20.2 - Rookie at the Top - Connie's task: The Nutcracker

[Kristina Simon]

20.2 - Rookie on Top - Connie's task: The Nutcracker
"The Nutcracker" ballet is a holiday favorite for many families. It can involve casting hundreds of people, from young children to older adults, in a professional production. This task involves auditioning for one of these roles. No dancing is required, just read one book from the following options:

1. Clara and Fritz, the Stahlbaum children
Read a book where a child is a main character. For the purposes of this task, a child is defined as someone who is 18 years old or younger. Examples: The Hunger Games, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

2. Herr Drosselmeyer, a toymaker and magician
Read a book that contains magical realism. Magical realism must show up as a genre on the book's main GRs page. Examples: Garden Spells, Like Water for Chocolate.

3. The Nutcracker and the Soldiers of the Nutcracker
Read a book with the word "soldier" in the title or subtitle (series names DO NOT count). Plural and possessive are allowed but no other variations. Or read a book with soldiers as important characters. For the purposes of this task, the "soldier" can be in any branch of the U.S. military (not just Army) or a member of the official military of another country (i.e., terrorist groups and kidnapped young boys that may be fighters are excluded). The soldier may be active duty or a veteran. The book can be fiction or nonfiction. Example: The Soldier's Wife, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

4. The Snow Queen and the Snowflakes
Read a book with the word "snow" in the title or subtitle (series names DO NOT count). Variations will work as long as the word "snow" is intact. Examples: Whiter Than Snow, Snow Falling on Cedars, Snowfall. OR read a book by an author whose first or last name begins with one of these letters S, N, O, W. Examples: Walter Mosley, Lisa See.

Required: Identify the part you tried out for when you post.

[Connie]

Approved Books:
Anya's Ghost for #1
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake for #2
The Night Circus for #2
Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket for #1 or #4
To Kill a Mockingbird for #1
The Secret Life of Bees for #1
The Kite Runner for #1
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for #1
Between Shades of Gray for #1
Boundaries with Teens: When to Say Yes, How to Say No for #1
One Was a Soldier for #3 and #4
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away for #1 and #4
Girl in Translation for #1
The Book Thief for #1
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time for #1
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow for #4
The Snow Spider for #4
Vietnam #1: I Pledge Allegiance for #3
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for #1
Once Upon a Riverfor #1
Those Who Save Us for #1 or #3
Beyond the Deepwoods for #1

[Connie]

Not Approved:

[Kristina Simon]

This thread is now open.

[mstan]

Hi Connie, I hope Anya's Ghost works for option 1?

[Chris]

Would

Would this be OK for #3? It's listed as Childrens - Middle Grades.

[Randi]

I love this task, Connie! I just saw the Nutcracker for the first time last weekend. I loved it (my husband, not so much lol). I'm between #2 Herr Drosselmeyer - The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The Night Circus.

[Connie]

mstan wrote: "Hi Connie, I hope Anya's Ghost works for option 1?"

Yes, it looks like a fun book.

[Connie]

Randi wrote: "I love this task, Connie! I just saw the Nutcracker for the first time last weekend. I loved it (my husband, not so much lol). I'm between #2 Herr Drosselmeyer - [book:The Particular Sadness of Lem..."

Either book would work for Magical Realism.

I know what you mean about the husbands and ballet. The only ones he would attend were the ballets my oldest daughter danced in when she was a little girl, and he was the proud Dad watching :)

[Randi]

Connie wrote: "Randi wrote: "I love this task, Connie! I just saw the Nutcracker for the first time last weekend. I loved it (my husband, not so much lol). I'm between #2 Herr Drosselmeyer - [book:The Particular ..."

Thanks, Connie! Awww, that's sweet! :) When we get around to having kids, if we have a daughter, I'm hoping she'll want to do dance or skating or gymnastics. Hopefully my non-athletic genes will skip a generation. ;)

[Connie]

Chris wrote: "Would

Would this be OK for #3? It's listed as Childrens - Middle Grades."

The rules of the challenge state that young reader books are limited to 5, 10, and 15 point tasks. I checked out the book on Amazon and it said that the age level for this book is 8 and up, and the grade level is 3 and up. It looks like a great book for kids, but I can't approve it for this 20 point task.

Correction: Middle-grade books are allowed if they don't have an "easy reader" format.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Any of the Series of Unfortunate Events series of work?

[Connie]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Any of the Series of Unfortunate Events series of work?"

Yes, the series would work because they have children in them, and Lemony Snicket's name starts with a "S". Because of the young adult humor and word play in the books, I would consider them to be YA as well as childrens.

[Sarah]

Would work for either 1 or 4? The first book is called The Snow Spider, but I have the Compilation, so would I have to read the whole book or could I just read the first part, which would equal book 1?

[Connie]

Sarah wrote: "Would work for either 1 or 4? The first book is called The Snow Spider, but I have the Compilation, so would I have to read the whole book or could I just..."

I checked out the first book on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, and this book is written on an age 9, 4th grade level with no mention of it being a young adult book. That type of book can only be used for 5, 10, and 15 point tasks. Since this is a 20 point task, I can't approve it. I'm sorry but the task is for a book with children in the book, not for a book written for children.

Correction: Middle-grade books are allowed if they don't have an "easy reader" format.

[♥Meagan♥]

I thought Young Reader books were like the Baby Sitter's club, not middle grades books?

Now I'm all confused on the rules :(

[Connie]

Here's a few more examples of YA or adult books with children in them:
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Secret Life of Bees
The Kite Runner
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Between Shades of Gray
Hope that helps.

[Sarah]

Thanks Connie, how about Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow for option 4 in that case?

[Heather]

For option 1...would a non fiction book work? Like Boundaries with Teens: When to Say Yes, How to Say No?

Thanks!

Heather KS

[Jessica]

I'm going with One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming - I didn't get to this one in the fall challenge so this is a great place to slot it in for winter!

[Connie]

Sarah wrote: "Thanks Connie, how about Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow for option 4 in that case?"

That's perfect, and looks like a really cool book!

[Connie]

Heather KS wrote: "For option 1...would a non fiction book work? Like Boundaries with Teens: When to Say Yes, How to Say No?

Thanks!

Heather KS"

I'll take it. I would imagine the author would be giving examples or case studies of teenagers in the book.

[Connie]

Jessica wrote: "I'm going with One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming - I didn't get to this one in the fall challenge so this is a great place to slot it in for winter!"

Good choice.

[Dee]

I highly recommend Between Shades of Gray - it was one of my few 5 star reads this year

another YA one that I enjoyed was Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away - i didn't YA on the shelf, but the main character (Blessing) is 11 during most of the book

[Connie]

♥Meagan♥ wrote: "I thought Young Reader books were like the Baby Sitter's club, not middle grades books?

Now I'm all confused on the rules :("

It is sometimes hard to know where to draw the line so I'm trying to go by the Rules of the Challenge: Effective Winter 2011, and read what the publishers are saying about the book. There are lots of opportunities to use the younger books in the 5, 10, and 15 point tasks. The moderators used Little Women as a classic children/young adult book that would be OK for a 20 point task, and it has more sophisticated language than the younger books.

Correction: Middle-grade books are allowed if they don't have an "easy reader" format.

[Connie]

Here's a few more suggestions of books with children as characters for #1:
Girl in Translation
The Book Thief
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

[Heather]

Thanks Connie! Yes it is full of personal anecdotes on how they handled their teens and how we can, too. Thanks!

Heather in KS

[Connie]

The mods gave us guidelines about what is an Easy Reader book, and Middle-grade shelved books are considered OK. So I will approve The Snow Spider and Vietnam #1: I Pledge Allegiance. Sorry for the confusion.

[Connie]

Sarah wrote: "Would work for either 1 or 4? The first book is called The Snow Spider, but I have the Compilation, so would I have to read the whole book or could I just..."

This is now approved per the message above. But when you read an element isolated from an aggregate work, you must include a link to the book you actually read and provide a link to a separately published work that relates to the isolated title. So post both with an explanation of what you read. Thanks.

[Izzy]

I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
in my local book club can I include it in this task .
thanks
Huck escapes his violent father by faking his own death and he teams up eith an escaped convict.

[Connie]

Izzy wrote: "I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
in my local book club can I include it in this task .
thanks
Huck escapes his violent father by..."

Yes. It's a wonderful classic book, great for a book discussion.

[Izzy]

Connie wrote: "Izzy wrote: "I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
in my local book club can I include it in this task .
thanks
Huck escapes his v..."

thanks does look like a good book

[N.]

I'll be reading Once Upon a River for Option 1; the protagonist is 15.

[Connie]

Nonodisco wrote: "I'll be reading Once Upon a River for Option 1; the protagonist is 15."

Good choice. I've got that book on my TBR list too.

[Carla]

I am reading Those Who Save Us - the primary character recalls her childhood in nazi germany, so it's about 50% about a kid, but if that doesn't work there is an SS officer as a primary character too. Just wanted to make sure that I can use this for either option #1, or #3 if that doesn't work

[Connie]

Yes, you could use it for either #1 or #3. It sounds like an interesting book.

[Kathy G.]

Kathy G.

Would this book work for option 1?

Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart.
Twig is about 13 years old, though it doesn't say it there.

***sorry I did not link it-- the add book/author button isn't working for me, for some reason ***

[Connie]

Kathy G., "Beyond the Deepwoods" will be fine.

I can't link books today either. I found out from one of my other groups that Goodreads is no longer using Amazon as a data source, and is importing from another data source this week. So it looks like we're in the middle of the changeover.

[Kathy G.]

Thanks :-)