Title: Two Moon Princess
Author: Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Tanglewood
Publisher Website: www.tanglewoodbooks.com
Pages: 324
ISBN: 978-1-933718-12-5
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: Oct 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This midgrade medieval fantasy portrays a princess who wants to be competitive with men, while her parents insist on grooming her for a politically arranged marriage in the near future. She stumbles into an inter-dimensional gate that dumps her into modern Earth (Southern California) society. Fortunately, her mother’s brother lives on this side of the gate, and he enrolls her in college as a way of keeping her out of trouble until it’s time to open the gate again a month later. The princess finds herself shunting back and forth between worlds—ours and her own with two moons. In the process of all this, she finds both enemy threats and true love. We rated this book four hearts.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Book for Older Teen Girls
Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Little, Brown and Company / Hachette Book Group USA
Publisher Website: www.twilightnovel.com
Pages: 400+
ISBN: 978-0-316-01584-4
Price: $8.99
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the first of a YA romance/vampire trilogy written by the very personable, author-on-the-rise, Stephanie Meyer, who has been compared to J.K. Rowling. Bella goes to live with her dad in Washington State so her mother can travel with her significant other. As she tries to fit in with a new circle of acquaintances, she develops a love/hate relationship with a family that seems to pretty much keep to themselves. Her life is saved in a school parking lot car accident that should have left her crushed and broken. Instead, Edward of the odd family, saves her with his super human speed and strength.
This is a painfully portrayed coming of age and maturity novel under extremely unusual circumstances that include the vampire family that has members who are hundreds of years old. She falls deeply in love with Edward and must figure out how she can develop their relationship despite its unusual circumstances. This author is superbly able to develop characters and their interactions. We rated this book five hearts
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Little, Brown and Company / Hachette Book Group USA
Publisher Website: www.twilightnovel.com
Pages: 400+
ISBN: 978-0-316-01584-4
Price: $8.99
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is the first of a YA romance/vampire trilogy written by the very personable, author-on-the-rise, Stephanie Meyer, who has been compared to J.K. Rowling. Bella goes to live with her dad in Washington State so her mother can travel with her significant other. As she tries to fit in with a new circle of acquaintances, she develops a love/hate relationship with a family that seems to pretty much keep to themselves. Her life is saved in a school parking lot car accident that should have left her crushed and broken. Instead, Edward of the odd family, saves her with his super human speed and strength.
This is a painfully portrayed coming of age and maturity novel under extremely unusual circumstances that include the vampire family that has members who are hundreds of years old. She falls deeply in love with Edward and must figure out how she can develop their relationship despite its unusual circumstances. This author is superbly able to develop characters and their interactions. We rated this book five hearts
A GRREAT Graphic Novel
Title: Red Prophet (1st of 6 in the Alvin Maker Series)
Author: Orson Scott Card adaped by Roland Bernard Brown
Illustrator: Renato Arlem and Miquel Montenegro
Publisher and/or Distributor: Marvel
Publisher Website: www.marvel.com
Pages:
ISBN: 0-7851-2721-6
Price: $19.99
Publishing Date: May 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This graphic novel based on Card’s very popular Alvin Maker novels is perfect for reluctant reading boys. As should be expected, the picture quality is superb and the text adaptation works well with the graphics. This is a tale about the frontier of the mid-1800s in a universe where magic really works. It is a story dear to my heart because I grew up seven miles from its setting.
As an added bonus, there is a space-based alien story segment in the back of the book. This helps parents kill two birds with one stone in terms of appealing genres for boys. We rated the book five hearts.
Author: Orson Scott Card adaped by Roland Bernard Brown
Illustrator: Renato Arlem and Miquel Montenegro
Publisher and/or Distributor: Marvel
Publisher Website: www.marvel.com
Pages:
ISBN: 0-7851-2721-6
Price: $19.99
Publishing Date: May 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This graphic novel based on Card’s very popular Alvin Maker novels is perfect for reluctant reading boys. As should be expected, the picture quality is superb and the text adaptation works well with the graphics. This is a tale about the frontier of the mid-1800s in a universe where magic really works. It is a story dear to my heart because I grew up seven miles from its setting.
As an added bonus, there is a space-based alien story segment in the back of the book. This helps parents kill two birds with one stone in terms of appealing genres for boys. We rated the book five hearts.
A Modern Gaelic Fantasy
Title: The Light-Bearer’s Daughter
Author: O.R. Melling
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books)
Publisher Website: www.hnabooks.com
Pages: 348
ISBN: 978-0-8109-0781-2
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This YA fantasy focuses on Irish protagonist, Dana Faolan, a young teen who constantly hunts for and hopes in finding her mother who walked out of her life when she was a toddler. Her father has decided that a change in environment to Canada and his relatives is necessary for his daughter’s mental health. Dana resents the impending move. In desperation, she agrees with a mysterious lady to a quest into the land of fairy. She is assisted by a large wolf (spirit guide), which is a good because she is being stalked by a twisted maniac. Her quest becomes a race against time because of the impending Canadian move. We rated this interesting book four hearts.
Author: O.R. Melling
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books)
Publisher Website: www.hnabooks.com
Pages: 348
ISBN: 978-0-8109-0781-2
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 4 hearts
This YA fantasy focuses on Irish protagonist, Dana Faolan, a young teen who constantly hunts for and hopes in finding her mother who walked out of her life when she was a toddler. Her father has decided that a change in environment to Canada and his relatives is necessary for his daughter’s mental health. Dana resents the impending move. In desperation, she agrees with a mysterious lady to a quest into the land of fairy. She is assisted by a large wolf (spirit guide), which is a good because she is being stalked by a twisted maniac. Her quest becomes a race against time because of the impending Canadian move. We rated this interesting book four hearts.
Monday, September 24, 2007
A Cute Magical Realism Midgrade Book
Title: Saving The Griffin
Author: Kristen Wolden Nitz
Illustrator: Yoshiko Jaeggi
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 185
ISBN: 978-1-56145-380-1
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is a darling Midgrade YA fantasy about Kate and Michael who discover a cute little baby griffin in an ornate garden in Italy. In their efforts to keep the griffin’s existence a secret, they become embroiled with greedy scientists, a strange being from another dimension, and the paparazzi. Where did the little tyke come from? How will they get him safely back home? Is his life in danger? Are their’s? In a pleasant mixture of modern and ancient times—reality and mythology—and a bit of magical realism mixed with parallel world concepts, the author stretches young readers’ minds like rubber bands. We rated this book five hearts.
Author: Kristen Wolden Nitz
Illustrator: Yoshiko Jaeggi
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 185
ISBN: 978-1-56145-380-1
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This is a darling Midgrade YA fantasy about Kate and Michael who discover a cute little baby griffin in an ornate garden in Italy. In their efforts to keep the griffin’s existence a secret, they become embroiled with greedy scientists, a strange being from another dimension, and the paparazzi. Where did the little tyke come from? How will they get him safely back home? Is his life in danger? Are their’s? In a pleasant mixture of modern and ancient times—reality and mythology—and a bit of magical realism mixed with parallel world concepts, the author stretches young readers’ minds like rubber bands. We rated this book five hearts.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Quake: a Grreat YA Midgrade Historical Novel
Title: Quake: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
Author: Gail Langer Karwoski
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 154
ISBN: 1-56145-369-2
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This mid-grade historical novel takes on the great San Francisco quake and how it impacted on peoples’ lives for years afterward. It follows Jacob Kauffman’s fortunate survival of the many buildings collapsing in the quake, including his own family’s, and how he rescues a young Chinese boy from the rubble of another building. The author does a superb job of bringing the quake’s drama to life and also the subject of racial prejudice of that day. As the two boys seek food and safety, as well as their families, they have all kinds of adventures, both good and bad. We rated this excellent YA five hearts.
Author: Gail Langer Karwoski
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Publisher and/or Distributor: Peachtree Publishers
Publisher Website: www.peachtree-online.com
Pages: 154
ISBN: 1-56145-369-2
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts
This mid-grade historical novel takes on the great San Francisco quake and how it impacted on peoples’ lives for years afterward. It follows Jacob Kauffman’s fortunate survival of the many buildings collapsing in the quake, including his own family’s, and how he rescues a young Chinese boy from the rubble of another building. The author does a superb job of bringing the quake’s drama to life and also the subject of racial prejudice of that day. As the two boys seek food and safety, as well as their families, they have all kinds of adventures, both good and bad. We rated this excellent YA five hearts.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Another Summer Gone
Dear Readers,
My sincere apologies for not posting since early June. Unfortunately, a staph virus which had attacked my new artificial knee two years ago and which we thought had died, had only lain dormant. In June it came back with a vengeance, necessitating the cutting open of the knee joint, rehab of the soft tissues (again), and hospital stays of 2.5 and 1 weeks respectively when that didn't work. We are keeping our fingers crossed. What a wasted summer!!!
Oh well, enough of my medical problems. I hope the summer was kind to our young readers. We had a fantastic Harry Potter release party where we turned our whole downtown block into a Diagon Alley experience for almost 2,000 kids and their parents. BTW, I read HP7 and found it to be less well written than the others (the center section's pace drug on forever), but it was good to come to closure.
I have read some excellent reluctant reader books this summer and will be posting reviews as soon as I find time and energy to write them up. In the meantime, what are your special needs? Are there any special problems or questions about books or reading in general? Please let me know.
Bob
My sincere apologies for not posting since early June. Unfortunately, a staph virus which had attacked my new artificial knee two years ago and which we thought had died, had only lain dormant. In June it came back with a vengeance, necessitating the cutting open of the knee joint, rehab of the soft tissues (again), and hospital stays of 2.5 and 1 weeks respectively when that didn't work. We are keeping our fingers crossed. What a wasted summer!!!
Oh well, enough of my medical problems. I hope the summer was kind to our young readers. We had a fantastic Harry Potter release party where we turned our whole downtown block into a Diagon Alley experience for almost 2,000 kids and their parents. BTW, I read HP7 and found it to be less well written than the others (the center section's pace drug on forever), but it was good to come to closure.
I have read some excellent reluctant reader books this summer and will be posting reviews as soon as I find time and energy to write them up. In the meantime, what are your special needs? Are there any special problems or questions about books or reading in general? Please let me know.
Bob
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