Fablehaven

The basics:

1. Fablehaven-356 pages
2. Rise of the Evening Star-456 pages
3. Grip of the Shadow Plague-487 pages
4. Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary-535 pages
5. Keys to the Demon Prison-593 pages

In the Fablehaven series, two siblings join their grandparents at a secret preserve for mythological creatures. Their job as caretakers is to protect the creatures from the world outside, as well as protect the world outside from the sometimes dangerous power of the preserve's inhabitants. A secret society opposes them in their efforts to contain the mythological beings and seeks to free them, regardless of the consequences. Therein lies the drama.

I thoroughly enjoyed these books by Brandon Mull and would recommend them to anyone who likes the fantasy genre. There are elements that are a little darker than some people might like, but there was also a levity present that made some of those same parts almost comical. The writing was clean, the characters were compelling, and I loved the idea of the preserve. It made me wonder if this wasn't the inspiration for the Sanctuary series on SyFy.
Throughout the series, the younger brother, with good intentions, continually goes against his grandparents orders and ends up bringing the world to the brink of disaster. His sister steps in, upstages him and sets things right (in the same way each time). By the end, we've seen a great deal of personal growth and Seth proves his worth...and his sister steps in and upstages him again. My complaint is that Seth was never allowed his place in the sun. The pattern became too predictable.
I also thought that the way the author dealt with the parents was a bit awkward.

Many times, in children's novels, the adults are moved out of the way so that the younger characters can solve problems and be the heroes. This series seemed to have a little trouble with that. Although Seth and Kendra do some amazing things, the answers ultimately come from adults.

I would be interested in hearing what others think after reading these books.

Restraining Order

Have you ever struggled to think of something positive to say about something you really didn't like? Like liver. I feel that way about a book I recently purchased and read. It was a YA christian fantasy story, so I was excited when I discovered it. I did manage to finish it, but only by force of will.
I'm sorry to say that I will never let the girls read it. First of all, the writing was terrible and I don't want them reading bad writing until they are old enough to evaluate it objectively and not emulate it. Secondly, the story crossed a spiritual line, of sorts, and I don't want them exposed to the concepts that it presented.

But this book brings up other questions for me--those of ethics in critique.
Do I have the right to evaluate another's work? I am not a published author. Am I qualified to pass judgment as I do? This is the easy question, and the answer is simple for me. I am not a published author, but I am a voracious reader. Even without any further study into the art of writing, this gives me the basis upon which I can review and make recommendations. Constant exposure to friends makes recognizing the enemy easy. Besides, everyone is allowed to have an opinion.

But what about when that opinion might cause someone harm?
I made it no secret how much I disliked Twilight, and I am not alone in my opinion. However, Stephanie Meyer is already a huge success as an author, even if the reasons are beyond my comprehension. My negative review is not going to damage her. In fact, because of her success, it might even make some people curious enough to read the book for themselves to see what all the fuss is about.

But the book that I refer to today is this author's very first published work. There has not been time for the success or failure of this book to be determined. What I say could possibly make an impact. At least it could if more than three people read this blog.
I am also taking into account that this is the very first fiction story that her publisher has ever released. Their entire catalog is inspirational and self-help type books. To some extent then, an engaging narrative and natural sounding dialogue is outside their realm of experience as well*. So some of the responsibility is theirs.
Every problem in this book could be fixed. It is also possible that this author (and publisher) will grow together and create something amazing in the future. And so, allowing for the learning curve, I think a little critical restraint is in order.
And some day, I might be on the receiving end.

*I am Not saying that non-fiction is not engaging. I am saying that different rules apply to fiction writing.

The Wickit Chronicles

The basics:

1. Ely Plot-128 pages
   
2. Fen Gold-128 pages
   
3. Ice Road-136 pages
   
4. Witch's Bell-128 pages

Joan Lennon is an author from across The Pond, and our library recently added her Wickit Chronicles to their shelf. So, of course, I had to read them. I was not disappointed. This is a fun and simple series that would tempt even reluctant readers. Each book contains one adventure of Pip, a boy from a small monastery in the Fen, and his living gargoyle companion, Perfect. The Fen makes for a very unique setting. Keeping to a single story line makes it very easy for beginning readers to follow, yet the books are exciting enough to hold their interest. The drama and danger remain innocent and I would not have a problem with my girls reading these.
I am impressed with the author's ability to stick to such a consistent page count. That takes some disciplined editing. I am looking forward to reading some of her other books.

Sorry, no stamp for this one.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The basics:

1. The Lightning Thief-375 pages
2. The Sea of Monsters-279 pages
3. The Titan's Curse-304 pages
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth-362 pages
5. The Last Olympian-381 pages

Without spoiling anything for you, these books tell of a young boy's discovery that he is the half mortal son of a Greek god, who still exist in secret, and about his journey to come to terms with his identity and all that it means.
Where to begin? The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is masterfully done. I enjoyed every page. Plot, characters, dialogue, setting--this author has them all down. Such a delightful modern twist on ancient Greek mythology. I'm trying not to gush, so to keep it brief: you really need to read these for yourself. Before watching the movie.

As a mom, I really appreciated how Mr. Riordan kept these books kid friendly*, in spite of the underlying (or not so underlying) theme of battles and good vs. evil. Even in scenes of fighting and war, the gore is kept to a minimum or glossed over completely. It has been awhile since I read them, so I could be forgetting something, but that was the impression I had at the time. When so many books seem to be trying to introduce new levels of graphic horror, it was refreshing to read something that left a veil in place.

Will there be a stamp? Of course.

*This does not mean that you should not read it first and judge for yourself whether or not it is appropriate for your children. Bear in mind that I was also reading the Vladimir Todd Chronicles at about the same time and it could just be a comparison issue.

The Inheritance Cycle

The basics:

1. Eragon-503 pages
2. Eldest-704 pages
3. Brisingr-763 pages
4. ???

Several years ago, before I discovered Christopher Paolini's series of books, DH and I watched the movie, Eragon. We thought it was based on a role play type video game and the movie seemed okay. Now that I've read the books, the movie was really horrible. How can you make a movie when the whole story hasn't even been written yet?
The Inheritance Cycle* will be a series of four books, when the final volume is published. At this time, there is not any advanced info on when that will be--that I could find.

This is an epic story about a boy who finds a dragon's egg, becomes a Dragon Rider and must unite the various races, rescue the dragons and save the world.
Each volume is roughly the size of carry-on luggage, but the storytelling is dynamic and I didn't really mind. The characters are engaging, and the descriptive passages were interesting. There are enough subplots to justify the length--most of the time. I really enjoyed how he gives voice to the dragons' thoughts (book 3). In fact, I really enjoy the author's writing style, as it doesn't draw attention to itself, but merely supports the story.
I'm looking forward to the conclusion.

In our library, this series is in the YA section--probably because of the age of the main character. However, if you could give books a rating in the same way as movies, I'd have to rate these "R". There is a significant amount of carnage and gore (The world is engulfed in war and they are books about dragons, after all.)

*I'm including the links for informational purposes. I have not explored either site (except to look for a release date for book 4) and don't know what they contain. I can read epic tomes, but I don't have time to immerse myself in the online cult-like following of these various series. A person could make a career out of The Lord of the Rings culture alone.

PS-There will be a stamp.

Harry Potter

The basics:

1. The Sorcerer's Stone-309 pages
2. The Chamber of Secrets-341 pages
3. The Prisoner of Azkaban-435 pages
4. The Goblet of Fire-734 pages
5. The Order of the Phoenix-870 pages
6. The Half Blood Prince-652 pages
7. The Deathly Hallows-759 pages

I came to this series skeptical and expecting not to like it. That I enjoyed the first book says a lot. It was well written and engaging. The main characters lacked the dynamite that seems a given in such an epic series ( I found their constant bickering a tad annoying), but they were still passable. I enjoyed the descriptive passages and finished the book satisfied.
I intended to leave it at that, but a nephew had other ideas.So I rallied my stamina and read the rest of the series.
Books 2-5 could have been condensed into one book. The events quickly became monotonous and the ever increasing page length left me frustrated. I would catch myself skimming paragraphs instead of absorbing them (Yes, yes, the Quidditch match was exciting. Get on with it.). There were important scenes in each book, but I had trouble justifying the amount of time I had to spend to reach each nugget. After book five, I had Potter fatigue and needed a break. If I had read each book as it came out, that might have been different. I might have anticipated each new segment and relished the length, but I doubt it.
Book 6 seemed to get the volume size a little bit more under control and the story moved forward much better. By the end, I really needed to read book 7 (although I am uncertain still if it was because I wanted to know what happened or because I could finally see the light at the end of a very long tunnel.). Book 7 wrapped up all of the loose ends pretty well and saw the conclusion to some decent character development. All of them came away changed by their conflict (with the exception of Hermione, who seems to have come out unscathed-a minor transgression).
Throughout, the writing could have been a little tighter for my taste, but it stayed relatively clean. For the most part, it was a gratifying 4100 pages.

From a Christian's perspective, it could have been worse. Yes, the book involves magic (dark and otherwise), wizards and mythological creatures.Yes, some of the scenes are a bit graphic (especially for a visual person). No, I don't think these books are for everyone (my kids would have to be much older before I would consider letting them read them). But they could have been much darker and more sinister. With that in mind, I have no intention of watching the movies. Discretion is key.

The Once and Future King

I know I really enjoyed a book when I turn the last page, come up gasping for air, notice my poor children looking gauntly at me from the doorway, and realize that suppertime is three hours past.
This book was not it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed T.H. White's Arthurian tale.
I laughed out loud at the Monty Python like humor of the scenes with King Pellenore and those of the Grail quest. I was awed by the insightful, philosophical ramblings into the nature of mankind. I was even mildly appreciative that Disney didn't wreck The Sword in the Stone as badly as they have some of their other books-into-movies (although, I really would have liked to have seen them film the bit with the ants).

At times, I also hated this book. It was a bit like an enormous plate of pasta: the more you eat, the more is still left in the bowl. It tastes great in the beginning, but by the end, you just want to lay on the couch and moan. The fault is mostly mine. I have not read something this ponderous in quite awhile, and my brain is mushy. The other problem lies with Arthurian legends in general. You know they are going to end in tragedy, and it makes you want to hide with your fingers over your eyes.

Surely, with all of the time warping, alternate reality hi-jinx in the Science Fiction realm today, somebody could write a story where Arthur and everyone else live happily ever after? Just once? Pretty please?

The Spiderwick Chronicles

I was pleasantly surprised when I read the first five books of the Spiderwick Chronicles last week. Stories full of magic and fantastic creatures can easily become too dark to allow my children to read them. However, I have already given the girls leave to read these if they want.

From a teacher/parent viewpoint, The Spiderwick Chronicles represent a very successful approach to the reluctant reader. The first five books are one unified story, but broken down into manageable chunks. Each individual book encapsulates one conflict, which is resolved before the last page turn. However, the larger, unresolved conflict continues to rise from book to book, forcing the reader to continue. A 300 page book might be too intimidating for a struggling or reluctant reader, but these little books can't fail at drawing them in.

From a writing standpoint, one final edit would have cleaned up a couple of pesky bugs I noticed, but other than that, it was great.
For me, a book is really good when I reach the last page and realize that I didn't even notice the writing at all. (Can that be said of Kate DiCamillo's writing? Hmmm.)

Now for the dilemma.
It is always shocking to hear what parents will allow their children to read(or are completely unaware that they are reading). Just because a child is reading on a higher grade level does not mean the content is appropriate for them. But, that is a soapbox for another day. Or not.

My children make me read everything that I write to them. They are my most adoring fans and my severest critics. I tailor my stories accordingly.
That leads to two questions for discussion:

1. If you have children, what guidelines do you use to determine what your children are allowed to read?
2. Does an author have responsibilities to protect their young readership? If so, what are they?

*The photo is a trading card created by "Kreepy Kelli", using a hand carved rubber stamp. Isn't it amazing?

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod-Eight Grade Bites is a YA vampire story. That is the only similarity that it has to Twilight. Which is a good thing.

It's about a junior high boy. It's funny. It's crammed full of action, conflict and mystery (182 pages compared to 498). The characters are all interesting. The dialogue is good. And I want to read more. Thank goodness there's still 9th-12th grade.

Reading these books leads me to another question, though: Where have all the real Vampires gone? The trend in writing seems to be in creating a new breed of vampire; one that has developed a conscience and chosen an alternate food source (In Twilight, they're even concerned about upsetting the ecological balance-sheesh). They seem more like superheroes with an acceptable dark side than villains. Why is that?

The answer probably lies somewhere in a deep social commentary about the demons in young kids lives today. Perhaps they do need a vampire or two on their side.
But I miss Dracula.
I miss the clear cut line between good and evil.

Twilight

Reading Twilight is like removing a Band-aid. If you do it quickly, it doesn't hurt as much.

The story doesn't really get interesting until page 371 when the other vampires show up. For the first 16 1/2 chapters, they go to school and stare at each other a lot (in various states of rage, confusion, frustration, amusement, curiosity...). At one point, Edward saves Bella from an imminent disaster, leading her to discover his secret (which the reader already knows).

Bella is boring. She doesn't react. She doesn't grow. She doesn't do anything--except trip predictably. So why write the story from her POV?
Now, Alice, on the other hand.... Alice is interesting. She's got a mysterious past, genuine concern for her brother and a desire to see his relationship with Bella succeed. And skills. Maybe Alice should have told the story.

If I were a HS girl reading this book, Edward could easily be my next crush. But I still wouldn't want to be Bella. Even a girl in a boring town, with a boring personality and non-existent level of self confidence wants to imagine that she has something worthwhile to bring to a relationship. Bella isn't the one I'd want to identify with as a reader. For that, my money is on Alice.

PS-What's with the apple?

**Tomorrow, we're going to talk about a completely different vampire book, so stay tuned!

Rapunzel's Revenge

One of the great joys of attempting to write for children is reading in the market. This past weekend, I spent the afternoon curled up with the cats and a pile of books. One of them (the books, not the cats) was Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale. Graphic novels/Manga books are pretty new to me, so I don't have much experience for comparison. However, it exceeded my expectations.
It is a delightful melding of contemporary, Old West, and fairy tales you only thought you knew, with a dab of sarcasm behind the ears.
I tend to read faster than I should, so I loved how the illustrations forced me to slow down and immerse myself in the telling of the story. If you glossed over them, you missed half of the tale. I suspect that is the nature of graphic novels. The pictures are just as important as the text. You can't have one without the other.
I can't wait to read the sequel, Calamity Jack.