Blast from the Past

Blast From The Past Meg Cabot

New Allie Finkle! New Allie Finkle! New Allie Finkle!

Allie's class is going on a field trip. She's excited because events have always consipired against her so she's never actually been on a field trip before. She's also never ridden on a school bus before and Rosemary, who rides the bus every day has promised her that "if you sat near the back, over the real wheels, and the bus went over a pothole or the train tracks too fast, you went sailing up into the air... it was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard."*

BUT! They're going to Honeypot Prairie, which is a living history museum AND because of budget issues, they have to share a bus and field trip with Allie's old fourth grade class. And when Cheyenne and Brittany Hauser team up, well... watch out. They're wonder twins of alpha-mean girls, creating snotty discord where ever they go.

Allie's in a pretty bad mood for most of this book and drags everyone else down with her, but only Allie can save the day in the end. Everything I've ever said about Allie still stands. I mean, how can you not like Allie? She's strong and smart and a good friend and good sister. Plus, she's just funny. Even though the funniest line in the book goes to Sophie, when they're complaining that their parents say they're not responsible enough for cell phones yet:

I know what you mean, Allie, about being responsible. It's not fair. My mom was so distracted over her PhD the other day that she left her laptop on the roof of the car and drove all around town with it like that until someone finally told her when she was stopped at a read light. But my dad didn't say she couldn't have a cell phone.*

Plus the part where Allie discovers George Washington's rules was just awesome.

*All quotations are from the ARC, so they might be different in the final version, but I hope they stay the same!

ARC Provided by... the author, at my request

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Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up

Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up Melissa Thomson

Keena's in BIG trouble. She accidentally left her journal at Tiffany's house. Tiffany says that if Keena tells, or doesn't do exactly what Tiffany says, she'll tell EVERYONE what Keena wrote about them in her journal. Keena's written some not-so-nice stuff, like how her mom's new haircut makes her look like an old lady, or how she thinks Linney's lying about staying up all night at her slumber party, and that Eric was annoying her with all his bragging about going to a Washington Wizards game...

But, going along with Tiffany's plans just makes more problems and, to top it all off, Keena's brother Brian is getting in trouble at school and saying that he wants to move in with their dad.

But, this is Keena, so she faces her problems with a good dose of humor. We get a lot more of Tiffany and Linny in this book, and man, do I really like Linny. That's a girl who has her head on straight. I also really like the relationship between Keena and her brother. They tease and fight and annoy each other, but when Keena needs him, Brian is there with good advice.

I love, love, love me some Keena Ford. I'm always throwing these books at kids (metaphorically, not literally. We have a "no throwing books in the library" rule.) It's a pretty easy sell at work-- it's about a girl who lives in the area and has pretty universal issues. Frank Morrison does a great job illustrating the books and frankly, most of my girls are sold on the covers alone. The boys need a little more selling. Luckily, she's pretty funny.

I did not know why Brian was in so much trouble for being a clown at school. Clowns are funny. I wrote that I didn't like the way Mrs. Harris talked about Brian maybe going to jail when he grew up. It was mean of her to say that, and I have never heard of anyone having to go to jail for being a clown. You might have to go to the circus if you are a clown, but I don't think you have to go to jail.*

Keena has one of my favorite voices in children's literature. I love the fact that the official website for her books is written by her, so you get things like this

...the book about my field trip is a PAPERBACK book now. A paperback book is a book that costs less money than a hardback book and it has a cover that is kind of floppy.

Keena is the perfect book to give to your Clementine fans. (Which I also pair with Ramona and Allie Finkle although those books are slightly older, not so much in content, but in reading level.)

And, if that doesn't sell you on the book, on her personal site, Melissa Thomson has a list of reasons why Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up is like Mockingjay.

*Quoted from the ARC, so it might have changed, but I hope not.

ARC Provided by... the author, for review consideration.

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Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles Sir Conan Doyle

So, this was my very first Sherlock Holmes novel. Holmes and Watson are off to the countryside to investigate a death that looks like an ancient curse come to roost. In revenge for an ancient wrong, the Hound of the Baskervilles will bring death to whomever owns Baskervilles Hall. The latest was found dead, apparently of freight, with large animal prints all around him. His heir would like answers before taking possession. Holmes is very skeptical of such things and he explores the marshes and moors to discover the truth...

I really liked this! It was very fun because one of my regulars had this on her summer reading log and I was like, wait, I just read that, too! That was one of my few adult books, but you're 12! (Not that it isn't an appropriate title for a strong reader of that age like she is, but when I finally read an adult book but can only discuss it with a child? The irony amused me.)

But it's nice and spooky and atmospheric and an excellent mystery. While I still enjoyed it while reading it in June at the optometrist, it would be an excellent book for a late fall or winter night. I love how Holmes riddles things out and keeps Watson in the dark the whole time. I must read more!

Book Provided by... my local library

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Pysch Major Syndrome

Psych Major Syndrome Alicia Thompson

Leigh is a freshman at Stiles College where she must contend with academic arch-nemeses, her high school boyfriend, her high school boyfriend's hott but moody roommate, grad school pressure already, and a junior high mentee. Her roommate is awesome, her relationship with her boyfriend is... weird. Meanwhile, she's trying to figure everything out while not flunking out.

The plot is pretty basic (why are things weird with my jerk boyfriend and why am I having dreams about his super hott roommate?)

But really, this reminded me of a Meg Cabot* novel in all the best ways. The voice, the style of writing, the being completely neurotic while still a strong woman? Funny characters and great parents? Check to all the above.

I loved Leigh's voice and have a huge crush on Nate the roommate. I loved Leigh's roommate Ami and wanted to see Leigh's parents' psychic B&B.

Very funny with good romantic tension and I LOVE seeing books set in college. We need more about college students.

My one complaint? If campus is so small, why is she DRIVING to Andrew's dorm? Also, they have a psych building? And a different one for math? I went to a super-small college too, and psych and math had a share a building. They also had to share it with computer science, chemistry, biology, physics, and the occasional religious studies seminar. Other than that though, the small-college life details are pretty spot-on.

This is the first book I read after finishing Mockingjay. I needed something completely different while I recovered from the trauma and this fit the bill perfectly! Fun and sweet and the perfect happy-making book.

Overall, a super-fun book that I very much enjoyed.

*I actually read this because Meg Cabot sang its praises on her blog. The other book she recommended that I read was Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia. Clearly, her taste in books is awesome.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Drita, My Homegirl

Drita, My Homegirl Jenny Lombard

Maxie's mother died three years ago and her dad is starting to date again, much to her dismay. She's acting out in little ways, including making fun of the new girl at school, Drita, and getting all the other kids to do it, too.

Drita's family just arrived in New York from Kosova*. She doesn't speak English, and her mother's cousin is still missing. Drita's mother's worry makes her mentally unwell, so Drita tells her everything is going great at school.

When the girls are assigned to work on a social studies project together, a friendship starts to form.

Told in alternating chapters, it's a simple, but ZOMG so wonderfully great story about two girls finding each other. They both have BIG THINGS going on in their lives, but they are also just kids, and the book is actually pretty funny. I'm a sucker for multiple narrators, and the Lombard does a good job of getting each voice right. There's the surface easiness-Drita's English is broken and studded with Albanian and Maxie's is urban sass, but the deeper motivations are there, too. You can tell that even if both girls had similar linguistic backgrounds, their voices would still be distinctly separate. I also really liked how the background info Kosova is worked in really well, but not to the point of overwhelming or getting in the way of the story.

This is one of those books that I was leafing through and just started reading and couldn't put it down. Even now, when I went to write the review, I went to look something up and ended up rereading the whole thing. It's just really, really well done.

*Drita tells us a few times that she knows when a non-Albanian is writing or talking about her home, because they call it Kosovo instead of Kosova, which is what she calls it, so, in honor of Drita, I've written Kosova here.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Year of the Historical: Age 14

Age 14 Geert Spillebeen

Ok, y'all know how much I loved Kipling's Choice. And how much I love a book about WWI in general.

This is based on a true story. While Spillebeen references the research he did and how looking through John Condon's files, his story came alive again and Spillebeen wanted to tell it, the author's note does not go into detail on what exactly is true and what is imagined.

The story is this-- Patrick Condon always was big for his age. When he was 10, he dropped out of school and told the boss he was 14, so he could work on the docks* in Ballybricken with his father and older brothers. Not content with dock life, he steals his brother's name** and says he's 16, so he can join the Irish guard. When WWI starts, he ups his age to 18 so he can go fight. When he is killed in Flanders field, his real age is only 14.

There are several ins and outs of this story-- Patrick's story from the docks to the army and various posts of the army and his coming of age when everyone thought was was of age. Also, the friends he meets and his family's reaction along the way. There's also the story of the building war, and the realities versus romantic notions of war. And then, we occasionally get chapters from the lab with the development of mustard and chlorine gas for use in warfare.

This historical note deals mainly with chemical warfare and is interesting, but the chemical warfare chapters were too sparse-- I wanted that storyline to be much more, or entirely cut. I think the historical note about chemical warfare was important either way, because it was very important to Patrick's story, but I also wanted a lot more information about Patrick's true story.

Overall though, a very good book that I really enjoyed. I hope we continue to see more of Spillebeen's work translated into English and available in the US.

*Ok, so there's one incident while working on the docks that gets mentioned A LOT in reviews and shocks people and blah blah blah and I was really surprised when I got to that scene because I was like "Really? That's what everyone is so worked up about?" Basically, there is a bit of pederasty and it's not entirely necessary to the plot, which is why I'm wondering how much is true, because if that's a true part of the story, then yes, it should be there, but if it's something that Spillebeen added, eh. BUT, here's the thing. It's rather veiled and you have to know some things about life in order to understand what's going on. A lot of readers who aren't ready for that sort of thing aren't going to understand the scene at all. I wouldn't have commented on it AT ALL, except that in everything I've read and heard about this book, everyone mentions it, so I wanted to mention it, if at least to tell people that it's minor and not graphic and not as huge a deal as everyone makes it out to be.

**At which point he becomes John, but I'll keep calling him Patrick here to make it less confusing.


Book Provided by... my local library

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Nonfiction Monday: From the Beast to the Blonde

From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers Marina Warner

Ok, this isn't a book for kids or teens, or even one with teen interest, but I think it is of interest to adults who work with children's literature, so I thought I'd share it for nonfiction Monday.

This is an fascinating, academic, and meandering history and case that, although most of the big names in fairly tales (Grimm, Perrault, Anderson) are male, fairy tales are women's stories.

Warner doesn't really get into the stories themselves until the second half the book. The first half mainly discusses women's speech and the role in played in society from the Greeks up though the mid-19th century. The relevance tends to become clear in the second half, although I loved her exploration of the changing meaning of "gossip" (originally it meant a christening feast, when women would gather to celebrate and help the new mother) and how words like "cackle" became associated with women's laughter and with the sounds of birds, how storks and geese came in the springtime which is when most babies were born, and how it all connects up to Mother Goose.

I also very much enjoyed her explorations of Bluebeard and its variants, where she points out that in a time when so many women died in childbirth, marriage could be seen as a death sentence. Also, the evolving nature of the Beast (from Beauty and the) as what scared us in the animal kingdom changed.

There are some points that she belabors to make and I still don't entirely buy, and there are some things where I was like "I GET IT ALREADY! MOVE ON!" It was a hard book for me to read because I don't have a huge background in literary criticism or gender/women's studies.

I also would love an updated version. This came out in 1996 and she only focuses on the work of Angela Carter for examples of modern tellings of fairy tales (although she does draw heavily from current-to-then movies and some TV shows.) While Jane Yolen gets a name-drop, she doesn't look at any of the work like the Fairy Tale series that Ace did in the late 80s/early 90s.  Also, there's been such an explosion of fairy tale reworkings, especially aimed at teens, in the last 10 years that I'd love to see that worked into her analysis.

I'd also love something like this for non-European tales.

Overall though, a really interesting look at fairy tales and their origins and their changes over the years and reasons behind them...


round up is over at Wendie's Wanderings


Book Provided by... my local library

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Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer. Doctors took the cells they had taken in her biopsy, and more collected after her death. They were the first cells scientists were able to keep alive in the lab. Not only did they stay alive, but they continued to divide and grow. The strain, named HeLa, has been the foundation of most medical advancement of the past 60 years. Her family had no idea.

While HeLa is famous, Henrietta Lacks is not. HeLa cells are a multimillion dollar industry. Her children can't afford health insurance.

This is multiple stories in one-- there is the story of Henrietta's life and death and her children's lives. There is the story of medical advancement-- what her cells allowed people to discover. There is a history of changing medical ethics and morals. There is also the story of Skloot finding the story. After years of mistreatment by the medical establishment, the Lacks family didn't trust her and didn't want to talk to her. It's the story of how Skloot proved herself trustworthy and what she learned.

One of the most heartbreaking things in the story is the family's search for answers. Most of them didn't understand the basics of cell science and didn't understand how their mother could be dead, but her cells still alive and growing. Her daughter, Deborah, wondered if her mother felt pain when her cells were injected with disease. One of the reasons Deborah (and the rest of the family) eventually trusted Skloot was that she promised them answers. She shared all of her discoveries about her life, her death, and what her cells have done with family-- something no one had ever bothered to do before (at least not in a way they understood.)

There is also the story of Henrietta's oldest daughter, Elsie. Elsie was epileptic and mentally retarded, probably as a result of neurosyphilis. After Henrietta died, Elsie was institutionalized, where she died at the age of 15. Part of Deborah's deal with Skloot wasn't just for her mother's story, but also her sister's. Deborah wanted to know what had happened to them.

The lack of information, and much of this story, is tied to race and class issues and the sickening history of the medical establishment and African-Americans.

One of the most chilling things is that, while many laws of changed, many haven't. If a doctor or hospital collects your cells for a biopsy or blood test or any of the other routine things we go in for, after the tests they can use the samples for research--including selling it. Disclosure that this might happen is recommended, but not required, and up to the institution.

Overall this is a fascinating book about a story that needs to told and known. It's gripping and Skloot explains the science parts really well for those of us without a background in medical research. The people jump off the page and grab you. You want to know more and want it to end differently, knowing that it won't. Highly recommended.

Read an excerpt here.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Poetry Friday: Brains for Lunch

Brains For Lunch: A Zombie Novel in Haiku?! K. A. Holt, illus. Gahan Wilson

Hallway

Eye poked out again
Bottom lockers really suck
"Hey Mags! Wait for me!"

"This Zs gotta pee."
"So you ARE talking to me?"
Another eye roll

Catch it, hand it back
"What did I do this time, Mags?"
A withering look

She doesn't scare me
Her wither's worse than her roll
"She's married, you know."

Mags cut to the chase
It sure took her long enough
"Who, Mrs. Fincher?"

"Who else, you moron?"
I'm putrefying again
"The way you flirt. Barf."

So incredulous
"You think she thinks that I think--"
"You're such a tool, Loeb."

"And there you have it,
Loeb's idiocy exposed,
His heart is laid bare."

"I'll lay you bare, Matt."
It's my turn to roll eyes.
Carl. "Stupid Chupo."

"Don't be a racist."
"Don't be a weird goat sucker."
Making it worse, Loeb.

K. A. Holt has taken zombie haiku and combined it with the verse novel. So, it's a story, a novel in verse, but the verse is all haiku. And the story is about zombies. And chupacabres. And lifers (like you and me, unless Biblio File has a large paranormal following that I am unaware of, although that would be pretty cool.)

The plot is pretty simple-- Loeb is a zombie boy in junior high teases and gets teased by his zombie friends. He has a crush on a life girl, but even though the school is supposed to be desegregated, the zombies and lifers stick to their own. The Chupos do, too, but intermingle more with the zombies. With the help of a lifer librarian (Mrs. Fischer) Loeb starts to think that maybe he is smart enough to join the school's poetry showcase, which tends to be lifer-only.

As you can see from the text above, it's pretty funny and gross, but the brevity of the haiku novel can make some things a little hard to understand. Luckily, Gahan Wilson has illustrated the book, to give a little more context. The above excerpt has 2 pictures. One is of Loeb talking to Mags, with his eye dangling out of his face. The other is of Loeb, Mags, Matt, and Carl, which is a very useful visual clue that there are multiple people in the conversation, which makes it make more sense.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It's geared towards middle grade, rather than YA, which is nice. I'm so glad to have solid middle grade titles about YA trends, because the trends trickle down in terms of reader interest, but the books don't always do so...

I think my favorite bits were the small touches-- that Loeb is named Loeb,that they use Durian fruit as a quick substitute for brains because zombies think they smell good (HA!) and a when someone gives you the finger, it's only polite to give it back.


Today's round-up is over at The Blog with the Cleverly Shocking Title. Go check it out!

ARC Provided by... the publisher at ALA

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Boom

Boom! Mark Haddon

The story itself is easy to explain-- Jim and Charlie are best friends who discover that there is something very, very, very weird about two of their teachers. Upon this discovery, Charlie gets kidnapped by the bad guys who are in league with their teachers. Jim and his sister chase Charlie across England and Scotland to get him back. Only, it doesn't end there... Let's just say there's a reason there's a rocket ship on the cover.

But, it's more than that. There are a lot of complicated family dynamics being played out. Jim's dad has been unemployed for a long time and is struggling with feelings of inadequecy and it's putting a strain on the marriage. Jim's sister Becky has a horrible boyfriend and wears a lot of of make-up and is all around not nice.

But, back to the bad guys. None of the adults believe what's going on (because, let's face it, if your kid told you that your teacher was wearing some weird wrist band and is totally freaky, and the police are totally in on it, you'd say "no more excuses, go do your homework" too, right?)

What makes this book so good though, is that it's gripping and suspenseful (once Charlie gets kidnapped) but it's also really funny. It's a very, very hard combination to do right (especially because this is laugh-out-loud funny, not dark comedy funny) but Haddon nails it.

It's also very, very British. I give David Fickling Books (part of Random House) credit for not translating this one-- it really retains its flavor and kids will get it, even if they aren't familiar with terms such as washing-up liquid, half five, or everything going a bit pear-shaped.

Interestingly, this is actually a rewrite of a book Haddon first published in 1992 (way before his big hit of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is also why I'm not lumping him in the adult-authors-who-think-they-can-do-children's). It quickly went out of print but it had a following, so his publishers asked him to revise it for a new edition. Eventually he did, and ended up not revising so much as rewriting the whole thing. I'm glad he did though, because it's very fun.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Dead is Just a Rumor

Dead Is Just a Rumor Marlene Perez

Daisy's father is back, and it's not easy. After being away for so long, he has a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Daisy's a senior in high school, has a boyfriend, a job, and isn't used to having a curfew. It's a very hard adjustment period on all sides.

To top it off, someone is blackmailing Nightshade's paranormal community (but not Daisy's family, for some reason.)

And, Daisy won cooking lessons with Circe Silvertongue, the famous TV chef, only Circe's a total rhymes-with-witch.

I had a few problems with this one-- where was Daisy's mom to talk her dad down from some of the craziness? Also, the thing with Circe was obvious to me, especially because HER NAME WAS CIRCE AND SHE HAD A PET PIG WITH MOURNFUL EYES.

But, I did still like it, I liked the blackmail mystery and the tension as Daisy got used to her father again.

And Ryan continues to be hot and awesome. Yum. Ryan.

And I love that Jukebox even more.

The next book, Dead Is Not an Option comes out in May and is the last in the series. I can't wait.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Palace of Mirrors

Palace of Mirrors Margaret Peterson Haddix

Cecelia has spent her whole life training to be a princess, because she is the true princess, hidden from her enemies, waiting until she can take her rightful throne. She spends a lot of time daydreaming about the reward she'll give the commoner who's been pretending to be the princess for her all this time.

When Cecelia finally sets out to the capitol to claim her throne, she finds Princess Desmia has spent her whole life being warned of pretenders to the throne. In fact, she has an entire dungeon full of girls who claim to be the real princess, who have stories exactly like Cecelia's.

Desmia and Cecelia live in Suala, the kingdom that Fridesia is at war with in Just Ella (And Ella makes an appearance here). Luckily Desmia's not a bad person and has Ella counseling her an they quickly realize that while the girls in the dungeon can't all the real princess, there are larger forces at work here.

I liked this one. Cecelia really annoyed me throughout most of the book-- she was a bit mentally spoiled. She didn't have a lot of material goods, but believing she was the true princess, she was more than a little high and mighty. I really liked Harper (crush on him!)

I don't think that court intrigue is Haddix's strong point (at least, not what I've seen with Just Ella and Palace of Mirrors) but I did enjoy both books, this one more than Just Ella.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Dead is So Last Year

Dead Is So Last Year Marlene Perez

It's summer in Nightshade! Daisy, Poppy, and Rose are on their own because their mom's overseas working on a case. The girls all have jobs-- Daisy's at Slim's diner, Poppy's working on the boardwalk and Rose gets to be a research assistant for a professor she idolizes.

But... it seems that Nightshade has a serious sugar addiction issues-- no one can keep their hands off the doughnuts. Even weirder, their seem to be doppelgangers of people showing up all over town and wreaking some serious havoc. Even more so when one of the doppelgangers is Daisy's long-lost father...

I read this when it first came out, over a year ago, so I can't remember much about it besides the fact I liked it. I enjoy this series. Sorry to not be more helpful.

This is one of the reasons I'm trying to be more diligent about reviewing shortly after I finish a book. The problem is that when I read a library book, I review it before I return it, so it works. When I buy a book it tends to languish in my "to review" pile because I'm so busy reviewing the library books. Must. Work. On. This.

Book Provided by... my wallet

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Jumped

Jumped Rita Garcia-Williams

Three Girls-- Trina, who thinks she's the bees knees and that everyone everywhere is jealous of her. Dominique, who has anger issues and basketball. Leticia, who sees it all go down, but isn't going to get involved.

Trina's bopping through the hallway, when she brushes by Dominique and her girls. Dominique can't believe that Trina would disrespect her space like that. Trina's going to get jumped after school. Leticia sees what Trina did and what Dominique threatens. She won't tell Trina though, doesn't want to get on Dominique's bad side. Won't tell an adult, just waits to see the fight go down.

We follow the three girls through the day as Leticia's friend tries to get Leticia to do something, as Dominique's anger grows, as Trina's obliviousness rages on...

What struck me most about this book is how no one takes responsibility for anything. Everything is someone else's fault. It's not Leticia's fault she failed math, the teacher should have been able to scrape a few extra points up. It's not Dominique's fault she's getting kicked off the basketball team for poor grades-- it's Coach's fault for having that stupid rule in the first place. And Trina... just thinks the whole world revolves around her and everyone spends their days lusting after her and wanting to be her.

It's a harsh story that holds no punches. None of the characters really learn anything. It's brutal and raw and very, very real.

This is one I really didn't want to read. I can't say I enjoyed it-- it would be hard to enjoy such a story, but it's very, very good and I do recommend it, because it's excellent reading and excellent discussion material. This is one that should be taught.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Glee: The Beginning

Glee: The Beginning: An Original Novel Sophia Lowell

Ok, this is an original novel, but it reads like a novelization of an episode that never aired. A novelization aimed at someone who has never seen the show before.

Clunky writing aside, this book tells the story of what happened before the pilot episode-- when Quinn first started dating Finn, when Rachel first joined Glee. Before Mr. Schu entered the picture.

Sadly, it ties in too much that happens later in the season- like Finn already has a sorta crush on Rachel completely ignoring the relationship build up and Rachel knows that he's dating Quinn, even though Finn tells her that in one of the early episodes. Also, it keeps stating that Puck's name is Puck Puckerman, even though in the series Rachel always calls him Noah (and his character name on IMDB is Noah "Puck" Puckerman).

Also, on the page, it doesn't strike the same balance between ironic camp and complete earnestness that make the show work so well.

That said, I went into the book with low expectations (come on! It's a novel based on a TV series. I wasn't expecting John Green here. Although John Green writing Glee novels would be awesome.) So, despite it's flaws I did enjoy it. It was pretty much exactly what I expected to be. It was still a fun look at the early days of Glee and enough to hold me over until TONIGHT! When we get new Glee! HUZZAH!


Book Provided by... my local library

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Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies Andrea Beaty illus. Dan Santat

Kevin and Joules Rockman don't want to go to summer camp, but it's better than attending SPAMathon with their parents. Until their summer camp is invaded by Fluffs-- Fierce, Large, Ugly, and Ferocious Furballs. They can also be described as viscous, 7-foot tall, candy-addicted rabbits. Using all the knowledge they've gained from years for watching horror movies on the Late, Late, Late Creepy Show for Imsoniacs, the Rockman twins are out to save the world.

Good, silly, fun about the horrors of summer camp and evil rabbit aliens. Also, a great love-letter to cheesy horror movies. Parts of it are told in comics and there are good lists and charts covering such necessary information on how Fluffs differ from Earth rabbits and famous last words. Did I mention silly fun? Because that's what it is. Very good silly fun that kids are sure to love.

Book Provided by... my local library

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The Laugh That I Needed Today

Ok, so you've probably heard that there's an idiot in Missouri who equates Speak with soft-core porn.* He then really goes off the deep end when he says "They have sex on Saturday night and then are goddesses at church on Sunday morning. The cheer squad also gets their group-rate abortions at prom time." I mean, you can misinterpret a book all you want, but don't go making things up that aren't even there. Where did that even come from?

In addition to Speak, he also objects to Slaughterhouse-Five and Twenty Boy Summer. I read Slaughterhouse-Five too long ago to refute his claims in the same way as Speak and I haven't read Twenty Boy Summer yet.

There have been several posts in the blogosphere that rather eloquently refute this guy (and some, like mine, that are just angry.) Reclusive Bibliofile has a great round-up of the reaction.

But, for a really good laugh, check out the Rejectionist's reaction. It focuses more on his writing skills than content, but it's an excellent and hilarious take-down.

*I try not to resort to school yard name calling, but this is the scene that he thinks is soft-core porn. If this gets you hot, call a mental health professional.

"Do you want to?" he asked.

What did he say? I didn't answer. I didn't know. I didn't speak.

We were on the ground. When did that happen? "No." No I did not want this. I was on the ground and he was on top of me. My lips mumble something about leaving, about a friend who needs me, about my parents worrying. I can hear myself--I'm mumbling like a deranged drunk. His lips lock on mine and I can't say anything. I twist my head away. He is so heavy. There is a boulder on top of me. I open my mouth to breathe, to scream, and his hand covers it. In my head, my voice is as clear as a bell: "NO I DON'T WANT TO!" But I can't spit it out. I'm trying to remember how we got on the ground and where the moon went and wham! shirt up, shorts down, and the ground smells wet and ark and NO!-- I'm not really here, I'm definitely back at Rachel's, crimping my hear and gluing on fake nails, and he smells like beer and mean and he hurts me hurts me hurts me and gets up

and zips his jeans

and smiles. (p135-136)



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Falling In

Falling In Frances O'Roark Dowell

You know her, of course. Isabelle Bean is the girl who sits in the back corner of the classroom near the pencil sharpener. She isn't invisible, exactly, but she might as well be. She hardly ever speaks unless spoken to (and then only in riddles), never makes eye contact, has bangs that hang down almost to her nose so even if somebody wanted to look her straight in the eye, they couldn't.

It goes without saying that very few people want to look Isabelle Bean straight in the eye.

It's not that she smells bad. She doesn't. She takes a bath every night. And it's not that she's dumb, although it's true she has a bad habit of not doing her homework except when she really feels like it, which is almost never.

And it's not that Isabelle Bean is a bully. She's never beat anyone up or even made the smallest threat. No one is physically scard of her, except for a few of the very nice girls in Mrs. Sharpe's class, girls whose hair smells like apple blossoms and whose mothers still read them bedtime stories. These are the girls who sharpen their pencils at home so they never have to walk near Isabelle's desk.

Isabelle is pretty sure she's a changeling. It's the only explanation. Then, one day at school, she falls into another world. But on the day she falls in, she's wearing bright red lace up boots. So, the children who find her think she's a witch, the same witch that goes from village to village eating children. The witch has a schedule, so when it's their village's season, they run to another village and set up a camp to wait it out. Isabelle goes off to find the witch, because that sounds more exciting. Of course, what she finds is a healer woman who lives alone in the woods, who's had stories made up about her...

This one didn't really do it for me, which is sad. It has things I like--great writing, a narrartor that frequently addresses the reader, and a fairy tale feel. But over all the plot was kinda... eh. It touches however, on some really dark things and I think it would have worked better if Dowell hadn't just skated around and over these very dark possibilities and hints and instead aged up the book to YA and tackled them full force-- the reason why the witch is supposedly seeking revenge, what actually happens at a children's camp, and the ramifications of multiple villages living in fear of having their children stolen. In order to keep the book solidly middle grade, she finds these bruises and points them out, but doesn't really poke at them, and it would have been much more interesting if she had.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Nonfiction Monday: Saving the Ghost of the Mountain

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia Sy Montgomery, photographed by Nic Bishop

I really love the Scientists in the Field series and this is volume is one of the reasons why.

Tom McCarthy studies Snow Leopards, a very rare cat that is rarely seen by humans. They are hunted for their fur and bones and are very good at hiding and blending in with their surroundings.

Like most of the books in this series, there is a biography of McCarthy focusing on how he got interested in science and Snow Leopards in particular. This book also focuses on one trip McCarthy takes, with Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop in tow, to study the Snow Leopards in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

They have lots of ways of tracking the Snow Leopards-- some have been tagged on previous trips and have electronic trackers. They follow tracks and other leavings and markings. They set up motion triggered cameras.

In addition to documenting McCarthy's career and the trip, there is a wealth of information about Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, the people and the other animals that live there.

Despite all their work and all their looking, the group never spots an actual Snow Leopard. There, I think, is where this book is truly valuable. To quote Calvin and Hobbes, sometimes, scientific progress goes boink. Ok, not really. But, sometimes science doesn't go as planned. What might seem like a failure of a trip-- traveling around the world to the middle of the desert and looking for weeks, and not even catching a glimpse... despite the appearance of failure, the trip was still very informative for McCarthy. He was still able to collect valuable data not just for his work but for other scientists. They still learned a lot.

While this is a beautifully written and visually gorgeous book is chock full of information about Snow Leopards and Gobi Desert life, I think the most important lesson is the lesson that success doesn't always look like what we think it will, and that science doesn't always work the way we think it will.

I love this book. I think it got more than a bit shafted this past awards season (and not just by the Cybils) because it had the misfortune of coming out in the same year as The Frog Scientist, which is is the same series. But, this book is awesome as well and shouldn't be overlooked.


Nonfiction Roundup is over at Wrapped in Foil. Be sure to check it out!

Book Provided by... publisher for Cybils consideration

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Sunday Salon

Yom Kippur was yesterday, which meant a lot of taking stock in my life and looking back over the past year.

Overall, things are very good. We had a good holiday season, I feel like I've finally mastered braiding the challah, friends came to visit from far away and I've been reading lots of good books. I'm just a little behind in life lately.

Ah well. If that's the worst thing going on, I think I'm doing pretty good.

Anyway, it's time to announce the winner of the big Spaceheadz giveaway. I want to thank everyone who entered. The lucky winner has been notified by email and is... Lynne! Congratulations!

My window is open and there is hope yet that fall is on the horizon. I've been acquiring some new fall clothing and I can't wait until I get to wear it! New boots and cords and sweaters and even a new winter jacket (although I can wait a few more months before debuting that one.)

And... lots of new books have just come out or are about to come out that I'm very excited for. I have a new book organization system in place that I'm excited to try out to see if it's as functional as I hope it will be...

Spaceheadz Giveaway LAST CHANCE!

Have you entered my Spaceheadz Giveaway yet? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!

You've been reading my daily reminders and putting it off and putting it off, well, you can't put it off any longer, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! Seize the moment!

Click on over and fill out the form! Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

Spaceheadz Giveaway

Have you entered my Spaceheadz Giveaway yet? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! Click on over and fill out the form! Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

Spaceheadz Giveaway

Have you entered my Spaceheadz Giveaway yet? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! Click on over and fill out the form! Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

Spaceheadz Giveaway

Have you entered my Spaceheadz Giveaway yet? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! Click on over and fill out the form! Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

Never Cry Werewolf

Never Cry Werewolf Heather Davis

After getting caught out after curfew, Shelby's evil stepmother sends her off the brat camp-- where the children of the wealthy go to fix their problems, both real and imagined. Shelby thinks her stepmother is just out to get her, but she does have some issues with rules and knows she needs to shape up, or things are about to get a whole lots worse. Then she meets Austin, the son of a notorious rock star. Austin's a werewolf who needs her help. Austin wants her to trust him. The only problem is? Trusting cute guys with outlandish stories is how she ended up in this mess in the first place and Shelby doesn't want to keep repeating her mistakes over and over again...

A quick and fun read, here's why I liked this even though I'm starting to burn out on paranormal romance: Austin's dark and mysterious (with a British accent!) but he's not that moody and where he looks like a bad boy, he's not. He's just a lonely kid with a huge secret that would ruin his family if the press ever found out. Shelby's made mistakes and does some stupid stuff, but she's not weak-willed and spineless. Also, while the attraction between then is pretty instantaneous, it's not love at first site. More like "dude, this guy is seriously hot and I want to make out with him" that then grows into something deeper and more meaningful. I also really liked Shelby's growth. At the beginning, everything is all her stepmother's fault. Through the book she realizes that while her stepmother is pretty evil, Shelby still needs to take responsibility for her actions. I also like how, at the end, not everything's resolved. I think there could be a sequel here, there are some unfinished things and hints that would make a good second book, but there doesn't need to be one.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Spaceheadz Giveaway

Have you entered my Spaceheadz Giveaway yet? YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! Click on over and fill out the form! Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!