Umbrella Summer and The Magician's Elephant

Both books this week strangely deal with the topic of loss/grief and recovery, however, they are VASTLY different. The first great book that I read this week is "Umbrella Summer" by Lisa Graff. The story follows Annie Richards as she grieves the loss of her brother Jared. All of the members of her family are suffering in someway, and this story shows how, with time and love of family and friends, all hurts can begin to heal. Don't fear that this story is terribly sad. There are some very funny moments and Annie is completely believable in her quest to remain safe. I highly recommend this one!

From the book description:
Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That's why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Everyone keeps telling Annie not to worry so much, that she's just fine. But they thought her brother, Jared, was just fine too, and Jared died.

It takes a new neighbor, who looks as plain as a box of toothpicks but has some surprising secrets of her own, to make Annie realize that her plans for being careful aren't working out as well as she had hoped. And with a lot of help from those around her—and a book about a pig, too—Annie just may find a way to close her umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine.

Next up this week is "The Magician's Elephant" by Kate DiCamillo (author of "The Tale of Despereaux," "Because of Winn Dixie," "Tiger Rising," and one of favorite books of ALL time "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.") To be honest, I had to read this book twice before I decided whether I liked it or not. It is a strange story. Dicamillo is a master story teller, creating modern fairy tales. The book is beautifully written, and as strange as the story is, you find yourself totally sucked into the lives of the characters in this book, who have all suffered a loss of some kind (a sister, freedom, sense of self, the ability to walk, etc.) Some of the best chapters in the book are written from the perspective of the elephant! Read the book and discover for yourself the wonders of the magician's elephant.

From School Library Journal:
Starred Review. On a perfectly ordinary day, Peter Augustus Duchene goes to the market square of the city of Baltese. Instead of buying the fish and bread that his guardian, Vilna Lutz, has asked him to procure, he uses the coin to pay a fortune-teller to get information about his sister, whom he believes to be dead. He is told that she is alive, and that an elephant will lead him to her. That very night at a performance in the town's opera house, a magician conjures up an elephant (by mistake) that crashes through the roof and cripples the society dame she happens to land on. The lives of the boy, his guardian, and the local policeman, along with the magician and his unfortunate victim, as well as a beggar, his dog, a sculptor, and a nun all intertwine in a series of events triggered by the appearance of the elephant. Miraculous events resolve not only the mystery of the whereabouts of Peter's sister, but also the deeper needs of all of the individuals involved. DiCamillo's carefully crafted prose creates an evocative aura of timelessness for a story that is, in fact, timeless. Tanaka's acrylic artwork is meticulous in detail and aptly matches the tone of the narrative.

The Future of Reading

Thanks to all of you that stopped me in the halls this week to tell me that you had read the blog entry about the Twilight Saga. Make sure (when you have the time) to write your comments below with that entry. I always want to hear what you are thinking!

I know that I normally give a comment about a book. I am right in the middle of reading a good one, so look next week for my comments on that. However, I felt that I had to comment on an article that I had read in a professional journal this week. Please don't stop reading now! Just bear with me. It was a fairly optimist view of how electronic media will revolutionise our reading experience. When we use our electronic readers (i.e. Kindle/iPods) perhaps one day we will see multi-media images of the characters acting out the scenes described in the story, and appropriate music will play in the background. With apparent glee, the author of the article discussed the brave new multi-media world of reading, and the full emersion, sensory experience that is to come. The article concluded with the prediction that someday we would see the death of books in print. All I could think, is "Holy cow (or something more colorful), I hope this guy is wrong."

Don't get me wrong. I am all for progress. I do think that the future of reference is electronic, and so do the publishers. Grolier has all ready stopped publishing its print encyclopedia, and every year Britannica threatens to do the same, but they haven't yet. Atlas's are slowly being replaced by GPS. When was the last time you looked in a print dictionary for how to spell a word? But is the book really going the way of the dinosaur?

When I read a good book, it ALL READY IS a full sensory experience for me. I no longer am aware that I am turning pages. The story flows forth, and the passage of time no longer has meaning (have you ever looked up from a book, and realized that hours have passed by, and you hardly noticed). I have never experienced this with an electronic reader. I am usually fidgeting with font size, and dealing with eyestrain. I don't need a reader to show me characters on the screen, I all ready have them in my head when I read a book. I know what they look like. I can hear their voices. I love the way a new book smells. I love that paperbacks leave black ink on my fingers. I love that I can tell how much more a story is left, by the thickness of the book from where I stopped. How sad my world would be if print books left it all together.

This Christmas break I brought my children to see my parents in Maine. One night, while looking for a bedtime story, my daughter choose a book from the small stack of Christmas stories that my mother keeps on an end table during the holidays. The book is an illustrated version of the poem "A Christmas Party." My mother read this book to us every Christmas eve when I was a child. It had been a gift from my grandmother to me for my first Christmas, when I was only 8 weeks old. As my daughter went to open the book, the stiching gave way and all the pages fell out. Two of my three sisters happened to be there that night, and as we picked up the pages to put them back, we all recited the poem, from memory together. We were able to put the pages back in order in no time. On the first page, in her distictive looping cursive, is the note that my grandmother wrote to me to wish me a Merry Christmas that year. My grandmother is now 92, with hands so crippled from arthritis that they are no longer able to hold a pen, but I would recognise her hand writing any where. On one page of the book there is a yellow stain where my sister Sarah spilled juice on it one year. On the back cover there are a few scribbles, the result of my youngest sister Amanda's artistic expression. It occured to me, that this little book had left a lasting impression on all of us, and, as it turned out, we had left an impression on it. It was no longer a book that told only a small Christmas poem, but it also told stories of our family as well. I doubt that I will ever have such an experience with my Kindle.

What is the future of reading and books? Time will tell. I am encouraged to know that so many of you are out there reading, and let me know that you have read some of the books that I have reccommended, and disagree with me on what I had to say about some of them. But to loose books in print to electronic delivery would sadden me greatly. Not only will we lose the books, but maybe we will lose some of our own stories as well. Let me know what you think...

Twilight Saga

So right up front, I should probably say that I am not a big fan of the Twilight Saga books. Up until this winter break I had only read Twilight and New Moon. After those two, I just stopped reading them, because...well frankly, I didn't like them. Perhaps this will cause some shock among those of you that are big fans, but I just can't seem to bring myself to love the books. As a result I have not seen the movies, I can't see how they would change my opinion. Now, onto the point of all this. I have several friends that have read all the books, seen the movies, and follow all the fan sites. They find my lack of enthusiasm to be disappointing, and they launched a campaign to get me to read more of the books. After months of their relentless pestering, I finally caved and read Eclipse. Sorry folks, still not a fan. It is difficult for me to pin point why I don't care for them. It may have something to do with my not being a huge fan of the whole "vampire genre" in general. However, I can see why others love these books. They are entertaining, if not particularly well written. The characters are appealing, in a romantic tragedy sort of way. They hold a certain amount of suspense, but I find the endings of all 3 books that I have read so far to be sadly predictable. Below you will find a summary of Eclipse, so I would encourage you to check the book out and decide for yourself. A bit of advice, read Twilight and New Moon first, or the story will not make a lot of sense.

Give me your opinion by clicking on "comment" below, write your opinion, then select either "name/url" or "anonymous" in the "comment as" drop down menu. Let me, and others know what you think. Keep Reading!

From the book description:

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Winter Break Books

I have to admit that in the rush of holiday preparations I have not read anything new in the last week that I would recommend to everyone. However, in light of the approaching winter, I thought I would pass along some titles of books with winter/arctic themes that are appropriate given the change in season. I hope that everyone has a happy and safe holiday break, and I will see you all again in the new year!

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Fourteen-year-old Symone's only friend is an imaginary incarnation of Captain Laurence "Titus" Oates, an explorer who accompanied Robert Scott on his failed expedition to the South Pole. Sym is passionate about the Antarctic and her infatuation is fed by Uncle Victor, an eccentric family friend who has cared for Sym and her mother since Sym's father's death. When Victor surprises Sym with a trip to "the Ice," she has some doubts, especially when she discovers that her mother can't come. But her excitement overshadows her initial misgivings--until realizes that Uncle Victor has an obsession of his own that runs deeper than the glaciers and threatens her life. - From Book List

North by Donna Jo Napoli
Napoli, perhaps best known for her retold fairy tales and legends, spins a compelling, modern adventure. Sixth-grader Alvin, nicknamed "Dwarf" by classmates, is dying under his fearful Mamma's overprotectiveness. When his teacher gives an assignment to select a famous African American to study, Alvin is intrigued by Matthew Henson. Starved for adventure, the boy decides to run away to the North Pole-in January. Using the money he has saved for a bicycle, he leaves his Washington, DC, neighborhood on a train bound for New York, then heads to Toronto, then on to Winnepeg. Several adults, and lots of luck, help him along the way. In Winnepeg, he jumps into a freight car bound for Churchill, nearly freezing to death during the more than 33-hour trip. Here he connects with Inuit people (he's the first African American they've ever seen), who help him get to Bylot Island near the Arctic Circle, where he spends a season with a trapper, learning to survive sunless days, eating lemming and walrus stew, and rapidly growing in stature and self-confidence. The final page finds the boy, in June, arriving home. - From School Library Journal

Shackletons Stowaway by Victoria McKernan
McKernan brings Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to the Antarctic alive through the eyes of its youngest crew member. Perce Blackborow, 18, hides in a cramped locker for two days until the Endurance is at sea before revealing his presence as a stowaway. Given a chance to disembark at South Georgia Island, he signs up as a steward and a gruff Shackleton insists that he write to his family: "Tell them what god-awful mischief you've got yourself into." The ill-fated ship is crushed in the ice hundreds of miles from the nearest whaling station, forcing the crew to drag its lifeboats and gear across unstable ice floes. A perilous voyage takes them to Elephant Island, where they are stranded for months while Shackleton and five others go for help. Perce endures the worst of it, having no feeling in his frostbitten feet. Details of the ensuing amputation of toes are realistic, an example of the author's sharp eye for authenticity. Although fictional, Perce's diary entries add dimension to the character and blend imagination with historical accuracy. Several of the crew members are powerfully brought to life, including Perce's fun-loving mate, Billy; the obsessive rationer, Orde Lees; the compassionate Frank Wild; and Shackleton, the leader they all idolize. Add this suspenseful tale to adventure/survival collections. - From School Library Journal

The Magician's Elephant by Kate Di Camillo
On a perfectly ordinary day, Peter Augustus Duchene goes to the market square of the city of Baltese. Instead of buying the fish and bread that his guardian, Vilna Lutz, has asked him to procure, he uses the coin to pay a fortune-teller to get information about his sister, whom he believes to be dead. He is told that she is alive, and that an elephant will lead him to her. That very night at a performance in the town's opera house, a magician conjures up an elephant (by mistake) that crashes through the roof and cripples the society dame she happens to land on. The lives of the boy, his guardian, and the local policeman, along with the magician and his unfortunate victim, as well as a beggar, his dog, a sculptor, and a nun all intertwine in a series of events triggered by the appearance of the elephant. Miraculous events resolve not only the mystery of the whereabouts of Peter's sister, but also the deeper needs of all of the individuals involved. DiCamillo's carefully crafted prose creates an evocative aura of timelessness for a story that is, in fact, timeless. - From School Library Journal

Thanksgiving Reads

Okay, here is a great science fiction/medical thriller for you. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I read "The Adoration of Jenna Fox," by Mary Pearson. I loved this book! You know that there is something unusual about Jenna right from the start, and as more and more of her family story is revealed, you are forced to ask yourself the question of - How far would you go to save someone that you loved? See the review below, and make sure that you come and check this book out of the library. It is fantastic!

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox awakens after more than a year in a coma to find herself in a life—and a body—that she doesn't quite recognize. Her parents tell her that she's been in an accident, but much of her past identity and current situation remain a mystery to her: Why has her family abruptly moved from Boston to California, leaving all of her personal belongings behind? Why does her grandmother react to her with such antipathy? Why have her parents instructed her to make sure not to tell anyone about the circumstances of their move? And why can Jenna recite whole passages of Thoreau's Walden, but remember next to nothing of her own past? As she watches family videos of her childhood, strange memories begin to surface, and she slowly realizes that a terrible secret is being kept from her. Pearson has constructed a gripping, believable vision of a future dystopia. She explores issues surrounding scientific ethics, the power of science, and the nature of the soul with grace, poetry, and an apt sense of drama and suspense. —Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City

Welcome Bookies!

I would like to extend a special invitation to the Peck Bookies to make an entry on the blog! I understand that some of you have been reading some really wonderful books, and short stories as well and it would be great to share this with everyone! Your entry should include the title of the book/story, your thoughts on why you did or did not like it, would you recommend the book/story to others and who would you recommend it too (age level, reading interest, etc.). All entries will be emailed to me, and I will do my best to have all comments posted by the end of the day they were written.

If we have the books that you recommend in the library I will put them on display so folks can check them out!

-Mrs. MacVicar

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

I picked up the latest entry in the Mysterious Benedict Society series at the Parent's Association Book Sale last week, and again it did not disappoint. For those of you that read the others and loved them, this one will also be an enjoyable read. All of your favorite characters and villains are there. The only thing that I find a little strange is the ending of this one. I don't want to give anything away, but while the other books have left you wondering what will happen next, this latest book feels like it ends a little too neatly. Lets hope that the author plans to write more. The characters in these books are so interesting (Constance Contraire will always be my personal favorite), and if you love to solve puzzles this is the book series for you! There is a little summary below. Write you comments! I want to hear your thoughts.



Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their family, friends and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger then ever before.