The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. by Greg Pincus

I ate way too much chocolate reading this book and I blame eleven-year-old Gregory Korenstein-Jasperton and his friend, Kelly, who eat pie every day after school at Kelly's mom's bakery called, The Slice. I think the author was having a bit 'o wish fulfillment here. It was pure torture reading his passages of Gregory and Kelly dissolving on their tongues boysenberry, apple, and chocolate-filled pies with sighs of contentment "perfectly tuned" to the sound of forks clinking on plates. They moaned in bliss, while I just moaned. Toss in Gregory's fear and hatred of math and I almost started anxiously chewing my nails like the old days when I was in high school math class. His family is a bunch of mathematical geniuses that would make the average person dizzy with their round-the-table dinner talk on complex math theories. His dad and mom want Gregory to go to Magic is Math Camp, but Gregory wants to go to Author Camp with Kelly. He loves to write, but is afraid to tell his parents. When Kelly tells him she is moving, life gets more complicated and he keeps telling fibs to make the people around him happy. Eventually he will have to face the truth with his friend and parents.

Gregory is failing math and his teacher gives him a math journal asking him to write about math. To Gregory's surprise, he pulls together poetry and Fibonacci patterns creating what he calls, Fib poetry. The contrast of math and poetry make for a surprising twist as Gregory reflects on how math is important in every day life. He uses his love of language to express Fibonacci numbers in metaphors and truths. While this adds depth to his character it doesn't drive the plot's action. That happens through his relationship with Kelly. The two have been best friends from birth and she is practical and level-headed helping to keep Gregory on task and giving him cues (usually a kick in the shin) at school when he's about to make an idiot of himself. Gregory is devastated when he finds out she's moving and responds by not being completely honest with her about attending camp.

Gregory's lie isn't intentional but more rooted in him not wanting to tell her about his failures. It's never fun to fail at things in life and hard enough discussing it aloud, but if you come from a family of math whizzes there is some shame and denial going on with Gregory in being that bad at math. He tells Kelly his parents will let him go to camp when he hasn't asked them. He tells his parents that he loves math. He enters a huge city-wide math contest because he knows his parents will be so happy even though he hates math. This is a contest that his dad has won once and brother has won multiple times. Gregory is so busy trying to please everyone around him that he makes himself unhappy and procrastinates on getting things done due to big-time lack of motivation.

His math teacher sees right through him and knows that he has no love for math. He also taps into the subject Gregory loves which is writing. When writing his journal, Gregory has no problem being honest. He tells the teacher why he thinks math is useless. The teacher asks questions back causing Gregory to look more closely at math in real life and slowly sparking an interest and appreciation for it. As deadlines approach, Gregory worries about letting people down, but he doesn't give up as he makes connections between math and writing. At the end, he shows that he has changed when he doesn't care about the outcome of the contest. He has publicly shared the truth about being a non-math lover and while he wants his parents support and approval, he knows that whether he has it or not he will always love writing. His courage to go after what he loves takes a bit of time all the while grieving about his best friend moving away.

Two recent books I've read, The Dumbest Idea Ever, by Jimmy Gowley and Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff, are similar to this one about finding whatever you are passionate about in life and sticking with it; although Absolutely Almost is more about not being good at anything, but having great character. This story reminded of Pam Munoz Ryan's book, The Dreamer, about a boy that wants to be a poet but his dad wants him to have a profession that will give him a steady income. The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. has more humor; whereas, The Dreamer is more dramatic. Just a word of warning: Don't read this book when you are hungry. I'm off to my chocolate addiction support group.

4 Smileys

Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli

This novel-in-verse is a quick read that captures the emotional turmoil of losing a job, moving away from family and friends, and starting over in a new city from the point of view of an 8 or 9 year old. Diana's sun-drenched yellow house with white shutters, a maple tree, and daffodils is "stitched against the sky," providing comfort and security like the wren's nest cradled in the wreath on the front door. She wants a new bike for her upcoming birthday and has a lovable and annoying younger sister called, "Twink." Her best friend Rose wears a floppy purple hat and goes cross-eyed when Diana gushes about nebulas and stars. Diana's second passion is poetry. When she wins a poetry contrast Twink can't understand why since her poems "don't rhyme." When her father loses his job and her grandpa falls ill, Diana is upset by her parents decision to move in with grandpa.

While the words and imagery are not complex, making this book accessible to young readers, the complex situations and changes within the character, Diana, make it good for older readers striving for language fluency. The illustrations support the text and plot offering another reading aid. Diana's situation is relatable for many readers whether dealing with losing and making a friend or stressful situations resulting from a sick relative or financial difficulties. The anger that Diana expresses is authentic and her vulnerability makes it easy to get into the story. She changes from resenting her family's move to accepting it.

The younger sister offers comic relief from being sweet and annoying. When Twink sees that Diana is sad because she didn't get the bike she expected due to her father's job loss, Twink wraps her favorite stuffed toy, George, and gives it to Diana. Twink looks like she is about 4 years old and as most readers know, sharing is mighty hard for little kiddos. I laughed when she tells Diana she's "loanding" George and wants him back by the end of the day. The illustration of "itchy" Twink in the carseat with her mouth wide open complaining about the long ride is my favorite. Diana is giving her the evil eye that Twink is oblivious too. The next page shows Diana holding Twink as a baby who is stroking her cheek lovingly. The sibling dynamic of loving each other and fighting is well-done in the text and photos.

When Diana moves she meets a boy her age and struggles with being his friend because he is a boy. Even though Sam Peter Ling "...loves astronomy as much as I do," has a telescope, plays her favorite game "Scrabble," and has star parties, she doesn't like that he is a boy. Diana seems to be having an issue with gender segregation. She verbalizes it to Diana and Sam, who respond to her concerns by asking why does that matter? I like the simplicity of their response. Diana seems to agree with them because the next page has Diana getting a new bike and the subsequent page has her describing her new house and new friend. I did want a page of Diana deciding that its okay to have a friend that is a boy versus the reader having to infer it. In a nice circular ending, the last page has Diana describing her new house and plans she has made with her new friend.

The bird's nest on the door becomes home to three chicks named, "Snap, Crackle, Pop," by Twink and they move before Diana's family. The nest is a symbol of Diana's home and the birds are a symbol of Diana's family. She hopes that the birds will visit them in their new place. When she moves and her grandpa shows her a way to stay in touch with her friend Rose, she realizes that she doesn't have to say goodbye permanently. She and Rose can still communicate. Bird's are dependent in the nest until they learn to fly on their own. Diana is learning to be independent and make new friends. She is growing up and changing becoming more mature. Like the birds that flew away, she too, is learning to spread her wings and soar.

4 Smileys