Bloody Jack 
by L.A. Meyer.  

Publisher: Turtleback
Year: 2004
ISBN: 978-0613716406

Genre: Fiction/Adventure

Themes: Pirates

Rating: Ages 11 and up 
Awards:  ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Booklist Editor's Choice 
AR Points: 11.0

Fantastic Book for older readers.  Great for boys or girls interested in adventure, pirates and historical fiction.   

Text of Video: Welcome everyone.  Today’s video is all about the novel Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer.  The description on the cover says “being an account of the curious adventures of Mary Jacky Faber, Ship’s Boy.  Mary Faber is the daughter of a school teacher who has come to London to teach.  When his position falls through and the family takes ill, everyone dies except Mary.   Orphaned and alone, Mary is forced out on the streets and is taken in by a gang of street children.  Mary and the gang live on the streets.  They beg for pennies and food.  Sometimes Mary reads the news to the people in the streets and they make money that way.  When they have money, they buy a meat pie and share it between the gang.  When the leader of the gang, Charlie, is killed Mary discovers his body.  Heartbroken and crying, she steals his clothes and shiv.  She cuts her hair and dresses like a boy so she can join a ship’s crew and see the world.  Mary changes her name to Jacky and is accepted to the crew of the Dolphin because she can read.   She tells the crew she is a boy of 10 and bunks down with the 5 other ships boys near the cannons.  Jacky helps prepare the schoolroom for the midshipmen, and takes watch and does all the things the other ship’s boys do.  The British Naval ship the Dolphin travels to Palma and Jamaica in search of pirates, and treasure.  Jacky is growing up during this time and she has to hide the fact that she is becoming a woman.  She also has feelings for Jamie the young merchant’s boy who joined as a ship’s boy with her in London.  Jacky is worried about being thrown overboard when the crew finds out she is a girl, or worse being hanged.  How will Jacky ever share the truth and will she ever become a lady?

 If you love pirate tales, then you are going to love this book.  It has a sequel called Curse of the Blue tattoo.

Jane by Design

Jane by Design – Season One

Network:  ABC Family

Format: Television Show

Genre: Fiction

This show is for Ages: 12 up

Subjects/Themes: Growing Up, Fashion

Plot Summary:   Jane Quimby is a teenager in high school.  Jane applies for an internship at a local design house and through a clerical error is interviewed and hired as an executive assistant.  Jane keeps the two worlds separate and tells no one of her new job.  Jane enlists the help of her best friend and manages to travel to Paris, and Beverly Hills, launch a dress design at a fashion show, and design a wedding gown for a high profile client.  

Review:   If you like fashion then you will love Jane by Design.  The show is fun and flirty with lots of great fashion.  The characters are typical but engaging.  There are lots of cameos by fashion industry celebrities.  Jane by Design is in no way realistic and that makes it fun.  It is pure fantasy wrapped in pink tulle with a funky little black boot to make it edgy.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg 
by Rodman Pilbrick

Text from video: Welcome everyone.  This video is about the Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg,  written by Rodman Philbrick.  Homer and his older brother, Harold, are orphans under the care of their rotten Uncle Squinton Leach.  When Harold stops Uncle Squint from beating Homer, Uncle Squint sells Harold to the Union Army where he must serve three years or until he dies.  Homer knows that it was wrong to sell Harold because Harold is only seventeen, and not old enough to be sworn into the army. Homer is worried about Harold and wants to rescue Harold before he is killed in the war.  Homer leaves Uncle Squints farm and travels through Maine.  Where he meets slave catchers and scoundrels who steal his horse and make him stop at a house on the Underground Railroad.  Homer tricks the scoundrels and helps the slaves continue on their journey to freedom.    Mr. Brewster rewards Homer with a trip on a steamship to New York so he can find Harold.  While on the steamship Homer’s guardian is bamboozled and Homer is locked in the steerage with pigs.  Once in New York, Homer joins a traveling medicine show that follows the Union wagon trains.  Homer has one adventure after another and even ends up on a hot air balloon that takes him to a battle where he meets Coronel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.   Will Homer ever find Harold?  Will they serve the union army well?  Find out by reading The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

Title:   The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

Author:  Rodman Philbrick

Publisher: Scholastic  

Year: 2011 c 2009

ISBN:  978-0-439-66821-7

Genre: Fiction/Adventure/Historic

This book is for Ages: 9-14

Awards: Newbery Honor Book, ALA Notable Book.

AR Points: 7.0           

Subjects/Themes: Runaways, Orphans, Brother, Self Reliance, Family, Civil War

Plot Summary:  12-year-old Homer P. Figg runs away from his horrible uncle to rescue his brother Harold.  Harold was tricked into joining the union army.  Homer travels from Maine to Gettysburg hoping to free his brother and protect him from the dangers of war.  As Homer travels he meets, bandits, a Quaker, thieves and spies. The book is dedicated “To everyone whoever lied and found their way back to the truth”.  Homer is a boy like any other but his experiences are amazing. 

Review:  This book is a wild ride from beginning to end.  Homer’s tale will make you laugh.  It is an excellent read-aloud story you won’t want to put down. Homer struggles with right, wrong and telling the truth.  His story deals with serious issues like war and slavery from the point of view of a child.  Homer understands the dangers of war and is determined to save his brother.  Philbrick’s detailed descriptions bring this story to life.  I will miss Homer and his adventures.  I liked that the book includes a special section at the back with a recipe for Union hard tack and trivia about the Civil War.   

If you like this book you may also like:  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. 

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Title:   Freak the Mighty

Author:  Rodman Philbrick

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.       

Year:  ©1993

ISBN:  978-0-439-28606-0

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 10 up

Awards:  Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book

AR Points:      5.5

Subjects/Themes: Friendship, School, Family, Identity, Death

Plot Summary:  Max always thought he was a stupid, unlovable giant.  Everyone is afraid of him, even his Gram and Grim (Grandpa) who he lives with since his mother died and his father went away.  One day Max meets Freak, a very small and extremely smart boy.  Together they become Freak the Mighty, avoiding bullies, and performing quests.  Freak shares everything with Max, like the secrets of how to read and what words mean.  Freak is going to get bionic body from the research lab at the hospital.  

Review:    Despite his small size, Freak is a superhero.  He saves Max in this compelling and powerful story by Rodman Philbrick.  This book is full of adventure and on its face is a great story.  For older readers Freak the mighty challenges us to examine the way we look at children of all ages to see beyond the physical into the heart and spirit of the young people we encounter.

Everyting On A Waffle by Polly Horvath

Title:   Everything on a Waffle

Author:  Polly Horvath

Publisher: Scholastic Year: 2001

ISBN:  0439-44309-4

Genre: Fiction Realistic

This book is for Ages: 9-12

Awards: Newbery Honor Book

AR Points:      5.0

Subjects/Themes: Family Life/ Hope/Death/ Courage/Food/Foster Care

Plot Summary:  11-year-old Primrose lives on an island in British Columbia.  When a terrible storm strikes her mother goes searching for her father who is out on his fishing boat.  Both parents disappear and are presumed dead.  But Primrose refuses to believe that her parents are not coming back.  Primrose is sent to live with the neighbor who is around 104, until her uncle comes to take care of her.  Can Primrose and Uncle Jack stick together in the hope that her parents will return,  Even when no one else believes?

Review: Polly Horvath creates a great character with Primrose.  Despite her troubles Primrose keeps you laughing.  Her descriptions are unique.  “Uncle Jack looked like a pig, albeit a lean good-looking pig.  Miss Honeycut looked like a turtle.  It was hard to imagine a pig and a turtle together but it gave me something to do the rest of the meeting.”  Horvath includes recipes in the book including one for Carrots in Apricot Glaze which are the exact color of Primrose’s hair.

If you like this book you may also like:  Trolls, by Polly Horvath

Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day By Gary Paulsen

Title:  Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day

Author:  Gary Paulsen

Publisher:  Wendy Lamb Books       Year:  2004

ISBN:  0-385-325886

Genre: Fiction/Realistic/Humor

This book is for Ages: 8 - 12

AR Points: 3.0

Subjects/Themes: Family/School/

Plot Summary:  Orphaned, Molly McGinty a 7^th grader at Our Lady of Mercy Middle School lives by the book.  That is her notebook where she keeps track of everything from school assignments and lunch money to when to pay her Grandma Irene’s bills.  Molly loses her notebook the night before Senior Citizen’s Day at school.  Grandma Irene in her purple suede jeans joins Molly and her three friends Mary Margaret, Mary Pat, and Mary Bridget in a day filled with folly. 

Review:   Gary Paulsen author of The Hatchet writes very well. Molly McGinty is not the book on which to judge his career.  This book is silly.  While it imparts a good message about the need for control, Grandma Irene and Molly’s adventures do not display the depth and knowledge of character development that Paulsen delivers in his other books.  Paulsen tosses Molly from black eye to boyfriend in a quick and easy read.

If you like this book you may also like: Desdemona, Twelve Going on Desperate.

Worth by A. LaFaye

Title:   Worth

Author:  A. La Faye

Publisher: Scholastic             Year:  2006 c2004

ISBN:  978-0439-91342-3

Genre: Historical Fiction

This book is for Ages: 9-12

Awards: Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

 AR Points:     4.0

 Subjects/Themes: Family Life/Orphans/Frontier Life

Plot Summary:  11-year-old Nate is hurrying to help his father bring in the hay as a violent storm hits their farm.  A flash of lightning as bright as the sun changes Nate’s life forever.  Unable to help on the family farm Nate feels bad.  His Pa won’t even look at him.  When Pa adopts an orphan boy named John Worth, Nate feels unloved and useless.  What role can Nate have on the farm?  Worth is a city boy with no experience working a farm.  He is treated like a servant, and can’t seem to do anything right.  When the ranchers and farmers start feuding, tensions are high as sabotage damages the family farm.  Can the boys work together to save their farm and create a family where they both belong? 

Review:  Nate and his family have trouble accepting his replacement and new brother.  Worth is an interesting and exciting story about life on the frontier in the late 1800’s including: immigrants, and range feuds.  The book has an exciting climax.  That will leave you wanting more. 

If you like this book you may also like:  The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Title:   The Great Gilly Hopkins

Author:  Katherine Paterson

Publisher: Scholastic             Year:  1995 c1978

ISBN:  0-590-61389-8

Genre: Realistic Fiction

This book is for Ages: 9-13

Awards: Newbery Honor Book

 AR Points:     5.0

 Subjects/Themes: Family Life/Orphans 

Plot Summary:  11-year-old Gilly Hopkins is on her way to her third foster home.  She knows the social worker must be telling her mother all kinds of lies to keep her mother from coming to get her.  Gilly is determined to contact her mother so she can escape from this ugly dirty foster home.  Her new foster mother Mamie Trotter is a huge hippopotamus woman and William Earnest is a freaky kid who is afraid of everything.  Gilly plans her escape but is slowly drawn into this strange family.  When rescue finally comes, it’s not quite what Gilly expected.  

Review:  Did you ever feel like life was unfair.  So does Gilly.  Sometimes she handles things well and sometimes not.  But she does her best to take care of herself.  This is a moving story about family, love, and the hardships of real life. 

If you like this book you may also like:  Holes, by Louis Sachar The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

Title:   The Whipping Boy

Author:  Sid Fleischman

Illustrator: Peter Sis

Publisher: Greenwillow Books          Year:  1986

ISBN:  0-688-06216-4

Genre: Fiction/Adventure

This book is for Ages: 8-12

Awards:  Newbery Medal; SLJ Best Book; ALA Notable Book

AR Points:     2.0

Subjects/Themes: Adventure/Robbers and Outlaws/Family Life/Orphans

Plot Summary:  A young orphan boy named Jemmy used to live in the sewers catching rats until he became the Whipping Boy.  Whenever Prince Brat, I mean, Prince Horace is bad Jemmy is whipped.  Jemmy can’t understand why Prince Brat is such a rotten kid.  Prince Brat forces Jemmy to run away with him.  The boys are captured by cutthroat bandits, encounter gigantic roaring bears and seek shelter in the sewer filled with rats. 

Review:   This book is fun and full of adventure.  Prince Brat is a horrible child.   Jemmy doesn’t realize how lucky he is.  They both learn about who they are in this wonderful and wild story.  Sid Fleishman melds humor, adventure and understanding into his story.  The black and white illustrations created by Peter Sis are captivating.

If you like this book you may also like:  Shield of Stars by Hilari Bell, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by W.R. Philbrick, or   The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Sleznick,

Alabama Moon DVD 2009

Title:   Alabama Moon
Publisher: Faulkner-McLean Entertainment Year: 2009
Media: Film
This film is for Ages:  8 and up
Rating: PG
Subjects/Themes: Self Reliance, Trust, Death, Runaways Orphans

Plot Summary:  11-year-old Moon Blake lives in the forests of Alabama with his anti-government father.  When his father is injured and dies Moon is left of his own to travel to Alaska, where his father told him to homestead.  Moon is captured by a mean spirited constable and taken to the local home for boys.  Moon quickly escapes bringing his new friends Kit and Hal along.  The boys run from the constable and begin an adventure in the woods.   The boys encounter trouble and more trouble that tests their friendship and leads Moon to a new life.

Review:  This movie was great fun for a family movie night.  Jimmy Bennett does a good job playing the role of a scared and determined and bewildered boy who is learning the truth about the world in which he lives.  The relationship between Moon and Kit is a strong one that helps explain the transformation of Moon from recluse to a ordinary boy.  While I have not read the book I hope it does a better job of establishing the relationship between Moon and Hal.  Hal does something pretty nice for Moon at the end of the movie and I was disappointed with the consequences Hal suffers as a result.  The movie is a good family movie.  It has a generous touch of  adventure and sadness but like Moon  this movie is always hopeful.

If you like this film you may also like the book Alabama Moon by Watt Key and the Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron

Title:   The Higher Power of Lucky

Author:  Susan Patron

Reader:  Cassandra Campbell

Publisher:  Listening Library (Audio unabridged)  Year: 2007

ISBN:  978-0739338797

Media:  Digital Download

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 8-12

Awards:  ALA Notable, Newbery Medal

AR Points: 5.0          

Subjects/Themes: Family Life, Adoption, Death, Hope, Addiction

Plot Summary:  10-year-old Lucky lives in Hard Pan California where the population is 43.  Two years ago, Lucky’s mother died in an accident.  Since then Lucky has learned to carry a survival kit. Brigitte her father’s first wife is Lucky’s guardian.  Bridgitte is homesick for Paris.   Lucky listens in to the Anonymous meetings at the center where she works.  She understands the need for a higher power but just can’t seem to find hers.   Lucky learns secrets about her friends and neighbors, secrets that can hurt people if she tells.  Sometimes Lucky’s meanness gland goes into overdrive.   Lucky is too wrapped up in her own pain to recognize the hurt in others and leads her to rock bottom.

Review:  This is a good book.  It deals with adult issues that many children have to face: the death of a parent, abandonment by a parent, feelings of isolation, and the need to find a reason for hardships of life.  Susan Patron’s characters are well developed.  Miles is a foil for Lucky, a version of her that is slowly being left behind.  He goes through the same changes she does.  Lucky searches for meaning, prayer, and tries to evaluate herself and her morals.  This is a good story.  I am not sure the major themes can be appreciated by all of  the audience for which it was written.

If you like this book you may also like: Lucky Breaks and Lucky for Good also by Susan Patron.

Goose Chase By Patrice Kindl

Title:   Goose Chase

Author:  Patrice Kindl

Publisher: Scholastic Press    Year: 2002 c2001

ISBN:  0-439-52039-8

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Adventure

This book is for Ages: 9-12

AR Points: 8.0          

Subjects/Themes: Orphans, Princesses, Geese,

Plot Summary:  14-year-old Alexandria Aurora Fortunata is an orphaned Goose Girl.  Happily having a tea party with her 12 geese when a hungry old hag comes along, Alexandria gives the old woman all her food, just a bit of bread and a little water.  The hag is a witch who casts a spell on Alexandria.  Alexandria is now more beautiful than the dawn.  She has enchanted golden hair complete with gold dust dandruff and her tears are diamonds.  Soon the townspeople find out.  The Prince and neighboring King both want to marry her they lock her in a tower until she decides who she will wed, but Alexandria just wants to be a goose girl.  Can her geese help her escape so she can go back home?  Alexandria embarks on a magical journey with a spectacular ending.

Review:  I enjoyed this book.  Kindl’s small and delicate stitches create a magical story with elements from Rapunzel and the Six Swans.  Alexandria is clever.   Her geese are quick and try to keep her out of trouble.  Kindl’s imaginative use of ordinary objects reminds me of the magical berries that grew in my own backyard when I was a child.  It was always amazing to see what they could do.  Kindl’s story is full of  originality and style.

If you like this book you may also like:  The Fairy’s Mistake, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep or Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.  You may also like Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede.

 Text of video:  Welcome everyone.  Today’s video is about Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl  Where “living in a fairy tale isn’t all it’s cracked up to be”.   14-year-old Alexandria Aurora Fortunata is an orphaned Goose Girl.  She is happily having a tea party with her 12 geese.  A hungry old hag comes along so Alexandria gives the old woman all her food, which is just a bit of bread, and a little water.  The hag is really a fairy in disguise who casts an enchantment on Alexandria.  Suddenly Alexandria is more beautiful than the dawn.  She has enchanted golden hair complete with gold dust dandruff,  Alexandria’s tears turn into diamonds.  Soon everyone knows of Alexandria’s enchantment.  The wicked king from the next kingdom, who has a heart like a lump of coal wants to marry her and so does the young, handsome and but boring Prince of her kingdom.  Together they lock her in a tower until she decides which one of them she will marry, but Alexandria just wants to be a goose girl.  With the help of her geese, she manages a high flying escape right into the clutches of an Ogress.  Alexandria embarks on a magical journey full of imagination with a spectacular ending. To find out what happens read goose chase by Patrice Kindl