57. The Tiger Rising. Kate DiCamillo. 2001. 128 pages. [Source: Bought] [3 stars, j fiction, coming of age, j realistic fiction]

First sentence: That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day. 

Premise/plot: Rob Horton isn't having an easy time of it. His mother has died. His dad is largely absent--at least emotionally. Rob knows he cannot cry or grieve or show his sadness in any way. He hates, hates, hates having had to move. He hates living in a motel. He hates going to school. He is literally being BULLIED--physically harmed--by classmates. He has no friends--friends his own age or supportive adults. The book opens with him 'finding' a caged tiger in the woods behind the motel. He shares his discovery with a classmate; Sistine who is battling her own emotions. She is ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY. And she also hates having had to move. She hates everything about her life. These two become somewhat friendly as the book unfolds though it's more shared concern over this literal caged-tiger. They seem more in the tolerating stage than an actual I genuinely want to be your friend stage. 

The big question is will they or won't they....release the literal caged tiger into the [Florida] woods. 

My thoughts: I did not care for this one. Bright side: it was short.

I have really loved so many of Kate DiCamillo's works. They can be complex. They can offer an emotional experience--an emotional journey. You can feel all the feels. You can touch upon all the many, many, many emotions of life. This one is the darkest and saddest perhaps because there is literally no hope present within the novel. I hated the ending so much. I guess the bright side to the ending is that it was over.

What would have made this one better? If ANY adult--anyone--had showed one ounce of interest in Rob and his life. OR the tiger was not a literal, physical tiger.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

 

The Great Good Thing (Sylvie Cycle #1) Roderick Townley. 2001? reprinted 2025. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg fiction, books about books]

First sentence: Sylvie had an amazing life, but she didn't get to live it very often. What good were potions and disguises if no one came along to scare you or save you or kiss you behind the waterfall? Week after week nothing changed. Years went by. The sparkles on Sylvie's dress began to fade, and a fine dust coated the leaves, turning the green woods gray. Once in a while, it looked as though something might happen.

The Great Good Thing is a book about books, or perhaps the self-awareness of fictional characters OF their human readers. This is a book about lasting impressions and dreams. It's an odd little book that doesn't necessarily fit many molds. It does celebrates stories and storytelling and LEGACIES of stories.

Sylvie, the main character, is a fictional book character that--for better or worse, mostly for better--has a special relationship with a family of readers--a grandmother/granddaughter. She is able to "crossover" from the fictional world--the literal pages of her book--into the readers' dream world. When her book suffers a horrible fate--a fire--she is able to help the other characters transition into her readers' dream world where they exist--barely, minimally--for decades. 

The book is more abstract and philosophical than young readers may appreciate? In other words, this might 'touch' adults more than children. Though if it's read aloud by an adult who absolutely loves the story, I wouldn't be surprised if young readers catch the enthusiasm and love it as well. I just don't personally see it as a book that kids will discover on their own and absolutely fall in love with. It would need some hand-selling or "blessing."

The book has a heaviness to it which I think might vary from reader to reader to reader. It has a lot of things--directly and indirectly--to say about death.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Terry Pratchett. 2001. HarperCollins. 242 pages. [Source: Library] [Animal Fantasy; MG Fiction] [4 stars]

First sentence: Rats! 
They fought the dogs and killed the cats, and--
But there was more to it than that. As the Amazing Maurice said, it was just a story about people and rats. And the difficult part of it was deciding who the people were, and who were the rats.
But Malicia Grim said it was a story about stories.
It began--part of it began--on the mail coach that came over the mountains from the distant cities of the plain.

Premise/plot: What is this one about? Maurice has a scheme to get rich. He travels with a human piper, Keith, and 'his' educated rodents (rats). (Both the rats and the cat can talk.) They go from town to town--or village to village--though never in places too close together. First, they'll be an outbreak of rats. Then Keith will appear as a rat piper to save the day and lead the rats away. For a fee, of course. They split the money between them.

Readers see their "last" adventure in the town of Bad Blintz. All does not go according to plan...

My thoughts: I loved The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. I just LOVED it. I loved the characters. Maurice, the cat, and many of the rats--including Hamnpork, Dangerous Beans, Peaches, Darktan, Sardines, etc. And the humans, Keith and Malicia. I loved seeing these characters interact with one another. I loved the story too! It was such a great adventure story. And the writing--of course--I just loved it! Terry Pratchett is a new favorite of mine!!!

One of my favorite things about this one is Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. These rats LOVE the book Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. And many of the chapters begin with a quote from this book.

One day, when he was naughty, Mr. Bunnsy looked over the hedge into Farmer Fred's field and saw it was full of fresh green lettuces. Mr. Bunnsy, however, was not full of lettuces. This did not seem fair. (1)

Mr. Bunnsy had a lot of friends in Furry Bottom. But what Mr. Bunnsy was friendly with more than anything else was food. (20)

The important thing about adventures, thought Mr. Bunnsy, was that they should not be so long as to make you miss mealtimes. (49)

There were big adventures and small adventures, Mr. Bunnsy knew. You didn't get told what size they were going to be before you started. Sometimes you could have a big adventure even when you were standing still. (79)

I would definitely recommend this one!

Favorite quotes: 

There's always a plot. You just have to know where to look.

Malicia leaned against the wall with incredible nonchalance. There was not a click. A panel in the floor did not slide back. "Probably the wrong place," she said. "I'll just rest my arm innocently on this coat hook." A sudden door in the wall completely failed to happen. "Of course, it'd help if there was an ornate candlestick," said Malicia. "They're always a surefire secret-passage lever. Every adventurer knows that." "There isn't a candlestick," said Maurice. "I know. Some people totally fail to have any idea of how to design a proper secret passage," said Malicia. She leaned against another piece of wall, which had no effect whatsoever.

Cats don't go around feeling sorry! Or guilty! We never regret anything! Do you know what it feels like, saying, 'Hello food, can you talk?' That's not how a cat is supposed to behave!

If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story.

A good plan isn't one where someone wins, it's where nobody thinks they've lost.

"We don't want to be like the first mouse!" shouted the rats. "Right! What mouse do we want to be like?" "The second mouse, Darktan!" said the rats, like people who'd heard this lesson dinned into them many times. "Right! And why do we want to be like the second mouse?" "Because the second mouse gets the cheese, Darktan!"

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Flipped. Wendelin Van Draanen. 2001. 212 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: All I've ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone. For her to back off--you know, just give me some space. It all started the summer before second grade when our moving van pulled into her neighborhood. And since we're now about done with the eighth grade, that, my friend, makes more than half a decade of strategic avoidance and social discomfort. She didn't just barge into my life. She barged and shoved and wedged her way into my life.

Premise/plot: Bryce Loski and Juli Baker narrate this he-said, she-said middle grade novel. It was love at first sight--in second grade--for Juli Baker. But for Bryce, well, Juli is a pesky, pesty neighbor that follows him--literally--everywhere. But in eighth grade, however, roles seemed to have flipped. She begins to doubt her feelings for him--there's more to attraction that just eyes and smile--and he begins to see her in a whole new way. 

This one opens with a flashback scene of sorts showing the introduction or "meet cute" of this unlikely pair. But most of the story chronicles sixth grade through eighth grade. Reader see the same exact events through two pairs of eyes.

My thoughts: I am rereading this one after watching the movie for the first time. I ADORED the movie. It definitely changed some things up. For one, it took the contemporary setting of Flipped and made it a period piece. In the movie, the story unfolds in 1957-1963. And the soundtrack is FANTASTIC. I think one reason--pure speculation--to make this switch is it feels a little less controversial to have a girl literally chasing down a boy and smelling him if you set it in the distant past. Also some of the viewpoints of the characters seem to align more with what you'd expect in days long ago. (Teasing about being having a  r****d in the family, etc.) Some of the scenes just have JERKS. 

This one is thought-provoking. Love it or hate it. I definitely think the book doesn't address consent or boundaries--a must for a contemporary book being published post #metoo. The main message, I believe, is looking beyond appearances. What makes someone attractive. What makes you "flip" for someone. Juli is best for illustrating this. She's so accustomed to "loving" or "crushing" on Bryce, that she doesn't stop to consider WHO he is. What kind of person is Bryce? What is his character? If she really knew him--actually knew him--would she still love him? Is her attraction all surface-level? As for Bryce, he seems much less self-aware and just a bit clueless and immature. (Not for not liking girls. But just on processing and observing the world.) 

 The book definitely is open-ended and ambiguous. As is the movie--to a certain degree--but the closing music, "Let It Be Me" and the fact that she joins him outside to help him plant the new tree, does add an element of hope that the book doesn't quite reach.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Don't You Know There's A War On? Avi. 2001. 208 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I was late that Monday morning because my shoelace broke just as I was leaving for school. Meant I had to use some string. Now, you might think string would be easy to find, but it wasn't. String was something you gave away for the war effort. Besides, my sister had already left for school and my mother was at her job at the Navy Yard. Those days me and my family lived in Brooklyn. During the war. When I was eleven.

Premise/plot: Howie Crispers is madly, truly, deeply in love with his fifth grade teacher, Miss Gossim. Howie's best friend, is also madly, truly, deeply in love with her. Both are obsessed with finding out as much as humanly possible about their teacher's personal life. Both report back with each sharing juicy and not so juicy details about her life. Wanting almost to one up each other in how good they can be at learning more, more, more. Howie will do just about anything--including following her home, spying at her apartment building, overhearing private conversations, etc. He even 'accidentally' finds himself in her apartment building during a blackout and 'has' to seek refuge in her apartment until the all clear is given. (As far as I know, this is more of a drill or routine practice than actual emergency). She takes him in, confides super personal information to him, and tells him to keep it very quiet--not telling a soul. He tells everyone everything. I don't think Howie could keep a secret if his life depends on it. 

Howie rallies his class around 'saving' Miss Gossim's teaching job. 

My thoughts: I started off liking this one. Howie is a class-clown, goofy guy. He's presented as a trouble-maker who you can't help liking in spite of it all. But I thought the boys' obsession over their teacher was a little troubling. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be taken that seriously? Perhaps it was supposed to be a 'how cute' moment for readers. Bless their hearts. Those boys are so in love with their teacher. But to me, the more I read, the creepier I found it. Like boundaries were crossed in my opinion. If it's not 'cute' and 'precious' for a grown man to follow a woman home, to listen to her private conversations, to watch what she's doing, who she's seeing, etc., then why is it 'cute' and 'precious' if an eleven year old does it?  I know that Howie and his friend aren't going to physically harm their teacher or pose an actual threat. But still. I also felt it very odd that a teacher would confide very personal information to an eleven year old student and ask them to keep it a secret. I also thought it odd that we get a flash forward to the end of war when he's sixteen and *still* having obsessive thoughts over his teacher whom he hasn't seen since fifth grade.

Maybe I'm taking it too seriously? Maybe all the intentions were to be about a boy's puppy love, his first crush, etc.??? 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Magic of Ordinary Days. Ann Howard Creel. 2001. 304 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I don't often think back to that year, the last year of the war--its days, its decisions--not unless I'm out walking the dawn of a quiet winter morning, when new snowfall has stunned into silence the lands around me, when even ice crystals in the air hold still. On those mornings of frozen perfection, when most living creatures keep to a warm bed or a deep ground hole, I pull on my heaviest old boots and set out to make first tracks through the topcrust and let the early dawn know I'm still alive and appreciating every last minute of her fine lavender light. Then I remember.

Premise/plot: Olivia (Livvy) Dunne finds herself married to a stranger, Ray Singleton--a farmer--after she finds herself in an unfortunate situation: she's pregnant. Her father arranges with another minister to marry off 'poor' Livvy to a good, stable man. The two meet on their wedding day. She asks him WHY he's willing to marry a stranger and IF he'll be able to love the baby. His answer surprises her, he feels it's God's will to bring them together, and, of course, he'll love her baby. It is the raising of a child that makes a father.

The novel chronicles their lives together that first year as she adjusts to an isolated country lifestyle, as she tries to find ways to occupy her time and grasp the fringes of her true dreams. She loves history and archaeology. She loves finding and discovering old things. She loves finding out about the past, imagining herself in that past. Ray is only a little helpful, it is Ray's sister, Martha, who is able to help her the most. For Martha has stories about their parents, grandparents, etc. It is Martha who is able to tell her about the settling of the place, the original structures built, how their family lived and worked and struggled to create a legacy for the family. And Livvy does see how very much Ray loves the farm, the land, the strong connection he feels to the past and present.

Livvy is lonely still, however. She becomes friendly with two Japanese women living at a nearby Japanese internment camp. She actually meets them in her own fields--for they have been hired to help with the harvest. It seems they are an answer to her prayers; they are so nice and friendly and pleasant to talk with. They even volunteer their tailoring services--providing her with a maternity dress and suit. But is the friendship genuine? I think it's as genuine as it can be since Livvy doesn't like being vulnerable and the two sisters almost by necessity don't feel comfortable telling all their secrets either. I'm not even sure Livvy realizes this until the end when she sees that by protecting herself, protecting her heart, always keeping things inside, she's keeping love out too.

Livvy's perspective provides insights to readers about what it was like to live during this time. Livvy tries to keep up with the war through newspapers--though she has to content herself with news that is a day or two old since the delivery is so slow. The travel restrictions also keep Livvy at home with Ray instead of allowing her to visit her family at Christmas and New Years--like she originally planned. ("I'll Be Home for Christmas" would have still been a 'new' Christmas song, having been done in 1943. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" would have been another 'new' holiday song first introduced in the 1944 musical, Meet Me in St. Louis. "The Christmas Song" was written in 1944, but not recorded until 1946.) 

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved Ray and Livvy. I loved Martha and her daughter too.

My thoughts: I've read the book twice now. But I've watched the movie probably twice that. I love, love, love the movie. I do. I enjoy the book as well. Both are wonderful. I do think the book explores things with a little more depth. But the romance perhaps plays better on the screen. 

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Murphy's Law. Rhys Bowen. 2001. 240 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "That mouth of yours will be getting you into big trouble one day." My mother started saying that as soon as I could talk. It turns out she wasn't far wrong. By the time I was ten my refusal to hold my tongue had almost gotten us thrown out of our cottage. And a week before I turned twenty-three, I was on the run, wanted for murder.

Premise/plot: Molly Murphy has killed a man in self-defense, a man who was trying to rape her. Still, Molly knows that she has to flee Ireland--and fast, unless she wants to hang for her crime. Fortunately, she finds a sympathetic woman, Kathleen O'Connor, who happens to be in need of a favor. She is about to sail to America with her two children, Bridie and Seamus. But she has consumption and knows it--knows that she'll never be allowed into the country. The children must go to be with their father. Molly assumes--with full permission--Kathleen's identity on board the ship. But misfortune seems to be following Molly, for on Ellis Island a man is murdered. She'd be seen arguing with him on board the ship--slapping him even. Will she be the prime suspect?

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. It was a great reminder of why I love both historical fiction and mysteries. Molly was an enjoyable companion. I am excited that there are more mysteries in the series.


© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Among the Impostors. Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2001. 172 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Sometimes he whispered his real name in the dark, in the middle of the night. "Luke. My name is Luke."

Premise/plot: Among the Impostors is the second book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. The first novel, Among the Hidden, ended with Luke Garner's life in danger. The second book opens with Lee Grant preparing to enter a school for troubled boys, Hendricks School for Boys. He's been slipped a note by his rescuer, but, he's disappointed when he finally gets a chance to read it. How is a shadow child supposed to blend in seamlessly with other boys his own age? How is he supposed to look like he belongs in a school, in a classroom, in a cafeteria?! He's only ever known his own house, and mainly the attic at that. Still, Lee does his best. It turns out that he's not the only boy struggling to blend in. Could all the boys have something in common? Could they all be shadow children? Is it safe to admit to another shadow child your own real name? Lee wants more than anything to find a true friend, but, he's been taught not to trust.

My thoughts: I am not sure that I loved, loved, loved this one. It could be I'm always in a rush to get through the whole series and experience all the books. So this book is just a stepping stone in a way. Definitely worth reading to get you from one point to another. But is it special on its own? Maybe, maybe not. I did notice some similarities to MANDY. I definitely recommend the whole series. This one introduces two new characters: Nina and Jason. Nina is from a girls school nearby. Jason is one of his roommates.
© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Funeral in Blue. (William Monk #12) Anne Perry. 2001. 352 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The operating room was silent except for the deep, regular breathing of the gaunt young woman who lay on the table, the immense bulge of her stomach laid bare.

Premise/plot: The twelfth novel in the William Monk series focuses on Dr. Kristian Beck. This surgeon has appeared briefly in several other novels in this mystery series. In this one, he's the prime suspect for his wife's murder. (There are two murders actually, and both murders occurred at an artist's studio.) Lady Callandra wants Monk and Hester to become involved in the case, to try to protect Beck if they can.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. You wouldn't think that Monk trying to work together with Runcorn would be one of the novel's greatest strengths, but, for me it was. I really loved getting to see the vulnerable Runcorn taking a chance on Monk and the two essentially starting over again. Of course, there is plenty of Hester as well.

Monk travels to Austria in this one to do some background work. And that was fun as well.

Readers also get a chance to further know Hester's brother and sister-in-law. I haven't decided if their presence near the scene of the crime was too big a coincidence for me...or not. But right now I'm just so happy with the series that I don't mind.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Goin' Someplace Special. Patricia McKissack. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. 2001. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: 'Tricia Ann was about to burst with excitement.

Premise/plot: Goin' Someplace Special is based on the author's childhood. It is set in Nashville in the 1950s. For younger readers unfamiliar with the way things were before (and during) the Civil Rights movement, this is a lovely introduction. The heroine, Tricia, is going by herself to "someplace special." To get to someplace special, she'll face some obstacles, these obstacles mainly exist because of the color of her skin. But the trip will be worth it. The destination? The public library. Someplace special indeed. An author's note points out that the public library was one of the few places in town that was integrated.

My thoughts: What a lovely book! I remember loving this one when I was in library school which was years before I had a blog to keep track of what I read. I have been wanting to reread it for years, but, I couldn't think of the author or the title. I stumbled across this one recently, and, I'll never let myself forget it again!!!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10
© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Best Short Stories. Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Translated by David Magarshack. 2001. 320 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was a lovely night, one of those nights, dear reader, which can only happen when you are young.

Premise/plot: This is a collection of seven stories: White Nights, The Honest Thief, The Christmas Tree and a Wedding, The Peasant Marey, Notes From the Underground, A Gentle Creature, and the Dream of a Ridiculous Man. The longest story was Notes From the Underground. The shortest was the Peasant Marey.

My thoughts: White Nights was the first story in the collection and perhaps my favorite. It asks, Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? The narrator is a shy dreamer of a man who for a few days and nights finds complete happiness in love or the idea of love. He becomes the confidant of a young, sheltered woman. Promising not to fall in love with her, she begins to tell him her life story. Both hero and heroine are likable and sympathetic. This romance doesn't end happily ever after for our guy but it isn't a bleak story. That is something in its favor considering the others in this collection.

I liked some of the other stories. The Christmas Tree and the Wedding was an odd slightly creepy story. I don't think he meant it to be creepy, just the way things work out sometimes. In it the narrator first relates how he met a young girl at a Christmas party--she was young under thirteen I think--when her future inheritance or dowry comes up in conversation, a man, an adult, boasts that he'll marry her and get her money. He starts pursuing her that night and scares her very badly. The narrator intervenes that night, but years later happens to see these two as bride and groom on the day of their wedding.

I cannot piece together thoughts on Notes From the Underground. I don't know if that is because it was incoherent or if I was. The narrator's outlook on life was angsty, and he was determined to be in a mood no matter what.

A Gentle Creature was an intense, compelling romance. It begins with a distraught man standing over the body of his wife. She jumped out a window. Why? He tries to tell us what happened and why it happened. But is he reliable? Here is a 40 something pawn broker who sees himself wronged by the world in oh so many ways, he rescues an unhappy 16 year old girl about to be sold into marriage by her aunts. He expects gratitude, love, obedience, submission, worship. He wants her to be so beholden to him that every breath is for him and him alone. He doesn't woo her, he believes in sternness and silence and teaching her according to his grand plan. He frowns whenever she talks or expresses emotion or outbursts. He won't let her out of the house. He is hopeful that with training things will fall into place and perfect bliss will be his. Needless to say, i didn't like him at all!

The last story also deals with suicide--well, attempted suicide. A man is minutes away from shooting himself when he has a dream, a remarkable dream, that he is convinced is TRUE. Heaven on Earth is achievable. Perfect happiness can be ours for the taking--man is not evil inherently, but is perfectable.

Quotes:

Let us suppose, gentlemen, that man is not stupid. But if he is not stupid, he is monstrously ungrateful. (119)

Life is sweet even in sorrow. It's good to be alive, however hard life is. (177)

All man wants is an absolutely free choice, however dear that freedom may cost him and whatever it may lead him to. (116)

Once you have recognized the truth and seen it, you know it is the one and only truth and that there can be no other, whether you are asleep or awake. (271) 

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Grump. Janet Wong. Illustrated by John Wallace. 2001. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. [Book I Bought]

Look how tired this Mommy is
Tired and frumpy
Grouchy chumpy
Oh, what a grump!


Look at Baby
Smart, good Baby
Happy Baby
Making gravy
Applesauce and ketchup gravy
Not too lumpy
Not too bumpy
Squish squish
DUMP!

Grump is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite books. I almost don't even need to make the qualification of favorite picture book. It's a book that begs to be read aloud again and again and again. The rhythm of it is almost magical--at least to me! I love the use of language, I do. I love the way it sounds, the way it feels on my tongue. It's real life. It's poetry. It just works.

The story of this one is simple. It's been a LONG, LONG, LONG day for this Mom and her Baby. And even if the Baby doesn't think he needs a nap, he needs a nap. But will this baby go down for a nap? Not without an all-too-familiar-struggle!

Baby's going to take a nap now
Baby's going to take a nap now
Baby's going to take a nap now
Take a nap now
Little lump.

She puts him in his crib and...

And oh of course that baby cries
Cries and whimpers
Cries and whimpers
Cries and whimpers
Play with me!
So Mommy sits 
And reads to Baby
Reads so pretty
Reads so softly
Reads and reads and reads until--

Can you guess what happened to the oh-so-tired, oh-so-grumpy Mommy?

This one is such a GREAT book. I loved how true-to-life it was. Not only for the baby, not only for the mommy--but it captures the ups and downs of the whole relationship.

This one has been a favorite going on ten years. Today I was looking to review some board books, hoping to find something great to share with you, when I thought again of Grump. Why isn't Grump still in print? Why hasn't it been reprinted? Why??? It's just a WONDERFUL book. And it would be a great board book!!! The combination of this story with that format would be just perfect!!!!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Ella Minnow Pea. Mark Dunn. 2001. Random House. 224 pages. [Source: Library]

It has been years since I first read Ella Minnow Pea. For better or worse, my original review was more of a teaser, I didn't record what I *felt* about the book after reading it. The sad thing is, I was tempted to go that way this time as well. The premise is probably the most interesting thing about the book.

Ella Minnow Pea is set on a fictional island called Nollop located a dozen or so miles off the coast of South Carolina. The people of Nollop supposedly "worship" Nevin Nollop, author of this not-so-little sentence: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. When the letter tiles start falling off the statue/memorial, the High Council decide it's a sign from Nollop the Supreme Being. It's oh-so-obvious to them, though not particularly to the average citizen, that Nollop is telling them to STOP using the fallen letter. One by one the tiles fall--over six months or so. The penalties for speaking or writing one of the forbidden letters is severe: a matter of life or death if you persistently rebel. But you don't even have to be defiant or rebellious. A crime is a crime no matter if it's accidental or intentional.

How does this effect life? at school? at home? at work? Will this turn neighbor against neighbor? Or will it somehow bring it closer together?

Readers meet a handful of characters through letters. But characterization isn't one of the novel's strengths, in my opinion. All the characters tended to blend together.

The plot, well, it comes a bit later in the novel. A challenge is issued at some point by the council, if and only if, someone can write a new pangram--a sentence using all twenty-six letters, and for the purposes of this challenge limited to thirty-something letters, then the council will bring back all the forbidden letters and life will go on as it did before. The last third of the book is about trying and failing to write the pangram by the deadline.

The premise is the novel's strength. And depending on your mood, the novel may prove worth reading even if it's just for the premise alone. It is a unique idea, in my opinion. And epistolary novels aren't all that common.

What I didn't comment on in my initial review, so I have no idea if it bothered me then or not, is the WORSHIP aspect of this one. How the island has built a cult, of sorts, around Nollop, and talk as if he is actually a supreme being instead of another human. There are elements of this one that are just so over-the-top. I am not sure if it is innocent humor, or hit-you-over-the-head symbolism.

Did I love it? No. Probably not. Did I like it? Well, I read it twice. And it isn't like anyone forced me to pick it up again. It was a quick read and pleasant enough for the most part.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Everything on a Waffle. Polly Horvath. 2001/2008. Square Fish. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

There were things about Polly Horvath's Everything On a Waffle that I liked. I liked the heroine, Primrose Squarp. I liked how unique she was. She had a unique way of seeing the world around her, a unique perspective on just about everyone in town. The novel opens with tragedy, what most people would call tragedy. Primrose loses her mom and dad to a storm. Her dad was out sailing, her mom saw how horrible the storm was, got worried and left in another boat to go find him. Every single person in town, and, most every person from out of town who hears the story, concludes that Primrose's parents are dead. Their bodies have not been recovered, but, they are most certainly dead. Primrose arrives at the opposite conclusion. Her parents are not dead. They are not. They may be marooned on an island. They may be missing for a time. But her parents are most definitely alive. Many well intentioned folks in town encourage Primrose to come to terms with what has happened, to grieve her parents, to react and feel. But instead of Primrose coming to terms with her loss, it is the town who ends up coming to terms with Primrose and her unending optimism. No one is quite sure what to make of Primrose, she's just Primrose.

After a few weeks, Uncle Jack comes to stay with Primrose. Uncle Jack doesn't demand much from Primrose. He doesn't demand that she get in touch with her emotions and talk it all out. He lets Primrose be herself. And he accepts Primrose pretty much as is. And she does the same. Both are flawed beings, if you will. They seem to fit together well enough.

Miss Honeycut watches Primrose closely. She does not think Primrose is doing well at all. She thinks Primrose needs something that Uncle Jack could never give her.

One of the things that sets the book apart are the recipes at the end of every chapter. Also the small town quirky charm. I absolutely loved the idea of THE GIRL IN THE SWING restaurant. I loved the owner. I loved the idea that EVERYTHING on the menu came with waffles. Very unique.

As I said, I liked this one. I didn't love it.

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Fair Weather. Richard Peck. 2001. Penguin. 160 pages. [Source: Library]

Is Fair Weather my absolute favorite novel by Richard Peck? In all fairness, how could I really ever choose? Sure, I love, love, love some more than others. Some I've reread more than others. Some I've recommended more than others. But most that I've read (so far) have been worth it. Fair Weather is no exception.

World's Fair. Chicago. 1893. I really enjoyed so many things about Fair Weather. I liked the three Beckett siblings. I liked the narrator, Rosie. I liked the younger brother, Buster. I liked the older sister, Lottie. I liked the fact that Lottie had a big, big secret. I liked the extended family. That Grandpa. He's SOMETHING. I loved, loved, loved every scene he was in. He was FABULOUS. I wish more children's books had such wonderful grandparent-characters. I really really enjoy books that focus on the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren. My favorite, favorite chapters in this one are the two chapters that focus on his best day ever. They also happen to mention Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. I liked the aunt as well. She wasn't quite as quirky as the grandpa--but who could be?! I was glad to see how hosting her family for a week changes her--for the better. The details. I love historical fiction BECAUSE I love history. OR. Do I love history because I love historical fiction?! I love how this one is grounded in real-life details. I loved learning more about the World's Columbian Exposition. I loved the little things, the descriptions, the scenes. I love how it captured the feel of The Midway. It made me want to read more, to learn more. I also loved the Chicago setting.

A few weeks ago, I happened to watch Annie Oakley (1935). I had seen the musical, of course, but this one really impressed me. Reading Fair Weather and "experiencing" the show through fiction--through characters that I had come to really care about--was really fun for me!

I definitely recommend this one!

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Magic of Ordinary Days. Ann Howard Creel. 2001. Penguin. 304 pages.

I picked this one up after watching the movie adaptation. I just loved the movie. It felt like it would be my kind of book too: set just in the right time period for me to love, World War II. But would I like the book or movie better?

Olivia (Livvy) Dunne finds herself married to a stranger, Ray Singleton--a farmer--after she finds herself in an unfortunate situation: she's pregnant. Her father arranges with another minister to marry off 'poor' Livvy to a good, stable man. The two meet on their wedding day. She asks him WHY he's willing to marry a stranger and IF he'll be able to love the baby. His answer surprises her, he feels it's God's will to bring them together, and, of course, he'll love her baby. It is the raising of a child that makes a father.

The novel chronicles their lives together that first year as she adjusts to an isolated country lifestyle, as she tries to find ways to occupy her time and grasp the fringes of her true dreams. She loves history and archaeology. She loves finding and discovering old things. She loves finding out about the past, imagining herself in that past. Ray is only a little helpful, it is Ray's sister, Martha, who is able to help her the most. For Martha has stories about their parents, grandparents, etc. It is Martha who is able to tell her about the settling of the place, the original structures built, how their family lived and worked and struggled to create a legacy for the family. And Livvy does see how very much Ray loves the farm, the land, the strong connection he feels to the past and present.

Livvy is lonely still, however. She becomes friendly with two Japanese women living at a nearby Japanese internment camp. She actually meets them in her own fields--for they have been hired to help with the harvest. It seems they are an answer to her prayers; they are so nice and friendly and pleasant to talk with. They even volunteer their tailoring services--providing her with a maternity dress and suit. But is the friendship genuine? I think it's as genuine as it can be since Livvy doesn't like being vulnerable and the two sisters almost by necessity don't feel comfortable telling all their secrets either. I'm not even sure Livvy realizes this until the end when she sees that by protecting herself, protecting her heart, always keeping things inside, she's keeping love out too.

Livvy's perspective provides insights to readers about what it was like to live during this time. Livvy tries to keep up with the war through newspapers--though she has to content herself with news that is a day or two old since the delivery is so slow. The travel restrictions also keep Livvy at home with Ray instead of allowing her to visit her family at Christmas and New Years--like she originally planned. ("I'll Be Home for Christmas" would have still been a 'new' Christmas song, having been done in 1943. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" would have been another 'new' holiday song first introduced in the 1944 musical, Meet Me in St. Louis. "The Christmas Song" was written in 1944, but not recorded until 1946.) 

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved Ray and Livvy. I loved Martha and her daughter too.

Read The Magic of Ordinary Days

• If you like historical fiction with a touch of romance
• If you like stories set during World War II
• If you like rural/country stories set on farms
• If you like marriage-of-convenience or arranged marriage stories 
• If you enjoyed the movie

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Dear America: Christmas After All. Kathryn Lasky. 2001/2012. Scholastic. 192 pages.

November 25, 1932
Indianapolis, Indiana 
The Day After Thanksgiving
Mama and Papa believe in cold. That's why I tell Lady we have nothing to fear. You see, Mama and Papa have toughened us up on the sleeping porch. That's where we sleep with no heat and just screens, and not just in summer but all through the fall and beginning again in early spring. We're used to cold. But now we're going to be hardened off for the rest of the year in the rest of the house. You see, Mama and Papa are closing off the dining room and the big library and four bedrooms.

Christmas After All is my first Dear America book, but it won't be my last! I have a feeling I would have loved this series as a kid! The book is set in November and December of 1932. The heroine, Minnie Swift, is one of many in her large family. The Depression has changed things for her family, sacrifices are having to be made, but Minnie is learning to change and adapt with those times. One of the biggest changes is welcoming in an orphan cousin, Willie Faye. This novel does have heart. I enjoyed seeing these two cousins become close; it also works as a nice coming-of-age story for Minnie. Many things may be changing in the family: her dad's unemployment, her sisters growing up and starting to date, etc., but there will always be plenty of love...even if that love is served au gratin. 

I really appreciated the attention to detail. Learning about radio shows and music, comics and books, movies and movie stars, fashion and hair styles. Learning about crafts and hobbies. Her family is very creative and resourceful! And the food!!!! Oh Minnie definitely had opinions on the new recipes. Oh how she hated ASPIC. Not that she was fond of having things au gratin...but tongue aspic--oh, the thought! One of her favorite dishes is Welsh rarebit.

Read Christmas After All

• If you are a fan of Kathryn Lasky; this story is inspired (in part) by her family history.
• If you enjoy the Dear America series
• If you are looking for historical fiction set during the 1930s

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller 1900-1999.  Michael Korda. 2001. Barnes & Noble. 256 pages.

Making the List is a good example of a book that makes for good skimming. This is not one you need to read word-for-word. And the better you are at skimming, the more forgiving you are as a reader, well, the more you'll enjoy this one. The book has a couple of weaknesses. One, Michael Korda is a little too fond of mentioning Michael Korda and Michael Korda's time on the bestseller list. He mentions the title of one of his 'bestselling books' as often as he can. Or at least it felt like it. It feels intrusive on the text to be discussing the statistics and patterns of trends and genres or discussing the popularity of certain authors through the decades, and then suddenly the text becomes all-about-him either as an author or as a publisher, someone inside the publishing field. Some of his commentary feels a little odd, a little too random. Once he begins his job in the late fifties, I believe, he couldn't resist mentioning which books came from his publisher, how he felt about those books, his reaction to a book making it or not making it on the list. I don't know about all readers, but this reader, didn't want to know anything and everything he could possibly say on every book that made the list.

But. Making the List remains an interesting book. It is interesting because of what it has to offer readers: a list of fiction and nonfiction from each year. It is interesting because it does the work for you. You might be able to find the information online at various places--but it would probably be work. And it would definitely take more time and energy. And reading the lists is in itself interesting. To see which authors were repeats. To see how many years a book could stay on the list. To see which 'genres' dominated year by year, decade by decade. To see some strange titles--fiction and nonfiction. To see which books and authors became forgotten by time, by the reading public. To see which books are still in print. To see how many books were adapted into plays or movies. To see how many books were children's books (Pollyanna, etc.) To see the tension between "literary" books and "popular" books. It was interesting at a very basic level to see how many I'd read.

Read Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999

• If you like lists
• If you like participating in reading challenges, particularly challenges that challenge you to find books from specific years, decades, etc.
• If you're always looking for older books, classic books, titles that may be available for free online 
• (This would probably be only a quarter of the list, but still, it may give you ideas.)

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Ropemaker. Peter Dickinson. 2001. Random House. 384 pages.

It had snowed in the night. Tilja knew this before she woke, and waking she remembered how she knew. Somewhere between dream and dream a hand had shaken her shoulder and she'd heard Ma's whisper.

The Ropemaker reminded me of all the reasons I love reading fantasy. Did I love it? I didn't want it to end! I wanted to savor every moment of it. Why? Well, because I loved not only the characters, not only the story, but the world Peter Dickinson created! My favorite character happens to be our heroine, Tilja.

Tilja's valley has almost always--twenty generations--been protected by magic. Protected from its neighbors--those who would love to tax, tax, tax in the name of "providing protection" and those who would invade and plunder and conquer. There is a story passed down through the generations--a story some scarcely believe these days--about how the valley came to be protected. A story about two people on a quest for a magician named Asarta. We learn this story in chapter two. Here is how it starts:

There was time in the Valley, of course--how could there not be? But there was no history. In all the rich farmland between the northern mountains and the forest there were no wars, or reports of wars, only days, seasons, generations. No kings or other rulers, only parents, grandparents, ancestors. For eighteen generations nothing had happened in the Valley that anyone would have thought worth putting in a book, or setting up a memorial stone to record. So, no history. Only time. And the story of Asarta. (17)

Did I mention I love the writing?! Well, I did!!! Anyway, Tilja, our unlikely heroine, joins three others on a quest to "save" the magic that protects them. For they know the magic is fading, that soon unwelcome guests might invade--when they realize the truth. So Tilja and her grandmother, Meena, and Tahl, and his grandfather, Alnor, set out on a dangerous and uncertain journey. Their quest is to find the magician, Faheel, the magician who first helped the Valley all those generations ago. Is he still alive? Can he be found? Does he want to be found? Will he help them? Can he help them? Has his powers grown stronger or weaker through the years?

The Ropemaker is about their journey, their quest, as they face countless dangers, as they meet many, many people along the way. This journey will require them to be wise and courageous and diligent. To protect the Valley, to protect their families, their homes, their villages, they may have to risk it all.

I enjoyed this one very much! I'd definitely recommend it.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Terry Pratchett. 2001. HarperCollins. 242 pages.

Rats! 
They fought the dogs and killed the cats, and--
But there was more to it than that. As the Amazing Maurice said, it was just a story about people and rats. And the difficult part of it was deciding who the people were, and who were the rats.
But Malicia Grim said it was a story about stories.
It began--part of it began--on the mail coach that came over the mountains from the distant cities of the plain.

I loved The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. I just LOVED it. I loved the characters. Maurice, the cat, and many of the rats--including Hamnpork, Dangerous Beans, Peaches, Darktan, Sardines, etc. And the humans, Keith and Malicia. I loved seeing these characters interact with one another. I loved the story too! It was such a great adventure story. And the writing--of course--I just loved it! Terry Pratchett is a new favorite of mine!!!

What is this one about? Maurice has a scheme to get rich. He travels with a human piper, Keith, and 'his' educated rodents (rats). (Both the rats and the cat can talk.) They go from town to town--or village to village--though never in places too close together. First, they'll be an outbreak of rats. Then Keith will appear as a rat piper to save the day and lead the rats away. For a fee, of course. They split the money between them.

Readers see their "last" adventure in the town of Bad Blintz. All does not go according to plan...

One of my favorite things about this one is Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. These rats LOVE the book Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. And many of the chapters begin with a quote from this book.

One day, when he was naughty, Mr. Bunnsy looked over the hedge into Farmer Fred's field and saw it was full of fresh green lettuces. Mr. Bunnsy, however, was not full of lettuces. This did not seem fair. (1)

Mr. Bunnsy had a lot of friends in Furry Bottom. But what Mr. Bunnsy was friendly with more than anything else was food. (20)

The important thing about adventures, thought Mr. Bunnsy, was that they should not be so long as to make you miss mealtimes. (49)

There were big adventures and small adventures, Mr. Bunnsy knew. You didn't get told what size they were going to be before you started. Sometimes you could have a big adventure even when you were standing still. (79)

I would definitely recommend this one!


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews