Flyte by Angie Sage

Book Jacket

It's been a year since Septimus Heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard.  As Apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle.

But there is something sinister at work.  Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus's brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands.  Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering?

Bring fantasy to new heights, Angie Sage continues the journey of Septimus Heap with her trademark humor and all of the clever details readers have come to love.

Review

I am loving the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage (first book, Magyk, reviewed here)!  Since the readers are already acquainted with the cast of characters, Sage wastes no time getting to the good stuff--kidnappings, escapes, dodgy hideouts, dragons, and flyte.

Septimus and Jenna are fantastic kids with whom I would happily be BFFs, regardless of the fact that they are ten years younger than me.  I loved seeing Septimus excel at magyk and Jenna settle into the authority of a Queenling.  Simon was a wonderful villan, both pitiable and horrendous. 

And c'mon.  There's a dragon!  And most everyone considers it a nuisance, not some great mystical sign of salvation (although I'm pretty sure it might turn out to be just that).  I can't wait to read the next book in Sage's series.

Five out of five Thunderflashes.

Release Date:  March 2006
Reading Level:  Grade 4+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  YPL SAG

Goddess Girls: Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Book Jacket

Artemis's friends and classmates see her as the most courageous goddessgirl at school.  Little do they know that despite her expert archery skills, the smelly Geryon, ring-nosed Minotaurs, and scorpions in Beast-ology class scare her as much as they do anyone else!  But what's really bothering her now is that funny feeling she has whenever she looks at Orion.  She's never had a crush before.  Will she find the courage to talk to Orion, to make him see her as more than a pal, and to ace Beast-ology class?

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series.  Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

Review

I am a huge fan of Greek mythology in any incarnation, so when a teacher friend of mine recommended these Middle Grade books about the gods and goddesses as middle schoolers, I had to check them out.  And I'm glad I did!  While the lessons are pretty heavy-handed, it is a fun, quick read.  I was really excited to see Orion as a character (since that is the only constellation I can ever find), and while he was a rather awful person, I found him hilarious.

The little bits of mythology thrown in were my favorite parts, such as when Apollo sighs that he should have known Daphne didn't like him because she kept hiding behind trees.  There's humor, friendship, and lessons about love and courage in Artemis the Brave.  I'm guessing the other books in the series (starring Athena, Aphrodite, and Persephone) will be similarly great.  Definitely recommended for younger readers!

Four out of five minotaurs.

Release Date:  December 2010
Reading Level:  Grade 1+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  J HOL

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Book Jacket

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.  He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.  There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy--an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.  But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family.

Review

A story about a boy raised by ghosts could very easily become campy, but Gaiman tells the story of Nobody Owens (brilliant name) with a very gothic and fairy tale feel.  Bod's adventures growing up are both mystical and very natural, as Gaiman captures the personality of a typical boy growing up.  I loved every bit, from the deliciously terrifying organization that is out to kill Bod (the Jacks of All Trades) to his friendship with a girl who thinks he is her imaginary friend.  I especially loved Miss Lupescu and Silas, Bod's guardians, who are a werewolf and a vampire respectively, but unlike any werewolf or vampire you've read before.

Gaiman's talent lies in making the mundane terrifying and the terrifying mundane.  In the graveyard with Bod, the ghosts are friendly and protective.  Outside in the real world is where the danger lies.

Brilliant book.  This was my second readthrough, and I loved it even more this time.

Five out of five epitaphs.

Release Date:  September 2008
Reading Level:  Grade 5+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  J GAI

Paws to Read

On Saturday morning, the Peoria Humane Society brought in some of their trained therapy dogs so Dunlap patrons could read to the world's most appreciative audience.  Obviously, much adorableness ensued. 

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Book Jacket

About the author:  Hiccop Horrendous Haddock III was a truly extraordinary Viking Hero, Warrior chieftain, awesome sword-fighter, and amateur naturalist.  He was known thorughout Vikingdom as "the Dragon Whisperer" on account of his power over the terrifying beasts.

But it wasn't always like that...

Review

I am going to lead a book club on How to Train Your Dragon on January 24 (upcoming events are listed here), and I am excited to talk about this book with 3rd-5th graders!  And maybe draw our own dragons, complete with lists of skills and attributes, because how is that not awesome?

I have not seen the movie based on Cowell's book, so my opinions are strictly book-related.  And I loved it.  Hiccup is instantly likable and relateable, if you are intimidated by dragons and unsure that you can live up to your parent's expectations.  Hiccup has brains while his rival for the Viking chieftainship has brawn.  I will always be in favor of brains defeating brawn.

Hiccup's relationship with Toothless, his dragon, was also wonderful.  Toothless is wholly self-interested and arrogant, but no dragon can remain unmoved by the power of Hiccup's jokes and kindness. 

Also, can I just say that Cowell is a brilliant writer who obviously enjoys the English language?  Her character's names are inspired and hilarious, and the whole story is told with a very fairy tale-esque flavor.  The pictures that accompany characters and scenes are also truly funny.

Four out of five dragons.

Release Date:  May 2004
Reading Level:  Grade 3+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  J COW

Matched by Ally Condie

Book Jacket

In the Society, officials decide who you love.  Where you work.  When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices.  It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate.  So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.  Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices:  between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow--between perfection and passion.

Review

I was so much looking forward to the release of this book that I accidentally ordered two copies for our library.  I do not regret this, because I think this dystopian story deserves to fly off the shelves.

The world that Condie created is fantastically believable.  Set at some unknown date in the future, the Society closely monitors all human activity, guaranteeing peace, order, and a kind of happiness.  Everyone's life is planned for them, and I found myself understanding the appeal of such a system. 

Finding love is very tedious, and how are you ever going to know if the person you end up with is really meant for you?  Well, the Society matches you with the person who most complements your personality and genetics.  Finding a job is stressful, and you knows if you will be able to find something that will fulfill you and use your skills?  The Society monitors your schoolwork and playtime, so that when they assign your job to you, it is tailor-made to your preferences.  And getting old is terrifying, what with the gradual process of losing your bodily functions or your mind.  The Society takes care of that too, with enforced euthenasia at age 80, so that everyone gets to live a long healthy life without having to deal with the inevitable slow decline.

What I love about dystopian books is this:  yes, life might actually be better if someone regulated and arranged big life choices for us.  But is that worth giving up free will?  Obviously, most books choose no, it's not worth it, and Matched is no exception.  Throw in some shady Outer Province wars and the hints of more overt manipulation, and I'm fairly certain a revolution is in the works for the rest of the series (yes, this is the first of a planned trilogy).

I also loved Cassia's family.  It was so nice to see loving and supportive parents when broken homes are far more common in today's novels.  Condie acknowledges the benefits of the Society in the portrayal of Cassia's parents--they are perfectly suited for each other, and genuinely love each other despite the arranged marriage.  Cassia's grandfather was one of my favorite characters in the book, as he subtly fights against the system by encouraging creativity and hiding the most dangerous weapon of all:  human words, a poem that opens Cassia's mind and urges her to rage against injustice instead of sit idly by. 

The only thing I didn't like was the appearance of yet another YA love triangle.  I loved Xander, Cassia's lifetime best friend, who is funny and caring and genuinely loves her.  But he was shunted to the side fairly quickly in favor of the mysterious and haunted Ky.  Ky's archetype is pretty prevelent in our culture, so I'm sure more readers will prefer him, but I just wanted Cassia to end up with someone she can love without the drama.  I guess no drama would make for a boring read, though.

Anyway, romance qualms aside, Matched was a truly excellent book.  It's gearing up to take the YA world by storm (and it is already optioned for movie making), so everyone should definitely check this one out!

Five out of five green pills.

Release Date:  November 2010
Reading Level:  Grade 7+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  YPL CON

The Fury by L. J. Smith

Book Jacket

Love can kill.

Elena: with Damon at her side, and wild with her craving for blood, the changed Elena struggles to control her desires.

Damon: his hunger for the golden girl wars with his hunger for revenge against Stefan.

Stefan: tormented after losing Elena, he will do anything to get her back.  Even if it means becoming what he once despised...

Getting what they want may come at a deadly cost.

Review

The Fury is a quick read, but ultimately, I found it pretty disappointing.  It is the third book in L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries series (my review of the first two can be found here), so don't read this if you want to avoid being spoiled!

There was a lot of potential in this book:  seemingly dead people come back to life, misdirection as to who really is the Big Bad, and Elena's nearly complete personality change after becoming a vampire.

But...the potential never actually had a great payoff.  I was most excited about the change in Elena, and figuring how and why it happened.  But the cause was never explained, and she became the same old Elena as soon as she read her diary.  I still don't see the point of her character change for the first couple chapters.

There was also a potentially interesting relationship shift between brothers Stefan and Damon.  First there was reluctant cooperation, leading toward a grudging trust.  However, once again, the idea was far more interesting than anything that happened on the page.  I wanted more!

Apparently there is still one more book in the Vampire Diaries series, but I honestly have no idea what else can happen.  I'll read it, but my hopes are low.  However, I keep hearing good things about the TV show, so I will probably check that out someday soon...

Two out of five mysterious tigers.

Release Date:  1991
Reading Level:  Grade 8+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection:  Not owned by Dunlap.