My son recommended this book to me, and he was right. So what if it's written "for" kids? Think of it as a novelette. Lowry has a justly famous way wiMy son recommended this book to me, and he was right. So what if it's written "for" kids? Think of it as a novelette. Lowry has a justly famous way with words, characters, and scenes, and should be studied intently by all who wish to know what "Show, don't tell" really means. In this story, the creators of our dreams are tiny fairy-like creatures who try very hard to give us pleasant, helpful dreams - often against very tall odds, as in the case of the three people in this book. Some stories are worth sniffling over, however short and (apparently) simple they may be....more
My son was unhappy about the poor outlook for the characters, but we got through to the end. I'm not sure how he felt about the journey to Paradise paMy son was unhappy about the poor outlook for the characters, but we got through to the end. I'm not sure how he felt about the journey to Paradise part; he didn't say much. (I know that *I* didn't know quite what to do with that, myself, and I haven't re-read this one much, either.) ...more
Possibly my least-favorite of the series - it all seems too 'pat' to me. But N. seemed to quite like it (and recognized Jadis's name as that of the WhPossibly my least-favorite of the series - it all seems too 'pat' to me. But N. seemed to quite like it (and recognized Jadis's name as that of the White Witch). So at least I know he's not just a short, male copy of me. 8-)...more
My second-favorite Narnia book! I lost my first copy on a bus to camp, and the replacement copy got a protective plastic covering, so it doesn't show My second-favorite Narnia book! I lost my first copy on a bus to camp, and the replacement copy got a protective plastic covering, so it doesn't show as much wear as it should. I think it was the Talking Horses that were the real draw for me on this one....more
More forgetfulness - the drollness of Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle. And how little Lewis cared for 'modern' educational theory, again (or still - this More forgetfulness - the drollness of Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle. And how little Lewis cared for 'modern' educational theory, again (or still - this is Eustace's school, after all)....more
This was my favorite of the series (the extent of the repairs to the volume attests to this), but I'm not sure it's my son's. We'll have to see.This was my favorite of the series (the extent of the repairs to the volume attests to this), but I'm not sure it's my son's. We'll have to see....more
I'd forgotten how much antagonism towards the negative aspects of modern (1950s!) life was expressed in these books - especially in the last couple ofI'd forgotten how much antagonism towards the negative aspects of modern (1950s!) life was expressed in these books - especially in the last couple of chapters of this one. Lewis saw his society as tending to quash any traces of joy and mystery - things essential to human existence, not to mention faith. Of course, it's risky to attribute such motives to an author of fiction, but I've read enough of his work (including non-fiction) to feel confident about this description....more
I'm reading this series to my son now, actually. I'd forgotten how quickly they zip along. We talked a bit about how the book differs from the movie. I'm reading this series to my son now, actually. I'd forgotten how quickly they zip along. We talked a bit about how the book differs from the movie. Now we've gone on to the second one already, which I've realized I need to replace because the tape I repaired it with some years ago has gone all brown and crackling....more
When reading a book begins to feel like a chore, it's time to stop. This is actually my second attempt to read this novel; I tried again because the pWhen reading a book begins to feel like a chore, it's time to stop. This is actually my second attempt to read this novel; I tried again because the premise - industry and invention in northeastern Connecticut in 1914 - interests me. This time I forged on through the first third despite a paucity of both roller derby and boyfriend. Things picked up for a while in the technology department, but the mid-book twist - the spectacular and ignominious death by misadventure of an important character (the characterization of whom I did not like much to begin with) - threw me completely out of the book. I want to like this novel, but I don't. I peeked at the end and found it was going to go more or less as I expected: and that's it. No reading-as-a-chore around here except for academic purposes....more
Another juvenile, picked off the new books rack in the library. In an unnamed city in 1926, Scooter King, thirteen, goes to school and works hard to aAnother juvenile, picked off the new books rack in the library. In an unnamed city in 1926, Scooter King, thirteen, goes to school and works hard to assist his mother, a professional medium. And then one day he stumbles into a much larger-scale and dangerous fraud - and also meets Harry Houdini, who is both fascinating (stage magician, escape artist) and alarming (also bent on exposing spiritualist frauds). It has lots of detail about spiritualist fakery, and portrays 1920s culture accurately as far as I can tell. (Scooter knows a few of the popular slang terms of the day, but one character he meets talks so much slang he can't understand her!) Lawrence is an impressive writer overall, and in the end serves up an escape entirely worthy of Houdini!...more
Nancy Kress is a superb writer, which is why this book survives its highly improbable plot. (I pause here to wonder if techno-thrillers have any otherNancy Kress is a superb writer, which is why this book survives its highly improbable plot. (I pause here to wonder if techno-thrillers have any other kind of plot, but I don't read enough of them to be sure.) In brief, the town of Tyler, MD is where a terrifying new disease appears - one that makes dogs become wildly aggressive. As a result, terrible things happen to small children (I was surprised that I could read through those parts) and the town gets locked down by FEMA and investigated by the CDC. The book is at its strongest when following retired FBI agent Tessa Sanderson and local animal control officer Jess Langstrom; a couple of subplots involving a young boy and a nurse are also well done. The other points of view are either overkill or barely credible, and the cut scenes in the White House could have been dispensed with even more easily. But seriously, most of it's Tessa or Jess, and while the plot doesn't hold up well to close examination, it's a pretty good read all the same....more
This is #3 of Kerr's "Children of the Lamp" series, in which djinn (as imagined by Kerr) are quite real, and we follow the adventures of preteen djinnThis is #3 of Kerr's "Children of the Lamp" series, in which djinn (as imagined by Kerr) are quite real, and we follow the adventures of preteen djinn John and Philippa Gaunt. These are well-written, quite cohesively imagined, and take readers on trips all over the world (which warms my geographer's heart). Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I do like this series. I need to get the 4th for N. so I can read it too....more
Actually my son got this out of the library, and I have to say, it really is full of greasy salty potato chip goodness. It also has all the depth and Actually my son got this out of the library, and I have to say, it really is full of greasy salty potato chip goodness. It also has all the depth and style of an action film - which is not a compliment, coming from me, though it was enough to keep me reading to the end. But, holy simplistic character motivations, Batman! Now, I believe some pretty good authors have contributed to the Star Wars novels, but this? Is not one of them. But I suppose that it does at least succeed in explaining a lot about the Dark Side and how things stood 1,000 years before the two movie series. Yeah. This Darth Bane guy uncovers ancient secrets of the Dark Side, yadda yadda, decides there should be only two strong practitioners, takes care of the rest. Boom....more
I think my abiding affection for Jones's work has not previously come up in this chronicle. This book is as much fun as the others - though it's classI think my abiding affection for Jones's work has not previously come up in this chronicle. This book is as much fun as the others - though it's classed as "J" (a step below YA) in my public library. I'm not sure, also, why the cover bills it as "the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle" when (a) Castle in the Air has been out for years, and (b) Howl and Sophie are only supporting characters. Those marketing people, they're so silly. Anyway, in this book young Charmain Baker, sheltered bookworm daughter of an overly respectable mother and her talented baker husband, is drafted to look after the home of her Great-Uncle William while he's away having his illness cured by the elves. Charmain knows nothing about keeping house, but fortunately her uncle is a wizard, and the house mostly keeps itself. Add a small dog, Peter the apprentice the wizard agreed to take on but who arrives a month early, a dangerous magical creature, a house that's a lot bigger on the inside than the outside (and easy to get lost in), etc., and hilarity ensues but the kingdom is saved. Sophie and Howl (in disguise) appear with key information, and Calcifer gets to play an essential role. All in all, a fun story....more
Now that you've read the title I don't have to tell you much about the book! Except that it's very good, though I now know more about cholera than I rNow that you've read the title I don't have to tell you much about the book! Except that it's very good, though I now know more about cholera than I really wanted to. Not to mention about the quality of mid-19th-century London water. Ugh. But seriously, this is a great example of a wide-angle approach to what could be a very narrow topic: the brief yet devastating cholera outbreak centered on Broad Street in London in 1854. Johnson draws in everything from the history of urbanization to the miasma theory of disease to the threats to modern cities (in a book written by a Brooklynite and published in 2006). A detailed, thorough, and impressive piece of scholarship....more
I read this one of this incredibly popular series mostly to see if it was any better than Redwall. It isn't, but it does illustrate the power of certaI read this one of this incredibly popular series mostly to see if it was any better than Redwall. It isn't, but it does illustrate the power of certain basic fantasy tropes (the Quest, the Fated Hero, the Last Stand, etc.): they can actually survive being imposed on talking animals. I mean, I actually finished reading it! Perhaps I'm just not escapist enough to get into this kind of thing. I'm pretty sure I was when I was a teenager but - I'm not one anymore....more
Published well before November in 2008, this book now seems almost - but not quite - too alarmist. Jacoby (author of several other books that I now muPublished well before November in 2008, this book now seems almost - but not quite - too alarmist. Jacoby (author of several other books that I now must look up) dissects the anti-intellectual strain in U.S. history and excoriates the rise to unwarranted prominence of both junk science and "junk thought" - which are characterized by a disdain for logic and evidence, and the elevation of feeling (or sincerity, as Harry Frankfurt might have it) as a basis for opinions and decisions on every matter under the sun. She manages to avoid (narrowly) a simple bashing of TV and other "infotainment" by placing that modern phenomenon in a much larger historical and cultural context. She also apportions blame even-handedly on the political right, left, and center (though the right wing, as the flavor of the moment up till quite recently, gets rather more attention). And to a person who was too young to experience "the Sixties," her long discussion of that decade-plus was fascinating. This is a must-read for all who worry about the state of our culture and would like a full explanation of what's been going on....more
Found in the Teen section � a lovely faery tale in the ancient tradition. It’s even based on some of the Child Ballads � amongst other things. This noFound in the Teen section � a lovely faery tale in the ancient tradition. It’s even based on some of the Child Ballads � amongst other things. This novel is a great, lyrical-but-not-highfalutin� treat for anyone who likes faery tales....more
Another instance of me picking up a book that falls in the midst of a series. I thought it was the sequel to one I'd read before, but it's the second Another instance of me picking up a book that falls in the midst of a series. I thought it was the sequel to one I'd read before, but it's the second volume of the second series. Oh well. This one's from the Teen section of the library. It involves the destiny of four clans of partly anthropomorphized feral cats. Apparently it's a real hit among the YA/teen set ("The National Bestselling Series") but it's not really marking any new territory - this has been done, and done better, by Tad Williams (Tailchaser's Song). Of course, that one wasn't billed as YA/teen. The upside of the anthropomorphizing here is that it's mostly limited to sociocultural changes. The cats live in dens lined with leaves and such (no furniture or clothes!), but they have a complex hierarchy, an ancestor-worship religion that works, and healer "medicine cats" who really know what they're doing. The first series was, if I recall correctly, about a megalomaniac cat trying to take over all the clans; in this one, the reader can recognize that the cat's territory is about to be made into a subdivision by the "Two-legs." I read through the whole book, but I'm lukewarm toward both series - I probably won't bother to read more. Maybe I'll look up Tailchaser's Song again, or Duane's Book of Night with Moon, if I want to read about cats....more
I've read and enjoyed many of Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police novels, though apparently not during this past year, and not this one before. These areI've read and enjoyed many of Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police novels, though apparently not during this past year, and not this one before. These are low-key mysteries, in which the police characters - Jim Chee and the (now-retired) Lt. Joe Leaphorn - work methodically toward solving their problems. Leaphorn is a traditional thinking detective in many ways - I might compare him to Simenon's Maigret, except the two writers' narrative styles are so different. In this particular novel, there are two problems: the disappearance of a biologist and the murder of a tribal police officer. Leaphorn doesn't believe in coincidence, and as usual, he's right. Hillerman throws in a bit of preaching about the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is unusual for him (normally his preaching is about the venality of the general run of Federal law enforcement types), but since the plot revolves around biologists studying bubonic plague, he probably learned more than he wanted to know about the problem during his research. Of course I recommend this book - though it might be better for you to start with some of the earlier ones, if Hillerman is new to you. This one assumes a certain familiarity with the characters and milieu. ...more
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