Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah
 

Now, I don't know that much about international publishing, but this just doesn't make sense.  

Ten Things I Hate About Me was  published by Pan Macmillan in Australia in 2006.  The audio was then published by Bolinda Audio (also an Australian company) in 2007.   The US edition will finally be released by Orchard Books (an imprint of Scholastic) in January 2009. 

That  all makes sense.   What I don't understand is why US libraries seem to be able to buy audio books from Bolinda (through Baker and Taylor), but not books from Pan Macmillan.  Anyone out there with insider knowledge?


Long story short, while I'd been waiting for the book to be published here, the book on CD had been sitting on the shelf at one of our other branches. 

Like Does My Head Look Big in This?,  Ten Things I Hate About Me  is the story of a teenage girl of Muslim descent growing up in Australia and dealing with issues of cultural and individual identity. 

Jamilah dies her hair blond and goes by Jamie at school to avoid the ridicule that other Muslim students face.  Even her closest friends (who obviously aren't that close) have no idea about her Lebanese background.   Only her e-mail friend, John, knows the truth about her family heritage.

Outside of school, however, Jamilah/Jamie attends Madrassa (Arabic school) and plays in a Lebanese band.  When her band is asked to play at her school's spring formal... things start to spiral out of control.

Sometimes it seems like I'm saying this about every book that I enjoy, but the characters were well-developed (including the other family members, and friends).   One of the things I liked best was that Jamilah was aware that by dyeing her hair and changing her name she was hiding her identity.  (I've seen other novels where characters did something similar in order to fit in, but never saw their own actions as being representative of deeper issues).   I also love the fact that both of Fattah's novels show a wide range of Muslim characters, even within the same family. 

While it won't be availible here in print until January 2009, I definitely recommend Ten Things I Hate About Me to those who are interested in learning more about the culture of Lebanese Muslims in Australia -- or those who just enjoy a good teen romance.

Edited to add:  In my haste to post, I completely forgot to add a few "read-alikes" and other blog reveiws, so...

If you enjoy the e-correspondence between Jamilah and John, try:
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
From e to you by Chris D'Lacey and Linda Newbery

If you're interested in reading more about Muslim or Islamic culture, try:
Does My Head Look Big in This? also by Randa Abdel Fattah

Persepolis by Marjane Strapani
Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guene
Ask me no questions by Marina Budhos (I'm hesitant to recommend this one, since I haven't read it yet, but there are so few books on Muslim teens that I wanted to include it anyway)

Other blog reviews:
kissthebook, Lowly's Book Blog

Round Up #1 -- Why I really, really, really want to go to Australia!

Must. Go. To. Australia.



Now, I know this is a huge generalization, but the more Australian YA fiction I read, the more I'm convinced that this is the future of the "genre". I still have yet to find an Australian author that I don't absolutely fall in love with upon reading their books. And I've read a few of them in recent months (yes, my blog post back log goes back to January)...



And first, about these round-up posts, I realized that many of my readers were coming from google searches for specific titles, so I wanted them to leave my site with a few ideas for other titles they might like, and of course, all of the recommendations are novels that I have read.

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48 Shades of Brown by Nick Earls



While his parents are living in Switzerland, Dan moves in with his mother's much younger sister, and spends his senior year of high school battling calculus and falling for his aunt's other roommate.



After Summer by Nick Earls

After graduating from high school, Alex spends the summer at the shore waiting for his college-entrance results and meets a beautiful girl on the beach.



Other blog reviews (of both of these titles):

Chasing Ray



Readers might also enjoy:

Looking for Alaska, It's Kind of a Funny Story

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Secret Scribbled Notebooks by Joanne Horniman



In three journals, Kate describes her daily life, the birth of her niece, the books that she reads, and her first experiences of love,



Other blog reviews:

Bookshelves of doom, Writings of the Loud Librarian, I'll eat my words medium rare, thank you,



Readers might also enjoy:

Anne of Green Gables -- something about Kate's dreamy ramblings reminded me so much of Anne

This is All: The Pillow Book of Cornelia Kenn -- journals, teenage girls... but a bit, um, bigger?

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The Wolf by Steven Herrick



In this novel of poems, Jack and Lucy go out into the woods in search of a legendary wolf, where an accident causes them to learn about themselves, and each other. (apparently, they don't have wolves in Australia?)



Other blog reviews

The Small Picture (this reviewer also links to an interview with the author)

The Lick and Sniff Reviews



Readers who enjoy novels in poem form may also enjoy Sold, The Braid, and A Bad Boy Can be Good for Girl

Also, something about the woods and the friendship between Jack and Lucy really reminded me of Ronia: the Robbers Daughter .

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One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke



In one of this year's Printz honorees, Lily hopes that her entire family will be able to get along and share one "whole and perfect day" despite all their differences; through a series of coincidences, this day is more than anyone could have imagined.



Other blog reviews:

Liv's Book Reviews, In the Pages, The Goddess of YA Literature



Readers might also enjoy:

Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (and her new book is finally coming out here in August!)

Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

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Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty



A story of family secrets, espionage, and magic, The Spell Book of Listen Taylor is completely unique. I do agree with many of the other bloggers that this title might be better suited to adults, not because it is inappropriate for teens, but because the main characters are closer to middle-age.



Other reviews:

Bookshelves of Doom, Roger Sutton's review from the NY Times, Interactivereader



Readers might also enjoy:

This book is so original that I have absolutely no idea... feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!

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The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky



The story of three sisters growing up in Australia in the period immediately following WWII, a time when the fear of communism was rampant, and a polio outbreak was sweeping the country.



Other reviews:

Lowly's Book Reviews



Readers might also enjoy:

The Loud Silence of Francine Green (same time period, but here in the US)

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Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell (ummm... I think I read this one last summer, but somehow I never blogged about it)



Gem, a film buff, plans to spend the summer after her final year of high school making a film with her two best friends.



Other blog reviews:

Pages Et Cetera, Chasing Ray



Readers might also enjoy:

novels by Melina Marchetta and Nick Earls (see links above).

One Shot World Tour: "Best Read with Vegemite" edition

Somehow I missed the memo on this, but Colleen (of Chasing Ray) has organized the first One Shot World Tour. And so, today, most of the "kidlitosphere" will be (virtually) visiting Australia.

And even though I'm not participating this time, here are the links for your reading pleasure:

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast interviews Margo Lanagan

Kelly Fineman loves Melina Marchetta

Big A, little A writes about Anna Feinberg and her "Tashi" series

Jenn at Not Your Mother's Bookclub interviews Simmone Howell

Chicken Spaghetti reviews Kathy Hoopmann's award winning All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome

Gwenda at Shaken and Stirred is all about How Sassy Changed My Life, The Red Shoes by Ursula Dubosarsky and Margo Lanagan

Jen Robinson discusses John Marsden's "Tomorrow" series

Finding Wonderland has a look at Undine by Penni Russon and a look at some of Jaclyn Moriarty's titles

Little Willow discusses Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman

At A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy it is all about Catherine Jinks and her four "Pagan" books

Jackie at Interactive Reader posts about Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big in This? and John Flanagan's The Icebound Land

Trisha at The Ya Ya Yas interviews Queenie Chan

Fuse Number 8 talks more about John Marsden and also highlights a new Hot Man of Literature: Andy Griffiths

Mother Reader will be posting on Am I Right or Am I Right? by Barry Jonsberg

And the books of Nick Earls at Chasing Ray

Guest appearance: Jenny Davidson who has interviewed mystery author Peter Temple.

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And as long as we're talking about Australia, the Inky nominees were just announced!

Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

Since we seem to have ended up discussing Feeling Sorry for Celia in the comments of my previous post, I figure I'll go ahead and post my thoughts (even if it ends up passing a few books in my review queue)

Feeling Sorry for Celia is Moriarty's first novel, and takes the same epistolary form as the other two.* While I loved The Year of Secret Assignments, I was secretly afraid that Celia would be exactly the same, especially since one of the main plot-points is the same letter exchange between neighboring high schools. And yet, Celia is completely and wonderfully original.

Contrary to what one might expect, Celia is not actually the main character of the novel. Instead, our heroine is Elizabeth, Celia's best friend. When the novel begins, Celia has disappeared. Again. (It eventually comes out that she has joined the circus). Elizabeth, feeling a bit lost without her best friend, begins corresponding (per English class assignment) with Christina, a student at the neighboring public high school.

Interspersed between the letters of the two pen-pals, we see notes from Elizabeth's mother, and assorted imaginary letters from groups such as the "Cold Hard Truth" association and the "Association of Teenagers" (these letters usually explain to Elizabeth that she is failing at being a teenager). These random notes confused me (and creeped me out a bit) at first, but once I understood that they were imaginary, they added to the charm of the novel.

This is a wonderfully light-hearted novel about friendship and growing up, and I definitely recommend it for readers who loved Moriarty's other novels, or for readers of Sarah Dessen (who might want something a little more light-hearted), or perhaps even readers of Meg Cabot (who want to make the move to novels with a little more substance).

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Now, my question for readers: the library system where I work has this shelved (and cataloged) as Adult Fiction. I know it was probably marketed this way when it first came out, but I really think it belongs in YA. Besides the fact that it is a novel about teenagers and high school, there's the fact that it's set in the same universe as Moriarty's later novels, and really ought to be sitting next to them on the shelf. Problem is, I need to prove this to the "higher powers." Help me make the argument??

*She has actually published one more novel, I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes that was only published in Australia, but I believe it is being published here in the fall under the title The Spell Book of Listen Taylor. Well sort of... according to Moriarty's blog, it is a revised version.

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

While everyone else has been taking "blog vacations" and posting about how they might not be posting for a week or two, I have inadvertently done the same thing (only without letting anyone know). So, no, I have not fallen off the face the earth, I've just had a busy couple of weeks.

First, I was house-sitting/dog-sitting for some family friends, and so I didn't really have access to the Internet (except for at work... and work has been especially crazy). Then, almost as soon as I moved back home, my family's dog died (of old age), and our house was taken over by fleas, which resulted in having to call an exterminator and stay in a hotel for a night (and the hotel didn't even have wi-fi!). And then, there's the fact that my boyfriend is heading back up to school on the 18th (sob!), and so I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with him before he leaves (sob!)

But this hasn't stopped me from reading... just from posting about the books I've been reading. So, I'll continue with my gushing over Australian authors. This time: Jaclyn Moriarty. I read The Murder of Bindy Mackensie for the Cybils, and I loved it, but it somehow got lost in a backlog of reviews. So, when The Year of Secret Assignments just happened to come through the book-drop while I was finishing Saving Francesca (by Melina Marchetta, see my previous review), I figured it was the right time*.

The Year of Secret Assignments, is, like Moriarty's other novels, written in a series of letters. Mainly, these letters are between the three main characters, best friends Cassie, Lydia, and Emily, and the three boys from a neighboring school who become their pen-pals (thanks to an assignment from their English teacher). Of course, seeing as the pen-pals are boys, all sorts of romantic interesting-ness follows... though I hate to give away any more detail than that.

Moriarty's writing is breezy and light, and I found myself reading "just one more letter" every time I tried to set the novel down. The plot twists are brilliant; there are so many small, seemingly insignificant events that suddenly fall into place later in the novel. The characters too, are true individuals, and their personalities really come through in their letters (I don't know how Moriarty does this, but it's brilliant!).

Only problem... this book just won't stay on the shelves. I've tried several times recently to recommend it to teens, only to find that it's already checked out**.

Also, a quick warning: The Year of Secret Assignments was originally published in Australia under the title Finding Cassie Crazy. I almost made the mistake of requesting the latter by Inter-library Loan.

*Never mind the ever growing stack of books that I have at home....

** Actually, everything I tried to recommend was already checked out... Kiki Strike? Checked out. The Boyfriend List? Checked out. An Abundance of Katherines? Checked out! What's wrong with these teens? Why do they keep checking out all the good books??? ;)

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

First of all, I have to thank Mindy of propernoun.net for recommending this title (in the comments of an earlier post ). I had passed it on the YA shelves many times, but never picked it up (possibly due to the fact that the spine is plaid -- but this is my one and only complaint).

Melina Marchetta is apparently a bit of a celebrity in Australia, due to the popularity of her first novel Looking for Alibrandi* which was even made into a movie.

Francesca's mother has always been the driving force in her life. She was the one who made all the family decisions, the one who got Francesca up in the morning, the one who grilled her about school when she got home. But one day, Francesca wakes up to an oddly silent house; her mother has had a nervous breakdown and won't get out of bed.

But while Francesca has to work to hold her family together, she has other problems as well. To start with, she has just started at a new school, more specifically, a private school that had, up until that year, been an all-boys school.

And, the only people she knows from her old school are 3 other girls, but none of them are really good friends. And then there are the boys, who don't really know what to do with the 30 girls who have suddenly shown up on their doorstep.

I'm really not doing the plot justice, but this is an absolutely wonderful novel about friendship and family. Marchetta seems to know her teen subjects incredibly well (and she would, since she teaches English at a similar private all-boys school), and is never condescending to them. The relationships (platonic and not) between Francesca and her classmates are as real and complex as any adult ones, and their conversations and interactions just rang completely true to me. I highly, highly recommend Saving Francesca, especially to readers who enjoy the novels of Sarah Dessen. I was also reminded strongly of John Green's Looking for Alaska, especially in the strength of the friendships.

*I have it on my holds shelf, so I'll read and report back soon.

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

That does it. I'm just going to have to go to Australia. With several extra suitcases. Or some really big boxes and lots of packing tape.

Now, I know it's wrong to generalize about authors, or anyone really, based on nationality, but I have yet to read a book by an Australian author that I haven't absolutely adored. E.g.: Markus Zusak, Justine Larbalestier, Jaclyn Moriarty, Elizabeth Knox... and now Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Abdel-Fattah's debut novel, Does My Head Look Big in This?, tells the Amal, a 16-year-old Muslim girl in Australia, who makes the decision to wear the hijab full-time. This is a difficult decision, especially considering that she goes to a private prep school in Melbourne where she is the only Muslim. But, Amal is strong enough to do this for her faith, and witty enough to stand up for herself. Example:

"So if I got drunk every weekend I'd be normal, but because I take about ten minutes out of my day to pray and wear a piece of material on my head, I'm this freak of nature?"(174-5)

What I loved about the novel was the depiction of such a wide variety of Muslim characters and situations. On one hand, we see Amal's friend Leila whose mother cannot even read and who follows the traditions of her village in Turkey rather than the teachings of Islam, expecting Leila to give up her dream of being a lawyer so that she can get married at seventeen. On the other hand, we see Amal's Uncle Joe and Aunt Mandy who have changed their names, dyed their hair, and do everything they possibly can to assimilate and to make themselves appear Australian (and yet, they won't allow their oldest daughter, a college student, to have a boyfriend).

And, better yet, we see that this variety exists in other cultures and religions. Amal becomes friends with her crotchety old neighbor who is Greek Orthodox. Her best friend Simone struggles with her weight and with her mother's repeated diet suggestions. At its heart, this is a novel about family and friendship, about being open to other cultures and traditions, and most importantly, about growing up and making your own decisions. And it made me laugh. What more can a reader want?

Anyway, since plane tickets are a bit out of my price-range at the moment... any suggestions for other Australian authors I should try? Or for blogs/websites where I might get some ideas? I know about insideadog (though I can't figure out how to subscribe to their feed), and The New Misrule Blog, but I'd love to find some other sites.

Dreamhunter and Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox

In the Dreamhunter Duet, Elizabeth Knox has created one of the most original fantasy worlds I've visited in a very long time. In this world, which seems to be based on early 20th century Australia, dreams are a commodity, a form of entertainment. The dreamhunters are a special group of people who have the ability to go into the Place, where they pick up dreams to take back to the cities where they dream them for paying audiences.

When the story begins, Laura and Rose, our two heroines, are getting ready for their Try, or the test where they find out if they are dreamhunters. Laura's father Tziga, and Rose's mother Grace, are both well-known dreamhunters, but then Tziga goes missing and both girls become embroiled in the politics of the Dreamhunting world. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but there's intrigue and romance and enough plot twists to keep one guessing until the end.

Knox's lyrical storytelling gives the novels a dream-like atmosphere, and both are perfect reads for lounging on a summer afternoon. I would highly recommend this for fans of Phillip Pullman (while I still haven't read His Dark Materials*, I was reminded of the Sally Lockhart trilogy which I adored) and Justine Larbalestier**.

Be warned, however, that the first novel ends rather abruptly, so be sure to have the second one on hand!

And now, for a little eye-candy, I present: the Australian cover-art. Is it wrong to have cover-art envy?

*But I have it checked out. That has to count for something, right?

**I actually first heard about these books from Justine Larbalestier's blog

Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier

I am such a library geek: Do you know what made me read this series? Not the fact that it's fantasy, not the fact that the author is married to one of my other favorite authors, but this:

"Apparently, calling my first novel, Magic or Madness was a big fat mistake. It’s the “or” that’s the problem, with certain searches it brings up lots of results that get in between you and finding my book. That can’t be good. And of course no one can spell my surname . . . " (From the author's blog)

There are certain authors whose books automatically jump to the top of my "to be read" pile, and Justine Larbalestier is definitely one of them.

Am I a horrible person if I tell you absolutely nothing about the plot? The thing is -- I really can't tell you anything about the plot of the third book without spoiling the first two completely and you absolutely must read those first (Though there may end up beings spoilers in the comments).

However, the general premise of the MorM world is this: Like all fantasy novels, some people are born with magical abilities. But there's a twist, they only have so much magic, and when they use it up, they die. There's an alternative, but it's not much better: if they don't use their magic, they'll go insane. (Thus the title). Reason, our 15-year-old heroine, has lived her whole life with her mother, who chose the second option. But when her mother tries to kill herself and is therefore institutionalized, Reason is sent to live with her grandmother, who at 45, is nearing the end of her magical life. The magical abilities are also not what one expects -- Reason has an amazing aptitude for math and patterns. Her friend Tom can create magical clothing, and Jay-Tee's magic is in movement -- like running and dancing. (None of this, ooh-look-at-me-I can-fly-or-read-minds... etc.)

Magic or Madness is hands-down one of the most original fantasy trilogies I've read in a very long time. I'll admit, I've gotten a little tired of the whole, hero-finds-out-that-he-has-magical-powers-and-must-go-on-a-very-long-quest-to-save-the-world type novels, so this series is a breath of fresh air.

If you haven't read this trilogy yet, run (do not walk, do not pass go, do not collect $200) to your nearest library and read it now.

And definitely check out the author's website and blog for all kinds of interesting things, like the very first draft of the first chapter of Magic or Madness, and this adorable story of her romance with her husband, Scott Westerfeld

The Underdog by Markus Zusak

Can someone who knows about these things please explain to me why this book was never published in the US???? From what I can figure out, this, Markus Zusak's first novel, is the first in a trilogy. (Its sequels being Fighting Ruben Wolfe and Getting the Girl*) Generally, I would think that when you publish a trilogy, you publish all three volumes, not just the SECOND TWO!!!!

But thanks to the wonders of Inter-Library Loan -- I was able to get a copy from a library in Canada. I did have to pay return postage, but it was so worth it.

Cameron Wolfe is the youngest in his family. His oldest brother Steve is the "winner" -- good at sports, etc. His sister Sarah is generally attached at the lips to her boyfriend, while his brother Ruben is the troublemaker, always coming up with ridiculous schemes like robbing the dentist (which they don't actually do), and stealing a road sign (which Cameron makes him return). Cameron usually follows along with whatever Ruben has planned.

But then, after being fired from his job (he was a paper boy and he accidentally broke a customer's window). He begins to work for his father (a plumber) which leads to him meeting a girl, a real girl. And somehow, this changes him -- makes him want to improve himself.

Markus Zusak is a genius -- and that's all there is to it. While this is his first novel, and it isn't nearly as polished as say, The Book Thief , the emotion in this little novel is raw and real. And I can't believe that Zusak was only 24 when this was published... (makes me feel rather useless!). Now I can't wait to read the sequels!

*In Australia Getting the Girl has a different title: When Dogs Cry.

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

A couple months ago, I was looking around in Borders, and I happened upon The Book Thief on a display. The cover intrigued me (and I sort of have this thing for books about books), so I went to work, and immediately put it on hold. Once I read it, I was absolutely convinced that Markus Zusak was a genius, and had to start reading all of his other novels.


[Okay, and while this post was supposed to be about I am the Messenger and not about The Book Thief -- I have to take this moment to point out that the Quills award committee had to be completely insane to choose Eldest instead.] (Thank you to Big A little a for alerting me to this travesty!)


But back on topic -- I am the Messenger is one of those incredibly good books that is really hard to describe. Basic premise is -- Ed Kennedy, an underage cab driver, helps stop a bank robbery, and he begins to receive playing cards in the mail with messages on them -- messages that lead him to help other people, and ultimately to help out his best friends.


I'm not sure it was quite as good as The Book Thief (but hey, if that means that Zusak is improving -- that's great!), but it was very, very, very good, and now I'm going to have to read everything else that Zusak has written. (darn list of books to read just keeps getting longer).