Talking In The Dark

Talking In The Dark is a poetry memoir about childhood, relationships, and self-realization. Billy Merrell's poetic account of his life is a tapestry of colorful imagery of happiness, sadness, fear, shame, understanding, and acceptance. Beautifully strung words both figuratively and literally, convey the writer's emotions in his own book of revelations. 

Poetry itself is universal. In most poems, it is like looking at the mirror.  One could see his own reflection into one of the pages. His, is an ordinary story, told in an extraordinary way. Billy Merrell is a master of words. 

Favorite poem:

Love brings you hope, purpose and resurrection.

And though you say you're not religious minded,

you want to have faith in something daily yours

that brings you joy. What is existence, really,

but the product of one's own belief? If we 

can name it, if we have given it a place

inside us, how could it not be there? Name

one thing more possible, more durable,

more real than people. It is not naive

to recognize existence, something you aren't

sure of --- it is naivete to ignore

the possibility that something might.

Go. Look directly back at it. It will 

still be there. Dare to let the world look back

at you. If we give love a space, a name,

ourselves, there is no end to what we see.

-p. 116 Billy Merrell

Marcelo in the Real World

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork is an eye-opener for parents who have gifted children. Marcelo Sandoval, the protagonist in the story, is a unique hero that everyone would love. Forced to mingle with people in the "real" world, Marcelo struggles how to be functional in his dad's law firm. Torn between doing what is best for his own interest and what seems right, Marcelo listens to the imaginary music inside his head to decide his course of action. This story lets us take a look inside the beautiful mind of Marcelo and lets us understand the social conscience that should govern each and everyone of us. This is truly an amazing read. It is wholly compelling and not to be missed.

Favorite quotes:
"It's not hard to simplify the thought processes of the brain. All you have to do is stop unwanted thoughts from rising up."

"Every day I come to work, I tell myself, I'm a warrior and this is a battle. I put on my war face. That's another figure of speech. It's a way of saying that I understand I will need to watch out for people's motives and I will need to be competitive - like in a war, where some will win and some will lose. It's important that you see that side of life."

"I don't believe in suffering. If a kid is happy, understood, and appreciated, he will bloom in his or her own time."

Tokyo Heist

Tokyo Heist is a mystery novel written by Diana Renn. It is about a missing Van Gogh, Japanese mafia, and an unexplained death. This "East meets West" story tackles common cultural and generational issues and how these differences affect relationshiops. Creative and unique, Diana Renn paints real and animated pictures through her written words in her debut book. Tokyo Heist is indeed a pleasant revelation.

Favorite quotes: 

"A bridge isn't just something we build out of wood or steel. A bridge can also be the people that connect our past to our present, or the people that connect one country to another. And making or sustaining a bridge can be as simple as people talking. It's people making connections." 

"You see, many Japanese people have a certain vision of love. They believe impossible love is the strongest love there is." 

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Words create magic. Anonymously written, words are powerful enough to make people imagine something different other than reality. It is called expectation. Words sometimes hypnotize and flatter, giving the wrong impression. However, written words are also the author's form of escape, of what he or she really wants to be. In words, everything is possible. Our bodies only limit what kind of person we can project to others.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares tells us a story of words exchanged in a mysterious red notebook. Follow the adventure of Dash and Lily, as they find themselves falling in love with each other even before they met. 

Favorite quote:

"Danger comes in many forms, I suppose. For some people, it might be jumping off a bridge or climbing impossible mountains. For others, it could be a tawdry love affair or telling off a mean-looking bus driver because he doesn't like to stop for noisy teenagers. It could be cheating at cards or eating a peanut even though you're allergic.

For me, danger might be getting out from under the protective cloak of my family and venturing into the world more on my own, even though I don't know what - or who - awaits me. I wish you were part of this plan. But are you dangerous? Somehow I doubt it. I'm scared you're just a figment of my imagination.

I think it's time to experience life outside the notebook."

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!

Mo Willems is a brilliant storyteller and illustrator. This picture book shows not only humor but also the value of sharing. Children and adults alike will love this book. I could never get enough of it.

Missing May

I seldom cry when I read books. I seldom get emotionally affected. But this book has made me cry several times during the day. Maybe because the book shows how devastating it is to lose a person that you really love. This book was wonderfully written, and is easy to read. I recommend everyone to read this book. No wonder it's a Newbery Medal Winner.

Esperanza Rising

Reading Esperanza Rising is like watching my favorite Spanish Telenovela. Reading it gave me memories of Thalia and her role in Marimar. The book was a real page turner and I loved every chapter. It was one of the most memorable books that I read this quarter, and I definitely recommend it to everyone. I also learned several Mexican proverbs that I will sure remember:

Aquel que hoy sa cae, se levantara mañana. - 
He who falls today may rise tomorrow.


Es mas rico el rico cuando empobrece que el pobre cuando enriquece. - 
The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich.

The Far Side

The Far Side by Gary Larson is a collection of single-panel comic strips that the author has made throughout the years. The aptly named comics, The Far Side, shows bizarre pictures of aliens and humans interacting with each other. It's supposed to be funny, but I guess, Gary Larson and I have a different sense of humor. 

The Hundred Dresses

What the blurb says:

"I've got a hundred dresses."
Nobody can believe it -
Wanda wears the same old blue
dress every day.
"A hundred dresses --- all lined up!"
If Wanda really does have
a hundred dresses, she's certainly
keeping them hidden . . .
but why?

The View From Saturday

What the blurb says:

Their path to the state finals started with the sixth grade championship. Mrs. Olinski had expected victory, for her team was quick and informed and worked together perfectly. No one had expected them to trounce the other two sixth grades, but they did. Their victory was so profound that the sixth-grade math teacher, Mrs. Sharkey, confided to the music teacher, Ms. Masolino, that for the first time in the history of Epiphany Middle School there was a chance --- just a possibility, mind you --- that a sixth grade team might beat the seventh grade.

Favorite excerpt:

Mrs. Olinski allowed them to stand there until three minutes seemed like thirty. Then she sent them back to their seats. "Since you cannot describe what you have done, I would call belching loudly to interrupt our class an unspeakable act. Unspeakable. And because you cannot explain how to do it, I would say that you cannot teach either."

Crispin: The Cross Of Lead

What the blurb says:

"Asta's son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less --- no home, family or possessions. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head." That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name --- Crispin --- and his mother's cross of lead.

A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters, Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.

Favorite excerpts: 

"Do you ever smile, boy?" he demanded. "If you can't laugh and smile, life is worthless. Do you hear me?" he yelled. "It's nothing!"


"Crispin," he said after a moment of silence, "I'll give you some advice. You're full of sadness. Those who bring remorse are shunned. Do you know why?"


I shook my head.


"Because sorrow is the common fate of man. Who then would want more? But wit and laughter, Crispin, why, no one ever has enough. When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most upon His most perfect laughter. It must have been the kind that makes us laugh too. For mirth is the coin that brings a welcome. Lose your sorrows, and you'll find your freedom."

Number the Stars

What the blurb says:

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, often think about the way life was before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and Nazi soldiers marching in their town.

The Nazis won't stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family.

Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now.

Favorite excerpt:

From the afterword:

So I would like to end this with a paragraph written by that young man, in a letter to his mother, the night before he was put to death.

. . . and I want you all to remember - that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of - something he can work and fight for.

Jacob Have I Loved

What the blurb says:

Louise has had enough of her twin sister. Caroline is beautiful. Caroline is talented. Caroline is better. Growing up on the small island of Rass in Chesapeake Bay, Caroline seems to do nothing but take from Louise: their parents' love, Louise's chances for an education, her dreams for the future. They have spent their lives entwined - sleeping in the same room, eating at the same table, learning in the same classroom - and yet somehow nothing can bring them together. Louise's only hope lies in seeking a place for herself beyond the stretch of Rass's shores and her sister's shadow. What will it take for her to break free?

Messenger

What the blurb says:

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Once, Village was a place that welcomed newcomers and offered hope and homes to people fleeing poverty and cruelty. But something sinister has seeped into Village, and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. All along, Matty has been invaluable as a messenger between Village and other communities. He hopes someday to earn the name of Messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous Forest to spread the message of Village's closing and convince Kira, Seer's daughter, to return with him. Matty's only weapon against his increasingly dangerous surroundings is a secret power he unexpectedly discovers within himself. He wants to heal the people who have nourished his body and spirit and is willing to offer the greatest gift and pay the ultimate price.

Gathering Blue

What the blurb says:

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can carry out. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes that she is surrounded by mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world - and to find out what exists beyond it.