Middle Grade Monday--Be Kind to Animals

Ibbotson, Eva. One Dog and His Boy.
Hal has always wanted a dog, but his spoiled, rich parents will give him anything but. When his father gets the idea to rent a dog from Easy Dogs, assuming that Hal will get tired of the animal by the time it has to go back, Hal ends up bonding with Fleck and being distraught when the dog is returned. He is so distraught, in fact, that he goes to the business with the idea of stealing the pet. Luckily, the kind assistant's sister, Pippa, is working that day, and not only frees Fleck, but lets several other dogs go as well. When they all follow Hal and he can't get on the train to his grandparents', he calls Pippa and the two of them take off across England with the dogs. They end up in all sorts of unusual places-- a traveling dog circus, and orphange, and a farm. The dogs, all of whom were traumatized both by being removed from families after a day or two AND by not being able to do their work as dogs, all find soul mates along the way, but continue with the group. Will Hal's grandparents take them in? What will happen to Easy Pets? And will Hal and Fleck get to stay together?
Strengths: This was surprisingly charming. Ibbotson's fantasy books were never my favorite, but this last effort of hers (she passed away at age 85 in 2010) is extremely touching and full of adventure. Definitely buying for my increasing number of students wanting dog stories.
Weaknesses: Hal's parents are over the top; I would have enjoyed the story if they hadn't been so cartoonlike.

Bauer, Marion Dane. Little Dog, Lost.
Atheneum, 1 May 2012
Mark has always wanted a dog, but his overworked, single mother has always said "NO!" very firmly. He decides that since he can't have a dog, he should get the town where he lives (and where his mother is mayor) to put in a dog park so that at least the dogs he knows are happy. At the same time, Buddy the dog is left with a woman in town by his loving boy who has to move to the city. While the woman takes care of his needs, she doesn't understand Buddy, who know that her boy is out there somewhere and so digs under the fence and escapes. Also in town is lonely Charles Larue, the caretaker of a big house on extensive grounds in the middle of town. Of course, the three manage to get together. Can Mark find a dog, Buddy a home, and Charles a reason to get out of bed in the morning?
Strengths: Very sad, but ultimately happy. The illustrations are very sweet, and Mark's longing for a dog and Buddy's longing for his boy are palpaple. My dog got lots of tummy rubs while I was reading this!
Weaknesses: Novel in verse, for no particularly good reason. Read aloud, you would not know it was verse. Since students (at least in my school!) literally shrink back from books with pages that look like poetry, I don't know why this was used. Perhaps this will go over better with younger students.

Reisfeld, Randi. What the Dog Said.

Grace is helping out her older sister with a college application project-- adopting a dog from a shelter and training it to be a service dog. Regan isn't very interested in the dog part, and since she is into fashion, is tending toward a cute little maltipoo. One of the dogs, however, TALKS to Grace and asks to be taken home. Grace is so taken aback that she agrees, and Rex goes home. Regan feels that Grace needs the distraction of the dog because while the family has suffered after the shooting death of their policeman father, Grace has taken it the hardest. Grace takes Rex to be trained and runs into JJ, who may know who was responsible for Grace's father's death. As Rex becomes trained, Grace tries to figure out how JJ was involved. Can she make peace with Rex, JJ, and the past, and move on with her life?

Strengths: This has a little of everything going on-- some good dog training, a little mystery, and a problem as well. I love the cover!

Weaknesses: Does the talking dog send this over to sci fi/fantasy? I imagine it does. Or does Grace just think that the dog is talking to her? Hmmm.

Harris, R.P. Tua and the Elephant.Chronicle Books, May 2012
Tua lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with her very busy single mother. Tua's favorite thing is to visit the market, and one day while there she finds a young elephant who is being abused. Of course, she takes the elephant with her, and goes to her Auntie Orchid's house, and the two decide to take the elephant, which Tua names Pohn-Pohn , to the religious order that Auntie's brother is joining, because it has more room. They manage to evade the elephant's irate owners, and are eventually put into contact with an elephant sanctuary, where Pohn-Pohn is welcome to stay. Will Tua get to be with her new found friend?
Strengths: This is a charming book and a nicely atmospheric story about an exotic (to us!) part of the world. The illustrations by Taeeun Yoo remind me of ones from my literature books in grade school-- very nice.
Weaknesses: This is also a bit young for my students but would be great for elementary libraries.

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, a feature started by Shannon Whitney Messenger. See the round-up over at her blog, Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

 

And here's a random question for the day: Which fictional pet would you like to have for your own? Even though I don't like rodents, I always wanted a white mouse like Miss Bianca from Margery Sharp's The Rescuers. (Still in print; just bought a beautiful hard cover copy.) We even named a hamster Miss Bianca. I think it was the Garth WIlliams' illustrations.

Middle Grade Monday-- Chomp

Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of Shannon Whitney Messenger. A great round up of a variety reviews can be found at her blog, Ramblings of a Wanna Be Writer.

In other exciting news (in my world, which is pretty dull!), I have been asked to review books for Young Adult Books Central! They send me books, especially for middle grade boys, which makes me very happy!

Hiaasen, Carl. Chomp

Review copy received from publisher for YA Books Central.

Wahoo's dad, Mickey Cray, has a business renting exotic animals for film sets. While he is recovering from an iguana-induced concussion, Wahoo's mom has to go to China, and Wahoo accepts a contract to supply animals for Expedition Survival! during his summer vacation so the family has some money coming in. The star of the show, Derek Badger, stages most of the show, and there's never any real danger, and Mickey gets so annoyed with his showmanship that he sabotages the filming in small ways, to the amusement of Wahoo as well as the film crew. Wahoo needs some amusement-- he's still concerned about his father's headaches, as well as Tuna, a girl from his class. Tuna lives with her alcoholic, abusive father in a trailer in the parking lot of the local Wal-Mart, and after her most recent beating has sought refuge with the Crays. When one of Derek's stunts goes terribly wrong and he is bitten on the tongue by a bat, the Everglades become dangerous for real. Tuna's father is hunting her down, Derek is roaming about in an infection induced state of paranoia that he will turn into a vampire like Dax Mangold from the Night Wing books, and Wahoo needs to make sure that Tuna stays safe and Derek's injury doesn't ruin his father's business. Sound hectic, complicated, and a bit hilarious? Absolutely.

Strengths: Derek is a great character, sort of the evil, bumbling twin of Steve Irwin. His own hubris makes it funny that Mickey Cray turns animal after animal against him without injuring him. Hiaasen always does great running-around-avoiding-danger; this reminded me a little of the late, great Donald Westlake. I am also glad to see that the publisher has kept the same style of covers-- Hoot came out in 2002, and the cover doesn't seem dated at all.

Weaknesses: There is no mystery in this, which I expected, and some of it does seem a bit mean spirited. Tuna's father is also rather disturbing. That said, I was never a huge fan of Hiaasen's other books, although they certainly circulate well, but this might be my favorite of his middle grade titles.

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.

Die For Me

Plum, Amy. Die For Me.
Kate and her sister Georgia move to Paris following the death of their parents. Living with her grandparents in a city she loves should be enjoyable, but she is homesick and can't snap out of it. Finally pushing herself, she sets out to read in a sidewalk cafe and sees an attractive boy, who keeps showing up. It is Vincent, and the two start hanging out, but Kate soon discovers alarming things about him that make her think he might be dangerous. He is, but he is also good-- he is a revenant, someone who died sacrificing himself for someone else, and now he is immortal. He and his "family" all try to save other people, but they are dormant three days a month, and if they die trying to save someone (which is something of a compulsion), they go back to being the age they were when they died. This complicates the budding romance between Vincent and Kate, especially when evil forces who are working against the revenants come in to play.
Strengths: Honestly, my tolerance for paranormal romances has reached extreme nose wrinkle proportions, but I really enjoyed this one! It was original and not as hand-wringingly fraught as most of them. Sure, there's some sacrifice in the romance (Vincent wouldn't be able to save people and he would then age along with Kate,but she would die and he wouldn't), but it seems more palatable than most. Loved the cover, don't mind reading a sequel. (Oh! Until I Die, due May 2012 or so!) I'm thinking that the grandparents know more than we think they do!
Weaknesses: While the sexual urges in this book are handled very delicately, things could get out of hand as the series progresses.


Sheinmel, Courtney. All The Things You Are.
Carly has a good life; although her father died when she was quite young, she is fond of her stepfather, whom she calls "faux pa", and her step siblings. She has good friends at her prestigious private school. When her mother is accused of embezzling from the soap opera on which she is a stylist, however, everything starts to fall apart. Her mother is actually guilty of using the show credit card to buy things for herself, and she is eventually sent to jail. Carly has to deal with the changes this brings-- her friends don't understand, and she has to deal with many ordinary issues without the support of her mother.
Strengths: This is a good problem novel that brings in several different issues-- there is also a grandmother with Alzheimers, a friend whose mother is alcoholic, and problems with family finances. Carly is a likable character who does the best she can in the circumstances. I actually had a friend in middle school whose father was indicted on tax fraud charges, so things of this nature do occur.
Weaknesses: Don't like the cover, and the tone of this was slightly odd. Perhaps Carly was too mature? Not mature enough? I still think it will be popular and will buy it.

Guy Friday-- Adrenaline

Aronson, Marc and Patty Campbell. War Is...Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War. (2008)

This collection of writing about various facets of war has an introduction by Marc Aronson that finally makes sense of why so many of my boy readers want to read about war. Aronson posits that "People like war." Why?

There is a certain rush of Adrenalin that the war experience provides. People who have been in wars, despite the horrific experience, are drawn closer to those with whom they fight; they feel more alive. This is a very complete collection showing things from how army recruiters are not entirely honest, to women who experiences harassment while serving, to an interview with a chaplain. The stand out, for me, were several essays by World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle. I had heard of him, but never read his work. Why his "The Horrible Waste of War" recounting what the Normandy Beach looked like after the fighting is not required reading in every high school, I don't know. It is powerful stuff, and beautifully written. I will definitely look up the collection of his columns, entitled Brave Men, and will definitely purchase War Is... for my library. Don't know how I missed it.

Sciezka, Jon. Guys Read: Thriller.

Release date 20 September 2011. E-ARC received from NetGalley.

From the publisher: "A body on the tracks. A teenage terrorist. A mysterious wish-granting machine.The world’s worst private detective. The second volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading is chock-full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, and compiled by certified guy Jon Scieszka,Guys Read: Thriller is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page."

Again, that Adrenaline rush. Scary stories, suspense. The Guys Read: Funny Business has been very popular: there's something to be said for a book that says specifically on the front cover "This is for boys to read." I would give more description, but it is so hard to page back through an E-ARC to look at the short stories again. They were all good.

Henderson, Jason. Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead.

I liked Vampire Rising so much that I nominated it for the Cybils Awards.The second book is a textbook example of how to write for the Adrenaline rush: Alex is chased by two cars, has blood sucking leeches thrown at him by Elle, is attacked by the leeches again in his dorm room, and then the dorm catches on fire. That's just the first two chapters! The boys from Glenarvon have to move in with the girls at LaLaurie school until repairs are made. Shades of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy!) From there, we find out that the vampires are still trying to take out Alex, so Elle makes several more attempts on his life, and a character named Ultravox is brought in. He's trying to brainwash the LaLaurie girls to carry out an evil plan, using Alex's friend Sid's short stories to do it! This is an absolutely essential purchase if your library's Darren Shan books are in tatters. Still not enough of Ale'x sister, but I think there will be a sequel, and I can live in hope.

Adrenaline. Why things need to explode in the very first chapter of a book for some boys to find it intriguing! That said, adrenaline literally makes me sick to my stomach! I don't like scary books or movies, I don't sky dive, and quite frankly, making left turns in heavy traffic is as daredevilish as I care to get. That's why it's important for me to separate what I want to read from what my students want. If I had my way, we'd have a collection based off of the blogging of The Paris Hat! Ah, rec rooms and saddle shoes. A little more in my comfort zone.

You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does)

White, Ruth. You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does)

Meggie and David are all set to enjoy their summer vacation, hanging out with their mother and grandfather, but the town has gotten weirdly obsessed with aliens.Turns out (and very quickly, too-- page 25!) that Meggie's family ARE the aliens, and they must leave earth in a hurry. They can't go back to Chroma, their planet, because it has been so polluted, so they travel to the first likely place that they find, Fashion City. After being discovered sleeping in a park, the people of Fashion City assume that the family has escaped from the Western Provinces, and conveniently help Meggie and her family to settle in. This is easy because "the Fathers" take care of everyone. While this is comforting at first, it becomes more oppressive when the family begins to realize that all choice is limited, music with subliminal messages is broadcast all the time, and anyone who is "grossly unique" is swiftly removed and reprogrammed. Everyone in the community seems to be quite happy to go along with the lock-stepped life that is dictated, and when the grandfather is picked up for his "Vacation 65", the family realizes that they need to escape. Can they locate the grandfather in time? And where will they have to go now?

Strengths: This is a very understandable, middle grade dystopian novel. It is fast-paced, and the world in which the family finds itself is not overly confusing. Had an air of City of Ember about it. I appreciated that it is a gender neutral book, right down to the cover. Quite nice.

Weaknesses: I didn't buy that Elvis and Lincoln and Martin Luther King all somehow ended up in this world, along with several friends of Meggie's. That stretched my credulity for some reason.

This has been getting a fair amount of blog love, so it's definitely a title to check out:

Book Lady's Book Notes, Books Your Kids Will Love, My Brain on Books, and Kirkus Reviews,

The Secret Ingredient

Schaefer, Laura. The Secret Ingredient.

Squee! I loved The Teashop Girls, so I was thrilled to see Annie, Zoe and Genna back. Now that they have saved Annie's grandmother's tea shop, The Steeping Leaf, from financial ruin (with help from the annoying Zach, whose father owns the building it is in), Annie is enthused about entering a scone making contest, the prize for which is a trip to London for a high tea tour! In addition to creating a fabulous scone recipe, Annie has to create a blog and be in the top five of blog followers. She spends a ton of time in the summer before high school working on these things, and of course there are obstacles. Genna, back from theater camp, has developed very unhealthy eating habits. Zoe is trying to get the local school system to support locally grown food by serving more veggies in school lunches. Zach continues to be annoying, and another contestant keeps leaving rude remarks on the blog. Annie does manage to make the top five and travels to Chicago for the competition... you'll just have to read the book to find out what happens!

Strengths: It's fun to read about strong girls who have interests that they pursue with a passion. I can't see tea engendering this much enthusiasm, although I certainly am fond of my cup of Barry's Irish, but it's refreshing to see a character put this much effort into a pursuit. The characters are all charming, and who doesn't want to win a trip to London?

Weaknesses: There's no actual SteepingLeafScone.com website! Simon and Schuster should definitely have set one up! I also found it a bit hard to believe that Annie was able to get over 500 followers, but she is much more aggressive about marketing than I am.

Personal Notes: It was a lovely, cooler summer day today, and I managed to run three miles (total: 58) AND drop off 42 baby quilt tops, so after hanging out two loads of laundry and tying up my tomatoes, I sat leisurely on the porch with a cup of tea and enjoyed reading this book. About half way through, I HAD to make one of the scone recipes, choosing the Parmesan and Strawberry that are pictured. Years and years ago (January of 1973, in fact; I have the very first issue) in Cricket Magazine, there was an essay by Lloyd Alexander called "The Hungry Reader". You can see a facsimile of it at The Hungry Reader. When I first read the essay, I had no idea who Alexander was, but I thought about it over the years. Betsy, Tacy and Tib make fudge? I need to, as well. Thus, scones, and a very nice summer day. Thanks, Ms. Schaeffer!

Girls on the Cover

We're still having fun with Boys Read Pink; so many of my books with actual pink covers have been checked out that we've had to broaden it to "girls on the cover"! Here are a couple.

Snyder, Laurel. Penny Dreadful.
Penelope is bored with her life in a mansion in the city, although she realizes she is lucky. When her father decides to quit his job in investments and write a book, the household dissolves in chaos. They run out of money, her father spends all of his time wandering around muttering to himself, and her mother is worried. Then a telegram comes (and the rarity of this event is described; I didn't even think you could send them anymore!) and the family is off to a small town in Tennessee where they have inherited a house. The problem? The tenants have to stay rent free, and there is money owed on a mortgage. While this is a problem, Penelope (who changes her name to Penny) gets a chance to explore her community, make new friends, and generally have a glorious time hanging out. And has Penny been manipulating her life with magic? Will everything work out?

Strengths: Like Any Which Wall, this is a great book for portraying a leisurely summer of running about and just being a kid. I adored it; it reminds me strongly of Elizabeth Enright's books, and in fact, Penny reads many classic works of children's literature to pass the time before she gets to Tennessee.

Weaknesses: A little slow. Since Penelope is only ten, it might be perfect for elementary, but the portrayal of friendships especially struck me as a little younger. By middle school, we have some serious angst going on!

Lockhart, E. Real Live Boyfriends.
This is the fourth book in the Ruby Oliver series. I keep reading these because I ADORED The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, but I never like Ruby Oliver. This must just be a high school book; all of our high schools have these, but none of our middle schools do.

However, this was an excellent book to demonstrate why middle school boys might want to read girl books. It will help them attract the ladies, I tell them! Ruby gives many descriptions of what she wants in a boyfriend, and even passes along e-mails from her boyfriend and explains why they make her swoon. I had forgotten about Frankie, but that is a fabulous book to give to boys!

Also turned all the pages on Erin Hunter's Midnight, Moonrise and Dawn in the New Prophecy series. Nine down, twenty two more to go? (I have to check to see if I have all of them in my library. I may be missing a bunch.)

Grimm Sunday

Shulman, Polly. The Grimm Legacy.

Nominated for the Cybils by KT

Elizabeth is having trouble making friends at her new school and misses hanging out with her father, who has remarried a woman with two daughters of her own. Her teacher suggests that she apply for a job at the New York Circulating Materials Repository, where he worked as a teen, and after an odd interview that involves her sorting buttons, she is hired. The repository has a varied collection-- fondue pots, old clothing, a few books, and a collection of magical items that are found in the stories by the Brothers Grimm! She learns many of the secrets of the collection from fellow pages Mark, Aaron and Anjali, and finds out that the job has some dangers-- a giant bird seems to be stalking Anjali, and items are being stolen from the collection. After being asked to pull suspect items, Anjali runs a spreadsheet of borrowers, and finds a pattern that leads to Benign Designs and a creepy guy that frequents the repository. She goes off by herself and runs into trouble and must be saved by the others, especially Mark.

Strengths: Very, very nice. Librarians everywhere will be beyond pleased. An atmospheric book; Shulman describes New York City and the Repository in palpable detail. Her descriptions of the smell of magic are brilliant. Nice romance. (page 323: "Then he kissed me. He tasted of chocolate and ginger and apples. Spring air, books. New grass. Magic." *Sigh.*) The characters work nicely together, there's a good sense of suspense and suspicion, and the inclusion of Grimm stories adds a lot to the plot.

Weaknesses: I was a little disappointed about the source of the thefts. It seemed a bit anticlimatic, and just was not what I was suspecting. Just not evil enough.

Buckley, Michael. The Inside Story (The Sisters Grimm, book 8)

Nominated for the Cybils by Laura Mihalik

The Mirror has run off with Daphne and Susanne's toddler brother, so along with Puck they chase him into the Book of Everafter and immediately begin to wreak havoc by not following the story. This brings them to the attention of the Editor, who is in charge of making sure the stories stay the same. They blast their way through The Wizard of Oz, Jack in the Beanstalk, Alice in Wonderland and several others before hunting the Mirror down in the story of Snow White. Along the way, their grandmother and parents show up to help, and while they are successful in keeping Mirror from taking over their brother's body, things do not end in a particularly pleasant manner. It sounds like there may be one more book in the series.

Strengths: This was fast-paced and easy to follow, and there was some character development occurring. That is often a problem when there are this many books in a series.

Weaknesses: Horrible binding. Grrr. Also, I disliked Puck. Sure, he's a bad boy, but he's not charming in the least.

LaFevers, R.L. The Wyverns' Treasure. (Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist, book 3)

Nominated for the Cybils by Gina R.

Fresh from hunting basilisks, Nathaniel and his Aunt Phil come back to England only to find that her house has been ransacked, as has Nathaniel's. Not only that, but they get an urgent message that there are problems with the wyverns in Wales that require their attention. There has long been a truce with the wyverns-- in exchange for food, they do not terrorize the farmers, but they suspect an intruder and want Aunt Phil to take care of the matter. The intruder turns out to be the same gentleman with whom they had a problem in Egypt-- Obediah. Although he escapes again, they manage to save a baby dragon and make an older dragon happy, so it's a successful venture. More to come.

Strengths: Uncomplicated fantasy adventure for younger readers, with action nicely balanced with Nathaniel's adjustement to being without his parents. Good description of mythical creatures.

Weaknesses: Obediah lacks something as a villain. He's too gentle and doesn't cause quite enough harm.

Some Saturday Reading

Riordan, James. The Sniper.
During World War II in Russia, Tania wants to be a nurse. Her mother and young brothers have disappeared, but her father is working with the secret police and allows Tania to train to be a sniper because she seems to be good at it and the Russians need everyone to help. Tania has been raised to think that all people are the same, and that the world is good, but when she sees the devastation caused by the Germans, she feels that it is a matter of "kill or be killed". She is sent with some prisoners to "toughen up" because she is not the cold-hearted killer that some of the snipers are, and ends up seeing her younger brother, who was working as a shoeshine boy and spy, hanged. This steels her resolve to kill as many Germans as she can, especially high ranking ones, in order to wear down the forces. Eventually, she is assigned to a mission to take Field Marshall Paulus alive.

Strengths: This deftly shows both the necessity of brutality during war, and the terrible toll it takes on those who are asked to administer it. Riordan paints a grim picture of the Russian situation, but doesn't make the Germans seem totally evil. This will be avidly read by students who like John Wilson's or Don Wulffson's war books.

Weaknesses: There is a lot of graphic violence, and it is not for the faint of stomach or heart.


Dogar, Sharon. Annexed.
Everyone has heard about Anne Frank, and she tells her version of the events that took place while she was hidden in the famous attic, but how close to the truth are her observations? Dogar's forward explaining how truth can vary is very illuminating, and the story of the time in hiding, interspersed with a speculative account of what befell Peter after he was found and sent to a concentration camp.

Strengths: It is interesting to see a different perspective on the world of Anne Frank, especially from a male characters. Our 8th grade always does a Holocaust unit, and it's difficult at times to find books for the boys.

Weaknesses: There is nothing particularly new about the Holocaust in this book, not that there needs to be. I'm glad I bought a copy.

Appelt, Kathi. Keeper.
Nominated for the Cybils by Mary Anne Scheurer
Ten-year-old Keeper had a BAD day. She couldn't stand the thought of a batch of crabs being killed to make gumbo, so when Signe leaves her in charge of the simmering pot to go to the store to get spices, she frees the crabs. Unfortunately, in the process, she burns the pot, breaks a bowl, and causes widespread havoc. Signe is sad; Dogie, a neighbor and Keeper's employer, is planning on proposing to Signe, and she wanted everything to be perfect. Keeper hides in her room and makes her plan-- she will go to sea that night to beg the sea goddess to make everything right (even bribing her with figurines carved by a neighbor, Mr. Beauchamp) and to find her mother, whome Keeper believes to be a mermaid. The sea is not safe at night, especially since a storm is brewing, and Keeper loses her dog and almost drowns before being rescued not by her mother but by a merman who has been waiting for years to be called by Mr. Beauchamp, who is his lost love. In the end, a clever bird and mystically awakened adults save Keeper, and everything turns out alright.

Strengths: I was able to read this all. It is much better than The Underneath, this author's previous work.
Weaknesses: (Spoiler alert!) Reviews place this for ages 8-12, but it is my thought that it is really a book for adults with a young protagonist. Not because of the love story between the two men-- this is a little odd, since the one is a merman, but not objectionable in any way. It's the overwhelming sense of loss from the supressed memories about the mother, who turns out to have left because she almost drowned Keeper, and left her with Signe, who was a young runaway whom she picked up. I can't imagine giving this to an 8 year old. Perhaps for high school. This is the sort of book that language arts teachers love and kids... don't.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Sabotaged. (Book 3 of The Missing)
Nominated for the Cybils by B. Wells.
Jonah and Katherine are still working to get all of the children stolen from history back to where they belong, with the help of JB and an Elucidator, which helps the children survive their time traveling by assisting with skills and language. This time they travel back to the lost colony of Roanoke to deliver Andrea, who was supposed to grow up to be Virginia Dare. Andrea has lost both of her adoptive parents, and thinks that if she sabotages the trip back in time, she can save her parents, so she loses the Elucidator. The children find not only Virginia Dare's grandfather, but two other boys who have been sent by the mysterious "Second" to mess up JB's plans to deliver all of the children.

Strengths: There is a lot of action and adventure, as well as a lot of historical facts and a new twist on time travel ("tracers" are ghostly images of people the way they would have been if history hadn't been messed with).

Weakness: Perhaps because of the density of information, I found this one to be a bit plodding. The children all were one-note characters, and I was never quite convinced of many key elements of the time travel plot.

Wooldridge, Connie Nordhielm. The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton.
Well, this was just for fun. I can't imagine any middle school student slogging through this very well-done biography of an influential early twentieth century writer, but I enjoyed it tremendously. Woolridge does a great job of showing the social constraints of the tiem and contrasting them with how Wharton rebelled. This would be an excellent book for a college course on women's studies. I must admit that it was a little hard to feel all that sorry for Wharton, what with the huge house in the states and the arduous traveling through Europe. Plus the fame. And the multiple boyfriends, even if her husband was annoying and sickly. Appropriate for a high school library if the author's works are in the curriculum.


Oh, and a bit of advice. NEVER let a vacuum cleaner salesman into your house. I don't know what I was thinking. Seriously-- $1,989.00 for a vacuum cleaner? Are they joking? My first CAR didn't cost that much.