Thoughts on Rules for Ghosting by A.J. Paquette

Oliver and his family move into the Silverton Manor on what is supposed to be a six month stay. His parents are house sitters and they are there to oversee the renovations before the house is put on the market. Oliver soon discovers that his family are not the only residents of Silverton Manor. Dahlia Silverton also lives there -- except she's a twelve-year-old ghost that's been dead over 50 years. Trapped on the property, Dahlia is thrilled to have a family living with her. That is, until a Ghosterminator disguises himself as a handyman and seeks to capture the ghosts haunting the house, including Dahlia. Oliver and his sister search frantically for what is keeping Dahlia trapped there, in hopes of helping her escape capture!

I enjoyed this book much more as I kept on reading. At the start, I thought the story was too predictable, but I'm happy to say I was pleased to be surprised with a few twists in the last half of the book. Those who enjoy ghost stories, but really don't want to be scared will enjoy this one. There are a few spooky moments, but the humor far outweighs the fear. B- rating.

Thoughts on Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements

Ted lives in a small, rural town in western Nebraska, where his school consists of five students and he is the only 6th grader. He aspires to one day write mysteries, so he's always on the lookout for one to investigate. And he just found one. Someone was looking out the window at the Anderson's abandoned farmhouse. No one should be there. As he investigates, he learns that a girl, April, and her brother and mom are living there. As he gets to know April, he learns that her father was killed in Iraq. As he helps this family, Ted leads his town in adopting this family to give the town a new identity and possibly to prosperity again.

This isn't my favorite Clements story, mainly because of a disappointing climax and conclusion. I doubt the ending will appeal to many, because it leaves the answers to the reader's imagination. C rating.

Reading Last Week (Nov 26 - Dec 2)

Well, last week, I read three books that have been on my TBR list for quite some time. It's nice to be able to cross them off, even if I wasn't that impressed with most of them.

 

The Land of the Silver Apples

by Nancy Farmer

THE CHILDREN FROM THE SEA OF TROLLS BRAVE THEIR WORST NIGHTMARES -- UNDERGROUND.

Jack is amazed to have caused an earthquake. He is thirteen, after all, and only a bard-in-training. But his sister, Lucy, has been stolen by the Lady of the Lake; stolen a second time in her young life, as he learns to his terror. Caught between belief in the old gods and Christianity (790 AD, Britain), Jack calls upon his ash wood staff to subdue a passel of unruly monks, and, for his daring, ends up in a knucker hole. It is unforgettable -- for the boy and for readers -- as are the magical reappearance of the berserker Thorgil from a burial by moss; new characters Pega, a slave girl from Jack's village, and the eager-to-marry-her Bugaboo (a hobgoblin king); kelpies; yarthkins; and elves (not the enchanted sprites one would expect but the fallen angels of legend). Rarely does a sequel enlarge so brilliantly the world of the first story. Look for the conclusion in The Islands of the Blessed in 2009.

Having loved The Sea of Trolls, I was expecting a lot from this one. I guess I expected too much, for it didn't live up to my wishes. All the ingredients were there -- an epic quest with magical creatures like hobgoblins and elves -- but I don't think the story was well-developed. Too many times, I couldn't get a clear description of characters and settings in my mind, and I'm not sure if it was just overload or what. I found myself going back to reread a section to clear things up. This is a long book ( almost 500 pages), so one would have to be committed to keep with it. I'd only recommend to those wanting fantasies with an epic quest, and then only to those willing to muddle through such a long book. Rating = C.

 

The Ghost Road

 by Tony Abbott

Could the road to the afterlife be a two-way street? Derek can't claim to be a normal fourteen-year-old anymore. Not after what he discovered at the Red House. His role in the war against the dead is more pivotal --- and more terrifying --- than he could have imagined. And so it all comes down to this. The Rift between the worlds of the living and the dead has to be closed . . . forever. It seems like an impossible task. And it rests squarely on the shoulders of a slightly overweight, not especially brave kid named Derek Stone. If Derek is ever going to become a hero, now's the time.

I had to finish this series, just to see how things ended with Derek.What started as a promising horror series ended up predictable fare.I will say it's a quick read, but I honestly was to the point of not caring how it ended. I believe the intended audience (middle grades) will be more impressed with the story and probably find it scarier. This is one to show those that can't get enough horror in their reading diets, I suppose. I give it a C.

 

The Doll in the Garden

by Mary Downing Hahn

When Ashley discovers a turn-of-the-century doll it is just the first of several puzzling events that lead her through the hedge and into a twilight past where she meets Louise, an ailing child whose beloved doll has mysteriously disappeared.

This is my favorite book of the week. Several student have been after me for years to read some of Hahn's "ghost stories", so here's to them. A time-travel/ghost story about a lost doll and guilt over loss. It's one that's truly not scary, but is suspenseful. The conclusion is a happy one where all is resolved, but not in a let's-tie-up-all-loose-ends-in-one-paragraph way. I can definitely see why so many middle grades readers love Hahn. The Doll in the Garden was spooky and mysterious, but not frightening. A B book for me.

 

Last Week's Reading (9/3-9/9)

Last week, I didn't have much time for reading and only completed three of the five I had pulled. Two were great and the other one was just so-so.

Wish by Joseph Monninger

Bee’s brother, Tommy, knows everything there is to know about sharks. He also knows that his life will be cut short by cystic fibrosis. And so does Bee.
 
That’s why she wants to make his wish-foundation-sponsored trip to swim with a great white shark an unforgettable memory.
 
But wishes don’t always come true. At least, not as expected. Only when Bee takes Tommy to meet a famous shark attack survivor and hard-core surfer does Tommy have the chance to live one day to the fullest.
 
And in the sun-kissed ocean off a California beach, Bee discovers that she has a few secret wishes of her own. . . .

I was disappointed with Wish, for it took way too long for the story to develop. The story started off well, with Bee traveling with her mom and her brother to California for his "wish" trip to dive to see sharks. I was still with the story until they get to California -- that's when I got bored. See, I thought the story was actually about the shark dive. Nope. It's really not. It's what happens AFTER that's important. I wish there was a way to speed up the first part with the dive, for it's really just backstory. Maybe it would have kept me interested and I wouldn't have to force myself to pick it up to get to the good parts. I think there were a lot of good story ideas that were thrown together and didn't mesh well. I liked Bee and Tommy. I really wanted to care about them, but in the end, I really didn't. C rating.

The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander

Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.

Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.

Just the premise of this book will get you wanting to read it. What's not to like with a story about a guy that runs his business from the fourth stall in the boy's bathroom at school? Awesome. I can't say I was surprised about anything that happened, for I had my suspicions about the snitch as well as what was going on with Mac's best friend, Vince. But, even though I knew who did it, I still wanted to know how it all worked out. I noticed that there are two sequels. Must purchase them. Great fun! B+ rating.

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

Twelve-year-old Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt Fitzroy has murder on his hands and trouble on his tail. He believes that Henry, the hippopotamus at the brand-new FunJungle, has been murdered. The zoo’s top brass claim the hippo went belly up the natural way, but Teddy and his feisty friend Summer McCraken have other ideas. Could the culprit be FunJungle’s animal-hating head of operations? Or is it FunJungle’s owner—Summer’s dad—a man who is much more concerned about money than animal welfare? The deeper Teddy and Summer dig, the more danger they’re in—because when it comes to hippo homicide, the truth can’t be caged!

Gibbs is a genius -- a mystery set in a zoo where the star attraction, a nasty hippo, is murdered. Who would have thought that would make for such a funny and entertaining story? I loved this story and found it difficult to put down. If I'd have had the time, I would have finished in one sitting. You can tell this story is meant to be funny, just look at the cover. What I really liked was how the humor is over the top, but at the same time not hit me over the head obvious. It's more where you take a step back from the story and you realize that all the characters are really caricatures, each with his own silly foible. Being from Texas, I generally hate it when the stereotypical Texan is used as a character. I could forgive it here, because I could tell it was all in jest. The mystery is good, and I think it'll keep the reader guessing until the end. Loved it! B+ rating.

A Small Town, A Rich Fantasy, and Traveling Through Time (or What I Read Last Week)

I've resisted doing "What I'm Reading" or "What I've Read" posts in the past, because I simply thought I should just do post on my responses after finishing a book. And those responses should be one post/one book. I've come to the realization that I simply don't have the time make the time to do a worthy response for EVERY book I read. Sometimes, I just don't know what to say. Other times, I just don't feel like writing a post. Suddenly, I realize I've read something like TEN books with no posts. Yikes! Even though it's not what I originally had in mind, I've decided it's better to post some general, multi-book posts than not at all. I still hope to write some thoughts on individual books as I'm able.

That said, since it's the start of a new week and a new month, here's some of what I read last week.


Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.
Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel--a cafe owner with a forgotten past of his own--and Miss Lana, the fabulous cafe hostess. She will protect those she loves with ever bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known.

Reminded me of Because of Winn-Dixie with the small-town, quirky characters and a strong sense of community family, but add in the mystery of Mo's background and a local murder. It's one of my favorites of the summer so far. I can't wait to see what my students think when school starts again. A rating.

Sabriel by Garth Nix.
Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death--and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny.


Okay, this one has been on my To Be Read list for a super long time. I adore YA fantasy, and this one has been recommended to me numerous times. I could just kick myself for not reading it sooner, because it's absolutely a-mazing. Simply unforgettable. Nix creates a complex world in the Old Kingdom, but one that's so richly described I had no trouble visualizing and immersing myself there. I have already added Lirael to my lists and hope to get to it before school starts. A+ rating. This one is going on my "Keeper" shelf.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone.
Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett's unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna's life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate--and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.


I received this ARC from NetGalley, as the book isn't scheduled for release until October. I think this time travel romance has something special to make it stand out, and I personally can't wait to get it into some of my teens' hands this fall. Although I am generally a fan of romances, I don't always care for the time travel ones. (Usually, it's travel to a completely different era where the traveler stands out as Not From There. Here, with the travel being only 17 years in the past, most of my concerns were erased.) I think what really resonates with the story is how Anna gets the strength, or maybe gains enough confidence, just by knowing Bennett to change her life. She's a better person for knowing Bennett. It's not a perfect story, by any means. I still had some questions at the end. Will we ever know Bennett's story completely? What happened back home with his sister? Argh! I don't like being left hanging.  That said, it won't keep me from recommending it to my students. B rating.


Now, back to some reading.

The Season by Sarah MacLean

In The Season, Alex and her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, are preparing for their first Season. They will attend various balls, parties and events with the goal of finding a husband. Well, at least that's the goal of their parents. The girls don't want to get married yet, for seventeen is way too young. Each wants to experience more in life before settling down, and Alex isn't even sure she wants to get married at all. Alex becomes involved in unraveling the mystery surrounding the death of the father of close family friend, Gavin.

I loved reading a YA set during the Regency, for there's not much being written for teens set in that time period. It's accessible for readers that want something like a Jane Austen novel, but find the language in JA too difficult. Alex, Ella, and Vivi delight the reader with such normal teen behavior. They gossip, long for the time when they are independent, complain about their lives and how no one understands them. The mysterious death of Gavin's father, linked to rumors of French spies in England, leads to a thrilling adventure and romance for Alex . I admit, I was thoroughly entertained. Definitely a 'B+' book for me!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

So many people have raved about this book, telling me, "You must read it!" I really wasn't excited about reading it, because the blurb didn't sound all that exciting and the cover is kind of blah. Yes, I know, I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but we all do to a point. Well, I finally read it, and now I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. (And the cover makes much more sense after reading the book.)

Miranda receives a strange note shortly after noticing that her apartment's key is not in the hiding place she and her mom had selected. "I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter." After this Miranda receives more strange notes that give clues to events occurring in the future. The solution of this puzzle is amazing as Miranda attempts to put all the pieces together.

I could so relate to Miranda's obsession with her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time, and how she carried it with her and reread it again and again. My favorite book wasn't A Wrinkle in Time, but I still remember my favorite book and how I would return to it again and again. I'm sure it was the comfort of something familiar for me and probably to a point with Miranda as well. I really liked how the story of the mysterious notes were woven into the story about Miranda's life with her mom and her friends at school. I'm not sure how much a person who hasn't read A Wrinkle in Time would get all the references to Meg and the story itself. It's probably best to at least have a working knowledge of A Wrinkle in Time, but not an absolute must.

When You Reach Me uniquely ties together a realistic story with a fantasy story in a way that allows the reader to question events and maybe investigate the long term results of his decisions. I loved how the story kept you puzzling over the clues in the mysterious letters along with Miranda. This is one of those books that you don't realize how good it is until you finish it. Wonderful story! I give it a 'B+.'

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen by M.T. Anderson

I've wanted to read The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen for a long time. It's been so long since I put it on my TBR list, that I can't remember the exact reason why I put it there. Possibly, I read a great review or received a recommendation from a student. Anyway, I was eager to delve into the story and looking forward to a funny, entertaining story.

Three friends, Lily, Jasper and Katie, travel to a ski lodge for a vacation. What's so unusual about the trio is that each stars in his or her own series of children's books. When they arrive at the resort lodge, they discover that other stars of children's book series are also guests there. When the Hooper Quints are kidnapped, a priceless necklace is stolen, and some of the lodge's mounted animal heads go missing, the friends determine to solve each of the mysteries.

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen missed meeting my expectations by a long shot. What I thought was an hilarious premise ended up just a stupid story. I honestly don't think young readers today would understand much less appreciate the references and homage to children's book series of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Even I, who at least could recognize the references, really didn't 'get' it. I just kept wishing for the end of the story to get there as fast as possible, so I could be done. This is one I won't be recommending, a 'D' grade from me.

Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler

The Brain Finds a Leg by Martin Chatterton

You have to admit the cover of this book is going to grab your attention. Besides the bright blue and yellow colors, the picture of a brain at the top with the menacing crocodile at the bottom makes you take a second look. Also, the title --The Brain Finds a Leg -- gets your brain wondering what exactly the title means.

The Brain is actually Theo Brain, the new kid in school. The Brain believes he is the world's greatest detective and recruits Sheldon as his (somewhat reluctant) partner. Together, they try to solve the mystery behind a missing surfer, strange behavior by some of the local wildlife, and a severed leg they find in the woods. What ensues is a crazy farce that includes a teacher in disguise, a toothpaste company, a brother framed for murder, and a genius machine.

When I started reading The Brain Finds a Leg, I didn't really like the character of The Brain. He seemed too pushy, too much of a know-it-all, but then I slowly began to see that that's what he is SUPPOSED to be. Eventually, I came around to liking him just a bit. The wild clues and the crazy ways The Brain and Sheldon go about unraveling the mystery can be bit over-the-top at times. Some readers will be charmed by that, while others will become annoyed and frustrated. Overall, I genuinely liked the story and will give the sequel a try. I give it a C.

Peeled by Joan Bauer

Peeled is advertised as a mystery-adventure, but it's really so much more. There's a bit of a mystery with a ghost and a haunting. But, what really stood out was Hildy's coming-of-age story. She matures from a teen to a young adult right before your eyes.

In Hildy's town, the biggest story to hit her town in years concerns events at a local "haunted house." As a reporter for her high school newspaper, Hildy investigates the events, determined to write the truth. As she becomes more involved in the story, Hildy soon learns that the truth is not always clearly seen. She's given a taste of small town politics and the first experience with censorship. When she and her journalism pals are not allowed to continue writing about the haunted house story (and the secrets they uncover) in their school newspaper, the group begins publishing an underground newspaper.

I enjoyed the many layers of Peeled. Readers will probably pick it up looking for a good mystery (with a ghost!), but will find a multi-faceted story about so much more. There's plenty of room for discussion here as well and I can't wait to discuss it with some of my students.  I give it a solid 'B'.

Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman

In this sequel to Skeleton Creek, Ryan continues his journal of the events that occurred when he and his best friend, Sarah, try to uncover all the mysteries surrounding the dredge on the edge of their town. Just like the last book, Sarah's entries are shown in a video format via a website and password. As the duo digs deeper into the mystery, they find more and more connections between the secrets of the dredge and people in town, including Ryan's dad.

Not as scary as the first book, Ghost in the Machine, instead focuses on solving the mystery and discovering who is behind it all. The videos aren't as compelling as in Skeleton Creek, but are an integral part of the story. (And I still love the concept!) I think fans of the first book will eat this one up and beg for more of Ryan and Sarah. I give this one a solid B, Recommended!