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Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt. September 10, 2013. Knopf Books for Young Readers. 400 pages. ISBN: 9780307976819

Max’s parents are actors with a flair for the dramatic, and his father has often insisted that a twelve-year-old boy is more than capable of taking care of himself. Still when both his parents go missing under mysterious circumstances, Max isn’t quite prepared to be left on his own with just his grandmother as an ally. It doesn’t take long for Max to realize how difficult it is to keep enough money in his pockets and enough food on his table. While looking for work, he accidentally gains a reputation as a young man who is able to find lost things. Realizing that people will pay him to locate lost items and solve difficult problems, Max begins to advertise himself as a “solutioner” under the name of Mister Max. While solving problems for others, he also tries to figure out the best way to bring his parents back home.

This historical fiction mystery novel is a huge departure from Voigt’s beloved Tillerman cycle, but it works very well and proves the author’s immense talent. The entire concept of the story is something I haven’t really seen before, and I really enjoyed immersing myself in this new world and getting to know Max, both as himself, and in character as Mister Max. Each of the supporting characters, from the schoolgirl who wants to be Max’s assistant, to the university student Max hires to tutor him, to Max’s librarian grandmother, are interesting people with deep backstories and well-realized roles in the story. I found myself becoming as invested in their problems as in Max’s, and I eagerly read through each chapter, wanting to know how everything would turn out.

Since this is the first book in a trilogy, I was wary from the beginning, because I was sure the book would end on an unresolved note. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, with the way Voigt wraps up this first installment in a way that keeps the reader interested in the overall story, but that doesn’t make it completely painful to wait for the next book. This book will not ultimately stand on its own, but it does have its own conclusion, where all mysteries except the major one about Max’s parents, are resolved.

Voigt has always been a talented writer, and I have enjoyed the relationships among her characters in her realistic fiction novels. There are some similarities between Max and Dicey Tillerman, considering both kids are left to fend for themselves by missing parents, but Max’s story is more colorful and in some ways more fanciful than anything else Voigt has written. The Book of Lost Things is one of the best middle grade novels I have read this year, and I can’t wait to see where Max’s story will take us in the remaining volumes. Recommend this book to readers in grades 5 to 8 who like adventure, mystery, and history.

I was invited by Random House to read Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things on NetGalley. 

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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A Lemon and a Star. by E.C. Spykman. 1955. Harcourt Brace. 214 pages. ISBN: : 9780152447137

A few weeks ago, after reading Miracles on Maple Hill, I realized that while I enjoy children's novels from the 1950s, I have read very few. This inspired a visit to my local library with the specific goal of choosing some Old School Sunday reading material published in the 50s. A Lemon and a Star was a particularly exciting discovery both because I had never heard of it before, and because it ended up being such a great story.

A Lemon and a Star is about the four Cares children - Theodore (Ted), Hubert, Jane, and Edith (Edie), who live with their widower father and his household staff in Summerton, Massachusetts in the early 1900s. Because they have no mother, and because they are each mischievous little people, the Cares kids run rampant around the countryside, getting into fights, falling into the reservoir, capturing foxes, wallowing in mud and even occasionally sneaking into the city by train. Much of their time is spent bribing each other into keeping information from their dad, and in trying to keep Edie happy so she doesn't spoil all their plans before they even get off the ground. They have their own codes of loyalty and friendship, and their own ideas about how the world works, and they employ these rules as they look after themselves and each other.

Like Swallows and Amazons and The Boxcar Children, this book is appealing because it shows kids on their own doing things for themselves. The Cares children are not as responsible as John and Susan Walker, or as Henry and Jessie Alden, but that just adds to the fun of the reading experience. Most kids - whether they grow up in the early 1900s, the mid 1950s, or the early 2010s - will never have the freedom given to the Cares kids, and it's a lot of fun to live vicariously through them as their adventures unfold. I also think kids like to be shocked by the bad behavior of other kids, even if it the behaviors are not something they would do themselves. My husband and I read this book within a few days of each other, and as we discussed it, we just kept laughing and saying, "They're so bad!" Our enjoyment of their behavior reminded me a lot of reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Nobody wants to act like the Herdmans, but everyone wants to know what they'll do next. The same is true for Ted, Hubert, Jane, and Edie.

For a book about so much mischief, the writing is very beautiful. Images of the red house where the family lives, the reservoirs full of sparkling water, and Ted's black eye after a fight are just a few of the moments in this book that bring it fully to life and make it so easy to imagine really being in Summerton watching these kids playing. The personalities of the four kids come across very well. Ted is portrayed as the frustrated oldest child who is stubborn and annoyed by his younger siblings. Edie is the spoiled baby of the family who can be bought but not controlled. Hubert and Jane fall somewhere in the middle, trying to do the right thing and keep their father happy, but also endlessly fascinated by thir older brother and filled with concern for him when he is in danger. Every child reader can find a character to sympathize with in every scene.

Like many books for kids published in the 1950s, A Lemon and a Star is a great celebration of the adventures kids can have in their own backyards. It makes a nice read-alike for The Moffats, The Railway Children, and Swallows and Amazons, as well as for books by Carolyn Haywood and Beverly Cleary. Though I think they will be somewhat hard to find, I hope to track down and read the other three books in this series: The Wild Angel, Terrible, Horrible Edie and Edie on the Warpath, all of which sound wonderful.

I borrowed A Lemon and a Star from my local public library.

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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Not Exactly a Love Story by Audrey Couloumbis. December 11, 2012. Random House. 288 pages. ISBN: 9780375867835

Vinnie is fifteen, and his life has undergone some recent major changes. First, he and his mom move to a new town, leaving behind the girl Vinnie has loved from afar for years. Next, his mom falls in love with his new gym teacher, and decides to marry him. Then, Vinnie starts to get interested in a girl in his neighborhood named Patsy, and he makes an obscene phone call to her house to try to get her attention. Patsy is more intrigued than horrified by the call, and soon Vinnie is calling Patsy every night at midnight and the two teens are telling each other things they’d never tell anyone else. There is just one problem with their late-night friendship. Vinnie, who is also getting to know Patsy during the day, has never revealed his identity as the midnight caller, and he’s afraid if he ever does, Patsy will no longer care for him.

Not Exactly a Love Story is set in 1977, which is what makes possible the anonymous phone calls at the heart of the story. In 2012, with cell phones and caller ID, it’s a lot harder for teens like Vinnie to make untraced phone calls to the girls of their dreams, so I imagine that this is why the author chose to set the story in the past. I hesitate to truly call it historical fiction, as it reads similarly to a lot of contemporary YA books, but some references to pop culture and clothing, along with the phone calls, give it a 70s vibe, even if the time period is not of major importance.

Vinnie is a likeable character from the very first page. This is especially important because he’s so isolated and in his own head for much of the story. Being new in school has made finding friends difficult, so there’s not the usual best friend character for him to bounce ideas off of. His mom and the gym teacher play their supporting roles well, but for the most part, the reader is in Vinnie’s head as he sorts out his phone call persona from his true self. Many sections of the story are simply debates Vinnie has with himself over what to say or do next. Thankfully, these debates are interesting and raise a lot of questions, not just about communication, but about identity and honesty. Vinnie also makes observations about Patsy, the boys she dates, and her group of friends, which are among the best parts of the book. I love the way he calls Patsy’s boyfriend Biff, and refers to one of her best friends as Brown Bunny based on how she looks.

Some story threads seemed to me to be left unresolved. Patsy reconnects with a girl named Sissy early in the book in a scene that felt significant in some way, and I kept waiting for Sissy to reappear again later on in some final twist. This did not happen, and I was left wondering why Sissy was in the story at all. I felt the same way about the girl Vinnie leaves behind at the start of the book. Why bother starting the story there, when Patsy is the girl we’re meant to care about? It’s fine to have a story that doesn’t package everything up neatly, but in this case, I felt these story lines had been forgotten rather than intentionally left ambiguous.

Not Exactly a Love Story will appeal to girls, of course, because of the romance angle, but there’s also a lot for teen boys to relate to. Vinnie is similar to other great male narrators from this year: Guy Langman (Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator), Sanskrit Zuckerman (Since You Left Me), and Felton Reinstein (Nothing Special). Fifteen year old boys from any time period can relate to Vinnie’s desire to get the girl of his dreams, and they will sympathize better than anyone with the mistakes he makes on the road to getting what he wants.

Not Exactly a Love Story was published yesterday, December 11, 2012.


I received a digital ARC of Not Exactly a Love Story from Random House via NetGalley.

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat. 

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The Whipping Boy. by Sid Fleischman. 1986. HarperCollins. 96 pages. ISBN: 9780060521226

The Whipping Boy is a slim historical fiction novel that won the Newbery Medal back in 1987. It’s the story of Prince Horace, also called Prince Brat, who often misbehaves on purpose in order to see his whipping boy, Jemmy, get punished. When the prince runs away and Jemmy follows, they fall in with some criminals and must switch places in order to outsmart them and make their escape.

Of all the relationships presented in children’s books, this one, between a prince and the boy who is punished daily on his behalf, is one of the most unusual and the most interesting. Though the story is mainly an adventure, following the two boys as they try to outsmart a pair of ne’er-do-wells, it also raises a lot of important questions about wealth, status, education, and justice. The prince is rich and powerful, but he has never learned to read or write because he is always busy misbehaving. The whipping boy, however, who can afford to take nothing for granted, has learned the lessons intended for the prince and is fully literate. Inside the castle, the prince’s crown gives him authority; outside the castle walls, Jemmy becomes the powerful one because he can read and write. When the boys trade places, it’s not just a cute Parent Trap-esque plot device. Instead, the swap is used to illustrate the mostly arbitrary societal constructs that separate the haves from the have-nots. The reader learns, without explicitly being taught, that there are different types of riches, and that the last can suddenly be first when circumstances shift and change.

There are many other elements to this book that make it great. I’m sure kids are pleased to see Prince Brat get his comeuppance after Jemmy has endured so many beatings in his stead, but I bet they enjoy his journey toward redemption just as much. Each character the boys meet on their journey back to the castle is colorful and memorable, and the boys’ clever plan for finally escaping their captors makes for a very satisfying ending.

This book reminds me a lot of The Tale of Despereaux, and I think fans of one will equally enjoy the other. It’s also a nice, quick read with lots of action that a reluctant reader might be willing to try over something longer and more intimidating. I like Sid Fleischman’s straightforward writing style, and though I saw the happy ending coming from the beginning, the road he took to get there was thoroughly enjoyable.

I borrowed The Whipping Boy from my local public library.

For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.

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The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm. by Patricia MacLachlan. September 1, 2012. Albert Whitman & Company. 144 pages. ISBN: 9780807566169

Long before they become those well-loved orphans living secretly in a boxcar to escape their supposedly evil grandfather, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny live at Meadowview Farm with their parents. In the final year before their parents die, the four kids care for animals, open their home to strangers whose car breaks down during a bad snowstorm, and even put on a free circus for their neighbors to distract them from “hard times.” Above all, even when the inevitable sad ending arrives, they care for and love one another. This book is being published to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the publication of The Boxcar Children.

I had mixed feelings about reading this book, but my curiosity won out over my reservations. Having read many of the original titles as a kid, I found that I really wanted to know what life was like before that opening scene in The Boxcar Children where the four kids stand hungry before the bakery window. I was worried, though, that even the talents of Patricia MacLachlan could not preserve the charm and warmth of the original series. It turns out I was a little bit right about that, but I still wasn’t entirely disappointed.

The first thing I noticed, for better or for worse, is the fact that the writing style in this prequel is clearly that of Patricia MacLachlan. I guess I didn’t really expect her to try imitating Gertrude Chandler Warner, since that would feel even less authentic, but I found the change in voice from the original books to this one to be quite jarring. This is why I think this book should be seen as a tribute or homage to the original author and her narrative world rather than a true part of the series. If this were the first book a child read in the Boxcar Children series, I think that would be too bad and would somehow diminish the overall reading experience.

Once I settled into the story, I became further convinced that this is definitely a book to be read after becoming familiar with the Boxcar Children, not before. There are lots of hints throughout the text to the death of the Alden parents, which I suppose could be seen as foreshadowing, but really won’t have nearly as much meaning for anyone who doesn’t know already how things turn out. There are lots of details, too, that hint at the roles each of the children will play later on in the series, characterizations which on their own are easy to breeze by, but combined with knowledge from the series give the reader a bit of a knowing smile.

On its own, without considering the series as a whole, the book was just okay for me. I felt a strong sense of detachment from the characters, as though I could never really get close enough to them to feel what they were feeling, or worry about what worried them. The tone of the book is very upbeat and positive. Even when “hard times” strike, the Alden family seems to greet them with a smile, always ready for the next challenge. I know some parents will be pleased to have such a wholesome story to share with their kids, but I would argue that it’s even more wholesome than the already tame original series, and that it borders on painfully sweet. I also think the latter half of the book zips by far too quickly, with barely a climax before the denouement and conclusion. I felt like the parents’ death happened mainly because it was supposed to for the sake of continuity, and not because it made any logical se

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Same Sun Here. by Silas House and Neela Vaswani. February 14, 2012. Candlewick. 288 pages. ISBN: 9780763656843

Like Dear Mr. Henshaw and P.S. Longer Letter Later, Same Sun Here is an epistolary novel set in 2008, which is told entirely in correspondence between two randomly assigned pen pals - Meena, an Indian immigrant living in New York City, and River, who lives in Kentucky, where his father is a coal miner. Though different in many ways, Meena and River find that living beneath the same sun gives them lots in common - including their love for their grandmothers, their love of writing, and their willingness to open their lives to one another. River turns to Meena for support when mountaintop removal threatens his hometown, and Meena, in turn, confides in River about her family’s illegal living arrangement and their efforts to become citizens. Ultimately, though they never meet face to face in the book, the two become best friends, demonstrating the ideal that our differences can bring us together rather than keep us apart.

For the most part, reading this book was really enjoyable. I have always loved stories told through documents and letters, and I like the deep level of character development that comes from this format. The characters know nothing about each other, so every letter gives a little more insight into their unique personalities, which helps the reader get to know them, too. I also learned a lot about immigrant culture in New York, rent control, mountaintop removal, Appalachian culture, and Indian language, food, and customs. It was interesting to see how the introduction of each new idea helped to shape and reshape Meena’s opinion of River, and his of her.

My criticism, though, is that this happens too easily. Meena and River are at times irritatingly good kids, whose minds are always open, and whose every mistake is immediately corrected. At times, they do fight in their letters, but they are both portrayed as so level-headed that it doesn’t take much time - at least not in the narrative- for their friendship to bounce back. I also had a hard time understanding why they thought of each other as best friends so quickly. I thought part of the point of the story was going to be that over time, two different kids can become best friends because they come to a mutual understanding of each other’s backgrounds and beliefs. Instead, that close friendship came on suddenly, and the deeper level of understanding came later on. That just seemed somehow backward to me.

The value of the story, though, is that it undermines the instant gratification of modern technology and argues for the relevance of writing meaningful messages to one another and waiting anxiously for the replies. In a world where friends text more than they talk face to face, it’s important for kids to see the importance of those deeper conversations that bring unlikely pairs closer together and help each of us understand, on the larger scale, how we’re all connected by our experiences as humans.

This book obviously has an agenda and a particular political point of view, which promotes activism, criticizes government, and laments society’s unfairness toward marginalized groups. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that except that sometimes - especially in the latter half of the book - the agenda overpowers the story. River performs an act of defiance that puts him suddenly in the spotlight in a way I found irritating, and from then on, his story takes center stage, while

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Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin. September 27, 2011. Henry Holt. 160 pages. ISBN: 9780805092165

Sasha Zaichik is ten years old, and ready to become a Young Pioneer. He is devoted to Stalin, and proud of his father, who works for the secret police. He blindly accepts the socialist teachings of his society, and sees nothing unusual in his communal living arrangements, or the harsh punishments doled out at school to punish the children of Stalin’s enemies. Sasha’s sense of security is greatly challenged, however, when his father is arrested on the eve of the Young Pioneers induction ceremony, and Sasha himself accidentally breaks a statue of Stalin in the school hallway. Slowly, the truth about Stalinist Russia begins revealing itself to Sasha, forcing him to make some serious decisions about who to trust.

This book is small and short, but very powerful. The most remarkable thing about it is the author’s ability to immerse the reader in the naive mindset of a child raised in a socialist society. It can be hard for kids to connect with history in a personal way because textbooks are written in such dry, analytical language. This book teaches kids everything they could want to understand about living under Stalin, but it does so by appealing to emotions and experiences, rather than listing a litany of facts without context. Yelchin really drives home the fear and unfairness of totalitarianism by showing the way kids in Sasha’s school are punished, even for the smallest accidental infraction, such as knocking over a statue. I was absolutely riveted by the entire story, and worried, as events progressed, for Sasha’s future.

I’m really thankful to the Newbery committee for recognizing this book this year because otherwise, I’m certain I would have missed it. There aren’t many historical fiction novels out there that expose kids to the darker side of humanity, and this one’s honesty is much appreciated. I also noticed that Yelchin used humor very carefully, but very effectively, to keep hope alive for the reader, even in very dark and disturbing moments.

Breaking Stalin’s Nose is very well done, and will appeal to kids right up through their teens. I don’t review historical fiction very often, but you can read my other reviews of this genre here.

I borrowed Breaking Stalin's Nose from my local public library. 

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Alice is very close to her aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, who bakes pies and then gives them away free of charge. Naturally, she is devastated when Aunt Polly dies suddenly, but she's also concerned about what will happen to her aunt's secret piecrust recipe. As it turns out, the recipe is left to Lardo, Aunt Polly's cat, and the cat is left to Alice! This fact creates a lot of tension in the community, and especially in Alice's own family, where her mother has always resented her relationship with Polly and can't stand the idea that she doesn't have the same baking talents Polly did. As Alice mourns the loss of her beloved aunt, she must also try to solve a potential cat-napping, a break-in at her aunt's bakery and the mysterious behavior of both her school principal and a strange newcomer claiming to be from Life magazine.

This book is actually set in the 1950's, though there is very little to suggest the time period, aside from the absence of a lot of twenty-first century technology, and a few references to specific years. Interestingly, I was mostly reminded of adult books as I read this one, rather than children's books, and I found myself comparing it to Fried Green Tomatoes and to cozy adult mysteries. I do think it also evokes the same mood as other small-town tales for kids, namely Because of Winn Dixie and A Long Way from Chicago. I thought it was a well-plotted and well-constructed mystery, and I appreciated that it was actually possible to solve the mystery all along, if the reader paid attention and assembled all the clues.

Only one thing really annoyed me, which was the concept of the Blueberry Award - a baking award clearly intended to mimic the Newbery award. I really don't like it when I feel like authors are catering to their adult readers, especially when it's a reference few kids in the intended audience would recognize or understand. Several other aspects of the book - mainly the focus on a world populated almost exclusively by adults, and the recipes, which I glossed over myself - also made me question whether kids would stick with it, even though librarians and teachers have seemed to enjoy it. So while I liked the story personally, I'd be hesitant to recommend it to the average middle grade reader.

Click below to read my reviews of Sarah Weeks's other books:

• Oggie Cooder: Party Animal
• Splish, Splash!
• As Simple As It Seems

I borrowed Pie from my local public library.

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The year is 1969, and Brody is twelve years old and living in New Jersey. He spends his time rooting for the New York Mets, listening to the top 40 radio station and charting his favorite songs from week to week, and playing football. His older brother, who will soon be old enough for the draft, has other things on his mind - namely avoiding and protesting against the war in Vietnam. With his brother, Brody has the chance to go briefly to Woodstock, where his mind also starts opening up to some of the issues surrounding the war.

Like most Rich Wallace novels, this is mainly a sports book, just set in a historical time period instead of the present day. The writing is tight, clear and concise, and the narration of the many football plays impresses me because I find it especially difficult to describe complex physical action. I read this book just a few days after I read Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt, which I reviewed on  8/16/11. Because both books are set in the latter part of the 1960's, I couldn't help but make a few comparisons, especially since the books did have a number of things in common. Both boys are baseball fans, though Doug in Okay For Now likes the Yankees, not the Mets. Both boys also have brothers who are impacted by the Vietnam War in different ways. There's also a bit of romance in each novel, though Doug's attachment to his female friend is more emotional, while Brody's is more hormonal, at least for most of the story. 

I think Okay For Now is the better of the two books, if only because it packs a much stronger emotional punch. I think the sports elements in War and Watermelon would make it appealing for boys, especially, but the cover and the historical details could possibly turn them off, or at least mislead them as to what the book is about. I enjoyed reading it myself, mostly because of the musical references. I grew up listening to oldies from the 60's, so I knew many of the songs and found myself humming them as I read. This would probably not be the case for most kids reading the book, however, and I wondered whether most of it would be lost on them because of that.

To supplement this review, I actually made a list of links to some of the different songs Brody mentions in the story, in case it happens to be useful to any of my blog visitors. I'd certainly recommend tracking down these songs and listening as you read, or sharing them with a child you know who's reading the story. It adds a whole new layer to the book, and creates a great opportunity for kids to grow in their knowledge of pop culture.

Here they are:

• Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline 
• Sly & The Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summer Time  
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River  
• Grass Roots - I'd Wait a Million Years 
• The Temptations - I Can't Get Next To You  
• Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue  
• Tom Jones - I'll Never F
  2 Comments on Review: War & Watermelon by Rich Wallace, last added: 8/27/2011
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  Michelle said, on 8/25/2011 3:16:00 PM
  

  Sounds interesting. I love the playlist edition to the post!

  Katie said, on 8/27/2011 10:11:00 AM
  

  Thanks! I think that was my favorite thing about the book - all those oldies. My parents listened to a lot of this kind of music when I was a kid, so it's like revisiting my childhood.

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Okay for Now has been widely predicted as a contender for the 2012 Newbery Medal. I do have some reservations about that prediction, but I still think this book is pretty darn good. I'll admit up front that I have never read The Wednesday Wars. I tried once, after it was published, and could not get into it at all. I will be trying again, now that I've read this one, but I came to this sequel with no knowledge of Doug Swieteck whatsoever, and as it turns out, no need for any prior knowledge.

Doug has recently moved to Marysville, New York, with one of his brothers (the other, Lucas, is serving in Vietnam), his mother, whom he loves, and his abusive dad. Desperate to be out of the house and dissociated from his brother's criminal behavior, Doug starts visiting the public library, where John Audubon's drawings of birds are on display, one at a time, inside a glass case. The librarian, Mr. Powell, notices that Doug has an interest in and aptitude for drawing and helps him slowly learn to draw each of the birds. Doug enjoys these drawing sessions, and also sees stories and messages in the paintings that are dictated and sometimes even changed by happenings in his own life.

Throughout these first months in Marysville, Doug also gets a job as a delivery boy, which gives him the chance to meet many different people in the community, including an eccentric author, and he learns to read, after a teacher discovers that he secretly can't. He also meets Lil, who proves to be a friend as well as a bit of a know-it-all, and he does his best to hide the jacket he received from baseball player Joe Pepitone, so that his brother or father doesn't steal it away from him.

This book contains some of the most beautiful writing I have ever had the pleasure of reading. There's some grim stuff, too, mostly having to do with Doug's father's abusive behaviors, but even those haunting passages are written to a higher standard. I think the only things that prevent this book from acheiving true greatness are the plot points near the end of the book. Doug's brother returns from Vietnam, a major illness befalls someone important to Doug, and suddenly his father seems to clean up his act in a very contrived and completely unbelievable way. I thought these moments cheapened the story quite a bit, and condescended to the readers in a way that isn't necessary in a sophisticated book like this.

Read-alikes for this story include Tales of the Madman Underground, which is all about trying to survive a world where adults continually screw up, The Catcher in the Rye, whose Holden has a tone of sarcasm just like Doug's, and The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, which also focuses on escape from an abusive parent. I won't be entirely disappointed to see this book win the Newbery, but given its weaknesses, I will be surprised. Still, though, don't miss this book. Its brilliance far outweighs even its most glaring flaws.

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