Review of THE GREAT REDWALL FEAST

Jacques, Brian. Christopher Denise. (Ill.) 1996. THE GREAT REDWALL FEAST. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 0-329-21714-3

Of the fifteen plus Redwall books, this one is atypically light-hearted. Written in rhyming prose, Brian Jacques tells a story of abbeymice preparing a surprise feast for the abbot—also a mouse. Luckily for the residents of Redwall, the abbot goes on an unexpected, long walk. As it turns out, he knew all along about the surprise and was intentionally giving the devoted abbeymice an opportunity to prepare “in secret.” Though apparently occurring in medieval times, THE GREAT REDWALL FEAST has no specified era. The setting, the Redwall abbey, is most likely in a fantastic version of Britian. This may be supposed by the dialect reflected in the text, for example using “noice” for nice and “marm” for ma’am. Also, the illustrations show a great castle abbey in a countryside reminiscent of western Europe. The writing style makes this prose difficult to read aloud and tedious to read silently. The target audience, grades K-3 are not likely to have the patience to wade through this lengthy picture book. Older readers may be put off by the juvenile and merry tone of the illustrations and story.

While the illustrations in this story are geared for readers grades K-3, the prose is written at a much higher interest level.

Review of THE LIGHTNING THEIF first in the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Riordan, Rick. 2005. THE LIGHTNING THEIF. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0-786-85629-7

Having dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder isn’t exactly the description of your typical hero with super powers. However, Percy Jackson just happens to fit this description. With a god for a father and mortal as a mother, our hero is a demi-god. His character is scrutinized throughout the story by the other players: is he worthy of his position? Time and again, Percy’s bravery and intelligence are tested. His friends, Annabeth and Grover, accompany him on his quest. Each of the trio brings his or her own special qualities to the journey. Annabeth is smart and brave. Grover, a satyr, has an innate sense of direction and is a devoted friend. Together they seek Zeus’ lightning bolt and the thief who stole it. On the quest, tests similar to those experienced by Odysseus must be passed. Riordan makes continual references to Greek mythology and writes in third person, keeping the reader abreast of Percy’s thoughts. With battles including monsters and gods, this ‘good triumphs over evil’ book engages readers and maintains an energetic pace with not a dull moment.

Also in this entertaining series are THE SEA OF MONSTERS (#2); THE TITAN’S CURSE (#3); and, released on May 3, 2008, THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH (#4).

This high fantasy novel—and the others in the series—are very highly recommended for readers grades 5-8.

Review of BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD! and BABYMOUSE: OUR HERO

Holm, Jennifer L. 2005. BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD! New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-93229-1

Holm, Jennifer L. 2005. BABYMOUSE: OUR HERO. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-93230-5

Babymouse is a space explorer, a private eye, a soldier and a queen. Ok, maybe she’s just an ordinary mouse trying to make it in elementary school. Daydreaming is how Babymouse makes the best of rotten, “typical” situations. With the help of her faithful and supportive best friend, Wilson the Weasel, Babymouse makes it through the hard times and always realizes she’s lucky to be herself. In QUEEN OF THE WORLD!, Babymouse wants to be invited to the slumber party of the ever popular but rude, Felicia Furrypaws. When she discovers the slumber party isn’t as fun as she’d thought it would be, Babymouse goes to Wilson’s house with a humble apology and realizes it is with her best friend that she feels like a queen. In OUR HERO, Babymouse is forced to face her fear of dodgeball in gym class. Ultimately, she finds her inner strength when her friend is hit with the ball by Felicia Furrypaws. “That’s it,” she mutters as she slides across the floor, snatches up the last ball, and “fwacks” Felicia to score the winning shot. These Cinderella moments are typical in the Babymouse series. That’s part of what makes them fun to read. The playfulness is enhanced by frequent conversations between the narrator and Babymouse. Though at times confusing, the irregular format of the pages also gives the book a lively feel. In Babymouse, Jennifer Holm brings a girl-focused graphic novel series to collection development plans. In such a male-dominated genre, this is a wonderful path to travel.

This graphic novel is highly recommended for readers grades 2-5.

Review of THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE

Boston, L.M. 1955. THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-202468-9

Toseland must go to live with his great-grandmother, Mrs. Oldknow, for the winter break from school. Though they have never met, it is obvious they immediately get along and are glad to have each other. On their first encounter, Mrs. Oldknow tells Tolly, “So you’ve come back!” she said, smiling, as he came forward, and he found himself leaning against her shoulder as if he knew her quite well.” Tolly has always been a bit of a loner—especially since his mother died. With no siblings, he is eager to find playmates. His innate sense of curiosity draws him into the mysterious happenings in his grandmother’s home and she patiently and lovingly encourages his exploration and discovery. This third-person omniscient narrative fantasy is a ghost story, though not in a typical sense. Rather than the reader and characters being afraid of the ghosts, we are all eager for them to show themselves. Mrs. Oldknow encourages the ghosts’ appearance by giving Tolly some of their belongings and telling stories of when they were alive. The identities of the ghosts is one of the most enjoyable discoveries of this novel, and thus shall not be divulged here. Boston uses formal speech and narrative to tell the story of a lonely child discovering the mysteries of his family’s manor. This manor is described in incredible detail—the smells of the stable, the topiary garden, the bedrooms and living rooms, and the many animals which roam about. Though a bit slow moving, the reader cannot help but “see” the story unfold through Boston’s descriptive writing style.

This story is recommended for readers grades 3-6.