Mad Libs

We like to do Mad Libs in the car.  They help us stay awake.  This is the one that made us laugh most, recently. See if you can pick out the words that Jacob filled in:

Studying the Constitution is a likable rainy day camp activity.  in 1787, a convention of important American wombats ratified our constitution.  The Constitution was an antagonistic document which guaranteed that the U.S. would not merely be a league of independent cars, but a nation with a cranky government that would deal with lightsabers as well as earthquakes.  The Constitution provided for a senate, to which every state would send two clouds, and a larger body called the House of Basketballs, which was based on population.  The government was divided into three branches: the judicial, the legislative, and the ginormous.  This created a system of checks and stripes that works to protect us to this day and gives us our deranged government of the people, for the people and by the swords. 

Ha ha! This particular story is from the Camp Daze Mad Libs book.

A Review or Two, for You.

Man! It's hard to do stuff with a baby! Well, not all stuff, but anyway...

The Off-Season
Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This book is a continuation of the life story of D.J. In it she has to deal with her placement on the football team and the love-lives of everyone from Amber to Brian to Curtis. When a family crisis hits, however, everything else is put on hold.

Fans of the first book will enjoy this next installment. D.J. is still the realistic girl she always was, and the plotting of this book is excellent -- unpredictable enough but still cohesive, disasters pile up but never to the point of unbelievability. 3.5 stars

Revenge of the Cheerleaders
Janette Rallison

When her sister's boyfriend, punk-rocking Rick, writes a song about how stuck up Chelsea is, Chelsea and the other cheerleaders have got to keep it from being played. Their plans for revenge go a bit haywire when Chelsea's crush and her sister make things complicated.

So..."Revenge of the Cheerleaders" sounds pretty... I dunno, vapid? shallow? gooby? But I was very pleasantly surprised. In fact, I think this book deserves to be read. It was well plotted and the characters were down to earth. I laughed aloud at Rallison's wit several times, one of my favorites being a crack about eating boxes of macaroni and cheese. 4 stars.

The Icing on the Cake
Elodia Strain

Annabelle writes for a local California magazine, and in the course of her work she meets irresistible Isaac. Through a series of mishaps the question is asked: can this LDS girl keep her standards, her job, and get a man?

This was a fun piece of contemporary LDS fiction. I confess I've never read any before. The events of the story were only occasionally over-the-top. If you're looking for a little clean love story, give it a try. 3 stars.

The Green Glass Sea
Ellen Klages

Mechanically gifted Dewey Kerrigan goes to live with her father, who is working on a top secret government project during WWII. There she meets up with the artistic and pushy Suze Gordon -- is this town (that supposedly doesn't exist) big enough for the two of them?

Fans of historical fiction will appreciate the details of this book. I loved the turns of phrase that Klages uses: things hit a major snafu, the kids drink Nehi soda, all those little details are there The pacing was quite methodical, sometimes slow, but the story is touching. 3.5 stars

The Jane Austen Book Club
Karen Joy Fowler

Get to know the six members of the club (five women and one man) intimately. As they read and discuss Austen's novels, romantic happenings stir in their own lives.

Fowler is very witty -- her stereotypical female analysis is hilarious and spot on. The first half of the book kept me interested enough to make it to the latter half of the book, which I enjoyed more. Be warned, though, that there is more sexuality in this story than in Austen's work. 4 stars.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Avi, 215 pages, 1990

Miss Charlotte Doyle is bound for America after spending the last several years at finishing school in England. Unfortunately the well laid plans of her father go awry when Charlotte ends up making the journey alone with a crew of mutinous sailors and the punctilious Captain Jaggery.

I would definitely recommend this book. It is an excellent piece of historical fiction that is intriguing and suspenseful and filled with believable characters. Originally recommended to me by a fourth grade teacher, it's also a favorite of one of my cousins. This Newbery Honor book deserves all the attention it can get.

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf

Middle school is worse than meatloaf: a year told through stuff
Jennifer L. Holm, pictures by Elicia Castaldi, 2007.

Take a look at all this junk! You've got everything from newspaper clippings and shopping lists to journal entries and English papers. It all belongs in the life of Ginny who is just trying to survive 7th grade.

I would definitely recommend this book -- it is fun to see just how much someone's stuff can tell about them. It's a little bit like an I-Spy book in the sense that the longer you look at each page, the more you see. It must have been very interesting to write and illustrate. */*/*/*

Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars
Gary D. Schmidt, 264 pages, 2007.

Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grader in the late 1960's, finds himself in a sticky school situation. Everyone else in his class leaves school early on Wednesdays for religious reasons, and Mrs. Baker could have had two hours off if Holling wasn't there. But Mrs. Baker isn't the only adversary -- Holling has to deal with runaway rats, Shakespeare, and Mickey Mantle, too.

I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone from about 4th grade on up, and especially fans of realistic fiction. The book is a 2008 Newbery Honor book, and the writing is top-notch. Humor is abundant -- you can't help but laugh at Holling's observations, not to mention some of the crazy things that happen to him. You can't go wrong with this one.

Rash of Reviews

Ok so I've been letting the book reviews pile up a little bit. This is due to several reasons, including but not limited to the fact that the computer chair is not comfortable (not many chairs are these days -- still pregnant) and the fact that my mom gets me out doing stuff instead of sitting around, and also I've been too busy reading the actual books!

Also, FYI, I'm reviewing these books for the library's summer reading program. Hence, my reviews will be a little bit more structured (each including a short summary followed by my opinion and a score out of 5). Tell me if you like the new structure or if you're ambivalent.

Specials
Scott Westerfeld, 372 pages, 2006.
Things have only gotten more complicated for Tally and the rest of the characters we loved and hated from Westerfeld's Uglies and Pretties. Now that Tally finally has the power to make things right, she has to ask herself if she wants to.

I would recommend this book to fans of the previous two books in the series, of YA fiction, and Sci-Fi. The book pulls some interesting stunts, managing to stay true to the style of the series without being predictable, and finally concludes the trilogy in what I found a satisfactory way. The whole series makes you think a lot (but not too much) about the values of different cultures, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat. */*/*/*

Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature
Robin Brande, 2007
On the first day of High School, Mena Reece finds herself in a bad situation: her former friends all hate her, her parents are not happy, and her church has made it known that she's not welcome at meetings. As Mena confronts several issues about her life and her beliefs, we find out what it was that Mena did to make everyone so upset.

I heard great things about this book before it even came out, and my library only just got a copy of the audio book (still no hardcopies -- wierd) so I checked it out and took a listen. I would recommend this book to fans of YA and Realistic Fiction. It will probably appeal most to girls, but my husband enjoyed listening to the audio book with me since the story is so intriguing. Brande does a great job weaving many plot threads together to create a thick, believable story. The book deals with issues that are important and thought provoking, but keeps things fun with a dab of romance and plenty of suspense. An enjoyable book. */*/*/*

Prom
Laurie Halse Anderson, 215 pages, 2005
Ashley is not the stereotypical high school girl. That is to say, she's not excited about her Senior Prom. But when her math teacher makes off with the Prom money, Ashley's friends are understandably upset. Roped into being a reluctant hero, Ashley finds the ideas flowing and her attitude toward Prom changing.

I would recommend this book to fans of YA and realistic fiction who don't mind a spoonful of "edgy" in their reads. Characters in the book swear and occasionally smoke or make other less-than-perfect decisions, but their consequences are portrayed realistically, and a believable, happy ending finishes things off. The writing is compelling and the humor is fun. I especially enjoyed the way that Ashley's family relationships were shown -- the characters did things that people in real life would do, which was a pleasure to read. */*/* (Readergirlz book for this month!)
___
Mmmkay, I've still got 2 more reviews for you, but I've been sitting here for too long. Look forward to hearing about The Wednesday Wars and Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf!

Pretties

Pretties
Scott Westerfeld, 370 pages, 2005

Finished Pretties, the sequel to Uglies (my review here). Now I've gotta read the third book, Specials. They're intense. Unfortunately Pretties had the whole second-book-in-a-trilogy lack of satisfactory resolution. This is not a flaw, it just bugs me because I like happy endings. When I finish a book I want to feel like I'm done with it. sigh.

Queen Ugly Dairy

Two reviews for you today:

Dairy Queen
Catherine Gilbert Murdock, 275 pages, 2006.

Okay. This book was really good! I liked it a lot. In fact, how much I liked it could have been biased by the fact that I didn't really like the book that I read right before it. Anyway, it's about this girl, DJ, who works on her family farm. The rival high school's QB shows up to lend a hand, much to her dismay. I'm sure you see where this is going...but there's so much more! SO much more. Like Curtis, her weird brother. And Amber, her crazy best friend. And so on and so forth. The thing that I liked most about the book was that DJ's voice was so authentic. She was frustrated when I would have been frustrated, happy when I would have been happy, and thought about stuff that you'd really have to think about in her situation. This book is a good book to pick up if you don't know what to read right now.

Uglies
Scott Westerfeld, 425 pages, 2005.

The first in a trilogy, this massively popular book does a great job of sucking you in. It's suspenseful without being too scary, and brings up some great thoughts about society and human beliefs about beauty (surprise, surprise). The book is about Tally, a girl in a society of the future. In this society, everyone has an operation at age 16 to make them "pretty." Tally is a good kid, a normal girl, but she gets sucked in to the drama of a friend who doesn't want to become pretty. Westerfeld does an awesome job of putting in little details and subtleties that make you believe his characters really live in the world he says they do. I guess, put simply, he does that thing all of our English teachers drilled into us: show, don't tell. And the fact that the writing is good is probably the reason that the books are popular with both guys and girls. I'm working on the second one, Pretties, now.

The Host (and signing), Truckers, and Princes

The Host
Stephenie Meyer, 619 pages, 2008
It was really good. It was different than I thought it would be, in a good way. So, all the little summaries that you can find of it online are really only the tip of the iceberg. It's still Stephenie Meyer, so it is still very detailed writing with plenty of foreshadowing. But I think that she's become a better and better writer over the course of her career. If the idea of aliens puts you off, just remember that so did the idea of vampires, but Twilight was good anyway. You should pretty much read it.

Oh, and last weekend, I went and got my copy of the host signed. Yep. I went to a Stephenie Meyer signing. It pretty much rocked. Especially because a bunch of us all went together and had some really good Taco Salad afterwards. And hobnobbed with Alphie and Pel. If you don't know who they are, don't worry about it. Anyway, about 25 of us pretty much went all out wearing matching t-shirts and making banners and buttons and sashes and all kinds of stuff. It's fun to be a geek sometimes. :)

Truckers
Terry Pratchett, 288 pages, 1990
This was a fun one. Terry Pratchett is so funny, you know? It's the first in a trilogy that is written for kids about "nomes" -- the little people who live under our noses. One bunch of these little guys has never ventured outside of the Store. After all, when the place says "everything under one roof" what could really be outside? Anyway, it was a cute book -- some interesting under-the-radar religious commentary, and plenty of fun.

Pulling Princes and Stealing Princes
Tyne O'Connell, 223 pages & 295 pages, 2004 & 2005.
Pulling Princes is the first in the series about Calypso Kelly, an American at a British boarding school. It deals with her struggle to overcome stereotypes and make friends -- as well as her goal to "pull" (kiss) a "fit" (cute) boy or two this term. These being the main premises of the novel, I found it a bit shallow. However, O'Connell must be a good writer or something because even though I thought the main ideas were kind of dumb, I still hung on to the book. And then I read the second one, Stealing Princes. Oh! Also, Calypso is a fencer. That's kind of fun. Imagine kissing a boy and then bashing him with your saber. hehe. Anyway, I liked Pulling Princes better than Stealing Princes, just because Calypso was a little dim-witted in the second installment. I had figured out the mystery problem a good 200 pages (at least) before she did, so that drove me bonkers. But hey, you might like them more than I did.

Books this week

A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Linda Urban, 211 pages, 2007
Twelve-year-old Zoe Elias dreams of playing the piano. She dreams of playing Carnegie Hall in a ball gown and ruby-toed slippers. What has she got to work with? The Perfectone D-60, an organ complete with Rock Beat #3 that her dad found at the mall.

At first, I thought this book was going to be annoying. Zoe's got a downer attitude about the organ. But pretty quickly (once we get to know her dad) things get a lot more fun. What I loved most about this book was that I found myself relating to Zoe -- the no-nonsense attitude, the crazy dreams, the adorable way she deals with the guy who has a mini-crush on her. She was very relateable. And you grow to love the book's other characters, even the organ teacher. The book is written in little chapter-ettes, almost like diary entries, and would work well for ages 9 and up. It's pretty much everything you could hope for in a novel that makes you laugh at life.

Olivia Kidney
Ellen Potter, 155 pages, 2003
Olivia, age 12, and her father have just moved in to a new apartment building. Because she lost her keys, Olivia finds herself locked out of the apartment one day -- to make matters worse, her father is the apartment superintendent, and he's off fixing who-knows-what in some unknown apartment. Unwillingly, Olivia begins to explore the building and finds that its tenants are a little bit loony. But Olivia has a strange secret of her own that only the crazy neighbors can help her figure out.

This was a cute, weird little book. You can't help but get caught up in the narrative from the very beginning. There's just something about sassy Olivia that makes you want to see what's going to happen next. And the neighbors just keep getting weirder and weirder. They, and Olivia's encounters with them, give the book an Alice In Wonderland feel. There are more books in the series, but this one is the first, and works great as a stand-alone.

Crispin: the cross of lead
Avi, 297 pages, 2002
Classic historical fiction. This one is the tale of the boy from the tiny feudal town that finds himself on the road to Great Wexly. About all he's got is a little bit of hope and the new discovery that he actually has a name. The book does a great job of making you feel as if you're in the time period -- I can't help but think that Avi did his job when it comes to research. He also conveys the emotions of his characters very well. Some good swordfights and such punctuate the book at just the right times. Newbery Medal winner.

The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman
Louise Plummer, 183 pages, 1995
Kate is seventeen and she's writing a romance novel. The inspiration: her own life and her Christmastime romance this past year. The fallback in case of writers' block: The Romance Writer's Phrase Book, kept at her elbow. You've gotta love Kate's matter-of-fact style and the way she so honestly sees herself. Also, the "revisions" she puts in every once in a while crack me up. Like, should I include this one tidbit? Questions authors stress over, I'm sure. Plus she loves classical music and is way too nerdy about linguistics. The romance is scrumptious, fun, and only as steamy as a teenager's romance should be. Recommended.

Book Review Catch-up

Here's what I've been reading for the past few weeks...

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade
Diane L Wilson, 232 pages, 1998.
Historical Fiction set on the plains of Mongolia in the 14th Century. Oyuna was crippled at a young age when a horse trod on her foot. This is the story of how she overcomes the bad luck of such an accident. It reminded me a bit of Mulan -- a great adventure that takes a girl to the door of the Khan himself.

Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitch Albom, 192 pages, 1997.
Our RS book club book for the month, this one is perennially popular. It tells the true story of a young man and his favorite college professor. When this kind and generous professor is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), he has some life lessons to share. This was an enjoyable and quick read, and I was able to distill some gems to think about. I confess I liked Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven better, but this one was good too and worth a read.

Our Only May Amelia
Jennifer L. Holm, 253 pages, 1999.
Some more historical fiction, this piece was inspired by the diary of one of the author's ancestors (great grandmother? I can't remember). It has a diary-like feel because it is told in the first person and is episodic, but Holm has dispensed with dated entries. The format works well and we get a little glimpse into the life of a 12 year old girl who is settling in the Pacific Northwest. She is the only girl in the settlement, and seems to find herself in trouble more often than not. A Newbery Honor.

The Professor's Daughter
Johann Sfar & Emmanuel Guibert, translated by Alexis Siegel, 64 pages, 2007.
This is a short little graphic novel that was originally published in France in the '90's. I heard about it because it won the best YA graphic novel award from the Cybils (Children's and YA Blogger's Choice Awards -- for some good books click on the list of finalists in green on the top right.) Anyway, the idea is that the professor's daughter, Lillian, falls for one of the professor's mummies, Imhotep IV when he comes to life. Hilarous randomness ensues. Nobody seems to mind that he's a mummy too much, and the plot twists and turns from tea and crumpets to murder and shanghai -- Queen Victoria herself gets tossed in the River Thames! Fun, and a super quick read (it snuck ahead in line because I picked it up to read during lunch and finished it on accident).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

This little review will talk about two books by funny man Jeff Kinney:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal
217 pages, 2007.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
216 pages, 2008.

You see, the first one was so funny that I couldn't help indulging myself in the second volume. Apparently I'm not alone, because the first installment has been on the NYT bestseller list for 52 weeks now, and occupies the second-place slot only because Rodrick Rules is in the first. Also, there's more than talk of a movie adaptation.

The fourth graders that I've been working with during my student teaching were the ones who really got me to read this book. I'd heard about it on book blogs, but you can't read everything that's recommended. My mentor teacher read the book and was constantly suppressing laughs during silent reading. But you know a book is golden when fourth graders of all reading levels can't get enough of it.

So, what's it even about? It's the journal, not diary, of Greg Heffley who has just started middle school. It contains his commentary about school (popularity is way more complicated than it was in elementary), family (his mom is a dancing machine), and life (you can't expect everyone to be as dedicated a weight lifter as you are). You'll laugh out loud about "The Cheese Touch," Greg's stage debut, and some Halloween shenanigans. And those are all just in the first book.

I recommend these books to anyone fourth grade and up -- some third graders might even enjoy the books' prose and cartoon mix. I made Jacob read them and about the books he says, "They're funny. Zoo wee mama!" Ah, Jacob, so articulate.

Book-a-palooza!

So I've been reading a lot of books lately, and haven't had time to review them all until now. Watch out! These ones are good!

The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex, 423 pages, 2007.
Winner of the SF/F Elementary/Middle Grade category of the Cybils. There is a great description of it there. Basically, it is hilarious. But what do you expect with a girl named Gratuity, a cat named Pig, and an alien named J.Lo? Their illegal hovercar is only the start! Recommended to fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide and/or humans ages ~10+. A must-read.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre
by Gail Carson Levine, 241 pages, 2001.
This author has already brought us the romantic and high-spirited Ella Enchanted. If you're looking for a fantasy that is fast-paced and clever, try this little book. You can't help but love its main characters. Try not to read the back though. It gives too much away, if you ask me. Suffice it to say, its about two princesses and a quest. If that's your sort of thing, go for it!

Here Lies the Librarian
by Richard Peck, 145 pages, 2006.
There's an excellent beginning on this novel -- a tornado tearing up the local cemetery in the days of the first automobiles. And ever since the librarian (who refused to lend out books) was buried there a few years ago, the town's tiny library has been boarded up. What will happen when some new librarians come to town? Recommended to fans of Historical & Realistic Fiction, or those who've liked Richard Peck's other books.

Into the Wild
by Sarah Beth Durst, 260 pages, 2007.
A fantasy set in the modern day, Into the Wild is not the book about the guy who goes all Walden and gives up civilization for several years. Sorry, it's about Julie -- Rapunzel's daughter. Rapunzel and the other fairy tale characters have escaped the Wild Wood. But when the Wild starts taking over again, and Julie finds her mother's hair salon vacant, she's gotta go in. The book is full of imagination, but the writing occasionally lacks clarity. Recommended to those who like to have fun with fairy tales, and don't mind a few cheesy one-liners.

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
by Sharon Creech, 141 pages, 2003.
This thin novel is simple and tasty -- just like the soup that funny and loving Granny Torrelli makes. The book is a super-quick read that just warms the soul. Rosie is 12, and Bailey is her best friend. Best friends are not supposed to say things like "Get over yourself." Fortunately, Granny's got some recipes for reconciliation, as well as zuppa. Realistic fiction recommended to pretty much anyone.

Devlish
by Maureen Johnson, 263 pages, 2006.
Maureen always makes me laugh. This book is a good beach-type read -- funny, well-written, and entertaining without requiring a lot of brain power. Jane Jarvis is our main character, and this short spunky senior is a rebel at her Catholic high school. Again, I think the back of the book gives too much away, but I'll tell you that some supernatural shenanigans are headed her way. My favorite part of the book? This awesome simile about one of the teachers: "Sister smiled slightly. It looked unnatural on her, like mascara on a baby." Recommended if you want a cupcake of a book.

Zel

Zel
Donna Jo Napoli, 1996, 227 pages.

There are all kinds of fairy tale re-tellings out there. This isn't surprising because we all love a new twist on an old yarn, and because original fairy tales are kinda creepy.

I found this Rapunzel (get it? RapunZEL?) re-telling very engaging. Napoli does an excellent job with pacing in the story -- somehow managing to sacrifice little in the way of character development while still bumping the plot along at a good speed. Like those original fairy tales, Zel is not all smiles and laughter. In fact if we didn't move so quickly through some of the story, the book would be quite disturbing. Fortunately, it ends up being a rich, evocative take on an often overlooked fairy tale.

This book reminded me a lot of the book Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. LWFC is also very rich and evocative, due to excellent writing. The two stories are both very dramatic -- in fact at one point (cliffhanger chapter ending) I looked up at Jacob and just said "Dramatic!" Of course the stories have differences -- Zel is a fairy tale while LWFC is a Mexican Folk tale. Also I must admit I liked the conclusion of Zel better than the ending of LWFC (though its ending was a great fit).

I would recommend this book to teens and adults alike. It is a quick but satisfying trip into a magical, deep, and sometimes dark world.

The Mislaid Magician

The Mislaid Magician
Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer, 328 p., 2006

So I actually read this book a while ago, but haven't blogged a review for it. First, I forgot. Then, I remembered. Then our computer's monitor went berserk (right before my big ugly term paper was due), but our home teachers came to the rescue (and so did my visiting teachers!) and brought us an old monitor. Thanks guys! Anyway, now I am finally reviewing it.

This book is the sequel to The Grand Tour -- it takes place ten years later. Cecilia and Kate and their husbands now have children. New rail lines are getting put in across the English countryside, and when a magician who was investigating them goes missing, it is the Tarleton's and the Schofield's to the rescue! But some trouble has started at home as well...

One thing I love (love love love!) about these last two books in the series is that their protagonists are happily married. How often do you see that? Not very. Especially in YA literature. In fact in most fantasy novels, you have to be "unencumbered" by marriage, family, etc. in order to have exciting and dangerous adventures. News flash: married people are people too! and they don't have to have marital problems all the time! I found out this secret when I got married, and I'm happy that Wrede and Stevermer are spreading the word.

Again, this whole series is just plain fun set in a magic infused Austen-era England. Go for them!

The Key to the Golden Firebird

The Key to the Golden Firebird
Maureen Johnson, 2004, 297 p.

I've enjoyed Maureen Johnson's Girl at Sea and 13 Little Blue Envelopes, so I decided to give this, her first book, a try.

Loved it.

It was...poignant. Yeah, I thought so. I just looked up poignant and not only is it "affecting" but also "neat and skillful." The book has a great opening page, and that just leads to a great book. I was hooked the whole time. You really feel like you get to know 16 year old May and her family through the course of the story. I didn't have any difficulty relating to her. It's realistic fiction, and I found the scenarios and characters very realistic -- but again with that chuckle-out-loud mj humor. It is one of those books that has a satisfactory ending, but still leaves you thinking about it. "But what about...?" And "I wonder what's going to happen when..."

Anyway, I liked it the best of the three that I've read by her, and that's saying something because I liked the other two. Fortunately, the hardback doesn't have such a weird cover, although I guess they recently re-released the paperback with one that "matches" her other covers more. So since the (hardback) cover isn't at all embarrassing, you have no excuse not to read it!

The 13th Reality

The 13th Reality
James Dashner, 2008.

So this book is unique in its category of having been read by me but not yet released to the public. It was fun to read a book that's not out yet (it comes out in March 2008) but it's also unfortunate that no one else has read it yet because I love discussing books.

Anyway, the book is about Atticus "Tick" Higginbottom, a 12 year old boy who is bookish and bullied but has unbeatable spirit. When he begins receiving clues about how to accomplish a mission -- and takes them seriously -- strange things begin to happen. Soon he finds himself in a whole different reality.

Dashner has a very fun sense of humor. His oddball analogies and similes kept me smiling. The plot was quite intriguing and enjoyable, but I found the pacing a bit slow at times. My favorite character in the book was Tick's dad, Edgar. It was nice to see that Tick could have an adventure and a healthy family life.

The book will probably appeal most to those around Tick's age, 10-12 year olds. For more info on it check out The 13th Reality website.

The Chicken Dance

The Chicken Dance
by Jacques Couvillion, 2007, 326 pages.

One blurb-er on the front cover of this too-real story says that reading the book is like having Napoleon Dynamite as your best friend. The stories are similar in some ways -- they both have misfit protagonists, chickens, 4-H (or FFA) contests, etc.

However, I didn't find this book as funny as Napoleon's story. Perhaps that was just because it wasn't a movie. But also, Don is a pre-teen and his unfailing optimism in such dismal circumstances made me feel pretty sorry for him. His family, though it would seem normal, is indisputably dysfunctional. They've got some secrets that are dying to be dug up. And as our hero starts to realize his potential as a great chicken farmer, he also realizes that things aren't what they've seemed for so long.

This book might have been more fun if I had read it aloud -- when I was explaining bits and scenes to friends we got some great laughs that I hadn't had just reading it on my own. This debut novel is appropriate for readers of all ages, but will probably be most appealing to those 12 up.

Book Review Spectacular!

Academic Crisis Averted
Ok, so since I've been beyond busy, some book reviews have built up. Here they are in your very own Book Review Spectacular!!!

Leaves (David Ezra Stein) -- This is a very cool picture book. It was published in 2007, but looks sort of old-timey. Check out this review on the Cybil's blog -- it's what got me interested in the book, and I agree with what it says about the book sort of sounding like haiku.

Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer) -- Very fun book. This book is set in Post-Napoleonic England (think Jane Austen), with...magic! It is a correspondence between Cecilia, in the country, and her cousin Kate who is having her first London Season. It was actually written as a series of letters from one author to the other.

13 Little Blue Envelopes (Maureen Johnson) -- Another fun one from Johnson that made me laugh aloud several times. Ginny's aunt has written her a scavenger hunt of sorts that leads her all across Europe. Funny, romantic, and touching (but not a tear-jerker). Recommended.

The Grand Tour (Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer) -- This sequel to "Sorcery and Cecilia" is even better than the first. The girls are involved in a mystery on "the continent" that could get dangerous! The plot is a bit more well-paced this time, and if you liked the first you'll love the second!

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life (Dana Reinhardt) -- For such a thin little volume, this book deals with some heavy issues centering around adoption. Simone was adopted at birth, and now has the chance to meet her birth-mother. She's torn as to whether or not to accept the invitation, and her final decision changes her life in ways she hadn't dreamed of. Best for H.S. and older.

** End Spectacular**

Book Review: The View from the Cherry Tree

The View from the Cherry Tree
by Willo Davis Roberts, 181 pages, c1975

Mystery! Suspense! And none of that gooey romance stuff. Everything at eleven year old Rob's house these days is about his big sister's wedding -- it's getting so a kid can't go anywhere without stepping into trouble! So, Rob escapes to the cherry tree between his house and the spiteful Mrs. Calloway's. But when he witnesses a murder from his unique vantage point, who will believe it? The murderer will.

This one's a page turner -- perfect for reading with someone or alone, in the dark, late at night... The story is one of the most realistic, solid, convincing murder mysteries I've read (and I've read my share). The dialogue is especially believable. Mrs. Roberts really captures the voice of the kid, the sister, the policeman, the dad. It's hard not to believe that this story really happened, in your neighborhood. Grab this book, a blanket and some hot chocolate for a great experience. Just don't be upset if your drink gets cold because you can't be bothered to stop and sip it!