Book of Lost Things (2013)

The Book of Lost Things. (Mister Max #1). 2013. Random House. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely liked The Book of Lost Things. Perhaps I didn't LOVE it as much as The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, but, it was still a very good read. Mister Max is set in England at the turn of the twentieth century.

Max's parents are famous actors in the theatre. The novel opens with his parents receiving an invitation to go on a special tour. It seems a luxurious offer. Max's grandmother, a librarian, feels the offer is too good to be true. Though she's not allowed to look at the actual invitation or the tickets it contained. Max was to be included in the trip, but, he was to meet his parents at the ship before it departed. When he arrives, quite on time, his parents are gone, the ship has gone too. Or so it appears. In truth, the invitation was a trap. The name of the ship was part of the deception, as was the destination. Max has no idea what happened to his parents. They were able to write a quick note to be given to the "boy on the bicycle" (Max), however, which has a message of sorts for him. So Max is partly on his own, partly under the supervision of his grandmother.

This is NOT a book about Max searching for clues as to what happened to his parents. Max is NOT involved in anyway with that search or research. Once his parents have vanished, well, Max's concerns are mainly economic. This is a book about a somewhat creative boy finding a way to make money while he waits for others to solve the BIG mystery of what happens to his parents. He has two or three little mysteries to solve. And at these little mysteries he excels. These little mysteries might be predictable to adult readers. But despite the fact that adult readers may see how the end will come together, the story itself is enjoyable enough. The book has a handful of interesting characters, Max included.

For readers looking for a quest, a desperate boy willing to risk it all and go on a fantastic journey to find and save his parents, you may be disappointed. But depending on your expectations, you might find yourself surprised by how entertaining it is. 

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Long Way Home (2013)

The Long Way Home (Family Tree #2) Ann M. Martin. 2013. Scholastic. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

If you have to "like" a heroine to "like" a book, then this book may be in trouble!!! Dana, the heroine of Martin's second book in the Family Tree series, is many things but likeable doesn't come to mind. For better or worse, each chapter reveals Dana--or almost always reveals--in conflict with someone. And it may be unfair, but I always found myself identifying more with the other characters, able to connect with what they are feeling, how they are seeing the scene. Dana comes across as self-centered, inconsiderate, proud, and worst of all: whiny! Dana has a poor relationship with her mother. She has a better relationship with her father, but, perhaps that is because they are so much alike. Her father is, inconsiderate, proud, and selfish too. Her father has a drinking problem, a big problem. And Dana hates her mother for speaking up about it, for telling him NOT to drink, for telling him NOT to party, for being honest. For the record, she isn't talking about her husband negatively in front of her children, but Dana has a (bad) habit of eavesdropping. These are conversations spoken when Dana should be in bed asleep. Perhaps because I connected so much with Abby in the first book, I hated to see her in this bad marriage.

Like Better To Wish, The Long Way Home has its share of drama. Better to Wish is set in Maine; The Long Way Home is set in New York City and briefly in Maine.

I think the biggest problem I had with Dana is her general philosophy: because I am oh-so-talented, because I have THIS INCREDIBLE GIFT (she's an artist), I can treat people horribly and they just have to make allowances for me because that's just how I am.
© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Better To Wish (2013)

Better To Wish. (Family Tree #1) Ann M. Martin. 2013. Scholastic. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely enjoyed reading Ann M. Martin's Better To Wish. I connected with Abby almost from the start. I thought Abby was a very grounded character, there was depth and substance to her. I enjoyed reading her memories, the short vignettes of the moments through the years that changed or defined her. 

Some chapters were quite ordinary: the small moments, the ones that you almost never appreciate until much later. Some chapters were focused on holidays (or birthdays): Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July, etc.

Other chapters were quite dramatic, the moments where you know that life will NEVER be the same again no matter how hard you wish or how big you dream. I liked the focus on family, friendship, and community. Readers meet Abby exactly as she is in her closest relationships. Loved seeing Abby's relationship with her sisters, her mother, and her best friend. All the characters felt authentic, felt human. Martin has done a great job in bringing this time period to life. I would definitely recommend this one. I look forward to the others in the series!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Beholding Bee (2013)

Beholding Bee. Kimberly Newton Fusco. 2013. Random House. 336 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

I loved so many things about Beholding Bee. Beholding Bee has just a touch of fantasy to it, but, otherwise it has a very historical feel to it. The book is set during the early days of World War II. The heroine, Bee, is, in my opinion, quite unforgettable. She's eleven or so. She's an orphan. Her upbringing has been unusual to say the least. She travels with a carnival. She helps with the food stand: hotdogs, popcorn, honey buns, lemonade, etc. She has a close bond with Pauline, a woman with the carnival who has basically raised her since she was four. Bee has a birthmark. She does not necessarily like people staring at her, pointing at her, laughing at her, making rude comments. The owner of the carnival treats her like she's an attraction to the show itself, a freak on display. So, whenever possible, Bee tries to keep her birthmark covered with either her hair or her hand. She also likes to try to face a certain way so her birthmark isn't quite so obvious to strangers. But when Pauline falls in love (a bit too quickly), things change for Bee very quickly. Changes are coming quickly for many people. Men everywhere are joining up in the forces, and men who aren't army material, well, they still feel like they should be doing something more. Bobby, Bee's other best friend, has been rejected by the army, but, he's determined to get a factory job so he too can serve his country. One day life in the carnival becomes too much for her. Bee takes the dog (her forbidden pet) and runs away...what happens next is a bit fantastical. But it is wonderful too.

I loved every twist in this story. I loved seeing Bee live in that quaint house with her two aunts. I loved seeing Bee struggle to join the community and attend school. I loved meeting Bee's classmates. That 'educational' aspect of the novel was quite something! So many things we take for granted now, but, fairness has to be fought for sometimes.

I would definitely recommend Beholding Bee!
© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Paperboy (2013)

Paperboy. Vince Vawter. 2013. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Library]

Paperboy had me at hello. I loved, loved, loved, loved, REALLY LOVED this one. Yes, I'm going to gush about how wonderful and just-right this one is.

Paperboy is set in Memphis, Tennessee, in July of 1959. The narrator is a young boy (11, I think?) who stutters. He doesn't want stuttering to define him. He doesn't think that's fair. He is good at many, many things, like baseball. He is GREAT at baseball. He is good at typing, at writing. He loves words. But his stutter keeps him from loving speaking words aloud. It keeps him nervous and awkward around new people or strangers, people he feels will judge him based on his stutter alone, who will assume that his inability to speak clearly means he's unable to THINK clearly too.

So. The month of July will prove challenging to him for he has agreed to take over his best friend's paper route. Oh, he's not worried about the delivering part. He knows he's got that handled. He's worried about Fridays, about the day when he'll have to go to the door and TALK to people and ask for the money owed. You might think, in some ways, that it would be the first week that would be the most difficult, and that, all other weeks would just be easy after that initial effort. That is only partly true. He does make a friend, a wonderful friend. And he does learn a few life lessons that help him grow up a bit and cope a bit. And, I suppose, you could say that his perspective expands a bit in that he sees that the world is full of people who have problems, who have issues; that every person is dealing with something, struggling with something.

I think I loved the narrator best. The book is in his own words, he's recounting these events. There is something in the narrator's life, a secret that he discovers one day, and it could potentially be big and disturbing--just as there are other events in the novel that could be BIG AND DISTURBING. But this one thing that he wrestles with on his own, quietly meditating on it perhaps, was handled so tenderly and lovingly that it just worked for me. It made a novel that I already LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that much more wow-worthy.

I also loved other characters in this novel. Characters that might have seemed minor, but, were anything but. Characters like Mam, Rat (Art), Mr. Spiro, and, to a certain extent his Dad.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Gold in the Days of Summer (2013)

Gold in the Days of Summer. Susan Pogorzelski. 2013. Brown Beagle Books. 176 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Gold in the Days of Summer is a lovely coming-of-age novel set in the summer of 1979. Annie, our heroine, is almost thirteen, and in her opinion, too much is changing too fast. She's definitely questioning why can't more things stay the same, stay predictable and familiar and perfect. Her best friend went to camp this summer instead of staying at home, and she has missed her horribly. Her grandmother isn't coming back home from the nursing home. Her house is probably going to have to be sold after all. But more troubling than the fact that her Grandma won't be nearby, that her health isn't what it was just a few years ago, is the fact that Grandma's memory is fading away from her. If her parents and older sister would just be honest with her, then even that might seem like it's going to be okay.

Gold in the Days of Summer is not a depressing novel. Annie might have a lot of emotions to process, but, she's stronger than she thinks. Gold in the Days of Summer is middle grade romance. I enjoyed it very much. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Reading Little Maid of Provincetown

A Little Maid Of Provincetown. Alice Turner Curtis. 1913. 192 pages. [Source: Bought]

A Little Maid of Provincetown is a delightful little children's book set around the times of the American Revolution. After her father leaves her, Anne Nelson seeks shelter with the Stoddards, a happy-but-childless family. She soon adjusts to her new life, though she is unhappy that some of the other children in Provincetown tease her. There are children who say that her father, John Nelson, is a spy and a traitor. There are children who call Anne a beggar-child. But with the assurance of her new family--Enos and Martha Stoddard, she is secure and happy enough. Not that she believes the reports about her father. Not that she stops wanting him to come back to her. But she begins to be content with her new life, to like spending time with Brownie, the cow, and Martha, her wooden doll. She even makes friends with two of the children who teased her: Amanda and Amos Carey. But there are things happening around her that warn of danger: the British soldiers on their ships, etc. Anne knows that war could come sooner or later.

A Little Maid of Provincetown is a book with plenty of adventures. And some of the adventures involve more than hunting a missing cow. Anne is a spunky heroine who can get into mischief if not closely watched. She's brave and resourceful as well.

I liked this story.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Duke (2013)

Duke. Kirby Larson. 2013. Scholastic. 240 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

I really enjoyed Kirby Larson's newest novel. Duke is set in 1944 and 1945. Hobie Hanson, our narrator, has a dog he loves and adores. Duke is his very best friend in the world. Hobie doesn't have that many friends; Scooter has just left town with his family because of the war. Max Klein is a new kid in his class. But Hobie doesn't know if he has friend potential. Especially since the other kids in his class have chosen to pick on him. Some days he thinks it might be better to have no friends than to team up with the loser kid. So early in the novel, Hobie makes the hardest decision of his young life. It is a decision that haunts him, a decision that changes everything. He decides to loan Duke to the army as a recruit in their K-9 division. It breaks his heart; it breaks his sister's heart. (Her name is June). But there is a small part of him that knows it is the right thing to do, the brave thing to do, the selfless thing to do.

I loved reading about Hobie's life at school, at home, and on the baseball field. I loved reading all the letters. His father who is a pilot writes when he can as does Duke. I loved the historical details, loved getting a sense of what it was like to be a kid during the war. I thought the family details were great too. I really liked Hobie and June and their mom! I liked his growing friendship with Max as well. It is a complicated relationship, but, I think Hobie becomes a better person by the end of the novel.

I would definitely recommend this one!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Water Castle (2013)

The Water Castle. Megan Frazer Blakemore. 2013. Walker. 352 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

There were things I really liked about The Water Castle, and there were things I really did not like about it. My favorite part of The Water Castle was the unfolding historical story of Nora Darling; this story was set around 1909. My least favorite part was all the "science."

The Appledore family is returning to the town of Crystal Springs. The father has suffered a damaging stroke. The mother is doing the best she can to help him receive the best medical care or treatment. The three children (Price, Ephraim, and Brynn) are settling in to a new school and new town. Ephraim is struggling more than the others. The Water Castle is his coming-of-age tale. It is a busy tale with themes of friendship, family, exploration, and immortality. A lot of questing going on! 

I did like the focus on friendship. Ephraim does not make friends easily. Neither does Mallory Green. And Will Wylie, well, he almost chooses to be disagreeable. These three kids are very unlikely friends, and yet, they come together supposedly to work on a history report on Arctic exploration, but it is so much more than that. They are fascinated with the legendary stories of The Water Castle and the supposed quest for the fountain of youth.

I would have preferred a magical or fantastical explanation for the "fountain of youth" story instead of the "science" one. There were elements in this one that I just did not connect with at all.

It is a slow-and-steady story of friendship and perseverance. You might like it more than I did.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail (2013)

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail. Richard Peck. 2013. Penguin. 224 pages.

Every time a human walks out of a room, something with more feet walks in. Mice, of course, who are only a whisker away and everywhere you fail to look. It's true of the room where you're sitting. It's truer still of Buckingham Palace.

Richard Peck is a great writer. Some of his novels I've loved; some I've loved, loved, loved. I definitely LOVED The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail. It is an animal fantasy adventure set in Victorian England. The star of this one is a nameless (but then again nameless is blameless) runt of a mouse. This mouse is VERY curious, and he has a tail to match: for his tail forms a question mark! Readers first meet the young mouse when he's in school, but when he breaks a few too many rules he decides to run away. His running leads him into MANY adventures! I enjoyed them all!

My favorite quotes:

You rarely see a mouse that size unless he's fallen into a butter churn. (106)

"A double life? A secret agent? You never know the full truth about a teacher. And he was everywhere I turned, practically in two places at once. But then, bats can fly. Very worrying. "What a merry chase you have led us from a schoolroom where you benefited from my teaching and protection," he wheezed, shaking his scaly old head. "All the right sort of schools are bat-run, of course, from burrow to belfry," he said, off on a tangent as usual. "How much the world has to learn from us. Yes, I think you'll find that all the best teachers are old bats." (170)

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1950)

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. C.S. Lewis. 1950. HarperCollins. 224 pages.

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is one of my favorite, favorite children's books. Lucy Pevensie is one of my favorite, favorite heroines. And I love and adore this oh-so-delightful fantasy-adventure novel.

It is THE FIRST book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. It is the only book worthy of being considered as THE FIRST book in the series.

In The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, four children are sent into the country during World War II. Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund are just beginning to settle into their new home when Lucy stumbles into the magical world of Narnia. At first, Lucy is the only one. But Edmund also comes into Narnia before the others. And while there he is fooled by the "Queen" of Narnia. But Narnia soon sees all four children.

Narnia is not a land at peace. Not at all. For the land is under a spell--an enchantment--the White Witch--the supposed Queen of the land--has made it always winter and never Christmas. And the lives of the children--all four children--are in grave danger when they're in Narnia. For there is a prophecy that four humans--two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve--will come to rule the land as Kings and Queens and restore peace and order to the kingdom. The children's journey to Narnia, their quest to meet Aslan at the Stone Table, and their battle to save Narnia and their brother from the grasp of the evil and wicked witch....are unforgettable adventures that deserve to be experienced again and again by readers of all ages. You're never too old to experience the magic of Narnia.

While the movie depicts them as being doubtful and regretting setting foot in Narnia and shows them wanting to go home all the time and leave the fighting for others to do, the book tells a different story.
The children are mostly welcoming to the adventure before them. The book perhaps has less drama, the adventure seems to go smoother at times. The movie adds SO MUCH INTENSITY whenever possible. Dramatic scenes are added throughout, sometimes keeping in full spirit with the book, other times not so much. There are things that I absolutely LOVE AND ADORE about the film. (One of my favorite, favorite scenes, for example, is the meeting between Lucy and Mr. Tumnus. The film gets it so right!!!) I LOVE AND ADORE the entrance to Narnia and the first impressions of this strange-but-lovely world. And there are so many things about the movie that are just charming and just about perfect. (I think the soundtrack is just about perfect!!!) The movie doesn't just add drama, humor is added as well, especially with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. The film deviates from the book in places so that it can be a good movie. Lewis did not waste time spend time writing battle scenes or strong confrontations. The focus is on the characters and the ultimate outcome, and not necessarily how every little thing worked towards that end.

I love The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for the characters, for the writing, and for the world-building. Narnia is not always a safe place to be, but I always found it beautiful and inviting, always memorable. I always found Aslan to be quite interesting as a character! I loved hearing the other characters talk about him and interact with him. I especially love seeing Lucy with Aslan! Their relationship is perhaps the strongest or deepest. Perhaps I feel that way because Lucy is the one who gets the most time with him throughout the whole series.

I had read the book dozens of times before seeing the movie, but I'm curious if the book would make the same impression, resonate the same way, if one watched the movie first?

Favorite quotes:

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning--either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

“If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most, or else just silly.”

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Little House in the Big Woods (1932)

Little House in the Big Woods. Laura Ingalls Wilder. 1932. 238 pages.

It's been almost five years since I last read the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. These are pure comfort reads. Though not every single book in the series is equally satisfying. I've never finished Farmer Boy, for example.

Little House in the Big Woods is an enjoyable, nostalgic read celebrating "the good life" of a young family. It is a way of life being celebrated or remembered. The focus is just on much on how Ma and Pa used to do things, as it is on the characters themselves.

Attention and detail given to preparing for all seasons of the year, washing, cleaning, cooking, baking, hunting, storing and saving for winter months, celebrating with family and extended family, etc. In the first chapter alone, the reader learns the joys of smoking venison and playing with a pigs' bladder not to mention the how-to's of making head cheese. Each episode, each observation offers the reader a window into the past. Some things have changed--and changed a lot--other things have remained the same. One of the things that resonates in this book--in this series is the love and joy of family life. Pa. Ma. Mary. Laura. Carrie. Each are part of the family. Each are important, valued, loved. The relationship of Laura with her parents and Laura with her sisters and Laura with her beloved dog, Jack, are timeless.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews