Book Nook Club: Reviewed by Wickle

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May 16, 2011

"Other People's Heroes" by Blake M. Petit

(Disclosure: I received a copy of the e-book Other People's Heroes for review purposes.)

I admit, I'm 37 and I like superhero stories. I subscribe to a couple of superhero comics. I could pretend that it's just to share them with my sons, but ... well, ... that's serendipitous.

Other People's Heroes is a different kind of superhero story. The narrator begins the story as a reporter in Siegel City, working for a magazine called Powerlines, which focuses on the rather-large superhuman community of the city. He soon discovers, though, that he's one of them.

He then learns that the superhumans are all orchestrated, that their battles are staged, and that it's all about marketing. From there, the story moves through his decision to expose the racket, his acceptance of it, and then the big superhero-type ending.

The long-missing superhero Lionheart hangs over the story. His disappearance and mysterious death marked the end of the real heroes, and the beginning of the staged events. His memory haunts the more-noble characters, especially those who knew him.

I liked the story. It dealt with the issues in a mature, adult fashion while retaining the superhero feel. Clearly, Blake Petit knows the heroic world and wanted it to feel like more of the real world than you usually get from a comic. This, he did very well.

While the story takes a cynical turn, it delivers the moments that make comics worth reading: the dramatic appearance, the big ending, the moral triumph, and the optimistic finish. What's left of Lionheart's old team, most of whom retired after he died, come back for the big dramatic battle. It's a moment that makes you cheer. Even without the big, full-color, two-page pinup panel that it deserved, that moment comes across perfectly.

The book is also full of jokes about the genre -- comments about costumes and a snide reference to wearing just eyeglasses to disguise oneself, comments about returning from the dead, and being bitten by radioactive creatures, for example. For even a casual comic fan, or even one who has seen a few movie adaptations, I think that these jokes would come through.

This might be somewhat of a specific-niche book, but it's definitely worth the read. I enjoyed it tremendously. 4 stars.

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May 8, 2011

"Horton Halfpott" by Tom Angleberger

(Disclosure: I did not receive anything for reviewing this book. I bought it, and the only discount I got was because I have a Barnes and Noble membership card. I do consider Tom Angleberger to be an online friend, and did receive an ARC from him for Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run a couple of years ago.)

On Friday, I found myself in the bookstore and spotted the display for Horton Halfpott, and cursed myself for forgetting that the release date had come for that. Naturally, I grabbed a copy.

The full title of the book is Horton Halfpott, or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor, or The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset. The cover glows in the dark. This, by the way, is only the fun that you get to have before opening the book.

This story is a whole lot of fun. As the titles suggest, the story starts as M'Lady Luggertuck wears her corset a little less tight one day, setting off a strange feel in the air, which sets off all kinds of peculiar events. These culminate in the theft of the Luggertuck family treasure, and all manner of chaos and mayhem as the crime is investigated.

Make no mistake, this is definitely kidlit. It's written at a great level for children. Were I to choose a primer for the later reading of Dickens, though, this would be it. If Charles Dickens himself wrote a piece of modern children's literature, I think it might look a lot like Horton Halfpott. Being a huge Dickens fan, by the way, I do not say this casually.

Horton Halfpott himself could well be a Dickensian protagonist. He's a hard-working, loyal-to-a-fault kitchen boy in Smugwick Manor who gets caught up in the mystery and a plot to kidnap the young lady Celia, a young lady from nearby with whom he falls in love. The boy is every bit as lovable as Oliver Twist, which is saying quite a lot.

The villains and various scoundrels around the story (the head of the kitchen, the Shipless Pirates, etc.) are a true joy to read. The story is a delight. Tom's Acknowledgments credit Charles Dickens with inspiring the story, and it really shows. The sympathy for the poor and downtrodden, contempt for the rich and stuck-up, and celebration of the wealthy and compassionate are so very enjoyable.

The book doesn't take itself too seriously, though. Whenever the story turns to romantic thoughts, the narrator assures us that he won't dwell on such things too much. We are assured once that while Horton was dwelling, the narrator won't do so.

When my wife and I are reading in the living room, we will frequently read a sentence or passage out loud because it's so well-written, so expressive, or otherwise worth sharing. I must have read a quarter of the book to my wife, and I felt like I was being too selective. In a way, I think I should have just read the book out loud to her.

Having read all four of Tom Angleberger's novels (two of which are written under the pseudonym Sam Riddleburger) -- The Qwikpick Adventure Society by Sam Riddleburger, Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run by Sam R. and Michael Hemphill, and The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom A. -- I feel like I need to comment on his writing style. In all cases, the narration is a lot of fun. But he has not used the same voice in any of them. The other three books have been in wonderful first-person narration, but by very different characters (Yoda having been by more than one character). Horton uses a wonderful third-person narration brilliantly executed in order to maintain the humor of the story.

Coming in at 206 pages and with plenty of Tom's illustrations, it's a pretty quick read, and well worth the time. This is a feel-good book that carries on the Dickensian spirit without the work of getting through Dickens' language. Even so, Tom's use of wordcraft is every bit as enjoyable.

A heartily-deserved five stars.

(Addendum: I have been told that sometimes I need to tone down my reviews to keep from seeming like I'm so excited to gush ... I just can't do it for this one. I really love this book.)

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May 4, 2010

"The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" by Tom Angleberger

(Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review, but I have received books from this author in the past, and I consider him an online friend. Also, I am listed in the Acknowledgments section among his list of "cool folks.")

"The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" by Tom Angleberger is the third book I've read by this author. His two previous books were written under the pseudonym Sam Riddleburger. I need to make that clear for the purposes of comparison later.

This book is presented as kind of a case book, a journal in which each chapter is a section of the story written from a different perspective, trying to determine whether Origami Yoda was just a finger puppet used by a weird kid to make predictions or if it really had powers.

The aforementioned "weird kid," Dwight, claims that Origami Yoda speaks through him, and gives other students advice by tapping into the Force.

Each chapter relates a different student's experiences with the advice from Origami Yoda, and some idea as to whether the writer believes in him. Each chapter ends with comments by Harvey, another student and Origami Yoda-cynic, and final comments by Tommy, the student who compiled this casebook and a believer.

That is one of the first things that shows the genius in how this book is written. Each narrative sounds credible. Angleberger genuinely shifts perspectives and presents the stories from different points of view. His diction, narration, and structure shift as each character takes over. It is very easy to believe that each chapter was written by a different person.

The story is a lot of fun. Watching the school year progress, following the sub-plots, and watching each student deal with this mystery is well worth the read.

Tom Angleberger excels at writing from kids' perspective. His two previous books that I've read, "The Qwikpick Adventure Society" and "Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run" (co-authored with Mike Hemphill), are also in persuasive first-person narration.

"Yoda" is, like "Qwikpick," presented in a journal format. For young readers (such as my 11- and 13-year-old boys, each of whom loved the book), it's a nice affirmation that some adults do take kids' interests seriously. Kids do compile these kinds of journals, regarding their adventures and mysteries as serious. Too many adults dismiss them.

The book also looks like a journal. Every page has been lightly printed with what look like rumpled lines and folds as if it had been carried around by a sixth grader. The feel of this book is really a delight.

"Origami Yoda" celebrates them. The kids in this book are realistic, smart, and ... above all else ... kids. I could easily believe that my son hangs out with Kellen or Dwight or Tommy at lunch.

If I might indulge here ... "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" is enjoying a level of commercial success that "Stonewall Hinkleman" and "Qwikpick" didn't. Perhaps that's related to the "Star Wars" licensing and the accompanying promotion. I would strongly encourage readers who pick up "Origami Yoda" and enjoy it to look for the other two books, too.

Also ... Angleberger has filled the book with what we in the geek community call "Easter eggs," little references to other things that appeal to serious fans.

For example, the students attend McQuarrie Middle School. There is a reference to buying food at the Qwikpick. Harvey makes a comment about Robert E. Lee's horse. (Good luck figuring that one out if you're not a Riddleburger fan!)

This is a great middle-school level read, and any adult lovers of kidlit should definitely check it out.

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November 11, 2009

"Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" by Chris Coppola

(Disclosure: I did receive an Advance Review Copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review. There was no other compensation.)

Ronnica sent out an e-mail several weeks ago offering the book Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq as one that bloggers could get to review. I knew that I wanted this one (thanks, Ronnica!), but I didn’t know how much I’d want it until I started reading.

The book is the first-person account of Major (Dr.) Chris Coppola, an Air Force surgeon who spends two tours in Iraq at the Balad medical facility. While he is there at a military medical facility, Dr. Coppola is himself a pediatric specialist. Of course, most of what he does in Iraq is for troops, who are adults. However, he is the one called when children come into the facility, either from being injured in combat or attacks or other situations.

The book’s cover has an intriguing picture.

Copolla

The picture is explained about halfway through the book. It’s a woman who brings her child to the camp for care, knowing that there is an American doctor there who is reputed to be great with children. She doesn’t know English, but all she has to explain what she needs is a little piece of paper with the name “Coppola” written on it, which she gives to the guards.

This book is a wonderful read. If you want to get the perspective of a person who’s actually been in Iraq, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The book is not, though, an easy read. More than a few times, I felt like my heart was being clamped in a vice. Maj. Coppola is writing about the experiences of people in a war. He’s writing about the men and women in a hospital, the injured who come in for care, the parents of the children for whom he cares, his own family, and the locals with whom he interacts. This is a powerful set of stories.

If you want a book that comes out as a gung-ho, “stay the course,” pro-war perspective, this isn’t it. If you want a book that comes out and says, “I’ve been there, this is all wrong, let’s leave,” this isn’t that one, either. Rather, this book deals pretty fairly with the questions of whether we should be in Iraq at all, whether the Iraqis in general are better off (and in what ways!), and what it all costs.

Since I’m already over 400 words, I will stop this here for the moment, but I’m coming back to this book in future posts on my own blog. It’s a wonderful and powerful story, and the perspectives that Dr. Coppola shares should be part of the discussion about the present and future of Iraq and US policy there.

A well-deserved four stars.

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October 30, 2009

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Quick note -- "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" refers, in fact, to a series of five books, not a single volume. The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian tell a large story in their own right, though each has its own plotline beside. I'm hoping that my son, who clued me in to the series and has recently joined the Book Nook as a contributor, will pick up reviewing some of the individual books. In the meantime, here's my take on the series:

This is good stuff! I am usually very skeptical of attempts to blend classic mythology with the modern world. It usually comes out very sloppy. "Percy Jackson" does not. The world is at least as seamless as that of Harry Potter. (Please forgive the comparison, but it was, surely, inevitable.)

The premise? The Greek gods are real. They have been central to Western civilization, and have therefore moved west as Western civilization did. The mythical Mount Olympus is now located at what would be the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Other landmarks of Greek lore have also moved west. The entrance to Hades, for example, is now in California. The famed and feared Sea of Monsters is what we know as the Bermuda Triangle.

You and I, being mortals, are deceived by a mystical substance called Mist, which makes us see things in a comprehensible fashion. Percy might be attacked by Echidna and the Chimera, but onlookers see something else. A cyclops walking around New York isn't recognized.

Mist is about as clever a device as I've ever seen for explaining why a fantasy world can blend into the real world without being noticed. Riordan, though, doesn't stop there. His characters from Greek mythology are well-presented. Besides the twelve Olympians, Hades, Hestia, Persephone, and Pan; he brings out the minor gods Janus, Morpheus, and others for a war with the titans. Atlas, Hyperion, Kronos, Oceanus, and even Prometheus (in a brilliantly-written appearance) are prominent as the story progresses.

More than that, his use of the Greek monsters shows that he put effort into knowing who they were and what they did. In many ways, this story gives a good background in Greek mythology. Much as I suggested that The Mysterious Benedict Society should get kids interested in learning about Morse Code, this should get kids interested in Greek myths. That, surely, is a great thing. His portrayal of centaurs is quite possibly the only true-to-myth one I've ever seen in fantasy writing.

Best of all, Rick Riordan did not clean up, or (shall we say?) Disney-fy the Greek gods. They're a dysfunctional family. Many of the demi-gods that we meet don't know their immortal parents, because the immortals can't be bothered to keep track of their kids. Many of those who do come to hate their immortal parents for abandoning them. In fact, the war might never have happened if not for this failing among the gods.

Humor runs through the books as well, though. It is narrated in the first person and somewhat informally, though well. Chapter names are hilarious, though. "The Gods Vote How To Kill Us," "I Get a New Enemy For Christmas," and "The Underworld Sends Me a Collect Call," to grab just a few.

Overall, this is a family-affirming story that reinforces values such as loyalty, resolve, and ... well, ... doing the right thing. Percy's confrontations with the Olympians drive home that he's not so much on their side as he is on the side of doing what's right -- sometimes dragging them into it.

One of us will come back and hit on the books individually shortly, I hope. For now, though, I'm giving the series as a whole a somewhat-conservative four stars.

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September 22, 2009

"Emergence" by David R. Palmer

Emergence, written by David R. Palmer (ISBN 0-553-24501-5) isn't a particularly new book; it was published in 1984. My wife has been encouraging me to read it for several years. Now that I have, I'm trying to figure out what I ever did to her to deserve this.

In concept, the book is fair enough. It's a post-apocalyptic story about an 11-year-old girl, Candy Smith-Foster, who survives a nuclear-biological war that eliminates humanity. The only survivors are those who are a more-highly-evolved species that will succeed Homo sapiens. The book is presented as her journal, telling the story as she records it for posterity.

It is this format that presents the first problem for me: If she's writing the journal, I already know that she's survived the dramatic situations she faces. The emotions are already processed, to an extent. Although Palmer, through Candy, tries to present her journal as if it was simply first-person narration, the fact that it's written after the fact is inescapable.

If he was trying to escape this, though, he makes two major mistakes: (1) Candy's narration is extremely informal, often including such notes as "Good morning, Posterity!" that remind you that this is not simply a narration, it's a journal, and (2) Candy writes in shorthand. This writing style is addressed early in the book, when Candy records, "Sentence structure will have English teachers spinning in graves" and goes on to explain why she's too intelligent to use English properly.

The thing is, I'm rather a fan of the English language. I consider this book's butchery of it to be a major distraction from the story. Even if its narrator would conclude from this that I'm inferior, I hold to my point.

In any case, the misuse of language makes it impossible to forget that this is Candy's journal, and that therefore she can't have been killed in any of the situations that she encounters.

As for those situations ... As she travels the US searching for other survivors, she spends close to half the book talking about sex, being propositioned in one way or another. These conversations are so romantic as to include the comment by one character that a catheter is not conducive to romance, and one conversation that is no more than a business deal -- which she nearly accepts.

At the end, roughly the last third of the book, it suddenly turns into largely an adventure story. At that point, the book becomes more bearable ... but right before the end we are treated to another discussion of how the villain wishes Candy were older so that they could be involved romantically. She's 11 years old! I find this disturbing, and wonder somewhat if Palmer has issues that warrant professional help if he's this obsessed with sexual activity between 11 year old girls and full-grown men.

The great moral conflict of the book is, as far as I'm concerned, resolved incorrectly. Candy murders a man by failing to halt her use of deadly force (she's a Sixth Degree black belt), and every conversation about this includes neat rationalizations.

Good points? I think that the concept was great. I can't, though, think of anything particularly good to say about the book, except that I no longer have to read it.

1 star is generous.

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March 18, 2009

"The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Yes, more young adult books from me!

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (ISBN 0-316-00395-6) was actually recommended to me by my 12-year-old son. We have fun reading the same books so that we can talk about them, and this will be no exception.

The story focuses on four parentless children recruited to infiltrate a school that is using children to control minds. It uses the common YA themes -- kids who are special and underappreciated, ongoing humor, and the like. The children are found by Mr. Benedict through a very special test, one advertised with the enticing ad "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

However, the book is good fare for the thinking reader. The story is almost all problem-solving, though done in several ways. The test to join the team includes several puzzles, the mission itself is mostly creative problem-solving, and the only help that the heroes can get from their patron, Mr. Benedict, is in the form of riddles.

Completing their mission requires falling back on information from the beginning of the story, and it requires that the four children work together, even when the don't want to. One character in particular is thought of as the least important member of the team, but the others remember the advice from Mr. Benedict that her particular skills might prove to be indispensible. They do, hilariously.

As with other of my favorite YA novels, I'd say that this appeals most to the somewhat-brainy kids. At nearly 500 pages, it's not a light read for a lot of kids ... it has a specific target audience, and it is a good story for them.

Although it's an adventure book, there is little violence. Even as the story climaxes, the only person hit by one of the heroes is the victim of a falling pail (though it does happen to be full of water and is descrbed as being as heavy as a bowling ball).

The story teases the reader with information. Morse Code, for example, is a prominent part of the story, and it's made clear that no one knows Morse Code anymore. Except, of course, the heroes. Even the villains don't know Morse Code. The smartest of them becomes suspicious of a coded message, but that's it.

Therefore, this book presents its readers with a golden opportunity to learn something special and unique to themselves. It doesn't teach Morse Code or much of the other information not strictly vital to the plot, but it invites kids to learn it.

A little bonus for learning Morse Code does exist, though ... A note in the back of the book (purportedly handwritten by Mr. Benedict) states that people have asked his first name. You can find that name if you use your Morse Code, and find where it's written.

I heartily recommend this book for advanced middle-school readers. My son, in 7th grade, loved it. It might lose appeal once the reader is high-school-aged, since the characters are younger, so this really is targeting the advanced readers. (Might I add a hearty "Hurrah!" to the author for doing that, as well!)

It's not a bad read for adults, either. I greatly enjoyed it. If you're an adult whose favorite TV spy is MacGyver, this might well be appealing. Stewart did a good job of presenting some serious issues to the kids and letting them deal with them.

One final note -- The quotations on the book didn't do it justice. The book is compared to the writings of Roald Dahl, Lemony Snicket, and J. K. Rowling. I suppose that this is to draw much-deserved attention, but I would argue that The Mysterious Benedict Society carves its own niche and owns it.

One of those quotes, though, did hit the nail on the head. The quote from Horn Book states that it's, "Real flashlight-under-the-bedclothes material." That it is.

This book richly deserves every one of its five stars out of five.

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February 24, 2009

"Healing Magic" by Cindy Davis and John Richters

I just finished reading Healing Magic by Cindy Davis and John Richters, the first book of the Desert Magic trilogy. It’s a newly-published piece of Young Adult fantasy, and a good read.
This book is about a young man, a mage, on a coming-of-age journey in the desert, and a young woman, a healer, who was left behind when a caravan was attacked by desert bandits. Together, they set out to find her family and free them.

This is not, though, one of those stories in which the children suddenly become powerful enough to defeat adult villains. The authors did a great job of making the story plausible. The kids are able to pick off a few of the minor villains, but it’s clear that they’re in no position to attack the wizard who commands the marauders.

Part of the cleverness lies in the use of magic. For one thing, the authors have devised a fairly detailed system of how magic operates. They also gave the young man two spells to command: HALT, a spell which freezes enemies, and LIFT, a levitation spell.

Along the way, the characters discover that their powers are able to interact in a way that magic and healing powers are not supposed to be able to do. More of that, surely, will be explored later in the trilogy.

It is by freeing other adults that the main characters are able to begin to fight the marauders. This gives the heroes both an adventure and a heroic role, but a believable story.

I’d encourage that you check out Healing Magic. It’s fun, exciting, and the characters are well-developed and interesting. As I said, well worth the read.

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February 9, 2009

"Lizard Music" by Daniel Pinkwater

I promise to do something other than a kids' book at some point ...

Kidlit author Sam Riddleburger (author of The Qwikpick Adventure Society and co-author of the forthcoming Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run) clued me in to Lizard Music, and I'm very glad. This is a wonderful mystery/adventure about a boy, Victor, whose parents and older sister have all left him for a few weeks. He stays up late one night and sees a quintet of lizards playing music on TV.

As he tries to find out more about the lizards' show, he encounters the eccentirc "Chicken Man" (with more aliases than it's worth recounting) and finds that the world is not quite what it seems to be. He notices how fake the world around him is, and he begins to see that he has a choice whether to be part of it or to try to be something more.

The book is full of allusions to great classics, and considering the number that I spotted, I wonder how many I missed. For example, when the Chicken Man and Victor finally reach the invisible island of the talking lizards, one of the lizards (Reynold) looks at their hands and his own, and remarks "five-men, like us!" A plainer homage to The Island of Dr. Moreau would be difficult. (Victor watched a movie called "The Island of Dr. Morbo" which sounded remarkably like Moreau one night, too!)

The story is fun and hits at some real points regarding individuality, thinking, and being unique. It's a great story, and well worth the read. It's a light mystery, and pretty much all in the thinking and exploring. No fight scenes, no terror, nothing of the sort.

The book borders on the surreal, but that's not a bad thing.

4/5, and I might be short-changing it.

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"How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III" by Cressida Cowell

There are certain conventions to a lot of kids' books. One of them is that the hero is, most often, a misfit. Another is a tendency to rely on absurdity. How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III by Cressida Cowell relies on both of these.

The absurdity? Look no further than the title. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is the son of the chief of a tribe of Vikings called the Hairy Hooligans. They live near the Meatheads. Characters have such names as Fishlegs, Hiccup, Dogsbreath, and Snotlout. This is a good place for a sigh of exasperation.

In this case, it's much overdone. The story is about a group of young Vikings trying to pass their Viking tests to be allowed to be full members of their respective tribes. This includes the need to train a dragon.

The story does progress and have a few good points. The 400 members of the Hooligan and Meathead tribes fail to scare away the enormous dragon that appears, and Hiccup has to outsmart it. That's all well and good.

Getting there, though, was more than a little tedious. Not quite painful, but not that far from it.

Along the way, Hiccup tries to refer to the Viking classic "How to Train Your Dragon," which consists of the instructions, "Yell at it!"

I picked this book up looking for something to appeal to my reluctant reader, my 10-year-old son. I don't think that this is the one. For any other reader, whether an adult who likes kidlit or an actual kid, I would suggest steering clear. This book is really not worth the effort.

I kept waiting for it to get good. It never happened.

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January 31, 2009

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

There are books that I remember from my childhood, which everyone read, but I didn't. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is one of these. I seem to think that all of my friends read it when we were in the 3rd grade. Maybe it was later. In any case, I was reading my own thing (if it really was the 3rd grade, it would have been the Hardy Boys). I have amended that oversight, and gladly so ...

The story is about two children, a girl and her younger brother, who run away from home and hide out in a New York City Museum. While there, they commit themselves to learning and, naturally, to avoiding capture.

In time, they come to develop a new quest, solving the mystery of who made the museum's new acquisition, an angel which might have been made by Michelangelo.

No, I don't encourage running away. However, I could relate so well to the kids. I can't tell you how many times as a child, I had dreamed of sneaking away into some great adventure of knowledge and mystery, being the only one who knew a secret, and so on. This book captures that spirit brilliantly. That it plays out in a fantasy about running away is one of those elements of the escape into fantasy.

It's not an adventure for the athletic types ... this book is an adventure for those of us dubbed "nerd," the kids who would actually revel in the opportunity to spend hours learning everything there is to know about a museum.

I would heartily recommend this book to anyone --regardless of age -- who loves knowledge and finds learning exciting. If you're the type of person who thinks that a day spent in the library is a perfect use of time, then you should read it. If you never did as a child, go ahead and do so now.

I realize that giving 5/5 stars to a Newbery winner (in 1968) doesn't exactly seem like a bold step, but I'm referring no less to how I felt about it now, at age 35.

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January 29, 2009

Look at our Fancy New Look!

Summer finished designing the blog; doesn't it look great? Thanks, Summer! This seems much more warm and inviting for people who want to stay and chat awhile about books.

One more thing: we have ANOTHER new Book Nooker! And HE's...Wickle! I'm glad that the Book Nook will be more diverse gender-ly, and hopefully we'll get more men who'll step up as well.

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May 16, 2011

"Other People's Heroes" by Blake M. Petit

May 8, 2011

"Horton Halfpott" by Tom Angleberger

May 4, 2010

"The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" by Tom Angleberger

November 11, 2009

"Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" by Chris Coppola

October 30, 2009

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

September 22, 2009

"Emergence" by David R. Palmer

March 18, 2009

"The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

February 24, 2009

"Healing Magic" by Cindy Davis and John Richters

February 9, 2009

"Lizard Music" by Daniel Pinkwater

"How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III" by Cressida Cowell

January 31, 2009

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

January 29, 2009

Look at our Fancy New Look!

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