I was supposed to do NaNoWriMo in November; instead I ended
up reading. A lot.
DUST
by Joan
Francis Turner
This book was our October pick for
the FP-NC Book Club. We thought
the zombie characters were seasonally appropriate. The hook is great: narrated
by a zombie, her brother sets into motion a disease that is wiping out both
humans and zombies. The execution,
however, falls flat. The zombies
were boring and gross, not exciting and creepy. The disgusting descriptions were the first thing that turned
me off to this book, but the plot also lacked tension to keep me reading. I’m told that this novel isn’t
representative of all zombie books (this was the first I’ve ever read), so next
up is Brains by Robin Becker,
supposedly a much better choice.
I read these two books for work
prior to reading the third book’s manuscript. Appealing to the same audience as Artemis Fowl and Percy
Jackson and the Lightening Thief, these books about an adventurous foursome
of monster-fighting Templar Knight students has the awesome addition of being
set in a steampunk world. For
those unfamiliar with steampunk, it’s this fantastic and increasingly popular
concept that basically takes a Victorian view of the future (think Jules
Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
and applies it today. Women wear
corsets, men have pocket watches, the machines have lots of intricate
mechanical parts. The unique
world in which the Grey Griffins conquer evil (they even have to fight off
“Clockworks”) makes this series really special.
This book is going to be big. Very BIG. A dystopian thriller that is going to ride the The Hunger Games wave (I, for one, never
would have picked up a dystopian novel prior to reading Suzanne Collins’ series
this summer) Roth’s debut novel is so much more than a copycat. It is fantastic. The main character, Tris, is so
relatable and the world she lives in is fantastic. There are only two questions: which faction are you…and how
long are we going to have to wait for the sequel? (My answers: Amity and far
too long). Read it when it comes
out in May.
I’ve
wanted to read this for forever and there’s no question why it won the Newbery Medal this year. It is fantastic. Miranda, a twelve year old in late
1970’s Manhattan, is such an insightful narrator. When her best friend Sal decides they shouldn’t be friends
anymore, she befriends other students while helping her mom prepare for a TV
game show. Then she begins to
receive mysterious notes whose author knows waaaaaaay more about her future
than could be possible. When one
of her new friends begins to talk about time travel, Miranda realizes that her
relationship with her friend Sal and the others in her neighborhood isn’t quite
what it seems. The concluding
twist is mind reeling. I didn’t
see it coming at all, and yet, it makes complete sense. A highly recommended read.
Hoot
by Carl Hiaasen I’m really beginning to love middle grade. And not just any middle grade, but boy middle grade. This really came as a surprise to me, yet, when reading high quality novels like this Newbery Honor book, I shouldn’t have been. Hoot is a sweet coming of age story in which a Roy encounters a mysterious boy who is pulling creative pranks trying to prevent a pancake house being build on top of burrowing owl tunnels. Roy joins in the efforts while at the same time dealing with school bullies. In the end, Roy learns that good decision-making means listening to his head and his heart. Although the story is sweet, the action, mystery and various amphibians and reptiles definitely make this book appealing to boys.
I really love fairytale retellings,
and this one didn’t disappoint.
Building on Hansel and Gretel as well as several other fairytales that I
was unfamiliar with (there was a discussion on SLJ questioning if being
familiar with the original Grimm tales was necessary-it’s not), the stories are
fantastic, mostly due to the delightfully intrusive narrator. The narrator repeatedly butts
into the story, promising blood and gore; overall, the stories aren’t that
scary, but the narrator’s comments build anticipation and will keep readers
interested and the creative rewrites don’t disappoint.
This illustrated middle grade book
reminded me of Charlotte’s Web in
some ways; perhaps because there just aren’t enough illustrated novels out
there anymore (except those of the Wimpy
Kid variety). The story of
Celeste the mouse is really sweet and the added touch of John James Audubon and
his young apprentice learning to draw plants and animals gives the story some
added depth (thanks in part to the historical note at the end). The gentle black and white
illustrations are the strongest point for this novel.
All Addie wants in this middle
grade novel is a normal, united family, which she gets with her ex-stepfather
and half sisters. Yet those visits
are painfully brief and all she has is a mother who leaves her on her own for
days on end, a grandfather who can’t deal with her mother anymore, and an
assortment of quirky friends at the nearby gas station who try to do the best
they can by her. A pro at taking
care of herself, Addie eventually gets into a situation where she just
can’t…but luckily, those in her community step. This story has been told before, but the characters are so
intriguing, it’s definitely worth reading.
At the CT Children’s Book Fair on
November 14th, I had the opportunity to meet Leslie. She was so kind, and a unique
presenter. I’m looking forward to
reading her next MG novel, Crunch
.
Maygk
(Septimus Heap,
Vol. 1) by Angie Sage
This is a wonderfully whimsical
fantasy story for middle graders who enjoy reading lengthy stories. Following the adventures of the
Heap family, who have unknowingly raised the princess of the realm, Maygk will appeal to both boys and
girls. Fantastic characters,
daring adventures, playful and dark
magic, plus a talking rat make up this first book in the popular series. I loved the narrative style; the
vocabulary and turns of phrase had me laughing out loud.
Gone
by Michael
Grant
This is the first in a series; I
was hooked by the second page.
What would you do if all the adults disappeared, you developed special
powers, and the animals were mutating?
This is just what Sam and his friends have to deal with…while also
battling the students from the private school in town determined to rule. By the end of the book, Sam has
discovered what made the world change…but can he figure out how to make
everything turn back to normal?
That is a question for the several sequels that follow. Gone
was one of the first dystopian novels, and is more appealing to male readers
than most; fans of Stephan King should pick this up.
The most prevalent thought I had
while reading this book was just how much research the author must have had to
do. Centered on sixteen-year-old
Aslaug around the time of the death of her mother, Meldrum paints a vivid picture
of the clash between magic, religion and mainstream society, with a whole lot
of botany and history thrown in.
The alternating chapters between Aslaug’s life and the court case
several years later, which hints at just enough events to keep the reader
curious, keeps the pacing up and the story intriguing. This book is a great example of YA/adult
crossover potential; I already recommended it to my mom.
Add 9 manuscripts into the mix, and I feel like all I did this month was read...not that I'm complaining!
