Talk about the kidlit you're reading!

My 12yo somewhat-misanthropic child will read dark, dark books. Loves the Spook's Apprentice series, Ranger's apprentice, Mythbusters, all that stuff. Guns, swords, knives, explosions... bring it on. Kill off the baby? So what. Mom or Dad dies? Big deal.

But when the SPCA commercials come on, with those sweet little puppies with their big, sad eyes staring at you through the bars... He makes me fast forward or change the channel.

So I'm about a quarter of a way through Fablehaven,and wow this book just reads so easy. The pace is so good and I love how they are slowly learning more about Fablehaven. I hope this book was popular because the author definitely deserves to get paid. Does anyone know anything about this author (I would wiki the author, but I'm worried I'll have the series spoiled.)

Kitty Pryde said:

He was hired by a publishing company owned by the Mormon church to write a Mormon Harry-Potter-like series for them, and he did, and then he made a bazillion dollars. The movie is forthcoming.

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Is it a good series too?

Kitty Pryde said:

It's Fablehaven.

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HAHA! Oh wow, I didn't pick up on what you said.

I only read the first Fablehaven book, but I never thought of Mormons while I read it. Unless that element crops up in the other books.

You never think Mormons, that's how they operate. Its a hunting practice they learnt from the stealthy pink panthers of Zimbabwe.

I've started into reading the Ranger's Apprentice series and finished the 2nd book, but started college and haven't read a book since >.< I got halfway through Fablehaven with the same problem...thinking I'd have the time to finish it and not being able to.

BUT, The Ranger's Apprentice has by far been my favorite read so far Flanagan totally gave me that extra push to look specifically for books written by men. Because - though I wasn't aware of it - I was only reading woman authors. I don't know why that is.

Well, speaking of Mormons, I'm reading The 19th Wife. Very interesting, though certainly not kid lit!

I thought the first Fablehaven was weird. Tried to go on to the second one, but didn't care enough about the characters to keep reading.

I really enjoyed Fablehaven, Mormon or not, which doesn't make any difference to me one way or the other.

Kitty - I'm curious. Was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever about this same family - and did they have the same problems then? I just wonder why you loved it as a kid and now you find it depressing. It sounds like something I would like to read.

RuthD said:

Well, speaking of Mormons, I'm reading The 19th Wife. Very interesting, though certainly not kid lit!

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I did enjoy the 19th Wife, though by the time I finished, I was more than ready for good, fun kid lit!

I'm descended from original Mormon pioneers. One of my great-great-greats had two wives and twenty kids, ten with each. So it was a very interesting topic for me. My grandfather left the church back in the 20s, and just knowing Fablehaven was written as a "Mormon fantasy" makes me very reluctant to read it.

Maybe eventually, just out of curiosity.

I just finished Cannibal Island, Junonia, and am now reading My Louisiana Sky. The MC is of normal intelligence, but her parents are both intellectually challenged. I haven't gotten too far into it, but I wonder how much it will appeal to kids, too.

I read all the Fablehavens and didn't pick up on anything Mormon. Not that I'm very knowledgeable. Anyway, it went totally over my head. Now I need to google and find out what I missed..........

I did, however, really like the series, right to the end. Except the excessive use of 'said', which annoyed me, as I was reading aloud with my kids, so I couldn't ignore them.

I read the first couple Fablehavens, and ditto what Britwriter said - I didn't pick up on anything Mormon.

I'm reading Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. It's the sort of book that makes me think - damn, I'll never be able to write this good. (I think in bad grammar). But, even though it depresses me, I am enjoying it so far. When I was a kid, I saw a cartoon movie based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, and I just loved that story, and the girl who doesn't give up on her friend.

Picked up a copy of Joe Sherlock: Kid Detective, Case #000001: the Haunted Toolshed.

Don't think I'm going to finish it. I'm always looking for boy-friendly chapter book series for my advanced first-graders and struggling third-graders. This is definitely in that category: humorous, well-paced, some genuine adventure.

But... The whole series actually clocks in at a 5th-grade reading level on Accelerated Reader. The kids I have in mind for chapter books can't handle that level yet.

Here's an example of an actual sentence from the first page: "But for me, Sherlock is the perfect fit, like a worn-out pair of sneakers that you just love but your mom throws out anyway, because she's simply horrified that one of her friends might actually see you wearing them." 40 words. If the kids could handle that, they'd be reading Spiderwick or Wimpy Kid already.

So... too bad. It looks like a fun series, but not one I'll invest in.

I don't know if Mull put any specific Mormon idealogy or symbolism in the Fablehaven books--I probably wouldn't have recognized it if it was there. Interestingly, several bestselling fantasy/sci fi writers are LDS: Orson Scott Card. Brandon Sanderson. Obert Skye (Leven Thumps). Shannon Hale. And of course, Stephanie Meyer. That may be neither here nor there, but when you know someone has a specific world view, you tend to look for evidence of it in their writing.

Sheila - I loved Breadcrumbs. Thought the writing was very nice.

MsJudy - wow, that's quite a sentence for a first grader, or even a third grader. Or, me!

Finished Walk Two Moons today. Beautiful writing, good book. Not going down as one of my very favorites, but the opening chapter is one of the best I've ever read.

Finished My Louisiana Sky. I didn't think I was going to like it, but I did, very much. Now I'm on to What the Dog Said, and I'm also enjoying it very much. She's great at cliffhanger chapter endings.

I just finished The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner. I really liked it. It seems like a lot of middle grade contemporary characters (girls, anyway) are very bookish and good at school, so I enjoyed reading about a character who was disorganized and struggling with a school project. The grandmother's developing dementia was also really nicely handled, I thought.

I also really enjoyed Storybound by Marissa Burt, who is also known as Trickywoo here on AW. It's her debut and it just came out last week - you guys should check it out. It's hefty and the plot is complicated - definitely upper middle grade. But it's got a great classic style and a ton of imagination. Just be ready to be left on a cliffhanger! (I'm reading it aloud to my daughter now, and she's way into it.)

Now I'm reading How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez, and I'm a little meh about it. It's third person present, and while I like first person present, I am forever noticing (and disliking) the tense in this one.

Do you mean The Humming Room, Kitty?
I want to read it.

I'm reading a YA called Born At Midnight. I thought I should read it because it sounded similar in setting/premise to my MG that's on sub. But it's quite different, really. *phew*

I tried Remarkable by Lizzie Foley. Thought I'd love it, but the first couple of chapters were too tell-y for my liking, so I skimmed the rest. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood. Others may like it. I believe there are pirates and explosions later on...