Booklover's Blog

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Maus by Art Spiegelman

     I have just finished reading two books set during World War II.  The first is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  Actually, I listened to the downloadable audio version of this book, narrated by Allan Corduner.  Told from the perspective of Death personified, this is the story of a young German girl, Liesel, growing up during WWII.  It is also the story of Liesel’s love for words and book stealing, which sustain her during a time of immense tragedy.   

     I really loved the characters in this book, not only Liesel, but also her foster parents, sharp-tongued Rosa and kind Hans Hubermann, Liesel’s thieving buddy, Rudy, and a young Jewish man, Max, who hides in the Hubermann’s basement.  Despite the book’s unusual narrator, the tone of the book is not dark.  There are somber moments, to be sure, but there is quite a bit of humor, triumph, and love as well. 

     I also recently read Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman.  In this graphic novel, Spiegelman recounts the true story of his father Vladek’s survival as a Jew living in Nazi-occupied Poland. In addition, Spiegelman, who was born after the war, writes himself into the story, drawing out his own process of coming to terms with his parent’s past. 

     Spiegelman’s visits with his father are used as a frame for his father’s story.  In the first chapter, Vladek meets and marries his first wife Anja, much like anyone else might fall in love and get married.  However, the increasing presence of the Germans in Poland quickly inflicts hardship on the young couple, and Vladek must use his courage and resourcefulness to protect his wife as they struggle to survive.  The depiction of Jews as mice being hunted and captured by Nazis, portrayed as cats, makes Spiegelman’s black and white illustrations especially poignant.

(Amber Campbell, Hemphill Branch Library)

Sorcery and Cecelia-or-The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

     Another fantasy series set in England? Ho hum, you may say--been there, done that. But don't be too quick to classify this series as another Harry Potter read-alike. The story line is significantly different from HP and the method used to create these books (this title and two sequels thus far) is truly fascinating.

     First, a bit about the story: Kate and Cecelia are cousins living in England just after the Napoleonic Wars. Magic really works and is, in fact, governed by the Royal College of Wizards. Combine the fashion, waltzing and tea of the London social Season with the poisons, charms and spells of an evil wizard and the result is a story full of fun and adventure.

     The book is written as correspondence between the cousins and was actually created through letters between two authors! It all began as a game. When Caroline Stevermer mentioned the Letter Game to Patricia Wrede, they began writing to each other as Kate and Cecelia. The only rule--each writer must never reveal her idea of the plot to the other. After several months of letter writing, the authors realized that what began as a game had now become a book! Of course, a bit of revision was needed but the finished manuscript was quite similar to the original letters. Be sure to read the continuing story in The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician.

(Marya Ryals, Hemphill Branch)

Interworld by Neil Gaimon and Michael Reaves
     
     Joey Harker is a kid who gets lost in his own home. Seriously. He once made a wrong turn or two and wound up in closet. While walking through town on a school assignment, Joey stumbles into an alternate reality. It's a world eerily the same yet different from his own, and that's just the first world he comes across.  Suddenly he's fighting side by side with his alternate universe counterparts in a war of opposing forces of science and magic for control of all the worlds.
    
     Neil Gaimon has written award winning fantasy fiction for adults such as Neverwhere and American Gods. Coraline is his New York Times bestselling book for children. It's a dark and scary fairytale/alternate reality story.  He's also the author of the Sandman series of graphic novels. You can visit him online at www.mousecircus.com.
    
     Michael Reaves is a screen writer who has written for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone, Batman: The Animated Series, and Gargoyles. His novels include the New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter.  Visit him online at www.michaelreaves.com.

(Kelly Prewett, Hemphill Branch Library)

Am I Blue: Coming Out from the Silence edited by Marion Dane Bauer

     Adolescence is always a rough time of self discovery and sexual awakening, and it's particularly hard for teenagers who are unsure of their sexuality.  This short story collection aptly captures the scariness and pain of being gay and adolescent. 

      The stories cover a variety of situations - kids with single parents, harassment by other teenagers, parental rejection, etc.  The first selection, which gives this collection its name, takes a fanciful approach involving some otherworldly help for a young man plagued by bullies.  Other stories in the collection feature characters who aren't necessarily gay, but have parents or know respected adults that are.  All deal with the hard realities of being a teenager, of finding out unsettling things about oneself or others that have to be accepted or dealt with head on.

     Featured authors include Bruce Colville, Jane Yolen, Lois Lowry, and other well-known writers of young adult fiction. 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

      I believe myself to be the only Harry Potter fan who has not yet read the latest book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  But circumstances during the time when it came out prevented me from reading it and then I was going to read it on a trip, but I didn’t.  Then I decided to wait until I saw The Goblet of Fire in the theater, which I did and it was fantastic, riveting, and heart-wrenching.  I left the theater wanting to read – not the latest book, but the book that follows The Goblet of Fire:  this here book The Order of the Phoenix.  You see, I am one of the folks in this world that, if enough time passes, forgets many of the details of a book I have read.  And in the rare chance that I do reread a book, it is almost as if I have not read it at all!  So had I just skipped on to The Half-Blood Prince after leaving the theater, I would have done so almost as if I had not read The Order of the Phoenix at all.  All of this delay in my reading The Half-Blood Prince is much to my husband’s chagrin, because he read it back when it first came out and has wanted to talk to me about it ever since. 

     Those of you out there who have already read all the Potter books may be thinking: “Why would I want to read The Order of the Phoenix again?” Good question.  But I have heard many people who have read The Half-Blood Prince saying quizzical things like “I must go back and reread all the books and look for details …” or “I have to go back through the previous books and look for clues …” All statements like that make me very curious about all this need to go back to the other books.  So, I can’t wait till I can join the ranks once I finish that final book and know what the heck everyone is talking about.  But for now, I plod along in The Order of the Phoenix contentedly, tucking away “details” or “clues” that I think might be handy for the future, but I really don’t know what I am looking for!   All that truly matters is that I am in the world of Harry Potter, right?

(Heidi Schachtschneider Cary, Information Services)

Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson and Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning

First of all, let me admit that I’m a sucker for the “high-school-kid-in-a-local-band-scene-almost-makes-it-big-and-learns-a-little-something-about-himself/herself-in-the-process” novel.  Both of these young adult stories – one American and one British, one about a teen boy and one about a teen girl – fit that description.

Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson tells the jazz band to rock band story of 16 year old Pete from Portland, Oregon, a talented bass player with a rock solid [pun intended] knowledge of quality music.  After all, his dad’s been in one band after another since way before Pete was born.  And his mom would have been a famous folk singer if she hadn’t died so young.  His keen sense of musical appreciation makes him unsure about joining his best friend’s new alternative rock band, Tiny Masters of Today, which has a sound like nothing he’s ever heard before.  On stage, however, playing bass lines that he improvises under the bright lights, Pete feels the magic…and so does the audience.  Suddenly college radio stations have their single on rotation and guys in suits are setting up showcases to consider them for a record deal.  Along the way, Pete gets his first girlfriend, loses his virginity, loses his first girlfriend and learns about life, loyalty, friendship and himself.  The author does a fantastic job of communicating the rush and excitement of being an insider in a local music scene, and the amazing bonding power of a shared interest and love of music.

Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning plots the sometimes sweet and sometimes sketchy story of three suburban girls who live largely unnoticed in their school - until, that is, they form an all-girl rock band called the Hormones.  Writing songs about Hello Kitty and boys, Molly Montgomery enjoys the rush of the ride as two older boys join the band and it takes off.  One British and American tour later, however, Molly barely recognizes herself or her friends as the pressures of concerts, drug use and grown up relationships take their toll on their teenage selves.  Guitar Girl shows life on the road in a famous band isn't all about pink guitars and hotel parties, and Molly's final message to readers is that it's never too late to be yourself.      

The Young Adult Library Services Association chose both of these titles for its annual “Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers” list.                                                                                              

(Brandon Bensley, Children's Department)

Missing Persons series by M.E. Rabb

The Rose Queen

The Chocolate Lover

The Venetian Policeman

The Unsuspecting Gourmet

            Why would an all-black-wearing, music-loving, ethnic food-eating, shoes-are-important-to- me teenage girl from Queens move with her older sister to the middle of nowhere America, also known as Venice, Indiana, also known as “the Europe of the Midwest”?  Well, it wasn’t for the Chinese food.  Sophie and Sam Shattenberg find themselves in America’s heartland and on the run from their evil stepmother after their father dies.  They now have to lay low and blend in because when they ran, they took $300,000 from their father’s bank account, which legally should have gone to their stepmother.  As if being a felon, a fifteen year old and the new girl in town isn’t difficult enough, Sophie becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of Venice’s most unlikable popular girl.  When Sophie and Sam decide to hurry matters along by finding the missing Rose Queen themselves, they embark on an exciting new hobby of private investigation, specializing in missing persons.  And really, how ironic is it that two teens who are trying desperately to stay missing persons themselves are so good at finding other missing persons?

            The four books in this series so far are fun, quick reads that are full of mystery, humor and just a little romance.  The Young Adult Library Association chose this series for its annual  “Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers” list.                                                               

                                                                                      (Brandon Bensley, Children's Department)

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I  don’t know where to begin with this book.  This is partly due to the fact that if I discuss much of the plot, I will give away all the surprises and therefore render it less magnificent.  I guess I’m willing to say this much … imagine a world where everything is perfect, orderly and always the same, predictable and accepted for what it is.  Choices are made for you, and everything is provided for your sustenance and comfort.  Sounds like a stress-free utopia right?  Well, imagine further that there just might be something missing from such a world, and it is our young adult protagonist’s destiny to discover it.  The book is a fast read, so I had to ration the chapters as I got closer to the end. In fact, it may just be one of the few books in my life that I will re-read – and I can count on one hand the books I have re-read in life, my usual motto being, “too many books so little time.” But there are layers of depth here in the simplicity of this Newberry award-winning book that call me to revisit it.  Also, I must note that my niece, 12 years old at the time, was required to read this book for school and when she finished it, she instant messaged me in all caps (meaning she was yelling) that this was the BEST BOOK SHE HAD EVER READ IN HER ENTIRE LIFE!!  So the book does appeal to the young adult audience; but, in my opinion, young adult books aren’t just for young adults anymore and if we “adults” skip gems like this one, we’re really missing out.

(Heidi Schachtschneider Cary, Information Services)