Shelly's Book Blog

Eric P. Kelly's The Trumpeter of Krakow won the Newbery Medal in 1929, so when I started it I was a bit worried that I would find the language dated (and difficult for kids to get used to). I am happy to have been wrong about that. This is an adventure story set in medieval Poland, so there are some Polish names that may be unfamiliar to kids, as they were to me. However, I believe this book has just as much appeal today as it did when it was published because it's just a darn good story. Joseph Charnetski, the young hero of the book, is forced to move from the Ukraine when his home is attacked and burned to the ground by thieves looking for a mysterious treasure that his father's family has been safeguarding for many generations. They find shelter and a new life in Krakow, where they assume a new name. Joseph's father, Andrew, lands a job as the trumpeter, who is charged with playing a tune known as the Heynal, every hour on the hour, from the top of a tower of the Church of Our Lady Mary. This is a pround tradition in Krakow and Pan Andrew (Pan means Sir or Mr. in Polish) is honored to be trusted with this task. The villain who destroyed the family's home has not given up, though, and the last half of the novel is filled with plenty of intrigue and excitement (especially with the involvement of Pan Kreutz the alchemist) to keep the pages turning. I hope that libraries will keep this one around because it will appeal to both boys and girls, adults and children.

I enjoyed Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars so much, I decided to read Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, which was also a Newbery Honor Book (2005). I am amazed at how different these two stories are. The story of Lizzie Bright takes place in 1911 and is based on a real historical event where the residients of Malaga, which is an island off the coast of Maine, were ordered to leave. These people were largely the poor descendants of former slaves, but according to the author's note, others were "Portuguese, Irish, Scottish, African American, others not accepted in Phippsburg for whatever reason". Lizzie is a girl who lives in this community, and she meets Turner Buckminster when his family moves to Phippsburg so that his father can be the new minister for the town. The two kids hit if off right away, but their friendship is viewed with suspician and disapproval because Turner is white and Lizzie is "a Negro girl". At one point Turner's parents forbid him to visit the island, or even to go to the coast where he can view the island. Turner, despite his upbringing as an obedient minister's son, discovers ways to visit with Lizzie anyway. For example, his father has ordered him to play the organ for one of the old women in the town, Mrs. Cobb, and after a while Lizzie comes to listen, too.

Schmidt remains true to the sadness of history, so this is far from a happy tale. Turner is forced to accept some painful, ugly truths about life. However, he also discovers the joy of having a loyal friend, and the redeption of remaining true to one's principles. Schmidt narrates Turner's coming of age journey so gracefully, with such imaginative, poetic language, that the darkness in life seems, if not less disturbing, at least a little more bearable.

What I Saw and How I Lied, by Judy Blundell, is another from School Library Journal's Best Books 2008 list. This YA novel is part mystery, part romance, and part historical fiction because it is set in 1947. Fifteen-year-old Evie narrates the story of how she and her parents (mother Beverly and step-father Joe Spooner) take her from Queens, New York for a vaction in Palm Beach, Florida. There, the family meet Peter Coleridge, who evidently served with Joe in the war, and Evie falls for him almost immediately. He is so charming and good looking, and he treats her like a grown-up. Why wouldn't she like him? Things are not always what they seem, though, and Evie learns some hard life lessons before the book is over. This one is a page-turner, and I enjoyed it. I can't see recommending it to my own teen boys, who would denounce the book as "chick lit," but I think this dark, complex story is a cut above other books written for teen girls. Evie interacts primarily with adults, rather than with other teens, and the decision she is forced to make at the end seems to be one that will not necessarily have a positive effect on her future.

Kira-Kira (which in Japanese means "glittering" or "shining"), by Cynthia Kadohata, won the Newbery Medal in 2005. The story is told by the younger of two Japanese-American sisters who grow up in the late 1950s and1960s in Georgia. The two sisters, Lynn and Katie, move with their parents from Iowa, where they lived in a comfortable house, to Georgia, where they can only afford a small appartment. The girls' mother and father work long hours at a chicken hatchery and poultry factory. The first word that comes to mind when I try to describe the tone of this book is quiet. That is to say, the plot moves slowly, with Katie focusing more on small, everyday experiences rather than on big, dramatic events. Still, Katie's story reveals profound truths about racism, economic hardship, and family ties. Like so many Newbery winners, this is a serious and sad tale, so not all kids will want to read it. However, I think those that do will enjoy Katie's no-nonsense narrative style, and many will be able to relate to both the pain of being different and the joy of being loved that she describes in this beautiful story.

Andrew Clements is the father of identical twin boys, and this made is easier for him to write Lost and Found, which is about twins named Jay Ray and Ray Jay. The boys start going to a new school because they and their parents just moved to a new city, but on the first day Ray is ill, so only Jay attends class. For some reason, the school has left Ray off the attendance list, but instead of reporting the oversight, Jay talks Ray into pretending to be one person. Each boy attends school every other day, and they both say they are Jay. This is a short book, written for about 4th grade, but Clements manages to pack in plenty of twin-style fun. Problems with the boys' scheme begin to surface almost immediately, and I appreciated how thoroughly Clements seems to have thought through the possible consequences of the boys' actions. I am also a parent of identical twin boys, so I may have a special appreciation for the drama and humor of this story, but I don't think you have to have twins in your family to appreciate the dream of having a second self to fill in for you when you are busy elsewhere, or just plain tired.
I have enjoyed several of Clements' other books, such as Frindle, Lunch Money, and A Week in the Woods, and I recommend Lost and Found, along with these others books, very highly.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson, is another YA novel from the School Library Journal's Best Books 2008 list. This story is set in the future when medical technology has advanced to such a degree that it is possible to "save" people in new and kind of scary ways. Jenna wakes up from a year-long coma to find that she does not remember who she is. She watches hours of video that her parents shot as she was growing up but cannot seem to find the Jenna on the screen within herself. She has a mystery to solve because her parents are not exactly forthcoming when she starts asking questions about her past.
I was eager to read this book because I thought it would be similar to Neal Shusterman's Unwind, which I really liked. It is and it isn't. Both books depict a future in which technology has run amuck, but Pearson's writing style is much different. She is more indirect, even poetic, and the action and suspense of Unwind is missing. Pearson raises the same kinds of questions, though, about the slippery slope we seem to heading down when we pursue technologies like cloning. What about people's souls? What about when the unexpected happens (as it usually does)? I think The Adoration of Jenna Fox richly deserves its place on the "Best of 2008" list and I hope people will read it and start asking these questions.

Stowaway, by Karen Hesse, provides an account of the H.M.S. Endeavour's circumnavigation of the globe in the years 1768-1771. This was the ship captained by James Cook. The story is relayed in a fictional journal kept by an 11-year-old stowaway named Nicholas Young, whose character is based on a real historical figure. Nick is a skilled, observant, and faithful writer, so his accounts of the adventures and hardships the ship's crew experienced in this famous 3-year journey create a fascinating narrative. When I began reading this book I was quickly taken in and interested in both the historical period and the characters. I found that the story dragged a bit in the middle, I think because the long series of short journal entries started to seem repetitive. However, the suspenseful ending made my persistence worthwhile. This is a good choice for middle schoolers who crave stories about adventure on the high seas.

Feathers, by Jacqueline Woodson, was a Newbery Honor Book in 2008. It's a short novel about a sixth-grade girl named Frannie whose older brother is deaf. The title comes from an Emily Dickinson poem ("Hope is the thing with feathers / that perches in the soul ..."). I liked that this book's theme is based on this beautiful metaphor, and I think Woodson makes the meaning clear through Frannie's gentle, thoughtful narration of the everyday events in her school and home life. This is a story about being different (being deaf, being African-American, being without a father) and some of the different ways kids cope with that. There are certainly plenty of kids who will relate to and appreciate this book, and I liked it a lot.

Avi is one of my favorite children's book authors, so when I saw Midnight Magic on the shelf, I decided to give it a go. This is a rather short fantasy novel about a magician named Mangus and his loyal, 12-year-old assistant, Fabrizio. The king summons Mangus to court in secret because he wants Mangus to rid the castle of a ghost his daughter claims to have seen. Avi sets the story in Italy in the year 1491, but I would hesitate to call this historical fiction because he does not bring out a lot of historical detail with his storytelling here. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story because Fabrizio and Mangus are well drawn and likeable, and because the mystery surrounding the ghost intrigued me.

This year's Newbery Medal winner, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, both surprised and delighted me. The first chapter has stirred some controversy, not for its language (as in Susan Patron's The Higher Power of Lucky in 2007) but because it describes the cold-blooded murder of a mother, father, and child, with another very young child left to fend for himself. Librarians disagree about whether this first (shocking?) scene warrants placing the book in the YA section, rather than on the children's shelf. I don't believe parents and librarians should fret about children being harmed by the violence here and here's why: Gaiman refers to the murderer's deeds in the past tense, suggesting what has happened without providing any detail. He then quickly moves on to describing Bod's character and the actions he took that night that caused him to take up residence in a graveyard. Bod himself is not afraid, and he is quickly protected, provided with loving, substitute parents and a safe home. It's really Harry Potter-esque (Harry, too, lost his parents and almost his own life to an evil assassin), so I suppose people who object to the Harry Potter books might also object to The Graveyard Book. In my opinion, though, fear of complaints is not a good enough reason to restrict access to this wonderful book. Children of all ages are in the process of defining who they are, just like Nobody Owens, and they, too, face the fearful prospect of making their own way in a world that is often frightening. Gaiman writes about these issues in a compelling and humorous story. What could be better than that?

I see that A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban has been nominated for the California Young Reader Medal in the Intermediate category. I say, good choice! This is a funny, sweet story about a girl named Zoe who wants to learn to play the piano. Her well-meaning father goes out and buys her an organ instead. Zoe's father struggles with various anxieties and spends most of his time at home, while her mother seems to work all the time. Meanwhile, Zoe dreams of being a famous concert pianist and playing at Carnegie Hall. She also deals with the typical issues 10-year-old girls face, such as fickle "best friends" and the difficulty of fitting in. Zoe tells her own story here and she is both charming and wise. I have not yet read the other two nominees in this category (A Friendship for Today, by Patricia McKissack and No Talking by Andrew Clements) so I'll have to hold off on deciding which I'd like to win. However, I can say that A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a strong contender!

I wanted to read Colder Than Ice, by David Patneaude, because it features a character with Asperger's Syndrome. This is a short book, written at a third grade level but about 6th and 7th grade kids. Josh Showalter is one of three new kids in his class and he really wants to fit in. One of the other new kids, Mark, has Asperger's, and the other is a girl, Skye, who started at the school only a few months before. The three new kids are given seats at a table together and soon become friends. As in so many school stories for kids, though, there is a bully and his cohorts (think Draco Malfoy with friends Crabbe and Goyle) to mix things up and make the hero's life difficult. This story is a little different, though, because Josh wants very much to be friends with the bully (who is named Corey) and be a part of his social circle, so Josh tries to pull off the impossible and be friends with everyone.

Mark's eccentricities do seem consistent with Asperger's to me. He doesn't look people in the eye, doesn't like to be hugged, worries about things that seem silly to others, and has an intense interest (photography). However, I'm not sure if I buy how quickly and easily Josh and Skye accept Mark and become friends with him. I guess these two are just exceptionally kind and understanding people, which is wonderful to see. I liked this book, and I think the suspenseful ending will captivate many young readers, even if they have no interest in learning about Asperger's.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart, was absolutely amazing. I totally loved this book! Frankie is a sophomore at a prestigious private high school called Alabaster Preparatory Academy. She starts dating a popular senior named Matthew, who is a member of a secret, all-male society called the Loyoal Order of the Basset Hounds. When Frankie discovers this, she wants to join the club but knows that she can't because she is female. Rather than meekly accepting her exclusion from a part of her boyfriend's life, she secretly takes charge and creates havoc on the Alabaster campus.
For me, this book exists on a higher plane than others I have read, not only because the story is clever and meaningful, but also because the text is just plain smart -- intellectual, even. Case in point: Frankie likes to use "neglected postives"--that is, words (some made up and others that are actually in the dictionary) that can be made by dropping a prefix. Example: someone who is grunteld is happy and content, as opposed to someone who is disgruntled. One who dulges someone reacts to him or her in a negative way, as opposed to one who indulges. She does research that includes ideas taken from the philosopher Michel Foucault and chooses P.G. Wodehouse for recreational reading. Frankie is not your everyday YA heroine, and I grew to admire not only her intelligence but also her courage and her maturity. I highly recommend this book!

Gib Rides Home is another great novel by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. This one is set in the early 20th century and is about a 10-year-old boy named Gibson Whittaker who lives in an orphanage. He sees another boy from the orphanage "farmed out"--that is, sent to live with a family to do slave labor until her tuns 18. Then Gib is farmed out to the Thornton family. Even though he is treated as a hired hand, Gib is happy with the Thorntons and he rediscovers his love of horses. I guess I'm just not in the mood lately for really dark stories right now, so I was happy when the story moved away from the cruelty Gib suffered at the orphanage and began exploring his past and his relationships with the Thorntons. I think Ms. Snyder is a wonderful storyteller, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Gib and the Gray Ghost. Other books I've reviewed by this author include The Headless Cupid and The Trespassers.

Graceling is Kristin Cashore's first novel. It is also one of the fiction titles on School Library Journal's Best Books 2008 list. This is a fantasy novel set in a land of seven kingdoms where some people are born with special skills called graces. People who know Katsa's grace fear her because she seems to have the grace of killing. Her king shamelessly makes use of her in order to bully people, sending her on missions to hurt and even kill people who have displeased and/or disobeyed him. Then Katsa meets Po, who is the prince of a neighboring kingdom, and they set out on a journey in hopes of solving the mystery of his grandfather's kidnapping.

I was drawn into the story quickly and overall I liked it, but I felt that the book kind of dragged toward the middle. I think it may have been that Katsa's abilities were so incredible, so advanced and seemingly infallible, that I really didn't think there was any possibility of her failing in her mission. Or maybe I've just been reading too much fantasy lately. Overall, though, I would recommend this book to tweens and teens. It's long (almost 500 pages), though, so most readers will need to be both avid readers and fantasy fans.

The first two titles of Michael Scott's series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, are The Alchemyst and The Magician. The third, due to be published this May, will be called The Sorceress. I have had The Magician on my "to read" list for many months, but when I finally started it I realized I needed to refresh my memory of The Alchemyst. I ended up re-reading most of that first book, and then reading The Magician. I'm glad I did because there is a lot to remember, and the story simply continues from one book to the next.

Scott is an Irish author who is an expert in mythology and folklore, and he seems to make good use of this knowledge when writing this series. The story of this wonderful fantasy is filled with characters from history, myth and legend, but the main characters are twins Sophie and Josh, who until a few days ago were just your average 15-year-olds working at summer jobs in San Francisco. It turns out that the bookstore where Josh works is owned by Nicholas Flamel, guardian of the book of Abraham the Mage. Unfortunately, there are many others who want to get their hands on this ancient and powerful book, and this conflict is at the heart of the many exciting and dangerous adventures in these books. I'm really looking forward to reading the third book!