According to Heat Vision, Angryfilms has optioned Cory Doctorow’s novel Little Brother. Doctorow is the also the co-editor of the very popular blog BoingBoing.
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Little Brother – The Movie
Month: March 2010
Hex Hall
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
When Sophie’s love charm goes horribly wrong at prom, she is sentenced to Hex Hall, a reform school for witches, shapeshifters, fairies and vampires. Having been raised by a non-gifted mother, Sophie knows little about the magic world which gets her into trouble at Hex Hall. In her first day, she is rooming with the controversial vampire, Jenna, she has angered three powerful dark witches, and she has a hopeless crush on one of the dark witch’s boyfriend. Could it get any worse? Throw in detention time spent cataloging garbage in a cellar, a strange spirit who won’t leave her alone, and family secrets and you have a wild ride of a book that is sure to please.
Hawkins has managed to write a story filled with witches, magic, vampires and other fantasy elements but also not to take herself too seriously. The writing has a lot of humor, much of it pitched directly at current fantasy novel tropes. Sophie herself is a character filled with sarcasm and a biting wit. Without this writing style, the book could have suffered from the over dramatic and serious tones of many of these novels. Here the lightness works well, creating a very funny and readable novel.
At the same time, the book is not just light. There are dark themes here, real dangers and delightful diversions. I quite enjoyed the mix of light and dark, humor and tension. It kept the pages turning quickly.
Recommended for fans and non-fans of Twilight, both will find reasons to enjoy this novel and to look forward to the rest of the series. Appropriate for ages 13-15.
Reviewed from library copy.
Also reviewed by Tempting Persephone, Whimsical Whamsical Whumsical, My Life Uncensored, Wondrous Reads, Frenetic Reader, The Compulsive Reader, Beyond Books, and many more.
Drizzle
Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve
Polly Peabody knows that her family’s rhubarb farm is something special, even something magical! They grow Giant Rhubarb that is helping close the hole in the ozone and chocolate rhubarb that tastes like a sweet but is a vegetable. They have a lake that you can’t drown in no matter how long you hold your breath, a castle to live in, and gems sprout from the ground. And every Monday at 1:00 pm exactly, it rains. But then one Monday it doesn’t. And other things start to go wrong on the farm. The rhubarb begins to wilt even though it is being watered by hand. The umbrella ride fails when people are riding it. A strange fog is starting to cover some of the farm. It is up to Polly to find out what is causing the damage and save their farm. To do that she will have to face her fears, uncover family secrets and trust in the magic of the farm.
This enticing tale is a pleasure to read. Van Cleve has created the farm of childhood dreams filled with dessert that is healthful, carnival rides, friendly bugs, animated plants, and much more. She writes with a light friendly tone that never gets bogged down in elaborate descriptions or overwriting, which is a fear with books of this sort. Instead, she allows the magic to shine and the imagination to soar.
Polly is a great protagonist who is painfully shy, bullied at school, and yet one of the most fascinating people you could meet. As she learns that she is much braver and more skilled than she ever dreamed, Polly begins to let others into her world and make friends. Yet it is not that simple, and her struggles with self-reliance, family secrets, and friendships make for great coming-of-age story material.
A large part of the book’s appeal is the tension between the magical and the mundane. Polly has to face school and all of its pitfalls as well as the desperate situation of her home and family farm. While magic is involved, it actually makes Polly’s personal life outside of the farm more difficult. The tension of classmates, news reporters, and magic make this book very special.
Highly recommended, this book is perfection for fans of Savvy by Ingrid Law. It would make a wonderful classroom read and will be happily devoured by children who enjoy a lot of chocolate with their rhubarb. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from copy received from Dial.
Check out Kathleen Van Cleve’s website.
Ramona and Beezus Trailer
Well, I was amazingly skeptical about this film remake of Beezus and Ramona, but perhaps, just perhaps, just maybe, possibly there might be some hope. Maybe. At the very least, Disney knows how to put together a charmer of a trailer:
Nevermind, the pixie dust is wearing out and I am thoroughly cynical again. How about you?
Thanks to GreenBeanTeenQueen for the link.
Arbor Day Square
Arbor Day Square by Kathryn O. Galbraith, illustrated by Cyd Moore
Everything in the prairie town is brand new because the town itself has just been built by settlers. There is a church, stores, and a school, but what is missing is trees! Everyone donates coins to send east for trees to plant. When they arrive, Katie is alarmed at how small the trees are, but her father reassures her that they will live and grow. Katie helps her father plant the trees, even a special dogwood in memory of her mother. Year after year, the town gathered on Arbor Day to plant more and more trees. Katie now came with her own daughter to celebrate the day and linger under her mother’s tree.
This picture book is based on the creation of Arbor Day in the new state of Nebraska in 1872. Ideal for release in April, this book is a glimpse into the history of Arbor Day and the importance of planting trees. Galbraith’s text is simple and at times poetic. She uses repeating phrases and rhythm subtly and effectively. Particularly effective is having Katie as the protagonist of the story and the lens through which readers view the history and the planting. Moore’s illustrations are soft with a lovely vintage tone to them that suits the subject. The transformation from dusty prairie to a lush green filled with trees is reflected in the illustrations with a nice gradual palette change.
Pick this one up for Arbor Day! Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from copy received from Peachtree Publishers.
The Quiet Book
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska
There are many kind of quiet. Quiet can cozy. Quiet can be tense. Quiet can be worth savoring. Quiet can be gone in a flash. This book celebrates the many kinds of quiet, offering examples of the many moments of quiet in a day. Starting with the quiet of being the first one awake, the book ends with the quiet of being sound asleep. In between, readers will find examples of quiet that are funny, surprising and poignant. This is a simple premise executed with great finesse.
Underwood’s one-per-page examples of quiet each end with the word “quiet.” As you read through the book aloud, you will discover which of the examples make you hush your words even more and which examples are exuberant despite the silence. Deftly done, the examples are varied and interesting. Liwska’s illustrations add to the gentle humor, offering visual examples of quiet. Her pencil and digital images are soft and witty at the same time.
Recommended for bedtime reading, this book is perfect for snuggling under the covers and reading to a little one. Happy cuddles! Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Reviewed from library copy.
Check out the websites of Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska
Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I Don’t)
Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don’t) by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley
Miss Brooks is a librarian who loves books. She tries to share her enthusiasm for books with the children, but Missy is having none of it. Then comes Book Week! And Missy is asked to wear a costume and tell the class why she loves her favorite book. Missy is certain that she will never fall in love with a book, but Miss Brooks remains sure that she will. Book Week arrives and Missy has yet to find a book she likes. They are either too flowery, too yippity, or too furry. Miss Brooks sends more and more books home with her but she complains about them all. Her mother tells her she is as stubborn as a wart. Wart? And Missy is off to find a book about warts where she finds and falls for Shrek!
Yes, this book does my librarian heart good, but it is also told with a great sense of humor. Missy while dismissive and grumpy is also written with just the right tone. Readers will wonder if there really is a book for this kid! The book reads aloud well, and I can see librarians using it and then asking for a chance to find each kid the right book for them. What a great way to sell our services!
Emberley’s art is a hoot. I adored all of the costumes of Miss Brooks as she tries to get kids excited about books. I particularly love the way that Missy is depicted with her overalls, woolly hat and glasses. She is purely an individual and it shows.
Recommended for any librarian to read and glow about, this book is also just right for kids who don’t think books are cool. They just might love this one! Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from library copy.
The Firefly Letters
The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle
I have adored Engle and her poetry since first reading her Poet Slave of Cuba. This historical novel told in verse tells the story of early Swedish feminist Fredrika Bremer and her travels in Cuba. While in Cuba she inspires and changes the lives of two women, a slave named Cecilia and a wealthy young woman named Elena. At first amazed and shocked by the freedom Fredrika demonstrates, Elena warms to her as she begins to understand that the future could be different than just an arranged marriage. Cecilia finds in Fredrika a woman who looks beyond her slave status and a role model for hope. Told in Engle’s radiant verse, this is another novel by this splendid author that is to be treasured.
As with all of her novels, Engle writes about the duality of Cuba: the dark side and the light, the beauty and the ugliness. Once again she explores the horrific legacy of slavery without flinching from its truth. Against that background of slavery, she has written a novel of freedom. It is the story of a woman who refused to be defined by the limitations of her birth and her sex, instead deciding to travel and write rather than marry. Fredrika is purely freedom, beautifully contrasted with the two women who are both captured in different ways and forced into lives beyond their control.
Beautifully done, this book is an excellent example of the verse novel. Each poem can stand on its own and still works to tell a cohesive story. At times Engle’s words are so lovely that they give pause and must be reread. This simply deepens the impact of the book. Engle also uses strong images in her poems. In this book, fireflies are an important image that work to reveal light and dark, as well as freedom and captivity.
Highly recommended, this author needs to be read by those who enjoy poetry, those who enjoy history, and those who simply are looking for great writing. Appropriate for ages 11-14.
Reviewed from library copy.
Cassandra Clare’s Upcoming Novel
Entertainment Weekly’s Shelf Life blog has an exclusive first look at the cover for Cassandra Clare’s new novel, Clockwork Angel. The book is the first in her new Infernal Devices trilogy and is due to be released on August 31, 2010.
The new fantasy trilogy is set in Victorian England and again deals with an alternate reality filled with fantastical elements. The trilogy will be tied with some characters to the Mortal Instruments series.
The fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series will be released next March.
So head over to Shelf Life to see the cover and read an interview with the editor.
Waking Brain Cells 