Book Review: What If…Everyone Knew Your Name by Liz Ruckdeschel and Sara James

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What If Everyone Knew Your Name cover imageHere’s a guest review written by author Christina Hamlett

Title: What If…Everyone Knew your Name
Authors: Liz Ruckdeschel and Sara James
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2006
Reviewer: Christina Hamlett (www.authorhamlett.com)

Liz Ruckdeschel and Sara James have come up with a winning formula for their “What If” YA series in which readers are presented with two choices at the end of each chapter on what the lead character should do next. “What If…Everyone Knew your Name” speaks to the age-old challenges of distinguishing yourself at a new school. Heroine Haley Miller, 15, is not only having to adjust to a new neighborhood but also trying to figure out which crowd to hang with, how to attract the attention of a certain hottie boy, and how to reinvent her own looks. It’s an amazing concept for confronting the consequences of our actions and, accordingly, makes a good candidate for a mother-daughter book club discussion.

The authors deftly handle a multiplicity of themes—friendship, loyalty, honesty, self-esteem, body image, and personal responsibility—in a way that never descends to preachy or heavy-handed. For the reader, I think the biggest challenge is in following any of the self-directed storylines all the way through to their conclusion. Many a time when I chose an option and read the consequences of it, I was tempted to keep a bookmark on the page where that option was offered and see if the alternative would have been a smarter move. Real life, of course, doesn’t come with its own rewind or do-over button, all of which makes the Ruckdeschel/James series a valuable way to explore values and hone decision-making skills.

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Book Review: The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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The Midnight Palace cover imageSomething evil tried to kill Ben the night he was born, although he knows nothing about it. All he knows is that he was raised in an orphanage, and as his 16th birthday approaches he has to decide what he’ll do when he has to leave there in a few days. He and his friends of the same age, who form a group they call the Chowbar Society, are celebrating together before they all must leave the orphanage as well. But strange events are about to change their plans.

Ben dreams of a fiery train with children trapped inside. An old woman comes to visit, bringing with her a granddaughter named Sheere. Ben learns Sheere is his twin, and they both are in grave danger from the being who killed their parents. He is called Jawahal, and he possesses extraordinary powers of destruction. Together the friends must find a way to find Jawahal and stop him before he finishes what he started 16 years before.

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is deliciously dark. Zafon has mastered the art of creating mysterious and twisted antagonists, and he excels here with Jawahal, who is a frightening monster who lets nothing get in his way. Don’t read this one at bedtime, or you may find that he haunts your dreams.

I recommend The Midnight Palace for ages 14 and up.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

 

Book Helps Parents Help Their Children Get to Sleep

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I remember lots of bleary days following sleepless nights when my children were very young. If only I had been able to read Malia Jacobson’s book called Ready, Set, Sleep: 50 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep, So You Can Sleep Too. As a sleep journalist, Jacobson has writtReady, Set, Sleep cover imageen extensively on this topic, and her tips are easy to read and implement. They are also gentle to both parents and children. To find out more, you may want to read this interview with Jacobson at Christina Katz’s website. Then head over to Malia Jacobson.com for complete info on the author and her very helpful guide.

 

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Book Review: Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

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Daughter of Xanadu cover imageEmmajin chafes at the restrictions that would keep her from joining the army. Her grandfather is the Great Khan Khubilai, and she would like nothing more than to please him with her skills at archery. Instead of spending time with her mother and sister, Emmajin practices with her cousin Surin, the oldest male grandchild of the Great Khan and his expected successor one day.

Emmajin’s normal way of life changes, but not in ways she expects. First, she meets a foreigner who brings gifts to her grandfather from a land far away. His name is Marco Polo, a merchant accompanying his father and uncle from Venice. The Great Khan wants her to spend time with him and gain his confidence, so she can learn more about the place he is from and how the Mongols may conquer it. Then Emmajin is accepted into the army and sent on a campaign to the far reaches of the empire. Suddenly Emmajin questions everything she believes she knows about herself and her people, as she finds herself becoming more and more interested in the round-eyed foreigner.

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang is a sweeping tale of adventure and romance that fascinates with its descriptions of life in the Mongol court of the Great Khan. Emmajin is a brave character who is not afraid to go after what she wants or change her mind once she sees her dream is not what she thought it was. Through her eyes we see the magnificence of the Khan’s empire, and we also see a hunger to know more about the lands beyond it. She knows her interest in Marco Polo is forbidden; yet she is determined to find a way for the two of them to be together. While Emmajin herself is a fictional character, many of the people and events around her are not, and the events make for great historical reading.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Great Meeting Ideas for Your Mother-Daughter Book Club

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Thanks to reader Amber A. for writing in about successful activities in her mother-daughter book club. Talking about the book and socializing are always a big part of book club meetings, but other activities can add a whole new level of fun. Here are the books Amber’s group read and the creative ideas they came up with for their meetings:

Half Magic by Edward Eager
Each girl put on a magic show for the group. You can find easy magic tricks on the web. Then, I taught them to play a card game, Doubt It.  They had a lot of fun with this and got a little rowdy. Best to do at the very end. For snacks we had Celery Soda (you can find this on the web) and Hot Fudge Dope (ice cream sundae).

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton
I ordered some shark teeth on the Internet that was set for making a necklace. After our discussion, we all made necklaces. I also had a replica (got from the same place) of an adult shark tooth. We live in Huntington Beach, California, so I was going to take a field trip to the surfing museum in town. Bethany Hamilton also has a website with a recipe for a specific smoothie. I also thought about having the girls make that. However, we ended up just going with the necklaces.

Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
A version of the Newlywed Game, where the mother and daughter answer questions about each other.
An obstacle course, where the mom is blind folded and the daughter must give the mom directions but cannot touch her. We just used our yard and put chairs and tables in the way so the mom had to maneuver around them. Then we switched—mother directed the daughter.

Book Review: Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

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Tyger Tyger cover imageTeagan Wylltson descends from a line of Irish travelers, wanderers who rarely stay in one place for long. Her parents have raised Teagan and her brother in one place, so she’s never met anyone else in her extended family. Then one day her cousin Finn comes to live with the Wylltsons.

Finn’s been on his own and homeless for some time. He claims to be the Mac Cumhaill, the one who fights evil, and he says he sees dark creatures like goblins, shape-shifters and cat-sidhe. Teagan doesn’t believe him until she starts to see them too. Then her mother dies suddenly and her dad is taken by the goblins. Teagan sets off on a journey into the goblin world to bring her dad home. She’ll need all her skills and Finn’s knowledge of fighting dark creatures to achieve her goal.

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton creates a world inhabited by dark creatures that co-exists just on the other side of our own reality. These creatures are ancient, just like the tales the Irish travelers tell of them; many of them have no love for humans. The ancient Celtic tales of how these creatures came into being are interesting to read and would be fun to talk about. The story ends with just enough mystery to leave you anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

 

Book Review: The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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The Prince of Mist cover imageCarlos Ruiz Zafon is the master of writing great tales with dark undertones, and The Prince of Mist hits the mark as a gothic tale for young adults. To escape the ravages of war in their country, Max’s family moves to a home at the seaside, not realizing it comes with a past. Years before, the previous owners’ son drowned within sight of the home, and it has lain vacant ever since.

In addition to the past tragedy, Max can feel that something evil resides nearby, and he begins to dream about the garden behind the home, where creepy statues of circus performers reside. Max notices that the statues have moved to different positions each time he goes there.

But there are things for Max to like in his new surroundings too, including his new friend Roland, who teaches Max to dive to a nearby shipwreck in search of treasure. When Max’s sister, Alicia, strikes up a relationship with Roland, the three become inseparable. Then they discover the rest of the story about the drowned boy and the prince of mist.

It turns out Roland’s grandfather, the local lighthouse keeper, has been keeping vigil over the area to keep the prince of mist from coming back to claim another life, one the prince feels is rightfully his. They all work together to uncover the mystery at the prince’s core, before he comes back to strike again.

While the story leaves more questions asked than answered at the end, The Prince of Mist is a good introduction to other Zafon works, such as The Shadow of the Wind, The Midnight Palace, and The Angel’s Game.

E-Book Helps Parents of Adopted Tweens

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Judy Miller photoAs an educator, Judy Miller has helped scores of parents of adopted children over the years. So it’s welcome news that she has just begun to offer a new e-guide that deals with many of the issues parents can expect to face with their adopted tweens…a guide that helps them address the issues before they arise when possible.

I was fortunate to get a sneak peek at Miller’s book before it came out, and I know it’s chock full of information that’s easy to understand and apply. Here’s where you can find out more information about Judy and her helpful new guide: judymmiller.com/the-book

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