The Field Guide
DiTerlizzi, Tony and Holly Black. 2003. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.
This first book in The Spiderwick Chronicles, is a lively, fantastical adventure featuring the Grace children - twin brothers Simon, the creature collector, and Jacob, the troublemaker, and their older sister Mallory, the fencer. After their father leaves, and Jacob gets into trouble at school, the three siblings and their mother move to the mysterious and dilapidated house owned by their great-aunt Lucinda. At first, Jacob is blamed for the strange occurrences that plague the family, such as a mysteriously messy kitchen, and the sabotage of Mallory’s hair, and Simon’s pet tadpoles. Determined to find the real culprit, Jacob uses clues from a letter he found in a secret room to discover Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, a book about faeries. Disbelief turns to realization when the siblings come face to face with a pint-sized creature named Thimbletack, and are introduced into a world that they never could have imagined. This brief novel packs a punch. The black and white illustrations add a vintage feel to the book. The character development is brief and shallow, but the fast-paced plot will reel the reader into this fantastical world, and will leave them wanting more. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS)
The Seeing Stone
DiTerlizzi, Tony and Holly Black. 2003. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.
The first book, The Field Guide sets the stage for this series, so this second installment is a continuation of the story of Jacob, Simon, and Mallory Grace, and the fantastical world they discover. Jacob and Mallory set out with the seeing stone, which reveals things that would otherwise be invisible, to rescue Simon from a band of goblins. Again, the imaginative, fast-paced story will fulfill the expectations of Spiderwick fans. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS)
Bone: Out From Boneville
Smith, Jeff. 2005. Bone: Out From Boneville. Graphix: New York: N.Y.
After the greedy swindler Phoney Bone is run out of town, he and his cousins Fone and Smiley Bone, embark on a misadventure to find their way back to Boneville. When following a misleading map, the three are overtaken by a swarm of locusts and get separated. Fone Bone, now lost in a strange forest befriends a dragon, a lovely country girl, and her cow-racing gran’ma, who one different occasions rescue him from the clutches of rat creatures. Phoney Bone is the actual target of the rat creatures and their leader, a cryptic hooded creature, wants his soul. In the end, the three cousins are reunited in this strange place, and Phoney Bone is spared for the moment from his pursuers. This imaginative graphic novel has distinct characters and story lines, and although the pacing is a bit slow at times, the plot is engaging enough to hold readers’ attention. The text is witty and hilarious with colored illustrations that follow suit. By the conclusion, readers will be eagerly awaiting the next installment. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS)
The Lightning Thief
Riordan, Rick. 2005. The Lightning Thief. Hyperion Books for Children: New York, N.Y.
Mythical characters in modern times – Twelve-year old New Yorker Perseus (Percy) Jackson seems to have big problems - he has a horrible step dad, attends a school for troubled youth, and has ADHD and dyslexia, but he’s really a demigod, the son of Poseidon and his mortal mother. Mythical monsters are trying to kill him, but with the help of his mother, and satyr sidekick Grover, Percy arrives safely at Camp Half-Blood, a safe haven for demigods, where discovers that is father has been accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt. To prevent a war among the gods, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) embark on a quest to Hades to recover the missing lightning bolt. Greek gods and monsters get a new spin in this fresh, fast-paced story. Percy’s a reluctant hero, whose witty humor and inclination toward danger propel the plot forward at a break-neck pace. By giving original myths a fresh look, Riordan incorporates themes of friendship, family, perseverance, and trust in a modern setting. This cleverly written book will have wide appeal. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Historical Fiction Book Reviews
Lily's Crossing
Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. Delacorte Press: New York, N.Y.
During the summer of 1944, Lily Mollahan and her widowed father, Poppy, make their annual trip to Gram’s house in Rockaway, New York. Lily’s summer expectations of fun and freedom crumble when her father is sent to Europe with the US Army Corp of Engineers after the Allied invasion. Perpetuated by the loss of her mother and anger at her father for leaving, Lily invents imaginative stories and consistently tells lies, which serve to generate the plot. Lily meets a Hungarian boy named Albert who had to leave his ailing sister behind in France, and so the harsh realities of war are a commonality that binds their friendship. The story is beautifully drawn, and the attention to historical detail and vivid descriptions makes it believable. Although the loose ends are tied up a bit too neatly – Lily’s father finds Albert’s sister in France – the happily-ever-after homecoming will bring the tears. It’s a lovely work that would be a fine addition to any collection. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Bud, Not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. Bud, Not Buddy. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.
Set in Michigan in the 1930’s, this irresistible novel features 10 year-old orphan Bud Caldwell, on the run from one of the several foster homes he has lived in since his mother died when he was six. As Bud (not Buddy) sets out on this journey to find his father, whom he believes is jazz musician Herman E. Calloway, he lives by his “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself”. By relying on his own ingenuity and good fortune, Bud arrives in Grand Rapids and meets an old, grumpy, unwelcoming Herman Calloway. The band, however, welcomes Bud, and their warmth and love make him finally feel at home. The grim details of the Depression, and the harsh conditions that Bud endures do not overshadow the lively humor and adventure that this book offers its readers. Although Curtis explores the difficulties faced by African Americans during this period, the overall message of hope and optimism comes through loud and clear. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).
WeedFlower
Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. Atheneum Books for Young Readers: New York, N.Y.
Twelve-year-old Sumiko lives a content life with her younger brother, Tak – Tak, and her uncle, aunt, grandfather, and cousins on their family’s flower farm in Southern California. Although her parents died years ago, she is surrounded by family and never feels like an orphan. At school, however, Sumiko longs for friendship and acceptance, because she is the only Japanese-American in her class. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, her feelings of isolation turn to fear for the safety of herself and her family. The government officials take her uncle and grandfather to a prison camp in the Midwest, and then she and the remaining members of her family are sent to a camp on a Mohave reservation in Arizona. Sumiko’s only distractions from the boredom of reservation life are a blossoming friendship with a Mohave boy named Frank, and a blossoming garden that she tends with Mr. Moto. The common plight of the Mojave people and the Japanese-Americans, both in a sense “imprisoned”, deepens the connection between Frank and Sumiko. Kadohata’s prose-style writing moves the plot at a steady pace, and her rich character development helps readers connect with their deeply felt emotions on many levels. This is authentically written historical fiction, with issues of friendship, prejudice, and perseverance that will appeal to a wide audience. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).
Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. Delacorte Press: New York, N.Y.
During the summer of 1944, Lily Mollahan and her widowed father, Poppy, make their annual trip to Gram’s house in Rockaway, New York. Lily’s summer expectations of fun and freedom crumble when her father is sent to Europe with the US Army Corp of Engineers after the Allied invasion. Perpetuated by the loss of her mother and anger at her father for leaving, Lily invents imaginative stories and consistently tells lies, which serve to generate the plot. Lily meets a Hungarian boy named Albert who had to leave his ailing sister behind in France, and so the harsh realities of war are a commonality that binds their friendship. The story is beautifully drawn, and the attention to historical detail and vivid descriptions makes it believable. Although the loose ends are tied up a bit too neatly – Lily’s father finds Albert’s sister in France – the happily-ever-after homecoming will bring the tears. It’s a lovely work that would be a fine addition to any collection. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).
Sarah, Plain and Tall
MacLachlan, Patricia. 1985. Sarah, Plain and Tall. Harper & Row: New York, N.Y.
MacLachlan has written a warm, affecting story about a widowed mid-western farmer with two children, Anna and Caleb, who advertises for a wife. Sarah leaves her home in Maine for a trial visit with this farm family, and when she arrives, it’s the ocean that she misses the most. She learns to do the work that living on a farm requires, even plowing, and she teaches the family to play again, and even sing – something they haven’t done since Mama died. Because Sarah is so homesick, the children fear that she won’t stay, and one day when she goes to town, they’re afraid she’s not ever coming back. Sarah returns, of course, decides to stay, because though she misses her home in Maine, she would miss them even more. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS)
Bud, Not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. Bud, Not Buddy. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.
Set in Michigan in the 1930’s, this irresistible novel features 10 year-old orphan Bud Caldwell, on the run from one of the several foster homes he has lived in since his mother died when he was six. As Bud (not Buddy) sets out on this journey to find his father, whom he believes is jazz musician Herman E. Calloway, he lives by his “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself”. By relying on his own ingenuity and good fortune, Bud arrives in Grand Rapids and meets an old, grumpy, unwelcoming Herman Calloway. The band, however, welcomes Bud, and their warmth and love make him finally feel at home. The grim details of the Depression, and the harsh conditions that Bud endures do not overshadow the lively humor and adventure that this book offers its readers. Although Curtis explores the difficulties faced by African Americans during this period, the overall message of hope and optimism comes through loud and clear. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).
WeedFlower
Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. Atheneum Books for Young Readers: New York, N.Y.
Twelve-year-old Sumiko lives a content life with her younger brother, Tak – Tak, and her uncle, aunt, grandfather, and cousins on their family’s flower farm in Southern California. Although her parents died years ago, she is surrounded by family and never feels like an orphan. At school, however, Sumiko longs for friendship and acceptance, because she is the only Japanese-American in her class. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, her feelings of isolation turn to fear for the safety of herself and her family. The government officials take her uncle and grandfather to a prison camp in the Midwest, and then she and the remaining members of her family are sent to a camp on a Mohave reservation in Arizona. Sumiko’s only distractions from the boredom of reservation life are a blossoming friendship with a Mohave boy named Frank, and a blossoming garden that she tends with Mr. Moto. The common plight of the Mojave people and the Japanese-Americans, both in a sense “imprisoned”, deepens the connection between Frank and Sumiko. Kadohata’s prose-style writing moves the plot at a steady pace, and her rich character development helps readers connect with their deeply felt emotions on many levels. This is authentically written historical fiction, with issues of friendship, prejudice, and perseverance that will appeal to a wide audience. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).
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