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The Invention of Hugo Cabret In an entirely new type of book, Mr. Selznick has created a reading experience that is emotionally and visually involving. Using a variety of cinematic techniques, and capturing those on paper in a richly textured black-and-white, Selznick tells the story of a young boy who lives in the walls of a train station in Paris very early in the last century. A series of well-paced mysteries will keep readers turning the page. The main characters all have secrets, living their lives hidden from their true passions. It's impossible to finish reading this wonderful novel without wanting to learn more about the history of movies, for that is the story that lies at the heart of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Still scenes from the fantastical mind of a film genius are juxtaposed with Mr. Selznick's own art, illustrations that will be pored over long after the first reading. Recommended for readers 9 through adult. |
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Legend of Lady Ilena Set in the 6th century AD, this is a masterful story of a young girl who is trained by her father to be a warrior—not an uncommon occurrence for girls of her time, but uncommon in the village in which she has grown to her teens. When her father dies, he commands her to travel to the eastern shore of Britain, to Dun Alyn, where they have family. Ilena knows nothing of her family other than her mother and father, and they're both buried on the hillside. A brave and well-mannered warrior, Ilena is beset by slave traders on her pilgrimage and she comes to the rescue of another warrior, Durant. He turns out to be one of Arthur's trusted knights, on a mission to unite northern Britain against the invading Saxons. Based on historical fact, this is not a book filled with magic, but a book of adventure, suspense, and action. I can find no other novels set in the Dark Ages (if you are aware of them, please let me know). It's a time before knights and the feudal system, following the Roman invasion of Britain, but after the Romans left the isles. The writing is taut, the characters well-developed, and the historical setting of Druids and the coming of Christianity provides a good tie-in for social studies. The sequel, Lady Ilena: Way of the Warrior, follows Ilena after she has become chief of her clan. |
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Tomorrow the River "Read this book. Now!" Three people have said this to me, so I sat down to read it last night. I didn't turn out the light until I had finished it. The author has created a book of adventure, mystery, history, and a touch of romance. It's a great book about a family supporting each other. It's a wonderful book about a young girl finding her own special talent and passion for life, coming from a belief that she was the ordinary member of a large family. Beginning in June, 1896, Megan Barnett sets off on a train trip from Nebraska to Burlington, Iowa. She's never been away from home before and her head is filled with her mother's warnings about talking to strangers, getting off the train, and letting go of her valise. Fourteen-year-old Megan tries to mind, but there are a lot of unexpected circumstances. She's surprised by the strangers she meets on the train. Megan is supposed to meet her sister Hannah in Burlington and spend the summer on Hannah's steamboat on the Mississippi, taking care of Hannah and Isaac's young son. However, Isaac has had an accident in a log jam and a doctor wants to amputate his leg. Hannah is late picking up Megan from the train depot and someone steals Megan's return train ticket. And that's just the beginning of an adventure that paints a detailed picture of the Mississippi at a time when the river was heavily traveled, a young family filled with a zest for life and possibility, and a river community that holds danger as well as friendship. |
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The Book of Everything The subtlety of this book is memorable. Young Thomas has a hard life. Asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Thomas has a simple answer, "I want to be happy." He isn't happy now. His father beats his mother. Oh, Father beats Thomas, too, but that doesn't bother Thomas so much. Father feels justified in what he does, emboldened by Scripture. The story is set in the years following World War II and the people of Holland are dealing with the psychological effects of taking sides—and not always the right side. Thomas writes his thoughts, dreams, and observations in The Book of Everything. He talks to Jesus, his conversations surprisingly disturbing to his zealous father. Thomas has a crush on a neighborhood girl. He has forbidden— but lifesaving—meetings with the former Resistance fighter and widow who lives next door. Ultimately, it is the community who comes together to fight the oppressor. That the writer accomplished this story in a lighthanded, non-judgmental manner is breathtaking. The Book of Everything can be read on several levels. It will most likely be appreciated by thoughtful and empathetic readers above the age of ten, especially those who may face family challenges of their own. |
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The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas: Mentioned briefly in Arthur Conan Doyle's tales, the Baker Street Irregulars are young boys who can eavesdrop undetected and skitter through small portals to gather information for the indomitable Sherlock Holmes. In this first of a series, the Baker Street Irregulars are the main characters, with Ozzie (the brain) and Wiggins (the organizer) joined by Pilar (a young Gypsy girl) and a group of homeless boys to solve a mystery for the Prince of Wales. The Amazing Zalindas are a family of high-wire artists. How is it that they've all disappeared? And what has become of one of the most precious books in all of England? Who are the shadowy figures masterminding these terrible deeds? Fast-paced, accessible, with handsome black-and-white illustrations and a hidden puzzle running through the book, this is a wonderful addition to Holmesiana. |
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Loving Will Shakespeare Shakespeare, and particularly his love life, is a hot topic in children's literature this season. What's known about Shakespeare's love life is surmised from his sonnets, allowing literary detectives endless possibilties for conjecture. In Loving Will Shakespeare, the author creates a plausible and pleasing story of a Will Shakespeare who is so caught up in plays and acting that his romantic life—and ultimately his family life—always take the second lead. Told from the point of view of Anne Hathaway, who is older than Will, we get a good sense of the times. Her story is absorbing because she is a complete person with a kind heart, a rotten temper, and a strong sense of justice. Anne's first love is sought by the law and she helps him escape. Nursing a broken heart, she is courted by Will Shakespeare, who is charming and well-read. They marry, but Anne discovers she is married to a will-o'-the-wisp, a man who seeks excitement and craves an audience. He is gone from their home for many, many years, making a name for himself in London. Enjoyable and flavored with life in Elizabethan England, Loving Will Shakespeare is a thought-provoking addition to the Shakespeare lore. |
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Lombardo’s Law A chapter book for late elementary and middle grade readers As you browse the tightly-packed shelves of middle grade novels looking for a summer read, take my advice and skip over the repetitive spines of the series books and the startling titles of issue-driven tomes, and go straight to the end of the alphabet and find Wittlinger, Ellen. Her 1993 novel, Lombardo’s Law, is now available in paperback and perfect for any voracious late elementary or middle grade female reader and possibly some male ones as well. Written in the first person, Lombardo’s Law is the story of Justine, a solitary, book-reading, poetry-loving, brainiac of a fifteen year-old who is plucked from her peaceful existence in an Lombardo’s Law is a love story. It’s about discovery; being true to yourself is better than being popular, finding friends who like what you like is a good thing and that the person you love doesn’t have to be popular, beautiful or even your age if he or she makes you laugh, likes what you like and really truly understands you. |
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Wenny Has Wings What first captivated me about the book Wenny Has Wings was the cover, beautifully designed and illustrated by Ken Robbins and Ann Sullivan. It shows a freckle-faced boy standing on a garden path, looking back at the camera, while his little sister dances into a blindingly white light. But the look on that boy’s face... At first I saw what I expected to see; an impatient and indifferent teenage boy waiting for the person taking the picture to catch up. But I have to admit that there was something about that face that made me wonder...and then open the book and start to read. When Will and his little sister Wenny are accidentally hit by a truck, Will is seriously injured but Wenny is killed. While in the hospital, Will is given a journal and encouraged to write down everything he is thinking and feeling. It is that journal, Will’s letters to his dead sister, that tell the story of how he and his parents struggled to find hope, happiness and some kind of normal without Wenny. When I was finished reading, I again looked at the cover and realized that what I had seen on the boy’s face wasn’t impatience or indifference. What had captivated me was a face that revealed an internal struggle: should he follow his sister into the light or go back home to his parents? Wenny Has Wings is written for kids in mid- to late-elementary, possibly up to the early middle grades. In a time where our children are exposed to violence and death on a daily basis, this book offers teachers and librarians a gentle way to introduce the subjects of life, death, and life after death, as well as the process toward healing and hope. |
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