A couple of readers recently commented (thanks!) on my review of the new memoir, I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced. Since this book has sparked conversation and contemplation, I thought I’d share this recent op-ed piece in The New York Times  by Pulitzer-Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof whose book, Half the Sky, is a Random House, Inc. bestseller.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think! I’d love to discuss.

-Marie

Perhaps you’ve seen them at ALA, those glossy editions of RHI magazine focused on subjects such as “Reaching Reluctant Readers” and “Promoting Citizenship” and “Censorship and Banned Books.” If you’ve flipped through them you’ve no doubt read original articles by professionals in various fields and cherished Random House authors and pieces by then Senator Barack Obama and literary great Maya Angelou.

Now RHI is back and going green for the fourth edition. Take a look at the new RHI Magazine on the Web focusing on environmental education (appropriately) and also allowing readers to chime in. You will also find original pieces by such notable authors as Stephen Rinella (American Buffalo), Matthew Pearl (The Last Dickens) and an introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

You may also download past issues of RHI Magazine via the highschool webpage. Be sure to check back often as new and wonderful content is always forthcoming!

On the Trekkie scale, I probably average about a 4 out of 10.  I don’t have a costume and only recently, finally, saw all of the original movies. But I’m a fan nonetheless. I loved the J.J. Abrams movie last summer and am thrilled to see that Library Journal gave a stellar review of Star Trek: The Art of the Film from Titan Books!

“Director J.J. Abrams bold—and smart—reimagining of the dying Star Trek franchise was a pleasant surprise to both critics and especially rabid fans, whose phasers were set on kill if he mistreated their baby. He didn’t. Both Abrams and the screenwriters handled the material with the utmost seriousness and respect it deserved, creating a thrilling sci-fi action adventure revealing the iconic characters’ beginnings. This tie-in volume sports text by NY Times best selling author Vaz (an old friend to sci-fi film fans), and a ton of concept art, screen grabs, and behind-the-scenes shots covering all aspects of the film’s technical production. Chapters cover the creation of the assorted alien species, ships (the Enterprise, of course, gets more than 20 pages of coverage), props, uniforms, poster art, and more. Publisher Titan does Art of books right and this is no exception, the photos and illustrations are outstanding and what fans really want. Just loads of coolness for Trek heads, who’ll be crazy for this book. Grab it.”—Mike Rogers, LJX/LJ

This past weekend Erica, our RHAcademic co-worker Lani, and I flew to Atlanta for the National Council for Social Studies conference. Aside from the great perks of traveling (my personal fave is not having to make my own bed!) one wonderful thing about conferences is that it gives me a chance to discover or rediscover books that somehow missed my radar. This was the case with I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced.

I picked up a galley copy of this slim book as I was drawn to the  image of a beautiful little girl on the cover. Then I noticed the title. 10 years old and divorced?! I was immediately intrigued. Nujood, a Yemeni girl, had no record of the exact date or year of her birth but it was around age ten that she was married, without her consent, to a man three times her senior. She endured life as a wife, forbidden to play or do other childlike things, until one day she decided to get out. She slipped away to a courthouse where she asked to see a judge and demanded a divorce. Her request was granted and Nujood became the first child bride in Yemen to divorce her husband, setting precendence for so many others. 

She writes, “I am a simple village girl whose family had to move to the capital, and I have always obeyed the orders of the men in my family. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today, I have decided to say no.” Nujood’s story is written in her voice and its childlike simplicity is exactly what makes it so powerful. Actions are alluded to, feelings are described, and the reader experiences it all with Nujood, from her family struggles to tasting “bizza” and “bebsi” for the first time.

While reading, I often found myself imagining what it would have been like to read this book as a young adult. It is a perfect addition to your Young Adult collection, great for parent/teen reading groups and school assignments. I have no doubt readers of all ages will be inspired and humbled by Nujood’s experience.  

I am Nujood will be published in March 2010. Be sure to add it to your lists!  

 -Marie

Forget Facebook… I’m addicted to GoodReads. I love getting the e-mail notifications that a friend of mine is now reading this book or has finished (and rated/reviewed) that book. Silly I know, but it is fun. I recently became “friends” with a nice fellow Californian named Amy who is also entrenched in the library world. I’d noticed she was reading a galley copy of Alice I Have Been, a novel that tells the story of the real Alice of Wonderland fame. Three of us in RH Library have read and loved this book so I was happy to see it in the hands of someone else. Well, Amy just posted a great review on her blog that I thought I’d share.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for our forthcoming edition of the Random Revelations newsletter. Alice is front and center in a new feature and has also been selected for a Staff Pick. We’re tellin’ ya, it’s good!

-Marie

Have you reviewed a Random House book on your blog lately? Let us know and we just might feature you here!

Are you addicted to GoodReads too? Follow or Friend RHLibrary or RHMarie (me!)

Did you know there were Video Book Awards? I confess, I did not. But three intriguing videos are finalists for Kirkus Reviews 2009 Book Video Awards. The Award “challenges student filmmakers to create video trailers based on three upcoming young-adult novels to be published by Random House Children’s Books. ”

The three finalist books are: Very Lefreak, The Maze Runner, and Fallen.

Vote for your favorite here and be sure to add these books to your YA collections.

-Marie

Booklist has announced its “Top 10 First Novels of 2009″ and I’m pleased to say that one of my faves (and a past Random Revelations Staff Pick) has made the cut along with two other Random House titles. Here’s what they had to say:

The Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Robertis: “Words, so beautifully employed by this author, seem inadequate to convey the essence of this twentieth-century Uruguayan woman-centered family saga.”

Lime Tree Can’t Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth: “In lithe, lyrical prose, the author evokes the lush language of the West Indies and the modest lives lived at the mercy of fate.”

Precious by Sandra Novack: “Trouble simmers beneath the surface of a bucolic Pennsylvania town in Novack’s dramatic, elegantly rendered debut.”

Check out the full list of Top 10 First Novels here. Also, be sure to take a peek at the list of “Top 10 First Novels for Youth” featuring  some titles by our friends at Random House Children’s and Egmont.

-Marie

There’s been a lot of talk, both online and off, about Teen Read Week lately. Right on its heels, and in light of a conversation Dave and I had the other day, I give you Exhibits A, B, and C. These are obviously three different covers by three different publishers for the infamous classic, Wuthering Heights.

Our friends at HarperCollins have springboarded off the successful look of a recent smash-hit series for their new edition of “Bella and Edward’s Favorite Book.” Look familiar? Then there are our Penguin pals who have opted for something more gothic and Tim Burton-esque. Finally, Random House Inc.’s Vintage imprint has come up with a “Classic” approach that still has a hint of the abstract.

Each publisher has made it perfectly clear that while newly discovered books and anticipated blockbusters are all well and good, classics and the importance of reading them are also high in the priority list. Gone are the cloth and dust covered tomes of yesteryear; instead these gussied up editions are likely aimed at a new generation of teen readers, all vying for equal shelf space and due consideration. While I’m not quite sure which I’d go for I wonder how would these pretty new paperbacks fare on your shelves? Given teens, trends, and the classically inclined, what do you look for in hopes of racking up the date stamps upon checkout?

-Marie

Would I rather be Jessica or Elizabeth?  Truly, this is a question I remember asking myself.  Repeatedly.  Jessica was totally popular and utterly confident, but a little mean.  Elizabeth was the quintessential nice girl–smart, pretty, steady boyfriend–but let’s face it, a little boring.  Depending on which volume I was reading, my answer changed.  Regardless, Sweet Valley High was a beloved part of my pre-teen years and Jessica and Liz offered wonderful escapism. (Remember when Todd got his Motorcycle in Dangerous Love??  Or when Jessica stays out All Night Long and Liz has to pretend to be her twin??)

Now I hear that Diablo Cody (of Juno Fame) is set to adapt and produce Sweet Valley High for the big screen.  Be still my heart.  Not since I got the news about the new 90210 have I been this excited. 

OK, so maybe I’m well past my pre-teen years, but I still can’t decide if I’d rather be Jessica or Liz.  Maybe the movie will help me decide for good.  And it should help bring Sweet Valley High to the attention of a whole new generation of readers, so be sure to stock up.  Double Love, Secrets, Playing With Fire (one of my personal favorites)–they are all available in cheerily re-packaged mass markets. 

-Jen

 Egmont USA organized a bus tour of Manhattan with author Walter Dean Myers, in support of his new novel Riot (Sept.), set in 1863 during the New York City draft riots. Beginning at the New-York Historical Society, the tour visited numerous sites of historical interest, including the Irish Hunger Memorial, Castle Clinton, the South Street Seaport, the site of the former Five Points slum and the African Burial Ground, with Myers and historian/author Barnet Schecter (The Devil’s Own Work: The Civil War Draft Riots and the Fight to Reconstruct America) serving as guides. Here, Myers speaks in front of the statue of Horace Greeley at City Hall Park.

-Erica