The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Shane Evans (Illustrations)

Diverse books are necessary to the children's literary landscape and there are not enough of them, but I know I won't remember this one in the long haul. It isn't that the verse isn't beautiful or the setting not memorable, it is the fact that the secondary characters don't come alive giving depth to the main character's journey. I kept wanting her to form a relationship with a minor character to help push the story's action forward. The plot stalls for me in spots and just when I think an interesting minor character and relationship is going to bloom, it moves on to another one too quickly. Amira's sister, Leila, interested me the most because of her grit and determination as a cripple, but she flits through the vignettes like a butterfly out of reach. Also, the Sudanese conflict in Darfur isn't explained enough and I found myself looking up answers in the encyclopedia to fill in gaps. That said, there are some interesting themes on creativity, grief, close-mindedness, and traditional values.

Darfur has been a war zone for many years with African and Arabs fighting for land. Thousands of people have been murdered and displaced and this story is about one family's life as refugees. Amira farms with her loving family in South Darfur, Africa. She has a younger sister that is crippled and enjoys a close relationship with her progressive-minded father. When the Janjaweed militia come through her village her father is killed and she must flee with other villagers to the city of Kalma. She secretly desires to be educated in a country that doesn't educate girls. Traditions are such that girls do household chores and marry, they do not need to be educated. Amira sees another girl her age married to a rude older man and can't help but notice the girl's unhappiness.

One of my favorite books is "Things Fall Apart," by Chinua Achebe. It shows the break down of traditional values in a village and how it tears apart the main character, an African man. In this story, war seems to break down traditional values, but it doesn't pull the main character apart, it makes her stronger. The limited point of view, told only from Amira, keeps the story from showing the complexity of the war going on around her. Amira doesn't understand it and while it is emotional with her grief, I wanted to get to know more of the other characters. The verse makes the plot seem sparse at times. Amira likes to draw in the dirt with a stick and her father values education. It is hinted that he wants Amira to run his farm. Amira comments on her mother's close-mindedness to her being educated. "Muma's strong beliefs/ are as blinding as a sun/ that makes her squint at new ideas." Her mother slowly changes as Amira opens her eyes to the joy of writing. When Old Anwar teaches Amira to write in secret she starts to heal from the war.

Andrea Davis Pinkney explains in an author's note that she used verse to distance the story's violence from the reader and while it does do that making it age appropriate, it also hurts the flow of the story making facts choppy along with relationships. She does show how the "toob" or Sudanese traditional dress that covers a women from head to toe, is tied in with cultural identity. It adds a richness to the text and meaning to Amira. Her mother shows her toob from when she was married while Amira passes on her toob to her sister. This generational passing down of a cultural costume gives the women a sense of identity. The reader also sees it is a symbol of economic wealth and status in the richness of Miss Sabine's dress when she comes to the refugee camp. The illustrator captures its cultural importance in the illustrations. The toob is more than a stylish dress. It represents national pride and heritage dating back hundreds of years.

Amira grieves the loss of her father and is traumatized to the point of not talking. It isn't until her pencil disappears that she regains her voice. The pencil is a symbol of changing the future and a reminder of her father who gave her a sharpened twig on her birthday so she could write in the dirt. Writing heals Amira and gives her hope for a different future. She is not interested in getting married and finding a husband. Her father and Old Anwar recognize this and mention her intelligence. She overhears her father telling Old Anwar that he will teach her, but then he dies. Old Anwar teaches her in secret when she asks him. My favorite verse is "Sweet Invitation" where Old Anwar tells her that learning isn't "...chasing the wind" but "...stirring it up." Amira sees new possibilities for the future by getting an education and is determined to change her present situation. The abrupt ending makes me wonder if there will be a sequel. This might be a nice companion to Linda Sue Park's "A Long Walk to Water" that shows the importance and difficulty of getting water in Sudan and the role of girls in getting water for the family.

3 Smileys

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. by Greg Pincus

I ate way too much chocolate reading this book and I blame eleven-year-old Gregory Korenstein-Jasperton and his friend, Kelly, who eat pie every day after school at Kelly's mom's bakery called, The Slice. I think the author was having a bit 'o wish fulfillment here. It was pure torture reading his passages of Gregory and Kelly dissolving on their tongues boysenberry, apple, and chocolate-filled pies with sighs of contentment "perfectly tuned" to the sound of forks clinking on plates. They moaned in bliss, while I just moaned. Toss in Gregory's fear and hatred of math and I almost started anxiously chewing my nails like the old days when I was in high school math class. His family is a bunch of mathematical geniuses that would make the average person dizzy with their round-the-table dinner talk on complex math theories. His dad and mom want Gregory to go to Magic is Math Camp, but Gregory wants to go to Author Camp with Kelly. He loves to write, but is afraid to tell his parents. When Kelly tells him she is moving, life gets more complicated and he keeps telling fibs to make the people around him happy. Eventually he will have to face the truth with his friend and parents.

Gregory is failing math and his teacher gives him a math journal asking him to write about math. To Gregory's surprise, he pulls together poetry and Fibonacci patterns creating what he calls, Fib poetry. The contrast of math and poetry make for a surprising twist as Gregory reflects on how math is important in every day life. He uses his love of language to express Fibonacci numbers in metaphors and truths. While this adds depth to his character it doesn't drive the plot's action. That happens through his relationship with Kelly. The two have been best friends from birth and she is practical and level-headed helping to keep Gregory on task and giving him cues (usually a kick in the shin) at school when he's about to make an idiot of himself. Gregory is devastated when he finds out she's moving and responds by not being completely honest with her about attending camp.

Gregory's lie isn't intentional but more rooted in him not wanting to tell her about his failures. It's never fun to fail at things in life and hard enough discussing it aloud, but if you come from a family of math whizzes there is some shame and denial going on with Gregory in being that bad at math. He tells Kelly his parents will let him go to camp when he hasn't asked them. He tells his parents that he loves math. He enters a huge city-wide math contest because he knows his parents will be so happy even though he hates math. This is a contest that his dad has won once and brother has won multiple times. Gregory is so busy trying to please everyone around him that he makes himself unhappy and procrastinates on getting things done due to big-time lack of motivation.

His math teacher sees right through him and knows that he has no love for math. He also taps into the subject Gregory loves which is writing. When writing his journal, Gregory has no problem being honest. He tells the teacher why he thinks math is useless. The teacher asks questions back causing Gregory to look more closely at math in real life and slowly sparking an interest and appreciation for it. As deadlines approach, Gregory worries about letting people down, but he doesn't give up as he makes connections between math and writing. At the end, he shows that he has changed when he doesn't care about the outcome of the contest. He has publicly shared the truth about being a non-math lover and while he wants his parents support and approval, he knows that whether he has it or not he will always love writing. His courage to go after what he loves takes a bit of time all the while grieving about his best friend moving away.

Two recent books I've read, The Dumbest Idea Ever, by Jimmy Gowley and Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff, are similar to this one about finding whatever you are passionate about in life and sticking with it; although Absolutely Almost is more about not being good at anything, but having great character. This story reminded of Pam Munoz Ryan's book, The Dreamer, about a boy that wants to be a poet but his dad wants him to have a profession that will give him a steady income. The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. has more humor; whereas, The Dreamer is more dramatic. Just a word of warning: Don't read this book when you are hungry. I'm off to my chocolate addiction support group.

4 Smileys

Strike Three, You're Dead by Josh Berk

Lenny is a doofus that is easy to love. My favorite scene is when Maria, a girl Lenny has just met, grabs his bike from him when he offers to give her a ride. Maria makes Lenny sit on the handlebars while she pedals like the figurehead of a ship. He is wearing a helmet that matches the Mikes. That's right. He has two best friends named, Mike and Other Mike. A nice play on words for a kid who is terrific at announcing baseball games. In fact, he's so good that he won a contest to announce the 6th inning of a Phillie's game. When a 19-year-old upcoming pitcher drops dead on the mound, Lenny and the Mikes decide to solve the mystery of his death. Lenny's not much of an athletic. When Maria takes off racing the Mikes on their bikes with Lenny on the handlebar she causes Lenny's head to fling back like he's on a roller coaster. Maria keeps smacking the back of his helmet and she wins the race easily. I appreciate authors that upend stereotypes. These quirky characters are guaranteed to make you laugh with their witty descriptions, silly dialogue, and close friendship.

Time out. Can I tell you a story? Good. The reason I love this novel's bike scene is that it reminds me of the my first scooter ride with my husband when we moved to Taipei, Taiwan. His midlife crisis was to buy a sporty red scooter. I bought a metallic pink helmet. Very kicky. We'd never owned a scooter and the first ride into the mountains on a summer day was stressful. After starting the engine, he held the scooter while I tried to launch myself behind him. I got half a leg and thigh over before almost topping us to the ground. "Holy Cow!" he yelled barely keeping it upright. By the time I got on the back he took off only to have his Minnesota dairy cow-of-a-wife whack her cute pink helmet against his. I tried to wrap my arms around him, but like two bobble-heads we kept thunking helmets every time he changed speed. Thunk, thunk, thunk went our helmets just getting out of the parking lot. "Man, would you stop hitting me?" My husband said over his shoulder. "Put your visor up!" I'm thinking there is no way in bloody 'ell that I'm gonna put my visor up unless I have a mouth guard. We get into the street and I start to perspire. Not the slight perspiration you get from a brisk walk, but the run-down-the-leg-in-a-stream sweat. Taipei is littered with a bazillion scooters, buses to dodge, cars pulling in and out willy-nilly, and people everywhere. I had visions of us being road kill. "Ugh... you're sweating on me," he muttered. I only slid off the back of the bike once going up a switch back. The scooter has since been sold. But I digress. Honest, this book will have you snorting food out your nose. When Lenny tries to seal a spit-handshake with Maria he can't project enough saliva so he licks his hand. (That reminded me of Junie B. Jones licking her patent leather shoes clean so they'd shine.) The author cleverly uses baseball metaphors and similes throughout the book to strengthen the setting and characters that firmly anchors the baseball plot.

This isn't like a sports novel where the character is playing the game, it is about the character that loves the game. Lenny is an avid fan who loves trivial facts about the game, watching the game, and pretend announcing the game. It is through this skill that the boys are able to solve the mystery of the dead pitcher. Lenny would like to grow up and be a sports announcer. His father and mother are both cardiologists who would like him to go to med school. So often kids are at odds with their parents' vision of a career. The librarian calls Lenny and the Mikes, Cerberus, because they like answer in unison, wear matching bike helmets, and can act like three-headed monsters at times. When Maria joins the trio he changes their name to Brahma, the four-headed god. He mocks, "'Instead of the three of you guys acting as one, now you're a four-headed beast. What dangers hath I wrought?' he said. Then he smiled. Librarians are sort of weird."

The author fleshes out these characters with unique voices. When Lenny makes a video for an announcing contest he paints a mustache on his face with a marker then delivers some witty lines. The author balances wit with silly humor that readers will love, such as "pee" and "fart." This week I had 3rd graders changing the html code from "TAS Lower School Library" to "Poop is Awesome." The "poop" word just tickles their funny fecal bone. They would have liked Lenny's joke about and IP address as an I pee address. Although the Lenny trio doesn't enter the poop joke zone. The great descriptions of characters had me sitting through a faculty meeting thinking, Oh look, those two look like the number 10. "Mrs. Other Mike was always laughing. She was as plump and short as Mr. Other Mike was tall and skinny. Standing next to each other, they looked like the number ten." While describing a ball player's huge hands Lenny says they looked like "five magic wands." Then there is the goofy Other Mike that adores Warlock video games and doesn't really like baseball.

The entire novel has baseball metaphors that enrich the text in serious and humorous ways. When he is laying down in bed trying to sleep he can't because questions are zooming through his head like "fastballs crossing the plate. Zoom! Did R.J. Weathers really have a heart attack? Whoosh! Is that possible for someone so young and so healthy? Whiz! Could it be possible that he was killed? Zip! Was that crazy PhilzFan1 somehow involved?" The plot is stretched in some places but it is so dang funny, I didn't care. The villain could have been fleshed out more and the ending felt a bit rushed too, but there is a sequel, so I went online and ordered it for our library.

Maria is a strong character and even Courtney, who appears stereotypical at first, is an atypical babysitter. Different themes add depth to the plot such as inappropriate use of the Internet and untended consequences. Maria is not careful with her wording on a fan site and it is misconstrued getting her in trouble. Another theme involves the difficulties that Cuban players face trying to get into United State's major league baseball. Also, when Mike is told to go out for catcher on the school team, Lenny has to deal with his feelings about why this makes him unhappy. He's rude to Mike until he acts like a true friend that wants what is best for Mike. Josh Berk has great command of his fastball in this "razzle-dazzle" novel. Add it to your book shelves.

4 Smileys

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

The power of words. They hurt, heal, and create. When they come together in a story it is like magic. Kelly Barnhill uses this imagery throughout her book in many different ways. Words are used to belittle Ned in the beginning of the story. He is the surviving twin of a boat accident that leaves him stuttering and the villagers cruelly saying the wrong boy survived. His mother uses magic that is in the form of words to bind the soul of the dead twin to her brother. She repeats to Ned that magic has unexpected consequences. If the magic represents words then she implies that words have unexpected consequences too and this notion is prevalent in the story. Ned's mother usually uses words to heal others in the village and not for personal gain; however her grief made her use magic to keep her dead son's soul from leaving earth and the consequence is Ned's loss of words causing him to be ostracized by the community. The story takes from different fairy tales and mixes them into the author's own creation where friendship is hard to come by and magic represents the good and evil in all of us.

I sink into my favorite chair and lose track of the real world when I have a Barnhill book. She is a strong writer when it comes to creating fantasy worlds - actually she is on my burn-the-dinner book list. I make sure I start her book early in the day because I know I won't put it down. Her books have layered themes and layered characters. In this one, Ned struggles with not being able to talk, but he is also much better than the average person at observing others around him. When he sees a newcomer at a village gathering to see the Queen that is stealing from people's pockets, he is frustrated by his inability to warn them with words. At the gathering, the Queen falls ill and Ned's mother saves her with magic. The newcomer has a pendant that glows strangely and Ned is uneasy about his flushed face watching his mother save the queen's life. He dismisses the idea that there is nothing for the newcomer, who happens to be the Bandit King, in the village.

The word, "nothing" is repeated throughout the novel and signifies how people can strive for personal gain but in the end it is for nothing. Meaning in life is not gained through materialism or power but through giving to others first. Aine, who is the same age as Ned, lives over the mountains and beyond an enchanted forest in a Kingdom that Ned's villagers no nothing about. They believe the world ends and that there is nothing beyond the woods. Here nothing means ignorance; just like Ned ignorantly believes the Bandit King will do nothing. When Aine's mother dies she lives in the city by the sea until she has sold all their goods. She tells her father that they have nothing which triggers him from his grief so that he takes Aine to the forest where he grew up. Here nothing signifies power for her father. His wife kept him from using magic and stealing from others. With her gone, he turns back to his life as a bandit and slowly transforms into a greedy man that loses sight of the importance of raising his daughter and showing he cares about her. Aine wants nothing to do with magic. She is very practical and tries to show that she doesn't care but she forms a deep friendship with Ned in the end.

*spoiler*
When the Bandit King tries to steal the magic from Ned's mother while she is away, Ned ends up being engulfed by the magic where it resides on his skin in the form of words. The words can be calm if he commands them or they can burn his skin and hurt terribly. He repeats over and over to think nothing so the magic won't control his thoughts. He is tempted to use it for personal gain but knows it can kill him if he gives in. He empties his thoughts as the magic pressures him to use it for selfish reasons. Ned feels like he has nothing because his dad won't look at him. Aine feels like she has lost her father's love as the pendant twists his mind. Both discover that their fathers' love them, but not without suffering first through neglect. At the novel's end, Aine tells the bandits she has nothing and burns down her house and barn symbolizing a rebirth for her and newfound independence. Just like the words in a book magically give birth to a story. Words make the characters feel like nothing at times. Ned's community belittles him and strips him of his humanity because he stutters. They don't want to show they care. Their abuse to him and his mother show a lack of compassion and caring. Aine tries to act like she doesn't care, but she does. The magic is in the form of words and after it leaves Ned, he is scarred permanently. Words leave scars. Words can be said for good or for evil.

Magic represents the good and evil in all of us. A subplot involves nine stones that talk to each other and are tied to the magic affecting Ned. I got confused as to whether or not they were good or bad. Sometimes they seemed good and other times they did bad things. While it was clear that the magic pot was good and evil, the stones vacillate. If you remember that the stones represent the good and evil in all people then it is less confusing. Also, once I knew they were connected with the clay pot magic I could see where the author was going.

The stones remind me of the Stonehenge history and myths showing it as a place of healing, religious, celestial, and magical properties. Today, archeologists can use advanced techniques to determine more about the stones; thus, taking some of the magical mysteries out of the equation. The stones in this story lose their magic and leave the world too. When the stones pick up the characters and carry them on their shoulders, it reminded me of the hobbits traveling on the trees in The Lord of the Rings movies. Fairy tales of enchanted forests, bandits, and witches had me making references throughout the book. If you liked the theme regarding the power of words then try, A Snicker of Magic, by Lisa Graff.


4 Smileys

The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson

Whether I want to admit it or not, there is a certain amount of wish fulfillment going on when I watch movies or read fantasy, spy, or science fiction books. I'll never be a butt-kicking warrior but that doesn't mean it isn't fun pretending I am for a couple of hours. This book will satisfy most middle schooler's alter ego of pretending to buck authority and outsmart the powers-that-be. It's fun. It's heady. Plop in some humor and action and ya gotta whole lotta fun. Turn over a few stereotypes and add some subtle racism while you are at it and ya gotta whole lot to talk about.

Jackson is a middle schooler who comes from a family of cons. His dad is a lawyer now and is on to Jackson every time he starts a scheme. Grandpa taught his grandsons the art of duping others. While, Samuel, Jackson's brother is off to college, Jackson is just coming out of a four month grounding due to some con job he pulled at school the year before. A job that went all wrong. He lost Gaby, his best friend and girlfriend, and has to meet with Principal Kelsey once a week for behavior reports. He's not your typical con man. He wears a red tie to school and runs the Botany club. He's sworn off con jobs and has supposedly gone clean. When his ex-girlfriend runs for Student Council president and his arch enemy, Keith Sinclair, gets on the ballot after the deadline, Jackson knows something is up and comes out of stealth mode.

An elaborate heist ensues that is believable enough to keep me flipping the pages waiting for the twist at the end. In an unpredictable climax, Jackson is saved in an unlikely way and the answer to the previous con job gone awry is pretty funny.  I kept thinking I was reading a sequel because of the way the author unfolds the plot. He jumps into the action and characters so that it isn't clear what happened during the fallout between Jackson and Gaby. Bits and pieces are tossed to the reader until the very end when it comes together. While I liked how this added tension throughout the story, I felt confused at the start by the references to characters involved in it.

Strong female and male characters make for a multicultural mix that is global. Jackson is African American, while Gaby is Latino. Both are excellent basketball players and care about school. Gaby is passionate about the environment and Jackson likes horticulture. Their classmate Carmen is odd but that doesn't mean Gaby doesn't see her strengths. Gaby is willing to work with her and Carmen becomes invaluable to the campaign with her great manipulation of crowds through different media. Hashemi and Victor are Asians that are perhaps more stereotyped but I was thrilled to see two Asian minor characters so I don't give a hoot. Hashemi is the tech wizard on the team that turns into a drooling mess around classmate, Megan, until they start talking Klingon together. Honest. Didn't see that coming. Megan is a cheerleader, Caucasian and president of the Tech club. I get a bit tired of the stereotypical mean, narcissistic cheerleader, so it was great seeing Megan break the mold. She adds great humor by responding to stressful situations by speaking Klingon. Hashemi starts to interpret at one point. The first time she calls Jackson a not-so-nice name in Klingon, he wisecracks, "Didn't know the school offered that language elective." Gaby's brother is Jackson's best friend and he loves to make up names for everything giving it pizazz. So does Bradley, another member of the heist team. My favorite is when he says, "Three cheers for Gang Greene."

The author mentions the movies, "Ocean's 11" and Star Trek, as influencing him. For sure he mirrors the diverse cast in those movies with his characters. He works in his admiration through his characters, especially Star Trek. The pop culture references added to the humor for me and it was subtle enough to not take away from the plot. The racism of others is subtle too and I liked how the author handled that as well. Jackson goes into the administrative office and the secretary asks if he is there for his weekly meeting or is he in trouble again because "boys like you" do that. "Jackson looked at his skinny brown hands. He never quite knew what Ms. Appleton meant by 'boys like you.' He hoped she meant something like 'boys named Jackson' or 'boys who are tall,' but he suspected her generalizations implied something else."

While Principal Kelsey is more of a one dimensional villain, Keith has more depth. Keith begins like a buffoon willing to rely on the Dr. Kelsey, but becomes increasingly paranoid, sneaky, and tactical as the story goes on. His motivations are understandable, but misplaced as he wants to cheat the system rather than be honest. Principal Kelsey shows that he has a different agenda toward the end that makes for an interesting plot turn. He is confident, corrupt, and powerful becoming more and more greedy as time passes. Jackson, Keith, and Dr. Kelsey are all trying to outsmart each other and their power play moves become more desperate and unpredictable by the end. Of course, in a good heist they've played into the hands of the hero if the reader is familiar with this type of trope. But all three of the men are somewhat dorks in the end and Gaby gets the last laugh. She says that boys are as "dense as a box of rocks." A fun book. Go Team Gangrene!

4 Smileys

Bracelet of Bones (Viking Sagas #1) by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Solveig is with her Viking father, Halfdan, in a valley in Trondheim, Norway, where he is telling her of his experience in the great the Battle of  Stiklestad in 1030 when King Olaf died and Norway fell under Danish rule. Halfdan and another man saved King Olaf's son, Harald's life and promised to serve with him in the Varangian guard in Miklagard when he sent for him. The Varangian guard were personal bodyguards to the Byzantine emperors. Harald sends for Halfdan many years after the battle, and Halfdan tells his daughter that she can go with him to Miklagard only to secretly leave in the morning without her. Solveig does not get along with her verbally abusive stepmother and one stepbrother that seems to teeter on being violent. The other stepbrother is kind and she gets along with him. The thought of spending time without her father is unbearable and Solveig sets out on a journey from Trondheim to Miklagard, (Turkey) to find him. While the historical details are well-done, the plot is somewhat weak and the pacing suffers as a result.

Solveig takes a skiff to Kiev where she is helped by two traders to find a boat that is traveling close to Miklagard. She becomes a part of Red Ottar's crew where she makes friends with the English slave woman, Edith, and Torsten who met her father. She becomes friends with Vigot only to find a dark side to him. Their friendship never seemed authentic to me. Vigot comes across as a snake and when Solveig voices her regret at confronting him, it didn't seem real. Edith and Solveig's relationship is quite authentic and real.

*spoiler*
The theme of religion gets a bit messy because the author has Muslim, Christian, and Norse mythology competing with each other. Add in a healthy dose of superstition and it made it hard to determine motivations. Solveig believes in the old Norse gods and Christianity and her thoughts reflect more Christian beliefs. Bergdis devoutly believes in the old gods while Edith is a Christian. Mihran is Muslim. The other characters are a mismash of beliefs. I did not understand why the crew turned back from the trade port when they were 11 days out due to superstitious beliefs. Even with the leader dead, I would have thought the lure of making that much money in trade would have overridden their fears. I also kept waiting for Bruni and Torsten to duke it out, but that never happens. Torsten has taken his brother's feud with Bruni, something that is historically true but in this story the two are not unreconciled. Usually payment is made or revenge sought. I thought Red Ottar might mitigate but it doesn't come about. Maybe this will happen in the sequel.

The plot doesn't have enough challenges in it as the character progresses. She suffers hardships, but conveniently finds someone (usually a man) to help her on her journey. She never has to do the seeking. Even Mihran happens to know all these kings and helps Solveig. She never earns her way except rowing a boat and carving items out of different bones. As a result, she never comes alive for me. I wanted her to be more fierce and independent. Instead she is usually saved by a man. She does show gumption portaging and also when she stands up for Edith, but even then it is a man that saves Edith, not Solveig.

The Vikings believed in Fate which is represented in the Norse myths, but their views were far from fatalistic. Life was expected to be a struggle and they tried to rise above it with bravery, loyalty, and hospitality. The prophecy represents this Fate although it seemed to be the easy way to work in tension. I think prophecies are an overused writing technique. Solveig and the others use folk tales and Norse myths to keep their courage up or explain that which is unexplainable. This and the ancient Norse verse adds a richness to the story and setting.

The ending was a bit rushed. The themes of friendship and treachery, clash of religions, and father-daughter relationship lacked enough depth to draw me into the story. Perhaps the author was trying to do too much. I'm not sure. While I loved the historical detail, the story just fell flat. If you have not read this author before then I recommend his Arthur trilogy.

3 Smileys

Life of Zarf: The Trouble with Weasels by Rob Harrell

My older brother called me "Barbie" until I barfed up Welch grape soda in the car on a road trip from Minnesota to Texas one summer (no air-conditioning... not a pretty picture... not a pretty smell... and a permanent gross purple stain on my pillow). Even though I was five, those are the childhood fiascoes that lead to family nicknames such as "Barfie." We had a Buick station wagon with two rows of seats and a third row that flipped up facing each other. Being fourth out of five kids I got shoved to where the trunk should be like a "flumpfruit". When I puked orange soda I made it to the front. I remember snuggling with mom liking my move up the ranks to the front seat. Needless to say I love the troll-boy Zarf. His name rhymes with barf too. Except his nickname is "Stink Dragon." The illustration of Zarf reminds me of my 1977 faddish troll doll with electrified-looking pink hair I had as a kid - they were called, Dam trolls, after the Danish guy who created them, Thomas Dam. No kidding. (Mom wouldn't let me call mine that.) Zarf is picked on at school and mistreated by the Cotswain's community. He too, is at the bottom of the social hierarchy like me in my family. People don't like trolls. They are unpredictable and hot-tempered, going berserk at times. Add in features such as size-22 hairy feet and a liking for poo-poo berry fritters and fish and ye have a silly olde story. The nonstop slapstick, play on words, and poking fun at fairy tale conventions, (and schools, and popular movies, and music, and technology... you get the idea), reminded me of "The Heroes Guide to Saving the Kingdom" or the movie, "Shrek." Adult and kid humor makes this a zinger.

When Zarf loses his temper while at middle school, he beats up the king's son for cheating in a joust. Not only does Zarf angrily lose control, but his vision turns red and his arm becomes a fist-pumping piston. (That might be a slight exaggeration, but I liked the word combo. A more accurate description is a fist-slapping-punching combination.) When he regains his sanity he is ashamed of his actions and runs home feeling like "frog goop." Yes, the king's son is a bully, but Zarf can't go flailing away at every twit he meets. His grandpa, who is the famed troll that got duped by the "three billy goats gruff", explains that Zarf comes from a long line of infamous Belfords known for their frenzy in battles, but that he needs to learn to use his anger "ta help others." When the king is kidnapped by the evil Snuffweasels, his son takes over the kingdom and immediately imprisons Zarf for beating him up. Zarf decides to rescue the king who has been kind and tolerant of trolls changing laws for their benefit. A wild adventure ensues with honey bogs, Snuffweasels, and dragons.

Zarf's best friends are Chester Flintwater, Jester-in-training that can't make a joke, and Kevin Littlepig, one of the three little pigs that makes the cowardly lion look brave. The three misfits learn about friendship and are willing to risk their lives for each other. Even Kevin overcomes his fear to save Zarf. Goldie, the lunch lady, is a spoof on Goldilocks. She's ladling soup and joking with Zarf that it is "just right." The other kids are afraid of her with her skull cap and fierce ways. Rumor has it she's a witch or serious bear hunter. The ogres seem like stereotyped henchmen, but this author reminds me of when I thought I was getting a mint, strawberry ice cream cone in Taiwan and ended up with a red bean, green tea flavored cone. He constantly surprises the reader!

The gags are delivered using illustrations and prose, each one playing off the other adding to the humor. When they go into the dark forest a sign reads, "Ye Olde Snarly Tangle Enter at Ye Own Risk" with Chester looking on saying, "Daaang!" in a speech bubble. When Chester slices off the dragon's toe the prose has the dragon grabbing his toe and screaming "My PINKIEEEE!" while the illustration shows Chester holding a sword saying, "And this little Piggie got none." Or when Zarf is so scared he says it was making his "teeth shimmy" and the picture next to it is a crazy-eyed human heart doing a cannonball.

The setting is rooted in kingdom and fairy tale lore. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," "Hansel and Gretel," and "King Arthur" as a comic book hero are just a few of the many hilarious references to classics. The anachronistic use of a cell phone and references to pop culture from music such as "Eye of the Tiger", "Red Bull" drink, to word-plays such as the movie, "Dead Man Walking," for "Dead Troll Walking" make for funny running gags. My favorite line captures a mix of the two when the ogre is asked who his phone provider is when he can't get reception at the honey bog. "'Grimm unfortunately.' Kevin threw his hands up in disgust. 'SEE? Grimm is the worst! I told you guys.'"

The story is not all gags. Themes are layered in laughter. Zarf learns how words can hurt and heal, but that he has to not lose his temper. He is continually bullied and hurt throughout the story, but when he finally shows at the end that it doesn't get to him and he walks out of the room, he has become mature about his temper. Although I do think the king was out of character. Or perhaps the author really wanted to cement the community's intolerance for trolls as unchangeable.

The intolerance of the community is tempered by a few characters that genuinely like Zarf such as the Knoble Knight and Goldie. Again, the ending didn't quite work for me because I thought the Knoble Knight would stand up for Zarf. While I understand the attempt to show Zarf maturing, the about-face actions of the King and other adults didn't make sense. Perhaps a bit more of an explanation could have shown their motivation or lack of it in the final scene. Or perhaps the author is making a mockery out of aristocracy and adults. I just had a "Huh?" moment at the end. You'll have to decide for yourself. The theme of controlling your anger and not fitting in at school can be explored as well. There is plenty to talk about. Just plan on snort-laughing through discussions.

Rob Harrell's graphic novel, "Monster on the Hill," pokes fun of fantasy conventions while this one does at fairy tales. It too, has an odd quirky wit similar to his graphic novel. Both are funnier than heck. Rob Harrell writes syndicated comic strips and is a talented artist. I'm glad he's entered the foray of children's books. If you have a kid or students that won't set down their graphic novels to try prose, then I highly recommend this book. Actually, I would recommend it to everyone. Even my brother that still calls me "Barfie" once in a while. "Ladies and Germs," this is one "Daaang" funny book.  Don't miss it.

4 Smileys