TumTum & Nutmeg

After my last entry and review of a book full of demons and the Devil it was time for a change. Those of you seeking a creepy book for Halloween see my review of The Boneshaker below. This week I needed relief from the scary, and read TumTum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall. This British import is wonderfully written. If you read The Borrowers Series or The Little's and enjoyed them, then this is the book for you. I found myself charmed by TumTum and Nutmeg themselves, and General Marchmouse's childlike antics are hysterical. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the General mounts a full blown attack on a doll house with G.I. Joe action figures. See a summary below, and come and check the book out of the library.

From School Library Journal:
Rose Cottage is a modest abode "rife with clutter and chaos." But behind a broom-closet door, hidden by a heavy chest of drawers, lies a 36-room mansion, home to Tumtum and Nutmeg Nutmouse. The retiring animal couple takes great pleasure in helping absentminded Mr. Mildew and his motherless children, who live in the cottage, in small ways—darning socks, rewiring heaters, and patching shoes. But a visit by the Mildews' odious Aunt Ivy turns the quiet couple's life upside down after the woman spots them on the upstairs landing. A full-blown mouse attack ensues, requiring the assistance of neighboring General Marchmouse and his mouse battalion. Adventure upon adventure follows, including trouble at the local school and an encounter with pirate rats (who are hindered by liqueur-filled chocolates).

The Boneshaker

"Strange things can happen at a crossroads." This is a lesson that Natalie Minks comes to learn about her town. This is a wonderful historical fantasy with a dramatic "good vs. evil" theme. Natalie must save her town from demons and even the Devil himself, with the help of her friends and a few strange characters in her town of Arcane, Missouri. It has been a long time since I found a book that kept me up reading late at night. It was so suspenseful that I couldn't sleep until I had found out what happened next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the horror/fantasy genre. Be prepared to lose some sleep!


From School Library Journal:
Natalie Minks, 13, likes machines-the way they make sense, the way all the gears and cogs fit together to make something happen. When Dr. Jake Limberleg's Nostrum Fair and Technological Medicine Show stops in at her father's bicycle repair shop because a wagon wheel has fallen off and disappeared, Natalie knows that the man is not meant to fit into the machinery of her life. Her ailing mother has told her stories of bargains made with the Devil, and of besting wickedness by looking it right in the face. Limberleg has a collection of clockwork figures that work without being wound up and never seem to run down. When Natalie begins to have inexplicable visions of the malevolent forces facing Arcane, MO, she isn't convinced that she is equipped to fight the evil at hand. Soon almost everyone is taken in by Limberleg's promises of miraculous healing and snake-oil cures, and it becomes clear to Natalie that she is their only hope of survival. Enhanced by full-page drawings, this intricate story, set in the early 20th century, unfolds with the almost audible click of puzzle pieces coming together. In the gothic tradition of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (S & S, 1962), The Boneshaker will earn itself a place in the annals of stories about children and the struggle between good and evil.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school for another great year! I have been really happy to see so many of you in the library before school. Thanks to all of you that sent postcards to the library this summer. It has been great to see where everyone went, and to hear about all the great books you have been reading. The library just got a large new shipment of books, and all new fiction for grade 5-8 are one display on the shelves over the magazines. You are welcome to come in and check them out at any time.

I read a lot of great books over the summer, and in the next couple of weeks I am will be sharing them with you. This weeks book was actually published 3 years ago, but it had just came to my attention this summer. It was recommended to me by my niece, who is in the 8th grade this year, so I thought I would give it a read. "How to Steal a Dog" is a wonderful story. Georgina's family has been evicted from their apartment, and now is living in their car. This is uncomfortable and embarrassing to Georgina and she is willing to do anything to help her family make the money it needs to move into a house of their own. Even steal a dog, and turn it in for reward money. The characters in this book are wonderful and very believable, and you find yourself pulled into the story. No worries, there is a happy ending!

From School Library Journal:

Georgina and her family have been living in their car since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment. Mama is working two jobs to earn rent money and trying hard to hold things together. Desperate to help out, Georgina decides to steal a dog for the reward money, laying out the details of her plan in a diary. However, the dog's owner can't afford to offer a reward, and Georgina ends up feeling sorry for the lonely woman. The girl also makes friends with another adult named Mookie, a kindhearted wanderer who is camped out at the abandoned house where she is keeping the dog. He shares his wisdom and offers help, whether she wants it or not.

Summer is half way through!

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!

New Additions to the Blog

The warm weather has me thinking summer, and some of you have asked me about the blog over the summer. I will be maintaining the blog this summer, so check in and see what I am reading.

This week I have added links to the my suggested summer reading lists. Along the right hand side you will notice links to the summer reading for grades 5-8 and for grades7+. I hope that whenever you are looking for a good read this summer you will look back at the lists.

You will also find at the bottom of the right-hand bar a new poll on summer reading. Take a minute to give your answers and see how much folks read in the summer!

Chains

Laurie Halse Anderson is a master of writing historical fiction for young adults. I loved her books "Speak" and "Fever 1793." "Chains" is her newest book and was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. "Chains" is the story of Isabel and her sister Ruth during the Revolutionary War. As the country battles for freedom, so do the girls from their cruel owners in New York. Often books talk of slaves during the Civil War, but barely address the issue of slavery pre-Revolution. The cruelty and degradation shown to these girls is appalling. I don't want to give away the ending, but it does end rather abruptly. You will find yourself wishing to know more! Read the summary below, and check out the book from the library.

From School Library Journal
Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

If I had to pick a genre of literature that I liked best, then historical fiction would be my top choice. However, "The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" is not your average historical fiction novel. Homer, the main character in the story, escapes a terrible home to try to rescue his older brother who was illegally sold into the Union Army. Now, you would think that would mean that the whole book is pretty serious, however, there is a great deal of humor in this story. Homer is not above "stretching the truth" when it suits his purposes, and it leads to some pretty interesting situations. This book was both an entertaining and fun adventure book. Read the full description below, and come check it out!

From School Library Journal:

When his older brother gets conscripted into the Union Army, Homer runs away from his uncle, "the meanest man in the entire state of Maine." He sets out after Harold but has multiple misadventures along the way. He survives thanks to courage, luck, and his talent for telling lies when needed, since "old Truth ain't nearly as useful as a fib sometimes." Homer relates his own adventures in colorful language as he crosses paths with con men, rogues, and scoundrels of various types. The comic tone is reflected in character names, such as Stink and Smelt, the cold-blooded slave catchers, and the kind but shifty Professor Fleabottom. Things take a more somber tone when Homer sees the horrors of the battlefield up close. The final reunion of the brothers during the Battle of Gettysburg is bittersweet. Homer's escapades introduce some interesting features of the year 1863, including the Underground Railroad, a traveling medicine show, Civil War spies, and an early version of the hydrogen balloon. Homer runs into plenty of danger, but there's more comedy than suspense in most episodes. He also deals with some moral dilemmas as he tries to make sense of the wide world and find people and ideas to believe in. The engaging protagonist and mixture of humor and adventure make this a strong choice for fans of Sid Fleischman's tales.