Heck ~ Where the Bad Kids Go

A new look at the after-life...a hilarous story...an other worldly reform school unlike any other...Heck is a wonderful, well-paced read you are sure to enjoy.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

As a Librarian at a Jewish Day School, I have read many novels set in or touching on the Holocaust. But this novel takes that setting to a more unique place, that helps tweens especially understand what the world would have been like in Nazi Germany for people their ages.

The title character is Liesl, a young girl (a tween herself) who is living with a foster family in Germany. She is dealing with being separated from her mother and with seeing her brother die. Her foster parents care for her, but the world is a world of wartime, with less food than people want, with fear, and with a high level of anxiety. Into this mix, Zusak introduces the neighbor boy Rudy who befriends Liesel and the Mayor's wife who lives housebound in mourning for her son who has died (and from whom Liesl "steals" books). Finally, the author introduces Max, a Jew whom her foster family hides in their home. Liesl shares her books with him and befriends him. The gimmick or hook in the novel is that the narrator of the novel is a personification of Death.

This book deals with complex issues in ways that suit a wide audience. It is fascinating to adults, yet it works well for a tween audience (say, 7th and 8th grades) through High school as well.

I highly recommend it for any students in the age group learning about the Holocaust and/or World War II.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

This book is just adorable...Frederick does a great job of creating four very different, very realistic pre-teen girls. Their feelings read realistically--not as though the author is trying to remember what middle school feels like but rather, as what middle school actually does feel like!
And hopefully, we'll see a renewal of interest in "Little Women"!

The Dangerous Book for Boys by Hal Iggulden

What a great book! It looks like some cool old book you'd find on a far shelf of your grandfather's study. It is full of information that you'd find in a book on a far shelf of your grandfather's study. Yet it is so fun and fresh and full of neat facts there isn't a single modern-day boy( or girl!) who would not love this book. It is the ideal gift for a boy of any age...from 7 to seventy.

I am being told just now by one of my fellow goddesses that there is also a "Dangerous Book for Girls" but I have not seen that one yet. I'll keep you posted!

.:: the neverending story ::.

"The Neverending Story" written by Michael Ende

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Bastian would like nothing more than to leave the world he knows behind. He is bullied by other children his age, under-appreciated by his teachers in school, and his mother's death has created an emotional barrier betwen him and his father. For these reasons, Bastian is always keen to immerse himself into another book... another adventure... another person's shoes. One day, Bastian steals a mysterious book called "The Neverending Story," which tells the tale of Fantastica, a world in danger of dissapearing. An invisible force called "The Nothing" threatens to destroy Fantastica by erasing it's memories, it's stories, it's people, it's places; all of which allow Fantastica to exist.

The first half of the book jumps back and forth between Bastian's reality and the world of Fantastica which is following Atreyu, a young hero, on his quest to find the human who can save Fantastica. As the story progresses, the lines between Bastian's reality and the world of Fantastica become increasingly blurred. Eventually, Bastian finds himself inside of the story, which is where the second half of the book begins. Here, the reader follows Bastian as he saves and rebuilds Fantastica with his imagination and story weaving skills, and has numerous adventures of his own. But as he journeys further and further into Fantastica, he remembers less and less of his old life, until he faces the danger of forgetting himself completely.

When I was a child, "The Neverending Story" was one of my favourite movies. So when the book practically fell into my lap recently, I was excited to read it immediately. Ende is truly a master storyteller. The book stretches the limits of the imagination and folds in on itself in beautiful chaos. There are stories within stories within stories, creatures and characters that will bewilder and delight, and multilayered themes which make it a topic for interesting discussion. The book is catalogued in many libraries and bookstores as Junior Fiction, but I think that I would only recommend it to children who are strong readers. It is a long book and contains some pretty heavy topics that might otherwise bore a younger, less experienced reader.

.:: harry potter and the deathly hallows ::.

* no spoilers :)

"Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows" written by J K Rowling

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In the seventh and final book in the HP series, Harry has been left with a seemingly impossible task set out for him by Dumbledore: locating and destroying the remaining horcruxes (objects containing a portion of Voldemort's soul).

I found this last book to be quite satisfying, and I think most fans of the series will agree. Although Rowling's writing style never seems to be above mediocre, her talent for storytelling is admirable. Fans will submerse themselves once again into the world of wizards and witches, and feel the joy and heartbreak of the characters they've come to know so well. To be sure, this final book is much darker than it's predecessors... but, what else could fans expect, knowing that Harry and his arch-nemesis, Lord Voldemort, will meet face-to-face once again-but for the last time.

Although I've placed this post in the "tweens" section, it could just as easily belong in "teen" or "young adult." It is no secret that death has been a central theme in the HP books, so it is only suiting that we will once again have to shed tears for loss of certain characters... and Rowling has demonstrated in previous books that she does not shy away from killing off central characters beloved by her fans. Although the language and vocabulary is no more advanced than previous books, Rowling does have a few "adult words" such as 'effing' and 'bitch,' which some parents might have issue with, but which are (in my opinion) used in appropriate context.

There is also the appearance of a girlie magazine (LOL), but it is presented in such a nonchalant and innocent way, that it is hardly offensive :P

.:: the thief lord ::.

"The Thief Lord" written by Cornelia Funke

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A magical Oliver-Twist-of-a-tale that follows the adventures of two runaway brothers and their motley crew hiding in the streets of Venice and fending for themselves. They live comfortably in an old abandoned theatre and depend on the money from re-sold treasures stolen by a mysterious young boy called the Thief Lord. The adventure quickens when the Thief Lord accepts a strange and secretive 'job,' and requests the assistance of his comrades. Then there's the midnight boat chases, the greedy and surly antiques dealer, the clever detective hot on their heels and the missing piece to an aged merry-go-round that could provide the solution to all their troubles.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Funke's story is full of colourful imagery that will find reader's lost in the world she has created, furiously turning the pages to unfold the mysteries and secrets within.

15 Minutes by Steve Young

Casey Little is always late. He is late to school so often, as a matter of fact, that he is going to have to serve a year in detention. Nothing short of a miracle will keep him from being late... And then, lucky for Casey, a miracle happens! While looking for a watch in the boxes of his grandfather's things in the attic, he stumbles upon an old watch. And it's not just any old watch; it's a "Go-Back." While most of his grandfather's inventions were worthless, this one may just be the answer to Casey's prayers. Although it is a time machine, in a sense, it has very limited potential. You cannot choose to go back to the time of the dinosaurs, the time of the first flight, or even to last week. But, you can go back 15 minutes and try to do things better than before! Casey uses the "Go-Back" at home, at school, and even on the football field. Will he use the "Go-Back" for his own personal gain? Sure! But will he be able to draw the line and leave well enough alone when it really matters? Read the book to find out for yourself. -- Hestia