Is it possible to be TOO safe?

You might think so when you read Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner.  Goldie, like all children in the city of Jewel, has been chained to either a parent or Blessed Guardian since the time she could walk.  She's always been bold, though, and when the ceremony on Separation Day is disrupted, she takes the opportunity to run away.  She ends up at the Museum of Dunt; the four keepers take her in, teach her how to survive (she's been so overprotected that she can do little on her own), and show her how to navigate the mysterious, shape-shifting rooms and stairs.  She soon learns that the leader of the Blessed Guardians is power-crazy - he has plans that will destroy not only the museum, but Jewel and all of its residents.  Can Goldie stop him?  Lots of action and adventure in this book, the first of the Keepers Trilogy.  

Get out your Kleenex

I hardly ever, ever, ever get choked up at a book, but One for the Murphys by Lynda Mulally Hunt was an exception.  After being horrifically betrayed by her mother and abused by her stepfather, Carley is placed in a foster home: Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and their three sons.  She really doesn't want to be there and is convinced that she's not worthy of the love and respect shown to her, especially by Mrs. Murphy, who seems (to Carley) too good to be true.  Carley eventually warms up to the family and even makes a friend at school, but then...but THEN...she visits her mom in the hospital and no longer is sure of where she belongs - with her mom (stepdad is now out of the picture), whom she still loves but who got her in this foster situation?  With the Murphys, who offer a warm, safe environment?  Short chapters keep this book moving quickly, and Carley's first-person narrative will tug at your heart.

Secret upon secret in this page-turner

I could NOT put down my copy of Four Secrets by Margaret Willey!  Katie, Nate, and Renata are all in the juvenile detention center - they're in a ton of trouble for kidnapping Chase, the star athlete at their school and a major bully.  The story is told both through the journal entries they're required to make (three very different styles) and through a narrator who describes social worker Greta and her attempts to put together the pieces of a very confusing puzzle. It's obvious that the three have made a pact to not give away something huge; it's also evident that each has a serious secret.  And so does Chase.  And you'll go nuts trying to figure them out, and you won't know everything until the end of the book.  (Don't peek!) The ending is a bit rushed and not 100% satisfying, but still...I dare you to read this slowly.

Advice to artists: learn from the best!

If you're in the mood for something a little different, take a look at Drawing from Memory by Allen Say. Part graphic novel and part biography, Mr. Say tells his story of growing up in Japan and his desire to be a cartoonist, despite objections from his father.  At the age of 12, the author sought out Noro Shinpei, a famous Japanese cartoonist, with hopes of working for him and learning the art of cartooning.  Through a combination of drawings and sketches from the past and the present, the reader learns how Shinpei became Mr. Say's sensei, or teacher.  The format of the book takes getting used to, with the styles of drawings and the page lay-outs varying quite a bit, but the story is intriguing and gives good insight into the hard work required to excel as an artist.

Seriously sinister

Okay, if creepy, crawly bugs give you bad dreams, don't even THINK about reading The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand!  Victoria is 12 years old; she's a perfectionist and likes everything to be exactly right and just so.  She doesn't have any friends except Lawrence, who's really more of her "project," as she constantly tries to correct him into being a better person.  They live in Belleville, which is a little too eerie in both it's perfect-ness and the way it doesn't seem to notice the local orphanage.  Then Lawrence disappears, Victoria's parents start getting weird, and these BUGS keep crawling out of everywhere (even with occasional bug illustrations right in the middle of the page you're reading), so Victoria checks out the orphanage.  She finds Lawrence - which is good - and a nasty gardener, a shape-shifting house, and the reason scary Mrs. Cavendish is keeping the kids there - which isn't good.  And did I mention bugs?  Yuk. If you're brave enough, get out your bug spray and find out if Victoria can learn what friendship is truly all about.

I'm back!

I obviously haven't blogged for quite a while because...well...it doesn't really matter, does it?  I'm back, and I'm reading, and I'm blogging. Enjoy!

You think YOU have it tough?

Chances are your life is easier than that of Auggie, the main character in Wonder by R. J. Palacio.  Auggie was born with a number of facial deformities, and despite multiple surgeries, he still looks quite a bit different from most people.  Because of the numerous times in the hospital, he's always been taught at home, but now it's time to go to a school for the first time.  Auggie is intelligent, realistic, gentle, and just plain nice. He has a pretty good idea of how people are going to react, and his first-person narrative tells about it in a wonderfully authentic voice.  Some chapters are told by others around him, such as his sisters and friends, so the reader experiences multiple views of how Auggie affects the entire community. He's a very likable character, and even though I was bit nervous about reading this book (wouldn't it be completely depressing?), I was totally drawn in by this story and the kindness that was depicted in a number of ways.  This would be an incredible book for a group discussion.

War from both sides: who's right? who's wrong?

Lots of tough decision for characters to make in Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins.  Chiko is a quiet 15-year-old who dreams of becoming a teacher, when he is taken by force into the jungle to start training for the army of Burma (now Myanmar).  Life is brutal and miserable, but two thoughts keep him going: trying to find out about his father, who was arrested as a traitor, and the hope of once again seeing a girl whom he adores.  After Chiko is severely wounded by a land mine and on the verge of death, he's discovered by Tu Reh, a teenager on the opposing side of the war.  Tu Reh's house was destroyed by Burmese soldiers...what will he do to Chiko?  Half of the book is narrated by Chiko and half by Tu Reh, so the reader gets a fascinating glimpse into two Asian cultures and an idea of what life would be like as a child soldier.

Can he keep his illiteracy a secret?

If you're looking for a thought-provoking title for a middle or high school book club, this it is: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz.  Travis's parents are dead, and he's being raised by his grandfather, a recovering alcoholic. When they move to a tiny house in a small town, Travis not only has the typical new-student issues to deal with, but he has an additional problem - he can't read, and he doesn't want anyone to know.  He's quickly noticed by Velveeta, a funky, outgoing student who's hiding secrets of her own, and Mr. McQueen, a very cool teacher who's figured out Travis's reading difficulty and wants to help. The story alternates between chapters told by a narrator and short blurbs that Velveeta is writing to Calvin, someone (a friend? relative? you'll figure it out) who has recently passed away.  The feelings of the characters are impressively real and poignant and raw...and sometimes funny.  Although the ending is satisfying, by no means does it tie up all the loose ends, so the reader is empowered to imagine what happens next.

Stunning portrayal of autism

I was absolutely mesmerized by Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin.  The story is told from the point of view of Jason, a 12-year-old boy who is autistic.  He struggles with social interactions and making friends, but he's an excellent writer.  Through Storyboard, the online forum where he posts his creative writing, he makes a connection with another writer named Rebecca.  When he learns that he may actually meet her in person at a Storyboard convention, he starts to panic: he's terrified that she'll only "see" his autism and not who he really is.  Reading how one autistic child views the world, his family, and even himself was both fascinating and enlightening, and his self-acceptance at the end of the book (hinted at in the story he's been writing) was beautiful.  An excellent book, especially for anyone affected by or interested in autism.