The River Between Us

Peck, Gregory.  The River Between Us.  2003.  Dial Books, New York, NY.

Hardcover, $16.99.  ISBN: 0-8037-2735-6.

Book Talk:

Step back into Grand Tower, Illinois.  The time is 1861, in the days just before the beginning of the Civil War.  The boys in town are practicing for the war.  Marching, drilling, and target shooting, they are preparing to go off and fight.  Some will fight for the north, and some for the south.

Tilly and her family live on a farm.  Their father is off somewhere, supposedly earning money to help the family, but he hasn't been seen in years.  Tilly's brother, Noah, has been off practicing with the boys, getting ready for the start of the war.

The river runs up next to their city.  That big river, the Mississippi.  Trade, people, and news come from the paddleboats that run up and down the river.  The arrival of a boat is big news, and people from town and the surrounding farms will descend upon the dock to hear the news and greet the people.

This particular day, a steamboat whistle blows that changes the life of Tilly and her family forever.

Off of the boat step two of the most beautiful, wonderful, intriguing women that the town has ever seen.  Fleeing the uncertainty of New Orleans before the war, they are searching for a safe place to live.  Tilly's mother offers the women a room in her home.  With that one simple act, change has forever come to Grand Tower. 

Delphine and Calinda bring a certain grace and elegance to the family that has been missing.  They receive packages of goodies from home on a regular basis.  They make and sell "Genuine Pralines" to the passengers of the boats in order to help raise money to support the family.

But, who are Delphine and Calinda?  Where do they come from?  Why are they here?  What is their purpose in staying in town?  Are they simply fleeing the potential violence in New Orleans, or do they have a more sinister agenda?

Join Tilly in this fascinating walk through time to find out more!

Author's Web Site: 
I could not find the "official" website for Richard Peck.  However, I did find the link to his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/richardpeckauthor

Book Awards for this Book:
Winner, Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
National Book Award Finalist
ALA Noteable Book
ALA Best Book for Young Readers
Booklist Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Best Books of the Year
Publisher's Weekly Best Books of the Year

Ghost Hawk

Cooper, Susan.  Ghost Hawk.  2013.  Margaret K. McElderberry Books.  New York, New York.

Book Talk:

Little Hawk is about to become a man.  He has been taken into the woods, with nothing but his knife, his axe (tomahawk), and his bow.  In the deep of winter, he will be left to fend for himself for three months. 

His tasks are simple: to find his spirit guide (His Manitou), to find shelter, and to find food.  Unfortunately, he can not eat until he finds his Manitou.  With the help of his axe, his knife, his bow, and the breadth of knowledge handed down to him by the elders of his tribe, he faces the ultimate survival test.  If he returns to his village alive, he will be considered a man.

The test is a tough one.  Many never return.  It is a test of strength, will, determination, and knowledge of the lore taught by the elders.

Just before he is led blindfolded out of the camp, Little Hawk's father gives him the greatest of gifts.  A knife.  A steel bladed knife for which he has traded many animal skins to a white man.  This steel bladed knife is superior to the stone knife that Little Hawk had.  But, will it be enough to give him the edge to survive his wilderness ordeal?

The introduction of the white man into the world of the Native Americans has changed Little Hawk's world forever.  Not only will he have to survive the wilderness, he will have to navigate the changes that the white man has brought to his world. 

These white men are who we know as the Pilgrims.  They invaded the territory of the people who already lived on the land, and the results of this culture clash were often deadly for both sides.

Can Little Hawk survive this ultimate challenge to himself, his culture, and his way of life?

Author's Web Site:

www.TheLostLand.com

Reviewer's Note:

I became hooked on this book in the very first paragraph.  If I were to book talk this book to a group of students, I would read the first chapter.  In particular, I loved the description of how Little Hawk's father took the tomahawk which had been handed down from father to son.  And, on the day of Little Hawk's birth, he took it to an island and wove it between the branches of two young saplings so that the tree would grow around the tomahawk head, and become one large, strong handle.  The axe would be cut out of the tree in ten summers... just before Little Hawk was to go on his manhood test.

The author does an excellent job of tying together the lives of the Pilgrims and the lives of the Native Americans in a haunting manner, that is, unfortunately, all too true.  The Europeans who came en masse to settle this new world were not always kind to those First People who already lived here.  Susan Cooper does not sugar coat the relationship between the races. 

Filled with unexpected plot twists, and a captivating story line, this book is a treasure... a look back in time to our world, as it once was.

Shadow on the Sun

Gill, David Macinnis.  Shadow on the Sun.  2013.  Greenwillow Books, New York, NY.

Hardcover, $17.99.  ISBN: 987-0-06-207335-8.

Book Talk:

Durango is a renegade soldier.  His home planet has been destroyed by the evil forces of Lyme.  Lyme is a ruthless dictator who has vowed to take over the planet Mars and see his son ensconced as the new Prince of Mars.  He will stop at nothing, will harm anyone who gets in the way of his dream - including his son, Durango.

Durango escapes from Lyme's stronghold at Hell's Cross with the one thing that Lyme needs to defeat all enemies and win the war forever.  The problem is, this thing is located inside of a suitcase, and nobody knows what is inside of the suitcase.

With all of the forces of Lyme allied against him, Durango begins a wild goose chase across Mars to find the one person who can help him open the case and find out what is inside: Vienne.

While chasing across the planet, looking for Vienne, Lyme's forces fan out in a desperate attempt to find Durango.  Meanwhile, Vienne is an unknowing puppet in a race to trap Durango before he can access the contents of the case.

Filled with plots within plots within plots, Durango and Vienne search for each other while those around them would gladly sell them out to the highest bidder in this desperate race against time.

Author's Web Site:
http://davidmacinnisgill.com/

Reviewer's Note:
This book is the third book in the Black Hole Sun trilogy.  I had not read the first two books, and when I found this one, the prequels were checked out of the library.  (Always an excellent sign!) 
This book is a stand alone book.  Not having read the first two books, there was some back story that I felt I missed out on.  However, I was quickly able to pick up on the crucial parts of the tale through the course of the book.

Personally, I feel the push to go back and read the first two books.  There was much that was hinted at in this book about the earlier books that I really want to find out more about.  The sub-story of Mimi and Dolly has me wanting to find out more. I know that the earlier stories cover more of the Mimi-Dolly genesis, and I really want to discover the reasons behind their origins.  This book covered much of that, but I am positive that there is more within the earlier stories.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Saenz, Benjamin Alire.  Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  2012.  Simon Schuster, New York, New York.

Hardcover, $16.99.  ISBN: 978-1-4424-0892-0.

Book Talk:
Aristotle, or Ari for short, is out of school for the summer.  Fifteen years old, and he can't swim.  He has trouble with words, expressing himself, and figuring out who he is.  He constantly questions why his brother is in prison, he was so young when his brother was arrested, and he remembers nothing.  All traces of his brother have been erased forever from the house, and no one is allowed to speak his name. 

And then, Ari meets Dante.  Dante is everything Ari is not.  He is sure of himself.  He loves art and poetry.  He can easily put into words everything he is feeling.  Dante has a unique perspective on life.

Ari and Dante meet at the swimming pool the first day of their summer vacation after their Sophomore year of high school.  They become fast friends and spend every day all summer together, each one bringing out the unique qualities and strengths of the other person.

Between the two of them, can Ari and Dante figure out the meaning of life?  Can they discover the hidden truths within themselves that will make them into men?  Will they ever manage to find their way in this large and confusing universe?

Author's Web Site:
http://faculty.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=faculty.utep.edu/bsaenz

Reviewer's Note:
I loved this book no end.  My book talk doesn't even begin to do justice to this amazing piece of literature.  I was spell bound by the story.  The story is so big, so bold, and yet so lovingly told.  I fell in love with the characters.  I identified with all of them, and I love how the parents are portrayed.  (Perhaps because I am a parent myself!) I appreciated the fact that the parents weren't portrayed as autocratic idiots, clueless jerks, or unloving creeps.  Instead, they were portrayed as humans.  People who struggle with their own emotions, and with their own fears, while dealing with the issues of raising a teenager.  In many ways, this was a coming of age story for the parents as much as it was a coming of age story for the boys. 

The quality of the writing deserves a paragraph unto itself.  I was absolutely enchanted with the story.  Written in a simple, poetic, haunting style, I was drawn into the world of Ari and Dante and held there, spell bound, enjoying my peek into the depth of this story.  I believe I was enchanted! 
 
-Bettina

Book Awards:
Starred Reviews from Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus.
ALA Notable Children's Books
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Best Young Adult Book
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Pura Belpre Award
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Texas Tayshas High School Reading List

The Grimm Legacy

Shulman, Polly.  The Grimm Legacy.  2010.  G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, New York.

Hardcover, $16.99.  ISBN: 978-0-399-25096-5.

Book Talk:
What if....
Fairy Tale magic was true?
There existed a library that held all of the known fairy tale treasures in the world?
You were to be offered a job working in this same library?
You were entrusted with the key to the Grimm collection, which houses the most powerful of all the fairy tale treasures?

Fifteen year old Elizabeth Rew has had a rough year.  Her father pulled her out of her old school and enrolled her in the local public school because he has to pay tuition for her stepsisters.  With money as tight as it is, Elizabeth has had to give up dance lessons, her school, and her friends.

When she writes a paper about the Brothers Grimm, her Social Studies teacher finds her to be the perfect candidate for a job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Collection.  People borrow materials from this collection for several days to study the artifacts of the past.

Within days of her employment at the library, Elizabeth discovers the Grimm Room - a collection of very real magical fairy tale items.  Any employee is allowed to check materials out of the collection once they are found to be trustworthy.

Happy to work in a mystical place with wonderful new friends, Elizabeth is content in her new job until she discovers that items have been mysteriously disappearing from the Grimm Collection.  A mysterious flying bird has been chasing pages around New York.  Even more disturbing, two pages have recently disappeared with no explanation.

Is the thief a member of the staff?  Why is the bird chasing the Pages?  Can Elizabeth and her friends find the answers before they become the next victims?

Author's Web Site:
http://www.pollyshulman.com/

Reviewer's Note:
Awesome, enchanting book!  I loved every minute of the read.  The sub-plots surrounding the growing friendships between the characters, was an unexpected highlight! 

Wonderstruck

Selznick, Brian.  Wonderstruck. 2011.  Scholastic, Inc.  New York.

ISBN: 978-0-545-02789-2.  Hardcover, $29.99.

Book Talk:
Ben is a young boy who lives in Minnesota.  After his mother died last year, he found himself orphaned and living with his Aunt and Uncle.  When he sneaks back into his old house late at night, he is struck by lightning while attempting to make a phone call.  The result of the lightning strike is that Ben is now deaf.  Confused and desperate to find some link to his mysterious father, Ben runs away to New York City to seek out any information he can find.

Rose is a young woman who lives in the big city.  Confined to her house because she is deaf, she yearns to be free.  Taking a chance, Rose flees her house and runs away to New York City, searching for something... but she doesn't know what.

Telling two simultaneous stories, separated by 60 years, the story will leave you wonderstruck as you realize how Rose and Tom's personal stories begin to weave together and become one wonderful story.... all tied together by a museum in New York City.

Author's Web Site:
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm

Zombigami

Nguyen, Duy.  Zombigami: Paper Folding for the Living Dead.  2012.  Sterling Children's Books.

ISBN:978-1402786464.  Spiral Bound, $8.95.

Book Talk:
The Zombies walk amongst them... your very own creations bring the zombie horror land to life.
This book includes directions on how to fold Zombie creations ranging from a withered hand to a Thriller (aka: Michael Jackson's Thriller).  Create a ghastly crew of 13 original zombies.  The book includes 50 origami pages and a poster of all 13 finished zombies.

Author's Web Site:
This particular author keeps no web site for his works, although he has published many origami books.

Reviewer's Note:
This is a charming book, with the potential for some excellent Halloween programming for teens, whether it be in a library program or an after school club.  The folding directions in the front are clear, concise and easy to follow.

However, and this is the important part: some of these folds require older, more patient fingers.  Some of the characters required 3 separate sheets of paper that were folded individually and then joined together.  Many of the folds were more difficult than I expected for a book aimed at children ages 8+.

I believe this book, and these characters require tweens, or even young teens to best accomplish them.  Younger children would get too easily frustrated and quit.  I would also like to add, that having run an origami program last year for 13 year olds, the boys were frustrated beyond words with the intricacies of some of these folds.  Not all boys were, just a majority of them.  The girls easily managed the folds and were spinning out origami creations at a very quick rate.  If you do decide to do this with a group, I'd recommend older tweens, and I'd recommend several extra pairs of hands.

-Bettina

A Soldier's Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds.

Moss, Marissa.  A Soldier's Secret:  The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, A Civil War Hero.  2012.  Amulet Books, and imprint of Abrams Books, New York.

ISBN: 978-1-4197-0427-7.  Hardcover, $16.95.

Book Talk:
Masquerading as a boy, Sarah tried desperately to enlist in the Civil War and help her country win the war.  Unfortunately, since she looks to young to enlist (no beard, voice hasn't changed), she has been continuously turned down as a recruit.  Months before the Battle of Bull Run, she finds a recruiter who will let her sign the paperwork to become a nurse as Frank Thompson of Company F, Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry of the Army of the Potomac.

Living the life of an army recruit in a military on the march against an enemy, and sharing a tent with a man, Sarah quickly realizes that keeping up the ruse of being a man is going to be more difficult than she had ever imagined.

How long can Sarah continue to masquerade as a man?  Will she be discovered?

Based upon the real-life adventure of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who masqueraded as Frank Thompson and served the Unions Army as a soldier, a nurse, and a spy during the Civil War.

Author's Web Site:
http://www.marissamoss.com/

Stanley, Diane.  The Cup and The Crown.  2012.  Harper Collins, New York.

ISBN: 978-0-06-196321-6.  Hardcover, $16.99.

Book Talk:
Molly has visions of a beautiful goblet.  Made of silver, and gilded with gold, she believes this loving cup was created by her Grandfather, a gifted Silver Smith who lived in a country far removed from where Molly lives now.  But, what of the boy she sees in the vision who holds the cup?  This boy looks just like a boy vision of Molly.  But, who is he, and why is he holding the cup?

Molly is sent on a quest by the King of Westria to find a Loving Cup created by her grandfather which will forever bind him to his one true love.  The powerful magic contained within this loving cup will protect the love of the king and queen, and all of their children for generations to come.

When Molly ventures to Faers-Wigan to find the home of her murdered grandfather, she discovers that her grandfather came to Faers-Wigan from another place, a mystical place not marked on any map, nor spoken of in any legend.

Undeterred, Molly takes off to find this mysterious city that her grandfather left behind.  Knowing only that Harrowsgode lies to the North, in a valley surrounded by mountains, Molly and her friends are led by a raven into this mysterious city.

When Molly finds Harrowsgode, she discovers a land that is cut off from the outside world, removed from all contact with others.  Since the people of Harrowsgode keep no army, they fear that any outsider will tell of the riches of the city and bring people in to attack them and steal their wealth.

With the arrival of Molly and her friends, the council finds themselves facing an unprecedented situation.  Here is a young woman of great power, who is obviously one of their own, and her four friends, outsiders who must never be allowed to return to the outside world where they can tell tales of the riches of Harrowsgode.  Molly finds herself imprisoned within the city, and her friends sentenced to death.

Can Molly use the gifts she has only now discovered, as well as her intelligence and quick wit to save herself and her friends?

Author's Web Site:
http://dianestanley.com/

Dragon Run

Matthews, Patrick.  Dragon Run.  2013.

Hardcover, $16.99,  ISBN: 978-0-545-45068-3.

Book Talk:
Come to a world where mortals were created by dragons to gather magic for them.  Since time immemorial, the mortals have been branded according to their worth to the dragons.  Every person is branded with a number, from 1-7, that denotes their value to the dragons.  A high number means that lucky person will be able to own land, and handle magic directly.  The lower your number, the lower your place in society, with 1's being the lowest value.  Any person with a one becomes an outcast, and struggles to find work, housing, and food.

Al is twelve years old, and he is going to his testing day.  Today, he will learn what his number is.  He will discover what kind of life he will be able to live, and he will begin his apprenticeship when the day is finished.  Al is hoping to be a 3, or even a 4.  He will be able to own land, and continue to farm with his parents.

Before the day is over, Al finds himself shunned by society.  His parents have disowned him, claiming that they had found him and raised him as their own.  Even worse, the Cullers have set out to find him, determined to "thin the herd" and eliminate the useless mortal (and his family) who is incapable of gathering magic for the dragons.

As Al runs for his life, he finds himself swept into an adventure much older than him.  Brave enough to stand up to the Magisters, brave enough to fight the Cullers, Al is the one person who can change the course of history and stop the tyranny of the dragons.  But, with the mark of a zero on him, Al is a hunted teenager, constantly on the run from his enemies, as well as his friends.

As Al runs for his life, he discovers the mysterious feather society - but has he found them in time to save the world, or to doom it?

Author's Web Site:
http://www.pat-matthews.com/

Reviewer's Note:
Dragon Run marks the first YA Book I have read since January, when I sat down and vowed to finish my Master's Degree.  What a fantastic return to the world of Young Adult literature this has been!  Mr. Matthews weaves a tale full of unexpected plot twists and turns, and tells a story with a character that is compelling and delightful.  I enjoyed reading this book!  I started it in the parking lot while waiting for one of my children to get out of an activity, continued to read it at a science fair while children and activities swirled around me, and finished it late last night.  Truly, the book is a page turner.

Dragon Run is Mr. Matthew's first published novel.  I hope he publishes many more books.  He is a gifted storyteller!

THE HOBBIT Trailer - 2012 Movie

I went to see The Hobbit this past week with my family.

I have been a fan of The Hobbit, as well as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy since I first stumbled across those dusty paperbacks in 1983 at a used book store in Blacksburg, Virginia.  They looked like a fantastic escape from the drudgery of my coursework.  And they were.  I was immediately swept into the land of Middle Earth, and spent the entire weekend reading the books.  Unfortunately, I missed out on some homework I should have been doing instead.  BUT, a lifetime love of Fantasy Fiction and especially of Middle Earth was born.

I went in to see The Hobbit with mixed emotions.  I wasn't sure how I felt about Tolkien's beloved work being broken into three distinct movies, in three distinct sections.  The Hobbit is not as dark of a book as the Lord of the Rings.  It was written as a children's novel, and I wasn't sure how well the story could be pulled off in three parts.

While the movie is not absolutely true to the book, it does keep within the guidelines of the book.  The movie breaks at the point where the Eagles rescue the company from the goblins on the slopes of the Misty Mountains.

I did enjoy how the history from the other Tolkien Books- from The Simarillion to the Appendices of all 4 of the Hobbit based books is weaved into the story.  I enjoyed the foreshadowing.  I loved the singing of the Dwarves as they met together in Bilbo's house.  It was an enjoyable romp.

I was fortunate to see the movie in 3D, and I'm glad that I did.  The movie took on an ethereal, other world quality with the 3D graphics that I'm not certain would have carried over into a 2D screening.  There were several parts of the movie that looked as if they had been specifically orchestrated for the 3D film.

One word of advice, though.  If you have a child/friend/significant other who yells at the screen when the movie veers away from the book, or when the movie doesn't follow the text in the book exactly, you will want to make certain you see this movie in an off time.  (I only say this because my 20 year old son had conniption fits over the scene in the Misty Mountains with the Goblins.)

All in all, excellent movie!