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Syren by Angie Sage

Each book in Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series gets better and better.  I love how in each book all of the seemingly different story lines all come together.  Syren was full of mystery and adventure with secret ice tunnels, pirates, jinn, and the murderous ghost of Tertius Fume. I couldn't put the book down.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I love the way this story was told, the way it was presented using two different voices.  From the moment I began to read, I felt just like Clay - I had to keep going, I had to keep reading.  What I liked the most about this book was the message that the things you say and do, no matter how trivial you might think it, affect the person your words and actions are directed toward.  And that sometimes, it is when we do nothing or are too afraid to reach out, making it seem like we don't care enough, that can have a negative effect.  I like that Clay learned this and that he did something about it by reaching out to Skye.  

Secrets of New Forest Academy by Tyler Whitesides

With the BEM coming for him, Spencer is off to New Forest Academy for a week, accompanied by his endearing but gullible Toxite-fighting partner Daisy and the not-so-endearing bully Dez.  Adventure and suspense abound as Spencer starts unraveling secrets and realizes that New Forest Academy isn’t as safe for Spencer as he was told it would be.

As with Whitesides’ 2011 release of Janitors, this outstanding sequel carries the same message – we must fight the distraction, fatigue, and apathy that kids are experiencing, making it difficult for them to reach their academic potential.  It’s a wonderful book with lots of twists and turns.  Once you get started you won’t want to put it down.

January 2013 Reading

So I've been keeping track of how many books I read each month, but at the beginning of this year, I was curious to know how many pages I read in that month.

So here are the results:

In January 2013, I read a total of eight books, with a total page count of 2,759 pages!

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

I didn’t get into this book right away, but I’m glad I stuck it out because I ended up really enjoying it.  It is set in the future, generations after some apocalyptic event has driven people underground, and people live within societies known as enclaves.   Each enclave has its own rules and it takes days of running in the tunnels to get to the next settlement.  The tunnels are infested with Freaks, zombie-like creatures who feed on meat, animal and human alike.

Deuce has only ever known life in the enclave, but soon after being initiated as a Huntress, she begins to question the methods of her society.  When she and her hunting partner Fade are banished from the enclave, they make their way topside – the place where Deuce was always taught could not sustain human life and the place where Fade came from.

While there are certainly parallels to other books of this genre, it is different enough that you don’t feel like you’re reading something you’ve already read. I've already added the sequel (Outpost) to my to-read list.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Disney movie version of the story of Alice in Wonderland was never one of my favorites, and so it has taken me until now to read the original story.  Truth be told, I found the book to be quite enjoyable.  The oddity of the world Alice finds herself in when she falls down the rabbit hole, and the strange yet memorable characters she meets along the way, are creatively and imaginatively blended together to make a world any child would want to dream about.

At times, I admit, I was a little annoyed with Alice’s silly and nonsensical thinking, but I guess it’s what you would expect from a child’s dreamland.  Overall, a great read, and even though it’s been around for nearly 150 years, this is one classic children’s book that is sure to delight children (and adults) for ages to come.

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

Thanks to my friend Sydney for introducing me to this enchanting book.  Using a character full of courage and spunk, Merrie Haskell weaves together two different fairy tales: Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast.

Reveka is a young herbalist who takes it upon herself to figure out how to break a curse, which causes the 12 princesses to wear away their shoes every night, and which has caused a deathless sleep to overcome any and all people who have ventured to break the curse.  Agreeing to be the bride of a zmeu (type of dragon), Reveka is able to save her father and the princesses.  But can she find a way to heal the sleepers and heal the Underworld?

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

This book is about a twelve-year-old orphan named Hollis Woods who is known for running away from her foster homes.  Her one wish is to have a family and it looks like her wish is going to come true when she spends the summer with the Regan’s.  But she ends up running away from the Regan’s after an accident that she blames herself for.  When she goes to stay with an elderly artist named Josie, Hollis feels like she is needed as Josie’s memory is slowly deteriorating.  In an effort to stay with Josie, Hollis runs away with Josie, but slowly comes to understand that running away does not solve anything. 

I had previously seen the made-for-television movie done by Hallmark and thought it was a really touching and emotional story, which made me want to read the book.  Words sometime have a power that is so much greater than what can be seen.  This is true of Giff’s Newbery Honor book.  This is a story of courage and love that will touch your heart.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I loved it!  This sequel to Divergent lives up to expectations.  Picking up right where Divergent leaves off, this sequel is fast-paced and full of danger, deception, and betrayal as each individual must decide where they stand in the face of war.  I couldn’t put it down.  Veronica Roth has created a world that is hauntingly memorable, and characters that have a depth to them as they face physical and emotional struggles that cause them to question human nature.

All I can say is, When is the next one coming out?

Inferno! by Scott R. Rigby

Inferno is about a 15-year-old boy named Caleb who finds out that he is a Dream Charmer – somebody with the ability to use their dreams to change the future.  As the most powerful Dream Charmer in a thousand years, it is up to Caleb, with a little help from his dead twin brother Tom, to stop an evil villain named Darius from destroying the gateway between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

While the plot and storyline of this self-published book was fantastic, the author seems to be ignorant of many basic language rules.  The poor structure, misuse of punctuation, and incorrect use of contractions detracted from what potentially could have been a bestseller.  

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I thought this latest installment in the Heroes of Olympus series was spectacular!  First off, Percy and Annabeth’s reunion was sweetly humorous.  Jason and Percy are an awesome duo when they are working together.  Those Romans, however, (particularly Octavian) are a hotheaded and war-hungry group, not to mention ruthlessly persistent.  I guess I will have to wait until the next book to find out how Camp Half-Blood fared against the Romans from Camp Jupiter.  As always, Riordan’s book was packed with non-stop action and adventure, with a healthy dose of humor.

Next fall: The House of Hades

D.N. Angel, Vol. 1 by Yukiru Sugisaki

This first installment of a Japanese manga series is about a boy named Daisuke Niwa.  On his fourteenth birthday, not only is he rejected by Risa, the girl he loves, but he learns that Risa is the trigger that causes him to transform into Dark, the notorious Phantom Thief.  This curse will only end when Daisuke’s first love, Risa, returns his love.  To make matters more complicated, Dark is attracted to Risa’s twin sister Riku, who has the same transforming effect on Dark as Risa has on Daisuke. 

This is the first manga book I have read and I loved it!  And it wasn't too hard to get used to reading backwards!  I will definitely be reading more of this series. 

The 39 Clues

My 10-year-old nephew Andrew got me started reading the 39 Clues series.  Each book in the series is written by a different author, although some authors have written more than one book in the series.  It is about orphans Amy and Dan Cahill who learn that many of the most influential, prominent, intelligent, and artistic figures in the world are descended from one of the four branches of the Cahill family.  When their grandmother Grace dies, her will lays out a challenge to all of her relatives.  Dan and Amy accept the challenge of hunting the 39 clues that, once found, will give them the power to influence and shape the world.  But they are only two kids competing against more wealthy and more knowledgeable relatives who are ruthless in their search. 

These are exceptional books filled with imagination and mystery.  The series starts with Maze of Bones written by Rick Riordan. 

The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley

I was first introduced to this enchanting series a couple years ago by my niece Jordyn, who was reading them at the time.  The series follows 11-year-old Sabrina Grimm and her 7-year-old sister Daphne.  They have been in foster care since the mysterious disappearance of their parents nearly 2 years ago.  Sabrina is surprised and suspicious when an old lady claiming to be their grandmother (whom they thought dead) takes them to live with her in a little town called Ferryport Landing. 

Ferryport Landing is not like normal towns.  The residents are fairytale characters called Everafters who came across the Atlantic to the new world.  However, they are trapped in Ferryport Landing by a magical barrier put there by the original Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm to prevent the more mischievous and and sinister Everafters from escaping and wreaking havoc.  So thus Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are introduced to their family business of being fairytale detectives.

Adventure and danger abound in this series as they look for clues to their parents' disappearance and discover a more sinister plot that involves a group called the Scarlet Hand. 

Books in the series:
1 - Fairy-tale Detectives
2 - The Unusual Suspects
3 - The Problem Child
4 - Once Upon a Crime
5 - Magic and Other Misdemeanors
6 - Tales From the Hood
7 - The Everafter War
8 - The Inside Story

Look for Council of Mirrors, the final book of the series, coming out May 2012!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent is about a 16-year-old girl named Beatrice "Tris" Prior.  Taking place in post-apocalyptic Chicago, the city is divided into five factions: Dauntless, Abnegation, Amity, Erudite, and Candor.  Every year, all 16-year-olds are given a test to see which faction they would best fit in with (which isn't always the faction they grew up in), after which a day of Choosing occurs, where the teens can choose which faction they want to join.  It is a time of unrest between factions and choosing a different faction from the one you grew up in is seen as a betrayal to the faction you're leaving. 

Tris leaves Abnegation for Dauntless.  She has a secret.  During her testing, her results were inconclusive - she could do equally well in Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite.  The ability to be like more than one faction is known as divergence.  And there are those who seek out and kill the Divergent. 

Go out and get this book!  If you liked the Hunger Games, you are going to love Divergent!  After reading a copy from the library, I went out and bought my own copy to have.

The Hunger Games Movie

Excellent cast!  I especially loved Woody Harrelson as Haymitch.  Stanley Tucci was excellent as Caesar Flickerman.  Great young cast as well.  I had my doubts about Jennifer Lawrence, but was unexpectedly pleased with her performance as Katniss.  As ever, Josh Hutcherson (one of my favorite young actors) played his role superbly.

I loved that the movie stayed mostly true to the book.  This is definitely one I'll buy on DVD!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A science fiction twist on the Cinderella fairy tale.  In the future, over a hundred years after the Fourth World War, Cinder is a cyborg living with the adoptive mother who never wanted her.  Cinder works as a mechanic in a world that distrusts and looks down on cyborgs, a world that is battling a disease called Letumosis, a world that is struggling to maintain a fragile peace with the Lunar queen Levana. 

I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down.  Three more books are planned.

Module 14 - Take Me Out of the Bathtub

Bibliography

Katz, A. (2001). Take Me Out of the Bathtub and other silly dilly songs. (D. Catrow, Illus.). New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Summary

This book is a collection of unique, silly poems about kids: A boy who’s been sitting too long in the bathtub and wants to get out; a food fight between siblings; a girl having to clean up her bedroom; a baby brother’s stinky diaper; a kid who doesn’t want to go to bed; a kid with an overdue library book; a kid playing in the mud; and a girl who gets carsick, just to name a few. Each poem is set to a familiar tune, such as “London Bridge,” “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring,” “Rockabye Baby,” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

My Thoughts

Such a delightful book!  I loved it because the poems were amusing and imaginative.  I especially loved that I could sing these silly poems to familiar tunes.  The illustrations were amazing.  I think children will love this book.  The front cover of the book lists an age group of 2-6, but I think kids of all ages will get a kick out of this book.

Reviews

“Songwriter and television comedy writer Katz provides ludicrous lyrics to 14 traditional tunes, offering playful parodies on some familiar routines.  To the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” a boy wearing roller skates claims he has been soaking so long in the tub that he “used one, two, three bars of soap/ Take me out. . . I’m clean!”  Other amusing entries include “I’ve Been Cleaning Up My Bedroom” (sung to “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”), in which a girl tidies her room by shoving all of her belongings “out the door,” which Catrow interprets quite literally (he shows her bureau, goldfish, etc., piling up in the back yard), and “Give Me a Break” (sung to the tune “Home on the Range”), introducing a child whose library book is long overdue.  A few songs do not scan so well (e.g., this verse set to the tune of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”: “My brother flicks peas with his fork and/ They zip down my shirt with a splat/ Next I see a big piece of pork land/ On my head like it’s a new hat!”).  But the subjects (a sibling with a stinky diaper, a cranky poodle – think “Yankee Doodle”) teamed with Catrow’s outlandish illustrations, as hyperbolic as the words, will have kids giggling as they sing.”

Zaleski, J., D. Roback, J.M. Brown, J. Britton. (April 2001). [Review of the Book Take Me Out of the Bathtub and other silly dilly songs by Alan Katz]. Publishers Weekly 248(16), p 63.

Ideas for Use

This would be a wonderful story time book in which you could sing the poems to the children rather than reading them.  Also, the children could be involved by repeating the lines of the poems/songs.

Module 13 - Rapunzel's Revenge

Bibliography

Hale, S. and D. Hale.  (2008). Rapunzel’s Revenge.  (Illus., N. Hale). New York: Bloomsbury

Summary

Rapunzel believes she is the daughter of Gothel and that she has always lived in Gothel’s castle, until the day that she sneaks over the wall to see what is on the other side.  Rapunzel comes face to face with her real mother, who works in Gothel’s mines, and learns (or remembers) the truth of her kidnapping.  Gothel’s guards force Rapunzel back across the wall.  To keep Rapunzel quiet, Gothel has Rapunzel locked up in a tower in Carrion Glade, where there is some powerful growth magic.  After four years, Rapunzel’s hair has grown long enough that she uses her two long braids as a lasso to help her escape the tower.  Set on freeing her mother from the mine and destroying Gothel’s magic, Rapunzel inadvertently finds herself accompanied by a cowboy named Jack.  The pair soon become wanted criminals, but they are able to elude capture as they make their way back to Gothel’s villa, making many friends along the way.  In the end, Rapunzel and Gothel have a showdown, resulting in the destruction of Gothel and her magic.

My Thoughts

Two major differences between this telling of Rapunzel and others stand out in my mind.  First is that this story is told as a graphic novel.  Second is that it is more of a western.  These two facts make me think that this book would appeal to boys a lot more than in any other version of Rapunzel.  I liked that it was so different and that Rapunzel was more like a western cowgirl with braids as her lasso.  I liked that the book was full of adventure and heroic acts such as killing the giant water serpent and ridding one town of all the vicious coyotes.  I like that, unlike other versions of the story, Rapunzel does not wait for her prince to come and save her – she takes matters into her own hands.

Reviews

“Rapunzel lives in a grand villa with good food, loyal servants, and her “mother,” or so she thought, Gothel.  Outside the walls the people work hard for very little.  One day Rapunzel sneaks out of the villa and finds her real mother working in the mines as a slave.  When Rapunzel lets Gothel feel her wrath, she is taken far, far away to a magical garden where she is imprisoned in a tree.  Although the main element of the fairytale remains the same – Rapunzel’s hair grows long enough to aid in her escape – the similarities end there.  This Rapunzel takes us on a rollicking, adventure-filled journey through the countryside where she meets up with Jack (owner of a magic bean and “Goldy” the goose) who follows her and helps to reunite her with her true mother.  This wonderfully illustrated graphic novel adds spark and excitement to the tale.  The bright colors and duller tones distinguish between the haves and the have nots.  Rapunzel and Jack are unique characters, and the dialogue allows that uniqueness to shine through. This is a fun read for all ages.”

Scott, K. (Nov/Dec 2008). [Review of the book Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale]. Library Media Connection, 27(3), p. 80

Ideas for Use

I think this would be a fun read as a book club book for kids/teens, or as a class book for struggling readers. 

The Hunger Games Book Trailer

The Adoration of Jenna Fox Book Trailer

Ender's Game Book Trailer

Module 12 - The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

Biography

Sis, P. (2007). The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain.  New York: Frances Foster Books.

Summary

Relying heavily on drawings, Peter Sis tells about his life in Prague, from the time he was born up until the time the Berlin Wall came down in 1989.  Sis tells of the things he was taught in school and that during this period of schooling he was being brainwashed.  Sis also includes excerpts from his journals he kept while growing up.  As a teenager, he starts to rebel by secretly listening to music from America and Great Britain, and by joining a rock group.  This was short lived, however.  The government clamped down on the small freedoms some were beginning to have.  At this period, Sis explains that things got progressively worse, but he still dreamed.  And in the end his dreams came true with the fall of the Wall.

My Thoughts

This was an interesting look into what it was like living without the freedoms we all take for granted.  I especially liked the way Sis used his drawings to help portray just what was going on such as neighbors spying on neighbors.  I also really liked reading the journal excerpts because it really makes it more real.

Reviews

“This picture-book autobiography for older readers portrays Sis’ growing up in Prague under Communist rule.  The illustrations, which alternate between comic-style panels and full-page scenes, show young Sis drawing and expressing himself against claustrophobic black-and-white back-drops with red Communist symbols as accents.  Only the artist’s work and other images symbolizing free thought appear in full color.  Excerpts from Sis’ journals will help readers relate to the history and show how his art sets him free in a time when ‘people are followed, monitored, harassed, imprisoned, deported, and tortured.’  This deeply personal history is a chilling look at life behind the Iron Curtain.”

Tillotson, L. (Jan 2008). [Review of the book The Wall: Growing Up behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis]. Book Links, 17(3), p 23

Ideas for Use

I think this would be a great book to use in the classroom when studying history or other cultures.  A challenge could be issued to the children to go one week without radio, TV, etc. in order to give them just a little understanding about how it would have been to live behind the Iron Curtain.

Module 11 - George Washington's Teeth

Biography

Chandra, D. & M. Comora.  (2003). George Washington’s Teeth. (B. Cole, Illus.). New York: Farrar Straus Giroux

Summary

As the title tells us, this picture book is about the dental problems of our very first president.  The story is told in rhyme as we get a humorous account of how he loses each of his teeth, whether it was in a dentist’s chair or during battle or while eating a nut.  After losing all of his teeth, George and his dentist used plaster to make false teeth for him.  At the end of the book, Chandra and Comora provide a timeline that includes some important events in the president’s life, including all the information about his dental problems.

My Thoughts

Before I read this book, I had no idea that George Washington had lost all of his teeth.  As I began reading the picture book, with its humorous rhyme, I wondered to myself if the authors had embellished the facts a bit.  But they had not, as the timeline and sources in the back proved.  It sure does explain why he is not smiling in any of his portraits!  As an information book for children, I think this book was excellent.  It was exciting and funny and grabbed my attention from the beginning. 

Reviews

“Written in rhymed verse and illustrated with attractive watercolor illustrations, this book opens with an entertaining account of our first President’s dental problems and succession of false teeth.  The second section consists of an extensive time line with thumbnail pictures featuring portraits of Washington and a photograph of his last set of dentures.  Notes within the time line support the initial story and provide details about Washington’s life.”

Christolon, B. (Aug 2005). [Review of the book George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora].  School Library Journal, 51(8), p 48

Ideas for Use

This book would be a good introduction into a lesson on dental hygiene for young kids.

Module 10 - Turtle in Paradise

Bibliography

Holm, J. (2010). Turtle in Paradise.  New York: Random House

Summary

This story takes place in 1935 and follows a girl named Turtle who is sent to live with an aunt and cousins in Key West because her mother’s new employer does not like children.  Even though none of the kids own shoes and everybody has odd nicknames, Turtle finds adventure in Key West.  She tags along with her cousins, the “Diaper Gang,”  as they take neighborhood babies around in their wagon and change their diapers; she accompanies Slow Poke, a man from her mother’s past, on his boat to fish for sponges to sell; she learns she has a grandmother who is the meanest old lady in Key West, and manages, with her tenacity and stubbornness, to win her grandmother over; she finds a map of Black Caesar’s buried treasure and sets out to find it with her cousins.  Through all of her adventures, Turtle learns the importance of family.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book because it was filled with adventure and even though it is a historical fiction book, the story is told in a way that makes the characters easy to relate to.  The mix of fictional characters based on real people and events really brings the story to life.

Reviews

“Narrator Turtle’s voice is tart and world-weary, and she is under no illusions about her own kind, declaring, “Kids are rotten.”  It’s 1935, and when her housekeeper mother’s new job doesn’t allow children, she is sent to live with her aunt in Key West, where everyone goes without shoes and is called by a nickname like Pork Chop or Slow Poke.  With her stoic nature and her quick wits, Turtle is able to fit in with her boy cousins and their friends (though they won’t let her help with their Diaper Gang babysitting business), and she even manages to outmaneuver the elderly woman she is sent to feed who keeps knocking her food to the floor.  The episodic novel includes details, events, and figures from history (including those from Holm’s own family), and Turtle’s narrative is peppered with references from the time, as she compares herself to Little Orphan Annie and gladly avoids going to a Shirley Temple movie.  Modern-day readers will have no trouble relating to Turtle, though, and the fast-moving plot will keep them interested to the end.”

Lempke, S. D. (2010). [Review of the book Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm]. Horn Book Magazine, 86(3), p 81-32

Ideas for Use

This would be a good book for a discussion about how Turtle is really like a turtle: she was hard on the outside, but inside she had feelings and vulnerability.  Kids can come up with nicknames of their own that describes their character and something about them.