Wands and Worlds

Book Review: The Diamond of Darkhold

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:59:59 -0500

The Diamond of Darkhold
The Fourth Book of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau

It's been a tough winter in the village of Sparks. A caved-in roof damaged much of their already short food supply, and there had been an unusual number of illnesses and accidents. Lina and Doon are still adjusting to life on the outside: the hardships and the dangers which are very different from those faced in the underground city of Ember. They want to do something to help the village, so when an old book purchased from a roamer seems to allude to something important hidden in Ember, Lina and Doon plan an expedition to return to Ember and search for it. But plans go awry, and what they find in Ember is far different from what they expected.

The Diamond of Darkhold is an enjoyable book, as all the books of Ember have been. It's great to see Lina and Doon back together again, solving problems. There's plenty of excitement and suspense and adventure. And I really liked that what they found in Ember was different than what they - and the reader - expected. Fans of the Ember series will definitely want to read it.

However, I have to say that I don't think it's quite as good as the first three books. One of the things that made the first three books so powerful was the social context that frames the story. In the City of Ember, it was Ember itself, that great underground city, and the effects that the breakdown of the city had on the closed society. In the People of Sparks, it was the conflict created by the merging of the two groups, and the stress caused by the strain on resources of a vastly increased population. In the Prophet of Yonwood, it was the dystopian theocracy created in the name of the Prophet. But in The Diamond of Darkhold, there doesn't seem to be a larger social issue at the heart of the story. Sure, there are shortages in Sparks, but that doesn't seem to be the overarching social theme like we had in the other books.

Another way to look at it is that in each book, there is a city which is as much a character as any person in the story: Ember, Sparks, and Yonwood. In The Diamond of Darkhold, there is still Sparks, but it doesn't get developed as a "character" any more than it already was in the second book. There's also Darkhold, but it's a small society, and only plays a role in part of the book.

Another gripe I had was the way that children were portrayed in this book. In all the books, but especially the first one, there is a subtheme of empowerment of children. In the City of Ember, Lina and Doon find that most of the adults in the book either don't take them seriously, or actively try to stop them. So they take matters into their own hands to save their society. I think this is a theme that resonates with a lot of children because they often feel the same powerlessness in their own lives.

In The Diamond of Darkhold, Lina and Doon, of course, are still doing important things, but all the other children are either belittled or disempowered. Near the end of the book, a child's treasures are taken away from him without permission when they suddenly become important to the society. When he complains, he's told "you'll be proud to know they're going to be used for something important." I had been expecting that the child would suddenly be the owner of something valuable and important, and to see them taken away from him without compensation (and by Doon, who, while still a child, is older than the other child) grated on my nerves. Also, while Lina and Doon are off trying to find the hidden "treasure," some of the other children go on a quest that ultimately ends up accomplishing little except getting the children lost and sending them back to Sparks for adult help, which ultimately makes the whole thing seem silly and pointless.

I know that I've said a lot of negative things, and it seems like I didn't like this book, but I really did like it. I think it's just that I expected so much of this book, that I felt a little let down when it didn't live up to my expectations. I do recommend it, though, especially to anyone who has read and like the other books. If you haven't read the other books, they're wonderful books and should be at the top of your TBR. Here are my reviews of the others:

The City of Ember

The People of Sparks

The Prophet of Yonwood

Also take note that the City of Ember movie was released today. I haven't seen it yet, but it looks good from the pictures and trailers, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. I'm hopeful that, for once, Hollywood may have managed to capture the true spirit of a beloved children's book.

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Books with Bite: Teen Read Week booklists!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:44:45 -0500

October 12-18 is YALSA's Teen Read Week 2008, and the theme this year is "Books with Bite!" I think it's a great theme, and I asked the teen members of the Wands and Worlds community to suggest books that they recommend which would fit the theme. They suggested so many books that I had to break the list into two parts: Books with Bite: Creepy Creatures, which includes Prehistoric Animals, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Creatures and Monsters, and Aliens, and Books with Bite: Animals, which is self-explanatory.

Anyone who thinks that teen readers are "boxed in" to the young adult category of books should meet the Wands and Worlds members. I was amazed at the diversity of books they recommended. The list includes classic novels, modern novels, and graphic novels, not to mention one interactive book, and the reading level ranges from middle-grade to adult.

These are all books that the teens enjoy reading and would recommend to others. I mainly acted as organizer and moderator. I tried not to censor their selections, other than to make sure that all the books fit the theme, and was pretty liberal about that. Basically, if I wasn't sure a book would fit, I asked how it fit the theme, and if anyone suggested a way, I went with that. I did make some suggestions to get the discussion going, but only included those if at least one person said, "Yeah! I love that book!" A few of the books on the list appear to be out of print, but I decided to include them anyway, in the hope that they are still available in some libraries.

It's my hope that these lists can be helpful, either to teens looking for good books, or to librarians, booksellers, parents, teachers, and other adults to whom teens may turn for recommendations. I'm providing the lists here in three forms:

A raw/formatted html text in the blog post below, and which you are welcome to copy and post on your own blog or web site if you wish. (You can even copy the source, if you want to retain the formatting).
An attractively formatted downloadable PDF, suitable for printing and giving out. You may freely copy these without permission as long as you are not selling them. (And while I hope that they're helpful, I can't imagine that anyone would actually want to pay for them, anyway)
A BlueOrganizer widget, that you are welcome to place on a blog or web site. The widgets are fully customizable with many options.

Here are the downloadable PDFs. Click on the thumbnail to download the full sized flyer:

Here's the widgets:

And finally, here's the actual text, if you'd like to copy it directly:

Books with Bite: Animals

Cats:

Warriors series
by Erin Hunter
First book: Into the Wild
Love, friendship, intrigue, and war among clans of wild cats.

Ratha and The Named series
by Clare Bell
First book: Ratha’s Creature
Fiery prehistoric cat Ratha brings change to her clan.

The Tygrine Cat
by Inbali Iserles
A young cat exiled from his homeland struggles for acceptance and seeks to understand his mysterious power.

Varjak Paw and The Outlaw Varjak Paw
by Sf Said
illustrated by Dave Mckean
A young cat from a sheltered life is forced to go outside for the first time as he seeks help to save his family and home.

Lionboy Trilogy
by Zizou Corder
First book: Lionboy
A boy who can speak to cats sets off on a journey across Europe and eventually the world, aided by cats and even
lions along the way.

The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
A boy raised by wolves, and tutored by the panther Bagheera and the bear Baloo, faces off against the fierce tiger Shere Khan.

Tomorrow’s Sphinx
by Clare Bell
In a future world, a telepathic black cheetah, exiled from her clan due to her unusual color, rescues a human child.

Dogs & Wolves:

The Sight and Fell
by David Clement-Davies
A white wolf and a black wolf deal with the consequences of prophecy in the mountains of Transylvania.

Runt
by Marion Dane Bauer
The last-born and smallest wolf in the litter seeks to find his place in the pack.

Snow Dog
by Jim Kjelgaard
A dog must take down the black wolf that had murdered his family when he was a pup, as well as learn to survive
on his own.

Old Yeller
by Fred Gipson
A beautiful, exciting, and tragic story of a boy and his dog in late 19th century Texas.

White Fang
by Jack London
The adventures of an orphaned half-wolf, half-dog in the wilderness of northwest Canada.

Call of the Wild
by Jack London
Buck the dog is kidnapped from his California home and sent to the Alaskan wilderness as a sled dog, where he
encounters both cruelty and love.

Wolf’s Rain (Manga)
by Bones
illustrated by Toshitsugu Lida
In a world where wolves are nearly extinct, the last four wolves can disguise themselves as humans.

InuYasha (Manga)
by Rumiko Takahashi
A teenager is transported back in time in Japan and releases a dog half-demon.

Wolf Series
by Jane Lindskold
First book: Through Wolf’s Eyes
A girl raised by wolves may be the long-lost heir to the throne.

A Dog’s Life: Autobiography of a Stray
by Ann M. Martin
The life and adventures of a stray dog, told in the dog’s words.

Other Animals

Seekers Series
by Erin Hunter
First book: The Quest Begins
Three young bears from different species on quests that will bring them together.
Animal: bears

Hermux Tantamoq Adventures
by Michael Hoeye
First book: Time Stops for No Mouse
A gentle watchmaking mouse gets drawn into adventure and mystery
Animal: mouse

Guardians of Ga’Hoole
by Kathryn Lasky
First book: The Capture
A young owl faces danger and adventure
Animal: owls

Watership Down
by Richard Adams
A warren of rabbits made homeless by a land developer encounter many dangers as they search for a new home.
Animal: rabbits

Redwall series
by Brian Jacques
First book: Redwall
The adventures of various animals in and around Redwall Abby in the fantasy world of Redwall
Animal: various

Fire Bringer
by David Clement-Davies
A young deer may be the fulfillment of a prophecy and the only hope of the deer against a tyrannical ruler.
Animal: deer

Silverwing Trilogy
by Kenneth Oppel
First book: Silverwing
A young bat, the runt of his colony, gets separated from the colony and finds adventure and new friends as he tries to find his colony.
Animal: bats

Tarka the Otter
by Henry Williamson
The life of an otter in the countryside
Animal: otters

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
by Richard Bach
The story of a seagull who follows his dreams
Animal: seagulls

Fruits Basket (Manga)
by Natsuki Takaya
An orphan moves in with a mysterious family who can change into the animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Animal: various

+Anima (Manga)
by Natsumi Mukai
A group of children with animal powers, shunned by human society, search for others with similar abilities
Animal: various

Mistmantle Chronicles
by M. I. McAllister
illustrated by Omar Ryann
First book: Urchin of the Riding Stars
An orphaned young squirrel serving as page to a Captain of the Guard becomes embroiled in court intrigue when his Captain is accused of a murder
Animal: various

Raven Quest
by Sharon Stewart
A raven exiled from his community after being falsely accused of murder sets off on a quest to find the Grey Lords, who can save his people.
Animal: ravens

The Waterstone
by Rebecca Rupp
The world is drying up, and twelve-year-old Tad faces
adventure, danger, and mysteries as he seeks to restore
the water before it’s too late.
Animal: various

His Dark Materials Trilogy
by Philip Pullman
First book: The Golden Compass
In an alternate world, two children and their animal daemons try to save the universe.
Animal: various

The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
A boy raised by wolves, and tutored by the panther Bagheera and the bear Baloo, faces off against the fierce tiger Shere Khan.
Animal: various

Books with Bite: Creepy Creatures

Prehistoric Animals:

Ratha and The Named series
by Clare Bell
First book: Ratha’s Creature
Fiery prehistoric cat Ratha brings change to her clan.

Raptor Red
by Robert Bakker
A female Utahraptor struggles for survival in a hostile prehistoric world.

Darkwing
by Kenneth Oppel
A young, prehistoric bat-like mammal, born with deformities that let him fly and navigate in the dark, uses his special abilities to save his colony.

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
by Michelle Paver
First book: Wolf Brother
A 12-year-old orphan in a prehistoric world bonds with a wolf cub, and the two of them battle evil magic to save the world.

Vampires:

Twilight Saga
by Stephenie Meyer
First book: Twilight
A teenage girl falls in love with a vampire, exposing her to a dangerous world.

House of Night series
by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
First book: Marked
In a world where vampires coexist with humans, a teenage girl is marked as a vampire and begins to attend the House of Night school for vampires.

Vampire Knight (Manga)
by Matsuri Hino
A student at a school attended by humans during the day and vampires at night seeks to find a way for the two groups to coexist peacefully.

Vampire Academy series
by Richelle Mead
First book: Vampire Academy
Two friends at a school for vampires deal with social pressures and dangers from a different group of vampires.

Dracula
by Bram Stoker
Real estate agent Jonathan Harker has been hired to find a London home for Transylvanian Count Dracula, putting his fiance Mina in danger from the vampire.

Blue Bloods
by Melissa De La Cruz
A teen at a prestigious private high school discovers that she is descended from a line of privileged society vampires.

Bloodline
by Kate Cary
The Dracula story continues with the next generation, as a young woman is enticed to become the bride of Captain Quincy Harker from Transylvania.

Vampirates
by Justin Somper
First book: Demons of the Ocean
Twins Connor and Grace are shipwrecked and separated; one ends up on a pirate ship, the other on a ship of vampire pirates.

Werewolves:

Lonely Werewolf Girl
by Martin Millar
A laudanum-addicted, Joan Jett loving, teenage Scottish werewolf princess hides with a couple of humans in London, while her family battles for the werewolf throne.

Blood and Chocolate
by Annette Curtis Klause
A sixteen year old werewolf girl falls in love with a human boy.

Twilight Saga
by Stephenie Meyer
First book: Twilight
A teenage girl falls in love with a vampire, exposing her to a dangerous world.

Maximum Ride Series
by James Patterson
First book: The Angel Experiment
A group of children genetically enhanced with bird DNA giving them the ability to fly escape from the lab where they were bred, and are on the run from half-human, half-wolf predators called erasers.

Dragons:

Inheritance Series
by Christopher Paolini
First book: Eragon
A fifteen year old boy discovers a dragon egg, becomes a Dragon Rider, and works to overthrow a tyrant.

Dragon’s Keep
by Janet Lee Carey
A princess born with a deformity that some consider a curse is abducted by a dragon.

Dragon Slippers series
by Jessica Day George
First book: Dragon Slippers
A poor girl becomes a dressmaker and secret friend of dragons.

Dragon Trilogy
by Chris D’Lacey
First book: The Fire Within
A college student discovers that a clay dragon given to him as a gift can come to life

Age of Fire
by E.E. Knight
First book: Dragon Champion
A lone young dragon survives the massacre of his family and goes in search of his own kind.

Dragon Rider
by Cornelia Funke
A young dragon sets off in search of a sanctuary where the dragons can be safe from humans, and encounters an evil dragon bent on destruction.

Hatching Magic
by Ann Downer
When a wyvern belonging to a thirteenth century wizard goes through a time hole to lay her egg, the hatchling is found by an 11-year-old girl in twenty-first century Boston.

The Dragonriders of Pern
by Anne McCaffrey
First book: Dragonflight
Humans bonded with dragons protect their planet from a threat that falls from the sky.

The Dragon Hunter’s Handbook
by Lori Summers
Everything you need to know to become a dragon hunter.

Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons
by Ernest Drake and Dugald Steer
Interactive guide to dragons.

Creatures and Monsters:

Artemis Fowl series
by Eoin Colfer
First book: Artemis Fowl
A teenage mastermind plans to steal the fairy gold and battles the elite fairy police

Deltora Quest
by Emily Rodda
First book: The Forests Of Silence
Three young companions are on a quest to recover the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora, to overthrow the Shadow Lord.

Harry Potter
by J.K. Rowling
First book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
An orphaned boy learns he is a wizard, and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians
by Rick Riordan
First book: The Lightning Thief
A boy with dyslexia and ADHD learns that the Greek gods still exist and that he’s really a demi-god and pursued by
monsters.

Chronicles of Narnia
by C. S. Lewis
First book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The adventures of human children in the magical world of Narnia.

Tsubasa (manga)
by Clamp
A young man goes on a quest through alternate worlds to save his friend, when a mysterious symbol at an archaeological dig scatters her memories.

xxxHolic (manga)
by Clamp
Watanuki Kimihiro is tricked into becoming a servant to a witch, after he seeks her help in getting rid of the spirits that haunt him.

Firebringer trilogy
by Meredith Ann Pierce
First book: Birth of the Firebringer
The prince of the unicorns faces dangers as he and his friends go on a pilgrimage for their initiation.

Power of Three
by Diana Wynne Jones
Three children - two with special powers and one ordinary - may be the only ones who can break a curse on their
people.

Aliens:

Animorphs
by K.A. Applegate
First book: The Invasion
Children who can morph into animals battle aliens to save the world.

The Host
by Stephanie Meyer
A woman whose mind is possessed by an alien refuses to submit to the alien, and together they seek the man she
loves.

Ender Series
by Orson Scott Card
First book: Ender’s Game
A young genius is trained to fight aliens attacking Earth.

This list was compiled from recommendations made by the members of the Wands and Worlds community, a fan site dedicated to children’s and teen fantasy and science fiction. The following members contributed to the list: Adderfang, AshfurForever24, Coalfang, CloudWind, Crescentmoon, Fireblossom, Forestpelt, Gingerleaf, Hawkstorm, Heartwing, Icestar, Kitten-Chan, Lightfrost, Losty, Mossflower, Rabbitfoot, Rathacat, Sandcloud, Sevenclaws, Shadow, SheilaRuth, Spirithunter, Spottedstar, Swiftstep, Tawny/Moony, Waterstripe, Wolf.

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Kidlit auction closing soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:52:11 -0500

I've posted a couple of times about the Brightspirit Relief Fund charitable auction that I've been working on, which is being held in memory of a 10-year-old girl named Emmy Cherry who lost her life, along with both of her parents, in a tornado that swept through central Arkansas. The auction is raising money for literacy, tornado and storm relief, and animal organizations, with a focus on the communities of Arkansas near Emmy's home town.

I wanted to let you know that the auction is closing this coming Saturday, October 4, at 5pm Eastern time, so if you were thinking about bidding on any of the items, don't delay much longer!

The auction has many autographed children's and young adult books and other kidlit-related items, donated by a variety of authors (and others). These are some of the newer items that were added since I last posted here:

Signed copies of Dragon Flight, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, and the forthcoming Princess of the Midnight Ball, donated by author Jessica Day George

Signed copies of Fell and The Alchemists of Barbal, donated by author David Clement-Davies

Signed copies of Into the Wild and Out of the Wild, donated by author Sarah Beth Durst

Signed copies of He's with Me and Save the Date, written by Erin Hunter #4 Tui Sutherland under the pen name Tamara Summers, signed by Tui

Signed photos of Tui Sutherland's adorable dog Sunshine

Three new Warriors shirts

A beautiful Arashi no Ryo dragon painting by Wands and Worlds community member Spirithunter.

A Warriors embroidered book bag, signed by Erin Hunter

A poster made from a painting of Brightspirit painted by Arkansas artist Roberta Gray, from descriptions sent to her by Erin Hunter

Various Warriors posters, signed by Erin Hunter

A picture of Brightspirit, Shiningheart, Braveheart, and Shasta, made by Wands and Worlds community member Silent

View all items at the auction home page

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Cybils 2008 nominations now open!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:19:54 -0500

In case you hadn't heard, nominations are now open for the 3rd annual Children's and Young Adult Literary Bloggers awards, better known as the Cybils! Created by the community of children's literature bloggers in response to established children's book awards that seemed to place too much emphasis either on literary merit at the expense of kid appeal, or on popularity regardless of literary merit. The Cybils were created to find the balance between the two, and award those books with both kid appeal and literary merit. In the first two years, the Cybils have been wildly successful, recognizing great books that haven't always been recognized by the establishment, creating a stir in the children's book community, and, in turn, helping to bring the community together.

Nominations opened yesterday for the 2008 Cybils awards, and will close on October 15. Anyone can nominate a book by posting a comment on the appropriate category of the Cybils blog (one nomination per person per category, please). Books must be published between January 1 and October 15, 2008.

There have been many great books nominated already, but there's a lot of good ones that I don't see on the list yet, so go and nominate your favorite books of 2008! Be sure to look at the previous comments to make sure that the book you want to nominate hasn't already been nominated. Multiple nominations don't help a book - it's not a vote - so you'll basically be wasting your nomination if you suggest a book that's already been nominated.

Nominate your books in the appropriate category here:

If you aren't sure what category your book goes in, post it here.

Read the rules and details here.

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Book Review: Alfred Kropp: The Thirteenth Skull

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:15:21 -0500

The Thirteenth Skull
Alfred Kropp: Book 3
by Rick Yancey

Having battled the agents of darkness over the sword Excalibur, and faced a horde of demons from Hell, Alfred Kropp has had enough. He just wants to live an ordinary life as an ordinary teenager. He asks OIPEP to "extract" him from his life and give him a new identity. But nothing goes according to plan, as Alfred is pursued by a madman bent on revenge and seeking a mythical "thirteenth skull," while rogue elements within OIPEP seek to use Alfred for their own purposes. Even his sworn guardian Samuel St. John, the former Operative Nine, seems to have secrets of his own. What can Alfred do when he doesn't know who to trust, and no where in the world seems safe?

As with the other books in the series, Rick Yancey wastes no time getting to the action. By the fourth page, things are already blowing up, and by the sixth page, Alfred is on the run. Yancey doesn't waste a lot of time with back story, and yet he expertly weaves in enough information that I think someone could read this book without having read the other two.

Alfred is still quite likable as an "everyman" character, but he's also changed: he's leaner, harder, more willing to do "the thing that needs be done." And yet, paradoxically, his innocence, compassion, and sense of justice have grown as well. The tension between "the thing that needs to be done" and "the thing that's right" sets up a conflict that forms the backbone of the story.

This book is just as exciting as the others in the series, with non-stop action mixed with occasional humor. Yet, it's also in some ways deeper and more sophisticated. The Thirteenth Skull can be read on two levels. Readers looking for an exciting adventure story will find that they don't come much more exciting than Alfred Kropp. At this level, it's a perfect book for reluctant readers. But those looking for a little bit more will find depth in the themes relating to sacrifice, forgiveness, and the human relationship to the divine.

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Ratha's Courage announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:12:07 -0500

When I was a kid, there was a razor commercial on TV where some famous guy (I assume he was famous from the context of the commercial, but I have no idea who he was) said that he liked the razor he was touting so much that he'd bought the company. I can't imagine being so passionate about a razor that you had to buy the company, but I reviewed an author that I like so much, that I acquired her latest work for my publishing company, Imaginator Press.

Back in April, I reviewed Ratha's Creature, by Clare Bell. Ratha's Creature is an intense young adult book about a young prehistoric female cat named Ratha who is exiled from her clan and must learn to survive. Ratha's Creature was first published in 1983, and won an IRA award, a Pen Center USA award, received a Booklist starred review, and was selected for the Best Books for Young People list. Ratha's Creature, along with the other three books in the Named series, were reprinted with stunning new covers last year by Firebird Books.

I loved Ratha's Creature and the Named series so much, that when I learned that the newest book in the series, Ratha's Courage, was available, I was excited at the opportunity, and reached an agreement with Clare Bell through her agent, Richard Curtis, to publish it. Many thanks to Spirithunter, a member of the Wands and Worlds teen community, for suggesting the idea.

Ratha's Courage will be published next month, and if any bloggers are interested in an ARC, please let me know. Author Clare Bell is also available for interviews. She's a fascinating person, who among other things installed her own solar and wind power systems at her house in Northern California. In researching Ratha's Courage, she built a skull model of Dinaelurus crassus, a miocene period cheetah-like cat, and another one similar to the first, but with an enlarged braincase to allow for greater intelligence, for a fictional species that she named Dinaelurus illumina sapiens. You can see these skull models and read more about the research and preparation for the book on the author's web site, Ratha's Courage.com.

See Ratha's Courage on Amazon.com

Buy local through IndieBound!

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Book Review: The Hunger Games

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:32:44 -0500

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen lives in the poorest area of District 12, which is in turn the poorest district of Panem. District 12 is an area that was known as Appalachia when Panem was North America, and its economy is based on coal mining. Katniss’ family fares a little better than many other families that live near her, because Katniss has learned to hunt, and she makes illegal forays outside the fence almost daily to hunt, trading any excess game for other supplies that her family needs. Even so, life in District 12 is brutally hard, and hunger is never far away.

But as hard as life is for the residents of District 12, the most brutal thing of all is the Hunger Games, which pits children from each district against each other in a fight to the death. As punishment for a long-ago uprising against the Capitol, each of the districts must send two tributes - a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 - each year to participate in this gladiator-like spectacle, in which the tributes spend several weeks trying to kill each other in a huge arena built to resemble a natural environment that could be anything from burning desert to frozen wasteland. Only one tribute can survive, and the games continue until all the tributes but one are dead. The last tribute alive is declared the winner, and receives honors and wealth.

The tributes are selected by lottery, and when Katniss’ 12-year-old sister Prim is selected, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place. She has no choice, really, although she knows that it’s most likely a death sentence for her. Now, Katniss must learn to play the game in all its aspects better than anyone else. Can she survive? And, perhaps more difficult, can she kill the other children in order to save herself and win?

After seeing reviews of this book around the kidlitosphere, I knew I had to read it. I was a little nervous, because sometimes books that have been highly touted on many blogs turn out to be a disappointment. That wasn’t the case here. The Hunger Games was every bit as good as I had hoped, and maybe better. It turned out to be much more than I expected. It’s not just the “kill or be killed” excitement - although there’s plenty of that. There’s also a lot of depth, nuance, and character development. The Hunger Games, it turns out, aren’t just about the fight to the death. As with today’s reality TV shows, image is vitally important in helping to determine the winner, and the contestants are to some extent fictionalized characters, built up by the producers using sound bites to portray the side of each contestant that they want to show. So Katniss must learn not only the survival and martial skills necessary to survive, but how to project an image that will help her get sponsors. In short, she must learn to play the game.

The first person point of view and present tense bring a sense of immediacy to the story and puts the reader inside Katniss’ head at each moment of the games. Yet amazingly, Suzanne Collins is able, through Katniss’ observations, to convey to the reader information that Katniss herself hasn’t figured out yet. Sometimes the things that are right in front of us aren’t so obvious.

The Hunger Games is an outstanding young adult novel, with plenty of excitement, interesting characters, a touch of romance. and commentary on today’s society that manages to be relevant without being preachy.

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Where have I been?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:11:51 -0500

If I have any blog readers left after my long hiatus, the three or four of you remaining are probably wondering where I've been. The truth is that my summer exploded, and I ended up working on some large projects that I hadn't anticipated. I've been working on setting up a charitable online auction for the Brightspirit Relief Fund, which I posted about earlier here. The auction web site is now up, and the auction itself starts this coming Saturday. We have a lot of exciting items, many of them kidlit related, from authors Rick Riordan, Erin Hunter, Brandon Mull, Jessica Day George, Sarah Beth Durst, Clare Bell, and more! View the auction site here. If anyone would like to donate items for the auction, it's not too late!

I've also been working on a new project with my publishing company, Imaginator Press. I'm very excited that I'm going to be publishing Ratha's Courage, Clare Bell's newest book in the Named series. I'm going to post more about this in a few minutes.

Finally, I'm working on setting up a database/intranet system for the Cybils, to make tracking the nominations easier and more accurate. In case you hadn't heard, the Cybils are gearing up to start the 2008 awards! They've been taking volunteers for panelists and judges, and the panels are scheduled to be announced this week on the Cybils blog. The Cybils will open for 2008 nominations on October 1!

I haven't stopped reading - I read some great books over the summer - but I posted very few reviews. I plan to start reviewing some of those great books, and I have one review ready to post in a few minutes.

Updates and notes, August 11, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:14:21 -0500

I'm back from the beach, and had a wonderful time and perfect weather the whole week. I love reading on the beach; there's not much that's more relaxing than lying in a beach chair, reading a book, listening to the surf, smelling sand and salt water and caramel corn and Thrashers' french fries, and occasionally taking a dip to cool off.
I had some great recommendations for beach reads, but I ended up buying two books that weren't on the list. (I look forward to reading some of your recommendations soon, though!) The first one was an adult science fiction book, Sojourn (Time Rovers, Book 1) by Jana G. Oliver, published by independent Canadian publisher Dragon Moon Press. I'm not going to write a full review, because my goal was to read something at the beach that I didn't feel like I had to review, but I will say that I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting, the plot exciting (time travel, Jack the Ripper, and shapeshifters!), and multiple subplots across two time periods were tied together well. The only thing I didn't like was some time-lag induced hallucinations experienced by the protagonist, which I found a little too bizarre for my taste. In spite of the shape shifting aspect, this is more science fiction than fantasy; when the shape shifting is finally explained late in the book, the explanation is more scientific than fantastical. The other book I read I won't mention by name, since I dont like to trash books publicly, especially when they weren't sent to me for review. But after 70 pages of mostly complicated, detailed backstory, I gave up on it.
I got back from vacation to find two packages with review copies waiting for me. One of them was The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, a book which I've been wanting to read since I've read so many great blog reviews of it, and which I requested. The other was the mass market paperback edition of a luscious looking adult fantasy called Acacia, by David Anthony Durham. I've never heard of Acacia, but it looks great and I'm looking forward to reading it. Why oh why couldn't these books have arrived before my vacation? I started on The Hunger Games almost immediately, and I'm now 2/3 of the way through it and do not want to stop reading to do anything else!
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the Brightspirit Relief Fund auction, a charitable auction in honor of a 10-year-old girl named Emmy Cherry, who died in the tornadoes in Arkansas earlier this year. I just received word that Rick Riordan has contributed some autographed books and a t-shirt to the auction! With items from superstars Erin Hunter and Rick Riordan,; as well as several other great authors, it looks like this could be a great auction! But we could still use more contributions. We'd love contributions of any auctionable items from anyone, but I'd especially love to see more contributions from authors and illustrators, since there's such a literary focus to this auction. Lynn, of Vintage Books in Russellville, Arkansas, the amazing woman who is my contact with the Brightspirit Relief Fund, also asked me to pass on that the fund is going to be set up as an endowment with a distribution fund under the Arkansas Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which means that all donations will be tax deductible as charitable contributions.

I also recently posted about the distressing lack of monarch butterflies this year. I'm happy to report that it looks like the butterflies are back, at least in Ruth land. We returned from our vacation to find a monarch butterfly fluttering around our garden, and a mess of monarch eggs on milkweed plants throughout the garden. We brought some of the eggs in, and already have a couple of tiny hatchlings!

On School Library Journal, Bonnie Kunzel gives a great overview of the many excellent YA science fiction titles out there. As a long-time sf reader, I'm happy to see so many books in the genre being published for teens. Warning: a couple of the brief descriptions give spoilers.

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Need book recommendations!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:09:24 -0500

Lately, I've been feeling a little bit of burnout, and it looks like I'm not the only one. The Seven-imps and Jen Robinson both posted recently about feeling burned out by the reviewing, and both posts triggered an outpouring of response from across the kidlitosphere. It seems that many of us are feeling the pressure that comes when something you love becomes something you're obligated to do.

I love getting those ARCs in the mail, but when there's more books coming than I could ever possibly read and review, it starts to feel overwhelming. I've realized that it's been a long time since I've read anything but children's and YA books. Every time I finish a book, I feel like I have to pick up another one of those review copies, because otherwise I'll never get caught up. Don't get me wrong - I'm not giving up reading and reviewing children's books. I love doing this, and I still plan to keep doing it for a long time. But I think I need a break.

I'm going on vacation to the beach next week, and I've decided I want to read a great adult book for a change. The problem is, that I haven't been keeping up with adult fiction. So I'm hoping that someone can recommend an exciting page turner of an adult book that would be great to read at the beach. I'd like something that's either science fiction (but not fantasy this time), suspense, thriller, or dystopian novel. I'd like something with rich character development and some meat to it, but not too slow-paced. Does anything come to mind? Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

Edited to add: Bonus points for recommendations that were independently published! I'll take any recommendations, but I'd especially love to find a great, independently published novel.

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Book Review: Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:06:18 -0500

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
by Nahoko Uehashi
translated by Cathy Hirano
illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

Balsa's life changes unexpectedly when the Second Prince falls into the river and she rescues him. When the Prince's mother, the Second Queen, invites Balsa to the palace, she knows that it's more than gratitude, and indeed, the Second Queen lays a duty on Balsa that she can't refuse: take the Second Prince and protect him. The Second Prince, named Chagum, appears to be possessed by something, and signs point to it being a water demon that was defeated by the Mikado's ancestors two hundred years ago. The Second Queen believes that the Mikado is doing the only thing he believes he can do to save the country: kill his own son. The Second Queen asks Balsa to take Chagum with her, hide him, and protect him from the Mikado's men.

Balsa agrees, and prepares to leave the city with Chagum to head into the mountains. Balsa and Chagum are pursued by the Hunters, an secret and elite group of warriors who serve the Mikado, and their leader, Mon. Meanwhile, back in the royal city, a young Star Reader named Shuga perceives that things with Chagum may not be as they seem. With the blessing of the Master Star Reader, Shuga begins to delve into the archives of the founding of New Yogo, and discovers that the official history of New Yogo may not be entirely accurate. As Balsa and her friend Tanda, an apprentice magic weaver, struggle to save Chagum, Shuga desperately seeks the truth that will save the country.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is an exciting, action packed story that's an easy read. The fight scenes are amazing, and obviously written by someone with more than a passing familiarity with the martial arts. Yet, the book also has surprising depth and solid character development. Balsa and Chagum become more than bodyguard and protectee as they develop a deeper relationship that changes both of them. Chagum grows from being a spoiled and helpless prince to a capable, courageous and compassionate young man, while Balsa's caring for Chagum helps her to begin to come to terms with her past.

The world building is amazing; New Yogo is a fantasy world, but there are definite Japanese cultural influences. Add to that themes relating to class systems, colonialism, and manipulation of information by those in power, and several gorgeous two-page-spread illustrations reminiscent of woodblock prints, and you have a winner. I especially loved that there's no black and white in this book and there's no villain; everyone is doing what he or she believes is best. And as a female martial artist myself, I adore the character of Balsa. I'd love to see this book as a candidate for the Batchelder award.

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Calling all authors, illustrators, and jacks-of-all-trades: we need your help

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:15:47 -0500

On February 5, 2008, a terrible tragedy struck when a tornado swept through central Arkansas. Among those killed by the tornado were a beautiful 10-year-old girl named Emmy Grace Cherry, along with both of her parents, Dana and Jimmy. Emmy was a sweet, caring girl who loved animals and books, and wanted to be either an astronomer or a veterinarian. Her favorite author was Erin Hunter, author of the Warriors series. (Erin Hunter is a pen name for a team of writers who write the Warriors books: Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and the newest Erin, Tui Sutherland. )

Lynn Wiman, owner of neighborhood bookstore Vintage Books, knew Emmy as a friend and frequent customer in the store. Lynn wanted to do something special to honor Emmy's memory, so she wrote to HarperCollins hoping to be able to get an autographed copy of one of the books for Emmy's school.

Lynn's letter kicked off a chain of events, as person after person who heard the story was touched by it. The Erins donated not only one book, but an entire set of books. I was contacted by Erin Hunter because they know that my online community has many Warriors fans, and they asked if I would consider posting something. I, too, was touched by Emmy's story, and gladly agreed to post something.

When I posted about the tragedy on my fan community, there was an outpouring of grief and condolences. Fans of the Warriors series gave Emmy the Warrior name Brightspirit, and they named Emmy's mother Dana, Shiningheart, and father Jimmy, Braveheart. Erin Hunter announced that she would include Brightspirit, Shiningheart, and Braveheart in a cameo appearance in Long Shadows, a forthcoming book in the Warriors: Power of Three series.

Emmy's surviving family, including grandmothers Elaine and Kay, were touched by this outpouring of love, and wanted to do something to bring some good into the world as a result of the tragedy. Thus, the Brightspirit Relief Fund was born. The Brightspirit Relief Fund will be raising money to help causes that would have been important to Emmy, including tornado relief, animal organizations, and literacy.

The Brightspirit Relief Fund will be holding an online auction to raise money for these causes. The showpiece of the auction is a complete set of the six books in the first Warriors series, signed by all three original "Erins" using their real names. This is the first time that any Warriors book has been autographed by Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Victoria Holmes using their real names, and we expect this set to draw a lot of interest. A variety of other items have been donated so far by Erin Hunter and other authors, ranging from autographed books to personal items to signed pictures of the authors cats.

That's where you come in. The fund has some great items for the auction already, but more items would not only raise more money, but would also make the auction more interesting and bring more attention to it, and to the Brightspirit Relief Fund. We're hoping that more authors and illustrators will be willing to donate items for the auction, to help raise the profile of the auction and raise more money. If you are an author or illustrator reading this blog, please consider donating something: signed books, artwork, or anything else that would be of interest to your fans. Unique and interesting items would be especially valued.

If you aren't an author or illustrator, won't you consider donating something to help Emmy's causes as well? Any donation that people would be interested in bidding on would be welcome. Donations don't even have to be tangible items; if you provide specialized services, perhaps you could offer your services to the winning bidder? (I'd bid on someone to help me unclutter my house!) You can specify in your donation description that you will only provide the service within a certain geographic area.

The auction will be launched on September 20, at a special Warriors day in Russellville, Arkansas. Victoria Holmes herself will be the guest of honor at the Warriors day, and we expect this to be a high profile event. If you would like to donate something to the auction, please email me at sruth@wandsandworlds.com

If you don't have anything to donate to the auction, you could also donate new or gently used books to be given out to children at the Warriors day. Lynn Wiman and Emmy's family hope to encourage literacy by giving a book to every child who attends the Warriors day. This is a great opportunity to clear out any extra books you have, or you could buy a new book to donate. Books donated to be given out at Warriors day can be sent to:

Vintage Books
602 E Parkway
Russellville, AR 72801

Finally, I wanted to add a personal note to say how much this means to me. When I first read about Emmy, I cried buckets of tears. I've cried many more tears throughout this whole process, as I've been touched not only by Emmy's story, but by her family and friends, who are all, without exception, wonderful people. I hope that anyone reading this will consider donating something, small or large, to the auction to help literacy, animal organizations, and tornado relief, or sending books to be given out to the children at Warriors Day. Please email me at sruth@wandsandworlds.com with any donations for the auction.

I'd really appreciate it if any bloggers reading this would consider helping me spread the word.

For more information:

Brightspirit Relief Fund web site

My original tribute to Emmy, and the response from the fans

A message from Emmy's family, and one from Erin Hunter

A big thank you to everyone. I'm sorry that this message was so long.

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Where are the monarchs?

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:14:23 -0500

My family is obsessed with monarchs butterflies. Every summer, we collect monarch eggs and raise them to adulthood, at which point we release them. We have a butterfly garden, where we can observe the monarchs and other butterflies in their natural habitat. My husband even wrote a book in which a monarch plays an important role.

This year, though, we've been asking ourselves, where are the monarchs? We haven't seen any monarchs, or many butterflies at all, in our butterfly garden. My husband and son went camping this weekend, and didn't see any butterflies there, either. So far this summer we've found a grand total of ONE monarch larva (caterpillar), which was almost ready to pupate when we brought it in to finish growing to adulthood. We've seen no monarch eggs. What's going on?

It's true that we usually see the largest number of monarchs here (Maryland) in August and September, but we usually can find some throughout the summer. This year, though, there's almost none to be found.

Apparently, we aren't the only ones asking the question. Monarch Watch recently posted an article on their blog about the very subject:

Monarch Watch: Where are the monarchs??

While the low numbers of monarchs isn't good, the article points out that there is some hope: because the butterfly population is low, parasites and predators that depend on the butterflies may dying or not reproducing, which will give the next generation of monarchs a better chance. Here's hoping!

Monarch photo copyright 2005 Sheila Ruth. All rights reserved.

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Kaimira Blog Tour: Interview with Chris Rettstatt

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:58:20 -0500

Today, I'm interviewing Chris Rettstatt as part of the blog tour for his new book, Sky Village, book one of the Kaimira series. (Chris writes the series under the pseudonym Monk Ashland; his co-author uses the pen name Nigel Ashland).

You can read my review of Sky Village here.

Sheila: I was fascinated by the technologies in The Sky Village - the meks, the demons, the Tree Book, the kaimira gene - but some of them are so advanced as to seem like magic (to paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke’s third law). Will we learn more about the basis for these technologies, either in future volumes or in supplemental materials on the web site?

Chris: That’s one of the reasons nanotech and biotech are so interesting. To the average non-scientist, the possibilities in those fields seem a lot like magic.

The second book in the series, The Terrible Everything, will shed light on the science behind the Tree Books, the demons, and the Kaimira gene, which are all related. Readers will also learn a bit about the evolution of the meks and why they act the way they do.

Sheila: The Sky Village itself, that large, floating balloon city, is such a compelling image. How did this idea come about? Was it inspired by a real experience?

Chris: In the earliest chapters for The Sky Village, when I was just starting to figure out what sort of story it was going to be, the book wasn’t even called The Sky Village, there was no Sky Village. (Or Demon Caves, for that matter.) Mei was traveling by horse-and-buggy. So I just imagined myself on the trip, traveling through this futuristic landscape that was still forming in my head, trying to imagine what strange and wonderful things Mei might see. I looked up (I was sitting outside at the time) and saw the clouds, and the image just came to me, a village made of hot air balloons. Initially it was something she saw on her journey, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it, and eventually it took over the entire book.

Sheila: The culture of the Sky Village seems to be based on Chinese culture. Have you lived in China?

Chris: I lived there for exactly one year, to the day, teaching English to students ages four to forty. While a lot of foreign teachers in China live in “western housing” of some sort, I was happy to live in the same apartment complex as many of my students. And I traveled a lot, from the Great Wall to tiny farm villages to the monasteries in Tibet, striking up conversations with strangers and trying to learn as much as I could and improve my Chinese at the same time.

Sheila: Did you write the cloudwatching notes at the end of the book in Chinese? Will there be a translation somewhere?

Chris: No, my written Chinese is terrible. I wrote the cloudwatching notes in English and my wife helped me translate them into Chinese, then she wrote the characters. First she tried cursive, but that didn’t look right, so next she tried the more formal style practiced by grade school kids, and that’s what made it into the book.

Sheila: According to your bio, you have an interest in “kids, technology, and story telling.” Can you tell me more about that?

Chris: When I moved back to the US from China almost a decade ago, one of my first jobs in Chicago was as a chat room monitor for a children’s online community. I was called CJ_Chris (CJ stands for Chat Jockey). I loved the job, and so I made a career in the field of youth-focused virtual community, which put me at the intersection of kids, technology and story telling. And now, as a writer, I find myself still at that intersection.

Sheila: How many books are planned in the Kaimira series?

Chris: The series is five books, which seems like a lot, but I know I’m going to have so many more stories to tell after that. And I’ll find a way to tell them.

Sheila: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions!

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour stops throughout the week:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Shelf Elf

Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A Wrung Sponge

Thursday, July 17, 2008
Jan Dohner, Library Media Specialist

Friday, July 18, 2008
Association of Online Community Moderators

Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bri Meets Books

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Book Review: The Sky Village

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:26:57 -0500

The Sky Village
Kaimira: Book One
by Monk Ashland and Nigel Ashland

In a futuristic world dominated by wars between men, beasts, and meks, two children find themselves in possession of a strange book. In China, a girl named Mei is sent by her father to the Sky Village, a huge floating city of interconnected balloons, for safety after her village is attacked and her mother taken by meks. Among her possessions is her mother’s book, the Tree Book, which her father gave her for safekeeping but instructed her strictly not to open it.

In Las Vegas, a boy named Rom sets off to rescue his sister after she is taken by beast-mek hybrids called demons. Rom is captured and taken to the caves under Las Vegas, where he’s forced to learn to control a demon and fight in gladiator style battles with other demonsmiths in order to rescue his sister. Rom also has a Tree Book, which belonged to his father.

When Mei inadvertently alienates the birds who have always been allies of the Sky Village, she must learn to perform the highly risky sky dance to restore the city’s friendship with the birds. Meanwhile, Rom tries to learn to control the demons and win the tournament without losing his mind to the technology. When Mei and Rom open the Tree Book to look for answers, they discover that they can communicate with each other, and also with an entity named Animus who seems to reside in the book. They also learn that each has an unusual gene called the kaimira gene, which combines elements of beast, mek and human within them. Mei and Rom find comfort in communicating through the book, as each tries to learn to use their unique abilities to save the people they care about before it’s too late.

The Sky Village is a unique fantasy with rich world building. Monk and Nigel Ashland have created two fascinating cultures, each of which shows elements of their root cultures. The Sky Village is a lovely concept, a city made of balloons tied together and floating above China. The culture of the Sky Village is an interesting mixture of traditional Chinese elements with unique elements unique to an airborne society. I particularly loved the nuptial rituals. The caves under Las Vegas, by contrast, have a culture steeped in greed and gambling that seems appropriate to their location.

The characters are also interesting, varied and colorful. The two protagonists are likable, sympathetic, and quite human: they make mistakes and they fail, sometimes with disastrous consequences, but they are both courageous and caring, and try to make up for their mistakes. The plot is exciting and holds your interest, although I did find Rom's story a little more exciting than Mei's.

One thing that frustrated me is that the story reads like science fiction, and yet the science wasn’t explained and sometimes seems impossible. For example, the demons, which are supposed to be some kind of beast-mek hybrid, materialize out of thin air, apparently constructed from the mind of a demonsmith. I find it hard to understand how something like that could really exist - perhaps some type of nanotechnology? But for now, I’ll comfort myself with Arthur C. Clarke’s third law, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” and hope that the science will be better explained in future books.

Kaimira is an exciting and enjoyable series, and I look forward to reading future installments.

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Kaimira Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:54:17 -0500

Tomorrow, I'll be participating in the blog tour for Kaimira, Book 1: The Sky Village, by Monk Ashland and Nigel Ashland. Monk Ashland is a pseudonym for writer (and 2007 Cybils judge) Chris Rettstatt, and Chris will be joining me tomorrow for an interview. I'll also be posting my review of the book tomorrow.

The complete schedule for the tour follows, so be sure to check out all the other tour stops, too!

Monday, July 14, 2008
Wands and Worlds

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Shelf Elf

Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A Wrung Sponge

Thursday, July 17, 2008
Jan Dohner, Library Media Specialist

Friday, July 18, 2008
Association of Online Community Moderators

Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bri Meets Books

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Thinking about two different vacation reads (Little Brother and The Adoration of Jenna Fox)

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:12:50 -0500

Last week I was on vacation, and I was looking for some great books to take with me to enjoy on the trip. I decided to take Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson. Both books have been much talked about on the blogs, and both intrigued me. (And a hat tip to Jen Robinson for the suggestions.)

Although both books are set in a near-future, dystopian America, it's hard to imagine two books more different, and it got me thinking about the differences.

Little Brother is set in San Francisco, a couple of years in the future, although it's so close to where we are today that it could as well be tomorrow. Marcus is a seventeen-year-old who knows a lot about technology and how to bend the "systems" to his own ends. Marcus likes to play Alternate Reality Games, or ARGs, which combines computer-based gaming with real world adventures seeking clues out in the city. While Marcus and his team are out searching for the next clue, San Francisco is attacked in the worst terrorist attack in the country's history. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his friends are picked up by Homeland Security and interrogated in a secret prison for days. Three of them are eventually released, but one of Marcus' friends never returns. San Francisco has become a police state, as Homeland Security continues to crack down with ever tighter security. Marcus fights back in the only way he knows how, using his wits and technology to outsmart Homeland Security, and spark a revolution.

It's hard to know what to make of Little Brother. It breaks some of the rules of good writing, and in a literary sense, it isn't very well written. For example, there are many sections where the flow of the story is interrupted for several pages of description of things like encryption or the civil rights movement. And it's clearly a message book - something that's normally considered a big no-no for YA fiction.

And yet. In spite of all this, Little Brother is a darn good story. The plot is exciting and relevant, and Doctorow has done a great job of capturing an authentic teen voice. The long, technical asides will most likely appeal to his audience, and the message is one that will resonate with most teens. I personally couldn't put it down and loved every minute of it. I even enjoyed the technical descriptions, although I confess to being something of a geek myself, and I agree with the message. As I was reading it, I started thinking of young people that I wanted to pass this book along to. In fact, I wish that every teen in the U.S. - and every adult - would read this book.

I do have one more little quibble with the book. One of the strong themes in the book is one of youth empowerment, and yet for all that Marcus and his friends accomplish, nothing is solved until the adults get involved. Don't get me wrong; Marcus is a true hero, and his accomplishments are essential in moving towards the ultimate resolution. But the turning point of the book is clearly the moment when the adults get involved. It may be more believable, but I feel that it weakens the theme.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is set a little further in the future, but not so far that you can't see it as a natural outgrowth of the present. Jenna Fox has just awakened from a year-long coma following a terrible accident that no one will tell her about. Jenna remembers nothing, and she tries to reclaim her past and her identity by watching videos that her parents recorded of her over the years. Jenna begins to piece together an identity for herself, as she integrates fragments of resurfaced memory with new experiences and feelings. But is the new Jenna Fox the same person as she was before the accident? And why does she increasingly get the sense that her parents aren't telling her everything. I can't say too much about this book without spoiling some of the surprises, but you'll have to trust me that there is a futuristic/dystopian element to it.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is as literary as Little Brother isn't. It's beautifully written; poetic even. It's tightly plotted; the characters have depth, and issues of identity and scientific ethics are explored in a balanced way. And yet. I have to confess that I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Little Brother. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is an excellent book. But I never completely got wrapped up in it the way I did with Little Brother. I think that in part this is because Jenna's lack of emotion in the beginning of the book distances you from her from the start, and although she does begin to feel emotions again, I never completely was able to cross that distance to identify with her. It's a beautiful book and I enjoyed it, but it was more of an external enjoyment, an appreciation of its literary qualities.

I'm not sure if any of this says anything about the quality of either book. It may say more about my personal preference than about the books themselves. I just found it interesting reading the books back to back and comparing their merits. Obviously these are two books that will appeal to very different audiences. (I refuse to classify books as "boy" books or "girl" books - I'm a girl and I know which one I preferred - and I don't believe in genderizing books. But the temptation is there to do just that with these books.) Both Little Brother and The Adoration of Jenna Fox are outstanding books that are well worth reading.

Little Brother has some minor sexual content at a level that would probably be appropriate for high school age and above.

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Questions for the librarians

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:11:36 -0500

If any of you are librarians involved with collection development or purchasing decision-making, would you be willing to answer a few questions about how purchasing decisions are made? I promise I won't take up too much of your time or try to sell you anything. It would just be helpful to me as a publisher to get answers to a couple of questions I have. You can email me at sruth@wandsandworlds.com

Thanks in advance!

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Book Review: Out of the Wild

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:39:07 -0500

Out of the Wild
by Sarah Beth Durst

Twelve-year-old Julie Marchen’s home of Northboro, Massachusetts is still recovering from being taken over by the Wild, a mass of vines that is the withered remnant of the fairy tale world. Centuries ago, Julie’s mother Rapunzel led a rebellion against the Wild and helped all the fairy tale characters escape from the tyranny of being forced to live the same story over and over. After that, the Wild was reduced to a mass of vines that usually resides under Julie’s bed, until recently, when someone made a wish at the Wishing Well that helped the Wild to escape. Julie was able to defeat the Wild, but Northboro is still repairing the damage, and its residents are healing from the trauma they experienced while imprisoned in The Wild. Julie is glad that things are back to normal, but she can’t help feeling guilty about leaving her father in the Wild, and wondering if she did the right thing.

Then the Wild does something unexpected: it releases her father, with no warning and no explanation. Julie and Rapunzel are thrilled to have him back, but they can’t help being suspicious. Why did the Wild release him? It’s unlike the Wild to be generous; is this a trap?

Julie’s father is everything that she had dreamed, a real hero. Perhaps too much of a hero: when Sleeping Beauty (who is still asleep from her time in the Wild) is kidnapped, he sets off on a quest to rescue her, without concern for the consequences. As the situation gets worse and the Wild grows in strength, it becomes apparent that someone is behind it all. But why would anyone want the Wild to grow?

Out of the Wild is another great sequel that does what good sequels should do: it turns the assumptions from the first story upside-down, and provides a new and fresh perspective. We’ve seen the tyranny and the horrors of The Wild in Into the Wild. But is it possible that not everyone sees it that way? I don’t want to say too much and spoil the surprises, but this is a fresh and fun sequel that’s every bit as good as the original, maybe better.

The plot is exciting, engrossing, and well-paced, with a dash of humor for good measure. It’s touching watching Julie try to connect with the father she’s never known, except for a brief encounter, as the two of them learn how to relate to each other, and how to adjust to the difference between expectations and reality.

Out of the Wild will be published next Thursday, June 19.

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48-hour challege 2008 wrap-up

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila Ruth) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:22:23 -0500

I've participated in MotherReader's 48-hour challenge for the last two years, but I didn't think I would be able to participate this year. So when my scheduled unexpected opened up for the weekend, I jumped at the chance to get some good reading time in and work on clearing my TBR.

I read from 10:30 am Friday through 10:30 am Sunday. I read a total of four books:

The Tygrine Cat by Inbali Iserles,
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George,
In the Company of Whispers by Sallie Lowenstein, and
Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter

I also read a little bit of The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

Here are my final stats:
Total books read: 4
Total pages: 1177
Total time reading and blogging: 20 hours and 10 minutes

I'm satisfied with my accomplishments, even though I didn't come close to what some people accomplished. I improved on all my stats from last year, which was my goal. I also made a serious dent in my TBR pile, which was my other goal. However, I don't know how much more I'll be able to improve my stats in future years. I'm not a very fast reader, and really the only reason I read more books and pages this year is because I spent more time reading, and there's a limit to how much time I can spend reading in 48 hours. I'm not willing to go without sleep!

Although I knew that I wouldn't even come close to the top of the list on books or pages read, I thought I might have a shot at total time reading, since my schedule was pretty clear. However, my 20 hours pales compared to some of the stats I've seen, which are more like 30 hours. I'm really impressed with those of you who read 30 hours or more in a 48-hour window!

I could probably have improved my stats a little bit if I had written short, capsule reviews instead of full reviews of each of the books I read. I probably average an hour or more on each review, so four reviews was a big chunk of my 20 hours. However, I just can't bring myself to do less than a full review for each book, and I'm afraid if I write a short one and plan to come back later and add to it, that I'll get busy and never get back to it. It's just my obsessive-compulsive nature that makes it hard for me to write less.

Congratulations to everyone who participated. I'm impressed with how much most of you were able to accomplish! I wonder how many total pages were read for the challenge this year...

A big thank you to MotherReader for organizing this again, and thanks to everyone who contributed prizes!

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