*POLL* Melanie Dickerson

Hey folks! This year, I've read two Christian suedo-fantasy fiction novels, The Healer's Apprentice and The Merchant's Daughter. I thought that maybe one of these books should have a shot at the VLA, but I'm leaving the choice up to you! Voting is closed at the end of May.

Yay! *updates*

 For some reason, I was terrified to ever post something that wasn't a book review on here, but now I see that was ridiculous and ya'll need updates!

 First off, I'd like to welcome LeAnne to the Committee! You can check out her bio on the committee page. I am looking forward to her review of The Destiny Trilogy by Sarah Holman. It is such a blessing that someone volunteered to review a self-published book because I was about to completely freak over how much I was going to have to do by myself in the next month. LeAnne, you rock. :-D







 Secondly, I just found out my library got in Ruby Redfort and Cheesie Mack, which have been sitting on my Bucket List for a long time. Although I'm nervous, because someone said that Ruby Redfort has some big deal about a Budha, and Cheesie Mack is crude. We shall see. At least I'm not going to have to buy them!

 Picking books has been really difficult. Anyone taking a gander at my Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge will see that I've read a lot a books, and mostly it's because I wanted to find a wide variety for Verve Lit Awards. Okay, there was some personal reading fun going on there too. The problem is, most awesome books are too inappropriate for the theme of VLA. Whereas books like Dream of Night and The Wednesday Wars are super awesome, but published before 2011. I know that the Committee voted unanimously that books from the last decade (2002-2012) should be open for nomination, but I was holding out for books this year. Oh well, I guess Dream of Night, The Wednesday Wars, The Penderwicks, and Melanie Dickerson it is! Tomorrow I'll be posting a poll for you all to decide which Melanie Dickerson book we pick to nominate! Then, I'll finally get around to nominating the awesome and completely reading-worthy Wonder Struck.






I think next year, we're going to make this less difficult. Promise.


 Blessings,

Jess Verve

The Running Dream [nomination]

 You know how some books start out utterly depressing and just get worse by The End? This wasn't one of those books. Jessica Carlisle thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a bus accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?  This book had so many good point, where do I start? Running Dream made me think of Soul Surfers [the movie], only more upbeat (!) and more conclusive. I know it's not fair to compare a true-life story with fiction, but that's just what this book made me think of: a girl loses a limb, and it stinks, but she's going to keep going forward. Only this wasn't tainted by Hollywood drama.

 Writing style: amazing. Just enough inner dialogue, just enough emotion without being too much, and you know exactly what is happening, because the style is very clear. Many times I get a headache from trying to figure out what the heck the character is trying to say. Especially when the main character is a high school student--yikes.

 Characters: diverse personalities, and can't be classified as 'all good' or 'all bad'.  Though everything is pretty straightforward with the people around her, it's not like they are some plastic robots from Mainstream Fictionville. For instance, Jessica's little sister is a moody junior high student (weren't we all), but she actually shows a range of emotions aside from angsty snarls. And for once, here is a story that isn't SUFFOCATED with boy drama! I don't know about you, but boy drama gets a little old after a while (*gives guy friends a look*). There was a smidgen of it, mind, you, but I think if you read this book you'll be satisfied with how everything turns out. ;-D (and not in a total cliche way, either)


 There was something small, almost nonexistent that I wanted to mention because it meant a lot to me personally. Yes, I do believe wholeheartedly in God the Creator. Yes, I love to read books with Christian views, as long as they aren't tainted with depressing, wishy-washy, inconclusive Contemporary Christian philosophy. However, this book doesn't really mention God, except once.
 Jessica, at one point in the book, says "I don't blame God for this."
 Wow. I almost started crying.
 This says more than many Christian books do today. 

 As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.
  
 The best part of this book? It felt refreshing. There were some bad times, good times, hilarious jokes, prom avoidance, and it told the story perfectly. I loved the ending.

 How is this different than all of the other books I gush about? Well... I don't just gush about a book to get on someones good side or to be perky. I do it because the novel says something, something unique. This isn't just a feel-good story (though it is in many ways). I can't describe it, because you really have to read it for yourself to understand that this isn't just a 'generic' hope story.
 I think this line from Ms. Van Draanen's website says it well:
  "There are certain things I believe we need to keep in our emotional arsenal as we navigate through life. Hope is a big one." 

 Hope is everything. It gets you to a point of positive believing.

  

Have you read this book? Post your thoughts and discuss the books by making a comment.


 NOMINATED BY: Jessie V.


The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Ember Books, 2011, Length 332 pages, Age range 12/13+ (accident and related issues not described at length)

(Young Adult/Teen Fiction)

Author Q's with Amanda Washington!

 I found out about Amanda Washington while searching through Goodreads. Her new series, Chronicles of the Broken, instantly looked interesting to me. The first book is about five 'wayward' teens that must go to a winter youth group camp run by a counselor that is used to ministering to adults. Hence, lots of tension ;-D I honestly look forward to reading this book when I get a chance. If anyone wants to check it out, I'd like to warn that you should probably be about 12/14 so that you can stomach some of the topics mentioned in the first few chapters. Hey, I don't want parents throwing eggs at me!
 Too excited to wait until her book came up on my list, I asked Ms. Washington if she would like to do some Author Q's so we could get to know her a bit. Yes, generic questions, but her answers are really interesting!

[JV] Chronicles of the Broken is your first teen fiction book, and there will be a sequel coming out later this year. Can you tell us a little bit about these books?
{AW} Yes, actually. My publisher and I are currently working on edits for book 2. The idea for Chronicles of the Broken came from the Thousand Foot Krutch song, "This is a Call." The song talks about a few teenagers who are going through difficult situations, but find faith in their brokenness. The teens in my book witness a miracle at a church camp that impacts their lives in confusing, but realistic, ways.

[JV] What are your novel plans after that?
{AW} The Chronicles of the Broken crew has multiple stories to tell, so I’m not certain how many books will be in the series. I am planning book 3 now, though.

[JV] While constructing the first draft, would you consider yourself a word nerd or do you write simply to get a point across?
{AW} My stories tend to take over my brain, my dreams and my life until I pour them into my laptop, so when I’m being harassed by a story I just get it out as quickly as possible. I become a word nerd long about the third or forth draft.
[JV] I would love to have that kind of concentration in my own writing. Being a word nerd first can have it's downside!


[JV] Do you have a certain line or bit of dialog in one of your stories that you really love?
{AW} Amy – my video game addict – refers to herself as Wonder Woman with a golden keyboard. I fancy that description for myself… Really the relationships that the teens build is my favorite part, though.

[JV] Any pet peeves while reading fiction?
{AW} I read a lot of young adult fiction to keep up with my genre, and because I don’t want my books to be “preachy” or out-of-touch with reality, I don’t read many Christian novels. The trade off is having to read around the unnecessary sexual encounters that secular authors tend to shove into their novels. It can be very annoying.

Thank you a ton for this opportunity! Please let me know if you have any questions. I’ve also started a video blog to offer encourage and support to teens. It’s called “Tenacious Youth” and the first vlog can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr1Cb7TCa... (sic)

 Thanks so much for taking the time to  (and being so patient) do this Author Q session! We can't wait to read your books!

Amanda Washington's book Chronicles of the Broken is published by Leeway Artisans. 

That's a whole lot of books.

 These are just the books in my bookmarks that look interesting... it's going to be a long five months of reading! If you've read any of these books, let me know in the comments. :-D


 I'd also like to give a heads up that we may be posting author Q and A's later on this month, about writing and random things. Lets see if I can actually remember to interview anyone. >.<

















(Oh, and 'Back When You Were Easier to Love'... not sure how THAT got on the list. Don't take it all literally. I just bookmark spontaneously.)

Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School [Series; Nomination]

  The Keepers of the School series is the latest from Andrew Clements. Aside from the Things Trilogy, he usually doesn't delve into series books, or mysteries for that matter (though his book Room One was a Edgar Allen Poe winner). But this is by far some of his best middle grade fic work.
 Benjamin Pratt goes to Oakes School, at least for the next month. Once school lets out for summer vacation, the historic location is being torn down so that an investment company can build a sea-side amusement park. Ben is fine about this, glad even. Until the janitor bestows upon him the great and mysterious honor of Keeper of the School. Now it's his responsibility to save Captain Duncan Oakes School from being condemned, but can he do it in one short month?

   Each book in this series takes place in a few days or a week, which would seem to be very rushed. However, I thought that We the Children and Fear Itself (the first two books) were interesting and very well paced. At first I was a little confused by the plot, and thought it was completely unbelievable. Kids are in charge of school? But it's a little more complicated than you would think. As a late teen, I was thoroughly impressed by the deep characters, plot, and suspense, even though it's geared towards ten year olds. Can I see the events in this series happening? Yes. Do I have any clue how the series is going to end? Nope. Is the main villain totally creepy and worthy of a mystery movie? YOU BET!

  One thing that I truly appreciate about this series is the high involvement of adults. They aren't the main characters, but they certainly aren't stupid or put in as an afterthought. Many authors stay away from adult characters in children's novels because they 'meddle' too much, but I think it is unrealistic to say that a kid can go about something monumental without the help (and hindrance) of their elders.

  What mystery lovers can enjoy while reading this series is the classic elements of a treasure hunting that takes place in each book as well as the good-old sleuthing adventures that we all loved as a kid. Nautical elements are also woven through, with sailboat races and compass roses and bells. I learned more boating terms from these books than any other I've read before!

   Above all, Keepers has everything you could want in a middle grade fiction series. The right level of suspense, good characters, and secret compartments. Don't forget the sailboats!

Have you read these books? Post your thoughts and discuss the books by making a comment.



NOMINATED BY: Jessie V.

BENJAMIN PRATT & THE KEEPERS OF THE SCHOOL series by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Adam Stower
Antheneum Books, April 2011-Present, Length Approx 175-200 pages, age range 7-10 [recommended to older readers as well]
 Mystery (YA)

#1 We the Children
#2 Fear Itself
#3 Whites of Their Eyes

Psssst! This looks awesome.

Here is the undoubtedly BEST book trailer ever created. I’m teeming with excitement to read this. The first chapter looked amazing online…… but…. ugh, it’s published in the UK (who knew?) so who knows when the paperback comes out. Ah well. WATCH AND BE AMAZED!