Book Review: Strange But True, America by John Hafnor

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Did you know that sometime around 1914 a 4-year-old girl living in Idaho was mailed to her grandma’s house to save train fare? Or that camels once roamed the deserts of Arizona? What about the atom bomb that was accidentally dropped near Albuquerque in 1957? All of these “strange but true” facts can be found in a book that is part of the Strange But True series, Strange But True, America.

Written by John Hafnor and featuring illustrations by Dale Crawford, Strange But True, America features little known tales from all 50 states. The story from Louisiana, where I grew up, is about a giant logjam on the Red River that lasted for centuries. I already knew some pieces of that story, yet the details Hafnor weaves in made it even more interesting than I even realized. And the tale from Oregon, where I live now, is about Nike founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. Again, I knew some of the details, but not the whole story presented in the book.

Other strange tales are highlighted in the back of the book, in sections about bombs and missiles accidentally going off in quite a few states and short tidbits from all around the country, such as the football game that inspired our first cheerleader and the eagle that was sent to encourage Civil War troops because his owner wasn’t able to fight.

Mother-daughter book club members can have fun identifying their favorite stories while learning something about the history of every state. Hafnor also provides a few more tales at his website, www.StrangeTrueUS.com. You can also get individual, collectible postcards for each state. Those may be fun to collect or send to friends and family who live in other parts of the country. I recommend it for girls aged 10 and up.

Book Review: Merlin’s Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton

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Merlin’s Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton is a retelling of the legend of King Arthur and his times from the perspective of Niviene, daughter of the Lady of the Lake, known to Niviene as Nimway. They live on Apple Island, also known as Avalon, with Niviene’s brother, Lugh. Niviene is happy in her Fey world, living apart from most of her kind except when she and Lugh and their friend Elana slip into the villages and pretend to be Human.

The basic elements of the Arthur legend are here—Gwen’s relationship with Lancelot (though there is a surprise there), Mordred’s arrival at the court, the forces that ultimately threaten Arthur’s rule. But what sets Merlin’s Harp apart is Niviene’s perspective.

Niviene is 100 percent Fey, or so she believes, and as such she doesn’t understand the Human emotions of love, honor, greed, lust and longing. She has special powers that allow her to see the future through the flames of fire and speak to animals. Her forested world is rich in fantastical elements. And yet, Niviene is drawn into the Human world by Merlin, a frequent visitor to Apple Island and a friend of her mother’s. Merlin asks Niviene to help Arthur by going with Merlin to Arthur’s court. She risks losing her own power, and if she does, she will not be able to help Arthur.

Merlin’s Harp weaves a tale that blends the lines of mythical and historical worlds. Poems of Merlin’s Song and his life history are woven through the chapters, and they create a subtext of interest in Merlin’s birth and adolescence, not just as the old man we usually see him as. While the premise of the story may be well known, the details of Merlin’s Harp make it seem freshly told. Niviene’s perspective made me thing of the Arthur legend in a different way and imagine new possibilities for the reasons behind the actions of each player. The ending surprised me as well, and I thought it was fun to think of new possibilities for a tale so often told. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up.

Book Review: Beautiful Dead, Book 1—Jonas by Eden Maguire

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Darina can hardly believe her eyes when she stumbles upon a gathering in an old barn near an abandoned home way out of town. Drawn to the area because of tales around town of strange sightings there, she is shocked to see Phoenix, her recently dead boyfriend, and three other teens from town who have died in the last year, looking very much alive. An older man is with them, and Darina runs when she thinks he’s about to discover her. But the possibility that Phoenix may still be alive draws her back to learn the truth—they are all dead and brought back to earth by Hunter, who protects them. They all have unfinished business to set right before they can rest.

Beautiful Dead, Book 1—Jonas is the first in a new series by Eden Maguire. It imagines a realm where the dead can return, commune with the living, and solve a mystery surrounding their deaths. Anyone living who discovers them has his memory of the event wiped away. Except for Darina. Her strong connection with Phoenix, and her promise to help the group find the answers they’re looking for makes her a vital accomplice. She is under a strict vow of silence about what she knows.

Beautiful Dead is full of complex, conflicting relationships. Darina feels ostracized at home because she doesn’t get along with her stepfather. Caught in the middle, Darina’s mother mostly frets about the right thing to do. Darina is befriended by Phoenix’s brother, who has promised to look after her. But many in town question his motives. Darina’s old friends aren’t sure if they can trust her, and some lash out as she pulls away from them to keep her secret.

As the story evolves, we find that Darina must help each of the Beautiful Dead find out the mystery surrounding his or her death. The first is Jonas, who has been dead the longest. While Darina looks deeper into what happened the day he crashed his motorcycle, she must also deal with the grief, anguish and confusion of those closest to Jonas. And the outrage of one who has something to hide.

Beautiful Dead is imaginative and intriguing. Issues to talk about in a book group include personal feelings of spirituality and what happens after death, the bond between dating teens, jealousy, and mother-daughter relationships. While I found the descriptions of the rules that existed for the beautiful dead the least compelling part of the book, I was able to read past those and enjoy the mystery and the story enough to look forward to reading the second in the series.

Read an excerpt from the first chapter and learn more about the author at the Beautiful Dead page at Teen Fire.

Book Review: Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic

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My daughter, Catherine, wrote this review after our mother-daughter book club read Zlata’s Diary and saw the author, Zlata Filipovic at a local book signing.

This is a very good book. It is about an 11-year-old girl named Zlata who lives in Sarajevo and keeps a diary. But pretty soon war breaks out in her country, and an innocent child’s diary turns into a war diary. You read about all of the awful things that war can do to people. If you liked Anne Frank’s diary, then you are sure to like this one. (Don’t worry, she doesn’t die in the end,) In fact, the author, Zlata Filipovic still gives book talks about her wonderful book. The whole group liked it. Highly recommended! – Catherine H., Portland, Oregon

Book Review: Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

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A young reader sent in this review of Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata.

A Daughter’s Review

Set in WWII, Weedflower is an amazing story about a Japanese girl who is forced to leave everything behind. Sumiko and her family travel to many different Japanese camps, while struggling to make friends along the way. But everything starts to brighten up when Sumiko meets a charming Indian boy! This book is great for any audience (yes, even adults) looking for a historical yet entertaining novel. It’s by the same author who wrote Kira Kira. – Victoria C., Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Book Review: Walter, the Story of a Rat by Barbara Wersba/Illustrated by Donna Diamond

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Long before a gourmet rodent named Remy stole our hearts in Ratatouille, a bookish rat named Walter scampered into existence courtesy of author Barbara Wersba and illustrator Donna Diamond. Walter is special because—unlike any of his friends or relatives—he discovered at a young age that he knows how to read. And as any of us who truly love books can easily attest, once you start reading, it is impossible to ever stop. Fortunately, Walter has taken up residence in the Long Island house of Miss Pomeroy, a lonely woman who just happens to be an author. Over the course of 60 pages—combined with a smattering of priceless pen and ink drawings—the author weaves a gentle tale of friendship in which these two unique souls come to be aware of one another. I started reading this enchanting tale myself one evening at the dining room table while my husband was cooking dinner and I kept interrupting him so often with the charming turns of phrase that he finally suggested I read it out loud to him. To date, it remains a favorite story to both of us and I have subsequently bought many copies for young people—and adults!—who would appreciate Walter’s honesty, simplicity, curiosity and kindness. – Christina H., Pasadena California

Book Review: The Truth: I’m Smart, I’m a Girl and I Know Everything by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

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The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein is a little book that gives a lot to think about. Told through the diary entries of a young girl who keeps a fake diary for her parents to find while writing the truth in her real diary, The Truth seems even more universal because the reader never learns the name of the diarist. We read her entries for the day and are free to picture her in our own minds as we will.

The Truth lets us in on the thoughts of a 10-year-old who is still very much a child, but who is also growing up and not sure how to deal with the changes she’s going through. For instance, when she gets a crush on a boy in her class, it’s such a powerful feeling that she knows she will love him forever. Yet, she fantasizes that she could easily have lots of children and take care of them well because she takes such good care of her dolls.

You feel the ache of a child’s wanting to know about the changes that are in store for her, and her frustration that adults in her life think she’s too young to think or talk about the things she’s curious about. It’s a great reminder that our children want and need information about topics parents are often uncomfortable talking about, and how important it is to talk about them.

Moms and daughters will have lots to talk about if they read The Truth together: How do children feel when they hear their parents argue? When do they need to know about changes their bodies go through in adolescence? Why is it important to hear about these things from parents?

I was a bit surprised to discover that the diary entries were not written in current times, but as though the writer was growing up in the 1950s or 60s. References to comic books, I Love Lucy, dial telephones and Brownie cameras may be confusing to some girls. But that shouldn’t keep the book from being an interesting and quick read. And there’s a great list of questions for kids at the end that’s perfect to use in a mother-daughter book club meeting.

Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo

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After my mother-daughter book club read The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo, one of the daughters sent in this review.

If you like fantasy-type books about animal heroes, you will love the book The Tale of Despereaux. It’s about a little mouse that needs to save his family and friends, despite how small and somewhat helpless he is. I think it was a great book, although not quite my style of reading. I prefer more realistic books. Anyway, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I think if you enjoy this kind of book you would definitely give it 5. It was a big hit with most of our book group members and definitely deserves a good rating. — Monica W., Portland, Oregon

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