The Gammage Cup

I've finished The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall. It is a 1960 Newbery Honor book. Onion John by Joseph Krumgold won the medal that year. I believe I've said before that I often prefer the honor books to the award winner. It is unfortunate that second best is often forgotten.

The book cover to the left is the one that Decatur Public Library owns. It gives a vague image of what to expect from this novel. The story is about the Minnipins and their life in the Land Between the Mountains. What are Minnipins? The book refers to them as "the small ones". They have run away from the Mushrooms or "the Hairless ones". Mushrooms? Mushrooms chased the Minnipins through a mountain tunnel which was then flooded by a river engorged by rain that not only swept the Mushrooms out, but sealed off the tunnel leaving the Minnipins safe within the mountains.

This next picture to the right, I have just discovered online. It is not a quality image, and having read the book, I know the picture to be false. However, here is solid evidence that the Minnipins are just men and women like ourselves. For the longest time I was picturing Hobbits. I still don't think there is anything wrong with that. They are very odd characters. They have built twelve villages within the mountains, but the book is about one village, the first one, Slipper-on-the-Water. This village is governed by a family known as the Periods. They are called this because all of their names end in a period: Ltd., Co., Bros., Wm., Geo., Eng., Scot., Etc., Rd., St., and Ave. They are descendants of Fooley the Magnificent, the one and only Minnipin to ever leave the valley, by hot air balloon.

To the left you see yet another variation of the cover of this novel. I burst out laughing when I saw it. Who were they trying to sell this to AFTER it got the nod from the Newbery Committee? The guy in the center with the sword is Walter the Earl. He comes from a long line of Earls. Through this glorious line of Earls, was passed down the ability to read the "old writing". Based upon old writings, Walter the Earl is convinced that there is a lost treasure that can only be found when the Minnipins are in need of it. Walter the Earl spends all of his time and energy in digging up his yard looking for the lost treasure, much to the chagrin of the Periods.

I have no idea who the other two people are. I have to assume that they must be another two of the five outlaws. A better word would be "outcasts." The villagers just call them "Oh, Them." The male that is sitting down must be Mingy, for if he were Gummy, he would be wearing a conical hat. I have always imagined it to be a Dunce Cap. Gummy is one of "Oh, Them," because he does absolutely nothing except scribble rhymes and play pranks. He often disappears in his little boat, or stares off into space with a dreamy look on his face.

The woman on the cover MIGHT be Curley Green. She's the female "Oh, Them." The door on her cottage is painted bright scarlet when everyone else's door is painted green. She is an artist. She paints blobs on whatever she can get her hands on - the walls of her cottage or a piece of birch bark. What are blobs you wonder? In Slipper-on-the-Water, there is only one kind of painting and it resembles a diagram of a Family Tree, but it is called a painting and therefore all paintings must look like it.

I mentioned Mingy before. He is the Money Keeper and while he becomes an outlaw, he was never considered one of "Oh, Them." He carries the money box, clutching it to his chest, complaining that the Periods think the money will never expire. He would rather the money be spent on necessities like helping the poor, feeding the starving, and aiding the sick. The Periods prefer to use the money on beautification and happiness and festivities.

There is one other outlaw who is also NOT an "Oh, Them." That would be Muggles. She is considered to be simple-minded. She has come to believe that she IS simple-minded although she may be the only sensible one. Occasionally, she likes to wear a bright orange sash rather than a plain green one. And this is frowned upon. The Periods warn her to stay away from "Oh, Them," lest she becomes one of them.

Why are these five outlaws? They willingly leave Slipper-on-the-Water of their own accord rather than stand in the way of the Periods' dreams of winning the Gammage Cup. What were the Periods' demanding? That they paint their doors green and wear green cloaks and act normal while the Judges judge Slipper-on-the-Water OR that they leave until after the Judges have gone. The outlaws choose to leave permanently and be true to themselves rather than to give up their identity. This is most important, for if they had not left, they would have been unable to save their village from the coming Mushrooms!

City of Bones

At the beginning of the summer, two things happened. A patron wanted a list of the Monarch Nominees for 2011 and asked if we had heard about the Bluestem Awards. Yes, we had the former, and no, we had not heard of the latter. I had just finished reading all of the Caudill Nominees, had already acquainted myself with the Monarchs and was now presented with a new list. I was stunned.

On the same day, a family came to the library - a mother and her three children. She needed something different for each, but wanted to find books to inspire all of them. The little girl and the tween boy were easy. The teen girl was not. You could comfort me and tell me that it wasn't my job to direct her in the right direction. I could just send her to Young Adult in the furthest corner away from Juvenile. I attempted to book talk several appropriate books that we have, but there is something alluring about a Y on the spine rather than a J.

I decided to make a new pamphlet. It's finished, but I haven't yet presented it to Katie. You won't find it at the library - yet. It contains the 2011 nominees for all of the Illinois young readers' awards. Yes, the Monarch, the Bluestem, the Caudill and the Abraham Lincoln all on one double-sided 11 x 14 sheet of paper. There is something on it for kids in Kindergarten through High School. I'd argue that there is plenty on there for the adults as well.

Then what always happens - happened. I became obsessed with a new list. The Abraham Lincoln Awards. 22 nominees every year for the teen set. Whew! Someone save me now! City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is the 2010 Winner of the Abraham Lincoln Awards. It is the first in a trilogy called The Mortal Instruments. Periodically, I will review a Young Adult novel from now on. My oldest is ten and I know fifth-graders who already, mistakenly, only shop in the Young Adult department. Some parents pay attention to what their children check out. Others don't. And sometimes a book jacket or review doesn't paint the entire picture.

The cover of this particular book is racy. It makes the Twilight series look tame. I bare-chested, male, teen, with this quote smack-dab in his middle: "Funny, dark, and sexy. One of my favorite books." - Holly Black of the Spiderwick Chronicles. And the day I checked it out, I started to look like a grown-up reader again.

I can start by saying there is no sex. There is mention of "sleeping together", but nothing beyond. I remember one cigarette. There is one incident of underage drinking. There were a few strong words, but not used blatantly. There are a couple of gay characters. The book, in this respect, is cleaner than public high school.

More parents will be most concerned with the demonology. The premise is that demons exist in many dimensions and that they can enter our world as well as others. The Angel Raziel descended from on high and mixed angel blood with human blood in a cup called the Mortal Cup. Whoever drinks of it becomes a Nephilim, a new class of warrior called the Shadowhunter. Their job is to kill the demons and protect humankind.

Most people cannot see this world of demons, Nephilim and Darkworlders because Glamour is used to conceal them. But Clary Fray has the sight and can see through the glam - all of a sudden. She is at a rave with a friend and sees a strange boy enter a storage room with a gorgeous girl. She follows as two boys enter the storage room as well. What she finds is unbelievable. Three exotic teens kill the strange boy in front of her and the strange boy disappears.

Now she has seen too much and she doesn't know why or how. When her mother is parentnapped, a plot begins to unfold concerning the return of a feared Shadowhunter - Valentine. He is after the Mortal Cup and he thinks that Clary's mother may have hidden it. The only way to find Clary's mother is to find the Cup, so Clary joins the young Shadowhunters on a ride of self-discovery.

I truly enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading the next volume. The characters were delightful. One complaint. I think the surprises were not very surprising. I remember being flabbergasted when Luke found out who his father was. I remember sitting agape when we learned of a twin sister who was strong in the force. I remember grinning ear to ear when Han told Leia he loved her and Leia said "I know." This book was too clear. Too much foreshadowing perhaps. I wasn't surprised and that is a disappointment.

Heart of a Champion

Sometimes the books that I am least likely to be excited about are the very ones that bless me the most. Such is the case with Carl Deuker's Heart of a Champion, a 1996 Caudill Nominee. I am not a sports fan by any means. Bring up sports and I turn my ears off. It is a flaw, but perhaps not a fatal one.

Here is a story about a boy, Seth, who would have been a golfer had his father lived. But his father died when he was young and Seth is raised by a single mother. That would be the end of the story and not much of one for sure, but he meets Jimmy Winter and Jimmy's father at the park one day and Seth is invited to join them in a round of baseball practice. Jimmy is the Champion of the title and Seth's hero.

Jimmy's father had been a natural baseball player, however his father never pushed him hard enough to go far. Mr. Winter doesn't want to make the same mistake and so he pushes Jimmy above and beyond normal limits in an effort to secure him a career in the Major Leagues. Jimmy doesn't brag when he says he is the best. It is the truth. And he knows it already at eleven.

Seth realizes that he will never be as good as Jimmy, but he is grateful to be along for the ride. They practice together every weekend and when Jimmy tries out for Little League, Seth is right there with him. It is a hard existence for Seth. He is not as good as Jimmy and Jimmy often gets picked to play for better leagues or different teams. But through it all, they remain friends. Even when Jimmy has to move away.

Jimmy's father is an abusive alcoholic. Seth recognizes it early on, but decides that a drunk father might be better than no father. Jimmy's parents separate and Jimmy and his mom move to a neighboring town. It is not that they couldn't make the effort to get together, but they're boys and were fine picking up where they left off. This happens when Jimmy moves back during their freshman year of high school.

There is something amazing about Jimmy Winter. He has heart. He loves the game. He puts everything he has got into the game and his team. If you are feeling off, or anxious, or scared and are left shaking, Jimmy is right there with a pep talk and encouragement to give you the strength to give it your all as well. Everyone looks to him and he is an effortless leader. When Jimmy is out of the game, Seth tries to emulate him. Do what Jimmy would do. Take a hit or sacrifice for the good of the team and give the encouragement.

But every hero has a flaw. Jimmy follows in the footsteps of his father and chooses alcohol to mask the pain his father caused. The team suffers for it and ultimately, Jimmy suffers for it.

Despite the fact that the book is filled with play by plays of nearly every baseball game played at every level from 6th through 11th grade, I loved this book for what was in between. Without Jimmy Winter, Seth would have been ordinary. With Jimmy's support, Seth became extraordinary. Seth learned how to concentrate and focus through all of the baseball practices. This translated into superior grades. Seth becomes an academic without even noticing. He makes many wrong choices, but in the end the right choices he makes are the ones that matter.

Wow. So this is what it means when someone says, "you have heart." You can make little ripples and even waves of amazing in those around you. And it doesn't matter how long or short your life is as long as you make it memorable doing what you love the most to the best of your ability.

The Sorceress

Star Wars was the first movie, that was not a cartoon, that I saw in theaters. My dad saw it and decided that it was something his five-year-old needed to see. I remember being completely blown away by it. It would be something that I would watch time and time again and it would never grow old.

When The Empire Strikes Back came out in theaters, my dad took me with him sight unseen. I loved it and hated it although I couldn't have expressed why. While I have watched Star Wars countless times, I have watched Empire probably not five times. It was too dark and sad and painful and gory and gut-wrenching. But of course it was proclaimed by critics as the best of the three because it advanced the action among other things.

I believe I was in 6th grade when Return of the Jedi came out and I went with my best-friend Allison to see it first. Then I managed to get my dad to take me again and again every Thursday night - his night after my parents divorced. It more than made up for Empire in every single way. It might be my favorite of the three.

So why am I talking about Star Wars? Because The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott is my Jedi. I liked The Alchemist. I hated The Magician. I love The Sorceress. I'll confess here that I am concerned about The Necromancer. I fear that it will be Empire all over again.

There are still no more kids introduced in the series. Sophie and Josh are it. Billy the Kid is a new character, and while he died young, he has lived over 100 years and in my book, that doesn't count.

My favorite new character is The King - Gilgamesh. He is the oldest living immortal and he is insane. I'm concerned because Sophie calls him the Ancient of Days based upon the memories of the Witch of Endor. I'm concerned because although EVERY other culture's gods are represented, the God of Israel is absent. My first thought is that he is avoiding Judeo/Christian theology either because he is neither Jew nor Christian OR because he IS one of the two. I almost wish he was atheist and worked God into the story. I think that would be fun and intriguing!

But Perenelle is truly my favorite. The fact that she is much more powerful than many suspect, leads to many surprises. And I'm hoping there will be more secrets to reveal in the future. The best part is that she has managed to accomplish SO much even though she has been held a prisoner on the island of Alcatraz for the vast majority of three massive books! Perenelle proves that a woman can be the strength behind her man.

I've been a little disappointed with some of the writing. I'm simply tired of every character reverting to their native dialect whenever they become stressed. Every tense situation requires that the author mentions that character starts using the tongue they were raised on. And I've begun to keep a tally of every instance of eye color being not even described, but just stated. Two greens, one brown, and several blue pairs over and over again. This has never bothered me before in other books. So it is particularly grating now. Still this volume is the best of the three!

Canyons

Here is another 1996 Caudill nominee, Canyons by Gary Paulsen. This is not a book to read when you are on the verge of falling asleep (not because the book is boring, but because of exhaustion.) Some parts of the book seem so surreal, that you begin to feel a part of the "dream".

The book starts as two stories. Coyote Runs is an Apache youth living in the 1860s. He longs to go on a raid, prove himself, and be declared a man. And that day has finally come. The men of his tribe are crossing the Mexican border to steal horses and Coyote Runs has been asked to come along to watch the riders' horses during the actual raid.

Brennan is a modern-day, fatherless youth, who loves to run and mows lawns to make money. He has lived through multiple of his mother's relationships and while he sincerely wants happiness for his mother, he would rather steer clear himself. Then his mother brings home Bill who is taking a youth group camping in the canyons, and Brennan and his mother have been invited along. His mother is so joyous, that Brennan agrees despite his own misgivings.

Here is where the two stories converge. After the Apache's raid, Coyote Runs is chased by the "bluebellies," American soldiers, into a canyon where he hopes to hide. Unfortunately, Coyote Runs is injured and a trail of blood leads the soldiers right to him. Coyote Runs is only allowed to live as a man one day.

More than a century later, Brennan is hiding from the other campers in a nook in a canyon. Something pokes him through his sleeping bag. It turns out to be a skull. Even though one is not allowed to take anything off of a National Park except what one brings in, Brennan is compelled to bring the skull home with him. He is compelled by the voice of an Apache youth determined to be returned to sacred ground. And Brennan will not be able to concentrate on anything else until this task is performed.

Brennan helps Coyote Runs, but Brennan could not accomplish everything required without the help of the voice of Coyote Runs. Brennan considers that he might be going crazy because of the thoughts he has finding the skull. He just "knows" what to do and he cannot explain it without sounding crazy. I like that even though Brennan's mission is to return the skull, the knowledge of the Apache boy is what enables him to do so. There is no questionn in this book that Brennan was aided supernaturally. He could not have known what only the Apache's were aware of.

Paulsen never disappoints. Not even a girl.

Incarceron

I have taken a trip downstairs to the land of the Young Adults based upon an intense recommendation by a co-worker for Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Actually, I have to admit that she's been recommending it for more than a month, but I've been too busy to use the stairs. It finally took one of my favorite Milikin professors to challenge me to a read-off as it were. She requested the audio so I snagged the book. The heat is on!

I would think I would have to say that I devoured it. I'm glad I had a holiday weekend because I couldn't put it down. It went everywhere I went in case I could steal a second. I would think that it will, if it hasn't already, gain the following that The Hunger Games has acquired. In fact, they are of the same ilk - about dystopian society.

This first book is only in Young Adult at the moment, but if there was money to buy, we could almost put it in Juvenile. There is only one negative word that appeared several times - bitch. Every time it appeared, I was startled. And now I'm wondering what word could replace it ... When girls are mad at each other, what other names are there? I think "witch" could have worked just as well. Then I hesitate and confess that people say "witch" meaning the other. And I hate that about America today. You can curse in public if you dumb it down. A friend of mine was told to say "firetruck" in place of the "F-bomb." That's laughable. Keep it clean people. I cringe when I hear my girls say "darn it". I wonder if they realize what they're saying ... I remember when I got that speech ...

Back to the book. My only complaint, other than the above, was the first chapter. It was slow, painfully slow and confusing. Now I know why. The first chapter is a lie, a trap, acting, a play on emotions. And you are being introduced to the protagonist. It is also the set up for the prison Incarceron. Both are dark and grimy and untrustworthy. It is hard to care about either.

The second chapter was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. We are introduced to Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. She's a modern-thinking girl trapped in Protocol. The War of Rage left Society reeling from revolution. Those in charge, members of the monarchy, decided that change was bad and caused bad things to happen. They chose an Era when things were simpler and made it illegal to use anything non-Era. No more elevators, no more automobiles, no more slacks for women. We'll just pretend that we still live in Victorian England.

But what to do with all of the criminals? The scholars decided to create a prison for them. It would be the great Experiment. Take all of the people that you don't want to be a part of your Utopian Era and put them inside a prison. Put the prison somewhere where you don't have to look at it and can even forget about it. Then send some of your best people in to create a paradise for the prisoners. Social reform abounds. Health care for everyone. Land for everyone. Jobs for everyone. No one else enters after the gate is sealed. And no one escapes.

Followed by a chapter where we revisit the protagonist, Finn. He lives within Incarceron, a member of a gang who fights, steals and kills to survive. No, Incarceron is not the Paradise that was intended. Finn wants to find the Outside. He feels this need because he believes that he used to live on the outside. He has memories brought on by seizures, where he can see a vast heaven full of stars. Within the prison, there are legends of someone who did manage to defeat Incarceron and escape. He is called Sapphique.

The chapters alternate back and forth bringing the two characters together through keys. One that is found on the Outside and one that is discovered on the Inside. Through the keys Finn and Claudia can communicate. Seeing Claudia proves to Finn that there is an Outside and it is not just a dream. Seeing Finn gives Claudia new hope. She is betrothed to the Crown Prince and seeks a way of escape herself. The closer they get to each other, the more their chapters merge into one.

This is a fabulous book. One right up my alley. Fantasy, Science-Fiction, a little bit of Steampunk. And lots of surprises. Incarceron itself is alive and has its own wishes. It wants to keep its own to itself. Why should it let anyone Out when Incarceron will never be allowed to leave itself?

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW. The fourth book in the Fablehaven series, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, by Brandon Mull is WOW! I'd almost leave it at just that and be done with it. But I'm sure you would want to know why I enjoyed it so much.

First of all, there are five magical artifacts, that work as keys, that will open Zzyzx. It would be so easy to make each book about obtaining one of those keys and nothing else. And it is true that the team goes after another magical artifact in this book. But I like this book so much because that is just a small portion of this book.

Some books present a mystery and you have to wait until the very end to discover the answer. Those books give you little hints, but nothing to help you discover the answer. Maybe after you've read everything, you can look back and see that there was a trail left for you, but it was so obscure that it takes three readings to really see it. Or it had to be explained to you. I like Fablehaven because it doesn't torture you this way. Mysteries unfold along the way and new ones open up.

In some books, most characters remain static and only the hero or heroine develops. I am appreciating the fact that not only Seth and Kendra grow, but also Grandpa and Vanessa and some of the other characters like Hugo to a lesser extent. Seth is a gambler. He takes risks, but he is beginning to weigh the consequences of these risks and is realizing that there are some he should take and others that he shouldn't. His character trait doesn't change, but he uses it wisely rather than recklessly. And Grandpa recognizes this change and begins to think and act accordingly.

There is the old Star Trek joke that the new guy that beams down with Captain Kirk is the goner. That joke doesn't work where Mull is concerned. Any character is expendable and so you never know who might be next. I love that suspense.

If you have been reading the series along with me, you know that Kendra acquired a special attribute. This attribute came with many special skills and talents that are very useful to the Knights of the Dawn as well as the Society of the Evening Star. I am pleased to say that now Seth has acquired an extraordinary attribute as well. And it is one that will come in hand multiple times over. It's both surprising and concerning, but also intriguing.

You will also know that everyone is a potential traitor outside of the Sorenson household. It doesn't matter how important you think a character is. Or how cool or great a character is. They may not be what they seem to be. Some can be redeemed ... possibly Vanessa, but some must be killed.

As I think it through, I remember that once I recommended a children's book to my mother. She agreed that it was a good book, but said it was obviously only children's literature because she knew what the ending would be. I tried to convince her that it wasn't always so, but her taste in books is very limited. I certainly could not recommend my all time favorites. We're not certain I'm genetically related.

This series is brilliant to me because in all the books I have read, I haven't found anything quite like it. I can make guesses and sometimes I am right, but more often than not, I am surprised by the outcomes. There is nothing more disappointing to me than recognizing similarities. Best example is Eragon where I can hear the John Williams' music playing in the background while looking from the burm into the double sunset. It is much better to be told after the fact that the author based their novel on say Pride and Prejudice and I can say, "then that is why I loved it so much," even though I didn't recognize the scenario as I read it. I don't mind being "played" as long as I'm not aware of it. LOL