Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

355 pages

"Sometimes love does conquer all.

You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.

The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and regarding her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?" -Dust Jacket

I've wanted to read this book for a long time and just kept waiting for the right used-book price on Amazon. It didn't disappoint, although for some reason it felt like a story that would have taken place more in the 1950's or 60's for some reason. Maybe that's because the Major is so old-fashioned and traditional, or maybe it's because he lives in a small village that is set in its ways and cultural biases. Either way, it took me about half the book to reconcile the story with the time period. It didn't detract from the story however.

Major Pettigrew is very endearing. He has some great one-liners and the conversations between him and Mrs. Ali are flirty, intelligent and amusing. There are some other quirky characters in this book. The ladies in the village are gossipy--think the type of women in The Music Man. That's what they reminded me of. The annual gathering/dance was hilarious, right up until the point where it creates conflict for the Major and Mrs. Ali. That's the catalyst for forcing the Major to confront his feelings for Mrs. Ali.

This was an entertaining and heart-warming story of finding love a second time and of overcoming cultural diversity to do it. I liked the Major's internal dialogue of not being a young man anymore as he pursues Mrs. Ali and his finally being brave enough to say how he feels as he rescues Mrs. Ali from her overbearing family. She in turn, is quite forward, especially toward the end of the book. They're a cute couple and the story ends in the perfect place.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

205 pages

"THEY'RE JUST STRANGE LITTLE GUYS
Shy Mole, who dreams of an exciting new life by the endless River. Ratty, a friendly, unflappable, altogether civilized chap. Gruff Badger, who hates absolutely everyone--except all his friends. And Toad, Ohh, Toad--glorious, crazy, doomed Toad: Toad the pampered braggart, Toad the desperate thief, Toad the hunted fugitive and hero of his own silly dreams.
WHO HAVE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES
From buzzing summer days to winter's killing cold, from gentle picnics to deeds of mighty daring, from wild escapes to a meeting with a god...
Everyone should have a life like this--
And friends like these." -Back Cover

I'm pretty sure I've seen the cartoon movie of this book but I wasn't sure I'd ever read the book. What convinced me to read it now was the foreword's description of how this book came about. "Grahame started it as a series of episodes for his partially blind four-year-old son, Alastair, nicknamed 'Mouse.' Storytelling to Alastair at bedtimes had been a long, established custom in the Grahame house." Alastair went on a trip without his dad. His dad promised to send him a story each day so he wouldn't miss them. The Wind in the Willows are those stories. My husband tells our kids stories almost every night at dinner and we always talk about writing those down one day.

Apparently Kenneth Grahame didn't have the happiest life, or at least not the one he dreamed of. He was not able to attend the university he wanted to and worked for years in a job he didn't love. His real passion was writing and he dreamt of living a quiet life along the river, much like Rat.

I wouldn't necessarily consider this a children's story. I think it's better suited for young adults and adults to be fully appreciated, but everyone can relate to its idea of being a good friend. Rat instantly accepts Mole when he first meets him and treats him as if they've been best friends forever. Rat is maybe my favorite character. He's kind to everyone and always thinks of others. Badger has a reputation for being cranky but he also cares about his friends. (I think the cranky thing is just an act.) He can be gruff though if he needs to be; he's the one who stages an intervention for Toad. These three characters are very good-natured.

Toad is crazy but in a really lovable way. I love the part where he sees a motor car and just has to drive it. That compulsion is what leads to so much trouble. Toad is the comic part of the story--the jailbreak, the fat lady on the barge, running all over the country in a washerwoman's outfit--it's all great fun. He gets himself into all kinds of trouble and then when he gets out of it--sometimes by luck and sometimes through the help of others--he thinks it's because he's so great and he takes the credit. He rarely thinks of others, but in the end shows that he's capable of change.

There are a couple of fantasy elements to this story (aside from the whole talking animal thing) that seemed a little whimsical and maybe a bit out of place. Mole and Rat meet Pan when they're out looking for Otter's son. I liked how Pan was watching over the little otter. Grahame obviously felt a love of nature and that nature takes care of its own. Rat also encounters an older, well-traveled rat whose story-telling of life on the road puts Rat in a trance and almost causes him to leave his home.

These little animals are completely endearing. Grahame told his illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard, "I love these little people, be kind to them." They do seem like people. It took me a second glance at one chapter to realize that there are also humans in this book, too. I'm not sure if that helps or hurt the story. Overall though, this is a great story of friendship, adventure, and home. It was a fun read.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

338 pages

*Not to be confused with that other book (although apparently it often has been) which also contains the phrase "shades of gray" in its title and is shrink-wrapped at the bookstore! That would be a rude awakening either way I'm sure. (I won't be reading that other book.)

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's life was worth a pocket watch.

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost.

Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.

It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?" -Dust Jacket

I have several books in my library that I haven't read yet because it just doesn't feel like the right time. That was the case with this one for several months. Being about WWII, I was afraid that it would be incredibly sad and I wasn't ready for a good cry yet. Then it snowed and got really cold and all of a sudden it felt like the right time. At times it was incredibly sad, but with so many books like this, it was also incredibly uplifting. I think more books are written about the treatment of the Jews during WWII than about what Stalin did to millions of people and although this is a fictional story it is based on real events.

I have wondered before if I would stay true to myself if put in circumstances as horrific as these. Would I be the one to complain that all is lost and feel hopeless? Would I become selfish and lose my humanity in order to stay alive? Would I give up and want to die? Or would I try to help and lift those around me? Would I grasp on to the smallest rays of hope to keep me going? I don't know. I hope it would be the latter. Lina's mother is an example of the latter. She maintains her dignity and continues to look after those around her. She saves her family and gives them the courage to survive.

In this book there is love, laughter, horror, misery, more misery, death and hope. Between the shades of gray there are rays of light. There are characters that you become attached to and those you feel sorry for, the NKVD officer Kretzsky in particular. Christmas and Lina's birthday are particularly sweet. You can be grateful even when you have nothing. It's incredible to think that this fictional family suffered all they did for more than a decade and at the end of it they weren't allowed to talk about what happened to them because they were viewed as criminals. Despite being released, they lived with the fear of being imprisoned, or worse, if they said what really happened. Lina's art stands as the only witness to what she went through.

This is a moving, well-written story. I'd definitely recommend it.





{SPOILER ALERT}

There is one loose end in this story that isn't tied up and I wish it would have been, although I don't think that would have been as realistic.

You never find out if Lina's father was really killed or not. Lina and her mother are told that he was but it is never confirmed. I know that so many people who were sent to prison camps during the war never found their loved ones again or knew what really happened to them. I would hope that if Lina's father had survived that they would have found each other. I rather doubt that that part of the story had a happily ever after.

I'm so glad that Lina and Andrius found each other! That loose end would have driven me crazy. I've always said I'm a sucker for love and I'm glad that theirs survived. Andrius was a favorite.

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

284 pages

"For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life hasn't been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a history book that documents magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy-tale detectives. Their first case? A roller-coaster ride of an adventure to stop a giant from destroying their new hometown." -Back Cover

I found this series when I was googling fairy tale books for my 5th grader's book report. I decided to read it because there are more in the series and I wanted to see if they were worth buying. This book is 284 pages long but it's a small book and a quick read. It's definitely entertaining, especially because my family's new obsession is ABC's Once Upon a Time. Just like the show, this book puts the classic fairy tale characters all together in one town, but unlike the show, they all know who they are. They have taken on human forms to get jobs in Ferrytown and Granny Relda keeps everyone in line. She investigates strange occurrences and her house contains many magical artifacts, guarded by the Magic Mirror. Prince Charming is the mayor. In this first book the two girls meet Puck, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three (not so) Little Pigs, Ichabod Crane, Jack, and the Giant.

I like when classic fairy tales are reinvented--which is why I love Once Upon a Time, especially the Mad Hatter episode--but I know some people don't. I think it's important to know the classic version first and then have fun with these others. This is a great book for middle-grade readers.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

196 pages

"Frankie yanked at his towel. 'I hope the pool's even open,' he mumbled.
'Wait a minute,' I said. 'It'll be open. I'm going swimming. Why would they close the Community Pool now, when everybody needs a place to swim?'
'I heard something.'
'Nobody's closing our pool. Where'd you hear that?'
'My daddy. But it's a secret,' Frankie answered, and headed off like he hadn't said a thing.
I raced after him, all the time thinking why in tarnation would our pool be closing on the hottest day of the summer, just twelve days before the Fourth of July, my twelfth birthday? And what was the big secret anyhow?" -Back Cover

This was a good book for a middle grade reader about the beginnings of the civil rights movement in the south. There's no cross burning or rallies. It's a lot like The Help in its style. It touches on the aspect of how hard it was for many southerners to change their thinking about how things had always been. Glory is the daughter of the town preacher. Freedom Fighters have recently come to town to fight for equal rights and Glory befriends the daughter of one of the doctors who has come to work in the free clinic. Meanwhile, Glory's older sister has started dating Robbie Fox, a boy who's come to stay with his grandmother and whose secret is that he spent some time in jail for defending his African American friend in a diner.

Glory is upset about the pool being closed at first because it will ruin her birthday. As she starts to understand the reason it was closed, she is inspired to take action. She writes a letter to the editor of the newspaper expressing her displeasure. Her letter is not printed but it causes quite a stir among some of the town council who in turn want her father to discipline her. Instead, her father tells her how proud he is of her.

Glory learns, over the course of a summer, about how--in her words--hateful prejudice is like dog poop: they both stink. She learns that some people are just mean while others are good. Some people want to hold on to their prejudices and are afraid of change, while others want to help precipitate change for the better. Her new friend from up north, the town librarian, and her maid, Emma, all play a role in helping Glory realize what is wrong with the town and how a child can make a difference. I liked that message and also how in the end the library brought the good townspeople together. Glory gives her father courage to speak up and stand up to those who try to make the rules. He tells the ornery old crank on the town council that "books have no color. And they don't care who reads them." One person can make a difference if he/she has the courage to.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio: Kids Review

313 pages

"August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school--until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?" -Dust Jacket

I finished reading this book last night to my 10- and 8-year-olds. I asked them what they thought about it. They both said, "In the beginning no one was nice to Auggie, but in the end they were all friends." I think that sums up the beauty of this book. Auggie is the wonder referenced in the title. His personality is contagious.

This time around I was struck by the social bravery of Summer and Jack. They are Auggie's first friends, especially Summer. Summer does not listen to or worry about what the rest of the kids are saying and sits by Auggie at lunch because she wants to. Although Jack caves to the pressure one time, in the end he's Auggie's most loyal friend. I hope my girls are that kind of friend, the kind that judges a person based on character and not appearance.

Whenever anyone asks me for a book recommendation, this is always my first response. I love this book so much. I tell people it's a book about kindness and the world needs more kindness. It is a literary gem.


**The second time around I noticed that there are a few "Oh my G--" phrases in this book. Because I read this out loud I just changed those for my kids.

Outpost by Ann Aguirre (Again. Because that's how I roll.)

317 pages

I had to read this again. I tend to fly through these types of books the first time but then I like to go back and let them simmer. I liked it even more the second time. Dystopian novels are always full of great action, but they are also usually full of a lot of heart and character too. That is the case with this series as well. I really like Deuce. I really like Fade. I really like Stalker. Book 3 should be good!

Endurance by Ann Aguirre

73 pages (as estimated by Amazon)

I found this e-book as I was searching other things on Amazon. It takes place in between Enclave and Outpost and tells what happened to the College Enclave where Deuce grew up right after she was exiled. It was worth the $0.99, despite the multiple typos. Obviously it was rushed through editing, or not edited at all. Still, it adds another element to this dystopian world that hopefully will get explored in more e-books or in the final book of the series. 

{SPOILERS}

I was really glad to read that Stone and Thimble survived! I like how they ended up in a bunker. Hopefully Thimble will learn some more things about what happened during the apocalypse. Then I hope that they reunite with Deuce and Fade eventually. I'd love to see Stone & Thimble, Deuce & Fade, and Stalker and Tegan get to live in peace at the end.  

Outpost by Ann Aguirre

317 pages

"Deuce's whole world has changed since reader's first met her in Enclave. Now living topside in a community called Salvation, she has a new set of problems. Down below, she was considered an adult and she contributed to the enclave. Now above ground, she's viewed as a brat in need of training by the people of Salvation. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: She hates cooking, sewing, and school. Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven't changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce pursues a chance to serve in the summer patrols--those responsible for making sure the growers and planters can work the fields without danger of Freak attack. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks are smarter. They're watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don't intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn the tide." -Dust Jacket

I loved how Deuce's world gets turned upside down once she's topside and she has to learn how the new world works. I thought it was so smart to have her go from being considered an adult in the enclave, sure of her purpose and skills, to a child in Salvation who is forced to learn menial tasks and go to school. It created an interesting dynamic throughout the first part of the story. Deuce knows her place in Salvation isn't secure. She has to adapt to the new rules or risk being cast out. But she knows who she is: She's a Huntress who's survived and done more than most of the adults in Salvation. I loved how Deuce learned about love and emotional connection in this sequel. Edmund and Mamma Oakes are great foster parents. They take her in and care about her, showing her what it's like to have a family. Longshot, the man who rescued Deuce and her friends in the forest, also becomes like a father to her. He respects her skills and values her opinion. Deuce has never known what it feels like to have so many people love and care about her and she has to explore those new feelings. She also has to explore her new feelings for Fade. She learns that she's more than just a Huntress, she's also a girl, and she has to figure out how those two sides of her fit together. She is no longer the same girl she was in Enclave and I was glad for that. I like seeing her with more compassion, feeling, and more reason to fight than just an obligation to. She has people to fight for and she learns that love makes you stronger not weaker.

I love the Freaks in this book. In Enclave they had gotten smarter, but it's nothing compared with what Salvation faces topside. The Freaks are not zombies, they are mutants, and they prove that they are capable of thought and planning. That is disastrous on more than one occasion for Salvation.  Deuce's skills become invaluable to Salvation, but at the same time create problems for her. The town was founded on some religious tenants, one of which includes the idea that women should do women's work and if they don't the town will face punishment from heaven. Deuce is not a typical woman obviously. She fights better than most of the men and does so over and over. Some of the more superstitious townspeople blame her for the town's problems.

There was so much more character development in this novel. In the first book you don't like Stalker much. He doesn't have many redeeming qualities but that is just a result of his life to that point. He's had to be tough in order to survive. He's capable of a lot more and his true character comes out in this book. It creates an interesting love triangle. You can't hate someone who is willing to change and be better.

{SPOILERS}

A love triangle plus a trilogy equals conflict and no real resolution until the end. The romantic reader keeps reading when there's the "will they?" or "won't they?"/"who will she choose?" reason to keep reading. I like Stalker. He's in love with Deuce because she's unlike any girl he's ever met, she's strong. That love makes him dependable. He's hoping that Deuce will choose him and being available whenever she needs him. He even tells Deuce that Fade is "soft in ways that you and I aren't. Ultimately, you're going to break him." Of course when something like that is said/written it's a foreshadowing of things to come.

I like Fade better. He has a goodness about him that not even Deuce has...yet. (I think she'll get there by the end.) Stalker and Deuce are very similar in terms of doing whatever it takes to survive. Their experience has taught them to kill or be killed basically. Fade is tough and will fight and kill when he needs to, but that's not all life is for him. You can tell that his life with his parents before the enclave made him who he is and not what he has to become in order to survive. He loves Deuce and he sacrifices a lot for her. It's a lot like the Gale-Katniss-Peeta love triangle. Ann Aguirre gives us a few moments of respite for Deuce and Fade before totally pulling the rug out from under us. What happens was completely unexpected (for me anyway) and heartbreaking. I think she's set things up for a great ending to the series. It will be interesting to see how the group that has set out for help will fare with their physical and mental injuries. Dang that year-long wait.

This series reminds me a lot of a PG-13 version of The Passage by Justin Cronin. The worlds are very similar, only instead of vampires this series has mutants and no language.*


*This is a PG-13 series. There is quite a bit of blood and gore but it's not in your face or tasteless. It's just enough to get the point across as to how violent this world is and what the Freaks are capable of. There are also some references to sex and rape. Underground and in the ruins of the city, women are used mostly as breeders. Underground it is their job, topside it's forced upon them. Younger readers might miss these references. The author does an appropriate job of not being graphic with it, but this is not a series for younger readers. It's more for older teenagers and young adults.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

259 pages

"In Deuce's world, an enclave deep underground, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained to join one of three groups--Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading the ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Fade doesn't like following orders. Deuce has never known a boy like him before, someone as likely to touch her gently as use his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat due to their sheer numbers, now show signs of cunning and even strategy...but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. No matter how hard she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known." -Dust Jacket

I used to not re-read previous books in a series when a sequel came out, but I've found that the sequels are so much more enjoyable when I do. You tend to forget things in a year. Plus, with these kinds of books you tend to rush through them the firs time because there's so much action that you can't put it down, but in reading that way you miss a lot of the more subtler parts of the story. That was exactly the case with this book. Deuce is a great character. She's strong and brave. She's trained her whole life for one purpose and she's been taught that being emotional is weak. To protect her enclave, she has to be able to kill without thinking and do what she's told. Fade, on the other hand, has not grown up in the enclave and has been conscripted into the Hunters. His choice: fight or die. The enclave is not compassionate; they do what must be done in order to survive. The elders (men in their 20's) make decisions that they feel is best for the enclave, but Deuce begins to see that their decisions are not always just or right.

I have three favorite dystopian series that are all pretty-much tied for top spot: The Hunger Games, Divergent, and this, the Razorland series. Ann Aguirre has created a great dystopian world that's both horrifying and hopeful at the same time.

{SPOILERS}

After being praised by the enclave for acts of bravery, Deuce stands up for a friend who she feels is being framed for something he didn't do and gets herself exiled in his place. Not realizing what she's done for him, Stone shuns her along with the rest of the enclave. She is forced to leave the only home she's ever known, but she doesn't go alone. Fade leaves with her. Together they brave Topside where Fade spent the first nine years of his life. Deuce has been told stories about life Topside and made to fear it. Slowly she comes to realize that not everything she has taught is true. But life Topside is just as brutal as life underground. Topside there are gangs that are violent and territorial and that don't treat girls kindly. Fade and Deuce try to sneak through the city without being noticed, but eventually they are caught by Stalker and his gang of wolves, as they call themselves. Deuce is taken as a breeder and hunting Fade becomes the sport of the day. They cut him and then release him. Deuce escapes with the help of another girl named Tegan. Tegan has been abused by the gang and wants to go with Deuce. Together they find Fade and take out a bunch of Stalker's gang.

They find an old friend of Fade's who shows them maps that lead to the library. Deuce wants answers and Fade has said he thinks she can find them there. Unbeknownst to them, Stalker has been tracking them. At the library, they are ambushed by Freaks. Stalker and his gang have not encountered them before and Stalker loses all the guys he's brought with him in the fight. Tegan is wounded and so is Deuce. Fade, Deuce, Tegan and Stalker head north, following a story of Fade's father that people escaped north. Things get bad for them in the forest. Tegan can't walk and Deuce's injuries (which she hides) are in need of treatment. While suffering from fever and infection, Deuce has a dream in which Silk (her old Hunter trainer) appears to her and tells her that the enclave has been overrun by Freaks and she's the last Huntress. Silk tells her to keep the campfire alive no matter what. The fire eventually leads a man named Longshot to them who then takes them to the safe haven of Salvation.

The Alliance by Gerald Lund

 329 pages

"It's 18 years after the nuclear holocaust and the end of civilization, as we know it. Survivors are being relocated to a new society known as the Alliance. It seems like a dream come true for many of the new citizens. Crime, as well as harmful emotions, such as anger and prejudice have been eliminated, because the Alliance has computerized control over it's citizens from a computer chip that has been implanted in everyone. Eric Lloyd discovers the Alliance's corrupt power structure and vows to destroy it. But can one person change the world?" -Amazon Description

I'm glad to see this book is back in print. For awhile it wasn't, and I was so excited when my mom found a copy at the local thrift store for me a few years ago. I don't know what it is with me and When You Reach Me. I keep listing it as my current read and then don't read it. Maybe it's just not time yet. It felt like time to re-read The Alliance again though. It's been over 20 years. I remember really liking it but couldn't remember specifics.

This book was written in the 80's and it's just as good 30 years later. It doesn't feel dated at all--sometimes I worry about books that refer to modern (at the time) technology and wonder how those books will read when those things are outdated. This doesn't mention any technology that labels this as an 80's book, which I like. I also like the main characters, particularly Eric. He's got an innate sense of what is right and good. He knows that what makes man good is his ability to choose to be good. In this book the majority of the population has lost the ability to choose their behavior, being punished for anger or violence with electric shock sent from the computer chip embedded in their necks. They are conditioned to goodness out of fear of pain if they act otherwise. This creates a false illusion of peace and serenity. Those in charge are free from implants and free to choose. The Major is definitely a villain, intent on maintaining what he has created at the expense of all else.

Eric is held prisoner when he first arrives because of his potential to become a Guardian, but he proves to be difficult to control. When he loses control after seeing his family implanted, he is then implanted himself. He fights against that, showing remarkable endurance to pain. While he feigns obedience and being the model trainee, he is carefully planning his escape. He is a man meant to be free. His friend Cliff helps him see that merely freeing himself and his family isn't enough; he must free the entire population. Nicole is Eric's Monitor, the person in charge of evaluating his behavior. She has grown up in the Alliance and hasn't really known any other way of life but she slowly begins to see that everything is not ideal in the city, cue romance. The Major, Travis and the Guardians try to outwit Eric, Cliff and those that are with them and vice versa in this story. It's fast-paced and action-packed, one of the great reads of its genre.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

278 pages

"In the valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli's mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest." -Dust Jacket

This was a delightful book from beginning to end. I love stand-alone books (i.e. no sequels) that make you smile and feel good. This book is different from the other fantasies we've read in that it's mixed with Chinese folklore, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The full-color illustrations were a lovely bonus.

I know I've picked a good book when my kids ask me to read more and don't want it to end. My 8- and 10-year-old did just that with this book. My 12-year-old apparently thinks she's too old to be read to every night (I'm sad about that), but she put this book on hold at the library and has enjoyed reading it too. Not only was it a great story, but it also has a great moral at the end: be thankful. I loved the way Minli's mom and Minli learn this lesson in the end. There were so many "coincidences" in this story that made everything work out just how it was supposed to. I loved how the author brought everything together at the end. I highly recommend this. I'm sure we'll re-read it.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

1,163 pages

I wanted to re-read this series this summer because I had such a strong reaction to Mockingjay when it first came out and I wondered if I'd been too hard on it. Originally, I felt like Mockingjay let the rest of the series down. I think I said that in the third book Katniss was not the same Katniss we came to know and love in the first two books. I think I also said that it was so anti-war it became unenjoyable. 

This time around I'll just say this: I misjudged Mockingjay. Badly. While we root for Katniss because of her bravery and fighting spirit, this story is ultimately a tragedy on so many levels, especially for Peeta, who I believe is the real heart and soul of this story. That tragedy affected me deeply this time around. I get a little choked up just thinking about it. (I cry during certain commercials and Disney movies too.) This series is still a favorite, but for a very different reason now. 

Brotherband Chronicles: The Invaders by John Flanagan

429 pages

"As champions of the Brotherband competition, Hal and the rest of the Herons were given one simple assignment: safeguard the Skandians' most sacred artifact, the Andomal.

They failed.

To redeem themselves, the Herons must track down the thief Zavac and his pirate crew and recover the Andomal. But that means traversing stormy seas, surviving a bitter winter, and battling a group of deadly bandits willing to protect their prize at all costs." -Dust Jacket

I still haven't met a John Flanagan book I haven't liked. I think Brotherband Chronicles has a greater sense of camaraderie than Ranger's Apprentice does. That doesn't make it better, just different, which is a great thing in a new series. Ranger's Apprentice had that too, but it was centered around the King's Rangers, who tend to work alone. Halt, Will and Horace would have adventures together but they weren't together all the time. The Herons are together all the time and it creates some fun interactions between them, especially when they get tired of being together. I like how smart Hal is. I like how cranky Thorn is but how much he cares about the boys, Hal in particular, and how he finds a renewed sense of purpose being with them. 

This book is pretty much non-stop adventure. Zavac is a much more despicable character than the villains of RA. He has no regard for human life which is evident in his brutality in this book. Can't wait until October!

{SPOILER ALERT}

Hal & his crew take shelter in Shelter Bay to escape the weather. They've pushed hard for several days through turbulent seas to put enough distance between them and their home they're running from. Eventually the crew gets restless and starts arguing and fighting among themselves. Thorn tells Hal that he needs to put a stop to it and give them something to do. The boys are bored. Hal puts Thorn in charge of training. Thorn runs them through exercises and battle drills. He tells them that he was the Maktig for three years in a row so that they will take his training seriously. Hal & Ingvar start working on a huge crossbow (Mangler) to mount to the bow of the Heron.

Meanwhile, Zavac and his pirates attack a small trading ship from Limmat and learn that the town has a hidden emerald mine. He attacks the city, killing many of the townspeople in a cunning plan. He uses a captured Skandian trade ship to trick the townspeople, making the ship look like it's running from Raven, when instead Raven is using it to get the boom lowered in the harbor and attack the town. They've also enlisted another pirate ship, Viper, to help in the attack. Lydia is a Limmatan who has been out in the woods hunting and comes back to find her town being attacked. She is dressed like a boy. The pirates see her, a chase ensues, and she gets away in a small skiff, but she's lost an oar so she's set adrift in the ocean. She is found by the Heron and tells Hal what's happened in the town. 

Erak sends Svengal out in Wolfwind to try to find Hal and help him get back the Andomal. The first time Hal sees Wolfwind he makes a run for it though because he's afraid they're there to take him back to Hallasholm. Hal, Lydia and Stig go back to Limmat to check things out. Lydia leads them through the marshes where they meet up with Barat, a guy who's cocky and in love with Lydia, and they form an alliance with him and about 40 other townspeople who have escaped. They leave Barat and his men in the marshland and return to Shelter Bay where Wolfwind is lying in wait. Svengal tells Hal that he's there to help him, not take him back. 

Hal starts formulating a plan to attack Zavac that involves three parts: Barat and his men will attack from one side, Svengal and the Wolfwind crew from the other, and the Heron will attack the watchtowers with Mangler. There are some tense preparations that have to be made, one of which is Hal and Jesper floating in on a log to place an oil bag on a gate. They are almost lost at sea. Hal's plan goes smoothly until Ingvar (the only one who can load Mangler) is shot with an arrow during their assault on the watchtowers. Edvin (crew cook & healer) tends to Ingvar's wound. It makes Hal realize that his decisions have life or death consequences and Hal begins to question his abilities. Thorn reminds him that that's what it means to be a skirl. Ulf and Wulf take over loading Mangler and the assault continues. Lydia proves indispensable because she is deadly with her throwing darts. She takes out many of the pirates' best archers. 

The assault on the pirates is successful, the town is retaken, but Zavac sneaks away. Zavac burns Viper and Stingray (the captured Skandian ship), killing any of its crew on board. Raven starts to head out to see while the Heron and Wolfwind make a run to cut it off before leaving the harbor. Wolfwind gets to Raven first, is rammed by Raven, and starts taking on water. Heron narrowly escapes being rammed by the pirates and then Hal has to decide whether to follow the pirates or help Svengal. If he chooses to follow Zavac, Wolfwind will go under and its crew will drown. He chooses to save Svengal. The townspeople throw a huge party, Barat--trying to make a play to become the new mayor of the town--gives a rousing speech in which he declares that he will marry Lydia. Hal and his crew leave to chase the Raven and Lydia asks to join them. She does not want to marry Barat and she wants vengeance. The pirates killed her grandfather in the attack on Limmat. Svengal is forced to stay in Limmat until Wolfwind is repaired. It's suffered serious damage so it will take at least several weeks.  

Growing Up by Brad Wilcox

132 pages

"Growing Up--Gospel Answers about Maturation and Sex presents the 'facts of life' as they should be presented--with respect and in the context of gospel standards and doctrine. Written especially for young people between the ages of ten and fifteen, this book will help open doors of communication between parents and children, facilitating their discussion of

• Conception, prenatal development, and birth
• Physical growth and maturation
• Love, marriage and sex
• The law of chastity

Growing Up offers the right information at the right time to help young people make the right choices." -Back Cover

I don't remember my parents ever really talking to me about any of this when I was growing up. I do remember that when I got engaged my mom gave me some pamphlets--written decades earlier--to read and told me to ask her if I had any questions, but by the age of 21 I wasn't used to talking to my parents about that kind of stuff and I wasn't about to start. (I let my fiancé read the pamphlets when I was done with them though!) 

My girls are growing up in a different age, an age when this kind of information (or misinformation) is available at the click of a button and basically in every primetime TV show. I've talked to them a little bit already, but I thought a well-written book on the subject might be helpful for all of us. I love Brad Wilcox. When I was a teenager I loved his EFY talks. The pleasant surprise was that the foreword is written by Dr. Myers, who just happens to have been my childhood physician and the doctor who brought my then fiancé and myself in for the marriage talk. He spoke to us in an open, direct way about sex and what I always appreciated about that talk was that it didn't make us feel uncomfortable. None of these topics should make us feel uncomfortable if discussed in the right way, which I think is the point of the book. We should be able to use anatomically correct names without giggling. 

This book will be a very helpful tool in helping my girls be informed about their bodies and their bodies' functions. It is written with an LDS perspective but I think it's helpful for any faith-based family or any other family for that matter. My oldest daughter is almost 13 and about to enter junior high. I feel like she is ready for most of this book and it's a good time to read and discuss it. There are a few chapters (About Boys, and a few of the last chapters on the more serious topics) that I'm still a little unsure about reading with her. I feel like they'll involve a little thought and prayer beforehand, and I probably won't read them until we've read everything else, but eventually she will hear about everything in this book and I would much rather she's heard it from me first and can have a correct perception of those things. 

Brotherband Chronicles: The Outcasts by John Flanagan

434 pages

"Hal never knew his father. A Skandian warrior, he died in battle when Hal was a young boy, but his reputation lives on long after death.

Hal, unlike his esteemed father, is an outcast. In a country that values physical strength over intellect, Hal's ingenuity, and the fact that his mother was an Araleun slave, only serves to set him apart from the other boys his age.

The one thing he has in common with his peers? Brotherband training. Forced to compete in tests of endurance and strength and to learn the skills needed to become a Skandian warrior, Hal discovers that he's not the only outcast in this land of seafaring marauders. And that his battle for acceptance has just begun." -Dust Jacket

John Flanagan is one of my favorite authors. He writes fantastic adventures and even better...he publishes a book every six months! You don't have to wait a year for the next book in his series. Love that. There were at least three typos in this book which is probably a result of the condensed publishing schedule. I'd say three small typos is an okay trade for six months less wait though. I was a bit hesitant to start this new series because I loved Ranger's Apprentice and its characters so much, and didn't want to be disappointed, but there was no need to worry. RA was about the Araleuns and Brotherband Chronicles is about the Skandians so there are some crossover characters. Admittedly, the Skandians stole the show a lot of times in Ranger's Apprentice. I think chronologically this takes place after some of the RA books but not after all of them, because Erak mentions in this book how Halt and some of the Araleuns helped them defeat the Temujai warriors a few years back and that was book 4 of RA. Anyhoo, Thorn and Hal are a bit like Halt and Will from RA but different enough to hold their own in this new series and not warrant too many comparisons. I think Flanagan's brilliance is his ability to write cranky, yet soft-hearted, older men who mentor the main characters of the story. I liked that Flanagan started the story with two flashbacks that give the reader a glimpse not only at Hal's father, but also at Thorn. Thorn's former life is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the story, with the most important revelation coming from the Oberjarl Erak during a conversation with Hal in his eclectic treasure room.

Hal's brotherband (the Herons) is made up of other outcasts: Stig, Hal's best friend and a guy that has spent his life in his father's cowardly shadow, Stefan, an expert at mimicking voices, Ingvar, a huge, almost blind kid with tons of heart, Ulf and Wulf, two identical twins who just won't shut it and insist on arguing over everything, Edvin, and Jesper, a skilled thief. Hal's crew is two men smaller than the other brotherbands which is a disadvantage in the competitions, yet inspires the Herons to be creative and use their unusual skill sets. (Loved the tug-of-war and the assault/defense scenes.)

The majority of this first book is spent in brotherband training. The three brotherbands are the Herons, the Sharks and the Wolves. Tursgud, a cocky kid whose father is the Maktig (the greatest warrior) that year, is skirl of the Sharks and basically a bully. He's not even really liked by his own brotherband and everything he does is self-centered. Rollond is the skirl of the Wolves and he's a decent guy, but he tends to go along with the crowd until a pivotal moment when he stands up for Hal and his crew.

The Magyaran pirates, led by Zavac, are introduced in this book and are the big game-changers at the end of the story, taking Hal's crew from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.

I can't wait to read the next book...but just in case I do, I have to put a few notes here so I can remember. I've learned that's better with a series than having to re-read the book!



{SPOILERS IF YOU KEEP READING}


-Erak cut off Thorn's hand years earlier to save his life, but it ruined his life because it took away all of his pride and ability to sail in a crew. Erak confiscated his treasure in an effort to help his friend and prevent him from spending all of his treasure on alcohol.
-Thorn and Hal's father (Mikkel) were best friends and Thorn had promised him before he died that he would take care of Hal. Losing his hand made him feel like he couldn't keep that promise.
-Hal's mother (Karina) helped Thorn out of his drunken stupor by giving him responsibilities around her eating house and mentoring Hal.
-Thorn was the Maktig for three years in a row, a feat unheard of and not accomplished before or since. Erak tells Hal this in his treasury after Thorn gives Hal his father's sword. Erak makes Hal promise not to tell Thorn that he knows but it eventually comes out. As a way of apologizing, Hal makes two prosthetic hands/hooks for Thorn. They bring the light back into Thorn's eyes and almost make him a new man, a reflection of his former self.
-The Skandians greatest treasure is the Andomal, which is guarded day and night by the best warriors. When Hal and his brotherband win the championship they are given the honor of guarding it for a night. Hal sets up the watch schedule but then ducks out to check on his ship (the Heron) to make sure that it's protected from the storm. While he's away the Andomal is stolen by Zavac. Hal and his crew must admit what's happened to Erak. Erak takes away their championship, demands that they turn in their weapons, confiscates the Heron, disbands them, wipes them off all records and awards the championship to Tursgud and the Wolves. Really though, he's done all this knowing that the Herons' only chance for redemption and a life in Hallasholm is to sneak away on the Heron and try to get back the Andomal. Hal and his crew do just that, with Thorn coming along and financing the adventure.

The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick

295 pages

"Something strange is happening at the Clarksville City Zoo. Late at night, monkeys are scaling the walls and searching the neighborhood--but what are they looking for?

Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Their only choice is to follow a series of clues and sneak into the zoo. But once inside, will they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed?" -Dust Jacket

Of course they will. Otherwise there wouldn't be much of a story! I would say this book is good for kids age 5-11. I don't think my tween would have gotten into it. As an adult, I thought it was just okay. I would have liked a little more suspense and more antagonists. The sasquatches just didn't cut it as the only bad guys. My daughter liked that one of the characters has the same name as her. My girls thought it was fun that the kids could ride on the animals. I sort of wished the animals in the secret zoo could talk since the whole story is based on magic anyway. It would have been cool to hear what Blizzard (the polar bear) was thinking, or Podgy (the penguin) when he flew. I liked the monkey chase, which was about the only truly suspenseful part of the book. It's the first in a series and the ending left you with more options for the second book. The Action Scouts have been enlisted to become Crossers--people who can venture between the Inside and the Outside. We'll probably get the next book sometime, although I'm not sure I'll read it out loud to the kids, maybe just let them read it. My youngest seemed into it enough to want me to read it out loud though.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

313 pages

"August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school--until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been that new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?" -Dust Jacket

I have read a lot of books. Some have moved me to tears, some have made me laugh, some have kept me up late, but only a select few get to be called favorites. This is one of them. This book is all about the power of kindness. I love that. I think the world needs that. I will be reading this book to my kids before they start school this year and maybe every year after that.

Auggie is a normal 10-year-old boy in every way but his face. His family loves him and they love each other. (I like when families aren't dysfunctional.) I love that this book changes points of view--brilliant!--because it adds insight into what some of the other characters are going through and it helps the reader be less judgmental of some of the bad things they do and proud of the heroic things they do. I also love that you don't know exactly what Auggie's face looks like until his sister's chapters (which are especially touching, I thought) and by then you love Auggie and could care less what he looks like, yet what he looks like is the reason the kids do what they do because they don't get that luxury. It's an interesting juxtaposition.   

One of the teachers posts monthly precepts in his classroom that are little gems for all of us:
SEPTEMBER: "When given the chance between being right or being kind, choose kind." -Dr. Wayne W. Dryer
OCTOBER: "Your deeds are your monuments." -inscription on an Egyptian tomb
NOVEMBER: "Have no friends not equal to yourself." -Confucius
DECEMBER: "Audentes fortuna iuvat." (Fortune favors the bold.) -Virgil
JANUARY: "No man is an island, entire of itself." -John Donne
FEBRUARY: "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." -James Thurber
MARCH: "Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much." -Blaise Pascal
APRIL: "What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful." -Sappho
MAY:
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can." -John Wesley's rule
JUNE: "Just follow the day and reach for the sun!" -The Polyphonic Spree, "Light and Day"
AUGGIE'S PRECEPT MAILED TO MR. BROWNE DURING THE SUMMER: "Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world."

Makes me want to have monthly precepts for our family, starting with these.

I think the theme or message of this book is summed up by Mr. Tushman at the fifth grade commencement:

"...but what I want you, my students, to take away from your middle-school experience, is the sure knowledge that, in the future you make for yourselves, anything is possible. If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary--the world would really be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God."

Love this book!

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

398 pages

"It is 950 B.C.E., and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand; a hand on which gleams a magic ring of immense and unforgiving power. Solomon has just begun work on his marvelous temple, charging Khaba, a formidable magician in his royal court, to oversee its construction. The workforce is an ill-behaved bunch of demons, a particularly unruly djinni named Bartimaeus among them. True to form, Bartimaeus promptly gets kicked off the temple project and assigned the even more miserable task of hunting bandits in the desert. There he crosses paths with Asmira, a highly skilled and loyal captain of the Queen of Sheba's guard, on a suicidal mission to save her country from Solomon's imminent attack. Of course, Bartimaeus has no intention of helping her. That is, until Asmira makes him an offer he cannot refuse..." -Dust Jacket

This book was all right. It takes place chronologically before the other three books in the Bartimaeus series. I think this is a case where an author wanted to write more books about his main character and there was nowhere really to go except to do a prequel and expand on events that were mentioned in passing in the other books. Bartimaeus is his witty, rebellious self--as rebellious as a spirit slave can be anyway. He judges humans on their character and motives and let's that govern his actions, unlike fellow demons. Asmira is likable enough. I just think that Ptolemy's Gate (book 3) left the reader with such an emotional ending for a character that you'd learned to hate and then love through three books, that it's hard to feel that same way about a new character whose story takes place hundreds of years earlier. I think I would have liked this book a lot more if it had come out first in the series instead of fourth and would probably recommend reading it first if you're new to the series.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

342 pages

"FOUR BOYS.
ONE TREACHEROUS PLAN.
AN ENTIRE KINGDOM TO FOOL.

In a faraway land, civil war is brewing. To unify his kingdom's divided people, a nobleman named Conner devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him on the throne. Four orphans are forced to compete for the role, including a defiant and clever boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point--he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. His rivals will be devising their own plots as well, so Sage must trust no one and keep his thoughts hidden.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of deceit unfolds, until finally, a truth is revealed that may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together." -Dust Jacket

This book reminded me a little bit of The Thief, one of my favorites of last year, only not nearly as good. Sage is a smart-mouthed, act-before-he-thinks type of character which makes him instantly likable, much like Gen, only I don't think he's quite are smart as Gen. He's also brave and does things to protect others, so he's not entirely self-centered. This book is the first in a trilogy and it just recently came out, but it ended in a way that wrapped up this first part of the story. There is a plot twist near the end that you could sort of see coming but which will make the next book(s) interesting. There were also some other likable characters, particularly Mott.





{MAJOR SPOILER}

If I were to have an issue with this story, it would be in how Sage's true identity comes out. The reader's been given little hints all along the way that Sage is really the long-lost prince, but the way he reveals the truth is a bit puzzling. He tells Mott while they're standing along the riverbank, but it's done in a new chapter and told from a third-person point-of-view. I'm not sure if that was to drag out the surprise for a little bit longer or what, but I would have liked it better if the author would have just let Mott & Sage/Jaron continue on with their conversation in the same chapter. Prince Jaron escaped from the ship, before the pirates sunk it, and then was later found by his brother and father. His father, the king, told him that he must not come back home--apparently because he feared for their safety--and that he'd have a hard life ahead of him. Jaron changed his identity and became the orphan Sage and for the past four years had been living on the street and in an orphanage. But...his father provided a way for him to come home and reclaim the throne eventually.

After the truth is revealed (only to Mott), the storyline seems to then make a fast-paced dash to the end. I would have liked Sage to toy with Conner a bit more. He gets what's coming to him but it would have been more fun to see Conner think his plan had succeeded for longer than five minutes before Prince Jaron brought the curtains down.

There were a few unanswered questions for me: What would have happened if Conner hadn't found him at the orphanage? Would he have just made his way to the naming ceremony anyway and reclaimed the throne then or done it differently? What would Sage have done if Conner hadn't picked him to be his prince? I guess Sage was at least smart enough to make sure that didn't happen and he did let things drag on to uncover all of Conner's deceitfulness.

It will be fun to see if Conner escapes the dungeons, if Roden and Cregan try to exact revenge in some way, and if Tobias stays loyal to Jaron.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

313 pages

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten." -Dust Jacket

I've been putting off reading this book because I knew it would give me a good cry and it did, for about half the book. But it was so worth it. There is a reason this book has 600+ 5-star ratings on Amazon. As Jodi Picoult wrote on the cover, "Electric...filled with staccato bursts of humor and tragedy." Read it. You will be very glad you did. That's all.


*There is some language in this book, but frankly, I'd swear at cancer too.

Escaping the Endless Adolescence by Joseph Allen & Claudia Worrell Allen

231 pages

"Do you sometimes wonder how your teen is ever going to survive on his or her own as an adult? Does your high school junior seem oblivious to the challenges that lie ahead? Does your academically successful nineteen-year-old still expect you to 'just take care of' even the most basic life tasks?

Welcome to the stunted world of the Endless Adolescence. Recent studies show that today's teenagers are more anxious and stressed and less independent and motivated to grow up than ever before. Twenty-five is rapidly becoming the new fifteen for a generation suffering from a debilitating 'failure to launch.' Now two preeminent clinical psychologists tell us why and chart a groundbreaking escape route for teens and parents.

Drawing on their extensive research and practice, Joseph Allen and Claudia Worrell Allen show that most teen problems are not hardwired into teens' brains and hormones but grow instead out of a 'Nurture Paradox' in which our efforts to support our teens by shielding them from the growth-spurring rigors and rewards of the adult world have backfired badly. With compelling examples and practice and profound suggestions, the authors outline a novel approach for producing dramatic leaps forward in teen mature, including

• Turn Consumers into Contributors. Help teens experience adult maturity--its bumps and its joys--through the right kind of employment or volunteer activity.
• Feed Them with Feedback. Let teens see and hear how the larger world perceives them. Shielding them from criticism--constructive or otherwise--will only leave them unequipped to deal with it when they get to the 'real world.'
• Provide Adult Connections. Even though they'll deny it, teens desperately need to interact with adults (including parents) on a more mature level--and such interaction will help them blossom!
• Stretch the Teen Envelope. Do fewer things for teens that they can do for themselves, and give them tasks just beyond their current level of competence and comfort.

Today's teens are starved for the lost fundamentals they need to really grow: adult connections and the adult rewards of autonomy, competence, and mastery. Restoring these will help them unlearn their adolescent helplessness and grow into adults who can make you--and themselves--proud." -Dust Jacket

I thought I'd get a jump start on this since I have a soon-to-be thirteen-year-old and I would like her to be a capable adult someday. I also want to be a capable parent. I thought this book was very well written. It wasn't full of technical/scientific terms but was written for the average parent. I liked the examples it gave with different teens. Object lessons are always good for me. I found myself agreeing with so much of what was said and suggested and I learned a lot that I'm anxious to try. Some of the tidbits I took away from this were:

• Rather than just giving everything to our teens we need to ask some things of our teens. The Nurture Paradox is that we try so hard to give them everything we think will make them happy, that we don't want them to be deprived of material things like we were, that we nurture them with the wrong things. The authors suggest that doing this is like "poisoning their character just as surely as an excess of sugar and fat in their diets can poison their bodies." "Larry and Megan came from quite different neighborhoods and backgrounds. But what both of their parents shared was the unstated assumption that good parenting is reflected in what we provide our children, rather than in what we expect from them."
• "Our ultimate goal with our teens shouldn't be to get them into a good college, but rather to have them learn to be successful on their own in their future lives." (They talk a lot about the education of young people in this country and how it fails them to a large extent. Too much emphasis and stress are placed on college admissions, rather than on teaching young people how to navigate the adult world. They also give some interesting alternatives.) "Bending over backward to get one's child into a good college will not matter nearly as much as preparing them to function independently and to thrive once they are there."
• Doing work that matters to someone helps teens on their way to escaping the Endless Adolescence. They need to feel needed and doing work that makes a difference in the adult world.
• Teens need to be socialized by adults and not by their peers.
• "Freedom should be linked to behavior" and not to age requirements.
• We need to provide our teens with a support system (referred to as "scaffolding") so they can learn lessons but with support from us. 
• "Adults are the relationship maintainers with teens."
• "Adults should use the same conventions of respect and politeness when talking with teens that we use when talking to other adults." We should not speak to them condescendingly or always criticize. We should make sure that we have specific time with teens where there is no criticism given, we just talk with them.
• "Adolescents, for all their good intentions, are not adults in terms of their relationship skills." They quite often lack the conversation skills that adults have acquired and we need to be careful not to judge their behaviors based on an adult skill set.
• "Again and again, however, we pass up opportunities to allow our teens the experience of mastery, usually in the mistaken notion that we are nurturing them and showing them love by doing things for them." We need to take the time to teach them how to do things that are within their capacity and slightly challenge them.
• "The best feedback comes not from parents but from the real world." We need to remove the middleman--us. They give the example of taking our teens with us to parent-teacher conference so they can hear first-hand what needs improvement and what they're doing well.
• "Teens are built for physical activity, and with enough of it, will function better in all areas of life."
• The +/- 5 rule: sometimes our teens act 5 years old than they are...and sometimes they act 5 years younger.

There are definitely several things I can work on now that I think will make a huge difference, especially the one about speaking to our teens with the same respect and politeness that we do with other adults, and not being condescending or too critical. Sometimes I am too hard on my kids. I'm also excited to help my daughters do more for themselves. I've never been the mom who gives my kids everything they want. I make them earn money for the things that they really want. My middle daughter summed it up in my Mother's Day card this year: "You give me what I need and sometimes what I want." I think a lot of these suggestions will help my relationship with my daughters.  

Milton Hershey Young Chocolatier by M.M. Eboch (8 O'Clock Club read)

213 pages

"Did you know that the man behind Hershey's chocolate used to work in an ice cream parlor? Or that he had to try over and over again to get his now-famous chocolate to taste as delicious as it does today? Milton Hershey's life wasn't always a bowl of chocolate Kisses. When he was in fourth grade, he even had to drop out of school and work to help his poor family make ends meet. Read all about how the man we know as the famous young chocolatier finally struck it rich--in money, love, and chocolate!" -Back Cover

Coming off of reading Fablehaven for our 8 O'Clock Club, my kids were not too gung-ho about reading a biography. They complained for the first several nights, but then pretty soon their comments turned into, "This book is sort of good," "Can we read a few more pages?" and "I can't wait to see what happens next." This is a fictionalized biography, the first in the series of Childhood of Famous Americans that we've read, but it won't be the last. I already have Walt Disney's, Dr. Seuss's, Elizabeth Barton's and Neil Armstrong's stories in my collection and I plan on getting more. I'm assuming they're historically accurate.

What made this book so fun is that we used to live an hour away from Lancaster. We've been to Hershey, toured the chocolate factory, and driven the streets named after chocolate with the Kiss-shaped streetlights. We learned several things that we didn't know before, which was the whole point of reading a biography: Milton's father was a dreamer, but an unsuccessful one; Milton's mother and aunt and uncles supported Milton's dreams financially for quite awhile; Milton never gave up even after he failed several times; he made caramels before entering the chocolate business; he was generous with his wealth, among others. There are illustrations throughout the book which is a bonus when reading to kids.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

534 pages

"The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

The Clave's magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can't stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith's magic has wrought--Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.

Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can't help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell--a risk that could claim their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. She's willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?" -Dust Jacket

After reading book 4 I kind of wished this series would have ended with book 3, City of Glass. There was a lot of "hasn't Jace suffered enough?" among fans and it felt like Cassandra Clare was just dragging things along, writing more books to make more money, whatever. But then I read her reason for continuing: that even though other characters thought Jace had been redeemed and was worthy of love, he didn't feel that way and he needed to get to that point for himself; he was still doubting himself at the end of book 3. I liked that idea and started to support the idea of three more books, despite the three-year wait for the end.

I read some of the reviews on Amazon for this book while I waited for it to come in the mail. It got an average 3.5/5 stars, which isn't that great for a 5th book. People complained that it was slow-moving, the author constantly described what people were wearing and how beautiful Jace is, etc. I think because I started it not expecting to like it very much that I liked it better. The first half is a little slow, and she does describe what characters are wearing a lot--which sometimes adds nothing to the story--but the second half was great. I liked that it didn't end with a major cliff-hanger. It sets up the last book for a major showdown which I think will be even more exciting than the showdown with Valentine.

{SPOILERS}

I liked what happened with Jace. He spent most of the book under Sebastian's control but for the few minutes that he was himself again I felt like he'd come a long way personally. Being the mindless servant of someone else showed him how much he loved his life and the people in it and how much he was willing to fight to get it back. It also let him understand Sebastian, Valentine and his real father more, and to be able to see how he is different from those people. His love for Clary is at the heart of everything he does, even under Sebastian's control. One of the characters early on said that some people have special destinies and special tortures reserved for them. Jace is apparently one of those. Being filled with heavenly fire will be an interesting twist for the final book. I'm sure it will allow him to fight (and defeat?) Sebastian; I'm just hoping that it doesn't cost him his life or Clary. I always hope for a happy ending after adversity. It was nice to get the real Jace back and hear his funny, sarcastic remarks again. Thank goodness he finally realized that he and Clary are better off and stronger together, no more pushing each other away to protect the other person. They'll just have to make sure Jace doesn't burn her when they're together. It's always something with them!

Having the angel require the Mark of Cain from Simon in exchange for a weapon that could sever the bond between Jace and Sebastian was a great plot twist. It makes Simon vulnerable again. I think he and Maureen will have to fight in the next book. She's the scariest 13-year-old I've read in a long time.

I don't care for the romance between Alec and Magnus. I like them both individually, but I'm not a fan of their relationship in a young adult book. I wouldn't let my teenager read this series because of that. Plus, Alec is a jealous teenager the whole time. He's jealous that Magnus has been around for so long and that he'll live forever. That jealousy drives him to almost make a deal with Camille to find out how to make him mortal again. Obviously that doesn't go over well with Magnus.

Sebastian is truly evil, but he's also incredibly lonely. I liked getting to know him better in this book. He's still manipulative and tells lies and will do anything it takes to get what he wants, but he also yearns for companionship, to the point where there is a really uncomfortable scene between him and Clary which I think goes to show that despite feeling a little bit sorry for him he's still despicable. He wipes out all sympathy you might have felt for him by the end of the book. I think it was smart to have Jace and Clary spend all that time with him. Even though they don't know where he is or what his end game is by the end of the book, they have learned more about his personality and motives. He is not the same kind of evil as his father. He's much, much worse.

Is Brother Zachariah really Stephen Herondale? Did he not really die? He's got to be someone with a connection to the Lightwoods and Herondales to take such a personal interest in Jace's well-being and what's going on.

I'm getting tired of saying this, but I'll have to wait a year to find out how this ends. I'm not all that interested in Cassandra Clare's other Shadowhunter series. I read Clockwork Angel  and it felt like a regurgitated version of The Mortal Instruments just with different characters. I've heard she's going to write a third series now. Maybe it's cool to see how some characters (Magnus) weave in and out of all these stories, and maybe I'll read them eventually, but right now there are just too many other books I want to read.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

525 pages

"One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so." -Dust Jacket

I read this twice, the first time I flew threw it because I couldn't wait to see what happened. The second time I wanted to take it all in. This is the middle trilogy book that does not disappoint. It's just as exciting and good as the first book, with non-stop action from start to finish. I love that it starts right where Divergent  left off. This is a fantastic dystopian series. Stop reading this right here if you don't want to know details and just read the series instead!

{SPOILERS}

I've said before that one of my biggest complaints about Mockingjay  is that Katniss is so broken that she feels like a completely different person. She suffers from PTSD throughout the whole book. Now, it's been a few years since I've read it and I would like to revisit it (maybe this summer) to see if I can appreciate it more, but in my current opinion, Veronica Roth handled PTSD in a much better way from a reader's perspective. Divergent  ends with Tris and Four having shut down Erudite's simulation that put the Dauntless in a sleep-walking state and under Erudite's control. The controlled Dauntless killed many of the Abnegation faction. During all of that Tris is forced to shoot one of her best friends, Will, and both of her parents sacrifice their lives to protect her. So Insurgent  begins the day after all of that and Tris is reeling with feelings of grief and guilt. Those feelings lead her to act recklessly, often putting her life in danger. She feels like if she tells Four what she's done that he won't love her and so she keeps it all bottled up inside and does things with little regard for her safety.

What I think is important in a character's arc is to see them go through adversity and come out stronger on the other side. I don't think Katniss did that. Tris does. The way it happens is perfect. Eventually Tobias tells Tris that he can't love the person she's becoming, that she's more than just Dauntless and if she continues to put her life in danger needlessly than they are done. He doesn't give it as an ultimatum; he's trying to give her a wake-up call. Tris wants to feel like she's sacrificing like her parents and on some level wants to join them. She's tired of life. What he tells her is that a sacrifice is only a sacrifice if its born of necessity. It takes Tris almost dying (and being saved by Peter of all people!) for her to realize that she wants to live and that realization changes the way she acts for the rest of the book. It makes her evaluate her motives and fight for the things she believes in, not just fight. She still struggles with grief and guilt but it doesn't cripple her. I love at the end when Christina tells her that if Will were there he'd tell her to get over it. (Christina, Will's girlfriend, is another fantastic character. The way she forgives Tris is really sweet.) One of the things Tris believes in goes against what Tobias is doing and I like that Tris stays true to what she thinks is the right thing to do even though it may cost her her relationship with Tobias.

Thank you, thank you, Veronica Roth for no love triangle. It's so refreshing. Tobias (Four) and Tris have a relationship that feels real. It's my favorite part of the books and probably my favorite relationship I've read in a long time. It's based on more than just physical attraction. They are strong together but they are also strong separately. They have their ups and downs and they truly love each other. They make sacrifices for each other. They protect each other. I love when Tris is injected with peace serum. That's the comic relief part of the book. Sometimes I think dystopian characters act older than their years but I think that's probably a result of the world they live in. Tris and Tobias have had to do things that most normal non-dystopian teenagers haven't. Obviously. Tobias always treats Tris like she's strong and capable and doesn't coddle her, but he also knows when she really needs him. I love that they always find their way back to each other. I could gush about them some more but I'll stop.

Now...for the ending. I had read on Amazon reviews that there was a bit of a cliff-hanger ending, but I didn't cheat. About two-thirds of the way through I had a pretty good idea of what that twist would be though (think The Village). But I have no idea what direction the third book will take. Some of the characters that you thought were the villains are not and vice versa. I don't think that Caleb (Tris's brother) is a traitor. I'm excited to see what happens between Tobias and his mom now that she's become the villain of sorts. Now that Jeanine is gone someone will have to step up and fill that role. I hope that Tris and Tobias continue on in the same way as the first two books. My opinion of this series might change if they don't! Unfortunately, I have to wait a whole year to find out. That stinks.