Thursday, October 27, 2011
Does My Head Look Big in This?
by Randa Abdel-FattahAmal is a pretty average girl living in Australia, though she is pretty new at her snooty prep school, and it's a bit strange after being at a school that was rooted in the Muslim community for years. Despite wanting to blend in at McLean, she decides over the holidays to start wearing the hijab as a step farther into living her faith as a fuller part of her life. This is not met without resistance, let's just say...
Her parents, to begin with, are concerned about the opposition they fear she will encounter, and worry that it may hold her back because of how she will be perceived by others. Their worries aren't unfounded, and she does indeed encounter some nasty moments along the way. Her principal is not on board, to begin with, though her parents convince her to allow the addition to the school uniform.
Her own biggest worries come with her return to school and the dog-eat-dog social world of high school. For one thing, she is already a target of mean girl Tia and her friends. For another, she has a major crush on school cutie Adam. She has some rock-solid friends, but they do have some issues of their own that they are wrestling with, making Amal's struggles to fit in as an identifiably Muslim girl in a very white school only one of the issues that this book covers.
Amal is smart and sassy, and determined not to be defined or limited by people's perceptions. She sets out to inform the people who make clueless comments about the differences and similarities between Islam and other major religions, and to point out stereotypes and assumptions where they rear their ugly heads. She wins some people over this way - including Adam, who suddenly presents a new problem, when she realizes that what part of her wants, another part does not, for she is level-headed enough to remember that her religious beliefs about intimacy are more important to her than what her heart is telling her she wants with him.
In the end, the book sets out to expose and correct a lot of ignorant beliefs and assumptions, and does a fine job of it. The characters are likeable, and have the reader with them the whole way. And best of all, the author manages to make several good points, and make them strongly, without sacrificing any of the fun in this moving book about growing up Muslim in Australia to her message.
Labels: 2005, family, friendship, girly, good stuff, growing up, issues, set abroad, teen
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A Northern Light
by Jennifer DonnellyThis is one of those books I had heard about for years, from many people whose opinions I respect immensely, but never seemed to get to, until just now. It's a period piece, which is not always my style, and it's a weighty read, which for a slower reader like myself can be off-putting when my reading pile is so very tall, but I"m glad I finally took the time to delve into it.
The book opens with Mattie Gokey working at a summer holiday spot in upstate New York, where a body has just been pulled from the lake. The victim had given Mattie some letters to destroy before she went out on the fatal boat ride, and now Mattie has some choices to make as she uncovers some truths in those letters. This story unfolds in chapters that alternate with the chapters about how Mattie came to work there, despite the wishes of her stern father and an engagement that should have seen her home.
Mattie, we learn, is a bright girl who should, in the opinion of her teacher and best friend, be bound for a scholarship she has won at Barnard College with the assistance of her inspiring (but, it turns out, scandalous) teacher. She wants it so badly she can taste it, yet the money to get there seems impossible and worse, her father won't give her permission to go and leave him and her younger sisters behind. She is already torn between wishes and responsibility when Royal gets in the mix, asking her to marry him, and she is pulled in yet another direction by his handsome, solid self. Add to this the trials of her dearest friend, who sees the dreams he longs for fiercely go up in smoke, and in the end, she learns a few hard truths about men and women, about love and duty and destiny.
Mattie is one of those great girl characters, the ones full of spunk and longing and fight, the ones who we root for the whole way, whose frustrations are our frustrations, and she is the core of what makes this book great. There's a lot here, though. A lot about girls and position, a lot about what we want and why, a lot about living in another time, when you were defined by what you looked like and were told not to fight it.
All this, the experience, the realness of it, and the depth of the characters make for a read that pulls you in and stays with you well after you've closed the cover. Highly recommended, and a Printz Honor Book, to boot.
Labels: 2003, family, friendship, growing up, historical fiction, issues, loved it, teen
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Noah Barleywater Runs Away
by John BoyneDoubleday
978 0 385 67597 0
Something is wrong at Noah's home, and he decides to run away. He's not being mistreated, it's made clear, but the nature is a mystery that some readers will guess at before it is revealed at the end.
In any case, he is now on the road and encounters some strange people and situations along the way, landing finally at a strange toyshop built under a most unusual tree. There, he meets an old man who seems to understand a great deal about him. By the end of a very odd and thought-provoking day of magical happenings and meandering discussion, Noah has learned enough to change his perspective and decide to return home, and the reader has learned enough to piece together the pieces of this fairy-tale-inspired story.
The ending is satisfying, if not as surprising as it might have hoped to be, and the read has a decidedly fairy-tale quality, as mentioned above. How well it all worked, though, I'm not certain. I think it is perhaps too old for most children, or too determinedly offbeat, but that is John Boyne's style, and to be honest, I didn't love his famous title The Boy in Striped Pajamas, either. I have to call this one a book that some will enjoy and some not, because I really believe it's a case where taste will dictate more than anything whether you walk away liking it or not.
Labels: 2010, family, growing up, issues, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, slightly weird stuff
Friday, July 22, 2011
Emily the Strange: Stranger and Stranger
by Rob Reger and Buzz Parker
I've always kind of loved Emily the Strange... but until not that long ago, she was mostly a vague character to me. The new series of half-graph novels/diaries are delving further into the world and mind of Emily, and giving me a whole new appreciation. Being based on an already-successful character, these didn't have to be great to sell - but they are pretty darn good, to be honest. Way better than they have to be, which is a real treat to find!
This second installment is not quite as great as the first (my review of The Lost Days here), but still interesting and as amusingly twisted as you could hope for. This time, Emily successfully duplicates herself, only to find her mother initially unreceptive to this new twin, and soon enough, she isn't feeling so keen on the idea anymore either, as she discovers that this twin is more EvilMe than Emily, and has not only stolen her dark side, but her skating skills! She seeks help from her neighbour, a former spy trainer, and eventually hatches a plan to get rid of the twin and regain what she's lost...
As with The Lost Days, the book is funny, and Emily has unexpected cool little quirks that make her even more awesome. Definitely a worthwhile read, even for those who are not hardcore fans of the Strange!
Labels: 2010, family, friendship, siblings, slightly weird stuff, teen
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Namoi and Ely. Ely and Naomi. They were like ham and eggs. Or at least they were until the ham kissed the eggs' boyfriend and the eggs thought that was the last straw in a series of small petty annoyances and decided to draw a line in the home fried... so to speak.
What made me really excited for this book was that it's written by the same dynamic duo that brought us Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist which has to be one of my favourites, still. Different characters, but still, the chemistry! The problem is that while some of the same ups and downs and near misses are at work here, at its heart, this is the story of a breakup, while Nick & Nora was a love story, and that? Is so much more satisfying.
The writing is still tight, and the voices arch and interesting, but I must admit that I didn't love either character - neither is really someone you'd like, even if they are charismatic, and I wasn't really rooting for them the way I was for - well, you know, the other couple. So while I wouldn't say I really liked this, I would also have to say in fairness, that it was not what I was looking for either, which made me more disappointed than anything else about it.
Namoi and Ely. Ely and Naomi. They were like ham and eggs. Or at least they were until the ham kissed the eggs' boyfriend and the eggs thought that was the last straw in a series of small petty annoyances and decided to draw a line in the home fried... so to speak.
What made me really excited for this book was that it's written by the same dynamic duo that brought us Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist which has to be one of my favourites, still. Different characters, but still, the chemistry! The problem is that while some of the same ups and downs and near misses are at work here, at its heart, this is the story of a breakup, while Nick & Nora was a love story, and that? Is so much more satisfying.
The writing is still tight, and the voices arch and interesting, but I must admit that I didn't love either character - neither is really someone you'd like, even if they are charismatic, and I wasn't really rooting for them the way I was for - well, you know, the other couple. So while I wouldn't say I really liked this, I would also have to say in fairness, that it was not what I was looking for either, which made me more disappointed than anything else about it.
Labels: 2007, family, friendship, lukewarm, teen
Friday, September 24, 2010
Knucklehead:
Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka
by Jon Scieszka
Jon Scieszka, as you likely know, is one of the funnier authors around, and is also a huge proponent of finding the right books for boys to read. His own books have massive boy appeal, and he highlight a lot of others, as well as giving advice, on his website, Guys Read.
Like Gary Paulsen, whose hilarious How Angel Peterson Got His Name had me literally guffawing (and I don't do that often), Scieszka has been moved to write about what it was like growing up a rowdy boy among other rowdy boys. Thank goodness, because this book is funny - and explains a lot about how he became such a funny guy, himself.
The family stories and photos are, as those commercials like to put it, "priceless," being funny, revealing, and wonderful snapshots of the era he grew up in. The stories are full of humour, horseplay, and sometimes pain, with physical comedy looming large. It's not all slapstick, though, because these stories of his boyhood are also full of heart, reflecting the full range of chaos and love that coexist in a big family.
by Jon Scieszka
Jon Scieszka, as you likely know, is one of the funnier authors around, and is also a huge proponent of finding the right books for boys to read. His own books have massive boy appeal, and he highlight a lot of others, as well as giving advice, on his website, Guys Read.
Like Gary Paulsen, whose hilarious How Angel Peterson Got His Name had me literally guffawing (and I don't do that often), Scieszka has been moved to write about what it was like growing up a rowdy boy among other rowdy boys. Thank goodness, because this book is funny - and explains a lot about how he became such a funny guy, himself.
The family stories and photos are, as those commercials like to put it, "priceless," being funny, revealing, and wonderful snapshots of the era he grew up in. The stories are full of humour, horseplay, and sometimes pain, with physical comedy looming large. It's not all slapstick, though, because these stories of his boyhood are also full of heart, reflecting the full range of chaos and love that coexist in a big family.
Labels: 2008, family, good stuff, growing up, humour, middle grades, non-fiction, siblings
Bang, Bang, You're Dead!
by Narinder Dhami
After reading Todd Strasser's novel/indictment about school shootings, and in preparing to read an adult novel on the topic, I came across this book, and was surprised to find that it was British. Since we tend to think of school shootings as an american phenomenon, I was curious to see how it would be handled differently here.
The book alternates between the actual action of what is happening in the school and the reasons why Mia believes that her twin brother might be the one holding the gun, including a look back over their lives, beginning as very young children looking after themselves while their mentally ill mother lay in bed during the depressed phases of her bipolar cycles.
Mia is nearly certain that her twin is trying to both pay back a girl who bullied her and make her mother sit up and take notice of how her refusal to seek help is affecting the family. They are, after all, living on the brink, and Mia does not feel that she has the strength to deal with it, while she watches her brother become ever more distant and scornful.
During the school shooting, Mia is so certain it's her brother that rather than evacuate the school with her classmates, she runs toward the classroom held hostage, hoping to talk him down, only to find herself playing cat and mouse with the gunman, who she hears rather than sees until the last second.
This story has a twist ending that took me completely by surprise, and which I will not give away, but I will say that the British tradition of psychological thrillers and mysteries is definitely alive and well, even in teen fiction...
Labels: 2009, family, issues, teen
Fever Crumb
by Philip Reeve
To start, let me say that the post-apocalyptic setting is not one I am drawn to, and in fact it was the cover of this book and the description of it that drew me in - until I started reading, and found myself curious and, soon enough, invested in Fever's story.
Fever has always been told that she was found as a baby, and brought to live with the Order of Engineers, where she has been raised as one of them: logical, analytical, and dismissive of emotion. She ventures out into the world to assist an archeologist, who begins to turn her world upside down when he brings her to places that she remembers, in vivid detail, despite having lived her entire life with the Engineers. When she is spotted, with her mismatched eyes, by paranoid Londoners who believe her to be a remnant of the species who has lorded over them not long ago, she becomes hunted. Soon, her past, the city's past, and the strange memories become hopelessly intertwined, and she learns the truth about her birth, just as new forces invade the city. At the centre of the desires and fears of many and opposing forces, Fever managed to emerge safe, but thoroughly transformed.
Reeve is a skillful author who draws readers in quickly, building characters and setting up a scenario right away. The larger world around them comes out along the way, and was so fully imagined and so filled with clever details that I found myself becoming more and more curious about it. I am now on the lookout for more by him!
To start, let me say that the post-apocalyptic setting is not one I am drawn to, and in fact it was the cover of this book and the description of it that drew me in - until I started reading, and found myself curious and, soon enough, invested in Fever's story.
Fever has always been told that she was found as a baby, and brought to live with the Order of Engineers, where she has been raised as one of them: logical, analytical, and dismissive of emotion. She ventures out into the world to assist an archeologist, who begins to turn her world upside down when he brings her to places that she remembers, in vivid detail, despite having lived her entire life with the Engineers. When she is spotted, with her mismatched eyes, by paranoid Londoners who believe her to be a remnant of the species who has lorded over them not long ago, she becomes hunted. Soon, her past, the city's past, and the strange memories become hopelessly intertwined, and she learns the truth about her birth, just as new forces invade the city. At the centre of the desires and fears of many and opposing forces, Fever managed to emerge safe, but thoroughly transformed.
Reeve is a skillful author who draws readers in quickly, building characters and setting up a scenario right away. The larger world around them comes out along the way, and was so fully imagined and so filled with clever details that I found myself becoming more and more curious about it. I am now on the lookout for more by him!
Labels: 2009, family, good stuff, middle grades, sci fi
Friday, August 06, 2010
Publisher REview: Boom!
by Mark Haddon
(A foreword to this book notes that it is a rewrite of a long-ago-published book by the former title of Gridzbi Spudvetch!.)
This title by the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is full of action and silliness in equal measure right from the get-go, when Jimbo overhears his teachers exchanging words in another language and starts to snoop.
When it becomes clear that his teachers are not normal humans and are onto he and his friend, Charlie, the stakes climb, and things get dangerous, but when his friend disappears, he knows no adults will believe his story. He's on his own - except for a surprise last-minute addition to the mission.
What follows is funny and fast-paced, and reminds me a bit of a Daniel Pinkwater, or even a slightly (and I mean slightly) toned-down Douglas Adams written for kids. Totally enjoyable, and a great read across the board, though it does have the benefit of great boy appeal.
(A foreword to this book notes that it is a rewrite of a long-ago-published book by the former title of Gridzbi Spudvetch!.)
This title by the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is full of action and silliness in equal measure right from the get-go, when Jimbo overhears his teachers exchanging words in another language and starts to snoop.
When it becomes clear that his teachers are not normal humans and are onto he and his friend, Charlie, the stakes climb, and things get dangerous, but when his friend disappears, he knows no adults will believe his story. He's on his own - except for a surprise last-minute addition to the mission.
What follows is funny and fast-paced, and reminds me a bit of a Daniel Pinkwater, or even a slightly (and I mean slightly) toned-down Douglas Adams written for kids. Totally enjoyable, and a great read across the board, though it does have the benefit of great boy appeal.
Labels: 2010, action/adventure, family, friendship, loved it, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, sci fi
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Publisher Review: Wave
by Eric Walters
Eric Walters, it seems, is finding his niche in writing sensitive takes on major disasters and making a plausible story of one family's experience in that setting. He takes that same direction here, writing the story of a family vacation in Phuket, Thailand, that is turned quite literally on its head with the massive tsunami that wreaked havoc on the Indian Ocean in December 2004.
The writing is believable, and while he does take on some difficult moments, he carefully treads the line between allowing some of the tragedy to occur, making the story truer to life, versus bringing too much to his main characters, which the reader has come to know. It's a balance, and mostly he does it well, though I do sometimes think the happy ending is not always the best for the story.
Walters' level of detail is strong, and he has clearly done his research, both in how tsunamis happen and in what it was like that day, as he writes compelling description that meshes with what video and photos of the day show, as well.
If you have a child who is fascinated by disasters or wants something with a little true-to-life action and danger, this would fit the bill nicely.
Eric Walters, it seems, is finding his niche in writing sensitive takes on major disasters and making a plausible story of one family's experience in that setting. He takes that same direction here, writing the story of a family vacation in Phuket, Thailand, that is turned quite literally on its head with the massive tsunami that wreaked havoc on the Indian Ocean in December 2004.
The writing is believable, and while he does take on some difficult moments, he carefully treads the line between allowing some of the tragedy to occur, making the story truer to life, versus bringing too much to his main characters, which the reader has come to know. It's a balance, and mostly he does it well, though I do sometimes think the happy ending is not always the best for the story.
Walters' level of detail is strong, and he has clearly done his research, both in how tsunamis happen and in what it was like that day, as he writes compelling description that meshes with what video and photos of the day show, as well.
If you have a child who is fascinated by disasters or wants something with a little true-to-life action and danger, this would fit the bill nicely.
Labels: 2009, action/adventure, Canadian, family, growing up, lukewarm, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, set abroad, siblings
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline
An Enola Holmes Mystery
by Nancy Springer
This is the fifth installment of the terrific Enola Holmes series of mysteries, which I have been enjoying enormously.
Enola is the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, who is on the run and living on her own in Victorian London, depending on her wits, facility for disguise, and her intimate knowledge of society.
When her landlady, who she has grown close to, is kidnapped, she leaps into action, trying to discover who has kidnapped her, and why. Once she discovers the root of the long-ago misunderstanding that led to this, she takes on the baddies to rescue her landlady, and ensure her future safety.
None of this is cut-and-dried, however, for she also risks exposing herself, and her brother is tangled up in the case, being a famous detective and all. She manages to escape her brothers again, but by the end, finds she will have to change her living situation to stay one step ahead of them. (This is, for the record, not a terrible spoiler about the mystery itself!)
One additional twist is added in this story - Springer has included a figure from history, blending truth and imagination in equal measure to create a likeable character. She notes at the end how much is real and how much invented, but it's a fun bit of speculation to engage in for the sake of the plot!
These books are terrific fun and a great read for someone who likes a spunky female heroine.
by Nancy Springer
This is the fifth installment of the terrific Enola Holmes series of mysteries, which I have been enjoying enormously.
Enola is the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, who is on the run and living on her own in Victorian London, depending on her wits, facility for disguise, and her intimate knowledge of society.
When her landlady, who she has grown close to, is kidnapped, she leaps into action, trying to discover who has kidnapped her, and why. Once she discovers the root of the long-ago misunderstanding that led to this, she takes on the baddies to rescue her landlady, and ensure her future safety.
None of this is cut-and-dried, however, for she also risks exposing herself, and her brother is tangled up in the case, being a famous detective and all. She manages to escape her brothers again, but by the end, finds she will have to change her living situation to stay one step ahead of them. (This is, for the record, not a terrible spoiler about the mystery itself!)
One additional twist is added in this story - Springer has included a figure from history, blending truth and imagination in equal measure to create a likeable character. She notes at the end how much is real and how much invented, but it's a fun bit of speculation to engage in for the sake of the plot!
These books are terrific fun and a great read for someone who likes a spunky female heroine.
Labels: 2009, action/adventure, family, good stuff, growing up, historical fiction, suspense
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Bride's Farewell
by Meg Rosoff
Pell is intended to marry a boy with whom she has a great friendshp, but no love. In fact, though she is of age and from a terribly poor family, and despite the fact that marrying him would represent an improvement in her life, she has no wish to marry at all, and decides to run away and see if she can't find a way to ply the farrier's trade that she has learned growing up or make money from her gift for working with horses. As she leaves, her brother, a mute half-brother, presents himself and asks in his way to go with her.
The two set out on the road, with little to no resources outside of a horse, a woollen shawl, and a few pennies. They live in rough times in a rural area, so while they receive a few small kindnesses, most people view them as suspicious or as potential victims, so they must be careful.
She does meet someone promising at one point, hangs her hopes on him, only to be disappointed when he leaves the city without paying her his due. Meanwhile, her brother follows him, so by the time she returns from a small errand, she has lost brother, horse, and hopes of money.
How she fares on her own, searching for both the man who has wronged her and her lost brother, makes for a tale with many twists and turns, heart-catching moments, disappointments, and small victories. Perhaps Pell's most amazing gift is her tenacity, and she proves herself made of the very iron she knows how to mold as she faces one trial and another.
The book is, of course, lovely, as Rosoff is a terrific writer, and the end is, not to give much away, one that left me satisfied without being so miraculously happy as to ring false.
Pell is intended to marry a boy with whom she has a great friendshp, but no love. In fact, though she is of age and from a terribly poor family, and despite the fact that marrying him would represent an improvement in her life, she has no wish to marry at all, and decides to run away and see if she can't find a way to ply the farrier's trade that she has learned growing up or make money from her gift for working with horses. As she leaves, her brother, a mute half-brother, presents himself and asks in his way to go with her.
The two set out on the road, with little to no resources outside of a horse, a woollen shawl, and a few pennies. They live in rough times in a rural area, so while they receive a few small kindnesses, most people view them as suspicious or as potential victims, so they must be careful.
She does meet someone promising at one point, hangs her hopes on him, only to be disappointed when he leaves the city without paying her his due. Meanwhile, her brother follows him, so by the time she returns from a small errand, she has lost brother, horse, and hopes of money.
How she fares on her own, searching for both the man who has wronged her and her lost brother, makes for a tale with many twists and turns, heart-catching moments, disappointments, and small victories. Perhaps Pell's most amazing gift is her tenacity, and she proves herself made of the very iron she knows how to mold as she faces one trial and another.
The book is, of course, lovely, as Rosoff is a terrific writer, and the end is, not to give much away, one that left me satisfied without being so miraculously happy as to ring false.
Labels: 2009, action/adventure, family, good stuff, growing up, historical fiction, middle grades, Publisher Reviews
Monday, May 03, 2010
The Remarkable Adventures of Tom Scatterhorn
: The Museum's Secret (Publisher Review)
by Henry Chancellor
This book is on the face of it in the vein of the Night at the Museum movies - Tom Scatterhorn's father seems to go a little bonkers, and then disappears, so tom is sent to live with his aunt and uncle while his mother goes to find his father. They live, of course, in the strange, spooky old Scatterhorn Museum, where strange, spooky things seem to be afoot.
This is not enough, however, so there is also a portal to the past, which may also be played out in a scale model of the town at that time, some 100 years ago, when the museum was first being built and opened by Sir Henry Scatterhorn and his genius taxidermist friend, August Catcher.
Add to this also a strange life-giving serum, "the divine spark" and a pair of odd characters who also seem to be traveling through time hunting for the bottle and ready to destroy Tom for it, some strange goings-on in Mongolia that involve Tom's parents, and the second-largest uncut sapphire in the world, and you have a LOT going on in this book.
It's not short, but it's packed, and it feels like a few threads were left untied at the end. Whether this spells sequel or just the fact that it was too much to keep track of is really not clear, but i could hardly blame the author for dropping one or two lesser plotlines, given the number that do find themselves neatly wound up.
The book did not immediately grab me, to be honest, but after a few chapters, began to pick up, when Tom begins to wander the museum a bit and you get a sense of where this is going. Once it does get going, there is plenty of suspense and action, though I did at times find it confusing with the hopping around in time and the references to the town model and the large eagle that seems to go unexplained even at the end. It had large sections that were great fun, but I think this is one for a dedicated reader or one really looking for a time travel or museum adventure.
by Henry Chancellor
This book is on the face of it in the vein of the Night at the Museum movies - Tom Scatterhorn's father seems to go a little bonkers, and then disappears, so tom is sent to live with his aunt and uncle while his mother goes to find his father. They live, of course, in the strange, spooky old Scatterhorn Museum, where strange, spooky things seem to be afoot.
This is not enough, however, so there is also a portal to the past, which may also be played out in a scale model of the town at that time, some 100 years ago, when the museum was first being built and opened by Sir Henry Scatterhorn and his genius taxidermist friend, August Catcher.
Add to this also a strange life-giving serum, "the divine spark" and a pair of odd characters who also seem to be traveling through time hunting for the bottle and ready to destroy Tom for it, some strange goings-on in Mongolia that involve Tom's parents, and the second-largest uncut sapphire in the world, and you have a LOT going on in this book.
It's not short, but it's packed, and it feels like a few threads were left untied at the end. Whether this spells sequel or just the fact that it was too much to keep track of is really not clear, but i could hardly blame the author for dropping one or two lesser plotlines, given the number that do find themselves neatly wound up.
The book did not immediately grab me, to be honest, but after a few chapters, began to pick up, when Tom begins to wander the museum a bit and you get a sense of where this is going. Once it does get going, there is plenty of suspense and action, though I did at times find it confusing with the hopping around in time and the references to the town model and the large eagle that seems to go unexplained even at the end. It had large sections that were great fun, but I think this is one for a dedicated reader or one really looking for a time travel or museum adventure.
Labels: 2008, action/adventure, enh, family, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, slightly weird stuff, suspense
Sunday, May 02, 2010
It's Kind of a Funny Story
by Ned Vizzini
Craig is suffering from clinical depression, and feeling the tiredness, the inability to eat, the insomnia, and the disheartened emotional state that go with it. Like being a teenager isn't sucky enough, especially when your best (and maybe only) friend is with the girl you're in love with and you have to watch them together all the time.
Then one night, it just all seems too much, and he seriously contemplates suicide. The suicide hotline tells him to go to the nearest emergency room, where he then goes to an adult psychiatric wing and stays for several days. While there he talks to other patients and to doctors, and learns some things about himself, his medications, his friends and that girl, and other people's problems. He starts to feel connected again, more like himself, and feel like here are some changes he has to make to keep the positive momentum going. By the time he gets out, he's ready to try the world again, ending on a positive, or at least cautiously optimistic, note.
At the end of the book it notes that Vizzini spent five days in a psychiatric hospital as a young man, and started writing this book one week later. That did not come as a complete surprise, as everything about life on a psych ward rang true in this book - something I know from visiting a close relative there on more than one occasion.
It all adds up to a really great teen novel - one with parts about finding yourself, about growing up, about stuff that teen boys think about, and that throws in a real experience, though hopefully one not too many teens will have to live themselves.
Craig is suffering from clinical depression, and feeling the tiredness, the inability to eat, the insomnia, and the disheartened emotional state that go with it. Like being a teenager isn't sucky enough, especially when your best (and maybe only) friend is with the girl you're in love with and you have to watch them together all the time.
Then one night, it just all seems too much, and he seriously contemplates suicide. The suicide hotline tells him to go to the nearest emergency room, where he then goes to an adult psychiatric wing and stays for several days. While there he talks to other patients and to doctors, and learns some things about himself, his medications, his friends and that girl, and other people's problems. He starts to feel connected again, more like himself, and feel like here are some changes he has to make to keep the positive momentum going. By the time he gets out, he's ready to try the world again, ending on a positive, or at least cautiously optimistic, note.
At the end of the book it notes that Vizzini spent five days in a psychiatric hospital as a young man, and started writing this book one week later. That did not come as a complete surprise, as everything about life on a psych ward rang true in this book - something I know from visiting a close relative there on more than one occasion.
It all adds up to a really great teen novel - one with parts about finding yourself, about growing up, about stuff that teen boys think about, and that throws in a real experience, though hopefully one not too many teens will have to live themselves.
Labels: 2006, family, friendship, good stuff, growing up, issues, teen
Friday, April 23, 2010
Publisher Review: When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
This first caught my attention because it is last year's Newbery winner, and I try to make sure I hit those big titles amidst my reading. The jacket blurb sounded decidedly strange, leaving more questions than anything, and it seemed like this was one you'd have to read to get, as if it was defying attempts to describe it.
It didn't grab me on the first few pages, to be honest. But once I started further in, and started to care about the characters and be curious about where the story was going, it became a series of events that were a little strange, full of hints, and weaving their way slowly towards a fascinating conclusion.
It's definitely a book for older children - it contains some minor violence, some abstract concepts, and a horrible accident, and would just fly over the heads of younger children. But for the child who can follow it and stick with it through the first little bit as it gets going, it holds rich rewards. It's a book that has stuck with me after I closed it, a sure sign of a worthwhile read.
This first caught my attention because it is last year's Newbery winner, and I try to make sure I hit those big titles amidst my reading. The jacket blurb sounded decidedly strange, leaving more questions than anything, and it seemed like this was one you'd have to read to get, as if it was defying attempts to describe it.
It didn't grab me on the first few pages, to be honest. But once I started further in, and started to care about the characters and be curious about where the story was going, it became a series of events that were a little strange, full of hints, and weaving their way slowly towards a fascinating conclusion.
It's definitely a book for older children - it contains some minor violence, some abstract concepts, and a horrible accident, and would just fly over the heads of younger children. But for the child who can follow it and stick with it through the first little bit as it gets going, it holds rich rewards. It's a book that has stuck with me after I closed it, a sure sign of a worthwhile read.
Labels: 2009, family, friendship, good stuff, growing up, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, slightly weird stuff
Friday, February 26, 2010
Airman
by Eoin Colfer
This book of historical fiction by the author of the Artemis Fowl series is far different from what I am used to from him, so those who didn't like the fantasy series (I'm looking at you here, Sue) would, I think, enjoy this stand-alone novel.
There is no magic or fantasy element, here, and the story is slower to get started, but once the action begins, Colfer's excellent writing takes you along on a ride. Even then, the action is slower, more plotting and working inch by inch to a goal, the suspense stretched taut by danger rather than flat-out action.
The character is different, too, a boy who has grown up with a mentor who teaches him discipline and patience as he teaches him fencing and other fighting techniques, as well as working together with him to try and create the first heavier-than-air flying machine. This makes him a quietly dangerous character, and far more mature. His emotions are deeper, and on the whole, it makes the book seem right for an older, more serious, or more mature reader.
On the whole, though it is less obviously "fun" than the Fowl books, this not only kept me on the edge of my seat until the resolution just a scant few pages from the end, but also stuck with me more. This may work as well as a YA book as it does for older middle grades.
This book of historical fiction by the author of the Artemis Fowl series is far different from what I am used to from him, so those who didn't like the fantasy series (I'm looking at you here, Sue) would, I think, enjoy this stand-alone novel.
There is no magic or fantasy element, here, and the story is slower to get started, but once the action begins, Colfer's excellent writing takes you along on a ride. Even then, the action is slower, more plotting and working inch by inch to a goal, the suspense stretched taut by danger rather than flat-out action.
The character is different, too, a boy who has grown up with a mentor who teaches him discipline and patience as he teaches him fencing and other fighting techniques, as well as working together with him to try and create the first heavier-than-air flying machine. This makes him a quietly dangerous character, and far more mature. His emotions are deeper, and on the whole, it makes the book seem right for an older, more serious, or more mature reader.
On the whole, though it is less obviously "fun" than the Fowl books, this not only kept me on the edge of my seat until the resolution just a scant few pages from the end, but also stuck with me more. This may work as well as a YA book as it does for older middle grades.
Labels: 2008, action/adventure, family, good stuff, historical fiction, middle grades
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan
An Enola Holmes Mystery
By Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is another series I am really enjoying, this one still full of action and suspense, but more girl-oriented, if not all that girly.
(Follow links for my reviews of books #1 and #2.)
Enola is the runaway younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, who would see her contained and cultured in a girls' school, much against her unconventional wishes. Instead, she is solving mysteries herself, and has rather a knack for it.
In this fourth installment, she runs into and thwarts both brothers in turn, even helping Sherlock and working with him a little, as he is on the same case as she. This causes her a little distress, as she finds herself softening toward him, and seems to think she perceives the same in him, which makes her wonder if it might be possible one day to reconcile, leaving her less alone.
This doesn't dull her acuity one bit, though, and she uses a combination of smarts and inside knowledge of the feminine world to help her save the day once again.
I am interested, though, to see how that relationship will develop a little further in the next book!
By Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is another series I am really enjoying, this one still full of action and suspense, but more girl-oriented, if not all that girly.
(Follow links for my reviews of books #1 and #2.)
Enola is the runaway younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, who would see her contained and cultured in a girls' school, much against her unconventional wishes. Instead, she is solving mysteries herself, and has rather a knack for it.
In this fourth installment, she runs into and thwarts both brothers in turn, even helping Sherlock and working with him a little, as he is on the same case as she. This causes her a little distress, as she finds herself softening toward him, and seems to think she perceives the same in him, which makes her wonder if it might be possible one day to reconcile, leaving her less alone.
This doesn't dull her acuity one bit, though, and she uses a combination of smarts and inside knowledge of the feminine world to help her save the day once again.
I am interested, though, to see how that relationship will develop a little further in the next book!
Labels: 2008, family, girly, good stuff, historical fiction, middle grades, suspense
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Theodosia, books I and II
by R.L. LaFevers
This is a new series that follows the recent trend for mythology in chapter books - a direction in fantasy that I love, as straight up fantasy was never really my thing, but this fusion of classical myths and fiction is really speaking to me.
Here, a young girl spends most of her life wandering around a London museum of antiquities, thanks to her obsessive and somewhat absent-minded archeologist parents. She has spent loads of time learning about the classics and Egyptology, particularly on some obscure books about Egyptian magic. It's a good thing, too, since she seems to be the only one who can sense the curses and spells, so she takes it upon herself to rid the objects of them and keep the museum safe. Though this starts leading her into some odd situations...
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
A tall order for a young girl? Yes, she thinks so, too, but is determined that if it means saving England, she must find a way. A more clever and plucky heroine you could never want, and between her exploits and her funny aside comments, the book is loads of fun.
Life is just returning to normal after her first adventure, when Theodosia runs into new trouble almost immediately. She is cleaning out the basement, when she finds an interesting staff, and pops the two pieces together. Next morning, all the mummies in London have congregated in the museum! They are mostly moved back, but reappear the next day, and then the next, bringing suspicion upon Theo's dad. It's not until the next evening that she puts two and two together to realize that the staff is the problem, and lets Lord Wigmere know about it. None too soon, it turns out, for not only are the Serpents of Chaos society after it, but both a new secret society and a pesky and persistent governess have appeared and are seriously hampering her efforts to save the day.
Once again, a rousing tale of near misses, sneaking messages, precious artifacts, crazy curses, and wild adventure - I devoured this book in a mere couple of days, which is pretty impressively riveting for a slow reader like myself.
Now I can't wait for the Third book, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus to come out, in April!
Meanwhile, perhaps I should give her book about Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist a try.
Labels: 2008, action/adventure, family, growing up, historical fiction, loved it, middle grades, set abroad, witches and wizards
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Publisher Review: The Magician's Elephant
by Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo is almost a sure-fire winner when it comes to middle-grade fiction, but having been a few years since I last read her, I could only remember general impressions about what was so special about her writing when I picked this up. I knew I enjoyed her, recalled that she was really good at creating a mood, and it seemed to me that there was something old-fashioned about her storytelling. And so, like most people in the kidslit world, I was eager to read this latest offering.
When I started, I remembered immediately what makes her writing amazing - she uses language gorgeously, reveling unabashedly in words, and never shying away from using a word that a child will need to ask about. a strong or confident reader will usually pick up the meaning from context, but a reader-aloud may have to explain a word or two, or there may be some looking up, but with her stories being so magical, I don't think it's off-putting, and find it rather a great thing that she may be good enough to entice kids to do that just to stay with her when they need to! Talk about your vocab booster.
The language is not the whole of the story, of course, but one of the ways she helps create an overall atmosphere, which she does beautifully. In this case, there is magic in the air, magic strong enough the swirl through an otherwise depressingly heavy winter. This magic in the town begins with a magician's incredible but unfortunate trick, and gives way to a sense that anything is possible.
Dreams, prophetic dreams, start to bloom in the sleeping minds of the populace, drawing many of them into being part of an unfolding story. it is a strange story, an impossible story, but with the help of the dreams, with the help of a new sense of wonder, the people follow along with it and help it come true.
It's a slightly odd book, this one, but for a child who is willing to dream, who loves a good ending, who loves a beautifully told tale, it's just a lovely book to share and immerse yourself in.
Kate DiCamillo is almost a sure-fire winner when it comes to middle-grade fiction, but having been a few years since I last read her, I could only remember general impressions about what was so special about her writing when I picked this up. I knew I enjoyed her, recalled that she was really good at creating a mood, and it seemed to me that there was something old-fashioned about her storytelling. And so, like most people in the kidslit world, I was eager to read this latest offering.
When I started, I remembered immediately what makes her writing amazing - she uses language gorgeously, reveling unabashedly in words, and never shying away from using a word that a child will need to ask about. a strong or confident reader will usually pick up the meaning from context, but a reader-aloud may have to explain a word or two, or there may be some looking up, but with her stories being so magical, I don't think it's off-putting, and find it rather a great thing that she may be good enough to entice kids to do that just to stay with her when they need to! Talk about your vocab booster.
The language is not the whole of the story, of course, but one of the ways she helps create an overall atmosphere, which she does beautifully. In this case, there is magic in the air, magic strong enough the swirl through an otherwise depressingly heavy winter. This magic in the town begins with a magician's incredible but unfortunate trick, and gives way to a sense that anything is possible.
Dreams, prophetic dreams, start to bloom in the sleeping minds of the populace, drawing many of them into being part of an unfolding story. it is a strange story, an impossible story, but with the help of the dreams, with the help of a new sense of wonder, the people follow along with it and help it come true.
It's a slightly odd book, this one, but for a child who is willing to dream, who loves a good ending, who loves a beautifully told tale, it's just a lovely book to share and immerse yourself in.
Labels: 2009, family, good stuff, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, siblings, slightly weird stuff
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Publisher Review: Umbrella Summer
by Lisa Graff
Annie is, to put it mildly, a worrier. She has good reason, she thinks, because you just never know. They didn't know anything was wrong with her brother Jared until he died, and he was only 11. Sure, these things might be rare, but clearly they happen, and she is determined to live firmly on the safe side, even reading up on new dangers to look out for.
Annie is, to put it mildly, a worrier. She has good reason, she thinks, because you just never know. They didn't know anything was wrong with her brother Jared until he died, and he was only 11. Sure, these things might be rare, but clearly they happen, and she is determined to live firmly on the safe side, even reading up on new dangers to look out for.
Annie doesn't really realize that she is reacting, but she does know she hates the worried, pitying looks she gets from everyone, and and she knows her parents are acting strangely, her dad mostly disconnected, and her mother cleaning and refusing to talk about Jared.
It's not until her friend's hamster dies and she simply cannot be there for her and attend the rodent's funeral that things start to become both better and worse. For one thing, her friend Rebeccas is so hurt at her lack of support that she won't talk to Annie, who is miserable and blows up at a public event. On the other hand, she becomes friendly with the new neighbour, an older woman who has her own loss to face and who makes a part of that journey with Annie.
In the end, the new neighbour not only helps heal the rift between Annie and Rebecca, but points out to Annie that her healing is stalled, using the comparison that gives the book its title: Annie has been walking around with her "umbrella" open to prevent herself from getting wet, but in protecting herself, she is keeping herself from enjoying the sun. It's time, she says, to start closing the umbrella and find out about the other things around her. It's a message that Annie not only takes to heart for herself, but shares with Jared's best friend and brings home to her parents, leading her to help them with their own healing, too.
If you'd like to read a little for yourself to get a feel for this book and character, check out an excerpt, here.
Labels: 2009, family, friendship, growing up, issues, loved it, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, siblings
