Friday Spines List: Books With Cats

Hello, my lovely readers! Here's my first list (in no particular order) containing books with cats.

• Mango of A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass
• Ratbag of Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett
• Buttercup of The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
• Faithful of The Song of the Lioness Quartet, by Tamora Pierce
• Fat Louie of The Princess Diaries series, by Meg Cabot
• The Cheshire Cat of Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carrol
• Thistle of Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright
• Richard Parker of Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
• Crookshanks of Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling
• The Fat Black Cat of Hate That Cat, by Sharon Creech
• The Cat In The Hat of The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss
• Asimov of The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall
• Harry Cat of The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden

If I've missed any of your favorite books with a cat (even if the cat is just mentioned in passing) leave me a comment and let me know!

See you on Friday-happy reading,

M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines Review

Hello, my lovely readers! My next review will cover the first book of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares.

Happy reading,
M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines Review

Hi everyone...happy Monday! (Pleasantly sarcastic laugh.) On Friday I'll be reviewing A Break With Charity, by Ann Rinaldi--it's a YA historical fiction novel about the Salem Witch Trials.

Also, I'm adding a new feature: Once-In-A-While Wednesday Lists! I'll post a list of books with a common theme, which might be title, subject, cover art, main character's name, or any other number of interesting details...and the first one will be posted on Wednesday, March 28th.

Happy reading!
M. Gabrielle

Book Review: Squashed

Friday Spines Book Review Number 23:

Squashed, by Joan Bauer

While the voice and tone of this book are similar to Joan Bauer's other books, the story is fresh and unique even compared to the wide range of literature . 

Ellie, the book's plump heroine, opens the book with a description of her "secret booster solution", which she is about to inject into the stem of her 300-pound-pumpkin. This would be boring in anyone else's words, but Ellie deftly mixes pumpkin chemistry soliloquies, worries about her weight, memories of her mother (who died in a car crash eight years ago), and obsessions about her crush (easy to identify with, but told with a fresh twist that makes it funny). 

"I already have a bad relationship with my father," I said. "I want to have a good relationship with him..."
Richard put down the bat and wiped off his hands. "I think, Ellie, that people respect people that are either like them or people they want to be like."
"So?"
"I think it's a lost cause with your father. Give it up. Be your own person."
"There's got to be something I-"
"Do you have anything in common?" Richard asked.
I thought hard. "Ice cream," I said.
"Then I'd eat a lot of ice cream together and not talk much."
"I'm on a diet."
"You could learn Japanese," he offered, swinging again.

The plot of the book tells the story of the forty-six days left until the Rock River Pumpkin Weigh-In and Harvest Fair, as Ellie tries to lose twenty pounds and Max tries to gain two hundred. There are emotional breakdowns at the pumpkin's side under pouring rain, motivational speeches (written by her father and edited to suit a pumpkin), and midnight tussles with mysterious pumpkin thieves. 

I've heard that a lot of people have trouble getting into this book--I didn't experience that at all. Although the story is by no means a thriller, its interesting, realistic characters and one-of-a-kind subject mixed with everyday themes make it an uplifting book that will call to you as soon as you put it down. The writing is clear but not overly simple, and the content--while appropriate for readers of all ages--can be appreciated more as children mature. I recommend this book for ages 9 and up, although readers in the "too cool" stage might not find it interesting: The simplicity and happy ending can portray a deceptively mundane story, but it shouldn't be disregarded by older readers.

Disclaimer: There is a happy ending. If you tend to think things are unrealistic, you'll probably find fault with it. If you let yourself be caught up in Ellie's story, though, hopefully you'll see it as I did when I first read it, and just smile to yourself and give a big "I just finished an excellent book" sigh.

Other things I like about this book:

• There's a fine line between "perfect" and "absurdly screwed-up" when it comes to characters. Although significant amounts of angst can be tiring, it's hard to be patient with someone who has it all, even in a book. The characters of Squashed are in between: They're have many of the issues any reader might, but they don't seem unrealistically flawed.
• This is the comfort food of books. The story is simultaneously soothing and stimulating, and will make you laugh, cry, and go "Oh, I've done that" through the whole book.
• There are constant references to agriculture and gardening, but they can be appreciated even by indoor types. 
• A heroine is included who isn't ridiculously good at putting on makeup!

Other books you may enjoy: Other books by Joan Bauer; The Princess Diaries series, by Meg Cabot; Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech; and A Corner of the Universe, by Ann Martin.

See you next week--happy reading!

M. Gabrielle

Next Friday Spines Review

Hello, my dear readers! Next Friday I'll be reviewing Squashed, one of Joan Bauer's many excellent books. (Warning: You'll probably start craving pumpkin pie, muffins, or fudge while or after reading this book. Don't resist.)

Happy reading!
M. Gabrielle

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time

Friday Spines Book Review Number 22: 

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle

First of all, I have a confession. This picture isn't of the cover of my edition, as it usually is. (I couldn't find a high quality picture of my cover, so I picked a different one--it's lovely though, isn't it? :)

A Wrinkle in Time is one of Madeleine L'Engle's many science fiction series for young readers. This book isn't narrated by Meg Murry, the daughter of two brilliant scientists: Her mother is a gorgeous microbiologist, and her father (a physicist who's researching the space-time continuum) has been missing for some time. "It was a dark and stormy night," begins the book, and gets only less stereotypical from there. 

Meg and her 5-year-old brother Charles Wallace, a clairvoyant, incredibly smart and open-minded boy who she's fiercely protective of, meet Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit on the dark and stormy night. The three mysterious old beings (who may take the shape of traditional witches, winged centaurs, shimmering forms, and mismatched humans) are on a quest to rid the universe of the Dark Thing, and after informing Mrs. Murry that "There is such thing as a tesseract," whisk Meg, Charles Wallace, and Meg's redheaded friend-and-maybe-more Calvin on a journey through space to find Mr. Murry.

Tessering, or "wrinkling" the ground, so that instead of walking 20 feet (or light-years) you step right from where you are to where you're going, is revealed to be what Meg's father has been experimenting with, and it apparently went wrong for him when he encountered IT, which is part of the Dark Thing. IT is a giant brain-like creature that takes control of people and makes them "equal", as it says, but as Meg realizes, "alike and equal are not the same thing at all". 

The story of Meg's missing father, the battle with the Dark Thing, and Meg's struggles with herself are not only interwoven but connected. The author goes deep into her main character's personality to connect her personal dilemmas with the widespread push-and-pull between good and evil, as well as her tangled feelings about the search for her father.

This book is excellent for readers aged 7 and up. The excellent storytelling will captivate younger readers intent on the action, but don't dismiss it as uninteresting: A Wrinkle in Time is one of those children's books that have a lot to offer to adults as well, and it's a wonderful book to discuss with a younger reader. 

Other things I like about this book:

• Madeleine L'Engle blends stereotypes with fresh personality traits to create interesting, relatable characters. 
• Charles Wallace's mild "telepathy" is present and defined, but not overdone.
• The imagery is bold--it's easy for younger readers to take in, and the author's vivid descriptions of other planets are fairly believable.
• Although the straightforward is and the syntax fairly consistent, the book will keep you engaged through the whole story, and leave you referencing it for years after you finish it.

Other books you might enjoy: The rest of the Time series, by Madeleine L'Engle; Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brian; and Half Magic, by Edward Eager.

See everyone Friday--happy reading!

M. Gabrielle