White Cat

Cassel comes from a family of powerful curse workers - magicians who are able to perform magic that affects other people. Some are able to change others' luck, or their memories, or can even kill a person with a single touch. These curse workers are generally feared by the public for the work that they do. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Cassel himself does not have any powers; he's just a normal kid in a family with a long history of working. While Cassel wishes he had the abilities that his mom and brothers have so that he can belong, part of him is happy to be normal. But Cassel's history isn't quite as perfect as he pretends it is - at the age of 14 he killed his best friend. He does not even remember doing it, but Cassel has never quite gotten over this event and has desperately tried to be as typical of a teenager as possible. The wall of normalcy that Cassel has built around himself comes crashing down however when he begins sleepwalking and slowly begins to uncover the truth about himself and his family.

Holly Black is the author of such other beloved fantasy books as Tithe and The Spiderwick Chronicles. White Cat is the first book in what will become a series about Cassel and his life among the curse workers, and it pleases on all counts. Black has done a good job of creating a sort of alternate history peppered with the struggles that the workers have endured over time and a world where being a worker is both a great blessing and a curse. I greatly enjoyed the extra dimension of the crime family that Cassel's family works for, which creates some extra intrigue to keep things fresh and intense. Parts of the story are a tad predictable, but this is comforting rather than irritating and peppered with just enough twists to keep readers on their toes. Now that things are set up I'm very curious to see where Black goes with the rest of the series.

Overall Grade: A

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Living in Chicago's suburbs are two teenage boys named Will Grayson. One, from Evanston, has a history of not caring that is complimented by his gay best friend, Tiny Cooper, and his lust for life. The other, from Naperville, is a depressed ball of angst full of anger and desperate affection for a mysterious boy named Isaac who he met online. The two live completely separate lives but are thrust together one night by sheer chance. Tiny Cooper becomes the thread that connects the two Will Graysons as all three learn something about how love makes you a part of the human race.

This book is co-authored by prolific YA authors John Green (An Abundance of Katherines) and David Lavithan (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist). Alternating chapters narrate the story from the perspectives of each Will Grayson and the distinct voices of each author, remaining distinct while still blending their stories together. I personally have never been much of a David Levithan fan, but I gave this book a chance because I adore John Green. While I distinctly preferred the chapters written by Green (Evanston Grayson), I greatly enjoyed this book as a whole. The entire novel is a great discussion about love and how learning to care about people and take chances with them is necessary for all of us to truly be happy. And Tiny Cooper, the fabulous and flamboyant character who ultimately ties the two stories together, is truly one of the most endearing characters I've seen in awhile.

Overall Grade: A

Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

As Ginny begins the seventh grade things look promising. She has a a big To-Do list full of things she'd like to accomplish (ranging from looking good in her school photo to getting a dad to ignoring horoscopes). She has plans to baby-sit her way into the money she needs to buy a coveted yellow sweater (as long as it isn't Tiffany Kurtz). And she really wants to win the role of the Sugarplum Fairy in her upcoming ballet recital. Unfortunately, nothing goes quite as planned. Ginny gets her new dad when her mom remarries, but doesn't like it when her family's dynamics change. Her school photo is ruined when she botches an attempt to dye her hair. It seems that Mrs. Kurtz is the only one who ever needs a baby-sitter. And Ginny looses the role of the Sugarplum Fairy to her ex-best friend Mary Catherine Kelly. How can things possibly get worse? They can when her delinquent brother takes things one step too far.

Middle school really is a difficult time for a lot of kids (myself included) and this book really does a great job of capturing the changes and the different emotions that kids of this age experience. From the mundane to the extreme, Ginny seems to experience an awful lot during this trying year but really does come out stronger in the end despite the challenges she faces. The story is told not in regular prose or even in diary entries, but in everyday items such as report cards, notes, receipts, and school papers. This unique format still manages to be emotionally moving and really shows how the everyday and seemingly unimportant really can be everything in the world to someone else.

Overall Grade: A

Shredderman: Secret Identity

Nolan has spent his whole life as a nerd. He doesn't have a lot of friends and bully Bubba Bixby seems to have made it his goal to make Nolan's life miserable. Things are bleak until one day when Nolan has an idea. A great idea. One that will change his world forever. He decides to create a secret identity, a superhero named Shredderman, and put Bubba Bixby in his place! Nolan uses his greatest asset - his brains - and builds a website devoted to exposing Bubba for the cruel bully he really is. When Shredderman.com goes live Nolan starts by posting a few jokes, later adding photographic evidence of Bubba's misdeeds obtained from his cleverly hidden camera. Soon traffic on the website is growing and Shredderman, champion of truth and justice, is the most popular thing to hit the 5th grade.

Children always cry for justice, while their parents tend to beg for mercy. This book is perfect for every kid who's ever wanted a villain to get his just deserts. After all, I'd hate to be Bubba Bixby after everything that Shredderman puts him through! Nolan's spy tactics are very clever and engaging. This story is pretty straightforward, an easy read that can still appeal to slightly older kids. Best of all, Shredderman's adventures continue on in three additional volumes.

Overall Grade: A-

Spells

Last year I wrote a fairly glowing review of debut author Aprilynne Pike's enchanting teen novel Wings. Today I'm pleased to announce that she's managed to craft an equally stunning sequel!

In the last book, 15-year-old Laurel discovered that she isn't human. Instead, she is a fairy placed in the human world so that she can grow up as a part of the family who owns the land that houses on of the world's many gates into the fairy realm of Avalon. The fairies hoped that in time Laurel would inherit the land from her human "parents," ensuring that the gate would remain both secret and secure. Unfortunately, the fairies aren't the only ones who want control of this gate.

As Spells begins, Laurel makes her first journey into Avalon to begin her studies at the Academy, where she hopes to learn the skills she needs to protect her friends and family from the trolls who wish to control her family's land. During her time on Avalon, Laurel not only learns to make useful potions, but also has her first exposure to the fairies' strict class system. When her eight weeks in Avalon are up, however, Laurel is left with even more questions. Will she be able to hone her powers in time to protect the ones she loves? When the time comes, will she choose to live in the human world or in Avalon with the fairies? Which boy - David, her loyal human boyfriend, or Tamani, her childhood fairy friend who has loved her from afar for years - will she give her heart to? Is she able to trust Kea, a fully-loaded and very strong woman who seems to know an awful lot about trolls?

When I reviewed Wings I said that this was a book that you could easily give to fans of Twilight. This remains true as the core elements of the book remain similar. However, it seems that while the epic love triangle and supernatural themes live on, this series will stand proudly on its own two feet. Laurel is an exceptionally well-drawn character and the way that she is torn between the human and fairy worlds - not to mention her somewhat selfish reluctance to make a firm decision between the two - is so real. You don't spend the duration of the book wanting to just tell Laurel what the right decision is. As a reader, you instead get sucked into Laurel's place and find yourself feeling just as torn and uncertain as she is. Author Aprilynne Pike seems to have also grown a bit as a writer. I can't put my finger on exactly where I see the differences, but I think that her writing was a bit smoother and stronger in her second novel.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. Next May can't come soon enough!

Overall Grade: A

Awesome Quote

At work it sometimes take a few months for one of the journals that we use to help us select books to make its way to me. After all, I tragically don't get to actually do much ordering. But that's a sad tale for another day. The point is that as I was reading the January 2010 issue of School Library Journal, the cover story by YA author John Green (delightful author of, amongst other things, An Abundance of Katherines) had the most ridiculously cool quote about children's librarians:

Adult librarians are like lazy bakers: their patrons want a jelly doughnut, so they give them a jelly doughnut. Children's librarians are ambitious bakers: You like the jelly doughnut? I'll get you a jelly doughnut. But you should try my cruller, too. My cruller is gonna blow your mind, kid.

Awesome. And now I want to eat some form of pastry.

In the spirit of this quote, I'd like to encourage everyone to go out and read something new. Something you wouldn't normally think to try. Need help coming up with something? Ask your librarian for a suggestion. He or she is probably awesome.

Time Warp Trio

I've been reading lots of books with tremendous boy appeal lately. Admittedly, I'm doing a bit of research for a bibliography I'm trying to put together targeted at this demographic. Often when people think of "boy books," they think of something with lots of action and/or an overabundance of gross/toilet humor. Neither of these traits is ever a bad thing though, and there are plenty of books out there that use these attention-grabbing themes is amazingly clever ways. Take, for example, today's featured series: The Time Warp Trio.

In the series' first book The Knights of the Kitchen Table, Joe receives a birthday gift from his magician uncle. It's a mysterious book with ornate writing. Before he quite realizes what's happening, Joe manages to use the book to transport himself and his friends Sam and Fred back in time to King Arthur's court. How will the three boys get home? More importantly, how will they manage to defeat the dragon and the giant who have besieged the castle?

The series continues to document Joe, Sam, and Fred's adventures through time. The formula is actually kind of similar to the beloved Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, but funnier, wackier, and just a little bit edgier. The books are super quick and painless to read, making them great for relatively new readers or older reluctant readers alike.

Overall Grade: A

Cosmic

Holy cow, I've been away for too long. Many apologies - life got crazy.

Fortunately, that means that I've had some time to read! I've got a backlogged list of books that I'd like to share, starting with Frank Cottrell Boyce's latest book, Cosmic.

Liam is a boy trapped in a man's body. At the age of twelve, he goes through a series of growth spurts and is regularly mistaken for an adult. Sometimes this is great, such as the time when he was the only kid tall enough to go on the Cosmic theme park ride, or the time when he was mistaken for a teacher at school. But sometimes Liam just wants to be treated like a normal kid instead of having everyone expect him to act like an adult just because he looks like one. But Liam decides to use his adult appearance to his advantage when he wins a contest for the world's greatest dads, convincing schoolmate Florida to pose as his daughter. The prize? A chance to go on the greatest thrill ride ever: A trip into outer space. What could possibly go wrong?

I liked this book well enough when I read it, but it's really grown on me over time. At first I just didn't quite buy the fact that Liam could carry on this deception for so long (someone would eventually catch on...right?), but I now appreciate this gimmick as an artful way of making commentary on the nature of childhood and adulthood. Because that's really what this book is about: Age and expectations. What does it really mean to be an adult or a parent? Is it really just about filling out boring forms and making your kids do things they don't want to do? What does it mean to be a child? Isn't adulthood wasted on adults, who don't seem to understand why it's important to visit all of the Waterloos the world over? Adults will appreciate Liam's awkward transition into "adulthood" (I know I saw a bit of myself in it) and kids will enjoy Liam's crazy adventures, both on Earth and in space. Everyone will love this book for its interesting characters.

Besides, it's a space adventure. What's not to love?

Overall Grade: A

Whip It

Excitement abounded when I managed to track down a copy of the recently released DVD Whip It, staring Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore. The film is based on the book Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, which I reviewed here on this blog a few weeks ago.

Overall, I was pleased with the movie. It was actually a good adaptation of the book, staying true to the plot through most of the film. The film actually did a much better job than the book of explaining exactly how roller derby works - what the rules are, what a bout is like, all that good stuff. Yes, there were plenty of moves shown in the film that, while exciting for the sake of cinematics, would never be allowed in actual roller derby. But oh well.

My only complaint is that they majorly changed Bliss's character. In the book she's very sure of herself, very indie rock and tough in her own way. She's an independant spirit who knows what she wants, even if she isn't always sure exactly how to get it. The character was altered in the film to be more doe-eyed, unsure of herself who uses roller derby as a means of finding her own strength. Roller derby isn't another form of rebellion - it's her only form of rebellion. Frankly, I liked the tough Bliss better. Despte this change, however, the central theme of finding your own place in the world and the excitement of the derby shine through.

Not a terrible choice for a fun, laid-back movie night.

Overall Quality of the Film: B+
Overall Faithfulness to the Book: A-

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Minli lives in the village of Fruitless Mountain, named so because nothing grows there leaving the village's residents in poverty. Minli can tell that her mother would like nothing more than to overcome their misfortune, so she takes a page from one of her father's stories decides to venture forth to see the Old Man on the Moon and ask what she can do to improve her family's fortune. Along the way, Minli befriends a dragon, speaks to goldfish, and hears story after story which guide her through her journey.

I've been anxious to read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon for some time, especially after seeing that it had won a Newbery Honor. I was not disappointed. Author Grace Lin has created a lovely, captivating tale that weaves together the stories told in traditional Chinese fairy tales in an intricate and interesting fashion. The stories within the story are interesting, and Minli's own journey takes her to a number of interesting places and situations. Both the writing and the illustrations found in this book are beautifully crafted, and I imagine that this would be a great story to read aloud and share.

Overall Grade: A+