March 2009 - Posts
Princess Ben
By: Catherine Gilbert Murdoch
Princess Ben, or Benevolence is sick when we meet her. She's a bit upset over this as it's time for the annual pilgrimage to her grandfather's grave and her father and mother won't let her go along. Lucky for her she didn't, as calamity strikes the party and two of the four members are returned, but not alive. Ben's sorrow over this incident and the realization that she will be Queen when she reaches her majority is almost too much for her to bear. Add to that her uncle's wife, Queen Sophia, who is regent in her stead, trying to teach her everything she needs to know to be a good Queen. Unfortunately, Ben and Sophia don't see eye-to-eye and this becomes grounds for some serious strife between the two.
Readers will identify with Ben as she grows up a lot in the time span of this book. You will understand her frustrations with what her life has become, and will agree with her on her thoughts of the Queen, especially when she is punished in a very un-princess-like manner, though this punishment leads to Ben's discovery of the secrets of the castle and to her eventual maturity.
Ben is a spunky heroine who will have readers cheering for her as she tries to navigate the emotional and physical distress that occurs to her throughout the book. Growing up with Princess Ben was a trip I thoroughly enjoyed, and to be honest I wasn't terribly interested in this book until I read numerous reviews saying how wonderful it is. Generally, those types of reviews leave me leery, but in the case of this book I was intrigued. So much the better for me!
Notes on the Cover:
I like it a lot! The tower, the broom, the little magic sparkles, and Ben's elaborate outfit all fit in quite nicely with the text. Ben is also smaller than what I would have imagined her to be, but that is no matter as she's at least not a stick figure! (Ben's weight is a source of conflict between her and the queen.)
Recommended To:
- Anyone who likes their heroines with a little spice!
- Those who enjoy princess stories
- Everyone!
On our shelves!
Iggy Peck Architect
By: Andrea Beaty
Illustrated By: David Roberts
This delightful picture book tells of young Iggy Peck: from the age of two to grade two. He enjoys building things out of everyday objects that are around him, like: diapers, chalk, dirt, shoes, pancakes, fruit and more!
His parents support his interest in building things, but his second grade teacher had an unfortunate experience when she was young and absolutely abhors buildings (which really is quite funny as she is teaching in one, but I'm sure that's besides the point!). She forbids him from building things in her class and poor Iggy is despondent over the loss of his favorite pastime. On the day of the class outing an unfortunate incident occurs and Miss Lila Greer loses consciousness. Will she appreciate young Iggy's inspiration to save the day, or continue to be unsupportive of the young boy's dreams?
This is a great book to read aloud. The rhythm of the words is delightful, and the pictures add so much more to the story. The colors are simple and bold, as are the lines, but it makes a very satisfying visual experience.
Notes on the Cover:
I love it! It's the lined drawing paper architects (and I believe some Mathematicians) use. We see Iggy on the cover happily drawing one of his buildings while Miss Lila Greer looks on in what I think is a look of terror on her face (it's mild, but I still think it's there!)
Recommended To:
- Storytimes!
- Read to your child!
- Everyone!
On our shelves!
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan: An Enola Holmes Mystery
By: Nancy Springer
Enola is again masquerading as Ivy Meshle and Dr. Ragostin and working on some paltry cases. Then on assignment she sees someone she had not expected to see in the London Ladies Lavatory (a new establishment), Lady Cecily. Enola notices that Cecily is not dressed in a way that she would enjoy, and also that the two women escorting her are more forcing her than anything. When Cecily is leaving, she manages to ‘fall' and drop a very strange looking pink fan beside Enola. The fact that Cecily is carrying a fan isn't all that strange, but the fact that it's made out of paper is quite peculiar for someone of her rank.
And so Enola sets out to figure out what is going on. When she's not allowed to see Lady Theodora (Cecily's mother) she knows something is up, so she begins her detective work in earnest. Of course this means she ends up crossing paths with her older brothers. Mycroft earns himself a swift kick and no sympathy from the part of the reader, while Sherlock seems to start to understand Enola much better. Is his behavior just an act, or can Enola perhaps really trust him? Also, why hasn't she heard from her mother in such a long while? The thoughts Enola has on this last topic are painful and leave Enola unsure of just what she should do.
All in all, this was another satisfying romp with my favorite Perditorian. (Not that I don't love Sherlock, but he really lacks the impulsive gumption I so admire in Enola.)
Notes on the Cover:
Again, I'm not really going to go into this one as the designer has obviously read the book. Bravo for that!
Recommended To:
- Mystery fans
- Those who love Enola!
On our shelves!
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation: Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves
By: M.T. Anderson
We again meet up with Octavian and Dr. Trefusis as they continue their harrowing escape. The Dr. becomes ill and Octavian takes care of him: he helps him walk, finds them somewhere to sleep for the night, and the next day finds a place of lodging for them. Unfortunately, while he was out procuring their housing, all the money on Dr. Trefusis had been stolen (he was quite ill and insensible).
When the lady who has rented out the rooms sees Dr. Trefusis, she recognizes him as a man whose late husband had known the Dr. She is quite the person! Most of her servants have left her and she is in a battle with one of them: Mrs. Platt can not afford to hire someone to wash the dishes, and the girl that cooks her dinner refuses to do that chore. In order to maintain peace, Mrs. Platt moves one seat for every meal, leaving the dirty dishes from the previous meal. By the time Octavian and Dr. Trefusis leave, she is on her third round!
Octavian finds employment as a member of an orchestra. His meager income helps to support the two men. Eventually, Octavian joins the Loyalist cause, as General Dunmore has promised to free any slave who joins his regiment. Octavian's first sense of battle is a horrible one as it was basically a trap. He freezes when he sees some of his newly made friends die.
The humanity which is so inhumane in the troops of the black slaves on the ships is practically unbearable. Octavian continues with his observations: the state of man, promises and what they mean, and love. He tries so hard to understand why man behaves the way it does: promising freedom, but in that promise not really caring about what happens to those fighting for it. Lord Dunmore is obviously not a brilliant man; he can't even keep his troops fed, let alone direct them into battle. He little cares what happens when an outbreak of smallpox occurs on board the ships. Sure, he has an area for them, but no one but their fellow soldiers to take care of them. When they die, they are tossed overboard at night so the rebel army on the banks will not see how many people they are losing.
To end my long ramble of the story: this book is an astonishing look at what it would have been like to be a slave, and a member of Dunlap's army. Octavian is the man to really inform us as to what life was like for them: he includes the histories of the friends he makes, the history he learns of his mother, his reunion with a friend thought to be long-lost, and the horrors of war. Really true horrors told in an honest and forthright manner. You will really feel for Octavian as he contemplates man: how we treat each other and why we do the things we do.
Notes on the Cover:
I love the dark blue background with the various ships. Octavian spends a majority of this book on one of these ships, so its nice they are included. In the center of the cover we actually get to see what his face looks like, free, yet still shackled.
Recommended To:
- Those who read the first volume. It's worth the effort to finish the history of this astonishing individual.
- Anyone interested in the slaves who fought for their freedom with the Loyalist army.
On our shelves!
Jenny Found a Penny
By: Trudy Harris
Illustrated By: John Hovell
Oh the rhythm of the words in this story! It begs to be read aloud. The concept is fantastic, especially if you're trying to teach your young ones about saving money. Jenny is the main character in the book which starts out with her finding a penny in the car, which she puts "in an empty pickle jar." On the far left of the first spread we see a picture of a penny.
As the story progresses Jenny earns money by doing various chores (although never very much, but that is also kind of nice in that it teaches kids you have to work for money, and that sometimes you may not necessarily get paid a lot). The money she earns is added to the original penny that was on the first spread. Accurate representations as to the size, shape and color of the money help children learn how to add up the money.
Jenny does have a goal in the story. There is something she very much wants to buy, but will she have enough? In all fairness, I can't tell you what it is, but I thoroughly enjoyed following Jenny as she saved to buy something she really wanted. An
An additional bonus: this book was published by Millbrook Press which is based in Minneapolis. Yay Minnesota!
Notes on the Cover:
We see an upside-down Jenny finding a penny under the bed. The bold green, yellow and orange colors of the title really help the visual reader focus on the penny under the bed. The artwork in the book is full of bold colors which never go over-the-top.
Recommended To:
- Storytime!
- Bedtime!
- Reading to your child when you are teaching them about the value of money, as well as counting and saving!
Dancing Shoes
By: Noel Streatfeild
Have you ever seen the movie, You've Got Mail? You know the part where Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is on the verge of losing her bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner, and she's at Fox Books (the big bad chain store) and she overhears a woman asking a very uninformed young salesman about the ‘shoe books' and that she was told her daughter had to read them? This book is one of them! (If you have no idea what I'm talking about then I'm sorry, but you should see this movie!)
I have finally read one of the shoe books! Yay! I've only been intending to do this for I don't know how many years, but now that I have, I really need to find more works by Streatfeild. I just looked at a website dedicated to the author, and I think it would take at least ten years to read everything she ever wrote (because I just could not read them all in a row, if anything, I like variety!). I'll have to pick and chose and Ballet Shoes will probably be next on my list...
To the book! Rachel and her adopted sister, Hilary, have spent many wonderful moments with their mom, when she tragically dies. The young orphans are sent to live with Rachel's Uncle Tom and Aunt Cora, and their horrid daughter, Dulcie. Aunt Cora runs a dancing school and at first has no intentions of taking Hilary. Then she sees her dance and decides to take both girls home. Hilary is some serious competition for Dulcie, and Rachel soon becomes the outsider in her family. Honestly, if it weren't for her Uncle and a few other kindly women in the house, I don't know how she would have made it!
Aunt Cora is reminiscent of a Roald Dahl character to me, although Streatfeild's characters came first. She is quite nasty and looks out for her own best interests, even when they obviously clash with the well-being of a child in her care. (The seemingly ‘acceptable' view of adopted children is quite interesting, as is the fact that Rachel's father adopted Hilary seemingly without ever talking to his wife about it.) She is the proud owner of Wintle's Little Wonders. Hilary dreams of becoming one, while Rachel dreads it. Rachel also thinks Hilary should become a proper ballerina like their mother wished, but Hilary herself admits that she is lazy and lacks the dedication to become one. However, she can definitely handle becoming a Wonder. During all this, the girls also have to put up with Dulcie's haughty behavior in order to help keep peace in the house.
When Dulcie finally lands her big audition for a movie, Aunt Cora keeps Hilary far away from the process. What she doesn't count on is someone else stealing Dulcie's spotlight.
This book is so entertaining. The horrid and callous treatment these girls experience at the hands of Aunt Cora who is, ‘doing her best for them, even if they aren't appreciative' is great to read through, because you just know that she's going to get what's coming to her. She has to!
Notes on the Cover:
I have a paperback reissued version, and it's okay. A light green background with the title in cursive white letters helps it to stand out. There are also small portraits of Hilary and Rachel, showing them in an attitude you would expect (Rachel, pensive while Hilary is more outgoing). The shoes on the cover are also a nice touch, as some may be unfamiliar with the terminology of dancing shoes (lucky me, I'm not!)
Recommended To:
- Female fans of Roald Dahl - you won't be disappointed
- Little dancers
- Adults - really!
Healing Water: A Hawaiian Story
By: Joyce Moyer Hostetter
This is a book I interlibrary loaned because I had heard good reviews about it on various book-related blogs. I was also intrigued by the premise: in Hawaii starting in 1866, people with leprosy were sent to the Kalaupapa peninsula. The reasoning was that leprosy was contagious and they didn't want the rest of their people to catch it. In Hawaii, there was a sense of community and family. If you had no poi you would simply go to your neighbors and they would share it with you. The Board of Health that made these people leave their families and loved ones believed that is what would happen on Kalaupapa as well. Unfortunately, they were very wrong.
Meet Pia, a young Hawaiian boy who has never known his father. His best friend and father figure, Kamaka, spends a lot of time with Pia playing with him and teaching him things like which plants are used for healing. One day, Pia's mother discovers the dreaded spots that mean leprosy. Pia is sent to a hospital and he waits for Kamaka to visit him, but Kamaka never comes. Then he is sent to Moloka'i (the leprosy colony). He is afraid, alone and feels abandoned by his very best friend. Kamaka did not even say good-bye to him.
When Pia lands on the island we feel his terror. There are people everywhere, and some are trying to grab his bundle of provisions. Even Pia knows that even with his bundle he will have trouble surviving. A man wants Pia to live and work for him, but he has only one eye and Pia's culture tells him not to trust a one-eyed man. Normally, we would look at this as a bit of folklore, but in this case it is very true. Boki is a man that steals from those weaker than he in order to make himself more comfortable. Pia manages to escape the day he lands, but he eventually falls sick and Boki is the one who finds him and nurses him back to health. You would think this is a touching bit of humanity, but it's only for Boki's benefit that he does this.
Pia is an angry young man. His friend has abandoned him, his government has torn him away from his mother and younger sister and he has to do things that he would really rather not do for Boki. (He is called Touch Hands by many because he steals - on Boki's orders).
One day the boat that brings supplies brings a surprise for Pia: Kamaka and his wife. Will Pia be able to let go of his anger and forgive Kamaka? Will the priest that eventually comes be able to help Pia overcome his anger and accept God?
This is a truly touching book about sick people being made to go and fend for themselves when they should be allowed to be cared for by their families. It is also a story of letting go of one's anger and forgiving someone who has wronged you in an extremely hurtful way.
I love that the author has included quite a few sections at the back of the book with additional information about Hawaii's language, the history of leprosy in Hawaii, which parts of the book are true and which are fiction (Father Damien was a real priest who lived there), what the settlement is like today, and that leprosy is now called Hansen's Disease (which I did not know) because of the stigma attached to the word leprosy. There is a timeline, a glossary of Hawaiian words used and additional resources. You can see that this novel was truly a labor of love for the author, as she also wants to help us understand a part of history that many of us know nothing about.
Notes on the Cover:
A young boy's chest with a necklace (I think) of some sort over it. Not being very up on Hawaiian history or tradition I couldn't tell you for sure. What I can tell you is that it's sad to look at: you can see his ribs, and after reading the story you'll know that the lack of food is one of many worries that young and old alike faced when they were sent to Moloka'i. The image is between black backgrounds, which really speak to the nature of Pai's heart when he arrived at the settlement. It is simple and beautiful.
Recommended To:
- Historical fans
- Anyone interested in Hawaii
- Everyone!
The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West
By: Sid Fleischman
When I first heard of this story I thought it was a short little picture book. Imagine my surprise when I saw how thick it is! And that is in no way a bad thing, because the book could, in all honesty, be a lot longer! Twain had quite the life, and I think Fleischman does the right thing by hitting on the many highs and lows of his growth as an author.
When I first saw the title of the book I was stumped: The Trouble Begins at 8? 8 what? Age 8? 8 pm? What on earth... Then, after reading it, I totally loved it. The title really adds that flair that Twain had when writing and when speaking in public. Most of us know that Samuel Clemens (yes, that was his real name) was a riverboat captain. Did you know that was a somewhat difficult occupation to get into? Did you know he convinced a younger brother to learn how to be one, and that disaster struck?
Twain decided that being a riverboat captain was no longer for him when he was travelling on the vessel of a friend and talking to him in the pilothouse. The Civil War was going on and a shell burst in the pilothouse, wreaking havoc. Twain left the riverboat career and eventually went West with his brother. He attempted to look for gold and eventually ended up in San Francisco as a journalist. He took a trip to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and wrote articles which included a fictitious traveling companion. They were extremely popular, and when he found himself short on cash again he was convinced to give a lecture based upon his trip. At the bottom of the flyer for this evening of entertainment (which he was quite nervous about) it states: "Doors open at 7 o'clock. The Trouble to begin at 8 o'clock." This was quite clever marketing for his audience of the people of San Francisco. Some time later, when presenting this lecture on the East coast, "The Trouble" is changed to, "The Wisdom."
All in all, this was a fascinating read. I learned a lot about his life, especially since I have never read a biography of him before (which is a shame, really). The photographs and illustrations did greatly add to the text, but I would have liked to see them integrated a little more into the story, instead of the spreads of them in the various chapters. Small fish to fry, but I'm going to fry it!
I am exceedingly grateful that Mr. Fleischman saw fit to include a timeline, a References section, illustration and photographic sources pages, and a bibliography - with commentary! Some of his commentary his quite amusing, such as the book Mark Twain, Young Writer in which the author says to, "Keep out of the hands of children" (217). Now, to me this is amusing on two different levels: 1 - this is a children's book, the author does realize what he's written, right? And 2 - Why did he include it if he realizes this is a children's book? Honestly, it makes me want to go get that one first! He also tells us which of his sources may have some, shall we say, fabrications in them. Twain himself didn't always tell the straight truth, so the autobiography is "not to be trusted" in the words of the author of this particular book. How interesting!
Notes on the Cover:
An illustration of Twain talking to his audience in San Francisco. I love it. Simple and to the point, once you know what the title is referring to!
Recommended To:
- Boys - oh give this to any boys you know! Maybe they'll go get a copy of Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer to read. Especially since some of the adventures Twain had himself!
- Anyone interested in Mark Twain's life. It may be a book for the younger set, but that doesn't mean no one else will enjoy it!
- Everyone! It's MARK TWAIN!
Coming Soon!
The Musician's Daughter
By: Susanne Dunlap
This novel is set in eighteenth-century Vienna, Austria. I can honestly say that I don't know of any other novels that I have read being set in this particular place, and that was part of what interested me in this book. The other part is that it's a bit of a murder-mystery with a plucky heroine (I love plucky heroines who do things against the social norms!)
It is a time of decadence in the court of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy; music, balls, the whole nine yards. Theresa is the daughter of a violinist who plays in the Prince's orchestra and her godfather is Haydn, the Franz Joseph Haydn who wrote chamber and orchestral music along with over a hundred symphonies (for more information, go here if you are a member of the Bethany Community http://www.xreferplus.com/entry.do?id=7954106 for others, I'm sorry, but you won't have access to this database).
We begin our story on Christmas Eve. Theresa, her very pregnant mother a younger brother, Toby had stayed up waiting for Antonius (the dad) to get home from playing at the Prince's ball. They had all gone to bed since it got so late, but they are awoken to a pounding knock on their door. Friends of her father's had found him, murdered and without his beloved violin case. Theresa and her family are heartbroken, and all she can do is wonder why someone would want to murder her beloved papa.
Theresa asks Zoltan, Heinrich, Jakob and Haydn what they know, and they provide very unsatisfactory answers. She is determined to help her family through this crisis - emotional and financial as well. Her father's income was it for them; they were comfortable, but by no means rich. In her quest to find answers, Haydn offers her a copying job and Zoltan gradually shares what he knows. His answers lead Theresa to a gypsy camp where her prejudices and fears are taken away.
Unfortunately for Theresa, her mother has decided that it is time for her to marry in order to help the family. She is to go to her estranged uncle to see about getting her dowry. Sadly, he is far from an honorable man. He requests her to do him a favor by dancing with a certain general, but her new information into the death of her father and just what he was doing by where he was murdered have led her into a more dangerous path. In order to find her father's killer and help bring justice to many other people, she has to be devious and do things she never thought possible.
Theresa is an extremely believable heroine. Her troubles are realistic and the murder/mystery part of the story really catches hold of you and won't let you go. I literally had to sit down and finish the book before I could go to bed.
Oh, and I should say that for quite a bit of the story I suspected some innocent people. The further I read, the more I realized that I was wrong. I love it when that happens!
Notes on the Cover:
Oh my! Almost the entire face of the heroine is on the cover (only a bit of her forehead is cut off) and she is holding what I believe is the violin in question. I would like to give you a more definite opinion on that, but I don't want to give anything away! It could also be her viola... I find the image striking and that is why I picked this one up in the first place, so there you have it!
Recommended To:
- Murder-mystery fans
- Those who love their plucky heroines
- Everyone!
Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald
By: F. Scott Fitzgerald
I have been in need of a Fitzgerald fix ever since all of those previews came out for the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Did you know that the movie is based off of a Fitzgerald short story? Well, you do now! Another interesting fact about that is in a short note by Fitzgerald at the beginning of the story he states that it is based upon a remark by Mark Twain, in which he says, "it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end" (p. 307). He also states that after it was published he found an almost identical plot in Samuel Butler's "Notebooks" (p. 207). As to that last part, I can not attest as I haven't read it. I just thought it was an interesting piece of trivia.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was a really fun read. The whole premise of being born at the end of your life and growing younger is quite intriguing. My only real question is just how was Benjamin born? I mean, he's a full-grown man the day he is born! He has gray hair and can talk and everything! When his father arrived at the hospital to see his new child, he is greeted by a doctor and a couple of nurses that really don't want to have anything to do with him. He can't figure out why until he sees his son. I would think that would be quite a shock to his system! And of course, the Buttons are a prominent social family, so there is scandalous talk. Then there is the matter of who Benjamin marries and how that works out. I was curious about the movie before, but now I am totally interested in seeing it. I really want to see how the story is portrayed.
The book starts out with a story called, "The Offshore Pirate." It involves a spoiled young girl who thinks she's in love with one man, but finds herself wooed by a pirate. Now, once you get into the story you will see where the plot is taking you, but I didn't find that do be distracting. I just wanted to know if it was going to work out in the end.
The last one I want to mention is, "Dalyrimple Goes Wrong." It's about a soldier who returns home to a hero's welcome, only to be forgotten within a month. When he runs out of money and has to start working, he is upset that he doesn't move up as fast as he wants to. The really interesting part is what he does when he doesn't feel as if he's making enough money! The moral seems a bit convoluted since the bases is that you need to pay your dues in order to move up, and Dalyrimple definitely does go wrong, but ends up being rewarded in the end. It's as if you do unethical/illegal things and don't get caught, you'll be just fine!
And honestly, I bought this particular book because it has the stories from: Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of a Jazz Age. This way I only had to buy one book instead of two. The downside (isn't there always one?) was that I had already read a few of these stories. I'll be honest, I skipped a couple of them, but I did read a couple of them again, particularly, "A Diamond as Big as the Ritz" and "The Camels Back." I really liked the Diamond one, and I couldn't remember how the Camel one turned out, so there you have it! (Actually, I think "The Ice Palace" is the only one I skipped. That one was still quite vivid in my mind, so that's the reasoning behind that one.)
Notes on the Cover:
I love it. It looks like it would be the cover for his Flappers and Philosophers collection, but I don't care. I love the clothing on the people and I love the action going on! I suppose you could also say it's from any of the stories that have a party in them, and there are a couple of those.
Recommended To:
- Fitzgerald fans
- Those who enjoy a good short story instead of a novel
- Anyone interested in Benjamin Button
- Everyone!