Charlie Bone... Take 8

Finally! The last Charlie Bone book!!! It's been out for a while, but there were so many holds on it at the library that I had to wait until now (particularly because I don't intend to buy it; not the biggest Charlie fan). I have such mixed feelings about this whole series. I felt like it had such potential. The plot does have interesting twists and turns. I think all the references to Welsh and African culture/mythology are very cool. Each book has ended on enough of a cliffhanger that I've felt compelled to read the next. And that's about the end of the positives.

Jenny Nimmo's writing drives me crazy. She's constantly introducing new complications to the plot and half the time she leaves them unresolved. And when she does resolve things, it feels hurried and sudden. She never spends time on what I want to read more about. I've always felt like she was in a hurry to just produce another book. Another point I take issue with is her character development. After 8 books you'd think the main characters would mature or gain some sort of depth... but they don't. They remain the same as they were in the first book. Irritating.

At least there are no more books coming out in this series. :D I know she's planning on writing another based on the same world, but I think I'll skip them.

When You Reach Me

This book just won the Newbery, and for very good reason. It is amazing! I love the plot. It belongs next to other classic children's New York lit, like Harriet the Spy and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Also, if you're a fan of A Wrinkle in Time you will LOVE this book. It's just so fantastic! Some of the other recent Newbery winners (like The Graveyard Book) have been censured for being too scary or inappropriate (personally, I love them as an adult, but I can see objecting to them for certain ages and types of children), but When You Reach Me is just good literature that no one can object to. Go read it!

Ella Enchanted

I love this book. Love, love, love, love it. It is about 500 quintillion times better than the movie of the same name. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, don't hesitate. The movie is deceiving in its mediocrity, because the book is first rate. In fact, it may be my favorite YA novel of all time. It is so clever!!! Ella is cursed with obedience. If someone were to say, "Ella, tie your shoes," or "Ella, cut off your own head," she'd have to do it. It is hilarious, emotional, magical, and ultra fabulously romantic.

Beauty

Another read for my Children's Lit class. Beauty if McKinely's most popular book, and incidentally, my personal favorite McKinley work. Everything about it is gorgeous and perfect. Love the heroine, love the story (retelling of Beauty and the Beast), love the setting, love the pure magic of it all.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

I'm am so glad that I'm taking Children's Lit this semester! I haven't read this book in ages and it was a big favorite when I was a child. After reading it, I desperately wanted to run away and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art too. Good thing it was too far away for me to consider. I don't think my adventures would have gone nearly as well as Claudia and Jamie's. Love this book!

The Black Circle

I mentioned not too long ago that I was now hooked on this series. Let's just say that Book 5 has done nothing to cure my new addiction. Can this series keep getting better with every book? I certainly hope so. This time, Amy and Dan are off to Russia. And aside from saying that they face the most fierce danger they've seen yet and uncover what is likely the most pivotal secret in the series, I can say very little without spoilerizing (Is that a word? I guess it is now :D) you for the first 4 books in the series. Bring on Book 6! In Too Deep... coming out November 3rd.

Spindle's End

Robin McKinley is the queen of fairy-tale retellings (I think I've already said that on this blog...). Spindle's End (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty) is a must read for the fairy-tale enthusiast. Just like Beauty, Spindle's End delivers with its beautifully described world and compelling heroine. No, Rosie is no Disney princess, but maybe that's why I loved her so much. :D Aside from that, Robin McKinley is probably the only author I know who can add so many details to her stories without bogging down the plot. This book is pure magic.

Beyond the Grave

I know I've been lukewarm on 39 Clues books in the past, but they haven't been much to brag about. Until now. I've no doubt that the credit goes to Rick Riordan (who wrote the overall story arc of this series) for the increasingly interesting and suspensful plot twists introduced in this book. I've always loved the mix of history, fiction, mystery, and travel in this series, and now I think I'm hooked. There are 6 more books to go (one being released every three months) and I'm ready, waiting, and excited to read them all.

Gathering Blue and Messenger

After finishing The Giver, I was eager to read these two sequels. I knew going into it that they would be more the "same-world-different-people" kind of sequels, but I was excited anyway; The Giver is so amazing, the sequels had to be good, right? And they were good. But neither of them had anything on The Giver, I thought. They're both very interesting books, very compelling, very disturbing, very symbolic, and very religious - surprisingly. They're not overtly religious, but if you've read Messenger, you can't deny that there are some serious Christian parallels present at the end. I enjoyed reading them. I wonder if I would have liked them better, had The Giver not been so amazing...

Dragon Rider

I think I'm well on my way to becoming a big Cornelia Funke fan. I really enjoyed the Inkheart trilogy, and I really enjoyed Dragon Rider. There are more than enough dragon books out there, but Dragon Rider still manages to be unique, adventurous, and well worth the read.

The characters are very colorful. Although, (and maybe it's just me) Sorrel the brownie did remind me an awful lot of Elinor the bibliophile from Inkheart. Anybody else who's read them both who can give an opinion? Not that I minded too much. It must be hard to be a writer and always have to come up with unique personalities who act and speak differently than all the other ones you've written.

In the same vein of commentary, I did find it a little strange that all of the characters in Dragon Rider should use the phrase, "Oh come off it!" It seems a very British thing to say, and as this was translated from German into English (no doubt by a Brit) I can see how that would happen. Although if it were me, I'd try to make my characters sound more unique. Especially since they come from such different backgrounds: evil dragon who's lived in isolation for thousands of years, good dragon who's lived with a small group of dragons in hiding for years, small man who's been enslaved all his life, dwarves who've never left their mountain, genius professor guy plus wife and daughter who travel constantly, orphan who's wandered alone for most of his life . . . you get the idea.

Anyway, anyway, it's really only that minor complaint that I have. Everything else about this book is fantastic!

The Giver

I haven't read this book in years and years, and since I recently got it at a book sale I figured I might as well. I'd forgotten how much I liked it! Although, since I've done quite a bit of growing up since I last read it, I found it even deeper and full of more controversy than I remembered. For example, being a mother, I found it even more shocking/disturbing/horrifying when Jonas views the video of his father "releasing" the newborn infant (sorry if that's too big of a spoiler for anyone out there who hasn't read it). The Giver is a beautiful and haunting book. I've just discovered that there are two sequels, so I'm excited to read more about the world Lois Lowry's created.

The Last Olympian

Pow!!! Rick Riordan seriously delivers with this final Percy book. I've loved all the others and this book was the perfect end to Percy's story. It has every element that I love in a good story: adventure, suspense, romance, character complexity, imagination . . . you name it. The writing is brilliant!!! I just can't say enough about it. Maybe you think I'm strange because I read a lot of children's and YA literature. Often that's because it's the only clean lit to be found out there. Other times I consider my reading to be research (meaning that I'm scouting out books I can recommend to my kids, particularly for my boys; I know plenty of good books for girls). Good examples of that kind of book are the 39 Clues books, or the Charlie Bone series. Percy is NOT that kind of book. I read Percy totally for myself. And thoroughly enjoy it. It's not even that sad that this is the final book because Rick Riordan has already announced that he's doing another Camp Half-Blood series. Wahoo! And it gets nicely set-up at the end of this book. What a great book. You should read it.

39 Clues...Take 3

This series is settling into a nice groove in my life. They come out frequently, I never spend longer than an afternoon on one, and I kind of enjoy them. I love the travel/adventure parts, but there's nothing truly great about them. I did think Peter Lerangis did a good job of carrying the banner, authorically speaking. I think he's writing one of the other books in the series later on, so that's good. I do not, however, think this series has a prayer of filling the post Harry Potter void like Scholastic was hoping it would. Sorry Scholastic! You're going to have to do better than that!

Fablehaven 4

Phew! Talk about action packed! I barely had time to breathe while reading this book. It was awesome; everything and more that I'd hoped it would be. Before I read the first book in this series I thought they might be kitsch, unoriginal and boring. But they easily stand alone in the fantasy genre. They continue to get better too. I was surprised by how much more depth Brandon Mull was able to add onto characters that I thought I already knew pretty well.

Speaking of characters, this book has memorable moments with all of my favorite characters from Fablehaven (which is a magical preserve): Kendra, Seth and their grandparents; those technology-craving satyrs; the centaurs, who are rather terrifying when they're angry; the demon Graulas; and even the fairy queen makes an appearance. Mixed in with all the regulars, there was a wide range of new and equally lovable (yes, I love the bad guys too - even if I would never want to meet them) new characters: Thronis, the giant king; Raxtus, the super cool dragon (to elaborate would be to spoil it for you); Bubda, the Yahtzee playing hermit troll; and none other than Navarog, the demon dragon prince himself (boo!!! ~ hiss!!!). Add to the equation some sweet magical items, a very tight plot, a brilliantly described dragon sanctuary, a MASSIVE betrayal that I sooo was not expecting, and the suspense of being the second to last book in a series, and you have a very difficult to put down read. I'm not sure when the 5th book comes out, but I'm sure that it's far too long from now.

The Graveyard Book

Allow me to introduce you to the 2008 Newbery Medal winner. Graveyard Book - reader, reader - Graveyard Book. Now that the pleasantries have been observed, let's talk about this fabulous piece of work. Sometimes I worry that I give too much weight to Newbery books. I suppose I'll stop thinking they're all wonderful when I discover one that I dislike. I must say, though, that I think it's far too scary for younger readers (especially ones with overactive imaginations). It's about the adventures of Nobody Owens (Bod for short). Pretty regular kid. Except for the fact that he's raised in a graveyard by a bunch of ghosts. It's so stinkin' original! It's also hilarious and heartwrenching. I wish I could read it again. I need to find another book by Neil Gaiman to read. He's about as talented a plotician (not sure if that's a real word ... ) as ever existed. Bod's adventures were engrossing, but I thought they were kind of unrelated until they all wove together in one massively awesome killer (pun intended - sorry) ending. Put it on your must-read list.

I love Percy

Have you read this series? You should! I love, Love, LOVE them!!! I've always been fascinated by greek mythology, which might explain my obsession with this series. But it's not just for nerds like me. It's for anyone who loves a good plot, impeccable writing, and fabulous adventure. You will never get bored reading these books. They will draw you in from the first page. You won't regret getting sucked into them. Now I just have to be patient until May...

P.S. I got The Demigod Files from the library for fun (it's a collection of three short stories set in Percy's world taking place after The Battle of the Labyrinth). I don't usually go in for those supplemental things (since I get irritated when I feel like people are just trying to make more money off a good thing), but this one is worth it. It's Rick's writing, so it was fabulously well done. Also, I thought one of the stories in particular will play an important role in the final book. Oh, and who wouldn't want the bonus of reading the first chapter of the last book (also included at the end)?

I love Peter

Here's another great series for me to recommend to you. These books are prequels to Barrie's Peter Pan. Originally I wasn't convinced it was something that I'd find interesting, but, pleasantly, I was proved wrong. They are soooo good! The plot is rich and intricate. If you've heard of Dave Barry before then you'll understand why these books are gasping for breath cause you're laughing too hard hilarious at times. It was a little slow in the beginning of the first, but that's the only complaint I have. Learning the background of my favorite characters in Peter Pan was so enjoyable. My kids will love them...in a few years. They get a bit intense (especially the third) and kind of show up the original Peter Pan. What with the evil Lord Ombra, King Zarboff the Third and his man-eating snake, space rockets, and all sorts of other crazy stuff, I'd say Barry and Ridley have about outdone themselves. But not quite. Cause there's one more coming out!

Desper - O

The Tale of Despereaux:

Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread

by Kate DiCamillo

What a wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL book! I just posted two lukewarm (closer to ice cold) reviews and I'm so glad I get to post this one as well. I think this book is pure genius. Perfection in writing. It is so simple, but so powerful at the same time. The narrative voice is delightful. The characters are beautifully developed. The language is lyrical. But the thing that makes this work outstanding is its plot. The only other author that I have seen weave together people, places, times and even objects in such perfect harmony is Charles Dickens. But Despereaux is a children's book. I can't wait to read it to Sarah. I think she'll be ready for it soon. There are some heavier moments in it. Maybe another year or so.

One of the things I loved most about this story is the way characters and human nature are explored. It shows how all people (or even mice and rats) have good and bad, light and dark mixed in them. I think a story where you can feel for and empathize with the "bad" guys is so much more powerful and poignant. We can all relate. We've all had difficult trials. Hopefully we choose to make ourselves into heroes (and heroines) instead of giving into our darker natures.

After reading this book I had to fight the urge to throw my writing notebook into the rubbish. I wish I could create something as beautiful as this book! Nothing I'm working on right now even comes close. Despereaux is an amazing book! (Did I already say that?) It even won the Newbery Medal. Read it.

P.S. Anyone seen the movie?

P.P.S. Anyone else crave soup after reading this?

Charlie Bone... Take 7

Charlie Bone and the Shadow

by Jenny Nimmo

This is the kind of series where you wonder if the author really has a planned out story arc, or if she just intends to keep writing sequels forever, no matter the quality. Not that it was a horrid book. But it's the seventh. And it didn't end. I almost didn't read it. The first five were fine. Some good moments, but nothing outstanding. The sixth totally bombed. But book seven here was better. It seemed to me like the plot had been tightened up considerably. I just wish she'd finish up the series so I wouldn't feel compelled to keep reading them!

A little less J.K., a little more Beedle would have been fine

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

by J.K. Rowling

This is a pointless book. Sorry, that was blunt. But true. It seemed to me that it was J.K. Rowling saying, "Finally! I can write whatever I want and express my personal political opinions and people will buy it because it's Harry Potter and I can make more, more, more money!!! Bwa-ha-ha!" The stories weren't great, and the commentary by "Dumbledore" didn't quite seem to have his voice. I vaguely liked "The Fountain of Fair Fortune", but that about sums up any positive feelings I had about this book. There was even a very slight, ever-so-subtle, practically unnoticeable reference to a certain something which shall not be named (you know...that thing revealed about Dumbledore that had everyone up in arms). *Honestly*