Magical Mischief

Dale, Anna. Magical Mischief.

Mr Hardbattle's dusty old bookstore is having a harder and harder time staying in business, mainly because of The Smell. To Mr Hardbattle, it smells like manure, but other patrons have complained of other odors. He consults Mrs Trinket, who solemnly informs him that he has an infestation of magic because he has provided a perfect environment for it to flourish. It could be remedied easily enough, with a good clean out and lots of vacuuming, but since magic is such a rare commodity, Mr Hardbattle sits tight for ten years, until he finds out that his rent is going to go up. Luckily, at about this time he meets young Arthur and Miss Quint, who both believe him about the magic and want to help. While Mr Hardbattle goes to look for a new home for the magic, he leave Miss Quint in charge of the store. Things go well at first, until she becomes bored and summons a vast quantity of book characters to life. Some are not bad (the young Susan, who becomes very dear to both Arthur and Miss Quint), but others go too far afield in their quest for amusement and cause massive problems in the bookstore and in the village. Can Mr Hardbattle send the characters back where they belong, and preserve both his business and the magic?
Strengths: I heard about this one from Charlotte at Charlotte's Library, so I was sure to like it. Aside from teaching Latin at Eton College, I think that running a dusty old bookshop in a small English village would be the best job ever. This is perfect for fans of Edward Eager, Diana Wynne Jones' more realistic books, and anyone in need of a slightly old-fashioned, gently magical read.
Weaknesses: My students would rather read about murder. Or football. Or some combination of the two. *Sigh* It's hard to get students to read a book where this much tea is consumed! (I adore that about British books. There would be PG Tips in my bookstore, and a nice assortment of biscuits, too. I could continue to wear my pleated skirts and warm wool sweaters. There could be an impressive apidistra. I'd have a pair of small Yorkshire terriers (Named Ottmar and Johannes. Or Buckram and Vellum.) instead of a cat.)

I'm sorry. Was this supposed to be a book review instead of a lapse into my own fantasy world?

Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Infinity: Chronicles of Nick #1

From the Publisher: "After fourteen-year-old Nick makes enemies of his friends for refusing to mug an innocent tourist, he takes up with Kyrian of Thrace, a vampire slayer and Dark-Hunter who introduces Nick to a dangerous world where he must find strength within himself to survive battles with demons. "

I mention this book because I keep picking up ones in this series, and always come to the same conclusion-- I just can't buy it. It's just too young adult, somehow. Since no one else in my district has a copy of any of these, I don't feel too bad. Picked it up this last time because a student requested it. The books always sound good, and certainly the font and design say "middle school", but there's something just... vulgar about them. We'll see.

Let's Go to Paris!

Nesbet, Anne. The Cabinet of Earths.
Maya and her family, including five-year-old brother James, move to Paris. Her mother has cancer and has always wanted to go, so when her father gets a fellowship from the Society of Philosophical Chemistry to study there, Maya can hardly complain. Shortly upon arrival, strange things start to occur-- odd relatives show up, Maya's face appears on a statue, a packet of pictures appears. Maya and James spend a lot of time with their colorless cousin Louise, who is helping with their French, and the very strange Henri de Fourcroy who tells them a little about their strange family history. The Cabinet of Earths turns out to be a way to make people immortal-- their "earths" are bottled and kept in the cabinet, and they are fed "anbar", the essence of lively children, to keep them happy and vibrant. Once Maya finds out about this, and finds that she is the keeper of this cabinet, she is torn-- she can keep her mother alive, but must then be a part of this evil process that could strip the livliness from her brother.
Strengths: My readers are trending away from medieval fantasy, and I know just the student to whom I would hand this. Even though the cover and the title on this one set me into defensive "I don't want to read anymore fantasy!" mode, I was drawn into the story very quickly.
Weaknesses: Maya's life in school was touched on much too briefly-- I think I would have left it out. Even the friend she makes there doesn't add much. The father's position was also rather vague, although the family needed a reason to be in France. This writer show a lot of promise, but I have a feeling that her next book will be much better. Don't mean to damn with faint praise, this one was oddly compelling and yet bothered me at the same time.



Levin, Mark and Jennifer Flackett. The Family Hitchcock.
Maddy, Benji and the entire Hitchcock family are traveling to Paris even though family finanaces are tight and the children would really rather stay at home. Swapping houses with a Parisian family, the Vadim's allows them to afford this, and luckily, the Vadim's home is much posher than their own. Opera tickets show up at the door, the family is able to borrow swanky clothes and go, and things seem to be looking up. However, a case of mistaken identity gets them involved with dangerous if attractive villians involved in an international crime plot.
Strengths: Lots of action and adventure, car chases, and a humorous tone make this a book that will intrigue elementary students.
Weaknesses: Every character was reduced to an annoying stereotype with irritating catch phrases. Also, if this is "written by Dan Elish", how can this be Levin and Flackett's first children's book? Coming up with an idea is very different from writing this, and the writing in this is definitely very much like Elish's The School for the Insanely Gifted.