Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl
Author: Erin Colfer     
Publisher: New York : Hyperion Books For Children, c2001.

Plot Description:
            Artemis Fowl is determined to get his family fortune back.  He might only be 12, but he is a genius.  A genius who knows about the fairy world and has a plan to capture their gold to restore his family. The magic world of fairies, trolls, dwarfs, and goblins might not know about Artemis, but he is more than ready for them. 

Review:
            I began reading Artemis Fowl with little knowledge about the book, though I thought the plot of a 12 year old mastermind to be a bit silly.  What I found was a book that is both well written and engaging, full of action and adventure that often makes you forget the age of the protagonist.  It creates an entire fantasy world beneath the earth, and does so in a way that leaves you thinking that it just could happen.  The book is definitely appealing to tweens of both genders who are interested in fantasy fiction, especially when they like when things blow up!

Genre:  Fantasy Fiction

Reading Level: 4-5th Grade

Similar Titles: Inkheart

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal Thoughts: Very fun
Subjects/Themes: Fantasy, Fairies, Adventure, Action
Awards: 2004 Young Reader’s Choice Award
Character Names:
            Artemis Fowl; 12 year old genius out to restore the family fortune after his father
disappears
            Butler: Artemis’s bodyguard who’s family has served the Fowl’s for generations
            Captain Holly Short: the fairy Artemis captures for ransom
            Commander Julius Root: Holly’s superior officer who goes to save her
            Foaly: LEP’s gadget centaur
Annotation: It might be dangerous, but getting fairy gold is always worth it.

Our Only May Amelia

Our Only May Amelia
Author: Jennifer Holm
Publisher: New York : HarperCollinsPublishers, c1999

Plot Description:
            May Amelia is the only girl in a family of seven brothers.  Sure having seven brothers can be ok, though she’s always expected to be a ‘proper young lady,’ even when she’d rather be out climbing trees or swimming in the Nasel River. But she doesn’t let that stop her.  She’s just hoping that her pregnant mother has a girl this time, so that she isn’t all alone anymore.   

Review:
            Our Only May Amelia is a great story about growing up in the West in the late 1800’s.  It vividly illustrates the life of a Finnish American community, as well as the prevailing attitudes of the time.  Its description of life in Astoria is also interesting, especially when seen through the eyes of May who has never seen a city before.  May is a spunky girl who deals with the antics of her brothers, but also suffers from a terrible tragedy during the course of the novel which helps her grow up and mature.  A great book, though it will appeal mostly to girls.

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Reading Level: 4-5th Grade

Similar Titles: Rifles for Watie, Higher Power of Lucky

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal Thoughts: May is a great character for young girls
Subjects/Themes: Frontier, Family
Awards: 2000 Newberry Honor
Character Names:
            May Amelia: spunky 13 year old
            Wilbert: the only brother she likes
            Grandmother Patience: May’s horrible grandmother who does terrible things to
her
Annotation: Sometimes boys have all the fun.

Sequel: The Trouble with May Amelia

Hatchet

Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulson
Publisher: New York : Bradbury Press, c1987.

Plot Description:
            Brian was only going to visit his father.  It was supposed to be a quick plane ride over the Canadian wilderness.  But all that changed when the pilot of the plane has a heart attach, leaving Brian alone in the cockpit with no idea where he is or how to land a plane.  This is the story of how one boy learns to survive in the wilderness. How he finds a way to build a shelter, find food, and learn to live with the local wildlife using nothing but his own ingenuity.  And while all of that is great for the short term, how is he ever going to find a way back home?

Review:
            Hatchet is a classic story of survival for good reason.  Brian is a character who is both completely uncomplicated and rational, but at the same time is struggling with personal problems (like knowing the real reason for his parents divorce, even though his dad doesn’t).  His desire to survive and ingenuity in solving his problems of food and shelter are impressive, but at the same time he still is a 13 year old boy who makes mistakes along the way.  The book is well written and a great read for anyone who ever wondered what it would be like to have to survive on your own.

Genre: Survival Fiction

Reading Level: 6th Grade

Similar Titles: Hunger Games (though older)

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal Thoughts: classic for a reason
Subjects/Themes: survival, wilderness, hunting
Awards: 1997 Newberry Honor
Character Names:
            Brian: 13 year old from New York who has to survive on his own
Annotation: Would you be able to land a plane in the wilderness?

Inkheart

Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Publisher: Frome, Somerset [England] : Chicken House ; New York : Scholastic, 2003.

Plot Description:
            Meggie has always loved to read.  Ever since she was born her father Mo has always encouraged her to read every and anything.  Books have always been her friends, her comfort as they moved from place to place.  But then a strange man named Dustfinger comes to their house in the dead of night, warning her father that Capricorn knows where he is and is coming for him.  Little did Meggie know that her father always encouraged her to read because he couldn’t read to her.  Because his voice had the power to bring book characters to life.  What the cost was in return for this power is a secret he has always kept from Meggie.  But secrets rarely stay kept forever.

Review:
            Inkheart combines a fantasy world with reality in a fun and adventure filled novel.  The book is fast paced, with a darker element evident throughout.  In particular, I thought that the part where Fenoglio confronts the evil character he created and thinks about the reasons he made him so evil in the book to be very interesting.  I thought that the characters were well written and, except for the evil ones, quite likeable.  It is not overly focused on the fantasy aspect of the novel, though obviously this theme is echoed throughout simply because the plot itself is pure fantasy.  A great read overall.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Reading Level: 6th Grade

Similar Titles: Percy Jackson

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal Thoughts: overall a good read, but didn’t necessarily make me want to read the next 2 in the trilogy
Subjects/Themes: Fantasy, Reading, Books, Evil, Adventure
Series Information; Book 1 in the Inkworld Trilogy
Character Names:
            Meggie- 12 year old girl who discovers she has inherited her fathers power       
            Mo- also known as Silvertongue, can read characters out of books
            Dustfinger- one of the first characters Mo read out, controls fire
            Capricorn- the evil villain of the tale who came out of Inkspell
            Elinor- Meggie’s great aunt who helps her try and rescue her father
Annotation: What would you do if you could make your favorite book characters come to life?

Monday, March 7, 2011

Wish

Wish
Author: Alexandra Bullen
Publisher: New York : Point, 2010.

Plot Description:
            Olivia didn’t always feel so alone.  But after her twin sister dies, and her parents move her across the country, she can’t seem to find her footing again. Until she goes to get one of her sister’s dresses fixed.  And the seamstress gives her back not the dress she dropped off, but a new one entirely.  A dress that gives her one wish.  What she unwittingly ends up wishing for helps her realize not only what she’s been missing in her life, but helps her reshape what her family has become.
 
Review:
            While definitely written for an older audience, Wish has a fairy tale aspect which appeals to older tweens.  The book centers on a tragic loss, one which, as Olivia says, makes everyone feel both bad for her and happy that they have never had something so horrible happen to them.  It’s a book which, while it talks about underage drinking and has several parties where this happens, really is focused on how one girl and her family survive a terrible tragedy.  It’s about remembering to appreciate what you have, and how to adjust when things change.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Reading level: 9th Grade

Similar Books: Unearthly, Twilight

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- Touching
Subjects/themes- High School, Loss, Sisters, Family, Wishing, Magic
Character names/descriptions-
Olivia- shy girl who is still coping with the loss of her sister
Violet- Olivia’s twin who died, was the more outgoing of the two
Calla- the most popular girl at Olivia’s new school who befriends her
Soren- Calla’s ex-boyfriend, and Olivia’s new love interest
Mariposa- Seamstress who gives Olivia a magical dress

Annotation: What would you wish for if you could have anything?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Publisher: New York : Amulet Books, c2007.

Plot Description:
            Greg Heffley is just your average kid. He decided to keep a journal (a journal, NOT a diary, despite what is written on the books cover…) to write down the happenings of his life so that one day, when he’s rich and famous, he can sell it and make even more money.  Here he writes down everything about the nitwits he goes to school with, everything his embarrassing family does, and the antics that he and his best friend Rowley get into.  But when he and Rowley get into a fight, Greg realizes that something is going to have to change if they are going to stay friends.
 
Review:
            Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a well written book about the trials and tribulations of middle school.  Greg is a character kids can relate to, shorter than most everyone and kind of nerdy.  He wants to fit in and be popular but can’t quite figure out how.  But none of that stops him from trying new things and making the best of things.  The book itself is written with cartoons interspersed throughout, giving the novel a different feel than either a graphic or regular novel.  A great book about growing up.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 5th-6th Grade

Similar Books: Maniac Magee

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- Funny
Subjects/themes- Middle School, Friendship, Diaries
Character names/descriptions-
Greg- wimpy looking middle schooler who starts a journal
Rowley- Greg’s best friend, they play a lot of video games together
Rodrick- Greg’s kind of jerky older brother

Annotation: Being a wimpy kid isn’t all bad.

Holes (movie)

Holes
Author: Louis Sacher
Publisher: [United States] : Walt Disney Home Entertainment ; Burbank, CA : Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, c2003.

Plot Description:
            Just like in the book, Stanley Yelnats IV has just been sent to Camp Green Lake after being caught with a pair of stolen sneakers.  At the Camp he and all the other trouble making boys are forced to dig a 5x5 foot hole every single day.  They don’t know what they are looking for, but the Warden definitely thinks something is out there.  What Stanley doesn’t know is he isn’t the first Yelnats that has been to Green Lake.  What he finds in his hole will end up changing not only his life, but also those of all the boys at the camp.  But will he survive the warden’s plot to take what is rightfully his?

Review:
            The film adaption of Sacher’s Holes follows the book very accurately.  It tells the story both of Kissin Kate as well as Stanley Yelnats in a seamless fashion, in some ways giving a viewer a better chance of guessing the connection between the two faster than the book itself does.  The characters are all well developed and chosen accurately to their book counterparts.  I thought that the movie was a great adaption of the book.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 5th-6th Grade

Similar Movies: Hoot, How to eat fried worms, Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- An excellent movie for tweens who like adventures
Subjects/themes- Adventure, Treasure, Wild West,
Character names/descriptions-
            Stanley Yelnats IV- Nice kid who was caught up in a bad situation
            Zero- Stanley’s friend at the Camp who Stanley teaches to read
            Kissin’ Kate- Woman in the wild west who kissed the men she killed
            Stanley Yelnats I- Stanley IV’s great grandfather who Kissin Kate robbed
            Warden- The great granddaughter of Kissin Kate’s former beau, who wants
Kate’s treasure
Annotation: Sometimes it takes digging a hole to turn your bad luck around.

Holes

Holes
Author: Louis Sacher
Publisher: New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.

Plot Description:
            Stanley Yelnats IV is a good kid.  A good kid caught with a pair of stolen sneakers that fell from the sky into his hands.  When the law doesn’t believe that he is innocent, he gets sent to Camp Green Lake as his punishment.  Camp Green Lake isn’t green, and there hasn’t been a lake there in a long time.  What Camp Green Lake does have is holes, and deadly yellow-spotted lizards.  Every day, every boy at the camp has to dig a hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet round.  Every day, they have to look for something ‘interesting.’  What Stanley will find in his hole will change not only his life, but also those of all the boys at the camp.  But will he survive the warden’s plot to take what is rightfully his?

Review:
            Holes is a well written book which artfully weaves the past and the present history of both Stanley and his family.  Stanley’s family isn’t exactly poor, but they have been down on their luck for awhile.  Stanley himself is a very likeable kid who found himself in an unfortunate situation, but still is able to look on the bright side.  His attitude remains positive and hopeful even when he’s stuck in his hole longer than everyone else.  It’s an excellent book for tweens of both genders.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 5th-6th Grade

Similar Books: Maniac Magee

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- An excellent book for tweens who like adventures
Subjects/themes- Adventure, Treasure, Wild West,
Awards- 1999 Newbery Medal, 1998 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 1999 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
Character names/descriptions-
            Stanley Yelnats IV- Nice kid who was caught up in a bad situation
            Zero- Stanley’s friend at the Camp who Stanley teaches to read
            Kissin’ Kate- Woman in the wild west who kissed the men she killed
            Stanley Yelnats I- Stanley IV’s great grandfather who Kissin Kate robbed
            Warden- The great granddaughter of Kissin Kate’s former beau, who wants
Kate’s treasure
Annotation: Sometimes it takes digging a hole to turn your bad luck around.

The Illustrated Mum

The Illustrated Mum
Author: Jacqueline Wilson
Publisher: London : Corgi Yearling, 2000.

Plot Description:
            Dolphin’s mum Marigold isn’t like anyone else.  She tends to forget to buy groceries, and spends their money on things they don’t need while forgetting to pay the telephone bill, but Dolphin loves her anyway.  And she has her older sister Star to look after her when her mother forgets.  But when Marigold reuinites with Star’s father, who isn’t Dolphin’s, their lives being to unravel.  When Marigold ends up in the hospital, Dolphin finds herself alone and has to discover what’s really important in a family.

Review:
            This book very examines mental illness from the perspective of a child who doesn’t really understand it.  It shows a young girl who is both protected by an older sister from the harsh realities of the disease, and one who is forced to cope with it head on when her sister leaves for a chance at something better.  It is well written and engaging, especially for girls. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 5th-6th Grade

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- an interesting and well written book about being different
Subjects/themes- Family, Mental Illness, Coping
Character names/descriptions-
            Dolphin- dyslexic young girl who struggles with feeling alone
            Star- Dolphin’s protective older sister
            Marigold- Star and Dolphin’s manic depressive mother
            Micky- Star’s father who reappears in her life to offer her a chance at a better one
Annotation: Sometimes being different is great, but sometimes it can just be miserable.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian


The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Publisher: New York : Little, Brown, c2007.

Plot Description:
            Junior has lived his entire life on the reservation.  A reservation with no opportunity, where everyone he knows wallows in misery and alcohol with no chance for the next generation to better themselves.  But one ill thought out explosion of anger leads Junior to realize that things could change.  By leaving behind everything he knows, and becoming a perceived traitor to his people, he might have a chance to move beyond the life of disillusion that everyone else he knows has settled for. 

Review:
            A gritty and heartfelt read, this book portrays the struggle one boy faces in trying to make a better life for himself with no one else to rely on.  It frankly discusses the problems plaguing reservations and the harsh realities of alcoholism and death.  Junior’s life is one paved by tragedy.  His surprise and awe at the ways in which the whites live in town, and his realization that their lives are not always much better than on the reservation, makes him a realistic character for a tween to read.  While heavy subjects are addressed in the book, like sexuality, death, and alcoholism, they are addressed in a manner which is understandable to a tween, albeit a more mature one.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 9th Grade

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- Heavy hitting but well written
Subjects/themes- Native Americans, reservation, alcoholism, loss
Awards- 2007 National Book Award in “Young People’s Literature”
Character names/descriptions-
            Junior- High school freshman, transfers schools to try to get a better education
            Rowdy- Junior’s only friend, who turns his back on Junior when he transfers
            Mary- Junior’s sister, moves to Montana with her husband to meet a tragic end
            Penelope- Junior’s white girlfriend
Annotation: Living in two worlds isn’t a picnic, but are they really all that different?

Coraline (movie)

Coraline
Movie Distributed by Universal
Publisher:  Universal City, CA. : Universal Studios Home Entertainment, c2009.

Plot Description:
            Coraline is a young girl who stumbles upon a parallel universe in the new house her parents have moved into.  Here her other mother and father lavish her with the attention that her real parents never give here. There movie follows the theme of the book with fantastical Tim Burton cinematography.
Review:
            The movie bears some stricking differences from the book, most notably that it is set in the US instead of in England like in the book. Coraline has a friend in the movie, Wybie, who helps her navigate the parallel world and defeat other mother.  The general plot remains the same, though little changes are made to different objects to make them more relatable to an American audience.  Overall the movie is a pretty typical Tim Burton film.  It’s a bit more scary than the book itself, suited to a little more mature of an audience than the book itself might lend itself to.

Genre: Horror

Viewing age: 4th-5th Grade

Similar Movies: Alice in Wonderland

Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- good horror story that is not too gruesome or violent
Subjects/themes- Fiction, Horror, Parallel Worlds, Rats, Cats, Family
Character names/descriptions-
            Coraline- young girl who finds a parallel world on the other side of a door
Other Mother- Coraline’s mother in the parallel universe, turns out to be evil, has buttons for eyes
            Misses Spink and Forcible- former actresses who give Coraline a rock for
protection
            Mr. Bobo- upstairs neighbor who has a mouse circus
            Wybie- her friend who helps her navigate both worlds
Annotation: Sometimes opening a door can be the wrong move to make.