Jaemi's Reading>
Reviews on this Page: Sandpiper | Alice on Her Way | The Liberation of Gabriel King | Drowned Wednesday | Enna Burning | Grim Tuesday
Across the Wall | The Sledding Hill | Mister Monday

Reviews on Page 6: The Crimes and Punishments of Miss Payne | Once Upon a Curse | Dragon's Breath | The Frog Princess
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors | Invisible | Down the Rabbit Hole | Razzle | Buffalo Tree | Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood

Sandpiper, by Ellen Wittlinger
PiperSandpiper Hollow Ragsdale can't stand her name, or the corny reason her parents stuck her with it, especially now that they've divorced. With her mother set to remarry and her father estranged by her entry into puberty, life is feeling pretty cruel, until she finds her path crossed with that of the mysterious boy around town, whom she dubs Walker. He doesn't talk much, and won't discuss himself, but he's different than the boys in her class who've come to look at her for only one thing. And when she finds herself in danger from one of them, Walker becomes the only one she can turn to.

Her sister won't listen to her warnings, she doesn't want to add to her mom's stress with the wedding just about to happen, her new step-sister is understanding, but not yet family, and her father would explode. So even when she's learned Walker's secret, she runs to him for aid when things get out of hand. And while events take a turn for the worse, the outcome surprises everyone. Family is brought closer together, surprising truths are learned, and Walker finds himself a new home, as Piper's friends rally around him.

While this book is slightly dark in nature, the story is excellent and the message is clear. With strength and a good foundation supporting you, there's nothing you can't face.

Alice on Her Way, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
AliceAs Alice leaves behind the realm of tween-hood and heads toward sweet 16, the stories in her life take on less of a laugh-out-loud tone and turn more serious. Of course, growing up is only funny in retrospect, and were I younger I might not find Alice so funny to begin with.

Picking up about where we left off with the last book, Alice's dad is now married to her old English teacher, Lester has moved out of the house and makes only rare appearances, and she's back in the realm of the single. Most of the year is spent in worry: about her friend Pamela, about learning to drive and getting her license, about a friend who has an abusive boyfriend. And as her father saw fit to enroll her in a class at church entitled "Our Whole Lives," there is also a fair amount of thought about sex.

Furious at first, and sure she would hate the class, Alice finds she actually enjoys it, and learns a lot. As her friends take off into hasty decisions, she finds herself with a groundwork to think about not only what she chooses to do, but what they've chosen to do, and the later impact those decisions will have. Since her mother died when she was young and her stepmother is still new, this is probably the most "comfortable" way that she could ask the questions she might otherwise have been afraid to ask--and maybe that has something to do with why her father signed her up.

In the end, Pamela and her mother come to an uneasy truce, as Pamela realizes the strain her mother has been under, the friend with the abusive relationship sees the light after things take a truly violent turn, and Alice decides that driving is not the be all end all--although she does eventually pass her test. And while I'm not sure she ever admitted it to her dad, she loved her class, and passed on most of her learnings to her friends, who in the end found themselves wishing they'd been in the class with her.

I look forward to seeing where the rest of High School will lead her.
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The Liberation of Gabriel King, by K.L. Going
Gabriel KingHaving read Fat Kid Rules the World, when I saw that K.L. Going had a new book out I just wanted to read it--I didn't really care what it was about. Last night I finally got to sit down with it, a couple hours later I was done.

For all that Gabriel King is apparently one tiny boy, he more than makes up for it in personality--even if he is a great big chicken. And that's where the liberating comes in. When Gabe misses Moving Up Day because of some bullies, his best friend Frita decides something has to be done. (Though it may be more his assurance that he will not leave the fourth grade that decides her.)

Frita comes up with a plan. Gabe writes a list of all his fears, and she decides they'll tackle them one by one until he has them all crossed off. Some he tackles a little better than others. And while he never does cross off all 38 fears, he does indeed find his courage. Maybe not the liberation Frita had in mind at the outset, but a liberation none the less.

The Keys to the Kingdom: Drowned Wednesday, by Garth Nix
Drowned WednesdayAs per usual we pick up with Arthur about where we left off: home, injured, hospitalized. But this time it's not disaster or trouble that brings him back to the House, it's an invitation to dine with Drowned Wednesday, the next of the Morrow Days. Unsure how the "arranged" transportation is going to reach him, Arthur waits and counts the minutes as they pass by. Unfortunately his friend Leaf stops by to visit and is still there when his ride arrives.

This is probably the most action-packed of the series so far, though they've all been adventurous. Here we meet pirates, a whale larger than I can quite get my imagination around, the Raised Rats, and more. And not only does Arthur need to get to Drowned Wednesday, and find the third part of the Will, he also has to find and save Leaf, who was picked up by the ship meant for him, as he was left behind.

And for a change from the usual, we don't get the nice clean ending where we know we'll pick up next time. Arthur is of course set to go home and check up on things...and yet his parents are already talking to him.

I'm glad I checked beforehand and know that Sir Thursday is due out in March. I'll be eagerly awaiting!
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Enna Burning, by Shannon Hale
Enna BurningIn this companion to The Goose Girl, we once again enter the kingdom of Bayern, but this time through the eyes of Enna, once an animal laborer with the now Princess Isi. No longer a worker for the castle, Enna had returned home to her mother, who was ailing, but has now passed on, leaving on Enna and her brother. Life in the forest now seems to Enna too quiet, and she longs for something else, though she doesn't know what. Then one night her brother returns home changed, and his behavior becomes more and more erratic. Somewhere in his travels he has stumbled across a paper that taught him to create fire, and the knew knowledge has left him restless and angry. With nowhere to displace his feelings, he grows a hatred for his own country, going so far as to burn Enna for trying to dissuade him. But then news comes of impending war, and suddenly there is a new focus for the anger, as the children head off to the city.

In the first battle with neighboring Tira, Enna loses her brother to his fire, which he uses to destroy as many of the enemy as they can. Feeling she has failed him, she retrieves the vellum that gave him his skill from his body, before leaving it with the others to burn, and vows to somehow make up for her failure. Soon she too has read the fiery words and harnessed the skill to create flame, control heat, and every day she is conscious of the fact the she must not lose herself to this mysterious gift, as Leifer did.

But as war grows more imminent, Enna feels the same restlessness, and powerlessness, and will not stand by to see her country fall. When her best friend Finn joins in the augury to decide Bayern's fate, Enna intercedes to keep him from being slayed, and therefore feels a responsibility to be part of the war. So while a truce has been declared for the winter months, she sneaks off in the night to wage her own battles, eventually falling into the hands of an enemy captain, who almost succeeds in turning her against her own.

The fortuitous arrival of a friend she thought lost turns Enna's course, she breaks free, saves her friends, wins the war, and nearly loses herself in the process. Through great struggle and pain, and with the aid of strong relationships, Enna finds herself, finds her way, and finds a way to heal, while also healing her dear Isi. While the men of Tira view the women of Bayern weak, the stories of The Goose Girl and Enna Burning tell us differently, for these are amazing girls indeed.

The Keys to the Kingdom: Grim Tuesday, by Garth Nix
Grim TuesdayThe next installment in the series, Grim Tuesday picks up right where Mister Monday left off, mere hours after Arthur has returned home for what he thought would be a five or six-year break. Unfortunately, time in his realm does not equate to time in the House. To top it all off, the phone call warning him of mischief afoot gets cut off, leaving him only half in the know.

When mysterious men appear across the street with a Sold sign, and his father recieves a call that he owes his record company millions, it becomes quickly clear that something has to be done, and it won't happen here. With a little luck and help from Leaf and Suzy Blue, Arthur finds his way back into the House, but comes out where he did not expect--right at the heart of Grim Tuesday's domain.

The sense of urgency in this race against time is much greater, as greater things are now at stake. The next key, the entire state of affairs of Arthur's entire family back home, the life of the House. Can Arthur save it in time?
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Across the Wall, by Garth Nix
Across the WallThis book of collected stories begins with a novella called "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case." As a fan of the Abhorsen trilogy, I was glad to see more, and it would seem the series could continue itself with Nicholas Sayre, if it wanted to. Also included are stories on varying topics which found homes in various publications around the world. "The Hill" thus far is my other favorite. A story of a great-great-grandfater, his land, and values versus money. For anyone interested in getting a look at some of the varied sides of this author's work, this book would be a good choice to peruse.

The Sledding Hill, by Chris Crutcher
Sledding HillMeet Billy B, recently deceased, due to an unfortunate incident with a stack of sheetrock, who has stayed about to try to help console his best friend, Eddie Proffit, who was unfortunate enough to find Billy, within months of also finding his own father dead due to a similarly freakish accident. And get ready to laugh.

As grim as the underpinnings of this story may be, you'll likely be cracking up by the end of the excerpt on the cover. I was. Nine pages into it I was saying "It's hysterical." Which is probably not what you would expect from a book being told by a dead kid, but...so it is. And nothing about it is typical, or "expected."

Through Billy and Eddie, Crutcher tells a tale that takes on censorship, control, school issues, religious issues, certain familial issues....and he does it all using himself as an example, creating issue over a fictitious book he supposedly wrote. This only adds to the humor, which still abounds, for all that this is one of the more thought-provoking books I've read in awhile. That being said, while there's plenty I could say about it, I'd rather not alienate or upset any readers of this page, and so will keep most of my opinions to myself on all the touchy subjects. I will say though, that I loved this book, and plan to pass it on, and to read it again.

I also fully expect to see it challenged, and as long as that includes some debate, I'm all for it. But I also give kudos to Crutcher for continuing to confront the world and trying to change the way we look at things, as the world itself lends itself towards continuous fluidity.
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The Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday, by Garth Nix
Mister MondayAfter noticing Across the Wall on the shelf to be processed, I remembered how much I liked Garth Nix, and while I was placing a hold on the aforementioned item, thought I'd see what else was out there I hadn't read, which led me to Mister Monday, in which we meet Arthur Penhaligon, which is quite the mouthful for someone suffering from severe asthma. In fact, just starting at a new school, Arthur ends up in fear of not even finishing his first day alive, let alone popular, due to his asthma. Only the mysterious appearance of Sneezer and Mister Monday and their strange "key" saves him.

Home with this strange key, and an even stranger atlas, Arthur is left to wonder what has become of his world. Only it's about to get even stranger. Fast.

On his second day at school, not only does the building burn down, but all its occupants are quarantined, which leaves Arthur's mine spinning into spirals of despair over losing everyone he loves, and not knowing how to save them. And so begins his journey to the House, and his quest to claim the rest of the first key to the kingdom.

A very fast and enjoyable read, its next installment, Grim Tuesday, is sitting on the floor next to my desk now. I began with Garth Nix when I read Sabriel, which was a much darker sort of tale, though this one certainly has its shadows. If you enjoy escaping to fantasy realms, Nix may well be a good addition to your list.



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