Book Review: I Hunt Killers

As I have been known to do, I spent this weekend reading YA lit. Oddly, it took a turn for the macabre. After reading 'Ripper' by Stefan Petrucha, I found myself opening up 'I Hunt Killers' by Barry Lyga. Yes, it was a serial killer kind of weekend. I should note I also read several non-serial killer books, but they also involved death, dying and angst. At some point, YA is going to kill me.

Moving past that point and into 'I Hunt Killers', I was really impressed. This book, at the basics of it, is a good teen thriller mystery with a suspenseful build to a satisfying conclusion. A lot of words to say, it's a good book.

Imagine your dad is the most prolific serial killer in the United States. He is, infact, considered a new brand of serial killer - a super serial killer, due to his ability to adjust and change his MO and tells.His son, Jazz, was trained from a young age in the art of being a serial killer and lives each day in fear that he will give into his training and cross a line that he does not want to cross. Now that his dad has been caught, Jazz lives with his senile grandmother, fighting against the system that wants to put him in foster care. He's lost his friends - hard to keep your popularity when your dad has killed over a hundred people. His best friend has stuck with him and his girlfriend tries to get him to look past the surface and into his own humanity.

Things are coming together for him until the body shows up. While his dad has been jailed for years, bodies are appearing in their small town, each one copying one of his dads victims. In an effort to show that he isn't a killer, Jazz has joined the police in trying to find the new serial killer. However, the more he helps, the more he tries to fight the thoughts that tell him he is more like his father than anyone would ever know.

The premise of 'I Hunt Killers' was a new twist on a old tale - a child feeling pressured to follow in the footsteps of their parent. Mix in the twist on another old tale - dead parent, parent in jail and living with a family member and you've got a very fresh story. Jazz is fighting against what he has learned from birth - he does not want to be a serial killer. He does not want to know what he knows about the dismemberment and disposal of bodies. He does not want to cause harm. He just wants to be left alone to live with his senile grandmother and hang out with his friends, helping the police when he can (and when they let him). The battle between nature and nurture is fully developed and drives the story.

Jazz is a child of his circumstances and luckily the characters around him were supportive in a realistic fashion. They understood his differences and didn't allow themselves to get either caught up in them or freaked out too much when it wasn't appropriate. However, when it was appropriate, they did note it and make reference to the fact that he was freaking them out. They keep him grounded, which is important when you're dealing with the fact that you've been groomed from birth to be a serial killer and are fighting it as hard as you can. His grandmother is not a support. The character is used to keep 'the system' in Jazzs life - a foster worker insists on visiting and is fighting to get Jazz placed in another home. This all comes together in a morbid and twisted way that I expected - but didn't expect. It also explains why Jazz didn't go into witness protection - he fought hard to be kept in his home town and family. Realizing this cleared up a lot of questions I had and made the book a little more realistic.

This book is gory, descriptive and macabre. It almost dips into the unbelievable until you as the reader remember - chances are you're not the child of the most prolific serial killer around so you would have a little trouble relating at times.  Readers who are fans of 'Dexter' or people who enjoy a gory thriller will appreciate this book. However, this book isn't just for fans of gore or thrillers. The relationships are solid and the characters well developed so as long as you don't mind a little gore in your nature vs nurture debates, you'll find something enjoyable in this book.

Link to this review:

Live tweeting 'The Hunger Games'

As a lark this summer, I decided to 'live tweet' the hunger games. I created an account separate from my personal and professional ones and wrote timed tweets through novel, tweeting as the characters would during the story. It's not very good - but it's an example at least! The URL for the twitter feed is:

https://twitter.com/announcingthe74
 
You need to scroll down to the very bottom and load all the tweets - twitter shows your latest tweet first.
I used a program that allowed me to write tweets and store them to post at later dates. That way I could write timed tweets for days into the future. The goal was to have a site that teachers could show students as an example if they wanted this as an assignment option.

Benefits:

1. I really got to know the story and the characters. I knew the Hunger Games but now I really know it. Not sure when I'll ever want to read it again. 
2. I was able to learn more about the characters and their development as I tried to speak as they would in situations presented.

Challenges:

1. Writing as a character and nailing their voice can be difficult when you're trying to speak as they would but not as they did (due to copyright issues). Not happy with the voice of a number of characters as I presented them. As well, at times all grammar went out the window. Combo of the format and my laptop being cranky.
2. Not all novels are compact in timeline as 'The Hunger Games'. Would work for something like 'Lord of the Flies', less for something like 'Night'.
3. A number of the tributes do not have official names. Found those that I could, had to refer to them by district if I couldn't.

 The Process:

1. Created an account. 
2. Read and reread the book. Decided on what was important to tweet. Five pages of her discussing how hard it is to live in a cave might merit one tweet, one page of battle might merit 10 tweets from several characters.
3. Wrote with #character at the start but did add some hashtags as they are generally used at the end (eg. #cato That boy from 12 was playing us!!! he's with the girl!! #killpeeta #CATOROCKS). For those unfamiliar, hashtags are used to either link to other tweets on a topic or to express a quick thought on a topic, minus spaces. (sample tweet : "Allowed the child to eat staples #theregoesparentoftheyear). Many of the tweets from Cato ended with #CATOROCKS. Many from Haymitch ended with #ineedadrink or #stayalive.
4. Tried to ensure that characters were represented in the feed, even if they didn't have dialog in the book at that section. One example would be near the end when Katniss is waking in her room and hears yelling. That yelling is quite possibly Haymitch talking about how she's not to get cosmetic surgery. Included a tweet from him in that instance. 
5. Used twuffer (another website) to write tweets to post at certain times. I could write days and days and days of tweets in one sitting, making sure to chose what time they posted. 
6. Started to hate the process 
7. Continued through the story, breaking character at the end to put any references and thanks I needed to put there.

What I like about what I've done is that I have a definite example of how to use twitter for a project such as this. Now, instead of just stating 'you can use twitter' blah, blah, blah, I can show them how I did it. Always useful!

Banned Books Display

The most talked about - ever - display I have ever done in the library is the one currently running. I decided to do a display on 'Banned Books'. After extensive searching, I found lists of books that have been banned in various places for one reason or another. I found out why they're banned, found them in my library and boop! Display. Sort of.

I first did an information board. This board is near the door as well as the circulation desk. I purchased book envelopes, hallowe'en ribbon and chose a black and navy colour background scheme. The background is a tablecloth from the dollarstore (all plastic, $1). The ribbons I purchased are the borders. I decided on a 'Here we read Banned Books' title, partly to emphasise that we do read these books here and partly as an intro to the library and school in general (just to set the tone for the year). Each of the little envelopes lists on it the reason a book is banned. Then, inside is a card saying the title of the book.

Students can lift out the card and see what book is banned. Then, the table. I kept with the same colour (and cost) scheme and had a black tablecloth with a blue skirt. I used the leftover ends from the ribbons to decorate the skirt a little and tie the theme together a bit. Then I added the books that were banned that I have in the library.

Each book has a note on it saying why it's banned. Several of the books are ones we study or the students have studied in previous grades. I tried to include as much current, popular fiction as possible. I made the choice to put the info over the cover/title of the book to make the book seem a little more remote or hidden. A number of the books aren't in that picture as they've been checked out already.

Students have really caught on to this idea of books being banned. They can't believe that titles they grew up with like Harry Potter are banned. Nor can they believe that books they study, like 'Speak' or 'To Kill a Mockingbird' could ever be banned. It's garnered a lot of discussion and has garnered a lot of interaction between them and me but also between students discussing books that are banned that they love. I make the point that here, we encourage people to read as much as possible, even if in other places they ban it. They appreciate that.
I have NO clue what I'm going to do next!

Book Review - 'The Fault in our Stars'

I always keep a list of books that I've been told I should buy for the library. All of a sudden, out of the blue, students came to me asking if I had any John Green novels. Not just one, but several students came and upon hearing that I didn't, implored me to buy some. As luck would have it, that evening on a (personal) trip to the bookstore, I saw a copy of 'The Fault in our Stars' by the much lauded John Green and picked it up.

I picked it up and fell in love.

Ok, that might be an overstatement. But it was, in my mind, a perfect little book. 'The Fault in our Stars' is a story of snarky kids with cancer. Hazel, who has terminal cancer which has been distracted (but not deterred) by a miracle medicine enjoys watching marathons of 'America's Next Top Model' and rolling her eyes at her cancer support group which takes place in the literal heart of Jesus. However, when Augustus Waters and his one leg enter the support group, Hazel gets a chance to enjoy parts of her life in a way she and her family had never anticipated. When she shares her favorite book with Augustus, he joins her in her pursuit of finding out what happened - the book ends in the middle of a sentence. This pursuit takes them around the world and back again, as they try finding out the ending of that story before they have to confront the ending of their own.

This book has everything that I look for in a book - strong characters, compelling story, believable plot lines. It also has dry wit, humour, realistic situations and some great people. Green makes me believe in these characters and does a great job in showing their divide between those with and those without cancer. However, they are, to quote Jonathan Larson, living with disease, not dying. It is this distinction that makes Hazel and Augustus - two children with old people names who will never be old - real to me.

And obviously, these characters are real to many, not just mid-thirties librarians. When I mention this book to students (having bought a copy for the library as I didn't want to donate the one I bought for me) they, or the friend they were with exclaim how much they loved the book. How they loved the characters. It works for them and they love that.

I am now reading 'An Abundance of Katherines' by Green. I like it, just not as much as 'The Fault in our Stars'. 'Looking for Alaska' has been checked out of the library by two or three people in a row and I've had no chance to get it myself. Thank you Mr. Green for these books. It's fantastic to get realistic fiction that's funny.

This is a bit of a love letter rather than a review. I will admit, I just really liked this book. It's nice, writing about something I really enjoyed. I have also recommended it for our Provincial High School reading list. It was that solid.

To link to this review:

Why libraries? Why librarians?

So often, I find myself defending explaining my position in a school and what I do. At times, this explanation is interrupted by kids checking out books, asking if I have a specific book, getting e-mails from teachers who I work with wondering when they can start their research units and others asking for specific links. This post has been interrupted twice in the past half an hour by different requests, such as finding working computers for students (and making computers work) and finding resource videos to help teachers with topics they are presenting. One thing my position is not is focused.

 

As a TL within a high school, I get asked many questions and for many resources. Many of the answers to these questions come from my connection with my computer, as I sit here and go from program to program and find the answers they seek. The 'ding' of my e-mail and the results of my Google search often bring a new challenge as I absorb the new information that has been presented to me. I find myself having to keep current with social media and it's uses in the classroom, at times to a point where I am the only one in my professional sphere that knows what I'm talking about! However, knowing that twitter is a resource, that wordle can make even the darkest novel look pretty, that prezi is powerpoints glittery cousin - that's my job.

 

At times, I find myself looking up from a book to answer a question, as I try to keep up with the YA fiction that I bring into the library - it's not uncommon for me to read several books in a day to keep up with the demand. This reading takes place both in and out of school, with my family very used to me walking around the house, stirring supper and drying my hair with one hand as a book is in the other. I read with pleasure, but much of my reading for pleasure has been displaced by my reading for work. It's my homework, my equivalent to bags of marking, my professional obligations.

 

Sometimes, simply because I am so distracted and pulled in so many directions it takes a while to answer the question 'Why library? Why librarians?', yet it is a question I still need to answer.

 

Libraries can be anything. They are the spot that can house the computers and the (sometimes) dusty reference tomes. They are the spot that houses meetings, guest speakers, university interviews, extra time tests, exams, study hall. They are also the spot where anything can happen - teachers can bring a class and test something fantastical with the resources there. Students can come and check out a book that they can't wait to read. Activities can span the space, making it not a room in a school but a cafe, a social justice experiment, a music hall, a laboratory. That's why libraries.

 

Librarians are often the quiet force in a school. They are more than a babysitter or someone to clean up the mess left behind in the library. They are the ones who can answer questions quickly, being used to doing so for countless patrons. They are able to provide alternate reading for a student from the simple question 'what are you interested in' and they can find a resource that is hidden from the view of everyone else. They work in a school community, trying to make connections between the unconnected and making sure it is all tied to the curriculum. They find safe ways to search, find online resources and activities and teach others how to use them. They match kids to the right book for them. And then sometimes they do it again. That's why librarians.

 

Libraries are a repository of knowledge. They have a person who can find information with the click of a button working there. They have books, computers, boards and other resources available and someone to let you know how to use it. Whether it's the lyrics to the song that's going through your head to the quadratic formula, someone can help you find it and it's a room you know you can always go to to ask questions. That's why libraries.

 

Librarians are a connection to the world. That connection is then taken and shared with others, showing them how to do it too.Our students are connected pretty much 24/7. They carry around technology that is, at times, much better than that which we can provide. We need to know how to harness it, use it and teach them to use it. And who better than the person who traditionally has been the resource to access the world? That's why librarians.

 

Now, if you will excuse me, my to-do list has grown dramatically while writing this....

Review - Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

As a teacher librarian with a penchant for reality novels and a focus on Social Justice, I'm familiar with Laurie Halse Anderson and her novels. 'Speak' is a fantastic view of how a traumatic event can impact and change you, 'Wintergirls' is beautiful and tragic in it's portrayal of eating disorders. When doing a search of books about prom for a display, I found that Anderson had published one called 'Prom'. Intrigued, as most of the books about prom I'd found previously were very bubbly and her writing to me thus far was anything but bubbly, I decided to pick it up.

'Prom' is the story of Ashley Hannigan, a graduating student who does not care about prom in any way, shape or form. She does not begrudge her friends for being excited, but it's not for her. School isn't really her thing either - she's close to dropping out, has no college plans and has more detentions than she has days left in school to serve them. Her boyfriend TJ has been kicked out of school already and says he's saving money for them to have an apartment together. Then, the worst happens: the teacher-adviser has taken the money that had been paid by students for prom which means it can't happen. Ashley's best friend, Natalia, the head of the prom committee is devastated. Through her own special charms, a wish to help her friend and a deal with the principal to take care of some of those detentions, Ashley finds herself in the middle of the prom whirlwind and an active - and leading - member of the prom committee. Will it work out? Will Ashley lose the chip on her shoulder and find school spirit? Will the students have a prom to remember? And, if they do, what role will Ashley have played in it?

I had expected the novel to be a little cheesy, even though it was written by Anderson. From the first page I learned that no, it's not going to be cheesy. It was a strong story told around the occasion of prom. The story of a 'normal' teenager and her life and how this event happened upon it. At the end Anderson thanks 'normal kids' who said to her that their story is never told. Which is true - we learn of kids going through situations, kids who are going through supernatural situations, kids going through dystopian situations and kids who think a pimple is a situation. This was a refreshing view on prom and how for some people, it's not that important. That sometimes, crappy boyfriends and humiliating after school jobs is the best that it can be. And that sometimes, it takes a major kick from an unexpected place to make your life find the right path.

'Prom' is a fairy tale. It's not your standard tale, but it is a fairy tale, none the less. You have Cinderella in the character of Ashley (even her name evokes the ashes of her allegorical match), the Fairy Godmother in the character of Natalias eccentric grandmother and the evil stepmother in the form of the Vice-Principal. You have her helper mice appear as her family and friends, all supporting her through her endeavors. Ashley happens to be on a quest and the discovery of that means she begins to grow into her ambitions. At the end, the reader is left with the feeling that she might just get her happy ending.

Link to this review:

The Hunger Games movie

And why it's important to me.

There will be spoilers. For that, I apologize. 

I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games as a book series. Strong characters, both male and female, noticeable growth in characters and their ability to act and react to different situations, compelling plot and more. What else could you ask for? Then, throw in that the love triangle isn't in the mind of the main character but the guys who think they're part of it and you've got a great novel. When I heard they were making a movie, I knew I would have to see it as soon as possible. Or sooner. (side note, I am also trying to hunt down the nail polish for district 12 locally. I am a sucker for nail polish).

After a eureka moment when I realized the birthday party my son was at was the same time as a showing of 'The Hunger Games', I went the Sunday it after it came out. My parents were with me, as they usually are for these movies - they've sat through all but one of the Twilight movies. Popcorn in hand, we took our seats and were prepared to be disappointed.

We weren't. At all. I read a review that said it cuts parts more than it edits, and I agree. 'The Hunger Games' movie had to cut parts and they picked the right parts. The book is so much in the mind of Katniss, so much about her role in life, including the games. The movie was in the mind of the games and the role that Katniss played in it. We saw the games and how they were planned and how Katniss survived. How she lived. District 12 was stark and lovely, the Capitol was opulent and terrifying.

A few scenes stood out. A scene of two children from the Capitol celebrating the Games with a fake spear. The scenes in the cave. The absurdity of Effie in District 12. The 'moment a tribute becomes a victor' video. The reaping. The return. All beautifully done and with tenderness and care. The echoing of the children from 12 on the chariot near the beginning with the adults in district 12 as they stand before the crowd at the end. So many, many more. Bravo production team. Bravo actors.

But what does it mean to me? What's the point of having a movie like this? What makes this so special? I was struck by this question as I posted on Facebook how much I'd liked it. A friend, a teacher at another school, said they were taking all of their grade nines there. I then found myself chaperoning a field trip with a group of our students. These students had either studied the book or would be studying it in a future year. They were not a group of readers. At all. They were kids that generally needed extra help in their English studies. And they were clamoring to go to this movie. Some of them were kids that have checked in with me several times over the past few years about the movie and how excited they were because they had read the book. They were excited about seeing the movie, not because it was a movie, not because it was gory or violent or had a hot chick in it. They were excited because they had read the book.

Now, I read, on average, a book a day. Some days I just read part of one, other days I get through several. I reread 'Hunger Games' and 'Catching Fire' on Saturday and was halfway through a reread of 'Mockingjay' when I first saw the movie. Having a book in my hand is like having a hand. But for some people, reading is not as natural. But these kids read. They read the book and they liked it enough to pay their money and go to the movie. They wanted to see their friends from the page come to life and see how their favourite scenes were played out. They wanted to see their imaginings and compare how they stood up to the imaginings of the production team. They wanted to see if the effects were good, the story was better and if Katniss could be in real life the kickass person she was in the book. They wanted to belong to the culture of kids who the movie was targeted towards. because they are that target and it thrills them.

That's what 'The Hunger Games' movie means to me. Inclusion. Opportunity. And giving hope to kids. Not bad for a 2 hour and 22 minute offering.