lay the smack down if you disagree Norma. I liked Poet X. It would be a great addition to a junior high library. I can see how readers would find it easily accessible because of how it is written. However it does not hold a candle to Nevermoor. Nevermoor held my attention from the beginning, I wanted more when it ended, read the sequel when it became available and I am now re-reading Nevermoor. My vote is a strong YES to Nevermoor. Debbie :I loved both of these books as well...but if I have to choose (and I know...I do…) I choose Nevermoor. It made me laugh and I felt a connection to the story and to Morrigan from the very first page. I have recommended it to others and have bought it for my nieces.

So that's 3 for Nevermoor!!

   

Nevermoor: The Trials vs Poet X

Don't you just love a great book? In the case of Nevermoor vs Poet X , the gauntlet was thrown and no one was prepared to acquiesce about which was the greater of the two.
At first glance, these two books could not be more different. However, on closer inspection, the pages of each book hold a female protagonist just wanting to find her way and make sense of her world. Each girl faces struggles to shake off what oppresses her to find the freedom to discover who she is and who she can be.
Nevermoor does this in a fun, whimsical way while Poet X pulls you into a deeper place of angst. Both these books are well worth the time they take to absorb.
Our vote was divided with two votes going to Nevermoor and one vote going to Poet X.