Cainsville and Age of Legends, Kelley Armstrong

Recently I’ve been tearing through Kelley Armstrong’s books, particularly her fantasy books from the Cainsville and The Age of Legends series.  Previously I’ve read her Nadia Stafford series which is detective series.  I am delighted with everything I’ve read so far.

Cainsville is set in Chicago and an "imaginary" nearby small town, Cainsville (don't go looking for it on a map).  Having spent more than half my life in the midwest it was a very comfortable regional read.  (Those of you following me on Facebook know that I'm starting off retirement with literary tours.)  The Olivia, th main character, suddenly discovers she is adopted and that her birth parents are in prison for multiple murders.  She becomes acquainted with her birth mother's last attorney, a notorious attorney who does what is needed to get his often shady clients off of charges.  

She ends up, accidentally, retreating to Cainsville.  There she takes a job in to local diner (up to this time her adopted family is wealthy and she has lived a committed life as an advocate for homeless and abused women).  There she finds what seems to be a safe and almost timeless community that supports her.  There are the usual small-town characters but overall it is an idyllic retreat from Chicago and the media that has been hounding her.  Here the fun begins.

Armstrong weaves a new view of the fae, the Hunt, and other mythical entities into a very modern setting.    There is a perhaps a bit more sex in the book than I would normally recommend.  It makes it a series that I think prevents it from being a book that teachers could recommend to even high school students.  (I must be getting really old!  I could easily take the sex out, leave the romance, and get on with the story.)

The four books in the series were all well crafted and enjoyable reads.  I think Armstrong has left a possibility for additional books in the series which I would read immediately.  Some critics have criticized the series for being "slow" to unfold the plot and setting.  I did not find this problematic.  As a reader who is exploring a range of mythologies I was not impatient.  My own knowledge filled in the details that Armstrong does not immediately provide.  

In The Age of Legends series Armstrong turns to a more traditional fantasy setting, a "medieval" village, an emperor, and magical/mythical threats.  Twin sisters Ashyn and Moira are the spiritual leaders of their village, the outpost to the wilds where convicts are sent to die, or survive.  If they survive the are recovered after a year having served their sentence.  This series is a young adult series and will capture the attention of many readers.  There is plenty of action (sword fights and evil forces) to keep the attention of male and female readers.  I suspect it will be much more popular with young women.  There is a strong male character, Gavril Kitsune, who will engage young men.  I hope that in the second book that Armstrong develops him further to make the series more attractive to male readers (but there are many books out for them so I won't be disturbed if she does not).  

What I particularly appreciate in this book is the limited knowledge of the main characters, Ashyn and Moira.  In the tradition of "unreliable narrators" Armstrong helps us feel the confusion and anger of young women as they come to terms with the adult realities of their worlds.

Neither series is elevated to "four star" status because they don't rise to "universal truths" but they come close.  Armstrong certainly deals with some the interpersonal tensions of adult life as well as issues of power, politics and "human" weakness. 

Every Day, by David Levithan

The quotation on the front of this book from Entertainment Weekly is true..."Wise, wildly unique."

"A," the narrator and protagonist of this book is a traveler.  His consciousness lives for a day in the body/mind of another human being.  Each day a different one.  Male, female, GLBT, fat, think, depressed, silly, artistic, athletic, mean, generous....  A has learned to adapt to this nomadic life.  He moves through each savoring what is good and trying to do no harm.  Sort of accelerated reincarnation.

Until...he meets a girl.

Then, he is drawn to a place, drawn to a person, no longer completely nomadic.

Levithan tells a wonderful story that will encourage all readers to consider point of view and moral choices.  Those of you unfamiliar with Levithan's work should be alert that he is one of the writers most loved by GLBT youth for offering them realistic (or semi-fantasy) literature to help them cope with their lives.  He has written spectacular books and brings joy to readers--including straight readers.  Levithan's writing is a marvel.  There are many fragments, sentences, phrases, paragraphs that I will treasure of many years.  (I fact--I probably need to reread it immediately and begin recording them.  I'm torn--there are several teachers whom I would like to loan the book to right away.

I won't say too much--this book needs to be discovered on its own by each reader.  Just be prepared to lose yourself.  Don't begin it when you have big responsibilities looming!  You'll miss deadlines.

Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #1, by Heather Brewer

This is a really refreshing story of an adolescent vampire, Vladimir, who is living with his human aunt and attending a human junior high school.   It is a engaging read and offers a humorous look at a vampire surrounded by normies.    Brewer keeps the reading going by adding a substitute teacher who appears to be possibly a dangerous "special powers" being.  Readers want to continue reading to see if Mr. Otis is good or bad guy and to solve the mystery of his vampire father's life and death.

Unfortunately this book seems to be out of print.  It is still possible to get the boxed set.  I listened to it thanks to our library's audio book collection.  There are graphic novels based on this book available.

The school library reviewer was not necessarily been kind to Brewer in his review of this first book, however Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus were more kind.  My sense is that many junior high/middle school students would enjoy it.  The humor will appeal to many of them.  It is relatively uncomplicated, but offers an interesting look at a different interpretation of vampires within human society.  I see great possibilities of contrasting the characterization of Vlad in this book and juxtaposing it with vampires in Twilight, Team Human,or The Mortal Instruments.  I offers rich possibilities for exploration of both character development and mood/tone within literature.

As a devoted vampire literature reader, I also appreciate the many allusions to the traditions of vampire literature.  Thus, it creates an opportunity to introduce students to a large literary community and literary analysis.

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wreded

2009, Scholastic

It pays to pick up random books at the library.  One of the disadvantages of the "hold" system is that too often I just run in, pick up my holds, and leave.  The stacks are a great place to be reminded of favorite authors and to make new finds.

I have been a passionate fan of Wrede's Enchanted Forest series (Dealing with Dragons etc.).  I don't know how her works fell off my radar.  She has three series out that I haven't read.  It looks like I'll be spending some time filling in gaps in both this series (Frontier Magic) and the Regency Magic Series including Cecelia and Kate series and the Mairelon series (coauthored with Caroline Stevermer).  I'm glad that I'm teaching YA lit in the spring.  It will give me a good reason to explore these two series.

Wrede uses strong young women as her protagonists.  In this book the main character, Eff (short for ??--Francine??--I'll fix this later!), is a twin to a 7th son of a 7th son.  Her parents have managed to produce 14 children.  Consequently she is number 13.  Her uncle and several other family members are convinced that this is very unlucky and that she will bring doom upon all around her.

In part, because of this negativity, her parents decide to move to a college on the "frontier" where her father will teach and Eff will be freed of the negative expectations of her relatives.

Wrede has created an alternative history of the US.  As I read it, she is paralleling the westward expansion in the US.  The college is on the banks of the "Mammoth River" which I believe is the Mississippi.  In this alternative world there is magic and Eff's father is a professor of magic at the university.  It appears to me that the theme of the series relates to how cultures have combined in the US to create a new world (that is really new!, not just a salad of the cultures who have arrived here).   Included is the challenge we all face with letting go of our expectations and seeing the world as it exists, rather than allowing our history to color or distort everything we see.

I am always impressed with Wrede's narrative skills.  She slowly reveals the truth of her characters but keeps the reader going with "action" that intrigues.  This is going to be a book I recommend to readers as a way to examine the "truth" of history.  Although Wrede's world is fantasy, the alternative historical plot offers readers the opportunity to consider the truth of history.  History is too often told by the "victor" and there are always alternative versions.  Eff is a character that helps us consider how the "victors" in the US have perhaps overlooked some of the important elements of American History.  She even throws in some gentle criticism of science and scientists. 

A secondary theme that I suspect Wrede is exploring in this series is related to the magics that are present in the world.  There are Aphrikan, Hirjer-Cathayan, and Avrupan magic traditions.  I'll admit that it took me a while to do the phonics and understand that these might be considered African, Japanese-Chinese, and European magics.  Regardless, Wrede does a good job of helping readers consider the value of embracing difference in any area of study (or world views). 

I'll get back to you as I read the other books in this series.

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victory Frankenstein, by Kenneth Oppel

2011

I'm still working my way through the recommendations for "Halloween" reading from Common Sense Media.

This book is a "prequel" to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.   Oppel has done a good job of assuming her Gothic style. Consequently, it may be a somewhat challenging read for many adolescents.  The content and themes are clearly designed for adolescent readers. The book tells the story of Victor Frankenstein's beginnings as a "mad scientist." Oppel creates a twin brother for Victor, Konrad, a somewhat timid but brilliant friend Henry, and a distantly related love interest, Elizabeth. Konrad falls ill from a mysterious and deadly  illness. Victor, Elizabeth, and Henry go in search of a cure from a disgraced alchemist after discovering a hidden and forbidden library of alchemy in the family castle.

It took me a little persistence to finish this book. It may have just been that I was preoccupied with many other tasks, but I worry that adolescents may find this Gothic style a little too challenging. On the other hand, were I wanting to introduce students to pastiche or fan fiction, this might be a good choice. Oppel uses the basic personality of Victor Frankenstein to create an original tale that is congruent with Shelley's work.

This might be a good companion read with historical material on the transition between alchemy and modern science.  The details that Oppel includes of Switzerland and Medieval walled-cities will also help connect to European history. He creates an ominous tone throughout the book that students should appreciate. It will provide good teaching material for the study of voice and word choice. He is not heavy handed and clearly demonstrates the subtleties of creating mood and tone. It is also a good choice for a "stepping stone" into the more complex and challenging Gothic literature of Shelly, Stoker, Poe and even some of Dickens and Wilde.

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

Penguin Group. 2012

This may become the John Green book but I recommend first.  The main character, Hazel Grace, has an ultimately fatal cancer (her diagnosis is "terminal"). At the insistence of her mother, she attends a teen cancer support group where she meets the other major characters of the book. Hazel's cancer has limited her ability to move through the world because of being tethered to oxygen as well as her limited energy levels. Her boy friend, Augustus Waters, has lost his leg.

Although I have not had to live closely with cancer, my general experiences with colleagues and friends tells me that Green has done his homework. Readers will develop an understanding of both the physical and emotional tolls that cancer takes upon the individual, the family, and friends around them.

Readers will find the prose in this book a bit more challenging than other works by Green. However in the era of CCSS it provides opportunities to draw developing readers into increasingly sophisticated text. Both Hazel and Augustus have become sophisticated users of language. Possibly their lengthy hospital stays and recuperations have given them opportunities to develop linguistic sophistication not typical of most young adults. However, I believe that both were excellent students even before their cancer diagnosis.

As a special treat me, Green also includes a trip to a Amsterdam. His portrayal of daily life there and a visit to the Anne Frank Memorial, are realistic and helped me a relive my recent trip.

I believe that ultimately this will be an award winning book. Some of the issues that have created problems for teachers wishing to bring Green into the classroom are not as prevalent in this book.

Peak, by Roland Smith

Everest! What would lead a 14-year-old to Everest by surprise? Smith's story follows Peak Marcello, the son of two "rock rats" from his illegal skyscraper climbing in New York City to Everest. Most of the story is about the attempt at Everest, but there are also several other story lines with in the book including: political relations between China and Nepal, the relationships of climbers and sherpas, family dynamics, sensationalism in the news business and coming of age.

Smith always tells a good story and this one is particularly strong. It kept me up well past my bed-time to finish reading and I had trouble sleeping afterward. (Or it may have just been my biorhythms--who knows.) Although I am not a rock climber I have plenty of exposure to them (my daughter works at REI and there are many climbers in the area where I live). I've also read Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer another book about the various factors around the current craze of guided trips to Everest. I believe both have significant questions about the wisdom of continuing to allow this sort of activity.

Smith's webpage is a great resource, but I am having trouble accessing its content today. I had hoped to gather some information about his research for this book. I know Smith has been around the world and experienced many of the situations (or at least nuggets of them) that he writes about. I wanted to know more about how he researched this book. I'll try his site again later. www.rolandsmith.com

This will be a great read for any

Seizure, by Kathy Reichs

This is Reichs' second YA book in the "Virals" series (and her overall second YA book).  I'm enjoying her efforts.  Reichs' has established herself as an adult author.  Her books have also be the foundation of the TV series Bones.  Both have some rough connections to her own work as a pioneering forensic pathologist.  I would be certain to guide any adolescent reader to her website:  http://kathyreichs.com for career connections. 

The Virals series is a new effort.  There is little of "forensics" in either novel, however the main character is the great niece of Temperance Brennan, the main character in most of her adult novels and the television show.  The series has more of a "crazy science gone wrong" premise.  In the first book the main characters and her "pack" are infected with a virus being researched by a scientist working on the university owned, island research facility where all of their families live and work.

In Seizure, the main character Tory, and her friends/pack are once again navigating a complex teen social scene, their supernatural powers, and a specific mystery (with some additional side-plots such as Tory's father's love life).  My readers know that I value YA books that allow for investigations of a variety of themes/topics.  The center piece of this story is a female pirate, Calico Jack, and her buried treasure. There are opportunities in this book to explore wolf pack behavior, realistic teen life (well--except for the super powers of the Virals), adult-teen relationship complexities (appropriate--not perverse or sexually inappropriate), pirates and privateers, biology of the flora/fauna of the South Carolina coastal region, and the history of Charleston, SC. 

Reichs is a proficient writer and as always tells a good story.  I think her first attempt, Virals, was just a little awkward.  Learning to write for the YA market is not necessarily easy, even for the most proficient adult fiction writers.  This book feels much more like a strong addition to the YA field.  It would not be necessary to read the first book in the series to appreciate this book, but would fill out the background of how these adolescents acquired these mysterious powers.  (And I believe the mysterious powers are a metaphor for the biological changes that adolescents experience and to which they need to come to grips.)

This book would be a nice companion to the Maximum Ride, series by James Patterson.  It offers opportunities to discuss the ethics of science as well as some specific scientific concepts.  (And I trust, better founded in actual science than are the Maximum Ride books.)

The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher

Where have I been all fall? Well, besides The Swan Thieves, and a couple other random books that I hope I can remember, I've been reading Jim Butcher's collected works.

When I get stressed I read "lite" books and this series got me through a particularly high pressure fall. The Dresden Files combine humor, fantasy, and have a flavor of hard-boiled detective fiction like books by Dashiell Hammett. A series that regularly gets me to laugh out loud is just what I need to get me through the stressful times.

Harry Dresden is a wizard-for-hire in present-day Chicago. Since I'm very familiar with Chicago and the surrounding areas it is regional fiction that I can appreciate. Dresden is a powerful wizard, but burdened with a bad-upbringing, incomplete knowledge of his craft, and well-founded mistrust of his fellow wizards.

I won't say too much about the content of the books, just recommendations from two young men. My son and my colleague's son both have or are tearing through this series. That my adult son, an avid video gamer, can take time to pick up books that I have also read is one of the great gifts of my life. That another bright young man in my circle of acquaintances has also read the series tells me that this is one I can recommend to older young adults. I'll stress the adult there, in the later books there are some sexual scenes that may cause some teachers to hesitate about suggesting the series to students. These scenes are not so explicit that I would not recommend the books, but I would warn students as I recommend them that there are some brief scenes with sexual content.

At the same time I was reading The Dresden Files I also worked through Butcher's other series, Codex Alera. I wasn't as engaged with this series. I think probably it would appear more to young men. There are lots of horses, evil monsters, and intricate plots. Of course, it could also be that I listened to all of these on my smart phone instead of in book form. I read all but one of the Dresden books in paper form.

Butcher admits to being a great fan of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Allusions to these words as well as others enrich the Dresden books. The provide a great opening for teachers to encourage wider reading.

Incantation, By Alice Hoffman

The story here is based on a young-woman coming of age during the Spanish Inquisition. Hoffman tells a short but powerful story of how Estrella de Madrigal discovered that she is a Jew rather than a Catholic and how your best friend is not always as she appears.

The writing is almost poetic. The titles of the sections and chapters within each are apocryphal. Days latter I am still considering Hoffman's intent.

I'm thrilled that Hoffman has turned to a slightly different genre. I am a big fan of some of her books, but felt that sometimes she stays with a theme too long. This is a wonderful change, bringing her ability to bring mystical overtones to strong plots in believable ways.

This is a book I will be recommending for a long time. It will be a nice companion piece to works like The Crucible.

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

Vampires, werewolves, demons, magicians--again. But, I was drawn into the story. It has a somewhat predictable plot line. Our heroine, Clary Fray discovers that she has supernatural powers, a mother with a hidden past, and something odd about her dead father. It's okay. For younger readers (I'd suggest 7th-9th grades for this) the predictable plot line helps with comprehension and fluency. What I appreciate about this book is the ambiguity and subtly shaded characterizations.

I enjoyed the reader comments on the Barnes & Noble website. It tells me my instincts about this book's attraction for kids was right. They find it a good read and will continue with the series.

I listened to this as a CD checkout from the public library. I wasn't bothered by the narration the way that Publisher's Weekly seemed to be. But, I listen to these books while walking the dog, gardening, cooking & cleaning house. It might be that if I was using it as something to read while driving that I would be annoyed.

I have the next in the series on reserve from the library. I don't think I'll buy the books--I'm running out of shelf space and want to save the available inches for books I would use for instruction. This probably isn't one I would use (I'd use the Rick Riodan Red Pyramid or Michael Scott The Alchemyst instead). But, it is one I will keep as a recommendation for kids who like the genre. A good next read for Twilight or Percy Jackson fans.

Wizards: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy

Edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois

I've let my "fantasy" reading slack off a bit. It was good to get back and this collection of short stories was a good starting place. Each author's story is prefaced with a brief biography and a catalogue of his/her works. If I follow up on these various authors I'll finish off the summer reading fantasy. (Ah--but my stack of books "to read" does not include much fantasy. I guess I'll just need to buy some and add them to the stack. Of my favorites in this collection:

• "Holly and Iron" by Garth Nix (I haven't really read Nix, although I know he is popular. This may prompt me into an exploration of his works.)
• "Color Vision" by Mary Rosenblum (A new author to me. This is another collection to add to my stack.)
• "Naming Day" by Patricia A. McKillip
• "Winter's Wife" by Elizabeth Hand (Wonderful! Great balance of realistic/fantasy and important environmental considerations.
• "A Diorama of the Infernal Regions, or the Devil's Ninth Question" by Andy Duncan
• "Stone Man" by Nancy Kress
• "Stonefather" by Orson Scott Card

I recommend the collection and also recommend reading additional works by each of the authors names above.

Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I began this because one of my interns will be working with it this spring. It was a great read--a book that captured an afternoon and kept me from other work I should be doing. It's an apocalypse book (distopia--end of days). The basic plot line is that an asteroid hits the moon and changes earth's climate. Miranda, our protagonist, is a junior in high school with an older (college aged) and younger brother. Her parents are divorced. She is having a fairly typical adolescence until the asteroid hits.

What follows is a story of a mother's love and courage. Also a story of an adolescent (and her brothers) having to meet, accept, and overcome disaster. It is well crafted, believable, and explores a quite believable series of disastrous events. I some ways it reminded me of Laura Ingles Wilder's The Long Winter.

At first I was a little uneasy that this was going to be a "Rapture" book. It's not. However it does have a fundamentalist preacher/church as one of the secondary characters. Teachers will need to be prepared to deal with some religious questions. I wonder if it will become a challenged book.

Lexile 770. Recommended 6-12 grades. Multiple awards:

• Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards (Maryland): High School
• Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 2006
• Garden State Teen Book Awards (New Jersey): Fiction (Grades 6-8)
• Nutmeg Children's Book Award (Connecticut): Teen category
• Texas Tayshas Reading Lists: 2007
• Truman Readers Award (Missouri)
• YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2007

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Dessen writes about female teenage "issues." I have enjoyed several of her other books greatly. So far Keeping the Moon is my favorite.

This book didn't engage me as much as her others. (I still played hookey from doing academic work for a few hours to finish reading.) I think it may be because I just didn't follow how the main character fell into an abusive relationship. Physically abusive relationships are, thank goodness, outside of my experience. I don't have a good sense of how a relationship ends up at this level. Perhaps if I did more research I would understand. As it is I just didn't "buy" the central conflict.

Caitlin's older sister has also left the home and broken with the family. The portrait of the mother's involvement in all this was also unconvincing. As I was reading I thought there must be a back story--but all the mom's interactions seemed pretty loving and somewhat open for direction from her daughters.

I'm interested. If you have read this let me know how you felt about it.

Probably good for older middle school/early high school girls.

Becka Cooper Book 2: Blood Hound, by Tamora Pierce

I have been a fan of Pierce's various series for a long time now. I particularly enjoyed her first book in the Beka Cooper series. Beka is a street kid who lives and works in the slums "the lower city" of the capital city of Tortal. (Yes this is fantasy fiction). In the first book we followed her as she worked through the apprenticeship and training to become a "dog" (police office) in the roughest area of the city. She is aided by her "powers" to hear the spirits of dead who are riding pigeons, communicate with "spinners" (dust devils), and her cat who is a magical creature--perhaps a god.

In the second book Beka is now a full fledged "dog" and in search of good working partners. The main plot of the book surrounds a counterfeiting ring. A sub theme in the book appears to be GLBT rights. Several of the secondary characters are homosexual or transgendered. There is also more explicit sexuality than has appeared in Pierce's previous books.

Sexual orientation issues are a leading cause of suicide in young adults. I believe it is important for teachers to be aware of books they can recommend to students who have need this opportunity to explore the challenges they are facing. The sexuality issues are all treated very tastefully. But, I think teachers who have been fans of the other Pierce series should read the entirety of this book before they recommend it to readers. It is for a more mature reader than the Circle of Magic, Protector of the Small, Immortals, or Song of the Lioness series.

Paper Towns, by John Green (2008)

I'd like to recommend this book to both of my semi-adult children. As with Looking for Alaska, Green has created a powerful portrait of the tensions and vulnerabilities of adolescents approaching early adulthood. In this novel, again with a male protagonist, plot tension is maintained throughout the book. I won't spoil the ending.

There are many opportunities for interdisciplinary extensions in this book: cartography, poetry (especially Whitman & Plath), music, Florida, and New York. I would recommend this for students 9th grade and above.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I have been wanting to read this since it won the Newbery. At the time I'd heard interviews and reviews of the book and it sounded quite interesting. I picked it up this weekend to get me through a rough patch in life. I did a great job of it. This is a type of a book that needs to be protected--no spoilers here. But, as others reviewing it have said, it begins with a toddler being raised in a graveyard by ghosts....

I will be reading Gaiman's other works in short order. I just hope summer is long enough.

Search of the Moon King's Daughter, by Linda Holeman

Set in Victorian England this novel explores the oppression of the working class during the industrial revolution. I read pretty extensively in this historical period and this tale seems to be well researched and authentic.

Emmaline, in her early teens, has to become the head of the household for her disabled, drug-addicted mother and younger deaf brother. It is the fairly "typical" Victorian tale of a poor but talented young girl (woman) who has to find her way in a world at time that is most hostile to her. It is sort of mid-way on the scale of Jane Eyre to Angela's Ashes.

There are adventures, and kind souls to counterbalance some of the grim realities of life. Emmaline fights hard to provide for her mother and brother, to find her brother after he is lost to the streets of London, and to return the family to some stable, healthy life.

The story is believable and well told. Holman has been recognized by several awards for the book including, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, the McNally Robinson Book for Young People, Notable Books -> YALSA Best Books for Young Adults -> 2003" id="linkTeens->NotableBooks->YALSABestBooksforYoungAdults->2003"> and the Mr. Christie's Book Awardl.

Schooled, by Gordon Korman

I opened this at a particularly good time. My workplace is particularly crazy the last couple of weeks. I needed a reminder that there are multiple perspectives in any situation and that all have value.

This is a funny book, but also has social value for teens. The protagonist, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson, is the last flower child on the last "commune." His grandmother, Rain (Rachel Esther Rosenblatt), has held onto the principles of the commune long after everyone else has left. She and Cap keep the spirit alive and live happily--just the two of them--on the land. When Rain falls out of a tree and breaks her hip Cap becomes involved with the child protective services and public school.

As a complete "flower child," Cap has had no exposure to television, telephones, or even other people. He discovers that he really only knows one person, his grandmother. As a result of Rain's hospitalization Cap enters Claverage middle school. He is totally unprepared for anything in middle school (or actually is the modern world).

Korman's book lets us look at the issues we all deal with on a daily basis with new eyes. The journey with Cap into the 21st century is certainly worth the time. It will help everyone examine their own place in the world and choices made.

Middle school teachers tell me that their students are wild about this book. I give it 4 stars

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

I picked this up after reading a critical analysis of three series: Gossip Girl, The A List, and The Insiders (Glenn, 2008. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 52:1). I hadn't heard of these series or the Gossip Girl television series.

Glenn doesn't look very favorably on these three series. They all take a look at the lives of the rich and privileged. I have a somewhat different take, at least on the first of the Gossip Girl books. I didn't read this as an endorsement of the privileged life style. I certainly didn't want to become one of the main characters. They seemed vulnerable to exactly the same pressures, anxieties, and social trap of any teen.

The book did portray more sex, drugs, and alcohol than I would expect of a YA novel. However, I didn't find the portrayal one that would attract me to those pursuits. Instead, for the most part the "bad" behaviors appeared to be just that--self destructive and unattractive.

Generally I didn't find the writing compelling. It is readable, but I am not going to run out and read the next title.