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The Girl with the Broken Wing
by Heather Dyer
Scholastic
October, 2005
$15.99
0-439-74827-5
Core audience: ages 7-10, grades 2-5
Notable aspects: Imagination, characters, plot
Review:
This is a wonderfully fast-moving story about a wounded "angel" and her exploits with a set of twins intent on keeping her secret and exploring their world together. Are there angels or not???!
Reviewer: B.J. Nooth, Baker Books
Rated: 7
 
Golden and Grey
by Louise Arnold
McElderry Books/Simon and Schuster
June, 2005
$15.95
0-689-87473-1
Core audience: ages 8-12
Notable aspects: characters, humor, plot
Review:
Tom Golden is bullied at his new school and feels like he doesn't belong there. Through an accident of circumstances, he meets a kindred spirit in loneliness, ghost Grey Arthur, who is usually invisible to humans. When Tom is discovered by his parents talking to "someone invisible", they call in a psychiatrist. Then the story really takes off! Unscrupulous man, he plans to use Tom and his ability to see the unseen , and even Grey Arthur (an invisible accomplice), as a means to wealth and fame for himself. A very amusing scene ensues when Mum is determined to find her kidnapped son, and a bevy(?) of ghosts show up to disrupt the dastardly deed. Sound a bit like Series of Unfortunate Events? They come to mind instantly as the intriguing cover art is drawn by Bret Helquist. In the end, Tom is quickly famous and lauded for bravery and manages to settle into his school nicely. Grey Arthur sort of slips away. We hope he remains an invisible friend and finds a few more.
Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop,Milford, NH
Rated: 8
 
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic
July, 2005
$16.95
0-439-65623-0
Core audience: 8-12
Notable aspects: action, suspense, endearing characters, complex relationships
Review:
We love Gregor in our family, in fact a new book causes us to drop everything else-literally. Reading it aloud becomes our sole purpose in life. With this book I read it at the breakfast table, as soon as we scurried home from work, as evening entertainment, and then before bedtime. We were so gripped by Gregor and his desperate need to save his mother and his beloved bat from the plague that infested the underworld that we had to keep reading. It was, as they say,-a matter of life and death. When I read it out loud I can experiment with my reading style, Boots as the toddler always adds a bit of humor, and her beloved cockroach, Temp, has such a neat way of speaking. Which, oddly enough, has crossed over into my everyday language.
In this adventure the group heads to the jungle, meeting up with new family members that have only been mentioned in previous books. The fact that Gregor's mom was even let into the Underland, well that put quite a different spin on everything--eliciting a gasp of surprise as we plunged on ahead. This book kept up the momentum of the previous two, and the new setting also added something different and fresh. Of course Gregor manages to figure everything out and save the day, and the way it all ended1/4 Well, I can't wait for another underground adventure. Let's hope Suzanne Collins hears my plea. If you haven't read any of these books, you're in for a real treat. The well-drawn characters, suspenseful plot, underground imagery--these books have it all!
Reviewer: Beth Reynolds, Norwich Bookstore
Rated: 8
 
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by J.K. Rowling
Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic
July 16, 2005
$29.95
0-439-78454-9
Core audience: Everyone ages 10 and up
Notable aspects: Plot, characters, imagination, excitement, fantasy, magiccal world.
Review:
In the penultimate volume of the Harry Potter series, we find Harry's life much more complicated than before. Gone are the nasty headaches and forebodings of what He Who Must Not Be Named will do next that plagued Harry. But instead, Harry, Ron and Hermione face a year when Snape is now teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dumbledore is suffering from a nasty wound, and everyone clamors to know more about what happened in the Ministry of Magic last year. Harry faces several challenges including private lessons with Dumbledore, curious students wanting to be close to The Chosen One, a slavering professor who wants to touch the hem of the garments of everyone who is anyone, especially Harry, and, scariest of all, romance. Things are seldom what they seem, and the comfortable backdrop of Hogwarts with classes and Quidditch is fraught with new dangers and crises. Yes, a terrible tragedy occurs which leaves readers all around the world debating what it all means an!
d what will happen in the seventh volume (and when will it be out.) Rowling has done a fine job of reeling us in, referring back to elements from the previous books, and challenging even the most die-hard of Potterites to go back and go through those tomes with a fine tooth comb!
Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, The Book Vault, Wallingford CT
Rated: 9.75

Review: It's tied with book 3 for my designation of "best of the series SO FAR"
Reviewer: Alison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 9

Review: Someone described this volune as "a parenthesis", and I have to agree. There's a high proportion of dark material to whimsy and mythos, and so much of the plot is left to the last volume that one worries it won't all get the treatment it deserves. Furthermore, I find myself disappointed in the case Rowling has made for Voldemort as a force of evil. After the brilliant concept of the Dementors, Voldemort is merely an abstraction, with no explanation of why anybody would feel any allegiance to him. Good grief, George W. Bush is a more believable villain than that.
Reviewer: Carol Chittenden, Eight Cousins
Rated: 6
 

Harry Sue
by Sue Stauffacher
Knopf/Random House
June, 2005
$15.95
0-375-83274-2
Core audience: ages 8-12
Notable aspects: character
Review:
Harry Sue sounds rough and street-wise and even includes a glossary to the "jail jive" terms she uses in this engrossing tale told in her voice. It seems her parents had a bit of a "to-do" when she was 18 months old, and her Dad threw her out a window. Mom and Dad were promptly sent up(again for Dad!) and Harry sent to live with her Granny Clotkin , who runs a daycare center, where the kids wait on her and things aren't very caring. Harry becomes their caregiver. Meantime, she is trying to be as naughty as possible at school so she will land in the clink and be able to find her uncommunicative Mom. In turns of events really ironic, she often does the BEST thing and is praised for courageous and selfless acts! She finds constant parallels to her own life in Wizard of Oz and Dorothy's plight gives her comfort and guidance. Thank goodness for some truly quirky characters in her own life that help Harry Sue learn, in the end , that being "tough" isn't half as good as being loved and loving.
Reviewer: Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH
Rated: 8
 

Heavy Metal and You
by Christopher Krovatin
PUSH/Scholastic
June, 2005
$16.95
0-439-73648-X
Core audience: young adult readers
Notable Aspects: A teenage boy with candor and self-awareness tells of his courtship with a girl he admires.
Review:
Samuel Markus is just like teenagers we all know -- he loves heavy metal music, he loves acting in high school plays, and he is thrilled by his good fortune when a girl he likes actually likes him back. He is honest, funny, charming, and smokes too much. He loves putting together mixed CDs of his favorite songs for his friends. And he narrates his story with great charm and a bit of profanity. Kids who enjoy these things will love reading this story. Of particular charm is a classroom scene where Sam offends some violent jocks by defending the character of Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. Sam's narrative style is somewhat akin to Holden Caulfield's, only Sam has more confidence in himself. The brief scene gives a nice "nudge, nudge, wink-wink" to Mr. Salinger for inventing the genre that author Christopher Krovatin proves himself in as a worthy successor.
Reviewer: Magoo Gelehrter, Baker Books
Rated:
 

The Human Fly and Other Stories
by T.C.Boyle
Speak/Penguin
September 2005
$9.99
0-14-240363-6
Core audience: Ages 12 and up
Notable aspects:
Review: The Human Fly contains 13 stories and an Afterward. [sic] Of uneven quality, as story collections too often are, these stories would best be appreciated by reading The Afterward first. In the Afterward, Boyle explains that his motivation in putting together this collection is pure entertainment. As he discusses each story the tidbits he adds help to put each story in perspective. While some of the stories are too disturbing or provocative to serve as mere entertainment, they would inject a much needed note of wit into the average high school English class.
Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 8.5
 

I, Coriander
by Sally Gardner
Dial/Penguin
August, 2005
$16.99
0-8037-3099-3
Core audience: girls, ages 10-14
Notable aspects: Historical detail, vivid characters & setting
Review:
I really enjoyed the historical detail blended with an actual "fairy tale." Her descriptions of London, The Thames, the other characters and the fairy lives and characters is very strong, and the plot moves right along. It is a very imaginative book and lovely to look at -- beautiful end papers, etc. The ending was a bit too perfect to be believable, however, if I were twelve or thirteen it is exactly what I would have wanted. It's a very visual book.
Reviewer: Mimi Powell, Baker Books
Rated: 8

This story reminds me of Joan Aiken's style of writing with magical underpinnings. I think middle grade girl readers will be drawn in by the beautiful cover and really enjoy the story.Though the book starts out strong, it lost me halfway. I felt like there was more story between the lines that I didn't get to read. I know this is the first of a trilogy, but I still wanted more in this one.
Reviewer: Lisa Dugan, Koen Book Distributors (formerly of)
Rated: 7.5

Core audience: girls who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction
Notable aspects: intricate plot, characters
Review:
Fairies and fantasy meet the Cornwall/Puritan decade in mid-seventeen century England.. This is a story of a woman's love for her husband and daughter, loyalty of friends, the extreme reaction of the Roundheads/Puritans following the execution of the English king interwoven with the magic of fairies tainted by the need for power and greed. Readers will truly care what happens to Coriander and her family and friends. Who can resist a happy ending?
Reviewer: Joanne Bibeau, Storybook Cove
Rated: 7.5

Indigo Blue
by Cathy Cassidy
Viking/Penguin
September 22, 2005
$15.99
0-670-05927-7
Core audience: Ages 10 and up
Notable aspects:
Review:
Indigo Blue, known as Indie, is eleven. She lives with her Mother and toddler sister and their Mother's boyfriend, Max. Although the adults argue a lot, sometimes violently, Indie is still surprised when her Mother bundles up baby Misti, a few belongings and tells Indie they are moving-without Max. Their new apartment is in a bad part of town and a longer walk to school for Indie. Embarrassed by her new circumstances Indie tries not to let anyone know about her new life. She is reluctant to invite friends home but that becomes less important as she is forced to spend more of her free time caring for her sister as her Mother falls into a depression. Always worried that Max will find them, Indie stays home rather than risk discovery. When the inevitable happens and Max does find them Indie is once again called upon.
 
This is a carefully told story of a family under siege by a batterer. While there are certainly dark moments, overall the book is accessible and should provide solace to younger children seeking to understand similar relationships.
Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 8.5

Inexcusable
by Chris Lynch
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster
November, 2005
$16.95
0-689-84789-0
Core audience: Young Adult, 13 years +
Notable aspects: Authenticity, themes
Review:
This is a must read for everyone (parents, teachers & teens). It tackles a difficult subject with honesty, and holds nothing back. It shows how all misdeeds can be rationalized away -- but that, at some point, we must open our eyes and accept our own responsibility. Smooth writing style.
Reviewer: Nicole Guerra, Baker Books
Rated: 9
Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 7.5

Inkspell
by Cornelia Funke
Scholastic
October 2005
$19.99
0-439-55400-4
Core audience: 10 & up
Notable aspects: imagination, language, characters--both old & new, exciting finish
Review:
Many months ago, when I heard there was to be a sequel to my beloved "Inkheart," I emphatically announced my excitement by declaring: "Given the choice between the new Harry Potter and a sequel to 'Inkheart' I'd choose the latter." To which my husband quickly replied, "Let me be in the room with you so I can scoop up the Harry Potter book before anyone else notices."
It's not that I don't like Harry, I've read all the books-several times. But having an unexpected continuation to a story you loved but had thought complete, well nothing beats that. Not even a wonderful wizard.
I couldn't wait to get my hands on my new found treasure. And Cornelia Funke did not disappoint. It's a fat book, my favorite kind. And the quotes I so loved at the beginning of each chapter, well now there were even more of them-not to mention little sketches and a complete list of character descriptions. Reading over the new characters I could see that we would discover more about Dustfinger and so I plunged ahead.
Dustfinger does finally convince someone to read him back into the Inkworld, where he is reunited with his family. He had a family, who knew? Well there are many more surprises in store, especially when Meggie and Farid soon enter the Inkworld. Once they make the decision to go I was reminded of the movies I've seen about the first astronauts in space. I kept wanting to say to them, "There's no guarantee you'll be able to come back, you know." Maybe that's just the mom in me talking. And then shortly after, Meggie's father and mother make the choice to follow her. Alas, there's no specifying where you'll enter the world, so the rest of the story becomes a sort of wild goose chase through this fantastical world each trying to find those who came before them. All except for Elinor, she and Darius are left behind in our world. Though I don't care for her language at times, I do have a soft spot for any woman who loves books as much as she does.
With so many new characters and so many new adventures I just kept reading and trying to take it all in. Funke is like her beloved Dustfinger, only instead of flames she uses words. They crackle and dance at her command, creating these breathtaking images that are beautiful or funny, or sad, but always memorable in their own way. The ending for me was so unforgettable. Those images will be with me for a long time. And now it's all I can do until the third book arrives. For the only thing better than a sequel is to discover that there's a sequel to that sequel. In years to come I'll be able to recommend this trilogy to a child and watch them eagerly enter the Inkworld.
Reviewer: Beth Reynolds at The Norwich Bookstore
Rated:

Core audience: For mature middle readers, young adults, bibliophiles, fans of fantasy and the Middle Ages
Notable aspects: lyrical language, rich and detailed settings, intricate plot twists, acknowledgement of consequences, mature themes
Review:
Inkspell, the sequel to Inkheart, is dark. Unbelievably and unrelievably dark. It's a very mature book that pulls no punches in the telling of a much more involved tale than its predecessor. Many new characters are introduced to round out the cast that we've already gotten to know. Meggie is a year older, somewhat wiser, but still the intrepid and curious young girl, who makes a young girl's mistakes. We get better acquainted with Farid, Resa, and Fenoglio, the latter of which still seems determined to control the story that he created but which has taken on a life of its own. The darkness in this book is offset by its richness of detail. Although it is just as long as Inkheart, perhaps even longer, it moves at a much swifter pace and sweeps the reader away even more strongly. I anxiously await the resolution of the ending set up in the final pages of Inkspell.
Reviewer: Patty Cryan, Mike's Comics, Worcester, MA
Rated: 9
 

The King in the Window
by Adam Gopnik
Miramax Books/Hyperion
October, 2005
$19.95
0-7868-1862-X
Core audience: Ages 10 and up
Notable aspects: very imaginative concept: complex and inventive plot: adventure: humor: setting
Review:
Eleven year old Oliver Parker is a very unhappy American in Paris.. He hates the strict French school he attends, he misses his friends from home and hasn't really made any new ones. Although his mother tries to encourage him, his father is always busily glued to his computer screen. Preoccupied with his problems on Epiphany night, he forgets to remove the paper crown he is wearing because the prize in the King cake, a strange looking key, was in his piece of cake. As he glances out the window, he sees, not his own reflection, but a long-haired boy dressed in an old fashioned embroidered doublet. This boy, who is and is not his reflection, speaks to him, calling him king and begging him to come home and lead his people. Thus begins a complex and highly imaginative adventure.
The boy is a Window Wraith, and has mistaken Oliver for the "King in the Window", the champion awaited by the Window Wraiths. This "king' will lead the forces of good in the latest round of a long battle against the evil Master of Mirrors who steals the souls of those who spend too much time looking in mirrors of all kinds (including computer screens}. This time the Master's evil intentions threaten the whole world, and possibly the universe.
With the aid of a strange collection of allies including Neige ( the mysterious daughter of the apartment manager), the Window Wraiths of Versailles, an elderly and eccentric Englishwoman, some of the street people of Paris as well as his American friend Charlie who arrives to visit, Oliver reluctantly takes on the task. The battle ranges through the windows, river, museums, Eiffel Tower, secret underground caverns, stained glass treasures and even the frozen puddles of a wintry and brooding Paris and into the strange and contrary world behind the mirrors. A glass sword, a crystal pendant, the key from the king cake, the shadows of the city, a cavalry of in-line skaters, mental exercise and a silver spoon are among the weapons mustered by Oliver and his allies.
Gopnik has spun one of the most imaginative fantasies I have read. Oliver, the reluctant and maybe accidental hero, grows in strength of character and sense of responsibility as he steps up to the plate and does what must be done. The adventure story is enlivened by Gopnik's subtle humor which illumines and pokes gentle fun at Franco-American differences in outlook. An underlying theme involving rhetorical devices and precision of language tickled me as well; the future of humankind might be in danger but there is always time for a good discussion of metaphor and irony.
Reviewer: Ann K. Bertone, Buttonwood Books and Toys
Rated: 7.5
 

The King of Mulberry Street
by Donna Jo Napoli
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
October, 2005
$17.99
0-385-90890-3
Core audience: elementary to middle school
Notable aspects: plot, characters, setting, authenticity
Dom is a 9-year-old from Naples who finds himself alone on a boat stowing away to America. The story of how he got on the boat and how he makes his way in a strange land is one of strength, loss and ultimate success. Based in part on her grandfather's life, the book is steeped in the history and atmosphere of immigrant New York at the turn of the twentieth century. Dom and his friends Gaetano and Tin Pan Alley will tug at your heart.
Nancy Felton, Broadside Bookshop
Rated: 8.5
 

The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark
by Ridley Pearson
Disney/Hyperion
September, 2005
$17.99
0-7868-5444-8
Core audience: Ages 10 and up
Review:
This is a workmanlike sci fi interpretation of the 'Magic" of Disney, Finn Whitman, an aspiring actor has along with four other teenagers been chosen to be the model for a new sort of Disney guide. Their likeness has been made into holograms with whom Magic Kingdom visitors can interact. But something is wrong with the technology and Finn begins dreaming that he is in the park at night after it has closed to the public. When he is joined in the dreams by the other four holograms, Finn understands that these are not normal dreams. With the park increasingly coming under the influence of the 'Overtakers' (Malevolent mutated Disney characters) it seems the teens are the only hope. It may appeal to hardcore Disney fans because of the scenes detailing the behind-the-scenes working of the huge entertainment complex.
Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 7
 

Legend of the Wandering King
by Laura Gallego Garcia, translated by Dan Bellm
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
August, 2005
0-439-58556-2
Core audience: Older elementary and middle school
Notable Aspects: character, plot, setting, language
Rating: 8.5
This fable-like novel is set in pre-Islamic Arabia. It is the story of King Walid, whose ambition is to be named the best poet in the land. His jealousy of the man whose poetry is chosen over his leads Walid to commit acts which he later regrets. The journey he takes to atone for them is one of self-discovery and growth. There is action and suspense in this book as well as introspection, and I love the fact that the main conflict centers around a poetry competition in a society where poets are given the highest honors.
Nancy Felton, Broadside Bookshop
Rated: 8.5

Significant themes: legends, storytelling, poetry, carpets, the Middle East, choices, life lessons
Review: This is a wonderful book that artfully extends the tradition of great storytelling. A memorable read that is rich with poetry, adventure, and unexpected plot twists, The Legend of the Wandering King ultimately leads readers toward a meaningful understanding of the impact and responsibility of one's choices. (But, not to worry -- it does so without fanfare or preachiness.)
Reviewer: Alison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 8
 

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX,
the Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America
by Karen Blumenthal
Atheneum/Simon and Schuster
July 2005
$17.95
0-689-85957-0
Core audience: will appeal mostly to those 14 and up (and this is just as much for adults as for a YA audience!!)
Notable aspects: sports, women's history, legislation, hurdles (both literal and figurative!!)
Review:
Let Me Play is a truly interesting and insightful look at that the law that eventually moved girls (and women) one stop closer to equal rights and an even playing field. While it would make a great gift for precocious athletes in middle or (more likely) high school, this is, for the most part, a book about the judicial system. Sound boring? Think again. Politics, ugly in-fighting, endless hurdles, tireless perseverance, big rewards. Funny... Maybe this IS a book about sports, after all!
Reviewer: Alison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 8
 

The Liberation of Gabriel King
by K. L. Going
Putnam/Penguin
June, 2005
$15.99
0-399-23991-X
Core audience: middle grade readers
Notable aspects: plot, characters, language, authenticity & accuracy, imagination, sensitivity, humor, child-connected, interesting setting, strong ending, significant underlying ideas, information
Review: I have to agree with Alison, this is a great book! My Penguin rep says it is her first Newbery Pick of the year. I agree with her, too. And, as you can see, it contains every notable aspect that's part of our review process.
That's got to mean something.
In some respects I'd compare this book to Ann Martin's Here Today (bringing alive a certain time in history), but I find it much more tightly focused and well written. The story takes place in a small town in Georgia in 1976 right before Jimmy Carter becomes president(it is sooo weird to be reading historical fiction about a time period in which I lived!). Perhaps Civil Rights have made great strides by this time in history, but the KKK is still strong in this part of the country. It is against this backdrop that we read about two best friends: one white (Gabe) and one black (Frita). Gabe is terrified of many things, including going to 5th grade next year. Frita, as his best friend, takes it upon herself to help him conquer his fears. She has him make a list of his top fears and she makes a list, too, and one by one they tackle them.
K.L. Going conveys a well defined sense of place and time in history, expressing dark realities in a way kids can understand, and within that framework also expresses the power of friendship and family.
Reviewer: Lisa Dugan, Koen Book Distributors (formerly of)
Rated: 9

Core audience: ages 10 and up
Significant themes: fear, racism, bullies, friendship, strength of family, strength of community
Review:
The Liberation of Gabriel King is a quiet stunner of a book. Through the vehicle of a strong, simple story about two friends on a mission to conquer their fears, K. L. Going delivers a compelling look at the things that reduce us to nothing, and the loves that bring us back again. This is not (as the plot synopsis might suggest) a book about race. This is a book about learning to stand up for yourself, and trusting your friends to stand with you. In short, this is a memorable, WONDERFUL book
Reviewer: Alison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 9

Core audience: Ages 8-12, boys and girls
Notable aspects: Voice, setting, plot, sensitivity, strong ending, significant underlying ideas
Review: Bright, feisty black girls whose best friends are dorky white boy narrators seem to be a larger demographic in print than in real life. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy set a very high standard last year in this category, and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes so close to that standard that I feel conflicted about which to recommend to a customer. Gabriel King addresses a somewhat younger audience, and softens the ugliness of racial violence on that account. That may make it a good choice for school and library use, and it will become a summer reading perennial, but as a gift book, its understated tension and subtle humor would probably be lost on most individual readers ages 8-12. Furthermore, the setting of rural Georgia is less immediate to New England readers than that of Phippsburg, Maine, where Lizzie Bright takes place.
Reviewer: Carol Chittenden, Eight Cousins
Rated: 8
 

Lionboy: The Truth
by Zizou Corder
Dial/Penguin
September, 2005
$16.99
0-8037-2985-5
Core audience: 8-12
Notable aspects: satisfying conclusion, plot twists & turns, comprehensive epilogue
Review:
Maybe it's because its part of a trilogy we tend to dismiss this new book as being just like the others. Of course the kids who read the first two will want this one as well. And that's true, but1/4
What if it were poorly written, or too far-fetched, or not satisfying. Let's not even entertain those silly notions, because it's great! My family and I came late to this series about a young boy who can talk to cats in search of his parents. We listened to the audio versions on a cartrip and all of us were equally riveted and entertained. This time around we read the book out loud, so anxious were we to have Charlie reunite with his parents. It didn't disappoint. Twists and turns abound. New characters and old ones you may have just forgotten make an appearance, giving this story charm and appeal to a wide age range of reader.
Having a mother and daughter team write these stories makes for interesting dialogue, giving an authenticity to the younger characters that's often lacking in other books. On the other hand, you may have to suspend a bit of disbelief when Neenu the chameleon helps out with the computers, but then again all the animals in these stories talk that's what makes them so engaging.
I found the epilogue in the form of a "Wish List" especially satisfying-tying up loose ends for those of us who like that sort of thing. But when it was over, and we saw those two little words "The End," we were sad, but happy for Charlie. But now when we recommend them to new readers they can devour them one right after the other and find themselves charmed. Maybe even developing a taste for hot chocolate with whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top. That's how we have it at our house now-just like King Boris.
Reviewer: Beth Reynolds, Norwich Bookstore
Rated: 8
 

The Lioness and Her Knight
by Gerald Morris
Houghton Mifflin
September 2005
$16.00
0-618-50772-8
Core audience: Ages 10 and up, both boys and girls, King Arthur fans, fantasy fans, fans of Lloyd Alexander, Tamora Pierce's Trickster's Choice, Vivian Vande Velde's Heir Apparent, etc.
Notable aspects: plot, characters, humor, imagination, setting, literary quality
Review: This seventh installment in Morris's series of bright Arthurian retellings sparkles with lively humor. Here, Lynet's teenaged daughter, Luneta, chafes at the confines of dull country life and leaps at the opportunity to visit her mother's friend in a distant castle. Escorted by her newfound cousin and aspiring knight, Ywain, Luneta encounters much more adventure than she'd hoped for. In her travels, she meets a clever knight-turned-fool --- Rhience, a match for her own quick wit and a temper for her impulsiveness -- as well as a holy hermit who lives surprisingly well, a semi-tame lioness, and a whole host of variously silly, absurd, vain, or dangerous folks. The pace never falters and the banter never fails to amuse in this delightful tale; 343 pages whiz by. How Gerald Morris goes unnoticed by awards committees astonishes me; he proves himself time and time again a master storyteller.
Note: While the book stands on its own, readers of Morris's earlier books, especially The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, will be happy to reacquaint themselves with Lynet, Gary, Terence, Gawain, Robin, Morgan Le Fay, and numerous other familiar friends. An author's note at the end points readers to the medieval origins of the story first told by French poet-chronicler Chretien de Troyes.
Elizabeth Bluemle, Flying Pig Bookstore
Rated: 9
 

Listening For Lions
by Gloria Whelan
HarperCollins
July, 2005
$15.99
0-06-058174-3
Core audience: 10-12 (girls, especially)
Notable Aspects: Rich African/English setting, plot
Review:
Rachel is the daughter of 2 missionaries who spend their time tending to the sick in East Africa in the early 1900's. When influenza strikes their area, both succumb and Rachel is left an orphan. By a strange coincidence of events she is sent to England impersonating the granddaughter of a dying man. She is uncomfortable about the deception, but doesn't know how to rectify it, thinking her "grandfather" would die if he found out. There is a certain predictability about the story, but the richness of the setting and the characters pulls it along.
Reviewer: Carol Stoltz, Porter Square Books
Rated: 8
 

Looking for Lucy Buick
by Rita Murphy
Delacorte/Random House
November, 2005
$15.95
0-385-72939-1
Core audience: Ages 12 & up
Notable aspects:
Review:
Rita Murphy's new novel has the same wonderful magical realism and strong female bonding that I have come to expect from her. Lucretia Sandoni is 18 years old and is finally ready to start her new life as Lucy Buick. Although she has loved her Aunts and Uncle Sandoni's she has felt stifled by her life with them. She hops a train looking for signs to figure out where to go. She wants to find her real family, the ones who left her as a baby in an old Buick. She lands in Gardenia, Iowa at Lila Fortune's Motor Lodge. There she meets a cast of characters that help teach her what family really means.
Reviewer: Lorna Ruby, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 8
 

Marie, Dancing
by Carolyn Meyer
Harcourt
October, 2005
$17.00
0-15-205116-3
Core audience: Girls - 12 and up
Notable Aspects: characters, interesting setting, historical and artistic mentions
Review:
Historical Fiction - The main character of the book is Marie Van Goethem, the model for Edgar Degas' statue "The Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen". The setting is Paris in the late 1800's. We see Marie and her struggle to survive with her widowed alcoholic mother-a good woman, but weak, an older sister-self centered and willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, including seducing rich older men and her younger sister-who must be taken care of. We get a glimpse of what went into the modeling for the statue and the initial public reaction to it.
I immediately fell in love with the character of Marie and would have loved to see the book wrapped up in a nice fairy tale ending. However, life does not always turn out that way and we learn of the struggles Marie encounters.
Reviewer: Lisa Fabiano, Hearts & Stars Bookshop
Rated: 6

Core audience: Children 12 and older who like historical fiction and ballet
Notable aspects: story development and characters
Review:
This is a fictionalized recounting of the life of the 14 year old girl who was the model for Edgar Degas' sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, Petite Danseuse de Quartorze Ans. The book explores the life of Marie van Goethem and her poor Parisian family. The reader finds out what the real life of a ballet dancer entailed, which could include being forced by financial circumstances to face the reality of being a rich man's mistress. Only one of the 3 sisters truly becomes a ballet star and Marie loses her one true love. This is a touching and beautifully written story that all dancers will treasure.
Reviewer: Janet Bibeau, Storybook Cove
Rated: 8
 

The Minister's Daughter
by Julie Hearn
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster
June, 2005
$16.95
0-689-87690-4
Core audience: Girls ages 12-15
Strengths: Setting, language
Review: The thing I like best about The Minister's Daughter is the rich, imaginative language. It's as genuine as a live, fresh, fragrant Christmas tree, and just as full of promise. The thing I like the least is the plot, which is trite and labored, as though the end point (the Salem Witch Trials) had come first in the author's mind, and no amount of logic (or illogic) could divert her from that destination. In between are the characters. The major ones seem 2 1/2-dimensional: the Evil One, the Good One, and the Confused One. But several of the minor characters have a little more stuffing, and I wanted to meet more of them. I can't wait to see what Hearn writes next.
Plot synopsis: in Puritan England of 1645, the minister's pretty elder daughter becomes pregnant by a lusty young swain. Her younger sister, telling parts of the story in flashback, is unbelievably naive about her nasty sibling, and falls for the excuse that they're under the spell of a witch: convenient, because rooting out witches is quite the public entertainment of the day, and the minister himself has thundered against witches from his pulpit. The elderly local healer has just failed a trial by water, leaving her granddaughter only half prepared to meet village medical and psychiatric needs, so the granddaughter is easily set up as the culpable witch. When a handy prince saves her at the last minute, the minister and his household are disgraced, and soon set sail for Salem in the New World.
Reviewer: Carol B. Chittenden, Eight Cousins
Rated: 7

Core audience: teen girls
Notable Aspects: character, period detail, language, plot
Review: This is an engrossing tale told through two strands. The first being the Minister's younger daughter's confession in 1692. Patience Madden says "We went too far" in describing the plot devised by her older sister, Grace, 15, to convince the townspeople, and her widowed minister father, that her growing belly was due to the spells of the town's healer and her "merrybegotten" granddaughter, Nell. The two put on little "shows" similar to those of the Salem
girls accusing elders of witchcraft. Patience describes her older sister as "artful as a snake" and indeed we see it once again, after the minister and his daughters board ship for a new life in the New World-Salem, of course- and then, what a strange twist at the end!
The other strand is a third person narration of what is happening with the townspeople, the town healer and Nell in the year 1645, when most of the above action takes place. We see the angry townspeople and what they do to suspected witches. It is suspenseful and we see lives full of secrets. The real kicker is at the end, back to the confession of Patience in Salem. This atmospheric tale ends fittingly-but don't we all know that Patience will out!
Score: 9 (except for those pesky piskies!)
Reviewer: Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH
Rated: 9

Core audience: 12+
Notable Aspects: historic content, characters, authenticity
Review: England in 1692 is no place to be if you are a witch. Although Grace is a ministers daughter, pretty and refined, she is by no means an angel. Nell, on the other hand, is granddaughter to the village folk healer and in training for the job herself. Although they don't know it, their fates are closely linked in ways that unravel throughout the book. The author fades in and out of really authentic historic situations into fantasy that really is magically done. I think it is a great piece of work that has just enough lustiness, magic and intrigue to keep a teen ( or adult) interested.
Reviewer: Mimi Powell, Baker Books
Rated: 8
 

Mirror of Fire and Dreaming
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Roaring Brook Press
September, 2005
$16.95
1-59643-067-2
Core audience: older elementary and middle school
Notable Aspects: plot, characters, setting, language
Review:
In this sequel to The Conch Bearer, the apprentice Anand has a vision that his mentor Abhaydatta is in danger. He embarks on a journey through time as well as space to save Abhaydatta nd all those endangered by an evil magician and a jinn. The book is set in both contemporary Indian and India under Moghul rule. It is beautifully written, has both emotion and humor and is full of adventure.
Reviewer: Nancy Felton, Broadside Bookshop
Rated: 8.5
Core audience: children 10-12 who enjoy fantasy and adventure
Notable aspects: setting, kid-appeal, interesting characters
Review:
Anand, the "keeper of the conch", and the newest member of the Brotherhood in Silver Valley, goes on another adventure with Nisha, his companion from The Conch Bearer and the conch. His Indian adventure includes travel in time in order to assist his mentor Abhaydatta in his quest to the aid a village tormented by an evil sorcerer and powerful jinn. This engrossing novel set in India telling of fantasy, loyalty, and good versus evil will appeal to young readers. Reviewer: Janet Bibeau, Storybook Cove
Rated: 7.5
 

The Mistmantle Chronicles
by M. I. McAllister
Miramax/Hyperion
September, 2005
$17.95
0-7868-5486-3
Core audience: Ages 8 up
Notable aspects: First book in animal-based medieval trilogy.
Review: Urchin is an orphan squirrel- his mother, fearing a prophecy that her baby will bring down a powerful ruler, flees her island and arrives on Mistmantle Island during the "Night of the Stars". She delivers him only to die & be swept out to sea. A gull grabs him, but he is dropped back & is rescued by two squirrels- the King's attendant Crispin & Brother Fir, the island's priest. They arrange to have him adopted & keep an eye on him. As he gets older, he is asked to serve Captain Crispin as a page in the king's tower. Squirrels, hedgehogs, otters & moles form the main body of characters. Full of adventure as Urchin learns his new duties and a coup d'etat plot is hatched by a member of the court who fears a day "when squirrels fall from the sky". Readers will learn about medieval hierarchies and tasks as well as animal characteristics.
Reviewer: Pat Fowler, Village Square BooksellersRated 9
 

The Naming: First Book of Pellinor
by Alison Croggon
Candlewick Press
June 2005
$17.99
0-7636-2639-2
Core audience: Fans of Tamora Pierce, fans of Shero books, fans of fantasy
Notable aspects: Character development, positive values
Rating: For Tamora Pierce fans, I'd rate it a 8.5/9, for others, 7.5/8
Review: Okay, I could say, "They had me at hello", but what I mean is, Candlewick had me at the quote from Tamora Pierce on the back of the ARC recommending this title. It's funny, because usually it bothers me when publishers point out that a prominent author has given a quote to go on a book, and, yet, having TP's stamp of approval made me dive into this story. It's definitely for young adults, older middle grade readers, because it's dense, thick, filled with words, a good book to sink your teeth into. It's about this girl Maerad who is a slave in a far away little hovel and one day as she is milking the cows, she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of the kingdom who takes her away with him, because he recognizes in her that she has great powers and is also a bard (bards here are more than just musicians, they are the ruling class). The journey they undertake is long and arduous, outrunning evil at every turn. Cadvan has been on a mission, because dark forces are taking over the world and the bards must mount a battle campaign to combat this evil. Throughout this Maerad comes into her own. A sixteen year old girl who has never had the luxury of a bath, has never learned to read. As she discovers the niceties of society, she is also trained in swordplay, taught to read, and is prepared to become a bard, so that she can fulfill a destiny she's not sure is hers and she's not sure she wants.
The same qualities I love in Tamora Pierce's books are evident in this book. I love Maerad's character. I love that she must undergo grueling tests of her courage and strength. She is trained in all sorts of things to prepare her for battle on many fronts. Through it all, she develops a circle of close friends, and she is above all a good person. I think if you are the type of person that had issues with Eragon as in being too similar to Tolkien, then you'd probably have even more issues with this book, because even I, now that I have seen the movies (No, sorry, I haven't read the books), can recognize similar characters, etc., but I still really, really liked it. *Of course*, it's the first in a planned quartet. The author is Australian.
Lisa Dugan, Koen Book Distributors (formerly of)
Rated: 8.0
 

Naughts & Crosses
by Marjorie Blackman
Simon & Schuster
June, 2005
$15.95
1-41690016-0
Core audience: 14 & up
Notable aspects: imaginative setting, told from dual points of view, includes details that make the reader ponder
Review:
A modern day Romeo & Juliet set in an alternative England where the naughts are light-skinned and considered second-class citizens. The Crosses are the dark-skinned ruling class-the two shall never mix. Yet Callum and Sephy, the main characters in this story, have been playing together since they were little. They are each other's best friends, all they've ever known.
Blackman writes the type of YA novel that makes you think. A little romance, intrigue, not to mention a good heaping dollop of politics thrown in for good measure. I loved the little tidbits she includes, like dark colored band-aids looking out of place on Callum's skin. And those light skinned explorers that we read about in history books, here play second fiddle to the dark men who really did all the work.
She certainly uses dichotomy and opposition to spectacular effect, playing each of the different sides off of each other: Boy vs. Girl, Dark vs. Light, Old student vs. New student, Rich vs. Poor, Older sibling vs. Younger sibling. (Callum and Sephy each has a older same-sex sibling who a dramatic effect upon their respective family dynamic.) Blackman is the queen of subtle nuance with each turn of phrase another chance to re-examine "reality."
This story is the ultimate "What-if." Told from different points of view, Callum and Sephy's tragic tale will keep you riveted to the end. Of course it's not Happily Ever After, but Shakespeare's couple didn't end up their either. I imagine this will do very well in paperback with teens who don't think they like historical novels. This one may surprise them.
Reviewer: Beth Reynolds, The Norwich Bookstore
Rated: 7
 

Operation Red Jericho
by Joshua Mowll (Guild Trilogy Book 1)
Candlewick
September, 2005
$15.99
0-7636-2634-1
Core audience: ages 10-12
Notable aspects: Elaborate production
Review: Highly as I regard Candlewick fiction, this book is a piece of gimmicky claptrap whose sole originality seems to be in making up "facts". The setting is supposedly China and neighboring islands in 1920, and the concept is the report of a secret society, including diagrams, diary entries, photographs, plans, sketches, clippings, lists and maps. An English boy of 13 and his sister, 15, are seeking their missing parents when they're caught up in intrigues for control of a powerful substance that roughly equals nuclear power. But I became skeptical on the first page of Chapter 1 where a "clipping" dated 1920, reporting on an international trade accord, cites "European, Asian, African and American delegates..." Scuse me, but who was speaking for Asian and African trade interests in 1920? On page 8, the sister makes offhand mention that "our airplane force-landed four days ago in Indo China." You may search the internet as I did to see if there's any history of passenger flight anywhere in east Asia before 1929. Good luck.
I persevered as far as page 235 (of 257) and just couldn't take any more. Perhaps those final pages, or even the two remaining volumes, flesh out one or more of the oriental characters into an admirable and complex person, in contrast to the stunt guys and evil ones who populate the first 19 chapters. Perhaps they peel away the imitation Jules Verne, Richard Halliburton and Da Vinci Code and 85 years of world history to become a believable work of fiction. It would be a surprise.
Reviewer: Carol Chittenden, Eight Cousins
Rated: 3

Review:
Incredible attention to detail in both story development and accompanying graphics; heroic action, great characters. Joshua Mowll inherits archives of family history. His aunt and uncle in their youth had astonishing adventures, the details of which are shown through the archival material. This story will go over big with the bright kids (of all ages!) who enjoy the Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, and Eragon adventures. The author, Joshua Mowll, is himself a character in the story as well as an extremely gifted writer and incredibly imaginative graphic artist. The story unfolds via the archived materials of all sorts that he inherits from his Great Aunt Rebecca. In her youth, she and her brother kept journals as well as various artifacts from their amazing adventures. These adventures ensued during the teenagers' attempts to find their missing parents. Glorious and curiosity-provoking details will cure readers into an appreciation of history. This one is destined for greatness.! A bona-fide "10"!
Reviewer: Magoo Gelehrter, Baker Books
Rated: 10
 

Peeps
by Scott Westerfield
Razorbill/Penguin
September, 2005
$16.99
1-59514-031-x
Core audience: Ages 14 and up
Notable aspects:
Review: Working as a Health Field Officer for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Sexually Transmitted Disease Control, Cal spends his time hunting old girlfriends and others infected with the parasite that transforms them into "Peeps." As a carrier, Cal will not transform but he is still able to infect others. His "hunting grounds' are Manhattan and the surrounding bouroughs. I wanted to like this book (I had really enjoyed Westerfied's previous foray into sci fi, So Yesterday.) but I got bogged down in the tedious requirements of the disease and the details of the hunt.
Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 7
 

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Girls,
Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
by Jeanne Birdsall
Knopf/Random House
June, 2005
$15.95
0-375-83143-6
Core audience: Girls and boys, ages 8-12
Notable aspects: Characters, plot, humor, language, imagination, sensitivity, humor, child-connected, strong ending.
Review: Spirited, but gentle. A charming blend of old-fashioned family stories and modern details. Four delightfully distinctive sisters and their botanist-father vacation in a cottage on the estate where two unique boys and an overbearing mother live, so naturally there are adventures, friendships, rescues, misunderstandings, computers, Latin, rabbits, mischief, tears, a big dog, computers, hiding places, and a good-natured cook.
Reviewer: Carol Chittenden, Eight Cousins
Rated: 9
 

The Perfect Distance
by Kim Ablon Whitney
Knopf/Random House
October, 2005
$17.99
0375832432
Core audience: ages 12 and up
Notable aspects: horseback riding, immigration, first love, self-confidence, competition
Review: Don't be misled by the cover -- this is not "just another horse book." With The Perfect Distance, Kim Ablon Whitney delivers a smart, sensitive story about the nature of competition, the power of self-confidence, and the occasional necessity of compromise. Teens will find it easy to relate to protagonist Francie Martinez and will find themselves cheering her on as she steers her way around obstacles in both the riding ring and her social life. Francie's experiences will surely resonate with readers (girls especially) who will enjoy being along for the ride.
Reviewer: Allison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 8
 

Plastic Angel
by Nerissa Nields
Orchard/Scholastic
June, 2005
$17.95
0-439-70913-X
Core audience: teenaged girls
Notable aspects:
Review:
Nerissa Nields has drawn on her many years as a singer-songwriter to craft a well-written novel about 2 girls who decide to form a band. Randi's father is a musician and her best friend Gellie is being pushed by her mother into a modeling career. It is a story about friendship and family and making difficult choices, told with humor and empathy.
Reviewer: Nancy Felton, Broadside Bookshop
Rated: 8.5
 

Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury
August 2005
$16.95
1-58234-993-2
Core audience: Middle School girls
Notable aspects: plot, imagination, interesting setting
Review:
It is time for the Prince to choose a bride and it is the turn of Miri's mining region to supply the lucky girl, so she and other young ladies of the region must travel to a Princess boarding school established just for their training, at the end of which the Prince will choose one exceptional scholar for his bride. The head of the school, nasty Olana, treats them like backwater hicks and punishes unfairly and meanly. Miri learns that being smart and clever is not purely scholastic, but means being able to think around a new problem and find new options. At the heart of what she is able to do for herself and the other girls is to use "quarry speech", a sort of supernatural ability to communicate soundlessly through mental images of shared memories. This ability comes in handy to foil the nasty Olana as well as to save themselves from the very evil bandits who come to cart off the chosen bride- to- be for ransom. These bandits provide a lot of mean violence like hair-pulling and threats of beheading as they keep all the girls hostage. We could do without this part. The story had been a rather unusual and almost charming tale about a strange and fascinating place where the mining of linder is the most important part of lives. The tensions between Mira and Peder, the nice boy at home, and the girls, all wondering whose life would be transformed, and what would happen to the rest of them provided enough suspense for most readers. In the end, Mira learns how to help her people bargain for what their product is truly worth and make all their lives better. She has become the Academy Princess, but the Prince gets his childhood sweetheart (who was posing as one of the region's girls), Olana becomes nicer, and Mira opens a school in her village for anyone who wants to learn. We hope those nasty mean bandits never return. They had no use, anyway.
Sue Carita, Toadstool Bookshop, Milford
Rated: 7.5

Shannon Hale has rapidly become one of my favorite writers. The language she uses as well as the originality of her stories captivate me with each new book. I especially loved The Princess Academy, starting with the cover which I think perfectly captures the essence of the story. All the girls of a far flung village are required to attend training on how to be a princess, due to a prophecy which says that the prince of the kingdom will marry a girl from this village. Though the lessons are tedious, the instructor imperious, and the girls miss their families, they gain knowledge which ultimately helps the village.
Reviewer: Lisa Dugan, Koen Book Distributors (formerly of)
Rated: 9

The Ranger's Apprentice, Bk. 1 of Ruins of Gorlan
by J. Flanagan.
Philomel/ Penguin
June, 2005
$15.99
0-399-24454-9
Core audience:
Notable aspects:
Review:
Young Will, an orphan brought up as a ward of the Castle, gets to be a Ranger's apprentice. He is small for his age, but nimble and very intelligent. Horace, another orphan ward, is chosen for Battlemaster School, something Will has always wanted. There he faces hazing and ridicule, of the same sort he had been dishing up for Will at the Castle. The tables are turned. After more bullying of Will by Horace, the latter has a chance to save Horace from his own attackers and the boys begin a tentative friendship. The more important (?) , wider plot, involves Morgareth, Lord of Mountains of Rain and Night, working with the Wargal, a band of monster/men to take back his kingdom from usurpers. The story is engrossing, Will and Horace become sympathetic characters that we care about, and the book is a page-turner. Boys, especially, aged 10-13 will eagerly await the next volume.
Reviewer: Sue Carita, Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH
Rated: 7.5
 

Ready or Not
by Meg Cabot
HarperCollins
August, 2005
$15.99
0-06-07245-0
Core audience: 13+
Notable aspects: Characters, plot, teen connection
Review: I don't care. I liked All-American Girl and I especially enjoyed Ready or Not. Samantha, the girl who saved the life of the president and then went on to fall in love with his son, is on to other adventures ? figuring out how to deal with being a slightly odd-ball teenager, and questioning what exactly she is ready for. She?s at her best when she let?s her natural instincts take over. Samantha is hilarious!! Although the content is more mature, this book will be much appreciated by the slightly older YA crowd.
Reviewer: Carol Stolz, Porter Square Books
Rated: 8
Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 7
 

A Really Nice Prom Mess
by Brian Sloan
Simon & Schuster
June 05
$14.95
0-689-87438-3
Core audience:
Notable Aspects: Humor, authenticity, great voice
Review: Cameron Hayes doesn't want to go to the prom if he can't go with his boyfriend, Shane. But no way is Shane (captain of the football team) going to go public with their secret relationship. So when Shane suggests that they find girls to take as decoy dates, Cameron agrees. Cameron's date, the beautiful Virginia McKinley, shows up completely drunk, and she's figured out that Cameron is gay and is ready to spill the beans to everyone. But this is only the first of the evening's disasters. When Cameron ends up in a Russian drug dealer's car, being chased by the police, he thinks things can't get any worse, but he has no idea that before the night is out, he'll be competing in Amateur Night at a gay strip club, getting his heart broken, and meeting the most unlikely knight in shining armor. This book had me laughing out loud and on the edge of my seat. I love Cameron's sly sense of humor, and his honesty about all the internal wrangling going on in his suburban teenager's heart. I really hope a sequel is in store.
Reviewer: Sara Chaganti, The Bookloft
Rated: 8.5
 

Rebel Angels
by Libba Bray
Delacorte/Random House
August, 2005
$16.95
0-385-73029-2
Core audience: Teen girls 14 and older who enjoy fantasy and Victorian settings
Notable aspects: Characters, originality, child-centered
Review:
When Gemma Doyle shattered the runes in A Great and Terrible Beauty, the companion book to Rebel Angels, she didn't realize that she was releasing magic into the "realms" for all spirits to use -- good and bad. In Rebel Angels, Gemma and her friends must restore order to the realms and defeat Circe. Unfortunately she doesn't know whom she can trust! This is a fast moving suspenseful fantasy with many twists and turns which will be enjoyed by girls who love the charm of Victorian life -- high class girl academies, coming-out balls, courtship and romance, and mystery. The strong heroine who keeps managing to defy authority and to face danger bravely will win their hearts. Won't be studied as a great work of literature but will be loved.
Reviewer: Janet Bibeau, Storybook Cove
Rated: 7.5
 

Regarding the Trees
by Kate & Sarah Klise
Harcourt, August, 2005
$15.00
0-15-205163-5
Core audience: ages 9 and up
Notable aspects: environmentalism, trees, gender rivalry, romance
Review: While not as satisfying as Regarding the Sink, Regarding the Trees is another funny follow-up to the stories that began with Regarding the Fountain. This time some of the puns are a bit of a stretch, and there's considerably less mystery to unravel than in the first two installments. But frankly? I hardly cared. The Klise books are meant to be fun and
by golly, this one is.
Reviewer: Allison Morris, Wellesley Booksmith
Rated: 7
 

Replay
by Sharon Creech
Harper
September, 2005
$15.99
0-06-054019-2
Core audience: ages 8-12
Notable Aspects: great asides of main character's fantasies, humor, child connected
Review:
Kids will really identify with the sibling rivalry and day dreaming. Leo begins to see his father as a person and his relationship to him in a new way.
Reviewer: Joyce Miller, Baker Books
Rated: 7

Reviewer Kathy Goddard
Rated: 7.5

Reviewer: Deb Sundin, Hearts & Stars Bookshop
Rated: 9

Core audience: 9-12
Notable aspects: Character
Review:
Leo comes from a large family and spends a lot of his time in his imagination replaying events in such a way that he is the hero and noticed by everyone. He is also in the school play in which the director asks the players to imagine the histories of their characters. This exercise spreads to Leo's looking at his family and thinking about them when they were younger -- another replay!! Creech writes so well about the inner life of this child, layering meanings as she goes. My worry is that kids won't get hooked.
Reviewer: Carol Stolz, Porter Square Books
Rated: 7.5
 

Return of the Dragon
by Rebecca Rupp
Candlewick
August, 2005
$15.99
0-7636-2377-6
Core Audience: elementary school
Notable Aspects: imagination, characters, humor, stories within the story
Review:
Hannah, Zachary and Sarah Emily are delighted when their parents tell them that they will be returning to Lonely Island, which means they will visit again with the 3-headed dragon Fafnyr, who is secretly living in a cave on the island. But shortly after they arrive, they discover strangers on the island, strangers whom they are afraid will discover Fafnyr and put the dragon in danger. As in "The Dragon of the Lonely Island", Fafnyr tells the children stories of its past experiences, this time with Niko, a boy in ancient Greece, Gawain and Eleanor in medieval England and Sallie, a slave in Alabama. Fafnyr is a kind and droll dragon, the villains are just evil and mysterious enough, the stories take the children to other times and places and gently teach them lessons, and the book has just enough suspense for younger readers.
Reviewer: Nancy Felton, Broadside Bookshop
Rated: 8.5

Core audience: Ages 8-12, both boys and girls, dragon lovers, kids who like gentler fantasy and summer vacation mystery/adventures (e.g., fans of Edward Eager, The Boxcar Children, etc.)
Notable Aspects: Humor, interesting setting, important theme, sibling relationships, dragon!
Review:
One of our favorite charming middle-grade fantasies continues in this sequel to The Dragon of Lonely Island. In this installment, siblings Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily return to the island for another summer visit with their secret friend, the wise old three-headed dragon, Fafnyr Goldenwings. Danger threatens in the form of a yachting billionaire whom the children suspect of wanting to capture the 20,000-year-old Fafnyr. While they engage in some low-tech investigating of the rich "bird watcher," they also enjoy stolen time with Fafnyr, who entertains them with stories of her adventures in ancient Greece, Arthurian England, and the antebellum American South. (Who knew that a dragon had a hand in the Underground Railroad?) All three mini-stories revolve around ideas of freedom and questions of what is worth fighting for. A happy ending courtesy of a dragon-ex-machina solution rounds out this lively, engaging fantasy.
Reviewer: Elizabeth Bluemle, Flying Pig Bookstore
Rated: 8
 

Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice Book 1)
by Joseph Delaney
Greenwillow/HarperCollins
September, 2005
$14.99
0-06-076618-2
Core audience: those children ages 10 and older who like scary fantasy stories
Notable aspects: plot, characters, suspense, movie material
Review: Being the seventh son of a seventh son, Tom is destined to become a spook. His mother, Mam, has made sure of that. His job will be to protect farms and villages from ghosts, witches, etc. The book is scary and suspenseful. (The advertising for it picks out certain pages to intrigue and scare the reader.) Tom unknowingly helps a witch escape and then must deal with the consequences. It was predictable but I can see the movie potential. The book even includes a friendship (or will it be more) between Tom and a witch, Alice, who is desperately trying to be a good witch. Is it possible to deny your training? The "last apprentice" implies that the present Spook, Old Gregory, will be passing his "business" on to Tom. I'm sure that more books are in the planning. This adventure does end and does not leave the reader hanging.
Reviewer: Janet Bibeau, Storybook Cove
Rated: 7
 

Rosa Sola
by Carmela Martino
Candlewick
September, 2005
$15.99
0-7636-2395-1
Core Audience: Older elementary school girls
Notable Aspects: Characters, sensitivity
Review:
Rosa is the only child of Italian immigrant parents and she desperately wants a sibling, especially after spending time with her best friend's baby brother. Her mother does get pregnant after Rosa prays for a brother, but when tragedy strikes, Rosa must face her feelings of loss and guilt. This book gives a vivid portrait of Rosa's extended family, how they each deal with their feelings of loss and what Rosa learns about and from each of them. It also portrays the role of religion in a devout Catholic family in a way few contemporary children's books do.
Reviewer: Nancy Felton, Broadside Bookshop
Rated: 7.5

Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice Book One)
by John Flanagan
Philomel/Penguin
June, 2005
$15.99
0-399-24454-9
Core audience: girls and boys aged 10 and older who enjoy adventure & spy stories & fantasy
Notable aspects:
Review:
William, an orphan, wants to be chosen for Battle School, but is small for his fifteen years. Instead, he gets picked to be an apprentice to Ranger Halt. Rangers are fast, can climb walls and become invisible to their enemies as a result of their speed and ability to blend into their surroundings. Because of these abilities rangers act as scouts and are sent on special missions. Will has the necessary skills to be a ranger, but he still would rather be a warrior fighting with swords and shields. I really enjoyed this book because it didn't just deal with battles, but rather included Will learning to be a friend, to be brave, to be fair