Next Friday Spines Review

Hello lovely readers! Next week's review will feature To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I've been dying to review it but didn't want to be cliche....



This is the cover of my edition. Did you read the same one, or have an earlier (or later) copy? Maybe you met Scout through the audiobook? Did you read this book in school, or on your own-or see the movie first?
Tell me about your reading experience of To Kill A Mockingbird in the comments section below. :)

Happy reading--see everyone Friday!
M. Gabrielle

Book Review: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Friday Spines Book Review Number 17:

The Evolution Of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly

Calpurnia Tate and her evolution take place in the hot, hot summer of 1899. Her small Texas town has much the same attitude toward her upbringing as her large Texan family (complete with grandparents and six brothers): girls should be taught to cook, clean, and nor ask questions. Calpurnia Virginia Tate, or Callie Vee as she was called when she was eleven, hated to clean and cook, and she loved to ask questions. She pondered the different kinds of grasshoppers in her front yard, made drawings of the hunting dogs' mouths as they lay yawning in the sun, and searched her town's tiny library for Darwin's publicly ridiculed book "Origin of Species".

As Callie Vee decides to cut an inch of her hair off a week--afraid that her mother will notice but unable to bear the hot weight of it down her back--she becomes friends with her grandfather, a white-bearded, formidable man who spends most of his time in his library, inventing things and reading. She grows closer to him over the summer as she gains the skills of asking questions, looking at the world, and seeing people as they are.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a book with light writing that tells of a hot, heavy place going through great changes. Much like Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, there's tension the "way things are" and the "way things will be", and it's eloquently narrated by a spunky, unique young girl. The writing is easy to read but powerful, and the plot will keep you gently engaged through the Evolution.

Callie Vee's story is appropriate for all ages. You may want to use it as a read-aloud book for younger readers (it works well as a bedtime story in installments), or devour it all in one sitting by yourself. It's recommended for ages 7 and up, not for inappropriate contents but because Callie Vee's vocabulary is extensive and might discourage younger readers.

Other things I liked about this book:

• The cover of this book fits the story perfectly, and the chapter titles have fun fonts (a nice boost if you're trying to stay awake, which won't be a problem with this book).
• Callie's relationship with her brothers. Although they're be constantly in each other's way, Callie appreciates them all as individuals and is willing to share her experiences and adventures when her brothers are willing to listen.
• The ending! I won't give you any details, but it fits the story perfectly and is exciting without being unnecessarily dramatic.
• The interesting, concise excerpt from "Origin of Species" at the beginning of each chapter.

Other books you may enjoy: To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery; and The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.


Don't forget to check back on Thursday for the announcement of the next book!
Happy reading,
M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines Review

Hello, my lovely readers! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. :) This Friday I'll be reviewing The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly; it's perfect for the rainy weather we've been having here...

Happy reading--see everyone on Friday!
M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines review

Hello, my lovely readers! This Friday I'll be reviewing Wild Roses, by Deb Caletti. Make sure you check out the other books by this author: She has a distinct style in both writing and plots, but you can read all of her books without getting tired of any of them.

Happy reading--see you on Friday!
M. Gabrielle

Book Review: Juniper

Friday Spines Book Review Number 15:

Juniper, by Monica Furlong,

Juniper is book two in the excellent Doran series. I read it before book one (called Wise Child) as it's actually set before Wise Child. This might also have something to do with the fact that I didn't actually own Wise Child at the time...who knows? They can be read in any order.

Juniper follows a girl, called Ninnoc. Her father is the king of Cornwall, a place that should be peaceful and happy, but the serene beauty of the land and its inhabitants is being thwarted. The slightly vain and spoiled Ninnoc doesn't pay much attention to the situation in the Wooden Palace until a harsh, dirty-looking woman named Euny comes to consult with her father. Ninnoc is bothered by Euny, and throws several tantrums when she learns that, in a year's time, she is to live with the woman--her godmother, much to the girl's shock--for a year and a day. She will not be forced to go, but when the time comes, she somehow feels the unease floating about her home and decides that leaving it is the right thing to do.

Life with Euny is hard for the young girl. Her powerful godmother scorns her naiveté, refusing to help her dress, find food (Euny barely seems to eat) and call her by her childhood nickname, as "Ninnoc" turns out to be. Juniper, as she is called now, must memorize endless lists of useless-seeming herbs, clean the tiny cottage and prepare meals for the two of them. She becomes used to the work, and even comes to enjoy the solitude that at first tortures her. A stay with Euny's gentle friend Angarad, frightening ceremonies and the acquisition of an owl companion named Moon are in Juniper's year and a day with her godmother, and when she returns to the Wooden Palace, she discovers a childhood enemy who may have grown as much as she.

The story of Juniper is as mesmerizing as the writing. This is a book you'll want to read alone at home, preferably when it's raining and you have access to unlimited tea. Juniper is written in a way that will stay with you for years afterward, giving you quiet strength as you remember Juniper's story.

Girls may especially enjoy this book, as there are many strong female characters in the story, but men are represented as well. It's recommended for ages 10 and up, as younger readers may find it harder to identify with Juniper's newfound awareness of herself at the end of the story. There's no inappropriate content--the book contains magic (not the Harry Potter sort, more of the kind you'd find among the women of King Arthur's time) but does not disrespect any religions.

Other things I liked about this book:

• Juniper's struggle (the want for power against what she knows is right) is not depicted in black and white. We can empathize with her no matter what side she takes, and will leave readers questioning other simpler stories. Also, this angle of the age-old conflict is not often discussed, and is an interesting take on a seemingly simple question.
• The imagery is stunning: Even when Juniper fails to notice a cloud formation or particular plant, it is pointed out to us in vivid but not overly detailed language.
• Symbolism is explained to the reader in the book. You'll get more out of it when read with similar stories (see the bottom of my post), but a detailed knowledge of symbolism isn't needed to appreciate the author's adept use of it.

Other books you may enjoy: The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley; Ten Queens, by Milton Meltzer; and Women of Ceamelot, by Mary Hoffman.

Happy reading!

M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines Review

Hello lovely readers! Happy Monday--if you read enough books it's not too bad.

Your next Friday Spines review will feature Juniper, book 2 in Monica Furlong's Doran series. It's actually a prequel to Wise Child, the first published and slightly more well known book, but as I read Juniper before Wise Child, I'll be reviewing Juniper this Friday. Do read the whole series, though. :)

See you on Friday; happy reading!
M. Gabrielle

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society

Friday Spines Book Review Number 14:

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society, at first glance, seems like a book written for a very specific group of readers, most likely excluding you. Buy the book for your ten-year-old son, daughter, niece or nephew—and don’t be surprised if they ask you for the sequels, as well as a big red bucket—but read it first.

Reynie Muldoon, Kate Wetherall, Sticky Washington, and Constance Contraire are perhaps the four unlikeliest children to pass a series of extraordinarily difficult tests, set by them by the mysterious Mr. Benedict, and qualify for an extraordinarily difficult and dangerous mission. Then again, as he reminds them, they are extraordinary children. Sticky, who’s 11, is an oddly bald boy with huge spectacles who remembers everything he sees. Reynie—also 11—is quite average looking, but has an uncanny ability to read people, and a knack for doing the right thing. Kate is 12, and has long blonde hair, more flexibility than anyone besides her could know what to do with, and a red bucket (in which she stores rope, an extra-strength magnet, a slingshot and bag of marbles, a spyglass disguised with a kaleidoscope, and other useful things). Constance is a tiny blonde girl, who is always crabby and doesn’t seem to be good at anything besides making up annoying poetry. All four children answer an advertisement in the newspaper (“ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?”) and, after being singled out through several tests, are brought together in a creaky old house and told that they are the last hope of the world.

“The Emergency” that has been occupying newspaper headlines, adult conversations and government meetings for several years is apparently all a hoax, according to the eccentric but compelling Mr. Benedict. A man named Mr. Curtain has orchestrated the troubling worldwide situation to gain control of the world, and strangely enough, the people he disdains the most—children—are the only people who can put his plan into place. And the only people who can stop him.

So the newly formed Mysterious Benedict Society, after much education, discussion, and rhyming complaints—on Constance’s part—sets out for the sinister Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (LIVE; or EVIL spelled backwards as Reynie points out) a school on Nomansan Island. Their mission: To infiltrate the eerie Institute, and find out as much as possible without being noticed. This is easy for Reynie, who is used to being ordinary; he and adventurous Kate, irritable—and irritating—Constance and shy but brilliant Sticky learn much more than the reason behind Mr. Curtain’s menacing behavior and how to get on the bad side of nasty Executives.

Now go read the book. 


...


You didn't. You're still here. As much as I appreciate your utter devotion to my blog, dear reader, this is a book that you really must read, and you won't do it on your own! I was reluctant to pick this book up ("Oh, it's so long; there's too many characters to keep straight; I should have read it years ago, it'll be boring now!") but once I did start reading I didn't put it down until I finished it. Admittedly if that doesn't happen to me it's rather a bad book, but even so.

The writing is compelling in a way that keeps you completely engaged in the story without even realizing that you've set the house on fire (with you in it), sucks you across Stonetown Harbor to the Institute while you're actually stuck on a 10 hour flight to somewhere cold and wet, makes you late for appointments and keeps you up all night. And once you've finished the first book, you'll drop everything to get the second. And third. And wait in line for the fourth (possibly coming out in April 2012). You get my point.

This book has no inappropriate content. I recommend it for ages 10 and up (hint hint) but only because younger children might have a harder time understanding the story. On the other hand, read the book yourself and see if it's appropriate for the 8-year-old you had in mind!

Other things I liked about this book:

• The few stereotypes that are in this book are quickly and thoroughly smashed: The girls are self-sufficient, and the evil people aren't bad all the way through (but there aren't a lot of cheesy changes of heart).
• Unlike many popular books for children, the younger characters in this book take the adults seriously, and respect their advice.
• It's paced fast enough that you're drawn in, but not fast enough that your neck gets tense and you forget to blink.
• The characters don't always make the right decisions, or find the solution to problems immidiately: They're human enough to identify with, but smart enough to look up to.

Other books you might like: To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick; Rule of the Road, by Joan Bauer. 

All links lead to Goodreads except for the one below. 

Click here for the Mysterious Benedict Society's website

Happy reading!

M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines review

Hi lovely readers!
The next Friday Spines review (which will be out on Friday, as usual) will feature The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart. This book has two sequels which are also excellent and highly recommended--do read them! :)


Happy reading--see you on Friday!
M. Gabrielle