Book Blast from the Past: The Dear America Series

This feature was inspired by a post by Eleni at La Femme Readers. My goal for this new feature is to go back to the books that I loved as a pre-teen/teen, and write about why I still enjoy them.

The Dear America series, Published by Scholastic

The Dear America series began releasing the the late 90's, and I picked one up right around the time I turned ten (and Harry Potter was first released). The Winter of Red Snow, which discussed the topic of the revolutionary war, was the first one I recall reading. Each book contains the diary of a young girl, and takes place during a different time period in U.S. history. What's not to enjoy?

I still love this series for sentimental reasons, and I've been contemplating the idea of rereading the series. When I was young, I enjoyed reading about girls dealing with real historical issues. Now, I think I'd focus on the roles of women throughout history. At the start of the series, many the girls would undoubtedly be preparing for their role as caretaker of the home. I think it would be interesting to see how those roles evolve over the course of the books. Due to some in-depth history courses, I think I'd also have a greater appreciation for the stories involving racism and immigration. So, there may be some mini-reviews of these books popping up during my holiday break.

This fall, Scholastic actually announced that they would be relaunching the series! They have created new websites for the series (one is for fans, the other was created for educators), and are re-releasing many of the books. Of course, I'm partial to the hardcovers that I grew up with. After all, they had pretty ribbon as a built in bookmarks. My collection had been sadly neglected, so I headed to ebay to see what they were selling for. I got a great deal on a couple of my favorites...now I just need space for them.

Book Blast from the Past

This feature was inspired by a post by Eleni at La Femme Readers. My goal for this new feature is to go back to the books that I loved as a pre-teen/teen, and write about why I still enjoy them.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Although the final book in this series was released this year, the Georgia Nicholson series is definitely one of my favorites. First published in the US in 1999, this is perhaps the funniest book/series that I've ever read. Over the course of 10 books, I laughed until my sides hurt. Plus, this series also taught me an important life lesson about reading in public. If you start laughing in public, everyone will stare at you like you're insane.The books also gave me my first taste of British slang (there are definitions at the back of the book, so that readers can look up slang they don't understand). Some of it, and other saying from Georgia have stayed with me.

One of the things that makes this series great, aside from the humor, is the cast of characters. They're all fun, and completely human. They all have their flaws, and Georgia is quick to point them out. She also has a group of friends that is equally as crazy as she is. I can only imagine how idiotic I looked when I tried to seem cool at 15. Actually, I'd rather not imagine it. I should also mention the cats, Angus, and later his son Gordy. As someone who has owned some seriously evil (but lovable) cats, I loved reading about Georgia's struggle with hers.

A Couple Quotes: "And the kittykats would have to erect scaffolding and a pulley to get him down. Mind you, I wouldn't put that past them. Sometimes when they are behind the sofa supposedly purring, I think they are drilling." -Startled by his Furry Shorts

"Everyone is so obsessed with themselves nowadays that they have no time for me." - Dancing in my Nuddy Pants

Book Blast from the Past

This feature was inspired by a post by Eleni at La Femme Readers. My goal for this new feature is to go back to the books that I loved as a pre-teen/teen, and write about why I still enjoy them.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Synopsis: The action follows 11-year-old protagonist Lyra Belacqua, accompanied by her daemon, from her home at Oxford University to the frozen wastes of the North, on a quest to save kidnapped children from the evil 'Gobblers,' who are using them as part of a sinister experiment. Lyra also must rescue her father from the Panserbjorne, a race of talking, armored, mercenary polar bears holding him captive. Joining Lyra are a vagabond troop of gyptians (gypsies), witches, an outcast bear, and a Texan in a hot air balloon. (From Barnes and Noble)

I first read The Golden Compass in the sixth grade, and I remember loving it (despite my teacher mispronouncing daemon, and proceeding to get upset with me when I pronounced it correctly during my book report). It was one of the first fantasy books that I read, and Pullman seemed to transport me into another world.

Of course, I grew to appreciate the book more as I got older. When I was young, the experience of reading The Golden Compass was all about Lyra's adventure to find her father, Lord Asriel, and her friend Roger. Now that I'm older, I'm more aware of the different themes throughout the book. I find it interesting that this universe is ruled by the Church, yet the story talks about destiny, and the idea of parallel universes.

The Golden Compass remains one of my favorite childhood books because it still challenges me to think about the world, religion, and pursuit of knowledge.

Book Blast From the Past

I've decided to try a new feature on the occasional Saturday, which will feature some of my favorite older YA books. This feature was inspired by a post from Eleni at La Femme Readers. My goal for this new feature is to go back to the books that I loved as a pre-teen/teen, and write about why I still enjoy them.

The Alanna Series by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce's novels take up an entire shelf on my bookcase, and I thought she would be the perfect author to start this series. The Song of the Lioness series, or "The Alanna Series" as I call it, was first published in 1983, and every so often I see a new edition with some new covers. It's been over 10 years since I first read the Song of the Lioness series at the suggestion of my friend Sam, and I still own all my original paperback copies.

What makes this series, and author so great? Well, Pierce has a ton of great female heroines. You won't find any damsels in distress here. Alanna has to disguise herself as a boy throughout the series, because women aren't allowed to train to become knights. She proves, however, that she's just as strong as any of the boys she trains with.

Pierce also creates a great love interest. In the Song of the Lioness series, there are two very different, but equally interesting, love interests. They are the prince, Jon, and the rogue, George. I think I enjoyed their characters because Pierce wrote them with personalities. You won't find any bland "Disney princes" here (seriously, almost all of the early Prince Chamings looked the same). They both carry on lives that don't revolve around Alanna, and I still appreciate that.

Finally, these books display great storytelling. There are over 18 books that feature the Tortall universe, and I still want more! While almost all of the characters have four books dedicated to their stories, I never felt like the stories were exhausted.

Are there any older YA books that you love?

I'm also interested in people doing guest posts about their favorite books. So shoot me an email, or leave a comment if you'd be interested in doing so.