Review: The Kingdom of Little Wounds

The Kingdom of Little Wounds
By Susann Cokal
Published 2013 by Candlewick Press

When disaster strikes the royal family of Skyggehavn, two servants of the royal house - Ava, a seamstress, and Midi, a nursemaid - find themselves caught in the turmoil. Soon, everything will change for them, as they become a part of history.

I started getting excited about this book a long time ago - I think I first spotted it on The Book Smugglers' weekly radar post. The cover is gorgeous and evocative and the premise sounded really interesting. The book started getting a ton of buzz as well, and I am usually a big fan of most of what Candlewick publishes, so I got even more excited for this. I requested an e-galley when it came to my attention and binged on the novel one recent week, eager to finish before they discussed it over on Someday My Printz Will Come.

I'm really conflicted about this book. On the one hand, it's a beautifully written book, a sweeping story that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the last page. On the other, it's graphic (sometimes, in my opinion, gratuitously so) and difficult and doesn't fit my notion of a young adult book. Let's see if I can unpack this a bit.

Starting with the positive, yes, this book is beautifully written. The prose is lush and gripping. I love that this is set in Renaissance Scandinavia - what a fascinating time and location for an epic story. I think readers will be drawn to it because of that setting - how often have you seen that, in a book for young adults or a book in general? Not terribly often, I'd say. Similarly, I really liked the alternating viewpoints - I felt like it gave readers a chance to see the action from many sides and get a more complete picture. It kept the story moving along as well, to move frequently between different points of view.

That being said, there were things about this that were just not so good for me. By the end of the first chapter, I had already decided in my mind that this was in no way a young adult book, simply because this book starts out gruesome and continues in that vein the whole way through. It's hard for me to articulate what exactly it is about this that pushes it so clearly out of YA for me. If you know me, you'd know that I'm a firm believer in the notion of self-censoring - that is, I believe kids and teens are fully capable of deciding for themselves which topics and issues they are ready to read about at any given time. And, indeed, many of the issues present in this book can be found in other teen books to which I would have no objection - miscarriage, rape, sexually transmitted diseases, sex as a weapon of power, and so on. Perhaps it is in the confluence of all these issues in one book that makes this a hard sell for me. Perhaps it is just that they are all depicted so unapologetically graphically. Perhaps it is because I felt that some of it was completely unnecessary in moving the plot along. This ties closely with the age of the characters - yes, Ava and Midi are teenagers (two of the main characters). But they are teenagers at a time when such a concept did not exist. Nearly every other character they interact with is an adult or a young child and the third main character, the queen, is clearly an adult. This makes it even more difficult to view this book as a YA novel. I read a lot of historical fiction and this book has me wondering why I've never felt this an issue before. Surely, I've read other books with teen-aged characters in times when that would have made them adults in society's eyes. But it has never been an issue as it feels like with this book.

The author's note is terribly interesting as well - in parts even more interesting than the rest of the book. But when the author sums up her own novel as "a fairy tale about syphilis," that just leaves me baffled about publishing this for a YA audience.

As I said, I'm really conflicted about this one, and really would like to hear thoughts from others, particularly teens.

Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via NetGalley.

Review: Bake Sale

Bake Sale
By Sara Varon
Published 2011 by First Second

Cupcake has a pretty sweet life - pun intended. He loves his job in the bakery and he loves spending time with his best friend, Eggplant. Things have been just a little bit off lately, though, and Cupcake is determined to figure out the solution.

I read this towards the end of summer, as I was desperately trying to finish my summer reading log. I picked it up because it's one of the current Bluebonnet books, plus it would be a quick read. Plus, I love graphic novels. I really, really did not love this one, however.

I think this is the first book by Varon that I've read and I just did not like it. My coworker was very surprised; she had just finished reading it and thought it was fun and sweet. I, on the other hand, found the whole thing too strange and creepy to enjoy. Even the premise of a cupcake that runs a bakery making cupcakes was just too weird for me. Honestly, it seemed a bit macabre.

Additionally, I'm not sure I get the point of this story. Yes, I understand that it's meant to say something a bit profound about friendship and not taking things for granted and whatnot, but it all came out a little weird and jumbly for me.

Ultimately, compared to the other Bluebonnet books I've read so far this year, this one falls far short of being award-worthy, in my opinion. Just did not work for me.

Program: beTWEEN the lines/Write for Your Life

Today I want to talk about two different programs that I've been running this fall, but which have had similar results. The first is beTWEEN the lines, the book club I've been running for about 18 months now. It's geared toward kids 9-12 and we've used two different formats over its run. For the first year, we all read the same book and then had a discussion based around questions I generated. The kids liked this, but it was time-consuming and costly (purchasing copies of the books for the kids to use). As summer 2013 approached, I decided to take a different tack. I would choose a genre and then kids could read any book they wanted within that genre. Our meetings would consist of each person introducing their book and then a few simple questions and any other discussion that might arise. I told my regular attendees that we would revisit how book club functioned after summer, as they didn't love the new format and I was not sold on the notion of returning to the original format.

September arrived and the first meeting of book club. I had designated it as "reader's choice," hoping that everyone would just talk about some of their favorite books from the summer. I had only one attendee, a newly-minted 9-year-old. None of my regular attendees from the previous school year (I was up to six consistently) showed up and, if you've ever held a program with only one attendee, you know how awkward that can be. I had her tell me about any book she wanted and I shared my own. We had about 15 minutes of conversation and then I told her she was free to go. I chalked up the lack of attendance to the hectic nature of resuming school and getting back on a schedule.

I'd like to say that things were different in my October meeting, but I'd be lying. Since only one person had shown up to the September meeting, I kept the genre format for October and this time we read graphic novels (and yes, I know, it's a format not a genre). Once again, I had the one attendee. Once again, I encouraged her to tell me about her book and I told her about mine. She seemed really interested in what I'd read (one of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, review to come later) and read the first few pages but didn't end up taking it home. We had about 10 minutes of conversation this time around before I let her go. Thinking that perhaps the genre format really was keeping participants away, I announced the November read as Amelia Lost! by Candace Fleming. This will be my last attempt at book club. If I don't have a good turnout in November, it will be over.

Write for Your Life is a new program, begun in September as a response to patron requests. Quite frequently, we get asked for creative writing programs for kids, so I put one on the calendar in summer. I had pretty good attendance and, of the attendees, some seemed very enthusiastic, so I decided to schedule something monthly in the fall.

Two girls showed up for my September meeting. We did a short icebreaker and I went over the basic rules. I gave them some simple writing advice (I'm not a teacher, by any means, so this was gleaned from teacher and author resources), and then we did two simple writing exercises. I stressed that this was intended to be fun and that we would try different writing experiments at each meeting. Mainly, it was to be a time and place for them to write freely and get feedback if they wished. I also encouraged them to bring writing they did outside the program and I would provide some input.

The October meeting had three attendees, with one girl returning from September and two new faces. I am almost positive that one attendee was there at the behest of his parents and that they were under the false impression that I would be teaching writing skills, so I don't really expect him to return, though I think he had a good time. Once again, I started the meeting with introductions and basic rules and advice. Then, because it was October and because the girls in September had requested it, we wrote our own scary stories. I gave them prompts to choose from and also printed a few spooky photos they could use as inspiration. We spent the majority of our time writing our stories and then I became the designated reader and read everyone's aloud. That pretty much filled our time, so I thanked them all and they headed home.

I didn't expect a huge crowd for this writing program, but considering the number of requests we get for such a thing, I expected more than a couple. Though this program does not involve a ton of time and effort, it seems silly to keep it on the calendar with such low attendance, so November will also be the make or break month for writing club.

I will be sad to see either of these programs end, as they are among the most frequently requested programs at our library. Does anyone have success stories for either kind of program? Advice about what I could do differently?

Picture Book Saturday

Toys in Space
By Mini Grey
Published 2013 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
I've seen Mini Grey's books around before and have been drawn to the illustrations - they just look like so much fun. So, when I spotted this newest title on our new book cart, I immediately picked it up and read it. It's a bit of a confusing story, and a little too long for a storytime crowd, but I can see this being a popular bedtime read. The toys get left outside and end up on a space adventure. It's entertaining, and I loved how everything came together at the end. Definitely a cute story. 

Friends
By Mies Van Hout
Published 2013 by Lemniscaat USA
I love, love, loved Happy by Van Hout - the simplicity was great but I thought it was an excellent example of a concept book done very right. This new book is almost as fantastic. In this book, Van Hout explores friendship and all the things that can mean. Once again, I love that she doesn't shy away from negative emotions and interactions in these books - kids should learn these things, too. I don't love the illustrations quite as much in this one, but this is another fantastic concept book from Van Hout.

The King of Space
By Jonny Duddle
Published 2013 by Templar
This was a somewhat amusing book about a little boy who wants to be the king of space - a feat he actually manages to accomplish. However, when he gets into a bit of trouble, he won't be able to hide the truth from his parents anymore. It's kind of a cute book, with illustrations that look like they come straight from Pixar or Dreamworks studio - which will definitely be appealing to kids. The story is a bit long, though, and not as funny as one might hope. An okay read.

Review: Waiting for the Magic

Waiting for the Magic

By Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Amy June Bates

Published 2011 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

 

When William's father leaves one night and doesn't come back, he's not sure how he feels. When his mother takes him and his sister to the shelter and ends up adopting four dogs and a cat, he's even more confused. And when his sister insists that the animals are speaking to her, well, William is pretty sure the whole world's gone crazy.

 

I picked this one up as a quick read over the summer as I was trying to set a good example and finish my summer reading log (we hung staff summer reading logs next to our desk this year so kids could see what we were reading). That's not the only reason I grabbed this one, though; it's also a current Bluebonnet book (the state book award here in Texas). Plus, I don't think I've read a Patricia MacLachlan book since Sarah, Plain and Tall and that felt frankly criminal.

 

This is really quite an extraordinary book. Surface level and writing-wise, it's a very simple book, something that could easily be read and enjoyed by kids just venturing into chapter books (and, indeed, that seems to be where the majority of MacLachlan's books fall). Younger kids will be excited and enthralled by the simple magic that MacLachlan has imbued her story with - what young child doesn't wish they could talk to animals?

 

This is a book with a deeper emotional level, however; William and Elinor (and their mother) are dealing with his father's leaving and it gives them all a muddle of emotions to sort through. This is a book dealing with a tough subject in a clear and concise way, speaking to kids on a level they can easily understand. While this, like many books on tough subjects for younger readers, ends on a happy note, it's lovely to see more and more books for kids that address the particular difficulties they may be facing in a realistic and honest way (although the magic in here makes this a little beyond the realm of realistic). The characters shine and I enjoyed the simple illustrations as well.

 

I definitely recommend this to readers looking for a quietly magical story and I'll be revisiting MacLachlan's work as soon as possible.

Review: Pandemonium

Pandemonium (Delirium, book two)

By Lauren Oliver, read by Sarah Drew

Published 2012 by HarperCollins

 

WARNING: There will likely be spoilers ahead. To read my review of book one, go here.

 

Things for Lena are radically different than they were just a few short months ago. Now, she tries to push away her thoughts of Alex and Hana, struggling to adjust to the life she's forced to live now. Things are about to change for Lena again.

 

Despite what I find to be a rather ridiculous premise, I rather enjoyed the first book in this series. When I finally had some free space on my iPod, I went ahead and downloaded the second book. Here's where I'll put my notes on the format: I still can't get used to Sarah Drew as a narrator, and I'm pretty sure I should stop listening to books that she reads. She just sounds too much like Mandy Moore and it's so distracting for me. Additionally, I really wish I had read this one instead of listened: the constant temporal switching in the narrative was really difficult to follow in audio form unless I was paying very close attention.

 

That being said, I think this is a pretty successful second book in a trilogy. Often, the second book suffers, as the author is sometimes just filling space while building to the epic finale that will be book three. Oliver apparently knows what she's doing, as that's not the case in this book. Despite my problems following along with it, I think the flashbacks work really well here to keep readers engaged in the story. I think without them, the book would have easily fallen into the dreaded second book slump, so kudos to Oliver.

 

But, I have to take a bit of my praise of her away for returning to that old trope: the love triangle. If there were as many love triangles in real life as there are in novels, I don't think anyone would ever settle down and find their match. In general, love triangles fall in my "I just don't care enough" wheelhouse, and this one isn't really any exception. I suppose what might make it more interesting is thinking of it in the context of the world that Oliver has created but, really, we all know I don't have time for that.

 

Overall, this is a strong sequel to an interesting series starter. I'll be reading book three to see how it all wraps up.

Review: The Creature Department

The Creature Department
By Robert Paul Weston
Published 2013 by Razorbill

Elliot Von Doppler has always wondered what exactly it is his uncle does in his job at the mysterious DENKi-3000 company. He is thrilled when his uncle finally invites him, along with another student from his class, Leslie, to visit the factory. What Elliot and Leslie discover is beyond their wildest imaginings - and the magic they discover is in terrible danger. Can Elliot and Leslie help Uncle Archie save the company?

I requested this e-galley because I'd enjoyed one of Weston's books before (Zorgamazoo, though it was a bit odd) and because I'm still trying to read more middle-grade. Like the first Weston book I read, I found this one rather odd.

I'll admit, I was initially disappointed that this book was not written in verse (as Zorgamazoo was), simply because I love reading novels in verse. Once I got over this disappointment, I tried to engage myself with the book at hand. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time with that. I really wanted to like this book - I'm always looking for more fantastic middle grade to recommend to readers at my library (and, yes, I'm aware that I haven't read even close to everything that's been published in the last few years). The premise of this one was interesting but a bit tired. Of course, the kids are the only ones who can rescue the company from the imminent takeover by an evil conglomerate.

I guess my main problem with the whole thing is that it all just seemed a little much. The kids having to save everyone, the introduction of the actual creatures, the fact that the company looking to take over DENKi-3000 is actually being run by the creatures natural enemies - it all just seemed a little too forced and a little too silly to me. Additionally, this book suffered a bit from pacing. At times, it seemed repetitive and it felt overly long to me. I'm not sure how many readers will have the patience to keep going with this book at the less than exciting pace it takes.

Overall, a disappointment for me. Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.