The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman (39 Clues Cahills vs. Vespers)

Dan and Amy have to rescue seven Cahills who have been kidnapped by the Vespers. The two travel to Italy where they have to steal a Caravaggio painting called, Medusa, from the Uffizi Museum. The clues lead them next to the Colosseum in Rome.

Book one is vague on plot. It isn't clear why the Vespers kidnapped that many people. I found this novel less funny, less believable, and more violent. Amy has a boyfriend and Dan is more serious. Dan also betrays his good friend which I thought was out of character. The two aren't stealing from family members but are now stealing from others.  Also, Dan considers lighting a match after drenching three men in gasoline. Another character is shot and the bullet has to be removed by other kids. This tale is definitely darker than other books. The novel has no ending - it's not clear what the Vespers want except to manipulate Dan and Amy. Fans should enjoy all of the action.

Reading Level 4.7

:-) :-) 2.5 out of 5 Smileys

Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker; illustrated by Yoko Tanaka

Ming-Li likes birds and so does her brother who has a pet pigeon. When Chairman Mao orders war on the sparrows who are eating the wheat, Ming-Li is worried. She creeps to her brother's bed and asks him what if other birds get killed...like pigeon?

Mao tells the people to bang pots, pans, and set off firecrackers to scare the birds to death for three days. Not only is the campaign successful, other birds die as well, including the brother's pet pigeon. Saddened by what is happening Ming-Li and her brother search for birds who have not died. They find seven birds and put them in the pigeon's now-empty cage. Because it is so crowded, Ming-Li secretly moves the birds to the barn and feeds and cares for them. When the crops begin to fail because of too many locusts, the farmers realize that they should not have killed all the sparrows who ate those insects. Find out how Ming-Li becomes a hero for her village.

This book is based on a true story when in 1958 Mao ordered all the sparrows killed because they were eating the crops. A plague of locusts came and destroyed the crops for 3 years. Thirty to forty million Chinese dies from starvation because of the failed crops. There is much to talk about with this book such as the ecological disaster, the civil disobedience of Ming-Li, and wisdom. A great read aloud.

Reading Level 3.5

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 5 out of 5 Smileys

 

The Red Azalea by Anchee Min

We read this adult memoir for book club. The first part is when Anchee Min is a young girl and the Communists take over China. She describes the changes in their living conditions and how she is sent to a labor camp to work in the rice fields. Part 2 of the book is about the oppressive and hard-working atmosphere of life at the labor camp. Part three is when she is chosen to be trained as an actress. Ironically, it's not much better than the labor camp. Communist dogma frowned upon any type of individualism or expression of emotions. Min shows how she and others deal with this through opera, music, knitting, reading and more. The Red Azalea story that Min is supposed to be a movie star in is about Madam Mao who worked beside her husband to provide equal rights for women. This is far from the truth. The irony of the title becomes more and more apparent as the book moves to the climax.

I had to pick up this book twice. I really didn't like the beginning with the choppy writing and word choice. Dialogue is not in quotations and the plot doesn't flow particularly well. Things pick up in part two and the writing improves so that it isn't so jarring.  Min uses swear words throughout and she has a relationship with another woman at the labor camp. There is descriptions of  sex and a suicide.

Adult

:-) :-) 2.5 Smileys

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima (book 3)

Han Alister, once thief - now wizard, is looking for his missing friend Rebecca Morley.When he finds her in the mountains near death he practices some wizardry that nearly kills him but saves her. He discovers that she is not a tutor who worked for the Bayars but the princess heir to the Fells. Many people want her killed and he begins a plan to protect her and elevate him in status so he can court her as an equal.

The action and adventure is less interesting in this book than the first two in the series. There are a few interesting plot twists but not many. I thought the pacing slow and parts boring. It reads more like a romance novel with Han and the princess heir doing a lot of thinking about their lost love or lovers and how to move on... blah, blah, blah.  It sets up for the next book with not much of an ending. There is violence and smooching.

If you like this type of story about kingdoms, try reading, The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner.

Reading Level: YA

:-) :-) :-)  3 out of 5 Smileys

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Percy's back! And he is wise-cracking his way through another quest with a new set of friends and a different camp; Camp Jupiter. Struck with amnesia, Percy finds himself immersed with a bunch of Roman kids who don't look kindly on the Greeks. However, Percy is tolerated because he saved Jupiter from some Gorgons. When Mars visits the camp to claim his son, Frank, he sends him on a quest to free the god of Death, Thanatos, who has been chained by the giant, Aclyoneus. Frank asks Hazel and Percy to help him. If the three don't free the god of Death, chaos will reign and Gaea, the goddess of Earth, will kill off all of humankind.

Riordan does a great job with pacing and character development. Chapters are short and Roman mythology is explained in easy-to-understand passages. I like how he uses mnemonics and humor to help with difficult words. For instance, Percy keeps referring to the Feast of Fortuna as the the feast for tuna. I also like how the Heroes of Olympus series uses third person narration versus first person narration. This allows for the reader to get into the minds of the other characters. Like the first book, The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune is told from three points of view: Percy, Hazel, and Frank. Hazel is supposed to be dead but isn't and Frank is a klutz who lacks confidence. Frank changes the most in the story from the beginning to the end and all have internal (as well as external) conflicts that makes the story tense and exciting.

I like how the women in Riordan's books are strong female characters who stand on their own, as well as, the goofy gods. The god of Death looks beautiful (like Cupid) and consults his iPad to see if Frank's name is on a death list. Frank thinks to himself, Please don't let there be an app for reaping souls.  I was looking for a sidekick in this book like Coach Gleeson Hedge in The Lost Hero - I thought he was hysterical - but there isn't one. The part of the book at Camp Jupiter was predictable and very similar to plots in previous books. It was fun, but I was able to put the book down at that part. Once the quest started I couldn't stop reading. Terrific book with lots of action, humor, and adventures.

Reading Level 4.7

:-) :-) :-) :-) 4 out of 5 Smileys

 

The Sandman by Ralph Fletcher

This tiny little man stumbles upon a magical dragon scale that puts people into a deep and refreshing sleep. Wanting to help others, the Sandman, who is the size of a thimble, goes around town sprinkling magic sand on the eyes of children who can't sleep. When the dragon scale runs out he goes on a quest to the dragon's lair to fetch another one. See if he succeeds on his dangerous journey.

The illustrations and writing in this book are fantastic! I can read it over and over and not get sick of it. The tension mounts as the Sandman waits for the dragon to return. I like how Fletcher uses repetition such as, He waited..." , at the climax to make the moment more dramatic and scary. The students really enjoy this book. Make sure you read the dedication page. It's funny.

Reading Level 2.6

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 5 out of 5 Smileys

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher

Imagine you are in 6th grade. Your teacher is gone and a sub is coming. The school bell rings and there is no sub. The class takes attendance and still no sub. What do you do? Karen, a natural leader in the class, goes down to the office and DOES NOTHING. Yahoo. Free day. Right? Well...not exactly. Told from the point of view of Fletcher (not the author-it's the main characters name), discover how a class handles the disappearance of their teacher and sub. Tension mounts as they try to hold class without adult supervision. From Rachel, the mute, to Bastian, the not-so-nice teaser, students get some homework done, goof around some, and fight some. Things reach a climax when they discuss the death of a student that happened in the fall learning that maybe they need to act differently toward each other.

This book has a good pace and some of the issues are resolved at the end of the novel. I like the image/metaphor of flying and how it was used throughout the story. The story reminded me of the Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea where students learn to be responsible for their actions and grieve the loss of someone. I like how Fletcher doesn't give easy answers and choices such as Bastian's choice to give his pet away as being more for his pet than because he has a generous heart. He's mean in his teasing of others and this made sense to me and made the character's choice authentic. I do think the students would have goofed around more than they did, but that's debatable. Another terrific book by Fletcher and a great read aloud.

Reading Level 5.8

:-) :-) :-) :-) 4 out of 5 Smileys