“You get what you pay for” is a folk wisdom that has proven true again and again. It becomes a useful phrase once again when attempting to teach information literacy and evaluation of resources. Yes, there is a great deal of wonderful FREE information on the Internet, but the quality of that “free” information must always be suspect.

The New York Times  is getting the message. Check it out:

Encyclopaedia Britannica helps prove that with information, you often get what you pay for

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Patricia Reilly Giff is a “giffted” writer, but there are eleven reasons this is not one of my favorite Giff titles.

1.  This narrative does not have Giff’s usual pace and flow.  The characters are well developed but the plot takes too long to spin out.  

2. Sam’s discovery of a newspaper clipping in the attic listing him as a missing child seems overly familiar. 

3. Cooney did the missing kid thing better in “Face on the Milk Carton”. 

4. Giff seemed to allow too many elements of the narrative as part of the mystery.   So many details are revealed slowly that there is not enough base to launch a solid story.    

5. The wonderful side characters, Onji and Anima, remain unexplained too long.  

6. The title conflict, Sam’s mysterious aversion to the number 11, is never believable and somewhat contrived.

7. Sam’s angst over his “missing” status is also not completely believable. 

I did, however, like Sam’s issues with reading disability and his friendship with a new student, Caroline. 

A nice novel in terms of length (165 p) for fourth and fifth graders, but I fear it will not keep their interest.

And – like the novel – my list falls short.  I did not quite make it with “Eleven” and neither did Giff.

The following article expresses my concerns with Accelerated Reader perfectly!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/books/review/Straight-t.html

"Chalice" by Robin McKinley

I am a HUGE, HUGE fan of Robin McKinley’s novels.  It is rare that I re-read books, but every so often I get homesick for Damar and I must read “The Blue Sword” and “The Hero and the Crown” (in that order) yet again.  I’ve read them both four or five times.  My co-worker and I often fantasize about who we would cast in the leading roles if ”The Blue Sword” was made into a film.  I was once assured by McKinley herself via e-mail that she would never sell those rights, however, so I guess we can discontinue our fantasies.  No actor measures up to my image of Corlath or Harry Crew anyway!  Sigh! 

And I especially adored “The Outlaws of Sherwood”.  McKinley is the queen of strong female characters, and “Outlaws” was the perfect example.  (I think I need to read that one again, too.)  It was with great anticipation, then, that I began reading Robin McKinley’s most recent novel “Chalice”.

I was pleased and disappointed at the same time.  The wonderful, fully developed characters and plot were there, along with that wonderful, strong female character.  As usual there was a rich and strong cast of supporting characters.  And the whole bee thing was unique and wonderful. 

In some ways ”Chalice” is a beauty and the beast story, with the down to earth Chalice Mirasol as the beauty and the Master as a beastly partially human Priest of Fire.  Just like the beast, Master transforms back into his human self by the end!

BUT… (and I’ve never had a but with a McKinley novel) … I can’t recommend this book to students because the flow of the narrative is totally convoluted!  It isn’t told in flashbacks and the present.  It is told in circles – like a bee buzzing from here to there and here to there and back.  If McKinley deliberately made the narrative follow the flight of a bee, then she made a mistake. 

We have passed this book around the staff, including the orchestra teacher who pounced on it when she saw it on my desk!  “A new McKinley!”  But all of us agreed this was an extremely hard narrative to follow for us as advanced adult readers.  I could not, in good conscious recommend this one to my students.

Ouch!  I got stung with this one!

The Alchemyst cover

When I first noticed the subtitle of this novel I immediately dismissed this book as a Harry Potter spin-off.  Forced to read it for an assignment, recently, I was surprised to see no nod to J.K. Rowling in the credits anywhere.  After all, Nicholas Flamel is in “The Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone”, Book 1.  But in poking around before reading the work, I noticed the author’s note at the end and learned that Nicholas Flamel (and other characters in the book) were real people.  They were somewhat legendary, by nevertheless, several of the main characters actually lived long ago.  And apparently The Philosopher’s Stone was not something Rowling made up, either.  (Hmmm – do I give her more credit or less?)

Also in my preliminary reading I learned that the author Michael Scott is “an authority on mythology and folklore” and is Irish to boot!  So I began reading “The Alchemyst” with interest instead of cynicism. 

I completely enjoyed the many mythological and legendary facets woven into the book.  Like Riordan’s Percy Jackson books which make it almost plausible that the Greek Gods still live above and among us, Scott’s “The Alchemyst” makes the world of myth and legend weave in and around reality.  The way the narrative wove mythological characters into the work also put me in mind of fellow Irishman, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl books with their nod to mythology and legend.

I loved the explanations for world catastrophes such as the Great London Fire of 1666.  And I loved how Scott set up his twin hero and heroine to be more knowledgeable than the average kids by having their parents as archaeologists. 

Side note:  You DO become at least a bit knowledgeable about your parent’s work…  my husband is a radio announcer for a Greatest Hits station so our girls know more songs from the past than their peers.  AND they know not to blow into or tap a microphone to see if it is on.  (If you must know – just speak into it!)  My girls were lucky… my father was a hog farmer so rather than radio station remotes, when I helped my father I had to handle livestock.  Far less glamorous, I’m afraid.

My initial enthusiasm for the narrative waned a bit by the middle.  I felt the book bogged down a bit, but I kept with it to the end.  I know I’ll have to buy the sequels, of which there are already several, for our school’s collection. 

This novel is for committed readers of fantasy.   It goes without saying that committed readers of fantasy will be the above average readers as there are very few fantasy novels accessible to poor readers!

I recommend you visit Scott’s website for further reading on the series AND on the truth behind the characters.  Wikipedia also provides some interesting reading on Nicholas and his wife Perenelle.

Definitely NOT a Harry Potter spin-off!  I apologize to Michael Scott for my initial uninformed prejudice and, without apology, I recommend you read “The Alchemyst” for yourself.

Just some brief notes on a few middler/young adult novels I’ve finished reading lately:

Near Hit:  Here Today by Ann M. Martin

Realistic Fiction and Historical Fiction (sort of) rolled into one.  It is 1963 and Ellie has a dysfunctional family due to a self-absorbed beautiful mother who splits before the novel is over.  Well told story of the situation where the child has to be the parent.  The Dad does step up before the novel ends.  Also interesting is the neighborhood of Witch Tree Lane – a diverse community which cares about one another, but suffers derision from the wider world.  (Especially the “two elderly ladies…who lived together for years and were not related” as Ellie explains.) Well told story.  Limited audience.

Near Miss:  White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages

Sequel to The Green Glass Sea which I loved, this novel tries to hard.  Dewey is still living with the Gordons.  The big plot line is Dewey’s mother’s appearance on the scene.  The book details the early opposition to nuclear weapons.  Klages obviously did a lot of research for the book and I painfully felt every bit of that research as I read the narrative.  I also found it hard to care about the characters in this sequel.  Not particularly recommended – even for fans of Green Glass Sea.

Hit! : The Hero by Ron Woods

This narrative surprised me – and after all the novels all these years that is not easy to do.  Not as strong as Cummings’ Red Kayak, never less this is a excellent look at a main character exhibiting character under tough circumstances.  Good hearted narrator Jamie, bossy cousin Jerry, and misfit neighbor Dennis make up the threesome of boys building a raft.  There is disaster coming – you can feel it through the entire novel.  But The Hero will surprise you.  He isn’t who or what you think.  Highly recommended!

Miss:  All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall

Great premise to this novel – Dad is an Elvis impersonator.  Unfortunately there is no interesting plot nor any character development in evidence.  Not recommended.

Near Hit:  Sparks fly Upward by Carol Matas

Set in turn of the century Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, this is the story of a Russian immigrant family and their struggles and disasters.  The author’s family history provides the inspiration for the story, and it is rich with details of life in a Kosher household with a huge extended family.  Insight into the cultural challenges and prejudices from within and without the family, this book is interesting reading.  This narrative is unique.  For better readers who enjoy historical fiction.

It is funny how thoughts skip like flat stones on a still lake…

My daughter and I went to the movie theater to see “Julie & Julia” this week.  Remembering Julia Child made me think of PBS.  And thinking of PBS made me think of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers.  And thinking of Mr. Rogers made me remember how much I love this clip from his 1969 appearance before the the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. Fred Roger’s goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  A worthy goal.  But what I really love is how he naturally disarms the hard boiled Senator in charge before it is over.

I would bet that Fred Rogers and Julia Child, if they ever indeed met, would have liked each other.  At least, I think Mr. Rogers would have liked the Julia portrayed in the movie…

And as long as my thoughts are skipping around – if you follow the link on “Julie & Julia” at the top you will come to one of my favorite reference sites, Internet Movie Database.  www.imdb.com  It has settled many a trivia question for enquiring minds (who want to remember) and provided further reading when I want to know ‘the rest of the story’.

Bird Lake Moon

I have always preferred Kevin Henkes picture books to his novels, but I kept an open mind as I read ”Bird Lake Moon”.

There is something about Henkes’ novels that seem uncomfortable to me as a reader.  It isn’t the the intense subject matter that makes me uncomfortable, rather it is that he seems to try too hard.  Henkes’ novels certainly aren’t contrived, but they don’t flow for me either.  I am too aware, as I read, that the narrative has an author and I am not lost in the story quite enough.

“Bird Lake Moon” brings together two young protagonists, each with a family in pain.  Mitch Sinclair’s father has recently left home for another woman.  Mitch and his mother come to her parent’s home on Bird Lake to help themselves adjust. 

Spencer Stone’s family owns the cottage next door, but have not used it for several years.  Spencer’s brother, Matty, drowned at the lake six years previous and the family’s brave return to the site provides additional conflict for the story.  Random acts committed by Mitch are noticed by Spencer who assumes they are signs from Matty’s ghost.

The narrative leaves too many questions unanswered, I believe, to be satisfying to middle school readers.  Why is Cherry crabby?  Why does Mitch call his grandmother Cherry?  What did happen to Matty? 

Too much vapor – not enough substance.

Too much art – not enough action and drama.

Too much conflict – not enough character development.

I have always preferred Kevin Henkes picture books to his novels.  After reading “Bird Lake Moon” … I still prefer his picture books.

My undergraduate degree was from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. (It was called Illinois State Normal University when my parents attended there.)  So I guess I notice when the word ‘normal’ is in a book title.  “Deliver Us From Normal” (actually set in Normal, IL) and its sequel “Far From Normal” by Kate Klise … or “Define Normal” by Julie Ann Peters… or “Absolutely Normal Chaos” by Sharon Creech… or “Chasing Normal” by Lisa Papademetriou… et al

Waiting for Normal

But “Waiting for Normal” by Leslie Connor is a standout among the above mentioned ‘normal’ books.  (Although I did love the Creech book!)  Obviously the main character, 12 year old Addie, is not from a ‘normal home”.  Her “all or nothing” mother alternately smothers her or neglects her.   As her ex-stepfather Dwight tells her, Addie is indeed resilient; she makes the best of her less than normal life.  But as the plot develops, so does Addie’s character.  By the end Addie stands up for what she wants and needs… with a little help from her neighbor Soula and a cast of truly supporting characters.  Characters which truly support Addie, that is…

This is a novel I will only recommend to female readers, however, as there are several moments in the narrative that revolve around developing “boobs” and the start of menstruation; my 4th thru 8th grade male readers may find it uncomfortable reading.  But it is wonderful read!  Booklist said it best:  “Connor takes a familiar plot and elevates it with smartly written characters and unexpected moments.”  This book is above average.  Or should I say, “above normal”?

Connecting the the library world this week….

The bad news:

If this article doesn’t make you want to scream and beat your head against a wall, I don’t know what does.

• Ugly battle has librarians in Oak Brook turning to Teamsters

Bullying education obviously did not come soon enough for Mr. Xinos!

The good news:

To counteract the bad news story… if this one doesn’t make you remember why you love being a school librarian and what it is all really about, I don’t know what will!

• Boy Lifts Book; Librarian Changes Boy’s Life

Thanks to the ISLMA listserve posts which shared both of these stories with the rest of us!