Monday, September 16, 2013

Ms. Dickinson's Purple & Gold Pick of the Week: Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge


If you've ever started at new school or moved to a new town--or a new country, you know how difficult it can be to start over and find your place in unfamiliar surrounding. Moving from rural Virginia to New York City is an especially big change—particularly for shy artist Paige. However, change doesn't have to be a completely negative event.  Sometime a dramatic change--in location, in habit, or in relationships--can be the push we need to make a fresh start or try out a new interest.  For Paige, her sudden shift from comfortable small town life to the the overwhelming but thrilling city pushes her to break out of her shell and start bringing her secret doodling habit out into the open.  While she always sketched in the corners of notebooks, Paige hasn't fully embraced her interest in drawing--until now. With her sketchbook in hand, Paige explores her new home and experiments with her new identity as an artist. As her confidence grows, she builds fresh friendships, defies her family’s expectations, and slowly discovers a new way of seeing.  However, even the brave new Paige isn't sure if she can live life as the bold and creative girl she's created in the safe pages of her sketchbook.  Will she share her new vision with the world or will she allow her self-doubt to win?

If you are looking for a fresh story about self-discovery and the creative process, Page by Paige is an absolute must read! Told through gorgeous drawings and fluid prose, Paige's story will ring true with anyone whose ever been "the new kid" or any artist trying to discover and embrace her creative identity.  Combining a more traditional coming of age motifs (new city, new friends, family conflict, tentative romance) with a specific exploration of the mind of a young artist, Laura Lee Gulledge crafts an enjoyable and unique story.  The graphic novel format suits this story particularly well; the illustrations are beautiful and highly expressive.  The images are used to tell the regular action of Paige's outer life as well as the emotional narrative of her internal life--her dreams, her fears, and her highly visual imagination.

For all artists and dreamers--and anyone in search of a good read--
check out Laura Lee Gulledge's debut
Page by Paige,
currently on display in the library's fiction section!  


Monday, September 9, 2013

Ms. Dickinson's Purple & Gold Pick of the Week: The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

At the age of fourteen, Lucy Becks-Moreau was a rising superstar in the elite world of concert pianists. She was the talk of the concert circuit; everyone whispered that she was bound for great things. Then she just walked away, giving up her status as a musical prodigy--and losing the approval of her demanding grandfather and mother. Now, two years later, Lucy is readjusting to a normal high school life where she spends her time in classes and doing homework rather than practicing for hours with occasion breaks with hired tutors. She hasn't touched a piano since her dramatic exit from the concert circuit. Then her grandfather hires a new piano teacher for her younger brother. A former piano prodigy, Will is passionate and kind; Lucy's brother immediately adores him. And when Will recognizes Lucy's tentative interest in returning to the keys, he offers to help her begin playing again--while keeping her re-entrance to music hidden from her family. 

Sara Zarr strikes again with a rich, thoughtful, and compelling piece of realistic fiction. In this elegantly constructed novel, Zarr demonstrates her clear insight on creativity, passion, and growing up. Her characters, especially Lucy, are incredibly human--dynamic, flawed, and simultaneously sympathetic & frustrating. I especially appreciate Zarr's ability to reveal Lucy's growth without judgement; Lucy's emotions, choices, and actions are presented honestly and thoroughly--we understand Lucy's choices and are empathetic, even when we might be irritated or frustrated with them. Additionally, the relationships are so complex. There are no simple relationships here; as the characters note, "people are complicated" and so are their interactions & connections. From Lucy's conflicted relationship with her family, full of anger, misunderstanding, and love to her confusing friendship with Will, each relationship is fleshed out with realistic details.

The novel is also structured beautifully; the primary storyline is interspersed with very strategic vignettes of moment's in Lucy's past and these flashbacks fit into the narrative smoothly, each shedding light on current events in Lucy's journey.

While Lucy's journey to self-knowledge will be relatable to nearly any reader, her particular relationship with performance and creativity will hold special resonance for some readers. Anyone with a passion--whether it be artistic, athletic, or academic--will connect with Lucy's intense connection and love for her piano and will understand the conflict built into pursuing such a passion seriously without losing your purely personal enjoyment of it. 

So whether you're a fan of Sara Zarr's novels (including Sweethearts or How To Save A Life) or you're just looking for a fresh read with compelling characters and a great story, check out 
The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
on display in the library's fiction section now! 
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