Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

This is the second book I’ve read by Funke, and I must say this is the better of the two.  I find her unorthodox in her approach towards children’s fantasy in that very little of the story is based on anything fantastical.  Her characters are very much grounded in the real world and must deal with some sort of magical intrusion into their lives.  It’s an interesting premise, but not necessarily what I’m looking for or expecting as a reader of fantasy.

In this book Meggie discovers that her father has been keeping a rather interesting secret from her: he can read characters out of books.  The flip side of this secret is that every time he reads someone out of a book, someone from the real world disappears into the book, which is what happened to her mother when Meggie was just a little girl.

Now, the villain that Mo read out of the book all those years ago is after him and his copy of Inkheart to make sure that no one can ever read him back into his own story, as he happens to like our world quite a bit.  Meggie and her father then get caught up in trying to put an end to Capricorn’s reign of terror in a small village in rural Italy before he manages to get Mo to provide him with an even more sinister weapon than his band of henchmen.

This is a rather long novel, and while that seems to be the vogue in children’s fantasy right now, I’m not sure this novel is on the same level as Harry Potter or Twilight.  There are bits that seem to drag a bit, and I didn’t get to that can’t-put-it-down phase of reading until the last sixty pages or so.  That’s not a whole lot of edge of the seat excitement for a novel that tops five hundred pages.

Maybe I just have a bias towards fantasy novels that actually give me an entirely new world to explore, but I just find Meggie’s story a little sad.  Her story proves that when fantasy characters are found in real life, they are more the stuff of horror than enchantment.  In the end, it was just too much reality and not enough fantasy for me…too much dismay and not enough fun or excitement.

On the other hand, one of my sixth grade students just finished reading it before me and absolutely LOVED it, so maybe I just don’t know what I’m talking about.  I will also say in the book’s favor that overall it is an interesting read, with some good, thoughtful and thought-provoking writing, as long as you don’t have specific expectations when picking up a novel that is marketed as fantasy.

This book could generate some interesting family discussions about the nature of evil.  Can a real person be completely evil in the way that written characters are sometimes?  What do we do about people that don’t seem to have any redeeming qualities?  On a slightly more advanced level, I’d personally love to discuss the comments Funke inserts into the novel about the nature of fiction and the role(s) that stories play in society.  She has some interesting ideas:

“Perhaps there’s another, much larger story behind the printed one, a story that changes just as our own world does.  And the letters on the page tell us only as much as we’d see peering through a keyhole.  Perhaps the story in the book is just the lid on a pan: It always stays the same, but underneath there’s a whole world that goes on–developing and changing like our own world.”

January 22, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: fantasy, fiction  No Comments

Setting Goals for 2010

This is my kind of New Year’s resolution: every year I set a goal for how many books or pages (or both) I’d like to read in the upcoming year. Originally, I was inspired by the 50-book-challenge that was making the rounds on social networking websites (namely LJ, which I frequented at the time). I was pretty certain I’d never make it to 50, so I set myself the goal of reading 30 books that year.

For two consecutive years, I did not reach my goal. I wasn’t off by too much, but enough to somewhat disappoint myself. In 2009, I amazed myself. Not only did I get far beyond my 30 book goal, I went beyond the 50 book mark. Of course, I didn’t get much else done in 2009, other than keeping up at work and marginally taking care of my house and husband. I did a bit of knitting and crocheting, but my other hobbies took a back seat to reading for the most part.

Since I’d like to also focus on those other hobbies and some of the important people in my life in 2010, I think I may need to cut back on the reading just a bit. So, my new plan is to read my age…I’ll be 34 years old by the end of 2010, so that’s my goal–to read 34 books.

So, as I embark on this plan with Inkheart in my hand, I wish you all happy reading in the new year!

January 5, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

This is a pretty fun series of books geared towards middle school students. They are actually really perfect for sixth graders, since (in California, at least) they are studying ancient cultures in history and mythology in English. So far, I’ve read the first two books in the series and am planning to make them available to my students for independent reading once we start our mythology unit.


The basic premise of these books is that the Greek gods and goddesses are actually real and have simply moved to America to follow the hub of Western Civilization. Of course, the hero of our story (both in a literal and literary sense) does not know all this at the beginning of the first book. All he knows is that trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes, and he’s been to a lot of places trying to get away from it: six different school in six years, in fact. It isn’t until his math teacher turns into a flying monster during a field trip, though, that Percy begins to realize that maybe the kind of trouble following him isn’t just because he is dyslexic, has ADHD, and tends to attract bullies. He soon discovers that his best friend is a satyr, his Latin teacher is a centaur, and that he himself is only half human.

While Percy struggles to come to terms with the fact that his father is one of the Olympian gods, he is thrown into the middle of a brewing war between Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Everything depends on Percy’s successful completion of his quest to find and return Zeus’s stolen thunderbolt.


In the second book, Camp Half-Blood (the summer camp where Percy trains to be a hero) is under attack and Percy’s friend Grover, the satyr, is being held captive by a cyclops. Percy must face a friend who has become an enemy and learn to work with an enemy who…well, hasn’t quite become a friend, but is at least an ally, for now, in order to save both Grover and the camp.

If you are knowledgeable in Greek mythology, you will recognize quite a few allusions to those stories, especially in the second book where references to The Odyssey abound. However, you don’t have to be up on all the gods and heroes to enjoy these books. Everything that is essential to understand is explained, since Percy himself is not familiar with many of the stories.

I also appreciate that Riordan throws in a bit of an environmental bent. He doesn’t make it overbearing, but there are references, where appropriate, that although Western civilization has its benefits, we have really polluted the natural environment to the point where many of the good creatures of mythology can no longer thrive, but the evil monsters do.

The other themes that I find incredibly valuable in this series are how to deal with bullies and how to overcome your own weaknesses. Percy constantly faces the teasing (both physical and verbal) of bullies, and while he doesn’t always deal with them in the best way, he also realizes that their differences can be overcome in times of need. He also must overcome personal obstacles, such as his dyslexia and ADHD. At Camp Half-Blood, he learns that his disabilities can sometimes be an advantage, such as the ADHD helping him in battle, keeping his senses alert and shifting as the battle shifts.


December 2, 2009  Tags:   Posted in: action, fantasy, fiction  No Comments

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I love this book. It’s been several months since I read it, so I can no longer give you an in-depth description of what it’s about. In a nutshell, the story is told from the perspective of a young man who doesn’t really seem to fit in anywhere, and thus ends up being able to go everywhere. Although Arnold has grown up on a reservation, he was born with hydrocephalus and has always been treated as a bit of an outcast. Yet, he manages to see humor in the outrageous situations he is faced with.

The story not only deals with his experiences on the reservation, but also his experiences when he decides to attend high school in a town off the res and the resultant further alienation from friends and family back home.

The most memorable thing about this book is that it kept me laughing and, yet, also managed to make me cry. Alexie adeptly brings up Native American social and political issues, both past and present, without apology and without it feeling heavy handed. He even brings in issues of death and loss in a way that is poignant without being contrived, overly simplistic, or melodramatic, as is sometimes the case in literature that is geared towards young adults.

This was certainly my favorite for this year’s California Young Reader Medal, hands down. My one word of caution for adults introducing and discussing the book with their own young readers is that it does contain references to sex and masturbation, which is probably to be expected in a book written from a teenage boy’s perspective. Personally, I don’t feel that these references are distracting or inappropriate, and considering all the other issues for discussion that this book brings up, it is just one more conversation starter.

October 25, 2009  Tags:   Posted in: Young Adult, fiction, realistic  No Comments

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr


This is book two for me out of the three YA novels nominated for a California Young Reader Medal this year. As I mentioned before, I’m trying to get a jump start on reading some of the nominees before the students start scrambling for the books.

I actually enjoyed this one more than St. Iggy, and they are actually rather easy to compare. Both deal with dysfunctional families and a young person trying to find his/her place in the world and his/her voice. Unlike Iggy’s parents who have abandoned him in favor of drugs and alcohol, Deanna’s parents have simply checked out emotionally. While part of the problem is that her father caught her with a high school boy when she was only thirteen, you get the sense that the problems started long before this, that she was with Tommy simply because she needed male attention and felt alone and neglected–a feeling many girls can probably relate to if they do not get positive love and attention from their fathers.

Like with last year’s CYRM nominees, I wonder whether young readers will really pick up on these nuances. Will young readers understand the very real problems that underlie the family dysfunction? Will they be able to grasp the transformation she goes through as she begins to forgive those who have hurt her? Will they be able to sympathize with her need to apologize for things people don’t know she has even done?

These are issues that we all struggle with even as adults. I’m just not sure that my middle school readers will really get it.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed the book. I did feel like there was a discrepancy between Deanna’s sometimes immaturity and occasional deep insights. One scene in particular stands out: when her friend Lee is asking for advice about whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend. I felt like what Deanna wanted to tell her friend was incredibly mature–insights into the emotional aspect of a sexual relationship that I think is a little unrealistic for a sixteen-year-old, no matter how experienced or inexperienced she may be. Yet, what she actually says to her friend ends up showing a lack of maturity that is at odds with what she thinks, though much more realistic given her age and situation.

Overall, I thing the book is well done. There are lots of issues to bring up with a young reader, including why young girls might choose to have sex in the first place. Other issues to be aware of include underage drinking, drug use, and bullying.

July 31, 2009  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Young Adult, fiction  No Comments

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger


I’m really of two minds about this book. It took me about a hundred pages to really get into it. The only thing that saved this book from being thrown onto the “trade” area of my bookshelf after the first fifty pages was my trait of being tenaciously persevering when it comes to books; I consider it a personal failure when I can’t make it to the end. (I still feel guilty about Anna Karenina.)

In Time Traveler’s defence, it does eventually pick up steam. I did reach a point where I almost couldn’t put the book down, and it did make me cry. Plus, there are some very moving passages as well as some beautifully written parts that remind me of the classics–those phrases or entire passages that you want to write down somewhere, in your journal or on your bathroom mirror, so you can turn them over again and again, contemplating the truth contained in them or the exquisite beauty of a well turned phrase.

In the end, it is really a beautiful love story that does manage to transcend the level of modern romance novels. Perhaps part of my mistake at the beginning was that I kept looking for a “plot” to develop…some overarching theme or purpose towards which the narrative was driving. I might have enjoyed the first hundred pages more if I realized that there is no major climax towards which this novel is building; it is simply a gentle journey through tremendous love and dedication.

One strong word of warning to more conservative readers–sex is a significant focus of the novel. While the descriptions are in no sense pornographic, they are certainly there. Henry and Clare are radical in their beliefs and in their lifestyle (especially Henry before he meets Clare), and while I do not think that any of this is enough to put someone off reading the book, you should definitely be aware that it’s there.

July 31, 2009   Posted in: fiction  No Comments

The Plague by Joanne Dahme


I am starting to feel a bit repetitive lately, but this is yet another book that had a superb concept, but poor execution. The story is set in Medieval Europe where Nell, a commoner, serves as Princess Joan of England’s double. When the princess dies en route to her wedding to the Spanish heir, the Black Prince, determined to forge the alliance with Spain at all costs, forces Nell to take her place.

Now, up to this point, the story was rather interesting. Where it falls apart entirely is when we start to see the dark side of the prince. There are hints and suggestions that he is some sort of sorcerer, that he can control the group of rats that keep attacking Nell, her brother, and her protectors as they try to flee from the Prince, that the prince can somehow track their movements using an amulet that he gave Nell’s brother, and that her brother also has some sort of ability to heal those suffering from the plague.

While I have absolutely no problem with a magical bent to the stories I read, the problem here was that it was never developed. Everything was left at the level of superstition, which, while common at the time, ends up being highly unsatisfying in a plot.

I was also left disappointed when I actually did a little research into the time period. I wondered about the depiction of the prince–entirely made up, it appears. In the book, everyone seems to fear him and cower in his presence, including his own soldiers. He is depicted as a heartless, manipulative, evil man. Even a cursory glance into what is really known about the man himself turns up a prince who, while fearsome in battle and hot-tempered, was generally loved and admired. Again, while I don’t mind historical novels taking some liberties, this was a little too much for me.

Overall, as a story, this one isn’t bad. I can see young readers enjoying the adventure, but no one is going to fall in love with the characters or get excited about what happens to them.

July 31, 2009   Posted in: Young Adult, fiction, historical fiction  No Comments

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog


I love the concept, I adore the plot, but the execution…not so much. The first person narrator in this novel suffers from the same malaise as Bella Swan in the Twilight series…a crippling lack of self-confidence and horrible self-image, cutting herself down while aggrandizing and idolizing her boyfriend in the same breath. Ick. I have worked with high school students for nine years and have never known a teenage girl to feel like she didn’t deserve her boyfriend. Poor self-image–yes. Lack of confidence–yes. Boyfriend issues–yes. But feeling undeserving–whatever! Feeling privileged just to be seen with him, in awe that he could possibly like her–only in the movies and, apparently, angst-filled novels.

But back to the part I liked…The story is basically the classic Tam Lin fairy tale, but with a twist. For those who are unfamiliar with the tale, you are really missing out on one of my favorite fairy tales. In many fairy tales, the female main character is always acted upon; she is a good girl that bad things always happen to, but eventually someone comes along to rescue her. Tam Lin turns this classic model on its head. Janet is not a “good” girl, her own actions get her in trouble, her own actions get her out of trouble, and instead of needing to be rescued herself, she is the one who rescues her “prince.” While one moral of the story is “don’t go sleeping with boys who have been raised by fairies,” the story is also one of empowerment, that a young woman can take charge of her own destiny to get what she need and wants. To read the story yourself, check out this fabulous website on Tam Lin Balladry.

While Balog’s novel does touch on this same theme towards the end, you have to get through the mush of “I can’t live without him” and “I’m only courageous when he is by my side” first in order to get to that message of empowerment. And it is that first part that grates on me like nails on a chalkboard. Sad, really, because this is otherwise a very worthwhile and entertaining novel.

Keep in mind, that it is still a fairy tale. There are fairies. There is magic. If you have objections to that sort of thing, this is not the book for you. (My own stance on magic is that it is a wonderfully creative aspect of literature that has been part of storytelling for centuries, and perfectly harmless unless you are trying to produce it in the real world. I also believe that children are capable of telling fiction from reality from a very early age, and would put a book about magical beings in a child’s hand much sooner than I’d put a book filled with violence–which they actually see in the real world.)

July 14, 2009  Tags:   Posted in: Young Adult, fiction, retold fairy tale  No Comments

Saint Iggy by K.L. Going

So, some changes around here.  The poor book review aspect of my website has been sadly neglected.  I started a separate blog for a while, but also started to neglect that one.  In an attempt to stay up to date with my blogging, I’ve decided to make a few changes.  While I won’t be removing my previous book reviews, I will not be adding any in the old format; all new book reviews will be here on this blog.  I’ll try to be very thorough with the tagging so that you can easily find the reviews you are looking for.

But now, on to the book reviews…or, at least what I hope will be the first of many.

Saint Iggy.  This is the first of this year’s California Young Readers Medal nominees that I have managed to read.  Last year, I crammed all of the YA nominees into a three week reading binge.  This year, I’d like to give myself a bit more time.  I also thought it would be nice to be able to talk about the books with my students before the deadline for voting.

This was definitely an interesting read, partly because I’m such a sucker for interesting narrative techniques.  The narrative in this book attempts to give you a glimpse into the mind of a young man who has ADHD.  While most young people will not read it as such, this story is really about the tragedy of the failure of the educational system to meet the needs of a boy from the projects with a learning disability.  What I also liked about it was that it was unpredictable; you really don’t see the end coming until you’re there.  The flip side of this attribute is that the story does seem to drag a bit, the plot wandering around as much as the pitiable protagonist.  Thankfully, it is a short book, but I do wonder if it will be able to hold the attention of some of the younger readers.

A quick warning for any adults considering this book for young readers: lots of drug use in the book.  The main character avoids them because he has seen their evils–both his parents are adicts, he was born an adict himself, and his best friend is getting caught up in the violence associated with drug use.   Thankfully, the anti-drug message does not come across too strong, but it is quite clearly there, making this novel a wonderful way to open up the topic with the young  people in your life.

July 1, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Young Adult, fiction  No Comments

Wisdom of Our Fathers

This book was so wonderful to read that I was finally inspired to write another review for this blog. It is filled, cover to cover, with wonderful stories that people sent in about their fathers. Don’t worry, they are not all sappy and overwrought; I laughed over more than made me cry. It definitely made me want to write about my own father, but I’ll save that for my personal journal and keep this a short and sweet book review. It is a pretty quick read and easy to get through. The stories are all short and are grouped by topic, everything from “The Protector” to “Mr. Mom” and “Baseball”.

The book would make a really great gift. My own copy will probably get passed around to my siblings before it makes it to Dad. There is even a page at the beginning to write you own inscription about your dad.

October 17, 2008   Posted in: nonfiction  No Comments