REVIEW: The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Audience: Middle School/Ages 10 and up
Genre: Supernatural Short Stories

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinary Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with these enigmatic pictures. Now we’ve asked some of our very best storytellers to spin the tales. Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won’t soon forget.

This inspired collection of short stories features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children's literature: Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg himself.

Here is a book trailer:

Lucinda's Thoughts:  I have always been a Chris Van Allsburg fan and the Mysteries of Harris Burrdick has always intrigued me.  The mysterious drawings have always provoked many "What ifs?" and this collection of tales seems to be the answer to that question.   The stories are all well-written and made me think to myself "Would I have gotten this tale from that picture?"  Many of the stories are definitely "out of the box" and the characters are unexpected and original.  The stories will keep a reader's interest right up to the last page and leave them asking for more.  For example, M.T. Anderson's Just Dessert was so well constructed that after I read the story I wondered about the nature of reality and its malleability.  Stephen King's The house on Maple Street is very reminiscent of his early work and John Scieszka's Under the Rug could have been an Edgar Allen Poe work.  If you like dark mysteries and enjoy stories that are just a little bit west of sideways, this is the work for you.  I give it two thumbs up!

DUAL/GUEST REVIEW: Trapped by Michael Northrop

Allison's Rating: 4/5 Stars
Tracy's Rating: 3/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Suspense

Summary: Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.

Allison's Guest Review:
I really enjoyed this one. Narrated by the main character, a boy who sees himself as a normal teen, this book takes us into the mindset of teens lost in a crisis. At first, the reader feels like the characters don’t give the situation its due worry, but as the characters develop, the reader realizes that the nonchalant attitude displayed by many of the teens trapped in the school are simply avoiding admitting the danger they face, even to themselves. There are a few scenes which introduce some humor, and many details given to enthrall the reader and keep him/her moving along with the story. It was refreshing to read a book with no clearly defined hero/heroine; just a telling of the story with points of drama where they are needed.

Tracy's Thoughts:
I was very impressed by Northrop's debut novel, Gentlemen, and after reading the blurb and reviews for Trapped I had high hopes for his sophomore effort. As in his first book, Michael Northrop does an excellent job of building tension. Not only is there a growing awareness that this is indeed a life-threatening situation, there is also tension as the 7 teens—many of whom are mere acquaintances—must pull together. I liked that these are seven typical teens, although they do tend to represent the usual cliques (popular girls, jock, outcasts, the school bully). This lends the book a sort of  Breakfast Club-meets-Christopher-Pike vibe (I'm thinking Weekend). The characters often misread one another, allowing their own preconceptions to get in the way. For me, this was the real drama of the story.

However, the characters, particularly the narrator, just didn't have the same zing that I expected after reading Gentlemen. What I enjoyed so much about Gentlemen was Tommy's voice—sharp, biting, and darkly funny. Scotty, the narrator of Trapped, just didn't have that something special that made me truly invested in the story's outcome. I needed more character development. The ending, too, was a bit abrupt for my taste and doesn't really do justice to the excellent premise. But despite my quibbles, Trapped is a quick, enjoyable read and a solid choice for a cold, snowy day's read.

Best of 2011: Our Favorite Book Trailers

Happy New Year! New Year is usually the time for looking forward, but first we are looking back on the year that is past. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting about our favorite books of 2011. But before I identify our best books of 2011, we thought it might be nice to whet your appetite a bit!

Here are our favorite Book Trailers of 2011... Don't they make you want to read the book?!

Honorable Mentions:

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

This quiet trailer, put together on a shoestring budget, perfectly complements the mood of the book.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Weird, quirky animated illustrations and an equally weird and quirky—and catchy!—song.

Blackout by John Rocco

Rocco's illustrations from the book are wonderfully vibrant, almost glowing, and we love how first person accounts of the blackout are intermingled with the artwork.

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

The music and animated illustrations tie together beautifully to tell the story.


Before Ever After by Samantha Soto

Whimsical and charming!

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

Gorgeous colors, an air of mystery, and music reminiscent (to me anyway!) of Harry Potter.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Beautiful and eerie...This trailer does a wonderful job of creating the same atmosphere and eliciting the same emotions that you feel reading the book.


Our Top Five:

#5. Little Owl's Night by Divya Srinivasan

Little Owl is adorable—and even better animated!

#4. Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

The animation is lovely, and the official Leisl & Po song—"A Train with Wings"—haunting.

#3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Princess Bride with a dark(er) side!

#2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I love the silent film allusions; this trailer beautifully echoes Morgenstern's gorgeous, atmospheric writing.

#1. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater

Maggie Steifvater is one talented lady! She's an author, an artist, and a musician. She created this stop motion animated trailer with "several hundred frames, some cool paper, and a very manky paintbrush" and composed her own music!

REVIEW: I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary: Seventeen year-old Sam and his twelve-year-old brother Riddle have never had a normal life. A decade ago, they were kidnapped by their mentally unstable father, a criminal with a pathological fear of government and technology. Since then, the trio has traveled across the country, living in ramshackle places and avoiding the authorities at all costs. At a very young age, Sam learned that it would be up to him to ensure that he and his brother are fed and safe.

Riddle has never been to school, rarely speaks, and suffers from untreated asthma. He lugs around an old phone book filled with the impossibly detailed mechanical drawings he spends his days creating. Sam's escape is music; every Sunday, he visits a different church so that he can absorb the sounds of organs and pianos, clapping and singing. He sits in the back and remains anonymous. Then he meets Emily, who finally sees him and, eventually, introduces Sam and Riddle to her family. For the first time, the two boys feel connected to the real world, but what will happen when their father discovers their secret?

Tracy's Thoughts:
Intertwining a gripping survival story with a sweet tale of first love, I'll Be There is one of the best, most heartfelt books I've read in ages. It's one of those stories that completely mesmerizes you and still lingers in your mind weeks later. And puts a smile on your face. There is a magic to Sloan's prose: it is thoughtful and yet carries an immediacy that makes each page a joy to read. There is nothing flashy in her writing; it is vivid and precise, allowing the extraordinary characters and their predicaments to move the story along. Am I sounding a bit fan-girl crazy and over-the-top in my praise? I apologize. But. I love this book.

It's magical in a completely different way. It is all about the connections that people make, the brief intersections that can change your life. It is about how all the small, insignificant things can add up to larger ones. It is about family and belonging. Told from multiple points of view, covering everyone from Sam and Riddle, to Emily and her mother, to the boys' paranoid father Clarence, I'll Be There creates a world that is both intimate and infinite. The narration transitions seamlessly, weaving a rich and layered tale.This is a book that made me laugh, cry, gasp, and sigh with pleasure at the end, pausing for a moment to savor the extraordinary journey I had just completed.

REVIEW: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Young Adult/Teen, Adult Crossover Interest
Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: It is 1941 and Stalin's reign of terror is in full dominion, though fifteen-year-old Lina has no idea of the terrible forces at work. She is stunned when Soviet officers invade her home to arrest her family and deport them from Lithuania to Siberia, giving them only twenty minutes to pack a few belongings. Her father, not home at the time of the arrest, is separated from the rest of the family while Lina, her mother, and younger brother are crammed into a boxcar labeled "Thieves and Prostitutes." This is only the beginning of Lina's journey, filled with deplorable, life-threatening conditions and a slow realization of some of the more unsavory aspects of life. And yet through it all, Lina retains hope, following her mother's strong example and using her artistic talent to send messages to her father.

Tracy's Thoughts:
This is a truly lovely book; haunting and terribly sad because we know it is based on true events, but also inspirational. Ruta Sepetys writing is fluid and emotionally evocative. With a few precise words, she is able to make a powerful statement ("Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch."). It is never overdone or cheaply sentimental. The first sentence grabbed me, and I did not want to put this book down as Lina's story gradually and painfully unfurled:

They took me in my nightgown.

Thinking back, the signs were there—family photos burned in the fireplace, Mother sewing her best silver into the lining of her coat late at night, and Papa not returning from work. My younger brother, Jonas, was asking questions. I asked questions, too, but perhaps I refused to acknowledge the signs. Only later did I realize Mother and Father intended we escape. We did not escape.

We were taken.

The novel is written in short chapters, which makes some of the atrocities described a bit easier to digest. Scenes are not truly graphic, but they are vividly and powerfully depicted. But, again, there is a thread of hope and perseverance that runs throughout, as well as a budding love story to provide balance. Also, there are flashbacks to Lina's life in Lithuania before the deportation to provide respite and clues to explain why Lina's family was targeted by the Soviets.

Reading this novel, I felt like I was reading a true account—like Hautzig's The Endless Steppe or even The Diary of Ann Frank. The characters, especially Lina, her mother, and a crotchety old man who is with the family on the train and at the various work camps, seemed real. Of course, several first-person accounts and interviews where included in Sepetys's research. And the author's own family history undoubtedly made this an intensely personal story.

My only complaint is that I felt the ending was a bit too abrupt. I wanted more. There is an epilogue at the end, but to me Lina's story felt incomplete. But, regardless of my slight disappointment with the ending, this is a story that needs to be told. The Holocaust is widely studied, but comparatively few are aware of the genocide of the Baltic people that took place under Stalin's rule. Sepetys's novel is an important work, both thought-provoking and enjoyable.

REVIEW: Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Genre: Psychological Suspense

Summary: Christine Lucas wakes in a strange room, with a strange man beside her. He wears a wedding band, and she is disgusted with herself for apparently sleeping with a married man. But catching sight of herself in the bathroom mirror, Christine discovers that she is not the carefree twenty-something she believed herself to be. She's clearly in her forties—and she also wears a wedding band. Unfamiliar photos are pinned to the bathroom mirror, and a note proclaims that the man in the bed is her husband, Ben. Christine has amnesia. Every night when she goes to sleep, she loses all memory of the her life past a certain point.

Her life is very narrow. Just Ben, and a psychiatrist whom Christine meets without Ben's knowledge. At the direction of her doctor, she keeps a journal to document her life and piece together the past—and hopefully—a future. However, day by day, her journal entries become increasingly unsettling and Christine begins she wonder if she can trust anyone—including herself.

Tracy's Thoughts:
This book has appeared on numerous Best of 2011 lists, and it won the Crime Writers Association's 2011 award for best first book. I can understand why. It reminded me of Cat Patrick's Forgotten, but with a creepier flavor, like the the movie Memento. Watson's writing is compelling, creating an increasingly tense, claustrophobic feeling in the reader. I read this book in one evening, and although I guessed the book's twist ending early on, I was never fully confident in my theory, just as Christine could never fully trust her own memory and instincts.

FLASH REVIEWS: A Parade of Picture Books...

I recently realized that we haven't reviewed any picture books lately (as promised in our site description!), so here goes...

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he seeks out his fellow forest creatures to inquire "Have you seen my hat?" It's like a sly game of clue, with clever visual hints. It's an adorable tale with an ever-so-slightly dark twist at the end. Ages 4 to 8.
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Stop Snoring, Bernard! by Zachariah OHora
Bernard loves living at the zoo, and he loves naptime. Unfortunately, the other otters are tired of his snoring. So begins Bernard's quest to find a sleeping spot where he won't bother anyone... This is a sweet, low key story with simple, almost vintage-style illustrations. Ages 3 to 7.
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Blackout by John Rocco
Told through a series of graphic novel–style panels, this is the story of an ordinary summer night in the city. A little girl is eager to play a game, but everyone in her household is too busy. Then there is a blackout; with the power suddenly out, no one is busy at all and the the neighborhood comes alive. The visual images are bold and striking, and small details add a lot to this story about family togetherness. The contrast between light and dark plays an important but subtle role. Ages 4 to 8.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

The I'm Not Scared Book by Todd Parr
Extremely bright colors—a Parr trademark—will grab kids' attention in this motivational book about common childhood phobias. Comical details add nuance. The text itself lacks subtlety, but will give comfort to anxious children and offers simplistic solutions to calm fears. Ages 3 to 6.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting and Julie Fortenberry (illus.)
Danny has lots of what-if questions about pirates, and his mother is patient and inventive as she answers each one. This is a heartwarming tale of imagination and connection between mother an child. The artwork, especially the drawings of pirates, is bright and striking. Ages 4 to 8.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars