Review: The Loner by Ester Wier

Synopsis: He has no home, no name, nothing. Once, he remembers, there was a mother who was nice to him, but that was too long ago. He has to rely on himself now, and himself only. Wandering westward, picking fruit on various farms to make money, that’s the way things are. If you don’t keep up with the rest of the pickers, you’ll get left behind. Then he realized that there are people who care, who want to care for him. They befriend him, give him a name, an identity – everything he’s ever longed for. Life is good. But is it too good to last?

Review: Slow, steady book about what it means to rely on others, to love and be loved. Might be a bit boring for the modern child, but worth reading. There is adventure and danger and character growth. Advice: Death is a theme in the book. Animals die in a snow-storm. A side-character dies by being caught in an agricultural machine. While the scene is not graphic, it is clear what happens. Another character is dead before the story opens and that event weighs on the main character. Parents should be prepared to read this with children and answer questions about death.

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: Newbery Honor, 1964

ISBN: 0-590-44352-6
Year Published: 1963
Date Finished: 8-5-18
Pages: 151

Review: Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle

Synopsis: Anything might happen in Sara-Kate’s backyard. For that matter, anything was happening.

For nine-year-old Hillary Lenox, being friends with Sara-Kate Connolly is a complicated business. Sara-Kate’s clothes don’t match, her hair’s a mess, and she’s known to spit at people when they make her mad. But when Sara-Kate shows Hillary the tiny elf village in her overgrown backyard, Hillary decides she can’t be as awful as all that. 

Hillary is amazed by the delicate houses, the miniature well, even an intricate Ferris wheel made of bicycle wheels and popsicle sticks. But the more time she spends in Sara-Kate’s yard, the more questions she has. How come they never go inside Sara-Kate’s house? Why is Sara-Kate sometimes missing from school? And why hasn’t Hillary ever seen Sara-Kate’s mom? If Hillary can just look deep enough, she hopes, she will uncover the secrets of the elves—and of her new friend.

Review:  This is a haunting and bittersweet story. The story starts with the typical “outcast” child and the girl who becomes friends with her. But from there, it goes much different than I expected.

As Hillary spends time with the abrasive Sara-Kate, she begins to wonder about the magic of the elves and their village in Sara-Kate’s backyard.

Hillary, with her normal home and parents, struggles to understand the way Sara-Kate lives and process what it means. Her naivety often leads her to strange child-like conclusions.

But it is the ending that sets this story apart. There is not happy ending. Sara-Kate is shipped off to live with relatives after her secret is discovered. Sara-Kate doesn’t become “normal” like Hillary. No, Hillary becomes like Sara-Kate, taking up the world of the elves and their strange ways. While sorrowful, it is a much more powerful ending.

Worth reading, particularly with Children, although I would advise an adult on hand to discuss some difficult passages and scenes, as there is mention of child neglect and mild abuse, although nothing graphic. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: Newbery Honor, 1990

ISBN: 0-590-43944-8
Year Published: 1989
Date Finished: 8-5-2018
Pages: 122

Review: The 21 Balloons by William Pene du Bois

Synopsis: Professor William Waterman Sherman intends to fly across the Pacific Ocean. But through a twist of fate, he lands on Krakatoa, and discovers a world of unimaginable wealth, eccentric inhabitants, and incredible balloon inventions.

Review: Despite the adventure and fun of this book, it is clearly written in 1947, and yet has the feel of those Jules Verne adventure novels of late 1800s. Less of a story and more of a scientific treatise in narrative format, it follows Prof. Sherman and his Balloon adventures. Most of the book is taken up with Prof. Sherman’s time on the island he crashes on and the explanation by the inhabitants of their inventions. This can get a bit tedious for the modern mind.

I would recommend this for a child (boy or girl) who is mechanically or science minded or who enjoy wild inventions. It is, however, may be a bit slow for the modern child. There is nothing questionable about it (there are no “Happy Native” tropes on the island, and all genders are seen as useful and important) and would make a fun read for an imaginative child. 

Bookmarks 3 of 5

Awards: Newbery Medal, 1947

ISBN: N/A
Year Published: 1947
Date Finished: 8-4-2018
Pages: 180

Review: Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi (Moribito Series, Book 1)

Synopsis: Balsa was a wanderer and warrior for hire. Then she rescued a boy flung into a raging river -- and at that moment, her destiny changed. Now Balsa must protect the boy -- the Prince Chagum -- on his quest to deliver the great egg of the water spirit to its source in the sea. As they travel across the land of Yogo and discover the truth about the spirit, they find themselves hunted by two deadly enemies: the egg-eating monster Rarunga . . . and the prince's own father. (From the online description)

Review: Having seen and greatly enjoyed the Anime, I was delighted to find the book at a Library Book Sale. Often animes are taken from manga but this one was taken from a book – and faithfully rendered into film. The book brings alive in the mind this fantastic story. With a deft hand, the author gives us the world of real and spirit clashing and the people in our world that must fight to protect it.
While the language and vocabulary are of no particular difficulty, the subject is not simple. The author touches on the how different cultures mix, and in particular, who writes history – and why it might not always be true. This would be an excellent story to start a discussion with elementary age kids about critical analysis of historical reporting. Can you always believe the history books? How do you know what is and isn’t true? Why do people lie about history? It isn’t told in a heavy-handed moral sort of way either, but simply a presentation of the story that would lead to good thoughts and good discussion. This is also an excellent book about another culture from a non-western author. If you are looking to get kids reading non-western authors, this must be on your list! Happy Reading!

  

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: Noma Children's Literature New Face Prize / Sankei Children's Culture and Publishing Award /  English Translation was awarded the Mildred L. Batchelder Award in 2009

  

ISBN: 978-0-545-00542-5
Year Published: 1996 (English Trans. in 2008) 

Date Read: 8-3-2018

 Pages: 248

Review: Dragons of Darkness ed. by Orson Scott Card

Synopsis: Balancing out a previous collection called Dragons of Light, this collection is, as the name suggests, darker. Dragons here are dangerous, evil or deadly, or just - dragons, with not real moral compass other than their own dark natures.

Stories included are as follows:

Filed Teeth by Glen Cook
Vince's Dragon by Ben Bova
The Thermals of August by Edward Bryant
The Dragon's Clubs by Stephen Kimmel
Negwenya by Janet Gluckman
Middle Woman by Byron Walley
The Storm King by Joan D. Vinge
My Bones Waxed Old by Robert Frazier
Soldatenmangel by Victor Milan
Alas, My Love, You Do Me Wrong by James Tucker
Fear of Fly by Lynn Mims
Though All the Mountains Lie Between by Jeffrey A. Carver
The Lady of the Purple Forest by Allan Bruton
A Dragon in the Man by Kevin Christensen
A Plague of Butterflies by Orson Scott Card

Review: This is a wild collection, all over the place as far as theme, feel, tone, and subject. The only connection is the concept of the Dragon, but even that is loose. For example, the dragon in Middle Woman is more like a genie in a bottle, while the Negwenya is an African spirit who is dangers, while dragon of The Lady of the Purple Forest is the classic treasure-hoarding, princess-stealing sort.

Some of these stories are humorous and amusing, but most are darker and horror-toned; In particular, Filed Teeth and Alas, My Love, You Do Me Wrong. They also span genres. Many are fantasy or dark-fantasy, but at least three were science fiction, and several had the fairy tale or folk tale formula.

This anthology is a fine edition of any collection of Dragon stories. While I did not enjoy all of them, I recognized them for being excellent examples of short stories and fine example of dragon mythos. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 / 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-441-16664-4
Year Published: 1981
Date Finished: 7-31-2018
Pages: 286

Review: The Two Ways: The Early Christian Vision of Discipleship from The Didache and The Shepherd of Hermas ed. by Veery Hulraatt, with forward by Rowan Williams

Synopsis: How did earliest Christians receive and understand the teaching of Jesus and the apostles? These writings, among the earliest used in training new disciples, show a clear, vibrant, practical faith concerned with all aspects of discipleship in daily life—vocation, morality, family life, social justice, the sacraments, prophesy, citizenship, and leadership. (From the online description)

Review: This book is composed of three parts – the Introduction, Selections from the Didache, and Selections from the Shepherd of Hermas. The Introduction is a fascinating take on early Christians and why they were so revolutionary. Rowan Williams’ introduction is perhaps the main reason to purchase this book. With deft insight, he explains why and how the early Christians were able to believe the radical (for them) ideas preached by a Jewish Carpenter. In particular, it is his idea that God’s love is radical because it does not require something in common with the beloved to exist. God’s love is because God IS love. This idea is how we, as Christians, are able to love anyone.

As for the Didache and The Shepard of Hermes, I did not like them. I say that, however, with firm acknowledgement that this is a subject opinion. Indeed, it would be impossible to be objective. Both were written almost two thousand years ago, indeed for an audience vastly different then the modern reader. To critic is unfair. The Didache seems harsh and the Shepherd vague and philosophical.

There are many Early Christian Writings, most of which are rich in meaning and insight. These two might be such for you. This book would be an excellent introduction to both of these works. As for me, I did not gain from the writings, but did from the introduction and so am thankful I read this book. 

Note: I received this free from LibraryThing's Early Review Program in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-87486-739-8
Year Published: 2018
Date Finished: 7-15-2018
Pages: 75

Review: The Grave is a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley (A Flavia de Lucie Novel)

Synopsis: In the wake of an unthinkable family tragedy, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is struggling to fill her empty days. For a needed escape, Dogger, the loyal family servant, suggests a boating trip for Flavia and her two older sisters. As their punt drifts past the church where a notorious vicar had recently dispatched three of his female parishioners by spiking their communion wine with cyanide, Flavia, an expert chemist with a passion for poisons, is ecstatic. Suddenly something grazes her fingers as she dangles them in the water. She clamps down on the object, imagining herself Ernest Hemingway battling a marlin, and pulls up what she expects will be a giant fish. But in Flavia’s grip is something far better: a human head, attached to a human body. If anything could take Flavia’s mind off sorrow, it is solving a murder—although one that may lead the young sleuth to an early grave. (from the online description)

Review: Flavia, as always, is previous, sassy, and clever – and too nosey for her own good. But then, would be love her if she wasn’t?

In this installment, we find her and her sisters, along with Dogger, on a required holiday, intending to heal them from the unthinkable tragedy at the end of the previous installment.

But Flavia, like a magnet, draws in a dead body. From there she begins the investigations. As with the previous few, these stories are less about Flavia solving a murder and more about Flavia growing up. The murder is secondary. This book highlights that in a particular way. With her future changing, Flavia searches for her own place in the world, as much as she does for the murderer.

This brings me to my main complaint about the book. So many of the things Flavia did to solve the murder seemed filler for the story and not actually relevant to the plot. Nor did they seem to enhance our understanding of Flavia.

In the end, this wasn’t my favorite of the Flavia de Luce series. I would have preferred a tighter plot and less fluff. However, Flavia herself is the same as always, precious, smart, and hilarious. I will continue to read these for no other reason than to spend more time with this character. 

NOTE: This regards the AUDIOBOOK version. 

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN:  978-0449807-699
Year Published: 2018
Date Finished: 7-10-2018
Pages: N/A (Audiobook)