Review of Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman

Fortunately, the Milk

by Neil Gaiman
illustrated by Skottie Young

Harper, 2013. 113 pages.
Starred Review

This beginning chapter book made me smile on every page. The book is essentially a tall tale told by a father about what happened when he went to the store for milk for his children’s cereal. Fortunately, the milk saved the world.

Along the way, he gets beamed into a flying saucer, meets the Queen of the Pirates, walks a plank, and travels with a time-traveling stegosaurus who invented the Button.

It’s all very silly, yet logical; very outrageous, yet matter-of-fact. And the father nobly goes through all the adventures to get milk for his children.

“Well,” I told him, “it was very lucky for me that you turned up when you did and rescued me. I am slightly lost in space and time right now and need to get home in order to make sure my children get milk for their breakfast.”

This is easy to read, but is enjoyable for any age audience. No dumbing down here! Kids ready for chapter books will be richly rewarded when they tackle this book, which includes time travel paradoxes and great silliness.

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skottieyoung.com

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Source: This review is based on an Advance Reader Copy loaned to me by my friend Kristin. (Thank you!)

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 Mary Wrightly, So Politely, by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Maria Monescillo

Mary Wrightly, So Politely

by Shirin Yim Bridges
illustrated by Maria Monescillo

Harcourt Children’s Books, Boston, 2013. 32 pages.

As someone who had a soft voice as a child, and someone who tried to follow the “rules,” I thought this book was wonderful.

Mary Wrightly was a good, polite little girl who spoke in a small, soft voice. Whenever she asked for something, Mary Wrightly would, so politely, say “Please.” She always, so politely, said “Thank you,” and sometimes even “Thank you very much.”

But when Mary goes shopping with her mother for a toy for her baby brother’s first birthday, things get rough. Other shoppers are grabbing the best toys while her mother talks with a neighbor. When Mary spots the perfect toy, can she speak up loudly enough to save it for her brother?

I love it that a good girl’s featured in this book, but also that it shows that situations can come up where being polite isn’t the answer. The bright colorful illustrations bring you right into Mary Wrightly’s world, with a nice variety of perspectives.

And who knows? Maybe some of Mary Wrightly’s politeness will rub off.

goosebottombooks.com
monescillo.es
hmhbooks.com

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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 A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons

A Memoir by Lady Trent

by Marie Brennan

Tom Doherty Associates (Tor), 2013. 334 pages.
Starred Review

A Natural History of Dragons is set in a world similar to ours, in the Regency era, only they have dragons. The distinguished Lady Trent, a scientist and an adventurer, is now old, and she’s writing her memoirs. This book is the first volume, about her first expedition to learn about dragons.

Isabella writes about her childhood, when she already became fascinated by dragons, because of a book, The Natural History of Dragons. This is a most improper pursuit for a young lady, and she must resort to subterfuge to get to go on a dragon hunt — with nearly disastrous results.

When it comes time for Isabella to find a husband, she is sure she must hide her fascination with dragons. She considers herself fortunate indeed when she finds a man who loves her enough not only to let her read his books about dragons, but even to accompany him on an expedition to Vyrstrani to study dragons in the field.

Once in the Vyrstrani village, though, things don’t go according to plan. The person they relied on for planning their trip is missing. Dragons are attacking people, and no one knows why. Then there is evidence of smugglers.

Through it all, Isabella’s curiosity and impulsiveness consistently put her in the thick of things.

The beginning of the book is a little like Jane Austen with dragons, but the bulk of the book is about Isabella’s field work, so it’s more of an adventure tale, reminiscent of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody books.

On the flap about the author, it says, “Marie Brennan habitually pillages her background in anthropology, archaeology, and folklore for fictional purposes.” Indeed, this book reads like a serious book about anthropology, archaeology, and folklore — only with dragons.

Great fun!

swantower.com
tor-forge.com

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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!

Review of Annie and Simon: The Sneeze and Other Stories, by Catherine O’Neill

Annie and Simon

The Sneeze and Other Stories

by Catharine O’Neill

Candlewick Press, 2013. 58 pages.

The Sneeze and Other Stories is a charming addition to early chapter books about two friends, because in this case it’s a little girl and her big brother. As a big sister of many, this is a nice acknowledgment of the relationship between siblings widely spaced in age.

The four stories are simple, everyday events, with nice interaction between Annie and her big brother.

One thing I couldn’t figure out: The first and third stories happen in the summer. The last story happens at the start of Fall. But the second story, The Sneeze, looks like it happens in winter. Or at least there are white spots on the windows. Why jump around the seasons like that? Though it very well could happen in the summer. It’s all indoors. Maybe the spots are something else?

But the stories are nice. First, Annie and Simon are looking for living things at the creek, and Annie is drawing them. Simon can’t always tell what she’s drawn, but is very nice about it.

In “The Sneeze,” Simon sneezes, and Annie insists he is sick and needs to be cared for. Never mind that he has to get up and get the blanket or actually read the story (Madeleine) himself.

In “Hazel, Hazel, Hazel,” Annie compares her dog Hazel with the neighbor cat and tries to teach her to purr.

And in “Horse Chestnuts,” Annie and Simon find some horse chestnuts, which then get stolen by a squirrel.

Nice cozy little sister-big brother stories.

candlewick.com

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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 The Dark, by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen

The Dark

by Lemony Snicket
illustrated by Jon Klassen

Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2013. 40 pages.
Starred Review

This book is hard to describe. We have a boy, fascinated but afraid of the dark.

The dark lived in the same house as Laszlo,
A big place with a creaky roof,
smooth, cold windows,
and several sets of stairs.

The Dark sometimes hides in the closet or behind the shower curtain, but mostly it lives in the basement. Of course, at night it goes out and spreads itself against the windows and doors of Laszlo’s house.

One night, the dark comes and visits Laszlo in his room. It calls his name. It asks him to come so the Dark can show him something… something downstairs in the basement. Though Laszlo had never dared to come to the dark’s room at night before.

And there’s still room for Lemony Snicket’s philosophizing! I love the page just before he finds what the dark is going to show him.

You might be afraid of the dark, but the dark is not afraid of you. That’s why the dark is always close by.

The dark peeks around the corner and waits behind the door, and you can see the dark up in the sky almost every night, gazing down at you as you gaze up at the stars.

Without a creaky roof, the rain would fall on your bed, and without a smooth, cold window, you could never see outside, and without a set of stairs, you could never go into the basement, where the dark spends its time.

Without a closet, you would have nowhere to put your shoes, and without a shower curtain, you would splash water all over the bathroom, and without the dark, everything would be light, and you would never know if you needed a lightbulb.

Oh and Jon Klassen’s illustrations? Perfect! Most of the scenes are shadowy, with the dark hiding in corners. But at night, we’ve got pitch black backgrounds, lit only by Laszlo’s flashlight.

And there’s a happy ending, with Laszlo no longer afraid of the dark.

This is the perfect slightly scary story for children too young for scary stories. I don’t *think* it will make a child afraid. I think instead it will give them a wonderful vehicle for talking about things they might be afraid of.

And this Dark is decidedly friendly.

LemonySnicketLibrary.com
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lb-kids.com

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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 Revolutionary Friends, by Selene Castrovilla and Drazen Kozjan

Revolutionary Friends

General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette

by Selene Castrovilla
illustrated by Drazen Kozjan

Calkins Creek (Highlights), Honesdale, Pennsylvania, 2013. 40 pages.
Starred Review

This is what a nonfiction picture book should be. It tells a story, complete with flourishes, such as inserting French words in spots. And it also gets in the facts, particularly in the form of pictures of parchment on many pages, with quotations from Lafayette or Washington, talking about the episode featured on that page.

I didn’t know much about Marquis de Lafayette. I knew he was important during the American Revolution, but didn’t really know why. Now I do. And now I understand his deep friendship with George Washington, which began during the war and extended through the rest of their lives.

The book begins in 1777, when nineteen-year-old Lafayette came to America and introduced himself to General Washington, eager to help. Washington was not so impressed — at first. Other Frenchmen had come but had held themselves above the Americans and not bothered to learn English.

Lafayette was blissfully unaware of Washington’s opinions.

He had adopted the motto cur non — “why not.” Having come this far, why not go further?

Lafayette was anxious to be trained and eager to communicate. He had studied English while on the rough sea.

He adored America. And because Washington represented America, Lafayette idolized him.

Washington approached.

Enchanté!

The commander complimented Lafayette on his noble spirit and the sacrifices he had made. He invited Lafayette to live in his quarters.

Voilà!

To Lafayette, the cementing of their bond was as simple as that.

The book goes on to tell how the Americans were in a tight spot, and Congress wouldn’t trust Lafayette with a command. He finally proved himself in a way they couldn’t ignore, risking his life at the Battle of Brandywine. Washington told the doctor, “Take charge of him as if he were my son, for I love him with the same affection.”

There are several pages of back matter after this ending, the decisive cementing of their friendship. It tells how the friendship continued, gives timelines for both their lives, and even lists places to visit.

The strong point of this book, well supported with the rest, is the accessible story, a story of two men who became friends in a time of war. And changed the world.

SeleneCastrovilla.com
DrazenKozjan.com
calkinscreekbooks.com

This review is posted today in honor of Nonfiction Monday, hosted today at Shelf-Employed.

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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.

Sonderling Sunday – Pride and Prejudice, Chapter Two

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! That time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books, or, in this case, the German translation of an English classic, Pride and Prejudice, Stolz und Vorurteil.

I’ve taken a few weeks off from Sonderling Sunday due to a month-long headache, and I’m really glad to be back! During that time, I did some comfort reading, rereading this old favorite, so it’s a good time to choose this favorite for Sonderling Sunday. We already looked at Chapter One back in January, so I will start in on Chapter Two, Kapitel 2.

Let’s start with the first sentence, even though it’s nowhere as classic as the first sentence in Chapter One:

“Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley.”
= Mr. Bennet gehörte zu den ersten, die Mr. Bingley ihre Aufwartung machten.
(“Mr. Bennet belonged to the first, that Mr. Bingley their waiting made.”)

“disclosed” = enthüllt

“trimming a hat” = ihren Hut mit einem Besatz zu versehen
(“her hat with a trimming to equip”)

“resentfully” = ärgerlich (“annoyed”)

“assemblies” = Gesellschaften

“selfish, hypocritical” = egoistisch und scheinheilig
(“egoistic and appearing-holy”)

“scolded” = auszuschimpfen

“Have a little compassion on my nerves.”
= Nimm doch ein wenig Rücksicht auf meine Nerven.

“no discretion” = keinen Takt

This one we know from commercials:
“my own amusement” = meinem Vergnügen

“fretfully” = gereizt

Here’s the word from the title, Vorurteil, there translated from “prejudice.”
“advantage” = Vorurteil

“circumspection” = Umsicht

“But if we do not venture” = Aber wenn wir nicht den Mut dazu haben
(“But if we do not have the courage”)

“Nonsense!” = Unsinn!

“emphatic exclamation” = energische Protest

“deep reflection” = tiefe Betrachtungen

“something very sensible” = etwas sehr Verständiges

“astonishment” = Verblüffung

“neglect” = geringzuschätzen (“low-to-value”)

“a good joke” = ein hübscher Scherz

Here’s a nice long word:
“raptures” = Begeisterungsausbrüche (“enthusiasm outbreaks”)

“fatigued” = überdrüssig

“stoutly” = beherzt

“conjecturing” = mit Mutma?ungen darüber verbracht

That’s it for Chapter Two. A few fun new words to try to work into conversation. My favorite has to be the longest. The next time I’m excited about something, I will indulge in Begeisterungsausbrüche.

Review of The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud

Lockwood & Co.

Book One

The Screaming Staircase

by Jonathan Stroud

Disney Hyperion Books, New York, 2013. 390 pages.
Starred Review

What a marvelous adventure this book provides! I’m not surprised — Jonathan Stroud is the author of the Bartimaeus books, so I knew he’s a brilliant writer. This new series is wholly different, but as clever and as much fun. The Screaming Staircase is the first of a new series, but the story is entirely complete. Instead of tantalizing the reader with unfinished plot threads, “Book One” is a happy promise that we will see more of Lucy and Lockwood and George.

For decades, Britain has been plagued by the Problem.

If you look in old newspapers, like George does all the time, you can find mentions of scattered ghostly sightings cropping up in Kent and Sussex around the middle of the last century. But it was a decade or so later that a bloody series of cases, such as the Highgate Terror and the Mud Lane Phantom, attracted serious attention. In each instance, a sudden outbreak of supernatural phenomena was followed by a number of gruesome deaths. Conventional investigations came to nothing, and one or two policemen also died. At last two young researchers, Tom Rotwell and Marissa Fittes, managed to trace each haunting to its respective Source (in the case of the Terror, a bricked-up skull; in that of the Phantom, a highwayman’s body staked out at a crossroads). Their success drew great acclaim; and for the first time, the existence of Visitors was firmly imprinted on the public mind.

In the years that followed, many other hauntings started to come to light, first in London and the south, then slowly spreading across the country. An atmosphere of widespread panic developed. There were riots and demonstrations; churches and mosques did excellent business as people sought to save their souls. Soon both Fittes and Rotwell launched psychic agencies to cope with the demand, leading the way for a host of lesser rivals. Finally the government itself took action, issuing curfews at nightfall, and rolling out production of ghost-lamps in major cities.

None of this actually solved the Problem, of course. The best that could be said was that, as time passed, the country got used to living with the new reality. Adult citizens kept their head down, made sure their houses were well stocked with iron, and left it to the agencies to contain the supernatural threat. The agencies, in turn, sought the best operatives. And, because extreme psychic sensitivity is almost exclusively found in the very young, this meant that whole generations of children, like me, found themselves becoming part of the front line.

Lucy Carlyle has recently joined the smallest such agency in London, Lockwood & Co., run by Anthony Lockwood, with help from George Cubbins. They operate without adult supervision, and they all have psychic abilities. The book opens with a case that goes rather wrong — in finding the Source of a manifestation, Lucy inadvertently burns down the client’s house, though they do find a body bricked up in the wall, which explains the haunting.

Besides a rollicking adventure tale, as the three fight to contain Visitors, there is also a mystery (Who killed the Visitor?) and of course a deadline, as they must pay for the client’s house before their agency is disbanded. The first haunting is just a taste for their later adventure in one of the most haunted houses in England.

There’s real danger facing the agency. No one who has faced the Screaming Staircase at night has ever lived to tell about it. The ghosts haunting England, are, for the most part, distinctly unfriendly.

And of course we have the fantasy of kids running their own agency. After all, adults lose any psychic sensitivity. The interaction between the three is half the fun of the book, as they work together to get the job done.

You’ve got adventure, suspense, mystery, humor, ghosts, and even swordplay. (Silver-tipped rapiers are one of the best ways to protect yourself from ghosts.) I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading this book. I’m going to be watching to see if it comes out on audio, because the only thing that would make it better would be getting to experience it all over again with a British accent reading it to me.

jonathanstroud.com
LockwoodandCo.com
disneyhyperionbooks.com

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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!