Legend by Marie Lu

How do you unwind and relax? I have several ways, but a favorite is watching brainless, entertaining action movies; particularly the summer-type - with a bit of humor, gobs of special effects, an engaging character, and maybe a touch of romance. My mouth goes slack and brain shifts to a lower gear. This dystopian novel reminds me of my escapist trips to movie theaters. It is predictable for the most part with a few surprises, it oozes tension with life-and-death situations, and it's characters are geniuses (of course). While young readers will like the entertaining book, I can't give it 3 stars because the cursory writing, stereotypical characters, and predictable plot that had more loose ends than a frayed rug. It sets up for the sequel and I know questions will be answered in upcoming books, but the author should have wrapped up at least one major plot point. It isn't just a cliff hanger, it's a crater hanger. Actually, there are quite a few crater hangers out there and it reeks of publishers wanting money. Cut a book in the middle and call it two books. Grrrr....

The main characters, June and Day, alternate points of view. June is a genius and the only teenager ever to get a perfect score on her Trials, a test that determines where students will be placed in the Republic. Her fame follows her to the prestigious Drake University where she is prepped to be a military leader. She is several years ahead of her classmates and gets into trouble because she is bored. Her family life and career has been one of wealth and success; whereas Day is a boy on the run who has failed his Trials and steals from the government scavenging daily for money and food. He's famous for scaling a four-story building in five seconds and taunting the government with outlandish feats and showy antics making him a hero to the people of the slums. He is a sci-fi robin hood, a champion of the poor, known to give away money he steals from the government. When Day's younger brother gets The Plague, he steals much-needed medicine causing him to slash paths with June that triggers a series of disastrous events that threatens those he loves and uncovers corruption in the Republic.

The start has a great hook that pulls the reader quickly into the story with tension resulting from Day being on the run from the government that wants him dead. Nice flashbacks are worked into the setup creating a backdrop of an autocratic society. The Republic suppresses the poor people with the power held by the Elector Primo. The Primo is old and it is appears the man, Chian, who runs the trials has quite a bit of control. These elitist men are contrasted with Day who grew up in the slums that are ruled by corrupt police, disease, and hunger. Life is harsh and the elite look upon the people inhabiting the slums as subhuman.

The characters are stereotypical with their athleticism and gorgeous looks. I like that they have different ethnic backgrounds but I was disappointed (although not surprised) that Day is a genius too. I would have found Day more interesting as a character who can't take tests, but is brilliant. He and June are too much alike and seem stereotypical of the brilliant character who saves the world. Perhaps it is the secret desire of many people to be geniuses which is why this is such a popular trope found in escapist literature. I think characters are more authentic when they must rely on their wits, like the character in "The False Prince," by Jennifer Nielsen. I thought the theme of those in the Republic viewing those as the slums as subhuman could have been explored more to create more depth and tension.

The plot starts out okay and has predictable spots and unpredictable spots. There is a romance thrown in the middle that slows the pace a tad but luckily it moves on. It might turn off some readers who are absorbed in the action, but the kissing doesn't last long and the two are too busy trying to survive to think too much about their feelings for each other. I thought Thomas could have been worked into the plot better as a surprise, but he's laid out as a one-dimensional character with no resolution at the end. The younger brother isn't explained nor is the Republic and who's behind the conspiracy. I wanted at least one resolution with the powers-that-be in the Republic, but it never happens leaving me miffed.

This book is popular with students. They like the action and don't care that the writing is perfunctory or the plot unfinished. The vocabulary is accessible and the romance clean. It's good for grade 5 students and up. I recommend buying it for your library and encouraging others to read it. Just don't expect too much. Grab a bowl of popcorn and settle in for a nice escape.

Young Adult
2 Smileys

Tracing Stars by Erin E. Moulton

Writing reviews is tricky. You don't want to be too nitpicky; you want to be respectful; and you want to give an honest take on a book. Personal taste can taint an analysis and (unbeknownst to you) can skew your review. That's why I really admire some of the Goodreads reviewers who walk the fine line of giving an honest review that helps me in my book purchases, as well as give witty, insightful, and very helpful advice. So thank you! I need to log more hours in before I will start feeling comfortable with this reviewing process and not wracked by self-doubts. This journey of better understanding literature is an odd walk and I know some of my reviews are kind of weird - in a good way - but weird all the same. Indie Lee Chickory is weird too. She tries to hide it and conform but she likes to make fish faces, calm her nerves by reciting different types of fish, and wear tomboy clothes. She wants to be liked by her sister and is frustrated by her awkwardness and always "messing" things up. I can relate to her inferiority complex and clumsiness whether it is writing reviews or burning dinner up on the stove. Indie's internal journey of accepting her uniqueness is what touched me the most in this realistic story and I think it will touch others as well.

Indie is a bit of an oddball at school who enjoys making fish faces and whom the other kids tease calling her a "fish freak." When her pet lobster sneaks into her backpack she tries to find it some water over recess. Problems rise when the lobster decides to peak out from under her shirt like an alien from outer space. She loses the lobster in the ensuing melee and then sets out to get it back with the help of a newfound friend, Owen, who is even odder than her. He sounds like a walking encyclopedia who makes lists in a notebook trying to categorize everything. His personal life is out of control and this is what calms him.

Indie's sister, Bebe, is embarrassed by her younger sister and when Indie gets a job at the community theater where her sister has a part in the play production, Bebe is mortified with how Indie dresses. Every night Bebe lays out girly girl clothes for Indie to wear when she comes to the theater because Bebe is trying to impress another girl, Kelsey. Kelsey is a bully who hates Owen's different personality. Indie desperately wants to please her sister and stop doing klutzy, embarrassing things and she wants to be Owen's friend. When a prank goes too far, Indie has to decide between being herself and feeling good about her choices or following the crowd.

The plot has some unbelievable spots, but they add tension, humor and drama so I didn't care. I don't think the kids would steal a neighbor's golf cart (why not ask) and then forget to return it, especially Owen. I don't think Sloth would have freed Indie from her bedroom or a lobster would have crawled in her backpack, but it's fun. Indie sneaks out of the house at times when her family is awake and I didn't think this would happen either, because in previous chapters her mom comes in to say, "good night" and she and her sister are close in age. This is one of those instances where I might be being too nitpicky.

The characters are interesting. Bebe is a perfectionist and finds it hard to be around her bumbling sister. I thought the flashback was a bit awkward. It is supposed to show how much Bebe wants to be an actress and why she is intolerant of her sister, but I think her perfectionist personality comes through with her extra play rehearsals in the early morning. The flashback isn't necessary for the plot or character development. I did like all the fish imagery and tying it in with the constellations. The other great scene is Sloth and Indie dancing around the shop room like crazy girls. I laughed hard and thought about how we'd do that in college singing into our curling irons like they were microphones and sticking popcorn up our noses with the floors vibrating from the cranked-up music. Good times.

I have never had a pet lobster. I didn't even know you could have them as pets, much less put them down your shirt; however, I did act out books. Probably the dumbest thing I did was carve a peep hole in their beautiful wood door with her. She got a new chisel set for her birthday. We ate clam chowder, saltines, and Velveeta cheese for lunch taking turns looking through the hole to make sure her brother wasn't spying on us. Little did we know that we should have been looking for an angry parent, not a snoopy brother. I had another good friend who saved all the spleens from the animals she dissected in biology class. She's now a neurosurgeon. I really thought she'd be a mortician. Guess we all have our quirks.

Reading Level 5.4
3 Smileys
 

Fyre by Angie Sage

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night..." Remember the Von Trapps yodeling their goodbyes to the guests? I know they weren't yodeling... they were showing their prodigious singing talents. This song's lyrics kept settling in my ears because this story reads like the author is saying, "Goodbye" to all her characters. Many will like it or they might be like me who has read the series over 8 years and struggled at times to recall who the heck was whom. Here's a tip to you kindred spirit speed-demon-readers: the characters are listed in the back of the book. Yep! That's right. You might want to use your big brain and flip back and forth. My brain is not that big. What can I say? I like to do things fast. And when I don't particularly like a book, I read in warp-speed. I have enjoyed many of the Septimus Heap books, but not this one; I thought Angie Sage spread herself too thin with an abundance of characters that took the spotlight off the star: Septimus.

Students are always looking for stories in the same vein as Harry Potter and this series satisfies that need for escapism. The world building is well-done, the characters "okeydoky" (I did get tired of that anachronistic word), and the plot messy. Readers are left with an entertaining book, but a convoluted message because Septimus's internal struggle with figuring out his career path gets chucked on the wayside of the road's plot too many times.
Septimus is helping Marcellus and Marcia dispose of the evil two-faced ring. They must rebuild the fyre the Alchemist's used  in the old days before the great Alchemie disaster to destroy it. Sounds a bit like Lord of the Rings, eh?  Marcellus and Marcia distrust each other because they represent two opposing political parties of alchemists and wizards. The two bicker an awful lot throughout this story and I didn't like how they would fight over Septimus. For instance, they are in a room with Septimus and Simon looking for ancient gold. Septimus suggests using the Transubstantiate Triple bowls and Marcellus says, "He's good isn't he?" and Marcia agrees saying that is why she chose him as his apprentice. It is supposed to be funny but it puts down Simon who is standing right there suggesting he is inferior. Marcia and Marcellus are supposed to be leaders, but their paranoia toward each other, dingy actions, and prickly attitude toward others left me disliking them. Normally Marcia's prickliness shows she care for Septimus but she was catty about Jillie Djinn putting down her "fat legs" and disrespectful to Milo who is the king's daughter, to name a few.

Many obstacles happen along the way and many don't advance the plot but are instead used to say, "goodbye," to the characters. Nursie and Merrin are presented as bait but aren't used as such. Jillie Djinn doesn't add anything to the plot except making Marcia look like an impatient jerk. Syrah wakes up but says hardly a thing, and on it goes. Remember when I told you to use your big brain and flip between the back and front? Well, you might not want to because they contain one paragraph wrap-ups of what happened to whom. Like I said, Sage has too many characters and loose threads she's trying to resolve.

The characters don't change much. Simon finds redemption and I liked the part where his knowledge of dark magic assists in the battle with the evil wizards. Marcia learns to accept Marcellus and vice versa except they are quite stupid and juvenile. Pike faces his prejudices but even that lacks depth and Jenna doesn't change much. Beetle gets little page time and Septimus gets lost in the shuffle.

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
[Guests:]
Goodbye!"

Adieu Septimus! I wish you had ended on a stronger note!

3 Smileys

Jepp Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh

Thunderstorms of flashbacks have been pummeling me this month. Done well, I don't really notice them. Done not so well, and they make cumulonimbus clouds build inside me. I prefer an author using flashbacks in the present and working them into the plot; this way a sense of urgency remains and the pacing doesn't slow down. Alas, while I enjoy Marsh's writing and character development, I didn't care for her flashbacks and parts of the plot.

Jepp  is a dwarf in the 1600's who lives happily in a village working the inn with his mother. When a man comes and offers to take him to court, Jepp is curious to see the world. His mother reluctantly agrees and Jepp learns the prejudices others show to those who are different. He meets three other dwarves at the court and learns humiliating routines to entertain the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia. His experience at court is to learn that the rich and wealthy view dwarves as their playthings and not as human beings. While Jepp enjoys meeting other dwarves a terrible abuse happens to Lia, a dwarf he loves. Disillusioned, they flee the castle; thus ending Book I.

Marsh divides her book into three sections with Book I being told in a flashback as the protagonist, Jepp, is being taken north as a prisoner. At first, it appears that Jepp's life is at stake and this urgency creates tension making a good setup for the flashback, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that the man dragging Jepp north has no intention of killing him, and flashback boredom settles in my bones like arthritis. Luckily Book II drops the flashback and I immediately got into the story of the quirky court of Tycho Brahe, who wears a prosthetic nose that keeps falling off and parades a moose in the dining area as entertainment to scholars and guests. I actually would have liked the story better if it had started in Book II with a few flashbacks worked into the action as Jepp travels north. When Jepp hears the birds he can flashback to Lia in her gilded cage. When he talks to Magdalene he can describe his past. But I've never written a book so maybe I'm being presumptious.

Book III involves Jepp finding answers to his questions. It contains more inner monologue and less action. Letters back and forth put more emphasis on the romantic aspect of the plot and less on the historical aspects given in Book I & II. The ending with the money didn't make sense to me. Would the laws allow Don to do that? It also seemed that Jepp should have returned to the island. I would not think Magdalene would do something that would be considered improper. I needed some explanation about her father's consent or lack of it, but it isn't given.

Marsh does a nice job developing her characters. This is one of those books where I would have liked it to be in third person. The villains are one-dimensional. We don't have any understanding as to why they mistreat others except that they are just nasty people. Jepp's voice is formal and highly educated. He's smart but I don't think he would have sounded like that running a tavern, although the author explains that everyone in their village learns to read. The astrology scenes are fascinating and were some of my favorite parts of the book and I'm not even interested in astrology. That is where I thought the story took flight and when the spotlight moved to other areas of the plot, I felt it dimmed in comparison.

Just an FYI, while it happens off the page and there is no graphic description, there is a rape in this story. It is a young adult book and while some young adult novels are okay for elementary I can't see this novel appealing to most of my high readers. I plan on giving it to the middle school library where it will have a larger audience and be more appreciated.

Young Adult
3 Smileys

Jinx by Sage Blackwood

The Chinese narrator's words emitting from the television are nonsensical  to my thick ears until I hear "Niu Rou." This means "beef" in Mandarin but my western brain hears the Roman emperor's name, "Nero." The sound comes from the back of the throat and whenever I try to pronounce it I either elicit a laugh or quirked brow. Such is my language life. Not so for Jinx where learning languages is like breathing in and breathing out. He's fluent in months and has taught himself six languages in about five years. Sigh... don't you love fantasy... you can do the unthinkable! Of course, Jinx has magical powers within himself that grant him this unique ability.

Jinx can read people's minds by seeing the colors of their thoughts. When his stepfather brings him to the Urwald forest to abandon him, Jinx is rescued by Simon, a crotchety wizard, who cares for Jinx and welcomes him to his home. He's absent minded and his motives for taking Jinx are questionable at times, but he's not cruel to Jinx and feeds him in exchange for his assistance. When Simon takes Jinx's magic from him without asking, Jinx goes on a quest to a powerful wizard to get it back along with the help of two friends, Reven and Elfwyn, who also need the wizard's help from curses of their own. This powerful wizard is evil and their success depends on how clever they are in manipulating him, but he has his own plans with no qualms at killing three kids.

I thought the start was slow. Jinx's stepfather is carted off by trolls and Simon is gruff and prickly. He's ornery toward Jinx. He's married to Sophie but they don't live together and she travels in a mysterious way to and from Simon's home. When he takes Jinx's magic it is unclear if he is an evil or good wizard. This adds wonderful tension to the plot. Simon doesn't do the right thing and it is a not really clear until the end why he did. The plot twist was nice and the untrustworthy adults with magical skills.

The stepfather scene where he crops up later is not resolved. The ending suggests a sequel and maybe it will be addressed then. I can't really get into the details or I'll spoil the fun but it is left hanging. Elfwyn's curse is like Ella Enchanted but not nearly as funny. I thought the author could have made her situations more humorous.

This entertaining book ends on a strong note with the pacing and tension picking up and some unexpected character revelations. While it has flaws, the world building exists and the characters are distinct. The witch is a strong supporting character using nicknames such as, "chickabiddies," and "chipmunk" for the children with a creepy grin that suggests she wants to eat them she teases about cooking them in the oven like the famed, Hansel and Gretel.

I'm always embarrassed by my poor language skills and am fascinated working with students who know two or more languages. They are like sponges when they are really little and it always takes longer to read than speak. The four and five years suck up the words like vacuums, not saying much at first. Then their brains sort it out and they start putting the sentences together. I wished I had been able to learn a second language at a young age. Maybe Jinx can give me a bit of that language magic. Lord knows I need it. Sigh...

Reading Level 5.3
3 Smileys

Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli

Just when I think I'm lassoing certain elements in children's literature, the hokey pokey comes along and turns me all about. This book is like my first experience of seeing an abstract painting. I tugged an over-sized hand hanging by my head pointing to the picture in the museum. "Uh... daddy, I can do that." The two splotched lines on a piece of white canvas didn't look too difficult. It wasn't until adulthood and viewing the painting at the Guggenheim Museum that I realized my architectural father really liked the composition and spacial elements the artist created in that piece. I feel a bit like that kid-in-the-gallery reviewing this book. I know I'm missing quite a bit that the writer is artistically portraying. I'll give it a go, but it will be more like a "spit gob," because I know I'm not well-read when it comes to allegories.

Allegories can be discombobulating - at least for me - because the literal interpretation happens by creating meaning between symbols. If you can't connect the dots you are not going to get it. The symbols in this book represent the transition from childhood to young adult. Jack's bike is stolen by the hated, germy "girl" at the beginning and he sets off to get it back with his two best friends. The imaginary land of Hokey Pokey has no adults and the landscape is part-fantasy, part-Wild West, where the Tattooer is a piece of playground equipment and kids bikes are horses that travel in herds. As Jack chases after the girl others notice his tattoo disappearing which suggests, "it's time..." to leave the Hokey Pokey. But Jack's isn't sure he wants to leave.

The made-up words tickle and the sentences oftentimes read like poetry. The language is quite unique and is what kept me engaged versus the simple storyline. Spinelli loves the written word and it shows. The kids hear "crickets clickit," they are "kidderpillars," and they make "pickerpoke yipping" noises. "The air smells of girl and burnt rubber" and "how-schmow" can that be? He captures the sillynilly kid-speak of youth and their imaginary worlds like no other book I've read."His screams are so forceful they blow a bulge in the make-do hood" or "He feels a fillip of fear for Dusty, for he knows how ornery this girl can be." The poetic word, "fillip" means to propel and is an example of Spinelli's many poetic alliterations.

I can't say I loved the start. It isn't linear. Shucks, it isn't really what you can call a start. The reader is dropped into the imaginary land of Hokey Pokey. I thought at first I was in the mind of a seven or eight-year-old mainly because of the squishy Wanda monster and going into the mind of the Destroyer or bully who is playing in a dump truck at a park. Later, as the story takes shape and more dialogue appears, I realize that Jack is older. More around ten-years-old. I think the author purposefully keeps the age vague so the reader will give it his or her own age; thus, reflecting the transition from imaginary play-worlds to a grown-ups world.

The subplot involving the birth of a playground bully, called the Destroyer, is interesting. He wants to dominate and instill fear in others because of his anger over older kids bullying him. When Jack exposes the bully for who he is, he teaches others kids how to to deal with him. The point of view is in the mind of the bully in the beginning, but after Jack talks to the other kids we don't go back into the bully's mind. I really liked the exploration into the Destroyer's psyche and would have liked popping back into his mind after the "Jackaroo" incident.

The ending evokes the sadness I feel when looking back on my childhood and thinking of how much fun I had playing and imagining pretend-worlds with my best friend. Our adventures started every morning walking to school, where the snow bank was a cliff and the street a raging river that instantly killed if you fell into it. The hill in the backyard was mount Everest and the trees were our horses. This story will surely elicit similar stories in older readers. This nostalgia is similar to how I felt after reading The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg, a book that recreates the joy of believing in the imaginary world of talking reindeer and elves and a jolly man in a red suit. Spinelli's use of Wild West imagery where the sun sets on childhood is poignant, but I wonder if it and all the symbolism will be lost on younger readers.

The question for me is who will be drawn to this book or is it more a literary piece that is better for teachers and requires adults to help the reader connect the dots? Maybe the imaginary world will draw young readers in or will it confuse them like an abstract painting? Will middle schoolers like to look at back and will they understand something that adults process and hold more dear as they age?  I'm not sure. You'll have decide yourself because "That's what it's all about!" 

Reading Level: 4.3
4 Smileys

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

You can smell and taste Timberlake's sentences like beef bourguignon drenched in a saporous burgundy wine sauce. That's a mouthful, no? I've never used the word, "saporous." Makes me sound smart, don't you think? Okay, I know you are not fooled by me, but you might be fooled by Georgie. Georgie has a high-kickin' vocabulary too. She uses words like veneration, ornithology,  ablutions, to name a few. She delights in using big words. Listen to her conversation with the young Garrow's girl: "'It's a mule,'" I [Georgie] said irritably. I didn't care for my mount being referred to as a pet. Especially by a girl less than half my size, with not a tenth of my vocabulary." Meet Georgie. She is precise, blunt, strong-headed, and stubborn. Swagger in a bit of Annie Oakley and you have a fun character with a distinct voice. She's the right mix of youthful immaturity, thirteen-year-old sassy attitude, and raw honesty.

Georgie's sister, Agatha, has been found dead. When the body is returned to the family, it is in such an advanced state of decay it can't be properly identified. Georgie refuses to believe it is her sister. Guilt plagues her marrow because Agatha has run off as a result of Georgie interfering with Agatha's relationship with her fiance. Nobody likes a tattler, but imagine if your whistleblowing killed your sister. That's Georgie's quagmire.  A quest to seek redemption and answers regarding what happened to Agatha lead Georgie on a giddyup adventure set in the late 1800's with guns, horses, passenger pigeons, and one hilarious mule.Grab yer spurs with this fun one.

Georgie's character and the gorgeous writing made me devour this story. The beginning uses flashbacks which I have an aversion to because when poorly done they pull the plug on pacing, but that isn't the case here. At least for me. The flashbacks introduce Agatha and also make Georgie's high vocabulary more plausible since Georgie is looking back as an adult on her experiences in 1871. The beginning has more flashbacks and once the mystery starts to get solved by Georgie, they trickle near the end to reflect Georgie's thoughts. I wondered if the pacing would have been served better if the character information on Agatha came through interactions with characters and plot moving forward using tension set in the present versus Georgie thinking about it. I did like how Timberlake transitioned into the flashbacks especially when Georgie is blasting glasses to smithereens with her shotgun. The flashbacks are short so I didn't feel they interfered with the pacing.

My reading notes are a "cornucopia" of great lines. "I was like some old cow on her cud, continually rechewing wilted, partially digested conversations.Billy folded his arms across his chest. He'd been rambling on and on about Agatha, oblivious to the fact that my mind had been elsewhere. (Some people assume your attention. It is annoying.)" Or "But up until that moment, I possessed absolute certainty of the rightness of my cause. I would have said, with confidence, that my sister was seeing Mr. Olmstead for his library. (Beware of such convictions, for they are fraught with peril.)" Or "memories pressed in on me, so I set the pencil down and picked up the Springfield rifle." Eventually my notes tapered to jots of interesting word combinations: "a cornucopia of admirable characteristics," "yelped happily," "chitchat and parlor games," "wrangled my emotions,""cinched up her face," "trampousing about," and more. Then there are the euphymisms: shat for... you got it! Easy to guess that one. Dadgum means goddamn or damn-dumb - just kidding. Not quite as easy to figure out as shat.

Good children's books tend to touch both kids and adults. One thing I got out of this was Georgie's stages of grief. She has to face a tragic death and at first denies it. When she does accept it, the pain of her grief is so primal and violent, she howls. I cried here because it reminded me of dealing with a tragic death in my own life where I listened to a loved one grieving cried like her soul was being ripped from her body. Her anguish was wrenching and, at least for me, Timberlake captures this emotion brilliantly when Georgie goes beserk. Georgie's next stage of grief is blaming herself for her sister's death and seeking redemption. Timberlake mixes humor with the grief so it doesn't become overwhelming. She also shows Georgie grieving over her older sister getting married and leaving home. My younger sister explained to me that she had those same feelings when I got married and said she cried as a teenager. While Georgie grieves that she will not be able to run the store with her sister, I recalled my sister asking me how could I live without her. In hindsight I should have talked about my upcoming marriage. I remember laughing when she said, "Who's going to find your socks for you or let you in the house when you forget your house key?" I always threw rocks at her window to let me in the house. It never dawned on me that she was sad and showing sisterly love.

Timberlake does a great job with the inner landscape of the characters. While the story is a murder mystery and historical novel on passenger pigeons, I felt the steady beat of dealing with the loss of a loved one moreso than solving the crime. The mystery has a few small bullet holes in it, but I'm not going to talk about it because I'll give away the plot. Some obvious questions aren't addressed and Georgie does some incredible feats, but it wasn't enough to derail the story. It might draw a raised brow, but the humor pulls it along. The ending didn't quite work for me. It puts the stress on the pigeons and I thought put the emphasis on guns and the environment - it felt too much like the author's opinions. Georgie's reflecting but it didn't strike the right chord with me. I think the chapter before that ends on the feather would have been stronger because that encompasses not only the birds but Agatha who is compared to a feather that floats in the air throughout the novel, rather than a feather that settles on the ground. I did like how Timberlake kept using the cougar episode to show how Georgie was traumatized by it and thus, reinforcing her youthfulness and inexperience. Billy's raising of four brothers and skills as a caregiver, were another nice detail that were built on in chapters from him cooking to cleaning scrapes. All-in-all this is a book I can ballyhoo to the students about without a problem.

One last line to leave you with, "Have I mentioned my full name? It's Georgina Louise Burkhardt. Now, Georgina doesn't suit me - it's the kind of name that has daisies growing out of it. But Georgie is fine by me and fine by everyone else too."

Reading Level 4.9
4 Smileys