Book Thoughts: The Graveyard Book

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman

This was my first foray into reading Neil Gaiman, and I think I shall have to go back for more. Clever, cute, and a little bit creepy, the story of Bod’s childhood in the graveyard is one that I devoured in one sitting. I was reminded of a more serious and slightly more grown-up Eva Ibbotson story.

The cast of characters is wonderful and varied, and the story is one you don’t want to stop reading. It was in the YA section at my library, but I would extend the age range for this book into slightly before “young adulthood” and well after it. In other words, check it out if you like anything remotely fantastical or mysterious.

Book Thoughts: The Wednesday Wars

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt

The Wednesday Wars is written for a little bit younger audience than most of the books I read - it's set in seventh grade, not in high school. The only reason I picked it up was that my Dad, who read it for a YA Lit class he teaches, insisted that I would love it, and I agreed to give it a try. Turns out Dad was right - The Wednesday Wars was fantastic. I adored it.

Holling Hoodhood (which, by the way, I think is a completely ridiculous name) is convinced that his English teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him. He's the only person in his class who isn't Jewish or Catholic - which means that instead of going to Hebrew School or Catechism on Wednesday afternoons, he has to stay with Mrs. Baker. And she has a nefarious plot in mind: she's going to bore him to death with Shakespeare. Or so Holling thinks, anyway. But her plan backfires, because it turns out Shakespeare isn't so bad after all.

There is so much about this book that is just delightfully funny and adorable, from the escape of pet rats Sycorax and Caliban to Ariel's bright yellow tights (you'll understand if you read it). But there's a whole other level, too - Holling's family issues and the Vietnam War. Parts of The Wednesday Wars had me laughing hysterically and parts of it were heartbreaking. The characters are just wonderful - Holling is a fantastic narrator and I want Mrs. Baker to be my English teacher. I loved this book so much.

If you're a fan of Shakespeare, read this! If you're not a fan of Shakespeare...read this anyway! The Wednesday Wars is an adorable, wonderful book and I absolutely loved it. Even if you don't normally read more-like-MG stuff and prefer to stay in the realm of older-YA, I think it would be pretty impossible to dislike this one.

Book Thoughts: Countdown

Title: Countdown
Author: Deborah Wiles

Countdown is a little outside the genres I usually read – it’s historical middle-grade, rather than contemporary/paranormal YA – but I loved it. Franny, who is eleven years old, is a wonderful narrator: the perfect blend of humor and seriousness, completely believable, and Deborah Wiles captured the voice of a child perfectly. The other characters are just as good: Franny’s parents, her brother and sister and crazy uncle, her friends, the boy across the street…this could very easily be a totally true story.

It gets even easier to believe when you consider the documentary part of the novel. The whole book is full of actual footage from the 1960s – photographs, quotes, ads, political cartoons, reminders to stay safe in the bomb shelters if the air raid siren goes off…it’s all there, in between chapters. Seriously the coolest way to set up a historical book that I have ever seen. The book would be worth reading just for that. But there’s more to it than that.

The story is great too. Reading about an eleven-year-old protagonist was kind of different for me, but Franny is great and the story is amazing. I think it’s easy to forget that while the Cold War was going on, life was still going on like normal – for those of us who have never lived through something like that, it’s just history book stuff. Countdown takes those events that we read about in history class and makes them real, which is really awesome. Historical events aren’t the focus of this novel; they’re the setting. The story is about Franny and how she comes to terms with what it means to be afraid and, more importantly, what it means to be a friend.

Countdown is such a sweet, fun, and interesting book. I know those aren’t particularly original adjectives, but they certainly apply. It’s also very much a stay-up-until-you-finish-it kind of book. Definitely, definitely read it if you get the chance!

Book Thoughts: Hold Fast

Title: Hold Fast
Author: Blue Balliett

I had to read this after loving Balliett's Chasing Vermeer and its sequels. Hold Fast did not disappoint! Early is such a great character - a bright fifth-grader, struggling with some of her schoolwork maybe, but intent on reading and following patterns. The Pearl family is one of the best I've seen, the way they all love each other and care for each other. I could seriously read on and on about these characters. I want to be their best friend.

The mystery is brilliantly written, unfolded at exactly the right pace; I was able to predict some of it, but it didn't matter, because it was watching Early unravel the clues that was the true adventure. An engaging story, gritty and honest but accessible to young readers.

Also, WOW this book is eye-opening. Ms. Balliett holds nothing back in portraying the difficulties of living in a shelter and the struggles of dealing with the police when you're seen as "less than." Early and her family's strength in enduring their difficult situation touched my heart. Seriously, I just want to go help shelter families now. Ahhh this book. Read it.