Current & previous staff reviews (by year):
March 2005
March Winds!
Cry of the Icemark (Chicken House (A Scholastic Imprint),$18.95)
A warrior princess, a small country surrounded by enemies, an invading empire, werewolves, vampires, and talking snow leopards; this first novel by Stuart Hill has all of these and more. The Cry of the Icemark introduces a fascinating new world. In order to fight the undefeated general, Scipio Bellorum who has set his sights on the Icemark, Princess Thirin is forced to call on every resource, including the Icemark's former enemies, the vampires and werewolves who inhabit the country to their north. Stuart Hill has crammed a lot of interesting ideas into this novel. He has reimagined the werewolf, created a country of giant talking snow leopards, and peopled the Icemark with forest spirits, witches, and warrior women. (Ages 10+)
Book Three of The Keys to the Kingdom: Drowned Wednesday
This is the latest installment in Garth Nix's new series. You might be surprised to learn that it is only available in hardcover since the first two were published in paperback only. The story is worth the extra money. It is now Wednesday and Arthur Penhaligon has accepted Lady Wednesday's invitation to tea, so Arthur travels to the Border Sea portion of The House. Nix's imagination is as brilliant as ever and the Border Sea incorporates pirates, accountants turned scavengers, a whale 126 miles long, and the Raised Rats (those rats brought to the House by the Piper). We also get to see more of Leaf (Arthur's friend from Earth), but don't worry, Suzie Turquoise Blue is there as well. Once I started reading, I didn't stop until I'd finished. When I did finish, I was anxious to read the Thursday installment. Let's hope Garth Nix doesn't take too long to finish it. (Ages 10+)
The Illustrated Mum (Delacorte Press (a division of Random House),
$15.95)
Jacqueline Wilson is one of England's most popular children's authors, it's definitely time for those of us in the 'Colonies' to catch on. Marigold is covered in beautiful and fascinating tattoos, each one with its own story. She has two daughters, Star and Dolphin. Star has become disenchanted with her mother and is often fed-up and embarrassed, but Dolphin still adores her. Marigold is great fun and wonderfully creative and different, but sometimes she is horribly depressed and at other times she is full of impulsive energy. When Star leaves Marigold to live with her father, Dolphin finds herself responsible for both herself and her mother who is on a downward spiral. When Marigold is hospitalized, Dolphin, with the help of her best friend, Oliver, decides to search for her own father. In spite of her efforts, Dolphin finds herself in a foster home where Star soon joins her. Told from Dolphin's point of you, this story is an absolutely wonderful, heart-warming, and realistic novel about family, growing up, and mental illness. (Ages 10+)
The Valley of Secrets (Simon & Schuster, $16.95)
Stephen Lansbury has always thought that he was alone in the world, an orphan with no family. Then, one day, he receives a letter telling him he has inherited his great-uncle's mansion in Cornwall.
Stephen travels to the house with hopes of a warm reception but finds the house empty and mysterious. He tries to settle in, exploring the house and the grounds, but strange things start to happen. He feels that he is being watched, and that there is someone else living there.
When he finds his great-uncle's journals, he decides that he may find the solution to the mystery within their pages. As he follows his great-uncle's expedition through the Amazon Rain Forest, he is led to the secret that is hidden at Lansbury Hall.
This is a great read for anyone who likes a mystery and who believes in conservation.(Ages 10 and up)