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It's been awhile. A girl's allowed a vacation every now and then. Where to start?
Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi. I have not read any of the Spiderwick Chronicles books, but I picked this one up because it was short and looked cute. Kenny is a happy bunny. His father comes back from the fields one afternoon and says he's seen a dragon. So, naturally, Kenny being a curious soul goes off to fight the dragon! Low and behold, the dragon is not what Kenny expected. Thus begins a friendship between Kenny and Grahame and when Grahame is threatened, Kenny is determined to find a way to save him. All in all, a good book for 2nd and 3rd graders. Friendship, adventure, a little bit of non-scary danger and a dragon. How could a reader go wrong?
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have finally caught up with the rest of the world and have read Twilight. Bella is an interesting character. She's thoroughly enamored and enthralled by Edward. The book I found--to be complete honest--not that great. It was good enough for me to keep reading it (I've finally become one of those readers who will actually put a book down if she doesn't like it) and I'll probably pick up the rest of the books in the course of my reading, but I'm not a huge fan like many other librarians I know. As it gets teens to read, though, I'm totally in favor of it. High schoolers are a good target age for this book, though I know younger girls are reading it. (As a side note: I did find out what happens to Bella at the end of the books--I asked and friends told me--and I must admit I'm curious about the journey to that point, perhaps more so than I would have been had I not known, if that makes sense.)
Admittedly this next book I can't remember who wrote it: Kings and Queens of Denmark. My vacation took me to Denmark this fall and as it was quickly becoming apparent that I would finish Twilight well before my vacation was over, I was in desperate need of another book. This book provides brief histories of the monarchs of Denmark from Gorm the Old (930 AD) to Margrethe II, the current queen. Knowing nothing as I did of the Danish royalty, I enjoyed the book and am curious about their rulers and may have to expand my obsessive royalty reading to include the Danish.
The Gathering, book two of the Quantum Prophecy by Michael Carroll. To be honest, I didn't remember a great deal about The Awakening, the first book, other than Colin, Danny, and Renata are superheros in a time when all the superheros have been gone for 10 years. This one picks up not long after the first book ends, and Renata and Colin are masked adventurers, trying to save the world one small incident at a time. When their true identities are leaked to the media, Colin and his family have to get out. They end up in the US (in Kansas, no less) in hiding. A supervillian, Dioxin, joins with an enemy to draw the superheros out of their hiding and when the fighting start it explodes. I really enjoy this books and think boys especially will like these: they are not particularly long, involve superheroes, and a lot of action (and destruction). Good for middle schoolers and probably upper elementary, though some of the themes might be a bit much.
Watchmen by Alan Moore. I admit I picked up this graphic novel because I've seen a preview for the movie, due out in 2009. The storyline is at first a little confusing; I was trying to understand where it was all leading and was not having much luck figuring it out. It's a turn because the superheroes aren't wanted at this time (1985--Nixon's still president) and most have retired or gone into hiding (or in the case of the Comedian, work for the government). The story begins with the Comedian's murder and from then on out, it becomes a matter of piecing things together as slowly the superheroes disappear. Roschach, a very determined superhero, sees more behind it than others are willing to admit. It's definitely a dark story, and when the story begins to pick up it goes at a quick pace. I'm curious to see how the film version will be, but something tells me it probably won't be as effective. Good art, interesting story, definitely a recommended read. Older teens.
As for movies, I saw Eagle Eye in theaters last night and it was better than I was expecting. Definitely makes you think about all the technology you use and whether or not it's tracking you and it's slightly freaky. A good action movie (the ending was a little corny and I could have done without it, but I guess they were going for a positive ending). Perhaps better than I expected is the best praise I can give it.
Anticipating Hunger Games this weekend. I hear it's a quick read and excellent so I'm looking forward to that. In between reviews, I remain,
the Savage Librarian.

2 Adventures, Quite Different.

As much of a history nerd as I am, I don't know a whole lot about Henry Hudson's voyages, and I think that was helpful (suspense-wise anyway) when I read Quest by Kathleen Benner Duble. This story of Henry Hudson's voyage is told from the perspective of four characters, two on the ship Discovery with Henry Hudson and two back in Europe, awaiting the return of the ship. John Hudson is Henry's 17 year old son (the middle child) who has gone on voyages with his father before. He has the task of keeping the ship's logs and so his entries (which lean much more towards journal entries than ship logs) comprise his contribution to the story. Seth Syms is one of the sailors (first time, poor soul) on Discovery, older than John, but befriends him and enjoys John's pranks. Seth is writing letters to his mother, even knowing that the letters will not get to her until he has returned from the voyage. Richard Hudson is Henry Hudson's youngest son, about 8 years old, and his story is told in the third person (which was a little jarring at first as the other three stories are told in the first person), making observations of what Richard thought of his brothers, but also what his mother went through while his father was at sea (often times captains' wives had to beg for credit until their husbands returned). The final part of the story is told in journal format by Isabella Digges, the daughter of one of Hudson's investors. Digges sends his daughter to a Dutch family as a companion so that she can spy for him. The head of the family is a part of the Dutch East India Trading Company and Isabella's charge is to seek out some of the maps and somehow convey the information of the new world back to her father. When the Discovery takes an extraordinary amount of time to return (the ship was trapped in the ice in Canada for the winter), the story starts to pick up and things get a little harried. I really enjoyed this book. It's quick paced and short (240 pages) and with a few kind of creepy details (a description of a man who froze to death and discussion of hangings) it's definitely better off for middle schoolers than grade schoolers. There is a helpful author's note at the end, noting where Duble got her inspiration for the story and what's true and what's not, as well as her belief that there needed to be some strong females characters (Isabella Digges, definitely, and Katherine Hudson). Highly recommended for history fans or anyone looking for a different type of adventure story.
Jellaby by Kean Soo is a fantastic graphic novel good for the grade school set (probably 3-5, though even some 2nd graders could probably tackle it). Jellaby is a giant purple monster that Portia finds in the woods near her house. Portia is raised by her mother as her father mysteriously disappeared. She doesn't have many friends, but Jellaby encourages Portia to get involved on the side of Jason, who is being bullied. She and Jason (after Jason unexpectedly meets Jellaby) become tentative friends and determine they should find a way to get Jellaby home. Jellaby recognizes a photo from a Halloween exhibition and the kids determine they need to take Jellaby there. Jason's parents are entirely absent from the story. These two grade schoolers con their way onto a train to the City (Jellaby's only speech is when he buys tickets on the train--it's hilarious) but something (inevitably) happens and the book ends there! Fantastic book. The color scheme is primarily in shades of purple, with a red barrette for Portia and a yellow hoodie for Jason distinguishing them from the rest of the kids (Jellaby's got some red stripes). There's a subplot of what actually happened to Portia's father (she keeps having nightmares) that will keep the story moving. Can't recommend it enough and I eagerly await the next volume.
Remarkably, I'm not waiting for anything, but content to be reading The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding. Another historical fiction about Cat Royal, an orphan who lives in the Royal Theatre in Drury Lane in 1790 London. I'm curious to see how it will turn out. I'll be patiently reading and update you next time.
Keep reading,
The Savage Librarian.

Royal Stories Flourish

I have a combination of materials to discuss this morning, 2 dvds and 2 books (I've sped through them). Let's start with the movies:
I watched Wallis & Edward earlier this week, starring Joely Richardson (of Nip/Tuck) as Wallis Simpson. Most accounts I've heard or read or seen of the Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson story paint Mrs. Simpson in a most unflattering light. (I have not heard/read/seen many versions of the story, though I do own Edward VIII's book, A King's Story, which I have yet to read.) This film was interesting because it showed a very tender, loving relationship between Edward and Mrs. Simpson, she being more concerned with his happiness than herself. Edward VIII is painted as needy and slightly controlling as well as very very stubborn. She continues to tell Edward VIII not to give up his birthright for her, that they don't need to be married, that she'll leave the country, anything to help him focus on his duty as King. Edward VIII will not be deterred. He wants her as a wife and is willing to abdicate to get her. Which is precisely what occurred. Most of the stories paint Mrs. Simpson as being the one who forced Edward VIII to abdicate, that it was entirely her fault, that her influence caused him to quit the throne, to support Nazis, etc, etc. But Wallis & Edward portrays Edward as the more forceful character in the relationship. It was definitely an interesting film and pretty good. I recommend.
I know this is a loose connection to royalty, but the next film out on dvd is Persepolis (it talks a little bit about the Iranian royalty--yes, that's my flimsy connection). Based on Marjane Satrapi's two graphic novels, Persepolis and Persepolis 2, the film tells her story of growing up in Iran during the revolution and war. The film is beautiful, staying true to the tone and story of the books (well, definitely the first book, I haven't read the second one yet), is touching and funny, heartbreaking and angering. Marji is close to her parents and grandmother and it must have been a confusing time to grow up, revolutions, the danger faced by family members who oppose the government, the slow tightening restrictions placed on women in Iran. Her parents eventually send her to Vienna, to get her out of the country. Vienna is not the place for Marji and she spends a miserable time there, only to return to her family and Iran. She struggles to make it work in that country, where her family is, where she bases her identity. But disagreeing with much of what is happening in the country (as well as having had a taste of what was happening elsewhere in the world) make it difficult for Marji to find herself at home. A brilliant film. I highly recommend.
On to the books! Finished Yxta Maya Murray's The King's Gold, the second in the Red Lion series, taking place 2 years after The Queen Jade. Once I got a bit beyond the odd way Lola gets involved with this adventure. A man shows up at Lola's bookshop, waving a letter from about 1554 at her, from Antonio Medici who claims to have taken some of Montezuma's gold back to Italy. He is writing the letter to his nephew Cosimo, whom Antonio has little affection for. In the letter, he challenges Cosimo to follow the clues in 4 cities to find this vast trove of gold. Lola, being Lola, simply can't resist. The mystery man is actually Marco Moreno, the son of Colonel Moreno, one of the men chasing after Lola, Erik, and Yolanda in Guatemala. Marco is ... not a nice man. Charming, certainly. Intelligent, definitely. Dangerous, without a doubt. And yet Lola goes with him and his two bodyguards, Domenic and Blasej (big beefy intimidating guys), to Italy to decipher this strange letter, to determine if it is authentic and if she could somehow possibly help find Montezuma's gold. Forget the fact that she and Erik are getting married in two weeks. Minor details. Lola arrives in Florence with Marco, wanting to be there, knowing who Marco is and what he intends to do to her and her family should she not help him. And it's definitely not nice. Erik, concerned by Lola's crazy rambling text-messages she managed to send to him before Domenico broke her phone, jumps on a plane to Florence himself and meets her where she and Marco have gone to authetincate the letter. Erik gets caught up in the mystery (and the threats) and the five of them start to the first city, the first clue. Perilous traps have been laid by Antonio for his nephew Cosimo, and danger is in every step of the way. It wouldn't be a Red Lion book if the whole family wasn't around, so of course, Yolanda shows up to help Lola track, and Juana and Manuel show up because they like adventure. Nothing is quite straightforward in Murray's novels, so the treasure that awaits them at the end is not entirely what was expected. Definitely good and there's a lead in to the next novel which hopefully won't be too long in the writing.
Finally, I got around to reading The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, the book I was so triumphant in finding for one of my patrons about Queen Elizabeth II walking her dogs. The Queen falls in love with reading in this novella ("One has always read," she says), and her duties fall a little to the wayside. She would much rather be reading (wouldn't we all). She tries to discuss her new found passion with visiting heads of state as well as asking people in the crowds what they're reading. It stumps them all. She determines that reading is too passive and that one must write, but she must now determine what it is she's going to write. An interesting short read. Passable.
I've started Sense & Sensibility (book 3 of my Austen year) and keep thinking it might go faster than it has in the past (for some reason I had such a difficult time getting through this book--before I read it all the way through, I must have started it at least twice). I'm only about 20 pages in, so it could be too early to say. I started this one because I'm waiting for Louise Rennison's Stop in the Name of Pants! to come in at the library. I must know what's happened with Georgia! Dave the Laugh, Massimo, AND Robbie?? What's a girl to do?? And her titles really do suit me; I laugh at them all the time.
As I continue to wait (impatiently), I shall remain your Savage Librarian.