The Wide-Awake Princess

I've been wanting to read this book for a while. I saw it at the bookstore and, after reading the back, instantly added the book to my to-read list. It took me a while to get to it, unfortunately. But, I finally did and what a treat! The book is written by the charming E.D. Baker of The Frog Princess fame. I always like a good take on the Brier Rose tale and this one was fantastic.

The story is as follows, Princess Annabelle (Annie) is gifted with a resistance to magic on her christening day. This gift forces Annie to grow up in a rather lonesome way as most people around are afraid to be near her for fearing of losing their magically bestowed beauty. But, when Annie's sister, Princess Gwen pricks her finger and brings the whole castle to an enchanted sleep, it's up to Annie to save the day. As she travels with a guard, Liam, to find the prince to break the spell, Annie meets a whole cast of familiar characters and magical folk.

I loved the premise of this book. The idea of a magic-resistant adventuress traveling through a land packed with magic was very entertaining. And I thoroughly enjoyed Baker's twist on old tales, such as Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and the Princess and the Pea. I also really appreciated the inclusion of Snow White and Rose Red, which is, to my mind, a sadly neglected fairy tale.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun romp through fairy tales. Baker's humor and masterful storytelling bring a fresh and charming take on a well known tale.

The Thirteenth Princess

Is it appropriate to just hop right into a review after taking a break for almost a year? Eh, sure.

I am lucky because my library has a home delivery system meaning I can go onto their web catalog, order a gazillion books, and then just, well, live life as the books come rolling in (more like tossed on to my front porch, but you get the idea). This was a book I had ordered quite a while back and just recently received it - a classic fairy tale and very engrossing read.

The Thirteenth Princess is a retelling of the "Twelve Dancing Princesses" only in this tale, there were actually thirteen princesses. The father was so angered at never having had a son, he banishes the thirteenth princess, Zita, to the servants' quarters never wanting to hear of her again. Since the poor mother had died at childbirth, there was no one to plead Zita's case so she grows up in the busy and rough life of servanthood while her sisters live the luxurious princess life. Everything seems fine - Zita is accepted secretly by her princess sisters and her father never knows - until it comes time for the older sisters to be wed. Then they seem to have terribly bad luck beginning with an inability to speak to any suitor and subsequently to where daughters begin to get ill; growing more weak and overtired every day. Zita and her friend Breckin, the stableboy, must find a cure to what ails the sisters or the worst will happen!

I've read many, many fairy tale retellings. This one stood out because of its classic fairy tale style. The king is the perfect cold, harsh, heartbroken king, the cook the perfect jolly, rolling-pin-wielding cook, the princesses all perfect, gentle and golden-haired, etc. Although I love a good ironic (The Runaway Princess), humorous (Goose Chase), philosophical (Princess Ben) or historic (The Perilous Gard) twist, a nice, old-fashioned, maybe even a bit predictable fairy tale is enjoyable and, because of the large amount of "different take" stories, refreshing. And, despite the fact that the characters fit perfectly into their stereotypes, it took me quite a while to actually figure out who was causing all the problems. Which, when you read as many children's fantasy books as we do, is a remarkable feat.

I recommend this book for those days when you long for a classic fairy tale where the princes are handsome, the stableboys are freckled, the witches bake gingerbread and the bad guy dies in the end. Curl up with a cup of Earl Grey and some shortbread and dig into The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler.

The Runaway Dragon

Happy February everyone!

Today I'm going to review The Runaway Dragon by Kate Coombs, a sequel to The Runaway Princess. Now, it's a fact universally acknowledged that sequels sometimes fall short of their predecessors (maybe even most of the time - but that's a matter of opinion). Sequels run the risk of changing the characters' personalities too much, changing the mood from the first book. If an author writes a really wonderful book, we wish she would write a sequel so that we can get more of these wonderful characters and this wonderful world she's created; yet, when sequels are written, we hold them up to a magnifying glass and compare and contrast. It's a tricky line to toe.

Anyway, all of this to say that Coombs's sequel to The Runaway Princess was absolutely delightful. I was laughing out loud for a majority of the book (which was slightly embarrassing as I was reading it at work!). The characters were just as great as they were the first time around - and we get more of them too! My favorite character is Lex and I was very happy to see more of him in this book.

The story line picks up where the first one left off. Meg's been receiving all of those wonderful lessons she was promised, Cam has his own section of the garden, and Laddy is contentedly lodged with Cam's sister. Unfortunately. Meg really only enjoys a few of her new lessons, Cam's love for his gardens has strained the friendship a tad, and Laddy isn't quite content living on a farm. When Laddy flies away from home, Meg persuades her father to let her go on a quest to find him - and the adventure wouldn't be complete if all of her friends didn't join in! The quest is so much fun - there's an evil sorceress, a princess named Spinach who was trapped in a tower, a giant family, and a magical forest! I have to say that Coombs has done it again with this book... and when I say, "it," I mean another memorable, laugh-out-loud, adventure that breaks all of the rules! Coombs's rule-breaking brilliance is what made me so adore her first book and I was very pleased to see her back in full swing for the second one. I can't wait to read more! Maybe we'll be lucky enough to get a third adventure soon?

Any other sequels that you loved just as much as the original?

The Thirteenth Child

Happy 2010, Readers! I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season and received many books as gifts. I was lucky enough to receive this marvelous read by the terrific Patricia Wrede and thought it would be a great book to kick off a new year of reviews.

The Thirteenth Child is about a girl, Eff, who has the misfortune of being the 13th child in the family. To make matters worse, her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son, making him the luckiest one can magically be. In this alternate, mid-19th century America (called "Columbia"), one's birth order is monumentally important, particularly to Eff and Lan's relatives who have taken to tormenting poor Eff to the point of trying to get her arrested and jailed at the age of five. Eff's parents decide that it isn't good for either of them to grow up around so much prejudice and scrutiny and pack up the family and move west to the prairie very close to the Great Barrier that separates civilization from the untamed and treacherous Far West. As she grows up in this completely different environment, Eff discovers her own talent beyond what is expected of her and ends up being the only person who can save the rest of the magical world.

I have adored Ms. Wrede's books for a while but this book surpassed all others. Her world is so perfectly realized, so detailed and thought out, I was completely lost in it. I loved how she would mix history with fantasy - her wildness has steam dragons as well as buffalo, Benjamin Franklin and magician presidents. Although it is very heavily focused on magic, it has such a realness to it, it seemed more Little House on the Prairie than Harry Potter. She perfectly juggled the myriad of characters and I got a wonderful feel for their growth and development. Often I believe that sequels are unnecessary and take away from the first book but I hope so much that Ms. Wrede writes many books in this captivating world. I enjoyed this book cover to cover.

Any books where you got totally lost in the world? Where their setting felt as real as your own?

A Little Princess

Alright, this book, in some ways, doesn't need to be reviewed; it's a mainstay in a children's literature bookshelf. However, if you're like me, then you haven't read the book for years and have vague memories of the story mixed with images from film/t.v. of varying qualities. So, to do the book justice, I reread it.

A Little Princess is about a girl, Sara Crewe, who possesses a precocious intellect, a global worldview (having been raised in India), a vivid imagination and a very doting father (who lavishes luxuries upon her). Her father, the wealthy Captain Crewe, takes her from her happy home in India to a strict and cold boarding school in London under the tutelage of the aptly-named Miss Minchin. She spends several years there, befriending unlikely students and scullery maids, and garnering the growing resentment and jealousy of some other students as well as Miss Minchin herself. On her 11th birthday they receive word that her father has died and all of his money gone in a bad investment leaving her penniless. Miss Minchin now takes the opportunity to avenge her long-standing animosity to the child by making her one of the lowest and most poorly-treated servants in the house: depriving her of food, humiliating her in public and having her room in an attic with the rats. However, despite this ill-treatment, Sara maintains her pride and spirit and (as you likely know) ultimately triumphs.

In my head, I had remembered Sara as a sweet and cheerful protagonist, almost bubbly. Upon rereading the book, though, I saw that Sara is completely different- very thoughtful and quiet- even described as solemn. What keeps her spirit up isn't effervescence but equanimity. Her insistence on behaving as though she is a princess is very striking (not the princess/diva manner I would normally associate with the word) but rather a combination noblesse oblige and tranquil pride. Her few slips into discouragement and anger only highlight her general way of being rather than contradict it. I was quite inspired by this book and struck by Frances Hodgson Burnett's non-condescending manner of writing. If not for the slight classism in the book, it could easily have been written today. If you haven't read this book in a while, you should definitely revisit it- I guarantee the story will both pleasantly surprise you and might even move you.

Princess Ben

Like many books I review, I'll read a mention of the book from some lucky bookseller who has an advanced copy.  I'll get excited about the book, rush to my neighborhood bookstore or library and then realize the book doesn't come out for several months.  Sigh.  

Princess Ben was one of these books so I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived at my library.  And promptly settled down to read it...

Princess Ben is about a young free-spirited and slightly overindulged princess, who after her doting parents are tragically murdered, is left to the devices and education of her cruel aunt.  Her aunt, Queen Sophia, becomes more frantic about the quest to cultivate Princess Ben with hopes for making her marriage material when the neighboring kingdom (the chief suspect in the parents' deaths) begins to put pressure to overtake the kingdom.  After one particularly bad interaction between the Queen Sophia and Princess Ben, she is shut up in a cell behind her aunt's room.  However, the room holds an unexpected escape by way of a secret passageway that leads to a mysterious magical room...

Princess Ben started off with a bit of an angsty feel and, when coupled with the tragic circumstances, I steeled myself for a typical tortured heroine fairy tale.  However, by the Part Two of the book, I realized that this story was far from the typical fairy tale!  For start, the heroine isn't a delicate golden-haired beauty or even a feisty brunette beauty.  She's a sulky, strong-willed girl with a voracious appetite.  Her maturing and growth throughout the book is only one of many; it amazed me that characters that I made immediate judgments about (oh, she's the villain, he's the love interest) would change through the story as the narrator, the irrepressible Princess Ben, changed.  Catherine Gilbert Murdock's clever interweaving of fairy tale references only add to the cleverness of the story rather than serve as distraction.  

This story was deeper than the average "fairytale retelling" genre and delivered humor, adventure, and dare I say it, a valuable moral.

The Dragonfly Pool

I was so excited when I first heard about the release of The Dragonfly Pool; I completely adore Eva Ibbotson and the story sounded perfect.  

And, of course, it was.

The Dragonfly Pool begins in pre-WWII London where feisty Tally has to leave her beloved doctor father, and the danger of the city, for a progressive boarding school in southern England.  Despite missing home, she soon has friends and mentors that help her feel at home and she is renewed with a sense of purpose.  After seeing a special on Bergania's king bravely defying Hitler, Tally is inspired to visit and when she hears of an international dance festival taking place there, she rallies her classmates to participate.  Of course, things don't go as planned: there is an assassination, a prince on the lam, two hideous henchman, a rare Outer Mongolian pedestal dog, among many other things.  

I think that if I could have written a novel as a child, I would have wanted to write just like Ms. Ibbotson.  She has marvelous lead characters- definitely not cookie-cutter heros and heroines- some are spirited, some are shy but all are completely three-dimensional.  Her villains are delightfully abhorrent and usually quite repulsive (one villain kept a picture of Hitler in a locket, another collected rare glass eyeballs).  Her plots are usually outlandish and difficult to summarize (as I proved by my above paragraph) but, when reading, are easy to follow.  Her books move at a perfect pace and always have just the ending one wants.  The Dragonfly Pool was classic Ibbotson but classic Ibbotson with a cherry on top.  It was one of those read-straight-through-the-night-until-I-finish books.  Loved it.

What authors write the way you, as a child, wanted books to be written?

So Sorry!

I have been quite swamped with work and other distractions.  I promise to begin again in April with fresh reviews.  Thank you for reading!

Roxie and the Hooligans

I am a sucker for a good title; so when I saw Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, I was absolutely constrained to read it.   

Roxie Warbler looks forward to every visit from her famous explorer uncle, Uncle Dangerfoot.  She sits attentively while he tells her family stories about the latest adventures that he and his employer, Lord Thistlebottom, have experienced.  Roxie hangs on his every word as well as the words of Lord Thistlebottom's Book of Pitfalls and How to Survive Them.  However, there is nothing in either her favorite book or her favorite uncle's stories to guide her through her bully problem at school.  Helvitia's Hooligans have chosen Roxie, with her large, round ears, as their victim of the year.  Roxie is embarrassed to talk to her parents about it because, as a niece of such a great adventurer, she ought to be able to figure out how to escape them.  One morning, as the Hooligans try their latest bit of meanness on Roxie, she and the Hooligans end up in the dumpster.  And as fate would have it, the dumpster is promptly picked up and dumped into the nearby ocean.  After Roxie and Helvitia's Hooligans swim to a conveniently located desert island, the survival tips Roxie has learned come in handy as she tries to band together with the Hooligans, forage for supplies and outwit two dastardly thieves hiding out on the island with them.  

This book was exhilarating!  My only disappointment was that it was such a quick read because I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The little survival tips were fun and watching Roxie carry them out made them even more so.  I loved watching the attitudes of the Hooligans change as Roxie gradually became their fearless leader.  And I liked the very gentle explanation of why the Hooligans were the way they were and Roxie's realization of how much better her life was.  Above all, her refusal to panic in the face of anything was quite inspiring.

What a deliciously fun book! 

Shakespeare's Secret

Shakespeare's Secret is an example of me picking up a book to read completely because of its cover.  Publishers, take note: if you're having a tough time getting a book sold, have Brett Helquist illustrate the cover.  It worked on me.  Again.

Sixth-grader Hero Netherfield is used to being picked on for her name; it's happened everywhere she's lived.  Although her sister, Beatrice, also has a name inspired by Shakespeare, Hero is the one who always has a difficult time fitting in with others.  However, despite a daunting first day at her new school, Hero begins to like her new home after befriending her eccentric next-door neighbor, Mrs. Roth, who tells her of a mysterious diamond that may be hidden somewhere in her house.  When Hero teams up with Mrs. Roth and Danny, a laid-back eighth grader, she gets completely caught up in the town's biggest mystery.

I thought this book was completely fun from beginning to end!  I liked all the ties to Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era and how the book didn't venture too far into melodrama territory (as it certainly could have).  Hero was very likable; actually, all the characters, from popular Beatrice to Shakespeare-phile Mr. Netherfield were very likable.  The mystery was great and yet it was the little vignettes that I enjoyed the most: cinnamon toast at Mrs. Roth's house, the discussion of Anne Boleyn's seal, the skateboard/bicycle trip into downtown, etc.  And I, of course, loved the happily-ever-after end.  

I am looking forward to reading Elise Broach's newest release!  This book is highly recommended.

Family Grandstand

Penderwicks-lovers: don't despair as you wait for book 3!  This lovely out-of-print gem will tide you over with its funny, charming and everyday slice-of-life stories. 

Family Grandstand centers on the Ridgeways, Susan, George and Irene (called "Dumpling" because of her "roundness in the middle").  It's football season in Midwest City and, seeing as their father is a professor at the university and they live in a house that overlooks the football field by means of a tower, the three are very involved in the excitement of it all.  From the first game of the season to homecoming, a lot else happens at the Ridgeway household including Susan learning how to deal with babysitting the Terrible Torrences, George adopting an immensely oversized dog and five very discontented turtles for his birthday, and Dumpling trying very, very hard to be very, very good after misunderstanding an overheard conversation.  All this is told with Carol Ryrie Brink's brand of dry humor and gentle literary slapstick.

I have been reading Ms. Brink's books since I was little, and this one, as well as the second in the series, Family Sabbatical, are among my favorites.  Her characters are completely three-dimensional and entirely identifiable.  I know there are plenty of children's book readers who don't like "old-timey" books and I imagine that they would probably categorize this book in that group.  But I guess I'd use the clichéd word "timeless" for this book; it's proven to be that for me!

Illustration in Chapter Books

I recently realized that the two books I just reviewed (and loved) were both illustrated by Drazen Kozjan.  Coincidence?  I think not.  

I know that, although the writing in both books is completely wonderful and enchanting on its own, there is an added magic in the lively pen and ink drawings supplied by Mr. Kozjan.  I am partial to illustrators, being partnered with one myself, and I am drawn (pardon the pun!) to books with marvelous illustrations!

I picked up Judy Moody initially because of Peter H. Reynolds' endearing art and Clementine because of Marla Frazee.  And I remember many books from my childhood through the pictures: The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein with Trina Schart Hyman's almost gothic interpretation of this completely hilarious story (definitely a to-review!), Elizabeth Enright's perfectly illustrated Melendy books in her sparse but warm style, The Alley with Edward Ardizzone's wispy and active vignettes (this lovely painting is his), Beth and Joe Krush's detailed illustrations for Gone Away Lake, the list goes on and on!  In some books, the illustrations are my favorite part; Spiderwick Chronicles illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi is definitely an example of that.  

Any chapter books where the illustrations particularly captivated you?

Diary of a Fairy Godmother

I checked out this book after reading a review at one of my favorite blogs, Tweendom.  After I completed it, I felt almost giddy with enjoyment of this book so, despite the fact that there are several very wonderful reviews of this book out on the blogosphere, I had to add my own.

Diary of a Fairy Godmother is the journal of a young witch-in-training (barely one hundred years old!), Hunky Dory, who is at the top of the class in her charm school.  Her mother is so proud of her; she brags to anyone who will listen that her daughter "will be the wickedest witch wherever the four winds blow!"  Her aunt says that if she "were ever stupid enough to have a daughter, she'd want one exactly like [her]."  Her classmates admire her and her teacher considers her her teacher's pet.  There is only one very real problem: Hunky Dory enjoys granting wishes!  Could this mean Hunky Dory is destined to be a, gasp, Fairy Godmother?  

This book was all kinds of fun from the first page to the very end!  The fractured fairy tale has practically become its own genre but Esmé Raji Codell takes it to the next level with delightful attention to detail in making the witchy world so complete in its oppositeness.  I enjoyed the illustrations by Drazen Kosjan- they fit the spirit of the story perfectly.  I also loved how she seamlessly worked in other traditional fairy tales and added a fresh spin to them.  One of the best parts of the book were the quotes from the textbook of witches Be the One With the Wand; I'm tempted to copy some of them down onto sticky notes for inspiration.  I thought it was a wonderful touch that Ms. Codell included a reading list of other "Magical Must-Reads" in the back (Eleanor Estes' The Witch Family is in there, one of my personal favorites). 

I am definitely adding this book to my canon of "Magical Must-Reads!" 

Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing)

When I started this blog, I made a decision to write reviews only of books that I love for two reasons: one, because I don't want to spend any more time focusing on a book that I didn't care for in the first place, and two, because I know that I've read negative reviews of books I love and it really, really bothers me!  And I can only imagine that it would be infinitely more bothersome if the author himself read the negative review.  

Therefore, all my reviews are glowing and tend to use words like "enchanting," "delightful," etc.  But Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) truly blew me away.  It left an impression on me similar to what some people feel after reading Siddhartha or On the Road or something; you'll see life differently after reading it and you're not sure why or how, just that it'll be different (at least that was the effect on me).  

The story is about Julia Gillian who spends her summer walking her dog, Bigfoot, visiting her neighbors and trying to win a stuffed meerkat from the claw machine in the local hardware store.  Shadowing her enjoyable summer days is an unfinished green book bound by hair bands- a book Julia Gillian is afraid to complete because she is certain it has an unhappy ending.  Also clouding her summer is the fact that her parents are too distracted by their graduate schooling and the bad news in the paper to spend their days with her like they used to.  However, with the help of her wise friend, Enzo, her loyal dog and her raccoon papier-mâché mask, Julia Gillian succeeds in, if not conquering her fears, at least learning how to live with them.

Sad-ending-phobic from childhood and a newspaper-avoider through adulthood, I identified completely with this memorable heroine.  I am certain I could be best friends with Alison McGhee.  I thoroughly loved this book- it was 100% perfect.  And, although I will not divulge the end to Julia Gillian's green book, I can tell you that Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) has an ending that is even better than a happy ending.  If that's possible.

Granny Torelli Makes Soup

I've been trying to blog about once a month but having just read Granny Torelli Makes Soup (and loved it), plus this is, conveniently, almost smack dab in the middle of the month, I'm going to try to blog twice a month.  Just so I can write about this wonderful book.

The two-part (Soup and Pasta) story is about a girl, Rosie, and a fight she has with her best friend-from-forever, Bailey, who lives next door.  In the first part, Rosie's Granny Torelli is over making soup while Rosie's parents are late at work.  While they cook, Granny tells Rosie stories of a childhood friend in Italy to help Rosie sort through her Bailey problem.  The second part tells of Bailey, Rosie and her beloved Granny making pasta while they work through another complication in their friendship with Granny's marvelous stories and wisdom.  Of course, everything ends up happily, and (as seems to be the case in Sharon Creech's books- with the notable exception of the tearjerking Walk Two Moons) even better than the reader hoped.

I feel compelled to describe the book as "heartwarming;" it's the perfect way to sum up its charms.    It is feather-light with snippets of depth so delightful, I thought I should write them down!  I am also partial to books that deal with food and Granny Torelli works it in so perfectly, you hardly notice that you've begun to smell the chicken soup cooking while you're reading the book.  The issues are relatable and are conveyed in an ageless manner; it's something that could apply to anyone whether they were fifteen or fifty-five.  It's told in a lyrical style- almost poetic- and even takes several unexpected turns in a story that seems almost familiar in its comfortableness.  

If books could be made into afghans, this is a book I'd choose to wrap around me on cold nights...

Fablehaven

It seems perhaps redundant to write a review about a series that has been on the bestseller lists for a while.  However, I was so thoroughly enthralled by the series that I can't help but write an entry for the latest books to completely eat up hours of my day!  

Fablehaven is about two children, Kendra and Seth, who are preparing for a boring two weeks when they are sent to stay with their grandfather while their parents go on a cruise.  Their grandfather severely restricts their access to the seemingly unending grounds to the yard (filled with rare and exotic butterflies) and the house. Seth's rebellion and Kendra's curiosity lead them to discover that the preserve is dedicated to the protection of magical creatures that have been gradually pushed off their lands by ever expanding human development; Fablehaven, the name of the preserve their grandfather owns, is home to creatures such as fauns, fairies, naiads and centaurs.  Once their grandfather sees that they are open to the wonder and magic of Fablehaven, he includes them on adventures (and they have some of their own without his permission, of course) that grow in danger and excitement as well as consequence to the magical and nonmagical world.

I won't reveal any more about the plot because I would absolutely hate to spoil any of the many plot twists.  The characters are perfect, the suspense gripping and the descriptions are so complete, I can see them in my head clearly.  The battle and action scenes were so vivid, I had no trouble following every thrilling move (and biting all my fingernails off in the process).  

For someone who has read more than their fair share of YA and children's fantasy, this book took me completely by surprise.  I literally read the entire first book in one evening, contemplated calling out sick the following day so I could buy and read the second book and then went out and promptly purchased the third book to tear through the third night.  

I loved that Brandon Mull doesn't needlessly kill characters to which the reader has grown attached and that he manages to give weight and proportion to even the slightest of characters.  I particularly loved Kendra- I often have trouble with the fact that girls are typically (not always, I know, Mr. Pullman) given supporting roles and if they're given lead roles, they're either the damsel in distress or belligerently boyish.  Kendra is all girl and yet strong, courageous and her character traits (ones at which a more aggressive heroine would scoff) are what end up saving Fablehaven time and again.

I loved all three books.

I can barely wait until April 2009.  

Henry Reed, Inc.

When I began this blog, my intention was to review not only new releases, but also some favorites that have been out for years- even out-of-print titles- to bring awareness to the marvelous books that nobody talks about.  However, I've been mostly reviewing more recently released books because there have been so many great ones released.  So, in time for summer, I'm reviewing a great summer read that was released years ago but is still completely wonderful!

Henry Reed, Inc. is the first of a series of books by Keith Robertson about a boy who lives abroad with his diplomat parents and spends his summers with his good-natured aunt and uncle in a small town in New Jersey called Grover's Corner.  Henry's teacher has assigned his class to write reports about their summers and so the book is a first-person record of Henry's experiences in the US.  Part of the assignment was to discuss how American children earn money so the first thing Henry decides to do is start a business.  The business he decides to start is research and development; he teams up with a neighborhood girl, Midge, and the two spend the summer with various schemes to raise money under the broad umbrella of research and development.  Through the course of the summer, they have adventures with everything from truffle hunting to discovering oil in their backyard.  And they even end up making $40 each- which, then, was quite a feat.

The best part of these books (since Henry Reed, Inc. is simply the first of many) is the voice by which they are told.  No matter what crazy predicament they get themselves into, and they get themselves into many, Henry calmly discusses it- seeing everything in the most literal and serious manner (after a summer of  things like causing the power in the entire neighborhood to go out, causing a traffic jam with a riding lawnmower and a bathtub and unleashing a rabbit on an unsuspecting mailman, Henry closes the book by describing his time in New Jersey as "a quiet summer").  Midge contrasts with his practical and matter-of-fact nature by being delightfully over-the-top and wacky.  The reader gets the irony of the narration while thoroughly enjoying the mishaps the two (along with their faithful beagle, Agony) get into.  No matter what book it is or what insane project they are working on (babysitting services, orchestrating a colossal show), nothing feels more like summer than enjoying their hilarious fun!  

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Have you ever read a book where you actually sighed aloud with utter satisfaction?  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street was such a book.  Reminding me of my very favorite authors- Enright, Eager, Estes, Brink-while filled with completely unique characters, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, was both familiar and fresh.

This book is a sequel to The Penderwicks and, as much as I enjoyed the first book, I completely loved the second book.  After a brief preface, the sequel picks up the autumn where the first book left off.  The girls' favorite aunt comes to visit with an earth-shattering mission- she wants the girls' beloved father to begin dating again for the first time since his wife passed away from cancer.  The aunt requires that he go on four dates before he give up the dating idea.  The sisters are greatly opposed to the idea of a stepmother so this inspires the creative sisters to come up with a "Save-Daddy Plan" to set him up on four terrible dates.  Of course, hijinks ensue (including an adorable inside joke for Jane Austen fans) and although the reader can probably confidently predict the ending, it's getting there that's the fun! 

The book was so wonderful!  I loved the main plot, I loved the subplots and I loved loved the characters!  My personal taste in books leads to what my fiancé calls "slice of life" plots- books where there are neither magic and suspense nor tragedies and drama- just little, identifiable snapshots of everyday living.  Examples of these authors are Eleanor Estes, Elizabeth Enright, Carol Ryrie Brink, Patricia MacLachlan and I think Jeanne Birdsall can now be classed with these other captivating, favorite storytellers.  The only parts of the book I didn't care for, in fact, are the parts where it did get into drama and tragedy when recalling the mother's death from cancer.  Fortunately, that didn't happen too much so I was able to curl up and completely eat up the book with every bit of delight.  Definitely a book I'm rotating into my revolving favorite-book-list (books that I read over and over and over...).

Thank you SO MUCH, Ms. Birdsall, for giving me such an enchanting reading experience!  I've read on your blog that you plan to write three more books and I can't wait!

A Crooked Kind of Perfect

A brief history of my reading Linda Urban's A Crooked Kind of Perfect: I had prepared myself not to like the book; I'm not a big fan of drama in kids' literature and the content lent itself to drama (mother works all the time, father has OCD, she's an outcast at school) so I feared that the book would take itself too seriously.  But one of my favorite bloggers, ShelfTalker, raved about it so much that I grudgingly checked it out of the library.

And the book blew me away.  So fabulous I got goosebumps multiple times.

The story is about Zoe Elias who has grand visions of playing the piano in Carnegie Hall after watching a PBS special about Vladimir Horowitz.  Since Horowitz makes his debut at 17-years-old, Zoe figures that (since she is almost 11) she has six years to learn how to play piano perfectly; a chance to wear a tiara, long gloves and maybe get her distracted mother's attention and admiration.  However her well-meaning father gets overwhelmed while trying to purchase the piano and ends up buying an organ from the mall- the Perfectone D-60- instead of the shiny grand piano she has been daydreaming about.  Since six months of free lessons are included, Zoe begins by learning how to play t.v. themes and 70s pop tunes.  Her enthusiasm to learn and passionate practicing prompts her teacher (Ms. Mabelline Person- pronounced "Per-saaahn") to register her for the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition.  Now if she can only focus on her practice while dealing with her father's neuroses, her best friend's ambivalence, her new friend- a boy, her mother's hectic schedule and her own insecurities.  

This book amazed me.  It was the perfect snapshot-of-childhood story with humor and poignancy but poignancy that was never heavyhanded.  I couldn't stop talking about it and trying (unsuccessfully) to relate parts of the book to anyone who would listen to my meandering until I said, "Well, you should read it, that's all."

I don't know what else I can say about it.  You should read it, that's all.

Iris, Messenger

Okay, I just finished this book and I loved it!  Iris, Messenger, by Sarah Deming, tells the story of a middle schooler named Iris Greenwold who lives with her mother in Middleville, Pennsylvania.  Iris, like many other protagonists, hates going to school and really doesn't have any friends but she loves daydreaming and does her best to just get through the day avoiding detentions.  Which she is not very good at.  

Slight Spoiler Alert

Then on her twelfth birthday she receives a copy of Bullfinch's Mythology and is captured by the stories as well as the notes scribbled in the margins.  Of course the notes lead her to the world of gods and goddesses living right in her hometown, carrying on their own lives and trying their hardest to do a job similar to their immortal powers: Aphrodite owns a beauty shop, Hephaestus works as a mechanic, Artemis is a private detective and, my personal favorite, Hades is the principal of Iris's middle school ("Middle school is the closest thing we've found to hell."  How great is that quote!?).  Greek myths are woven throughout the story as the deities help Iris to discover her identity as well as help Iris's mother (a soybeantologist) get her job back.  

The book was a completely exhilarating read.  Iris had a delightful personality and the story was both witty and poignant.   I also love books where the author redeems the characters from another story (The Game by Diana Wynne Jones is another) and Deming kindly saves the poor, dilapidated Greek gods and goddesses from their tragic lives to a happily ever after in a hilarious epilogue (and I would have been very jealous of Iris's happy ending in my middle school years, that's for certain).  I actually learned more about myths from this fun book (and I considered myself an intermediate myth-lover, if not an expert); I can't wait until Ms. Deming comes out with another.