Written by: Charlaine Harris
First line: I'm pretty sure I died.
Why you should read this book: On the one hand, pretty much every detail in this book (main character with amnesia, dark secrets; kid living in cemetery, able to see ghosts; teenagers dabbling in the dark arts, a ghost in search of justice, a cell phone with all the evidence on it) has been done before, but on the other, it's a decently satisfying story that seems to stake its own territory. Calexa Rose Dunhill isn't her real name, but she's happy to use a pseudonym while she figures out which close family or friend tried to kill her and leave her for dead on a dark and stormy night. Living in a crypt and spying in the darkness like a little ghost, she doesn't get much closer to solving her own mystery, but she does end up uniquely situated to solve someone else's.
Why you shouldn't read this book: You're sure your reanimation spells will work if you just kill enough people. Or, you're just looking for something a little more original.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Cemetery Girl Book One: The Pretenders
(george)
Written by: E. L. Konigsburg
First line: Only two people knew that George was probably the funniest little man in the whole world and that he used foul language.
Why you should read this book: A small story about big ideas written by an award-winning author, this book recounts the sixth grade year of Ben Carr, a gifted science student who possesses an unknown academic advantage: a little man named George who lives inside him, makes hilarious jokes, and helps Ben remember all the hard words in chemistry. Ben, George, and their oppositional defiant little brother Howard have always been close, but this year, Ben's obsession with being liked and his admiration for the polished senior who used to be his lab partner has driven a wedge between Ben and his useful inner voice. If Ben can't figure out what really bothers George about William's behavior, he might lost his best friend forever.
Why you shouldn't read this book: You took a couple psychology classes in college and now you're an expert who diagnoses other people's children with serious psychiatric disorders after a couple hours of observation.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite
Written by: Suki Kim
First line: Time there seemed to pass differently.
Why you should read this book: I know I'm not the only American fascinated, bewildered, and curious about life in North Korea, as evidenced by the number of months I had to wait for this library reserve, and it did not disappoint in terms of sheer, mind-blowing insanity, and its descriptions of a world that is hardly imaginable. Suki Kim, born in South Korea, immigrated to America at age 13, and was also curious about the closed country where some of her relatives had disappeared before she was born, so she disguised herself as a Christian missionary among a group of Christian missionaries disguised as teachers, and spent two semesters living in a virtual prison while gathering intelligence about the most closed country on the planet. I devoured this fascinating narrative in a few hours and highly recommend it to anyone with the least interest in North Korea, oppressive regimes, the meaning of freedom, human rights, or brainwashing an entire country.
Why you shouldn't read this book: You are a Christian missionary disguised as a teacher for the purpose of maintaining a presence in North Korea in case the country should ever open up enough to enable you to proselytize there.
Max's Bunny Business
Written by: Rosemary Wells
First line: The telephone rang.
Why you should read this book: Another story in the popular series about a sloppy, mute toddler rabbit with an annoyingly bossy sister, this book features Ruby and her friend Louise conniving to earn money to purchase trendy costume jewelry and, as usual, not letting Max participate. Once again, Max gets the jump on his older sister and runs a more successful business by appealing to a particularly generous donor. A bit of fluffy fun for little ones.
Why you shouldn't read this book: Struggling to run your own start up and don't have a well-heeled grandma to bail you out of your poorly conceived business plan.
No Roses for Harry!
Written by: Gene Zion
First line: Harry was a white dog with black spots.
Why you should read this book: Who can't relate to Harry's dilemma: a beloved relative has sent him a comfortable but offensively ugly piece of clothing, and the little dog does everything in his power to deliberately lose this horrible, handmade sweater. Eventually he succeeds in ditching his unwanted outfit, only to experience a vast sense of shame when Grandma comes to visit. Fortunately, Harry knows that his awful sweater has been repurposed, and can show Grandma what a great job he's done at upcycling.
Why you shouldn't read this book: You can't understand why your grandchildren never wear the adorable tops you knit for them with love.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Written by: William Steig
First line: Sylvester Duncan lived with his mother and father at Acorn Road in Oatsdale.
Why you should read this book: Like many of Steig's stories, there is something remarkably enduring about this tale of a little donkey who makes a bad decision in a moment of utter terror, and it is just as accessible to little kids as it was when it was first published in 1969. Young readers shudder along with Sylvester when he encounters a lion, mourn with him when he finds himself transformed into a mute boulder, and rejoice when his parents' love restores him to his rightful form. A terrific tale for families, and a great read-aloud bedtime story.
Why you shouldn't read this book: Trigger warning for missing children.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Funny Little Woman
Written by: Arlene Mosel
First line: Long ago, in Old Japan, there lived a funny little woman who liked to laugh, "Tee-he-he-he," and who liked to make dumplings out of rice.
Why you should read this book: Originally published over forty years ago, this small and wonderful fairy tale still has the power to delight. A woman who doesn't seem to take anything seriously blunders into mortal danger and uses the power of not really caring very much to defeat a legion of terrible demons and make off with a magical artifact. Great fun for reading aloud, with eerie-funny illustrations that heighten the sense of tension unfelt by the protagonist.
Why you shouldn't read this book: You are serious about stranger danger.
Tom
Written by: Tomie de Paola
First line: Tommy's grandfather always used to say, "We're named after each other, Tommy."
Why you should read this book: The special relationship between a small boy and a loving grandfather comprises this charming memoir about a couple of cut-ups and the trouble that a love of pranks and access to the butcher's discard pile can cause. Big Tom is a joker, but he probably doesn't anticipate the shenanigans that Little Tommy will find himself in when his grandfather shows him the world of possibilities inherent in a couple of chicken feet. A rollicking story that throws small children into paroxysms of laughter.
Why you shouldn't read this book: Fear of meat.
Because of Winn-Dixie
Written by: Kate DiCamillo
First line: My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog.
Why you should read this book: A friendly dog is Opal's entry into a social life in her new home of Naomi, Florida, as well as a way into a new place in her father's confidence and regard. Loving a needy creature gives her the courage to ask her distant father to tell her ten things about the mother who abandoned her, and make friends with some rather unlikely characters, all of whom live with their own loneliness until Winn-Dixie helps bring them all together. This quiet, beautiful slice-of-life book tells the truth about children and adults, about love and loss, and about the social infrastructure that is created when the right elements come together in conviviality and joy.
Why you shouldn't read this book: You would take that mangy mutt to the pound and doom your daughter to a life of loneliness.
