Book Review: All The Lovely Bad Ones-Mary Downing Hahn

 

Travis and Corey love making trouble. So when they stay at their Grandma's inn and learn of it's history of ghost sightings, they decide to "haunt" the place. While it brings in business and thrills the guests, it also brings real ghosts. Can the two troublemakers restore peace to the inn and let the ghosts rest?

I'm not really in horror stories, but this book provides a good, old- fashioned spookiness, perfect for fall and Halloween nights.



All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
Lexile: 670
***** ( 5 stars)
 Here is a fanmade book trailer. Enjoy!

For  those that prefer old-fashioned ghost stories, Hahn is a good author to read. She writes books for children and teens ( and in other genres besides ghost stories, check out her official website). Here are some of her books:

• Wait Till Helen Comes- Molly and Michael dislike their new stepsister but realize they must save her when befriends an evil ghost child.
• Closed for the Season-Two boys set out to solve a murder at an abandoned amusement park.
• Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls- Told from many perspectives (and based on an actual case), tells the story of two girls murdered in 1956.
• Look for Me by Moonlight- While visiting her father and stepmother at a  bed-and-breakfast inn in Maine, a young girl befriends a handsome but mysterious stranger. ( Note- Available in the teen fiction)
• Where I Belong-  A young boy with no friends and is constantly bullied befriends a magical spirit of the forest. (Note- This one is coming soon, and the library is ordering it) 

Book Review: Snow in Summer: Fairest of Them All-Jane Yolen

 

Once upon a time in the Appalachian Mountains, there lived a raven-hair girl named Snow-in-Summer. Loved by all, life seem wonderful till her mom and baby brother died.  Her father then remarries, but to a woman of dark magic and... snakes.

Yolen does a somewhat okay job retelling the tale of Snow White. It is very vivid and dark( too dark at times), full of rich and interesting characters ( especially the villainous Stepmama and Summer's kind nurse Cousin Nancy). Unfortunately, the actual retelling of the  fairy tale does not happen till the last half of the book (and it's a bit rushed.) The happy ending , however, is very surprising and did make up for the flaws.



Snow in Summer: Fairest of Them All by Jane Yolen
Age Range: 10-14
Lexile:840
*** (3 stars)

Looking for more books featuring a different take on fairy tales? Here are some recommendations:

Fairest of  All by Sarah Mlynowski
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale
The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

Book Review: Who Could That Be at this Hour? ( All The Wrong Questions 1)- Lemony Snicket ( aka Daniel Handler)

There was a town, there was a girl, and there was a theft.

And so begins Who Could That At This Hour?, the first of four books in Lemony Snicket ( real name Daniel Handler)'s new series All the Wrong Questions ( or ATWQ).  Meant to be a prequel series to A Series of Unfortunate Events ( ASOUE), the first book introduces to a twelve and a half year-old Snicket, who is recruited by a mysterious detective agency to serve as an apprentice to S. Theodora Markson. The two go a town called Stain’d-by-the-Sea (  which ironically has no sea anymore, having been drained a long time ago)  and are hired by Mrs Murphy Sallis to find a black and creepy statue known as the Bombinating Beast. But young Lemony learns that is a mystery of many clues and no solutions.

I am bombinating ( which means buzzing) with happiness. I loved everything, even the beastie ( which we are making Bombinating Beast bookmarks in our upcoming creepy the funny book program next Thursday at 4 pm) and am so looking forward to the rest of the series. ( Book two comes out later this year, the other two to be announced.) It is a hilarous and mysterious read full of interesting characters, such as Moxie Mallahan, the budding journalist who wants to know the full story, and Pip and Squeak, two little kids who are subbing for their dad's taxi job ( one is stting on books to reach the steering wheel, the other is down below operating the brakes.) I love Dashiell Qwerty, the strange  but helpful sub-librarian ( the town cannot afford a full-time librarian). There's also the usual Snicketism of defining large words youngters may not understand and reference-dropping to literature and whatnot that encourages one to look up what it is.( Example: The last name of the sub-librarian is a reference to the top left row of the keyboard. Raise your hand if you are looking at your computer keyboard right now to see if I am correct.) I also love that the blue, grey,and white illustrations of  artist Seth, are appropriate and add to the retro-ness of the mystery.

I do have one small complaint about how it ends. I'm not really a fan of cliffhangers ( and it's kind of a eh end), and Snicket leaves a lot of questions unaswered. But I'm going to forgive him because this is the first book and obviously not everything is going to be answered in the first book. Still, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of the books will be good, and perhaps not only answer the questions of Hour but also finally  answered questions left unanswered seven years ago from ASOUE. ( I'm betting the beastie, who everyone is also saying may/ maynot be the Great Unknown, ends up in ... the suguar bowl. But I could... be wrong.)

Who Could That Be at this Hour? ( All The Wrong Questions 1)- Lemony Snicket ( aka Daniel Handler)
Ages:9-11
Lexile: 850
**** 1/2 ( 4 and a half stars)



 

Twice upon a review- Fairest of All and The Wishing Spell

For most of my book reviews, I just look at one book. But since the last two books I read are similar in plot ( siblings magically entering the world of fairy tales) and age range ( 7 and up), I decided look at them in one review.


First the summary of the two books:
Fairest of All ( Whatever After, Book 1) - Sarah Mlynowski- Once upon a time, life was normal for Abby and her younger brother, Jonah. That is, until Jonah finds a magic mirror in the basement, which hisses and glows... and sends them to Snow White's cottage. There, they accidentally save her from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray..oops. Now it's up to Abby and Jonah to help Snow find her happy ending ( plus a way home.)


The Wishing Spell ( Land of Stories 1)-Chris Colfer- Once upon a time, twins Alex and Conner receive a treasured book of fairy tales for their birthday. But this is no ordinary book,  because it sends them to a  land where fairy tales come to life. The only way to get home is collecting magical items, like Cinderella's glass slipper,  to perform the Wishing Spell.

My opinion: Both are great reads ( and great first books  to exciting new series.) I'm also a fan of all things dealing with the fairy tale world, particularly the ABC show Once Upon a Time and The 10th Kingdom ( an underrated but really long  NBC miniseries of the 90s.)

I've enjoyed Mlynowski's past books for teens and women, so I knew I would enjoy her first book for middle schoolers ( plus the cover was cute!!) Fairest is a fun, sassy ( and very quick) take on Snow White. I really enjoyed the dwarfs ( three of which are girls) and Jonah, who provides most of the comic relief. Even the ending is cute. It is a bit girly in tone ( most of Mlynowski's stuff is), but boys might like it. I'm actually planning to use this for my Cool Kids program this week, and can't wait to read If the Shoe Fits, the second book in the series coming in January.

Wishing Spell is a great debut for Colfer ( best known from the  Fox show  Glee) despite a few flaws. He writes with a lot of vivid detail that one wishes they could  go to this land of fairies, princesses, and trolls. There's a lot of heart and humor in the journey, and a great blend of reinvention and staying true to the fairy tales. There are even cool illustrations at the beginning of each chapter ( and a very cool map of all the lands in the story.) It does tend to drag a bit at times (plus sometimes gets a bit heavy with the plot, not something one would not expect to find in the first book of a series.) Still, it is a very worthwhile read ( and so is the audiobook, which shows that Colfer may a future as a  voice actor.) I'm considering using Wishing Spell for a future program, and can't wait to see more in the series. ( I did see online that Colfer does have another book coming in November, Struck by Lightening, but it is for older readers and based off a screenplay of a movie he wrote and stars in.)

Fairest of All  (Whatever After)-Sarah Mylnowski
Age Range: 7-12
Lexile: 500
***** ( 5 stars)

Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell- Chris Colfer
Age Range: 8-12
**** 1/2 ( 4 and a half stars)

By the way, both have cool websites-
Whatever After-http://www.scholastic.com/whateverafter/

Land of Stories-http://thelandofstoriesbook.com/index.html

Review-Glory Be- Augusta Scattergood

 

In the town of Hanging Moss, Mississippi,  young Gloriana ( "Glory") June Hemphill is looking forward to the summer of '64 by spending time at the  public swimming pool, especially for her birthday. The community then closes  the pool for " repairs",  but Glory soon learns that there is a greater issue behind it's closure. Along the way (and with support from family and friends), Glory learns to find her voice and to stand up for what is right.

This is a very great  coming- of -age, Southern read for all ages. Similar to To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help, it does a great job of introducing the issues of racial tension and  civil rights of the 60s', and the message that anyone can make a difference, no matter who they are . A future classic.

For information on the author, check out her website.


Glory Be- Augusta Scattergood
Age Range: 9 and up   Lexile: 680***** ( 5 stars)

Review-Tracing Stars-Erin E. Moulton

 

Indie Lee Chickory is not as cool as her big sister Bebe. Sure,  she is an expert at making fish faces, but she is viewed as  Fish Freak.  And accidentally bringing her pet lobster to school on the last day doesn't help either,  especially when it leads to her losing him and causing her sister embarrassment. So she wishes on a star to help her find her lobster and be friends with her sister again. Soon, it leads to a summer job working backstage at a community production and becoming friends with a  nerdy boy named Owen, who helps on her quest to "be a better Indie."

This is great coming of age book for middle school readers, full of quirky characters and fun adventures. Similar to Beezus and Ramona, it is a perfect read for the beginning ( or end) of summer.

Tracing Stars by Erin E Moulton
Age Range- 9-12
***** ( 5 stars)

Review- Dread Locks- Neal Shusterman

 

Fifteen year-old Parker Baer is bored with his  perfect life. But the day he finds new girl Tara sleeping in his bed, his life  is turn upside down. New in town, she's a beautiful girl with blond dread locks, lives in a house filled with statues and never takes off her sun glasses. She and Parker becomes friends, but then strange things begin to happen to  his classmates. Can Parker uncover the truth before it's too late?


There are lots of twists and turns in the story that keep the reader interested until the very surprising ending. The author also does a great job of blending the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Medusa of Greek mythology.

Dread Locks-Neal Shusterman
Age Range: 12 and up
Lexile: 710
**** ( 4 stars)

Review- Kissing Tennesse and Other Stories from the Stardust Dance-Kathi Appelt

 

It's May 31, and the eighth-graders of Dogwood Junior High have gathered for the Stardust Dance.  Russ Mills is wondering if he'll ever get over his first love, Anne P. Tim Hernandez is hoping for magic to happen when he asks Lucy White to dance with him.  Peggy Lee Dixon is wondering if kissing Tennessee Jones for the third time in her lifetime will lead to more than just being friends. These and five other short stories make up Kissing Tennessee and Other Stories from the Stardust Dance,  a perfect read of experiences and issues many preteen and teens face in today's world.

Kissing Tennessee and Other Stories from the Stardust Dance-Kathi Appelt
Age Range: 12-14
Lexile: 855
***** ( 5 stars)

The Underneath by Kathi Applet

 

This book is a blending of three stories into one. It is a story about the friendship between a bloodhound named Ranger and calico cat who is about to have kittens. It is a story about Gar-Face, Ranger's cruel owner. It is also a story about Grandmother Moccasin who has lain dormant in a glass jar for a thousand years. The Underneath is a leisurely-paced summer read.



Grade Level: 5-7
Lexile Level: 830
****(4 stars)

Review-Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins

 So I was very hesitant  about reading the first book of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games series because I'm not really a huge science fiction fan. But it has sort of become the Harry Potter of this century and with  the film adaptation of the book coming to the big screen next spring, I decided to give it a try.

The Hunger Games is  set the future, in a place called Panem ( one of the many cool names in this book), consisting of a gleaming city known as the Capitol and twelve pleasant-like districts. ( Actually there was a district 13, but it was wiped out during an uprising against the Capitol.) To keep  the districts in line ( and as punishment for this uprising), the Capitol selects one boy and one girl from each district to compete in the Hunger Games, a life-or-death competition broadcast for all to see. When Katniss Everdeen  (see the names are getting cooler) hears her little sister's name selected, she volunteers to take her place. Once in the Games, Katniss learns she will have to do more than outlive her competitors ( and possibly falling in love with Peeta
Mellark, her co-tribute from distract 12 who's had a crush on her since age 5) to survive the Games.

Two words: Awesome.  It's a page turner with a lot of adventure, romance, humor, sadness, and violence ( and pretty vivid violence, so not really for the squeamish). Collins creates a world that is wonderful and wicked at the same, full of strong characters with great names. I really love that the story is told from Katniss, who is both strong and girly from beginning to end. I also love Haymitch Abernathy ( his name may be better than Kat), former Hunger Games victor of long ago and Katniss and Peeta's wise but drunken mentor. Foolish and arrogant, he knows the secrets of surviving the Games, plus adds humor to this gruesome and page- turning adventure.  And now that I have finished book 1, I so plan to request the other two books in the series as soon as I can.

Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins ( we have it  in children's and young adult)
Ages 14 and up
Lexile: 810
***** ( 5 stars)

I mentioned at the beginning of this post  that a film version of this book will be coming out next spring. Since the movie's announcement, fans have created their own wish list of the cast ( and some have even created music videos and posted on Youtube. The choices for Haymitch are very interesting, including big franchise actors.) The main three characters have already been cast. Jennifer Lawrence of Winter's Bone will be Katniss, and yesterday, it was announced that Josh Hutcherson of Journey of the Center of the Earth will be Peeta, Katniss's love interest and fellow contender, and Liam Hemsworth of The Last Song  will be  Gale, Katniss's best friend. Being a budding fan of the series, I'm going to throw in my dream choices for some of the other characters ( Note- these are my choices, not who will be actually in the movie) .

Effie - the chaperone of district 12, she's perky but a strict cookie with pink hair. Sounds a bit like Elle Woods of Legally Blonde, so the best choice would be Reese Witherspoon ( and I think she has the coloring for pink hair).

Haymitch-. In picturing Haymitch as a ruggedly handsome space cowboy, Nathan Fillion of the sci-fi western Firefly  came to mind.  But, thinking that a big name might be needed  in some form( and  perhaps someone who's been in kid movies but  would not overshadowed the main young actors), Jack Black would be perfect because Haymitch is similar to the character he played  in the King Kong remake of 2005.