Forever
By Maggie Stiefvater
Expected publication July 12. 2011 by Scholastic Press
WARNING: There are probably going to be spoilers here, and certainly spoilers for the first two books.
Grace and Sam have fought to stay together. Now they must fight to stay alive.
Linger was a bit of a low point for me, so I was interested to see how this one would go for me. I guess ask and you shall receive - this one featured more of Shelby and her attempts to assert dominance in the pack. The main story here is Tom Culpepper and his single-minded focus on destroying the wolf pack, while the human "members" of the pack attempt to figure out a way to escape. I felt less annoyed with Cole in this one - I was glad he was finally trying to do some good. Isabel annoyed me more in this one - I understand she's got some stuff to be angry about, but mostly it seemed a bit excessive. Also, her fixation on Cole - I guess their mutual fixation on each other - seemed more forced than natural, especially in comparison to Sam and Grace's relationship. I liked the attempts to find a true cure, and I really hope the series stays ended here - we don't need to know if it works for Grace, or the other wolves. We just need to know that they made it this far. I am really excited to read Stiefvater's next novel. I think she's a great storyteller and good at creating believable worlds with interesting characters. I don't think fans of the series will be disappointed in this conclusion to the series - unless they get greedy and want answers to all the questions.
Thanks to the publisher for an advanced reader's copy.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Review: Zoozical
Zoozical
By Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown
Expected publication August 9, 2011 by Random House Children's Books
Wild About Books is one of my favorite picture books, so I was excited to see this new story about the animals of the zoo. It's winter and no one is going to the zoo; even the animals are a little bit down in the dumps. But then, a jumping hippo and a hoppy kangaroo wake up everyone and decide to put on a zoozical! I didn't like this one as much as the first book. Some of the rhymes didn't flow as well - the first one is such a great read-aloud and I feel like I would need to practice more with this one so I didn't stumble over the rhythm. Also, the story didn't tug at my heartstrings quite as much - after all, the first one is about the animals learning to read and discovering the magic of books. And, though I do love musicals, this one didn't hit quite as close to home as the first. However, the illustrations are absolutely adorable - they really make the whole book for me. They have a soft quality that just warms the heart. An adorable story that I think children will love.
By Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown
Expected publication August 9, 2011 by Random House Children's Books
Wild About Books is one of my favorite picture books, so I was excited to see this new story about the animals of the zoo. It's winter and no one is going to the zoo; even the animals are a little bit down in the dumps. But then, a jumping hippo and a hoppy kangaroo wake up everyone and decide to put on a zoozical! I didn't like this one as much as the first book. Some of the rhymes didn't flow as well - the first one is such a great read-aloud and I feel like I would need to practice more with this one so I didn't stumble over the rhythm. Also, the story didn't tug at my heartstrings quite as much - after all, the first one is about the animals learning to read and discovering the magic of books. And, though I do love musicals, this one didn't hit quite as close to home as the first. However, the illustrations are absolutely adorable - they really make the whole book for me. They have a soft quality that just warms the heart. An adorable story that I think children will love.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Review: Never Forgotten
Never Forgotten
By Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
Expected publication October 11, 2011 by Random House Children's Books
An award-winning author teams with award-winning illustrators to illuminate the story of Africans taken during the slave trade. McKissack weaves a beautiful narrative and tells the story through one family - a blacksmith with a newborn son. The son is taken while out collecting wood one day and ends up part of the slave trade. The blacksmith, Dinga, calls on the elements to find out what has happened to his son. The elements work together to find the truth. It's a touching and uplifting story, except for one line at the end that bothered me a little. It was something along the lines of "well, my son's a slave but at least he's happy!" It just struck me as a bit out of place and callous, but perhaps that's how the people left behind in Africa would have actually felt. The illustrations here are gorgeous. I don't know how the Dillons do it - they create art in so many different styles and with so many different mediums and they are consistently beautiful. These look like stained glass and the colors they use are striking and evocative. The illustrations of the elements are so, so wonderful. This is a lush and beautiful picture book for older readers. Additionally, there is a nice author's note at the end that explains the genesis of the story. A beautiful way to let those descendants of slave that they were never forgotten in Africa.
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced reader's copy.
By Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
Expected publication October 11, 2011 by Random House Children's Books
An award-winning author teams with award-winning illustrators to illuminate the story of Africans taken during the slave trade. McKissack weaves a beautiful narrative and tells the story through one family - a blacksmith with a newborn son. The son is taken while out collecting wood one day and ends up part of the slave trade. The blacksmith, Dinga, calls on the elements to find out what has happened to his son. The elements work together to find the truth. It's a touching and uplifting story, except for one line at the end that bothered me a little. It was something along the lines of "well, my son's a slave but at least he's happy!" It just struck me as a bit out of place and callous, but perhaps that's how the people left behind in Africa would have actually felt. The illustrations here are gorgeous. I don't know how the Dillons do it - they create art in so many different styles and with so many different mediums and they are consistently beautiful. These look like stained glass and the colors they use are striking and evocative. The illustrations of the elements are so, so wonderful. This is a lush and beautiful picture book for older readers. Additionally, there is a nice author's note at the end that explains the genesis of the story. A beautiful way to let those descendants of slave that they were never forgotten in Africa.
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced reader's copy.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Review: An Annoying ABC
An Annoying ABC
By Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley
Expected publication September 13, 2011 by Random House Children's Books
I think the title here is a misnomer. The ABC itself isn't annoying, at least, not to the reader, which is what I was expecting. This is a little alphabet book where the ABC's are represented by a classroom full of children who annoy each other in various ways. I suppose it's a cute little idea, but I didn't really find it that entertaining. I did enjoy the nice variety of names and the illustrations of the kids show a nice diversity. For me, the illustrations are the best part of this book - they are cute and whimsical, lovely to look at and just more fun than the story itself.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
By Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley
Expected publication September 13, 2011 by Random House Children's Books
I think the title here is a misnomer. The ABC itself isn't annoying, at least, not to the reader, which is what I was expecting. This is a little alphabet book where the ABC's are represented by a classroom full of children who annoy each other in various ways. I suppose it's a cute little idea, but I didn't really find it that entertaining. I did enjoy the nice variety of names and the illustrations of the kids show a nice diversity. For me, the illustrations are the best part of this book - they are cute and whimsical, lovely to look at and just more fun than the story itself.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Review: Linger
Linger
By Maggie Stiefvater
Published 2010 by Scholastic Press
WARNING: There are probably going to be spoilers for the first book here and potentially spoilers for this one, so be mindful.
If I didn't really know what to say about the first book, I find myself even more at a loss for this one. I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as Shiver; I feel like a lot of the magic and suspense from discovering the story and watching the romance unfold was gone in this one. I feel like there were unnecessary obstacles introduced to Sam and Grace's relationship and that just made me mad. Additionally, I really hated the new character, Cole. Completely unsympathetic and obnoxious, I had a really hard time relating to or caring about him at all. I liked the addition of Isabel's voice as a narrator - I think she's a wonderful character and a really great contrast to Grace's syrupy sweetness. I still love seeing how Grace and Sam's relationship develops but I didn't enjoy the plot of this one as much as the first. It seemed completely ridiculous to me that Grace's parents would all of a sudden care about what she's doing with her life, considering how hugely absent they've been for the first 17 years. I can understand why Stiefvater chose to change the "cure", but it sort of feels like a cop out to me. I think there were many other ways to continue exploring Sam and Grace's relationship (the reappearance of Shelby, for one) without changing the entire conclusion of the first book. I don't know. Maybe it just makes me mad that I totally followed her logic for the cure and then she went and changed it on me. But I definitely wish this had gone a different way. I really don't care to read anymore about Cole so I can only hope he doesn't play a big role in the last book. I guess we'll see what happens but this was a miss for me.
By Maggie Stiefvater
Published 2010 by Scholastic Press
WARNING: There are probably going to be spoilers for the first book here and potentially spoilers for this one, so be mindful.
If I didn't really know what to say about the first book, I find myself even more at a loss for this one. I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as Shiver; I feel like a lot of the magic and suspense from discovering the story and watching the romance unfold was gone in this one. I feel like there were unnecessary obstacles introduced to Sam and Grace's relationship and that just made me mad. Additionally, I really hated the new character, Cole. Completely unsympathetic and obnoxious, I had a really hard time relating to or caring about him at all. I liked the addition of Isabel's voice as a narrator - I think she's a wonderful character and a really great contrast to Grace's syrupy sweetness. I still love seeing how Grace and Sam's relationship develops but I didn't enjoy the plot of this one as much as the first. It seemed completely ridiculous to me that Grace's parents would all of a sudden care about what she's doing with her life, considering how hugely absent they've been for the first 17 years. I can understand why Stiefvater chose to change the "cure", but it sort of feels like a cop out to me. I think there were many other ways to continue exploring Sam and Grace's relationship (the reappearance of Shelby, for one) without changing the entire conclusion of the first book. I don't know. Maybe it just makes me mad that I totally followed her logic for the cure and then she went and changed it on me. But I definitely wish this had gone a different way. I really don't care to read anymore about Cole so I can only hope he doesn't play a big role in the last book. I guess we'll see what happens but this was a miss for me.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Review: Shiver
Shiver
By Maggie Stiefvater
Published 2009 by Scholastic Press
So, I've been interested in this series ever since it began, and despite many pleas by friends to read it, I just couldn't find the time. However, having recently returned from ALA with an ARC (advanced reader's copy) of the third title in the series (set to be published July 12th), it got bumped up on my to-read list.
Grace has always watched the wolves in her backyard. Especially the yellow-eyed wolf who saved her once upon a time. Sam desperately wants to remain Sam, though the struggle to change from wolf gets more difficult every year. What happens when these two finally meet? I don't know why, but it's always more difficult for me to talk about books I like than books I didn't. I can't really put my finger on why, but I definitely enjoyed this. Perhaps partly it's because the comparisons to Twilight are so easy and this is such a better executed supernatural romance. Grace is a stronger, more clearly defined heroine than Bella. Sam's struggle for humanity is much more believable and sympathetic than Edward's. The secondary characters don't feel like they exist as excuses for exposition. This book is populated with interesting characters who all feel like they serve a purpose. The action is well-paced and the plot goes in some directions I definitely didn't expect but that definitely proved far more interesting than I could have imagined. The romance here is sweet, not scary and I actually want to root for Grace and Sam rather than punch them in the face. I really got sucked into the emotional world of this novel - I teared up along with Grace and I felt exhilarated at the novel's conclusion. That being said, I'm a bit skeptical of this as a series - I felt like this book was nicely concluded and left you wanting more, but not so that you would die without finding out what happens next to these characters. Sometimes I think authors have forgotten that occasionally, it's okay to leave unanswered questions. But, I'm willing to give it a shot and see where it goes. I can only hope it doesn't go crazy, ridiculous Breaking Dawn on me.
By Maggie Stiefvater
Published 2009 by Scholastic Press
So, I've been interested in this series ever since it began, and despite many pleas by friends to read it, I just couldn't find the time. However, having recently returned from ALA with an ARC (advanced reader's copy) of the third title in the series (set to be published July 12th), it got bumped up on my to-read list.
Grace has always watched the wolves in her backyard. Especially the yellow-eyed wolf who saved her once upon a time. Sam desperately wants to remain Sam, though the struggle to change from wolf gets more difficult every year. What happens when these two finally meet? I don't know why, but it's always more difficult for me to talk about books I like than books I didn't. I can't really put my finger on why, but I definitely enjoyed this. Perhaps partly it's because the comparisons to Twilight are so easy and this is such a better executed supernatural romance. Grace is a stronger, more clearly defined heroine than Bella. Sam's struggle for humanity is much more believable and sympathetic than Edward's. The secondary characters don't feel like they exist as excuses for exposition. This book is populated with interesting characters who all feel like they serve a purpose. The action is well-paced and the plot goes in some directions I definitely didn't expect but that definitely proved far more interesting than I could have imagined. The romance here is sweet, not scary and I actually want to root for Grace and Sam rather than punch them in the face. I really got sucked into the emotional world of this novel - I teared up along with Grace and I felt exhilarated at the novel's conclusion. That being said, I'm a bit skeptical of this as a series - I felt like this book was nicely concluded and left you wanting more, but not so that you would die without finding out what happens next to these characters. Sometimes I think authors have forgotten that occasionally, it's okay to leave unanswered questions. But, I'm willing to give it a shot and see where it goes. I can only hope it doesn't go crazy, ridiculous Breaking Dawn on me.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Review: Hereville
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
By Barry Deutsch
Published 2010 by Amulet Books
I had heard about this book from a few different sources and wasn't really sure what it was all about. Then I found out it was a graphic novel and I picked it up almost as soon as I saw a copy in the library. This tells the tale of Mirka, an Orthodox Jewish girl living in Hereville, who desperately wants to be a dragonslayer. But her stepmother just wants her to knit properly and her sister (well, one of her sisters) wants her to think about finding a husband and how her actions might affect everyone else's chances of finding a husband. The lack of dragons doesn't faze Mirka, and soon she is becoming a true heroine and undergoing a challenge put forth by a strange witch.
I'm so glad I picked this up. It's a bewitching little tale. In fact, I wish it were longer. It seemed like Mirka had so many stories and adventures in her that I can only hope this is just part one. Mirka is a dynamic and fun character, and another one that I think many girls could relate to. She doesn't want to disobey her family traditions, but she does want to do things for herself and develop her own personality. The art is whimsical and lovely to look at and I enjoyed learning bits of Hebrew throughout the story. I think it's great that Deutsch chose this community for his story - it provides an excellent foil for Mirka's adventures. This was a very fast read and I really enjoyed every second of reading it. It didn't last long enough for me. Delightful - I hope there is more to come! After all, Mirka has just gotten her sword - what challenges await her now that she is armed??
By Barry Deutsch
Published 2010 by Amulet Books
I had heard about this book from a few different sources and wasn't really sure what it was all about. Then I found out it was a graphic novel and I picked it up almost as soon as I saw a copy in the library. This tells the tale of Mirka, an Orthodox Jewish girl living in Hereville, who desperately wants to be a dragonslayer. But her stepmother just wants her to knit properly and her sister (well, one of her sisters) wants her to think about finding a husband and how her actions might affect everyone else's chances of finding a husband. The lack of dragons doesn't faze Mirka, and soon she is becoming a true heroine and undergoing a challenge put forth by a strange witch.
I'm so glad I picked this up. It's a bewitching little tale. In fact, I wish it were longer. It seemed like Mirka had so many stories and adventures in her that I can only hope this is just part one. Mirka is a dynamic and fun character, and another one that I think many girls could relate to. She doesn't want to disobey her family traditions, but she does want to do things for herself and develop her own personality. The art is whimsical and lovely to look at and I enjoyed learning bits of Hebrew throughout the story. I think it's great that Deutsch chose this community for his story - it provides an excellent foil for Mirka's adventures. This was a very fast read and I really enjoyed every second of reading it. It didn't last long enough for me. Delightful - I hope there is more to come! After all, Mirka has just gotten her sword - what challenges await her now that she is armed??
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