The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

From the title, you might think this book is just another story of a disillusioned young man. Au contraire, Frankie Landau-Banks is a disillusioned young woman, a sophomore at a prestigious boarding school. As the back cover and title of the book suggest, Frankie gets into some mischief after researching social clubs that "break the rules" for a class. But what really drives her behavior is her desire to belong...to her boyfriend's secretive, all-male club. Along the way she learns some things about herself; what she wants, what she can put up with, and what she deserves. An interesting, teen-focused commentary on the "glass ceiling" that still exists (remember our featured speaker at Career Day?), The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is an enjoyable read that just might get you thinking. This book gets a gold star from me!

Calling all Merion bloggers!

Participate in the Literary Bears blog! If you have a gmail account, just email Ms. Stang with your address and you can be added as a blogger.

All posts are subject to approval by Ms. Stang. Inappropriate or lewd comments or posts that do not follow school internet guidelines will be referred for disciplinary action.

A New School Year

Welcome back, ladies! This is just a reminder to BLOG...this year it will be up to your new co-presidents, Maggie Hock and Mary Callahan, to monitor everyone's participation. Send suggestions and ideas to them. If you have any problems or want to join the blog, email me, Ms. Stang

Just a reminder that Teen Read Week is on its way. Everyone should celebrate with a good book. Also, vote for Teens' Top Ten, a contest where YOU get to pick the books that win! Select the link to your right (it says VOTE YOUR CHOICE) and view the 2008 Teens' Top Ten Nominations (PDF file). Then go back to the link to vote during Teen Read Week, which is Oct 12-18. Don't miss out on having YOUR voice heard.

"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

Alice Walker's The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, a Black woman in the South. Celie writes letters to God in which she tells about her life and her roles as daughter, wife, sister, and mother. In the course of her story, Celie meets a series of other Black women who shape her life: Nettie, Celie's sister, who becomes a missionary teacher in Africa; Shug Avery, the Blues singer her husband is in love with, and who becomes Celie's salvation; Sofia, the strong-willed daughter-in-law whose strength and courage inspire Celie; and Squeak, who goes through awakenings of her own.

The book opens as young Celie address God with her fears about the future. She is raped numerous times by who she believes to be her father, sees her mother beaten, and fears for her sister Nettie's life. She and her mother give birth on the same day to "His" children; "He" immediately kills the mother's baby and sells her own crying newborn. Soon enough, "He" sells her into marriage with an older widow with four children named Mr. Albert. He beats her, taunts her, and forces her to clean, cook, and look after his dirty and ungrateful children. Meanwhile, he lusts after Nettie until she runs away to the Reverend's home.

Celie develops a strong friendship with Sofia, the wife her Harpo, the eldest son. She continues to write to God and Nettie, explaining her miserable life with her "husband" and hoping to reunite as soon as possible. Suddenly, he brings his mistress, Shug Avery, home with him, for she is ill with venereal disease. Celie immediately finds herself attracted to the celebrated singer, speaking with her, bathing her, and worshipping her. Interestingly, the two become close friends.

Eventually, Sofia becomes bored with her marriage and leaves Harpo and their four children alone to stay with her sister, Odessa. Harpo learns how to live alone, and builds a juke joint in their old home. Shug Avery sings there and brings it big business. Celie and Shug continue to discuss sexuality, life, love, and family. Shug and Celie fall in love, as she teaches Celie about her own body, femininity, and sexuality.

This novel addresses several "women's issues," from persecution and ill-treatment to the horrible treatment of the women in Africa. At times it is hard to read because it is written colloquially and how it would have been spoken by an uneducated woman in the South. Despite all this, I recommend it.

"Finishing Becca" by Ann Rinaldi

This story is about Peggy Shippen and how she influenced her husband, Benedict Arnold.

All her life, Becca felt that she was missing pieces of herself. Her work on her family's farm was not nearly enough - she yearned for the pretty silk dresses and silver coffee services and polished staircases that were part of the daily life of the wealthy. She longed to go to a "finishing school" to learn how to become not just a woman, but a lady. She could do not much more than dream about such things. Becca's family fell on hard times before the Revolutionary War, and now such expenses were out of the question. Her brother was off fighting for General George Washington against the English while at the same time both her mother and her step-father made money by selling to and performing services for the English. This provided added confusion to her rearing. However, fate was on her side. After recognizing her daughter's dilemma and wants, her mother, a dressmaker for the wealthy of the city, was able to arrange for her to work for the wealthy Shippen family with the promise that she will receive a finishing education. Becca hopes that she might even find her elusive "missing pieces" in such a refined environment. What she gets instead is a lesson in treachery and deceit. The spoiled and beautiful Peggy Shippen, daughter of Mr. Shippen and the girl to whom Becca is a personal maid, thinks only of herself and squanders her father's money. She is the most selfish, manipulative, and thoughtless person that Becca has ever met. From the sidelines Becca watches Peggy flirt, manipulate and cajole her way through her world, almost always getting what she wants and having fits when she does not. Becca finds herself caught between what she sees as her patriotic duty and her duty to the family that she works for. While America soldiers die from want of adequate food and clothing Becca is forced to see her mistress and others like her spend enormous sums of money on clothes and foolish entertainments. The Shippen family, Quaker, took no sides during the war and attempted to get along with both armies, not wanting to upset anyone. Peggy, however, becomes very involved in politics. She sets her sights first on British Captain John Andre and then on American General Benedict Arnold. Ann Rinaldi shows how Peggy manipulates Benedict and is a major cause of the most famous betrayal in American history. Becca’s experiences cause her to grow up and find some of the missing pieces of herself; although, more importantly, she learns that no one ever finds all the pieces of himself or herself. No one is ever finished.

"To Dance at the Palais Royale" by Janet McNaughton

This book follows seventeen-year-old Agnes ("Aggie") Maxwell who in 1928, leaves her home in Scotland to travel alone to Toronto, Canada to work as a domestic servant. She hopes to create a new life for her and looks forward to her entire family moving to Canada soon with the help of the money she is earning. She joins her sister Emma who had arrived in Canada the previous year. Aggie goes to work as a house maid for the Stockwook Family, a wealthy family with a single son in college. While there, she befriends the college-age son, Rodney, and his friend Rose. They are fascinated by Aggie and attempt to culture her by dressing her up and taking her out. Aggie admires Rose's fashionable clothes and enjoys her time away from work. She captures the eye of a young suitor who believes she is who they portrayed her to be - a rich cousin of Rodney who is visiting. Their romance quickly comes to an end when he discovers her true identity. The importance of class, as you can see, plays a very important role in this story. Aggie eventually finds her true love in the most unexpected place and her family soon after joins her. The book ends so happily!

Another subplot involves the Jewish community in the Spadina Market area, where Agnes is briefly hired to give conversational English lessons to a young Polish bride in an arranged marriage. As one can see, the anti-Semitism of both the upper class and the working class are sensitively explored in this novel as well.

If you enjoy reading about the "Jazz Age" I highly recommend this book.

"The Secret Wish of Nannerl Mozart" by Barbara Kathleen Nickel

This book addresses many family issues through the eyes of Nannerl Mozart, sister to the renowned prodigy and composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Nannerl, a brilliant musician, was overshadowed by her talented younger brother her entire life. She toured all over Europe with her brother, performing for royalty and great courts. "Wolfi," however, always managed to capture the attention of the audience each and every time, despite Nannerl's fantastic talent and performances. At six he could play the harpsichord and violin, improvise fugues, write minuets and read music perfectly at first sight so it is no true surprise why he managed to steal the spotlight. Nannerl received no encouragement from her parents; her father did not take her seriously as a musician and her mother kept her busy with "women's work" - cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. No one understood her painful dilemma of watching all the accolades go to her younger brother. Nannerl, however, refused to fully abandon her dream of composing her own symphony and hopefully capture the attention of the public and win her father's approval.

As the second oldest of eight children, I was able to relate to this book immediately. I am sure all of you with siblings have experienced competition of some kind and have probably competed with brothers and/or sisters regularly. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must have been for her - to not only be as accomplished as your younger brother but not get recognized for it and see him receive all the praise is terrible enough but when you couple it with receiving no encouragement from your parents, it becomes so much more painful. Nannerl writes in her "diary" (this book is based on historical facts but is mostly fictional): "I can't stand how they pay attention to Wolfi all the time...Maybe when I'm a famous composer, after I die, they'll find this book and everyone will read it and feel horrible about how they've treated me. I can hear Wolfi's music down the hall. Now it is finished, and they are laughing and talking and begging for more. I wonder if someday they'll beg to hear mine..."

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia ("Nannerl") Mozart: A stunning performer and brilliant composer who is under appreciated and overlooked and wants nothing more than to compose her own symphony and earn the respect of the audiences and most of all, her father.

Wolfgang ("Wolfi") Mozart: Nannerl's brother; a musical prodigy. Composes, performs, and captures each and every audience. Fortunately her does not rub in his success and his popularity to his older sister, who is jealous of his success.

Leopold Mozart ("papa"): Father of Nannerl and Wolfi. Eager to show off his accomplished young son, parading him all around Europe to perform concerts. He does not recognize or acknowledge the talent his daughter Nannerl possesses and does not give her the attention she yearns for.

Anna Mozart ("mama"): Mother of Nannerl and Wolfi. A no-nonsense mother who thinks it is more important for a young girl to learn to keep a house and prepare for marriage rather than practice music.