The Hero Revealed by William Boniface, 2006
The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, Book 1
Ordinary Boy, OB for short, is born into a town where everyone has one, and only one, superpower except for him. Some of the powers are useful in defending the city against the villains, while others are quirky and don’t have much practical application. OB, with his group of friends (Stench, Plasma Girl, Tadpole, and Halogen Boy), start on a quest to collect all the newly released Amazing Indestructo Collector Cards. In the process he uncovers the truth behind Indestructo and Brain-Drain, and sets up the mystery for next time: who was Meteor Boy and what happened to him. The characters are fun, if one-dimensional. OB is the brains behind the Junior Leaguers and is able to direct their use of their superpowers to triumph in the end.
Some memory-jogging tags: Superheroes. Friendship. Cooperation. Supply and demand economics. Collector cards. Igneous rock. Sedimentary rock. Metamorphic rock. Heroes. Collecting and collections.
MS Rating: Great. It would work well for anyone who liked the movie The Incredibles. Fun map of Superopolis at beginning.
Some Dewey reads:
300s:
305.23 Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman, 2005 (black & white photos)
394.264 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O’Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac with Plimoth Plantation, 2001 (color photos, reenactments)
394.264 Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner, 2002 (color illustrations are rendered in India ink, colored inks, watercolor, and gouache; feast of facts at end)
600s:
616.027 Guinea Pig Scientists by Leslie Dendy and Mel Boring, 2005 (black & white pen drawings)
624.1 The New York Subways by Lesley A. Dutemple, 2003 (mostly black & white photos, some color diagrams and color background)
800s:
811 If I had a Million Onions by Sheree Fitch (several poems with color pencil drawings)
900s:
937.7 Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii by James M. Deem, 2005 (full color photos)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Stormbreaker; Bad Kitty; Ruins of Gorlan; Flipped; and Don't Call Me Ishmael
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, 2000
Alex Rider series, bk. 1
They tell him that his banker uncle has died in a car crash: “He wasn’t wearing his seat belt.” But fourteen year old Alex knows his uncle would never do that. When he finds his uncle’s car riddled with bullets, almost gets smashed in a car compactor, karate kicks his way away from a man with a gun, and edges along a 15-story-high ledge to see inside his uncle’s office, he is recruited by the same people who really employed his uncle – the M I 6. He endures two weeks of intense training, then sent inside a compound where a supposed friend of England is building computers he is planning to give to schools throughout the country. Alex’s uncle was killed by these people, but the M I 6 don’t have anyone else they can send. It reads a lot like a teenage James Bond story.
Some memory-jogging tags: Spy thriller. Benefactor. Deception. Terrorism. Computers. Techno-thrillers. Orphans.
MS Rating: Great. Especially for relunctant readers.
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe, 2006
Seventeen-year-old Jasmine, called Jas by her friends, is always getting into scrapes of one kind or another. But she aspires to be a detective and is usually in the middle of some investigative efforts when things are going awry. For instance, her father didn’t like it that she lifted her mom’s prints from all around the house after she died. She is currently in Las Vegas when her best friends arrive for some intervention. Roxy and Tom, twins, and Polly help her solve the mystery of the little boy Fred and his attaching three-legged cat, his mom Fiona, her supposedly murdering husband Red Earl, and a really cute bartender-slash-possible-bad guy. Jas’s cousin Alyson is embarrassed to be seen with her, but always ends up close by with her best friend Veronica, especially since Tom turned up. The teen slang is thick throughout. Footnotes with rambling asides are included, in case you want additional banter. Some of the references are a bit on the PG-13 side.
Some memory-jogging tags: Teenage detective. Missing persons. Mystery. Celebrities. Friendship. Interpersonal relations. Best friends. Cousins. Cats. Vacations. First-person narratives. Father daughter relationships. Humorous.
MS Rating: OK. For older students.
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan 2005
Ranger’s Apprentice series, bk 1.
Five friends, all wards of the castle, have arrived at their day of choosing. Will wants to be invited to Battleschool, but he is small for his age – not the build they are looking for. All the others get their first choices: Harold to Battleschool, Jenny to the kitchens, George to the legal profession, Alyss to Diplomatic Service. Will is chosen to be an apprentice to Halt, the mysterious Ranger. They all end up thriving in their new positions, though Horace’s spirit is almost defeated by three bullies who make his life miserable. After a boar hunt where Will saves Horace, after Horace tries to save Will, Horace gets badly beaten by the bullies who then set off for Will. However, Horace manages to follow them and, with Halt’s intervention, finally gets a fair fight and soundly defeats them. The bullies are exposed and expelled from Battleschool. Will follows his master to the whistling Solitary Plains in an attempt to stop two horribly strong and evil Kalkara beasts working for Morgarath, an exiled Lord trying to regain control after 15 years. This book starts out feeling a lot like LOTR, but doesn’t sustain the comparison much past the first few chapters. The pacing was a little off for me.
Some memory-jogging tags: Fantasy. Tracking. Castle life. Adventure. Boy apprentices. Mentors. Protection. Good and evil. Imaginary kingdoms.
MS Rating: Great. Especially for relunctant readers. I had one student tell me this book turned him from a non-reader to a reader.
Flipped by Vendelin Van Draanen 2001
An independent, intelligent, full-of-spunk girl Julianna has had her eye on her neighbor Bryce ever since he moved into the house across the street when they were in the 3rd grade. Now they are middle schoolers and Bryce begins thinking that maybe there is something interesting about this girl. Julianna, however, is wondering why she had a soft spot for him in the first place. The chapters alternate between Bryce’s and Julianna’s voice. Bryce’s family has some suppressed anger and resentment that begins coming to a head by the end of the novel. His mom’s dad moved into their home two years earlier and is finally showing some interest in someone, but it is not Bryce but Julianna. Julianna’s family doesn’t have much money. Her artistic dad doesn’t want to spend anything fixing up the outside of their rental, but spends all he can spare, and more, on the care of his handicapped brother. When Julianna realizes that Bryce has been throwing away her weekly gift of free eggs for two years, she flips.
Some memory-jogging tags: Interpersonal relations. Conduct of life. Family life. Self-perception. Middle-school. Science fair projects. Chickens. Protesting to preserve an old tree. Being judgmental. Being yourself. Apologizing.
MS Rating: Great. Fun read. Nice moral about being yourself. I’ve heard one 20-something reader say this was her all-time favorite.
Don’t Call Me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer 2006
The story is set in a middle school in Australia. Ishmael tells his story, starting with the curse of his name that causes him to be the target of Barry Bagsley, the class bully. Things start looking better when James Scobie moves in. Puny and full of twitches, James claims his sense of fear has been removed by an operation. Barry and his gang try to remind him how to be scared by planting a swarm of bugs and spiders in his desk, but the gag backfires, Barry and his friends get suspended, and James becomes a school hero. The second half of the book is about the debate team that Ishmael didn’t want to do but talked into by James with the promise that he won’t have to talk. Of course he ends up having to talk and his first attempt is as mortifying as he was afraid of. That scene had me laughing out loud. The book’s tone is humorous throughout. There are three or four swear words (s-).
Some memory-jogging tags: Bullies. Schools. Herman Melville. Debate team. Public speaking. Humorous.
MS Rating: OK. It’s better for older kids. The swear words may put some kids off.
Alex Rider series, bk. 1
They tell him that his banker uncle has died in a car crash: “He wasn’t wearing his seat belt.” But fourteen year old Alex knows his uncle would never do that. When he finds his uncle’s car riddled with bullets, almost gets smashed in a car compactor, karate kicks his way away from a man with a gun, and edges along a 15-story-high ledge to see inside his uncle’s office, he is recruited by the same people who really employed his uncle – the M I 6. He endures two weeks of intense training, then sent inside a compound where a supposed friend of England is building computers he is planning to give to schools throughout the country. Alex’s uncle was killed by these people, but the M I 6 don’t have anyone else they can send. It reads a lot like a teenage James Bond story.
Some memory-jogging tags: Spy thriller. Benefactor. Deception. Terrorism. Computers. Techno-thrillers. Orphans.
MS Rating: Great. Especially for relunctant readers.
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe, 2006
Seventeen-year-old Jasmine, called Jas by her friends, is always getting into scrapes of one kind or another. But she aspires to be a detective and is usually in the middle of some investigative efforts when things are going awry. For instance, her father didn’t like it that she lifted her mom’s prints from all around the house after she died. She is currently in Las Vegas when her best friends arrive for some intervention. Roxy and Tom, twins, and Polly help her solve the mystery of the little boy Fred and his attaching three-legged cat, his mom Fiona, her supposedly murdering husband Red Earl, and a really cute bartender-slash-possible-bad guy. Jas’s cousin Alyson is embarrassed to be seen with her, but always ends up close by with her best friend Veronica, especially since Tom turned up. The teen slang is thick throughout. Footnotes with rambling asides are included, in case you want additional banter. Some of the references are a bit on the PG-13 side.
Some memory-jogging tags: Teenage detective. Missing persons. Mystery. Celebrities. Friendship. Interpersonal relations. Best friends. Cousins. Cats. Vacations. First-person narratives. Father daughter relationships. Humorous.
MS Rating: OK. For older students.
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan 2005
Ranger’s Apprentice series, bk 1.
Five friends, all wards of the castle, have arrived at their day of choosing. Will wants to be invited to Battleschool, but he is small for his age – not the build they are looking for. All the others get their first choices: Harold to Battleschool, Jenny to the kitchens, George to the legal profession, Alyss to Diplomatic Service. Will is chosen to be an apprentice to Halt, the mysterious Ranger. They all end up thriving in their new positions, though Horace’s spirit is almost defeated by three bullies who make his life miserable. After a boar hunt where Will saves Horace, after Horace tries to save Will, Horace gets badly beaten by the bullies who then set off for Will. However, Horace manages to follow them and, with Halt’s intervention, finally gets a fair fight and soundly defeats them. The bullies are exposed and expelled from Battleschool. Will follows his master to the whistling Solitary Plains in an attempt to stop two horribly strong and evil Kalkara beasts working for Morgarath, an exiled Lord trying to regain control after 15 years. This book starts out feeling a lot like LOTR, but doesn’t sustain the comparison much past the first few chapters. The pacing was a little off for me.
Some memory-jogging tags: Fantasy. Tracking. Castle life. Adventure. Boy apprentices. Mentors. Protection. Good and evil. Imaginary kingdoms.
MS Rating: Great. Especially for relunctant readers. I had one student tell me this book turned him from a non-reader to a reader.
Flipped by Vendelin Van Draanen 2001
An independent, intelligent, full-of-spunk girl Julianna has had her eye on her neighbor Bryce ever since he moved into the house across the street when they were in the 3rd grade. Now they are middle schoolers and Bryce begins thinking that maybe there is something interesting about this girl. Julianna, however, is wondering why she had a soft spot for him in the first place. The chapters alternate between Bryce’s and Julianna’s voice. Bryce’s family has some suppressed anger and resentment that begins coming to a head by the end of the novel. His mom’s dad moved into their home two years earlier and is finally showing some interest in someone, but it is not Bryce but Julianna. Julianna’s family doesn’t have much money. Her artistic dad doesn’t want to spend anything fixing up the outside of their rental, but spends all he can spare, and more, on the care of his handicapped brother. When Julianna realizes that Bryce has been throwing away her weekly gift of free eggs for two years, she flips.
Some memory-jogging tags: Interpersonal relations. Conduct of life. Family life. Self-perception. Middle-school. Science fair projects. Chickens. Protesting to preserve an old tree. Being judgmental. Being yourself. Apologizing.
MS Rating: Great. Fun read. Nice moral about being yourself. I’ve heard one 20-something reader say this was her all-time favorite.
Don’t Call Me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer 2006
The story is set in a middle school in Australia. Ishmael tells his story, starting with the curse of his name that causes him to be the target of Barry Bagsley, the class bully. Things start looking better when James Scobie moves in. Puny and full of twitches, James claims his sense of fear has been removed by an operation. Barry and his gang try to remind him how to be scared by planting a swarm of bugs and spiders in his desk, but the gag backfires, Barry and his friends get suspended, and James becomes a school hero. The second half of the book is about the debate team that Ishmael didn’t want to do but talked into by James with the promise that he won’t have to talk. Of course he ends up having to talk and his first attempt is as mortifying as he was afraid of. That scene had me laughing out loud. The book’s tone is humorous throughout. There are three or four swear words (s-).
Some memory-jogging tags: Bullies. Schools. Herman Melville. Debate team. Public speaking. Humorous.
MS Rating: OK. It’s better for older kids. The swear words may put some kids off.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Pieces of Georgia; Fablehaven; Warrior Heir; 13 Little Blue Envelopes; Gideon; and House of Scorpion
OCT 2007
Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant, 2006
In the middle of middle-school, 13-year-old Georgia is on an at-risk list in the school counselor’s office and is given a red diary to write down anything she would like to ask her mom about but can’t, since her mom died 6 years previously. Written in airy free verse that is very accessible, the reader gets to know Georgia as a quiet, artistic, honest, animal-loving friend and daughter. And you see her blossom through the course of that year of writing. I found Georgia endearing, her observations about her widowed dad and overscheduled best friend realistic and insightful, and her growing self-awareness engrossing.
Some memory-jogging tags: Friendship. Fathers and daughters. Artists, especially Wyett. Grief. School counselors. Middle school. Diaries. Prescription drug abuse. Shyness. Construction workers. Farm animals. Affluence vs near poverty. Rural vs suburban living.
MS Rating: Great. I’d recommend this to anyone, especially the younger half of MS. 2008 Beehive nominee.
Hit the Road by Caroline B Cooney, 2006
Having just turned sixteen and gotten her driver’s license less then two weeks previously, Brit’s grandmother Nannie wants her to drive across several states, on expressways no less, and help kidnap her 60-year-long friend who being housed again her will at a nursing home. Written in third person from Brit’s perspective, the plot moves through the funny and slightly absurd actions of three 80-something women trying to evade police and an abusive son while unable to get in and out of the van by themselves. I found Brit’s comments and observations entertaining: about being a new driver, about her relationship with her cell phone, about the role she is being forced to assume for the sake of her grandmother and her friends. I also liked the side story with Brit’s crush on Cooper.
Some memory-jogging tags: Grandmothers. Kidnapping. Friendship. Automobile travel. Road trip. Old age. Cell phone use. Beginning driver. Dignity and independence
MS Rating: Great. 2008 Beehive nominee.
SEP 2007
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, 2006
When Kendra (13 years) and Seth (11 years) go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming. Seth is always breaking the rules. Kendra tries to follow them, but she is forced to take big risks before the end of her stay if she is going to save the rest of her family. I had a hard time getting into it, and kept having to read other titles before finally finishing it. It has all the right characters, it just didn’t grab my imagination.
Some memory-jogging tags: Brothers and sisters. Magic. Grandparents. Witches. Trolls. Fairies. Good vs evil. Courage. Fantasy. Connecticut.
MS Rating: Optional (may be better for younger reader)
The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima, 2006
After learning about his magical ancestry and his own warrior powers, sixteen-year-old Jack embarks on a training program to fight enemy wizards. Before he knew about the Roses, he was an ordinary kid with a scar by his heart and taking daily “heart” medication. But his powers start to manifest when he starts forgetting to take his medicine. The beginning is really gripping and sets up an interesting premise, but the story doesn’t quite fulfill its promise.
Some memory-jogging tags: Magic. Magic swords. Ohio. Great Britain. Friendship. Dueling. Tournaments. Ancestors. Adventure. Courage. Aunts. Wizards. Warriors. Identity. Secret societies. High school. Fantasy.
MS Rating: OK for fantasy fans
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, 2005
When 17-year-old Ginny receives a packet of letters from her favorite and eccentric aunt, Peg, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a kind of scavenger hunt. She travels from New York City (4th Noodle where she receives the packet) to London (she meets Richard, her aunt’s “roomie,” and sponsors a struggling performance artist Keith) to Edinburgh (visits with artist Mari Adams) to Rome (visits the statues of the Vestas) to Paris (finds the café painted by her aunt) to Amsterdam (her contact wasn’t there and she falls in with the Knapps instead) to Copenhagen (visits Knud on his houseboat and then joins up with a group of fellow travellers) to Corfu, Greece, (has her backpack and all her belonging, including her letters, stolen while swimming) and back to England (tells Richard that Peg loved him). I really enjoyed the snapshots of different European cities.
Some memory-jogging tags: Voyages and travel. Self-discovery. Self-confidence. Grief. Europe. Aunts. Letters.
MS Rating: OK, especially for older readers (more HS level).
Gideon: The Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer, 2006
Ignored by his father and sent to Derbyshire for the weekend, 12-year-old Peter and his new friend, Kate, are accidentally transported back in time to 1763 England where they are befriended by a reformed cutpurse. First book of a promised trilogy. Peter’s mom works in Hollywood and lives away for most of the time. Peter’s dad is a very important businessman who manages to repeatedly break his promised of spending time with Peter. Kate, on the other hand, is one of several children living in the country, whose father is a scientist researching anti-gravity. The cutpurse, Gideon Seymour, is pursued by his old employer’s new henchman, the Tar Man, while trying to start his new life as an estate manager for the Byng family. I enjoyed reading it. It pulled me along, usually.
Some memory-jogging tags: Time travel. Robbers and outlaws. Great Britain history. George III. Fathers and sons. Courage. Homesickness.
MS Rating: OK, especially for historical fiction or fantasy / time-travel fans. On 2008 Beehive nomination list.
House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, 2002
In a future where humans despise clones and a corrupt drug empire is nestled between Mexico and the U.S., Matt slowly becomes aware that he is not like everyone else. He has a very clearly prescribed role as the latest young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of Opium, and he is fated for an early demise. But with the love and help of his “mom” caregiver and body guard Tam Lin, he flees his fate, only to fall into other difficulties. The story is well written and totally grabbed me, bringing me right alone with Matt as he discovers who he is, what others expect of him, and what he is capable of.
Some memory-jogging tags: Clones and cloning. Coming-of-age. Good vs evil. Drug dealers. Greed. Immortality. Science fiction.
MS Rating: Great
Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant, 2006
In the middle of middle-school, 13-year-old Georgia is on an at-risk list in the school counselor’s office and is given a red diary to write down anything she would like to ask her mom about but can’t, since her mom died 6 years previously. Written in airy free verse that is very accessible, the reader gets to know Georgia as a quiet, artistic, honest, animal-loving friend and daughter. And you see her blossom through the course of that year of writing. I found Georgia endearing, her observations about her widowed dad and overscheduled best friend realistic and insightful, and her growing self-awareness engrossing.
Some memory-jogging tags: Friendship. Fathers and daughters. Artists, especially Wyett. Grief. School counselors. Middle school. Diaries. Prescription drug abuse. Shyness. Construction workers. Farm animals. Affluence vs near poverty. Rural vs suburban living.
MS Rating: Great. I’d recommend this to anyone, especially the younger half of MS. 2008 Beehive nominee.
Hit the Road by Caroline B Cooney, 2006
Having just turned sixteen and gotten her driver’s license less then two weeks previously, Brit’s grandmother Nannie wants her to drive across several states, on expressways no less, and help kidnap her 60-year-long friend who being housed again her will at a nursing home. Written in third person from Brit’s perspective, the plot moves through the funny and slightly absurd actions of three 80-something women trying to evade police and an abusive son while unable to get in and out of the van by themselves. I found Brit’s comments and observations entertaining: about being a new driver, about her relationship with her cell phone, about the role she is being forced to assume for the sake of her grandmother and her friends. I also liked the side story with Brit’s crush on Cooper.
Some memory-jogging tags: Grandmothers. Kidnapping. Friendship. Automobile travel. Road trip. Old age. Cell phone use. Beginning driver. Dignity and independence
MS Rating: Great. 2008 Beehive nominee.
SEP 2007
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, 2006
When Kendra (13 years) and Seth (11 years) go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming. Seth is always breaking the rules. Kendra tries to follow them, but she is forced to take big risks before the end of her stay if she is going to save the rest of her family. I had a hard time getting into it, and kept having to read other titles before finally finishing it. It has all the right characters, it just didn’t grab my imagination.
Some memory-jogging tags: Brothers and sisters. Magic. Grandparents. Witches. Trolls. Fairies. Good vs evil. Courage. Fantasy. Connecticut.
MS Rating: Optional (may be better for younger reader)
The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima, 2006
After learning about his magical ancestry and his own warrior powers, sixteen-year-old Jack embarks on a training program to fight enemy wizards. Before he knew about the Roses, he was an ordinary kid with a scar by his heart and taking daily “heart” medication. But his powers start to manifest when he starts forgetting to take his medicine. The beginning is really gripping and sets up an interesting premise, but the story doesn’t quite fulfill its promise.
Some memory-jogging tags: Magic. Magic swords. Ohio. Great Britain. Friendship. Dueling. Tournaments. Ancestors. Adventure. Courage. Aunts. Wizards. Warriors. Identity. Secret societies. High school. Fantasy.
MS Rating: OK for fantasy fans
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, 2005
When 17-year-old Ginny receives a packet of letters from her favorite and eccentric aunt, Peg, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a kind of scavenger hunt. She travels from New York City (4th Noodle where she receives the packet) to London (she meets Richard, her aunt’s “roomie,” and sponsors a struggling performance artist Keith) to Edinburgh (visits with artist Mari Adams) to Rome (visits the statues of the Vestas) to Paris (finds the café painted by her aunt) to Amsterdam (her contact wasn’t there and she falls in with the Knapps instead) to Copenhagen (visits Knud on his houseboat and then joins up with a group of fellow travellers) to Corfu, Greece, (has her backpack and all her belonging, including her letters, stolen while swimming) and back to England (tells Richard that Peg loved him). I really enjoyed the snapshots of different European cities.
Some memory-jogging tags: Voyages and travel. Self-discovery. Self-confidence. Grief. Europe. Aunts. Letters.
MS Rating: OK, especially for older readers (more HS level).
Gideon: The Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer, 2006
Ignored by his father and sent to Derbyshire for the weekend, 12-year-old Peter and his new friend, Kate, are accidentally transported back in time to 1763 England where they are befriended by a reformed cutpurse. First book of a promised trilogy. Peter’s mom works in Hollywood and lives away for most of the time. Peter’s dad is a very important businessman who manages to repeatedly break his promised of spending time with Peter. Kate, on the other hand, is one of several children living in the country, whose father is a scientist researching anti-gravity. The cutpurse, Gideon Seymour, is pursued by his old employer’s new henchman, the Tar Man, while trying to start his new life as an estate manager for the Byng family. I enjoyed reading it. It pulled me along, usually.
Some memory-jogging tags: Time travel. Robbers and outlaws. Great Britain history. George III. Fathers and sons. Courage. Homesickness.
MS Rating: OK, especially for historical fiction or fantasy / time-travel fans. On 2008 Beehive nomination list.
House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, 2002
In a future where humans despise clones and a corrupt drug empire is nestled between Mexico and the U.S., Matt slowly becomes aware that he is not like everyone else. He has a very clearly prescribed role as the latest young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of Opium, and he is fated for an early demise. But with the love and help of his “mom” caregiver and body guard Tam Lin, he flees his fate, only to fall into other difficulties. The story is well written and totally grabbed me, bringing me right alone with Matt as he discovers who he is, what others expect of him, and what he is capable of.
Some memory-jogging tags: Clones and cloning. Coming-of-age. Good vs evil. Drug dealers. Greed. Immortality. Science fiction.
MS Rating: Great
Golden
Golden by Cameron Dokey, 2006
This is a retelling of Rapunzel where the original Rapunzel has no hair, having been cursed by her mother's cold heart. By the end of the story, she is stuck in a tower with golden-haired Rue, the real daughter of the sorceress Melisande who adopted and raised Rapunzel in the hope that some day she would be able to free Rue. Even with this ulterior motive, she raised Rapunzel with much love and honesty. I really loved this story. The passages about hope and love were right on.
Some memory-jogging tags: Love. Hope. Fairy tales. Fantasy. Sorcery. Magic. Sacrifice. Mistaken identities.
MS Rating: Great. The syntax is more difficult than in many MS books.
This is a retelling of Rapunzel where the original Rapunzel has no hair, having been cursed by her mother's cold heart. By the end of the story, she is stuck in a tower with golden-haired Rue, the real daughter of the sorceress Melisande who adopted and raised Rapunzel in the hope that some day she would be able to free Rue. Even with this ulterior motive, she raised Rapunzel with much love and honesty. I really loved this story. The passages about hope and love were right on.
Some memory-jogging tags: Love. Hope. Fairy tales. Fantasy. Sorcery. Magic. Sacrifice. Mistaken identities.
MS Rating: Great. The syntax is more difficult than in many MS books.
Eggs
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli, 2007
David (9 years) is living in a new town with his grandma and dad after his mom has died. He has no friends and intense anger, which he takes out against grandma by never obeying her, not even talking to her civilly. He meets a psychic's daughter Primrose (13 years) who would do anything to have a regular mom, a regular home with her own room. David believes if he obeys enough rules (except for grandma's), his mom will come back; Primrose likes to pretend and take risks and breaks rules as often as possible. They bicker but seem to meet each other's need for acceptance and friendship. They are watched over by Refrigerator John, the neighborhood's handyman. They go trashpicking; hunt nightcrawlers; hike along tracks to get a glimpse of skyscrapers and possibly even the waving man. Primrse has a photo of her dad that is really Clark Gable. David refuses to ever see a sunrise without his mom.
This is a fast read. I read it on a short flight from SLC to Reno. I found it enjoyable. The squabbling rang true to my ears as a mom.
Some memory-jogging tags: Grief. Dead mom. Grandparents. Easter. Friendship. Family life. Realistic fiction. Anger. Running away.
MS Rating: OK. Good story. I really enjoyed it, but I don't know how much kids will like it.
David (9 years) is living in a new town with his grandma and dad after his mom has died. He has no friends and intense anger, which he takes out against grandma by never obeying her, not even talking to her civilly. He meets a psychic's daughter Primrose (13 years) who would do anything to have a regular mom, a regular home with her own room. David believes if he obeys enough rules (except for grandma's), his mom will come back; Primrose likes to pretend and take risks and breaks rules as often as possible. They bicker but seem to meet each other's need for acceptance and friendship. They are watched over by Refrigerator John, the neighborhood's handyman. They go trashpicking; hunt nightcrawlers; hike along tracks to get a glimpse of skyscrapers and possibly even the waving man. Primrse has a photo of her dad that is really Clark Gable. David refuses to ever see a sunrise without his mom.
This is a fast read. I read it on a short flight from SLC to Reno. I found it enjoyable. The squabbling rang true to my ears as a mom.
Some memory-jogging tags: Grief. Dead mom. Grandparents. Easter. Friendship. Family life. Realistic fiction. Anger. Running away.
MS Rating: OK. Good story. I really enjoyed it, but I don't know how much kids will like it.
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