Fiction, Fantasy, & YA Book Reviews

Fiction, Fantasy, & YA Book Review: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lin, Grace. 2009. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. New York: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316114271

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Minli is the happy daughter of poor, rice field workers.  She loves to hear ancient stories from her father.  Her mother on the other hand thinks the stories only put unrealistic ideas into Minli’s head.  Minli’s mother sighs and complains so much, Minli decides to seek her own family fortune in an attempt to make her mother happy. 

From promptings of her talking goldfish, Minli sets off on an epic adventure some liken to The Wizard of Oz. On her journey, she makes many friends and overcomes many obstacles with her creativity and thoughtfulness.  Minli is on a quest to reach the Never Ending Mountain to get an answer from the Old Man in the Moon. She learns that friends are more important than money and true treasure is found right at home.

While on her quest her parents are wrought with worry and guilt.  They experience their own inner search for truth.  With the help of another talking fish, they too find comfort and solace while they wait for Minli’s return.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Grace Lin wrote the book based on Chinese folk tales given to her by her mother and inspired by travels her own travels to China.  Lin’s book is roughly based on the folktale Olive Lake and is set in the Valley of the Fruitless Mountain which represents the broken heart of the Jade Dragon.  The book is written with short chapters telling either a folk tale or of the adventures of Minli.

The moral of the story is to be thankful for what you have and the time you are given to spend with loved ones.  Grace Lin’s own personal experience of the death of her late husband is channeled into this message of hope and love.  Grace Lin uses the goldfish in the story as a symbol of gold and jade in your house.  This is based on the Chinese culture where it is believed the gold fish brings luck into the home.

The illustrations throughout the book are beautifully drawn and colored in red, blue, yellow and purple hues.  These drawings create visually stimulating images of the rich settings and memorable characters in the story. 

The turning point of the book is evident in Chapter 22 and 23 where Minli, on a mission to find the Guardian of the City, follows a pauper into a secret garden where he reveals himself, unexpectedly, to be the king of the Inner City.  He signals Minli to hide from his subjects and orders two dinners for them.  Minli is hopeful he will have the borrowed line which he tears out of the Book of Fortune and gives to her. With the borrowed line in hand she and her dragon friend are linked to their own string of destiny in their quest to seek out the Old Man of the Moon. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

 Newbery Honor Book 2010

School Library Journal:  "The author’s writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning." 

Library Media Connection: “Readers will love this extraordinary tale with its fanciful characters, colorful illustrations, and the hopes and dreams of a determined and courageous young girl. Highly Recommended.”

Booklist:  “Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Consider listening to this book as an audio book or read it in eBook format
*This would make a great book study for Chinese cultural awareness
*Use this book to introduce Chinese stories for the Chinese New Year
*Plan an event around this book or have students do some of the activities from Grace Lin’s Website at: http://www.wherethemountainmeetsthemoon.com
*Other books by Grace Lin:

            The Year of the Dog  ISBN  978031660003
            The Year of the Rat  ISBN 9870316114264
            Dumpling Days  ISBN 9780316125901

Fiction, Fantasy, & YA Book Review: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Whaley, John. 2011. Where Things Come Back. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 9781442413337

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Where Things Come Back is set in the small Arkansas town of Lily, exactly half way between Little Rock and Memphis. The main character, seventeen year old Cullen Witter, tells the story in first person point-of-view.  Beginning at the morgue where he is identifying the body of his dead cousin Oslo, who apparently died of a drug overdose.  This is the first of many misfortunes which befall his family.  The most devastating of all trials is when his good natured and talented younger brother Gabriel mysteriously disappears.

Strangely coinciding with the disappearance of his brother, the small town is overrun by the media and bird watching enthusiasts in search of the “Elusive Lazarus Woodpecker”.  This bird, which was supposedly spotted by Oregon resident and protagonist John Barling, has been missing for the past 60 years and has suddenly reappeared. 

The news of the Lazarus Woodpecker brings new life and a second chance for the small town.  It also serves as a distraction from the emotional spiral Cullen’s family faces as his father quits working and his mother creates the Lazarus hair cut for the town’s young people.  Cullen finds love, loses it and finds it again.  He also fosters a closer bond with his friend Lucas Cadar, which is mainly because of the disappearance of his brother Gabriel.

The other protagonist in the story is Benton Sage.  Benton has failed as a Christian missionary in Africa.  It is there he learns of an ancient scroll of the angel Gabriel saving the world from the devil and other fallen angels. This secondary story becomes intertwined with Cullen’s own situation.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

John Corey Whaley weaves together a complicated yet engaging story about coming of age and making the best of bad situations.  Young people can identify with the everyday, family issues brought forth in this book.  Things such as bantering with friends and family, job loss, depression, death and faith are all issues adolescents deal with.  The main character is believable in his attitudes and overly imaginative daydreams of zombies and such yet, his eventual promiscuity leaves on wondering why? 

The story’s dark beginning and cutting-edge language gets the attention of readers very effectively.  Male characters are well established and are interesting.  Yet the female characters are depicted as coy, silly, and lacking intelligence.  This is made evident in the characteristics of Cullen’s Aunt Julia, and the many “girlfriends” Cullen suddenly runs through. 

The theme of second changes is at the heart of many of the situations throughout the story.  Even the ending leaves the reader wondering if Benton Sage gets a second chance.  The book is a good read, likened to the literary work Catcher in the Rye. 

The character, Dr. Webb, Cullen’s psychiatrist, gives Cullen a very good insight on what life is all about when he states:

“…life is full of complications and confusion that humans oftentimes find it hard to cope.  This leads to people throwing themselves in front of trains and spending all their money and not speaking to their relatives and never going home for Christmas and never eating anything with chocolate in it.  Life, he says, doesn’t have to be so bad all the time.  We don’t have to be so anxious about everything.  We can just be.”

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

ALA Michael L. Printz Award
Publisher’s Weekly Best Books
William C. Morris Award

School Library Journal:  "The characters' reactions are palpable as their grief deepens and yet they continue to hope for Gabriel's return. Cullen is an eloquent, thoughtful narrator…the ending is worth the wait."

Publisher’s Weekly: "[A] smart, darkly funny, and multilayered debut…. Whaley weaves numerous story lines and themes together with the confidence of a seasoned writer, resulting in a thought-provoking story about media, faith, and family."

Kirkus Reviews:  “…this poignant and hilarious story of loos and redemption explores the process of grief, and second changes, and even the meaning of life.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* Have students develop messages as book characters might have communicated in 140 character tweets - "Book Tweets"

* Create a student Blog and have students keep a journal or respond to events they have read in the book

*Create podcasts of book character interviews

*Create book trailer videos as an alternative to traditional book reports

*Have a mass school book drop by purchasing paper back copies of the book, leave them around the school and offer book talks in the library 

Fiction, Fantasy, & YA Book Review: Babymouse Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer L. & Matthew. 2006. Babymouse Rock Star. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375932328

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Babymouse dreams of being a rock star and loves music class.  The only problem is, she is not a very good musician. The book opens in Mousehattan, just before one of her big concerts as the crowd beckons “Babymouse! Babymouse!”  However, she is snapped back to reality when her mom beckons her to take out the trash before she catches the bus.  “Typical”, as Babymouse describes the situation. Babymouse is your typical school girl mouse wanting to beat out the school bully, Felicia Furrypaws, from being last chair flute in the band concert. 

Follow the everyday school antics of Babymouse as she maneuvers the maze of the school halls and daydreams of pink and black.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jennifer and Matthew Holm create a great graphic novel filled with cleverly drawn vignettes of what it is like in upper grade school life.  The comic strip style in black, pink and white captures the emotions of Babymouse and her school friends and enemies.  Babymouse Rockstar, number four in the Babymouse series, is loaded with surprise situations captured in Babymouse’s daydreams.  Our heroine’s daydreams include parodies of Elvis, the Wizard of OZ, The Pied Piper as well as musical genre such as heavy metal rock, jazz, folk, and country. 

The illustrations of the school scenes are masterful, rendering lockers in the hallways, the auditorium, lunchroom, and even the school bus.  Cartoon bubbles express the thoughts and voices of the characters.  There are even pictures where Babymouse actually speaks to the reader through the captioned text.  Young readers will love pouring over this book again and again.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal:  "The illustrations, both pink-toned and black and white, are clever and uncluttered, making them easy to follow for a young audience. They do a fine job of showing the emotions of the endearing young mouse and her friends." 

Horn Book Magazine: “A fast-moving plot, hilarious situations, and clever connections add up to a tale almost as perfect as Babymouse thinks she can be. Encore!”

Publisher’s Weekly:  "this personable, self-conscious mouse, with her penchant for pink hearts, resembles Kevin Henkes's Lilly, with some extra years of grade-school experience."

5. CONNECTIONS

*A great series for reluctant and English language learners
*Other books in the series include:

            Babymouse: Queen of the World!
            Babymouse: Our Hero
            Babymouse: Beach Babe
            Babymouse: Heartbreaker
            Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
            Babymouse: Skater Girl
            Babymouse: Puppy Love
            Babymouse: Monster Mash
            Babymouse: The Musical
            Babymouse: Dragonslayer
            Babymouse: Burns Rubber
            Babymouse: Cupcake Tycoon
            Babymouse: Mad Scientist
            Babymouse: A Very Babymouse Christmas
            Babymouse: Babymouse for President
            Babymouse: Extreme Babymouse

*Books written by Jennifer Holm:

            Penny from Heaven ISBN 978037583689
            Turtle in Paradise ISBN 9780375836909

*Other series by Jennifer Holm:

            Squish
            Boston Jane