Happy Cybils Day!

Today's the day for the happiest announcement! Even though I didn't participate in Cybils judging this year, I still adore anticipating the announcement. And it's finally here! So, without any more babbling or exclamation points from me, here are the winners (well, some of them):

MG fiction: Wonder by R.J. Palacio (so happy about this - was a bit sad it got no mentions in the youth media awards last month)

MG Sci-fi/Fantasy: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (love, love, love this one!)

YA fiction: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews (and I haven't had any desire to read this before...)

YA Sci-fi/Fantasy: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (at least this is on my TBR pile!)

And you can find the rest of the winners at the Cybils website (sorry too lazy to list any others).

Any surprises?  Comments?  Disappointments?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Good Times Ahead

I've been sort of remiss in talking about some of these upcoming events.  There are lots of good times ahead in the blogging world, so keep your eye on these:

I'm feeling very sad that I'm not signing up to be a judge for Cybils this time around, as I've been so fortunate to be a judge now for three years on the MG Sci-fi/Fantasy panel.  But, my life is rather busy and uncertain and I don't want to sign up and not contribute to my fullest.  However, if you love Cybils and reading, do jump into the judging pool by this Friday, so you don't miss out.  It's always been such a fun and rewarding experience, plus you get to read lots of fabulous books!  Also, get thinking what books to nominate, as the nominations open October 1st.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is back again!  I'm super excited to have this fun week-long event come back and I'm pretty relieved that the awards aren't making an appearance this year.  Mark your calendars for September 10-14 and prepare to celebrate each other and ourselves in the book blogging world!

I was super thrilled when Holly announced she was going to host a Seven Days for Sevenwaters celebration, all in honor of the fabulous Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier.  Despite only having read the first two books, I fell in love with the gorgeous world and beautiful relationships in each one.  I'm so excited to see what she's got planned for that week.

Last, but certainly not least, the wonderful fall Bloggiesta is set for September 28, 29, 30 this year.  I've participated as much as possible in this event and it's so wonderful to have an excuse to work on keeping up your blog.  Right now, Suey and Danielle are calling for mini-challenge hosts, so if you're interested in that, head on over to the mini-challenge host posts.  And prepare yourself for the fiesta!

What events in the book blogging world are you looking forward to!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac
Publisher: Dial
Publication date: June 2011
Pages: 352
Source: Library
For: Cybils

Prince Rashko is frustrated that he's the only one in the family who can think straight.  His foolish parents and ridiculous older brother seem incompetent to care for the kingdom.  So, when his parents disappear right when a mysterious and powerful stranger appears, Rashko knows it's up to him to make sure the castle and kingdom are safe.  But he might have to depend on his foolish family and his unique ancestry to help him.

Things I Liked:
I loved the beautiful setting and the lovely Slovak details of this story (probably because I had such a great time visiting the Czech Republic a few years back)!  The characters, the folk tale-ish feel of it, all of these things appealed to me.  The whole story and atmosphere had me drawn into its details almost from the first.  I loved the characters too, how Rashko thinks he's so smart and everyone in his family is moronic - it was very teenage of him.  I think the relationships between all members of the family are really interesting, particularly the way our perceptions (and Rashko's too) change toward them is really well done.  And the book also manages to have humor!  An awesome historical fantasy with an eastern European flavor.  A favorite part:

"I lovely young human woman who was prisoner of bad monster.  Is safe now to put down sword and shield and come rescue me.  I not dragon trying to trick you."
Jedovaty looked up at Pavol with one eye.  "Seven heads," the former donkey observed, "and not a working brain in any one of them?" p 232

Things I Didn't Like:
Some of the story seemed to drag, the pacing wasn't quite on through the whole book.  The flipping back and forth in perspective was annoying sometimes, but I still managed to enjoy it.  And a few times I was bothered by the numerous uses of Slovak language (mostly I loved them), which I think will discourage some kids from finishing it.  Still, it's a strong fantasy book for those who love castles and magic and folk tales and aren't afraid of those more difficult linguistic details.

Read-alikes:
A bit like the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none 
None that I remember

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: ->-> 
there is some fighting and a few frightening parts

Overall rating: **** 

For more middle grade fun, check out Jill at The Owl's March of Middle Grade Books event!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Publication date: October 2011
Pages: 356
Source: Library
For: Cybils

When one day Sacha can't see witches and the next he can, things go from bad to worse.  He's snached up to become an inquisitor's apprentice, to help eradicate magic from the streets of New York.  But when he becomes embroiled in a plot to assassinate Thomas Edison, his job and his life become a lot more complicated.  Will he be able to figure out who's trying to kill Edison before he loses his own life?

Things I Liked:
The story in this one had me caught in its web.  It intrigued, it surprised, it made me laugh and cry.  The book was more than its story though.  It had real characters - Sacha was so complicated and so vulnerable and so powerful at once.  I loved the view of society in New York during the early 1900s - the historical detail was fantastic.  The racism and the many different cultures, and the difference between ideals and reality and rich and poor in America.  All of this was cleverly reshaped with magic as its basis - a very well done alternate history.  I adored it.  Here's a favorite quote: 

Working miracles is like letting out a pair of pants: You can only stretch the fabric of the universe so far before you run out of cloth.  After that, you're stuck deciding whether you want cold ankles or a cold tushie. p 181

Things I Didn't Like:
It was a bit difficult at times to get into, mostly, I think because of the Jewish cultural elements I simply didn't get.  I think if I were Jewish or had grown up in NY with more exposure to Jewish culture, I would have thought this book was perfect.  But sometimes I didn't quite understand what a word meant and I definitely felt confused about what a dybbuk actually is for nearly the entire book.  Many Yiddish phrases were explained, but quite a few were not.  It might be a tough sell for kids and it might be they would see the story and forget about all that other stuff.  It just depends on the kid, I guess.

Read-alikes:
Reminded me of the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
one or two

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: -> 
a little bit, but mostly it has some scary elements

Overall rating: **** 

Do you like reading alternate histories with magical elements?  What's your favorite book like this?

Bonus: for more middle grade greatness, check out Jill at The Owl's March of Middle Grade Books event!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Publication date: October 2011
Pages: 240
Source: Library
For: Cybils
Series: Yes, this is Book 1
 

Castle Glower is not your everyday garden variety castle.  It is constantly changing, moving around, creating new rooms or closets or stairs.  When Celie's parents disappear, though, things become a lot more difficult at home.  Diplomats from other countries are trying to take over the throne.  Can the Glower children protect their parents' throne - and the kingdom - with the help of their castle?

Things I Liked:
I fell in love with the castle right on the first page. This sweet and funny adventure in a castle with a personality all its own was such a delight to read! The Glower children were also fun to read about, Celie of course being my favorite. I liked the nice combination of the silly, funny, and serious that made this one a light but thoughtful book. Definitely a fun new series for MG fans looking for magic and castles.  Sweet and just what one expects of a mg fantasy.  It even has some boy appeal, if they can get past the girly cover (which, is a big "if").

Things I Didn't Like:
I was just a touch disappointed in the ending, since it seemed a bit hurried, unexplained, and convenient. There were some hard things to face, but it almost seemed like they were too easily taken care of. Not much in the way of explanation for Celie's parents being gone so long, particularly as this is a big plot point. But, still an enjoyable read.

Read-alikes:
Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Anything Gail Carson Levine
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none 

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: none 

Overall rating: ****

Would you want to live in a castle that is constantly changing?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd)
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication date: September 2011
Pages: 224
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review (and Cybils)

When Conor wakes up one night with a monster outside his window, he isn't afraid.  He expected a monster, ever since his mom started her cancer treatments.  But this monster is different, and he wants something painful from Conor.  Will Conor be able to face this monster that pushes his understanding of himself and his mother beyond what he is comfortable with?

Things I Liked:
This is a thoughtful and tough little book.  I liked the combination of realistic situations and real tragedy as well as a sort of fantasy element.  I think this book is one that I'd definitely label magical realism.  I was interested in the monster - what it was, what it represented, why it was there, what it was doing, etc.  I think the idea of it and the things we slowly understand about it make the book compelling.  But really, it is the ideas and the hard look at what life is like when you have a terminally ill family member that make this unforgettable.  I liked how it wasn't glossed over, how Conor made mistakes and the struggles he has fitting his home life and his school life together.  The issues he faces and the personal demons are so realistic they will make you cry.  A lot.  Beautiful story, beautifully told.  I first read the book on my kindle (thank you NetGalley), but hated the format for the illustrations (which was more like a non-format).  I did finally check it out from the library and got to appreciate fully the beauty of those illustrations.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, I found some of the details of the monster's story a bit distracting from Conor's story.  There were some really complex and abstract concepts thrown around in relation to Conor and I am quite sure I didn't fully grasp them.  I kind of wanted something I could nail down and understand.  And I really questioned the kid-appeal of this one for the Cybils.  I just couldn't see a general interest in such a dark and sometimes quite depressing book.  Something that I can't quite put my finger on is holding me back from giving this one five stars.  But I absolutely recommend it.

Read-alikes:
This one is pretty unique, maybe a little like Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
one or two

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: -> 
not so much violent as raw and a bit scary in places

Overall rating: **** 

What did you love about this book?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication date: October 2011
Pages: 336
Source: Library
For: Fun (and then for Cybils)

Solveig and her siblings are sent for their own safety to a small frozen fjord while their father the king goes off to war.  But this isolated place may not be as safe as they first imagined as the small group of servants and warriors appears to be harboring a traitor.  Can they figure out who it is before it's too late?

Things I Liked:
I read this one at the very end of 2011 and you probably don't remember it was one of my favorites of the year.  The whole experience of reading this book blew me away (or more accurately entranced me).  The book is very atmospheric.  I loved how the characters are in this claustrophobic icy prison and the tension is slowly building to find out who among them is the traitor.  Every detail on every page seemed to draw you into this place of unimaginable cold and mounting fear and mistrust. I fell in love with Solveig and the things she learns and the ways she grows up.  Not your usual heroine, she is a plain middle child with no great purpose in life.  It is during this winter imprisonment that she begins to find a place and grow and accept who she is and what she can do.  I love her growth over the novel.  The whole story is constructed so carefully and it comes together so well that I almost never wanted them to leave their frozen prison.  An absolute gem for me!  Some good quotes:

Can your sword grant immortality?  Because my voice can.  You would defend the king's body, an honorable endeavor, but I would defend his legend.  Which do you think will outlast the other, Captain? p 19

A story is not a thing.  The question you must ask is what a story has the power to do.  The truth of something you do is very different from the truth of something you know.  p 64

Stories give you a way to see things.  A way to understand the events of your life.  Even if you don't realize it while you're hearing the tale. p173

The weeks are relentless.  The days are stretching, lengthening, as though someone is spinning the gray wool of winter-light into golden thread.  p 183

Things I Didn't Like:
I honestly can't remember anything I didn't like about this book.  I know some of my fellow Cybils panelists thought there were too many characters to keep track of, but it didn't bothered me.  It might move a bit slowly for some as well, but I didn't notice that either.  I just loved this one through and through!

Read-alikes:
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none 

mrg-factor: X 
maybe a bit implied, nothing on page

v-factor: ->-> 
with berserkers, what do you expect?

Overall rating: ***** 

What book do you adore that seems to get very little attention?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy, Randall Wright, and Barry Moser

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy, Randall Wright, and Barry Moser
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Publication date: October 2011
Pages: 256
Source: Library
For: Cybils

Skilley, an unusual alley cat, manages to secure his place as mouser in the Cheshire Cheese, an inn famous for - what else - its delicious cheese.  When he meets Pip, an equally unusual mouse, and one who discovers Skilley's darkest secret, they form an odd friendship that will be tested in more ways than either can imagine. 

Things I Liked:
What a fun and clever book!  I loved the Dickensian feel of the story, especially how Dickens and other historical figures of the time were woven into this sweet little tale of friendship and loyalty.  All of us on the Cybils panel were pleasantly surprised to find that, not only was this a delightful animal tale, but it had a depth and character that made it stand apart from the pack.  And I truly loved the illustrations - they went just perfectly with the text and feeling of the story.  It's just perfect for lovers of Dickens or animal tales or just plain Old English fun!

Things I Didn't Like:
I wondered if kids would enjoy it quite as much as adults, especially since it has lots of references to Dickens: War and Peace, Great Expectations, etc.  I think it might not be as fun for them if they aren't familiar with his stuff.  But, as was mentioned in the blurb from our panel, the hope is that they will remember this fun book when they get older and appreciate it more as they become more familiar with Dickens.  It certainly isn't necessary to be a Dickens fan to love this book, though!  So happy that it took home a Cybils prize.

Read-alikes:
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none 

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: none 

Overall rating: **** 

Perfect timing for Dickens' 200th birthday! What's your favorite Dickens-related book?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Be My Valentine, Cybils Winners

What better day to announce the Cybils winners than a day devoted to love!  Since I already posted a heart-loving list yesterday, I figured today should be a post about my love of Cybils. 

This year marks my third time participating as a Round II Judge (I'm not quite up to the crazy that those Round I folks do) on the MG Sci-Fi/Fantasy panel.  Every year is different, but so much fun!  I love the diverse and wonderful books the Round I judges pass on to us.  I especially love discovering fabulous new books that I might not have picked up otherwise.  Chatting with the other panelists, hearing their opinions and seeing things from a new point of view is also one of my favorite things.  And I'm so pleased with the books that won, particularly our panel's choice, The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale.  I'll let you read the beautiful blurb one of our members wrote, since it explains so well why we all loved this book.  I'm hoping to get my review up for this delicious book today or tomorrow.

Check out all of the winners for all of the categories (shout out for Blood Red Road and Amelia Lost taking home prizes) and then express your love for those winners or for the Cybils or just for reading in general.  It's the perfect day for it.

What Cybils winner are you loving?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Happy Cybils New Year!

Just dropping you a note to let you know the Cybils finalists were announced today! Yeah! What a fabulous bunch of books they are too. I'm judging on the Middle Grade Fantasy/Sci-fi panel again this year and I've read three of the seven finalists, which means I get to discover four more delightful books! Be sure to check out all the finalists in the other categories, since there are loads of great books to be found.
Hope you are all enjoying a great start to 2012!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Community Events: Stuff I Should Have Posted About Earlier

So, I'm completely slower-than-average about posting community events, but I just wanted to do the better-late-than-never shout out to two I'll be participating in:
 

 
First up, Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon is coming up on October 22nd and I will be hosting the Book Puzzle Mini-Challenge again.  I seriously doubt I'll have much time to commit to reading this time, but I can't seem to pass the event by completely.  If you're partcipating, be sure to drop by and check out the mini-challenge, even if you don't plan to do it.  If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to head to the sign-up page and do it (you know, if you want, no pressure :)
 

 
And second, it's Cybils time!  Nominations for books are open (if you haven't heard, they've been open for a while now) so check out what's been nominated and get your favorites on the list!  Also, I'm on the Round 2 Judging Panel again this year for MG Fantasy/Sci-Fi, so be sure to nominate some awesome books in that category :)  I'm so excited to do this again, since it's always a treat working with people to pick a book we can all agree best fits the Cybils criteria. 
 

Are you participating in these events?  Any other community events I should know about?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780316056090
Source: Library (for Cybils)

Jacob Reckless has slipped from his world into the mirror world for years with no real regrets.  But, when his younger brother follows him there, they are met with disaster.  As his brother is being changed by dark magic, Jacob must find a way to reverse the magic, before it is too late for all of them.

Things I Liked:
I really loved the fairy tale aspect of the book.  There were subtle mentions and little parts that felt familiar, because they came from recognizable fairy tales - the magical objects, in particular.  I just loved the way the tales were twisted into the story as if they belonged there.  There was also action and adventure and lots of twists and turns, and no truly happy ending.  There was some of Funke's truly lovely writing as well (though I guess that might be the translator's doing...).  A solid book for fairy tale fans and lovers of Funke's Inkheart books. Some favorite parts:

The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal.  The ticking of a clock.  The groan of a floorboard as he slipped out of his room.  All was drowned by its silence.  But Jacob loved the night.  He felt it on his skin like a promise.  Like a cloak woven from freedom and danger.  p 1

The second chamber contained Witches' artifacts.  The Chamber of Miracles made no distinction between the healers and the cannibals.  Knives that had separated human flesh from bone lay right next to needles that healed wounds with a single stitch and owl feathers that restored the power of sight.  There were also two of the brooms on which the healing Witches were able to fly as fast and as high as birds, as well as some gingerbread from the deadly houses of their man-eating sisters.  p 345

Things I Didn't Like: 
I read this book for Cybils and all of us agreed it was more suited to an older teen/adult reader.  There was not anything particularly "naughty" but the themes and the way its written seem very mature to me (the characters are nearly all adults, no children).  Jacob is not someone easy to identify with and he's not particularly likable.  Also, mixed in with the lovely writing were some very awkward phrases and sentences.  Kind of hit and miss for me.

Read-alikes:
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few here and there

mrg-factor: X
some implied

v-factor: ->->->
definitely some action violence and frightening imagery

Overall rating: ****

  Did you like or dislike this one? What about Funke's other works?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780399252228
Source: Library (for Cybils)

 

When Teddy moves into a new neighborhood, he is nervous about starting over making new friends.  But making friends is the least of his problems, when he is being scared to death by the creepy old house next door and its enormous old tree.  The kids he does meet seem a bit strange and they keep disappearing in mysterious ways.  Can Teddy figure out what is going on before he himself disappears?

Things I Liked:
This was a deliciously creepy story.  I'm not a fan of horror or scary stories generally, but this one was quite good.  I loved the disturbing situation that Buckingham created for Teddy and especially the evil tree force.  It is an imaginative and really vivid story that will have you breaking out in goosebumps and watching out for trees over your shoulder.  A perfect Halloween read, I'd say (too bad I read it in January). Here are some atmospheric parts:

Teddy backed away from the old house, a little spooked that he'd been so drawn to its rickety porch.  He felt for the steps behind him with his foot, but when he eased down off the porch, his shoe caught on something.  As he fell, he made a grab for the rail, but his hand glanced off and dragged across a loose nail instead.  In the hot sun, the rusty metal felt strangely cold slicing into his wrist.  p 8

The branch quivered behind the nightstand, making Teddy's heart pound as he imagined a rattlesnake curled around the end that was beneath his bed, shaking with its eagerness to strike.  Or maybe a swarm of scorpions or black widow spiders pouring in on the branch from outside to scatter across his floor, creep up the walls, and crawl over his mattress.  Or could it be something even worse? p 27

Things I Didn't Like:
The fantasy element in the story was not very clear to me.  I struggled to understand parts of the story and how it would work.  Also, many of the characters were very flat, particularly the adults.  I felt like one character made an appearance early on and then sort of dropped out of the story all together, without much explanation.  I also felt like the prologue kind of ruined the mystery of the book by essentially telling us what was happening right away.  It was still good and creepy, but not quite Neil Gaiman. 

Read-alikes:
Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
definitely some creepiness and also a bit of gore

Overall rating: ***

How much creep-factor do you like in a book?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780061833663
Source: Library (for Cybils)

Mack is not the kind of guy you would pick as a hero.  He has phobias for nearly everything and he gets picked on at school.  But when a visitor from the past identifies him as one of twelve Magnifica - a kind of super hero - he must find in himself a power and magic beyond what he expected.  And then he must find the other eleven Magnifica to help him defeat an ancient evil.

Things I Liked:
This book's greatest strength is its humor.  I literally laughed at every page.  At times, it seemed like a spoof of fantasy and comic book-like heroes, which just made it all the funnier.  The golem was my favorite source of laughs as well - his notes made some of the less interesting parts bearable.  Mack was an interesting character, definitely not your typical hero, but more like a typical wimp who gets picked on.  This is the start of an action-packed and humor-infused series that tween boys should devour.  Just a hint of the fun:

Some were rich, as evidenced by their numerous teeth, their excellent clothing - two of the Magnifica had actual buttons - and their superior education.  The others were poor and wore coarse grain sacks with holes for arms and neck.  Some were really poor and wore nothing but strategically placed tufts of grass attached with mud - uncomfortable at the best of times and rather disastrous in a heavy rain. p 127

Shut your vile, filthy, fruit-chewing mouth, you low, slow, soggy bag of water; you sweat-oozing, cheese-scented wad of pulp mounted on toothpicks; you barely animated mistake of nature. p 186

Things I Didn't Like:
Aside from the humor and action, not much really happens in the book.  It felt very much like an introduction to a story without getting past the introduction; only giving us get a glimpse of what is to come.  Also, as several folks on the Cybils panel with me noted, it felt very commercialized with all the website tie ins.  The plot just didn't hold together well and all the characters other than Mack were not developed enough.  The flashbacks to ancient times kind of distracted from the story, rather than pulling it along.  Still, it will provide entertainment, if nothing else.

Read-alikes:
The 39 Clues series by various authors
A bit like The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some bullying and a few scary creatures

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: August 2010
ISBN: 9780316043076
Source: Library

Lanesha has never had much in the world.  What she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, who has taken care of her since she was a baby.  Mama Ya-Ya has a gift for being able to see the future, so when she catches a glimpse of Hurricane Katrina coming for their Ninth Ward home in New Orleans, she sees devastation.  Lanesha must draw upon the strength within herself in order to save both of them from the destruction.

Things I Liked:
This was such a sweet story with great characters.  I'm surprised it didn't have more of a Newbery following, since it seems very much like one adults would love and cherish and choose for awards.  It is beautifully written with some powerful and heart-breaking things that happen to Lanesha.  In fact, it was also a bit terrifying to actually feel what it must have been like during the hurricane and flooding after.  I loved Lanesha for her strength and the way she saw things, not to mention the supportive adults in her life, her teacher and of course Mama Ya-Ya.  A well-written tear-jerker that portrays what it might have been like during Hurricane Katrina.  Some favorite parts:

I need everything Mama Ya-Ya teaches me.  And I need everything that school teaches me, too.  I need all the signs.  Dreams.  Words.  Word problems. Math.  Like air, they make my mind breathe. p 31

I start home but I don't run.  I walk.  Everything is topsy-turvy like in Alice in Wonderland.  Except it's a white cloud's fault, not a rabbit hole's.  A white cloud spinning across the TV has turned my neighborhood upside down, inside out. p 86

Things I Didn't Like: 
As I mentioned, I think this is one that adults will love, but kids are not going to be as eager to pick it up or as thrilled to read it.  The fantasy elements are pretty light, almost an afterthought.  But, it is a sweet story that some fans of more realistic fiction will enjoy.

Read-alikes:
Kinda like One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Kept reminding me of (a much younger) Ruined by Paula Morris (but really only for the ghosts and the New Orleans setting)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some scary parts during the storm and flood

Overall rating: *****

Would you have loved a book like this as a child?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Dragonbreath and Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon

Double Feature is an occasional feature where I discuss/review two books, often comparing and contrasting characters or elements that were similar or different.  I try my best to not include spoilers, or to give a spoiler warning before them, but because these reviews are more in-depth than regular reviews, it is possible there might be some plot points given away.  Read at your own risk.

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
Publisher: Dial
Publication date: June 2009
ISBN: 9780803733633
Source: Library 

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon
Publisher: Dial
Publication date: February 2010
ISBN: 9780803733657
Source: Library

 

Summary book 1:
Danny Dragonbreath definitely is not your typical student at the amphibian/reptile school he attends.  Being the only mythical creature there, it is especially hard to not be able to breathe fire and prove he is a dragon.  But, when he doesn't do so well on his report of the ocean, he can call on his cousin the sea serpent to help him out.  Actually seeing and touching underwater creatures, especially the giant squid, is much more thrilling than simply reading about them.

Summary book 2:
In Danny and Wendell's next adventure, the foreign exchange student Suki is being stalked by ninja frogs.  The boys must visit Japan in order to find out just why those ninja frogs are after her.  Can Danny find his fire breathing abilities in time to save them from the deadly frogs?

Things I Liked about both:
The books are short and so, so funny. They have this quirky cast of reptiles, amphibians and, of course, Danny the dragon.  He and his best pal Wendell the iguana sound very much like typical tween boys, avoiding homework and bullies left and right, having first time crushes on cute girls.  It is full of tween humor and absolute silliness, plus the mix of comic strips, illustrations, and text make these books an easy choice for reluctant readers. Here are some of my favorite funny parts from both:

Danny hated standing still for anything.  It was just dragonish nature.  Dragons slept on their hoards, they fought knights, they occasionally flew around terrorizing peasants, but they didn't usually stand still.  (It's worth noting that Danny's parents had never terrorized a peasant in their lives, and Danny's mother always volunteered to bring goodies to the school bake sale, but really, it was the principle of the thing.) p 16-17, book 1

A ferocious predator, what the common potato salad lacks in bone structure, it more than makes up for in viciousness.  A school of potato salad can skeletonize a cow in under two weeks, assuming that the cow doesn't get bored and move. p 30, book 1

He was feeling rather disillusioned by the whole adventure.  Ninjas were apparently jerks, and Suki didn't want to be a ninja queen.  Plus, there was no super-secret kung fu technique for breathing fire, and the grand quest to find the enemies of the Spurtongue Clan involved a fifteen-minute walk and a mailbox.  If they made a king fu movie out of this adventure, it would probably be called Savage Fist of Boredom. p 106-107, book 2

Things I Didn't Like about both: 
They are very light on plot.  There isn't much purpose to the books, except to tell a funny story with maybe a little learning about the ocean or about Japanese culture on the side.  Simple, quick, and entertaining, but not much else.
 
Read-alikes:
Adventures of Ook and Gluk and other Dav Pilkey books

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS for both:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Shadows by Jacqueline West

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Shadows by Jacqueline West
Publisher: Dial
Publication date:
ISBN: 9780803734401
Source: Library (read for Cybils)

When Olive and her parents move into a big creepy old house, she is uneasy with some of the things she finds there.  The paintings all over are permanently stuck on the walls and she can't seem to get some of them out of her mind.  When she finds a pair of old spectacles that let her into the world of these paintings, little does she realize the dangerous place she has entered.

Things I Liked:
As I mentioned yesterday in my Cybils celebration post, this was the Cybils winner in the MG SF/Fantasy panel I was on this year.  I was quite happy it won, since it was my first choice almost from the beginning (though in pretty close competition with Fever Crumb, which I read last year).  But this book felt so unique to me!  I loved the intriguing, spooky atmosphere that West's writing created.  For such a short and rather simplistic book, it had a remarkably complex plot.  The writing was fantastic, with some great metaphors throughout that really brought it to life.  I was quite pleased that the story didn't turn out to be totally predictable as well, since I sometimes find (as an adult) that I know exactly what will happen in a kids book.  The ending also managed to be not quite happy and not entirely complete, but still somewhat satisfying.  A lovely, complex, and creepy story for younger Neil Gaiman fans.  Some favorite parts:

It was a muggy afternoon, but the old stone house was dark and cool inside.  Trailing along behind the rest of the group, Olive could feel the little hairs on her bare arms standing up.  Mr. Hambert, on the other hand, was sweating like a mug of root beer in the sun.  His cheeks were pushed up into two red lumps by his wide smile.  He could smell a sale, and it smelled as good as a fresh bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. p 4

The basement of the old house was made mostly of stone, with some patches of packed dirk poking through, and other patches of crumbling cement trying to hide the dirt.  The effect was like an ancient, stale birthday cake frosted by a blindfolded five-year-old. p 21

Mrs. Nivens and Mrs. Dewey both smiled at her sweetly.  Mrs. Dewey looked as if she had been made of round parts stacked on top of each other, like a snowman.  Mrs. Nivens was thin and blond, and looked like she had been carved out of a stick of butter.  Both of them looked like they would melt on a hot day. p 102

And, in a secret, selfish way, Olive was glad that Morton was stuck in one spot.  He couldn't leave or change or hide, like Horatio, when she needed him.  He was a bit like your favorite page in a book, one that you go back to and read to yourself over and over again, knowing that it will always be the same. p 137

Things I Didn't Like:
At times I was a little bit bored.  There wasn't non-stop action in the book, so it seemed to go slower in places.  There were some parts of the plot that seemed a bit manipulative as well, but I don't think it will bother kids much.  And Morton's ending seemed just a little bit too sad and incomplete for me, but there will be sequels to hopefully take care of that!

Read-alikes:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some scary stuff

Overall rating: ****

Are you clamoring to read Cybils winners or do you tend to avoid award winners?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Happy Cybils Day!

Yeah, the day has arrived!  Today I'm celebrating Cybils Day, since the Cybils winners were announced.  Hooray!  Go check out all the winners, but a gotta give a shout out to my panel's choice: 

Just a fantastic MG fantasy book that is reminiscent of Chronicles of Narnia and is just so great.  I'll post my review tomorrow :)  

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

A Little Cybils Cheer

I was so excited when I got the news that I'd get to be doing Cybils judging again!  I'm on the Round II panel for Elementary/MG Sci-fi and Fantasy.  I simply loved reading and talking about these kinds of books last year and I look forward to doing it again with these good people:

Kate Coombs, Book Aunt
Emily Mitchell, emilyreads
Nancy Tsai, Kidsmomo
Tanya Zavestoski Turek, Books 4 Your Kids

So, be sure to get your nominations in starting October 1.  And for more detailed info to get yourself all ready, check out Natasha's post What You Need to Know about the 2010 Cybils Awards.  

What books do you plan to nominate in this category?

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

I've been meaning to post about some things going on (or that already went on) in the blogging world.  So, in order to consolidate things, here they all are together.  

First, I wanted to mention the excellent Utah Book Blogging Social that took place last Saturday.  It was (as usual) fabulous.  While I didn't meet too many new bloggers (I really should have, though) I did get to chat with some old friends and get introduced to some new-to-me authors.  I will send you to look at Suey of It's All About Books' post with pictures.  This is very brave of me, since her photo of me is dreadful.  I'd love to list a bunch of the folks I met, but perhaps instead I will send you to look at the list that Natasha has created of us.  That will give you an glimpse at our numbers! Can't wait until February when we will hopefully be doing it again.

Being a librarian, I couldn't help myself from signing up for Steph Su's Banned Books Reading Challenge.  Obviously, the point is to read some books that have been challenged or banned to bring attention to them or to censorship in general.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to get in at least two challenged books between now and October 15.

1. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
2. Blubber by Judy Blume
3. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

And I've decided to throw myself into another new challenge.  I loved Lenore's Dystopian August, though I didn't get to appreciate it as much as it deserved while I was on vacation, and so I was super thrilled when Darren announced he was hosting the YA dystopian challenge.  I'm going for a level three wherein I hope to read at least five dystopian books between October 1st and December 19th.  We'll see how that goes!

1. Matched by Ally Condie
2. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
3. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
4. Hunger by Michael Grant
5. Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Next up, we have another Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon coming up on October 9th.  I've kind of been in a reading slump, not taking much pleasure in what I read, but doing it anyway for the sake of accomplishing something (and not falling farther behind in my review books).  I'm hoping this will help me get excited again (and not send me over the edge of insanity).  Either way, I'm probably going to take it easy and not attempt too much.  But, I still love to participate!

And finally, I was super excited to see that the Cybils are getting ready to start again.  Last year, I got to be a judge for the MG/Elementary sci-fi and fantasy category and I simply loved it!  I haven't signed up to be a potential judge again (yet), but I am thinking about it long and hard.  I don't know if I can stop myself!  Either way, you can head to the Cybils main page for more info on the award and on volunteering to judge.   

I think that about does it for me!  Hopefully you survived all that info and are not catatonic.  If so, quickly go read a book or a book review or something. 

And remember that at least I did not include my kitchen sink.