While researching her excellent non-fiction title, “Hitler Youth:  Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow” Susan Campbell Bartoletti couldn’t forget the story of Helmuth Hubener of Hamburg, Germany.  Helmuth was executed in 1942 at the age of 17 for distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets.  Bartoletti’s work of historical fiction on Helmuth definitely fulfills her goals of raising questions about moral courage, nationalism and the responsibility of the individual.

This is a book for mature young adult readers due to its intensity.  The reader knows from the beginning that Helmuth is in prison and waiting for execution.  The story is told in flashbacks; the prison sections are agonizing and the suspense is painful. 

One of the book’s strengths, I think, is in bringing to life how a dictator such as Hitler could rise to power and gain the backing of a nation.  Too often people, young people especially, like to look back and believe that we would have done it differently.  “Hitler would never rise to power here in America.!” But Bartoletti’s book gives the necessary background to provide insight into how and why it did happen…and painfully, what happened to those who dared to take a stand.

A powerful book – not for every reader.  For young adult readers only, or mature readers very well versed in World War II history.

Vive la Paris - cover

This 210 page novel (if it were a person) is a real mensch but I think less experienced readers will be left meshuga. Paris (a 5th grader from Chicago) takes piano lessons from Mrs. Rosen (jazz lover and holocaust survivor).  Woven throughout the narrative are song titles and occasionally some lyrics.  Actually, a sound track to go with this novel would be valuable!  I’m left humming… but young readers are going to be left fahklumpt (look it up yourself – it’s Yiddish).

Strengths of the novel include a struggling but strong family, a main character with a strong and unique voice, wonderful character development in terms of beginning to view others empathetically, and a friendly culture clash of Chicago black and white.  I absolutely adored Miss Pointy, especially in Chapter 9!  Esme named her appropriately ’cause she is one sharp teacher!

If you want a novel focused on an individual topic, this is not it!  Esme Codell has included race, the Holocaust, bullying, peaceful protest, friendship, enemies, piano lessons, brothers, teenage pregnancy, death, God, fifth grade, and more all through the eyes of Paris McCray.  Paris is a unique character, with a unique voice, and while Codell manages to make it all come together in the end, it felt a little A.D.D. along the way.  That probably makes it perfect for many young readers.

I would recommend this narrative for better fifth and sixth grade readers through eighth graders.

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.

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”?

Anything but typical is not only the title, but an apt review.  Nora Raleigh Baskin has managed to write a novel that takes you inside the heart, mind and soul of Jason Blake, a sixth grade young man dealing with autism.  This narrative, told in the first person, manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. 

Years ago when I read “Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key” by Jack Gantos I gained insight into those suffering from ADD/ADHD.  Actually, I didn’t like the book because it made ME jumpy!  But it gave me some empathy for those ADD/ADHD students.  “Anything but Typical” does the same for Autism. 

I hope this finds an audience with my students.  We have practiced “Inclusion” in our school district since 1992, and I see a great deal more tolerance among students.  But I’m not sure there is always understanding.  I plan to push this novel among my 6-8th grade readers because I believe it will add the understanding that is lacking.

This would also make a great classroom novel to read aloud or as a group since Jason is a talented writer and wordsmith.  Baskin manages to weave a great deal of information about the elements of writing and novels into the narrative, adding to its value.

Those students who annually ask me for “A Child Called It” (which I have chosen not to include in our K-8 collection)…. I plan to give them this one.  It is infinitely more valuable!

I tell my students again and again (as yet another literature based movie appears) that Hollywood has no imagination of their own.  This time, however, author Wendy Mass has borrowed from Hollywood and quite successfully I might add.  While Mass does not mention the movie Groundhog Day, her newest narrative borrows the premise.  But while the premise of a day that just won’t stop coming around again is borrowed from Groundhog Day the comparisons stop there.

Amanda and Leo have celebrated every birthday together, but at their tenth they had a falling out and have not spoken for a year.  With no joint party for year 11, neither of them is truly looking forward to it and it ends up as horrible as they expect.  Not only is it horrible, but they find they have to repeat the day again and again.  At first neither realizes that the other is having the same experience, but finally they team up to try and end the cycle of the repeating birthday.

This is an excellent offering for young middle school students.  I liked it much better than Mass’ previous books which I have read:  A Mango Shaped Space and Jeremy Fink and The Meaning of Life.  Mango had an interesting topic, synesthesia, but the writing was somewhat uneven in my opinion.  Jeremy Fink felt contrived in some parts of the narrative and was borderline didactic.  But in 11 Birthdays Wendy Mass has written a narrative that flows with enough action to keep a young reader engaged and enough surprises to keep a good reader guessing.  And the choices made by Amanda and Leo as they have the opportunity for do-overs demonstrate increasing maturity yet the premise of the repeating day makes any message seem natural. 

Worth reading.  Worth recommending to grades 4-7 and better third grade readers.

If you liked Emma-Jean when she fell out of a tree, you will like her in this sequel by Lauren Tarshis.  Emma-Jean is the same analytical, deliberate kid she was in the first book.  (See my review.)    However Tarshis gave Emma-Jean a new set of problems related to boys and first ‘love’in this second novel.  Only once did Emma-Jean revert to manipulative letter writing, and Tarshis could have, should have left it out.

Emma-Jean and her sweet and paranoid friend, Colleen, are actually equal main characters in both narratives; chapters again alternate between Emma-Jean’s voice and Colleens.  The strength of this second novel by Tarshis is that without being didactic, she has managed to provide a great deal of emotional counseling aimed at middle school girls.  The crushes, cat fights, queen bees, and quarrels with friends in the narrative are all too real and as Emma-Jean and Colleen navigate those waters in their distinct manners, the reader will benefit, I believe.

My concerns with both novels, however, are that the storyline and action are most appropriate for younger middle school students.  But Emma-Jean’s large vocabulary will leave some readers of that age struggling.  This is not necessarily a bad thing – we tend to not stretch our students in the United States enough.  But it is a factor which should be considered when recommending the novel.

Emma-Jean and Colleen are both good hearted girls who stretch and grow in self confidence as the narrative unfolds.  Don’t over-think the deceptively simple plot and I believe you will fall in love with Emma-Jean.  Or at least develop a crush.

Donna Jo Napoli writes intense books.  (Previous favorites:  “Stones in Water” and “Crazy Jack”)  “Alligator Bayou” is certainly an intense piece of historical fiction.  Because of the intensity, Napoli’s books are often only appropriate for (and appreciated most by) more mature readers and this one is no exception.  Set in 1899 in Tallulah, Louisiana this novel follows the life of six Sicilian men (including two YAs) trying to make a life as unwelcome immigrants in a turbulent post-Civil War south. 

Napoli was inspired by a newspaper article about five Sicilian grocers who ended up lynched for serving a black customer before a white.  Often violent and complicated, this narrative confronts the reader with stark prejudice and vigilante “justice”.  This novel portrays an ugly side to American history… but therein lies its value.  Stark, but not condemning, Napoli manages to allow the reader to manage his own reactions to the historical reality.  Excellent author and source notes follow the narrative.

I have vowed to write to Napoli, however, to ask whether the race-tolerant viewpoint of the Sicilian men in her novel is backed up by research, or whether as a writer of fiction she chose to give them their attitudes of racial equality based on the newspaper account alone.  I did wonder if the Sicilian immigrants might have been just as prejudiced in their own ways, in reality, and I question whether the main character, Calogero, would have been romantically interested in a girl of another race.  It is a pattern in historical fiction to give the main characters modern views.  I just wonder if this is the case in this novel, or whether her research showed the Sicilians to be truly broad minded and forward thinking for their time.

Regardless, this is a novel not easily forgotten.  Disturbingly gritty, I recommend it to thoughtful good readers at the junior high and high school level.

Both this and Avi’s “Iron Thunder” are touted as “An I witness title”.  I visited the Hyperion Books for Children website hoping to learn if this series included more authors than Avi, but no information was available.  A call to an editor there has thus far not been returned.  “Hard Gold” does include a letter to readers from Avi which describes the series as “exciting stories about fictional young people during real events in history.  I Witness stories will make you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action.  The illustrations will show what things really looked like.”   A fair assessment!

 “Hard Gold” does include quite a mix of illustrations, many culled from historical publications.  As a long time student of history, they weren’t particularly useful to me since I was already familiar with the subject at hand, but I’m sure they will add a lot to the narrative for young readers.  This is a visual generation after all!  Additionally, the novel is an excellent example of historical fiction as it includes a glossary, bibliography, author’s note, and credits for the illustrations. 

This novel was much faster paced than “Iron Thunder” with plot details that will hold appeal to the young reader.  Written in diary format, the short entries will be beneficial to challenged readers.  Most of the vocabulary is accessible to a challenged reader, with the exception of Mr. Bunderly’s pontifications:  “Therefore, I shall put forward sufficient enterprise by which to mend my broken fortunes.  I do believe, young man, that without endeavor there can be no progress – material or spiritual.”  Avi gives nod to it in the text “Mr. Bunderly really did talk like that – planting words all around his thoughts, rather than weeding them.” 

There is enough of Avi’s excellent writing, however, to keep the interest of more advanced readers including Avi’s wonderful incorporation of period dialogue:  “…I’ve seen you about town with a man who bore a remarkable resemblance to being your father.  I suspect you are no more an orphan than I.  Indeed, I believe you are running away and therefore a brazen liar.’

Young readers will identify with the loyal and good hearted, independent and determined Early.  And they will appreciate the colorful Lizzy and the growing relationship between the two.  The quest to find Uncle Jesse in the gold fields of the future state of Colorado will keep the reader’s interest as the journey rewards them with nuggets of historical information worth their weight in gold.

http://www.avi-writer.com/