What all the kids are reading

Dusk Gate: Seeds of Discovery - Breeana Puttroff

2011-09-27T09:19:00.001-06:00

I will admit that I honestly didn't expect much when this book arrived.
I mean, how many times do authors and their close friends say "this is going to be the next (fill in the blank) and you are going to LOVE it"

Consider me well reprimanded - because you know what? I loved it.
Every page.

Clean Language. Intelligent clean language to boot!

Budding Friendships that have the potential of being romances... without assuming that every teenager has the hormonal control of a... well, some animal that obviously has no control...

Inappropriate behavior is called out as inappropriate, men act like gentlemen... (no, Tolliver is NOT a "man" - he is the male of a species that doesn't deserve that title)

No smoking, drinking, drugs...

Quinn is a 16 year old girl who seems like the "girl next door" that we all know - friendly, but not overly popular - pretty, but not working hard to be so - and smart, but not the brain of the school. She just "is" - and seems happy with that. and then...
well, that'd be telling wouldn't it? This is an adventurous story through a few different realities, with a little bit of a mystery thrown in for fun (that you will not have too much trouble figuring out) and the MUCH bigger mystery looming over all... which will make you eager for Puttroff's next installment in the Dusk Gate series!

I will say that I would LOVE to sit down and have dinner with William's family...

and I will say that if I were younger, single, and fictional I'd go to that dance with Zander in a heartbeat...

hey, I'll even say that I would happily babysit Quinn's little sister any day!

Why do I love all these characters so much? I'll tell you - it's the little details that the author slips in... whether it's a doodle made during a history exam or the repurposed baby wipes container on the kitchen table - I relate to these people... I am comfortable around them because they are accessible... and I am intrigued by their connections - which I won't speculate on!!!

One talking point - the assumption of Tolliver that Quinn is a "lady of ill repute" and in the castle purely for this reason... the resulting attempt on her virtue... and the discovery of another girl within his rooms. I think it was handled very gently - and the author managed to very neatly assign blame exactly where it belonged. It is there... and tells us a world of information about the character of Tolliver while adding a taste of gritty reality to the book without making the reader uncomfortable.

Disclaimer: I did receive the manuscript to read/review/edit - there was no expectation of a review to follow... I just liked it enough that I have to share!!!

go... read... :)

Out Of My Mind - Sharon M Draper

2011-09-25T20:23:00.000-06:00

This one was brought home by my daughter... part of the State's book challenge or something I guess... and you know me well enough to know that if a new book is in my house... I've gotta read it!

Besides, with that cover... I just had to know.

Out of My Mind is the story of Melody - an extremely bright girl born into a body that presented her with many challenges. After an early diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy Melody's parents (and her wonderful caregiver/neighbor/saint) refuse to allow physical limitations to limit her intellectual growth. Unable to verbally communicate, Melody's relationship with others is sometimes strained as she struggles to express herself. The story which led to the cover illustration (which no I'm not going to tell you) is one which perfectly illustrates not only Melody's frustrations but also her mother's difficulties despite valiant efforts. Parents aren't perfect - I like that this book allows the parents to have flaws but shows them still trying rather than giving up on their daughter.

Once Melody finds her "voice" (a Stephen Hawking like computer) her intelligence is finally unveiled - and she is finally able to tell those around her simple things (what she wants for dinner) as well as important things (telling her parents she loves them).

The story is not all sweetness and light - kids can still be cruel - and bad things still happen. That's life. Sure, we'd love to see a perfectly happy ending of our book where Melody is hailed as the hero of the day and carried away on the shoulders of her peers... but I love the life lessons presented in this book - and am grateful that my daughter was able to read.

Language: aside from "fart" and "crap" you'd be hard pressed to find anything that you wouldn't want to say in front of your grandmother... no matter how sweet grandma is.

Violence: not a problem.

Sex: not even a passing mention

Drug Use: nothing.

Talking Points:
*Bullying: there are a few kinds of bullying in this world... but for the intents of this today I'm going to break it down into Active bullying (actually saying the nasty things or trying to hurt feelings) and Passive bullying (letting it happen... not speaking up when you have the power to change things) - both happen in this book. Is Rose a bad friend - or just not brave enough to do the right thing?
*Guilt: it seems there is always plenty of guilt to go around. Melody's mother feels guilt over her disabilities, and later over some other events. Melody's teacher and fellow students have some guilt they need to deal with... how do they deal with these things differently? Does feeling guilt really mean you've done something wrong?
*Support Systems: everybody needs them. Who is there to help Melody? (and aren't they awesome people?) It is necessary for her to rely on others for so much - how is she a support for others?

a favorite moment? Melody's teacher - apologizing to her for underestimating her...

Mindblind - Jennifer Roy

2011-09-13T12:34:00.000-06:00

This book... this book kinda knocked my socks off.

image borrowed from author's website

Mindblind is an interesting glimpse into the life of Nathaniel - a profoundly gifted 14 year old boy who is "twice exceptional"... meaning that in addition to being exceptionally gifted, he also has an exceptional challenge.

Nathaniel has Asperger's Syndrome and is more comfortable in his "N-world" where nothing from the outside can interrupt his thoughts. He is uncomfortable in large groups due to the sensory overload and has difficulty reading social signals - this has made life a little more of a challenge for Nathaniel. Or at least for his family - since Nathaniel is perfectly happy NOT being social. Thanks to his 'memory files' we get a perfect walk through of the great strides he has made to join with the outside world despite his natural reluctance.

Nathaniel has been blessed with an amazing mother - because of her (and despite his complete idiot of a father) Nathaniel has been able to make some friends and his life is closer to the average teenager's than some others. He is home schooled (largely due to the fact that at 14 he is getting ready for graduate school instead of high school) but when he isn't busy solving the mysteries of the mathematical universe he plays keyboard for a band and goes bowling.

Reading this book I immediately thought of a handful of friends who I would recommend it to - and although this particular copy is due back at the library soon, I am going to have to find my own copy to share with them!

Some of the insights into the world of Asperger's gave me a little more patience with those I know who have it, but beyond that... the personal relationships in this book just gave me hope. Nathaniel has amazing friends - friends who judge him based on his abilities rather than his quirks. If only...

The book uses some vocabulary that is initially unfamiliar, but takes the time to explain the terms and educate the reader. One gripe: his amazing memory is referred to as a photographic memory, but I would have preferred the term Eidetic Memory... as long as the book is teaching new things - it would be nice to have that one understood a little better as well :) (they actually MEAN the same thing... mostly - but photographic infers that the memory is only a visual perk rather than the sound/visual perfect recall that Nathaniel has...)

yes, I'm too picky :)

Now on to the REAL pickiness:

Violence: I get the feeling that Nathaniel is afraid of violence coming from other characters, but we aren't actually witness to any.

Sexuality: A very chaste kiss or two. I love that the neighbor willingly complies with her parent's "Rule #16" (no dating until she's 16).

Drug Use: There is underage drinking as well as illicit drug use by adults - and it is a major plot point... but I think in this case it is a good thing. None of the characters condone the actions - and the consequences are not only shown, but are appropriate for the crime. Nobody gets off with a handslap here.

Language: I hesitate a little - because I actually LIKED the way language was used to show that Nathaniel was relaxing a little into the outside world... but there is no mistaking that some language is used. Judge for yourself: In the beginning - Nathaniel refers to any swears as "R rated word" - somewhere near the middle Nathaniel says "Fick" - which initially the reader is left to assume is a replacement swear but is in fact some Brainiac that Nathaniel is about to quote... - near the end swears are used, but essential letters are replaced with asterisks which don't quite obliterate the meaning of which word is intended. Like I said, I felt like it was symbolic of Nathaniel coming out of his world a little, but it is there.

Talking Points:
*Parents... for good or bad they influence us. Will Nathaniel's Dad ever come around? How did such a man manage to marry two decent women in his life? (okay, that's just a question for people like me, maybe not the kids...)
*Friends... Nathaniel has some good ones - what kind of risks did they take to be there for Nathaniel?

Visit the author's website to read a little bit about why she wrote the book... but just in case you don't - I'm hoping she won't mind the snippet I took from her "Author's Note"

"It is important to understand that not every person with Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a genius at something. Many have average smarts and talents, some have troubles academically... just like people without AS. Hence the saying: "If you've met one person with AS, you've met... one person with AS." Each person is unique.

MindBlind is just one story of one guy, Nathaniel.

I loved writing it, because I got to take what I've learned from my son (profoundly gifted, mild AS), and my experience as a special education teacher and Gifted/Talented teacher – and turn it all into a work of fiction."

Fall - Jennifer Hurst

2011-09-05T22:56:00.003-06:00

About two years ago I was invited to an office party for the premiere of everyone's favorite show - Paranormal - about two Demon hunting brothers (who happened to be kinda hunky...) and all the odd things that end up happening to them. Much to the surprise of everyone else in the office I did not become addicted - although knowing a little more about the show DID make things easier in the office :)

Did you ever see that show? Did you love it? Well then by all means you are going to adore this book... I imagine the brothers in the book looked exactly like the brothers on the show - maybe a tiny bit older? ... In fact there is almost NO similarity between our book-brothers and the demon hunters... well, very little at least... but telling you more than that would be a spoiler :)

Imagine throwing a Female Construction Worker (raised by her sometimes distant grandfather) into a small Utah town with a strong history involving Butch Cassidy where her city style sticks out like a sore thumb... or maybe just sticks out like hot pink zebra striped construction boots? Now just for fun, toss a few demons into the mix and see where it leads you :) I'll be honest... my imagination could not have come up with even half of where this story goes!

JD (seriously, don't call her Julia) is managing her first big remodeling project. This NEEDS to go well so she can prove her ability to take over the company that her aging grandfather runs... but little things keep creeping up. Okay, maybe they're BIG things... demons and all... I like JD from the outset - I like that although her job requires a certain amount of rough she maintains her femininity. Her occasional need for a milkshake just cements that she is a real person! She is a little on the naive side when it comes to men... or maybe a lot. She has avoided entanglements her entire life and it's almost shocking how quickly she allows herself to become involved with... well, I'm not telling - you're going to have to figure out her love life on your own... well, as soon as she does at least :)

The story unfolds a bit at a time, with little pieces falling into place nicely along the way - sometimes confirming suspicions, but even more fun... completely going against what I was expecting!

Good news: the supporting cast (hey, JD can't just carry the story alone) are a fun crowd, some to be trusted, some to be disgusted with... and some to just be amazed by...

A fun read - easily accomplished on a lazy weekend!

Content Issues: Normally around this blog I will comment on language/sex/drugs/violence... at least for YA books... since this doesn't really fit my normal stuff I wasn't reading as much for a content review... but old habits die hard so I will tell you the language is clean (as long as you're okay with "Hell" being a geographical location), the romance is... complicated, with an instantly regretted one-night-stand/no smoking, drinking, illegal drugs that I can recall..., and yes... plenty of violence with broken bones of all shapes and sizes - but nothing that made me want to lose my lunch due to graphic over-description!

A note from the publicist:
In conjunction with this blog tour, Jennifer is holding a contest. It will involve any of the blogs that Jennifer visits or where her book is featured and will close on December 31st, 2011. The entrants have to answer three questions about the book they’ve read (bought, borrowed, or stolen - shame on you) and post a link to Jennifer's website on their Twitter, Facebook, or blog (need link for verification).

Then the names will be entered in a random name picker generator (http://textmechanic.com/Random-Line-Picker.html) and announced on Jennifer's website (www.jenniferhurst.com) on January 31st, 2012. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a night’s stay at the actual bed and breakfast where the story takes place.

Other prizes include an autographed copy of FALL, and she will randomly select 3 contestants’ names to use in the sequel to FALL. Plus, they will receive a free copy of that book when it is published.

Each blog that Jennifer Hurst visits will have a different set of questions people can answer, and they may enter as many times as they want - but they can enter once per blog site that they visit. So the more sites you visit, the more you can enter your name, thus increasing your chances of winning the gift certificate, a copy of the book FALL, and your name in the sequel.
Get the book, read the book, and then read over the questions below. Once you have your answers, e-mail them to Jennifer. fall.jenniferhurst@gmail.com
Here are the questions for you to answer:
What color is Nathan's truck?
Who is Quabin?
Who shot Nathan?
If you would like to visit the other sites, go here for the master list of all participating sites: http://fallbyjenniferhurst.wordpress.com/
Best of luck, and thanks for participating!

Dear FTC folk: I did receive an ARC of this book free of charge. My opinion of the book was not swayed in any way by this... trust me - if people wanted to buy my praise they wouldn't be giving me stuff still riddled with spelling/word/spacing errors... because we all know how much that bugs me.

Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

2011-08-30T09:28:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it's just a relief to read something a little less formal - y'know... I think that's why blogs have such a following.

Whether we know other bloggers in real life we gravitate toward those with a conversational tone. Okay - and toward those that just make me laugh so hard I consider making long term investments in adult diapers... but mostly I enjoy reading blogs that make me feel like I'm having a good long chat with a friend.

That's how I felt about this book.

Only - my friend and I?

We were discussing some seriously freaky stuff!

Seriously. Freaky.

and the cover is beautiful too...

Oh, you wanted more of a "review" than that?

Silly readers... okay - so Evie (Evelyn, but she is rarely called that) is a 16 yr old who has no family to speak of and happens to have a full time job for the IPCA... IPCA stands for "those people who try to protect humans from Vampires and other paranormal beings"... yeah, I think there was another bunch of words that actually started with IPCA, but here's the deal... I'm now 1/2 way through the second book and really REALLY would like to get back to reading :)

Evie craves "normalcy" (and has a pretty skewed vision of what this entails) but instead spends her days hanging out with Mermaids, Werewolves and that ilk... Her job has always been to identify the paranormals (she's pretty good at it... but that's all I'm saying...) and bring them in for neutralization...pretty simple actually.

Until something begins hunting paranormals at least - and Evie's little world is turned on its ear.things are always a little more interesting from that angle though... and she gets to tangle with her repressed teenage angst as well as saving hundreds of people. Well, maybe not "people" in the typical "human" sense... but... well, you know :)

Just your typical Girl (who happens to have some freaky powers and an ex-boyfriend who's a stalker faerie) meets Boy (who can morph into whatever he wants to look like) story :)

Go read it. Really. Right now...

Unless you came here for the "content" part of my "content review" in which case here's the really quick run-down:
Language - the word "Bleep" replaces nearly everything that is potentially offensive... and while that may seem extremely cheesy... Kiersten White has made it a part of the story and its use doesn't distract... frankly, by the end, "bleep" almost brings a tear to my eye...
At one point one character DOES flip off another character... no actual language - but there it is... frankly - the scene made me laugh... but if that worries you, then be sure to discuss it with your child prior to page 148.
The one that I have marked to discuss with my daughter (who is only 9, but wants to read these books... and I'll let her... in a couple years) is the term "OMG" which is highly used I know - and perhaps doesn't offend you - but since I know what it stands for and since that does bother some people (myself included) I'm just putting it out there :)
Violence - ummm, yeah, there's some death and dismemberment. well, maybe not dismemberment... one was a little emotional but most are far removed and certainly there are no gory descriptions of blood and guts to give a reader nightmares.
Romance - yeah, some kissing... hey, she's sixteen and a fictional character obsessed with High School Dramas... and there are a few very mild references to more than kissing (I believe the term "hooked up" was used) - once was in reference to the silly drama she watches on television and the other was in reference to not rushing things... overall a healthy attitude toward sex without denying that hormones exist.
Drugs - hmmm... this is where I realize I should REALLY write up the review before diving into the second book... because I can't remember if it's the end of this book, or the beginning of the next where a Vampire is smoking and is asked not to... and her response makes me smile...

There you go

and off I go, to finish the second book!!!!

Theodore Boone: The Abduction - John Grisham

2011-08-20T07:02:00.002-06:00

My apologies to followers who have been waiting to see what I've read... I've actually been reading a LOT - but I'm working working working on something. something BIG that is totally Top Secret for now (but let's clear up one thing - I am NOT expecting... there, at least there are none of those rumors going around!)

Today we're turning the review on its head - we'll deal with the details first, and then I'll tell you a little about the story...
Content:
Sex: None
Language: None
Violence: maybe some imagined... but none.
Drug Use: oh finally, something... ummm... Theo at one point walks through a pretty wild Frat Party... which I'm sure involves underage drinking... the author doesn't dwell on it, and the main characters don't imbibe... but it's there.
Tense Moments: One, by the river... but to be honest, it wasn't as tense as it should have been.

Okay - that's my problem with the whole book... it wasn't as _____ as it should have been.

This is JOHN GRISHAM for crying out loud - maybe I just expect a lot of the man because I have read everything he's every written. I was waiting with bated breath for his first foray into the YA world (Kid Lawyer) which I quite enjoyed...

So, what did he do right there and miss here?
*KL - Theo relies on his parents in a moment of crisis. TA - Grisham joins the throng of YA authors employing the ever annoying tactic "absent parent syndrom" and instead Theo turns to his Uncle...
*KL - Grisham toys with giving us just a little information about said Uncle... and had the reader wanting a few more details... TA - no more details... really.
*KL - Suspense... Grisham does suspense well. TA - Well, usually he does it well... I just didn't feel it here... quite frankly, I was bored.
*KL - relying on his strength Grisham brought in his courtroom expertise and caged it in appropriate YA terms. TA - the only time we entered a "courtroom" was completely unrelated to the story... I wanted it to be related... I had a theory in my head about how the parrot was involved in the kidnapping and everything. That imaginary storyline was my favorite part of the book...

So yeah... sorry - Grisham just managed to move himself from "gotta run and buy the first copy off the shelves" status to "hmmm, I'll pick it up at the library if it's sitting there unattended" status in my book.I even get it... sort of... sometimes life ISN'T all terror and thrills, sometimes the simplest solution is what actually happened... and our kids DO need to know this... but fiction is an escape - and I expect Grisham to provide that escape in a more exciting way.
Whoever the editor was who said "John, your YA is just too thrilling for the YA crowd" - fire him.

For my sanity I am assuming that there will be another book right on the heels of this one... one that uses the parrot, and all the other little plot points that were great sets ups - and it GOES somewhere...

The Maze Runner - James Dashner

2011-07-23T18:37:00.002-06:00

I know, I know... I had a lovely review of this book already (thanks Lori!) - but this time I read it myself - and Whoa... I feel like a heel for having put off my own reading!

It's SO hard to tell you too much about this book without giving away any of the little moments of discovery... I will limit myself to only giving away what is given away on the back of the book :)

Thomas wakes up in a box and is soon lifted out by boys around him... he finds himself in the Glade - an area enclosed by walls - and a maze... these boys have been there for years (without any adults) trying to solve the mystery of the maze and its moving walls. None of the inhabitants has a memory of who he is or where he came from - they only know they want to get out! With the help of other boys - and the Glade's only girl - Thomas sets out to solve what has plagued the residents for the past two years...

I fully enjoyed this book... stayed up WAY too late last night reading it and fell asleep (thankfully) right before the author described the Grievers. If you know how scary those Grievers are you will know what a blessing that was :)

Language? Dashner keeps it clean - yes, there is a "fart" or two... (which my long time readers know I hate... but I don't consider it a bad word necessarily) and some "crap" - but in a community entirely peopled with young teenage boys - it would be comical if they all said "toot" or "feces"... A unique Glade lingo has developed over the past two years and the boys have their own set of undesirable words (namely Klunk and Shuck) In an ideal world I would love if the latter of the two didn't rhyme with my least favorite of all swears - but hey, I'll take what I can get - Kudos to Dashner for giving us realistic emotion without nasty language! (Although heads up to my boys: if I ever catch you calling each other "shuckface" - you'll still be in trouble)
Violence? Ummm, yeah - there's some scary moments and some pretty serious fights... including a near-execution that (although it isn't described in any gory detail) kind of turns the stomach. Threats of violence abound... what can you expect from teenage boys?
Romance? Hmmm... that's questionable - there are questionably lewd comments (mild... may be construed as nothing by younger children) made when the girl first arrives in the Glade - but this neurotic mom was thrilled when those comments were followed immediately by the leaders announcing that NOBODY would touch the girl.
Drug Use/Drinking/Smoking? clean...
Stupidity? Actually, these are pretty intelligent teenage boys and the unnecessary risks are kept to a minimum. It's a life and death situation out in the maze, they rise to the occasion - the only "stupid" moves are actually made to help other people, so I have to give it a thumbs up on this count as well!

Talking Points:
Responsibility - Did these kids have a choice in what they did? Should they be held responsible for their part in the game? Were the Gladers right to trust them? In the same situation - would you?
Parental Influence - missing in at least these kids' memories... do you think that what their parents taught them is lurking there somewhere? Is Thomas' determination to help others from his earlier life - or from his imprisoned life?
Hope - is there ever a point when we should just give up? When different characters lose hope is that indicative of their weakness - or have they just been pushed too far?
The "test" in general - even if it were moral - is this even a fair test? Were the strongest Gladers the ones who survived?

Oh my goodness... let's just say that I had to stop myself from diving straight into The Scorch Trials (sitting about 3 feet away at this moment) to answer some of my questions...
and now that I have this written, I'm going to go do just that!

Matched - Ally Condie

2011-07-12T08:05:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to read this one for awhile... but the library copy seems to be booked until the next time Haley's comet comes around.

So I broke down.

Yep, that's right - I paid actual cold hard cash to have this book.

I mean... look at that beautiful book - I don't regret it.

A brief intro - Cassia is turning 17. At 17 a whole new world of possibilities opens up for her - she could leave school at any time and be assigned to her life long work. Well, life "long" ending on her 80th birthday... since that's when people die. ON their birthday... kind of a bummer, but that's just the way it is - who can complain - Cassia's society has done away with nearly all illness and accidental death - nearly everyone makes it to their 80th birthday. But back to Cassia... 17 almost means she will get to find out who she is "matched" with. Using all sorts of wonderful statistical mumbo jumbo (which thankfully is just alluded to in the pages of the book and not spelled out in boring detail) the leaders of the Match Committee determine who exactly are the most likely pairs to produce healthy offspring and have a happy marriage. Isn't that nice?

Cassia seems to be at ease with the system... it is the only system she's ever known after all... and then a wrench is thrown into her plans... a mistake is made... or is it a mistake? Instead of seeing the face of her known Match she sees another face... and learns more and more about him - forcing her to question the society she lives in... forcing her to learn a little more about herself... and ultimately encouraging her to make choices for herself instead of "for the good of Society"

Another book blogger sent me a message when I started reading this book - "better than Hunger Games" she said... and I shot back a "Hush Your Mouth" because of course (if you hang out here much) you know that Suzanne Collins is one of my top 5 authors of all time...

So now that I'm done... was it better? I'm not sure it's a very fair comparison - can I get away with saying I'd happily put it on the same level.

Condie has created a unique world - one which seems Utopian at first glance... full of characters you are immediately drawn to.

Cassia is strong, though she doesn't really have a chance to see that in herself because she's never made her own choices, she's never been faced with the need to be strong. Her very small acts of defiance (not taking the green pill) are indicative of a strong will.

Grandpa... I love a well-written Grandparent... and this is definitely one of those. He sees Cassia's strength - and he knows what he wants from life... and from death...

Xander - love this guy. Seriously - if I had a younger, single, fictional sister - I'd set her up with Xander... he's the perfect guy... smart, a good friend, he cares about people in general... and maybe the MOST understanding guy I've ever had the pleasure to read about... and he's going to be a Doctor... (I think... don't quote me on that part... the medical field at least... with so few illnesses remaining I'm not sure they actually NEED doctors)

Ky... initially not my favorite character... okay, never really my favorite character - but another incredibly smart character with a few interesting flaws that draw you to him anyway.

I liked it... a lot. I'm going to have to buy Crossed (this November folks, put it on your calendars!) since Ally (I figure we're on a first name basis now that I follow her blog and her Tweets) says it's even better than Matched!

Language: clean!!!
Romance: kissing, and very chaste kissing at that :)
Drug Use: not condoned... not voluntary... medical use of a calming drug is a common occurrence in this society - but the main character avoids this and relies on her own strength.
Violence: a past violent event or two are referred to, but not described in detail - nothing concerning.
Stupidity: a past event is related (two young boys are daring each other to take a pill... ) but it is certainly not glorifying anything...

Talking Points:
*Love and Marriage - it seems that in this society of Arranged Matches divorce just doesn't happen... do you think that's possible? These people work hard to get along and keep the status quo "for the good of society"... what if people in real life worked that hard at getting along? For their own good? Would it solve ALL problems?
*Choice and Consequence - these people live under the watchful eye of the Officials. They know that when they disobey they are highly likely to get caught and suffer the consequences. This has all but eliminated crime. The consequences aren't more harsh than real life consequences, but the likelihood of being caught is definitely more than in real life... discuss... :)
*Right and Wrong - Cassia is forced to make some pretty tough choices without knowing the eventual outcome - some of those outcomes are not exactly what she'd hoped for... does that make her decision wrong? If she had made another decision would things have worked out better?
*Governmental Control - Society has divided the workload so completely that nobody really knows how to complete the process of growing food and turning it into something edible... people are almost 100% dependent on the government for their food and clothing... Scary? Lazy? Heaven?
*Technology. Yes, I type... but I love to write in long hand, with a sharp pencil on a piece of crisp white paper. I'm sure I'm killing more than fair share of trees this way - but I love the written word. Cassia has never written anything... what has their society done to communication?
*The "hundred songs" etc... only a hundred stories??? that would KILL me. What would you have chosen if you'd gotten to choose?
*Preservation of the past: so little of the past makes sense to this society - what they have is stuffed behind glass cases in museums... how important is it that we know the stories of our past? why?

I'm stopping, really. when the "talking points" are longer than the review you know I need to find someone who's read the book and go out to lunch! (don't worry, passing the book on to a neighbor tomorrow just for this purpose!)

Now go read!!!

Thirteen Days to Midnight - Patrick Carman

2011-06-10T09:34:00.000-06:00

My neighbor brought this one over... with a warning that yes... there was language involved.

Not a LOT of language mind you... just language. As a matter of fact, in the beginning our character quite impresses me with his refusal to swear... his guardian hadn't liked bad language and as a tribute to him - Jacob is refraining. This does not of course last throughout the book (nor does it stop the language of other characters) but I liked the idea. Maybe because I grew up around a LOT of friends whose language was also "colorful" and around me, they tried to keep it clean. I appreciated that, and I like to think it was done out of respect.

Anywho - that's not why you came here is it? You want to know about this book!

Jacob Fielding has been raised in Foster homes - and finally landed somewhere he feels he can call "home". He's even taken the last name for his own. A high school student looking forward to getting his license and finding a girlfriend Jacob's life is changed forever when he is involved in a horrendous car crash that kills his guardian and by all rights should have killed him as well.

The story picks up when Jacob returns to school after the funeral. Milo (his best friend) and Oh (Ophelia, the new girl) round out the main cast. There is enough snark to keep me smiling as I read - but also enough "teenage boy lusty humor humor" to make me think twice about handing it right to my 14 year old.

Oh is an immediately likable character - just a little rebellious, but self-confident enough to still wear a bright pink cast.
Milo - a little quieter - also likable, but it took me a little longer to really care about him.

other characters... 'meh... they're fringe characters, and I didn't really connect with any of them. Well, maybe Mr. Fielding... but he starts out dead - so that was hard to really bond with him :)

The premise is simple: Jacob is indestructible. From there it get complicated. Jacob, Milo, and Oh experiment with the indestructibility - not always in the way you'd think though. Oh is methodical in her research. This turns out to be a really good thing.

Overall - I enjoyed the book. Will I run out and buy copies for all of my friends? Yeah, probably not. The thing that made me like it the most was the different take on the indestructible power... the ability to transfer it to others... and how that affected things. Note so fave? The characters take 128 pages (out of nearly 300) to become freaked out by the risks that they are taking. I will admit that being the old fuddy-duddy who hyperventilates when kids try to skeech down my hill in shopping carts isn't helping... maybe being a lunatic daredevil is more commonplace in this day and age? (oh *shudder* - please just "Don't Do This At Home")

Language: Not so great... not making me want to be a book burner either...
Romance: Yeah, some kissing, some making-out. Some crude lusty comments.
Violence: Well, the car crash wasn't pretty... and there's some bullying/fighting which is a little funny when the little guy can't actually get hurt...
Stupidity: Hmmm... pretty much constant. Listen, they're testing out whether or not they can be hurt. skating off the top of an apartment building or trying to drown yourself... I'm sticking that in the "stupid" category without apology. I do think that 99.99% of teens reading this are smart enough to know they shouldn't do that sort of dumb thing - but it's still stupid. Nearer the end: thoughts of suicide... also stupid. (and no, I'm not saying the author was wrong to include it... just that the actions themselves are stupid...)

Awesome: I think that Oh (despite the troubles it causes her in the long run) had good intentions - using the power to help other people. I'm... yeah, I'm about to tell too much if I go on any longer... go read - and then come back and discuss whether or not this "power" is a blessing or a curse...

Birth marked - Caragh M O'Brien

2011-06-08T11:22:00.000-06:00

Gaia Stone is learning to be a midwife. She has learned well under her mother's tutelage and will be a great asset to the mothers of her village as well as to the Enclave. The rules are simple: the first 3 babies she delivers each month are turned over to the Enclave to be raised in comfort, with all the health benefits anyone could want. Mothers are happy to serve and excited to see their children sent off to a stable future in a well-to-do family. At least that's what they say on the outside.

Gaia's indoctrination has been complete - and so her first glimpses of dissatisfaction with the status quo take her by surprise. Some mothers resist, but they move on right? Life is turned upside down and sideways when what Gaia always believed to be true is questioned.

First - I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. At just over 350 pages it didn't take too long to read, but was engaging from page one. The post-apocalyptic society that exists within these pages is reminiscent of some third world countries, where 5% of the population controls 99% of the wealth - and living outside the wall of the Enclave is a scarier existence to be sure. The Enclave protects - and to a degree, imprisons - those within its walls.

The characters are well written - I understood the motivation for each, I felt the despair in each... and even with the very brief introduction we had to some, I felt the pain at their loss.

Language: I was reading this on a car trip without the benefit of my notebook - but I don't recall anything that made me uncomfortable.
Romance: There are boys and girls... and a budding romance... perhaps... but nothing inappropriate.
Violence: a hanging, a rather violent childbirth... or two... and some tense chase scenes.

Talking Points:
*Trust. As always trust is a BIG issue. Who should Gaia be trusting in this unknown world she has been thrust into? If she had just trusted on day one how would things have turned out?
*Protection. Gaia's parents have protected (sheltered?) her in many ways throughout her life. Which of those ways has also harmed her? Is she prepared for the world in which she lives? What about real life, do parents have these same problems?
*Sacrifice. There is a LOT of sacrifice going on in this book. Which sacrifices are worthwhile to you? Which would be the hardest to make?
*Entitlement. Why are the people who live within the walls entitled to things like antibiotics while outside the walls even water is scarce? Who made these choices - are the people living NOW responsible for the choices made generations ago? Are those in charge now able to change the system? What would be the benefit of such a change?
*Secrets. Keeping secrets gets people in a lot of trouble - a LOT of people in a lot of trouble. Entire families are ill because of secrets. Ironically, the only solution to this problem exists because other secrets were kept. I enjoy irony...

...and that's all I'm telling you. O'Brien's first YA novel will be followed up by a sequel (second in a planned Trilogy) "Prized" - which you can enter to win an ARC for on Goodreads, or just wait with the rest of the world... (if you win, I hope you live close enough to share... that's all I'm sayin'...)

Right Behind You - Gail Giles

2011-05-27T22:33:00.000-06:00

This book had me going back and forth... recommend it... don't recommend it... what will it be?

So I'm going to take the easy way out and do neither...

sort of.

Right Behind You is a novel (slightly under 300 pages) that really makes the reader THINK... and not just in the "do a Sudoku at bedtime to keep your brain active" kind of think... Really deep thinking.

Some of my thoughts: (yes, BEFORE I tell you about the book... just work with me!)
Age of Accountability for children... at what point are children able to know right from wrong and take responsibility for the choices they make? Is this age set in stone or is it dependent on factors such as intelligence, parenting, etc...?

Honesty: is it ALWAYS the best policy? What about those times when our own honesty will jeopardize someone we love? Is it possible to live a lie?

Being a responsible parent: do you ever "give up" on your kids? is that even an acceptable consideration? Is giving up on yourself the same as giving up on your children? (I'm going to say yes to that one.)

Okay... the book:

Extremely gripping... it completely sucked me in and I was heartbroken for the many victims of a horrendous crime/accident. Kip (age 9) lashed out in anger against a 7 year old neighbor... resulting in the younger boy's death.

The book is an account of his life after this incident... how he copes, how it affects him... and most importantly, how his actions at this point affect those who care about him.

So many characters in this book really stood out to me - as genuine people who want to be good people...

Yes, there is language. enough that I won't be recommending it to my teenagers right away... and there are sexual inferences - some uncomfortable ones... and some that show that Teenagers can make good choices despite pressure, even despite their own history. There is drinking... and drug use... and some pretty grisly messed up people (especially the ones he meets during his years in lock-up). Frankly, there are all the things in this book that remind me WHY I preview the books my children read...

and yet... and yet I find it has merit. There are things to be learned... things that are worthy of your time... but maybe not things that need to be introduced yet.

Overall, a beautifully written story about a horrendous event. The Language could have been less - but not removed entirely - and remained true to the characters... Some of the sexual references were integral to the storyline, others... well, others consisted of the crass way I assume that teenagers raised in a group home full of delinquents might talk. Certainly not something I would high recommend to my average reader - but still a book I'm glad I took the time to finish.

Haven - Kristi Cook

2011-05-15T13:33:00.001-06:00

I have to say first that I waited for this book to come out - I tweeted with the author about her book signings (all too far away to attend) - and I wanted to LOVE this book... I wanted it to be my new favorite...

Because?

because the cover is gorgeous.
and because it has the same name as my daughter.

I was willing to repaint my sweet little H's room to match the book cover and have my dust jacket framed for her wall...

yes, seriously.

Okay - now that I've covered the pre-reading excitement let's move on to the review :)

The premise: Violet McKenna is a little "quirky" and has spent her life hiding her quirks from those around her. True visions of the future have hampered her ability to be a normal teenager so when she finds herself going off to boarding school she looks at is as an opportunity for a fresh start. Violet is more than a little surprised to find out that she is not the only one at the school with a quirk or two. In fact - every student here has some supernatural ability. Winterhaven is some place that Violet is able to be herself for the first time.

My blunt take on it? Think "Sky High" meets "Twilight"... now, that's not a BAD thing... it's just what I was reminded of. Actually, it reminded me of things I loved from the movie Sky High and things I loved from Twilight. Similarities aside - Kristi Cook has created her own world to be sure... with unique elements and a storyline with some twists and turns that the reader won't expect.

The "content" part:
Language: plenty of that... more than I will recommend to sensitive readers... and yes, they run the entire spectrum of bad language... you've been warned.
"Romance": Violet and her new boyfriend like to kiss... which doesn't bother me... visions of the future where they are more than kissing... 'meh... I could have skipped those - although it IS integral to the storyline... One of her new friends is rather open about her intimacy with her boyfriend... and as this wasn't integral to the storyline I really could have skipped that.
Violence: Some bullying - which is not condoned and very well handled. And a pretty good drop down/drag out fight where the powers of different people are called into play (this is the part that reminded me of Sky High... in a good way).
Stupidity: These people are crass. Maybe I grew up in a sheltered environment but if I told my friends I was meeting a guy who wanted to show me something... I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have turned that into a sexual innuendo. Okay, maybe some of them would have... but here's the thing - Violet shows her integrity as a person-as a strong female character-when she stands up for Joshua... I wanted her to react in SOME way to the crass jokes of her new friends. Morality aside, I didn't think it fit with her character...
Drug Use: ummm... (I shouldn't wait to review things so long... or I should take better notes...) the only drug use I remember is medicinal - and that doesn't bother me in the least. I'm not saying nobody smokes or drinks... I just don't remember it.

So, no... I'm not repainting my sweet H's room... because this book isn't going into her personal library. Yes, I'm a bit of a protective mother... and maybe a bit of a prude... but I'm hoping that she will be the kind of young lady that not only stands up for the kid being bullied (like Violet) but takes issue with the bad language and crass jokes of her friends.

But yes, if you're not MY kid... I can see the appeal... and I'm even fairly interested in the sequel... which I'm afraid will NOT be named after my daughter (although I did tweet her middle name to the author... just in case!)

Depth of Deceit - Betty Briggs

2011-04-25T08:34:00.000-06:00

So... to cover all my "keeping the FTC" happy bases I will tell you up front that this was a freebie book sent to me for review. My opinion is still my own... because influencing my opinion costs a LOT more than a softcover book :).

The thing is... I actually liked it. Now, I'm not recommending this to my typical YA crowd without caution... it's actually not a book intended for YA... but I liked it. There were a few times throughout the book that I might have rolled my eyes with a "you have GOT to be kidding" escaping from my lips... because the storyline just seemed a little too... unbelievable. Turns out that yes - that storyline WAS unbelievable, unless you too are a character in the book.

Here - and I almost NEVER do this - but you should read the back of the book:

Blonde and beautiful, fledging attorney Stephanie Saunders vows to protect the innocent even though as indigent defense attorney her clients rarely are. Does that include Josh Durrant who seems to be following her? Stephanie is dismayed when her peers begin calling her “Prom Queen” as her boyfriend, Todd Saxton, often does. Desperately trying to prove her worth, she falls prey to those who steal her innocence. Although she plans to forgive Todd for his ultimate betrayal, she is never given the chance. Her boss, Attorney Charles Connelly, offers solace, but is Stephanie’s welfare, or his own, top priority? The only thing that keeps Stephanie sane in her insane world are the horses she loves but does not own, especially the abused mare, Riskie Business, whose example helps Stephanie make the most difficult decision of her life. Relying on wit and courage, Stephanie must save herself and another during the final showdown where she proves a loyalty of which she never knew herself capable.

Now let me tell you that this to me this is a story about making hard choices, and about learning to trust yourself. Despite those few moments of me being unable to suspend reality and immerse myself in this story I did enjoy it... I did learn from it. I came away wanting to hold those I care about a little closer, appreciating them more... and wanting to be more honest and open.

Discussion question of the day: Abuse of Power... so many people in this book have power over others... in what way do they use or abuse that power? Charles? Todd? Matthew? Josh? Stephanie?

For the sensitive reader (warning: these may provide spoiler clues...)

Language: clean... at least, I'm pretty sure it was clean... (sorry, my original review just "Poofed" into non-existence and now I don't remember 100% of what I wrote here.... grrrrr....)
Violence: date rape (not described in detail) animal violence and a pretty nasty car crash - descriptive details were not gory enough to turn my stomach.
"Romance": we are privy to kisses... (and of course the above mentioned date rape... but I think that definitely belongs in the Violence category rather than filing it under Romance/Sex)
Drug-use: the date rape drug is mentioned, as is alcohol...

Interested in having your own copy of Depth of Deceit?
Purchase link: because THAT is what the price of a softcover will get you on my blog
and
The author's website: because I'm nice :) and because she has 4 YA novels out there that I might need to check out someday soon!!

Freshman for President - Ally Condie

2011-04-13T22:33:00.000-06:00

The library didn't have what I was hoping for... (I've been dying to read Matched) so I picked this one up on a whim... you know - to get a feel for the author.

I know - what a sad pathetic recommendation - seriously?

Well, to be honest - I wasn't expecting much... I thought I'd read a silly little story about some 15 year old kid who decided to challenge the system and maybe learned a little about the political process along the way. Nice, sweet, maybe even educational... the end.

But that's not what I got... sure - Milo is just a 15 year old kid... a nondescript kid with a few good friends and average soccer skills... but somehow Ally Condie took a simple little story about a kid running for the president of the United States and turned it into... well, something more than that!

The teens do act like teenagers - despite their lofty goals - and their above average intelligence. They also react like teenagers to things around them... anger, hesitancy, etc... I love the family dynamics that are happening throughout this book... which... argh, this is a hard book to discuss without including too much information... suffice it to say that the plot runs so much deeper than a teenager trying to make a name for himself.

The language/sexual content/violence/other stupid things is being temporarily suspended for this post - because... well, because although there is a teeny little bit of some of these things... I found none of it objectionable and all of it absolutely integral to the story... and I decided that letting you in on it (in this case) was actually too much of a spoiler. really - I'm not just being lazy...

Can you trust me? This is a quick read - and certainly worth your time.

and yes, now I want to read Matched even more...

Everlost / Everwild - Neal Shusterman

2011-03-27T19:44:00.002-06:00

I probably should have reviewed these one at a time... or waited until I read the third I guess - but I don't have the third yet (It won't be released until May 3) and I don't have enough willpower to not pick up a sequel when I enjoyed the first so much.

I guess now you know what my recommendation will be :)

Neal Shusterman has written some hits (LOVED The Schwa Was Here) and some misses - well, in my opinion... I just didn't love Dreadlocks I guess... but this trilogy reminds me of why I am always willing to give his books a try.

With the exceptions of a few "oh groan" moments I enjoyed every second of my read - most of the groaning occurred when I "met" new characters with names like "Skully and Molder", "Jackin Jill" and "Zach the Ripper"... though I did appreciate the X-files reference.

Our premise? If you don't "go into the light" - where do you go?

Allie and Nick have been in a nasty car accident (different cars) - and find themselves waking up in the middle of a forest... with no recollection of how they arrived there. Their experience in this new limbo - known as Everlost - is treacherous at times but they use their wits and a new friend (long time Everlost resident Lief) to survive.

Everlost itself... an amazing place - as well imagined as Middle Earth perhaps (yep, I'm a LOTR geek at heart) and governed by its own set of rules. Why do children cross in to Everlost? Well... ummm... I can't really say without ruining a new reader's experience... Other things in Everlost? Apparently well-loved (and then destroyed) items in the world cross into Everlost - oh, and fortune cookies for some reason. According to my own thinking Everlost must be FULL of books, photos and Christmas trees. Of course - relying on my own thinking got me into a LOT of trouble in these books... in my notes I would write a confusion or a question - only to have it explained away in the next few pages. The items which Shusterman mentions as having crossed over... these items are often a tribute to history (thus sneaking a little tiny piece of educational content into an enjoyable read)

Oh! This is getting to be a LONG review - let's cut to the chase shall we?

Language:
Everlost - p 196 - a deity usage, 227 - a donkey related name-calling... which actually seemed completely out of place... given that the character who penned these words died in the early 1900s... and p. 265 - the name of the gang's Hideout is "hellhole"... there's a hike near my house by the same name...
Everwild - either Shusterman decided to not use any language or I was reading too fast and furious to notice... oops :)

Drugs:
Everlost - one character died with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth... it's still there (I LOVE that this character later has to deal with nicotine withdrawals as a result...)
Everwild - a "fleshie" party has some underage drinking. Allie remarks on the behavior as stupid and points out that she would have been grounded in life for attending such a party.

Romance:
Everlost - two kisses, one so brief as to not really count (especially since it was one-sided) - the other... less brief but still perfectly chaste.
Everwild - a passionate kiss and a hint that it could be satisfying to take it further - BUT - I appreciated that one character involved used "every ounce of her will" to resist temptation... another sweet and simple kiss later (one of the same characters is involved in both kisses)... and a final kiss at the end... which... well... is complicated - but not lusty.
A note on romance... REAL romance (not the "romance" that I use to signify kissing and sexual innuendo within the books) - a sweet story is told in Everwild, a brief tale of loss and memory that I found far better than Titanic :)

Violence:
Everlost - well, the whole thing starts with a fatal car crash... but the Violence isn't described in any horrendous disturbing way.
Everwild - the violence gets worse... mostly because of the motivation behind the actions... but aside from some rather gross imagery (page 183) the author shies away from describing anything that will turn stomachs.

Idiocy in General:
Everlost - ummm, not wearing seatbelts, illegal fireworks, jumping off of tall things, walking in traffic, playing around on traintracks... pretty much anything that is mentioned as a cause of death amongst the kids - and a few things that the kids do now just because their spirits aren't susceptible to dying twice. Gambling is mentioned (and outed as evil). As a matter of fact - Shusterman does a pretty good job of not glorifying "stupid" throughout.
Everwild - well, without ruining anything - some characters are definitely suffering from a skewed sense of morality... and by pg 424 (the last page) a pact is hatched (and enacted) that merits a mention if reading it with your child.

Okay - let's just admit that this might be the longest review ever... because I still want to tell you some of the things I LOVED about this book!

*Nods to 9/11 tragedy, the very "Ghost" (Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore) moment on pg 124, the "explanation" for Area 51, the fact that the Swastika flags were "denied admission" to Everlost, the Challenger disaster, Graceland, and the ultimate bravery of a character I must not name (because you won't meet him as a brave character... but he gets there...) at the end of Everwild...
*Everwild - page 312 - Shusterman's a master... I am already a willing participant in his fantasy... already caught up in his world and WHAM - he is able to pull me further in... Bravo.
*and a quote - from Zin... "we's all stuck with what we wore, but not with what we were" - with this simple (and grammatically incorrect) statement Zin is able to put to rest years of racial unrest... because in Everlost - there's no actual skin, so why SHOULD skin color matter?

Talking Points and Questions I still have (but am sure will be resolved come May)
1 - "in a rut" vs. "routine" - how different are these...
2 - Lief's complacency... is that healthy... was it necessary to achieve the next step?
3 - Mary is a conundrum... happy to remain 15 forever - but has a NEED to mother the smaller children.
4 - Allie's "solution" to being stuck (E.W. - pg 359) - if she had known, would she have even considered it? I like to think not.
5 - at 5 years dead - but certainly in possession of the Skinjacker secret... why is Milos still hanging around...
6 - how can Jill/Mary/Pugsy justify their methods of "saving" these children... Pugsy was supposedly clueless - Jill is apparently without morals - and Mary... well, again - Mary is a conundrum.

Thus marks the end of a WAY too long review... if you've made it this far you really have to read the books right?

and if you've read them... and have them in your possession - do me a favor - turn to page 154 of Everwild... THIS is why I will never be a Country music fan. Just sayin'...

The List - Melanie Jacobsen

2011-03-24T22:04:00.002-06:00

I have to preface this - because most of my loyal readers will be ShOcKeD that I'm reading a romance... as a matter of fact - I'm not going to CALL it a romance... I'm just going to call it... ummm... "Funny Endearing Life Story where the guy happens to get the girl in the end"

there's a reason they don't let ME name genres.

So... here's the premise: Ashley Barrett has two sisters who married YOUNG. Ashley? Well, let's just say that's not her plan... that's so much NOT her plan that she creates her own version of a "bucket list" - 25 things that she wants to accomplish in life before getting married.

On her list? (amongst others) Learn to Surf and Have a Summer Fling. A summer living with her cousin in Huntington Beach, CA seems like the perfect opportunity to cross both items off the list before heading back to grad school (another list item).

Despite doing her very best to keep things casual and enjoy the summer... well, I'm sure you guessed it too - the guy is just a little too good. And hot - did we mention hot?

Yep - that's right. This "old married lady" (a title I will deny if asked) just said a fictional character was hot. Sure, we know from his description... but we know by the way others react to him... and being an O.M.L. (see, sounds MUCH better when I just use the initials) I can tell you that half of the attraction comes from the fact that he's just a decent guy... smart, kind, spiritual... I mean, who WOULDN'T fall for this guy?

well, Ashley perhaps - but she lets her guard slip for a moment...

but wait - it isn't THAT easy... but I won't give away that part - you'll just have to read it for yourself.

Language: clean
Romance: some kisses - perfectly chaste and wholesome kisses...
Drugs: yeah, none of that either
Violence: some pretty nasty wipe-outs on the surfboard probably don't count?

so... why did the O.M.L. enjoy this book anyway? It Might be because I spent a summer of my own in California in my pre-wedded-bliss days... and as the brunette outsider I like to think I was as cool and interesting as Ashley... of course, my summer didn't turn out quite so successfully. Hmmm... I take that back - it was just a different kind of successful right? ManOfTheHouse laughed at me for reading this book... I think because after nearly 18 years of marriage he figures we've had our fill of romance. Usually I agree with him - but this... this was just good clean fun - obviously, since I finished the book in a day :)
(it would have taken less time, but I had to stop reading in order to get lost in IKEA for awhile... where I bought... no surprise... bookcases!)

Now... once you're done reading it - come back here and tell me it wouldn't be poetic justice for Megan and Aaron to end up together...

Oh shoot - forgot to mention... I was so caught up in what I enjoyed... this IS an LDS book... enough so that it would probably be confusing (but not unreadable) for someone unfamiliar with the faith. Just thought you'd like to know before wondering what Relief Society was...

The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan

2011-03-22T09:22:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I pick up books at the library without knowing much about them... I mean, I've certainly seen this title out there on Goodreads lists and the like... but I never looked into it - I had no idea what it was about.

and maybe that's good... because I've never considered myself a huge "Zombie Apocalypse" fan... and I might not have given this a fair chance if I'd gone in with a preconceived notion of rotting corpses and the like...

Rotting Corpses walking around? Yep - known as "the Unconsecrated" - the world appears to be full of them. Mary has been raised within fences of what they believe to be the last human enclave... in constant fear of infection and invasion... but this is the life she knows and her hopes of a normal life are much like any teen's... including love. Protecting their little corner of the world are the Guardians and the Sisterhood - who act in everyone's best interest to ensure the survival of their community. Or at least she used to believe it was in her best interest that they acted.

Mary's world implodes a little before she finds out that something else may indeed exist - and her mother's stories of the ocean and buildings taller than the hills impel her to find out more.

*Language: my memory tells me that it is extremely minimal... like.... once? no promises though - I started out with good intentions to take good notes, but somewhere between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. I got a little caught up in my reading and forgot all about the note-taking.
*Romance: hmmm... this is a little tough - because as a reader I'm pretty darn sure that things were going on... but the phrase "not in so many words" might fit here... There is definitely a love triangle going on - and plenty of physical attraction/kissing. More than that? Yep, I'm pretty sure it happens - but it isn't discussed and the parent in me isn't truly concerned... it goes down as a "talking point" for when my kids read this book.
*Violence: ummm... well, it IS a post-apocalyptic Zombie novel... so... yeah, there's some violence. Decapitating a Zombie seems to be the only sure way to be rid of them - the fact that I know that might clue you in to the level of violence. I think the author does an amazing job of letting the violent moments happen without a high level of gory description.
*Drugs: not an issue. I suppose there IS an upside to Zombie Apocalypses :)

I have to tell you - the writing is Beautiful... I was immediately gripped by the story and this small world within fences was instantly a very real place for me. I can hardly wait to get my hands on anything else by this author. (but first - the sequel to this... already out... PLEASE let it be at the library today!)

Talking Points:
*It's the end of the world as you know it (and I feel fine...) - does love still play a part in anything or is duty the only consideration?
*One of the hardest things to do in life is to say Goodbye to a loved one - Zombies add a little difficulty to this equation since it gives you a choice... decapitate your recently departed or allow them to "return" and become part of the Forest of Hands and Teeth... what kinds of things would influence that decision?
*The Sisterhood - do they really believe they are doing what is best for the town? Could some of them have survived?

Like I said earlier... sometimes I'm SO glad I refuse to read reviews of books before I read them - sure, it would save me from some of the junk... but I'm afraid knowing the "Zombie" element of this book before being sucked in by the amazing writing would have been a killer.
Did I like it? Heck yeah!
Will I go on a Zombie Apocalypse book binge? ummm... probably not - with names like "You are so Undead to me" I think I'll be a little picky in which I spend my time on... but this one? totally worth my time :)

Star Scout Rising: First Trail - Gary Darby

2011-03-14T09:11:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer First: Yes, I received this book as an ARC at no cost to myself - as always - all opinions are my own OF COURSE because I cannot be bribed. Well, okay, maybe I CAN be bribed, but it's gonna take a lot more than a book.

And now, what you really came here for :)

As a really young child I didn't really know what the word "genre" meant - but I did know that I wasn't a fan of Science Fiction... Oddly enough I LOVED to stay up late (against my parents wishes) and listen to Mystery Science Theatre on the radio (oh my... wait, I'm not THAT old... we had a television - but it was hard enough to sneak the radio into my bedroom for the 11:00 p.m. show). You see, nobody had told me that Mystery Science Theatre was Sci-Fi... I had tried to read Asimov and Heinlein and had given up after that. I was about 13years old and swore off all Sci-Fi...

Luckily, we DO continue to increase in knowledge even after the monumental event known as being a Teenager.

Now? Sci-Fi and Fantasy are some of my favorite... go figure :) (and yes, I have even enjoyed an Asimov or two...)

In Star Scout Rising Darby has created a new world... no, bigger than that... he has created an entire universe - only a little bit of that universe is revealed within this first book but I get the feeling that he has some interesting things in store... as an author I find Gary Darby intriguing - he hints at secrets between characters and holds them close, choosing to reveal them sparingly. If you've been a long time reader of this blog you will know that I LOVE being wrong about my guesses throughout a book. Yeah, being right is nice... but I get such a thrill out of being surprised by a revelation it's worth the momentary 'wanting to kick myself for not seeing it sooner' :)

I can't TELL you which moments I think he did a great job with the secret keeping - I will just say that I like the little twist. Often a reader is the only one privy to certain knowledge and the fictional characters are oblivious... you know... like a horror flick when you know that the killer is in the bathroom as the girl is lazily combing her hair... Darby switches it up a little... the reader is kept in the dark and the characters share a secret. Initially I'd think this was annoying - but this is what kept me turning the pages - I just had to know what Bianca had muttered... or what Del had seen...

and I wasn't disappointed.

Though there were moments of confusion for me (a flashback so long I forgot we were flashing back... oops) I think this book has a lot of good elements.

What you need to know:
Star Scouts - the Good Guys who wear white hats
Gadion Faction - the Bad Guys...
Renegades - hmmm... sometimes it's hard to tell what hat someone is wearing...

I'm not even going to tell you who the characters are... sometimes you just have to get to know them (and their connection to each other) on your own... trust me - this is one of those times :)

My notes and Talking Points: The Good Side of things

The family dynamics of shame and revenge are interesting... should Del bear any guilt? What about the anger that Alena has... is that even her own?

The author is LDS - and because of this has a few references that may not be familiar to a non LDS reader... He does give enough explanation on the Stripling Warriors that any reader will be up to speed immediately and the Ten Tribes reference (though not explained) is a brief joke and not at all vital to the understanding of the story. Other influences seem to include the Star Scout Oath - which is an amalgam of YoungWomen/Boy Scout/Scripture with a sprinkling of missionary zeal.

I'll take responsibility for this one - but if your memory is like mine - you may need a little notebook to keep track of the alphabet soup... I had a stop a few times to remind myself of what CG, SOG, etc... stood for.

307 - I'm enjoying the analogies here... best bit of the book so far :)
383 - these characters each come to us with pretty intense background stories... I'm really hopeful that these will come into play more in future novels.
494 - haha, I always appreciate a little humor thrown in. Any genre of book is a tiny bit better if I get a laugh break :) (yes, even a Math book is better if it's funny)

Language? clean.
Romance? the words "16 and never been kissed" come to mind... :)
Drugs? clean
Violence? well, a few... nothing GORY, but it's not exactly a fairy tale bedtime story.

The not so good part of my notes? well, this is a book that could use a really good editor... a few misspellings, a few word omissions, a few times I would have preferred a well placed pronoun... nothing that kept me from reading the book mind you - but also things that would be a quick fix. The Cover? hmmm... my regular readers know I have issues with covers - this wasn't a favorite of mine by any means... but it does seem to be a fairly accurate depiction of the nasty Garther Ape... which I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley!

Did I like it anyway? Yes :)
Will I read follow up novels? Yep :)

the question is - do YOU want to read it?
Purchase Links: Book or Kindle :)

The Horn of Moran - M.L. Forman

2011-03-06T15:11:00.001-07:00

The second installment in the Adventurer's Wanted series - and Forman jumps right into the story rather than spending much time re-introducing his main characters. Personally - I appreciate this because I find those a bit repetitive... of course, it hasn't been that long since I read Slathbog's Gold (the first book... which I am realizing I may have overlooked writing up... oops!)

So... since I apparently overlooked it - let's sum up: Alexander Taylor is apparently just another pretty normal boy who one day happens upon a eclectic little shop with a sign in the window that seems to call to him... "Adventurers Wanted"... his life changes in more ways than you (unless you have already read the book...) can imagine.

If you haven't already read that book - then this might be a good place to stop... Suffice it to say that I liked the book... I could complain a little about the occasional tendency to use 20 words where 12 would suffice... but overall... I didn't mind so much. :) Perhaps that's because I'm overly wordy myself? (that's a rhetorical question... no need to agree so enthusiastically!) I think that this is a clean, interesting read - one with high boy-appeal due its action sequences but also one which appeals to me as a mother because of its discussions of honor and duty... (Language - clean, Morality - clean, Drugs - accepted use of alcohol by adults... not abusive, Violence... well, it's not described in detail... but yeah - there's some violence - but I let my boys all read it and didn't bat an eye)

Okay - so, the uninitiated are probably gone by now... but no worries - this will be pretty spoiler free... Alex has been continuing in his training as a Wizard through correspondence course. Okay, so "course" might be pushing it... but he's been reading and practicing with the support of a mentor Wizard and the shockingly devoted support of his step-father. (I really think I like the step-father... I'd like to know more about him in further books)

Alex is off on another adventure - this time they are not planning to slay any huge Dragons but will be avoiding all out war in Alusia if they can succeed in their quest. Their quest takes them through many lands with differing customs... I like that Alex (as an outsider) is interested in these customs and struggles to learn how to best handle himself.

As a matter of fact - the more I've thought about this book since finishing... I just think Alex is a pretty good kid. He's obviously been raised to care about those around him. He has learned a few good lessons as well since discovering Mr Clutter's shop.

Not to go all "religious" on my readers - but since it's Sunday - I'm going to allow it. I was reading in the Bible today:
Matthew 6:19-21 19:Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21:For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
and this made me think of this book... which I'd finished just before church... Alex DOES accumulate a bit of treasure on his adventures... though he does a pretty good job of trying to give away much - but I don't believe that's where his heart is... He appears to be far more concerned about his honor - the welfare of others - the safety of others...

No, he's not perfect... he has a tendency to allow his emotions to rule him more than is ideal... and... umm... okay, well, he's closer to perfect than is completely believable I guess... but his adventures are fun to read about!

His companions... also a lot of fun... many return from his earlier adventure and we of course enjoy them all... some do not accompany him on this quest but we get to visit them along the way.

There are hints throughout the book that there might be someone amongst his group who is not as pure of heart as the others... so I spent more time than necessary doubting a completely innocent member... in the end? In the end I could have kicked myself for not having seen THAT a lot sooner. Really. If you're done reading it I'll happily share WHY I was mentally kicking myself... but it really would be too big of a hint/spoiler.

The Lowdown:
Language - clean

Violence - again - not described in detail... but with MoonSlayer at his side and a few hundred nasty Goblins trying to murder them... well, the time for talk is over.

Romance - clean. There is a nice wedding... and there might just be a character or two who have their eye on a lady... but certainly nothing inappropriate.

Drugs - again some accepted drinking by adults. The adults weren't acting very adult at the time - and "moderation" was forgotten. It receives a brief mention and is a source of embarrassment to the characters.

Definitely worth a read - Especially if you have a 10-15 year old boy who is adventurous but maybe not quite ready to tackle The Lord of The Rings...

okay - one minor irritation - countered by an awesome book quote...

at one point two adventurers are realizing that neither of them has a bow and arrow (which would make their situation a lot easier...) Myself? I'm just having a hard time believing that with these Tardis-like adventurer bags at their sides that there's not a bow or an arrow to be found... I'd much sooner believe that neither feels confident in their abilities with such a weapon and doesn't want to risk raising the alarm... (my apologies for the Dr. Who tardis reference... I should remember that not everyone is as big a geek as I am :)

And the cool quote? "Evil can't give you greatness, it will only use you and then throw you away when it is finished"... and yes, that did remind me of a scripture as well... but one scripture is enough for any book review... even if it IS Sunday :)

The Demon King & The Exiled Queen - Cinda Williams Chima

2011-02-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

After reading and enjoying Chima's other books (Wizard Heir, Warrior Heir, Dragon Heir) I was excited to see these on the shelf.

I didn't even look at the price tag. (well, not for long at least...)

Okay, let's begin with a few characters: -

Han (Cuffs) Alister is a reformed thief - and not just any small time pickpocket... think the Al Capone of the streets. He walked away from that life and is struggling to make a living for himself, his mother, and young sister. Han is lucky enough to have a place (up in the mountains with "the tribes") to escape to when the street life refuses to let go.
Of course, he learns there that you can never completely run away from your troubles.

Raisa (ana marianna blah blah blah... sorry, I just don't want to look it up!) - As heir to the throne (which is always passed through the women of their line) Raisa has been raised to understand politics and matters of state by her mother - and her father (Averill Demonai - who is from the tribes and not often in the castle) has tried to fill in the gaps... but she has little understanding of what people outside the palace have to do to survive day to day.

Amon Byrne - childhood friend and playmate of Princess Raisa. His father (Edon Byrne) has served the Queen (kind of a bodyguard - kind of an advisor... although she doesn't listen so well)

Micah Bayer - a young wizard, also a friend of Raisa. His father (the High Wizard) is... well, a creep. The apple may or may not fall far from the tree... I am holding out a little hope... and yes, I do have a hard time keeping Draco Malfoy out of my mind... fortunately that is the ONLY wizard similarity I have run into.

Dancer - tribe member and friend of Han (known to the tribe as Hunts Alone)

Bird, Willo, Elena, Jemson...

oh my goodness, there's a reason I usually don't describe all the characters!!!

Let's skip to the nitty gritty. This is an amazingly well crafted story - Han is thrown some pretty nasty curve balls as he tries desperately to just be a decent person. His own past is determined to catch up with him and as he comes in contact with all of these people so many things happen that must be dealt with. He is soon mixed up in nearly every dispute in the kingdom (wizards vs. clan - royalty vs. wizards...) and although he loses much of himself and his life he takes these losses and grows.

Raisa on her own is learning so much - but her coming of age brings on new challenges - many attempt to use her to further their own agenda. Luckily she is a strong person AND has some good people looking out for her.

The political intrigue is quite interesting - and well described - kind of like taking a Fictional Political Science class with a REALLY good professor who doesn't bore me to tears. I especially enjoyed meeting new characters from the many different areas - who had different beliefs/values/traditions - and seeing how they interacted.

With two books' worth of plot running through my head I can't really get into all of that in a review... but hey - when you go read it you'll catch on pretty quickly :)

Overall Impression: I really liked these books. A lot. I enjoyed the stories and the characters and will continue reading to find out where they are headed.

Language: a few mild swears.

Violence: there are some grisly deaths - mostly described without making me cringe. A few near the end of book one are highly emotional. Also some sense of impending doom goes throughout the storyline...

Romance: hmmm... this is the tricky bit. There are kisses exchanged - which don't bother me in the least. There are references made to protecting the Princesses' Virtue - which I highly approve of... Let's just be honest - the "moral compass" of the characters in this book is... well, pointing any direction but North. Attempted date rape, lesbian relationships, raising a child conceived by rape... if your child is reading this be prepared to deal with any of the above situations... and be aware of your child's ability to comprehend what is going on.

Age Recommendation: My fifteen year old son... yep, I'd let him read these... but we'd have a few discussions throughout. My 13 year old son? Hmmm... I'd just as soon wait a few years... Does this make me a prude? Maybe - and I'm okay with that. The fact is that these kind of things DO exist in real life - and I applaud an author who can give me a chance to discuss touchy subjects with my children in a safe environment. Know your child - know what they are reading/watching/listening to... use what they like to know them a little better.

The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones - Helen Hemphill

2011-01-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

another book the 11 year old was assigned and liked - we're batting 1000 here!

and of course that means I had to read it too... quickly, since it's due back at the library in the morning :)

Prometheus Jones was born on a great day... a day not named in the book - but the day (Jan 1 1863) f the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation isn't too hard to find (thank you Wikipedia!)... so despite being African American - Prometheus Jones was born as free as any man. Of course, prejudice still existed and Prometheus didn't have an easy life - but he was a lucky child in many ways.

Having lost his mother to illness and planning to travel to Texas to find his father Prometheus wins a horse in a raffle - much to the dismay of the young uppity boys who gave him the raffle ticket. Trouble follows his good fortune and he is forced to beat a hasty exit from Tennessee, taking along his cousin Omer.

Prometheus and Omer soon join up with some cowboys - rustling cattle. Well, maybe... I'm still not sure what "rustling" means in this sense... but they were moving the cattle along - and I'm sure that there was at least one moment when rustling noises were made - is that good enough?

I really enjoyed the characters in this book... not just Prometheus and Omer... but many of the cowboys as well... yes, even the ones with nasty habits and attitudes... and even that silly Dill boy and his ridiculous rabbit's foot... I can't say that I respected all of the characters, but I did enjoy their individual personalities as they came through in the writing - and their individual growth. The characters either grew as people - or... well, those that didn't grow and learn tended to get killed off... and good riddance to them.

Romance - one cowboy does tend to enjoy a little snuggling with the barmaids despite his status as a married man - nothing graphic or disturbing... might actually be a good point of discussion though - does he love his wife as he claims? Why is "freedom" so important?

Language - the 11 year old read it, I read it... and nothing stood out as shocking... even given the fact that these are rough riding cowboys in the Wild West... there is however a fair amount of drinking and smoking... but kudos to Omer and Prometheus who abstain from both activities despite being offered. Prometheus seems wise beyond his years to know that doing what others consider "grown-up" things is not the measure of a man...

Violence - well, there is a bit of fighting - and more than one death... and a little dismemberment. The dismemberment is really the only thing that disturbed me... and considering my own near miss with my messed up foot as a child I can guess that it won't be nearly as disturbing to most readers.

The surprising thing? I am a cryer. big time. I bawl like a baby when a character I have grown fond of is killed off... I shed a few tears for characters I don't particularly care for. I'm feeling a little heartless that I didn't cry during this book. One death I nearly wanted to cheer for - the guy was begging for it. Another... well, it was horribly tragic... but the writing remained very matter-of-fact and I was able to maintain my composure. I don't know if this is good or bad... I'm tempted to say good because seriously, I hate that I cry at the drop of a hat... but even more so because this IS a juvenile fiction selection... and I'm okay with things being a little less intense for my kids.

Prometheus makes a good hero - he provides a voice of reason in stressful moments and chooses the honorable above the easy. I also really liked that the story came full circle. Prometheus was able to confront his accusers - and in the end he is free to find his own destiny.

Talking Points: prejudice, grudges, loyalty.

Leviathan - and - Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld

2011-01-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

I read the first book (Leviathan) just after Christmas and had great intentions of posting a review right away... and then I realized the next book was released...

and I have NO willpower... I just had to read it.

I guess that tells you how much I liked the first :)

Scott Westerfeld is quite talented at creating a believable world - he did it quite successfully in Uglies (and the rest of that series) and in the Midnighters series as well... In this book he stands reality on its side - tossing a salad from actual history and his creations... with a heavy serving of Steampunk.

Steampunk... to be honest - this is my first go at a Steampunk novel... and I was a little wary. I mean, I've seen the little mechanical birdies and such... but I didn't know what to expect. Westerfeld serves it up in a convincing way that had me from page one.

a little storyline shall we???

Deryn is a girl. Being a girl in this day and age apparently sucks big rocks and so she has decided to masquerade as Dylan and join the British Air Service. Her first day in training goes... well, a little wacky and she ends up aboard the Leviathan - a Darwinist created airship which uses laboratory created beasts as its main structure.

Alek is a boy. It's okay to be a boy so he's going to remain such... just so you're not confused. He is also their grandson of the Emperor of Austria/Hungary. Enough people are unhappy with his father's politics that dear old Dad has just been assassinated. This of course puts Alek in danger and he is forced on the run. Despite years of planning for this possibility there are some interesting snafus with his escape that teach him a lot in a short time... things he could not have learned with his sheltered upbringing. Plans change - and the greatest departure from plan brings him face to face with Deryn/Dylan... and the adventure really "takes off" from there. Literally.

After I had read Uglies (also by Westerfeld) I found myself using a few of the phrases that he'd coined in the book. "Dizzy-making" was probably my favorite... I use it a lot actually... of course, that might have something to do with my Vertigo and the fact that a LOT of things are dizzy-making to me :) After these books? I think I'm having a hard time not adopting some of the funnier phrases... "clart" is probably not a NICE word to use, but OH so descriptive... and "barking spiders" has already crept out at least once... to the great amusement of my 13 year old (who has also read Leviathan - and enjoyed it).

Language - unless you're counting "clart" and "barking spiders" (which I'm not) there is no reason to take offense. NOTE: if there are things in the book that qualify as swears in other countries I didn't notice them... but I can't guarantee it, as I don't really know what qualifies as a swear word in Russia or the Ottoman Empire. Shoot, I'm such an innocent that I'm not even always familiar with all the new English swears :) (yeah, just believe that one okay... my kids do)
Romance - well, you see... since Alek is still convinced that Deryn is Dylan... there's not much chance for that... there's a little jealousy - and actually a kiss in book two (not between THOSE two... just one of them... and another girlie... but that's well... ah, just trust me - not very romantic)
Violence - it's war time... and yes - lots of battles and definitely more than one death. Nothing up close and personal... Death has touched Deryn and Alek's life in a personal way and the sharing of those stories is likely the most graphic the violence is... and I didn't find it disturbing - nor did my son.

Favorite Bit - aside from the "barking spiders" - the mixed in history - any book that is this much fun and actually encourages the reader to learn a little bit more about history - gets a huge thumbs up from me!

Topics for Discussion - some of these might be a little more telling than you might want to see prior to reading the book... read the following at your own risk :)

"Royal blood" - Alek's line of succession is questionable because of his not quite royal enough for everyone mother. Can you find actual historic accounts of this happening? In our own society - does something similar exist - either along class lines or racial lines?

Gender bias - fewer and fewer girls are pretending to be boys these days :) Is the bias really gone? What inequalities do we still see in our society?

Count Volger - this man has abandoned his country, his title, everything he has in order to protect Alek... how does his character change throughout the books... by the end of the second book does he trust Alek to make correct decisions? What is he still getting out of this arrangement now that Alek's father is gone? (okay, and the same questions could be asked for the other traveling companions as well)

alright, that's all I'm going to tell you - you REALLY don't want to miss out on this series though - I think it's made a Steampunk fan of me after all...

How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell (yes, it's a book!)

2011-01-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Remember that rule about always having the kids READ the book before they see a movie based on it...

yeah, that rule... the one we never ever ever ever break. Ever.

My kids broke it. Well, technically only ONE son broke it because he went to see it in the theatres... once it's at home on video I can't enforce it quite so well.

The good news? The movie is SO DIFFERENT from the book that if the names were changed, you wouldn't suspect that they were related. Seriously.

Me? I'd listened to about 1/2 the book on tape before seeing the movie (son got it for Christmas) and knew that there were some MAJOR changes. Son ALSO got the book for Christmas... sneaky Santa just doesn't know when to let it go does he?

Guess what? the kid hated it. Seriously - he had nothing nice to say... but I'm blaming that on... well, I don't know - but it's not the book's fault. The book is witty and a fun read. Maybe at 13 this particular child is just too old... no, not too old... too... too afflicted with teenage brain damage maybe?

The artwork is rudimentary - not in an annoying "man couldn't they find a real artist" sort of way though - it actually reminded me a lot of The B.F.G. (Roald Dahl) because of the art. I loved The B.F.G. by the way.

Cowell manages to take a very lighthearted and fun look at a group of people who have some violent and brutal tendencies - giving great personality to the dragons and humans alike. Thumbs up!

The parental low-down:

Language: Nothing foul, however there are quite a few references to wonderful things like snot, boogers, and burping... the kind of things that will surely entertain boys around the world.
Violence: Well, ummm... they're vikings - and a little violence is to be expected I guess. There's a fair amount of bullying and name-calling - and of course things like Dragons trying to kill each other and the humans. It certainly didn't bother me and I would be comfortable with either my 11 year old boy or 8 year old girl reading this book. After the 15 year old finishes though - he called "dibs"... apparently he wants to see if he agrees with the 13 year old's assessment!?
Talking Points: parents and children - and their expectations of them. I know a few "sporty" dads out there who have some issues with their kids not living up to their expectations... Does Hiccup's dad have issues with him not being a big mean viking type? Does Hiccup see himself through these same eyes or does he value himself regardless of the expections? What changes after Hiccup questions his dad's decision on the banishment issue? In the end, has Hiccup changed? Does his Dad think he's changed, or has he learned to see the value in what has always been there?

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon - Grace Lin

2011-01-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

My son brought this one home from school - it was an assigned book and I don't think he was really excited about reading it at first.

Hey, he's only 11... and a boy... and despite the gorgeous cover it was a change of genre for him... I mean... this was the first thing he read after finishing the last of the Harry Potter books. Okay, well, not TOO huge a switch I guess... they're both fantasy - but this one was about a GIRL... and apparently girls still have cooties at age 11. who knew?

The surprise - he loved it! He was already 1/3 of the way through the 278 page book before he came home with it, so I let him finish before reading it myself... but he obviously enjoyed it, telling me different parts (someone has GOT to convince him to stop with the spoilers though!) and making it sound a little like a Chinese Wizard of Oz (it's not...) in his excitement.

Quick Synopsis? (yeah, who am I kidding - I don't do "quick" real well...) Minli is a young lady living with a loving father (Ba) and a mother (Ma) who is fairly unhappy with their lot in life. Ma is forever wishing their fortune would improve, but is rather a pessimist and is easily annoyed when Minli convinces Ba to tell stories. These stories are inserted throughout the book as Minli meets new characters - their individual stories intertwining to create the complete tale.

hey, that was pretty quick after all...

Language/Romance: none... really, truly as clean as can be. No worries moms :)
Violence: Minli is able to use her smarts to complete her journey and outwits rather than overpowers (well, she really couldn't overpower... but that's not the point). There is a reported toddler stabbing in one of the stories... but it is neither graphic nor (in the end) as horrific as it sounds. Just trust me... really.

Talking points:

Friendship - what does Minli learn from the different friendships she has forged? Did the lessons she learned from the buffalo-boy help her as much as what she learned from A-Fu and Da-Fu... or in the end was it just a part of the same lesson? In the end Minli has a choice to make between pleasing a dear friend and pleasing herself... why is this choice not as difficult for her as it might be? In the end... this choice was pivotal - what do you think would have happened if she'd asked a different question?

Parenting - Minli's mother sets an example for her... how do you think this affects her decision to seek better fortune? Did her father's stories influence her as well?

Learning from History - Ma discounts the stories as blather - but they turn out to be important to Minli's understanding of her surroundings. Not that I expect my bedtime stories of The Princess and the Pea to come in handy in my kids' lives, but there is much to be learned from listening to our elders - and by paying attention... we can never get that reminder too many times.

Overall? I loved this book - it was a quick read with nothing objectionable. I will definitely be checking out some of Grace Lin's other books in the near future!

Reckless - Cornelia Funke

2010-12-30T14:55:00.001-07:00

If you've spent much time here - you know Cornelia Funke is a favorite author of mine. She just has a way with words that draws in the reader...The Thief Lord was the first book that Veggie Teen ever RE-read... he loved it that much. So of COURSE when it came time for him to pick out a Christmas Book (G'ma and G'pa's gift to the kids) this was right on the top of the list.

Our main character is Jacob Reckless. This was actually a deterrent for my kids - they are currently avoiding any books about vampires, werewolves, or with characters named Bella, Edward, or Jacob. This eliminates over half of the YA section at Target by the way. I did a little fast talking (I can be persuasive when I want to be) and we ended up coming home with the book.

I know, I know... it was HIS book, and I should have let him read it first... but he fell asleep... really... and by the next morning I was half done - he graciously allowed me to finish :) Hey, I'll let him read my book too... someday...

Jacob Reckless is living at home with his mother (rather an absent character altogether) and his brother Will... their father is... "gone" - when his curiosity leads him to discover a secret passageway of sorts - one that leads into a very foreign and unfamiliar world. Jacob spends more and more time there over the years and only when Will follows him is the reader allowed to see a glimpse of this world.

Ultimately a story of Brotherly Love (Discovered very late in life) and of growing up instead of running away - Funke takes some familiar elements into an unfamiliar setting - and that's where she makes the magic happen. Literally. Her alternate reality in this book (much like in the Inkworld Series) just IS... it evolves naturally - she doesn't make the fatal error of shoving it down our throats, we discover it alongside Will and Clara as they see it for the first time. Their discoveries of fairy tale "truths" come here and there - naturally... as any world is discovered.

Ages? I have already let my 15 year old (boy) read this... and the 13 year old (boy) will probably read it soon... I may even let the 11 year old (boy) at it next summer... maybe... but I'm not sure I'm going to recommend it much younger than that - mostly because of a few scary moments - and Jacob's past "philandering" being alluded to more than once or twice. The romantic element is played down pretty well... but it is there. As good a reader as my girls are (8 and 6) I LIKE that they still enjoy the fairy tales... and it will definitely be quite a few years before I think this needs to go on their To Be Read shelves...

Justin Case - Rachel Vail

2010-11-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

My kids had been making fun of Justin Bieber all week. It was an activity that was fun for the entire family I guess... even the 6 year old got into the act - although she could NOT seem to grasp that his name wasn't Justin Beaver...

Somewhere in all the Justin nonsense the kids started saying Justin Time and Justin Case... so you'll understand why I picked up this book at the library :)

I wasn't expecting much from the book - mostly just a laugh from my kids at the title (which I got) but I was quite pleasantly surprised to find a witty, thoughtful story within the pages as well.

A worry-wart third grader, Justin K begins his new year with trepidation... he isn't "cool" - but he isn't a big loser either. He is every ~~man~~ boy - he is relate-able. I think that every reader will find at some point that they are saying "whoa, I remember that!" whether it's the desire to just stay invisible to bullies - or the fear of climbing that rope. (seriously... I never could climb that stupid thing, they don't still make kids suffer that humiliation do they?)

I liked Justin, I actually liked his whole family. Their interaction was just... good family stuff... the stuff that makes you remember fondly (or not so fondly) family vacations in the car to visit cousins who you barely know. His school, his friends, his family, his pet... we hear about it all as Justin takes us through his Journal entries. Some of my favorite entries are the short ones which give virtually no storyline, but plenty of information in their few words.

Language: none
Romance: c'mon, he's in 3rd grade... he does go from hating (I mean "no thank you"ing) a girl to actually thinking she's not so bad... but that's it!
Violence: fear of, but not actually, being beat up... and learning that maybe bullies are people too in the meantime.
Age: it's about 3rd graders - and it's perfectly geared to this age - but I do think any child who has enjoyed the Wimpy Kid series (but whose parents would like something with more... words) would fully enjoy this.

image from the author's website

Random.org shocks me sometimes! (Gratitude Giveaway Winner)

2010-11-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

you guys ROCK - I mean it... you rock... I had over 200 entries for the giveaway of one of my all time fave books. (over 200 meaning exactly 204... but doesn't "over 200" sound better... like it could be somewhere in the 290s maybe?)

how many of you wait to enter giveaways because #1 is NEVER picked? Sometimes I do...

Today, waiting did not pay off... because I popped 1 and 204 into Random.org and the number 1 came up... seriously.

so... One Cluttered Brain is soon to be the owner of a brand new Alchemyst book... you know... as soon as she sends me her address... and as soon as I make it to the post office... and as soon as the slow holiday mail actually gets it there - but it's all hers!

Thanks to all my followers - I promise a good review within the day... currently I'm sitting here cursing a very sore back and not knowing how long I can be at a computer... but I've read a few things I want to share!

Another giveaway soon? hmmm... let's see what the New Year brings...

Anthem - Ayn Rand

2010-11-18T20:57:00.001-07:00

Giveaway still going strong - just click to enter - but really, it's just the post below this... you could scroll down too :)

My son was assigned this book in his Honors English Class... for which the book list is pretty amazing - but this one, I'm embarrassed to admit, I'd never read. No problem, at 105 pages Anthem is practically a short story and in a mere two hours I knocked that off my to-do list. (including a break for lunch)

Equality - that's the name of our main character... and also our biggest problem. A futuristic society that has gone back to the dark ages practically for fear of anyone having more than another. Choices and self-interest have been all but drummed out of people's minds. Preference for any one person over another, any color over another, any job over another... all of it has been outlawed. Preference even for your own life over another... all bad.

I'm sure that the Borg (yep, I'm a Star Trek geek deep down... really deep) we influenced by this book in some way - the collective mentality is scary - but without the wiring and creepy looking Borg stuff.

Every once in awhile I was thrown by the use of "we" in the place of "I" as Equality speaks of himself as a part of the group rather than an individual.

Of course, it wouldn't much of a book is something didn't happen to challenge this thinking - and of course it does... Equality stumbles upon something which causes him to think for the first time as an individual... he even displays preference (very quietly) for another human being... one of the females even (shocking!).

Language - oh, I didn't make note of any... I'm pretty sure it's offense free.
Violence - not in this crazy society... there is talk of violence as a form of punishment, but nothing actually occurs during the course of the book.
Romance - there is a romance, and there is talk of The Palace of Mating (in a loveless, preference free society there is still a need to continue the species apparently) - Equality calls it "an ugly and shamful matter" (pg 41) and I would have to agree... but I do like that he expresses a desire to prevent Liberty (the woman he has noticed) from having to be sent there. It does get hotter and heavier somewhat late in the book... (pg 84) the wording is not hot... nor heavy... but yes - anyone old enough to read the book is going to figure out that they are no longer just holding hands.

All in all - a good book - I enjoyed it. I think it is actually a good introduction to the crazy post-apocalyptic fiction that is so prevalent today. Details are not given of the downfall of society - but evidence of their existence is there - and like so many others (although this was written far earlier than most) the survivors have continued on with a skewed view of what will save them from a similar fate.

The ending - not really an ending - this would make an ideal story starter for a writing class actually... because the reader is left with a pile of what ifs and questions... thought provoking questions.

Gratitude Giveaway, because I'm thankful for readers :)

2010-11-16T22:55:00.002-07:00

I know, I know... it's been crazy busy - but here we go again... because I know you all want a book!

Remember this one?

Remember how I liked it? Well folks - I have a brand new copy for one of you lucky readers!

How do you enter? I'm not making it crazy difficult - you can have up to 4 entries - Comment, Follow on GFC, Follow at my "humor" blog, or Follow me on Twitter (TisforTonya). That's it... no separate comments necessary

The Alchemyst Review

and don't forget to check out the other giveaways - over 175 book blogs are participating!!! Did you even know there WERE 175 book blogs??? should I make it an entry requirement that you tell me that mine is the best of them all??? (okay, okay... not a "requirement"... just a suggestion...)

The contest is open until Nov 28th - 11:59 p.m. (provided I'm awake to close comments at that point) Tell your friends! (no extra entries for telling friends, but maybe brownie points in the eternities... and don't we all need those?)

Leven Thumps (etc...) - Obert Skye

2010-11-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

I actually met Obert Skye once... his publicist had scheduled him to speak at my kids' school... where (because he was REALLY nice at the school scheduled before us) he showed up about 5 minutes before the end of the school day.

He was nice... he was funny... he signed my kids' books (okay fine, my books... but they are signed "to" my children...)

The Leven Thumps series is a unique bit of fiction - set half in Reality and half in "Foo" - which is, well, not reality. kind of an alternate dream world like place... okay, just plain hard to describe.

and that was my hang-up with these books... they're a little hard to describe, and a little hard to follow... fortunately for you - now they are ALL out! As a series I had to wait months and years between each installment - it was difficult (my 15 year old gave up after #2) to return yourself mentally to Foo - and to remember what a Kilve was... or an avaland... With the complete series ready and available... this worry is out the window.

Reading the final book these last few days has been fun... I actually think it's more on par with the first book than any of the in between ones... In book one - I learned to like Clover (a kind of Gremlin/Jiminy Cricket mix) and his humor... I lost this a little in the middle... but found myself laughing out loud at some of Clover's lines in the last book... He gets a little of the Samwise Gamgee role as he aids Leven through to the end of his quest - but rather than the "aw shucks t'weren't nothin'" that we get from Samwise, Clover takes a little pride in his accomplishment... I like that.

To sum up all of these books would be impossible - it's fantasy on steroids - wild and crazy things are happening... the bad guys are creepy... the Dearth's description in mind brought this guy to mind

Hexus from FernGully was creepy... and the Dearth... yeah, him too.

Leven and Winter are just kids - kids who Reality and Foo expect a lot of... luckily they have some good role models in Foo (and some pretty downright HORRID ones in Reality) who support and love them.

Language? Squeaky clean... as a matter of fact I laughed out loud more than once at the author's ability to dance around the use of profanity. The world is ending - people are a little stressed out... and some people's upbringing may have included less than perfect language - but the author never has to use it to get across his message.
Romance? there is talk of love - at least in the last book or two - but nothing physical (unless you count a little lipstick mark on a bit of fur...)
Violence? Well, the world (worlds) is (are) ending... it's not exactly a picnic... the only violence that actually BOTHERED me was between Leven and Elton... and when you get there you'll understand why it bothered me... blows can be exchanged between strangers without affecting me much, but these two aren't strangers.

ages... I'd say 12 is a good age for beginning these books... not because the content is inappropriate for younger - but because there is a LOT of new vocabulary (largely invented words) and some stretches of story that need a good attention span.

Fun story - and now I want Clover to come live with me... Lilly can even come along :)

and a giveaway winner...

2010-11-01T08:34:00.000-06:00

Amazing - I'm SO excited that so many people came by for the Spooktacular giveaway! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you... I hope you come by regularly and share your views on the books I review. Be sure to check out the search bar to see if I've had my say about a book you loved... or hated... and share! (Comments are Life blood to a blogger!)

and now... because I'm NOT a horrible tease...

We had 63 comments - which turned into 135 entries when the extras were put into my little comment spreadsheet... and when I plunked the numbers 1 and 135 into Random.org - it came up with #77

and #77 is Sophia!!! she is a new follower of BOTH of my blogs, my Twitter nonsense and even likes me on Facebook!!! Aside from being in the running for my new bestie she is the owner of a brand spankin' new copy of Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

For those non-winners - be sure to check back soon - there will be another giveaway for Thanksgiving... and maybe others throughout the year... depending on how often I'm forgetful enough to purchase two copies of the same book!

Sophia - I'm e-mailing you... but if you see this first, send me your mailing address either by Facebook Private Message or at moreinfothanyouwantedATgmailDOTcom
Congrats!!!

The Strictest School - Howard Whitehouse

2010-11-01T08:14:00.000-06:00

An enjoyable book... a fairly unique story. Reminded me a little of Pippi Longstocking and A Series of Unfortunate Events... and yes I DO know those books have very little in common .

Emmaline has been sent to live with her culinary "creative" aunt - she is interested in few "girly" things and really has few interests outside of creating a flying machine. Her aunt and the folks she meets at this house are a tad on the loony side - which suits her quite well. Unfortunately she isn't to stay long and her mother has arranged for her schooling at a particularly nasty boarding school... on that keeps ancient leathery "birds" as its guard dogs.

The adventures involved in breaking Emmaline out of this school are interesting - I'm sure they appeal quite well to the intended age group. It does all fall a little flat on the adult crowd.

Language? aside from the fact that Princess Purnah hails from the base of the Frizzibuttock mountains there isn't much - I began reading the next book in the series and was actually amused a few times at the way the author danced around some rude words being used! In the first book Emmaline does sort of have a cathartic moment where she tells a few teachers exactly what she thinks of them... but try as I might I can't recollect the exactly language used - I'm fairly certain it was creatively clean.
No romance issues... at all.
Violence? those teachers are pretty nasty - and being chased by pterodactyls has some scare value... I think the ONLY concern I'd actually have for a child reading this book is Rab (otherwise known as Rubberbones) - he bounces when he falls... and while any reasonable child knows better than to jump from a tree and try to fly... it might bear repeating for the less reasonable child who this book seems to be written for :)

A series... I picked up the second book... but since it's due back at the library 2 days ago I think I'll pass on reading it. I glanced through - read a portion of it... enough to know I'd be okay with my daughter (8) reading it if she so desired... but since it isn't intended to be an adult crossover book I can skip reading it without feeling too badly.

Spooktacular Giveaway - The Secret of Rundoon

2010-10-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

I was intending to link you to my review on this - the original "conclusion" to the Peter and the StarCatchers series... and yet... looks like I've skipped it... sometimes I get so wrapped up in my reading that I forget to write it all down!!! I picked it for two reasons... the creepy snake on the front cover looks downright creepy to me (seemed appropriate for Halloween) AND because being the forgetful soul that I truly am I have managed to purchase not one but TWO copies of this book... both hardcover... don't worry - I'll send you (provided you live in the US or Canada) the new un-read copy!

But just for now... know that I loved it... and if you need your very own pristine copy - leave a comment! Your comment extolling your love for all things book and or blog will net you one (1) entry - if you want any further entries do any or all of the following (just mention them all in the one comment... really, no need to leave 'em all separate):
Follow this blog
Follow my "real life" blog
and for the real adventurous... since I'm running short of time and not likely to remember how to link 'em up anyway (hey, I never claimed to be tech-savvy) a follow on my twitter "TisforTonya" or a "like" on my Facebook Fan Page "TisforTonya" will get you an entry as well... by the end of the week (entries will close Midnight on Halloween!) I may re-learn how to add those links. (leave your Twitter handle in the comments - or a comment on the fan page so I know it's been done!)

That's it - a possible 5 entries - be sure to click the below link to check out of book hop hostess and her many links to the 80+ participants... if you win 'em all that's a whole bookshelf worth of reading!

Check out more book giveaways! (this is the hosting site - the links are at the bottom of her post!)

Bruiser - Neal Shusterman

2010-10-24T10:02:00.001-06:00

I've been a Neal Shusterman fan ever since reading "The Schwa Was Here" - so I tend to pick up his books with gleeful anticipation.

Have I ever been disappointed? Well, yes, I didn't much enjoy the whole medusa-esque thing going on in "Dreadlocks"... just a personal 'meh-factor I think...

Was I disappointed this time? Nope - I got to read and enjoy a story that I'll admit gave me some discomfort but entertained and enlightened me at the same time. "Discomfort" you say? Yep - but I have to say that because the story deals with human frailty - and child abuse - and infidelity... I should feel slightly uncomfortable. It's a terrible day indeed when a person is so numb to those subjects that there isn't at least some discomfort.

The good news - the book deals WELL with these subjects - and even while I am hurting for the characters and the pain (physical and emotional) that they are going through... I realize that it's a part of the whole book experience... we NEED to relate to the pain in order to relate to Bruiser/Brewster.

Brew is a boy in school... and in the beginning the story is told through the eyes of Tennyson and Bronte - the twin children of (no surprise here) some huge literary geeks... okay, professors. I never did decide which Bronte sister the parents named their daughter after - but she is an extremely compassionate 16 year old who sees past the rough facade that Brew has put on for the world and begins to date him. Tennyson - the overprotective older (by 15 minutes) brother has taken it upon himself to prove that Bronte is wrong to place any trust in this kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Instead Tennyson learns that Brewster is a pretty amazing kid to have as a friend.

I can't tell you any more... suffice it to say that not everything is what it seems. There is a little of the supernatural about the story - which wouldn't have shocked me if I'd read the back of the book... somehow I'm glad I didn't because learning it through the unfolding of the story was a little more... intriguing. Rather than saying "ooh, finally we're hinting at _____" I got to say "ooh, this sounds like it might be going somewhere interesting." and it did. It kept my interest.

Fully in the YA category this book DOES have some language issues. Nothing that sent me screaming about horrible influences on my children... but enough that I might wait before recommending it to any of my own children. Teen-boy is nearly 16... and I imagine that he will enjoy this a lot... next summer? Of course, he will also pick up on the "oops" that I found... just a note: "via con Dios" and "vaya con Dios" are not interchangeable in Spanish. It's Vaya... and it's an archaic phrase unless you're a Spanish Priest. Of course, most High School Spanish classes teach all sorts of archaic phrases... so I'll forgive that part.

Talking Points - there are lots of them.

Separation and Divorce - Infidelity and Revenge... these parents are a wreck. The kids peg it though - their parents are acting like High School kids...

Neglect... Brewster's uncle... Tennyson's parents... neither of the boys is really being "parented" - and although there's an obvious difference in the LEVEL of neglect/abuse... is either "okay" in the end? As a parent/caregiver isn't it a responsibility to do our best for those we have charge of.

Abuse: if it doesn't leave a mark, is it still abusive? Uncle Hoyt may not feel like he's "hurting" Cody - but isn't he? How can people feel compassion for those who do these sort of things to them?

Bullying: Tennyson begins as a bully... and maybe he remains in that category throughout... what does he learn? Bronte seems to teach Tennyson a lot, but then has her own issues...

Feelings: can we trust them? if they are absent can we function?

Sacrifice... oh shoot guys - writing these talking points without spoilers is tough... go read the book!

Language - iffy but not horrible.
"Romance" - there's some infidelity, but it isn't discussed and we don't know how physical it is... Bronte does at one point mention that she's not "sexually active" - so it's mentioned... but in a positive way? They are 16 year old kids, they're dating, and they're kissing... and yes, they admit to having some strong feelings... but not in a "oh gross, why'd you have to go there" kind of way.
Violence - amazingly enough the abuse scenes didn't make me physically ill. there is violence though... and a pretty gory bit of imagery involving a dead bull...

Knightley Academy - Violet Haberdasher (a.k.a. Robyn Schneider)

2010-10-19T18:50:00.001-06:00

Finally, I have picked up a book at the library that I didn't regret!

Okay, that's not fair... I've enjoyed a lot of my library finds... but it's been a hard few weeks :(

Knightley Academy at first struck me as Harry Potter-esque... but I quickly changed my mind!

Henry is a young boy living at Midsummer School... he spends his days cleaning blackboards, serving lunch, and a number of other menial tasks assigned to him. In "Good Will Hunting" style - Henry also happens to be quite brilliant. He has picked up much by listening in on a few lessons and studying the textbooks which he is able to pilfer at night. Nine months before our story takes place Henry is caught in the act of stealing one of these textbooks by Professor Stratford. Luckily, Stratford is a forward thinking fellow and sees promise in Henry.

When the examiner arrives to give the entrance exam for Knightley Academy he states that "any and all desiring residents of this school" may sit for the exam. Not surprisingly (because otherwise why would our book be called Knightley Academy) Henry does sit for the exam... and does quite well in fact.

This is some truly enjoyable writing - the story does have some similarities to other things I've watched and read... but I can honestly say that while reading it I was completely caught up in THIS story and not in the comparisons.

Language: aside from the mean Bully kid telling another to move his Arse - and later the Headmaster's daughter comparing living with her Grandmother to her own "personal circle of infinite Hell" I fully enjoyed the author's ability to dance around the language issue. My favorite? When Frankie tells of the pillow she embroidered... after all the teachers said she could choose "whatever words" she wanted... and how she was subsequently expelled for the words she chose. Later Frankie tells another boy what she embroidered on the pillow. The thing is... the author doesn't have to tell us what was on the pillow, I don't even have to speculate what was on the pillow... do I know it's rude? yep. Job well done Ms. Haberdasher :)

Talking Points - because aside from being an enjoyable book... there is a lot to be learned - if you care to learn it. If you don't care to... just enjoy the story :)

1 - Racial Intolerance, Religious Intolerance, Gender Inequality, and Inequality of Classes... all very present in this book... it isn't a political statement... but it does give one reason to ponder... would you have done as Adam and tried to fit in? Rohan can't physically fit in as easily as removing his hat... is this a deeper prejudice than the religious one?

2 - war, what IS it good for? Why do some people (no, I'm not telling you who!) think that's the answer? While I'm talking about the war-monger... how does he get others to help him so readily... and so horribly?

3 - bullying - is there a level of acceptable "teasing"? at what point should the boys have spoken up? would it have helped? Who might have been able to help them? Was retaliation a good idea?

4 - avoiding the appearance of evil. Sometimes what IS happening isn't much, but like in the book... it doesn't look good and could besmirch a reputation or two... does it matter what other people think?

Okay... go, go read it... my library has it listed as JF... but as good a reader as my 8 year old is... I think it's a deeper book than that... I have no problem recommending this to a YA crowd... the next one comes out in June of 2011, you'll want to be all caught up by then.

You can visit Knightley Academy.com or robynschneider.com to see what the author is up to... but do yourself a favor and don't watch that live action trailer for Knightley Academy... because as talented a writer as our author is... and as fun as her Vlogs seem to be... and as much as I actually DO like her in the role of Frankie... she's not headed for her Hollywood directorial debut anytime soon :) (but I do happen to know an incredible new director just finishing film school... if she's interested! I'm thinking stop motion animation...)

The Mark - Jen Nadol

2010-10-18T07:08:00.000-06:00

When I went to library to return the book NUM8ERS (and to mention to the librarian that I really took issue with its YA tag) I did my typical browse of the YA shelves... Seeing The Mark there with its teaser of "If you had the power to see death, would you wish it away?" made me laugh... another book with a similar premise to the one I'd just read?

The premise was VERY similar as a matter of fact. It kind of seemed like the two authors had been given the same writing prompt and then gone home to finish their books. Orphan girl? Yep. Able to see the time of someone's death? Yep (okay, so this one was a LITTLE different in that the death "mark" wasn't present until the day it was fated to happen). Horrible overuse of profanity? Yep. (okay, not nearly as bad... but not something I'm eager to give my children) Minor children doing things that they shouldn't be doing like drinking and sex? Yep. Gee... I've nearly given up on browsing the YA shelves at my local library!

Okay... so Cassandra (great choice of name actually... ) is just 16 - she's finally pieced together all the clues and figured out the curse of The Mark... a big difference being that Cass has a confidante in her grandmother. Long story short: Grandma (Nan) has raised her in a small town (pretty sure to keep her away from seeing the mark too often). Yadda, yadda, yadda... Nan kicks the bucket (hey, she's old... it's her time... and yes, this might be considered a spoiler, sorry...), Cass gets shipped off to live with her aunt in Kansas for the summer... where she meets a philosophy major and falls in lust for the first time... she learns that the mark isn't unchangeable... she goes a little crazy trying to convince her unwitting statutory rapist that she's not crazy... When she DOES prove the truth of her curse he wonders the same thing I did... Why on earth (now that she knows she can do something to change it) does she allow that girl to die? Then he and I get our answer... in a kind of Pushing Daisies (life for a life) kind of way... she finds out that she's been lied to most of her life... she learns a little bit more about her family history... and the book is over... with a mildly hopeful future...

Overall - given the language, drinking, and sex the ONLY way I'd suggest this to my children is if there were only two book choices on earth (the other book being Num8ers). Even then... perhaps it's better to never read again.

Truth be told - this was more well written, the language was MUCH tamer (gee, only two f-bombs and 4 or 5 other swear words... none of which were necessary by the way)... sorry, I think we all know I'm a bit of a prude but I will never understand why in order to depict "coming of age" fictional teens must do stupid things. I'll never see why throwing in profanity (when the sentence would be just as strong if not stronger with another word choice) is so popular among YA writers... and I'll never understand why publishers insist on dumping books into the YA category that don't belong in the hands of a 13 year old.

Magickeepers - Erica Kirov

2010-10-17T10:34:00.001-06:00

I read the first book in this series (The Eternal Hourglass) a few weeks ago and then followed it up with the second book (The Pyramid of Souls) last night.

Easy, quick reads intended for ages 9 and up - and I actually enjoyed them from an adult perspective as well. Why? I really like all of the historical figures that are woven into the tale. There are so many Anastasia stories out there - and yes, this is another... but it is more than that...

Nick has been raised by his father - a pretty pathetic lounge magician - in Las Vegas... moving from one dingy hotel to another while he fails to entertain the crowds. When he quite suddenly learns that his family (his mother's side of the family) is nearby and his life is turned inside out. The relatives he meets are a wide variety of characters... some of whom I like more than others... some of whom I'm willing to bet are more than they pretend to be. Until this huge move in his life Nick has only had "friends" in the sense that guests at the hotel might be chummy for the time they are there. Now? Now he has his cousin - a headstrong but sheltered girl named Isabella.

The revelation that Nick has so much family is secondary to the fact that they are all Magickeepers - and that Nick himself has a gift... he isn't allowed to revel in this enjoyment for long since his very existence is threatened immediately.

Nick is impulsive - and a bit insane perhaps... to think that he can take on the evil powers without relying on others (his uncles... who are a tad scary at times) for help. I do like him though - Kirov writes him as a very believable teenager, one who detests Borscht and some of the other nasty things he is forced to eat (no more pizza) but who is thrilled with some of the other changes. I do have to suspend some of my natural disbelief to buy into the way he manages to escape the big bad awful guy (whose name I just can't bring myself to reveal... but if you know any Russian history you won't be surprised).

Clean Language - no "icky kissing scenes" - and although a few tense moments exist there are no violence issues. I will wholeheartedly agree with the 9 and up recommendation... although I do have a few nieces who are not quite that age who MUST read these (being of Russian descent themselves) soon... they'll be able to read the Cyrillic bits that left me stymied (don't worry, they're all translated).

The writing - I enjoy her style... you can visit the author's blog but it seems to have been abandoned while she concentrates on the next book (a choice I wholeheartedly support) - maybe she'll pop in soon to update us on her demon baby (her words, not mine) but for now. The only thing I caught was an eye-color switch in the second book but I'll blame that on an editing miss... (see how nice I can be sometimes?) At the end of the first book I was concerned that the author had gone a chapter too far... but like a good magician she'd held her "reveal" in reserve... well done. (of course, then that story line didn't play much in book two...)

Talking Points: Trust - Nick is thrust into this family with only his Grandfather's word that they are good people. Do they have his best interests at heart? Why is it easier to trust his cousin? Sometimes Nick and Isabella make a conscious choice not to share their concerns because it might limit their few freedoms... is this understandable, or just insane?

Yep - some good books - I've picked mine up at the library but they're certainly worth the purchase... the first is currently out in paperback. I'll be watching for the third book soon... especially after reading the teaser prologue included in the second.

Children of The Lamp - P.B. Kerr

2010-10-16T20:21:00.000-06:00

First off - I would have bet cold hard cash that I'd already reviewed at least the first two of these books... but I can't seem to find them anywhere... so let's just take all 5 of them and group them together shall we?

In book one The Akhenaten Adventure we meet John and Phillipa Gaunt - 12 year old twins whose wisdom teeth are a little early. Apparently this is sign number one that you are coming into your Djinn powers. They meet up with their Uncle Nimrod (yes, seriously that IS his name...) and have quite the adventure rescuing some lost Djinn and battling with some evil Djinn... sorry, it's been a LONG time since I actually read it - but I did like it enough to go on to the further books...

Book two - The Blue Djinn of Babylon - I didn't like this one quite as much (I have to constantly remind myself that 30-something mothers aren't the target audience when I scoff at names in this series) mostly because it pits family against family... The Blue Djinn of Babylon is a highly logical djinn to rule all djinn... and in this case is actually related to Phillipa. Still... it's been awhile - and I DID keep reading... so... that says something right?

Book three - The Cobra King of Kathmandu - a worldwide adventure - we meet a few new characters who figure into the next few stories... (seriously guys - why didn't I write these reviews YEARS ago when I read these books?)

This week I finally read book 4 - The Day of the Djinn Warrior - and although it took a little bit ( a lot ) of reminding myself what had happened previously I still enjoyed the adventures of these twin djinn... they are a typical brother and sister - who love each other and are repelled by each other simultaneously. Working together - though often in different areas of the world - these two manage to pull off another miraculous save (and maybe a pretty far-fetched disaster) at the same time. I was annoyed a little at the slightly political mention of Global Warming and its affect on Djinn - and a little lost in the Butterfly Effect that ends with Layla Gaunt flying across the world as an Albatross... but overall still enjoying these books. I can't say I'd put them up there with the greatest fantasy novels of all time... but they are fun, engaging... and a clean read. I have to say though... If I have to read the phrase "Groanin groaned" too many more times I might scream. We get it, he's a whiner... moving on...

Book 5 - The Eye of the Forest - this one was a little harder for me to get through. Granted, I didn't sleep much last night and I was trying to finish this one before the library closed (I deserve a medal - I haven't had a library fine all MONTH! and yes, that IS pretty much a record...) I had to laugh out loud when a cigarette wrapper was found in the forest - manufactured by the company Empha Seema... again - the reminder that I am not the target audience and I was able to keep reading. Yes, Groanin is still groaning too often for my taste... although I think my bigger annoyance was switched to a character (Sicky) with a small head... every time Kerr stuck in something along the lines of "Sicky's head may have been small but..." I was reminded of "I'm a doctor Jim, not a...." - the funny thing is... it worked for Star Trek so why not... it's probably going to be my son's favorite part of the book... and just so you know... they DO ask Sicky how he's feeling quite often... and yes, the answer IS always the same... a predictable "sick".

Oh, too much complaining from me today - aside from one word (keeping in mind my "I haven't read these too recently") disclaimer - one word in book five (when an adult explains that "Heck" and "Hell" are one and the same... I can't think of a thing that bothered me. I actually quite appreciated it when the author danced around someone being sworn at in book five. The effect? We knew it was serious... but it wasn't necessary to either say or specify the word. Yay!

Romance? y'know... there are some "feelings" between two Djinn in book 4 but it doesn't play out at all... luckily, despite being world adventuring, power-wielding, world saving djinn... these kids are just allowed to be kids.
Language? just the one that I can recall.
Violence? Okay... so there's some of that - but nothing that made me physically ill...

Talking Points - as with so many books I think trust is an issue - who can they trust? after the bad experience is it possible to start fresh? Parenting... that's one thing that I'll never understand... it's okay to let your teenagers run across the world like this? If YOU were the parent (either parent) what would you do differently? Would that have helped?

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

2010-10-12T14:41:00.003-06:00

First I would like to thank T for giving me an opportunity to put my reviews here too. She is a much better writer than I, so I appreciate that she doesn't mind my little reviews being on her blog :) That being said, on to the book...

The hourglass door is a good book. It is an enjoyable read about a senior in high school who is facing that dreaded, "what should I do with my life, who should I be, should I be what my parents planned for me or break out on my own?" time of life. Of course most of us do not face falling in love with someone who has travelled through time. The time travel in the book is a bit of a mystery. We aren't really sure what is going on until about 3/4 of the way through. Though we do know it's some kind of time travel. One of the aspects I liked about this book was the friendships. During that particular roller coaster ride of life, friendships are often tested and change. The main character Abby goes through these changes and has to decide how to deal with them. The romance doesn't get too involved, a little bit of kissing, but most of the time it's just the hope of a kiss, some hand holding or hugging. There is no language in the book. This is the first book in a planned trilogy, and while it leaves you hanging a bit, you don't feel like there needs to be more at the end. I don't know how much boys will enjoy this book, though I did read some reviews written by men and they enjoyed the book. I do wish the parents had been a bit more aware of what was going on in their daughter's life. They seemed to be a bit out of the loop, though much of that is because the main character Abby wanted it that way. There are references to other literary works in this book, such as Dante's Inferno and some of the works of Shakespeare, and others of which I was unfamiliar with, but would now like to learn more about.

Tanglewreck - Jeanette Winterson

2010-10-11T16:13:00.000-06:00

Silver is our little heroine...she lives with Mrs. Rokabye (although I will guarantee that someone with Mrs. Rokabye's disposition has never and will never be singing "rock-a-bye" to any baby I know). Mrs. Rokabye is passing herself off as Silver's aunt although we have plenty of reason to doubt this claim. Remember the Trunchbull? (Matilda - Roald Dahl) Yeah... that's pretty much Mrs. Rokabye... except maybe nix the former olympian shot-putter.

Something is terribly wrong with Time - things are popping up from the past and other things (like a double decker school bus) are just disappearing into... well, somewhere...

Quite separate from all of these disturbances Silver is being sought out by two rather interesting people... Abel Darkwater and Regalia Mason are both hoping that she will find the TimeKeeper for them... for different reasons... They seem to be playing "good cop, bad cop" a good portion of the time, but both want to be "good cop" and peg the other as evil.

It is interesting to see the doubt that Silver feels... she wants to trust somebody... she wants somebody else to be in charge or this insanity. She has been alone since her parents disappeared with her sister years ago (while in possession of the TimeKeeper) and has really never had a chance for a normal childhood.

Luckily, aside from the creeps that abound in the story (the characters remind me of not only Roald Dahl's overly rotten adults, but I am pretty sure that Cruella De'vil's two bumbling oaf assistants were transported straight into this book for Abel Darkwater to hire) - Silver also meets some nice people... who give her moral support and occasionally physical assistance.

I have never read any of Winterson's novels for adults... and I am trying to ignore the fact that this book is being compared to Pullman's "His Dark Materials"... (which I also have yet to read) - there are some anti-religious aspects in the book... (shoot, apparently ALL popes have ended up in Limbo...) and yet I really think that in the end... well, to avoid spoilers... in the end I think that the characters have proven that having Science and Mathematics take the place of not only all Government but God Himself is a bad idea...

That said... will it go on the top of the "my kids have gotta read this" pile? No... but not because I hated it... I'm not opposed to the older ones reading it (11, 13, 15) when we have a chance to deal with those philosophical issues that are raised.

I do like that Silver gains so much confidence throughout the book. All she really wants is for someone to take care of her... and in the beginning I think if that had been offered she would have jumped at the chance. By the time that offer (read as temptation) is made... she is able to see it for the distraction that it is... and is able to do what is needed.

(apologies to followers who popped over here an hour ago when I mistakenly posted all about my husband on THIS blog... if you want to hear that story you'll have to check out my regular blog about life)

100 Cupboards - N.D. Wilson

2010-10-08T20:07:00.001-06:00

aaaaah... now THAT was more like it!

using some familiar elements (orphans... but not quite), portals into other worlds, etc... N.D. Wilson is able to deliver a creative and enjoyable story.

When our characters were at first described I wasn't sure I'd like Uncle Frank - but he takes Henry (who has recently come to live with them after his parents were abducted) under his wing a little and gives him the freedom to learn his own lessons. Henry has been raised by some very over-protective yet absentee parents up 'til now and has never played baseball or even plunged a toilet. He quickly finds that he LIKES the freedom quite a bit. Uncle Frank ends up being my favorite character. (especially when I find out that his library book is stuck in a room whose door has been stuck for two years...)

At times rushed the adventure unfolds very quickly after Henry (the boy) arrives in Henry, KS (the town). His cousins (all girls) show him a few things about curiosity and bravery. (I am wondering now though about his cousin Henrietta's name... did they wish... oh, okay - no spoilers...)

As Henry discovers more and more secrets and the adventures get wilder - Henry steps up to the plate and does what is required of him - he has always been adaptable (enough to make up a valid reason for having brought a helmet to boarding school... a reason OTHER than his parents wanting him to wear it in gym class) and now he has to learn to adapt very quickly to some rather interesting changes.

Spooky? at times... but never for more than half a page of suspense.
Language? none.
Romance? - nope, obviously Aunt Dot loves Uncle Henry - and the girls DO tease one another about loving the neighborhood baseball star... but it's as squeaky clean as it gets.

This IS a trilogy however... and because I haven't read the following two books I am going to hold off on an age recommendation. I can imagine my 8 year old girl liking this... or either of the 11 or 13 year old boys... but there is a potential for the storyline to turn darker (ick, that black cupboard is downright scary in my mind!) so I will wait... and check out the next two on my next library visit :)

Ooooh, little tidbit - the film rights have been optioned... gotta look a little more deeply into that rumor!!! Check the author's blog for updates!

oooh, movie rumor totally confirmed!

NUM8ERS - Rachel Ward (BIG language alert!!)

2010-10-05T22:01:00.001-06:00

I picked up this book because the premise looked interesting - I read the back of the book, which reveals that Jem (our main character) sees numbers in her head whenever she looks another human being in the eye. These meaning of the numbers? Your date of death.

What I DIDN'T see on the back of the book was a little circle saying "Try it! Read Page 124"... odd? I suppose Chicken House and Scholastic (our publishers) wanted to say they'd warned the reader ahead of time.

So, what's ON page 124... well, that particular page doesn't warn me about the drug use, the drug dealing, the acceptance of smoking, the pre-marital sex, or the general disrespect for about every human being on earth... but it does warn me that there will be horrendous language throughout the book. Page 124 drops an F-bomb (which would not have been missed had it been edited out) which is by no means the only one in the book.

I will admit to doing a fair amount of skimming to get through this book. I don't want to read details of how two teenagers stay warm at night in a barn. See, I didn't put any details in that sentence and I'm pretty sure you all understood what happened. You didn't? Well, go ask your mother then :)

The book is set in London (apparently that explains some of the foul language right there... or at least that's what one reader tells me in yesterday's comments...) and is about Jem - who because of her strange gift has distanced herself from other human beings as much as possible. I can't blame her really... and about what happens when she finally allows someone else into her world.

I can't recommend it... I'm frankly a little shocked at the publishers for putting it on the YA market. Seriously. In a movie this book would have hit an R rating by page 10 (for the language alone). I would LOVE to have seen this story re-written... with a new editor. The author is not un-talented by any means... but could have turned out a much better story if she'd been made to focus on other ways to show the bad sides of people... instead they just all seemed to drop the F-bomb as often as possible (among other less shocking words).

After yesterday's comments and discussion I'm still unsure - perhaps to be genuine your unsavory characters DO need to have a little "force" behind their language (in my defense, this book is WAY beyond "a little force") but we've seen in other books that it CAN be done without the language being offensive to readers.

Looking for a clean read? Look elsewhere... almost ANYWHERE else.

Ultimately - I want to learn something from a book... I don't think I did this time. I wish I could say there was a lot of redemptive value in the book... but I'm not sure our main character REALLY learned a good lesson in the end. Of course, it's not the end... this is book one. Don't expect me to be on any waiting lists for further installments.

Shame on the publishers, calling it "gritty" and placing a tiny little teaser on the back cover (that will likely be covered by a price tag or, in my case, a library sticker) isn't good enough.

Discussion - what do you think?

2010-10-05T09:11:00.001-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for good literature... "good" meaning SO many things - intriguing plot, intelligent writing, strong characters... and because I read from the "mom perspective" - clean language and an absence of sexual blech.

The question of the day: Can a book be written from the perspective of someone who doesn't live a perfect life (and I believe firmly that we can learn plenty from their lives) WITHOUT the use of foul language? Is it true to the character if their language is SO cleaned up that they sound like a choir boy?

I ask because I picked up a book (I'll finish it and post a review soon) that has a very intriguing premise (although I'm not sure where it's going) and yet... because the characters are the kind of kids who skip school and spend the day smoking here and there throughout the rougher parts of London, their language is less than stellar...

Discuss amongst yourselves - today is all about feedback :) For the record - I turned off comment moderation for the day... PLEASE keep it clean and try not to mention exactly WHICH words you think street kids would be using regularly :)

Flecks of Gold - Alicia Buck

2010-09-29T10:35:00.000-06:00

I know, it's been awhile - and I have a PILE of book-notes to blog about... but let's start with the one I just finished. (Because it's fresh in my mind and I didn't actually take notes... wish I had... you'll see why...)

the cover is gorgeous by the way...

see?

and yes, I know you don't come here so I can rip on or praise covers... but seriously - I really like this one!

The book? It's not my FAVORITE book of all time or anything - but I think the author shows a lot of promise.

The story follows Mary Margaret as she moves (necessary due to her mother who has horrendous taste in men) and meets a young man who surprises her with his attentions and the unexplained attraction she has for him. The beginning of the story goes very quickly - don't blink, you might miss something - that bothered me a little at first but I was actually appreciative because once Mary Margaret moves on to the next part of the story I was suddenly very interested in her new surroundings, her new experiences, and especially the new things she was learning about this place.

The people she meets? My guess is that these characters are based on real people - because I really felt that their personalities were distinct and solid. Their individual voices really came across in the writing: characters who were nasty I instinctively did not like... characters who were kind I loved... and questionable characters left me confused... just like it should be.

A talking point? Free Will. How vital is it? What kind of choices do you make that you would be willing to give up to another?

I enjoyed this book... but I do have to mention that I felt like I was reading a manuscript that had not been edited. Errors included incomplete sentences and choosing the wrong homophone (I wanted to e-mail the author and give her my list... but I didn't take notes!!!) - I am getting better at overlooking these and enjoying the story... but they do still drive me a little crazy. Okay, a lot crazy! What I really saw in the book was a huge potential - a book that with an excellent writing group and a great editor would go far... in its current incarnation it's still worth reading, but unless there's a better edited edition... pick it up at your library!

Language - none. (right? hmmm.... see, I should take notes!) Sexuality - nothing inappropriate - there's romance of course (no worries, not so much that I wanted to be ill) and I actually think it's a good book for teen girls (or boys) because Mary Margaret is faced with choices... a boy who attracts her, a boy who is obsessed with her, and a boy who seems unavailable but kind. I really hate love triangles... really - because if I think back to my dating days I seldom had to choose between two guys. (only twice... and ugh - should have chosen "none of the above") In this book - the fact that she has these different examples... I think it illustrates what we all want for our daughters - the wisdom to see what is most important in a relationship, and the luck to avoid the creeps.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison - Brandon Mull

2010-09-16T15:41:00.000-06:00

I know... this book has been out for awhile... and most of you who have read the rest of the series certainly did not wait on ME to decide about this one... it's Fablehaven... you've gotta read it right?

Well, I needed to read it... I also needed to discipline myself a little - so I gave myself a weight loss incentive before being allowed to own this book.

and then, while at the library it hit me... if I "borrow" it I'm not really breaking my deal right? Yeah, says the reader who just ate pizza for lunch. Oops... looks like I need a new incentive. Or some new willpower!

but you came here to read about Seth and Kendra not me... so I'll get on with it :)

Once again we enter a world full of satyrs, fairies, demons, unicorns and magic... and if you've read the first four in this series you already know the connection that Seth and Kendra have to this world... if you haven't read any... well, this isn't really the best place to start... so run off right now and catch up would you???

Okay - now that I've run off any newbies I don't have to worry about spoilers. The book begins where the last left off... most importantly (for me as a parent) that means that Kendra's parents believe her to be dead... and the world is in danger. (okay, I suppose that MIGHT take precedence).

As with the prior books - there is no worries about gratuitous sex or violence... or language... a good clean read... as long as you can handle a few demons going down... and maybe the death of a few people who we actually liked...

That's the biggest concern actually - a good portion of the book is preparation for a final battle... one that our protagonists are none too optimistic about winning. Their "we give ourselves for the good of the world" is noble... but maybe a little much for an eight year old reader? there is one descriptive passage (page 378) that I would recommend be previewed by a parent or older reader if you are giving this to a sensitive reader... death equals carnage... we all get that - but this made me say "ewww" even. Oh, and avoid snacking on anything (especially avoid beef jerky) around page 445... don't say I didn't warn you.

Boys especially will enjoy the quote on page 388 - "of the 50 most impressive belches Seth had witnessed in his life, all had occurred on this road trip."

Girls will perhaps like the little mini-romance that Kendra has... nothing hot and heavy... and the book ends without a resolution... but with a very realistic (for a 15 year old) open door to see how things go...

The end... yep, that's the end of the series - the author did mention that there is a possibility for a spin-off book... but nothing further in the FableHaven series... a little sad... and I do hope that someday we get to see the Tower and the Leviathan put to use (seriously, he carts those around the entire book WHY?) and I'd like to know what favor the Singing Sisters are planning to ask... I'm all about answers!!!

I liked it - go read it...

and then you can comment on everything ELSE I felt compelled to put out there - contained below...

I heard once that books can be divided into categories:

Bent books- where evil is portrayed as good, good is mocked...

Broken books- where evil is evil and good is good - but evil triumphs.

Whole Books - evil is evil, good is good... and good triumphs.

Healing Books - these can come from the broken category - but are more often from the whole category... books that teach us a lesson about ourselves - that draw us in emotionally and change us for the better...

I will always avoid Bent books on this site... mostly because I don't normally subject myself to their influence... Broken books are a little harsh for the YA experience... but my son does have to read Lord of the Flies soon for his High School class... we'll see how that goes over.

Whole and Healing - that's what we're shooting for... and I think that the reader's approach to it is what makes the difference between this book being a Whole book and a Healing book... there are lessons to be learned - and Brandon Mull does a good job at the end by putting in some thinking questions about the book... I'm going to add to those a little (sorry if I duplicate any) mostly for my own reference later (when my boys have time to do "fun" reading instead of school reading).

Spoilers abound in my questions... proceed with caution! If you haven't read it yet - go do that!

Page 4... Seth is conversing with a demon... who mentions he is afraid of dying because of the life he has led... what? Demons have an afterlife? oh, well, of course they do... right???

Page 18 - a character with style and wit (she puts the 'original' in 'aboriginal'?) is introduced... she doesn't make it through the book (well, not very far at all)... admittedly this annoyed me... I liked her - why did the author make her likable just to kill her off?

Page 279 - a short discussion of the purpose of life... the words "welcome to Earth" especially... how do you feel about this - how much of what happens to us is truly a consequence of our choices?

Going through the fruit grove (sorry, no page number... I forgot to write it down and had to return it yesterday) - this reminded me of a famous scene in the Wizard of Oz... are there ever times in life when our temptations are assaulting us so strongly? Could we handle it? Could these people have handled it without help? What help do we have?

Page 313 - (or maybe that says 343... I often read VERY late at night, so sue me) the words "...since the world was flat" cracked me up... I grew up with sayings like "before dirt was invented" - what kind of similar sayings can you think of.

Page 392 - silly, but my kids LOVE flutter nutter sandwiches (although they're not called that in the book) - they qualify as comfort food around here... faced with what was happening next... is this comfort food for Seth?

Page 420-ish - Mark's attitude - and his free will "Wrong or not, it remains my promise to break" - have you ever made choices that you regret later? Is the outcome of our choices what we expect? Would you choose to become an Eternal given the choice? (the life of an eternal does not sound glamorous to me... which of the three Eternals do you think did the best job?)

page 447 - "making fun of them helped his Spirits" - this actually surprised me... teasing and putting down the undead buoyed up Seth's courage... is this common? Is this why kids make fun of others in school - to feel better about themselves? Would it have worked as well in the story for Seth to feel genuine pity for these creatures rather than mocking them? (probably not in Seth's character...)

Page 450 - Vocabulary Break - Hubris - I love that he admits to this... and that he defines it... GREAT learning moment.

Page 513... and a little earlier - we get the feeling that this group is prepared to die for the cause - they have made no plans for return or even packed food in the event they survive... is that fatalistic? Realistic? Can we chance the outcome of our own challenges with positive thinking - at least to some degree?

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

2010-09-15T11:31:00.002-06:00

Imagine waking up and not having all of your memories and not knowing where you are. That is how the book the Maze Runner begins, and it just gets more intense from there. This is a story of a group of boys who are all living in a maze, but don't know why they are there or how to escape. There is also danger lurking all around them. I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. It is interesting to see how the boys react in the situations they are placed in and how they feel that order and rules are important. The characters seem real, making mistakes and learning from them. I don't want to say much more becasue I don't want to spoil anything for the reader. Here is where a warning or two should be given. There is violence and death in this book. Also, language is an interesting issue. While there are no swear words, there is a sort of slang that is used in place of traditional swear words. The book is the first part of a planned trilogy, (do authors write stand alone books anymore?) and leaves you eager to read the next installment.

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

2010-08-29T08:59:00.002-06:00

I finished.

after many days of whining because my book had not yet arrived (seriously, that'll be the last book I pre-order!) I got my hands on this book at 4:15 yesterday afternoon... unfortunately (okay, not really) I was on my way out the door to go to dinner with ManOfTheHouse - so I didn't get to start reading until 7 p.m. - I DID sleep last night, for 6 hours... but only because my body refused to stay awake anymore.

Sometimes the last book is a let down... I usually look at the dwindling pages remaining and wish for them to increase... for the joy to go on and on. I just don't want to let go of the characters I've grown to love... this one? I still wish I could be reading more about them... but, well... ouch. The raw emotion was exhausting... I cried (okay, wept) and at one point wasn't sure if I was hungry or if the gut wrenching pain and desire to lose my cookies was caused by the events of page 378.

I am abiding by the author's wish - that there be no spoilers (although I'm already DAYS behind most people who were reading this book) and so I won't say much about the plot... I'm still digesting so much of it that I'm not sure I COULD discuss it objectively anyway.   I will say that I was not disappointed.

Things I loved that can only be done in a "last book in a series" - the little remembrances of characters past... the notebook, the bread, the song - small touching moments that remind me why I fell so deeply in love with these characters.

A warning: I have recommended this series to a lot of people for their teens... and without exception they all look at me like I'm crazy when I explain the premise. 95% of them have come back and told me I was right... the other 5% probably never read it. So here's what I think this last book changes about the age recommendation...   War is Hell... I don't know who said that first, and I don't know it first hand - but I don't doubt it. Whatever was cruel or inhuman about the Hunger Games in the first place is only intensified now that the rebels have declared all out war... somewhere around page 186 I decided that this book wasn't really for my 13 year old... he'll read it eventually - but I won't be tossing it onto his bed this morning when he wakes. I'm even a little glad that the 15 year old has some school assignments and reading keeping him busy... because there is just SO much to swallow in here.    So my ultimate "ruling" - for what it's worth... if your child read the first two... as they came out... then they are probably enough older that they can cope with this one... probably. As always I highly recommend that parents give it a read first (really, it took me less than 7 hours to devour it) and make that call for themselves. If you really honestly don't have time (and I have to give thanks to ManOfTheHouse for allowing me that time while he fed, bathed, and put the kids to bed last night) then I have a short list of page numbers that you might want to at least browse... I'll throw them at the end.

Okay, cruelty aside... did I LOVE it? absolutely. The language is still clean - the romance is still minor (if a little fickle). OH! I had filed this page number under my "examples of cruelty" but pg 170 might be an issue on the morality front - just one more way that the tributes were manipulated AFTER the games as well. Note: I am NOT advocating removing any pages from the book... I'm not a book censor, really - I'm just advocating that you know up front what your child will be reading!

Two QUICK things - without being spoilers:
1-Katniss gets a message from Peeta... encouraging her to "find out"... find out who she is working with, find out what their motivation is, etc...    I love this message not only from the standpoint of the book (and it DOES speak for the entire book) but for life...
2-A quote - near the end so I won't even tell you WHO said it for fear of giving something away: "...We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction..." are we really? I'd like to think not, but then I look up from my reading at the newspaper and have to wonder...

Seriously, I can never say enough good things about this book series - about this author in general.

If you have younger children (7-12ish) or even older children who you think aren't ready for the horrors of war... please do them a favor and grab a copy of Gregor the Overlander. The Hunger Games is not Collins' first series and her older books definitely deserve a good read - shoot, she even has a book - When Charlie McButton Lost Power - that I keep a copy of even though my kids are fast outgrowing picture books... what can I say I'm a little bit of a fan :)

Happy reading - but be warned, it's at least a two tissue book!

image borrowed from Amazon... even though my book didn't arrive in a timely manner.

Oh shoot - I almost forgot - those page numbers I promised... along with the (slightly edited) notes I jotted down on my bookmark.
100 - is she still a pawn?
128 - being too hard on him? on herself?
153 - a good metaphor
165 - I knew it had to happen, but I still cried.
170 - the cruelty goes on, and on...
186 - these are the good guys... ?
276 - no words... just harsh...
285 - Collins showing that War is Hell in no uncertain terms
346/7 - and our book comes full circle - in a heart wrenching, horrible way.
378 - I think I'm physically ill

If you have more questions for me... or have read the book and need a shoulder to cry on... shoot me an e-mail :)

The Celestial Globe - Marie Rutkoski

2010-08-28T18:57:00.000-06:00

I hope you will all forgive the BRIEF review - because my copy of Mockinjay FINALLY arrived and I need to go read right NOW... but I didn't want to short change this book while getting caught up in the intrigue of another.

Again - Marie Rutkoski leaves me grateful for good writers - her ability to fuse history, folklore, and mystical imaginings makes for another wonderful story... The characters from the first have returned (and no, not the one I feared the most... but unfortunately the one I dared not hope would be missing is still there, and still evil).

Our setting is slightly changed (but I can't say where because that would be telling!) but there is still a lot of good adventure. As a matter of fact - the adventure takes us through many many settings and areas of the globe! The main character may be female, but the adventure and her two friends who are boys (I have to be careful not to say boyfriends here) make this a book appropriate for either gender.
Language - perfectly acceptable... I had to rack my brains for a minute because one bad word was standing out in my mind... turns out that was something a neighbor said while I was reading in my front yard. Maybe I need to find a quieter place to read?

Romance - well, there is one... oh wait, two kisses - and a teensy bit of hand holding... but nothing hot and steamy... and considering the outcome of this relationship it might be a good chance to discuss misplaced trust and how befuddled a brain can get when romance becomes an issue.

Action and General Gore factor - okay, there are two murders... the first body is not gross but it is seen by Petra... the second (unseen by anyone we read about) is frankly quite gory... and is discussed briefly by two characters... adding just a bit of "ewwww" to the reading... but not enough to make me take back my recommendation! Really, it's quite minor but if you're concerned go ahead and read page 191 before handing the book to your child :) Oh, and the Gristleki, those are some nasty monsters... I don't think I'd want to see this as a movie because they remind me of what I imagine would be beneath the robes of the Dementors... ugh! I might move the age recommendation from 10 to 11 for that - but their "scare factor" mostly exists in my head I think... how active an imagination your child possesses may make that worse or better?

Enjoy - and I apologize for the hastily written review - Marie Rutkoski may be new to the YA novel publishing - but we hope she stays around for awhile yet (and yes... I'm pretty sure we'll get at least one more book for this series!).

The Cabinet of Wonders - Marie Rutkoski

2010-08-26T21:50:00.000-06:00

The ONLY thing that is keeping me from hunting down my delivery driver (the guy who is supposed to have brought me Mockingjay TWO days ago) is reading... and luckily I happened upon something decent to read while biting my nails in anticipation!

Marie Rutkoski is a new writer - this is her first novel (not her last -- don't worry) and she takes a bit of this and a bit of that, adds in a HUGE pinch of her own imagination... and Voila... a pretty dang good book comes out of the mix!

The Jacket blurb claims that this book is "about the risks we take to protect those we love, brims with magic, political intrigue, and heroism"

Yep - that pretty much sums it up. Can I add to that though? Our main character is Petra - and I think she manages to learn (and illustrate for the reader) some pretty amazing lessons throughout her adventures. Her actions and decision may not seem prudent (in fact they're downright hasty at moments) and bring up a few questions?
What would you risk to help someone you love? Would they WANT you to risk it?
When we say "don't judge a book by a cover" - does that apply to people as well?
What value is placed on a promise to a friend? A family member? is there a difference and why?
What if a friend asks your help, but you fear for their safety - or your own... ?

The book is chock-full of characters I find interesting:

Petra is a variation of a boys' name Petrak... does that sound like Pet Rock to you? yeah, I thought so... Petrak actually MEANS rock in their language oddly enough. She is tough, she wants to do the right thing... but she realizes that sometimes the rules must be bent. She is intelligent and wily enough to make it work.

Astrophil is Petra's pet - what kind of pet? well, spiders aren't a typical pet... but Astrophil is far from typical. Think of a little Jiminy Cricket... only more well read and without the tacky outfit.

Mikal - Petra's father. Hmmm... I wonder, is he as bad a judge of character as Petra believes? What may have happened in Prague that we're not privy to? I like him though - because his love for his daughter is palpable and because when he does make a mistake - he owns up to it.

Dita - Petra's cousin. the growth in these girls' relationship is touching... I want to know more about them in the next book (already out... already in my hot little hands!)

Josef - Dita's husband. The strong silent type. There is more there than meets the eye, or the ear. He has a story... and although I'm not sure it's vital to THIS plot I like that the character seems to have depth rather than just being a place filler.

Tomik - the boy next door... well, down the street really. A friend of Petra's for as long as they can remember. Really just a teenager with doubts and insecurities, but a true friend.

Neel - a boy in Prague. How is he so endearing I have yet to determine, but he weasels his way in pretty quickly.

Sophie - Neel's sister. I like that she is watching out for Neel... not really effectively, but she's trying to be a good big sister.

Iris - yeah - she's a COOL character... although the whole "inventing a fourth primary color" thing keeps this from being filmable... I like her spunk, I like her willingness to flout authority... I just like her. Looking forward to something good from her in future books.

Jarek - a little seen character - but one whom I have a grudging admiration. Enough said on that front.

and one character I truly hope we don't see in the next book... not counting the rotten prince and his chief surgeon who I detest but really... that would be such a silly thing to hope for. We are introduced in book one to the painter Kristof... and without going into detail (really, it's a brief intro... but usually that's a set up for later right?) I could do without his particular talent.

Oh, and John Dee... he's been in so many fictional stories over the years it's hard to remember that he was a real person... He's evil in those Michael Scott books (review of the Necromancer coming soon!) but in this one... well, the jury's still out on that actually... we'll just have to keep reading and see.

As much as I enjoyed the book - and I did - I LOVED the Author's Note at the end... I love that she makes no excuses for her blending of fiction and non-fiction. Sometimes it's a disastrous combination, and sometimes it works - lucky for us this was one of the times that it worked!

Language? no issues
Romance? hey, there are two boys who are both friends with one girl... there's a possibility in the future for some issues - but I'm guessing that it will stay squeaky clean even if there's a love triangle in coming books.
Age... a really GREAT younger reader could enjoy these... there are some names of people and places that could trip someone up, but nothing to worry about content wise aside from a few very brief tense moments. Older teens? I enjoyed it, I would think that they would as well :)

Kingdom Keepers 3 Disney in Shadow - Ridley Pearson

2010-08-24T21:43:00.000-06:00

After reading the first two of these books I couldn't very well skip this one.

The first - I truly enjoyed. I actually picked it up after a boy in my church class was reading it instead of listening to my lesson. Anything THAT intriguing has to be good... because of course I am usually far more entertaining than your average YA novel. (hey, it's my blog - can't I tell the story my way?)

The second - well, a little harder to follow... the story line just didn't grab me as much. Still a good book, but I was a little disappointed that it wasn't as good as the first.

The third (and yes, you might want to notice that I did not say "last"...) was again an enjoyable read. The storyline was quite simplistic and at times I wanted to scoff (but then remembered that at age 38 I am hardly the target audience)

We now pause this review to tell a little story - and yes, I promise that the telling of this story IS vital to my review.

As a young child my favorite book was Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. For those of you unfamiliar with this book it is a sweet little story about a young donkey who likes to collect pebbles. One day he goes for a walk and finds a beautiful red pebble which will grant his every wish. Unfortunately on the way home Sylvester meets up with a lion. He panics and instead of wishing the lion away or wishing himself home... he turns himself into a rock and the magic pebble falls a few inches from his new rock self... preventing him from wishing that he were once again a young donkey. As a child I thought the rest of the book (the parents searching for their son/rock and eventually having a picnic ON their son/rock) was quite funny. I remembered the book fondly as I picked up a copy so that I could read it to my own son about 15 years ago. Let me tell you - reading that book as a parent... I cried. little sniffy tears, big alligator tears... you name it. It was horrible watching these two parents searching high and low for their son and not knowing what had happened to him... for MONTHS!

That said - I do still recommend Sylvester... just let the kids read it on their own if you're a big crybaby like me :)

So... how does this relate to our Pearson novel? Well, in his first two Disney After Dark books Ridley Pearson mentions the parents... mentions the trouble the kids get into with their parents as a result of their adventures... but the reader doesn't really get a good feel for who these people are. In book three the parents are minor characters - but we begin to see Finn's mother a bit more as she unwittingly helps them solve a cryptogram. I appreciate that Pearson did not just make her a clueless parent (like in SO many YA novels) but gave her a brain... a brain that figures out not only the cryptogram but realizes that there is more to the story than the kids are telling. Of course, this meant that I spent 68% of the remainder of the book wondering when the parents were going to show up.

Once again... I realize that I am old... or at least a lot older than most of the readers of this book. Your average teen reader will most likely not chew their nails wondering whether or not the families are traumatized... After reading it, let me know which parent you would have been most like... because I didn't understand the motivation for some of them... seriously, at this point they're worried about a college fund?

Early in the book (and carried over from the prior books) Finn mentions his promise to not lie to his parents. Of course, his definition of "lie" only covers the words that come from his mouth. I think this is a wonderful discussion for children - are these the only lies that matter? what about the lies of omission? misdirection?

Aside from the whole "mom's an emotional wreck" part of the read... I enjoyed it... there were some confusing bits - like which kid is where at what point... see, even when I allude to it it's hard to follow. Or maybe you should just try to read it when fully awake rather than trying to finish it up quickly in order to have your brain fresh for a book that doesn't seem to be coming on its expected delivery date. grrrrr...

Language: clean. Romance: very very very mild - a friendly hand squeeze that may or may not mean much.

Of course... there's no conclusion - if you want closure you might want to hold off on reading this one... #4 is due in April of 2011, with at least one more to follow... hey, don't complain, at least your donkey son isn't a rock for that long!

I You're Reading This, It's Too Late - Pseudonymous Bosch

2010-08-15T21:36:00.000-06:00

hmmm... I saw this book while school shopping with my 13 year old - it was an inexpensive softcover and I needed something to fill time until MockinJay is released (8 more days!!!)

This is a sequel - I DID read the first one... and then somehow neglected to review it... I know because that nifty search bar of mine is giving me NO results when I pop in the title. Oh, in case you want to read them in the proper order the Title of the first is "The Name of This Book is Secret"...

The problem I found when beginning this book (and now when trying to write this up as a double review) is that VERY few details from the first are actually coming to mind. I didn't hate it - I remember actually enjoying it quite a bit and showing my son a few pages that actually made me laugh out loud. The writing style reminds me a little of Lemony Snicket or Adrienne Kress... but with more use of fonts and visual humor to emphasize the point. (I'd like to say similar to what Paul Bajoria does in Printer's Devil... but without the tie in of being in a print shop it just comes off more like... well, a blog actually. That's not entirely bad - about 98.4% of the time I found it funny and fitting)

The story is interesting - we've got kids working with semi-present semi-reasonable adults to conquer evil.

Max-Ernest is the only child of divorced parents... who couldn't even decide on one name. Cass is the only child of a single mother - who has kept a secret from Cass her entire life. These two children are bright, eager for adventure, and have more leeway at home than most children I know. Teaming up they are able to get themselves into a few scrapes and succeed despite all indications to the contrary.

Language - clean. Sexuality - teensy hints that there may be a crush her or there... otherwise nonexistent. Other Issues - parental manipulation - and lying... Anorexia (not condoned as a lifestyle... just mentioned)... disobedience...

Overall a decent read - the plot did seem a tiny bit weak in parts... again reminding me of Lemony Snicket - but hey, kids ate those up!

If you love it - there's a third book out already - "This Book is Not Good For You" finishes it up. It may not be something I'd be counting the days down for... but I'll give it a read when I find it.

Incarceron - Catherine Fisher

2010-08-11T12:49:00.001-06:00

This is a find I have to credit to my Mother in Law who gave it to my Son for his birthday... great choice!

Think of a few books for me:

Running Out of Time (by Margaret Peterson Haddix)

The City of Ember (Jeanne DuPrau)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Arthur C. Clarke) and yes, even if you've only seen the movie.

now take ALL of those books - and kind of mentally mash them all up in a blender... Ta-dah... you've got Incarceron. (okay, you might have to add in the fact that I was singing a little song from The Hobbit -the goofy cartoon version of my youth- as well... although that doesn't really apply to plot... much)

The thing is - Fisher does it well. This is a truly unique, interesting, and appealing book. The "grab" at the beginning didn't quite get my teenager (I told him to try again) but a little determination gets you deep into the heart of the book.

Incarceron is a prison - created to be a self sustaining paradise where a few Wise Men agreed to keep watch over the murderers, thieves, and general riff-raff - and is supposedly inescapable. Within Incarceron we meet Finn (and some other folk) and learn that the "paradise" idea long ago evaporated.

Outside Incarceron we meet Claudia (who is not looking forward to her impending marriage) and the Warden (who is charged with the secrets of Incarceron) and Jared (Claudia's tutor)... AND about the same time that Incarceron was formed a decree froze them in time... "protocol" requires that there be no change... no advancements... this is more than a little annoying to some of the residents.

Is this appropriate for your child? There are really no language issues - there is the insinuation of an improper relationship (which the reader KNOWS to be false) and a few hints at the carousing ways of the crown prince (ugh, ewww, and ick... he's just gross). I'll have no problem with my oldest two reading it... (13 and 15) and I'd let the younger boy (almost 11) read it if he'd ever finish reading the book he started a month ago!

Talking Points:
1-the power of government - does absolute power corrupt (I can't stop myself answering YES!)
2-Claudia's relationship with the Warden... irreparable? (page 436 - does his admission here make up for anything at all?
3-Finn's mistakes in the past (the Maestra particularly) - what has he learned from these?
4-Raising children in a crazy world - what would you sacrifice to feed your family? to keep them safe?
5-Is the idea of Incarceron viable - were there mistakes in THIS model, or was it doomed to fail from the outset?

Really - quite a good book - worth having in your personal library... and you KNOW there is going to be a sequel... we've gotta know what happens next!

Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer - John Grisham

2010-08-02T07:51:00.000-06:00

When I saw the ad for this book I was floored - a Young Adult novel from John Grisham??? Can he DO this?

I mean... I've read a LOT of Grisham. ManOfTheHouse and I used to read out loud to each other in the car on our long trips... and Grisham required a lot of "self editing". When we had kids the car titles got a little simpler - Tub Time For Harry replaced The Brethren... we didn't have any language issues with Harry.

Well, Grisham manages to write an entire Young Adult novel without assaulting my Mom Filter - he kept the book informative without feeling too much like I was reading "Legalese for Dummies" He even manages to write a young character who loves learning, who loves his family, and who has a sense of responsibility.

Theodore Boone is a teenager with two lawyer parents. He has practically been raised in a law office and has developed a love for the profession. He knows more about the law than many Law students. Many of his friends and fellow students look to him for advice on their legal issues - and this is how he becomes privy to some information that may change the course of the biggest case to hit town in years.

I love that he trusts his parents and that they in turn trust him. They not only trust him, but they drop everything to help him out. Theodore has other adults he can turn to as well...

I enjoyed this book... Grisham has proven that not only CAN he write a young adult novel but he can do it well. Ages? I would say that depends on your reader... I've got no problem with my oldest boys reading this (13 and 15). My only caution would be the danger element (Grisham is still a master of putting his main character in peril!) and the fact that at the most basic level - this IS a murder mystery... with as many negative relationships as there are positive.

(all images courtesy of Google - because I read too much to learn how to take decent photographs)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

2010-07-29T10:29:00.001-06:00

recently while "surfing the web" (seriously, do we SAY that anymore?) I happened upon a list of the top 5 children's books here, errrr... there.
Book Reviews, Bestselling Books & Publishing Business News | Publishers Weekly

and in the number 6 spot (I Know, I Know... on a list of 5... don't get me started...) sits this book. I've read and enjoyed the other five and have no problem with them being on the list.

As a matter of fact, I read this one by Sherman Alexie a few months ago. Of course, it's what I might refer to as a paper bag book. Meaning I kind of wanted to cover the book with a paper bag while reading it in public.

I'm not saying it's a bad book - because it's actually wonderfully insightful and was actually loaned to me by a good friend who actually lived on the Reservation for quite some time with her family. She and her kids have all told me that this is as true and raw as it gets - and this is a story that deserves telling. What I am saying is that it hardly belongs on the CHILDREN's book list.

Let's go back a few months shall we? The friend that loaned it to me (a 38 year old woman with 5 children who reads a LOT) was actually a little hesitant to loan it to me because of its explicit content. Now... to be fair the "explicit content" was not nearly as bad as some of you may be imagining - and I actually wouldnt' have changed a word - because in this case, it feels like those people who tell you there was no holocaust. History happened... and this book is about real things that do happen... just as they've been depicted.

Doesn't mean I want my kids to read it.

I am not trying to raise sheltered children - that's not my goal... but because I have raised a houseful of really good readers they very frequently pick up stuff from the YA shelf rather than the JF shelf... they certainly have the ABILITY to read these things... but sometimes the content is questionable - if not downright detrimental.

So, you adults out there - you've been warned... the book itself is beautifully written. Be my guest and read it - having spent some time working with Indian children I'm certainly glad that I have read it... it gave me a little well needed perspective.

As for the children... I've said before and I'll say it again - this blog is not about judging the ART FORM of writing, it's about recommending high quality and APPROPRIATE books to children. This is not one that I'm recommending for children.

The Demon King - Cinda Williams Chima

2010-07-26T10:14:00.000-06:00

hold on folks - this is going to be a bumpy ride! The first book in what promises to be a fantastic new series.

Chima's previous novels - The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir - were all fun (though I may have gotten those first two out of order... ). I enjoyed them and recommended them to a few people. The characters we interesting and the content was appropriate... a good read... but THIS, this trumps them. Cinda Williams Chima is quickly becoming one of those go-to authors in my mind... the ones I wait for their books... I'll be waiting for this one to be sure!

How to describe this book without giving anything away? To be honest it's going to be a little tough - let me give you a brief character bio on two of the people I like in the book!

Han - a.k.a. Hanson, Hunts-Alone, and Cuffs... trust me, you'll understand why all the names when you read the book. - A former street "tough" he has reformed and trying desperately to provide for himself and his family honestly. Han is a good friend, he is a dedicated big brother, and despite the situations he manages to get into (mainly because of his questionable past) he is trying to be a better person.

Princess Raisa - headstrong, beautiful, but still a teenager in need of some growing up. She makes some mistakes, she puts her trust in the wrong people... and she's a fickle female... but I like her - she isn't one to sit idly by and watch others suffer just because she is safe. She seems to be a good judge of character... or at least I THINK she's a good judge of character. The jury is still out on one element of that...

Basically our story bounces back and forth between these two and how the events of the Queendom (NOT a kingdom... that's an important detail) affect them. How each affects the others life without realizing it.

I love how Chima writes - her characters are real to me... their pains come through, and their loss is a loss to the reader.

The language is appropriate for any age, there is some kissing (they're teenagers...) and brief references to keeping the princesses reputation unsullied...

In my own house I will have no problem with my 13 or 15 year old reading this book. It will be interesting to see their take on the idea of arranged marriages and how the princess alternately accepts and rebels against her duty to the queendom.

Talking Points - parenting... there are many different parenting styles within this book. Raisa loves both of her parents... do they both love her? Do they both have her best interests at heart? Willo made a mistake a long time ago - is she still paying for this? Han's mother has spent his entire life worried about him... has this colored her ability to be an effective parent? Micah Bayar's dad... what kind of a parent is he... what is he raising his children to become?

Get it quickly - the next installment The Exiled Queen - hits bookshelves on September 28, 2010!!!

Getting the Girl - Marcus Zusak

2010-07-23T11:04:00.000-06:00

Okay - I have to just say this first... Zusak AMAZED me with his book The Book Thief - it was abso-freakin'-lutely one of the best books I've ever read. So good in fact that I've now twice grabbed another book off the shelf and checked it out (or paid for it in this case) without even reading the cover... I just knew I wanted to read it based on the fact that it was written by Marcus Zusak.

The first time - The Messenger - I was surprised at the more adult lean of the book, but not put off... I just wasn't going to hand it to my teenagers.

The second time - this time... well, here's what happened... I started reading it two nights ago - and didn't get very far in before I was STRONGLY reminded of my required reading of Catcher in the Rye back in High School. A flattering comparison? Hmm, maybe until you find out how much I hated, no... detested that book. So much so that my AP English teacher insisted that I re-read the book and write a new paper because she figured I hadn't given it a fair shake. Trust me, the second paper tore that puppy to pieces... but hey, I'm pretty sure I got an A on the assignment!

I very nearly tossed the thing... I certainly was annoyed when I realized that the receipt on which I'd purchased the book was currently in another part of the state because I'd also bought my Mother in Law a gift at that store. (what must she think of me seeing this book on the receipt?)

Because I wanted to honor my AP English teacher and "give it a fair shake" - I did finish it... started out skimming along so that I wouldn't be subjected to Blech anymore... but eventually the blech goes away and I got caught up in the story - and here's the thing - if you can just trust me and skip the first few chapters (about 1/4 of the book) you can miss out on all the lusty teenage boy desires and get to the meat of the story - which is a beautiful tale of a boy finding out his own talents, finding out his own worth, and finding that his family isn't nearly what he has always thought them to be.

Zusak is an incredible writer with an amazing ability to weave words into a tapestry that a reader can almost touch and feel... he does it better in The Book Thief, but it's in here as well. It's just too bad that what his character considers "honesty" I consider smut... because that will keep this book out of the hands of my children.

FarWorld Land Keep - J. Scott Savage

2010-07-22T06:32:00.001-06:00

Firstly - I must pay homage to the author who started it all. Okay - so he actually had little to do with me starting this blog. For that I ~~blame~~ thank my friends who harassed me repeated with questions about what books their kids should be reading next. Really. Somehow I think we would have been just fine with the status quo of them calling every three months for the next round of recommendations... but there's something about being sent a book by a REAL author that changes my thinking from "hmmm, maybe" to "heck YEAH" overnight.

Okay - now on to the book... because this is not the blog that's all about me :)

I enjoyed reading Water Keep enough that I wasn't really put out when it came time to actually purchase the sequel... (especially since a hardcover holds up MUCH better to multiple readers than an ARC) but it did take me awhile to get to it... as I recall the book stack was about 6 books deep at that point... and I was still working 50 hour weeks. Thank goodness for summer vacation!

As we left them at the end of book one Marcus and Kyja were heading off to find Land Keep - now accompanied by the water elemental Cascade. Book two picks up right there... with them heading down the river... supposedly in the right direction (Cascade can be annoyingly evasive when asked for information).

Marcus' disabilities while in FarWorld have intensified and he often seems to be a liability to Kyja. He sees this intensely. Kyja sees his strength and support despite his inabilities and when faced with the possibility of losing his companionship she shows a stubborn determination to do it together.

Kyja is less forgiving of her own "disability" (that being her lack of magic) and sees herself as the liability. Late in the book she is asked to choose between her own "wholeness" and the success of their mission - this is a very difficult decision for her indeed.

To the reader (or at least THIS reader) both Kyja and Marcus are still heroes throughout the book. Kyja has taken on the majority of the physical heroism - while they both show strength through their choices and determination.

Talking Points:
(note: talking points are often more useful once you've read the book... and may have small spoilers if you haven't yet!)

Trust: there are multiple characters in whom Kyja has placed her trust. Marcus is more hesitant. I tend to side with Marcus on this one... Who can be trusted? Screech? Cascade? and I have some SERIOUS doubts about those Land Elementals... seriously.

Duress: Rhaidnan's choices - are they made out of love? out of fear? does it matter? In the end, was his redemption complete???

Trust again (hey, it's a big one): How easily turned was Dinslith against his own people... even against Master Therapass. What about Master Therapass and his past... did this factor in Dinslith's lack of trust... does it give the reader reason to doubt his virtue?

Things I loved:

I really enjoyed that the reader was slowly introduced to the concept of "Scaling"... given little bits here and there until the final piece was put into place near the end. I'm really hoping that Jaklah's part in the story is not at an end... as a matter of fact I'm hoping that Jaklah's older brother (who is punished for his part in the escape) is just hunky dory happy in the end... as a matter of fact, unless someone tells me differently I'm going to assume that's what happened (hey, I'm a girl raised on fairy tales... I like my happy endings).

Things that perplexed me:

Okay, I have to admit that I had to e-mail the author with a question about the magic and who has it when and the abilities of non-magic folk, etc... I'm hoping that other readers will not be as lost as I was - but if you are... suffice it to say that throughout the books it will all be explained (I guess somewhat piecemeal like the scaling was explained) and it has something to do with the ability to channel magic rather that actually possessing magic as I was thinking... just roll with it... he also answered a more detailed question about the eventual return of that magic... but that would be telling :)

(to read the author's blog - just click the book cover... because I'm all techno savvy like that today)

FarWorld... review coming soon!

2010-07-19T19:13:00.000-06:00

WAY long ago I reviewed a book called FarWorld - Water Keep by J. Scott Savage - he was even so good as to do a Question and Answer with me after I finished the book... I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did I enjoy his writing, but he's a rather funny guy in his own right.

If you haven't read this book yet - do. Click the links above to get to the original review - this being the review that started it all...

Because in the next day or two - I'm going to review the NEXT book in the series which I just finished reading. As luck may have it, I've even gotten the author to agree to put up with a few more questions!

and confidential to my loyal readers - I'm just returning from vacation, but while I wasn't able to write reviews I was able to READ... lots and lots... so this blog should be hopping for a few weeks!!

The Lawn Boy - Gary Paulsen

2010-07-12T18:58:00.000-06:00

Like The Lemonade Wars this book is a quick read and all about children making money - of course, unlike the lemonade stand's questionable success this kid makes some serious bucks! I'm a fan of Gary Paulsen - I think he is able to write well for his audience and relate... but there are a few things in this story that make me just guffaw with the ridiculousness of it all.

That isn't to say it isn't a good book. I am actually having my teens & pre-teens read this one because it shows what this kid does with his summer... rather than sitting around and playing video games - he turns lemons (the gift of a busted down old lawnmower) into lemonade (a thriving business) and despite the unbelievability of the outcome... there is a LOT of good educational information within.

And for the adventure loving boys - there's even a little boxing type bust 'em up scene. What's not to love about that?

I do have to mention that I LOVE the character of the grandmother... she is nothing at all like my own grandmother but I find myself wanting to hug this fictional old lady - between her scattered comments and unintelligible mutterings there is wisdom... you just have to work for it!

Great for reluctant readers - easy to read, easy to follow, and nothing objectionable from a parental perspective!!!

The Lemonade War - Jacqueline Davies

2010-06-26T00:11:00.000-06:00

This is kind of a tough one to review... because it has some elements in it that make me want to RAVE... and then...

Well, let's start with the raving. I love that there are opportunities for learning... a little math here, basic business strategy there... some nice mannerly suggestions throughout - all good stuff. For that alone I will be having my eight year old and ten year old read this one.

The characters are siblings - just one year apart in school - 14 months in real life. Books like this make me glad I spaced my children slightly further apart than that!

Siblings fight, right? Well, of course they do - fortunately these siblings also have a really good and healthy relationship! Their single mother is a blessed woman... a blessed fictional woman perhaps... but since I have a girl and a boy the approximate ages of these in the book I can attest to the fact that peace is a fleeting thing between them. Again - another good reason to add it to their summer reading piles!

Ahhh... so the "non-raving"? Maybe I'm being picky - it IS quite late... but I had a hard time reminding myself that these kids were so young. The vocabulary maybe? The kids had their strengths and weaknesses - which complemented each other perfectly - but I wish we'd seen just a tad more of Evan's strengths in play... and perhaps seen a way in the end for that annoying Steve kid to get what was coming to him???

There is an instance or two of using the Lord's name in vain - it doesn't RUIN the book as it is just the once or twice, but since that isn't something I'd like to hear around my home I will definitely be bringing up the issue with my kids as they read.

Otherwise a good clean read - nothing too difficult for my 2nd grade daughter (although she IS an advanced reader...) and the subject matter keeps it interesting enough for my 4th grade son ... glad I found this one at the book fair!!!

Peter and the Sword of Mercy - Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

2010-06-13T17:48:00.000-06:00

Another in the Peter and the StarCatchers series - these two authors do not disappoint. With a few uber-creepy moments to keep the boys riveted and enough of TinkerBell to keep the girls interested as well.

Molly Aster has grown up - as we all knew she must - and not surprising has married George Darling. If you didn't see that coming then you obviously have never seen or read Peter Pan... in which case, why on earth are you reading this book??? Their children know little of what occurred many years ago - and since Ombra has been defeated (or has he) there is no longer any need for the StarCatchers at all. George and Molly (who now goes by the more grown up name of Mary) run a tidy little house and live tidy little lives.

Of course, not everything can be that TIDY and still be interesting - so of course James (one of the lost boys who left the island and has grown up quite a bit now) comes to Molly/Mary with some concerns. The entire family (yes, Wendy gets quite a lot of page time) becomes involved and things go forward from there. I hesitate to tell too much of the story - suffice it to say we get to enjoy Peter again and his interactions with Molly (now a grown up Mary) and George are a little uncomfortable. Many of the characters from the first three books (Peter and the StarCatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon) make an appearance... yes, even Captain Hook!

Barry and Pearson had not intended to write another book in this series - but apparently got enough fan mail to change their mind. See? Sometimes it helps to voice your opinion!!! We're glad they did - certainly worth the time it took to read (although that wasn't long) and a nice completion to the series.

If you haven't read the others in the series - DO. Really, do. Any fan of the Peter Pan Story (either J.M. Barrie's book or the Disney movie) will find lots of reasons to enjoy this series!

They Never Came Back - Caroline B. Cooney

2010-06-07T15:48:00.000-06:00

When I glanced through the books at the library my eye rested here... the cover was kind of cool, what can I say? Then I noticed that it was by the same author as The Face on The Milk Carton which was reviewed here recently by neighbor and fellow book addict S. Although I myself have not read the Milk Carton series (though I'm sure it has a better name than that) we frequently discuss books during our morning therapy sessions (walking helps my brain more than my body) and thus I just had to read this one.

Whoa! This book is So full of "talking points" I can barely contain myself!

Before I go there I will warn - there may be some "hints" but I will try to avoid true "spoilers" because I want you to enjoy the book as it was meant to be read!

Brief Intro: Cathy Ferris goes to summer school in an adjoining town - there she meets some good friends and a boy Tommy who believes that she is his cousin Murielle whom he hasn't seen in 5 years. Murielle's parents are on the run from the FBI (and other initials) and she went into foster care at age 10.

and the Talking Points:

Trust - if you can't trust your parents, who do you turn to? Murielle can't even seem to trust her own Memory of her parents because although it seemed then that they loved her - their more recent actions haven't shown that in her eyes.

Loyalty - does family deserve your loyalty above all else? When it puts you in danger of legal action? When it will hurt those around you? both Murielle and her Aunt Lois have to answer this for themselves. How different are their decisions regarding Loyalty? Is one of them wrong?

Our Past - Murielle has buried hers pretty deeply. Will ignoring the pain make it go away? Can you hide from the past? For a little while? Forever?

Owning up to our Wrongs - obviously Murielle's parents did not "do the right thing"... did they realize how many other people would be hurt by it? Would them sticking around have made it better for Nancy Benner? Would it have been fair for her to have gotten off without prosecution just because there were bigger fish to fry?

Something I love, and something I need to know: After reading "A Child Called It" recently I was really having issues with the way foster families were portrayed... can I just mention that the foster family in this book was wonderful? I just want for them to somehow have the happy ending also.

Actually, I'm not sure it WAS and ending - or Happy even... there are still some loose strings that need to be tied up as far as I'm concerned... like the tri-level... were they there? How long have they been wherever they are? Why has two years gone without a phone call? etc...

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles 1) - Rick Riordan

2010-06-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

On the tails of Riordan's highly successful (and highly enjoyable) Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series I was a little concerned that we were just swapping our Greek God characters for the Egyptian Gods... as a matter of fact my 15 year old son (being the critic that he is) is currently refusing to read this book on that assumption alone. Personally I think he just wants more Wii time because this is a whole new ball game folks!

Riordan has created another new fantasy for his loyal readers while continuing to do what I admire most... encouraging children to learn MORE!

The book is written as a series of narrator changes - presumably a recording of the two narrators as they take turns telling bits of the story. The recording bit doesn't exactly work for me 100% of the time and I am actually annoyed when reminded of that angle because I had finally put it out of my mind and was just thoroughly enjoying the story as it unfolded. There are some moments of repartee that are enjoyable however, and I do enjoy getting the story from the two viewpoints... it's just the "recording" part that throws me a little. For those who are confused by the switching of narrators I have two hints: #1 - Carter and Sadie (while siblings) have been raised completely differently... Carter would never say "well, now I've got that sorted"... and #2 - the name of the current narrator is at the top of the page - no need to mention that it was page 200 before I noticed that little detail. (me, observant much?)

3 Things I Loved:

     1- page 250 - I think I could use a nice cup of Sahlab right now... sounds Delicious!

     2 - Lots of good Egyptian historical facts... I think I need to do a little research with my kids this summer so we can fully enjoy this book!

     3 - The fun chapter titles: "I have a date with the God of Toilet Paper", "I blow up some blue suede shoes", and my all time favorite "Men ask for directions and other signs of the Apocalypse"

Issues and Talking Points.

Trust issues abound - Uncle, Gods, House of Life, Siblings... who do we put our faith in? In our lives - can we fully trust anyone? Make sure to point out to your children how lucky they are to have YOU!

There is much talk of the Egyptian Gods - which I am going to separate from the taking of the Lord's name in vain... but there is some of that as well...

(and yes, this one is picky) - I had a hard time swallowing that this ancient magician had a library fully of wonderful magic books alongside a Clive Cussler novel... really?

All in all I enjoyed this very much - it is perhaps a tiny bit more advanced than his Percy Jackson books - but nothing that I'd worry about any of my boys (ages 10-15) reading.

-T

Agnes Parker... Happy Camper? - Kathleen O'Dell

2010-05-30T17:57:00.001-06:00

with the approach of summer (now fully here, we even have our AC on - and ManOfTheHouse was the one to give in first!) I've been looking for some books for all of my kids to read. The oldest two are Easy Peasy... there's just so much out there right now. The ten year old - well, the house is FULL of things he has yet to read... the six year old is SO excited to read all of the Magic Tree House books (and that will take all summer I'm SURE!), but the H girl... well, she did the whole Tree House thing last year and just has no desire to do the boys' books yet... so I've been searching.

While on this hunt I came across the books about Agnes Parker at an elementary book fair. I love book fairs! I especially like the Buy One Get One Free book fairs - they're such a horrible temptation, but I come away with some good stuff every time!

Now maybe I was kidding myself but to me this book looked like something perfect for my eight year old - she's an excellent reader after all. Turns out it really isn't for her age or interest - but would be perfectly suited to a low level reader who is a bit older. I'm not even regretting the purchase because I just so happen to be working with a number of 5th/6th grade students who might enjoy the story.

So, why NOT my daughter? What is it that makes me stick it in the older category? Well, we're dealing with a few girls who have been best friends for awhile... one is beginning to develop and the other... well, is a tad bit behind. A few things (not major) come between the girls and Agnes begins to doubt their friendship.

Language issues? nope, it stays pretty clean.
Other issues? there is discussion of kissing (turns out to be a TOTALLY non-romantic kind...) and the game "spin the bottle" - this would actually probably be a very good book to give my daughter in two years because there are many good talking points:

    Loyalty to friends: Agnes' friend PreJean - the worst is assumed of her, but Agnes sticks by her... sort of. Is she a good friend? How could she have better handled the situation?
   The Race issue - PreJean happens to be black and encounters some prejudice at camp. Is this an issue with your friends? Is there prejudice at your school?
    Judging: Agnes meets a new girl at camp - one who seems determined to NOT enjoy herself. Agnes refuses to make rash judgments and looks for the best in her. Do you know anyone like that?
    Mistakes: The new friend makes a pretty bad mistake when picking flowers for the flower press. There are a number of ways to deal with it, why does she choose to own up to it? What would you have done?

Really quite a good book - I'm hoping to use it this summer if I do any tutoring!

This World We Live In - Susan Beth Pfeffer

2010-05-18T10:11:00.005-06:00

you know that phrase "things that make you go hmmmm..." well, this is a book that made me go "hmmm" - a lot.

I was excited when I saw this book on a shelf - because it hasn't been that long since I read and reviewed Life As We Knew It & The Dead and The Gone and this is the sequel... well, it's listed as the sequel for Life As We Knew It - but it actually follows both books, and the characters from both books pop up... so unless Susan Beth Pfeffer objects I'm going with my way of it. Who knows... maybe she'll someday write another that explains some of the stuff that happens to Alex and the others in the interim? I'd read that.

We are back in Miranda's hometown of Howell reading her journal entries following the disastrous events that nearly brought the world to an end. (hey, stop here if you never read the first two - just knowing who made it through those books is a bit of a spoiler!)

Miranda's journal... hmmm... so many of the teenage girl foibles... while effectively advancing the story we are also subjected to many of the gushy love blech that because I don't have any other collaborating evidence on I have to take Miranda's word for... is he really that into her? Ugh... who knows... but really... last living teenage boy and all that... The kissing? Seriously... I can deal with kissing... the possible hints that it may have gone further? I can do completely without that thought. Also a few innuendos about the newlyweds... didn't really do much for the storyline I'm sorry to say...

Getting a glimpse of this new world - albeit a brief glimpse from the eyes of a dismal and emotionally limited teenager perspective - that was pretty amazing... I finished this book early on a Sunday morning and was grateful to be able to spend some time snuggling with my own daughter... Pfeffer's first two books inspired me to have a decent amount of food storage in my home (no, I'm not a crazy loon... no stockpiles of weapons and gold, just a little extra food which has come in handy already) - this book inspired me to... well... to keep my family close. Unfortunately I think the ultimate lesson learned from these books is that life sucks. Life sucks more for some people than others of course... and to me that seemed abominably unfair. Has Miranda grown up? Will Alex be able to move on? Will there be any hope for any of these people?

Somewhere out there away from Howell there are "safe towns" where the rich, famous, and important people (and their families) were evacuated to... I'm kind of curious about them still

I checked out the author's blog and found out that she's working on another book but I don't really think that "Blood Wounds" is part of this series... bummer.

Do I plan to hand this to my boys? I think the 15 year old could handle it... but the sappy girly parts would annoy him... I think it's probably going to sit unread for awhile on a shelf in my house. If your teenage daughter (or you) read the first books and loved them - by all means you should finish up the series... but rather than finish depressed - turn it into a creative writing exercise and finish up the story in a nice happy way for me okay? feel free to send them to me too because right now I'm just a little bummed.

My BIGGEST concern as a parent... the book deals with Euthanasia in a very personal way... when it is first mentioned by Alex he (being religious) is concerned for the impact on his soul. Miranda (who is quite uncomfortable with religion in general) doesn't seem concerned for the impact on her soul... but for the impact on her relationships with others... As a religious person myself - I can't help but think that by speeding along the natural process of death (which in this case would not have been far off) we've cheated people out of their last moments, cheated family out of their ability to make peace with it, and ultimately taken upon ourselves something which belongs to God... it is not for us to decide... (and yet... there are some instances...)
*** This is perhaps a wonderful thing to discuss with your teen reader - because it is a hot debate topic... is it merciful? are there instances when it is the right thing to do? I'm often amazed when I have these discussions with my teens because they have some pretty deep thoughts which I know I didn't influence :)

The Printer's Devil - Paul Bajoria

2010-05-15T21:20:00.003-06:00

Another book I picked up for $3 on a clearance table... some looked riskier than others but I liked the looks of this cover
and throughout the book (not so often as to be annoying, but just often enough to be fun) there is some larger and smaller type... different fonts, etc... Kind of like a blog post? Well, a blog post from one of those bloggers that does that sort of thing at least :)

Maybe I should do that more often?

Maybe not...

The story is quite interesting - we meet young Mog who works as a Printer's Devil (the young apprentice who does all the dirty work for the master printer) in London. Mog has an insatiable curiosity and thus gets into all sorts of interesting trouble. Being mistaken for the Bosun's Boy - following murderers - spying from the inside of a refuse barrel... Mog definitely gets into more trouble than your average pre-teen.

Side note - the end papers are amazing - a reproduction of an old London photo, depicting streets crowded with carriages - I love finding unexpected things like that in books!

Mog finally meets the Bosun's boy and they do have a similar appearance - The Bosun however is NOT a nice fella and very mixed up with the murderous thieving creeps that Mog has been chasing about town.

There is one secret kept until the end that you'd have to be daft to not figure out... and then there's another that angered me when it was revealed. Not at the author, but at myself... I hate when I miss something big! Well, that's not quite true - part of me loves it... but not a HUGE part... I've got quite the ego don't I?? Ah well, it was a nice surprise :)

Near the end of the book I was thinking to myself that almost all of my questions had been answered... but not quite all... and then at the VERY end I was reminded of yet another that I needed more info on... but it was not to be because the next page was an advertisement for the sequel!!!! Lucky me, I happened upon this book YEARS after its release so not only is the second book (The God of Mischief) already out - but the third (City of Spirits) as well!

And now for the Neurotic parent in me... There is some drinking in this book - and some drug use (or at least a lot of hinting at it happening) - and even Mog has a bit of Ale... Now, to be fair, the only available water source in that part of London was fouled by pollution and putrescence... so Ale was the better option... but before I hand it off to any of my boys I will be talking to them about the polluted river and its impact. Maybe we'll use the opportunity to study a little history of London???

Gotta get those next books... though I doubt I'll luck into them for $3 each!

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman - Adrienne Kress

2010-05-08T20:14:00.004-06:00

some of you may know that the original reason for beginning this blog was to get people to stop calling my house and giving me the "my kid is done reading X - now what?" line...

probably shouldn't have done that though - now nobody calls my house!

My point being - I used to get a little stumped when someone would tell me that the favorite book ever read by their kid was The Series of Unfortunate Events... sometimes I send them on to read The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster), and although that IS a spectacular book... there was never just the right fit...

I found it now though! As a matter of fact, if I didn't know better (and I do because I did some research) I'd actually think that Adrienne Kress was another pseudonym for Daniel Handler (no... his parents didn't REALLY name him Lemony Snicket... Sheeesh!)

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman tells a sometimes far-fetched tale of a young girl just trying to help. She lucks into some wonderful resources and manages to evade some pretty creepy thugs along the way (sometimes thugs look like sweet little old ladies oddly enough).

The writing is a joy to read - and like the Snicket series, the vocabulary keeps you hopping. Be ready parents - your children are going to ask what words like Disreputable and Magnanimous mean... and don't you want your children to think you're brilliant???

Aside from good writing and a fun romp of a story - there is the question of friendships... who to trust? When something goes wrong, who to blame? When to forgive?

Adrienne Kress admits on her blog that writing is not her main focus... but she does happen to be good at it - and I hope she continues to give us good books! For now, I will be content because there is another waiting for me (Timothy and the Dragon's Gate)... now if I can just get my hands on it!

Inappropriate Moments? Language? Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll? It all was very tame in content - I will have no issues with giving it to any of my children (okay... so maybe the 6 year old will have a hard time with the vocab... and the reading in general...) There is a bit where the passengers of a train are being doped up and held hostage... this could even be a good talking point to mention - that Alex was able to solve the problem and "save the day" because she DID refrain from the drink...

Seriously, worth the read... I lucked into it on a clearance table at Big Lots and thought to myself "$3... even if it's hateful it's worth $3..." Trust me, it's worth the cover price - of course, I'm still going to run back and see if I can pick up a few more on the cheap because I think they'll make spectacular gifts for a few nieces and nephews I know...

The Thorn - Daron D. Fraley

2010-04-20T20:39:00.003-06:00

when I was first offered this book to review I wasn't sure about the Genre... it was listed as "speculative fiction" and that threw me for a loop.

I know I'm crushing everyone's high and mighty opinion of me, but I'm pretty sure that I've openly admitted (somewhere over there on the sidebar) that I'm just a mom... a mom who does a LOT of reading... but just a Mom. Being "just a Mom" the very term "speculative fiction" was knew to me...

So here I am beginning a "speculative fiction" book for the first time...

The "speculation" comes (I think) from the "what if" that we must all agree to. This author is beginning his book with the speculation of "what if Christ's sacrifice wasn't JUST for earth... what if there are other worlds... what if those other worlds were as eager for his coming as ours?" Are you with me now? Once I got to this point I was actually quite intrigued.

I say "once I got..." because it took me awhile. See, I have a pet peeve (which my loyal readers won't be surprised at)... those glossary of terms/index of persons etc... type things - they annoy me. Do I use them sometimes? Heck yeah - they're quite handy... but I really prefer to have them at the BACK of a book because I want to meet characters on my own terms... AND if I absolutely have to meet a character through a bio - it should be brief and to the point. Usually I will berate an author for this behavior because often it means that the writing is not strong enough for me to feel an immediate connection to the characters without being hit over the head with who they are. Not true here... Daron Fraley actually DOES introduce his characters quite well within the story... having completely SKIPPED the whole character intro I can tell you that it is not needed... the characters are strong people, with individual traits which draw you in...

I am glad that I persevered - a friend of mine actually read the first few chapters TO me as we drove back from a conference. This made all the difference because then I was drawn into the plot without any of the distraction! (and the friend is dying for me to write up this review so she can borrow the book now!)

I don't want to give away the plot - it's unique and interesting... while using familiar names (very familiar if you're a scriptorian) and settings which are unique to the world of Gan without being "alien" to us. There were originally 3 brothers from whom the people of Gan descended... Daniel, Uzzah, and Gideon - and the tribes of "today" (today being about 2010 year ago) have grown apart in some ways and are facing war.

About 1/2 way through the book I found myself quoting the Staples ad
"That was Easy"... but it wasn't THAT easy after all... there was more to it...

Preachy? I knew you'd ask... and the answer is... ummm... well, only sometimes... there are teaching moments between the characters that are brief and simple - and don't annoy at all. Then are are one or two moments that are slightly heavy on the "teaching"...

Am I a religious person? Definitely - as a matter of fact - Fraley's "what if" hits very close to home for me because I personally DO believe that Christ's life and His sacrifice were more far reaching than this earth. However, I don't think that this book is ONLY for people who believe as I do... or even for religious people... although the non religious may believe that there is more "preachy" than I do...

An interesting premise - and a fun story... and the best part? There's more to come... Go ahead and get attached to the characters, well, most of them... because they'll be back and I'm interested to see where Fraley goes from here.

Secret Sisters - Tristi Pinkston

2010-04-13T11:00:00.000-06:00

I haven't ever been one for reading LDS fiction. I think I blame it on my sister/roommate - when we were at BYU and she had to read a LOT of it for one of her English classes. One of them was quite funny and enjoyable... but SOoooo many duds I just couldn't swallow it. Well folks - this actually reminded me a LOT of that one that I liked back then (and of course we'll just hope that sister/roomie drops by and remembers what the title of that one is... you know, the one where they are passing notes in Sacrament Meeting?).

Warning #1 - if you aren't LDS (or have no idea what LDS stands for) this may not be the book for you... or maybe it is and you just don't know enough yet... in which case I would urge you to seek out the Missionaries and have them answer vital questions which will come up in the reading of this book... namely - what is the Relief Society? They may want to teach you a few other things as well... can't be helped, that's what they do :)

The premise is a little ridiculous - but ridiculous in a refreshing and fun way. See, ridiculous isn't always a bad thing - so next time my husband tells me my shoes look "ridiculous" I can just smile and say thanks :)

So here it is - the refreshingly ridiculous premise: Ida Mae is the Relief Society President of a small town ward - small enough that although many of our characters have cell phones there are SOME people who don't even have a home phone. Seriously. Yeah - this would be the only plot point I was having a hard time with - but I'm something of a city girl so I'm just going to have to accept that. As a presidency - Ida Mae and her counselors are trying to be helpful... and somehow they end up being on the wrong side of the law in order to help.

Some funny moments have a limited audience: "who would staff the nursery", "...even better than making funeral potatoes", etc...

and some of the funnier moments are universally appealing: "...the next time we do something illegal, we'll hire you a sitter..." and a commentary on fanny packs...

I've mentioned before that I might be a little bit "new" to this world of LDS fiction... so I was a little worried that certain plot points would become preachy - and I have to say... although they may still be described as "preachy" - it's totally not in a way I would worry about... hmmm... how to describe this... Okay - unwed pregnancy is mentioned - and a sad situation it is... but instead of it being a "hellfire and damnation" type of preachiness - it was a beautiful "support and forgiveness" type of preachiness. My favorite kind :)

a limited audience perhaps - and at one point I thought that I wasn't necessarily within those limits - but from the first sentence "Ida Mae Babbitt didn't know what cookie to serve with bad news." I was hooked.

Ida Mae's adventures (and those of the Secret Sisters) continue in a coming sequel... and although I was a little wary of Ren's turnaround (such a 'nice little neat package tied in a bow' moment) I changed my mind when I read the teaser for the next novel... having him where he is will allow for a new element... a little "absence makes the heart forgetful" perhaps... or even a little espionage in the field? I'll be wondering for awhile, but this should be fun :)

I know, I know - I owe you a review...

2010-04-08T20:36:00.002-06:00

and I swear I'm working on it... instead of finishing The Thorn this week I have been at a huge Volunteerism conference and spent countless hours driving/notetaking/planting trees/eating food that should have tasted better for it coming from the kitchen of such a nice hotel...

Check back soon... I promise I'm working on it!!!

Summer in Paris - Michele Ashman Bell

2010-03-29T20:34:00.002-06:00

knowing full well that this author has quite a following I'm a little embarrassed to admit that this is my first time reading one of her books. My neighbor's daughter would be shocked at that information so if we could just keep that on the "down low" I'd appreciate it :)
The premise seems simple at first - Kenzie is a daughter of a wealthy New York couple who spend more money ON her than they do time WITH her... through some unfortunate circumstances Kenzie is forced to give up her charmed existence and is going to be spending the summer in Paris. Yep, Idaho has potatoes AND Paris... who knew? Kenzie is stronger than anyone gives her credit for - although it sometimes takes a little while for her to assert herself.

In Idaho she quickly learns a few lessons: #1 - nobody cares if her jeans are True Religion or off the rack at the Thrifty Mart. and #2 - people can make bad decisions in Idaho just the same as they can in New York City. Okay, wait... maybe that was MY lesson I learned right off the bat. It turns out that her New York friends were a pretty good lot - albeit a little shallow. The teenagers that she is thrust upon in Idaho... well, apparently you can get into a lot of mischief in small towns...

Paris is good for Kenzie - she learns a lot about her own strengths, and that hard work won't kill her. She also learns that just because she has lost what she had previously deemed as important - she certainly hadn't lost her dreams, or her talent.

It turns out that Kenzie is also very good for Paris. The town has had a rash of arson and almost everyone is eager to believe that the responsible party is none other than the town "bad boy" oucast.

Everyone has their story... Kenzie's "charmed" New York life has its own story... the "bad boy" has a story... and until all of their stories are revealed the book isn't over.

Written for teens - and just perfect for many of the teenage girls I know - they'll eat this up!!! Nothing objectionable: No language - No sex - No preachiness. Kids left and right are making stupid decisions - and getting caught and punished for those decisions - hey, that's life guys... I appreciate that Michele Ashman Bell has put some real life decisions into the hands of her characters and shown one of the possible outcomes. Given that she grew up in the town where I'm trying to raise teenagers of my own - I'm hoping that my kids have just a touch more common sense than some of her characters... but if they at least have Kenzie's ability to walk away from trouble, I think I'll be satisfied :)

Now... as an adult (and because this SO wasn't written for me) I did find the laundry room discovery just a little... umm, shall we say "convenient"... I would have liked it a tad more if that camping gear had been mentioned a little earlier... maybe sat in her trunk for awhile while her parents nagged her to return it? Ah well... I have to admit that even with this I enjoyed the book... read it all in one afternoon and will recommend it to that teenage neighbor of mine - and anyone else who happens to be a female teenager :)

Need it for your teenage neighbor (or yourself)??? Click here for a purchase link.

The Sapphire Flute - Karen E. Hoover

2010-03-16T19:28:00.003-06:00

my good friends over at Valor Publishing sent this one to me awhile back... and because I'm a YA junkie I read it Right Away.

Come back here and click this line when you decide that you want to know where to purchase it!

This is the first book in a series - The Wolfchild Saga - so be warned that the story is not completely finished yet. I have one son who despises waiting and cannot even begin a series unless he knows that the last one is out. This nearly kills ME because I am just dying for him to read the books so we can discuss them! Ahhh... patience may be a virtue - but sometimes it just feels like a waste of my time.

Anyway - back to the book - that's why you dropped by right? (the witty humor is just a bonus)

First off - "Never Judge A Book by Its Cover" - how many times have we heard that? I don't need an exact number - but more than once? me too... but sometimes I find that hard. As a matter of fact - I'm going to tell you all of the wonderful things I liked about this book BEFORE I show you the cover... who knows, maybe you'll like it more than I did?

Our two main characters are teenage girls. The first is raised on a farm (so a little tough) but also protected... and kept away from the one thing her mother fears will harm her the most - magic. The second is desperate to prove herself and her family to the society in which they live... although that makes her sound shallow... I don't believe she's that.

The girls have typical teenage problems - boy troubles... disagreements with their parents... you know the stuff right? Of course their problems are connected with some pretty amazing things so instead of fighting about whether or not Ember could hang at the mall with her friends she is nasty about whether or not she will be able to test her magical abilities at the annual mage ShinDig (okay - it had a more appropriate name than that in the book... I just don't want to look it up right now) These disagreements get loud - and disrespectful... I cringe a little when characters in books are so openly NASTY to their elders (I cringe a lot in real life when the same happens) and so I am happy to report that after Ember's confrontation with her mother - AND after Kayla's telling off of her uncle (which he kinda deserved... but still...) the girls felt remorse. Maybe my own teenagers also feel remorse, but I don't get to read about that so I savored it a little here :)

I don't want to give away too much of the plot (because that would really be a bummer for you, trust me) but I will tell you that there is some fun and fantastical tranformation type stuff going on - the coming of a prophesy - and even a little romance. Girly? hmmm... I'd have to go with yes on that one - but I may change my mind if I can get those teenage sons of mine to read it :)

Something I love... the mystery I'm left with at the end. I'm not sure who to trust completely - I'm not sure of the motives behind some of what's going on... it's frustrating and thrilling all at once!

Another thing I love... the display of parental love. It transcends all else. Enough said - at least "enough said that won't mess up some of the book for you"

Something I hated... that last chapter. It's not WHAT happens that is bothering me... I'm okay with that. Here, let me tell you my whole "last chapter" story... I was travelling while reading this book - I had finished all but the last chapter when we arrived home and unloaded the car and somehow in all the insanity my book was misplaced. I didn't even think about it until the next day and it took me a day or two to hunt it down on the shelves (yes, I have too many books - but don't ever let my husband know that I admitted that!). By the time I'd picked the book up again - for me - the story was told. The final chapter consists mainly of a little reconciliation and foreshadowing... I liked the foreshadowing. I liked the IDEA of the reconciliation... I even liked how so much of it played out... there was just some dialogue between Ember and Brina that... fell flat? Again, there's probably a little of my own jealousy here because - trust me - MY conversations with my teenagers never get wrapped up in such a nice little package.

And now... the cover...

it's not horrible, really - it just doesn't seem to fit with my vision. That and the fact that everybody I work with laughed at me when they saw the book... I might have just gone with the title... maybe the wolf? but the girls? yeah, it's just not working for me.

Okay - and here's my pure honesty - I'm not an artist - nobody will EVER ask me to do their cover artwork... unless they're hoping for misproportioned stick figures - I certainly couldn't have done a better job.

And really - that's my biggest hang-up? The book was enjoyable - not THE best thing ever written, but enjoyable and worthwhile. PLUS - no language/content issues that would make a mother cringe!

Check out the author's blog here, and enjoy the story - with more to come in the story I'll be checking for the follow-up books :)

AND if you're lucky enough to live in Tooele, UT - there are 3 book signings this Friday and Saturday - just check out the author's blog for details!!!

A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

If you'll allow me to demonstrate, I do think I could be of some help to you here."

I smiled tightly. "You'd have to be able to make gold appear from thin air to be much help to us now, I'm afraid."

"Gold, you say?" he said quietly. "Well, not out of the air, maybe, but--" He reached toward Rosie and drew a length of straw free from her hat. From out of a pocket in his jacket appeared an old-fashioned handheld drop spindle, the kind no one uses anymore, and he sent it spinning with a turn of his hand. Slowly, as we watched, he drew out the straw and spun it--spun it! (CONT.)

As if it were a roving of wool! Rosie and I stood there and watched him, moment by moment, as the spindle bobbed and twirled. Something pulled out from the brown straw and through his knobby fingers, and where it should have gone onto the spindle, the finest strands of gleaming gold threads appeared. Round and round the spindle went, and the gleaming of gold turned with it. I don't know how long we watched it, turning and turning, flashing gold with every revolution. I could not take my eyes away.

Charlotte has inherited the family mill and all its rewards, financial difficulties as well as curses. She is strong and the problem sometimes with strong people is that they don’t always accept help. There are at least two people who want to share in her burden of trying to keep the mill in business, but she does not allow them to and in the process pushes them away, especially her husband. It is difficult to shoulder all your responsibilities alone, but it is such a double tragedy because when we do that, we not only hurt ourselves but prevent others the blessings of being in service to us. It is such a relief when you finally unload your worries, and your load is so much lighter when it is carried by more than you. You know what the great thing about life is that it is never too late to right a wrong, NEVER.

Tell us what you learned from the book.

The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn

2010-03-12T10:40:00.002-07:00

Nadya is a mischievous kitchen girl in a Russian tavern. Having nearly drowned in the Iset River during the turmoil of the Revolution, she has no memory of her past and longs for the life she cannot remember.

Then two young men arrive at the tavern and announce that Nadya’s long-lost grandmother has sent them to find her. Yearning for family and friendship, she agrees to accompany them to Paris for the joyful reunion. Nadya eagerly embarks on her journey, never dreaming it will be one of laughter, love – and betrayal.

I thoroughly enjoyed 20th Century Fox’s movie Anastasia and this is very similar to that story line. Nadya is a very lovable girl, fun loving, adventurous, but she has not idea who she is, so when Sergi and Ivan offer a way out of her current situation, she takes it gladly. Sergi and Ivan have reasons for their deception, and to them it seems harmless enough until they get to know Nadya better.

To me a good writer will show you a story (characters jump off the pages, scenes unfold vividly in your mind’s eye, you get lost in the world they paint with their words), not tell you it (reading feels flat) which this author does in her stories. They are good stories, just to me could be better.

Points to discuss: Betrayal. Loving someone enough to do what’s best for them even if it means letting them go.

Golden by Cameron Dokey

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Before Rapunzel's birth, her mother made a dangerous deal with the sorceress Melisande: If she could not love newborn Rapunzel just as she appeared, she would surrender the child to Melisande. When Rapunzel was born completely bald and without hope of ever growing hair, her horrified mother sent her away with the sorceress to an uncertain future.

After sixteen years of raising Rapunzel as her own child, Melisande reveals that she has another daughter, Rue, who was cursed by a wizard years ago and needs Rapunzel's help. Rue and Rapunzel have precisely "two nights and the day that falls between" to break the enchantment. But bitterness and envy come between the girls, and if they fail to work together, Rue will remain cursed...forever.

I have really enjoyed the books in the Once Upon A Time Series, and of the authors, Cameron Dokey to me is the better author, just my opinion. To me her books are better written and flow so well. Of her books in the series, this one is my favorite of hers.

I have often wondered what the mother was thinking when she has her husband steal from their neighbor. What makes the mother think because she is pregnant that it makes it okay? What was the father thinking? What kind of twisted, sick person would demand as payment for the crime a newborn child? Cameron Dokey makes the sorceress kind and the mother selfish and creates a beautiful – can I say better - version of the story.

Discussion points: Acceptance of self for who we are and what makes us unique. The ability of parents to love their children separately and completely, to make room in their hearts for each one. The amazing people who choose to love a child so wholeheartedly when someone else gave birth to them. Forgiveness of parents for withholding information; they usually have good reason for doing so. Choosing friends and those who chose to make it work when their friends are chosen for them – like those families who combine to make one unique family, and love and accept each other.

The Willoughbys, Nefariously written and Ignominiously Illustrated by Lois Lowry

2010-03-02T08:00:00.001-07:00

Lois Lowry has a wonderful book called The Giver, which I read several years ago. It is deep and intense and good. (Maybe I'll have to review it here later, if it hasn't already been reviewed) Any way, I stumbled upon this book and was surprised because the library put a little sticker on the outside that said humor. I didn't know the the author wrote humor, so I picked it up. It is very funny. It's the story of the Willoughbys, an "old fashioned family". It borrows from some of the books of the turn of the century about orphans, (Huck Finn, Anne of Green Gables etc) and turns them on their heads. To give you a bit of an example, at the beginning of the story a little orphan baby is left on the front steps of the Willoughby home, and instead of keeping the baby and raising it, they take the baby to another home and drop it off there. At the beginning of the book I didn't really like any of the characters, they are selfish and unkind. However, that is a part of the humor of the story. Their actions are so ridiculous that you can't help laugh at them. And before you think I've lost my mind by suggesting that you let your children read about horrible people, let me say that the characters either amend their ways or reap what they sow. Oh, and don't worry about the poor orphaned little girl, she is an important part of the story and her role doesn't end with being dropped off at another home. The author has a glossary at the end of the book defining words such as nefariously and alabaster, so it's a good opportunity to expand your vocabulary. As for the age appropriateness for this book, I'd say around 3rd or 4th grade and up depending on the strength of your reader. Younger audiences may not understand some of the humor or the references to other stories. If you are looking for something light and entertaining, check it out.

The Face On The Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

2010-02-28T08:00:00.003-07:00

No one ever really paid close attention to the faces of the missing children on the milk cartons. But as Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl with her hair in tight pigtails, wearing a dress with a narrow white collar—a three-year-old who had been kidnapped twelve years before from a shopping mall in New Jersey—she felt overcome with shock. She recognized that little girl—it was she. How could it possibly be true?

Janie can't believe that her loving parents kidnapped her, but as she begins to piece things together, nothing makes sense. Something is terribly wrong. Are Mr. and Mrs. Johnson really Janie's parents? And if not, who is Janie Johnson, and what really happened?

There is a story behind this review. My daughter’s school has a “book club” where students are given a couple of choices of books to read in about two months and then get together with other students and a teacher and discuss it. Great idea! It worked for my son when he was the same age and twice previously this same school year. Earlier this year, the choices were Holes, Rules and The Face On The Milk Carton. My daughter chose The Face On The Milk Carton. I thought “great, I want to read it someday.”

A couple of weeks later she tells me she finished it. It is a short book, so I started it and not far into it started to have concerns. A day or two later she came home from school upset because she was given a crossword puzzle for the book and could not get the answers to match (she worked on it with another student who read it the same day they got it). It is not very long so I thought I’ll quickly read this and help her. The more I read, the more concerned I got – I actually got physically sick thinking my 9-year-old daughter read this. I kept asking her if she really, really read it all the way through. After some coaxing, she finally came clean and said it started to make her uncomfortable, so she stopped. Big Thank Goodness! I took her to school the next day and talked to the principal about my concerns. She was shocked and was going to look into it because they have been using this book for a couple of years.

Now what was so upsetting about the book – sexual content – not too detailed but enough for me to get sick thinking my 9-year-old daughter was reading it! Looking into the book online, it is recommended for 13 year olds – not elementary school students.

It has some really good discussion topics. Having someone you trust to talk to about your concerns and fears, about what the right thing to do would be. I could really feel Janie's pain. I also was really impressed at Janie’s ability to wonder what the other family was going through – teenagers are not known for being sympathetic as is evidence by Janie’s friends inability to see her going downhill, not sleeping, not eating, et cetera.

As T mentioned in her last post, we really need to be aware of what our kids are reading. I admit I have leaned on the teachers to make sure nothing inappropriate is given to my child, but if they don’t have kids yet or kids are older and/or adults themselves, they may not see reading material as I (or you) might, as well as it seems like today we are more desensitized to certain things; language, sexual content.

There are other books to follow Janie and I'll admit I would like to read them, but my daughter will not. I will also be more aware of what she is reading; lesson learned!

The Hidden Girl - Lola Rein Kaufman with Lois Metzger

2010-02-25T22:46:00.002-07:00

well, I haven't told you the good news have I? My supervisor shipped me a BOX of books to use with my tutoring crowd - and... well, the instructions to be sure that I check the books for "appropriateness"...

Loving this - because I've gotten a few hours logged reading for "appropriateness".

I picked up The Hidden Girl because I liked the cover... and because I was in the mood for a good non-fiction read. (weird? for me, yes - but even I have a serious side)

This is a true story of the Holocaust. A sadly typical story of a girl who hid during the Nazi occupation of Poland and lost nearly everyone she had ever known - and how this all affected her.

The tale is fairly lacking in detail and is sometimes a little rushed... but by the time I reached the end of the book I found this to be a plus - the "style" was occasionally difficult to read, but once I began to read it as a conversation between myself and Lola... it worked. I especially liked a passage in the book where she describes the Ukrainians and their superstitions. It would probably not be politically correct today to make these sweeping generalizations about an entire race of people - but from the perspective of the young girl that she was, they provide just a glimpse into her life.

Not a problem with language...

Violence? Okay - here's the thing - do you WANT a child to read about the Holocaust and come away not understanding that it WAS horrible and it WAS violent? This book deals with the reality that some Jewish people were gunned down in the street without cause - the girl witnesses it firsthand once - although the recounting of it is very mild. The book also alludes to some of the deaths in concentration camps, without going into detail. The most horrific thing (for me) in the book is the hard numbers... although I think kids will not be affected in the same way.

So... what's my real take on this book? It's okay - but it has a limited audience. I would actually be okay with my 8 year old daughter reading it (with a little supervision to talk about the things she is reading) and my 10 year old son I think would do well with it (if he weren't SO opposed to reading nonfiction right now)... but the teenagers... hmmm... I just think that there are some other books out there that give a little more information - and perhaps for them that's a better choice.

As always - please be aware when your child is reading this (and any) book of where there are in the book - of what they might be worried about. If I've learned anything it's that kids don't always come straight to mom for explanation or comfort when they need it, we have to seek them out :)

A Child Called "It" - Dave Pelzer

2010-02-21T16:22:00.002-07:00

This was our book club selection a few months ago - and somehow I never got around to reading it. Perfect Honesty Time? I didn't make much effort - I find myself a little too engrossed in books sometimes and I wasnt' quite ready for this book at the time.

so... what made me read it now? hmmm... It had been on my "list" for awhile and while teaching one day (I'm a reading tutor/media literacy geek when I'm not reading and blogging) the subject of "what we're all reading" came up. Within a few minutes I learned that more than one of the students I work with had read this book. These particular students are 11 and 12 years old... and while some of those that had read this are my "peer tutors" some of the readers really struggle with their reading. Thinking that this must be a very engaging read to keep their attention I resolved to move it to the top of the "list" and I borrowed copies of all 3 books in the series the next day.

Whoa.

Seriously, whoa. This is some heavy reading. If you are unfamiliar with the story I will tell you this: The books deal with a young boy who is subjected to some of the worst physical and emotional abuse ever recorded - it is a small miracle that he survived. Strike that - it's a BIG miracle that he survived. There are descriptions of some of the abuse that make a human being want to throw up - or at least made me want to hurl. When I didn't want to hurl I wanted to sit and hold my children.

In the end - now that I've read all 3 books - I am glad to have read them. I really am. They are certainly a glimpse into the foster care system and a side of life I was blissfully unaware of - disturbing but educational...

Will I recommend them to my children. Ummm... No.

Part of me feels horrible about that though - because I do know that there is extreme merit here... and because I know that the author poured his heart and his soul into the writing of these books.

Let me explain: I think that at some point these books are TOO disturbing. and while I think that there are some children who should probably read these - some whose life experiences have already exposed them to some of this darker world and who need some understanding - I don't think that every child should read these. If you are even considering having your child read these PLEASE please PLEASE read them first - you will want to know what your child is reading so that you can use it as an instructive moment... this is NOT a "self-help" book that you read and it makes it all better (I don't think there ARE any of those),

In the first two books there is a fair amount of swearing - but I'll be perfectly honest and tell you that the things he called his mother (in his head... for fear of her retribution) were a LOT milder than some of the things I thought about his mother. I was also being very forgiving as he was overcoming a lot of trials and a few bad words seemed appropriate...

while still reading book 3 (A Man Named Dave) I spoke with a few friends who had ONLY read the first book... and who asked WHY I would read something so depressing. I didn't find it depressing however - there is quite a bit of empowerment in there if you're looking for it... but by the second half of book 3 I was getting very annoyed by the language all over again. He was now an adult - yes, he still was "growing up" but really... trust me, it was extreme. Some of the things he did as a young adult were also... well, let's just say that there were many times I had to remind myself that this is NonFiction because I kept thinking "this would make a much better story if he'd learned his lesson a little more fully..."

All told: Yes - inspirational and amazing that this little boy was put through years of torture and still walked away not only intact but willing to help others. But no - not a book for children.

I've always held that Books are a tool. A tool of learning. A tool of entertainment. A tool of healing. A tool of communication... Books CAN help with difficult situations - but if a child's situation is so difficult that it merits THIS kind of book... well, I would leave any book suggestions to a qualified therapist rather than some internet blogger :)

Thanks for sticking around folks - lots more reviews coming up... this one took awhile to get through!

The Black Cauldron and The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

2010-02-02T10:22:00.004-07:00

Okay, so this book has been around for a while, and maybe you've all read it and know how wonderful it is. But, if you're like me, you saw the Disney movie when you were little and didn't realize that the book even existed. The Black Cauldron is actually the second in a series of books called the Chronicles of Prydain. It follows the adventures of Taran, assistant pig keeper, as he searches out to destroy the Black Cauldron. The reason I like these books is that they are entertaining, and have a good message about growing up, making sacrifices for others, respecting others, learning about yourself, and friendship. The characters are interesting and the main character Taran grows throughout the series. The only reason you might not want to share these with your kids is if you don't approve of magic or fairytale creatures. There is death in the books as well. The black Cauldron is a Newbery Honor book and The High King, which is the last in the series, is a Newbery Medal winner. So, if you haven't read them, I would highly suggest giving them a try.

The Magic Thief - Sarah Prineas

2010-01-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

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 :)

UPDATE: last week my son showed up with the sequel to this book... Conn's story continues!!! Sequels are hard for me because I want them to be as good as the first - sometimes I am AMAZED, sometimes I am disappointed. This Time? neither. But that's a good thing I guess... no disappointment? Our characters have stayed true to who they are... some characters disappoint me a little from time to time because I want them to have a tad more FAITH - but in the end... well, in the end we find out that we REALLY need another book to settle this whole problem. The troubles from the first book seem fairly small and insignificant when it all comes out.

The second book was a FAST read for me (sorry, I'm lovin' the Caps Lock today... what's with that?) - just a few hours really - I didn't have a hard time getting into this one... probably because I already knew the characters and wanted to know more about them.

I'm not saying this is the next big thing... it's not that. The writing style works well for children but adults may find it tedious... but hey, it's a good book, good stories, good characters. There are certainly things happening in the book that create a good jumping off point for discussions... Why DOES Nevery seem to lose faith in Conn? Is that justified? Why does Conn not learn his lesson a little faster? How do you think Benet feels about Conn near the end of the book?

Worth a read... probably won't buy it in hardcover or anything - but certainly an enjoyable afternoon :)

An Angel on Main Street - Kathi Oram Peterson

2009-11-23T06:19:00.005-07:00

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

2009-11-11T23:07:00.003-07:00

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

2009-11-09T12:49:00.003-07:00

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

2009-10-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

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

2009-10-09T16:54:00.001-06:00

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

2009-10-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

(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.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2009-10-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

(image from Barnes and Noble)

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the
annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I’ll be honest and tell you I have been waiting for T to review this book, because she does this sooo much better than me. But, I also know she has had a very, very busy last two months. I really had to think for days about how I felt as I read it. My emotions were all over the place. I finally decided I liked it. I think I will like it a lot more once I can read the third book NEXT YEAR and find out how it ends! LOL!

I liked Katniss’s growth as a character. It was hard to remember she is only a teenager, a child. You can’t call her selfish – she traded places with her sister in The Hunger Games, but she does things differently in Catching Fire which shows the maturity she has developed, has been forced to develop.

I still can’t believe the cruelty of the Capital, but it is amazing how people can surprise you, that you can find kindness, friendship and help in the least likely of places. It really goes to show how you can't judge people. There are things we just don't know, can't see. We all need people who understand us, who share the same loss, or challenge. Those are a few things we can take from Catching Fire.

Mira Mirror by Mette Harrison

2009-09-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

(image from Mette Harrison's website)

You know the mirror from the Snow White fairy tale. Or do you? One hundred years later, she is still hanging on that wall. Read about her quest to be human again.

Abandoned by her parents, and then apprenticed to a witch, Mira is captivated by the other young apprentice, who adopts her as a sister. Mira would do anything for this beautiful girl— and that’s just what her sister bargains for. With the utterance of a simple spell, Mira’s body is turned to wood, her face to glass. Her only power is the magic her sister gives her, the power to make her sister a queen. But the sister disappears, and where one fairy tale ends, another begins. Mira is left to gather dust until a new hope arrives—a peasant girl with troubles of her own. Soon the two are on their way to find a new kind of magic, a magic that gives life instead of taking it. (Barnes and Noble description)

After reading the other books by Mette Harrison, I was anticipating enjoying this book. I have never given the magic mirror in Snow White any thought and yet when I read the description, it gave me pause. What an interesting thought that the magic mirror used to be someone.

I read this book months ago and it has taken me a long time to decide if I liked it. I didn’t. To me it felt violent and full of negativity; mostly Mira and what she wants and how to manipulate others to do her bidding. It’s a good example of learned behavior and repeating the cycle versus breaking the cycle. By the end, I feel she becomes less selfish but the overall feel of the book was too negative for my taste and such a disappointment after The Princess and the Hound and The Princess and the Bear. Thank goodness it was a fairly small book. Mira does learn about herself and her “sister.” She learns about family and the love of a family. She learns to forgive, accept and move on. I think someone else reading it might be able to pull more positive out of it and enjoy it; I just couldn’t.