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The Fourth Stall Part III. by Chris Rylander. February 5, 2013. Walden Pond Press. 320 pages. ISBN: 9780062120052Mac and Vince have had a successful business since kindergarten, but after getting busted by the school principal last year, they are finished with organized crime. Retired. Out of the game. In fact, they have handed over their business to newcomer Jimmy Two-Tone, who takes care of all the business operations and gives the founders a mere cut of his profits. The only problem is, Staples is back and he needs help getting custody of his little sister, and there is a criminal mastermind at nearby Thief Valley Elementary School threatening to destroy Mac and Vince’s school. Mac knows they can’t get caught by the Suits again, or they’ll be expelled for sure, but he also knows if he doesn’t solve these last two problems, the destruction of his school will be his fault, and he won’t be the only one going down.
This conclusion to the Fourth Stall series is a strongly plot-driven story with lots of suspense and surprises. Though Mac and Vince remain the same lovable characters who root for the Cubs and crack up over the crazy things Vince’s senile grandmother says, it is what happens to them rather than the characters themselves that keep the pages turning this time around. Rylander builds suspense by raising more and more questions. Can Staples really be trusted? Who is this crime boss at the other elementary school? Is Jimmy Two-Tone treating Mac’s former clients fairly? At every moment, I was questioning the motives of one character or another and looking for the connections that would lead me to the truth. There isn’t a lot of flowery, descriptive prose in this book, but it’s well written in a different way. The story is so well plotted, I was caught by surprise every time a new twist unsurfaced.
I also loved the allusions to the movie
Rookie of the Year and to Mr. Belding from
Saved the Bell.
Mr. Belding is basically the prototype my imagination uses for any fictitious principal, so Mac’s suspicion that all principals get together to cast spells and sacrifice goats to him made me laugh out loud. I’m not sure the target audience is old enough to get these references, but I am roughly the same age as the author (
it looks like he was born in 1983?) and these little bits of 90s nostalgia made me smile.
This third book is not quite as strong as the first two, but fans of the series will definitely want to know how it all turns out. Sticklers for realism will be pleased that not all bad behavior goes unpunished, and I think most readers will be satisfied with the ending, even if they will probably wish, as I do, that there were going to be more Fourth Stall stories.
If you’re not familiar with th
is series, check out my reviews of
The Fourth Stall and
The Fourth Stall Part II.
The Fourth Stall Part III will be on shelves tomorrow, February 5, 2013.
I received an ARC of The Fourth Stall Part III from the publisher.For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Dump Days. by Jerry Spinelli. 1988. Little, Brown and Company. 159 pages. ISBN: 9780316807067 Best friends JD and Duke spend their summer days digging in the dump for possible treasures, terrorizing rats and dodging bullies, interacting with various quirky neighbors, and wishing for enough money for a zeppoli, an Italian ice, or a comic book. One lazy afternoon, the boys map out a perfect day, filled with all the things they love. They’ll save every penny, look for ways to make extra cash, and by the end of the summer that perfect day will be theirs. With parents, bullies, siblings, and neighbors to contend with, however, their best laid plans go swiftly awry, making them question not just their plans but even their faith in each other.
Jerry Spinelli’s books are about very different subjects and use very different tones of voice, but they all have one thing in common: heart. Spinelli understands his characters and their relationships in such a fundamental way that these fictional kids seem very real, and they stick with the reader long after the story ends. In the case of JD and Duke, it is their friendship that comes so vividly to life. The two boys are different - one is Protestant, one is Catholic, one has a big family, one has a small one, one has more permissive parents, one’s parents have stricter rules - and yet what brings them together is a desire for simple things that are just out of a kid’s grasp - snacks, comics, and video games. Though the journey toward the perfect day is the focus of the plot, the real story is in the interactions between the two boys, and in how they relate to one another with regards to their goal.
Another strength of Spinelli’s writing is how he portrays setting. Not only could I imagine the dump and the neighborhood where JD and Duke spend their time, I could also picture and hear their neighbors and family members. In this book, as in
Jake and Lily and
Loser, Spinelli evokes a whole world of childhood that feels very real and believable. The boys’ issues with bullies and interactions with their own siblings are some of the most memorable portions of the book. I especially like the way Spinelli gives characters little quirks, like the toddler who likes to go outside without clothes and the bully who has to wear a special shoe because one leg is shorter than the other. These are the kinds of things notice about each other, and the tiny details that resonate with readers.
Dump Days is the rare book on the shelf at my library that looks old and outdated, but is checked out almost all the time, especially in the summer. Though it is out of print right now, I don’t see any reason why a contemporary reader couldn’t pick it up and enjoy it. Readers who loved
Maniac Magee will want to read this one, too, because it is set in the same town, and the legend of Maniac Magee is mentioned in passing by JD as he narrates the story. Like most Spinelli stories, this is also a great one for dealing with bullying and discriminations, as both issues become important to the story.
I borrowed Dump Days from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
One Tough Chick. by Leslie Margolis. January 22, 2013. Bloomsbury. 176 pages. ISBN: 9781599909615The Annabelle Unleashed series by Leslie Margolis began in 2008 with
Boys are Dogs. Annabelle, a seventh grader, who has previously attended an all-girls school finds herself in a new co-ed school, surrounded by obnoxious boys. As she trains her dog, she realizes that the same behavior modification techniques also work on the boys at her school, and she uses this fact to help her and her new female friends get used to middle school.
Girls Acting Catty (2009) and
Everybody Bugs Out (2011) continue Annabelle’s wholesome adventures navigating the halls of her middle school. By the time One Tough Chick begins, she has established a core group of friends, acquired a new stepdad and stepbrother, and started dating a cute boy named Oliver. The plot of this fourth book continues with many of the threads established by the previous titles, but it focuses chiefly on Annabelle’s role as a judge in the talent show and the dilemmas she faces when people assume she will vote based on her relationships with the performers, rather than from an objective point of view.
What is so nice about this series is that Annabelle is a true role model. In each book, she shows girls that it is possible to make it through the various challenges of middle school without compromising on what matters to them. There is bullying and teasing in these books, but time and again, Annabelle rises above it and helps her friends to do the same It’s not that Annabelle is perfect - she has her flaws - but that she doesn’t apologize for being herself and doesn’t bury her head in the sand and avoid intimidating situations.
This particular book is not the strongest of the series, but it takes on a very important topic for girls in their early teens - first boyfriends. The story provides a very sweet and realistic road map for that first dating relationship. Both Annabelle and Oliver are shy and awkward, but also kind and respectful to each other. Girls who follow Annabelle’s example will be in good shape when they start dating! It’s also nice that girls can grow up with Annabelle, the way they do with Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Alice or with Lauren Myracle’s Winnie. Annabelle’s stories are somewhat tamer than Naylor’s, Myracle’s, or Judy Blume’s, but because of that they are probably more likely to reflect real life for many readers of the series. Annabelle’s positive attitude and the comforting atmosphere of each book might also appeal to girls who are hooked on the American Girl books, especially the contemporary stories about the Girls of the Year.
One Tough Chick was published on January 22, 2013.
I received a digital ARC of One Tough Chick from Bloomsbury via NetGalley.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat. I submitted this post to Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.
The Hundred Dresses. by Eleanor Estes. 1944. Harcourt Children's Books. 96 pages. ISBN: 9780152051709The Hundred Dresses is a short realistic fiction novella by Eleanor Estes that received a Newbery Honor in 1945. It is a story, based in part on the author’s childhood, about the impact of bullies. Wanda Petronski is a poor Polish-American immigrant, who comes to school each day in the same clean but shabby blue dress. One day, when her classmates tease her for her unusual last name and style of dress, Wanda claims to have one hundred dresses all hanging in her closet From then on, Peggy and her best friend, Maddie, ask Wanda every day how many dresses she has, punishing with their taunting her for what they know must be a lie. It is only when Wanda’s family leaves town to escape the cruelty of their neighbors that Maddie - who is the story’s main character - feels a sense of remorse for what she has done.
Though some things make it clear that this story is not set in the present day, for the most part, I was amazed at how well this book holds up 67 years after it was first published. Entire lifetimes have come and gone since the book was first written, and yet kids still need to learn the same hard lessons. The relationship between Maddie and her best friend, Peggy, who leads most of the teasing, reminds me of so many friendships I have read about in children’s fiction. Peggy can be likened to Wendy, who makes whale jokes about Linda in Judy Blume’s
Blubber, or even to Jennifer in E.L. Konigsburg’s
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, who makes demands upon Elizabeth to prove their friendship. Today’s “mean girls,” who appear in practically every middle grade novel about female friendship, all seem to follow in the footsteps of Estes’s Peggy. I tend to think of bullying as a new phenomenon, because we talk about it more nowadays than ever before, but this book reminds everyone - kids and adults - that cruelty has been around for a long, long time.
Just after I finished reading
The Hundred Dresses, I read on School Library Journal that the Open Circle Program at the Wellesley Centers for Women has named it the number one
best book for Kids’ Social and Emotional Learning. I instantly understood why. Reading books helps kids become more empathetic - reading books about bullying helps kids step into the shoes of both bully and victim and hopefully gets them thinking about why they would not want to be cruel to a classmate. I certainly don’t think books alone will combat the problem of bullying, or provide a complete emotional and social education, but this book is a perfect choice for getting the conversation started and for getting kids to think critically about their behavior. By taking a kid’s eye view of a real-life bullying situation, it gets away from the preachy tone of well-meaning adults and instead give kids the power to make the right choices, and to make amends when they do the wrong thing.
I borrowed The Hundred Dresses from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
By:
Katie,
on 1/20/2013
Blog:
Secrets & Sharing Soda
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author: madeleine l'engle,
publisher: macmillan,
series: time series,
published 1978,
source: public library,
feature: old school sunday,
genre: science fiction,
level: middle grade,
read 2012,
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A Swiftly Tilting Planet. by Madeleine L'Engle. 1978. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 288 pages. ISBN: 9780374373627A Swiftly Tilting Planet is the third book in Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quintet. Based on comments here and on Goodreads, I expected to like this book, but I can’t believe how disappointing it was.
It is Thanksgiving, and a pregnant Meg Murry is celebrating the holiday at her parents’ house with all of her brothers and her mother-in-law, Mrs. O’Keefe, while Calvin is away at a conference. The phone rings and Meg’s father receives the news that Mad Dog Branzillo is about to wage nuclear war on the world. Mrs O’Keefe, who is typically not very social, suddenly turns to Charles Wallace, recites an Irish rune, and informs him that he must be the one to save the world from nuclear destruction. Charles Wallace wanders out to the star-watching rock, and meets Gaudior, a flying unicorn who will help Charles Wallace travel through time and go “within” various members of Mad Dog Branzillo’s family. If he can find out where one of them went wrong, he should be able to keep Mad Dog Branzillo from blowing things up. In the meantime, so as not to be left completely out of the action, Meg lies in bed with a newly found dog and kythes with Charles Wallace.
There are so many problems with this book that I find it hard to even summarize it without making fun of it. Some of them are minor - such as the fact that the government would call Mr. Murry to tell him the world’s about to blow up, and he would react so calmly and matter-of-factly, and carry on with Thanksgiving dinner, or the fact that Meg, formerly our heroine, is such a passive part of the plot, lying in bed and watching from a distance. I probably could have ignored just these small issues, but there is a whole host of major flaws that make it impossible for me to enjoy the story on any level.
Time travel, for example, is suddenly the easiest thing in the world. Just jump into the wind and let it take you where it wants you to go!
A Wrinkle in Time spent time building Meg’s world and explaining how tesseracts operate. To suddenly describe time travel like it’s no big deal cheapens its significance in the first book of the series. I will admit that I’m not naturally a fantasy or science fiction reader and that I don’t like being asked to suspend my disbelief, but this just seems like lazy writing.
Names are also an issue. Every character in Mad Dog Branzillo’s family line has a name that is a variation on someone else’s name from the past. This is obviously meant to highlight the connections between generations, which is interesting, but it takes Charles Wallace, a child genius, nearly the entire novel to figure out that these names are all connected, while I had it figured out very early on. It’s fine to throw in all these connections; it’s silly to assume that the reader won’t notice them, or that Meg and Charles Wallace would need a long time to decode them. The story should not hinge so heavily on a revelation that is right in front of us the whole time.
Even Mrs. O’Keefe’s rune poem started grating on my nerves. Phrases like “the snow with its whiteness” and “the rocks with their steepness” sound very childish, and I had a hard time buying into the idea that reciting these words could have any impact on anything. I understand L’Engle’s desire to connect the natural world to the events and people of the world, but there isn’t enough in the story to explain how steepness, whiteness, deepness, or starkness actually help Charles Wallace. This rune is apparently based on an Irish prayer called
St. Patrick’s Breastplate, which makes me wonder why L’Engle didn’t just use the original instead of writing her own.
I am so glad to have this book behind me. Thank goodness this isn’t the first L’Engle book I ever picked up, and or it most assuredly would have been my last.
A Wrinkle in Time is a wonderful book, but so far none of the others in the quintet have been able to live up to it. I’m very glad that the next book on my list is
A Ring of Endless Light. After all this time being irritated by the Murry O-Keefes, I’ll be thankful to be back amongst the Austins.
I borrowed A Swiftly Tilting Planet from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Saige. by Jessie Haas. December 27, 2012. American Girl Publishing. 128 pages. ISBN: 9781609581664 The American Girl Doll of the Year 2013 is Saige Copeland, a horse-loving artist living in New Mexico. In her first book, written by
Bramble and Maggie author Jessie Haas, Saige is disappointed to find out that due to budget cuts, she won’t have art in school for a whole year. With the help of her grandmother, Mimi, who also paints and rides horses, Saige decides to organize a parade to raise money for after school art classes. But before she and Mimi can put their plans into action, Mimi gets hurt in an accident. Suddenly, it’s up to Saige to lead the parade and find ways to encourage donations.
Like all American Girl books,
Saige is a wholesome story about a girl taking charge and working to improve her community. Saige is a capable and upbeat girl who takes pride in her work and who doesn’t allow herself to succumb to setbacks or react to the typical girl drama engaged in by her best friend. She’s a good role model for tween girls, but I have to admit that her story didn’t really interest me that much. The last two American Girl Dolls of the Year - McKenna and Kanani - had exceptionally well-written and memorable books that I eagerly devoured.
Saige is a much slower book with a much more generic writing style, and finishing it was a challenge. There were some interesting details, mainly regarding animal training, that made the story a bit more entertaining, but for the most part, I was disappointed.
Saige fulfills a need at my library for middle grade contemporary novels involving horses, so I'm thankful to have it on the shelves even though it's not a personal favorite. I will be sharing it with fans of the American Girl series, and with girls who enjoyed
Fearless from the Summer Camp Secrets series, the Saddle Club books and stories by Marguerite Henry.
I borrowed Saige from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
The Second Life of Abigal Walker. by Frances O'Roark Dowell. August 28, 2012. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 240 pages. ISBN: 9781442405936Abigail Walker is in middle school, and her best friend has moved away. This has left her wide open as a target for bullies like Kristen Gorzca and other “medium popular” girls in her class. Kristen constantly teases Abby about her weight, a topic that also frequently comes up with her parents at home. When she stands up to the bullies, it seems like Abby is destined for loneliness, but instead, she begins making friends - first with the two Indian-American boys with whom she eats lunch, and then with a boy named Anders, whose father, Matt, is dealing with the psychological fallout of serving in Iraq. Abby and her new friends bond over Matt’s interest in learning about Lewis and Clark. The story occasionally shifts to the point of view of a mysterious fox who has a connection to Matt’s experience in Iraq. Through her experience helping Matt, Abby learns to feel alive again, despite how her tormentors try to suffocate her with their cruelty.
I always develop a real affection for Frances O’Roarke Dowell’s characters, and Abby is no exception to this rule. I loved her instantly, because she is so heartbreakingly real. Like so many middle school girls, she lives on the margins, just trying to make it through each day without hurting her mom or subjecting herself to more pain. Dowell writes such lovely descriptions of Abby’s loneliness that the reader has no choice but to feel empathy for her. When it comes to authentic contemporary realistic fiction about middle school, no author has a better sense of what is true and interesting than Frances O’Roarke Dowell.
The problem with this book, though, is that it occasionally deviates from reality.
The sections of the story from the fox’s point of view - including the first chapter of the novel - are beautifully written, but they feel like they belong to another book. I could never quite figure out how the fox linked Abby to Anders, or how a fox who had witnessed Matt’s experiences in Iraq ended up in the U.S. I don’t necessarily think I wanted those things to be explained, because that might have bogged down an economical, poetic text with a lot of information, but I do wonder why the fox’s part of the story wasn’t removed during editing. I also questioned why there was also a dog in the story in addition to the fox. It seemed to me that the dog’s role could easily have been played by the fox as well.
Despite its problems, I really do recommend
The Second Life of Abigail Walker, especially for middle school girls. Dowell understands tween friendship better than any author whose work I have ever read, and Abby’s story does have a satisfying ending, even if the rest of the threads don’t quite tie up. For those rare kids who ask for magical realism stories, this could be a perfect match, even if the fantasy fans and realistic fiction readers are a bit put off.
I borrowed The Second Life of Abigail Walker from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
The Birds' Christmas Carol. by Kate Douglas Wiggin. 1886. Houghton Mifflin and Company. 69 pages. Born on Christmas Day, Carol is the youngest member of the Bird family and the only girl. At age ten, she is gravely ill and confined to her bed, expected not to live much longer. Rather than pitying herself, however, Carol is ever mindful of the needs of others, particularly her next door neighbors, the Ruggles family. On the day that turns out to be her last Christmas, Carol hosts a Christmas party for the Ruggles children, complete with dinner and gifts, which the Ruggleses could not have afforded to get for themselves.
This is a saccharine holiday story that would make a perfect Hallmark movie. Only two things prevent it from being unbearable - the language, which is beautiful, especially to read aloud, and the characterization of the Ruggles brood, which is both humorous and sweet. The story's message of love and giving is very transparent, and only a reader who has never read a book before would be able to read the first couple of chapters without guessing at the ending. Carol has absolutely no flaws outside of her health problems, and her acts of constant charity with no regard for personal gain are admirable, but not very believable. There is something irritating about a perfect fictional child, even one who is very sick, and I think most kids would find Carol pretty dull, even if they might like to attend her party.
The Ruggleses, though, are more down to earth. Like the Herdmans in
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, they lack many of the social graces and luxuries Carol has been given, and their reaction to a formal dinner is one of nervousness and confusion. Their mother warns them to use their best manners, but as most children do from time to time, they manage to forget much of what she told them when they're in the moment. Of everything in the story, kids will relate to these characters most closely, which might make them feel irritated, as I did, that Carol looks upon the Ruggleses with such pity. Their is a definite sense of condescension toward the "less fortunate" in this book that somewhat cheapens the holiday spirit of the story. I'm all for promoting selfless giving, but this book takes it to an extreme.
Christmas books are, by definition, somewhat hokey, and the strength of the author's writing abilities really makes this a story worth reading, even if the drama of it all is somewhat over the top. Keep tissues on hand, as even the most stoic reader is likely to be moved to tears, but also expect to groan in certain places at Carol's purely perfect behavior and personality. (And please note that for all my complaining, I did give this book five stars on Goodreads. It reads like a classic, and I can forgive it for a lot of its flaws because it's truly a story from another time period, and because it's just so well written.)
I own this book. It is also available online from Project Gutenberg.For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
By:
Katie,
on 12/30/2012
Blog:
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feature: old school sunday,
source: personal collection,
level: middle grade,
author: arthur ransome,
genre: adventure,
series: swallows and amazons,
read 2012,
publisher: jonathan cape,
published 1939,
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Secret Water. by Arthur Ransome. 1939. Jonathan Cape. 376 pages. ISBN: 9780224606387After the real-life adventure of the Walkers in
We Didn’t Mean to go to Sea, it was hard for me to imagine how Arthur Ransome could continue to write exciting stories about these characters. After all, was not their journey to Holland on their own in a borrowed boat a final exam of sorts, the challenge toward which all their make-believe had been building? Thankfully, Ransome has a bigger imagination than I do, and his eighth book in the Swallows and Amazons series is just as engaging as any of the others. Though the Walkers more or less mastered sailing in the last book, in Secret Water, they become true explorers. Their father drops them off on an island with a blank map, announces they are marooned, and leaves them there with one assignment: to explore uncharted territory and complete the map. Not long after, the Walkers are joined by the Blacketts, as well as a new group of “savages”, the Eels, who serve as guides among the islands and teach the Swallows and Amazons all about human sacrifice.
There are a number of things about
Secret Water that demonstrate the development of the characters, especially since the first book. Bridget, who was once known as baby “Vicky” is now a member of the expedition. She’s about four years old, and she constantly reminds her siblings that she is old enough to participate in the same things they do. I think most authors tend to portray youngest siblings like Bridget as annoying tag-alongs who hold everything up and make messes, but Bridget is a formidable little girl, and she has her share of shining moments. Roger and Titty, previously the youngest members of the expedition, are now old enough to venture off on their own and take responsibility for themselves and for Bridget. The spirit of imagination and make-believe is most alive in them this time around, though Nancy also gets excited, especially when it comes time to have a corroboree with the Eels.
Susan is still the mother figure, and she plays that role much more completely when Bridget is around than in the past. John, who has in the past been just as much a part of the make-believe as anyone else, seems more fatherly in this book and also more concerned with impressing his own father. While Nancy worries about blood oaths and sacrifices, and Roger and Titty imagine themselves as Israelites and Egyptians, John focuses on the task at hand. We can see the beginnings of manhood in John, and I wonder whether we’ll see as much of him in the rest of the books of the series. Surely at some point Susan and John will outgrow the games of their childhood. I keep wondering whether their coming of age will figure into any of the stories.
Secret Water is a great follow-up to the adventure of
We Didn’t Mean to go to Sea. The story rewards the Walkers’ safe journey home with another, more controlled opportunity to explore their independence and we get to see just how much they all love, admire, and want to please their dad. The new characters - Don, the Mastodon, and Daisy, Dum, and Dee, the Eels - are a lot of fun, and again completely different from Dot, Dick, or any of the Walkers or Blacketts. I was also amazed that Ransome described things like changes in the tide and sailing routes in language that made it possible for me to imagine them and follow along.
As curious as I am about the four remaining books in the series, I am disappointed that I’m two-thirds of the way through it already. I’ve come to really love these characters, and I’ll be sad when I finish the last book. That said, though, I’ve heard that book nine,
The Big Six, is a detective story, and I’m really eager to see what that will be like, so I know it won't be long before I jump right into the next one.
The copy of Secret Water I read for this review is part of my personal household collection.For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
The Last Holiday Concert. by Andrew Clements. 2004. Simon & Schuster. 176 pages. ISBN: 9780689845253
The Last Holiday Concert is a heartwarming holiday tale by Andrew Clements. Like his other books, this is a school story, and the focus is on that yearly tradition well known to so many families with elementary school kids: the holiday concert. Mr. Meinert, the music teacher at Palmer Intermediate School has lost his job due to budget cuts. His students, including popular sixth grader, Hart Evans, aren't aware that they'll be losing their choral director, however, so for them it's business as usual. They don't take chorus - or their upcoming holiday concert - seriously at all. Hart even goes so far as to amuse himself during rehearsal by shooting a rubber band at the ceiling. When he hits Mr. Meinert, however, things take a surprising turn. Next thing he knows, Hart is in charge of the holiday concert, and it's up to him whether the sixth grade chorus will sink or swim in front of its audience.
Before this year, the only Andrew Clements book I had read was
Frindle. This year, I added
No Talking,
Troublemaker,
The Landry News, and
About Average to my list, and it has been a real pleasure getting to know an author who writes such wonderful realistic school stories. The Last Holiday Concert combines a lot of the signature elements I have come to associate with Clements's work. The story provides the point of view of the main child character as well as of some of the key adults in his life. Family scenes appear now and then, when necessary to the plot, but most of the action takes place within the school setting and focuses on Hart's relationship with Mr. Meinert. Though putting a student completely in charge of a holiday concert seems like an unlikely thing for a teacher to do, Clements makes it really plausible by putting so much realism into the book. Hart and his classmates behave as real kids do, and Mr. Meinert's thoughts and actions humanize him as something more than just that strict chorus teacher the kids don't really like. As in his other books, Clements promotes change in his main character by taking him out of his comfort zone and presenting him with a true challenge.
The ending of the story is definitely heartfelt, and the way Clements describes the kids' concert is dramatic enough to bring a few tears to the eyes of the reader, especially if that reader is an adult who works with kids. This is a bit of a spoiler, only in the sense that I'm telling you something that
doesn't happen, but I was pleased to see that the story's happy ending didn't tie up every loose end. Mr. Meinert never gets his job back. Hart makes a difference, for himself, and for Mr. Meinert, but Clements keeps us grounded in reality by avoiding that
It's a Wonderful Life - esque ending, and the book is stronger for it.
The Last Holiday Concert is not just a Christmas story, and the events of the story closely mirror holiday celebrations at many public elementary schools, so this would be a good non-denominational read-aloud for diverse elementary school classes. Those who have also read Clements's
The Landry News will note some parallels between Hart's experiences with Mr. Meinert and Cara's with Mr. Larson - it might be interesting to compare and contrast the two relationships to understand better how Clements builds his stories. Whatever the time of year, and whatever the subject matter, you truly can't wrong with a novel by Andrew Clements. I look forward to exploring more of his backlist in 2013, and I can't wait to read more of his future school stories as well.
I borrowed The Last Holiday Concert from my local public library.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. by Barbara Robinson. 1972. Harper Collins. 90 pages. ISBN: 9780060250430The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a book I always intended to read as a kid, but then never did. Like some of the characters in the story, I was intimidated by the bad behavior of the Herdmans. Me, read a book about kids who smoke cigars? I didn’t think I could do it. What I missed as a middle grade reader is that this book is the perfect embodiment of the true meaning of Christmas.
When the pageant director falls ill, the narrator’s mother steps in to take over. The Herdmans, who have typically been left out of Sunday school activities in the past, decide they want in on the pageant this year, and they sign up for all the major parts in the production, without even really knowing the story of Jesus’s birth. Though most people are horrified by the involvement of these badly behaved kids in an important religious event, the Herdmans surprise everyone by being so willing to engage with the Christmas story and its various significant figures.
I think kids and adults alike are equally guilty when it comes to passing judgment on others. My disapproval for the Herdmans kept me from even reading the book as a goody two shoes kid, and the main character and her friends worry about what will happen to their pageant if kids like the Herdmans get involved. What this story does for us is slowly peel away the layers of our disgust and concern and show us the good at the heart of the Herdman kids, and the way their sincere and honest way of interacting with the world actually makes them better suited to playing out the Christmas story than almost anyone else.
Like the Horrible Harry books, this story shows us the “bad” kids through the eyes of a “good” kid, but though the story focuses on the actions of the Herdmans, it’s the “good” narrator who is changed and enlightened by the story itself. Barbara Robinson’s writing style makes this type of storytelling look easy, and I was amazed by how easily and willingly I was carried along by the events of the story. The ending, where they finally perform the pageant all the way through from beginning to end, has some of the funniest and most poignant moments of any children’s novel. The Herdmans don’t know much about Christmas, but we all learn something from their learning process.
Though
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is now 40 years old, it still holds up really well, and it’s the perfect book to make a part of your family’s Christmas traditions.
I borrowed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Finicky. by Karla Oceanak. illustrated by Kendra Spanjer. September 1, 2012. Bailiwick Press. 160 pages. ISBN: 9781934649244 Glitch. by Karla Oceanak. illustrated by Kendra Spanjer. November 1, 2012. Bailiwick Press. 160 pages. ISBN: 9781934649251The Aldo Zelnick Comic Novels are my favorite read-alike for the
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and recently, two more volumes were published:
Finicky and
Glitch.
Finicky focuses on a change in the cafeteria lunches offered at Aldo’s school. Gone are Pizza Mondays and Aldo’s beverage of choice, chocolate milk. In their place, the school has introduced bad-tasting healthy options as part of a new program called FEAST - Food Energy and Sensational Tastes. With his friends Danny, Jack, and Bee, Aldo begins a protest campaign, begging the school to reconsider. As the campaign progresses, Aldo learns that his BMI is a little bit high, and he and his dad work to bring more exercise into their daily routines.
In
Glitch, Christmas is coming, and Aldo decides to maximize his chances of receiving all the gifts he wants by composing a very long Christmas list and sending a piece of it to each of his family members, including his aunts and uncles. To satisfy Griswold, the gnome his parents have always put out to keep an eye on Aldo and his brother and report back to Santa, Aldo also becomes heavily focused on giving gifts, figuring this will provide the good Christmas karma needed to ensure he will receive everything he asked for. There are a few glitches in his plans, though, and what he actually finds under the tree on Christmas morning is a huge surprise.
There’s lots to love about both of these books, so I’ll list just a few.
Highlights from
Finicky:
- The school’s cafeteria lunch overhaul inspires an art project, wherein Aldo and his classmates create self-portraits out of food in the style of Arcimboldo. Aldo’s creation is dubbed Arcimbaldo and graces the cover of the book, something he refers to in the story itself. I love that these books consistently promote learning, but in a subtle way, by incorporating interesting things into the stories themselves.
- The illustrations are filled with references to F words. Each time we see Aldo or one of his friends in an illustration, the character has a shirt on showing something different that begins with F - ferris wheel, fly, fly swatter, fan, funnel, etc. I don’t think this has been done in every book, but if it has, I missed it in Dumbstruck and Glitch. It’s a great idea, though, and I especially like that the reader has to discover it for himself. The book gives no instructions about looking for F words in the pictures.
- Aldo has interesting and varied relationships with adults. Karla Oceanak does a nice job of portraying adults through the eyes of a child. My favorite this time around is Mr. Fodder, the “lunch lady who’s a guy.”
Highlights from
Glitch:
- I loved getting a glimpse into the Zelnick family’s holiday traditions, and I really enjoyed the way Bee used Griswold to try and guilt Aldo into doing the right thing.
- There is a wonderful textual and visual reference to the Grinch on page 28. Aldo talks about having “A wonderful, awful idea.” and the image beneath this sentence shows Aldo with decidedly Grinchy facial features. This series does a consistently wonderful job of not beating jokes to death, and this subtle allusion works so well.
- Aldo, who knows very little about the Jewish religion, joins his best friend for Hannukah, and he describes the experience in perfect child-like terms, but without being offensive. I could imagine a kid like Aldo thinking of yarmulkes as bowl hats and calling dreidels weird, but I appreciated his realistic reaction to learning about his best friend’s traditions.
- Each chapter begins with a picture of Aldo’s chocolate Advent calendar, with funny commentary from his gerbil and snake. These pictures keep the reader informed about where Aldo is in time, and also serve to number the chapters. I thought this was very clever, and kids who have Advent calendars of their own will certainly relate to the growing anticipation as each little window is opened.
Greg Heffley might be more popular these days, but I think the Aldo Zelnick books are consistently better written and better illustrated than any Wimpy Kid book. I am always impressed by the strong writing, and these two books really highlight the wonderful job Kendra Spanjer does with the illustrations. Aldo is a loveable character with realistic child-like thoughts, and his stories have lots of heart and learning opportunities, and they’re lots of fun to read.
Finicky came out in September, and
Glitch was just published on November 1st. The previous titles in the series are
Artsy-Fartsy,
Bogus,
Cahoots,
Dumbstruck, and
Egghead. The series has a website at
aldozelnick.com where readers can find the A-Z Audio Dictionary of all the words Aldo has collected as well as information about the characters and creators of these wonderful books.
I received finished review copies of Finicky and Glitch from Bailiwick Press.
For more about these books, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Peanut. by Ayun Halliday and Paul Hoppe. December 26, 2012. Schwartz & Wade. 216 pages. ISBN: 9780375965906Everyone at Sadie’s new school knows she’s allergic to peanuts. She wears a medical bracelet on her wrist, and a bronzed peanut from her boyfriend, Zoo, around her neck. She promises the nurse she will always have her epi-pen on hand, and she doesn’t buy the peanut butter cookies at the school bake sale. Everyone knows about her allergy. What they don’t know is that it isn’t real. In this forthcoming graphic novel, Sadie learns what happens when a girl desperate for attention weaves a web of lies so thick she can’t find her own way out.
The most outstanding feature of this book, hands down, is the artwork. The illustrator, Paul Hoppe, makes great use of shadow, expression, and perspective in telling the visual component of this story. Though the figures are obviously cartoons and not life-like portraits, they come across as very real, and their different body types and faces reflect the diversity of most large American high schools. I love the way his drawings show the action from different angles - the ceiling of Sadie’s bedroom or the school hallway, Sadie’s point of view as she reads a note from Zoo, or behind Sadie’s computer monitor as her eyes scan internet search results. These different perspectives make the story very dynamic, even when what is happening in the text doesn’t necessarily require a lot of physical movement. I also think it’s great that Sadie’s shirt is colored red while everything else is black, white, and gray. It made it so easy to keep track of her in every scene, and it also just makes the book more visually appealing.
The story itself is also strong at the start. The suspense builds gradually and naturally, and the reader becomes more and more aware of the stress on Sadie as she tries not to reveal the truth about her fake allergy. Unfortunately, I think the resolution comes about too quickly. It is obvious all along that the lie must come out eventually, but the way it happens is predictable and over too soon. The denouement also felt strange to me. Things between Sadie and her mom are resolved way too easily, and I can’t figure out how Zoo’s actions in the final moments of the book relate to his realization about Sadie’s lies. Pacing and plot issues aside, though, the dialogue and characterization are perfect and evoke the everyday details of the high school environment, complete with sexual innuendo and angst.
Peanut seems like a natural choice for readers who have loved Raina Telgemeier’s
Smile and
Drama, though it is a bit more mature than Telgemeier’s tales of middle school. I think it also compares well to books published by the DC Minx imprint such as
The New York Four, Good as Lily, and
Emiko Superstar. For other books about bending the truth, check out my
Pants on Fire reading list.
Peanut will be available on December 26, 2012.
I received a digital ARC of Peanut from Schwartz & Wade via Edelweiss.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Audition & Subtraction. by Amy Fellner Dominy. September 4, 2012. Walker & Company. 272 pages. ISBN: 9780802723 Audition & Subtraction is the latest middle grade novel from
OyMG author Amy Fellner Dominy. This time, Dominy takes her readers into the world of middle school band competition. Tatum is a clarinetist, and Lori plays flute. They have been best friends forever, and Lori has always been there to play duets with Tatum so she doesn’t have to face the District Honor Band judges on her own. This year, though, there’s a new clarinetist in town, Michael, and not only does he present serious competition for Tatum, he also starts dating Lori. As Lori becomes more and more focused on her relationship with Michael, Tatum worries that she will be more interested in helping her boyfriend succeed than in making sure Tatum plays well at their audition. Tatum thinks the solution might be to play a solo this year instead - after all, her teacher and her good friend Aaron both think she can do it - but it will never be possible until Tatum believes it herself.
I, too, was a middle school clarinet player, and though I never willingly entered any sort of competition, I could relate to Tatum’s desire to play well, and to her fears about doing so on her own in front of strangers. I think the author did a wonderful job of capturing the details of the middle school band environment. I loved the way Tatum and Aaron subtly goofed off during rehearsal, and I nearly cheered when I saw a mention of “Air for Band.” (To this day, when I hear that piece, I am transported back to 7th grade symphonic band. Listen to it
here.)
Aside from the wonderful details about band life, I also appreciated the depth of the emotions experienced by Dominy’s characters. Tatum’s doubts in herself are the doubts of every tween girl, which gives the book this great universal girl appeal, but Lori and Michael come across as complex and flawed individuals as well. Lori revels in her newfound attention from boys after her recent weight loss, and Michael frets over the opinions of his professional musician father, who promises to come visit only if his son gets into the Honor Band. The characterization is the strongest aspect of the story because Dominy takes the time to add layers to each character, not just to the protagonist.
The last couple chapters of this book are a little sappy, I won’t deny that, but the ending is so satisfying. I think girls will really see themselves in Tatum, and root for her, and when they finally see her learn how to stand on her own, I hope they feel the same relief and love for her as a character that I felt. I got a little bit teary-eyed reading this story; anyone who had a tough time in middle school will probably do the same.
Audition & Subtraction is a logical read-alike for
How to Rock Braces and Glasses,
Ten Miles Past Normal, and
Notes from an Accidental Band Geek, since all three books have a strong musical theme. It also compares well to some of
Lauren Barnholdt’s tween fiction, which also focuses on friendships and dating, but not as much on sex or puberty. (Fun fact: The cover illustration for
Audition & Subtraction was done by
Nathalie Dion, who also does the covers for Lauren Barnholdt's tween novels!)
Audition & Subtraction is a perfect bridge book between things like the Cupcake Diaries and the Baby-sitters Club and the more mature themes of books by authors like Lauren Myracle and Judy Blume. It’s one of my favorite books from this year, and I can’t wait to see where Amy Fellner Dominy takes us next!
I borrowed Audition & Subtraction from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Walking the Dog. by Linda Benson. September 21, 2012. Musa Publishing. ISBN: 9781619373426 Walking the Dog is a story of friendship between Sophie, the new girl in class with a history of abuse, and Jared, whose parents have forbidden him to spend time with Sophie because of her premature knowledge of sexuality. The two bond over their love for a new puppy who belongs to the school therapist, and their friendship later blossoms when they volunteer together at an animal shelter. Jared isn’t forthcoming with his parents, however, and he finds himself telling more and more lies and risking more and more trouble just to spend time with his new friend.
I have to say that the overall premise of the story - that Jared’s parents would forbid their son to spend time with Sophie because of her history - really rubbed me the wrong way. I can’t really imagine a set of parents who would blame Sophie for what happened to her, or assume that she would somehow taint or endanger their own child in any way. Perhaps such an ignorant set of parents exists, but the ones in this story seemed otherwise so normal and reasonable that it was hard for me to buy into their prejudices. By the same token, I found myself wondering whether the mentions of Sophie’s sexual abuse were appropriate for the book’s audience. Ultimately, I think the story requires some hints at her past in order to explain her behavior and Jared’s parents’ response to his interactions with her, but I think those moments are more mature than the tone of the rest of the book. I could see a third grader being interested and starting to read this book and suddenly being totally thrown off by the mentions of sexual abuse. The book just struck me as younger than its content.
All of those issues aside, though, I think this is a truly well-written story that conveys the complicated emotions kids feel when they know they’re doing the right thing even when an adult says differently. Jared is there for Sophie, no matter the consequences, and in return, Sophie is also there for him, especially when it matters most. Their mutual love of innocent, overlooked, and neglected animals mirrors their affection for each other and provides a great lesson in caring for the weakest among us without judgment or reservation. I appreciated the fact that Sophie’s bad situation gets a fairly positive resolution, but one that is still believable. I also think the story does a nice job of redeeming Jared’s parents, but the redemption felt forced for me since I didn’t really buy into their attitudes toward Sophie in the first place.
Discounting the brief passages about the abuse, this book would make a nice read-alike for some of Andrew Clements’s school stories, and for more serious, literary books like
As Simple As It Seems by Sarah Weeks and
The Last Best Days of Summer by Valerie Hobbs. It’s also a valuable story to share with kids who are overcoming abusive situations, or to kids who are trying to help friends in similar situations. For middle school kids who like Chris Crutcher,
Walking the Dog is another fast-paced friendship story about a kid in a bad situation whose life improves when she makes a good friend.
I received a digital review copy of Walking the Dog from the author. For more about this book, visit Goodreads.
The Friendship Matchmaker. by Randa Abdel-Fattah. July 17, 2012. Walker Books. 192 pages. ISBN: : 9780802728326 Lara Zany is famous at her middle school for being a Friendship Matchmaker. A loner by choice, she devotes all of her spare time to helping her classmates change their behavior in order to become suitable best friends for other kids in their grade. Though she doesn’t like to talk about the details, Lara has had experiences that make her an expert on changing oneself to fit in. When Emily arrives at the school, however, she begins to challenge Lara’s ideas, suggesting that maybe girls really can be themselves and still be cool.
This book has a fabulous set-up, and the perfect title. The title is actually what made me pick it up, and the story itself is exactly the kind of thing I would have loved to read when I was in fifth or sixth grade. Lara is a sympathetic character whose point of view reflects the worries of lots of girls her age. Her advice is questionable, but her heart is in the right place, and kids who read to the end will be likely to forgive her for leading her classmates astray in the first place.
What they will be less likely to forgive, I think, is the rushed ending itself. Lara hints throughout the story to the sordid past events that turned her into a loner by choice. The reader gets really interested in that backstory, but it is never explained. There is a brief moment where it looks like we will get answers, and Lara literally flees the scene, leaving the entire thing unresolved. On the flip side, everything else in the story is tied up way too quickly and neatly, making the reader wonder why there was ever so much turmoil in the first place. The story deserved a much more thoughtful and truthful ending, and it disappointed me to see that the brilliant concept was not carried through to its completion very successfully.
Only one thing gives me hope - there is a sequel entitled
The Friendship Matchmaker Undercover, where I hope maybe these important neglected issues from the first book will be revisited. I would still argue that the author should not have left those dangling threads for the second book, but if I got some closure in book two, I’d be happy enough to let that slide.
The Friendship Matchmaker is a good middle grade read to recommend to fans of Lauren Barnholdt, Jo Whittemore, and Tricia Rayburn. It’s realistic and engaging, with a positive message and lots of heart. Girls will see themselves in Lara, and in many of the other characters as well, and they’ll have lots to say about Lara’s rules for making friends. This would also be a great mother-daughter book club read!
I borrowed The Friendship Matchmaker from my local public library. For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
The Hobbit. by J.R.R. Tolkien. 1965 (1937). Ballantine Books. 287 pages. The Hobbit is one of those books I have always intended to read. As a kid, I was deeply disturbed by watching part of the Rankin-Bass movie, and that put me off the entire thing basically until the Lord of the Rings movies came out. Then I was suddenly all about Frodo, and I got very into the whole Tolkien universe. But I still didn’t read
The Hobbit. Now, once again, I’m ashamed to say that I’m being motivated to read a book because its movie is coming out. I hope that it saves some face to say that the copy I read was the authorized paperback edition from 1965 and not a 2012 edition with the movie cover, but I’m still pretty ashamed that it took me this long to read a classic.
The Hobbit follows the adventures of reluctant traveler Bilbo Baggins, who is selected by Gandalf to accompany an expedition of dwarves who plan to fight a dragon and win back the treasure they lost years and years ago. As compared with Lord of the Rings, this book is much less dark and less violent. Bilbo does find himself in dangerous situations fairly often, but even when others around him perish or are injured, he is spared the majority of the pain and suffering. I imagine this is because The Hobbit is intended as a children’s story, and that Tolkien wanted to incorporate excitement and adventure, but without scaring his audience so much they’d want to stop reading.
I enjoy Tolkien’s writing, and even read sections of this book aloud to myself in my empty house to just really appreciate the words and descriptions that he puts together. I was disappointed, though, that this book lacked a lot of the high stakes and subtlety of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I had gotten the impression somehow that there were more obvious connections between the two stories than I actually found. It was fun to read about Bilbo’s first encounter with Gollum, wherein he comes to possess the ring that causes all that trouble later on, but I had always imagined that Gollum had a huge role in
The Hobbit, and in reality he gets just one chapter. I was thankful for the other characters I got to meet, however, especially Beorn, the large man who can morph into a bear. (He reminded me somewhat of Tom Bombadil, one of my favorite LOTR characters, and I can only hope that they won’t cut Beorn from the film the way they did Tom.) I also have the same affection for Gandalf that I do for Albus Dumbledore. I sighed in relief each time he reappeared in the story, and his relationship with Bilbo is very touching, especially knowing what it will be like in the future stories.
I’m not a fantasy reader, I always say, but
The Hobbit is one of those books that everyone should read, regardless of the genre you feel most comfortable with. It’s a bit dense for inexperienced readers to enjoy alone, but it would be a perfect family read-aloud. Kids like stories about defeating dragons, and Bilbo is child-like enough that kids can imagine themselves in his shoes and follow him on his journey. The nice thing about fantasy titles, too, is that they don’t get dated as quickly as realistic fiction titles. The world Tolkien has created can always exist in our imaginations, without the worry that some modern technology will change the way we think of it.
Anyone taking a child to see
the first The Hobbit film this holiday season should definitely share the book with that child first. Kids who love Ranger’s Apprentice, Harry Potter, Last Apprentice, and Septimus Heap will feel right at home in Bilbo’s world, but many other types of readers can find something to love about it as well.
The copy of The Hobbit I read for this review came from my bedroom bookshelf.For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop. by Laurie Friedman. September 1, 2012. Capstone. 152 pages. ISBN: 9780761360735 Mallory’s brother, Max, has a girlfriend, and Mallory is convinced they are up to something whenever she’s not around. Deciding she absolutely must know what is going on, Mallory becomes a spy. Even after her babysitter instructs her to give her brother some privacy, Mallory just can’t help herself. It’s only after she takes things too far that Mallory realizes how wrong her behavior really is.
I have been a fan of the Mallory series since I discovered the books 3 or 4 years ago. I’ve always liked that the title heroine is a flawed character who makes a lot of mistakes, but who is also always willing to apologize. Mallory has changed in the last few books, however, and this story was almost too much for me. I was excited by the cover because I thought Mallory would be solving a real mystery, so I was disappointed right off the bat when I found out she was just spying on her brother. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that a ten-year-old would care this much about her brother’s relationship with his girlfriend. It’s not as though Max ever spent tons of time with Mallory in the previous books. Why the sudden interest? I found it equally unbelievable that Mallory couldn’t guess what a boyfriend and girlfriend might be doing together behind closed doors. I felt like the author was asking me to believe Mallory was naive about boy/girl relationships, which is hard to do when there have been at least two previous books dealing with Mallory’s own crushes. There is no way she couldn’t guess they might be kissing or holding hands or something.
I realize that Mallory is aging as the series goes on, and that her interests and concerns will change over time, but I think the changes reflected in this book actually turn Mallory into a totally different character. Mallory has always made mistakes. Maybe she’s even been a little bit selfish at times, but she has always had good intentions. This story doesn’t really show those good intentions or even give a sufficient motive for her annoying, rude, and hurtful actions. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t think this series needs to focus on dating to stay relevant -
Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop has proven to me that this subject matter actually turns the series into something else entirely.
Mallory McDonald Super Snoop will interest fans of the series, but I’m not sure it will be their favorite addition. Personally, I hope that the next book (
apparently entitled Mallory and Mary Anne Take New York) gets back to the heart of what this series has always been about - being a good friend, caring about others, and working to make things right when mistakes are made.
I received a digital ARC of Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop from Capstone via NetGalley.For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Wilma Tenderfoot #3: The Case of the Fatal Phantom. by Emma Kennedy. June 28, 2012 (US). Dial. 272 pages. ISBN: 9780803735422 Wilma Tenderfoot is an apprentice to the great detective, Theodore P. Goodman. She knows little of her past, since she was abandoned at the Lowside Institute for Woeful Children as a baby, but she hopes to use the skills she learns from Dr. Goodman to help uncover the mystery of her own life. In the meantime, she serves as a faithful assistant to Dr. Goodman as he solves various cases around the island of Cooper. In this third book in the series, Wilma and her dog Pickle uncover a mummified body on the property of the Blackheart Mansion. The mummy is holding a key which is supposed to unlock a hidden treasure, but the treasure is guarded by a Fatal Phantom. To make matters worse, Wilma’s enemy, Barbu D’Anvers and several members of the Blackheart family all have different motives for finding the treasure themselves. Who will get there first, and how can Wilma find the evidence she needs to prove the Phantom really does exist?
This is a clever book reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events, but with more characters and British English and fewer vocabulary lessons. Wilma is a plucky, determined heroine who is appealing even when she makes huge errors, and though she is basically the only child character in the book, she holds her own and keeps readers connected to all that is happening. The plot is well thought out, with a couple of twists I never saw coming, and I especially liked the moments when the story drifted into Pickle’s point of view. The ending lines of each chapter, where the narrator offers bits of commentary, are some of my favorite quotations from the book. I normally don’t like books that break the fourth wall in that way, but there is something really enjoyable about reading things like, “Abject terror? Are things about to turn positively PETRIFYING? Let’s hope not, eh?”
I have to confess that for the most part, reading this book was a struggle for me. I can’t find a thing wrong with it - it’s a well-written mystery, with lots of suspense and a couple of real surprises. I think it’s just not my type of book. There are plenty of kids who will dive right into the setting and fall in love with Wilma, but I was overwhelmed by the number of characters and put off by the cutesy word play and silly humor in some sections. I also wished desperately for Wilma to interact more with other kids - it’s hard to relate to a children’s book where most of the characters are adults.
As the book jacket suggests, this book is sure to be a hit with Lemony Snicket’s fans. I think it might also please readers who enjoy Enola Holmes, Gilda Joyce, Nancy Drew, and Ruby Redfort. The Case of the Fatal Phantom is the third book in the series. The first two titles are
The Case of the Frozen Hearts and
The Case of the Putrid Poison.
I borrowed The Case of the Fatal Phantom from my local public library.
By:
Katie,
on 8/12/2012
Blog:
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source: public library,
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level: middle grade,
publisher: random house,
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series: shoes,
author: noel streatfeild,
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Dancing Shoes. by Noel Streatfeild. 1957. Random House. 224 pages. ISBN: 9780679854289 Like
Ballet Shoes and
Theater Shoes,
Dancing Shoes is another novel by Noel Streatfeild about children in show business. The setting for this story is a dancing school run by selfish, demanding Cora Wintle, who calls her students Wintle’s Wonders. Rachel, the main protagonist, is Cora’s niece, and she and her adopted sister Hilary move in with Cora after their mother dies and leaves them orphans. Rachel has no interest in dancing, but Hilary has talent for it, and indeed the girls’ mother wished for Hilary to enroll at the Royal Ballet School. Rachel worries, therefore, that Hilary’s training with Mrs. Wintle isn’t serious enough. On top of that, both girls must contend with the obvious favoritism shown to Cora’s spoiled daughter, Dulcie.
Though I enjoy Noel Streatfeild’s writing very much (and Elizabaeth Sastre’s narration even more), I think this is the weakest of the three “shoes” books I’ve read. The plot structure was very similar to that of
Ballet Shoes and
Theater Shoes, and the characters weren’t as interesting to me as either the Fossils or the Forbes children. Cora Wintle seemed almost cartoonish in her role as antagonist, and I had a hard time truly buying Rachel’s motivation for preventing Hilary from becoming a Wonder. Characters like Pursey, the girls’ nurse, and Mrs. Storm, their teacher felt like poor imitations of supporting characters in the previous books (namely Nana and Doctor Jakes and Doctor Smith). I also grew weary of Dulcie, who probably could have used a redeeming quality or two.
What was interesting was how much more up-to-date this book felt than the previous two. It was published in 1957, the same year as other still-relevant books like
Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary and Dr. Seuss’s
The Cat in the Hat , and aside from a few dated references, it is the kind of story that could still be published today. In fact, girls who read a lot of middle grade fiction would recognize the rivalry between Rachel and Hilary and Dulcie as very similar to the “mean girls” stories written for tween girls here in the 21st century. In that sense, it might be easier to sell some kids on
Dancing Shoes rather than the more old-fashioned “shoes” books.
This is, sadly, the last of Streatfeild’s book available in an audio format. I may not have enjoyed this last book as much as the others, but I will definitely miss listening to Elizabeth Sastre’s wonderful voice, which will forever be the voice of all of Streatfeild’s characters in my mind.
I borrowed Dancing Shoes from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
One for the Murphys. by Lynda Mullally Hunt. May 10, 2012. Penguin. 224 pages. ISBN: 978039925615One for the Murphys is a heartwarming story about a positive foster care experience. A victim of child abuse, Carley is removed from the custody of her mother and stepfather while her mother gets treatment for injuries and makes decisions about her marriage. She is placed with a first time foster care family, the Murphys, who have three boys. Though Carley finds it difficult, at first, to accept the kindness of her foster parents and their kids, she slowly begins to warm to each one, and becomes an integral part of their lives, forming bonds that help her understand what a true family is meant to be.
I’ve heard so many positive things about this book on Goodreads and around the Kidlitosphere, but I don’t think it quite lived up to the hype. While the story is emotionally compelling and the characters well realized, a few contrived instances gave me the feeling that I was reading the transcript of a Lifetime Original Movie. It’s great to use a children’s story as a vehicle for exploring issues that potential readers face in their everyday lives, but the storyline itself brings nothing new to the table. I predicted how things would turn out from the beginning, and was neither surprised nor particularly excited when my predictions came true. Carley’s transformation from the sullen, distrustful abuse victim to the accepting, loving child who wants to call Mrs. Murphy “mom” is touching, but doesn’t ring true. The pacing of the story is off so that the changes in Carley seem rushed, sudden, and forced. I could feel myself being manipulated by the story, and almost conned into crying when the inevitable ending arrives, and I hate that feeling.
It seems that adults really like this book, and I think that makes sense. Mrs. Murphy is an adult who makes a difference in the life of a troubled child, and I think most adults - especially those who work with kids (or have kids) - like to think they can accomplish the same thing. From a kid’s point of view, though, Carley is not that interesting outside of being a foster kid, as this is her defining characteristic throughout the entire story. Kids who live in foster families or who have ever been in foster care might relate to Carley if their experiences were positive, but I can also see the possibility of a child becoming discouraged because Carley’s foster family seems unrealistically perfect.
One of the reviews I read, written by
Jen Bigheart, includes a sentence that really stuck with me, “I know there are many Mrs. Murphy's [sic] out there, foster parent or not, and this book is a gift for all of them.” This sentence sums up my problem with the story - the book is focused more on the adult than the child, and the story is more about the Murphys than Carley herself, who should be the central focus. Children’s books should be written for children, and in my opinion, this one will not please the middle grade audience half as well as it will please their parents, guardians, teachers, caregivers, and librarians. It’s a grown-up favorite, but I’m not sure kids will connect with it in the same way.
I borrowed One for the Murphys from my local public library.
Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom. by Rachel Vail. May 8, 2012. Feiwel & Friends. 192 pages. ISBN: 9781250000811 With third grade behind him, Justin is convinced he can begin living a relaxed, worry-free life. After all, summer vacation is the time of Nothing to Worry About, which is tied with gummy worms as Justin’s favorite thing ever! The worries set in, however, when Justin decides to try Camp Goldenbrook, “where all the runny-aroundy kids go”, instead of science camp. Justin is absolutely sure he wants to go, but that doesn’t mean he won’t worry about walking in flip-flops, impressing his new friends, staying out of trouble with a teenage counselor who seems to be out to get him, and trying to pass a swim test.
Though I don’t think anything could ever compare to
the original Justin Case, which was just wonderful, this book is a pretty decent follow-up. Justin’s slow evolution into a braver, stronger kid over the course of the book is very satisfying, and his voice remains the most appealing and well-developed aspect of the entire story. I didn’t laugh out loud as many times reading this sequel as I did during the first book, but there were lots of great jokes and observations that gave great insight into Justin’s way of thinking. One example I especially like is when Justin wonders, “How is Newcomb not volleyball?” I asked myself that question every day of elementary school. Another great line is “My favorite sport is just playing. The kind of playing where you make up some imaginary things like bad guys or evil planets or demonic zombies, and then everybody chases everybody else around. At Camp Goldenbrook, there are no demonic imaginaries and there is no playing. There are activities all day long.” Kudos to Rachel Vail for sneaking in this astute observation about the need for kids to just play and be kids without so much organization and scheduling!
Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom is a good read-alike for the Alvin Ho series, and a great, better-written alternative to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, albeit for a somewhat younger audience. The ending of the book seems like it could lead to another sequel - and I hope it does! I think it’s important for kids - especially those with quieter or more introverted personalities - to read about a character like Justin, and on top of that, the books are just so entertaining!
I borrowed Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom from my local public library.
The Year of the Book. by Andrea Cheng. May 22, 2012. 160 pages. ISBN: 9780547684635 Anna is in fourth grade, and lately, it seems like her only friends are Ray, the school crossing guard, and people she meets inside of books. She and her old best friend, Laura, are drifting apart, and though Camille, a girl in Anna’s Chinese class, seems really nice, Anna’s fear of new people keeps her at a distance. Over time, though, Anna starts to realize that life can’t be lived between the pages of even the very best book, and she begins to work on getting her nose out of the fictional world so she can make friends in the real one.
Though the writing is quite good, by far, what made me fall in love with
The Year of the Book were Abigail Halpin’s illustrations. From the moment I laid eyes on the cover in the library, I was drawn to the many book covers which adorn the tree on the front of the book. I am amazed at how Halpin was able to create these teeny tiny reproductions of well-known covers that, even shrunk, are instantly recognizable. Before I even started reading, I enjoyed playing “Name that Children’s Book” and trying to see how many I had read.
Luckily, the story lives up to the promises of its cover. Anna reads lots of books, and I can think of several big readers right off the top of my head who would love her for that reason alone, regardless of her otherwise passive personality. I love the way author Andrea Cheng portrays the strained friendship between Anna and Laura. So many books simplify the shifts that happen in friendships as girls age, by absenting one friend or the other from the situation altogether. As I recall from my own experience, fourth grade was a pivotal year in which a girl who was my best friend one day could be my worst enemy the next. Cheng really understands that dynamic and all the emotions of hope, confusion, and disappointment it can create. I appreciated the push and pull in the girls’ friendship and Anna’s upset feelings over not knowing where she stands.
Cheng also does a nice job of balancing the theme of racial identity with everything else going on in the story. Anna’s Chinese heritage is important to her, but this is a book about Anna as a whole character, not just Anna as a Chinese-American character. As it should be. I want to see lots more books that understand that idea and treat characters as people, not issues!
The Year of the Book is a quiet story about a quiet girl, which means it might not appeal to readers who gravitate toward lots of adventure and excitement. Plenty of kids, though - bookworms especially - will be thankful for the friendship of a character like Anna who understands just what a fourth grade girl deals with on a daily basis.
Andrea Cheng has many other books. Read about them
here. Abigail Halpin is also the illustrator for the adorable
Cupcake Diaries, and she did the covers for
Penny Dreadful and
The Grand Plan to Fix Everything as well. Next to Julia Denos, she might just be my favorite chapter book illustrator! I can’t wait to see more from both Halpin and Cheng.
I borrowed The Year of the Book from my local public library.
Liar & Spy. by Rebecca Stead. August 7, 2012. Random House. 192 pages. ISBN: 9780385737432 Liar & Spy, the forthcoming new novel from Rebecca Stead, is, in some ways, the complete opposite of
When You Reach Me.
When You Reach Me has a girl protagonist;
Liar & Spy’s main character is a boy.
When You Reach Me involves science fiction and historical elements,
Liar & Spy is completely contemporary and realistic.
When You Reach Me has a pair of old friends who aren’t speaking;
Liar & Spy has a pair of new friends just getting to know one another. The two books share one thing in common, however - both feature Rebecca Stead’s unmistakable writing style.
Georges is named for his parents’ favorite artist, Georges Seurat, but most of the kids in his school don’t know that, so they tease him, calling him Gorgeous and generally bullying him until school becomes insufferable. Georges’s family has also just lost their house, and they have had to move into an apartment while his dad finds work and his mom works double shifts as a hospital nurse. Only one exciting thing has happened to Georges: meeting Safer and his sister, Candy. They live in Georges’s apartment building with their free-spirited parents and spend much of their time spying on their neighbors. One in particular, whom Safer calls Mr. X, is a frequent target, because Safer says he smuggles dead bodies out of the building in duffel bags. Georges is drawn immediately into the excitement of spying on a potential murderer, but as Safer becomes more and more reckless, Georges wonders just how far he will be asked to go toward exposing Mr. X’s supposed crimes.
This book is so well-crafted that every character and every place the characters visit, including school, feels somehow magical. Stead chooses such strong, substantial details in her descriptions that the reader can’t help but visualize each sentence. I read this book over several days, riding the train to and from work. Each time I had to put the book down, I would look around dazedly, as though surprised to discover I was not actually living inside the world of the story. When I returned to the story each day, I could feel myself sliding back into the story with ease, eager to absorb every detail.
There are some twists and turns to the plot, with two major mind-blowing reveals toward the end that cause the reader to really reevaluate his/her take on the entire story. Though twists are fun, the more impressive thing is the way in which the mood of the story shifts depending on how Georges is feeling. Georges sees things one way at the beginning of the book, but when his attitude shifts after the events of the story, the very same people and situations look totally different. That kind of subtlety is what sets Stead’s writing apart, and it’s what really pushed me over the edge from a four-star Goodreads rating to a five.
I can’t say that I love
Liar & Spy as well as I love
When You Reach Me, but it’s not a disappointing follow-up at all. I’ll be curious to see whether
Liar & Spy is also recognized by the Newbery Committee; I suspect it will turn up in a lot of this year’s Mock Newbery discussions.
Liar & Spy will be available in bookstores beginning Tuesday, August 7.
I received a digital ARC of Liar & Spy from Random House via NetGal
Madhattan Mystery. by John J. Bonk. May 22, 2012. Walker & Company. 304 pages. ISBN: 9780802723499While their father honeymoons with his new bride, Lexi and her little brother Kevin are staying with their Aunt Roz in Manhattan, where they are scheduled to attend a city summer camp. On the first day of the visit, in the Whispering Gallery at Grand Central Station, Lexi overhears two men discussing plans to steal some jewels. The next day, the jewel heist is all over the news! With some coaxing from her aunt’s neighbor, a Chinese-Jewish New York native named Kim Ling, Lexi decides to skip City Camp and instead solve the mystery. This leads to adventures on the streets of Manhattan, as well as the basement of Grand Central and everywhere in between.
This book deserves credit, first and foremost, for including a homeless teen as a supporting character. Melrose Merritt, whom Lexi, Kevin, and Kim Ling meet on their first foray into the hidden corners of Grand Central, becomes a friend to the group, and she proves to have as much in common with them as any other kid. Instead of being an object of pity or mockery, Melrose is an integral part of the story with a fully developed personality and a strong desire to become an actress. Though Lexi makes some mistakes in some of her naive assumptions about Melrose, the story itself reaches beyond stereotypes, and that is very refreshing. Kim Ling, too, has this great, big personality which makes a nice foil for Lexi’s nervous, overprotective, and worried outlook on things.
Another aspect of the story that really sticks with me is the memories Lexi has of her deceased mother. Flashbacks of Lexi’s time with her mom are infused throughout the book at critical moments, slowly sharing with the reader the story of Lexi’s mother’s death and how it has affected Lexi. Though it is a mystery, the book is also about Lexi’s healing process and how her experiences in New York help her treasure her mother’s memory without having to remain stuck in the past.
The mystery plot itself isn’t the strongest, and I was never that interested in whether the kids actually find the jewels or not. It is neat to think about the secrets of Grand Central Station, and I like that they were incorporated into the mystery, but the mystery seemed like an excuse to explore those secrets, rather than the central focus of the story. I also had some trouble believing the ending. I think it can be difficult to provide a happy ending that doesn’t feel too neatly wrapped up, so I want to be somewhat forgiving, but at the same time, Lexi’s apparent change of heart about her stepmother comes about too easily, and the ultimate resolution to the mystery itself is equally unconvincing.
Finally, just a word about the cover. It's pretty much perfect. It advertises exactly what the story is about and also manages to reveal each character's personality as well as the nature of the relationships between those characters. The cover is what drew me to the book, and I have no doubt it will draw in kids as well.
Give this book to middle graders who have enjoyed these other city-based mysteries:
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett,
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, and
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.
I borrowed Madhattan M
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Oooh, I loved The Fourth Stall. Now I'll have to read the others!
Cindy
I have been wanting to read this series. I will have to read these soon! Great review! It sounds like the series as a whole is well done. :)
~Jess