Book review: The Book Without Words is just that

Book review:  The Book Without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic by Avi

Characters with confusing motivations. A potentially interesting setting with limited detail. A slow-moving plot that goes almost nowhere. Pages and pages of dialogue that go where the plot goes. These are the reasons I was so disappointed with The Book Without Words. 

I would have enjoyed this book if it had delved into the deeper workings of the magic it describes. I might have recommended this book if the characters had compelling stories to tell. I would have put other books by this author on my to-read list if he hadn’t bored me so much with dialogue that babbles endlessly without advancing plot, character, or setting.
This book had a lot of potential, which is probably what makes it most disappointing. I have read several books that take place in medieval settings, and I was looking forward to another angle on this genre. Aspects of this story reminded me of the setting of Inkheart—it would be better to read Inkheart itself.


This book had a lot of potential, which is probably what makes it most disappointing. I have read several books that take place in medieval settings, and I was looking forward to another angle on this genre. Aspects of this story reminded me of the setting of Inkheart—it would be better to read Inkheart itself.
Here are my recommendations:

• If you want to read about the details of casting magic in a fantasy world, read the Harry Potter series or Magic Study.

• If you want to read a story that takes place in medieval times, read the Brother Cadfael mystery series.

• If you want to read a young adult story with compelling characters, read the Hunger Games trilogy or anything by Neal Shusterman. 

Sadly, The Book Without Words feels like just that—a book without words. There’s really no reason to read it unless you just want to add another book to your list of meh.

Two stars--maybe one.

The House on Mango Street: Classic or Classic Hype?

Book Review:  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street was just plain irritating. With an unreliable narrator, this book is written in a voice that I don't particularly care to read. It's the diary of teenage kid, plain and simple. 

Sandra Cisneros tries too hard. On the one hand, the writing is slangy and informal to capture the narrator's voice, and then she inserts gobs of heavy or inappropriate metaphors. Here's one that bugged me:

"...Angel Vargas learned to fly and dropped from the sky like a sugar donut..."

Okay, really, did you mean sugar donut? Because when I try to imagine this, I get nothing but sugar donut. I don't see Angel Vargas falling like a sugar donut, I just see a sugar donut. Sugar donuts don’t really have any special falling quality—they fall like everything else.  She could have said that Angel Vargas fell like a loaf of bread or a box of kleenex.  Maybe she was trying to get across that he fell like anything falls, but the metaphor is just a distraction. Here--I think the author is trying to get a rise out of the audience by including some random metaphor that doesn't really fit. Hey look, I'm deep, I'm using an inappropriate metaphor here. Real deep. Oh gosh I know this is supposed to read like poetry, but it feels contrived. And when I feel like an author is trying to manipulate me, I'm bitter.

Hmmm, what else. I didn't like any of the characters, and I didn't care about any of the characters. Sure, the vignettes just gave a slice of a glimpse of some of the minutiae of this life and this neighborhood, but what does it matter if you don't care? The narrator's dispassionate approach to everything was contagious.  

I guess what bugged me the most was that reading this book was like reading the essays of my fourth grade students, which aren't that great in the grand scheme of things. I understand it's in the point of view of a barrio kid, and everybody's excited about this kind of literature, but it just left me wanting. Wanting other books.

Books that accomplish similar goals that I would rather read than The House on Mango Street:

• The Dead by James Joyce. A somewhat similar style, but so so so so much better. 

• Inside the WhiteHouse: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay. Someone else's diary with a better story, better writing, and likable characters. (And John Hay wanted to be a poet.)

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, if you really love metaphors. I ripped this book apart in an earlier review because of the heavy-handed use of figurative language, but at least the characters and the story are compelling. By the way, Zusak unabashedly admitted that he tried to put at least one good metaphor on each page. Too much! But aside from that, the story was very good.

• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, the master of words. Okay world, if you want to learn how to make the English language sound like poetry, read this book. Mr. Capote doesn't club you over the head with the metaphors, he just quietly sneaks them in. 

• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. This book also has a dispassionate narrator, but the dialogue is superb.

I've noticed this book on reading lists for middle and high schoolers. Kids either love it or hate it (I think mostly hate it, which explains its low score of 3.5 on the Goodreads review). Save this experiment with literary forms for the older kids.

I'm glad I read it to see what all the hype is about; now I'm wondering what all the hype is about.

Review: Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

Review: Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

I read the original Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle on the heels of seeing the new movie, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. (Loved it, by the way, thanks to Andy Serkis.) 

It's tough to write about a book that has been made into a movie that is iconic in popular culture. Certainly nobody expects the book and the movie to be the same, and of course in this case, there were lots of differences. But honestly, it's really hard to get the images of Charleton Heston and Kim Hunter out of your head when you're reading Planet of the Apes.

Having said that, this book was a good solid piece of science or speculative fiction with major thematic issues. The most significant issue is probably experimental testing on animals or people. You probably already know the premise of the book, but in a nutshell: Space travelers have crashed onto a planet where apes are in charge and humans are treated like animals. The apes have set up experimental centers, testing the brain patterns of humans by medically altering them. It reminded me of the Nazi experimentation on Jews during World War II, and it was probably meant to trigger that connection, given that the author was French and wrote it in the early 60's.  A really good piece of science fiction will explore a moral or ethical issue, and Planet of the Apes is no exception.

Also, the ape world was very well developed. I especially liked the ape-world stock exchange--utter chaos, like the NYSE, but also in three dimensions. Apes swing through the air from place to place to expedite transactions. Now that would be great to see in a film! 

What I didn't like about the book was its almost complete lack of dialogue in the first half, and limited dialogue in the second half. It was really hard to read so much exposition and description; my eyes would glaze over and I'd have to poke myself to keep reading. I know this was partially intentional because the space traveler did not understand ape language, but even after he became fluent, there was still limited dialogue. Also it's really difficult to develop characters when everything presented about them is done by the point-of-view description of another character (this is told in the first person by one of our travelers). The writing is so-so.

If you really love the movie franchise, then go ahead and read this book--it's a quick read. But if you're looking for a well-written piece of science fiction, maybe you should swing to another tree.

Game of Thrones: A Game of Show

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

If you take one lesson from George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, it’s this: Show, Don’t Tell.

Martin masterfully cultivates a complex and compelling story without clubbing you over the head with exposition. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

His ten page prologue prepares you for what’s to come: he is a master storyteller capable of parlaying character and plot intricacies with a quick twist of the pen. Or keystroke, as it were.

“The trees press close here,” Will warned. “That sword will tangle you up, m’lord. Better a knife.”
“If I need instruction, I will ask for it,” the young lord said. “Gared, stay here. Guard the horses.”
Gared dismounted. “We need a fire. I’ll see to it.”
“How big a fool are you, old man? If there are enemies in this wood, a fire is the last thing we want.”
“There’s some enemies a fire will keep away,” Gared said. “Bears and direwolves and…and other things…”
Ser Waymar’s mouth became a hard line. “No fire.”

So, what do we read from this quote? Gared is experienced, cautious; Ser Waymar is arrogant and suffers from the sin of hubris. Mr. Martin, you had me at hello.

Starting this 800-page book was a daunting prospect. What if, after 400 pages, I hated this book? What if all the hype was just, well, hype? What if I invested hours of reading, only to get halfway through to realize that it just wasn’t worth it? I have been burned before. However, once I had read the first five pages, I knew that I would not be disappointed. 

A lot has been written about this book and its series, so I won’t belabor my review. 

You will love this book if you also love:
• fantasy
• a complex and well thought out world
• a good mystery
• intriguing characters
• an epic saga
• kids doing brave and interesting things (yes, kids)
• cool dwarves
I would like to make one comment about one character that merits a spoiler alert. Oh my god, what was Eddard Stark thinking? He was so obsessed—yes, obsessed—with honor that he shot himself in the foot. He foolishly trusted everyone, including people who outright told him they can’t be trusted (Littlefinger). He let the sword fall based on his rigid code of honor. He is no better than the merciless Lannisters. After all, how can you trust a leader who is rigidly bound by some code and will not make distinctions of gray? Eddard Stark suffered the same fate as King Arthur, who set up his own standards only to have his hand severed when he must enforce his law against his best friend and his queen. Frankly, I was relieved when he lost his head. 

A final note.  I am going to add Tyrion Lannister as one of my favorite literary characters of all time.  Yeah, I wouldn't mind having a beer with him, Sherlock, and Atticus.  Thanks, Mr. Martin!

The Borrower: Librarians on the Loose

Book Review:  The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

My friend suggested I read The Borrower because I love books, and he was spot-on. This book drops dozens of references to other books (especially children's literature) in an endless stream of inside-jokes. And I loved it because I got the references. Yes, I've read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler--got that reference. And of course I've read Goodnight, Moon--loved the chapter based on that book. Not to mention Middlesex, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The Wizard of Oz. I got many or most of the esoteric references and felt like I was in the in-crowd. Of nerds, of course. How can you not love a book that makes you feel so cool?

The demographics:

Plot: small town librarian escapes confused and dreary life as she embarks on cross-country journey with 10-year-old library patron. 
Characters: Lucy the librarian (actually she's a librarian by trade but not by education), and Ian (precocious kid who is infatuated with books)

I've read many reviews of the book, and there are a lot of librarians (and just regular folk) out there who are really offended by some aspects of the book:
1. Our twenty-six-year-old hero Lucy works in a library but does not have a degree or certificate in library science. She makes many bad decisions as she embarks on her adventure, and this gives librarians a bad name. Boo!
2. There are a few negative references to anorexic people. 
3. An apparent kidnapping is apparently upsetting to some people. But really, if this upsets you, is it any worse than Lord Voldemort's numerous attempts to kill Harry Potter? How about the treatment of children in The Hunger Games? This librarian's intentions were well-wrought (and I really mean wrought with sweat and worry). Treat this story as a mild fantasy. 

To these complaints, I say: don't be so literal!

Our hero Lucy is clearly confused. She's young, idealistic, inexperienced, and carries a lot of baggage. The good thing about Lucy is that she shares all of her twisted logic and misgivings with us. Really, are any of us that perfect that every decision we make is the exactly right decision? So what if she decides to take little Ian for a ride--across state lines. She wasn't sure if he was being abused at home, or if he was just weird, or both. Most of us would just contact the Dept. of Children's Services, but hey--Lucy is immature and impulsive. Instead she decides to take him to Chicago.

People, haven't you ever felt like you just want to run away? Surely you were in your twenties at some point in your life. Even though many aspects of this story seem fantastic, the reflective musings of Lucy ring true to life. She agonizes over her decisions, is paranoid when she thinks she's being followed, worried about what's going to happen, confused about her purpose in life. Haven't we all done that? Anyway, she's a lot nicer than You-Know-Who.

I enjoyed her voice and her thoughts. I loved the people in this story--this book was chock full of fun and interesting characters, my favorites being all the Russians, and Tim the theater guy. We went to many small towns and even hit the big city of Chicago. I had so many big-smile moments as I read this book that I had to stop and read excerpts to my 13-year-old son (also a book lover).

Entertaining and nerdy--if that's what you're looking for, you'll love The Borrower.

Where Art Thou, JFK? How About You Sherlock?

Still posting my book reviews from my Goodreads page, I am turning to famous characters in history--one from fiction and one from history.  My quest for a visit with these characters was left a bit wanting...but I still managed to enjoy at least one of these stories.

11/22/63 

by Stephen King

Tacos. Reading anything by Stephen King is like eating tacos for me. I love tacos, I could eat tacos every day, and there is no such thing as a bad taco. I haven’t read anything by Stephen King in, oh, about 15 years, and returning to his fold with 11/22/63 was like having the best taco feast of a lifetime.

I’m sure you’ve had one of those college dorm room conversations—if you could travel back in time and change one moment in time, what would it be? It’s a great conversation to have over coffee, a beer, or whatever is floating your boat. And certainly that’s the kind of conversation you will have after watching movies like Back to the Future,Ground Hog’s Day, and Millennium (which was based on the novel by John Varley).

Thankfully, Stephen King took this concept and flew with it. The title is a dead giveaway to what will happen, and so you have to ask yourself—do I trust Stephen King to tell this story, a story that my college friends and I could have created ourselves? And do I trust him to play around with an infamously treasured moment so permanently marked in our culture that people can tell you exactly where they were when they heard JFK was assassinated? I certainly do trust him, as much as I love tacos.

What’s great about this book:

• Time is a character. Like many of Stephen King’s books, the setting becomes a strange, mystical influence that can’t be explained but is a formidable force in the story. Don’t mess with Time, he’s much bigger than you. He can rip the very fabric of your world.

• The world in which this takes place is wonderfully familiar if you have read other Stephen King books, especially It. It was great to visit creepy old Derry once again.

• Everyone in this story has a purpose. And depending on which way the butterfly falls, that purpose can change in an instant.

• The time jumps provide a compelling piece of historical fiction with a lot of fact thrown in. In fact, I would have liked to see more interaction between historical characters, but that wouldn’t have been possible given that the story is written from the point of view of our high school English teacher. A trip to the Rose Garden would have been cool but wouldn’t have fit in with the story. That phone call from JFK was such a teaser—I wanted to see more of him. *sigh*

• You really have to think about it. Would you change history if you could? Should you?

• Dang it—it’s just fun to read.

What’s not great about this book: 

• Jake's return to the dystopic 2011 is somewhat disappointing in its skimpiness and extreme ugliness.  I was hoping for something a little more subtle.  On the other hand, since he took the advice from the brilliant Doris Kearns Goodwin of putting George Wllace as president, maybe this kind of horrible dystopia could happen!  Just kidding.  Really, the effect of Jake's changes in the years 1958-63 were so profound that it almost completely pulled apart the fabric of the universe, thereby rendering our world with earthquakes galore?   That part was a bit hard to swallow, but since the other 830 pages of the book were so very excellent, I’ll allow Mr. King that transgression.

Really, we don't get to this final part until the last 1/8 of the book. Stephen King has no trouble writing thousands of words at the blink of an eye; why did he spend so few words on the punchline? After all, weren't we waiting to see what the world would be like if JFK had lived?  He spent just a few pages on that point, and as I said before, they were a little extreme. What I think, though, is that this book is less about JFK and more about making moral choices. We see such a complete character arc for our hero George/Jake that the JFK stuff is forced to take a back seat. Isn't that what we love about Stephen King, though? It's his ability to forge a complicated character and make us privy to everything that character is thinking. So, even though I was a little disappointed in the lack of detail in the last part of the book, it forced me to frame the theme of the book in a different light.

Well, anyway, Mr. King, thank you so much for the most excellent ride. I guess since I’ve had a 15 year hiatus, I should revisit some of your recent work. Why? Because I love tacos.

Sherlock Holmes: The Breath of God 

by Guy Adams

If you are expecting a facsimile of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's prose and approach to Sherlock Holmes--drop your expectations. This isn't that kind of book. More than being a crime fiction book, Sherlock Holmes: The Breath of God is more like a book about the supernatural and paranormal.

That's okay if you don't have any expectations. Holmes plays a relatively minor role in this story and disappears halfway through the book, only to reemerge at the end. His departure is reminiscent of his disappearance in The Hound of the Baskervilles, to which the author alludes when Holmes makes his disappearance. I was okay with that, especially since the Baskerville book is one of my all-time favorites.

What I had to do, though, was drop expectations that this was a crime novel and treat it more like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I enjoyed the magical aspects of the story, especially the appearance of Alistair Crowley. The addition of Holmes as a character, and his approach to solving crimes, seemed like an afterthought. What do we want from a Holmes story? We want to see his attention to details that lead him to bold speculation that is almost always spot-on. We didn't find that in this book (maybe only a couple of times), and so I am wondering why Holmes is in this book at all.

Having said that, this story reminded me so much of the Rod Serling series Night Gallery that I even imagined Mr. Serling himself making introductions to the various chapters. That was a big plus. Another big plus was giving the story various perspectives in the form of letters and stories presented by various characters. That reminded me of Dracula, so the book gets another plus. The gruesome details of the mysterious deaths were deliciously horrific, reminding me of Stephen King. Another plus.

I do want to say one thing about the editing of this book. I found so many editorial mistakes in this printing that I began to wonder if it was edited at all. I had to pinch myself--was this a problem with differences in standards between British and American English? Was this due to the fact that this was told in the first person from the viewpoint of John Watson? I started to dog-ear the pages with mistakes. For example, I found a simple typo where the word "to" was used instead of "too." Also there were numerous grammatically challenged sentences that I had to read several times before I understood them ("Nonetheless, Mycroft has insisted that Holmes returns to London immediately"--really???). And finally, there were so many sentences with comma splices that I wanted to cry (I have not been a resident here for many months, I bought the house from the previous owner due to its suitability for a ritual I had in mind. For God's sake, don't be afraid to put a semicolon in there!). Certainly John Watson would never make these mistakes. Anyhow, I thought it was my own peevishness until I read this sentence: SIlence looked concerned. (sic) Note that the second letter in the name "Silence" is capitalized. This is obviously a typo, which makes me think that the editors did not give this book the once-over or twice-over it deserved.

Don't get me wrong--I did enjoy this book. I would give this book 3.5 stars because of the fun I had reading about the supernatural aspects, but I'm knocking it down to 3 (instead of raising it to hallowed 4) because of misleading me into thinking that this was a story in the Holmes tradition (i.e. looking at subtle clues to draw grand conclusions) and for the poor editing, which is sadly not the fault of the author.

Lincoln and Ferdinand: Vampire Hunters and Runaway Hapsburgs

These two book reviews come as a pair of historical fiction novels, both with a fantasy element.   

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter 

by Seth Grahame-Smith

Grab your axes and stovepipe hats! It’s time to kill some vampires, Civil War style.

Having spent last summer gobbling up over a thousand pages about Abraham Lincoln, I happily plunged into a compelling piece of historical fantasy, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I love vampires (a la Anne Rice). I love Abraham Lincoln (a la Gore Vidal). What could be better than a Vampire/Abe mash-up?

Historical figures--such as William Seward and Salmon P Chase--and historical events--like the battles at Antietam and Gettysburg--are hyperbolized and punctuated by one key fantasy element: vampires. I suppose the author Seth Grahame-Smith posited this question: What would have happened if vampires existed during the life of Lincoln? 

Oh, but he doesn’t just document the activities of an everyday vampire hunter, nor even a vampire hunter who becomes President of the United States. Oh, no---Mr. Grahame-Smith cleverly entwines the vampire plot with the causes of the Civil War. We find that the Union doesn’t just refer to the army of the North, it is also the coalition of vampires that is trying to stop vampire domination in the newly-minted United States of America. 

Civil War fans will have some of these questions answered:

Why was General George McClellan so loathe to attack the enemy--was it because he was a vampire-lover?

Who—or what—was the real source of the Rebel Yell during the Battle of Bull Run?

How was John Wilkes Booth able to run away from the Ford Theater with a broken leg?

If you have read any biographical literature about Abraham Lincoln, or know what I’m talking about when I say “Manassas,” then you will get so much more out of this book. If you don’t know much about that particular historical period, then you will find yourself fact-checking on Wikipedia to see if what you read was historical fact or fiction. (And yes, young Abe did in fact canoe down the Sangamon River.) Either way, it’s a really great ride.

Who should read this book:

* Lincoln fans
* Vampire fans
* Civil War buffs
* People turned off of vampire lit because of Twilight
* Fans of camp lit

Who should avoid this book:

* People without an imagination.

I would like to add that, coincidentally, I started reading this book at the same time I started another piece of historical fiction/fantasy, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. I haven't finished that one yet, but right now my expectations are pretty high, given the fun I had with Abe Lincoln and his axe.

Four and half stars.

Thank you, Mr. Grahame-Smith, and I am looking forward to another mash-up!

P.S. Big coincidence: Abe, I finished this book on your birthday. Happy birthday, Abe. And thank you for keeping America free. From vampires.

Leviathan 

by Scott Westerfeld

On the heels of reading the historical fiction/fantasy piece of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, I plunged into another similar piece, but of the steampunk variety. I'm talking about Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, author of other young adult fiction pieces like Uglies and Midnighters. This book is crazy-creative, especially when you consider the detailed illustrations by Keith Thompson. Kudos to both of them.

Westerfeld creates a complex and fantastic world that takes place at the outbreak of World War I. He carefully blends historical fact with elements of fantasy to recreate an alternative view of the onset of the war, complete with two-legged mech warriors and mash-up animal-machine weapons. There is no shortage of the fantastic in this book, as we encounter hybrid animal-weapons that are all-terrain and self-sustaining. Blend that with the backdrop of the assassination of the Archduke and his wife, and your head will be spinning.

We are following two teenagers who are keeping big secrets. Deryn is posing as a boy so she can enter the army, which is restricted to male-only.  And Alex conceals his identity as a Hapsburg family member in the middle of a political crisis.  The real pleasure in reading this book is to follow the character arcs of our two heroes.

While I enjoyed the historical aspects of the plot, the details of the wargames actually lost me a bit, mostly because I don't enjoy war stories--especially those that focus on the tactics of the battles. In fact, I found myself skimming those parts to get back to the main plot. That's a personal thing, though, and I suspect that people who enjoy warfront stories will enjoy this as well.

Only problem with this book is that, like many young adult books these days, it is written as a trilogy, so the story just hangs at the end. Arrgh! 

Who will like this book?
* fans of steampunk
* fans of Scott Westerfeld
* anyone who enjoys World War I history and doesn't mind mucking around with it

Save Your Money - Go Public

I'm chipping my pen out of the ice to talk to you parents out there.

Don't pay for your child's K-12 schooling.  Save your money for college. 

You see, yesterday I went to a birthday party of an old college friend.  It ended up being like a class reunion, and we spent a bit of time reminiscing old times and catching up on new times.

The conversation that caused my current meltdown was with my friend Rick, who was proudly saying that his 7th grade son had escaped going to the local public middle school in favor of a $30,000 a year private school.  (And, I might add, his wife later complained that (1) they don't have enough money to go to Europe, and (2) they won't be able to afford college.  Hmmm....)

Anyway, I could figure out why they didn't want their boy going to that particular school.  It's a large middle school, with almost 1,000 kids.  It has a reputation in the area (the affluent part of our city) for not being the safest school (although when looking at suspensions and expulsion data, it is much safer than many or most middle schools in the district).  And the state testing scores leave something to be desired.

Rick bragged about the million-dollar-per-classroom science lab they had set up in the private school.  And also about a particular math teacher who worked during lunches and helped their son raise his math scores.  I suppose those are good reasons to spend your child's college fund on middle and high school.   ...crickets...not.  (I didn't even want to mention the number of teachers at my apparently horrible public school that spend their lunch time, recess, and after school to help kids who need that extra push.  Oh, and they do it unpaid.)

Well, I had a lot to say about this, but I hadn't seen Rick in a long time and I didn't want to have a heated discussion with him at our friend's birthday party.  So I'm going to say it here instead.

A few points.

1.  Look at the data.  The public middle school they abandoned had sub-par English testing scores and very weak math scores.  Why?  When you look at the demographics of the student population, about 60% of them come from economically disadvantaged homes.  Most of those students did not make it into advanced math classes at the 7th and 8th grade levels (where most students scored proficient).  And only 40% of those kids were proficient in English (don't forget that they make up 60% of the total student population).  It's hard to argue that being economically disadvantaged does not affect your test performance.  And if you can afford $30,000 per year for middle and high school, you are probably not economically disadvantaged.  But I'm just guessing.

I would like to add here that, even though this school is in an affluent part of the city, 60% of the kids are economically disadvantaged.  Why? Because the affluent families are sending their kids elsewhere, to private schools.  It's the great brain drain.

2. There are other public schools out there.  I looked at a map of magnet schools in the area (and didn't even look at charter schools, which are also public and free).  My friends had plenty of choice with regards to middle schools for their child.  I'm wondering if they missed the boat on the magnet application and charter lotteries.  But I didn't ask.


I'd like to add that I'm not a big fan of charters, but for terrified parents who want a "safe" learning environment for their child, charters are a decent and free option. 

3. What exactly do you want from your child's school experience? That includes college, you know.

Now, I'm not going to argue with anyone who says that our school district is a mess. It is.  A real mess. Serious mess.  Our district with more than 600,000 students really needs to be broken up into small pieces and reworked from the ground up.

But, there are a lot of excellent schools in our district with excellent teachers.  Yeah, you'll find not-so-great teachers at every school, just like you find not-so-great employees at any work situation.  And okay, some schools don't have the best test scores, but if you read my previous post on that, there's a high correlation between student performance on tests and parent education level.  If you have a college degree, don't worry.  Your kid will probably do just fine.  


If you are looking too closely at testing scores and listening to the media about how schools are failing--STOP!  Do some research.  Look at the data.  Take a look at those tests, while you're at it.  There is a grand manipulation going on by corporate raiders of education, like the Gates and Broad people, who think that a corporate model fits in education.  It doesn't.  Use your educated brain, look at the demographics, and figure it out.  Don't be one of those people who runs scared from public education because you think it will ruin your child.  And I advise you read The Death and Life of the Great American School System by Diane Ravitch--It might put things in historical perspective for you.  

However, if your local school still doesn't cut it, try applying to a magnet or charter school.  It's free.  And maybe then, you'll have enough money to send your little precious to college.