“Nation” by Terry Pratchett

From Chapter One: “Light died in the west. Night and tears took the Nation. The star of Water drifted among the clouds like a murderer softly leaving the scene of the crime.”

Mix “Swiss Family Robinson” with the Michael Dorris book “Sees Behind Trees” and you have Terry Pratchett’s award-winning book “Nation.” It *could* be Historical Fiction – it’s not, but that’s fairly immaterial. In a departure for the hard-core fantasy writer of the Discworld series, this book is set in the islands of a mythical Pacific around 1900. A natural disaster lands two young teens from different worlds together as they try to rebuild a community. The point of view between them flows freely from sentence to sentence. Leave it to Pratchett not to adhere to the current style of flipping voice-over from one chapter to the next. The large book (which I whipped through … of course) is the story of the ties that bind – to people, objects and gods. Like all Pratchett books, there are questions about religion, faith and belief, and death is personified. The dry, subtle wit, which takes a few gentle shots at British aristocracy is a hallmark of a gifted writer who is smart and clever and makes you think. Terry Pratchett is, without doubt, one of my most favorite authors. I kept this book for the end of my summer reading because I knew it would be like a delightful dessert – and it was. Terry Pratchett is also suffering from early-onset Alzheimers. Read his announcement at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1986843/posts. It’s like one of his storylines. Once the struggling little shlub finally makes it, the fickle gods strike him down in a stroke of apathetic irony. Except it isn’t a story, it’s real, and it is hugely sad and unfair. Nation is not Pratchett’s last book but it does feel like it in a way. An adorable epilogue not only wraps up things as they should (instead of how I wish it…) but seems to be a letter to his faithful fans to keep on dreaming. It was incredibly touching. For those who love his work or those who have never experienced it, read this novel before the fire goes out.

“Sabriel” by Garth Nix

Finally, I get to read a popular fantasy novel which came out in … 1995. Boy, am I behind! Sabriel is your typical fantasy, but very well written. Given the range of genres I encountered this summer it was great to return to my “home-base” as it were. All the elements are here: A birth of the chosen one laced with omens, a young girl called before her time, a journey into darkness and magic that is overpowering. Add in a handsome enchanted guy and a mysterious cat and you have the de rigueur fantasy novel (complete with map of the enchanted kingdom and an epic final battle). When written poorly, this style can be trite and plodding. Australian author Garth Nix, however, is a wordsmith, and his rich (at times overwhelming) text smoothly glides you to the building crescendo of good facing off against evil. The general tone of the book is not light. The “Abhorsens” are masters of death. I not only liked the book and look forward to (someday) reading the sequels, but felt a certain kinship – as if I were discovering Ursula K. LeGuin’s “Farthest Shore” trilogy all over again. There are many parallels to that series, but this feels more like an homage than a rip-off. This e-book, like many, includes an “extra” essay by the author on his writing process. In any case, if you are purist who likes a solid fantasy, this is definitely your cup of tea.

“Maximum Ride: The Angel Experience” by James Patterson

While this was good, I guess I expected it to be better. With the huge popularity the series has, I was a tad underwhelmed. Part of it was that the tale is hugely derivative. I guess it proves the old adage that there are no new stories, just new ways of telling them. The voice of Max is engaging, sardonic, and surprisingly real. Which is what saves the book, in my opinion. My problem with the book has to do with the similarity it has to the “Dark Angel” TV series, which pre-dated it by almost seven years. Take this description for instance: Named Max, she was a tough teenage girl with long brown hair. She was a mutant, created for unknown reasons by a secret organization that raised children in antiseptic, clinical settings. She knows how to kick butt, and works hard to keep her “family” of mutant kids together after they escape the facility. Secretly, they dream of a place called home, where parents love them and no one chases them down to put them in cages. This could be the description for this book but it is almost the verbatim description of the TV show. There are differences – Max from Dark Angel has feline DNA, in this story, Max has avian DNA. The parallels, however, are striking – right down the father-figure who may or may not be evil and a mysterious prediction that “Max” (in both series) will save the world. With imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, the “borrowing” continues with scenes that reminded me of X-Men and the 1980s TV show, “Beauty and the Beast.” The book itself moves quickly, with short chapters careening through a never-ending chase. The violence is frequent and detailed. I would not recommend this for sensitive readers. One final complaint – most of the chapters are told in first-person narrative from the point-of-view of Max. When she cannot be present, the story switches to third-party narrative, except in two small chapters with a character named “Angel.” The inconsistency is a little jarring. Other than “all that”, the characters are interesting and the cliff-hanger ending does make me want to continue reading. That is a good thing. As the crew goes after the mysterious compound in book two (a major plot-line at the end of season one of Dark Angel) I hope I can see something original emerging.

“The Wanderer” by Sharon Creech

Love Sharon Creech. As an author, she does something amazing. She manages to write simple tales which attract a broad range of readers. The heavily awarded “The Wanderer” is no exception, and many students have told me how much they enjoyed it. Like her other books, the prose is clean and yet lyrical. The themes are familiar – lost kids trying to connect to parents who are either physically or emotionally absent; a physical journey that represents an emotional one; and a serious twist or two. This book focuses on the cross-Atlantic sea journey of young Sophie, the only girl among a handful of male relatives, going on the trip of a lifetime. There are enough details to understand the workings of the boat without bogging down the story, but the best part of it, for me, was the flip-flop of perspectives between Sophie and her cousin Cody. Both are writing journals of their trip and the chapters go from one journal to the other, often detailing the same events. There is deep humor here seeing a pre-teen girl and a disaffected teen boy describe how things are unfolding. There are also gentle lessons. The book is an extremely smooth read that flew by. The pen & ink drawings that begin each chapter help set a tone for the artistic complexity within the plotline. A definite must-read, particularly if you have never enjoyed one of Ms. Creech’s books.

“Coraline” by Neil Gaiman

Well, it’s about time. I’m one of those people who won’t see the movie if I haven’t read the book so I totally missed the Coraline film when it was in theatres. Not to mention, I’ve recommended this book countless times to students and had never read it for myself (yes, librarians do that). Unlike the Bosch book, this one had definite advantages being read as an eBook. Like a DVD, there were “extras,” including an interview with Neil Gaiman and an essay on how/why he wrote the book. This is his favorite book, he says (of course that was before he wrote “The Graveyard Book,” which is my favorite). Long story short, I loved it. I love his bizzaro twists and perverse ways of looking at things. Coraline’s journey into another world/family is absolutely macabre. Gaiman mentioned that adults seem terrified of the book, while kids see it as an adventure. On this point, I agree. The tale was a visceral nightmare and while I could see the bolder child finding fun (not to mention understanding) in Coraline’s story, the button-eyes alone are enough to give me shivers. Gaiman also says it’s the quirkiest thing he has ever written. Here, I don’t know what to say. Between the graphic novels portraying midnight circuses with phantasmagoria to “Wolves in the Walls,” a nice horror-story picture book for little kids (!), he’s a pretty strange fellow. And I like strange. Is this short little book enough to give me nightmares? Maybe, but at least now I’ll be able to rent the DVD.

“Rumors”, “Envy” and “Splendor” by Anna Godbersen

Disclaimer: I don’t generally like romance novels, but the fluffy fun in the first book in this series made me want to keep reading. I thought it was a trilogy – turned out to be four books! They say that sequels generally don’t live up to the original. I tend to agree, but the second book in this series seems to be an exception. These gilded-age romance books akin to a 19th century Gossip Girls continue with the same back and forth point-of-views and detailed setting descriptions that made the first one a decent read. It would be easy to dismiss these characters as self-involved spoiled society types with the nastiness of your average teen series on the CW. They mistake lust for love and fall so instantly in passion (and bed) that one can’t help feel they are more fantasy than substance. And yet. The historical setting helps support the need for clandestine hook-ups due to the constraints of the period. The rich text (Godbersen uses enough high-falutin’ words that I had to look up more than a dozen of them) gives you a real feel of “being there.” Rumors picks up nearly to the day that Luxe ends and maintains a strong and steady pace that makes you want to turn the page (or, in this case, hit the forward button). It’s not short, but I had to read it in a sitting just to see what happened next. Since each chapter takes on the story-line from the point of view of a different character, the anticipation is as torturous as a soap opera. Sadly, the second book took an unhappy turn near the end. I know, I know, it is de rigueur in romance to throw in something tragic, but as mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of that style. This kind of tale, I want a happy ending. More Pretty Woman, less Liaisons Dangereuses. The third book, Envy, continues the darker tone. Even though the fourth book, Splendor, doesn’t lose any of the strong style I did get wearied of it. By book four, I was kind of “let’s get this done.” Familiarity breeds contempt – there was one plot twist too many and I finally got sick of the dress descriptions. At one point, a conversation ended and wasn’t picked up until four chapters later. I kind of had enough. The final book ends as it should, if not as I had wished. With the myriad cast of characters there are many morals to be had, including “just desserts.” The one theme that surprised me was representative of the times. Godbersen is a very thoughtful writer. These books span from 1899 to 1900. Queen Victoria, who typified the model of a graceful, womanly ideal, passed away in January of 1901. The year 1900 wasn’t just the beginning of a new century, it was the end of an age and the birth of “Le Moderne.” The true moral of the book lies with one of our heroines, who has to decide whether true love conquers all or whether she should walk away from the one she loves rather than lose herself in saving him. For those who like a colorful and juicy tale replete with lots of sex set in a semi-mythical past, go for it. The ladies of this series would.

“The Book Is Not Good For You” by Pseudonymous Bosch

Once again, I managed to select a book to read that was in a series – and not the first book. Not sure how I keep doing that. This is actually the third book in the “Secret” series (out of five). Maybe it was the chocolate. This particular book’s mystery is about chocolate, and since I had just hit the Godiva summer sale, it was probably fate. Catching up had its challenges. Added to that is the author’s quirky, staccato style. He (she? it?) addresses the readers with asides and snarky comments, mixes up the chapters and has one chapter where only a few letters are visible (it’s called the “Invisible Chapter”). Clearly aimed at high elementary/low middle school, it was a fun read with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Despite the amusements, the age of the kids and the short length, I would say that some maturity among the readers is necessary to fully appreciate the irony/sarcasm and follow the twisting tale. It makes “Westing Game”, a perpetual favorite, look virtually linear. In any case, the tweens depicted will appeal. They are rounded, real and likeable. Given that most of the bad guys come off as melodrama villains, big kudos to Mr. Bosch for avoiding any and all stereotypes with the kids. No big. The book was a great summer read. This was, however, the first book where the limits of reading it on my laptop (as opposed to an eReader) were apparent. The amusing images drawn for each chapter were cut off at the bottom and links to the glossary meant a frantic scroll back and forth to try and find the originating page. I ended up skipping the footnotes and saved the glossary and appendix items to read after finishing the story. And yes, they are both fun and informative as well. So, grab some cacao and settle in with Cass, Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji as they travel to Africa. Or Costa Rica. Or not. It’s a secret.

“Wintergirls” by Laurie Halse Anderson

In the sparse, lyric style typical of her books, Laurie Anderson takes on the issue of anorexia. The result is a stunning page-turner that ranks up there with the best of her writing. Told in first person narrative, this fairly brutal story echoes the emotional tone in the Gail Giles book, “What Happened to Cass McBride?” It begins with death and spirals quickly towards the abyss. Characters are drawn very human and unapologetically. Storylines are wrapped up with realism, not idealism. Ms. Anderson, like Jodi Picoult, does serious research for her books and it shows. The voice in this novel rings so real you find yourself stopping to wonder if this isn’t someone she knows (it’s not). For me, the book hit home a little too well. While I love her books, this one was almost painful to read – I found myself aching to reach through the pages and “make it better.” It’s hard not to connect, the text is so visceral: “The snow drifts into our zombie mouths crawling with grease and curses and tobacco flakes and cavities and boyfriend/girlfriend juice, the stain of lies. For one moment we are not failed tests and broken condoms and cheating on essays; we are crayons and lunch boxes and swinging so high our sneakers punch holes in the clouds.” Needless to say, this is yet another story for high schoolers that might be picked up by middle school students. Just let them know the material is fairly uncensored. It’s not a short read, but try to make time to read it in one sitting. I had to break it into three chunks to get through and the frustration level of having to stop was high. On the other hand, I was so disturbed by the story I had to watch romantic comedies for days afterwards. Be forewarned. But enjoy! For good reason, this one has seen a lot of traffic in the library.

“The Death-Defying Pepper Roux” by Geraldine McCaughrean

I really loved this book, and read it (electronically) straight through from the first to last chapter. It was a “notable” book from this year’s TAB selection. I hadn’t realized, when I chose it, that it came from the same author as the Printz Winner, “The White Darkness.” I’m glad I didn’t remember the connection. “White Darkness” was 50/50 in my mind, while this brief novel sparkled. Pepper Roux is a young man in (late 1800s???) France who is slated to die age the age of 14 – a fate foretold by his aunt, who has a pipeline to the holy saints. He awakes on his 14th birthday full of dread and, because of the inevitability of this dire prediction, embarks on a number of amazing adventures. The book has a quirky, subtle humor infused with plenty of satire, irony and a dash of fantasy. The text is rich and paints an emotive tone. Not unlike the movie “Chocolat” this is a tale from another time and place that isn’t necessarily grounded in reality. But then, there is Colton Harris-Moore. Harris-Moore is the 19 year-old barefoot bandit recently caught in the Caribbean after stealing planes and boats. The reality of his implausible exploits makes this story slightly, ever-so-slightly, more believable. The lead character in the book, Pepper Roux, grows on you like an abandoned puppy and the characters he comes across are both fun and unique. Make no mistake, there are good guys and bad guys and little in-between, but at least one character, Duchesse, has a twist you might not expect. The morals of the tale are as subtle as the inferred jokes and my only sadness is that the middle schoolers the book is aimed at won’t necessarily get it. Steeped in Catholicism with an extremely foreign feel, the story is metaphorical and filled with phrases and high vocabulary that even I didn’t fully understand. My guess is that this is the type of book that will only move for dedicated readers in 9th or 10th grades??? Similar to the Montmorency series, it could catch on if marketed. At the very least, it’s a rare teen book that boys should enjoy. I’m putting it in that category of “quiet greats” like the Patrice Kindl tales. Something secret to enjoy.

“The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal” by Jonathan Mooney

On the surface, Mooney’s “Short Bus” is a travelogue. Diagnosed with ADD in his youth and stigmatized by the trappings of Special Education (most notably, the short bus), he became determined to prove the nay-sayers wrong in their belief that his condition limited his possibilities in life. Graduating from Brown, he began a series of lectures around the country about the negative impact of labeling kids “learning disabled.” He received many letters and emails from those who had heard of him and he decided to refurbish a short bus and go around the country to visit them. This book is (sort-of) a compilation of his travels and those visits.

Lest you should think that this is just about ADD/LD, Jonathan visits people with ADD/ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, those who are gay and transgendered, a blind/deaf girl and a man with Asberger’s. As it turns out, the point is not the label but the feelings people associate with the label. Mr. Mooney makes it clear that he felt like a freak. He desperately seeks out other freaks either for a sense of belonging or to understand the elusive nature of normalcy. This is the real point of the book – Jonathan Mooney’s internal quest. He wants so badly to belong to an ideal of “regular.” From the perspective of someone who is out of their twenties, I found the ending predictable.

Strengths of the book have to do with Mr. Mooney’s stunning prose – his descriptions of settings not only allow the reader to “see” a place physically and emotionally, but it makes you want to go there. Even the drunken orgy of Nevada’s “Burning Man” takes on a fascinating hue here. The book is extremely wide-ranging (as is the travel of the bus, which follows no logical route) and while interesting, there are gaps. There is a rambling, jumbled quality to it that doesn’t make for a page turner. This, combined with a seemingly heavy-handed editor, makes the book feel like it doesn’t have flow. A great read if you want to sit down and digest a chapter here and there (as I did), but not one you can shoot through. Just as well. Jonathan’s observations of the world around him (and they are his version of things) are intriguing and take time to process.

Definitely a good pick for our school book-club, and a bravo to Mr. Mooney for daring to seek answers outside of his comfort zone. A great lesson for all.