Review #23: The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Title: Avi. The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle. HarperCollins. 1990. 229 pages. Pb. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-380-72885-5
Genre: Fiction/Adventure/Historical Fiction
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.3/ Grades 5-8
Awards: Newbery Honor Medal 1991
Similar Titles: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

 

As the daughter of a wealthy businessman in the year 1832, 13 year old Charlotte Doyle is educated, well behaved and schooled in proper behavior. When her father is summoned from England back the Rhode Island, he decides she must finish the school year at her English boarding school and follow the family thereafter on the great ship, Seahawk. When no sailor or dockhand will go near the ship,and the two families set to sail with her fail to appear on the day before her departure, Charlotte begins to surmise that something is amiss, but given her father’s specific instructions and the determination of his hired man, Charlotte is delivered upon the deck of the ship in the beginning of what is to become a journey that will change her entire world and everything she has come to believe. 

Unwittingly having uncovered a mutiny, Charlotte believes she is behaving dutifully by informing Captain Jaggery, whom she considers the only civilized person aboard. Her revelation, and poor judgment of character, inadvertently causes the death of two men, including the elderly black cook, Zachariah, who has become both a protector and a friend, or so she thinks. In recompense,  and in an attempt to show remorse and gain the trust of the crew, Charlotte requests to become one of their ranks, working tirelessly, constantly in danger, day in and day out, for a grueling and cruel master who wants nothing more than to see her fail, or worse. Little does she know of Captain Jaggery’s master plan, and what awaits her at home, if she ever lives to see the shore again. Forever altered by her experiences, she will have to choose between life and death, and decide which path to follow when  the wind takes her.

In the best tween adventure novel I have read to date, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle reads like a pirate tale and relays the potential hardships and danger of seafaring transatlantic crossings in a fantastic but also realistic,  age appropriate, manner and shows the remarkable determination and adaptability of individuals determined to fight for preservation of spirit, body and what is right. Excellently written from Charlotte’s point of view, the reader easily forgets that the narrator comes from a privileged background after the first few chapters. Indeed, at times you’ll forget that she is a girl at all. Instead, all that will be seen is a determined child on the brink of adulthood, forced to challenge her preconceptions at every turn, forging her own fate and deciding what is right, and what is wrong, not in terms of society, class, or color, but in terms of being a member of the human race.

Review #22: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

Title: Macdonald, Betty. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. HarperTrophy. 1985. 118 pages. Pb. $3.89. ISBN 978-0-06-440148-7
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level/Interest Level: 4.5/ Grades 3-6
Awards: None
Series:

·         Book 1: Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

·         Book 2: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

·         Book3: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm

·         Book 4: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic

·         Book 5: Happy Birthday Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Similar Titles: Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith, Nurse Matilda: The Collected Tales by Christianna Brand (Major Motion Picture Nanny McPhee based on Nurse Matilda), Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a delightfully eccentric widow who lives in an upside down house. Kids love her, initially thinking that they get away with anything they wish and experience the freedom that no other adult will give. Little do the know that Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a cure  for every ill, and that many of their parents will enlist her box of tricks to cure their bad behaviors.

From back-talking, to refusing to bathe or sleep, interrupting, not washing the dishes or putting away your toys, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle will give you a dose of your own medicine, though you may not see her, and always as the consequence of your own actions. Don’t want to take a bath? Well you might find that one day, you’ve become the best human radish garden ever! Don’t want to pick up your toys? You just might find that one day you can’t get out of your room to eat dinner.

Much like a more eccentric and seemingly disorganized Mary Poppins, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle teaches lessons in an indirect manner, often to oblivious and enabling parents and naughty children with hilarious results, though many of us who read these books during our formative years might also tell you the fear we felt while reading, because we knew that we were guilty of the same offenses and were afraid we might suffer the same fate. If ever there were an argument for behavior modification, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle had it, and many stories have been built from her lessons over the last 6 decades. In a twist on stories that give the wicked adults a what-for, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle turns the tables to say, we're not as dumb as you think we are, kid. *wink*

Review #21: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Title: Cleary, Beverly. Ramona Quimby, Age 8. HarperCollins. 2006. 179 pages. Tr. $14.49. ISBN 978-0-688-00477-4
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.3 / Grades 3-6
Awards: Newbery Honor 1982, ALA Notable Children’s Books 1995
Series: Ramona Quimby

·         Book 1: Beezus and Ramona

·         Book 2: Ramona and Her Father

·         Book 3: Ramona and Her Mother

·         Book 4:Ramona Forever

·         Book 5: Ramona Quimby, Age 8

·         Book 6: Ramona’s World

·         Book 7: Ramona the Brave

·         Book 8: Ramona the Pest

Similar Titles: Judy Moody by Megan McDonald, Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

When Ramona gets to ride the bus and go to a new school, she feels like the big kid on campus, until self-doubt creeps in, a struggle all children her age contend with. When a would-be bully steals the special pink eraser her father gives her on the bus, Ramona is at a loss, but once she finds the same boy in her class and retrieves her eraser she starts to think that maybe he’s not so bad and this third grade thing might be a good thing. That is until a series of events leads her to abject humiliation and a misunderstanding that leads her to believe that her new teacher, whom she very much wants to impress, thinks she is a show off and nothing but trouble.

Dejected and having to deal with the annoying Norma Jean after school, Ramona explores all the complexities of being 8 in such a convincing manner that the reader, even if they aren’t 8 years old, will find themselves back when they were. Through sibling squabbles, more drama at school, and the minor struggles of her middle class family as her father goes back to school to become a teacher, Ramona finds her way through to a happy ending with the help of her family and friends, proving that maybe the third grade really won’t be so bad, after all.

I read this book in the first grade, as an advanced reader and remember the transition between picture books to chapter books with few pictures being difficult. However, the compassion and truthful story of Ramona really helped me to get over that hump and learn to stretch my imagination and appreciate what these types of books can do for the storytelling process.  I can remember countless school lunches after that moment, reading Ramona books so vehemently, incredulous that she was going through the exact same situations and feelings that I was, that I often forgot to finish my lunch. Even when I did, I often found myself thinking just how grateful I was that there was no hardboiled egg in my lunch sack, unlike poor Ramona.

Review #20: Bunnicula : A Rabbit Take of Mystery by James and Deborah Howe

Title: Howe, Deborah & Howe, James. Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2006 [orig 1979]. Pb. $5.99. ISBN 978-1416928171

Genre: Fiction/Science Fiction/Suspense
Reading Level/Interest Level: Grade 3 & Up
Awards: None
Series: Bunnicula

·         Book 1: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery

·         Book 2: Holiday Inn

·         Book 3: The Celery Strikes At Midnight

·         Book 4: Nighty-Nightmare Bunnicula Strikes Again!

·         Book 5: Return to Howliday Inn

·         Book 6: Bunnicula Strikes Again!

·         Book 7: Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow

Similar Titles: Bunnicula and Friends series by James Howe, Tales From the House of Bunnicula series by James Howe

With tales of vampires being so popular with the teen crowd, why should it be any different for tweens? Except for perhaps that instead of chasing werewolves and fighting for the heart of the girl, this book is told from the perspective of the family dog, Harold, and the would-be villain is a vegetable juice draining rabbit named Bunnicula.

When a black and white bunny is found at a showing of Dracula by the Monroe family, they jokingly name him Bunnicula and take him home, introducing him to the loyal family dog, Harold and the paranoid household cat, Chester. With terrifying assumptions, mysterious goings on, blanched vegetables on the loose and perhaps more than your average amount of jealousy, Chester attempts to convince Harold that Bunnicula truly is a real vampire, and therefore a threat to the Monroe's and themselves and must be destroyed.

With an older child’s version of suspense, mystery and comedy, Bunnicula is a fun read, an age appropriate journey into vampire myths and a great introduction to series reading. The stories are silly enough to be entertaining and heartwarming and real enough to be relatable and educational, often teaching that jumping to conclusions may not be wise and that despite differences, there is room enough for one more in every family.  You may even find yourself forgetting that you’re being written to by a dog!

While I highly recommend the first three novels, and to some extent the remainder, I would advise against the television series which made no sense in contrast to the books, which kept you guessing, but always stayed true to the story.

Review #19:The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth

Title: Butterworth, Oliver. The Enormous Egg.  Little Brown. 1984. Pb. $4.54. ISBN 978-0-316-11920-7
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.4 / Grades 3-6
Awards: None
Similar Titles: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

When Nate woke up, in his small New Hampshire town, he never expected that collecting the daily eggs would be so eventful. Until he notices the biggest egg he has ever seen.

 

After inspection and research, and events, which seem to take forever, unfold, Nate finds he has inadvertently hatched a modern day triceratops, whom he names Uncle Beasley. With every intent of raising Uncle Beasley himself, Nate soon finds that his house and the small town of Freedom simply isn’t big enough for the two of them.  With the help of Dr. Hans Ziemer, Nate sets out to Washington D.C. to find Uncle Beasley a permanent home and safety from those who would destroy him. In the process, there are troubles and adventure abound, but also a heartwarming story about perseverance and friendship, despite the odds  and the importance of sincerity and speaking from the passion of your heart.

This is a great novel for those advanced readers who love dinosaurs but find the standard fare either too easy or too straight forward. Dinosaur themed fiction for tween readers is few and far between but Butterworth’s novel has stood the test of time and now, generations. I would recommend reading this story aloud with younger children and/or making sure that the reader has a longer attention span and is used to chapter books with few pictures. While my six year old enjoyed the story, it was difficult to keep her engaged initially while the suspense was building in the story, if for no other reason than she had no pictures to keep her attention while the plot was unfolding. I believe, however, that this would be a solid independent read for 10 and up.

Review #18: The Indian In the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

Title: Banks, Lynne Reid. Indian in the Cupboard. Doubleday Books for Young Readers. 1985. Tr. $16.95. ISBN 978-0385170512
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.0/Grades 3-6
Awards: None
Series:The Indian in the Cupboard
·         Book 1: The Indian in the Cupboard
·         Book 2: The Return of the Indian
·         Book 3: The Secret of the Indian
·         Book 4: The Mystery of the Cupboard
·         Book 5: The Key to the Indian
Similar Titles: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Upon receiving an old cabinet from his brother for his birthday, young Omri isn’t quite sure what to do. Then one day, he places his Indian figure in the cupboard, and using his grandmother’s long unused key, finds that turning it just the right way in the lock of the cupboard door turns the tiny Indian, Little Bear, to life, bringing him out of his own time and his Iroquois tribe and into Omri’s room in the present day.

After giving in to peer pressure, once his best friend finds out about Little Bear, Omri is forced to bring to life a new tiny companion that is the beginning to the end of the book, as well as the beginning of Omri’s difficulties with his conscience, wondering if removing these little souls from their worlds is really the right thing to do. When one such tiny character, Boone, the cowboy, is almost killed accidentally,  and Little Bear demands a wife, Omri begins to realize that these are real people and the gravity of the situation is more serious than just plastic figures becoming animated.

Can Omri distance himself enough to let Little Bear go? Can he come to terms with the magic and responsibility of the Indian in the Cupboard to make things right for everyone?

In this emotional and empathetic book, readers learn how to look at the world through to others’ eyes and will come to realize that what they want, might not necessarily be what is best for the situation or the people involved. I highly recommend this book to children as young as 8, but definitely recommend that if you find, like me, that you become attached to the characters brought to life, that you carry a hanky as well.

Review #17: How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

 Title: Rockwell, Thomas. How to Eat Fried Worms.  Yearling. 2006 [Reprint].  128 pages. Pb. $6.99. ISBN 978-0440421856
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level/Interest Level: Grades 4-7
Awards: Mark Twain Award, California Young Reader Medal, Sequoyah Award
Similar Titles: Freckle Juice by Jude Blume,  The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, No Talking by Andrew Clements

Never have you read a book more disgusting, more revolting, more funny or more entertaining as How to Eat Fried Worms.  I have read others say that this 1973 publication should be a children’s classic and I agree.

Long before, Hakuna Matata, and Disney drawing worm slurping lions, in a typical tween scenario involving peer pressure gone horribly wrong, light hearted ribbing between boys and picky eating turns to heated words resulting in the seemingly insurmountable bet being placed that Billy cannot eat 15 worms in 15 days. The rules are simple: cook them, eat them raw, chop them up, or use as many condiments as you can carry, but you must eat 15 whole worms in 15 days or you lose, no matter what. It’s more than $50 at stake but Billy’s reputation and persisting in the face of fear, injustice and revulsion that keeps him going, even if his opponents try to cheat, using every tool and method in their arsenal to force him to lose.  He’ll show Alan and Joe, if it’s that last thing he does!

With an unexpected ally making an appearance at the zero hour, Billy fights his way through, day by agonizing day as the reader squirms in anticipation and the flip-flops in their belly in this entertaining, gross and not to be missed story. Going beyond the gross out factor for reluctant readers, How to Eat Fried Worms, really reaches kids as they experience peer pressure and the unbelievable things it can make you do on a daily basis. Not only will they get a laugh out of Billy’s experiences, but they may cry, scream and fight alongside him and may think twice before the next bet they take on to prove they are the toughest, or the best, kid on the block.

 

Don't forget to look out for your own recipe-a-la-worm in the newer versions too!

Review #16: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Title: Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A.A. Levine Books. 1998. Tr. $21.29. 309 pages. ISBN 978-0-590-35340-3
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.3/ Grades 5-8
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books 1999
Series:

• Book One: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Book Two: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Book Three: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Book Four: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Book Five: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Book Six: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Book Seven: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Similar Titles: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Poor, 10 year old, orphaned Harry Potter is friendless and loveless, abused and enslaved, living in a cupboard under the stairs in the house of his intolerable Aunt and Uncle Dursley, and their spoiled son, Dudley. Left on their doorstep as an infant after the tragic death of his parents, he is forced to work as their slave for room and board while attention, gifts and privileges are lavished upon his brutish cousin. That is, until, the day approaches when Harry receives a letter with a wax seal, the first addressed only to him. Intercepted by his Uncle, Harry is unable to read his letter, no matter how many copies are sent and after a string of odd, almost magical, occurrences, Uncle Dursley relocates the entire family to a remote location he believes no one will be able to find.  That is until midnight on Harry’s 11^th birthday when a large, hairy man on a magic, flying motorcycle, named Hagrid,  arrives to tell Harry that he is a wizard, as were his parents and that he is to attend the most prestigious school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, Hogwarts.

While attending Hogwarts, Harry learns that all the things that made him odd in the muggle world, make him exceptional in the wizard world and that the lightning shaped scar on his forehead has a place an infamous place the history of the wizard world, as well as that of its greatest enemy, the Lord Voldemort, or simply “He Who Shall Not Be Named”.  Armed with new knowledge and new friends, Harry is in for the fight of his life as he meets incredibly characters, discovers his own nemesis, uncovers the secrets of the Sorcerer’s Stone and the key to his past that has put him in harm’s way since the day his parents died protecting him.

This introduction into the Harry Potter series is a quick and delightful read. Filled with magic and naiveté, Harry and his friends truly come alive on the page and make the story relatable to tween readers as well as teens and adults as they find their place, their fight, and the bond of their own friendships. 

The film adaptation of this book is almost word for word. However, as the series progresses, more and more of the content is cut for time and often entire scenes that are pivotal for story movement have been omitted. Don’t do yourself a disservice. Read the books first. Then make up your mind as to whether or not the book is better than the movie or if the books were really what made the movies come alive.

Review #15: Courtney Crumrin and The Night Things by Ted Naifeh

Title: Naifeh, Ted. Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things.  Oni Press. 2012. 175 pages. Tr. $17.04. ISBN 978-1-934964-77-4
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Occult/ Graphic Novel
Reading Level/Interest Level: 3.5/ Grades 5-8
Awards: None
Series: (Trade paperbacks)
·         Volume 1: Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things - ISBN 1-929998-60-0
·         Volume 2: Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics - ISBN 1-929998-59-7
·         Volume 3: Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom - ISBN 1-932664-01-7
·         Volume 4: Courtney Crumrin's Monstrous Holiday ( This is a collected edition of:
         o    Courtney Crumrin and the Fire-Thief's Tale - ISBN 978-1-932664-01-0
    o    Courtney Crumrin & the Prince of Nowhere - ISBN 978-1-932664-86-7)
·         Courtney Crumrin Tales: A Portrait of the Warlock as a Young Man - ISBN 1-932664-32-7
·         Courtney Crumrin Tales Volume 2: The League of Ordinary Gentlemen - ISBN 978-1-934964-68-2

Similar Titles: Polly and the Pirates, by Ted Naifeh, The Mostly True Story of Jack by Barnhill

Smart and dark natured, middle schooler Courtney Crumrin always felt out of place with her oblivious, yuppie parents. Concerned with their lack of available credit, they convince themselves that their wealthy, elderly Uncle Aloysius will need looking after, as the settle into his estate and begin attempting to make connections with the upper crust of society with no notice given to Courtney, unless it is a chastisement on how her behavior reflects upon their social climbing, even if she’s just trying to protect herself from the affluent bullies at school.

 Now lonelier than ever, and afraid but curious of her distant relation, Courtney begins to investigate the strange goings-on in her new town and in her Uncle’s house. Soon she discovers that there is more to meets the eye and that her greatest ally, her Uncle Aloysius, is the only one who can help her find her place and help her to control the creatures she once though were imaginary, but that her Uncle simply calls “The Night Things.” From changelings to goblins, spells to fairies, Courtney must find their weaknesses and their strengths, as she finds her own strength to do what is right in the face of what is easy.

 
Personal note: I am a huge fan of fantasy and myth based fiction. This graphic novel, and the entire series is right up my alley because of the attention to detail in historic rightings of otherworldly beings and the rules they have to follow. While the illustrations are full of character and detail, they are all in black and white. But, thanks to the storyline, soon you begin to see them in color in your mind, but with a depth that color on the page could never have conveyed.

 This novel is particularly good advanced readers, older tweens and for those who appreciate dark humor and can handle a little gothic flare and dark drama. With tales of abduction, goblins and changelings stealing others’ lives, the novels shouldn’t be read by younger children or those faint of heart, but will definitely be enjoyed by older and even reluctant readers.

 

 

Review #14: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

20. Title: Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. Miramax Books/Hyperion Paperback. 2005. 377 pages. Tr. $5.19. ISBN 978-0-7868-3865-3

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 4.9/ Grades 5-8
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books 2006
Series:

·         Book One: The Lightning Thief

·         Book Two: The Sea of Monsters

·         Book Three: The Titan’s Curse

·         Book Four: The Battle of the Labyrinth

·         Book Five: The Last Olympian

Similar Titles: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry,  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K.Rowling.

 

Life is less than ideal for young Percy Jackson. Kicked out of 6 schools for behavioral and learning issues or circumstances he simply can’t explain and forced to be subjected to a smelly, abusive step-father, all Percy has is his adoring mother and his disabled best friend, Grover. Imagine his surprise when his dyslexia turns into a tool for reading ancient Greek, mythical creatures start crawling out of the woodwork and he discovers that not only are the ancient Greek gods and myths real, but his best friend is actually a satyr and he himself is the offspring of one of the most powerful gods known to man, Poseidon, God of the Ocean.

Unjustly labeled as the thief of Zeus’s master thunderbolt, Percy moves to Camp Halfblood, where he meets other demigods, satyrs and centaurs who each learn and teach him ancient battle skills and the movements of Mount Olympus, as he waits expectantly for the gifts that will prove he is truly the son of Poseidon. He must use his new skills to stop a war of the gods that threatens to destroy the world,  while dodging enemies straight out of storybooks, making new demigod friends and saving his mother, while somehow managing to travel into and out of the Underworld, a task only one other hero has completed in all of recorded history.

I cannot say enough about this book or the series. As a lover of Greek history, I tore through them all at an unprecedented  pace, making careful note of depth of the research Rick Riordan put into his characters and the mythology that had to be right to make the story work. Having recognized, but not been able to get behind, Riordan’s work in the adult fantasy genre, I am happy to report, I would not hesitate to read or recommend his tween/teen geared novels in this, and other series.  These books are exciting for even reluctant readers. With epic battles, gods and mortals, mythical beasts, history, mythology, love interest and themes of family, not fitting in, finding your place and accepting your own talents, Riordan had me examining my own learning deficits, comparing myself to his demigod companions, particularly the clever and beautiful, Annabeth, daughter of Athena.

While the film, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, became a modest success at the box office, and I like it as a stand-alone film, it is shallow and hollow compared to the depth and detail of the books.  I cannot count the number of heart-pounding moments I had while reading this series and know that you, and your tween and teen readers, will too!

Review #13: Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Condie, Ally. Matched. Dutton Books. 2010. 369 pages. Tr. $25.96. ISBN: 978-0-525-42364-5
Genre: Fiction/ Science Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: Young Adult
Awards: None
Series: Matched
       ·         Book 1: Matched
       ·         Book 2: Crossed
       ·         Book 3: Reached

Similar Titles: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Giver by Lowis Lowry

In Cassia's world, everything is regulated and orderly. Gone are the wars and the plagues, replaced by a government that determines your genetics, vocation, the age you die, the number of children you may have, the songs and poems you may read and, if you so choose, your match. But Cassia’s match is unusual from the start. She knows her match, Xander, her best friend, something that almost never occurs. Still, the strangest part yet comes when she takes home the microcard of Xander’s information from her match ceremony, thinking it will all be information she knows already, only to see in a flash before the screen goes dark, not Xander’s face, but another. This boy, she knows too.

What could be the explanation? The Officials don’t make mistakes. Is someone playing a prank? Who is her true match, the comfortable, charming Xander, or the mysterious Ky, who carries secrets and scars that have labeled him as unworthy. Torn between the known and the exotic, Cassia must reach the truth without sacrificing all she holds dear. Can she buck the system without paying the consequence? Is this what her grandfather was trying to tell her on his deathbed. Does the government truly know what is best for them or will she be incited to follow her heart and not the rules of the governed?

In a style I can only describe as a cross between Twilight and The Giver, Ally Condie’s novel of awakening, intuition, and a love triangle in a dystopian society is an easy read and a member of recent buzz lists in the tween and teen markets. While somewhat predictable to those who have read the aforementioned similar titles, it will also be comfortable and interesting in the way it combines the two plots and allows more emotional and individuality in the characters than in The Giver. While I recommend Twilight to a more mature teen audience, due to advanced physical topics, Matched is much more appropriate for the older tween audience with less racy material and more focus on following your heart and depending on the strength of family, observation, intellect and intuition rather than blindly obeying the opinion or rule of others. To get the most of this novel, I suggest guided reading and/or class discussion but regardless, I would recommend this series to those who like the concepts of similar books but simply wanted more.

Review #12: The Witches by Roald Dahl

Title: Dahl, Roald. The Witches. Farra, Straus, Giroux. 1983. 201 pages. Tr. $15.35. ISBN 978-0-374-38457-9
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 4.7 / Grades 4-6
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books 1995
Similar Titles: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.

Can you imagine if witches were real? Not good witches, not green witches to drop houses on, but bald, evil, square-footed , claw-fingered witches who want nothing more in the world than to destroy every last child? Can you imagine how horrifying it would be if they were so deceitful as to walk in plain sight, but no one ever noticed? That is, of course, unless you know what to look for and the best defense is someone who knows first-hand, how to combat witches.

When a young English boy loses his parents and goes to live with his beloved Norwegian grandmother, he comes to find that her eccentricities and stories may not be as far-fetched as he once believed. Armed with her knowledge and familiar with her battle scars, he is his generation’s greatest hope against the witches when he accidentally stumbles into a witches’ national convention, and into the clutches of the notorious and villainous Grand High Witch.

Of all her schemes, the Grand High Witch unleashes her greatest plot, to turn the world’s children into mice, forcing their own families to dispatch and discard them forever.  With his own pet mice, grandmother, and an unlikely ally, the clever ingenious boy fights against the great witches’ plot, despite murderous hotel staff and petrified guests, even if he has to save the world, at only 3 fingers tall.

Like all Roald Dahl classics, The Witches, is gritty, dark and intelligent. Great for tween readers that like a little more gumption in their novels, this is an amazing story of overcoming adversity with an imagination catching fantasy theme that seems almost plausible in the real world and will have children looking closely at those they meet to see if they too fit the criteria of “witch.”

On a personal note, while I read this book in the second grade, I now read it with my 6 year old daughter, and for a child that is often socially unafraid, even when it might be warranted, it was a phenomenal help in driving home the point of a stranger might not always be what you think you see, but in a way that didn’t scare, but just planted the seed and made her think twice about any situation before acting. It also encouraged exploration of folktales from other cultures, with the stories the grandmother often told and with the interspersed illustrations, it is also a good transition book between picture and chapter books for those reluctant to pick-up any book not fully illustrated in color.  I recommend this book always.

Review #11: Holes by Louis Sachar

Title: Sachar, Louis. Holes.  Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2008. 265 pages. Tr. $15.35. ISBN:978-0-374-33266-2
Genre: Fiction/Adventure
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.1 / Grades 5-8
Awards: None
Similar Titles: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson,  Freak the Mighty by W. Rodman Philbrick, Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar.

 Stanley Yelnats IV just can’t get a break. With the world’s worst luck, a genetic trait, he finds himself in a correctional “camp” for an offense he did not commit, though the evidence seems contrary to fact. Forced to dig  5x5 foot holes, daily, in the searing hot desert, filled with deadly lizards and insects, with little water, bizarre and unpredictable “counselors”, and the ever present threat of “The Warden”, Stanley sees his punishment as just another unfortunate circumstance he has to accept and muddle through.  What he didn’t anticipate was the depth of the connections he would make there, learning that the circumstances that led him there were not so coincidental, that the greatest adventure awaited him and that he, Stanley Yelnats IV has the chance to break the curse his family had unknowingly been under for generations and bring the camp to its knees.

With enough backstory, plot twists, and mind benders to make you dizzy, Louis Sachar takes his readers on another cerebral ride with great fantasy elements and real life connections about overcoming adversity, the strength of unlikely relationships, understanding your past and never giving up. A constant page turner, the plot and characters go beyond gender and will become a great read for all children who read it, from tween to teen years.

I would recommend putting this book into the hands of interested children at the age of 10-12 but would find it appropriate to do so for advanced readers at the age of 9, as I know that if it had been brought to my attention at that age, I wouldn’t have been able to stay away from it.  While the modern film adaptation of the same name, produced by The Walt Disney company, sticks very closely to the story, read the book, whether you’ve seen the movie or not. I promise, you won’t regret it.

Reading in Alternative Formats for Tween Readers

Discuss how the reading experience is different/similiar when reading in alternative formats. Include commentary on the role of graphics (text messaging language, icons in ttyl).

With the advancement of technology, and people complaining that all possible stories have been told, it's only common sense to realize that the way we read, or in which a story is presented to us, would change. 



Besides the obvious changes in delivery method, such as the audiobook and e-readers, print resources have changed too. Gone are the days of the staunch categories I knew as a child: "Books with pictures," "Books without Pictures," and "Comic books." Now we have whole book series written in technical electronic languages, such as in TTYL (by Lauren Myracle), which is written entirely in the manner of a tween/teen text message conversation, abbreviations, emoticons, acronymns and all. It makes me wonder if there isn't a novel out there somewhere written entirely in HTML or Pearl languages, because these have become real, digital languages that people live a good portion of their lives in, whether or not they are spoken.


I've also seen books (poetic novel) that had no paragraph structure, or at the very least, no conventional structure. Instead, the text was fit into poem form in a diamond shape in the middle of each page. (Diamond Willow by Helen Frost)

 

 

Or instead, take the celebrated book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, a novel told not just in words, but in pictures, as in the pictures move the story. They are the story. The don't just sit there and support the text. They are a new form of text. Without them, the book doesn't make sense, and that's an odd sensation for the traditional reader. But the same could be said of the award winning children's picture book, Tuesday by David Weisner , which has no words in it whatsoever, but is still beloved and adored around the world.

Now how is that for story delivery?  A book with no written word, conveyed with absolutely no direction but through illustration forcing the reader to really analyze the situation in the book and come to their own conclusions. How often can you say that has happened in your past reading experiences, except if you have ever had the priviledge to read a choose-you-own-adventure novel?


In a world were sensory stimuli is delivered almost instantaneously, it is understandable that different methods have to be used to interest, and sustain readers and their reading. Different lengths of attention span, spatial abilities and cerebral processing require us to be more diverse in the way that we transmit stories and entertain. However, the method of delivery can also become an issue in maintaining interest.

Certain minds are attracted to these unusual stories, because they are challenging and different. Others have difficulty following the story or simply find it impossible because it doesn't make sense in their minds. I am somewhere in the middle myself and I will explain why.

One of the reasons I love to read fiction is because I like the story. I want to know what the author is trying to say, where they want me to look, and I want to be able to analyze what they thought the meaning was. I like the story. My difficulty in the delivery method of these newer titles is that the method of storytelling becomes so distracting that it's hard to focus on the story at all.

Take for example TTYL.  I love to text message, abbreviate and use emoticons as much as the next girl but at some point every text conversation needs to have an end and I certainly hope that it doesn't last more than 100 pages. I couldn't even get all the way through TTYL because I just kept wishing it would end, that I could turn off the book and walk away...but that wasn't an option. The closest I could do was close the book and return it to the library for someone else, perhaps who has different preferences about storytelling and doesn't get that nagging feeling while reading it that she should be doing something else more important. I prefer much more depth.

Diamond Willow has plenty of depth and character development but it is still limited given the small space allowed for the telling of the story. There is so much that is conveyed with so little words, but even that is not enough for me. The diamond shaped text is, again, a HUGE distraction. I couldn't get through the first chapter, even though I really wanted to. I like the premise behind the book. I like that it's different. But I didn't like how much space was wasted...how much I wish there were secret messages in those gaping margins, because I felt like that is where the story really was...in the parts I couldn't see and didn't have access too.

Tuesday, I really love the illustrations. I liked reading it to my daughter too, but it took guided reading for her to get the most out of the book, and I do not want to be guided through my reading as an adult. I want to be able to do it on my own and compare my thoughts and opinions to those of the author. However, you can't do that without direction from the author and I certainly wasn't  getting that from the non-existant text. I actually chose not to purchase this book simply because it took so much analysis and so many questions to be answered just to understand the concept of the book itself.

Hugo, however, I like. It's unusual and I still have to wrap my brain around it but it moves very much like a comic book or graphic novel (because really, it is a sort of a graphic novel hybrid) and that works for me.

Basically, it comes down to: each formate is different. Each has value. But the extent of that value can only be determined by those who attempt to venture into its pages. When confronted with these titles, the reader is always going to have to evaluate, " Is this book for me? How do I feel about it?" Sometimes I don't want to evaluate...I just want to read.

Review #10: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Title: Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. Sterling. 2004. 304 pages. Tr. $8.51. ISBN 978-1-40271-451-1
Genre: Fiction/ Historical Fiction
Reading Level/Interest Level: 6.1/ Grades 5-8
Awards: None (In my opinion, this status is a travesty)
Series:
       ·         Book 1: Anne of Green Gables
       ·         Book 2: Anne of Avonlea
       ·         Book 3: Anne of the Island
       ·         Book4: Anne of Windy Poplars (or Windy Willows)
       ·         Book5: Anne’s House of Dreams
       ·         Book6: Anne of Ingleside
       ·         Book 7: Rainbow Valley
      ·         Book 8: Rilla of Ingleside
Similar Titles: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

During the Edwardian era, the town of Avonlea of Prince Albert Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, is a peaceful, quiet, and predictable community. That is, until the day that orphan, Anne Shirley, arrives at the house of bachelor brother and spinster sister, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert.

In a twist of fate, the child they sent for from an orphanage in Halifax to help manage the farm of Green Gables turns out to be the exact opposite of what they thought they needed. Red-headed, skinny and freckled, emotional, stubborn , dramatic, and smart with a habit for finding herself in trouble and exasperating her guardians, Anne Shirley becomes infamous in their small town and the object of unconditional affection as she finds her place in her new home, which is not at all certain in the beginning.

It is through trials and tribulations that Anne’s true character becomes known and her truest friendships form, setting the scene for a string of books, movies, mini-series and animated series. Never a dull moment, but innocent and apologetic, Anne finds her way,  despite the teasing of Gilbert Blythe, the accidental intoxication of Diana Barry, the insults and taunts of nosey neighbor Rachel,  difficult teachers and the one teacher who truly believes in Anne’s talent and potential.

Unexpectedly, Anne worms her way into everyone’s hearts, the reader particularly, as she either wants to be Anne Shirley or one of her friends. The qualities and morals of a bygone era are delightful told in ways that seem relevant even today and make the reader ache to be good, if only to hold themselves up to the example that Anne as set. While definitely oriented for female readers, the strong male characters of Gilbert Blythe and the warm , tender Matthew Cuthbert leave a good example for either gender.

I wish that I had read this series as a child but am delighted that I picked them up in my twenties as Anne Shirley has added so much to my identity. The romance, simplicity and general sense of good presented in Anne of Green Gables and its subsequent novels is refreshing in a modern world where shock value is prized in literature and sex and violence are prevalent. Anne of Green Gables offers life lessons and real world experiences in an entertaining format but it is not sensationalized or dark. It is encouraging and hopeful and simply has to be shared with the next generation. During times when teaching these lessons might seem outdated, these historical books show relevance that we never could. Get these books into hands of young readers and watch their hearts open up.