"Operation Yes" by Sara Lewis Holmes

Much like "Pay It Forward," this book has a tremendously inspirational tone. The story of young people whose parents are serving active duty, and the young teacher who wakes them up from the everyday life of school, brings many smiles and easy page-turning for the reader. Credit is given to Ms. Holmes for creating real characters, child and adult, that are admirable, flawed and quintessentially human. The tale begins with "Bo" -- a squirrelly sixth grader who gets in trouble for basically being a typical sixth grade boy. His new teacher, Ms. Loupe, not only sees his strengths but shows him how to use them to succeed. Enter Gari, Bo's cousin, who comes to live with Bo's family when her mother is posted to Iraq. The stories of these two kids interweave with those in their class and the adults around them. What could be a jangled mess of storylines and perspectives flows nicely. The lessons of the book hold disparate elements together in a clear picture. The choice to make the protagonists sixth grade is also well thought-out. Sixth grade is a magical tipping point -- they are still little kids but have a burgeoning understanding of the greater world slipping in. Bo and Gari are just beginning to understand the serious underpinnings of the military world around them, but they focus on what they can do to improve things ... and are remarkably successful. The book was a delight to read. It voiced messages I like: "Say Yes and..." to life and "Everyone has their battles." I look forward to meeting the author this Spring.

"Code Orange" by Caroline Cooney

I liked Caroline Cooney's earlier works, then felt she "sold out" a tad with "Emergency Room," "Flight 116 is Down," etc. "Goddess of Yesterday" was a welcome return to the Cooney I enjoy. "Code Orange" falls somewhere between the two extremes. Realistic and engaging characters draw you in (much more than the icky cover). Ms. Cooney either knows a lot of teens or she remembers her youth very well. She is also somewhat unapologetic in creating her characters, making Mitty Blake, the lead character in this novel, a genuinely disengaged rich kid who you may have to take a while to warm up to. Mitty's internal monologue of the pointlessness of school is accurate to a fault, not to mention a little humorous. The New York city setting is also a good fit with details evoking strong memories of time I have spent there. Where the novel went off the rails for me, a bit, was an improbable and convoluted plot involving a biology paper, memories of 9/11 and smallpox scabs. While the disease aspect does bring a certain page-turning aspect to the story, the overall level of drama eventually rises, as it must, to a somewhat silly level. It's not that it was screamingly bad, just a poor mix of the actual fear felt during the terrorists attacks mixed with quickly aging scientific and technical data in the book. I was left feeling angst over the dredged-up memories of actual history combined with the knowledge that this novel, written in 2005, lacked the perspective I now have on the events mentioned. This will not be a problem for the students being asked to read it -- they will not remember 9/11, the Anthrax attacks or the general mood of the country in those years. For me, it will never go away. Not sure I'm ready for the fictionalized version, particularly when the voices ring so much like the kids I know. Hopefully, Ms. Cooney will continue writing character-driven books, and not return to these "crisis of the times" novels.

"Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

First-time author Clare Vanderpool has won the lottery. Watching this book rocket to the top 10 of Amazon's sales in the 24 hours after the Newbery was announced was, as always, fun. After a brief dalliance with "cool" when they awarded the annual award to Neil Gaiman's "Graveyard Book" two years ago and the somewhat trippy "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead last year, this year's award committee returned to the Newbery safe-zone ... an historical novel with strong literary underpinnings that was on no one's radar. Keeping with the trend of focusing on the 1910s (is this a 100 year thing?), "Moon Over Manifest" tells a story in two times -- 1936 and 1917/18. When I was growing up, historical fiction was often set in the American Revolution, the Civil War or the Great Depression. This recent attention on America at the time of WWI and the Spanish Influenza is interesting for no other reason than I don't know much about it. Most notably, I enjoyed the 1914 novel "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson. This book has many similar themes -- the struggle the nation had with the influx of immigrants at the turn of the last century, the building of community in the burgeoning towns of the plains states, the loss of the (very) young men who served the nation in the war -- but it is told from a younger perspective and is much more dense, combining the perspective of the Depression-era present with this colorful decade as a girl searches for her father's presence in a town "with a past." Abilene, our main character, is the kind of plucky 12 year-old that one thinks of in these kinds of books. She is engaging and well-drawn, as are all the characters (although I would skip the unnecessary character list at the beginning). A weighty tome at more than 350 pages, it was an engaging read that I read in one (albeit long) sitting. Mostly realistic and not dark, with a solid mystery or two and just a dash of humor, the story had a nice flow given its time-jumps. Like "Hattie Big Sky," the additional historical information provided at the end of the book is interesting and the titles listed as reference sources are good picks. The only real challenge of this title is the problem with many of the Newbery picks. Other than librarians and English teachers, who will read it? The protagonist is too young to be of interest to older readers and the text too high for many younger ones. I can see it being of interest to those library types who love to read pretty much every Newbery (check out this blog, a friend of a friend: http://lauramitolife.blogspot.com/) but I don't see it as being widely popular, historical fiction being on the wane in general among our wired teens. But then, the Newbery committee, much like the Oscar committee, prides itself on saying their selections aren't about popularity, they are about "quality." I wonder why those two things have to be mutually exclusive. In any case, the book is good, and worth the read, even if it isn't "your kind of thing."

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

Finally! A book I not only loved, but was laugh-out-loud funny. To be fair, I knew I would like it. John Green and David Levithan are not only favorite authors, they are exceptionally cool. When I learned that they wrote a book together, I knew that it would have to be gold. My only sorrow is that it didn't win any of the Printz Honors this year -- it should have won the Medal (IMHO). It did win a Stonewall Honor, a nod to the heavily gay themes (dude, it's David Levithan, what did you expect?). What is notable, for me, is that the gay themes aren't all about *being* gay, rather the entire book is really about teenage love, gay and straight, and how the rushed/over-the-top/confused romantic efforts of the young often go awry. Despite the title (oh yes, it is a tale of two Will Graysons), it is Tiny Cooper who stole my heart. A wild combination of an ex-boyfriend and most of the theatre guys I've known, Tiny is an absolute joy. "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" is an extremely mature book, one with two male protagonists who use the kind of language you are likely to hear on any secondary school campus, but not the kind usually heard in the classrooms. I think that is part of Green and Levithan's gifts as writers -- their characters are rippingly real. Neither one of these guys has forgotten what it was like to be 17. Clearly, their work resonates. The book has been extremely popular here and I understand why. Teens like books that are real, books that are funny, and books that speak to ~them~. This is clearly one of those books. Bravo. Enjoy.

“The Heart is Not a Size” by Beth Kephart

Award-winning adult author Beth Kephart is getting attention for turning her talents to YA fiction. Her latest book, “The Heart is Not a Size” has considerable buzz going into awards season. I can understand the appeal from the award committees. The book is one of those rich literary novels that give English teachers a deep thrill. It’s also one of those YA novels that seem to be labeled YA because of teen protagonists, rather than literary style. For me, the problem is that the literary trappings disguise a meandering plot. It’s a story beautifully told, but not a particularly compelling tale. And it should be. There are strong characters: Georgia and Riley are best friends at one of those moments in life, the end of Junior year, when the pressures of the next step in life seem overwhelming. They decide to spend two weeks in Mexico on a social service project. Georgia wants to find purpose in an overly stable life, Riley wants to escape the confines of her loveless home. The girls are well-off, suitably self-absorbed yet curious, straining at their self-definitions like most teens. The writer tries to focus on Georgia’s internal explorations, but ends up veering along a multitude of storylines. In the end, the teen angst, the prerequisite anorexic, the hints at a blossoming romance, all fall flat. In her acknowledgments, Ms. Kephart states that the book began “as a series of impressions glimpsed,” and that is how it comes off. The impressions one is left with are not unlike the photo essays Kephart made of her actual journey to Juarez. Despite the stabbing attempts at story, the end result is nothing but snapshots, colors, and incredibly rich descriptions. Phrases like “the parabola of sun” were too high-falutin’ for me, and didn’t help connect me to characters I found to be just a tad two-dimensional. This book being a very faint echo of Mackler’s “The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things” and Anderson’s “Catalyst,” I have no doubt that a specific teen reader might find characters to connect to, but to me, they sounded far too much like the life of a teenager remembered rather than created. Georgia sounds like the person I would describe myself as being with 20 years of hindsight. I’m not sure she sounds like one of the teens I interact with who lives “in the moment.” Nonetheless, this book is likely to show up on some recommended lists in the coming month. Read only if it is your cup of tea.

“Ship Breaker” by Paulo Bacigalupi

(Color me surprised. Just as I was finalizing this review, “Ship Breaker” won the Printz Award. Have to say, this will be my least favorite Printz thus far. Please keep in mind that I didn’t think it was a bad book, just not ~~my~~ thing. Much like “No Country for Old Men” I can acknowledge the brilliance without particularly liking it.)

This 2010 National Book Award nominee was, perhaps, not the best choice to read right after concluding the Suzanne Collins series. Filled with dense text worthy of an SAT exam, it is yet another post-apocalyptic, dystopian story of violence and brutalized kids. That being said, the lead character of Nailer is both engaging and encouraging as a born survivor in the bleakest of worlds (although he does seem to spend a good deal of the tale recovering from injuries). I can see boys, in particular, being attracted to this strong male protagonist. Rich vocabulary and a detailed world make for a rather European novel. Given the author’s name and the foreign feel, I was sure this book was a translation. I was quite surprised to discover the author lives in Colorado. The dark tone is apparently typical of the works of Mr. Bacigalupi, who has won both Nebula and Hugo awards for his adult titles. This is the first book he has written for young adults, although the complexity of the novel makes me think the only reason it is labeled “young adult” is because of the age of the main character. It is a worthy read if you don’t mind another gut-wrencher like “Mockingjay.” Enjoy ! ? ! ?

“Mockingbird” by Kathryn Erskine

This 2010 National Book winner is a fast read that echoes “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” to such a degree that it is difficult to avoid comparisons. Similar to the Haddon book, “Mockingbird” is a fiction novel narrated in the first person by a young girl with Asperger’s. The loss this time, however, is more profound and the emotional ups and downs within the story left me grabbing for hankies. It is not a dark book. Rather, it is a “laugh/cry” book where the unique observations of the main character make you giggle one minute, then go “ohhh” the next. In the afterward, the author explains that she was profoundly saddened by the VA Tech shootings. That event, and her challenges as the parent of a child with Asperger’s, led to this little gem of a novel. The resolution in the book is somewhat transparent and I knew by chapter 2 how it would end, but I was still swept away by the engaging narrative and delightful characters. This is not a plot-driven story, it is a tale of an internal journey – made even more obvious in the way dialog is represented, in italics rather than quotes. The text that matters the most is what goes on in the young girl’s head as she tries to make sense of that which none of us can make sense of. I deeply loved this book and immediately recommended it to others as soon as I had finished it. Grab it before the next round of awards on January 10^th. I strongly suspect we will see this one get a few more accolades.

“Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins

Whew. Blew through the second and third books in the “Hunger Games” series as quickly as possible. Became somewhat irate when I had to stop for -- you know -- work, or food or sleep. If nothing else, these books are incredible page turners. After finishing them, however, I had to pause before writing a review as the emotional toll was…um…high. As sequels, they are excellent. “Catching Fire,” in fact, became my favorite in the series. In the first book, you work to understand this world. In the third book, there is inevitable loss and sadness. In the second book we get to really see these characters as people and there is still hope. Many of my students have said that they do not like the concluding book, “Mockingjay.” The storyline and writing do not degrade in any way in this last book. I would say it is the way things end which causes the negative reaction by many of the younger readers. If “Hunger Games” was an arch look at the underlying violence of our world and “Catching Fire” is about a growing revolution, then “Mockingjay” is the very likely outcome. The body count, which has never been particularly light in these books, ramps up considerably, with some of the losses beyond bearing for both characters and readers alike. After a Harry Potter-like climactic end, one craves a happy ending. And the ending is not sad, but it’s not exactly uplifting, either. Unlike Harry Potter, these books have underpinnings in our modern world and Ms. Collins is focused on how our world dehumanizes us. The young people at the heart of the story cannot help but be damaged by the events that occur and expectations of a rosy outcome, while wished for, would not fit these otherwise dark tales. The books are sometimes predictable, which left me shell-shocked (literally) when things took a turn I *didn’t* expect. They are powerful without being epic, well-written without being overly literary, and a true clarion call to look at the elements of our society that shatter our humanity. Everything from the pablum of the media to the dark lashes of destruction from war are targets. Ms. Collins mentions her father’s study of war and peace and her mother’s love of Greek history in her acknowledgements, but in an interview, she talked of the impact of the ongoing middle east wars as evidence that we still have far to go. You only have to look at Iran’s proposal to televise the stoning death of an adultress to realize these books are not to be dismissed as “far-out fantasy.” Given their rampant popularity right now, they are absolute must-reads, but given the subject matter, a “fun book” might make for a good palate cleanser afterwards.

“Impossible” by Nancy Werlin

I’ve been waiting to read this National Book Award Finalist title for years. I heard the author speak about it just before it was published, and I was intrigued. A modern fairy-tale taken from Scarborough Fair. Long before Simon and Garfunkel got hold of it, Scarborough Fair was a medieval poem. One with darker implications. One that told of a love unfulfilled and the spurned lover who took a terrible revenge. Enter Lucy, a contemporary teen who knows nothing of magic and evil, but is inexorably walking a path not of her own making. Grounded in solid reality, the mystical elements of the story are easily acceptable to those who enjoy a good fantasy. A strong romance element would also be hard to swallow if not for the excellent writing and compelling voices of the characters. To be honest, I raced through this novel, frustrated when I had to put it down, because I simply had to know what happened next. Unreal as it may be, I’m a big old softie who really wants everything to work out in the end. In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I will simply say I was very impressed with this book and purchased a gift copy for a relative right after finishing it. A great story to curl up with on a gray winter day. Feel free to be transported … and, to learn the secrets that may help you break an ancient curse.

“Refresh Refresh” by Danica Novgorodoff, Benjamin Percy and James Ponsoldt

“Refresh Refresh” is another distinctly mature graphic novel by the edgy First Second Press. It tells the story of three young men awaiting their fathers’ return from the Iraq & Afghanistan wars. The teen boys live in a town where everyone knows someone in the military, and while that should be comforting, the reality in this book is just the opposite. The bullying between the teens is brutal. Even friends engage in daily slugfests – presumably to blow off steam. Like many graphic novels, I felt like the characters weren’t as fully developed as they should have been and the lack of a moral compass for the young men is typical in these kinds of stories, which have a flat, negative impact on me. That being said, the “elements” of living with a parent serving overseas are clear and well-done. The conflicting emotions, the sense of loss, the feeling of being unmoored ... all ring true. The violence, language and adult scenarios are realistic, I think, for kids who feel abandoned by parents. The “Refresh Refresh” title emphasizes their conflict – no matter what they say and how they act, the truth is that their world lives and dies during those few moments each night when they check their email, hoping more than anything for a brief word or two. The events at the end of the book are hugely unrealistic and left me with a sense of cop-out. The great redeemer in the climax is the artwork, which takes a dramatic turn and feels more compelling than the actual story. High School readers will find empathy here for the realities of military families during war-time, and fans of “Fight Club” will be suitably entertained.

“Redwoods” by Jason Chin

This was a book I kept coming across on recommended lists but dismissed several times because it was obviously a picture book. But I kept seeing it listed, over and over, as a “must buy.” So I bought it. Beautiful and breathtaking, it provides voluminous information on redwood trees – more than I knew, and I know a lot. In the story, a young boy riding the NYC subway discovers a book on redwoods. As he reads it, he is transported. The slow growth of the redwood forest around him is clever, and the awe the child finds in this new world seemed to translate off the page to me, as a reader. Having felt swept up in the otherworldly nature of an actual redwood forest, I sensed the same overwhelming wonder in reading the book as I did standing in Muir Woods. My only two complaints are minor and nit-picky. The boy’s face is not drawn consistently from frame to frame, his expressions tend to give him drastically different features at times; and the fauna described are not listed with nametags, so guessing which is which becomes an issue. As I said, small concerns with an otherwise lovely book. A good pick for the whole family.

“The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating” by A.W. Flaherty, illustrated by Scott Magoon

An absolutely charming little picture book that provides a version of the Loch Ness story you may not have heard of. Young Katerina-Elizabeth takes a cruise to see Grandma (circa early 1900s) and doesn’t like the oatmeal served to her for breakfast each morning. Along the way to Scotland, she makes a friend. The book will engage both children and adults with the subtle humor and detailed drawings reminiscent of the “Madeleine” books. The simple, to-the-point text can easily be understood by the very young and the author adds an interesting epilogue regarding the “science” of picky eaters which will have every reader looking for food coloring and reinforcing rings for three-holed paper. I’d recommend this one as a great holiday pick for the whole family.

“A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge” by Josh Neufeld

For intent and concept, I give this an “A”. For execution, a “C”. “A.D.” is a story of Katrina as told through the eyes of five individuals/couples/families who experienced it. As a concept, it’s smart. We see this huge and horrific event from different perspectives – rich and poor, black and white. Since this was a disaster that highlighted those on the margin, I found it interesting to read about the spectrum of impacts. The weaker elements of the book, however, frustrated me. The color choices in this graphic novel are sometimes poor. For the opening bird’s eye view of the city (clever idea), the roads are indistinguishable from the water. I believe a clear delineation would have made more impact on readers who don’t understand the presence of water around New Orleans. The interwoven stories often start and stop abruptly, meaning that I had to re-read some panels to keep track of where things were heading. My biggest complaint was that the factual information is simply wrong. Misrepresenting the number of lives lost, for instance, is not acceptable five years after the tragedy. The timelines are also somewhat off, as the levy break that caused the flooding happened after the actual storm (compared to the story in the book, which seems to indicate the flood taking place at the height of the storm). Here’s the thing – this book takes the events “as told” by those it affected. It’s pretty much understood that those who live through a traumatic event remember it through the filter of powerful emotions. Which means that the feelings of the event are clear, even intensify over time, but the details … not so much. The strength of the book is the emotional tone. The image of the storm like a mushroom cloud over the Superdome is not so much fact as the “sense” of the event. Especially well-done is the story of the comic book writer who mentally pictures his lost belongings swirling around like waves of depression. The water metaphor alone is layered and powerful. Illustrated by Neufeld (a favorite of Harvey Pekar), the facial expressions are perfect and the backgrounds adequate. Based on a webzine, this book is definitely not for younger teens, as the language is clearly aimed at adults. If you want to get a number of perspectives on this event, read the book. If you are looking for something more meaty, try one of the excellent documentaries on the topic.

“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.