Six Days in October - History, Biography and Nonfiction

1.  Blumenthal, Karen.  Six Days in October:  The Stock Market Crash of 1929.  New York:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.

2.  Overview.  Blumenthal takes readers through the first six days of the stock market crash of 1929.  She opens with an Introduction that covers the 1920s and goes up to Wednesday night, October 23, 1929, when rumors started to circulate of problems with the market.  Blumenthal then does an in-depth coverage of Black Thursday through Black Tuesday - October 24-29, 1929, by sequentially describing the events causing and following the crash.  A section on the immediate aftermath of October 30, 1929, is then followed by an Epilogue describing the effects from 1930 through 1933.

3.  Critical Analysis.  Many people, including myself, do not choose to read nonfiction for enjoyment.  However, this book goes on my list of one of my best reads of this year.  Some things I love about this book:

A.  I know very little about the ins and outs of the stock market, but Blumenthal's narrative made a very complicated concept mostly understandable.  (There are still some places where I'm fuzzy, but that's probably to be expected from someone who doesn't even do the home budget.)  Her tone is informative and geared toward younger readers (middle and high schoolers).  The narrative is sequential and logical. The style is energetic and helps readers feel the urgency of what was happening during the crash. 
B.  There are tons of support materials.  Reproductions of  documents, cartoons, advertisements, news clippings and photographs again help readers understand a very complicated concept.  The scope seems just right - the focus is on the six major days with the few years preceeding and following being discussed enough to provide context. 
C.  Text boxes that are separate from the narrative explain vocabulary terms/concepts in concrete ways.  Terms which have text box explanations include:  stock, stock exchange, bull and bear markets, opening gong, Dow Jones Industrial Average, bonds, brokerage house, plungers and pools, and stock split among others provide additional support for understanding terms that are used throughout the narrative. 
D.  Informational books can become dated very quickly.  However, because this informational book is about a historical event, it will not lose it's meaningfulness.  The information will not go out of date, and readers can gain better understanding of a major event in the history of the United States.  Understanding what happened in the past can help us understand the future as well.  As the stock market continues to experience major crashes, such as the ones in 1987 and 2008, understanding the original crash in 1929 can help us make sense of subsequent crashes that occur during our lifetime.

One thing that rather surprised me about the book is the way Blumenthal cites her sources.  Rather than internal citations or footnoted references, she presents a simple list of references, chapter by chapter, at the end of the book.  As Booklist noted, "Students using this for research may be frustrated by the source citations, which appear as an appended, generalized chapter-by-chapter listing of materials consulted rather than as specific notes that correspond to text passages."  It is impossible to tell what information came from where without looking up every source.  But this is the only weakness I notice in the book.

I'm old enough to have had relatives who lived during the stock market crash of 1929.  So reading about the actual facts of the events is interesting as I have heard grandparents describe what they remember as young people.  This was an event where they remembered where they were on October 24, 1929, much like 9/11 is for us today or the assassination of Kennedy for the generation preceeding mine.  The information presented in Blumenthal's book is a great addition to my knowledge as an adult.  For young people, particularly middle and high schoolers, this would be a great book to extend their learning after they see what their textbooks say on the topic.  Six Days in October is a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, an honor bestowed on the best informational literature for children each year. 

I have already recommended this book to others.  Interestingly, the others I've recommended it to are all adults.  The topic is so specific that I'm not sure I would think to recommend it to my high school students as just a general suggestion unless the topic came up.  However, with a little thought and a good book talk, the topic might be of interest to young people who love to read nonfiction.  Unfortunately, my school library does not have this book, so I will not be able to try out my theory any time soon.  But I personally feel much more informed for having read this book myself.

4.  Review Excerpts.
Publishers Weekly:  "This fast-paced, gripping (and all-too-timely) account of the market crash of October 1929 puts a human face on the crisis.  Blumenthal ably chronicles the six-day descent and exposes the personalities, backroom machinations and scandals while debunking several popular myths about the crash (e.g., that it caused mass suicide and the Great Depression). A compelling portrait of a defining moment in American history."

Booklist:  "But this still offers a riveting history, along with the basic terminology needed to grasp the events and to draw parallels between the volatile, sometimes corrupt, market of 1929 and the market today."

It's Not About the Bike - History, Biography and Nonfiction

1.  Armstrong, Lance, with Sally Jenkins.  It's Not About the Bike:  My Journey Back to Life.  New York:  G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000.

2.  Overview.  Armstrong tells the story of finding out that he had cancer, and weaves the story of his fight to overcome the disease that threatened to kill him with a description of his rise to becoming the biking legend of the Tour de France.

3.  Critical Analysis.  This memoir/autobiography (I've seen it called both) tells the combined story of how Lance Armstrong became the world-class cyclist of legend while simultaneously battling testicular cancer which metastasized to his brain and lungs.  The focus of the book is on his life with cancer - from his diagnosis through the treatments and surgeries to his survival to become the greatest cyclist of all time.  The stories are told with amazing candidness.  It may not be a book for the squeamish as he describes medical treatments and side effects in detail.  Interwoven with the cancer treatment is the story of his rise through the ranks of the cycling world to become the world-class cyclist that would win the Tour de France seven years in a row after surviving such overwhelming odds.  His determination is admirable.  His dedication to the single mother who raised him amidst much hardship is beautiful.  Written in 2000, with only one tour win under his belt, he would go on to win six more, and the determination that he will do so is evident throughout the second half of the book where he discusses his treatments and then his experience in the first race. 

Many reviewers remark about how this book will be inspirational to coaches and athletes alike.  Amazon.com, for example, says, "Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color."  I agree that athletes and cancer victims/survivors alike will find many things to like about Armstrong's honest telling of his story. 

However, unfortunately, perhaps, reading this memoir changed my feelings about Armstrong.  I was one of the millions of people who watched the Tour de France and cheered Armstrong on during the years from 1999 to 2005 when he won those seven consecutive races.  However, his halo tarnished a bit during that time when he and his wife divorced in 2003.  She seemed so devastated by the dissolution of her marriage after five years while he did not.  Then this past spring of 2011, reports began to surface about the fact that a grand jury had been convened to investigate allegations of doping among Armstrong's team during the years of their competition in the Tour de France.  What a deeply disappointing thing to discover that this dream team may not have been competing fairly.  Then this memoir revealed to me a man who is and always has been self-centered and critical.  For example, his continuous criticism of Plano East High School as being an unaccepting, horrible place if you were anything but rich began to grate.  (I'm a long-time resident of Garland, Texas, a neighboring Dallas suburb to Plano, and both my nieces graduated from Plano East.  They're not rich, but they didn't see the school in the same light).  The fact that he becomes angry and then simply refuses to speak to the person again for years, such as his falling out with Richardson Bike Mart owner and sponsor Jim Hoyt points to his overwhelming need to be right even when he's not.  He was extremely critical of his birth father, and his step-father, and with good reason, but at some point I just wanted to tell Armstrong, "OK, but enough's enough.  Time to let it go."   Perhaps this is just the way focused athletes are.  Artists of all kinds tend to the be same way.  But not everyone falls into the trap of self-centeredness, and being an athlete or artist seems to be an excuse for bad behavior.     In spite of his work with cancer patients and setting up his foundation to fund cancer research, I found him to be someone I don't think I would really like if I knew him in person.  So all in all, the memoir was interesting, but I don't plan to read any other books by him.

Yet I can say that the chapters are well-written.  Sally Jenkins, his co-author, may be the one to take the credit for that.  She is a veteran sports reporter and author/co-author of several sports books and autobiographies.  The writing style is conversational and easy to follow which makes for a quick read.  Sixteen pages of photos in the center of the book provide interesting visual support for the text. 

Would I recommend this book to my high school students?  Definitely.  Just because I find that I probably don't like the man doesn't mean I don't admire the athlete and respect his tenacity in fighting for his life in more ways than one.  I believe many high schoolers would be inspired to stick it out when the going gets really tough, and many, many of the high schoolers I work with have a very rough go of it, albeit in different ways than Armstrong experienced.  And while the jury is literally still out about the doping allegations, I hope they aren't true; although, I wonder if we'll ever know for sure or could ever really be without a nagging doubt about it. 

4.  Review Excerpts.
Amazon.com:  "People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity."

Publishers Weekly:  "The book features a disarming and spotless prose style, one far above par for sports memoirs. Bicycle-racing fans will enjoy the troves of inside information and the accounts of competitions, but Armstrong has set his sights on a wider meaning and readership: 'When I was sick I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever did in a bike race.'"

School Library Journal:  "This fabulous tribute to the strength of the human spirit is an inspiration to everyone."

Booklist:  "Readers will respond to the inspirational recovery story, and they will appreciate the behind-the-scenes cycling information."

King of the Mild Frontier - History, Biography, and Nonfiction

1.  Crutcher, Chris.  King of the Mild Frontier:  An Ill-Advised Autobiography.  New York:  Greenwillow Books, 2003.

2.  Overview.  In this autobiography of young adult author Chris Crutcher, Crutcher takes us through many of his memories growing up as the middle of three children.  Told in the same humorous style as his novels, this autobiography is engaging as he takes us through episodes involving his family, particularly his older brother John who convinced him to do "neat" things such as be the decoy for a life-size shooting gallery while the brother aims at him with a BB gun, or pee down the heat register grate that is in the middle of the living room floor one cold winter day when the furnace beneath it is hot.  Chris recounts the story of the year John convinced him that "esus" was the older, secret brother of Jesus after the J fell off a plaque that read "Jesus Saves"  along with many others that will have readers chuckling throughout the book.

3.  Critical Analysis.  Autobiographies are interesting - on one hand, we may have the idea that maybe we'll get the "real truth" for a change since the person who is telling the story is the person to whom the events actually happened.  However, the person telling the story may want certain people or events to look "better" than they actually did, or they may leave some things they consider to be unflattering out altogether.  But in the case of this particular autobiography, the author makes no claim to be telling "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."  In fact, on the copyright page, Crutcher makes the following claim, "Memory is selective and by nature faulty.  That statement is probably doubly true for my memory.  Add to that my penchant for exaggeration and the fact that I have changed some of the names for obvious reasons, and you have a memoir that may not stand up to close historical scrutiny.  So be it."  And that disclaimer is the first clue that the text the reader is about to enter is one filled with absolutely wonderful storytelling, with the great part being that most of it is at least mostly true. 

Crutcher tells his stories in great storytelling fashion.  In fact, Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL published a review that stated, "Move over Garrison Keillor, David Sedaris ... An honest to goodness gut buster!!!"  Humor, always one of Crutcher's strong suits, is plentiful in this collection of reminiscences.  The people are portrayed as characters and the plot and setting are described in ways that draw the reader into the stories.  I would guess there would be few people who are from multi-sibling families who would not read Crutchers descriptions of the events of his childhood and not think of similar stories regarding their own brothers and sisters, while laughing along with the Crutcher boys' antics.  While some of his sentences are convoluted and difficult to follow (I stopped several times to reread sentences that didn't make sense on the first time through them), the writing overall is easy to follow.

So how much of the stories can be believe are true?  Who knows.  Perhaps we would need to talk to his older brother John to try to start figuring that out - and then it would be a task of guessing where in the middle the "truth" really lays, I'm sure!  But as readers, we don't really have to care how true the stories really are.  The beauty of this autobiography is in the knowledge that one of the best storytellers of Young Adult fiction is going to regale us with stories from his own past, and that we are going to gain some insight into where the ideas for several of his novels and short stories have come from.

Crutcher is my current favorite young adult author.  I reviewed his novel Ironman in the October 22, 2011 blog, and I have also read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and Athletic Shorts.  Because his characters tend to show up in more than one story (they can be the main character in one novel or short story, and a supporting actor in another), it is great fun to find out where he got his ideas for some of them.  What it doesn't answer very well - as he addresses in the Epilogue - is how he went from wimpy kid to athlete, and why he uses sports as the backdrop for the settings of all his stories (but not so much so that those who aren't big sports fans would be put off).  Nevertheless, reading about his childhood is a perfect way to spend a dreary, wintry day while curled up under the comforter in a favorite chair. 

On the inside flap of the front cover, the last line says, ". . .you will close this book, close your eyes and hold it to your chest, and say, 'I, too, can be an author.'  Hell, anyone can."  Which is not the feeling I was left with.  As an English teacher and former student writer, I was left with the thought, "I have nothing to write about. Heck, nothing interesting like that ever happened to me!"  And that is a testament to the storytelling expertise of one of YA's best authors.  He can make even the events of a boy's every day life into interesting fodder for a book I didn't want to put down. 

However, near the end, Crutcher shifts gears and provides insight as to how his work as a therapist with abused and neglected children as well as abusive parents has influenced his writing, including why he has been willing to write in a manner that has placed him in USA Today's top-ten banned authors (along with Kurt Vonnegut and Mark Twain).  He also describes what a hero is based on that work.  "I think heroes aren't defined so much by what they do 'right' as by how they respond to what they do 'wrong.'"

Crutcher finishes up on the last page:  "In my youth I could never have imagined seeing my name on a book unless I had carved it there with a sharp instrument," but lucky for us, his name is now on many.


4.  Review Excerpts.
Booklist Starred Review:  "This honest, insightful, revealing autobiography is a joy to read. Crutcher's fans will relish this intimate glimpse of the author, and the book may win some new readers for his fiction."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review:  "Readers will clasp this hard-to-put-down book to their hearts even as they laugh sympathetically."

School Library Journal:  "Tough and tender reminiscences focus primarily on family, social, and school conflicts, but lessons derived from his career as a teacher, therapist, and writer are also described. Hyperbole lightens the mood as the author portrays himself as a young crybaby, academic misfit, and athletic klutz, utterly without self-aggrandizement. Abrupt transitions, some convoluted sentences, and nonlinear progression may challenge some readers, but the narrative holds undeniable appeal for the author's fans and demonstrates the power of writing to help both reader and writer heal emotional/psychic wounds."

Twilight - Fantasy and Science Fiction

1.  Meyer, Stephanie.  Twilight.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company, 2005.

2.  Plot Summary.  Bella Swan has moved in with her father who lives in Forks, Washington.  As she tries to settle in and get used to moving from sunny Arizona to rainy, overcast Forks, she notices the Cullen family at school - an odd group of siblings who seem to stick to themselves.  Bella has a class with Edward, the handsome youngest son of Dr. Carlisle and Esme Cullen, and he has taken special notice of her.  As she gets to know Edward, Bella's obsession with him grows until she can't stay away from him.  She has also begun to figure out how Edward and his brothers and sisters are different; although, she can hardly believe it's true.  Edward does everything he possibly can to repel Bella, knowing it's what he needs to do to keep her safe, but he's obsessed, too, but for a very different reason.  Edward and his family are vampires, and Edward is drawn toward the scent of Bella's blood in a way he has never experienced before.  Even though Edward and his family are "vegetarians" and only drink animal blood, it's not safe for her to be with him, but neither of them can resist the attraction that pulls them together.

3.  Critical Analysis.  I long ago read The Vampire Diaries series and enjoyed it well enough; however, I felt that they had provided enough vampire reading for a lifetime.  Then one friend, and then another, and then another, asked if I'd read Twilight.  After I'd said no repeatedly, just to be told how much I would love it, I decided it was time to give it a try.  Those friends were right, I loved the book, and proceeded to read all four volumes in the course of a few days over a long holiday weekend. 

As the idea of vampires would suggest, Twilight is a fantasy with fantastical beings mingling among the humans without their knowledge.  Vampires and werewolves live undetected with the humans, and other than the fact that they're a little different from everyone else, no one seems to really take note of just how different.  So as with any fantasy tale, the reader must suspend belief in what makes sense to appreciate the story.  But that's not difficult in this series.

So for a reader who will consistently say that fantasy is not my cup of tea, what made this novel noteworthy? 

1.  For a story that involves the supernatural, the characters are completely believable and engaging.  Edward is the mysterious stranger; Bella the naive girl-next-door.  Meyer does a nice job of making their pull toward each other very believable.  The plot is easy to follow, unlike much of "high fantasy" that is filled with weird, unpronouncable people and places with strange characteristics that sometimes make fantasy hard for me to follow (I just don't want to work that hard when I read for pleasure).  She deftly sets up the meeting between Bella and Edward, and does a smooth job of laying out the clues Bella uses to figure out the mystery of Edward.  (And just when the reader thinks that the vampire characters are far-out enough, she plops in the werewolves in the form of Jacob's clan, Bella's Native American neighbors in Book Two New Moon).

I enjoyed the twist on vampires that Meyers incorporates into her stories.  They don't live in coffins during the day; they don't dissolve in sunlight; they aren't all blood-sucking demons.  Come to find out - much to my enjoyment - vampires sparkle in the sunlight which makes it obvious that they are seriously different, so they must avoid it.  To kill a vampire, one does not need silver bullets, crosses, stakes, or garlic - one simply needs to pull it apart and burn the pieces before they have a chance to pull themselves back together.  She incorporates similarly different characteristics for her werewolves.  These differences make this series not just another vampire story, which I found refreshing and fun.

Edward fills the role of a fantasy hero nicely.  He and his family operate within a framework of morality with compassion for their human neighbors and a need to "make up for" their nature.  Although they do not drink blood from humans, they still feel responsible to their human friends to go beyond what is truly necessary to look after them. 

2.  The plot is exciting.  As in classic fantasy, Twilight centers around a quest - Bella's quest to have the relationship that seems to be starcrossed at every turn.  The plot involved flux - the characters are involved in a world that is turned upside down by the deeds of a group of bad vampires that the Cullens must fight in order to protect their community and Bella in particular.  But even with the implausible events, the action is ongoing and creates tension and apprehension. 

3.  The setting "makes sense" - it's not on some unheard-of planet with unexpected properties.  It's Forks, Washington, a real live place where generally the reader can expect the expected.  The setting is described in detail enough to make sense why the Cullens would choose to live there - it's the city in the U.S. with the least number of days of sunshine.  And since it turns out that vampires do not die in sunlight, they simply can't reveal themselves in it, living in a perpetually cloudy, rainy city is perfect.  They can participate in the daily life of the community this way which makes the story much more enjoyable than if the only action could be at night.

Young adults love the story.  Of course, as would be expected, it's a story that will appeal to girls. Many young reviewers shared their feelings about the debut novel on Stephanie Meyer's website (http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_reviews.html). "Stephenie Meyer's first novel Twilight is a gripping journey through the united worlds of fantasy and high school. As soon as I started reading Twilight, I couldn't stop. The plot is the thing that led me to the book in the start. Boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy turns out to be a vampire. The characters are so vivid, so intense, that you feel like if you look up from the pages Isabella or Edward or Alice is going to be staring at you. This suspenseful novel leaves me with one question... Is there going to be a second?"  Kelly, 15  Now that the four books are out, I'm sure Kelly would join me in saying that once you start, chances are you will not want to put the books down until you have finished the series.  Book 3 Eclipse was my favorite of the four, with the final installment being a disappointment, but that's a different blog!  It doesn't deter me for joining my friends to ask, "Have you read Twilight yet?  You should!"

4.  Review Excerpts.


Amazon.com:  "Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. . . .The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction."

Publisher's Weekly starred review: "The main draw here is Bella's infatuation with outsider Edward, the sense of danger inherent in their love, and Edward's inner struggle—a perfect metaphor for the sexual tension that accompanies adolescence. These will be familiar to nearly every teen, and will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Meyer's tantalizing debut."


Entertainment Weekly:  "The world's most popular vampire novelist since Anne Rice." 

Feed - Fantasy and Science Fiction

1.  Anderson, M. T.  Feed.  Cambridge, MA:  Candlewick Press, 2002.

2.  Plot Summary.  Titus and his friends head to the moon for spring break to find something to do so they don't have to stay home where they will be expected to complete chores and be bored.  While there, Titus meets Violet, a girl who at first seems like the rest of them.  However, as Titus gets to know Violet back at home, it becomes evident that she is actually quite different.  Each of the young adults has a "feed" implanted in his or her brain which sends them a constant barrage of advertising and information, and Violet is trying to fight the feed and teach Titus the importance of thinking for himself.  Unfortunately, Violet's feed is degenerating and her father doesn't have the money for repairs, and it becomes obvious that Violet will not survive if it is not fixed.  Violet races to teach Titus what she believes is important about life while he attempts to cope with losing someone he has begun to love. 

3.  Critical Analysis.  Feed is a dystopic, futuristic story which presents a grim, all-too-possible scenario of the future.  Part of the "cyberpunk" type of science fiction, it deals with the power of communication, particularly power used to manipulate people."  (See reference at end of this section).  Many people are implanted with a "feed" that reads and stores information about each of them and creates personalized advertising and news for each of them in return.  Additionally, keeping in touch with friends and family can be done instantaneously and without effort.  Having the feed eliminates the need to read; however, it also takes over basic body functions such as breathing and muscle movement.  Imagine a world where it is possible to have an internet feed sent directly to the brain 24/7, and that might sound pretty nice.  No need to sit at a computer or pull out a smart phone.  However, in this satire, Violet tries to show Titus, this may not be the best thing.  She is fighting the feed and encouraging him to do the same thing.  Unfortunately, she has little time as she realizes that her feed is not working well and is continuing to get worse.

This futuristic fantasy definitely has the creepiness factor that has been seen in other futuristic novels such as 1984 or Farenheit 451.  Big brother is not only watching, but he is constantly feeding information to the public to influence beliefs, purchasing, and behavior.  Perhaps what makes these kinds of novels feel so weird is how we see bits and pieces of them in action now:  e-mail using data mining technology to "read" our e-mails and create personalized advertising strips along the edges; parents keeping up with their children through GPS devices in their teens' phones or even through direct implants in their younger children for tracking them in the event of a kidnapping; the justice system keeping track of house arrest prisoners with devices that are impossible to remove without setting them off.  People have 24/7 access to others through smart phones, iPads, and other devices that are almost instantaneous in their communication capabilities.  So having an implant in the brain where it all happens automatically doesn't seem that far fetched. 

However, not everyone is able to afford the same level of quality.  Violet's system was cheaper because it is what her dad could afford, and when it goes awry, he doesn't have the ability to have the necessary repairs done.  They petition the company for help; however, their request is rejected.  Starts sounding a bit like health insurance, or the legal system - if you have the money, you can be taken care of, but if you don't, then too bad.  The constant noise that happens in the minds of those who have the Feed is another issue for some of them, while not a big deal to others.  In a world where some of us need quiet time but find it difficult to turn off the noise, the idea of such a constant barrage of information is scary indeed.  Just try to find a restaurant that doesn't have a TV blaring in every corner and that thought is definitely disturbing.  Newsday's review summarizes these thoughts well: “As with the best futuristic fiction, it’s scary how little needs to be exaggerated.”

M. T. Anderson' Blog (http://mt-anderson.com/blog/his-books/books-for-teens-and-adults/feed-2/) gives some interesting back-story to the novel which was written in 2001 before some of the technology of today was even in existence.  However, Anderson remarks, "It is out of the memory of my anger as a teen at the bullying maneuvers of “youth marketing” that I wrote the book – but also out of the knowledge that even now, I’m part of this system of desire. I still can’t get out of my head the images of who I’m supposed to be."  That love/hate relationship with hyper-marketing created the story that became the novel Feed.

Nilsen, Aleen Pace, and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for Today's Young Adults.  (8th ed.)  New York:  Pearson, 2009.

4.  Review Excerpts.
“This satire offers a thought-provoking and scathing indictment that may prod readers to examine the more sinister possibilities of corporate- and media-dominated culture.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Satire at its finest.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Brilliant … Relentlessly funny . . .” – Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

“M.T. Anderson has created the perfect device for an ingenious satire of corporate America and our present-day value system…Like those in a funhouse mirror, the reflections the novel shows us may be ugly and distorted, but they are undeniably ourselves.” – The Horn Book, starred review

“Merciless and very clever.” — The New Yorker

“This dystopic vision is dark but quite believable. Sad and strong and scary.” – Chicago Tribune

Missing Angel Juan - Fantasy and Science Fiction

1.  Block, Francesca Lia.  Missing Angel Juan.  New York:  Harper Trophy, 1993.

2.  Plot Summary.  Witch Baby and Angel Juan have been together since they were kids.  Now, suddenly, Angel Juan tells Witch Baby that he feels the need to go to New York to pursue his music by himself.  Devastated, Witch Baby, eventually goes to New York to try to find Angel Juan to either be with him there or to bring him back home.  With nothing to go on but one postcard which she received from him, Witch Baby sets off to find Angel Juan, which is like finding a needle in a haystack.  Assisted by the ghost of her "almost grandfather" and a host of unusual characters and fantastical objects (a magic camera, for example), Witch Baby scours the streets of New York looking for the love of her life and the meaning of her existence.

3.  Critical Analysis.  Missing Angel Juan is part of the "Weetzie Bat" series, which has received much critical acclaim, including awards such as "ALA Best Book for Young Adults,"  "School Library Journal Best Book," and "ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers."  Reviews often focus on Block's writing.  The New York Times says, "The writing continues to dazzle" and Sassy states "As always, Francesca Lia Block's writing is a dream - minimalist yet poetic."  When it comes to Block's prose, I would agree:  "Morning.  Strawberry sky dusted with white winter powder-sugar sun.  And nobody to munch on it with."  (p. 37)  In reading reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, which are written by readers of all ages, I discovered this work to be many readers' favorite Witch Baby book.  When comparing it to other Weetzie Bat books, readers felt this one developed the character of Witch Baby better than other stories that involve her.  For example, from Goodreads, Cera commented, "My favourite of the Weetzie Bat books; it's Witch Baby's coming of age, and does a pitch-perfect job of being a fairy tale in which the fantasy elements dramatise psychological development."  I found the character of Witch Baby to be unusual.  She is wearing rollerskates all around New York City as she searches for Angel Juan, but the unusual part of that for me is that fact that she doesn't seem to have any shoes with her at all.  She is either wearing the skates or she's wearing nothing but socks and her feet are freezing, and her tangled mass of hair and purple eyes paint a pictures of a teen who is vastly different from the "average" young adult in a way that makes her both interesting and odd.

This story flows in and out of reality.  Witch Baby is staying in the abandoned apartment of her "almost grandfather," and his ghost continues to reside inside.  He leads her around the city, in and out of real and fantastical places inhabited by real people and ghosts.  The movement in and out of reality and fantasy is seamless.  As such, it makes the creepy ending when Witch Baby discovers Angel Juan in the basement filled with the mannequin children difficult to understand.  What exactly is going on?  It reminds me of the horror movie "House of Wax" with Vincent Price where the sculptures are actually made out of real people, but it's difficult to tell if the mannequin children are all filled with the real children or not.  I think so, but in some cases their are several mannequins that are based on the same child, and Angel Juan is one of the children that has been reproduced numerous times.  However, the night after escaping from the macabre place, Witch Baby asks Angel Juan who the man was.  "'He was our fear,' says Angel Juan.  'My fear of love and yours of being alone.  But we don't need him anymore.'"  I'm confused.

The structure of the story is done in an interesting way.  Scattered through the book are letters Witch Baby has written to Angel Juan.  Again, there is some confusion on my part as to when she wrote the letters - they include information about what is happening at the moment, so it is unclear whether she wrote the letters after the story is finished, before it started and it just fits here, or whether we readers must seriously suspend our understanding of the convention of letter-writing and know that this is just a way for Block to convey information in an interesting and unusual way.  However, I found one of Witch Baby's letters about what is meant by the phrase "soul mates" to be particularly interesting.  The concept of soul mates is the topic and it's a topic under constant discussion in TV, movies, other stories, and conversation - whether or not we believe in soul mates, how do we know if we've found our soul mate, etc.  I found Witch Baby's thoughts on soul mates to be interesting:  "your souls get married without even meaning to - even if you can't be together for some reason in real life, your souls just go ahead and make the wedding plans."  Perhaps an intriguing explanation for why so many people seem unhappy in their marriages - their souls are actually married elsewhere when the physical marriage didn't work out for some reason. 

If asked if I like the Weetzie Bat books, I would have to say no.  The stories are on the weird side to me.  Generally in fantasy where the reader must suspend their beliefs, the plots still seem cohesive, and even with odd, unpronounceable names of people and places, the characters are mostly believable and the conflicts and resolutions are understandable.  I find this not to be the case with the Weetzie Bat books.  While I haven't read them all, this is my third one, and I cannot say I liked any of them.  Perhaps it is simply my age.  This will be my last attempt to read books from the Weetzie Bat series barring any school reading that requires me to break that pledge to myself.  However, if the positive comments from critics and reader alike are any indication, I'm definitely in the minority.

4.  Review Excerpts.
School Library Journal:  "Missing Angel Juan is an engagingly eccentric mix of fantasy and reality, enhanced-this time-by mystery and suspense. It is also magical, moving, mischievous, and-literally-marvelous. It establishes, once again, that Block is a brilliant visionary who imagines worlds where paradise is a possibility; where every sight and sound is a blessing; and where love, in its infinite varieties, is both humankind's natural estate and heart-magic strong enough to redeem any loss."


Booklist:  "This third story in the Weetzie Bat saga exhibits Block's ability to combine romantic language, poetic slang, and character eccentricity into a viable plot (complete with tree spirits, a "truth" camera, and sexual passion); and it packs an emotional wallop that makes it a strong choice for young adults."

Kirkus Reviews:  "In her fourth book, Block's lyrical interplay of leitmotifs and artful allusions (statues, mannequins, drag queens; photos, mirrors, ghosts; pimps, wholesale butchers, vegetarians; and, of course, angels) continues to be uniquely fascinating and provocative."