The Warlock

The Warlock: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

My new computer just rebooted itself and lost my 30 minutes of work. And this is my day off? I cannot be this snarky at 6:41 in the morning.

The last of this series, The Enchantress, will be published next summer. Whew, a break. Wow, I cannot even write with humor anymore. It’s all sarcasm. And dripping venom.

There were many of us, adults, who were sorely disappointed by the last book, The Necromancer, it is certainly the weakest in the series. The Warlock is better. We each agree to different degrees.

I still have two problems with this series. The first is that it attempts to tackle too much. Every legend. Every mythology. Every monster ever mentioned from every culture. There are too many characters and they each serve from multiple sides. Friends at the beginning have now turned traitorous. Mortal enemies are now helping each other. NO ONE is what they are. Everyone has at least two faces.

Except for our protagonists who continue to be wishy-washy, whiney Luke Skywalkers who are supposedly amazingly powerful, but who have no maturity or conviction.

And number two. This still doesn’t feel like a juvenile book. I could not identify with the kids in this book. The adults/immortals are far more interesting and vital.

I don’t recommend this book. I don’t need to. The series has a following regardless. Similar to the derivative Eragon series. Enough said. There are far more, far better books to read.

Dark Life

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Here is a book about an Earth ravaged by devastating earthquakes. The predictions about coastlines falling into the oceans have come true. New York City is gone. Gosh, New York might be gone. The Statue of Liberty has fallen into the abyss. It is buried so far down no one can find it.

There are too many people and not enough land which results in expansion like it always does. But instead of migrating upwards into the heavens, the pioneers choose to migrate down into the depths of the ocean. The new frontier. The new territory. The Dark Life.

Enter a young couple with the skills and the knowledge to settle and work the land. An aquabotanist who knows which plants to farm and harvest. Which fish to herd. All food worthy to sell to the Topsiders. And an engineer who can build houses that can survive the depths. Unusual buildings that take into account the unique shapes and systems that can withstand the pressure and the currents. The jellyfish on the cover? Our protagonist’s home.

Our hero is 15-year-old Ty. He is the first child born to the depths. Although he has visited Topside, he has always lived on the ocean floor. No one can swim faster than Ty. He learned to swim before he could walk. He shines because of a diet of bioluminescent fish. He shines enough that tourists want to touch him and take pictures. And he can see further through the water than anyone else.

Doctors from the Topside believe that children born and raised in the ocean are at risk for brain damage. The doctors believe that there is too much pressure on the young brains and therefore strange mutations are occurring. For instance, there is a research study about a boy who is able to use sonar like a whale. The government is considering shutting down the entire territory for the safety of the children.

The government is threatening from above and now a gang of outlaws are wreaking havoc from below. The Seablite Gang was known for stealing from the government and vandalizing government property. But now they have turned on the settlers as well. Cutting power to the generators that provide the heat for the farm life killing all of the livestock as well as damaging the homes and harming the inhabitants.

Amidst all of this, enter Gemma, an orphan on the run from Topside who is looking for her only living relative – a beloved brother – whose last known location was in the depths. The trading station that connects the depths with Topside is not the safest place for a young girl. Imagine – this is the Old West, but set in the ocean. There are lots of rough men trying to make a living and getting in each other’s way in the process. And you never know whom you can trust.

Excellent sci-fi for junior and senior high.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

I don’t remember what book I had just finished, but I know I was talking about it and how much I loved it. Why wouldn’t I? That discussion encouraged a recommendation from my boss. This is one of her favorites. Her father brought it home, probably for her sister, but she enjoyed it too. It is the first in a series called Wolves Chronicles. My reading list just got longer.

Bonnie Green is the little girl that every girlie girl dreams to be. Her parents are fabulously wealthy landowners in England. They live in the mansion known as Willoughby Chase. They have maids, butlers, chauffeurs, servants galore. Nannies and governesses too. Bonnie’s closet is filled with dress after dress and her nurse has the ability to make new ones at a whim. Bonnie has a bedroom, a schoolroom and a playroom. In her playroom is a miniature house for her to play in and a life-size rocking horse and enough lovely dolls to line a wall. She has been raised to be confident and independent, if a bit forward and demanding, perhaps even a touch naughty.

Bonnie’s cousin Svlvia Green is an orphan who lives in London with her (and Bonnie’s) Aunt Jane who is aged and frail. Sylvia’s life is much different. She lives in a tiny one-room attic apartment that has been divided into two rooms with a curtain. She sleeps on an ottoman, bathes in a bowl and eats meager meals she cooks over a gas jet. Aunt Jane and Sylvia are making new clothes for her out of white curtains green velvet shawls when this book begins. Sylvia is going to live with Bonnie as Aunt Jane is no longer able to care and provide for her, but too proud to take charity. Sylvia is a quiet, meek, and submissive child who knows her manners and uses them.

Sylvia arrives at Willoughby Chase just as Bonnie’s parents are preparing to leave. Lady Green is ill and the doctor has recommended a sea voyage to quicken her recovery. Sir Willoughby has hired a distant relative, Miss Slighcarp, to manage and maintain Willoughby Chase in their absence. From the beginning, the reader can see that she is an evil woman.

Sylvia has also arrived with a Mr. Grimshaw, a fellow passenger in her compartment on the train. Mr. Grimshaw had protected Sylvia from a wolf and then gotten hurt when his traveling bag fell on his head and knocked him out. The Willoughby’s welcome the invalid into their home until the doctor finds him fit to leave.

Not even a full day passes before Miss Slighcarp begins her plans to take over Willoughby Chase. She fires the servants, burns Sir Willoughby’s papers, wears Lady Green’s best and favorite gowns and sells Bonnie’s toys. Then she sends the girls off to a boarding school that is more like a prison.

Months pass as Bonnie and Sylvia plot, escape, flee, plan and survive with the help of a Goose Boy named Simon. I daresay, Simon is my favorite character! And, of course, it all ends well!

Windblowne

Windblowne by Stephen Messer

Forget that I have been too busy to read let alone write or even sit. I’ve found it difficult to attach words to this particular book. It’s simply whimsical and wonderful.
I’ve probably told this story before. I read the reviews for this book and knew that I had to read it. I knew that we had to purchase it. I knew that I wanted to be first. In the old days, I would have put 5 copies in the cart. I’m pretty certain that I asked for at least two. But under the current budget freeze, I’m thrilled to have one.

After reading the jacket cover, I promptly put my name within the pages like a bookmark patiently waiting for my turn to check it out. When it was finally mine, I placed it on my dresser to savor it for a while, not wanting to break the glorious anticipation.

At one point I added another slip of paper to the pages. It is a list of other tales that it reminds me of. The Pied Piper, Mary Poppins, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Land of Oz, Some Willy Wonka and a dash of Seuss. See? WHIMSICAL!

Windblowne is a town that resides at the top of a mountain. It is notable for its sturdy oak trees – where its inhabitants live – and its powerful winds. And if Rockville, Indiana is known for its annual Covered Bridge Festival, Windblowne is famous for Ye Olde Festival of Kites and it is the 455th year!

Very much like Californians surf, Windblownians fly – kites. Every child learns to build and fly kites much like our children learn to ride bikes. The best kite makers are revered. The champion flyers – ride. There is even a contest to see who can jump/fly/ride the farthest. The standing record is marked with a granite rock.

Then there is Oliver. He is a strange boy with a strange family. His father writes dull, boring, long histories of Windblowne that nobody reads. He hardly lifts his pen from his paper to focus upon his son. Oliver’s mother is an artist who makes sculptures that litter their yard begging for a buyer, but no one, not even Oliver, understands them.

And then there is Oliver. Try as he might, he cannot build a kite that will fly. Worse – when given a fine kite TO fly, Oliver manages to destroy it. Oliver has no talent for the very the skills that are nurtured and honored in his hometown.

On the advent of the Kite Festival, Oliver has no flyable kite to enter into the competitions and Oliver’s father suggests he find his Great-uncle Gilbert for assistance. He has a Great-uncle Gilbert? Yes, apparently he is a champion builder of kites who was banished from the Kite Festival long ago for his heretical inventiveness.

Oliver finds his Great-uncle Gilbert almost too easily. And he finds much more than a strange, secretive old gentleman. Oliver finds kites that eat other kites, kites that attack other kites, a kite that flies by itself AND another Oliver! An Oliver who seems to have the gift for building amazing kites. Oh, and he finds one of his father’s books with notes scribbled in the margins. It’s the scribbles that provide the clue to the extra Oliver…

The magnificent oak trees of Windblowne are shared with multiple (thousands? billions?) Windblownes. Many different Windblownes with many different histories. And the kite that flies by itself has the ability to fly Oliver from Windblowne to Windblowne.

Unfortunately, not only is there another Oliver, but there is another, evil Great-uncle Gilbert who has plans to conquer and rule the worldS. Of course, it is Oliver’s job to defeat him before it is too late. But first, he must discover his own unique talent.

I'll recommend it to everyone! although it is geared towards the middle school grades.

The Place of Lions

The Place of Lions by Eric Campbell

I was listening to the radio yesterday and there was a discussion of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the movie. They mentioned that it was a Newbery Honor book. I looked at my husband and said, “Do you know how old that book is? I haven’t read it yet and I’m currently reading the late 1950’s Newbery Honor books.” Yeah, it was recognized in 1939! And then I realized that I’ve read over 50 years’ worth of Newbery books and have about 30 years’ worth to go. I don’t know whether to be excited or depressed. There is hope in that reading them backwards, there is an finite end – 1922.

And then I considered the Caudill’s. I’ve read about 16 years’ worth of nominees. And I have around 9 years to go. That sounds almost manageable. Almost. I’m reading in the 1996’s. And that is why I am offering this book today.

Here is a note of warning. The Decatur Public Library’s copy has some interesting pagination issues. Enough that you might be tempted to return it unread. I can assure you that all pages are present and accounted for. You will not miss anything. You will just be reading a few 4-6 page chunks backwards. At least they are numbered. And you really need to be awake or some portions won’t make any sense.

When I was looking for a picture of the cover, I noticed that a picture of the Decatur copy wasn’t available. That is promising. The problem was fixed and it was republished. I need to remember to say something. Surely we would replace it if we found it worth replacing.

Would I be in favor of replacing it? Now that I have read it and know exactly the kind of child – boy – who would read it. Yes. So if you have a son (or daughter) who loves Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet or almost any of the adventure books by Will Hobbs, you now have another summer reading suggestion.

Chris’s mother died recently and since that time, he and his father have only been going through the motions. They are having a difficult time dealing with their grief. But now there is a new hope. A thrilling new adventure awaits them. Chris’s father has been asked to take a position at a hospital in Tanzania. Both father and son eagerly await their new home.

And they get so close.

As their pilot flies them over the Serengeti desert giving them a panoramic view of the beautiful country and its many wild species, a startled venue of vultures rises up into the air and right into the plane’s engines. The crash leaves only Chris mobile and the pilot is in urgent need of care. His injuries are life threatening. Chris decides that it is up to him to walk to the nearest known populated location – a hotel.

Chris and the two men are not alone. Close to the crash site is a pride of lions. The King is old and a young male is threatening him. Chris finds himself cheering for the King. He realizes his safety as well as his survival depends on the aging King.

The epilogue gave me goosebumps.

Pegasus

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

This book is so lovely; I am almost tempted not to spoil it with a review. But when a book is too beautiful to put down, too entrancing to finish, I want to share it with others - others who would appreciate the artistry.

Robin McKinley is one of those authors that I admire, not for her gift of words and imagery, which she is overflowing with, but for her willingness to share the vulnerable stories in her head. She has taken me to a world that I don’t wish to leave by giving me a glimpse into herself. It’s like putting her heart between two covers.

I cannot explain it well. I don’t feel manipulated. I don’t see a blueprint. The movie doesn’t blare in my mind and across my retinas. There is definitely a sense of danger and violence. You want to jump into the pages like Interrupting Chicken and shout “SAY SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!” But you understand fully why the heroine wouldn’t or couldn’t. She feels impotent.

The book feels so real and yet it is fantasy.

Something finally clicked into place for me in church last Sunday morning. Yeah. Seriously. We were singing the final hymn, The Strong Word, which is one of my favorites, and we came to the verse,

God the Father, light-creator,

To Thee laud and honor be.

To Thee, Light from Light begotten,

Praise be sung eternally.

Holy Spirit, light-revealer,

Glory, glory be to Thee.

Mortals, angels, now and ever

Praise the Holy Trinity!

When I came to the highlighted part, Mortals, Angels, I was enlightened. Whenever an angel appeared to a mortal, they were awestruck and afraid. And the angels say, “Do not be afraid.” And I try to grasp a being that would frighten me as well as bring me to my knees in awe. A being that would frighten me, know it would frighten me and seek to reassure me.

Our heroine, Sylvi is a princess. She is the fourth child and only daughter of the King of Balsinland. She is very small for her age and easily forgotten because of both her status and stature. When a member of the royal family turns twelve, they are bonded to a Pegasus from the neighboring kingdom. The reader would be tempted to think that this would be incredible – you’re very own Pegasus friend.

However, Pegasi speak to each other through a silent language that is comprised of body language and words and thoughts. A human being, without mobile ears, a tail, wings or four hooves would have trouble enough communicating with a Pegasus if they spoke the same language. The two beings, human and Pegasi, speak very ill with each other indeed. They try, but it is simply, hardly feasible. They have trained magicians who are called Speakers that act as translators. But even they cannot convey the entirety of a message.

So why would the two races attempt a friendship? The Pegasi are not a warrior race. They are not built for combat. They are more of an artistic race. 800 years ago, when the humans first encroached on the lands utilized by the Pegasi, the humans drove off the ladons, wyverns, norindours and taralians that threatened the winged horses. The Pegasi were grateful and the two species established a treaty of friendship. The human/Pegasus bond was established to promote the friendship. And the friendship and proximity of the Pegasi bless the humans and their land.

Sylvi, a trained and educated princess, is well aware of the history of her kingdom and the unique nature of their friendship with the Pegasi. Even though she has grown up surrounded by the Pegasi bond-friends, she is still frightened by her own approaching bonding ceremony. How can one have an “Excellent Friend” if you cannot communicate with each other and need a translator?

Let’s forget the lack of solid communication. Sylvi cannot imagine being bonded to such a startling and magnificent creature. The Pegasi and their beauty and creativity take one’s breath away. The sight of the gorgeous, prismatic, graceful, yet powerful Pegasi as they fly through the sky bring mature and experienced warriors to their knees in combined wonder and fright. See?… angels. Sylvi feels small and insignificant – unworthy.

But something incredible and dangerous happens at Sylvi’s bonding ceremony. Even before the magical bond spells are begun… she can speak with her future bond-friend. His name is Ebon. He told her so! In fact, as the spell begins, it feels more like they are being separated than joined, and Ebon feels it as well.

Sylvi has always found the magicians to be rather, well, creepy. Perhaps there is a reason.

My only complaint about this book is its abrupt ending. I was tempted to hurl the book across the room. I can only hope there is a sequel in the works.

I would expect to find this book in the hands of the girls with their heads in the clouds. The dreamers. 8th grade and up. Younger girls might be tempted to attempt Pegasus, but they might not be able to follow it and catch everything the first time around.

Extras

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

I can appreciate the dedication of this book, “To everyone who wrote to me to reveal the secret definition of the word ‘trilogy.’” This is the fourth book in the Uglies trilogy. Why it works? We are introduced to a new heroine, a new country, a new culture. The residents are recovering from the great “mind-rain” a few years back that was caused by the legendary Tally Youngblood, the heroine of the original three. The book is built upon Tally’s world, but it is different.

Imagine that you had to earn your keep, goods and services through community service and… fame, more commonly known as merit and rank. Aya Fuse lives in a city with a Reputation Economy. She can earn merits by going to school and babysitting littlies. Those merits can be used to buy food and clothing. Whereas Tally used to tell a hole in the wall what she needed or wanted and it was provided, Aya must be able to pay for what she requests and merits are one form of currency.

Face rank is the other. Aya is constantly aware of her face rank which hovers around 451,000 at the beginning of the book. This means that 450,999 people in the city rank higher than Aya. Aya is considered an extra, a loser, an unknown. You gain face rank by the number of people that follow your feed, say your name, read your stories, and pay attention to you. The higher your face rank, the greater your reputation, the stronger your power and the more stuff you can acquire.

Aya has contact with fame. Her older brother, Hiro has just made it into the top one thousand. Being in the top one thousand faces is a notable accomplishment with important invitations. Hiro made it big by “kicking” a story about Crumblies seeking immortality by having organ transplants frequently. Hiro has an instinct for selling a clique, a gadget and even himself. And being his younger, ugly, extra of a sister is AWKWARD!

Aya has a plan to sell herself. She has found THE story to kick. There is a new clique called the Sly Girls and they surf the mag-lev rails through the wilderness. What’s more is that they desire anonymity, not that Aya can understand that, but most kids believe the Sly Girls to be urban legend. Aya thinks this is the story to boost her face rank right out of extra-dom. She just has to lie a bit in order to earn their trust and respect. And surf the mag-lev rails herself. And stumble upon an even bigger story in the process – a story with the headline of “City Killer”.

If you missed the fourth book in the series, if you thought the trilogy had ended, look again. I recommend you go back and check this one out. It has the familiar and the extraterrestrial. I recommend this series to Junior and Senior High Schoolers who enjoy science fiction. With strong heroines, the girls will readily pick it up. I would love to find a guy to try it out.

The Horsecatcher

The Horsecatcher by Mari Sandoz

Talk about a jolt into the past. When you’ve been reading 1990’s made-for-the-Hallmark-Channel dramas, it takes a bit of a kick-start to lose oneself in a 1958 Newbery Honor book. The language is different. The pacing is different. The action is different. Throw into the mix an entirely different culture and your reading brain can be ground to a jerky halt. It’s like starting school again after a lazy summer.

Young Elk is a member of the Cheyenne and the time is the 1830s. I had to search for that last tidbit. The Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche and Arapaho have no solidified alliance. Sometimes they scout around each other, avoiding each other. Usually they plan raids to steal and kill each other. When blood is spilled, vengeance planned. It is expected and respected.

Young Elk’s father and mother are both from Cheyenne Warrior clans and his older brother, Two Wolves, has followed in their footsteps as expected. Young Elk is also expected to become a great warrior to bring honor to his family and clans. He is required to acquire scalps and coups. He must earn his right of passage and name in this way – killing.

Early on, Young Elk realizes that it does not feel right for him to kill, not even for food unless absolutely necessary. Instead of a name, he earns the shame of believed cowardice. He finally kills a Kiowa warrior in self-defense and saves his people in the process. He is given the proud name of Kiowa Killer, but refuses to wear it. Rather than joining his people in feasting and celebrations, he leaves the village to catch horses. Leaving becomes his self-defense.

Fortunately, he is very good at catching horses and not just the tamed horses of other tribes and villages, but wild ones – special ones. He is stubborn and determined almost to death to catch his prize. He begins his collection to satisfy his own needs and desires, perhaps the heart of a young maiden named Red Sleeves, but is unable to earn the respect of the important men of his village.

Leaving his clan more frequently and for longer periods of time, he travels far to the north as well as far to the south and earns the respect and admiration of distant relatives and even members of other tribes. He makes a name for himself abroad, but he is still uncomfortable living among his family.

Eventually, Young Elk is able to prove that his family, village and tribe are of the utmost importance in his heart. He is willing to make significant sacrifices for them even if he is unwilling to shed blood for them. He proves his worth by maintaining his convictions.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Native American history and customs. It would be an excellent addition to a study of the Cheyenne tribe. I would have benefitted from it in my schooling. But reader be warned, it was hard to pull me out of the present and immerse me in the alien culture. When I finally arrived, it was like a breath of fresh air. A young man with convictions based upon his heart whispers.

Someone Was Watching

Someone Was Watching by David Patneaude

And now we are back to old Caudill Nominees. This one was a nominee in 1996. I might recommend it to reluctant readers who would enjoy a mystery and particularly to the more sensitive boys - boys with a strong sense of family who love their sisters. I am thinking that kids, who gravitate towards The Face on the Milk Carton type of book, will enjoy this one as well.

I will put this book in the same category as My Sister’s Keeper and the one I mentioned above. I am not entirely certain what it is about these books, but the kids flock to them. They are highly emotional and they involve a significant crime against self – a believable one. A crime that could actually happen and is both devastating and frightening. In this case, a kidnapping. Perhaps they can enjoy the terror in the safety of their own home.

When this book begins, the family has already suffered the monumental loss of a loved one. Chris’s much younger sister, Molly, has been missing and presumed dead for a few months. The family has kept a summer vacation home for years. The family picnics on the beach that resides along a river. This last summer, Molly disappeared while Chris and his parents dozed off after lunch. After much searching, the family, friends and authorities came to the conclusion that Molly fell into the river and was swept away in the strong currents. She drowned.

The family, now three, is returning to the scene at the urging of their psychiatrist. They are to face their ghosts – fears and failings – in order to move forward as a family. Chris’s parents no longer speak to each other. It is probably for the same reason, guilt, that Chris is having trouble continuing forward. Chris wishes he had invited his sister along with him to videotape the flora and fauna of the beach. She would have been safe. OR. If his father would have stayed awake and kept watch, Molly would still be here.

After returning once more from the scene of Molly’s disappearance, the family congregates in front of the TV to put behind them one more piece of the past – the video that was taken this summer. It includes Chris’s mother exiting a restroom, an annual and forever embarrassing catch. It also includes what Chris taped directly before everyone dozed. It is not something any of the members of the family wish to do, but again, it is advised by the psychiatrist. Chris invites his best friend, Pat, for support.

Chris’s parents fall asleep before it finishes and Pat leaves as soon as it is over. But Chris continues to think about what he has seen and goes to bed with an idea nagging at the corner of his mind. He dreams dreams that won’t let him sleep. He is compelled to watch the video again. It is not so much something he has seen as something he has heard, rather, not heard.

While he was taping, the camera caught the ice cream truck entering the parking lot. The ice cream truck at the beach is not unusual, but it wasn’t playing its music and it didn’t stay for long. Chris recalls that the driver of the ice cream truck had whispered in his sister’s ear – on camera – earlier at the ice cream shop. This sparks the memory that later he asked his sister what the driver had whispered. Molly told Chris, “It’s a secret.”

Chris now has a hope that perhaps his sister IS missing, but no long presumed dead. With Pat at his side, they set out alone to discover the truth.