Al Capone Does My Homework (Al Capone at Alcatraz #3) by Gennifer Choldenko

Alcatraz grips the imagination. An impregnable rock prison where the most notorious criminals are locked up and none have escaped. This last installment of the Alcatraz trilogy won't let readers down. The complex plot has thirteen-year-old Moose trying to figure out who and why someone set their apartment on fire. His dad has just been promoted to associate warden and others want his job. Anyone working as a guard at Alcatraz is a target by the criminals, but the Warden is the big one with the biggest bulls-eye on his back. If a prisoner takes down the Warden, he gains status with the other prisoners as someone important. Moose doesn't know if its the criminals or Natalie that started the fire. He's afraid Natalie has but he isn't sure because he fell asleep when babysitting her. When Natalie is accused of the crime, his guilt deepens and he works to try and help her overcome some issues with her autism. His adventures are nonstop as the clues are revealed. When Piper starts acting funny and money starts showing up in the laundry, Moose is at a loss as to what is going on with the prisoners.  He pieces it together but not until it is almost too late.

The depth of the characters in this 200 page novel is satisfying, particularly the subplot involving Moose trying to help his sister be more accepted by others. Her autism affects their whole family and he is frustrated that she cannot look others in the eye. This makes her look shifty and suspicious of the fire, something his friends reassure him they know she didn't do and that he feels she didn't do in his heart. He's just not sure and agonizes over it. The secondary characters are rounded out in a way that they do not come across as one-dimensional. Even Bea is explained as someone who just can't admit to mistakes. The humor and depth is balanced along with a terrific plot that is tied up at the end.

The historical aspects of Alcatraz hooked me in the story. In the "author's notes" she explains that prisoners actually did tie cigarettes to cockroaches and use breadcrumbs to lure them into their cells and hence "share" their smokes. There was also only one phone on the island and no fire escape on the apartment building.  The author says she has a sister with autism which explains why Natalie's disease and dealing with it is so authentic. When Moose wraps her in a blanket because he knows it helps her calm down, I recognized this as one of many tactics for dealing with autism. This subplot adds a rich layer to the mystery and historical aspects of the novel. I can see why it is on Newbery lists.

The plot is multilayered with many different people acting criminally. Al Capone has more of a part in this novel than he has in the others and I liked how he is worked into the plot. He even looks a bit like the good guy at the end. A coward, but still one who tried to do the right thing. This would make a good book club book and would open many avenues for discussion with the different aspects of criminal behavior. Moose's dad is a good foil to the prisoners and the contrast of bad versus good choices in life takes on meaning not only in the life of a criminal but how it can start at a young age and innocently like in Piper's case. A terrific read.

5 Smileys

Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak

Lighthearted World War II stories are hard to come by. The fact that the story is true makes it even more memorable.  A group of Polish soldiers find a cub and raise it at a military camp where its shenanigans and childlike behavior make everyone fall in love with him. Voytek, as he is called, not only covers his eyes with his paws when in trouble but rocks back and forth. When someone is sad, Voytek comforts them. When soldiers need cheering up, he does handstands or drinks beer and eats lit cigarettes to the laughter of those around him. He is a ham and the resident monkey scares him to death. This big 500 pound baby is one that you will fall in love with as well.

The soldiers are a part of a transport unit and while they deliver supplies to the front lines they don't deal directly with the horrors of the battlefield. In one scene, the soldier witnesses the death of two men that leaves him traumatized but it is told after the fact and shows how Voytek helped comfort those around him. The soldiers could take care of him, pamper, and be entertained by his tricks. It took their minds off of the horrors of war and made them laugh at a time when laughter was elusive. Voytek unique skills involved capturing a spy by accident and taking long showers. He also guarded the company's equipment and helped carry munitions. He was raised by humans and acted like one.

Most of the story is Voytek's adventures at camp seeking out food and getting into trouble. There's a funny scene where he entertains a crowd of soldiers on a crane stopping work and being more daring as the men cheered him on. He could turn on showers and loved to drain the camp of all its water sitting in the shower for hours on end. He would snuggle in bed with one of the soldiers that he imprinted with when he was a cub. The thought of sleeping with a 500 pound bears is hard to fathom.

Some of the historical context might need explaining to young readers. There is one part where one of the soldiers is disrespectful toward a corporal. He's mad at him because he doesn't want the animals to come on the ship but the angry man is speaking in Polish and name-calling him the "cross-eyed" corporal because of a lazy eye. Later they make derogatory comments about the Germans and putting a dome over them and their country with their "sauerkraut." There is no attempt to put any of this in perspective and explain how the harshness of the Treaty of Versailles helped catapult Hitler to power. The Germans are the enemy and it is completely one-sided. There is also a lot of drinking and smoking which represents a different historical period when cigarettes were not looked at as a health hazard. There is plenty to talk about in this book. And laugh about.

Good for grade 5 and up.

4 Smileys

The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

Lin Rosenquist reminds me of Dorothy who gets transported to Oz, except Lin ends in the enchanted city of Sylveros, home to Petlings, animals who were once the favorite pet of a child. Dorothy's pet was the dog, Toto, whereas Lin's pet is a vole, Rufus, who is now the size of a human and can talk like one. The magic of Sylveros is fed by the wild joy that children feel when the first snowfall happens. Now imagine a Norwegian Dorothy. She's in a blue and white wool sweater with mittens, hat and metal hooks for buttons. That's Lin. At least after she gets out of her pajamas. There's nothing like being transported to another country in your pajamas only to get hypothermia from a wild sleigh ride down a mountain. Uff-dah.

Every now and then, a Twistrose, or child from the real world, is magicked to Sylveros to protect the inhabitants from destruction. Lin has been summoned and must aid the two Winterfyrsts who create snow. If they don't make snow the children's wild joy of the first snowfall won't happen and Sylveros will die out. One of the Winterfyrsts is missing and the other has gone to try and get his ice mask. The ice mask allows him to live with humans. The villain is trying to stop them from bringing on winter so he can take over Sylveros.

This story had too many waffles stuffed into the plot. I got confused as to who was doing what and why. The world building was creative and rich in details, but I did get befuddled by all the made-up words that sounded too much alike such as wandergates, scargates, silver fang, Frostfang, thorndrips, and brain tappers, to name a few. It was fun at first but then I started forgetting what each meant. The prophecy confused me too. Actually, I am not really a fan of prophecies. They have become a cliche in fantasy stories for me.

Lin is grieving the loss of her pet and moving from the country to the city away from her best friend. In Sylveros, Lin grows up and must decide whether or not she will say goodbye to Rufus at the end. This is the overarching theme for Lin but once in a while gets lost as the plot progresses. In addition, Lin's pretend games that she made up with her best friend come to life in Syveros. When she ends up being hunted by trolls it is her troll-hunting game come to life. The imaginative world of childhood play becomes real and forces Lin to look at reality or grow up as her character develops throughout the story.

The secondary characters didn't come to life for me and I wanted more character traits. Rufus is a faithful friend to Lin but never rises above that role in a memorable way. Nor does he change significantly. I suppose he gains confidence in himself and his abilities. It seemed that the theme of loss could have been explored more in his relationship with Lin. It is some, but the two jump to acceptance a bit too quickly for me. Isvan and the mother are not described enough for them to come alive. The cathedral of glass was detailed and I could envision that but the mother wasn't really described when Lin finds her. I did think the pacing was a bit slow at the start but a strong ending made me forget it for the most part.

I so enjoyed all the references to Norwegian folklore and culture. The secret codes and playfulness between Rufus and Lin will appeal to young readers. The light codes that Lin used with her friend and later by the sled in Sylveros reminded me of the secret codes me and my best friend would make up. We had whistling codes and light codes. Lin also makes mistakes that are very believable and that make her authentic as a character. There's no yellow brick road in this tale but their are plenty of icy paths. Enjoy a sleigh ride through these pages.

3 Smileys

The Ghost Prison by Joseph Delaney

My siblings and I would tent under my bed covers with a flashlight telling ghost stories, each one trying to outdo the other in telling the scariest tale. I was never particularly good at it and would have loved to have known this one to spin for them. There's even a part where the lights go out and I could have flicked the flashlight off. I'm not much of a horror genre gal but I do like Joseph Delaney. His writing tends to be succinct and full of tension and great monsters. This creepy ghost story with a twisted ending will surprise and satisfy many young readers or listeners. Perhaps it would work as a read aloud in grades 4 or 5 with the short illustrated chapters giving it a half-and-half text to picture ratio over the course of 100 pages. Depends on the class. You'll have to pull out your creep-o-meter to measure what they can tolerate.

The protagonist, Billy, is a fifteen-year-old orphan boy who gets a job as a guard at a castle. He works the night shift and learns that he was chosen because one of the castle ghosts asked for him. The castle is haunted and the guard-in-charge explains that Billy must never go through the entrance to the Witch Well for a monster lives at the bottom and no one that has gone down has ever come back up. When circumstances come about that force him to the door, Billy must decide if he will help out a guard or ignore orders. See if he survives... mwah-hah-hah! (It's so fun writing that word even if it's corny.)

The illustrations do a great job enhancing the text so that the monsters can be envisioned by a young reader working toward fluency. I particularly like the last illustration that adds a punch to the plot twist. The black and white pictures help set the scary mood and focus attention on Billy's terror. The sharp angles and splotches of black are unsettling and applied to the evil forces or nasty characters while Billy is usually rendered in black outline with the white background of the paper coming through. His face is portrayed as innocent and naive at first before looking terrorized and aged by the end.

The plot is predictable and there's no character change. Some twists were fun. It's short. The story is more of a study in writing good tension and creating gruesome monsters. This is the strength of Delaney's writing. He thinks up some of the creepiest blood-sucking monsters that I've ever read. He isn't so scary that I can't read his works and he's not so graphic that I can't stomach it. I guess in that regard it might not be such a good read aloud in a class if the kids scare easily. Like I said earlier, use your creep-o-meter to determine their temperature for horror.

I can't help myself. One more mwah-ha-ha. I have no clue how to write that word... mwahaha or mwah haha or do "h"s go in with the haha's.. no matter. Vincent Price was my favorite mwah-ha-ha'er.  Whatever it is pick up this book. It's mwah's favorite ghost story. Okay. I'll quit. Silly mwah.

This is less dense than Goosebumps or Mary Downing Hahn's ghost story books. It's closer to Rotten School but with more pictures.

3 Smileys

The Jewel of the Kalderash (The Kronos Chronicles #3) by Marie Rutkoski

Petra is trying to save her father after Prince Rodolfo transformed him into a monstrous Gray Man. The Gray Men make up Rodolfo's army and are superior to humans with their superpowers of speed, protective scales, and poisonous skin. A pinprick from a claw through human skin can kill a person instantly. The Gray Men have such a thirst for human blood they have lost their humanness and are killing machines. Petra's plan is to kidnap the scientist who created them and force her to create an antidote to turn her father back into a human. With the help of Neel, Tomik, new friends, and old friends, this entertaining read was hard to put down.

I didn't give this 4 or 5 stars because I thought the plot was more predictable and less original than the first two books. That is not to say there are no unpredictable parts. I didn't expect the martyrdom of one character. Nor did I expect the mind-link between two characters. However, Neel's assassin was easy to predict. And so was Neel's fate. What I missed the most was the world building. In the other books, Rutkoski ties in Renaissance history with historical legends like John Dee or mythical creatures like Ariel. That doesn't happen in this book as most of the fantasy world has been established in the first two books.

The book also follows conventions found in fantasy versus steampunk. I have read so much fantasy it makes the story easier for me to predict. Petra's storyline follows the reluctant hero who has turned into a killer of some sorts. Her fragile psyche is explored a bit and she is more cynical and reserved. The humorous side to her is seen less as she broods over all the traumatic events that have happened to her recently. I found this exploration of her being damaged from killing others interesting and one not usually found in plots. So often the character kills someone and doesn't think twice about it. Petra grieves about what she's done and it makes for an authentic character struggling with having to kill others. Prince Rodolfo is one dimensional and not interesting in this book. He's the Dark Lord ruthlessly bent on gaining power over land and people. The steampunk aspects include Tomik creating gadgets, Astrophil almost dying because the brassica oil needed to keep him running was destroyed, and a submarine housing a wacky scientist creating monsters.

There is plenty of action and internal changes with the characters. Neel is forced to grow up and become a leader and the author shows this transformation in him handling a land dispute with wisdom. As an orphan he does not side with factions and grows in his role. As mentioned above, Petra seems to be having some post-traumatic stress and is more withdrawn from those around her. Tomik continues to grow in his magical powers. A romantic subplot creates tension that the trio must overcome. It was fun to see some of the characters again such as Iris and Dee. Astrophil is still the mentor and my favorite character. New characters, Lucas and Zora, are spitfires in their own right and add a nice fresh touch.

The subplot of the romance didn't interest me. It seemed clear from the start who Petra preferred of the three so I never really found the situation tense as it should have been. I was more interested in the turn of events for Petra at the end and learning to be average. Seems like there's an open door to scoot through if the series doesn't want to end. The message of sacrificing oneself for the good of everyone versus one individual is explored and contrasted with other characters. Sadie is the foil to Petra's mission to free her father. While Sadie is thinking of preventing the extermination of her people, Petra is solely focused on her dad. She is forced to think of what it means to sacrifice for the group or not. Lucas and Zora are zealots who want change in the government from the oppressive Rodolfo, but their actions can be construed as duplicitous in light of Lucas's heritage. I like how Rutkoski mucks character traits and personalities to make them a complex bag of good and bad choices such as Dee and Lucas. The thread of choice and sacrifice is tightly linked until the climax where Petra has to make a "choice" with her magic. Make a choice to read this series. A satisfying conclusion to an intriguing series.

3 Smileys

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Don't expect a linear narrative that moves from one scene to the next in this story. Don't expect much dialogue. Instead, revel in a series of short episodes, intensely lyrical and metaphorical, that read like prose poetry more than a novel. Like a chain link fence, Esperanza's voice is what binds the vignettes as she searches for her identity describing how people in her community and family have effected her outlook on life. Her coming-of-age story is a quest for finding a home, a symbol of a place where she can write freely and pursue artistic creativity.

Esperanza describes her parents buying a house in a poor Chicago neighborhood when she is 8 years old. The story follows her growing into an adult before moving away. She's ashamed of the house and insists it will never be her home.  Not only does the house represent a poor neighborhood where society as a whole oppresses Latin Americans, but it is a place where women are oppressed by patriarchal Latino men. She is aware that others think her neighborhood is dangerous. She observes many women who are trapped in the home by men who fear them socializing with others. One women she calls Rapunzel because she tosses her and her friends dollar bills to go buy her drinks from the grocery store. Her husband has her locked in their apartment where she can't come and go of her own free will.

The women all have stories and most are not happy with their oppressive lives. They dream of more. Some think they can find happiness with a husband. Esperanza's friend, Sally, married as a 7th grader an older man who won't let her leave the house or talk on the phone. Sally is okay with it. Of course, her father used to beat her and her husband doesn't. Choose your poison. The traditional role of females in Esperanza's Latino neighborhood is examined over and over in the people around her and she finds it unsatisfying. Yet, the women are also tough and supportive of one another and Esperanza describes the closeness of community as well.

Esperanza observes the suppression of artistic creativity in other women. Her mom thinks she could have done more with her life if she had stayed in school.  She used to like to draw.She borrows opera records from the public library and "sings with velvety lungs powerful as morning glories." Her dreams are unfulfilled and she talks to Esperanza about it while making oatmeal. When Esperanza describes Minerva, a girl who is a few years older than her with two kids and a husband who beats her, she says that the two exchange poems, but that Minerva's life is hopeless. She is "always sad like a house on fire." Esperanza resolves to not have the same fate as women like Minerva and her mom and a home symbolizes this goal.

A sub theme of shame pervades Esperanza's observations. She notes that shame holds a person down. She says that she's ashamed when her family goes driving to look at houses that they wished they owned. She's tired of looking at things she can't have. A house would give her an identity. A house would rid her of her shame. A house would be a place to write. A house would mean freedom from a fate where self-expression is limited and men rule. A fascinating look at multiculturalism, feminism, violence, creativity, and self-identity.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

I was a bit miffed that this was on the Goodreads Newbery list - number 24. Here's the first line: "My mother's a prostitute." I was also miffed at myself for not looking more closely at the details while brainlessly ordering books for our school's elementary library. My loss, the high school library's gain. Grrrr..... to the person who put it on the list. Grrr... to my undetailed brain. Seventeen-year-old Josie has had more than her fair share of grrrr's... in life, fending for herself as her mom works as a prostitute and trying to take care of herself on her own. Neglected and homeless, Josie is helped by Charlie, a famous author in the community, who gives her food and a roof over her head. She works for him in his bookshop and cleans the brothel where her mom works to make a living. Rather than being tarnished and bitter by her upbringing she is surprisingly level-headed and morally upright. The brothel staff looks out for her and young and old men are interested in her for different reasons. While the story is well-written and the setting of the French Quarter in New Orleans vividly portrayed, I was bothered by the stereotypes and lack of authenticity regarding the plot's controversial topic of prostitution.

Josie wants to go to Smith College out east where no one will know that her mother is a whore and that Josie works for Madam Willie, owner of the biggest brothel in New Orleans. She's tired of being ostracized by classmates and pressured by male customers of the brothel who expect her to follow in her mother's footsteps.The bookstore gig is her second job where she manages the shop along with Charlie's son, Patrick, since Charlie has lost his mental capacity and can't take care of himself. They hide the fact from the world not wanting him to be put in a mental institution. One day at the bookstore a man comes in and inspires Josie to go after her out-of-state-college dream. When he winds up dead the next day a mystery unfolds that involves her mom and the mafia. Things don't go from bad to worse, they go into the gutter turning to sludge and pushing Josie into taking desperate measures to save those she cares about in her life.

The writing is terrific. The author knows how to write dialogue and use tension. The plot was unpredictable in many ways. I thought it was going to be a mystery. Then I thought a romance. Then I thought historical. It's more of a coming-of-age story than anything. Josie finds independence and strength within herself to strike out on her own. The mother is stereotyped as the dumb, insecure woman consumed by vanity and lacking in morals. Her mom is a thief, abusive, and a liar. Josie keeps wondering why she can't help loving her. The only reason is that she's her biological mother. The author doesn't show a side to the character that causes the reader to empathize with the mom. The book, "Turtle in Paradise," also has a mother who can't take care of herself much less a child. But I could see why the protagonist in that book loved her mother. She had some redeeming qualities that showed how broken and insecure she was as an adult causing an inability to take of herself and her daughter. That doesn't happen in this book and the mother comes across as one dimensional and stereotypical.

Charlie and Josie play a game where they guess the book genre a customer will ask for when they come into the shop. The literary references by the twosome add nice details to their relationship and shows that Josie is well read. This adds to the credibility that she will be able to get into a college. The subplot of two boys interested in her shows her as not being aware of herself as a physical attraction to the opposite sex. She seems strangely naive about the teenage boys interested in kissing her. In contrast, she can tell when men from the brothel are interested in paying her for sex and is outraged. This inconsistency didn't jive with the expected savviness of girl who'd grown up around prostitutes.

The woman presented as prostitutes come across as stereotypes like Josie's mom. Madam Willie is developed the most as a character who tries to protect Josie and give her the life she didn't have. The lawyer hints that Willie was abused as a child, but there isn't enough explanation to pull her out from the cliched smart, crotchety Madam. She never came alive for me. In a great scene where the two are blasting cans off a fence, I kept waiting to find out more about Willie's history, but it doesn't come. The prostitution is presented as horrible and Josie has a scarlet letter for associating with them. Older men treat her like a prostitute and actually want to be her customer, but book doesn't delve into economic factors or class structure that forced these women to choose their current careers. At least Josie's mom wanted to break out of it and go to Hollywood. However, she's presented as such a puppet she doesn't bring any depth to her character. I cringed at the stereotypical African American driver who loved the Madam's black Cadillac. He's a great character and looks out for Josie like no one else. I just wished it had been a different car type. .

Josie is a symbol of purity versus corruption that just doesn't quite work. Usually when innocence is contrasted with the uglier side of nature I find the topic infused with tension and the dynamic interesting. While Josie is presented well, the prostitution side was not and that's where the novel doesn't quite reach its potential or come together in a satisfying way for me. The ending with the money solving all Josie's problems watered down the message as well adding another brick to my dissatisfaction-over-certain-issues pile. I also would have liked Josie looking at other college options rather than solely focusing on an ivy-league school. People can break out of poverty without an ivy-league education. At least the resolution of her college pursuit is realistic. I think most young readers are not going to notice the stereotypes and will like the subplot that has a touch of romance. This is a page turner. Josie is tough and vulnerable and I was engaged with her character development. An entertaining read that made grrrr... at some story elements.

3 Smileys