reynardine’s Friends and Family

Hawksong, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:23:02 -0500

Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One (Kiesha'ra)

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Hawksong, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. 2003. * * * * finished 03/06/2008

Summary: In a land that has been at war so long that no one remembers the reason for fighting, the shapeshifters who rule the two factions agree to marry in the hope of bringing peace, despite deep-seated fear and distrust of each other.

[http://www.amazon.com/Hawksong-Kieshara-One-Amelia-Atwater-Rhodes/dp/0385734921/]

243 pgs. 2003. Fiction: Fantasy fiction.

Audience: grades 7-10

Review: In this fantasy novel, the romance of star-crossed lovers gets a new twist. The daughter of the avian monarch and the son of the serpent queen meet with a counselor to try to boach peace between their nations. The advice? The two should marry, with the political marriage a way of uniting their peoples.

Of course, such a marriage comes with problems, such as former girlfriends, suspicious bodyguards, narrow-minded family members, and cultural differences. Atwater-Rhodes does a marvelous job showing how different the aloof avian society and the bold serpent people are just by showing the differences in how they look at each other and touch (or don't touch) others of their own kind.

There's a lot to offer here. Not just a romance, but also political intrigue and a good deal of suspense as readers try to figure out whether the main characters will make it through the book alive.

Awards: Abe Nominee, 2009.

Series: This is the first book in the Kiesha'ra series.

Similar: The Bonemender, by Holly Bennett; Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare (high school).

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret : a Novel in Words and Pictures, by Brian Selznick.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:57:42 -0500

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Brian Selznick

The Invention of Hugo Cabret : a Novel in Words and Pictures, by Brian Selznick. * * * * * finished 02/24/2008

[http://www.amazon.com/Invention-Hugo-Cabret-Brian-Selznick/dp/0439813786/]

544 pgs. 2007. Fiction: Historical fiction.

Audience: grades 4-8

Summary: When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

Review: This was a simply beautiful book. Selznick uses hundreds of illustrations to tell the story of Hugo. It's one of the closest things to a graphic novel without the requisite word bubbles-- it's certainly sequential art, as Selznick uses the artwork to move large portions of the narrative forward.

It's obvious that Selznick is a fan of early cinema and automatons; the care with which he covers both topics makes this clear. He is also a fan of simple, clean storytelling. The result is a beautiful book that compels you to return to the illustrations again and again, looking for details that you missed the first time around.

Awards: Caudill Nominee, 2009; Caldecott Medal, 2008; National Book Award finalist, 2007; Wilson's Children 10/01/07.

Similar: There really isn't anything similar to this one. If you like the pictures, try The Arrival by Shaun Tan. If you like the mystery, maybe Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach.

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Gossamer, by Lois Lowry.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:34:47 -0500

Gossamer

Lois Lowry

Gossamer, by Lois Lowry. * * * * * 02/17/2008

[http://www.amazon.com/Gossamer-Lois-Lowry/dp/0618685502/]

144 pgs. 2006. Fiction: Fantasy fiction.

Audience: grades 4-8

Summary: While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.

Review: This was a very delicate, very sweet book. Yes, the foster home woman and the boy and the boy's mother are all very generic stock characters. The thing is, the book isn't completely about them. The book is about Littlest One, who is learning how to be a dream giver. While the journey of the boy and his mother is important, it's equally important that Littlest One learns her task and discovers new and different ways to achieve her goals.

Awards: Caudill Nominee, 2009; Wilson's Children 10/01/06; Wilson's Junior High School 08/01/07.

Similar: The Giver, by Lois Lowry; The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson; Pictures of Hollis Woods, by Patricia Reilly Giff; The Pinballs, by Betsy Byars.

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November Blues, by Sharon M. Draper.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:37:36 -0500

November Blues

Sharon M. Draper

November Blues, by Sharon M. Draper. * * * * finished 02/11/2008

[http://www.amazon.com/November-Blues-Sharon-M-Draper/dp/1416906983/]

316 pgs. 2007. Fiction: Realistic fiction.

Audience: grades 7-12

Summary: November Nelson learns she is pregnant from her first time with Josh, and fears she has no one to turn to, until she finds solace in the arms of Josh's cousin Jericho.

Review: November is a smart, intelligent girl who plans to go to college. When she becomes pregnant, her life of skinny jeans and college plans is suddenly thrown upside-down. Unlike some books about teen pregnancy, this one completely catalogs the physical drawbacks of pregnancy-- the swollen feet, the digestive issues, the nausea, and everything else that happens when one's body changes.

Instead of just focusing on November's physical pregnancy, Draper also focuses on the pettiness of high school interactions and the solid friendships that can be formed between social outcasts. In a parallel plot, Draper focuses on November's friend Jericho, who is dealing with issues of anger regarding his cousin Josh. Jericho becomes a true friend to November just when she needs it the most.

Unlike many YA novels, November isn't left to deal with these issues on her own; her mother is a constant force in the book, being both angry and supportive of her daughter's various choices. She helps November to negotiate a difficult offer that is presented by Josh's parents, one that will change her life whether she takes it or dismisses it.

Draper's characters are nicely rounded and fleshed out, and their emotions and reactions are real and true. The dialogue-- whether playful banter or cutting insults-- is similar to that you'd find between teenagers, though Draper has left out the curse words that would likely appear when real-life, petty high school girls have a showdown. November's emotional state is delicately and precicely drawn, and Draper does an excellent job of showing the impact that one girl's pregnancy can make on her life and the lives of everyone around her. A must-read for high school girls, and definitely a book for older middle-school girls to consider.

Awards: King Honor Book, 2008. Expect this one to be an Abe Nominee soon.

Similar: The Battle of Jericho is the prequel to this book; you may wish to read it first. Other similar titles include The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson; Make Lemonade, by Virginia Euwer Wolff; and Hanging on to Max, by Margaret Bechard.

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Confessor, by Terry Goodkind.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:07:40 -0500

Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11)

Terry Goodkind

Confessor, by Terry Goodkind. * * * finished 02/04/2008

[http://www.amazon.com/Confessor-Chainfire-Trilogy-Sword-Truth/dp/0765315238/]

608 pgs. 2007. Fiction: Fantasy fiction.

Audience: Adult

Summary: As the world is overtaken by evil, never to be the same again, wizard Richard Rahl struggles with guilt over the sin he cannot confess to his wife, Mother Confessor Kahlan, who has lost all her memories.

Review: Oh, man. Where to begin with this one...

This is the conclusion of Goodkind's sprawling Sword of Truth series, and it's the final part of the trilogy that makes up the last section of the storyline. It's better than the two books that precede it, but I think much of that is just the fact that Goodkind is forced to actually wrap up things and come to a bunch of plot resolutions.

I think the thing I liked best about this book was the energy and excitement of the Ja'La games. Richard's skill in planning the physical attack and athletic attack of the rugby-like game made for a thrilling section of the novel, as did his strategy on the battlefield. But that was probably the highlight. Richard and Nicci's attempts at deciphering the flaws in the original Chainfire spell is probably the second most interesting part, and the bits with Rachel's captivity were a close third. Zedd doesn't get to do much at all.

Goodkind's strength is his characterization. Kahlan, Richard, Jagang, Zedd, Rachel, Nicci, Cara, and all the others are well-defined characters with clear motivations and some serious human flaws. But Goodkind's weakness is his writing and plotting. It takes *forever* for things to happen. Dozens of plot threads are dropped, ripped out, knotted up, tangled, or left to just dangle without resolution for most of the series.

In the end, the resolution seemed so... gah. I'm glad that Richard encouraged everyone to follow their own lead, but it's like he needed to become some sort of God in order to address everyone to *stop* them from their devotions to him! The hard *thwack* of Goodkind's philosophical ramblings just is too much.

Was it worth it to read the whole series? I think so, yes. But it was an exercise in constant frustration to have such wonderful characters get mired in such a jumble of unnecessary violence (especially against women) and the religious and political philosophy. Some of the books were stellar, and others were just marking time. I probably won't read them again.

Series: This is the final book in the Sword of Truth series.

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Halle Berry : "beauty is not just physical", by Michael A. Schuman.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:47:20 -0500

Halle Berry: "Beauty Is Not Just Physical" (African-American Biography Library)

Michael A. Schuman

Halle Berry : "beauty is not just physical", by Michael A. Schuman. 2006.

[http://www.amazon.com/Halle-Berry-Physical-African-American-Biography/dp/0766024679/]

112 pgs. Nonfiction: Biography, * * * 01/15/2008

Audience: grades 5-10

Summary: A biography of Halle Berry that provides information on her childhood, her family life, her education, and her career as a model and actress.

Review: I started browsing through this book as I was cataloging it for our library. It was a nice way to pass the time, and I learned some things about Berry that I hadn't known before. It's a nice series to purchase if you have holes in your school library biography collection.

Similar: Fabulosity: What it is & How to get it, by Kimora Lee Simmons; other titles in Enslow's African-American Biography Library.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie ; art by Ellen Forney.

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:06:30 -0500

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie ; art by Ellen Forney. 2007.

[http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-True-Diary-Part-Time-Indian/dp/0316013684/]

229 pgs. Fiction: Realistic, * * * * 01/08/2008

Audience: grades 8-11

Summary: Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Native American is the school mascot.

Review: This was an excellent book. It was funny, thoughtful, shocking, provoking, and heartbreaking, all rolled into one marvelous package.

Alexie doesn't pull any punches in this book. Junior's struggles with the racism that he faces at the white, rural farm school seem very realistic, as do his reactions. Everything is bittersweet. Junior is able to inject even the worst things in his live with humor and beautiful drawings, and yet even the best things that happen to him and those around him end up having a dark twist to them.

Still, Junior perseveres-- at home, at school, and in his mind-- and this coming-of-age novel follows him every step of the way as he begins to experience success.

A special note must be made regarding Ellen Forney's illustrations. They capture Junior's emotion and artistic skill so effortlessly that the novel would not be possible without them.

Awards: National Book Award (Young People's Literature), 2007.

Similar: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie (High School/Adult); The Brave, by Robert Lipsyte (grades 7-12); Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney (grades 5-8).

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Book reviews: I'm back!

nobody@vox.com(Mrs. Hahn) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:02:08 -0500

I've read nearly 40 books since January, but hadn't really had the time to truly write up any reviews for them. With the help of my husband (hooray, babysitting!) I have been able to get back on track.

I hope to post one book review per day until I'm all caught up. I hope you enjoy these. As always, please feel free to comment!

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This was a Good Day

nobody@vox.com(Maerwynn) — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:12:33 -0500

Friendship

I wanted to take a minute to get down my impressions of Crown Tournament. I've had no time (wonder of wonders), but I don't want it to get too far away before I put some of it down.

The day was absolutely perfect. I understand that the night before was cold for camping, but by the time we got to site, it was wonderful fighting weather. Not too warm for a cloak, but bright and sunny.

I was remarkably calm. I think calmer than I've ever been at a Crown Tournament. (I love them because you usually see at least one bout that makes your trip worthwhile, but I usually am nervous about the outcome, pace a little, and even, yes, growl and hide my eyes.) I wasn't detached, but I just felt like there wasn't any doubt.

As we arrived and set up, several people said nice things, "Your boy's the front-runner," "Good morning Princess-to-be," etc. Yes, a few "gulp" moments, but mostly just nice and fun to hear.

When we got ready to line up, I went to get Luther and waited while he took a few warm-up swings at Semjaka. Not at all stressed. I joked with him as much as I could in the line-up. You can see some of that in the picture. Silliness and fun while we waited our turn.

A rose for Maerwynn

Then, nothing but smiles for the King and Queen. :)

The tournament itself was just fun to watch. A nod and a wink from Luther before each bout and a grin from me. Just another tourney for him where I watch and support him.

One moment of panic (for him, I was blithely oblivious) when he blew a strap right before his bout with Alric. Won that one, then a field fix with a penny to keep things moving for the next bout.

People kept asking if I was nervous, but I said, "I've been to this tournament before, there's a lot of fighting left before I need to get nervous."

Next thing I know someone from TRM's retinue is requesting my presence for the finals. I make sure Luther is good, then go to the field, to be handed a thorns-on bundle of roses (this led to a bit of bleeding on my part) and stand next to my Queen with Xorazne at my side holding my hand.

First great sword bout of the day, then back to sword and shield. At the point that Alric fell, it actually hit me--and my jaw dropped. Xorazne took the flowers from me and sort of shoved me toward Luther--he had his back to me to give his helmet and gauntlets to Joe. Silhouetted between him and Alric was Jean Michelle, with his arms raised in triumph. :) Luther turned (he says I looked like I got hit in the head with a frying pan ;-)), and we hugged.

Then on to the crowning and serious words--and a serious task. And the Crown that I'd feared and loved, on *my* head. Almost too much to believe. But at it's center, nothing but joy. :)

His Majesty grins and Kora can hardly contain herself

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The Lion at the wedding

nobody@vox.com(Rozella) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:24:53 -0500

I forgot to put an animal picture in the group!

Lion picture

The animals were not in the light but watched from the dark when they weren't catching ducks.

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