Ellis, Leanne Statland. The Ugly One.

Ellis, Leanne Statland.  The Ugly One.    Houghton Mifflin/Clarion  2013  245p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-547-64023-5  jr/sr      Multicultural  E-BN    

Although Micay can not remember how she got the scar on her face, the memory that is locked in her mind can only set her free once she remembers.  In the meantime she must find her place among her people, but how do you get people to accept you when they are afraid of you and the scar on your face?  The road she must travel is a hard one, but at the end of this journey she will be able to uncover her true self and accept her own fate within her tribe in the mountains of Machu Picchu.

A strange mystical walk through a land that is unknown to us, and a journey to find oneself in a world that does not accept one, The Ugly One is a story of discovering who you are, where you fit in, and for what purpose.  The story depicts a time of making human sacrifices for the gods so that the rain would be plentiful for the harvest of grains to feed the people.  In this culture, the power of dreams could lead one to the path of one’s future destiny.

This is a story beautifully told.  The author’s bond to Machu Picchu in Peru has inspired her to write this lovely story as if she heard the words in the wind. Her story will transport you to a time and place that is full of wonder, strong spirits and beautiful images.  The author is a powerful storyteller.

Summary: Micay has a deep scar on her face that causes people to dislike her.  They are afraid of her.  She cannot remember how she got the scar, but her wish is to be able to find her own happiness in this world of beautiful people.

Disfigurement-Fiction, Self-esteem-Fiction, Indians of South America-Fiction                                                                    --Magna Diaz

Ellis, Richard. On Thin Ice.

Ellis, Richard.    On Thin Ice. 

Vintage see Random      2010  402p  18.95 978-0-307-45464-5    

hs/adult                E-BN  

Ellis presents a history of interactions between humans and polar bears, beginning with the initial

sightings by Europeans in the eleventh century, and moving through to the

present day, when polar bears number only 22,000.     

This book, sweeping in scope, is filled with well-documented information on polar bears and our uneasy

relationship to them, beginning with the gifting of a polar bear in 1056 by the

Bishop of Iceland to the Emperor of Germany, and dwelling on explorers who were

seeking passage to Asia over northeastern Russia in the nineteenth century.  The

reaction of these explorers to the magnificent beasts was to shoot them on sight,

but also to keep logs and journals documenting their behavior and nature.  Ellis

discusses the origins of the polar bear from the Pleistocene era, its social and

family organization, its adaptation to its environment, its relationship to the

native peoples of Alaska and Canada, and the present predicament of its

threatened status.  He includes many footnotes, references, and beautiful full-

color plates.  Written eloquently and rationally, this book should serve as a

passionate plea for humans to reverse their behavior, lest we lose these bears

altogether.             Kennedy, Carol

Ellis, Deboah No Safe Place

Ellis, Deboah No Safe Place
Groundwood see Douglas McIntyre 2010 208p 16.95
978-0-88899-973-3 ms/hs victims of world tragedies escape their past E-BN


Three teenagers from different challenging backgrounds meet and fight tremendous odds to reach freedom! One is a survivor of the war in Iraq, another escapes the sordid world of prostitution and finally, the third overcomes childhood in Communist Russia. Teenagers will love this book! It’s got conflict throughout: man vs. nature in a battle with the English Channel, man vs. man with war and bullying, man vs. society with the actions of prejudice perpetrated against the 3 protagonists, and man vs. himself as all 3 characters fight for survival after the world persecuted them. Typical Americans cannot imagine the horrors of war and the depths of anguish that children feel who have been rocked by other life challenges. On the other hand, children will relate to the strength of the friendships which have been forged by the end of the book as well as to the passion that each of the protagonists brings to a new life. Three young teenagers all come from different parts of the world, take over a smuggler’s boat, survive the night only to be caught by Americans on a cabin cruiser, overpower the Americans and make it to England after fighting a storm. Ellis’s talent for establishing a very exciting plot line is eclipsed by the realities that she exposes to the reader. Abdul is the principal character, gutsy, motivated and resourceful. He needs to survive to place his gold necklace on Penny Lane in honor of his friend in Iraq who was beaten to death. Cheslav, the Russian trumpet player with a background as horrific as Abdul’s, fights him until the end when, in a quick reversal, shows up at Penny Lane and gives Abdul reason to live. Rosalie, the little gypsy, watchful and clever, escaped abuse at the hands of people who lived off the fruits of a young girl’s worth to men and landed in the smuggler’s boat with Cheslav and Abdul. Sometimes Ellis’s language is poetic, almost metaphorical; other times, it is fast-paced and action-packed. The author uses an old technique of flashback to tell the stories of the teenagers’ lives before they come together, but this approach works! The theme? War has atrocities, but so does survival. By working together, 3 teenagers survive. Realistic Fiction Squaresky, Martha