San Diego State University
Stellaluna gets scolded
Children's Literature Program
homepageabout usContact us!News related to the Children's Literature ProgramGraduate ProgramFacultyCourses Offered in Children's LiteratureGivingBook reviews by faculty and students in the Children's Literature ProgramLinks  
Images from Janell Cannon's
Stellaluna. Reprinted with
permission from Harcourt Publishers.
 
Reviews

Middle Grade—Fiction

AGE GUIDES: these are approximate recommendations:

  • Middle Grade Books-7-11 years old
REVIEWERS: Alida Allison, Joyce Ho, JoAnn Jonas, Ellen Nef, Marie Soriano

* denotes San Diego writer and/or illustrator
** Age levels, when provided by the publishers, are included in the bibliographical information. Otherwise, category placements are our best approximations.

 

Anderson, John David. Standard Hero Behavior. New York: Clarion Books, 2007. ISBN-10: 0-618-75920-4 $16.00 Ages 9-12. 273 pp.

“Mason was a bard for heroes without victories, old men looking for immortality, young ones looking for self-esteem [. . .]. They came to him with accidents, and he turned them into acts of courage, prettied them up to mask the fact that nothing exciting ever happened anymore” (9). Nothing exciting has happened in the City of Darlington for a very long time, in fact, ever since the young Duke Darlington came into power and the many heroes that the town had been famous for had found themselves out of work and left the town. But 15-year-old Mason Quayle is tired of being stuck in his uninspiring job, and wants to tag along with real heroes, in hopes that he may eventually get noticed and make something of his life. He shows up on the duke’s door one day asking for a job, and is sucked into a quest to bring back the real heroes in order to save the town from an imminent and villainous attack. And in an effort to come to terms with his own identity, he’ll also be searching for hints about his missing father’s true past along the way.

John David Anderson’s first book is mainly a lighthearted and humorous (but sometimes heavy-handed) romp exploring diverse stereotypes of fantasy and adventure fiction, though it does have its moments of poignancy—especially as concerns Mason’s feelings for his father. Anderson might have done well to take the story a little farther and deeper, because as-is, things tend to stay on the surface-level, and that approach is somewhat distancing for the reader.

SarahEllen Hickle

Blume, Judy. BFF: Just as Long as We’re Together; Here’s to you, Rachel Robinson. New York: Delacorte Press, 2007. ISBN 9780440210948. $18.99. Ages 11-14. 496 pp. www.judyblume.com.

This book combines two of Judy Blume’s classic novels about friendship into one convenient book. Just as Long as We’re Together, and Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson, revolve around the friendship and junior high experiences of best friends, Stephanie, Rachel, and Allison. In these books these three friends deal with issues of family, boys, school, body image, and jealousy over each other. But no matter what sort of fights these girls get into, or whatever personal or family problems they are going through, these girls are there for each other and get through the very tough years of junior high school.

Stephanie must deal with her parent’s separation, weight issues, and a little brother who cannot sleep because of his fears about war. Rachel is a brilliant overachiever who has trouble being a normal pre-teen sometimes because of the standards she sets up for herself. She also has to deal with her jealousy over Stephanie’s growing friendship with Allison. Allison is the new girl in school who is the adopted daughter of a famous actress. She has to deal with insecurities of whether or not she is popular for being herself or because of her mom. And she has insecurities about whether her adopted parents will always love her since she is not their real daughter.

Just as Long as We’re Together is told from Stephanie’s first person narrative perspective while Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson, is from Rachel’s. Perhaps someday Blume will write a book from Allison’s perspective.

These two books were among my favorite books growing up. The issues these girls go through are so real. And the friendship between Stephanie, Rachel, and Allison is special. It is enjoyable to read about girls who have each other to rely on through all the hardships of seventh grade. Even though these books were written in the early 1990’s, the issues and experiences these girls go through are still valid. Many contemorary girls will still relate to what Stephanie, Rachel, and Allison go through. I highly recommend this book collection.

Joyce Ho

Buckley, Michael. The Sisters Grimm, Book Four: Once Upon a Crime. Illus. Peter Ferguson. New York: Amulet, 2007. ISBN 0-8109-1610-X. U.S. $14.95/ CAN. $17.95. Ages 8-14. www.sistersgrimm.com, www.hnabooks.com

Michael Buckley’s Sisters Grimm series is a fantastic treasure, and like the previous books, Once Upon a Crime keeps readers guessing, on the edge of their seats and sometimes rolling in the aisles. This time the fairy-tale detectives solve two mysteries in the Big Apple.

The fourth novel begins where the third left off. To save their injured friend Puck ( as in the Trickster from A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Sabrina and Daphne Grimm along with Granny Grimm and Mr. Canis (formerly The Big Bad Wolf) travel to New York City to the land of Faerie.

There the sisters are in for a number of surprises. First, Faerie itself. Imagine A Midsummer Night’s Dream meets The Godfather. Second, Puck isn’t on good terms with his dad, Oberon, Godfather of Faerie, and there’s a question of whether he’ll help Puck at all. Third, the sisters learn that their mother, Veronica Grimm, was secretly involved in helping the Everafters, the fairy tale and children’s book characters that her husband was determined to avoid. They learn their mom was planning to give a speech, a recommendation on how the ever-struggling Everafters could eke out better lives for themselves in the world, when she and their dad were kidnapped by the Red Hand, the Everafter militant organization bent on destroying the Grimms’ legacy and taking over the world. What was Veronica Grimm going to tell the Everafters of NYC? But a more pressing question arises when they find the Godfather’s dead body. Who murdered Oberon?

Like the other novels, this is a comical mystery and it’s Sabrina’s coming of age story. Again she struggles between the Grimm family tradition and wanting a normal life. When she finds out her mother, the woman she idealized as the epitome of normalcy, was involved with the Everafters, Sabrina is thrown for a loop. Will she give up being a detective for a tame, “normal” life or follow in her mom’s footsteps?

Whether you’ve read fairy tales or are only familiar with the Disney versions, you’re in for a treat because Buckley has done his research, and it’s wonderfully obvious throughout the series. He adds depth to these characters; they’re three dimensional, not flat. You can read Once Upon a Crime without having read the other books since Buckley smartly works in a summary of what’s happened in the series thus far. However, you would miss out on how the characters have grown from the start of the series.

In addition, Peter Ferguson’s illustrations are worthy of framing. With detailed charcoal drawings he captures the wacky and often scary adventures of the Sisters Grimm. They complement the text beautifully, keeping with its tone and characters. It’s as exciting to see how Ferguson has depicted a scene as it is to find out what happens next in the story.

Marie Soriano


Crilley, Mark. Akiko: Pieces of Gax. New York: Delacorte Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-385-73044-0. $9.95. Ages 8 and up. 209pp.

Have you ever wished that you could escape reality to go on a grand adventure to visit another planet simply leaving a robot clone to take your place so that nobody realizes you’re missing? Well, while you can’t really literally do that, you can join Akiko and her friends in this entertaining story about her adventure to the city of Gollarondo on the planet Smoo.

Akiko’s best friends are not ordinary people. In fact, they’re not really even people. They are aliens and robots from Smoo. Every once in awhile they come to earth to sweep Akiko away on an adventure. This time it is a trip to the city of Gollarondo, a city where everything is upside down. It is all fun and games at first, until Gax, the robot of Akiko’s friend Spuckler, falls into the Moonguzzit Sea where he becomes the property of the notorious Nugg von Hoffelhiff, who rules the sea. He takes Gax apart and sells the pieces to disrespectable people. Now Akiko and her friends have to race all around the planet to gather up the various pieces of Gax before it is too late, and he cannot be put back together.

This is the ninth book in Crilley’s Akiko series. While in the beginning of the book Akiko explains her connection to her friends from Smoo, I am sure that the background of her adventures, as well as the personalities and different races of these zany characters make more sense if you have read the earlier books. Still it is a fun and entertaining story and relatively easy to follow. Anime fans will especially enjoy it. As Crilley spent many years working in Taiwan and Japan, elements of Anime have found their way into his writing and art. Crilley himself did the cover illustration and the illustrations in the story. According to his biography, it was in Japan that he came up with the idea for Akiko’s series. All in all, it is an enjoyable read. I would not mind reading any of the other books in the series.

Joyce Ho


Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic, 2007. ISBN 0439023440

Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first "free-born" child in Buxton, the Canadian settlement of runaway slaves. He is a gentle, "fra-gile" boy who listens and learns from everything around him. In this coming of age story, Elijah is tricked and tried, and learns from his experiences. He details his confusion about how to be "growned up.” His adventures, almost being sold to the carnival by the Preacher and welcoming new "free-folks" into the settlement by gentle non-direct methods, all build to a culmination when he and his friend Mr. Leroy ride across the border into "Mitchigan" to find the stolen money earned to buy Mr. Leroy's family out of slavery. In the final chapters, Elijah encounters a family of slaves that have been recaptured and are being returned to slavery in chains; Elijah shows his matured understanding of his own freedom.
Great historic fiction brings a time and a place to life and that happens in Elijah of Buxton, by Newbery Medal winner Curtis. Elijah’s strong respect for his parents, their way of life, and their community sets a tone. This is a slow paced yarn, with so much heart and history captured in dialect, it may be difficult for some young readers, but it is worth the effort. The beauty of the story builds to a strong and satisfying ending that lasts. This is a strong Newbery contender and a great gift of a book from Curtis.

JoAnn Jonas


Dale, Anna. Dawn Undercover. New York: Bloomsbury, 2005. ISBN 1-59990-002-5. $7.95 U.S. Ages 8-12. www.bloomsburyusa.com.

Anna Dale’s debut novel Whispering to Witches was absolutely delightful and not surprisingly, so is her second. She has again written characters that’ll steal your heart and make you guffaw. Move over James Bond. Meet Dawn Buckle.

Dawn Buckle is an extraordinarily ordinary girl. So much so that she blends into the woodwork, so to speak. No one notices her, not at the crosswalk, not at school, and not at home, either. Her father is usually down in the cellar fixing and tinkering with clocks, while her mum is a workaholic who doesn’t know how to slow down. Dawn’s grandfather, whom she’s closest to, watches quiz shows all day in front of the T.V.

Then one day someone notices how unnoticeable she is. That someone is spy Emma Cambridge from P.S.S.T., Pursuit of Scheming Spies and Traitors, a section of S.H.H., Strictly Hush Hush, a British Intelligence agency. She thinks Dawn would make a fantastic spy, and once Dawn’s parents sign the consent forms, Dawn is whisked away to P.S.S.T headquarters, hidden on the second floor of a quaint apartment house. There she meets the other adult members of P.S.S.T. who train her in all they know, preparing her for the mission no operative has been able to succeed at yet: find missing agent Angela Bradshaw and capture the elusive Murdo Meek.

Dawn is trained and ready to go. It seems everything is going smoothly. Until the missing agent’s grandson Felix with his incompetent dog Haltwhistle, infiltrates P.S.S.T. headquarters and insists that he lead the mission. Of course, he meets opposition, and he’s sent away. (As if that would work!)

Finally, Dawn, accompanied by P.S.S.T. secretary Trudy Harris, head for the quaint town of Cherry Bentley, where the missing agent was last seen and heard from. But when they arrive they find, much to their dismay, that Felix and Haltwhistle were stowed away in the car. Unfortunately, there’s no time to drive the pesky duo back. Will Dawn be able to accomplish her mission with Felix and Haltwhistle mucking about? Will she be able to remain undercover with two big dopes drawing so much attention?

In Dawn Undercover, Anna Dale has created charming characters and a tightly woven plot. This is indeed a good mystery, and a whimsical one at that. It’s hard to read the acronym “P.S.S.T.” with a straight face. I’m happy to say there are more where that came from; there’s a glossary of them in the back of the book. Guess what A.H.E.M. and C.O.O.E.E. stand for! I must also say that this is, in fact, the best spy novel I have ever read. And I’ve actually read a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming. (No offense, Mr. Fleming. R.I.P.)

On a more analytical note, the novel is mainly a mystery and adventure story, but it is interesting in its character development and family relationships. The ending is like that in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. When Dorothy returns from Oz, the farm is no longer the dull grey place it used to be. Who changed, Dorothy or the farm? Who changes in Dawn Undercover, Dawn or her folks? What is so intriguing about Dawn is that even when people ignore her, she doesn’t mope or wallow in self-pity; she’s an optimistic girl who is patiently waiting for her chance to make a mark on the world. Just being surrounded by people who believe in her, namely the P.S.S.T. agents, and having the chance to shine gives Dawn more confidence, which is reminiscent of the Charles Perrault fairy tale “Ricky of the Tuft.”

Marie Soriano


Dragonology Pocket Adventures. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3700-2. 4 small hardback books packaged as a collection.

I asked my undergraduate children’s literature students whether they remembered the series from decades ago, “Choose Your Own Adventure. They do. Candleswick’s Dragonology pocket adventures are much the same, but in a swankier production. Each of the four small books offers readers many chances to opt for different twist plots—what will the hero/reader do next?
The handsome little books feature fine drawings, maps, insets, and slick, expensive paper. The collection is a whole lot of fun in a small box for a reasonable price.

A. Allison

Fleming, Candace. The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2007. ISBN 978-0-375-83672-5. $15.99 Ages 6-10. www.randomhouse.com/kids

The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop of Elementary School is a gem of hilarity. In her latest novel for kids, Candace Fleming has given readers puns, word play and characters you swear you went to school with.

None of the teachers want to take on the fourth grade class of Aesop Elementary. The fourth graders are just a bit…rambunctious. The principal Mrs. Struggles is at the end of her rope when in walks the enigmatic and wacky Mr. Jupiter who is crazy enough to take the job.

To their surprise nothing the students do seems to faze him. Mr. Jupiter has a great sense of humor, a lot of Zen, the patience of a saint, and stories so out of this world even the unruly students are captivated.

The novel is not really about how Mr. Jupiter tames the class and handles each of the students’ unique personalities, although that is part of the story. Each chapter focuses on a particular student or teacher, usually with an issue or predicament s/he has to resolve. Essentially, the chapters are fables, hence the “Aesop Elementary,” after the ancient storyteller. At the end of each chapter Fleming presents us with a moral, for example, “Those who pretend to be what they are not, sooner or later find themselves in deep water” (162).

Didactic children’s literature, literature written specifically to teach children morals, has a reputation for being condescending, boring or, in some cases deeply disturbing, as in the case of Struwwelpeter (Shock-headed Peter), in which horrible endings befall children who indulge in uncouth behaviors, like sucking their thumbs. The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School is none of these things. And while Fleming may be trying to teach morals to child readers, the stories are just…good stories. They’re zany and fun.

Every fourth grader has a personality trait that is problematic in some way, but rather than making the kids unlikable, the trait ends up making them endearing. As I was reading I was reminded of my own fourth grade class and the teachers at my school because, despite the silly humor and exaggerations, the book feels emotionally real.

My one warning about the book is that it is very punny. Be prepared for names like Lil Ditty, Paige Turner, Rose Clutterdorf, and Victoria Sovaine. I think the wordplay is fun, but others may not be so amused.

Marie Soriano


Hoeye, Michael. Time Stops for No Mouse. New York: Speak, 1999. ISBN 0-698-11991-6. U.S. $7.99 / CAN. $11.99. Ages 8 and up. www.hermux.com.
A Booklist Top Ten Mystery for Youth, A Book Sense 76 Selection

In the vein of Russell Hoban’s A Mouse and His Child, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web and Terry Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Michael Hoeye’s Time Stops for No Mouse is a novel many would probably dismiss as childish because of the anthropomorphism, but is actually quite profound.

Hermux Tantamoq is mild-mannered mouse. He lives alone in a small apartment with his pet Ladybug, Terfle. After working in his watch shop, he comes home to make himself acorn casserole and a pot of tea. He lives a quiet and content life.

His world is forever changed when aviatrix and adventurer Linka Perflinger walks into his shop to have her watch repaired. Absolutely smitten with Ms. Perflinger, he eagerly waits for her to return. When she doesn’t return to pick up her watch, Hermux becomes uneasy. His feelings are confirmed when a sleazy rat comes into the shop trying to claim it. The quick-thinking Hermux follows the rat to Ms. Perflinger’s home. Hiding behind a rhododendron bush Hermux sees a drugged and tied Linka Perflinger being escorted into a limo against her will and driven away by shady looking characters.

Unable to get the police to take him seriously, Hermux sees no other alternative than to find Linka on his own. He uncovers an intricate plot involving a demented plastic surgeon, a cosmetics mongul with a penchant for bad taste and installation art, and a formula for everlasting youth.

Time Stops for No Mouse is a superb example of why children’s literature is worthy of serious study. It is chockablock full of discussion about art, philosophy and life. Hermux questions what beauty is, where it is and if he has any sense of it. Is there only one kind of beauty? How seriously should we take art? For that matter, what is art? Can a woman empty her purse on the floor and declare that art? If we took a closer look at some of those things we take so seriously such as art and fashion, we might find that they are, in reality, quite ridiculous and absurd, like a novel about a man who seeks revenge on a white whale, for example, or like this novel, and yet somehow that does not make them any less beautiful or meaningful. Hoeye’s novel also explores the tyranny that results when one person tries to make everyone conform to his/her standard of beauty.

What starts out as a simple story about a mouse who gets embroiled in a mystery ends up being a musing about the nature of beauty and art.

Marie Soriano


Howe, James. Totally Joe. New York: Alladin Mix, 2005. ISBN 0-689-83958-8. U.S. $5.99 / $6.99 CAN. Ages 9-13. www.simonsayskids.com, www.nonamecallingweek.org.
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year 2005, ALA Notable Book 2006, Lambda Literary Award nominee 2006


This is the kind of book that touches you so deeply that you want all your friends to read it, too, and you talk about it to everyone you meet. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel a little sad when it ends and hopeful that there will be a sequel. James Howe’s first book was Bunnicula, the tale of the vampire bunny, and the Bunnicula series is the work I’m more familiar with. But when I picked up Totally Joe I suspected Howe wouldn’t disappoint, and I was right.

Meet Joe Bunch. He’s a twelve-year-old boy who is smart, thoughtful…and gay. Flamboyantly so. And it would be safe to say that he’s in touch with his feminine side. As Joe points out, he is not a “guy-guy.” Joe is different; he doesn’t conform to traditional gender roles, and sadly, some of the kids at school don’t handle diversity very well. From his point of view we get what it’s like to grow up gay—being bullied, being called a “faggot,” not being able to hold hands with your boyfriend for fear of humiliation or ridicule. Luckily he has a family who supports and loves him, and he has a group of friends that do completely accept him as he is.

Totally Joe depicts the hardships gays experience without being tragic. It is optimistic yet not simplistic, trite or corny.

The novel is intelligently set up in the form of an English assignment: an autobiography from A to Z. It’s told in a first person narrative that is often laugh-out-loud funny as well as bravely honest (Howe certainly proves his talent for humor) and absolutely unique.

Although this is a story about a gay kid, I think you can relate to Joe whether you’re gay or not. He reveals,

About three weeks into the sixth grade, which is so different from the fifth grade they should give you a passport, I started spending a lot of time in the nurse’s office with these mysterious stomachaches. While I was lying there on that little bed, thinking about whose head had been on the pillow before mine and if they had coughed a lot and what disease they had, and while I was also trying to look pitiful enough not to be sent back to class, it occurred to me that the real reason for my stomachaches was that not being popular actually hurts! I didn’t want to have to change in order to have everybody like me, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to be liked. (p. 132-133)

James Howe’s novel isn’t just about being gay; it’s about the desire each and every one of us has, child and adult alike, to be liked and accepted, and it’s about the challenges we sometimes face when we do dare to be authentic and genuine. Who can’t relate to that?

Marie Soriano

LaFevers, R.L. Theodosia Throckmorton and the Serpents of Chaos. Illus. Yoko Tanaka. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. ISBN 0-618-75638-8. $16.00. Ages 9-12.
www.theodosiathrockmorton.com

Picture it: London, England 1906. Eleven year old Theodosia Throckmorton (Theo for short), is the precocious daughter of a curator father and archaeologist mother. She spends most of her time in the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, waiting for her workaholic parents to be parents and trying to protect them from curses. As it happens, many of the artifacts Theodosia’a mother finds are cursed! Mr. and Mrs. Throckmorton, however, can’t sense the curses or see them as Theo does, nor do they take Theo’s concerns seriously. Fortunately, Theo can handle most curses on her own, being well-read in books on Egyptian magic and curses. Only this time, Theo encounters a curse like no other. From her latest dig in Egypt, Theo’s mother brings an artifact called the Heart of Egypt. Although her folks have told no one but the other curators about the artifact, a fellow named Snowthorpe asks to see it. That’s when they discover the Heart is missing.

Determined to solve the mystery and prove her usefulness to her parents, Theo follows Snowthorpe, who herself is followed by her younger brother Henry and the precocious pickpocket Sticky Will. Through the streets of London the three of them track Snowthorpe and then yet another accomplice. When the three kids witness an attempted murder, the search for the Heart of Egypt takes an ominous turn (as if its curse wasn’t enough!) and leads Theo on a journey that she will have to brave alone to save not only her family, but all of Britain.

Reading Theodosia Throckmorton and the Serpents of Chaos would be a great way to spend a rainy day. The novel has humor, mystery, and intrigue; it’s the perfect novel to curl up with on a stormy night. It’s for the kid (or adult) who dreams of exploring museums or being an archaeologist or a secret agent. Sadly, there are only a few illustrations by Yoko Tanaka. Tanaka plays with shadow and light, more shadow than light really, so the mood of the pictures is mysterious. They make the reader feel there is something sinister going on; there’s something lurking in the shadows. These pictures help to build anticipation and suspense.

Theo’s character is probably the most intriguing aspect of the book. Theo has the unique ability to sense curses which her parents do not which puts her in the role of parent to her parents, protecting them in their ignorance and naivete. She wants so much to confide in her parents but can’t. Theo seems almost too independent. Sometimes she spends nights sleeping in a sarcophagus in the museum while her parents work late there. Even while she takes pride in her self-reliance, she desires nothing more than to be hugged and nurtured by her mother and father, something even adults can relate to, perhaps.

Marie Soriano

Matthews, L.S. A Dog for Life. New York: Delacorte, 2006. ISBN 0-385-73366-6. U.S. $14.95/ $21.00 CAN. Age 10 and up. www.randomhouse.com/kids

A Dog for Life is another poignant journey story by Fish author L.S. Matthews (see following review).

John and Tom Hawkins live with their mum in northern England. They are brothers with a close bond, so close they have each other’s dreams. That’s not all they share; they can also communicate with dogs, including their own wise and wise-cracking female dog Mouse. It’s a trait they inherited from their father who died when they were little.

Now another tragedy might strike their family. Tom, the older brother, falls gravely ill. To precaution against him getting infection, Mouse has to be sent away. Chances are she won’t survive the pound, but Mum is adamant. So Tom, John and Mouse come up with a plan of their own. John is to take Mouse cross country to their Uncle David, their father’s brother who lives far south. Not wanting to risk Mum’s interference or Uncle David’s refusal, the brothers keep their plan secret. John will take the train as far as he can, then walk and catch rides the rest of the way.

John carries out the first part without a hitch. It’s the second part that proves interesting and complicated. On his journey he meets a single mother of three who fancies herself an artiste and healer, a mad scientist with a sinister plan for ponies, and a gypsy family fleeing prejudice. Will John and Mouse make it to Uncle David’s without getting found out by the adults they come across or caught by the authorities?

L.S. Matthews has a knack for emotional depth. In a way, the novel is a character study. John’s perspective on characters is interesting because he’s astute and compassionate. Even though the people John meets are secondary characters, Matthews still gives them depth, and one way she creates that is through John’s observations about them. John is an interesting character as well. He’s a good kid, but certainly not a boring one. He has issues of his own. John lost his dad who shared his son’s psychic gift, and now he might lose his brother, the person he’s closest to.

Mouse the dog is interesting as well. She’s funny and down to earth. In human years she’s younger than Tom and John, but in dog years she’s older, and she’s wiser. In the tradition of hero stories, Mouse is John’s guide; she’s not a dog who follows her master’s heels. More like the other way ‘round. Anyone who has pets or has worked with animals knows they have their distinct personalities, and Matthews does a great job depicting that. The human characters aren’t the only ones who are three dimensional. Move over Scooby-Doo.

Marie Soriano


Matthews, L.S. Fish. New York: Yearling, 2004. ISBN 0-440-42021-0. U.S. $5.99/ $7.99 CAN. Reading Level 5.0. Ages 9-12. www.randomhouse.com/kids
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

Fish is a heartwarming adventure tale that will leave you feeling good about humanity.

Tiger lives with his parents who are aid workers in a war torn country. When word comes that the fighting is about to reach their village, they must cross the border into the next country. By walking. They have no car, no plane, no other mode of transportation than their feet.

As they prepare to leave Tiger finds a fish wiggling in the mud, struggling to live. Determined to save its life, he brings Fish with them in a cooking pot half-filled with water. The family of three (Mum, Dad and Tiger) pack up their belongings (think backpacks not boxes), and with the help of a native man, whom Tiger calls Guide, and his donkey, they leave on a trek for the refugee camps.

However, for the family and Guide getting to the border is not easy, and not only because of the distance. Because Mum and Dad delayed their departure to help villagers in need, they’ve missed the deadline to cross the border. When they reach the first crossing, the armed guards won’t let them through. Their only other chance is to reach the next closest border crossing…which is across the mountains, and through mud so deep your whole body could sink in it. And that’s when the journey really gets tough.

They walk on foot for days on end, carrying their backpacks filled with their clothes, belongings and rations (that’s right, no marshmallows or smores on this journey), beginning at dawn and not making camp until evening. Will they get through the sandstorms, past the cliffs, over the mountains, and manage to escape the rogue soldiers to finally reach the border? Can they keep Fish alive through so many perils?

L.S. Matthews has written a magical journey story. She does something unique in that she doesn’t describe what characters look like, nor does she reveal characters’ proper names or the name of the country they’re in. This gives the story a mysterious and mythic feel. And what the characters lack in description Matthews makes up for in character development. The characters are complex and beautifully written. You care for them. They are good-hearted, kind, thoughtful, brave people and you want them to succeed. In the end, their triumph is your triumph.

I am not even going to discuss what I think the fish symbolizes or represents or is a metaphor for. I leave that to the Reader. Why don’t you put down that classic piece of literature you really don’t feel like reading anyway, and pick up L.S. Matthews’ Fish Her prose will reel you in from the very beginning.

Marie Soriano

O’Dell, Scott. The King’s Fifth. 1966. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-74783-2. $6.95 U.S. Ages 12 and up.
www.scottodell.com/index.html Newbery Honor Award 1967

On the 23rd September, 1541 Esteban de Sandoval, a cartographer imprisoned and on trial for keeping gold from the King, begins to write down his story. It is a story of conquistadors and gold, of savagery and corruption, but it is also the tale of a young boy and his struggle against the lures and promises of wealth untold: golden promises that have already poisoned and destroyed so many.

Rereleased in paperback to celebrate its 40th Anniversary, Scott O’Dell’s novel offers a powerful glimpse into the history of the Spanish explorations and discoveries of South America, and, more terrifyingly, into the horrors of depravity a soul will enter into for treasure. As the narrative shifts between two time frames—between Sandoval’s cell and his written memories with Captain Mendoza—O’Dell offers younger readers a challenging yet intricately composed structure that allows them to piece together the real story of what happened when the explorers found gold; and why only one man remains with a knowledge of where that gold now lies.

Scott O’Dell is the acclaimed author of Island of the Blue Dolphins, and in 1982 established the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction to encourage other writers (of the “new world”) to focus on bringing historical fiction to life for young readers. Winners of this annual recognition include Louise Erdrich, Ellen Klages, and most recently Christopher Paul Curtis for his Elijah of Buxton.

Details concerning the Scott O’Dell Award can be found at http://www.scottodell.com/odellaward.html

Ellen Nef

Patron, Susan. The Higher Power of Lucky. Illus. Matt Phelan. New York: Atheneum, 2006. ISBN 978-1-4169-0194-5. $16.95 U.S./ $21.99 CAN.
Winner of the Newbery Medal

Ten-year- old Lucky Trimble wonders about her higher power. As the twelve-step groups meet in the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor Center, Lucky eavesdrops on their meetings, listening to their stories about how they “hit rock bottom” and subsequently found “their higher power.”

Lucky hasn’t had an easy life herself. Her mother died when Lucky was eight. Her mother had been a single mother, divorced from Lucky’s father because he didn’t want children. Following her mother’s death, Lucky’s father arrives for the funeral, and he later gives Lucky her mother’s ashes, leaving soon afterward. To take care of his daughter, he calls his first ex-wife Brigitte, a Frenchwoman, who leaves her homeland behind to be Lucky’s guardian in the small town of Hard Pan, which lies somewhere in the Mojave Desert. This part of the story is not part of the linear narrative of the novel. We only learn about Lucky and how she came to be with Brigitte as the novel unfolds and Lucky remembers.

The girl’s most immediate concern is Brigitte; she loves her guardian and doesn’t want her to leave. She notices Brigitte’s restlessness and becomes afraid that Brigitte will leave someday. Lucky’s fears seem to be founded when she finds Brigitte’s suitcase open with her passport inside. When that happens, it seems as if Lucky has finally hit rock bottom. Will Brigitte leave Lucky to return home?

The Higher Power of Lucky is a psychological novel. Not much happens in terms of action. It’s mostly about what Lucky is feeling and thinking. Lucky is likeable…mostly. She, like many kids, doesn’t have much patience, and she can be a bit mean. More than anything, she’s scared and vulnerable. Brigitte wants—maybe needs—something outside of that relationship. After all parents aren’t just parents; they’re people with their own needs, dreams and desires. However, Lucky doesn’t understand that yet.

Matt Phelan’s small, delicately detailed illustrations in pen, ink and pencil appearing on the corners of pages or to the side of the text are a nice touch and actually helpful in imagining the setting.

Marie Soriano

Shafer, Audrey. The Mailbox. New York: Delacorte, 2006. ISBN 0-385-73344-5. U.S. $15.95/ $21.00 CAN. Ages 8-12.

In Audrey Shafer’s first novel, The Mailbox, she gives us a lovely and profound novel about loneliness, love, connection, and redemption. Eleven-year-old Gabe comes home from school to find his guardian, Uncle Vernon, dead. In shock and not wanting to return to the foster care system, Gabe tells no one, and the next day he goes to school. But when he returns home, he gets another shock: his Uncle Vernon’s body is gone. In the mailbox Gabe find a mysterious note telling him not to be afraid. And in this anonymous note writer the boy finds a confidante.

For months Gabe lives alone and takes care of himself. Through flashbacks we see the relationship between him and his uncle who was a Vietnam vet, a relationship both loving and healing for both of them.

But this is a mystery novel as well as a drama. Who is sending Gabe notes? What was the note writer’s relationship to Uncle Vernon? Why won’t he show himself? And the biggest mystery of all: how long can Gabe keep his uncle’s death a secret?

Audrey Shafer’s The Mailbox is an emotional novel. You could even call it a tearjerker. It’s a different kind of love story reminiscent of Johanna Spyri’s Heidi in which an orphaned little girl suddenly finds herself left with her grandfather whom she’s never met before. Both stories feature a child and adult who are thrown together and form a loving, nurturing relationship, to everyone’s surprise. Also, as with Heidi, although the main characters experience pain and suffering, The Mailbox is not tragic. The ending is satisfying and happy, yet not trite or simplistic.

For those who don’t care for tearjerkers, readers might want to read the book for the mystery. Shafer does an excellent job creating mystery and not just with the notes in the mailbox. Gabe and Vernon are mysterious characters. We’re not given the background of their lives in the beginning of the book nor are we told how exactly these two came to be together, but because they’re intriguing characters, it makes you want to keep reading. And you do eventually get answers to all the mysteries.

It’s also easy to get hooked into Shafer’s understated and lovely prose:
“You ever wonder if there’s a heaven up there, Gabe?”
Streaks of light had marked the silent November sky as Gabe and his uncle lay on the back of the pick-up, legs stretched out over the tailgate to watch the Leonid meteor shower almost a year before. Vernon had roused Gabe from his bed at two in the morning, and they had dragged blankets to the truck. Gabe had been wrapped in the heavy plaid one. He’d wondered if that was why Vernon so frequently searched the sky—if he was trying to see heaven.
When Gabe didn’t answer, Vernon had continued. “Sometimes I gotta believe there is. It can’t all be for nuthin’—that’s a cruel, sick joke.”
“My momma’s in heaven.” Gabe had finally spoken. His quiet voice puffed small clouds in the chill.
Vernon had twisted to look at his nephew. “Yes, you’re momma’s in heaven. I guess you do understand after all, don’tcha.” (79-80)

Audrey Shafer’s The Mailbox is a beautiful, down-to-earth story and a fine first novel.

Marie Soriano


Spinelli, Jerry. There’s a Girl in My Hammerlock. New York: Alladin Mix, 1991. ISBN 1-4169-3937-7. U.S. $5.99/ $6.99 CAN. Ages 9-13. www.simonsayskids.com.
ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Girl likes boy.
Girl joins wrestling team to be near boy.

When she discovers her crush, Eric DeLong, is on the school wrestling team, 8th grader Maisie Potter decides to pass up girls’ basketball for…wrestling—on the all boys wrestling team. Grueling tryouts that leave her tired and soreness tests Maisie’s emotional and physical strength. To everyone’s surprise, including her own, Maisie makes the team.

But with that triumph also comes a bit of heartbreak. Even when the coach warns her how people will likely react, she isn’t prepared when the criticism comes. Her best friend breaks up with her and other students make fun of her. Parents threaten to pull their sons off the wrestling team if she doesn’t quit. Wrestlers and coaches from other schools don’t take her seriously. She gets booed at matches. In the beginning she wants to join the team for Eric DeLong, but when it becomes clear that being his girlfriend is not in her future, she has to ask herself, has it been worth the struggle?

An interesting part of the novel is Maisie’s doubts and thoughts about not being a more traditionally feminine girl. She struggles with the desire to be herself and to be liked, not unlike the protagonist in James Howe’s Totally Joe, the story of a boy in touch with his feminine side. In this case, Maisie’s in touch with her masculine side. Spinelli has written a novel that not only challenges traditional gender roles but explores what life is like for someone who doesn’t fit into them. Maisie has to decide how far she’s willing to go to attract someone she likes. Is she willing to sacrifice her self-respect?

I’m not a fan of sports, so I was reluctant to read the novel at first. However, its first person narrative and humor keep me hooked. What surprised me was that the hardest parts to read were not the wrestling scenes but the scenes in which Maisie compromises who she is. The ending is more open-ended, and although optimistic, is not romantic, which suits the novel perfectly. This is not a make-over/Cinderella story.

Jerry Spinelli’s work has earned numerous awards. Maniac Magee won the Horn Book Award and the Newberry Medal; Wringer is a Newberry Honor Book; Milkweed won the Golden Kite Award; Stargirl is a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner. There’s a Girl in My Hammerlock is another fine novel in his career, noted a ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Marie Soriano

Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped. A graphic novel adapted by Alan Grant, Illus. Cam Kennedy. Ontario: Tundra Books, 2006.

A fun and exciting rendition of the classic Kidnapped is, brought to life by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy—both familiar names in the world of graphic novels, having worked with DC comics and Marvel comics in their time.

Stevenson's novel, like his more popular Treasure Island, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, chills us with the darker side of human nature, as well as thrilling us with adventure and great bonds of friendship. It is the story of David Balfour, his wicked uncle, and a fight for David’s rightful inheritance set against the background of a turbulent 18th century Scotland. The graphic form works well, utilizing color and shadow to create the atmospheric tension, as well as dynamic, often larger than life, characters battling their way through danger and impossible odds.

With pirates, kidnapping, rebellion, and murder, this is not a visual book for young children; however, the vivid illustrations and carefully adapted plot are a great introduction for older kids into the world of classic stories. I highly recommend it and imagine it is a format that would appeal, especially to boys and all those who frequent the comic-book aisles looking for heroes.

Ellen Nef


Jonathan Swift/Woodside, Martin. Classic Starts: Gulliver’s Travels. Illus. Jamel Akib. New York: Sterling, 2006. ISBN 1-4027-2662-7. $4.95 U.S./ CAN. $7.95. Ages 10 and up.

The original Gulliver’s Travels was, of course, written by the Irish Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) in 1726, not Martin Woodside. What Woodside has done is carefully abridge the classic, and he has done an admirable job. As anyone who has tried it, especially for a novel, would know, writing a summary or even paraphrasing a text is not always easy.

Although the classic work is adapted for children, don’t expect American slang and a modern feel. While Woodside changes some wording, the story is otherwise told in Swift’s words and style.

The plot is as follows: An Englishman is continuously lured away from his family to voyages on the sea by the prospect of adventure and new discoveries. Somehow he always manages to get shipwrecked or lost ashore, thereby encountering strange lands and even stranger inhabitants. He has four voyages: The first to Lilliput, land of the tiny people and political unrest; the second to Broddingdang, land of the giants, where Gulliver is kept in a box like a doll and fights killer wasps; the third to the neighboring lands of Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, and Luggnagg, where people think themselves into confusion; and finally, to the land of the Houyhnhnms, where horses talk, sit upright and hold Council.

Jonathan Swift was known for his satire. However, without any kind of knowledge about the novel’s historical context or about Swift, the satire will likely go over readers’ heads, adults and children alike. The Discussion Questions at the back of the book do prompt readers to analyze the text, but a Historical Notes section would be helpful.

Overall, even if the classics aren’t usually your cup of tea, I think you will enjoy this book, especially if you love adventure stories. What I had never realized before reading Woodside’s abridgment is that Gulliver’s Travels is a fine adventure story. Kids and even adults who are afraid of dipping their toes into the waters of classical literature can get their feet wet with this work.

Marie Soriano

Urban, Linda. A Crooked Kind of Perfect. San Diego: Harcourt, 2007. ISBN 978-0-15- 206007-7. $16.00 U.S. Ages 8-12.
www.lindaurbanbooks.com www.HarcourtBooks.com

A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a small book with a lot of heart. If you have a bad case of the blues, read this book and your spirits will be lighter in no time.

Ten-year-old Zoe Elias dreams of being a child prodigy like the piano playing Vladmir Horowitz. But Zoe doesn’t get the piano she asks her parents for. Instead her dad buys her an organ, a Perfectone D-60 which comes with lessons from a Miss Person (pronounced southernly, per saahn). While trying to make the best of learning how to play the theme to Green Acres on the Perfectone D-60, Zoe is also trying to make the best of her school and home life. Her best friend since the third grade dumps her for a bunch of trendy jerks; her father, albeit a sweet nurturing man, has a horrible case of the “jitters,” i.e. an anxiety disorder; and her mother is a workaholic who doesn’t make much time to get to know Zoe let alone spend time with her.

Zoe may not be any closer to playing at Carnegie Hall, but her life seems to be on the brighter side when Miss Person suggests that she enter the Perfectone Perform-O-Rama held for a weekend in a hotel a long drive away. Because Zoe’s dad is too nervous to drive her, Mrs. Elias would have to take the wheel. But when a crisis at work requires Mrs. Elias’s attention…Zoe may not have a chance in the spotlight after all. Can Mr. Elias overcome his anxiety enough to bring Zoe to the Perform-O-Rama weekend? Will Mrs. Elias ever make time for the daughter who wants her love and affection?

This is such a satisfying story. It’s told in a first person narrative by Zoe. She’s funny and wise in that unusual way that kids can be. She describes her parents with affection, frustration and humor. There’s character development all around, and when you think the story couldn’t get any better, it does.

A few things to about the novel. For one thing, Zoe’s dad stays at home, and he’s more sensitive and emotional than his wife, a welcome change from traditional gender roles. Second, Zoe’s dad has a serious case of anxiety. Although it’s never stated in the text that he has an anxiety disorder, I think it’s safe to assume that he does. Some people really do suffer from this kind of disorder, and it’s portrayed with insight and compassion. Third, the adults in this novel are just as interesting as the kids. You can’t help but be curious about Mr. and Mrs. Elias. Were they always this way? How did they get to this point in their lives? But I guess that’s another novel.

Linda Urban’s quirky and sweet A Crooked Kind of Perfect couldn’t have been a more perfect debut.

Marie Soriano

Wojciechowska, Maia. Shadow of a Bull. New York: Aladdin, 1964. ISBN 978-1-4169-3395-3. U.S. $5.99/ $6.99 CAN. Ages 8-12.
*****Winner of the Newbery Medal, An ALA Notable Children’s Book, A Horn Book Fanfare

Manolo Olivar is haunted by his father, a brilliant and famous bullfighter who died when Manolo was only three years old. Now Manolo is nine, and everyone in his Spanish town, Arcangel, expects the famous bullfighter’s son to begin his training.

But Manolo isn’t so sure he wants to be a bullfighter. He doesn’t think he has the courage, and then after a group of aficionados take him to see his first bullfight, he’s not sure he has the heart, either. Rather than feel hatred for the bull, Manolo feels empathy and compassion and is horrified when the bull is killed.

However, Manolo keeps this all to himself. Then the date is set for his first trial bullfight to see if he has what it takes. Will Manolo have the courage to face the bull and to take control of his life?

Wojciechowska has written a psychological novel rich in cultural critiques. Most wonderfully she critiques the machismo in the Spanish town. Manolo is himself a challenge to traditional masculinity in his vulnerability and his empathy. Rather than control and destroy, he wants to free and heal. Wojciechowska also critiques social class. While the aficionados invest in Manolo, who has thus far not shown much enthusiasm for it, they ignore an older boy from a poor family who wants nothing more than to be a bullfighter. And lastly, she critiques family traditions and adult expectations of children. A child is his or her own person with desires and dreams of his or her own. They are not objects to be manipulated or vessels for adults to realize their own failed dreams. There isn’t much action, but we are privy to Manolo’s feelings and thoughts, allowing readers to empathize with him.

Kids who read this book will likely be able to relate to Manolo. What kid hasn’t been the victim of parents’/ teachers’/ adults’ ideas about what they think s/he should do and be? For that matter, what adult hasn’t?

On a more surface level, readers might be drawn to the Spanish culture described in Shadow of a Bull. Wojciechowska was a bullfighter, so she uses the technical terms for things like the matador’s moves, and she provides a glossary of bullfighting terms. With lovely prose and insight Maia Wojciechowska brings readers into the heart of a Spanish tradition and the people who love it.

Marie Soriano

 

 

San Diego State University Homepage English and Comparative Literature Homepage