Middle Grade Monday - Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

Riordan, Rick. Serpent's Shadow, The. Hyperion Books for Children, 2012. 416p. $16.99. 978-1423140573.


Genre: MG Fantasy
Rating: 4/5




This is the final book in The Kane Chronicles trilogy. Sadie and Carter Kane need to save the world again.  This time from the God of Chaos, Apophis.  Apophis is determined to eat the Sun God, Ra and plunge Earth back into it's primordial days.  He's going to wait until the equinox to do that though.  Meanwhile, he's been destroying a particular scroll that the Kanes believe hold the secret to his destruction.

For most of the book, The Kanes are split up. Sadie travels with Walt as they try to figure out where the dwarf God, Bes', shadow is so they can reunite the two. Carter and Zia, on the other hand, are following Setne around so they can get the Book of Thoth to help them do an execration. This provides a great opportunity for L-O-V-E.

Now, in Throne of Fire (TofF), 12-year-old Sadie was obsessed Anubis and Walt Stone. So much so, that I found it unrealistic. She is this strong-willed, purple-haired, combat boot wearing destruction magician who becomes consumed by her attraction to a  5,000 year old god. It didn't fit the girl we met in The Red Pyramid. It actually made me not like TofF as much as I would have without the love triangle. It's one of the reasons I only gave this one four stars. Now we have 13-year-old Sadie obsessed with Anubis and Walt Stone. In a way that adds nothing to the story. Sadie's overbearing personality never lets up so you can't see either boy making any headway. You don't get to see a relationship being built between Sadie and the boys either. It appears to be more of a plot device that I leads to something I can't speak of here. This plot device will probably show up in a spin-off series involving those two and Setne.

Carter and Zia also found love in TofF. At least Carter did. Zia was pretty much entombed or a shabti. Now that she's a "real girl" she's busy taking care of Ra. Traveling with Carter gives her an opportunity to get to know him as they spend time talking. It's not a lot of time, as we are on a doomsday schedule, but the conversations seem heartfelt. I can't shake the feeling that Zia is much too mature for Carter though. She seems more like she's in her early twenties compared to Carter's 15 years.

I had a small beef with how EASY many of the challenges were. This book felt more like a setup than a final book. This pretty much was more of what we read in Red Pyramid and Throne of Fire. The series has been a nice introduction to Egyptian mythology, though. It reads slower than The Percy Jackson and The Olympian series but I found that enjoyable. I thought Riordan gave us more mythology than questing in these books, possibly because Egyptian mythology just hasn't been explored as much in children's books. Overall, I recommend this one to students who like mythology. Pair it with the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series which I'll be talking about in two weeks.

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Batty About Books - A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull - Part 2

Maria (@mselke01) and I are reading together and we are now 

Batty About The Beyonders, 

or  NOT!

Oh Noes! I was totally NOT feeling this book. Here we are 190 pages in and I hadn't bought into it. After a short twitter conversation - Maria graciously let me quit reading. 

So, this is the final installment in A World Without Heroes! Please check out Maria's Melange where she's given this book more than it's due!

As Always, my words are in blue and Maria's are in purple.

A World Without Heroes - Part 1 - p1-99
A World Without Heroes - Part 2 - p99 - p190

Kathy: BE FOREWARNED - I DO NOT LIKE THIS BOOK!
Maria: I tend to try to “look for the good”, and I found a few things I liked, but overall I agree. I do see upper elementary boys enjoying it. My own fourth grade son devoured this book and insisted I buy the second. I now regret spending the money on the hardback copy. He’s a voracious reader, and maybe he’s not yet as discriminating as I thought.

Kathy: I feel like Mull is simultaneously reading a book about hero fiction and trying to write one incorporating the things he’s learning: evil ruler who will toy with you, mentor who will bestow gifts upon you - including the use of his name, “rightful heir” ousted by evil ruler.
Maria: Laugh! No, seriously, I can see this. This is about the same way I felt when I read the first Paolini book. My students were GAGA over it, and I read it thinking, “You can really tell he was only a teenager when he wrote that.” I did finish that book, but I never really enjoyed it. 
Kathy: That's another one I didn't finish! I've made it halfway TWICE!

Kathy: That whole paragraph about what it means to be a hero. Gag.
Maria: Yes! That was one of the first things I decided rubbed me the wrong way.

Kathy: I don’t understand how they know their way around this “other world” so easily. We’ve been told time and time again that maps are forbidden, so how do they know which way is east? Are they assuming things work like they do “beyond”?
Maria: You know, that didn’t occur to me. Now that you mention it, I agree. I’m not sure why that one didn’t jump out at me. Most of my favorite “high fantasy” includes maps galore.

Kathy: At least I can look forward to trying to figure out “The Word”! Kind of reminds me of Westing Game in that aspect. A _ _ EN _ _.  Other than that? Reading just to finish.
Maria: Didn’t you like Westing Game? I did love that one, and I often have student reading groups read it. Some love it, some find it so very confusing. I hate to give up a puzzle. 
Kathy: Oh yes, I loved The Westing Game. I meant this as a compliment to World Without Heroes!

Kathy: Gah! I don’t have much to say about this section! I am forcing myself to read it and I am NOT enjoying it.  We are almost 200 pgs in and I haven’t thought of one student I would give this to! I could barely keep my eyes open through this! It took me HOURS to read the less than 100 pages in this section.
Maria: As we chatted about on Twitter last night, I think it’s time to give this one a burial at sea. Wave goodbye to Beyonders and let’s move on with our lives. I may still try to burn through the rest, just to find a glimmer of what my son loved in it. But I’ll be happy to not have to pull it apart or take notes on it. I’m hopeful our next choice will be more appealing!
Kathy: You are a gem! I may re-visit it this summer when I have more time. For now, I can't wait to find a palate cleanser!

Maria and I decided we would do a post discussing how we decide to abandon books.  I will say, the more I read, the more I abandon.  I'll talk about why during the discussion.



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It's Monday: What Are You Reading - 5/7/12

Check out Teach Mentor Texts with Jen and Kellee to find more #kidlit bloggers joining in this special meme.


In The Past
I finished 6 books these past two weeks.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour - we are discussing this over at Goodreads Mock Printz. Road trip book.


Harriet Beamer Takes The Bus by Joyce Magnin - reviewed here.


Grave Mercy by RL LaFevers - we are discussing this over at Goodreads Mock Printz 2013.


Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - followup to Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  Lena's voice was strong in this one. 


Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan - reread this one in preparation for the final book in the Kane Chronicles, Serpent's Shadow.


Insurgent by Veronica Roth - followup to Divergent by Lauren Oliver.  


In The Present
A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull - this month's Batty About Books pick.  Check out what Maria and I had to say about Part 1.


Girl in a Steel Corset by Kady Cross - reading with Aneeqah over at My Not So Real Life.

I'm also reading Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan.

In The Future
Turning my head to the Young Hoosier Book Awards (YHBA) committee reading I need to do.  I'll catch up on some reviews and try to fit in Bitterblue, Froi of the Exiles, and a host of Mock Newbery and Mock Printz titles over the next few weeks.  I look forward to June's 48 Hour Book Challenge, hosted by Mother Reader, which always signifies the start of summer reading time for me! 


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Batty About Books - A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull - Part 1

Maria (@mselke01) and I are reading together and we are now 

Batty About The Beyonders, 

or at least we hope to be!

Each week, time permitting, we will share our thoughts about a section of the book.  My thoughts are in blue and Maria's in purple.  On her blog, Maria's Melange, you can read the other side of the story!

Welcome to our second foray into buddy reading! We're readingA World Without Heroes (Beyonders). This is the first book in Brandon Mull's new series. This book was nominated for a Fantasy/ Science Fiction Cybil Award for Middle Grade readers.


A World Without Heroes - Part 1 - Beginning to 98




Kathy: Let me start by saying that if we weren’t reading this together, I would have given up already!

In the beginning - the prologue set me up for some exciting and fascinating intrigue! Who was this prisoner that was fooled by the evil King? Why was the King so evil? I was hooked.  Then we went to present day Jason and the whole mood was different.  Mull is trying hard to be funny and it’s not working.  When Jason goes into the hippo’s mouth, it becomes very confusing. 


Maria: Agreed. I adored the prologue. It was mysterious and JUST right. Then it was like another author stepped in. I hope we get that other style back soon. Kathy: That’s it! It seemed like a different person was writing, the style was so different!

Kathy: In the middle - I hope he will get back to why these people felt it necessary to commit suicide.  All I feel right now is disjointed.  Is that because Jason feels that way having traveled through to this new world? And what’s with the loremaster. Again, a change in mood. Now the new language and names he’s introducing are too much to handle and follow the story too. 


Maria: Yes, disjointed is the right word. I am hopeful about Rachel, but it still feels like Mull is just jumping around. What award did this win again? I wanted more about the musicians, too. They intrigue me, and I hope we get more of that piece of the story. Kathy: It didn’t win but it was nominated for a Cybils. They try to find books that are well written and have great kid appeal.

Kathy: In the end - Now that he’s on his quest and past the lady with the bread, I feel like the story is picking up. I love the Gamemaster and The Blind King.  Interesting that the King actually knows the state of the country but pretends for the people.  I also like the introduction of Rachel.  I can’t wait to see how the relationship between those two play out.  She seems smart and capable.


Maria: I do like the Blind King. My son (who just finished the first book) keeps asking me if I’ve figured out who he is yet... so hopefully that will pull the intrigue level along a bit more. Kathy: OMG! Prologue?

Kathy: Overall - the book seems to be on the upswing but it took a L-O-N-G time to get there.  I can’t see kids sticking with this.  I hope it continues to improve because I really want to recommend it! 


Maria: Well, I know my son loved them. He hated Fablehaven, though. (Just confirmed that with him - he thought Fablehaven was “too slowly paced”) So it does seem like this is Mull’s style. My son thought Beyonders had a quicker pace. Guess I’m not trying Fablehaven!! Kathy: HA! Agreed!

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Classic Double Challenge - Eyre vs Lindner

Jane

vs Jane

The Classic
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is the tale of a girl who grew up in a house where no one liked her, let alone loved her. Her cousin, John, would constantly bully her. In fact, all her cousins were considered "better" and had the clothes, food, and fun to prove it.  Jane endured this until the glorious day, at the age of ten,  when Mr. Lloyd took her away to Lowood Institution. At Lowood everyone has the same clothes, terrible food and basically no fun. But, Jane has Helen Burns! and Ms. Temple! People who love her and teach her how to love and life is, at least, more bearable.  Jane grows up and becomes a teacher at Lowood herself.

But Jane's good fortune does not end there! She gets a governess position at Thornfield Hall with Adele, the ward of Mr. Rochester! He of the average but brooding visage.  They soon grow to love each other but, as everyone knows, there is a Mrs. Rochester hidden in the attic. So, peripeteia, again! Jane is thoroughly humiliated and forces herself to leave Thornfield. "Farewell! was the cry of my heart..." Poor Jane! She doesn't have anywhere else to go! But she leaves anyway and she endures hardships. Yes, but she endures!

After much begging and wandering, Jane ends up at the house of Mr. St. John Rivers and his sisters, Diana and Mary. Almost turned away by the maid, St. John himself rescues Jane from the doorstep and assured death.  St. John, the parson, soon to be missionary, took a special interest in our Jane.  Sure, the sisters loved her but he knew she was destined for greatness, for something more than teaching the poor. But first, let her teach the poor. And she did. And then fate turned and Jane got rich and found out she was cousins with the Rivers! She has a loving family! But her story doesn't end there, no! I told you St. John wanted more for Jane? He wanted her to be his wife! Not for love but to help him with his mission work! But, Jane's heart did not belong to her anymore. She could not give it to him.

Do you remember Mr. Rochester who needed the governess? So does Jane. And he remembers her.

The Contemporary
Jane by April Lindner
And now, dear Reader, we turn to Jane Moore. Poor Jane had to drop out of college due to lack of funds. She decides to find a job as a nanny. This Jane has two siblings, a sadistic brother and an unfeeling sister.  But, family issues aside, due to her lack of love for modern music, Jane gets to work at Thornfield Park and work for Mr. Rathburn, a huge rock star who has custody of his only child, Madeline.

But, more about Jane. Her siblings are five and six years older than she is, which isn't much but their lives were very different.  Jane and her mom just never gelled.  She was like the forgotten child.  Her brother, Mark, was cruel to her but her mom always took his side. Her sister, Jenna, was a child model who their mom doted on. Jane was used to being invisible. Jenna is now a rich girl married to an investment banker and Mark has disappeared after selling the house and taking all the proceeds. For reasons unknown, Jenna is loathe to help Jane out so she must find a way to survive.  Nanny it is.

While nannying at Thornfield, Jane is falling in love with Nico Rathburn the rock star.  But, she gets a strange call from her sister and drops everything to go home and help Jenna out. Mark, it seems, has blown through his cash and now wants to sleep on Jenna's couch. So she calls Jane. Who has no house and no money. Who she hasn't spoken to nor likes. And Jane goes.

So Jane settles her sister and brother and hightails it back to Thornfield Park where she is reminded that Nico is engaged! But, he starts hitting on her. And says he doesn't love Bianca, he loves Jane. And they celebrate their love. For reals.

Then Nico starts buying her stuff and takes her out on tour with him and proposes to her. Jane's head is swirling. But, alas, the wedding is not to be! So Jane leaves. And mails away her cell phone. Really. No, she doesn't change the number or turn off the location, she gets rid of it so Nico cannot find her!

She makes her way to the big city and she is lonely and broke. But, thankfully, she is rescued by Diana, a waitress with a big heart. Diana takes Jane back to her humble apartment and she moves in with her, her sister, Maria, and their brother, River. The St. Johns are good to Jane. River gets Jane a great administrative assistant position where she can finally start earning her keep. Along the way River tries to get Jane to become his wife and help him with his missionary work to Haiti.

You can guess the rest!

The Contest
For me, there was no contest. Jane Eyre is by far the better book. It was all I could do to write about Jane Moore without letting my feelings for that book come through.  I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. I was constantly reminded I was reading an update instead of a story of it's own.  It was as if Lindner did some sort of search and replace. This felt less like a homage to Jane Eyre and more like a ripoff. And the story itself didn't seem believable to me. Jane Moore speaks in the beginning of seeing a poster of Nico Rathburn on her brother's wall at the age of 11 and then she doesn't recognize him when she sees him. There is talk of Nico taking off his "stockbroker's jacket" and then you could see his tattoos. So stereotypical. And why would she go to the aid of a sister and brother who were never kind to her? Who had more money than she did? Who led to her dropping out of school and not helping her? Nothing in the past said she would help them.  I did not see that compassion. And why did she have to sleep with Nico so easily? He really didn't have to say more than a sentence to change her mind. I just couldn't get behind this story.

Jane Eyre wins this one.



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Middle Grade Monday - The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Nielsen, Jennifer. False Prince, The. Scholastic, 2012. 6.99. 9780545433471. (reviewing the pb version from Scholastic Book Club)

Genre: Realistic, Adventure
Rating: 4/5

Latamer, Roden, Sage, and Tobias were "rescued" from various orphanages by Bevin Conner and his two henchmen, Cregan and Mott. Conner, a minor regent in the kingdom of Carthya, has it in his head that he can replace the missing Prince Jaron with a boy he trains in the art of princeliness. He just needs a boy who either looks like Prince Jaron or reminds people of him. Jaron has been missing for four years and presumed dead.  No body was ever recovered. If Conner can succeed at placing a false Jaron on the throne, he can rule through him.  Of course, Conner only needs one boy but he has four.

The False Prince is a lot more fun than it sounds.  Sage has a sly sense of humor and is smart to boot though he hides his intelligence from the others. He uses his wit to hide his true feelings and cause the others to underestimate him.  The other boys have an opportunity to move beyond the stereotype as we learn more about them while they study how to be a prince. Although the setting is not distinctive, it's not necessary to get the story across. There was one small surprise that might prove predictable if you are an avid reader though you still want to read to make sure you are right.

I recommend this one to 4th through 7th graders.




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Struck by Jennifer Bosworth- Review

Reviewed by: Aneeqah's Not So Real Life
.......................................................................................
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genres: Apocalypse, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: May 8th, 2012

Source: Publisher- thank you to Macmillan!
My Review:

In Struck, we meet Mia Price. She is what you would call a lightening addict. She's been struck by lightening many, many times, and she craves the energy she gets when she gets struck. Mia lives in Los Angeles, and they're in the aftermath of a terrible earthquake, trying to rebuild. Mia has to care for her younger brother, Parker, and her mother, who may or may not have a mental disorder because of the earthquake. But Mia meets two different groups of people, who want her to do different things, things that she doesn't thing she's capable of. In the end, Mia has to make a choice. Who will she side with? What will she sacrifice?

The cover of Struck is really pretty. You can slightly see the scars she has on her arms, if you look carefully. And all the colors create such a nice setting, it's so pretty to watch. Overall, it's really nice!

First off, let's talk about Mia. I loved her. She's so smart, and sassy, and she's a pretty tough girl. I loved her sarcasm. I'm a pretty sarcastic person, so I really appreciated it. Even though she had a tough-girl appearance, she wasn't exactly tough on the inside. I loved how she was a little bit layered; there was more to her than at first sight. She was a really well-done character.

The whole idea of this book was also really unique. I mean, a lightening addict? Yes please! It's so cool! Totally not your whole typical vampire or werewolf thing. There was a lot more to the story though, and there were a lot more elements. Overall, it wasn't too confusing of a world. It made sense, and it was well thought out. Definitely kudos to the author to coming up with such an awesome idea that I've never read about before! That's hard to do in YA now-a-days!

I enjoyed the romance during the first half of the book. It wasn't too rushed, and I liked how Mia was freaked out by Jeremy [who is the main guy in the story] at first too. It wasn't insta-love. However, more towards the end of the book, it seemed way too rushed for me, and it didn't exactly work. They were supposed to have this 'connection' that I didn't get. It wasn't even explained.

At the end of the book, I was left with questions. I'm not going to list any here, because I don't want to spoil anything for you all, but there were some things that weren't ever explained. I think the author could have added just a little more information, and everything would make sense. That being said though, I'm really glad this story is a stand-alone. I'm pretty sure I've never read a Apocalypitc/Urban Fantasy book that hasn't been part of a series, so it was a total relief to learn I don't have to agonize and torture myself waiting for another book. Yay for stand-alones!

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a really good read, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique story that hasn't been told before!




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Harriet Beamer Takes The Bus by Joyce Magnin - Review

Magnin, Joyce. Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus. Zondervan, 2012. $14.99. 320p. 9780310333555
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 2/5

Every now and again we look up and wonder, what’s it all for? What is the purpose of my life? Well, in Harriet Beamer Takes The Bus, Harriet sets out to discover just that. 72 year old Harriet is a widow who lives alone in Bryn Mawr, PA.  When her son Henry and his wife Prudence discover that Harriet has fallen and can’t get up, they make a bet that if Harriet has broken her foot in the fall,, she has to come live with them. Clear across the country in Grass Valley, CA.  Give up the house her late husband built. Give up the friends she’s made. Give up her independence.  This, she does not want to do. But, the foot is broken. And Harriet is a bet-honorer.  

Harriet finds a buyer for the house, packs up her stuff, ships her dog Humphrey on ahead, and decides the only way she is going to California, is in her own way, in her own time. She's going to travel across the country using public transportation.

This adult road trip was not fun as it could be.  Harriet gets a Droid (just one of many name drops) and uses it to find hotels and transportation as she travels across country and she never once can't find a place to stay, no matter how last minute she calls.  She has a few small mishaps along the way – sometimes public transportation doesn’t run where she needs it and a couple attempt to steal her credit card – but she pretty much makes it all the way across the country no problem. Along the way she ships ahead the salt and pepper shakers that she collects. Meanwhile, Henry and Prudence, the son and daughter-in-law, face their own struggles. Henry has lost his writing mojo and Prudence is overworked. These problems too are easily overcome.

Along the way, I didn’t get a sense of the places Harriet visited or even Harriet herself.  She was your stereotypical spunky near-octogenarian, ala Betty White, but not near as funny. She spends such a little bit of time in each location that everything becomes a blur, both for Harriet and the reader.  The constant references to Amelia, the GPS in her phone, and YouTube, where a video of Harriet hitting a “hoodlum” with her tote bag has been uploaded, become tiresome instead of cute and affecting.  I really just wanted her to make it to Grass Valley already. Henry and Prudence are their own brand of bland. Nothing happened to reveal their characteristics so I had no idea what to expect from them and no emotional investment.

***SPOILER ALERT***

 I was, at first, interested in knowing if you could actually take public transportation across the country.  I was disappointed when Harriet suffered a heart attack before she could make the final leg of her trip. It was a baseless plot mover that led to me caring not caring whether she could make it or not.

***END SPOILER ALERT***

I would give Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin a 2.  If I searched really hard, I could pass this along.

You might think differently,

Over on Goodreads - Harriet Beamer Takes The Bus - has a 4/5 stars as of 4/25/12.  If you think you might like this one, leave me an email address in the comments and I'll pass the ARC along. US Only.

Take a quick stop at Harriet's Blog to see her dog Humphrey and hear about her travels!

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The Best - Adding a Little Color

That's my wardrobe over there! With Spring here - at least according to the calendar - I remembered my desire to add a little color to my wardrobe. To "branch out" so to speak!

In addition to new nail polish - can't wait till Essie's The Office Collection comes out - I added a few new items to the mix.






 <--- I got this shirt from Banana Republic.  It's bright and sheer, far from my usual.

---> this top's from The Limited. It's sort of a bridge piece. It has my usual grays and blues but with a pop of pink.

- I picked these capris up from Target.  I wasn't ready to buy the new brightly colored pants I've seen everywhere and thought this colored was a nice step up without making me feel too flashy.

Hopefully the success of these pieces will push me to expand my closet even more!





So how are you adding color to your days? Hop on over to Embrace Your True Colors and join the conversation!  Are you leading a Life Well Lived? Click the link to share and have a chance to win an iPod Touch and an iTunes gift card!




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It's Monday: What Are You Reading - 4/23/12

Check out Teach Mentor Texts with Jen and Kellee to find more #kidlit bloggers joining in this special meme.

In the Past
I finished six books these past two weeks.


11/22/63 by Stephen King - really enjoyed this one.   Was happy that it was not scary. Counted how many times he used "obdurate" and "the past harmonizes".  Might have saved a hundred pages if that was edited.

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - mix of audio and print. If you like the idea that magic is real and true love conquers - read this!! I was a little distracted by Jim Dale's voice on audio - kept thinking of Harry Potter - so had to finish it in print.  It was still awesome.






Storm Runners by Roland Smith - Video class is doing book trailers and this was one of the book choices.  I hadn't read it yet so figured I better so I know what the video should look like.  Seems it could have been combined with the second book to make one book - the cliffhanger was a bit much.  The other groups are taping On The Run by Gordon Korman and Enclave by Ann Aguirre, both of which I've already read.


Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner - was the only 2011 Nerdies winner in the YA category that I had not read.  Review to come.







Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani - talked about by @paulwhankins and @trkravtin on twitter.  It was as good as they said.




Partials by Dan Wells - read for 7th grade book club. I think they will love it.









In the Present
This week I'm working on:
The Chosen by Chaim Potok - daughter read for school and said I needed to read.

Harriet Beemer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin - blog tour.

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski - re-read for 8th grade book club

In The Future
Batty About Books - Maria and I finished our first book buddies book! (which means I read 7 books not 6) Check out our thoughts while reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore - Parts 1, 2, 3, and Final.  Our next book is World Without Heroes (Beyonders, 1) by Brandon Mull

Blog Plans - I want to alternate these What are You Reading posts with both Nonfiction Mondays and Male Mondays. I still need to get my Jane vs Jane post ready for this week.  I plan on doing those once every other month since I'm reading the classic in one month and the contemporary version in the following month.  One more feature I'd like to add is a monthly author spotlight.  I hope to have that ready each fourth Sunday of the month.  Any authors you'd like to see?



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