Sir Nathan and the Quest for Queen Gobbledeegook, by Mark Simon Smith, 2012, Book Review

MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger. 

My sons both enjoyed this book. The humor is droll, the plot straightforward, and the details random enough to engage young readers. Consider Jubb Jubb Trees that fall into piles of lumber with a precise kick, Hootentoot leaves that scream with fright when they fall, blue squirrels, a sun that rises and sets in the east because of an old grudge with the west, landscapes of polka dots and bright primary colors, lots of magic, and a hero who isn’t all that bright but who is valiant, likable, and bursting with personality. That’s what you get with Sir Nathan.

I, however, don’t rank this one as highly as my sons. I found the detail (which my kids loved) tedious and the plot slow and predictable. There was also a good deal of redundancy and wordiness, and the whole thing needed a few sessions with an editor. Twenty percent of the book could be wiped out with the first markup. But it’s clean, the author has a sense of humor, and it is fun for the audience for whom it is intended.

Consider the following quote:

Surprisingly, Sir Nathan was usually able to finish all of his quests just by shouting knightly stuff. Tupolev (the horse) was amazed at how many bad guys would just give up at the first sign of someone with a huge sword screaming about smiting and smashing and stabbing. There was even one time when Sir Nathan defeated an entire army of goblin pirates with just one single growl.

Of course, Tupolev knew the growl was really just a loud burp from a late breakfast. But, still, it had worked.

What kid won’t laugh at that and read on for more? The tagline (“A Somewhat Silly Story”) is pretty accurate. And I have to admit, Sir Nathan and his trusty steed do have consistent, engaging personalities. It just isn’t the same quality as something picked up from the bookstore. So I won’t give Sir Nathan a high recommendation, but I have no objections if it will get kids like my reluctant readers reading. I have little enough invested in them. Sir Nathan is just .99 on Amazon, and so is the sequel. For ages 7-11.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, book three), by C.S. Lewis, 1952

MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger. 

Lewis does a great job creating different adventures within the Narnian series. Of all the installments, books one and two are probably the most alike. After that, characters begin to shift, settings change, and the plots vary widely. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, only the two youngest Pevensie children, Lucy and Edmund, make it back to the magical land. They reunite with Prince Caspian and bring with them their reluctant (and beastly) cousin, Eustace. And in this adventure, they embark on a voyage to the Very End of the World in the utter East.

Eustace, in my opinion, becomes the central character in this book, because he is the one who undergoes an astounding change. The others have already been proven worthy of their nobility in adventures past, but Eustace comes in a selfish, spoilt brat. When he wanders off from the others on one of the many islands they visit, he stumbles onto a dying dragon and shelters in its lair. Then follows the most symbolic event of the book: “Sleeping in a dragon’s hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.” It is only after Aslan cuts him free of his dragon skin that his personality begins to change for the better. It is something he could not accomplish without divine help.

As in the rest of the series, Christian allegory abounds. In fact, when Lucy and Edmund learn they are not to return to Narnia, they mourn that they will never see Aslan again. He assures them they will. “But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little while, you will know me better there.” One of my favorite things about the series is digging out these hidden meanings. And I love that these beloved characters pass on lessons of faith to my kids.

Yet the voyage is riveting enough to please any kid. Who wouldn’t want to set of on an old-fashioned sailing ship to explore uncharted waters? The children have all sorts of adventures. They’re sold as slaves, meet invisible adversaries, narrowly escape death in a pool that changes everything to gold. They meet former stars (as in heavenly bodies) in human form and solve a seven-year mystery. And at the very end, valiant Reepicheep, my favorite character, sails over the edge of the world just after they catch a glimpse of Aslan’s country beyond.

Interestingly enough, I liked the movie even better than the book. That doesn’t happen often. The writers stayed very true to the spirit of the book, and while the written version lags just a bit in the final chapters, the movie does not. But on the whole, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader holds its own in the  Narnian series. I highly recommend it.

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Prince Caspian
• The Silver Chair
• The Horse and his Boy
• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Last Battle

The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow, by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson

MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger.

This is a fun chance for me to review a book that hasn’t been published yet. Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson run a popular blog that goes by the same name as their book. After keeping in touch for a year or so, I decided to read The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Marrow over Spring Break. I rarely volunteer for something like this with friends, virtual or not, because of the high pressure to give a good review, but I was curious. And I’ve been impressed by the creativity and professional quality of their blog, so I took a chance. I figured I didn’t have to post my review if I didn’t like the book.

I’m posting.  :)

Jessica and Stephanie have written a really fun middle grade mystery. Honestly, the story didn’t draw me in until I was about one third of the way through. The prose reads clearly and precisely, but it feels just a little plain. For example, “Fairday was ecstatic that they were having chicken cordon bleu for dinner.” There are lots of other ways to communicate that excitement aside from narration. It’s also a little heavy on the adverbs, and the dialogue doesn’t have the snappy drive of an experienced writer. At the risk of sounding snobbish (I really don’t mean to!), reading this one reminded me very much of when I reread my own first novel several years after writing it.

**Note: After sending this review to the authors, they mentioned that they were in the midst of a revision with dialogue and adverbs among the offenders on their hit list. That’s awesome! I love to hear of writers practicing, stretching, improving their skills.

However (and that’s a big however), I got caught up in the story anyway. Because these two ladies came up with a real humdinger of a tale!

Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow (love the name!) has moved to the Begonia House, a huge, creepy old place with lots of local legends surrounding it. Years before, an old man died mysteriously at the foot of a high balcony. Homicide had not been ruled out. And twenty years before that, the same man’s daughter suddenly went missing in the house the day of her wedding. But Fairday doesn’t know all these details when she sets about investigating the contents of an upper room. For you see, Fairday heads up a detective agency (the DMS—detective mystery squad) with her best friend Lizzy. And the upper room is laden with mystery.

Where is the strange bagpipe music coming from? What was that glimpse of red shoes in the mirror? What does the brass key open? And how did Fairday’s baby sister get inside the mirror?! Join Fairday, Lizzy, and their new friend Brocket the Rocket as they uncover the answers and tie them into the house’s perplexing past.

This one is full of imagination and kid-pleasing details. The drawings above each chapter heading, while not professional, are nicely stylized and add a pleasing element to the tale (see the cover image). It’s clean aside from a few omg’s and one minor profanity. If you like an entertaining mystery, this one is worth picking up. I’ll be watching to see if it goes to print. Meanwhile, they freely give away copies to reviewers.

Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, book two), by C.S. Lewis, 1951, Book Review

MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger.

In this second Narnian installment, the four Pevensie children return to the magical land they once ruled, called back by Queen Susan’s horn. They land at the ruins of Cair Paravel just in time to free the Old Narnians from the evil, usurping King Miraz and put the rightful heir on the throne. For though Prince Caspian is the descendent of the conquering Telmarines, he wishes to make the land safe once more for Narnia’s magical talking natives. It is the beasts remember that “Narnia was never right except when a Son of Adam was king.”

Prince Caspian has a whole new plotline and a whole new set of wonderful characters (like the vastly endearing Reepicheep), but my favorite thing about it is the nostalgia and wonder Prince Caspian exemplifies when he hears the stories of Old Narnia. It’s the same feeling I get when I return with the Pevensies centuries after their rule. For I, as a reader, remember how good Narnia once was, so I can understand even more than Caspian how tragic the Telmarine takeover was. The heroes and heroines have a reader’s complete support as they, with the help of the good and awe-inspiring Aslan, strive to return Narnia to its rightful state.

Like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, this one also has many Christian parallels. For example, there are those who believe in the old stories and those who have lost their faith. There are those hostile to the old stories who would persecute those who believe and rewrite history to match their own way of thinking. And conversations with Aslan always have a particular depth of meaning. Consider when Lucy first meets Aslan again:

“Aslan,” Lucy said, “you’re bigger.”

“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.

“Not because you are?”

“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

I enjoy rooting out those elements and understanding the author’s hidden meanings. Oddly enough, Lewis also includes “non-Christian” elements in his stories—like Bacchus, other creatures from pagan mythology, and a favorable view of astrology as studied by the centaurs—which I believe give it a greater depth. I, for one, am glad he didn’t feel bound to the limits others may have imposed. This is, after all, magical fiction, not a Bible story.

Unfortunately, the plotline has been thoroughly massacred by the recent movie. In an effort to make it more complex, a good many events are added to the story, Caspian and Peter bicker like little kids, and the kids have to go searching for Aslan, who is taken out until the very end, giving it a bleak, hopeless feel as the children strive to win a war without him. It raises the stakes, I guess, but I much prefer the book. The movie does, however, have some brilliant special effects. I particularly like when the river god rips out the bridge at the Ford of Beruna. The producers also do a very good job giving the Telmarines a distinctively foreign look, sound, and culture. The costuming is also very well done. But I’d recommend the book over the movie any day. It’s a particularly strong second episode in a whole series of good children’s fiction. Highly, highly recommended for ages 9+.

My other reviews:

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Horse and his Boy
• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Last Battle

The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain, Lloyd Alexander, 1973, Book Review

MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger. (Finally! A meme that fits perfectly with my content!)

Most of you know how much I LOVE the Chronicles of Prydain. They’re an older MG fantasy series (1960’s) that won plenty of awards in their day, yet they have a lingering worth for today’s readers. The wisdom and nobility portrayed in them and the incredible craftsmanship of the story reminded me greatly of the Chronicles of Narnia. If you like one, I bet you’d like the other.

Anyway, I was aware of this companion volume to the series but hadn’t taken the time to check it out until one of my blog commentators who loves this series as much as I do highly recommended that I read it. I’m glad I did. It contains six short stories that give background information to the world of Prydain and its beloved characters.

The Foundling tells the story of Dallben’s youth and how he came to possess the Book of Three and his steady wisdom.

The Stone features one of my favorite characters, Doli of the Fair Folk. In this one, a human who comes into contact with Doli learns some valuable lessons about the balance of pain and beauty that is mortality.

The True Enchanter is the story of Eilonwy’s mother, Angharad. Eilonwy comes by her fiery and noble disposition honestly!

The Rascal Crow features Medwyn, caretaker of Prydain’s animals, and his love for one rapscallion of a bird (who happens to be very reminiscent of Kaw) and the lessons he learns in humility.

The Sword reveals the mystery of the powerful sword, Dyrnwyn, and how it came to rest under Spiral Castle.

And The Smith, the Weaver, and the Harper explains how Arawn Deathlord stole the most valuable possessions of the Prydain folk, and also reveals his great weakness.

These were simple tales, written almost in the style of a fable, that shine a bit more light on the world I came to love. But they continue in Lloyd’s voice of beauty and nobility and wisdom. If you’ve read  the novels, be sure you pick up this little gem. If you’ve never visited Prydain, you’re missing out on a wonderful world.

The Secret War (Jack Blank Adventures trilogy, book two), Matt Myklusch, 2011

 

MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger.

Matt Myklush did it again. The Secret War, book two of the Jack Blank series, is 525 pages of awesomeness. It’s fun, it’s dynamic, it’s unpredictable, and it’s clean. My son and I read it together for homeschool. We never seemed able to stick to our allotted real aloud time and finished it in less than two weeks! It’s just as good as book one. If you haven’t read it, start with that review.

Jack Blank isn’t your average kid. He was raised in an orphanage in the real world, but when he turned thirteen, he was taken to the Imagine Nation, an obscure part of Earth where superheroes and super villains reside. There he learned about and developed his own powers. Jack can talk to machines and make them do what he wants. A handy skill when dealing with Rüstovs—bionic robots that seek to take over the universe.

In book one, Jack found out he’s infected with a virus that turns normal folks into Rüstovs. It proved ineffectual against him, but plenty of people still wanted him dead, including the Imagine Nation’s smartest, richest, and most egotistical resident, Jonas Smart. But when Jack saved the world at the end of the book, he gained rock star status with the public at large. That’s where book two starts.

Jack was signing autographs left and right, succeeding in superhero training school, and enjoying the company of his two best friends, Skerren and Allegra. But the secret he learned about his future which connects him to the worst Rüstov agent in history (I won’t explain further in case you haven’t read book one) catches him up in a web of lies and separate him from his friends just when he needs their help most. The virus is part of a Rüstov plan to take over every machine on earth. To make matters worse, the virus inside Jack begins to speak to him. And then Jonas Smart learns Jack’s darkest secrets. With a major shadow of doubt hanging over him, Jack must overcome the most insurmountable odds in this race against time.

This book is very involved and cleverly woven, with lots of suspense, twists, and turns. It’s a fun one with absolutely no objectionable content. And it sets up book three beautifully. I can’t wait to read it. I’ll be sure to post my review!

Find the books:

The Accidental Hero

The Secret War

The End of Infinity

 

 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, book one), by C.S. Lewis, 1950

This spring I’m making my, golly, eighth or ninth journey through Narnia, but this time I’m taking along my son. We’re going to end the homeschool year by reading the entire series. He’s watched the movie before, but he’d never experienced the written version. It was a hit. We finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in five big gulps because neither of us wanted to stick to the allotted time frame. I have to say, there is a depth and a beauty in the prose that the movie just can’t capture.

This classic is so well known I hardly feel a plot summary is necessary, but I’ll write one anyway. The four Pevensie siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, have been sent to the countryside to avoid the bombing of London during WWII and land in a huge old home owned by a peculiar old professor. There they find within a wardrobe a magical world that is being held captive by an evil witch. The whole land awaits the coming of two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve, as spoken in prophecy, and the great lion, Aslan, who will free them from the witch’s rule. But Edward betrays the others, and the Deep Magic written into Narnia at the beginning of time requires a traitor’s blood. Aslan must make the ultimate sacrifice to save him and save Narnia.

As a child, I loved the fairy tale elements of this story: the talking animals, the children who rule as kings and queens, the medieval quality, the mythical creatures, the great lovable lion. But as I grew, I discovered layer upon layer of richness within its pages. Humans are set up as good rulers over animals and nature; evil choices demand a high cost; forgiveness is granted even at great personal expense; good and evil are constantly at war; and my favorite, we are given a beautiful picture of a fierce, just, loving, involved, good, and untame deity—Aslan, son of the Emperor over the Sea. It doesn’t take a genius to see all that these elements have Christian parallels. Lewis’ story really isn’t all that original after all; he tells the same one set forth in the Bible. He was, after all, one of the greatest theologians of modern times. I’m not typically a fan of allegory, but this story is so strong, so beautiful, so engaging that I love it anyway. In this case, perhaps I even love it more because of it.

It seems I find something new every time I read it. This time I noticed that when the Professor argues logic to determine if Lucy is telling the truth, he uses almost word for word the arguments Lewis uses about Christ: “There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn’t tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth.”

But whether you’re a Christian or not, this tale is magical and timeless, as are all the stories of Narnia. It is one of my favorite places to visit. I’m so excited to be making the trip yet again—and taking one of my favorite people with me. Watch for my reviews.

• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Horse and his Boy
• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Last Battle

Horton Halfpott or the Feindish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or The Loosening of M’Lady Luggertuck’s Corset, by Tom Angleberger, 2011, Book Review

If I might add yet another subheading to the title of this most unusual book, it would be “or  Whimsical Wit and Lyrical Nonsense,” because those happen to be the two most notable assets of this particular scrap of literature. The story is sort of a whodunit with very stylized characters and a not entirely predictable plot. It’s also a rather meaningless tale with a lot of random details and very little takeaway value aside from entertainment. But it is the very precise placement of well-picked words that make this story noteworthy. It’s rather nonsensical, but it’s whimsical, it’s witty, and it’s lyrical. And that makes the entire thing rather fun.

Everything started one morning when M’Lady Luggertuck ordered her corset loosened—an Unprecedented Marvel. The whole house sensed the Loosening, from the lowliest kitchen boy to the good lady’s son, and the deeds that followed were most unusual. They included thievery, a costume ball, a kidnapping by Shipless Pirates, and the beginnings of true love (on which it’s been decided we shall not dwell). We’re also treated to one young man’s honor, the loyalty of true friends, justice granted, and one young lady’s ability to judge wisely between suitors. All told, a very satisfactory and smile-inducing read.

I’d recommend Horton Halfpott for ages eight and up.

Rules, by Cynthia Lord, 2006, Book Review

This was part of my goal to read every Newbery book (this one took honors), and I finished it in one sitting. I started it the last evening of 2012 and enjoyed it enough to forego watching the ball drop. I turned the last page in the earliest hours of 2013. I knew this book had won wide acclaim, but had no idea what it was about. Turns out it shares a similar theme with Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine.

Catherine is a normal twelve-year-old girl who would like a normal life, but having a younger brother with autism means nothing is normal. David blurts out odd phrases at inopportune times. He opens cupboard doors at other people’s houses and hunts for their cellars to make sure the door is closed. He embarrasses Catherine and makes a simple thing like inviting the new neighbor girl over not so simple at all. He must be taught the social graces that the rest of us so naturally assume. So Catherine takes it upon herself to help him by creating a list of rules.

Chew with your mouth closed.

Say “thank you” when someone gives you a present (even if you don’t like it).

If the bathroom door is closed, knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over)!

No toys in the fish tank.

A character like David can easily alienate a reader with no basis to relate, but David actually became my favorite. He evokes a great deal of sympathy with a few cute quirks. For instance, every time he puts a toy in the fish tank, he burst into Catherine’s room and tells her, “No toys in the fish tank!” (See, he hates to be wet, and he needs her to take it out.) And every time Catherine’s guinea pigs squeal, he covers his ears and yells, “Quiet pigs!” And my favorite, my absolute favorite quirk is that whenever he can’t find the words he needs, he quotes Frog and Toad, a classic easy reader written by Arnold Lobel.

“‘“What are you laughing at, Frog?”’” David asks, worried lines cutting his forehead.

I touch the tiny frog stamp on his hand and show him mine. “‘“I’m laughing at you, Toad,” said Frog, “because you do look funny in your bathing suit.”’”

David smiles. “‘“Of course I do,” said Toad. Then he picked up his clothes and went home.”’

I feel like I got to know David, and I loved him. But the story focuses on Catherine and her changing emotion from anger and embarrassment to acceptance. And she does this with the help of Jason, a wheelchair-bound boy she befriends who can’t talk. The person under the handicap, she realizes, is a person worthy of love and respect. Rules is a moving, well-written story any way you look at it, one I’d highly recommend.

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, 2011, Book Review

This was a tough read, though I made it through the entire book in one sitting. You could say it was timely.

Connor has been having the same nightmare over and over for months. The one where—oh, he can’t stand to think about it. He’s been having trouble at school with three bullies. He’s distanced himself from his best friend. His dad lives across the ocean with a new wife. He can’t stand his grandmother. And his mom’s cancer treatments don’t seem to be working. He feels invisible.

Then the yew tree in the back yard comes walking. It appears late at night and tells Connor a series of stories. More dreams. They must be. But each morning his floor is covered with evidence of his late night guest—twigs, leaves, berries.

The yew tree. A tree of healing. That is what his mother needs.

The stories the tree tells are wild, for “stories are the wildest thing of all. They chase and bite and hunt.” And these teach Connor much about the mixed up way life works. “There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one.” Life doesn’t always make sense. But the yew tree helps Connor sort out truth and error. It helps him face life head on. For “if you speak the truth, you will be able to face whatever comes.”

The tree hasn’t come to heal Mum at all. It’s come to heal Connor. And it demands that Connor tell the last story. It demands he tell the truth—and the outcome of his recurring nightmare.

Though this story is beautifully told, it is not happy. It’s a terribly emotional look at one boy’s struggle with his mother’s approaching death. And it doesn’t really provide any hope. There isn’t much comfort in telling the truth. But it does have some sound advice; facing reality is the only way to begin healing.

I think this one is appropriate for ten-year-olds. It has two minor profanities, and one of the yew tree’s stories does involve “coupling,” but it does have some deep thoughts and some valid wisdom. And the subject matter is handled very tenderly. I recommend A Monster Calls, especially for children who may find themselves in similar, tragic circumstances.