Happy Cybils New Year!

Just dropping you a note to let you know the Cybils finalists were announced today! Yeah! What a fabulous bunch of books they are too. I'm judging on the Middle Grade Fantasy/Sci-fi panel again this year and I've read three of the seven finalists, which means I get to discover four more delightful books! Be sure to check out all the finalists in the other categories, since there are loads of great books to be found.
Hope you are all enjoying a great start to 2012!

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Posted in cybils , lists , not a review

Community Events: Stuff I Should Have Posted About Earlier

So, I'm completely slower-than-average about posting community events, but I just wanted to do the better-late-than-never shout out to two I'll be participating in:
 

 
First up, Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon is coming up on October 22nd and I will be hosting the Book Puzzle Mini-Challenge again.  I seriously doubt I'll have much time to commit to reading this time, but I can't seem to pass the event by completely.  If you're partcipating, be sure to drop by and check out the mini-challenge, even if you don't plan to do it.  If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to head to the sign-up page and do it (you know, if you want, no pressure :)
 

 
And second, it's Cybils time!  Nominations for books are open (if you haven't heard, they've been open for a while now) so check out what's been nominated and get your favorites on the list!  Also, I'm on the Round 2 Judging Panel again this year for MG Fantasy/Sci-Fi, so be sure to nominate some awesome books in that category :)  I'm so excited to do this again, since it's always a treat working with people to pick a book we can all agree best fits the Cybils criteria. 
 

Are you participating in these events?  Any other community events I should know about?

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Posted in bookish topics , cybils , read-a-thon

Book Review: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780316056090
Source: Library (for Cybils)

Jacob Reckless has slipped from his world into the mirror world for years with no real regrets.  But, when his younger brother follows him there, they are met with disaster.  As his brother is being changed by dark magic, Jacob must find a way to reverse the magic, before it is too late for all of them.

Things I Liked:
I really loved the fairy tale aspect of the book.  There were subtle mentions and little parts that felt familiar, because they came from recognizable fairy tales - the magical objects, in particular.  I just loved the way the tales were twisted into the story as if they belonged there.  There was also action and adventure and lots of twists and turns, and no truly happy ending.  There was some of Funke's truly lovely writing as well (though I guess that might be the translator's doing...).  A solid book for fairy tale fans and lovers of Funke's Inkheart books. Some favorite parts:

The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal.  The ticking of a clock.  The groan of a floorboard as he slipped out of his room.  All was drowned by its silence.  But Jacob loved the night.  He felt it on his skin like a promise.  Like a cloak woven from freedom and danger.  p 1

The second chamber contained Witches' artifacts.  The Chamber of Miracles made no distinction between the healers and the cannibals.  Knives that had separated human flesh from bone lay right next to needles that healed wounds with a single stitch and owl feathers that restored the power of sight.  There were also two of the brooms on which the healing Witches were able to fly as fast and as high as birds, as well as some gingerbread from the deadly houses of their man-eating sisters.  p 345

Things I Didn't Like: 
I read this book for Cybils and all of us agreed it was more suited to an older teen/adult reader.  There was not anything particularly "naughty" but the themes and the way its written seem very mature to me (the characters are nearly all adults, no children).  Jacob is not someone easy to identify with and he's not particularly likable.  Also, mixed in with the lovely writing were some very awkward phrases and sentences.  Kind of hit and miss for me.

Read-alikes:
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few here and there

mrg-factor: X
some implied

v-factor: ->->->
definitely some action violence and frightening imagery

Overall rating: ****

  Did you like or dislike this one? What about Funke's other works?

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Posted in 4 stars , cross-over , cybils , fairy tale , Fantasy , middle grade , Young Adult

Book Review: The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780399252228
Source: Library (for Cybils)

 

When Teddy moves into a new neighborhood, he is nervous about starting over making new friends.  But making friends is the least of his problems, when he is being scared to death by the creepy old house next door and its enormous old tree.  The kids he does meet seem a bit strange and they keep disappearing in mysterious ways.  Can Teddy figure out what is going on before he himself disappears?

Things I Liked:
This was a deliciously creepy story.  I'm not a fan of horror or scary stories generally, but this one was quite good.  I loved the disturbing situation that Buckingham created for Teddy and especially the evil tree force.  It is an imaginative and really vivid story that will have you breaking out in goosebumps and watching out for trees over your shoulder.  A perfect Halloween read, I'd say (too bad I read it in January). Here are some atmospheric parts:

Teddy backed away from the old house, a little spooked that he'd been so drawn to its rickety porch.  He felt for the steps behind him with his foot, but when he eased down off the porch, his shoe caught on something.  As he fell, he made a grab for the rail, but his hand glanced off and dragged across a loose nail instead.  In the hot sun, the rusty metal felt strangely cold slicing into his wrist.  p 8

The branch quivered behind the nightstand, making Teddy's heart pound as he imagined a rattlesnake curled around the end that was beneath his bed, shaking with its eagerness to strike.  Or maybe a swarm of scorpions or black widow spiders pouring in on the branch from outside to scatter across his floor, creep up the walls, and crawl over his mattress.  Or could it be something even worse? p 27

Things I Didn't Like:
The fantasy element in the story was not very clear to me.  I struggled to understand parts of the story and how it would work.  Also, many of the characters were very flat, particularly the adults.  I felt like one character made an appearance early on and then sort of dropped out of the story all together, without much explanation.  I also felt like the prologue kind of ruined the mystery of the book by essentially telling us what was happening right away.  It was still good and creepy, but not quite Neil Gaiman. 

Read-alikes:
Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
definitely some creepiness and also a bit of gore

Overall rating: ***

How much creep-factor do you like in a book?

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Posted in 3 stars , cybils , Fantasy , middle grade , tween tuesday

Book Review: The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780061833663
Source: Library (for Cybils)

Mack is not the kind of guy you would pick as a hero.  He has phobias for nearly everything and he gets picked on at school.  But when a visitor from the past identifies him as one of twelve Magnifica - a kind of super hero - he must find in himself a power and magic beyond what he expected.  And then he must find the other eleven Magnifica to help him defeat an ancient evil.

Things I Liked:
This book's greatest strength is its humor.  I literally laughed at every page.  At times, it seemed like a spoof of fantasy and comic book-like heroes, which just made it all the funnier.  The golem was my favorite source of laughs as well - his notes made some of the less interesting parts bearable.  Mack was an interesting character, definitely not your typical hero, but more like a typical wimp who gets picked on.  This is the start of an action-packed and humor-infused series that tween boys should devour.  Just a hint of the fun:

Some were rich, as evidenced by their numerous teeth, their excellent clothing - two of the Magnifica had actual buttons - and their superior education.  The others were poor and wore coarse grain sacks with holes for arms and neck.  Some were really poor and wore nothing but strategically placed tufts of grass attached with mud - uncomfortable at the best of times and rather disastrous in a heavy rain. p 127

Shut your vile, filthy, fruit-chewing mouth, you low, slow, soggy bag of water; you sweat-oozing, cheese-scented wad of pulp mounted on toothpicks; you barely animated mistake of nature. p 186

Things I Didn't Like:
Aside from the humor and action, not much really happens in the book.  It felt very much like an introduction to a story without getting past the introduction; only giving us get a glimpse of what is to come.  Also, as several folks on the Cybils panel with me noted, it felt very commercialized with all the website tie ins.  The plot just didn't hold together well and all the characters other than Mack were not developed enough.  The flashbacks to ancient times kind of distracted from the story, rather than pulling it along.  Still, it will provide entertainment, if nothing else.

Read-alikes:
The 39 Clues series by various authors
A bit like The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some bullying and a few scary creatures

Overall rating: ***

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Posted in 3 stars , cybils , Fantasy , humorous , middle grade , tween tuesday

Book Review: Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: August 2010
ISBN: 9780316043076
Source: Library

Lanesha has never had much in the world.  What she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, who has taken care of her since she was a baby.  Mama Ya-Ya has a gift for being able to see the future, so when she catches a glimpse of Hurricane Katrina coming for their Ninth Ward home in New Orleans, she sees devastation.  Lanesha must draw upon the strength within herself in order to save both of them from the destruction.

Things I Liked:
This was such a sweet story with great characters.  I'm surprised it didn't have more of a Newbery following, since it seems very much like one adults would love and cherish and choose for awards.  It is beautifully written with some powerful and heart-breaking things that happen to Lanesha.  In fact, it was also a bit terrifying to actually feel what it must have been like during the hurricane and flooding after.  I loved Lanesha for her strength and the way she saw things, not to mention the supportive adults in her life, her teacher and of course Mama Ya-Ya.  A well-written tear-jerker that portrays what it might have been like during Hurricane Katrina.  Some favorite parts:

I need everything Mama Ya-Ya teaches me.  And I need everything that school teaches me, too.  I need all the signs.  Dreams.  Words.  Word problems. Math.  Like air, they make my mind breathe. p 31

I start home but I don't run.  I walk.  Everything is topsy-turvy like in Alice in Wonderland.  Except it's a white cloud's fault, not a rabbit hole's.  A white cloud spinning across the TV has turned my neighborhood upside down, inside out. p 86

Things I Didn't Like: 
As I mentioned, I think this is one that adults will love, but kids are not going to be as eager to pick it up or as thrilled to read it.  The fantasy elements are pretty light, almost an afterthought.  But, it is a sweet story that some fans of more realistic fiction will enjoy.

Read-alikes:
Kinda like One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Kept reminding me of (a much younger) Ruined by Paula Morris (but really only for the ghosts and the New Orleans setting)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some scary parts during the storm and flood

Overall rating: *****

Would you have loved a book like this as a child?

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Posted in 5 stars , cybils , magical realism , middle grade , tween tuesday

Dragonbreath and Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon

Double Feature is an occasional feature where I discuss/review two books, often comparing and contrasting characters or elements that were similar or different.  I try my best to not include spoilers, or to give a spoiler warning before them, but because these reviews are more in-depth than regular reviews, it is possible there might be some plot points given away.  Read at your own risk.

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
Publisher: Dial
Publication date: June 2009
ISBN: 9780803733633
Source: Library 

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon
Publisher: Dial
Publication date: February 2010
ISBN: 9780803733657
Source: Library

 

Summary book 1:
Danny Dragonbreath definitely is not your typical student at the amphibian/reptile school he attends.  Being the only mythical creature there, it is especially hard to not be able to breathe fire and prove he is a dragon.  But, when he doesn't do so well on his report of the ocean, he can call on his cousin the sea serpent to help him out.  Actually seeing and touching underwater creatures, especially the giant squid, is much more thrilling than simply reading about them.

Summary book 2:
In Danny and Wendell's next adventure, the foreign exchange student Suki is being stalked by ninja frogs.  The boys must visit Japan in order to find out just why those ninja frogs are after her.  Can Danny find his fire breathing abilities in time to save them from the deadly frogs?

Things I Liked about both:
The books are short and so, so funny. They have this quirky cast of reptiles, amphibians and, of course, Danny the dragon.  He and his best pal Wendell the iguana sound very much like typical tween boys, avoiding homework and bullies left and right, having first time crushes on cute girls.  It is full of tween humor and absolute silliness, plus the mix of comic strips, illustrations, and text make these books an easy choice for reluctant readers. Here are some of my favorite funny parts from both:

Danny hated standing still for anything.  It was just dragonish nature.  Dragons slept on their hoards, they fought knights, they occasionally flew around terrorizing peasants, but they didn't usually stand still.  (It's worth noting that Danny's parents had never terrorized a peasant in their lives, and Danny's mother always volunteered to bring goodies to the school bake sale, but really, it was the principle of the thing.) p 16-17, book 1

A ferocious predator, what the common potato salad lacks in bone structure, it more than makes up for in viciousness.  A school of potato salad can skeletonize a cow in under two weeks, assuming that the cow doesn't get bored and move. p 30, book 1

He was feeling rather disillusioned by the whole adventure.  Ninjas were apparently jerks, and Suki didn't want to be a ninja queen.  Plus, there was no super-secret kung fu technique for breathing fire, and the grand quest to find the enemies of the Spurtongue Clan involved a fifteen-minute walk and a mailbox.  If they made a king fu movie out of this adventure, it would probably be called Savage Fist of Boredom. p 106-107, book 2

Things I Didn't Like about both: 
They are very light on plot.  There isn't much purpose to the books, except to tell a funny story with maybe a little learning about the ocean or about Japanese culture on the side.  Simple, quick, and entertaining, but not much else.
 
Read-alikes:
Adventures of Ook and Gluk and other Dav Pilkey books

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS for both:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

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Posted in 4 stars , cybils , double feature , Fantasy , graphic novel , middle grade , tween tuesday

Book Review: The Shadows by Jacqueline West

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.

The Shadows by Jacqueline West
Publisher: Dial
Publication date:
ISBN: 9780803734401
Source: Library (read for Cybils)

When Olive and her parents move into a big creepy old house, she is uneasy with some of the things she finds there.  The paintings all over are permanently stuck on the walls and she can't seem to get some of them out of her mind.  When she finds a pair of old spectacles that let her into the world of these paintings, little does she realize the dangerous place she has entered.

Things I Liked:
As I mentioned yesterday in my Cybils celebration post, this was the Cybils winner in the MG SF/Fantasy panel I was on this year.  I was quite happy it won, since it was my first choice almost from the beginning (though in pretty close competition with Fever Crumb, which I read last year).  But this book felt so unique to me!  I loved the intriguing, spooky atmosphere that West's writing created.  For such a short and rather simplistic book, it had a remarkably complex plot.  The writing was fantastic, with some great metaphors throughout that really brought it to life.  I was quite pleased that the story didn't turn out to be totally predictable as well, since I sometimes find (as an adult) that I know exactly what will happen in a kids book.  The ending also managed to be not quite happy and not entirely complete, but still somewhat satisfying.  A lovely, complex, and creepy story for younger Neil Gaiman fans.  Some favorite parts:

It was a muggy afternoon, but the old stone house was dark and cool inside.  Trailing along behind the rest of the group, Olive could feel the little hairs on her bare arms standing up.  Mr. Hambert, on the other hand, was sweating like a mug of root beer in the sun.  His cheeks were pushed up into two red lumps by his wide smile.  He could smell a sale, and it smelled as good as a fresh bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. p 4

The basement of the old house was made mostly of stone, with some patches of packed dirk poking through, and other patches of crumbling cement trying to hide the dirt.  The effect was like an ancient, stale birthday cake frosted by a blindfolded five-year-old. p 21

Mrs. Nivens and Mrs. Dewey both smiled at her sweetly.  Mrs. Dewey looked as if she had been made of round parts stacked on top of each other, like a snowman.  Mrs. Nivens was thin and blond, and looked like she had been carved out of a stick of butter.  Both of them looked like they would melt on a hot day. p 102

And, in a secret, selfish way, Olive was glad that Morton was stuck in one spot.  He couldn't leave or change or hide, like Horatio, when she needed him.  He was a bit like your favorite page in a book, one that you go back to and read to yourself over and over again, knowing that it will always be the same. p 137

Things I Didn't Like:
At times I was a little bit bored.  There wasn't non-stop action in the book, so it seemed to go slower in places.  There were some parts of the plot that seemed a bit manipulative as well, but I don't think it will bother kids much.  And Morton's ending seemed just a little bit too sad and incomplete for me, but there will be sequels to hopefully take care of that!

Read-alikes:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some scary stuff

Overall rating: ****

Are you clamoring to read Cybils winners or do you tend to avoid award winners?

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Posted in 4 stars , cybils , Fantasy , middle grade

Happy Cybils Day!

Yeah, the day has arrived!  Today I'm celebrating Cybils Day, since the Cybils winners were announced.  Hooray!  Go check out all the winners, but a gotta give a shout out to my panel's choice: 

Just a fantastic MG fantasy book that is reminiscent of Chronicles of Narnia and is just so great.  I'll post my review tomorrow :)  

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Posted in cybils , not a review , other awesome people

A Little Cybils Cheer

I was so excited when I got the news that I'd get to be doing Cybils judging again!  I'm on the Round II panel for Elementary/MG Sci-fi and Fantasy.  I simply loved reading and talking about these kinds of books last year and I look forward to doing it again with these good people:

Kate Coombs, Book Aunt
Emily Mitchell, emilyreads
Nancy Tsai, Kidsmomo
Tanya Zavestoski Turek, Books 4 Your Kids

So, be sure to get your nominations in starting October 1.  And for more detailed info to get yourself all ready, check out Natasha's post What You Need to Know about the 2010 Cybils Awards.  

What books do you plan to nominate in this category?

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Posted in cybils , not a review , other awesome people

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

I've been meaning to post about some things going on (or that already went on) in the blogging world.  So, in order to consolidate things, here they all are together.  

First, I wanted to mention the excellent Utah Book Blogging Social that took place last Saturday.  It was (as usual) fabulous.  While I didn't meet too many new bloggers (I really should have, though) I did get to chat with some old friends and get introduced to some new-to-me authors.  I will send you to look at Suey of It's All About Books' post with pictures.  This is very brave of me, since her photo of me is dreadful.  I'd love to list a bunch of the folks I met, but perhaps instead I will send you to look at the list that Natasha has created of us.  That will give you an glimpse at our numbers! Can't wait until February when we will hopefully be doing it again.

Being a librarian, I couldn't help myself from signing up for Steph Su's Banned Books Reading Challenge.  Obviously, the point is to read some books that have been challenged or banned to bring attention to them or to censorship in general.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to get in at least two challenged books between now and October 15.

1. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
2. Blubber by Judy Blume
3. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

And I've decided to throw myself into another new challenge.  I loved Lenore's Dystopian August, though I didn't get to appreciate it as much as it deserved while I was on vacation, and so I was super thrilled when Darren announced he was hosting the YA dystopian challenge.  I'm going for a level three wherein I hope to read at least five dystopian books between October 1st and December 19th.  We'll see how that goes!

1. Matched by Ally Condie
2. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
3. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
4. Hunger by Michael Grant
5. Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Next up, we have another Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon coming up on October 9th.  I've kind of been in a reading slump, not taking much pleasure in what I read, but doing it anyway for the sake of accomplishing something (and not falling farther behind in my review books).  I'm hoping this will help me get excited again (and not send me over the edge of insanity).  Either way, I'm probably going to take it easy and not attempt too much.  But, I still love to participate!

And finally, I was super excited to see that the Cybils are getting ready to start again.  Last year, I got to be a judge for the MG/Elementary sci-fi and fantasy category and I simply loved it!  I haven't signed up to be a potential judge again (yet), but I am thinking about it long and hard.  I don't know if I can stop myself!  Either way, you can head to the Cybils main page for more info on the award and on volunteering to judge.   

I think that about does it for me!  Hopefully you survived all that info and are not catatonic.  If so, quickly go read a book or a book review or something. 

And remember that at least I did not include my kitchen sink.

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Posted in bookish topics , challenges , cybils , not a review , other awesome people , read-a-thon