Demon Witch by Geoffrey Huntington

Book II of The Ravenscliff Series isn't quite as gripping as book I, but still a good read. A fantasy saga of the Order of Nightwing this book takes the reader through time to the Middle Ages and fills in some of the mysteries surrounding Devon March. Appropriate for teens, the book is very readable but not quite as elaborately developed as a Harry Potter book (of course it is much shorter as well--276 pages). The main character, Devon is in high school, has a trio of friends who are in on his secret, as well as a mentor who is in conflict with his aunt.

Preston & Childs

I've been on an extended read--the collected works of Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston. Most of the books have been very appropriate for high school readers. The most recent had one mild sex scene. I strongly recommend that teachers consider including the collected works of this author team. They both bring broad technical expertise and experiences that make the fiction rich and provides pathways to more detailed explorations of each topic. The books, and connections are listed below:

Relic,, Set in the New York City Museum of Natural History readers will not only learn about the Museum and its operations, but also the history of archeological explorations into South America. Although the "monster" is fanciful, the book shows how careful research is necessary for good fiction writing.

Reliquary,,
Cabinet of Curiosities,,
Still Life with Crows,,
Brimstone,,
Dance of Death,,
Wheel of Darkness,,
Book of the Dead,,

Mount Dragon, 1996. In his deep background Lee Child has worked as a techie. One of the things I'm finding as I read the collected works of Child and Preston is that both have had varied careers and use these wide ranging career experiences as jumping-off points for their work. Douglas Preston's brother, Richard Preston, has written two important science-fiction books The Demon in the Freezer, about smallpox, and The Hot Zone, about the Ebola virus. Mount Dragon has a similar theme, the researchers are attempting to find a vaccine for the flu virus. This book is more in the fiction based roughly on science, but is a good read. It also blends in some really interesting technology ideas that will get computer geeks engaged.

Riptide, 1998. Pirates and buried treasure! I had recently seen an episode on Bones about a pit that supposedly held pirate treasure, but was also booby-trapped. This book predates that show and is based on an actual site--Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. It also explores much of the history of pirates and the British Colonial period. If you go to their website http://www.prestonchild.com/ you can research more about the real historical pirates and the science upon which they based many of the details of the adventure.

Thunderhead, 1999. Recently I attended an educational program at my local REI on canyoneering. The hour-long video made the slot canyon in which much of this book takes place come to life for me. When I use this book in a classroom I am going to begin with some video of these canyons. I have also had the good fortune to visit Mesa Verde and touring the cliff dwellings. The two create the background for this story the proposes a possible answer to the flight of the Anasazi Indians from their cliff dwellings. Douglas Preston has worked at the New York Museum of Natural History and knows much about archeology and archaeologists. He has lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1986 and thus has much experience with the American Southwest. He has also worked as an anthropologist for The Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe. If you want to get a feel for Pueblo Cultures, pot hunting (hunters), and the life style of the anthropologist this is a great place to begin.

The Ice Limit,,

Thriller ,,


About the Authors: (from Barnes & Noble)

Preston's first job was as a writer for the American Museum of Natural History in New York -- an eight year stint that led to the publication of his first book, Dinosaurs in the Attic and introduced him to his future writing partner, Lincoln Child, then working as an editor at St. Martin's Press. The two men bonded, as they worked closely together on the book. As the project neared completion, Preston treated Child to a private midnight tour of the museum, an excursion that proved fateful. As Preston tells it, "...in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to [me] and said: 'This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!'" Their first collaborative effort, Relic, would not be published until 1995, by which time Preston had picked up stakes and moved to Santa Fe to pursue a full-time writing career.

In addition to writing novels (The Codex, Tyrannosaur Canyon) and nonfiction books on the American Southwest (Cities of Gold, Ribbons of Time), Preston has collaborated with Lincoln Child on several post-Relic thrillers. While not strictly a series, the books share characters and events, and the stories all take place in the same universe. The authors refer to this phenomenon as "The Preston-Child Pangea."

Preston divides his time between New Mexico and Maine, while Child lives in New Jersey -- a situation that necessitates a lot of long-distance communication. But their partnership (facilitated by phone, fax, and email) is remarkably productive and thoroughly egalitarian: They shape their plots through a series of discussions; Child sends an outline of a set of chapters; Preston writes the first draft of those chapters, which is subsequently rewritten by Child; and in this way the novel is edited back and forth until both authors are happy. They attribute the relatively seamless surface of their books to the fact that "[a]ll four hands have found their way into practically every sentence, at one time or another." (From Barnes & Noble website last accessed 3/12/09 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cemetery-Dance/Douglas-Preston/e/9781600242632/?itm=11#TABS)

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.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski

I bought this on the advice of several friends. I'm a fan of "The Dog Whisperer," have a "pack" of 3 dogs, and am fascinated with issues of training animals. I don't really have enough time to do a good job with my pets (2 of them actually belong to my children). This book is pretty realistic about the amount of time and attention that it takes to properly train animals and to run a kennel. [BTW--my youngest brother has a kennel--primarily Basset Hounds--they show and breed them.]

I've also had direct experience with what can go wrong with a family farm. I've said before, Jane Smiley only scratches the surface of what can go wrong. Here's another book that focuses on the complexities of rural life and the supposedly "idyllic" farm family.

Two days after having finished I'm still pondering a number of themes. Was the Sawtelle farm cursed from the beginning? Is this a tragic story, a coming-of-age story, or a morality tale? Why make Edgard mute?

This is a book that could be placed in a high school curriculum. It's a bit long to read, but passionate readers wouldn't be bothered by that. I'd love for our local 9th graders to be allowed to read this along with "To Kill a Mockingbird." I think it makes a great companion read.

Now for the bad part--I'm not in love with the ending. No spoiler here--but I wish somehow that the ending was different. When you finish reading then email and we can discuss the ending.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

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This is the second in the series. The Society is established in England and has four amazing children with unusual abilities who have to work together to save the world/day. I enjoyed the first one well enough that I'm reading the second.

It reminds me somewhat of Diane Duanne's Wizard series (So You Want to be a Wizard, etc...)