The Humming Room

Potter, Ellen     The Humming Room  

 Macmillan/ Feiwel & Friends   2012  184p $16.99 978-0-312-64438-3  

ms    VG-BN      Mystery/Detective

When tragedy forces Roo Fanshaw to move to a remote island to live with her eccentric uncle, she becomes determined to discover what is behind the humming that comes from a part of the house that she is forbidden to enter.     In the tradition of The Secret Garden, Potter captures the dreaminess and tone of the original novel, as well as its theme of growth and awakening.

Potter’s characters are engaging and slightly dysfunctional.  Roo is still reeling from her parents’ deaths when she must relocate to isolated Cough Rock Island to a residence that once served as a tuberculosis sanitarium for children. Her wealthy but eccentric uncle forbids Roo from entering a part of the house.  Naturally, Roo is intrigued, and despite the best efforts of her uncle’s lackeys, Roo discovers the house’s hidden room -- a garden with a tragic secret.

Although the ending is contrived and a bit abrupt, Potter deftly weaves characters and plot together to create an atmospheric and memorable story.  Although it is a "rewrite" of a children’s classic, The Humming Room stands out due to its own merits.  This is a promising gateway book for middle-school readers.           

VG-BN       Hilary Welliver   Orphans, Gardens, Islands

 

Donaldson, Julia. Running On the Cracks.

Donaldson, Julia. Running On the Cracks.
Henry Holt 2009 218p 16.99 978-0-8050-9054-3 ms/hs

Facing a threat of child abuse from her uncle, recently orphaned Leo runs away to Glasgow to find her father’s estranged family. She encounters many along the way who try to help her. It is not the conflict, plot and theme that are unique in Running on the Cracks. It is the character development and the denouement of the plot through the voice of each character. Each person that Leo meets on her quest to find her father’s estranged family is carefully crafted by Julia Donaldson to contribute to the savory tone of the book. The protagonist, Leo, is not unusual in escaping from her creepy uncle who stares at her in a lascivious way. What makes her unusual is how she pulls from her talents to help her along her journey. She is artistic, intelligent, daring and crafty, and young readers will enjoy trusting who she trusted along her journey and interacting with a stranger side of life. Mary is the schizophrenic street person who shelters Leo. Mary’s unique talent is her ability to put language together with ramblings of a mad woman that make perfect sense! She figures out how to help Leo find her Chinese family by ordering Chinese food from all of the local restaurants for a banquet with all of her quirky friends. Finley is Leo’s friend, a misfit sort who takes chances much like Leo in his quest to help her. He shows dedication unusual in young people. He is an “I’m all in” kind of guy who helps Leo at the expense of his family relations, his pocketbook and his reputation with the law. Donaldson reveals the perversion of Uncle John through his conversations with his birds, and produces a very creepy, prognostication of what will happen to Leo if he finds her. The author keeps the pace moving through her use of perspective, telling her story from each character’s viewpoint. Readers hope that Leo finds satisfaction and peace in life, relish the resolution of a new start for Leo, and finally, see that one has self-empowerment to change life’s circumstances. Squaresky, Martha

Breen, M.E. Darkwood.

Breen, M.E. Darkwood.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 273p 16.99 978-1-5999-0259-3 ms/hs
The kinderstalk are taking the children of this small town. Annie is afraid to go out for too long because she fears she is next. Then she hears her uncle and aunt talk about someone coming for her and how much they will get paid. That is the night Annie the orphan decides it is better to let the forest get you than to be sold to some awful man who will surely hurt her. As Annie takes her chances out in the forest she is amazed that the kinderstalk miss her completely or they simply do not see her. She is caught by the bad men and she gets a chance to see how awful it truly is for the children but she also wonders about the kinderstalk because children that were supposed to have been eaten by the kinderstalk are also here at the awful dark camp. Annie is able to escape and she has a few adventures on her way to the palace to get help for the children. A delightful tale with a very good twist. The Annie is charming and loves her cats, her friends are likable and very caring. The author weaves a tale that at once entrance you as well as keeps you wondering what is going on and the king is handsome but has his flaws making him likable and keeps you guessing as to his role in the whole plot. Just an excellent fairy tale with a great surprise ending. Diaz, Magna

Wild Things.

Carmichael, Clay. Wild Things.
Front Street Books (see Boyd's Mill Press) 2009 240p 18.95
978-1-59078-627-7 elm/ms

Stubborn, self-reliant, eleven-year-old Zoe, recently orphaned, moves to the country to live with her prickly half-uncle, a famous doctor, and sculptor, and together they learn about trust and the strength of family. Clay Carmichael has hit the mark in this novel about an orphaned eleven year-old girl who is too precocious, too independent, and too tough for her own good. Zoe Royster needed to develop these personality traits as a defense mechanism to protect her feelings from her negligent mother; consequently, she trusts no one but herself. Her father was never a presence in her life and when her mother dies, Zoe is claimed by an uncle she didn't know she had. Her uncle is Dr. Henry Royce, who left a promising medical career to pursue an even more successful career as a metal sculptor. The title refers to many wild things besides Zoe: the feral cat that contributes to the story by providing background information and foreshadowing, the sculptures that Henry creates, the albino deer and his companion. From the first page Zoe commands the attention of the readers, who want to know more about her unconventional past. She is a multidimensional character who surprises and enchants. Carmichael has taken care to provide Zoe with equally well rounded characters. Zoe's narrative provides the structure of the story, with perfect pacing and plot development. The dialogue is a joy, particularly the first few chapters of conversation between Zoe and Henry, where the reader begins to wonder how this relationship between the two of them will turn out. It turns out just fine, despite the sadness, and the tragedies that they encounter. Readers can leave Zoe knowing that she finds the love that she deserves. RZ