Book It 2011- April

Check out what others are reading at Life as Mom. Recently, I read Nine Parts of Desire - The Hidden World of Islamic Woman by Geraldine Brooks. I started reading this when all the stuff started happening in Egypt. I have always been fascinated with Muslim woman especially the ones that wear the Hijab. I can honestly say I knew very little about the life of a Muslim woman. Geraldine gives a very honest look in to the world of Islamic woman. She was a journalist in the Middle East for 6 years. I thought her interviews and stories about the various woman she met insightful and revealing. I especially enjoyed the parts about Queen Noor. I also like when she learned to Belly Dance and then performed. It was an interesting read and made me feel more knowledgeable about the world of Islamic Woman. I think Geraldine Brooks said it best in her closing,

" When I lived among the women of Islam, I became part of a world that is still, in the last decade of the twentieth century, and intensely private one. In public, most women move like shadows, constrained physically by their hijab or mentally by codes of conduct that inhibit them. It is only behind the high walls and the closed door that women are ever really free."

In honor of Autism Awareness month, I read Marcelo in the the Real World by Francisco X Stork . This is a young adult book. It is excellent and has a very compelling story. This is from the book jacket:

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear - part of autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mail room of his law firm for the summer... to join " the real world."

What I like about this book isn't that the main character has Asperger's but the story is about doing the right thing. Marcelo talks about his inner music - consciousness. I think says a lot of about listening to inner voice and when you stop hearing it what to do. It is about taking a risk and having faith in your abilities. I see a lot of my #1 son in this character in the black and white thinking and asking a million questions. I worry about how my kid is going to function in the real world, too just like the main characters father. This just hit home with me. How do we define success in the real world? Parade Magazine on April 3 had a article on Autism's Lost Generation. Austic Kids coming of age and who will care for them in adulthood. I thought Marcello in the Real World was an awesome read.However, I don't think this appropriate book for 7th or 8th grade boy or girl as for some of the language and situations mentioned. I do think it is appropriate for a mature High School Student. Here is the scholastic reading guide.