Tag: children

The Liberation of Gabriel King by KL Going

“My best friend, Frita Wilson, once told me that some people were born chicken,” begins Gabriel King, and he is convinced he is one of them. He is afraid of thirty eight things, among them: fifth grade, bullies Matt Evans and Frankie Carmen, spiders, alligators, earwigs, loose cows, robbers, centipedes, falling into the toilet, and calling a teacher “momma” by accident.

It is the summer of 1976 in a small town in Georgia, where Gabe is the most picked-on boy in school, while Frita is the only black girl in town. Frita convinces Gabe that it’s time he conquered his fears and all summer, she helps him cross off each of the 38 fears on his list before they move up to fifth grade together. But it turns out that Frita has her own list, and while she and Gabe are facing the things they’re afraid of, she’s secretly avoiding her greatest fear: the Ku Klux Klan that’s active in their town.

This is one of the few books for young readers I’ve read that deal with the nature of fear and confront it in a very mature way, showing how you can be scared and yet be brave at the same time. I also like how the book reveals the reality of racism, and tempers it with friendship, understanding, and family, and balances the gravity of the issues it tackles without taking any fun out of the book.

Plus points for book design,too :)

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My copy: put up for mooching last year

My rating: 4/5 stars

The DollHouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

The Dollhouse Murders is a chillingly good murder mystery for kids.

Twelve-year old Amy is tired of being responsible for her special (it doesn’t specify how, but she seems to have Asperger’s, but is high-function) sister Louann. She retreats to her Dad’s ancestral home to live with her Aunt Claire. In the attic, she finds a beautiful dollhouse that is a perfect replica of her great-grandparents’ house. Her Aunt Claire is distressed upon seeing it, but Amy is fascinated and comes up to the attic to see more of the dollhouse.

Strange things happen at the dollhouse — the dolls that represent her relatives are never where she leaves it, and seem to move about the dollhouse. Amy thinks the dolls are trying to tell her something, but Aunt Claire doesn’t believe her.

After some sleuthing at the local library, Amy finds out that her great-grandparents were murdered in the house. The dollhouse holds the key to solving the mystery, and Amy and Louann must work together to resolve the grisly family secret once and for all.

The novel has a good set of characters, a fast-paced narration, and several chapters that will send shivers down your spine. The subplot about families dealing with special children is great too :)

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My copy: (actually my sister’s) – an old paperback from the bargain bin at Book Sale

My rating: 4/5 stars

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

Dragon Rider is a fantasy novel featuring the quest of a dragon (Firedrake), a forest brownie (Sorrel), and a little boy (Ben), and the delightful assortment of characters they meet along the way. Firedrake, Ben, and Sorrel are off to the Himalayas to find the legendary Rim of Heaven, to seek a sanctuary for the colony of silver dragons that still exist in the world. The quest is thwarted by the evil Nettlebrand, an evil man-made golden dragon with an attitude problem and an army of spies, determined to destroy all silver dragons.

After reading Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord, I wanted to read Dragon Rider to find out if that was a fluke or if I really liked her style.

The verdict…

Dragon Rider is a bit lighter than The Thief Lord, perhaps because of its whimsy. Even the villains have some sort of entertainment value, and the dragon lore isn’t as complicated as say, Anne McCaffrey’s or even Christopher Paolini’s.

The characters are lovable, if not well-rounded. I think Funke kept in mind that kids can’t be overburdened with too much lore The dragons are whimsical, and totally uncomplicated. They’re just nice creatures who live on moonlight and seek to co-exist peacefully and anonymously on the earth. Ben is the simple boy with a grand mission, Sorrel is the feisty sidekick, and they meet a delightful band of characters along the way.

I think I’d have to say though, that The Thief Lord’s translation (Cornelia Funke writes in German) was better. I think there was a bit (just a bit) of a disjointedness in Dragon Rider that makes me think there were some things lost in translation.

It’s really a light-hearted book, with talking animals, lovable characters, a romp around the world, and Funke’s specialty: good, old-fashioned triumph of good versus evil. Yeah, the sort that makes you think the world is a much better place. It’s really great for kids, and well, it’s also a good pick-me-up for more jaded adults.

Cornelia Funke is certainly one of the better contemporary children’s book writers around, and her works have a classical feel to it that I rarely find in other children’s books.

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My copy: trade paperback upgraded into a hardcover, mooched from the US

My rating: 4/5 stars

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

The Thief Lord opens in a detective’s office in Venice, where the horrible Hartliebs are engaging the services of private detective Victor Getz to find their two runaway nephews Bo and Prosper. The Hartliebs want to adopt Bo and send Prosper off to boarding school, but the brothers do not want to be separated so they run off to Venice.

In Venice, Bo and Prosper hook up with a feisty runaway girl named hornet, the hulky Mosca, the mischievous spiky-haired pickpocket Riccio, and Scipio, the Thief Lord, who takes care of all of them inside an abandoned old theater.

The plot thickens when a crooked antique dealer enlists the gang for a special mission, and Victor Getz is hot on their heels.

I’ve never read Cornelia Funke before, but I’d have to say that The Thief Lord is one of the best children’s books I have read. Since Cornelia Funke is German, it’s translated into English by Oliver Latsch, but I think it was an excellent translation because nothing seems to be awkward or vague.

It’s such a charming book with such endearing characters you can’t help but like it. It’s very Dickensian, sort of like Oliver Twist, with a bit of magic thrown in, and a whole lot funnier.

The book brings out the sights and sounds of Venice, and the description is so vivid that you can actually imagine you’re right there with the characters.

As books go, it’s not pretentious or ambitious, nothing groundbreaking, but it’s got a very classic feel to it, like it makes you feel good just reading it. You know, the sort of book that makes you want to live, because there’s such goodness in the world (haha, now where did that come from?) Just a beautifully written and exciting feel-good story.

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Saw the movie recently and it’s an excellent adaptation, with unknown actors and excellent Venice scenery!

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My copy: trade paperback upgraded into a hardcover with dustjacket, bought at Books for Less

My rating: 5/5 stars

Ten Little Elvi by Duffy Grooms, Laura J. Henson / Illus. by Dean Gorissen

“TEN little Elvi gettin’ ready to shine
One made a comeback and then there were NINE.”

Ten Little Elvi by Duffy Grooms, Laura J. Henson and illustrated by Dean Gorissen is a unique counting book featuring ten little Elvis impersonators (hence, Elvi), with references to the King’s life and song.

The Elvis homage will probably be lost on toddlers. I mean, even I just recently learned to appreciate Elvis, and mostly that was because of Lilo and Stitch. I just had to buy this because it was so cute. It’s the sort of book that’ll really cheer you up. I bow to the illustrator: the Elvi are squee-worthy!
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My copy: salvaged from the bargain bin at Powerbooks a couple of years ago, for P75, hardcover with dustjacket.

My rating: 5/5 stars