Author: John Grisham
Published: 2010
Genre: YA Fiction (Mid to Late Elementary)
Rating: 4
Summary
In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom. But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.
Review
A great YA fiction--a compelling story, an appropriate level of information for the audience, and a positive roll model of parenting. I would highly recommend this one for kids. (I read it out loud to my seven-year-old, and he loved it.)
Notes
There are currently three books in the Theo Boone series--and all three have been equally enjoyable.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
Author: Mary Pipher
Published: 1994
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Everybody who has survived adolescence knows what a scary, tumultuous, exciting time it is. But if we use memories of our experiences to guide our understanding of what today's girls are living through, we make a serious mistake. Our daughters are living in a new world. Teenage girls today are having a harder time than ever before because of higher levels of violence and sexism. The current crises of adolescence - frequent suicide attempts, dropping out of school and running away from home, teenage pregnancies in unprecedented numbers, and an epidemic of eating disorders - are caused not so much by "dysfunctional families" or incorrect messages from parents as by our media-saturated, lookist, girl-destroying culture.
Today's teenagers face serious pressures at an earlier age than that at which teenagers in the past did. As they encounter situations that are simply too complex for them to handle, their self-esteem crumbles. The dangers young women face today can jeopardize their futures. It is critical that we understand the circumstances and take measures to correct them. We need to make that precious age of experimentation safe for adolescent girls.
Review
Published: 1994
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Everybody who has survived adolescence knows what a scary, tumultuous, exciting time it is. But if we use memories of our experiences to guide our understanding of what today's girls are living through, we make a serious mistake. Our daughters are living in a new world. Teenage girls today are having a harder time than ever before because of higher levels of violence and sexism. The current crises of adolescence - frequent suicide attempts, dropping out of school and running away from home, teenage pregnancies in unprecedented numbers, and an epidemic of eating disorders - are caused not so much by "dysfunctional families" or incorrect messages from parents as by our media-saturated, lookist, girl-destroying culture.
Today's teenagers face serious pressures at an earlier age than that at which teenagers in the past did. As they encounter situations that are simply too complex for them to handle, their self-esteem crumbles. The dangers young women face today can jeopardize their futures. It is critical that we understand the circumstances and take measures to correct them. We need to make that precious age of experimentation safe for adolescent girls.
Review
Monday, April 23, 2012
When Crickets Cry
Author: Charles Martin
Published: 2006
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. But the little girl's pretty yellow dress can't quite hide the ugly scar on her chest.
Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. The stranger understands more about the scar than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives.
Before it's over, they'll both know there are painful reasons why crickets cry . . . and that miracles lurk around unexpected corners.
Review
An emotional ride: grab a stack of kleenexes if you read this one. The story is engaging but overly sentimental. The author purposely leaves out important details at the beginning in order to "surprise" you later on. This is understandable...but a bit annoying. The message is uplifting but overemphasized. The incredibly detailed descriptions of the physical heart and associated surgeries demonstrates the author's thorough research--but become a bit tedious for the reader.
Published: 2006
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. But the little girl's pretty yellow dress can't quite hide the ugly scar on her chest.
Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. The stranger understands more about the scar than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives.
Before it's over, they'll both know there are painful reasons why crickets cry . . . and that miracles lurk around unexpected corners.
Review
An emotional ride: grab a stack of kleenexes if you read this one. The story is engaging but overly sentimental. The author purposely leaves out important details at the beginning in order to "surprise" you later on. This is understandable...but a bit annoying. The message is uplifting but overemphasized. The incredibly detailed descriptions of the physical heart and associated surgeries demonstrates the author's thorough research--but become a bit tedious for the reader.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Woman in White
Author: Wilkie Collins
Published: 1860
Genres: Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5
Summary
The Woman in White is a Victorian melodrama concerning a mysterious woman in white who bears an uncanny resemblance to the fiancee of Lord Glyde, a sophisticated fortune hunter. First published as a serial between 1859 and 1860, this chronicle of evil, suspense, and villainy is believed to be the first English novel to deal with crime detection.
Review
Great Victorian literature--part mystery, part love story, part adventure. The constant changing of narrative voices helps to move the typically, long-winded Victorian story along at a good pace. The characterizations challenge some of the Victorian hero/heroine stereotypes: a charming, dynamic villian; a heroine with a strong intellect, beautiful figure, and unattractive face.
Notes
This book was a good reminder of why I love Victorian literature so much!
Published: 1860
Genres: Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5
Summary
The Woman in White is a Victorian melodrama concerning a mysterious woman in white who bears an uncanny resemblance to the fiancee of Lord Glyde, a sophisticated fortune hunter. First published as a serial between 1859 and 1860, this chronicle of evil, suspense, and villainy is believed to be the first English novel to deal with crime detection.
Review
Great Victorian literature--part mystery, part love story, part adventure. The constant changing of narrative voices helps to move the typically, long-winded Victorian story along at a good pace. The characterizations challenge some of the Victorian hero/heroine stereotypes: a charming, dynamic villian; a heroine with a strong intellect, beautiful figure, and unattractive face.
Notes
This book was a good reminder of why I love Victorian literature so much!
Friday, March 30, 2012
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
Author: Candice Millard
Published: 2009
Genre: Narrative Non-fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find: the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.
Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.
Review
A fascinating story and a great way to read history. Overall well-written and engaging--but the author takes a few liberties that are inappropriate in non-fiction. (For example, how does she know what the natives who were never seen by Roosevelt's party were thinking and feeling?)
Published: 2009
Genre: Narrative Non-fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find: the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.
Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.
Review
A fascinating story and a great way to read history. Overall well-written and engaging--but the author takes a few liberties that are inappropriate in non-fiction. (For example, how does she know what the natives who were never seen by Roosevelt's party were thinking and feeling?)
The Murder Stone
Author: Charles Todd
Published: 2003
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3.5
Summary
The Great War is still raging in the autumn of 1916, when Francesca Hatton’s beloved grandfather dies on the family estate in England’s isolated Exe Valley. Grieving for the man who raised her, Francesca is stunned to find an unsigned letter among his effects, cursing the Hattons and their descendants. Now a stranger has shown up on her doorstep, accusing her grandfather of being a murderer.
Ex-soldier Richard Leighton blames Francis Hatton for the death of his mother, who vanished nearly a quarter of a century earlier. Her body was never found, only a shawl stained with her blood. And Leighton is not the only one with a claim on Francesca’s grandfather. On the day of his funeral, unexpected visitors arrive with the mourners, and Francesca is besieged by charges of Hatton’s vicious dealings. Yet there is also a shy young woman who praises his secret generosity.
Was Hatton the loving, caring protector his granddaughter always believed him to be? Or a vindictive, secretive man who cultivated dangerous enemies? Francesca sets out in pursuit of the truth—and into the sights of someone determined to exact a revenge long overdue.
Review
An interesting and unique mystery. The plot keeps twisting and turning in some unpredictable ways. I found Francesca aloof, unsympathetic, and not clearly defined emotionally. The ending was both pleasantly unexpected and disappointingly too abrupt. Not all the loose ends are resolved (which is not uncommon with Todd). But overall a worthwhile read.
Published: 2003
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3.5
Summary
The Great War is still raging in the autumn of 1916, when Francesca Hatton’s beloved grandfather dies on the family estate in England’s isolated Exe Valley. Grieving for the man who raised her, Francesca is stunned to find an unsigned letter among his effects, cursing the Hattons and their descendants. Now a stranger has shown up on her doorstep, accusing her grandfather of being a murderer.
Ex-soldier Richard Leighton blames Francis Hatton for the death of his mother, who vanished nearly a quarter of a century earlier. Her body was never found, only a shawl stained with her blood. And Leighton is not the only one with a claim on Francesca’s grandfather. On the day of his funeral, unexpected visitors arrive with the mourners, and Francesca is besieged by charges of Hatton’s vicious dealings. Yet there is also a shy young woman who praises his secret generosity.
Was Hatton the loving, caring protector his granddaughter always believed him to be? Or a vindictive, secretive man who cultivated dangerous enemies? Francesca sets out in pursuit of the truth—and into the sights of someone determined to exact a revenge long overdue.
Review
An interesting and unique mystery. The plot keeps twisting and turning in some unpredictable ways. I found Francesca aloof, unsympathetic, and not clearly defined emotionally. The ending was both pleasantly unexpected and disappointingly too abrupt. Not all the loose ends are resolved (which is not uncommon with Todd). But overall a worthwhile read.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Author: E.L. Konigsburg
Published: 1967
Genre: YA Fiction (mid to late elementary)
Rating: 4
Summary
When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along.
Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it? Claudia is determined to find out.
Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue, and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.
Review
A cute, fun, and easy read with a good twist at the end.
Published: 1967
Genre: YA Fiction (mid to late elementary)
Rating: 4
Summary
When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along.
Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it? Claudia is determined to find out.
Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue, and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.
Review
A cute, fun, and easy read with a good twist at the end.
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