Genre: Middle Grade

Book Review | “King of the Mutants” by Samantha Verant a #MGLit debut novel by a writer I discovered through her #memoir!

Posted Wednesday, 5 November, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

King of the Mutants by Samantha Vérant

Published By: TantrumBooks (@TantrumBooks) an imprint of Month9Books (@month9books)
by Georgia McBride Media Group (@Georgia_McBride)

Tantrum Books is the Speculative Fiction imprint of Month9Books

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via:#KingoftheMutants & #Month9Books

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By: My path crossed with Ms. Vérant during the blog tour for her memoir “Seven Letters from Paris”, and even before the blog tour began, we were communicating with each other via Twitter. She reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in reviewing the novel, after I had extended the offer to host a Book Spotlight as I was not sure if the book was available to review. I received a complimentary copy of “King of the Mutants” direct from the publisher Month9Books in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On how I know Ms. Vérant: Our paths were brought together through her debut release “Seven Letters from Paris” as from the moment I found her book on tour with France Book Tours, I knew I wanted to get to know the writer behind the memoir a bit better. I host a weekly chat on Saturdays called #ChocLitSaturdays | @ChocLitSaturday, and I invited her to join us as time would allow her to do so. I knew anyone who was bold enough to write a memoir about her real-life romance could appreciate the lively chatter we exchange! Meanwhile, we started to converse via Twitter privately as well without meeting up on #ChocLitSaturdays. I have appreciated her friendship and following her journey as an author whose career is instantaneous dual in focus between non-fiction and middle grade!

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with her ahead of reviewing her books. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

My keen interest in Middle Grade fiction & Indie Pub releases:

I have been on a road back into Children’s Lit since 2009, when a new branch of a local library inspired me to not only seek out the new releases I would want to read as an adult, but the authors of whom were not even published whilst I was growing up within the realm of Children’s Literature. My inspiration backwards in time to the stories of innocence and stories of heart-warming coming-of age were directly due to my nieces and nephews; of whom were still a bit young to soak inside Juvenile Fiction, Middle Grade, or even Young Adult novels — I wanted to reach out to them when they were of age and recommend new choices as much as give them a few from my own childhood.

What I discovered was this incredible expanse of stories who had within them characters of every walk of life and a captivating arc of discovery for the young readers who would find them to read. I have always appreciated stories which seek to teach life lessons as much as to draw a line of empathy out of the readers who are still growing themselves at the times where these kinds of stories are needed most in their lives. I always celebrated stories that perhaps might have been a bit more unique and different from the regular faire, as they too, had something brilliant to offer me. By brilliant, here I refer to the fact that I was always the reader who was seeking out experiences through the joy of reading. I wanted to be challenged a bit, as that extended to gravitate towards stories outside my comfort zones and outside what I might have felt inclined at first to read. The beauty of reading is the exchanging of ‘hats’ and the experiences that are gained through walking inside a character’s shoes who ends up transforming your perspective.

Now that I have opened the door to Children’s Lit, I daresay, even if the selections I make do not interest my nieces and nephews; I can honestly say I have a newfound passion for this branch of the literary divide! I cannot read the books fast enough nor discover their writers as quickly as my heart desires to read what is being published! What wicked fun then, to find a new Indie Publisher who is giving all of us something to talk about through their published works! My heart will always be tied to the Indies, and I celebrate the fact I am now reading Indie Children’s Lit! Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Wednesday, 5 November, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Bullies and the Bullied, Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Foster Care, Literature for Boys, Middle Grade Novel, Modern Day, Month9Books, Prejudicial Bullying & Non-Tolerance, Realistic Fiction, Sci-Fi November, Science Fantasy, SFN Bingo, Teenage Relationships & Friendships

Book Blitz | 4 for Friday ! A special Book Spotlight of {four!} Young Adult novels from Month9Books!

Posted Friday, 31 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

4 For Friday Blitz via Chapter by Chapter for Month9Books

I was wicked happy when I found out about this special Book Spotlight arriving inside the book blogosphere for *Halloween Friday!*, as I quite literally have become quite fond of the publisher Month9Books through meeting Samantha Vérant on her Seven Letters from Paris blog tour! Lo and behold, when I found out she was publishing a Middle Grade novel entitled King of the Mutants, I was beyond impressed that she was launching her memoir & a fantasy novel at the same time! I did a bit of research on behalf of the publisher as a whole, and came to learn that they are an incredible publishing company staying on the cutting edge for Speculative Fiction releases whilst creating captivating cover art and offering such a wide variety of selections for the literary connoisseur!

I knew this would become quite a lovely surprise for those who have been following my blog for my Horror October posts this past fortnight, and wondering if I had disappeared completely! This is one special surprise I wanted to keep a secret, as I wanted to present four uniquely different suspense filled stories that I believe fit within the framework of the focus for Horror October. I love keeping my mind open to new possibilities in the different genres I dance through, yet as you will find on this post, these four novels offer something beyond unique inside their pages of wonderment!

This is the first time I am hosting on behalf of Month9Books via Chapter by Chapter, a blog tour hosting company who focuses on Young Adult, Middle Grade, & New Adult novels. And, if your curious about who Month9Books is and what their all about you might enjoy this short video:

Meet Month9Books via Month9Books

Read More

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Posted Friday, 31 October, 2014 by jorielov in After the Canon, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Blitz, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Detective Fiction, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Good vs. Evil, High Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspired by Stories, Month9Books, Science Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction, Werewolves, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

Blog Book Tour | “Amy’s Choice” {sequel to “Call Me Amy”} by Marcia Strykowski – a #YA sequel to a heart-warming #middlegrade novel!

Posted Tuesday, 7 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , 4 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Amy’s Choice by Marcia Strykowski
Published By: Luminis Books (@LuminisBooks) | Blog
Official Author WebsitesSite | @MarciaStry | GoodReads

Available Formats: Paperback, Hardback

Converse via: #AmysChoice, #middlegrade, & #KidLit

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Amy’s Choice” virtual book tour through JKS Communications: A Literary Publicity Firm. As this was the second novel in a book series, I was able to put in a request to receive the first novel Call Me Amy of which I received a complimentary copy of direct from the publisher Luminis Books without obligation to review. I received my complimentary copy of Amy’s Choice direct from JKS Communications in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I am always on the hunt for wicked quality Children’s Literature – stories which carve out a special niche of childhood innocence and the mirth of exploring how to find growth through life experiences. I want to find even more stories than I had as a young child myself – striving to find the writers who keep the tone of their novels radiating with light and the darkness can be erased through the resolutions at the ending of any conflict that a character needs to overcome. I like finding stories which give children a free sense about how to differentiate between right and wrong, whilst allowing them the grievance for understanding there is a measure of wisdom in living through our mistakes, our misunderstandings, and our ability to be humbled through adversity. I like stories that break down barriers and also serve to teach a lesson of stewardship and diplomacy. When I first saw this series going on tour on behalf of the publisher’s showcase, I simply knew that I wanted to take part and high shine a light on two stories that would benefit any library of a child or adult who appreciates the same types of stories I am passionately addicted to myself.

Blog Book Tour | “Amy’s Choice” {sequel to “Call Me Amy”} by Marcia Strykowski – a #YA sequel to a heart-warming #middlegrade novel!Amy's Choice
by Marcia Strykowski
Source: Direct from Publicist

Amy’s freshman year starts with a new best friend, Cat, and a newfound confidence. But she misses her crush, Craig, who has gone to live with his aunt in Boston. Craig has promised to write, and Amy checks the mail daily, but to no avail. There are new adventures, even so. Cat’s brother, Ricky, seems interested in Amy, but is she interested in him? And a new friendship with Finn, the lighthouse keeper, who Amy discovers is a talented artist, keeps Amy and Cat busy as they arrange for him to exhibit his work. But things get complicated when Craig returns from Boston and Finn is accused of arson. There are more questions than answers for Amy as life becomes as turbulent as the cold and stormy ocean of her coastal Maine town. Ideal for preteens, this novel is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Call Me Amy and touches upon issues of friendship, boyfriend troubles, and the power of believing in oneself.

Genres: Children's Literature, Middle Grade



Places to find the book:

Also by this author: Call Me Amy

Series: Amy, No. 2


Also in this series: Call Me Amy, Invincible


Published by Luminis Books

on 3rd November, 2014

Pages: 200

Author Biography:

Marcia Strykowski

Marcia Strykowski works at a public library. Earlier, between earning her BS in Fine Arts and raising her children, she worked for seven years in textbook publishing. Marcia participates in writing groups and enjoys family, art, music, travel, and theater. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. After numerous magazine and anthology contributions, CALL ME AMY was Marcia’s first novel. It was chosen for the 2014 Bank Street College of Education’s prestigious Best Books of the Year list. AMY’S CHOICE, a sequel to CALL ME AMY, is now available. You can find out more about her and her books at marciastrykowski.com.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Call Me Amy by Marcia Strykowski

Amy’s voice in the novel is bang-on brilliant for her age in the story, as her curiosity and inquisitiveness about her life and the world around her comes out strongly perceptive. Her heart is open to the possibilities that first impressions are not always as receptively accurate as you first think they would be as much as she cares for those who are in need. I enjoyed watching her slowly emerge out of her shell once she had a project she could focus on that was outside of her own worries and insecurities. Amy starts to see the intricate balance of life, how staying true to who you are is key, and how being open to learning from misunderstandings enriches the spirit of who you become.

– quoted from my book review of Call Me Amy

Alighting inside Amy’s life as a freshman:

By the conclusion of the first novel, we were ready to see where Amy’s life would take her next, as she had a newly acquired voice of confidence that had led her heart towards a path of community spirit and innovative restitution. I loved how at the end of Call Me Amy, she truly lived up to the title as she had a newfound bold confidence in who she was and understood better the way in which she understood life itself. In my own life, my Mum would have simply said “Amy has finally found the *big!* C!”, and therein lies the best bit of reading Call Me Amy ahead of Amy’s Choice! The very first sentence of the sequel begins with the very last expressed words of Amy allowing complete continuity between the two stories.

Seeing how her progression out of holding back from interactions with her peers due to her shyness and shedding a bit of her introverted moments of unease, Amy steps forward out of her 13th year a strong 14 year old ready to tackle high school. She learnt quite a heap from her friendship with Miss Cogshell and Craig, giving her the ability to seek out other new friends and relationships as life afforded the connections to cross her path. She maintains her kismet insight to knowing when a moment has arisen to give her an unexpected friend, as this is how she came to know Cat and Cat came to love her company.

My Review of Amy’s Choice:

I am always hopeful there will be seamless continuity between installments of series, and I was not disappointed with the beginning chapters of Amy’s Choice as I felt as though I was merely turning ‘the next page’ rather than opening a new book! This is quite the feat, as previously it is rare that a writer will pick up right where we leave off – although I did have the blessing of finding this in the Daughters of Boston series by Julie Lessman.

I couldn’t help but shimmer a happy glow of delight seeing that Amy is now regularly volunteering at her new towne’s library! I was happily wandering my own libraries growing up that I should have thought to ask if I could volunteer – my mind was always happily wrapped up in a topic to research or a new author to discover, that I never gave any credence to the idea of being able to help others find wicked reads of their own! Unless of course, I stumbled across someone who was plumb lost in the stacks and/or I was at an Indie bookshoppe and simply supplied information as though it was commonplace and not unusual. Sometimes I think sorting out where your best to alight to give back your gifts of insight is a bit tricky, not to mention that most of the libraries I have always known were heavily regulated and had more rules to understand than a DMV driving manual!

Troll dolls with wild hair – now that brought back happy memories; even if it did take me half of forever to sort out which troll I wanted to bring home with me! The flickering visual clues to the seventies are happily still evermore present in the sequel, yet what strikes me the most about seeing them is just how much I can personally relate to knowing about! From the music to the toys to the series on television – one would have thought I was brought up a full decade before I was actually bourne by the way I can honestly attest all the familiarity of Amy’s childhood is wrapped inside my own! Lest I mention that I used to make the folded paper ‘magic solution’ boxes as easily as Amy and Cat! Except to say, they called them something a bit different in the 80s!

Lighthouses have simply captured my wonderment for absolute ages – the fact they are beacons of safety for seamen and captains notwithstanding, there is an allure of wonder attached to them for me. We have a few where I live but they are not as readily well-known as the ones sprinkled up and downeast the starboard side of Maine! From what I can gather about the lighthouses up there, you could island hop half your life and still never quite see them all in their glory. What a fantastic adventure though? To nip around, camera in hand, and a heart full of salt air and vistas that are hard to describe as they are felt in the spirit of the moment? Getting to cosy up to a lighthouse keeper inside Amy’s Choice was a treat for me! Especially considering I spent how many hours watching Pete’s Dragon as a child and young teen?

A very inspiring companion is found inside Amy’s Choice, as the title eludes to a choice Amy needs to make that may or may not be an obvious answer to the question that is eating away at her the most. Like most girls her age, she is trying to decide where she stands on the more difficult issues that start to arise when your in high school. The best part of the story is that the setting of her life is in Maine, where life ambles forward at a slower pace and allows the grace of growing through your childhood to have a rhythm of it’s own that is not always dependent on the fast pace of the outside world. In this setting, children can grow as they take on responsibilities inside their communities and needle out where their focus should be in the long term whilst appreciating the short expanse of childhood itself. What staid with me throughout the sequel is how reassuring the heart of the story is left in your mind. No matter what obstacles try to forfeit your plans or upset your course, you can find the strength to handle life as it comes along to you. There is a powerful life lesson etched in this novel and I was quite happy to see it included.

Establishing herself as a stronghold in Children’s Lit:

Not since I showcased Carol Antoinette Peacock {Red Thread Sisters}, Jackie Gamber {the Leland Dragons series}, Hannah L. Clark {Uncovering Cobbogoth}, R.J. Palacio {Wonder}, Laura Stoddard {The Dreamosphere}, Nancy Lorenz {The Strength of Ballerinas}, Mandy Madson Voisin {Star of Deliverance} and my forthcoming showcases on behalf of the published works of Laura Resau have I settled into such a heart-warming style of a writer who is contributing such a positive mirth of stories for children, young adults, and the young at heart who appreciate soaking inside stories of how we start to awaken into ourselves whilst growing up. I appreciate their styles of story-telling (as well as the writers I spotlighted on my Children’s Lit page) as they convey such a breadth of story yet tell the tales in a way that not only uplifts the reader but helps to teach through the craft of story-telling — the benefit that I believe reading provides across the spectrum of literature itself.

Strykowski has established herself as a stronghold in Children’s Lit inasmuch as the other writers have given us the chance be introduced to characters we can respond too and stories we do not want to soon forget having read. I could even imagine her stories becoming family films, as they are light-hearted yet full of the lessons all children have to learn somewhere along the corridors of their growing years. The fact these stories are set in the 1970s doesn’t diminish their impact, and in fact, I think in many ways the impact is heightened. I know she has a few stories she is currently working on completing and I cannot wait to see what is released next!

One happenstance moment of a lightbulb going off for me was realising I had forgotten the story of Andre the seal had a foothold in Maine! It was quite clever how this bit of trivia was worked into a conversation between Craig and Amy!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com
Previously I shared my thoughts on:
“Call Me Amy” – where the story begins,…

Call Me Amy by Marcia Strykowski

This blog tour stop is courtesy of:
JKS Communications: A Literary Publicity Firm

Luminis Books Blog Tour with JKS Communications

 See what I will be hosting next with:

JKS Communications Literary Publicity Firm

By visiting my Bookish Events page!
I positively *love!* comments in the threads below each of my posts, and as CommentLuv only requires Email to leave a note for me I cannot wait to see what starts to populate below! Kindly know that I appreciate each thought you want to share with me and all the posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary! Short or long, I appreciate the time you spent to leave behind a note of your visit! Return again soon!

{SOURCES: The tour badge was provided by JKS Communications and used with permission. Book Cover Art for “Call Me Amy” & “Amy’s Choice”, Author Biography & Book Synopsis provided by the author Marcia Strykowski and used with permission. The book trailer for “Call Me Amy” had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it.Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets are embedded due to codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

The ‘live reading’ tweets I shared as I read & reviewed “Amy’s Choice”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

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Posted Tuesday, 7 October, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, ARC | Galley Copy, Art, Blog Tour Host, Bullies and the Bullied, Children's Literature, Clever Turns of Phrase, Coming-Of Age, Family Life, Geographically Specific, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Maine, Middle Grade Novel, Nature & Wildlife, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, Rescue & Adoption of Animals, School Life & Situations, Siblings, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, The Natural World, The Seventies, Walking & Hiking Trails

Book Review | “Call Me Amy” by Marcia Strykowski – a #middlegrade coming-of age story set amidst the rescue of a baby seal

Posted Tuesday, 7 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , 7 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Call Me Amy by Marcia Strykowski
Published By: Luminis Books (@LuminisBooks) | Blog
Official Author WebsitesSite | @MarciaStry | GoodReads

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #CallMeAmy, #middlegrade, & #KidLit

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Amy’s Choice” virtual book tour through JKS Communications: A Literary Publicity Firm. As this was the second novel in a book series, I was able to put in a request to receive the first novel Call Me Amy of which I received a complimentary copy of direct from the publisher Luminis Books without obligation to review. I received my complimentary copy of Amy’s Choice direct from JKS Communications in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I am always on the hunt for wicked quality Children’s Literature – stories which carve out a special niche of childhood innocence and the mirth of exploring how to find growth through life experiences. I want to find even more stories than I had as a young child myself – striving to find the writers who keep the tone of their novels radiating with light and the darkness can be erased through the resolutions at the ending of any conflict that a character needs to overcome. I like finding stories which give children a free sense about how to differentiate between right and wrong, whilst allowing them the grievance for understanding there is a measure of wisdom in living through our mistakes, our misunderstandings, and our ability to be humbled through adversity. I like stories that break down barriers and also serve to teach a lesson of stewardship and diplomacy. When I first saw this series going on tour on behalf of the publisher’s showcase, I simply knew that I wanted to take part and high shine a light on two stories that would benefit any library of a child or adult who appreciates the same types of stories I am passionately addicted to myself.

Book Review | “Call Me Amy” by Marcia Strykowski – a #middlegrade coming-of age story set amidst the rescue of a baby sealCall Me Amy
by Marcia Strykowski
Source: Publisher via JKS Communications

For 13-year-old Amy Henderson, 1973 has been a lonely and uneventful year in her small Maine fishing village. With the help of a wounded seal pup, she gets to know Craig, who slinks around in an oversized army jacket. A new law against handling wild marine mammals brings suspense to the story. Where can they keep Pup until he heals? Their only hope is to trust Miss Cogshell, an elderly woman keeping to herself amidst jeers from the local kids, who catches them sneaking Pup into her woodshed in the middle of the night. Throughout the book, small challenges prepare Amy for her greatest one of all. A challenge that leads her to discover that everyone, herself included, has a voice worth hearing.

Call Me Amy was selected for the Best Children’s Book List by Bank Street College of Education.
For readers aged 9 & up.
Published by Luminis Books, 2013.

Genres: Children's Literature, Middle Grade



Places to find the book:

Also by this author: Amy's Choice

Series: Amy,


Also in this series: Amy's Choice


Published by Luminis Books

on 15th May, 2013

Format: Paperback

Pages: 176

Author Biography:

Marcia Strykowski

Marcia Strykowski works at a public library. Earlier, between earning her BS in Fine Arts and raising her children, she worked for seven years in textbook publishing. Marcia participates in writing groups and enjoys family, art, music, travel, and theater. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. After numerous magazine and anthology contributions, CALL ME AMY was Marcia’s first novel. It was chosen for the 2014 Bank Street College of Education’s prestigious Best Books of the Year list. AMY’S CHOICE, a sequel to CALL ME AMY, is now available. You can find out more about her and her books at marciastrykowski.com.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Maine : as a setting:

Northern New England always held an appeal for a girl like me who grew up on a state known for it’s panhandle, fierce fire of a sun, and the fact that at the southern most tip of her state you could wave to Cuba! I kid you not. Being as far South as you muster an interest to live, I oft wondered what it would be like to live somewhere blissfully different – where the changing seasons outweighed the blight of walking through volcanic heat and where you could snuggle into a season rather than being fearful of the extreme storm warning alerts blasting off your tv, radio, and reverse 911 phone messages. Anywhere where the pace of life wasn’t contingent upon tourism or at least wasn’t as blatant about flaunting that it was would even be a wickeder place by far. To settle into the texture of a place rather than the presumptions of a state’s reputation always felt ideal; where you could absorb into the curiousness nature of it’s townes, and visit with locals who would always have a hearty conversation to share.

For me, it was simply the fact that the Northern states were as far away from the Southern hemisphere as you could wrangle yourself without leaving the United States completely! All the top tier states flitted through my imagination as being the most seriously awesome place to live throughout my life, due to their hugged close nature of being a stepping stone into Canada. And, Canada to me was always the most unique place I could readily visit without needing to cross the North Atlantic and brave the high seas over a jaunt in a plane.

The whispering assurances that this novel is set in Maine is a credit to a writer who happens to call New England home herself. She has carefully etched a sounding stone of believability into how the setting is conveyed and how unique it is to call Coastal Maine home. I’ll admit that short visits are not enough to fully eclipse what is there to be found. It is a unique stretch of coastline that ebbs you further into it’s graces the more you go up and down Route 1. The road which angles and stretches itself from the upper lip of Massachusetts and zips you into New Brunswick outside of Eastport; the city which produces my absolute favourite brand of stone ground mustard!

My Review of Call Me Amy:

The opening pages of Call Me Amy took me back to my first visit to Mid-Coast Maine, as I spent a bit of time around the area where Thomaston is located. My favourite memory of Thomaston is getting to see National Treasure whilst only paying $5 dollars for the ticket, a large popcorn, and a drink! I was properly gobsmacked you could get away with that price as even though it was the mid-2000s the prices were far steeper down in the Southeast! To the brink that going to see the film was the true joy over the snacks. The atmosphere of that cinemas was friendly with an old fashioned way of putting you at ease as soon as you walked through the door! Set around a backdrop of a rock manufacture across the street, the ocean not too much further past it – you had a unique impression of going to see a film was anything but ordinary in this small coastal towne! Being able to chat ahead of the show, munching on popcorn and getting free refills for your drink and popcorn prior to being seated was the supreme best! I think I was akin to Mum realising that we both felt that “we were somewhere wicked good” at the moment, as getting refills on snacks isn’t as easy back home. We loved the interpersonal touches and the manner in which we felt welcomed ‘home’ rather than being ‘from away’; we bonded over a deep passion for cinema and for the actors who create the stories we love to watch. It should always be as keen to go to the movies and I never forgot how much I ached to see National Treasure 2 up in Maine rather than back from where I had came.

I could relate directly to Amy’s sense of wonder about reading and the necessity of longing for a library located close to home. I was thankful I had branches throughout the cities and townes I lived in as a child for having locations within a commutable distance of where my house was located. Never close enough to walk too as everything was so spread out and in some ways, I could relate to her angst about always needing to travel a bit of distance to do what you wanted to do most. I do not think she realised though how blessed she was that she could walk outside her front door and easily walk to most of the places she wanted to visit regularly. There is a thread of narrative inside the story that reminded me a heap of the tv film Polly which was based around Pollyanna. Celeste Holm played an incredible role in bringing to life Miss Snow and I was equally captivated by another character inside the film Because of Winn-Dixie: Gloria Dump. Centrally important to the growth of the young characters in each of these stories is having the strength of an unexpected teacher, advisor, and mentor. My heart swelled with joy seeing how Strykowski knitted Miss Cogshell into the heart of Call Me Amy.

Amy’s voice in the novel is bang-on brilliant for her age in the story, as her curiosity and inquisitiveness about her life and the world around her comes out strongly perceptive. Her heart is open to the possibilities that first impressions are not always as receptively accurate as you first think they would be as much as she cares for those who are in need. I enjoyed watching her slowly emerge out of her shell once she had a project she could focus on that was outside of her own worries and insecurities. Amy starts to see the intricate balance of life, how staying true to who you are is key, and how being open to learning from misunderstandings enriches the spirit of who you become.

On the writing style of Marcia Strykowski:

I slipped into this novel as easily as I used to curl into the sofa to watch Flipper or Thunder Bay, a true note of appreciation goes to Strykowski for re-creating a soft-spoken story filled with lessons of life stitched into each page of Call Me Amy. The best blessing of all is that it is writ in such a voice as to fill your own mind with the reverie of your own growing years as much as a curious nod to places you’ve visited as an adult. She is the kind of gentle story-teller I would have felt wicked happy to have stumbled across as a nine year old and in full mirth of happiness to await each new release she would continue to pen!

I always liked feeling as though I was taking a journey within an adventure with a character who was sorting out who they were whilst defining how they wanted to grow into their own skin. Call Me Amy is a strong story for children who are seeking the same stories I was at the ages I did not always find I had a lot to pull off the shelf. Especially considering her attention to detailed descriptions and bolting a firm image into your mind about her quirky characters, gave me the most pleasure joy whilst reading the novel overall! I love finding writers who can etch alive their settings and characters for children with such wicked loveliness as to paint everything true blue to real life!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Stay tuned!

Next I will be sharing my thoughts on: {review}

Amy's Choice by Marcia Strykowski

Call Me Amy Book Trailer via Marcia Strykowski

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com
This blog tour stop is courtesy of:

JKS Communications: A Literary Publicity Firm

Virtual Road Map of “Luminis Books” Blog Tour found here:

{ click to discover all the books being featured }

Luminis Books Blog Tour with JKS Communications See what I will be hosting next with:

JKS Communications Literary Publicity FirmBy visiting my Bookish Events page!

I positively *love!* comments in the threads below each of my posts, and as CommentLuv only requires Email to leave a note for me I cannot wait to see what starts to populate below! Kindly know that I appreciate each thought you want to share with me and all the posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary! Short or long, I appreciate the time you spent to leave behind a note of your visit! Return again soon!

{SOURCES: The tour badge was provided by JKS Communications and used with permission. Book Cover Art for “Call Me Amy” & “Amy’s Choice”, Author Biography & Book Synopsis provided by the author Marcia Strykowski and used with permission. The book trailer for “Call Me Amy” had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it.Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets are embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. #KidsLitBlogHop badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

The ‘live reading’ tweets I shared as I read & reviewed “Call Me Amy”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

Comments on Twitter:

KidsLitBlogHop

(on 6th February, 2015)

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Posted Tuesday, 7 October, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Bullies and the Bullied, Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Geographically Specific, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Maine, Middle Grade Novel, Rescue & Adoption of Animals, School Life & Situations, Siblings, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, The Seventies, Young Adult Fiction

*Booking the Rails, No.1* A book entitled ‘Wonder’, with a curious proposition held within its story,…

Posted Saturday, 22 March, 2014 by jorielov , , , 5 Comments

Parajunkee Designs
Books on the Underground; Books on the Subway; Jorie Loves A Story: Booking the Rails

The premise behind “Booking the Rails” was the impetus of a scathingly brilliant idea on behalf of Jorie! How does a girl who lives in the Southeast of the United States *actively!* participate in the mission of Books on the Underground & Books on the Subway!? How can she make a difference with a bookish blog without placing the books on the rails herself!? *lightbulb!*

Generate a book blogosphere gathering, where readers and bloggers can reach out to each other and start a social conversation! Expounding social interest to a new high to where those who pick up the books left on the rails by Hollie (in London) & Rosy (in New York City) will be encouraged not only to touch base by their mutually exclusive hashtags #BooksontheUnderground & #BooksontheSubway but might find themselves sharing their impressions of the books which alighted in their hands! This is one bookish blogger’s mission to read the books left on the rails! Jorie is therefore “booking the rails!”

Join her discoveries! Chat your thoughts! Tweet & share the movement behind volunteer public libraries! Unite bookish souls! Unite!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

 About the Girls of the Rails:

*:Hollie*:

website: booksontheunderground.tumblr.com
twitter:
@BooksUndergrnd
hashtags: #BooksOnTheUnderground
facebook: Books on the Underground

I moved to London five years ago after graduating from university and I’m originally from Lincolnshire. I left university adamant that I was going to get a job as a Creative in an Advertising agency. After 2 years of interning at agency after agency, I now find myself working at Leo Burnett, London. I have about an hour commute to work everyday, from Dalston to West Kensington, so reading is a nice escape for me. I love receiving recommendations for books and I have always loved passing on great books to my friends. One day I finished a book I was reading on the tube and just thought what a lovely surprise it would be for the next person to find. I didn’t leave my book that day because I realised there were a lot of hurdles to overcome. I didn’t want it to be just a book out in the world alone; I wanted it to be part of something bigger. I designed and printed Books on the Underground stickers and that’s how it started. What’s Books on the Underground? It’s a public library on the go! Find a book, take it, read it and when you’re done with it, put it back on the train for someone else to enjoy! All books are marked with the BOTU sticker and encourage people to tweet & follow the blog.

*:Rosy*:

website: booksonthesubway.com
twitter:
@BooksSubway
hashtags: #BooksOnTheSubway
facebook: Books on the Subway

I’ve been living in New York for around one year when I found out about Books On The Underground, thanks to Facebook. I saw an article about Hollie and BOTU when it hit me right there: I need to do this in NY. I think I thought about it for 5 minutes before I decided that I’m going to do it. I reached out to Hollie who was amazing and supportive; we did the NYC stickers together. Why did I decide to do it? I have a 40 minute commute to work everyday, and that’s nothing compared to some other commuters who have even longer commutes. Looking at people in the early morning is the most depressing thing ever. It’s like their eyes are lifeless. They stare into space as they cruise from stop to stop. Why not give these people something to look forward to when they get onto the train? Why not pass the time enriching their brain instead of bobbing their head along with the train movement. That’s why I decided to expand BOTU to BOTS. And I haven’t regretted my decision for one bit. What’s BOTS? It’s a public library on the go! Find a book, take it, read it and when you’re done with it, put it back on the train for someone else to enjoy! All books are marked with the BOTS sticker and encourage people to tweet & follow the blog.

And, then came *:Jorie*: {Booking the Rails!}

website: jorielovesastory.com
twitter: @joriestory
(updated: at time of post I was @JLlovesAStory)
hashtags: #JLASblog, #ChocLitSaturdays, #BookingTheRails

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and after a ten-year writer’s block I discovered Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. In December 2013 my path crossed with Rosy & Hollie (of Books on the Underground & Books on the Subway) via Twitter whereupon I was encouraged to play an active role in promoting their bookish mission. I conceived the idea of an exclusive feature entitled “Booking the Rails” to showcase the books they leave on the trains in London & NYC thinking this would create a social conversation. The first feature debuts 19 March 2014 to coincide with my third appearance on The Star Chamber Show. I am the Chambers volunteer live tweeting secretary.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

*:Booking the Rails, No.1*:

A book entitled ‘Wonder’,
with a curious proposition held within its story,…

Waiting in the station at West Ken this evening are some of the final copies of Wonder by @RJPalacio from @RHKidsUK pic.twitter.com/ybFmbFcVjH

Each feature spotlight of “Booking the Rails” will be drawn from the books left on the rail systems via New York City and/or London! For my first spotlight, I was trying to sort out which of the books I pulled from my local library to read first! Oh, I had forgotten to say, whilst the rail passengers are taking part in a volunteer-run library, I am ‘booking the rails’ along with them by borrowing the books from my own public library! Mine might be stationery but the books allow my imagination to remain transient! “Wonder” was a selection of mine to read when it first debuted, having been checked out numerous times to where I was a bit vexed it simply *had!* to boomerang back due to lost hours whilst checked out to me! The premise never left me and it felt fitting my first selection would come from the London rails! The start of everything!

Borrowed Book: My local public library originally purchased Wonder by R.J. Palacio at time of publication. I had always meant to borrow and read the book directly thereafter but never had the opportunity! I feel twice blessed by this book ahead of reading its pages; the first was finding it through my local library and thus, a second time in the feeds of Books on the Underground! The very Twitter account which launched a budding friendship and a conjoined effort to bring awareness to volunteer libraries on the move! I borrowed “Wonder” from my local library and this time, I read it through and through!

Inspired to Share:

The compassion Ms. Palacio has for this story and its heartfelt message of hope in the face of adversity is something that I not only support but am appreciative to observe! Her kindness is revealed in her worriment over the reactions of her sons, which served as the impetus of writing Wonder; drawing light upon our own apprehensive nature, and to serve as a sounding board towards social change & tolerance of the unknown. To change our immediate reactions which might even come to surprise us whilst allowing compassion and acceptance to be the greater good in which we impart. Listen to her words and open your heart to engage directly into the narrative.

Authors Revealed: R.J. Palacio via NCTV17

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Published By: Random House Children’s Books
(an imprint of Random House Publishing Group)
, 14 February 2012
Official Author WebsitesSite | Blog | Twitter | Facebook for Wonder
Available Formats: Hardcover, E-Book, Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition Hardback
Page Count: 320

Converse via: #TheWonderofWonder & #ChooseKind

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A boy named August:

August has a keen philosophical intuitiveness about himself, the dynamics of his family, and his personal living environment around him. He seeks to find solace out of uncertainty and squalls chaos with simplistic truths which etch out the stigmas of which society oft-times places on individuals who are in some shape or form ‘different’ from the ‘norm’. And, the sad truth is that normalcy is in the eye’s of the beholder! To be normal is quite definitively the ability to be wholly true to yourself, your internal resolve of spirit, and in knowing who you are without the prejudgements and negative thoughts of others assembling into your heart. August has instinctively dry humour to convey his thoughts about life, dispelling any unease to meet him because he breaks the ice by simply being himself! He draws you into his sphere by engaging you in a way you were not expecting! No pretense. He’s simply ‘August’, who prefers to go by ‘Auggie’, the brother of Via and the boy who wants to live like a regular ten-year old entering fifth grade!

The author instinctively took the elephant out of the room by not revealing the true nature and perception of how August looks to the world. I can only hope that if this were to become a motion picture, the film-makers would make the same choice in revealing the story as told by those who interact with August without the full sight of his facial features. Because this isn’t a story about medical afflictions and physical disabilities which challenge us, this is a story about a young boy seeking to find his niche inside of a world who is not yet understanding how to accept him in its fold.

When August started enveloping me into the block of New York City he calls home, I felt as though I could sense the comfortable aura of where he walks and of whom he interacts with on a daily basis. The inertia of home outside of his house, where people know his name and his personality giving him a true sense of acceptance in the outside world. Whilst on the fringes of leaving the cosy-comforts of this reality to trade it in for the unknown perils of attending school for the first time.

My Review of Wonder:

The author chose an opening quotation from the song “Wonder” by Natalie Merchant, which I must admit, was one of my favourite songs on the radio whilst I was in high school! I loved the simple and honest truths stitched inside the lyrical story, allowing you to feel instantly uplifted by its spirited message of Hope and Acceptance. A tune which for the greater part of my teenage years was one of the few songs which lived inside me, a bit like some of the spirited songs by The Cranberries, Jewel, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Moriesette, Sarah MacLachlan, and the Indigo Girls. Free spirits seeking to spread enlightenment and harmony through their vocals and melodies! To realise that this song was the inspirational foothold to allow Palacio the ability to transcend into the heart of the narrative is quite humbling! A song of reverberated ideals and a moral uplifting resonance transmorphed into a story of a young boy who leads quite the extraordinary life! I oft felt that the extraordinary individuals we perchance to encounter whilst living through our everyday hours are the very individuals who never consider themselves anything outside the ‘ordinary!’ Their inner light does not only shine bright, but with a humbling arc of self-acceptance and awareness which infects all of us with a measure of gladness we did not realise was amiss!

[ Speaking from a teenager of the mid-1990s, I love how the title of page 61 begins with the key lyric of the Green Day song which I actually liked back then! ]

August is a character held within a sincere voice of the transforming and wonderment of youth; where we get to be on the ‘verge’ of every new experience in trepidation of the unexpected and unknown for the very ‘first’ time! We get to have the belly bouncing butterflies of indifference and of anxiety stemming out of our inability to trust ourselves by a confidence we have not yet garnished into place. We are on the brink of discovering the layers of our personalities and the depths of our resolve to compute the outward changes of our lives, whilst muddling through our growing years in full wonder of how we are able to rise into each new obstacle and challenge us with a determined spirit of growth. August is like so many of us who felt as though each new experience coming into view arrived too quickly, and was not fully wanted at its time of arrival!

#ChooseKind is cleverly taken from the novel (off of page 48!) inside Mr. Browne’s English class where he is inviting his students (and August too!) to examine their conception of who they are and who they are striving towards becoming. It’s a preceptional challenge to have the students in the story step back from themselves and examine how they are being perceived by their peers and if they are representing their inner truth. It’s a classical technique to include a key word or phrase into a storyline, but in the advent of the technological age of social media, this clever phrase being turnt to clue in the reader to an impactful life lesson takes on a higher level of meaning! A hashtag allows all thoughts and observations attached to the tweet embedded to become interwoven into the global thread of conversation whilst allowing everyone to have a conjoined and collaborative exchange! This takes a book whose message is self-evolving outside of its sleeves to a new height in ‘interaction’! And, I am celebrating this achievement! Choose kind is the individual choice of being who you ought to be in the moment which intersects with right and wrong behaviour. As much as it’s an exercise in learning that being right ‘all the time’ isn’t something to strive to achieve either! There is always a middle ground in life, and the younger everyone can embrace this, the more enlightenment can be ignited. In my thinking, alongside the lines of using the hashtag for #randomjoy (one of my most favourite ways of sharing my ‘extra’ bubbles of joy!) this new hashtag could be inserted to express, convey, and materialise little notes of thought where a kindness was given openly and freely. Or an acknowledgement of a generosity in the midst of in-difference could be honoured. A seedling of a conversation where in every point of face reaction, ‘choosing kindness’ over aggression or even in projecting a position of righteous thought could be replaced by ‘a kind act of humanity’.]

Seeing August slowly become integrated into his class, where Summer breezes into his life during lunch and Jack (Jack Will) decides to make up his own mind about August, chooses to help find the humour in everything that could hurt August if he weren’t on his side, I started to get a warm glowing in my heart. I liked the direction of progress Palacio used inside the story. Especially with the additional “Precepts” by Mr. Browne’s English class! No one is ever too old to wiggle their mind around something quite larger than the scale of our lifepath. Yet, appearances of friendship can be a dicey sea to navigate properly! Those who appear to be your stand-up friend and confidante might actually be a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing. The tricky part is sorting out who is a friend and who is truly a foe. For young August, his mask of reality was shattered by Halloween on campus. He was given a golden opportunity to listen to his classmates speak about him, but the startling and scary truths coming out of their mouths was enough to shatter anyone’s heart and soul. His spirits had been keenly lifted by prior kindnesses, yet in that one moment of clarity he saw what all of us who are bullied have to see: sometimes the people you trust are not the people whom you trust them to be.

I have to give credit to Palacio for switching up the regular order of the novel by inserting full-on chapters which reveal a principal character’s insight into August! She started out by showcasing Via (August’s sister), followed by Summer (August’s first true friend), and then came Jack Will. I wasn’t sure what to think as I started to read Jack’s section because I had previous information about how he effectively tainted his friendship with August. You get an inside glimpse into each of the character’s emotions and thoughts as their lives intersect with August at school and off school grounds. It’s quite unique, because the author has this ability to keep a vein of realism in how she portrays the children and not forgetting to keep August grounded at the center. Writing Via’s boyfriend Justin’s perspective in undercaps was a charming way of revealing his inner spirit. I especially loved how some scenes we’ve already read are re-examined or pulled back through another interpretation of the events as they unfolded. As though even as we had seen them, we were still missing pertinent pieces to understand the wholeness of the scene. By the time I reached Miranda’s section my heart-felt quite full. I knew of a girl like Miranda who felt safer and more at home at a classmate’s home.

The greatest gift we can all give is the gift of love and friendship intermixed with everyday kindness. This is a novel which celebrates the simple joys in life and the complications of when the views and opinions of the outside world can sometimes cloud our own perspectives and hearts. It’s a novel which champions those few who might have a harder line to walk in life but do so with a gladful heart. They see the light and the sparks of joy whenever possible and attempt to let go of the swarming of negativity that can overshadow them. They are the true heroes and heroines of our world, because it’s in their quiet calm of recognition of our frailties and our insecurities that we remain our humanness back to them. This is a novel which exposes the will to carry-on in a positive way whilst allowing for the grace of acceptance of other people’s weaknesses not to overshadow inner strength. The true ‘wonder’ of ‘wonder’ is how kind the world truly is when you walk out each day with a heart full of joy, a spirit full of kindness, and a warm smile to reflect your innermost feelings at heart.

Booking the Rails : whilst reading Wonder:

I can only imagine truly what it would feel like to find this curiously robin egg blue book with a curious illustrative face on its cover which bespeaks of a curious tale; one blue eye nestled into the left side of a young boy’s face. Scribbled over the eye in a child’s hand of letters is the single word: W O N D E R, of which is the book’s title. The author’s name is curiously attached to the bottom of the illustration left behind as a watermark. Although, on my library copy, a sticker of “SSYRA 2013-2014” is tucked quite close to the ‘eye’ of Wonder and the author’s name is obscured by my library’s barcode sticker! This isn’t the first time I’ve wondered what the full-on cover-art might appear as by seeing ‘past’ the library markings; but I am ever so very thankful to be blessed with the literature my library provides, when I am truly curious, I simply pull up an author’s website! Wonder is one book I’ve seen in big box stores to chain bookshoppes! I’d love to say I’ve seen this little book that could change the world in an Indie bookshoppe, but all of those have gone by the wayside locally. A sorrow I have not yet quite let go of. What then would I feel as I settled into my spot on the train (am I booking it in to the city or the suburbs?), whilst idly curious about this book which presented itself (in the station? on the seat next to me? notched into a fixture of pamphlets?) to be picked up? I’m carting off this blue book of Wonder without even realising what led me to be drawn into it. Now, I’m sitting on a train (perhaps a train I take quite frequently but not for work or trade?) toying with opening its pages yet caught up in the humdrum of train life. Other people are jostling into view, one steady stream of commuters and rail riders. The noise is deafening and yet, at this point in my life it’s barely an audible hum. My stuff is in my lap and I’m indifferent to wanting to browse through my portable calendar ticking off my next scheduled ‘have to dos’. The book is resting on top of my backpack (because that’s how I roll!) diverting my attention from anything else. Alas, the curiosity of what is inside befalls any other notion to notice which station we’re coming in or out of, much less how much longer I’m meant to ride to my destination! I open the book to find Natalie Merchant’s words from her infamous song “Wonder” and I nearly hear it on the PA system; its left that strong of an impression in my mind! Hmm,. this is quite interesting! The first section of Part One reveals another piece of the song and floats me inwardly back to the days gone by when it belted out on the radio whilst my driver’s license was being minted into use! I turnt the page and found myself curiously drawn into a boy named August’s life story… his humour is dry, his sense of identity is nonplussed, and his story is captivating me,… I reach page 44 cringing at the cruel reference Julian gives August about Darth Sidious ahead of disembarking this otherwise ordinary train which transports within my regular sphere of living! What day is this!? What was I meant to do?! All I want to do now is resume riding the rails to see where Wonder leads me,…

My recollection of ‘booking the rails’ is a fictional account, yet my mind wonders, what were the stories of those who read ‘Wonder’ on the London Tube!? #TheWonderofWonder perhaps!? Let’s start a conversation, shall we!? Share your story in the comment threads!

Via, no Olivia? : A sister whose brother has special needs:

Never one to assert her own needs ahead of her brothers, Via is one of those strong-willed and self-reliant children who has a sibling with medical special needs whereupon she built an armour of strength to support herself without parental oversight. Her side of the story isn’t explored until page 81 where Part 2 begins. The honesty her character was given was especially giving as I would feel that it was a very real emotional change of perception on Via’s behalf when her eyes betrayed her heart in seeing August as the outside world does. She was the supportive older sister for all of his life, but when she spent time away with her grandmother she was led out of her routine. She was given the freedom to be Via, to express herself without cause for alarm, and to be surrounded in perpetual light rather than with shadows and darkness looming in and around her steps. She was living without consequence of prejudicial perceptions and for the first time in her young life, her eyes changed how she saw the world. The way in which she saw her brother terrified her on one level and opened her up to a new awareness on another level. Its how she dealt with balancing the two living truths that would set her character on a path she might not be willing to explore.

Via goes into more detail about August’s birth defects and what she presumes is the underlying problem between her, August, their parents, and the world. She’s on the verge of adulthood and deciding on who she wants to be, and that includes the type of sister she will be for August. I’ll admit, I cannot always picture characters as they are described inside stories, sometimes my mind falters and sees the character as my heart sees them rather than what is visually on display through descriptive narrative. For me, August doesn’t quite fit the picture Via has painted for us, as I see August’s heart.

The mere fact that she was reading “War and Peace” inside her ninth grade year made me smile inwardly! Except to say, I’m reading “War and Peace” this year ahead of turning thirty-five and to me, that’s something to smile about as well!

Why a book called ‘Wonder’ is transformatively positive:

Full credit for the bravery shown throughout “Wonder” from the guiding hands of its author, Ms. R.J. Palacio who guides her audience through the brewing storm of August Pullman’s fifth grade year. This is a pivotal transition for August because he is going to be mainstreamed into regular school without the protection of family and the homeschooling environment of learning at home. Palacio placidly and pointedly gives the readers strong evocations of what is right and wrong throughout the dialogue exchangements between the principal characters and supporting characters. She allows the reader to decide in some ways, what is the right phrase to express yourself and what is the wrong way to implicate a negative response out of someone you want to bully. She draws out the undercurrent issue of the anxiety bullies have about their peers, and how their anger towards the bullied is fueled by an intolerance for nonacceptance of children who are different from them. This indifference turns quickly into hatred which grows out of the inability to accept what is not yet understood. She pulls you into August’s heart by seeing how he reacts and distracts from the extra attention he is given by his new classmates. Her bang-on narrative to include popular motion pictures and video games, garnishing a truism of narrative that young people can relate too helps aide the dialogue about bullying to be brought out into the open, because August feels 3-dimensional rather than flat on a page!

The absence of focusing specifically on what medical conditions August is afflicted by and exactly which surgeries he has undergone I believe adds to the gentleness of the story. Afterall, if anyone is living a life inside shoes similar to August, they might not feel comfortable disclosing their full medical history! They are already on the defensive and internally dealing with the emotional trauma of being misunderstood and misconstrued, so why add to their burden to adapt into a new environment?! Much less give any potential bully more fodder to stoke the coals of the fire!? I felt that this disfragmented perception of only subtle clues and hintings of what August is facing day-to-day brings his life full circle. We’re in ‘his thoughts’ and ‘sensing’ how he projects himself and internalises his world. We’re walking quite literally inside his shoes to see how what others are projecting towards him are being received. In this, I think Palacio hit the proverbial nail on the head!

An added reason for loving this book is the dimension of multicultural heritage woven into the background of August & Via’s parentage! Their father is of Russian & Polish descent and their mother is Brazilian! It isn’t often you get to see characters having a diverse background of ethnicity and ancestral roots, and being that I love genealogical histories, this was an extra special treat for me! However, it also sparked a unique perception of how exceptionally diverse New York City has become due to the multitude of immigrants who call her home! This is transformative in of itself, as there are only a handful of authors who include such a unique family in their stories! We are a melting pot in America, and seeing more of us represented in stories for children and for adults, (as Wonder is brilliantly lovely to be a cross-over sensation in both sections of readership) is one way of opening up our hearts to the wholeness of who we are as Americans.

Within the story of ‘Wonder’, I was Summer growing up because I oft befriended those in my classes no one else could understand at first glance. I did not focus on their disabilities or their learning difficulties, mostly because I had my own strugglements with speech, reading, and mathematics. I saw the world through a pair of dyslexic eyes and I was always considered the ‘different one’, so I suppose you could say I always sought out the friends who were a bit different like me. I saw them the way I hoped everyone else saw them. Not as the boy in pre-school who was feared mute; he was simply a happy-go-lucky soul who had such an aura of kindness around him, he made glow and chuckle without words at all! I didn’t even notice the girl’s wheelchair at the Science Center, but saw her active mind for solving complicated issues and tasks whilst we pretended we were stranded on a desert island without proper provisions. And, I could continue to call out cherished friends throughout my schooling years who always staid close in thought and mind. I oft wondered over the years where they are and what they are doing. If perhaps they found others like me who saw their souls shining bright and their voices conveying their courage and their friendship? Each of us is on a path towards understanding more of who we are and why we are here. Why then do some try to make our path a bit more difficult by simply not accepting we all are different from each other, but we’re all the same at the very same time!? Our differences make us unique, and our similarities connect us through a tapestry of thread that extends from one heart to another until everyone is united.

If only the story of August Pullman could continue and carry-on as he grows and gains more experiences in middle school, high school, and the life awaiting him past the walls of school. I’d welcome a series of sequels which allow us back into his family and his inner world.

A notation on bullying:

I will always celebrate those writers who are on the forefront of the social conversation for change in regards to ‘bullying’. I previously reviewed The Pact by Mitchell S. Karnes, which dealt with a decidedly different point of view on bullying and being bullied; to the brink of challenging this reader’s opinion of how much violent inclusion is necessary to carry the story. Within that narrative, a true impression of the depths of which bullying is now surfacing to include was both harrowing and insightful; showing the true measure of how much change we need to bring to the limelight for a very difficult challenge to overcome. I am going to be reviewing the second book in Karnes novel this Summer (The Dragon’s Pawn) in which I resume the story where the last installment left off; on the suggestion of the author that my wrinkles and flies in the ointments would be fully understood and fleshed out in the sequel. Until then, as I am quite open to seeing where his vision is leading him in this conversation, I am going to seek out other stories for children and young adults to tie in the conversation further whilst exploring the literature sparking the dialogue amongst adults who seek to protect the innocents who are affected.

The following video was unearthed whilst I was seeking supporting content for this special feature of “Booking the Rails”. I always strive to find content that has merit and interconnecting positions within the theme or context of what I read. Every small pebble and ripple of change has to begin with one person deciding that enough is surely enough. Bullying isn’t something that we have to ‘agree to disagree’ about happening; it’s an underbelly issue of intolerance and negative passive aggression, rage, and unprecedented psychological trauma. We need to take a stand and re-direct the behaviour by giving clear guidelines of proper communication skills, action-reaction tactics, and the ability to intercede through mitigation where parties involved in bullying will talk out their emotional triggers and start a conversation towards resolution, change, and reconstruction of childhood interactions. There is a heap of work yet to be done, it all starts with a single conversation about how to interact with peers and what do when your faced with the cruelty of the growing years being taunted in your face.

This is one bullied girl on a mission to seek out stories which bring both sides of the discussion to the forefront. Join me?

Choose Kind Compaign (inspired by “Wonder”) via Random House Kids

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

 

 

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Question to Readers: All comments & reactions are welcome!

Are you one of the readers from the London tube who picked up a copy of “Wonder”?! What were your initial thoughts and impressions of the book!? What staid with you the most after you placed the book back on the rails for a new reader to discovery!? Did you have trouble parting with the book!? Perhaps you’re a reader of “Wonder” stateside or elsewhere in the world. Was “Wonder” gifted to you? Did a teacher introduce you? A book which caught your eye whilst walking in a bookshoppe!? How did “Wonder” alight in your life and what did you appreciate the most from its story!? IF you haven’t yet read the story, does this spotlight endear you to find a copy!?

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Official Book Trailer of “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio by Random House Kids

{SOURCES: Booking the Rails conjoined badge of all three blogs made by Hollie (Books on the Underground) and used with permission. The book trailer by Random House Kids had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Saturday, 22 March, 2014 by jorielov in BlogTalkRadio, Book Browse, Booking the Rails, Bookish Discussions, Books on the Metro, Books on the Subway, Books on the Underground, Bullies and the Bullied, Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Debut Novel, Disabilities & Medical Afflictions, Equality In Literature, Guest Spot on Podcast, Homeschool Education, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Library Find, Library Love, Literature for Boys, Live-Tweeting Secretary of the Chamber, Middle Grade Novel, Philosophical Intuitiveness, Prejudicial Bullying & Non-Tolerance, Pro-Positive Cultural Reactions of Disabilities, School Life & Situations, Social Change, Sociological Behavior, Sociology, The Star Chamber Show, Transitioning into Private School, Volunteer Mobile Libraries, Young Adult Fiction