Book Review: Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One

The Pain and the Great One return in the 2008 Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One. (Judy Blume's first Pain and Great One chapter book, Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, came out in 2007.) This time the brother and sister duo face bullying at school, the dreaded school bus, name changes, pet show and tell, and art class.

Blume wrote The Pain & the Great One series for newly independent readers and the series is perfect for kids heading into kindergarten and the first through fourth grades. Blume's remarkable understanding of child psychology and trademark dialogue make The Pain & the Great One as important and entertaining as Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret is for older children. The Pain and the Great One narrate alternating stories each in distinct voices. The Great One is bossy, wants to stand out from the crowd (changes her name from Abigail to Violet Rose), and protective (goes after a bully who picks on the Pain). The Pain is inquisitive, sweet, and, of course, can be a pest. Take a look at how this conversation--narrated by the Pain--tells us all we need to know about the siblings (and their grandmother):

"'Grandma never should have given you that magnifying glass,' the Great One said. 'You're way too young.'

'Am not!'

'Are too!'

The next time Grandma came to visit, the Great One said, 'I don't think Jake is old enough to have his own magnifying glass.'

'I do,' Grandma said. 'He's interested in science.'

'Ha ha,' I said to the Great One. 'I'm interested in science.'

'I'm interested in science too,' the Great One said. 'Ms. Valdez is my favorite teacher and she teaches science.'

'I'm glad to hear that,' Grandma said.

'But no one ever gave me a magnifying glass from the science museum,' the Great One told her.

'Did you ever ask for one?' Grandma said.

'No.'

'Well, that explains it,' Grandma said. 'Now I know what you'd like for your next birthday.'"

Any child with a sibling will recognize the truth in this conversation. Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One is highly recommended for anyone with a sibling (or anyone who wants to rejoice in being an only child), anyone in elementary school, and anyone anywhere who enjoys a good story and great narration. Enjoy.

Book Review: Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One

Judy Blume is a hero of mine: She turns the everyday into humorous, entertaining, thought-provoking stories any child or teen can relate to and find solace in. So, when I was offered the opportunity to ask Judy Blume five questions for an upcoming September blog tour, I jumped at the chance and began reading the series she'll be talking about--The Pain and the Great One. (The third volume in this series for readers ages four to eight--Going, Going, Gone! With The Pain and the Great One--will be out this Fall.)

When I cracked open Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, I was in San Francisco visiting my sister.

"Wow," I said to her. "This book is great. But it seems familiar."

"It is familiar," she said. "Don't you remember? There's a Pain and the Great One story in Free to Be...You and Me. You were the Great One and I was the Pain."

Talk about a blast from the past. Once she mentioned me calling her "the Pain," it all came back. Free to Be...You and Me was a staple in our home. My sister and I had it memorized. I'm sorry I called you the Pain, Kara!

So after thirty three years Judy Blume brings the Pain and the Great One back for more adventures in the 2007 Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One. (The first The Pain and the Great One was published as a picture book in 1974.) And the Pain--a first-grade boy named Jacob--and the Great One--a third-grade girl named Abigail--are just as relevant as they were in the 1970s. Sibling rivalry never gets old.

In Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, the Pain faces a dreaded hair cut, plays soccer, and teases his sister. The Great One has bigger problems: She's in third grade and can't ride a bike. Even the Pain can ride a bike! Abigail has resorted to telling her friends she Rollerblades faster than they can bike and that her bike is broken anyway. It's a delicate situation and not the only sticky scenario Abigail faces: She also throws a half birthday party only one child can attend and changes her name to Violet Rose--an attempt at originality that fails miserably.

See? Everyday, humorous kid situations. But Blume's sympathetic touch and skillful narrative technique make Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One a winner. This book--a book written for newly emergent readers--had me turning the pages past midnight. The alternating narration between the Pain and the Great One works beautifully--each voice is distinct and neither the Pain nor the Great One dominates the story. Indeed, the story is forged from their two, and sometimes conflicting, points of view.

Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One is highly recommended for all children ages four to nine and to anyone of any age who has a sibling. Enjoy!

A review of Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One will follow later this week.

Book Review: Just Henry, by Michelle Magorian

I don't know if you've noticed, but the world isn't the most cheerful of places to be lately. Economic misery. Food shortages. War. Genocide. If I were a kid today, I'd want a good book to take me away from it all. Michelle Magorian's Just Henry is also set in a difficult time--in post war Britain (1949), when rationing is still in effect, when houses still standing are lived in amongst the ruins, when people's fathers are called deserters or heroes, regardless of the evidence.

Henry Dodge's father is one of the heroes--a man who saved another solider, but died in the effort. Henry now lives with his mother and his stepfather, Bill Carpenter, in Swansea, but Henry misses his real father terribly. Indeed, Henry wants to be just like his father: he aims for manual labor, instead of book learning; he despises his stepfather, who goes for a High School Certificate despite the fact he works on the trains; and Henry shuns the boys whose fathers are not so heroic--the sons of deserters and the illegitimate.

But everything changes for Henry when he enters his last year of school. First of all, he has a teacher, Mr. Finch, who is interested in him and his fellow last-formers, even though they've been written out of higher education because of poor exam results. Mr. Finch gives them a project--they can research whatever they're interested in, but they must research the topic as it was in the Victorian Era. Henry is obsessed with film--he works at the local grocery to earn money to go to the cinema--so, of course, chooses early cinema as his topic. Too bad the other two boys, who also choose film, are the sons of a deserter and an illegitimate boy.

Henry's world soon turns upside down. His Gran, who lives with Henry, Henry's mother and stepfather, warns Henry against associating with these two boys. But Henry's teacher and a new friend--an intelligent and independent woman named Mrs. Beaumont--tell Henry he must work with the social outcasts. Henry soon learns that his assumptions of others are ill-founded and that the world is changing. Henry must face the old world in order to live in the new.

There are many twists and turns in Just Henry's plot, so there's no point in outlining them all. This is a book whose pages you'll have to stop yourself from turning . (Or reread, if you just can't help speeding ahead.) Henry is a great character--one who grows up, adapts to the times, and finds his own way. There's much wish fulfillment in Just Henry. All the young people find a place in the new Britain. But, maybe, wish fulfillment and Just Henry is exactly what young people need today.

Just Henry is highly, highly recommended for all people ages ten and up.
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Just Henry was one of three books I wanted to find during my 12 days in the U.K. I checked every major bookstore I could find in the Highlands. Nothing! It was backordered. Finally I found an independent bookstore in Banchory where I picked up an autographed copy.

I checked re: U.S. publication dates and could find nothing.
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Michelle Magorian is author of one of my top-10 books for children: Goodnight, Mister Tom.

Book Review and Giveaway: Alec Flint Super Sleuth: The Nina, the Pinta, and the Vanishing Treasure

First--the book giveaway: Scholastic is running an Alec Flint, Super Sleuth contest. The first three people to e-mail jill@jillsantopolo.com with their mailing address, saying that they read this message on Big A little a and correctly cracking the coded message below will receive a free, autographed copy of The Nina, The Pinta, and the Vanishing Treasure. (Hint: The key to Alec and Gina's code is over on www.jillsantopolo.com)

Here's the coded message that needs to be cracked: RM ULFIGVVM SFMWIVW MRMVGB GDL, XLOFNYFH HZROVW GSV LXVZM YOFV.

Get to it, super sleuths!

Now for the review:

Children love a good mystery and Jill Santopolo's Alec Flint Super Sleuth: The Nina, the Pinta, and the Vanishing Treasure delivers.

Alec Flint is in the fourth grade and on a mission: He's in training to become a super sleuth. His training program is mostly self-designed, but Alec does have one great advantage--his dad's a police officer. One morning, when Mom is away on a business trip, Alec tags along with Dad on a case. At the local history museum, the Christopher Columbus exhibit has gone missing.

Like most fourth graders, Alec Flint is tired of Christopher Columbus and the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. But this is a mystery too good to miss. Now all he needs are some clues and a partner.

A partner shows up where Alec least expects one--in the form of the smartest girl in his math class, Gina Rossi. She has a mystery of her own troubling her: What happened to their art teacher, Ms. Blume? Ms. Blume is mising, right before her wedding, and no one can find her to unlock the art cabinet at the school. Gina's just the partner Alec needs. Not only is she smart, but she brings her own mystery to the team (and a secret code to boot).

Alec Flint Super Sleuth: The Nina, the Pinta, and the Vanishing Treasure is the first in a series of mysteries written for children just reading chapter books on their own. Although Alec is in the fourth grade, this mystery is perfect for children as young as six if they are reading fluently. Alec is a character children will relate to--he's an earnest kid who is just looking to improve his sleuthing skills. Alec Flint has a great future with the elementary school market: Start practicing your code today!

Book Review: Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce has done the impossible: He's made me read a book that involves space travel.* Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm one of those readers who will not read books that involve spacesuits, space vehicles of any kind, and weightlessness--fiction or non fiction. All those details about Mach this and Light Year that make me, well, space out.

The hero of Cosmic--Boyce's third novel for young adult readers--is much taller than his eleven-year-old peers. In fact, Liam is mistaken for an adult because of his height and facial hair. When he hangs out with his friend from theater group, a celebrity-obsessed girl named Florida, they pass as a father and child. They can enter shops off-limit to kids without accompanying parents! When Liam is mistaken for his father because of some cellphone shenanigans and wins a once-in-a-lifetime trip on a top-secret space rocket housed in China, he convinces Florida to accompany him as his child.+

When Florida and Liam arrive to China, they find they are one of four father-child teams. Liam takes to his role as "Dad" with great success, especially when matched against the other competitive father-son teams. One Dad and his kid are all about making money, another pair is all about success (Dad writes self-help books about overcoming fear and being successful), and the third pair is comprised of father-son math geniuses. Compared to his competition, Liam is an ordinary Dad--nothing special, really--but his eleven-year-old sense of fun and his true compassion for all the kids, not just Florida, sets him above his middle-aged pack.

While Cosmic does involve a trip around and to the moon, in the end it's about being a kid who has to grow up too fast. Liam is forced into adulthood because of his size, but his space-traveling peers have grown up too quickly because of their success-oriented parents. A good Dad, like Liam's own--who is home in Liverpool thinking his son is on a trip to the Lake District--and what Liam himself becomes on the space trip, allows his kids to grow up at their own pace and to have a little fun along the way.

I listened to Cosmic via an audible download because I could not wait for its July 30th release in the States. While the audiobook is fantastic, I wish I had the paper copy to quote from: There are so many funny and bittersweet lines on growing up and on being a dad in Cosmic. Still, narrator Daniel Ryan does a bang-up job bringing Liam and Cosmic to life. If you have a long roadtrip ahead of you, this audiobook is highly recommended for all children (and their parents) ages eight and up. As Liam would say--this book is cosmic!
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* Other than Frank Cottrell Boyce, only Ian McEwan, Kate Atkinson, and Philip Pullman could get me to read a book about space.
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+ I'm sure there is a better description than "cellphone shenanigans," but, again, as much as I love technology, I sure hate to read about it.
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Monica Edinger posted her review of Cosmic today too! You can find it here at educating alice.

One Shot World Tour: Canada

It's a new season and time for another One Shot World Tour. Last time we journeyed to Australia, and today we're headed to Canada. Colleen Mondor, organizer extraordinaire, hosts the roundup at Chasing Ray. Head on over to see what others are reading from Canada.




The One Shot World Tour coincides nicely with reviewing a book I'd planned on discussing anyway--The Unwritten Girl, by Canadian author James Bow.

The Unwritten Girl, published in 2006 by Dundurn Press, is the first in a series of Middle Grade novels starring a young teen girl named Rosemary Watson. Rosemary eschews fiction for non-fiction as she finds death and danger in novels too traumatic to bear.* In fact, the novel opens with Rosemary reading a science fiction novel: Just as events reach a terrifying climax, Rosemary hurls the book across the room and into the wall of her bedroom.

Life ticks along semi-calmly for Rosemary until her brother Theo begins acting strangely. He's non-responsive and won't let go of the book in his hand. Rosemary and her parents panic, because Theo's been sick before, suffering a mental breakdown and requiring treatment. Soon, however, Rosemary learns that Theo's new illness is not mental this time: It's literary. And, in order to save her brother, Rosemary must confront those characters she's abandoned in her reading past by traveling to the Land of Fiction and taking part in a series of tasks.

Accompanying Rosemary on her quest is new friend Peter, who must play the role of loyal friend and protector--a task assigned not by the author, but by the Land of Fiction itself. Rosemary and Peter also receive help from literary guide Puck. Rosemary, Peter, and Puck confront avenging knights, Oz-like magicians, and a sea of ink on their way to save Theo from a wicked character who wants to punish Rosemary for her fickle ways.

The Unwritten Girl is meta-fiction at its best and perfect for fans of fantasy and science fiction who will recognize many of the character types and conflicts in the novel. James Bow's prose is clear and uncomplicated, allowing the meta-narrative and the story to take center stage. The Unwritten Girl is highly recommended for readers ages 9-14 and is the first in a series of books featuring Rosemary and Peter. Based on this first volume, I will certainly read more.
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You know, I don't think I've ever used the word "eschew" in a review. But after this post yesterday at Paper Cuts (a NYT blog), I just had to fit it in to a review. (I am certainly guilty of overusing "compelling" and, on occasion, "lyrical.")

Book Review: Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid

A Preamble

I'm one of those moms who never censors what my children read. Occasionally I'll wince when a certain book comes home, but I truly believe any reading is good reading. Sure, my 12-year-old mixes Dickens and Wilkie Collins with some of the lamest YA I've run across. I won't lie. But she's a reader, and that's what's important. (She reads great YA too, don't get me wrong. She's reading Libba Bray's latest now.)

My newly-minted-7-year-old just checked out his first chapter book. He's gone from 0 to 60 in the reading department this year and he was so proud of his first selection: A Pokemon book. Did I wince? Absolutely. Am I thrilled to write down each chapter on his reading sheet for school? You bet I am. This is a day to be celebrated.

That being said, I've been browsing the library and the bookstore for youngish chapter books I think he'd like. Megan McDonald's Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid caught my attention right away. Now on to the review:

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid #1
by Megan McDonald, illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds

Stink is short. He's the shortest kid in his class, and the shortest kid in his family. But being short is the least of his problems. The biggest? His big sister is none other than Judy Moody and she happily reminds poor Stink that he's short.*

"Bad news," said Judy.
"What?" asked Stink.
"You're shorter than you were this morning. One quarter inch shorter!"

Poor Stink. It's difficult to be reminded of your short-comings on a daily basis, but he's an optimistic kid with a ton of energy. Stink loves school and participates wholeheartedly in taking care of the class pet (a painful chapter), in Presidents' Day activities, and in doing his homework. I loved the chapters concerning Stink's Presidents' Day homework assignments, assignments he devotes to his favorite President, James Madison. Stink's first name is also James, and James Madison was only 5 feet 4 inches tall.

McDonald writes in a winning easy-to-read style; her prose is contemporary, lively, and full of good humor. Peter H. Reynolds illustrates the Stink books both with friendly pencil drawings of Stink, his family, and his class and with Stink's wonderful comics. (Stink's comic strips are genius. They are both straightforward and nonsensical in the way only children's stories can be.)

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid is highly recommended for the new independent readers of the world.
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*My kids are Judy and Stink. The Stink books are for all the younger brothers of the world.

Review: Cassie Was here

Recently I complained about the seeming disappearance of quiet books for the Middle Grade reader. And, lo and behold, I received exactly the type of book I pined for in the mail the same week.

Cassie Was Here, by Longstocking Caroline Hickey, concerns the subject most important to preteen readers--friendship.* The novel opens as 11-year-old Bree plays with her best friend Joey. Bree's family has recently moved away from their home and from Bree's other best friend. It's summer, so Joey is Bree's lifeline in her new neighborhood. The problem is that Bree's family does not like Joey and forbids Bree to play with her. Why? Because Joey is Bree's imaginary friend from first grade who has reappeared to help Bree with this big transition in her life.

Bree's busy parents don't have to worry about Joey, however, because a new girl shows up in the neighborhood. Cassie is a precocious thirteen with many an intriguing secret. Her first act of friendship is to cut and dye Bree's long dark hair into a style matching Cassie's own. Now Bree's parents really have something to worry about: Bree's enthralled with Cassie and her rule-breaking ways.

Cassie Was Here is a quiet book. But it's also beautiful and true. The reader hopes Bree will make the right decisions and find an easier route into Middle School in a new town. Her struggles are so familiar, one sympathizes with Bree's flummoxed parents who wonder what in the world happened to their little girl. Most impressive about Cassie Was Here, is Hickey's characterization of Cassie. Cassie acts tough on the surface and her sheen is undeniably attractive to both Reid and Bree, but she's really a wounded little girl with a heart of gold. The lies and bravado are only her life jacket, and a deflated one at that.

Cassie Was Here is highly recommended for children ages nine to thirteen and is a must for the poor youngster heading off to middle school.

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*I maintain that the reason the Harry Potter series is so popular is not because of the magic, the creatures, the school, and the danger, but because of the friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Their finely-drawn friendship is what every child--heck, every adult--wants most of all.

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Other Blog Reviews:

Bildungsroman

MotherReader

One Shot World Tour: Australia

Best read with Vegemite!

Welcome to the One Shot World Tour taking us to Australia.

Today I'd like to introduce--or reacquaint--you with the Tashi books, written by mother-and-daughter team Anna and Barbara Fienberg and beautifully illustrated by Kim Gable.

I'd submit that writing early chapter books is the most difficult task of all for a writer. Kids this age, say 4-8 depending on reading skills, like predictability and the feeling of safety when venturing out on their own as new readers. I'll admit, though it pains me, that my daughter read every single MaryKate & Ashley book at this age and that I bought them for her.

The Tashi series is a breath of fresh air for the early chapter book market in the U.S. The first fourteen Tashi books have been beautifully reissued this year by Allen & Unwin. (The first Tashi books were published beginning in 1995 in Australia.) I've read all fourteen, one after the other, to my six year old and he's ready to start again from the beginning. And, guess what? I'm not dreading it--because the Tashi books are lively, entertaining, and, most importantly, literary at their core.


Indeed, most important to the Tashi series is storytelling. Each book is framed in exactly the same way: Tashi has a story to tell to his best friend Jack. Sometimes, Tashi tells his story to Jack and Jack's parents. And, sometimes, Jack himself is the narrator--retelling Tashi's story to his parents. Each story (except for the first) is framed in exactly the same way, providing the familiarity children of this age so desperately desire. When Tashi launches into each thrilling tale, he begins, "it was like this."

Tashi himself comes "from a place very far away" and dresses quite a bit like a young elf. His stories--and this is what I like most about the series--are all modified versions of fairy tale classics and take place in Tashi's home village. Tashi is a trickster character--forced to use his smarts to overcome the Baba Yaga, giants, ghosts, demons, dragons, and all manner of mythical creature. Each Tashi volume--again, except for the first--contains two stories, each perfectly sized for a bedtime reading. Be careful, though, or your youngster may trick you into two.

Kim Gable's illustrations are also perfectly suited to early chapter books. Each volume is graced by a full-color cover, while pencil sketches illustrate nearly every page of the text. Gable's style is friendly, but lush: forests are appropriately scary, but monsters--like The Big Stinker to the left here--have just enough humor to them to save young readers from nightmares.

The Fienbergs' style is lively and entertaining, and their authorial intent clear: There's always time for a good story. Sit down, listen, and enjoy.

Tashi
Tashi and the Giants
Tashi and the Ghosts
Tashi and the Genie
Tashi and the Baba Yaga
Tashi and the Demons
Tashi and the Big Stinker
Tashi and the Dancing Shoes
Tashi and the Haunted House
Tashi and the Royal Tomb
Tashi: Lost in the City
Tashi and the Forbidden Room
Tashi and the Stolen Bus

The Tashi books are perfect for the classroom as well and will find their best use in the first through third grades. Consider donating the series to a classroom or library today. (The publisher has Teacher's notes, as well as coloring sheets and activities, available here at the Tashi page.)

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Other Aussie authors saluted today:

The Seven Imps interview Margo Lanagan after reviewing her new book, Red Spikes, yesterday.

Kelly Fineman talks Melina Marchetta.

Jenn at Not Your Mother's Bookclub interviews Simmone Howell

Chicken Spaghetti reviews Kathy Hoopmann's award winning All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome. (How totally true is that title?)

Gwenda at Shaken and Stirred is busy. She discusses How Sassy Changed My Life, The Red Shoes, by Ursula Dubosarsky, and talks with Margo Lanagan.

Jen Robinson discusses John Marsden's Tomorrow series.

Finding Wonderland talks Penni Russon and Jaclyn Moriarty. (They also have a bonus feature up today: Top Five Reasons for Vegemite.)

Little Willow discusses Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman

Liz at A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy it is all about Catherine Jinks and her four Pagan books.

Jackie at Interactive Reader posts about Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big in This? and John Flanagan's The Icebound Land.

Trisha at The Ya Ya Yas interviews Queenie Chan.

Betsy talks more about John Marsden (and his amazing book, The Rabbits) and also highlights a new Hot Man of Literature: Andy Griffiths.

Jenny Davidson has interviewed mystery author Peter Temple.

Mother Reader posts on Am I Right or Am I Right? by Barry Jonsberg.

And, our organizer extraordinaire, Colleen Mondor, discusses Nick Earls' books at Chasing Ray.

Enjoy Australia, mates!

Review: The Puzzling World of Winston Breen

When Winston Breen gives his sister a beautifully patterned keepsake box for her birthday, he doesn't expect much gratitude. He knows Katie won't be impressed, as much as he was intrigued by the diamond pattern on the box's lid. And, Katie isn't impressed. After all, who gives a ten-year-old girl an empty box for her birthday? She's sure Winston is up to something.

In searching for Winston's trick, Katie finds a secret compartment in the box--a secret compartment containing four wood sticks with puzzle clues. Winston's ill-considered gift is even more ill-considered than he thought! You see, Winston is a puzzle freak and now this ultimate puzzle is in his sister's hands.

With a little research, Winston learns that the box belonged to one of the four Fredericks' children. Mr. Fredericks was the richest man in town, and he gave his children four sticks each upon his death. By working together, the Fredericks' children would find a treasure Fredericks' left for them. Only it didn't work out that way. The Fredericks' children fought to the end. In fact, only one of them, a town librarian named Mrs. Lewis, is still alive when Winston purchased the box.

But that doesn't mean Mr. Fredericks' puzzle remains unknown. Professional puzzle hunters are on the case and Mrs. Lewis decrees that they must all work together to solve the case.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen is a fast-paced, puzzle-filled mystery for the Middle Grade reader. Readers work puzzles along with Winston, so this book is the perfect choice for any child who loves a good mystery and working puzzles. Winston is a compelling character--a nice kid who will stop everything to solve a difficult puzzle. Central to the novel as well is working through sibling rivalry. Mr. Fredericks' wanted his children to work together to solve his puzzle. His last remaining daughter regrets they never did and advises Winston to learn from her mistakes.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen is classic Middle Grade fiction, best suited for children ages 8-12.

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Other blog reviews:

A Fuse #8 Production
Jen Robinson's Book Page
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The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, by Eric Berlin. G.P. Putnam's Soons, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-399-24693-7.

Review: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover

Imagine your dad were running for President of the United States. This scenario is conflict in and of itself, but now add to the mix issues of foreign adoption, race, and a press gone mad. That's Sameera (Sparrow) Righton's life at the end of her sophomore year of high school in Mitali Perkins' First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover.

Sameera leaves her multinational high school in Brussels for the craziness of a presidential campaign in the States. She'll miss her friends--who are from all over the world--but she's determined to help campaign for her father and, so, relies on her MyPlace page to keep in touch with her friends.

Upon her arrival she's met by Tara, Dad's PR person who is in charge of the Rightons' image. Sameera gets all dolled up in Beverly Hills and Tara's webguy creates and writes a Sameera blog, complete with manga-like Sameera images. Sameera likes the real makeover, but the virtual one chafes. When discussions of her "race" (Sameera was adopted by the Rightons in Pakistan) turn up in the press, Sameera goes along with Tara and the webguy, allowing her image and even her name to be changed--to Sammy.

When the press shows up to Sameera's summer haven--her grandparents house in Ohio--she's had enough. She returns to Washington to be with her parents and takes control of her own image, starting up her own blog (Sparrow Speaking! Listen Up!) and even making friends with members of a George Washington University group, South Asian Republican Students.

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover isn't about politics or, even, the presidential elections. It's about fame, finding one's own true voice, and being responsible for your own image. Sameera is a likable, strong female character and you'll cheer for her triumphs and discoveries.

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover is the first in a series--one I'm certain will be a hit with readers ages ten and up.
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Sameera (Sparrow) Righton is on a blog tour. Here's her schedule:

Monday, 6/11: 5 Minutes For Mom and Jennifer Snapshot
Tuesday, 6/12: Big A little a
Wednesday, 6/13: Semicolon
Thursday, 6/14: Jen Robinson's Book Page
Friday, 6/15: Little Willow
Monday, 6/18: Sara's Hold Shelf

This is the first time a fictional character will visit my blog and I'm excited to get to know her better.

Review: The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse, volume 3 in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, is as action-fueled, thrilling and humorous as its predecessors.

The action begins when Percy's mother drops him, Annabeth (daughter of Athena), and Thalia (daughter of Zeus), off at Westover Hall, a boarding school in Maine. They had been summoned by Grover, satyr and Percy's best friend, who identified two children there as demigods. Before long, the trouble begins in the form of the Headmaster/manticore, and Percy and friends are on the run. In a struggle, Annabeth disappears, while Percy, Thalia, the two newly identified half-bloods (the di Angelo twins), and Grover encounter Artemis and her hunters.

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, travels only with girls who achieve immortality by forsaking "the company of men" and "accept eternal maidenhood." She helps Percy and company back to Camp Half-Blood by summoning her twin brother, Apollo. Shortly thereafter, Artemis herself disappears and the prophecy states that a group of five must save Artemis (and Annabeth), an Ophiotaurus (a sea cow), and prevent Olympus from being overthrown.

The Titan's Curse serves up the action and the thrills, but goofy humor is present throughout. Consider this exchange when Apollo appears to escort Percy and friends back to camp:

"...he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. 'I feel a haiku coming on.'

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

Green grass breaks through snow.
Artemis pleads for my help.
I am so cool.

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

'That last line was only four syllables,' Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. 'Was it?'

'Yes. What about I am so big-headed?'

'No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm.' He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to us. 'Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta--'

'I've got it!' Apollo announced. 'I am so awesome. That's five syllables!''

While The Titan's Curse is told from Percy's perspective, as are The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse is much more an ensemble novel than the previous two. We learn more about Thailia, daughter of Zeus, and about relationships between the gods. Percy is also more grown up and less angst-ridden than previously, ready to take on the challenges of the future and to take his place as a hero.

The Titan's Curse is highly recommended for Middle Grade readers. As an aside, I'll mention that my six-year-old son loves the Percy Jackson series in audio format.

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Other Blog Reviews:

Becky's Book Reviews
A Fuse #8 Production
Scholar's Blog

Review: Skulduggery Pleasant

Okay, adventure junkies, have I the book for you. Derek Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant brings the adventure, the magic, and the page-turning thrills every child over the age of ten desires.

Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley had a normal life in Haggard, Ireland, until her uncle passed away:

"Gordon Edgley's sudden death came as a shock to everyone--not least himself. One moment he was in his study, seven words into the twenty-fifth sentence of the final chapter of his new book, And the Darkness Rained upon Them, and the next he was dead. A tragic loss, his mind echoed numbly as he slipped away."

Frankly, I was hooked from this paragraph alone.

At the reading of Gordon's will, Stephanie learns she is her Uncle's heir and she meets a curious thin man named Skulduggery Pleasant. Turns out there's a good reason Skulduggery is thin--he's a skeleton. A skeleton who can also do magic. When Stephanie is attacked on her first night in her Uncle's home, Skulduggery comes to her rescue and they're thrown together in a fight for The Scepter of the Ancients--a magical object Gordon Edgley owned and one that can destroy anything in its path.

Reading this basic plot description might lead you to think that Skulduggery Pleasant is like many a fantasy tale you've read before. But Landy has brought some new touches to the genre. First of all, the warring magicians are not evenly divided into camps of good and evil. There are a fair number of diplomats in the mix as well--magicians who don't see their role as taking either side. This, Stephanie must learn, doesn't mean they are evil, just that you can't call on them for support in a crisis. Secondly, Stephanie and Skulduggery make a great team. Stephanie is an intelligent, snarky girl, and Skulduggery is more amused, than annoyed by her. Take this piece of banter as an example:

"'Is this the same as the way into the Sanctuary?' she asked 'Are you looking for a secret passageway?'

'You watch too many haunted-house movies,' he said.

'But are you looking for a secret passageway?'

'Yes,' he admitted. 'But that's just a coincidence.'"

Landy's talent as a screen writer shows--Skulduggery Pleasant features one great action scene after another. Despite the danger and darkness of Stephanie's new magical world, Skulduggery Pleasant remains a bright Gothic read due to Skulduggery's winsome personality and Stephanie's sense of humor and bravery. Highly, highly recommended for readers ages ten and up.
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I'd like to tell you more about Skulduggery Pleasant, but my 11-year-old child is threatening to leave home unless I hand it over now. You can check out Skulduggery's website and weirdly awesome video here.

Review: Louisiana's Song

Louisiana's Song is the second volume in Kerry Madden's charming Maggie Valley trilogy. Set in North Carolina's Smokey Mountains in the early 1960s, Louisiana's Song tells the tale of the Weems family through the eyes of twelve-year-old Livy (Two) Weems.

There are ten children in the Weems family, so when dad is injured in a car accident times are hard. Even more troubling for the Weems family is the fact that Dad's memory has been altered and he's often confused and irritable. Mom and Grandma are worried about money, and Grandma, who has become the de facto head of the household, is threatening a move from the mountains to a nearby town so mom can find steady work.

Before you get any wrong ideas, let me tell you Louisiana's Song is not a problem novel nor is it a tale of rural woe. Instead the Weems family is hopeful, hardworking and full of joy and creativity. The older children find work and extra ways to make money. They band together as a team, make enough to get by, and have plenty of fun in the process. Livy convinces shy Louise (Louisiana of the title) to sell her art. Livy herself works in the bookmobile and tries to sell her songs to an agent in Nashville. (Her letters to the agent are pure genius.) Another sister gets a job in the pancake restaurant, and eldest son Emmett moves away to work at a local amusement park. Along the way, Livy takes her toddler siblings on fairy hunts and creates a beautiful pop-up book for them with the help of Louise and a local Mennonite girl.

Although the Weems family lives in near isolation, it's 1963 and times are turbulent and confusing. The novel ends when Kennedy was assassinated and Louise and Livy take Dad and their younger siblings on a fairy hunt to avoid their shocked mother and grandma. When Dad disappears, Livy and Louise have to find the courage to make things right.

Louisiana's Song is a beautifully written novel for intelligent readers ages nine and up. Livy Two is a compelling narrator with a heart of gold. The novel ends with a big question: Will the Weems family leave Maggie Valley? I for one can't wait to find out, but will have to as Jessie's Mountain won't be out until 2008.
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Louisiana's Song will be available on May 17.

I've interviewed Kerry Madden for the May issue of The Edge of the Forest (up May 10).

Review: The Friskative Dog

This review was written by Alice Herold

The Friskative Dog, by Susan Straight, is about a fourth grade girl, Sharron, who has a stuffed dog given to her by her father. The dog's name is Friskative because he's always leaping around on her bed. Sharron's father, a truck driver, disappeared on a long run to Atlanta and never came back! He didn't answer his cell phone. People at his work claimed there was no scheduled run to Atlanta. The police were involved but it had been over a year since his disappearance. Is it any wonder Sharron keeps Friskative on his leash even when they sleep?

One day Friskative Dog disappears too! Read this charming book to discover what happened to Sharron's dad and her stuffed dog.

I like this book because it depicts the strength we women have. Sharron's paternal grandmother shares no blood with Sharron's mother but nevertheless loved her and supported her like a mother would. Of course, they had Sharron in common and the grandmother states, "That makes love."

The author has written several books for adults but this one is her first for children. I look forward to many more. (An aside...she lives 30 miles from where I live!)
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Editorial note: The Friskative Dog, at 160 pages, is a true Middle Grade title intended for children 8-12 and, in fact, skews towards the younger end of this group. I love the cover too!

Review: Greetings from Planet Earth

It's 1977 and twelve-year-old Theo is obsessed with space. So he's excited when his science teacher, Mr. Meyer, tells the class that the Voyager probes will "each...carry a golden record: a message, in pictures and sounds, from Earth to any aliens out there in space." Mr. Meyer charges the class to bring in one picture and one minute of sound conveying "what they thought was most important about Earth."

Without getting into what an amazing teacher Mr. Meyer is, let me tell you that this project gets Theo thinking. And he has quite a bit to figure out. You see, Theo's father never came home from the Vietnam War and Theo's mother doesn't want to talk about it. In fact, she tears up whenever Theo asks a question. Fortunately, Theo's grandmother, JeeBee, recognizes that Theo wants answers and helps him by talking about Theo's father and sharing his letters from Vietnam.

As Theo searches for the answer to what is most important about Earth, he becomes more and more frustrated because he doesn't know what's most important about himself and his family. He finds out his mother has hidden all his father's letters to her and to Theo and his sister. JeeBee knows the answers, but she's still not to the end of the story. Theo's frustration boils to such a point that he destroys his airplane and spacecraft model collection.

Barbara Kerley skillfully weaves Theo's thoughts about space and space craft, told in first person, with Theo's story, told in third. Theo is a compelling character, thoughtful and bright, and we sympathize with his search for answers. The ending is a complete surprise, yet utterly plausible.

The parallels between 1977 and 2007 are difficult to ignore, as is the thematic role of secrets in the novel. Secrets, no matter how well meaning, damage a family and a community. And they're particularly dangerous for a child like Theo. As Mr. Meyer tells him, "I've met a lot of people in my life, Theo. People who truly examine things--examine themselves, even. And people who don't. I see it in school all the time--the kids who memorize for the test and the kids who really want to understand." Theo wants to understand, even if it is more difficult.

Greetings from Planet Earth is highly recommended for children ages nine to fourteen. It's the perfect Middle School novel--ideally suited for kids who are just beginning to question everything themselves.
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I requested this review copy from the publisher. I enjoyed Greetings from Planet Earth so much, I've invited Barbara Kerley to an interview here.

Check out Jules' interview with Barbara Kerley over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Review: Ivy and Bean

This review was written by Alice Herold

You can tell the author, Annie Barrows, and the illustrator, Sophie Blacknell, of Ivy and Bean have children because they successfully have captured the personalities of the two seven year old girls in Ivy and Bean.

Bean (Bernice, when people are mad at her) didn't want to become friends with the new girl, Ivy, who lived across the street. She would rather work on her one goal in life--annoying her big sister, Nancy.

But one day Bean discovers Ivy wants to become a witch as they decide to hatch a plan together (involving worms) to make Nancy dance and never stop. The trouble is Ivy thought of the spell but didn't say it aloud, so the plan was unsuccessful. The two girls, undeterred, think of a new plan involving grasshoppers. Read and enjoy the antics of two imaginative little girls in Ivy and Bean.

Review: Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times

Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times is a rip-roaring historical adventure for the Middle Grade reader.

L. Brittney places her hero, Nathan Fox, squarely into the world of William Shakespeare and Othello. Performing as a child actor, Fox is handpicked by Queen Elizabeth's master spy, John Pearce, to train for a mission in Venice. He's whisked away to London for in-depth study in a series of chapters children will enjoy greatly. At Master Robey's school, Nathan learns to fight with swords and guns, studies cryptography and stealth techniques, and comes into contact with a variety of colorful spies and weapons experts. Then he's on his way to Venice and into the world of international intrigue and personal treachery. (Iago, anyone?)

While adult readers know Othello's story, the intrigue and history of Venice and London in the age of Queen Elizabeth will thrill young readers. Brittney is especially skilled at atmosphere--bringing the filthy streets and the glamorous fashions of Venice to life. Nathan is an eager participant in dangerous missions, his joy only dampened when his older sister Marie is tapped to serve on the Venice mission as well. Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times is the first in a series and Nathan is sure to have many exciting adventures in the future.

If we can speak of a book's charisma, Nathan Fox has what Harry Potter and Percy Jackson share: compelling characters, a definite sense of place, and non-stop action. Pair this one with a retelling of Othello in a fourth- to sixth-grade classroom and you'll have a group of excited readers.
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Michele Fry recently reviewed Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times for The Edge of the Forest.

Check out the Nathan Fox website!

Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times was shortlisted for the 2007 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.

ETA: Nathan Fox is currently available in the U.K. and the U.K. edition is available through Amazon-Canada. The U.S. edition is being edited and should be out in Spring 2008.

Big book deal (and rags-to-riches backstory)

Derek Landy has scored a huge book deal (1 million British pounds) for a middle grade trilogy. (Owen Bowcott reports for the Guardian. Read the article for the rags-to-riches and cauliflower story.)

The first in the three-book series--Skulduggery Pleasant--comes out in the U.K. on April 2. It stars "a smartly-dressed skeleton detective and a 12-year-old girl."

ETA: Here's the video link (via A Fuse #8 Production).

Review: Being Teddy Roosevelt

Claudia Mills' Being Teddy Roosevelt is a small school story with a big punch. Aimed at the 1st- through 4th-grade reader, Being Teddy Roosevelt stars Riley, a fourth-grader who lives with his single mother and isn't always a grade A student, though his intentions are good. You see, he's forgetful and those math worksheets just have a way of disappearing.

When Mrs. Harrow, Riley's teacher, announces the class will be preparing reports on famous historical figures and attending a biography tea in full costume, Riley is concerned. He knows he'll have trouble reading a full biography on his subject: Teddy Roosevelt. He's concerned about being in costume and preparing for the tea. Adding to his biography problems is the announcement about instrumental music in 5th grade. Students have been invited to enroll, but Riley knows his mom can't afford to rent him a saxophone.

Despite his reservations, Riley gets caught up in his subject and learns that Roosevelt never went around an obstacle--instead he faced them head on. Riley decides he'll earn the money himself to buy a sax and his friend Grant, a well-off child with millions of video games, is happy to help. (Grant drew Gandhi for his biography subject--to hilarious results at the tea.) In working towards his goal, Riley earns an A- on his Roosevelt report AND, with the help of Grant and two other school friends, finds a way to get a saxophone. Erika (a pushy Queen Elizabeth) and class brain Sophie (a frustrated Helen Keller) convince Riley to just ask the band director for a sax: "As they got close to the cafeteria, Riley could hear the fifth graders playing a lively march. It made him feel braver inside. Music could do that for you. It could change the way you felt. It could make everything better." (86)

Mills' Being Teddy Roosevelt is a realistic tale, with recognizable child characters and a lot of heart. I've always worried about kids not having access to instrumental music, simply because they're too afraid to admit their families can't afford the rental fees. Being Teddy Roosevelt combines this issue with an entertaining school story every child will enjoy. R.W. Alley's illustrations are generous and funny and readers will recognize each and every character in the drawings. Highly recommended for elementary audiences.