Classics Review: The Book of Three

Premise: When Hen Wen, an oracle pig, goes missing, Taran sets off on a quest to find her before the evil Horned King and his men. Along the way he joined by a diverse band including bards, magicians, and dwarfs. They must escape capture, battle magical creatures, and ultimately find that pig.

Title: The Book of Three
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Length: 190 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: First book of a trilogy
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-8
Format: Audiobook from the library

Three adjectives that describe this book: action-packed, fun, lacking

I read this book as part of the Classics Club challenge to read 50 classics books in 5 years. My list is comprised entirely of children's books.

I bet if I were in the target audience (maybe grades 4-6) I would love this book. There was a ton of action and the story moved quickly. As a teacher of students in this age group, I know that most of them are looking for books with a lot of action, most haven't quite figured out how to incorporate character development and world-building. So this book is perfect for them. A straight-forward quest novel, moving from one danger to another, with some comic relief built in.

With Lord of the Rings coming about 20 years before this book, it felt almost as if Lloyd Alexander was trying to bring that format to younger readers. Yes, Tolkien gave us The Hobbit for young readers, but even that has quite a bit of complexity that is more suited to upper-middle grades and YA readers. So, The Book of Three fills a nice void for the 1960s.

Cartoon version of Hen Wen the pig & Taran the pigkeeper

But I wanted more development, both character AND world. We jumped from one event to another, with an array of characters who get little more than a cursory exploration. Folks join the band of questers without much thought, or any backstory. And the questers, themselves, make decisions about where to go and changes in course without any real clarity about what is happening. I pretty much stayed confused. Where are they going? Why? What does it look like? Who are those villains?

And the ending really really irritated me. We had to experience the climax battle with the villain second-hand because the main character was unconscious through the whole thing. Boo. Such a cop out. The Book of Three may have broken some ground for middle grade quest novels, but I'm glad that later titles made the genre more compelling and complete.

Book Review: H.I.V.E

Premise: Otto Malpense may be only 13 years old, but he's already a criminal mastermind. That's why he was handpicked, without his knowledge or permission, to attend HIVE, a premiere school for villains. But Otto doesn't want to be at HIVE. Can he and his new friends be the first villainous students to ever escape?

Title: H.I.V.E. - Higher Institute of Villainous Education
Author: Mark Walden
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Science Fiction (advanced tech)
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 of 8 (so far)
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-7
Format: Paperback from the used bookstore

Three adjectives that describe this book: predictable, action-packed, lacking

This book has been really hard for me to review and rate. At breakfast this morning, I asked Ashley to help me think through my feelings about H.I.V.E. I just couldn't get a handle on why I felt so meh about it.

She asked if the world-building was any good. After all, in a book about a top secret school for training villains, the good world-building is essential. The answer is, yes, the school is thoroughly imagined, wonderfully written, and very interesting.

She asked me if the plot involved a conflict that kept me interested. What's a good book without a plot? The answer is, yes, but... The idea of devising and implementing a complex escape plan is compelling, but the way Walden put the pieces together was way too predictable for my liking.

She asked if the characters were interesting and if the author made me care what happens to them? If you don't care about the characters, then why bother? The answer is kind of, but not really.

See - Otto and his friends want to escape H.I.V.E, but WHY? Walden never explains his reasoning or shows him wrestling with the options. From the moment he arrives, Otto wants to leave. No explanations.

Character development is present. I can tell you about each character's background and their skill set. But what's missing is their motivations. And it turns out that without motivations, it's impossible to care about what happens to the characters.

Book Review: Airman by Eoin Colfer

Premise: Conor Broekhart, a boy obsessed with flight. He dreams of designing a flying machine and taking to the skies himself. But when Conor witnesses a murder, he is imprisoned by the murderer to keep him silent. In prison, Conor faces brutal conditions, but survives with a relentless focus on escape and revenge.

Title: Airman
Author: Eoin Colfer
Length: 424 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 6-12
Format: Audiobook from the library

Three adjectives that describe this book: action-packed, intriguing, exciting

Eoin Colfer does outstanding historical fiction in this thrilling adventure. Not only was Airman fast-paced and thoroughly gripping, but it was set in a fascinating time and place. Set on the Saltee islands off the coast of Ireland in the late 1880s, Airman is complete and complex with whole and believable characters. The time and place are impeccably developed, with careful and subtle world-building - no annoying info dumping here.


I loved how the story was divided into 3 equally-interesting acts:
* Conor's life, sword fighting, scheming, murder
* Prison, bad guys, scheming, escape
* Flying, adventure, revenge

The inclusion of flight-science was seamless and terrifically interesting. We follow the characters as they theorize, design, build, and test various gliders and planes. So cool!

I wish I had older students so that I could recommend Airman to them, but instead I'll settle for recommending it here.

Book Review: V is for Villain

Premise: Brad's famous brother, Blake, is a superhero, but Brad doesn't have any awesome powers like strength or flight. Brad's only power is that he's really smart. Someday, he'd like those awesome powers to appear - then he can destroy villains like his father and brother. But Brad's newest friends have different ideas about who the real heroes are. And Brad might not be as under-powered as he thinks.

Title: V is for Villain
Author: Peter Moore
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone (as of now)
Content appropriate for: Grades 8-12
Format: Digital ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: action-packed, easy-to-read, gritty

V is for Villain is a fast-paced superhero novel. It has many tropes of the genre, so that makes it fairly predictable, especially in the beginning when Brad is feeling terrible about himself and his lack of appropriate powers. I enjoyed how V is for Villain delved into how these superheroes came to be. Much like the X-Men, there's quite a lot of talk about genetics, DNA, and computer programs.

However, one thing sets this book apart from others like it: The protagonist is actually a bit of an anti-hero.

Peter Moore does a terrific job of transitioning the reader toward a stance that almost takes pity on the villains, and sees arrogance in the heroes. As Brad begins to ally himself with "the enemy," we're not so sure that's the wrong decision. Moore really embraces fuzzy morals, and that makes V is for Villain quite intriguing.

The thing that brings this book down for me, other than some of the cliche teen elements, is that the world of the book was pretty underdeveloped. Since it was told from inside the elite world of superheroes, a lot of explanation was missing. For instance, it wasn't really clear how the Heroes interact with "Regulars."

3.5 stars

J is for Jack Templar

I discovered this series by reading Jeff Gunhus's wonderful Nerdy Book Club post, Reaching the Reluctant Reader - One Dad's Journey. In the post he describes how he and his sons came to write this book together (sort of). My curiosity was piqued.

These books are really action-packed. They are perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson books since they are full of quests and monster battling. The plots are a bit more straightforward since there aren't all those pesky gods to confuse you, but they are also much much darker.

I love these books because:

* They are exciting

* My students love them

* They aren't overly complex

* One of the main characters, Eva, is a girl who kicks major butt

* One of the secondary characters, Xavier, fights creatures through math, science, and technology. Xavier reminds us that smart people can be awesome too.

Book 1: Jack Templar, Monster Hunter

Book 2: Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy

Book 3: Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires

Book 4: Still in the works

These are independently published books, but you can get them through all the major book retailers.

This post is part of the A to Z Challenge.

Blood Ties is Fun and Action-Packed

Premise: In this third book of the multi-author Spirit Animals series, the Conquerers are devouring whole cities in their quest to disrupt and control the bond between animals and humans. Concerned for her homeland, Meilin has left the others to find her father and fight the enemy. But Meilin soon finds that she's not the only one sneaking into the country.

Title and Author: Blood Ties by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Length: 192 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Book 3 of 7 (planned) in the Spirit Animals series
Content Appropriate For: Grades 3-6
Format: Digital ARC provided by Scholastic via Net Galley
Release Date: March 25, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: adventurous, fast-paced, action-packed

These Spirit Animals books get better and better! This third installment was chock full of exciting action sequences and palpable danger. We also see a lot more character development, especially as Meilin struggles to understand her place with the Greencloaks. I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Jhi, her spirit animal panda, strengthen. After two books of wanting to throttle Meilin, it was a nice change of pace for her to finally get real.

The story takes place largely in the country of Zhong, a pseudo Asia. Nix and Williams fill the book's locations with rich details. Over the course of Blood Ties we visit a massive bamboo maze, a swamp teeming with enraged crocodiles, and a lake surrounded by high cliffs. This is the first of the Spirit Animals books that really showed me the world of Erdas.

I was also glad to see a stronger focus on the overall problem of the series, the Devourer's quest to conquer Erdas. Those enormous crazy-eyed crocodiles were terrifying!

In my review of Book 2, I had to write a qualification about how multi-author series often water down the elements that make an author's writing style unique. However, that was not true in Blood Ties. I love Garth Nix's other books, such as Shade's Children and Sabriel, for his marvelous world-building. He and Williams pulled off a great world in this book too. Cheers!

Overall, my students and I really love these books and this one is the best so far.

My Reviews of the Other Spirit Animals Books:
Book 1, Wild Born by Brandon Mull
Book 2, Hunted by Maggie Stiefvater

Abbreviated Review: Larklight by Phillip Reeve

Abbreviated reviews are just shorter, free-form versions of our regular reviews ~ because we like to keep things loose here at Books Aplenty.

Premise: The subtitle of Larklight should tell you everything you need to know:

"A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space"

But, if that's not sufficient for you, this summary should work:

Arthur (Art) Mumby and his irritating sister Myrtle live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight that happens to be traveling through outer space. Living in an alternate 19th century, Britain has colonized the solar system and their house is under attack by elephant-size-space-spiders. Before long Art and Myrtle are off on an adventure to the farthest reaches of space, where they will do battle with evil forces in order to save each other — and the universe. (from Scholastic, slightly edited by me)

Victoria Space Pirates! Huzzah! I don't think of myself as a fan of Steampunk, but Phillip Reeve has crafted such a fun, outrageous world that I think almost anybody would love this book. In Reeve's outer space, the black is actually aether, a substance people can swim about in and even breathe a bit. There are creatures that swim about in the aether, you can catch some for dinner, and native sentient inhabitants of Mars, Venus, and Jupiter's moons.

While this imagined version of physics took some getting used to, and quite a bit of suspension of belief, the romping tone of Larklight made the alternative science really fun. The action was pretty nonstop, and the villains were sufficiently creepy and tended toward ridiculous monologues.

Reeve's writing really shines in Larklight. Just when a moment is feeling dull, he throws in some subtle humor. For example, I laughed out loud when he rattled off the names of Mars's mountains: Mount Ghastly, Mount Horrible, Mount Vile, and Mount Absolutely Beasty.

And have I mentioned the illustrations!? David Wyatt's line drawings give this book the perfect extra ambiance. I found them really helpful for picturing Reeve's totally unique space creatures, planetary settings, and space-worthy vessels. Here are 3 images from the book:

A British Navy space vessel

Myrtle shoves the Queen!

Inside the rings of Saturn

I absolutely loved this book and nearly gave it 5 stars, except that some of the characters are frustratingly flat. Particularly the primary protagonist, Art. I loved the voice of his sister Myrtle, but Art told the story as a storyteller so we just didn't get to know what makes him tick. Hopefully, his character will be more developed in Book 2.

Reeve uses invented spellings and footnotes throughout Larklight, which lends the book to an older audience than you might otherwise think, say ages 12+.

4.5 stars

Shadow Throne: Terrific Ending to an Intriguing Trilogy

Premise: The official tagline says it all - Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

Title & Author: The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Realistic Fantasy
Series or Stand-alone: Book 3 in the Ascendance Trilogy (The False Prince)
Content appropriate for: Grades 5-8
Format: Digital ARC thanks to Scholastic via netgalley.com
Publication Date: February 25, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: adventurous, action-packed, dangerous

I was beyond excited to receive an Advanced Reader Copy from Scholastic. I absolutely loved the scrappy scheming of the first two books, The False Prince and The Runaway King. I was hoping for a lot more of that in this final book. Maybe even an epic amount of scheming. I suppose those expectations made The Shadow Throne a bit slow-going a first. Don't get me wrong - there is scrappy, sneaky, intrigue - just not at the beginning.

Consider yourself warned:
If you find yourself missing the old Jaron - because now that he's king he has been captured and had the scrappiness beaten out of him - have faith, you will see that Jaron again and your patience will be justly rewarded.

The Shadow Throne focuses on a war in Carthya. This war has been brewing throughout the series and now it is finally arriving at Carthya's borders. Shockingly outnumbered, King Jaron must find creative ways to fight his enemies. But before even the first battle, Jaron is captured by enemy soldiers and held for questioning behind enemy lines.

Though slow-going at first, The Shadow Throne really graduated these characters from scrappy, inexperienced orphans to carefully-plotting, duty-bound leaders. The action and battle scenes are wonderfully written, and Jaron's sneaky plots are perfectly executed.

Overall, The Shadow Throne is a perfect ending to this wonderful trilogy. I consider the series an excellent introduction to my favorite genre, castle-intrigue. Taken as a whole, The Ascendance Trilogy is the complete package with engaging writing, complete characters, and an edge-of-your-seat plot.

4 stars

Saving the World! Spirit Animals 2: Hunted

Premise: In the world of Erdas, only a rare few are able to summon a spirit animal the way Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan have. The bond they share with their animals is a partnership that allows them to access more-than-human abilities. These four young heroes have barely had time to come together as a team, but now they face a brutal confrontation against an enemy who will break any rule to defeat them. Modified premise from Scholastic

Title: Hunted
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Length: 192 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Book 2 in the Spirit Animals series. Seven titles are planned.
Content Appropriate For: Grades 3-5
Format: eARC thanks to netgalley and Scholastic. Publication date 1.7.2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: action-packed, adventurous, easy-to-read

Spirit Animals is the third multi-author interactive series from Scholastic (39 Clues and Infinity Ring are the others). The 39 Clues remains very popular with middle-graders, and Scholastic is hoping to repeat that success with Spirit Animals.

Warning: Some YA readers will try out individual titles thanks to the well-loved authors of each book - Brandon Mull, Maggie Stiefvater, and Garth Nix are books 1-3. However, one must remember that these authors are writing in a very specific construct so the books are more an exploration of plot and character, than an expose of author style. You have been warned.

My fifth graders really enjoyed Book 1: Wild Born by Brandon Mull. I think they will like this installment, Hunted, even more. This title is adventurous action from page one. The complex character development that marred the first half of book one is absent in Hunted and Stiefvater really just follows the characters from one fever-pitched encounter to another.

Still, these books lack depth. There's not much character development or world-building. I think this is by design, though. The decision to make these books thin makes them more accessible to emerging middle-grade readers, and makes it easier for the multi-author approach to work. Scholastic has made this series into a multimedia, interactive experience using the Spirit Animals game.

I'm excited about Book 3 - Blood Ties because Garth Nix is the author and I love him. Maybe he'll be able to take the series a bit deeper. Or maybe I should listen to my own warning!

3.5 stars

Action-Packed Space Crazy-Time: The Lost Planet Review

Premise: A young boy wakes up in a high-security compound on a strange planet with a head wound and no memory. Soon he learns that his name is Chase and that there is something strange about his ID chip. Desperate to discover his past, Chase embarks on a space adventure.

Title: The Lost Planet
Author: Rachel Searles
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Possibly book 1 in a new series
Content Appropriate for: grades 4-7
Format: Digital ARC courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher (Macmillan). Due out January 28, 2014.

Three adjectives that describe this book: action-packed, fast-paced, futuristic

Overall I enjoyed The Lost Planet. The plot was very action-driven with lots of chase scenes, near-death escapes, and being captured by the bad guys. As such, it held my interest. However, the characters and world weren't very well developed. Some of the alien species, planets, and technology piqued my interest, but we only got to know them on a surface level. These interesting pieces acted more as props. As someone who absolutely loves world-building, this oversight was terribly disappointing and a bit annoying to me. Still, the plot was engaging and fun.

The book's main characters, Chase and Parker, were rather typical middle grades protagonists, stubbornly believing untruths, even when all evidence implores them to see things differently. I find this type of protagonist very annoying. Most middle graders don't seem to mind characters who are a bit slow on the up-take, so I know these characters will stay prevalent. I just prefer smart characters and authors who trust their reader to figure things out for themselves.

Bottom line: The action in this book will hook readers, especially those who already love space adventures. I think The Lost Planet will appeal to middle graders who enjoy action and have enough sci-fi background knowledge to fill in the gaps in development. There's a lot of potential here, and some surprising twists at the end hint at a sequel. Maybe that one will be more fleshed out.

3 stars

Monster Hunting in Paris = Seriously Battle-Worthy

Premise: Jack and his merry band of friends are on the hunt for the 5 Jerusalem Stones which will be used to stop the evil vampire Ren Lucre from taking over the world. This book follows the quest for the first stone. It is held by the Lord of the Vampires, a challenging foe with an interesting past.


Title: Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires
Author: Jeff Gunhus
Length: 360 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Book 3 of the Jack Templar series
Appropriate for: Grades 5-8

Three adjective that describe this book: action-packed, fast-paced, adventurous

I love these Jack Templar books. In fact, I just recommended them to one of my students when he asked, "I just finished reading the whole Percy Jackson series. What can I read that is similar?" These books are similar because the kids are on a quest and battling magical creatures, but they are more action-packed, darker, and don't spend quite as much time on character and world development.

This book, the third in the series, picks up the story right where book 2 left off. The group of protagonists encounter danger right from the start. They find themselves battling a horde of creepy creatures and discovering an uncomfortable truth about monster hunting hero. The action continues in Paris, where the Lord of the Vampires has an entire community of underground, slightly psycho vampires. When one of our favorite characters is captured, Jack and his friends devise a dangerous rescue plan.

Shade's Children by Garth Nix

Premise: Set in a future dystopia, where the Overlords have decreed that no human can live past their 14th birthday, four fugitive teens set out to put society back on track. Under the watchful eyes of their once-human mentor, Shade, they come face to face with all manner of evils.

Title: Shade's Children

Author: Garth Nix
Length: 345 pages
Genre: Science Fiction ~ Dystopia
Series or Stand-Alone: Stand-Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 9-12 (some adult content)

3 adjectives that describe this book: futuristic, gritty, action-packed

After reading (and loving) Nix's Sabriel earlier this month, I decided to seek out more of his work. I really enjoy good dystopian fiction, but lately they all seem the same. Shade's Children was remarkably fresh and appropriately dark. The world of this book is the near-future, making the story terrifyingly believable.

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

Premise: This is the second book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. This time the kingdom is facing a real war with Morgarath. Will and Horace find themselves with information about Morgarath's battle plans. They use spy and battle skills in an effort to defeat the evil lord.

Title: The Burning Bridge
Author: John Flanagan
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand-alone: Book 2 of 10 in the Rangers Apprentice Series
Content Appropriate for: Grades 4-8

3 stars

3 adjectives that describe this book: adventurous, predictable, disappointing

When I finished Ruins of Gorlan, the first Ranger's Apprentice book, I couldn't wait to read book two. Unfortunately, like many other second books in a series, Burning Bridge didn't quite live up to it's predecessor. Though Flanagan continues to include great world building along with adventure and good character development, but The Burning Bridge is just so predictable. 

NERDS by Michael Buckley

Premise: An action-packed, tongue-in-cheek take on the world of superheroes and villains. Jackson Jones, 11, transitions from Mr. Popular to complete loser in the time it takes to be fitted for braces with headgear. He soon happens upon the underground headquarters of a group of outcasts called NERDS, who, with the help of technology "upgrades," turn weaknesses like allergies into superpowers, fighting crime in secret until the age of 18...(Amazon)

Title: NERDS

Author: Michael Buckley
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 of 4 in the N.E.R.D.S. series
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-7                                 

5 stars

                                       

Three Adjectives: hilarious, exciting, nerdy

There are some books you seek out for personal, intellectual and academic growth: things written by Austen Tolstoy, Proust and the like. This however is NOT one of those books! NERDS literally made the ten-year-old boy inside of me squeal with delight with its pages of kid-friendly humor and hi-jinks.

Abbreviated Review: Jack Templar, Monster Hunter by Jeff Gunhus

I discovered this book by reading Jeff Gunhus's wonderful Nerdy Book Club post, Reaching the Reluctant Reader - One Dad's Journey. In the post he describes how he and his sons came to write this book together (sort of). My curiosity was piqued.

This book's fast-paced action will keep any young reader hooked. The fun assortment of monsters helps too - zombies, devil-werewolves, harpies, goblins, ogres, etc. The plot was pretty simple and straight forward until the final quarter when Jack has an encounter that shifts his perspective and forces him to take stock. This last sequence of events kicked up the plot complexity, really rounding out the text and making it a truly engaging read.

Although some additional editing would clean up the writing, I enjoyed the use of first person.  Jack Templar would be especially fun for fans of Percy Jackson, although this novel is less complex. I'm really looking forward to the next installment.

4 stars

To find out more check out jacktemplar.com.

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Premise: Liam is exceptionally tall and already growing facial hair. This allows him to pose as an adult even though he is only in 6th grade. Liam poses as a teacher, test drives a Porsche, and enters a contest for a dad and a kid. Of course, Liam poses as the dad. When he discovers that the contest's prize is a trip into space in a real rocket, his "adult" life becomes quite real.

Title: Cosmic
Author: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand-Alone: Stand-Alone
Content Appropriate for: Grades 5-7

3 stars

3 adjectives that describe this book: amusing, simple, interesting

I was really looking forward to reading Cosmic. The cover and blurb made me think that we'd be going on a fantastic space adventure. There aren't enough middle grades novels that are pure space adventures. Actually it mostly turned out to be the story of how a regular kid ended up in space. We endure training for space and trying on astronaut outfits. Boyce also spends a lot of time examining the fellow adults and kids on this space journey. This materials reminded me of the characters in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Unfortunately all of this training and character development takes up a full three-quarters of the book. They don't even make it to space until the last 50 pages or so! The segment where the characters were actually in space was wonderful! The characters experience weightlessness and space walks and moon landings. If only more of the book had been spent in space, Cosmic would have been a true adventure.

Normalish by Margaret Lesh

Premise: Written as a journal, this book follows the life of Stacy in her freshman year of high school. Like most freshman girls she feels awkward, uncertain, and is obsessed with boys. Stacy is also dealing with the recent death of her father and her sister's emerging mental illness.

Title: Normalish
Author: Margaret Lesh
Length: 211 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate for: Grades 7-10

3 stars

 

Three adjectives that describe this book are: easy-to-read, predictable, unexpected

Okay - so it's weird to list both predictable and unexpected. "How is that possible?" you ask.
Predictable: Ninth grade girls think about boys a lot. Social drama happens.
Unexpected: I expected to hate this book. Hate. I actually kind of enjoyed it. Therefore, it was unexpected.

I read this book for both the Stand Alone Reading Challenge and the Eclectic Reader Challenge.
I'm sure you've noticed that realistic fiction is not my usual genre. Especially not journal-books about high school girls. But I actually enjoyed this book more than I expected. There's actually a lot more to this book than I expected. Yes there's lots of stuff about boys, but I appreciated how Margaret Lesh built in issues of mental health to even out some of the boy-crazy stuff. It was a nice feel-good book without being too syrupy and while still being realistic.

I usually read books that suck me in and don't let go, but I found that the format of journal entries allowed me to pop in and read a few pages at a time. It turned out to be a nice change of pace.

Tiger by Jeff Stone

Premise: Fu is one of 5 children trained in kung fu. When their temple is viciously attacked, he must decide how to defend truth and justice now that he is on his own.

Title: Tiger
Author: Jeff Stone
Length: 208 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series or Stand-Alone: First book in a 7-book series
Content appropriate for: grades 3-5

3.5 Stars

3 adjectives that describe this book: action-packed, unique, simple

I enjoyed this kung fu novel. It's a genre I'm not accustomed to and I found it quite fun. It was kind of like watching a kung fu movie in my mind. I am already thinking of which students would love this book, especially some of my boys who are developing and dormant readers.

I have two primary thoughts on Tiger. For one thing, Jeff Stone does a great job managing perspective. I hate it when the reader understands things long before the character. That approach just makes me think the character is stupid. Jeff Stone, however, designed his writing so that my understandings evolved in sync with the character's understandings. When Fu was angry with the tiger hunters, I was angry. When he attacked them, I believed that his attack was justified. Later when he realized that he had acted too quickly and made a mistake, I found myself agreeing with him. When he felt ashamed, I also felt ashamed. Jeff Stone's writing really impressed me in this regard.

On the other hand, the kung fu fighting scenes were really confusing. There was so much detail about each hand, elbow, and finger position that I got lost. Also, the story only follows one primary incident (stemming from Fu's attack on the tiger hunters). I found the world of early China fascinating and wanted more. Yes, I know this is a series so I can get more that way, but there wasn't really enough here to get me really invested.

Still, I think several of my students, especially the boys, would love this book.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Premise: Some people are born with gifts. These are the Graced. Some people have the Grace of cooking amazing meals or climbing tall trees. Katsa was born with a much more sinister Grace - she kills. Employed by the king to punish those that disobey him, Katsa is an effective tool. When she meets Po, who is Graced with the ability to fight, she starts to see her situation differently and begins a quest to save an entire kingdom.

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Length: 471 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Series or Stand-Alone: First book of 3 companion novels

Content appropriate for: grades 9+

4.5 stars

3 adjectives that describe this book: magnificent, action-packed, unique

Graceling is a novel that balances many characteristics that don't seem to fit together. The plot is both adventurous and humorous, heroic and brutal. Katsa, the main character, is both savage and gentle. Though I love fantasy adventure books, rarely do I find them to be genuinely fun. Generally, I find that books that make me laugh out loud are merely trite entertainment. Graceling turned these truths on their heads. From the opening pages I was captivated by Katsa's brutality, wit, and gender bending. 

Cashore's world-building was as thorough and seamless as her character development.  I hate romance novels, and resist anything too much like Twilight. Somehow, though, the romantic elements in Graceling were far from sappy, and added a great deal to the story. Though the plot did drag at times, Cashore avoided the pitfall that bugs me the most in YA and children's literature. The characters figured out the plot twists at almost the same time I did. I didn't have to wait 20+ pages for them to figure it out already!

Graceling was wonderfully fun. Katsa was a thrilling main character to sit with for a few hundred pages. I enjoyed every slice of her sword and punch of her fist. I don't think I'll read the follow-up companion novel, Fire, which follows a secondary character that I'm not particularly interested in. However, the second companion novel, Bitterblue, may make it onto my TBR pile since it follows another witty gender-bending character from Graceling. 

Update 1.21.2013:  Two friends have told me that Fire is a must read book. Apparently the sample chapter at the end of Graceling is not very representative of the actual book. My friend Sarah raved and raved about Fire so it's officially moving near the top of my TBR list.  ~ Amanda