Senor Parrot’s Perch

Doppelganger is the third of the Bloodwater Mysteries series written by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue. And of the three, Doppelganger is my favorite. Like the previous two books in the Bloodwater Mysteries series, the chemistry between Roni and her sluething friend Brian is as fun as ever. However, in this story, Roni’s unbridled drive to solve every mystery nearly drives a wedge between the two friends.

Always irrepressible, Roni  is looking for a story online. She’s browsing a missing children website when she comes across a missing boy, Korean by birth, who was supposedly kidnapped by his mother at the age of three. Still missing after 10 years, the site includes an age-progressed photograph of the missing boy as he might appear now. Roni can’t believe her eyes. This photo is a dead ringer -a Doppelganger-for her friend Brian, also Korean by birth and adopted, and the age is the same.

She immediately tells Brian about the picture, hinting that maybe the missing child is him. How else could someone look so exactly like him. Brian brushes the insinuation aside, but when he questions his parents about his own adoption and they aren’t forthcoming with the facts, he begins to harbor doubts of his own. His doubts fester more deeply when he thinks back when he was three. The memories he is able to recall are not of his parents, but of two other people and a little dog.

Roni is now in motion, diving headlong into the mystery of the missing boy, almost sure that he is her friend Brian. Speeding around Minnesota and Wisconsin on her faithful Vespa named Hillary -actually speeding is way to grand a word for their putt-putting down the highway- Roni and Brian chase down clues and the people tied to the cold case until they uncover the chilling truth.

I recommend Doppelganger highly. If you haven’t read the previous two books in the Bloodwater Mysteries, get them all and start with Snatched, the first in the series, mostly because it chronicles the meeting between Roni and Brian as they wait outside the principle’s office at school, and it is in this book that the two become friends. It won’t take that much time to read through them, because you won’t want to put them down after you’ve started.

In Snatched, Roni and Brian hunt for a kidnapped teen from their school. The second book in the Bloodwater Mysteries series is Skullduggery; finding the skull of a murdered faculty member of the town college sets the two friends down the trail of another dangerous mystery.

 

Pop
by Gordon Korman

Pop by Gordon Korman is an excellent book about High School football and growing up. It’s ideal for YA readers, especially football loving boys.

Marcus Jordan is new in town and wants to play quarterback on the football team. His reception couldn’t have been cooler. Just off their perfect championship season, and led by star quarterback Troy Popovich, no one on the team offers any sort of welcome to the new kid in town. And it seems like more than just a cold shoulder, its an all out campaign to drive him from the team, lead by Troy, the golden boy who led the team to all its victories the prior year. When Marcus does get to take some snaps in practice, the offensive line dissolves and the defense thunders in unhindered. Panicked, Marcus is unable to connect with his passing.

After practice, Marcus heads to the park to practice his throwing at targets he sets up. Tossing one long he sees a middle-aged man suddenly sprint for the pass and make an amazing catch. They begin playing together and the older man surprisingly gives Marcus a bone crunching tackle. Furious, he protests, but he’s rebuffed and the tackling continues. The older man encourages Marcus to have at him, as well. The afternoon, crazy and intense, becomes a turning point for Marcus. He begins to enjoy the hard hitting style of football the older man, Charlie, likes to play. It transforms his game, no longer fearing a tackle, but preferring to deliver the bone crushing pop to his opponent, instead.

This is the beginning of a very unusual friendship with the older man. Marcus can’t quite figure out why Charlie calls him Mac, as though he were someone else. He begins to wonder if Charlie thinks he is still sixteen. Charlie’s behavior is sometimes completely erratic and constantly puzzling to Marcus. In time, though, Marcus begins to unravel the puzzle of who Charlie really is, exposing family secrets along the way.

I have to say I loved this book. There is a great deal more than only football that gets covered in these pages. Marcus’ rivalry with the quarterback Troy is at the center of much of it, complicated by the interest in Marcus that Troy’s ex-girlfriend displays. And there is Charlie, the teen-aged kid in a man’s body, and the discoveries that Marcus makes about his past and the reasons behind his current condition. The writing is straight to the point, fast moving, and full of emotional punches without any melodrama.

I have one reservation for this book. Some sites indicate that kids 9-12 would be interested in it, but the sexual content level should make it higher than that, maybe 14 or older. It’s too bad, too. There is one incident, really just some language, in an early chapter and there is a strong amount of sexual tension between Marcus and Alyssa, the cheerleader. As the book progresses, this isn’t as overtly portrayed, yet nevertheless exists and continues to work as a strong driver to some plot elements. Had the tone of the first few chapters been at the same level as the rest of the book, I wouldn’t question the appropriateness for younger readers. I do think that Korman could have easily changed the early comment from his book and not lost any of the plot driver of the relationship between Marcus and Alyssa.

The Book Smugglers reviewed Rapunzel’s Revenge today, and as is usual with them, their review was thorough and excellent, and they loved it. (Here’s the link to my review of Rapunzel’s Revenge). Reading their review, they let it be known that Team Hale (Shannon Hale, her husband Dean Hale, and not-at-all related Nathan Hale) have competed their sequel, Calamity Jack.

Oooohh, I thought, as my oldest daughter wandered into the kitchen for breakfast while I was reading The Book Smugglers’ review, she’ll will be excited to know about this! So I tell her, with an excited tone, and show her the cover image The Book Smugglers had posted. “Oh yeah, I knew”, she says. “How did you hear?”, says I. “I heard it a long time ago. I’ve known about that for a long time.”

Well, it didn’t really burn my toast, but I do hate being the last to know. (So, do I tell her that the newest graphic novel in the Kat & Mouse series,  Kat & Mouse Volume 4 (Kat and Mouse (Graphic Novels)),  is out in September? She’s been waiting for over a year and given up hope.)

Anyway, if you haven’t read Shannon Hale’s (and team Hale’s, to keep it short) graphic novel, Rapunzel’s Revenge, go out and get it today. It’s really aimed mostly at girls, but boys might get a few kicks out of it, too.

And here is a bit of the lowdown from the publisher on Calamity Jack, this snagged from The Book Smugglers review:

Jack thinks of himself as a criminal mastermind with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, a trickster …maybe even a thief? But, of course, he’s not out for himself he’s trying to take the burden off his hardworking mum’s shoulders. She’d understand, right? He hopes she might even be proud. Then, one day, Jack chooses a target a little more …’giant’ than the usual, and as one little bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk, his troubles really begin. But with help from Rapunzel and other eccentric friends, Jack just might out-swindle the evil giants and put his beloved city back in the hands of the people who live there …whilst catapulting them and the reader into another fantastical adventure.

The Midwest Bookseller Association is made up of 240 or so independent, local booksellers. Annually they vote for their favorites in several categories. Today they’ve announced their award winners. Always, these are excellent picks.

At the awards dinner, to be held late this September, there are usually autographed copies available to the member booksellers. If you want to get your hands on one of these, go to your local bookseller, not Barnes and Noble, Borders, or other national chains, and find out if they’re members of the Midwest Booksellers Association and if they are going to attend the fall trade show in St. Paul, Minnesota this year. Ask, beg, or whine if they can get an autographed copy for you-you’ll need to pay, of course. They may even take your own copy to get it signed. Local booksellers are the best. In Madison, I like Booked For Murder.

These are their choices for this year:

2009 AWARD WINNERS

Fiction

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

David Wroblewski
(Ecco/HarperCollins)

Nonfiction

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting

Michael Perry
(HarperCollins)

Poetry

Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle

Freya Manfred
(Red Dragonfly Press)

Children’s Picture Book

Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken

Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by Harry Bliss
(Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins)

Children’s Literature

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Dave McKean
(HarperCollins Children’s Books)

2009 HONOR BOOKS

Fiction

A Reliable Wife

Robert Goolrick
(Algonquin Books/Workman Publishing)

Nonfiction

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
(Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group USA)

Poetry

Yellowrocket

Todd Boss
(W.W. Norton & Company)

Children’s Picture Book

Snow

Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
(Harcourt Children’s Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Children’s Literature

Savvy

Ingrid Law
(Dial Books for Young Readers/Walden Media/
Penguin Group (USA)

Image: Ameyoko by Hisaharu Motodam Post-apocalyptic Tokyo envisioned by , via Bldg Blog

Summer continues with no time for reading today, or over the next month. So I’m making a list.

Wars and rumors of wars is a hallmark of the start of the end of time. What will the world look like then? The Book Smugglers has a fantastic review of several books dealing with the post-apocalypse. Wars aren’t the only cause of the apocalypse, these days, we also have environmental catastrophes, and these are covered here, too.

I can’t affirm any of what they say because I haven’t read any of these books, but they are each on my look for list for a closer look and, most likely, an enjoyable read. They also do an admirable conjur of Rod Serling to add fun to the bucket of books they discuss. Head there  for a very interesting list.

The post-apocalypse in literature is an interesting genre. It synthesizes the fears and hopes we have for life as we know it now, and what it will be if we don’t leash the worst of our human nature.

I haven’t been getting anything done on my own reading because there is so little time. If I can read for 10 minutes, that’s like a vacation. I’m into 4 books right now, so that’s 5-10 minutes in one of those per day.

But I sometimes get a few minutes to read a review, so I thought I’d post a snippet or two of some that interested me. And, I won’t always be so insanely busy. Each of these books is going on my reading/buying list after seeing these reviews.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Reviewed by Margaret Smith at the MorningSun.net, this is the story of recovering vampires. With the help of Father Ramon, these vampires are struggling to end their blood-sucking ways. Then they find one of their members murdered.

And so a murder mystery unfolds, drawing the others together, threatening to tear them apart (literally – there is a werewolf in the picture, among other hazards) and perhaps making their condition more bearable – if they survive a staking, that is.

Witty and fast-paced, with morbid wit that evokes the spirit of Agatha Christie, “The Reformed Vampire Support Group,” by Australian author Catherine Jinks, is among the more original of the crimson wave of vampire novels for youths and teens in the wake of the “Twilight” series.

But, rather than going the romantic or melodramatic route, the book takes the less-than-serious approach. The vampires are able to regard their state with a sense of humor about pretty much everything, including stereotypes about Dracula and velvet capes.

House of Dark Shadows: Dreamhouse Kings Book I

by by Robert Liparulo.
This intriguing review is from the one and only Library Lounge Lizard, whose blog I’ve not visited before today. I liked this review, and it made me want to really get my hands on this book. Here’s a bit of what the Library Lounge Lizard has to say about House of Shadows: Dreamhouse Kings Book I:

What we have here is an intense and gripping novel for teens. There were times in the book that I found myself reading so fast to find out what happens that I ended up having to re-read parts because I knew I probably missed something, I had to make myself slow down a little! The house itself is an absorbing setting, rich with details that definitely add to the overall creepiness factor. But the heart of this story is the King family themselves. Wonderful character development had me caring and concerned about what happened to each and every one of them.

So if you haven’t guessed yet, yes I loved this book, Mr. Liparulo is a great writer! It is well paced enough to keep you turning the pages and there are some genuine surprises here! There is just enough gore and violence to keep it PG-13 but enough to make you grimace a time or two. With the well rounded plot this book has wide appeal but is a sure hit with middle school boys who are often a difficult audience to please!

The Secret Shortcut

by Mark Teague.
Here we have a review by Laurie Mayhew from Examiner.com. She selected this on the pretense that it makes a good book to help our young’uns to set their minds back to school. There are no such books! But there are fun books that concern school. Here’s one. This is some of what Laurie has to say:

This is a hilarious tale about Wendel and Floyd who always show up late for school. With aliens and pirates to circumvent, it is no wonder they are late. But their teacher, Mrs. Gernsblatt, has had it with their crazy excuses. They need to be on time . . . OR ELSE!
They start out early with the best intentions and decide to take the secret shortcut to be certain to get there on time. Jungles and crocodiles and rope bridges stand in their way, but they are determined to make it on time.
Will they make it? The hilarious result is squishy but satisfying.

Mark Teague is a big favorite at our house. And since Back-to-School shopping is the rage with Mom and the girls, I can slip this in. Laurie gave me the excellent, albeit false, excuse that this will prepare them for returning to drudgery. I can bet, too, that if it weren’t about 4 miles to their school, they’d like to walk there after reading this book, if the cover of The Secret Shortcut is any clue.

This last book has a boat on the cover, therefore it meets all criteria for being a good book. But there’s more. The review is written by the author’s daughter, so you know the reviewer loves, I mean reeeaaaally loves this book. Unfortunately, the review is reeeaaaally short, too. I would like to know more, but the cover, reeeaaaally is enough for me. I’m sure your reeeaaaally tired of this so here is the info:

Pirate’s Passage

by William Gilkerson

Reviewer Anna Gilkerson says nice things about her dad’s book. But don’t rely just on Anna. Pirate’s Passage won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature in 2006. That makes it one of those Canadian books. Anna says:

The old bias goes: pirates were the bad boys who robbed and pillaged the innocent. In William Gilkerson’s beautifully illustrated page turner, “Pirate’s Passage,” the story follows young Jim and his mysterious mentor Captain Johnson in 1950’s Nova Scotia. A rich education coated in adventure—ideal for children or adults who find themselves in need of some sea-worthy fun-yet-educational-yet-fun reading.

She also tells us, that this book was made into a 10-part animated feature with Donald Sutherland as the voice of the Captain, who is the one telling the tale. I’m salivating over the cover of this book. I’m itching to find a copy of this film. This is going onto the top of my wishlist/gotta read list. You can tell, I’m like Ratty. Nothing beats messing around in boats.

And go here to Gilkerson’s website to read some more about this book, as well as some of his others.

The London Eye Mystery

By Siobhan Dowd

How does someone vanish into thin air? Magicians make beautiful women disappear. Harry Houdini made an elephant disappear. David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. All tricks. All illusions. But what about when your cousin disappears? Almost from before your very eyes. And he doesn’t reappear?

Ted and Kat, his older sister, wait on the ground while their cousin Salim rides the great London Eye, an enormous Ferris Wheel like ride that towers over everything nearby. Salim never appears. He’s vanished. A mysterious man had given his ticket to Salim. Then, Salim had jumped to the head of the long, snaking line waiting to board the London Eye. Ted and Kat saw him enter the car. No one saw him again.

Together, Ted and Kat work to solve the mystery of their vanished cousin. The twist is that (more…)

The Snake Scientist (Scientists in the Field)
By Sy Montgomery
Photos by Nic Bishop

Bob Mason is a snake scientist. Every year he travels to Manitoba, Canada to study the red-sided garter snakes that mass in amazing numbers about 100 miles north of Winnipeg. By the time the book was written, he had spent 15 years studying these snakes. Along the way he’s made some pretty amazing discoveries about snakes, including how they use their super-sniffing tongues – they smell with their tongues, to follow pheromone trails that lead them where they are going.

The book is a very enjoyable read, aimed at kids at about 5th grade and up. Author Sy Montgomery does a good job of describing the entire milieu of the research in a way that is easy to understand. He also poses questions like a scientist, which is the first step in designing experiments that give reliable results.

Nic Bishop photographed the book. He’s well known for his nature photography and he’s written or collaborated in a number of good books. In The Snake Scientist he found more folks happy to hold snakes than I thought possible. If you’re creeped out by the slithering serpents, then the photographs may spoil the pleasure of reading this book. But if you’re the type who is ready for anything, especially if its a photograph of someone else with a snake, and not yourself, you’ll enjoy this informative venture into science.

Simon Bloom is returning soon in his second book titled Simon Bloom: The Octopus Effect I’ve been anticipating this sequel to Simon Bloom: Gravity Keeper by author Michael Reisman every since I finished the first. Amazon shows it to be available this coming June 11, 2009. I like that.

From JacketFlap, and probably the publisher, but the publisher doesn’t  have a link for the book yet:

In Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper, Simon Bloom and his friends used the Book of Physics to narrowly defeat villainess Sirabetta. Now Simon’s nemesis, stuck as a helpless thirteen-year-old, wants revenge. In this exciting sequel, Simon and company must enter the mysterious undersea realm of the Order of Biology to find Sirabetta before she can restore her powers. Aided by old allies and some new ones, the kids struggle with fi erce beasts, dangerous enemies, and their own evolving abilities. Blending humor, suspense, and science, and throwing new octopus powers into the mix, Michael Reisman brings us another outstandingly original adventure.

If you’re not familiar with Simon Bloom, you’re missing out on a fabulous read. Here’s my review of Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper.

A couple days ago I finished The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins. This book, her first published effort, was

The Black Book of Secrets

outstanding. Go get it and read it. I admit that the first page was so bleak that when I first picked it up, I put it back down immediately, thinking that it would be just a garish, overblown, sensationalist experiment in dismal pain. The second time, though, I read a bit further and found I was unable to put the book down.

The author, F.E. Higgins, writes the book as though she were relating the pages of a journal that she had found, the mysterious story of Ludlow Fitch and his apprenticeship to a Secret Pawnbroker as it unfolds.  The pawnbroker, named Joe Zabbidou, does ordinary pawnbrokering during the day, except that he pays outrageous amounts for the meager junk that the poor villagers bring him.

But at night he pays the villagers for their secrets. One by one the oppressed villagers come at midnight and tell their dark secrets which they cannot bear but also cannot openly share.

Here is a great little video of the author telling us about her book and its paraquel – she’ll explain what that means – The Bone Magician , which I picked up just today, and I’ll be reading it as soon as I finish the Wilderking Trilogy. Barnes and Noble has another video, covering much of the same, but she adds a bit as well.

There are some really fantastic similarities to the Christian doctrine of confession and forgiveness in this book. I don’t know if this was any intention for the author, especially considering how she develops the conclusion of the book. Nevertheless the power of confession is there. Like the scriptures say, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And, confessing your sins one to another, you will be healed.