Peak by Roland Smith

Rating: Cleaner/Cleanest

Audience: Third grade and above. There are a few references that border on inappropriate for young kids. For example, Peak tells readers that he was conceived under the shadow of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.  Those moments are few and far between, but they are certainly worth noting. Another possible worry for young children: Peak sees several frozen corpses of climbers as he nears the summit.

Audio book recommendation: Yes! Very well read. My husband and I listened to this on a road trip and now sometimes quote lines from it in the voice of the narrator.

Plot: Peak Marcelo is a teenage rock-climbing junkie....who lives in the middle of the city. When he is caught climbing a skyscraper and bad media coverage threatens to put him in prison, he is forced to flee the city and the public eye.   His father, a world-famous climber who hasn't talked to Peak in seven years, offers to take custody of him and take him to China to go to school.  However, Peak's father has other plans.  He wants to make Peak the youngest person to ever summit mount Everest.  Soon Peak is on the mountain, training to survive while trying to reconstruct his view of his family and his life.


What makes it great?

1. The audio book narrator. His different character voices and accents were spot-on and consistent throughout the book.

2. Great characters.  Our favorite was Zopa--the ex-climber turned Buddhist monk who acts as Peak's mentor and who always has an ulterior motive.   He is the classic Yoda/Mr. Miyagi/Gandalf sort of guy who is impossible not to love.

3. We learned a lot about Everest.  Since neither of us has any intention of actually climbing Everest, it was super fun to feel like we were on the mountain with Peak.  We learned about H.A.P.E., climbing gear, ABC, and Sherpas.

It was slightly predictable, and we pretty much nailed the ending, but it made our time on the road a lot more fun and I will gladly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting read.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Rating: Clean

Audience: Ninth grade and above. There is no sex in the book, but America (the protagonist and narrator) makes it clear that the only reason she and her secret boyfriend haven't gone that far is because it is illegal and if she became pregnant they would both be thrown in prison.

Plot: America Singer is in one of the lower castes in Illea (what used to be North America), and her greatest dilemma is trying to decide how to break it to her parents that she has been secretly dating a boy from a lower caste for the last two years.  But when both her family and her boyfriend encourage her to apply for "the Selection"--a televised contest where women from all over the nation are selected to compete for the hand of the Crown Prince--her world is turned upside down.

What makes it great?

Despite the fact that this plot has been pieced together from existing novels and reality TV, I really really enjoyed this book.

The obvious reason for this is that I just love the prince. Maybe if Prince Maxon was on "the Bachelor," I'd actually watch the show! Now, as with every good love triangle, you're allowed to pick your favorite, but Maxon is the obvious winner here! He's adorably awkward and you just can't help but love him.  

It's a light book, a "beach book," the kind you can read in a day and feel all giddy for a few days afterward. It is actually part of a trilogy, and I am really excited to read "The Elite" and "The One" as soon as I can get copies. 

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Rating: Cleanest

Audience: Fifth grade and up. Anyone who enjoys fairy tale adaptations will enjoy this book but I think it is geared toward middle school-aged girls, because it is actually kind of scary.

Plot: After their mother's death, Princess Azalea and her eleven younger sisters are forced into a year of mourning and solitude. They are not allowed to dance or leave their ancient castle home. Their father (whom they address as Sir and refer to as The King) insists that they keep to the rules, but Azalea decides that her sisters need to dance as a way of dealing with their grief. The princesses discover a secret passageway which leads to the silver pavilion of "the Keeper," who is both a dashing and sinister host.  However, as the year of mourning comes to an end, Azalea realizes that she has become entwined in the Keeper's secret world, and that the only way to escape with her family is to let him out as well. Now throw in some romance for the three eldest sisters, a war, an ancient blood-oath, dancing, politics, an enchanted silver tea set, and a father-daughter relationship in need a little work, and you've got a great read!

What makes it great?

My favorite part of the book was probably the relationship between The King and his daughters.  If you took out all the magic and the romance and the politics you'd still have a sweet story about a dad struggling to meet the needs of twelve crazy girls who just want their mother.  Of course, it's a lot more fun to read WITH all the magic and romance and politics, but Azalea's family is the heart of this story.

Also, I just started following Heather Dixon's blog and she is hilarious! She draws comics about her life that are WAY funnier than anything in the newspaper. Check it out for more info on her upcoming books.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

  

Rating: Cleanest

Audience: Elementary school kids as young as third or even second grade would enjoy listening to this book, and anyone older can enjoy reading it themselves.  It is pretty long, but exciting and not too scary. Best part? Completely clean!

Audio book recommendation: Yes! When I hear the name "Bredan Fraser" I automatically think of George of the Jungle overdosing on coffee powder, but he is actually one of the best readers I've ever heard.

Plot:  The world's last remaining dragons have been living in a hidden valley for centuries, but when they learn that a group of humans is building a dam that will eventually flood their home, they choose to give up in despair rather than risk venturing out into the world.  One dragon, however, sets out on a quest to find the legendary "Rim of Heaven" where there is rumored to be another colony of dragons and where the humans cannot possibly follow.  With the help of a spunky brownie (magical creature, not delicious dessert) and a very unique human boy, the brave dragon might have a chance.  However, a dangerous creature known as "the Golden One" loves nothing more than hunting dragons and has patiently waited for them to come out of hiding...

What makes it great?

It's a great story with a lot of fun characters and humor, but its Fraser's narration that really sells this one for me.  Each character has a unique voice that fits their personality and even their species! My favorites are probably Gravelbeard (the mountain troll) and Lola Greytail (the rat pilot) but every voice is great.  If you are looking for an entertaining book for a long road-trip, this is the one I recommend.

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Rating: Cleaner

Audience:  Though it was shelved in the JF section of the library, I would say eighth grade and up. Lady Jane's husband (not present in the book) is physically abusive and she is pregnant with another man's child.  I also just think that a lot of the wit would be lost on younger children.

Premise: After Sleeping Beauty woke up and got married and lived happily ever after, her castle and kingdom sort of just went to rot.  Her three ladies in waiting still live in the castle as old women and invite anyone who is looking for a refuge from the world to come live there as well.

Plot: The book is made up of a bunch of anecdotes (I believe each story was originally published separately in comic book form) from the different characters that live in the castle.  There is a pregnant noblewoman on the run, a bird-faced castle steward, a handsome talking horse, and my favorite: a bearded nun with a host of great stories from her circus days.

What makes it great?

Medieval fantasy setting, wit and humor on every page, and great illustrations.  I recommend this collection to anyone who 1. likes graphic novels 2. wants to like graphic novels 3. enjoys humorous fairy tale adaptations 4. LOVES THE STRANGE AND BIZARRE.

There is also a second volume (Castle Waiting Vol. 2) which is also very entertaining, though I prefer the first volume.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Book #3 of the Heroes of Olympus series
Read #1 The Lost Hero
and #2 The Son of Neptune

Rating: Cleaner

Audience: Fourth grade and up. As always, it depends on the child.  There is a good dose of violence, and the complexity of the myths can be hard to follow.

Plot: Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Jason, Hazel, and Frank leave Camp Jupiter in a hurry after a happy reunion, an awkward banquet, and the accidental start of a civil war between the Greeks and Romans. (Only Rick Riordan can stick all of that in the first few chapters!) Their flying ship is damaged, and they know they have to figure out the rest of the prophecy before the two camps destroy each other.  The plot is super complex and I don't want to accidentally give any spoilers so I'm going to leave it at that for now...

Favorite parts:

1. Any moment between Annabeth and Percy, but especially their hilarious reunion scene

2. The chapter where they visit my home turf at the Great Salt Lake.

Warning: This book has a killer cliff-hanger ending, so be prepared to go out and buy book four as soon as you finish book three.  I'm so excited!!!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Rating: Cleaner

Audience: Eighth grade and up. Some of the earliest versions of Little Red Riding Hood focused on the sensual, carnal nature of the Wolf and the danger of traveling alone with strange men, so it's no surprise that the romance in "Scarlet" is a bit more passionate than in "Cinder."  This book is also a bit more violent. However, there is no sex or nudity, so I still give it a double thumbs up!

Plot: Book two in Marissa Meyer's "Lunar Chronicles" is just as exciting as the first! The Story centers on Scarlet Benoit (a.k.a. Little Red Riding Hood), who is on a quest to find her abducted grandmother with a mysterious street-fighter called "Wolf."  Scarlet's story is it is intertwined with Cinder's where we left her last: breaking out of prison and starting a life on the run. Eventually, our two heroines meet in the middle of the war they have unknowingly been a part of, and they have to work together to survive.

What makes it great?

Scarlet is fiery, brave, opinionated, and just as admirable a heroine as Cinder. I really like Wolf too.  If you want a better understanding of Wolf's character/history, go read The Queen's Army, after you read Scarlet.  It is only a few chapters long and the e-book is free on Amazon. "Little Red Riding Hood" has never been one of my favorite stories, but I really liked the way Meyer worked the fairy tale allusions into the story.

My favorite part of this book, however, is that several of the chapters are told from Kai's perspective as he is trying to find Cinder.  I liked Kai in the first book, of course, but he really won me over in this one.

I am getting really excited for the third book, Cress,to be released this coming February and for book four, Winter, to come out in 2015.