George, Jessica Day Princess of Glass.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 257p 16.99
978-1-59990-478-8 ms Fairy tales VG
Princess Poppy has survived the curse of the dancing slippers and, since the magic is no longer holding her family in thrall, she is sent to neighboring Breton and Seadown House to enjoy herself as she wished only to fall afoul of the evil witch Corley again. Princess Poppy has survived the curse of the dancing slippers and, since the magic is no longer holding her family in thrall, she is sent to neighboring Breton and Seadown House to enjoy herself as she wished. While there, she becomes close friends with Marianne, daughter of her hosts. When, in the traditions of the Empire of Ionia, the heirs to each province’s throne are sent to others to foster better relations and, perhaps, marriages, things begin to become much more difficult. Poppy has become interested in Christian, the Crowne Prince of Danelaw. However, following the traditions of Cinderella, the young servant girl Ellen has been seduced by the plans of the evil witch Corley and promised the Prince’s hand. Ellen had been the daughter of a noble who was beggared by gambling debts and was now a poor and very ineffectual servant. The Corley will, through her magic, make sure that Christian marries Ellen, destroy Poppy and her friends, and rule the kingdoms in their names. It will take all of Poppy’s magical knowledge and strength to bring the story to a successful conclusion for all. This is not simply a retelling of a fairy tale but a sprightly written and exciting adventure. It offers witty dialogue, appealing characters, and a convoluted plot that will entice readers to search out similar books. Fairytale Ogintz, Susan
Showing posts with label Bloomsbury (St. Martins). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bloomsbury (St. Martins). Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Little Blog on the Prairie
Bell, Cathleen Davitt. Little Blog on the Prairie
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 276p 16.99
978-1-59990-286-9 ms/hs Realistic Fiction VG-BN
When Genevieve’s family seeks a closeness that it has lost by booking a vacation on an authentic prairie adventure, the family’s endurance is sorely tested. The climactic fire brings the prairie vacationers together and teaches them the lesson of the importance of community.
In her second book, Cathleen Davitt Bell has given us a unique look at life in 1890, but her characters live in the year 2010. When life has become humdrum for Genevieve’s family, her mother books them into a kind of “Back to the Past” adventure in Wyoming where she will be able to repeat life as she knew it as a child while watching “Little House on the Prairie.” Unbeknownst to her family, Genevieve has sneaked her brand new cell phone to the farm and is texting her friends at home regularly. One by one, new subscribers tap into the blog, and the adventures in Wyoming develop a cult following. The family that runs the farm is authentic, the 3 families that are visiting for the summer are carefully characterized to add spice to the plot, and the adventures which include milking cows, fishing, tree chopping, farming and living the hardships of prairie life are woven into the plot creatively! Things start to fall apart when Genevieve’s cell phone runs out of battery, and she discovers arch nemesis Nora hiding out in a shack, checking E-mail and drinking diet coke. The conflict is exacerbated by Nora’s resentment that, stuck on the prairie with her parents, she has been unable to have a normal life. She rubs Genevieve the wrong way, and the resulting rivalry for handsome camper Caleb threatens the survival of all involved. When the farms’ owners discover the existence of the cell phone, the summer comes to a halt for Genevieve’s family as all must decide between going back to 2010 or staying to complete their “vacation.” If the author had continued in this vein, she would have strengthened her ending. Instead, she brings a news anchor aboard, and the book ends with Nora’s rise to fame as a reality TV show star in a finish that is not as good as the rest of the book! However, the comedy, the plot and the characters are enough to make this book a good read, and the scenes when the farm’s teenagers lament the loss of so many comforts of home are so beautifully written that young readers will be entertained thoroughly.
For middle and high school readers, Little Blog on the Prairie is a wonderful choice! The story line, the language and the relationships are genuine and PG-13. Squaresky(2), Martha
girl reluctantly experiences farm life in 1890
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 276p 16.99
978-1-59990-286-9 ms/hs Realistic Fiction VG-BN
When Genevieve’s family seeks a closeness that it has lost by booking a vacation on an authentic prairie adventure, the family’s endurance is sorely tested. The climactic fire brings the prairie vacationers together and teaches them the lesson of the importance of community.
In her second book, Cathleen Davitt Bell has given us a unique look at life in 1890, but her characters live in the year 2010. When life has become humdrum for Genevieve’s family, her mother books them into a kind of “Back to the Past” adventure in Wyoming where she will be able to repeat life as she knew it as a child while watching “Little House on the Prairie.” Unbeknownst to her family, Genevieve has sneaked her brand new cell phone to the farm and is texting her friends at home regularly. One by one, new subscribers tap into the blog, and the adventures in Wyoming develop a cult following. The family that runs the farm is authentic, the 3 families that are visiting for the summer are carefully characterized to add spice to the plot, and the adventures which include milking cows, fishing, tree chopping, farming and living the hardships of prairie life are woven into the plot creatively! Things start to fall apart when Genevieve’s cell phone runs out of battery, and she discovers arch nemesis Nora hiding out in a shack, checking E-mail and drinking diet coke. The conflict is exacerbated by Nora’s resentment that, stuck on the prairie with her parents, she has been unable to have a normal life. She rubs Genevieve the wrong way, and the resulting rivalry for handsome camper Caleb threatens the survival of all involved. When the farms’ owners discover the existence of the cell phone, the summer comes to a halt for Genevieve’s family as all must decide between going back to 2010 or staying to complete their “vacation.” If the author had continued in this vein, she would have strengthened her ending. Instead, she brings a news anchor aboard, and the book ends with Nora’s rise to fame as a reality TV show star in a finish that is not as good as the rest of the book! However, the comedy, the plot and the characters are enough to make this book a good read, and the scenes when the farm’s teenagers lament the loss of so many comforts of home are so beautifully written that young readers will be entertained thoroughly.
For middle and high school readers, Little Blog on the Prairie is a wonderful choice! The story line, the language and the relationships are genuine and PG-13. Squaresky(2), Martha
girl reluctantly experiences farm life in 1890
The Wide-Awake Princess
Baker, E.D. The Wide-Awake Princess
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 261p 16.99
978-1-59990-487-0 ms Fairytale VG-BN
“ Annie, younger sister of the princess who would be known as Sleeping Beauty, is immune to magic and stays awake when the rest of the castle falls into an enchanted sleep, then sets out to find a way to break the spell.”
Written for middle school or very upper elementary readers readers, The Wide Awake Princess will be a welcome addition to a library’s collection. Fans of the author and of the “The Frog Princess” will be delighted to read this version of Sleeping Beauty, but told from the point of Princess Annabelle (Annie), the younger sister who is not sleeping. In this title, older sister Princess Gwendolyn (Gwen) get her hands on a spinning wheel and pricks her finger on her 16th birthday and the kingdom sleeps for the 100 years curse and that is set into motion. The entire castle is put to sleep except for Annie, since a fairy gave her a blessing and made her immune to any magic and any magic that shall touch her would not bring her any harm. Since Annie was the only one in the castle who was awake and not affected by the curse, she embarks on a search for her sister’s true love and to ultimately end the 100 years old curse. Annie’s mission was to find Gwen’s true love, she sends every prince she meets to the castle in order to locate her true prince. Even though Annie is searching for Gwen’s prince, she begins to have a crush on her bodyguard companion, Liam. Readers will enjoy reading of Annie’s encounters with Hansel and Gretel, dancing fairies, Rapunzel, and others. Filled with adventure happy endings, and some romance, readers will wonder if both Princess Gwen and Princess Annie will marry their true love.
Would make a great addition to a library’s collection for middle and upper elementary schools. Forba-Mayer(2)Charleen
Fairy tales.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 261p 16.99
978-1-59990-487-0 ms Fairytale VG-BN
“ Annie, younger sister of the princess who would be known as Sleeping Beauty, is immune to magic and stays awake when the rest of the castle falls into an enchanted sleep, then sets out to find a way to break the spell.”
Written for middle school or very upper elementary readers readers, The Wide Awake Princess will be a welcome addition to a library’s collection. Fans of the author and of the “The Frog Princess” will be delighted to read this version of Sleeping Beauty, but told from the point of Princess Annabelle (Annie), the younger sister who is not sleeping. In this title, older sister Princess Gwendolyn (Gwen) get her hands on a spinning wheel and pricks her finger on her 16th birthday and the kingdom sleeps for the 100 years curse and that is set into motion. The entire castle is put to sleep except for Annie, since a fairy gave her a blessing and made her immune to any magic and any magic that shall touch her would not bring her any harm. Since Annie was the only one in the castle who was awake and not affected by the curse, she embarks on a search for her sister’s true love and to ultimately end the 100 years old curse. Annie’s mission was to find Gwen’s true love, she sends every prince she meets to the castle in order to locate her true prince. Even though Annie is searching for Gwen’s prince, she begins to have a crush on her bodyguard companion, Liam. Readers will enjoy reading of Annie’s encounters with Hansel and Gretel, dancing fairies, Rapunzel, and others. Filled with adventure happy endings, and some romance, readers will wonder if both Princess Gwen and Princess Annie will marry their true love.
Would make a great addition to a library’s collection for middle and upper elementary schools. Forba-Mayer(2)Charleen
Fairy tales.
Magic Under Glass
Dolamore, Jaclyn. Magic Under Glass
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 225p 16.99
978-1-59990-430-6 hs Fantasy- Magic E-BN
Nimira has been hired to sing with a Robot who plays the piano. All she has to do is learn the songs but something strange is happening. Every time she stands next to the robot she has the feeling it is trying to communicate!
Hollin Parry is a wealthy and resourceful wizard. He has acquired a lifelike robot that resembles a man and sits playing a piano. The songs are beautiful but in order to make the most of his prized possession he must have an accomplished singer. Enters Nimira a music hall singer. Mr. Parry offer her an incredible amount to sing with the robot and she agrees. However, shortly after she begins practicing with the robot she discovers that it is trying to communicate. At first she is incredulous but as she devises a way to prove whether he really can communicate she also discovers intrigue and danger.
This exciting tale of mystery, intrigue, magic and fantasy will get you involved to solve the mystery of the piano playing robot. Nimira is a wonderfully brave heroine who is willing to risk it all to save whoever is magically trapped inside. Diaz(1), Magna
Magic- Robots - Wizards
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 225p 16.99
978-1-59990-430-6 hs Fantasy- Magic E-BN
Nimira has been hired to sing with a Robot who plays the piano. All she has to do is learn the songs but something strange is happening. Every time she stands next to the robot she has the feeling it is trying to communicate!
Hollin Parry is a wealthy and resourceful wizard. He has acquired a lifelike robot that resembles a man and sits playing a piano. The songs are beautiful but in order to make the most of his prized possession he must have an accomplished singer. Enters Nimira a music hall singer. Mr. Parry offer her an incredible amount to sing with the robot and she agrees. However, shortly after she begins practicing with the robot she discovers that it is trying to communicate. At first she is incredulous but as she devises a way to prove whether he really can communicate she also discovers intrigue and danger.
This exciting tale of mystery, intrigue, magic and fantasy will get you involved to solve the mystery of the piano playing robot. Nimira is a wonderfully brave heroine who is willing to risk it all to save whoever is magically trapped inside. Diaz(1), Magna
Magic- Robots - Wizards
Poop Happened!
Albee, Sarah. Poop Happened!
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 170p 15.99
978-0-8027-2077-1 elm/ms VG-BN
There are really three things of which you can be certain: death, taxes, and poop. Poop does happen and, most often, in great quantities. This fascinating book deals with historical perspective of poop beginning with the change from nomadic life to settled urban centers. The societies that learned how to deal with the disposal of these mammoth piles of excrement in a safe and sanitary way were the ones that escaped mass epidemics and enormous human death tolls. This fascinating book deals with historical perspective of poop beginning with the change from nomadic life to settled urban centers. Albee discusses the social history and evolution of civilization from Moses’ injunction to carry a shovel and bury “that which cometh from thee” through Crete, Egypt, Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, and on to nineteenth century England and America. Replete with immense amounts of factual information, interesting and informative supplements, drawings, photographs, poop timelines, euphemisms for poop words, “Hygiene Heroes and “Icky Occupations” sidebars, the challenges to public health are explained in a humorous way that will both entertain and inform. She adds just enough “yuckiness” to attract young readers and lead them into further exploration of a serious problem that still exists in large parts of the world today and to make this a book in high demand. The book ends with chapter notes and an index.
This is a highly recommended purchase for all middle school libraries. Ogintz, Susan
Toilets-history
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 170p 15.99
978-0-8027-2077-1 elm/ms VG-BN
There are really three things of which you can be certain: death, taxes, and poop. Poop does happen and, most often, in great quantities. This fascinating book deals with historical perspective of poop beginning with the change from nomadic life to settled urban centers. The societies that learned how to deal with the disposal of these mammoth piles of excrement in a safe and sanitary way were the ones that escaped mass epidemics and enormous human death tolls. This fascinating book deals with historical perspective of poop beginning with the change from nomadic life to settled urban centers. Albee discusses the social history and evolution of civilization from Moses’ injunction to carry a shovel and bury “that which cometh from thee” through Crete, Egypt, Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, and on to nineteenth century England and America. Replete with immense amounts of factual information, interesting and informative supplements, drawings, photographs, poop timelines, euphemisms for poop words, “Hygiene Heroes and “Icky Occupations” sidebars, the challenges to public health are explained in a humorous way that will both entertain and inform. She adds just enough “yuckiness” to attract young readers and lead them into further exploration of a serious problem that still exists in large parts of the world today and to make this a book in high demand. The book ends with chapter notes and an index.
This is a highly recommended purchase for all middle school libraries. Ogintz, Susan
Toilets-history
City of Ships (Stravaganza)
Hoffman, Mary. City of Ships (Stravaganza)
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 356p 17.99
978-1-59990-491-7 ms/hs Historical E-BN
In this newest addition to the Stravaganza series, Isabel is another student at Barnsbury Comp who becomes a stravaganti after the discovery of her personal talisman. This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters in a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis. Isabel is the twin sister of Charlie and has always felt inferior to him. When she finds a small velvet bag containing silver tesserae, she thinks nothing more of it than something lost by a fellow art student. That night, she is transported into the Baptistery of the Talian city of Classe. She quickly becomes involved in the political intrigues within the city. Fabrizio di Chimici, the Grand Duke of Tuschia, is determined to rule over all Talia and will stop at nothing to further his desires. He has invited the warlike foreign Gate people to attack Classe by sea while he attacks by land and it will be up to Isabel and her friends, both English and Talian, to prevent this from happening. All is done with great panache and style.
This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. With a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis, the author weaves many strands into a marvelous whole, with the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. The story is told through the intertwined voices of the main characters, alternating between them. They all come from a different time and place in society and have different points of view. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, mystery, a sixteenth century background, and a little romance into this very well done book.
This is a must purchase for any library who numbers fantasy readers among its users. They will be waiting impatiently for the next volume. Ogintz, Susan
Renaissance-Fiction, Space and time-Fiction
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 356p 17.99
978-1-59990-491-7 ms/hs Historical E-BN
In this newest addition to the Stravaganza series, Isabel is another student at Barnsbury Comp who becomes a stravaganti after the discovery of her personal talisman. This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters in a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis. Isabel is the twin sister of Charlie and has always felt inferior to him. When she finds a small velvet bag containing silver tesserae, she thinks nothing more of it than something lost by a fellow art student. That night, she is transported into the Baptistery of the Talian city of Classe. She quickly becomes involved in the political intrigues within the city. Fabrizio di Chimici, the Grand Duke of Tuschia, is determined to rule over all Talia and will stop at nothing to further his desires. He has invited the warlike foreign Gate people to attack Classe by sea while he attacks by land and it will be up to Isabel and her friends, both English and Talian, to prevent this from happening. All is done with great panache and style.
This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. With a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis, the author weaves many strands into a marvelous whole, with the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. The story is told through the intertwined voices of the main characters, alternating between them. They all come from a different time and place in society and have different points of view. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, mystery, a sixteenth century background, and a little romance into this very well done book.
This is a must purchase for any library who numbers fantasy readers among its users. They will be waiting impatiently for the next volume. Ogintz, Susan
Renaissance-Fiction, Space and time-Fiction
Calamity Jack
Hale, Shannon & Nathan Hale. Calamity Jack
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 144p 14.99
978-1-59990-373-6 ms Graphic novel E-BN
In this exuberant sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, the Hales follow up with a fast-moving tale of how Jack became a “schemer,plotter, planner, and trickster.” The action is quick moving, the plot intricately paced, the characters engaging, and the witty repartee is sure to keep the readers involved. It combines the traditional fairy tales with the best of the Saturday morning cartoons into a truly enjoyable book.
In this exuberant sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, the Hales follow up with a fast-moving tale of how Jack became a “schemer,plotter, planner, and trickster.” In order to save his mother from the arduous tasks of baking bread, out of bones of course, for the local giant Blunderboar, Jack takes on a little more than he can handle. Those little beans he discovered looked so innocent when he planted one but, as in the original fairy tale, it grew to be an outsized plant. Nothing would do but for Jack to climb it and make off with Blunderboar’s golden goose. Caught in the act when the beanstalk comes crashing down, he must run for his life with the goose under his arm. While out West, he meets Rapunzel and after solving her problems, they return to Shyport to rescue Jack’s mother and set everything right again. Once more, nothing goes quite as planned. Blunderboar is running the city and it will be up to Jack, Rapunzel, a young newspaper man, and the pixie Pru to save the day.
This graphic novel will appeal to all middle school readers. The action is quick moving, the plot intricately paced, the characters engaging, and the witty repartee is sure to keep the readers involved. It combines the traditional fairy tales with the best of the Saturday morning cartoons into a truly enjoyable book.
Highly recommended for all middle school libraries. Ogintz, Susan Graphic novels
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 144p 14.99
978-1-59990-373-6 ms Graphic novel E-BN
In this exuberant sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, the Hales follow up with a fast-moving tale of how Jack became a “schemer,plotter, planner, and trickster.” The action is quick moving, the plot intricately paced, the characters engaging, and the witty repartee is sure to keep the readers involved. It combines the traditional fairy tales with the best of the Saturday morning cartoons into a truly enjoyable book.
In this exuberant sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, the Hales follow up with a fast-moving tale of how Jack became a “schemer,plotter, planner, and trickster.” In order to save his mother from the arduous tasks of baking bread, out of bones of course, for the local giant Blunderboar, Jack takes on a little more than he can handle. Those little beans he discovered looked so innocent when he planted one but, as in the original fairy tale, it grew to be an outsized plant. Nothing would do but for Jack to climb it and make off with Blunderboar’s golden goose. Caught in the act when the beanstalk comes crashing down, he must run for his life with the goose under his arm. While out West, he meets Rapunzel and after solving her problems, they return to Shyport to rescue Jack’s mother and set everything right again. Once more, nothing goes quite as planned. Blunderboar is running the city and it will be up to Jack, Rapunzel, a young newspaper man, and the pixie Pru to save the day.
This graphic novel will appeal to all middle school readers. The action is quick moving, the plot intricately paced, the characters engaging, and the witty repartee is sure to keep the readers involved. It combines the traditional fairy tales with the best of the Saturday morning cartoons into a truly enjoyable book.
Highly recommended for all middle school libraries. Ogintz, Susan Graphic novels
The Mark
Nadol, Jen. The Mark
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 228p 16.99
978-1-59990-431-3 hs Supernatural VG-BN
Cassie sees a glow around people who will die within 24 hours. Riveting reading with fully developed characters amid a discussion of end of life. Is Cassie a descendent of one of the three Fates of myth? How does she handle this gift/curse? Grades 8 and up.
After several instances where Cassie has seen a glow around a person and they have died within 24 hours, she realizes she has the ability to foresee imminent death. Cassie has lived with her grandmother since the death of her parents over 10 years previous. After grandma’s death, yes Cassie saw the mark and shared the knowledge with grandma, who calmly said it was her time to go, Cassie is forced to live with an aunt she has never met for three months as set out in grandma’s will. Cassie’s aunt is non-attentive leaving Cassie on her own. Cassie gets a summer job, audits a college philosophy course and falls in love with a college student. Sexual relations are implied but not described. Cassie shares her curse/gift with the boyfriend and they disagree on whether she should try to change fate. Cassie delves into her parental background and finds her mother may have had the same gift. Is Cassie a descendent of Laechis, one of the three Fates/Moirae of Greek myth? Is this psychic ability a gift or a curse? Should she act on the knowledge? Readers come to know Cassie, her doubts, her strength, and her inquisitiveness through her interactions with others as well as the philosophical discussions in the college classroom. Guaranteed to hold reader’s attention and leave them much to think about. Outstanding first novel! Grades 8+. Outstanding first novel about the ability to foresee death. Readers will know Cassie, her doubts, her strength, and her intellectual curiosity and share her quandary whether to change fate since that may be within her power. Much to think about. Grades 8+. McNicol,Lois
Psychic ability - fiction
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 228p 16.99
978-1-59990-431-3 hs Supernatural VG-BN
Cassie sees a glow around people who will die within 24 hours. Riveting reading with fully developed characters amid a discussion of end of life. Is Cassie a descendent of one of the three Fates of myth? How does she handle this gift/curse? Grades 8 and up.
After several instances where Cassie has seen a glow around a person and they have died within 24 hours, she realizes she has the ability to foresee imminent death. Cassie has lived with her grandmother since the death of her parents over 10 years previous. After grandma’s death, yes Cassie saw the mark and shared the knowledge with grandma, who calmly said it was her time to go, Cassie is forced to live with an aunt she has never met for three months as set out in grandma’s will. Cassie’s aunt is non-attentive leaving Cassie on her own. Cassie gets a summer job, audits a college philosophy course and falls in love with a college student. Sexual relations are implied but not described. Cassie shares her curse/gift with the boyfriend and they disagree on whether she should try to change fate. Cassie delves into her parental background and finds her mother may have had the same gift. Is Cassie a descendent of Laechis, one of the three Fates/Moirae of Greek myth? Is this psychic ability a gift or a curse? Should she act on the knowledge? Readers come to know Cassie, her doubts, her strength, and her inquisitiveness through her interactions with others as well as the philosophical discussions in the college classroom. Guaranteed to hold reader’s attention and leave them much to think about. Outstanding first novel! Grades 8+. Outstanding first novel about the ability to foresee death. Readers will know Cassie, her doubts, her strength, and her intellectual curiosity and share her quandary whether to change fate since that may be within her power. Much to think about. Grades 8+. McNicol,Lois
Psychic ability - fiction
Captivate
Jones, Carrie. Captivate
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 276p 16.99
978-1-59990-342-2 ms/hs Fantasy VG
A young soon-to-be pixie king persuades Zara to become his bride in order to save Nick, Zara’s true love, from certain death at the hands of a Valkyrie. Suspense builds then ebbs as the plot shifts from Nick’s peril to Zara’s turning pixie. Grades 7 and up. Fans of Need, the first in this series, will definitely want to read the second in the series to see what happens to Zara, Nick and friends. A young soon-to-be pixie king, Astley, arrives and claims to be a good pixie. He shows acts of kindness to Zara and friends just before the evil pixie king, Zara’s father, manages to escape the prison Zara and friends created. The bad pixie king goes on a feeding rampage. To make matters worse, a Valkyrie wants Nick for her own to become a warrior for Odin, the Norse god. As Nick is captured by the Valkyrie, Zara realizes an alliance with Astley is the only hope to save Nick. The action shifts from the peril the community faces with an evil pixie on the loose and the peril Nick faces at the hands of the Valkyrie to Zara’s conversion into a pixie. As much as Zara fought against pixies, she willingly becomes one. She is able to convince her friends, many of them “were” people, that she is still Zara and will not hurt them and that they all need to band together to find Nick. Possibly too many types of fantastical creatures for one story? Zara’s shift to a pixie causes the plot tension over Nick’s plight to take second place in this middle book of the series. Readers will eagerly await the third book in the series to see if Nick and Zara can be reunited. For diehard Need fans. Grades 7-12.
Recommended where Need, the first in the series, was popular. The first half of Captivate is filled with tension which disintegrates and focuses on the turning of Zara into a Pixie. Still, fans will read this book and eagerly await the sequel. Grades 7-12. McNicol(3),Lois
Pixies - Fiction
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 276p 16.99
978-1-59990-342-2 ms/hs Fantasy VG
A young soon-to-be pixie king persuades Zara to become his bride in order to save Nick, Zara’s true love, from certain death at the hands of a Valkyrie. Suspense builds then ebbs as the plot shifts from Nick’s peril to Zara’s turning pixie. Grades 7 and up. Fans of Need, the first in this series, will definitely want to read the second in the series to see what happens to Zara, Nick and friends. A young soon-to-be pixie king, Astley, arrives and claims to be a good pixie. He shows acts of kindness to Zara and friends just before the evil pixie king, Zara’s father, manages to escape the prison Zara and friends created. The bad pixie king goes on a feeding rampage. To make matters worse, a Valkyrie wants Nick for her own to become a warrior for Odin, the Norse god. As Nick is captured by the Valkyrie, Zara realizes an alliance with Astley is the only hope to save Nick. The action shifts from the peril the community faces with an evil pixie on the loose and the peril Nick faces at the hands of the Valkyrie to Zara’s conversion into a pixie. As much as Zara fought against pixies, she willingly becomes one. She is able to convince her friends, many of them “were” people, that she is still Zara and will not hurt them and that they all need to band together to find Nick. Possibly too many types of fantastical creatures for one story? Zara’s shift to a pixie causes the plot tension over Nick’s plight to take second place in this middle book of the series. Readers will eagerly await the third book in the series to see if Nick and Zara can be reunited. For diehard Need fans. Grades 7-12.
Recommended where Need, the first in the series, was popular. The first half of Captivate is filled with tension which disintegrates and focuses on the turning of Zara into a Pixie. Still, fans will read this book and eagerly await the sequel. Grades 7-12. McNicol(3),Lois
Pixies - Fiction
Good Behavior: a memoir
Henry, Nathan L. Good Behavior: a memoir
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 262p 17.99
978-1-59990-471-9 hs/adult VG
Henry started killing animals and gutting them when he was quite young. He dabbled in Satanism, loved guns, terrorized fellow classmates, was charged with arson, and landed in county jail after an armed robbery all before age 17. Gritty reading. Grades 9+.
Nathan Henry is now married and working in a medical office. That is a far cry from his past life. He grew up in a small midwest town yet shows the hardened personality often associated with life of an inner city youth. Henry chronicles his life, remembering himself killing animals, his father’s pessimism and tendency toward abuse, his father’s treasure trove of guns and porn and conversely his parents abiding love. At an early age, he and a friend kill and gut animals and terrorize fellow classmates. As they grow older, they perfect their gun skills and lock breaking abilities, embrace Satanism and commit petty theft. At school, Henry is the rebel, constantly breaking rules and defying teachers, even setting a fire in the detention room. Arrested and placed in a juvenile detention facility, he is released to continue his lawless life, setting out on a road trip that culminates with an armed robbery and time in the county jail. Henry relates all this, complete with coarse language, in alternating chapters that mesh his past experiences with time spent in the county jail. The reader meets his family and friends, his girlfriends and lovers, his cellmates and jailers. A rough, raw, no holds barred look at a juvenile delinquent’s life. Yet, Henry is intelligent and by the end of the book, there is hope that he will become a contributing member of society. Grades 9+.
Recommended where gritty, no holds barred biographies of teenage criminals are needed and will be accepted. The coarse language must be considered before purchase. Suitable for high schools that can take the realism found in this book. McNicol,Lois
Juvenile Delinquents
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 262p 17.99
978-1-59990-471-9 hs/adult VG
Henry started killing animals and gutting them when he was quite young. He dabbled in Satanism, loved guns, terrorized fellow classmates, was charged with arson, and landed in county jail after an armed robbery all before age 17. Gritty reading. Grades 9+.
Nathan Henry is now married and working in a medical office. That is a far cry from his past life. He grew up in a small midwest town yet shows the hardened personality often associated with life of an inner city youth. Henry chronicles his life, remembering himself killing animals, his father’s pessimism and tendency toward abuse, his father’s treasure trove of guns and porn and conversely his parents abiding love. At an early age, he and a friend kill and gut animals and terrorize fellow classmates. As they grow older, they perfect their gun skills and lock breaking abilities, embrace Satanism and commit petty theft. At school, Henry is the rebel, constantly breaking rules and defying teachers, even setting a fire in the detention room. Arrested and placed in a juvenile detention facility, he is released to continue his lawless life, setting out on a road trip that culminates with an armed robbery and time in the county jail. Henry relates all this, complete with coarse language, in alternating chapters that mesh his past experiences with time spent in the county jail. The reader meets his family and friends, his girlfriends and lovers, his cellmates and jailers. A rough, raw, no holds barred look at a juvenile delinquent’s life. Yet, Henry is intelligent and by the end of the book, there is hope that he will become a contributing member of society. Grades 9+.
Recommended where gritty, no holds barred biographies of teenage criminals are needed and will be accepted. The coarse language must be considered before purchase. Suitable for high schools that can take the realism found in this book. McNicol,Lois
Juvenile Delinquents
Dirty Little Secrets
Omololu, C.J. Dirty Little Secrets
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 212p 16.99
978-0-8027-8660-9 ms/hs VG-BN
Lucy’s secret is that her mother is a hoarder and the inside of their house looks and smells like a dump. The plot revolves around how Lucy keeps this from her friends and the rest of the world. Two more years until she graduates from high school and can leave the dirty secret. Lucy’s secret is that her mother is a hoarder and the inside of their house looks and smells like a dump. Because no repairmen will enter the house, there is no longer any heat or hot water. Lucy has been able to keep this secret from her neighbors, friends and the rest of the world as well, but it has taken a toll on her self-esteem and on her social life. Her older brother and sister have escaped the problem by moving out. Luckily, Lucy has a best friend whose house she stays at often and is starting to develop a romantic relationship as well. However, one day, when Lucy arrives home, she finds that her mother has died from an asthma attack because she couldn’t reach or find her inhaler in all the mess. Lucy doesn’t want anyone to know her mother has died, because that means that people will see the house and the way they lived, that her personal life will become sensationalized, and that she and her “dirty secret” will be exposed. The story takes place over a few days and the reader will keep the pages turning to find out how Lucy resolves her problem. The issue of hoarding is a topic that is currently a part of reality t.v. and the author has written an understanding novel about how this issue affects the children of hoarders. This book would be a very good title for middle and high school libraries; there are not many YA titles about this issue at this time. The issue of hoarding is a topic that is currently a part of reality t.v. and the author has written an understanding novel about how this issue affects the children of hoarders. This book would be a very good title for middle and high school libraries; there are not many YA titles about this issue at this time. Weinraub(2), Tina
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 212p 16.99
978-0-8027-8660-9 ms/hs VG-BN
Lucy’s secret is that her mother is a hoarder and the inside of their house looks and smells like a dump. The plot revolves around how Lucy keeps this from her friends and the rest of the world. Two more years until she graduates from high school and can leave the dirty secret. Lucy’s secret is that her mother is a hoarder and the inside of their house looks and smells like a dump. Because no repairmen will enter the house, there is no longer any heat or hot water. Lucy has been able to keep this secret from her neighbors, friends and the rest of the world as well, but it has taken a toll on her self-esteem and on her social life. Her older brother and sister have escaped the problem by moving out. Luckily, Lucy has a best friend whose house she stays at often and is starting to develop a romantic relationship as well. However, one day, when Lucy arrives home, she finds that her mother has died from an asthma attack because she couldn’t reach or find her inhaler in all the mess. Lucy doesn’t want anyone to know her mother has died, because that means that people will see the house and the way they lived, that her personal life will become sensationalized, and that she and her “dirty secret” will be exposed. The story takes place over a few days and the reader will keep the pages turning to find out how Lucy resolves her problem. The issue of hoarding is a topic that is currently a part of reality t.v. and the author has written an understanding novel about how this issue affects the children of hoarders. This book would be a very good title for middle and high school libraries; there are not many YA titles about this issue at this time. The issue of hoarding is a topic that is currently a part of reality t.v. and the author has written an understanding novel about how this issue affects the children of hoarders. This book would be a very good title for middle and high school libraries; there are not many YA titles about this issue at this time. Weinraub(2), Tina
What Momma Left Me
Watson, Renee What Momma Left Me
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 224p 16.99
978-1-59990-446-7 ms E-BN
Thirteen year old Serenity loses her mother and her father and she and her brother go to live with their grandparents. This is a novel with strong African American characters and is an excellent selection for libraries looking for faith based titles.
Thirteen year old Serenity witnesses her mother’s murder and both she and her year younger brother have to go to live with their grandparents. Her father has disappeared and the strong and loving grandparents, grandfather a minister, help both Serenity and Danny get through the tragedy as well as the everyday teenage stresses. The plot develops through Serenity’s journal and each chapter starts with an assignment from her English teacher. The story of the unfortunate tragedy unfolds as Serenity writes in her journal. While dealing with the death of her parents, both at the hands of her father, Serenity goes through the trials and tribulations of being a teen, changing schools, peer pressure, seeing her brother get caught up with friends who are leading him down the wrong path, and she, herself, being swayed away from the way she knows she wants to live her life. Her grandparents’ love, the lessons her mother taught her, and the support of her church and religion, all help her to celebrate her life in dark times. It is written in a down to earth manner that highlights Christian ethics but it is by no means preachy nor does the author proselytize. This book will be an excellent selection for schools with a need for urban novels as well as faith based novels.
Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. This book will be an excellent selection for schools with a need for urban novels (it takes place in the Pacific Northwest - Oregon!) as well as faith based novels. Weinraub, Tina
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 224p 16.99
978-1-59990-446-7 ms E-BN
Thirteen year old Serenity loses her mother and her father and she and her brother go to live with their grandparents. This is a novel with strong African American characters and is an excellent selection for libraries looking for faith based titles.
Thirteen year old Serenity witnesses her mother’s murder and both she and her year younger brother have to go to live with their grandparents. Her father has disappeared and the strong and loving grandparents, grandfather a minister, help both Serenity and Danny get through the tragedy as well as the everyday teenage stresses. The plot develops through Serenity’s journal and each chapter starts with an assignment from her English teacher. The story of the unfortunate tragedy unfolds as Serenity writes in her journal. While dealing with the death of her parents, both at the hands of her father, Serenity goes through the trials and tribulations of being a teen, changing schools, peer pressure, seeing her brother get caught up with friends who are leading him down the wrong path, and she, herself, being swayed away from the way she knows she wants to live her life. Her grandparents’ love, the lessons her mother taught her, and the support of her church and religion, all help her to celebrate her life in dark times. It is written in a down to earth manner that highlights Christian ethics but it is by no means preachy nor does the author proselytize. This book will be an excellent selection for schools with a need for urban novels as well as faith based novels.
Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note. This book will be an excellent selection for schools with a need for urban novels (it takes place in the Pacific Northwest - Oregon!) as well as faith based novels. Weinraub, Tina
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Randall, Thomas. The Waking: Dreams of the Dead.
Randall, Thomas. The Waking: Dreams of the Dead.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 276p 8.99 978-1-59990-250-0 hs
Kara Foster moves to Japan to attend a traditional Japanese school where her father will teach. At school she soon learns that a female student had been murdered and more students continue to die in mysterious circumstances. Kara is caught up in an apparent supernatural mystery when clues start to appear in her dreams. After the death of her mother Kara Foster goes to Japan with her father, the new English teacher at the Monju-no-Chie school. Kara is the only Western student at the school and while learning about Japanese school culture she is finding that in many ways the students that she encounters are like those at home.
Luckily Kara is able to make friends with a few girls that take her under their wing and a romance with one of the popular boys seems to be developing as well.
Not long after arriving Kara learns that a young female student recently died in mysterious circumstance and that one of her new friends, Sakura, is the younger sister of the victim. When visiting a shrine that the students made for the murdered girl, Kara has a frightening encounter with what seems to be a ghost cat, one that keeps appearing in her dreams. Dreams that are awash in blood. Other people are having these dreams too. Gradually the dreams take possession of Kara even during the day.
Not every student likes Kara and she is constantly harassed by a clique that tries to bully her. Some members of the clique also die violently. By the end of the novel Kara and her friends have learned the significance of the cat that keeps appearing in dreams and they develop a plan to stop the evil that has invaded their school.
The story is reminiscent of Manga at its best. The cultural detail is fascinating and the incorporation of the supernatural and Japanese mythology sensational. The Japanese characters are simultaneously familiar and yet exotic. However,one of the most striking feature here is how the situation of being a new school and feeling foreign, thinking you’ll never fit in is universal.
Spadaro, Trish
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 276p 8.99 978-1-59990-250-0 hs
Kara Foster moves to Japan to attend a traditional Japanese school where her father will teach. At school she soon learns that a female student had been murdered and more students continue to die in mysterious circumstances. Kara is caught up in an apparent supernatural mystery when clues start to appear in her dreams. After the death of her mother Kara Foster goes to Japan with her father, the new English teacher at the Monju-no-Chie school. Kara is the only Western student at the school and while learning about Japanese school culture she is finding that in many ways the students that she encounters are like those at home.
Luckily Kara is able to make friends with a few girls that take her under their wing and a romance with one of the popular boys seems to be developing as well.
Not long after arriving Kara learns that a young female student recently died in mysterious circumstance and that one of her new friends, Sakura, is the younger sister of the victim. When visiting a shrine that the students made for the murdered girl, Kara has a frightening encounter with what seems to be a ghost cat, one that keeps appearing in her dreams. Dreams that are awash in blood. Other people are having these dreams too. Gradually the dreams take possession of Kara even during the day.
Not every student likes Kara and she is constantly harassed by a clique that tries to bully her. Some members of the clique also die violently. By the end of the novel Kara and her friends have learned the significance of the cat that keeps appearing in dreams and they develop a plan to stop the evil that has invaded their school.
The story is reminiscent of Manga at its best. The cultural detail is fascinating and the incorporation of the supernatural and Japanese mythology sensational. The Japanese characters are simultaneously familiar and yet exotic. However,one of the most striking feature here is how the situation of being a new school and feeling foreign, thinking you’ll never fit in is universal.
Spadaro, Trish
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jones, Carrie Need
Jones, Carrie Need
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 306p 16.99 978-1-59990-338-5 ms/hs
Move over vampires, pixies are the greatest fear. Zara goes to live with her grandma, a weretiger. They confront the King Pixie who is lusting after Zara’s mother. Who to trust becomes a puzzle for Zara to figure out. Fast paced, suspenseful fantasy. Grades 7-12. Move over vampires, pixies are the greatest fear. Zara has been in a state of depression ever since she witnessed her step-father’s death in the kitchen. Her mother decides the best thing for Zara is to send her to her grandmother’s house in Maine. Zara starts to come out of her funk and makes friends at school. Zara’s sense of peace is quickly disturbed when a man whom she saw on the day of her step-father’s death shows up in Maine. Is he stalking her? Who is he? Turns out he is the king pixie who tried to turn Zara’s mother into a pixie. As Zara learns about pixies she comes to realize that students around her may be pixies and others may be “were”. Who should she trust? Is she part pixie? Filled with fast-paced action and suspense dripping from every page, this book will make readers look over their shoulder searching to see if any pixie dust appears around them as they read this book. Zara eventually outsmarts the pixie king thus saving a fellow student, her mother and the community from the pixie’s blood lust. Without extreme sensuality or gore, this book will keep the fantasy reader reading late into the night with an iron flashlight handy. Two typographical errors appear: one on page 79 where the “fi” in benefit and unspecified do not appear. The other is on page 149, second line where worrying is spelled worring. Gripping fantasy for grades 8-12. LMN
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 306p 16.99 978-1-59990-338-5 ms/hs
Move over vampires, pixies are the greatest fear. Zara goes to live with her grandma, a weretiger. They confront the King Pixie who is lusting after Zara’s mother. Who to trust becomes a puzzle for Zara to figure out. Fast paced, suspenseful fantasy. Grades 7-12. Move over vampires, pixies are the greatest fear. Zara has been in a state of depression ever since she witnessed her step-father’s death in the kitchen. Her mother decides the best thing for Zara is to send her to her grandmother’s house in Maine. Zara starts to come out of her funk and makes friends at school. Zara’s sense of peace is quickly disturbed when a man whom she saw on the day of her step-father’s death shows up in Maine. Is he stalking her? Who is he? Turns out he is the king pixie who tried to turn Zara’s mother into a pixie. As Zara learns about pixies she comes to realize that students around her may be pixies and others may be “were”. Who should she trust? Is she part pixie? Filled with fast-paced action and suspense dripping from every page, this book will make readers look over their shoulder searching to see if any pixie dust appears around them as they read this book. Zara eventually outsmarts the pixie king thus saving a fellow student, her mother and the community from the pixie’s blood lust. Without extreme sensuality or gore, this book will keep the fantasy reader reading late into the night with an iron flashlight handy. Two typographical errors appear: one on page 79 where the “fi” in benefit and unspecified do not appear. The other is on page 149, second line where worrying is spelled worring. Gripping fantasy for grades 8-12. LMN
Gargee, Jeanne. Say the Word.
Gargee, Jeanne. Say the Word.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 360p 16.99 978-1-59990-333-0 hs
Shawna’s dysfunctional family includes a mother that pursued a lesbian relationship, a possessive father, her mother’s lesbian lover and two children, one who is found to be the biological son of Shawna’s mother and father. Thought provoking for high schools. Shawna wonders who she is, the perfect Shawna doing what is expected, the pathetic Shawna who avoids confrontation, or the evil Shawna whose words can injure. Shawna’s viewpoint of a person who is emotionally, but not sexually attached to lesbians make this book unique. Shawna’s mother left for a lesbian relationship with Fran when Shawna was seven. Her father is a controlling, possessive man who will never forgive her mother even when she dies. Dad sets out to ruin Fran and starts legal proceedings to take the young brother, who is actually his and his ex-wife’s biological child. Shawna’s best friend since childhood reveals she is a lesbian. Does Shawna reject her old friend and her newfound brothers, or does she just ignore them? Her hurtful words about homosexuality come back to haunt her as she becomes more comfortable with their alternative lifestyle. When the biological brother comes to live with Shawna, only Shawna realizes the boy is depressed enough to be suicidal. As Shawna builds a secret relationship with Fran and boys, Fran’s older son becomes romantically involved with Shawna including a one-night-stand sexual relationship that almost seems gratuitous as she knows she will never see him again. Too many issues: Alzheimer's, career choices, homosexuality, and religion, cloud the smooth flow of the plot . However there is much to think about for grades 9-12. LMN
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 360p 16.99 978-1-59990-333-0 hs
Shawna’s dysfunctional family includes a mother that pursued a lesbian relationship, a possessive father, her mother’s lesbian lover and two children, one who is found to be the biological son of Shawna’s mother and father. Thought provoking for high schools. Shawna wonders who she is, the perfect Shawna doing what is expected, the pathetic Shawna who avoids confrontation, or the evil Shawna whose words can injure. Shawna’s viewpoint of a person who is emotionally, but not sexually attached to lesbians make this book unique. Shawna’s mother left for a lesbian relationship with Fran when Shawna was seven. Her father is a controlling, possessive man who will never forgive her mother even when she dies. Dad sets out to ruin Fran and starts legal proceedings to take the young brother, who is actually his and his ex-wife’s biological child. Shawna’s best friend since childhood reveals she is a lesbian. Does Shawna reject her old friend and her newfound brothers, or does she just ignore them? Her hurtful words about homosexuality come back to haunt her as she becomes more comfortable with their alternative lifestyle. When the biological brother comes to live with Shawna, only Shawna realizes the boy is depressed enough to be suicidal. As Shawna builds a secret relationship with Fran and boys, Fran’s older son becomes romantically involved with Shawna including a one-night-stand sexual relationship that almost seems gratuitous as she knows she will never see him again. Too many issues: Alzheimer's, career choices, homosexuality, and religion, cloud the smooth flow of the plot . However there is much to think about for grades 9-12. LMN
Berry, Julie The Amaranth Enchantment
Berry, Julie The Amaranth Enchantment
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 306p 16.99 978-1-59990-334-7 ms/hs
In this unusual adaptation of a Cinderella tale, Lucinda must combat the vagaries of fate to regain her place in life. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, a magical background, and a little romance into this very well done book.In this unusual adaptation of a Cinderella tale, Lucinda lost her wealthy parents in an accident when she was five and was forced to work in the jewelry shop of her uncle and his miserly wife. One day, all sorts of mysterious events occur. She is behind the showcase when a beautiful woman, Beryl, comes into the shop to have an enormous gem reset and leaves the magical gem with Lucinda. Shortly thereafter, the Crown Prince comes to buy a gift for his betrothed and, finally, a young pickpocket cajoles her into protecting him and rewards her by making off with the jewel. Upon the death of her uncle, she is thrown out into the street, picks up a most unusual and protective goat that seems to think that it is a dog, and makes her way to her old home to discover Beryl in residence. Beryl takes her under her protection and Lucinda’s life brightens until evil rears its ugly head once again.
This engaging fantasy is not a simple retelling of a fairy tale but a sprightly written and exciting adventure. It offers both magical and suspenseful action in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. The story is rich and interesting, the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. They come from different places in society and have different points of view but seamlessly join together to help each other. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, a magical background, and a little romance into this very well done book. SO
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2009 306p 16.99 978-1-59990-334-7 ms/hs
In this unusual adaptation of a Cinderella tale, Lucinda must combat the vagaries of fate to regain her place in life. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, a magical background, and a little romance into this very well done book.In this unusual adaptation of a Cinderella tale, Lucinda lost her wealthy parents in an accident when she was five and was forced to work in the jewelry shop of her uncle and his miserly wife. One day, all sorts of mysterious events occur. She is behind the showcase when a beautiful woman, Beryl, comes into the shop to have an enormous gem reset and leaves the magical gem with Lucinda. Shortly thereafter, the Crown Prince comes to buy a gift for his betrothed and, finally, a young pickpocket cajoles her into protecting him and rewards her by making off with the jewel. Upon the death of her uncle, she is thrown out into the street, picks up a most unusual and protective goat that seems to think that it is a dog, and makes her way to her old home to discover Beryl in residence. Beryl takes her under her protection and Lucinda’s life brightens until evil rears its ugly head once again.
This engaging fantasy is not a simple retelling of a fairy tale but a sprightly written and exciting adventure. It offers both magical and suspenseful action in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. The story is rich and interesting, the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. They come from different places in society and have different points of view but seamlessly join together to help each other. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, a magical background, and a little romance into this very well done book. SO
Monday, January 19, 2009
City of secrets (Stravaganza). by Mary Hoffman
Hoffman, Mary. City of secrets (Stravaganza).
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 382p, $17.99, 978-1-59990-202-9.
In this newest addition to the Stravaganza series, Matt is another student at Barnsbury Comp who becomes a stravaganti after the discovery of his personal talisman. Matt is severely dyslexic, very insecure, and desperately trying to figure out his future. For his birthday, he has received yet another unwanted book token from his great-aunt that draws him into an antique store by a powerful impulse. There, he discovers an old book of spells and friends Georgia and Nick. When he sleeps that night with the book in his hand, he is transported to the Talian city Padavia, home of the great university. He has become a time traveler between alternate universes. In Padavia, he is no longer dyslexic but able to read and write fluently. He becomes a printer’s helper in Dr. Constantin’s Scriptorium and helps publish illegal books on both anatomy and magic. He discovers that Luciano, a fellow student who has died in his world but lives on in Talia, as well as Georgia and Nick, are also stravagantes. Together with other friends from the Talian cities of Bellaza, Giglia, and Remora, they must defeat the Church’s new laws against magic; prevent the deaths by burning of the Goddess worshipping Manoush, and save Luciano from the revenge of the di Chimici. All is done with panache and style.
This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. With a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis, the author weaves many strands into a marvelous whole, with the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. The story is told through the intertwined voices of the main characters, alternating between them. They all come from a different time and place in society and have different points of view. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, mystery, a sixteenth century background, and a little romance into this very well done book.
This is a must purchase for any library who numbers fantasy readers among its users. They will be waiting impatiently for the next volume. SO
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 382p, $17.99, 978-1-59990-202-9.
In this newest addition to the Stravaganza series, Matt is another student at Barnsbury Comp who becomes a stravaganti after the discovery of his personal talisman. Matt is severely dyslexic, very insecure, and desperately trying to figure out his future. For his birthday, he has received yet another unwanted book token from his great-aunt that draws him into an antique store by a powerful impulse. There, he discovers an old book of spells and friends Georgia and Nick. When he sleeps that night with the book in his hand, he is transported to the Talian city Padavia, home of the great university. He has become a time traveler between alternate universes. In Padavia, he is no longer dyslexic but able to read and write fluently. He becomes a printer’s helper in Dr. Constantin’s Scriptorium and helps publish illegal books on both anatomy and magic. He discovers that Luciano, a fellow student who has died in his world but lives on in Talia, as well as Georgia and Nick, are also stravagantes. Together with other friends from the Talian cities of Bellaza, Giglia, and Remora, they must defeat the Church’s new laws against magic; prevent the deaths by burning of the Goddess worshipping Manoush, and save Luciano from the revenge of the di Chimici. All is done with panache and style.
This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. With a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis, the author weaves many strands into a marvelous whole, with the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. The story is told through the intertwined voices of the main characters, alternating between them. They all come from a different time and place in society and have different points of view. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, mystery, a sixteenth century background, and a little romance into this very well done book.
This is a must purchase for any library who numbers fantasy readers among its users. They will be waiting impatiently for the next volume. SO
The Patron Saint of Butterflies. By Cecilia Galante
Galante, Cecilia. The Patron Saint of Butterflies.
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 292p, $16.99, 978-1-59990-249-4.
When her grandmother takes fourteen-year-old Agnes, her younger brother, and best friend Honey and escapes Mount Blessing, a Connecticut religious commune, Agnes clings to the faith she loves while Honey looks toward a future free of control, cruelty, and preferential treatment.
Honey and Agnes, both twelve years old, live in the religious commune of Mount Blessing. Her mother who left the commune abandoned honey as an infant. The commune is under the control of Emmanuel, an authoritarian leader with a penchant for corporal punishment who requires total obedience from his followers. Honey and Agnes have been close friends from birth but their paths begin to diverge, putting their friendship in jeopardy. Agnes is intent on becoming a saint and practices acts of mortification in order to be perfect and holy, as Emmanuel demands; Honey, a frequent visitor to the Regulation Room for retraining, sees Mount Blessing as a cult from which she longs to escape. Honey’s opportunity for freedom comes when Agnes’s grandmother, Nana Pete, arrives unexpectedly for a visit and discovers that the children are being physically abused. She unsuccessfully tries to reason with her son, who is Agnes’s father. Nana Pete’s concern for Agnes, her younger brother Benny and Honey, causes her to kidnap the children. Nana Pete and the children head south and during the road trip Honey fights for the Agnes that she knew while Agnes resists turning away from the path Emmanuel expects of her. When Nana Pete dies of a heart attack, Agnes seizes the opportunity to phone her father, asking him to bring her and Benny back to the commune but she realizes too late the mistake she has made. At the same time, she realizes that “the God [she] wants to stand up for is not the one Emmanuel represents” and for the first time, she courageously thinks for herself. Narrated by Honey and Agnes in alternating chapters, readers will gain insight into how a cult exerts control over its members. Even the font type, which varies according to the chapter. Is representative of the girls’ personalities and emotions. The characters in this tightly written story are well developed and have depth and the plot will hold the attention of readers until the last chapter.
Recommended for library collections with religious themes. RZ
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 292p, $16.99, 978-1-59990-249-4.
When her grandmother takes fourteen-year-old Agnes, her younger brother, and best friend Honey and escapes Mount Blessing, a Connecticut religious commune, Agnes clings to the faith she loves while Honey looks toward a future free of control, cruelty, and preferential treatment.
Honey and Agnes, both twelve years old, live in the religious commune of Mount Blessing. Her mother who left the commune abandoned honey as an infant. The commune is under the control of Emmanuel, an authoritarian leader with a penchant for corporal punishment who requires total obedience from his followers. Honey and Agnes have been close friends from birth but their paths begin to diverge, putting their friendship in jeopardy. Agnes is intent on becoming a saint and practices acts of mortification in order to be perfect and holy, as Emmanuel demands; Honey, a frequent visitor to the Regulation Room for retraining, sees Mount Blessing as a cult from which she longs to escape. Honey’s opportunity for freedom comes when Agnes’s grandmother, Nana Pete, arrives unexpectedly for a visit and discovers that the children are being physically abused. She unsuccessfully tries to reason with her son, who is Agnes’s father. Nana Pete’s concern for Agnes, her younger brother Benny and Honey, causes her to kidnap the children. Nana Pete and the children head south and during the road trip Honey fights for the Agnes that she knew while Agnes resists turning away from the path Emmanuel expects of her. When Nana Pete dies of a heart attack, Agnes seizes the opportunity to phone her father, asking him to bring her and Benny back to the commune but she realizes too late the mistake she has made. At the same time, she realizes that “the God [she] wants to stand up for is not the one Emmanuel represents” and for the first time, she courageously thinks for herself. Narrated by Honey and Agnes in alternating chapters, readers will gain insight into how a cult exerts control over its members. Even the font type, which varies according to the chapter. Is representative of the girls’ personalities and emotions. The characters in this tightly written story are well developed and have depth and the plot will hold the attention of readers until the last chapter.
Recommended for library collections with religious themes. RZ
The dreadful revenge of Ernest Gallen. by James Lincoln Collier
Collier, James Lincoln. The dreadful revenge of Ernest Gallen.
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 232p, $16.99, 978-1-59990-220-3.
A ghost comes to the rural town of Magnolia, intent on revenge and he wants young Gene Richards to help him achieve his goal, but Gene has other ideas.
The Dreadful Revenge of Ernest Gallen will haunt believers of ghost stories until the last page. Gene Richards, a young boy who lives with his mother and grandfather during the Great Depression. His life revolves around baseball and hanging out with his best friend Sonny Hawkins. Little do Gene and Sonny, and their friend Samantha know, but the sleepy rural town of Magnolia is hiding a secret, a secret that will soon be exposed thanks to an unknown, threatening voice that begins to haunt Gene. The voice belongs to an unnamed man and hints at untold power over Gene. The voice comes and goes and very quickly shows Gene that it can make him do anything that the voice wants him to do. The haunt eventually reveals to Gene that he wants him to kill his grandfather, a thought which horrifies Gene and which he does his best to resist. The voice also harasses other members of the community, causing deaths and accidents, all the while dropping hints to Gene that sets Gene, Sonny and Sam on an investigation to uncover a secret that involves the ghost and members of their families as well as an injustice that was never acknowledged. With Sonny’s help, Gene breaks free of the haunt’s power, but not without a great sacrifice for Gene. This first person narrative includes well-developed characters, a fast paced plot and an eerie, uneasy atmosphere that will propel readers to accompany Gene and his friends as they unravel the mysterious secret that has been unspoken for many years. Middle readers who are looking for a haunting ghost story will be mesmerized by the possibility of visitations from the other side. RZ
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 232p, $16.99, 978-1-59990-220-3.
A ghost comes to the rural town of Magnolia, intent on revenge and he wants young Gene Richards to help him achieve his goal, but Gene has other ideas.
The Dreadful Revenge of Ernest Gallen will haunt believers of ghost stories until the last page. Gene Richards, a young boy who lives with his mother and grandfather during the Great Depression. His life revolves around baseball and hanging out with his best friend Sonny Hawkins. Little do Gene and Sonny, and their friend Samantha know, but the sleepy rural town of Magnolia is hiding a secret, a secret that will soon be exposed thanks to an unknown, threatening voice that begins to haunt Gene. The voice belongs to an unnamed man and hints at untold power over Gene. The voice comes and goes and very quickly shows Gene that it can make him do anything that the voice wants him to do. The haunt eventually reveals to Gene that he wants him to kill his grandfather, a thought which horrifies Gene and which he does his best to resist. The voice also harasses other members of the community, causing deaths and accidents, all the while dropping hints to Gene that sets Gene, Sonny and Sam on an investigation to uncover a secret that involves the ghost and members of their families as well as an injustice that was never acknowledged. With Sonny’s help, Gene breaks free of the haunt’s power, but not without a great sacrifice for Gene. This first person narrative includes well-developed characters, a fast paced plot and an eerie, uneasy atmosphere that will propel readers to accompany Gene and his friends as they unravel the mysterious secret that has been unspoken for many years. Middle readers who are looking for a haunting ghost story will be mesmerized by the possibility of visitations from the other side. RZ
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