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!