The Emerald Atlas

by John Stephens

I'm sorry to anyone who may be reading this blog! I've been a very poor reader lately (darn master's classes really do take up a lot of time!) Combine that with various cake-making and painting projects I've taken on (as well as the personal goal to watch the entire series of Battlestar Galactica (done!), as well as the complete Joss Whedon filmography (working on it!)) and I've found myself really lacking in extra time! (Go figure.)

Secondly, I don't really remember a lot of what I wanted to say about this book! I believe I wrote a couple notes down somewhere, but I can't find them. I suppose I'll update this if they turn up.

Anyway, I did really like The Emerald Atlas. I actually picked the book up because I saw that the author was a writer for the television show Gilmore Girls, which I always appreciated for it's witty, rapid-fire banter even when the story line went all over the place in later seasons. This novel is the story of 3 sibling - a brother and two sisters who get passed from orphanage to orphanage after their parents mysteriously left them as children. The kids finally end up in this strange, gloomy town in a orphanage that is only occupied by them. After some snooping around they find a green book that can transport them back in time if they put a picture from that year in it's pages. The trio eventually finds themselves transported to the same town but many years in the past when an evil witch in town held all the children captive. The siblings work together, along with other friends they meet along the way to try to save the children, and the town from the witch's magic.

This is a fun start to a new series. It's not the next classic children's novel, but it's unique and interesting and sure to be a kid-favorite. I'm eager to see how the next books in this series turn out!

Green-Sky: Below the Root

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

It was a little over a year ago when a classmate in an online class recommended this book to me. After a few months of searching, I finally found it and it's two sequels.

And then they sat on my shelf for months.

Finally, I'm trying to catch up on some old books and I pulled these out. I'm glad I did. While the book is from the 70s it could very well have been written much more recently. The themes and genres are ones that are recently seeing a resurgence in YA literature: dystopian, alternate worlds, and post-apocalyptic to name a few.

The story takes place in the world of Green-Sky - a planet similar to Earth except for the abundance of large trees where the Kindar people make their homes, and a gravity much less severe than Earth's. The Kindars are a peaceful people, who live in harmony high in the trees while the sinister Pash-shan live below the root on the forest floor. Kindars are taught from birth to fear the Pash-shan, so when young Raamo is Chosen to become one of the revered elders of their society who protect the people from the Pash-Shan, he is eager to learn. However, in his studies as an Ol-zhaan, Raamo begins to discover that things aren't what they seemed, and there is much more to the Pash-shan than the Kindars know. Together with his new friends Neric and Genaa, Raamo must discover the truth and save Green-Sky from the true evil they face.

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

by Brandon Mull

I absolutely adore Brandon Mull's previous novels - they are some of my favorite books of all time - and I was anxious to get my hands on the first book of his new series - Beyonders: A World Without Heroes.

This book starts out a little slow before eventually picking up toward the middle. Mull has a knack for writing great puzzles and mysteries, so I was intrigued by the story from the start.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't quite as engrossing and amazing as Mull's previous work I found the resolution of the story to be surprising but not as meaningful as I would have wished. They story was detailed and different, but so filled with minor characters that I sometimes found it hard to keep them straight.!

Thirteen-year-old Jason is just going about his business one day when he finds himself transported to Lyrian. Eventually he stumbles upon a man who he hopes can give him some answers, but only leaves him with more questions. Through his curiosity he finds himself on an unlikely quest to find a secret word to defeat the emperor.

Jason is actually thrust into Lyrian when he falls into a hippo at the zoo. Immediately after finding himself in this strange place he discovers a troupe of musicians floating down a river on a raft. He learns that they are about to let themselves sail off a waterfall and tries to help. In the end he only succeeds in shooting one of them musicians in the shoulder with an arrow and making the crowd gathered to watch angry with him. He escapes the mob to find himself at the Repository of Learning, where he meets the Loremaster. The Loremaster doesn't explain much to him, except to avoid a certain part of the repository and simultaneously telling a story of how he was told not to do something but he did it anyway. Jason hopes this forbidden section of the library will help him find his way home, so he finds a way in and discovers "the book". Once reading the pages and the first syllable of the word of power, Jason is set against the emperor Maldor and must continue to search for the word to evade capture. The Loremaster sends him to the Blind King, where he gets advice on his quest, and meets his soon-to-be companion, Rachel (also from Jason's world). The pair travel to a sea cave, where they obtain the second syllable and fight off a giant crab. Later they meed the displacer, Ferrin, who wants to help them on their quest. They travel to another town, where Jason challenged the chancellor and wins - thus gaining access to the third syllable. Next they travel to the White Lake, which Rachel travels across to learn the fourth syllable and learning that Ferrin is actually a spy for Maldor, the emperor. They part ways with him and nearly get captured by Maldor's men when they are saved my Jasher, one of the "seed people" who can die, but grow again from the seed on the back of their neck. The new group travels to a swamp to meet the Pythoness, but actually find her daughter, who gives them fifth syllable. They also learn that the sixth syllable can be found tattooed on the back of one of Maldor's men at The Eternal Feast. Jason goes to accept his previous invitation to the feast learns the final syllable. He fights a duel in order to leave the paradise and goes to gain an audience with Maldor by ringing a bell in the center of town. Once he meets the emperor he says the word, feels its power, but is dismayed to see it doesn't effect Maldor. Maldor reveals that the word was a fake to distract his enemies and offers Jason a place with his officers. Jason refuses and gets thrown in the dungeon. Ferrin returns and risks everything to free Jason. However, Ferrin has plans to send him back to his world, while Jason wants to find Rachel and his friends and tell them what happened. The two struggle and Ferrin manages to push Jason through the portal and back to his own world.

Blue Fire

by Janice Hardy

I've been very remiss in writing these blogs, and so I don't remember a lot of what I wanted to say about this book! My blog may be short.

Blue Fire is the sequel to The Shifter - the first book in The Healing Wars series. Nya lives in a world where some people can pull pain out of others and send it into a special kind of stone called pynvium. However, Nya has never been able to release the pain into the stone - she can only shift it to another person. In addition, the shifted pain grows in intensity within the person until they eventually die.

Due to the break-in Nya and her friends committed in the previous book to save the healers from the Duke, they are in hiding and on the run. They escape to Baseer, and are forced to rely on help from the people they don't really trust.

I like this story, but honestly, I had a really hard time remember what had happened in the first book when I read this one and the author didn't provide many clues to the reader. Now I'm finding now I'm having a hard time remembering what happened in this book! I really think all author's should put a one page recap at the beginnings of books that are part of series! Those of us who ready 50+ books a year have a hard time remembering them all!

The Little White Horse

by Elizabeth Goudge

I've gone about this completely in the wrong order! A few weeks ago I watched a little movie called The Secret of Moonacre. I learned that it was based on a book titled The Little White Horse (the movie's title is superior in my opinion, although not sure if would work for the book). Then I learned that the book was one of J.K. Rowling's favorite childhood books. I then decided that I needed to read it.

Alas, though I can see why this was a favorite book of Rowling's childhood, it does not really do it for me as an adult. Much of the plot comes across as silly and entirely too unrealistic. **Spoilers** The characters decide to just go tell their enemies to stop being evil and it (eventually) works, Robin and Maria agree to marry in such a bizarre way (and then they get married at age 14!), and various other details are almost laughable. There is no suspense except for one brief chase scene (which was probably my favorite part of the book). Interesting characters and I liked the bare bones of the story, but this is a kids' book, and it doesn't really work unless you are one.

A Tale Dark & Grimm

by Adam Gidwitz

I bought this book because the cover was interesting, and the first few pages had me laughing out loud in the book store:

"Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome. I know, I know. You don't believe me. I don't blame you. A little while ago, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Little girls in red capes skipping around the forest? Awesome? I don't think so. But then I started to read them. The real, Grimm ones. Very few little girls in red capes in those. Well, there's one. But she gets eaten."

This book is a retelling of 9 Grimm fairy tales that are adjusted to feature Hansel and Gretel as the main characters. Not much of the gruesome stuff it changed from the original Grimm version, and thus this book is bloody at times. The author relieves some of that by jumping in at times with his own commentary, clearly marked by a bold-face font. Also weaving throughout the book is the theme that children should be valued and not cast aside as many of the adults in Hansel's and Gretel's journey did.

I particularly liked this line at the end:

"There is a wisdom in children, a kind of knowing, a kind of believing, that we, as adults, do not have. There is a time when a kingdom needs its children."

Four stars simply because some of the "icky" stuff makes it hard to recommend this book across the board.

The Nightmarys

by Dan Poblocki

Well I've done it again! I've let a month go by before I actually write this review and I can not remember much of what I had to say about this book.

I can't actually remember it much at all. Which, is one reason I only gave it two stars. The story is kind of interesting at the time, but it's not memorable.

I actually liked this book less than Poblocki's other book The Stone Child. Where The Stone Child had a nice creepy vibe to it, I felt like The Nightmarys was trying too hard. The creepy parts sometimes just came off a goofy to me (a graffiti dragon with swirling eyes peeling itself off the wall and chasing the boy is a good example.)

It just didn't grab me. Maybe middle-grade 'scary' books are not my genre.

Museum of Thieves

by Lian Tanner

The city of Jewel is a strange little place. Until the age of 16 all children are protected from every danger by being tethered by a small silver guardchain to their parents, their Guardian, or to their beds at night. Years ago, Jewel was overrun with plague and slavers and dangers of all sorts. The children were lost or dying at a rapid rate, and a group of adults set out to protect them. These adults would become the first Blessed Guardians. Despite the passing of time, and the safety of the city now, children are still chained until Separation Day. At the beginning of the book, the age of separation has been changed from 16 to 12, much to the disagreement of the Guardians. Goldie Roth couldn't be more excited. She is 12, and more eager than ever to be free from her chain. However, when the Separation ceremony is interrupted, and then cancelled, Goldie can't bear the thought of being chained again. So she runs away. As the Guardians search for her, and imprison her parents, Goldie finds refuge in the mysterious Museum of Dunt. There she meets the museum's keepers, who take her in and hide her from the Guardians. However, the Guardians do not relent in their search for Goldie, or the quest to unravel the mysterious of the Museum - a quest that could end up destroying the town.

This book is delightfully different and yet reminiscent of so many things I love. The museum's got just a touch of Hogwarts to it, and the town of Jewel offers up a perfect contrast. While the book does state that one must be a thief to be able to navigate the museum, it also goes a long way to avoid glamorizing theft. There's a lot to think about here too, such as to what length we should go to protect children and when they should be allowed to make their own mistakes. In Jewel the children were so protected that they had no ability to think for themselves or make a decision when faced with trouble.

I'm happy to find another kids' book that's not just for kids. Also eagerly awaiting the next book in this trilogy.

The Limit

by Kristen Landon

Matt lives in a society where all families are given a "limit" to their debt. Once a family goes over the limit they must complete some program to bring them back under the limit. One of those options is to send one of their children to a work camp where they work they do will help to pay off the debt. Matt never worries about this until one day his family unexpectedly goes over the limit. Before he knows it a big black vehicle arrives at his house and a small syrupy lady and some large men cart Matt off to the nearest work center.

The work center isn't what Matt imagined. He lives in a plush apartment on the top floor, doing exciting work during the day and playing in the pool and gym in the evenings. However, some things don't seem quite right. Matt phone doesn't work in the building, none of his emails seem to be going through, and kids keep getting headaches and then disappearing. Matt soon decides he needs to get to the bottom of this. The question is, once he figures it out, what will he do about it?

This book is a little hard for me to review. I enjoyed it. As a kids' book it's great. It's got an interesting plot, surprising twists and turns, fun characters, etc. I'd recommend it to many kids.

However, it's pretty much strictly a kids book. Some books in the kid section seem to transcend it and find a way to be relevant or thought-provoking to an older reader. While this book was great fun, it doesn't really have any of that. It's just a cool story.

The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1

by P.J. Haarsma

Virus on Orbis 1 is the start to a four-part series entitled, The Softwire.

Thirteen-year-old Johnny has spent all of his life living on a spaceship in route to the rings of Orbis. His parents (as well as all of the other parents on board) where to complete 4 years of work on the rings of Orbis with the hope of eventually becoming citizens. However, there was an error on the ship and all of the adults died in the hibernation pods. The ship continued to pilot itself there, even somehow "hatching" the embryos of the hundreds of children. When the ship docks on Orbis the children are put to work in factories to pay for the cost of passage that their parents were originally supposed to work off. Soon after arrival, the aliens of Orbis discover that Johnny is a softwire - a being with the ability to enter a computer simply with his/her mind. But when the supposedly all-powerful, all-knowing, never-failing central computer starts to malfunction, suspicious is caste upon Johnny and he must find a way to clear his name, as well as save Orbis' computer.

Despite lack of description in some areas (I never really had a clear picture of what things on Orbis looked like, except maybe for Weegin's World), and a few strange plot twists, this was an enjoyable trip into kids' sci fi. I'm curious enough to read another entry and see how things continue to work out with Johnny and his friends.

Sabotaged

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I still love the concept behind this series, although I found this book to be less captivating than the first two.

This time, Haddix's time traveling series takes us to early America where Andrea learns that she is actually Virginia Dare. However, immediately upon arriving, the kids find themselves in lots of trouble. They've lost the Elucidator (which allows them to communicate with the time-travelling adults who are helping them) and it seems that someone out there is trying to sabotage their mission to fix time and bring Andrea back.

I found this book to be more confusing than the previous two. It seemed to get bogged down by too much time paradox talk, and incessant mention but brief explanation of "tracers". By biggest complaint though was the ending. Haddix is known for being fond of the cliff-hanger ending, but this one was such a sheer drop that it didn't seem like an ending at all. I think my book is missing a few chapters! Virtually nothing is resolved and the characters are about to start off on an off-shoot to their original mission when, all of a sudden, the book is over. That just seems like the author ran out of time and decided, 'oh well, I'll just finish this story in the next book!"

Ring of Fire

by Pierdomenico (P. D.) Baccalario

This book was a fun little discovery! The Ring of Fire is the start to a four-part series about a group of kids that meet in a Roman hotel over the New Year's celebrations. As they are getting acquainted they discover that they all share the same unique birthday - February 29. Things get weired as the group receives a mysterious briefcase. Soon they are on the trail of mystical device called the Ring of Fire. They aren't the only ones searching for it though...

This is an intriguing start to a new series. It kind of reminds me of National Treasure, but in Rome. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Wild Magic

by Cat Weatherill

I bought this book on a whim last weekend because the title intrigued me, the cover was pretty and the description was interesting. Sometimes despite all that promise, a book has still failed to deliver, but thankfully Wild Magic was mostly a pleasant surprise.

This book is a retelling of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. After the piper successfully rid the town of their rat infestation and is refused payment, he plays his pipe again and leads the children of Hamelin away with him. Our main character, Mari is one of the children to be lead away, while her crippled brother Jakob is barely left behind. The Piper leads the children into the world of Elvendale where they soon learn that he is looking for one child in particular - a child with unknown magical powers who will help him lift an ancient curse.

The book is split into 3 different narratives that alternate back and forth. Mari and Jakob serve as two of the narrators, with the Piper as the third. It is interesting to read the story from both the perspectives of the "heroes" and the "villain".

The story is inventive and interesting. The ending was mostly satisfying. Despite a few "too-neat" aspects, and a couple unanswered questions, I enjoyed this take on the Pied Piper.

The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows

by Jacqueline West

I finally got my hands on a copy of this book with all the correct pages (thanks Dani!) and was able to finish it!

I love this book. It's like a delightful mix of 100 Cupboards and Coraline.

Olive and her parents just moved into a big, old Victorian house. Her parents are pretty busy with their jobs, so Olive has some time to explore her new house. Olive examines the paintings left on the walls and well as the drawers of dressers and other furniture left in the house when her parents bought it. Before long she discovers and old pair of spectacles, and and even bigger surprise - when she's wearing the glasses she can step into the paintings! However, there is something sinister lurking in the "elsewhere". Olive must muster up all her bravery and resourcefulness now to protect herself and her family from the mysterious presences that wants it's house back.

The book is just the right mix of funny, creepy, and fantastical. I loved it from beginning to end and can't wait to read where this story goes next! (I just hope that the next time I get a book with all it's pages!)

Be a Genie is Six Easy Steps

by Linda Chapman and Steve Cole

Cool concept, but definitely not for grown-ups.

There are some kids' books that can be read by adults and enjoyed. Harry Potter, Fablehaven, and 100 Cupboards are some notable ones. Some however, are clearly written just for kids and adults will just be bored by them. This is one of those.

This book is the story of 4 new step-siblings who are forced to move from their beloved London to a small town when their parents marry and open a book shop. So when they find a book that claims it will teach them to be genies, they immediately conclude that if they become genies they can wish their way back to London!

(*Some spoilers*) The front flap of this book promises a sinister presence that follows the children on their path to become genies. This promise is sorely realized by some mildly creepy people who turn out to not be creepy at all (it's all just a big misunderstanding! Let's all be friends! Which, in my opinion, is kinda lame. A book without a satisfying villain is no fun at all.) Also, the bookworm that acted as the book's spokesperson annoyed me. I really never understood why the kids loved him so much!

Maybe if I was a kid I would have liked this book. As an adult, it's just too childish.

Once Upon a Marigold

by Jean Ferris

This is a super cute book. It's silly and fun, and not to be taken too seriously. I loved it.

Ed the troll comes across a 6-year old boy when out scavenging one day. The boy, named Christian, has run away from home and refuses to go back. Ed reluctantly takes him in and raises him. Fast forward 12 years and Christian is a curious young man, who loves to build and cook but has few friends. He begins a correspondence via carrier pigeons with the young princess across the river from the cave he shares with Ed. The princess, Marigold, and Christian soon become best friends, even though they both know they will likely never meet. Although we all know they certainly will - this is a fairy tale after all!

The reason I only gave it four stars? The stuff with the tooth fairy just seemed very odd and out of place to me. The rest was adorable, a bit hokey at times, but enjoyable for all it's silliness.

The Stone Child

by Dan Poblocki

I'm really debating between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I enjoyed the book, thought it was inventive, captivating, sufficiently creepy, and satisfyingly ended. Maybe it deserves 4, but I'm just not overwhelmingly amazed by it, or left thinking about it for long after the end, although I can't put my finger on why.

The Stone Child is the story of a young boy named Eddie who moves to the mysterious small town of Gatesweed with his mother and father. His mom is an aspiring author and his dad deals in antiques. Upon their arrival to town Eddie learns that the author of his favorite scary books, Nathanial Olmstead, lived in the very same town. However, he also hears rumors of strange creatures and the "Olmstead Curse" that might have something to do with the author's disappearance 13 years ago. As Eddie makes friends and begins to try to find out more about the curse, things start getting creepier, and Eddie and his friends begin to be afraid that the creatures from Olmstead's books are real. The group must work together to solve the mystery of Olmstead's disappearance before it's too late to save him, or the town.

As I mentioned, this book does have a nice creepy vibe to it. It's written for kids, and if I was a kid I would be thoroughly scared. As an adult, only slightly. I loved the history to the curse and Olmstead's disappearance. I would have liked a little more puzzle-solving than there was, I also would have liked a little more length to the story. I think a few more pages of suspense during the scary creature sightings would have added a lot - but I guess what I'm wishing for is for this book to be geared more to young adults than to children. Some portions were very predictable and the characters were pretty simplistic and flat. However, the ending was different then I imagined (I had 2 scenarios worked out in my head), so that was a nice surprise.

Still debating that 4th star, but for now I'm sticking with 3.

Scones and Sensibility

by Lindsay Eland

Scones and Sensibility is a fun little tale of 12 year-old Penny and her matchmaking adventures. Penny loves two books: Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. She loves them so much that she wishes her life were like the pages of those books. Penny talks like shes living in regency England, and is as dramatic as Anne Shirley herself. It is her love of these classic romances that inspires Penny to help her friends in her small beach town find love. However, Penny's matchmaking does not always go as planned....

Most of the time it's cute, and funny. However, sometime Penny's old-timey talk and dramatics can grate on you. She uses the words "dear", "dearest" and "dainty" a lot. She often gets "swept away" by her imaginings and blows things way out of proportion. But the character IS supposed to be 12, so I can forgive most of that.

Bottom line: it's cute, although predictable and occasionally heavy-handed in it's gimmick.

The Books of Umber: Happenstance Found

by P. W. Catanese

By the time I got to the end of Happenstance Found, the first book in the Books of Umber trilogy, I liked it. However, the beginning of this book is a little slow and aimless.

Happenstance is a young boy who wakes up wet and blindfolded in a cave. Soon a man named Umber and his two companions come across him and take him on their journey.

For most of the book Happenstance and his new friends (as well as the reader) are unsure as to who or what Hap is. Is he from this world? Is he magical? What happened to him in his past and why can't he remember anything? Thankfully, this mystery intrigued me, or I likely would have quit reading before the end. Not much happens in the first half of the novel besides wondering.

Thankfully, things finally start to pick up and Hap and Umber learn more about Hap's origins. By the end of the book we've also learned more about Umber's past and the book takes a turn slightly in genre. It is no longer a straight-forward fantasy - a twist I was eager for! I'm interested to see how the next book goes, since it will hopefully not have the problem of vagueness and the complete mystery of Hap that this book did.

A Conspiracy of Kings

by Megan Whalen Turner

It's OK.

One of the main reasons I like Turner's series is because of the characters. And while the way she depicts and surprises you with her characters in still evident in this book, the character that I like the most is hardly in it! He's the main character (after all the series is called The Queen's Thief), but he only appears occasionally. Sad.

Also, this book is sometimes confusing! It's Turner's style to leave many things unsaid so you have to figure out what's going on on your own, but I felt like too much was left out this time. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention because I missed Gen. I'm hoping if there's another book in this series that it will be about the main characters!