The Locked Garden

I received this book a few months ago, was intrigued by the cover and read it straight away. The discipline level it takes to not blog the '09s until '09 is pretty high. But since I am trying to play by the rules, I waited. It took me until almost the end of January to realize that I have a pile of stuff to get blogging about!

Verna, Carly, Aunt Maude and Papa have just moved into their new home on the grounds of an asylum. Papa is a well known psychiatrist, and he has very strong views on the treatment of the mentally ill. He is very happy to move his family to be among somewhat like minded doctors. The asylum and its grounds are a wonderful playground for the girls. The grounds and gardens go on and on, and there are many places to explore.

Sour Aunt Maude is the only one who is against this move. She is, after all, the sister of Isabel...the girl's mother and Papa's wife who passed away 2 years ago. Aunt Maude was against selling the house, against living on the grounds of the asylum, and most definite against having one of the patients keep house.

Eleanor is a patient, and it is her job to cook and clean for Papa's house. Aunt Maude is not kind in her treatment of Eleanor, and even though Eleanor's cleaning is impeccable and her food is delicious, Aunt Maude always seems to find fault. Imagine Aunt Maude's feelings when it becomes apparent that Verna and Carly prefer Eleanor's company to her own, and her brother-in-law appears smitten with Eleanor.

Gloria Whelan has written a story that explores not only family ties, but the historical treatment of the mentally ill, and she has done it in an incredibly accessible manner. The unlikable Aunt Maude struggles mightily with her sense of decorum and propriety, and it is apparent that she honestly thinks that she knows best. Readers will feel their heart strings pulled to the limit as Eleanor falters in her recovery and is misunderstood by her own family, due in large part to the meddlesome Aunt Maude.

Quietly poignant, The Locked Garden's descriptive language, and time setting of the early 1900s will find readers in fans of Creech, Jocelyn, and MacLachlan, among others.

The Big Splash

Matt is just like any other kid trying to survive Middle School. There is one significant difference between Matt and your average MS-er...he has to avoid his school's make-shift mafia. Vincent "Vinny Biggs" Biggio transformed himself from bully victim, to head honcho of all things illegal at Franklin Middle School. From forged hall passes and doctor's notes, to stolen tests, sport's team betting, and an underground candy market, Vinny is the kingpin. If you cross Vinny, chances are one of his minions will put you in the "Outs". This happens when the person who crossed Vinny ended up with a super-soaker to the crotch. Teasing ensues, and that is the end of the social life for the victim. There is no coming back from the Outs.

Matt has his own little business of being a private detective. He makes it a policy not to do any work for Vinny. He figures if he ever got in, it would be hard to get out without ending up on the Outs. And frankly, Matt doesn't respect Vinny. He sees a kid who used to bully turned into a bully himself. So he is very leery when he is approached by Vinny for a job. He wants Matt to return a trinket to Nicole Finnegan. This is significant because Nicole (Nikki Fingers) Finnegan used to be THE best trigger girl in all of Franklin MS. She put many kids in the Outs. She is also one of the only people to ever leave Vinny's organization without ending up on the Outs. Matt smells a set-up, but he really is at Vinny's mercy. He takes the job.

But when Matt approaches Nicole, the ultimate fantasy of many a Middle Schooler comes true. While her attention is on Matt, Nikki gets a super-soaker blast right between her legs. Someone actually takes her out.

Here is mystery of a lifetime. Who took out Nikki? Was Matt set-up? In the midst of all of this Matt is still trying to figure out why his old best friend Kevin is working for Vinny, and dealing with the affections of both Kevin's sister Liz, and Nikki's sister Jenny.

Jack Ferraiolo has written a rip-roaring good time of a who-done-it. The kids really are in charge, and there is very little adult intervention of any kind. The private-eye slang, and the insular world have sure appeal. Somehow, this Mafia Middle School world is ultimately believable, and very fun to read.

A Note on the Blog roll....

When I first started Welcome to my Tweendom, I had in mind a very specialized blog where tween or cross-over titles were highlighted. This specialization has extended to my blog roll. Herein lies the rub. There are very few specialized blogs targeting the age-range of the Tween. Sure, there are thousands of book blogs out there, but I always thought that placing a YA book blog, or a picture book blog on the roll may steer readers in a different direction than they want to go.

So. My blog roll remains very small.

I am wondering, however, if I should add some of the best blogs that I know are out there to the list by categorizing them as "Children's", "Tween", "Teen" and "Adult".

I would really appreciate any insight that you may have.

Cheers!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Last Straw

When I ripped open the envelope and reached inside, I only ended up pulling out about a centimeter of the book when a fourth grader exclaimed, "Oooo...Stacy! That's Wimpy Kid 3! Can I have it?" I bargained with him to let me take it home that night and then catalogue it the next day since I knew I'd never get a chance to see it again, until it hopefully gets returned in June!

It's New Years, and Greg thinks that since he is so perfect, he should simply help others keep their own resolutions. Mom is trying to go the gym, Dad is giving up junk food, and Manny is supposedly done with the pacifier. As you can imagine, none of these efforts are too successful, and the family is a little tired of Greg telling them that they are messing up.

From there, readers are back into the daily life of Greg. He's trying to look cool in school, solve the mystery of his teacher's missing dictionary, figure out who is stealing his lunchtime snacks, plan how to call Holly Hills on the telephone, and somehow avoid a summer at Spag Union military academy.

Kinney's trademark style and humour will have readers of all ages laughing aloud at Greg's predicaments. The artwork is priceless (with my favourite being the newspaper clipping of Greg during his soccer game). I think that this is the stand out title in the series so far. One of my students pointed out that there aren't as many cartoons by Greg in this book. I don't have the other two books with me to compare, but even if this is so, the book did not feel like it was lacking. The wide appeal of this book is interesting as well. Younger readers like the idea of the cartoons in the book, and middle schoolers solidly identify with Greg and his family.

Fun!

Peace, Locomotion

I was surprised when I saw this on the arc shelf at school. I hadn't know that Jacqueline Woodson was writing a sequel to Locomotion, and I was quite delighted to pick it up.

Lonnie is writing letters to his sister Lili. They are at separate foster homes, and each is quite happy. Lonnie, however, is torn. He pretty much loves Miss Edna. She's been taking care of him, and her son Rodney is like a brother to him. Rodney even calls Lonnie his little brother. But when Lonnie's best friend Clyde tells Lonnie "Your mama's real strict" (33), Lonnie has to point out that Miss Edna is only his foster mama. Lonnie does not want to chance forgetting his parents. Clyde then relates his own experiences with Mamas, and how Mamas can come and go for lots of different reasons.

To complicate Lonnie's life a little bit more, Miss Edna's other son Jenkins is over in the war. Jenkins was never a fighter, Miss Edna explains to Lonnie, but the army said they'd pay for an education if Jenkins signed up for the reserves, and the offer was too good to refuse.

When tragedy strikes, Lonnie knows that his foster home is about to change forever.

Change is an overarching theme in Peace, Locomotion. Changes in family, homes, friends, teachers. Readers will be on the edge of tears, and not simply for content. Jacqueline Woodson is a master of language, and no words seem wasted. Each seems like it was considered and placed "just so". The format pulls readers in, and the one sided nature of the letters does not feel isolating at all(readers only see letters from Lonnie). Woodson has quite a bit to say about teachers and teaching with the juxtaposition of Ms. Marcus, Ms. Cooper, and Miss Alina. I only hope that readers will not have too many Ms. Coopers in their lives!

This is one of those special books that I feel like I will be returning to again and again.

On shelves later this month.

Clemency Pogue....

I first read Clemency Pogue Fairy Killer a few years back and I was instantly charmed. J.T. Petty's use of language and the pun is often hilarious and characters like Chafesmeeso and Clemency herself are fun to get to know.

I just read the second and the third titles, and I have to say, I am very pleased.

Clemency is first brought back into contact with her hobgoblin friend because of a dying puppy. Her dad brought home a box of boxer dogs with the charge of lopping off their tails and cutting their ears. Clemency's dad manages to take care of the tails, but cannot bring himself to clip the ears, and returns without a job, but with one of the dogs. The problem is that the dog is sick, and sick enough to make Clemency call Chafes name figuring that he could help her out.

But Chafes needs some help himself. He comes flying out of the earth, followed by a kid dressed like a hobgoblin named Kennethurchin. Kennethurchin is in training to be a hobgoblin, and he is about half way there. Chafes isn't so happy that Clem has called him, since he has the bigger fish to fry of finding Kennethurchin's changeling Inky Mess. Inky holds the key to bringing down all of make-believe. Can Clemency and her ability to control fairies help?

This title folds seamlessly into Clemency Pogue and the Scrivner Bees. Yet another adventure and specific quest for Clemency and Chafes, with Inky Mess becoming quite the capable villain.

The aspects of wordplay and magical realism that make a Clemency Pogue title a Clemency Pogue title are a winning combination. J.T. Petty simply gets funny. He walks the edge with his jokes without ever getting too gross, too much, or too groan-worth. Clemency is really likable. She's got moxie and an inner fight that will keep readers wanting more and more. Fans of Snicket, Stewart and even Miller will eat-up these fast paced and funny, fairytale adventures

The Cybils 2008

I am one of the lucky book bloggers who is a judge for this year's Cybil awards. My category is Graphic Novels, and the short list is pretty amazing. A big thanks to all of those involved in whittling the titles down to a manageable 10!

Some of my favourite books of the year are on this list. (You will notice that my Top 5 lists had no graphic novels...this was an intentional move considering the timing of the judging.)

So follow this link and find out if your favourite gn made the list!

Year End Round Up!

It's that time of year again. The round ups and best of lists should be hitting the net. Already Mock Caldecott and Mock Newberys have sprung up. Now it's my turn!

As I was reviewing what I read this year I realized it has been a bit of a great year for kid's books. I only review things that I like here, and while there were quite a few things that I read that didn't make the blog this year, the stuff that I liked, I really liked. So then I was thinking, should I figure out Top 5s that may show up on an ALA list, or should I pick Top 5s that I simply love? The latter won out.

So, without further ado, I present my favourites of 2008.

Top 5 Picture Books

Ladybug Girl, by Soman and Davis
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, by Frazee
Wonder Bear, by Nyeu
Don't Worry Bear, by Foley
Chalk and Cheese, by Warnes

Top 6 Tween Titles (Sorry...I just couldn't whittle it down!)

My One Hundred Adventures, by Horvath
Cicada Summer, by Beaty
A Thousand Never Evers, by Burg
Brooklyn Bridge, by Hesse
Savvy, by Law
The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap, by Bouwman

Top 5 YA Titles

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, by Lockhart
Madapple, by Meldrum
Gossip of the Starlings, by de Gramont
Little Brother, by Doctrow
Bliss, by Myracle

So there you have it. Don't see your favourites? Leave a comment and let others know why they should be in the Top 5!

The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap

Another GORgeous cover. Anytime artist Nicoletta Ceccoli does a cover, I inevitably pick up the book. That said, there are a few that I picked up and did not finish. Lucy and Snowcap, however, had me staying up into the wee hours wanting to find out "what happens".

On the surface, Lucy and Snowcap seem quite different. Snowcap is the newly orphaned, soon-to-be Governor of the land of Tathenland, which was colonized by 3 shiploads of British criminals in 1775. The Colay people, who have been on the land since anyone can remember are banished to the nearby smaller islands soon after the British arrive. Lucy is Colay.

One way in which the girls are similar is in personality. After her parent's deaths, Snowcap becomes rather unlikeable...bratty and over indulged, even. Lucy is a hard girl herself. The women of her Island say that she is as "tough as goat's teeth". Both girls are seemingly untouchable, and unbeknownst to them, they are both integral players in the near future for the Colay and the British alike.

Lucy's mother bears the last child of the Sunset Island. Why the last? Because all of the menfolk have been turned to stone. The lifestone that is native to the islands has claimed every last man and boy. Since Lucy's new sibling is a boy, she is given the task of taking him to the Stone Garden that holds all of the stone forms of the men. Lucy is not scared of this task, but what she doesn't expect is how badly she wants her brother Rob to stay a boy. In fact, she prays over him and bargains with the stone not to take him.

At the same time, Snowcap is trying to survive. She has just overheard her guardian, Sir Markham and his steward Renard, talk about poisoning her oatmeal. It is clear to her why they want her out of the way. Once she is dead, Sir Markham and Renard can take over ruling the land and claim all of the power over their fellow castaways. What they don't count on is Snowcap's feisty nature. It's not that she wants to rule so much as she cannot let them win. Once it becomes clear that the men are anxious to do her in, Snowcap decides to runaway.

While this is happening, Lucy's brother does not turn to stone. Lucy receives a prophecy from the Gray Lady on Sunset, and realizes that she must take Rob to the main island. The two girl's paths cross, and soon a grudging alliance is formed.

Both girls are perfectly unlikable at the start of this tale. I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. H.M. Bouwman has written what can only be called an exquisite story. The histories of the two peoples are folded in seamlessly, and it is interesting to notice that the castaway British, the criminals, still thought of themselves as better than and in charge of the Colay people. Quite the sociological angle. What I like the most about this book is the way that the girls grow. Morally, emotionally, and simply as strong girls. The side characters are interesting as well with my favourite being Philip Tutor (aka Robbing Parsons).

The unexpected element of magic plays a primary part in this story. I wasn't sure of its fit at first, but by the end, its placement makes sense. I think it may have been my adult self trying to categorize that hindered me. Is this fantasy? Is it magical realism? Is it another world in an alternate history?

The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap will stay with readers. I find myself thinking about it at odd moments, and wondering about the girls. Another read for the deep readers in your lives.

Bird

Hands down, the most fetching cover of the year. Look at this house. Absolutely beautiful. This is kind of the house of my dreams, and the minute that I saw the cover I yearned to live inside.

Until I read the book.

Miranda is a little girl who often gets caught by the wind. She is diminutive in size, and can easily wind up tossed about like a kite without a string. One day she is taken by the wind and lands in some brambles where she is discovered by Wysteria's hounds. Wysteria Barrows is the mistress of this house which is called Bourne Manor. Wysteria takes Miranda in, and sets her to work mending the fishing nets that pay the bills. Wysteria is a bit odd, but Miranda is thankful to have a home. So she overlooks the fact that Wysteria locks her in her room every night and makes her wear heavy iron boots so that the wind no longer takes her.

But Miranda is a child, after all, and she is curious. Over time, she discovers the entry to Wysteria's late husband's study. He was a sea captain, and among all of the expected treasures in the study, Miranda finds a secret room that is filled with kites. Miranda is soon up on the widow's walk flying the kites unbeknownst to Wysteria. When her beloved kite is stolen by the wind and found by a young boy named Farley, Miranda feels a stirring in her soul that she cannot name.

Soon, Miranda finds herself on her own, and is discovering the secrets of the Manor. Chilling secrets. Should she stay with Wysteria who has helped her all of this time, or should she escape and see where her future takes her?

Now, I should preface this by saying that I am very susceptible to books about houses that seem somewhat possessed. I went and read Amityville Horror at the tender age of 9 (which I DON'T recommend!!!) so houses with personalities scare me more than your average reader. I do not want to imply that this is a horror story, but there are ghost story elements to it. Along with a fairytale like atmosphere complete with an otherworldly lead character, and an Irish boy filled with fairy lore.

Rita Murphy has written an interesting and ethereal story about friendship, family, loyalty and first love. It is an odd story. There is no other way to say it. But it is magical and compelling as well. Bird is for the older tween who is a deep reader and will not be put off by something completely different.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

It's been a year since the kids of the Mysterious Benedict Society foiled the evil Mr. Curtain's plans to take over the world with his Whisperer machine. Sticky, Reynie, Kate and Constance are gathering back together to go on a fun expedition, courtesy of Mr. Benedict. It's to be an international scavenger hunt of sorts, that will rely on all of the children's many talents to lead them to the clues. Nothing, however, seems to result in smooth sailing when these four are supposed to work with Mr. Benedict. This time, before the expedition can even start, there is a kidnapping. Mr. Benedict and Number Two are kidnapped by none other than Mr. Curtain.

The police are working on the case, but the children know that Mr. Curtain has followers high up in government, and they are sure that the case will be most likely be foiled. The children take it upon themselves to find Mr. Benedict and Number Two. What else are they to do?

What follows is quite the "Perilous Journey". The children start out on the original scavenger hunt thinking that Mr. Benedict is most likely being held at the final destination. But whereas there was supposed to be adult supervision on the hunt (Milligan and Rhonda were to come), on this dangerous mission the children are on their own. From ship to land to air and back to land again, they get into and out of scrape after scrape, but the action really intensifies as they get closer to their destination.

This is a title that really cannot be read without reading the original Mysterious Benedict Society. While the characterization goes deeper in this volume, readers really do need the history of the individuals as well as the knowledge of their time together at the school. Jumping into The Perilous Journey first, may end up confusing readers as well as make the storyline seem more of a shallow treatment than it actually is.

This is a dense book, as was the first, but I found this to be a bit more of a slow starter. Don't get me wrong, the action starts quite quickly, but readers simply know from the sheer length of the book that the scrapes will be gotten out of. I do think that fans of the first volume will eat this up, and if they slow down enough to listen to some of Mr. Benedict's monologues on the state of the world, they might find a degree of comfort in the seemingly dangerous world of Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance.

And the Winner Is....

Angela!!!!

Just send me your deets at sdillon@lrei.org and I will get this gorg little book off to you asap!

Congratulations.

Happy Holidays Book Giveaway!

The lovely folks at Candlewick have given me a copy of The Secret History of Giants to give to one of you!

This is a gorgeous little book that makes for a perfect gift for the New Year.

"For thousands of years we, the Order of the Golden Quills, have chronicled and collected knowledge and wisdom of the Secret Folk, those races spoken of in legend but little known in our time. Here we present to you our work on one such race of Secret Folk--the mighty Giants. Explore their secrets, discover their lore, and learn where you might seek out the noble Great Folk...for they might be nearer than you think." (Back Cover)

So just leave me a comment telling me who is your favourite Giant in literature! I will randomly draw a winner next Tuesday! (12/23)

Spellbound

"It goes without saying that brothers and sisters often share things with each other, like knock knees, turned-up noses, freckles, the measles, and - if they are kind and generous - toys and bags of sweets; but apart from sharing the same father and mother, Athene and Zachary Enright, aged twelve and six respectively, didn't share anything at all." p.7

So we begin. Athene has a deep rooted hatred for her brother. There's no particular reason for it, but it is there. He says black, she says white. He wants to go on a camping vacation, Athene begs to go to a farm. Athene, as usual, gets her way.

She is bratty enough to convince her parents that they should share a room with Zach, and she should have a room all to herself. Once there, however, she realizes that being alone in a room in a strange space is a bit disconcerting. Athene decides that she will go find Crumbs the farm cat to keep her company, and she heads outside. Upon looking for the cat, Athene notices a kid walking around. She assumes that it is Zach and goes to catch him and tell him what an idiot he is. The thing is, the "person" she catches up to is not Zach at all. Instead, it was the oddest little man that Athene had ever seen. "His skin was striped and speckled, his eyes shone like pearl buttons and his broad, bat-like ears were inclined to flap and twitch." (p. 24)

Athene has happened upon a Humble Gloam. The Gloam are nocturnal creatures who live in seclusion in the country-side. They call humans the "Glare" and they do not interact with them at all. Athene makes sure that she gets befriended by this Gloam named Humdudgeon. It is the most exciting thing that has happened to her. That is until little brother Zach comes along and finds her with the Gloam.

But Athene hatches a plan. There is a group of Gloam called the Low Gloam who live underground and keep anyone who enters their realm bound there with magic. The entrance to the Low Gloam is not too far away. Athene tricks Zach into seeking shelter in the fallen tree entrance. He quickly disappears. Maybe forever.

Athene is quite surprised to be taken by a guilty conscience about Zach. Will her Humble Gloam friends help her find her brother? Will the Low Gloam keep her underground?

Anna Dale has written a magical little story that fans of light fantasy should take to. Athene is quite despicable at first, and the Gloam are quirky and interesting. It's a fun adventure tinged with magic that younger tweens will enjoy.

Tales of Beedle the Bard

(Photo courtesy of ABC.com)

Okay. So maybe my cover doesn't look exactly like this, but hey...I thought it might catch your attention.

After catching the enthusiasm of my friend Margaret, I was off to my local chain bookstore between classes to pick up Tales of Beedle the Bard. I hadn't been planning of buying it, but Margaret has a way of upping the ante when it comes to fostering my love for Harry Potter (or Snape, as it were).

I took the advice of Susan over at Wizard's Wireless, and I didn't rush through...I took my time.

When readers open the book they find that it's "Translated from the Ancient Runes by Hermione Granger", has "Commentary by Albus Dumbledore", and has an "Introduction, Notes, and Illustrations by J.K. Rowling". This lends to feeling that the reader is back in the wizarding world and that the tales are part of the cultural reality of Harry and the gang.

Now, I am not one of those HP fans that remembers every last detail of every book. I do know kids like this. They can recite charms, list character facts and draw a map of Hogwarts at a moment's notice. Not me. But it didn't matter.

There are 5 tales within the book, and each tale is followed by Dumbledore's comments with additional footnotes by Rowling. Of the five, my favourite is "The Warlock's Hairy Heart". It's gruesome in the tradition of early Grimm, and is written is such a way that the reader has an amazing visual in mind. I was actually scared for a moment or two as well! What a treat to read fairy tales where I am not sure what is about to happen!

Each story is different than the one before, and I think there is something in there for everyone. There is also an interesting commentary on the censorship of children's stories (hhmmmm...wonder why?). "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" was not only challenged by the Malfoy clan for the mixing of pure blood and muggle bloods (don't want to give the kiddies any wayward ideas), but it was actually rewritten by Beatrix Bloxam who believed that the tales of Beetle the Bard were "damaging to children, because of what she called their unhealthy preoccupation with the most horrid subjects, such as death, disease, bloodshed, wicked magic, unwholesome characters, and bodily effusions and eruptions of the most disgusting kind." (p.17)

Brilliant, I say.

These are fun, scary and sophisticated stories. Followers of Harry Potter would do well to give it a read. I think that fans of traditional fairy tales might want to give these a whirl as well.

Ellie McDoodle New Kid In School

Ellie is convinced her life is over. She is moving to a new house, a new town, and a new school. She is sure that she won't make any new friends and that she will have the worst school experience ever.

Ellie and her friends come up with the idea to do a group journal...each friend will draw in it or write in it for one week and then pass it along. Ellie is first.

Ellie's problems start just as soon as she gets to her new house. In this house, she has to share a room with big sister Risa. This means zero privacy, as is witnessed by Risa peering over Ellie's shoulder as she writes in her journal. Ellie comes up with a plan to move to the attic. She has to make the attic unappealing to her sister, yet sell it to her folks at the same time.

Ellie is also exploring her new town. Right off she finds the public library and is quickly befriended by the Children's Librarian Miss Claire. While she is there she meets fellow kid Glenda, and in the neighbourhood she finds Travis. Maybe this whole moving thing won't be so bad.

But throw in an embarrassing situation involving a mall changing room, and couple that with something called "New Kid Bingo", and Ellie's road is a bit rough after all.

Ruth McNally Barshaw started this series with the book Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel, and fans of that book should love this one. Confession. I did not read the first book. Result. No big deal. I jumped right in and with the first bit of action being a move, it was smooth sailing.

This is a great book about a great family. The jokes are funny, the characters are realistic, and the diary/cartoon format is JUST what the kids are craving. I shopped this title to my fourth graders just after they had an AMAZING author visit with no other than Jimmy Gownley. They were in the mood for cartoons and drawing, so I grabbed this off my desk and read the first 53 pages. They all wanted to check it out (girls and boys), and they sat silently listening to the read.

Recommended for those looking for a bit of a meatier story than the Grace books, those Wimpy Kid readers, and kids who like realistic fiction friend and family stories.

The Dragonfly Pool

So every now and again I get a hankering to order some books from the UK. Better covers, different release dates, and all that. This batch included Vivian French's The Bag of Bones, Oliver Jeffers' The Great Paper Caper, and Eva Ibbotson's The Dragon Fly Pool. Now this was a nice box to receive for sure!

I am an unabashed fan of Ibbotson. She is my go-to author for so many students, and the author of books that I read again and again. The Star of Kazaan is a real favourite of mine, and I was wondering how The Dragonfly Pool would sit with me. Well folks, I have a new favourite.

Tally is living with her father and her Aunts in London. Tally's father, Dr. Hamilton, has just been given an offer that he cannot refuse. A scholarship at a boarding school for Tally. His is not a stereotypical doctor's household. They have very little since Dr. Hamilton only charges his patients what he can afford. With Hitler raving on the radio, getting Tally out of London is a priority.

So off to Delderton goes Tally.

When she gets there she is a little surprised. It is not at all like the boarding schools that her cousins told her about. First off, the children are not in uniform. They address their teachers by their first names, and they only have to go to classes if they care to! Delderton is, after all, a progressive school.

Tally's letters home are reassuring to Dr. Hamilton, and she quickly emerges as a leader at the school. When the school Head throws out the fact that they have been invited to a folk dancing festival in Bergania during a school meeting, it is Tally who rallies her fellow students to form a folk dancing group and even make up a dance in order to go. She's not a bully about it either. She just has a way of getting people to agree and get excited about things.

Once the children are in Bergania at the festival they are quickly tossed into a situation that should be too much to handle. It is up to the children, no matter their nationality, to help Prince Karil in his time of need.

I don't want to give too much plot away here, since Ibbotson manages to dodge and weave avoiding predictability all together. Ibbotson's children and adults are all memorable, and even though Tally is the protagonist, there are others that readers may savour just as much (Matteo, perhaps). Friendship, education, class and character are all themes that show up throughout.

I tend to get a chuckle reading about progressive schools since I work at one. Delderton may be a leap or two away from today's progressive schools, but the heart and soul is really there. That the teachers are so caring and allow the students to discover their passions is spot on and a pleasure to read about.

Fans of Ibbotson should love this, as should fans of Creech, Birdsall, and even Cushman. With strong boy and girl characters and a fast moving story, the appeal crosses gender lines as well. A perfect choice for the tweensters during this season of gift-giving!

Overheard in the library...

"...well C had the cheese touch. But he was really smart and gave it to the tennis coach. Nobody knew him. We think it's in Texas now!"

Antsy Does Time

Antsy Bonano and his buddies Ira and Howie are spending Thanksgiving flipping channels between the big game and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. They are just making fun of a marching band dressed in orange and pink when Ira notices the giant balloon featuring Roadkyll Raccoon is bucking and swinging in the wind. Next thing they see, Roadkyll is heading north with 3 balloon handlers still hanging on! The balloon alights atop of the Empire State Building, deflates, and the handlers are still there swinging from their tethers. Anthony turns to his friends and says, "Let's go".

On the train, they see school-mate Gunnar Umlaut. Antsy has known Gunnar since elementary school, but they don't really hang out or anything. In fact, this is what Antsy has to say about Gunnar:

"Gunnar's got long blond hair he makes no excuse for, and a resigned
look of Scandanavian despair that melts girls in his path. And if
that doesn't work, the slight accent he puts on when he's around
girls does the job. Never mind that he's been living in Brooklyn
since he was six. Not that I'm jealous or anything -- I admire
a guy who uses what he's got."

After the attempted rescue is over, Gunnar sways slightly and stumbles and Antsy asks him what is wrong. Gunnar surprises Antsy when he says that it's just part of his condition. He then tells Antsy that he has 6 months to live.

Now, Antsy has never had a friend who was dying before, and he has a need to do something Meaningful for Gunnar. Antsy comes up with the bright idea of donating one month of his own life to Gunnar. Sure it's only symbolic, but it's the thought that counts, right.

The problem is that everyone in the school hears about it and lots of kids want to get involved. Which would be fine, unless Gunnar is not telling the whole truth.

Antsy Does Time is filled with memorable characters, and Antsy's voice will have readers smiling. Even if one hasn't read The Schwa Was Here this title stands on its own. Antsy's family is having problems during this time, and apparently so is Gunnar's. Though the topics are heavy, Neal Shusterman uses his trademark humor to make the reading easier, and to add depth. Funny and sad all at the same time, this read for older tweens will be enjoyed by boys and girls alike.

Around the Blogs

I have been reading, honest! Quite a bit actually. I just pitched a book across the room the other day. Not because I didn't like it, but because it ended just as it began! I will blog about it later once I figure out how to explain the crazy plot that works on a bunch of different levels.

Until then, I am hoping to get going with a new "Around the Blogs" feature. I do enjoy the round-ups at places like Jen Robinson's Book Page, and while this first round up is small, I hope that you find the links interesting!

First off, over at Kane/Miller there is a post about Canadian Children's Book Week. I have been a bad Canadian, obviously, since I hadn't heard about this week before. So head on over and check it out!

Next, Toad Hill has a review of The Diamond of Darkhold, by Jeanne Duprau. This is a series that I do not need to sell at school, and I have sadly not kept up with it. Those darn "to read" piles!

As part of the Blog Blast Tour, Mother Reader is hosting the fabulous Mitali Perkins. Mitali talks about her First Daughter series, and the companion Sparrow blog, along with her new book Secret Keeper as well as what she is working on currently.

And last but not least, PixiePalace has a piece about favourite fictional rooms. Jen Robinson and she have obviously been thinking quite a bit about this. I am thinking about writing the other side...what fictional rooms would you never want to wake up in? Hmmmm.

Enjoy!