New Crayons (FINALLY) + Future Post Ideas

New Crayons is a meme hosted by Color Online in which participating bloggers share what new books they got for the week whether by buying them, going to the library, trading or as gifts.

Except for one, these books all have one feature in common that makes me happy. Guess what it is.

I've been thinking lately about what I want to write about on this blog. I've got plenty of books to review and I am slowly (but surely) finding the motivation to resume reviewing. I am open to suggestions; is there anything people would like to see me discuss? Or answer any questions? I have a few ideas but I am open to any others. For now I know that I want to write the following sometime soon (as in before I go to college):

-resume my monthly literacy non-profit spotlight
-Write a follow-up Jane Austen post (and respond to all the comments)
-Read/review books about one country for one week in which there is a humanitarian crisis occurring (a la my Haiti week)
-Publish my before-college bucket list
-write a 2012 MG releases about kids of color post (a la my 2012 YA releases about teenagers of color)

For those who are curious about my colleges so far I was accepted into Tulane University, University of Rochester, Loyola University Chicago, Fordham University and Northeastern University. If you have any thoughts on any of those colleges, feel free to share them since I have an idea of where I want to go but I'm not 100% sure yet. And I hear back from a few others in late March.

Now for my New Crayons (most of the books arrived weeks ago)

Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott

Release Date: Feb 28

When 11-year-old Dmitri (D) loses his mother to breast cancer, he finds himself taken in by an elderly white woman, Mrs. Martin. D loves to watch birds and, while in the park, is amazed to find an injured bird that can talk. He takes it home and soon learns there are malevolent forces inhabiting the region beneath Prospect Park and they are hunting for the bird; Nuru is a life force that has been kept hostage by the earthbound spirits who are ghosts of soldiers that died in the Revolutionary War. Nuru's mission is to guide the ship that will carry the souls of the dead back to her realm. D has been chosen as Nuru's host, and must carry the bird from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan where the dead await deliverance.

-Thank you so much Zetta and congratulations on the Booklist starred review! Zetta Elliott is one of my favorite authors after reading her debut, A Wish After Midnight so I'm impatiently waiting for school to settle down so I can devour this book.

Cat Girl's Day Off by Kimberly Pauley

Release Date: April 1

Natalie Ng’s little sister is a super-genius with a chameleon-like ability to disappear. Her older sister has three Class A Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her mom has laser vision and has one of the highest IQs ever. Her dad’s Talent is so complex even the Bureau of Extra-Sensory Regulation and Management (BERM) hardly knows what to classify him as. And Nat? She can talk to cats. The whole talking-to-cats thing is something she tries very hard to hide, except with her best friends Oscar (a celebrity-addicted gossip hound) and Melly (a wannabe actress). When Oscar shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on…and it’s not funny. (okay, yeah, a frou-frou blogger being taken down by a really angry cat named Tiddlywinks, who also happens to be dyed pink? Pretty hilarious.) Nat and her friends are catapulted right into the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets. Can she keep her reputation intact? Can she keep Oscar and Melly focused long enough to save the day? And, most importantly, can she keep from embarrassing herself in front of Ian? Find out what happens when the kitty litter hits the fan.

-The words "Ferris Bueller's Chicago" made me fall in love with this book's summary, can't wait!


Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Release Date: July 3

When a vampire shows up at Mel's high school, it's up to Mel to keep her best friend from falling in love with him. Add a mysterious disappearance, a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and poignant.

-Both authors are hilarious and great writers, what more could a reader want?


Into the Wise Dark by Neesha Meminger

Release Date: March

Pammi has a Secret--she is an Able. At night, she travels through time to an ancient city called Zanum. She's been visiting Zanum since she was seven and she's kept it a secret from everyone--including her own mother. Especially her mother. Everything's been fine...until now.On the night of an important Zanum ceremony, Pammi follows her gut instinct and defies an elder's orders, inadvertently leading evil directly to the door of the city she loves. Now the evil that plans to wipe out the city is coming after her. Can she save herself, and Zanum, before it's too late? Or will she seal the doom of all Ables and witness the annihilation of everyone she loves?

-I love all the cool links related to the book the author features on her website, I'm a sucker for research and historical tidbits. Again Neesha Meminger is one of my favorite authors so I'm dying of anticipation :D


What books did you get this week? Share the titles. Have you read any of the books I got? What posts would you like to see me write?

New Crayons + Alan 2011 & Contests

New Crayons is my weekly roundup of books I received/bought for the week. It's hosted by Color Online, a group-run blog that I rarely post on now *is ashamed* Anyway, I urge you to join

ALAN 2011 was fabulous. Except for the fact that I missed almost all of it. Bascially school ruins everything. The three days before Thanksgiving break are known as "Hell week" because every teacher gives you a test and as a senior, 1st semster is make-or-break so I could not afford to take Monday and Tuesday off and attend ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents), which was held in Chicago this year. I am most upset that I missed meeting Francisco Stork, Jacquleine Woodson, Chris Crutcher and Matt De La Pena. There were many many authors I wanted to meet but those were my top four. I did leave school early on Tuesday in order to make my panel workshop and I was able to hear National Book Award winner Thannha Lai speak along with Beth Fantaskey, Michelle Hodkin and Katie Alender. Their presenation was about The Future of YA Lit and the future is them. It was amusing since they all said they did not realize THEY were the future of YA lit, they simply thought they were supposed to talk about what they thought the future of YA lit was. I was especially cheered when Katie Alender spoke about the future of YA lit reflecting racial diversity. I certainly hope so. An interesting tidbit I took away from the panel was when Thanhha Lai said that Vietnamese is similar to Chinese in that the language is all about images (I may be misquoting her so Vietnamese speakers correct me if I'm wrong since I failed to write down the correct quote!). As you can imagine this made writing quite difficult since she was channeling herself as a ten year old and her ten year old self thought in Vietnamese. Thus she struggled with writing this book because she didn't think in complete snetences, more like flashes of phrases. So she wrote her main character's voice like that and was surprised to learn she was now (according to Nikki Grimes) a poet.

Then it was my panel, "Teen Book Bloggers Forge a new Reviewing Model" while I am not the nearly an expert on this or the best book blogger to ask I hope I did a good job. I was on the panel with Maggie, Edi and it was moderated by Lyn. Unfortunately Maggie was really sick and thus unable to attend but she was there on paper and in spirit. Edi captured her voice (well I think so anyway but I've never actually heard her speak haha) as she read the answers Maggie wrote to the questions Lyn asked us, as teen bloggers. I am honored to have been on a panel with such brillant, creative and inspiring people. We had a good turnout and I thought it was really fun becuase our panel was more like a discussion between us and the audience which I preferred to simply a Q&A with the audience watching. I barely remember what I said but thanks to the awesome new-to-me blogger R Mauk from YA Book Bridges I have two quotes that she shared with me on Twitter from my presentation "reading is about opening doors" and "books are the first tools of tolerance." Classic lines that millions before me have said but it always bears repeating :) I was thrilled to meet B.A. Binns and Medeia Shariff. I met Medeia by chance but B.A. went to our panel. They are both so nice! Medeia and I commiserated over missing some great presentations (she arrived a day late) and talked about other literary conferences (she will be at the Miami Book Fair, I hope to attend BEA one day). B.A. Binns is so enthusatic, I love her spirit!

I was inspired to read Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (which was included in the ALAN box) after hearing the author speak and while I won't review it here, I will review it on Goodreads. I thought it was really good, I liked how it poked fun at vampire supersitions. There were some cheesy parts but I think that's to be expected when it's a romance. I also read Anna and the French Kiss, both of these books are ones that I read right away because I needed some levity. Many of the books I have to review right now are heavy heavy heavy and with college apps I can't handle that right now. So these books were a wonderful breath of fresh air. I might review Anna and the French Kiss because a secondary character is a poc. She's not extremely relevant but she's there. What do you think? Regardless it's a fantastic book, I understand the love 100%.

Books I received from ALAN (I believe there were 22 or so total. I will have a holiday giveaway due to having some extra copies of books and publishers keep sending me books that don't fit the theme of my blog so I need to give those away too). I'll post other ALAN books about people of color I received next week.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.

For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.

But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.

This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

-If I hear an author speak I try to read their book. Plus I WoWd this. I'm determined to read this book before the year ends.

This Thing Called the Future by J. L. Powers

Khosi lives with her beloved grandmother Gogo, her little sister Zi, and her weekend mother in a matchbox house on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. In that shantytown, it seems like somebody is dying all the time. Billboards everywhere warn of the disease of the day. Her Gogo goes to a traditional healer when there is trouble, but her mother, who works in another city and is wasting away before their eyes, refuses even to go to the doctor. She is afraid and Khosi doesn't know what it is that makes the blood come up from her choking lungs. Witchcraft? A curse? AIDS? Can Khosi take her to the doctor? Gogo asks. No, says Mama, Khosi must stay in school. Only education will save Khosi and Zi from the poverty and ignorance of the old Zulu ways.

School, though, is not bad. There is a boy her own age there, Little Man Ncobo, and she loves the color of his skin, so much darker than her own, and his blue-black lips, but he mocks her when a witch's curse, her mother's wasting sorrow, and a neighbor's accusations send her and Gogo scrambling off to the sangoma's hut in search of a healing potion.

-I haven't seen many reviews of this book but I'm eager to read it. I WoWd it awhile ago.

Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story by Kelly Milner Halls

What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of “hesaid/she said” stories—he tells it from the guy’s point of view, she tells it fromthe girl’s. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There’s the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who neverlearned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boyshe never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girlwho could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collectionteaches us that relationships are complicated—because there are two sides to every story

-I hadn't even heard of this book (2012 release) but CHRIS CRUTCHER, JOSEPH BRUCHAC, CYNTHIA LETICH SMITH and RITA WILLIAMS GARCIA have stories in this anthology. Must-read asap

From publisher WestSide Books

Cracking the Ice by Dave Hendrickson

Delves into the perilous world of a black teen hockey phenom in 1968, during the highly charged Civil Rights era. Jessie leaves home for New Hampshire, despite misgivings of his parents and girlfriend Rose, to pursue his dreams at an elite, formerly all-white prep school, which he hopes will put him on the path to the Ivy League and NHL. He is realistic about encountering racist fans and opponents at his new school, but finds that he's in the most danger from his own teammates and coach, who clearly despises him based only on the color of his skin.

-I really really like hockey and there are four Black players in the NHL I believe so I look forward to reading about hockey back in the day and its issues.

BookWish is having a writing contest

write an essay of no more than 500 words about how the wishes in the story relate to the Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad. The stories were contributed for free by their authors so we could use the book's proceeds to develop libraries in Darfuri refugee camps. Essays will be judged on style, creativity, understanding of the story, and understanding of the refugees. If you win, either the story's author or the author's literary agent (as indicated below) will provide a one-page critique of the first 50 pages of a middle grade or young adult manuscript of your choosing

Authors giving critiques include Francisco Stork and Meg Cabot. If only I could write a whole manucsript/book!

New Crayons + Better World Books Giveaway Winner

I know I never officially announced the winners of my Better World Books giveaway but I did mail the books out to the winner already. Winner as in singular because I could not convince (apparently) my C. O. L. O. R. donors to enter the giveaway. So I chose to only select one regular winner. There will probably be another giveaway towards the holidays.

This is a rather old New Crayons because it's from when I checked my mailbox Halloween weekend. Yes it's been that long. I'm insanely busy. I sincerely apologize for neglecting the blog so much, especially since I have about 6 books to review. Without further ado


From publishers-Thank YOU!

Vanished by Sheela Chari

Eleven-year-old Neela dreams of being a famous musician, performing for admiring crowds on her traditional Indian stringed instrument. Her particular instrument used to be her grandmother’s—made of warm, rich wood, and intricately carved with a mysterious-looking dragon. When this special family heirloom vanishes from a local church, Neela is devastated. As she searches for it, strange clues surface: a teakettle ornamented with a familiar-looking dragon, a threatening note, a connection to a famous dead musician, and even a legendary curse. The clues point all the way to India, where it seems that Neela's intrument has a long history of vanishing and reappearing. If she is able to track it down, will she be able to stop it from disappearing again?

-Not only have I WoWed this book but I also had the lovely opportunity to interview the author

Circua Galacticus by Deva Fagan

Trix can deal with being an orphan charity case at a snotty boarding school. She can hold her own when everyone else tells her not to dream big dreams. She can even fight back against the mysterious stranger in a silver mask who tries to steal the meteorite her parents trusted her to protect.

But her life is about to change forever. The Circus Galacticus has come to town, bringing acts to amaze, delight, and terrify. And now the dazzling but enigmatic young Ringmaster has offered Trix the chance to be a part of it.
Soon Trix discovers an entire universe full of deadly enemies and potential friends, not to mention space leeches, ancient alien artifacts, and exploding chocolate desserts. And she just might unravel the secrets of her own past—if she can survive long enough.

-I was WoWing quite often about this book and even though the potential MG aspect of both books I received from publishers gives me pause for a second, in this case, it's DEVA FAGAN. So it doesn't matter what age group she writes for in my book.

From the author

Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress (Ash Mistry Chronicles, #1) by Sarwat Chadda

Release Date: Spring 2012

Weaves together contemporary and mythological India, about British-born Ash, whose father is offered a dream job in India, and discovers something is very wrong with mysterious millionaire Lord Savage, finding himself in a desperate battle to stop Savage’s master plan--the opening of the Iron Gates that have kept Ravana, the demon king, at bay for four millennia.

-How excited am I for this book? I won't list all the reasons but there are many many. I will also do a WoW post for this book, probably in March/April. This book is the first book I plan on reading for Christmas break. afjlakdjfkadfa I'm beyond stoked! Thank you so much Mr. Chadda =D

What new books did you get this week? Have any 2012 YA (YA ONLY for now. Next week I will ask for MG) releases for me to add to my slowly-growing list?

New Crayons, Did I Mention That....

I'm excited because I have three reviews planned for this week and I've written five college essay rough drafts. Progress!

New Crayons is hosted by Color Online a meme in which I share what new books I received for the week. Don't forget to pre-order What You Wish For, all the proceeds go to BookWish which helps build refugee camp libraries.



Have I mentioned that I was the 2011 Best Teen Blog winner at the Black Weblog Awards? No? Considered it mentioned. Thank you so much to all who voted for me! You can watch the entire show here or just skip to me being announced here ;) It's super embarrassing though!





Traded Subway Girl for


Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life-like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition-Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles.

Through Kimberly's story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about.

-EVERYONE has recommended this book to me (well not any teens but whatever) and so I had to read it. Thank you so much de Pizan!


For review from Little, Brown & Company

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Image from Tansyrr.com (I couldn't find any other images of the U.S. ARC cover)

Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers.

As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year's Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most.

As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?

-I haven't started reading this yet but I did skim through it and I'm failry certain the main character is Maori so it fits with my blog's theme. I was relieved to see that since lately I've been getting quite a few books that don't and I don't have the money to mail them out just yet to other reviewers. I don't like reading books about serial killers though... thank you L&B!

Enjoying your end of summer? For those in school, how's it going? Any last-minute summer reads?

New Crayons+ School Starts Tomorrow

School starts tomorrow. It's also senior year. That means anyone who likes reading college essay applications and offering feedback leave comments or email me! Haha (I'm serious). But more seriously it means that I definitely won't have as much time to blog. I'm no longer accepting books to review unless I specifically ask for them (and I'm going to try my hardest not to accept) until November 1. That's the goal I've set for myself to be done with ALL college applications. I will of course still write reviews for books sent to me for review.

On to New Crayons hosted by Color Online

Won from Helen, thank you so much!

A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez

The story of a remarkable coffee shop in the heart of Afghanistan, and the men and women who meet there—thrown together by circumstance, bonded by secrets, and united in an extraordinary friendship.
After hard luck and some bad choices, Sunny has finally found a place to call home—it just happens to be in the middle of a war zone. The thirty-eight-year-old American’s pride and joy is the Kabul Coffee House, where she brings hospitality to the expatriates, misfits, missionaries, and mercenaries who stroll through its doors. She’s especially grateful that the busy days allow her to forget Tommy, the love of her life, who left her in pursuit of money and adventure.

Working alongside Sunny is the maternal Halajan, who vividly recalls the days before the Taliban and now must hide a modern romance from her ultratraditional son—who, unbeknownst to her, is facing his own religious doubts. Into the café come Isabel, a British journalist on the trail of a risky story; Jack, who left his family back home in Michigan to earn “danger pay” as a consultant; and Candace, a wealthy and well-connected American whose desire to help threatens to cloud her judgment.

When Yazmina, a young Afghan from a remote village, is kidnapped and left on a city street pregnant and alone, Sunny welcomes her into the café and gives her a home—but Yazmina hides a secret that could put all their lives in jeopardy. As this group of men and women discover that there’s more to one another than meets the eye, they’ll form an unlikely friendship that will change not only their own lives but the lives of an entire country.

Brimming with Deborah Rodriguez’s remarkable gift for depicting the nuances of life in Kabul, and filled with vibrant characters that readers will truly care about, A Cup of Friendship is the best kind of fiction—full of heart yet smart and thought-provoking.

-As I find myself drawn more and more to books about the Middle East I begin seriously considering studying Persian, Farsi or Urdu in college (as well as finally mastering Spanish). I love learning about this region and I'm not particularly sure why. I think part of it has to do with the era I'm growing up in. I also think it has to do with how much I adore that they have civil (for the most part) political discussions, that point is often made in books I read. Anyway, I've only read two books set in Afghanistan (Three Cups of Tea and Shooting Kabul) so I look forward to this intimate portrayal (and perhaps I will be drawn to coffee....).

Received from Lyn while having lunch in Brooklyn with her, Zetta and Gbemi!

No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis (ARC)

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Even though Valli spends her days picking coal and fighting with her cousins, life in the coal town of Jharia, India, is the only life she knows. The only sight that fills her with terror is the monsters who live on the other side of the train tracks, the lepers. When Valli discovers that her aunt is a stranger who was paid money to take Valli off her own family’s hands, she leaves Jharia and begins a series of adventures that takes her to Kolkata, the city of the gods. Valli finds that she really doesn’t need much to live and is very resourceful. But a chance encounter with a doctor reveals that she has leprosy. Unable to bear the thought that she is one of the monsters she has always feared, Valli rejects help and begins an uncertain life on the street.

-I'm fairly certain I've been remiss in not reading Deborah Ellis, she seems to be an author brought up a lot for better or worse. This sounds like it will be tough for me to read about, I've gotten even more sappy when it comes to stories about hardships, I just want to solve all the problems y'know? But I'm ready to read about a grittier side of India

Bought from Borders (the bargains are getting better!)

The GQ Candidate by Keli Goff

After a sex scandal brings down a local politician, Luke Cooper finds himself catapulted into the Michigan Governor’s mansion, making him one of the few black and—by virtue of adoption—Jewish elected officials to hold such an office. His national celebrity is increased when he heroically saves the life of an avowed racist, and his good looks and charm earn him the nickname “The GQ Candidate.”

One day Luke stuns his inner circle by informing them that he has decided to run for president of the United States. His friends offer to help out with the campaign but a fundraiser, hosted by Luke’s good friend, becomes the subject of an incredibly negative gossip item that threatens to jeopardize the campaign. Meanwhile, Luke’s wife is ambivalent about her husband’s political aspirations, and grows increasingly wary of life in the spotlight.

The GQ Candidate gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens in the lives of candidates, and the people closest to them, when the cameras aren’t rolling. In addition to the story of the campaign, the novel also follows the lives of Luke’s tight knit circle of friends and reveals how his amazing race changes their lives forever.

-At first glance it sounds like this book could be modeled after Senator Obama. That's part of why I picked it up but I mostly chose to buy it because I love reading about politics, fictional or not. Especially Black politicians since they are so rarely written about.

Well what did you buy this week? Anyone else dreading going back to school?

PS I pre-ordered What You Wish For. Have you preordered it yet?????

New Crayons & Books to Trade

This meme is hosted by Color Online

All you have to do to participate in this meme is share the titles and images of books you got this week. It's a gorgeous day in Chicago, wonderfully breezy and all I want to do is curl up with a good book. Unfortunately I have to work on three college essays (due the first day of school-ew).

This week I'm highlighting all the books for review I received this week


From Lee & Low



Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

Luke King knows a lot of things. Like four different ways to disarm an enemy before the attacker can take a breath. Like every detail of every book he’s ever read. And Luke knows enough—just enough—about what his father does as a black ops infiltrator to know which questions not to ask. Like why does his family move around so much?

Luke just hopes that this time his family is settled for a while. He’ll finally be able to have a normal life. He’ll be able to ask the girl he likes to take a ride with him on his motorcycle. He’ll hang out with his friends. He’ll be invisible—just as he wants.

But when his dad goes missing, Luke realizes that life will always be different for him. Suddenly he must avoid the kidnappers looking to use him as leverage against his father, while at the same time evading the attention of the school’s mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters, who seem much too interested in Luke’s own personal secret. Faced with multiple challenges and his emerging paranormal identity, Luke must decide who to trust as he creates his own destiny.

-Three words: Paranormal spy thriller. Who could ask for more? Releases Fall 2011


Galaxy Games: The Challengers by Greg Fishbone

Things are looking up for Tyler Sato (literally!) as he and his friends scan the night sky for a star named for him by his Tokyo cousins in honor of his eleventh birthday. Ordinary stars tend to stay in one place, but Ty’s seems to be streaking directly toward Earth at an alarming rate. Soon the whole world is talking about TY SATO, the doomsday asteroid, and life is turned upside down for Ty Sato, the boy, who would rather be playing hoops in his best friend’s driveway.

Meanwhile, aboard a silver spaceship heading for Earth, M’Frozza, a girl with three eyes and five nose holes, is on a secret mission. M’Frozza is the captain of planet Mrendaria’s Galaxy Games team, and she is desperate to save her world from a dishonorable performance in the biggest sporting event in the universe.

What will happen when Ty meets M’Frozza? Get ready for the most important event in human history—it’ll be off the backboard, around the rim, and out of this world

-I like that Ty cares more about basketball than space, I can relate. I also think the idea of naming a star after someone is cute but it becomes quite funny when that star seems to be causing a controversy. Can't wait to read this one! Releases Fall 2011


Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

When Lupita sees Mami crying over a pesky mesquite growing in her rose garden, she knows something is wrong. Through the kitchen window, she overhears that Mami has cancer. After an operation, things seem to return to normal for Lupita and her family, and they go on with their lives, going back and forth between attending school, working, and living in the United States and visiting family and friends in Mexico. However, when Mami’s cancer returns, Papi doesn’t know whether he should accompany Mami during her long convalescence at an out of town cancer clinic or stay home to care for Lupita and her seven brothers and sisters. Suddenly, being a high school student, dealing with difficult friends, starring in the school play, even writing, become less important to Lupita than doing whatever it takes to save Mami’s life.

-Contrary to Goodreads claiming this book came out in October 2010 it is finally being released this fall. I did a WoW about it


Tankborn by Karen Sandler

Best friends Kayla and Mishalla know they will be separated when the time comes for their Assignments. They are GENs, Genetically Engineered Non-humans, and in their strict caste system, GENs are at the bottom rung of society. High-status trueborns and working-class lowborns, born naturally of a mother, are free to choose their own lives. But GENs are gestated in a tank, sequestered in slums, and sent to work as slaves as soon as they reach age fifteen.

When Kayla is Assigned to care for Zul Manel, the patriarch of a trueborn family, she finds a host of secrets and surprises—not least of which is her unexpected friendship with Zul's great-grandson. Meanwhile, the children that Mishalla is Assigned to care for are being stolen in the middle of the night. With the help of an intriguing lowborn boy, Mishalla begins to suspect that something horrible is happening to them.

After weeks of toiling in their Assignments, mystifying circumstances enable Kayla and Mishalla to reunite. Together they hatch a plan with their new friends to save the children who are disappearing. Yet can GENs really trust humans? Both girls must put their lives and hearts at risk to crack open a sinister conspiracy, one that may reveal secrets no one is ready to face.

-This book sounds very interesting and possibly controversial. We shall see. Release date: September 28

From Little Brown and Company

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

This is an intriguing YA urban fantasy in the tradition of Holly Black and Wicked Lovely. Set in New Zealand, Ellie's main concerns at her boarding school are hanging out with her best friend Kevin, her crush on the mysterious Mark, and her paper deadline. That is, until a mysterious older woman seems to set her sights on Kevin, who is Maori, and has more than just romantic plans for him. In an effort to save him, Ellie is thrown into the world of Maori lore, and eventually finds herself in an all-out war with mist dwelling Maori fairy people called the patupaiarehe who need human lives to gain immortality.

The strong, fresh voice of the narrator will pull readers in, along with all the deliciously scary details: the serial killer who removes victim's eyes; the mysterious crazy bum who forces a Bible on Ellie telling her she needs it; handsome, mysterious Mark who steals the Bible from her and then casts a forgetting charm on her. All of this culminates in a unique, incredible adventure steeped with mythology, Maori fairies, monsters, betrayal, and an epic battle.

-I've already started reading this book and I like it so far. It's very creepy but not creepy-scary if that makes sense. Although I have a feeling it will eventually scare me....I love the New Zealand setting because I know nothing about this country (as if that's such a surprise. There are so many countries I know nothing about!)

From the author

Act of Grace by Karen Simpson

Why would Grace Johnson, a bright, African-American high school senior, save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore?
That question hovers over Grace's hometown of Vigilant, Michigan, and few people, black or white, understand her actions-especially since rumor has it that many years ago, a member of the Gilmore family murdered several African-American residents. And if Grace had her way, she would not reveal the circumstances that led her to make what some deem to be a foolish sacrifice and an act of treason against her race.

The decision to remain silent, however, is not Grace's to make, for the spirit of her ancestors have emerged and insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness to the violent racial history that continues to divide the town of Vigilant. But when Grace discovers a century-old tale of a bloodsoaked, eye-for-eye vengeance that includes the mysterious death of her own father, she questions whether she has the ability and the will to accept the mind-bending spiritual challenge in front of her.

As Grace reluctantly embarks on the unlikeliest of journeys and into the magical world of the African-American traditions used by her ancestors to fight slavery and oppression, she undergoes a spiritual transformation that leads to the true nature of her calling: to lead Jonathan Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a path toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

-I'm really hoping this book doesn't become super religious (since it talks about grace I guess). I've heard some good things about it though so I'm anxious to read it. A blogger I trust called it one of the best books she read this summer. Whoa.

Books to Trade


I MUST make room on my shelves. That means some books have got to go. I've liked many of these books but I simply don't have the room to keep them. We can either trade or you can pay for shipping. Comment or email me if you have any interest. I've read these books and many of them weren't my cup of tea but they could be someone else's.

1. Dead Gorgeous by Malorie Blackman

2. Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman (very used copy)

3. Subway Girl by P. J. Converse

4. Legacy: the Becoming by Dew Platt

5. I Am Nuchu by Brenda Stanley

6. Zen Cooper: Woman-Child Ghetto Genius by Angelia Menchen

7. The Adventures of Silli Page by Dew Platt

8. Gateway by Sharon Shinn

9. Between Sisters by Adwoa Badoe

10. Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

New Crayons (Number....)

I was curious as to how many New Crayons posts I've done but I never saw the point of including the (#). then I realized it didn't matter since I could just check the number of New Crayons labels... Anyway I'm rambling. I have even more books to share (review books from Tu Books!) but I'm trying to space them all
out in New Crayons post.



From Tricia-Thank you!

Subway Girl by P. J. Converse

He is shy. Unassuming. Inexperienced.

She is Subway Girl. Cool. Unattainable.

From the moment he sees her on a Hong Kong subway, Simon is intrigued by Amy, but he doesn't have the nerve to talk to her. When he finally works up the courage, he realizes he can't. Because Amy doesn't speak Chinese, and Simon is failing English.

But somehow, Amy and Simon connect, and they find that they understand each other. Enough for Simon to admit that he is dropping out of school. Enough for Amy to confess that she is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby. Amy and Simon feel lost in a world so much bigger than they are, and yet they still have each other.

-Read this book and at the moment it's my biggest disappointment of 2011 in the YA book debut world. The summary had SUCH PROMISE. But did not deliver (not for me anyway).


Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

In this enchanting tale about the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening, two hapless city boys are exiled to a remote mountain village for reeducation during China's infamous Cultural Revolution. There they meet the daughter of the local tailor and discover a hidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translation. As they flirt with the seamstress and secretly devour these banned works, they find transit from their grim surroundings to worlds they never imagined.

-This sounds a little like Reading Lolita in Tehran which I thought was excellent so I'm really looking forward to diving into this book.

From the library

Angel's Grace by Tracey Baptise

Grace has always had wild red hair like no one else in her family and a birthmark on her shoulder that her mother told her was the mark of an angel. When Grace is sent from New York to spend the summer with her grandmother in Trinidad, she looks through the family album and discovers a blurred photograph of a stranger with a birthmark -- her birthmark -- and Grace is full of questions. No one is able to identify the man in the photo, and Grace is left with no choice but to find out who he is and what he might mean to her. What Grace does not know is that her search will lead to a discovery about herself and her family that she never could have imagined.

Tracey Baptiste's first novel is a tender coming-of-age story set on the island of Trinidad. Angel's Grace explores the meaning of identity and truth, and the unbreakable ties of a family bound by love.

-I'm reading this for the Quirky Brown Reading Challenge. I decided it's quirky because it's set in Trinidad, how many books are set there? :)


Orchards by Holly Thompson

After a classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg—a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American—wonders who is responsible. She and her cliquey friends said some thoughtless things to the girl. Hoping that Kana will reflect on her behavior, her parents pack her off to her mother's ancestral home in Japan for the summer. There Kana spends hours under the hot sun tending to her family's mikan orange groves.

Kana's mixed heritage makes it hard to fit in at first, especially under the critical eye of her traditional grandmother, who has never accepted Kana's father. But as the summer unfolds, Kana gets to know her relatives, Japan, and village culture, and she begins to process the pain and guilt she feels about the tragedy back home. Then news about a friend sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.

-I did a week of Haiti reviews after the earthquake, I want to do the same thing for Japan. After I reviewed the book I linked ways people could help. This is my first book that I chose plus the issue of bullying is extremely relevant to today. I'm eager to read it (finally)!

The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau

Zeeta's life with her free-spirited mother, Layla, is anything but normal. Every year Layla picks another country she wants to live in. This summer they’re in Ecuador, and Zeeta is determined to convince her mother to settle down. Zeeta makes friends with vendors at the town market and begs them to think of upstanding, “normal” men to set up with Layla. There, Zeeta meets Wendell. She learns that he was born nearby, but adopted by an American family. His one wish is to find his birth parents, and Zeeta agrees to help him. But when Wendell’s biological father turns out to be involved in something very dangerous, Zeeta wonders whether she’ll ever get the chance to tell her mom how she really feels—or to enjoy her deepening feelings for Wendell.

-This book made me want to travel so badly, my heart ached! I really enjoyed the story (big thanks to Lyn for recommending this book to me!). My review

Bought

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

In the tradition of SHABANU, DAUGHTER OF THE WIND and THE BREADWINNER, a beautiful debut about a daughter of Afghanistan discovering new friends and opportunities after the defeat of the Taliban.

Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to school, or to have her cleft palate fixed. Zulaikha knows all will be provided for her--"Inshallah," God willing.

Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the Afghan poetry she taught her late mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities and dangers, but surgery to fix her face. These changes could mean a whole new life for Zulaikha--but can she dare to hope they'll come true?

-I've been wanting to read this book for awhile now because as I've said countless times I devour all the books I can find on the Middle Eastern region, it fascinates me immensely. I decided to buy it however when I read that 10% of the author's proceeds up to 10,000 would be donated to Women for Afghan Women. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing so natch I had to buy the book.

What new books did you buy/trade for/get from the library this week? Were you enticed to go to Borders as they readjusted their bargains (I sort of wish I'd waited for the 25% off BUT my books might not have still been there....)


*From August 6-10 I will be in NYC! This is my first time visiting and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I will have limited Internet access so I will try to at least check my emails/comments.

New Crayons (1st Time in a Long Time)

Whew finally a New Crayons post! I missed posting about new books. Borders closing has hurt my wallet significantly but ah well, it's for the greater good haha :)






From Borders (1st trip)

Till You Hear From Me by Pearl Cleage

From the acclaimed Pearl Cleage, author of What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day . . . and Seen It All and Done the Rest, comes an Obama-era romance featuring a cast of unforgettable characters.

Just when it appears that all her hard work on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is about to pay off with a White House job, thirty-five-year-old Ida B. Wells Dunbar finds herself on Washington, D.C.’s post-election sidelines even as her twentysomething counterparts overrun the West Wing. Adding to her woes, her father, the Reverend Horace A. Dunbar, Atlanta civil rights icon and self-described “foot soldier for freedom,” is notoriously featured on an endlessly replayed YouTube clip in which his pronouncements don’t exactly jibe with the new era in American politics.

The Rev’s stinging words and myopic views don’t sound anything like the man who raised Ida to make her mark in the world. When friends call to express their concern, Ida realizes it’s time to head home and see for herself what’s going on. Besides, with her job prospects growing dimmer, getting out of D.C. for a while might be the smartest move she could make.

Back in her old West End neighborhood, Ida runs into childhood friend and smooth political operator Wes Harper, also in town to pay a visit to the Reverend Dunbar, his mentor. Ida doesn’t trust Wes or his mysterious connections for one second, but she can’t deny her growing attraction to him.

While Ida and the Rev try to find the balance between personal loyalties and political realities, they must do some serious soul searching in order to get things back on track before Wes permanently derails their best laid plans.

-To be perfectly honest I picked this book up because it said "Obama-era" I love hearing/reading those words! But I also picked this book up because people (specifically Doret) speak highly of Pearl Cleage. I'm not going to be able to read a lot starting (basically now) but I'm hoping to finish this book at least before school starts.

Substitute Me by Lori Tharps

Zora Anderson is a 30-year-old African American middle class, college educated woman, trained as a chef, looking for a job. As fate would have it, Kate and Brad Carter, a married couple, aspiring professionals with a young child are looking for a nanny.

Zora seems perfect. She’s an enthusiastic caretaker, a competent house keeper, a great cook. And she wants the job, despite the fact that she won’t let her African American parents and brother know anything about this new career move. They expect much more from her than to use all that good education to do what so many Blacks have dreamed of not doing: working for White folks. Working as an au pair in Paris, France no less, was one thing, they could accept that. Being a servant to a couple not much older nor more educated, is yet another. Every adult character involved in this tangled web is hiding something: the husband is hiding his desire to turn a passion for comic books into a business from his wife, the wife is hiding her professional ambitions from her husband, the nanny is hiding her job from her family and maybe her motivations for staying on her job from herself.

Memorable characters, real-life tensions and concerns and the charming—in a hip kind of way—modern-day Park Slope, Fort Greene, Brooklyn setting make for an un-put-down-able read.

-I love Lori Tharps' blog My American Melting Pot and that played a big part in me deciding to pick up this book. Plus Terri had a glowing review that made me curious enough to pick up the book.

Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman

After a terrorist attack kills Dani’s aunt and unborn cousin, life in Argentina—private school, a boyfriend, a loving family—crumbles quickly. In order to escape a country that is sinking under their feet, Dani and her family move to the United States. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but when you’re living in a cramped apartment and going to high school where all the classes are in another language—and not everyone is friendly—life in America is not all it’s cracked up to be. Dani misses her old friends, her life, Before.

But then Dani meets a boy named Jon, who isn’t like all the other students. Through him, she becomes friends with Jessica, one of the popular girls, who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there’s Brian, the boy who makes Dani’s pulse race. In her new life, the one After, Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say goodbye and allows herself to love and be loved again.

-I've never read a book set in Argentina! And I'm curious about the terrorist attack. What's going on in Argentina that has made terrorist attacks something that occur? I updated my Global Reading Challenge to add this book for South America.

From the library
The Door of No Return by Sarah Mussi

Zac Baxter's grandfather has always told him that he's the descendant of African kings, whose treasure was stolen when his ancestors were sold into slavery. Of course, Zac brushes this off as a tall tale until his grandfather is murdered and their apartment is completely ransacked. Clearly somebody is after something.

Heeding his grandfather's dying words, Zac is off to Ghana to track down his family's history. But what did his grandfather mean when he said that Zac had the map to the treasure? Following every clue he can find, Zac begins to suspect that the treasure is real, and hidden in one of Ghana's old slave forts. Too bad the killers always seem to be one step ahead of him. With no one he can trust and with everything to lose, Zac races against time as he tries to uncover the truth about the past and a fortune in gold.

-I'm currently reading this book and it's OK. Not great (at least not yet unfortunately). I'm reading it for the Global Reading Challenge, it's my second book set in Africa for the challenge.

What new books did everyone else get this week?

New Crayons (I'm Out of Town-No Internet Access)

Hosted by Color Online

There's so much to do. I have a post about whitewashing to write, a post about Jane Austen & people (specifically teens of color), some interview requests to send. I love being busy and it's summer so I don't feel too overwhelmed :) Although I do have ACT/SAT studying to do and college application essays. Bleh



Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest wth a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," BREADCRUMBS is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.


-From the author, thank you so much Ms. Ursu! I really enjoy fairy tale retellings and I'm not familiar with 'The Snow Queen' so I look forward to reading this magical, wintry tale :)




My Own Worst Frenemy by Kimberly Reid

Straight outta the Mile High City, Chanti Evans is an undercover cop’s daughter and an exclusive private school’s newest student. But Chanti is learning fast that when it comes to con games, the streets have nothing on Langdon Prep.

Chanti can’t believe she’s gone from rocking the hottest gear to sporting J. Crew. But after trouble in her neighborhood, her vice cop mom wants her safe. Now, she’s across town at Langdon Prep, where rumor and gossip are the real lethal weapons…

With barely a foot in the door, Chanti gets on the bad side of school queen-bee, Lissa, and the snobbish Headmistress Smythe. And when a series of pricey thefts puts everyone on edge, Chanti is under major suspicion. But the last straw comes when she and her new Langdon crush, dangerously fine heartthrob, Carlos, are set up to take the heat for a burglary…

Now Chanti will need her detective skills to uncover the real culprit and clear her name. But with her BFF mysteriously turned on her, and a drug dealer gunning for her, Chanti will have to figure out who’s got her back—and who’s out to stab it—or this too-fierce sleuth won’t have any kind of future at all…

-I started reading MOWF already which was a bad idea because I'm not taking it on my tip but I'm hooked! It's really good. I was afraid there would be too much whining and slang I didn't know but Chanti makes some literary references that are fun to catch and her friends are really funny. I have great hope for the rest of the book.

What did you get this week?

*I will be in Guatemala from June 10-20 with no Internet access. All emails/comments/Tweets will be answered upon my return.

New Crayons, New Plans

I had been thinking that once summer arrived I would have more time to blog, but that will be on hold until at least July. I will have scheduled reviews that I already promised to do in June but I am going on a service trip to Guatemala for ten days and we will not have Internet access. So I'm hoping this won't become a regular thing, me having no time to blog but for now I'm taking it a day at a time. Tomorrow starts my last week of school and then I have finals but I leave for Guatemala a week after my last final so my days will be spent hanging out with friends. But I'm going to try and write a review everyday next week, whether to be published immediately or while I'm gone.

New Crayons is hosted by Color Online (which I've neglected so much :(

Hey Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and On the Streets by Mandy Van Deven, Joanne Smith & Meghan Huppuch

At every stage of education, sexual harassment is common, and often considered a rite of passage for young people. It's not unusual for a girl to hear "Hey, Shorty!" on a daily basis as she walks down the hall or comes into the school yard, followed by a sexual innuendo, insult, come-on, or assault. But when teenagers are asked whether they experience this in their own lives, most of them say it's not happening.

Girls for Gender Equity, a nonprofit organization based in New York City, has developed a model for teens to teach one another about sexual harassment. How do you define it? How does it affect your self-esteem? What do you do in response? Why is it so normalized in schools, and how can we as a society begin to address these causes? Geared toward students, parents, teachers, policy makers, and activists, this book is an excellent model for building awareness and creating change in any community.

Founded by Joanne Smith, Girls for Gender Equity is a nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn committed to the physical, psychological, social, and economic development of urban girls.

-I have mixed feelings on this topic because on the one hand blatant sexual harassment (insults and assaults) is wrong but on the other hand I can personally attest to the fact that some compliments/come-ons are a confidence booster. Should it be that way? Probably not. But is it anyway? Yes. So I'm very interested in reading this book. Received from one of the authors, thank you!

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent," with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?

-I met Nnedi Okorafor at Diversity in YA and hearing her speak was awesome especially when she said that she doesn't mind using difficult Nigerian Igbo names for her characters because we teen readers are "big kids" who can power through it. haha. Anyway yay more speculative fiction diversity!

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.

When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

-WoW. Received as part of a blog tor, thank you :)


What did you win/buy/trade for this week?

New Crayons & You Could Win a Kindle & Oh Whitewashing

Before we talk about my New Crayons I wanted to help spread the word on an up-and-coming YA author, Nina Perez (who like me happens to be Black and Panamanian so yes I'm a little biased ;) I haven't had the chance to read her book The Twin Prophecies: Rebirth yet but it sounds fascinating. Ms. Perez is giving away a Kindle from May 16-May 18 in celebration of her book's release. Go here for more information about the giveaway and Rebirth's press release

I haven't checked my mailbox in forever and I'm still fairly MIA from the book blogging world. BUT I've found some new books I'm really excited about that I need to add to the updated list of 2011 YA/MG releases about poc. Please leave me any links to interesting articles from March to the present, I'm hoping to do some catching up next week.

From Yan-Thank you so much (just in time because I've been craving a good YA contemporary read)!

Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins & Sally Rideout

Zahra, Kali, and Syd would never have met if their parents' marriages hadn't fallen apart. But when the three girls collide in group counseling, they discover they have something else in common: they've each been triple-timed by the same nefarious charmer, Eric, aka Rico, aka Rick. Talk about eye-opening therapy.

Cheerful, diplomatic Zahra is devastated. Rico had been her rock and sole confidant. How could she have missed the signs? Folksy, flirtatious Kali feels almost as bad. She and Rick had only been on a few dates, but they'd felt so promising. Hardened vintage-vixen Syd is beyond tears. She and Eric had real history... Or so she'd thought. Now all three girls have one mission: to show that cheater the folly of his ways.

Project Payback is such a success, the girls soon have clients lining up for their consulting services. Is your boyfriend acting shady? Dying to know if your crush is into you? Need match-making expertise? Look no further than Love, Inc.

-Ahh a good ol taking-karma-into-your-own-hands story!

OH and this may well ruin your day/hour. I am going to write more on this but I'm super busy with school and I'm still not quite sure as to what I can even say that hasn't already been said 100x over and much more eloquently. Whitewashing of Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow by Nathan Bransford. And yes I do think this is whitewashing. Thank you Charlotte for bringing this to my attention and then writing a great post about why it's so important to read books about "others" aka books that show how diverse our world is.