Books That Matter

A few years back, the gifted students in my son's school district had to come up with a a topic for a Problem Based Learning activity.  They had to choose a problem and research it, and then come up with possible solutions.  My son's class chose the near extinction of white tigers or something like that, and I thought to myself, This project would be so much more meaningful if they chose a topic that they could ACTUALLY make a difference in.  You know, because then they could take some real steps toward making a difference, which would afford them all kinds of learning opportunities in addition to the research and brainstorming that they did.  Plus, of course, they would be making a difference, which is worth something even without the educational value.  

I recently came across a book that presents just such a topic.  It is called Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan.

Thirteen-year-old Habo has always been different— light eyes, yellow hair and white skin. Not the good brown skin his family has and not the white skin of tourists. Habo is strange and alone. His father, unable to accept Habo, abandons the family; his mother can scarcely look at him. His brothers are cruel and the other children never invite him to play. Only his sister Asu loves him well. But even Asu can’t take the sting away when the family is forced from their small Tanzanian village, and Habo knows he is to blame.
Seeking refuge in Mwanza, Habo and his family journey across the Serengeti. His aunt is glad to open her home until she sees Habo for the first time, and then she is only afraid. Suddenly, Habo has a new word for himself: Albino. But they hunt Albinos in Mwanza because Albino body parts are thought to bring good luck. And soon Habo is being hunted by a fearsome man with a machete.

To survive, Habo must not only run, but find a way to love and accept himself. - excerpt from book jacket

This novel is specifically about an albino boy struggling to survive and learning to accept his value as a person, but on a broader scale, it presents the overall plight of Albinos in certain parts of Africa.  It is a fictional story with  made-up characters, but it is based on actual events that are happening today.  (Not two weeks after finishing the novel, I came across a news story online about this exact thing happening, and I saw another story in the news just recently.)

The great thing about this being a fiction book, is that it allows the reader to be drawn in to learning about the issue without realizing it - the topic is introduced to a person who either might never have come across it from a non-fiction source or who  might have just passed over it if they had.  In addition, the reader is introduced to a character that they can relate to and become emotionally invested in, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the issue and how it affects those involved.  By creating this connection with the character (it's not a real person, of course, but I think a type of connection can be made nonetheless), the reader is brought one step closer to I know someone who . . .  and the issue becomes a bit harder to dismiss.  

As a book, Golden Boy is just a nice average - nothing spectacular that makes you say wow.    But what I really liked about it, and what makes me want to recommend it to everyone, is that it is more than just a story.  It is a call to action.  And it is a call to action that each and every reader can actually answer in one way or another.  

There are other novels out there that present issues that are concerning, but that one person really has no power to do much about (like the extreme poverty in the Philippines, where thousands of people, including children, live in and around the Payatas landfill - see Trash by Andy Mulligan).  But this novel presents an issue that one reader, or a book club, or a classroom, can - in a variety of ways - make a positive impact on the lives of one or more individuals, depending on their level of involvement.  

The really nice thing is that the author provides information (both at the back of the book and on her website) on ways a person can get involved and who to contact in order to do so.  So whether a reader is a student looking for a service project or just a person who wants to make a difference, Golden Boy is a book that provides not only a rewarding reading experience, but also the opportunity to do some good.  

An additional note:  The author mentions donating supplies and contributing funds as ways a person can help, but I think another great idea that she has missed is working to raise awareness, as well as letter-writing campaigns to corporations who could contribute money and/or products, or government officials - in our country and abroad - who could work toward a solution.  

Rating:  3.5 Stars
Reading Level:  5.1
Age Appropriate:  Upper Middle Grades and above
Page Count/Word Count:  358/ 89,475
Genre:  General/Realistic Fiction
Keywords: Africa, albinos, family, blindness, survival

Bring On the Undead (part 2)

In my last post, I talked about the different types of zombie novels out there, and I reviewed a novel that portrayed the zombies in the classic sense.  Today I am going to give a short review of three other books that I think fall into the zombie category, even though the zombies (as I consider them) might not be portrayed in the typical zombie sense.

The first book is Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

Follow Benny and his friends as they leave behind the safety of their fenced-in town to search for the living in the world of the dead. Along the way they discover that the greatest evil they’ll face still has a heartbeat.  - excerpt from book jacket

This book, the first in a series of four, falls into the classic-type zombie category:  people died, they came back from the dead, they had turned into mindless, rotting, animated corpses who attacked living people and infected them.  I didn't really enjoy the book.  In fact, I only finished reading it to find out how it ends, only to discover that it doesn't.  I decided to just leave the story hanging and not continue with the rest of the series.  So, what was wrong with it?  Well, it did try to get the characters (and readers, I presume) to view the zombies as victims to be respected and left alone if possible, which I guess is nice, and a new perspective to take, but I was really unimpressed with the writing.  I thought the pacing was much too slow for most of the book, and it read more like a Juvenile Fiction novel than the YA fiction I tend to go for.  A middle grade student with less reading under their belt might enjoy it, but it was kind of long, so I really wouldn't recommend it for the reluctant reader.

Rating:  2.5 Stars
Reading Level:  5.0
Age Appropriate:  Upper Middle Grades and above



The second book is Contaminated by Em Garner.

After the Contamination—an epidemic caused by the super-trendy diet drink ThinPro that turned ordinary citizens into violent, uncontrollable creatures—the government rounded up the "Connies" to protect the remaining population. Now, two years later, the rehabilitated are being allowed home, complete with shock collars that will either control, or kill, them.

Velvet Ellis has struggled to care for her ten-year-old sister since her parents were taken in the round up. When she finds her mother in one of the "Kennels," Velvet resolves to do whatever it takes to put her family back together. But the danger isn’t over. It’s beginning all over again…  - excerpt from book jacket

This novel did the not-dead-but-otherwise-all-characteristics-of-the-classic-zombie thing.  But, there was a twist - the contaminated (zombies) could be un-zombiefied, and maybe, some of them, could have a full recovery and become normal people again.  Very interesting.

I liked this one.  It took a brand new approach that I hadn't come across before.  The writing was good, the pacing was just right, and it was pretty much believable.  It is the first book in a trilogy.  The second book, Mercy Mode, just came out a couple of months ago.  It wasn't quite as good as the first one, but good enough to keep me interested in reading the final installment.

Rating:  3.5 Stars
Reading Level:  4.4
Age Appropriate:  Upper Middle Grades and above
Page Count/Word Count:  330/ 80,572
Genre:  Action/Adventure, Post apocalyptic/Pandemic
Keywords:  zombies, family relationships, survival



The third book is Reboot by Amy Tintera.

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders. - excerpt from book jacket

Okay.  So this one has the dead coming back to life, but instead of being mindless and decaying and ravenous for human flesh, they are more like cold-blooded (in both senses of the word) super-humans.  Not anything like the typical zombie, but undead nonetheless.

This is a two-book series that I really enjoyed.  It was fast-paced and interesting, with lots of action, but also the depth of plot and characters that you would expect of a YA novel.  Here is the official trailer to give you a little taste:

Reboot is a good book for people who enjoy reading, as well as for those reluctant readers out there. The little bit of romance that is hinted at in the excerpt from the book jacket shouldn't deter guys from reading this either - it is so totally not a romance novel.  It is probably not appropriate for readers younger that high school aged, though, due to some content (other than violence).


Rating:  4 Stars
Reading Level:  4.7
Age Appropriate:  Upper Grades
Page Count/Word Count:  365/ 81,217
Genre:  Action/Adventure, Post Apocalyptic/Pandemic
Keywords: zombies, soldiers, survival

Bring On the Undead (part 1)

One of the things I enjoy most about reading so many books is the opportunity that it affords me to compare and contrast the writing styles of authors or the way in which they choose to approach a particular genre.  For example, I've found the collection of Zombie novels out there to be very interesting for one particular reason:  the variety in the way the whole concept of zombies has been approached.  There are the classic zombies (mindless dead-come-back-to-life), the undead but not mindless, and the mindless but not dead.  While reading these books, I have interpreted all three to be types of zombies, and the creativity of the writers tackling this broader concept amazes me.

I read my first zombie novel about six years ago.  It was The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

In Mary’s world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? - excerpt from book jacket

I didn't even realize that this was a novel about zombies until I was quite a few chapters into it. (The copy I picked up had a different cover, without the phrase at the top to give it away.)  The story kept referring to the Unconsecrated outside the fence, and after a while I was like Hey, wait a minute! Those are zombies!  Maybe I didn't make the connection right away because the story wasn't what I would have expected a book about zombies to be like.  Six years and hundreds of books later, the details have become a bit fuzzy in my mind, but I remember thinking at the time that it was a nice coming-of-age story with a thoroughly developed theme, and I was like, Huh. Who knew a story about zombies could be so deep and thought-provoking?!

From what I've seen, most people who have read this book either loved it or hated it.  I fell somewhere in the middle.  It had some romance, some mystery, and a little action and suspense thrown in, too.  It wasn't an amazing novel, but it is definitely worth the read if you are interested in zombies and want a book with more substance than just having scared, alive people trying not to be eaten by mindless rotting undead people.

Oh, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth is the first book in a trilogy, so if you enjoy it, you'll have two more to look forward to.

Rating:  3.5 Stars
Reading Level:  5.8
Age Appropriate:  Upper Grades
Page Count/Word Count:  310/ 86,485
Genre:  Mystery, Post-Apocalyptic/Pandemic, Romance
Keywords: zombies, family, secrets, survival

Not Your Classic Orphan Novel

Okay, so who out there has read Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre, or Great Expectations?  How about Oliver Twist, Pollyanna, Heidi or the Secret Garden?  Well, The Willoughbys by Lois Lowery is not any of those by a long shot, but apparently the characters within it were familiar with the classic orphan stories.

"SHOULDN'T WE BE ORPHANS?" one of the Willoughby children suggests one day.  The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned family, and their parents - well, their parents are not all that one would hope for.  Recalling literary heroes and heroines such as Anne of Green Gables, Pollyana, and James with his giant peach, the Willoughbys concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel . . .   - excerpt from book jacket

This book is one of my all-time favorites.  It is an absolutely hilarious parody of those classic orphan tales, complete with abandoned babies on doorsteps and wealthy benefactors.  It has that quirky, ridiculous kind of humor to it that is so much like the works of Philip Ardagh.

Not only is the premise funny, but the entire plot with it's imitation of those "old-fashioned" works of literature just adds to the humor.  The author even tries to get the feel of the writing of the time, by using so many big words that I actually had to set a dictionary on the couch next to me as I read.  (Only to discover at the end of the book that she had included a Glossary, with definitions as funny as the story itself!)  And then there was the imitation German accent (you'll know what I mean when you read the book), that, having taken German as a foreign language in school, I found so amusing it almost had me falling out of my chair with laughter.  Now, that doesn't mean that this book will only be funny to well-read, somewhat older, former students of the German language.  My son read this book when he was in fifth grade and, despite having absolutely no background in classic literature nor experience with anything remotely German, he thought the book was hilarious as well.

This is the kind of book that will have you laughing out loud in public places (assuming you are reading it in a public place), and will give you the irrepressible urge to read parts out loud to whoever else happens to be in the room (I did this to my husband; I'm sure he wasn't at all interested, but I just couldn't help myself).

I loved this book.  My son loved this book.  There are probably, like, several thousand other people out there who loved this book, and I'm pretty sure that you will love it too.

Rating:  5 Stars
Reading Level:  5.2
Age Appropriate:  Middle Grade (and even younger, really)
Page Count/Word Count:  174/ 23,990
Genre:  Humor
Keywords: brothers and sisters, orphans, humor

How Does She Come Up with This Stuff?!

I want to tell you about a book that is, at the moment, my all-time favorite.  I checked it out of the library when I was on a binge of reading scary stories.  As I got further into the book, I realized that that's not quite what it was.  I wasn't too disappointed, though, because what it actually was . . . was INCREDIBLY AMAZING.

Now, those of you who find books to read by browsing the shelves in the bookstore may have passed right over this one, because it is shelved with the Teen Romance novels.  I'm sorry, but this book is so not Romance.  Okay, so it does have some relationship angst, and it is based on the premise that if the protagonist kisses her true love he will die, but the book is so much more than that!  It could just as easily be shelved with the paranormal books, or the ghost story books, or in the mystery/suspense section.  There are even some action/adventure aspects and coming of age sort of stuff.  Oh, and then there are the fantasy elements that have been tossed in for good measure.  You might be thinking, well that book sounds like it is a total mess!  But in reality, the combination of all of these aspects mixed up together creates something that is so much more that the sum of its parts.

Oh, and then there's the writing.  I won't even try to explain it - trying to find the right words just leaves me speechless.  Let's just say that I don't come across something that is so . . . so . . . Wow  (I don't know how else to describe it - I did mention being speechless didn't I?) every day, or even every year to be honest.

So I'll bet that you're on the edge of your seat now, wiggling around with anticipation, wondering just what book it is that you need to rush out immediately and obtain a copy of.  And the answer to that is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be-dead walk past.  Blue never sees them - until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, and he's a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school.  Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys.  Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.  

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain.  He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die.  She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem.  But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.  -excerpt from book jacket

The Raven Boys is actually the first book in a series.  When I found this out, I was super excited to discover that there were three books already out.  I was like, Yay!  I don't have to wait to find out what happens!  Then, I was super bummed at the end of the third book, when I realized that the story wasn't over and I would have to wait almost a year to see what happens next.  But then I was super excited again, because I was like, Yay!  More to read!  I am now hoping that there are like ten more books in the series, because I could go on reading them for, like, forever.



There is just something about these books, just the right type of bizarre-ness that, instead of being weird and confusing and leaving you scratching your head and saying What?!, is instead, strange and wonderful and makes you say Give me more!  This series is so unlike anything I've ever read before, it makes me think, How does she come up with this stuff?  Seriously, it is that original, that creative, that . . . Wow.

Here is a piece of music that I think gives an overall sense of the series:

Some books should be made into movies, they are that awesome.  This series should be made into a television show.  Not only is it that awesome, but each book is jam-packed with so much good stuff it would take an entire season to do it justice.

Here is a fan-made trailer in the form of opening credits for a Raven Boys production.  (I would make some changes with the way the names appear, but it is really pretty good otherwise.)

And two more that I thought did a great job showing what the books are like, although they focus more on the romance and action/adventure parts, and less on the paranormal, fantasy, and mystery aspects. (I don't know where the clips came from, but I hope you aren't already familiar with them and it ruins the effect for you!)  The background music on the first one is actually written and performed by the author of the series, Maggie Stiefvater. ( She uses it in her own animated book trailer that, alas, would be pretty good if the voices on it weren't so darn weird - you can find it on her website if you're interested.)

If you are looking for a simple love story, this isn't the series for you.  These books are complex and complicated.  And they aren't just about Blue and Gansey, either.  They are about the entire circle of complicated friends and their relationships with one another.  Hello - that's why the book is called the Raven Boys.


Ever since I finished The Raven Boys, any time the topic of books comes up, I tell the person to read this series.  And I'm telling you, now:  Read This Series.  Now.


Rating:  5 Stars (Can I give it more?)
Reading Level:  5.4/5.0/5.1
Age Appropriate:  Upper Grades
Page Count/Word Count:  409/ 102,956
Genre:  Mystery, Action/Adventure, Paranormal/Supernatural, Romance
Keywords: friendship, quests, mystery, ghosts, romance

Those Darned Book Lists!

I can not tell you how many times I've sat down at the computer and searched lists trying to find books I thought my son would enjoy reading.  Fiction about a particular topic or time period, books in a particular genre, books for reluctant readers, books that will interest a gifted student - you get the picture.  And then of course there was the search for books in a particular genre on or above the 6th grade reading level.  (I had to explain to his teacher that your'e not going to find too many of those out there, and even less that are on a higher reading level AND age appropriate for a 10 year old or younger.  But hey, once someone is a proficient reader, they can spend a lot of their time just reading books that cause them to THINK - you know, analyze, evaluate, all of those higher level cognitive skills.)

As frustrating as searching those lists has been, the thing that probably bothers me the most is the amount of overlap I find.  Sometimes I wonder if the person making the list didn't just get their titles off of another list!  I mean, there have been more than twenty or thirty books published that are appropriate for, say, 5th graders.  And honestly, I've read some of the books I see over and over on the lists, and I didn't think they were very good.  I've read many, many books appropriate for all grade levels that were really great, but I haven't seen any of them on any lists.

So, I have decided to post my lists, books by genre, all of which I've actually read and would give at least 3 out of 5 stars.  You can find them by clicking on the links at right under the title Book Lists.

Note:  Lists are arranged with Title, Author, Reading Level, Age Appropriate Level, and Descriptive Tags.
(Age appropriate level denotes the youngest readers that the book is appropriate for.  That doesn't mean that older readers will not enjoy the book!)

* =  books that I thought were GREAT

UG = upper grades  (contain sex, drugs, and/or very graphic violence; deal with mature subject matter such as rape, prostitution, child abuse, etc. )
MG+ = junior high  (may contain some profanity or sexual references; may deal with subject matter too mature for younger audiences)
MG = 4th through 6th grades (nothing inappropriate for children, but may not keep the interest of younger readers)
MG- = all ages (perfect for bedtime stories or read-alouds, or for precocious readers in the lower grades)

* = LGBTQ themes - characters, situations, or references to same-sex couples


When a book is part of a series, only the first title is listed, but the reading level for all books in the series is shown.  Lists will be updated periodically as I read new books.

Jasper Who?

Several Years ago I was browsing the library shelves and I chose a book that turned out to be so incredible, I wondered why nobody seemed to be talking about it (I still haven't run across any mention of it except on Goodreads, after all this time).  Maybe it was because it wasn't an Oprah-book-club-thing, or because it was written by the lead singer of an Australian rock band and so nobody took it seriously enough to try it.  Maybe it was because the book deals with issues that polite society likes to sweep under the rug.  Or maybe it is because the book sets those issue in a time and place that hasn't been popular in the news media in recent years.  Whatever the reason, I think it's time that this novel gets the attention it deserves, and the readers that, to judge by the absence of hype, have undoubtedly been lacking.

The book I'm referring to is Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

Charlie Bucktin, a bookish thirteen year old, is startled one summer night by an urgent knock on his bedroom window. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in their small mining town, and he has come to ask for Charlie's help. Terribly afraid but desperate to impress, Charlie follows him into the night.
Jasper takes him to his secret glade, where Charlie witnesses Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion. He locks horns with his tempestuous mother, falls nervously in love, and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart.  - excerpt from book jacket

This novel is deep and extremely thought-provoking, exploring stereotypes and prejudice and the impact they can have on individuals and communities alike.  Should we respect and trust somebody simply because they hold a position of authority, even though we know nothing of their personal life?  Does having a child who appears to be perfect mean that the mother and/or father are model parents?  Should we judge somebody by their appearance, socio-economic status, or ethnic background?  Should we jump to conclusions and form opinions when we don't have all of the facts?  These are just some of the questions raised in Jasper Jones.

And that is exactly what makes this book so special.  It doesn't just tackle one way in which people allow their thoughts and actions to be influenced by perceptions.  It doesn't just address one type of discrimination or the way we sometimes erroneously place a public figure onto a pedestal.  Instead, the author explores the issue from several angles at once, ingeniously weaving them into one cohesive story that illustrates the broader lesson.

My only disappointment with this book was (and still is) the fact that because of the subject matter (adultery, incest, murder/suicide) as well as some profanity, it is probably not appropriate for most readers younger than high school.  This is an absolute shame, because the message that the book shares is so incredibly appropriate and relevant for the early teenage years, especially for those who are transitioning from junior high to high school, where they will be in a new environment, choosing new friends, and encountering new situations with choices to be made - all of which will impact their development as they grow into the person they will be as an adult.  Not to mention the impact that their decisions and actions will have on others that they come in contact with.  Parents might consider reading the novel with the more mature younger teen and discussing it as they go along.  The opportunity to read such a powerful novel that teaches an incredibly important lesson so well should not be missed.

Rating:  5 Stars
Reading Level:  3.9
Age Appropriate:  Upper Grades

The Persephone Problem

Having a background in History and Anthropology, I find fairy tales and myths to be especially interesting.  When I read a story from theses genres, I find myself wondering, is there a historical kernel of truth that has been embellished and evolved over time through retellings and regional variations?  If so, what really happened?  How can the modern version be reinterpreted with an understanding of the historical context in which the story actually took place?  What motivated the characters to act as they did?  What conflicts and emotions drove their actions and resulted in the outcome we see?    Is the story simply a morality tale with a lesson to convey?  Does knowing the historical context change our interpretation of the the story's intent?

I love reading both non-fiction analyses of such things (Check out The Rumplestiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde - super interesting!)  as well as the modern retellings that attempt to answer those questions and give the characters a depth that we don't see in the traditional versions.

I recently read a novel that was the ancient-Greek-immortals-in-modern-times sort of thing, and it challenged the idea that Hades kidnapped Persephone and forced her into the Underworld, as the popular version of the myth claims.  A character in the novel raises the question of whether this is even possible, or if she must have chosen to go with him willingly.  Although I'm vaguely familiar with the ancient Greek myths, I've never studied them in depth or given them much thought.  So I'd never considered that question before, but found it intriguing.  About two months later I came across a book called Radiant Darkness, by Emily Whitman, that addresses that very question.

Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world.  But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful.  Paradise has become a trap.  Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives.  A stranger who promises something more - something dangerous and exciting- something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice.  A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself.     - excerpt from book jacket

The novel retells the Persephone myth as if it actually occurred in the distant past, and is not simply a tale used to explain the seasons.  It adopts the perspective that Persephone wanted to go with Hades to the Underworld. It explores the events and emotions that led up to Persephone's decision, how her choice affected both the gods and goddesses involved as well as the humans on earth, how the decision was made for her to return, and why the myth was recorded with erroneous facts.

I really enjoyed this novel.  Not only was it interesting and believable, but was surprisingly relevant as a coming-of-age story.  It would be a good read for simple enjoyment, but also for students who are studying the literary elements of imagery, symbolism, and motifs, as well as internal and external conflict as it carries the plot forward and leads to character development.  The text was written in an easy to read, simple style, helping these elements to stand out and be more easily evaluated, yet not detracting from the quality of the novel at all.


Rating: 4 Stars
Reading Level: 4.4
Age Appropriate:  Although other online sources recommend Grade 9 and above, I think this book is perfectly appropriate for Upper Middle Grades.
Page Count/Word Count:  274/ 52,003
Genre:  Mythology, Coming of Age
Keywords: Persephone myth, mothers and daughters, romance

Oh, the Horror!

Did you notice the title of this post?  That just about sums up my efforts to find a good horror novel, and believe me, I've been searching for quite some time now.

Where is the good stuff?  Am I reading the wrong books, or am I just expecting too much???  I think part of the problem is the sheer number of books that I've read.  I've noticed that the more I read, the more I see the difference between the okay books and the really good books, not to mention those OMG-this-is-AWESOME books that everything else is compared to.  Those ones kind of set the bar high, so that the not-so-great books and the just-plain-bad books seem to be more like the terrible and truly-awful books.  I don't think I've found a horror book yet that I would say "wow" about, there are very few that I would actually recommend to others, and some have been so bad I'm still wondering why I finished reading them.  (I've learned my lesson since my "books to read" list got so long.  I don't slog through the muck anymore, 'cause, you know, you'll lose a flip-flop - there's a childhood story there if anyone wants to hear it.)

Complicating the search is the fact that there are so many types of books that sort of  fall into this category, but not exactly.  There are ghost stories and creepy stories and stories classified as thrillers, but I just can't seem to find any novels that are actually scary.  Maybe it's just a harder sort of book to write.  After all, a jump scare is just so much scarier when it happens in a blink of the eye, instead of taking three sentences to describe.

Here is a list of some of the books I've read that kinda sorta  fall into the Horror category.  I didn't include the zombie, vampire, werewolf type stuff, as there are so many of them out there now that they seem to have grown into their own sub-genres.  I also didn't include books about ghosts or the paranormal here unless they seemed to be written as a classic horror story.  I'll save those for another time.

Project 17 
by Laurie Faria Stolarz
(Upper Grades/Reading Level 4.8)
This one does the classic search-the-abandoned-mental-hospital thing. It wasn't too bad, but just not scary.

Asylum
by Madeleine Roux
(Upper Grades/Reading Level 5.1)
This has the same type of concept, except the asylum has been turned into a dorm.  It was really not very good at all, and a long book to boot.

Long Lankin 
by Lindsey Barraclough
(Upper Grades/ Reading Level 5.4)
This one has the family curse and evil ghost in the decrepit old manor and abandoned church.  It was pretty good, probably 3.5 or 4 out of 5 stars.  It would probably make a nice scary movie, since it is the type of story that lends itself well to visuals and jump scares.  Unfortunately, it was just a bit too slow in written format for the same effect.

The Stone Child 
by Dan Pobloki
(Middle Grades/ Reading Level 5.2)
This one has evil creatures from stories popping up in real life.  It wasn't too bad, probably a 3 star book, and completely appropriate for the middle grades which is a plus.

The Crossroads
by Chris Grabenstein
(Middle Grades/ Reading Level 4.0)
This is about a malevolent ghost that was trapped but got free - the sequel has other ghosts.  Both have mystery involved.  Also about 3 stars, and great for the middle grades.

Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake 
(Upper Grades/ Reading Level 4.6) 

This book has a guy who hunts evil ghosts falling in love with one of his targets.  It and its sequel were pretty good, maybe 3 star material, although I wasn't really impressed with Kendare Blake as a writer (She totally redeemed herself with Antigoddess, which I will review at a later time).  But the book wasn't really scary. 

Bonechiller
by Graham McNamee
(Upper Grades/ Reading Level 3.8)
This book is about some ancient evil creature hunting the residents in a snowbound town.  It wasn't too bad, but I'm not sure it fits exactly into the horror category.

Fiendish
by Brenna Yovanoff
(Upper Grades/ Reading Level 5.8)
This one has fiends, mystery, and teenagers with strange abilities wreaking havoc on their town.  It was a really, really good book, 4.5 star material, but once again, not quite horror.  It was definitely super creepy, but as for scary . . . not so much.  

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
by Chris Wooding
(Upper Middle Grades/Reading Level 7.1)
This book is about a guy who hunts evil creatures and the possessed girl he tries to save.  It was probably one of the best I've found in this genre, but I'm not sure I would even give it a full 4 stars. 

The Girl from the Well
by Rin Chupeco
(Upper Grades/Reading Level 6.3)
This has an ancient ghost who seeks revenge against evil people.  It is another one that would make a great movie, but it was just an okay book.  Not a bad read, but kind of disappointing anyway.  

The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab
(Upper Grades/Reading Level 4.8)
This has an ancient evil, disappearing children, and a strange teenage boy blamed for the problems.  It was a pretty good book, and would make an awesome movie.  The author does a pretty good job with creating suspense at the crucial parts. (And guys, don't be put off by the cover art - it is really not a good fit for the story!)               



In closing, I would like to mention two horror books that you ABSOLUTELY should NOT read!!!  Now, these are books that I actually finished before I learned my lesson as previously mentioned.  There have been quite a few other ones that I didn't get past the first couple of chapters, so I didn't bother recording the titles for posterity's sake.

Ten
by Gretchen McNeil

This book was absolutely terrible.  I chose it because I saw it recommended on a website, and it was pretty short so I thought it might be a good choice for my son.  The story was classic horror movie stuff; teenagers alone in a house on a remote island getting murdered and all that.  The plot was so predictable, it was beyond boring.  The characters were even worse.  The dialogue was bad, bad, bad.  I guess it was supposed to be suspenseful, but it really was not.  I sped read the majority just to find out "who done it," even though I was ready to quit by the end of the first chapter.  Please don't waste a couple of hours of your life on this book.  Watching a B horror movie instead would be much more entertaining.

The Turning
by Francine Prose

If you thought the last one sounded bad, this one was the worst book I have ever read!  Unbelievably, I saw it on a lot of recommended reading lists for middle grade horror novels.  Let me just say that the people writing those lists must not have read very many books, because if they had even ten to twenty other novels to compare this to they would realize how absolutely horrible it is in comparison to what else is out there.  I don't even know what I was thinking when I decided to keep going with this book, because it was bad from the beginning and only got worse.  Maybe I was trying to figure out what the big reveal would be in the end.  (It turns out there wasn't really one at all.)  There was nothing, nothing, nothing good about this book, unless you you want to count that it was a quick and easy read.

Welcome

596 down . . .  That's right.  Over the past seven years, I've managed to read approximately 596 books.  It's actually a bit more than that, because it was a while before I started to keep track of the titles.

I've always enjoyed reading, but between college studies, followed by my job as a teacher (if you aren't a teacher, you don't realize how much personal time is sacrificed to the profession), and then raising a young child, I didn't have a lot of time to devote to books.  When my son was six, however, I signed him up for Tae Kwon Do, and I started reading while I waited for him to finish class.  Four times a week, an hour each time.  The more I read, the more I wanted to read, and I started reading at night instead of watching t.v., and then I started reading on the weekends instead of keeping up with my scrapbooking (sorry son, I'll get past your nine year old scrapbook someday!).

As I searched for new books, I discovered that there are SO MANY out there that sounded interesting.  I started jotting down the titles and authors for when I made a trip to the library (because honestly, I don't have a line item in my budget to cover six to eight new books a month, nor do I have that oft-dreamt-of home library in which to house such books even if I did).  About three weeks ago, I decided it was time to consolidate the miscellaneous books to read  lists that I had floating around, which led me to . . .

723 to go.  Really.  It turns out that there are actually 723 books on my list of books to read.  No, that's not entirely true, because I've read a few books since then which have been crossed off the list, and yesterday I added ten new ones....but you get the idea.  Needless to say, when I counted them up I felt a pang of despair.  If I only manage to read about 75 books each year, it will take me like EIGHT YEARS to read all those books.  But in the meantime, there will be like 50 new books published every year that I come across and want to read.  So it was a little more than just a pang.  It was more like a full minute of eager anticipation withering into despair.  And then like five more minutes of this feeling of urgency to figure out how to get around the fact that I have actual responsibilities and can't spend my whole day reading. I decided that I'm better off just not thinking about it, especially since I was already in the middle of two projects (still not finished) and now here I am starting a blog instead of finishing the book I started four days ago (I know, I have to read like three books a week to see any progress in whittling down my list!).

So . . . considering the whole so many books, so little time problem, why in the world am I starting a blog???  The truth is, this is a homework assignment for a class that I'm taking.  I have to write a blog.  Why a book blog?  There are literally hundreds of blogs about books out there!  Do we really need another one?  Well, the truth is also that I've contemplated writing about the books I read for quite a while now, for a couple of reasons.

First, I love to talk about the books I read, but my husband is busy with work and he prefers non-fiction.  It's hard to be passionate about something and not be able to share it. Second, I wanted to offer something a little bit different, something that I myself have not been able to find - a blog that not only reviews books, but also offers a bit more information to help parents help their kids find books that they will not only enjoy, but ones that they can learn from and are appropriate for the readers' skill level, age, and maturity.

Most of the books I talk about will be classified as YA fiction, but from time to time I'll cover books found in the JUV fiction section of the library.  I have found however, that there are many, many books classified as one or the other that are perfectly appropriate and will be enjoyed by readers in a much broader age range than those that they are marketed to.  I hope my recommendations will help you sort through the hundred of books waiting to be read, so you can find the ones that lead to enjoyment, enrichment, and growth, while avoiding the frustration that comes with reading the first several chapters of something before tossing it into the return pile and realizing that you just wasted time that could be spent on an AMAZING book instead.

Get ready to read, enjoy, and repeat.  We may never get through our books to read  lists,  but I guess that's actually a good thing, huh?