Maw Books » Middle Readers

A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant

Natasha Maw — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:12:06 +0000

A lot of Newbery reviews this past week. A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant is a Newbery Honor book from 1987. This is one of those books which has benefited from a face lift. Sadly, the book that I own is the cover on the right (blech!) but I love the book cover shown here on the left.

At 106 pages, A Fine White Dust is a very quick read. 13-year-old Pete has always loved to go to church. It has always been one of his most favorite places to be. In second-grade he’d invite himself to go with the neighbors, by fourth-grade he’d get up and go by himself, and by fifth-grade he became very serious and religious about church.

I didn’t want to go to hell. I wanted somebody to tell me I wouldn’t go to hell. I’d look at me and I’d see a boy who never did seem to be good or holy or worth anybody dying for. Just nothing real special. And I guess I wanted somebody to make me better. To save me from hell.

Pete was looking for somebody to understand him. With his best friend, an atheist and no desire from his parents to go to church, he felt alone in his desire to be close to God. To be saved. That all changes when a traveling preacher, James Carson, comes to town. Pete finds in him an answer to his prayers. Ardent with a near frenzy call to faith, Pete decides to run away with the preacher as his new disciple leaving behind his friend and family. But his is faith misplaced? When he is helplessly betrayed, Pete must come to terms with his faith in God and himself.

Pete is working out who he is independently of his parents and best friend and I really liked that about his character. He’s also very naive though, thinking that he can simply run away and begin a new life with the preacher. He learns the hard way that not everything will go according to plan and that one shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket – so to speak. He certainly learns about heartbreak and betrayal but it also seems that his character is slightly more or less the same than at the beginning of the book.

I’m glad I read this one but also not one that will stick with me for a long time. But well worth the read because I haven’t read many books about young children who are navigating the world of faith and God. A very positive book in that regard. It is not his faith that fails (in fact – his faith in God only becomes stronger) but rather he learns to beware the folly’s of man.

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Publisher: Atheneum. Reprint 2006. Originally published 1987.
Paperback, 112 pages. ISBN 1416927697
Source copy: Own
A Fine White Dust is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars

Natasha Maw — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:05:12 +0000

Winner of the 1971 Newbery Medal, The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars is the story of the longest day of 14-year-old Sara’s life. Her summer has already been awful and boring, she thinks that her feet are too big and she’s jealous of her beautiful older sister Wanda. Sara, her sister and their little brother Charlie, who is mentally handicapped (the book written in the ’70’s labels him as retarded – I would suspect some type of autism), live with their Aunt who has been taking care of them since their mother died six years ago. Their father, who only visits on weekends, has become a distant figure in Sara’s life.

Sara is fiercely devoted to Charlie but also feels as though she can never get a moment alone without him. One night, after having watched the swans at the nearby lake, Charlie goes missing. That next morning a desperate search takes place to find him, and Sara is certain that he’s gotten lost when trying to find the swans again. The story centers around Sara’s search for Charlie. The Summer of the Swans has a rather simple story line but around it revolves a story of family dynamics and coming-of age-angst.

As I’m attempting to read all of the Newbery books, I’m glad to have read The Summer of the Swans but I doubt I’ll be holding on to this one. I wanted to know what happened to Charlie and if they’d find him but otherwise, not much else stood out for me. If anything, I enjoyed the process of reading a children’s book written in the ’70s and getting a kick out of all the TV show’s that Sara watched. That, and taking notice of how an author treated a character with a disability at a time when not much was understood about them. Certainly, not a favorite Newbery but not particularly terrible either. Meh.

Links of interest: more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Puffin. 1981. Originally published 1970.
Paperback, 142 pages. ISBN B000OJ5ZLQ
Source copy: Own
The Summer of the Swans is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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The Door in the Wall by Marquerite de Angeli

Natasha Maw — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:00:52 +0000

Written in 1949, The Door in the Wall by Marquerite de Angeli won the 1950 Newbery Medal. To tell you the truth, I don’t have much to say about the book except that I read it. And I liked it. I found it entertaining and authentic.

From the back cover:

Ever since he can remember, Robin, child of Sir John de Bureford, has been told what is expected of him as the son of a nobleman. He must learn the ways of knighthood. but Robin’s destiny is changed suddenly when he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. Fearing a plague, his servants abandon him and Robin is left alone.

A monk named Brother Luke rescues Robin and takes him to the hospice of St. Marks, where he is taught woodcarving and – much harder – patience and strength. Says Brother Luke, “Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.”

Robin learns soon enough what Brother Luke means. And when the great castle of Lindsay is in danger, it is Robin, who cannon mount a horse and ride to battle, who saves the townspeople and discovers that there is more than one way to serve his king.

Shortest book review ever. But really, not much else to say. Noteworthy in the aspect that I don’t often read books set in the Middle Ages. A perfectly fine book.

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Historical Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Yearling. July 1990 later printing. Original publication date 1949.
Paperback, 128 pages. ISBN 0440402832
Source copy: Own
The Door in the Wall is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank L. Cole

Natasha Maw — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:02:58 +0000

Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank L. Cole is the followup to The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters but I found one doesn’t need to read the first to understand the second. This book is wonderfully strange, irreverent, funny, quirky, odd, and perfect for young boys who are reluctant readers. Such a weird, weird, and oftentimes a very random book.

First let’s start with some of the character names: Hashbrown Winters, Brody the Ape Slayer, Snow Cone, Whiz (he has a bladder problem), Hummas Laredo, Butter Bibowski, Bubblegum, Four Hips, Pigeon, Gurgles Dunderland, Squeaky Mittons, Wish Bone Parker, Echo Rodriguez, Fibber Mckenzie, Measles, Yeti, McKean, Twinkles, Brandy Newspickle, Saddle Bags Bollinger, Cup o’ Noodle Hickock, Frosty John, Hambone, Teeter-Totter Williams. Um . . . yeah. Seriously not even kidding. That alone should give you a taste of what kind of book this is.

Hashbrown has a lot of great friends and runs his treehouse club like a well oiled machine but when his arch enemy, Hi Mashimoto, starts his own rival treehouse club, Hashbrown is so jealous that he will do anything to prove that his treehouse is cooler than Mashimoto’s. What he doesn’t expect is that Mashimoto will go to any length to secure his domination.

Kids will love the story, the antics, the stink bomb during school assembly, the prison out back of the school that holds all the bad kids, and the dungeon in the basement of Prudence Elementary. Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness is so random, so quirky that boys will eat it up. Lots of strange humor and more than one potty joke.

But more than that, reminds me that reading is supposed to be fun.

Links of interest: Frank L. Cole blog, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Bonneville. January 8, 2010
Paperback, 128 pages. ISBN 1599553783
Source copy: Review copy sent from author
Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Dork Diaries: Tales for a Not-So-Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell

Natasha Maw — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:33 +0000

Dork Diaries: Tales for a Not-So-Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell is a very fun sequel to the cute Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life. If you recall my review of the first book, I loved it. I thought it was so much fun and highly recommended it for tween girls and middle schoolers. I’m glad that this second installment did not disappoint. I found myself laughing out loud a few times and pretty much loving all the hilarious scenarios that Nikki Maxwell gets herself into.

Nikki still has a crush on Brandon, and things are looking up when he asks her to be his lab partner in school. But Nikki is heartbroken when she discovers that Brandon is taking mean girl MacKenzie to the upcoming Halloween dance. So it’s no problem when she agrees to spend the night instead helping out a kids’ Halloween party for her little sister.

It ends up that MacKenzie lied about the whole thing. Can Nikki’s dream of going to the Halloween party with Brandon come true? Can she juggle two parties? Combine that with the natural adventures that Nikki manages to get herself into, and life is always interesting.

Dork Diaries is funny, easy to read, and has adorable illustrations. Nikki’s full of spunk and her diary is certainly one entertaining read. Can’t wait to continue with this series as they continue to be published and hope that they have a long life. Hilariously good.

Links of interest: Dork Diaries website and blog. Maw Books review of Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Aladdin. June 8, 2010.
Hardcover, 288 pages. ISBN 1416980083
Source copy: review copy
Dork Diaries is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Bifocal by Deborah Ellis & Eric Walters

Natasha Maw — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:16:45 +0000

So first things first to get it out of the way. Yes, Bifocal by Deborah Ellis & Eric Walters has an awful cover. But on the other hand, it’s co-written by Deborah Ellis. That’s enough for me to look past the cover. Unfortunately, if kids aren’t familiar with how awesome Deborah Ellis, will kids pick this one up? I don’t think so. Definitely needs a cover redo. Not dynamic or interesting at all. Covers sell books and this cover is likely hindering what I thought was a good book.

I love Deborah Ellis and the synopsis of Bifocal had me itching at the bit to read it:

Haroon is a serious student devoted to his family; Jay is a rising football star devoted to his team. They may go to the same high school and walk the same hallways, but they are worlds apart. And that’s just the way it is.

One day the high school is put on lockdown, and the police arrest a Muslim student on suspicion of terrorist affiliations. Is the boy really guilty, or has he been singled out because of his race? Student loyalties quickly divide along racial lines, and Haroon and Jay will have to take sides with their own kins.

It’s not like they really have a choice.

A good look on what happens when we judge others unfairly and carry prejudices about others that we don’t understand nor feel as though we want to understand. The story was engaging and Haroon and Jay are characters who grow and change throughout the course of the novel. Not my favorite Deborah Ellis book (still reserving that for The Breadwinner series) but one well worth having on your radar. Stories like these are always important.

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews. Deborah Ellis books also reviewed by Maw Books: The Breadwinner, Mud City, Parvana’s Journey, Lunch with Lenin and Other Stories, The Heaven Shop.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside. October 15, 2007.
Hardcover, 240 pages. ISBN 155455036X
Source copy: Review copy at my request.
Bifocal is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Long Shot (Comeback Kids) by Mike Lupica

Natasha Maw — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:52:38 +0000

Now I’ll easily admit that Long Shot by Mike Lupica is not my usual fare in reading material. But when I was offered it for review, I accepted for a couple of reasons. I have two boys myself who one day are going to grow up and start reading on their own. I was merely curious to find out what the heck the prolific Mike Lupica was about and what type of sports fiction boys are reading right now.

Long Shot summary from Mike Lupica’s website:

Pedro Morales has always been content helping others look great. The epitome of a point guard, he plays the game to set up his teammates—Ned, in particular, the star forward on the receiving end of Pedro’s pinpoint passes. Pedro wants to make his father proud, and so he runs for class president. Yet doing so means going one-on-one against Ned, easily the most popular boy in school. And Pedro learns the hard way that being a good teammate doesn’t mean that others will return the favor. Now Pedro wants to win more than ever—but this time, it’s for himself.

Reading this as a mother and a thirty-something old woman, I could tolerate it. It was okay, but I wasn’t loving it at all. But that’s not a very fair assessment is it? After all, I’m not the target audience here. Mike Lupica’s books are meant for preteen boys who love sports.

I guess they’d like it just fine. But if this is as good as it gets, I hope that something better in regards to sports fiction will come along by the time my boys are reading independently. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, the book wasn’t completely awful but it did feel as though it was hitting me over the head with it’s message.

I guess I was hoping that the book would give us something different than expected. But instead, it’s exactly what you would expect: a story all about teamwork, which in sports fiction, I can only imagine is a recurring theme. A good thing? If that’s what you’re looking for than that’s definitely good. But if you’re hoping for something a little unexpected and different, than nope, not the book for you.

If you have a sports loving preteen boy in your house, and perhaps a reluctant reader at that, than I wouldn’t hesitate to see how they respond to Mike Lupica’s books.

Links of interest: Mike Lupica website.
Genre: Juvenile Sport Fiction, ages 9-12.
Publisher: Philomel. October 2, 2008.
Hardcover, 192 pages. ISBN: 0399247173
Long Shot is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Dessert First by Hallie Durand

Natasha Maw — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:50:36 +0000

Dessert First by Hallie Durand is a perfect book for the middle grade reader in your life (heck - it was perfect for this thirty something woman too!). Warning: do not read this book while you are hungry. Throughout the narrative of this yummy book you’ll encounter the following desserts: Death by Chocolate, chocolate cake snickers cake, petit four, chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing covered with M&M’s, pineapple upside-down cake, seven-layer bar, raspberry truffle bar, snickerdoodles, apricot pocket, fondue, lemon squares, rice pudding, and core to the heart of the story Grandma Reine’s Double-Deckers. I seriously think I need to approach Hallie Durand and ask for an author interview because I HAVE to have the recipe for Grandma Reine’s Double-Deckers. They sounded delicious. Oh, how I hope they weren’t made up!

Dessert is a character to love. Eight-years-old and in third grade, she knows what she loves and what she doesn’t. What she loves is dessert. And coming from a food family, dessert is not hard to come by. Not only do her parents own a fondue restaurant but at home they ALWAYS eat dessert. As you can see from the list above, they are always yummy!

When her teacher at school challenges the children to give up something that they love for two weeks for a fundraiser Dessert knows that she should give up dessert because that would be much easier than yucky mayonnaise. She’d rather not give up dessert at all but when she gets tricked into it, she’s stuck. Can she go two weeks without dessert? Add on top of that, the call of the Double-Deckers which she just can’t resist. Plus a huge mistake will have Dessert learning how to say sorry.

While getting ready to review Dessert First, I started skimming the book quickly but found myself flipping back to page one and reading the entire thing over again. I couldn’t help myself. Dessert is a riot. I loved her. She’s fun, spunky and the narrative was really entertaining. Highly recommended for the early readers in your life. Better yet, would be perfect for a girls book club combined with a baking session. Yum!

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Juvenile Fiction. Approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Atheneum. May 19, 2009
Hardcover, 160 pages. ISBN: 1416963855
Dessert First is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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Charlotte’s Rose by A.E. Cannon

Natasha Maw — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:09:08 +0000

The year is 1856 and Charlotte is twelve-years-old. In Charlotte’s Rose by A.E. Cannon, Charlotte and her father, newly immigrated from Wales and newly converted to Mormonism, are among a group of pioneers pushing their own handcarts from Iowa City to Utah.

Tired of being treated like a child and eager to make a grandiose impression on the older woman, Charlotte volunteers to care for a baby whose mother died in childbirth and who’s depressed father is not up to the task. The baby reminds her of her own mother, who also died when giving birth, and while she comes to love little Rose very much, the task is not what she expected. Taking care of a newborn while pushing a handcart across the plains is certainly no picnic. Charlotte’s gotten in over her head and while she wants to prove her worth to the company, it may be an assignment that she can’t handle.

The historical background for the book is fascinating. It’s less about the doctrine of the Mormon faith and more about the need for a family to belong to something larger than they are. It’s great to see historical fiction books in the mainstream markets which tackle this subject . A subject which I would love to find more of, as the very premise of the idea lends itself to incredible stories.

The company has a great cast of characters and Charlotte is touched by each of them in different ways. She’s determined to prove that she has what it takes but discovers that nobody can no anything without a little help. I enjoyed this coming-of-age novel and am sad to see it out of print. If you come upon a copy of it, snatch it up!

Links of interest: Ann Cannon blog, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Historical fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Yearling. 2002
Paperback, 256 pages. ISBN 0440418402
Source copy: Own
Charlotte’s Rose is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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All Alone by Claire Huchet Bishop

Natasha Maw — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:55:04 +0000

All Alone by Claire Huchet Bishop is the 1954 Newbery Honor. Ten-year-old Marcel is entrusted with his family’s cows for the entire summer on the high French Alp mountain tops. Entirely alone. He has always been taught that it’s best to keep to oneself. In fact, his entire village all keep to themselves. Nobody is friendly with each other and nobody helps each other. It has always been each man for himself.

As he leaves for the mountain tops his father tells him, “You keep the cows on the Little Giant pasture, and don’t talk to anyone – to anyone, do you hear me? And you have nothing to do with other cows but your own. That brings trouble. Don’t visit, don’t interfere; keep to yourself, mind you own business. That’s the best way to stay out of mischief . . . suppose a cow gets hurt. You don’t want to give anybody a chance to say that it was your fault,, do you? So the best way is to keep to yourself and pay no attention to anything else except your own animals. That way you have nobody to blame, and nobody can blame you.”

Of course, All Alone is about what happens when Marcel does exactly the opposite of his father’s wishes. It’s always interesting to read a children’s book from fifty years back. I suspect that most children wouldn’t find this book relevant to them but the beauty of a book like this is traveling to a different time and place. It feels very nostalgic. Not my favorite Newbery by any means but I liked it just fine.

Links of interest: More book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Scholastic. 1983 later printing. Originally published 1953.
Paperback, 95 pages. ISBN 0590457071
Source copy: Own
All Alone is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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