Acacia by David Anthony Durham

I found out about this book in Entertainment Weekly magazine, where it had a full-page spread in their books section. It sounded like an interesting, gritty epic fantasy, so I placed a hold. The author has written only historical fiction previous to the release of this book (Pride of Carthage, A Walk Through Darkness), so I was curious to see what he could make of the fantasy genre.

It was a bit of a slow start for me, exacerbated by my tendency to read only a few pages at a time, right before bed. This went on for a few months, until I got about halfway in--then I really wanted to know what was going to happen, and then finished it in a few days.

It is the story of 4 siblings torn apart by war, each of them growing to become very different people before re-connecting while attempting to take back their former kingdom. I am not very good at the summarizing thing, so I'll just direct you to the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Acacia-Book-One-War-Mein/dp/0385506066/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-9523319-2248011?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190075660&sr=1-1

Of note, the author grew up in Maryland, got his Bachelor's from UMBC and his Master's at College Park, none of which I knew until I'd finished the book! Also, it is the first part of an anticipated trilogy.

I would recommend it to fans of the genre.

Catherine :-)

Stardust

"Stardust" by Neil Gaiman comes out in movie form today, so we may be about to see some increased interest in it. It's not marked as a Y-Fic book for us, but I think this would be a good recommendation for a teen looking for fantasy works. NOT for younger kids, since there's grisly violence, lots of murder, and some 'adult situations'.

The main hero is Tristan, a young man who sets off into the fairy world to find a fallen star. It's a charming "grown-up" fairy tale, not nearly as dark as Gaiman tends to be, but with a good deal of his usual humor thrown in. For example, the star, having fallen such a long distance, has a broken leg and is in a foul mood about it. There are power-hungry princes, witches who are obsessed with being young and beautiful... There's a bit of a "Princess Bride" vibe to it, which is definitely not a bad thing. It's a quick read, and very engaging.

Rachel, did you know that they're making a movie of Coraline as well? If we ever get an American Gods movie, I'll be beside myself. :)

(Everyone: good call on The Thirteenth Tale... I just finished it!)

The Book of One Hundred Truths by Julie Schumacher

I read about this book on a media specialist's blog earlier this week, ordered it and immediately read it. I hadn't really read anything since my Harry Potter binge, so I was looking for something to get me back into the swing of things.

The Book of One Hundred Truths is a story about a twelve year old girl who is staying with her grandparents (and various other relatives) at the Jersey Shore for two weeks during the summer. Her mother must have sensed before she left that she was having some adolescent issues because at the airport she gives her daughter a blank notebook and instructs her to write down 100 truths this summer. Truths are different than facts and she should expect some sort of discovery at the end of the exercise. Thea (the daughter) reacts as many 12 year olds would... with hesitation mixed with annoyance. She eventually starts writing in the notebook as she learns things about herself and the crazy family she's spending time with. You will never guess the ending until its upon you!

This book really gets better and better as it goes along. I finished it during dinner this afternoon and couldn't believe when Catherine interrupted me! This is a fast read, cataloged as Y Fic, but I really think it could be J.

The Next Thing on My List

Well yesterday was such a beautiful day that I couldn't resist spending it outside. My parents are in Costa Rica on vacation so my brother and I are home alone. Both of us are big readers, so yesterday morning we sat down on the deck with a book and the next thing I knew it was 3 p.m. and I had read a whole book! It's been a long time since I've done that and my sunburn hurts a bit, but it was worth it.

I read "The Next Thing on my List" by Jill Smolinski. This is by no means a deep book, but it is one that will make you think about your life a little, which I need. In this book, June and a woman she had just met at a Weight Watchers meeting were in a car accident in which the new friend, Marissa died. Before June returned Marissa's belongings to her family, she found a list of things Marissa had wanted to do before her 25th birthday. June decides that she needs to accomplish all the things that Marissa wanted to but didn't because she was killed. This is obviously a book I would read because of the age of the characters, the fact that they made this list which makes me feel like I should make my own list, and because of the colors of the cover. Its hard not to devour a chick-lit read, and that's what I did with this one. So I admit that at times I just need an escape-ist book and this was it.

I also started another book, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, which is going to be a fairly easy read as well. I'm sure to finish that and maybe more on Wednesday!

Oh and my brother read "Cabin Pressure" by Scott Wolk about a man who tries to reclaim his childhood by returning to summer camp as a counselor the summer before he gets married. We're going to camp in three weeks as counselors so we're hyping ourselves up for it. This book also got a good review. Catherine is lending me another book called "Not a Happy Camper" by Mindy Schneider, which is also on my TBR list.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree

I picked up this middle-grade book from the new J books cart a few weeks ago, having remembered seeing a glowing review on Amazon.com by a librarian who writes very detailed reviews of children's books (E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird"). I really loved this book!

It is the story of Emma Jean, a logical, though not emotionless, girl who can't understand why her classmates lives are so full of chaos and unbridled emotion. The first paragraph of the book well illustrates Emma's way of thinking:
Emma-Jean Lazarus knew very well that a few of the seventh-grade girls at William Gladstone Middle School were criers. They cried if they got a 67 on an algebra test or if they dropped their retainer into the trash in the cafeteria. They cried if their clay mug exploded in the kiln and when they couldn't finish the mile in gym. Two even cried in science, when Mr. Petrowski announced it was time to dissect a sheep's eyeball. Of course Emma-Jean had no intention of participating in such a barbaric and unhygenic activity. But crying was not a logical way of expressing one's opposition to the seventh-grade science curriculum.

Think Mr. Spock reborn in a seventh-grader's body. The book chronicles Emma-Jean's misguided attempts to help her classmates deal with problems in their lives, for Emma, though detached from her peers, still feels a need to help them. She is also dealing with the death of her beloved father, and the introduction of a possible new suitor for her mother. She is a sympathetic character, and the growth she experiences was really touching.

This book was funny and sweet, and I really enjoyed reading it. It's a quick read, and though some of the vocabulary is advanced, I would recommend it to 5-7th graders, and to anyone who loves a quirky, touching story.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

After all that ranting about Maureen Johnson, I couldn't remember what other book I read this past week. But now, I do!

The Mysterious Benedict Society (Trenton Lee Stewart) has a really neat cover- lots to see and wonder about. The book begins with an intriguing notice posted in the paper that says: "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?" The notice requests that those children who feel they fit the bill should proceed to a certain building in Stonetown, where they are given a practically impossible test. From there the truly gifted children are weeded out and move forward in the special opporunities to embark on a mysterious adventure to save the world from evil under the tutelage of a man named Mr. Benedict.

This is a book that I couldn't put down. I loved everything about it from the cover, as I mention above, to the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, to the endearing, unique characters. I would recommend this book to well-read upper elementary schoolers and 6th/7th graders. It has two main characters that are boys and two that are girls, as well as enough adventure to keep boys busy, so I think it would be a good fit for both boys and girls. Recommeded!

Bermudez Triangle (Maureen Johnson)

A few weeks ago I read on John Green's blog (author of Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) that the Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson (also author of Keys to the Golden Firebird and others) was being heavily challenged by parents at a high school in Oklahoma. Of course this piqued my interest...

The parent heading the banning request team wrote the following about the book:
"I’m shocked and appalled at the lack of discretion, and moral decline in the selection of books at the Mid-High library. Homosexual content, unprotected sex, underage drinking, and reckless promiscuity are not values that belong in a school library. I understand there are parents or teens who are dealing with these issues, but not all parents want their kids exposed to this material. Personally, I would not endorse any of these types of book as “14-and-15-year-old-friendly.” Giving teenagers knowledge without guidance is irresponsible and dangerous. As a parent, I screen my 15-year-old’s television, Internet, video game, magazines, and books. There are things she’s not mature enough to handle, or are simply wrong for her. Parents are a child’s best line of defense in a world that rushes to grow them up too soon. This book, “The Bermudez Triangle” has no moral fiber, and wrongly promotes a “do whomever you want to discover yourself” mentality. There’s no mention of the myriad of diseases, pregnancy, destruction of friendships and lives that are very real consequences of a “sexual free-for-all” decision. I ask that his material be removed at once. You have a responsibility to the children at school to protect them and educate them. Let’s raise the bar a little higher, respect moral values and a parent’s right to guard that which has been entrusted to their care."

Now this book, while not one of the most fabulous YA books I've read lately, is a fine book. Three girls who have been really close friends for a really long time experience what happens when one of them goes away for the summer before senior year in high school. It just so happens in this book that the other two end up let's say "experimenting" with life and love, with each other. But the book is so much more than that- its a coming of age story as they all decide what they want to do with their lives, its about making friends with people you never guessed you'd be friends with and its about forgiveness. It are those themes that define the book NOT the fact that two of the girls think they might be lesbians.

Anyway, I had to read it myself to see what I thought. Again, confirming my belief that banning books is not necessarily the way to go and maybe parenting is.

Blah blah blah.