Books in Babeland

Books likeThe Girls Book: How to Be the Best in Everything, For Girls Only: Everything Great About Being a Girl, The Daring Book for Girls, and The Big Book of Girl Stuff are rubbing me the wrong way.

The idea of the books is to capture the interest of girls, and each one of the above mentioned books has a brother geared towards boys. However, that is exactly the problem. Unlike the book Girl Power: Young Women Speak Out! or Girl Wise: How to Be Confident, Capable, Cool and in Control, these books were conceived and designed alongside a male counterpart. They were written to differentiate girls from boys according to their interests.

Let's compare the supposed girl interests with the boy interests. The following are from How to Be the Best at Everything and the Daring/Dangerous books.

Books marketed to GIRLS vs BOYS chapter topics:
How to look best in your photos/How to survive in space
How to do a perfect handstand/How to rip a phonebook in half
How to make a friendship bracelet/How to be a VIP
How to be a natural beauty/How to be a Wimbledon champion
Pressing flowers/Making a water bomb
Four Square/How to play stickball
Spanish terms of endearment/Navajo code talkers' dictionary
Making a cloth covered book/Making cloth fireproof

There is more than one problem here. The most immediate and obvious problem is how the books reinforce the strict gender roles embedded in American culture- roles that ultimately inhibit women from achieving positions of power and encourage men to be insensitive war mongers unable to communicate (except, apparently, in Navajo.) For kids these gender roles make it unacceptable for girls to join in certain sports, or for boys to touch anything pastel. How often have we heard, "No, honey, you don't want the pink one, pink is for girls." Well, sure it is, if you make it so.

The second qualm I have with these books is that many of the topics are just for KIDS! As a fifth grade teacher in East New York, Brooklyn I will swear on For Boys Only: The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever, that boys. make. friendship bracelets. Trust me, I have a confiscated collection in my desk drawer right alongside the tech decks.

By divvying up these activities into boys and girls we only limit what our children explore. While in theory they show a world of fun things to do, all I see is the other world the reader is being excluded from. The natural curiosity of children leads them to be interested in topics that transcend gender-specific books. Despite having kid-friendly information and design, I cannot, in good conscience, put books like these in kids' hands.

You Say Potato, I Say Solanum Tuberosum

Learning how to communicate and work with people who are different from ourselves is a fundamental part of growing up. For Emma-Jean and Ted the task is that much harder. They often have trouble understanding their peers, but they both know that they are a little different. Emma-Jean is strange. Ted's brain uses a different operating system. Without ever saying it explicitly, authors Lauren Tarshis (Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of Tree) and Siobahn Dowd (The London Eye Mystery) have written characters struggling with some degree of Asperger's Syndrome.


The proof? Both characters are literal. Ted, especially, spends the book deciphering the non-sensical language of idiomatic speech. Both characters fail to understand social cues. Emma-Jean, especially, does not realize when she is being teased or ostracized by her peers. Ted uses a series of memorized clues to help him recognize facial expressions or gestures. Neither likes to be touched. Both have focused interests and amass details about specific topics. Emma-Jean can be found standing in her yard giving the Latin names for the flora and fauna.


There is a humanity to these books. While wikipedia informs me that the collection of details often does not imply a vested interest (ex: memorizing camera model numbers but not being interested in photography), Emma-Jean and Ted do not fit that sympton. Emma-Jean's obsession with science stems from the loss of her father. Naming trees and flowers is an attempt to relive the comfort of his presence. Ted is obsessed with weather reports, however it is part of a greater dream of being a meteorologist. He plays with words and likens his sister Kat to Hurricane Katrina and other Katastrophes. He uses the weather as an outlet when he can't sleep, is distressed, and just generally as a filter through which he examines the world around him. These insights into their compulsive behavior gives depth and sentiment to the books.


Each book makes use of a symbol. Emma-Jean has the tree. The tree is part of nature and can be studied, sketched, understood. She climbs it in great haste to try and reach out to a classmate who she believes needs her help. It represents the effort she makes to communicate with others. Of course, to fall from such great heights is a painful emotional letdown. However, as her mother says, sometimes you just have to try another tree or hold on tighter.


For Ted, the great London Eye overlooks his investigations into his cousin's disappearance. From the Eye you see London in a different way, like using a different operating system. The constantly changing view reminds us that there are an infinite number of ways to look at the world. These two books help the reader better understand one more.

Sketch of Solanum Tuberosum

When I Was Your Age

My world revolves around Jon Szieszka these days. We read his autobiography, Knucklehead, for class. The school I observed in had him come speak, and at the school where I work the third grade is writing essays about him and David Shannon.

Knucklehead is very similar to Roald Dahl's Boy in the nature of the stories, though the tone is much more informal. Scieszka, a self-purported panderer to reluctant readers, has chosen a comic book cover and writes about broken bones, urination, swearing, pagan babies, and more urination. Dahl is no stranger to the grotesque. Boy details dead mousecapades, canings, and the anesthetic-free removal of his tonsils and adenoids, but the text is denser and it reads much more like a memoir. Sciezka's tone is of your favorite uncle telling you a whopper- one per chapter.

After hearing him speak, I have no doubt Scieszka is a favorite uncle who tells whoppers. His demeanor is easy, his smile is constant, and his ability to connect with the children unparalleled. No question was too silly or too redundant. No suggestion too wild: You think I should have the Space Heads (his current project in the works) use orange juice as a mind control potion and try to take over the world? Well maybe you're right! Yet the presentation was subtly full of inspiration for future writers and illustrators. Scieszka showed the students how Shannon's illustrations in Robot Zot use perspective to make Zot seem larger than life. He explained that Shannon added things to the story solely through illustration that he had not originally included, like Zot's dog. He talked about the terror that all authors must face- the dreaded...blank page (he brandishes a blank legal pad as if it were a weapon.) And he showed students his writing process from illegible notes to published books.

Scieszka's great accomplishment with Knucklehead is writing a book that is grown up, amusing, and cool, while remaining manageable for struggling readers. The chapters are short and to the point. The vocabulary is straight forward and the themes are familiar to kids- siblings, school, and messing around. This is a book a struggling reader can carry around while enjoying the success of actually reading it.

Besides the Time Warp Trio books, Scieszka has written illustrated books. Big, glossy books with bold illustrations by Shannon or Lane Smith. The younger readers of his books can easily have Knucklehead read aloud to them. The stronger readers among them can read it by themselves. But Knucklehead is more than that because those of us who are older and love his wacky spoofs (by the way the idea for Stinky Cheeseman came to Scieszka when his daughter, then about five, insisted that he read her the Gingerbread Man over and over and over and over until he came up with an alternative) can appreciate this insight into his wonderfully twisted mind.

A child's rendition of Zot, hung to welcome Scieszka to the school.

Positive Value Meal

Encyclopedia Brown and Fletcher Moon, meet Matt Stevens, your average tween detective. His middle school runs smooth as a well-blended vanilla milkshake and he uses more similes than a fifth grade poetry unit. The Big Splash reads like realistic fiction, but disbelief must be suspended. In this pulpy world organized crime boss, Vinny Biggs, runs a tight operation of black market candy and hall passes. He keeps bullies off the playground with his team of pants-wetting assassins. Once your crotch has been targeted you are officially in The Outs, the most undesirable social caste.

Author Jack D. Ferraiolo has paid the attention to detail on this world usually reserved for the creation of alternate dimensions or magical realms. Instead here you can stop by Sal's backyard speak easy or drop by the hard nosed reporter's office in the old gym storage room. Every character has a stereotypical role to fill. The gangster, the reporter, the damsel in distress. The cop, the detective, the bodyguard, the hitman. Because this is a world of organized crime it isn't so clear who is good and who is bad.

The subplot hidden behind all the intrigue is whether Matt can stick to his morals while being employed by the less than trustworthy criminal mastermind. Maybe it's because his Mom is such a hard worker. Maybe it's because the disappearance of his father has left him with an Agent Mulder-like obsession with the truth. Maybe it's because he's seen what happens to kids (like his ex-best friend Kevin) who trade in their freewill for a little clout and authority. Probably for all these reasons Matt stays true to himself and sees the case through. This little lesson is most driven home when Kevin sees the error of his ways and leaves the organization in favor of true friends. The morals in The Big Splash can be harder to find than incriminating evidence in Vinny Biggs's locker though, so mired is the story in its own campiness.

Jacqueline Woodson's After Tupac and D Foster also tells the story of a young girl trying to reconcile her two halves into one whole self. Her world is a realistic portrayal of Queens. Though things seem to be falling apart around her- a family friend incarcerated, her favorite rapper shot and on trial, a friend in foster care- she doesn't face the same blatant moral dilemmas that Matt does. Rather her emotional journey is understanding herself, how she relates to those around her and to the world at large.

It's not that she doesn't have to make choices. But those choices are all down the road. The development here is internal- recognizing the sting of homophobic rap lyrics shows her that she accepts her Neeka's brother Tash for who he is regardless of how the neighborhood judges him. Jealousy creeping up and subsiding allows her to share Johnjay's attention with D. Racism playing out in the park down the street reminds her that life as young black person is obstacle ridden, often unjustly. Sometimes the hardest thing is just accepting that people grow up or move away and remembering that they still love you.

The girls' bond is strong. The reader is left knowing that, when the time comes to choose, this young woman and her friends will stay true to themselves and each other.

Skeletons in the Closet

Skulduggery Pleasant is not terribly original. Child experiences loss. Child learns of the magical world that has always existed right under her nose. Child learns she has great unrealized powers...and it is up to her to save the world. (And yes, I do take pleasure in knowing our lead character, Stephanie, would balk at being called a child!) The book is not without redeemable qualities, however.

For starters, our protagonist is a female. This is not to be ignored, because, let's face it, the books aren't called Hermione Granger and the Society for the Protection of Elvish Welfare or Holly Short and the Lower Elements Police. In a world of magical literature dominated by men, it's gratifying to read a story of an ambitious and strong-headed young lady. That being said there are a handful of girly references that seemed unnecessary such as Stephanie and Tanith's fits of laughter at their own incompetence, or this narration: "She always ate chocolate when something bad happened, but these days chocolate just wasn't enough."

Derek Landy also creates a magical world all his own. It is woven into the fabric of our cities, not hidden from our view like in Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Artemis Fowl. Elemental magic is described as almost scientific. Stephanie practices feeling the air as a series of interlocking objects that she can then manipulate to her will. There are no wands, few spells, and some manipulations of nature have consequences for the mage that are out of his or her control. Skulduggery and his fireballs seem reminiscent of Ghost Rider, but his dry wit is all his own. As her mentor he is quite detached so that Stephanie's choices are that much more her own.

What do this "ace detective" and teenage descendant of the ancients have to do with the four genius children spying on an evil mastermind in The Mysterious Benedict Society? Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance are also faced with saving the world, but they do not have the benefits (or drawbacks) of using magic. Instead they must each realize their own skills- logic reasoning, acrobatics, memorization, cantankerousness, etc.

Though both books feature children as experts and problem solvers The Mysterious Benedict Society is much more timeless. There are no Bentleys or characters guzzling Coke. In fact, it is unclear whether the story takes place in the 1950s or today. Despite having a more complex vocabulary than Skulduggery and being significantly longer, TMBS reads a good deal younger. The characters are more wholesome and the violence is all psychological. The characters long to be loved and part of family more than they seek adventure or power.

Another feature that sets TMBS apart from the world of fantasy is its blatant political statement about television as a means of mind control and manipulation. What could be more terrifying than subliminal messages being broadcast out of our own beloved TV sets? As a teacher, as a librarian, and as a teacher-librarian I can totally get behind that cause. Turn off the boob tube, kids, I've got just the book for you...

Celebrity Death Match: Harry vs. Percy

No contest. No contest! Maybe The Lightening Thief wouldn't have been so disappointing if someone hadn't referred to it as "the next Harry Potter." Yes, it's true- they are both tales of young boys who only discover in middle school their true identities. Both children are whisked somewhere supposedly safe so they can hone their new found talents. Both find that, due to extenuating circumstances, they must put their magical abilities to the test, well, immediately, in order to save the world.

Plot-wise, The Lightning Thief is a page turner, but Jackson stumbles into random circumstances that often feel contrived. For example he lands in a magical Vegas hotel that serves no purpose other than to shave five days off of his remaining time to find Zeus's master bolt before the summer solstice.

As a character Percy is woefully blind. He is told he will be betrayed by a friend and not to trust gifts. He then receives gifts from friends and doesn't think twice about it? (Spoiler alert!) The second Luke gives Percy a pair of winged shoes and checks to make sure Percy is wearing them it is painfully obvious to the reader which hero is acting as the gods' thief. Of course, this does not cross Percy's mind even after the winged shoes try to fling Grover down into the pits of Tartarus. Let's not underestimate our tween readers' inferencing skills, please. On the other hand, even as an adult reading Harry Potter, I rarely figured much out before he did.

My main qualm with The Lightning Thief is Jackson's story telling voice. Coming from the mouth of a 12 year old the story seems trivial. For example Percy tells us, "I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera. The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!" It's as if Percy is recounting the story to a group of friends at recess. There is appeal in this tone, especially for reluctant readers. Just don't ask me to call it quality literature- and don't get me started on how poorly it served him when reflecting on the loss of his mother.

The Harry Potter series is infinitely more successful at humor. Kids talk like kids, but only in the context of trying to entertain their peers, not just for affect. Consider Lee Jordan's commentary during a quidditch match:

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.
"So- after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-"
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"
"Jordan, I'm warning you-"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could
happen to anyone, I'm sure..."

I claimed that both boys must fight to save the world, but this is only partly true. While 11 year-old Harry does have to confront Lord Voldemort as early as the first book in the series, he does not fully understand Voldemort's aims or the implications of his return. Perhaps more importantly, he does not understand his own identity or his connection to Voldemort. These concepts are leaked out slowly, sometimes painfully slowly (for fans waiting for the next book to come out) over the course of the series. It is perfectly timed so that each step of the way Harry comes to understand more about his past, Voldemort's life, and the magical world in which they live. Initially Voldemort is a personal enemy- his parents' assassin, someone trying to kill him. This fits with a younger child's egocentric view of the world. As Harry ages he sees Voldemort's plans for the magical and muggle worlds, he realizes the greater threat. Not until the last three books does this struggle realize itself as an epic showdown between the forces of good and evil.

Percy Jackson has a different pace. He not only learns the entire premise behind his world of Greek gods, mortals, and demigods, or heroes, in the first book, but there was also an infusion of politics that seemed watered down for the 12 year-old hero. The gods are siblings vying for power over the mortal world and they bicker like siblings. Compare this to the grabs for power in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Wizard politicians, set on maintaining power, manipulate the press and education system in order to suppress news of Voldemort's return. It is a much more powerful political commentary and a more sophisticated read. The saving grace of this aspect of The Lightning Thief (spoiler alert!) was that the driving force behind the conflict turned out to be Kronos, the father of the gods. In that context, the sibling rivalry works as Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades could only be manipulated by a force greater than themselves.

The difference in pacing and quality of the books is not entirely surprising in light of their release dates. The Harry Potter series was seven books published over ten years (1997-2007). During that time Rowling did not publish anything else (with the exception of two short HP supplement books, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Throughout the Ages). On the other hand Rick Riordan put out five Percy Jackson books in just five years (2004-2009) during which he also published two books in the Tres Navarre series and started to publish the series 39 Clues by 2008. While well-researched in terms of mythology, The Lightning Thief is a fast read that reads like it was a fast write.

All the World's a Stage

I gave my second book talk this week. I chose Holes because I know it so intimately- reading a book once a year for children will do that- and could focus on the presentation rather than the content.

Giving a book talk is not unlike giving a minilesson. Start with a hook to get the students' attention, present the information in a concise yet creative way and finish with something thought provoking to get them started on their own. It made me miss the classroom.

It was on my first day of teaching that I realized that teaching is acting. If you expect to be the center of attention (hopefully only briefly and for the express purpose of instruction) it is important to be articulate, animated, and attentive to the audience. Students will tune you out if you don't put on a good show.

Today I visited a Brooklyn grade school and the librarian taught her first grade class how to book talk. She modeled book talks for them, showed them kids and other teachers doing them from schooltube.com. Independently the students will have the opportunity to present book talks on books they love to their peers at the start of each library class. This is a fabulous idea to get kids to think about which parts of a book stay with them and get them to talk about the books with their classmates. It will also promote reading since kids are so influenced by their peers.

At the end of the book talks the librarian did not have multiple copies of each book she talked. This made me wonder- should you only book talk when you have multiple copies on the shelves? What procedure or routine could prevent students from bickering over books. One idea is to book talk several books at once but in a class of 25 this is not a complete solution.

The school where I teach is Spanish/English dual-language, but there is a considerable amount of dissent from students when it comes to working and learning in Spanish. Most are more comfortable in English and their Spanish competence is therefore disproportionate to English. Book talking in Spanish is going to be a fabulous way to entice students to read en Español. It will also provide them with support as they begin the book because they will already have a sense of what it is about.

Here is a list of book talking resources from YALSA:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/profdev/booktalking.cfm