Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian

The Great Migration

2011-06-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, our posts here have been few and far between lately. A large reason for that has been issues with Blogger. Miss Ami actually has two blogs she manages, this one and a more eclectic one titled A Mom's Spare Time . For some reason, Blogger is not letting people log in and out of different blogs for large stretches of time, and since Miss Ami was logged into the other blog on her computer, she can only access this one from random public computers. Not conducive to late-night-everyone-is-finally-asleep posting.

For that and other reasons, we have decided to combine the two blogs, and move everything over to A Mom's Spare Time. We the turtles are going into semi-retirement, but may pop in for an occasional comment. You can still find us here under the sun lamp at the Library, soaking up the rays, and listening to stories read by our faithful younger patrons. If you are one of our regular followers, we encourage you to become a follower of A Mom's Spare Time, and thank you for your readership and your great comments over the past couple years here. We'll see you on the other side!

Where in Town is This?

2011-06-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

As part of our Summer Reading Program, Miss Ami zipped around town taking pictures of things you probably pass by every day - so often, in fact, that you probably don't 'see' them any more! We'll have a different shot or two posted at the Library, as well as on our blog, each week. If you recognize one, go ahead and name it in the comments!

To start us off, we have an easy one (we think) and a harder one:

Of course, if you're not from around here, neither of these will look familiar. Fear not - some of our future shots include buildings commonly seen across the country:)

My Boyfriend is a Monster - Graphic Novel series from Lerner

2011-05-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

by Evanne Tsang and Janina Gorrisen
Graphic Universe (Lerner Publishing)
978- 0-7613-6004-9

by Paul Storrie and Eldon Cowgur
Graphic Universe (Lerner Publishing)
978-0-7613-5601-1

You may have noticed that we don't review many graphic novels. As in, we never review graphic novels. There's a reason for that: we don't generally read graphic novels. But who can resist a title like My Boyfriend is a Monster: I Love Him to Pieces, featuring a story line with a zombie apocalypse? And lines like: "There's a difference between a zombie and a high school boy? Well, when you get a zombie's attention, you know that it'll stick with you, at least until it can eat your brains. Regular guys are more fickle."

Definitely one for guys or girls, nerds or jocks (or turtles). It's campy, of course, and moves too quickly to flesh out the plotline much, but - it's a graphic novel! The dialogue and the artwork are the key elements of a book like this, and both work very well in this case. We will be handing this to the first reluctant reader we spot. We would also love to see Tsang try his hand at some non-graphic YA fiction.

The second in the series, Made for Each Other, follows a Frankenstein theme. Not quite as funny as the first, it still has enough of the same characteristics to hold a reader's attention - although it does seem a little more girl-oriented. At any rate, the entire series has promise of being a big hit among middle and high schoolers. We give both books a

4 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: The Best Dogs Ever series by Elaine Landau

2011-05-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

978-07613-60780

978-07613-60834

978-07613-60797
all from Lerner, who provided review copies

Have we mentioned how much we absolutely love this series? Yes? Can we say it one more time, then?

There are tons of dog books out there for kids, and plenty of series with breed-specific volumes, but most of those tend to be a little fuzzy on the specific characteristics and needs of each breed. Definitely not so with these! In addition to the individual history of a dog breed, we find out about energy level, personality, and pros and cons of owning each type (mastiffs=slobber). We even read about things like legislation issues, for example in the case of Pit Bulls.

Ah, pitties. We are definitely big dog lovers, and the three featured above are among our favorites. Mastiffs have such sweet big lugs, and the Great Dane on the cover of his book looks just like Miss Ami's "Dude" - who considers himself the mother of every orphaned kitten that comes along. We have a special soft spot for pits, though. Yes, we know, many pits make the news in bad ways, and we don't necessarily want to debate that whole issue. We do want to point out two things:

When Miss Ami was little, German Shepherds were the 'evil' dogs. No responsible parent would let one near their child. Then it was Dobermans, then Dalmatians, etc., etc. In a couple years, we'll be seeing news stories about those dangerous Malteses.

Two patrons JUST had a conversation in front of us (really, as we were typing!) about a problem pit that turned out not to even be a pit. Check out this web site and see if you can do better than us (we never get it right on the first try).

Okay, off the soap box. All dogs, particularly big and strong dogs, do need plenty of exercise and training, and these books are very clear about that. They also give other books and web sites to check out if your readers want more information, as well as basic advice about selecting a new puppy and welcoming it into your home. Be warned about previewing these, though - once you hit the pages of puppy pictures, you are going to want every single one of these dogs! Same great Lerner quality with binding and illustration, they get a

5 out of 5.

More more reviews of nonfiction books for children, check out today's post on Simply Science

Picture Book Mini-Reviews

2011-05-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, there are some books we like that other people (or turtles) don't, and vice versa. Something every library employee needs to keep in the forefront of their mind is that libraries are for everyone, and just because something doesn't suit our taste/opinions/politics/beliefs, that doesn't make it any less worth putting in the collection.

The same applies to reviewers. The following books were some we just couldn't get behind ourselves, but we can see that they are of good quality, and could be appealing to a different audience. In fact, they have both received good reviews elsewhere. As the selectors of books for the library, however, we like to see a mix of reviews before we make ordering decisions. So:

by Mark Sperring
Andersen Press
9780761374862
Review copy from publisher.

The pictures were very cute, but the message was a bit heavy-handed. A little knight wants a sword "to whoosh and swoosh in the air" and to fight dragons with, but his mother gives him a sunflower instead. Of course, he ends up making friends with a dragon because of it, and soon all the grown-up knights follow suit. Some parents will be thrilled with the pacifist theme, while others will roll their eyes at the lack of subtlety.

by Elise Primavera
Random House
9780375844812
Review copy from publisher

A cute book, but we weren't sure if this was for children, or for thumb-sucking adults. The whole format would be familiar to any six-year-old...who has attended a few AA meetings. From the beginning confession in front of a group ("Hello. My name is Lulu and I'm a thumb sucker,") through the twelve step program she develops, and even the manipulations of the thumb ("I don't even know who you are anymore,") the audience seems a bit beyond the preschool crowd.

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond, Illustrated by Diane deGroat

2011-05-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

by Ree Drummond
HarperCollins
978-006-1996559
Review copy from publisher

There's a reason most dogs have big brown eyes. Brown eyes just look sadder, more soulful than any other color, and dogs (kinda like toddlers) often have need of an especially soulful look to either a) get themselves out of trouble, or b) get what they want. Members of the hound dog family have the added advantage of that little droop, and when you add long, floppy ears - well, just look at this cover and tell us who could resist that face!

This is the first of what is expected to be a series of stories about Charlie, a real dog living on a real ranch in Oklahoma. Like everyone else on a ranch, Charlie works very hard from sunup to sundown (with an occasional assist from his friend Suzie). Kids of all ages will enjoy following Charlie through his day, spending extra time looking at all the detail in Diane DeGroat's illustrations. Miss Ami's 5-year-old had fun finding the smiling chipmunk on every page, and pointed out things Miss Ami had missed - like Drummond's sillhouette in the upstairs window.

This book comes with lots of extras, including a lasagna recipe (Drummond is also known as the author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and her blog, The Pioneer Woman).

On her blog, you can read about the process she went through to get the book published - kids (and adults) may be fascinated by the many steps the illustrations go through, as well as the back-and-forth betweeen author/illustrator/editor. A great tool to use with those reluctant to edit their first drafts!

Finally, Barnes and Noble has a video of Drummond reading the story, so you can either preview it that way or let your kids follow along with their own copy. While some of the extras, particularly the latter, are obviously ways for the publisher to promote the book and attract a wide audience, they work to complement it rather than seeming gimmicky. This is a series sure to have many fans, and we are looking forward to the next installment. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: On the Move with Trains, Motorcycles and Ambulances!

2011-05-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

by Lee Sullivan Hill
Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-3921-2

by Laura Hamilton Waxman
Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-3922-9

by Lee Sullivan Hill
Lerner Publications
978-0761360261

Review copies from publisher

We reviewed Big Rigs and Fire Trucks On the Move back in November, and loved them - as have our patrons. We were happy to receive review copies of these three books in the series, and plan to fill in the ones we are missing as soon as the cumbersome end-of-fiscal-year-budget-process will allow us to order things again!

We don't really have a lot to add to our previous review of this series (we shouldn't say that, because now they won't send us any more). Same quality binding and great format, with exciting fonts, easy text, and big attractive pictures.

Ah, but Lerner, beware the eagle eye and sharp memory of a four-year-old! Miss Ami was test-driving Ambulances on the Move with her young son, and he suddenly jumped up and ran to his bookshelf. He returned with this book from Scholastic:

and showed her that the photo on page 9 of that book was the exact same photo as that on page 19 of Waxman's. Nothing wrong with two books using the same stock photos, but THEY WILL KNOW. It's all good, though - he was still excited about the book, and he is, of course, and exceptionally perceptive child.

Another 5 out of 5 for this series, perfect for preschool/beginning readers. For more reviews of great nonfiction books for kids, check out today's post at Shelf-Employed (love that blog name!)

True (...Sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

2011-05-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while there is a character that you, as the reader, 'get' immediately. Unfortunately, nobody else in the boko seems to. Other characters see the outward actions, put their own assumptions on what was behind them, and judge accordingly. And usually wrongly. You want to reach in and grab up that character and wrap your arms around her, comforting her and protecting her from all those condemning adults (and kids) in her fictional world.*

*Note from the turtles: Miss Ami, our typist, is 97 months pregnant and feeling hormonal and maternal, and that may be rubbing off on us just a bit.

At any rate, Hannigan has deftly created just such a character in Delly. Her problems are summed up in this exchange with her younger brother:

Then RB was shouting, "Just quit getting in trouble. Just quit it!"
"I'm not trying to get in trouble!" she shouted back.
RB knew that was true. "What ARE you trying to do?" he asked.
She thought about it. "Have fun. Do something good. Except when I fight."
He said it quiety, so she wouldn't slug him too hard: "Maybe you should try something different."
She didn't smack him. Instead, she rasped, "I don't know how to be...not me."

(pg. 73 HC)

Sometimes it seems the harder you try to improve your character, the more the world seems to conspire against you. Delly wants to "be good", she wants to make her mother proud, she wants to stay out of trouble, but...

Delly is not the only vivid character in the book. With just a few words, we feel we know many of the other characters as if we'd been watching them for years. Hannigan is adept at showing us rather than telling us about someone, whether by their actions, their thoughts, or their conversations. We would love to share an exchange between Delly and her mother as an example, but it might be too much of a spoiler - just nod and agree with us when you get to page 237 of the hardcover!

We loved Ida B (Hannigan's first, bestselling work), and think this one is ten times better. No pressure on the author, but we can't wait to see what comes next!

I Want to Do It Myself! by Tony Ross

2011-05-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

by Tony Ross
Andersen Press USA
978-0-7613-7412-1
Review copy from publisher

This is a familiar refrain to any parent, and will resonate with every child. The second children are born, they seem to be trying to grow up faster than we are ready for them to, and the Little Princess is no exception. She is a big girl, and she can go camping without any help from the big people in her life!

She packs her bags and sets off, never noticing the scores of grown-ups following her along the way. Young readers, of course, will easily spot the maid in the tree and the chef in the bushes, long before they pop out in turns to rescue the blissfully unaware young princess. A gentle acknowledgement of the quest for independence, with the security of knowing someone is there to fall back on.

The illustrations as always are charming and fun - and can we say one more time how much we appreciate her not having golden ringlets and perfect gowns? Pick up a copy soon for your classroom, or for your own little princess.

A Short Note (Becoming a Long Note) from Miss Ami

2011-05-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

This...

by Ree Drummond
William Morrow
978-0-06-199716-7
Copy borrowed from Library after those pesky patrons FINALLY checked it back in.

...may be one of the funniest things I have ever read. And I haven't even finished reading it.

It is also a great romance (and I don't particularly like romances), a wonderful illustration of personal development, a candid look at what happens when you mesh two very different lives, and - oh, heck, it's just a fantastic read!

It doesn't hurt that I am married to my own denim-wearing, shotgun-toting, Sam Elliot look-alike. And there just MIGHT have been some parking in a diesel-powered pick-up truck involved in our courtship as well. And a grass fire. But I never had to stick anything up a cow's...

Anyways. You don't have to be married to or lusting after a cowboy to enjoy this one (although female readers may find that Old Spice guy starting to look awfully effeminate.) My husband wants to read it next (yes, that's right ladies, equally comfortable with a chainsaw OR a good book in his hands - those guys do exist!), then my mother, then half a dozen people at the park who heard me giggling and stopped to hear a paragraph or two.

But they'll have to wait for me to finish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go take a very extended lunch break. If you need me, I will be in the staff room, laughing uncontrollably.

Later: This is becoming too bizarre. There are a million similarities between this story and mine that I just can't share without spoilers - if you know us personally, you will recognize them. That was 'bad' enough.

This afternoon I finished the book and finally allowed myself to visit her blog, where I saw more. Then I saw posts about a picture book she has out, through Harper Collins. I was JUST ABOUT to e-mail my contact there to request a review copy - and was posting my intention to do so on Drummond's comments section - when the mail came, with - you guessed it! Feeling a bit spooked now! But happy I won't have to wait to read it!

Nonfiction Monday: Built for Cold Arctic Animals series from Bearport Publishing

2011-05-02T03:31:00.000-07:00

by Stephen Person
Bearport Publishing
978-1-61772-133-5
Review copy from publisher.

by Stephen Person
Bearport Publishing
978-1-61772-1342
Review copy from publisher.

This is another animal series that will probably NOT be including a turtle or tortoise of any kind - and we're okay with that! We do not do cold (have we mentioned our heat lamp? At least a hundred times?), but that doesn't mean we aren't interested in reading about places like the Arctic.

Any place that runs to extremes of one sort or another is bound to fascinate. For those of us living in a place like southern New Mexico, it is hard to imagine living somewhere with sub-zero temperatures and ice and snow as far as the eye can see. Animals such as Polar Bears and Arctic Wolves, however, are right at home!

This series is written for the upper-elementary range, and has immediate appeal for students with its attractive covers and bright, vivid pictures. The text is age-appropriate, and dramatic in places without damaging its usefulness for report writing. (Loved the story of Isobel, the blind sled dog! We were also happy to see Balto wasn't given credit for the entire race to bring medicine to Nome, as has happened in some children's books.) A note for teachers/parents, though: some of the material and images, while accurate and important, may be disturbing for younger children (walrus calves crushed in a stampede, sled dogs killed by elk, etc.)

As we have come to expect from Bearport's nonfiction, each book includes an index, glossary, extra facts, and a web link for more information. We appreciate the way Bearport puts up a page for each book or series, keeping the web sites up to date. Based on what we have seen, we give the series a

5 out of 5.

For more reviews of nonfiction for children, check out the other Nonfiction Monday posts at Jean Little Library

Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana: Lizard Lightning! by Natalie Lunis

2011-04-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

by Natalie Lunis
Blink of an Eye: Superfast Animals series
Bearport Publishing
978-1-936087-91-4
Review copy from publisher.

Yes, okay, it has been a while. We took a small, unplanned break - of two weeks! In between out of town guests and birthdays and relatives in the hospital, we were still reading, but we devoted some time to series we needed to catch up on - the Eldest series is great, but the internet world really doesn't need one more review of them!

Now it's time to dive into some of the shiny new books that have been beckoning to us from the corners of our desk. This first one we found fascinating because, let's face it, turtles are not thought of as terribly fast. Oh, we can scoot along pretty quickly if we want to, on land or in water, but we prefer to take our time or just hang around under the heat lamp, not moving at all. At any rate, we will never be any match for a greyhound or a cheetah!

This entry in the series is at least another reptile - the fastest reptile in the world! Black spiny-tailed iguanas can run almost 22 miles an hour; faster than most people, and much faster than the alligators they are sometimes mistaken for. They are big guys, up to four feet long! They don't need to chase their food (plants), but they do need to run to escape their predators. Personally, we think anything that big and tough-looking should need to run from anyone.

Many other interesting facts are presented in a kid-friendly (think upper elementary) manner. Each two-page spread has a few paragraphs of information with smaller pictures/charts/graphs opposite a larger, close-up photo. The photographs are very clear and attractive. The back includes an illustrated glossary, an index, and an internet link to find more information.

These look like they will be a great addition to the shelves, and we plan to order the rest of the series.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery, by MaryRose Wood

2011-04-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

978-006-179112-3
HarperCollins
Copy borrowed from library.

If you haven't read the first book in this series (The Mysterious Howling), stop right now and go find it. Some books in series can be read out of order, this is not one of them! In this case, that's a good thing - some series books are so determined to stand on their own, they spend the first several chapters boring you with back story. This book moves too quickly to bore anyone.

If you have read The Mysterious Howling, and you enjoyed its quirkiness, then you will definitely enjoy the sequel. The children are their same delightful combination of wolf pup and proper lady and gentleman, Penelope is still the perfect governess for them, and an easy heroine to root for. She is a bit innocent and naive, but smart enough that she catches on to clues not too long after the reader does. Is it always realistic and plausible? Of course not! Hello, the kids were raised by wolves! That's part of the fun of these stories, and we already can't wait for the next one. Recommended for upper elementary, middle or high school libraries - or for a fun family read-aloud (homeschoolers especially will find a plethora of lessons to spin off onto!)

We give this a 5 out of 5.

Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island, by Paul Adam

2011-04-14T18:32:00.001-07:00

978-0061-863257
Walden Pond press
Review copy from publisher.

We hate to use the word 'formulaic', but we can't help feeling like we have read this before. In fact, as we neared the end, someone asked what we were reading and how it was. We answered by telling them we were about to get to the part where the hero does "x", finds out "y", but won't be able to "z" until the next book at least. Oh, and so-and-so will do such-and-such at the last minute, saving the day. We were right on all counts.

That said, this was well-written enough to appeal to teen and preteen boys looking for a good adventure series, and we do plan on purchasing the sequels. If you are looking for a fast-paced read and willing to contribute a healthy suspension of disbelief, this is a great series to pick up. We give this first title a

3 out of 5.

Max Cassidy can escape from anything

Only fourteen years old, Max is the world's foremost escape artist. Chained, handcuffed, locked in an airtight water tank, there's nothing he can't get himself out of. He learned the art from his father a man who just two years ago was murdered, and Max's mother went to jail for the crime.

Now a mysterious man has shown up backstage after one of Max's shows, telling Max that not only is his mother innocent, but his father is still alive. He can provide only one clue: a slip of paper with eight digits written on it. It is this clue that will lead Max from his home in London to the exotic and deadly Central American country of Santo Domingo and the impenetrable fortress on the sinister Isla de Sombra.

Max Cassidy can escape from anything–but given the chance to finally know the truth about what has torn his family apart, escape from Shadow Island is the last thing on his mind.

Guestbooking

2011-04-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

As geocaching becomes more popular, we looked into having a cache hidden here at the library. We discovered, however, that we are too close to some other caches in town. Letterboxing is fun, but hiding a box of toys in the library could also turn out badly - or at the very least, require frequent maintaining.

Guestbooking, on the other hand, requires no special equipment or coordinates. You simply hide a guestbook of some sort at your location and disseminate a hint as to where to find it. When people do find it, they sign the book, perhaps adding a quote or picture of some sort. That, we can handle! As we 'speak', our guestbook is being made ready to hit the shelves. If you are familiar with the location of our library, we invite you to stop by and see if you can find it - and as a hint, just think about how you would find anything else in the library! (And no, we don't mean ask Miss Ami.)

Teen Cafe - T-Shirt Redesign (or) See, I Knew I Was Saving That for a Reason!

2011-04-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

We don't usually blog about events before they happen, but we are hoping to snag a few more ideas from our brilliant readers:) Since Miss Ami is, as they used to say, in a delicate condition, and may or may not be around for the latter half of Summer Reading, we are trying to prepare as much as possible beforehand. This particular program is slated for the end of July - just don't ask us what's for supper tonight, 'kay?

The general plan is to provide ideas and supplies for teens to redecorate/redesign/repurpose old t-shirts. Because many of the regulars to Teen Cafe are also SRP Volunteers, and they have a whole stash of shirts from previous years, and because we also had a stash of SRP shirts that were never picked up last year, those are what you will see featured here. We are mostly looking for no-sew ideas, as the idea of supplying 30 or so sewing machines doesn't seem too feasible.

First, because Miss Ami was a child of the 80's, we have this one:

You can also fringe the sleeves.

Another very simple one - wear a different color tank under it. We may cut more slits around the collar. If you are better at cutting than we are (no opposable thumbs, remember!) you can try cutting shapes instead of just slits.

A necklace/scarf made by cutting horizontal stripes about 1" thick and then pulling them tight to make them roll up. We connected them with a strip cut from the bottom, but we're not sure how to describe the loop-and tuck method...you can just hot glue the ends if you like!

These two are made from the same shirt. For the necklace (or belt) we cut off the bottom hem, then cut around and around so we had one long continuous strand about 1" thick. We cut that into thirds and braided them, then added chunky wood beads that have been sitting around forever.

We didn't want to waste the top picture, so we used fabric glue to attach it to posterboard, then added jewels and glitter. This would be fun to do with a t-shirt that had a funny saying, or a favorite rock band on it. We are trying to find our scrap cork board to make a bulletin board this way.

This is the one that started the whole project. Miss Ami (when she is not fat) and Miss Lisa both like 'skinny shirts', but the SRP shirts always come in 'boy cuts'. Just cut an inch or so off each side, make some slits, and voila! You can lace it or tie it - yes, both look kind of weird together, and the pretty ribbons don't exactly match the shark motif, but you get the idea. Wouldn't those bright yellow shirts for this year's theme look awesome with yellow and red ribbons?

We had seen ideas for shopping bags that required sewing the bottom, but then Karl from Tulsa sent us this idea - just fringe and tie the bottom. That looks even sturdier than sewing. Use strips from the sleeves as added handles. We left the hem on, but you can cut that off and add pony beads to the bottom.

That gave us an idea for a pillow we wouldn't have to sew, either. We did 'cheat' and hot glue the neckline, but that would be pretty easy to hand sew. Again, we left the hems, but you could take those off and add beads.

Most of these only took a few minutes - the braiding took forever because we kept getting tangled! (Thumbs!!!) Thanks to everyone who sent ideas and web sites to check out - now, what else have you got for us???

A Note on Covers - Patricia Wrede

2011-04-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

We finally had a chance to read Thirteenth Child, the first in Patricia Wrede's "Frontier Magic" series. For some books, the author's name is enough to sell it: Patricia Wrede = magic and adventure with great character development = automatic library buy. Still, we're not sure about the cover:

paperback

hardcover

It's nice, but a bit understated (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). For someone who is already a fan of Wrede, or who already likes the genre, it may be just right. We can't see it catching the eye of someone who is just browsing, though. The sequel, on the other hand:

coming this August

Ooh - we want this book! Fantastic colors, perfect font, and a girl-slash-woman who looks a little bit scary, a little bit scared, but definitely like someone you don't want to mess around with or underestimate. Yep, perfect cover, guys! Now for the dilemma...do we move the series to YA, or leave it in JF? That's the problem with series where the main character grows up on us. Wherever it lands, we get this one first!

Blog Links - Homeschooling Carnival

2011-03-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

We turtles are huge fans of both homeschooling and all things green, and wanted to pop in today just to point you towards this month's Carnival of Homeschooling round-up - the Green Edition! Quite an eclectic collection (say that six times fast) of ideas and tips and funny blog posts for homeschoolers, or just parents who want to do something extra to get everyone out of doors for a bit. Enjoy!

P.S. You can see our own little green (and brown. Mostly brown.) monster and his latest project here.

What Can(t) Wait, by Ashley Hope Perez

2011-03-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

by Ashley Hope Perez
Carolrhoda LAB
978-0-7613-6155-8
Review copy from publisher.

"Another day finished, gracias a Dios."

Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. An ordinary life - marrying a neighborhood guy, working, having babies - ought to be good enough for her.

Marisa hears something else from her calc teacher. She should study harder, ace the AP test, and get into engineering school in Austin. Some days, it all seems possible. On others, she's not even sure what she wants.

When her life at home becomes unbearable, Marise seeks comfort elsewhere - and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants - other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over.

We are seeing some great debut novels this year, and this one certainly ranks right up there. We picked it up to read during our lunch hour, and ended up sneaking time to read all afternoon until we had finished it. It wasn't next in line to get reviewed, but we can't wait to get it into our teens' hands!

There are so many situations in this book that we see lived out here every day - the cultural clashes, pregnant teens, and mostly the difficulty of breaking a family cycle. It can seem so easy to outsiders, who don't understand why young men and women keep making the 'wrong' choices. Perez shows us that things aren't as easy or as black and white as they seem. No preaching here, an authentic voice teens will appreciate, and a realistic but satisfying ending. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Picture Book Mini-Reviews

2011-03-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

978-0-375-84576-5
Random House
Review copy from publisher.

Steve and Carl are ducks. Steve likes cans. Carl likes socks. And WE LOVE Steve and Carl! We want to live in their pond and be their best friends. We also want to read more about them, and soon! Give this one (and what we hope will be some companion books) to fans of Dunrea's Gossie and Gertie books, or Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie. Yes, they are just that cute!

Carolrhoda Books
978-0-7613-5212-9
Review copy from publisher.

Oops! Toss out all those theories about how dinosaurs became extinct - turns out they were just on an interstellar cruise! Now they are back, and you would not believe the laundry that has piled up. Things have changed a bit while they have been gone, though - fun to brainstorm with your little ones how a brontosaurus or two would fit back into your neighborhood!

Virals, by Kathy Reichs

2011-03-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Razorbill
978-1-59514-342-6
Copy borrowed from library.

Another book saved by the lunch hour. We are physically incapable of just sitting and eating, we must be sitting and eating with a book in hand. Every once in a while we, miraculously, don't have any errands to run during our lunch hour. We settle in to our seat in the lounge with lunch and a book and a don't-bug-me-until-12:59 expression.

Sometimes, the book we have grabbed doesn't live up to our first impression. We might normally set it aside, but that would mean either a) not having anything to read, or b) having to waste precious minutes finding another book. Neither is acceptable, so we usually push on.

At first, it looked like Virals was going to hit several of our Top Ten from yesterday. This could easily have gone afoul of the lack-of-science pet peeve, as well as the extraneous romantic figures. There was also a pet peeve we didn't mention: irritating speech patterns. Not so much when Tory is talking, but when she is narrating nearly every other paragraph ends with a funny 'aside'. Which stops being funny after the tenth time.

Fortunately, our mild irritation and pessimism did not last as long as lunchtime, and we were intrigued enough by the end of the hour to take the book home - and then hooked enough to stay up and finish it. The science was just vague enough to be reasonably plausible - yes, diseases can certainly be mutated, although we don't know of any that cause the host to take on other species' characteristics. Some of the characters were right out of a stock file - we did not believe in Hannah at all, sorry, and both Jason and Chance were cardboard cutouts - but what looked like an obvious love/hate relationship at first did not materialize, for which we are grateful. Yes, there were romantic interests, but they existed to move the plot in a certain direction.

The ending held a few surprises for us, mostly in what didn't happen. We thought a certain dead person wasn't really dead and was still controlling things, for example. Looks like he's pretty much dead. Of course, there are still plenty of loose ends to make a sequel obvious. Will the character who lost it at the end return to take up where, ah...another character left off? Will that person want revenge? (Trying to avoid spoilers here!) What is Whitney's deal? Why is she with Kit? Is there a point to the whole debutante thing, or is Reichs just throwing that in because she thinks it will appeal more to teenage girls? Oh, that does bring up another pet peeve avoided - minimal descriptions of clothing, also much appreciated.

We haven't read Reich's adult novels, but we know they are popular. As her first foray into YA fiction, she seems to be feeling her way about. We recommend a sounding board of actual teens and YA bloggers for her next attempt - this series has good potential, if it can avoid some common pitfalls-slash-stereotypes. We give this first one a

3 out of 5.

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage “sci-philes” who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot–if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer’s scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends– they’re a pack. They are Virals.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Pet Peeves

2011-03-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

As anyone who reads a million books a year, we are bound to have a few pet peeves that crop up every now and then. Some of ours, in no particular order:

1. Science fiction that is sketchy on the science. Now, we are not brainiacs, and we don't need detailed theorems and chemical equations. We are also willing to come in with a reasonable "suspension of disbelief". But, it needs to make sense. If we, with our "C" average in all science classes, can spot problems, you have some serious polishing up to do.

2. Cover art that doesn't match the characters. Would the people who design the books please READ THEM first?! recent example: We Hear the Dead. Who exactly is that supposed to be? Demure, ladylike Maggie, or young, innocent Kate? And we won't even start on the whitewashed covers.

3. Extraneous love interests. Nothing wrong with a good romance, if that is actually part of the story. Too often, however, authors/publishers feel they have to throw one in, ruining a book that was just fine on its own, just because said book is for teens. Author Liane Shaw jumped twenty points in our esteem with her comment on this post, and we are still awaiting news on her next title, still scheduled for this fall we hope...

4. Overly hyped books that don't live up. (Across the Universe - need we say more?) Sometimes, dear publishers, your resources would be better spent on editing than on publicity.

5. Book merchandise. Now, this isn't meant to be a sweeping dismissal of all book-related products - after all, our youngest reader's room is decorated in storybook characters, complete with Curious George wall quilt and stuffed Berenstain Bears. Nothing gets our hackles up, though, like reading a Charlie and Lola book in storytime, and hearing someone (usually a parent) exclaim, "Oh, they made a book out of the cartoon!"

6. Permabound books. Not to disparage the company, but you know the covers we mean - the boring, bumpy, usually beige covers that seldom include artwork and retain dirt like a three-year-old. For some reason, a generation of librarians decided these were a much better option than buying a new copy when things wore out. A subsequent generation of readers was less than impressed, and they are slowly being weeded out (we can't even move them off the book sale cart!)

7. Clothing descriptions, especially in 'contemporary' fiction. "cause, guess what? In three years, your book is no longer contemporary. You shot any chance of kids relating to your characters down the road when you spent a paragraph discussing how her leggings matched her headband. Plus, too much focus on clothing = shallow character = I don't care what happens to her.

8. Stupid main characters. I like to feel a little smarter than the protagonist, but not too much. If I figure out who the bad guy is on page three, I'm not going to read past page ten. (Pleasantly surprised by Virals, btw, which I should be reviewing tomorrow).

9. Fact checking. Does that go without saying? If we are publishing nonfiction for kids (or for anyone) can we please make sure the author knows what he/she is talking about? That the pictures match up with the text? That the grammar is better than that of a third grader?

10. Celebrity authors. For every Julie Edwards (loved Mandy!) there is a Madonna (ugh) or a Jamie Lee Curtis (moralistic obvious blech) or a (cringing-at-fingernails-on-chalkboard) Maria Shriver (speaking of books I can't move).

Whew. Looks like we reached ten just as we were getting a little too snippy. Your turn now! What pet peeves do you have about books - covers, illustrations, storylines, anything? Snipe away, and we'll return with a more positive post tomorrow:)

The Thirteenth Princess and A True Princess by Diane Zahler

2011-03-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

978-0-06-182500-2

978-0-06-182501-9
HarperCollins
Review copies from publisher

As we have mentioned countless times, we love us a good fractured fairy tale. Many of those we have seen lately, however, are more suitable for young adults - great for them, but that leaves out the large number of upper elementary-age girls who love a good fairy tale of any sort.

Both of these by Zahler, fortunately, are perfect for that age group. The traditional fairy tales - The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Princess and the Pea - are fleshed out enough to satisfy the reader who wants some questions answered (WHY do they have to dance all night?), yet still light and full of enough romance and beautiful dresses to satisfy the girly-girl. Characters tend to be fairy-taleish (we are making up words this week) in that they are either all bad, all good, or have one particular flaw that their character must overcome. In a serious YA historical fiction that would bug the shells off of us, but for these it works just fine.

Recommended for elementary or middle school libraries, we give these a

4 out of 5.

Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

2011-03-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

by Thanhha Lai
HarperCollins Publishers
978-0-06-196278-3
Copy provided by publisher for review

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.
For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.

But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.

This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

Told in very short free verse diary-type entries, this is a quick read. As such it may serve as an easy introduction to the issues of immigration, loss, clashing cultures, etc. Sensory descriptions are richly done, making for some vivid impressions in the middle of brief snapshots of events. At times that brevity seemed to mirror Ha's own struggles with the language, and we didn't always feel we were getting the full picture.

This is one where we would have liked to see the secondary characters more developed. We get to see Ha's inner thoughts and feelings, but just catch glimpses of the rest of her family, as well as the people she meets in the United States. The family's sponsor, his wife, and the neighbor who befriends them remained very two-dimensional, and the story would have been much richer if their characters had been made real to us. The struggles of her mother and brothers are only briefly mentioned, and might not sink in with younger readers.

Recommended for upper elementary/middle grades, we give this a

3 out of 5.

We Hear the Dead, by Dianne K. Salerni

2011-03-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

by Dianne K. Salerni
Sourcebooks, Inc.
978-1-4022-3092-9
Copy received from publisher for Cybils consideration.

Maggie:
I began the deception when I was too young to know right from wrong. Only with the passing of time did I come to understand the consequences of my actions.
Kate:
I do not believe that I have ever intentionally deceived anyone. Maggie has a different understanding of the events that have happened. To her the spirits were always a game. For me they were my life's calling. I have no regrets.
It starts as a harmless prank...then one lie quickly grows into another. Soon Kate and Maggie Fox are swept into a dizzying flurry of national attention for their abilities to communicate with the dead. But living a lie is sometimes too much to handle, even if you have the best intentions. Based on a true story, We Hear the Dead reveals how secrets and lies can sometimes lead you to what's real and what's right. And how sometimes talking with the dead is easier than talking with the people around you.

We had heard of the Fox sisters and were vaguely aware of their roles in the rise of spiritualism, but didn't know many specifics of their life story. There were times when we itched to hit the internet and find out how much of the story was historically accurate, but we didn't want to ruin the ending for ourselves. Of course, a little foreshadowing gave away the basic parts, but we wanted to let the details unfold by themselves. We were not disappointed, and the story held our interest to the end.

The topic of teens getting caught in a web of lies is not a new one to YA fiction, but the end result here is a bit different. There is no huge disastrous event where the heroine is caught in her lies, followed by a chapter or two in which she must make amends and regain everyone's trust, having learned her lesson and repented. In other words, this story is a bit more realistic (go figure, since it's based on a true one!) There is some exploration of whether some lies are better than others, or why they might be seen that way. Differing viewpoints are given on the same subjects, leaving it to the readers to make up their own minds. The girls' deception leads to both positive and negative consequences, and again the readers will have to decide which outweighs the other.

A note about the cover. While it does catch they eye and convey the sense of charlatanry (is that a word?), there is no way Maggie or Kate, as they are portrayed in the book, would have been allowed to dress like that. Kate is constantly put forth to the public as an innocent girl, Maggie as demure and ladylike. The brown roots showing through the red hair are, artistically, a nice way to illustrate looking beneath the surface, but again, this does not match up with either sister.

A very nice first novel, and we are adding Salerni to our list of authors to watch.

4 out of 5.

The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Wild, by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

2011-03-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

HarperCollins Publishers
978-0-06-186317-2
Review copy furnished by publisher.

Hmm. It's hard to review a book when we aren't sure what we have to say about it. This series has potential...but we're not sure for what. This is definitely a niche book - one that will appeal to a select group of readers rather than to a broad spectrum. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, but it isn't clear what niche the authors are going for. Boys who like adventure and semi-romantic ghost stories equally? Is that a niche?

The world knows Jack London as a writer who lived his own thrilling, real-life adventures. But there are parts of his life that have remained hidden for many years, things even he couldn’t set down in writing. Terrifying, mysterious, bizarre, and magical —these are the Secret Journeys of Jack London.

We meet Jack at age seventeen, following thousands of men and women into the Yukon Territory in search of gold. For Jack, the journey holds the promise of another kind of fortune: challenge and adventure. But what he finds in the wild north is something far more sinister than he could have ever imagined: kidnapping and slavery, the murderous nature of desperate men, and, amidst it all, supernatural beasts of the wilderness that prey upon the weakness in men’s hearts. Jack’s survival will depend on his ability to quell the demons within himself as much as those without.

We enjoy Native American legends, which would include the Wendigo who appears in this story, but the adventure/survival parts felt to us like they were stuck in between and didn't fully develop. Character development had a great deal of potential, but also wasn't fully explored, or plausible where there was some.

After we read it, we gave it to a patron who loves mountain man stories, and would have been quite happy trekking through blizzards in unpopulated wilderness areas with Jack London. He reported the adventure parts were "okay", but wasn't crazy about the fantasy bits, which ended up being most of the last half of the book.

The series is marketed as juvenile fiction, but the voice seems to be aimed much more towards adults. We may just not have found the right reading audience for it yet, but for now we're going to have to give it a

2 out of 5 - with room to prove us wrong in a sequel!

Because of Mr. Terupt, by Rob Buyea

2011-03-09T04:48:00.000-08:00

by Rob Buyea
Delacorte Press
978-0-385-73882-8

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.

Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.

Technically, turtles don't cry. We do have tear ducts, contrary to rumors, but they are just used occasionally for health reasons. So, we were definitely NOT crying when we read this book. Nor were we sniffling. We just...had water up our noses.

Humans, however, may want to have a tissue or two on hand. It's not as if you aren't warned in the description, after all - but things didn't play out exactly as we expected. All we can say there is, yeah for James!

We were a little concerned about the number of voices - it can be difficult to keep two voices distinct in the reader's mind, how would Buyea do with seven? While there is quite a bit of personality overlap - particularly in the girls - their stories help keep them separated. An ambitious undertaking for a first novel, so we won't be too hard on him this time:)

The story itself moves along quickly, and everyone will wish they had a teacher like Mr. Terupt. His excitement is so infectious, it doesn't just affect his students, it carries over to his readers as well. We are itching to start experimenting with the plants in our tank! While parts may have stretched credibility, it wasn't enough to ruin the reading. We give it a

4 out of 5 and recommend you go pick it up next!

Great Family Project!

2011-03-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

When disasters like the Christchurch earthquake happen, and our kids catch wind of it through TV, adult conversations, what-have-you, they often want to help out in some way. (Kinda humbling to the adults who shake our heads and then switch the channel, isn't it?) The challenge can be finding something they can do that a) is really helpful, and b) is tangible enough to make sense to little ones.

Zoe over at Playing by the Book has put together an awesome program that does just that. You can visit this post and have your family matched up with a Christchurch family that has lost everything. You will be given ages of people in the household, and asked to send NEW books you think they might like.

How fun is that?! Picking out presents, especially books, for other people is always a great way to spend an afternoon (and you know if you start browsing in a book store it's going to take the whole afternoon). Your kids will experience the joy of sharing favorites, and reinforce the idea that books are awesome gifts to both give and receive. More details can be found at te link, so stop reading and head on over there!

Draw the dark, by Ilsa J. Bick

2011-03-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

by Ilsa J. Blick
Carolrhoda Lab
978-0-7613-5686-8

"The things I draw: They tend to die."

There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for one. That fire, for another. But what they'd really like to forget is Christian Cage.

Seventeen-year-old Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy. Ever since, he's drawn obsessively: his mother's face...her eyes...and what he calls "the sideways place," where he says his parents are trapped. Christian figures if he can just see through his mother's eyes, maybe he can get there somehow and save them.

But Christian also draws other things. Ugly things. Evil things. Dark things. Things like other people's fears and nightmares. Their pasts. Their destiny.

There's one more thing the people of Winter would like to forget: murder.

But Winter won't be able to forget the truth, no matter how hard it tries. Not as long as Christian draws the dark...

If you are looking for a good spooky/creepy/chilling story with more than a bit of mystery, this one should do the trick! The book begins with Christian waking from a bizarre dream and discovering that overnight he has not only apparently painted some strange things on the wall of his room, but over the entire side of a barn across town, which he has never even seen before. The pace and the strangeness do not slow down from here on out.

Christian has the ability to literally "draw out" people's deepest fears. After some early incidents ended in disaster, he tries to avoid using this ability, but is finding he no longer has any control of it. Toss in some good character development, historical tidbits we weren't aware of (we stopped in the middle to look up POW camps in America), and enough mysteries and twists to make your head spin, and you have something for everyone!

We give it a 5 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: The American Indian Experience, by Liz Sonneborn

2011-02-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

by Liz Sonneborn
Lerner Publishing
978-0-7613-4086-7
Review copy from publisher.

As we mentioned last week, we tend to go through books that portray Native Americans with a fine-toothed comb. Two things made us a bit leery of this book right off the bat:

First there is the "USA Today" heading, with the inclusion of several USA Today articles throughout. Mixing other commercial entities with children's books is rarely a good idea, in our experience, and the media in general is not high on our list of truth-tellers.

Second is the idea (not a new one) of putting all Native American tribes together in one book. That is somewhat akin to putting all European nations together - there is just so much difference between, say, the French and the Ukrainians, how do you do justice to any of them?

On the other hand, this is part of a series from Lerner, and we have seldom been disappointed with their research and quality. We weren't this time, either!

Taking our objections in reverse order, Sonneborn does a great job of making sure we don't lump all Native Americans together. The very first page of text says, "American Indians created many different cultures. In North America alone, they lived within about five hundred tribes." Whenever a specific person is mentioned, so is their tribe (or tribes). Where information about, for example, spirituality, may begin in general terms, further sections as well as sidebars and photograph captions draw out differences in specific cultures (and we loved seeing the note that sand paintings are NOT ARTWORK to purchase and use as a coaster.)

Other than the inclusion of a few articles from past issues of USA Today, we did not note any evidence of commercialization. The information we saw not only seemed accurate (and please tell us if we missed something, we are by no means experts), but it went beyond what we find in much 'juvenile' nonfiction, and we learned quite a bit! (Most exciting news: Sherman Alexie is writing a sequel! We were so stoked, we told the woman at the McDonald's drive-thru, who was somehow not as thrilled as we are.) (Yes, we read while we are waiting in drive-thrus.)

While much negative history is not mentioned (for example, the damage done by 'missionaries' in the past), the focus of this book is meant to be on American Indian cultures today. It does cover aspects many non-Natives might not think about, such as why Columbus Day or Thanksgiving might not be cause to celebrate for everyone. At the same time, it presents these conflicting feelings in a way that would hopefully inspire discussion in a classroom, without coming down heavy-handed in one way or another.

We give this one a 5 out of 5, and strongly recommend adding it to your library's collection.

For more reviews of nonfiction books for kids, check out this week's nonfiction Monday host, Rasco from RIF

And the Winner is...

2011-02-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Danica Newton, who upped her chances by commenting on every post last week! Her name was drawn from abucket by Miss Annaly, age 2, whose name we may steal for future offspring or story characters.

Congratulations Danica! Thanks to everyone who visited and entered!

Willow and Willow and the Snow Day Dance, by Denise Brennan-Nelson, Illustrated by Cyd Moore

2011-02-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

978-1-58536-3421
Sleeping Bear Press
Copy borrowed from Library

978-1-58536-5227
Sleeping Bear Press
Copy borrowed from Library

Deep sigh of contentment. We have a new favorite picture book character, and Miss Ami finally has a middle name for Baby-on-the-Way (If it's a girl. Which it isn't, because she says so. But, just in case.)

Willow is irrepressibly kind. She is full of creativity and fun, and loves to involve those around her in both. Best of all, she just doesn't recognize when a grumpy adult might be just that: she happily continues being kind to them, until they have no choice but to give in. Wonderful books to help impart the same characteristics to your little ones, without ever sounding like a 'lesson book'. They are also just plain fun! Must-haves for any library, we give them each a

5 out of 5.

Father of Lies by Ann Turner

2011-02-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

by Ann Turner
HarperTeen
978-0-06-137085-4

Truth or Lies?

Lidda knew, with a clarity that was like a candle in a dark room, that all had changed; something was loosed in the village—Devil or not—and they would pay for it, every last man, woman, and child.

Fourteen-year-old Lidda has always known she was different. She longs to escape Salem Village and its stifling rules—to be free to dance, to sing, to live as she chooses. But when a plague of accusations descends on the village and witch fever erupts, L idda begins to realize that she feels and sees things that others can't, or won't. But how will she expose the truth without being hung as a witch herself?

There were many books ahead of this one in the queu, but we were intrigued enough by the author's note to start it right away:

"The opinions about Native Americans expressed in this novel only reflect the historical record and not this author's beliefs. They are important to understanding this period.In Chapters Nineteen and Twenty-Seven, some of the responses in the witch trials are taken directly from the historical transcripts of the trials."

Because of our patronage and some personal relationships, we have become more sensitive in recentyears to the way Native Americans are portrayed in children's literature. Much has been made lately of the portrayal of African Americans in books like Huckleberry Finn, with little said about similar treatment of characters like Injun Joe. It can be a difficult balance when writing historical fiction - you want the readers to come away with a balanced view of whatever culture you are portraying, but at the same time it would be incredibly unrealistic for all the characters in, say, a book set around the building of the railroads to be polite and respectful to the Chinese workers. In other words, the reader needs to see what many of your characters don't.

Truthfully, there is very little mention of Native Americans at all in the book, and it comes in the form of comments you would expect from the townspeople of that time - (from an 'afflicted' girl) "I vow the Devil was tall, dark, and wicked looking, like our enemies the Indians, with an evil heart inside." At the start of the book, we meet Tituba, the slave born in Barbados. She appears to cultivate an air of mystery and magic, seeming to know what Lidda is thinking, but as readers we can see that it could just as easily be keen observation skills and knowledge of human nature. Lidda envies her free spirit and refers to her in her thoughts as a friend, while most people, her parents included, regard her with suspicion and distaste.

We don't get to know many of the characters, except through Lidda's interactions with them. While this keeps them rather two-dimensional, it is a matter of character development and not stereotyping. Lidda is the only character we get to know, but since the book is mostly about her internal struggles (which the author's note implies may have been the result of bipolar disorder), that is not a huge issue. Readers may be confused as to whether they are supposed to root for or against the mysterious Lucien, all the way to the end of the book. Since many readers will already be quite familiar with the Salem witch trials and how they played out, this struggle and mystery offer a fresh perspective. Give this one to any teenage (or preteen) girls interested in the subject, or in historical fiction.

We give it a 4 out of 5.

Emily's New Friend, by Cindy Post Senning and Peggy Post, Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman

2011-02-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

HarperCollins Publishers
978-006111-7060
Review copy from publisher.

Struggling to make new friends is a timeless topic for children of all ages. Just as Emily is wishing someone her age lived nearby, Ethan is moving in and worrying about making new friends. Emily breaks the ice with cookies and an extra pair of hands, and the two are soon good friends.

There isn't much story here, and as such isn't the type of book you would sit down and read together with your little one. Everyone uses their best Emily Post manners at all times, and there is never any conflict. It is very clearly a lesson on manners, almost belonging more inthe nonfiction section than picture books.

It would work well, however, read out loud to a classroom, as part of a dicussion of ways to make/keep/treat friends - perhaps just before a new student is expected. Illustrations are clear and expressive, and may inspire a classroom project where students make their own posters depicting each helpful hint. Overall we give it a

3 out of 5.

Don't forget to leave a comment and earn another entry in our giveaway! For today's post, tell us your favorite way to break the ice with a new friend, of any age.

Official Giveaway Rules and Swag

2011-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our 10,000th visitor to the blog, we have raided our stash of goodies, and will send the whole kaboodle to one lucky winner. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is comment on any post we put up between Monday, February 21 and Sunday, February 27. Each comment (one per post) will earn you one entry, and on Monday morning we will throw all the entries together and let a random child pick the winner at our story time.

Prize package includes the following:

BOOKS

Ranger's Apprentice Book 5: The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan (ARC/PB)

The Madwoman of Bethlehem by Rosine Nimeh-Mailloux (PB)

Jane by April Lindner (HC)

Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe (HC)

The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand (HC)

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (ARC/PB)

Freaks and Revelations by Davida Hurwin (HC)

The Waters Rising by Sheri S. Tepper (HC)

Mary Engelbreit's A Merry Little Christmas (PB)

Snakes! by Melissa Stewart (PB)

Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel (PB)

Action Figures by Bob Raczka (PB)

Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words by Jane O'Connor (HC)

OTHER STUFF

Pinkalicious Perfectly Pink Collection (three books, stickers, poster and crayons)

A Dog Lover's Alphabet Book Jigsaw Puzzle

Something for everyone, we hope:) Thanks for visiting, and good luck!

Top Ten Tuesday and Contest Reminder

2011-02-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we hit 10,000 visitors to our blog! We had to go back and look a couple times - that's really 10,000, not 1,000? We got so excited, we decided to do what every book blogger does when she gets excited - give stuff away! For the rest of this week (up until midnight Sunday), for every post you comment on, your name will be put in a drawing for a goodie pile (list and picture to be posted later today). Only posts from this week (starting with Monday's) count, so if we get off our collective turtle rears and post every day, that will give you seven chances. Or, if we post twice in a day (like the goodie post later), there could be more than seven chances, so keep checking in! Winner will be announced on Monday.

Once again, we are joining The Broke and the Bookish for their Top Ten Tuesday. Today's theme: top ten book to movie adaptations. This was hard, because

a) We are turtles. Going to movie theatres just doesn't work well for us - we can't get the stupid folding seats to stay down, and even if we could, we couldn't see over the backs of the seats in front of us. So, we have to sit in the front row and crane our little turtle necks way back, and then if we lean too far back the seat flips up again and sends us sailing into someone's popcorn.

b) Thus far, Miss Ami has neglected to install a TV/DVD combo in our tank. She doesn't even have cable in her own home, so she doesn't think we are missing out on much. Phooey!

We did manage to come up with a few, though, so in no particular order:

1. The Princess Bride. Okay, we lied, this one is definitely first on our list, and always will be. Perfect casting, and absolutely faithful to the book, even to the point of the conversations between author and grandfather. Hands-down favorite.

2. Holes. A very close second. Again, perfect casting, and we still cry at the end when it rains.

3. Harry Potter. Yes, they changed things/left things out, but hello! The books are 8,000 pages long! We would have liked to see more of Dobby - and is Hagrid's half-brother just not important? Whatever. Still well-cast, and faithful enough to make us happy.

4. The first two Chronicles of Narnia movies. Finally, a lion that doesn't make you laugh when he appears! We just wish Hollywood hadn't felt the need to mess around with the third (evil green haze? Wha????). Guess there aren't enough folks there able to recognize moral lessons when they see them, so the book as written didn't make sense to them.

5. Lord of the Rings series. Miss Ami was in love with Aragon when she read the books as a teen, and the casting there did not disappoint her. Oh, and all the other parts were good, too.

6. Pride and Prejudice (the one with Keira Knightly). It can be hard to faithfully produce a book with less-than-modern speech and still make everything understandable to those not familiar with the books, but they did a marvelous job.

7. Little Women (with Winona Ryder).

8. Vampires S***. Being a little facetious here - we enjoyed the Twilight novels, but not all the hype, and the bits we've seen of the movies are terrible. This movie was juvenile and awful, but made a lot of great points - in a very juvenile and badly written way!

Hmm...still not 10, but we had some collections in there, so we'll call it good. tell us what we missed in the comments section, and get your name in our drawing!

It's Here! Nonfiction Monday - and a contest!

2011-02-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to be hosting Nonfiction Monday today, a weekly collection of posts from bloggers all over the internet, highlighting great nonfiction children's books. Leave your link in the comments section, and we will add them to the post throughout the day!

Starting us off with some baseball books, we have

We are a Ship at Bookie Woogie, and

Lipman Pike: America's First Home-Run King at Shelf-Employed.

There was a nasty Oil Spill over at Jean Little Library.

While at Charlotte's Library they are Digging for Troy.

NC Teacher Stuff is in to tell us What's for Dinner.

Our first president for the day makes his appearance at proseandkahn in The Crossing,

and Wild About Nature has a Contest to win a copy of Our Shadow Garden.

Cesar Chavez Day is next month, and True Tales and a Cherry on Top has a review of a picture book biography.

Bored with reading about people's lives? Read about how they died at Bookends.

Here's something different: an iPad app, The Strange and Wonderful World of Ants, which lets you change the reading level!

The Children's War has a book about...well, a war, with The Orphans of War

Simply Science has Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum today. Btw, while looking for a picture, we found a fun art project they probably won't let us try.

MotherReader has Before There was Mozart, continuing with Black History Month.

And if the ants weren't enough for you, you can read about all sorts of insects at Carrie's Comfy Cozy Reading Nook

What Does the President Look Like? Find out at Lori Calabrese (we're planning to pick this one up ourselves!)

More on African-American History month with Play, Louis, Play

And combining AAH Month, Cybils, AND a giveaway, we have Oprah: the Little Speakerat Check It Out.

Bloggers are stepping it up! More AAH Month and Cybils with reviews of THREE books, we have Wrapped in Foil

We'll have to step things up ourselves. Has anyone noticed the counter at the bottom of our page? We are rapidly approaching the 10,000th visitor mark! We expected that to happen later this week, forgetting about the inevitable surge of Nonfiction Monday.

So...announcing, a contest! Erm...to win...something! Something cool! Books and book-related items! Yes, that's it. And to win...you should...um...comment! This week, on any of our posts! (This week being from today until midnight Sunday) Yes, that's it, every time you comment (and look, 20 lovely bloggers already have), your name will be put in a drawing for something cool, winner to be announced Monday.

We now bring you back to our regularly scheduled Nonfiction Monday, while we go rummage through our closet of cool stuff...

Which brings us to one of our favorite feel-good stories, Nubs: the True Stor of a Mutt, a Marine and Miracle at All About the Book.

Sneaky Sheep, by Chris Monroe

2011-02-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

by Chris Monroe
Carolrhoda Books
978-0-7613-5615-8
Review copy from publisher

Blossom and Rocky are sheep - very sneaky sheep. But they are NOT very good decision makers. Poor Murphy, the sheep dog, has rescued them from many adventures, like cliff diving and sunbathing onthe railroad tracks. And then there was the unfortunate incident with the knitters...

But Rocky and Blossom are always looking for greener grass, and there's no telling what they'll try next.

This is one of those books we might read aloud to preschoolers and pause occasionally to say, "It's a good thing YOU don't act like that!" We know our story time crowd - not to mention Miss Ami's own children - well enough to know there are a few daredevils in the group. This is the kind of cautionary tale that inspires so many giggles, even those kids who realize there is a lesson won't mind a bit. Will they heed it? Well, that's another question entirely...

Bruiser, by Neal Shusterman

2011-02-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

Harper Teen
978-0-06-113408-1

Tennyson:
Don't get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, BrontË, dating him? One of these days she's going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well.

BrontË:
My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me.

Have we mentioned that we hate predictable? There are so many great books out there. When we get the chance to sit down and read something, we want to feel it was worthy of being chosen over all the others, and not wasting time we could be spending with another book. If we can guess the ending three pages in, it feels like a waste of our time to actually read the middle part.

We have never had that problem with Shusterman, so when we figured out VERY early on what Bruiser's 'secret' is, we were surprised. Fortunately, the story was compelling enough, and we had enough faith in Shusterman to continue.

Within a few chapters the other MCs figure things out, and it becomes clear the mystery is not the point of the story. Whew! This is more a story of friendship and sacrifice, of taking the easy way out of difficult situations, and how not letting things come to their natural conclusions can steal something from you in the end.

While Bruiser and his special abilities are a thing of fantasy, some of the general premises are very real, and could make for some thought-provoking discussion. This one may be a good pick for a high school classroom - just edgy enough to capture the reluctant readers, not so complicated as to turn them off, distinct voices presented in different fashion, and of course plenty to discuss and apply to 'real life'. We give it a

4 out of 5.

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis

2011-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

by Beth Revis
Razorbill
978-1-59514-397-6
Borrowed from Library

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Note to publishers: if you are going to put a whole lot of hype into a book pre-publication, you need to make sure the book will live up to said hype.

"Across the Universe" was widely anticipated after the release last year of what was called by some "the best first chapter ever." In it, Amy watches her parents being cryogenically frozen so they can participate in a space mission, then has to struggle with the decision to join them or remain with her boyfriend on earth. She chooses to go with them, but as she is being frozen, overhears some comments that tell us all is not as it appears with this trip.

We were just as intrigued by this beginning as everyone else, immediately made an order card and waited anxiously to get our flippers on a copy.

Hrm. Nothing quite like book let-down. It's not TERRIBLE, it's just...not that good. We are going to mention a few of our issues with it, but we can't do it without spoilers - so if you want to form your own opinion first, stop here. If you have read it and disagree with us, feel free to call us morons in the comments:)

1. World building. Pretty important for a dystopian novel, and we just didn't feel it. Too many things we were supposed to just accept, which would only work if we were drinking the same water. (That will make sense if you have read the book.)

2. Characters. Okay, we can forgive a vague background if the characters are real and compelling. Oops. Let's take Elder, for example. He was bred and raised to be the future leader of the entire ship, but he's a dunce. Totally clueless in so many ways. Then a pretty red-head comes along and he suddenly sees all sorts of incongruities and begins questioning the way his entire society is set up, when he never had before? Sorry, not buying it. Eldest is supposed to be a control freak, yet completely ignores things that are taking away his control. Also pretty slow, in that he couldn't figure out who the bad guy was until the end.

3. Suspense. It's a mystery, right? So can we at least enjoy puzzling through the clues? Alas, no. We knew who the bad guy was the second we met him (and not just that he was a bad guy, but WHO he was). The water issue was obvious. Everything Elder discovered that shocked him was hinted at so much beforehand, it just made him look even more obtuse. (Are you sure you are taking those inhibitors, Elder?)

Final kiss of death, our teen - who loved the cover and couldn't wait to get it next - didn't finish it. She NEVER not-finishes a book! We can't even recommend this to younger sci-fi fans who may not be savvy enough yet to pick up on the clues, because some of the scenes are definitely not going to be appropriate for the younger audience. A shame, because the premise was great, and the beginning intrigued. With a ~~little~~ lot more editing, this could have been the masterpiece it promised to be. For that reason, we will be watching for Revis's name in the future, in hopes that better things are to come.

Nonfiction Monday: Is That a Fact? series by Alison Behnke

2011-02-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-4914-3

978-0-7613-4913-6
Review copies from publisher.

What does it mean when reading a nonfiction book immediately makes us want to write a fiction book? We're going to say that's a good thing, at least in this case.

Kids love 'factoids'. They also love knowing more than the people around them (as do adults and turtles, let's be honest), and these books are chock full of urban legend-type 'facts' and the truth behind them. At last, the phrase "and called it macaroni" explained!

While each item gets just a two-page spread, it is packed with enough information to move these beyond the grade-school version of a coffee table book. We consider ourselves fairly well-read, but still learned amountain about ancient make-up, cast-iron skillets, and Betty Crocker. Some of the things we learned would be great tidbits to include in a historical fiction novel. Let's say a character in your 16th-century novel dies her hair red (to be like Queen Elizabeth) and experiences unexplained nosebleeds. History buffs will think you're a brilliant researcher for making that connection!

Kids will enjoy these books for their own sake, and won't notice or care when they learn a little science or history along the way (you're going to remember Elizabeth I was a red-head now, aren't you?) For the teacher looking for a little writing motivation, try making each question a story-starter: Is it really dangerous to talk on the phone in a thunderstorm? What could happen to your main character if (s)he did?

Hmm...we feel a good thriller coming on. Excuse us while we go dictate to Miss Ami. In the meantime, you can check out some more great nonfiction reviews at Wrapped in Foil, today's host of Nonfiction Monday.

Cybils Winners Announced!

2011-02-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

What better way to start off Valentine's Day than to hear a book you are in love with has won yet another award? As hard as it was to help pick the top seven YA Fiction books for 2010, one title has remained my favorite. Looks like the second round judges have the same great taste! So, which one was it? Click over to Cybils and find out! (post a comment if you get the hint!)

Edited to add: It seems to have made someone else's Valentine's Day as well.

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable, by Dan Gutman

2011-02-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

HarperCollinsPublishers
978-0-06-1827648
review copy provided by publisher

In eight days, Coke and Pepsi McDonald are going to turn thirteen.
Before then, they'll jump off a cliff, get trapped in the locked basement of their burning school, chased cross-country by murderous lunatics, left for dead in the pit of a sand dune, forced to decipher mysterious coded messages, thrown into a giant vat of SPAM, and visit the world's largest . . . ball of twine!
There's more, but if we told you here, we'd have to kill you.
Gutman is of course the author of popular series such as My Weird School and The Baseball Card Adventures. This is the start of another series that brings the old Spy Kids movies to mind, or perhaps Michael Buckley's NERDS series.

As such, we have to say it's a little formulaic. Most of the 'surprises' were easy to predict, as was the ending. At the same time, we think this will appeal to the middle/upper elementary crowd that like Gutman's other series, those for whom humor and adventure are more important than suspense. There were plenty of phrases and situations to laugh out loud at, from clueless parents to (literal) bathroom humor, to the normal brother-sister sniping. Give this to fans of Buckley, Louis Sachar, or Michael Greenberg.

Hush by Eishes Chayil

2011-02-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
978-0-8027-2088-7

Slooooooooooooow start. As in, so slow we might not have finished it if we hadn't been curious. At first the book alternates between 9-year-old Gittel and 17-year-old Gittel, and the voices aren't awlays distinct. We know something bad is going to happen (or is continuing to happen) to devory, and that the older Gittel is haunted by it, but the first part of the book seems to take a very long time to get there. Slow build-ups just don't work when you already pretty much know the end result.

Fortunately, things pick up about halfway through the book, around the time Gittel finishes school and her marriage is arranged. At this point the descriptions of Chassidic life become more a part of the story than lesson in culture, and the characters become more fleshed out. The story of her betrothal and marriage could be a book in itself - so sweet, at times funny, we finally got more than a snapshot of various characters' personalities. We also get a sense of the warmth and community that we appreciated - this is shown throughout the book, but especially in this section. Honest portrayals, no stereotypes. While an arranged marriage would horrify most readers, for example, we end up being very happy for Gittel, and we see how such a custom could still be embraced.

Of course, marriage brings to the forefront of Gittel's mind the things she has been trying to forget for so long. What happened to Devory, and the way the community handled it, has always haunted her: now it threatens to destroy her life and the lives of those around her, unless she can find a way to deal with it. We are glad we stuck with it through the slow beginning, and give it a

4 out of 5.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Literary Characters I Would Name My Children After

2011-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

So, we completely forgot the Top Ten Tuesday last week. We hear it takes 72 times of doing something before it becomes a habit, so long about 2013 we should be all set. Today we remembered, however, and it's a very timely topic as Miss Ami is expecting and has yet to settle on a name. Gender is unknown at the moment, making the process a little more difficult. We do hope that, as appropriate as "Freaky" might be for a turtle, she comes up with something a little kinder for a newborn baby.

Her choices, in no particular order:

1. Elizabeth, from The Paper Bag Princess. This is actually her daughter's middle name, and was a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want their daughter to grow up as competent and fun as Robert Munsch's Elizabeth, with the same healthy sense of perspective? Coupled with her first name (Sheridan), we have a name that means "Wild Gift from God." Perfect.

2. Meg, from A Wrinkle in Time. Perfect ugly duckling story - bright, caring, underappreciated young lady grows into beautiful, loving, wise mother.

3. Katniss, from The Hunger Games. Except there are probably a million little girls being named Katniss these days, so we'll let that one go. Still - great character! Do you see a trend in strong, intelligent females here?

4. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Timothy, David, Daniel...all the great "Bible names". Except, various cousins and so forth have already used those, and naming a baby "Ishtob" could be likened to naming him "Freaky".

5. Jeremy - as in Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. Great kid, great book. Miss Ami says she would love to have a son with a heart for animals (and people) who is also capable of standing up for what is right, willing to do the right thing even when it doesn't give him what he wants for himself.

6. Ella - as in Enchanted. See #s 1-3.

7. Jack - A good, solid name, with so many possible literary connections. Heck, in desperate times, we could even call him "Jack-Jack", as in the baby in The Incredibles who scares the babysitter away.

8. Stephanie, as in Plum, a la Janet Evanovich. Miss Ami used to want to be Stephanie Plum when she grew up. Now she wants to be Grandma Mazur.

That's all we've got right now. Of course, #4 would put us over 10 if you counted them all. Miss Ami and her husband do have one girl's name they've tossed around, Cheyenne, but we can't think of any literary characters to connect that with. Anyone???

****Note from Miss Ami: So, I mentioned to my husband that the most popular name from the other bloggers' lists seems to be Atticus. He immediately piped up with, "Hey, Jack Atticus!" You didn't have to read that out loud to groan, did you. Sigh. No, that is NOT a name we will be using. I did forget another great girl's name/character: Ronia, from Ronia the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren. The cover art by Trina Schart Hyman (who I adored) is exactly how I pictured my youngest looking, and the attitude/ability to wrap a big old hairy man around the little finger is how I expected her to be. Well, she turned out blonde and blue-eyed somehow, but the other part? Oh, yeah!

Mini Reviews - Fractured Fairy Tales

2011-02-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Marshall Cavendish
978-0-7614-5793-0

A collection of different takes on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. We love Vivian Vande Velde, but this wasn't her best. The introduction is the best part of the book. That, however, is hysterical, and it is worth borrowing the book just to read it.

Henry Holt and Company
978-0-8050-89684

Loved it! We haven't read Tomlinson's other tales, but we plan to rectify that soon. This one is a retelling of the fairy tales in which the 'good' sister is blessed with jewels falling from her lips every time she speaks, while the 'bad' sister is cursed with toads and snakes. In one of many twists Tomlinson offers, both sisters are actually 'good', and either gift proves to be both blessing and curse.The setting is a somewhat fictionalized India, as might be guessed from the gorgeous cover. One niggling detail about that cover, though: both sisters only had two gold dowry bracelets, not armsfull. Otherwise; vivid setting, interesting characters, perfect comfort-food kind of story.

Room, by Emma Donoghue

2011-02-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Little, Brown and Company
978-0-316-098335

Wow.

And that's all we have to say about that.

Matched, by Ally Condie

2011-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Oy! Miss Ami here. Trying to get blog posts up with intermittent internet, while snowbound with bored preschoolers, has been a bit of a challenge. Yes, we actually got snow in southern New Mexico, and since there are approximately 3 snowplows in the entire state, roads are a bit dicey right now. That just means plenty of time to read, right?! Hope you are all hunkered down with heat, food, and a pile of good books like this one:

Dutton Juvenile
978-0525423645

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Talk about sucking you in! We already know from the description that Cassia will be matched with Xander, yet when the announcement is made we are just as breathless with nerves and excitement as she is. Unlike many dystopian novels, this one focuses more on Cassia's character and her internal struggles than on any action. We get to know Cassia very quickly and very well. Side characters are revealed more slowly, through her interactions with them, but all are distinct and sometimes changing.

Don't take that to mean it is slow-paced at all - in fact, I kept sneaking away to read 'just one more chapter', because I had to know what would happen next. I was very happy with the ending, while my teenager was irate - and immediately demanding a sequel (don't tell her it's first in a trilogy, let her suffer for a bit.) I can't say much more without giving anything away, but we all know how much I hate easy, pat endings, right? We give it a

5 out of 5.

Happy First Birthday...

2011-01-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

...to our favorite little reader:)

Fun Adventure Crafts series by Anna Llimos

2011-01-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

978-0-7660-3728-1

978-0-7660-3730-4

Oh, we so wanted to like these. Crafts books are always very popular here, not just with our kid and adult patrons, but with Miss Ami, who continually has to think up new and exciting craft ideas! Unfortunately, as cute as the crafts pictured are, they aren't terribly useful for either Miss Ami or her patrons.

Every single craft involves clay, paper and cardboard. While paper is certainly plentiful and used every day, cardboard - especially shaped the way some of these need to be - is a bit unweildy for younger children. Clay can be loads of fun - with one child. A room full? Not so much.

From Enslow's site (bold is ours):

These crafts center on a theme and use simple materials found in the home, or are easily available. All of the projects combine to create one full scene, and are simple enough to make without a lot of parental help. Each book includes hands-on activities. Students can also choose to make just one or several of the crafts. A class group might work together to create the full scene, with each individual student responsible for a different craft.

We have to disagree with that highlighted part. Amazon lists the age range as 4-8 years, but we think that's a bit low. These might be of interest to older children, particularly those who enjoy spending a lot of time on intricate projects. And intricate they certainly are! While children certainly don't have to get as detailed as the examples (the toes on the cabin boy!) they are almost certain to become frustrated and disappointed when their attempts don't match up. The lack of variety was also disappointing - one would expect a book of crafts on a subject to use different media and approaches, while these are just different variations on clay people and structures.
Cute projects, and the instructions are clear, but we don't see these getting much circulation. We give them a

3 out of 5.

Silverlicious, by Victoria Kann

2011-01-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

by Victoria Kann
HarperCollins Publishers
978-006-178123-0

It's always fun to get envelopes (or better yet, boxes) in the mail from publishers and see what treasures are inside. Every once in a while, though, you pull one out and feel your mouth automatically pucker into an "Oooooooooh!!!", as visions of specific patrons start flashing through your mind.

Such is definitely the case with Victoria Kann's latest! We can't keep Pinkalicious and its sequels on the shelves, and this one is sure to fly out the door just as quickly.

BUT...all that is without opening the cover. We know it will sell/check out, because it's Pinkalicious. But is the story any good?

First, a note on the illustrations: whew! If little girls didn't get their pink fix in any of the earlier books, the copyright page alone should satisfy them. So, what's with the silver? We don't see any new friends or magical unicorns in silver, just lots and lots of pink! And...jellybeans?

In this 'episode', Pinkalicious has a loose tooth that finally falls out. Good news, right? Wrong! This was her sweet tooth, and now nothing tastes sweet! (I know, who knew Pinkalicious could star in a horror story!)

Not to fear, she writes a note asking the tooth fairy for help. And gets Cupid. And the Easter Bunny. And a Christmas Elf. All very nice, but not what she wanted! Finally, the tooth fairy makes her appearance with some silver (aha!) coins, and reminds Pinkalicious of what it really means for something to be sweet.

A very cute story that will lend itself easily to read-alouds, with listeners guessing who will come next and what they will leave behind. A child learning to count could sit on your lap for hours, counting hearts, eggs, or candy canes. You may end up with some candy cravings of your own by the end, though, so be forewarned!

So yes, it does measure up to the rest of the series, and you can purchase it for your library without worrying that Kann has fallen into the too-commercialized-to-try trap. We give it a

4 out of 5.

And now we would like some candy hearts, please, we are suddenly very hungry.

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-01-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

What a fun idea! We love lists, and the folks at The Broke and the Bookish host a weekly meme called "Top Ten Tuesday" - in which they offer a topic, and bloggers post their personal top ten. Make sure you click on the link to see what other bloggers have posted.

The topic this week is: the ten books you wish you had read as a child. This is tough, because Miss Ami read EVERYTHING when she was younger. Her family lived way out in the country, and she always checked out the max of 50 books whenever she got to go to the library. She would often read 2 or 3 while standing in line, and have to go grab a few more at the last minute. There were a few that escaped her notice, though (or just weren't published yet), so here are her picks:

1. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Always a nature-lover, I would have swooned over the idea of helping a garden regenerate itself. Kid walking, father home, blah blah, whatever - but I would have been madly in love with Dickon.

2. The Pink Refrigerator, by Tim Egan. I was painfully shy for much of my childhood, and this might have eased me into trying new things sooner.

3. Christmas Tapestry, by Patricia Polacco. I would have loved the tear-jerker aspect, and hopefully would have absorbed the all-things-work-together-for-His-purpose message.

4. Wabi Sabi, by Mark Reibstein. Hmm - many of these are centering around concepts I wish I'd understood and embraced much earlier in life - like the ability to find the beauty in the ordinary.

5. The Araboolies of Liberty Street, by Sam Swope. I 'discovered' this book in a workshop as an adult, and immediately squeed and paired it off with The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel M. Pinkwater. That one I did read when I was younger, and adored.

6. 101 Questions Children Ask About God (and its sequels), by David Veerman. Simple, straightforward, nondenominational answers to questions I didn't know I necessarily had, and wouldn't have known who to ask them to.

7. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Coville. I would have read this one to pieces. Our library has three copies, and a giant stuffed dragon named Tiamat.

8. Any Small Goodness, by Tony Johnston. A world I was unfamiliar with, as a small-town Ohio girl. Brilliant book, satisfying ending.

9. Squire's Tale series by Gerald Morris. Excellent introduction to King Arthur, characters that don't have to be all good or all bad, and absolutely hysterical. The fantasy aspects would have hooked me, and I would have absorbed a lot about human beings that would serve me well later.

10. The Thief series, by Meghan Whelan Turner. Because it took me too long to get to them to begin with. Sigh.

So, what's your top ten? Post it here, or join the group at The Broke and the Bookish!

That's Not Funny, by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds

2011-01-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

Andersen Press
978-0-7613-6445-0

Only, it is!

The front cover says it all. How can you not look at that face and smile? That, btw, is the face of a hyena (we weren't sure at first, but we still thought it was cute) who delights in playing tricks on the other animals. The other animals don't find it that amusing, but hyena laughs and laughs - until the tide turns, and he ends up covered in...

Well, we'll let you come to that gem on your own. But trust us, your kids will love it! Personally, if we ever get a new library, we want Reynolds to come and paint a mural for the Children's Room. We are especially in love with the giraffe (what can we say, turtles...giraffe...opposites attract!)

This one is a sure crowd-pleaser, and we will be working it in to story time soon. We give it a

5 out of 5.

I Want My Light On, by Tony Ross

2011-01-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

by Tony Ross
Andersen Press USA
9780761364436

Any household with kids has this issue at one time or another - and really, how many adults can't sleep with an arm or leg hanging over the side of the bed without the nagging feeling that SOMETHING is going to reach up and grab it, hmm???

Just us? Okay, never mind. Miss Ami's 4-year-old, however, is going through the leave-a-nightlight-on-and-the-door-open phase. She brought this one home to read to him, and he immediately asked for a reread! His favorite part was where the Little Princess yelled "Boo!" and scared the little ghost. Having a little sister who can be quite frightening herself, he had no trouble believing a ghost would turn tail and run.

While the idea of the monster/ghost/whatever being afraid of the child is not a new one in kidlit, this version is a sure kid-pleaser you will want to add to your collection. We give it a

5 out of 5.

**Note from Miss Ami: Usually I donate review copies to the library, but I think there will be a mutiny at home if I try to bring this one in. So, if anyone from the IRS is reading, feel free to nail me on my taxes.

Nonfiction Monday: Orange Everywhere, by Kristin Sterling

2011-01-17T05:20:00.000-08:00

by Kristin Sterling
Lerner Publications
978-0761354352

...and black, and red, and green, and purple...Color books are popular with preschoolers and their parents. We often see them checked out by parents making the first forays into possibly home schooling their kids. With as much use as we know these will get, it's good to have Lerner's fantastic binding to help them hold up!

This series goes a bit beyond just naming things of a certain color, and we think home schoolers especially will enjoy it. We have sections on various shades of the color, something that is not usually addressed but can be confusing to small kids (how can the sky and my jeans be the same color?) Complimentary colors are mentioned - a potential lesson in itself. Recipes, activities, and fun facts (did you know carrots were once white?), as well as the now-expected index, glossary, and web sites to visit round the book out nicely, and can easily give you material for a week-long unit.

Any school or library serving preschoolers will want to have this set on hand. We give it a

5 out of 5.

For more great reviews of nonfiction for kids, swim on over to NC Teacher Stuff

Feel Free to Ignore This Post

2011-01-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Unless you are another librarian swapping postcards with us. If you are in that group, you should shortly be getting a postcard featuring our library - a LONG time ago. I can't find when that picture was taken, but it was definitely a few years back. Here is the library now, for comparison:

And, the postcard shot:

Slug bug! (ouch!) (sorry!)

We're guessing early seventies, before the addition on this side, which now houses reference (and leaks), and the addition in the back (not visible) which houses the Children's Room (and leaks).

The biggest thing we noticed was the landscaping. Those huge trees outside our book drop didn't even exist yet. Hard to tell if that tree to the left is the same one or not. We're sad that there are trees here that obviously don't exist any more, though. Don't worry, the grass is still green much of the year, it's just January now - while we don't have snow, unlike 90% of the country right now, our vegetation does take a little winter break.

Of course, you library kiddos will probably be looking at this during the summer - remind us, and we'll update it. In fact, by then we should have a new, NON leaking roof to show off!

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

2011-01-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

by Calvin Alexander Ramsey
Carolrhoda Books
978-0-7613-5255-6

Another great historical tidbit we didn't know anything about! Who knew you could learn so much from picture books?

Ruth was so excited to take a trip in her family's new car! In the early 1950s, few African Americans could afford to buy cars, so this would be an adventure. But she soon found out that black travelers weren't treated very well in some towns. Many hotels and gas stations refused service to black people. Daddy was upset about something called Jim Crow laws... Finally, a friendly attendant at a gas station showed Ruth's family The Green Book. It listed all of the places that would welcome black travelers. With this guidebook—and the kindness of strangers—Ruth could finally make a safe journey from Chicago to her grandma's house in Alabama. Ruth's story is fiction, but The Green Book and its role in helping a generation of African American travelers avoid some of the indignities of Jim Crow are historical fact.

Do you remember a time when you were younger and your parents bought a new (or new to you) car? Sliding around the seats, checking out where the cup holders were, marveling over power windows or individual AC vents. How much more exciting if your family has never even had a car before!

Do you also remember a time when you were young, and something wonderful was ruined by someone else's meanspiritedness? Ruthie goes through a whole range of emotions, and a little bit of growing up, on her journey to Grandma's. A great way to introduce youngsters gently to the issues of racism and of helping out a stranger. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: Let's Look at Sloths and Armadillos

2011-01-10T04:13:00.000-08:00

by Judith Jango-Cohen
Lerner Publications Company
978-0-7613-3887-1

by Janet Piehl
Lerner Publications Company
978-0-8225-7900-7

We have only one minor issue with this series,but we noticed it right off the bat. Thus far the series includes;

armadillos
bats
brown bears
earthworms
iguanas
monarch butterflies
pigeons
prairie dogs
sea otters
sharks
sloths
and snails

Notice anything conspicuously MISSING? I mean, we know they can't possibly get a series out with every animal in the world right off the bat, but - earthworms? They don't even have cute little faces like turtles do! They don't have faces!!! And pigeons? Seriously? The creature that originated the phrase "bird-brained"? A winged animal that thinks it is more expedient to try to WALK out of the way of your car in the parking lot, rather than, I don't know, FLY???

(Deep breath). Okay, we feel better now. And we do have to admit that sloths and armadillos are pretty cool, which is why we chose these two to review. Who could not love this face, after all?

Howdy!

And don't we all wish we could move slowly enough for algae to grow in our fur? Well, you know what we mean. Hang out, eat, sleep, maybe go for an occasional swim. No wonder they smile!

Armadillos, on the other hand, are cute in their own way.

especially the babies

They have cool shells like we do, like both bugs and plants like us, and we can both swim and dig. Many people forget, though, that armadillos are mammals, not reptiles - the scaly-looking skin throws them off! So, we can't quite call them cousins, but we still enjoyed reading about them.

This series is great for begining nonfiction readers, with short text in attractive fonts, big clear photographs, and extras such as a range map (we really liked those), diagrams, glossary, and further reading/web site lists. We give the series a

5 out of 5

and plan to buy the rest of the books. Especially, hint hint, if they add one on turtles.

For more great nonfiction book reviews, click over to Tales from the Rushmore Kid for Nonfiction Monday.

Miriam in the Desert by Jacqueline Jules

2011-01-08T03:50:00.000-08:00

by Jacqueline Jules
Kar-Ben Publishing
978-0-7613-4494-0

After a heavy diet of YA Fiction, we plan to relax for a bit and bring you some picture book reviews. We have a stack of great titles that have been waiting on us patiently, so have your order cards ready!

We love reading about characters from history we were unaware of before, and that certainly includes Biblical characters. Through the eyes of Bezalel, Miriam's grandson, we follow the people of Israel through their grumbling journey to the base of Mt. Sinai. Bezalel draws in the sand along the way as Miriam sings and comforts the people.

This simple story is perfect for young children learning both their basic Bible stories, and a little about the personality of God. The pictures do a wonderful job of conveying both the frustrations and the hope of the Israelites. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Teen Cafe: Decorating Book Ends

2011-01-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

For last night's Teen Cafe, we decided to spruce up some of the book ends in the Children's Room. We gave them the option of painting or making collages with magazine pictures. Most chose to go with the collage idea, which somewhat surprised us.

Half the kids are still milling about the snack table

For some reason, body parts were very popular.

We did tell them not to worry about the edges, Miss Ami would trim them with a razor once they had dried. She felt no pressing need to hand out objects sharper than scissors.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD GET YOUR OWN OUT!

Sheesh. Before you city slickers freak out, remember, this is New Mexico. Everyone carries a knife. But we did make him put it away and use scissors.

This one turned out great...until she realized she had done the wrong side. Oops!

The finished products, which turned out better than expected. Nice job, guys! We'll trim up the edges and coat them with shellac. Definitely a project to do again.

More Cybils Fun! The YA Fiction List of Synchronicities

2011-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

synchronicities: 1. the quality or fact of being synchronous 2. the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality —used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung --Merriam-Webster Online

This list of similarities and coincidences among the 2010 Cybils YA Fiction nominations is humbly submitted to you by the 2010 Cybils YA Fiction Panel. It is no way to be considered completely exhaustive, as we are certain nominated books will have been missed. This list was originated out of amusement as the seven panelists read their way through the 182 titles. If you know of a nominated title that should be included in one of the synchronicities below, please feel free to submit it in the comments! To get the entire list, you’ll have to visit all seven of the panelist’s blogs (click on their names below).

11. Covers with Broken Glass: Dirty Little Secrets; The Life of Glass; The Secret to Lying; You; Freefall

12. Covers with Kissing: Lighter Side of Life and Death; Not That Kind of Girl; Tell me a Secret; Return to Paradise; For Keeps; Rules of Attraction; The Secret Year; Forget You; Sea

13. Covers with Hands/Hand Holding: Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour; Change of Heart; Friend is Not a Verb; The Ghosts of Ashbury High; Girl, Stolen; The Heart is Not a Size; In a Heartbeat; The Julian Game; Scars; Sing me to Sleep; Something Terrible Happened on Kenmore; Stringz

14. Covers with Hearts: After the Kiss; Change of Heart; The Freak Observer; The Heart is Not a Size; In a Heartbeat; Love Drugged; Scarlett Fever; The Sky is Everywhere; Tangled

15. Creepy Love-Type Situations, Triangular or Otherwise: Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour; Sing Me to Sleep; Stolen; This Gorgeous Game

16. Deadbeat Dad: Glimpse, Sorta Like A Rock Star; Stringz; This Gorgeous Game; What Mamma Left Me
17. Deadbeat Mom: Faithful, The Sky is Everywhere; Stringz

18. Evil Piles of Evil: Nothing; This Gorgeous Game

19. Both Parents are Happy, Married, and Living Under the Same Roof: Beat the Band, Butterfly (maybe?), Cinderella Society; Hold Still; Love Drugged; Rhythm and Blues; Some Girls Are (even though they fail as parents); Stolen; Change of Heart

20. Depression: A Blue So Dark; Life, After; When I was Joe (his mom)

21. The Economy Stinks (aka, someone’s out of work): Beat the Band; Eighth-Grade Superzero; Exit Strategy; Life, After, The No-So-Great Depression; Harmonic Feedback

Weird? We know. Too much time on our hands? Perhaps. More like, too much data in our brains. Intriguing? Good! Check out the other panelists' blogs to get the rest of the list!

Amanda # 1-10

Cheryl # 22-32

Jackie #33-42

Justina #43-52

Kelly #53-62

Melissa #63-72

Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique, by Jane O'Connor

2011-01-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

by Jane O'Connor
HarperCollins
978-006-1235924

First, we just have to say that we turtles love, love, love tag sales (or yard sales or rummage sales or garage sales, or whatever they are called in your neck of the woods.) Many a Summer Reading program has existed in part because of decorations and prizes scavenged on Saturday mornings. We ourselves even came to the library as the result of an advertisement on an online yard sale! So, we had mixed emotions when Fancy Nancy decided to hold her own ~~tag sale~~ fashion boutique. Squee of excitement that she was having one, and utter despondance that we couldn't actually go. Sigh.

Nancy is raising money to buy an extremely beautiful lace fan, having spent all her money on a birthday present for her little sister. A great plan, until little sister Jo-Jo falls in love with one of Nancy's sparkly necklaces - which has already been sold! What can she do now?

Numerous disasters are averted in signature Fancy Nancy style, as we are reminded that nothing is more important than people, and that people don't always stay in the little box we expect them to. And need we even mention the glittery cover? We thought not. Buy several copies for your shelves and one for your princess, it's in stores now!

Today's the Day!

2011-01-01T05:31:00.000-08:00

The day the Cybils shortlists are announced, of course! If you are reading this, that means the shortlists have been officially announced, and panelists can break the oath of silence we took during a special ceremony involving three chickens, a duck, and some curly fries. Well, maybe not, but if someone just got a story idea, that's all good. Make sure you also click over to Cybils.com to see what the other panels came up with. Like I mentioned, have your order cards ready! These are the best of the best, so you'll want to make sure your library has them all on hand!

It was incredibly hard to narrow our list of 182 YA titles down to 7, but here they are. Most we have already reviewed, so rather than rehash our take on them, click on the link below each to see what the author had to say!

In no particular order:

by Mark Shulman
Roaring Brook Press
978-1596434172

Click here for a very funny commentary on where Scrawl came from.

by Tara Kelly
Henry Holt & Co.
978-0805090109

Here Kelly talks about the bliss - or not - of getting published.

by Swati Avashti
Knopf Books for Young Readers
978-0375863400

We are still reeling from this book! Read here to see how Avashti is using her book's success to help victims of domestic violence. And to learn how to pronounce her name.

Courtney Summers
St. Martin's Griffin
978-0312573805

Amazing how we can like a book so much and hate most of the characters. Here is what Summers has to say about that!

by Lucy Christopher
The Chicken House
978-0545170932

Christopher actually just started blogging this past year, but there is still lots to see on her web site. Her Q&A section answers some of the questions we had about the book...and teases us with others.

by Erin McCahan
Arthur A. Levine Books
978-0545088183

We didn't find any commentary from McCahan about her book per se, but thought her blog was interesting - she does a thing called "The Saturday Seven" in whch she sums up her week in seven words. Hmm, we sense a challenge...

by Watt Key
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux
978-0374308636

Click here for a very interesting background to Dirt Road Home (and an explanation of why it wasn't just a sequel to Alabama Moon)

So, there they are! Seven books we are very glad we read, and recommend you do too!

Tidbit for Librarians

2010-12-30T09:17:00.000-08:00

One of the more popular summer reading activities/displays is collecting postcards from areas around the country (or world) and displaying them with a map in you library. Since the national theme for the 2011 SRP is "One World, Many Stories", more libraries than usual are already thinking about such a display and looking for other libraries to exchange postcards with. To help, we have set up a Yahoo group with a simple database. Simple to join, then just click on "Database" and then "Contact List", and you are set to go!

Now to start collecting postcards...and begging for stamps...

More Cybils Mini-Reviews

2010-12-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Cybils is done! Well, our part of it, anyway. Sunday night, the Round 1 YA Fiction panelists met virtually and held a spirited, sometimes silly, sometimes frustrating (technology - gotta love it) discussion narrowing the 182 choices down to the top (insert much smaller number). It took almost five hours, mainly because we have seven very different panelists with very different tastes and perspectives - exactly what every judging panel needs, I think. At long last, we came up with our final list, which is...

Top secret! You didn't think I would really tell you, did you? Nope, you will have to wait until Saturday, when you can go to Cybils.com and watch the results from all the Round One panels as they are revealed throughout the day. Librarians, have your order cards ready, because these will be the best of the best! We all had favorites that didn't make the cut for whatever reason (sniff), so you know the ones that did had some pretty strong backing all around.

In the meantime, we can all now get back to actually BLOGGING about some of those great books. We turtles have been so busy reading (not to mention all that holiday stuff), we haven't had time to scribble out more than a few words for our typist. We hope to begin making up for that, and we'll start here with a few more mini-reviews of Cybils contenders:

by Natalie Standiford
Scholastic
978-0545107105

The Sullivan sisters have a big problem. On Christmas Day their rich and imperious grandmother gathers the family and announces that she will soon die . . .and has cut the entire family out of her will. Since she is the source of almost all their income, this means they will soon be penniless.
Someone in the family has offended her deeply. If that person comes forward with a confession of her (or his) crime, submitted in writing to her lawyer by New Year's Day, she will reinstate the family in her will. Or at least consider it.
And so the confessions begin....

We confess we were hoping for some secrets a bit darker and more shocking, but what we got was entertaining enough. We also toyed with the idea that grandma didn't know squat, and was just fishing for dirt. We won't say how right or wrong we were on that, let's just say everybody learned something new, and we don't necessarily mean a moral lesson! No, there wasn't much remorse except in getting caught, and not a lick of character development. But, still a fun, light read. We give it a

3 out of 5.

by Eliot Schrefer
Scholastic
978-0545165747

Abby Goodwin is sure her sister Maya isn't a murderer. But her parents don't agree. Her friends don't agree. And the cops definitely don't agree. Maya is a drop-out, a stoner, a girl who's obsessed with her tutor, Jefferson Andrews...until he ends up dead. Maya runs away, and leaves Abby following the trail of clues. Each piece of evidence points to Maya, but it also appears that Jefferson had secrets of his own. And enemies. Like his brother, who Abby becomes involved with...until he falls under suspicion.

Is Abby getting closer to finding the true murderer? Or is someone leading her down a twisted false path?

Nice, dark mystery with enough plot twists and red herrings to keep readers guessing to the end. Most teens will love every bit of it. How far should Abby go to protect her sister? What - or who - should she be willing to sacrifice? What, ultimately, is the truth? Be prepared for some loud outbursts when readers get to the ending. We give it a

4 out of 5.

by Watt Key
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
978-0374308636

Hal is no saint, and has some time to serve in a high-security boys' home. His plan is to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, so he can get out as soon as possible and rebuild his life with his father. Everything seems stacked against him, though, from the two gangs trying to force him to choose sides, to the warden who has no interest in letting any of his charges leave early.

A companion to Alabama Moon, which we hadn't read - and didn't need to. This one stands just fine on its own, although we will be going back to read Alabama Moon soon. A powerful story that sucks you in quickly, we became extremely frustrated with the trap Hal found himself in. Teens are usually quick to protest injustice, and this book is sure to get them riled up. We would have given in to despair early on, but Hal has more strength than we expect. This would make a great class read - if you have a supportive administration and parents! We give it a

5 out of 5.

2010-12-20T14:47:00.000-08:00

by Mary Jane Beaufrand
Little, Brown and Company
978-0-316-041683
Review copy from publisher for Cybils consideration.

Veronica Severance feels cut off from the world. Forced to move from the city to rural Oregon with her parents, she is haunted by loneliness and by the chilling sounds of the Santiam, the river that runs through her backyard.
Through the fog of isolation, Ronnie finds herself becoming close with Karen, a young girl who she babysits. But when she discovers Karen's body on the banks of the Santiam, the victim of a supposed accident, Ronnie feels compelled to uncover the truth.
As she becomes increasingly obsessed with solving Karen's death, Ronnie is led deeper and deeper into the woods surrounding the river and to the dark secret hidden within its midst.
Haunting. Compelling. Edge-of-your-seat reading. How many cliche terms could we come up with to describe this book? Probably a lot more! Fortunately, a) they are all true, and b) the book itself is anything but a cliche. Along with a good murder mystery, we have some fantastic character development and skillful writing.

Ronnie represents any of a million teens who find themselves suddenly out of their element, but never becomes a stereotype. She isn't thrilled about the move, but isn't so whiny and self-centered that she fails to see how it really was a good thing for her family. Despite being the girl from the 'big city', we discover she isn't quite as streetwise as some of her new friends. Readers might be able to see things a bit faster than she does, but it just doesn't seem important. We are drawn into her character, and perfectly content to experience things right along with her.

Other characters and the area itself are portrayed just as vividly, with more showing than telling (for which we are eternally grateful, after some of the describe-every-outfit books we have been forced to read lately). The atmosphere itself seems to become a character at times. This is a book that stays with you for a while, although you may not be able to put your finger on exactly why. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Mini Reviews and Some Miscelleneous Notes

2010-12-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

First, a big thank-you to our Blogger Secret Santa for the book and bookmark! We are looking forward to digging into the book once Cybils is over, and everyone wants the bookmark:)

Second, to the lady suing McDonald's:
a) It's not McDonald's fault if you can't say no to your children. Please work on your parenting skills before they become teenagers.
b) You can buy the toy without buying the Happy Meal.
c) An occasional Happy Meal will not hurt your kids anyway.
d) The toys aren't even advertised on commercials, so if your kids are pointing and asking for them, you must ALREADY BE AT MCDONALD'S.

Pick any of the above as a reason to stop wasting the courts' time.

Moving on, then! So many great books read lately, and just not enough time to give each a full review, so here are a few with a blurb or two about why you may want to pick them up:

by Lauren Strasnick
Simon Pulse
978-1416982654
Review copy from publisher for Cybils consideration

This book was a pleasant surprise, as it did not sound at all like the type of book we would enjoy. We completely ached with Holly, and despite knowing these were some pretty bad choices she was making, we were right there with her in making them. We got so sucked into her character, we didn't even feel any remorse until she did. In the end, of course, we got slapped in the face with the no-man-is-an-island fallout, but were still left rooting for her and hoping life will work out.

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly's mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she's getting desperate to feel something, anything—so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul's kisses are a welcome diversion...and it's nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren't so simple with Saskia around. Paul's real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly's choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.

by Pegi Deitz Shea
PM Press
978-1604861983
Review copy from publisher for Cybils consideration

As with Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins, this book delves into the issue of child soldiers, but is an entirely different experience. The settings and conflicts, of course, are different, as well as the age of the characters. Abe's voice may seem more familiar to teens, even as he begins remembering things they have no experience with. While the writing is not as taut as Perkins', and some of the revelations don't come as complete surprises, it is still a worthwhile addition to any high school library.

Portraying the pressures of teens to live a normal life while facing mental illness, this suspenseful young adult novel follows the journey of success-bound Abe, who struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A senior in high school, with a loving and wealthy adoptive family, Abe is on track for a big scholarship and an open future. Suddenly, horrific flashbacks rip him back to war-torn Africa, where five years previously he lost his mother, sister, friends, and almost his own life to torturous violence. During therapy, he uncovers even darker moments from his past that make him question how he survived. This action-filled thriller will open the eyes and hearts of teenagers to the lives of young people who have been exposed to profound violence around the world.

by Todd Mitchell
Candlewick
978-0763640842
Review from publisher for Cybils consideration

James was the guy no one noticed — just another fifteen-year-old in a small town. So when he gets into an academy for gifted students, he decides to leave his boring past behind. In a boarding school full of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless pranks to invent a new James: fighter, rebel, punk. Everyone’s impressed, except for the beautiful "Ice Queen" Ellie Frost and the mysterious ghost44, an IM presence who sees through his new identity. But James is riding high, playing pranks and hooking up with luscious Jessica Keen. There’s just one thing awry: he’s starting to have vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior, a thrill that is spilling over into dangerous and self-destructive acts while he’s awake. As he’s drawn deeper into his real-life lies and his dream-world conquests, James begins to wonder: What’s the price for being the coolest guy around?

This seems to be a "love it or hate it" kind of book. While we loved it, we concede that it is a bit of a strange book - especially the dream sequences. That part 'worked' for us, though, and we think it will work even better for teenage boys. This is another subject area (boys with possible mental/emotional issues) we don't see too much in YA literature, and this is solidly written enough to fill that niche nicely.

The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

2010-12-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

by Jaclyn Moriarty
Arthur A. Levine books
978-0545069724

Review copy received for Cybils consideration

This was one of the longest books we have ever read.

We don't mean by actual size, although it is a respectable 496 pages. We don't mean it's boring, either - it's quite intriguing, in fact. We mean it was long as in, there was so MUCH in it, we kept getting that nearing-the-end-of-the-story feeling, when it looks like things are going to be wrapped up tidily. Then we would realize there were still, say, a hundred pages to go.

Readers looking for a traditional ghost story will find the title misleading. Is there a ghost? Or more than one? Maybe. Sort of. Yes. No. There are many types of ghosts, you know? American teens may be put off at first by the format. Most of the book is written in the form of school essays and blog entries. One major essay assignment is supposed to be written in the style of old gothic novels, which leads to some very dramatic passages. Readers who aren't familiar with this style (or who don't bother to read the explanation) may wonder why everyone is suddenly so over the top. Once you get into the swing of things, however, the story draws you in to where you simply have to know what's going on - and don't even think of skipping to the end, you will just end up even more confused.

What amazed us about the book was how quickly the characters' voices became seperate in our minds. Each time the 'writer' changes, there is a heading with his or her name, but after a while we didn't need to read the heading to know who was talking. When your characters are all of similar ages and backgrounds, that can be hard to do, so a definite hats-off to Ms. Moriarty.

The way all the details come together (and at different intervals, not just the actual final ending) was also very well done. In the end (the actual final ending), things were wrapped up in nifty little packages, with some satisfying twists and a fair amount of humor. (The ghost! Who knew? We probably should have seen it, but...well, we didn't!) If nothing else, the whole book serves to remind us that we probably never see the whole picture on anything, and it's amazing how one tiny tidbit can completely reverse how we see any situation.

Do we recommend it? To individual readers, yes. If this description makes you intrigued rather than putting you off, you will probably love the book. To libraries? We're not sure. As we mentioned, fans of traditional ghost stories may not finish it. It's not a book for the masses. It is, however, a book for that small group of teens you have who want something outside the box, something that maybe takes a little effort and commitment from the reader, but promises great rewards at the end. If you are up to hand-selling it to those kids, and don't care if it doesn't get as many check-outs as Twilight, then by all means grab a copy! We give it a

4 out of 5.

Christmas Giving

2010-12-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

We have been on an unintended break of sorts, due to some "stuff" going on. Many apologies! We should be back in the swing of things soon, but first wanted to pass on the very cool thing one of our favorite blogs is doing.

Last year, CakeWrecks hosted a holiday charity drive, with a different charity featured each day. They made it incredibly easy for readers to donate a dollar (or more!) to each charity, and through the combined efforts, thousands of people and animals were helped out last year. It was such a rousing success, they are doing it again this year, starting today.

Nobody has a ton of money right now, but surely we can at least scrape up a dollar. Seeing it added in with all the others gives a great sense of impact. We plan to participate each day, and hope you all will too! Just click on the word "CakeWrecks" above, and check back each day.

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins

2010-12-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Bamboo People
Mitali Perkins
Charlesbridge Publishing
978-1958089-328-2

Bang! A side door bursts open. Soldiers pour into the room. They're shouting and waving rifles. I shield my head with my arms. It was a lie! I think, my mind racing.

Girls and boys alike are screaming. The soldiers prod and herd some of us together and push the rest apart as if we're cows or goats. Their leader is a middle—aged man. He's moving slowly, intently, not dashing around like the others.

" Take the boys only, Win Min," I overhear him telling a tall, gangly soldier. "Make them obey."

This is still an area of current events many young people may not be familiar with, and whether as a private read or a class assignment, Bamboo People is an excellent way to bring them right to the heart of the conflict. In addition to the war in Burma, there are a myriad of other issues that could take hours of class discussion time.

Chiko isn't a fighter by nature. He's a book-smart Burmese boy whose father, a doctor, is in prison for resisting the government. When Chiko is forced into the army be trickery, he must find the courage to survive the mental and physical punishment meted out by the training faciliy's menacing captain.

Tu Reh can't forget the image of the Burmese soldiers buring his home and the bamboo fields of his oppressed Karenni people, one of the many ethnic minorities in Burma. Now living in a Karenni refugee camp on the Thai border, Tu Reh is consumed by anger and the need for revenge. He can't wait to join his father and the Karenni resistance in the effort to protect their people.

Chiko and Tu Reh's stories come to a violent intersection as each boy is sent on his first mission into the jungle. Extreme circumstances and unlikely friendships force each boy to confront what it means to be a man to his people.

The general attitude among some teens is still that being a soldier might be cool (and we do in fact think our American military members are pretty darn cool). Chiko's experiences, however, will take away quite a bit of the perceived glamour. And in a time when many young men - and women - are filled with feelings of anger and helplessness, it is Tu Reh's story in particular that may open a dialogue about what it in fact takes to be a man.

Perkins as usual conveys culture, politics, and history in such a way that readers never feel like they are being instructed. Characters are real and easy to empathise with from their first introduction. A must-have for any middle or high school library. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza, by Holly Clifton-Brown

2010-12-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

by Holly Clifton-Brown
Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
978-0-7613-6444-3

Annie Hoot loves to knit. But the other owls refuse to wear her colorful creations. So Anie knits herself a hot air balloon and sets off to find some animals who will appreciate her talents. What can she make for the rainforest animals? African animals? Polar animals? And what will she discover when she returns home?

Originally published in the UK by Andersen Press, you will find a few words and spellings changed - 'scatty' becomes 'scatterbrained' (although we kind of like "scatty" better), and 'colours' of course becomes 'colors'. What bright, bright colors they are! While the story is simple and sweet, the pictures definitely make the book. Annie is a plump little bird with an expressive face, and a cute little acorn button on her sweater. Parrots happily admire their new knitted boots, and giraffes look serene in their (very long) new scarves. Children will enjoy poring over the details, and may be inspired to do some creating of their own - whether with yarn, or on paper.

Nonfiction Monday: God Made Your Body and How God Makes Babies by Jim Burns - and an announcement!

2010-11-29T08:34:00.000-08:00

by Jim Burns
Bethany House
978-0-7642-0211-7

by Jim Burns
Bethany House
978-0764202100

Miss Ami posting today! The turtles are still sleeping off their Thanksgiving feasting - lucky reptiles.

I first came across these two books last year, when I was pregnant with my youngest. My teenager is pretty clear on general concepts (and, after being in the delivery room, is also pretty clear on avoiding all possibilities for a while!) but I have three younger boys, then aged 3, 5 and 6. Their initial questions were along the lines of, "How is the doctor going to get the baby out?", followed by the inevitable, "How did the baby get in there in the first place?"

Every parent handles these questions differently, and since you know your kids best, you know what works best for you. We tend to use accurate names for body parts, and try to give straightforward answers that are age-appropriate. Even the most open parent, however, can stumble and stammer a bit trying to find the right words, and that's where a good book can come in really handy!

Burns takes a very straightforward approach I appreciated, with a Christian viewpoint that I also like. The religious message is not heavy-handed, so you can hand these to a variety of patrons looking for a way to explain the differences between boys and girls, or where babies come from. For example:

To every little girl God gave a vagina and a womb. Little girls grow up to become women, and because they have these special parts in their bodies, they can become mommies. (pg. 14 God Made Your Body)

The text is accompanied by pictures of multi-racial children and a simple line drawing.

These books are geared toward children around the ages of 3-7. Some parts may be a bit technical for the 3-year-old, but it is a simple matter to skip over those for the time being. Explanations are, for the most part, very simple and easy to understand. Objects familiar to a child, such as a Cheerio or an orange slice, are used to show how big a baby is at different stages of gestation.

The only part we take issue with is the section in both on adoption. We love that it is included as a way families are formed, but we wish that a) Burns had included families formed by marriage (where the parents already have children), and b) Burns had NOT stated, "The birth parents lovingly choose to have someone else raise the child." Um...sometimes. Very often, though, adoption has more to do with the decisions of social workers and judges than any selflessness on the parents' part.

That bit aside, these books were perfect for our family, and were read over and over last year. And now it's time to dust them off again! Yep, Miss Ami is expecting again, due in August (one week after summer reading - do we plan things well, or what?!) Great news to start the holiday season with!

For more reviews of great nonfiction books, click over to Playing by the Book.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

We're taking a break until Monday, but be sure to tune in then for an extra special Nonfiction Monday post!

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend, by Kody Keplinger

2010-11-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Kody Keplinger
Poppy
978-0316084239
Copy borrowed from library.
Cybils nominee.

Remember that episode of Average Joe, many moons ago, when the bachelorette was dressed in a fat suit and introduced to the bachelors as her own cousin? And while the guys were polite to her face (or ignored her completely), behind her back they said really awful things about her, and one guy went off on how she was obviously the DUFF - not knowing he was being taped, and that not only the bachelorette, but everyone in TV-land was watching and listening?

Not that we ever watched that show, of course. We just...er...heard about it.

At any rate, the guy that made the DUFF comment was summarily sent home, and to this day probably gets slapped upside the head by his grandmother on a regular basis. Because it's rude, right? It's really mean and awful and the guy made himself look like a jerk, right? Of course, he thought he was just talking to other like-minded guys. How much more of a jerk would he be if he, say, walked up to the 'cousin' and said all those things to her face? And that, boys and girls, is how you paint one of your main characters as a complete and utter jerk in 100 words or less.

Because yes, that is what Wesley does. And then she kisses him. But later. But wait! Don't turn away in disgust, because this isn't a "gosh you're a jerk but you're so cute and I'm so worthless I can't help it" kiss, this is an angry, "I still hate you but that just makes it easier to use you" kiss. There's a difference, trust us. Sound complicated? It is! She is! And in case you've forgotten, high school is!

As much as we may hate some of the choices Bianca makes, we can't help becoming firmly entrenched on her side from the very start. She's a good person, a good friend, and by no means a doormat, but Wesley's "DUFF" comments have hit the heart of every teenage girl's insecurities. Every girl feels at some point that she is the weak link among her firends, that she is the one who doesn't measure up. Add in some serious problems at home, and who wouldn't want an escape of some sort?

Yes, we pretty much knew how it would all end, but we didn't care. We were happy with the ending. We were happy with the realistic characters and relationships. We were VERY happy with some of the insights that came to Bianca and her friends. And we are especially happy that turtles never really have to go through adolescence. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Nonfiction Monday: Witchcraft in Salem, by Steven Stern

2010-11-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

by Steven L. Stern
Bearport Publishing
978-1-936088-00-3
Review copy sent by publisher.

The Salem Witch Trials are one of those events in history that continue to enthrall readers of all ages. This book gives a concise overview of the events and names associated with it, as well as possible reasons for the girls' behavior and accusations, and the citizens' willingness to believe them.

The book has the aura of wanting to sensationalize or spook readers (and it is, after all, part of a series titled "Horrorscapes"), but nothing in the text was inaccurate or exaggerated. Some of the pictures add nicely to the background information, from photographs of tombstones and a fungus that could have caused hallucinations, to a map showing how politics may have come into play. Other pictures, however, are a bit bizarre, making us think about bad photoshopping, and distracting a bit from the text (pg. 4-5 is a good example).

If your library size or patron interest warrants a good-sized collection of books on this subject, we recommend adding this one, but we wouldn't make it our sole source. We give it a

3 out of 5.

For more reviews of great nonfiction books, click over to Practically Paradise.

Mary Engelbreit's Fairy Tales

2010-11-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Random House
978-0060-88583-0

Who doesn't love a book of fairy tales with rich, lavish illustrations? And who doesn't love the illustrations of Mary Englebreit?

The illustrations for this collection of twelve traditional fairy tales are bright and cheery, and full of little details children (and adults) will have a great time discovering. In Beauty and the Beast, one of the sisters has her tongue sticking out in concentration as she makes a list of all the things she wants her father to bring her. Snow White's evil stepmother sports a tiny skull bracelet as she furiously mixes the potion for her poison apple.

The picture definitely make the book, as we had mixed reactions to the stories. Engelbreit mentions in her author's note that she rewrote some of the endings to show her daughter and other young girls that it isn't necessary to marry a Prince Charming to be happy. The Princess and the Frog become good friends. The Little Mermaid is carried into the air by friendly spirits.

In some cases, this works, in others, it frankly doesn't. In Rumplestiltskin, it is the King's advisors who lock up the miller's daughter and make their demands, so we don't have to wonder why on earth she would marry someone who would threaten her life. The Little Mermaid, however, is a little too white-washed, and The Princess and the Pea still leaves the impression that a) the girl must be perfect, nobody cares about the prince's flaws, and b) being oversensitive and wimpy somehow makes you perfect. We would also have liked to see a bit more of an ethnic mix in our heroines (and heroes) - with a very few exceptions (Thumbelina), everyone is obviously Anglo.

In short, if you are looking for a beautifully illustrated book to read aloud - and hopefully discuss - with your daughters, this book is a fine choice. If, however, you are looking for a collection that is either all traditional or all PC, this is not it. Overall, we give it a

3 out of 5.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

2010-11-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

by Tara Kelly
Henry Holt and Company
978-0-8050-9010-9

Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on “a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

A few posts back we talked about issues books - those that were centered around some sort of major issue faced by teens today. One of the big 'issues' that has been popular lately is autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

But, wait! This is not one of those! Yes, Drea is somewhere in the Aspergers spectrum, but we can say that just as we say she is a musician. Or that she has moved a lot. Or that her grandmother is crotchety. Oh, or that she is a teenager! All of those things are just a part of who she is, and while all of them contribute to her personality and struggles, none of them is the entire sum of who she is. That is just one of the many reasons we absolutely loved this book.

Kelly, in fact, says it even better in her author's note:

"I'd like to start off by saying that this book is not about defining Asperger's Syndrome (AS) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It's about one girl's story and experience - which I hope everyone (whether on the autistic spectrum or not) can relate to."

Teens can definitely relate to Drea's story - the struggle to make and keep friends, trying to fit in in a world that seems totally alien, first relationships, drugs, abuse, family problems, etc. Musicians will love the music aspect of the story, but non-musicians won't feel lost. And the cover! Doesn't that just make your hand automatically reach out to open it up and check the description?

Fantastic and refreshing addition to the YA shelves from yet another debut writer. We give it a

5 out of 5.

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else, by Erin McCahan

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Erin McCahan

Arthur A. Levine Books

978-0545088183

Borrowed from library, read for Cybils

Bronwen, as she tells us in her very first sentence, was switched at birth. She quickly goes on to tell us this is just a fantasy of hers, but...after meeting the rest of the family, her mother in particular, we have to ask...are you sure that's all it is? From eating habits to hair color (which her mother actually has her dye so it matches hers!), they couldn't be more different - and not in the "gosh, we're all different but we're just one big happy family" sort of way, but in the "what planet did you come from?" kind of way.

At any rate, Bronwen does not feel that she belongs in her current family, and we gradually get enough back story to understand that thoroughly. She remembers a time when things were better, and longs to be part of a close, open family once again. When Jared enters the picture and she is welcomed with open arms by his family, it looks like she will finally get what she has wanted. When he asks her to marry him, everything seems perfectly set up for her happily ever after.

Major shocker of the book: nobody is pregnant. Yes, we know, you just laughed, but think about it - how many YA books can you think of where a teenager gets married, and not only is nobody pregnant, but nobody is having sex? Nobody is a runaway, nobody is abused, there is no huge tragedy forcing them into marriage as the only option. Once they get over their surprise, the parents on both side are happy and supportive. Refreshing, isn't it?!

Of course, if everything worked out perfectly, this would be a really boring story. Instead, it works out realistically. Even really good, sensible plans can be far from perfect. Even being in love - really, truly in love - doesn't ensure a happy ending. And we. loved. the. ending.

We also loved the characters. Bronwen has a snappy wit and an intelligent, perceptive outlook. Jared is just dreamy, but not in an over-the-top unbelievable way (after their first date? The call? yeah, Miss Ami swooned.) There is some strong character development in Bronwen throughout the book, as while as the issues of family, communication, planning for the future, discovering a sense of self - all deep issues covered in a very light and easy read. Hand it to any teen (or adult!) girl you know (boys might enjoy it too, but wouldn't be caught dead holding a book with that cover.) We give it a strong

5 out of 5.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, by Josh Berk

2010-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

by Josh Berk
Alfred A. Knopf
978-0-375-85699-0

Not only is this one of the Cybils nominees for young adult fiction, but has been tagged for a few other awards, including the Parents' Choice. What seems to be getting the most buzz is the cover - mostly negative buzz, unfortunately. Three tiny people walking? What does this mean, exactly? One looks vaguely worried, the other two are chipper. Not exactly attention-grabbing.

The paperback version, due out in June 2011, seems to address this issue - can we assume they will also address the misspelling?

So, then, what is it about? It is the story of Will (Hamburger is his IM name) Halpin, slightly overweight, hearing impaired, and attending public school for the first time. In addition to the usual issues of trying to fit in as the new guy, he has the added issues of being deaf in a school that cannot afford any sort of interpreter or closed captioning. Let's stop here for

Issue #1: Federal law states a school MUST provide what a child in special education needs in order to succeed in class, regardless of whether it fits in the school's budget or not. So, a little unrealistic there.

The big news at school is a birthday party in honor of the star quarterback, whose family is obscenely wealthy.

Issue #2: Why would a wealthy family send their child to an impoverished school?

Needless to say, Will and his new friend Devon (the second least popular kid at school) are not invited, but it really doesn't matter, because the star quarterback is pushed into a mine by...who? We now have a murder mystery which Devon is determined to solve a la Hardy Boys style (their code names are Frank and Chet). They enlist the help of Ebony, Will's smart and sassy former-sort-of-girlfriend from his old school. All sorts of secrets are uncovered before the somewhat-predictable murderer is revealed.

Issue #3: Many of these secrets are pretty heavy stuff. Very adult issues that are often dealt with by teens, unfortunately. Yet, the tone is never serious. It has been a while since we were in high school (our mascot was a snail), but we don't remember being so blase about tragic events. The voice of the characters made us feel like they were in middle school, watching some drama on the high school stage. A bit removed, more curious than concerned. Yes, Will is new to the school, and not personally vested in the murder victim, so that may explain some of it.

We do like Will. And Devon, and Ebony. Very distinct and fun characters with their own voices. Side characters were a bit one-dimensional, but that didn't hurt the story. Will's interactions with a variety of people in his life offer a good primer to anyone not at all familiar with the deaf community - you get a little bit of politics, some practical dos and don'ts, and a few "I never would have thought of it from that perspective"s.

At times this reminded us of Daniel Pinkwater in its sort of irreverent humor (which may also explain Issue #3). Not that Berk is as brilliant as Pinkwater, mind you, but he definitely shows promise (and he's a librarian - obviously a clever chap. Oops, slipping into Devon-speak there.) While we had a few problems with it, we enjoyed it on the whole, and give it a

4 out of 5.

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

2010-11-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
Abby McDonald
Candlewick Press
978-0-7636-4382-9
Borrowed from library.

It's always nice when a character - and a book - find a balance. When we first meet Jenna, she is a die-hard leader of the Green Teens, loudly protesting her school's plans to sell off a field that may or may not contain a rare species of...grass. Her summer plans of interning with Earth Now go awry, and it looks like she will be stuck in a retirement community in Florida - but wait! Her hippie godmother Susie is rennovating a B&B up in Canada - surely she could use an extra pair of hands.

Canada! Lush forests, wildlife, cute boys in plaid: the perfect place for a young environmentalist. It goes without saying that everyone there will share her enthusiasm for protecting the environment at all costs, right?

Now, there's nothing wrong with dedicating yourself to a good cause, but...sometimes it's a good idea to have all the facts before you open your mouth. Jenna learns quickly - and painfully - that sometimes what you accuse your enemy of (like making decisions based on your own priorities without considering the faceless individuals they affect) becomes the exact thing you are doing yourself. Black and white becomes a little grey, first impressions have to be corrected on both sides, and Jenna is forced to examine which of her ideals are actually her own, and which she has just adopted out of a need to belong.

A fun read, with a little bit of thinking but not 'too much', we give it a

4 out of 5.

Amazon and The Karma Club

2010-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, if you're on the internet and in the world of books at all, you are probably well aware of yesterday's uproar over a book Amazon was selling that was basically a how-to for pedophiles. After first responding that it was a matter of free speech, Amazon finally removed the book from their site.

We can argue until we are blue in the face (not a good color for turtles) about whether the book qualified as pornography or not, whether the rule of free speech extended to it or not, or whether censoring this book paves the way to censor anything offensive to anyone, but here's what we think in a nutshell: The whole Free Speech thing? Doesn't matter.

Now, don't get us wrong, we are not saying that free speech isn't important. What we are saying is that, in this case, it's not the issue. Amazon refusing to publish/sell something is not the same thing as a governmental entity making a law against it being published. It's entirely possible that a court could rule that Amazon, or anyone else, could legally publish this or any similar book. But, here's the thing:

Just because something is legal that doesn't make it right.

Hardly a new concept, we know, but it looks like it's something we all need to be reminded of at times. We're sure if you take a moment right now, you can think of a myriad of things that would be perfectly legal for you to do, but you don't do them. Why not? Because they are WRONG. It would be legal for one of us to, say, catch the eye of a passing child and say, "You know what? You are one ugly child." But we wouldn't do that! We recoil at the very thought! Why? Because it would be WRONG.

These days our society seems to have a hard time deeming anything 100 per cent wrong, for fear of offending someone. And yes, there are a million areas in which we are not all agreed, and probably never will be. But, pedophilia? Seriously? Do we really need to debate this?

Whether your sense of right and wrong comes from a holy book, a person, your family, an inner sense, or whatever, you have one. It is how you govern your actions, probably without thinking about it most of the time. You have a sense of right and wrong, Miss Ami has one, even we turtles have one, and, executives at Amazon, guess what? You have one, too. Use it. Don't hide behind a law or absence of one.

This rant came as we finished one of the Cybils nominees, The Karma Club by Jessica Brody. Now, before Ms. Brody has a heart attack, let us be quick to say there is no pedophilia in this book. It is not a horrid book that should be stricken from print - in fact, it is a very cute book, which should be purchased by librarians, because teens will enjoy it.

That being said, we had some issues with it that resemble parts of the above rant. Bear with us for a moment:

Madison and her friends are a bit disappointed with karma. All three have boyfriends who have done them wrong, and nothing bad seems to be happening to them in return. They decide to give karma a little help by making sure something bad does happen. Their escapades are funny, to the point where we read some out loud to coworkers. For a while, they are enjoying the sweet taste of revenge. Then, of course, things start to fall apart - bad things start happening to THEM, as an indirect result of the things they did to their exes.

Do they learn their lesson? Sort of. Maddy realizes that the better thing to do is perform good deeds, in order to build your good karma, and make good things happen to you. The end. We suppose, if your entire belief system is built around the concept of karma, this ending will suit you just fine.

However...anybody see where we are going with this? Is the risk of bad karma the only reason we shouldn't do horrible things to other people, possibly ruining their lives? Is the hope of good karma, i.e. our own personal reward, the only reason we should perform good deeds? Let's take one example from the story (major spoiler here, so feel free to stop reading):

Seth cheated on Jade. Bad Seth. That was a rotten thing to do. So, the girls set up a fake online dating profile for Seth, saying he prefers older women. Much older. When responses start pouring in, they set up 15 'dates' with women in their 40's, of course completely unbeknownst to Seth. Strange women start showing up and embarrassing him in front of his girlfriend, his buddies, his parents and grandparents. Soon he is the laughingstock of - well, everywhere - his girlfriend dumps him, his family no longer trusts him, you get the picture.

Okay, it was funny! It was really, really funny! Until you start thinking about all the other people - his parents and grandparents, mortified in public. All those poor women. The girlfriend. Did they deserve any of that? Did Seth even deserve the ruined relationships and public humiliation? Is it really the job of a teenage girl to decide if he does? If any of those questions had been addressed by the characters, we could have gone on enjoying the book, but they never occurred to them. The only reason why any of their actions were 'wrong' was because it caused them bad karma. That's it.

How about, they were wrong because they were wrong? Because turning into a vindictive little shrew is wrong? Because taking pleasure in the pain of others is wrong? Because thinking you have enough of the answers to play God in someone else's life is wrong?

We may be coming across a bit heavy-handed on what is, really, a cute, fun book overall. Maybe it's a reaction to the Amazon fiasco, but it's also partly disappointment in seeing that cute, fun book fall apart at the end. Do buy it. Do read it. Do pass it on to your teens. But, you may want to engage those teens in a discussion when they turn it back in, and see what they thought. We give it a

4 out of 5.

Cybils Mini-Reviews, or, We've Got Issues!

2010-11-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

We're turtles. We don't have a lot of angst. Give us a sun light with some good UVB, feed us every other day, and we're pretty much set. Sure, Freaky, as the oldest, can be a bit bossy, and Squirt gets a little hyper, but that's about it.

Humans, on the other hand - whew! Teenagers, especially, seem to go through an awful lot in a few short years. Thank goodness, then, that there are some great books out there to help them get some perspective in the tough times! A huge number of the YA Fiction nominees for this year's Cybils are "issue books", and these are just a few of those we have read lately:

by Courtney Summers
St. Martin's Press
978-0-312-57380-5
Borrowed from Library

Miss Ami used to teach middle school, which she says is why you cannot shock her, scare her, or gross her out. She also says that she learned to take a boy fight over a girl fight any day. Girls are MEAN! The news has been full of stories about vicious bullying among teens. Nobody really likes a bully, so what happens when the tables are turned, and the bully becomes the victim? Serves her right, doesn't it? Doesn't it??

This was a fantastic book, so smoothly written and intense we read it in one sitting. Unfortunately, the situations, as well as the responses of both adults and other teens, were also very true to life. This would be a great classroom discussion book - be aware of violence (duh, it's about bullying) including sexual assault. We had a teeny issue with the ending, but it's not worth the potential spoiler to go into it. We still give it a

5 out of 5.

by Donna Freitas
Frances Foster Books
978-0-374-31472-9
Borrowed from Library

Abusive relationships are not a new issue for children's/young adult books, but we are not aware of many that touch on controlling relationships. Until we read this one, we didn't realize what a gap there was in literature, but it's definitely a pervasive problem in real life. Many abusive relationships start off with isolation, but even if the abuser never continues on to physical or sexual abuse, the mental/emotional damage can be just as great. This book gives an excellent (and riveting) illustration of how an intelligent young woman can be manipulated by a man in power.

The cover photograph was an excellent choice, but we wish the title wasn't splashed across it - it makes her seem more protected than trapped. Just a little thing, and we give this one another

5 out of 5.

by Elizabeth Scott
Simon Pulse
9781416978916

Borrowed from Library

This one didn't seem to realize it was an issue book. If you read the jacket flap, it's your basic love triangle - the MC is in love with her best friend's boyfriend. We expect a little more depth from Elizabeth Scott - seriously? An entire book about liking your best friend's boyfriend? Then we start getting to know Brianna, the best friend.

Let's see: 1. Sees everyone as all good or all bad. 2. Must have everyone's approval. 3. Great at making friends, not so good at keeping them, except for one person she is overly dependent on. 4. Reckless, impulsive behavior. 5. Skewed vision of self. Aha! Scott is going to talk about borderline personality disorder, an increasingly common problem that many people aren't aware of. Wonderful!

Um...no. It's just the love triangle thing. Brianna very obviously needs some help, but she not only doesn't get it, it is obvious she never will. And that doesn't seem to be an issue, either. Very disappointing conclusion, but may be useful in certain situations for discussion or what-could-he/she-have-done. We have to give it a

2 out of 5.

(But we still love Elizabeth Scott. Everybody is entitled to a miss.)

Homemade Lit Bling

2010-11-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

We just have to show off how very talented one of our teens is:

If you are a Rick Riordan fan, you will recognize both the beads and the shirt. If you are not a Riordan fan, well, then, you are no friend of ours.* Yes, she made them herself, and we think she should make us some now:)

* Seriously. Go read the books, and then you can talk to us.

I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History's Strangest Cures, by Carlyn Beccia

2010-11-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

by Carlyn Beccia
Houghton Mifflin
978-0-547-22570-8
Copy borrowed from our library.

Brilliant! Gross-out books are always good for bringing in the reluctant readers, and we love it when, as the disclaimer warns, "Side effects from reading this book may vary. Patients may experience rapid brain growth."

Rather than just list some of the odd, disgusting, or plain funny remedies used throughout the ages for colds, coughs, or cuts, Beccia lists a few and asks readers to guess which ones actually worked. In the following pages, she then briefly explains why maggots can actually be good for you, or when it can be good to dangle a frog down your throat. A little bit of science and physiology seeps in betwixt shuddering at the thought of drinking urine or drilling a hole in your skull. We learned quite a bit ourselves! This might even be a fun pop-quiz read-aloud for teachers - have your students write their answers down before you read the explanations.

This could make a good Christmas gift paired with, depending on age, a game of Operation, a play doctor's kit, or some gummy frogs. We give it a

5 out of 5.

Cybils Mini-Reviews

2010-11-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

The following are some of the YA Fiction nominees for the Cybils awards:

by Swati Avashti
Knopf Books for Young Readers
978-0375863400

When Jace finally stands up to his abusive father, he winds up with a rearranged face, on the doorstep of the brother he hasn't seen in years. His brother takes him in, but both have many demons to deal with resulting from the years of abuse - and a mother who is still trapped at home.

Powerful, realistic, exhausting, important. There isn't much more we could say without this becoming an inarticulate mess. Buy it. Read it. Not for the younger reader - several descriptions of horrifically violent scenes. We give it a

5 out of 5.

by April Lurie
Delacorte Press
978-0385736756

Noah seems to be making a small career out of rebelling against the image of his father, The Bible Answer Guy, becoming a minor juvenile delinquent. He befriends a homeless teen who happens to be gay, right at the time when someone is killing homeless gay teens and leaving Bible verses near their bodies.

The author has an obvious agenda, which isn't necessarily bad in and of itself, but she is a bit heavy-handed in delivering it. Noah's father is the only one who doesn't give some sort of sermon, and everyone except the bad guy comes to the same conclusion about homosexuality by the end. As a result, none of the characters comes fully to life as an individual person. If she did more showing than telling, she would be a bit more effective.

That being said, the mystery aspect was extremely well-done. We constantly found ourselves positive we had it all worked out, then changing our minds completely. At one point we decided the murderer was Noah's 9-year-old sister, simply because she was the only person we hadn't suspected (it wasn't her, btw). Definitely worth reading if you like thrillers, we give it a

3 out of 5.

by Varian Johnson
Delacorte Press
978-0385-738040

Main characters quetioning their religious beliefs seems to be big this year. In Saving Maddie, Joshua is the opposite of The Less-Dead's Noah, faithfully trying to live up to the expectations ofeveryone has for the preacher's son. When Maddie, a childhood friend, moves back into town, he is dismayed by how much she has changed. He initially sets out to "save" her, but discovers things aren't necessarily as black and white as he has always believed them to be, and Maddie may not want or need to be "saved" - at least, not in the way he thinks.

We liked this one more than we thought we would. The characters manage to shy away from stereotypes for the most part, and religion itself is not portrayed as all good or all bad. Maddie urges Joshua to decide for himself why he believes the things he does, but that doesn't translate into him suddenly changing his mind about everything he believes. Overall, just as the characters are allowed to make up (and change) their own minds about things, so is the reader. Oh, and did anyone pick up on the little stab at the old damaged rose illustration? Nicely done! We give it a

4 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: Big Rigs and Fire Trucks on the Move

2010-11-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

by Judith Jango-Cohen
Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-6023-0

by Candice Ransom
Lerner Publications
978-0-7613-3919-9

We are always happy to see good nonfiction titles for the younger set, and these certainly fit the bill. Boys (and many girls) will always be enthralled with automobiles, so you really can't go wrong with this series.

What's the first thing youngsters do with a toy fire engine? Start making the sounds! That is exactly how Fire Trucks on the Move begins:

WHEE-OOO! WHEE-OOO! What is making such a loud sound?

Text is accompanied by a close-up picture of a siren, and a larger photo showing where it is located on the truck. The rest of the book follows the same pattern, with one or two sentences in a large, clear font paired with bright, colorful photographs.

Big Rigs on the Move lists other terms we might use (semis, eighteen-wheelers), and shows readers some of the specialized types of big rigs far carrying particular cargos. The back of each book includes a diagram, glossary, Fun Facts, and books and web sites for further reading.

There are possibly as many books about cars out there as there are kids who like cars, but the format, information and just overall quality place these way above the mass-marketed dollar store variety. They are perfect for either reluctant or beginning readers, and we give the set a

5 out of 5

We also think this will be the start of our Christmas shopping! Buy your favorite youngster a nice noisy fire truck or pickup, and include a copy of the appropriate book. Stay tuned over the next couple months for more gift ideas* (just 54 shopping days left!)

*for us? Why, how sweet of you to ask! Some goldfish would be yummy. What, and humans don't eat anything disgusting?!

Family Fright Night

2010-10-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we held our annual Family Fright Night at the library, and we thought we would share some pictures of the very cool costumes we saw:

Miss Ami always wanted to be a flapper, and is very covetous of this dress!

Great minds think alike!

Putting together one of the craft choices (spooky refrigerator magnets)

A Paper Bag Princess with the attitude to match!

Collecting our treat bags on the way out.

Pippi Longstocking, another literary figure, yay! Ghostbusters has made a huge comebeck - we had THREE Ghostbusters...

...including this HOMEMADE costume, complete with little brother Slimer! Too cute! (And very authentically slimey)

We don't know about you, but the one on the left scares us the most.

Our favorite kind of art project, the Picasso.

For those interested, we read:
There Was an Old Monster, by the Emberleys
Monster Baby by Dian Curtis Regan
My Mama Says There Aren't Any Zombies, Ghosts... by Judith Viorst
Pog by Lyn Lee and
When a Monster is Born by Sean Taylor

Hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween!!!

Turtles Being Productive, or, a Cybils Picture Puzzle

2010-10-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

There are those souls who, when faced with a number of importanttasks, quickly prioritize them and get to work. And then there are those who immediately think up a semi-related, unimportant but interesting extra task, and get to work on that, instead. Guess which group turtles belong to?

As you know, we are judges for this year's Young Adult Fiction category of the Cybils Awards. In looking over the ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY YA books nominated, some similarities have begun to appear. For example, eleven covers show a couple kissing. Many more show people from the back (is that so we can imagine our own face, thus putting ourselves in the character's shoes? Or are unattractive models cheaper?) Speaking of shoes, lots of legs here, many without shoes. Rather dangerous with all the broken glass on the other covers.

So, to make a backdrop for our display of nominees (see! It really is work related!) we have put together an ~~"I Spy"~~ oops - copyrighted name...a "picture puzzle" of all 180 covers. Yep, there is a piece of every single cover in this collage. Can you find them all? Here are the pictures:

And some close-ups:

Note to publishers: holding hands is a bit overplayed.

(Note: Our computer is being stubborn and won't add the second picture - possibly the reult of typing with wet flippers - we will try again later)

Click here for alist of the nominees (and a small version of the cover). Of course, if you're local, you can just come on in with your handy microscope and search away!

The Agency series by Y.S. Lee

2010-10-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Agency: The Body at the Tower
Y. S. Lee
Candlewick Press
978-0-7636-4968-5
Borrowed from the Library.

Mary Quinn is back, and we have realized, appalled, that we never reviewed her first appearance, in The Agency: A Spy in the House. Let us bring you up to speed:

In the first title, we meet Mary Quinn, small-time pickpocket and thief, as she is arrested, tried, and sentenced for a crime she did indeed commit. Her life since her father's death many years ago has been nothing but struggle, and the idea of death is not entirely unwelcome. Fate - or, the ladies of The Agency - have other plans for her, however.

Spirited away from jail, Mary is given a home and an education it wouldn't have occurred to her to dream of before. Years later, she is grateful for the opportunity she has had to do something with her life, but what should that be? There are not many respectable options for a young woman in the 1800's, and she does not seem to be suited for any of them.

Now we learn the 'real' purpose of the Academy. Those special girls - women - who show an aptitude and a longing to be more than wives or serving girls can train to be...spies. In a culture where women are continually overlooked in every way, who is better placed to overhear careless comments, or to move about unobserved?

In A Spy in the House, Mary embraces her new role, fervently hoping to prove herself to her mentors. She quickly discovers that things don't always go according to plan, and complications continually come up: such as the attractive but annoyingly proper James Easton. When situations arise that her training did not prepare her for, Mary has to rely on her wits, a lot of luck - and, yes, an occasional assist from that infuriating Mr. Easton.

The reparte between Mary and James is one of the high points of both books (and fans of the first will be happy to know he reappears early on in the second). There are continual exchanges such as:

"How else are you going to manage that?"
"I'll just have to try harder."
"Ooh, yes - sheer stubborn stupidity should certainly carry the day."
(pg. 161. Body at the Tower)

James is by turns (and often simultaneously) intrigued and appalled by Mary, and true to the male culture of his time, never seems to understand why he has made her mad. Mary is struggling to keep her secrets - and the fact that she is a spy is just one of them. She absolutely cannot afford to develop feelings for James.

Never fear, this is not a romance, and if boys can get past the girl-oriented cover we think they will enjoy the action and mystery of both books. Ah, and the covers!

At the risk of including a SPOILER, can we just say, in these days of white-washing publishers, how much we love these covers? The girl pictured on both looks exactly the way Mary should look, and that's all we are going to say about that. Brava, Candlewick! We give the series so far a

5 out of 5.

Nonfiction Monday: Lerner's Food is CATegorical series by Brian P. Cleary

2010-10-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

Fun read-alouds about the food groups, who'd a'thunk it? Each of the books in this series is written in a snappy rhyme, imparting information about food group members, serving sizes and nutrients simply and memorably. Creative teachers (or their students) might even try memorizing the text as a rap, or setting it to music. (Note: teachers may, however, not want to encourage pantomiming, with lines such as : Milk strengthens your teeth, making two healthy rows. At times, when you laugh, it comes out of your nose!)

The illustrations, by Martin Goneau, are very cute and add to the energy of the text. We have to admit, until we looked at the series title, we didn't realize they were all cats, but that doesn't detract from the fun at all. Many of them just looked more like little gremliny creatures to us, biting an annoyed-looking cow on the butt, or sporting a hair net while preparing cheese.

These cute little cat/gremlins offer other salient facts efore and after the main text, including more concrete examples of what an actual serving of that food group is. A great series for any elementary school classroom or library! We give them a

5 out of 5.

For more great nonfiction reads, hop over to MotherReader.

The Summer I Got a Life by Mark Fink

2010-10-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

The Summer I Got a Life
Mark Fink
WestSide Books
978-1-934813-12-6
Copy borrowed from the Library

Andy Crenshaw, 15, is about to have a summer he didn't expect. He lives in the shadow of his good-looking, athletic older brother, Brad, and they don't get along. Lately they only agree on their excitement over their upcoming trip to Hawaii. But the family's plans change at the last minute, packing the boys off to rural Wisconsin. They'll be stuck with their wacky, free-spirited aunt and uncle - on a farm with no cable TV and internet.

Things start looking up when Andy scores a date with Laura, a cute teenage local celebrity pianist, and even Brad's impressed. Laura's amazing: besides her late night jam sessions at a local jazz club, she's the funniest, little-bit-crazy girl Andy's ever met. He's shocked at first to see her in a wheelchair, but nothing stops Laura - her killer bowling skills leave Andy in the dust.

Meanwhile, Andy and Brad share a series of misadventures and narrow escapes that move their brotherhood to a whole different level. It all adds up to a summer no one will soon forget.

If you want a believable story, skip it. If, on the other hand, you want to have FUN, then by all means pick this up! Even while we were thinking "Yeah, right," we were snorting with laughter. In fact, Freaky snorted so hard he got water up his nose, and contrary to popular belief, water turtles are not built that way. It kind of reminded us of this scene:

Darryl was laughing so hard he started to cough. But then he started to choke, and he seemed to have trouble breathing.

"S**t. Maybe we should do CPR," I said.

"I'm not putting my lips on Snot."

"Fine, I'll do it. Is it four breaths and two compressions, or two breaths and four compressions?"

"You're asking me? You know I suck at math."

"Is he looking a little blue to you?" I asked.

"He always looks a little blue to me."

See? A little juvenile. Sometimes a little over the top. But very very funny. Or, maybe we are just juvenile and over the top. At any rate, we think it's a book both boys and girls will enjoy, and after some of the stinkers we have read (and declined to review) lately, it was a welcome change.

Two minor quibbles: One, the cover doesn't fit. It makes it look like a much more serious book than it is, and while the title is catchy, there is nothing about the picture that would grab a teenage boy's attention and say, "Hey, there's funny stuff involving chicken poop in here!"

Two, and this is a very MINOR quibble that most people wouldn't notice but a copy editor should have caught and we probably only did because Miss Ami was a copy editor at one point: page 104, it was 'specially' built for her, not 'especially' built for her. See, that is SO minor, we are embarrassed to even mention it, but it was bugging Miss Ami so much we have agreed to humor her.

Other than some very mild swearing, this is a refreshingly 'clean' book you can give to just about everyone. We give it a

4 out of 5.