The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
illustrations by Dave McKean
PRMS hardcover 312 pages

This was a re-read for the eighth grade book club, except I didn't finish it before we discussed it. Interesting that in general, the girls disliked it and the guys liked it. I definitely enjoyed it more the second time around. It was less strange to me and I was able to enjoy the details more. It's an unusual book about Nobody (Bod) Owens being raised in a graveyard by the ghosts. The nature of the Jacks (mortal?) and Silas is never very clear, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Waiting for Normal

by Leslie Connor
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 6.75 hours
read by Angela Rogers

At first, the reader's voice kind of bugged me. She sounded too young, somehow. But by the end of the story, I was crying my eyes out. Addie is the daughter of a very dysfunctional woman. I think the hardest part for me was knowing that kids like Addie exist everywhere - even at my school. Inattentive parents, a lack of guidance and support, challenging situations . . . this was a powerful story.

Chobits

by "Clamp"
volumes 1-8

This manga series caught my attention when I ordered a set off Amazon. Volumes 1-5 were already in my collection and it cost as much to order the set of eight as it did to order just volumes 6-8. When my para was getting ready to add them to the system, some of the content caught her eye. So I took them home to read.

Volumes 1 & 2 seem to exist to grab readers - to titillate and entice. I think what shocked me the most was that they are created, written, and drawn by a group of women! They objectify and sexualize women in such a gratuitous and blatant way! With the successive volumes 3-8, that element dies down and the story line develops more, but that saddens me as well.

Chobits are somewhat mythical persocoms who are such highly developed humanoid robots that they can actually learn and feel emotions. The main character falls in love with his persocom and they have a happy-ever-after experience.

Is this a Japanese cultural statement? Perhaps if electronics develop enough, people don't need to bother with human relationships. They can just have a computer that looks and acts perfectly in accord with one's wishes. No thanks.

No Talking!

by Andrew Clements
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 3 hours
read by Keith Nobbs

Although it's a very elementary-school story (most of Clements' books are . . . ), I enjoyed this tale of boys vs. girls. The main character decides to be completely silent for one day after learning about Gandhi. He blows it, but learns that it's possible to avoid talking. When he challenges one of the most chatty girls to a contest, the all-out silence upsets some teachers and the principal, who demand that they act and speak in a "normal" manner. The first lunchroom / principal scene is my favorite part of the book. This is just a very "young" read.

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

by Neal Gabler
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 8ish hours
*abridged*
read by Leonardo Leoncavallo

I usually don't read abridgements, but I missed that detail until the story was over. This was a fascinating look at a very interesting man. In some ways, I was appalled by Disney and his choices. In other ways, I love that he overcame some very serious problems in order to become successful. The author's "voice" was odd - sometimes seeming to adulate Disney and other times painting him as a sad little loser. This makes me want to read other books on Disney. How sad that his nephew Roy just died. The dynasty belongs to others. I had never realized how huge a role his brother Roy had played in building the Disney empire. Very interesting story. The reader's voice was fine, for the most part.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Demigod Files

by Rick Riordan
PRMS, 140 pages, hardcover

A student told me I "had" to read this before reading book five. It's a delightful little book, written as though told to other demi-gods. There are three short stories, some interviews, drawings, etc. I enjoyed the three stories and how they enriched our view of some characters (especially Clarisse and Nico). Delightful book. Quick read.

Crooked House

by Agatha Christie
Dakota County Library, audioCD 5 hrs, 45 min

Typical whodunnit, but with characters I've not met before. Charles Hayward is in love with Sophia Leonides, but when her grandfather is murdered, their engagement is put on hold. The cast of characters and the "obvious" murderer(s) only point to a much more complex answer. The ending was fantastic!

The Battle of the Labyrinth

by Rick Riordan
PRMS paperback 361 pages

In this installment, Percy and friends try to find Daedalus in the labyrinth that he built. They know that Luke will try to attack Camp Half-Blood through an entrance to the labyrinth. Adventure, danger, and some flirting ensue.

I'm so glad that kids are excited about reading these books and getting genuinely interested in mythology as a result! I'm looking forward to reading the last book to see who will fulfill the prophecy.

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel
Dakota County Library, audioCD, 11.5 hours
read by Jeff Woodman

This was both fascinating and infuriating. What an odd mix of zoology and theology in the guise of a survival adventure. Piscine (Pi) Patel is traveling from India to Canada with his family when their ship sinks. The only human survivor, Pi is on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutang, and a Bengal tiger.

Least liked: the hyena eating the zebra live, the muddied theology of being a devout Hindu and Christian and Muslim successfully. The ending. Grr! The way Richard Parker was mentioned for many chapters without me having a clue who he was.

Most liked: the beautiful way he uses language! Some of the passages were so striking, I wanted to stop and write them down. I liked the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. The survival aspects of the story.



I liked the book much more the second time around. I almost wish I owned a print copy . . . and may yet buy one.

• "Fellow students . . . who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright." I had to be parked and hit the back button to listen to this and get the wording right. I love the way he expresses things!
• I made a comment about science vs religion . . . the character is a double-major in those fields and makes some very interesting observations. It apparently bothered me the first time, but I appreciated the insights this time.
• I made a note about the rich detail and beautiful language.
• Pondicherry, India and Toronto, Canada
• Richard Parker . . . fascinating
• Mr. Kumar (atheist teacher) and Mr. Kumar (Muslim baker) - both had a profound impact on young Pi.
• Piscine / pissing / Pi - school kids can be so mean. I love his solution to the name issue!
• seven months at sea! 1977-78
• killing sea turtles - makes me sad. 
• Zebra becomes young Chinese sailor with broken leg / hyena and man in other lifeboat becomes cruel French cook who killed a man and a woman and was killed by Richard Parker / the orangutang Orange Juice became Pi's mother / the tiger Richard Parker . . . becomes Pi!
• the ending . . . what's the true story?
• 100 chapters with #99 being the alternate story
•  

Leepike Ridge

by N.D. Wilson
PRMS paperback 224 pages

Tom doesn't like his mom's boyfriend. When he rides a large styrofoam "raft" on the river, he actually falls asleep and ends up sucked under a ridge into the mountain. Missing and presumed dead, Tom just wants to survive. First he lands on a beach-type area with a dead body. After locating the dead man's helmet, he begins to explore.

Filled with adventure, danger, and a little bit of mystery, this book kept me wanting to find out what happened.

Some of the passages were odd . . . like the author's opening on "onces."