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Watermark Teacher
Feature – July 11, 2007
In this issue:
BOOK NEWS
Themes, Pottermania, and the return of Stargirl
Fresh Titles: Great new picture books, middle-readers, and teen titles
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mary Capps BTK-related Book Signing. Saturday, July 14.
Alafair Burke Reading & Signing. Thursday, July 19.
All Hallows’ Eve: “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows” Release Party. Friday,
July 20.
Michael Yates Reading & Signing. Monday, July 23.
FEATURED BOOK REVIEWS
* “The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes!” by
Lynne Truss & Bonnie Timmons.
* “Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe’s Guide” by Patricia O’Conner.
* “Runaways, vol. 3” by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona, & Mike Norton.
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Thank you to everyone who commented on Teacher Feature’s on-line experiment.
Your responses were across-the-board positive, and we’ll plan to continue making
each issue available on our Web page as well as in an e-mail format.
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Greetings and salutations,
This issue of Teacher Feature contains some very prominent themes: puppies,
poems, grammar, and, uh… teenagers. Yeah, and growing up is always a theme: we
all do it constantly, and it just never gets old. Unlike the rain we’ve been
seeing.
We are well into Harry Potter Season at Watermark, and if you haven’t
pre-ordered a copy of “Harry Potter and the Final Sequel” and would like to do
so, please fire up your owl messenger, Floo Network chimney, or dreary Muggle
telephone contraption and let us do your bidding. We will have pre-ordered
volumes ready for pick-up at midnight on Friday, July 20 and on days thereafter.
Look below for information on Watermark’s evening book release party and contest
to win a trip to London.
I’m about fifty pages from finishing Jerry Spinelli’s upcoming book “Love,
Stargirl” (a delightful and surprising sequel to the nonconformist favorite “Stargirl”),
and I really need to back to it now. Stargirl’s pet rat Cinnamon is missing, and
I’m kind of broken up about it. Wish him luck!
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FRESH TITLES
Poetic puppy picture books for ages 4 to 8
“Bad Dog, Marley” by John Grogan, illus. by Richard Cowdrey
(HarperCollins, 9780061171147, $16.99) John Grogan has brought laughter and
tears to a nation of dog lovers With his memoir “Marley & Me,” and with his new
picture book, “Bad Dog, Marley,” he revisits the world’s most mischievous pup in
a warm-and-fuzzy story for children.
Read a review
“Dogku” by Andrew Clements, illus. by Tim Bowers (Simon & Schuster
Children's Publishing, 9780689858239, $16.99) Andrew Clements’s new picture book
“Dogku” (think dog + haiku) tells a clever and touching tale of a stray mutt
adopted into a welcoming family. Clements relates the story through colorful
pictures and a string of haiku poems that aptly capture the timeless happiness
of having (or being) a warm puppy.
Read a review
Poetry and fantasy for ages 7 to 10
“Where I Live” by Eileen Spinelli, illus. by Matt Phelan (9780803731226,
Dial, $16.99) “Where I Live” is a sweet tale told in free verse with drawings by
the illustrator of Susan Patron’s Newbery-winner “The Higher Power of Lucky.” In
a series of poems, lists, and touching journal entries, Spinelli tells the story
of Diana, a young girl in love with astronomy and writing, who must move away
and leave her friends and her school. It’s a fine introduction to journal
writing and poetry for young readers. Plus, great pictures!
Read a review
“Dreamquest: Tales from Slumberia” by Brent Hartinger (Starscape,
9780765313973, $16.95) Brent Hartinger’s new fantasy novel for middle-grade
readers swipes an ingredient or two from beloved classics like “Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory” and “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” But rather than spoof
childhood greediness or the waning gold standard, Hartinger’s book flavors its
adventurous soup with a sharp satire of Hollywood’s entertainment industry.
Savvy young fantasy readers will want a taste.
Read a review
Excellent young-adult drama for ages 13 and older
“The Saints of Augustine” by P. E. Ryan (HarperTeen, 9780060858100,
$16.99) In this excellent first book for young adults, novelist P. E. Ryan
tackles a rarely-seen subject: friendships between young guys. He makes clear
how necessary such friendships are, and he shows that too many important things
can go unsaid when those friendships falter. With strong appeal for both guys
and girls, it’s teen drama written well and with a good heart.
Read a review
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UPCOMING WATERMARK EVENTS
Mary Capps Book Signing. Saturday, July 14. 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Mary Capps will be at Watermark to sign copies of her book “My Boss Was the BTK
Killer... I Was the Next Victim.”
Alafair Burke Reading & Signing. Thursday, July 19. 7:00 p.m.
Crime novelist Alafair Burke will come to Watermark to read from and sign her
new novel “Dead Connection.” A former Wichitan and former deputy district
attorney in Portland, Oregon, Ms. Burke teaches criminal law at Hofstra Law
School. She's the daughter of beloved crime writer James Lee Burke, and a
graduate of Stanford Law School. She now lives in New York City and serves as a
legal commentator for Court TV. Visit her Web site: www.alafairburke.com
All Hallows’ Eve: “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows” Release Party. Friday,
July 20. 9 p.m. to Midnight.
Plan to join the festivities as we count down the last hours before the release
of book seven, “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows.” The fun begins at 9 p.m.
when our indoors Hogwarts Campsite opens for magicians and Muggles alike (bring
your sleeping bags!). The evening will include a Witch & Wizards costume
contest, spell-casting practice, Harry Potter trivia, a dramatic reading by
magical guests, and tasty treats conjured up in the Watermark café.
Copies of Book #7 will go on sale at midnight. Be sure to pre-order yours now:
call (316) 682-1181 and enjoy a 30% discount off the cover price. For those who
plan to party at home, we welcome your orders and can have your books bagged for
take-out at midnight. And be sure to stop by the store between 9:00 p.m. on July
20th and 1:00 a.m. on July 25th to enter our contest for a free trip to London
sponsored by independent bookstores. No purchase necessary.
Michael Yates Reading & Signing. Monday, July 23. 7:00 p.m.
Economist, traveler, and author Michael Yates will visit Watermark to read from
and sign copies of his new book “Cheap Motels and a Hot Plate: An Economist's
Travelogue.” The book is a memoir of travel adventures as well as a unique look
at work, social inequality, and the changing American landscape of cities and
small towns. Follow this link to learn more about the book and to read the
author's travel blog: www.cheapmotelsandahotplate.org
For a full listing of Watermark events, including book clubs and art openings,
visit the Events page of our Web site at:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html
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FEATURED REVIEWS
“The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes!” by Lynne
Truss, illus. by Bonnie Timmons (Putnam Juvenile, 9780399247064. $16.99)
The Fist Lady of Punctuation is back, and this time, Lynne Truss has turned her
attention to the mighty apostrophe, which she calls the “tireless Good
Punctuation Fairy.” In the introduction to her new full-color picture book, “The
Girl’s Like Spaghetti,” Truss quickly describes the apostrophe’s two important
tasks: (1) to show where letters have been left out and (2) to show possession
and ownership. (She also gives special attention to the often confusing words
“its” and “it’s” and warns young writers to watch out for their tricks.)
In a baker’s dozen illustrated examples, Truss then shows how using or losing an
apostrophe can radically (and sometimes ridiculously) change the meaning of a
sentence. One silly favorite:
“Look, it’s behind.” (of a tortoise in a slow-motion foot race)
--versus--
“Look, its behind.” (of the back end of a horse)
At the rear of the book, Truss includes miniature versions of each pair of
examples, along with a short explanation for how and why their apostrophes make
them different. She’s especially good at pointing out that a missing mark can
leave a plural possessive (boys’) looking like a simple plural (boys), which can
be quite messy and strange in some circumstances. (You see, if a shop “sells
boys and girls’ clothing,” those heavy boys are going to end up bending all the
wire hangers out of shape; plus, they’ll look really funny in the window beside
the frilly dresses.)
Truss does her work well, and “The Girl’s Like Spaghetti” is a welcome companion
to last year’s picture-book version of “Eats, Shoots & Leaves.”
Recommended for readers ages 7 to 10.
Read a review of
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!
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“Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe’s Guide” by Patricia O’Conner, illus. by
Tom Stiglich (Putnam Juvenile, 9780399243318, $16.99)
Patricia O’Conner’s “Woe is I” has been a helpful favorite of many proofreaders
and grammar-conscious folks in recent years—I’ve even heard of book clubs that
have adopted it as one of their group selections. O’Conner has now written a
junior version that aims to give similar aid to young readers who need to iron
out the kinks in their speech and writing.
“Woe is I Jr.” isn’t a text book or even a quick-reference guide. Instead, it’s
an easy introduction and guided tour to several important elements of clear
communication. O’Conner begins with pronouns, plurals, and possessives and
continues on through action and being verbs, contractions, and various types of
punctuation. Along the way, she sorts out common clichés and frequently misused
words like “unique,” which never goes with “more” or “most,” but just does its
own thing. The book is meant to be read chapter by chapter, not from one bullet
point to another, but the chapters are short, and the points are punchy.
Rather than attack grammar gaffes with full fury, O’Conner instead deploys
quirky example sentences stocked with familiar names from books and movies, like
Hermione, Shrek, and Ramona. (I think my favorite one is “Klaus’s family escaped
when Count Olaf’s back was turned.” Run, Baudelaire orphans, run! That Olaf’s no
good!) She also spices up the text with goofy cartoons that illustrate important
ideas, and she uses many punny headlines: the section on multiples, for
instance, is titles “Plural Before Swine.” She really goes whole-hog with the
humor.
Throughout the book, O’Conner avoids most specialized terms like “the
subjunctive” or “the conditional” in favor of approachable phrases like “wishful
thinking.” This makes “Woe is I Jr.” especially well suited to middle-schoolers
who need to brush up their writing but may not yet be ready to tackle full-on
study of grammar rules and terminology. Older, college-bound students will need
more intense indoctrination, but for younger students, this user-friendly new
book provides a few spoonfuls of sweetness to help them get their grammar
medicine down pat. And after reading it, they’ll know to call last sentence a
“mixed metaphor.”
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.
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“Runaways, vol. 3” by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona, & Mike Norton (Marvel
Comics, 9780785125396, $24.99)
In the past two years, the American Library Association has named each of the
previous “Runaways” collections to its Top Ten lists for either “Best Books for
Young Adults” or “Great Graphic Novels for Teens.” (And remember, “graphic
novel” means “it’s like a comic book,” not “wow, it’s really explicit!”) The
series more than deserves these honors as it offers some of the richest,
smartest, and out-and-out funniest storytelling around.
This third large hardcover volume collects three more resonant, twisted-filled
stories--more than a dozen issues of the monthly comic--and brings to a close
the tenure of “Runaways” originators Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. The
two end their run with a flurry of shocks for their ragtag band of L.A. teens:
long after the kids believed the threat posed by their super-villain parents to
be ended forever, their folks’ villainous criminal organization, The Pride,
seems to have risen from the ashes. Danger is back, and the Runaways are headed
right for it.
Good friends and old enemies return for a powerful showdown, and when a beloved
friend is lost, one member of the team makes a Faustian bargain to bring that
person back, whatever the cost. What follows is an edge-of-the-seat story of
trust and betrayal that tests the strength of each character. The kids have to
balance their personal grief against the fate of the whole world, and that’s the
sort of math that makes even trig look easy by comparison.
On one (very entertaining) level, “Runaways” is a comic about teenagers who
fight hoodlums and giants in the City of Angels. On another even more awesome
level, it’s an allegory of growing up fast while trying to keep hold of
childhood innocence and ideals. The series works extremely well on both levels:
the Runaways are as smart, sassy, and well-drawn as ever here, and these
ultimate stories from Vaughan and Alphona never fail to please and surprise.
These kids have proven themselves to be survivors, and despite the coming change
in creative teams, there are sure to be plenty of excellent stories to come.
(The series’ new writer will be Joss Whedon, the celebrated creator of “Buffy
the Vampire Slayer.”)
“The Runaways” is recommended for schools and libraries everywhere: in the
crowded pack of young-adult literature, it’s some of the best stuff going.
Recommended for readers ages 13 and up. The series is available in both
hardcover and paperback editions suited to library collections and individual
readers.
Read reviews of “Runaways”
volumes 1 and
volume 2
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Past reviews and archived issues of Teacher Feature can be read on-line on the
Watermark Web site at:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/teach.html
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Later educators,
Mark David Bradshaw
Click here for the Teacher Feature Archives
Peruse
back issues of teacher feature since its inception in April
2003.
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