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This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store, Superhero Classics: I Can Read Level 2, is a great series to hook young readers that show an interest in classic superheros.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Aladdin Books, Amulet Books, Best New Kids Books, Charlotte Huang, Clarion Books, Coralie Bickford-Smith, Cressida Cowell, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, DK Publishing, featured, Feiwel & Friends, Harry Potter, Hot New Releases, How to Train Your Dragon, Jack E. Levin, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Jenn Bennett, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Lauren Kate, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Loren Long, Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer, Mark R. Levin, Philomel Books, Sarah Beth Durst, Scholastic, Vesa Lehtimaki, Add a tag
Hot New Releases & Popular Kids Stories It's important to keep up on the hot new releases and popular kids' books as we enter the gift giving season!Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Adventures of Riley, Amanda Lumry, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Divergent, featured, HarperTeen Books, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Kids Series, Kiera Cass, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Laura Hurwitz, Lois Lowry, Scholastic, Series Books, Series List, The Giver Quartet, The Maze Runner series, The Selection Series, Veronica Roth, Add a tag
This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store remains the same, it's the wonderfully educational series The Adventures of Riley.Add a Comment
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Best Books for Kids, Best Selling Books For Kids, Chris Colfer, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Divergent, HarperCollins, HarperTeen Books, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Kiera Cass, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Series Books, Star Wars Workbooks, The Land of Stories series, The Maze Runner series, The Selection Series, Veronica Roth, Workman Publishing Company, Add a tag
This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store is perfect for getting ready to go back to school, it's the new popular series Star Wars Workbooks.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Best Kids Stories, Book Lists, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Disney-Hyperion Books, featured, HarperCollins, HarperTeen Books, HMH Books for Young Readers, Jeff Kinney, Kids Series, Kiera Cass, Lois Lowry, Melissa de la Cruz, Pete the Cat, Series Books, The Descendants Series, The Maze Runner series, The New York Times, The Selection Series, Add a tag
This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store is great for highlighting a glass-half-full outlook.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Disney-Hyperion Books, HarperCollins, James Dashner, James Dean, Jeff Kinney, Kids Series, Melissa de la Cruz, Michael Vey, Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Pete the Cat, Quirk Books, Ransom Riggs, Richard Paul Evans, Series Books, Simon Pulse Books, The Maze Runner series, The New York Times, Add a tag
This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store, Pete the Cat, is great for highlighting a glass-half-full outlook.Add a Comment
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Best Books, Best Books of 2014, Reviews, Reviews 2014, 2014 graphic novels, 2014 memoirs, 2014 reviews, abrams, Amulet Books, Cece Bell, graphic novel memoirs, graphic novels, middle grade graphic novels, Add a tag
El Deafo
By Cece Bell
Amulet (an imprint of Abrams)
Ages 9-12
On shelves September 2nd
We appear to exist in a golden age of children's graphic novel memoirs. Which is to say, there are three of them out this year (El Deafo, Sisters, and The Dumbest Idea Ever). How to account for the sudden tiny boom? If I were to harbor a guess I'd say it has something to do with publishers realizing that the genre can prove a profitable one (hat tip then to Smile). We're beginning to enter into an era where the bulk of the gatekeepers out there, be they parents or teachers or librarians, are viewing comics not as a corrupting influence but rather as a new literary form with which to teach. Memoirs are particularly interesting and have proven to be a wonderful way to slowly ease kids into the big beautiful world of nonfiction. That said, not everyone's youth is worthy of a retelling. To tell a memoir well you need to have a narrative arc of some sort. One that doesn't feel forced. For CeCe Bell, her first foray into graphic novels is also telling the story of her youth. The result, El Deafo, is a remarkable look at a great grand question (What to do when you can no longer hear and feel different from everyone you know?) alongside a smaller one that every kid will relate to (How do you find a good friend?). Bell takes the personal and makes it universal, an act that truly requires superhero skills.
Until the age of four CeCe was pretty much indistinguishable from any other kid. She liked her older siblings. She liked to sing to herself. But a sudden bout with meningitis and something changed for CeCe. All at once her hearing was gone. After some experimentation she was fitted with a Sonic Ear (a device that enabled her to hear her teacher's voice) and started attending classes with other kids like herself. A family trip to a smaller town, however, meant going to a new school and trying to make new friends. When faced with problems she reverts to her pretend superhero self, El Deafo. With subtlety Bell weaves in knowledge of everything from reading lips and sign language to the difficulties of watching un-captioned television. At the same time the book's heart lies with a single quest: That of finding the absolute perfect friend.
The rise of the graphic novel memoir of a cartoonist's youth with a child audience in mind really hit its stride when Raina Telgemeier wrote, Smile. That dire accounting of her at times horrific dental history paved the way for other books in the same vein. So where did my library choose to catalog that graceful memoir? In the biography section? No. In the graphic novel section? Not initially, no. For the first year of its existence it was shelved in nonfiction under the Dewey Decimal number 617.645 T. That's right. We put it in the dental section. So it was with great trepidation that I looked to see where El Deafo would end up. Would it be in the section on the hearing impaired or would the catalog understand that this book is about so much more than the Sonic Ear? As it happens, the book appears to be primarily cataloged as a memoir more than anything else. Sure the information in there about the deaf community and other aspects of living as someone hearing impaired are nonfiction, but the focus of the story is always squarely on CeCe herself.
The real reason I found the book as compelling as I did was due in large part to the way in which Bell tackles the illogical logic of childhood friendships. So many kids are friends thanks to geographical convenience. You're my age and live within a certain radius of my home? We're besties! And Bell's hearing impaired state is just a part of why she is or is not friends with one person or another. Really, the true arc of the story isn't necessarily CeCe coming to terms with the Sonic Ear, but rather how she comes to terms with herself and, in doing so, gets the best possible friend. It's like reading a real life Goldilocks story. This friend is too bossy. This friend is too fixated on Cece's hearing. But this friend? She's juuuuuust right.
So why bunnies? Bell could easily have told her story with human beings. And though the characters in this book appear to be anthropomorphized rabbits (reminding me of nothing so much as when guest stars would appear on the children's television program Arthur) there is no particular reason for this. They never mention a particular love of carrots or restrict their movements to hop hop hopping. They are, however, very easy on the eyes and very enticing. This book was sitting on my To Be Reviewed shelf when my three-year-old waltzed over and plucked it for her own perusal. The bunnies are accessible. In fact, you completely forget that they even are bunnies in the course of reading the book. You also fail to notice after a while how beautifully Bell has laid out her comic panels too. The sequential storytelling is expertly rendered, never losing the reader or throwing you out of the story. One librarian I spoke to also mentioned how nice it was to see that the dream sequences with El Deafo are always clearly delineated as just that. Dream sequences. Fantasy and reality are easily distinguishable in this novel. No mean feat when everyone has a twitchy little nose.
Maybe we've peaked. Maybe we're seeing as many graphic memoirs for kids as we'll ever see in a given year. But that can't be, can it? We all have stories to tell, no matter what our upbringing looked like. There's always some element in our past that's relatable to a wide audience. It's the clever author that knows how to spin that element into a storyline worthy of a younger audience. There isn't a jot of doubt in my mind that CeCe Bell's book is going to be vastly beloved by nearly every child that picks it up. Engaging and beautifully drawn, to say nothing of its strength and out-and-out facts, El Deafo is going to help set the standard for what a memoir for kids should be. Infinitely clever. Undeniably fun. Don't miss it.
On shelves September 2nd.
Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.
Like This? Then Try:
- Smile by Raina Telgemeier
- Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
- The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley
This sounds really sweet. Does the book give some kind of rationale for the choice of the superhero name "El Deafo"?
Yes, and I probably should have mentioned it. CeCe is at one point watching cheesy after school specials with her siblings when they watch one where a mean girl calls a kid "Deafo". Rather than be mortally offended CeCe finds it weirdly hilarious and turns the insult into a name of power. It's awesome.
El Deafo was outstanding. Meeting Cece in person is a treat. Reading her memoir makes me love her even more.
[...] to take their Big Sissy (doesn't that sound horrible?) out for ice cream. Here's Betsy's post for SLJ, and here's Julie's post for [...]
[...] Bell, Cece. El Deafo. A Fuse #8 Production [...]
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Science, Seasonal: Holiday Books, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Cassandra Clare, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Divergent, featured, HarperCollins, HMH Books for Young Readers, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Series, Lois Lowry, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Series Books, Series List, The Giver Quartet, The Maze Runner series, The Mortal Instruments, Veronica Roth, Add a tag
The Lets-Read-and-Find-Out Science series is our best selling kids series this month and offers wonderful selections for seasonal science and beyond.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Disney-Hyperion Books, Divergent, HarperCollins, HMH Books for Young Readers, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Kids Series, Lois Lowry, Rick Riordan, Series Books, Series List, The Giver Quartet, The Heroes of Olympus, Veronica Roth, Add a tag
Once again, The Lets-Read-and-Find-Out Science series is our best selling kids series this month and offers wonderful selections for seasonal science and beyond.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Delacorte Press, Disney-Hyperion Books, featured, HarperCollins, HMH Books for Young Readers, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Lois Lowry, Marvel Heroes Books, Marvel Press, Rick Riordan, Spider-Man, The New York Times, Veronica Roth, Add a tag
Best Selling Books for Kids: This month, our best selling kids series is The Marvel Heroes of Reading line of early readers.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Chapter Books, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Disney-Hyperion Books, Divergent, featured, HarperCollins, HarperTeen Books, HMH Books for Young Readers, James Dashner, Jeff Kinney, Kiera Cass, Lois Lowry, Rick Riordan, Series, Series Books, Series List, The Giver Quartet, The Heroes of Olympus, The Maze Runner series, The New York Times, The Selection Series, Veronica Roth, Add a tag
Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is this month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 0-3, Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Book Lists, Books for Boys, Amulet Books, Boys, Danny Chatzikonstantinou, Dav Pilkey, Dr. Seuss, Family Favorites, featured, HarperCollins, Jeff Kinney, Lemony Snicket, Little Simon, Random House Books for Young Readers, Sandra Boynton, Scholastic, Todd Tarpley, Add a tag
My sweet little boys somehow grew into teenagers, so we have to take a trip back in time to talk about the five books that are special to my family ... Read the rest of this postAdd a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Chapter Books, Amulet Books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Best Books for Kids, Best Selling Books For Kids, Chris Tebbetts, Cory Thomas, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, featured, HarperCollins, Jacqueline Woodson, James Patterson, Jeff Kinney, Katherine Applegate, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Middle Grade Books, Nancy Paulsen Books, R.J. Palacio, Sharon M. Draper, The New York Times, Add a tag
This month, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Book 1, by Jeff Kinney, is The Children's Book Review's best selling middle grade book.Add a Comment
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JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Teens: Young Adults, Adventures of Riley, Amanda Lumry, Amulet Books, Best Selling Books For Kids, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Divergent, featured, HarperTeen Books, James Dashner, Jeanne Birdsall, Jeff Kinney, Kids Series, Kiera Cass, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Laura Hurwitz, Scholastic, Series Books, Series List, The Maze Runner series, The Penderwicks Series, The Selection Series, Veronica Roth, Add a tag
This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store is the wonderfully educational series The Adventures of Riley.Add a Comment
Blog: Welcome to my Tweendom (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: sequels, Amulet Books, middle school, family, noir, love, bullies, Add a tag
The Big Splash is a book that has a constant and steady flow of readers at our school. I enjoyed it very much, but somehow I had not gotten around to reading the sequel. Boy, I'm glad I finally did!
It's only 2 weeks after the end of The Big Splash. Matt is experiencing a bit of a moment of celebrity himself, and more and more kids are interested in his services. He is a bit surprised when beautiful cheerleader Melissa Scott, girlfriend of basketball star Will Atkins, want to hire him to follow her famously sporty boyfriend around. Matt isn't exactly used to dealing with the beautiful cheerleader type, and little does he know that Melissa is just the tip of the iceberg.
Of course, Vinny is still ruling The Frank, and he isn't about to leave Matt's talents untouched. He too, wants Matt's services and doesn't give him much of a choice about the matter. Liz, who is pulling away from Matt at this point, accuses him of having a lack of moral compass. Matt is left wondering if he is any better than Vinny and his thugs.
Throw in some twists and turns of the family mystery, a super twisty path toward a romance, and wrap it all in a noir package and you have The Quick Fix. And somehow it works. Readers totally buy into Ferraiolo's world with it's rules and slang. Kids have pixy stix addictions, water guns seal their fates, basketball games are fixed, and it all makes sense. There is a sensibility to Ferraiolo's writing that oozes commitment and authenticity. Kids get this and they enjoy every moment of it. If you haven't made time to read this one yet, you should.
I just adore this series. The humor is awesome. It makes these books so much fun to read!
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Best Books, Best Books of 2014, Reviews, Reviews 2014, 2014 fantasy, 2014 middle grade fiction, 2014 reviews, 2015 Newbery contender, abrams, Amulet Books, historical fantasy, Jonathan Auxier, middle grade fantasy, middle grade historical fantasy, Patrick Arrasmith, Add a tag
The Night Gardener
By Jonathan Auxier
Illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith
Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams)
Ages 10 and up
On shelves May 20th
For whatever reason, 2014 is a dark year in children's middle grade fiction. I speak from experience. Fantasy in particular has been steeped in a kind of thoughtful darkness, from The Glass Sentence and The Thickety to The Riverman and Twelve Minutes to Midnight with varying levels of success. And though none would contest the fact that they are creepy, only Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener has had the chutzpah to actually write, "A Scary Story" on its title pages as a kind of thoughtful dare. A relatively new middle grade author, still young in the field, reading this book it's hard to reconcile it with Auxier's previous novel Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. It is almost as if Mr. Auxier took his whimsy, pulled out a long sharp stick, and stabbed it repeatedly in the heart and left it to die in the snow so as to give us a sublimely horrific little novel. Long story short this novel is Little Shop of Horrors meets The Secret Garden. I hope I'm not giving too much away by saying that. Even if I am, I regret nothing. Here we have a book that ostensibly gives us an old-fashioned tale worthy of Edgar Allan Poe, but that steeps it in a serious and thought provoking discussion of the roles of both lies and stories when you're facing difficulties in your life. Madcap brilliant.
Molly and Kip are driving a fish cart, pulled by a horse named Galileo, to their deaths. That's what everyone's been telling them anyway. Living without parents, Molly sees herself as her brother's guardian and is intent upon finding a safe place for the both of them. When she's hired to work as a servant at the mysterious Windsor estate she thinks the job might be too good to be true. Indeed, the place (located deep in something called "the sour woods") is a decrepit old mansion falling apart at the seams. The locals avoid it and advise the kids to do so too. Things are even stranger inside. The people who live in the hollow home appear to be both pale and drawn. And it isn't long before both Molly and Kip discover the mysterious night gardener, who enters the house unbidden every evening, tending to a tree that seems to have a life of its own. A tree that can grant you your heart's desire if you would like. And all it wants in return? Nothing you'd ever miss. Just a piece of your soul.
For a time, the book this most reminded me of was M.P. Kozlowsky's little known Juniper Berry, a title that could rival this one in terms of creepiness. Both books involve trees and wishes and souls tied into unlawful bargains with dark sources. There the similarities end, though. Auxier has crafted with undeniable care a book that dares to ask whether or not the things we wish for are the things best for us in the end. His storytelling works in large part too because he gives us a unique situation. Here we have two characters that are desperately trying to stay in an awful, dangerous situation by any means necessary. You sympathize with Molly's dilemma at the start, but even though you're fairly certain there's something awful lurking beneath the surface of the manor, you find yourself rooting for her, really hoping that she gets the job of working there. It's a strange sensation, this dual hope to both save the heroine and plunge her into deeper danger.
What really made The Night Gardener stand out for me, however, was that the point of the book (insofar as I could tell) was to establish storytelling vs. lies. At one point Molly thinks seriously about what the difference between the two might be. "Both lies and stories involved saying things that weren't true, but somehow the lies inside the stories felt true." She eventually comes to the conclusion that lies hurt people and stories help them, a statement that is met with agreement on the part of an old storyteller named Hester who follows the words up with, "But helps them to do what?" These thoughts are continued later when Molly considers further and says, "A story helps folks face the world, even when it frightens 'em. And a lie does the opposite. It helps you hide." Nuff said.
As I mentioned before, Auxier's previous novel Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes was his original chapter book debut. As a devotee of Peter Pan and books of that ilk, it felt like more of an homage at times that a book that stood on its own two feet. In the case of The Night Gardener no such confusion remains. Auxier's writing has grown some chest hair and put on some muscles. Consider, for example, a moment when Molly has woken up out of a bad dream to find a dead leaf in her hair. "Molly held it up against the window, letting the moonlight shine through its brittle skin. Tiny twisted veins branched out from the center stem – a tree inside a tree." I love the simplicity of that. Particularly when you take into account the fact that the tree that created the leaf may not have been your usual benign sapling.
In the back of the book in his Author's Note Auxier acknowledges his many influences when writing this. Everything from Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes to The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon Gent. by Washington Irving to Frances Hodgson Burnett's simple only on the surface The Secret Garden. All these made sense to me (though I'm not familiar with the Irving yet) but I wondered if there were other ties out there as well. For example, the character of Hester, an old storyteller and junk woman, reminded me of nothing so much as the junk woman character in the Jim Henson film Labyrinth. A character that in that film also straddles the line between lies and stories and how lying to yourself only does you harm. Coincidence or influence? Only Mr. Auxier knows for sure.
If I am to have any kind of a problem with the book then perhaps it is with the Irish brogue. Not, I should say, that any American child is even going to notice it. Rather, it'll be adults like myself that can't help but see it and find it, ever so briefly, takes us out of the story. I don't find it a huge impediment, but rather a pebble sized stumbling block, barely standing in the way of my full enjoyment of the piece.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling offers some very good advice on dealing with uncertain magical beings. "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Would that our heroes in this book had been handed such advice early in life, but then I guess we wouldn't have much of a story to go on, now would we? In the end, the book raises as many questions as it answers. Do we, as humans, have an innate fear of becoming beholden to the plants we tend? Was the villain of the piece's greatest crime to wish away death? Maybe the Peter Pan influence still lingers in Mr. Auxier's pen, but comes out in unexpected ways. This is the kind of book that would happen if Captain Hook, a man most afraid of the ticking of a clock, took up horticulture instead of piracy. But the questions about why we lie to ourselves and why we find comfort in stories are without a doubt the sections that push this book from mere Hammer horror to horror that makes you stop and think, even as you run like mad to escape the psychopaths on your heels. Smart and terrifying by turns, hand this book to the kid who supped of Coraline and came back to you demanding more. Sweet creepy stuff.
On shelves May 20th.
Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.
Like This? Then Try:
- Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill
- The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
- The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
Professional Reviews: A star from Kirkus
[...] finally, a review from Betsy Bird's Fuse #8 blog with perhaps my favorite line [...]
Fabulous review! Thanks for getting my interest piqued!!
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Best Kids Stories, Best Sellers, Book Lists, Chapter Books, Teens: Young Adults, Amulet Books, Cassandra Clare, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Disney-Hyperion Books, Divergent, Grosset & Dunlap Books, Heroes of Olympus, Jeff Kinney, Kids Series, Rick Riordan, Scholastic, Series Books, Series List, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, Veronica Roth, Who Was …?, Add a tag
Best Selling Books for Kids This month, the popular Who Was …? biography series is back on top of The Children's Book Review's best selling kids series list. And the list of hand-selected series from the nationwide best selling Children's Series list, as noted by The New York Times, features the same popular dystopian thriller series as last month from the likes of Veronica Roth and Suzanne Collins, the adventurous Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, and the relatable Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney.Add a Comment
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Best Books, Best Books of 2014, Reviews, Reviews 2014, 2014 historical fiction, 2014 middle grade fiction, 2014 reviews, 2015 Newbery contender, abrams, Amulet Books, historical fiction, Margi Preus, middle grade fiction, middle grade historical fiction, Add a tag
West of the Moon
By Margi Preus
Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams)
Ages 10 and up
On shelves now.
These are dark times for children's literature. Pick up a book for the 9-12 year-old set and you just don't know what you're going to find. Whether it's the murderous foliage of The Night Gardener, the implications of Nightingale's Nest, or the serious subject matter of The Red Pencil, 2014 is probably best described as the year everything went dark. Don't expect West of the Moon to lighten the mood any either. Like those books I just mentioned, it's amazing. Dark and resilient with a core theme that simply cannot be ignored. Yet for all that Preus has tapped into a bit of harsh reality with her title that may give pause to all but the stoutest hearts. Fortunately, she tempers this reality with an artist's license. With folktales and beautifully written prose. With a deep sisterly bond, and a serious consideration of what is right and what wrong and what is necessary in desperate circumstances. I don't expect everyone to read this book and instantly love it, but I do expect people to read it. Slow to start, smart when it continues, and unlike anything you've ever really read before.
"Now I know how much I'm worth: not as much as Jesus, who I'm told was sold for thirty pieces of silver. I am worth two silver coins and a haunch of goat." That's Astri, discussing the fact that her aunt and uncle have just essentially sold her to Svaalberd, the local goat herder. Though she is loathe to go, she knows that she has little choice in the matter, and must leave her little sister behind with her foul relatives. Svaalberd turns out to be even fouler, however, and as she plans her escape Astri hits up on the idea of leaving Norway and going to America. With time and opportunity she makes good her plans, taking little sister Greta with her, protecting the both of them, and making difficult choices every step of the way.
I'll just give away the game right from the start and confess to you that I'm a big time fan of this book. It's sort of a brilliant combination of realism with folktales and writing that just cuts to the heart thanks to a heroine who is not entirely commendable (a rarity in this day and age). But I also experienced a very personal reaction to the book that as much to do with Preus's extensive Author's Note as anything else. You see, my own great-great-grandfather immigrated to America around the same time as Ms. Preus's great-great-grandparents (the people who provided much of the inspiration for this book). I've always rather loved knowing about this fellow since most of the immigrants in my family disappeared into the past without so much as a blip. This guy we actually have photographs of. Why he left had as much to do with his abusive father as anything else, but I never really understood the true impetus behind leaving an entire country. Then I read the Author's Note and learned about this "America fever" that spread through Norway and enticed people to leave and move to the States. It gives my own family history a bit of context I've always lacked and for that I thank Ms. Preus profusely.
On top of that, she provides a bit of context to the immigrant historical experience that we almost never see. We always hear about immigrants coming to America but have we ever seen a true accounting of how much food and staples they were told to bring for the boat trip? I sure as heck hadn't! You can study Ellis Island all the livelong day but until you read about the 24 pounds of meat and the small keg of kerring folks were asked to bring, you don't really understand what they were up against.
It should surprise no one when I say that Preus is also just a beautiful writer. I mean, she is a Newbery Honor winner after all. Still, I feel I was unprepared for the book's great use of symbolism. Take, for example, the fact that the name of the girl that gives Astri such a hard time is "Grace". And then there's the fact that Preus does such interesting things with the narrative. For example she'll mention a spell she observed Svaalberd reciting and then follow that fact up with a quick, "I'll thank you to keep that to yourself." You're never quite certain whom she is addressing. The reader, obviously, but anyone else? In her Author's Note Ms. Preus mentions that much of the book was inspired, sometimes directly, by her great-great-grandmother Linka's diary. Knowing this, the book takes on the feel of a kind of confessional. I don't know whom exactly Astri is confessing to, but it feels right. Plus, it turns out that she has a LOT to confess.
As characters go, Astri is a bit of a remarkable protagonist. Have you read Harriet the Spy recently? See, back in the day authors weren't afraid to write unsympathetic main characters. People that you rooted for, but didn't particularly like. But recent children's literature shies away from that type. Our protagonists are inevitably stouthearted and true and if they do have flaws then they work through them in a healthy all-American kind of way. Astri's different. When she recounts her flaws they take on the feeling of a folktale ("I've stolen the gold and hacked off the fingers and snitched the soap and swiped the wedding food. I've lied to my own little sister and left Spinning Girl behind, and now I'm stealing the horse, saddle, and bridle from the farm boy who never did anything wrong except display a bit of greed.") But hey, she's honest! This section is then followed with thoughts on what makes a person bad. Does desperation counteract sin? How do you gauge individual sins?
If I've noted any kind of a theme in my middle grade children's literature this year (aside from the darkness I alluded to in the opening paragraph) it's a fascination with the relationship between lies and stories. Jonathan Auxier explored this idea to some extent in The Night Gardener, as did Jacqueline Woodson in Brown Girl Dreaming. Here, Preus returns to the notion of where stories stop and lies begin again and again. Says she at some point, "soon I've run out of golden thread with which to spin my pretty stories and I'm left with just the thin thread of truth." Astri is constantly telling stories to Gerta, sometimes to coax her into something, sometimes to comfort her. But in her greatest hour of soul searching she wonders, "Is it a worse sin to lie to my sweet sister than to steal from a cruel master?" And where does lying start when storytelling ends? There are no easy answers to be found here. Just excellent questions.
So let's talk attempted sexual assault in a work of children's literature. Oh, it's hardly uncommon. How many of us remember the reason that Julie in Julie of the Wolves ran away to join a furry pack? In the case of West of the Moon the attempt could be read any number of ways. Adults, for example, will know precisely what is going on. But kids? When Astri sees her bed for the first time she takes the precaution of grabbing the nearest knife and sticking it under her pillow. No fool she, and the act turns out to be a good piece of forethought since later in the book the goatman does indeed throw her onto her bed. She comes close to cutting his jugular and the incident passes (though he says quite clearly, "Come summer, we will go down to the church and have the parson marry us. Then I'll take you to my bed."). Reading the section it's matter-of-fact. A realistic threat that comes and goes and will strike a chord with some readers instantly and others not at all. There will be kids that read the section and go to their parents or teachers (or even librarians) looking for some clarification, so adults who hand this to younger readers should be ready for uncomfortable questions. Is it inappropriate for kids? That is going to depend entirely on the kid. For some 9 and 10-year-olds there's nothing here to raise an eyebrow. Astri hardly does. Later she hates the goatman far more for baby lambicide than any attempted rape. For others, they'll not care for the content. Kids are great self-censors, though. They know what they can handle. I wouldn't be worried on that score.
If we're going to get to the heart of the matter, this book is about grace and forgiveness. It's about how even victims (or maybe especially victims) are capable of terrible terrible things. It's about making amends with the world and finding a way to forgive yourself and to move on. Astri is, as I've said before, not a saintly character. She steals and tricks good people for her own reasons and she leaves it to the reader to decide if she is worth forgiving. This is an ideal book discussion title, particularly when you weave in a discussion of the folktales, the notion of stories vs. lies, and the real world history. It's not an easy book and it requires a little something extra on the part of the reader, but for those kids that demand a bit of a challenge and a book that'll make 'em stop and think for half a moment, you can't do better. Remarkable.
On shelves now.
Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.
Like This? Then Try:
- The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer – Few can weave folktales into text as well as Farmer, so naturally when I saw what Preus was doing here I thought of this epic series.
- The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket – Because if anyone understands how to bring up the notion of whether or not sinking to the level of the bad guys makes YOU a bad guy, it's Snicket. And this was the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events to come up with the notion.
- The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier – These two books wouldn't have a lot in common were it not for the fact that Auxier delves into the relationship between lies and stories as deeply as Preus and with similar conclusions.
Other Blog Reviews:
- Innovative Librarianship
- The Reading Hedgehog
- educating alice
- West Metro Mommy Reads
- Storytime Hooligans
- Waking Brain Cells
- Journey of a Bookseller
Professional Reviews:
- A star (one of five) from Kirkus
- A star from Publishers Weekly
- StarTribune
- The Buffalo News
Interviews: KUMD spoke with Ms. Preus about her books and her work on this one in particular here.
Book Jacket: Oo! In case you didn't get to see the back cover . . .
Misc: For a look behind-the-scenes of the book check out this article Award-winning Duluth author pulls from folk tales, ancestral diary for newest novel from the Duluth News Tribune.
Videos: And here's the book trailer!
West of the Moon / Margi Preus Book Trailer from Joellyn Rock on Vimeo.
Speaking of dark–I'm still reeling from the dizzying, remarkable "The Riverman".
I'm almost finished reading "West of the Moon", and I really appreciate your insights. There is a lot going on for sure. I love the beautiful writing and the use of folk tales. A great book.
Riverman!! How could I fail to mention that? Of course I've come around to thinking that it was a bit more on the YA side. Doggone gunplay.
Oh, I reeeeaally need to read this now . . .
My copy will be at Monday's list committee. Get it from Amie!
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The Internet is full of great advice about how to sell a book, but what about after the sale? When my first book came out, I found it was surprisingly hard to find answers to some basic questions. Like most authors, I learned most of the answers through trial and error. And so in anticipation of the launch of my new novel,The Night Gardener, I've decided to write down everything I learned so I don't make the same mistakes twice!
AFTER THE BOOK DEAL is a month-long blog series detailing the twenty things I wish someone had told me before entering the exciting world of children's publishing. Each weekday from now until MAY 20, I will be posting an article on a different blog. Follow along and please spread the word!
School Days: Crafting an Effective School Program
Yesterday I talked about how to do Skype visits with classrooms, now I want to move on to school assemblies! When my first book came out, I did almost nonstop school events for seven months—it was exhausting but extremely rewarding. I picked up a few things along the way that might be worth sharing …
Be a Storyteller, not an Author
In the vast majority of cases, you will be coming to these kids as a complete stranger. Most kids will not have read (or even heard of) your books. This is important to remember as you're crafting your presentation: don't assume they will be impressed by the fact that you're a published author. Your only job is to convince them that your story is something they want to read. The best way to do this is by BEING A STORYTELLER. Don't just read an excerpt and give a summary—instead invite them into the world of your story, put them in the shoes of your hero, make the book come alive right there on the stage.
Play to Your Strengths
Take careful inventory of personal skills that you can bring to the table. Some authors draw on giant notepads. Others perform music. Others juggle or teach dance routines or fold origami. I exploited my past career as a professional yo-yo demonstrator by incorporating a yo-yo into my routine. It is hands-down the most popular part of every presentation! Chances are, you've got some silly talent that can be turned into a memorable moment in your presentations—make the most of it! Here's a video of my yo-yo presentation, for the curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbmSYeyVDtI
Crowd Control
There's no question that wrangling a crowd of kids can be tricky. I have a loud voice, but with groups over 100, I always require that schools provide a microphone. Even with a mic, however, a hall full of squirming kids can get pretty loud. I always request that the teacher/librarian who introduces me gives the kids a special reminder about appropriate assembly behavior. And when the classes are streaming into the room, I go to every one of the teachers and introduce myself, thank them for coming, and ask them where their students are sitting—this is a subtle way of encouraging the teachers to be more proactive with crowd control. My final crowd control trick is to start every presentation by showing the Peter Nimble book trailer. Not only does this give kids something to visualize the story, but it creates a baseline of actual silence from the crowd. I've found that when I don't show the trailer, I'm never able to eliminate the dull roar of whispers and fidgeting that passes for "quiet" in other circumstances.
Build a Flexible Program
Every school runs on a different schedule. Generally speaking, assemblies will run between 40-60 minutes. It's important that you have a program that can expand or contract to fit these requirements. Your goal should be to have discrete "bits" that you can add and remove at will depending on the needs of your audience. If I'm talking to a restless crowd, for example, I can trade out a more serious literary discussion for an extra game. Flexibility goes beyond time-management. When I started touring, I carried around two vintage suitcases full of props. The suitcases looked cool, but they were a serious pain in the neck. I've since learned to pare down my props—fitting everything I need into a single shoulder bag. Likewise, when showing my book trailer, I used to haul my laptop computer (school computers were just too unreliable). Recently, however, I've ditched the laptop for a small VGA adaptor that plugs directly into my iPhone … so much easier!
Selling Books
You always want to be working with a local bookseller that can handle sales—you don't have time to deal with that stuff yourself. If the school doesn't have a store they regularly work with, then offer to connect them to someone. In most cases, a store will give 10-20% of all proceeds back to the school … which you should encourage them to do. Every store has a different way of handling book sales. I've found the best method is to send out pre-order forms in advance of the event as well as a "last chance" order form that kids take home the day that you visit—then once all orders are collected, you can sign books at the store, which will deliver them to the school later in the week.
That's it for AFTER THE BOOK DEAL! Tomorrow we'll be talking about how how and when to charge for appearances. In the meantime, you can catch up on previous posts (listed below), and please-oh-please spread the word!
AFTER THE BOOK DEAL – Stops So Far
WEEK ONE: Before Your Book Comes Out
4/21 – Finding Your Tribe: entering the publishing community
4/22 – Do I Really Need a Headshot?: crafting your public persona
4/23 – I Hate Networking: surviving social media
4/24 – A Night at the Movies: the ins and outs of book trailers
4/25 – Giveaways! … are they worth it?
WEEK TWO: Your Book Launch
4/28 - Can I have Your Autograph?: 5 things to do before your first signing
4/29 – Cinderella at the Ball: planning a successful book launch
5/1 – Being Heard in the Crowd: conferences and festivals
5/2 - The Loneliest Writer in the World: surviving no-show events
WEEK THREE: The Business of Being an Author
5/5 – Handling Reviews … the Good and the Bad!
5/6 – Back to the Grindstone: writing your next book
5/7 – The Root of All Evil: some thoughts on money
5/8 – The Green-Eyed Monster: some thoughts on professional jealousy
WEEK FOUR: Ongoing Promotion
5/12 – Death by 1000 Cuts: Keeping ahead of busywork
5/13 – Can You Hear Me Now? Tips for Skype visits
JONATHAN AUXIER writes strange stories for strange children. His new novel, The Night Gardener, hits bookstores on May 20—why not come to his book launch party? You can visit him online at www.TheScop.com where he blogs about children's books old and new.
Find The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell's Books | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads | ISBN-10/ISBN-13: 141971144X / 9781419711442
Thank you so much to Jonathan for stopping by today! Connect with Jonathan on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.
Original article: School Days: AFTER THE BOOK DEAL – Guest Post by Jonathan Auxier
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Here's something I've never done before. For years I've been waiting for the moment when a book I loved and reviewed dipped out of print only to come back again. Since I've only been doing this gig since 2006 I wasn't sure what that first book would be. Then, this year, I got my answer. Back in October of 2007 I reviewed a book by a newcomer going by the moniker of Sam Riddleberger. The book? The Qwikpick Adventure Society. I absolutely adored it, floored by some of the new things it was doing. Years passed and no one paid the book the appropriate amount of attention it deserved. Then Mr. Riddleberger decided to publish under his real name, Tom Angleberger, and next thing you know he's written a little book by the name of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and the world was never the same. What with his earlier efforts out of print and his name so incredibly bankable, I had high hopes that this might not be the last we'd seen of Mr. Riddleberger/Angleberger. Then this year, behold! Do mine eyes deceive me? No! It's back! New cover, new title, old book.
So for today's Flashback Wednesday we're going to reprint that old review I did of the book . . . slightly modified. There are a couple mentions in the original review of things published "this year" that had to be updated. I'm going to keep the parts about the rarity of trailer park kids that aren't abused, though in the comments of my original review Genevieve mentioned that The Higher Power of Lucky could be considered another alternative. Fair enough.
As a children's book reviewer there is one fact that you must keep at the forefront of your mind at all times: You are not a kid. Not usually anyway. And because you are not a kid, you are not going to read a book the way a kid does. I keep talking in my reviews about how your own personal prejudices affect your interpretation of the book in front of you, and it's bloody true. I mean, take scatological humor in all its myriad forms. When I read How to Eat Fried Worms as an adult, I didn't actually expect the hero to eat worms (let alone 30+ of them). And when I read Out of Patience by Brian Meehl I really enjoyed it until the moment when the local fertilizer plant became… well, you'd have to read the book to grasp the full horror of the situation. Actually, Out of Patience was the title I kept thinking of as I got deeper and deeper into The Qwikpick Papers. Both books are funny and smart and both involve gross quantities of waste to an extent you might never expect. I am an adult. I have a hard time with poop. Poop aside (and that's saying something) there's a lot of great stuff going on in this book. It's definitely a keeper, though it may need to win over its primary purchasing audience, adults.
Lyle Hertzog is going to level with you right from the start. In this story he and his friends, "didn't stop a smuggling ring or get mixed up with the mob or stop an ancient evil from rising up and spreading black terror across Crickenburg." Nope. This is the story of Lyle, Dave, and Marilla and their club's first adventure. The kids say that they're The Qwikpick Adventure Society because they meet regularly in the break room of the local Qwikpick convenience store where Lyle's parents work. When it occurs to the three that they'll all be available to hang out on Christmas Day, they decide to do something extraordinary. Something unprecedented. And when Marilla discovers that the local "antiquated sludge fountain" at the Crickenburg sewer plant is about to be replaced, they know exactly what to do. They must see the poop fountain before it is gone. The result is a small adventure that is exciting, frightening, and very very pungent.
Someone once told me that this book reminded them of Stand By Me, "except no dead bodies and no Wil Wheaton." They may be on to something there. Author Tom Angleberger works the relationships between the kids nicely. It's a little hard to get into the heads of all the characters considering that we're seeing everything through Lyle's point of view, but the author does what he can. As for the "sludge fountain" itself, kids looking for gross moments will not be disappointed. You might be able to sell it to their parents with the argument that it's actually rather informative and factual on this point (though I suggest that you play up the relationship aspect instead).
There are few kid-appropriate taboo topics out there, but if I was going to suggest one I might say it was the issue of class. Oh, you'll get plenty of books where a kid lives a miserable life in a trailer park and gets teased by the rich/middle class kids in their class about it, sure. Now name all the books you can think of where the main characters live in a trailer park and that's just their life. Or have parents that work in a convenience store and there isn't any alcohol abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, etc. I swear, a kid who actually lived in a trailer park these days who tried to find a book containing kids like themselves would have to assume that abuse was the norm rather than the exception. So when I saw that both Lyle and Marilla lived in a trailer park and it wasn't a big deal, that was huge for me. Also, sometimes a book with kids of different religions or ethnicities will make a big deal about the fact. Here, Lyle's Christian, Dave's Jewish, and Marilla's a Jehovah's Witness and not white but not identified as anything in particular. Quick! Name all the Jehovah's Witnesses you've encountered in children's books where the story wasn't ALL about being a Jehovah's Witness! Riddleburger is making people just people. What a concept.
I've been talking a lot this year about books that don't slot neatly into categories. The kinds of books that mix genres and styles. The Qwikpick Papers will be classed as fiction, no question about it, but its prolific use of photographs certainly separates it from the pack. For example, there's a moment when the kids are trying to figure out what to do for Christmas. One of them suggests opening a fifty-gallon drum of banana puree that's been sitting behind an empty Kroger store and there, lo and behold, is an actual honest-to-goodness photograph of a rusty, decaying, very real banana puree barrel. I don't know whether to hope that Mr. Angleberger took the picture years ago and was just itching for a chance to get to use it, or that he created the barrel himself for the sole purpose of including a photo of it in his book. I also enjoyed the hand-drawn portions. The comic strip All-Zombie Marching Band deserves mention in and of itself (though technically William Nicholson's The Wind Singer did it too).
I say that the poop, the sheer amount of it, will turn off a lot of adults. At the same time though there are plenty of moments that will lure the grown-ups back in again. Particularly librarians. Particularly librarians that have ever attempted an origami craft with a bunch of kids. For these brave men and women Lyle's line about the process of doing an unfamiliar animal will ring true. "You follow the instructions through like thirty-four steps and all of a sudden there's this funky zigzag arrow and on the next page it has turned from a lump of paper into a horse with wings." YES! Exactly! Thank you!
All in all, I'm a fan. The characters ring true, the dialogue is snappy, the unique format will lure in reluctant readers, and talk about a title custom made for booktalking! There's not a kid alive today who wouldn't want to read the book when confronted with the plot. It has ups. It has downs. It has a great sense of place and a whole lot of poop. Take all angles into consideration when considering this book. On my part, I like it and that is that.
On shelves now.
Like This? Then Try:
- Out of Patience by Brian Meehl
- How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
- Poop Happened! A History of the World From the Bottom Up by Sarah Albee
Loved this book! So glad it's getting rereleased.
The poop did make me gag BUT less than I might gagged when I was 11. (Sensitive little thing!) I loved the friendship. I loved the economic situations the narrator found himself in. I even loved the watchman. Hey! Poop is funny. (Unless, well never mind. I spend a lot of time with a 2-year-old these days.)
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Best Selling Books for Kids This month, DK Readers: Star Wars are on top of The Children's Book Review's best selling kids series list.Add a Comment
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Thanks to World Cup Soccer, the new Magic Tree House book, Soccer on Sunday, has the series on top of The Children's Book Review's best selling kids series list.Add a Comment
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A good thing about the new school is the other kids are wearing hearing aids too, and Cece is learning some useful skills like lip reading and using visual, context and gestural clues to help in understanding. Cece is just finding her way, when her family decides to leave the city and head to the country, where she will be going to a regular school.
Cece gets a brand-new-BIG-for-school-only-around-the-neck hearing aid (The Phonic Ear) that comes with a microphone for her teacher to wear and is superpowerful. What nobody expects is that it comes with the added feature of having a super long range, allowing Cece to hear not only her teacher teaching, but whatever her teacher is doing when she is out of the room as well (yes...even *that*!).
Cece has to negotiate the things that all kids go through at school - including navigating a friend who is not-so-nice, and getting her first crush. Things unique to her situation include dealing with friends who TALK TOO LOUD AND TOO SLOW, and those who refer to her as their "deaf friend".
This is more than a graphic memoir - it is a school and family story for all kids. Cece is an imaginative and emotional kid with whom readers will identify. There is an accessibility to Bell's art that immediate draws you in and you can't help but cheer with her successes and cringe with her tears. Fans of Telgemeier and Varon will readily scoop this up off of the shelves, and it *will* be passed hand to hand. I am certain I will see many doodles of Cece and her friends in the margins of writer's notebooks this coming school year. Do yourself a favor...get more than one!
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This month we have a blast from the past on top of The Children's Book Review's best selling kids series list. Who remembers the Mr. Men and Little Miss books?Add a Comment
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I first "met" Joanne Rocklin when she graciously read my manuscript for WHEELS OF CHANGE and provided a lovely blurb. As soon as I read one of her stories, I was hooked. I couldn't get enough of her heart-warming and delightful books. Her titles, THE FIVE LIVES OF OUR CAT ZOOK, and ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET, capture the joys and sorrows of childhood with wonderful, unique characters and prose that wedges itself into your heart and takes hold. Her new book – FLEABRAIN LOVES FRANNY – (FLF) debuts this month, so I thought it would be great to feature her on this blog. First, here's a description of FLF:
A story about a special girl, an inspiring book, and a brilliant (though unintentionally funny) flea.
From the publisher: This gem of a novel takes place in Pittsburgh in 1952. Franny Katzenback, while recovering from polio, reads and falls in love with the brand-new book Charlotte's Web. Bored and lonely and yearning for a Charlotte of her own, Franny starts up a correspondence with an eloquent flea named Fleabrain who lives on her dog's tail. While Franny struggles with physical therapy and feeling left out of her formerly active neighborhood life, Fleabrain is there to take her on adventures based on his extensive reading. It's a touching, funny story set in the recent past, told with Rocklin's signature wit and thoughtfulness.
Release Date: August, 2014
Amulet Books/Abrams ISBN 978-1-4197-1068-1
My novel takes place in the 1950's in Pittsburgh, during the worst polio epidemics of that era. Franny, my main character contracts the disease and can no longer walk. During her hospital stay she is introduced to the recently published Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, and falls in love with the book, and, especially, the spider, Charlotte. She longs for a Charlotte of her own. Her wish is granted in the form of the brilliant Fleabrain, her dog's flea.
Much of what I learned while writing FLEABRAIN LOVES FRANNY were writing concepts I had to learn yet again, concepts that are integral to my own personal writing process. I usually begin with a phrase which arrives out of the blue. The phrase feels promising but doesn't reveal much about the book I'm going to write. The phrase for this book was "you can stop seeking messages in spider webs." This was Fleabrain's first message to Franny, although I didn't know it yet. I had to remember to just go with the phrase and wildly thrash about while I figure out what it means. I had to learn yet again, that for me, the rough draft is messy and chaotic but eventually leads to the story.
Fleabrain provided Franny a necessary escape while she healed, as well as exciting adventures, affection, companionship and joy. He also taught her when it was time to face the real world. Fleabrain taught me, yet again, that humor will always be present in my books, no matter the seriousness of the subject matter, and that's a good thing.
Research is an ongoing process. I began reading about this particular era and began to get ideas about my character and her dilemma. I realized I had to set it in Pittsburgh because that's where Dr. Jonas Salk did his important research on the polio vaccine, and I wanted to include a scientist in the story. But I was already deep into my story when I realized I would have to visit Pittsburgh and interview Pittsburghers who remembered that time. My research kept giving me ideas for scenes and themes for subsequent drafts.
A surprising thing I learned while researching and writing this book was that many, many people knew very little about the polio epidemics. Some had never heard of an iron lung, or any of the treatment methods and medical advances associated with polio. Many were surprised to learn about the isolation and prejudice experienced by those stricken, and that most of the young people were required to attend special schools for "crippled" children. In addition, I myself learned that polio survivors were at the very forefront of the disability movement, agitating for many of the things we take for granted today (curb cuts, handicapped-accessible public places, etc.).
And so, I learned yet again that the theme of my story will only become clear to me during the writing of the book itself, not before, and sometimes at the very end of the process. One of the important things that Franny learned is that it is not she who needs to be repaired by learning to walk again, but society itself, in accepting her.New picture book:
Joanne's picture book: I SAY SHEHECHYANU will be out in January, 2015
Visit Joanne at: http://www.joannerocklin.com
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Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests before and during your treatment to check your body's response to altretamine.
Altretamine is used to treat cancer of the ovaries (cancer that begins in the female reproductive organs where eggs are formed) that has not improved or that has worsened after treatment with other medications. Altretamine is a medication that is in a class of medications called antineoplastic agents. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.
Altretamine comes as a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken four times a day (a dose after each meal and a dose at bedtime) for 14 or 21 days in a row. This cycle may be repeated once every 4 weeks depending on your response to the medication. Take altretamine at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take altretamine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may adjust your dose of altretamine depending on your response to treatment and any side effects that you experience. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling during your treatment. Do not stop taking altretamine without talking to your doctor.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Selected Revisions: December 15, 2012.
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- KNIA / KRLS - http://kniakrls.com -
Local Pharmacies Among Those Involved in Medication Disposal Program
Posted By News On November 11, 2009 @ 6:23 am In Today's Local News | Comments Disabled
A program that will allow Iowans to properly dispose of old or unneeded prescription drugs begins this month. IowaTakeAway is a cooperative effort between the Iowa Pharmacy Association and Houston-based Sharps Compliance Corporation, which will provide containers for residents to properly dispose of unwanted or expired prescription medication.
Don Versluys with Crown Pharmacy in Pella says his pharmacy is one of over 300 in the state participating in the program and says it will provide a much safer way to dispose of medications than flushing them down the toilet, which had been recommended in the past and can be harmful to the environment. Versluys says they will accept most medications in pill or capsule form, with the exception of narcotics or controlled substances.
Greg Clodfelter, assistant manager of the Knoxville Hy-Vee Pharmacy, says they're accepting any tablets, ointments, and liquids under 4 ounces, among other items for the program. However, he says items that will not be accepted also include needles or syringes. Clodfelter says those with questions on what's accepted can call 641-842-4717 or stop by the pharmacy.
Programs to properly dispose of prescription medications were created after it was discovered that drugs being dumped down drains or flushed down toilets were finding their way into the groundwater of some communities.
Article printed from KNIA / KRLS: http://kniakrls.com
URL to article: http://kniakrls.com/2009/11/local-pharmacies-among-those-involved-in-medication-disposal-program/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2009 KNIA/KRLS. All rights reserved.


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- Filed Under
A tight game was blown open with a 17-8 fourth quarter from the Punchers in a nonleague victory against the host Generals.
P.J. Wilkes had 13 points, including 5-for-5 from the foul line in the final quarter to lead Mifflin (7-6).
Luke Fox had a game-high 16 points and six rebounds and Tyler Fisher chipped in 10 points for Sheridan (9-4).
The Generals led 12-8 after one quarter and 19-16 at halftime, but the Punchers scored 34 points in the second half to pull away.
Mifflin was 18-of-54 from the floor, including 1-of-11 from 3s, and 13-of-21 from the free-throw line. Sheridan was 14-of-53, including 3-of-17 on 3s, and 9-of-13 from the foul line.


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High ISO: jpeg or RAW?
Started Feb 16, 2013 | Discussions thread
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Earlier today i went to the Museum Of Flight again, and tried shooting in Jpeg with an ISO of 1250. The noise was negligible.
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Meetups and User Groups outside of San Francisco
- Indianapolis Ruby Brigade - http://www.meetup.com/indyrb/
Learning Ruby
[http://tryruby.org/ TryRuby] a browser-based interactive tutorial in Ruby
[http://www.pragprog.com/titles/ltp2/learn-to-program-2nd-edition "Learning to Program" by Chris Pine] - a beginner's programming book with lots of Ruby exercises. (earlier version [http://pine.fm/LearnToProgram online])
[http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-1.html Why's Poignant Guide]
[http://hackety-hack.com/ Hackety Hack] a fun way for beginners to learn Ruby.
[http://rubykoans.com/ Ruby Koans] - a self-guided journey through topics in Ruby for beginners and experts alike
[http://testfirst.org Test-First Teaching] - click on 'Learn Ruby'
[https://github.com/ryanb/ruby-warrior Ruby Warrior] - write and refine some Ruby code to get your warrior to the top of a hazardous tower
[http://www.rubyquiz.com Ruby Quiz] - a guided tour through the world of possibility; use your Ruby to build simple apps, games, and solve problems
[http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-2.html Why's Poignant Guide to Ruby] - A whimsical comic book that teaches you Ruby. Legendary in the community.
[http://ruby.learncodethehardway.org/ Learn Ruby the Hard Way] It's not actually hard. A great place to start if you're new to programming and want to learn with hands-on examples.
[http://github.com/caylee-hogg/pdx-ruby-course PDX tech workshop] This are the slides from the ruby/rails workshop organized in Portland, OR by [http://pdxtechworkshops.org/ PDXtech]
Learn about Rails
[http://guides.rubyonrails.org/ Rails Guides] - the official how-to articles for Rails
[http://railsapi.com Rails API] - online documentation
[http://railsforzombies.org/ Rails for Zombies] - a series of videos and browser-based Rails exercises
[http://ruby.railstutorial.org/ Rails Tutorial] - a tutorial that leads you through writing a Rails messaging app
Watch screen casts
http://railscasts.com RailsCasts
[http://peepcode.com PeepCode]
[http://pivotallabs.com/talks Pivotal Labs talks]
[http://valobox.com Valobox] -use Promocode 'RailsBridge' to read free.
[http://railsbridge.org RailsBridge]
[http://www.devchix.com DevChix] -blog and mailing list for women developers
[http://stackoverflow.com/ Stack Overflow] -for answers to programming questions
[http://apprenticeship-patterns.labs.oreilly.com/ Apprenticeship Patterns] -advice for aspiring programmers
Get experience
Just do it. Write and publish your own Rails app.
Volunteer at the next workshop
Volunteer on a RailsBridge Builders project
Come to a hack session
Check for Ruby and Rails meetups anywhere at [http://www.rubyinperson.com/ Ruby in Person]


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Building energy efficient homes is a growing trend, and a good one. Here's a short list of a few green home builders in the major cities of Texas.
ECG Custom Homes specializes in both building and remodeling homes for energy efficiency. They have multiple certifications in building of both energy efficient homes and other properties throughout the Dallas area. They believe building green homes doesn't have to mean ugly homes, and based on some of their modern designs internally and externally they're living up to that expectation.
Solution Builders LLC is a green home builder based in Houston that creates homes in many different styles using energy efficient technologies such as structural insulated panels and cool roof technologies. Their homes range from Modern to Traditional, Mediterranean to Transitional.
Green Haus Builders of Houston creates energy efficient homes by adding things such as tankless water heaters, dual flush toilets, and photovoltaic roof panels. Some of their homes are based on what's known as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Custom Homes LTD builds eco-friendly homes in the San Antonio area. They are a certified green home builder that offers a plethora of green options including rainwater collection, pervious concrete, renewable wood floors and solar hot water heaters.


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ROCK HILL, TEXAS (Collin County). Rock Hill is a farming community on State Highway 289 four miles north of Frisco in far western Collin County. It received a post office in 1854 and was one of the earliest communities established in the county. J. J. Thompson built a gristmill and cotton gin there to serve area farmers. Later the community added a school and two churches. By around 1900 Rock Hill had a population of just over 100. The number of residents declined rapidly, however, when the town was bypassed by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway. Many Rock Hill residents and businesses moved to nearby Prosper to be on the rail line. In 1904 the Rock Hill post office was discontinued, and mail for the community was routed through Frisco. The number of residents at Rock Hill did not again exceed 100. From 1945 through 1990 its population was reported as twenty-five.
Roy Franklin Hall and Helen Gibbard Hall, Collin County: Pioneering in North Texas (Quanah, Texas: Nortex, 1975). J. Lee and Lillian J. Stambaugh, A History of Collin County (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1958).
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.David Minor, "ROCK HILL, TX (COLLIN COUNTY)," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnr35), accessed November 28, 2015. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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Each day's email tells a little bit more of the story of Texas and links to our collection of more than 27,000 articles


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Wyelin Chiu might not be a household name yet, but she features Asian household celebrities in her blog Eiffel In Seoul.
Chiu, a blogger based in Singapore, covers Asian celebrity fashion from the red carpet to magazine spreads. Among the celebrities she writes about are Chinese actresses Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing, and K-pop (Korean pop) stars 2NE1 and Girls' Generation.
"Hollywood celebrity fashion is always covered, but there was almost no one covering Asian celebrities," said Chiu, who started the blog when she was 17 years old. "I figured everyone must be curious about what they are wearing as well." Read More »


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7-Day Archives
Monday, August 18
- Body of missing Marine wife Erin Corwin found; Christopher Lee arrested
- Hunger in America: Military families among those relying on food banks
- Report alleges theft, moonlighting, nepotism rampant at Camp Grayling
- Navy flies manned, unmanned carrier jets together for first time
- 12 Lakenheath F-15s participate in NATO joint exercise
- First airman to receive Air Force-designed Medal of Honor passes away
- Army researchers test 3-D printed chow
- Obama: Iraq has regained control of Mosul dam
- Feds: No charges against company in Kansas Guard probe
- Report: Army Olympian cited for hunting deer at car dealership
- Pope backs action to protect Iraq minorities if U.N. OKs
- Missouri governor orders National Guard to Ferguson
- Obama: Iraq forces retake Mosul Dam from militants
- SMA Chandler on the record
- Obama hails elimination of Syria chemical weapons
- DoD releases list of genetic tests covered by Tricare
- Army warns of scammers posing as soldiers
- 'Not recommended' list of schools draws criticism
- Tactical Veteran: 5 questions to help you choose college major and career
- Report: VA employee took recovering vet to crack house
- PT365: Too much salt and too little may be bad for you
- VA backlog grew despite online application program
Start your day with a roundup of top defense news.
Sign up now for free Military Times E-Reports. Choose from Money and Education. Subscribers: log in for premium e-newsletters.
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This morning, Verizon announced that it would launch VoLTE and HD Voice nationwide within the coming weeks. They also pinged us later in the day with clarification on how HD Voice calls would be treated compared to regular voice calls (in short: the same). As the evening has progressed, we have continued to learn additional details about Big Red's full VoLTE launch, including the two devices that will be able to take advantage out of the gate, specifics on Advanced Calling 1.0, how both Video and HD Voice calls are billed, and what happens when a customer hands-off from WiFi to LTE. (more…)
HD Voice Calls on Verizon Treated Just Like Traditional Calls
Shortly after Verizon announced this morning that it would launch VoLTE and HD Voice over the coming weeks, a number of readers took to the comments with questions. The most common question surrounded HD Voice and minutes, more precisely, if an HD Voice call would count as data or minutes. (more…)
VoLTE and HD Voice Arrive at Verizon in "Coming Weeks"
This morning, Verizon announced that it is almost ready to finally unleash VoLTE (voice-over-LTE) and HD Voice upon its customers. In fact, customers should expect to begin using VoLTE and HD Voice "in the coming weeks," as opposed to months. Verizon didn't mention as much in their press release, but this almost seems early. Back in May, they announced that both services would be here in the "next few months" or "later this year," leaving us to wonder if that meant end of summer or early winter. Clearly, they meant summer. (more…)
Verizon CFO: First LTE-Only Phone Arriving First Half of 2016
Verizon CFO Fran "ShamWow" Shammo sat down for the opening of the Oppenheimer Internet and Communication Conference this morning to discuss the state of his company's affairs. These conversations typically revolve around areas that Big Red can continue to to grow in to make more money, since that's all investors really care about. But when speaking of new money-making arenas, we tend to learn about Verizon timelines for new products or services, like 4G LTE rollouts or Multicast or the introduction of everyone's favorite, tiered data plans. (more…)
T-Mobile Adds Another 1.5 Million Customers, Takes VoLTE Nationwide, Plans to Expand Coverage Outside of Metro Areas
T-Mobile CEO John Legere took to his company's newsroom today to talk about how his crew is "firing on all cylinders." In other words, T-Mobile is still killin' it for the most part.
The wireless carrier added another 1.5 million new customers in the last quarter, making this their 5th consecutive quarter with at least 1 million or more net adds. In the past 15 months, T-Mobile has brought in a total of 7.6 million new customers, which is well, a lot. In fact, according to T-Mo's numbers, they topped all of the other three major carriers combined in terms of postpaid phone adds. Not bad, right? (more…)
T-Mobile on a Roll, Updating Galaxy Note 3 and G Flex for All VoLTE Markets, Galaxy S5 as Well
If you thought that T-Mobile was done making moves after its event last night, you would be wrong. T-Mobile is looking to continue to impress people with the roll-out of their VoLTE service to more markets around the country, assuming those people have devices that are ready to take advantage of it. Starting today, updates are coming to devices like the G Flex, Note 3, and Galaxy S5 with support for all of the new markets. (more…)
Here are T-Mobile's 16 Wideband LTE Markets and 15 VoLTE Markets
As of today, thanks to new Uncarrier announcements by T-Mobile, their VoLTE and Wideband LTE network has expanded into all sorts of new markets. According to a blog post by Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray, VoLTE is now in 15 markets after having launched in Seattle only weeks ago, plus Wideband LTE is now in 16 markets.
Below, you will find a list of the new markets. (more…)
T-Mobile VoLTE is Live in San Francisco
T-Mobile went live with VoLTE service in Seattle back at the end of May. As of this week, they have expanded to San Francisco, according to CEO John Legere.
For those not familiar, Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) allows users to place higher quality voice calls over their LTE data connection, but also use data at the same time. It is the future of LTE, a service that both AT&T and Verizon have already announced plans for. AT&T launched VoLTE on May 23 in a handful of smaller markets, while Verizon is waiting until later this year to go live with a full, nationwide launch. (more…)


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- SCU Home Page
- About SCU
- Admission
- Academics
- On Campus
- News & Info
- Alumni
SCU in the News
Deborah Whiteman
Deborah Whiteman (Archives & Special Collections) was quoted in UCLA Today about her work on an exhibit on adventurous women travelers.
Posted by Deepa Arora
Here's a sampling of the hundreds of mentions of SCU in the media in the past two weeks. The first part of the link is a list; the full text is below the list.
Upcoming Events


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This product works great but is pricey...would love to be able to buy it in a greater volume at a significant discount...100 or 200 gram jar, perhaps?
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November 28, 2015
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A former western Kentucky lawmaker won't face sanctions from the House for allegations that he sexually harassed legislative staffers.
A special investigative House committee voted 3-2 along party lines Thursday to adjourn without taking any action against former Democratic state Rep. John Arnold of Sturgis, concluding that it has no legal authority because he has already resigned.
Arnold gave up his seat in the House in September, shortly after the sexual harassment allegations were made public. Legislative staffers Yolanda Costner and Cassaundra Cooper say Arnold had touched them inappropriately and made vulgar comments. A third woman also has filed a complaint.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
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5 Steps to Brighten Up a RoomThursday, April 24th, 2014
Rooms that have few light fixtures or not enough natural light can feel small and dark. Home improvements and tweaking some things in your room can considerably brighten up a room. Here are some steps that will help.
- Choose the right window coverings. When there is only window and that is the source of natural light and it is covered up with a darkening shade in a dark color, you just robbed yourself of the only bright natural light source you had. Even when privacy is an issue, consider light-filtering shades in a light or cream color. An excellent choice could be Comfortex Shangri-La Shades, in the same category as Silhouette shades. Even when they are closed, the room is illuminated with a natural glow of light.
- Brighten up your walls. Even though dark colors can be warm and stylish, when your space is small and light is needed, go for bright and pale colors. Even if painting your walls in a warmer (not dark) color, consider a bright white ceiling, which will reflect in the room and help to brighten the room.
- Replace flooring. A grey tile or dark carpet can literally suck out any light you have. You might consider replacing the entire flooring if it is within our budget or just place some strategic light carpets or rugs to create lighter areas within the room.
- Add lighting. This seems to be the obvious solution. Whether a complete new overhead lighting is in the budget or an additional bright floor lamp, additional lighting can always help. Consider layering lighting to be able to adjust according to situation and mood.
- Choose the right decorations. Tiles of small mirrors hung in clusters can help to give the illusion of another window. Floor length mirrors in nooks or hallways can help as well. Glass décor like a glass mirrored table or wall hangings can help to increase the feeling of openness while attracting more light.


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I really wanna play this mod ^-^
Underhell will be coming out Early Next Year, but the team is getting bigger and bigger !
Posted by Mxthe on Dec 9th, 2010
The last Christmas push...It's always a pain in the...rear part of the human body...
Trying to put everything in just in time for a Christmas release...
But 2 things can happen, either we release it as it is and it's not as polished as it could be, or we hold on a little longer to make sure that it's done right...
The fact that it's an SMOD mod doesn't really help either, SMOD is pretty known to crash for no reason sometimes, so it's hard to identify either the mod crashed because of a level design error, or because SMOD just wanted to.
But that's not the bad news, the bad news is that I will not be able to work on the mod until January 19th, for some personal reasons...
The good news of that bad news, is that the rest of the team (Yay we have a team now ! ) will be able to make progress, especially in the Music's department.
And while I am gone, the beta testers can thoroughly test it and make sure they detect every possible problem.
In other news I have opened a twitter account, it's personal but I talk mostly about Underhell so you might want to check it out :
So thank you very much for your support and your patience, and I will see you after January the 19th (if everything goes as planned)
I really wanna play this mod ^-^
Send a beta public and have write a report thing they can send to an email, thereby getting countless suggestions and errors to either **** or take into consideration.
Live betas are allways good.
Beta tests based around surveys are grossly ineffective. The chances are people will mistake it for an actual release.


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The problem is s the title says. The car is model a year 1991 2.0i OHC (PINTO) engine with EEC IV EFI with HEGO (lambda) and catalytic converter (witch BTW was removed by the previous owner). The car runs on petrol and LPG. Before the problem the car had some hesitation when accelerating while driving on petrol and on LPG was running fine.
Yesterday I was fitting a new rear exhaust silencer. After I welded the silencer I turned the engine on to check if the weld was good. The engine did run fine. After that I lowered the car and removed the jack stand. Tried to start the engine again and now the engine cranks but wont start either using petrol or LPG
I checked the ignition by pulling a spark plug wire off of a spark plug and placed the open end of the plug wire near a metal surface on the engine. My m8 cranked the engine while I watched for a spark and there was sparks.
When the LPG system is switched to petrol and I turn the ignition key I hear the pump working and when I switch to LPG mode I hear the LPG solenoid open.
My guess is that the compression is OK as the timing belt is in place.
Any suggestions on what could be wrong?
Sierra 2.0I Efi Wont Start
Started by sportiva.t35.com, Oct 02 2011 07:12 PM
1 reply to this topic
Posted 02 October 2011 - 07:12 PM
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Posted 03 October 2011 - 06:04 PM
Changed the spark plugs and now it runs OK
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Amerex Brokers Now Offers Green-e Certified RECs
|in News Departments > FYI
Houston-based Amerex Brokers LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of GFI Group Inc., will be offering Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) through the Center for Resource Solutions' (CRS) program.
The RECs available to commercial and wholesale customers through Amerex Brokers will be supplied from Green-e eligible renewable facilities in the U.S., the companies say. By purchasing Amerex credits, customers will support these resources as well as aid the development of new resources to be built in the country.
"We are proud to offer this additional service to our customers," says John Morrow, a representative of Amerex. "By becoming a broker and marketer of Green-e certified products, Amerex will add liquidity to the wholesale REC market."
Register here to receive our Latest Headlines email newsletter


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You'll be happy to hear that a first-class property management company can assist your pursuit for Housing Rentals in Copper Canyon Ranch Surprise AZ. With a charming rental in this state, you'll undoubtedly have easy access to the necessary amenities, and you won't have to worry about the problems and responsibilities that may sometimes come with owning a home. After you have resided in the Copper Canyon Ranch, Surprise, AZ area for awhile and experienced the living advantages for yourself, you and your family might decide to purchase a home of your very own here.
You'll soon be getting accustomed to the benefits of Copper Canyon Ranch Surprise AZ Homes for Lease. Whether you pick a three-bedroom house or a simple condo, the Copper Canyon Ranch, Surprise, AZ rental you choose is sure to accommodate the needs of your whole household. After your lease is up, you may opt to renew your agreement, or possibly rent a different Copper Canyon Ranch, Surprise, AZ property. You might even be prepared to take the next step and buy your own house. If you wish, you can relocate to a different area near Copper Canyon Ranch, Surprise, AZ. Renting a house grants the liberty to pick which living option is right for you in Copper Canyon Ranch, Surprise, AZ. Skim our no-registration Multiple Listing Service as soon as possible. When you have questions about the Copper Canyon Ranch, Surprise, AZ listings you like most, get in touch with Solutions Real Estate at 480-612-0263.
No Listings Currently on the Market


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2006 Ford F-150
Engine Performance problem
2006 Ford F150 V8 Four Wheel Drive Automatic 75000 miles
2006 f150 shows misfire #5 cyl changed out coil and plug no change. There is poping noise and chk eng light flashes when under accelaration
2006 Ford F150 V8 Four Wheel Drive Automatic 75000 miles
2006 f150 shows misfire #5 cyl changed out coil and plug no change. There is poping noise and chk eng light flashes when under accelaration
March 10, 2009.
March 10, 2009.
Ok it could be a fuel injector. So what I need to know is if you have a digital multi meter and what engine is in your F-150 and is it 4x4 and is it a flex fuel truck? Get back to me and we will test the injector to see if it is bad ok.
Ok what engine it in it 4.6 ltr or 5.4 ltr or what? Get back to me with that I will look up the restence valure for it.
Ok first unplug the injector and then check the ohms across the injector terms. You should see around 1200 or so. If you like you can check the resistance of the injector next to it and that will give you the base value. It is giving the value of the non flex fuel injecto so that is what I have to go by. If your ohms is lower by alot or infinet then the injector if the problem. Hope this helps. Get back to me with what you find.
Ok if you have a good coil and good coil on boot and the plug it good and gaped right and the injector ohm's out right it is only two things left to believe. The injector is pluged or the compression is low in that cylinder. Have you tryied an injector cleaner like seafoam or something? Have done a compression test?
Mar 12, 2009.
Mar 12, 2009.
When i start my truck i hear and ticking noise and it does NOT go away after it warms up or it does not go away at all. When i accelerate the ticking noise gets faster and when im ...
6 answers • 2010 Chevrolet Suburban • 143,000 miles
I have a 1999 Buick Regal with a 3.8 Series2 Vin K engine. It appears the engine has died after overheating with that GM problem of the intake manifold. I need to know what engines & ...
2 answers • 1999 Buick Regal • 125,500 miles
If i took out my 91 toyota carolla engine what other cars would it be compatible with?
4 answers • 1991 Toyota Corolla
1990 Toyota Camry mileage: 150,000. 1. The oil warning light is on. 2. There are four quarts of oil in the car. 3. The oil filter is dry. 4. The engine sounds rough. 5. There is noise ...
3 answers • 1990 Toyota Camry • 150,000 miles


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Resolution: standard / high
Figure 1.
The proportion of biological processes showing evidence of recent positive selection on the human lineage that is differentially expressed in schizophrenia. The height of the bar represents the number of GO groups showing evidence of recent positive selection on the human lineage; (a) all 22 and (b) the 7 relating to energy metabolism. The darker shade of color represents the number of GO groups differentially expressed in schizophrenia among the 22 or the 7 GO groups (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p < 0.03, FDR = 11%). Left bar, expected by chance; right bar, observed.
Khaitovich et al. Genome Biology 2008 9:R124 doi:10.1186/gb-2008-9-8-r124


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The United States passed its first official refugee legislation to address the plight of displaced Europeans following World War II. Most refugees are displaced from their country of origin to a neighboring country, and then resettled to a third country through international organizations. The United States resettles more refugees than any other country, refugees who go on to contribute to our communities and our economy.
What is a refugee?
A refugee, as defined by Section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), is a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country because of a "well-founded fear of persecution" due to race, membership in a particular social group, political opinion, religion, or national origin. This definition is based on the United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocols relating to the Status of Refugees, which the United States became a party to in 1968. Following the Vietnam War and the country's experience resettling Indochinese refugees, Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980, which incorporated the Convention's definition into U.S. law and provides the legal basis for today's U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).Read more...
Published On: Wed, Nov 18, 2015 | Download File