Erin Dealey - Children's Author, Teacher, and Presenter

Skyping with schools is WRAD! World Read Aloud Day

2012-03-09T19:40:55Z

On Tuesday, March 7th, World Read Aloud Day, I visited schools in South Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, two schools in Texas, and back to my home state of California–without leaving my office!

First stop: the 5th graders at Langford Elementary in South Carolina. With each of the upper grade classes I visited, I read aloud from first pages of selected middle grade novels: Charlotte’s Web (E.B.White) , Percy Jackson/The Lightening Thief (Rick Riordan), Bud, Not Buddy (Christopher Paul Curtis) , Project Mulberry (Linda Sue Park), my favorite read aloud Locomotion (Jacqueline Woodson), and my own middle grade Work-in-Progress. After each, we talked about how authors hook the reader. Some of the classes watched my Writer’s Rap afterwards. : ) One Langford student, Kareem, has been selected to attend a state-wide writing event, and I’m hoping he will be my guest blogger when he returns. Good luck, Kareem!

Lambertville, Michigan was my second stop. I read one of my picture books, LITTLE BO PEEP CAN’T GET TO SLEEP, to sixty K-2 students at New Bedford Academy and we sang my reading song. I promised I’d put it on my web site so here it is:

Erin’s Reading Song (with guitar chords; lyrics by Erin Dealey, written to the tune of The More We Get Together)

C G7 C

The more we read together, together, together

C G7 C

The more we read together, the SMARTER we’ll be.

G7 C

‘Cuz books make you smarter

G7 C

And smart kids go farther!

C G7 C

The more we read together, the SMARTER we’ll be.

And guess what? The New Bedford K-2 kids were one book smarter after we read Bo Peep. : )

Then it was on to meet some fabulous 1st and 6th grade reading buddies in Franklin, Wisconsin. The 1st graders surprised me with the fabulous Goldie Locks masks they had made. (Thank you!) They read aloud to me first–from the Goldie Locks reviews they had written. Then I read aloud from Bo Peep and, for the 6th graders, the first page of my middle grades WIP. We also talked a bit about the writing process. It’s so cool teachers still make time to let cross-age buddies learn from each other. Keep reading together, Ben Franklin!

San Antonio, Texas was my next stop, with two school visits! First I met the entire 1st grade at Cibolo Green Elementary ,and then I zipped (well, skyped) across town to the El Dorado Elementary 1st graders. After a Bo Peep read-aloud, they asked me questions.

I honestly don’t remember which student (or what school!) asked about my dog Max, the star of my video Rough (ruff!) Drafts, but Max was off doing his own school visits. (He thinks he’s an author…) One question was How did you get the dog to talk? My answer: I’ve always suspected Max is a little old man in a dog suit.

As for me, at the end of the day, it was back to California and a visit to San Gabriel 4th graders who made this very cool video: http://animoto.com/play/UqlQyVuB92xW0C18rNSRFA . I met over 400 students on WRAD and what a fun adventure– no boarding passes (or field trip permission slips) needed!

Special thanks to all of my new skype teacher pals (Please keep in touch!), and especially author Kate Messner (Check out her books!) who posted this WRAD skype opportunity on her web site and connected schools with authors all over the US.

Read on, everyone!

Celebrate Dr. Seuss and teach prepositional phrases!

2012-03-02T15:31:53Z

According to Charles D. Cohen’s Seuss biography, THE SEUSS AND NOTHING BUT THE SEUSS (Random House/2004), Ted Geisel loved playing with words. Even at age 14, he wrote “O Latin,” a parody of Walt Whitman’s “O Captain, My Captain!” for the Recorder. So why not celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday (or just have fun teaching prepositional phrases? –No seriously! It’s possible!) Try my PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE GAME with your students:

Materials needed:
GREEN EGGS AND HAM by Dr. Seuss (Random House), 1 hat (a red striped Cat-in-the-Hat hat is optional), strips of paper and pencils.

1. To prep the class for The Prepositional Phrase Game (pun intended) tell them Dr. Seuss’ GREEN EGGS AND HAM is full of prepositions. (Write the definition of a prep phrase on the board: a group of words beginning with a preposition–words like in, for, to, with, after, near–and usually ending with a noun or pronoun.)

2. Read p.19-20 of GREEN EGGS AND HAM and point out the prep phrases.

3. Next, read the entire book and have students raise their hands when they recognize prep phrases.

4. NOW, have each student write a prep phrase that describes a location in their class room on a slip of paper. (Under the desk, near the flag, etc.) Collect them in a HAT. (Did you know that Dr. Seuss had an enormous hat collection, and this was the inspiration for THE 500 HATS OF BARTHOLOMEW CUBBINS ?)

5. NOTE: be sure to write a few Non-prepositional phrases of your own and put them in the hat. Examples: find the book case, touch the door handle, walk to the white board, etc. (think “Simon Says”)

6. Have the class stand, and tell them you will read one paper out loud at a time. If it is a correct prepositional phrase, they must follow the direction (ex they must ALL move “near the flag” if they think it is a correct pp). If they move on a phrase that is not a correct pp, they must sit down. The fun begins when they all have to huddle “under Jake’s desk” or sit “on top of my desk.” (Sneak a few of those into the hat too!)

I made this game up on a day when we had a few extra minutes to kill and from then on, it was a class favorite. Your students will never forget what a prepositional phrase is again!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

I Love to Read (and explore) Brazil–part 5

2012-02-22T17:51:32Z

Foz do Iguazu , Argentina side

O fim de semana, (which you now know, faithful blog-readers,–if you’ve read part 4–means On the weekend), we discovered one of the wonders of South America–Foz do Iguacu aka Iguazu Falls, located on the border of Argentina’s province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana. (I’m missing proper accents here. Disculpe. I’m sorry.) Think Niagra Falls in multiples, with a span of 2.7 kilometers ( approx 1.7 miles), massive walls of mist, and rainbow upon rainbow. The longest drop is 82 meters (a 269′ drop) to the river below.

We flew to the Brazilian side, with an in-flight snack of LUCKY batata (a brand of potato chips), not knowing this was a sign of things to come. Our friends had advised us to stay on the Argentinian side, and thus my brain–finally comfortable with the beautiful Portugues language, switched to Espanol. Lucky, we thought when we saw our hotel, chosen for its off-the-beaten-path location in the rain forest, until we were told our rooms had no water. No worries. LUCKY kicked in when we were relocated–at our original 3 star hotel’s expense– to the 5 star Loi Suites down the road. So this is how the other half lives, neh?

We rejuvenated (as much as two not-so-juven folks can) at the tri-level pool, where rich-and-probably-famous couples and families lounged about. Most of the females, young and old, in their oh-so-Brazilian thong bikinis and bronze bodies. (Lucky, my husband thought.)

That night, under a canopy of stars, we listened to jungle sounds mixed with canned music from the hotel’s “Tiki Bar” (Saturday Night Fever anyone?) and I could swear I smelled campfires. The next day we discovered, a few meters down the road from these bronzed-skin cancer candidates, the indigenous people who cook over open fires beside simple homes of mud walls and thatched roofs. (Somewhere in the rain forest near Foz do Iguazu, a young girl now wears my “Hats Off to Reading” ball cap. –Thanks EAB!)

On the slow ramble of the Iguazu Falls train (I swear it’s the orginal Jungle Train adventure…), we met a family from Brazil, a young man who works in Buenas Aires and loved practicing his English, and a train-load of Japanese tourists.

What a contrast to see the wisely, sun-protected Japanese women in their lightweight slacks, long sleeve shirts, white gloves, and sunhats. No wonder they age so gracefully–without cosmetic surgery… And is it just me or does the Portuguese word for thank you, obrigado, sound curiously like the Japanese arigato? (Yes, I’ll admit it. In the middle of the rain forest, that ridiculous song kept zinging through my head: Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto—)

The majestic equalizer, Iguazu Falls, stunned everyone, holding us spellbound by the incredible wonder of Devil’s Throat and the lower falls. It is said that on the Brazilian side you can see the falls, but on the Argentinian side you live them. (See my facebook photos.) We lived them. Happy Birthday PZapp. Lucky indeed–not just the falls, but our entire trip. Which brings me to the wonderful people of Porto Alegre, Brazil, and my last school visits of the trip.

Each international school has been so different, but the multicultural staff and students and parents share a global perspective so necessary in this world of ours. Pan American School of Porto Alegre is smaller than the others I’ve visited, with approximately 300 students from P3 (age three, preschool cuties) to more of those aforementioned (Parts 1-2-3-4) , incredibly bright middle school and high school students who will soon be running our world. And you know what? I think we’ll be in capable hands.

I met them all–in writing workshops, with my fluency games, in assemblies–yes, I rapped with the high school kids–, and at our Porto Alegre “home,” where we were hosted by Olivia (7th grade), Elias (5th grade), Rebecca (2nd grade), and their amazing mom, Chispa (the Spanish word for spark–which she is indeed.).

It was their first week back after a two month summer vacation. (I know, I know–it’s snowing somewhere in the world as we dip into the pool to cool off…) With Carneval coming up, their school schedule is even crazier this time of year. But the students–as always–were so much fun!

PZapp toured Porto Alegre during the days when I was at school. But after school, Chispa and the kids treated us to a personal tour, as did the elementary principal Lorrie Turner, who accompanied us on a scenic boat trip down the river and then took us to her favorite restaurant in the cupola of the old Majestic Hotel, once home to writer Mario Quintana. I think the universe is doing its best to introduce me to this insightful author, whose home town is Porto Alegre. And I’m not complaining.

A Mario Quintana quote (paraphrased): “The clock on the wall is a terrible monster. It has devoured three generations of my family…”

Alas, the clock on the wall has forced us to leave PAS Porto Alegre and the staff and students, and Chispa and her three ”sparks.” But we have once again made lifetime friends and so we say, ”Ate’ logo.” (Until soon…)

Our final stop, Argentina–Buenas Aires and also the pampas (grasslands) area of San Antonio de Areca. Don’t cry for us….

I Love to Read–in Brazil, part4

2012-02-11T11:49:52Z

Oi from the beautiful city of Curitiba. The house where we’re staying (THANK you to my wonderful friends, the Combs.) backs up to Bosque Almao (“German Woods”) where the parrots are noisily discussing o fim de semana (weekend) plans. Our plans are to go to Foz do Iguasu, but I can’t leave Curitiba without sharing more of my adventure.

The day I arrived, my Curitiba host, the incredible ISC elementary principal Paul Combs, suggested I walk through Bosque Almao, and much to my delight, I discovered the witches’ kiosks–with pointed hat roofs–that lead you through the forest, retelling the story of Hansel and Gretel. (see my fb photos). At the end of the path is an “enchanted cottage,” where a “witch” dresses up on the weekends to tell stories. Truly enchanting were the cottage shelves of children’s books in Portuguese! What a perfect welcome to Curitiba!

I didn’t have school visits until Thursday so I had planned to take the hop-on/hop-off bus on Tuesday to do some sightseeing, with my verrry limited Portugues. I could recite Este onibus vai para onde? (Where does this bus go?) and my host’s address so I figured why not? The Why Not arrived in a small grey Fiat with three willing tour guides and translators, Monika, Erika, and Jael–all of whom have children at ISC and had volunteered to personally show me Curitiba. Si, si , si!

In seconds I felt like I was with my best friends from home. We explored everything from Jardim Botanico to the intricate wire opera house, Opera de Arame, and the Museo Do Olho, built by Oscar Niemeyer in the eye-shape of the famous Acaria tree (think Dr. Seuss trees). My three lovely Why Nots were not only knowledgeable, seriously gorgeous, fluent, and oh so much fun, but they made sure I sampled every traditional Brazilian dish ,drink , or fruit we could find! Lunch was at Quintana run by chef Gabriela Carvalho, with more traditional dishes and delectable flavors. On the walls are poems by Mario Quintana and his caricature as well. More books linesd the shelves of this cosy house-turned-restaurant. (Erika thought this would be a great place for an author to eat lunch. You were so right, my friend!) And if that wasn’t enough, we saw capybaras at Bosque Tingui–giant rodents (they sort of look like miniature furry hippos to me…) up close and personal!

The telecommunications tower with the 360 degree view made the perfect last stop. Jaime Lerner, Curitiba mayor in the 1970′s, must be so proud of the city he so lovingly planned. Curitiba is the most sustainable cith in the world, with 16 parks (Bosques=woods) and their recycling rate of 70% continues to grow. Many families are originally from Germany, Italy, Poland and Ukraine so the feel of the population is very international. And the kids and staff and parents of International School of Curitiba welcomed me with open arms.

The assemblies were a big hit–starring (Grades 1-2) Henrique, Antonella, Jeremy, Laura, Joa Pedro, Vania, Izabella, Gabriel M, Amanda, and Eduardo; and (Grades 3-4-5) Matias, Emily, Stella, Maria Emilia, Angelo, Alejandro, Sofia, Diego, Leticia, and Oded.

With the children in the ISC nursery and PreK/K, we sang songs and had fun with books and fluency games. At the 6-7-8th grade assembly, Leo–the BEST beat-boxer ever–helped me with my Writer’s Rap. (I think some of the kids got it on video and word is we’re on Facebook–haha) At the assembly and workshops with the high school students, I couldn’t help thinking how I am meeting the leaders of the next generation–future leaders of many countries, businesses, corporations–and creative problem solvers who will make a difference in our world. And did I mention the fabulous writing the students did at my workshops? WOW! I had two days at ISC and I am truly sad to leave. I hope I touched their hearts and inspired them even a tiny portion of how they’ve touched mine. Muito Obrigada, my friends.

I mean this. I truly feel I’ve made some amazing new friends –as well as reconnected with my old friends, high school principal Bruce Leiper and his wife Rae, whom I’ve known since our days of teaching at Black Oak Mine Unified in California! The world keeps getting smaller, and I am thrilled and so fortunate to be on this incredible journey.

Next stop: Foz do Iguasu with my favorite traveling companion. Yes–my hub arrived last night after many flight delays and an overnight in Lima, Peru (that’s a blog by itself!) and we are off to explore one of South America’s wonders.

If any ISC kids or parents or staff are reading this, please give obracos (hug and a kiss) to Mr. Paul Combs–who made this trip to Brazil happen. He and Antoinette opened their home to me. Also thank the PTA, especially Larissa Martins and Lisa Davis, for all they did as well. the ISC communtiy is so lucky to have these wonderful people in their extended family. And now, so am I. : )

I Love to Read–in Brazil, part 3

2012-02-08T10:33:23Z

The adventure continues–this time at Escola American Campinas, where Lais Martins is the Elementary Librarian. The EAC school day began with their weekly assembly, celebrating gratittude and 100 students who had completed their summer reading program. Congratulations to all!

In their own version of Carnevale, Grade 5A, the class in charge of the assembly. paraded three floats they had created (from the moveable PE ball cages)–one on Recycling, the second Diversity, and the third Peace. I loved the fact that they showed their school’s initials, EAC, were the centerof PEACE. So clever! I told them this is a great example of playing with words! This is what authors do!

I truly believe that if students feel words are not only fun, but powerful, then writing and reading will be fun for them too. This is what theater has taught me, and why I try to include my mini-play in at least one assembly. At Campinas the Elementary stars were: Lucas, Marcela, Brad, Valentina, Luiza, Victoria, Adam, Tommy, Giselle, and Rafaela. For the 6th and 7th grade presentation, I had Julia, Camilla, Helena, Gabriela, Beatriz, Daniel, and Laine do some fun theater games while two helpers held the books and two others beat-boxed to my rap. (Wooot-wooot!)

Then it was off to meet with students for some writing workshops. Like Brasilia, many EAC students are Portugues, but there is also a large percentage of Korean students whose parents work for the Hundai plant nearby. Like EAB, the school is filled with bright faces from all over the world. What a wonderful experience for all. They are learning to be citizens of the world.

As for me, the days’ delights and surprises included 6th grader Julia’s gift of her fabulous manga drawing (see my facebook photos), and 6th grader Seongmin who wrote and wrote and was so excited to have fun with English words that he emailed me as well. Obrigada Julia and Seongmin!

From the Pre-K’s to the uppergrades, I had a blast. And another surprise was the marmoset monkeys that hang out on campus! (Real monkeys–not the pre-teen kind!) So cool!

When I wasn’t at school, Lais took me to the Campinas “Hippie Fair,” where we found a theater company perfoming the Wizard of Oz. We poked our heads in at the very end where Tin Man got his heart, Lion his courage, and a very smart Scarecrow recited to Dorothy, while the children in the audience laughed and talked back to the characters. : ) Theater is power.

Way too soon, it was time to say Tchau tchau to my Campinas friends. I am now in Curtitba, and off to go sightseeing soon. tomorrow and Friday are school visits! As Dorothy might say–”There’s no place like Brazil!”

I Love to Read–in Brazil, part 2

2012-02-05T23:08:24Z

Oi (Hi) from Brasil, where the d’s sound like j’s and the r’s are h’s. Last week’s rains have stopped and summer heat arrived just in time for my Brazilian adventure. First stop: Brasilia. Thank you to the students and staff at the American School of Brasilia for such a warm welcome. Hopefully I can put pictures up soon. But for now, a recap:

We kicked off the day with an assembly for the Elementary (K-5) and PreK, starring students Henrique, Genevieve, Tereza, Andressa, Finn, Alexandra, Matheus, Mariana, Isabella, Luiz Felipe, Leonardo, and Kellita in Little Bo Peep Can’t Get to Sleep. Excelente!

Each hour after that I met with different age groups to have fun with words. I wish I knew the name of the young man who beat-boxed while I did the Writer’s Rap for Grades 4-5. I heard he might like to be president some day. (I’m not sure for which country but I’d definitely vote for him.) An added delight: a standing ovation after the rap from the high schoolers in the computer room next to the library. Wish I’d had time to meet each one of them!

Thank You (Obrigada!) to Librarians Miss Anna Maria–who has been at EAB for over 20 years–and Miss Claudia, and their staff, as well as my personal tour guide extraordinaire Kathy Dillon, EAB Special Ed teacher for the past five years. Kathy will move to Hong Kong to teach next fall. Lucky Hong Kong! The staff at EAB is as interesting and varied as the students. I had a chance to hang out with them after work and hear about the paths that brought them to Brazilia –many from Canada and the US. Talk about adventures!

Who are the EAB students? Eager, beautiful faces with bright smiles–some from Brasilian families; many from all over the world, whose parents work for different embassies and diplomatic services. A smattering have already written stories and already want to be authors. Many –like my elementary school self–think they aren’t writers and would rather finish their assignments and go out and play. (Yay tetherball!) I’m betting at least one of these kids will write a book some day, if they aren’t running a country. : )

My new friends told me a trip to Brasilia would not be complete without churrasco (barbecue), so they took me to dinner at Fogo do Chao. I have never been so glad I’m not a vegetarian! Yes there is an endless salad bar, but also every cut of grilled beef, as well as lamb and chicken and sausage served by waiters who slice it off the skewer at your table. (You catch the slice with your own tongs. If you want them to stop hovering, you turn the round green token over to red.) You know it’s good when I have no room for dessert. Si?

On Saturday, we explored Ceasa ( the open air fruit market), sampled a delicious Acai dessert, and wandered around the “Hippie Fair” (local crafts and artisans fair). Then it was adeus Brasilia and an 1 1/2 hour flight to Campinas, my next stop.

Super Bowl? What Super Bowl? Viva Brazil! More adventures amanha. (Tomorrow.)

I Love to Read– In Brazil!

2012-02-01T21:48:13Z

Let the Brazil blog begin! With any luck (and wifi) I will be updating this as I visit International Schools in Brazil this month. I always tell the students I meet that books can take you amazing places–both real and imagined. Boy is that the truth!

It’s finally hitting me that my Brazilian adventure is real. What amazing opportunities I have to encourage children all over the world to do their personal best, read read READ, and find their voices.

Not bad for a kid who was going to be a math teacher. Seriously. With math you know if you’re right or wrong. With writing (in school anyway) not so much. With math there are answers in the back of the book and if you get it wrong you can use a formula to get it right. With writing, there is no exact formula–no matter how hard we try to spell out the expectations. Honestly, when it comes to writing, our students don’t get Writers’ Block–but rather Student Block, desperately trying to figure out what the heck their teacher wants from the assignment.

Writing requires taking a risk. Like boarding an airplane for a country whose language sounds like a mixure of every Romance language known to man. We need to assure them that writing–like reading– is an adventure. Give them the type of environment that encourages young voices–where nothing (as long as it’s clean, legal, and appropriate) is wrong. Help them find their voices and format will follow. So will their love of writing.

As for me, day one of my adventure begins today! Stay tuned!

Tchau (sounds like ciao–see what I mean?)

Confessions (and Reviews) of a Teenage Readaholic, part 3

2012-01-03T17:37:28Z

Teen reviewer Maris Dyer reviews Mara Dyer…wait—what?

Confession: When I first received this book, I was terrified to read it. Not because it was a horror story or because of comments from other people who had read it, but because of the title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. My name is Maris Dyer. Music from The Twilight Zone immediately started playing in my head. I knew that I had to read it, and see if Michelle Hodkin had inadvertently written the story of my life.

Review: Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. Not only does Hodkin not know my inner secrets, her first book also comes off as stale. The main character Mara Dyer is lacking in complexity and originality. She comes off as a cliché, a teenage girl who is drawn in by the enigmatic bad boy. The concept of the story itself is intriguing; it’s the execution that’s lacking. The book begins when Mara wakes up in a hospital. She has amnesia, and her family explains that she and her friends were in an abandoned building when it collapsed, killing everyone inside except for Mara. She transfers schools to escape her past, and in the first day meets Noah Shaw, a fellow student that everyone warns her to stay away from. Things get more complex when she begins to see the ghost of one of her friends who died in the collapse, and realizes that people around her have a strange tendency to die.

Hodkin, however, chooses to focus more on the romance between Mara and Noah. This, I believe, is the downfall of the book, because I was very interested in Mara’s quest to figure out the true cause of her friends’ deaths. Hodkin is a good writer, but I didn’t like the relationship between the two. At first, Noah has an air of mystery about him, but, too soon, he only comes off as a normal, arrogant guy. While Hodkin does an adequate job at keeping the plot cryptic, Noah and Mara’s romance unfolds exactly as I expected it to. Plus, I felt no connection to either one of the characters, making it very difficult for me to be engaged in the story.

This is the first book in a series, so Hodkin has room to grow as a writer. As I’ve said, her ideas are thought provoking, and it could be worth it to pursue the series as Mara and Noah mature as characters. Over all, though, I was not impressed. Hodkin has all of the right ingredients to make a good novel—she just needs to figure out how to combine them.

Well, I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I know I did—I just finished my last college application! That means I’ll actually have time to read all the books I’ve wanted to get to. Maybe I’ll find something great to share with all of you!

Maris

Revisions? Ho Ho HO… a holiday poem

2012-01-03T01:37:26Z

‘Twas a week before Christmas when all through the night,
Revisions were stirring– Tomorrow I’d write!
I’d promised my agent a debut best-seller.
“I’m finished! Let’s send it!” I wanted to tell her.

But children arrived with their laundry from college.
(My nest had been empty as they searched for knowledge.)
Alas, the house bustled with merry distractions.
My YA, however, still needed key actions.

I’d trimmed it, and shaped it, and read it for clanks.
(To Halverson, Price, and Miss Klein–Many thanks!)
My writing pals read it. I knew what to do.
But egg-nog by egg-nog, my writing time flew:
Wrap presents, bake cookies, string lights on the tree…
My manuscript whimpered, “Hey, what about me?”

Each night as I nestled all snug in my bed,
Revisions–not sugarplums–danced in my head:
Take beats for each character! Kill off a few!
Weave subplots, and –say–Is this one book or two?

Then down in the kitchen, arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my angst, to see what was the matter.
“Join us. We’re starving!” the college kids cheered,
While cocoa, and cookies, and more friends appeared.

Their eyes how they sparkled, as bright as the tree.
Each story a gift they unwrapped just for me.
Ye writers of kidlit, it made me remember
How holidays hook me each year in December.

So clicking a finger aside of my mouse
I’ll tuck in my YA as joy fills our house.
And to my dear agent (East/West you’re the best!),
To editors, author pals, no doubt you’ve guessed,
We’ll call this week research, these days that delight.
Happy Holiday magic! (No writing tonight!)

Confessions (and Reviews) of a Teenage Readaholic, part 2

2012-01-03T01:54:50Z

She’s back….High School senior Maris takes time out from college applications to review Stiefvater’s Shiver series…

Confession:I have to admit—when I first heard about Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series (Scholastic), I was not planning on liking it. I was done reading the slew of paranormal romance that came out after the success of the Twilight series. I had heard good things about these books though, from my friends and others, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.

Review: The Shiver series revolves mainly around two characters: Grace and Sam. [Note: Not a spoiler, I promise.] After being attacked by the wolves that live in the forest near her house as a young girl, Grace develops a fascination with the creatures, especially the wolf that saved her from being killed in the attack. Through a sequence of events, she discovers that the wolves that live in the woods of Mercy Falls are werewolves. These werewolves do not change at the full moon though; they change when it gets cold outside. In the summertime, the wolves are regular people. When Grace comes across the human form of Sam (the wolf that saved her) they begin a romance that is complicated with some obvious problems.

Forever is the last book in the series, and in my opinion, the best. Stiefvater alternates first-person perspective of multiple characters throughout the books and the characters are at their most developed in this final installment. Strangely enough, my favorite character is not the main hero or heroine, but the former drug addict and musician Cole St. Clair who struggles to find a scientific cure for his lycanthropy. Stiefvater has more range than just writing about two teenagers in love—although she does that skillfully as well, so that people who are less than romantic can handle it. In Forever Stiefvater faces head on the problems that Grace and Sam encounter as a teenage couple. Will they split up when Grace goes to college? How do they convince Grace’s parents that they are seriously in love? Is their relationship strong enough to last forever?

This series offers escapist fantasy that is definitely worth your time if you’re in the mood for romance and adventure. However, one issue I do have with Forever is something incredibly picky, but bear with me. The text in the book is not black, but instead, a glaring red to match the front cover. This distracted me from the story at times and I felt it was too much of a gimmick. Yet the story managed to draw me in, even with all my preconceived notions about werewolves and romance. So for those of you looking for a love story or just a unique twist on classic werewolf lore, check this out.

In the meantime, I’m going to start working on those college applications—Grace’s worries about going to college next year have made mine even worse.

Maris

If you would like to contact Maris with any suggestions or questions about books please send an email to marisd@mac.com

PS Thanks to author/NYJB reviewer Connie Goldsmith for the recommendation!