Category Archives: book

Sisters Red

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Pearce, J. (2010). Sisters red (a fairy tale retelling). New York: Hatchet Book Group. Kindle.

Reader’s Annotation

In this Little Red Riding Hood reboot, two sisters struggle with their family’s violent history as they struggle to affirm their individuality. Rosie is the younger sister, innocent and especially attractive to the Fenris, a breed of soulless werewolves. Older sister Scarlett, Lett, is an expert hunter, tracking down and killing the wolves with help from her sister and the neighboring woodsman, Silas. When Silas returns after an extended vacation he begins to urge the sisters to find a life outside of hunting wherewolves, will he be the wedge that drives them apart? Can the sisters survive in a world that doesn’t revolve around Fenris?

Plot Summary

Rosie and Scarlett March witnessed the violent death of their grandmother at a young age. Since then they have dedicated their lives to tracking and hunting Fenris, the soulless werewolves that killed their Oma March and permanently disfigured Scarlett. The girls were trained to hunt werewolves by none other than their woodsman neighbor, Pa Reynolds, and his brood. As the children age a close partnership develops between the woodman’s youngest son, Silas, and the girls. Silas trains and hunts with Scarlett, both of them becoming expert hunters, and while Rosie is deadly with knives it is the other two who strive to protect her. That is until Silas decides to leave town and travel across the country, abandoning their mission to protect the innocent from the Fenris so far as Scarlett is concerned. After the woodsman’s son comes back to town things begin to change between the sisters. Scarlett is as driven as ever to protect her sister and destroy the Fenris, but Rosie finds herself drawn to Silas and freedom from a life of hunter and hunted. After the trio moves to Atlanta together to bag their biggest hunt of all, the cracks in the relationship of the sisters begin to widen even more. As they work together to unravel the mystery of the new werewolf “potential”, they each begin to find themselves and discover who they are together and apart.

Critical Evaluation

I ran across this title while looking for books featuring strong female leads. I was tired of reading about boy crazy girls waiting around for dumb jocks who eventually ended up cheating on them and the girls subsequent crumble into dust. This story definitely offers up female characters that are anything but ordinary, though the romance between Silas and Rosie didn’t seem entirely necessary. Reading the book I often cringed at the characteristics of the two sisters, Scarlett’s obsession with hunting to the point of refusing to see her sister as her own person and Rosie’s simpering dependence upon Scarlett and Silas were equally obnoxious. Though one might argue that the whole point of the story was to demonstrate the girls’ ability to grow out of these less fortunate characteristics.

Author Information

Jackson Pearce started writing when she was 12 years old and her school librarian couldn’t recommend her a book that contained a “smart girl, horses, baby animals and magic”, she resolved to write it herself. Pearce lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is the author of five books, three fairy tales retold like Sisters Red and two stand alone novels.

Genre

Young Adult Fiction, Fairy Tale Reboot, Werewolves, Coming of Age.

Curriculum Ties

Supports grade 9-10 literary response and analysis cirriculum:

3.7 Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices, including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain their appeal.

Supports grade 11-12 literary response and analysis cirriculum:

3.6 Analyze the way in which authors through the centuries have used archetypes drawn from myth and tradition in literature, film, political speeches, and religious writings.

Booktalk Ideas

How does the Little Red Riding Hood reboot differ from the original tale? What similarities are there?

What does family mean to these two sisters?

Does this change as the novel progresses?

Is Rosie really so dependent on Scarlett? Or is Scarlett dependent on Rosie?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

15-19

Challenge Issues

This is a violent book and some of the characters are preternatural, which may lend to some complaints from conservative and religious patrons.

It is not the responsibility of the library to monitor the reading habits of its patrons. We trust that children and parents have worked out what is appropriate reading material for themselves. The ALA Library Bill of Rights clearly states that, “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves”. This popular novel allows readers afresh perspective on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale, and features two strong female leads. Rather than telling the story of a little girl who waits for a man to save her, this story has the girl figuring out how to save herself and is an excellent example of modern day girl power.

Reason for inclusion

Strong female leads, on the Bitch list of best 100 books for young feminists

References

Jackson, P. (2010). About me. Retrieved from: http://www.jacksonpearce.com/

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Tiger Eyes

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Tiger Eyes Book Cover

Blume, J.(1981). Tiger Eyes. New York: Random House. Kindle.

Reader’s Annotation

After Davey’s family faces terrible tragedy they move across the country to recover from the shock. Davey finds solace in the most unlikely place and learns a lot about herself in the process.

Plot Summary

When Davey’s father is brutally shot and killed in their family’s corner store the structure of her family crumbles. Davey begins having panic attacks at school, her mother can barely hold it together and her brother refuses to take off his super hero cape. With everything crumbling around their shoulders Davey’s mom moves the family to New Mexico to recover from their loss. In New Mexico Davey’s overbearing aunt and uncle don’t help her feel any more anchored, indeed she feels more lost and alone that ever. As she explores the beautiful canyons of Los Alamos, Davey meets a strange young man who calls himself Wolf. As Davey’s friendship with Wolf develops, she and her family begin to heal and find that though she may carry the pain of her father’s death, she doesn’t have to be afraid. After all, “how we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”

Critical Evaluation

Tiger Eyes is a classic coming of age novel, the characters are strong and the pain the Davey and her family are attempting to cope with are palatable.

Author Information

Judy Blume is a prolific author of many adult, young adult and children’s novels. She’s been writing for over 40 years and is one of the most well loved writers in the field. Blume is known for writing about issues important to teens and adolescents like puberty, sexuality and divorce, which makes her work some of those most frequently challenged in libraries across the country.

Genre

YA Fiction, Coming of Age, Death, Family

Curriculum Ties

Supports literary response and analysis curriculum for grades 9 and 10:

3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.

Booktalk Ideas

What is the canyon a metaphor for?

What are some of the main differences in parenting styles between Davey’s aunt and uncle and her own parents. How does Davey cope with these differences?

How does Davey’s relationship with Wolf change after she meets his father?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

13+

Challenge Issues

The violent death of Davey’s father may be offensive to some readers or their parents. The library’s continued support of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights clearly demonstrates that we work against censorship and strive to include literature in our collection that appeals to every reader. This work fulfills those qualities because it tackles the very real issues of parental death and depression with sensitivity and intuitiveness. Additionally the book supports the California Department of Education curriculum as demonstrated by the subtleties in the relationships between Davey and the adults in her life, as well as her brother and Los Alamos friends.

Reason for inclusion

I included this book because I remembered reading it as a teenager and loving it. I think it’s a valuable novel for any teen struggling through the murky business of growing up, whether or not they have been forced to deal with a tragedy such as Davey’s.

References

Judy Blume. (2012). In J. W. Hunter (Ed.), Contemporary Literary Criticism (Vol. 325). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1132910000&v=2.1&u=csusj&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

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The Vanishing Game

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Vanishing Game Book Cover

Myers, K. K.

Reader’s Annotation

Things just haven’t been quite right for Jocelyn since her twin, Jack, died. Once she begins receiving messages from him she finds she must follow the trail to the truth, regardless of the outcome.

Plot Summary

After everything that happened at Seale House Jocelyn and her twin Jack weren’t sure if they’d ever find a place to call home. After they were placed successfully with a nice home Jack died in a fatal car crash. Or did he? About a year after the car crash Jocelyn gets a mysterious letter signed only with the name, Jason December- exactly what Jack called himself at the Seale House. A name only known to Jocelyn and the twin’s close friend from Seale House, Noah.

As Jocelyn makes her way to Noah to ask his help unravelling the mystery of Jason December strange things begin to happen, she is certain someone is following her. When she sneaks into the Seale house to look for signs of her brother she discovers that the terror that the house held for her as a child hasn’t faded, indeed it seems as if the house remembers her and she struggles to get out in one piece.

One thing is clear, Jocelyn can’t go at this alone. With Noah’s reluctant help they follow the path that Jason December has laid out for them, fraught with intrigue and terrible dangers and horrors unimaginable. Jocelyn has no choice, she must find her twin before her past catches up with her.

Critical Evaluation

Vanishing Game is a good horror novel for folks who also like a bit of mystery thrown in. The story is told along two time lines, present day and in a series of flash backs from Jocelyn, Jack and Noah’s childhood. You get a clear picture of the terrible abuse they suffered in their foster house, as a mother that part was particularly unpleasant to read, and Myers does a good job of hooking her reader so that you’re compelled to finish, even reading through some of the requisite cheesy-intense-teen-romance. To top it off this book is genuinely scary! You’re never sure exactly what is going on, if the Seale House is haunted with angry spirits, or if there are hallucinogenic spores in the walls or somethin; you dont know if Jack is alive or dead; or to what lengths the men following Jocelyn and Noah will go to to get the information they seek. Recommended to anyone who likes a bit of a fright!

Author Information

By Myers own account her childhood was grueling and her teenager years were much the same. According to her bio she never wanted to be a writer as much as she has felt compelled to write, climbing inside her character’ s skin and creating their worlds. Vanishing Game is her first novel.

Genre

Horror, YA Fiction

Curriculum Ties

Grades 9-10 goal 3.6: Analyze and trace an author’s development of time and sequence, including the use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks).

Booktalk Ideas

What do you think about the reality Jocelyn has created for herself? Has this reality been fool-proof? What are some of the weaknesses in her story?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

14+

Challenge Issues

This book discusses topics like death and mental illness, and some adults may object to their children’s exposure to those sensitive topics.

A collection policy that clearly states that the library strongly supports the ALA Bill of Rights and everyone’s freedom to read should offer some protection to the library. The use of flashbacks in The Vanishing Game supports the California Department of Education English Language Arts Content Standards for grades 9 and 10. Finally, alternate titles could be The Long Walk by Stephen King and What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen.

Reason for inclusion

This title is a good one for any fan of horror and mystery. It’s included in the collection to appeal to those readers.

References

Myers, K.K. (2012). Bio of Kate Kae Myers. Retrieved from: http://www.katekaemyers.com/

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Thirteen Reasons Why

Posted on November 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York: Razor Bill. Print.

Reader’s Annotation

When Clay Jensen gets a box in the mail full of old cassette tapes he doesn’t know what to expect; when they turn out to be from a classmate that recently committed suicide, he is even more perplexed. Follow along with Clay as Hannah tells him why she took her life.

Plot Summary

It all starts with a box on his porch. Clay Jensen hasn’t been oblivious to Hannah’s death, not by any means. They worked together at the local theater after all, and even if he was never really able to tell her, he had a huge crush on her. He never thought for an instant that he’d be the recipient of an after death message from her though. That’s what’s in the box though, 13 cassette tapes, 13 stories, of the reasons why Hannah took her own life. Clay digs up an old boom box in the garage and starts listening, not understanding how or why he made the list. He doesn’t want to hear what Hannah is saying, the secrets that she’s making known, but he’s got to know what happened. Clay takes to the street with a “borrowed” walkman and follows along with the map Hannah provided to the location of each offense, trying to make sense of all of Hannah’s pain, all the while trying to figure out what his part in the story is.

Critical Evaluation

This was a hard book for me. I read it because I knew that it won a bunch of awards and that everyone loved it, but I was turned off an annoyed by it right away. I don’t wan to speak ill of the dead, especially the fictional dead, but Hannah was kind of annoying. I don’t think I would have been able to sit through her 13 tapes of blame and accusation, with the exception of the one boy who couldn’t save her. Maybe I’m just too jaded, or too old to appreciate it, but the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Highschool is a terrible, awful place, we all know it, blaming everyone else for your misery is such a cop out, and even though I feel bad about it because she committed suicide and awful things DID happen to her, Hannah was a seriously depressed girl who needed help and her actions don’t belong to anyone BUT herself. It’s such a load of crap to blame everyone else for your death, so manipulative and codependent, it really kind of pissed me off. That said, I understand the value of this book and why everyone loves it, I just wasn’t crazy about it myself.

Author Information

Jay Asher was born in 1975 in Arcadia, California. He attended CalPoly in San Luis Obisbo with the intention of becoming an elementary school teach, but dropped out his senior year to pursue his career as a writer. 13 Reasons Why is his first novel, he has also published The Future of Us with Carolyn Mackler and the novella Love in Progress. 

Genre

Suicide, YA Fiction, High School

Curriculum Ties

Supports CA Dept of Education literary response and analysis curriculum for grades 9 and 10:

3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.

3.6 Analyze and trace an author’s development of time and sequence, including the use of complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks).

Booktalk Ideas

Do you think suicide is a selfish act? Was Hannah’s?

What are some the ways Hannah was burned by those she thought were her friends? What about the adults in her life?

Why is Clay on the list? Why is Hannah apologizing to him?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

14+

Challenge Issues

This book is about a girl committing suicide. It also covers topics like sexual abuse, bullying, and underage drinking. The library defends each reader’s right to read, and has a policy against censorship. This book supports the CA Department of Education’s curriculum by using literary analysis techniques to determine the motivations and characteristics of the narrator and main protagonist  Additionally the book creates a safe space for teens to discuss the important topics of depression, bullying and worse. Furthermore, the book is the recipient of several awards and commendations by libraries and literary organization.

Alternate titles are: Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral, and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Reason for inclusion

It’s important for teens to be able to talk about depression and suicide. This book opens up that dialogue and creates a safe space for teens to talk about a topic that generally send parents and administrators into a frenzy.

References

Jay Asher. (2009). In Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1000185606&v=2.1&u=csusj&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

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Chopsticks

Anthony, J. & Corral, R. (2012). Chopsticks. New York: Razor Bill. Print.

Reader’s Annotation

Since her mother died Glory has dedicated her life to playing the piano, until she meets the new boy in town, Frank. Follow along with Glory and Frank as their passions unfold and their lives fall apart.

Plot Summary

Chopsticks is a story told in pictures. It isn’t exactly a regular novel, nor is it entirely a conventional graphic novel. It’s more of a scrap book that follows several story lines. It begins with a newspaper clipping that tells how teen piano prodigy Glory has disappeared from the Golden Hands Rest Facility, a rehabilitation center for musical geniuses. We learn that previous to Glory’s residence at Golden Hands she was developing a relationship with her new neighbor, Frank. The evidence of their love story is displayed in track listings of mix tapes, text message and IM logs, as well as drawings and photographs. In this manner we also learn that since Glory’s mother’s death seven years ago she’s been dedicating herself to her craft, and until Frank has had little distraction from her life as a musician. Her father, sensing the disruption of Glory and Frank’s relationship has on her playing, whisks her away for a European recital tour, against Glory’s own wishes. She is hailed as the “Brecht of the piano” by supporters, but something strange happens at her largest performance, and in a fit of insubordination and insanity, Glory finds that she can play nothing but Chopsticks for the duration of the tour. Things aren’t exactly what they seem though, and you’ll find yourself reading this title again and again to unravel all of it’s mysteries.

*Note: I read this title’s print form, and skipped the accompanying Youtube videos that were created to enhance the experience. Reviews suggest that the e-book versions integrate the multimedia aspect of this title brilliantly, making it a true groundbreaker in it’s field.

Critical Evaluation

I enjoyed this title if for no other reason than that is was visually stunning. The arrangement of the pages, images and even the mix tapes that Glory and Frank exchange, were perfectly chosen and placed so that the reader is able to really grasp, assuming a certain amount of familiarity with indie music, what these two teens are feeling. It is beautiful and desperate, romantic and lonesome and heartbreaking all at once. The story may be a litte weak and predictable near the end of the book, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this title takes reading to a new level and will certainly appeal to all kinds of teens.

Author Information

Genre

YA Fiction, Multimedia, High School, Art, Mental Illness, Contemporary

Curriculum Ties

Supports literary response and analysis curriculum for grades 9 and 10:

3.2 Compare and contrast the presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic.

3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.

3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of literary criticism.

Booktalk Ideas

Would you consider this a kind of Romeo and Juliet type situation? Explain your reasoning.

How did you feel about the medium in which is book was presented? What were some of the most appealing aspects of the medium?

What really happened to Glory?

What does her inability to play anything but Chopsticks represent?

In what ways does Glory change after she meets Frank?

Why doesn’t Glory’s father want Frank around?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

14+

Challenge Issues

Many of the books in this collection share the same themes: teenage sexuality, mental illness and death are topics we frequently see arise. In this library we support our patron’s right to read and strive to defeat censorship. We encourage our users and their guardians to communicate with one another regarding what is appropriate material for their consumption and make a habit of not keeping records of what our users are reading.

This title is useful for several reasons. It plays on the idea of the star-crossed lover, giving students a chance to compare and contrast classic and contemporary literature. The medium by which the story is told also allows students look at how stories are developed and consumed through the ages.

Alternare title: The Selected Work of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen

Reason for inclusion

Multi-media title, good addition for readers who enjoy visual and audio stories rather than the written word.

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Posted on November 18, 2012 in book

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The Diviners

Posted on November 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Bray. L. (2012). The Diviners. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Kindle. 

Reader’s Annotation

Evie O’Neill has been sent to Manhattan from her dull home town in Ohio at the height of New York’s Golden Age. She’s a young flapper and the world is her oyster, with the one exception of her troubling gift of reading into the pasts of people if she tries hard enough, oh… and the troubling nightmares, aaaaaand then there’s the gruesome murders all over town which seem to share a link with events from 50 years prior, but other than that Evie’s posi-tutely got it covered, you bet-ski.

Plot Summary

Told from the perspective of several characters, The Diviners is an excellent story of murder, mystery and intrigue. After Evie O’Neill uses her uncanny ability to see into the past of a well to do son of a business man she is shipped off to New York City to live with her bachelor uncle Will until the scandal, and threat of libel, die down. Manhattan in the 1920s, who could ask for more? Evie is thrilled! Uncle Will is the curator of TheMuseum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, otherwise known about town as the “museum of the creepy crawlies”. Uncle Will’s dour moods and dull life as an academic don’t stop Evie from kicking up her heels and enjoying everything the dazzling city has to offer, not even a homicidal killer with ties to the occult and series of murders that took place fifty years ago can do that!

Unfortunately for Evie, Uncle Will takes the threat of the killer very seriously. He and his assistant Jericho are working the case, with some help from Evie and the enigmatic conman Sam Lloyd, and    after Evie lands in jail after a night of wild partying Uncle Will can’t take it anymore. He threatens to send Evie back to Ohio, if for no other reason than to protect her from herself. In desperation Evie confesses to her uncle that she has an uncanny ability to read people’s pasts and tells him of the troubling dream that’s been plaguing her all these long months. Evie wins her freedom and sets to work unravelling the mystery of this gruesome killer, hopefully before he can complete his task.

Critical Evaluation

Libba Bray creates a whole new world in The Diviners. She takes her readers by the hand and transports them directly into 1920s New York City. All of the subtleties are there: references to Sacco and Vanzetti and the New York Socialist Movement, Yellow Journalism, Ziegfeld Girls, speakeasies, and the language! Bray infuses Evie’s speech with all of the colloquialisms of the age, to the point of annoyance for some reviewers, really creating a girl and a city that is just the elephant’s eyebrows.

Author Information

Libba Bray was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1964. After she graduated from high school she got into a serious car accident, crushing her face and losing her left eye. It was during this time that she learned that you can write yourself out of what seems unwinnable and into something wonderful. After she finished college she moved to New York and started writing with no more than $600 to her name. She wrote 5 plays, 3 of which were produced and 1 that won an award. She’s in a YA-authored band, called Tiger Beat, with Natalie Standiford, Barnabas Miller, and Daniel Ehrenhaft. She’s written 6 books, most recently The Diviners, which came out earlier this year.

Genre

Historical Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

Curriculum Ties

Literary response and analysis for grades 9 and 10:

3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.

Reading curriculum for grades 11 and 12:

1.1 Trace the etymology of significant terms used in political science and history

1.3 Discern the meaning of analogies encountered, analyzing specific comparisons as well as relationships and inferences

Literary response and analysis for grades 11 and 12:

3.3 Analyze the ways in which irony, tone, mood, the author’s style, and the “sound” of language achieve specific rhetorical or aesthetic purposes or both.

Booktalk Ideas

How does the slang from the 1920s differ from the slang young people use today?

What kind of person is Evie? Does this differ from the kind of person that she wants to be?

How did you find the historical representation of the time? Does it agree with what you know about what was happening in New York in the early years of the 1900s?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

16+

Challenge Issues

Some patrons may take issue with the grisly murder scenes and preternatural nature of this novel. The library strives to assure its users that they are exercising free will when they check out books from our collection, only the reader and his or her parents can choose the items that are correct for them. The library neither agrees nor disagrees with the viewpoints represented in this book, but supports each reader’s right to read. This library is a supporter of the ALA Library Bill of Rights and   challenges censorship. Forms for reconsideration are available, but all final decisions are made by the director after examination by the board.

Reason for inclusion

Great book by great YA author.

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Tender Morsels

Posted on November 11, 2012 | 1 comment

by Margo Lanagan

Lanagan, M. (2008). Tender morsels. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. Kindle.

Reader’s Annotation Liga and her daughters Branza and Urrda live in a perfect world where wild beasts are easily trained, strangers are kind and money never changes hands. What Branza Urrda don’t know is how they ended up in this world and the terrible  suffering their mother endured before they arrived. As the girls age and their world begins to crumble Liga finds that the real world and her perfect heaven aren’t so distant after all.

Plot Summary

Liga is fifteen and she’s been living with her father alone in the woods for sometime since her mother died. Her father is an awful drunk of a man who abuses her in every way imaginable and tricks her into taking a witches brew to dispose of the evidence of his foulness. One night he doesn’t come home, and soon after she finds him dead on the side road. For a time she is safe and nearly happy in the cottage.

After a terrifying attack by some town boys Liga meets a mysterious, ethereal being who instructs her to plant two stones outside the doors to her cottage. When she wakes the next morning she finds that she’s been transported, somehow, to a place remarkably similar to her own town, but without all of the unpleasantness which has so plagued her growing up. So Liga and her daughters grow and thrive in this perfect world, living in harmony with their neighbors and nature.

The real world still exists though and plenty of mischief is being made within. When a man pays a hedge witch to help him find his dream world and he tumbles into Liga’s by mistake, the boundaries between the two worlds start to crumble and Liga and her daughters begin to receive unexpected and unwelcome visitors. When Urrda disappears from the world where Liga and Branza make their home things become even more troubling. What will become of this perfect world? Will the family ever be reunited?

Critical Evaluation

I don’t know if this is actually a YA Book. It’s got some pretty gross sex stuff in it that gives me a stomach ache just to think about, much less read or recount in an evaluation of the novel. If you can manage to get around the sexual violence and incest though, at its heart, this is an excellent novel. It’s really a story about growing into… well a human being. Liga is transported to this magic world where nothing bad ever happens, the perfect world created by a psychologically tormented, raped and abused 15 year old. As she grows up though, as she heals, it remains the same world, and perhaps not a world that suits a 30 year old woman or her daughters who have never known the terrors of abuse. Eventually Liga has to make peace with the regular world, for all of it’s heart break and beauty, she has to let her daughters exist in this beautiful and terrible place, and accept the bad with the good.

Author Information

Margo Lanagan was born in 1960 in New South Wales. The majority of her work has only been published in Australia, though some has received world wide attention. A collection of short stories, Black Juice won 2 World Fantasy Awards. She keeps a blog, Among Amid While at http://amongamidwhile.blogspot.com/.

Genre

Fairy Tales, Magic, Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

n/a

Booktalk Ideas

Why do you think the moon baby saves Liga?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

17+

Challenge Issues

Sexual violence, rape, incest, strong implications of beastiality. This book is not meant for young readers. Patrons will undoubtably object to some of the topics within this book. We support the ALA Library Bill of Rights and every reader’s right to read, as well as their privacy. We do not condone or censorship. We will reconsider any book, and reserve the right to make final decisions after review by the board. Alternate titles for this book are: One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke and Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

Reason for Inclusion

The assistant director of my library once told me that it was his goal to have something that was offensive to everyone in the library, including himself. For me, that is this book. It is cruel and vicious, but also a beautiful story of growth.

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The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles, #1)

Posted on November 10, 2012 | 1 comment

theredpyramid

Reader’s Annotation

Sadie and Carter Kane only see each other a couple times a year since their mom died. On one such visit their dad Julian brings them together in the dead of night for a mysterious purpose, but in a horrible twist of fate ends up raising the Egyptian god Set, who promptly banishes Julian to the underworld for all time. Now the siblings are on the adventure of their lives as they race against time to save their dad and the world.

Plot Summary

Ever since their mother died six years ago Sadie and Carter Kane have lived apart. Sadie lives with their grandparents in London and Carter travels the world with their dad, Egyptologist Julian Kane. The book begins with Julian taking the siblings to British Museum, supposedly to study the Rosetta Stone, but actually with the hope of mending the tear in the family that occurred with the death of their mom, Ruby. In a bad twist of fate, Julians attempt at making things right goes terribly wrong and he ends up raising Set, the Egyptian god of chaos, who banishes Julian for all eternity.

Now Carter and Sadie are on the run, hiding first at the Uncle Amos’s house in Brooklyn where the discover that they are descended from a long line of power magicians. Unfortunately no place is safe for the Kane’s and after an attack on the Brooklyn mansion leads to Sadie’s cat Muffin revealing herself as the goddess Bast, the siblings are off again to try to find their way into the Duat, a magical world that lies parallel to this one. The action doesn’t stop here as Sadie and Carter meet another magician, Zia, who takes them to the granddaddy of all schools of magic, the First Nome.

Just when it seems like the Kane’s might catch a lucky break and learn how to control their powers the head of the Nome, Chief Lector Iskandar, dies and the Kane’s are on the run from his evil second in command who wants to see their heads on pikes. In whirlwind of activity that is hard to keep track of the Kane’s end up having to venture down into the underworld to get the feather of truth and learn the true name of the god Set so that they can destroy him. The book ends with an epic battle in Arizona, America’s closest resemblance to Egypt I guess, where Sadie and Carter have to face down true evil. This is the kind of book that jumps from climax to climax, so take notes between chapters!

Critical Evaluation

This is not a very satisfying read for grown ups. It’s a little bit on the juvenile side of YA, I think, and that really doesn’t make it the best choice for adults. Sadie and Carter are pretty decent characters, but they lack a certain amount of depth that usually comes along with good YA fiction. The most remarkable thing about them is their back and forth banter, which although is certainly typical of a brother and sister, is kind of cutesy and patronizing to read as a grown up. I don’t know if it reads that way to teens also, but I sure hope not. Otherwise the story is pretty blah, I felt like Riordan just wrote Percy Jackson again with Egyptian Gods instead of Greek. I guess if you’ve got a money maker of an idea you’d better reap it for all it’s worth!

Author Information

Rick Riordan was born in 1954 in San Antonio, Texas. He attended university at North Texas State, but graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a BA in english and history and went on to cert certified to teach English and history. Riordan grew up in an artistic family and has been writing from a young age. When he was 13 he tried to have his first story published, but it was rejected.

Riordan has published a number of novels inspired by mythology an ancient gods. In addition to the Kane Chronicles, which concern the gods of ancient Egypt, Riordan had published two separate series on the Greek gods of Mount Olympus, Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief and The Heroes of Olympus. All told Riordan has published around 28 novels, including one adult title The Last King of Texas.

Genre

Young Adult Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Mythology, Siblings, Egypt

Curriculum Ties

history, ancient cultures

Booktalk Ideas

How do the representations of Egyptian Gods in this book differ or agree with what you already know about them?

How do you think life would have been different for the siblings if they had stayed together after their mom died? What if Sadie went with Julian and Carter stayed with their grandparents?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

12-16

Challenge Issues

Some parents may object to this book because of its use of magic and representation of Egyptian gods. While the library encourages discourse on all topics, it does not support censorship, as in accordance with the ALA Library Bill of Rights. That said, reconsideration requests are available and each complaint is taken very seriously. The library reserves the right to make all final decisions after review by the board and strongly encourages parents and children to have open and clear discussion on what kind of material is appropriate for them.

Reason for Inclusion

This book borders on juvenile fiction, I think, but I included it anyway because I think it is a fast past exciting read for kids who don’t particularly enjoy reading.

References 

Riordan, R. (n.d.) Biography. About Rick. Retrieved from: http://www.rickriordan.com/

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The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)

Posted on November 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Grossman, L. (2009). The Magicians. New York: Viking. Print.

This book is part of a series, both titles are included in the collection.

Reader’s Annotation

Quentin Clearwater has been smarter than everyone, and desperately bored by life, for as long as he can remember. Life starts to look up for Quentin when he discovers that magic is real and is admitted into a super exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, but even magic gets boring eventually. Will Quentin be able to find the adventure he’s looking for? At what price?

Plot Summary

Quentin Clearwater is a genius, but he’s not very happy. To distract himself from his own plight he obsesses over a series of Narnia-esque children’s books that take place in the magical land of Fillory. Things change for Quentin when he ends up accepted into a school of magic, like Hogwarts for college kids. As Quentin discovers the extent of his magical powers he expects to find fulfillment in his own ability, but somehow always ends up looking for more. After graduation Quentin and his friends embark on a path of hedonistic pleasures, striving to fight off the ennui of regular human existence. Quentin remains disconsolate until he and his friends discover that not only is Fillory real, but that they’ve found a way in. Will access to this magical wonderland be everything that Quentin had hoped for? Will his impossible quest give his life the meaning he’s always sought after? Follow Quentin and his friends as the venture into magical lands and discover the depth of their own being.

Critical Evaluation

This book, and its followup The Magician King also included in the collection, is excellent. Even though the main character, Quentin, is totally whiney and insecure, you can tell by Grossman’s writing that he’s like that on purpose. Indeed, even Quentin’s girlfriend Alice remarks on the idiocy of Quentin’s self-obsession. I can get behind a character who is written to be purposefully selfish, it’s the ones that come off that way unintentionally that rub me the wrong way. This book explores the question that every scifi and fantasy nerd ever have been wondering about since they picked up their first copy of the Hobbit: what if? What if those impossible lands we’ve been reading about since we were kids are real? We learn quickly that our imaginings come with a price, but Grossman’s characters are so good and the book so well written you’ll want to read it again and again.

Author Information

Lev Grossman lives in Brooklyn, New York and studied comparative literature at Harvard and Yale. He also the author of the bestseller The Codex and is a writer and book critic for Time magazine.

Genre

Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Magic

Curriculum Ties

Literary response and analysis grades 11 and 12:

3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.

3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.

3.8 Interpret and evaluate the impact of ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions, ironies, and incongruities in a text.

3.9 Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator affect characterization and the tone, plot, and credibility of a text.

Booktalk Ideas

How does the Fillory than Quentin and his friends find compare to the Fillory that they had hoped for?

How does Fillory compare to Narnia?

Why does Quentin sleep with Janet?

Is Quentin a reliable narrator? What personal flaws does Quentin have that make him reliable or unreliable?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

17+

Challenge Issues

This book is intended for older readers. The library does not keep a circulation history for each user, but trusts that parents and their children have established guidelines for what is appropriate reading within their own households. The library supports the ALA Library Bill of Rights and defends each patron’s right to read. This book is not intended for educational purposes, though it does support several curriculum points of the CA Dept of Education for literary analysis. Patron’s are welcome to challenge materials and requests for reconsideration are reviewed by the board. Final decisions will be made by the director.

Reason for inclusion

One of the best books on magic and young people published, a real winner.

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Ship Breaker

Posted on November 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Bacigalupi, P. (2010). Ship Breaker. New York:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Print.

Reader’s Annotation

Nailer leads a rough life, stripping rusted out oil tankers of their copper wiring, with the constant threat of injury, starvation, or death hanging over him like a dark cloud. What Nailer needs is a bit of luck. When he finds a luxury yacht, seemingly abandoned by her crew after a city-killing hurricane, it seems he’s found his big payoff. Little does he know that what’s will change his life forever.

Plot Summary

Nailer lives in dystopian future that is not too hard to imagine. Earth has been ravaged by her has to occupants, her natural resources all but used up, the ice caps melted and huge swathes of the country are underwater. Nailer lives on the Gulf Coast, scavenging copper wire from old oil tankers. For now he’s perfect for it; his small, light body can wriggle into tight spaces and that allows him to make quota- and thus survive- another day. Nailer has to wonder though, how much longer will his luck hold up? What he needs is some big luck.

After a city-killer hurricane wipes out practically his whole town Nailer isn’t sure if his luck will hold at all. He and his pal Prima decide to go rustle up some of good fortune of their own and scour the coast for salvageable wreckage. As the day wanes on Nailer and Prima stumble across the biggest score they could imagine, a luxury yacht off the coast, seemingly abandoned by capitan and crew. This is considered Big Luck by the superstitious duo and they board the ship ready to strip it of all it’s valuables and cash it all in for a major payoff. What they don’t expect to find is the injured girl in the lower cabins. Now Nailer needs to decide if he’s going to kill her and make a fortune from his find or if he should try and help her get back to her people.

Nailer’s choice puts everyone he cares about in serious danger as he and the rescued, Lucky Girl, sneak off to Orleans II and seek a ship back to safety. They’ve got to negotiate a world of enemies and thieves, to get where they’re going and Nailer’s only hope is that he, and his luck, will hold.

 Critical Evaluation

What makes Ship Breaker worth reading is Nailer’s humanity. He’s living in a brutal world, where friends die or become enemies at the drop of a pin; his own father is own of the books biggest villans. Despite all that though Nailer proves himself to be thoughtful and demonstratively appreciative of the value on human life. Namely he weighs his choices and decides that rather than getting rich enough so that he and Pima can stop scavenging ships, he’s going to save this privileged girl he knows little and less about. If any other character in the book, well maybe not Pima’s mom, had found Lucky Girl they would have made quick work of her and cashed in for the big payoff, but Nailer demonstrates a remarkable bit of humanity in the face of the daily horrors he faces as a shipbreaker and this act of selflessness really set him apart from the majority of the characters in the book, leaving the reader to wonder whether morality is something that we’re taught or that we’re born with.

Author Information

Paolo Bacigalupi is from Colorado Springs, Colorado and achieved a BA from Oberlin College in 1994. He’s an author and journalist, his first novel The Windup Girl was published in 2009 and most recently has published a sequel to Ship Breaker called The Drowned Cities, it is not included in this collection.

Bacigalupi writes mainly adult science fiction. He’s been nominated for Nebula and Victor Hugo Awards several time and his work has been anthologized in several “best of” series, Ship Breaker was nominated for a National Book Award in 2010. He’s written six novels, two of which are YA fiction.

Genre

Science Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Post-Apocolyptic

Curriculum Ties

Science, global warming, philosophical questions of right and wrong

Booktalk Ideas

What do you think of the world Bacigalupi has created? Is this a kind of future you can imagine?

Nailer has to make a tough decision when it comes to saving Nita, what would you do in his position?

Reading Level/Interest Age 

14+

Challenge Issues

This is a pretty dark novel, the world that Nailer lives in is not a nice place. Some parents may object to their children being exposed to this kind of post-apocalyptic world, but a collection development policy that clearly states the library’s support for the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights and  every reader’s freedom to read should offer the library some protection from over protective parents. This book is intended for children over the age of 14, those young people should be old enough to discuss with their parents what they should and shouldn’t be reading.

Reason for inclusion

My collection is rather lacking in male leads. I included this book to help fill that gap.

References

Paolo Bacigalupi. (2012). In Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1000201369&v=2.1&u=csusj&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

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