The Big Kahuna Is Coming!

Uncategorized 0

School Library Journal‘s Battle of the Books is almost finished! On Monday the Undead Poll winner will be announced, and on Tuesday will be the Big Kahuna Round!

The books remaining are not ones I even wanted to win the first round! However, I loved what judge Robin LaFevers had to say today:

The more important truth is this: While I was forced to pick just one of these books, you don’t have to. Anyone who reads both of them will be the true winner.


This is true of all sixteen books in this year’s battle. They were all outstanding books. If you haven’t already, go back and read what the judges have to say about them — then get those books read! You will be delighted!

Now, what are my hopes for the Final Round? (Not that the results have had *any* correlation with my hopes this year!)

Well, I think I want the Undead Poll winner to win it all!

Mind you, I have no illusions that All the Truth That’s in Me, the book I voted for, will win the poll.

But I think Eleanor & Park has a great chance, and I’m crazy-in-love with that book, so I hope it wins the whole thing!

And if the winner were Rose Under Fire or Midwinterblood, I’d be similarly enthusiastic. In fact, as long as I’m listing, these are the other books I’d like to win it all if they win the Undead Poll:

All the Truth That’s in Me
Doll Bones
Far Far Away

However, if one of those books doesn’t win the Undead Poll, then I’ll whole-heartedly root for Boxers & Saints. How’s that for being wishy-washy?

One thing’s for sure: It’s going to be fun to read the Big Kahuna Judge (Jennifer Holm)’s decision!

Review of The Shadow Throne, by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Children's Fiction Review, Fantasy, Starred Review 0

The Shadow Throne

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Scholastic Press, New York, 2014. 317 pages.
Starred Review

This is Book Three of The Ascendance Trilogy, and brings events to a satisfying conclusion. Yes, you should read The False Prince and The Runaway King first to properly enjoy this book.

War has come to Carthya. And rather than only Avenia advancing against young King Jaron, they have persuaded Mendenwal and Gelyn to fight with them. Carthya is surrounded. Worse yet to Jaron, Imogen, whom he sent away for her own safety, has been kidnapped by Avenia.

Jaron has several goals, and many of them depend on misdirection. He hopes to fight the armies separately. Amarinda needs to get to her home country to ask for their help. And above all, he wants to rescue Imogen, though Mott persuades him that her kidnapping was a trap to capture Jaron. Jaron does have plans, which have repercussions all the way up to the end of the book, but the reader gets the impression that his plans, while good, depend much upon luck as well. Still, there are some nice twists and turns to the story. I confess, at one point I peeked at the end of the book to make sure about something that had apparently happened. I’ll simply say that things look terribly grim at several points, but there is a nicely satisfying ending. And how events get to that point makes an exciting story.

The book is a little episodic. Jaron deals with one threat, then another different threat, then another different threat, and so on. This meant I took a little longer to read it than most books I like this much, because it was possible to put the book down (until the last third or so).

However, this was a grand finish to an exciting and clever series. I didn’t reread Books One and Two before I started this one, but that’s all the more reason to reread the entire series, which I am absolutely sure I will want to do some day soon.

jenninielsen.com
scholastic.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/shadow_throne.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Stand-out Author: Holly Black

Stand-outs 0

I’m doing a series on Stand-out Authors — Authors whose books are 2013 Sonderbooks Stand-outs, but are not making their first appearances on my lists.

Holly Black, like three other authors, has her fourth Sonderbooks Stand-out this year.

I’ve read many of her books, and they aren’t always my favorites. This year was her first children’s book (as opposed to YA) that made my list. I wasn’t the only one who loved it, as Doll Bones was also a Newbery Honor Book this year. It’s an atmospheric quest story about three kids growing out of childhood while they lay to rest human bones embedded in a doll.

My other favorites were from the Curseworkers series, with White Cat appearing in 2010, and then again in 2011 in audiobook form. The second book, Red Glove also made an appearance in 2011. These books involve an alternate reality where certain people have the ability to curse others simply by touching them. Cassel has to decide whether to use his powers for good or for evil, for his family or for the government — and which of those is good and which evil.

Holly Black is someone with lots of imagination and a knack of telling a suspenseful story. Check out her books!

Review of The Only Necessary Thing, by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Christian, Musings, Nonfiction Review, Starred Review 0

The Only Necessary Thing

Living a Prayerful Life

by Henri J. M. Nouwen
compiled and edited by Wendy Wilson Greer

Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, 1999. 224 pages.
Starred Review

Here is an excellent choice for reading small bits daily as a devotional book. They are sections taken from the body of work by Henri Nouwen, compiling his teaching on prayer.

Here’s his “Invitation” at the front of the book:

The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live in the midst of this world without being caught in the net of wounds and needs. The word “prayer” stands for a radical interruption of the vicious chain of interlocking dependencies leading to violence and war and for an entering into a totally new dwelling place. It points to a new way of speaking, a new way of breathing, a new way of being together, a new way of knowing, yes, a whole new way of living.

It is not easy to express the radical change that prayer represents, since for many the word “prayer” is associated with piety, talking to God, thinking about God, morning and evening exercises, Sunday services, grace before meals, sentences from the Bible, and many other things. All of these have something to do with prayer, but when I speak about prayer as the basis for peacemaking, I speak first of all about moving away from the dwelling place of those who hate peace into the house of God. . . . Prayer is the center of the Christian life. It is the only necessary thing (Luke 10:42). It is living with God here and now.

Some other sections struck me, so I’ll list a few for you here. This will give you the idea of the book. It’s got thoughtful, meditative insights on living a prayerful life.

But, as Christians, we are called to convert our loneliness into solitude. We are called to experience our aloneness not as a wound but as a gift — as God’s gift — so that in our aloneness we might discover how deeply we are loved by God.
It is precisely where we are most alone, most unique, most ourselves, that God is closest to us. That is where we experience God as the divine, loving Father, who knows us better than we know ourselves.
Solitude is the way in which we grow into the realization that where we are most alone, we are most loved by God. It is a quality of heart, an inner quality that helps us to accept our aloneness lovingly, as a gift from God.

Another:

Prayer, then, is listening to that voice — to the One who calls you the Beloved. It is to constantly go back to the truth of who we are and claim it for ourselves. I’m not what I do. I’m not what people say about me. I’m not what I have. Although there is nothing wrong with success, there is nothing wrong with popularity, there is nothing wrong with being powerful, finally my spiritual identity is not rooted in the world, the things the world gives me. My life is rooted in my spiritual identity. Whatever we do, we have to go back regularly to that place of core identity.

From the section on “Belovedness”:

God does not require a pure heart before embracing us. Even if we return only because following our desires has failed to bring happiness, God will take us back. Even if we return because being a Christian brings us more peace than being a pagan, God will receive us. Even if we return because our sins did not offer as much satisfaction as we had hoped, God will take us back. Even if we return because we could not make it on our own, God will receive us. God’s love does not require any explanations about why we are returning. God is glad to see us home and wants to give us all we desire, just for being home.

I liked this one from the section on “Forgiveness”:

The interesting thing is that when you can forgive people for not being God then you can celebrate that they are a reflection of God. You can say, “Since you are not God, I love you because you have such beautiful gifts of God’s love.” You don’t have everything of God, but what you have to offer is worth celebrating. By celebrate, I mean to lift up, affirm, confirm, to rejoice in another person’s gifts. You can say you are a reflection of that unlimited love.

And finally, I love the image in this one:

Forgiveness is the great spiritual weapon against the Evil One. As long as we remain victims of anger and resentment, the power of darkness can continue to divide us and tempt us with endless power games. But when we forgive those who threaten our lives, they lose their power over us…. Forgiveness enables us to take the first step of the dance.

Some beautiful thoughts for people interested in deepening their prayer lives.

CrossroadPublishing.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Nonfiction/only_necessary_thing.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Review of Tap the Magic Tree, by Christie Matheson

Contemporary, Picture Book Review 0

Tap the Magic Tree

by Christie Matheson

Greenwillow Books, 2013. 40 pages.

Tap the Magic Tree is similar to the book Press Here, by Herve Tullet, in that it directly asks children to interact with the book. For example, it asks children to tap the book, and the picture changes on the next page. Later, they shake the book, and there is another change that corresponds to what they have done.

However, what makes this book even more innovative is that it goes through the cycle of seasons with a tree. So it’s a beautiful way to show children how trees change through the seasons, while giving them the fun of following directions and watching what happens.

It starts with a bare tree, only branches:

There’s magic in this bare brown tree.
Tap it once.
Turn the page to see.

When you turn the page, one leaf has sprouted on a branch.

Then you’re told,

Tap again –
one,
two,
three,
four.

Naturally, four more leaves sprout.

The progression follows the seasons. The reader taps all the leaves out, then rubs the tree to warm it up, so it gets buds. When you touch each bud, they blossom.

After the blossoms are out, the reader’s told to “Give the tree a little jiggle.”

Predictably, the petals fall to the ground.

The tree grows apples, which also eventually fall, and then the leaves start changing color. Then the reader gets to “blow a whooshing breeze,” and then “clap hands to bring the snow.”

After waiting, and watching a bird build a nest, we finish up with “Magic! It begins again.”

Because of the interactive element, young children will really remember how the seasons cycle in magic trees all around them.

harpercollinschildrens.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/tap_the_magic_tree.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Battle of the Books Round 2 and Round 3 Picks

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School Library Journal‘s Battle of the Books has already finished the first round!

I made my predictions before the battle, and fared abysmally. I was 2 for 8. And the *only* two matches that I correctly predicted will face each other in the second round.

That means almost all my favorites are out of the Battle! Except the two that I did correctly predict, and one of those will go soon.

Here are the Round Two contests:

Match One, which has already happened:
The Animal Book
vs
Boxers & Saints
Judged by Tonya Bolden

For this contest, I honestly would have picked Boxers & Saints, and I’m not just saying that because it already won. However, since it will be up against one of my favorites in Round Three, I don’t want it to go any further than this.

Match Two, Monday, March 24:
Eleanor & Park
vs
Far Far Away
Judged by Rae Carson

I loved Eleanor & Park so much, that’s the one I have to root for. However, that said, I am quite confident that Eleanor & Park won the Undead Poll. So I do have a sneaking desire for Far Far Away, my second favorite among the books left in the Battle, to continue on. That way Eleanor & Park can rest up before the Final Round!

Match Three, Tuesday, March 25:
Hokey Pokey
vs
P.S. Be Eleven
Judged by Joseph Bruchac

These two are both good books, but they are also my least favorite books left in the Battle. I want the winner to lose in Round Three. However, for this round, I’m rooting for P.S. Be Eleven to emerge victorious.

Match Four, Wednesday, March 26:
The Thing About Luck
vs
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
Judged by Katherine Marsh

For this match, I want Obaachan to triumph in The Thing About Luck.

And what do you know, no matter how Round Two turns out, I already know how I want Round Three to go:

I want the winner of Round Two, Match Two to win Round Three, Match One.

I want the winner of Round Two, Match Four to win Round Three, Match Two.

From there, we shall see….

Will my abysmal predictions get any better?

Review of Shahnameh, retold by Elizabeth Laird

Children's Nonfiction Review, Folk Tales 0

Shahnameh

The Persian Book of Kings

retold by Elizabeth Laird
illustrated by Shirin Adl

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2012. 135 pages.

I loved fairy tales when I was a child. This book contains stories in the fairy tale style that I’ve never heard before.

This is from the Introduction:

Iran (often known as Persia in the west) is a land of stories. There are so many that they could fill hundreds of books and take years to tell. Some of the best of them are found in the Shahnameh, or “Book of Kings,” a very long poem which was written a thousand years ago by a great Persian poet called Ferdowsi.

People in Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and all over the mountainous lands of Central Asia know the stories of the Shahnameh. They have told and retold them through the centuries, from one generation to the next. Professional storytellers recite Ferdowsi’s verses in tea houses by the roadside. Farmers relate them to each other as they rest in the shade of their fruit trees during the hot months of summer, and mothers and fathers tell them to their children as they huddle indoors round the fire in the cold of winter.

Iranians love to hear about what happened at the beginning of time, how the first kings ruled in glory, how the great age of heroes dawned, how champions like Sam, Zal and Rustam rode out on their fiery horses to fight wicked demons, and how brave women, like Rudabeh and Gordafarid, conquered the heroes’ hearts.

And that’s what you’ll find in this volume, tales of kings and heroes, battles, tricks, and love stories.

I’m not crazy about the art, but the simple flat style suits the subject matter, having a look of primitive art from ancient times, as well as plenty of floral decorations.

This book tells American children about folktales they may not have heard before.

franceslincoln.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Nonfiction/shahnameh.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Review of From Norvelt to Nowhere, by Jack Gantos

Audiobooks, Children's Fiction Review, Historical 0

From Norvelt to Nowhere

by Jack Gantos
read by the Author

Macmillan Young Listeners Audiobook (Farrar Straus Giroux), 2013. 6 hours on 5 CDs.

Here’s a wild follow-up to Newbery-winning Dead End in Norvelt. We thought we knew who’d killed all the old ladies of Norvelt at the end of the first book. When Jack decides to dress up as that villain for Halloween, he’s surprised when an old lady (who’d recently come back to town from elsewhere) says that someone who looked just like him gave her Girl Scout cookies. And then she drops dead.

This sets Miss Volker on the rampage. When her sister dies in Florida, she convinces Jack’s parents to let him come with her to make funeral arrangements. But there are people on their trail, hoping they will make connection with the killer, who seems to also be following them. So they decide they’d better buy some wheels rather than taking the train.

Of course, Jack’s only experience driving is driving Miss Volker around Norvelt, but she insists he take the task on, even though their attempts at camouflaging the car with paint seem to do the opposite.

Jack has been reading classics in comic book form, and Miss Volker is inspired by Captain Ahab of Moby Dick, determined to spear the white whale.

Where else are you going to read about a crazy old lady on a road trip with a 13-year-old boy seeking revenge on a killer? Jack Gantos reads the story himself, and his voice grows on you. He knows how to spin a tale.

macmillanaudio.com
mackids.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/from_norvelt_to_nowhere.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library audiobook from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Argo, by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio

Audiobooks, Nonfiction Review, True Stories 0

Argo

How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled off the Most Audacious Rescue in History

by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio
read by Dylan Baker

Blackstone Audio, 2012. 9 ½ hours on 8 compact discs.

I haven’t seen the movie Argo, but was looking for an audiobook, and this one looked interesting. The beginning wasn’t promising, with the author talking about his hobby of painting, before we knew or cared who he was. My son, who’d seen the movie, said it had a much more gripping beginning, with the Iranian embassy being stormed.

However, the story got much better from there. Yes, there was some repetition. Yes, there were some unnecessary descriptions of cool spy things the author got to do in his work with the CIA. But the main story was exciting and gripping, and you were in suspense, even though you knew he must have pulled it off.

The story is set during the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis. It tells all about those events, but also about six Americans who escaped the embassy, but couldn’t get out of Iran. They took refuge in the homes of Canadian diplomats, but were in danger all the time of being discovered. The CIA took on the task of trying to get them out.

Antonio Mendez was the one who figured out a plan to get them out safely. In fact, he came up with three possible plans, so that the Americans could decide which one they thought they could most easily pull off. All along, he was hoping they’d choose the Hollywood option.

With the help of Hollywood insiders (who helped the CIA with make-up), Mendez set up a film company, complete with an office and receptionist. They put ads for the fake film they were going to make, “Argo,” in industry newsletters, and even had a script and concept art. Then the job was to go to Iran, brief the six Americans, and bring them out as a team scouting locations for the film.

The story is fascinating, full of details about spy work that you might not have guessed were important. There’s plenty of suspense, even though you can guess that the ending will be happy.

Definitely a good choice for getting my mind off traffic.

BlackstoneAudio.com

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Nonfiction/argo.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library audiobook from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

The Battle of the Books Is About to Begin!

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School Library Journal’s 2014 Battle of the Books begins tomorrow! And I’m only now getting the chance to post my first round picks.

I’ve read — or tried to read — all the books. So I’ll say a bit about all of them below.

Match One, March 10
All the Truth That’s in Me, by Julie Berry
vs.
The Animal Book, by Steve Jenkins
Judged by Vaunda Nelson

For this one, I’m rooting for All the Truth That’s in Me, which is also the book I voted for in the Undead Poll. It was under the radar for me, and I suspect for a lot of other people. I read it recently and was blown away. So I hope it gets every chance.

And The Animal Book? This is the one book in the tournament I didn’t read. I checked it out twice and skimmed it and saw some intriguing stuff. (I liked the page about different kinds of eyes, and I was fascinated by the pages at the back about Steve Jenkins’ process for making books.) There’s no question that I’m a huge Steve Jenkins fan — He’s even been a Stand-out Author. But what can I say? This book was too big for my personal taste. It was daunting. And I’d seen many of the pictures before, so that took away some of my wonder at the art. Most of his books are more bite-sized, focusing on one area. If I still had kids at home, this book would be a wonderful resource, though.

Match Two, March 11
Boxers & Saints, by Gene Luen Yang
vs.
A Corner of White, by Jaclyn Moriarty
Judged by Yuyi Morales

This match is tough. I gave both books Starred Reviews, but neither one was a 2013 Sonderbooks Stand-out. I will be happy with whichever one wins, and am looking forward to the explanation. Going with my gut, though, I’ll root for the quirky and interesting A Corner of White.

Match Three, March 12
Doll Bones, by Holly Black
vs.
Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
Judged by Lauren Oliver

Oo, this one’s even tougher. Both of these books *were* 2013 Sonderbooks Stand-outs, but in different categories, so I didn’t rank them directly against each other. Still, Eleanor & Park was #2 in its category (Teen Fiction), and Doll Bones was only #3 in its category (Children’s Fiction), and that does reflect my preference, but that it’s a narrow one.

But Eleanor & Park really captured my heart, so it gets my pick for this match. However, again I won’t be sad if Doll Bones makes the win, and I’m thinking there’s a good chance that Eleanor & Park would come back from the dead in that case, anyway.

Match Four, March 13
Far Far Away, by Tom McNeal
vs.
Flora & Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo
Judged by Sara Mlynowski

The only reason Far Far Away wasn’t a 2013 Sonderbooks Stand-out was that I didn’t read it until January 2014. It’s nuanced with meaning and symbolism, and is scary and sinister but inspiring. It is my pick for this match. After all, Flora & Ulysses, fun and quirky, did get plenty of recognition by winning the Newbery Medal. I’m going to predict that the Newbery curse will strike again and the winner won’t go far in the Battle of the Books.

Match Five, March 17
Hokey Pokey, by Jerry Spinelli
vs.
March, Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
Judged by Tom Angleberger

I’m not a hater of Hokey Pokey. I did enjoy reading it. But neither am I a big fan. And just last week I finished reading March, Book One, and I think that more memoirs should be done in graphic novel form. It gives a real immediacy to the story being told. March, Book One is my pick for this match.

Match Six, March 18
Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick
vs.
P.S. Be Eleven, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Judged by Mac Barnett

No question here. Midwinterblood was a 2013 Sonderbooks Stand-out, #4 in Teen Fiction. Although I enjoyed P. S. Be Eleven, I didn’t even give it a starred review. (I didn’t like it nearly as much as its predecessor, One Crazy Summer.) But it will take an *outstanding* book to knock out Midwinterblood. The craft in that book is exceptional, with eerie stories fitting together and going backward in time.

Match Seven, March 19
Rose Under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein
vs.
The Thing About Luck, by Cynthia Kadohata
Judged by Malindo Lo

I’m too big an Elizabeth Wein fan to let this one go by without giving her the nod. Though The Thing About Luck has some excellent things about it as well.

Match Eight, March 20
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, by Kathi Appelt
vs.
What the Heart Knows, by Joyce Sidman
Judged by Sheila Turnage

I’m going with the poetry on this one, What the Heart Knows. True Blue Scouts was just a bit too much of a tall tale for me. Though again, I enjoyed them both.

There you have it! My picks for the first round of SLJsBoB!

I will wait until the First Round is done to talk about my second round hopes. I can safely say there’s nothing in this fine line-up of books that I would be sad to see go all the way.

I also had a lot of fun looking at Probabilities in the comments over at Reads for Keeps! Jen really got me going! In fact, then she went and did a post about my comments! Very fun!