Two Enjoyable Reads

These two books are full of family and reflection.  What can you forgive?  How does love and family navigate loss and death?  Both main characters in the book are filled with juxtapositions.  At times they critically judge others; alternatively, there are times they are filled with hope and compassion.  Both books are good reads - sad, thoughtful and poignant; however, this is a competition and a winner must be chosen.  My vote to move on is Moonrise.

Maureen

Saturday Shame . . . and we like Mason Buttle Better

I am no stranger to a missed deadline, but on an enjoyably quiet Saturday when I actually spent an hour just reading (!!) I was started out of the last pages of my book (Digression: Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys is great)by the realization that  I had totally forgot to blog. So, here it is and it will be sheepishly (and uncharacteristically) brief.

This wasn’t all that much of a contest for us. We all really loved The Truth as Told By Mason Buttle and we were all pretty lukewarm on Good Enough. My own experience reading Good Enough was oddly clinical given how raw the emotions were and how deeply personal that subject terrain was for the author. I felt like I learned a lot about both the pathology and the humanity of eating disorders, but I kind of felt myself learning rather than being truly immersed in the narrative. That may be my failing as a reader, however, and I will note that the one grade nine student – the now famous Daniel Luu – who reads all of the Smackdown books with us, really liked Good Enough and felt it was a slam dunk over Mason Buttle, which he felt was for a younger audience.

Perhaps not too surprisingly, all of us olds disagreed.  We thought this was a book that would have a place in your upper elementary class library, but you may also bring to your non educator friends and find it getting into their hearts a bit too. As for Mason Buttle himself, well, we just flat out loved that kid, and I think that is because he is an amalgam of all of those things we love in the cast and crew of misfits in each of our long careers who may not have always been rays of sunshine, but who we get out of bed every day for regardless. Now, Mason is, indeed, a ray of sunshine, and I think that what I realized as I read the book is that the essence of the educational endeavor is to see the Mason – the innate kindness, the diligence, the need for connection – in even those kids who can’t see those traits in themselves. When I finished the novel, the kid who lingered with me, was not Mason, but Matt. Hurt kids, hurt kids.  This kid does serious damage, even with some strong supports in place. He’s going to need more through every step of his life, but he’s still just a little boy too. I suppose this brings us to the other reason why we loved this book. Its portrayal of adults and the role they play in shaping the inherently misshapen is ultimately one of hope. Nobody’s perfect, of course, but what we see are the adults doing the best they can and ultimately being guided by care and compassion. We found this an inspiring book and it is our choice to move on in the Smackdown.

Mason Buttle is More Than Good Enough

When I read the jacket of Good Enough, I was more than intrigued. It sounded like a little bit of mystery, a little bit of teen drama, and a healthy dose of discussion about a serious mental health issue. However, I found it lacking in every category. The story was mildly interesting, and the main character had strong character traits, but it really ended up being repetitive and lacking in depth. 
Mason Buttle, however, was an interesting read filled with complex characters and an interesting story line. One of my colleagues said "it had a Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime kind of vibe.  I loved Mason as a character and the mystery will be an easy sell,", and I think that sums up the appeal of the book. It was highly readable and I think it would garner a lot of interest, especially in the grade 6-8 crowd. 
Kerri and the Westminster team

Patron Saints of Nothing vs. We'll Fly Away

Although I enjoyed both books, ultimately I enjoyed Patron Saints of Nothing more. I felt it was a compelling story that intrigued me enough to do some research, both on who the author actually was and also what was really happening in the Philippines. I think many students can relate to the struggle of finding their own identity within the expectations of family traditions and being true to themselves. For that reason my vote goes to the Patron Saints of Nothing. 

ABM Final Votes- 8 Patron Saints of Nothing , 2 We'll Fly Away 

Mason pulls out the win!

An underdog story takes the win.   Many members of the team found Mason a captivating character with charm to spare.  Others commented on his resilience and the eclectic mix of characters that were developed throughout the story.  There were some votes for Good Enough as the theme of being not "good enough" was something that many readers could identify with.  However, there were questions about the character development and whether the topic of eating disorders would appeal to only a select group of readers.  So... drum roll please.... our group (Kym, Cathy, Andrea, Amanda, Shelley, Gail, Linda, Colin and Maureen) although divided in our pick, chose Mason Buttle as the winner of this battle.

Moon Rising on an Octopus

 

Two strong contenders. Either could be a zombie pick.

Two desperate families, both with absent fathers. Two teenagers in impossible situations.

Did Ed do it? We mostly believe his story. Does it matter? It's his brother Joe's tale

While most of our students can't identify with the level of poverty Zoe faces, her family struggles do hit a bit closer to home than Joe's. Can you believe Zoe's mother? She made us angry, and when you're emotional, you know it's an impactful book. More kids could likely connect to this one than Moonrise; most of us will never be visitors on death row. Maybe that's part of the reason we need to read it though; it offers a unique perspective far beyond our own experiences, especially in Canada.

Although it was close, we have a slight preference for The Benefits of Being an Octopus. We'd also be more likely to recommend it to our students.

Renee, Dianne, Megan
Ottewell Junior High

Ghost Boys and The Prince and the Dressmaker

I saw Emmett Till this week at the grocery store

Eve L. Ewing 

looking over the plums, one by one
lifting each to his eyes and
turning it slowly, a little earth,
checking the smooth skin for pockmarks
and rot, or signs of unkind days or people,
then sliding them gently into the plastic.
whistling softly, reaching with a slim, woolen arm
into the cart, he first balanced them over the wire
before realizing the danger of bruising
and lifting them back out, cradling them
in the crook of his elbow until
something harder could take that bottom space.
I knew him from his hat, one of those
fine porkpie numbers they used to sell
on Roosevelt Road. it had lost its feather but
he had carefully folded a dollar bill
and slid it between the ribbon and the felt
and it stood at attention. he wore his money.
upright and strong, he was already to the checkout
by the time I caught up with him. I called out his name
and he spun like a dancer, candy bar in hand,
looked at me quizzically for a moment before
remembering my face. he smiled. well
hello young lady
       hello, so chilly today
       should have worn my warm coat like you
yes so cool for August in Chicago
       how are things going for you
oh he sighed and put the candy on the belt
it goes, it goes.

Ghost Boys for the win.