Lady Reader's Bookstuff

Thursday, April 5, 2012

April A to Z Challenge Letter "E" = Eating Disorders #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Welcome to day five of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

Today's letter is "E" and my topic is = EATING DISORDERS.

Eating Disorders are the real deal guys. We need to pay attention.

Here a few of my favorite books that deal with eating disorders.

::Stupid/ugly/stupid/bitch/stupid/fat/

stupid/baby/stupid/loser/stupid/lost::

Must. Not. Eat. Must. Not. Eat. Must. Not. Eat. Must. Not. Eat. Must. Not. Eat.

Must. Not. Eat.

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.

“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.

I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.

I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

The Pact

I took the knife out of my pocket and cut my palm, just a little. "I swear to be the skinniest girl in school, skinnier than you."

Cassie's eyes got big as the blood pooled in my hand.

She grabbed the knife and slashed her palm. "I bet I'll be skinnier than you."

"No, don't make a bet. Let's be the skinniest together."

"Okay, but I'll be skinnier."

1. Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.

“What if I'm so broken I can never do something as basic as feed myself?

Do you realize how twisted that is? It amazes me sometimes that humans still exist.

We're just animals, after all.

And how can an animal get so removed from nature that it loses the instinct to keep itself alive?” —Olivia

2. Clean, by Amy Reed

You’re probably wondering how I ended up here. I’m still wondering the same thing. Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They’re addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they’ll all have to deal with themselves and one another if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there’s nowhere to go but down, down, down.

“We Bulimia Babes are always the first to the table, because we have this strange relationship with food. We want to eat it badly, but afterward we want to puke it up equally as badly.

The anorexics are another story. They’ll do anything to avoid eating, including hiding out at mealtimes, because they have a hate-hate relationship with food. It ends up causing plenty of friction between the bulimics and the anorexics, because we’ll be sitting at the table ravenous, even for the gross Golden Slopes food, but we’re not allowed to start until every one of the eating disorder patients is present and whichever nurse is head of the Eating Police for that meal tells us we can begin.

It ends up being like a gang war, except instead of the Sharks and the Jets or the Bloods and the Crips; it’s the Barfers and the Starvers.” —p.6

3. Purge, by Sarah Darer Littmann

From acclaimed author Sarah Darer Littman, a striking story about a girl's recovery from bulimia in the tradition of CUT, PERFECT, and GIRL INTERRUPTED.
Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

She feels like a creature out of a fairy tale; a girl who discovers that her bones are really made out of stone, that her skin is really as thin as glass, that her hair is brittle as straw, that her tears have dried up so that she cries only salt.

Maybe that's why it doesn't hurt when she presses hard enough to begin bleeding: it doesn't hurt, because she's not real anymore.

4. The Stone Girl, by Alyssa B, Sheinmel

Sethie Weiss is hungry, a mean, angry kind of hunger that feels like a piece of glass in her belly. She’s managed to get down to 111 pounds and knows that with a little more hard work—a few more meals skipped, a few more snacks vomited away—she can force the number on the scale even lower. She will work on her body the same way she worked to get her perfect grades, to finish her college applications early, to get her first kiss from Shaw, the boy she loves, the boy who isn’t quite her boyfriend.

Sethie will not allow herself one slip, not one bad day, not one break in concentration. Her body is there for her to work on when everything and everyone else—her best friend, her schoolwork, and Shaw—are gone.

From critically acclaimed writer Alyssa B. Sheinmel comes an unflinching and unparalleled portrayal of one girl’s withdrawal, until she is sinking like a stone into her own illness, her own loneliness—her own self.

Eating Disorders are so common in the US that 1 or 2 out of every 100 kids will struggle with one, most commonly Anorexia or Bulimia.

Unfortunately, many kids and teens successfully hide eating disorders from their families for months or even years.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

April A to Z Challenge Letter "D" = Dear Bully (+G!veaway) #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Welcome back to day four of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

Today's letter is "D" and my topic is = DEAR BULLY.

For those of you who are not familiar with Dear Bully, lets check it out.

Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Moving beyond being bullied. They did it. So can you. Take a chance and ask for help.

We can stop bullying if we all work together.

I'm going to give you one of my favorite stories that is not in the book and then I promise to end this so it's not too long. Don't forget there will be a link at the end of the post if you are interested in entering the giveaway for your very own copy of Dear Bully and it is signed by the amazing Lauren Oliver.

You Changed Me.

by Carrie Gordon Watson

When you got on the school bus that first day, you changed me.

When you sat three rows back, you changed me.

The first time you talked about me like I couldn’t hear you, you changed me.

When you made fun of my face, you changed me.

When you mocked my imperfect body, you changed me.

When you hinted that my ethnicity was hate-worthy, you changed me.

When you disparaged my family, you changed me.

When you saw the hurt in my eyes and said it anyway, you changed me.

When it wasn’t enough to make you stop, you changed me.

When you got bored with me and moved on to someone else, you changed me.

When I was too scared, too beaten down, too ashamed to speak up, you changed me.

Twenty years later,

when you shocked everyone by coming to the reunion, you changed me.

When you crossed the room,

when you came straight toward me,

when you knelt down by my chair

as my heart slammed inside me

in a fight-or-flight response so strong

I couldn't hear the music anymore,

you changed me.

When you asked my permission to speak to me,

when you said you wouldn’t blame me if I said NO,

when you admitted to being an asshole all those years ago,

when you said you were deeply sorry for the horrible things you’d said to me,

when you admitted you were wrong,

that you wished you could take it all back . . .

You changed me.

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself." --Harvey S. Firestone

***

The Giveaway:

One copy of Dear Bully signed by Lauren Oliver.

The Deets:

1. One entry per person.

2. You must be 13 or older.

3. Giveaway is International.

4. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on May 3rd.

Enter Giveaway --> HERE!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Happy Reading & Arrivederci.

Monday, April 2, 2012

April A to Z Challenge Letter "C" = Children's Books #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Welcome back for the third day of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

Today's letter is "C" and my topic is = CHILDREN'S BOOKS. I'm going to tell you a few favorite books my daughter and I use to have when she was young and we have an opinion from my great friend, Pam, An Unconventional Librarian.

1. Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect, until her first day of school. When her new friends make flower jokes at her expense, Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?

2. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak

Mickey goes on a romp in the wonderful night kitchen, where bakers make bread while the rest of the world sleeps. He imaginatively devises a way to get the milk the bakers need.

3. Seven Little Monsters, by Maurice Sendak

Seven Monsters in a row, see the Seven Monsters go! Seven Monsters in a row, making trouble. There they go!

4. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, Illustrated by Lois Ehlert

A told B, and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree. In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no - Chicka Chicka Boom! Boom! The well-known authors of Barn Dance and Knots on a Counting Rope have created a rhythmic alphabet chant that rolls along on waves of fun. Lois Ehlert's rainbow of bright, bold, cheerful colors makes the merry parade of letters unforgettable.

5. Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Clement Hurd

A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his room, in this classic story told with gently lulling words and soothing illustrations.

6. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin Jr., Illustrated by Eric Carle

A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck-- all parade across the pages of this delightful book. Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin's singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.

Let's see what Pam The Unconventional Librarian has to say about the topic...

As an Unconventional Librarian, aka PammyPam, I love to share books with others.

Here are two of my favorites: books and food. The title of this little favorite is Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.

I imagine that I live in the town of Chewandswallow where all the food comes raining down on my head. Good thing I packed my umbrella, I don't want to get hit with a meatball! Please excuse the coffee cup stain and the spaghetti sauce drippings; it was a busy day in Chewandswallow.

***

I would love to know what some of your favorite Children's Books are or were.

Thanks for taking the time for stopping by today. I hope you are having a fantastic week and you're having as much fun with the A to Z Challenge as I am.

Happy Reading and Arrivederci.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

April A to Z Challenge Letter "B" = Banned Books #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Welcome back for the second day of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

Today's letter is "B" and my topic is = BANNED BOOKS.

“Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.” —Alfred Whitney Griswold, Essays on Education

Here are the top seven from the current list from The Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom via American Library Association.

This list represents books challenged, removed, restricted or banned from May 2010 - May 2011.

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Banned in the Stockton, MO School District (2010) because of violence, language and some sexual content. Retained in the Helena, Mont. School District (2011) despite a parent's objection that the book contained "obscene, vulgar and pornographic language." This New York Times Bestseller won the National award in 2007 in the "Young People's Literature" category, and is on many recommended book lists.

2. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Challenged in the Republic, MO. schools (2010) because it is "soft-pornography" and glorifies drinking, cursing and pre-marital sex.

3. The Flamingo Rising, by Larry Baker

Challenged on the Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, III summer reading list (2010) because a parent complained that "a sexual encounter depicted in the novel was definitely something you could consider X-rated."

4. The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary, Real Life, by Julia Baskin, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen and Courtney Toombs

Reclassified from the Young Adult section to the adult non-fiction section at the Waukee, Iowa Public Library (2011) because of a complaint citing "foul language" and "cussing." The book includes frank discussions about adolescent sex, drinking and drug use. Body use, sexual orientation and the 9/11 terrorist attacks are also addressed.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, #4)

5. Forever in Blue : The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares

Challenged at the Theisen Middle School in Fond du Lac, Wis. (2010) by a parent who believes that the book has inappropriate subject matter for children. "Some (of the characters in the book) are sexually active, and alcohol is part of their recreation."

6. Running With Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs

Challenged as a suggested reading in a class where juniors and seniors earn a college credit in Hillsborough, County, FL (2010). Four high schools - Plant, Middleton, Hillsborough and Bloomingdale - voted to keep the book and place a "Mature Reader" label on the front cover. Three high schools - Sickles, Robinson and Lennard - will require parental consent. Gaither High School and Riverview High School voted to ban the book. Riverview's report stated:

"This book has extremely inappropriate content for a high school media center collection. The book contained explicit homosexual and heterosexual situations. profanity, underage drinking, smoking, extreme moral shortcomings, child molesters, graphic pedophile situations and a total lack of negative consequences throughout the book."

My Mom's Having a Baby!: A Kid's Month-By-Month Guide to Pregnancy

7. My Mom's Having a Baby, by Dori Hillstead Butler

Challenged in the Carrollton, TX Library (2011) because it is inappropriate for children. The book won an Editor's Choice award from Booklist in 2005 and was named a Top Ten Sci-Tech for Youth by Booklist.

Retained at the Hillsborough County, FL Public Library System (2011).

Published in 2005, the book tells of a little girl named Elizabeth who is curious about childbirth and how her mother became pregnant. Throughout the book's thirty pages, little Elizabeth learns about these topics in great detail.

A couple of my personal favorite Banned Books that are not listed above are:

Go Ask Alice and To Kill A Mockingbird.

What are some of your favorites?

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by.

Have a fantastic week!

Happy Reading and Arrivederci.

April A to Z Challenge Letter "A" = Artist #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Welcome to the April A to Z Challenge Day One! Today's letter is A. My word is = ARTIST.

I am going to share some of my favorite paintings from one of my favorite artists: the one and only Vincent van Gogh.

I am also going to share some of van Gogh's paintings that my daughter re-created about five years ago. Enjoy!

A mid to late 30s man gazing to the left with an intense expression, wearing a winter hat and green coat, sitting in front of a Japanese print

Vincent Willem van Gogh

March 30, 1853 - July 29, 1890

Vase w/ 3 Sunflowers '08 by L. D.

Van Gogh began to draw as a child, and he continued to draw throughout the years that led up to his decision to become an artist.

He did not begin painting until his late twenties, completing many of his best-known works during the last two years of his life.

Vase with 3 Sunflowers by van Gogh

In 1873, his firm transferred him to London, then to Paris. He became increasingly interested in religion; in 1876 Goupil dismissed him for lack of motivation. He became a teaching assistant in Ramsgate near London, then returned to Amsterdam to study theology in 1877.

After dropping out in 1878, he became a layman preacher in Belgium in a poor mining region known as the Borinage. He even preached down in the mines and was extremely concerned with the lot of the workers. He was dismissed after 6 months and continued without pay. During this period he started to produce charcoal sketches.

In the winter of 1885-1886 Van Gogh attended the art academy of Antwerp, Belgium.

Starry Night by van Gogh

Starry Night 2007 by L. Del Rosso

In 1888, when city life and living with his brothers proved too much, Van Gogh left Paris and went to Arles, Bouches-du-Rh, France.

He was impressed with the local landscape and hoped to found an art colony. He decorated a "yellow house" and created a celebrated series of yellow sunflower paintings for this purpose.

Only Paul Gauguin, whose simplified colour schemes and forms (known as synthetism) attracted van Gogh, followed his invitation. The admiration was mutual, and Gauguin painted van Gogh painting sunflowers.

However their encounter ended in a quarrel. Van Gogh suffered a mental breakdown and cut off part of his left ear, which he gave to a startled prostitute friend. Gauguin left in December 1888.

Starry Night In Rhone

In May 1890 Vincent van Gogh left the clinic and went to the physician Paul Gachet, in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, where he was closer to his brother Theo, who had recently married. Gachet had been recommended to him by Pissarro; he had treated several artists before.

Here van Gogh created his only etching: a portrait of the melancholic doctor Gachet. His depression aggravated. On July 27 of the same year, at the age of 37, after a fit of painting activity, van Gogh shot himself in the chest. He died two days later, with Theo at his side, who reported his last words as "La tristesse durera toujours" (French: "The sadness will last forever").

The extent to which his mental health affected his painting has been a subject of speculation since his death. Despite a widespread tendency to romanticize his ill health, modern critics see an artist deeply frustrated by the inactivity and incoherence brought about by his bouts of illness.

According to art critic Robert Hughes, van Gogh's late works show an artist at the height of his ability, completely in control and "longing for concision and grace".

The Red Vineyard

The only painting he sold during his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, was created in 1888. It is now on display in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.

Vincent van Gogh's mother threw away quite a number of his paintings during Vincent's life and even after his death. But she would live long enough to see her son become a world famous painter.