Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy

Title: Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Published: 2014
Pages: 233
First Line: In the end the Queen was nothing like she was in the stories the Marvellous Boy had been told, first as a child beside the hearth and later by the wizards.

"She was running out of the room as fast as she could, with the sword raised before her. She called back to her father. "I'll be back soon. I've just got to save the world."

Ophelia’s father is the world’s leading expert on swords, which is why she, and her sister Alice are staying in a fancy museum while her father curates a much-awaited exhibit. Alice, fourteen and distant since the death of their mother, has little time for Ophelia, preferring instead to enjoy the privileges and treats laid out before her by the cold and aloof museum director, Ms. Kaminski. With her sister and father busy, this leaves Ophelia to explore the museum largely unchaperoned – except for the guards knitting in the corners, that is (I would love to be a knitting guard, by the way).

I’m not entirely sure what kind of museum this is (it’s either unclear or I completely missed it) but it is housed within a palace and has pretty much everything you could imagine – dinosaurs, armour, doll houses, clothes, paintings, everything. While wondering, Ophelia comes across a room with beautiful mosaics set into the floor and walls, mosaics and sea creatures, and a boy her age, a boy holding a sword and referred to as “The Marvellous Boy”. It is while admiring these that she hears a voice, a call for help.

“And you might think a name is just a name, nothing but a word, but that is not the case. Your name is tacked to you. Where it has joined you, it has seeped into your skin and into your essence and into your soul. So when they plucked my name from me with their spell, it was as heavy as a rock in their hands but as invisible as the wind, and it wasn't just the memory of my name, but me myself. A tiny part of me that they took and stored away.” 

Locked in a bare room is the Marvellous Boy himself. He has been imprisoned by the Snow Queen and has mere days remaining to claim his freedom, find “The Other One” who will recover his lost sword, and help him defeat the Snow Queen. Unfortunately, he has enlisted the help of a rather scientifically-minded young girl. She has no time for his talk of wizards, magic, swords, and evil queens. She is going to stay out of trouble and go ice-skating with her sister, not go on a crazy hunt for keys, dodging man-eating misery birds. Right? Of course not.

I really wanted to love Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, going in I felt the story had the right level of simple magic and straight forward quest to really hit the nail on the head for a quick younger read. Unfortunately, I felt it dragged a bit, to the point where I even considered putting it down (very unlike me). It had a lot of promising elements – I loved the idea of the wizards taking away the boy’s name to keep it safe, and I would have liked to have explored the museum a little more, because it’s range of exhibits fascinated me, but ultimately these elements did not outweigh the holes in the plot (more information on the Snow Queen’s motivations, what happened to the King?) and the repetition (go here and find a key, then go there and find another key, oh but then the key you really need…). The novel had its charms, but not enough to make me love it. 3/5

Other Reviews Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

PICTURE THIS!

There’s something so very special about getting a parcel in the mail – and something else special again when you know it contains books. My library got a lovely little package of books today and I was very tempted just to sit it on the circulation desk and gaze at it adoringly all day long. However (and even better!) both the library assistant and I knew it was full of picture books and neither of us could resist ripping into it and seeing what had been picked out for us.

And, honestly, who can resist reading their way through a stack of shiny new picture books? If you’re able to resist that you’re a stronger-willed person than I, that’s for sure. They were an eclectic collection today, and there were definitely some I enjoyed more than others, but there were one or two that I thoroughly loved and have already recommended to (read: pushed into the hands of) some students.

Title: Me and Moo

Author: P. Crumble and Nathaniel Eckstrom

Published: 2015

Pages: 23

This book has everything that makes for a winning picture book - adorable illustrations, an endearing narrator, and a simple, yet engaging storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Moo, chuckling along at the small jokes and absolutely fawning over the pictures. A quick read, even for a picture book, I encourage everyone to go and learn about the heart warming relationship between Moo and 'me'. 5/5

Title: Those Pesky Rabbits

Author: Ciara Flood

Published: 2015

Pages: 40

Another example of illustrations that had me delighted - I loved the huge roundness of Mr. Bear, but those little bunnies? So cute. I tried to feel sad for Mr. Bear, being swarmed by these 'pesky' new neighbours of his, but, truly, I knew where the story was going to end up and I was eagerly awaiting his happy new outlook on life. I wasn't disappointed. Charming story, adorable illustrations, beautiful all around. 5/5

Title: The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade

Author: Davina Bell

Published: 2015

Pages: 32

Normally with picture books, it's the illustrations that really draw me in. I, naturally, always love a good story, but usually it's the wanna-be-illustrator in me that's picking up the book in the first place. This is one instance where, despite enjoying the illustrations, it was actually the story itself that I found myself loving. The central character of The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade, Alfie, is a young boy with a rather nervous disposition. He's all set to play Captain Starfish in the school play, but at the last minute finds himself unable to go through with it. Alfie is blessed, however, with wonderfully supportive parents, who provide him with the love and wisdom needed for him to make his own progress. I don't know whether it was my own identification with Alfie's fear and anxiety, or whether it was just the virtue of the story itself, but I adored this one and am already looking forward to reading it again. 5/5

Title: Ride, Ricardo, Ride!

Author: Phil Cummings and Shane Devries

Published: 2015

Pages: 32

You never really have to go searching too far for a war-themed picture book. There are some truly fantastic ones out there, as well as plenty of mediocre ones, but I often feel that the sheer number of them out there makes it hard for any new ones to impress. I can't say that Ride, Ricardo, Ride will make it to the top of my go-to list for this theme, but it did have some interesting features of note. I particularly enjoyed that the soldiers themselves are never seen, nor even referred to as soldiers, but simply 'shadows'. I enjoyed the art work, though found the contrast between the highly saturated, almost oil-painting like main pages and the simpler, vintage-looking (think Blyton) line illustrations to be an interesting choice. 4/5

Title: This is Captain Cook

Author: Tania McCartney and Christina Booth

Published: 2015

Pages: 40

I can't quite decide if I liked this book or not, which is an uncomfortable place to be writing a review from. I thought the way in which the story was told (through the format of a school play) was quite interesting and something I'd never come across before. I really liked the quite realistic portrayal of the families, among whose silhouettes the reader is watching the play from, but the story and the play itself was quite dry and not necessarily an interesting read. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it managed three stars from me on the basis of it's structure. 3/5

Title: Green Tree Frogs

Author: Sandra Kendell

Published: 2015

Pages: 32

Unfortunately this was another example of a book that didn't quite hit the mark. It was an excellent example of alliteration and onomatopoeia if you're looking for something for your classroom, but the story itself fell short - both as an example of a text explaining the development of frogs from tadpoles, and as one relating the beauty of growing up in a nature rich environment. Again, a book I wanted to like more than I did. 2/3

The Moorchild

Eloise McGraw

Published: 1996

Pages: 241

Awards: Newberry Honor Book

It was Old Bess, the Wise Woman of the village, who first suspected that the baby at her daughter's house was a changeling.
For a time she held her peace. Many babies were I'll-favored, she told herself. Many babies cried with what seemed like fury against the world - though this little Saaski had not done so as a newborn. It even seemed to Old Bess that the child had not looked quite like this for the first few months, but somehow she could never quite remember.

Moql was one of the Folk, a young magical creature who spent her time learning the ways of her people and playing on the Moor. Except Moql isn't like the other young Folk. She isn't as skilled as they are - and that can get them all in trouble. Declared a danger to the band, half-Folk, half-Human Moql is banished, exchanged for one of the beautiful human children in the nearby village. She becomes a Changeling.
Banished to human existence, Moql becomes Saaski and quickly forgets the life she left behind. Unfortunately for Saaski, forgetting doesn't make her any more human, and her odd ways quickly make her a target for the other children's hostilities and causes no end of trouble for her and her 'parents'.
It is only on the moor, free to run and roam with her music and Tam, the traveling companion of a tinker, and her only friend, that she has any peace. But what happens when the village people are no longer willing to live with her oddities. What happens when she starts to remember?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Moorchild for it's innocence and old-world charm. Despite the darker passages dealing with poor Saaski's treatment by the other villagers (rather Grimm-like, I felt), the book on the whole had a wonderfully European fairytale atmosphere which was a far cry from the current slew of fairy novels written for children at the moment.
The books was rich in texture, layering local dialects (beautifully reminiscent of The Secret Garden) over old-world folktales to create a very authentic window into this folksy world.
Definitely recommended for fairytale lovers of any age.
4/5

The BSC returns

The Babysitters Club Graphic Novels
Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier

#1 Kristy’s Great Idea
#2 The Truth About Stacey
#3 Mary Anne saves the Day

 

How many of you read The Babysitters Club when you were younger? If you were anything like me, you had piles of them.

I can remember, all too clearly, my memories of the BSC. I remember sitting on my bed with a pile of them and spending all day reading. I remember having to run out to my mother at the beginning of chapters because I couldn’t read the handwriting (especially Mary Anne’s cursive). And I remember the day my cousin bequeathed her collection to me – it was a rather large collection and I felt I had been handed quite a treasure.

Well the Babysitters are back. And when I saw the first three graphic novels at my library I just had to grab them – despite my sister’s eye rolling. What can I say? she was never a BSC fan.

Raina Telgemeier’s treatment of the story is absolutely fantastic, completely true to Ann M. Martin’s original books. Her artwork, likewise, is superb: not only is it wonderful on an artistic level, it completely satisfied me on a fan basis.

If you were a fan of the series – or maybe you have a child you’d like to introduce it to – I’d recommend your seeking them out. Despite my having read them many times before, I thoroughly enjoyed reading these new graphic novels. I, however, take no responsibility for any ten-year-old tendencies that may resurface as a result of reading. 4/5

 

 

Challenges

• 100+ Reading Challenge

Magical tales…

M is for Magic
Neil Gaiman
published 2007; 249 pages

Stories that you read when you're the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you'll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit. (ix)

 

I was never a great fan of short stories as a whole until I discovered Neil Gaiman. And while I love all his writing, it is his collections of short stories that I have been devouring.

M is for Magic is a collection aimed at a younger audience. Though it appears to be marketed (and shelved, in my libraries case) at a junior level, it is probably more appropriate for a middle to YA level. With life-eating trolls, story-telling months and ghosts to boot, this collection is sure to please. The richness of Gaiman’s voice does not go lacking.

My only point of concern with the collection was that several of the short stories are found in other collections (Angels and Visitations and Fragile Things) – certainly not a problem, just something to be aware of. 3.5/5

 

 

Challenges

• 100+ Reading Challenge
• A-Z Challenge
• Neil Gaiman Challenge

His Dark Materials, Book 1

The Golden Compass Philip Pullman
351 pages; published 1995

"We are all subject to the fates. But we must all act as if we are not, or die of despair...death will sweep through all the worlds; it will be the triumph of despair, forever. The universes will all become nothing more than interlocking machines, blind and empty of thought, feeling, life..."

The roofs and roads of Oxford are Lyra's home; she has scaled their heights in adventurous play, and mapped their length in bitter warfare against the town’s children. It is a life both endearingly simple and unendingly complex, but it is Lyra's own, and she loves it.

But, just as Lyra cannot stay a child forever, her days of raucous freedom must too come to an end. Forced to leave behind her days of dodging the educating attempts of scholars, Lyra is thrown headfirst into a world he barely recognises. A world where no one can be trusted and nothing is safe - not even a child's soul.

Lyra travels with the Gyptians over land and sea in her attempt to rescue her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel, but is stopped at every turn by Gobblers, clockwork beetles and armoured bears.

The Golden Compass (originally/also titled Northern Lights) is a book that doesn't diminish, but rather improves with each reading. Lyra's world is such a richly detailed one that each read surfaces something new and delightful.

It is a wonderful blend of fantasy and science fiction (a good example of steampunk for those so inclined - something the film visually represents remarkably well), using a good balance of both to establish the series.

Intended as a children's book (middle grade/YA), it is, nevertheless, one that should appeal to all ages, child and adult alike. Followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy is a must read. (5/5)

The Weather Fairies

The Weather Fairies [Rainbow Magic, books 8-14] Daisy Meadows
published 2000

On her last vacation, Rachel Walker met her new best friend Kirsty. Together the pair was able to save the Fairy Kingdom by restoring all the Rainbow Fairies to power and defeating the evil Jack Frost and his goblins.

Now on heir summer break, the girls once again meet up – and luckily for the Fairy Kingdom, for Jack is once again wreaking havoc. He has stolen each of the seven magic tail feathers used by the Weather fairies to set weather in the Kingdom. Rachel and Kirsty, with the help of the Weather Fairies must find and return each of these feathers before Jack Frost plunges the world into an eternal winter.

I started reading these books so that I could adequately fulfil my part as ‘Kirsty’ when my six-year-old cousin came over to “play”. But that was fifteen books ago, and I’ve now got to face the reality that I’m hooked. The books are a nice, ‘easy-to-read-yourself’ type story aimed at the 6-10 age bracket and the girls are smart characters, able to think themselves out of a whole range of problems. While I preferred the fairies from the first series, the Rainbow Fairies, I’d have to say that I think the villains (the goblins) were better written in this set – they were threatening this time around. 4/5

Dare to read aloud….

Inkheart Cornelia Funke
543 pages; published 2003

So Mo began filling the silence with words. He lured them out of the pages as if they had only been waiting for his voice, words long and short, words sharp and soft, cooing, purring words. They danced through the room, painting stained-glass pictures, tickling the skin. (252)

There are books, and then there are books for booklovers. Inkheart definitely falls into the second category.

Twelve year old Meggie Folchart inherited her love of reading from her father Mo (Mortimer), a dedicated bookbinder. Everything about their lives together revolves around their shared passion: reading books, talking about books, collecting books…

Until the day a strange man, with an even stranger name (Dustfinger) turns up and disrupts Meggie’s understanding of the world. Suddenly books aren’t quite as safe as they used to be, her father is not the simple man he always seemed, and villains are no longer limited to the page.

I hate the idea of seeing a movie based on a book BEFORE actually reading the book, so I’ll admit that I bought this book before I really knew what it was about – just that it was had a pretty cover and was something about books… luckily it all worked out well.

Inkheart was a very enjoyable read, a real adventure story for booklovers. The idea of people and creatures literally leaping out of a book through the power of a reading voice is an amazingly beautiful one – even if it’s uncontrollability did have dire consequences in this book. How many times have you wished the books you love could just come to live beside you?

The relationship between Meggie and Mo was heartwarming, a father and daughter with no one but each other, and I hope to see that that progresses with the rest of the trilogy, as Meggie continues to mature – especially in face of everything Inkheart puts her through.

I did feel that the book was a little on the long side, like it dragged a little towards the end, however I will own up to having spent a rather long – and interrupted – time reading it. I am very curious to see how the rest of the series unfolds in Inkspell and Inkdeath. 4/5

The Only Light in the Dark

The City of Ember
Jeanne DuPrau
267 pages; published 2004


"So the first Mayor of Ember was given the box, told to guard it carefully, and solemnly sworn to secrecy. When she grew old, and her time as mayor was up, she explained about the box to her successor, who also kept the secret carefully, as did the next mayor. Things went as planned for many years. But the seventh mayor of Ember was less honorable than the ones who'd come before him, and more desperate. He was ill - he had the coughing sickness that was common in the city then - and the thoughts the box might hold a secret that would save his life. He took it from its hiding place in the basement of the Gathering Hall and brought home with him, where he attacked it with a hammer...." (4)


Lina is twelve years old, which is a very exciting age for those who live in the city of Ember, for it is at twelve that children leave school and receive their first job. Lina is hoping to be assigned the job of messenger: she loves to explore and none of her peers can run as fast as her. But, horror of horrors, Lina is not assigned the coveted role of messenger, but of that of a pipe worker; the worst of all assignments.

When her ever-serious classmate Doon approaches her after school, wanting to swap his messenger job for her position at the underground Pipeworks, she’s too relieved to really question it. But then things start to happen: there are strange messages to deliver, blackouts that last longer and longer, and a sudden increase in the rationing of every item.

And then Lina finds a set of secret instructions, destroyed by her baby sister’s gummy chewing. What are they instructions for? Are these secret instructions related to the sudden silent panic and whispering of the mayor, or the determined investigating of Doon? What is happening in Ember?

Stories of the post-apocalyptic genre are one of my favourites, especially ones like these in the vein of Lowry’s The Giver. I’ll admit that I picked up The City of Ember from the library because I knew they were making it into a movie and wanted to beat it to the theatre. Because I knew little more about the book than that, I was surprised to see how young an audience it was aimed at. Because of this, I found it a little predictable in places, but this may not be the case for a younger reader newer to the genre. I liked the characters of Doon and Lina, but can’t help but think they would have been afforded a little more development if they were older. 3.5/5

Other Reviews
Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

Rapunzel's Revenge

Shannon and Dean Hale

Illustrated by Nathan Hale

144 pgs; published 2008

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel, right? Locked away in a tall tower by an evil witch until the day a handsome, hair-climbing prince comes along to rescue her. Well. Not in this version. For starters, this Rapunzel’s got spunk; she’s not going to just hang around waiting to be rescued. This girl’s out for revenge; revenge against the evil witch who kidnapped her, forced her parents into slavery, and named her after a lettuce.

But Rapunzel soon learns that life outside her tower isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that seeking revenge may be harder that she had anticipated. Mother Gothel’s magic and greed has affected all the surrounding lands, leaving the population poverty stricken and distrustful. This idealistic hair lasso-er, however, may be just what they need to set things straight.

First of all, I have to say that Rapunzel’s Revenge is hilarious. It has infused its text and images with so much humour that I laughed out loud through the whole thing. I love a good story retelling and this one was even better than I had expected. If you enjoy fractured fairytales then I’d definitely give this one a read. 4.5/5

Other Reviews
Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

Rescue the Rainbow Fairies!

Rainbow Magic Series [Books 1-7]
Daisy Meadows
published 2000


This series has been a huge hit with my six-year-old cousin. She and her parents read every night and have read far into the double digits. Every time I see her she updates me on her new ‘fairies’ – she was very excited to tell my sister (Bethany) and I when she got Rebecca the Rock and Roll Fairy and Bethany the Ballet Fairy in the same set. She’s a very imaginative child and so her play has quickly come to centre on stories involving these characters and I finally had to read the books simply to keep up.

Kirsty Tate and Rachel Walker meet on the ferry crossing to Rainspell Island where their families are both going to spend a week’s holiday. Easy friends, they quickly set off exploring the island.

While in the woods they come across an old upturned pot. Trapped inside they find a small red fairy by the name of Ruby. Temporarily giving the girls wings of their own, Ruby escorts them to Fairy Land to meet the King and Queen of the fairies: Oberon and Tatiana.

Impressed with the young girls, the King and Queen charge them with the responsibility of finding and freeing the rest of the Rainbow Fairies. These fairies, you see, are being targeted by the evil Jack Frost and with them missing, so too is all the colour of Fairy Land. Kirsty and Rachel must rescue them if Fairy Land is to return to normal.

Each book focuses on the finding of a new fairy – Ruby, Amber, Saffron, Fern, Sky, Izzy and Heather – somewhere on Rainspell Island. The books are clearly aimed at a very young, almost ‘new reader’ audience but is more than your run of the mill ‘Jack and Jill go for a picnic, the end’ book. Stories, characters and locations carry over somewhat while still maintaining the clear and easy direction of the book: find the fairy, evade Jack Frost. The text was big, clear and easy to read with plenty of illustrations.

My only issue with the book was with Jack Frost and his minions. They maintained a constant presence – yet hardly ever managed to actually do any damage. I realise these are books aimed at young children, but I would have liked to have seen them as more of a threat. 4/5

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
2009 Read and Review Challenge

Other Reviews
Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

Button, button, who's got the button?

Coraline (Graphic Novel)
Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell
186 pgs; pub 2008


When Coraline and her family move into a new house, she is pretty much left to entertain herself while her workaholic parents are distracted by their own pursuits. Getting to know the neighbours only takes up so much time, and their apartment isn’t really that big. In fact, to Coraline the budding explorer, the most exciting thing about their new home is the door in the corner of their apartment that goes… nowhere at all.

Left alone, yet again, Coraline is drawn back to the door – only to find that, this time, it actually leads somewhere. Crossing the dark passageway through the door, Coraline finds herself entering her own apartment once more. Except, in this apartment, everything is slightly off. For one thing, her parents are exceptionally happy to see and spend time with her, and, for another, they have black buttons sewn on in place of their eyes.

Fearing for her safety, Coraline runs home, only to find that her parents – her real parents – are missing, being held hostage by her Other Mother in the apartment behind the door. Coraline is afraid of this woman with her black button eyes and long sharp fingernails, but she knows she must return to rescue her parents.

This was one of my Christmas books this year (yay!) and I was so happy to get it because not only is it written by one of my favourite authors, and it was a book I had wanted to read for awhile, but also because I had no idea that I was going to get it – always fun! So as you can imagine, I was very much looking forward to reading it, and I enjoyed it very much.

However, it scared the heck out of me!

I think that if I had been reading the prose version (which I’m still planning to read eventually) I wouldn’t have been as scared. The images of the Other Mother with her scary eyes and fingernails freaked me out a great deal – which, I imagine, was the plan.

Fright aside, I thought the book was a fascinating look at the dynamics of a family and the role of a single child of working parents. The emotions felt by the young Coraline – boredom, loneliness, curiosity, fear, relief – are all beautifully rendered in Russell’s drawings. I’ve not read a lot of graphic novels (something I’m trying to remedy this year), but I thought Coraline to be an intriguing one. 3.5/5

Other Reviews
Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

The Importance of Being Jo

*NOTE: This post may contain spoilers for Little Women... but if you haven't already read it then that's just too sad to contemplate.

When I was eight years old my grandparents bought me a copy of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. I don’t remember receiving it – in fact I only know that I was eight because of the inscription in the front of the book – but I do remember reading and loving it. It became a quick favourite, the favourite, in fact, for I love it still, and read it each and every Christmas, preferably while sitting under the tree.

I’m sure this comes as no shock to anyone who reads my blog, as I've mentioned it already this year (here and here) and most definately comes to no surprise to anyone who knows me in person, as it is about this time that I go into my 'Little Women haze: reading, crying, and giggling happily. My house is usually filled with people who bounce between rolling their eyes at me and taunting me into telling them whether or not Beth is dead yet. Yes, they're that heartless and mean.

Because I'm certain that I'm not the only one who considers Little Women to be one of their favourites, I'm not actually going to review the book (I promise I'm not making a habit of this). Instead, I'd like to share something from the afterword of my new edition (written by Susan Straight).

Meg was lovely and mannered, and we saw her burned hair, her gloves, her mended dresses and pretty cheeks clearly, liking her immensely. Beth was saintly and devoted, her long fingers on the piano keys, her eyes always searching her sisters and mother even when her lips didn't move, and we loved her without reserve. Amy was pretty and pretentious, and we laughed at her mispronunciations, saw the lovely pickled limes lying in the snow, even understood how hard it must have been to follow those three with their places in the house firmly etched.

But even now, when many of us who read Little Women as children and teens are finally the age of Marmee, all the girls I've ever talked to wanted to be Jo [...] rough and galloping across snowy fields and tree-lined roads, wearing her writing cap in the attic, her fingers tinted blue with ink, her hair shorn awkwardly, Louisa May Alcott's legacy to millions of readers.

I have been thinking about this statement all week and, while looking forward to thinking it out here myself, I'd love to hear others thoughts on this. So! If you're inclined, I'd love it if you'd give it some thought yourself and let me know.

Growing up I always loved Beth as my favourite, and who wouldn't? Quiet, unassuming Beth; shy and homely, yet always ready with a smile and a kind word. I loved her gentle treatment of her poor Joanna, her devotion to all her sisters (her "wild, brave Jo" most of all), and her relationship with crotchety Mr. Laurence (the chapter where he gifts her with the piano remains my favourite even today).

I suppose I always fancied myself a bit of a Beth for, despite my faults (which Beth was not in possession of), I was a child who preferred to stay home, staying close to mother and family. This was definately a romanticism on my part, for a Beth I am not.

While I never was, and never became, the rough and tumble "wild girl" that so characterised Jo (I did, at least, maintain Beth's calm homeliness), I do remember actually thinking, as I came out my shell a little, that I was become more of a "Jo". As my bookish tendencies became more and more consuming and my hand turned to literary pursuits (though never with the dogged confidence or talent of Jo) I, with each consecutive reading of Little Women, longed to be more and more like the character I loved.

Her temper I would have happily left behind, but I admired her unfailing loyalty to friend and family. I respected her strongly held ideals and often think of her when I get on my own soapbox from time to time. I loved her generosity of spirit and openness of heart.

Throughout the years, and countless rereadings, Jo has shared much with me and, though she not know it, I with her. I have laughed with her, loved with her, and cried with her. And in return, she has cheered me, championed with me and comforted me. Most importantly she has lived with me. More so than any other character - a strong statement for a reader, I believe - Josephine March has touched and impacted me.

Despite my moments of wanting to be like her, I'm not sure if I ever wanted to BE her... but I certainly wanted to be her friend.

So come on, tell us, who did YOU want to be?

Remembering the Babysitter's Club

Whenever anybody asks me what my favourite books were to read as a kid, I never even hesitate: Little Women, Heidi, A Little Princess and The Secret Garden ... but maybe I remember these so strongly as my favourites because I enjoy them still. They're favourites that have endured. However there was also a whole stack of books that I read over and over that rarely get a mention, and I can only assume that it's because they're not books that I read today. These are, of course, Ann M. Martin's The Babysitter's Club and Babysitter's Little Sister series.

Yesterday my mother saw me updating my book records and, after a brief round of light teasing, asked if I had included all the Babysitter books I had read when I was younger. The fact is, I had never even considered adding them. Little Women was there, for sure, as was Heidi and a whole range of childhood favourites. I don't even hesitate to add any child or young adult books that I read today, so why ignore all those books that I had read then?

My day today (never let it be said that I don't use my holidays productively) was spent reading through the complete lists of books in the Babysitter's Club and Little Sister series, to see just how many I remembered and which ones I felt secure in adding to my list ... who would have thought I would remember so many of them?

Reading these lists, I was flooded with memories of reading these books: feeling so lucky when I was allowed to order new ones through the school book club; taking my little clipboard to the public library and ticking off the numbers I was borrowing (yes, I was a list freak even then); sitting propped up in bed reading through a pile of them and running out to my mother at the start of every chapter because I couldn't read the cursive journal entries.

One of my favourite memories however is sitting down in the corner of of my older cousin's room (who I remember as being just so cool! and she had so many books!) and running my fingers along the bottom rows of her bookshelf where she kept her own collection of these books. I remember so vividly the day she bequeathed her collection to me. I can actually see the piles of books sitting in stacks under my bed - it was so exciting!

What surprised me most about today's activities is just how much of the details I remembered from all those years ago. Character's names, families, the tiniest details just hit me. I remembered Mary Ann (who was always my favourite) receiving a mustard seed necklace, I remember Claudia's oh-so-cool high top sneakers and Kristy's ever present jeans. I spared a laugh for Mallory's notebook carrying (what can I say, I'm more impressionable than I realise), and one for myself when I remembered how grown-up and important these thirteen-year-old girls seemed to me when I was young.

I've ended my day with a real desire to reread these books, to see how I would view them now. I may just have to head off to the library tomorrow ... I wonder if I can find my old shiny green clipboard?

Second star to the right...

Posts have been a little sparse lately, sorry bout that. Being on prac, means I haven't really had the time to read (sad) let alone review, but I've got some done, so I'm gonna try to spread them out to cover my time away.

Peter and the Starcatchers
Dave Barry and Ridley Scott
463 pages; published 2006

Peter was the leader of the boys, because he was the oldest. Or maybe he wasn’t. Peter had no idea how old he really was, so he gave himself whatever age suited him, and it suited him to always be one year older than the oldest of his mates. If Peter was nine, and a new boy came to St. Norbert’s Home for Wayward Boys who said he was ten, why, then Peter would declare himself to be eleven. Also, he could spit the farthest. That made him the undisputed leader. (13)

The first in a trilogy chronicling the events before J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Peter Pan and the Starcatchers is a suprisingly delightful read. Why suprising? Well, as a firm believer in the 'original is always best' school of thought, I had not expected this prequel to be both as interesting and charming as it was.

Peter and his band of loyal friends (the origins of the Lost Boys) are wards of London's St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys. Taken away from the home in an mystery only achievable by unexplained midnight outing, the young boys are boarded on a ship, the Never Land. They soon learn that they are being tansported to the island of Rundoon, to be slaves to island's ruthless king - a man more likely to feed the boys to his snake than offer them any real or home or employment, let alone kindness.

But even before they get to Runddon things are prety rough. The Never Land's crew runs the gamut from incompetent to downright villainous, their quarters are cramped, and the food literally has things living it - not exactly a luxury liner. The only source of friendship found onboard by Peter is in the form of Alf, a kindly deckhand and the curious secretive young passenger, Molly.

Downtrodden and disgusting the voyage may be, but it doesn't lack for excitement - for it is not long before a pirate ship, captaied by the infamous 'Black Stache', starts to run them down, determined to retrieve a crumbling trunk in the Never Land's cargo.

Why are these pirates so intent on retrieving the trunk? What is inside it? And just how is Molly involved?

As I said, Peter and the Starcatchers was a lovely read - both funny and moving in equal parts. Young Peter and the others were true enough to their original counterparts to be a faithful retelling, yet fresh enough to be of interest. There were times that I felt the story to be a little on the long side - at over 400 pages, it is rather long for the start of a children's trilogy - yet despite this, there was no real dragging of the story.

My only real issue ith teh book - and it was an extremely light one at that - was that the almost ultra-realistic tone of teh start led me to beleive that it was going to be a realistic reinterpretation of the book. It's magical elements returned quickly and, while executed well, I thought it would have been interesting to have it go down the other route.

A wonderful read for lovers of Peter Pan and new readers like. 4/5

Other Reviews
Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time

James Gurney

168 pages; published 1992

Dinosaur eyes take in a wider field of view, blending in at the edges like a glass globe filled with water. Nothing is gray or drab or dull; rather they see swimming particles of colour, a moving mosaic of dancing coloured specks. As we would see a starscape in the night sky, they see a sparkling “lifescape” in the woods by day, a world teeming with life.

Some humans can see with dinosaur vision, Bix explained: artists, poets, and children. But for the rest of the us, as we grow older, the mammalian part of the brain clouds over the older reptilian part, and drains away a little of the glory. (106)

When I was little I read Swiss Family Robinson ... at least I assume I did. I don't remember actually reading it (the first time), only having known that I had. Whatever the circumstances, the story was one that fascinated me and stuck with me for a long, long time. The story of the shipwreck and having to find a way to live on a deserted island has been the basis of many (many) of my dreams over the years and there is always something about those types of stories that draw me in immediately.

The first book I remember reading (after the start of the fixation) that had the same idea was Dinotopia. I picked up in the primary school library and just feel in love with - but it was always one of those books that was, at the time, far too expensive to buy and has no become one that I actually enjoy tracking down and finding again when the mood strikes. Not having it on hand makes it a little more special.

Dinotopia is the fictional journal kept by Arthur Denison, a turn of the century scientist and explorer, when he and his son, Will, are shipwrecked on an island the world never knew: Dinotopia. In this fantastic world, humans and Dinosaurs ("Saurians") live together in harmony, in a beautifully cultured and fertile utopia.

The book covers their first year(s) on the island: their travels around the larger cities, their education of Dinotopian ways (first rule of Dinotopia: 'One raindrop raises the sea'), and mostly, their adjustment to this new and wonderful world. Young Will takes to it quite readily while Arthur, amazed at all he sees, maintains his distance a little longer, allowing the reader to see and read the book through his curious, yet steady voice.

Dinotopia is a joy to read, not only for the pure imagination of it's story but for Gurney's unbelievably beautiful illustrations that fill the book. These are images that you just want to fall into. If you haven't already read Dinotopia, it is one you must track down and read. I am very much looking forward to reading his latest book in the series. 5/5

Holes
Louis Sachar

233 pages, published 1998

Talk about cruel and unusual punishment! Charged and convicted for the theft of a famous baseballer’s sneakers, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a boys juvenile detention centre in the middle of a huge, dried-up lake bed. Forced to spend each day out in the blazing sun digging a hole both as wide and deep as the shovel he’s issued, Stanley makes friends - and enemies - amongst the fellow boys and the workers in charge. Coupled with the interlaying story of the notorious bandit ‘Kissing Kate’, Stanley can’t help but feel that there is more going on to their detention than the boys are being led to believe.

An undemanding but enjoyable read, one can’t help but sympathise with poor Stanley, whose only crime is the possession of extremely bad luck. 3.5/5

A Wrinkle in Time
Madeline L’Engle
198 pages, published 1962

A book on practically every list of children’s literature I have ever seen, yet I have only recently managed to get a hold of.

Though the book has a distinctly sixties feel to it (at least to me), the story itself is actually somewhat timeless – I would, in fact, have no difficultly seeing it being made into a modern film, like so many of the recent children’s adventure films.

Meg, her young brother Charles Wallace, and their newly acquired friend Calvin – all odd or outcast to some degree in their own way – strike out on an adventure to rescue and bring home the wandering father of the Murrey family. Aided by their odd ‘neighbours’ Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which (all of whom appear as a strange amalgamation of alien, changeling and angel of God – very odd, yet it works strangely well), the trio set off on the intergalactic adventure of their young lives, battling the fundamental essence of evil to reunite their family. 3/5