Gossamer

by Lois Lowry
CMSW, paperback, 154 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Littlest One is a dream-giving creature with lots of curiosity. When she irritates her teacher too much, she is assigned to Thin Elderly. The two of them try to protect the boy John and his elderly caregiver from the Sinisteeds who bring nightmares.

A cute story. Seems to be for a younger reader. It is probably one of the MHL titles on both division lists.

So B. It

by Sarah Weeks
Dakota County library, paperback, 245 pages

Another MHL nominee, this one is about a girl named Heidi whose mother is mentally handicapped. When Heidi was only a week old, they showed up on Bernadette's doorstep and she's been helping them out ever since. But Bernie is agoraphobic and cannot leave her apartment. As Heidi gets older and has more responsibilities, she wants to find out about her mother's past. When she finds some photographs, she gets clues that will take her from Reno to New York.

I liked this book, though it was kind of bittersweet. Heidi is a very realistic character (except for her "luck" - that's a supernatural element) and I found myself wanting her to know the truth. I enjoyed her book "Jumping the Scratch" more than this one, but she gets into kids' heads pretty well.

Drawn & Quarterly Showcase 3

Genevieve Elverum - "We're Wolf", Sammy Harkham - "Somersaulting", Matt Broersma -"The Last Voyage of Dr. Frobisher"

Dakota County library, paperback, graphic novel, 95 pages

Strange, somewhat interesting, mostly incomprehensible. I love reading these from the public library so that I'm not spending my money or school money on them. I wouldn't even buy this for a HS library . . . just not my cup of tea.

Jackie's Wild Seattle

by Will Hobbs
CMSW, paperback, 200 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Shannon and Cody go to Seattle to stay with their uncle while their parents travel to Pakistan with Doctors Without Borders. They find out that they will spend their two months with him at an animal rescue shelter out in the woods, not at his old beach house like they had thought.

There are some questions to be answered, some new experiences to be had, and some friends to make. This story surprised me and I enjoyed it more than I expected!

Shackleton's Stowaway

by Victoria McKernan
Dakota County Library, paperback, 317 pages
Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

Wow. This would be an amazing story even without most of it being completely true. To know that these men actually survived in Antarctica for two years without our modern-day technologies just astounds me. This fictionalized story of the Shackleton south pole attempt centers on 18-year old Perce Blackborow who has stowed away on the expedition. Very cool. Of course, now I want to read a non-fiction book to find out what the author changed. I loved the maps and other information at the end of the story, too.

Game

by Walter Dean Myers
audiobook on CD, Carver County, 4.25 hours
read by JD Jackson

Drew Lawson is a Harlem basketball player with dreams of the big time. But when two white students move in and join the team, the attention they garner frustrates him and clouds his chances of winning a college scholarship that will get him out of his crime-ridden neighborhood.

I really enjoyed this story (except when there was a lot of basketball talk - just not my thing). I especially liked the relationship between Drew and his sister Jocelyn (?). Very fun! It was interesting for me to think about recommending this book to my students. Bball fans would probably like it, but the average Chaska kid most likely hasn't experienced inner-city black neighborhood issues. It's a very different world - one Myers brings to life extremely well.

I also loved that Drew's family was intact - mom, dad, sister, brother. Drew's friend had a brother facing prison time, and that impacted Drew positively (in that he saw the futility of going the route of so many other "brothers" in the area.

Man in the Middle

by Brian Haig
CD, 17.5 hours, Dakota County library
read by L.J. Ganser

I was on disc 8 of 15 when I decided not to finish this story. Not finishing is really hard for me. The things I liked about the story - mystery element, insight on how Washington really works (the author is the son of Alexander Haig) weren't enough to outweigh what I disliked: the swearing, crudity, violence, and unlikable major characters. Sean Drummond and Major Tran were not a very appealing couple. I found the "insider" stuff interesting, though. It's a bit appalling to think of the money that goes into FBI, CIA, and other government organizations to do things that most Americans would probably disapprove of. . .

Astro City

by Kurt Busiek
graphic novel from Louise's friend Suzanne, 192 pages

Though they're labeled as chapters, each section tells a different story about the superheroes of Astro City. I'm surprised that I had never heard of this title before. The artwork is excellent and the characters very interesting. When I got it from Louise, I considered it for the middle school, but I might just keep this one in my own collection.

I know I ought to list all the other people who created this, but my pile of books to be blogged about is getting too huge!

David Gospel

by David Athey

Lake Agassiz Regional Library, 269 pages, paperback



Very strange book. Still not sure if I like it. From the back flap:

"As a boy he performed concerts singing old-time hymns with his family and got so famous he's still known around Iowa as Danny Gospel. But since then, things haven't worked out quite teh way he planned. And now Danny prays for just one thing: a normal, happy life."



Most of the book felt like a study of dysfunction! This was so unusual, but it drew me in and drew me forward. I wanted so much to see things get "normal" for Danny, and I wanted to understand how his family fell apart. For the most part, the story seemed to be progressing and leading somewhere, but the ending left me feeling gypped. There were so many unanswered questions! It was frustrating, and I wished I could have talked about it with another reader.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

by David Lubar
Dakota County library, paperback, 279 pages

I loved this book! David Lubar is one of my favorite YA authors. This is one of the Division 2 Maud Hart Lovelace nominees for this year. Scott is starting senior high and is a bit concerned about his survival. Meanwhile, his older brother who dropped out of high school decides to move back home, and his mother announces that she's pregnant.

Scott decides to keep a notebook of advice for the new baby (insisting it is NOT a diary) and his thoughts are recorded for posterity. Funny, touching, realistic. This is a delightful book!

From a Distance

by Tamera Alexander
paperback, Carver County, 379 pages

Elizabeth Westbrook, daughter of a Union officer and senator, travels west to take photographs and try to win a job on the Washington newspaper. She encounters Daniel Ranslett, who fought with the South in the Civil War.

Started out as totally typical historical romance. I ended up enjoying the character of Josiah, a former slave, very much. There was enough mystery and character development to make it a worthwhile read. I've already heard one person describe it as "fluff," but our discussion is next week.

Sticks & Stones

by Susan Meissner
Lake Agassiz Regional Library, paperback, 248 pages

In this one, Rachael, Trace, and McKenna have moved back to the Twin Cities. Rachael is now working for Ramsey County when she receives a note that a body will be found. She shares the note with her friend Will Pendleton, and they again embark on an investigation.

I enjoyed this story a little less than the previous one. Maybe I'm just too hard to please with books - kind of like Louie with restaurants. Rachael and Trace have an almost cloyingly perfect relationship. It seems that the things Rachael agonizes over are a bit over-done.

I think I prefer Meissner's Why the Sky Is Blue over these Flynn mysteries, but maybe I shouldn't have read them sequentially . . . I think my favorite is still Figaro and his approach to life and creativity. Fun!

Widows & Orphans

by Susan Meissner
Lake Agassiz Regional Library, paperback, 267 pages

Rachael Flynn's brother has confessed to murder, but Rachael is sure he's lying to help someone else. Josh had dedicated his life at age 12 to helping widows and orphans, in obedience to James 1:27. As attorney Rachael and her artist husband, Trace, return to Minnesota from NYC, they also have their baby McKenna to take care of.

The uncovering of the truth was well-done, with pieces coming bit by bit. I love the character of Figaro! What a great description of a quirky friend! Detective Will Pendleton was pretty cool, but perhaps a bit unrealistically portrayed in allowing Rachael full access to the investigation. . . Overall, a nice little mystery.

The Shadow Thieves

by Anne Ursu
Carver County, hardcover, 424 pages

I finally read this book after two years of students recommending it! Charlotte and her cousin Zee get involved with the Underworld after the demigod(?) Philonecron decides to overthrow Hades with an army of shadows. The two young people are wonderful characters, with both strengths and flaws. The adventure drew me in, even though I don't particularly like the premise that mythology is the "real" truth as far as what happens when people die.

There were fun language choices and it was a very fun story overall with good descriptions and wonderful pacing. This will be easy to recommend (along with the Percy Jackson books) for kids interested in mythology or just a good read.

I'm still not sure how Mr. Metos recombined the shadows though . . . maybe the sequel tells.

Things We Once Held Dear

Ann Tatlock
Carver County Library, paperback, 391 pages

My least favorite Tatlock book so far, this chronicles the emotional journey of Neil Sadler's return to his small-town home from NYC after his wife's meningitis death. The back flap made the events of the past sound so compelling, but the book seemed to be more of a genealogy of the entire town than a cohesive narrative.

I did enjoy characters like good old Uncle Bernie and his way of communicating. I also liked some of the descriptive passages - especially of the kids getting lost playing hide and seek in the corn fields. But I was frustrated by the numerous characters (almost literally - every person in the town was listed, referred to, or described), the repetition of certain explanations or phrases (like the smell of "unwashed flesh"), and the number of people who died unusually young (for literary convenience? Caroline at 40, Cal at 44, and Madlyn in her 60s).

Basically, all three Tatlock books that I've read have dealt with the same theme of estrangement and dealing with the past. This one was the least satisfying that I've read. When true resolution of the problem comes decades late . . . it just seems to miss the point.

Every Secret Thing

by Ann Tatlock
paperback, Carver County, 364 pages

Beth Gunnar returns to her old high school to teach English, but is haunted by something that happened her senior year. All of her old friends seem to have moved on, but she can't let go of what happened to Mr. Dutton. A seemingly rebellious student, Satchel Queen, ends up being one of her best students. Beth develops a maternal concern for Satchel, then re-connects with others from her past in surprising ways.

I liked this one a lot, and cried at the end. Wonderful story! I like how things come full circle at the end.

Charlie Bone and the Beast

by Jenny Nimmo
hardcover, Carver County library, 389 pages

In this story, Charlie tries to find out the source of a mysterious, mournful howling. He also wants to know who the creatures are who have been following him around. As in all the CB stories, his friends rally around him and everything works out fine in the end.

I'm really not sure why I enjoy these books . . . they're not very well-developed. The font is large with lots of white space on the page. They're clearly written for younger readers . . . whatever.

Dagbert Endless was an interesting new character.

The Shack

by William P. Young
paperback, personal copy, 248 pages

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but it's not one of my top tens. I enjoyed our book club discussion even more than reading the book itself! Most of us felt that it was primarily a story about God's love and desire for relationship with us. Some felt that it was purposefully trying to "rock" people's preconceived notions. It was interesting to hear about some Christians' objections to the book. It almost seems like some folks are going out of their way to find something to object to.

Mack's beloved youngest daughter has been abducted and brutally murdered, the body never found. "The Great Sadness" descends on him until he finds a note in his mailbox from "Papa," his wife's name for God. Not sure what he'll find, Mack returns to the site of the crime to get some answers. There, he encounters three beings who change his life.

I almost didn't finish the book before the book club got to my house! I was glad I did, though, because there was a surprise twist at the end. This is definitely a worthwhile read. Many of us would love to hear a non-believer's perspective on it.