I think Nightshade City is now a series. It's got good buzz, though I haven't read it. Hilary floats around the forums; I'm almost positive she stops by here (kidlit) sometimes.
Talk about the kidlit you're reading!
- Thread starter Kitty Pryde
- Start date
Over the three-day weekend I finished Breadcrumbs and No Passengers Beyond This Point.
Both are beautifully written. They kept me turning the pages--but, in some ways, I found them depressing.
Hazel, the book-loving MC of Breadcrumbs, is an active heroine, going off to rescue her best friend when he's in trouble. Her loneliness and despair--and her single-mindedness/obsession with her friend--come through loud and clear. Don't get me wrong, it is a great book. I just would have liked to see things get better for Hazel. The author took the adage "be mean to your characters" to heart. And there was an unresolved situation in the forest (Ben's sister) that still bothers me!
No Passengers is by Gennifer Choldenko. She does a good job with the alternating voices of the three siblings--the brilliant 6-year-old, responsible 11-year-old, and flighty 14-year old. I figured out the premise early on. I felt gypped that it didn't finish from the kids' POV. And the end didn't totally make sense--parts of it did, but not all of it. And that poor mom... sheesh. I would have hated this as a kid. Not sure how actual middle graders will feel about it.
Both are beautifully written. They kept me turning the pages--but, in some ways, I found them depressing.
Hazel, the book-loving MC of Breadcrumbs, is an active heroine, going off to rescue her best friend when he's in trouble. Her loneliness and despair--and her single-mindedness/obsession with her friend--come through loud and clear. Don't get me wrong, it is a great book. I just would have liked to see things get better for Hazel. The author took the adage "be mean to your characters" to heart. And there was an unresolved situation in the forest (Ben's sister) that still bothers me!
No Passengers is by Gennifer Choldenko. She does a good job with the alternating voices of the three siblings--the brilliant 6-year-old, responsible 11-year-old, and flighty 14-year old. I figured out the premise early on. I felt gypped that it didn't finish from the kids' POV. And the end didn't totally make sense--parts of it did, but not all of it. And that poor mom... sheesh. I would have hated this as a kid. Not sure how actual middle graders will feel about it.
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It's not written in a first/3rd POV combo is it? I been looking for something like that.
I've always interested to see if someone could pull-off changing from 1st to third person. Maybe start in third, move to first, then back to third--for example if the MC dies he can't really tell of his own dead.
I might have to try it with a short--just to see if I could do a decent job.
Also, I finally put down Inkheart last night. I really wanted to get into it, but after 7 pages (seven big mass market paperback pages) were nothing happens except driving (I mean, not even much character development) I finally gave up about page 115.
I started the new Rick Riordan series instead; the one that picks up on Percy (though it's in the 3rd person, which took some getting used to).
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No, mware, the kids' parts are all first person present. The final chapter (told by Mrs. Bean) is first person past. I think that would be interesting to try ... maybe use mostly third but intersperse occasional passages (or chapters) of first person. Not sure I've ever read anything like that, though.
I never got into Inkheart either, but it was one of my daughter's favorites in fourth grade, and I always meant to give it another try. She's a senior now... yikes! Eight years is a scary long time to keep something on your mental TBR list.
Well I'm either getting used to how the books are written or the second Kane book is better than the first. Not sure which. Been distracted with life a bit these past few weeks and I'm not reading as much as I normally do. Will give better review of both books once I can sit down and read them in a reasonable time span.
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Anybody a Terry Pratchett fan? Maybe you can explain to me why people like his books? Am I missing something?
I'm trying to read The Color of Magic, his first Discworld book, and I really, really can't get into it. Most of the first 70 pages have been telling, no showing, and what he is telling is all out of chronological order. I still have no idea who the main character is supposed to be, or what the problem is, or why I should care. And there are a few things in it that are definitely not what I expect from MG--like when he says one magician dropped out of the magician's academy because he wanted to explore his heterosexuality, or something like that. WTF?
But maybe I'm just not reading one of his good ones...? Maybe it gets better? I'm about to bail on this one and move on, 'cause I have a tall pile of TBR books and not much time.
I'm trying to read The Color of Magic, his first Discworld book, and I really, really can't get into it. Most of the first 70 pages have been telling, no showing, and what he is telling is all out of chronological order. I still have no idea who the main character is supposed to be, or what the problem is, or why I should care. And there are a few things in it that are definitely not what I expect from MG--like when he says one magician dropped out of the magician's academy because he wanted to explore his heterosexuality, or something like that. WTF?
But maybe I'm just not reading one of his good ones...? Maybe it gets better? I'm about to bail on this one and move on, 'cause I have a tall pile of TBR books and not much time.
I love Terry Pratchett! But The Color of Magic wasn't my favorite. I highly recommend Hogfather. Mort and Reaper Man were good (my favorite characters are Death and his granddaughter.)
His Discworld books for kids are amazing, too. The Amazing Maurice and his Education Rodents is one of my all time favortie books. The Wee Free Men is wonderful, too.
His Discworld books for kids are amazing, too. The Amazing Maurice and his Education Rodents is one of my all time favortie books. The Wee Free Men is wonderful, too.
Heh. I've loved Pratchett since I was 12. It's true that his first few Discworld books are not quite as polished and brilliant as the others. I would start with Wee Free Men if I were you actually, or Lords and Ladies, or Guards! Guards! Once you've read a handful of Discworld books, the first two make a bit more sense.
Also, The Colour of Magic is an adult book. All the Discworld books are adult, except for the Tiffany Aching books are YA. They just have a large number of kid readers. He does have two MG series that are good, the Bromeliad trilogy, and the Johnny Maxwell books.
Also, The Colour of Magic is an adult book. All the Discworld books are adult, except for the Tiffany Aching books are YA. They just have a large number of kid readers. He does have two MG series that are good, the Bromeliad trilogy, and the Johnny Maxwell books.
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, by Gennifer Choldenko, is told in alternating chapters of first and third (with two different MCs), if I'm remembering correctly. It's been ages since I read it.
I love the new Percy Jackson series. Can't wait for the third book! I don't mind that it's told in third person, since there are multiple POV characters.
I'm not willing to give the Kane Chronicles another chance, though. I hated Red Pyramid. I just can't pick up another book in that series. I don't think Rick Riordan would mind, though. I've purchased so many of his books as gifts, including complete sets of the original Percy Jackson series. I've introduced lots of people to his books, and will continue to do so (just not the Kane Chronicles!).
Why doesn't anyone like the Kane Chronicles?
I've been reading Grim Fairy Tales. (Can't remember if it has two m's.)
I've been reading Grim Fairy Tales. (Can't remember if it has two m's.)
Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I thought Red Pyramid was incredibly boring. It was a huge struggle to finish it. From the very first chapter, we know all's well in the end; the kids are safe and together. So, there's no conflict. There's no reason to worry about the characters or get invested in their story. I didn't feel compelled to keep reading.
Just saw a review of one that alternates first and third person... haven't read it yet, but it sounds good: Misfit.
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Amazon had a used copy of Tree Falls at Lunch Period for $3.89 shipped; the reviews looked good, so I picked it up. My TBR pile's getting pretty big, so unless the first pages really grabs me, might be awhile before I get to it.
Ruth, That links seems to be about opening a bookstore (thought I didn't finish it). Is the book you are talking about by James Howe?
Ruth, That links seems to be about opening a bookstore (thought I didn't finish it). Is the book you are talking about by James Howe?
Well, it's straight up contemporary - no zombies, vampires, aliens, or the like. So, you probably won't like it.
I liked it, but it's far from being my favorite Choldenko book. Her Al Capone books are by far my favorites (though I haven't yet read No Passengers Beyond this Point).
Read a bit of Jerry Spinelli this week: Milkweed, Wringers, and Eggs. Milkweed was the best by far--what an intense story, but still appropriate for MG I think. The most striking part for me was what an emotional and painful and horrible time the narrator was going through, but he's so little (8?) and so used to it, that he doesn't have to talk about his emotions. He just describes what's happening around him in simplest terms and it's extremely powerful stuff. It's about a street orphan in Warsaw (?) who gets sent to the ghetto during WWII.
Also read another Eleanor Estes, The Middle Moffat. Great Depression slice of life stories about not much in particular, but still very entertaining.
Now reading one of my favorite authors, Hilary McKay: Dog Friday, a nice lower MG about a kid who's afraid of dogs adopting a bedraggled abandoned dog he finds. Love!
Also been listening to the 4th grade teacher read By the Great Horn Spoon! which is a pretty exciting book about the gold rush. I'm not sure what's happening, because I missed the end of it, but she keeps stopping at gut-wrenching cliffhangers and making the children wail. Reading with them is interesting because she asks them questions, and I am realizing that they don't understand soooooo many things in the story, and yet it doesn't matter because they are still fascinated.
Also read another Eleanor Estes, The Middle Moffat. Great Depression slice of life stories about not much in particular, but still very entertaining.
Now reading one of my favorite authors, Hilary McKay: Dog Friday, a nice lower MG about a kid who's afraid of dogs adopting a bedraggled abandoned dog he finds. Love!
Also been listening to the 4th grade teacher read By the Great Horn Spoon! which is a pretty exciting book about the gold rush. I'm not sure what's happening, because I missed the end of it, but she keeps stopping at gut-wrenching cliffhangers and making the children wail. Reading with them is interesting because she asks them questions, and I am realizing that they don't understand soooooo many things in the story, and yet it doesn't matter because they are still fascinated.
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I love Jerry Spinelli. He's truly amazing.
But Milkweek is one of the only Jerry Spinelli books I haven't read! I'll have to find a copy.
I love Wringer, though. One of the most powerful and emotional (and disturbing) books I've ever read. And Eggs is good, too.
But Milkweek is one of the only Jerry Spinelli books I haven't read! I'll have to find a copy.
I love Wringer, though. One of the most powerful and emotional (and disturbing) books I've ever read. And Eggs is good, too.
Oops, wrong link. Also wrong title--sorry! It's just called Misfit, and it's by Jon Skovron. Here's the correct link to a review of it on Charlotte's Library.
One of my childhood favorites. I like how Jane decides to read every book in the library, but she starts in the wrong section and keeps getting stuck with boring things like "The Story of Cotton".
I read this with my kids, and they still laugh at one scene where the weedy looking butler hits a robber with his gloved hand, and sends him sprawling in the dust. Turns out he has his gold dust hidden in his glove. Too funny. This was definitely our favorite scene in this book.
I love MG books that bring history to life for kids, and this was a good one. They can tend to be rather dry, but this kept everyone riveted.
Really?!! I love that book! The characters were awesome and I loved the premise. I must admit, it was slow starting, which was annoying, but this one my kids and I listened to on tape. Maybe that made a difference. Interesting note, The actor they chose to play Dustfinger in the movie was precisely the actor I imagined while reading the book. Didn't see Brendan Fraser as Mo though.
Ditto, Smish. Plus, the characters weren't defined enough. I kept forgetting from whose POV each chapter was. I don't mind switching characters by chapter, but it has to be clear. My son even has the 2nd book in his room and I have zero desire to pick it up. I really liked the Percy Jackson books as well as the next Percy series, so I feel I can get away with this insult, but it kind of pisses me off that an established writer can get away with writing something as crappy as the Kane Chronicles just because he is a best-seller. Oh well, maybe someday I can be so popular a publisher won't care what I write.
On a related note, I find it interesting what kids understand and what they "make up" in their own minds so they understand. My 3 year old received Cars 2 for Christmas. We've seen it so many times I now have it memorized. I was a little surprised and dismayed that there was so much violence and death in the movie, but there's one part where the "bad" cars say to one of the "good" cars "This time, I'm gonna make sure you stay dead!" My son thinks they say "This time, I'm gonna make sure you stay stinky!" I wasn't about to correct him!
I read the final Eragon book Inheritance over Christmas. Paolini is an excellent writer, but because he is once again a best seller, he can get away with writing much more than is necessary. There was a lot of information that could have been cut and there were times my eyes glazed over from the extensive descriptions, but on the other hand, it's great to get more of characters and places than you would in an author's debut novel. Anyway, I loved it, though it left me disappointed. It had the proper ending, as in the ending it should have, but certainly not the story book ending some people might like. After I got over that, I was satisfied.
Also read Son of Neptune, the next book in the 2nd Percy Jackson series. I really enjoyed it, maybe even more so than Lost Hero. That might be because Neptune starts with a know character, but also because I got used to switching character POV by chapter in Lost Hero. In this one I almost never had to double check which POV it was in and I loved the backstories of all three. Can't wait for the third installment so we can see how all these characters mesh. I predict some conflict between Percy and Jason regarding who is in charge, plus they allude to problems with Annabeth. Oh, and the late revelation regarding Leo. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. One thing though. I might have missed something or read it wrong, but I thought Reyna indicated that there was a four year span between the time Percy and Annabeth defeat Circe and when Percy meets Reyna again in the Roman camp. That would make Percy 19 I think. But they mention that he is still 16. Just wondering.
Just finished the second Kane Chronicles book. I didn't think it was so bad. Now I'm working on another read of the Princess Diaries. Totally love Meg Cabot!
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I read this with my kids, and they still laugh at one scene where the weedy looking butler hits a robber with his gloved hand, and sends him sprawling in the dust. Turns out he has his gold dust hidden in his glove. Too funny. This was definitely our favorite scene in this book.
I love MG books that bring history to life for kids, and this was a good one. They can tend to be rather dry, but this kept everyone riveted.
Still reading it aloud with fourth graders. The class eccentric has taken to carrying around a black umbrella so he can be like the butler, Praiseworthy. The teacher actually starting calling him Praiseworthy because she likes encouraging their imaginations. It's pretty cute.
Today I inadvertently started a horrible class discussion over the book by asking if they thought the "squirrel gun" the MC was using to hunt jackrabbits would help fight off the bear he had just encountered. Then one girl said, "Why are we talking about guns anyways? Killing an animal, why, that's like as bad as killing a person!"
But since the school is big on 'considering other points of view', I pointed out that he's a subsistence hunter, killing an animal to eat so he doesn't starve. And that when we eat meat at school or at home, someone else killed it for us. Well, this gal did not realize that meat was made of dead animals, and I tell you she was SHOCKED!!! that she had been eating dead formerly cute creatures. I felt bad, because it had all gotten so serious, and I told the class it was okay to choose to eat meat or not. The teacher just laughed and said "Better you than me!"
