Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title:  Paranormalcy

Author:  Kiersten White

Publisher: Harper Teen Year: 2010

ISBN:  978-0-06-198584-3

Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy

This book is for grades: 6 and up    

Awards:  YALSA Teen Top Ten

Subjects/Themes: Fantasy, Fairies, Mysteries

AR Points: 10

Plot Summary:  16-year-old Evie can see through the glamour that fairies, vampires and other creatures use to fool humans.  She has been able to for as long as she can remember and has been working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) since she was eight.  Evie’s best friend is a mermaid and she sort of dated a fairy name Reth.  Now she wants him to leave her alone.  More than anything in the world Evie wants to live a normal life and go to high school.  One day, Evie helps catch an intruder at IPCA who turns out to be a cute 17-year-old boy named Lend.  Lend is trying to solve the mystery about the strange creature that has been killing vampires and other magical creatures.  Solving the problem of the creature becomes a big worry for Evie, especially when she discovers she and the creature are linked by a fairy prophesy.

Review:  Evie is a fantastic, smart, girl with a quirky fashion sense.  She loves pink and her favorite High School TV show Easton Heights.  Evie is definitely someone you would want to have as a friend, cousin or sister.  Lend seems like a normal (almost) teenage guy.  He is not really sure who he is, but he is a great guy. The other characters fairies, vampires, werewolves, mermaids, water sprites and yes humans are all interesting.  White gets rid of the silly romance that usually surrounds vampires in the first chapter.  Paranormalcy has plenty of humor to relieve the tension from the mystery and the suspense will keep you reading all night long. White creates an alternate universe that is believable and refreshing although not without flaws. This is a great book for older ‘tweens to adults.

If you like this book you may also like:  Supernaturally by Kiersten White,

The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Title:  The Bridge to Terabithia

Author: Katherine Paterson

Publisher: Scholastic, New York Year: 1977

ISBN: 0-590-13200-8

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for children in grades: 4-8

Subjects/Themes: 

Awards:  Newbery Medal; School Library Journal Best Book

AR Points: 5

Plot Summary:  Jess Abrams is going to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, at least until Leslie Burke, from Arlington, moves in next door and beats him and all the other boys in the first race of the year.  Jess who loves to draw doesn’t really like Leslie but somehow they become best friends.  Leslie and Jess create a magical world which can only be reached by swinging across the gully on a magical rope.  They call it Teribithia, and they rule there together as Queen and King.  In Teribithia Jess and Leslie discover ways of defeating giants and real problems like bullies and fears.  Jess becomes more courageous and teaches Leslie that everyone deserves kindness.  One rainy day Miss Edmunds the music teacher invites Jess to the National Gallery in Washington D.C.  Jess has the best day of his life but it soon turns to the worst as tragedy strikes Jess the Burkes and Teribithia. 

Review:  This is an excellent book.  Jess and Leslie’s families and lives are just as interesting as the adventures they create in Teribithia. I would enjoy being the Queen of a magical land where I could always be safe and could sometimes be a hero.  Peterson creates wonderful characters and reveals their humanity in small bits.  May Belle, Jess’ younger sister is a beautiful young girl who idolizes and pesters her brother.  You will love her as much as Jess does.   This book is a quick read that you will remember for a very long time. 

If you like this book you may also like: The Bridge to Terabithia (Film, 2007), Tuck Everlasting, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Title:  Down the Rabbit Hole

Author: Peter Abrahams

Publisher: Harper Collins, 2005; ISBN: 0-06-078664-7

Series:  Echo Falls

Genre: Fiction/Mystery

This book is for children in grades: 6 - 12

Subjects/Themes: Murder/Suspense
Awards:  Booklist Editor's Choice, Edgar Award/Honor Book, Agatha Award
AR Points: 10
Format: Audiobook

Plot Summary:  Finding herself lost on the way to soccer practice 13-year-old  Ingrid, an eighth grader in Echo Falls ends up in the home of Cracked up Katie waiting for a cab. Just hours later, Katie is murdered.  Ingrid left her red sequined soccer cleats in Katie’s living room.  What will mom say if she knew Ingrid was there?  Will Joey's dad, the chief of police, find her through her cleats?  Will he think she is a suspect?  Ingrid heard a strange noise in Katie’s house while she was there.  Could it have been the killer?   Ingrid's family has problems too.  Ty her freshman brother is acting strange.  Mom and Dad are both super preoccupied with work.  Dad puts so much pressure on her and Ty about winning and college.  Ingrid must find a way to win at soccer, get the lead in the play and solve the murder mystery.  Can she follow in Sherlock Holmes' footsteps?  What if the killer comes looking for Ingrid?

Review:  I started listening to this book years ago on a trip with my family.  The trip ended before the novel and I was super excited to finish listening to this book.  I have to admit I was pretty disappointed.  I wanted to like this book.  The plot was just too simple.  It was way to easy to figure out who the killer was and I really did not like Ingrid.  Sure she is smart.  But she handles every situation she gets into with lying and/or stealing.  After a while I just did not respect her character.  Also, Ingrid's family has problems. Ty her brother is violent and her parents simply aren't engaged.  As the first book there are plenty of questions to answer in the rest of the books in the series.  This is a decent story but there are better books out there.

If you like this book you may also like:  Nancy Drew Mysteries

The Fairy's Mistake by Gail Carson Levine

Title:  The Fairy’s Mistake

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Publisher: Scholastic, New York Year: 2000

ISBN: 0-439-17911-4

Series: The Princess Tales

Genre: Fiction/Fables

This book is for Ages: 8 up

Subjects/Themes:  Kindness/Selfishness

Rosella is a kind girl who is always fetching water.  One day she meets an old woman at the well, the fairy Ethelinda in disguise.  As a reward for Rosella’s kindness in giving the woman a drink, Ethelinda puts a spell on Rosella so jewels drop from her mouth whenever she speaks.  Her lazy twin sister, Myrtle, goes looking for the fairy hoping for a similar gift.  When Ethelinda appears to Myrtle as knight, Myrtle is selfish and unkind.  Ethelinda punishes her by having bugs and snakes come from her mouth when she speaks.  A prince asks Rosella to be his wife.  Rosella accepts and is mostly unhappy as the prince and her ladies-in-waiting are blinded by her gift.  Myrtle uses her gift to make the villagers give her whatever she wants because they do not want her unleash snakes and bugs into their lives.  Somehow the Fairy Ethelinda has made a mistake. Can she fix it so everyone can live happily ever after?

This is a humorous retelling of a traditional folk tale. Gail Carson Levine is surprisingly able to create characters who are not all good or all bad.  This book is a quick read, perfect for younger tweens who enjoy fairy tales and for students who need a fast AR point.  Myrtle is a strong female character who uses her punishment for her benefit and teaches Rosella how to stand up for herself.  While you may think that Myrtle is a mean character in the end she is the true heroine of the story for Rosella and for the people of her village.
 

If you like this book you may also like:  Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Ella Enchanted, Goose Chase.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Title: Hatchet

Author: Gary Paulsen

Pub.: Aladdin Paperbacks, New York; 1996 ISBN: 0027701301

Brian’s Saga Series also includes: The River, Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Return

Genre: Fiction/Adventure

Themes: Survival, Divorce

Rating: Ages 11 and up

Awards:  1988 Newbery Honor Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Notable Book, Booklist Editor's Choice, Publisher's Weekly Best Book.
AR Points: 7.0

Plot Summary:  13-year-old Brian parents have recently divorced.  He is having a hard time accepting and understanding the adult emotions in his new life. Brian is going to spend the summer with his father in the Canadian oil fields.  When the pilot of the two-man plane suffers a heart attack, Brian must try to land the plane in an area surrounded by trees and lakes.  After surviving the plane crash, Brian’s rescue and survival is still uncertain.  Brian must endure in the wilderness using only his wits and the hatchet his mom gave him as a going away present.  Finding shelter, food and creating a new home is difficult.  Brian must compete with wild animals when looking for food.  As Brian works for survival, he discovers his inner strength and becomes a tough and thoughtful young man able to survive the harsh Canadian wilderness and the divorce of his parents.  

Review:  This 1988 Newbery Honor novel is an excellent coming of age story.  Paulsen effectively reveals the struggles teens face as they swing on the pendulum of time between childhood and adulthood.  Brian is struggling to understand and accept adult emotional behavior because of his mother’s affair and parents’ divorce.  As he struggles to survive, he experiences periods competency and emotional control and as well as feelings of hopelessness and emotional breakdown.  Although the journey to adulthood is a difficult one, Brian survives his ordeal and even brings about his own rescue.   Paulsen develops a character that is thankful, thoughtful and strong at the novel’s completion providing hope to the young people that they too are strong enough to overcome their own challenges.

If you like this story you may also like:  Far North by Will Hobbs.

Here is a short video to get you interested.

 

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

I feel like Dorothy.  Today I begin my journey through the unique and colorful world of music, books, films, and magazines that appeal to tweens. I am looking forward to all the characters I will meet along the way.  I know I will learn many things from my new friends.  I am excited to share. Thanks for reading.