The Monster at the End of This Blog: Adventures in Storytime

A True Masterpiece

2009-07-01T17:38:00.002-04:00

I was charmed by Elise Broach's novel Masterpiece.
If you know a child in grades 3-6 with an interest in art, or just a srong sense of whimsy, I would suggest this novel. If your child enjoys this book, try Blue Balliet's middle grade novels, Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game.

Here's a review:
"James lives an invisible existence in a grand apartment on the Upper East Side. His mother, busy with her new husband and baby and her climb up the Manhattan social ladder, has little time for him. By contrast, Marvin, a beetle whose overprotective, extended family resides behind James’ mother’s kitchen, gets more attention than he wants. The two find friendship when James’ artist father gives him a pen-and-ink set, and Marvin discovers his talent for “drawing,” crafting delicate, museum-quality miniatures with his legs. When Marvin and James find themselves embroiled in a plot to steal a Dürer drawing from the Metropolitan Museum, they must find creative ways to communicate to foil the thieves and protect the masterpiece. Murphy’s own pen-and-ink spot art reflects the text’s sweet insouciance. With suspense, art history, complex family relationships (human and arthropod), and a resonant friendship, this enjoyable outing will satisfy the reserved and adventurous alike." Grades 3-6. --Thom Barthelmess

The Summoning

2009-07-01T17:32:00.004-04:00

Hmmm...I just read the closest thing I've read to the Twilight books. It started out just so-so, but got much better! The book's description is taken from the author's website.

The Summoning
"Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for 'disturbed teens'. At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems...? Chloe realizes that if she doesn't uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse...? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?"

Tangerine

2009-05-30T17:59:00.002-04:00

I am reading, and loving, the teen novel Tangerine.

Here's someone else's review of the book - I think they summed up the novel quite well.

Paul Fisher can see things his parents can't, like how evil his older brother, Erik the football star, really is. He can see this even though he has been legally blind since an early-childhood accident he can't remember.
Now his family has moved to the bizarre town of Tangerine, where muck fires burn forever, lightning strikes at the same time each day, and half the school disappears into a sinkhole one afternoon. Paul's memories are starting to return--memories that lead to shocking revelations about his family

Atherton: House of Power

2009-05-30T17:51:00.003-04:00

We're in an alternate world with three distinct regions. The bottom has these huge, dangerous creatures called "Cleaners," which, when roasted, give you a gooey meal called "the green and the black." The denizens of the middle world are workers, controlled by the wealthy people at the top, whom they've never seen. A boy climbs from the middle world to the top, and sets some changes in motion...

Recent Reads

2009-04-20T21:26:00.001-04:00