Shelly's Book Blog

Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quadruped Delights , by David Elliott, was simply a delightful read. This book, like D. L. Garfinkle's Fowl Language series and Kevin Bolger's Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger, was recommended by Michael Sullivan.

Jeremy Cabbage is an orphan (yes, it's another orphan story!) who lives at Harpwitch's Home for Mean Dogs, Ugly Cats, and Strey Children, owned and operated by a horrible woman named Hulda Harpwitch. He lives in a town in which the Baron Ignatius von Strompié III, a careless and stupid man, makes up silly laws and seems not to care that the people are poor and overworked.

Jeremy eventually is adopted by a family of cloons, who are a minority race of people living in the city who look very much like clowns -- big red noses, big feet, etc. The cloons love Jeremy very much and provide a good home for him, but the Baron and his henchmen seem to have other plans.

This story reminded me of Jean Ferris's wonderful books, Once Upon a Marigold and Twice Upon a Marigold, which are also full of warm, good-hearted characters and comically nasty villains. Jeremy Cabbage is a clever and very funny book. I enjoyed it very much!

I am one of the many fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, so of course I eagerly anticipated the publication of the fourth and final novel. While I was waiting for Aug. 2 to arrive, I re-read Eclipse, the third volume. I found that there was much that seemed new or unfamiliar. I think I just read it so quickly the first time that I did not really take it all in. This second read was actually more enjoyable, I think.

I finished Breaking Dawn yesterday, and I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint. I was very happy with the way Meyer wrapped up this series. Now I can look forward to the movie coming out in December!

I started reading The View from Saturday, by E. L. Konigsburg, a few years ago and for some reason never finished. I'm very glad that I took the time to revisit this Newbery Medal winner (1997). It's about four 6th grade students who form a team called "The Souls." They and their teacher, Mrs. Olinski, who is a paraplegic woman confined to a wheelchair, enter an academic decathalon called the Academic Bowl. The story is about their journey toward winning the Academic Bowl state championship, but it is also about these five people's personal journeys toward righting something that has gone awry in their lives. The point of view changes often, with most of the main characters having a chance to tell their own stories. I thought the story was uplifting, touching, and very wise.