If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking The Secrets of Stonehenge. Marc Aronson. 2010. March 2010. National Geographic. 64 pages.
Stonehenge, Near Salisbury, England.
It is a typical September day in western England--we had heavy rain yesterday, and the sky is still slate gray, but when the clouds break there are sudden moments of clear sunlight. I keep noticing the changing light because I am dashing to stay out of the way of a Japanese film crew. They are following the archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson as he leads them around Stonehenge--the mysterious circle of stones that was built on Salisbury Plain 4,500 years ago and is now a World Heritage site.
Somebody went to a great effort very long ago to shape these stones and then lift them into place. But unlike the Egyptians who were raising their great pyramids at the exact same time, the builders did not know how to write. All they left behind was this beautiful circle of stone. And so we walk around it, snapping photos, and wonder, What are you telling us, stones? What did you mean to those who put you here? We want the stones to speak. We sense that if we could only understand them, we would be able to reach back in time. We would be in the world of Ancient Britain.
This one just fascinated me! I loved learning more about Stonehenge. About the various theories people--mainly archaeologists--have come up with. About how this place has fascinated so many for so long. I loved reading about the new insights, the new discoveries made just recently.
This one had everything I look for in a nonfiction. The writing was engaging. It was full of information. And the photos and illustrations were great!
© Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Thirteenth Princess. Diane Zahler. 2010. HarperCollins. 245 pages.
My name is Zita, and I am the thirteenth of thirteen princesses. My twelve sisters have become the subject of legend, even in faraway kingdoms, but I am sure that you have never heard of me.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Chances are you've heard of them. Maybe you've even read a novelization of that fairy tale. There have been several released recently. This one adds a slightly different twist to the story. What if there were a thirteenth princess? A princess that proves integral to the story because she helps solve the mystery.
Zita, our heroine, is a likable narrator. She's been raised apart from her sisters because of her father's irrational anger. He's never gotten over his wife's death. He blames Zita for it. So from the day she was born, she's been raised by the servants, trained to be a servant. Zita didn't learn the truth about herself until later. How is a girl supposed to cope with news like this? Her father is alive. But he doesn't want her. He doesn't love her. She has sisters. Twelve of them. All beautiful. All loved by the king. All living in luxury. But her life, anything but luxurious. She waits on others, serves others. She's used to being invisible. How can she have a relationship with her sisters? How do they feel towards her?
The Thirteenth Princess was an interesting book. I would recommend it to those fantasy-lovers that like fairy tale novelizations.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette by Carolyn Meyer. 2010. [April 2010] Harcourt. 420 pages.
The empress, my mother, studied me as if I were an unusual creature she'd thought of acquiring for the palace menagerie. I shivered under her critical gaze. It was like being bathed in snow.
I was not disappointed in Carolyn Meyer's latest book. This historical novel is based on the rise and fall of Marie Antoinette. It is the story of the French Revolution and the monarchs that fell as a nation revolted.
Each chapter is a numbered rule. So you'll see advice such as:
"You must become fluent in French"
"You are born to obey, and you must learn to do so"
"Never behave in a manner to shock anyone"
"An outward display of emotion violates all the rules of etiquette"
"You cannot change the rules of etiquette"
"It is not your role to defy accepted fashion"
"You must control your spending"
Chapters, of course, don't have to be titled anything in a book. But in this case I thought it was a nice touch. It helped set the tone of the book, in my opinion. (I also loved that the chapters were quick!) Though Marie Antoinette is given plenty of advice--by her mother and her Austrian family, by her husband's family, by royal advisers, etc. Marie doesn't always follow it! She definitely had a strong will and didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do. Especially when some of the rules didn't make much sense to her. Why couldn't she dress the way she wanted? Why did everything have to be done a certain way, the way it had
always been done?
The Bad Queen is told in first person through the eyes of Marie Antoinette. Towards the end of the book, as the family's fate becomes more certain, when she knows her days are numbered and the end will be anything but pretty, the narration switches to Marie's daughter.
Readers get a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be royalty, what it's like to live in luxury, what it's like to be someone that everyone loves to hate.
I found this one to be a compelling read. Even though I knew what was coming, I just had to keep reading!
This isn't the first time Carolyn Meyer has written about royalty. There is
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess;
Kristina, The Girl King;
Doomed Queen Anne;
Mary, Blood Mary;
Beware, Princess Elizabeth; and Patience, Princess Catherine; and
Duchessina: A Novel of Catherine de Medici. I've read and enjoyed them all.
What do you think of the cover of this one?
© Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Clementine, Friend of the Week. Sara Pennypacker. Illustrations by Marla Frazee. 2010. July 2010. Hyperion. 176 pages.
I couldn't wait for Margaret to get on the bus Monday afternoon.
This is the fourth Clementine book. Others in the series include Clementine (2006), The Talented Clementine (2007), and Clementine's Letter (2008).
There is so much to love about Clementine. I hardly know where to begin. Well, that's not exactly true. If you are not familiar with Clementine, you should definitely begin at the beginning. And you should go ahead and check out the whole series while you're at it! She's fun. She's spirited. (But not particularly in a bratty kind of way.) And she's unforgettable.
What is this Clementine book about? Well, it is Clementine's turn to be "friend of the week." Her classmates will be creating a booklet about Clementine. What will her classmates say? What kinds of compliments will she receive? How do her classmates see her? Do they like her? Or not? As Clementine worries about what kind of friend she really is, what kind of person she really is, readers get treated to a heartfelt adventure. It's a thoughtful book that delighted me. This may just be my favorite Clementine yet.
What I liked about this one was that it showed Clementine could do more than get into trouble and be cute while doing so.
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
What Does Baby Say? A Lift the Flap Book by Karen Katz. 2004. Simon & Schuster. (Little Simon). 16 pages.
This may just be my favorite Karen Katz that I've read. It's simple. It's colorful. It's fun.
What does the happy baby say?
What does the sad baby say?
What does the hungry baby say?
Goo-goo, boo-hoo, and ba-ba! And that's just the start!
I like this question and answer format. I like the fact that it's a book for babies about babies. These are emotions that babies can relate to. I also appreciate that this one (like so many of her other books) is multicultural. There are babies of all skin tones featured throughout in the illustrations.
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
I Don't Want A Cool Cat! By Emma Dodd. 2010. [August 2010] Little Brown Young Readers. 32 pages.
I don't want a cool cat.
A treat-me-like-a-fool cat.
I don't want a stuffy cat.
A huffy, over-fluffy cat.
I don't want a night cat.
A looking-for-a-fight cat.
I just love, love, loved last year's
I Don't Want A Posh Dog. So I was so excited to see that there is a companion book called I Don't Want A Cool Cat. Because cat lovers need good books too, you know! This rhyming picture book (with a great feel for rhythm) shows what one little girl wants in cat. After listing the types of cats she doesn't want, she then describes the one she
really wants.
It's cute. It's silly. It's fun. It really couldn't get any better than this.
© Becky Laney of
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on 2/25/2010
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Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. 2010. [March 2010]. HarperCollins. 480 pages.
They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that's not how it happened for me.
Our narrator, Sam (Samantha) Kingston, has died. But that's not the end of this story, no, it's only the beginning. Because Sam keeps reliving her last day over and over and over again. Six times Sam relives her last day--knowing that it is her last day. Will knowing change anything? Will Sam change? Can she change? Is there a way to save herself?
Sam has been given a rather unique window of opportunity. She knows things others don't. She makes new observations each time through--learns things about her friends, her classmates, things that matter.
I'll be honest. I hated Sam. I hated her friends. I thought they were awful people--just awful. Sam realizes this too. Though she realizes it a bit too late. It's only after she's died that she realizes the person she's become isn't the person she'd want to be. Sam has the opportunity to use each 'second' chance to change. Small things at first. But by the end, Sam isn't the same. Sam has learned (although it is a lesson learned the hard way) that little things do matter. Little decisions, little things, do have an impact not only on how you live your life but on other people in your life as well. The way you treat others does matter.
This one has a clever premise. One I hadn't seen before in a young adult novel. (Though, of course, dead narrators have been done before.) And the best thing about it is that the promising premise doesn't disappoint. (You know, some books have great premises but fail to carry it out.) I think Lauren Oliver did a good job. Especially with her characterization. As each layer is added to the unfolding story, it just gets better and better. A very compelling book!
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
The Very Little Princess. Marion Dane Bauer. Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. 2010. [February 2010]. 128 pages. Random House.
This is a story about a girl and a doll. A brave girl and a ... well, a doll is just a doll, isn't she? Or at least that's all she was when this story began.
Zoey has never met her grandmother. It's always only been her and her mom. But. One day her mom surprises her with a trip to her grandmother's house. Hazel, the grandmother, is a bit surprised to see her daughter resurface after so many years. And while she's happy to meet her granddaughter, more than happy, she's a bit shocked as well. And that's just the beginning of the surprises in store for this family.
Princess Regina, a small three-inch china doll, has a beautiful doll house all her own. But no "servant" to go with it. She seems to remember in days long gone by that there have been several human children who were her servants. But until Zoey arrives, Princess Regina has been trapped in a way, lonely and friendless. This magical doll is only 'awakened' by tears. Why is Zoey crying? And how can Regina help? Read and see in this very imaginative, very emotional story of a family in crisis.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak. By Tomek Bogacki. 2009. [September 2009]. FSG. 40 pages.
On a rainy day in 1889, a boy wandered the streets of Old Town in Warsaw, Poland. The people he saw were very poor, and they all looked hungry. Many of them were homeless children dressed in rags. The boy wished he could do something to help them. If he were king--and he imagined himself on a white horse--he would create a better world for these children, a world where no one suffered. This is the story of Janusz Korczak, a remarkable man who dedicated his life to helping children.
In this beautifully illustrated picture book biography, readers are introduced to the life and work of Janusz Korczak. It's definitely a book for older readers. (Not a picture book you'd grab for story time.)
What did I like about this one? Well, I thought the illustrations were amazing. They really drew me into this one. And the story itself while heartbreaking is oh-so-compelling. I mean it is the story of a child growing up with a dream... realizing that dream...and following it through to the oh-so-bitter end. It's a bittersweet story no doubt. Because the world isn't fair. Because not everyone gets happy endings. But it's an inspirational story as well of a man who dedicated his life to others. The book sums it up like this, "his insistence that children have the right to be loved, educated, and protected has continued to inspire people all over the world."
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
Tarra & Bella. The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends. By Carol Buckley. 2009. (September 2009). Penguin. 32 pages.
Meet Tarra, the elephant, and Bella, the dog who won her heart.
This is a sweet story--a true story at that--about friendship. Who would have thought--who could have known that a dog could be best friends with an elephant? Tarra and Bella live at an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.
What did I love about this one? Besides the sweet story I mean? Well, I loved the photographs. They are the heart and soul of this one.
In addition to the story--which has appeal for elephant lovers of all ages--we also have the opportunity to learn more about elephant sanctuaries.
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
Merry Christmas. Susan K. Leigh. 2006. Concordia Publishing House. (Board Book)
This little board book is just right for your little ones at Christmas. It tells the real story of Christmas in simple sentences. It is very Jesus-focused. (Something that I just love, love, love!) Here's how it starts off:
Christmas is here.
Christmas is Jesus' birthday.
Jesus is the Son of God.
The Bible tells us about Jesus.
I love the simplicity of it. Yet at the same time I love how much substance there is. Each sentence says something important, something significant. If you're looking to share a non-Santa message with your little ones to prepare for Christmas, then this one might work for you.
© Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 11/24/2009
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Preller, James. 2009. Bystander. Feiwel and Friends. 226 pages.
The first time Eric Hayes ever saw him, David Hallenback was running, if you could call it that, running in a halting, choppy-stepped, stumpy-legged shamble, slowing down to look back over his shoulder, stumbling forward, pausing to catch his breath, then lurching forward again.
Bystander is a book about bullying. Eric, our narrator, fits strangely into his new school. New and slightly confused, he begins associating with the wrong crowd. Kids he knows to be bullies. Because--at least at first--he's not the target of the bullying, he accepts everything. There are a few instances here and there that make him squirm. But at the same time, it's easy to laugh along with the other kids, the other witnesses or bystanders. As long as the bullying isn't too much--then he's not willing to speak up about it. But there comes a time when it does get to be too much. When what he witnesses makes him so uncomfortable that he wakes up and gets a conscience. But now that he doesn't want to be all buddy-buddy with his former friends, will he become the next target? Will standing up for what he knows to be right lead to his own fall? And can he live with that if it is?
What's a boy to do when so many of the kids around him are bullies? True, not everyone bullies with kicks and punches, but there are so many different ways of bullying. Why does everyone have to be so mean in middle school?
This is more of a message-oriented novel.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
By: Becky,
on 11/12/2009
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Barrett, Tracy. 2009. The Sherlock Files: The Beast of Blackslope. Henry Holt. 174 pages.
This is the second in a mystery series. The first is The 100 Year Old Secret. Xander and Xena are a brother-sister detective team. Descendants of the great Sherlock Holmes. They inherited his book of 'unsolved cases' in the first book, and are back for their second adventure. These two (along with their parents) are visiting a not-so-cozy bed and breakfast in the country. They hear a strange and frightening noise one day, and then begin to hear rumors of a beast. Thanks to a superb memory, one of the two remembers that Sherlock Holmes tried to solve this case a hundred years ago--a case of a strange beast in this area--but couldn't. Can these two figure out both mysteries--the identity of the beast then and now?
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
By:
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on 10/30/2009
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Frost, Helen. 2009. Crossing Stones. FSG. 184 pages.
You'd better straighten out your mind, Young Lady.
Loved, loved, loved this verse novel by Helen Frost. It's historical fiction. A drama following the lives of two families. The Jorgensens and The Normans. The year is 1917 (and 1918). We've got many narrators (both male and female), many stories. Emma and Frank Norman. Ollie and Muriel Jorgensen. Frank loves Muriel. (Does she love him like that though?) Ollie loves Emma.
But war has its own role to play in the lives of these two families. It changes everything. It changes what should be and what could be. It confuses everyone, taints everything. Will anyone be the same after it is all over?
Women's suffrage. World War I. Spanish influenza. Muriel, Ollie, and Emma are coming of age at a difficult time in American history. Muriel is arguably the strongest narrator of the bunch. She believes in peace, hates that American soldiers are getting involved in the war, hates the fact that the men in her life--Frank and Ollie--are wanting to go to war, enlisting. She's a suffragist--in her dreams at least. She supports the cause. Even though she's not actively involved in marches and protests and such. Like her aunt.
The book examines how war--this war in particular--shaped the men and women of that generation.
What did I love about this book? Just about everything! I loved the setting. Felt it very rich in detail. Loved the feeling of losing myself in another time and place. I loved getting a look at what life was like (or what it could have been like at the very least) during this time period. So much of what I read--when it comes to war--is set during World War II, so it was refreshing to see this one about World War I. It was interesting to me. Compelling. The poetry was great. Loved the different voices--each narrator was unique, and I appreciated all the different perspectives. I loved that it made me think, really think. It's one that I'd definitely recommend to those in my life that can't get enough historical fiction.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Creech, Sharon. 2009. The Unfinished Angel. 164 pages. HarperCollins.
Peoples are strange!
The things they are doing and saying--sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads? And why so much saying, so much talking all the time day and night, all those words spilling out of those mouths? Why so much? Why don't they be quiet?
This is a strange but strangely lovely little book. Very quirky. Not for everyone. But for some readers, this may be a delightful little read. It's narrated by an angel, an angel who feels a little 'unfinished' at times. He (or she for that matter, I don't know that it ever says one way or the other...at least not that I can recall) has been living in a stone tower of the Casa Rosa, a tiny village in the Swiss Alps for centuries. This angel has watched over the villagers for hundreds and hundreds of years. Sometimes choosing to get involved, and sometimes not so much. This book takes place at a time when the angel is choosing to become involved--mainly because of a lovely but lonely little girl named Zola.
Me, I am an angel. I am supposed to be having all the words in all the languages, but I am not. Many are missing. I am also not having a special assignment. I think I did not get all the training. (2)
You won't believe this, but there are peoples who pay money to other peoples to wash their hairs and even to paint colors on their toes. Is really! And in the same world of peoples there are other peoples who have to crawl in the dirt scrounging for a measly piece of garbage to eat. I am not fabbagrating. Don't get me started.
At night I swish in the heads of the peoples with the clean hairs and feets, showing them the peoples crawling in the dirt, but in the morning when the clean peoples wake up they have already forgotten. I think maybe it is my fault that they forget so quick and so it is my fault that there are peoples who have to crawl in the dirt. I am not knowing enough. What are the other angels doing? (26-27)
I am a little crankiful when I am not sleeping well. (60)
As I said, this one might not appeal to every reader. But I think it is delightful in its own little way. I thought it was an interesting book with a unique narrative voice. The word choice and style may be a little off-putting for some readers, but it may work well with others. I know that I'll probably be borrowing words like crankiful. I only wish I'd thought to make a list of all the words I liked. Some were really quite clever.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
This looks like such an interesting book! I've always been curious to know more about Stonehenge.
This looks great. Even though that inro makes me want the stones to literally speak and my guess is they won't. But I like the invitation to, and of course the subject is awesome.
This looks great. Even though that inro makes me want the stones to literally speak and my guess is they won't. But I like the invitation to, and of course the subject is awesome.
Who would have thought to write a book about Stonehenge? After all it has been around forever. Now I really want to read this book. Thanks!