Current & previous staff reviews (by year):
Fall 2007
Wildwood Dancing (Random House, $16.99)
Wildwood Dancing by Juliette Marillier can be added to the list of outstanding fairytale novelizations which include Spindle's End by Robin McKinley, East by Edith Pattou, and Shannon Hale's Goose Girl. Wildwood Dancing has all the elements of a good fairytale: the familiar made unfamiliar, a mysterious rugged landscape, monsters both human and other, and a resourceful, clever heroine. The twelve dancing princesses has always been one of my favorite tales and Marillier's version with its five dancing sisters and eastern european setting do the tale justice. --Emma Casale
Dragon's Keep (Harcourt, $17.00)
Six hundred years before this story takes place, King Arthur's younger sister, Evaine, is banished to Wilde Island for marrying an outlaw. Before she leaves, Merlin prophesied that the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island shall, "redeem the name of Pendragon, end war with the wave of her hand, and restore the glory of Wilde Island."
Now, in 1145, Princess Rosalind will become the twenty-first queen. But she has been born with a terrible secret: a dragon's talon for a finger. Her mother goes to great lengths to hide the mark and brings in healers and magicians to try and cure it. She is fiercely determined that her daughter marry and return the banished royal family to the throne. When Rosalind is carried off by one of the dragons that terrorizes the islans, she begins to understand that Merlin's prophecy might mean more than her mother thinks.
This is a rich fantasy steeped in fairy tale tradition and is a great coming-of-age story. Rosalind proves to be a wise and intelligent hero who finds the courage to challenge her mother and the people of her island to finally fulfill the prophecy. --Chris Myers
First Light (Random House, $15.99)
A Haunting adventure story and mystery that alternated between two frozen worlds. The story is told in chapters alternating between Peter, the son of a genetic scientist and glaciologist studying global warming in Greenland, and Thea, the daughter of a race of people living beneath the ice of Greenland, having fled persecution for witchcraft in England generations earlier. Both Peter and Thea sense that they have not been told the entire truth about their origins and destinies and each set out on their own to find it, ultimately finding each other.
Thought provoking, spare, and mysterious, Stead's world is by turns cold and exposed, dark and oppressive. --Chris Myers
The Neddiad (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00)
Neddie Wentworthstein is an ordinary kid who finds himself in the middle of an extraordinary adventure when his family moves from Chicago to post WWII Los Angeles. On the train out, Neddie meets a shaman named Melvin who gives him a sacred stone turtle to guard- no easy feat when bad guys, really bad guys, are determined to get it. He gets help from his newfound friends, Billy the Phantom Bellhop and Seamus Finn, the son of a movie star, as he encounters private school bullies, nefarious movie moguls, mammoths, space aliens, raspberry Bismarks, and a Native American creation myth in this epic adventure of good versus evil and the possible destruction of the world.
Hilarious dialogue, fast-paced action, and period detail give the reader the feeling they're watching a movie-house serial in the 1940s. I can't wait to read it out loud to the whole family. --Chris Myers
The Dangerous Book for Boys (HarperCollins, $24.95)
This beautifully bound book is full of timeless information that boys will enjoy. The range of the subjects includes ensures that this book will be an entertaining read as well as a useful reference guide for years to come. The Dangerous Book for Boys is a solid addition for any young gentleman's library collection. --Frosty Davis
Someday (Simon and Schuster, $14.99)
Someday is a book that mothers and daughters will love to share at any age. The sweet and universal message of this story makes it an excellent fit for a new mother or a growing girl. Every grandmother will appreciate this book as well. --Frosty Davis
A Box Full of Kittens (Simon and Schuster, $16.99)
Ruthie lives in a big city. In her neighborhood, she is surrounded by a large, loving family and community. This story is the perfect length for a child of 3-6 years to settle in for an entertaining read-aloud. The colorful, action-packed illustrations complete this warm tale. And what little girl doesn't secretly want to be a superhero and rescue kittens? --Frosty Davis
The Phantom Isles (Holt, $16.95)
Three friends discover the secret of Ilhas dos Fantasmas and the awful truth about Professor Hezekiah Osgood. This is a story of ghosts, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. --Lisa Cody
London Calling (Random House, $16.95)
A coming-of-age story that takes Martin Conway back in time into the midst of London during the Blitz. Through his experiences, Martin discovers the truth, not only about his honored grandfather and general Lowry, but also about himself and his parents. Gripping descriptions of war-torn London and the strength and bravery of London's people are paired with insights into the reality of war, and of self. --Lisa Cody
The Snow Spider (The Magician Trilogy: Book One) (Scholastic, $9.99)
Magic comes from the wind, from the snow, from the sea, and from within Gwydion Gwynn. A great read for younger Harry Potter fans. --Lisa Cody
Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle (Candlewick, $5.99)
This book is an action packed adventure full of fun wordplay, suspense, and environmental awareness. A great choice for Magic Tree House fans. --Lisa Cody
The White Giraffe (Dial Books, $16.99)
When Martine Allen's parents die in a fire, she is sent to a nature preserve in South Africa to live with the grandmother she never knew she had. As soon as Martine arrives, she begins hearing stories about the mythical White Giraffe. When Martine encounters him in the preserve one night, he becomes her only friend, a friend she must keep secret. This book brings alive the nature of South Africa, as well as giving readers a taste of its culture, and a suspenseful mystery. It's The Ladies' Number One Detective Agency for younger readers, and it is a treasure. Ages 10+. --Emma Casale
 |
 |
| Where is the Cake? (Abrams, $12.95) |
Bow-wow Bugs a Bug (Harcourt, $12.95) |
| by T.T. Khing | by Mark Newgarden and Megan Montague Cash |
These two wordless picture books are a delight for young and old. The clever humor of Bow-wow Bugs a Bug follows Bow-wow through his city streets, meeting and running away from dogs, people, and giant bugs. While this is a short offering, it is worth "reading" again and again as well as pouring over and sharing the funniest pages with friends and family.
Where is the Cake? is a much more complex picture book, although it can still be followed by young children. On the first page a cake is stolen by some rats, while someone kicks a soccer ball, and a weasel walks down the path, and a snake's tail flicks over the tops of the trees. Each page follows the stories of the various animal characters as their adventures intersect and diverge until the cake is recovered and everyone comes together. This book provides hours of entertainment as you follow each of the different characters through being hit on the head by flying soccer balls, dropping wine bottles, painting benches, sitting in wet paint, and, of course, searching for the stolen cake. --Emma Casale