Can't Stop Reading

2006-10-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Its kind of shocking how much you don't read when you spend most of your days sightseeing and most of your evenings drinking wine from a box. Who knew?

One of the few things I have read while I've been here is something I've been meaning to read forever. Nick Hornby's Long Way Down. Its the story of four misfits who meet up when they all head to the top of the same building to jump off it one New Year's Eve. It doesn't sound very funny, but it actually is pretty hilarious.

Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ all have very different reasons for being there, but they're all four pretty screwed up. Martin is a former TV show host, just out of prison for sleeping with a 15 year old (she told him she was 18) divorced and unemployed. Maureen has been looking after her vegetable of a son for the last twenty years and just doesn't think she can do it anymore. Jess is an incredibly angry 18 year old, mad at the world since the disappearance of her older sister three years ago. JJ has finally realized that he'll never be the rock star he always imagined he would be.

The four decide to form a club, to see them through till they decide to try again. Which leads to some pretty great laughs, as per usual with a Hornby novel. My only complaint about the book at all was the character of Jess. Who seemed suspiciously like an angry teenaged boy. Other than that though, it cracked me up but good.

Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
ISBN 1594481938
352 pages

2006-10-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

Yay! I've read my first book by an Australian, while in Australia!

It actually wasn't much of a gamble, as I picked up the new Jaclyn Moriarty. I will say though, that like everything else in down here, it was crazy expensive. $16.99 for the paperback! Fortunately, it was worth the price.

Bindy Mackenzie is one of those kids who does an insane amount of homework, and is not overly popular. In fact, the girls she is especially not popular with were featured in a few previous books. Anyways, thanks to this new Friendship and Development course, Bindy has to hang out with this kids on a weekly basis. And hanging out isn't really one of Bindy's strong points.

After totally alienating her peers, Bindy gets a little weird. It must just be that she's stressed, right? Because who would poison a harmless teenage girl? Who indeed! And that's where the fun really gets started in this mystery.

A great read for any teen who's ever felt sure that life was more exciting than it appears to be.

The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
ISBN 0439740517
494 pages

2006-10-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm officially in Australia! On my insanely long flight (22 1/2 hours in the air, 36 hours total travel time) I actually only read one book. That's because I was busy with a trashy magazine and bad movies. You know how it is.

The book I read is one that I've been meaning to forever, The Brooklyn Diaries by Paul Auster. Its the story of Nathan Glass, an ex-life insurance salesman who moves to Brooklyn to die quietly. Which is ridiculous, because he is 59. But whatever. Instead, he runs into his long lost nephew, Tom, and somehow gets sucked into the goings on in his neighbourhood.

The plot is pretty loose, but I can't say I minded, because he's such a great writer. Nathan is a great narrator, with a good sense of humour and timing.

The Brooklyn Follies made an especially good airplane book because you can pick it up and put it down easily. Like I said, the plot was not overly strenuous for my poor, travel-addled brain.

Anyways, while I was wandering around Sydney today* I picked up a few Australian books, so I'll have those reviews coming up next week sometime, I imagine.

*What is with crazy Aussie book prices?! $16.99 for a paperback YA novel?!

The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
ISBN 0805077146
320 pages

2006-10-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

When I was a teenager, I read a couple books by Suzanne Fisher-Staples set in the Middle East. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and have often wondered why there isn't more teen fiction set there. Lucky for me I stumbled across Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher.

Mithra and her brothers were forced to flee their comfortable life when their father's coup failed. Since then, they've been living in caves and begging. Mithra dreams of finding the rest of her family, and returning to her former glory, though both her brothers seem content with the life they now lead. But then her younger brother Babak starts dreaming other people's dreams. But this talent leads to their capture by a powerful Magus, and the dreams Babak has lead them to begin a long journey to the west. Meanwhile, Mithra plots their escape at every turn.

In the end, the caravan (with three Magi in tow now) makes their way to Bethlehem. It’s an interesting perspective to an old story, one I found quite intriguing. It helps that Mithra's an interesting character. She's not the most likeable person I've ever read, but she's definitely someone you don't want to walk away from.

Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher
ISBN 0689850425
283 pages

2006-10-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

In my time I have read several books of historical fiction that use Shakespeare as a character. But now we've got one with Christopher Marlowe. Who was way cooler anyway.

The Secret of the Rose is about Rosalind and her brother. After their father is arrested for being Catholic, Rosalind and Robin are on the run. They end up in London with no money and very few options, leading Rosalind to disguise herself as a boy, for safety and all. Fortunately, Marlowe literally runs into them, and Robin gets work as an apprentice at the Rose theatre, and Rosalind becomes Marlowe's personal servant. But Marlowe seems to be involved in a lot more than playmaking, and Rosalind has the constant worry of being ousted as a "papist."

Even though I know what end Marlowe came to, I found that Thompson had me on the edge of my seat. Rosalind serves as a handy guide to life in sixteenth century England. Throw in spies and you've got a recipe for a fun book.

The Secret of the Rose by Sarah L. Thompson
ISBN 0060872500
291 pages

2006-10-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

You'd all be forgiven for thinking I'd already left for Australia. But that's not till Wednesday! I was actually doing a tour of Southern Ontario. Getting a visit in with friends and family before heading off to the other side of the planet seemed like a good idea. But it meant spotty internet access, so I've got a whole lot of posting to be doing today.

First book I read was The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon. When I picked it up, I read the author bio. Which is hilarious and wonderful. She's a graduate of the University of Rigamarole. I have to say though, that I don't think the rest of the book lived up to it.

The story revolves around Ven, who's a Nain. They're a race that tends to live underground, and lives for several times longer than most humans. But one of Ven's ancestors was a bit of a rebel, and he moved above ground and started a ship building business. Ven and his family (a dozen brothers and one sister) run that business now, under the instruction of their father. Although he looks about 12, Ven is actually 50 and he's finally allowed to go out on his first ship inspection. Except it all goes terribly wrong. Attacked by fire pirates, Ven and the brand new ship are sunk and burned, leaving Ven floating on a piece of boat. This situation leads to some pretty incredible adventures for Ven, too many, in fact, to describe here.

Any kids into the fantasy adventure genre will enjoy this book, though I found there were some pretty serious flaws. Haydon does a fair amount of telling, as opposed to showing, which is irritating. I also found that I had figured out a lot of the mysteries long before Ven and his friends did.

That being said, I know I'll be picking up The Thief Queen's Daughter when it comes out.

The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon
ISBN 0765308673
368 pages

2006-09-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, its official: the move is over. I am now a resident of my mother's tiny tiny house. One that is fortunately filled to the rafters with books, including the new Karen Rivers!

The Quirky Girls' Guide to Rest Stops and Road Trips is the third installment in the Haley Andromeda's life. They don't really need to be read in order, though I do recommend reading them all, because they're hilarious. And this new one is no exception. It’s the summer after graduation, and Haley's best friends are heading off to do exciting things (Harvard and modeling in New York, respectively). Whereas Haley is hanging around with her dad and his pregnant girlfriend. But she's got a plan! The plan is to take the old VW van she got for her birthday down to San Diego, and write a book about her experiences. It’s supposed to be top secret, but since Haley can't keep a secret to save her life, it quickly leaks out to the aforementioned best friends, as well as her boyfriend, and her arch enemy, Izzy. Eventually Haley manages to save enough money from her crummy waitressing job to head off, oddly enough, with Izzy in tow. That's the great thing about Haley: she's not much of one for questioning things.

That's the basic plot of the book. But really the important thing about these books is Haley herself. She's frighteningly neurotic, which translates into a lot of laughs. I've heard Haley described as Bridget Jones for teens. Which is fairly accurate, except that Haley is so quintessentially Canadian. In a West Coast way. I know this girl, I went to high school with her, and I still run into her at the grocery store every now and then.

Regardless of whether you're familiar with hippie offspring or not, The Quirky Girls' Guide to Rest Stops and Road Trips is a must read.

The Quirky Girls' Guide to Rest Stops and Road Trips by Karen Rivers
ISBN 1551929074
284 pages (plus 5 pages of acknowledgments that must be read)

2006-09-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

So yesterday when I was mooching books and laundry services off my mother, she asked me to take a look at The Blue Jean Book: the Story Behind the Seams. Because among the many awards it’s been nominated for is the Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award. And this year, mum is the chair of the Victoria chapter.

The thing is, it’s hard to take just a look at this book. It’s full of really interesting information about the history of jeans and denim, the fabric they're made from. But author Tanya Lloyd Kyi also does a really great job of introducing cultural and political events as she relates the story of jeans. She also shows how jeans became the clothing of youth culture, and the effects (both good and bad) this clothing has had on the world around us.

What I found especially cool was the chapter about working conditions in jeans factories around the world, and the tools she gives readers to find out whether or not their jeans are "green" or "sweat-free." You're so interested in the story of jeans, that you don't even notice the social message you're getting.

Full of interesting photos and sidebars, this book would be awesome for any kids about 10 and up.

The Blue Jean Book: The Story Behind the Seams by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
ISBN 1-55037-917-8
80 pages

2006-09-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

The best part of Angelo is the pictures. David Macaulay is so great with action, and the story, set in Europe, is full great illustrations. Angelo is a plasterer, working on his masterpiece, a large church, when he discovers an injured pigeon. He nurses the pigeon back to health, and then the pigeon heads off into the city. However, when Angelo's health begins to fail, Sylvia the pigeon returns to keep him company. Angelo knows he's dying, but he doesn't feel good about leaving Sylvia all alone. Finally he comes upon the solution, and he creates a perfect nest for Sylvia at the top of his masterpiece.

Although I really enjoyed the illustrations, and the story, the text is lacking. It was confusingly choppy, and there were a few moments when I had a hard time figuring out what was going on. Which means I would probably keep this one away from younger kids.

Angelo written and illustrated by David Macaulay
ISBN 061869336X

2006-09-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I was a pretty serious picky eater. My mum says I also managed to influence my younger sisters into picky eating; if I vetoed it, no one would eat it. I'm not sure how true that bit is, but the picky eating thing is a pretty universal experience for kids. Which means there will always be picky eating picture books. Fortunately, most of them are pretty good. When Vegetables go Bad! is an older one of these, but still great.

Despite her mother's insistence, Ivy refuses to eat her vegetables. Instead, she hides them around her room (ew!). But then one night, the vegetables go bad! There's a carrot picking his teeth with a knife, a turnip lying about how good he tastes, and broccoli stretching out her clothes. And they're all singing a song about how they'll follow her like a curse. Ivy manages to get away and runs down the street, only to be followed closely by a gang of vegetables, whose "hot vegetable breath" she can feel on her shoulder. Just as she dashes back into her house, a bunch of yellow runner beans grab her legs. Lucky for Ivy her mum appears just in time, and she manages to choke down the cold, soggy beans.

There are two things I love about this book: First off, I love that the message isn't eat your vegetables because they taste good. Instead, you should eat your vegetables because if you don't, they might just eat you! Secondly, it’s illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay. Do I really need to elaborate on that one?

When Vegetables go Bad! written by Don Gillmor illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
ISBN 0385255543
32 pages

2006-09-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

So, now that I'm unemployed, you'd think I'd have plenty of time for reading and reviewing, but in fact, I've spend most of the past few days packing. Who knew I had so much stuff! Lucky for me, my mum took pity on me and handed me a whole pile of books to check out.

The Journey showed up earlier this month, and I knew it'd be good because Sarah Stewart's other books are awesome. It's about a little girl who goes on a trip to a big city in the early twentieth century. Hannah is from a farm out in the country, so everything in the city is exciting and new, and the text is in the form of her diary entries. Each day, she records something she's seen, and compares it with something from home.

She sees all the sights of the big city, but as the week goes on, the prospect of returning home becomes the most exciting thing of all. This homesickness is nicely shown throughout the book with the illustrations. The first two page spread is the city scene as described by Hannah, and the second two page spread shows the scene she's described from back home. The illustrations, by David Small, are of course top notch.

What I love about Stewart's books is that they have a great nostalgic feel to them, without being too old-fashioned for kids to enjoy. The Journey is no different.

The Journey written by Sarah Stewart illustrated by David Small
ISBN 0374400105
40 pages

2006-09-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to get this out of the way here at the start: Mem Fox is a genius. I cannot imagine a world where she puts out bad books. Just so everyone knows. A Particular Cow is of course, no exception.

This particular cow likes to go for a walk of a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, she gets rather stuck in a particular pair of underwear. Which belong to a particular woman. Etcetera, etcetera. Fortunately after a brief adventure involving a mail cart, and a boat, our particular cow is returned to her pasture, safe and sound.

Terry Denton's illustrations do a great job of emphasizing the ridiculousness of the situation. Various minor characters exclaim hilariously throughout the book, my particular favourite being the turtle that shouts: Incoming!

A Particular Cow written by Mem Fox illustrated by Terry Denton
ISBN 0152002502
32 pages

2006-09-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

This book cracks me up, and I can imagine it will crack up pre-schoolers as well. Basically, a bunch of animals decide to play in the forest while wolf is not around. Each page shows a different animal shouting out the words: let's play in the forest while wolf is not around, and then a second animal says: wolf, are you there? On the opposite page, wolf is getting dressed, one piece of clothing at a time.

Just as you are thinking that wolf could not possibly put on any more clothing, he shouts out that he's all dressed and ready to eat! Oh no, the animals in the forest, you think! Fortunately they are safe because wolf is going to eat his favourite meal: pancakes! I literally laughed out loud.

Let's Play in the Forest, While Wolf is not Around written and illustrated by Claudia Rueda
ISBN 0439823234
32 pages

2006-09-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

So Few of Me is one of those picture books that is almost more for adults than for children. Its about Leo, whose list of things to do is growing ever longer. He thinks to himself that another one of him would help move things along, and indeed, a second Leo does get more done. But not enough, so more and more Leo's appear until there are ten of them.

Even with ten though, it seems the work is never done, and the original Leo sneaks away for a nap. When he awakes, the other Leo's are standing over him, demanding to know why he was doing something that's not on the list. Leo's conclusion in the face of all these things to do is a true one. Better to do less, do it well, and leave yourself time to dream.

Despite the rather adultish fable aspect of the book, I think Peter Reynolds' illustrations are enough to draw in children. They're just loose enough to be fun, and the only word I can think of to describe Leo with is 'scamp'. Maybe loveable scamp.

So Few of Me written and illustrated by Peter Reynolds
ISBN 0763626236
32 pages

2006-09-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

I would hope that by now everyone realizes that I adore Maureen Johnson. Have you seen her website?! Its awesome! So you can imagine that when her new book arrived this week, I was pretty pumped.

Devilish is one of the crop of books popping up lately that features a character selling her soul in order to be popular. In this case, the setting is a Catholic girls' school, and its protagonist Jane's best friend is the one who does the selling. In order to save Allison, Jane makes a deal with a demon. If her ex-boyfriend doesn't kiss her by midnight on Halloween, she forfeits her soul in place of Allison's.

Meanwhile, it turns out that her freshman stalker (in a nice way) is a 116 year old demon hunter who still looks 14. And her calculus teacher? Part of a secret Catholic society that helps hunt down demons and protect the souls of humanity. Because its Maureen Johnson, its funny as all get out. For instance, the loss of toes features as a prominent plot point.

Its a bit less serious than Johnson's other novels, by which I mean I didn't cry once throughout the whole book. And I'm also feeling like it could easily be a series (please let it be a series!).

Devilish by Maureen Johnson
ISBN 1595140603
263 pages

2006-09-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

So after Millicent Min I whipped through Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time yesterday. It's the same story as the previous book, but this time from Stanford's perspective. Can I just say, I'm so glad that I was never a boy! As hilarious as Stanford and his buddy's are, I don't think I would be up to the grossness that is required.

Anyways, Stanford flunked English, and instead of getting to go to the coolest basketball camp ever, he's going to summer school. And being tutored by the most annoying nerdball on the planet, Millicent Min. On top of that, he's grandmother, Yin Yin is being sent to live in an old folks home, his dad is always at work, and his mum seems to be desperately unhappy. Oh right, and he's told his friends he's got a summer job, rather than admit he flunked out of English.

I have to say, after reading these two books, I really think that Lisa Yee's talents lie in her ability to enter the minds of kids. Stanford and Millicent are both such real kids, I sort of feel like I might run into them one day, in the park or something. I'm calling it: she's the Beverly Cleary of the twenty first century.

Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee
ISBN 0439622476
296 pages

2006-09-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Apparently being a girl genius is not all its cracked up to be. At least according to Millicent Min, certified prodigy. Millicent is gearing up for the summer before her last year of high school, wherein she's planning to take a college class, but Millicent is only 11. Millicent can't wait to get to college where she can interact with her intellectual peers (her words, not mine). But then her mother signs her up for a volleyball team to help her make friends her own age, and she's suckered into tutoring Stanford Wong, who's flunked grade 6 English. The summer is not turning out as planned.

Its fairly obvious from the get go that Millicent is going to learn some lessons in this book, namely the importance of friends and that as much fun as school is, its not all there is to life. But that's okay, because Lisa Yee has created such an endearingly blind character, that you spend most of your time cheering Millicent on. When Millicent meets Emily, I was almost as excited as she was; her frustration at Stanford's lack of interest in Number the Stars was totally understandable; and her inability to see what's going on when it comes to her parents cracked me up.

And now I'm going to sit down and read the companion book, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee
ISBN 0439771315
248 pages

2006-09-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

So I've just finished Meg Rosoff's new book. Rosoff, you may recall,
is my hero. I was a little nervous about this one, because there's a quote from Alice Munro on the back. Why Alice Munro? What does she have to do with anything? I have now read the book, and I still cannot answer that. However, other than the quote, the book is as close to perfection as a book can get, I think.

Its the story of 15 year old David, who has the horrifying realization one day that fate is out to get him. Think of all the terrible things that can happen to a person! They could all happen to him! So David decides to try and fool fate, by changing everything about himself, including his name. The newly christened Justin Case heads over to the local charity shop to get himself a new wardrobe, and when he's approached to run cross country at school, he joins the team (David can think of nothing less enjoyable than running for long distances). Meanwhile, Justin becomes involved with Agnes, a kooky 19 year old photographer, with whom he ends up falling in love.

Throughout all of these happenings, Justin continues to be convinced that something is out to get him, and accordingly suffers from a very serious depression; a miasma of a depression that seems to be never-ending.

Although I enjoy Rosoff's books immensely, they always make me feel kind of like I am missing something. Its the same way I have always felt in literature classes, when I've done the reading, and enjoyed it, and then I come to class and find that all sorts of things happened that I didn't even notice. Because I was too busy enjoying the story. I think this happened here, too. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Justin's trials and tribulations (though I'll admit to wanting to slap him upside the head a few times), but I get the impression there's a bit more to the book than a depressed teenager. I just can't quite put my finger on it. I'm thinking that maybe this book will require a few readings to get it all straight in my head. I can't think of a better way to spend my time.

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff
ISBN 0385746784
246 pages

2006-09-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

It is an odd kind of thing to read a book about teenagers, that is written for adults. Or at least I find it is. I read the book Prep when it first came out, well over a year ago, and to be honest, I still haven't made up my mind about it.

Last week, Curtis Sittenfeld's new novel, The Man of My Dreams came in, so I thought I would give it a go. Its about Hannah, and it begins when Hannah is 14, jumping to various points until the ending, when she's 28. Sittenfeld's heroines tend towards the neurotic, and the obsessive. They can be heartbreaking, funny, and exasperating. I will say that Hannah was slightly less exasperating than Lee.

Hannah spends a lot of her time thinking about whether or not she's normal, especially in her relationships with men. I don't know whether or not she's normal, but she definitely spends a lot more time thinking about it than I can ever fathom doing.

Anyways, the point of Sittenfeld's books, from what I can gather, is not so much that you frequently want to strangle the protagonist, but her writing. Because, really, she is a pretty amazing writer. I have to come to realize that I don't particularly care what the topic is, I just want to read Curtis Sittenfeld's words.

The Man of My Dreams
ISBN 1400064767
269 pages

2006-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to read Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow for a while now, but I am fairly easily distracted, so I didn't get to it till today.

The book is supposed to a pretty big deal, and was even reviewed in the New York Times in the adult section. If I had to guess, I would say that author Faiza Guene had probably intended it to be an adult book, but her publisher has cleverly priced right between adult and YA.

Anyways, the reason there was media around this title is because of the setting, which is the projects in the suburbs of Paris. And the protagonist is a disaffected Arabian youth. So its all rather timely.

Doria and her mother live in a crappy apartment in the Paradise projects. Doria's father (aka the Beard) up and left them six months ago, rumour has it to return to Morocco and find a wife who will give him sons. Meanwhile, Doria is flunking out of school, and her illiterate mother is struggling to make ends meet with her job as a chamber maid at a hotel.

There isn't much of a plot here, as the book basically just follows Doria and her mother in the year or so after the Beard has left them. I didn't mind that so much, as Doria can be quite hilarious at times, and there was definitely a thread of hope throughout, as things improved for her and her mother. That being said, its pretty depressing. Life in the projects is pretty awful, and Doria's experiences with racism are all too commonplace.

So this book is definitely a more personal look at something you normally see only on the news. But I will say that I felt like there could have been a bit more to it. For instance, there's a bit where a boy that Doria grew up with is jailed for something to do with drugs and stolen cars. Doria refuses to believe that his imprisonment is just. So did he do it, or was it all to do with his race? And later on, he becomes a bit of a religious fanatic, and she just says that its good he'll be out of prison soon. It all kind of makes me wish that Guene had bitten off just a bit more.

I should also note that their is a fair amount of swearing in here, and definitely some drugs, too.

Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guene
ISBN 0156030489
192 pages

2006-09-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

You know it is a great day when you are feeling a bit mushy in the brain, and a nice, romantic comedy comes in your delivery. Invisible Lives is exactly the kind of book that I was needing.

Set in Seattle, its the story of Lakshmi, who helps run a sari store with her mother. With an incredible talent for knowing exactly the right sari for all her customers, Lakshmi is trying to help keep her mother's business afloat. Meanwhile, she's 28 and not yet married. Oh, the horror! Finally a suitable candidate is found: his father is a friend of Lakshmi's late father, he's young, handsome and a doctor.

But of course, complications arise. One day a famous Bollywood actress comes to the store with her driver. The account could help keep the store afloat, but Lakshmi can't even concentrate on it, what with Nick the driver standing around being hunky. (Please note, I hate the word hunky, but that's exactly what Nick is.) So Lakshmi has to choose between the Indian doctor, and the American driver.

Now, I will say personally, that I love a good romance novel, the key characteristics of which include a beautiful woman as heroine, who is also kind and smart, a beautiful and brawny man as hero, who is also kind and smart, a misunderstanding that threatens to tear the two apart, and a conclusion that can be seen a mile away. Invisible Lives has all that in spades, and the writing isn't bad either. The only element of a romance novel it doesn't have is steamy sex scene. However, if any of those elements cause you an ulcerous rage, you should probably stay away.

Invisible Lives by Anjali Banerjee
ISBN 1416517057
278 pages

2006-09-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I've just finished book one of a newish series. The series is called The Sisters Grimm, and its by Michael Buckley. The sisters Grimm are Sabrina and Daphne, who's parents mysteriously disappeared two years ago. Since then, they've been bouncing around foster homes, rather unhappily. Then a woman claiming to be their grandmother is allowed to adopt the sisters; all well and good, except that Sabrina and Daphne know their grandparents are all dead. So who is this woman, and what will the girls do with themselves in tiny town of Ferryport Landing?

Well it turns out that there's plenty of excitement going on in Ferryport Landing, which is the home of all the world's fairy tale creatures. And the Grimm sisters? Yeah, they're members of that family. Turns out, their family has lived in town for hundreds of years, keeping an eye on all the Everafters, and making sure they don't escape into the world at large.

Now this is all really just introduction to the series. The real adventure of The Fairy-Tale Detectives comes when Granny Relda and her sidekick Mr. Canis get kidnapped by a giant on the loose. Sabrina and Daphne are forced to use all their resources (which include: a magic mirror; a magic carpet; Puck, prince of the fairies; Dorothy's slippers; fairy godmother wands; a 200 lb. great Dane named Elvis; and the sword Excalibur) to save their grandmother.

Beyond being a fun adventure story that brings in a ridiculous number of fairy tale characters, Buckley's created a pretty good mystery. Who let the giant loose on Ferryport Landing? I have to admit to not having guessed it before it was revealed.

The Sisters Grimm Book One: The Fairy-Tale Detectives
ISBN 0810959259
304 pages

2006-09-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

Today is pretty cool because I am training the new guy. This means that I can mostly just hang around and not do a whole lot work. Yeah, that's right, I'm making him do everything: it's called training, people!

So while he's off hard at work I am going to review a picture book. Which, when you think about it, is sort of vaguely in my job description.

Anyways, this one came in last week and I found it rather intriguing. Ms. Rubinstein's Beauty is by Spanish illustrator and first time author, Pep Montserrat. It's the story of Ms. Rubinstein, who is beautiful in several ways that mostly go unnoticed. They go unnoticed because of the thing that is not so beautiful about her. She's the bearded lady in a circus, and no matter how beautiful her eyes are, how wonderful her nose is, how pretty her hands are, and how delicate her feet are, all anybody notices is her beard.

One day, when Ms. Rubinstein has some time off from the circus, she goes to the park. And meets a gentleman named Mr. Pavlov. They hit it off, and fall in love. Here is where the great illustrations come in. Mr. Pavlov appears to have most of his face covered by a scarf. But who cares if you can't see his face, because he loves Ms. Rubinstein, and her delicate feet! Well, the reason that Mr. Pavlov can so easily overlook the beard, is because he has something that one might wish to overlook as well. Mr. Pavlov isn't wearing a scarf at all, in fact, he has a very long and stripy trunk for a nose, and happens to have a job as the elephant man in another circus.

I really like this book. I love that Ms. Rubinstein and Mr. Pavlov find each other and fall in love, I love the woodcut feel of the illustrations, and their autumnal colour scheme, and I love the way Monsterrat has kept the text short and to the point.

Ms. Rubinstein's Beauty written and illustrated by Pep Montserrat
ISBN 1402730632
32 pages

2006-09-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

So I know I've read Rosemary Sutcliff before, but I can never keep track of what I've read, because frankly, she's written a million and one books. Or 50, whatever. Anyways, Front Street has re-published a book that originally came out about 30 years ago, The Mark of the Horse Lord. And we have an ARC kicking around.

First off, the cover is amazing. Kudos, Front Street, I love it.

The book is set in Roman Britain, in what is today Scotland. Phaedrus is a slave, and has been a gladiator for several years when he is finally granted his freedom. He's approached by some mysterious men, who propose a plan to him. Basically, one of the kingdoms in Scotland was taken over by a woman named Liadhan. In order to take the throne, Liadhan had the previous king's son mutilated and blinded and left for dead (they have a rule about blind men not being allowed to be kings). The boy survived, and he has a remarkable likeness to Phaedrus. The proposal is that Phaedrus pretends to be the long lost prince, and go to war against Liadhan to take the kingdom back.

Although I enjoyed the book immensely, I had a few problems. One is that the map sucked. Out of all the places Phaedrus went, I think maybe four were labelled. That doesn't include any of the battle sites. I also found that a lot of knowledge seemed to be assumed, making it hard to keep track of what was what. A better map, and maybe a glossary of terms and pronunciations would have been great. I should also note that though this would be an excellent book for boys, it is not one for reluctant readers; the language is not for the faint of heart.

Overall, though, a great read!

The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff
ISBN 1932425624
289 pages

2006-08-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

The other novel I read this weekend was the first volume in a new series. Triskelia Book One: The Droughlanders is Carrie Mac's newest. It was sold to me as fantasy, but it really seems more like science fiction to me.

Its the story of twins Seth and Eli, who are keylanders. That means they live a privileged existence in one of the keys, which are sort of like walled cities. But not just any walled cities. The keys control the weather, and rain only falls where and when they make it. So the rest of the world is the Droughtland, full of dirty Droughtlanders, who are prone to Sicks.

Anyways, Seth and Eli hate each other with a passion, and when their mother Lisette is killed in a bombing, their differences really come out. Seth ends up joining the guards, and Eli runs away to try and join the Droughtland revolutionary group, the Triskelians.

I don't really want to say too much more, and give away the story, so I'll leave it at that. The story took me a while to get into at first, because its pretty brutal. Seth and Eli definitely live in a world that's violent and full of conflict. This book would definitely be a great one to give to older, teenaged boys.

Seth and Eli are also both a great draw for the older teenaged crowd. My personal favourite is Seth, who is morally corrupt at best, a psychopath at worst. Mac's skills definitely lie in creating characters and dilemmas that are morally ambiguous.

My only complaint about this book is that it ends on a serious cliff hanger. Really, I am desperate for book two. Very desperate.

Triskelia Book One: The Droughtlanders by Carrie Mac
ISBN 0670065455
360 pages

2006-08-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

So I haven't just been reading picture books over the last few days, there's been some novels in there too. One of which was Past Crimes by Carol Matas. Matas has written quite a bit of historical fiction for kids, mostly to do with the Jewish experience. Which is cool, because a lot of Canadian historical fiction is dominated by the French/English thing.

Anyways, this book is not historical fiction, though there a few things do pop up. Ros is a single mother, going to university in Palm Springs. She's a single mom because her husband was shot while working as a police officer. So Ros starts having these weird dreams, where she's in the Spanish Inquisition, at the same time that a lot of weird stuff keeps happening to her. First, there's the whole dead husband thing, though that was a while ago. More recently, she's been shot at, and had her house burned down. Ros has to try and figure out the connection, with the help of a poetry reading cop named Allan.

The story itself was actually pretty interesting, even though I had the baddie pegged not too far into the book. There were some good twists, though, that made me reconsider my conclusion.

So why didn't I love this book? I'm not totally sure on that, but I think its because I never really felt like I connected with Ros. So much of her personality is tied up with being a mother, that I found her difficult to relate to. I also found it weird that she's a very young, very single mother, and Matas didn't really deal too much with that. All that being said, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours, with an interesting reincarnation twist on a classic mystery.

Past Crimes by Carol Matas
ISBN 1552638413
192 pages

2006-08-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

The best part about my job is the new books. Sorry, the new books that are awesome. Just such a book came in today, and I think I have found a new favourite. It's called The Opposite and its about a boy named Nate.

One morning, Nate wakes up to find an opposite on his ceiling. The Opposite causes trouble for Nate all day long, spilling milk and paint at inopportune moments. But every time Nate tries to explain, the Opposite disappears. Finally Nate catches on and manages to beat the opposite at his own game. Hurrah!

I should note here that Elena Odriozola's illustrations are fantastic. Really fantastic. The Opposite is a funny looking guy in a onesie that comes up over his head. And his nose is really big. Basically, he cracked me up.

I should also note that this is Tom MacRae's first kids book. I know! To write something so perfectly great on your first time out is quite impressive. He's also very good looking (I'll be nominating him for Fuse #8's Hot Men of Children's Literatures Series fo' sho'!). Which has nothing to do with anything, but I couldn't help but notice his photo on the back jacket.

The Opposite written by Tom MacRae illustrated by Elena Odriozola
ISBN 1561453714
24 pages

2006-08-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Because its summer, I keep leaving town and neglecting the blog. Sorry. But I am thihnking it is good for you all to get used to it, because I am officially going to Australia. On October 11th. I will be doing my damndest to keep up here, but I suspect blogging will be spotty at best.

In the mean time, a new book from one of my favourite picture book authors came in this month. Meerkat Mail is the story of Sunny the meerkat. Sunny is a little tired of his life in the Kalahari Desert. So he decides to go travelling, visiting relatives all over the world. each page has a postcard sent by Sunny to the family he left behind. As the book progresses, you can see Sunny enjoying himself less and less, and missing home more and more. Its really cute, because its Emily Gravett, who I think is incapable of putting out a book that's not cute.

However.... I hated that Sunny went all over the place, and stayed with various animals related to meerkats, but that I never knew who they were, and where they were. This book could have greatly benefited from a little afterword that could have described the various species Sunny visited, and their habitats. A little bit more information could have led to this being a great book, a book that librarians and teachers would have been all over. Instead, its a good book, that will probably never be used in a classroom.

Meerkat Mail written and illustrated by Emily Gravett
ISBN 1405052155
32 pages

2006-08-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Time for some picture books!

First up: Looking for a Moose. This book totally cracks me up. Its about a group of kids who've never seen "a moose- a long-leggy moose- a branchy-antler, dinner-diving, bulgy-nose moose." So they set out to find one, and they search high and low. The best part is, the illustrations are riddled with moose, but the kids just can't seem to find them. Which works out all to the best for the reader, because you get to hear the chorus over and over again. I love it!

Obviously the moose are found in the end. Although we never do learn the plural of moose. Mooses?

Looking for a Moose written by Phyllis Root illustrated by Randy Cecil
ISBN 076362005x
40 pages

2006-08-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

After I read K.L. Going's new book, I wanted to kick myself in the pants for not having read Fat Kid Rules the World. Instead I went out and read it. Man, am I ever glad I did.

Troy is the fat kid of the title. And he spends most of his time trying not to be funny, though kids seem to laugh at him no matter what he does. Although he has painfully low self-esteem, his thought process is hilarious. I especially loved the headlines he comes up with to compliment his actions.

Anyways, Troy is contemplating ending his miserable life when he meets Curt MacRae. Curt is an amazing punk guitarist, and he talks Troy into being his drummer. Except the last time Troy played drums was in middle school. And also, he's fat. Which means he really shouldn't be doing anything that makes him stand out. Right?

Going's amazing on her descriptions of punk, and the whole scene in general. The show that Troy attends, the records and cd's he listens to, all are described with amazing precision. But most important is how all this makes Troy feel, and that is the centre of this book.

Fat Kid Liberated by Punk Rock!

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
ISBN 0142402087
192 pages

2006-08-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, last night I was going to try and do a triple post, but I got distracted. So I'm going to talk about Vegan Virgin Valentine today.

It's Carolyn Mackler's new book, and its about a girl named Mara Valentine. Mara is a total overachiever. Really, she's totally crazy. Part of her compulsion to do well comes from parental expectations. Her much older sister dropped out of college and hasn't really done anything since. Except give birth to V, Mara's niece. When Mara's sister decides to take off for Costa Rica (something about having always wanted to be a Carribean cuisine chef), V comes to live with Mara and her parents. V is the opposite of Mara: she smokes, she's not a virgin, and she could care less about school. So the book is basically Mara's senior year and how she changes, thanks to V and a few other influences.

Although I enjoyed the book, especially Mara (who is often hilarious, but not on purpose), this was no The Earth, my Butt, and other Big, Round Things. To be honest, I kind of feel like the book should have been longer. Mara's relationship with her father wasn't handled with enough depth, and V as a character just didn't seem developed enough, like maybe she needed to do some narrating herself.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book immensely, and would recommend it to anyone who likes teenage girl fiction with a brain.

Vegan Virgin Valentin by Carolyn Mackler
ISBN 0763621552
240 pages

2006-08-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, so I'm back. The workshop was amazing! So many great people, so much information, so little sleep! Amazingly I did manage to get a few things read while I was gone. So here is the rundown for you:

Heavy Metal and You I picked this up 'cause I know I'd read about it somewhere. I'm thinking Bookshelves of Doom, but I'm really too lazy to check it out. It’s the story of Sam, and the girl he falls in love with. Sam's life revolves around heavy metal music, and hanging out with his friends (which usually translates as getting wasted with his friends). But then he meets Melissa, and she's amazing, and she's all he can think about. Well, almost all he can think about; a boy's gotta listen to music, right? Author Christopher Krovatin is obviously a huge metal fan, but one who can wax lyrical about the music in all its forms, too. Not to say that metal heads are dumb, but I haven't heard a case made for the music like he does.

Anyways, the problem with Melissa is that she's not into metal. Or his friends, or his extra curricular or anything he's into at all really. And her friends make him want to scream with their phoniness. I think we can all see where this is going. But though Krovatin uses clichés for plot devices, his writing is phenomenal. Sam, and his passion for heavy metal are as real as it gets.

All of which translates into: Christopher Krovatin, when is your next book coming out?

Heavy Metal and You by Christopher Krovatin
ISBN 0439743990
186 pages

2006-08-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Okay people, I have some sad news. In an attempt to get a good job, I have signed up to do Simon Fraser University's Publishing Immersion Workshop. It starts Monday, and I'll be working 8.30am to 10pm for 13 days straight. So I will probably not be posting so much. I'll do my best, but I'm thinking my reading time is going to be cut down significantly.

Have a good two weeks!

2006-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Somehow or other, until yesterday, I had not read Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn. Whom I adore. Fortunately, I have now rectified this situation. I think I can safely say, I have read every book she has published.

Pop Princess is about a girl from New England, named Wonder, who becomes the next Britney Spears. Which, it turns out, is not really what she wants out of life. I should say here that this is probably my least favourite Rachel Cohn book. That still means I really enjoyed it though. I think it might have to do with the subject matter. It just isn't really all that interesting to me. I have to give her props though, she keeps her signature honesty going on in the book. My favourite thing about a Rachel Cohn heroine? They're totally lustful. I hate reading about teenage girls who find it easy to eschew sex. Who are those people? In real life, the only reason teenage girls aren't as into sex as guys, is because they are afraid of being labelled whores.

This one has just enough of that label dropping, expensive night club scene to be fun for the Gossip Girls set, but because it's Rachel Cohn, it has some substance going on, too.

Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn
ISBN 1416902635
311 pages

2006-08-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

The fall ARC's continue to trickle in here, and the other day brought a package from Orca Books. They all looked good, but I settled on Safe House by James Heneghan.

Liam lives in the Catholic area of West Belfast, with his mum and dad. He spends a lot of his free time at the Youth Circus, an organization that was started to bring Catholic and Protestant kids together. Despite living in a bit of a war zone, life is pretty normal for Liam and his friends. Until one night, two men break into his house and kill his parents. And one of the men takes off his mask before realizing that Liam is there. Liam ends up in a police safe house, but it's not safe from the man with the mole who killed his mum and dad. So he heads out on his own, trying to avoid the killer he refers to as The Mole.

Although all ends well for Liam (I mean, as well as can be expected for a 12-year-old boy who witnessed his parents murder), this book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Any kids who are disturbed by violence should probably not be handed a copy of this one. That's not to say, though, that Heneghan uses violence for the sake of it. The story moves quickly, and Liam's experiences will definitely help kids realize the reality of what life has been like in Northern Ireland, during the time of the Troubles.

Safe House by James Heneghan
ISBN 155143640x
176 pages

2006-08-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Yes! Another Maureen Johnson book came in yesterday! The Bermudez Triangle is what Nina, Mel and Avery have called themselves since they were kids. They even have a really funny triangle power ceremony that they do every now and then. The book starts off at the start of the first summer they'll ever spend away from each other. Nina is going to some crazy brain camp thing at Stanford for 10 weeks (note: do American high schools really get that much time off during the summer? I feel totally ripped off), and Avery and Mel are staying home and working at J.P. Mortimer's, a fake Irish chain restaurant.

While Nina's gone, she falls hard for Steve, who lives in Oregon. Also while she's gone, Avery and Mel hook up. Mel has known that she is a lesbian for a long time, but she's been too afraid to admit it to herself, let alone own up to it. Avery does not feel that she's gay, and the whole relationship starts to freak her out. Then Nina comes home, and they don't tell her! That is by far the worst part of the book to me. That awful feeling of being excluded by your best friends? I hate that!

Anyways, the book follows the girls for the remainder of the school year, as Mel and Avery get outed to the whole school, Avery cheats on Mel with a boy, Steve breaks up with Nina, and new friend Parker falls hard for Nina.

That's a lot of be happening in one year, and with the perspective changing around between the three friends, it's a lot to get into one book. So that's my criticism. Johnson was trying to get too much into one book. I still loved it, mind you. I just wanted more. As in, maybe this should have been more than one book. Which as criticisms go is a pretty good one to be getting, no?

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
ISBN 1595140336
384 pages

2006-08-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Wherein my readers start to wonder if I am obsessed with Pride and Prejudice: I'm not really! But these knock-offs keep coming in! Today's is yet another trilogy, this one called Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman. The first volume in the series is An Assembly Such as This. Author Pamela Aidan has decided that we should all know what's going on with Mr. Darcy throughout Austen's story, so she's kindly written it out for us. Quite well, too, I might add. The writing is that over the top regency style, and Darcy is quite torturously in love with Elizabeth.

This is one of those books that is really great for some people, and really not at all for others. When you read Jane Austen, are you thinking that she is a master of irony and the English language? If so, you will probably not enjoy this one. But if you get into the story, and the romantic aspect of Austen's books, you will probably love this one. I never really thought I could love Darcy more than I do, but Aidan has put me over the top! Pity the men of the 21st century, because they have no chance with me!

An Assembly Such as This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan
ISBN 0743291344
288 pages

2006-08-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I've reviewed any nonfiction, I'm thinking. Plus, we are going to be at the bookseller's table for the September meeting of the Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable, and Diane Swanson is the guest speaker. Diane Swanson is the queen of kid's nonfiction. Really, look her up; she's out of control.

Her newest book is called A Crash of Rhinos, a Party of Jays, and it's all about the names of animal groups. She's picked 11 animal groups, and they each get a two-page spread. Each spread features the group name, a few sentences on why the name makes sense, a few fun facts about the animal in question, a colour photo, and a funny illustration. I kind of wish the photograph was a bit bigger on each page, but that's my only complaint. Other than I wish the book was longer. Its super cool, and I really think kids will have a fun time checking it out.

A Crash of Rhinos, a Party of Jays by Diane Swanson
ISBN 1554510481
24 pages

2006-08-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

By far one of the best fictional families of recent years is the Casson clan. Lucky for me, Hilary McKay seems to agree with me, and she keeps churning their stories out. The latest is called Caddy Ever After.

I should state for the record that I enjoyed this book just as much as the previous three (Saffy's Angel, Indigo's Star, and Permanent Rose)but I do think it may have been mistitled. Or maybe it should have been two books, rather than one. At any rate, Caddy (short for Cadmium Blue) is the eldest Casson, and everyone knows she is supposed to marry Darling Michael. Everyone except Caddy, that is. But before we get to that, we have to go through the adventure of the Valentine's disco, as told by Rose, Indigo and Saffy. Once again, Rose steals the show in every scene she's in. Which is kind of what I was getting at earlier. Caddy only really makes an appearance at the end of the book, so why is this 'her' book? It seems like another Rose book.

It is hard to write these things and sound not complainey about them. And I am really not complaining. Because I love this family, and I will happily gobble up anything Hilary McKay sees fit to publish about them. And you should too.

Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay
ISBN 0340903147
218 pages

2006-07-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

There are not a lot of things I like better than a Donna Jo Napoli book. So when Bound showed up the other day, I got pretty excited.

Napoli has made a career out of retelling fairy tales, and she sticks with that in her new book. Bound has a bit of a twist though, being set in Ming era China. Xing Xing is the Cinderella character, and her not so nice stepmother forces her to do all the work around the cave they live in. But she mostly doesn't mind, because her poor stepsister has her feet all bound up as her stepmother attempts to shrink them in order to land her a husband.

What I quite enjoyed about the book is that Napoli avoided the historical fiction trap of too much information, but I still feel like I know a lot more about the people of that time and place. Definitely there was a lot of detail about the nastiness involved in feet binding. In fact, my only real complaint is about the ending. It just felt a little too quick, and too neat for my taste.

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
ISBN 0689861788
192 pages

2006-07-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

I know this is extremely belated, but I would just like to say, that I think last year's Governor General's awards sucked it up in the Children's Illustration category. First off, Shi-Shi-Etko was not nominated, which totally floored me. Secondly, the winner was Imagine a Day. My reaction to that book? Meh. A big, fat meh. To be honest, from the short list, I was rooting for City Angel.

Author Eileen Spinelli isn't Canadian, so she's not eligible for the GG (if they happened to have one for writing a picture book, which they don't. What is up with that Canada Council?!), but illustrator Kyrsten Brooker is. City Angel is a day in the life of an urban angel. Throughout the day she does good deeds, and has a great time. But not at all in a smarmy way! This angel is cool. She skateboards, and shoots hoops, and sings with street musicians.

Brooker's illustrations, however, are what makes the book. They're a great combination of paint and collage, and let me tell you, this is the best looking angel I've ever seen. She looks like someone you'd very much like to spend the day with.

City Angel written by Eileen Spinelli illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker
ISBN 0803728212
32 pages

2006-07-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have a special weakness for sister books. I think because it is such a weird relationship, something that people who don't have sisters really don't understand. So when I found out that Maureen Johnson has a sister book out, I was pumped. Except that when The Key to the Golden Firebird arrived, I realized that not only was it a sister book, it's also a dead father book. Just a little too close to home, I thought. I read it anyways, and I'm glad I did, even if it did make me cry.

Brooks, May and Palmer are the Gold sisters, and its been a year since their father died of a heart attack. Things have been falling apart pretty steadily since then. Brooks has started drinking several times a week, and quit softball. May has desperately been trying to hold the family together, despite failing her driving test. And Palmer has been having panic attacks regularly. Everything comes to head the night that Brooks drunkenly decides to drive to the store in their dad's 1967 Firebird, which has sat untouched, in the garage since dad's heart attack in the driver's seat.

Although May is the sister who narrates most of the book, Brooks and Palmer are hardly left out. The love, the exasperation, the pettiness of families, it's all there.

Johnson is officially one of my new favourite writers. Also, I feel I should note that her website is totally amazing.

The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson
ISBN 0060541407
297 pages

2006-07-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to tell you that I have not read The Odyssey or any of those old Greek myths in their original form. But really, they are some good stories, so I always pick up a rewrite. I haven't read the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece before though, so when I got my hands on Voyage with Jason by Ken Catran I started reading right away.

The book is told from the perspective of Pylos, a peasant boy that Jason and his boat full of heroes take with them on their hunt for the golden fleece. What's most interesting about Pylos' tale is that his interest is in describing the heroes' characters. His take on Hercules, Jason, and Castor and Pollux is really interesting. Part of that is the fact of Pylos' birth. Being a peasant, he sees things that the heroes don't, especially about themselves. Hercules is one of the most interesting characters in the first half.

There's also enough blood and adventure to keep most boys hooked, I would think. That's the great thing about Greek myths: they're ultra gory.

Voyage with Jason by Ken Catran
ISBN 1894965434
208 pages

2006-07-24T10:30:00.001-07:00

So on Friday a bunch of good looking books came in. But it was too hot to read. Or write. Or think, really. Fortunately today is much cooler.

This next book begins when one day, a lion walks into the library. Everyone is quite shocked as he wanders into the story hour area, but the head librarian, Miss Merriweather declares that as long as he's not breaking any rules, he can stay. From then on, the lion becomes a regular at the library, helping out by licking envelopes and dusting encyclopedias before story hour. Until one day, Miss Merriweather takes a nasty spill reaching for a book. The only way to get Mr. McBee's attention is for the lion to roar (something that's against the rules). Miss Merriweather is sent to the doctor, but the lion, knowing he's broken the rules, leaves the library, and doesn't return. The children from story hour miss him, Miss Merriweather misses him, and the whole library seems rather sad and lonely without him. Mr. McBee decides there's only one thing to do, and he heads out on a search for the lion. Eventually he finds him, looking very pathetic and wet in the rain. Mr. McBee tells the lion of a new rule at the library. Now the no roaring rule has an exception: if you're trying to help a friend in need. The next day, the lion returns to the library, and Miss Merriweather and all the children of story hour rejoice.

Part of what makes this book great are Kevin Hawkes' illustrations. His paintings make you feel like this story happened several decades ago, making Miss Merriweather and her emphasis on rules fit. The lion himself is shockingly well behaved, though the library patrons seem to expect this as standard procedure.

All in all, a good little book, that would be wonderful for a library story hour.

Library Lion written by Michelle Knudsen Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
ISBN 0763622621
48 pages

2006-07-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is insanely hot here. Like, sit in front of a fan and try not to move hot. Unfortunately, people keep coming into the store needing help. Boo!

So last night I did a little reading of one of the very few ARC's we got for the fall season (what is up with that?!). It's called Saint Iggy and its by K.L. Going. You may remember her from Fat Kid Rules the World, which I haven't read, but I have been meaning to since it came out. I am just slow on the uptake.

Anyway, the title character, Iggy, has just been kicked out of school. Which sucks, because his life is pretty awful. His parents are both drug addicts and he lives in the projects. His dad's dealer is always around trying to collect money, and his mom has gone visiting, but that was a month ago. Then Iggy accidentally gets his friend Mo involved in his world, and Mo's mother gets involved. Things spiral out of Iggy's control until the heart breaking conclusion. I'm not kidding about the heart breaking; I cried while drinking my morning coffee today. Iggy's world is god-awful depressing, and worst of all, real. His voice is wonderfully realized. Going allows us to see Iggy's learning disability, without making the text too hyper and hard to read.

However, do know that you will probably cry, so don't be wearing mascara when you are reading this one.

Saint Iggy by K.L. Going
ISBN 0152057951
272 pages

2006-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Holy backlist specials, batman! Total insanity at the store, so my reading has definitely been suffering. Also I am addicted to bad summer TV. However, today in the midst of heaving heavy boxes of books around, a very nice man from Simply Read Books came in and we got to chatting. Can I just say that the only thing better than a friendly publisher who likes chatting about kids books is a friendly publisher who likes chatting about kids books AND brings bookstore employees free books! Hot damn, and the best part is, they all look pretty awesome. So in honor of that I'm gonna tell you about one of those books. I'm sure you'll be hearing about the rest soon, but they are novels and I am still reading about Christina from Sweden.

Conveniently this book is also Australian (here that Australian publishers? I like your books! Feel free to hire me!). Margaret Wild is one of those authors who is a pretty safe bet, in my experience. Her books are always well written, and often make me think a bit further. The Little Crooked House didn't necessarily make me think, but it sure did make me laugh out loud. Jonathan Bentley's hilarious illustrations definitely helped, to give credit where it is due.

This book is about a little old man, and his cat and mouse. They are all crooked. And so is the house they live in, which works out pretty well. Except the house is near the train tracks, and the crooked old man is convinced that things are going to end badly, "so with a creak and a groan, the little crooked house heaved itself up, and took a step. One step, two steps, three steps, four. Then it ran." Yeah, it ran. That house ran all over the place, until finally, all its crooked residents were satisfied with its location. And they all lived happily ever after.

The best part is the way the train, the desert wind, and the river all call for the crooked little house to come back and stay. Or maybe the best part is the way the crooked house runs. I'll get back to you.

The Little Crooked House by Margaret Wild
ISBN 1894965590
40 pages

2006-07-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Unfortunately, I did not get any of the three books I'm working on finished while I was gone. Something has happened up at the cottage. Somehow, a million trashy celebrity gossip magazines have appeared there. It is weird that my compulsion to read year old gossip about people I don't know overrides my compulsion to finish reading about Queen Christina of Sweden.

But when I got into work today, there were a few boxes that needed receiving, and one of them contained The Glass Heart by Sally Gardner. I have to say that I really like Sally Gardner's books. I haven't read them all, but the ones I've read have been pretty great.

The Glass Heart is a story within a story. Rosie is looking at all her Nana's small treasures, when she accidentally drops a small glass heart and it shatters. But Nana's not upset, and elects to tell Rosie a story about glass hearts. The fairy tale is set in Venice, and it features three princesses with glass hearts. Having a glass heart isn't easy, though, as they're quite breakable. The first princess ends up having hers broken by a vain prince, and dies. The second princess has her heart cracked by a beautiful rose, and is forced to spend the rest of her days in repose. The third sister, however, makes a happy marriage, to a page turned glass artist, who knows enough about glass to marry a princess with a heart made of it.

Anyone looking for fairy tales will definitely enjoy this one.

The Glass Heart by Sally Gardner
ISBN 184255073x
32 pages

2006-07-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am going to be at my family's cottage this weekend, which means no internet access, so I'm trying to write enough reviews to hold you till Monday. I figure one more and we're set.

I think I've probably said this before, but I really like Cornelia Funke's picture books. I think better than her novels, to be truthful. The Wildest Brother is newly published here, so I thought I would talk about it here.

Ben spends all of his time fighting monsters, burglers and wild animals. But not just because he'd rather do that than various chores. The real reason that he has to work so hard is to protect his big sister Anna. Anna, I should note, is a remarkably patient big sister. I don't think I was nearly as understanding of my younger siblings, but maybe that's just me.

Anyways, after a long hard day spent fighting, Ben heads off to bed. But you know, "when Night presses her soot-black face against the window and the heating creaks like the sound of a thousand beetles," even the bravest of fighters can get scared. Fortunately, one of Anna's specialties is protecting little brothers from the Night.

My only complaint about this book is a small one. The last sentence is "And it is sooo wonderful to have a big, strong sister." Were those extra 'O's really necessary?

The Wildest Brother written by Cornelia Funke illustrated by Kerstin Meyer
ISBN 0439828627
24 pages

2006-07-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just take against a book? As in, there is no particular reason to not like it, but you just don't? That's how I feel about Black-and-White Blanche. This is Marj Toews' first picture book, and I can't help but get the impression that she doesn't read a lot of kid's books.

Blanche lives in Victorian England, and because the queen only wears black and white, her father dictates that black and white is good enough for them. So the whole family, and all their servants only get to wear black and white. I should note here that everyone's name begins with a 'B,' even the servants. Anyway, Blanche wants to wear pink. All pink all the time is what she wants, and all she gets is black and white. So she runs away. Runs away to live with the flower seller down the street, who is big into colour. Eventually Blanche is found, and her father realizes the error of his ways, and everyone wears colour and everything is wonderful and everyone's faults disappear. Oh thank you colour, you have saved the day!

Suffice to say, I'm not a fan.

Black-and-White Blanche written by Marj Toews illustrated by Dianna Bonder
ISBN 1550051326
32 pages

2006-07-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Let's throw a little Cancon in here, shall we?

Margriet Ruurs has been writing books about chickens for quite some time. So its no surprise to see her newest book is called Wake up, Henry Rooster! Henry is not your typical rooster, see. Henry likes to sleep in; he's just not a morning rooster. So when his dad leaves for a week long convention, putting Henry in charge of the farm, things are bound to go wrong.

All week long Henry stays up late, partying, reading and listening to music, doing a terrible job of getting up on time to wake up the day. Everyone ends up being fed late and missing the school bus. What's a teenage rooster to do? Fortunately for Henry, his farm features a wise old goat, who gives pretty good advice. The solution to Henry's problem? Stay up just that little bit later to start the day for everyone else, and then hit the sack.

I think the best part of this book are Sean Cassidy's illustrations. Ever wonder what a teenaged rooster would look like? Cassidy's imagined him perfectly. From the dancing cows, to the skateboarding horses, this is by far the coolest farm you've ever seen.

Wake up, Henry Rooster! written by Margriet Ruurs illustrated by Sean Cassidy
ISBN 1550419528
32 pages

2006-07-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite themes in a kid's book is the power of words, so when I am I by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick came in the other day, I got pretty excited. The story in this book is a pretty loose one. Basically, there are two boys, both of whom proclaim themselves king of everything that surrounds them, while putting down the other. Their words visibly fly out of their mouths, and cause the destruction of everything they love. Eventually, their apologies create life and happiness again.

Hm, I feel like I am not doing a great job of explaining this. Which means you'll have to go look at it yourselves, won't you? I think this book would be great for preschoolers, to learn the power of their words, but that older kids could really get something out of it too. It helps that the illustrations are flat out gorgeous.

There's also a neat little after word, where Fitzpatrick explains that her inspiration for the book comes from a Choctaw symbol, which illustrates their belief that "just as you cannot stand on both sides of a river at once, you cannot belong to two cultures." It's neat that Fitzpatrick was inspired by a Native American idea, but I think we can safely say that the impossibility of belonging to more than one culture is a load of hooey.

I am I by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
ISBN 1596430540
32 pages

2006-07-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry for the recent absence. I don't even have a good excuse. I just got lazy. So to make up for it, I have a whole lotta picture books here for you.

Starting off we have Hippo! No, Rhino!, which wins the award for most punctuation in a book title. But that's not the only remarkable thing about this hilarious book. The whole business starts off when a rather ill-informed zoo keeper places a "Hippo" sign in front of the rhino pen. All sorts of people come by, and remark on the hippo. Rhino becomes rather frustrated, repeatedly shouting out that he is, in fact, a rhino, and that's not his "sign-o." Luckily for the rhino, a sympathetic little boy comes along and fixes the sign. However, on the last page, the zoo keeper strikes again, setting up a sign in front of the hippo that reads "Porcupine-o."

Newman's illustrations make the small amount of text work perfectly. The rhino grows visibly more frustrated, as the ignorant visitors continue to not notice his innate rhino-ness. There are also tons of hilarious details throughout; my favourite being the small birds that hang out on the rhino's back.

Hippo! No, Rhino! written and illustrated by Jeff Newman
ISBN 031615573X
32 pages

2006-07-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Is it sad that I am still working my way through ARC's that I picked up in February? Whatever.

After finishing Gideon last night, I felt like it was time for a little teen angst. And oh how angsty today's book is! Scrambled Eggs at Midnight is a love story, with each side of the equation (Eliot and Cal) being written by a different author. Sounds kind of like Nick and Norah, eh? Well, that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Cal has been driving across the country with her flaky mother since she was a little kid. They've arrived in Asheville to spend the summer working at the Renaissance Fair. Eliot lives outside of his town, where his parents run a Christian fat camp. They fall deeply and madly in love, as only teenagers can do, and alternate chapters that mostly discuss how perfect the other is.

That's not to say I'm complaining though. Never having been madly in love, I enjoy reading about it, in a what-a-foreign-concept kind of a way. I will say though, that neither of these kids really seemed 15. I remember 15, and it certainly didn't look like that to me. And another thing. When did Tim Horton's move into the US? I was all set to come down hard on these authors for placing a Canadian chain in the state of Maine, and then I googled it, and apparently I am behind the times on this one. That isn't really a complaint though. That is just me being made to feel like an idiot.

Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
ISBN 0525477608
224 pages

2006-07-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I am not supposed to go around judging books by their covers, but frankly, Gideon the Cutpurse deserves a look for the cover alone. Seriously, you should head to your local bookstore and check it out. Lucky for me, the book lived up to the cover. I haven't read a good time travel story in a good long while, so I very much enjoyed the first volume in Linda Buckley-Archer's projected trilogy.

The book opens with Peter, who is disappointed once again by his workaholic father. He and his au pair head out to the country, and spend the day with Kate and her family. But Kate's families aren’t farmers. Her father works for some fancy acronym heavy agency, and he and his partner are doing some experiments involving dark matter. Kate and Peter have a bit of a run in with this anti-matter thingy (I'm not overly clear on the physics of the whole business, and fortunately, Buckley-Archer doesn't go into it too much) and they end up in 1763. And a creepy guy called the Tar Man steals their contraption, leaving them with no way to get back home. Fortunately, the Tar Man was in hot pursuit of one Gideon Seymour, and he helps them out. The kids end up meeting all sorts of 18th century types, both famous and not, and having all sorts of adventures. I don't want to ruin the ending, but suffice to say, I am definitely excited for book number two.

Occasionally I found myself thinking that Buckley-Archer was a little simplistic in her explanations, or that people's reactions weren't fully what I expected from the situations at hand, but when I really thought about it, I realized that those kinds of details really make this book a lot more accessible to a younger reader. I probably wouldn't give this one to anyone much over 13, as I think a more sophisticated reader would find things a bit too undemanding, but for the 9-13 set this book is right on.

Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer
ISBN 1416915257
416 pages

2006-07-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

It is officially catalogue season. This is both good and bad. Good, because I get all excited about all the new books coming out this fall, and bad, because it means a lot of data entry for me. This year is also bad, because I have officially quit my job for mid-September, which means I'm missing out on a lot of new books.

Anyway, that is my rambly excuse for why I have not finished the novel I've been reading for the past few days. So instead of talking about it quite yet, I'm going to talk about a picture book.

Each One Special is not at all new, but who cares? It's a great story, and deserves to be talked up. Harry is a cake decorator, and he can do some pretty incredible stuff (so, by the way, can illustrator H. Werner Zimmermann). Sometimes after school, Ben helps Harry out with the cakes. Everything is going pretty nicely, until the bakery where Harry works is bought by some not so nice people. "We want fast, not different . . . We want lots, not special . . . We want young bakers, not old."

Harry tries out some other hobby type things to keep him busy, but nothing makes him as happy as cake decorating, and he becomes depressed. Fortunately for everyone, Ben is a resourceful kid, and he comes up with the idea of clay. Harry becomes a whiz with the clay in no time, and soon Harry and Ben are selling their masterpieces, each on of which is special.

Don't you just want to sigh?

Each One Special written by Frieda Wishinsky illustrated by H. Werner Zimmermann
ISBN 1551431246
32 pages

2006-07-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you all, but I love nothing more than a good quiz! So this morning, as I was perusing good ol' Bookshelves of Doom, and I saw that she had linked to "What Teen Angst Novel Are You" I clicked right on over there.

Apparently I am Looking for Alaska by John Green. "Sad, Funny, boozy, thought-provoking. Go read it. It's you." Well thank you very much, quiz master, I will do just that.

Hit it here.

2006-07-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

This week a new book came in from one of my favourite picture book authors. Oliver Jeffers only has two books out, but I'm happy to report, they're both awesome. His first was How to Catch a Star, and his new one is Lost and Found.

Side note: Jeffers is from Belfast, which is the scariest city I've ever been in. When I was there a cab driver made fun of me for being freaked, and I tried to explain to him that I am from Canada, but he just didn't get it.

Anyway, Lost and Found is about a little boy who meets up with a penguin. Assuming he's lost, the boy tries to find out how to get him home, finally checking in a book ("Where Penguins Come From"). So he and the penguin head out for the South Pole in their trusty rowboat. Eventually, the boy realizes that the penguin was just lonely, and what do you know? so was he! Happy ending for everyone!

My favourite things about Jeffers' books are his illustrations. They are perfectly adorable in an unexpected kind of way. The penguin is especially perfect.

Lost and Found written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
ISBN 0007150369
32 pages

2006-07-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm stumped. This is where all my loyal readers come out of the woodwork and make useful comments.

Hey Bookstore Girl,

I am trying to find a book, but I do not know what it is called. It is a picture book, and it's maybe about a parade or something, but the stand-out feature is that the illustrations are done from the perspective of someone very small watching the parade (or whatever) because it's mostly of feet and shoes walking by.

Any thoughts (other than that I am on crack)?

Sleepless in Seattle... er, Thorold South

And... Go!

2006-07-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

After reading something as heavy as March, I thought lighter fare was in order. So I picked up Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love.

This book follows Felicia, who has a huge crush on Matthew, who is all into science. In order to make him fall for her, she confesses her crush and proposes they do a science project together that studies the X factor: why people fall in love, or not. Complications ensue and unfortunately, I did not pay enough attention in math to be able to describe the shape of those love relationships. Suffice to say, it is most definitely not a triangle.

One of the things I think this book really has going for it (and which, incidentally drove me insane) is Felicia's voice. She is the embodiment of a fourteen-year-old girl: "Felicia's Private Kitten Directive Number Ohmigod-Matthew-Held-My-Hand!: All Instances of Matthew-Felicia Body Contact MUST be Logged in Felicia's Notebook Within Twenty-Four Hours of Occurring!"

I think the title is rather unfortunate though, because Felicia gives us the story behind it, and it's not all sexual, but that's not necessarily obvious until you've read the first chapter or so. But I most definitely urge anyone with a 12 to 15-year-old girl in their life to look beyond the title.

Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love by Maryrose Wood
ISBN 0385732767
256 pages

2006-07-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

For my birthday a month or so ago, I received a ridiculous gift certificate to the store where I work. One of the books I got myself was March by Geraldine Brooks. I adored her Year of Wonders, and the only reason I haven't read March sooner was because it is a spin-off of Little Women. I have never read Little Women, because the title is so off-putting. Plus the Marches sound as dull as dull can be.

Despite all that, I am glad I finally did read this one. Apparently, in Alcott's story, Mr. March heads off to minister to the troops in the American Civil War (note: I hate when Americans refer to this as though it is though it is the only civil war that ever occurred, anywhere). Alcott's book follows the year that he is gone through the eyes of his family, and Brooks has decided to tell Mr. March's story. The best thing about Brooks as a writer, in my opinion, is that although she does a ton of research, she doesn't necessarily try to cram it all into her novel. Story first! Should be every historical fiction author's motto.

Anyway, so Mr. March's story is told partially through his letters home, which are full of lies (he feels he can't describe the horrors of war to his "little women"), and also through memories of his youth, including the experiences that turned him toward abolitionism.

I generally found that I was not a big fan of Mr. March, as a character; he was a little too self-involved for my taste. But the thing about Geraldine Brooks is, she's a great writer. Really, she is. So I just kept wanting to read.

I will say that I found the ending a little abrupt. But I have a suspicion that it is similar to how Alcott ended her book, though I can't say for sure.

March by Geraldine Brooks
ISBN 0143036661
288 pages

2006-07-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada day everyone! I realize I should be reviewing something Canadian, but I just finished The Queen's Soprano today, so I'll be talking about that.

What with having a degree in history, I have a vague idea of what was going on in Europe 17th century, but it is hard to keep track of what's going on everywhere. Carol Dines' novel takes us into Rome at that time, a place where women only left home to attend mass. Unfortunately, Angelica has an amazing soprano voice. Unwilling to let it go to waste, her mother is determined to marry her off to the nobility. In order to escape her mother, and a convent, Angelica flees to the court of Queen Christina, a Scandinavian queen who converted to Catholicism and ruled a quarter of Rome. Queen Christina refuses to bow to the will of the current pope, who basically doesn't like fun, especially if women are involved. Eventually, after Christina's death, Angelica is forced to flee to Spain, where she will begin a new life.

My only real complaint about the books is Angelica. Although intellectually I understand why Dines' made her a big wuss (what with never leaving her house and all) it was really annoying. She was whiny and stupid and not at all sympathetic to anyone else's problems. Her sister would love to join a convent, but has no money for the required dowry, and all Angelica can think about is how much she hates the idea of convent living. That's just one example of her selfishness.

Dines' descriptions of the music and life of 17th century Rome are wonderful, though. Angelica's humble beginnings are just as real to the reader as the amazing palaces where she ends up. It’s certainly worth a read for that alone. On top of that, I think she does a great job of showing the extreme restrictions of women’s' lives.

The Queen's Soprano by Carol Dines
ISBN 0152054774
318 pages

2006-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day that I have not read any adult books in a long time. So I picked up Baby Proof by Emily Giffin. I have read her other two books, and though they did not make me think deep thoughts, I very much enjoyed them.

Baby Proof is about Claudia, who has always said she doesn't want children. Finally, in her early thirties she meets the perfect man. Claudia and Ben fall deeply in love, and everything is wonderful because Ben doesn't want kids either. Until Ben decides he does want kids. Claudia is pissed, because Ben has reneged on their deal, and divorces him forthwith. She's miserable, but maintains that she doesn't want kids. It's a hard position to maintain in our society, and it doesn't help that Claudia's circle of mid-thirties friends are all baby crazy.

Not a whole lot actually happens in the book, the big question being: will Claudia and Ben get back together? Will one of them compromise on the issue of kids? But I didn't mind so much. Claudia is funny, in an acerbic kind of way, and her sisters (one has three kids and a philandering husband, one has a great husband, but can't for the life of her get pregnant) are hilarious. If you're reading this book, you're really reading if for the characters. Giffin's real talent, I think, are the bit players in a book.

Baby Proof is one of those great summer beach reads.

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
ISBN 0312348649
352 pages

2006-06-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

You know what is great about this time of year? The ARC's for the fall season start coming in! Yay ARC's!

On Tuesday, two books came in, including Home Run by Paul Kropp. Now I noticed that it won't be out till October, so I was hemming and hawing about whether or not I should review it. But then I figured I would go ahead, because it's the sequel to Running the Bases which you can go out and purchase right now.

Both of these books are the story of Alan, a kindy of nerdy, but mostly nice guy who really wants to have sex. In the first book, Alan is in high school, and gets dating help from his friend Maggie, who coaches him through various short-lived relationships. I think I can say, without ruining the book, that Alan and Maggie get together by the end of this first book.

Home Run finds our hero with his virginity intact (after a year of dating Maggie) and on his way to his first year of university. Now here is where I found my only real problem with this book. Apparently Alan and his parents made the drive from somewhere in Ontario to BC in two days. That is ludicrous. Really. I have done that drive myself, and even driving 12 hour days, it was four and a half. I realize this is a small detail, but I gotta tell you, I sputtered in anger for a good fifteen minutes. Anyway, Alan arrives at the fictional Burrard University to discover his roommate is a pretty straight-arrow Christian. Despite that, Alan and his roommate have various adventures involving Alan trying to lose his virginity, and Kirk (the roommate) trying to keep his.

Eventually Alan does get to have sex, but not till he's gone back home for the summer, and not to any of the floozies he meets during the school year. I'll give you one guess . . .

I think what Kropp does best in these books is make teenage boys palatable. I have some reservations about how realistic Alan is, as a character, but I don't really care, because he's funny and endearing enough to make me want to keep on reading.

Running the Bases by Paul Kropp
ISBN 0385661479
160 pages

Home Run by Paul Kropp
ISBN 0385661487
208 pages

2006-06-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Because of the heat and all, I thought I'd go for an easy read. I picked up Abadazad: the Road to Inconceivable on Sunday. The book is a neat concept. Its a diary, mixed with some comic strip style pages, some more traditional illustrations, and inserts from other books. The story is about Kate, whose brother Matt disappeared five years ago. Both Kate and her mother blame themselves, and Kate is especially angry about the whole thing. Mixed in with this are the stories from Abadazad. Apparently, a series of books created about a hundred years ago, they follow the adventures of Little Martha in the magical land of Abadazad, and they were Matt's favourite books. Then Kate finds out that her brother may still be alive and in Abadazad. So she magically transports over there. That's really where book one ends. It seems as though there will be three total in the series.

I have to say though, that I found the whole thing kind of dull. First off, this book really is just an introduction, and nothing too exciting happens. Secondly, although conceptually I love the idea of this book, with all the different graphics and whatnot, I don't actually like the style of Mike Ploog's illustrations. Every single person in the book has a snub red nose. And Matt is rather sickeningly cute. I also think that Kate's voice doesn't ring true. It just doesn't sound like a 14-year-old girl talking.

That said, this book would be great for reluctant readers. It's not too long, and there are lots of pictures to break things up, without it feeling like a book for little kids.

Abadazad: the Road to Inconceivable written by J.M. DeMatteis illustrated by Mike Ploog
ISBN 142310062x
144 pages

2006-06-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure why, but right now our YA section seems to be bulging with gay teen novels. I briefly picked up David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy, but to tell you the truth, I think Levithan is just too serious a writer for me to deal with. It is all sunny and nice out, and I just want to read something light and happy.

So instead I picked up Brian Sloan's Tale of Two Summers. The premise is that best friends Chuck and Hal are 15, and spending their first summer apart. Chuck is straight, but really into musical theatre. He's spending the summer at the University of Maryland for a summer theatre workshop. Hal, who is gay, is spending the summer at home in Wheaton (read: small town) taking drivers' ed. Chuck has set up a blog so that the two can keep in touch, and their correspondence can be saved for all time.

Chuck, who is very talented, tends to be optimistic about how things in general will turn out. He is a little weirded out about Hal's gayness, and can be a little insensitive in that regard (remember, he is a 15-year-old boy). Hal is sarcastic and tends toward depression and cynicism. Obviously, there are love interests. For Chuck, its Ghaliyah, a fellow musical theatre enthusiast, who herself seems to be more into their director. Hal has fallen for Henri, a French exchange student who practices Parkour (its like skateboarding without the skateboard) and smokes a lot of pot.

Because Chuck is pretty busy starring in his camp's theatre production, Hal does most of the writing. He's funny and vulnerable and sweet and sarcastic all rolled into one great character. That's really the only problem I had with this book. I adored Hal, and I kind of felt like I didn't really know Chuck enough to decide one way or the other.

What Sloan does do really well though, is deal with the friendship between two boys, one of whom has come out of the closet. Chuck's curiosity as to what actually goes on, and Hal's openness about his life and feelings are refreshing to read in a YA novel. I will caution, however, there are some pretty graphic sexual details, so not for the faint of heart.

Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan
ISBN 0689874391
256 pages

2006-06-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City this afternoon. Really, all I have been doing lately is barbequeing, swimming and riding bikes.

Back to the reading though!

Kiki Strike is the story of Ananka, who lives in New York city, and, along with several other Girl Guide rejects, becomes one of the Irregulars. Their intrepid leader is the one and only Kiki Strike. The girls are handily all equipped with their own talents, which makes their adventures that much easier. And what adventures they have! Kiki has recruited the Irregulars to help her explore the Shadow City, a series of underground tunnels below Manhattan that haven't been used since the criminals that lived there disappeared more than a hundred years ago. But maybe Kiki's motives aren't entirely exploratory in nature?

I think Kirsten Miller's biggest accomplishment with this book is that she has created one of those great old-fashioned adventure stories, and modernized it. Ananka and her friends are smart and funny, and not willing to take crap from anybody. The New York setting will help to draw in tweens who are more Gossip Girls oriented, and Miller's great story and characters will hook them.

I really am looking forward to reading more adventures from the Irregulars.

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller
ISBN 1582349606
387 pages

2006-06-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, its amazing how much you DON'T read when the weather is gorgeous, isn't it? Last night I went lake swimming, and then today I went on a long bike ride with my friend Robyn. Fortunately for you all, I squeezed Grist in there somewhere.

Grist is Heather Waldorf's second YA novel. It's about Charlena (aka Charles, Charlie, Char) and her crazy, crazy family. Her father is dating a woman with three teenaged sons, and they're going to spend the summer in Toronto, while dad Mike teaches an accounting course. Charlie's best and only friend Sam has moved to Australia with his family (after an exceedingly awkward scene in which Charlie confesses her love for him). And her creative writing teacher has just suffered from a serious heart attack, which Charlie is convinced is due to her terrible writing. So when her Grams invites her to spend the summer up at Lake Ringrose, Charlie accepts.

Lake Ringrose is in the middle of nowhere. The closest town is Wawa, which, if you've ever been there, you'll know isn't saying much. One of the few teenagers out there is Kerry, who is all screwed up over a snowmobiling accident the previous winter. The accident caused his father's death, and seriously injured Kerry, forcing him to spend many months down in Sault Ste. Marie doing rehab. Now he's back at Ringrose and ready to cause more trouble. Even though Grams specifically warns Charlie to stay away from Kerry, they end up hooking up and falling in love. Which is not all that exciting until the Grams' reason is revealed. Which will totally spoil the book, so I'm not gonna tell you. Haha!

So. The story is maybe a little over the top dramatic, but I definitely did not see the big twist coming. Waldorf's writing is good enough to carry the story, though the occasional descent into over-writing does occur. But maybe that's in reference to Charlie's ambition to be a writer. I have yet to meet a teenager that doesn't over-write.

So, all in all, a good story, a likeable character, a good book. However, Red Deer Press seems to be under the impression that this book doesn't exist, so I can't show you the cover. That's unfortunate, because I think it’s a really nice example of a YA cover with a picture of a character that actually works.

Grist by Heather Waldorf
ISBN 0889953473
176 pages

2006-06-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm a big, fat idiot. Yesterday I started Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City on Leila's recommendation, and then I stupidly left it at home last night. Stupidly because its amazing!

So today I had to make do with Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger. Wittlinger is one of those authors that I know I've read before, and liked, but I can't remember what all it is that I've read.

Sandpiper is about a girl who has been labelled a slut. Since her friends have abandoned her, she starts hanging around with this weird guy who spends all his time walking around town. Meanwhile, one of the boys Sandpiper "dated" has become a total psycho and is starting to get scary. But she feels she can't tell her mum, because she's in the midst of planning her wedding.

It sounds like a whole lot of teen angst issues all thrown into one book. And to tell you the truth, it did seem a little over the top. However, Wittlinger is a great writer. Sandpiper is such a wonderful character that I would have read about her no matter how over the top her story was. She's funny in the right places, clever in the right places, and I definitely cried in a few places.

Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger
ISBN 0689868022
240 pages

2006-06-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

After the fantasticness that was Nick and Norah, I thought I should give David Levithan by himself a go. So this morning I picked up The Realm of Possibility, a book of poetry. Which I didn't realize was poetry until I started reading it.

Each of these poems is from the perspective of a different teenager, though they are all going to school together, and often involved with each other. A more organized reader than I might want to create some kind of chart, because I found it hard to keep track of them all. I also found the collection a little uneven. Some of the pieces were amazing and wonderful, and to be truthful, I skipped ahead through several because I got bored.

My absolute favourite was My Girlfriend is in Love with Holden Caulfield. It's hilarious, and not just because I was having a conversation the other day with someone who didn't believe my assertion that some people don't like Catcher in the Rye. Everything that Tyler says about Holden is true, but try telling that to a teenage girl. Holden Caulfield is the ultimate teenage romantic hero. Who among us was not in love with him? (Please note that this question is rhetorical, and I don't need emails saying how you thought Holden was a jerk). In fact, this piece is so great, that I am going to quote almost of all of it to you here:

My girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield and it is driving me CRAZY. She has read that book thirteen times, which is about eleven more times than she has bothered to read me. Everything she sees now is PHONY. Starbucks is PHONY. Our teachers are PHONY. Society is PHONY. And love- well love is the phoniest of all. At first I tried real hard to argue, but that made me one of THEM and not HIM. She tells me he is sweet because he wants to stop all of the little children from running off a cliff. And I say can you possibly think of a situation where a group of children would be running towards a cliff? And she says I just DON'T GET IT. Which is her way of saying she just doesn't get me, and how can I get everything so wrong. Not like Holden, who would be like, seventy years old right now, but is frozen at this age that I can't wait to leave.

And then:

If I took up with hookers, if I drank my daddy's money away, if I ridiculed everyone, it wouldn't be charming. She wouldn't love that in me. And, yes, Holden would keep those kids from falling off a cliff, but WHO WOULDN'T? Does she think I would just fold my arms or give them a pat on the back before they sailed headfirst to the ground? We are all catchers, and it's sad that she doesn't see it.

The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
ISBN 0375836578
224 pages

2006-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have two favourite parts of this next book: the cover and the end papers. The front cover features a small boy clinging to a lamppost while a woman walks by holding the leashes of five dogs. The back cover has a policeman buying a hotdog from a street vendor, and one of the leashed dogs straining toward him while a row of pigeons looks on. The front end paper shoes a large tree, and the same small boy from the lamppost peering around it. A small dog's head is peering around the other way. The back end paper shows the same image reversed. This time we see only the small boy's head, while the small dog peers around the other side of the tree.

The small boy is Daniel, the self proclaimed bravest boy of all. He's not afraid of snakes, or thunderstorms, or dogs. He just doesn't like dogs. Unfortunately, Daniel comes home one day to discover a dog in his very own house! Aunt Rose had to go away, so Daniel's family will be looking after her dog Bandit. Daniel stomps to his room, and stays there throughout dinner, all the way till bedtime.

However, even the bravest have to pee, so in the middle of the night, during a thunderstorm no less, Daniel sneaks down the hall to the bathroom. Phew! But guess who's in the bathroom?! A very frightened Bandit scares the socks off Daniel, who hides in the tub. Eventually, Daniel realizes that Bandit isn't attacking him. In fact, she's scared of the thunderstorm. Good thing Daniel is the bravest boy of all, because he knows just what to do, as he carries Bandit for a snuggle in bed. I feel like this book deserves a little sigh at the end.

Highlights of the book include the aforementioned cover and end papers, but really, Larry Day's illustrations in general are pretty great. I am also a big fan of Daniel's sister Jenny. She is always pointing out that Daniel is afraid of dogs at inopportune moments. Gotta love the older siblings!

Not Afraid of Dogs written by Susanna Pitzer illustrated by Larry Day
ISBN 0802780679
32 pages

2006-06-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

You know, there are a lot biographies for children that focus on explorers. Kids just seem to dig the idea of them. But I've never read a kids' book that addresses the idea of exploration, and why humans are so hellbent on discovering new things.

Well, I found one. Susan Lendroth wrote Why Explore? about the human need to discover. Her rhyming text begins with Polynesian navigators, and passes through early astronomy, and microscopic research, finally ending up at space exploration. Enrique Moreiro's illustrations are dreamy and detailed at the same time. Lendroth made the book all the more valuable by including an Author's Note that gives a bit more information on the people in the book.

Two disclaimers: I really don't like the pull out spread of the American west. Also, I think Lendroth's rhythm is off. I read it aloud, and it just sounded . . . off.

Why Explore? written by Susan Lendroth illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro
ISBN 1582461503
32 pages

2006-06-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Egg and Bird is the kind of book that makes booksellers' heads ache. Where does this book go? Alex Higlett has written a funny little book. It's about Egg and Bird. Egg is a child, and does childish things, and Bird is an adult who does adultish things. But then there's a bit of a surprise at the end.

Okay, so there's a surprise. This book still gives me a headache. First of all, I can't imagine anyone finding it amusing enough to pay $14.99 Canadian for it. Secondly, who is the audience? I don't think kids will get the joke (or if they get it, they won't find if funny). It is also a smallish book that easily gets lost amongst the other picture books. But if it's for adults, where am I supposed to put that? In the picture books for adults section? Does anyone have room for a shelf like that? Are there enough adults buying picture books for other adults that there is a market for this kind of thing?

The whole thing is making my head hurt.

Egg and Bird written and illustrated by Alex Higlett
ISBN 1405048972
24 pages

2006-06-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Woot! Endymion Spring is finally done!

Okay, here is a rundown on this book. I first heard about it when it got tons of press back in March. Apparently Penguin went ahead and paid first time author Matthew Skelton quite a large advance. Then there was a problem with the printer, and the book didn't show up until mid-June. So when it finally came, I was pretty excited. Mostly I was excited because its a fantasy novel about books! How cool is that?

Endymion Spring is about Blake. Blake is in Oxford with his little sister Duck, and his mother, an academic. While she researches, Blake and Duck hang out, mostly at the St. Jerome's library. Blake misses home, especially his dad. Why are two kids just hanging around antique books instead of attending school? Who knows?

Anyway, Blake discovers an intriguing book one day. In it, there are no words at all, just blank pages. And then suddenly a riddle appears on one of the pages, but only Blake can read it.

Interspersed with the story of Blake is the story of Endymion Spring, who was an apprentice to Johann Gutenberg while he was working on creating his first bible. Oh yeah, apparently Gutenberg's investor was a morally challenged guy named Fust. Uh huh. And the book that Blake finds in the library? Made of dragon scales that Fust stole from some Danish guy.

Okay, just to make this clear, I enjoy fantasy books. I enjoy suspending my disbelief and imagining, say, schools of wizardry, or faery hills in New Jersey, or even different worlds where princesses have to slay mountain-sized dragons. But Skelton just doesn't have the writing chops to take you there. Endymion Spring is full of cliches, and bizarre metaphors, one-dimensional characters, and too easy coincidences. And my favourite, tying up a story while the main character is unconscious.

The only thing I liked about this book was the cut throat world of academia, and antique book collecting. Everything and everyone else was boring, and made me roll my eyes.

Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
ISBN 0141320354
352 pages

2006-06-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm not dead! The reason I haven't been posting is because I haven't been reading. I am working my way through Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton. It is harrible, people, but I'm keeping at it because I want to write about it here, and I'm trying to be a good person and only review books that I've read, cover to cover. Anyway, because it is not so enjoyable, I have been avoiding it, and every time I picked up another book, I felt guilty that I wasn't reading it, so I didn't read anything.

Until yesterday. I came in Saturday morning and went through all the books that arrived on my days off. And guess what finally came in?! Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist!! Thank you, Random House!

Frankly, no Endymion Spring was going to be keeping me from my Nick and Norah, so I got to work. And when I say, work, I mean not work at all, because it was really just a matter of getting started, and then the book took over. I should probably get this out of the way before we go any further. I am not going to say anything bad about this book. Frankly, I can't think of anything. Except maybe that there is a lot of swearing, but whether that's bad or not is really a matter of opinion, and in mine, it's not.

I have not read a book that has such an insanely realistic portrayal of teenagehood, and teenage love in I don't know how long (wait, I do: since I read Gingerbread). The obsession with music, and the physicality of it is so true. I loved this book because it reminded me of what it is like to Feel with a capital F. Ah, to be 17 again!

I also feel I should mention that though Levithan and Cohn wrote this book together (Levithan wrote Nick's chapters, and Cohn wrote Norah's), it didn't feel at all choppy. I hate to make it sound like Levithan and Cohn are not hardworking authors, because I'm sure they are, but none of that work is evident in Nick and Norah. It feels like this book just sort of, came into being. Somebody made this stuff up and wrote it down?! I don't believe it!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
ISBN 03758353518
192 pages

2006-06-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

I swear to god I am reading a novel these days, but I'm finding it a bit of a slog. It's a big name one, so I want to actually finish it, and let y'all know what I think, but meantime, I keep picking up picture books to tide me over!

Is it just me, or are there always books labelled the "oldest story in the world" coming out? Muti's Necklace is the latest to claim that honour, and though I can't say if it's true or not, it's most definitely a good story.

Muti lives in ancient Egypt, and her most treasured possession is a necklace made for her by her father. As Muti grows, the necklace goes from hanging down to her tummy to being a much smaller fit, but no matter the size, Muti always wears the necklace that has happy memories of her family attached. One day, Muti goes to work at the palace of the Pharaoh. Mostly she washes dishes and laundry, but one day on a whim, the Pharaoh decides that his pleasure boat will be rowed only by beautiful maidens. Which sounds dirty, but really, it's not! Anyway, Muti gets to be lead rower, and on their first day out everything seems to be going well. Until Muti's necklace falls into the water! How's that for bad luck? Anyway, Muti refuses to row any further, despite threats from the Pharaoh's captain, the Pharaoh himself, and even the creepy magician. Fortunately, the magician is not all creepiness, and he magically lowers the boat into the lake, so Muti can retrieve her necklace. Once that's done, the boat-rowing continues uneventfully. Except that Pharaoh can't stop thinking about this brave girl who stood up to everyone for something she treasured. He summons her forth and proposes to marry her. I think this is my favourite part of the whole book, here. Muti says no, and that really, she'd much rather go home and spend time with the family she loves. And so she does.

Whether or not this story is the oldest in the world is irrelevant. It's a good story, and its well told, and would go well in any fairy tale collection. I only have one teeny, tiny beef. Rebecca Guay's illustrations are gorgeous, no doubt about it, but the people are like, tanned white people. With blue eyes and everything. Last I checked, Egypt is full of brown people. I have a feeling Guay is mixing up ancient Egypt with the Greek ruled Egypt of Cleopatra. To be fair, it is a small beef, because, frankly, the illustrations are gorgeous. So lush and wonderful.

Muti's Necklace written by Louise Hawes illustrated by Rebecca Guay
ISBN 0618535837
32 pages

2006-06-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

Question: Does Chris Raschka ever do bad books? I haven't read everything of his, so I can't say entirely, but if so, I haven't seen them.

His newest book is Five for a Little One, and it's about the five senses. Each sense gets a lovely few pages, featuring an inky rabbit, and then we get a little wrap-up of them all, and finally "Five senses- just enough- to know the love we have for you."

Not at all surprisingly, Raschka's illustrations are the coolest in town. They're a combination of what looks like ink splotches, brushed india ink, and colourful stamps. The exuberance of them makes me want to run outside and experience the world.

The text is pretty great, too. It's not quite rhyming, and the rhythm is just a little off kilter. Just enough to make it fun. Definitely a read aloud!

Five for a Little One written and illustrated by Chris Raschka
ISBN 0689845995
48 pages

2006-06-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

New book arrivals are slowing down to a trickle, now that the spring season is ending. Fortunately, a trickle still means a few are getting through. Part of that trickle is The Show-and-Tell Lion.

This is the story of what happens when a lie gets out of control. One day, for show and tell, Matthew wishes he had something exciting to show his class. Sadly, Matthew has nothing exciting to talk about (which I totally sympathize with, by the way). So he makes up a pet lion, Larry, to talk about. Everyone in class believes him, and Matthew regales his classmates with stories about Larry every day. Until one of the kids suggests a field trip to Matthew's house to visit Larry. What a quandary. Seeing no way out of it, Matthew tells his mum what he's done. She, sensibly, tells him that he's just going to have to bite the bullet and tell the truth. How embarrassing, thinks Matthew! But see, Matthew is a creative kid, and he comes up with a plan. He writes and illustrates a cool-looking book, with all the adventures of Larry the lion. The next day he brings it to class and shows all his friends. The response is not great: "You lied?" But Matthew explains that Larry is real in his head, and now in this book, as well. His classmates decide that Larry is a pretty good story, and from then on, Matthew writes an adventure for Larry every week to read to the class during show and tell.

My favourite thing about this book is Lynne Avril Cravath's illustrations. They're childlike, but still quite sophisticated, and her take on Matthew's own illustrations within the book, are hilarious. Author Barbara Abercrombie's text, though far from bad, is not really in the same league.

The Show-and-Tell Lion written by Barbara Abercrombie illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath
ISBN 0689864086
32 pages

2006-06-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

I will always associate Michael Martchenko's illustrations with Robert Munsch. And so a while ago, when Sophie and the Sea Monster arrived, I automatically shelved it with the other Munsch books in Canadian Picture Books. Until a customer pointed out to me that it seemed to be in the wrong place. Whoops! Sophie and the Sea Monster is in fact by Don Gillmor, you see.

Sophie is a rather timid child. Her biggest fear is that the moon will fall on her house. So when her brother Chester tells her that there is a sea monster under her bed, she believes him. After a couple of hours of screwing up her courage, Sophie finally gets in to bed, and looks under it. There is a sea monster there! And he informs Sophie that, in fact, "there are sea monsters everywhere." To further educate Sophie on sea monsters, this one bursts into song. And what a song it is! I wish I had a sea monster under my bed. It would make nights when I can't get to sleep so much more entertaining!

Anyway, it turns out that the sea monster is even more of a scaredy cat than Sophie, and so she makes it her mission to help the sea monster overcome his fears, which has the pleasant side effect of helping her overcome her own. Eventually, Sophie's sea monster heads back to the sea, and the book ends with a nice jab at older brother Chester.

What I really liked about this book, is the way Sophie and the sea monster's fears are portrayed as silly, but not condescendingly. And I love how Gillmor introduces the idea of familiarity to ease fears. A good story all 'round.

Sophie and the Sea Monster written by Don Gillmor illustrated by Michael Martchenko
ISBN 0439974615
32 pages

2006-06-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

So. I am thinking about going to Australia, and I thought to myself, what better way to prepare for such a trip than to read some of that country's YA literature?

In that spirit, I picked up Brigid Lowry's Follow the Blue. I have to say, we've had it for a while, and I've been avoiding it because I don't really like the cover very much.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed the story, for the most part, but I sort of wish it had been told from a different perspective. I found Bec to be extremely annoying.

The book is about annoying Bec, who's mother is a celebrity chef. Mum gets sent on a book tour to the US, and dad goes along with. Dad has recently suffered from depression and been institutionalized, and its felt that a trip will be just the thing. I should note here that most authors I've spoken feel that book tours are exhausting and not usually very much fun. Anyways, so Bec and her little brother and sister are going to be left in the capable hands of Mrs. D. for five weeks. This, by the way, is not the set up. The parents don't leave until about half way through the book.

Anyways, Bec hangs out with her girlfriends, falls in love with a boy, falls out of love when said boy shags one of her friends, and snags herself a much nicer boy as her new boyfriend.

The title of the story comes from Bec's musing about the nature of stories. About how life doesn't really have a begining, a middle and an end. That you may be following the blue yarn, but eventually you are going to get all knotted up in the other colours. In keeping with that, Lowry's story just sort of starts, and then stops. There isn't really any kind of plot. And whether you like that kind of thing or not is what will make the difference for you in this book, I think. I found it a bit boring, but that's just me.

Follow the Blue by Brigid Lowry
ISBN 0312342977
208 pages

2006-06-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned that I spent some major birthday money at the store the other week. One of the books I picked up was the sequel to Ruby Lu, Brave and True which I adored. Here's a shocker for you: i also loved Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything.

Last time we saw Ruby, she was excited because her cousin Flying Duck was emigrating to America with her family. Most of this new book deals with Ruby and Flying Duck's adventures during second grade. First off, Ruby is no longer the centre of attention, which is tough. Flying Duck's family are also not very good English speakers, so now everyone at home is speaking Chinese all the time, and Ruby can't understand what's going on.

One of my favourite things about Look's writing, is the way she just slips things in, without making a big deal of them. For instance, Flying Duck is deaf, but the kids on her street think its pretty cool, because they get to learn Chinese sign language.

Ruby must also learn to cope with swimming lessons, when she's deathly afraid of water. Of course, Flying Duck is an excellent swimmer. But Ruby is one of those totally unstoppable kids, and when the going gets tough, Ruby always seems to come out on top.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything written by Lenore Look illustrated by Anne Wildorf
ISBN 0689864604
164 pages

2006-06-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been busying it up reading some novels this week.

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson is a novel about three girls who spend the summer on a Georgia peach orchard. Birdie's father owns the failing orchard, and spends most of her time fielding phone calls from her mother, who left the orchard, and the family. Leeda is from the perfect southern family, but she despite appearances, she doesn't feel like she fits in. Finally, Murphy is from the wrong side of the tracks, is crazy smart, and doesn't give a toss what anyone thinks of her.

The book felt very Travelling Pants to me, so definitely recommend this to girls who enjoyed that series. It even has a quote from Ann Brashares on the front cover. But instead of being about friendships that have been around forever, Peaches is a novel about creating that kind of friendship. And how sometimes, when you're a teenage girl, things just happen, especially friendships.

One of things I also really enjoyed was the romantic triangle between Murphy, Leeda and Rex. That kind of confusion isn't usually represented realistically in YA novels, I find. Usually if someone likes someone else's boyfriend, they turn out to be an evil bitch.

Apparently there is a sequel coming out sometime next year. Although I really enjoyed Peaches, I'm not sure how excited I am about another book. Its one of those novels that really seems snapshotty to me: the summer these girls spent at the orchard. I don't think I need anymore.

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
ISBN 0060733071
312 pages

2006-06-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am lazy this week. That's my excuse for not posting yesterday. And today I am doing this while it is still early, before the day starts to suck. I am not being a pessimist; I know its going to suck. Because I forgot to set my alarm last night when I went to bed at 1am, and luckily woke up just in time to brush my teeth and throw on some clothes and get to work. So I am all kind of itchy and befuddled.

Anyways, today I thought I would talk about The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke. She's most famous for her novels, though I've only read one of them. I didn't love The Thief Lord, though it wasn't terrible by any means. The good thing about picture books, is that they are short. So if they're no good, you have only spent a few minutes reading a book you're not enjoying, whereas a novel would take up several hours.

Fortunately for me, I quite enjoyed The Princess Knight. Violetta is a princess, with four older brothers. They spend all their time jousting and such, training to be knights. But Violetta's not allowed to join in, being a girl and all. So she sneaks off at night, practicing very hard. Her dad, however, remains old fashioned. When Violetta turns sixteen, he announces a jousting contest, the prize of which will be her hand in marriage. Her father instructs her to "put on your finest gown and practice your prettiest smile." This to the girl who's the quickest, nimblest knight in the land!

Fortunately, Violetta is also quite clever. On the day of the tournament, she appears in black armour, and jousts in the tournament as Sir No-Name. Of course she wins, and declares that she shall choose her own prize: "I hereby proclaim that no one will ever win Princess Violetta's hand in marriage without first defeating Sir No-Name." And so she rode off, far, far away.

Upon her return, she married the rose gardener's son, and they lived happily ever after.

Yay! I love this story! I also quite enjoyed Kerstin Meyer's illustrations, which, according to the jacket, were inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. King Wilfrid the Worthy is suitably silly looking, and Violetta is not your traditional beatiful princess. She's kind of spunky looking, and appropriately tomboyish.

The Princess Knight written by Cornelia Funke illustrated by Kerstin Meyer
ISBN 0439536308
32 pages

2006-06-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable 25th anniversary tea. It didn't rain, but that's about all I can say for the weather. It was held at Point Ellice House, which is a local historical site here in town. In celebration, 25 authors and illustrators were invited, and everyone was encouraged to dress in Victorian costume. As speakers we had Ron Jobe, who founded the Children's Literature Roundtables amoung zillions of other children's book related things, and Susan Musgrave. In keeping with the whole don't say anything if you don't have anything nice to say, I'm going to skip right over Susan Musgrave. Anyways, I think a good time was had by all, despite the mud.

Afterwards, I was lucky enough to get to go out to dinner with my mum and Ron. I had an amazing time, and one of the topics we touched on was books that are terrible and how in god's name did they ever get published? Last year just such a book came into the store (and shockingly got a good write up in the Globe & Mail), and I thought I would share it with you guys today.

Eleanor Koldofsky is one of those people that I wish had not written a picture book. She appears to be wonderfully accomplished in many areas, has done much good in the world, and I'm sure is a lovely woman. However, these attributes do not a picture book writer make.

Clip-Clop is set in turn of the century (the last one) Toronto. The basic premise seems to be to show kids the different kinds of jobs working horses did. And there's a thin, hideously boring story woven through. And by hideously boring, I mean that there is a main character, Consuela. That's about it. There is no conflict, no climax, no resolution. Just Consuela, introducing us to various horses.

I should say that David Parkins' illustrations are quite nice. They are neat ink and watercolours, full of characters, and seemingly quite accurate. But they aren't enough to carry the book.

The one thing that Susan Musgrave said that I enjoyed was that nostalgic children's books don't usually work, because the target audience (ie children) has no concept of the idea of nostalgia. They're young, and have nothing to be nostalgic for. I wish more hopeful authors would keep that in mind.

Clip-Clop written by Eleanor Koldofsky illustrated by David Parkins
ISBN 0887766811
24 pages

2006-06-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

I love picture books that convey some kind of message without being messagey. They are hard to find, in my experience. And so when Why do You Cry? came in, I heaved a big sigh, ready to be annoyed by the messagey content. But huzzah! The Klise sisters have hit the mark!

Why do You Cry? is the story of Little Rabbit. Now that he is big, and hosting his very own fifth birthday party, he has decided that crying is only for little babies, and he will only invite friends of his that don't ever cry. Mother Rabbit is gently skeptical, but sends her child out to invite all his friends. And one by one, all of Little Rabbit's friends reveal that they still cry, when they're feelings or bodies are hurt, when its dark out and the shadows look like giants, when they're embarassed by new haircuts. Finally Little Rabbit comes home and declares that he and Mother Rabbit will be the only ones at the party. Until Mother Rabbit announces that she can't come either, because she still cries, too! What on earth could prompt Mother Rabbit to cry? Well, among other reasons she gives, is that "I look at you and feel so proud and happy. And that can make me cry."

And so Little Rabbit realizes that crying doesn't make you a baby, it means that you have feelings, and sometimes crying is the only way to express them. The birthday party turns out to be a great success, with only one guest (a proud Mother Rabbit) shedding any tears.

I must say that I particularly enjoyed illustrator M. Sarah Klise's paintings. They reminded me of someone, though I can't for the life of me remember who. Regardless, they are wondefully whimsical, and by far my favourite is the page that illustrates the cat's fear of the giants/shadows in the alley.

Why do You Cry? written by Kate Klise illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
ISBN 0805073191
32 pages

2006-06-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

You know what is weird? I first read Lauren Child's picture books about two years ago, and loved them. And I found out she had a series of novels out, and did nothing about it. Well finally I got it together and ordered a few of the Clarice Bean books in. And I scored some serious gift certificatage for my birthday last week so I picked up Clarice Bean Spells Trouble.

Not at all surprisingly, I loved it. Lauren Child cracks me up. Clarice Bean is one of those kids that is always getting into trouble. But its almost always not her fault. Really. Add to that, she is a horrendous speller ("I am not a good speller and ... it is not my fault if I don't know how many Z's there are in LOSER."), and has a tendency towards opening her mouth when she shouldn't.

Clarice and her best friend Betty spend much of their free time watching episodes of Ruby Redfort, girl detective, nagging their parents to buy Ruby merchandise, and checking out Ruby's website. Ruby Redfort is kind of like Nancy Drew, except cool.

Anyways, this particular book deals with Clarice Bean's dread of the upcoming spelling bee, her anticipation of the school play (the Sound of Music), and her friendship with Karl Wrenbury.

More than her illustrations (which I have always loved), Child's style of writing is quirky and funny. The kids in her books are not your average elementary students, and their voices are unique and wonderful. Note to self: read more Clarice Bean.

Clarice Bean Spells Trouble by Lauren Child
ISBN 0763629030
189 pages

2006-06-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Today I have decided to add a new feature to Can't Stop Reading. I know you are thinking, but Bookstore Girl, what kind of a feature could possibly improve the wonder that is this blog? Well, I'll tell you. I am going to start a weekly-ish column called Ask Bookstore Girl, in which I will answer book recommendation related questions. I'll use a combination of questions I answer at work and email requests.

Today's question comes from a woman who came in to the store yesterday. First off, this woman is obviously silly, as she told me she had come on a trip and not brought any books with her. Seriously. Who does that? Someone who loved Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall on Your Knees, and wants a Canadian fiction recommendation.

Now first off, Canadian fiction is not my specialty. Shut up Robyn, I know you are laughing at me. That is the understatement of the year. However, it is my job to be up on books, so I read a lot of reviews of Canadian fiction. Even so, it is easier to recommend a book that you have read, and enjoyed, so I started out with Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. Despite being set in a small town in Ontario, and being a family drama, I actually enjoyed this when I read it a few years ago. Hmm, says the book-free traveller, unenthusiastically.

Next suggestion, Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. This one has made a big splash in Canlit this year. Being nominated for several important awards, as well as being a finalist in the CBC's Canada Reads. Its about a young First Nation's man who goes off to fight in the First World War. But no, you see, it's a man book, and our traveller likes to read about the interior lives of women.

I've got it! The Birth House by Ami McKay! Oops, this story about a midwife's apprentice in the early part of twentieth century Nova Scotia is still in hardcover.

Aha! The Magician's Beautiful Assistant and Other Stories by Rachel Wyatt. Various quite short stories that made me laugh out loud (my favourite remains Dear Mr. Shariff). Sold!

2006-05-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

Oh Suzanne Nelson, why do you always suck me in?! Yesterday another one of those ridiculous S.A.S.S. books came in to the store. And today when I finished The Darcy Spirit and was feeling depressed because that is the last one, I picked it up.

This is hard to admit, but I have now read all six of the books in this most ridiculous of series. I will say though, that this one was slighly more interesting than the others. This time, we're going with Cat to Mexico. And instead of rigorous classes, the kids are working on building a school for orphans, and their studies are really cool sounding field trips that teach them about Mexico's culture and geography.

That's pretty much the most interesting part. And that's only because I don't really know a whole heck of a lot about Mexico, myself. Other than that stuff, the book is pretty much the same as all the others, what with friendship dilemmas and new boyfriends and all.

I will try and read something worthwhile to post about tonight, though it is so gorgeous out today, I wouldn't count on it if I were you!

S.A.S.S. Heart and Salsa by Suzanne Nelson
ISBN 0142406473
224 pages

2006-05-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking off this weekend because it was my birthday. And also I'm lazy. Today I'm reading the last in the Elizabeth Aston Darcy trilogy. Again, I'm not going to post about it, because though it is just as good (if not better) than the others, I have nothing exciting and new to say about it.

So instead I'll treat you to a wordless picture book. When I was little I had a wordless picture book that I loved. And I had a story all made up that went along with it. If any adults deviated from my set words, they were immediately corrected. That is pretty much the sum total of my experience with wordless books. I think, generally, that I am not really creative enough to deal with them. So when Ben's Big Dig came in a few months ago, I was wary. But I shouldn't have been.

The "story" is that Ben is driven rather unwillingly to visit an elderly female (grandmother? aunt? you decide!) who makes an insane number of pies. Really, there are pies on every available surface. Late at night, Ben can't sleep, so he decides to dig a hole in the ground out back, trusty sock monkey in tow. Ben digs and he digs, and finally, he hits something: water! Ben and various aquatic creatures shoot up through the hole making quite the mess. Fortunately, elderly lady is awake by this time, and she saves the day by blocking the giant hole with pies. Weird, eh?

Dirk van Stralen's illustrations add to the weird feel. For instance, Ben has no mouth until the last page, and his sock monkey always looks like he was off doing something suspicious, and just came back to sit unanimatedly in time for him to be drawn into the picture.

Although the basic story will stay the same, thanks to the pictures, the details will change from telling to telling in this wonderfully creative book. Unless you're reading to a tyrant like me.

Ben's Big Dig story Daniel Wakeman illustrated by Dirk van Stralen
ISBN 1551433842
32 pages

2006-05-26T14:51:00.001-07:00

So last night my youngest sister came home for the summer. Which translates to: instead of reading, I watched a bad teen movie featuring Hilary Duff. However, I made up for it by staying in bed reading till 11 today. Oh the sacrifices I make for the good of the blogosphere! Ha!

So the book I finished up is one of the many Sarah Dessen ones that came in this week (side note: I popped into the store today on my day off to drop off something and sold the librarian from my old high school Dessen's entire backlist). This Lullaby is just as good as Just Listen, her newest. Its about Remy, who's mother is entering into marriage number five. Remy's way of coping with the insanity is to date many boys, but all according to her rules, which basically involve not getting attached, and dumping them after about two months. But then she meets Dexter. So yeah, its a little predictable, what with Dexter being Remy's complete opposite (they balance each other out!), but I don't care. I have decided Dessen is one of my new favourite authors. She is going to be one of those people (like Marian Keyes) who I can turn to when I am feeling a little low, and I will know what I'm getting into. See, I am not one of those people who likes to be challenged with my reading material. I kind of prefer a nice snuggly duvet of a book. So huffah to Sarah Dessen!

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
ISBN 0670035300
352 pages

2006-05-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

I am feeling a little overwhelmed today. Because a few weeks ago when I read Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, I went a little nuts and ordered her entire backlist. That is the joy of working at a bookstore, you see. I don't have to worry about bill-paying and such. Though I'm sure I'll sell them (I have a high school librarian coming in tomorrow), there are certainly a lot of them. So yesterday instead I read Welcome to Wahoo. And I'm glad I did.

Victoria is one of those girls you read about in tabloids. Kind of like the Hilton sisters, but smarter and funnier. Not that that's saying much. But yeah, Victoria is hilarious. Anyways, so she's having a great time at her boarding school in Switzerland, when her world is turned upside down. She and one of her father's bodyguards must leave Europe under assumed names and live in the small town of Wahoo, Nebraska, while her father and his family are being hunted by Sicilians. Oh, and they only have $5000.

What follows is Victoria's take on small town American life, and the hilarious results of her enrollment at a "typical" American high school.

The only part I didn't like about the book was the ending. I can't really say much more without ruining the story, but suffice to say, it was a bit of a letdown. Despite that, its definitely worth a read.

Welcome to Wahoo by Dennis & Elise Carr
ISBN 1582346968
229 pages

2006-05-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

I have always said that I am not a fan of short stories. But I've read a few books of them in the last few years that I've really liked. I begin to think that junior high has traumatized me, turning me off short stories and poetry. I think that it is just Alice Munro and her ilk that I don't like.... I'm not quite ready to plunge back into poetry yet though.

I mention this because Girls Night Out came into the store the other day. Its a bunch of stories by chicklit authors and the proceeds go towards WarChild. Well, I thought to myself, that is a good cause, maybe it's worth checking out. And it was.

The only story I didn't enjoy was Candace Bushnell's. Which is no real surprise, as I tend not to enjoy her work. Her characters are always awful, mean, unhappy and frankly, revolting human beings, with no redeeming characteristics that I can see. So skip that one.

My favourite was Lolly Winston's story Only Some People about one of those bickering couples, Mr. and Mrs. B, who both fantasize of divorce, until Mr. B has a heart attack.

I also really enjoyed Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus' piece about a party. It's about how even when you are exhausted and just want to go to bed, the possibility of seeing that guy will make you run home and shower and tear through your wardrobe and hobble to a party you don't want to go to in heels you can't even properly fit in, all in hopes of seeing that guy. And then how he doesn't show up until you've gone home and removed all your makeup and just run down to the corner deli to get something to eat.

Meg Cabot's hilarious email exchange in Party Planner is just that. For anyone who's ever done something stupid at work.

I could do this for every story, because they were all perfect. Or you could go pick up the book, support a good cause, and have a great evening in.

Girls Night Out edited by Carole Matthews & Sarah Mlynowski
ISBN 0143054457
304 pages

2006-05-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Lasky is one of those authors that blows my mind. She's insanely prolific; I have a feeling if I was an author I'd be lucky to get one book done every few years.

Anyways, this picture book of hers isn't new, but I like it, so here it is:

Everyone knows the story of the Emperor and his new clothes, but whatever happened to his old clothes? Well apparently a very nice (and rather goofy looking) farmer named Henry came across them. One at a time, Henry finds various items of clothing tossed by the roadside. He trades his old farming clothes for silk stockings, high-heeled shoes, pantaloons, a doublet and a wig. This is my favourite line: "Henry did not know the word regal, but that is how he felt- high and mighty, as if he could walk on clouds, as if the mountains would bow and the stars might even clap."

But when Henry gets back to his farm, he finds that his new duds are not the most practical apparel for a farmer. And frankly, his animals aren't impressed either, and they laugh at his attempts to look after them in the new clothes. Fortunately, Henry is a sensible, amiable type, and he realizes that he's more of an overalls type of a guy, and he and his animals live happily ever after.

Lasky's prose is spot on, and illustrator David Catrow's paintings are stupendous. The price of the book is worth it for the shoes alone.

The Emperor's Old Clothes written by Kathryn Lasky illustrated by David Catrow
ISBN 0152163484
32 pages

2006-05-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from the emerald city! I had a great time, shopping and sightseeing and such, and read absolutely nothing. Except an article about the conspiracy behind the death of Biggie Smalls in an old Rolling Stone. That LAPD is up to no good, I tell ya!

Anyhoo, I am a little lacking in the sleep department, so today is a picture book. Jez Alborough has written too many books to count. My favourite is Duck in the Truck, which is pretty funny. That duck cracks me up every time!

Alborough is also a master of the one or two word picture book. Tall is his newest offering in that vein. The first page introduces us to a small chimpanzee who looks rather dejected as he describes himself as "small." But then he notices a rock to stand on, and feels "tall!" That is, until a lizard comes around, making him feel small again. On and on it goes until our friend is standing on the head of a giraffe, when he begins to wobble as he shouts "fall!" Fortunately, Mama is there to save Bobo, and you know, when you're being held by your mum, being "small" is actually a pretty nice feeling.

Bobo the chimp has also been featured in Hug, another cute one or two word picture book. The books are great, and would be super fun to read with a small child. Except that I hate the name Bobo. Don't you? It just sounds weird and not good. But since we don't learn the name till the end of the book, that is not much of an objection, is it?

Tall written and illustrated by Jez Alborough
ISBN 0763627844
40 pages

2006-05-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't post anything yesterday, because I was finishing up The Sea of Monsters, which is the second book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It was great, but everything I said about the first book applies. Namely, its hilarious and fun and you need to go read it. If you need more info, check out my review of the first one, The Lightning Thief.

Also, I'm heading out on a road trip to Seattle this weekend with my good friend Katie, so the posting will probably not be happening. I'm leaving tomorrow, and I won't be back till Monday night. My provisions for this weekend of fun include: The Queen's Soprano by Carol Dines, a biography of Queen Christina of Sweden, the latest issue of Quill & Quire, and The Princess and the Captain. So hopefully I'll have some good stuff to write about when I get back.

Meanwhile, here are a few picture books for your perusal. First up is Rob Scotton's follow up to his hilarious Russell the Sheep, which I adored. In this adventure, Russell finds a scrap of paper that convinces him he must find the lost treasure of Frogsbottom. So obviously the first step is to create a Super-Duper Treasure Seeker. Just as Russell is about to give up on the whole search, his treasure seeker locates something at the bottom of a tree. Russell pulls up an old chest of junk, including an ancient camera, and has a great time with friends and family, taking hilarious pictures. It turns out that even old junk can be a treasure.

I don't think that Scotton's biggest strength is his writing, which for the most part, could be described as serviceable. However, his illustrations are such that I can't imagine anyone cares. Russell is probably one of my favourite picture book characters in the last few years. Especially once I saw his schematic for the Super-Duper Treasure Seeker. Truly, Scotton knows good sheep.

I will admit to being pretty excited when I saw this next one come into the store. I adored Julie of the Wolves when I was a kid. Unfortunately, Jean Craighead George's Luck did not live up to my expectations. Luck is a migration story of a Sandhill Crane. George has chosen to tell this as a story, cramming in as many facts as possible, as we follow Luck from Texas to Siberia. My biggest problem with this book is the lack of afterword, or what have you, that gives straight facts. At one point George refers to the migration pattern being 20 million years old. Really? That's the kind of thing that she could have expanded on at the back of the book, making this all the more valuable. How much of what she wrote is fact, and how much fiction? This lack especially bothered me because as fiction, the book didn't do much for me. Luck isn't really a character, he's just a bird that we're following. I also didn't love Wendell Minor's illustrations. They kind of reminded me of the illustrations you find in old kids books from the forties and fifties, which always turned me off.

The Baabaasheep Quartet is another sheep story. Just in case you couldn't tell from the title. This one is about four sheep who move to the city. But wherever they go, they just don't fit in. They decide that getting a job will help them meet people, but they don't seem suited for any of the activities they choose. When they work as gardeners, they eat the flowers; when they knit for newborns at the hospital, they knit things with four legs; when they try lawn bowling, their hooves make holes in the green. What are these poor sheep to do? Finally, one of their number finds a rather bedraggled poster for a baabaasheep quartet contest. Pefect! They think. They'll fit right in with all the other sheep. But it turns out the poster read barbershop quartet, and the sheep feel as out of place as ever. Until they decide that the show must go on, with a little help from paper cutout mustaches and hats. Well, the sheep end up singing three encores, winning the grand prize, and going on to tour the world, as the only world famous baabaasheep quartet. Huzzah! Author/illustrator Watts' pictures of these rather ridiculous sheep add wonderfully to the humour. Have any creatures ever looked so out of place as these sheep? Superb.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
ISBN 0786856866
288 pages

The Queen's Soprano by Carol Dines
ISBN 0152054774
318 pages

Christina, Queen of Sweden by Veronica Buckley
ISBN 1841157368

The Princess and the Captain by Anne-Laure Bondoux
ISBN 0747584354
433 pages

Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton
ISBN 0060598514
32 pages

Luck written by Jean Craighead George illustrated by Wendell Minor
ISBN 0060082011
32 pages

The Baabaasheep Quartet by Leslie Elizabeth Watts
ISBN 1550418904
32 pages

2006-05-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Oh the excitement! Last night I got my 1,000th visitor! Thanks guys!

2006-05-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Is there anything so nice as discovering a new (to you) book by a favourite author? Yesterday, Rodzina by Karen Cushman came in to the store. I have loved Cushman's Catherine, Called Birdy and her other books set in the middle ages. Rodzina, however, is set in the US, during the nineteenth century.

Rodzina is an orphan, living in Chicago. She ends up on an orphan train, bound for the west (Cushman includes a great author's note that details the history of orphan trains). Rodzina spend most of her time on the train daydreaming that her Polish family is still alive, and that the whole orphan business is a mistake. But she also spends a good portion of the time on the train looking after the younger orphans, and worrying that she'll end up being a slave for some cruel person. Eventually, Rodzina finds a happy ending for herself in California, a place she imagines her parents would also love.

I think one of Cushman's great strengths as a writer is her ability to make you learn without you realizing it. All of her books are historically accurate, and she obviously works really hard on the research end of things. But, unlike some authors, you don't notice it right off the bat. In her books, story and character come first, and the setting never takes centre stage. Though Rodzina is no Midwife's Apprentice, its still a great novel of the American West.

Rodzina by Karen Cushman
ISBN 044041993x
215 pages

2006-05-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today I have been reading the first of Elizabeth Aston's Darcy books that just came in, but I'm not finished it yet, and I don't know that I'll talk about it here, as I think I would be saying pretty much the same things I've already said.

So instead I'll talk about My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World. I know what you are thinking here. You are thinking, but I thought you hated cats! Why all the reviews of cat books. Well, my friends, it is an unfortunate fact of life that many people think cats are great, and therefore, write, read and buy books about them. Shocking, I know, but it is something I must deal with, day in and day out. Rather ridiculous customers cooing over books with cats on the covers, or specially requesting books about cats, or whatnot.

Fortunately, Gilles Bachelet has found the antidote! A book that appears to be about a cat, but is in fact, about an elephant! See, Bachelet's cat is not so much a cat, as an elephant. And even though he behaves rather like a cat ("when he's not eating, he's sleeping. When he's not sleeping, he's eating"), there are a few differences. When an elephant chases a ball of yarn around your apartment, for instance, its not something you can ignore.

Thought this book doesn't have a story per se, I think younger kids would definitely get a kick out of the irony of a book about a cat, featuring illustrations of an elephant. And at 24 pages, it ends just in time, before the joke gets too old.

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet
ISBN 081094913X
24 pages

2006-05-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

I think we all know by now that I have a terrible attraction to bad teen novels. So when Rhymes with Witches came into the store, with it's pink cover, I snatched it right up.

Its an interesting idea, I'll say that much. Jane is a rather unpopular freshman, when she's approached by the Bitches. They're the most popular clique in high school, and everyone adores them. There are only ever four Bitches at a time, one from each grade, and Jane becomes the freshman Bitch. But these girls aren't regular popular. It turns out that they gain their popularity be stealing small items from other girls, and the creepy mythology teacher (Lurl the Pearl) somehow takes the popularity from whatever unfortunate girl the item belongs to and bestows it on the Bitches. Hm.

Anyways, Jane hates the "for one to rise, another must fall" part of being a Bitch, and ends up sacrificing her popularity to save a girl who's been bullied by one of the other Bitches. And that's it. Jane doesn't save the day, or break up the terrible tradition, or go on to be popular for her own sake or anything. She just ends going back to being another peon in high school, only this time, without the best friend she ditched to get into the Bitches in the first place.

Although I enjoyed this book for the most part, I really didn't like the ending. It kind of felt like author Lauren Myracle just ran out of ideas and decided to end the book. Despite that, I think this would be a great book for any girls who go to one of those horrendously cliquey schools. Its nice to think that its not your fault you're not popular: blame witchcraft!

Rhymes with Witches by Lauren Myracle
ISBN 0810992159
249 pages

2006-05-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Fish by Chris Gall is an imaginative story about a boy named Peter Alan. Peter Alan (never just Peter) is spending the day at the beach with his family. He spends much of the day checking out tide pools and such, and decides to write a note, inviting the fish to come visit him. As an extra incentive, he mentions that his mother makes really great pie.

Well, the next day, it seems as though the fish have taken him up on his offer, and the town is besieged with sea creatures. Each page features a sea creature of some sort getting into trouble, and a nice chorus of sounds, all in their own font. For example "Down at the ballpark, it was the bottom of the ninth inning. Without looking, Casey McGraw grabbed a bat from the dugout and ran to the plate. The crowd hushed as he swung with all his might. And with a SMACK, a CRUNCH, a MUNCH, and a GULP, the game was over." The illustration on this page features a baseball player swinging a long skinny fish with a baseball between it's teeth.

All the illustrations are great, for that matter. They are done in a really cool retro style, and each page contains several visual jokes about the fish.

In the end, Peter Alan pops a note into the bathtub for the fish: "Dear Fish, Than you for coming to see us. You are nice, but you are fish. You should live at home. Plus, I think I hear your mothers calling you. Sincerely, Peter Alan."

Eventually, things get back to normal, and Peter Alan's family returns for a day at the beach. But then something catches Peter Alan's eye... it looks rather like a letter, that starts with "Dear Humans...."

A big part of the wonder of this book is the illustrations, which are truly fabulous. I also loved the endpapers (my mum is obsessed with endpapers, so I always notice them), which feature various species of ocean creatures, all nicely labelled.

Dear Fish written and illustrated by Chris Gall
ISBN 0316058475
36 pages

2006-05-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been reading all about the furor surrounding the New York Times Book Review's announcement of the "Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years" (see the list here). I haven't read a single one of them personally, but in the world of kiddie lit bloggers, the more relevant controversy is that not a single children's book was among them. Fuse #8 is challenging everyone to think of children's books that should have made the list. Feel free to contribute in the comments section here. And Book of the Day is challenging us to come up with other not-necessarily-kids book contributions here.

I have to say, what disturbed me most, was not so much the lack of children's books (I have gotten used to children's literature not being considered "real" literature by most people- even though that kind of reaction creates an undeniable urge to kick shins on my part) but that most of the books were written by middle aged white men. About middle aged white men. And really now, it is what, 2006? And we are still obsessed with middle aged white men? And frankly, if I am going to read about middle aged white men, I'm going to read Paul Auster, not John Updike.