While writing a recent article for examiner.com on Wendy Grojean, she suggested that I contact Rebecca "Becky" Pasco as she is a library "goddess."
First of all, I thought it was funny, but more importantly, I smiled as I heard that and agreed. I met Becky as a student in her Young Adult Literature class at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Pasco has worked in the Lincoln, NE library system, has studied in the Nebraska State College system and also at Emporia State University in Kansas. She is an enthusiastic and knowledgable librarian and provided me with a great oppportunity this past summer.
As part of the Yound Adult Lit class, we were required to travel to Girls, Inc. The school is a supplementary education for young girls in Omaha and runs programs all year long. We visited the Girls for a day, talked books and used grant money to purchase them books of their choice. It was a wonderful experience.
Anyway, aside from giving me that opportunity and learning a lot in her class, Pasco has provided me a list of "must reads" as 2011 has come to an end. Check out her picks and descriptions to see if you feel the itch to read them- I know I do...
SEPETYS, RUTA Between Shades of Gray
In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author's family, includes a historical note.
KING, A.S. Everybody Sees the Ants
Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their family is fine. And he certainly didn't ask to be the recipient of Nadar McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
BIRCH, CAROL. Jamrach’s Menagerie
Jaffy leaves behind his life on the streets of 19th-century London for an adventure to the Pacific Islands aboard a whaling ship in search of a mythical–yet far too real–dragon in this enormously satisfying novel of friendship, survival, and redemption
HOWREY, MEG. Blind Sight.
When he is invited to live with his biological father for the summer, 17-year-old Luke is amazed to discover that the man is a famous television star. Chapters begin with the teen’s wonderfully witty college application essays, which reflect a new understanding of family dynamics and the workings of the human brain.
TRAN, GB. Vietnamerica: A Family’s Journey.
In this intriguing graphic memoir, Tran, born and raised in the United States, returns to Vietnam to research his family’s history, especially their experiences of the Vietnam War and then adapting to life as immigrants living in the United States.
ANGEL, ANN Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing
Forty years after her death, Janis Joplin remains among the most compelling and influential figures in rock-and-roll history. Her story—told here with depth and sensitivity by author Ann Angel—is one of a girl who struggled against rules and limitations, yet worked diligently to improve as a singer. It’s the story of an outrageous rebel who wanted to be loved, and of a wild woman who wrote long, loving letters to her mom.
Check out these books and read away!
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