One Dog and His Boy

One Dog and His Boy
by Eva Ibbotson

From the publisher:
"Eva Ibbotson's final masterpiece, a tale of a boy and dog who were meant to be together.

All Hal had ever wanted was a dog. "Never!" cries his mother. "Think of the mess, the scratch-marks, the puddles on the floor." But on the morning of Hal's 10th birthday, the unbelievable happens. He's allowed to choose a dog at Easy Pets, a rent-a-pet agency (a fact his parents keep from him). The moment he sees the odd-looking terrier, he knows he's found a friend for life. But no one tells Hal that Fleck must be returned. When Hal wakes up on Monday morning, Fleck is gone. If dog and boy are to stay together they'll have to run away. . . . From the renowned Eva Ibbotson comes a tale laced with humor and brimming over with heart, stunning in its beauty of the love of all things dog."

I am a huge Eva Ibbotson fan, and while this book did not disappoint, it wasn't my favorite. This is the last book she wrote before she passed away at the age of 85, so I am very happy she finished it. It is sweet and charming, and like all Eva Ibbotson books, the good characters are very, very good, and the bad characters are so terrible they are almost like cartoon caricatures. My dog lovers at school will love this one, as it is practically an ode to dogs. The dogs in the book are really the stars. They are loyal, funny, loving and heart wrenching. I adored every one of them. 

I mentioned that this one isn't my favorite by this author, but I did enjoy it. I haven't read all of her books for children (she also writes books for adults that I love - although they are now marketing them for Young Adult instead of adult, and I - and the author - don't agree with that). My favorite of her children's books is definitely Journey to the River Sea , followed closely by Star of Kazan and The Secret of Platform 13 - and yes, that was written before Harry Potter came into existence. I love her writing and her heart and her proclivity for always having good overcome evil.  Happy endings abound. 

Areas of concern:
*Terrible parents are depicted. Obviously a parent who would rent a dog for their son's birthday and not tell him that the dog had to be returned are not good parents. They are, in fact, so ridiculous that it doesn't seem real, and at the end they try very hard to change.
*Runaway children on their own with a bunch of dogs.
*Technically the dogs have been stolen by the children.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 9-14

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12

Magic Marks the Spot

Magic Marks the Spot
by Caroline Carlson

From the publisher:
"Pirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle? Caroline Carlson's hilarious tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society.

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, and she already owns a rather pointy sword.

There's only one problem: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges and scallywags.

But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.

Written with uproarious wit and an inviting storyteller tone, the first book in Caroline Carlson's quirky seafaring series is a piratical tale like no other."

While I didn't necessarily want to hug this book when I finished, it had some really delightful things about it. I had the opportunity to listen in a couple of nights this weekend to my daughter reading aloud to her children from the book The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom , and it was so fun to hear it read out loud with different voices for the different characters. I'm going to suggest this book to her for her next read-aloud with her kids. It would also make a great classroom read-aloud. I imagine the audio version of this book is pretty fun as well, so get it for your next road trip. 

Things I Liked :
*The beginning of the book was adorable with the letters to and from Hillary (our main character) and the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates. You knew from the first line of the book that this was going to be a fun (and swashbuckling!) read. 
*The Gargoyle! I loved everything about him and couldn't wait for his next appearance. 
*The lighthearted tone of the whole book. Even the big fight on board was hysterical. The worst injury was someone being clocked on the head with a can of beets, everyone else just jumped overboard when they decided to give up on the fight. (This is explained later.)
*I really loved so many of the characters. Miss Greyson, the governess was a delight from the very beginning. She kept her composure and finishing school etiquette even while living on a pirate ship. Jasper, the Terror of the Southlands, was entertaining and endearing (for a pirate :) ). Charlie, Claire, Miss Pimm, all of the different pirates - there were so many engaging characters. 

Things I Didn't Like :
*Every chapter ended with either letters, parts of textbooks, forms filled out, newspaper articles... While some of these were hilarious, some just brought the flow of the book to a complete halt. I'm also concerned that some of the fonts for the letters/correspondence are in cursive, and middle school students (regrettably) can't read cursive anymore. Adults will find these chapter endings charming, but I am betting that most middle school students will just skip right over them.
*Hillary comes from a horrible family and her father is quite evil.

Areas of concern:
*The pirates lust for vengeance, treasure, and overall bloodthirstiness is glorified. 
*Some bullying behavior at finishing school.
*Pirates drinking grog around children.
*Rather silly violence.
(As you can tell, there really aren't too many things to be concerned about in this one.)

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 4-7

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 10-13

Jackaby

Jackaby
by William Ritter

From the publisher:
"“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre."

It is hard not to enjoy a supernatural-hunting Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC Sherlock Holmes), which is what the main character of Jackaby reminded me of. He and his Watson (Miss Abigail Rook) make a perfect pair of detectives. Jackaby notices things that nobody else can, and Abigail notices the ordinary things. This is a charming book with excitement, great characters, humor and a tiny hint of romance. By page two I was already hooked with the writing.

"A young woman across the dock pulled her winter coat tightly around herself and ducked her chin down as the crowd of sailors passed. Her shoulders might have shaken, just a little, but she kept to her path without letting the men’s boisterous laughter keep her from her course. In her I saw myself , a fellow lost girl, headstrong and headed anywhere but home."

There are several amazing quotes, I'll put in just a few of my favorites.

“That reminds me,” he said, pausing. “There’s a jar in my office marked ‘Bail.’ If you don’t hear from me by tonight, just bring it down to the Mason Street station, would you? I’m usually in the first or second cell . There’s a good girl. See you in a bit!”

“Jackaby hesitated, and when he spoke, his answer had a soft earnestness to it. “Hatun sees a different world than you or I, a far more frightening one, full of far more terrible dangers, and still she chooses to be the hero whom that world needs. She has saved this town and its people from countless monsters countless times. That the battles are usually in her head does not lessen the bravery of it. The hardest battles always are.”

"I excused myself to go see a duck about a dress."

I loved the story of why Jackaby had the 2 pictures next to each other on his wall. One a picture of St. George slaying the dragon, the other of Manu and the fish. And then this quote:

“This world is full of dragon-slayers. What we need are a few more people who aren't too proud to listen to a few fish.”

Just writing this review makes me want to read  Jackaby again. As you can tell, humor is interspersed with wisdom throughout the book. Make time to read this one.

Areas of concern:
A handful of the *d* and *h* words.
Very violent, bloody (or weirdly non-bloody) murders are being investigated by the main characters.
Several tension filled (and sometimes life-threatening) situations for the main character who is a teenage girl.
Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
School Library Journal - Grades 9+
*That suggested age must be due to the violence, but it didn't seem all that graphic to me.  However, it is about a serial killer, so definitely not for sensitive readers.*

Defining Dulcie

Defining Dulcie
by Paul Acampora

From the publisher:
"From a debut author comes a story of finding oneself in a place all too familiar. After Dulcie Morrigan Jones's dad dies, her mom decides they need to find a new life in California. But Dulcie doesn't understand what?s wrong with her old life back in Newbury, Connecticut. So she heads across country and back home in her father's red 1968 Chevy pickup truck. When she arrives, she meets Roxanne, a girl whose home life makes Dulcie see that her own situation may not be all that bad after all. And as the summer comes to an end, Dulcie realizes that maybe it's necessary to leave a place in order to come back and find out who you really are."

First off, I didn't realize this was Paul Acampora's first book when I read it.  I had read and loved I Kill the Mockingbird , so I wanted to read some more by this author.  I enjoyed this little book. It was a quick, sweet read. The ending wasn't quite what I was wanting, but overall I liked the book. What I love about Paul Acampora are the little bits of wisdom he puts all over the place in his books. Here was one of my favorites:

"For the first time since Dad died, I felt a bright stab of unexpected happiness. Maybe it was the laughter. Maybe it was the fact that I was worried about somebody other than myself for a change."

I love that! When my kids left home to go to college and they would call and be sad or depressed or homesick, I would tell them to go out and find someone to serve. That always takes you out of yourself and helps you to see your own problems with another perspective. I love how this author puts little tidbits like that in his books, and I hope that the kids who read these books pick up on some of those things. So even though I didn't love this book quite like I loved I Kill the Mockingbird , I definitely recommend it as a good story with a good moral.

Areas of concern:
I don't remember any bad language. 
A teenager takes her mother's (well, her dead father's) truck and drives across country from California to Connecticut.  She won't call her mother and just sends her postcards every now and then from random places along the road. 

Suggested Ages:
School Library Journal - Grades 7-10

Liesl & Po

Liesl & Poby Lauren Oliver

From the publisher:
"Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice,until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.
That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.
Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.
From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places."

I wanted to love this book, and as a child I'm pretty sure I would have loved this book, but as a cynical adult I only liked it. I liked the fairy tale, magical feeling of the book. I liked the writing. I disliked that the adults in the story were all so evil, with the exception of Mo who was really just an adult child. Couldn't we have had SOME adults that were not pure evil? I found it distracting to have Po always referred to as "it". I understand the reason behind it, but it kind of thre...moreI wanted to love this book, and as a child I'm pretty sure I would have loved this book, but as a cynical adult I only liked it. I liked the fairy tale, magical feeling of the book. I liked the writing. I disliked that the adults in the story were all so evil, with the exception of Mo who was really just an adult child. Couldn't we have had SOME adults that were not pure evil? I found it distracting to have Po always referred to as "it". I understand the reason behind it, but it kind of threw me every time. I loved the illustrations in the book, they were beautiful and mystical and magical. However, I think my favorite thing about Liesl & Po was the author's note at the end. Particularly this paragraph: "... Liesl & Po is the embodiment of what writing has always been for me at its purest and most basic - not a paycheck, certainly; not an idea, even; and not an escape. Actually, it is the opposite of an escape; it is a way back in , a way to enter and make sense of a world that occasionally seems harsh and terrible and mystifying." I'm glad I have this book in our library and I hope many of our students read it. I'm sure they will love it Suggested Ages: Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12 School Library Journal - Grades 5-8

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-up Files
of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E.L. Konigsburg

From the publisher:

"When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort-she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly because be was a miser and would have money. Claudia was a good organizer and Jamie bad some ideas, too; so the two took up residence at the museum right on schedule. But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the Museum so beautiful she could not go home until she bad discovered its maker, a question that baffled the experts, too. The former owner of the statue was Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Without her-well, without her, Claudia might never have found a way to go home."

To honor E. L. Konigsburg, who passed away this week, I did a quick re-read of her Newbery winning book that I loved as a child.  It did not disappoint, which is unusual because I so rarely enjoy the winning Newbery books.  I remember when I read it as a child, I thought running away and living in a museum was the coolest thing ever.  Now that I have actually visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it was even easier to be impressed.  I didn't see a lot of statues when I visited because I just wanted to sit in the Impressionists wing the whole time.  It didn't matter that people were milling around, I could have sat there gazing at those paintings all day long, so I really related to Claudia and Jamie and their obsession with the Angel statue.  However, it is interesting to read the book with adult eyes and feel the horror of 2 children on their own in New York City and to have such empathy for their poor parents.  This is a fun story that encourages interest in the arts and good grammar!  (You'll have to read it to find out ;) )