of Airhead by Meg Cabot and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, both fantastic in their own ways. Reviews are posted at Librarilly Blonde.
I'm now back from ALA and wondering what to read first. I think I'll finish A New Dawn, then The Midnight Twins because Jacquelyn Mitchard can do no wrong, then maybe Anna Smudge, Professional Shrink. Ooh, and Hero-Type! Or maybe Octavian Nothing II!
Day of the Scarab: The Oracle Prophecies by Catherine Fisher. Library copy. 2006. Sequel to The Sphere of Secrets.
The Plot: The conclusion of the Oracle Prophecies. Yes, best read in order. A world with gods, where those in control stopped believing. But it turns out the gods and the myths are real; and a handful of people, including a young priestess, a scribe, and a thief, are chosen by the god to fix things.
The road trip of the last book ends, bringing everyone back together. But the political power remains with Argelin, and Mirany, Seth, and the others must both work against Argelin yet also protect their country from invaders.
The Good: I really despise bad fantasy. Because they take all that is good with fantasy and twist it. It's like cheap chocolate, or a cupcake that tastes like sawdust. But then, when you have the real thing....ah, joy.
There is a prophetic poem. Which in bad fantasy is the kiss of death; but here, is worth repeating in whole. Because it works very well. Because this is a GREAT fantasy.
The first gate of skulls
The second gate of ashes
The third gate of the devouring hunger
The fourth gate of the crooked sword
The fifth gate of the triple faced dog
The sixth gate of the punishments
The seventh gate of the crocodile
The eighth gate of the balanced scales
The ninth gate of the reborn sun
The gates? Why the gates of the Underworld. As these books show over and over: being chosen by the gods is not an easy path, and not a blessing.
Some more quotes I like:
"Be careful among the mortals, Bright One. They will steal your innocence away."
"But they are my dream, and my adventures, lady."
It's a bit weird writing up something for a third book; on the one hand, if you've read the other 2, you are breathless and eager to read this one. On the other hand, if you haven't, what I want to say is this: Here is a brilliantly plotted fantasy, tightly told, over three volumes. It is worth your investment to go, read the first, and continue thru all three. This final book has a wonderful conclusion.; it addresses the main issues raised in the trilogy (restoration of the Oracle, threats of rebellion, the preservation of religions) yet does not answer every question.
OK, now that I've addressed those who haven't read the books, the rest of this is for those who have.
True confessions: I love, love, love Argelin and Hermia, the villains of the work. That this couple is drawn in such a nuanced fashion, that some sympathy exists, that they are shown in full tragedy, is brilliant writing. And, having watched Rome on DVD, I totally picture James Purefoy as Argelin.
While there is a firm conclusion, am I hoping too much when I say, I would love another book set in this world?
Mirany in the Underworld? Girlfriend finally gets some adventure! Go girl, especially after the boys left her behind last time. I have to say, Mirany sitting at home bothered me in the last book, even tho she had her hands full with intrigue.
Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson. Series: M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales. Library Copy. 2005.
The Plot: The Thrilling Tale of Katie Mulligan (you remember her from the Horror Hollow Books), Jasper Dash (Boy Technonaut) and Lily Gefelty as they encounter Whales -- on -- Stilts. (I'm saying that in my Pigs In Space voice.)
The Good: It's not just that I grew up reading series books; I grew up reading series books from every decade. Mary Rose at Boarding School (still cannot find much online about them). The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale and their (god help me I'm telling the truth) Camping and Tramping Club. The Happy Hollisters. So reading these books, that are tribute to those series, is great. It's tribute and love song, yet laughing at the same time, mocking with love.
Will kids today like them? Well, I don't think kids who are readers have changed. They still delight in the box of books at a grandparent's house, the dusty books found at a garage sale. And so, yes, they will like these books, also.
Plus, even if they don't get the homage to those earlier books? This is still a funny, adventurous tale. Kids who want humor? Give them this.
To begin with: "On Career Day Lily visited her dad's work with him and discovered he worked for a mad scientist who wanted to rule the earth through destruction and desolation." Could there be a better opening line? Or summation of a plot?
Lily herself is quietly observant: "Lily believed that the world was a wonderful and magical place. She believed that if watched carefully enough, you could find miracles anywhere."
She has two friends, Katie and Jasper. In a quasi reality show aspect, Katie is also the star of a series of children's books, and it's a bit meta in that the books are slightly fiction but Katie also does indeed live off Route 666 and encounters haunted happenings. I'm sure the Winchester boys will be visiting any time now. And Katie will kick their asses. (Yes, I'm in denial about Dean. So?)
Jasper, meanwhile, has stepped right out of those old series books I adore. He goes around saying things like, "Dash it all, chums, this sounds a mighty pickle." He is very proud of his photocopy machine, which involves a mule on a treadmill. Jasper speaks as if he's from the 20s, with a view of the future that is 80 years old.
But, as I said, you don't need to know that Katie is RL Stine come to life or Jasper a throwback to the 20s/30s to enjoy the humor. Dad works in an abandoned warehouse on edge of town. With a receptionist. That, my friends, is the type of humor I adore. An abandoned warehouse where the father doesn't realize something is up, is just plain crazy; add in a receptionist for the evil people? And chums, it is brilliant.
There is a sequel, which I haven't read yet; and a third book!
Links:
Via NPR, hear MT Anderson read the first chapter.
Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith) -- interview with the author
The Toothbrush Mystery
King of Shadows by Susan Cooper. Personal copy. Read for the Scholar's Blog Book Discussion. This discussion took place in February of 2007; I'm going thru old books that I enjoyed but didn't post about when I read.
The Plot: Present-day Nat is a teenager and actor who is in a staging of one of Shakespeare's Plays. Then, boom! Time slip happens and he's back in the day, meeting the real Bard.
The Good: I love time slip novels. I love Shakespeare.
Nat meets Shakespeare and they bond. Nat's father is dead; and Nat sees Shakespeare as a quasi father figure.
OK, true confession time: when I read the Nat/Shakespeare relationship, I thought, "hm. gay." There was something about the intensity of Nat's feelings towards Shakespeare that just seemed -- well, not as a son to a father. Or a friend to a friend. And I thought, OK, that's just my reading, I've read too much slash fanfiction. But then I saw that Roger thought the same thing!
Tho, part of my reading may also be because of Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn. I think this, in a way, is her love story to him; with SC's feelings about HC projected onto Nat's feelings for WS.
Anyway, I also liked this book because of the theatre! angle, a world that Cooper knows. The present day theatre, trying to recreate the Shakespeare plays; and then the world of Shakespeare, putting them on for the first time.
Arby's word convey the heart of this book: "Nothing is more important than the company; nothing is more important than the play." Is it the people or the play that is more important?
Final worlds: I was really, really frustrated by the non-explanation for the timeslip. It turns out that Babbage/ Burbage sends Nat back in time to save WS; but it never explains how B/B manages to learn the secrets of a long life/ time travel.
Edited to add: Date changed from Monday to Tuesday to qualify for Charlotte's Library Timeslip Tuesday.
of Impossible by Nancy Werlin and How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier.
They were both terrific. 2008 has been such a great year for YA. Happy sigh.
Gray Horses by Hope Larson. Graphic Novel. 2006. Oni Press. My copy. Publisher rates it Teenage 13+.
The Plot: Noemie leaves her native France to study abroad.
The Good: This graphic novel looks at the experiences of a French exchange student in America; the art and text is deceptively simple. Noemie struggles with loneliness, fitting in, finding friends; and is also having odd dreams about horses.
Page one starts with text in French and English; (the publisher has a five page excerpt). The graphics are white and black, against splashes of peach, and often its solely the artwork conveying Noemie's experiences.
While there are books about Americans studying abroad, I was intrigued to see here the flip approach. Noemie ponders, "Even the machines here speak another language." But the story is broader than simply someone from another country experiencing America. Going to college can be a strange new land for anyone, even when the language isn't different.
Noemie dreams of horses...and what do the dreams have to do with her everyday life? Daily life is meeting a new friend Anna, seeing a strange boy. And it intertwines, with a picture found under her wallpaper being the photo she sees a girl in her dream hide.
This is a great book; a quiet look at friendship, of longing, of being away from home, of the layers we find in our life, and of love.
I first read this book when it was nominated for the Cybils graphic novel long list in 2006. It's a book that demands to be reread. While there are different ways to think about graphic novels, one of the questions I ask myself is, could it have been told just as well in just text? Does it matter that some of the story is told in pictures? How important is the art? This is one of those books that would not have been the same without the art.
Links:
Salon review. (with sample art)
Publisher website with 5 page preview
Supernatural Rubber Chicken: Fowl Language by D.L. Garfinkle, illustrated by Ethan Long. Reviewed from ARC provided by author. Publication date: June 2008
The Plot: The best thing about some books is the title says it all: Supernatural. Rubber. Chicken. I mean, c'mon, it doesn't get better than that, does it?
OK, twins Nate and Lisa, 10, are given the Supernatural Rubber Chicken by their older brother, surfer dude Dave. They don't believe him when he says that the chicken has magical powers; I mean, he is a surfer dude who lives in Arizona.
But then they discover that the chicken really does have powers. Not only that? He talks. Or should I say, complains. And -- his name is Ed.
The Good: A fun, silly read.
What grown-ups will like: the twins' mother is a children's book writer who spends all her time at her computer. Whatever the kids say, including Dave leaving for a surfing trip, is greeted by an absent minded "great dear" as she types away at the Next Great Children's Novel, which, of course, will have a dead dog.
The chicken's magic power is to grant the wish of a super power...for someone else. Which is a nice twist, and I look forward to seeing what happens in other books. Here, for instance, Nate and Lisa each have a friend that they want to help out. Lisa wins, but because the wish is granted to the first person who touches the chicken after the wish is made, there are, of course, unexpected and wacky results.
Here's an example of the humor; a description of a classmate. He had to wait a long time for Dan the Dawdler, who still had to put away his binder, tie his shoes, and think about the meaning of life.
Oh! And I almost forgot. Ed talks; but only Nate and Lisa can hear him. So when other people are around, it's a problem. Lisa is on the bus, and Ed is complaining:
"Concern!" Ed shouted. "You're only concerned about yourself. You couldn't care less about a helpless old bird, could you? No one cares about me. Wah! I feel tears building up behind my beady eyes."
"Oh, little chicken," Lisa said in a gentle voice.
Lisa's [bus] seatmate said, "It's not nice to call me a little chicken just because I'm scared of a spelling test."
Links:
Review at Periphereia
Because I have been neglecting what I have to read for Popular Paperbacks...
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard
And also, I so do not get the Borders.com "Teen" book designations.
The Life Murder Of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty. Personal copy.
Bindy Mackenzie is the most successful girl in Grade 11. She works hard, and she has the grades and the class standing to prove it. It's not just in school that she excels; she also works three jobs. And she cares about her fellow students—why, last year Bindy held lunchtime advisory sessions!
So what if her parents have moved to the city, leaving her to live with an aunt and uncle? So what if her mother never responds to her emails? So what if her father requires a "business proposal" before "investing" in whatever Bindy wants to spend money on? As her father OKs proposals such as buying cheap things to resell at higher prices to classmates, he tells her again and again that she is smarter, and better, than everyone else. And Bindy believes him: Isn't the proof in her grades and accomplishments?
So what if she's quirky. Bindy does some of it deliberately, to show that she is well-rounded, such as her multicolored nail polish. Other stuff she does for fun, such as transcribing all the conversations around her onto her laptop. And then there's her little habit of comparing people to animals.
But still, Bindy doesn't need anyone. She does quite well by herself. So when she is forced, FORCED, into the new "Friendship and Development Project" (she notes the acronym FAD), with a group of people she has nothing in common with (they are coarse of language and not the brightest), she is upset. It is a waste of time, time spent better studying.
It gets worse after the first group project: anonymously comment on the other people in your group. The nicest thing said about Bindy is "fastest typist." She's also called "too smart" (how can one be too smart, she wonders) and "talks like a horse." Bindy gets angry and resolves to get even. And just as she takes her schoolwork seriously, she takes revenge seriously.
Except...revenge isn't as sweet as she thought it would be. And when things start going wrong in her life—not only does she stop handing in papers, she stops caring about doing well, and, oh yeah, there's the fact that someone may be out to kill her—Bindy discovers that she may need friends after all.
Bindy is a makeover book, with its protagonist evolving from an isolated, arrogant, lonely teen to someone with friends and who knows how to be a friend. Along the way, a mystery or two is solved. Makeovers are tricky—we don't really want everyone to be alike, and we don't want to say that there's only one right way to do things. Bindy is cautioned by her brother Anthony to not lose herself or disappear. What works is that Bindy doesn't; Bindy is actually a pretty cool teen. What's not cool, though, is her ingrained habit of judging everyone, and finding them wanting. And letting them know that. Why Moriarty is a genius is she takes this unlikable character and makes her lovable. You root for her, you cringe as she makes some serious missteps, you cheer her accomplishments.
This is a companion book to Moriarty's other books, The Year of Secret Assignments and Feeling Sorry For Celia. All take part at the same school, and there are overlapping characters. Chronologically, Feeling Sorry For Celia takes place first and Bindy last. This is one of those sets that doesn't have to be read in order, but, because Moriarty is a wonderful author, you'll be happy that you've read all three.
This review originally appeared in The Edge of the Forest, Issue 10, December 2006.
This was one of my my Favorite Books of 2006 (see sidebar)
Links:
I Have A Bed of Buttermilk Pancakes (Jaclyn Moriarty's blog) (oooh, there will be another book in this sequence!!!)
Propernoun review.
So many books, so little time review.
Confessions of a Bibliovore review.
Bookshelves of Doom mini review.
Page Numbered review.
TeenReads.com review
Moriarty Madness for Aussie Day (highlighting all titles by the author) at Finding Wonderland.
The Sleeping Beauty: Create Your Own Ballet by Viola Ann Seddon (illustrator) and Jean Mahoney (author). Copy supplied by publisher, Candlewick.
It's About:
Creating your own ballet for Sleeping Beauty.
The Good:
I was not a ballet kid. I was, however, a miniatures kid. Had a dollhouse. Had a book from the Metropolitan Museum of Art that recreated four rooms from the museum, complete with furniture. Loved it.
So I eagerly opened up the box for Create Your Own Ballet, with its promises on the box: Changeable Scenery and Backdrops, Twirling Dancers, Full Story and Stage Directions, and Audio CD.
The box opens as a theatre would: open the doors, open the curtains, and there is the stage. On the bottom of the box is a compartment; open it, and there are the dancers (beautiful dancers, with a stick to manipulate the dancer.) And the backdrops. Along with the book. (Follow the publisher links for images).
The book is not just the stage directions to create your own play-it also includes a CD for music cues to move from scene to scene. There are additional details and information, such as the history of Tchaikovsky's ballet, information about staging the ballet with real people.
A great gift for little ballerinas. Or kids who like dollhouses and miniatures. Or future directors, who will be inspired by the mini stage.
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. 2008. Copy supplied by publisher, Candlewick.
The Plot:
Bear is a loner. He even has a sign on his door: NO Visitors Allowed. So why does that annoying mouse keep stopping by?
The Good:
Bear is content being alone; But mouse is determined. Actually, mouse is borderline stalker.
"One morning, Bear heard a tap, tap, tapping on his front door.
When he opened his door, there was a mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed."
Bear throws him out but mouse will not be ignored. He keeps coming back.
Bear opens a cupboard to get a bowl and "there was the mouse! Small and gray and bright-eyed."
Love Bear's language: "Begone"; "I am undone." I think I have to start saying "I am undone" more.
How does it end? Does Bear end up opening himself up to the possibility of friendship? What do you think?
Oh, and for the record, I am totally a Bear, content for the most part by myself. But I so don't have a No Visitors Allowed sign!
The illustrations: love them! I love the details of Bear's house, with all the bee decorations. And Bear's apron. The shock on Bear's face, and Bear's body language, as the mouse keeps coming back.
Links:
Sample pages at publisher
A Patchwork of Books review
Kids Lit review
Fuse No. 8 Production (SLJ) review
MotherReader review
Plainfield Library Youth Blog Review
The Alphabet Garden review
Robin's Reading Room review
Laura Salas review (and insights into publishers, bookstores, and displays)
Yes, I have already reviewed this book for Teenreads.com, but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to do a short entry about it here: Wake by Lisa McMann.
The Plot: Janie can see into other people's dreams. She knows who's been to class naked and who's got a secret crush on whom. Problem is, she doesn't get a choice of when and where she visits dreams. If someone nearby falls asleep, she falls in. It wasn't so bad when she was younger, and she can deal at home as long as her alcoholic mother passes out behind her closed bedroom door. But now she's a junior in high school, and demanding homework schedules and early starts to their days mean a lot of people fall asleep in class. She's more or less learned to deal with it. No more sleepovers. No college roommate. But one night, she's driving down Waverly Street and falls into a nightmare so terrible she crashes her car. The nightmare belongs to Cabel Strumheller, reputed drug dealer and the object of Janie's crush. As Janie and Cabel grow closer she is determined to help him out of his nightmare...but how?
Why you'll love it: It's all about the sparse writing. Since this is McMann's first book I don't know if the quick, almost disjointed writing is her trademark or a style she adopted to evoke Janie's dreamworld, but whatever it is, it works. Most of the paragraphs are one sentence long. This serves to make the book move incredibly fast with a sense of otherworldliness. The details are wonderful and the reader really gets an idea of Janie, her friends, and her surroundings without drowning in description. There's a twist at the end that isn't completely unpredictable but is satisfying. This book is heavy on plot but the characters are still quite interesting and human. It's something you can finish in one sitting, and you'll be left wondering what other people dream about.
crossposted at carlie@bccls
Welcome to Canada Day. Chasing Ray will have the round-up of blog posts about authors and illustrators from Canada.
So many choices! I had way too much fun looking at Ontario Library Association's Canadian Materials Committee's "Best Bets" lists, here for the most recent list. And also browsing the Canadian Children's Book Awards links.
So what did I end up with?
It's a mystery.
No, seriously! I picked:
Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant
The Plot: Cyril is probably the youngest person to attend law school: "I started going to law school when I was ten years old."
But, wait for it --
"I love saying that. I love how people look at me like, this guy must be some kind of genius."
But, Cyril isn't a genius. He's the son of a teen mom; a girl who ran away from home, lived on the streets, and grew up as her son grew up. She's only 15 years older than her son. And when his mother couldn't afford a babysitter, Cyril came along to class with her. "You think math class is bad," Cyril says. "Law school is unbelievably boring."
But it's thanks to his quasi law school education that Cyril solves the mystery in Quid Pro Quo and saves his mother's life.
The Good:
Cyril's mother, Andrea MacIntyre, is not your typical book mother. Her son may be a teenager, but Andrea is not even thirty. While she is the adult and the mom, she is also angry, passionate, short-tempered, generous, kind, and unable to compromise her beliefs. Maybe because of her own runaway past, she keeps a close eye on Cyril. First, he is dragged along to her law classes; later, when she gets a job, he gets drafted into being a receptionist for the lawyer Cyril's mother works for. When she disappears, Cyril knows that something is up. She wouldn't just disappear.
This mystery is less than 180 pages; in a day when it seems too many books are bloated and in need of a good editing, Quid Pro Quo is tightly plotted, with no wasted words. Speaking of words -- each chapter is introduced by a legal term. For example, Chapter 14 is "'In Camera' (Latin) The hearing of a case in private."
Also good? As you can see from the excerpts above, Cyril brings the funny.
Finally: it's Canada! Seriously. As a former lawyer, I got a kick out of the differences between the American and Canadian legal system, including legal education. Maybe not many readers will notice; maybe they won't realize until they are older that those differences are there. Still, it gives the book a unique Canadian flavor.
I'm not surprised to see this is an Orca title; Orca has a great selection of hi-lo books, and even tho this isn't part of the x line, its fast pacing, short chapters, humor, edgy characters and mystery make this a good pick for reluctant readers.
My second mystery book is Acceleration by Graham McNamee.
The Plot:
Duncan's summer job seems boring; he's working at the lost and found for the Toronto Transit Authority. OK, it doesn't just seem boring; it actually is boring. There's only so many times you can check out the lost sunglasses, practice with the abandoned golf clubs, read the books.
Read the books.
Except this book is a journal. A bit hard to read. But then...
It's the journal of an almost serial killer. The almost killer recounts killing animals and stalking people, looking forward to his first murder.
Can Duncan stop a murderer before he kills?
The Good:
Before getting into the mystery part, let me say that this book is also funny. Duncan is now 17; but a few years before he and his friends had the bright idea to steal a toilet. Yes, a toilet; it makes sense to them. It's a fancy expensive house, an expensive toilet... and they underestimate how much it weighs. Or how difficult it will be to move without a car.
Most of the humor comes from Duncan and his friends; plus the whole toilet caper adds to the reason why Duncan is reluctant to go to the cops. McNamee does a very believable job of establishing why Duncan ends up going after the killer by himself; he doesn't quite trust the cops (see toilet); and he also doesn't have much to give the cops.
When Duncan decides to track down the killer, he searches the journal for clues, does research, trying to figure out which subway or bus line the killer used, trying to figure out who the maybe victim will be to warn them. Along the way, there are serious questions, especially about Duncan's role in this as he becomes a stalker. And what will he be willing to do, should he find the killer who hasn't killed?
I confess, I judge books by their covers. The minute I saw the cover of Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway, I wanted to read it. I am happy to say that the pink-yellow-orange sunburst surrounding the girl in a black sweater and jeans (which is what I have on today, incidentally) did not disappoint. Thanks to Penguin Group for the ARC.
The plot: Think of a song with a person's name in the title. "Eleanor Rigby." "Amanda." "Angie." Did you ever wonder who Eleanor and Amanda and Angie were in real life? Maybe they were the lead singer's ex-girlfriend. That's who Audrey was.
Audrey Cuttler, normal high school student from California, loves loud music, indie rock, her overweight cat, and her awesome best friend Victoria. What doesn't she love? Her boyfriend, Evan. Lately it seems that Evan's been paying more attention to his band, the Do-Gooders, than to Audrey. She goes over to his house to break up with him, and as she's leaving Evan calls out, "Audrey, wait!"
It's the phrase that launched a thousand hits.
Evan writes a song about their breakup and calls it "Audrey, Wait!" And wouldn't you know it, the night the Do-Gooders first perform the song is the night they finally get the A&R guy from that record label to come and hear them. Suddenly, "Audrey, Wait!" is a hit and Audrey is an accidental star. Now everyone wants to dress like her, listen to the same music she does, and gossip about her. She's offered a reality show and free lip gloss. While Audrey wants to be normal and pursue a relationship with James, her coworker at the mall ice-cream shop, the papparazzi is recording everything from her trips to the record store to her makeout session with the lead singer of another band.
Why you'll love it: You know what I really hate about YA lit sometimes? The endless witticisms. Who really talks like that? Although Audrey is smart and sarcastic, just what you'd expect from a girl who lives for bands like Taking Back Sunday, the dialogue never sounds like it's trying to hard to be something Joss Whedon would write, and I love it. Audrey's self-aware struggle to maintain normalcy in the face of critical Hollywood is hilarious. I also love that she has two relatively normal parents who still expect her to do the laundry and feed her cat on her way to stardom. There's a wonderfully sweet (and not just because of the ice cream) romance. Everyone lives happily ever after thanks to Audrey's grounded personality, wit, and wisdom. When you close this book, you'll feel happy and maybe turn your music up in your car and really, who could ask for more?
Robin Benway's MySpace
Coming soon: AudreyWait.com
crossposted at carlie@bccls
Mary Pearson is a terrific writer, so I was very excited when I opened a package from Holt and saw an advance of her new book, The Adoration of Jenna Fox. If you've read her previous YA novel, A Room on Lorelei Street, expect something very different. Jenna Fox is just as good in terms of quality, but it's got a much different tone.
Because this book won't be out until April 2008, now is a good time to stop reading if you don't want to be even remotely spoiled.
The plot: A long time from now in a state far far away (California), seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox awakens from a year-long coma. What she can't figure out is why she has a phenomenal grasp of everyone's history except her own. She knows the entire text of Walden but doesn't remember that she always called her grandmother Nana, not Lily. Her mother is reluctant to let her go to school or drive, and she never sees her father anymore; he still lives in Boston. When she is allowed to go to school, it's to a local charter where all of her classmates have something wrong with them. When she tries to log onto the Net to find out the details of the car accident that took a year of her life, her access to the information is denied. There's a hidden key in her mother's mattress to a closet, and that closet contains a secret Jenna is desperately trying to crack. Eventually, her mother and father do tell her the truth about her missing year. Or at least, they tell her most of the truth. The rest...she remembers.
Why you'll love it: There's always lots of talk about the theme of identity in YA lit, and here Pearson has taken it to its furthest extreme. Jenna has to figure out who she is with no memory of who she used to be. She's surrounded by people who tell her half-truths and she gets the feeling she's an inconvenience to them. Pearson has built an amazing futuristic world where science may be quite different from what we know now but the basic human condition, that we want to know ourselves and be loved by others, has stayed very much the same. The line on the front cover asks "How far would you go to save someone you loved?" I think the real question here is, "How far would you go to save yourself?" (Of course, the question of how far you'd go to save the one you love is one that drives the book, but I think the other one is far more overreaching.) This is a creepy, creepy book along some of the same the lines of David Lubar's True Talents and Nancy Werlin's Double Helix. It also reminded me of Airhead by Meg Cabot, which I'll review at a later date. And it's already been picked up for a movie.
Mary Pearson's Jenna Fox page.
crossposted at carlie @ bccls
For Nonfiction Monday, here's a look at the National Geographic Investigates Series. I reviewed one book in this series, Ancient Egypt: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of Egypt's Past by Jill Rubalcaba; Janice Kamrin, Consultant, and now here is a look at two other titles in the series. Copies supplied by Raab Associates.
Ancient Inca: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of Inca's Past by Beth Gruber; Johan Reinhard, Consultant
Ancient Greece: Archaeology Unlocks the Secret's of Greece's Past by Marni McGee, Michael Shanks, Consultant
It's About: This series explains archaeology, the process, the finds, how there is always something new to be discovered or a new interpretation to be made. I like the photos; I like the time lines; I love the resources. And I like how there is something unique about each book.
The Good:
For the Inca book: Mummies! Love mummies. And I also liked learning more about Gupis -- the knots in colored string to record calendar and keep track of livestock "without anyone who can read the stories tied into the colorful strings, understanding the ancient Inca is a lot like solving a mystery."
I was also intrigued by how people with an interest in this -- people like me -- may be contributing to the destruction of archaeological sites, grave robbing, and the simple physical impact of the people visiting the sites. This has led to such virtual tours as the 2005-2006 Machu Picchu Display at the Yale University's Peabody Museum of Natural History.
For the Greece book: I loved the description of an archaeology site being like a crime scene. (I like crime shows and books, in addition to history books; I guess this shows the two have more in common than I thought.)
It's amazing to think of the discoveries still being made, as well as interpretations to be refined and changed. This also included the issue of ownership of ancient artifacts such as the Elgin Marbles.
The book also featured my favorite artifact that makes history real: the cup of Euripides. WOW.
A general note about nonfiction:
One of the reasons I like nonfiction, and so look forward to the sharing of books via Nonfiction Mondays, is there is so much great nonfiction out there. Schools can only teach so much in a given day; so having nonfiction books available to learn more or learn more in depth is great.
Adventures in Oz (founded on and continuing the famous Oz stories by L. Frank Baum) by Eric Shanower.* Copy provided by publisher IDW Publishing. Graphic novel.
The Plot: Five stories continue the adventures of Dorothy & Co in Oz. And this is Baum's Oz, not Garland's. Fans of the movie may be both disappointed and puzzled; fans of the book will love it.
The Good: A beautiful book; I loved the feel of the pages, the vibrant colors.
I love the adventures, and that it is a continuation of the book Oz. While I love movies, one of the problems with movies of teen and kids books is that often it leaves a "younger" impression in people's minds; Oz is not a "baby" book or a little kid book.
The five stories: The Enchanted Apples of Oz; The Secret Island of Oz; The Ice King of Oz; The Forgotten Forest of Oz; The Blue Witch of Oz.
I have to say, it's been years and years since I read the original Oz books; but in 3rd to 5th grades, I adored them. (note to self: when you have time, reread the books.) So I cannot say for sure if the language is Baum-like. Regardless, here are some of the quotes I enjoyed:
"I don't think it's a good idea to wander around in a castle that just appeared from thin air."
Dorothy: "Are you sure this is safe?"
Cowardly Lion: "My dear, surely you know by now that nothing is completely safe."
*Yes, the same Eric Shanower of Age of Bronze. I know!
Other reviews:
The AmoXcalli review
Note: I read this last year, as part of last year's Cybils stuff. This is an example of the stuff I read, loved, but just didn't get around to reviewing; and now, I can. Yay!
I know the Random House book most people are clamoring for right now is Christopher Paolini's Brisingr, but I'm not one of the clamoring. Mostly because I don't read fantasy. What I do read, however, is chick lit. Lots and lots of chick lit. Growing up in the mid-'90s, the premier chick lit franchise was the delightfully cheesy Sweet Valley High series. There's a certain camaraderie among Sweet Valley fans. We like to reminisce about the endless descriptions of out-there clothes, pick our favorite twin (I'm definitely an Elizabeth), and if Zazzle or CafePress had been around back then I'm sure we'd have a spate of t-shirts that proclaimed TEAM JEFFREY or TEAM TODD.
And now, those t-shirts can be ours.
Starting in April, Random House is reissuing the Sweet Valley High series. Everyone's favorite blonde, five-foot-six, lavaliere-wearing identical twins are back in all their identical-but-couldn't-be-more-different glory. Random, bless them, gave out galleys at ALA Midwinter, so I picked one up and read it.
What you may consider spoilers will follow. If you're spoiler-sensitive, now may be a good time to click your back button.
At their cores, the SVH books are still the same. They're still about life in sunny, middle-class Southern California. Jessica and Elizabeth's personalities are still the same. Jessica still schemes and ruins Elizabeth's clothes, and Elizabeth still prefers spending time with a few close friends over going to parties. Some details from the original series are changed. The twins no longer drive a Fiat Spider or hang out at the Dairi Burger. Elizabeth has an anonymous blog instead of an anonymous print gossip column. That's the bad news. The good news is that the plot still holds up, more or less.
The greatest thing about the SVH series is that the plots are timeless. Regardless of decade, teens still deal with issues of sibling rivalry, romance, feuding families, annoying but loving older brothers, and gossip. Those themes that drive the SVH series are still relevant today, which is why I think there's a good chance this repackaged series will find a new generation of readers. The other nice thing about the series is that there's no overt sex (at least, not in the first book), so this could be a nice recommendation for those who like "clean" romances or those who want a step up from The Clique but one down from Gossip Girl. Jessica and Elizabeth certainly like boys, but they're not hopping into bed with them. Even though Jessica likes a little danger in her life, she's not stupid enough to stay with the guy who endangers his life (and hers).
And years after I read the first books, I still want Lila Fowler's wardrobe.
crossposted at carlie@bccls
My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by H.B. Lewis. copy provided by publisher, Candlewick. Gift set.
The Plot: A little boy writes to Santa, asking for a real penguin. He's learned that one must be very specific with the old guy, otherwise when you ask for a sports car you get a toy sports car. So the boy is specific, down to the penguin's name: Osbert.
The Good: As you've probably realized, I got a box of cool holiday books from the folks at Candlewick. I pulled out this book and thought, hey I know this author; it took me a second and then I was, d'uh. She wrote Stone Circle, a great time-slip story set in Wales.
Topic. "Beware what you ask for." The boy gets a real penguin, and after the initial fun, the responsibility sinks in; as does the fact that the penguin is its own being, with likes, dislikes, and needs (like cold creamed herring with seaweed jam instead of chocolate chip waffles.) So the boy learns not just about being responsible for another living thing; but, also, that a being isn't a toy.
It's funny and sweet; and the narrator is a typical kid. I loved the surreal part of the story in that the parents are never pictured; from the narration, it appears that they just accept Osbert's existence, such as when Mom actually does serve cold creamed herring. And seaweed jam.
The toy: yep, it comes with a real stuffed penguin (no fear of frostbite.) Penguins are still an "it" toy, and Osbert is very soft and cuddly. A great read aloud for younger readers; the package warns to remove all tags, etc before giving to very young children.
