Friday, July 13, 2018

“Who doesn’t want to save the parks and schools?”


From the recent decision on the salmon case that originated in the state of Washington to this week’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, SCOTUS has been much in the news lately.

Although if Kavanaugh makes it through the confirmation process, it’s unlikely his visage will appear in the pages of Dave Eggers next book.

Justice Ginsburg, however, does make several appearances in Eggers' most recent novel for young readers – The Lifters (illustrated by  Aaron Renier) – on the favorite t-shirt of Catalina Catalan. Catalina has been the only student at Carousel Middle School to acknowledge the new kid in class, who has the unfortunate name of Granite Flowerpetal.

Granite, or Gran (as he’s renamed himself), has just moved to town with his down-on-their-luck family. Although they have a roof over their heads, thanks to a ramshackle house passed down from his great-great-grandparents, they are short on cash since the job offered to Gran’s father as a mechanic never materializes. Actually, the whole town is in a depression of sorts since the main industry, a carousel factory, closed several years before. It’s also a town divided, with factions fighting for and against new propositions.

Gran soon discovers Catalina’s after-school job isn’t mowing lawns or babysitting, but lifting – placing new supports in the complex network of tunnels beneath the town. At first, Catalina rejects Gran’s offers of help, but soon realizes he’s a worthy nemesis rather than nuisance.  The two make a discovery well-below the surface which proves to be the boost the town needs to banish the Hollows forever.

Younger readers may appreciate the one page (and even one line) chapters sprinkled throughout the book and the imaginative excuses Gran thinks up to explain an overnight absence:

“Could he say he had been caught in a bear trap? That he’d been kidnapped by rogue scientists forcing him to test jetpack technology?”

Older readers may appreciate the nods to our current political divisiveness and syntax straight out of Hemingway:

“He had to go home. And he knew there would be trouble at home. But he had to face it, and he had to hurry.”

P.S.
If you haven’t had your fill of SCOTUS, I suggest checking-out Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s My Beloved World.


Friday, July 6, 2018

"Up can be down"


A few months ago, my fourth-grader had to write a book report on a biography of a famous person. So my son chose to read All About Stephen Hawking by Chris Edwards and Amber Calderon. When it came time to write the report, he was supposed to write about the person’s greatest achievements. Expecting to read something about Hawking’s physics research or perhaps a book title or two, I was tickled to find that my son had written that Hawking’s greatest achievement was…his children.

When asked about their greatest achievements, the couple in Lisa Genova’s novel Every Note Played would answer very differently. Early in their marriage, Karina gave up a career as a jazz pianist to care for their young daughter. Richard spent most of his daughter’s childhood away on tour as a concert pianist.

The couple divorces. Karina teaches piano lessons. Richard still tours. However, Richard has just been diagnosed with ALS. At first, he only loses the ability to play with his right hand, but sooner than he imagines, his left arm too becomes immobile. With the help of an in-home health aide, he gets through the day watching movies, sipping smoothies, and taking short walks. But that period, too, is short lived as the paralysis spreads to his legs. Reluctantly Karina opens her home to him and volunteers to be his full-time caregiver. As Richard’s voice and breath begin to fail, he literally struggles to find the words to express his regret and remorse.

Genova, as in all her novels, reveals not only the physiological, but emotional trials of people dealing with a neurological disease.  Recounted in excruciating detail, these trials are a good reminder to the reader to be grateful for the petty aches and pains of our own bodies and minds. And to cherish the moments we spend with our spouses and children.

Maybe my son was on to something.