The Newlyweds

    The Newlyweds is an intimate view of a relationship, facing the usual communication issues, not helped by secrets and a cultural divide. I had high hopes for this book but ultimately I felt underwhelmed and disappointed after I finished it.

Description: From Bangladesh, Amina and her doting, complicated parents pin their hopes for their future on the marriage she has arranged with George in Rochester, who she meets on an online dating site geared towards east Asians and their North American suitors. This is a sweet, quiet little story about two people moving across nations to be together and carrying with them the baggage, desires, and secrets of two people moving across the world to be together.

Review: In her latest novel, Freudenberger examines a marriage arranged via the Internet as well as cross-cultural confusion and missed opportunities. Amina and George met on AsianEuro.com and get married. For Amina the marriage to George is an escape from her family's straitened circumstances in Bangladesh and a bright opportunity in the "Eden-like" America. For George, the marriage is way to wade his way out of "games" that women played.
 Arriving in snowy Rochester in 2005 is a culture shock for Amina, but within three years she makes the best of her situation. She gets her green card, is married to George, and is taking college courses when not making espressos at Starbucks. Her focus is changed from making a life for herself to bringing her parents to America. Things seem to be moving at a progressing speed, except for her marriage. Sex and intimacy is awkward, Amina's faith seems to falter and ebb away due to George's reaction, George loses his job, and Amina discovers something that makes her doubt his sincerity. She eventually returns to Bangladesh to bring her parents to the U.S., but a problem with her father's visa keeps Amina there and forces her back into the morass of her extended family's resentments and petty jealousies, all of which she'd hoped to escape in marriage. Add to her troubles an old suitor, Nasir, still thinks there's a chance for a relationship between he and Amina.
  The Newlyweds is a quiet book that takes its time in unfolding the marriage and various relationships surrounding Amina and George. Normally this would be okay since analyzing these relationships would allow the author to explore each character, however, I didn't really find any of the characters to be interesting. I felt a kinship between Amina and myself since we are from similar cultural backgrounds, but she doesn't stray very far from the stereotypical passive Indian Subcontinent woman. Unlike Amina, I had no frame of reference for George. I could not have conjured an image of him in my mind nor did I really feel like I got to know him. For a main character, he is very flat, boring, and relentlessly whiny. The only reason why I kept reading The Newlyweds is to discover the big secret that George is harboring from Amina, but that too seems very anticlimactic.
 Though Freudenberger does well in capturing the off-kilter feelings of a young woman in a country so unlike her birthplace and seems to be well informed of the Bangladeshi culture, there is a real lack of spice and emotion in her story. The cultural differences in the first half of the novel does prompt some enjoyably wry humor, but aside from that there is no warmth from its characters. Freudenberger's tone is detached and cool throughout, even when violent incidents are described, which makes it difficult to emotionally engage with the story. The novel is somewhat too dependent on cultural cliches and remains on the superficial level to entirely satisfy.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and sexual situations. Recommended for older teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes, The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian

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Summer at Forsaken Lake

   Summer is a time of relaxation and for kids a chance to have some adventure. So what happens when you find a mysterious homemade film about a monster, an old letter found hidden in the attic, a mystery involving your dad from the time he spent summers at the lake, and a ghost ship? Well, a recipe for awesome adventure of course!

Description: Nicholas and his twin sisters, Hetty and Haley, spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Nick at Forsaken Lake, where he and their new friend Charlie investigate the truth about an accident involving their families many years before.

Review: Summer at Forsaken Lake is a fun, light summer read. If you are expecting something with a bit more depth and significance you may be disappointed with it.
Nicholas and his younger sisters leave New York City for a summer-long visit at their great-uncle's lakeside home in quaint and quiet town in Ohio. Nicholas doubts his summer would be eventual unlike his father's fond memories of summers spent with Uncle Nick. Before long, though, Nicholas befriends Charlie ( an adorable girl with a wicked curveball ), learns to sail, works to finish a boat that his dad had built, and delves into troubling events dating back to his father's long-ago visits to Forsaken Lake. Though mostly in the background, a thread of mystery surrounding a secret kept for thirty years keeps the reader's attention and ultimately ties the inter-generational story together. I was disappointed in how anticlimactic the secret is after a good build up, but I was reading it with my adult lens. I'm not so sure that I would have mind it if I read this as its targeted audience. The characters are all delightful. Nicholas thrives on meeting the new challenges which help boost his self esteem. I enjoyed his friendship with Charlie which I thought unfolded in a realistic pace. Meanwhile, his twin sisters, Hetty and Haley (who names their kid Hetty, anyway?) provide comic relief, often annoying Nicholas by putting on fake British accents and dropping British phrases picked up while reading a sailing book. I would recommend Summer at Forsaken Lake for readers looking for a light but good summer read and is tired of all the prominent fantasy series that are available.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3-6.

If you like this book try: The Classroom by Robin Mellom, Raider's Ransom by Emily Diamand

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Picture Book Reviews: Night Flight, Pop!, and Pete the Cat

  Last year I picked up pictures books and I've gotten to appreciate them much more than I did as a child. I hope to continue read and review them in the future. If you have any recommendations for me, please list them in the comments and I'll check them out!

Description: An account of Amelia Earhart's dangerous 1932 flight across the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to Ireland, in which she survived bad weather and a malfunctioning airplane. Includes a brief biography of the aviator.

Review: On a May evening in 1932, Amelia Earhart climbed into her single-engine, red Lockheed Vega and flew across the ocean, departing from Newfoundland and landing on a farm in Northern Ireland. Burleigh's suspenseful text and Minor's shifting perspectives work together to pull readers into the drama and action as they experience the anxiety and exhilaration that accompanied this historic flight. Earhart's skill, stamina, and courage are put to the test when a thunderstorm erupts, her altimeter breaks, and icy wings cause the plane to plummet. You could feel yourself become frighten for Amelia and for a brief moment wonder what terror she must have felt being in that plane alone. The third-person narrative is arranged in two-line stanzas of free verse; the language is fresh and evocative, morphing to match Amelia's tenacity. I loved the illustrations in this book which brings the text to life. You can picture yourself flying next to Amelia and have a panoramic view of the sea and sky. I think this book would incite curiosity about flying and all the various requirements that pilots have to go through in order to fly. The book also includes a technical note, bibliography, and inspirational quotes from Earhart's writings. This a great picture book biography that I think both girls and boys would enjoy.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2-4.

If you like this book try: Talkin' About Bessie by Nikki Grimes, Bravest Woman in America by Marissa Moss


Description: Full of fun historical facts, this book is the true story of how bubble gum was invented.

Review: This was a fun nonfiction read. It's got some amusing illustrations, easy text to read, and fun history facts behind the invention of bubble gum. The story also touches briefly on the origin of gum, and the back matter a short biography of Diemer, a fact list about gum, and a bibliography to make this book a more thorough package. I wouldn't necessarily pick this one up from the shelves, but I think with a pitch about candy (always a kid's favorite) it might get its readership. Overall, a pretty entertaining story.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2-4

If you like this book try: Apples by Gail Gibbons


Description: Pete the cat wears his school shoes when visiting the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and more while singing his special song.

Review: The first day of school can cause lots of anxiety for the little ones. Blue cat Pete is here to help make his readers a little less nervous with his proved his ability to roll with the punches when his white sneakers were accidentally stained red. Sporting the red treads for the first day of school, Pete is unflappable. He smoothly goes with the flow throughout the day. School setting is nicely drawn with appealing eye-catching colors. There's humor to be found in the deadpan expressions of Pete and his fellow cats as he sits with friends in the lunchroom, plays at recess, and solves math problems on the board. There is also a free song that you can listen to while you're reading the book that might increase the reader's enjoyment of the story.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades PreK-2

If you like this book try: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel, Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

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Death by Gaslight Wrap Up Reviews

  Today I'm wrapping up my Death by Gaslight reading challenge. This challenge has allowed to discover new a sub-genre of historical mysteries that I haven't ventured before in my reads. Through this challenge I discovered some wonderful series and great authors. Today I have mini-reviews of the second and third book of the highly entertaining Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander as well as Two Crafty Criminals, a middle grade book, by Philip Pullman. 

Description: London's social season is in full swing, and Victorian aristocracy is atwitter over a certain gentleman who claims to be the direct descendant of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Adding to their fascination with all things French, an audacious cat burglar is systematically stealing valuable items that once belonged to the ill--fated queen. But things take a dark turn. The owner of one of the pilfered treasures is found murdered after the theft is reported in the newspapers, and the mysterious thief develops a twisted obsession with Lady Emily Ashton. It takes all of Lady Emily's wit and perseverance to unmask her stalker and ferret out the murderer, while faced with a brewing scandal that threatens both her reputation and her romance with the dashing Colin Hargreaves.

Review:  Blending romance and historical mystery, the Lady Emily series is highly entertaining. Rich, young widow Lady Emily Ashton occasionally has tea with the queen, but she isn't your conventional Victorian lady. She may appear pretty and poised, but her preference for port and cigars, her devotion to both popular novels and classic Greek literature, her involvement in solving the mystery of her husband's death, and not to mention her flirtatious relationship with the debonaire Colin Hargreaves have made her the subject of plenty of gossip. Her forthright opinions stir up trouble and raises eyebrows once again when she becomes curious about the theft of several items once owned by Marie Antoinette and a new "gentleman" on the social scene, who claims to be an heir to the throne of France. Though Lady Emily is far from realistic, I adore her tenacity, wit, and charm. Alexander's witty treatment of the trivial pursuits of the aristocracy made me chuckle in several occasions. The mystery is engaging and had me guessing throughout the entire book. I also absolutely loved the banter and romance between Emily and handsome Colin Hargreaves. Readers looking for a light mystery with a good dose of romance should definitely try this series out.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: The book is relatively clean, however, there are mentions of the philandering Mr. Charles Berry. Recommended to teens and adults who enjoy historical mysteries.

If you like this book try: Fatal Waltz (Lady Emily #3) by Tasha Alexander, Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourne, Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson, Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry


Description: When her friend's husband is wrongfully accused of murder, Lady Emily searches for answers from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid alleys.

Review: Lady Emily Ashton is back in her third episode of romantic suspense set in the Victorian world of mannerly gentlemen, conniving mothers, and scandals behind closed doors. Out of the three books I've read from this series so far, I felt A Fatal Waltz was much stronger. The murder mystery is much more serious as it could lead to the death of two highly important characters, including Lady Emily's love interest. In the last two books, we have seen Lady Emily be very confident in her skills but she is now constantly tested in this book as she meets Colin's past love interest and skillful partner, the worldly Kristiana von Lange. It was nice to see Emily's vulnerabilities shine through as well as travel to Vienna for some excitement. This is a captivating addition to this fun series and I really can't wait to see if Lady Emily and Colin take the next step in their relationship.

Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: The book is relatively clean, however, there are mentions of the aristocrats who have an open marriage. Recommended to teens and adults who enjoy historical mysteries.

If you like this book try: Tears of Pearl (Lady Emily #4) by Tasha Alexander, Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourne, Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson, Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry


Description: Eleven-year-old Benny Kaminsky leads a rag-tag gang of neighborhood children as they use improbable disguises and crazy ruses while investigating such crimes as counterfeiting and stolen silver in 1894 London.

Review: Originally published as two separate stories in Britain, Two Crafty Criminals gives us two stories featuring the New Cut Gang, a group of young mischief-makers, rules the streets of late-19th-century London and solves mysteries. In the first case, "Thunderbolt" Dobney and the rest of the gang investigate a coin counterfeiting resurgence. Things get more serious when Thunderbolt's father is arrested, and it is up to the kids to clear his name and find the real criminal. The second story has them finding the crook who stole the gas-fitter's silver. This case intersects at many points with some of the more impish members' attempts to win a bet by setting up two of their neighbors. These two stories reminded me a lot of the old Scooby Doo cartoons. They are charming, fun, light, and wholesome. The focus is more on plot rather than character development. This would be a good choice for a classroom read-aloud.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.


If you like this book try: Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding, Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger

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Two Ravens, One Crow + Trapped

    I got a nice double dose of the Iron Druid Chronicles thanks to the series's publisher and Netgalley. Both the novella and the fifth book, Trapped, are now published and available. The Iron Druid Chronicles is a great urban fantasy series, especially if you love mythology.

Description (from Goodreads): Six years into the training of his beautiful apprentice, Granuaile, a large crow swoops down and transforms into none other than the Morrigan, a goddess who insists that Atticus come with her at once. He must leave his apprentice behind, along with his Irish wolfhound, Oberon—and he must also leave his sword. The Morrigan has always taken extreme pleasure in pronouncing the Druid’s mortal danger and imminent doom, so the fact that she won’t reveal the purpose of their journey makes him very nervous. Of course, any time the Celtic Chooser of the Slain drops in unannounced, it’s never good. When she does let slip that she’ll be saving his life in the near future, Atticus is left to wonder . . . will he soon be giving his legions of enemies something to crow about?

Review: Most novellas are fan service materials, things readers would love to read but overall don't really add much to the larger story arc. Thankfully, Two Ravens and One Crow moves the story along from book four, Tricked, to book five, Trapped, quite nicely. The novella gives the reader an intimate glimpse on Atticus's feelings toward his apprentice, Granuaile, as well as a closer look at the truly terrifying and captivating Morrigan.
  Atticus and Granuaile's relationship is extremely sweet. Both are clearly attracted to another yet are afraid to take the next step. While Atticus sounds like a man suffering unrequited love, not because he isn't sure of Granuaile's feelings but more of his fear of letting someone in, Granuaile is on the search for someone temporary, which is becoming more and more unfulfilling for both of them.

  The novella also does a good job in showing all the different angles to the Morrigan's personality. Personally, she scares the hell of me but I'm am drawn to her and want to know more about her. Death and dark omens cloak her like clothes, but we also see a lighter side of her that jokes and flits with Atticus. She becomes a bit more human in this novella though she bears ill news of Atticu's pending death. 

  Though reading the novella isn't required in order to enjoy the series, it is a nice bonus story filled with action, humor, and surprising tidbits about our favorite characters.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and violence in the book. There is also crude sexual humor and  sex is implied. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles #5) by Kevin Hearne, The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman,  Child of Fire by Harry Connollly


Description (from Goodreads): After twelve years of secret training, Atticus O’Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he’s still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave. Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge—but he’ll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief, who all seem to have KILL THE DRUID at the top of their to-do lists.

Review: I love the cover for Trapped. It's so nice to see Granuaile take center stage along with Atticus. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite book in the Iron Druid Chronicles so far. I had a very hard time trying to wrap my head of the plot. After twelve grueling years of training and learning, Granuaile is finally ready to become a druid. Atticus, Granuaile and the ever loving and lovable Irish wolfhound Oberon try to find a safe a quiet and place to bind Granuaile to the earth as a new Druid. The ceremony will take three months to complete (it involves extensive tattooing), so it's important to find somewhere they won't be interrupted. Easier said than done as deities bent on vengeance and hatred have caught on to the fact that neither Atticus nor Granualie are dead as they led everyone to believe, which is something a few people would like to swiftly rectify.
   I loved learning about all the intricate details of the the druid ceremony and seeing Granuaile kick some butt. Then suddenly the plot is severely interrupted by new characters and new mythologies. I know some readers have criticized Hearne by being too much of a teacher of mythology than writer, but now I can understand their concern. Hearne is undeniably a lover of mythology of all cultures and I loved learning the different myths and the Norse and Celtic pantheons, but in Trapped I felt like I was forced to sit in a classroom where the teacher droned on and on about these great tales without really experiencing it. I endured the lesson but was impatient to get back to the druid ceremony. Normally I would want to learn more about the new characters that Hearne includes in his books, but in Trapped I had very little interest about the dark elves and other beings.
   I was also very disappointed in seeing the budding relationship that teetered between romantic and partners wrap up so quickly in a matter of paragraphs. While I know that the Iron Druid Chronicles is primarily an urban fantasy where romance takes a back seat, I would have liked a little more excitement and build up. Readers have waited for 12 years in the story to have something happen between Atticus and Granuaile and what we got was very anticlimactic. I'm hoping the next book, Hunted, is much better and reminds me why I love these characters and books.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and violence in the book. There is also crude sexual humor and  sex is implied. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Hunted (Iron Druid Chronicles #6) by Kevin Hearne, The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman,  Child of Fire by Harry Connollly

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There Comes a Prophet

   Imagine a world where the age of discovery has been ruled as a deafening darkness and the very notion of dreaming is looked down upon. In the Temple City people have come to believe that the Vicar's who rule and teach them have the final say. Although some express their discontent in minor ways, most choose to exist under their rule and except their way without question. What happens when you break the chains of your confining society? Can you live a life without crippling fear and progression of any kind? These are the core questions asked in David Litwack's highly readable dystopian fantasy book called There Comes a Prophet.

Description (from Goodreads): Who among us will cast aside a comfortable existence and risk death to follow a dream?  A world kept peaceful for a thousand years by the magic of the ruling vicars. But a threat lurks from a violent past. Wizards from the darkness have hidden their sorcery in a place called the keep and left a trail of clues that have never been solved.
   Nathaniel has grown up longing for more but unwilling to challenge the vicars. Until his friend Thomas is taken for a teaching, the mysterious coming-of-age ritual. Thomas returns but with his dreams ripped away. When Orah is taken next, Nathaniel tries to rescue her and ends up in the prisons of Temple City. There he meets the first keeper of the ancient clues. But when he seeks the keep, what he finds is not magic at all.

Review:  There Comes a Prophet introduces us to a world the potential to become good or evil is constantly hung in the balance. Fear of ruin, danger, and the unknown, is what keeps the citizens of Temple City in line and safe. Some blindly follow the rules ingrained in them by the Vicars, the rulers of the society.   Technology and other similar advancements are forbidden and the very idea of dreaming of a different future other than the status quo is dangerous and unthinkable.
 The plot revolves around three friends, all young adults, coming of age and trying to weave and understand why their society keeps its citizens from reaching their full potential. I thought the main characters were likable and I willingly joined them on their journey filled with riddles to find out the truth about the past, to inspire others from learning from their mistakes, and to regain control of their lives without living in fear. Due to the book's third person narration, however, I was unable to get closer to the characters than I would have liked. I did, however, appreciate that each character's personality stood out on their own and that they weren't clearly defined as good/bad as each had their own personal motive driving their actions. I just wished the author delved a little deeper into the complexity of the world and the character's personality. Although I liked the characters, I didn't think they were memorable. 

  While there is no violence or epic battle scenes in the book, I appreciated reading about a rebellion that was relatively blood-free and peaceful. The book lacked any sense of urgency or danger which made the progress of our main characters a bit unbelievable and unsatisfying. Brief descriptions of psychological torture used by some members of the Temple were alarming, but the tension soon fizzled out once the job was done. I was surprised on how many people knew about what this technique and did nothing about it. I would have liked the adults to stand up against the corrupt, ruling organization rather than enabling it, but that's a common trope featured in many YA dystopian novels.  

    Some readers may be a bit concerned about the religious overtones in the book, but the author doesn't specifically pick one religion. It uses the idea of a religious institution keeping the people under control while reaping the benefits of technology, which is found in many other dystopian reads. It did take me a while to figure out what it meant to be in the 'light' and 'darkness' but it soon clicked after a few chapters. 
  There Comes a Prophet is a solid read and engaging read that held my interest throughout. The book's themes could easily generate lots of interesting discussions had the author allowed the plot and characters to become a bit more darker and complex. I would recommend this book to readers who like the dystopian or fantasy genre, but want a story a bit more hopeful than gritty and realistic.
Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: While there is no physical violence in the book, the children do undergo a form of psychological torture as part of their conditioning. Recommended for strong Grades 5 readers and up.

If you like this book try: City of Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau, Giver by Lois Lowry

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Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vol. 1

  In the fall of 2012, DC Comics/Vertigo announced that they will publish the official graphic novel adaptation of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, starting with The Girl with Dragon Tattoo, which has also been adapted into Swedish and American films. The publishers will adapt each book in the Millennium Trilogy in two hardcover graphic novel volumes. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the graphic novel before it was published, courtesy of DC Comics/Vertigo and Netgalley.

Description (from the book): Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

Review: I'm not a very big fan of the Millennium Trilogy, but I did enjoy the books. I've yet to see the movie not because I'm afraid the movies will ruin my reading experience, but rather I really don't want to subject myself through the grueling and graphic violence featured in the books. I can distance myself enough from reading those scenes but seeing them acted out on screen is a bit too much for me.
  I know several people who tried the series because it was popular and they wanted to know what all the hype was about, but they were unable to finish it due to the long, dense first half of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (and to give you an idea, that long dense first half is about the first 150 pages of a 460 pages book). For these readers, I think the graphic novel will definitely work better for them. The dense subplot filled with Swedish finance corruption is completely stripped away and we are immediately introduced to the mystery that lies in the heart of the book.
  The story and characters have been altered in order to convey emotion and urgency on the page. The plot moves at a steady pace and is separated with two plot lines that weave and will eventually meet in the second novel. One plot line introduces the star of the series, Lisbeth Salander while the other shows how Blomkvist's own troubles and his involvement with the mystery. Major plot points are present and some are explicitly shown such as Lisbeth's boss openly flirting with her and how she is raped and beaten by her 'guardian.'
  I wasn't overly fond of the drawings in this adaptation with the exception of Lisbeth. I found her to be incredibly striking looking. In my head I pictured her more like Noomi Rapace does in the movie. I liked how her physical features allowed her to display her wide emotions raging within her. Just from looking at her eyes you can only imagine all the horrors she has experienced. I wasn't a big of Blomkvist at all in the books and more so in this graphic novel. Unlike Lisbeth, his personality doesn't really come through besides his opinion on an open marriage and his attempt to clear his name from corruption. His depictions are inconsistent from panel to panel and sometimes I had a hard time identifying him with other characters around. There is lots of shading and shadowing in panels that give the book its dark and ominous feel to it.
 Overall, I thought the adaptation was pretty good. It gives readers who are unfamiliar with the story a taste of the series and characters. I'm not sure if I will continue reading the graphic novel series though as I'm a bit over the series all together.
Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There are extremely graphic rape scene that lasts for several panels. There is strong violence and sex scenes. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson or  Into the Woods by Tana French

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Trash

  Sometimes we need a reality check. We need to be put out of our comfort zone to re-evaluate what are the big issues that we really need to concerns ourselves with and which are extremely petty. Trash is one of those books that remind us that there are places and people that are in far worse conditions than us.

Description (from Goodreads): Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorting through trash in a third-world country's dump.

Review: The closest thing that I can compare Trash to is a very, very PG rated Slumdog Millionaire sans romance story. Both stories touch upon extreme poverty along with an engaging mystery at its core. Unfortunately, Trash felt lacking in many ways and instead of being pulled into the story, I became annoyed and could really care less of what happened.
The story was told from the point of view of three boys (along with occasional commentary from other secondary characters) who live and work in trash, namely the city landfill site. They make their living from wading through the rubbish thrown out by the people in the city they live in. The setting of the book is clearly a third world country and after reading the author note, he does mentioned that it is loosely based on the Philippines. Though I found the poverty and the political corruption to be alarming in Trash, I though these themes were repetitive and after a while I felt like it hit me with a sledgehammer. Even characters and their actions are limited and defined by the squalor and the helplessness. As a result, they were flat and unmemorable. It also irked me that characters from the first world were depicted as saviors, most concerned about education, and obliged to help change the world, giving us the impression that those living in the dumps are pleased with their present state.
 The main crux of the story is a mystery based around a bag which is presumably filled with lots of cash, found by the boys one day. The mystery is a plot devise designed to talk about moral questions about poverty, police and statement corruption and the ever growing divide between the world's most rich and the world's most poor. Normally, with engaging characters the plot would be fine. The pacing was okay and the outcome a tad too predicable. 
 Trash is an okay book but it's definitely not a book that I would immediately tell others to read about. The plot nor the characters blew me away. Had it not been on the Caudill reading list for this year, I would not have read it. 

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: Some language and disturbing scenes. Recommended for strong Grade 5 readers and up.

If you like this book try: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Boys without Names by Kashmira Seth or for adult reads try: Q & A by Vikas Swarup., and Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

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Challenged Picture Books: Crow Boy, Dirty Cowboy, and Guess What?

  There is one thing I've learned from doing the banned/challenged reading challenge this year: You can't write a book that will please everyone. There is going to be something about your book, no matter how minuscule or indirect, that will offend someone. Picture books for younger readers are easily targeted for challenges due to their brief text and illustrations as you will see in the following reviews below.

Description: A story of a strange, shy, small boy who is isolated by his differences from other children in a Japanese village school.

Review: Crow Boy is a very simple story and it would work as a great way to introduce the topic of bullying through a multicultural lens. This story centers around a boy that does not fit with the social and cultural norms of his classmates throughout his school career. He continually is bullied and made fun of by his classmates. It is not until the sixth grade when a teacher takes interest in him and creates opportunities for him to show his talents and knowledge. For example, the boy can imitate lots of crows. He is admired for his crow calls and dubbed "Crow Boy". Once his classmates learn about his hard struggles and what the boy does just to go to school, they realize how quick they were to jump to conclusions and by the end of the story, he is incorporated to the group. The story is told with sparse illustrations and what seems to be colored pencil illustrations that allow for shading, multiple color use, and abstraction within each illustration. Each classmate's face along with the main character's face are somewhat blurred and allow for a greater audience for this story, since it is not specifically identified with Japan and Japanese culture. I'm not a fan of the book's illustrations at all and I think they are kind of off putting, however, the powerful story makes up for it.

Rating: 4 stars

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: Challenged by a school board member in the Queens, N.Y. school libraries (1994) because it "denigrates white American culture, 'promotes racial separation, and discourages assimilation."' The rest of the school board voted to retain the book. Source: ALA, Banned Books 1994-1995

Words of Caution: None. The book challenge for this book does not make sense to me at all. I'm almost positive that the challenger has not even bothered opening this book to realize that a) the book's setting is a village in Japan, b) the story is about bullying, and c) the lesson in this book is about embracing differences, not labeling people, and why bullying is bad. There is zero discussion about race and race relations. Furthermore, I think Crow Boy successfully tries to be multicultural in showing that bullying, unfortunately, takes place anywhere. The last time I checked, American culture is not just "white" but a melting pot of lots of other races, ethniticies, etc, and that all men are created equal.

If you like this book try: Umbrella by Taro Yashima, Be Good to Eddie Lee by Virginia Fleming

Description: Telling his faithful dog to make sure nobody touches his clothes but him, a cowboy jumps into a New Mexico river for a bath, not realizing just how much the scrubbing will change his scent.


Review: After finding 32 fleas in his hair and tumbleweeds in his chaps, a freckle-faced cowboy decides that it's time for his annual bath. He mounts his horse, calls for his old dog, and heads for El Rio. There he takes off his clothes and commands his dog to guard his duds and to not anyone take them except him. After frolicking merrily with a bar of soap through G rated illustrations that cover the lower parts of his body, he emerges thoroughly scrubbed and thinks he should also wash his clothes too, but there is a slight problem. The dog does not detect his owner's familiar "wild boar-like smell" and stubbornly refuses to relinquish the garments. A hysterical brawl ensues as owner and pet fight for the clothes that ultimately leaves the man as dirty as when he started, ultimately restoring his usual aroma. Unfortunately, the clothes do not survive the tussle, and the cowboy heads for home in his birthday suit. Told in descriptive language that rolls off the tongue, this story makes the most of a humorous situation. Filled with the dusty reds and sundown bronzes of the New Mexico setting, the paintings have a gritty, sinewy look that matches the earthy tone of the tale. The illustrations does have a Norman Rockwell appeal to them. The illustrations are clever, but my favorite picture is of the hangdog expression on the pooch's face when he realizes his mistake is priceless. Dirty Cowboy is a fun tall tale story that younger readers will enjoy and might even get them to take baths more often.

Rating: 4 stars

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: In April 2012, the Annville-Cleona School Board in Lebanon, PA, voted 8-0 to remove the book from its elementary schools after a student's parents objected to some of the book's illustrations. There is no objection to the story itself but rather the illustrations may lead children to think "that looking at nudity is OK, and therefore pornography is OK.'" Source: LDN News

Words of Caution: As I mentioned, the illustrations are G rated and not all that different from the old cartoons where a person would wear a barrel if their clothes were destroyed. Now I'm pretty sure that all kids know that in order to take a bath or a shower, you have to disrobe. I see to be missing the huge "logical" jump  from this idea to pornography. Can you help me out? Recommended it for Grades K-Grade 2nd reading level.

If you like this book try: Down the Drain by Robert Munsch, Tub Toys by Terry Miller Shannon




Description: Through a series of questions to which the reader must answer yes or no, the personality and occupation of a lady called Daisy O'Grady are revealed.


Review:  Guess What? is an off beat Halloween picture book in the form of a question and answer style. The structure is simple, introduced on the first page with a flat statement: ``Far away from here lives a crazy lady called Daisy O'Grady.'' This is followed by a series of questions that are answered with a resounding ``Yes!'' when the page is turned. Each exchange builds a description of a woman who, it is increasingly obvious, is a witch. The last lines, however, are reassure us that Ms. O'Grady is isn't frightening. The text is paired with illustrations that add to the eerie atmosphere with a photographic surrealism. Framed sharply to face the text, which is in large print, the pictures become increasingly bizarre in their use of detail, commenting on the text as much as extending it. The picture and text are darkly humorous and I think would go over the little one's heads. I know I found some of the pictures to be a bit grotesque for my taste and could have easily scared me as a child. As a result, it's an okay book with a cool format, but definitely not my first choice as a Halloween book.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Reasons why it was banned/challenged: References to witchcraft. Source: MVCC Libraries 

Words of Caution: The book doesn't teach you how to become a witch. It just features a witch, a figure that is quite common in a lot picture books about Halloween. Due to some nightmarish images, I would feel better recommending this title for Grades 2-4

If you like this book try: Are You Awake? by Sophie Blackall, Boy Wonders by Calef Brown

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Secret Letters

  I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes so anything remotely related to 221B Baker Street and I'm instantly interested. This is the reason why I picked Secret Letters by Leah Scheier. Though I did have a few issues with the book, I did enjoy it for the most part.

Description: Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin's ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devastating news: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Her dreams dashed, Dora is left to rely on her wits--and the assistance of an attractive yet enigmatic young detective--to save her cousin's reputation and help rescue a kidnapped heiress along the way.

Review: Secret Letters is a promising debut from Leah Scheier. The plot and characters are an ode to the great English detective, Sherlock Holmes. Though we don't get the opportunity to meet Sherlock in this book, his influence is thoroughly shown throughout the book.
  Dora is a natural born detective. Her deductive skills are much like her supposed famous biological father who she never knew. She is a feisty character who is clearly beyond her time. Strong, smart, and very stubborn, Dora is constantly trying to fight down the gender barriers that confine her and to prove to herself that she is capable of becoming a detective. For the most part, I liked Dora though I can't suspend my disbelief that she is the daughter of Sherlock Holmes mainly because I don't see Holmes becoming a melodramatic person because it defies his logical persona. I am aware, however, that there are other series in which Holmes is married but there is enough character and plot growth to accept this change in his personality. In Secret Letters, we aren't really given much information about Holmes besides his untimely death. Regardless, I thought it was interesting trying to compare Holmes trademark characteristics with Dora. Both can easily see through the surface and their intuitive, deductive skills are certainly what I most like about them both.
  In addition to Dora, I also liked Peter, a former apprentice of Holmes but now working with another freelance detective. He offers Dora the services of his Mentor to help them to find the person that is blackmailing Dora's cousin. Shrouded with a mysterious and tragic past and oozing charm, Peter definitely fits the potential love interest bill. He is attracted to Dora's passion of investigating and can relate to her sense of loss. The dialogue and budding romance between Dora and Peter was nice to read an I thought they had pretty good chemistry.
  Despite the enjoyable characters, I was really disappointed with the lack of a Victorian setting. Though they are descriptions of clothes and mannerisms, I didn't feel as if I was transported back in time. I thought the setting and the time period were not as detailed as I expected them to be. The plot was pretty steady and suspenseful albeit a bit predictable. Overall, Secret Letters is a decent Victorian mysteries but I've read better ones.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: While not depicted, there are discussions of women who are pregnant out of wedlock. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer, The Agency series by Y.S. Lee, Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

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Halloween Picture Books (Part 3 of 3)

  Happy Halloween Everyone! I've been reading a few Halloween themed picture books to get into the spirit.   Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 for books you may want to read next year with your little ones! Today I'll be reviewing Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting, The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin by Margaret Wise Brown, Zen Ghosts by Jon J. Muth, and Night Fright Flight by Laura Kraus Melmed.

Description: A band of trick-or-treaters and a mother cat and her kittens spend a very scary Halloween.

Review: This book is a treat! A suspenseful mystery with enough creepy moments to keep the young kids interested. Two sets of stark green eyes begin Bunting's teasingly scary poem describing a parade of creatures that moves down the path on Halloween night. More mysterious sets of green eyes appear nervously and we get to hear more voices as they view the creepy pedestrians. It turns out the anxious watchers appear to belong to a mother cat and her kittens, who, when the monsters trick-or-treaters in costume are gone, prowl the night for their own brand of fun. Deep, dark nighttime backdrops make the bursts of color in costumes, jack-o'-lanterns, and candle-lit faces especially vibrant. The scenes play out across double spreads that adeptly lead the eye from left to right. This book would make a great read-aloud on Halloween.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K to Grade 2

If you like this book try: Bone Soup by Cambria Evans (best suited for Grades 1-2), The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, The Three Bears' Halloween by Kathy Duval

Description: A little pumpkin dreams of the day when he will be a big, fierce, yellow pumpkin who frightens away the field mice as the scarecrow does.

Review: This book is better suited for younger children who are just beginning to grasp the basic concepts of Halloween. Seasonal changes are discussed as well as baby steps to suspenseful moments are well plotted throughout the story as the simple pumpkin transforms in a spooky one. Older readers, however, will find this book a bit boring and would want their stories with larger doses of fright.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades Preschool to Grades 1.

If you like this book try: The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll, Pumpkin Heads! by Wendell Minor



Description: On Halloween night, Stillwater the giant panda tells Karl, Addy, and Michael a spooky and unusual story. Based on a Zen koan.

Review: I've not heard of the Zen picture book series by this author so I had no idea what to expect in reading this book. While I did get the anticipated ghost story which was unique, I was left scratching my head. I later realized that there is an author's note explaining a Zen koan. A koan is a spiritual riddle. While I would not choose this one as a read-aloud because the ghost story doesn't have much oomph and action to keep readers entertained, I do think this would be a good choice in reading about ghost stories from Eastern culture as well as learning about Zen Buddhism and philosophy. Though filled with gorgeous colors and illustrations, this book may be a bit too cerebral for younger children and would be better appreciated by older readers.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 6 and  up.

If you like this book try: The Three Questions by Jon Muth, Zen Ties by Jon Muth, and Zen Shorts by Jon Muth


Description: On her way to Halloween trick-or-treating, a witch makes room on her broom for a group of fiendish friends.

Review: If you are looking for scary but not too scary for 3-4 year olds, Fright Night Flight is a good choice. The rhyming text is really fun. The full-spread illustrations are rich with color and amusing detail, which will draw their attention while they listen to the story. You could ask them questions about who the witch will pick up next. The classic scary characters such as the vampire and werewolf are drawn in a nonthreatening cartoon style that will not scare young children.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Preschool to Grade 1.

If you like this book try: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler and In the Haunted House by Eve Bunting

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Adult Minireviews: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1), The Abandoned (Graveyard Queen), and Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5)

  In the spirit of the Something Wicked blogging event, I wanted to share with you some adult mini-reviews that about things that go bump in the night and that may be featured during this month. Today I'll be reviewing The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1), The Abandoned (Graveyard Queen), and Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5).

Description (from Goodreads): In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands. As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender—a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.

Review: I thought I'd try this book out after reading some great reviews from fellow bloggers. For the most part, I really did enjoy The Greyfriar, but I did have to find my rhythm in reading the story. There is a large cast of characters that I had trouble at first getting straight as they entered and excited very quickly. The plot had enough action to keep me occupied, but it is the slow burn relationship between the young, fiesty, and strong willed princess, Adele, and the mysterious Greyfriar that caught my attention. Readers looking for strong steampunk elements may be disappointed with this book as it's very lightly featured, but I'm guessing that these elements will become stronger in the next book of the series. By the end of the book, I wanted to know more about the world that the authors created and the characters. I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence, language, and disturbing images. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire #2), Boneshaker by Cherie Priest


Description (from Goodreads): There are rules for dealing with ghosts. Too bad Ree Hutchins doesn't know them. When her favorite patient at a private mental hospital passes away, psychology student Ree Hutchins mourns the elderly woman's death. But more unsettling is her growing suspicion that something unnatural is shadowing her.
   Amateur ghost hunter Hayden Priest believes Ree is being haunted. Even Amelia Gray, known in Charleston as The Graveyard Queen, senses a gathering darkness. Driven by a force she doesn't understand, Ree is compelled to uncover an old secret and put abandoned souls to rest--before she is locked away forever....

Review: The Abandoned is a prequel novella to the Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens. The novella can easily be read independently from the series. While it contains the similar style of her paranormal mysteries, this novella left something more to be desired. While only less than 100 pages, Stevens takes her time to plan out her plot but I couldn't connect with the characters introduced in this novella. I think part of the problem is that I liked Amelia right from the start, but I didn't really think that Ree had enough of a personality to make her a three dimensional character. The plot was decent but I thought the ending and resolution of the ending was just too quick. I would recommend picking up this novella to give you a sense of what things you could expect from the author, but you want to fully immerse in the awesome paranormal mystery storyline you can go straight to reading The Restorer, the first book in the Graveyward Queen series.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, a small sex scene, and disturbing images. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting, Clarity by Kim Harrington, The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens.


Description: Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, must answer a mystifying summons to Egypt from the world's oldest vampire. Meanwhile back in London, beta werewolf Professor Lyall and Biffy find investigating nefarious goings-on. 

Review: Timeless may not be the best book in the Parasol Protectorate series, but I really enjoyed the conclusion of this series. Not high brow or serious by any means, Timeless reminded me why I loved this series. Full of witty and tongue-in cheek British humor, a great setting, and characters that are more like friends you would love to take out to lunch or dinner. While I didn't really care that much for the plot where Alexia was concerned, I was a bit more involved with the murder investigation that Professor Lyall and Biffy unexpectedly find themselves in. There were a few new surprises which I didn't see coming, but the highlight of this book for me is the introduction of Prudence, the little darling toddler who stole the show. While I'm sorry to see Alexia and the gang go, I can't wait to read the spin off series of the same world featuring Prudence as a young adult.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, allusions to sex scenes, and some violence. Recommended for teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences by Philippa Ballantine, The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow, Steam and Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape.

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Picture Book Reviews: Art and Max, Redwoods, and Lousy Stinkin' Grapes

  All of the picture books that I have reviewed today are listed either on the Monarch Book Award list or the Bluestem Book Award list where books are selected by librarians, teachers, and readers themselves. I find these lists useful, particularly when I'm not sure where to start with such a huge selection of picture books. Today I've got a mixture of folktale retelling and a just plain.

Description: A young city boy, riding the subway, finds an abandoned book about redwoods. He finds himself in the very forest described in the book. After finishing the book, he leaves it for someone else to read.

Review: Out of the three picture books that I'm reviewing today, Redwoods surprised me the most. With a lackluster description, I was prepared for a snoozeworthy read and I was pleasantly wrong. Redwoods effortlessly captures a reader's absorbation in a book, where the rest of the world fades into the background. A young city boy riding the subway finds an abandoned book to read. The book happens to be about redwood trees. Soon, he transports himself into a fantastical forest surrounded by redwoods. As he wanders into the forest, he learns exciting details about the trees. The illustrations are wonderful and the little facts sprinkled, not just dumped into long, verbose paragraphs, within the book holds our attention. I actually learned a lot from this book. I would highly recommend it to kids who show an interest in nature or who just want to be awed about learning something new.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 1 and up.

If you like this book try: The Red Book by Barbara Lehman


Description: Retells the fable of a frustrated fox that, after many tries to reach a high bunch of grapes, decides they must be sour anyway.

Review: I guess you're never to young to develop a snarky attitude. Palatini and Moser have taken a dry Aesop fable and gave it a entertaining make-over that delights the eyes and ears of the reader while still retaining the purpose of the story. The proud and clever Fox eyes the grapes hanging from a vine high in a tree and thinks that he can get them easily. He repeatedly chants: "I am sly. Clever. Smart. After all, I am a fox." So, armed with paper and pencil, he draws his master plan filled with complex equations and recruits various animals around the tree to get the grapes. After repeated failed attempts and refusing to hear his recruits advice, the fox loses interests in the grapes and declares them "lousy, rotten, stinkin' grapes." Moser's wonderful watercolor illustrations of the doubting animals executing Fox's convoluted plans are rich in humor. My favorite illustrations involve Bear, especially with him napping in the background. The animals are silhouetted against plenty of white space, with the grapevines and tree dominating each large spread. Many reviewers have commented on the fox's plan being too complex and the story deviating from the story, but I would argue that this retelling of the story would invite active participation from the readers and storyteller. Kids are much more perceptive than we give them credit for and I'm sure they would immediately pick up on Fox's flaws.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades for K and up.

If you like this book try: Clever Beatrice by Margaret Willey, Cowboy and Octopus by Jon Scieszka


Description: Max wants to be an artist like Arthur, but his first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various media, with unexpected consequences.

Review: The story revolves around a rocky friendship between Art and Max.  When we first meet Arthur, he is creating a formal portrait of a stately reptile, one of several reacting to the unfolding drama in the desert. Frenetic Max dashes into the scene; he also wants to paint, but doesn't know where to start. Art suggests Max to start with painting a picture of his friend, "Well.you could paint me." Max's literal response yields a more colorful Art, but the master's outrage causes his acrylic armor to shatter. His texture falls in fragments, leaving an undercoating of dusty pastels vulnerable to passing breezes. Each of Max's attempts to solve Art's problems leads to unexpected outcomes, someof them humorous and others thought provoking about what one would define as art. 
  I have mixed feelings about Art and Max. I really enjoyed reading the thought provoking exploration of the meaning of art and the creative process, but without some substantial art background or knowledge, the book isn't as nearly entertaining. I know I missed out on a lot of references to several important artists while I did pick up on a few like Jackson Pollock, but that being said I think the book will resonate with some kids who are confused when some mistakes or marvels are judged differently by others. I would like to revisit Art and Max and give it another shot since there is so much to uncover in the book. I think in order to full appreciate this picture book is to closely read it and absorb all the little details.  

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 1 and up.

If you like this book try: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, The pencil by Allen Ahlberg, The dot by Peter Reynolds

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Gilt

  There has been a slew of gossipy historical fiction YA reads. I've seen this wave come and go, but I think with the popularity of Downton Abbey (is it January yet?), there seems to be a more of a demand. Gossipy historical fiction is a guilty pleasure of mine and which is why I picked up the aptly titled Gilt by Katherine Longshore.

Description (from Goodreads): When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

Review: Gilt recounts the short life and times of King Henry VIII's fifth and youngest wife, Catherine Howard, as seen through the eyes of her best friend Kitty. When Cat is selected to be one of Anne of Cleves' ladies-in-waiting, she soon catches the king's eye, and soon to be the next chosen wife of the King. Cat rescues her plain friend Kitty, more as an effort to retain her self confidence and have someone loyal to her in a threatening environment, to attend her in her chambers.
  Although the book tries to give the reader the wide scope of the royal court, only Cat and Kitty are fully realized characters, which is kind of a shame since I really didn't care for either one of them. Cat Howard has always acted as if she was queen. She was the queen bee and the self declared connoisseur of all womanly desires (wink wink nudge nudge). She even liked to call herself the Queen of Misrule in the Duchess of Norfolk's maidens' chamber (a rather tongue in check nickname) to make her status more official. I couldn't find any redeemable qualities in Cat at all. She's usually depicted as a naive young girl who was carried away by her..er...hormones and emotions, but in Gilt she clearly knew what she was doing and enjoyed the rush of excitement in doing something forbidden and trying to see if she couldn't get caught. Anyone with a brain cell would know the path she chose is incredibly stupid and could only lead to death and humiliation.
  We also get a close-up examination of Cat's personality through Kitty's unique position of attending her best friend. Kitty's identity is solely based on her connection to Cat as she has no royal connection ties to the court. She relies on Cat's favoritism in order to push away her self doubts and low self confidence. I liked Kitty best when she clearly admits her own short comings and catches the so-called indestructible Cat's flaws. It is a shame though that most of these little nuggets of truth are buried in mumbles and under the breath.
  It also is through Kitty's eyes that we get a broad scope of the royal court, however, the author seems to focus on the safe, domestic setting of the court rather than the affairs and politics that shaped the Tudor time period. Unfortunately, the time period doesn't really come to life with these broad strokes. The suspense of Cat's plan and what lead to her demise is extremely subdued. I think I had an edge on reading Gilt as I already knew of Catherine Howard's demise and stupidity by watching The Tudors (Jonathan Rhys Meyers plus Henry Cavill equals a win!), but I as a reader reading Gilt, I didn't get that surprise or suspense. As a result, Gilt doesn't have much of a punch as a gossipy historical fiction or romance read as the cover implies (The cover of Gilt does absolutely nothing for me and I wish I wouldn't have to look up the model's nostrils everytime I see it). Readers looking for more juicy details of the Tudor time period are better off looking at some of Phillippa Gregory's books and other readalikes. Do give the book a chance if you're curious about the status of women in the Tudor period.
 
Rating: 3 stars


Words of Caution: Sexual and crude humor, strong sexuality that is regulated off the page. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby, Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, The Other Boylen by Philippa Gregory, The Unfaithful Queen by Carolly Erickson, and Ladies in Waiting by Laura L. Sullivan

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Picture Book Reviews: Circus Ship, Ant and Grasshopper, and Clemente!

  All of the picture books that I have reviewed today are listed on the Monarch Book Award list, a list comprised of picture books that are selected by librarians, teachers, and readers themselves. If you would like to view the Monarch Book Award list, please go here.

Description: When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard.

Review: With vibrant pictures and a rhyming text, Van Dusen brings a story based on true historical events to life. The first half of the book was surprisingly dark as it describes how the ship ran off course when an animal filled steamship en route to Boston is wrecked in a storm. The troupe of circus animals escapes bad treatment and disaster, finding its way to an island off the coast of Maine. The 1800s residents are surprised to find zebras eating their gardens and alligators lounging on woodpiles. Thankfully, the second half is much more optimistic when a tiger saves a toddler from a blazing shed and the animals and the humans work together to avoid the cruel circus owner who is on the hunt to reclaim his animals. It was also fun spotting the hiding animals on a few pages.

Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-1st grade.

If you like this book try: Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson, Sometimes I like to Curl up in A Ball by Vicki Churchill

Description: In this variation of the old tale of the ant who gathers food for winter, and the grasshopper who does not prepare, there is an unexpected ending.

Review: At first I was a bit confused with this retelling of the famous Ant and Grasshopper Aesopp tale. Everything was following the traditional fable with the ant working dutifully and saving up for the cold winter while the carefree and irresponsible grasshopper seemed more at easy planing his fiddle. Suddenly there's a new twist as the Ant feels bad for Grasshopper and offer his assistance. The author is able to add another layer displaying empathy and friendship in this version but I thought it comes across a bit clumsy. Personally, it's the Grasshopper's fault for being stupid and irresponsible so Ant's unnecessary guilt shouldn't be taken advantage of but I do see him taking the higher road.  The watercolor-and-colored-pencil scenes show the two creatures first in their opposite worlds and then standing off. The use of colors also play upon the emotions of the characters. Overall, I thought this one was an okay read but not really remarkable.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-2.

If you like this book try: Three Pebbles and a Song by Eileen Spinelli, Ant and Grasshopper by Graham Percy.

Description: A little boy named Clemente learns about his namesake, the great baseball player Roberto Clemente.

Review: Who says that biographies have to be boring? Perdomo's biographical account of the famous and well loved Puerto Rican baseball pioneer through witty text and illustrations that exude passion. The child narrator, whose father is president of the Roberto Clemente fan club, was named in honor of the great player, and little Clemente can tell you just about everything there is to know about the man, from his childhood to his staggering statistics. More important, the boy's mother reminds him, were Clemente's off-field heroics as a staunch family man, battler of racism, and humanitarian; he tragically died in a plane crash bringing relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Bits of Spanish are gracefully sprinkled into the narrative to give it a culture feel. Clemente! is more than your everyday biography and it might spark a new baseball fan in the little ones. I definitely learned a lot after reading this one.

Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended by Grades K and up.

If you like this book try: The Babe and I by David Adler or Me, Frida by Amy Novesky.

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Mini Childrens Reviews: Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Familiars, and Dark Life

  School registration is currently in full force. Thankfully, I survived the first day.  I've read and finished quite a number of children's books. My reviews of these books are starting to pile up so I thought I would do a few pithy mini-reviews for you. All of these books are found on this year's Illinois School Library Media Association's (ISLMA) Bluestem Reading Award and Rebecca Caudill. For the full list of books nominated by school librarians, teachers, and students, click here for Bluestem Awards and click here for Rebecca Caudill Awards. Today I'll be reviewing The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein, and Dark Life by Kat Falls.

Description (from the Publisher): Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda.

Review:  Tommy and his friends think that Dwight is a weirdo who's always talking about robots or spiders or something. In true Dwight fashion, he shows up at school one day with his latest creation, a little origami Yoda finger puppet. Origami Yoda is not like Dwight at all as it doles out bits of wisdom to Tommy and his friends. The mystery of the book is whether the Yoda is just Dwight talking in a funny voice or if it actually has mystical powers. Told from a collection of stories gathered by Tommy and told by kids who either believe or don't in Origami Yoda. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a quirky, fast paced book that sure to please many Star War fans.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: Mild boy humor, but otherwise relatively clean. Recommended for Grades 3-6.

If you like this book try: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger


Description (from the Publisher): When a scrappy alley cat named Aldwyn passes himself off as a magical animal companion to Jack, a young wizard in training, Aldwyn and his fellow "familiars," a know-it-all blue jay and bumbling tree frog, must save the kingdom after the evil queen of Vastia kidnaps Jack and two other wizards.

Review: The Familiars is a great choice for young readers who may be too young for Harry Potter. Just imagine Harry Potter and other popular fantasy series where the animals or familiars take center stage. The book contains your usual trope of a children's fantasy book. Characters who are trying to prove themselves and gaining self confidence as well as coming together to fit a big evil.  The consistently suspenseful narrative moves quickly and is full of twists and turns. The great combination of action and humor will keep readers' attention. For me, I don't really take an interest in animal driven stories, but I do several kids who would eagerly line up and read this one.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3 to 7.

If you like this book try: Secrets of the Crown (Familiars #2) by Adam Jay Epstein, Warriors series by Erin Hunter


Description (from the Publisher): When fifteen-year-old Ty, who has always lived on the ocean floor, joins Topside girl Gemma in the frontier's underworld to seek and stop outlaws who threaten his home, they learn that the government may pose an even greater threat.

Review: Dark Life is essentially your typical western that takes place in the ocean. Sixteen-year-old Ty is the first child born to the pioneers who live in the depths of the ocean. He has little to no patience for topsiders (aka land dwellers) until he meets feisty Gemma, who immediately enlists his help to locate her missing older brother. The heroes and villains are fairly easy to detect and the plot was too predictable for me, but those who are interested in marine life and what would it be like living under the sea would find this book worthwhile.

Words of Caution: PG violence otherwise pretty clean. Recommended for strong Grade 5 readers and up.  

If you like this book try: Riptide by Kat Falls, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi, Stuck on Earth by David Klass

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Adult Minireviews: We Are All Equally Far From Love and

  I'm trying to experiment with different genres for my Middle Eastern Reading Challenge. I started out quite strong in children's literature. There is not much out there in the YA realm and the adult fiction/nonfiction realm can be tricky especially when it comes to politics and searching for a balanced book. I took a chance with two contemporary women writers from the Middle East, one from Palestine and the other from Egypt, who both focus on women's roles in their respective countries. I did like one of a little better than the other, but I still think I could do better than both of them.

Description (from Goodreads): A young woman is instructed by her boss to write a letter to an older man. His reply begins an enigmatic but passionate love affair conducted entirely in letters. Until, that is, his letters stop coming. But did the letters ever reach their intended recipient? Only the teenage Afaf, who works at the local post office, would know. Her duty is to open the mail and inform her collaborator father of the contents—until she finds a mysterious set of love letters, for which she selects another destiny.
  Afaf has lived in shame ever since her mother left her father for another man. And in this novel, her story is followed in turn by another: the story of a woman who leaves her husband for someone else, to whom she declares her love in a letter…The chain of stories that make up this singular novel form a wrenching examination of relationships and their limits—relationships tenuous, oblique, and momentous.

Review: When I started this book I was under the impression that it was a single love story, but I could not have been more wrong. This slim book is made up of dark, bleak, and depressing vignettes. In the course of her work, an increasingly isolated woman writes letters to a man she's never met that go from professional to personal; "I wanted to offer him the essence of my existence," she says. Intimate correspondence also informs "The First Measure," the teenager Afaf, who leaves school to work in the post office for her father, reading, and sometimes altering people's letters (changing "Palestine" to "Israel" among other edits). A married woman falls in love with the physiotherapist she visits for treatment and finds her new feelings overwhelming her conservative life. A woman's devotion to physical fitness fails to ameliorate her increasing horror and disgust with the world around her. A shy man who has failed in his university studies and works in a supermarket looks longingly at a woman on a public bench and thinks of the few women he has known.
  I'm not exactly sure how these vignettes connect. With the exception of Afaf and her family, we aren't given any names to any of the other characters. I was lost in trying to figure out the "he" and "she" were the same people in each story. The writing is poetic and the characterizations were interesting, but the book fails to provoke any thought once I finished it. I actually thought I was better off in reading pieces of the book instead of the whole thing.

Rating: 2 stars


Words of Caution: There are mature themes regarding sexuality, religion, and gender issues. Recommended for adults interested in modern Middle Eastern literature.

If you like this book try: The Consequences of Love by Sulaiman Addonia, The Translator by Leila Aboulela


Description: Bodour, a distinguished literary critic and university professor, carries with her a dark secret. As a young university student, she fell in love with a political activist and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo. Zeina grows up to become one of Egypt's most beloved entertainers, despite being deprived of a name and a home. In contrast, Bodour remains trapped in a loveless marriage, pining for her daughter. In an attempt to find solace she turns to literature, writing a fictionalised account of her life. But then the novel goes missing. Bodour is forced on a journey of self discovery, reliving and reshaping her past and her future. Will Bodour ever discover who stole the novel? Is there any hope of her being reunited with Zeina?

Review: I had better luck with Zeina than Shibli's book. The books begins with Successful literary critic Boudour is writing a novel about circumstances that made her abandon an infant, Zeina, when she was a young college student. Later, Boudour married and raised another daughter, Mageeda, a successful writer who feels curiosity and jealousy toward Zeina, now a musical phenomenon and her unknown stepsister. As Boudour tries to rewrite her life and recover her stolen novel, she becomes increasely aware of the unequal gender roles and expectations in the Egyptian society.
  I was really invested in the first half of the book. I thought the characters were multi-faceted and I kept waiting for the big secret of Zeina's identity to be revealed. I didn't mind the switch back and forth from past to present as Boudour essentially writes her memoir. It's when the second half of the book turns into a harsh commentary of the Egyptian society where men repeatedly betray women. Actually, I can't even recall a decent male character in the entire book. It's clear that the author is upset about the double standards found in the Egyptian culture, but the author does quote in length (i.e. almost five pages worth) from the Qur'an that illustrate this entrenched nature of this behavior, which I found was a bit excessive. I guess at some point the book shifted from reality to dreamlike qualities, but I really couldn't pinpoint that out to you. 

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: Strong sexual themes throughout the book including attempted rape as well as some strong language. Recommended for adults interested in modern Middle Eastern literature.

If you like this book try: Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea ; translated by Rajaa Alsanea and Marilyn Booth

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Bloodrose (Nightshade #3)

  Thanks for your kind wishes while I was away at vacation. I had a blast and it was much needed, but the re-entry back to the real world can be harsh. I don't know about you but summer is going too fast for me. Before I know it, the chaos of school registration will be here. Yikes!
  I avoided reading Bloodrose, the last book in the Nightshade series, because it received a polarized fan response. I know major plot spoilers were revealed online, but that just fueled my curiosity. I had to know why so many people were upset. Unlike the first two books, Bloodrose was my least favorite in this series and there were quite a few things that bothered me in the book.

Description (from Goodreads): Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping Ansel safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha, facing unnameable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all. And then there's deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

Review: Reviewers have commented on the middle book syndrome of a series, where virtually nothing really happens in the second book until the last few chapters that connect to the book that we really want, which is (in most cases) the third and final book. Some readers can tolerate a filler book as long as the series ends well (i.e. how the reader wants it to end). Personally, I think the book's best ending is what feels true to the characters and things don't necessarily have to be spelled out. With Bloodrose, however, I felt as if I got a half baked ending.
  Without giving us a moment of a quick recap, Bloodrose immediately starts where Wolfsbane ends and our characters are forced to make decisions. The war between Keeper and Guardians is inevitable where characters will either survive or die. The love triangle fraught with tension must be solved. Fractured packs must now come back and work together for a possible future that will change everyone's lives for better or for worse.
   The draw of Nightshade for me has always been Calla, a female alpha pack leader, who wrestles trying to carve out an identity for herself while fighting expectations of what she is suppose to do as dictated by her werewolf culture. While she is an alpha by title, she is not guaranteed to hold power like her male counterpart, just being female limits her abilities. I've always liked Calla. I admire her tenacity in facing difficult scenarios, her willingness to change how her world views a female alpha, and her endless love and loyalty for her pack. In Bloodrose, I felt like I lost that Calla that I loved and she was replaced by a whiny, wishy-washy girl who placed herself first ahead of her everyone else. This is clearly demonstrated on how Calla approached the love triangle. Calla claims to feel torn, however, it's pretty clear who she has chosen to be with. What I don't understand is how she was willing to string both guys along with heavy make-out and/or bedroom scenes.
  I've been puzzled by the love triangle in the Nightshade series. If you look closely at the love triangle from the point of view of romance, it falls apart and there really isn't one. If you look at the love triangle as a symbol of pre-destiny vs. freewill, and independence vs. dependent in terms of power it becomes a bit more interesting. I'd like to delve in this aspect a bit deeper, but I can't since it involves huge spoilers.
  My biggest disappointment in Bloodrose is not seeing more of Ren's character development. I would have been fine with his destiny if I got to know him on a deeper level. I know he was far from perfect and possibly not a great match for Calla but I wanted to give him a chance. So I was really upset that Ren never rose to his full potential in Bloodrose. While he does accomplish large goals, he also loses so much in the book while Shay seems to gain everything and everything came so easy to him. Things were definitely unbalanced.
  Bloodrose is a bittersweet ending in more ways than one. I was taken aback on how many people do not survive in this book. Some of the deaths were truly heartbreaking that happened within a few short sentences.There wasn't much of a mourning for these characters, which is surprising considering who died.  I was not thrilled about any of the deaths and I did have to close the book to get over my grumblings before I could pick it up again.
  Cremer is a talented storyteller and I did find it hard to put the book down because there were plenty of actions scenes and great moments in the book, but I'm not happy with some of the concluding threads in the book. I can understand where the characters and author are coming from, but I felt many of them were a bit too rushed and/or abrupt to make any lasting impression. So I guess the big question is whether or not to read Bloodrose. Honestly? I don't know what to tell you. I really don't. The only advice I can give you is this: be prepared for the book to possibly not end the way you would like it. If you're okay with that and like these characters enough to get some closure, then read it. If not, then skip it. It's been a few months since I read Bloodrose and I still feel ambivalent about it.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence, some language, heavy make-out scenes, and allusion to sex.

If you like this book try: Dark Divine series by Bree Despain, Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Barnes, Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

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