Book Review: Klickitat by Peter Rock

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Klickitat cover imageDark and foreboding, Klickitat is told through the eyes of Vivian, a teen whose family is stressed by her older sister’s (Audra) rebellion and Vivian’s unnamed mental malady that causes her to retreat far within herself when she is stressed.

As the action escalates, Audra talks of living in the wilderness on her own, with a boy she met who will show her how. Audra runs away, then comes back to take Vivian with her. The three teens find a clandestine spot to hide until they can strike out on their own, but obstacles crop up that keep them in the city, building to a terrible conclusion.

Klickitat brings up life-questioning issues many teens grapple with — rejection of their parents’ lifestyles and values, and uncertainty about their own looming adulthood and plans for the future — at a time when they are establishing their core personalities and values.

It’s a confusing time, and Vivian’s mental condition adds to the confusion. As her situation falls apart, readers are likely to question her reliability as a narrator. Is her version of reality true or simply true to her? I would have preferred more clues along the way and a bit more revelation at the end. Even so, I believe the story is likely to resonate with readers and stay with them long after they turn the last page.

If the word Klickitat seems familiar, that’s because it’s the name of the street Ramona Quimby grew up on, in the series of books for young readers by Beverly Cleary. Rock’s novel is set in the same neighborhood, but that’s the only similarity between Cleary’s stories and this book, which is geared to readers aged 15 and up.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Book Review: Whatever After: Genie in a Bottle by Sarah Mlynowski

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Normally, I don’t review the ninth book in a series without having covered at least the first title and a few others. But I just discovered the Whatever After series with Genie in a Bottle, and I think the whole lineup is appealing to readers aged 8 to 11 and their moms. I also think readers can jump in anywhere and either read from book one or pick any other title that appeals and move from book to book randomly.

Whatever After: Genie in a Bottle cover imageThe series follows Abby and her brother Jonah, as they enter a fairy tale world through a magic mirror in their basement. They never know beforehand which fairy tale they’ll be part of, but each time they feel they are on a mission to solve a problem.

In Genie in a Bottle, they enter Aladdin’s world and know they have to help him meet the princess. But they interfere when they bounce a ball into Aladdin’s nose and send him home, which means he misses meeting the magician who wants him to find the magic lamp.

Abby knows the basics of the fairy tale, so she guides her younger brother to help achieve the expected outcome. But they can’t resist having some fun along the way. And they get to meet two genies, one who is young woman just coming into her magical powers.

Genie in a Bottle is fun for kids to read because it takes a well-known fairy tale and mixes up some of the story in an interesting way. It also weaves in features of the original tale, which differs from Disney’s Aladdin movie. It’s a playful take on a standard that kids are sure to love.

Author Mlynowski has said one of the big points she wants to convey in the series is the idea that girls can control their own destinies instead of waiting for someone to come along and save them. She also hopes to inspire young readers to discover the original tales her stories are based on. Whatever After is the kind of series that can hook young readers and keep them turning pages book after book.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The First Book of Ore: The Foundry’s Edge by Cam Baity and Benny Zelkowicz

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The Foundry's Edge cover imageAs the daughter of one of the Foundry’s top executives, 12-year-old Phoebe Plumm lives a privileged life in her mansion at the top of the hill. Despite the gadgets and baubles that make life easier for her, she is lonely. But her life takes a turn when she and her dad are kidnapped and the two of them are separated. With the help of Micah, a boy who works on her estate, she escapes and avoids recapture as the two of them go on a quest through a strange land to rescue her father, discovering a terrible secret about the Foundry along the way.

The First Book of Ore: The Foundry’s Edge takes readers into a world where machines are alive and humans are the intruders. Before they left home, Phoebe and Micah were enemies, playing mean pranks on each other. Their new environment, however, is harsh, and they need to trust each other if they hope to survive.

The Foundry’s Edge creates an alien world where the evil leaders of a powerful corporation exploit locals. As Phoebe and Micah escape from one danger after another, they are horrified to find out the truth of what happened behind the scenes of their comfortable lives. When the inevitable confrontation occurs, they have to pull on all their strengths, and their budding friendship, to survive.

This first book in the series takes readers on an adventure with a conclusion that will leave them eager to read the next installment. I recommend The Foundry’s Edge for ages 9 to 13.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions by Tracey Hecht

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The Nocturnals cover imageAnimals are disappearing at night, and it’s up to the nocturnals, creatures who are normally awake at night, to solve the mystery. Banding together are a pangolin, a fox, and a sugar glider. Other animals getting in on the action include a wombat, a group of echo-location challenged bats, a band of coyotes and more.

The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions by Tracey Hecht is the first in a series that aims to introduce readers to Australia’s mammals while leading them on an adventure. The animals have to use their strengths, rely on teamwork, and be a bit daring to solve the mystery. The answer to the disappearances is wholly unexpected, and it adds a new element to the story.

The Nocturnals is appropriate for readers aged 9 to 11 to read on their own, but it also works as a parent-child read aloud for kids as young as six. And while young readers have fun following the action, they’ll also be learning about traits of the animals featured in the book. It makes for a winning combination of facts and fiction that I expect will entice kids to seek out the next books in the series.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Parents Believe Reading Encourages Empathy in Children

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A poll by Amnesty International UK found that more than half of parents participating believe reading books encourages their children to empathize with others. Parents also listed books they believe help their children see things from a different perspective. Topping the list? Two very different books for two age groups (and some of my favorites): The BFG by Roald Dahl and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

I agree that books have the power to encourage empathy in all readers, not just children. When you can understand how a character feels, especially a character who is different than you are, then you are more likely to transmit that understanding to your personal relationships.

Read more about the poll and find out about other books parents chose at TheGuardian.com.

Book Review: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

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Flora and Ulysses cover imageFlora Belle Buckman knows all is not right in her world. Her parents are divorced, her mom writes romance novels even though there is no romance in her life, and she misses the time she spent reading about a superhero, the Amazing Incandesto. But life for Flora begins to change when she rescues a squirrel accidentally vacuumed up by a neighbor. Suddenly she’s caught up in an adventure with a squirrel superhero, his arch nemesis, a boy in need of a friend, her reliable dad, a philosopher, and a helpful neighbor.

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is a tender, sweet story about a girl and the amazing squirrel that helps her sort out the important things in life. Little bits of wisdom come from those all around her, and Flora ponders those as well as observations she reads in the books about Incandesto. She borrows from it all to solve her problems and expand the community of people she cares about.

Young readers aged 9 to 12 will fall in love with Ulysses, a squirrel who types poems and dreams of eating a giant doughnut, who is totally devoted to Flora. A few graphic novel-like sequences help readers feel as though they know all the quirky characters in this lovable story. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs to talk about issues of friendship, family dynamics, reaching out to others in time of loneliness, and more.

I purchased a copy of this book to review.

Mother-Daughter Book Club Idea—Go on a Field Trip

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Hooray for field trips! Everybody loves field trips, and you don’t have to let the fun be limited to classrooms. Scheduling one or two events each year for your mother-daughter book club, or even any mother-daughter pair, lets you find different ways to connect. And here’s another plus for planning your own field trip: you don’t have to ride a school bus to get there.

Here are a few ideas for places to go and things to do that can deepen your appreciation for a book and each other.

  • See a new-release film version of a book you read.
  • Visit an ethnic restaurant related to food featured in a book.
  • Attend a play adapted from a book.
  • Look for a museum in your area related to something you read. Who knows what quirky thing you’ll find?
  • Travel to a historical site from the time featured in a story.
  • Go see an author appearing at your local library or bookstore.

Once you start talking about possibilities, you’ll probably come up with lots more ideas of your own.

Book Review: You Made Me a Mother by Laurenne Sala and Robin Preiss Glasser

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You Made Me a Mother cover imageYou Made Me a Mother by Laurenne Sala is a celebration of motherhood, from pregnancy through the stages of childhood. In the beginning the mom says, “I felt you. You were a pea. Then a lemon. Then an eggplant.” She walks with other moms and reads pregnancy books, puts up baby furniture with dad.

Once the baby arrives I believe she captures the joy that many moms feel when she says, “I realized that I would spend my life doing things to make you happy.” And this is a happy book, a portrayal that shows that even when motherhood is trying, mothers still love their children.

Illustrator Preiss Glasser captures the happy family (including an expressive dog) at home, on a carousel, in a backyard wading pool, and on a rainy walk. The pastel colors convey the look and feel of soothing watercolors.

You Made Me a Mother is a book moms will want to read to their young children again and again as another way to strengthen the bond between them.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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