Forget-Me-Nots: Anything by Paula Danziger

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

I read a lot of Paula Danziger's books when I was younger: There's a Bat in Bunk Five, This Place Has No Atmosphere, Earth to Matthew...they're pretty much all awesome. Paula Danziger writes with wonderful humor and lively dialogue, capturing the ups and downs of adolescence perfectly.

She's also written some books for younger readers, like her Amber Brown series. I know I had a copy of You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown when I was a kid, and quite enjoyed it :D Just the title is fantastic!

Anyone else have fond memories of Paula Danziger's books? Which were your favourites?

Forget-Me-Nots: Of Two Minds

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

Of Two Minds by Carol Matas & Perry Nodelman

Goodreads' description:

"The complex plot follows the adventures of Lenora, a headstrong princess with the power to make anything she imagines real, and Coren, the shy prince chosen by her parents to be her husband. Trapped in a strange land and stripped of their powers (Coren had been able to read the thoughts not only of humans, but also of animals and objects), the two must work together to overthrow the tyrannical Hevak, restore harmony to the country, and return home safely."

This is the first in a series that has to be one of the wackiest, most out-there fantasy series I've ever read. The events can be super complicated at times (especially in the later books), but if you don't try too hard to rationally follow everything that's going on, and just allow yourself to go with the flow, you'll likely end up rooting for the main characters Lenora and Coren, and enjoying the outlandish escapades. (Although, just a warning that the books just get weirder and weirder as the series progresses.)

Has anyone else read this book (or the sequels)? What did you make of it?

Forget-Me-Nots: There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar

This was the cover of the copy I owned.

Goodreads' description:

"Bradley Chalkers IS the oldest kid in the fifth grade. He tells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls. No one likes him—except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley is sensitive and generous, and knows that Bradley could change, if only he weren’t afraid to try. But when you feel like the most-hated kid in the whole school, believing in yourself can be the hardest thing in the world. . . ."

I re-read this book several times when I was younger. It's a story about friendship and growing up and changing, and yet it's not at all sappy. There's humour laced throughout, but it's all done with genuine emotion. I love the relationship that develops between Carla and Bradley, and I have to admit: this book made me cry. Actually, I've cried upon more than one reading of it.

Anyone remember this one? 

Forget-Me-Nots: Dare to Be, M.E.!

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

This is another Psychtember edition of Forget-Me-Nots!

Dare to Be, M.E.! by Anne LeMieux

From Goodreads: 

"Mary Ellen hardly knows her best friend Justine. After a year in France, Justine has returned to start junior high, convinced that she needs a new image. She has a new haircut, wearing tons of makeup, crazy clothes, and looks much older. She's so out of touch with reality it's almost funny. Except Mary Ellen doesn't realize that her friend's crazy new image is part of a much more serious problem."

This was one of my favourite books when I was younger (probably when I was about 10 or 11, since it's an MG novel). I think it's probably one of the first books I read that dealt with a character who is bulimic, and I really enjoyed seeing how its effect on the girls' friendship is portrayed. The main character Mary Ellen is very relatable, as are her ups and downs with Justine, school, and first love.

Has anyone else read this one?

Forget-Me-Nots: Even If It Kills Me and The Wind Blows Backward

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

This is a Psychtember edition of Forget-Me-Nots! Both of these books I read from my sister's shelves when I was younger (I always thought her books were better than mine, so I was constantly asking if I could borrow them.)

Even If It Kills Me by Dorothy Joan Harris

From Goodreads:

"Anorexia? But - that was a disease. I wasn't sick....I just wanted to be something special..... 

Melanie Burton is quiet and good and always get the top grades in school. But that's not enough anymore. She wants to be really special, and she thinks being thin will do it. Melanie doesn't understand what all the fuss is about - after all, almost everyone diets at some time or other. She's just very good at it. So good, she lands herself in the hospital.

Dr. Leeman seems to understand - but can she be trusted?"

I think this was probably one of the first books I read with an anorexic main character. It's been quite a while since I last read it, so I'm not that sure about the accuracy, but I do remember that Melanie shows some of the classic signs of anorexia (being cold, missing her period). She ends up hospitalized, and even then she tries for a while to resist gaining weight. It takes the help of a mental health professional — and a shocking event — before Melanie starts to want to get better. 

The Wind Blows Backward by Mary Downing Hahn

 From the back of the book:

"Lauren and Spencer were best friends in junior high, but good-looking Spencer quickly becomes a popular jock in high school with no time for quiet, bookish Lauren. Now they're in senior year, and suddenly Spencer is back in her life, sharing his fears and feelings...and his deepest secrets. But it isn't long before Lauren realizes that the boy she has fallen in love with is haunted by dark moods and reckless passions — and he is counting on her to help him survive..."

I remember seeing this book on my sister's shelves and wanting to read it, but because there is some mature content (including sexual) and I was quite young, my sister told me I'd have to wait until I was older. Well, I continued to pester her every so often ("Come on, pleeeeeeaaaaase, let me read it!") to no avail, until eventually I was old enough and she handed it over to me. So this one holds some memories for me completely unrelated to the actual story, LOL. But it is an interesting look at a relationship in which one person is depressed and potentially suicidal, subject to mercurial mood swings, and the effect this has on the other individual. 

Has anyone read either of these? What did you think?

Forget-Me-Nots: The Nose From Jupiter

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

I haven't done one of these in so long!

The Nose from Jupiter by Richard Scrimger

Goodreads' description:

"How do you shut up when your nose is doing all the talking?

Alan is not big or strong. He hates playing soccer and can barely keep up in math class. Moreover he’s fodder for every bully for miles around. But all that changes the day Norbert, an alien from Jupiter, comes to earth on an exploration mission and moves into – Alan’s nose. Soon Alan isn’t acting like himself, but is Norbert really to blame? Loud, pushy and hilarious, Norbert teaches Alan to stand up for himself, even when the odds are stacked against him."


I was first introduced to this book in elementary school, when my teacher read it aloud to us. She did a great job of the voices (especially the squeaky voice of Norbert) and it was hilarious! Since then I've re-read it multiple times and still enjoy it. It's a great MG read, full of humour and a male protagonist who's an underdog you'll enjoy rooting for. And of course, there's no one quite like the unforgettable Norbert, who steals the show. There are a couple more in the series, but the original is still the best! (And bonus: the author's Canadian :D)


Anyone remember this one?

Forget-Me-Nots: Encyclopedia Brown

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol

From Goodreads (for the first in the series, Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective):

"A Civil War sword, missing roller skates, a trapeze artist's inheritance, a ghost who whistles, eight stuffed penguins... Is there any case this kid can't crack? Introduce your favorite bookworm to boy detective Encyclopedia Brown, fifth-grade mastermind behind Idaville's police force, "a complete library walking around in sneakers." Each book is set up so that readers can try to solve the case along with the boy genius, and the answers to all the mysteries are found in the back."


When I was younger I went through an Encyclopedia Brown phase. I read a bunch in the series (each book has several short mystery stories, so you don't need to go in any particular order), but the funny thing is, I was absolutely terrible at solving them. I seriously sucked at it, I'd always have to look in the back for the clues and then usually I still wouldn't get the answer they gave! I think I cared less about the mystery aspect (trying to solve that was a combination of fun and frustrating) and more about Encyclopedia Brown's awesomeness and how he always triumphed over the bullies. Although I did wonder a few times why his parents let him go around solving all these mysteries, that sometimes involved murders and such...I mean, really, irresponsible much?

As you can see from the various covers, Encyclopedia Brown has gone through a ton of reprints. Anyone know if it's still popular among the MG crowd? Anyone else remember reading these and actually being able to solve them? :D

Forget-Me-Nots: Little Sister

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.


Little Sister by Kara Dalkey

Goodreads' description:


"Like other noble girls in the imperial court, 13-year-old Mitsuko wears multilayered kimonos and hides her face behind her sleeve when in public. But tragic events prove that Mitsuko is no ordinary girl. When her village is attacked by outlaws and her sister's life is shattered, Mitsuko alone finds the courage to venture into the netherworld to find her sister's wandering spirit."

I'm sure I've mentioned before the interest I have (and especially had when I was younger) in all things Japanese. It eventually resulted in me going to Japan for a year to teach English! Anyway, this is a small treat of a novel for Japanese aficionados, especially those with interest in Japanese history, culture, and myths/legends. The protagonist Mitsuko starts out rather unsure of herself, but circumstances push her to grow into her own, along with the help of a tengu (shapeshifter). If you like historical Japan, fantasy, and coming-of-age stories, you should like this one. There's a sequel as well (The Heavenward Path) although I think I preferred the first book.
 
I know it's a little obscure, but has anyone else read this one? Plus, don't you love that cover?

Forget-Me-Nots: The War Between The Classes

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

The War Between the Classes by Gloria Miklowitz

Goodreads' description:

"What are Amy and Adam going to do about their love life? Neither Amy's traditionalist Japanese parents nor Adam's snobby, upper-class mother will accept their relationship. To make things worse, Amy and Adam are involved in the "color game" at school, an experiment that's designed to make students aware of class and racial prejudices.


Now the experiment threatens to alienate Amy from her friends and tear her apart from Adam. She knows it's time to rebel against the color game. But will the rest of the class follow her lead?"


I know the message of this one is pretty obvious, but I really enjoyed seeing how the social experiment was implemented and played out among the students. The 'game' is quite structured, with plenty of rules about who can and cannot do certain things, and the potential for moving up and down the social strata. We also get to see some great character growth from Amy, in her rebellion and her relationship with Adam (who, frankly, always irritated me, even once he is shown as supposedly having learned his lesson.) It's good to keep in mind that this one was written in the 1980s, so some aspects (I thought particularly the gender role issues) may seem a little less than modern.

Has anyone read this book? What did you think?

Forget-Me-Nots: Winter of Fire

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

Winter of Fire by Sherryl Jordan

Goodreads' description:

"Elsha, a young girl who is one of the branded people destined to mine coal for the ruling class, experiences strange visions that cause her to be condemned to death until she is chosen to be Handmaiden to a powerful Firelord."

This is one of those superbly unique gems of a story that I'm sorry more people don't know about! The world-building is fantastic — a rare combination of fantasy and dystopian, and what's more, it makes sense — the characters are well-drawn, especially the courageous protagonist Elsha who you'll be rooting for in no time, and the plot has an almost epic feel to it. I think Sherryl Jordan was ahead of her time with this one, really, since dystopian reads are so hot right now and genre-mixing is becoming more popular (Winter of Fire was originally published back in 1993). 

And I actually really like that cover (which was the cover of our paperback copy) — her outfit and intense gaze is striking, and I love the tagline: "She's the light in a world of darkness."


Has anyone read this one? I never hear it getting talked about but I think it would appeal to some Hunger Games fans.   

Forget-Me-Nots: Tall, Thin, and Blonde

 

Forget-Me-Nots is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

Tall, Thin, and Blonde by Dyan Sheldon

Our copy actually had this cover (sorry for the terrible image quality, I couldn't find a good one):

Amazon's description:

"Best friends Jenny and Amy have no time for Miss Perfect Teenagers, the tall, thin blondes whose only talk is of boys and fashion. Suddenly Amy's changed: she's into salads and diet Cokes; she's got a new hairstyle, wardrobe and set of friends. Jenny, meanwhile, finds herself part of a group of oddballs nicknamed the Martians. Will she follow Amy or find her own way?"

Okay, so it's not a ground-breaking premise, but the main character Jenny is very relatable — insecure about her body, unsure about what kind of 'image' she wants to be projecting in high school, and upset that her friend Amy seems to have "dropped" her. The characters are fun (especially the quirky "Martians"), the storyline familiar (sometimes cringe-worthily, as there are some embarrassing but hilarious scenes) and the overall message positive. I think it's definitely one for the younger YA set, but I do remember re-reading this book several times when I was younger — Jenny has such a fabulous sense of humour that you'll be rooting for her in no time!

Anyone remember this one?

Forget-Me-Nots: Ordinary Jack

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

Ordinary Jack by Helen Cresswell

This may have been the cover of our copy (though I have this memory of it being bright red...oh well):

Apparently it's been re-vamped a few times since then:

Goodreads' description:


"Everybody in Jack's family seems to be brilliant - apart from Jack and his downtrodden dog Zero. Even his little sister can beat him at swimming. But Jack's uncle Parker has come up with a plan to make him and Zero shine: they'll pretend that Jack can tell the future! If only they could foresee what chaos the plan will cause . . ."
 
One comedic incident after another occurs when Jack, feeling depressed that he has no apparent talents as his siblings do, pretends — helped along by his mischief-making Uncle Parker — that he has psychic abilities. I'm warning you now: this one will make you laugh until it hurts! There are so many quirky characters in Ordinary Jack and when they are all in the same place at the same time there's no telling what will happen. This is actually the first in the "Bagthorpe Saga" and I've only read one or two others...must get around to reading some more!

Did anyone else read and love this one?

Forget-Me-Nots: Nobodies & Somebodies

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

This week's pick: Nobodies & Somebodies by Doris Orgel

 

Goodreads' description:

"Popularity and friendship are the themes of this quietly assured tale. Beth, Liz and Vero--the girls with whom everyone in fifth grade wants to be friends--have formed a secret club and won't let anyone else in. Janet and her friends start their own club, the Nobodies (Nobs for short). Laura, a new student, is caught in the middle: she wants to be friends with both Janet and Vero. Told from the alternating points of view of Janet, Vero and Laura, this tale of friendship and rivalry is fresh and authentic. In the course of the narrative, all of the characters are allowed to develop; even snobbish Beth and Liz are revealed to be vulnerable as well as mean and glamorous. Readers will recognize themselves in this slice of upper elementary school life."

I re-read this middle grade title several times when I was younger. It's such a classic tale of cliques and outsiders, and one that is so familiar in those years of elementary school. The way it's told from three different perspectives really lets the reader identify with the characters and get a strong sense of their individual personalities. This is a great story for anyone who's ever felt "out" and longed to be "in"...or conversely, anyone who's been "in" and has started to question whether it's worth it.

Anyone remember this one?  

Forget-Me-Nots: Please Remove Your Elbow From My Ear

This is a feature on my blog for highlighting books I enjoyed in childhood and the teenage years that I don't see getting much attention nowadays.

This week's pick: Please Remove Your Elbow From My Ear by Martyn Godfrey

Goodreads' description: "Stormy Sprague and the other kids in detention form a floor hockey team and have the nerve to compete against the unbeatable Screaming Eagles, who do not take Stormy's team seriously."

 

This one's a short but hilarious middle-grade read about a boy, Stormy, who teams up with a bunch of other "misfits" in the school to take on a floor hockey team of bullies. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and it's a feel-good story of geeks triumphing over the "cool" kids.

Probably pretty obscure, so I doubt a lot of people have read it, but I used to pull this one out whenever I needed a book that was guaranteed to make me laugh!

 

Plus, the title? Awesome.