Book Review: Sorta Like a Rock Star

I just finished reading Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick which is due to be released in May 2010. It's one of those very special reads which I didn't want to put down, and which I will be recommending to many. It most certainly will be one of my top ten for the PSLA Top Forty Book Review Committee!

Amber Appleton is one of The Five - a group of misfit, "freak" students who have been friends since they were put together for counseling in the fifth grade. After school, you can find Amber drinking green tea with a Vietnam vet who is fond of writing haiku's, tutoring Korean women in English by leading them in Motown songs, or visiting a retirement home where she and Joan of Old entertain residents with their optimism vs pessimism battles. At night, Amber sleeps (often alone) on the Hello Yellow bus which her mom drives for a living. Her mom is often "out fishing" at bars, looking for her next Prince Charming. Readers will smile with delight at the positive, vivacious attitude of Amber as she spreads hope among her various, eccentric friends. However, when she struggles to come to terms with a tragic, life-changing event, we find that Amber is not as capable of receiving help as she is at giving it. This is a truly delightful book which will have readers both laughing and crying throughout. Highly recommended!

We were privileged to have Matthew Quick visit our school last Spring to discuss his first novel, The Silver Linings Playbook. The students not only loved this book but were fascinating by his personal story of becoming a writer. Let's hope he has many more novels to come!

Matt Quick has a Strong Message

A couple of weeks ago, NHS was fortunate to have author, Matthew Quick, visit Drew Giorgi's AP Literature class. Giorgi had assigned the students to reading The Silver Linings Playbook and thus arranged for Quick's visit.

At the time, I had not started the book but was intrigued by the story-line and interested to hear more about it. The novel revolves around a young man who is released from a neural health facility and his coming to terms with his life as he regains his memory while living with his parents in New Jersey. My students tell me they really enjoyed the book for its wittiness, truthfulness and for the fact that Pat Peoples, the main character, is a very like-able guy.

What I found from the author is that he, himself, is indeed a very like-able guy. He's down-to-earth, funny, approachable, and has a life history that is interesting and endearing.

Growing up, Matt Quick was one of those kids who just didn't fit into school. He didn't like classes and it basically reflected in his grades. He had a strong passion for writing, but that passion was squashed by his father who felt that writing would not bring him success. So, Matt ended up going to college and eventually became an English teacher.

Fast forward about seven or eight years later when Matt suddenly takes inventory of his life and wonders how he ended up in the state he was - working in a profession which brought him little reward and in a near state of depression. Thanks to a wonderfully supportive wife who recognized Matt's unhappiness, he ended up quiting his job, moving in with his in-laws, and writing with passion in his in-law's basement. A couple of years later, and many rejections later, The Silver Linings Playbook was published in 2008 and he has a young adult novel, Sorta Like a Rock Star, forthcoming in 2010.

The lesson of his own story hit a chord in mine. As Matt spoke about his father's disapproval, I thought of my own son and his love of the arts and his struggle with academics. It is so, so important that I'm supportive of his creative passion. I guess, in fact, I always knew that. But hearing Matt talk about his own struggles and then his eventual success as a writer, the message hit home. Follow your heart and happiness will follow. What defines success more than that?

Cultures Connecting Through One Book

Often people connect in the most unexpected and impromptu times and it's truly a beautiful thing. Even better is when two cultures find a connection when they're not even trying. But best of all (at least in the eyes of this librarian), is when the cultural connection is made possible through a book.

Back in the summer, I contacted author Allan Stratton about the possibility of visiting our school to discuss his book, Chanda's Secrets. I was struck by the story of this young girl's struggle to survive amongst the AIDS epidemic in her African village, and believed it could make a great impact on our students studying World Cultures. As I spoke to Allan on the phone to propose his visit, it became immediately apparent that he had many stories to tell which need to be heard. He is not only a prolific storyteller, but someone who cares about the real people of whom he writes. He shared with me his time spent in Africa and how touched he was with their human spirit.

Recently, Allan shared with me an email describing the impact that Chanda's Secrets had on one particular boy in Namibia. A young woman, Aly Martin, in the Peace Corps and teaching in Namibia gave the book to a troubled, orphaned boy and it made a very obvious impact on his life. The book spoke of the pain which this boy knew only too well. With the help of Allan and this woman's mother, Tracie, Aly and I are now corresponding about a collaborative effort between our students so that they may appreciate each other's culture. In the fall, as our students begin to read Chanda's Secrets, our school will be conducting a fundraiser for the many obvious needs of these Namibia students.

Indeed, books can make the greatest of impacts in people's lives. Thank you, Allan Stratton, for writing an important story. Thank you, Aly Martin, for making a difference in the real children about which Allan wrote. And thank you, Tracie Martin, for making sure the everyone hears these important stories - both fictional and real.