Avi's Ghosts

I am a huge fan of Avi. Beginning with the wonderful story about Poppy, a mouse, and all of its connected tales, followed by many historical fiction pieces like Crispin Cross of Lead and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle as well as Beyond the Western Sea are just a few that I have read and loved. So it is interesting to see where the authors interests lie as he heads into the realm of the supernatural. Two books - one just finished, one in the middle but both about ghosts. The "Seer of Shadows" is another YRCA for 2011 and once again off to a slow start with alot about the main character who is a photography apprentice to an unscrupulous master and detail about the art of devleoping pictures just over 100 years ago. The excitement begins when the pair are hired to photograph a wealthy woman whose daughter has just died. Right from the beginning Horace is seeing images in the photographs, the image of a very angry young girl who seems to be bent on revenge. And revenge she has. Lots of suspense keep you engaged right to the end.

And I am off now to keep reading "Something Upstairs". This one set is in modern times about a young boy, Kenny, who has just moved to a very old house in Rhode Island. His very first night in his attic bedroom he hears noises coming from behind a door into a very small room that was once perhaps used for servants or slaves. He opens the door to find arms coming out of a stain on the floor that are moving a box placed on it. After, a body heaves itself out of the stain and a young ghost-boy comes face to face with Kenny... I will keep you posted on what happens next!

Next up - The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.

What are you reading today?

Magical

Another of the YRCA for 2011 is "Savvy" by Ingrid Law. This Newberry Honor book is quite magical. When I begin a new book I look for 3 things; an interesting main character whom I connect to, a plot that is original with twists and turns to keep me turning pages quickly and finally, good writing that stops me in my tracks and has me reread a passage simply for the beauty of the language or the images it evokes. Ideally it also has to hook me in the first few pages. I found Savvy to have an unusual main character named Mibs, an equally unusual plot about a family that attains supernatural powers when they turn 13, with some exquisite language woven into it. Confusing at first I was not hooked easily and did have to keep at it till I realized I needed to keep reading. 37 chapters full of an adventure for Mibs, her older brother Fish, her younger brother Samson and a preacher's rebellious daughter along with her likable brother. It is Mibs 13th birthday, the day she will find out what her savvy, her magical power, is. But her father is injured seriously in a car accident and all she can think of is getting to the hospital in the neighbouring town to see her father to help him. She stows away on an old pink bus that is making delivers to the town but following her on board are the above cast of characters. When the bus pulls out however it does not turn left like it should, it turns right! Uh - oh.....

I also know I like a book when it makes me cry and this one did - just a little!

What are you reading today?

Oh, Canada

Two books down.... about 20 to go! I have just finished two books both set in Canada but on opposite sides of the country and opposite in most every other way as well.
I laughed my way through "Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders" by Kevin Sylvester. I am not sure who this book will appeal to but I loved it. Neil is a 14 year old chef prodigy. That means he's really really good at cooking at a very very young age! Cooking is his life and he even owns his own restaurant where he goes after school. But Neil also has an outstanding sense of smell and he helps solves murders in his spare time. Set in Vancouver, many of the city's outstanding chefs are being murdered with notes left at the scene that chronicle Marco Polo's return trip to Venice from the court of Kublai Khan in China. This becomes very personal for Neil and for a time it looks like he may even be involved. Lots of cooking stuff in this book that, for me, is very entertaining. Did you notice how even his name is connected to cooking? Hope you will like it.

The second book is very different; dark, gruesome and violent. In "The Secret Ministry of Frost" by Nick Lake, Light is the name of a young girl whose father is a research scientist in Canada's Arctic. He has disappeared and Light meets up with a strange and unusual group of protectors to help find him. Inuit mythology is woven into this story with the main antagonist, a being named Frost, who with his band of horrific creatures, wants all mankind to die. While this book has garnered good reviews it is not my kind of book. I saw it through to the end but would like to hear what you think.

What are you reading today?

Some Suggestions for Summer

If you are looking for some good reads for the summer try one of these favourites of mine:


"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini - I loved reading this book about a young boy and his dragon fighting the evil emporer with the help of elves and dwarves.


"Terrier" by Tamora Pierce - and of course follow this with "Bloodhound". A young police woman who uses a bit of magic to help solve crimes in the slums of her city.

"Warrior Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima - and "Wizard Heir" and finally "Dragon Heir". Like Twilight without vampires.

"Montmorency - Thief, Liar, Gentleman" - by Eleanor Updale. A criminal who steals by day and is a gentleman by night.

"Mimus" - by Lilli Thal - a young prince who is turned into a "fool" by an enemy king.

Keeper

As the World Cup fever is running rampant I put out a display of, you got it, soccer books, non-fiction and fiction. My favourite is "Keeper" by Mal Peet. This is a wonderful surreal book about a young boy growing up in the rainforest of South America who one day wanders upon a mysterious soccer field and a more mysterious coach who trains him to become the greatest goalkeeper ever known. The ending does indeed tie things together to explain how and why this has magically happened. I don't know soccer but I loved this book.

What are you reading today?

The Chronicles of Prydain

I have had these books on my shelves for years and years and thought they looked good but was so busy reading new books I never found the time to read these old ones. I am talking about Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series beginning with "The Book of Three" followed by "The Black Cauldron", "Taran Wanderer, "The Castle of Llyr" and finally Newberry Award winner "The High King". I read 4 out of the 5 simply because I forgot to bring one home!
I liked them. Do they compare with "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini? Not quite but I do think they were the forerunner of very good fantasy literature. They are more simple in storyline and telling but I really liked the main character, an assistant pig keeper named Taran who, at the beginning of the series, is this young, brash, idealistic boy intent on setting his mark on the world fighting evil. Along the way he attracts friends such as a feisty princess, a bard, a small hairy creature, some dwarfs, and a prince to name just a few and gains in knowledge of himself and his world. His common sense prevails as he gets himself and others into all sorts of problems. The last book was the hardest to read as the last battle is the hardest and some dear friends are sacrificed.

What are you reading today?

A Few So-So Books Not To Read

I was asked recently if I write about books I don't like and to be truthful I don't usually but I will today. I have read a few this past month that I simply didn't like for a variety of reasons. However, I do realize that everyone is different and please let me know if you like them.

First up "The Underneath" by K. Appelt. This was even a Newberry Honor book and I saw it on another Teacher-Librarians list and it was a "must have" at Vancouver Kidsbooks. With great anticipation I began this book about a group of kittens, their mother and a bloodhound who live underneath the house of a sadistic man to escape his abuse. Also brought into the equation is a snake imprisoned for a thousand years in a jar. Enough said. While I recognize the beauty of the language, some images were too vivid, events too disturbing for me with the storyline distracting as it jumps around. I skipped through to know the ending but could not dwell on the passages in between.

Another I thought was too..... was "The Unknowns; A Mystery" by Benedict Carey. Geometry was the key to solving the mystery of the disappearing people on this tiny island that housed a power plant. While solving mathematical equations is interesting there was not enough action to keep me going. I limped to the finish just because I wanted to find out the end but even that was not as satifying as I thought it could be.

And a third, "A Hidden Magic" by Vivian Vande Velde. This is an author whom I have come to really like. Her books such as "Heir Apparent", "Three Good Deeds", "Never Trust a Dead Man" are all good. I was excited to pick up this book to read over the weekend. Nope - I didn't get it. Oh I know it is a play on fairy tales etc. but just found it to be so so-so. When there are so many good ones I did not want to waste anyone's time on so so ones so into the recycling it went.

What are you reading today?

Thanks for letting me know you are reading "The 39 Clues" - It is hugely popular in my school and I have read part of the first book and would like to get back to the series - maybe this summer! Is the story good or just all the cards and gimmicks?