Zeus: King of the Gods

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Katy K.

Apologies for the day off yesterday – my daughter had her preschool graduation ceremony, which was both adorable and completely threw off normal routines. Much like young children in general, come to think of it.

It seems to be kids’ graphic novel week here at A Library Mama. I’d recommended this series to Percy Jackson fans a bit ago, and took it home to my son to try it out.

Zeus: King od the GodsZeus: King of the Gods. Olympians, book 1. by George O’Connor. First Second, 2010.
O’Connor retells the stories of the ancient Olympians, one god at a time, in graphic novel form. The thin ink and dark color washes give this a vintage comic book feel, complete with vintage-style action. In this story, we get the creation of the world, the Titans, and young Zeus’s struggles to free his siblings and overthrow their father. The story is very exciting, and the notes at the back make it clear that O’Connor did a lot of research, going back to multiple original sources and synthesizing them into a cohesive narrative. Really, what more could you want? Oh, maybe some less scholarly books for further reading for interested kids? He’s got a nice list of those, too, both in the book and on his web site, Olympiansrule.com Because we are talking about the ancient gods, expect violence and some sexual references – parents may want to read first if kids are young and/or sensitive to these things. In general, I’d say they are perfect for middle grade and teen readers. My son zipped through this and wanted more – it’s a good thing there are lots of them out!

Here are the others so far:
Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess
Hera: the Goddess and Her Glory
Hades: Lord of the Dead
Poseidon: Earth Shaker
Aphrodite: Goddess of Love

Posted in books | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Rapunzel’s Revenge

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Katy K.

I’m so glad my daughter’s recent Rapunzel kick pushed me to check this one out – I’d been meaning to read it since it first came out.

Speaking of graphic novels, my family all went out to the last day of Kids Read Comics at the Ann Arbor District Library. Such fun! We didn’t make it to any of the workshops this time, but my son had a lot of fun at one of the quick-draw sessions, and we went to the Kids Choice Comics Award ceremony, presided over by Kids Read Comic’s own Jerzy Drozd as well as Matt Holm of Babymouse and Squish fame. I love how the awards mix in more expected things like “best licensed property” and “best comic/novel hybrid” with wacky things like “best hair” and “grossest moment”, all with Lego minifig trophies. But you should totally go to the web site and look at all the awards! (As of right this minute, only the ballot with the shortlist are posted, but hopefully the results will be up soon, and shortlists are always well worth looking at!)

Rapunzel's RevengeRapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. Bloomsbury, 2008.
Newbery-award winning author and personal favorite Shannon Hale paired with her husband Dean Hale and the unrelated graphic novel Nathan Hale (of the Hazardous Tales series) to write this action-packed Rapunzel set in the Old West. Rapunzel has grown up inside the lush walls of Dame Gothel’s compound, calling Gothel mother. Then she gets old enough to climb up the high walls, and sees the desolation outside, with starving mine workers lined up for small amounts of food and water. She realizes that her own real mother is one of them. Naturally, being 12, her first thought is to tell off Dame Gothel in person – which gets her trapped in a tree in a faraway swamp. Once she escapes, years later, her desire for revenge and a reunion with her mother is even greater. She teams up with a rascal named Jack (who looks to be of Latino heritage), spreading mayhem and accidentally getting outlawed (at least on Rapunzel’s part) on the way.

So! Much! Fun! Rapunzel uses her braids to good advantage, and she and Jack have lots of adventures on their way to the big confrontation with Dame Gothel. It’s filled both with realistic people of the old West from sheriffs and wealthy ranchers to the residents of small Native American villages struggling to make a living on the edges of land sucked dry by Mother Gothel’s magic, as well as mythological creatures like the jackalope. I started reading this aloud to both my kids. Nathan Hale’s straightforward illustration style does a great job of conveying action and expression, with plenty of pictures breaking out of the regular grid to add to the excitement. My four-year-old liked it, but doesn’t quite have the attention span for longer books yet – we got almost to the end in several reading sessions. My nine-year-old, on the other hand, took it away and read it straight through to himself. Which reminds me that I need to bring him the sequel, Calamity Jack.

Posted in books | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Cracks in the Kingdom

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Katy K.

There was a big to-do around the book blogosphere when the first book in this series, A Corner of White, came out last year. They were giving away the book with a Moleskine journal and a mug in matching colors, with a different color combination on each blog doing the giveaway. I’m not quite sure why this captivated me so much – it’s not like I need more journals or mugs – but I did read the book, even though I didn’t win any of the giveaways.

A year later, I wondered, did I like the book so much because of the giveaways, or was it really so good? And after reading book two, with a lot more remove from that hype, I have to say, the books really are that good. But maybe don’t read this review if you haven’t read the first book, because spoilers are inevitable.

The Cracks in the KingdomThe Cracks in the Kingdom. The Colors of Madeleine Book 2. by Jaclyn Moriary. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2014.
At the end of the first book, our hero in the Kingdom of Cello, Elliott, had just been invited to be part of the Royal Youth Alliance. Its purpose was not to united the youth from different areas of the kingdom in the face of increasing factions and Color Attacks, but for the teens involved to help Princess Ko track down the rest of the Royal Family, all of whom are missing. She thinks that they have all fallen or been sent through cracks in the Kingdom into our world. We know from the introduction that they are scattered all over our world, and that none of them remembers their life in Cello. All of the teens she’s chosen have special skills to bring to this hunt. Keira from Jagged Edge can make new technology to help, Samuel from Old Quainte can research the history of contact between the worlds, and Princess Ko’s friend Sergio the stable boy must be there for some reason. Elliott, of course, has his highly forbidden letter-writing relationship with Madeleine, back in our world, but still cares more about finding his father than the royal family. Madeleine herself, having dealt with a lot of issues in the last book, is trying with some difficulty to establish some kind of normal with her new knowledge of the world. And though I very much liked that in the first book, Elliott and Madeleine had a strictly platonic relationship, I was very excited here when they started moving towards romance.

As with the previous book, there are a lot of different kinds of elements mixed up here. There are full casts of characters in both worlds, and philosophy, science, and people from history all play important roles both in the plot and character development. Even though there’s a lot going on, the character growth for both Madeleine and Elliott is essential to the puzzles being solved. All of this put together made a heady mix that I just couldn’t put down. It feels like there’s enough weirdness to it that it’s a book that will either not work for people or, like me, work really, really well. Though there’s nothing really inappropriate for younger kids, the complexity and themes make me feel that it’s best for teens and up. This ended with some problems solved and a whole lot more created – and I’m very much looking forward to the next book!

Posted in books | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Princess and the Goblin

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Katy K.

One of the things I love about my son? When I say, “This is a book that kids have been enjoying for over a hundred years”, he gets excited about reading it. This is one that I read and reread as a child, and my first rereading as an adult.

The Princess and the GoblinThe Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. Strahan & Co, 1872.
Once upon a time, a princess lived in an old country house on a mountain, cared for by her nurse and with only occasional visits from her King-Papa. But when she accidentally stays out after dark, she and her nurse see goblins for the first time. A brave and saucy miner boy named Curdie rescues them. Soon, the Princess Irene learns about her magical Great-Great-Grandmother, who lives in a high tower and can only be found and seen when she wishes it. Grandmother gives the Princess Irene a magical ball of thread which she can tie to ring, so that whenever she’s frightened, she can follow the thread to a safe place. Meanwhile, Curdie investigates the goblin realms close to his mine, and finds that they are planning Dastardly Deeds. He puts himself at great risk to find out exactly what those plans are and how to stop them. There’s a lot of silly poetry, too, as Curdie’s main defense against the goblins is to sing long insults in rhyme at them.

Well. The Princess Irene is the very ideal of a Victorian little girl. She is neat, pretty, obedient, and keeps her promises and her faith in her grandmother, even when no one else believes her. Though she’s described as brave, her bravery consists mostly of believing that she will get to safety eventually if she follows her grandmother’s thread, something that doesn’t quite feel as exciting today as it did when the book first came out. The grandmother (sometimes looking young and beautiful, sometimes old and frail, always kind and wise) is a more compelling character. My son was not bothered by Irene’s failings, he said, because he identified so strongly with Curdie. Curdie, as a twelve-year-old working overtime in the mines to try to earn enough money to buy his mother warm winter clothes, offends my motherly sensibilities, but this is a well-documented shift in values since that time. My own son just thought that Curdie was very cool, and listened raptly to the adventures that both children had with the magical grandmother and the grotesque goblins. He wanted to go right on to The Princess and Curdie, only we got sucked into reading Jinx first instead. The Princess and the Goblin is still quite accessible for a Victorian story, and a good choice for young advanced readers, as it has more advanced vocabulary without objectionable content.

Posted in books | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Starling

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Katy K.

StarlingStarling by Sage Stossel. InkLit, 2013.
Amy was recruited as an official superhero – Starling – shortly after she knocked out a would-be kidnapper with electricity from her fists. While it was a great ego boost, it’s still an unpaid position. Now an adult, Amy is trying desperately to hold on to her marketing career, despite frequent pages at inopportune moments that she tries to disguise as irritable bowel syndrome, and a colleague who’s all too willing to take advantage of her absences. Just to make her life even more out of control, her brother Noah has given up even trying for a job and is sleeping on her sofa. Also, the ex-boyfriend she broke up with after she accidentally knocked him out is flirting with her, even though his current girlfriend is really nice herself. In a soft-hearted moment, Amy as Starling redirects some criminals towards a better life instead of turning them in, and now all sorts of unsavory people are looking for her in the hopes of similar assistance. Is there such a thing as work-life balance when you’re trying to balance not just regular life and work, but also a superhero career?

Although Amy/Starling is a superhero, and we see some of her exploits, the focus is on her tangled real life. The simple ink and watercolor art and regular grid back this up. This didn’t grab me quite as much as I was hoping, but it still manages to be heartwarming and funny at the same time. I put it in the adult collection at the library, since it’s about an adult, but as there’s no Objectionable Content, it would be perfectly appropriate for teens as well.

Posted in books | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Katy K.

This was the last of the Cybils Middle Grade Spec Fic finalists, which I’m just now getting around to reviewing. As a bonus, in the meantime, it was also named a National Book Award Finalist.

True Blue Scouts of Sugarman SwampThe True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp by Kathi Appelt. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013.

“Librarians often say that every book is not for every child, but The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is” (The New York Times). Meet Bingo and J’miah, raccoon brothers on a mission to save Sugar Man Swamp in this rollicking tale and National Book Award Finalist from Newbery Honoree Kathi Appelt.

Raccoon brothers Bingo and J’miah are the newest recruits of the Official Sugar Man Swamp Scouts. The opportunity to serve the Sugar Man—the massive creature who delights in delicious sugar cane and magnanimously rules over the swamp—is an honor, and also a big responsibility, since the rest of the swamp critters rely heavily on the intel of these hardworking Scouts.

Twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn is not a member of any such organization. But he loves the swamp something fierce, and he’ll do anything to help protect it.

And help is surely needed, because world-class alligator wrestler Jaeger Stitch wants to turn Sugar Man swamp into an Alligator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park, and the troubles don’t end there. There is also a gang of wild feral hogs on the march, headed straight toward them all.

The Scouts are ready. All they have to do is wake up the Sugar Man. Problem is, no one’s been able to wake that fellow up in a decade or four…

Animal fantasy is often not my thing – I probably wouldn’t have picked this up if it hadn’t been a Cybils finalist. But it was a whole lot of fun, with kid appeal coming from every angle. The story is told mostly from the points of view of the raccoon Scouts and the human boy Chap. The Scouts and Chap both know that the swamp is in trouble, but they know about different things, and they don’t know that the other species either knows or is trying to do anything about it. The Scouts are scrappy young things, full of mischief and dedication in equal measure, though with their own distinct personalities. Chap has recently lost his beloved grandfather, who had lived with him and his mother. Since his death, Chap has been feeling the burden of being the Man of the Family, while also trying to solve the mysteries that his grandfather left behind in stories and in scraps in his sketchbook: his lost DeSoto, and with it, the photos he took of the supposedly extinct Lord God Bird. Short asides into the history of the swamp and its flora and fauna bring it even more vividly to life.

It only takes the reader a little while to figure out that Chap’s grandfather’s lost DeSoto is the very same car that the Scouts use as their headquarters, keeping someone on watch in it because sometimes, it comes to life and a Voice speaks words of truth from it, which the Scouts need to be on hand to hear. This kind of dovetailing comes into play throughout the story, as characters, objects, and phrases from one part of the story connect with those in another. It’s told in short, exciting chapters and vibrant, colloquial but rich language. Paths converge, objects go flying into the air, and over all hangs the rich scent of the fried sugar pies that Chap’s mother makes for a living. This is the perfect blend of excitement and humor, with a nice dollop of environmentalism.

Posted in books | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Mark of the Dragonfly

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Katy K.

Hooray for middle grade steampunk!

The Mark of the DragonflyThe Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson. Delacorte Press, 2014.
Piper lives on her own in a scrapper town, where everyone lives off of scavenging and selling the objects from some other dimension that fall down through the meteor showers. And then one day, her best friend Micah risks the radiation of heading out during the meteor shower instead of afterwards, hoping to get first pick. Piper follows him, and finds an injured girl in the wreckage. She has a luminous dragonfly tattoo on her arm, something given only to the most important people of the next country south, the Dragonfly territories. Even though Anna can’t communicate very well, she’s clearly both valuable frightened of someone finding her. Piper hatches a plan to make her fortune by sneaking Anna onto the grand old 401 train to the Dragonfly Territories and turn her in for a reward. On the train, after a rocky start, the girls are befriended by Gee, a mysterious boy with bright green eyes and a wandering soot smudge.

This was a very fun book set in a nicely detailed, multi-species world that had both steampunk and fantasy elements. There are lots of mechanical devices, which Piper is very good at repairing, as well as creatures that can shift between human and dragon forms, as well as other, even stranger intelligent beings. It felt a little bit Asian to me, but perhaps only because of the great armored train – there’s nothing really more to establish the setting as being drawn from any particular real Earth place. I enjoyed it and the developing friendships between the children quite a bit. They were all orphaned for different, believable reasons, and Piper struggled believably between wanting the monetary reward she needs to be able to start a decent life and her increasing sense of duty towards Anna. My mother picked it up and made it three-quarters of the way through in an evening, also enjoying it – though she rightfully pointed out that Piper makes the same mistake multiple times in the book, and one does wish she would learn her lesson the first time. The ending also, alas, is not quite believable. Still, this is one I’d happily give to a middle grade child or adult in search of a fun fantasy adventure.

Posted in books | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Black Dog

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Katy K.

I was lucky enough to win this from Maureen at By Singing Light. I’ve enjoyed Rachel Neumeier in the past (The Floating Islands) and was very excited to read this!

Black DogBlack Dog by Rachel Neumeier. Strange Chemistry, 2014.
In this modern-day fantasy, three siblings flee their village in Mexico that their enemies burned to the ground, for the dubious potential safety of Vermont. Alejandro is a Black Dog, able to shift between human and animal form. His sister, Natividad, is Pure, with the magic to help him control his Black Dog Shadow. Miguel is Natividad’s twin, not supernaturally gifted, but exceptionally bright and perceptive. With their parents dead, their only hope is that the strongest Black Dog clan on the continent will shield them from their enemy – but Black Dog clans are notoriously unfriendly to outsiders, and the Dimilioc is the least open of all. Their best hope is that the Dimilioc will be willing to trade shelter for the promise of Natividad marrying into the clan, with both sides skirting very uncomfortably around Natividad’s youth on the one side – she’s almost 15 – and the clan’s urgent need for new blood on the other.

But their enemy, von Heusel, is more determined than they thought, willing to trail them all the way. He’s willing to turn as many people into the less-powerful moonbound werewolves as it takes to defeat the Dimilioc and take Natividad for himself. She needs to figure out the secret he thinks her mother taught her before it’s too late, all while managing the complicated dynamics of her own still grief-stricken family, their new place in Dimilioc, and the slight possibility of genuine romance with Ezekiel, the young Dimilioc executioner.

You might have noticed that this book was on my top ten list for the year. I read it, and have already loaned it out twice to other people to read. Everything is in place, from the larger politics of the supernatural struggle that’s going on and the mechanics of the magic to the smaller details of personality and the shift to America. Natividad, in the blank white kitchen in Vermont, longs for the smells of her mother’s Mexican kitchen, and gets to work trying to make the Dimilioc house, also filled with loss, into a home, starting with homemade cinnamon rolls. I really like how cautious she is about getting romantically involved with anyone in her new place, precisely because she knows she will have to soon. She also walks a tightrope between needing to seem obedient because of the strict hierarchy of Black Dog society and having a very strong sense of what just needs to happen. I’m trying and failing to think of some part of this that didn’t work for me – not that everything was sunshine and rainbows, because clearly not, but everything made sense. I cared about the characters, and there was enough of a balance of tension with some lighter moments to make it very, very hard to put the book down.

I really hope there will be a sequel.

Posted in books | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Black Dog

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Katy K.

I was lucky enough to win this from Maureen at By Singing Light. I’ve enjoyed Rachel Neumeier in the past and was very excited to read this!

Black DogBlack Dog by Rachel Neumeier. Strange Chemistry, 2014.
In this modern-day fantasy, three siblings flee their village in Mexico that their enemies burned to the ground, for the dubious potential safety of Vermont. Alejandro is a Black Dog, able to shift between human and animal form. His sister, Natividad, is Pure, with the magic to help him control his Black Dog Shadow. Miguel is Natividad’s twin, not supernaturally gifted, but exceptionally bright and perceptive. With their parents dead, their only hope is that the strongest Black Dog clan on the continent will shield them from their enemy – but Black Dog clans are notoriously unfriendly to outsiders, and the Dimilioc is the least open of all. Their best hope is that the Dimilioc will be willing to trade shelter for the promise of Natividad marrying into the clan, with both sides skirting very uncomfortably around Natividad’s youth on the one side – she’s almost 15 – and the clan’s urgent need for new blood on the other.

But their enemy, von Heusel, is more determined than they thought, willing to trail them all the way. He’s willing to turn as many people into the less-powerful moonbound werewolves as it takes to defeat the Dimilioc and take Natividad for himself. She needs to figure out the secret he thinks her mother taught her before it’s too late, all while managing the complicated dynamics of her own still grief-stricken family, their new place in Dimilioc, and the slight possibility of genuine romance with Ezekiel, the young Dimilioc executioner.

You might have noticed that this book was on my top ten list for the year. I read it, and have already loaned it out twice to other people to read. Everything is in place, from the larger politics of the supernatural struggle that’s going on and the mechanics of the magic to the smaller details of personality and the shift to America. Natividad, in the blank white kitchen in Vermont, longs for the smells of her mother’s Mexican kitchen, and gets to work trying to make the Dimilioc house, also filled with loss, into a home, starting with homemade cinnamon rolls. I really like how cautious she is about getting romantically involved with anyone in her new place, precisely because she knows she will have to soon. She also walks a tightrope between needing to seem obedient because of the strict hierarchy of Black Dog society and having a very strong sense of what just needs to happen. I’m trying and failing to think of some part of this that didn’t work for me – not that everything was sunshine and rainbows, because clearly not, but everything made sense. I cared about the characters, and there was enough of a balance of tension with some lighter moments to make it very, very hard to put the book down.

I really hope there will be a sequel.

Posted in books | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Nightingale’s Nest for 48HBC

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Katy K.

I always keep an eye out for a good fairy tale retelling, and this one has magical music as a bonus. This one had been on my radar for a while (thanks, Charlotte!), and was the last book I finished for the 48HBC.

Nightingale's NestNightingale’s Nest by Nikki Loftin. Razorbill, 2014.
Twelve-year-old Little John’s family, never well off, has been reeling ever since his little sister fell out of a tree and died. The funeral expenses ate up their small savings. His mother keeps forgetting that she’s dead and has told Little John that’s he’s too old for hugs, while his father drinks through the rent and grocery money. The only person in town with the money to hire him is the despised Mr. King, owner of a large chain of stores. It’s while helping his dad work for “the Emperor” that Little John hears the most beautiful singing he’s ever heard coming from a tree in the yard next door. It’s a young girl, described in the text as brown-haired and brown-eyed, and shown on the cover as African-American. She introduces herself as Gayle, the latest foster child taken in by mean Mrs. Cutlin. Mrs. Cutlin says that her name is Suzie and that her parents are dead; Gayle says her parents have just flown away, and she needs to stay in the tree so they can find her. Little John can’t really believe her on that, but he can’t deny that her singing heals his cuts. He trying to keep her safe from Mrs. Cutlin and her son brings her to the Emperor’s attention. More than anything, the Emperor wants Gayle to sing for him in his recording studio, so much that he’s willing to offer Little John anything to convince her. Little John sees how Gayle shakes when she’s near him – but surely just singing once for him couldn’t be so bad?

This is a beautiful, heartbreaking book, with everyone hurting each other so much even when they’re trying not to and a hopeful but not happy ending. I really wanted to love it – the characters, the setting, the feelings all done so well – but I’m not sure that I really did. I was angry with Little John’s parents for being so hard on him because of losing their daughter, instead of treasuring the child they had. Maybe it’s that Hans Christian Andersen (again) isn’t my favorite, and maybe also that it’s got the plot motivated by one dead child and one abused child, things I know don’t really work for me. And maybe that I just wasn’t quite in the mood for heartbreak that day. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t quite touch my heart the way it did some people’s. As a child, though, I went for the sad books more often than I do now, and I’m pretty sure that the parents’ failings wouldn’t have struck me so hard before I was a parent myself. So I’d still highly recommend this to readers, middle grade and above, in the mood for quietly heartbreaking magical realism.

Posted in books | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment