Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Gracefully Grayson

Hard to believe that something published by Disney Hyperion for children would make me all weepy.  Still, Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky did just that.

The story of Grayson, a sixth grader who has already had a rough life. His parents died in a car accident when he was quite young.  His aunt and uncle took him and while they clearly love him, they don’t always know how to deal with raising a child who is not their own while raising their own two sons. 

Grayson has his own issues to deal with, namely his own identity.  Everyone who sees Grayson sees a boy, but when he looks into the mirror, there’s a beautiful girl in a pretty dress there - or there was, pretending gets tougher as you grow older.  Knowing that no one else will accept his desire to be a girl, he hides away from the world as much as he can.  Something as simple as school lunchtime makes Grayson cringe.

This school year though Grayson has already stepped way out of his usual shell.  He finally made a friend (only his second real friend in life).  He put his name on the tryout list for the school play.  Realizing that a play gives him the opportunity to be a girl, after being encouraged by a teacher and given all of the warnings you’d expect, he decides to try out for the lead girl role.

Not everyone is on board with this casting possibility.  In fact, the very people who should support Grayson are not so thrilled with his desire to play a girl.  Despite the warnings and objections, Grayson is not backing down, the play will go on.  Won’t it?  No one can stop it, can they?  Sure, they’ll try, but Grayson has come so far, there just has to be a play!

Sadly a story like Grayson’s must have some bullying.  Sometimes stories like these can feel a little forced in that  department.  This story shows a fairly realistic progression - when Grayson is just the shy kid who actually tries in school then the bullying is fairly minor: being called the teacher’s pet, etc.  As it becomes more and more obvious that he is serious about playing a girl, it becomes meaner and potentially dangerous for Grayson.  

While I’m not super thrilled with where the book ended, I do respect the choice to end it on the note it ended on.  One of my favorite books in awhile that was targeted to middle school aged kids.

  

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm

Ellie has a fairly normal life.   While her parents are divorced they remain friends.  Having just entered junior high school Ellie is starting to learn that growing up can change things that you thought would never change.  Your lifelong  best friend suddenly has new interests and friends.  Your babysitter would rather work in the mall than watch you.   You learn a shocking truth about your goldfish after it dies.   It’s all tough enough to adjust to without your mad scientist grandfather showing up  in the body of a thirteen year old. 

Ellie gets to know her grandfather, Melvin, as she never had before, much to the dismay of Ellie’s mom.  Ellie’s parents are actors, they've always pushed the arts on Ellie and now here’s grandpa telling her all about how great science is.   Melvin and Ellie end up spending a lot of time together — attending school together, attempting to get back into Melvin’s office, making new friends together, and of course disagreeing with each other. 

An old man disappearing and a young one  showing up in his place?  That cannot last forever, right?  Melvin needs to reverse what happened to him, right?  He needs to fix the mess he’s created.  But what if Melvin kind of likes the mess he's created?  What if he thinks this whole situation will win him awards and spare him from all of the negatives that old age brings.

A sweet story about a young girl who finally really gets to know her grandfather.  A girl who starts to figure out what interests her and starts to question everything.  And it’s the story of a man who misses being young, misses all he’s lost. 

I have only one real complaint — the ending It felt like a teaser for a series option and this book didn’t need that.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Books about parents who spend a lot of time being crazy explorers recklessly becoming lost or stolen, leaving their sons to have to rescue them seems to be  a popular theme.  Here though it is done right.  The Crisp family like an adventure.  Until the day that realize they’ve explored everything there is to explore.  Time to settle down.  Oliver, the ten year old son, is thrilled.  He’s never had a home before.  He’s never been to a real school.  Explore volcanoes?  Getting chased by gators?  Sure, he’s done that.  That’s not the same as playing with kids your own age though.  Still, when you have lived the kinds of lives the Crisps have, something is bound to go wrong when you try to settle down.  Something that leads to, what else, a new adventure!

This time, however, Oliver and his parents are forced to be apart during the adventure.  Oliver’s parents are missing and he must find them.  Aided by a mermaid, a bird, and an island Oliver is on an adventure that he’s never seen before.  Oh, and don’t worry there is an enemy to deal with.  A few enemies really -- an island and its inhabitants don’t want Oliver to complete this adventure. 

Fast, fun, and to the point.  The big “3rd act battle” is not full of silly filler.  Great for kids of all ages.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

I think I can sum up this book in one sentence — The Ice Queen meets Night at the Museum.  

Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard’s father is famous for his knowledge of swords.  This knowledge lands him a job helping a museum to set up their big display.  Ophelia goes wandering around the museum and notices some things aren’t quite right.  Neither her father nor her sister accept her stories about the museum — her deceased mother was quite the story teller, she’s clearly inherited that talent.   But Ophelia meets a boy who convinces her that she must make it through the craziness that is the museum, otherwise the entire world could be in trouble. 

I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either.  I feel like I have seen it all before.   Younger children who this book is targeted to might like it better than I have as it probably won’t feel like a repeat to them the way it did to me. 

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

 Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Mother is away.  Father has been given a long list of things to remember to do while he's in charge.  He could recite the list by heart.  Then comes the milk.  How could he forget the milk.  Cereal needs milk, more importantly his own tea needs milk.  So off he goes to the corner store for the milk.

When it seems father has been gone far too long, the kids fear they'll have to resort to eating less than ideal breakfast foods.  Then, dad shows up with the milk and a story about why he was late.  An unbelievable story.  The kids don't believe but dad claims to have the proof.

A fast fun ride through space and time.  One of the Neil Gaiman stories that is perfect for all ages, probably the best he's he has written for children.

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things By Cynthia Voigt

As with many children’s books, we start the story learning of how unique Max’s family situation is and why the adults in his are buffoons. In Max’s case he’s raised by theater folk who constantly forget that their biggest and most important roles should be of mother and father. When they start talking about travel plans that do not include Max, he’s having none of that - someone needs to remind them to be good parents and Max is not afraid of standing up to them himself. Still, the parents go missing -- did they ignore the new plans (which included Max), did they simply lie to him, has something happened to them? Oddly enough most of the book involves no one really wondering about this, not even Max and his next-door neighbor/grandmother. Not that they have given up on finding answers, they just don’t seem to make it number one on their list of things to do.

Max needs income as his grandmother cannot afford to help him for long, hence the "Lost Things" title. Max realizes he’s good at… well… not being a detective, not finding things, more like lucking out -- stumbling into happy accidents that just happen solve people’s problems.

I won’t ruin the end, but it is clear that this book is to be a series. I liked Max, I just didn’t love him. I doubt I’ll continue on with this series, even though ending it here does mean that some questions are left unanswered.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1: Professor Gargoyle

Okay so nowadays when you get a book targeted at younger readers you never know what you will get. Especially not a book with a demon on the cover and our main character being redistricted to Lovecraft Middle School. Parents buying for younger readers need not worry, this is one of those books where I actually don't feel the need for warnings. There is a bully, but one who isn't actually violent, using gummy candy as his weapon of choice, and oh yeah he learns a lesson.

The story is fairly short and simple - Robert has been redistricted. Not an easy thing to face in Jr. High. Sure everyone else is excited about going to a brand spanking new school, complete with the biggest library you can imagine, a huge pool, fancy schmancy LED boards to display announcements on, all of the tools and supplies a school could need or want. Still, for Robert it's hell on earth as none of his friends have ended up at this new school. The only familiar face is Glenn (his bully). The one student who is nice to him, a girl named Karina, well... Robert is rude to her upon first meeting her, leaving him to think he's blown his only shot a friend. Robert isn't given much time to dwell on the missed opportunities though as Lovecraft Middle School is no ordinary school. There are rooms that don't seem to actually exist, teachers that don't seem to be human, double headed rats, missing students, tentacles in lockers, and now that he is thinking about it why isn't Karina in any classes?

A fast read that actually wraps up maybe a little too quickly and neatly, otherwise almost perfect. There's a preview for book 2 at the end of the book, which looks to be just as fun. Yes, I realize fun may seem like an odd word to use given the cover, the overall theme, the categories this ends up listed in, etc. but as I said this is a book for younger readers and while it is a horror / paranormal type book, it is kept a bit light (and in my eyes rather fun) because of that. I can't actually see it scaring anyone unless you read it to the very very very young kiddies. 

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #2: The Slither Sisters   

 The Slither Sisters starts us off with Robert and Glenn in the principal’s office. They’ll just explain to her what Lovecraft Middle School is. They know the Price sisters went through. But this IS Lovecraft Middle School, sometimes telling adults isn’t the answer. Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands. In doing so, Robert, Glenn, and Karina learn a lot more about Crawford Tillinghast - like he has a sister and she can tell them a lot about his past -- and present. Okay, so maybe some adults are useful. Useful even if they do think that step one in the war against Tillinghast is for you to run for student council president. Robert isn’t sure how that will help, not when he is running against one of the Price sister’s. She’s popular. He’s also running against Howard, a nerd, but one who deserves to win as he has actual ideas. Oh and while trying to figure out this whole election thing, it seems there may be some new creatures leaking out of the school grounds, they’re tiny now - but they’ll grow and at least one has already been spotted.

A solid follow up that will not disappoint fans of the first book. Onto the next as the problems at Lovecraft Middle School have just begun.   

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #3: Teacher's Pest

 Beyond an army really. If he and his evil crew of minions can somehow breed enough of them at the school, they'll be quite useful. Tillinghast has forgotten he's got to deal with a group of what he'd consider pests though - Robert, Glenn, Karina, and even his own sister. While no one else in the universe knows of him or his plans, they do. They know how he's taken bodies over. They know the recent bug infestation is his doing. They won't stand for it, especially not when Pip and Squeak (Robert's two headed rat) is endangered. They'll do everything in their power to exterminate each and every bug. Definitely what fans of the prior books would expect. A bit formulaic at this point, but still a fast fun read. Not what I would call scary, more like light-hearted horror that is perfect for the young readers it is intended for.  

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #4: Substitute Creature

The fourth book in the series Tales from Lovecraft Middle School, Substitute Creature, is in some ways the strongest book and in some ways the weakest. Either way, it’s still exactly what fans of the series would expect. Robert, Glenn, and Karina are fighting for their school and yeah, you guessed it, their lives. 

This time around an extremely unusual snow storm hits the town, especially so in the area of the school (surprise). While most do make it out of the school in time, Robert, Robert's mother, Lionel (a spoiled rich kid who refused to take the buses out as he was sure that daddy would send a driver for him), Miss Carcasse (the substitute librarian), Maniac Mac (the janitor), and of course Karina end up trapped in the school. 

Robert is sure that something is up with Miss Carcasse but since he cannot possibly tell his mother and Mac about the school, he’ll have to deal with most of it alone as Lionel is, well… Lionel and Karina has her usual ghosty limitations (which they’re now trying to hide from the adults). Oh there’s Pip and Squeak too, Robert has learned to communicate with them.

The villain here isn’t given much build up that storyline is almost too easily cleaned up. Robert is faced with his toughest choice of the series and yet that aspect of the storyline sort of takes a nice cop out for at least a part of it -- it does open up the storyline for a next book, but still it felt like a cop out. Despite those weaknesses, this is very much in line with the rest of the series. In many ways the lessened physical dramas of chasing around the bad guys worked. Robert and his buddies finally have to face some of their own emotional and mental dilemmas, ones we haven’t seem them really take on but should have before now, though this is still done in the usual lighthearted way you’d expect from this series.  

Witch Twins

Witch Twins by Adele Griffin

When this book popped up as a title available for review, I considered requesting it, but then again my book reading plate was rather full. The author's name seemed familiar to me. I looked her up. Oooh! I'd read another series of hers: Vampire Island, and while it wasn't perfect it had been a solid 4 star children's series that had turned vampires into something unique and silly, safe reading for kids. I had to see what she'd do with witches. What she did was something fun, of course. Claire and Luna are twins (Luna is 13 minutes older and far more serious). As is the case with many twins they're quite different and yet they can get on the same wave length quite easily. They're also both witches. When they spot the ring on the girlfriend of their father they start to imagine what it means - disaster of course. She'll take daddy away from them, far far away. No matter what their grandma has warned them of (that using magic to change fate is bad) they know that drastic times call for drastic measures - magic of course. Never mind that they haven't yet even reached 1 star witch status and most of their spells go a little awry. Still, if they can stop the wedding, surely that means that they'll be spared of having a step-mother named "Fluffy" and there dad will never be at risk of being whisked off to Texas, right? A charming witchy tale for young readers. An extended preview for the follow-up book (Witch Twins at Camp Bliss) is included and won't disappoint. I'd recommend this one to people who remember television shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch or Bewitched and want to experience that type of lighthearted witchiness from a children's book.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like so as not to waste my time.

Heck

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go










  In Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck , the sequel to Heck, we find Milton alive and not so well as he tries to adjust to being the freak that has come back to life. It seems that no one, not even his parents, knows how to deal with his sudden to return to the land of the living. 

And where do we find Marlo? Moved to Rapacia, of course. There, Grabbit is in charge (we'll just say that he's probably a metal cousin of the Mad Hatter). Rapacia is the place where the kids learn about wants and greed. The types of classes that you would expect in Heck are here, taught by the teachers that you'd expect. The kids are also introduced to Mallvana -- it's probably just what you imagine it to be, Nirvana for kids, in Mall format.

Frankly, what is happening in the land of the living is far freakier than what is happening down in Heck -- at least for the first half of the book. Milton is stalked, meets the curator of a paranormal mall, hooks up with a lawyer who is beyond questionable, gets mixed up with a cult -- and that's a relatively nice fairly spoiler free way to explain it. I've got to say Milton's life in Heck seemed a lot easier than life on earth. At least, his second chance at life.

So yup, it's another wild ride for all involved. Not all of it good. It did seem a bit confusing in places. The Milton alive / Marlo dead thing seemed to take away some of the fun of the first book -- it felt as though there was a lot less character interaction / development in this book even as there were even more characters added to the mix. It was a little weird in that sense. Still despite those flaws, they were so minor that I did go ahead and pre-order the third book, because overall it did stay true to the first book / was just as fun as the first. And, of course I do want to see how those unresolved issues are dealt with.

In case you stumble upon Blimpo: The Third Circle of Heck on accident, be forewarned, one must really pass through Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go and Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck in order to truly appreciate Blimpo, otherwise one could end up a little confused.

I had felt that Rapacia had been good, though not as good as Heck. I'm a bit undecided about how to compare Blimpo to Heck, but it's better than Rapacia was.

Yes, the horrible horrible horrible puns and acronyms are back. Potty humor (there's a BOWEL movement for example). While pegged as a young reader series, there are things here that are much more amusing to the big kids among us (the celeb guest stars for example - Milton goes on the road with Jack Kerouac). Basically, yes, all of the things that make you either love or hate the series are back.

There are multiple storylines:
- Milton has vowed to save Virgil from Blimpo
- Blimpo, something is going on there, but what?
- Milton has vowed to save Marlo from H-e-double-hockey-sticks
- Marlo is working for the big guy downstairs in some internship program that brings to mind a very nasty episode of Ugly Betty.
- Bea "Elsa" Bubb is on the war path (isn't she always?)
- Damian, Necia, and the KOOKS still have their issues up above. Including Lucky.
- The angels are still wondering about what is happening in Heck

If you want a book that has a beginning and an end, you'll be disappointed. There was just so much happening here that pieces got resolved - sort of. Much like Rapacia, this book sets up the next book. But somehow, it's not all that disappointing that we're left with more questions than answers this time around as it was set up rather well.

I'm giving it 5 stars because I really did love it, though I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. Maybe 4 1/2. There was still something a little off, I think it was the parts focusing on the people up above. I'm not sure why, it seems out of place in this book, but it's such a small part of the book that it's not enough for me to lower my rating.

Fibble: The Fourth Circle of Heck -- This is one of those times when half stars would be nice. It's better than three stars but nowhere near four star quality. So I had to debate with myself - what to give this book -- what reasons do I have to push it to four? All I came up with really was that I love this series in general and yeah, sorry that wasn't enough so I had to go with three.

The problem with this book is that it just felt as though something was missing. I didn't devour this book as I did the others (buying in early July and only finishing it now in late August - I stopped to read numerous other books, something I wouldn't have dare done with the other books in the series). The historical figures were not used as well as they have been in prior books. The author writing himself into the story went nowhere (not that it can't be used in later books, but in this one it was just not interesting). The battles that the Fausters faced was boring compared to previous adventures. The soul swapping wasn't interesting.

Still, that's not to say that the book didn't have its good points, it had plenty - I did say I had to debate between 3 and 4 stars. The handling of the reality shows was brilliant. The interactions between Marlo and Milton, also genius. Bea "Elsa" Bubb was not overused, but did get worked into this story in a perfect way. 

I'm sure that I will continue on with the series, but my expectations for it have dropped quite a bit after this book.