The Rules of Survival

Book: The Rules of Survival
Author: Nancy Werlin
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: When your mother is dangerous and you have no one to go to for help, who do you go to for help?

Matthew’s earliest memory is of his mother, Nikki, smashing one chair after another against the kitchen wall, for no reason. Now he’s thirteen, he has two younger sisters, and the three of them live on constant high alert; say the right thing and go through the motions of being happy and normal, or she’ll snap and instantly she’ll change from loving mother to dangerous monster. Sometimes she hits them, or threatens them with a kitchen knife, or screams at them and says horrible things. Sometimes it’s worse. Matthew tries to protect his sisters by taking her anger on himself, but that doesn’t always work. He knows this isn’t living; this is just surviving, but it’s all he knows how to do.

Then one Saturday night, after he sneaks out while Nikki is off partying, Matthew meets a man-- well, “meets” isn’t the right word. He only makes eye contact for a moment. It’s right after he sees this man stand up to some jerk who’s threatening his own son. The man’s name is Murdoch, and somehow Matthew is convinced that Murdoch can help them, maybe even save them. But he doesn’t know Murdoch’s last name, or anything about him, and Boston is a big city. Even if Matthew can find him, what does he expect one stranger to do when his own father is afraid to get involved? He doesn’t really know, but he can’t let six-year-old Emmy grow up in fear the way he and Callie have. But Nikki is unpredictable and very dangerous; the price of their freedom will be high, and not just for them.

If I could’ve read this book while driving, showering, and sleeping to avoid putting it down, I would have. It’s a gripping, perfectly-paced story about abuse, the good and bad sides of fear, the difference one person can make, and the pain we cause by just standing by.

Larklight

Book: Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space
Author: Philip Reeve (Illustrator: David Wyatt)
Audience: Grades 4-7
In a Nutshell: Victorian space adventure (yes, really!) with pirates, giant spiders, and a touch of romance

Art Mumby, his older sister Myrtle, and their scientist father live at Larklight, their old and quirky home in orbit just beyond the moon. Art dreams of adventure, and Myrtle dreams of visiting proper society on Earth- more specifically, in London, at the grand, soon-to-be-opened Crystal Palace commissioned by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. They both soon find much more excitement than they bargained for when giant white spiders attack Larklight and capture their father. The siblings manage to escape, and soon find themselves rescued by the notorious pirate Jack Havock, who turns out to be no older than Myrtle. His crew of assorted aliens are really a good sort, but then again, when's the last time you read an adventure story with pirates who were really, truly bad? The spiders haven't given up on finding Art and Myrtle; they seem to think there's a very important key to Larklight, and they won't stop chasing the Mumby's until they have it in their creepy, spidery clutches.

The action blasts from the moon, to Venus, to Mars, to the dangerous and mysterious rings of Saturn, then back to Earth, as Art and Myrtle are separated and eventually reunited as each one does their part to stay alive and save the solar system from destruction (those spiders aren't messing around). I adore Philip Reeve's Hungry City Chronicles for teens and adults, and this is just as good, plus appropriate for the grade school crowd. The action is non-stop, the world is clever and imaginative and full of great creatures like hoverhogs and the Tentacle Twins, and the characters are vivid and likable. Myrtle got on my nerves at first, being all stereotypically proper and girly, but she kicks butt in her own way by the end. Oh, and there are plenty of pen and ink illustrations, which is very helpful in trying to visualize all the fastastical creatures and places. Don't expect space and space travel to behave exactly like they do in real life, but once you hard-core realists get over it, this book is fantastic fun. If it weren't for Reeve's pesky British citizenship, I would put this on my personal Newbery Award shortlist.

Rash

Book: Rash
Author: Pete Hautman
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: things get dangerous when you put safety first

I've put off blogging this book for a long time, and I think it's because I liked it so much. I wanted to be sure to cover everything that I thought was great, and do it justice, and that has resulted in doing nothing at all. So I'm diving in.

Bo Marston has anger management issues, and it runs in the family. His father has been in a work camp for years thanks to a road rage incident, and Bo's mother is afraid he's headed in the same direction. The year is 2076, and the U.S.S.A. has hit the extremes of certain recent trends in this satirical view of the future. Renamed the United Safer States of America several years previously, American society has decided it would "rather be safe than free." Angry or aggressive behavior results in very harsh punishment. Football and all other contact sports are illegal; even running high school track, Bo must wear more padding than a hockey goalie. Not that hockey is legal. Anything that has been deemed unhealthy is also banned, including smoking, drinking, and junk food; obesity itself is illegal.

Bo's anger lands him in jail on the frozen tundra, where he's forced to work in a pizza factory, play illegal football, and survive with the help of a homework assignment named Bork. This survival adventure story has come back to mind more times than almost any book I read that year, probably because signs abound around us that being safe is becoming more important than anything else, including having fun or being free. Or maybe people are just getting stupider. The Onion thinks so too. Whatever the reason, if you like "dangerous" things like sports, junk food, and real see-saws, and want a story with lots of action, humor, and something to think about, try Rash.

The End

Book: The End (Book the Thirteenth in A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Audience: Grades 4-8
In a Nutshell: the Baudelaires are shipwrecked on an island w/ pieces of the last 12 books; and The End is not the end.

Here it is at long-awaited last: Book 13.

I liked it. It answered some questions. Left some others to the imagination. But at last, we know who Beatrice is. Did anybody guess? I didn't. But then, I'm a bad guesser.

The All-New Tenchi Muyo!

Book: The All-New Tenchi-Muyo! Vol. 7
Author: Hitoshi Okuda
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: One 17-year-old boy, some hyperactive alien women, a space pirate, a carrot-eating spaceship and more

Tenchi and his wacky group of alien girls help a girl learn to walk again; her motivation is seeing Tsunami, their tree spirit, and writing a picture book about him.

manga sub-genre: harem comedy

Storky

Book: Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl
Author: D. L. Garfinkle
Audience: High School
In a Nutshell: freshman guy's diary of love, Scrabble, and a fat dentist

To be honest, I read this a long time ago, and the only notes I kept were the nutshell description above, and a list of important names. And in the many months between then and now, the actual details have faded. In an effort to get caught up with posting, I'm leaving it there, so here you go:

Mike Pomerantz (a.k.a. Storky), Gina, Nate, sis Amanda, Sydney, old Duke.

I will also say that I remember it being very solidly from a teen guy's perspective, so you can guess where his mind is most of the time. Reminds me a little of Gary Paulsen's Amazing Life of Birds, where the main character spends a lot of time seeing ELBOWS everywhere, but elbows is not really the portion of anatomy he's talking about. Storky has a little older content, but they're both funny guy diaries, so maybe that's why they are connected in my mind. Some family drama with a not-entirely-welcome new father figure, and a relationship with an old guy who plays Scrabble that becomes very important in his life. That's all I've got for now.

Fruits Basket

Book: Fruits Basket, Volume 1
Author: Natsuki Takaya
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: orphan girl finds new friends with crazy zodiac animal powers

Those Left Behind (Serenity graphic novel)

Book: Those Left Behind (a Serenity graphic novel)
Author: Joss Whedon
Artist: Will Conrad
Audience: Teen to Adult
In a Nutshell: what happened between Firefly (TV) tand Serenity (movie)

If you are a Browncoat, you should read this graphic novel. If you are a Browncoat, you probably already own this graphic novel. If you don't know what a Browncoat is, welcome to the fan world of Firefly, a marvelous but short-lived western sci-fi series by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was truly one of the best sci-fi series to come around in the last 10 years, so of course Fox gave it the shaft. But it lived on in the hearts and DVD collections of rabid fans everywhere, and by some miracle Joss Whedon actually got a theatrical movie released to follow it up. The show and the movie are very, very shiny, to use Firefly lingo. I won't go into detail, but I'll throw the term "mercenary space cowboys" out there and let you rent/borrow/buy the DVD's and fall in love with Firefly yourself.

This graphic novel fills in a story that takes place between the end of the show and where the movie picks up. Without being a critical piece of the Firefly universe, the story does manage to be very interesting and relevant to the characters. But those of us who get all starry-eyed when Joss Whedon's name is mentioned have come to expect no less.

Eyes of the Storm (Bone, Book 3)

Book: Eyes of the Storm (Bone, Book 3)
Author: Jeff Smith
Audience: Grades 4-7
In a Nutshell: Bones and humans (and a dragon) against a returning evil

This excellent graphic novel series continues with Bone, Thorn, Grandma, Phoney, Smiley, and the rest of the people (and bones) in the Valley preparing to fight the big bad evil that's coming in the form of rat creatures and some creepy hooded figure who serves the ancient, powerful, hive-minded Locusts. Ooooo...

The Last Days

Book: The Last Days
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: supernatural rock summons giant evil worms

In this sequel to Peeps, when strangers Moz and Pearl save a precious Stratocaster guitar from a fall out a window, it's the birth of their rock band. Along with Zahler on bass, Alana Ray on drums (make that paint buckets), and somewhat functional peep Minerva on vocals, they make otherworldly music with Minerva's ancient, inhuman lyrics that draws peeps (vampires) like, well, like vampires to a blood bank. Eventually the higher purpose of their music becomes clear as they team up with Cal, Lace, and the rest of the Night Guard from Peeps, who finally show up about two-thirds of the way through the book, and stage a series of outdoor concerts that draw out both the worms and the peeps to fight them.

The majority of the book is heavily descriptive of the formation of the band and the music they learn to make together. It's interesting reading if you're into music, but I've gotta say I was glad to see Cal and Co. finally show up and get the plot moving. It all wrapped up pretty neatly and quickly, seeing as how the music part took up so much real estate, but vampire fans, fans of Peeps , and rock-band-minded readers will probably like it.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party

Book: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume 1: The Pox Party
Author: M.T. Anderson
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: a young boy is a slave, an experiment, then a rebel fighter in revoluntionary America

Like I've said before, I looove M.T. Anderson. And here he's written another very original, distinctive, disturbing book that sticks in your mind a long time after the last page turns, whether you want it there or not. And he won the National Book Award for it, so bravo! That said, this is not an easy read. It's written in impressively accurate 18th-century-style English, and it's long. Octavian and his mother, Casseopeia, are African slaves owned by a group of radical scientists and scholars called the Novanglian College of Lucidity. In the sober city of Boston, they live in opulence and are treated as exotic royalty, but Octavian must weigh his food and feces. When their fortunes shift and a harsh new benefactor takes control, the experiment of Octavian and his mother takes a dark turn: scientific proof of the inferiority of the African races. I won't give away the details, but some horrible things happen, and Octavian's personal account goes silent. The story picks up in secondary sources and through the letters of a revolutionary soldier as Octavian ends up with the man's unit. The history depicted is slightly alternative, but similar enough to the history books to make readers take a good hard look at what they think they know about the American Revolution.

The book is chock full of themes of human rights, freedom, friendship, and the fuzziness of right and wrong, good and bad in the American Revolution-- and by extension, the whole American experience? Or any world-changing conflict? Let's say yes. After all, that's the sort of thing they hand out National Book Awards for.

Part Two is coming (sometime) and even though I generally have little to no interest in revolutionary fiction, I can't wait.

The House Next Door

Book: The House Next Door
Author: Richie Tankersley Cusick
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: ghostly gothic love and tragedy

Emma has a funny feeling about the old abandoned house next door, but when her twin brother dares her to spend the night there alone, she can't back down. The dream she has is vivid and frightening: she's wearing old-fashioned clothes, and she is trying to run away with the man she loves. But the there's blood and a fire, something tragic is happening, and Emma wakes up in the present day. Except she's not quite alone: there's a constant presence she's sure isn't her imagination, and she woke up wearing a ring. It's the same ring that her true love gave her in the dream.

Fans of supernatural romance shouldn't miss this one. It's got tragic ghostly (and handsome) boys, haunted houses, danger, psychic connections...all the elements you've come to enjoy in this kind of book.

Romiette and Julio

Book: Romiette and Julio
Author: Sharon Draper
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: Romeo and Juliet with a modern interracial twist

Romiette is a black high school student in Cincinatti. Her best friend, Destiny, claims to have strong psychic abilities and swears that Romi will soon meet her soul mate- not that any of the boys at school really interest Romi. Then one evening in a chatroom, she logs on as afroqueen and meets spanishlover, and they really hit it off. Turns out they go to the same school.
Julio is a Latino boy who just moved to town from Texas. He hates everything about Ohio, except the amazing girl he just met. It's love at first sight for Romi and Julio. They would be floating on Cloud 9 if it weren't for the gangs at school, who don't approve of a Hispanic boy and black girl dating. Even their loving parents, who have their own racial baggage, don't accept the relationship right away. Conflict and near tragedy ensue, but love and understanding win out in the end.

I thought it was a likable, readable story, but a little uneven in quality. The dialogue is sometimes very authentic, and other times very forced. I mean, what teenager uses appositives in everyday speech? But most readers won't care about this. The romance, likable characters, the online element, and a good (if slightly overstated) message are all appealing.

Hush

Book: Hush
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Audience: Grades 4-9 or so
In a Nutshell: girl loses her friends, her home, and her name when her family enters the federal witness protection program

Her name used to be Toswiah. She loved her life in Denver, and her father loved his life as a cop. He was one of the only African-Americans on the force, but that didn't seem to matter. Then he witnessed two fellow cops killing a black boy. He testified against them, and life got hard for the whole family. Then it got dangerous. So in the middle of the night, they packed up a few small bags and moved to who-knows-where across the country. Now Toswiah's name is Evie, her sister is angry, her mother has become religious with the Jehovah's Witnesses, and her father just stares out the window all day. They may still be alive, but life as she knew it is over.


It's a lovely story, bittersweet and cautiously optimistic in the end. A pretty quick read, too.

Specials

Book: Specials (Book 3 of the Uglies trilogy)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: bio-engineered superteens overcome their brainwashing and save the world

Oh, how I love Scott Westerfeld's books. And oh, how I love it when authors finish strong on a good trilogy. I can now rest easy at night knowing that I can recommend Uglies and Pretties without fear of readers getting shafted by Book 3. Not that I've been losing whole lot of sleep over this, but you get the idea.

When we last left Tally Youngblood, she had been caught by the Specials, led by her former best friend, Shay. Since then, she's had the "special" surgery herself, where they enhanced her strength, speed, senses, and more, basically turning her into a predatory super-human who comes across as scary to normal pretties for primal reasons they are only vaguely aware of.

Tally loves her new body, her new tight relationship with the other Specials, and loves the new feelings of power and superiority that come with it. Their latest assignment is to figure out where the rebel New Smoke camp has moved to, and report back. But they run into more resistance from the Smokies than they expected, and Tally and Shay are caught in a swirl of right and wrong and power and greed, and it's up to them to use their gifts to chose a side and fight for it. Hundreds of years of peace between the cities hangs in the balance. There's also David and Zane to consider. David, the Smoky whom both Tally and Shay have loved when they were young and foolish and now just resent; and Zane, Tally's boyfriend whose brain got fried in the last book trying to become permanently "bubbly" and lucid, free from the brain lesions that keep the population docile. Tally thought he was dead, but surprise! He's not.

I've really tried to keep this blurb short and simple, but after three books of build-up that's no easy task. There's so much action, adventure, survival, gore, intriguing social commentary, love and life and death and stuff blowing up. Just trust me: good books. Very good books. Read the very good books.

The White Ram: A Story of Abraham and Isaac

Book: The White Ram: A Story of Abraham and Isaac
Author & Illustrator: Mordecai Gerstein
Audience: Grades K-3
In a Nutshell: A traditional Jewish story of Abraham and Isaac- from the ram's point of view

In Scripture, we first meet the white ram when Abraham is about to follow God's command to sacrifice his son, Isaac. God stops Abraham and tells him there is a ram caught in the bushes that he should sacrifice instead. In this picture book, we see the other side of the story, where God creates the ram and tells it to wait, because there is a special purpose for it to fulfill. When the time comes, the ram must pass the Enemy in many disguises as the Enemy tries to convince, trick, or bully the ram into not following through. In the end, it willingly sacrifices itself to obey God and save Isaac's life. A nice retelling of a traditional (though not scriptural) story, and the artwork is energetic with lots to look at on each page.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Book: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Audience: Grades 2-4 or so
In a Nutshell: Harriet Tubman listens to God and finds freedom for herself and many others

The illustrator of Ellington Was Not a Street and the author of several black history titles offers up a gorgeous depiction of Tubman, her faith, and the part it played in her escape from slavery and the leadership in the Underground Railroad that followed. The word that comes to mind is transcendent. A beautiful and memorable book.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Book: A History of the World in 6 Glasses
Author: Tom Standage
Audience: High School and Adult
In a Nutshell: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola explain everything

Beer was portable wealth in ancient Egypt; Coke represents-- and pioneered-- current globalization trends. In between, lots of other stuff was either influenced or reflected by various major beverages. Very interesting angle on world history with lots of tasty factoids to wet your whistle.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

Book: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You
Author: Ally Carter
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: James Bond boarding school for girls

They speak 14 languages, but they don't know how to talk to boys. They are students at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Most of the world thinks it's a hoity-toity boarding school for rich girls. In reality, it's a spy school. They have all the high-tech gadgets, they can blend and infiltrate anywhere, hack any database, mix deadly poison. But mingling in the real world? Not so easy. Since her mom is the headmistress, Cammie Morgan gets out even less than the other students. But on a pratice mission in town, she meets Josh. He's normal, cute, and he noticed her. But he can't find out she goes to the snob school, and he definitely can't find out she' s a spy in training. Good thing Cammie and her friends are experts at covert operations.

There's nothing too heavy here, but I liked it. Light and fun, and there's a sequel in the works.

Endymion Spring

Book: Endymion Spring
Author: Matthew Skelton
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: book finds boy. book bites boy. boy must solve book's mysteries and guard its ancient secrets from nasty scholars at Oxford.

Blake Winters and his little sister, Duck, are spending the year with their mother at Oxford. She spends all day in the library researching, so Blake and Duck are stuck there, too. One day, a book bites Blake. No, really- it's got fangs and everything. The book is really, really old, and the cover says only Endymion Spring, whatever that means. When Blake opens it, there are a lot of blank pages and one very mysterious riddle, and he's the only one who can see it. The book is powerful, it seems to have a life of its own, and there' s something it wants from Blake.

The other storyline in the book begins 500 years ago in Germany, where a young printer's assistant named Endymion works with Johann Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. A very sketchy character named Fust shows up with a very creepy, carved chest that practically screams "I'M EVIL!!", and Endymion finds magic, mystery, and danger within.

This book got oodles of hype before it was published, and it is a good read- if you like books about libraries, books, and mysteries with a dark and sinister historical twist. A bit of a Da Vinci Code angle, if you like sort of thing. But does this story have the crazy blockbuster appeal of Da Vinci? No, not really. But it's a decent readalike for teen DVC fans.

The Oaken Throne

Book: The Oaken Throne (Book Two of The Deptford Histories)
Author: Robin Jarvis
Audience: Grades 4-6
In a Nutshell: two young enemies, a bat and a squirrel, team up to fight evil and destruction. I think.

I'll be straight with you: I couldn't do it. I couldn't keep reading this book. I was supposed to read it for a review group, but I just can't. It's an animal fantasy, and I like those. The author is well-reviewed and respected and all that, and I'm sure plenty of people get into his books. It's got similar appeal to Redwall, but with a much higher creep factor, which would be a selling point for fans of creep. It just seems overdone to me- overwritten and overdramatic. Here's an example of dialogue as Morwenna the "treacherous handmaiden" squirrel poisons her kindly mistress: "'Now you have drunk from the cup of my ambition,' she spat venomously. 'To me it seems sweet, but I fear you have not found it so. '" Maybe it's just me, but I can't get into that. It's rodent fantasy with Shakespearean hack tendencies, complete with thou's and thee's thrown in for flavor. The time period is medieval, but it still doesn't work for me, like the author is trying too hard to make squirrels seem truly threatening.

I'm not even going to get into the plot, because I have no idea what happens past page 63. I read the entire Deptford Mice Trilogy thinking I would start liking it more eventually, but I never really did. Now here's the prequel trilogy, and this is as far as I go. They're not badly written, I just...can't. Sorry.

Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story)

Book: Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story)
Author: Barbara Ensor
Audience: Grades 3-6
In a Nutshell: Cinderella with funky silhouette illustrations

The title of the book pretty much says it all. This is Cinderella, as if you didn't already know the story. Not really any deviations from the norm here. The time period is sort of a cross between Once Upon a Time and modern day; Cinderella has both a royal ball and homework to contend with. Cinderella's letters to her dead mother are reproduced in her own handwriting, and there are lots of silhouette-style illustrations throughout. Our heroine has a spunky voice, and there are memorable writing gems and quirky, non-traditional details added here and there, but overall it didn't make a huge impression on me. It's pretty much...Cinderella. So if you're looking for a Cinderella story, this will definitely fit the bill. And all the illustrations and letters make it a superquick read.

The Hero and the Crown

Book: The Hero and the Crown
Author: Robin McKinley
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: clumsy, black-sheep princess turns out to be Dragon-slaying, world-saving princess

Aerin may be the only child of the king of Damar, but it hasn't won her a big fan following so far. For years, people in and out of the royal court have whispered stories of how her witch mother used magic to ensnare the king in marriage and get an heir on the throne, and how she died of disappointment when her child was born a girl.

Aerin longs to do something of use for her father and the kingdom, so with the help of her cousin, Tor, she secretly learns to use a sword, and she becomes Aerin Dragon-Killer. Dark powers are stirring in the north, and though smaller than their legendary counterparts, small dragons are becoming a dangerous nuisance in the villages. But rumors exist in her father's books that one of the great dragons may still be alive, dormant and waiting to rise again and cause fiery mayhem. And there is still another problem to consider: the common source of the dragons, the rebellious spirit in the northern lords, and more ominous signs of dark times to come. She may have been belittled by people all her life, but Aerin's country needs her now for the gifts she never imagined she had.

A classic high fantasy; dragon-slaying and magic destiny-discovering adventure at its best. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. And if you want more there's also The Blue Sword, written two years before this one but set much later in the history of Damar.

Dairy Queen

Book: Dairy Queen
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: your basic "girl runs farm, girl joins football team, girl falls for rival quarterback" story

D.J. Schwenk's two older brothers were high school football stars. D.J. is athletic, too, but now that her dad's recuperating from surgery, she's more or less been running her family's dairy farm. No more basketball, no more volleyball, and barely any time to hang out with her best friend, or do anything fun for that matter. From all those years of helping her brothers with workout drills, D.J. knows her way around a set of calisthenics. So when a family friend (and coach of the rival football team) asks her to train his quarterback over the summer, D.J. doesn't know exactly why she does it, but she agrees. Said quartback's name is Brian Nelson. He's got talent, he's got looks, but he's also a big whiner who blames other people for all his mistakes and isn't a fan of hard work. But he's not about to get shown up by a girl, so let the training begin.

Brian's actually not a bad guy, which complicates D.J.'s life when they're spending almost every day together. More complications ensue when she decides that what she really wants is the last thing anyone expects: to join the football team. A worthy addition to teen girl power lit. D.J. is funny, honorable, and heroic, in a rural-Wisconsin-meets-Title-9 sort of a way. Language and content is definitely on the high school side of the spectrum, but nothing all that edgy.

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen

Book: The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen (Book Two of M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales)
Author: M. T. Anderson
Audience: Grades 4-6
In a Nutshell: makes fun of mystery series books, and has a crazy fun time doing it

I love M. T. Anderson. Loooove him. No, we're not related, despite sharing a last name. Everything he's ever written rocks. Sometimes (make that usually) it's disturbing in some way, but so well done. The guy is twisted, but boy, can he write. Just try to say the title of this book out loud and not want to read it. Some readers may not know what linoleum or lederhosen mean, but it still sounds fantastic. The Thrilling Tales series features a trio of heroes: Katie Mulligan, Jasper Dash, and Lilly Gefelty. Katie is the star of a creepy mystery book series- think Goosebumps. The "Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut" books were big in the 1940's, when fearless, brave and courteous Jasper fought bad guys with his crazy "futuristic" inventions, such as the Gyroscopic Sky Suite. Lilly doesn't have a book series. She doesn't realize yet that her life is not boring, so she's happy to hide in her famous friends' shadows. In the first book, the three friends saved the world from whales on stilts (hence the title: Whales on Stilts!) In this second tale, the trio try to take a vacation from mystery and the forces of evil, but no luck. They go to a mountain hideaway called the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort, where Jasper has a coupon for free dinner. It turns out that the coupons were a fake, and many other mystery series stars were lured there by the same bogus coupon. No sooner have the guests realized the hoax then they get word that the adorable Hooper Quints have been kidnapped, and they all set out to solve the mystery. All except Katie, who really wants a vacation. But how long can she ignore a good mystery? And why is one guest always letting out bloodcurdling screams? And will Jasper survive his encounter with immunoglobulin E? The book is weird and quirky enough to appeal to readers who like weird, quirky books; if they are familiar with some of the books being panned, it gets even better. Goosebumps, The Bobbsey Twins, and any given old-fashioned horse books are just a few of the targets of Anderson's (fond) satire.

The next book in this thrilling series? The teaser in the back begins like this:

It is a land of wonders...

It is a land of mystery...

It is a land that time forgot

(or chose specifically not to remember)

It is called... DELAWARE!

How can you not love that?

I haven't gathered enough data to know if actual kids find these books as hilarious as I do, but oh well.

School's Out-- Forever

Book: School's Out- Forever (Book 2 of Maximum Ride)
Author: James Patterson
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: kids with wings hide from crazy scientists and look for their parents

The first book was action-packed and interesting, and this one pretty much is, too. To be honest, I read this a while ago and now I'm trying to catch up on my Barker posts. Max and the other genetically-engineering flying children continue their quest for truth, parents, and blowing stuff up. Lots of action, twists, turns, betrayals, but not a whole lot accomplished in the end. But there's a third exciting installment due out in May, so stay tuned. Maybe book three will be more revealing.

The Prophet of Yonwood

Book: The Prophet of Yonwood
Author: Jeanne DuPrau
Audience: Grades 4-8
In a Nutshell: find a home, fall in love, help the world

Nickie's great-grandfather just died, leaving the family's huge old mansion in the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina, to her mom and aunt. The house is so old it has a name: Greenhaven. Nickie's aunt, Crystal, just wants to clean it up and sell it as soon as possible, and Nickie comes along to help. She also has three goals of her own: 1. To convince her aunt not to sell Greenhaven so that she and her mom and dad can live there, out of the dangerous city; 2. To fall madly, passionately in love- not forever, just for now, to see what it's like; 3. To do something helpful for the world. She sees her chance to do #3 when she hears about the Prophet. Several months back, a woman in town had a fiery, frightening vision of the future, and now she's half-delirious in bed, muttering confusing things that a few prominent town members (like Mrs. Beeson) interpret and pass on as God's will to the rest of the people. With the President on television nearly every day warning of an imminent war with the extremist "Phalanx Nations," people are all too willing to believe a vision of fiery doom, and they do whatever Mrs. Beeson tells them to do in the hopes that they can prevent the coming disaster and destruction. Nickie tries to help Mrs. Beeson do good by reporting people who might have evil tendencies, but she soon realizes that it's not as easy as judging appearances and first impressions to decide who's good and who's eeevil. To mix things up, throw in a cute stray dog (good?), a new friend who loves snakes (evil?), a mysterious white-clad "terrorist" wandering the woods, and a secret message hidden in postcards from her father. Nickie reaches all three goals, but not how or when she expected.

This book was disappointing; all the more so because I love the first book, The City of Ember, and the sequel, The People of Sparks. Prophet is presented as the Third Book of Ember, prequel-style, but the connection is pretty slim. The author threw in a lot of wrap-up and tie-in facts in the final chapter, almost like she hit her page quota and resorted to summary. The story quickly gets bogged down in message and metaphor, mostly related to the current state of the post-9/11 world. Not that war, fear, safety vs. freedom, and questions of religion and who really knows God's will aren't perfectly good topics to tackle, but the approach here gets too heavy-handed. It hampered my attempt to enjoy the story and characters apart from The Lesson To Be Learned. I don't like being hampered.

Foundation

Book: Foundation
Author: Isaac Asimov
Audience: High School to Adult
In a Nutshell: they're saving humanity, but they have no idea how

Sometimes I feel like a big slacker of a sci-fi fan, because there are a lot of classic novels I've never read. This was one of them. Here's the deal: Hari Seldon is the galaxy's greatest psychohistorian, meaning he can predict major events and risings and fallings of civilization based on what he knows of history, sociology, and statistics. That's right, math. Don't bother looking up "psychohistory", because the author made it up. Leave it to Asimov to imagine a universe where a math geek will save us all. That's what Seldon set out to do: through his science he sees that the gi-normous and all-powerful Galactic Empire will soon collapse, plunging the human race into 30,000 years of primitive dark ages before we recover. Seldon believes he can reduce that dark time to a mere 1,000 years. How? By setting up the Encyclopedia Foundation on a little planet on the edge of nowheresville, galactically speaking. The job of the Foundation members is to create a massive encyclopedia containing the sum of human knowledge so that it won't be lost in the dark time to come. A nice idea, but will that really eliminate 29,000 years of suffering? No, not really. Turns out old Hari Seldon had a lot more planned than just a 1,000-volume leather-bound set. The tricky part is, Seldon purposely didn't tell anyone else what chain of events would begin after the Foundation was created. So the people of the Foundation planet have no idea what they're really doing, or how it might save humanity.

The premise is very interesting, and I enjoyed the book for a while. But honestly, I got a little impatient toward the end. Like Asimov himself mentions in the foreward, the book is all ideas and talk, talk, talk. Big, exciting things do happen, but they're always "off-camera", so to speak. Only once that I remember was the point of view actually in the action. Maybe I've just been reading too many action-heavy YA books (is that even possible?!), but after a while I wanted to see the action for myself, not just hear someone talk about what just happened, or was still happening, or was about to happen. Anyway, I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I'll check out the rest of the series quite yet.

Howl's Moving Castle: The Movie

Movie: Howl's Moving Castle
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Rating: PG
Audience: Children to Adult
In a Nutshell: like the book, but with an anti-war message instead of a trip to Wales

I was a good girl and read the book first, then rented the movie. Generally I like Miyazaki a lot, and Howl's was no exception. There were definitely changes from the book, he certainly made the story his own, but I like each version for what it is. Diana Wynne Jones's original novel is more light-hearted. One could describe it as a playful romp and not be lying. The movie isn't so much "playful romp" material, although there is plenty of humor. The movie has slightly darker themes, two of them being the big bad pointless war that Howl opposes, and the danger of Howl losing his humanity to the bird creature he can change into. Also, there's no magical door to Wales like there is in the book; there's no connection to our world at all. Besides that, many characters and parts of the story are similar, if adjusted a bit to fit movie format and Miyazaki's style. Billy Crystal as the voice of Calcifer the fire demon is one of the best parts. That's one thing I'll say for Disney, which handles the English language dubbing and theatrical releases of Miyazaki's films: they do an excellent job casting the voice talents. I won't go into any more detail, but I'd say the book and movie are equally great in their own ways.

Bodies from the Bog

Book: Bodies from the Bog
Author: James M. Deem
Audience: Grades 4-8
In a Nutshell: title says it all

I read this one because I was fascinated by Bodies from the Ash and wanted to see more from Deem. Lots of nice big photos of bog mummies and artifacts from Denmark, England, Ireland, and more to be found here. The author tells us about how bog mummies form and what we've learned from them so far about ancient European cultures. Were these people sacrificed, murdered, executed, or just accidentally drowned? Everyone has their opinion. At least, everyone who studies bog bodies does. And if you read this book, maybe you will too. It's visual, it's informative, it's nice and macabre. Thumbs up.

Ithaka

Book: Ithaka
Author: Adele Geras
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: waiting for Odysseus with a few Greek gods, a few hundred nasty houseguests, and one very old dog

This is kind of a sequel, but it stands alone. The first book is called Troy. Now the battle of Troy is over, but Odysseus is still far from home. While he's off having all the adventures it takes to get an "odyssey" named after you, life at home on the island of Ithaka goes on. His faithful wife Penelope and son Telemachus still believe he's alive and coming home, but after 12 years and counting few others share that belief. The story is told mainly through the eyes of Penelope and Klymene, a girl who, along with her twin brother Ikarios, is a servant at the palace and was raised with Telemachus. The arrival of Telemachus's distant cousin, a selfish man magnet named Melantho, throws love complications out in all directions. Then dozens of nasty, rude chieftains and their men arrive to vie for the hand of Penelope and camp out in the courtyard for months, and if Penelope doesn't find a way to stall them things could get ugly. The regular narrative is augmented by two kinds of poetic interludes as Penelope unknowingly weaves on her loom the story of her husband's journey as it happens, and as Odysseus's dog, Argos, dreams and waits for his master to return.

This isn't necessarily my kind of book, but I read it for a review group and actually liked it. It's good historical/mythological fiction written from the other side of Homer's famous Odyssey, the side with the women and children, and the writing kept me engaged. The male-female relationship content gets pretty mature, though not graphic, as both the teen and adult characters are the target of Eros and Aphrodite's influences. It also made me wish I knew The Odyssey better to know how this story ties in. Not enough to actually re-read it, but good job anyway, Ithaka.

The Lathe of Heaven

Book: The Lathe of Heaven
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Audience: High School and Adult
In a Nutshell: one man's dreams become reality- literally

George Orr is afraid to fall asleep. More specifically, he's afraid to dream. Sometimes, the things he dreams come true. Not just in a make-a-wish-and-magically-get-a-puppy kind of way. If he dreamed he had a dog, he wouldn't just wake up and find one on his doorstep. He would wake up to discover he had gotten a dog 2 years ago, and no one in the world would remember the way things used to be- no one except him. The dog thing doesn't happen in the book, but you get the idea.

George is ordered to go to a psychiatrist who specializes in dreaming, a man named Dr. Haber. Naturally, at first Haber thinks George is delusional. The good doc uses hypnosis and a machine called the Augmentor to help George dream something pleasant and hopefully break his fear of dreaming. But being aware of the content of George's dreams gives Haber the ability to remember both realities when things change. Not just that, but having control of what George dreams gives Haber the power to change the world. Like most people, he thinks he has good intentions, that he is trying to create a better world. But nothing turns out quite the way it should, and the dreams reshape history in twisted, only partly positive ways. As Haber gets closer to finding a way to take George's abilities as his own, George must stop him before so much meddling causes the world to fall apart at the seams. Very intriguing sci-fi classic about the interconnection of dream and reality, mind and matter, and the evil that lurks in the heart of man.

It's set in Portland, Oregon, which lends the story that Pacific Northwest geography I love so much. On an interesting geo-historical side note, the book was written in 1971, 9 years before the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Le Guin mentions the beautiful peak of St. Helens several times, but it is Mt. Hood that erupts in the book's dream-altered realities.

If you're wondering where the title comes from (I know I was), each chapter begins with a quote, many drawn from Eastern philosophy, especially Taoist thought. Chapter 3 begins with this quote from Chuang Tse:

Those whom heaven helps we call the sons of heaven. They do not learn this by learning. They do not work it by working. They do not reason it by using reason. To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven.

So now you know. If you're wracking your brain to remember what a lathe is, here's some help:

All clear now, right?

It spins chunks of wood and shapes them into things like table legs and baseball bats. More to the point, it was probably the only power tool in existence before 300 B.C., when Chuang Tse, a.k.a. Zhuangzi, a.k.a. Zhuang Tze, etc., was thinking Taoist thoughts. If he were writing today, would he say, "those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the Black & Decker plunge router of heaven"? Who knows.

Howl's Moving Castle

Book: Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Audience: Grades 5 and up
In a Nutshell: a floating castle, a running scarecrow, a talking fire, a nasty witch, and some magical pink hair dye.

In the fairy tale world, the fair and virtuous maiden who gets the prince and the happy ending is always the youngest in the family. Sophie is well aware of this; as the oldest of three sisters, and a step-sister to boot, she knows that her life will be very unremarkable. It doesn't really bother her that much, and she accepts that her fate is to work hard in her family's hat shop for the rest of her life. But then, against all odds, interesting things start happening to her. The Witch of the Waste puts a powerful curse on Sophie that turns her into an old woman, and Sophie runs off and invites herself into the magical moving castle of the Wizard Howl, which roams the hills around her village. Inside she finds Howl's young apprentice, Michael, a fire demon named Calcifer who lives in the hearth, and a magical door. It opens onto one of three places in the kingdom, and one place in another world: ours. Howl himself is not as evil as his reputation claims; besides, it was a rep he started himself so he'd be a more intimidating wizard. He spends hours in the bathroom in order to look and smell nice, and his favorite pastime is getting girls to fall in love with him, then never seeing them again, but that's a pretty weak definition of evil by fairy tale standards. High school evil, sure, but there are bigger, eviler fish to fry here. Like the Witch of the Waste, who also put a curse on Howl, and it may catch up with him soon. And why is there a very persistent scarecrow following Sophie? She's an oldest daughter: what magic could she possibly have?

Howl's is a fun, energetic tale with lots of interesting characters, twists and turns, cool magic, and a bit of romance. I've been meaning to read it for years, and the anime version by Hayao Miyazaki finally prompted me to do it. I haven't seen the movie yet, but if Netflix comes through, I will tonight. More on that later...

Daring to Draw Near

Book: Daring to Draw Near: People in Prayer
Author: John White
Audience: Adult
In a Nutshell: from bargaining to dancing, famous prayers in the Bible and what they show us about God and ourselves

I've gotten a little backlogged again on updates, so these will be short and sweet. White examines 10 prayers in the Bible, and by "prayer," he doesn't just mean kneeling with eyes closed and hands folded. All sorts of divine-human interactions qualify: Abraham pleading for the people of Sodom, Jacob wrestling with God, Hannah crying out for a child, David dancing before the ark of the covenant, Jesus' last words on the cross, and more.

I found that oodles of the ideas that I read here were stuck in my head for days, and some are even sticking with me permanently. One main point of the book is that prayer is always initiated by God, and we are responding to him. The way he reaches out and the way we respond both vary wildly, but God is always the one to initiate. It's often through a situation in our lives which creates a need or a question that we bring to him. Whatever the further meaning is behind what's happening to or around us, God's foremost desire is that everything draw him and us closer together. It's something to think about. For those who believe in Christ and want to be challenged and inspired in their prayer life, or for those outside the faith interested in learning more about what prayer really means in Christianity, try this book. I know I'll be coming back to it many times in the future.

Magic Lessons

Book: Magic Lessons (Book Two of the Magic or Madness trilogy)
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: magical teen will either go crazy or die young- unless her gooey old ancestor can help

Reason Cansino's mother had the gift of magic, but she disavowed it; now she's in a looney bin. Reason's grandmother has the gift, but at 45 years old she's ancient for a magical one. They usually die before they're 20. Reason only discovered from her grandmother about a week ago that she has the gift as well (see Book One: Magic or Madness, for that story), and that her grandmother's back door in Sydney, Australia, actually leads to New York City (New York City?!). Just two days ago, she and a couple magical friends stopped power-hungry magic guy Jason Blake from sucking the magic out of them and taking it for himself. He's even Reason's grandfather- some grampa. Now the door is acting very strangely, swirling and bending in very un-woodlike ways, and it even spits a weird bitey sluggy thing at them. When Reason gets sucked over into the New York side, she enlists the help of Danny, the hunky older brother of her friend Jay-Tee, to help her figure out what (or who) this creature is that's guarding the door home, and why it smells like family to her. (Her magical perception manifests most strongly as smell- it works in the book a lot better than when I explain it.)

Reason's ultimate goal is to figure out a way to beat the rather limited "go mad/die young" option, in order to save herself, her friends, and maybe her mother. A few interesting twists at the end assure us that there is plenty of story left to wrap up in Book Three, Magic's Child, which according to Amazon.com will be out in March 2007. I like Larbalestier's style, and the Aussie slang is colorful, as always; JL is, indeed, Australian, so it's authentic. Another personal tidbit: she is married to Scott Westerfeld, one of my favorite authors lately. I see a lot of cross-pollination in their books, such as the importance of math and number sequences for certain magical powers. Who knows, maybe they've both dug math forever, and they actually met at an "Authors Who Love the Fibonacci Sequence" mixer. The content here gets a little, shall we say, PG-13 in places, so just be aware that it's aimed more at high-schoolish-aged teens.

The Unusual Suspects

Book: The Unusual Suspects (Book Two of The Sisters Grimm)
Author: Michael Buckley
Audience: Grades 4-6
In a Nutshell: killer spiders, frog-girl monsters, attack rabbits and more when fairy tale offspring run amock

Sabrina and Chloe Grimm are the great-great-great-great-granddaughters of Wilhelm Grimm, of Brothers Grimm fame. Two years after the disappearance of their parents, the sisters Grimm have gone to live with their grandmother, Relda, in her crazy old house in Ferryport Landing. As it turns out, fairy tale creatures are real, they left Europe 200 years ago to escape persecution, and they all live in Ferryport (formerly Fairyport)Landing. A magical barrier keeps them in town, where the Grimm family can keep an eye on them. When there's a mystery involving the Everafters, the Grimms are the detectives to solve it. In this second book in the series, the sisters start school, just in time for the mysterious and gruesome murders of two school staff members. In the midst of the investigation, Sabrina puts up with pranks from Puck (the trickster king), and struggles with pre-pubescent bouts of anger and her growing prejudice against all Everafters. Throw in a rampaging herd (flock? warren? pod?) of rabbits and you've got yourself a story.

This series got off to a good start with Book One, The Fairy Tale Detectives, and I've heard that Book Three is good, but this middle child is a little weak. It wasn't bad, but the message about anger and prejudice gets pretty heavy-handed at the end, and the plot doesn't exactly skip right along. Maybe I've just had my fill of fairy tale twisters for now after The Big Over Easy, but this one didn't grab me.

Generally speaking, the series has got orphans searching for their parents and lots of odd, sometimes macabre goings-on. Sound familiar? It's worth a try for Lemony Snicket fans in search of something to tide them over until The End arrives on Friday the Thirteenth of October (how perfect).

Children of the Great Depression

Book: Children of the Great Depression
Author: Russell Freedman
Audience: Grades 6-10
In a Nutshell: title says it all

Changes, hardships, and daily life during the Great Depression come into sharp focus through the eyes of the children it affected in another well-written, expertly-researched offering from Russell Freedman. From lack of food and clothing to 12-year-olds and younger needing to leave school to work in factories, mines and fields, from sharecroppers to boxcar kids on the move, from the Dustbowl to the Lone Ranger, the book discusses what conditions were like during the Depression for children in different parts of the country with different economic backgrounds and different races. It also covers the sorts of things kids did for fun, from an afternoon at the pictures if they had a dime, to playing with homemade toys or listening to the radio.
The rich selection of photographs comes from the archives of FDR's Farm Security Administration, which produced over a quarter of a million pictures from all areas of the country between 1935 and 1943. Freedman always does good work, and this is no exception. If you want really well-researched and readable non-fiction alongside the best photos and other historical tidbits available, he's your man.

The Big Over Easy

Book: The Big Over Easy
Author: Jasper Fforde
Audience: Adult
In an Eggshell: Humpty Dumpty had a great fall- and it was no accident

Two days after meeting the author, I finished the book (slightly behind schedule). It was a fun read, although I have to say it wasn't as good as the Thursday Next series. However, it was actually the first book he wrote, so it's a good sign that his later writings have improved.

Like I mentioned in the Fforde entry below, in this book Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and Detective Sergeant Mary Mary (as in "quite contrary") investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty. Jack's work has long been hampered by the state of modern crime-solving. The readability of an investigation once it is published in Amazing Crime Stories has become more important than finding the truth. Twists, turns, not too many cliches, and a detective with unique and interesting foibles will all help a case get recognition, funding, and a fair trial. It doesn't hurt to be part of the powerful and selective Guild of Detectives, either, which Jack is not, but the pompous but popular Friedland Chymes is. All sorts of fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters are mixed into an otherwise normal portrayal of Reading (rhymes with wedding), a town west of London. Normal, except for the anthropomorphized pigs. And a revered but never explained artifact called the Sacred Gonga. And the presence of really boring aliens who love paperwork and Fawlty Towers. So maybe normal is the wrong word. But like with the Thursday Next series, the combination of the mundane, the fantastic, and the just plain batty is good for all sorts of chuckles, and the occasional guffaw. Don't look for tight plotting or edge-of-your-seat suspense; just laugh when it's funny. If you don't think it's funny, you should put it down.

Puns, plays on words, and plays on well-known characters and stories abound, and they're much more over-the-top than in Thursday Next. Mr. Fforde shared an interesting tidbit of his writing process relating to all the story references. He wrote The Big Over Easy first, followed by The Fourth Bear. At this point, he had used up most of the fairy tales and nursery rhymes he knew, so he moved on to literary characters in his next book. Knowing that this one could very well end up on the unpublished shelf with the first two freed him up to write whatever he wanted, however silly or outlandish it was. And thus The Eyre Affair was born. See what nice trivia you can pick up at author appearances? Great for impressing your friends and co-workers. As long as they're big bookworms like you.

Bodies from the Ash

Book: Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii
Author: James M. Deem
Audience: Grades 4-6
In a Nutshell: bodies from thin air do tell tales

In this book about the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the focus is on the bodies. Which is interesting, because technically, there are no bodies. After a basic summary of the day of the eruption, Deem outlines a few excavations of buried Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum over the years; some were undertaken for noble archaeological reasons, others simply to grab stuff. The focus, however, is on those who died. The speed and intensity of the pyroclastic flow (one of my favorite terms- look it up) instantly killed and buried thousands of people, leaving empty, body-shaped pockets (Antibodies? Unbodies?) after the bodies disintegrated to nothing but bones. My dance and movement-trained sister might call it negative space. The plaster casts made of the non-body holes in hardened ash reveal the last moments of the people (and dogs) of Pompeii in disturbing detail. A combination of historical records, archaeological evidence, vulcanology (no, not Spock), and educated guessing allows scientists to piece together theories of who these people were and what their final moments might have been like. I've been fascinated with Pompeii ever since it was the cover story in an issue of National Geographic World when I was a kid. Natural disaster, mystery, and gruesome evidence: non-fiction doesn't get much better than that.

Ffun with Fforde

I'm going to branch out and talk about an adult author today. Crazy, I know! Of course, his recent books are about nursery rhymes and fairy tales, but give me a break. I can't go cold turkey off the young stuff.

I went to see Jasper Fforde speak at a local Barnes & Noble a few nights ago. He's the author of the Thursday Next books (The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, and so on), and most recently the Nursery Crime series. The first Nursery Crime is The Big Over Easy, in which Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and Mary Mary investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty. The second book is The Fourth Bear. Just bought it, haven't read it yet, but the story has something to do with the rights of anthropomorphized bears and the lucrative but illicit ursine porridge trafficking industry, among other things.

Mr. Fforde is a very entertaining speaker as well as a very clever author, and it's well worth the excursion if he's appearing in your area. The Thursday Next books are literary crack for English majors (and lots of others) the same way Harry Potter is for kids (and lots of others). JFf's websites are also nicely done and good for a bit of daft fun, you might say. If you were British. Here's the Nursery Crime Division site, with links to the others. I couldn't decide who to buy his book for, so he signed it like this:

Fantastic.

Most exciting news of the evening: his next book will be the fifth installment of Thursday Next. His publisher shot down Apocalypse Next as a title, but I'm sure he'll think of something equally clever and punny.

I even got an awesome Ginja Assassin postcard w/ signing.

My only disappointment: the new Porridge t-shirt was not available for purchase.

Oh well, that's what the internet is for, I suppose.

The Tenth Power

Book: The Tenth Power (Book Three of the Chanters of Tremaris trilogy)
Author: Kate Constable
Audience: Teen to Adult
In a Nutshell: girl fulfills prophecy by singing the magical songs of all nine Powers- but wait, there's one more?

When we last saw Calwyn in Book Two (The Waterless Sea), she had bittten off more magic than she could chew, it turned around and bit her in the butt, and now she has lost all her powers of chantment. Chantments are songs that work like spells to work magic in the world of Tremaris, and only for those with a gift for it. There are different types of chantments that control the powers of Ice, Winds, Iron, Beasts, Seeming, and more. A chanter is usually only capable of singing one, maybe two types of chantments, but there is a prophecy that tells of a powerful Singer of All Songs who will change the world, one way or the other. A very ambitious- make that megalomaniacal- chanter named Samis would love to put that on his World Dominators Guild resume, but it was looking like the title would go to Calwyn. That is, until she lost it all.

Now Calwyn and friends are trudging their way to her home of Antaris, where the priestesses with the Power of Ice live in seclusion behind a massive ice wall, and boy, is Calwyn cranky. Not that she doesn't have her reasons. She lost all her powers, it should be spring but winter is mysteriously holding out, and her true love, Darrow, is off searching for Samis across the world. When they arrive at Antaris, they discover that not only is a mysterious illness is affecting only chanters, but a mean and nasty priestess has taken leadership and everyone's living in fear. Something is very wrong with the world of Tremaris itself; the chanter's sickness and extra-long winter are only the latest symptoms. Calwyn has an idea how to make things right, so she, Darrow and the rest head off to save the world.

The trilogy overall is an engrossing fantasy tale. I'd call this last book the weakest, but still enjoyable. The narrative occasionally jerks along to get from one major event to another, and all the elements of plot and character didn't culminate into a big three-book finish quite as well as I hoped they would. Still, there's enough grand finale magic and prophecy fulfillment to make the trilogy a satisfying read for fantasy lovers.

I won't give away the Big (though not as big as I'd hoped) Magical Moment at the end, but I will say that it brought to mind a song from a Fred and Ginger movie I just watched this week. The movie is Follow the Fleet, and the song by Irving Berlin starts like this:

There may be trouble ahead
But while there's moonlight and music
And love and romance
Let's face the music and dance

Peeps

Book: Peeps
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Audience: Teen to Adult
In a Nutshell: kiss the wrong person, get a vampire parasite

And now for something completely different: from a cute pink pig to the bloodsucking dangers of unsafe sex. But hey, at least this isn't a sequel!

During his first week in New York, Cal had a one-night stand, and now he's infected with the parasite that causes vampirism. A parasite? Who knew? The parasite's victims are known as parasite-positives, or peeps, to those in the know. Peeps quickly develop a voracious appetite for meat, including human, and grow to hate the things they once loved. That might be as general as sunlight (which doesn't kill them, they just hate it), or as specific as Elvis or potato salad. Cal is a rare variety of peep. He's a carrier, which means he has some of the advantages like increased strength and heightened senses, but without the insanity and desire to eat his neighbors. Under the direction of a secret vamp-tracking organization called the Night Watch, he's managed to track down all the girls he'd slept with (or even just kissed) before he realized what had happened to him, and now he must find his progenitor: Morgan, the mysterious girl who infected him. Her trail leads Cal underground to a world of abandoned tunnels, infected rats, and something dark and ancient awakening deep Underneath.

I've got a weakness for teen vampire novels, and I love everything Scott Westerfeld writes, so this one was kind of a no-brainer for me. Westerfeld does something interesting here: odd-numbered chapters contain the actual story, and even-numbered chapters are about parasites. Not the fictional vamp-asites from the story; just a collection of real parasites and how they survive. Disgustingly fascinating. Some theme or idea usually ties the parasite chapters to the surrounding story. The Peeps approach to the vampire legend gives too much credit to the almighty world-controlling power of biology, IMHO. I believe there's more to life than the carbon we're made of, or simple stimulus-response and survival. But the book is still a great read, and I really enjoyed it. Westerfeld has a great ear for cool that serves to give him a distictive, readable style without him resorting to just an orgy of product name-dropping. (Look, kids! I said "iPod!" Am I hip yet?) In other words, I think his books will still read cool in 10 years.

For a much more succinct teaser, here's an excerpt from Scott Westerfeld's website:
"I came up with the four important features that any vampire novel (of mine) had to include:
natural selection,
sexual attraction,
parasitic infection,
and Elvis memorabilia."

Or if you prefer a more graphic blurb (as in graphic novel), try the Unshelved Book Club's take on Peeps. I love those guys. Imagine a sitcom set in a public library and you've got Unshelved.

Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

Book: Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen
Audience: Grades K-2
In a Nutshell: "Look, look, pig taking a ride! Pig taking a ride!"

This is also the second of a new series, but I'm done apologizing. There, I said it. I've read a lot of sequels this summer, so what?

Just so you know, the posts won't always be coming so fast and furious. I used to keep track of all my reading in a database before I left Washington and my work-related access to Access. I've got a bit of a backlog written in Ye Olde Spirall Notebooke, but I'm almost caught up. Hey, if anyone has suggestions for a good web-based database that I could transfer Access files into, please let me know. I am largely ignorant on the topic but willing to learn.

On to Mercy. Mercy is a pig. She lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson, who love her like their own child. Mercy loooves hot buttered toast. Her first appearance was in Mercy Watson to the Rescue, in which she did, indeed, save the day, despite the fact that she was only looking for hot buttered toast.

Every Saturday after lunch, Mr. Watson and Mercy go driving in Mr. Watson's pink cadillac. Mercy always wants to drive, but she never does- until one afternoon, when Mr. Watson gets distracted by an elderly stowaway in the back seat, and Mercy grabs her chance to take over. A high-speed police chase ensues, ending with a gentle lesson on the importance of seat belts. Thanks to the Watson's over-starched elderly neighbor, Eugenia Lincoln, we also explore the definition of "folly," and also the value of it. But such philosophical ponderings don't get in the way of a fun little easy chapter book with a small number of well-chosen words and lots of colorful pictures.

If you're wondering where the nutshell quote came from, you'll have to read the author's note at the end for the whole story.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything

Book: Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything
Author: Lenore Look
Audience: Grades 2-3
In a Nutshell: spunky second-grader learns to love immigration and swimming lessons

This is a sequel. I'm sorry. I have a problem.

When we last saw our heroine at the end of Ruby Lu, Brave and True, Ruby's cousin, Flying Duck, and had just emigrated with her family from China, and they're staying in Ruby's house. Ruby likes immigration at first: all the excitement, the parties, her role as a local tour guide, and her new playmate. Flying Duck is deaf, so Ruby also gets to learn some Chinese sign language, which is the hit of 20th Avenue South. Like it says at the end of chapter one: "Flying Duck was just perfect. Having a cousin from China who was deaf was as good as having a cousin who had a third eye in the middle of her forehead."

But just like her Samurai Sumo Sidekick toy, the excitement of immigration fades for Ruby. Everyone is speaking Cantonese around the house now, and Ruby, who is practically flunking out of afternoon Chinese School, can barely understand a word. And she's no good at chopsticks, but her mother puts all the forks away so they can "practice." But never fear, everything gets worked out, but not without the help of a few magnets her little brother sticks up his nose. Ruby also handles her fear of swimming, friendship troubles with neighbor Emma, summer school, and a stray dog named Elvis with equal spunk. Elements of Asian culture are nicely integrated into the story without sounding pedantic, and a clever glossary of Chinese and other tricky terms brings up the rear to help young readers. Fans of Junie B. Jones and Ramona should give Ruby Lu a try.

Skybreaker

Book: Skybreaker
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: Indiana Jones at 20,000 ft. with pirates instead of Nazis

Here we have a very worthy follow-up to Airborn, one of the best teen books of 2005. I know, I know, another sequel. Can I help it if authors are writing lots of sequels to my favorite books?

Rather than give you the background on this one myself, I'm sending you to the source. Go check out the official Airborn/Skybreaker website, which is fantastic and well worth a click or two.

Welcome back. So here's my spiel.

At last a student at the Airship Academy, Matt Cruse is on a training assignment when his ship goes too high and spots the Hyperion, a legendary airship thought to have crashed with all its treasures and crew forty years ago. Matt alone knows the last known coordinates, which makes him a target for good and nasty treasure hunters alike- from the ruthless ex-pirate John Rath, to his own friend and first love, Kate DeVries, to the mysterious and beautiful gypsy girl, Nadira. Pirates, gypsies, lost ships, and gold? Who could possibly resist such a combo? Not I. And Oppel does not disappoint. Matt, Kate, and Nadira team up with young captain Hal Slater, whose ship, the Sagarmantha, and crew full of sherpas is one of the few "skybreakers" capable of flying high enough to find the Hyperion.

The Saga makes it to 20,000 ft. and finds the Hyperion with its load of frozen crew members, a collection of rare zoological creatures like a yeti, and a workshop full of inventions. The owner was something of a batty recluse, but a brilliant inventor. But where is the giant pile of gold they expected? Before you think this is adventure is going too smoothly, let's throw in John Rath the ruthless pirate, who doesn't give up easily, and some previously unknown high-altitude creatures that resemble giant flying squid with electrified tentacles. The love quadrilateral between Matt, Kate, Hal and Nadira also keeps Matt's life from getting too simple.

I could not put this book down. Cliched as that may be, it's true, and it's not true very often.

Behind the Curtain

Book: Behind the Curtain (An Echo Falls Mystery)
Author: Peter Abrahams
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: steroids, kidnapping, and Big Business villainy in a small town

Eighth-grader Ingrid Levin-Hill loves Sherlock Holmes, and she shares his talent for noticing small details that lead to solving big mysteries. Ingrid's powers of observation have put her in the middle of another mystery in this sequel to Down the Rabbit Hole. I know, two sequels in a row. This one stands a little more on its own than Infernal Devices, but both the Echo Falls Mysteries are so good you might as well read both, anyway. There are two mysteries afoot this time. On the one hand (or foot), her older brother Ty is the only freshman on the varsity football team, and he seems to be getting strong very quickly lately. Pair that with the sketchy characters he's been hanging out with, and Ingrid has her suspicions. Not a lot of mystery there in the What, but plenty in the Who and How. On the other foot, there's the new, high-powered female VP at the Ferrand Group, the local 500-lb.-gorilla of a company where her dad used to be the only VP. His stress over job security is off the charts, and he's passing the fun on to the rest of the family. Now throw in a very odd invitation to Ingrid from Chloe Ferrand, who never talks to her anymore, but now suddenly wants Ingrid to come swimming at the mansion. Inside pool, of course, daahling. What does Ingrid's grandfather's farm have to do with all this? Who knows, but Chloe brings it up over dinner. To top it all off, Ingrid is kidnapped out of her garage. Why doesn't anyone believe that it happened? Escaping from the locked trunk of a moving car may have gotten her out of a Saturday "Math Fest", but there are much more believable alibis to dream up.

The mysteries are not all that mysterious here, and most readers will guess whodunit, but that doesn't detract from the fun of a good, old-fashioned mystery. The true strength is in the characters, and especially in the dialogue, which is straightforward and short but very funny, sometimes coming across like a deadpan series of one-liners, or an old comedy routine. Topping the list of memorable characters is Ingrid's wonderfully independent and crotchety grandfather. He does things like use dynamite to create a pond and import rare frogs to make his farm a protected habitat in order to foil the Ferrand Group's attempt to buy him out. Exchanges are also particularly funny between Ingrid and Joey Strade, the police chief's son and a potential love interest. All the awkwardness of talking to a friend who's becoming interesting, but in snappy, one-liner form.

Peter Abrahams is better known for his adult mysteries, none of which I've read, but I certainly like the looks of his writing style from what he has to offer for teens. I may have to cross over into the grown-up end of the pool.

Infernal Devices

Book: Infernal Devices (Book Three of the Hungry City Chronicles)
Author: Philip Reeve
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: cities in the far future move around and eat each other

First of all, if you haven't read the first book in this series, called Mortal Engines, go do it. I'll help you get started. Here's the opening sentence: "It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea." Intriguing, eh? In this part sci-fi, part adventure series, it is at least 500 years into the future. Earth experienced something called the 60-Second War, which devastated civilization and the landscape of Earth as we know it. Cities were rebuilt on the principal of "Municipal Darwinism," in which the strong Traction Cities survive by attacking weaker cities, absorbing their raw materials, wealth, and people as their own. I don't mean armies of people go forth and attack each other; I mean the actual cities do. Picture a tiered wedding cake, but with less frosting and more guns, then put it on tracks like a tank. Our heroes are Tom Natsworthy, an idealistic young man from London, and Hester Shaw, a young woman with a nasty scar marring most of her face and an ice-cold vendetta against the man who gave it to her. When they are literally thrown out of London onto the barren Hunting Ground below, they are forced to travel and survive together, and Tom discovers that the heroes of London are not all they're cracked up to be.

An all-out war is brewing between the Traction Cities and the few Static Cities that survive on the ground, and that conflict brings us through to Book Three, Infernal Devices (There's a Book Two in there, Predator's Gold, and it's really good too, but I'll just let you find out for yourself).

WARNING: If you want to read Mortal Engines without any spoilers, stop now. I'm talking about two books later, and there's just no way to avoid giving a few things away.

It's been fifteen years since the events of Predator's Gold. Tom and Hester Natsworthy and their teenage daughter, Wren, live a quiet life in Anchorage-in-Vineland, a former Traction City now in long-term parking in a forgotten corner of the Dead Continent (formerly known as America). Wren is kidnapped by a well-organized group of juvenile delinquents called the Lost Boys after their botched attempt to steal something known as the Tin Book from Anchorage's library. The book (which is actually made of tin) has something to do with Old Tech submarines or weapons, and lots of people are interested in it- including Nimrod Pennyroyal, a wanna-be-explorer and now mayor of the ocean-going pleasure city of Brighton. Stalker Fang wants it too. She was once known as Anna Fang, the aviatrix and hero of the Anti-Tractionist League. After her death she was resurrected as a robotic Stalker with a human brain, though few memories remain of her former life as a human. She leads the militant Green Storm, which has been waging brutal warfare on Traction Cities for 10 years. Tom and Hester travel to the Lost Boys' underwater base of Grimsby looking for Wren, only to discover that something has gone horribly wrong there. They continue on to Brighton, where Wren has been sold as a slave. Meanwhile, surgeon-mechanic Oenone Zero resurrects the Stalker Grike (last seen in Book One) and makes him bodyguard to Stalker Fang for reasons of her own.

Be warned, this one ends with a big fat cliffhanger. the fourth and final book, called A Darkling Plain, has been released only in the UK right now. Overall, I would put Hungry City Chronicles with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials on a short list of series with the most engrossing world-building, best page-turning adventure, and characters that stay with you. (I have my share of reservations about Pullman, but I won't get into that right now, and none of my issues involve questioning his great talent.) HCC is a really fantastic series with both action and great characters enough to really sink your teeth into and chew on for a while. It's one of the only series I not only buy for myself, but buy without reading first. Now that I think about it, maybe I should do a little dealing with Amazon.uk for that last book...