Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
To all of the nerds, past, present, and future, there is nothing more mortifying and embarrassing then falling in love with a guy, or girl, from the opposite side of your nerd herd.  After waking up from a night of serious partying, Arizhel (Chung Ae), ended up waking up in a room with a Jedi. O-M-G! Clearly, the Blood wine she and her fellow Klingons concocted the night before was not such a good idea after all. After introducing himself, the Irish Jedi (Thomas) ordered breakfast to kill the nasty hangover and, after chatting for a bit, Thomas and Chung made a connection. Granted, they may have had been a little intoxicated due to the awesomeness of the Con and Blood Wine, but, underneath the make-up, the outfits, and the persona, are two teenagers who willing to look past their "differences" and are willing to defy the social norms that their groups have constructed. Sometimes, when nerds are not taking over the world, they can also be our greatest asset. For Montgomery, she has enlisted the help of SPRIGGAN (Springfield High's Genre and Nonsense Club). Montgomery is Springfield's head cheerleader and she has no idea what she is getting herself into. Apparently, her boyfriend (the Quarterback) is a hard core Trekkie and gamer. Granted, Mica, David, and Ezra are thrilled to assist the exceptionally popular and gorgeous girl, Ellen is furious. After accepting her proposal (and $100 fee), the group gives Montgomery a crash course in everything nerd; each member will teach her the basics about popular science fiction, comic books, video and computer games, books, television shows, etc. Although Montgomery is an eager student, she seems to lack the understanding of what makes a fan passionate about the subject. Just when things couldn't get an weirder, Montgomery starts to appreciate her new tutors and actually considers them friends. There are many, many more stories in this collection, like these, that will have readers rolling on the floor laughing and loving the fact that we are all nerds, geeks, dorks, etc., deep down inside and that is worth celebrating and loving.

Critical Evaluation:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK! I don't know how else to express my joy with this book. Although I am adult, a lot of these stories resonate with my own adolescence and it's refreshing to see that teens have support. Teens who are looking for a break from the monotony of life and the usual teen fiction, will find the dose of laughter they need. There is a great selection of YA authors who contributed to this collection who not only share their own experiences (through their characters), but some of these stories, especially the collaborations, are some of these best stories out there. The lesson that readers will learn is that there is no shame in being a nerd. Furthermore, it is highly recommended to not only explore our inner geek, but to seek out those who can help us cultivate that passion. Many non-nerds wonder why nerds are so weird, but what they are missing is that it's not about being weird: it's about expressing our passion and ourselves. Honestly, it take an immense amount of courage to step out into the real weird in full cosplay regalia, not to mention the time and energy it takes to make that outfit. Nerds not only spend countless hours researching, they also spend quite a bit of money purchasing goods and supplies in order to better understand what they love. Some call it hording, some call it collecting, and some call it investing, but, to the newly outted nerd, it is those enthusiasts and collectors who become valuable resources. I highly recommend this collection to any teen, especially those who are constantly put down for being different. Teens need stories like these because they need to know that they are not alone and that it is more important to love themselves and be proud of who they are. We live in a age where it's cool to be different and stories like these will only reaffirm what it is to be awesome despite the criticisms and the outright jealousy of those who wish they were cool.

Information about the Author:

According to her website:

Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children.

Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was published in 2002 by Simon & Schuster. Tithe was called "dark, edgy, beautifully written and compulsively readable" by Booklist, received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and was included in the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults. Holly has since written two other books in the same universe, Valiant (2005), and the sequel to Tithe, Ironside (2007), which spent five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Valiant was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award for Young Readers and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

Holly has also been a frequent contributor to anthologies, and has co-edited three of them: Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci, 2009), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with Justine Larbalestier, 2010), and Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner, 2011). Her first collection of short fiction, Poison Eaters and Other Stories, came out in 2010 from Small Beer Press. She has just finished the third book in her Eisner-nominated graphic novel series, The Good Neighbors, and is working on Red Glove, the second novel in The Curse Workers series. White Cat, the first in the series, is out as of May 2010, and is about capers, curse magic, and memory.

Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

About Cecil Castellucci:

Cecil Castellucci is the author of books and graphic novels for young adults including Boy Proof, The Plain Janes, First Day on Earth, The Year of the Beasts and Odd Duck. Her picture book, Grandma’s Gloves, won the California Book Award Gold Medal. Her short stories have been published in Strange Horizons, YARN, Tor.com, and various anthologies including, Teeth, After and Interfictions 2. She is the YA editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books, Children’s Correspondence Coordinator for The Rumpus and a two time Macdowell Fellow. She lives in Los Angeles.

Genre:
Teen Short Stories


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up


Books Similar to Geektastic:

• Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbleister
• 21 Proms edited by David Levithan & Daniel Ehrenhaft

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com

Grade 9 Up—From Trekkers to science geeks, Buffy fanatics to Dungeon Masters, nerds of all persuasions are sure to find themselves in the pages of this anthology. It contains fun reads such as Black and Castellucci's "Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way" in which a Klingon wakes with a Jedi in her hotel room while at a sci-fi convention, and Tracy Lynn's "One of Us," in which a cheerleader enlists the school nerds to teach her the basics of geekdom so she can impress her Trekker boyfriend. The collection also includes more profound fare such as Kelly Link's moving and masterful "Secret Identity" about a 15-year-old girl who has pretended to be her 32-year-old sister on an online RPG. She must face the consequences of her lies when she arranges to meet the man with whom she has developed a relationship. Also included are stories by YA lit greats such as John Green, Libba Bray, Scott Westerfeld, and M. T. Anderson. Each story is followed by a comic-book-style illustration offering information or advice such as "What Your Instrument Says About You" and "How to Look Cool and Not Drool in Front of Your Favorite Author." Simultaneously addressing the isolation and loneliness that geeks can feel as well as the sense of camaraderie and community that can be found when one embraces a world or ideology in which he or she can completely invest, Geektastic is a completely dorky and utterly worthwhile read.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Plot Summary:
 In this collection of short stories, one must ask: Zombies or Unicorns. Featuring stories from award-winning and popular YA authors, the question that has been nagging fantasy fans for decades is explored. For example, what if there really was an epic battle waged between both zombies and unicorns? Would the human race survive? Or what if one is already a zombie and having a tough time reconciling with the fact that we are not really human and, guess what, in love with human. How about the fact that is unicorns needed help from pure young maidens and they chose one of us because there was no one else left who met their demands? What about the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse? Is it possible for us to start all over again and pretend nothing every happened? Lastly, what if we wanted to check out the local "freak" show just to be near the hot guy we are crushing, only to find out that unicorns actually exist, but are not the pretty ponies we dreamed of. All of these questions are asked and no matter the result, there is always a chance that things could end perfectly or horrifically.  Despite the end result, the best part about it all, is that everyone will have an experience they will never, ever forget.

Critical Evaluation:
This is seriously one of the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Everything single one of these stories have their own flavor that keeps it alive and appealing to all readers. Unlike most anthologies, the editors provide a beautiful introduction to each story where readers not only get to learn about the author, but what he or she thinks about zombies and/or unicorns. I absolutely loved the one by Naomi Novik, entitled Purity Test, because the premise is so tongue-in-cheek and just plain creative. Although I am not an expert on unicorn folklore, I am pretty sure they never have had contact with human; they are the purest of the species and humans can ruin that innocence. Granted, the only way I know that is because I have watched the film, Legend, a million times, it makes sense why humans are not allowed near Unicorns. However, this belief is debunked because a unicorn needs the help of a female virgin to save the unicorn species. The question that is asked is: why? Furthermore, why did the unicorn approach a girl who, unfortunately, makes poor decisions, which is evident in the very first ten sentences of the story. The question that I had in my mind is what is the real definition of purity? Although popular culture states that being a virgin means one is not sexually active, but what about purity of the mind and soul? With all of the witty dialogue, is a serious discussion of what it means to be pure and how a little faith can go a long way. This is just an example of the brilliance that is in this collection and I am so going to use this collection when I begin my teen story time program!


Information about the Author:
According to their personal websites:

Holly has also been a frequent contributor to anthologies, and has co-edited three of them: Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci, 2009), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with Justine Larbalestier, 2010), and Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner, 2011). Her first collection of short fiction, Poison Eaters and Other Stories, came out in 2010 from Small Beer Press. She has just finished the third book in her Eisner-nominated graphic novel series, The Good Neighbors, and is working on Red Glove, the second novel in The Curse Workers series. White Cat, the first in the series, is out as of May 2010, and is about capers, curse magic, and memory.

Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

Justine Larbalestier FAQ:

Q: Where were you born?
A: Sydney, Australia. In Paddington Women’s Hospital, which is now a block of flats.

Q: How do you pronounce your surname?
A: Lar-bal-est-ee-air. It can also be pronounced Lar-bal-est-ee-ay or Lar-bal-est-ee-er. Those are all fine by me. Friends at school used to pronounce it: Lavaworm. I have to really like you to let you get away with that one, but.

Q: What’s it like living with another writer?
A: Wonderful. I’m very lucky because even if I wasn’t married to him I’d be a Scott Westerfeld fan. This way I get to read and comment on everything he writes first. He’s also a fabulous editor and reads and comments on all my work.

Q: Do you both write in the same room? Or do you have separate studies? Isn’t it annoying having someone else working so close by?

A: Mostly we write in the same room, sometimes not, though we’re always within shouting distance of one another. Scott and me travel a lot and write in many different places on our trusty and very transportable laptops. Magic or Madness was written in three different houses in Sydney, one in New York City and two in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Magic Lessons was written in two different houses in Sydney, one in New York City and one in Buenos Aires. Magic’s Child was written in San Miguel de Allende, Sydney and New York City. Liar was written in two different flats: one in NYC (the East Village) and the other in Sydney (Surry Hills).

It’s not even slightly annoying writing in the same room as Scott. We get to ask each other for synonyms, how to spell things, and whether Agnetha is an okay name for a character? (Apparently not.) It makes writing even more fun.

Q: What’s it like living in two countries?
A: (For those who don’t know, me and Scott spend half the year in Sydney, where I’m from, and half in NYC, where Scott has lived the majority of his life.)
Living in two places is most excellent. I have two sets of friends. Two sets of favourite restaurants. Two sets of everything really. When it’s six months at home and then six months in New York City I rarely get homesick and nor does Scott. Works out pefectly. Also lots of summer. I love me some summer.

Genre:
Teen Short Stories

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Zombies vs. Unicorns:

• 21 Proms edited by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft
• Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Catelluci

Awards & Recognition:


From Amazon.com

"Forget vampires vs. werewolves; the hottest feud is between fans of the fiercely magical horses and the shambling, brain-eating undead. . . . Who is the victor in this epic smackdown? Readers, of course!" - Kirkus Reviews

* "In this offbeat anthology, editors Black and Larbalestier embark upon a literary throw-down to determine which is superior: zombies or unicorns. . . . Without a clunker in the bunch, this anthology more than lives up to the potential its concept suggests. Zombies or unicorns? There's no clear winner, unless it's readers." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Who ultimately wins? To reuse an old joke: everyone." - Booklist

* "This is a must-have for fantasy collections.” - School Library Journal, starred review