36. The Last Mapmaker

The Last Mapmaker. Christiana Soontornvat. 2022. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I must have looked like all the other Assistants standing in line for breakfast that morning at the Three Onions Cafe. We all wore the same starched white shirts, gray trousers, and stiff black cotton aprons with deep pockets. The Assistant's uniform was meant to put each of us on the same level, making us equals for the one year we would spend in service. What a joke.

Premise/plot: Sai is an assistant to the mapmaker Paiyoon. It's a job she keeps secret from her father--for good reasons. Her family background isn't the "best" and she's from the "wrong side" of town. She hides her work clothes and her earnings from her father--and his associates. The best part of her life is her days spent with the mapmaker. At one point, she's given an opportunity, to accompany her employer on a sea voyage. Their country is seeking the 'legendary' and 'fabled' land. It has not been mapped--officially at least. But her country--Mangkon, I believe--wants more than a map at the end of the day. They want to stake claim to this "new" country, this "new" land. 

My thoughts: This was a Newbery Honor for 2023. I wanted to enjoy it, I did. And at first, I did. But I got turned around once the voyage started. I became confused and disoriented. This may be all on me. I wouldn't be surprised. At one point, I skipped to the end and read the last chapter. I then went back and tried to read it through. But I just stayed confused. Again, this could be just me. Reading is so subjective.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Max Tilt: 80 Days Or Die

Max Tilt: 80 Days or Die (Max Tilt #2) Peter Lerangis. 2018. 416 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: No one ever paid attention to the man with the drooping eye.

Premise/plot: Max Tilt: 80 Days or Die is the second book in a new series by Peter Lerangis. The plot has/had the potential to be great. Max is a descendant of French writer, Jules Verne. Verne’s legacy lives on...in a series of codes and puzzles. Max and Alex went on quite the quest in the first book. Max thought the solution to his biggest problem could be saved by money—lots of it. But it turns out that money can’t buy everything. Max is shocked by this—adult readers shouldn’t be. It turns out that the next quest will be a matter of life and death.

Verne’s mysterious letters indicate that by combining a series of fantastic near-impossible-to-find ingredients together that any and every sickness/illness can be cured. Death could be thwarted if and only if you possess this magical concoction.

Evelyn is his friend with a terminal illness. She only has a few months to live. This is enough to motivate him to do something he thought he’d never do again—risk his own life to trek the globe on an dangerous adventure. Mid-trip he learns that his mom’s cancer has returned. Max is stunned!!! He never expected that...after all it was the money he found that sent her to “the best doctors and best hospitals” that money could buy! Now it is more important than ever that the quest is successful. But it won’t be easy...bad guys come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders.

My thoughts: I found the second book to be obnoxious. Clearly both books ask readers to suspend disbelief. Clearly both are fantasy novels even though both are set in the “real world.” It isn’t the only middle grade novel where all adults are either absent, negligent, or evil.

The fact that the book trivializes serious real-life issues is what I find so annoying. It’s one thing to go on a quest to save the world from...demons, wizards, vampires, aliens, etc. It is quite another to go on a quest for a cure-all for EVERY disease or malady (gunshot wound or cancer). (Verne used it after a gunshot wound.) I found the book to be over the top ridiculous...and predictable.

Whether any child likes it or not...some diseases do prove terminal. Traveling the world on your own...placing a person’s wellbeing on your doing so...it’s just too much. Max doesn’t need to feel responsible for the lives of his friend and mom.
© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Max Tilt: Fire the Depths

Max Tilt: Fire the Depths (Max Tilt #1) Peter Lerangis. 2017. HarperCollins. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Before the day he was abandoned, Max Tilt thought life was pretty much perfect.

Premise/plot: When Max’s mom gets sick, his parents leave him in the care of his older cousin, Alex, as they seek treatment out of town. The two (Max and Alex) soon discover that the parents have been horribly irresponsible. The electricity is turned off the second day, I think! The eviction notice has been served and is due to take effect within a week maybe two. Instead of contacting the parents (either Max or Alex’s), the two decide that by selling the contents of the home online and perhaps getting a part-time job they should be able to get the bills paid and stay in the home. One of the items they list brings trouble to their door! The item is an empty trunk that belonged to Jules Verne, THE Jules Verne. The two set out on a quest when they find a hidden text by Verne, the bad guys are never far behind. In fact, they end up keeping close company with the villains for most of the book. Can they best them by the end and get their hands on the lost manuscript?

My thoughts: I liked the premise of this one. Max and Alex are descendants of Jules Verne. They have inherited some of his things and discover a secret, hidden, mystery text. The descendants of Captain Nemo (or descendant) know about this mystery letter/manuscript and have been hunting for it. The two must battle it out in the book. Both claim that they want to save the world.

You have to suspend ALL your disbelief if you want to enjoy this one. It isn’t unusual for this sub genre. In fact it reminds me a bit of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Two kids without much—if any—adult support set out to save the world. But it wasn’t the adventure quest that had me stumbling. It was the parents leaving Max in such a horrible position. How could they knowingly leave their son knowing that the electric bill is overdue?! Knowing that other utilities will soon follow?! Knowing that the family will be evicted in a few weeks?! It sounds like they are skipping town and abandoning Max. How could they not know about their unpaid bills?! How could they leave knowing?!

Perhaps they expected Alex to take Max home with her?!

I also wondered how the two made it to New York City since both had no money....

But the book did keep me reading. I have plans to read the second book in the series.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Hobbit

The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1937.  320 pages. [Source: Bought]

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.  

Premise/plot: Bilbo Baggins has an unexpected adventure in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. When this children's classic opens, Bilbo is decidedly not a burglar. But by the end of it, well, you may have to decide for yourself if he is or isn't... Regardless, Bilbo sets off with THIRTEEN dwarves on a get-rich-or-die-trying quest. They're off to face down a DRAGON, but the dragon won't be the only challenge they face. Will Bilbo return to his beloved shire wiser?!

My thoughts: I love, love, love, love, love, love, love this one. I do. I may even love it a tiny bit more than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Maybe. It's a tricky thing really because in truth, I just LOVE hobbits. I love spending time with hobbits. I love Tolkien's insights about hobbits. One of the things I love about Tolkien is how quotable he is.

Quotes:

“Good Morning!” said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. “What do you mean?” he said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” “All of them at once,” said Bilbo.

“What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!” said Gandalf. “Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won’t be good till I move off.”

He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to ask them himself. He had a horrible thought that the cakes might run short, and then he—as the host: he knew his duty and stuck to it however painful—he might have to go without.

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!”

He was altogether alone. Soon he thought it was beginning to feel warm. “Is that a kind of a glow I seem to see coming right ahead down there?” he thought. It was. As he went forward it grew and grew, till there was no doubt about it. It was a red light steadily getting redder and redder. Also it was now undoubtedly hot in the tunnel. Wisps of vapour floated up and past him and he began to sweat. A sound, too, began to throb in his ears, a sort of bubbling like the noise of a large pot galloping on the fire, mixed with a rumble as of a gigantic tom-cat purring. This grew to the unmistakable gurgling noise of some vast animal snoring in its sleep down there in the red glow in front of him. It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.

“You have nice manners for a thief and a liar,” said the dragon. “You seem familiar with my name, but I don’t seem to remember smelling you before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?” “You may indeed! I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he that walks unseen.” “So I can well believe,” said Smaug, “but that is hardly your usual name.” “I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number.” “Lovely titles!” sneered the dragon. “But lucky numbers don’t always come off.” “I am he that buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me.” “These don’t sound so creditable,” scoffed Smaug. “I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles. I am Ringwinner and Luckwearer; and I am Barrel-rider,” went on Bilbo beginning to be pleased with his riddling. “That’s better!” said Smaug. “But don’t let your imagination run away with you!”

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Strangers

The Strangers (The Greystone Secrets #1) Margaret Peterson Haddix. Illustrated by Anne Lambelet. 2019. 416 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The three Greystone kids always raced each other home when they got off the school bus, and Finn always won. It wasn't because he was the fastest. Even he knew that his older brother and sister, Chess and Emma, let him win so he could make a grand entrance.

Premise/plot: Kate Greystone is a single mom (a widow) raising three children on her own: Chess, Emma, and Finn. These kids are super-close to their mom. Readers get a small hint of the good times they share together before the mystery rapidly begins unfolding. It starts with the news. Three children in Arizona have been kidnapped. Sad? Sure! Of course, anyone empathetic would say so. But why should it change their lives and turn things topsy-turvy? That's part of the mystery, I suppose. But ultimately the first clue is that the three children share the kids' names, ages, and birthdays. And the kidnapped children also have a mom named KATE who looks IDENTICAL to their own mom. Though there's no indication that the Greystone children are familiar with THE TWILIGHT ZONE, they've certainly entered it, right?!?!

Mrs. Greystone feels led to ACT, to do SOMETHING, which means leaving Chess, Emma, and Finn in the care of Mrs. Morales and her daughter, Natalie. Natalie teams up with the Greystone children to solve the mystery...for their mom's business trip is no ordinary business trip...and Kate Greystone has been keeping a couple of HUGE secrets from her children.

My thoughts: If you enjoy books where middle school age children team up to solve mysteries--puzzles, codes, clues, oh my!--then The Strangers may be a perfect fit for you. It is the first in a new series. (I'm assuming there will be two books, perhaps three.) This one is told in alternating narratives: Emma, Finn, and Chess. Each voice is distinct, which is always a plus where you've got alternating narrators. It's always a disappointment when voices blend together and you're never sure who's who.

I am a BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG fan of Margaret Peterson Haddix. I love her adventure stories. She knows how to tell compelling stories with twists and turns (predictably they will have twists and turns, but the twists and turns themselves aren't always predictable). I love how characterization is never sacrificed in place of ACTION, ADVENTURE, THRILLS. You can have both.

Another bonus, for me, is this one has a cat.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Odd and the Frost Giants

Odd and the Frost Giants. Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2008. 117 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: There was a boy called Odd, and there was nothing strange or unusual about that, not in that time or place. Odd meant the tip of a blade, and it was a lucky name. He was odd, though. At least, the other villagers thought so. But if there was one thing that he wasn't, it was lucky.

Premise/plot: Odd has a marvelous--though unexpected--adventure one winter. Out of all the Viking boys in his village, Odd might be the one voted least likely to have an adventure. His adventure begins, in a way, with his encounter with a fox, eagle, and a bear. Looks can be deceiving, for this isn't an ordinary fox, eagle, or bear. These are Norse gods...and they need a little help defeating their enemy.

My thoughts: DELIGHTFUL. I loved every minute of this one. I loved the story, the characters, the pacing, the writing. It was just a joy to read this little fantasy novel.

Original audience born circa 1996 to 2000.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Road to Oregon City (The Oregon Trail #4)

The Road to Oregon City. (The Oregon Trail #4) Jesse Wiley. 2018. HMH. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: You are a young settler headed out West by wagon train in the year 1850.

Premise/plot: This is the fourth book in this choose your own adventure series inspired by the classic computer game Oregon Trail. There are either twenty-three or twenty-four possible endings, but only one sees you reach your dream destination of Oregon City. Some endings are more bleak and dismal than others.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed this series. I have. I've read one a day. I've read all the possible endings for each book in the series. I can easily recommend the series as a whole.

The narrator, the "you" is obviously a child within the story. We don't know if the you is a young man or a young woman. But for better or worse the YOU is trusted with some mighty big decisions. Not just within the family--what will your wagon do--but ultimately what the wagon train does. I don't think that is realistic to the real world. (However it is so realistic to a game.)

The endings tend to be bleak and dismal OR unrealistically cheerful. For example, more than once the family decides to settle elsewhere. Ma is always selling FRUIT PIES and QUILTS wherever the family ends up settling. Often they end up settling because a) someone gets injured or sick b) the wagon is in too poor condition to go on c) the author wanted an excuse to end the story early. Pa is good at hunting and building furniture and repairing things. It is not that I want every ending to end in the grave--I don't. But where is Ma getting the fruit? If fruit trees were that readily available along the trail you'd never have endings where you die of scurvy. Where is Ma getting an endless supply of SUGAR and FLOUR? True, they have a cow. But would one cow really forever and ever produce enough milk and butter to start a bakery? Where is Ma getting fabric? Yes, you can make quilts from old clothes, old blankets, flour sacks, etc. But where would new clothes and new blankets come from? Where would your essentials come from to decide if you're out in the middle of nowhere not close to any forts or settlements?  

But overall, I do like the books!

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Search for Snake River (Oregon Trail #3)

The Search for Snake River. (Oregon Trail #3) Jesse Wiley. 2018. HMH. 160 pages. [Review copy]

First sentence: You are a young pioneer headed West by wagon train in the year 1850. You and your family have already braved nearly half of the perilous frontier path known as the Oregon Trail, crossing 820 miles of territory in what will later become the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Premise/plot: The Search for Snake River is the third book in this Choose Your Own Adventure series inspired by the classic computer game Oregon Trail. There are twenty-three possible endings, but only one ending that will bring you and your family closer to your dream of reaching Oregon City.

The first decision you'll be asked to make is should you head to Fort Bridger OR should you take the Greenwood Cutoff. One choice will lead to four endings. The other closer to twenty possible endings.

Risks abound in this choose your own adventure book. Some of the risks directly relate to your decisions in a logical way. Others not so much. 

My thoughts: These books are fun and enjoyable. In spite of the many deaths you might die. Not all failures result in death which I suppose is a good thing. I imagine in the game that is not the case.

Quotes:

• It will be several months before Pa can walk again, and he's likely to limp for the rest of his life. In the meantime, he'll have to give up his dream, which has become your dream, too, of getting to Oregon.
• Your family decides to stay for a few days in the cave while Pa hunts for food. But then you'll have to figure out how to go on without your wagon or any supplies. 
• By the time the oxen are ready to go, you are ready to move on, too...only not to Oregon Territory. You die of dysentery.
• Ma and Pa are so concerned about you that they tell the wagon train to go ahead while they try to nurse you back to health. But soon they have to leave you behind. You die of dysentery.
• But as the water hisses and steams, your insides burn, and you realize that your dreams of getting to Oregon have just evaporated into thin air. 
• Hannah and Samuel cry because their legs hurt, and because they are scared to end up looking and feeling like you. They're right to be scared, because you will eventually die of scurvy.
• Without your food supply, the risks of starving on the Trail are too great to continue. In a flash, your dreams of Oregon are over. 
• You hate the fort and the idea of being there any longer, but for now it's where your dreams end. Be sure to keep an eye out for snakes!
• But what is real is the fact that you've been wandering in the hot desert for a while and no one knows where you are. Your chances of being found are extremely low. 
• "It was a rattler," you manage to whisper. Your eyes start to roll back in your head, and the last thing you see is Pa's stricken face as he cradles you in his arms. 
• Even if you make it back to solid land, you'll have to make some hard choices about what to do next. Getting to Oregon City seems impossible now. 
• Your family is stranded without any water, any animals to pull your wagon, and, soon, any hopes of survival. 
• Pa explains that he wants to start a business with the local people, offering services to other pioneers. "We can help people who have lost animals, want guides, or need food and water," Pa says. "And I'm sure people will want to trade and buy things from us, which will make us a good living!" Your family's dreams of getting to Oregon aren't gone forever, just on hold for a little while. 
• Luckily you do wake up, but you are much too weak to continue on this journey. And pretty soon, without any water, the rest of your family is feeling the same as you. You never imagined that something as simple--but as precious--as water would end up destroying your dreams of Oregon.
• You search desperately for water. But there is nothing. Your family cannot survive. As you lie down for the night, parched and weak, you wonder who will pass by your bones. 
• While you're waiting, Pa discovers a freshwater spring with clear and delicious water. As you camp there, Ma and Pa start to sell fresh pies, quilts, and other goods to thirsty travelers who stop to rest. By the time Caleb is ready to move on, your family is settled, happy, and convinced that this is a better life than the one on the Trail. You watch the rest of the wagon train roll away, as you help yourself to a big piece of pie.
• Bam! the next rocks are too big to avoid. You crash into them, and right before you are knocked out forever, you wonder if the wagon wheel will still make it to shore.
• But you're wrong. Within moments the fire catches up to all of you and you are engulfed in flames. 
• In one dream, you have taken too much medicine and ended up poisoning yourself. Or is that your fate?
• As your oxen start to die, you realize that you won't ever make it to Oregon. 
• You never wished for the veggies you used to leave on your plate more than right now. 
• You have water in your lungs and will die of pneumonia.

Some endings sound happy enough until you start to overthink them. 



© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Danger at the Haunted Gate (Oregon Trail #2)

Danger at the Haunted Gate. (Oregon Trail #2) Jesse Wiley. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: You are a young pioneer headed by wagon train to Oregon Territory in the year 1850. You've already traveled almost six hundred miles from Independence, Missouri, to Chimney Rock, in what is now Nebraska. You and your family are on the second leg of your journey across the wild frontier--and you're aiming to reach Devil's Gate, mysterious cliffs in what later becomes Wyoming. Once you get there, your journey West will be nearly over.

Premise/plot: Danger At The Haunted Gate is the second book in Scholastic's OREGON TRAIL series by Jesse Wiley. All four books are choose-your-own-adventure. There are twenty-two possible endings but only ONE ending will see you successfully past Devil's Gate.

My thoughts: I enjoyed the first book. I did. I enjoyed the second one as well. I think that the books are in part a way to test if young readers will follow directions. At the start of each book, the author tells young readers to read the guide to the trail at the end of the book. This guide contains obvious hints on how to make the right choices. Some of the decisions then become obvious. Emphasis on some. There are some things the guide couldn't possibly help you predict!

While some of the twenty-one endings lead to DEATH or almost certain death, not all of them are that dismal. Some just allow for dreams to change OR circumstances. For example, if you become paralyzed...chances are you're not going to keep going to Oregon.

I would recommend the series.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Race To Chimney Rock (The Oregon Trail #1)

The Race to Chimney Rock. (The Oregon Trail #1) Jesse Wiley. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: You are loading up your covered wagon to head out to Oregon Territory, where a square mile of free farmland awaits your family. It's 1850 and there aren't any planes or trains yet, so you'll have to walk while your oxen pull your jam-packed wagon across North America's Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and the lands of many First Nations tribes, like the Otoe-Missouria, Osage, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Arapaho, and Shoshone.

Premise/plot: The Race to Chimney Rock is the first in a four book series based on the classic computer game Oregon Trail. It is a choose-your-own adventure book with over twenty possible endings. I believe only one will lead you to Chimney Rock and set you up for book two.

Your biggest decision is your first decision. Will you choose to start your journey west in April or May?

If you want a REALLY short story to read, always decide to leave in April. You'll be done with the story in no time. There are just four possible stories with an April beginning.  

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I was determined to keep reading until I made it to Chimney Rock.

Are the decisions obvious? Yes. No. Sometimes. Not really. A few do seem easier to discern "wise" from "foolish" actions.

Do all the wrong/foolish decisions lead to death? No. Don't get me wrong. While all wrong decisions hinder you from reaching Chimney Rock and thus keep you from reaching Oregon, not all wrong decisions lead to a grave for you and/or your whole family. I was happily surprised to see some genuinely happy endings. I didn't feel so bad reading the words "The END" if I managed to still be alive. That being said, there were some horrible, horrible endings where you did end up dead.

While I understand that it's necessary to restrict EVERY decision to just two choices in the book and in the game, life doesn't really work like that. A third option makes sense sometimes.

Spoiler:

If you want to reach Chimney Rock

• DO leave in May
• DO buy extra wagon parts
• DO let Joseph help you catch rabbits
• DO go to Papan's Ferry
• DO make friends with an Indian boy
• DO admit to not feeling well
• DO stay with the train instead of following a soldier-guide
• DO go to the Pawnee nation for help with muddy wheels
• DO lower the wagons by your own strength
• DO stop climbing the rock and go back to the wagon when it's time for supper
• DO stand up taller and face the bear

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Tea Dragon Society

The Tea Dragon Society. Katie O'Neill. 2017. [Oct. 31, 2017] 72 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Once upon a time, blacksmiths were as important as magicians. They made tools for the healers to cure the sick. Shoes to shod the hooves of working animals. Swords for adventurers to slay monsters. The world was forged in iron...Once upon a time.

Premise/plot: Greta is the heroine of Katie O'Neill's The Tea Dragon Society a middle grade graphic novel. It is a fantasy. Greta finds a small, injured dragon. The dragon is a tea dragon. Her father recognizes the dragon and knows the owner. Greta returns the dragon to its owner, Hesekiel. Seeing her interest in the tea dragon, he invites her to visit his tea shop anytime and learn more about tea dragons and how to take care of them. She also meets Minette and Erik. All three have tea dragons. The book is divided into four sections--the four seasons. Will Greta be lucky enough to get a tea dragon of her own one day?

My thoughts: Odd can be good. It can. I'm not sure that I love, love, love this one. It's not quite my cup of tea. But I liked it. So what makes a tea dragon a tea dragon? I can't tell you their origins of how they came to be, but, I can tell you a little bit about them. Tea dragons grow tea leaves off their horns. The tea leaves--when dried and brewed--offer tea drinkers (especially their owners) a magical trip down memory lane. The shared memories of tea dragons and their caretaker are imparted to the leaves themselves. Drink the tea and you'll be taking a trip.

There are many different kinds of tea dragons: Jasmine Tea Dragon, Rooibos Tea Dragon, Chamomile Tea Dragon, Ginseng Tea Dragon, Earl Grey Tea Dragon, Hibiscus Tea Dragon, Ginger Tea Dragon, and Peppermint Tea Dragon. Each has its own personality. I get the idea that no two tea dragons are alike. These dragons offer a rewarding relationship with their owners, but, it isn't easy-going especially in the beginning.

Katie O'Neill has without a doubt spent a great deal of time world-building. This especially comes through in the appendix. 

I love, love, love, love, LOVE tea. I've had all the teas listed above with the exception of Ginseng. (I've never drank Ginseng before.) I've never had a magical trip as a result of tea drinking. But I've made plenty of happy memories. I love to drink tea and read; I also love to drink tea and watch stuff. (For example, I love to watch Call the Midwife with a cup of tea in hand.)

If I had an equally strong attachment to dragons, I imagine this one would have delighted even more.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Abel's Island

Abel's Island. William Steig. 1976. 117 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Early in August 1907, the first year of their marriage, Abel and Amanda went to picnic in the woods some distance from the town where they lived.

Premise/plot: Abel is separated from Amanda as a result of a sudden storm. Both seek shelter, of course, but Abel finds himself situated far from home (from a mouse's perspective) and on an island. Cut off by nature from the home he loves, Abel's challenged in more ways than one. He has to learn how to physically survive in a strange-to-him environment. He also has to deal with the emotional and mental stress caused by loneliness and depression. Will he ever see Amanda again? Will he ever get off the island? What does his future hold for him?

My thoughts: I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this! There is very little that is cutesy about this animal fantasy. Abel is thrust into a harsh environment and there are no easy happily-ever-after answers. It's not a matter of persevere or get creative. Abel's stuck, stuck, stuck, STUCK on that island. And he has to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about himself and life.

This is a contemplative animal fantasy. It has a tiny bit of adventure thrown in now and then. But it is certainly no thriller.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

By the Great Horn Spoon

By the Great Horn Spoon! Sid Fleischman. 1963. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: A sailing ship with two great sidewheels went splashing out of Boston harbor on a voyage around the Horn to San Francisco.

Premise/plot: Jack Flagg, our young hero, runs away from home--with his butler, Praiseworthy--to seek his fortune (literally) in the 1849 California Gold Rush. While the two set out with enough money to pay for their passage aboard a ship, the two are robbed while buying their tickets. They decide to stowaway though not for the entire voyage. They turn themselves into the ship's captain. They tell their story and prove willing to work. While working, one of them comes up with a genius way to catch the thief whom they are sure is on board. This is just the first sign that this team is unstoppable and that together they are in for a lot of adventure, danger, and FUN. The book chronicles their journey on the ship, and, in California. There's more comedy than drama. Which I think is overall a good thing. It's good to be kept smiling. And while this one may lack intensity and edge-of-your-seat suspense, it has a lot of feel-good adventure.

My thoughts: I may have a soft spot for this one because I spent so many hours playing Goldrush. I liked the comedy. I liked the friendship. I loved the resolution. How the two were working so hard so they could head back East to save the family home. And well, I won't spoil it. But it's lovely!

I would definitely recommend this one.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root

The Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root. Christopher Pennell. Illustrated by Rebecca Bond. 2011/2013. HMH. 215 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Did I enjoy reading The Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root? Yes. Very much. I found it a quick, compelling, delightfully atmospheric fantasy for middle graders.

Here's how it begins: "In a small town called Whistle Root, rats play music in the moonlight." It was a curious way to start a book, in my opinion, and it got me reading. (And this despite the OWL on the cover.)

Carly, the heroine, has trouble sleeping at night. If left alone, she'd gladly sleep all day, stay awake all night. Even if staying awake at night means considerable loneliness with little to no interaction with others. But she's not left alone, not technically, and so when the school year starts, Carly's worst nightmare begins: she's forced to attend school AND stay awake. Her teachers do find it annoying, to say the least, that Carly falls asleep several times throughout the day. And I'd even go so far as to say that her teachers bully her because they are so unhappy with her. But the students, her classmates, REALLY bully her. Carly has made peace, so we're allowed to think, with the fact that she'll never have friends because no one will ever understand her or like her. But this year, that changes. One person does notice her, does like her, and seeks to be friends with her. Of course this person has issues of his own perhaps! But still, his friendship with Carly is special....

Carly lives for the night, lives for the time she plays music with RATS, well, one rat in particular. He takes her with him to the woods. (He can fly on the wind, she has to concentrate on staying caught up with him.) She's soon on visiting terms with a rat community that is facing great danger. She may be able to help. But helping means having to solve a complicated mystery first...and she may not solve it in time to save those she's come to care for.

I liked the world-building in this one, the story-within-a-story aspect of it. It worked for me.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Emerald Atlas

Emerald Atlas. John Stephens. 2011. Random House. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]

The girl was shaken awake. Her mother was leaning over her. "Kate"--her voice was low and urgent--"listen very closely. I need you to do something for me. I need you to keep your brother and sister safe. Do you understand? I need you to keep Michael and Emma safe." 

 Did I enjoy The Emerald Atlas? Yes, for the most part. This fantasy novel for middle graders opens on Christmas Eve, but there's nothing cozy, sentimental, or sweet about it. It is all action and adventure, for the most part. It stars three siblings: Michael, Emma, and Kate, who is the oldest. These three not-quite-orphans have a tough time of it from start to finish. Most of their childhood is spent in various orphanages, and, it is at an "orphanage"--albeit a very, strange one where they are the only three children--that the real adventure begins. And it all starts with a photograph and a blank book....

The Emerald Atlas is the first in a trilogy, and it has all the elements that would make for a successful series. Plenty of action, plenty of danger, a clear struggle between good and evil, magical creatures both good and bad, objects with magical powers, a mysterious wizard, and a team on a quest. I also like the time travel aspect of it. And the hidden, magical world within our world.

Did I love it? I'd say not quite--more of an almost. I think I might not have been in the right mood to really enjoy it and find it satisfying.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans. Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder. 2015. Random House. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans is just good fun. It is. It is probably more for younger readers than older readers--think elementary school instead of high school. But I think this charming book could prove delightful to readers of all ages. Especially if used for a family read-aloud where a book needs to be both family friendly and entertaining--packed with interesting characters and/or action-packed.

The narrator is a dragon, Miss Drake, and she's a dragon in mourning. She's lost her pet, "Fluffy" (aka Great-Aunt Amelia). Fluffy's niece (great-niece actually) shows up to "claim" Miss Drake as HER pet saying that her aunt "left" her to her in her will. She's NOT happy about this turn of events. She's not quite ready for another pet, training a new human could prove quite trying and tedious, and more than the work itself, is she ready emotionally for a new human in her life? One human just can't replace another, right? But Winnie, the niece, seems quite persistent and strong-willed. Perhaps as strong-willed as Miss Drake herself.

Winnie and Miss Drake have quite an ADVENTURE together. And the book is very satisfying. I really enjoyed it very much.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Milo Speck, Accidental Agent

Milo Speck, Accidental Agent. Linda Urban. 2015. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 272 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 Did I enjoy Linda Urban's new book? Yes. What should you know? Well, it's a fantasy novel. A fantasy for middle grade. Milo Speck, the hero, finds himself suddenly in an adventure he's completely unprepared for. How did he get there? The dryer. Yes, I'm serious. He is reaching into a dryer, looking for a missing sock, when suddenly he's being picked up by an OGRE, pulled from an OGRE'S dryer. He's confused, and has every right to be. What will become of him? How will he get back home? How can he avoid being eaten? Is he alone? Or are there other kids out there being pulled into this ogre-world? Can he save the day?

If you enjoy quick fantasy reads, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy Linda Urban's Milo Speck, Accidental Agent. It's slightly-slightly predictable in a place or two. But for the most part, it kept me reading. Was it silly? Yes. Especially the GIANT TURKEYS. But did I want to keep reading to find out what happened next? Of course I did. Plenty of action and adventure in this one. But I also enjoyed meeting Milo and Tuck.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. Jonathan Auxier. 2011. Abrams. 397 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Now, for those of you who know anything about blind children, you are aware that they make the very best thieves. As you can well imagine, blind children have incredible senses of smell, and they can tell what lies behind a locked door--be it fine cloth, gold, or peanut brittle--at fifty paces. Moreover their fingers are small enough to slip right through keyholes, and their eyes keen enough to detect the faintest clicks and clacks of every moving part inside even the most complicated lock. Of course, the age of great thievery has long since passed; today there are few child-thieves left, blind or otherwise. At one time, however, the world was simply thick with them. This is the story of the greatest thief who ever lived. His name, as you've probably guessed, is Peter Nimble.

Did I enjoy reading Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes? Yes. Definitely. Am I excited that there will be another book in the series, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard? Yes. I look forward to reading it. And it appears to have a heroine, and be at least partly set in a bookshop. So, I'll definitely read it when it's released. But did I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes in the same way that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED The Night Gardener?! Not really. The Night Gardener is probably--not counting rereads--my favorite book of 2014.

Who is Peter Nimble? Who are his parents? Where did he come from? What does Peter know about his past--if anything? What do readers know about his past? Yes, he's an orphan who raised himself on the streets. Yes, he's a thief by necessity and manipulation. (Peter "being taken care of" by Mr. Seamus.) But is he destined for more than that? What does his future hold for him?

I liked Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes because it is a fantasy, a grand old-fashioned fantasy. The concept of his "fantastic eyes" is just intriguing. Pairs of magical "eyes" that he can put in and take out that do unusual, fantastic things--though not without risk and danger! And the adventure he lands in and the people he meets...it's just a compelling story, one that's easy to recommend.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Oliver and the Seawigs (2014)

Oliver and the Seawigs. Philip Reeve. Illustrated by Sarah McIntyre. 2014. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I didn't not like it. I could easily say I liked it well enough. But you know how there are certain books that you read and get excited about and just can't wait to talk about? This wasn't that kind of book for me. While there was not one thing about the book that I didn't like, I just didn't find myself loving it. I don't know why readers feel, in some ways, obligated to love everything they read.

I liked the opening paragraphs. "Oliver Crisp was only ten years old, but they had been a busy and exciting ten years, because Oliver's mother and father were explorers. They had met on top of Mount Everest. They had been married at the Lost Temple of Amon Hotep, and had spent their honeymoon searching for the elephants' graveyard. And when young Oliver was born, they simply bought themselves a back carrier and an off-road baby carriage and went right on exploring." See. It starts off cute and promising. And it doesn't disappoint. You know from the start what kind of book this will be. And you get just that.

I liked the characters. I liked Oliver Crisp. I liked the wandering albatross, Mr. Culpeper. I liked the near-sighted mermaid, Iris. I liked the island, Cliff. I liked how they met and became friends. You can certainly see this is a unique story.

I liked the pacing. It is a nice, imaginative adventure story starring unique characters.

I like the illustrations. I like the layout. Many kids, like Lewis Carroll's fictional Alice, do look for stories with plenty of pictures! It's a sign of it not being horribly dull. If you share Alice's opinion on books that is.

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Magic Marks the Spot (2013)

Magic Marks the Spot (Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates). Caroline Carlson. 2013. HarperCollins. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Ever since the letter had arrived from Miss Pimm's Hilary had spent more and more time talking to the gargoyle. 

I loved, loved, loved Magic Marks the Spot. Hilary, our heroine, has spent most of her life wanting just one thing: to be a pirate. Unfortunately, young ladies are not allowed into the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates. And when she makes the application, well, the league itself steps in to "do the right thing" and enroll her in Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies. And it is to finishing school she goes, for a while at least, but she has no plans of staying there. She is waiting for the right opportunity to escape. And that moment does come, she sneaks away to answer an advertisement:

WANTED: PIRATE CREW

Established, respected freelance pirate seeking experienced crew members for upcoming voyage. Must be able to swashbuckle, swab decks, swill grog, fire cannons, and climb to the crow's nest. Successful applicants will sign contract for one round-trip voyage, with opportunity for further collaboration if merited. Voyage details to be divulged upon acceptance. Applicants trained in treasure location are of particular interest. Please apply in person to 25 Little Herring Cove, Wimbly-on-the-Marsh, at ten o'clock on Saturday morning. Eye patches and hooks OK. Please--no parrots. (75)

Magic Marks the Spot is historical fantasy. Magic is very real in the world Carlson has created. It is not equally distributed, however. Magic plays a definite role. Hilary's gargoyle is magic. And he is a delightful part of the story! The action and adventure center on finding magical treasure, and the mystery on finding the thief who has been stealing magical objects from the elite ruling class.

I enjoyed this one so much! The characters are quite fun. The story is just delightful with plenty of surprises! Would definitely recommend!

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews