March 2005 Reads

Love Or Money

author: Sang-Eun Lee/Translated by Avra Douglas

audience: 5th and up


This is classic silly romantic Manga. My FIRST ever Korean Manga -- although it is published by Tokyopop. The only problem is that it is Volume ONE of a proposed series and I really really want to know what happens next. 15-year-old Loan Shark Girl meets 15-year-old poor, righteous boy, who's destined to MARRY her and also another 15-year-old boy of pure greed... and they are ALL gorgeous... hmm.. most of the time, you can't tell who's who... (as in so many Mangas...) The dead grandma getting drunk and getting reprimanded by St. Peter in Heaven is hilarious! Anyhooo... enjoyed reading this one tremendously.

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Prom

author: Laurie Halse Anderson

audience: 7th and up


Anderson's ability to capture teen speeches, thoughts, and genuine, unflinching and unappologetic emotions is truly incredible! I definitely enjoy this light comidic treatment of a "NORMAL" High School Senior (as defined by the heroine of the story -- meaning, probably not going to college, probably getting tied down by an early motherhood, and probably will not get anywhere in life...) girl's life. Especially wonderful is how lovingly dysfunctional her parents are. They are just, like her, "normal" people, trying their best, although not always most intelligent, to care for their family. Witty and down-to-earth, this will be another hit with the tweens and early teens.

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February 2005 Reads

A Stir of Bones

author: Nina Kiriki Hoffman

audience: 5th and up


This book is just creepy enough, just romantic enough, just complex and simple enough, for pre-teen and early teens. I LOVE the descriptions of the consciousness of the HOUSE and Susan's relationships with the House, her friends, and Nathan, the ghost boy. When Susan leaves her shell (body) behind and travels in a magical new exterior, the imagery is so vivid that even a non-visual/graphic reader like me can visualize the pictures. It is also interesting that there is no real "pay off" of the sub-plot of the father situation -- that Susan's father is not quite "punished" at the end. (I would have LOVED to see that...) It makes the story more real. This was a Bram Stoker horror fiction for young reader nominee. It lost to the 5th Harry Potter... hmm.... I disagree.

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Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods

author: Suzanne Collins

audience: 4-7


No cover arts to post yet.

After a somewhat slow and not exciting beginning (um... for at least 1/3 of the book,) the book got really fast-paced and interesting. The "turn" of the events was suprising, and as the two books before in this series, no easy solutions were offered. I liked the somewhat cliff-hanging ending, too. Weaker than the first two, plot-wise, but definitely will keep me reading the last two titles.

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To Be A Slave

author: Julius Lester

audience: 7th and up


This Newbery Honor, 1968 book was done superbly. Lester's collecting, re-working, and threading of the slave narratives is careful and powerful. It kept me reading into dark nights, giving up sleep. The only troublesome selection, in my view, was the last entry -- in which a former slave claims that there will NEVER be equality between the two races. No explanation or mentioning of any social progress accompanying this entry. Of course, at the time, Lester probably felt that was the case; he might still feel this way, even now, given the condition of this country and its people. It's just that, it is such a downer ending and a child reader should have the opportunity to discuss this ending, and putting in the context of the last 30 odd years.

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January 2005 Reads

Kira Kira

author: Cynthia Kadohata

audience: 6th and up


This is 2005 Newbery Winner -- I did not read it prior to the announcement of the award, so read it with a mind-set of finding worthiness of this winning title, so I was probably more critical than usual. Still, I could not really figure out why it was an award winning book. There are incidents in the book that show sloppy writing/editing: after stating that a "couple" of years past without much going on, the next "going on" happens 4 and a half years later. A couple never equals 4.5. The narrator's voice also shifts from the young and naive tone and old and sophisticated tone constantly. Unlike the masterful handling in Spinelli's "Milk Weed" in which the narrator also goes in and out of "understanding" of his situation, both as a character IN THE MOMENT, and as a narrator REMEMBERING those moments, Kira Kira's narrator shifts tones without showing such "designed" inconsistancy. Instead, it is jarring. Someone says that this reads more like a memoir, and I agree -- there is little plot structure. However, even as a memoir, there should be consideration of momentum. The meandering nature of side-stories and family narratives may make it a less appealing read for young readers. I do think that readers who love SAD STORIES will really like this really DEPRESSINGLY SAD story... it does have a somewhat hopeful ending....

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Godless

author: Peter Hautman

audience: 7th and up


I can't believe this book won the National Book Award for Young Readers this year... On the prose level, it is nothing outstanding; on the philosophical level, it does not leave the readers deeper understanding of religions or the teens who are struggling with their beliefs; on the plot level, it is a shapeless mess with a sloppy ending. I admit that it did keep my interest up because the premise is an interesting one and I do enjoy reading the "Genesis" of the religion of the Water Towers. However, there is such detachment from all the characters (the ones that SHOULD be sympathetic are not really so) and there is NO character growth or development at all. I am shaking my head in disbelief, again, that the NBA's judges would have chosen this piece of work as the BEST book of the year... so weird...

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Peter and the Starcatchers

author: Dave Barry and Ridley Peterson

audience: 4-6


I enjoyed the inventiveness of this story and the fast pacing, for the first 4/5 of the book. The last 1/5 got quite tedious with very short chapters, switching perspectives, and not that much happening for quite a few chapters... all with one goal in mind: covering as much Neverland Cast as possible and spiraling toward the conclusion that allows the "beginning" of Peter Pan and the Never Land... Unfortunately, this Peter is in no form or shape resembling the TRUE Peter Pan. He, (the one here) is simply too nice, too noble, and too friendly. There is no trace of the devious and a-moralistic nature that makes Peter Pan (the real one) so charming and unusual. This should still be a fun read for many children.

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Brilliance of the Moon

author: Lian Hearn

audience: 7th and up


Although this 3rd installment in the Otori tales is no where near the quality, intensity, and beauty of the first one, I still enjoyed reading the conclusion of the story. The battle/war scenes, the pirates, and the suffering of Kaede all have huge impact on this reader. It drew me into a world to lose myself and I did willingly. I did not want to leave that make-believe land and time. (But, I don't need another volume, unless it possesses the same sparkling prose as the first one...)

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Early 2004 Reads

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Meet the Austins

(4-6): L'Engle Madeleine

What a gentle, charming, old-fashioned fiction from the "olden days." (1960.) The strong bond of the family is remarkable and yet very common place. This story reminds the readers to appreciate the every day life and to see the extraordinary and often humorous sparkles of ordinary events. A lovely read.

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Angels and Demons

(7-adult): Brown, Dan
I enjoyed the plot for the most part. The characters are really flat and there are a couple of holes towards the end of the story. This definitely does not qualify as an outstanding work of literature but it sure kept me reading. The ambigrams and the art history references are definitely the strength. The romance is not.

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Starting with Alice

(3-5): Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
This first prequel to Naylor's popular Alice series works. Alice is her smart but lack of confidence self -- quite precocious for a beginning 3rd grader, borderlining unbelievable at points, though.

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The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

(5-8): Konigsburg, E.L.
Konigsburg's much-anticipated new novel is as smart, soul-touching, and quirky as many of her other titles. However, I did not fall in love with this story as much as I had hoped for -- I wanted another Silent to the Bone -- an excellent title with a strong appeal to young readers; instead, I got a Father's Arcane Daughter -- an excellent book that might not have a strong following of young readership. Of course, with the Summer Camp scenes, some children might find it appealing.

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Pop Princess

(6-8): Cohn, Rachel
Definitely not as smart, touching, and tender as Gingerbread. It was nonetheless and entertaining read.

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The Wee Free Men

(6-8): Pratchett, Terry
I enjoyed Pratchett's brand of humor in this Discworld novel. It reminds me quite a bit of Coraline by Gaiman -- the whole Dream World being sketchy and not solid to withstand close scrutiny scenario and the entering into this created world to rescue a family member and also to gain self-understanding and self-reliance. It just got to be a bit tedious at the end.

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Vote for Larry

(6-9): Tashjian, Janet.
This sequel to Gospel According to Larry is definitely inferior to the original -- very heavy-handed, message-ladened, and the Mystery part is trite. I can see young readers enjoy it, though.

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Doing It!

(9-12): Burgess, Melvin
After the first shocking effects wear off, the story loses my interest quickly. The characters do not seem real to me and although there are moments of extreme humor, the moralistic overtone makes it an unsatisfying read.

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East

(5-7): Pattou, Edith
This retelling of the Norse fairy story of East of the Sun, West of the Moon is so much fun to read -- but did drag a little in the middle, when Rose is journeying north and crossing the sea, too many side characters who mean very little to the readers and too much description without moving the plot along. Both Rose's World and the Troll Kingdom are well realized and the multiple voices are distinct and work nicely in presenting the whole story.

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An American Plague

(6-8): Murphy, Jim
I could not understand why this book received so much acclaim! It was nominated for National Book Award's Young Readers category; it won the Sibert Award, and a Newbery Honor.... and yet, it is SO dry, SO unruly, and SO boring. Reading it, I did not sense the urgency or the horror of the plague. And I was so ready to be swept away....

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Lyra's Oxford

(5-8): Pullman, Philip
Of course I had to read this book -- taking place 2 years after the conclusion of His Dark Materials trilogy, this short tale relates an incident about a witch in Lyra's Oxford. I loved pouring over the inserted map and all the merchandizes advertised on the back of it. A gem.

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Stravaganza: The City of Masks

(4-7): Hoffman, Mary
This wonderfully inventive time/space/dimensional travel fantasy/science-fiction blend delivers an intense mystery. I can't wait to read the sequel -- The City of Stars.

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (8-12): Haddon, Mark
The protagonist is definitely a unique creation. I enjoyed many of his insights, reasonings, and limitations. At moments, I found his character is a little inconsistent with what he CLAIMS he is -- but, other people have convinced me that that is how an autistic person might function. A wildly popular book with both adults and young people, I see this award winning novel enjoy a long shelf life.

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Abhorsen

(6-9): Nix, Garth
The conclusion of the trilogy that started with Sabriel is powerful, exciting, but at the same time a little disappointing -- too short! I'd like to read MORE about what hapstar next in the Old Kingdom and the land of the dead...

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The River Between Us

(6-8): Peck, Richard
I put it down at first reading, but decided to go back and re-read it. When I read the entire story, it worked much better. The characters definitely become alive, the horror of the Civil War war front and the sorrow of the Home Front can both be "seen" and "felt" vividly, and the final revelation of the relationships between the two narrators definitely concludes the story powerfully. I think this is a book that I will go back to re-read and savor more.

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Milkweed

(5-8): Spinelli, Jerry
The dual voices of the narrator whose identity changes several times in this story set in the Warsaw Ghetto works so incredibly well -- he is both an innocent 8-year-old (we guess) and an old man in America who wisely recalls his time in great perils. Finely crafted, with a cast of genuine characters, this novel definitely speaks to me and I imagine many many young readers will find it a powerful, although definitely disturbing and devastating story.

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Olive's Ocean

(5-7): Henkes, Kevin
Contrary to what I expected, this story is really not quite about "death" but about savoring "life" and all its colors and lights. Martha is a very sensitive and extremely thoughtful 12-year-old and her relationship with her family rings true. I like the Grandma. But, the scenes with the boy-next-door seem a bit contrived and unconvincing.

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Lirael

(6-9): Nix, Garth
Definitely my favorite of the trilogy! Lirael is such an amazing character, and she is a Librarian, none less. So much of the story hapstar in the coolest Library one can imagine and the Disputable Dog is an absolutely original character. I was completely blown away by this volume.