All right, so I turn around and here we are at the half way point of summer. My family and I have been very busy traveling, but never fear, I have been reading a lot this summer too. I finally had a chance to read the newest addition to James Patterson's Maximum Ride series "Fang." As with all the other books in this series, it was great. If you are not familiar with the series, then pick up book one ("The Angel Experiment"), and give it a read. The tale follows a band of children (ages 6-14) who have been genetically altered to grow wings, and develop other special abilities as well. When they run away from the facility where they are created, they are hunted by several different groups hoping to capture them, and use them for their own nefarious purposes. I really encourage lovers of sci-fi/fantasy books to give this series a try. You won't be disappointed.
I just finished another great fantasy by Polly Shulman called "The Grimm Legacy." I have talked on the blog before about really liking books that have creative retelling of well known fairy tales. While this book isn't exactly that, it does draw heavily from the popular Grimm's Brothers fairy tales. See the full synopsis below!
From School Library Journal
Feeling left out from her stepfamily at home and from her classmates at her new school, Elizabeth is delighted when she gets a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a library that loans objects of historical value. She's particularly intrigued when she's given access to the Grimm Collection, a secret room that holds magical objects from the Brothers' tales, e.g., seven-league boots, a mermaid's comb, and the sinister mirror from "Snow White." However, when the items start to disappear, she and her fellow pages embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief, only to find themselves among the suspects. This modern fantasy has intrigue, adventure, and romance, and the magical aspects of the tale are both clever and intricately woven, from rhyming charms to flying-carpet rides. The author brings the seemingly disparate elements together in the end, while still making certain that her protagonist's problems are not completely solved by the world of magic. Shulman's prose is fast paced, filled with humor, and peopled with characters who are either true to life or delightfully bizarre. Fans of fairy tales in general and Grimm stories in particular will delight in the author's frequent literary references, and fantasy lovers will feel very much at home in this tale that pulls out all the stops.
Finally, one last book for this entry. By Priscilla Cummings comes "Blindsided." This book follows the struggles of 14 year old Natalie, who is slowly losing her eyesight to a congenital disease. There are so many moments in this book that highlight the challenges that the blind face in this world, it left me with new respect for all who are living with this condition.
From School Library Journal
Natalie, 14, knows that her future is becoming dimmer as the loss of her eyesight is a nightmare she can't avoid. Her vision has been diminishing from a congenital disease since she was eight, but now the prognosis is not if, but when. As she states, You can't prepare for going blind. Part of going from denial to acceptance is attending a boarding school for the blind. Hostile, angry, and uncooperative at first, she slowly begins to concentrate on learning Braille, using her cane, taking self-defense classes, and making new friends. This story probes the overlooked gifts of physical normalcy and brings awareness to the tremendous barriers the blind face visible and otherwise. Natalie is a credible character and her fear is palpable and painful. From boarding-school life where she and her roommate are attacked by drunks, to back at her family's farm where all goes wrong, readers follow her emotional and physical struggle. First there's the compromised birth of a goat, and Natalie must reach into the birth canal to save the baby. As she notes Even eyesight wouldn't help her now. Meanwhile, a rabid bear is beating down the barn door. This all-at-once action is a bit over-the-top, but it showcases Natalie's emergence from despair and her capabilities. Readers will enjoy the high drama and heroics.
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I will be making another entry soon!
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