October, 2012

"The Purple Shroud" by Stella Duffy         

This is historical fiction detailing the lies of Theodora and Justinian, Emperor and Empress of Rome.  The two worked together throughout their rein to bring prosperity and religious unity to their kingdom.  Through riots, plague and political intrigue, the two ruled together, something unprecedented at the time.          

Overall, I thought the book was well written.  The characters were well balanced and seemed to show growth and progress.  At times the book was a bit boring and it seemed a bit long.  However, I knew nothing about these rulers before reading the book and am glad I picked it up.

"Song for Papa Crow" by Marit Menzin        

Little crow loves to sing, but his "Caw" chases the other birds away.  After a night of listening to Mockingbird sing, he takes a magic seed and is able to sing like the other birds.  But a hawk snatches him away, leaving him desperately calling for help using other bird’s songs.  Only when he spits out the seed and caws is he rescued by the other crows.          

I appreciated the message, but I didn't particularly enjoy the story.  I thought that the illustrations were a bit....off....and the writing was a bit boring.  Overall, this is one children's book I have to pass on.

"Change the World Before Bedtime" by Moulton, Chalmers and Good        

This picture book shows children how the small things that they do in life can help impact the world.  I thought that the book had a cute message, but overall it wasn't great.  The rhymes seemed a bit forced and the illustrations were OK.  Overall, a good book, not a great book. 

"Janus" by John Park        

30% of those who travel from earth to the colony of Janus lose their memories.  Grebbel is one of the 30%         

I thought the plot was interesting, but I found it extremely slow.  The characters were not interesting or exciting enough to maintain my curiosity throughout the entire book.  Author spent a lot of time describing the environment around the characters without paying much attention to moving the story forward.

"Thirty Rooms to Hide In" by Luke Sullivan        

At one time Luke's father was a top orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic.  Alcoholism turned him into a verbally abusive man, one who slowly descends into madness.         

I found this book to be very repetitive.  It went over the same event multiple times, merely  switching from journal entries to  interviews to recollections.  This was a bit excessive.  The information about the funeral dragged on and on.  It was at the beginning of the book and them repeated almost verbatim at the end of the book.  I loved the superhero passages, they felt exactly like something a little boy would daydream about.  Overall, the book could use some editing. 

"Keowee Valley" by Katherine Crawford        

This book started off with Quincy leaving the comfort of Charleston society to rescue her cousin, who was kidnapped by Indians.  Along the way she establishes a homestead within Indian territory.  I thought that Quincy was going to track her cousin herself, however she employed Jack Wolf to do so.  When her cousin was rescued with little effort on her part, I put the book down.  I felt a bit cheated, I wanted to hear about her journey into hostile territory. 

"Celtic Run" by Sean Vogel        

Zach, Jake's rival, and Julie, his crush, also end up in the same small town in Ireland.  When they uncover a clue to a treasure, the foursome quickly get to work unraveling the clues.  Unfortunately, they are not the only ones looking for the treasure.         

The entire book felt like a cross between Goonies and Home Alone.  Despite this, I thought it was quite enjoyable, if not a bit serendipitous.  Everything magically fell into place, including the fairy-tale like ending.  Nonetheless, I think middle-schoolers will highly enjoy the book and be left wanting to read more about Jake and his friends.

"The Man Who Dreamed of Elk Dogs" by Goble and Waukau-Villagomez        

This is a collection of traditional stories from a variety of Native American tribes.  Beautifully illustrated this book provides insight into a vanishing world and culture.  It did not read well on the kindle, but was easily read on the computer. 

"Rescuing the Children" by Deborah Hodge         

This is a children's book that follows the war-time lives of eight Jewish children who sought refuge through the kindertransport.  The book alternatives between descriptive historical narratives and snippets told from the children's point of view.  I think this was an interesting book, one that could help teach children about the holocaust and kindertransport.  This would be a good book for the classroom, it is both instructive and touching.

"Aboard the Pirate: Roving the West Indies" by Veronica Cherry        

I accidentally deleted my first review of this book, so this is my attempt to recreate it.  The book begins with modern day Coast Guard members trying to arrest drug smugglers.  Something mystical happens and two of the Coast Guard personnel see a hole into the past.  They view the pirates within the West Indies, and a myriad of their adventures.         

Overall, I found myself a bit bored with the book.  I thought that the Coast Guard twist at the beginning was unnecessary.  I thought the characters were interesting, but the plot moved very slowly.  Although the book was well written, it just didn't hold my interest.