I met author Wai Chim at the Asian Festival of Children's Content in 2017. I didn't just meet her, we were part of the same panel, called Writing About Us. She came for my book launch, a poorly attended event because I knew very few people there in Singapore, and the launch was tucked away in the basement. Don't get me wrong. The basement was beautiful. It was the children's library and the most stunning one I've seen. The problem was there was no way of getting people's attention and having random passers-by attend.Wai Chim came for the event, though, I remember, and I was touched. That year, another book of hers was available at the festival bookstore, Closetful of Books - Freedom Swimmer. I was struck by the idea of the story, but somehow, though it's been on my list of books to read for a while, I never got around to reading it.A couple of weeks ago, I finally bought The … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Young Adult Books
Being a young adult is to inhabit a complex and confusing world. When books address this phase of life beautifully, they can be breathtaking. Here are my top ten YA books of 2019.StargirlWriter: Jerry SpinelliPublisher: Laurel LeafThinking about Stargirl makes me smile, for the character of Stargirl is impossibly sweet, impossibly wonderful. Leo loves her, but unlike her, he is bound by this world. He seeks the approval and acceptance of people around him and he wants Stargirl to be normal, even though he assures her that he loves how not-normal she is.For a while, Stargirl tries, for she loves Leo too. But that is not who she is. How can Stargirl be normal? In a different context, I could ask, how do you keep a wave upon the sand?Read my review of StargirlBuy StargirlWolf CryWriter: Julia GoldingPublisher: Frost WolfFrom an author I love comes … [Read more...]
Private Peaceful
Charlie ... Charlie ... Charlie ...I want to meet you, get to know you, look up and admire you.I wanted to sob my heart out when I finished reading Private Peaceful.I wish I hadn't read it. It was so painful, so filled with a sense of injustice, so cruel.I feel privileged to have read it. It was so moving, so human, so gentle and so filled with love.My heart reached out to Tommo - who could have lived in Charlie's shadow, but never did. Instead, he basked in Charlie's glow. Tommo, little Tommo, is so human. He tells his story without reserve, without embarrassment. He gets angry with someone he worships. He adores without restraint. He knows that Charlie is everyone's hero. He is, and always will be, the other Private Peaceful. And he basks in his elder brother Charlie Peaceful's glowIt will take courage to read the book again. But I know I will. A powerful book like Private … [Read more...]