Bluefish Review

Book talk:  All Travis wanted was to survive the school year.  Not make any friends or pass his classes with flying colors: just survive.  The one thing he had learned was not to expect much from anyone.  His parents died long ago and his grandfather is barely there.  Even his dog disappeared before the move.  He knew that his life would be awful and he had almost even accepted it.  But this year life would surprise Travis.  This year Travis's secrets will be revealed, and for good or for bad it will change his life forever.

Rocks my socks:  I love the sparse narrative of Travis's chapters.  A lot is left unsaid but so much is communicated.  Travis's emotions and his voice feel very authentic and Schmatz deals with a lot of difficult issues without descending into the saccharine or the cynical, which is no easy feat.  I also adored the contrast of Velveeta's narratives with her distinct flair and strong personality.  I appreciated that the friends that Travis made among his peers helped him out a lot, and that there were also adults who really came through in the end.  Of course the fact that the main helpful adult figures were a librarian and a reading teacher appealed to me.

Rocks in my socks:  none

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to teens looking for a quick and touching read.  It's high interest and low reading level, but there's plenty for advanced readers to grapple with and enjoy as well.  I read it for a book club and it made for an excellent discussion.  Some of the issues explored get intense, so I'd save it for 6th grade and up.

Extras:  

Pat Schmatz has a website

There's a discussion guide for the book at Candlewick's website

There's a good video book talk for this from 60 second recap:




Source: copy provided as part of faculty & staff book club

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz: buy it or check it out today!

The Midnight Palace Review

Book talk:  Ghosts stories tend to gather in areas filled with sadness and Calcutta has known more than its fair share of misery.  Perhaps that is why there are so many tales of the supernatural associated with the town. Siraj knows all of them.  He often researches them for the other members of the Chowbar society: Isobel the fearless actress, Roshan who grew on the harsh streets, Michael the quiet artist, Seth the scholar, Ben the mercurial leader of the group, and Ian the one destined to escape and tell the tale.  The group is bound together by misery, all residents of the local orphanage, and in the absence of family they swore to protect each other.  But they never imagined how much those loyalties would be tested or that one of Siraj's ghost stories would came to life and stalk them.

Rocks my socks:  I'm always fascinated by stories about close groups of friends.  The relationships between the various members of the Chowbar Society interested me far more than the supernatural elements.  Zafon, as always, has a wonderful way with words and does an excellent job creating a spooky atmosphere and establishing a good sense of place. The characters are each fascinating on their own as well, and I became deeply involved in their stories.  I appreciated how diverse the group was in many ways from personality to ethnicity, and it makes sense for a story set in Calcutta where so many cultures have converged.

Rocks in my socks:  My timing in reading this novel was not great.  I didn't realize when I picked this book up it was by the same person as The Shadow of the Wind, which I read recently.  I was quickly caught up by the story, but I was plagued by a sense of deja vu.  Zafon has a very distinct style and uses similar themes in both stories.  I could see where this book was headed from a mile away.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of Raven Boys or general fans of supernatural tales and books about group dynamics among friends.  The horror elements are rather strong at points, I'd save it for at least 7th grade and up.

Extras:

Carlos Ruiz Zafon has a website with a page for the book.

There's an atmospheric book trailer from the publisher:



Source: school library

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: buy it or check it out today!

Tokyo Heist Review

Book talk:  What would you do if you found yourself living the kind of adventure you normally only find in a book?  Violet loves reading manga and has been working hard on making her own.  She thought her biggest problem this summer would be the fight she got in with her best friend.  Then she goes to stay with her father, an artist, and ends up in the middle of a high-stakes art theft case in Japan.  At first the unexpected trip to somewhere she's always longed to go is exciting, but as the yakuza get involved and her friends and family are threatened she starts to wonder if she should have stuck to making up stories and not living them.

Rocks my socks:  I love the premise that an average geeky girl obsessed with a certain type of media ends up in a situation very much like the ones she's always read about.  Her obsession with manga is a key part of the narrative from the way that she analyzes real-life people by imagining how they'd be represented in a manga to her knowledge of Japanese culture and customs that comes from reading it.  I don't like manga as much as Violet, but I know enough about it that I was able to appreciate the references (I particularly enjoyed Violet's friend's apt description of her relationship with the main love interest: "the two of you are like in episode seventy-eight of a manga series with no climax.")  It makes sense to me that Violet would find it helpful to storyboard ideas in manga form to help organize her thoughts about who might have committed the actual art heist.  It was also pretty meta, which I always like.

Rocks in my socks:  The book doesn't feel like a very authentic representation of Japanese culture to me, but then again it's not really claiming to be.  It's clearly about a manga-obsessed foreigner's view of the culture.  There are plenty of aspects of the plot that strain credulity, but if you can put that aside it's good, clean fun.

Every book its reader:  Despite the action-packed cover image I'd be hesitant to give this to the average heist fan.  There's a lot of quieter moments and manga plays such a big role in the narrative that if you don't know anything about it, it might be hard to appreciate the novel.  I'd be more likely to recommend it to manga or anime fans looking for something in novel form.  There will be plenty here for them to enjoy.  The romance and violence are relatively minimal for a thriller.  I'd say it's fine for 6th grade and up.

Extras:

Diana Renn has a website with more information about her and her books.

There's an official book trailer:



Source:   school library

Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn: buy it or check it out today!

Lincoln's Grave Robers Review

Book talk:  In 1875 counterfeiting was a big business.  So big that a new government agency was formed with the responsibility of tracking down counterfeiters: the Secret Service.  The key to counterfeiting is good plates, and for that you need an expert engraver.  The best in the business was Benjamin Boyd.  He was so good that when the Secret Service caught him, his friends were willing to do anything to bust him free.  Even if it meant stealing the corpse of President Abraham Lincoln.

Rocks my socks:  The book read like an old-fashioned heist film at parts as the criminals plotted out their crime and the Secret Service men set their trap.  I enjoyed all the slang and other details that made me feel like I was experiencing life at the time.  Some of the scenes seemed to be straight from a movie, like the story of famed escape expert Pete McCartney breaking out of jail to visit a Secret Service man, make a few glib comments, and then walk right back to prison.  It doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would happen in real life, and I'm delighted to know that it did.  I particularly appreciated all the photographs, paintings, and copies of primary source documents included throughout the book.

Rocks in my socks:  I would have liked the book better if it had a different title.  It never lives up to the promise of Lincoln's Grave Robbers.  I suppose The Coney Men Who Attempted to Steal Lincoln's Body doesn't roll off the tongue though.  The Secret Service agent is aware of what's happening the entire time, so I never felt any concern that they'd pull it off. Some of the details added to focus it more on Lincoln dragged the pacing down--the exact layout of the tomb, etc.  I would have liked it better if it was a more general story of the dawn of the Secret Service or the lives of Coney Men.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to kids 5th grade and up looking for a real-life criminal adventure story and fans of American history.

Extras:

Scholastic has a page for the book with a discussion guide

I love this student-made trailer for the book:

Source: School library

Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin: buy it or check it out today!

Bushman Lives! Review

Book talk:  Have you ever played a musical instrument?  Are you musically talented? Harold Knishke isn't.  He is terrible in fact.  So terrible that one summer day his flute teacher asks him to quit, and even offers to buy his instrument off him.  With money in his pocket and new-found free time Harold hits the streets of Chicago in search of some entertainment.  He ends up at the Art Institute where he decides to become an artist.  Chicago in the 1960's is an exciting time for aspiring artists and Harold soon blends in with the beatnik crowd where he learns that not everyone is as crazy as they first seem, and some are even crazier.

Rocks my socks:  This book is full of a wonderful, dry humor and a strong absurdist sensibility.  Harold wanders around Chicago running into one bizarre character after another.  They're not entirely realistic but they are highly entertaining and they teach him real lessons in art and acceptance.  To get a sense of the playful tone of the novel, read this excerpt from a book that Harold receives entitled Modern Art, An Invention of the Devil?:

"The reader will no doubt be aware that the Impressionists were nothing but a bunch of unwashed wine-swilling Frenchmen who sat around in cafes or pursued dirty women at the end of the nineteenth century...The activities of these parasites and degenerates give rise to Cubism, Fauvism, Futurism, Pointillism, Constructivism, Orphism, Surrealism, Dada, and also Impossibleism, Supersurrealism, Dynamic Double-Dog Realism, Ishkabibbleism, and Mama, which is like Dada only nicer."

Of course our protagonist Harold soon sees that the author "was a raving lunatic and a nutbar.  But that did not mean it was not a useful book."  Indeed Harold learns many things from people who fit that description.  The idea that everyone has something to teach you is an important theme in the novel, and Pinkwater shows that in the most delightful way.  On a more personal note, the Gorilla has long been my favorite animal, so I appreciated the sympathetic view of them in the novel.

Rocks in my socks:  There wasn't much of a story arc.  It felt like the narrative just meandered along the streets of Chicago with Harold and then, eventually got tired and stopped. Even though this annoyed me a bit it matched the tone of the story well.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of comedy and art 7th grade and up who are willing to suspend disbelief.  A lot of the novel doesn't exactly make sense so if that would bother you, then this is not the book you are looking for.  But if you're willing to follow Harold's lead and just accept things as they come then you're in for an entertaining and ultimately touching ride.

Extras:

Daniel Pinkwater has a website with photos, podcasts, and more

Here's a video of Bushman's remains in the Field Museum:


And here's a more recent video from the Licoln Park Zoo with baby gorillas (because baby gorillas!)

Source: school library

Bushman Lives! by Daniel Pinkwater: buy it or check it out today!

Brief reviews: Fall 2013 Part 1

(This is a review for the second Flavia de Luce book, if you haven't read the first you can find my review of it here)  You have to love an eleven year old who observes: "How exciting it was to reflect upon the fact that, within minutes of death, the organs of the body, lacking oxygen, begin to digest themselves!"  and who can then go on to describe the exact chemical processes at play.  Flavia is just as spunky and delightful as she was in the first mystery and this time there's the added excitement of puppets.  I loved the new character of the former German pilot obsessed with the Bronte sisters!  The way Flavia's sisters continue to taunt her by saying that she's adopted makes me uneasy though.  Still it was a great, quick mystery for a lazy afternoon.  The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley: buy it or check it out today!

 I have mixed feelings about this comic.  The art and the design are absolutely gorgeous.  From the endpapers to the title page to the art in the comic itself, there is a wonderful style that evokes old westerns.  The premise of a child cow boy rounding up his outlaw relatives for bounty is funny and they add little touches like a gun that looks like a hobby horse to take advantage of the absurdity of the situation.  I loved the brief interludes between chapters, particularly the one about the female cowboy and the penguin.  I'd love to read a full-length comic based on this premise (and based on my students' love of penguins stories, so would they!)  But despite everything in this comic's favor the pacing felt a bit off to me and the moral ambiguity of the tale left me thinking that it would be better for an older crowd than it's aimed at.   The interludes break up the flow of the story and the plot and motivations seem really bare-bones.  The idea of a boy that age hunting down his family and often threatening them with a gun or injuring them to bring them to justice isn't fully dealt with.  There's another scene where he stands up for a run-away slave only to have the slave say that he would have preferred to be beaten without intervention because now he'll have to run to avoid a lynching.  As an adult reading it, I can fill in the complexities of the situation myself but I think most children would have difficulty understanding what happened in that scene.  Especially because it's just something that happens in passing.  The ending is also troubling to me for something branded as all ages.  The moral of the story seems to be that you can't trust anyone, even your own family.  It's better to live a life alone even if it means you'll never be happy.  Perhaps if the story was better fleshed out, his actions would make more sense, but as it is the cow boy just seems oddly cold and jaded. Cow Boy by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos: buy it or check it out today!

  I love classic stories that are re-told from a non-traditional perspective, especially when it re-casts the villain in a new light.  In this version Goliath would rather do admin than patrol and is an all-around soft spoken, nice guy.  When an ambitious captain comes up with a plan to end the war with a battle of champions, he's banking on the fact that no one will take up the challenge once they see Goliath.  Goliath is quick to point out that he's much better at paper work and the fifth-worst swordsman in the platoon, but there is no reasoning with authority.  So he resigns himself to wait for a rival champion he hopes will never arrive.  It's a sparse but beautifully told tale that would work great in a unit about multiple perspectives.  There's a subtle humor and a strong sense of irony throughout as Goliath plays with pebbles and sympathizes with a fighting bear.  When the inevitable happens and David finally comes along the suddenness and pointlessness of it gave the story an existential feel. Goliath by Tom Gauld: buy it or check it out today!

This is a fantastic, imaginative story for children.  Hilda gains the ability to see a race of tiny people that have been living outside of her house for years and sets out to make peace between them and her family with the help of a giant.  The varying sizes of all the characters set up parallels in the plot and allow for the exploration of multiple perspectives.  The world created by Pearson is populated with wonderful creatures and the large physical size of the book allows for a close-up view of the many delightful details in the artwork.  There's some light satire of politics as Hilda tries to make peace with the little people, but a knowledge of politics isn't necessary to appreciate the humor and heart of this comic.  I'd recommend it to fantasy fans of all ages.  Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson: buy it or check it out today!

 I hated the beginning of this book.  It kept making vague references to what had happened and jumping around in time instead of clearly explaining what had lead to the current situation.  There didn't seem to be any reason for this other than creating cheap tension by alluding to awful things and then postponing the explanation.  The narrator seemed to revel in every gritty detail of the apocalypse and addressed the reader like some sage describing what happens when you face death, etc.  I imagined her talking in Batman voice the whole time.  Plus she uses 'decimate' incorrectly which is enough to set me off.  The book picks up a bit once other narrators are introduced, but it is still full of unanswered questions.  Why do the aliens use so many waves if their technology is so advanced and what exactly their endgame is to name a couple.  I can't get too much further into how little sense the book makes without revealing spoilers, but suffice it to say that the plot does not hold up to any kind of scrutiny.  On top of all that I have major issues with the romantic plot.  The male love interest stalks the female love interest, violates her privacy by reading her diary among other things, and worst of all their kisses often start with the girl actively resisting him and telling him no only to melt into the kiss and enjoy it.  Perpetuating the idea that a girl could say no and fight physical affection but secretly want it is unconscionable as far as I am concerned. I won't be reading the sequel. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: buy it or check it out today!

H.I.V.E. Review

Book talk:  Otto is one of the chosen ones.  He is plucked out of his life as an orphan and taken to a school that few even know exists.  There he takes specialized classes different from any normal school curriculum with a group of kids with special abilities who are destined to change the planet.  But H.I.V.E. is no Hogwarts.  Though the school often seems magical, it is technology that runs it.  Otto and the others are being trained not to save the world, but to terrorize it.  The Higher Institute of Villainous Education is where the world's best evil masterminds and henchmen are trained.  Otto isn't just a student, he's also a prisoner.  You cannot refuse an invitation to H.I.V.E., and once you're in there's no escape or communication with the outside world.  But Otto isn't used to taking orders or doing what he's told.  Soon H.I.V.E. will realize that when they recruited Otto, they got more than they bargained for.

Rocks my socks:  I love the way the novel takes super hero and fantasy tropes and turns them on their head.  Otto and his friends are picked up because they have a potential for evil, but they aren't plain villains.  They're being held against their will in many cases and they struggle to fit in without allowing the darkness of the place overwhelm them.  Just like Harry Potter and his friends, they learn to trust each other and use their various strengths to work together; but they do it while fighting the evil tendencies that are being cultivated in each of them.  I love the computer intelligence of H.I.V.E. mind and the way the students recognize and value its emerging intelligence.  It reminded me of poor Dobby.  Hopefully H.I.V.E. mind fares better because I get overly attached to fictional artificial intelligences.  The book is fast-paced, humorous, morally complex, and still manages to drive home some positive messages about friendship and acceptance, which is no easy feat.

Rocks in my socks:  The book felt a bit formulaic at times with the headmaster giving an evil is just misunderstood ambition speech that I felt I had heard dozens of times.  Plenty of well-used tropes from magical boarding school fiction are trotted out.  It's meant to be a quick, fun read though so none of that bugged me that much.  What really annoyed me was all of the fat-shaming it did around the character Franz.  A lot of cheap jokes are made at his expense and in a narrative that otherwise makes a point about accepting others and not judging based on appearance, I found this particularly disappointing.

Every book its reader:  I'd give this to fans of superheroes or spies.  There's a lot of fast-paced action and high tech gadgets that are sure to attract readers.  Fans of Catherine Jinks's Evil Genius will enjoy this take on villainous education.  I'd give it to grades 5 and up.

Extras:

Mark Walden has website with more information about him and his books.

The series has its own official website with an oddly entertaining evil laugh generator, a grapple game, and a test to see which stream you'd be in.

It also has an unofficial wiki page

Bloomsbury also has a page for the books

There's a trailer for the book:


And a video interview with the author:


Bonus Quote:

“Life at H.I.V.E. may have its attractions after all, Otto thought. Friends, as they say, may come and go, but high-powered laser weapons are forever.”
Source: school library

H.I.V.E. The Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden: buy it or check it out today!