Musings on Some Books I Read Over Spring Break 2014

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley ★★★★★
I adore Flavia de Luce. This novel is bit different from the previous ones, but that is ok with me. There is murder afoot, and Flavia does figure it out, but it is background to her coming to grips with her mother's death. It is like spending time with someone you love as they tell you what has happened to them since you last met. I like that Flavia is growing up and becoming more aware  and considerate of her siblings and others around her. I like that the mystery around family deepens and that it looks like new possibilities will open up for her in future books. 

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter ★★★★
I very nearly gave up on this one since it is so 'unpratchettish.' I kept hoping his voice would make its presence known. I got enough glimmers of it to keep me reading. Then somehow, the story itself seduced me and before long I was reading just to find out what was going to happen next.
There is a lot going on in this book that will leave me wondering for some time. 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ★★★★
I haven't made room for this series in my life because it just sells itself by word of mouth. 
I had no idea what I had been missing. To be honest, I did try one of Riordan's later series, but it bored me. To whomever added this to my Spring Break reading list, I thank you. 

Totally Tangled: Zentangle and Beyond by Sandy Steen Bartholomew ★★★★
My neighbour in Oliver asked if I was interested in attending a Zentangle workshop the week we were there. I was indeed interested, although I had no idea what it was. (Some people will do anything to get out of renovations you see.) Then she brought this book for me to peruse the day before.
It all seemed a bit daunting but helped make the workshop itself much more meaningful. If I am not now reading so many books, you will know I am busy tangling.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce ★★★ 
I liked this one enough to waiver between 3 and 4 stars so this should probably be 3.5. I like all of Tamora Pierce's strong girls, but I think I have read so much of her work that it has become predictable.
I read this one for two reasons. First, because I've had girls tell me that the Alanna series is the best of the lot, so I decided to try it. Some of these trusted readers have told me they belong on the grade 7 shelf so I decided to read and be sure. I really didn't see anything in this one that meets my criteria for that shelf (excessive violence or graphic sexual content) so it will stay where it is.
I can't decide if I want to read anymore of the later books. However, I will definitely continue to recommend Pierce's books to my grade 5, 6 and 7 students.

Bad Unicorn by Platte F Clark ★
I only read to page 204. If it wasn't that a student put it on my to read list, I wouldn't have read this far. I finally gave up and read the last few pages.

OMG! It doesn't even end! Needless to say, I've abandoned this book.
It isn't really a bad book, (unlike the unicorn.) It's a combination of fantasy and humour. But I could hardly keep track of all the characters, never mind where they were and what they were up to. Unfortunately I've read Sir Terry Pratchett, and nothing compares to his combination of fantasy, wit, and social commentary.

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

I truly enjoyed this book. It's set in the 1950's amid the proliferation of nuclear weapons globally, and Mcarthyism in the USA. Janey's parents accept a job in Britain to avoid being called up in the communist witch hunt of the era. 

At school she connects with Benjamin. When his father, the local apothecary, disappears, he leaves The Pharmacopoeia, an ancient text filled with recipes for magical/scientific potions, in Benjamin's care. What ensues is a mad adventure as the two, soon joined by Pip, a bit of a street urchin, test out some of these concoctions on their mission to rescue Benjamin's father. In the process they get tangled up with spies working for nefarious global powers. Can they save the world from the consequences of a nuclear bomb? 

I love the way history is so seamlessly integrated into this novel. I love that the author combines magical aspects with almost plausible scientific rational. I love the characters. Thanks to the students who have been pestering me to read this book and thank you Maile Meloy, for a fabulous read! 

 ★★★★★

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I liked this book and admit that it was difficult to put it down and get on with the other compelling things in my life. I stayed up til almost midnight to finish it. 
In this sequel to The False Prince, the adventures of Jaron, King of Carthya, continue. Jaron is a contrary hero. At the same time as I appreciate his attitude, like the rest of his loyal entourage, as often as not, I'm ready to wring his neck. 
After an assassination attempt, Jaron is forced to runaway and heads off in search of the pirates. The journey is filled with adventure, suspense, and betrayal. I like that Jaron is maturing. I like that he is making new friends and finding strong supporters of his own. It seems like things are looking up for him at the end of this book, but there is a sequel, so we shall have to see. I'm looking forward to reading The Shadow Throne!

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

I was afraid to start this book because when a book gets so many accolades, it's hard to live up to the hype. But in this case, I'm going to get all gushy on you and tell you I loved, loved, loved this book!

Upon reading the first paragraph,"Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the colour of dirt. Mr Jesse turned up dead and life in Tupelo Landing turned upside down." I opened my heart and fell into this book, ready for wherever it was gonna take me. 

You can like a book. You can appreciate the plot and the writing, but if the characters don't reach out from the pages and grab your heart, it will never be a great book.

Moses (Mo) LoBeau is a character who does this. She is a unique individual. In her own words:

"Some people look like they were born on a clothes hanger.  Not me. I look more like I was born in a dryer."

"My voice is like a turkey gobble crammed in a corset, but nobody's told me to stop singing, and I ain't shy."

"I've been working on my temper but sometimes it feels like my brain's strait-wired to my mouth."

At the tail end of the worst hurricane in memory, the Colonel, after crashing his car, found a baby floating on a raft in the river. He named her Moses, unaware it was a girl. The next day they were found by Miss Lana. The two of them built The Cafe and a home, where, along with the rest of the 148 people of Tupola Landing, they raised Mo.

Here's the "thing about a small town: Everybody knows everybody's schedule. We spin around each other like planets around an invisible sun." 

The first person narrative is punctuated with letters to Mo's unknown, upstream mother. They are filled with Mo's ruminations of life in Tupolo Landing: "Sometimes I wish Miss Lana and the Colonel were normal, but Lavender says normal is a relative term. "Right," I said. "What does that mean, exactly?" He said, "It means you think your relatives are normal right up until you notice they're not."

Life in a small town is not as simple as some might suppose. Dale, her best friend has  an abusive alcoholic father. Her 'arch enemy,' Anna Celeste, has a vicious mother. While Mo's mother may have thrown her away once, these children are thrown away by their parents repeatedly. 

I could honestly have lived with just reading about the community, but there is a murder and kidnapping to be solved. The suspense and tension ratchets up. It is full of humour, subterfuge, betrayal, and surprise. 

I've spent time with Moses (Mo) LoBeau and her community and if I only could, I'd sell everything I own and move to Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, where I'd spend all my time hanging out at The Cafe. In the meantime, I'll just have to hope for a sequel.

★★★★★

Letters in the Attic by Bonnie Shimko

This is historical fiction set in the early 1960's and at the same time, a coming of age story for 12 year old Elizabeth (Lizzy) McMann.

Lizzy has spent most of her life looking after her mother. When Manny, who she thinks is her father, leaves them, Lizzy and her mother end up in a small town in New York State living with previously unknown grandparents. It is a mixed blessing. Her grampa is loving and supportive, but her grandma is filled with bitterness and bile.

Ridgewood, New York, is filled with new experiences for Lizzy. The onset of her first period is every girl/woman's worst nightmare. On the other hand, when she purchases her first bra, it impossible not to laugh. Her relationship with her best friend, Eva, who she falls in love with, is complicated and tumultuous. Lizzy discovers her mother's secret life and learns who her real father is. When her mother gets engaged to Lizzy's teacher, it seems like they might have a happy ending after all.

I enjoyed this book and there is much to recommend it. Lizzy is a strong character. She's smart, complex, and observant. The cast of supporting characters are multidimensional. 

I have been looking for a novel with a lesbian character I can comfortably hand out to grades 4 and up. This book meets this need. It is a positive addition to our existing LGBT collection, but I wanted more from Lizzy. We've got compelling gay protagonists in Totally Joe by James Howe and Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle. These are characters who appeal to everyone and kids can see themselves being friends with. Unfortunately, I don't see Lizzy appealing to kids in the same way. Some of this might be because the story is historical fiction and I'm not sure kids will get and understand all the cultural references. Mostly I think it's because Lizzy just doesn't shine in the way those boys do. For great chunks of this book Lizzy felt like a ghost. Don't get me wrong, I liked her, I just couldn't come to care deeply for her in the way I did for Joe and Nate. So while I'm happy as can be to have Lizzy in our library, I don't think she will take off like those boys have. 

I'm going to hand the book out to some of my readers and see what they think of her. I hope to have to eat my words. 

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott is an interesting story. There are many positive things to say about it. I enjoyed the connections to the different gods and goddesses. I was fascinated to read at the end that the only truly invented characters were the 15 year old twins, Josh and Sophie. The premise of the story is that the Dark Elders, those first 'people' (think ancient gods and goddesses) with the help of the immortal, Mr. Dee, are planning on retrieving the codex - or Book of Abraham the Mage. If Mr. Dee succeeds in stealing it from the present caretakers,  Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, the Elders will come back into power and humans will at best, by enslaved by them. Luckily for the Flamels, Josh and Sophie, the aforementioned twins, are there when Mr. Dee makes his move. Unluckily for the twins, the world as they know it will never be the same. 

It wasn't a bad read. It has suspense and secrets. There is magic all over the place. The are battles aplenty. Yet there are some problems with this book for me. First, I'm not that much of a fan of fantasy and this novel isn't written well enough to change this. At times I was just bored. To compound this, I didn't feel satisfied at the end. If you know me, you will know that I hate books that leave issues unresolved. I want to leave my characters doing well. If I am going to read a sequel, I need to love them so much that I will be compelled to read more if only to find out how they are doing. (Some examples include Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching novels and Catherynne M. Valente's September.) 

I'm content to have read this one if only to say to students that I have tried the series.  

Authentic First Peoples Resources

Today I went to an Authentic First Peoples Resources for Grades K-7 workshop sponsored by FNESC (First Nations Educational Steering Committee.) Not only were we introduced to lessons, units, and literature, we had the opportunity to meet with teachers from across the province and learn from each other. (There were no complaints about the food either)  

Here are a few of the resources our table worked with. 

A River Lost by Lynn Bragg

This heartbreaking picture book left our small group deeply dismayed. Sinee and her great-grandmother, Toopa, tell the story of the people who were forced off their land when the Grand Coulee Dam was built. As the river was lost, so was the salmon, and along with it, a way of life. On top of this ecological disaster, we learn that payment to the people for this loss didn't come for 50 years.

Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story by Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
This charming tale tells the story of Coyote's plan to get some animal people, Grizzly Bear, Wren, Snake, Frog, Eagle, and Beaver to work together to steal fire from Curlew, keeper of the sky world. I liked all of it except when snake ate frog.

How the Robin Got it's Red Breast by The Sechelt Nation

This retelling is illustrated with traditional west coast illustrations. It tells how robin helped the humans keep their fire going and in doing this, burned his chest so that it turned red.