The Magic Thief - Sarah Prineas

My kid's elementary school picked this as their Book Club selection this time... and even though my 4th grader seems to think he doesn't have time for that sort of thing, I wanted to read it... I'm curious like that. Luckily my 7th grader had brought it home from his library at about the same time so I didn't even have to go far!

The book begins by introducing our main character Conn - who has been raised on the streets and makes his living main as a pickpocket. This time he picks the wrong pocket. Or maybe it's the right pocket - because he is caught by the wizard whose Locus Magicalicus he has stolen. For those of you who are not "in the know" a locus magicalicus is a focus point of magic for any wizard. Conn soon finds himself serving the wizard (Nevery) and learning from him.

Conn is an interesting character - with some surprising strengths and talents. His upbringing has forced him to be distrustful, and yet... somehow he knows inherently who to trust in his new situation... and he is able to form friendships. I love the interactions between Conn and Benet - at the beginning their relationship is certainly shaky, but I like the subtle ways that they learn to look out for one another and the small kindnesses shown to Conn by Benet are touching.

I think that my favorite personality trait of Conn is his ability to question things without sounding rude or uppity. He wants to know the "why" of magic and not just the "how" - and is not satisfied with answers just because they are widely accepted... he will keep searching until he fully understands.

I did like this book - and will have no problem with any of my children reading it. I did have a hard time getting into the first chapter... so I would recommend beginning the book as a read aloud if you have a reluctant reader. (or maybe I would recommend making sure that you don't start reading when you are exhausted...)

My biggest critique might be that the action sometimes went by too quickly - no time for suspense when everything happens so quickly. At 411 pages I'm not sure how the author could have accomplished this without creating a book that scared away younger readers... but because of this I don't think my 14 year old will enjoy the book as much as my 12 year old did (who also thought the action went by a little briskly). The 10 year old... oh, he'll like it if he will just calm down for a minute or two - I even think the 8 year old would like it... over the holiday break though maybe...

No offensive language - no offensive situations... no problems unless you have issues with magic books in general... in which case I highly doubt you bothered reading this far :)

An Angel on Main Street - Kathi Oram Peterson

I knew from the moment this book arrived at my house that it was going to be one of those that tugged at the heart strings. It sat unread for awhile because I wasn't quite read to have those strings tugged. The back of the book prepares you pretty well for what's coming by introducing you to Micah Connors (a reformed troublemaker), Dawn Connors (his widowed mother),and Annie Connors (his very ill sister).

To watch a book trailer for this click HERE!

This is one of those Christmas stories that is bound to make a splash - and not just from the tears hitting the pages. The characters are real enough to appeal to even the cynical among us. Micah himself is a bit of a cynic... but as his faith grows and his pain heals the reader gets to follow him along his amazing and miraculous path.

I'm thinking that I need to buy a few of these books as Christmas gifts - because it's a sweet story of Christmas Miracles and is a true "change of heart" story. The publisher provided me with this Purchase Link in case any of you feel the same way!

It's not technically a YA novel, but I'll give you my "kid friendly" opinion anyway... I am tempted to have my boys read this book because I think that parts of the story would provide good jumping off points for conversations about responsibility to family - and how the actions of one can affect so many. I say "tempted to" instead of "definitely going to" because teenage boys might roll an eye or two at other parts of the story... there's certainly nothing objectionable!

The down and dirty? If you (or your child) is a fan of touching Christmas stories - especially that one about the boy and the pair of shoes for his mother... you know the one, there's even a song... then this is SO the book for you. Don't hesitate to buy it and spend an enjoyable and slightly tear stained evening. If, however, you (or your child) mocks that song/story... it might not be the right pick.


You want to know what though? I love getting books to review in the mail... because being from a mocking family myself and having married a man who tends to sing along obnoxiously to "I wanna buy these shoes for my momma please..." I'm not sure I would have chosen this book... but when I sat down to read it I was quickly engrossed in the story - I was worried about the sister - I was grateful for the wonderful people this small family was blessed to know - I was curious about the answer to the book's little "mystery" (which I SO guessed right on!)... I surprised myself and cried... and cried... see... maybe even the cynics will like it - just let them read it in private so they can say later that they didn't cry :)

Can I stress one thing REAL quickly? Of course I can, it's MY blog :) My readers are pretty diverse... some highly religious, some not so much... - but I want to let you all know that there's no "preachy" element to this book. There's no religion in particular being thrust down your throats or even mentioned. We simply get to see a young boy get a small glimpse of what his Mother has been trying to teach him by her small example for many years. Sometimes angels are heaven sent, and sometimes they're the sweet lady down the street who comes to help fold your laundry and make your beds when you're 9 months pregnant and can't bend over anymore. THAT is what I will take away from this book.

One More Thing: the author is having a contest - if you have your own "angel story" to share with her about how someone has been an angel to your or your family - e-mail the author at kathiorampeterso@yahoo.com and let her know. You could win a gift certificate to Seagull Book or Deseret Book (use it to buy this book!) She'll announce the winner at her blog so check that out by clicking on the book cover! (contest closes 12-15-09)

The Wednesday Wars - Gary D. Schmidt

On Wednesday afternoons in 1967 Holling Hoodhood is the only child in his classroom - stuck there with a teacher that he is sure hates him...

I'm struggling with what else to tell you that won't color your opinion of the book - the plain and simple truth is that this book earned that Newberry Honor sticker that's gracing its front cover... and then some. It's been a little while since I read something that made me laugh and tugged at my heartstrings in such a way.

Favorite Moments in the book:
p.2 - the author describes the kids at this school - using their last names to categorize them... Politically Correct? probably not, but also not offensive or rude, just fact.
p.49 "November dripped onto Long Island" - what a wonderful descriptive verb... love it!
p.50 "he could cuss the yellow off a school bus" - just a funny description of another character - of course our writer is true to his audience and keeps his words clean. "oh" replaces all swears in the narrative... well, strike that, all but one... but that's a Shakespeare quote and we apparently don't mess with the Bard.
p.71 - the description of grief. whoa... a little TOO accurate perhaps...
p.92 - not being a baseball fan - and not having lived in the late sixties (missed that one by inches) I don't know much about Mickey Mantle... but if was the class A jerk that is depicted in this book then my desire to stand up and CHEER for Danny Hupfer has been doubled :) and the subsequent treatment by other more decent players/human beings is great...
p.207 - "well, I don't have to tell you everything"

okay, that's it... after that I was FAR too engrossed in the book to write things down as I read... you'll just have to trust me that this is a clean, enjoyable read. I'd have to recommend it to the ten and above crowd - mostly because of reading level (prepare to look up a few words in the dictionary - the teacher keeps encouraging that behavior). Keep in mind that this book is set during a time of War (kind of similar to our own time) - a child who has current military ties may take it a little harder than I did... and let me tell you - I cried. I'd like to blame it on the Veteran's Day sentimentality - but honestly, it was just that good :)

Discussion points for parent/teen bonding disguised as "book discussion" - Holling begins the book pretty much unaware of the struggles of others - is this typical of his age? How does this change? In what ways did this cause him difficulty? Is there hope for his relationship with his father? How much do you see the brother/sister relationship changing now?

Every Soul a Star - Wendy Mass

I was walking the aisles of the book fair (but ta-dah... not in charge this year - isn't that wonderful!?!?) and came across this book... and because of my "educators discount" I figured I could give risk $3 on it!

guys - it's worth the sticker price (a whole $6)... It turns out I'd read another of Wendy Mass's books awhile back (Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life) and while I would say they were not the BEST books ever written - they sure are a good read and give some good "discussion points"...

In Every Soul a Star the story jumps back and forth between 3 characters (Ally, Jack, and Bree) who are as different as night and day... different circumstances in their lives force them all together at camp Moon Shadow for a Solar Eclipse.

I love the little insights into Ally's thinking... and Jack's... and even eventually I grew to kind of like Bree... although I think I kind of hated girls like her when I was that age...

The characters are all in their EARLY teens but read a little older... maybe because my own son is about a year older than these kids and I hope and pray every day that he is neither as interested in girls as Ryan or has to deal with girls who are so self-obsessed as Bree :) Of course, the second I finished the book I did give it to him to read... he's been studying Astronomy lately - and a number of the things mentioned in the book (SETI, Exoplanets, etc...) I've noticed in his homework lately :)

Anywho... good book - kind of a "bloom where you're planted" type of moral... without being judgmental of anyone's dreams or focus in life. definitely a keeper :)

as a side note: Wendy Mass has a blog (that she hasn't updated lately) but her writing style is fun and easy... and tells you about some of her book tour stuff in addition to some of her other books (which I will review as soon as I can lay hands on them!)

Am I Not A Man, The Dred Scott Story - Mark L. Shurtleff

Some of you may remember the little World War 2 reading kick I got onto last year - after reading one very well written book about that era I devoured about 5 more in a very short time... I learned more about World War 2 in that month than I had in all my years of history classes - really. Historical books were never much of a draw for me before that - but I think I've found a new genre to enjoy now. Just in time...

(when I wake up there's going to be a great photo of the cover here... I'm finishing up late and my computer is currently suffering from a really bad case of Hypochondria)

This book arrived at a little bit of a crazy time in my life - I was having my own little pity party and debating whether or not my nine hour work days were worth it... I was definitely having a case of "bit off more than I could chew" when I realized that what I really needed - was to read this book. What an amazing blessing it felt like to lose myself in this story - to see the determination of spirit that Dred Scott possessed, and to see that when he was having "just give up" moments that he had a support system. He certainly worked a lot more than nine hour days - for very little reward.

Being a work of historical fiction there is sure to be some embellishment on the actual events - I wish I were more of a historian... I'd love to sit down with Mark Shurtleff to learn more and more about all of these people in his book. In reading this book I think I've added at least 3 names to my list of People I Want to Meet in Heaven. Really.

While reading I actually kept a timeline - you may have no need of such a thing, but I'm telling you - it helped me immensely with sorting out all the events and piecing together historical events with the unfolding saga of Dred Scott and the many other people involved in this story. The many different storylines that surround that of Dred and his family are intriguing and perplexing at the same time. I find myself playing a lot of "what if" as I go through the events...

What if Irene Emerson's brother had not been such a bully and refused to sell Dred?
What if the conundrum that is Taney had... What if, what if, what if... when in reality what it finally comes down to is that despite the horrors and atrocities, despite the amazing injustice that slavery was... I like to hope that my country is FINALLY worthy of being called "the land of the free" - to hope that the attitudes and unenlightened thinking that existed during the 200 year span of this book - have died with the people that held those beliefs.

Just like the World War 2 kick - I think you all should expect a few more reviews from this era of history in the near future... well, as soon as I can whittle away some of the other books that are piling up :) This book did what I think all good historical fiction should do: it made me think, it made me cry, it made me want to learn more.


The Obligatory Parental Perspective: because that's what we do here :) would I let my son read it??? Yes, I would - HOWEVER, I think that at 14 and with his need to be "cool" the time would have to be right. I talked to him a lot about the book as I read it... and we decided together that he would read it when he was learning about this time period in school... The mix of historical with the fiction is just about right to keep him interested! Language Issues: let's be honest - there are some words - a little "arse" and "d@$n" - but SERIOUSLY, it's about slavery folks - that in itself offends me a LOT more than the "D word" (okay, funny story time here - you'll have to pardon me because I laughed for a LONG time at something you'll never see when you get the edited version... at one point Dred sees a family of beavers attempting to dam the river... only it was misspelled in the Advance Copy and I could NOT stop laughing - despite being on an airplane at the time - wondering how it was these beavers got the power to send this poor little river to Hades for time and all eternity... maybe you just had to be there, or maybe I was a little punch drunk... I hadn't slept much!)

soooo... would I recommend you read this book? Absolutely - when a book gets ME to expand my genre of choice it's gotta be good. There were a few times that I thought the narrative was a tad over the top in its imagery... okay, only once actually - and there were a few times I had to slow down and do a re-read to sort out the history of the Blow family... but slowing down isn't a bad thing :). I can't say I "enjoyed" the book - because that just doesn't seem sufficient. I was "inspired", I feel like my newfound knowledge will be helpful in my life, I was "changed" by this book!

Click HERE to check out the book on Amazon.

AND - as a side note - I have a whole new respect for the "O Captain My Captain" poem when reading it in this context...



So... ultimately - I owe a note of thanks to Mark Shurtleff for his writing - shoot - I already owed the man a thank you note for being such a Mentoring advocate in my state (without him I probably wouldn't have a job... seriously). I went into this book with such a paltry knowledge of the Dred Scott decision - and came out with a gratitude for decency and humanity!

No Going Back --- Jonathan Langford

The internal struggle of trying to figure out the balance between feeling attracted to the same gender and believing fervently in Christianity, in this case specifically Mormonism, is something that has rarely been described in fiction, and usually ends in abysmal failure. In a religious tradition that includes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but which also encourages us to love our neighbors as ourselves, sometimes people (whether attracted to the same gender or not) find themselves torn in half. Thankfully, Jonathan Langford succeeds at describing the intricacies and internal struggles that are typical of the situation.

Langford tells the story of Paul, a young man in high school, who is learning to deal with his physical desires and his spiritual desires, and the fact that they are not compatible. The story often strays to other people in his life. His best friend, his mother, his bishop... telling the story of a community dealing with something that is hard for all of them in different ways.

This book isn't for children. It deals with adult situations and topics, and I would rate it PG-13... stress on the parental guidance part. Of course, I don't think that the rating is that much of an issue since almost anyone who will be offended by the book will put it down after the first sentence: "Paul had no intention of telling Chad that he was gay." In some ways, that is good. People who can't deal with the topic will put it down immediately. On the other hand, it is also unfortunate, because this book is a good one for anyone who wants help understanding that struggle that is so much a part of our society today.

It is an interesting book, and thoughtfully written, but parts of it will be harder to follow for non-Mormons, and it definitely isn't written to an audience that has chosen a homosexual lifestyle over the gospel.

I realize that is a lot of warnings... but overall, Langford has succeeded where few could, and has tackled a topic that really needs to be addressed. The book isn't always fun to read, because there are really painful issues involved, but there is good characterization, and real compassion and humor and hope... which is important in a situation where little hope is usually seen. He accurately depicts the attitudes of many people in the church and also in the homosexual community who are all equally cruel and equally intolerant of what they don't understand... and shows how people can learn to understand and support individuals who face similar challenges through the seeming impossibility of it all.

I think that Jonathan Langford has given a voice to many who struggle to remain true to God against nearly impossible odds. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to parents, leaders, or teachers in the church who want to understand some of the struggles involved. I also suggest it to anyone struggling with same-sex attraction in the Mormon community. It might not teach you a lot, but it could help you know that you are not entirely alone in trying to balance spiritual and physical desires and come out on God's side. Other people do experience the same struggles, remain determined to overcome, and even succeed. :)

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

(image from Barnes and Noble)
Princess Aurelia is next in line to rule the kingdom of Tyralt, but she would rather be one of the common folk, free to learn and roam and . . . not marry the next tyrannical prince that comes courting. Naturally, the king wants Aurelia to marry for political power. Aurelia wants to marry for love. And someone in the kingdom wants her . . . dead. Assigned to investigate and protect Aurelia is Robert, the son of the king's former royal spy and one of Aurelia's oldest friends. As Aurelia and Robert slowly uncover clues as to who is threatening her, their friendship turns to romance. With everything possible on the line—her life, her kingdom, her heart—Aurelia is forced to take matters into her own hands, no matter the cost.

This must be added to my collection! I am heading to the bookstore as soon as I have the funds for this book as well as the other one written by this author. I noticed the book was finally available at the library after months of waiting at about 4 o'clock this afternoon, so I picked it up and finished it five hours later and that’s with making dinner, doing dishes, picking up and vacuuming, putting curlers in two girls hair, and putting kids to bed with a story included! Of course, it is only about 250 pages, but still you get my point.

Well written, believable and likable characters, interesting and intriguing plot with twists and turns you don’t see coming. Can I say I want to be like Aurelia, except for the part where someone wants her dead! She is a strong person with a heart who wants her friends to stand up to her and not back down just because she is the princess, who is not afraid to say what she thinks, she wants to know her people, really know them, and what they need and to help them, but someone doesn’t want her to for their own selfish reasons. I thought I knew who the "bad guy" was too and then was blind-sided by the truth at the end. I like knowing what’s going on, but too much information makes the book flat and boring and predictable. The author did a great job of giving you tidbits, just enough for you to think you know what’s going on and then gives you more info and then you’re not so sure.

What can you learn from Aurelia? Let’s see: Strength to grow up and take control of your life; realizing parents can be wrong – they are not perfect and they have their weaknesses, loving them anyway; accepting family as they are but not letting them prevent you from going after and achieving your dreams; just because someone does not agree with you does not mean they can’t be your friend to name a few.