The Blue Sword

In retrospect, I should have titled this segment "Harry and her Home-girls" to match up with last weeks Harry's homeboys theme, but that would imply that Harry is the leader of this group of awesome book heroines, and while she is a leader...

she is a very reluctant one. 

Upon becoming an orphan, Harry Crewe is sent to the Desert land of Damar where her brother is stationed with the Homeland army.  She falls in love with the wildness of the desert, but is restrained to much of the same activities she had at home: taking tea with the army wives and daughters, riding gentle ponies, etc.  

But there is magic in the hills of the desert--an ancient magic that can be very painful for the bearers--and Harry, though she doesn't know it, possesses a strong gift of her own.  Corlath, king of the mysterious Hillfolk, cannot ignore the demands of his own gift, and kidnaps Harry from her home in the dead of night.
Though it is first unclear to both Harry and Corlath what her destiny might be and why she has been chosen, she is trained as a warrior and leaves her old life behind her forever as the Hillfolk prepare for war with the inhuman armies of the North. 

 

Why I love it: As you can probably tell, this is an adventure novel.  Robin Mckinley is a master of storytelling, and the writing in this book (and all her books) is beautiful and exciting.  The land of Damar is an imaginary place, with a new culture and language, but Harry's world parallels the Victorian-era British empire, so it is easy to mentally imagine the social problems in the conquered land. But what is so cool is that Harry rises above both her own social constraints and the divide between the two cultures. Harry is a foreigner and a girl, but that doesn't stop her from having an incredible adventure and changing the fate of two very different peoples.

Why you will love it too:  this book is the perfect blend between adventure, magic, and romance. Harry is insecure, but stubborn and strong deep down, and really finds her inner-awesomeness in this book.  Corlath is confindent and stubborn and strong, but finds his humility.  Now throw in some incredible war-horses, a hidden city, an ancient magic, and a battle scene, and you have "The Blue Sword".

Sadly, no Youtube special today.  I'm truly surprised that this one isn't a movie already, but maybe it is better this way.   If you like this book, there is a prequel, "The Hero and the Crown", but I didn't like the romance aspect of it very much.

I recommend this book for girls (especially, but boys may like it as well) in junior high or high school.  I think elementary school is a little young to appreciate it, and Harry has to train for a long time to become a warrior, so that takes some fast reading and perseverance.  For anything older though, this is a really great story and one that I have read again and again. Enjoy!

Ella Enchanted

This is a love story I can recommend for all ages.  Elementary, junior high, high school, college...heck, I'll probably still be reading it in a retirement home someday.

 

"Cinderella" is a great story, and one that shows up in the folklore of cultures all over the world, but she lets her step-family walk all over her, and that bugs me.  In "Ella Enchanted", it all makes sense--Ella is given a "gift" of obedience by the fairy Lucinda at her birth, and from that point on cannot physically disobey orders.  But that doesn't mean she doesn't try. She resists orders until she is at the point of passing out, and if she doesn't like a command, she tries to work it to her own advantage.  She is spunky and clever and has all sorts of adventures as she runs away from boarding school, falls for Prince Char, uses her talent for languages, and tries to break her curse.

Why you will love it:  Ella is smart and funny, Char is kind and noble, and their romance is sweet without too much sugar.

Why I love it:  Because of their letters.  I am the worst pen-pal in the world, but I do send a letter each week to a wonderful guy in California, and because of that I feel a sort of kinship to Ella and Char. 

The movie with Anne Hathaway is nothing like the book, and while the book is better (as is almost always the case), the movie was fun too.  I like them both--I just have to think of them as separate stories.  So if you love the movie, and are worried that you'll have to give it up after you read the book, never fear.  

And now, because I love Youtube, a special treat.  Watch the original movie trailer first, and then watch the Disney mash-up version someone made using the same sound.  It's awesome! Apparently there are a ton of these things on the internet, but this is the first one I've seen and I think it's hilarious. 

Best Love Stories

I hope you all enjoyed "Harry and his Homeboys", but now it is time to give the ladies a spotlight. Now, there are a lot of wonderful girl-power books with no hint of a romantic sub-plot, but...I just don't like those ones as much.  I'm sure a few will come up, and maybe I'll do another set just for them, but this week and next I'll be presenting something even more fun:

Jo's Top Five Favorite Love Stories

Here's a look at what's coming up:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Ella, Harry, Sarah, Kit and Jena aren't just objects of affection (we're not talking about tw***ght on this site, remember)--all five are smart, independent women.  But of course, women like this just can't help it when men fall for them, so luckily we get beautiful love stories as well.  If you are looking for quality tales of love and adventure, stay tuned!

Artemis Fowl

And finally...the troublemaker...the bad boy...every group needs a criminal mastermind, and for "Harry's Homeboys" that kid is Artemis Fowl.

The best thing about Artemis Fowl is that he doesn't start out as a "good guy". I guess the official term is probably "anti-hero" but even though he is cold, cynical, and doesn't appear to care about anyone, you can't help but like him.  Throughout the series, he thaws out and becomes a real hero.  Ironically, however, it isn't humans that help Artemis find his humanity--it's fairies.

Yes, that's right, fairies. Tough, combat-boot wearing, armed and dangerous, magical flying fairies.  The whole adventure starts when Artemis kidnaps a fairy and holds her for ransom in order to rebuild his family fortune.  Artemis is always two steps ahead, but this time he has seriously underestimated his enemy...

If you haven't read the Artemis Fowl series, it's about time to start.  Eoin Colfer is a great writer (I'll spotlight his stand-alone book "Airman" another day), and Artemis' story is exciting, complex, and will keep you turning pages through all eight books.

Here are their titles:

#1 Artemis Fowl
#2 Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
#3 Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
#4 Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
#5 Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
#6 Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
#7 Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex
#8 Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian

Oh, and one more thing...This is an awesome song I found on Youtube:  "Call Me Artemis Fowl". I don't know how well it really matches up with the style of the books, but it's just so dang catchy!  I was reading the comments below and this one made me laugh: Ha ha "I never started this" we all know that's a lie--well said "Julia May", well said.

Ranger's Apprentice

It's nearly impossible to write about the mysterious Rangers while watching "Thumbelina" on a giant projector screen, but I'll do my best.

Will is the quiet one in "Harry's Homeboys"--he's easy to overlook, but as you'll see in his book series "The Ranger's Apprentice", he's anything but ordinary.

Will is an orphan--a ward of the local lord until he is old enough to become an apprentice, hopefully, in battle school.  But when the day comes to be chosen for training, his fellow wards go to various vocations and his rival is chosen for battle school, but he is deemed too small to become a knight.  Instead, he is surprised when the mysterious Ranger, Halt, offers to train him.

Will learns how to blend in to the shadows, ride the small but incredibly tireless ranger horses, and wield the ranger knives with deadly precision.  I love these books because Will's size doesn't stop him from becoming a hero.  (Whoa. Now. Hold the phone. Thumbelina is starting to influence this post.  Let me just clarify: Will is small, but he's not THAT small.  Think like 64 inches, not 64 centimeters.) Rangers seldom get credit for their actions, but they are the ones who keep the kingdom safe.  In essence, they stop wars before they can start.  Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us (otherwise there wouldn't be much of a story),  they don't always get there in time.  The fate of the kingdom rests with Will, Halt, and their friends (are you seeing a general theme in these books? We all need help to reach our full potential).

My brother Ryan has gotten really into this series lately, and read all ten books over the summer.  I've only read the first three, but Ry's putting the whole series on his Christmas List, so I'd bet that they stay exciting.

This is fun series, especially if you are into the traditional battle scene.  These other books have magical/supernatural fight scenes, but if you like swords and horses (without a lot of gore) Will's world is for you.

Here are the titles:
1. The Ruins of Gorlan
2. The Burning Bridge
3. The Icebound Land
4. The Battle for Skandia
5. The Sorcerer of the North
6. The Siege of Mcindaw
7. Erak's Ransom
8. The Kings of Clonmel
9. Halt's Peril
10. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

P.S. If you don't like battles, go watch "Thumbelina"

Michael Vey

 

Michael is the new kid on the block.  At the moment, his series consists of only two books, so I think that Harry and his homeboys are still making up their mind about him, but so far they like what they see.

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed book number one.  I'd seen the posters and billboards around advertising it, and I thought to myself, "Ope, there's another Potter wannabe", but a few months later I was bored...
and my brother had "Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25" on his shelf...
and I said, "okay. I'll give it a try."

I was pleasantly surprised.  Michael has Tourette Syndrome, and is bullied a lot at school.  His secret is that he could fry his tormentors in a split second with the electric shock powers he has had his entire life, and it is always a struggle for him to leave them alone.  Like Percy Jackson (Saturday's post), who has dyslexia and ADHD, I like this book because the hero is kind of an underdog who struggles in school, but who either rises above his disadvantages or uses them for good. I was bugged that Taylor's main description is "cheerleader", but I felt better when I realized that she was breaking down stereotypes, not reinforcing them.

But things really start to happen when they LEAVE the school.

I don't want to tell you anything more about what happens, but...

all right, I'll spill! Michael isn't the only kid with electrical powers!

So I'm a sucker for kids with powers, we all know that.  But I think this series is going to be a really exciting adventure and I recommend you read it, so you will be ready to jump right into book two, "Rise of the Elgen".  I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I will keep you "posted" (blog pun). I'm adding the trailers for both books here, but (as always) watch at your own risk. They are pretty cheesy.

(Oh and the target audience for this book is probably middle-school boys and girls, but it is a fun read for high school and older elementary aged kids too)

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 (By Richard Paul Evans)

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen (By Richard Paul Evans)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

In "Harry's Homeboys" Percy is probably Harry's best friend and also his biggest rival.  I say he's the best friend because he's smart and resourceful, and probably gives Harry a fresh outlook when he's in one of his depressed stages. I say rival because he holds his own style and because they have similar taste in girls (if we are going for the book versions of Ginny and Annabeth--not the movie versions), so it's fair to assume that if they lived in the same world, they would probably have to compete for a lot.  

Now, if you went and saw the movie "the Lightning Thief" and enjoyed it, I am distressed to have to tell you this, but... it wasn't very good. At least compared to the book. Usually, when there's a film version of a book I'm promoting, I'll include the movie trailer with the post, but in this case I just can't.  The trailer itself isn't so bad, but it gives the wrong impression about a lot of things I love in the book, and I don't want to mess up your perception if you haven't seen it.  If you have, forget it while you read and you will be much happier.

The plot: Oh. The Plot.  The plot is really complex, and I can't really give a good summary of it here without giving away important stuff that I want you to experience first hand...so here's just a quick teaser: Percy discovers that he is a demigod, a son of the Greek god Poseidon.  How is this possible? He learns that the gods, the monsters, and the rest of Ancient Greek mythology are directly tied to the fire of western civilization, and move with it through the centuries.  At the moment, the heart of western civilization is in the United States, so that is where the gods are as well.  Percy learns to fight monsters at Camp Half Blood, but when he is accused of stealing Zeus' master lightning bolt, he and his new friends have to go on a quest across the U.S. to find the real culprit and get the bolt back.

Why I love it: For one, this series is just really well written.  All the books are told from Percy's perspective, and he has a great almost-sarcastic humor about all the crazy things that happen to him.  For example: the chapters are called things like "I Accidentally Vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher", "I Wrestle Santa's Evil Twin" (that's in the third book), and "The Underworld Sends Me a Prank Call" (book four), if that gives you any idea.  These books are also a great way to learn about Greek mythology.  All the gods have specific personalities, and their demigod children often inherit the stronger traits. The books are full of adventure, humor, and a little romance, and right after Harry Potter, this is my favorite series.

Extra endorsement from "The Team": when I asked my three siblings (read about them in the sidebar) what their all-time favorite books were, all three put Percy Jackson on the top of their lists. I read them in high school, my brother read them in junior high and my sister and second brother read them in elementary school.  These books transformed my brother Ryan into the huge reader he is today. Finding the right book is the key to getting into reading, and this series is one that is easy to start and hard to put down, so go give it a try!

If you read the first the one, you'll have to read them all, so here are the titles:
#1-The Lightning Thief
#2-The Sea of Monsters
#3-The Titan's Curse (my personal favorite--Apollo and the Hoover Dam make for some great laughs)
#4-The Battle of the Labyrinth
#5-The Last Olympian (The last book of a series is always a gamble, but this one ended perfectly!)

 I didn't like the movie adaptation, but I can't lie, they made an EXCELLENT poster!

Charlie Bone (Children of the Red King Series)

The first six books (there are two more)

Of all Harry's Homeboys, I think Charlie is probably the tag-along.  If these fellas really were a standard neighborhood group of kids, then Charlie might be Harry's kid-brother, because they have some very obvious similarities. For example:  Charlie's hair is always a mess (Harry's is sort of lanky and messy, and Charlie's is described as "a hedge" that he can't flatten, but they both get chided for their hair by their unpleasant relatives), they both go to special boarding schools, and they both have magical powers (that one is sort of a given, though).

With all that aside, Charlie really is awesome!  I love these books. The first book (Midnight for Charlie Bone) isn't fantastic: the writing isn't as great as some, and the climax of the plot isn't very exciting.  However, it does set up the background really well for the next seven books in the series, and in my opinion the writing just gets better.  (I think my personal favorite is The Time Twister, so at least read up to that point).  

The plot: Charlie lives in an old, mysterious city somewhere in the British Isles.  He himself has always lived a normal life in the suburbs with his mother, his mysterious uncle Paton, and his two grandmothers: Maisie Jones and the creepy Grandma Bone.  He is told that his father died in a car accident when he was two, but he doesn't even know what he looks like because there are no pictures of him in the house.  One day, however, Charlie discovers that he can hear the voices of the people in photographs, and Grandma Bone and her evil sisters, the Yewbeams, send him to "Bloor's Academy". The Academy, run by the wicked Dr. Bloor and his son, is a school that houses artistic geniuses as well as a handful of children called "the endowed" who are all descendants of a great magician-king and have inherited some of his strange gifts.   Charlie soon discovers, however, that the war started between the Red King's children (of the ten, five were good and five turned evil) has continued through the centuries, and is still waiting to be resolved.

Why I love these books:  the fictional history of the Red King is so complex and mysterious. In every book, new information about the past twists Charlie's world (and because his gift is listening to old photographs, he can learn a lot about the past that has been silenced by the Bloors and the Yewbeams).  The city is full of old secrets, and there many endowed people--children and adults--who have escaped the controlling hand of the Bloors and can secretly aid or hurt Charlie and his Friends.  Also, the strange gifts can be anything, which is really fun and crazy. The books are full of surprises, fun to read, and a little dark, though good always prevails.  You will enjoy them!

Just so you know, here is the order of the series, all by Jenny Nimmo:
#1 Midnight for Charlie Bone
#2 Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
#3 Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
#4 Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
#5 Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
#6 Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf
#7 Charlie Bone and the Shadow of Badlock
#8 Charlie Bone and the Red Knight

Harry and His Homeboys: two weeks of series with fantastic boy protagonists

Now, despite my own opinions on the Twilight Saga, I have my own opinions on who, out of Edward and Jacob, is the better man, but that doesn't matter because when it comes down it, I am proud member of "Team Potter".

Y'all are almost certainly acquainted with the wonderful world of HP (if you're not, put down whatever I've been telling you to read and hop aboard the Hogwarts Express immediately.  King's Cross Station is the exact same distance away as your local library), and I think it is clear that Harry's reign of most-read is well deserved.  However, there are a lot of other series with great male protagonists that are worth your time as well.  They all have similarities, but not enough to make you say "Ugh, another Potter wannabe".  These stories are great for boys and girls alike, but especially for boys, since I think elementary/junior high--aged boys have a hard time getting into series with girl protagonists.  SO I've picked out my favorites and will spend the next two weeks convincing you to lend the spotlight to a few of Harry's lesser known friends.

Here's a preview of what is coming up:

Charlie Bone...a boy who can hear voices is photographs and joins the war between two factions of an ancient magical family.

Percy Jackson...son of Poseidon, a demigod living in New York and learning to fight monsters at Camp Half Blood.

Michael Vey...a kid struggling to appear normal with Tourette syndrome...and wicked cool electrical energy powers!

Will (the Ranger's Apprentice)...an ordinary boy is deemed too short and slight for knight's training, but who is chosen to apprentice with Halt, the mysterious Ranger.

Artemis Fowl...a child genius and billionaire who is sometimes good, sometimes evil, and always the one who comes out on top.

Boy: A genuine not-bored-to-tears autobiography

Once, long ago, I made a great literary discovery.  I was in fourth grade and one of great highlights of my life was the Scholastic book order catalog that the school sent home every few months. I loved those things, especially because my mother always let me choose one item.  Sometimes, I’d pick the little bead bracelet kits on the back of the catalog, but I always regretted them and wished I’d chosen a book instead. Once, we decided to splurge on a whole set of paperback Roald Dahl novels.  When the books arrived, I read one at a time: Matilda, the BFG, the Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…but there was one that I avoided reading because it was an autobiography.  Boy is an intriguing sort of title—it’s not “The Boy” or “A Boy” and when I saw it I thought “WHAT BOY?!” in an annoyed mental voice. No the title's not the problem. But “autobiography” is one of the most gruesome words that have ever been invented--right up there with stroganoff and mulch.  Eventually, however, I ran out of the interesting-looking books and decided to give it a try. I loved it.  

Roald Dahl's autobiography is great because he writes with humor and is (as we know) a natural storyteller, but it is also fun because we can trace where he got ideas for his stories from his own life.  For example, he worked as a chocolate taste- tester for Cadbury, and then years later used those memories when writing "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".  What a job, right? I especially loved reading about the pranks he plays on his teacher, his sister's boyfriend, and any other unsuspecting victim.  You are curious now. Time for the slam dunk...

                                                     

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl is a great literary discovery BECAUSE at least once in his or her young life, every kid is going to have to do a book report on an autobiography and I can proudly say I've found the solution for both an A+ and an interesting read.

Dinotopia: a read for all ages

Growing up, I shared a room with my two younger brothers, and we didn’t get a lot of sleep. No big deal—kids need much less sleep than our parents think we do.  The one thing that kept us up more than anything was building nests out of our blankets. We did this almost every night, and once our nests were built we occasionally curled up in them as birds, but more often as pterodactyls. (Fun fact about the blogger: I’m famous for my pterodactyl squawk.)  Why pterodactyls? Because we had been inspired by one of the most amazing worlds that has ever been imagined: Dinotopia.

James Gurney’s original book, “Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time” is hands down the greatest book for children and adults alike.  My father first read it to us when we were in elementary school, and still every time I read it, I am transported to a world where humans and dinosaurs exist side by side, blending their cultures, and having incredible adventures.

The Plot: a Victorian-era British scientist, Arthur Dennison, and his son Will are shipwrecked and rescued from the waves by dolphins.  They find themselves on an island which has remained isolated from the world by an impassible coral reef.  The inhabitants of the island are the descendents of other ship-wrecked humans from all around the world, and of course the dinosaurs who have lived there for thousands of years.  The book is set up as Arthur’s diary, and he tells of their discoveries and the friends they make (human and dinosaur alike) as they travel over the incredible island to find their place in the new world they cannot leave. 

Gurney’s illustrations are probably the best part.  He is detailed and imaginative, and I still get a thrill every time I see the pages on Waterfall City and Treetown.  A word of caution:  It’s not a short read.  We read a few pages every night, but it was a lot like reading a standard chapter book.  You don’t even have to read the whole thing to little kids—it’s just as fun to look at the illustrations and make up your own stories about them.  Regardless of how you choose to experience Dinotopia, it is a magical experience. 

Treetown

Waterfall City

Hallmark made a mini-series about Dinotopia, so if you want to go even farther, you can check it out at the library or Blockbuster.  I watched it once, and thought it was pretty good.  It’s a different story: different characters, different problems, and even a different time period, but still a lot of the same elements are there. Here’s the trailer (posted below)-- it’s not rated but I don’t remember it being too scary (though it probably is too much for really young kids) and I think the romance is clean.  Gurney wrote two other books about Dinotopia, and then allowed any writer to use the island as long as they changed the characters, so I know there is a plethora of other Dinotopia reading material if you enjoy this one (and I’m betting that you will).

Why Should We Care?

Why should we care about finding clean reads? Because reading has the potential to inspire us or to degrade us.

There are plenty of rating systems and rules in the world of the cinema.  You need I.D. to get into an R rated movie, and kids under 13 must be accompanied by an adult to see a PG-13 movie in theaters.

Unfortunately, the same is not true of libraries. Anyone who has walked into the YA section of the library has seen the heaving bosoms and disturbing graphics on the covers of novels that are marketed to teens.

There are several sites like this one on the internet, but like good friends, I believe the more of us there are, the happier we will be.

This site features three levels of goodness:

Clean--meant for older readers, usually high school age. These books sometimes deal with mature themes, but they are classy enough that I could/would recommend them to my Grandma.

Cleaner--almost spot free. These books have a few suggestive statements, a rare cuss word, etc. Usually suitable for a middle school audience.

Cleanest--gloriously clean and ready to be read.

Please feel free to leave comments on your favorite books, make suggestions for new reviews, etc.