Library

Ash

2010-03-12T18:07:00Z

Ash By: Malinda Lo Take the story of Cinderella and add some fairies and you’ll have an interesting new take on this classic tale. Lo divides the story into two halves: the first is entitled, ‘The Fairy’ and the second is, ‘The Huntress.’ The interesting thing about this version is that the fairy is a male and not the type of fairy you see in Disney’s Cinderella. Ash has a tendency to wander in the woods to forget her life, and she is unique in that she seeks out the Fairy Ring. Most people would...(read more)

The Grand Tour

2010-03-05T18:20:00Z

The Grand Tour By: Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer So I picked this one up because I liked the cover, it involves magic, England and 2 female cousins with spunky attitudes. When I read the blurb on the back cover I thought it might be the 2 nd or 3 rd book in a series, but I wasn’t sure. Of course, as soon as I started reading it I realized that I was missing out on some information, but found that I could follow the story without the entire back-story. Another interesting tidbit is that...(read more)

The Lost Conspiracy

2010-02-26T20:54:00Z

The Lost Conspiracy By: Frances Hardinge Hardinge is a gifted writer. I get insanely jealous when I read her books because I love them, can’t put them down, and want to poke through her brain to see how she comes up with the ideas for her stories. That being said, this one started out a little slow for me, but it was intriguing and kept me going. In this latest work, Hardinge takes us to Gullstruck Island (the published title of this book in the UK – and can I just say that I HATE that the publishers...(read more)

Arch Enemy (The Looking Glass Wars)

2010-02-19T17:19:00Z

Arch Enemy The Looking Glass Wars By: Frank Beddor As I finish The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy I am left with a sense of completion, as well as a bit of bewilderment. Let me explain: I love Alice in Wonderland and pretty much anything to do with it. I was really excited that Beddor undertook the task of re-imagining Wonderland in a way that felt completely real and just right to me. In a bit of serendipity, I purchased the first book when I was in Oxford, England years ago following in Carroll’s footsteps...(read more)

Eiffel's Tower

2010-02-12T15:51:00Z

Eiffel’s Tower: and the World’s Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, The Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count By: Jill Jonnes This is my most recent foray into non-fiction. It was recommended by a colleague who thought I’d like it (same colleague who lent me Devil in a White City , so he definitely knows what I like in my non-fiction!). Jonnes takes us on a trip to Paris in 1889. The story of the tower begins with Gustave Eiffel and his dream of making his tower the attraction of...(read more)

Forest Born

2010-02-05T17:09:00Z

Forest Born The Books of Bayern By: Shannon Hale This is the latest in Hales series focusing on Bayern. ( The Goose Girl , Enna Burning , and River Secrets are the previous three.) In this book we meet Rin, the little sister of Razo (from River Secrets ). She’s the youngest of her family and the only girl. Growing up, Rin and Razo share a bond that keeps them close to each other, even if they are far apart in distance. As Rin ages, she realizes she can make people do things they don’t really want...(read more)

Masterpiece

2010-01-29T19:44:00Z

Masterpiece By: Elise Broach Do you know a child that’s a little quiet and shy, and that doesn’t have many friends or possible a stressful home life? If so, then this book is for them! James lives with his mom, stepfather and new baby brother. He doesn’t mind his stepfather and he likes to spend time with his baby brother, but sometimes his mom doesn’t really listen to him and he ends up getting the short end of the stick (like his birthday when she invited kids he doesn’t even like so that she can...(read more)

The Lost Symbol

2010-01-22T15:51:00Z

The Lost Symbol By: Dan Brown I have to admit it, I adore Dan Brown. The man takes historical facts, places and people and creates a story the likes of which keep my on the edge of my seat and up way past my bedtime. Some disagree with the way he writes, but I think the important thing to keep in mind is that these are works of fiction , not fact. Yes, he takes facts and distorts them, but in a fictional novel, one should expect some embellishments. I should probably also mention that Brown tells...(read more)

Lips Touch: Three Times

2010-01-20T21:34:00Z

Lips Touch: Three Times By: Laini Taylor Illustrated By: Jim Di Bartolo Or for the love of holy Hannah do I hope this husband and wife continue to team up on books! I recently posted about Silksinger , and this is a book by the same duo. There is a major difference though: this is a collection of three short stories about kissing (hence, the title!). Before you go, ewww or YAAAYYY, let me tell you, these are some fascinating accounts of first kisses. Illustrations appear at the beginning of each...(read more)

When You Reach Me

2010-01-08T14:19:00Z

When You Reach Me By: Rebecca Stead It’s the late ‘70s and Miranda and her mom are living in an apartment in New York City. Miranda’s experiencing changes in her life with her friends. She’s not sure why, but her one and only friend Sal has started to avoid her. Then she makes a new friend in Annemarie, and a sort-of friend in Marcus, and also develops a crush on Colin. Then there are the notes that keep showing up and freaking her out, the crazy man on the corner who she hopes is sleeping under...(read more)

Robot Zot!

2010-01-08T14:16:00Z

Robot Zot! By: Jon Scieszka Illustrated By: David Shannon This is a fun story to read aloud. You could do a lot with the Robot Zot voice. Robot Zot is on a mission to defeat the Earth Army. He does a lot of damage, but then he meets his Queen. He also has to rescue her, which was awesome as her guards really do look awfully fearsome! (And no, you won’t get that until you read the book and see the pictures!) I think Robot Zot is highly entertaining and will be enjoyed by young and old, and fans and...(read more)

The Lion and the Mouse

2009-12-31T18:42:00Z

The Lion and the Mouse By: Jerry Pinkney This picture book will hold you spellbound as you gaze at Pinkney’s masterful illustrations. I would consider it a wordless picture book, although you do get some ‘squeaks’ ‘whooos’ and ‘rooaarrrss’. The text is told in the illustrations, and they are a sight to behold! The book is an illustrated version of Aesop’s fable, ‘The Lion and the Mouse.’ It is easy to follow and young children will have a great time seeing how Pinkney is playing with the picture...(read more)

Silksinger (Dreamdark)

2009-12-28T20:30:00Z

Dreamdark: Silksinger By: Laini Taylor Taylor’s first book, Blackbringer , is the first story in this series (and no, I’m sorry, I don’t know how many there will be) in which we meet Magpie Windwitch, the Djinn’s champion. In Silksinger , Taylor brings Magpie, Talon, the Crows and even Batch Hangnail back, but the focus of the story is not on them. To be sure, they are an important part, but this tale is that of Whisper and Hirik. Hirik is a young fairy with an amazing sword that is looking to make...(read more)

Fire

2009-12-21T15:03:00Z

Fire By: Kristin Cashore Fire will intrigue you, entice you, shock you, and enchant you. You really won’t be able to put this one down, because as soon as Cashore gives you a hint of what’s to come, something else happens that takes your entire being to the new situation. This is Cashore’s second novel, her first, Graceling, was utterly spellbinding as well, but Fire takes her writing skills to an entirely new level. Fire, besides being the title, is the main character. She’s part human, part monster...(read more)

The Mermaid Queen

2009-12-14T14:19:00Z

The Mermaid Queen By: Shana Corey Illustrated By: Edwin Fotheringham What a delightful picture book about a little known woman in history! Alright, at the time, she was quite well known, but can any of you tell me the name of the lady who invented the water ballet and the modern swimsuit? I thought not! Mermaid Queen is the story of Annette Kellerman, a little girl who had to wear leg braces and whose father taught her how to swim in order to strengthen her legs. Although it took her a bit to learn...(read more)