ElizabethLewis's blog

For no reason other than the fact that I wanted to see if I could do it, I have decided to read 30 children's books in 30 days. I probably should have picked a less-hectic month, what with our busy event schedule, but heck. I decided this month was as good as the next. Here's the completed list. I have to say, I am happy to be done!

1. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

I started off with a bang, certainly. Tom Angelberger's The Strange Case of Origami Yoda was such a treat, I'm sad I haven't been selling it to EVERY Wimpy Kid fan I know. Basically, it's a casebook investigating the work of Origami Yoda. Dwight, a highly ridiculed almost-nerd and Origami wizard, comes to school one day with an Origami finger puppet shaped like Yoda. And Yoda seems to have the answer to any question, no matter how difficult. The narrator, Tommy, is debating whether or not to take Yoda's advice, and in order to weigh the evidence of Yoda's credibility, he asks everyone who has taken Yoda's advice to write their stories. The main problem is that Yoda lives/speaks through Dwight, who marches to his own drummer (loser!). I cannot tell you how much I loved Dwight at the end - everything wraps up so nicely and sweetly and perfectly. There is some hand-holding and anxiety about asking a girl to dance, but nothing inappropriate. 

2. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 

This one is the main reason I decided to only read things that are out already. This title doesn't come out until January, and it was so good I wish I had it to sell today, or yesterday even. ""The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate was a breeze to read. Based on a slightly true story about an ape who is kept in captivity at a Mall for 20 some odd years and finally released into a zoo when National Geographic ran an article on him and the public outcried. In this story, Ivan is that ape - a Silverback. He lives in a mall, part of some sort of schmaltzy circus act. When Stella, the old elephant next door to Ivan, dies, she makes him promise to help rescue little baby elephant Ruby. Ivan is a great artist - and puts brush to paper in a heroic rescue attempt. So sweet. Nice ending, no kissing, no cursing, a little bit of loneliness and sadness (poor Ivan is the loneliest gorilla in the world). This one is great for any animal lover and/or any artist.

 3. The Ranger's Apprentice, Book One, The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan 

I don't know why every single Lightning Thief fan wasn't all over this series first. Especially now that "Game of Thrones" is so insanely popular. This is the child's version. Knights and castles and kings being dethroned. Even a mystical element (some very ugly scary beasts). Will grows up a ward of the castle, left abandoned at the castle's gate with a note tied to his blanket. When the castle wards turn 13, they get to choose who they'd like to be apprenticed to. Will chooses the Battlemaster, wanting to be a knight. Sadly he is wee and scrawny and is denied that apprenticeship and fears he will be destined to live out his life as a farmer. When Halt the Ranger appears out of the shadows and expresses an interest in taking Will on as an apprentice, Will is petrified. Rangers are shrouded in mystery and lore, rumored to work with black magic. Turns out, however, that they are actually entrusted with the protection of the entire lands, and Will's cunning and bravery are put to the test when an evil man (long building armies to take over the throne he feels he deserves) sends terrible monsters after key men in the kingdom (men who thwarted the villain's previous coop attempt). So good. Very boy, no kissing yet but I think there will be a girlfriend love interest in following books. Lots of fighting. 

4. The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson 

A sweet enough story with pixies and fairies and magical creatures, centering around a flint heart that turns people in possession of it mean. When a cheery farmer unearths it by happenstance, he turns quite cruel. Two of his children decide that the Fairies who live in the woods behind their farmhouse are the only creatures who can help restore their father to his loving self, they embark upon a great adventure. Lots of Fairy Tale qualities, would be a great read aloud. 

5. Troublemaker by Andrew Clements 

I don't think I've ever really read one of his books, but they sell like crazy. His new one, "Trouble Maker" was good. A nice quick story about how begin good pays off - how being bad really stinks. And has the potential to bring about serious consequences. The secretary was the best character, she didn't have nearly enough print time! 

6. Waiting for the Magic by Patricia MacLachlan

This one gave me goosebumps, twice.  So good. Sort of a broken family, when the dad leaves (he comes back) for an indeterminate amount of time, the mom takes the two kids and heads to the animal shelter. They come home with four (FOUR) dogs and a cat. The dogs (and Lulu, the cat) bring a bit of magic into the house. The dad comes back, quickly becomes a dog person, and the magic continues. So sweet. Appropriate for young kids who like animals. 

7. Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger 

I guess it's a testament to how much I loved "Origami Yoda," tonight I read the sequel, "Darth Paper Strikes Back." EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST. I completely loved it. I am thinking of buying these two, and any others that follow. 

8. Storm Runners by Roland Smith 

Short, fast and spooky. The main kid, a boy in middle school? 6th grade? has lost his mother and sister in a car accident, his father was shortly thereafter struck by lightning and suddenly obsessed with storm chasing. They head down to Florida to prepare for Hurricane Emily, and all madness breaks loose. The bus Charles (I think his name was Charles) is on overturns, and he and two newly made girl friends must make their way to safety. Of course, safety is the new friend Nicole's home, which is also home to a wintering circus. The sequel has to do with what happens once they make it there. It definitely involves a set-loose leopard. (I only thought this was spooky because it involves a natural disaster - something that could happen).

9. Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset by Tom Angleberger 

I'm on a huge Tom Angleberger kick. Author of the Origami series above, this one was way different. But just as good. Horton Halfpott (and the Loosening of M'Lady so and so's corset) was a great Victorian/Dickensian-ish romp. Loved it. Tons of quirky characters, Love wins in the end. A great child villain who cooks up the most ridiculous plot to win over the neighboring heiress girl. So good. High adventure, crazy, lovable characters, and a great plot line.

10. Hound Dog True by Linda Urban 

This one is about a girl going into the 5th grade, who spends a lot of time worrying. She is terribly, terribly shy and just about everything makes her nervous. Then she decides to take a page from her mom's book, and PRETEND that she is not shy. She only does this every now and then, but it makes a great difference, and things start to be not so intimidating. Really liked it. Very fast. I also liked that her name was "Mattie Mae," and her crazy Uncle Potluck was terrific too. 

11. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 

This one made me cry. It starts off like the best of scary stories - a monster appears outside the window of Conor's bedroom. The illustrations that run throughout this book only add to the Scary Story feel - they are very dark and shadowy.  The monster shows up at 12:07 every night, and asks to tell Conor three stories, and the fourth time Conor will have to tell his own story - the Truth. The Truth about the terrifying nightmares that have been haunting him every night. Of course, there is more to the story. Conor's mom is battling cancer, his dad has moved to America with a new wife (moved from England), and because of these two things, Conor is treated coldly at school. It was terribly good, and anyone who has ever dealt with grief of any sort would benefit from it.

12. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver 

Lauren Olivier has written some great YA books - "Before I Fall" and "Delirium." Her new book, "Liesl and Po" is different. She write in the intro that it is her most personal book so far, that she wrote it while she was coping with the death of a dear friend. And it is great. Po is neither he nor she, because as a ghost, those distinctions blur. Liesl is a young girl trapped in the attic by her evil Step Mother after her father's mysterious death. The two find each other and embark on a great mission. Will is the third character with a large role to play - an orphan apprenticed to an alchemist who deals in dark magics. I thought it was a great story with great illustrations and an ending that feels just right. 

13. The Legend of Diamond Lil, a J.J. Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin 

I breezed right through Doreen Cronin's sequel to "The Trouble with Chickens." Completely fun, J.J. Tully is Sam Spade as a dog - and the sequel continued that feeling with a foxy, mysterious renegade Show Dog. Fun mysteries for the Magic Tree House crowd.

 14. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

You think this would be a Hansel and Gretel retelling, no? I did. But I was wrong. It is actually based on the old fairy tale about the Snow Queen. In this GREAT book, Hazel and her best friend Jack are each other's whole world. I loved how creative and imaginative the two are together. But then, Jack stops talking to Hazel and disappears off into the woods with a woman made of Snow. Hazel must brave a very Lion-the-Witch-and-the-Wardrobian journey to save him.

15. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

I loved every single thing about this novel. Celia, plucky youngest princess at Castle Glower, is working hard to make a map of the Castle. This seems like an easy job, but every day (and Especially on Tuesdays) the castle changes. New rooms appear, hallways become longer, bedrooms become grander or more squalid depending on how the guest is viewed by the Castle. When the unthinkable happens - the King and Queen are ambushed and have gone missing, assumed dead - Celia and the Castle must work together to oust a posse of intruders who would seek the throne. This was brilliant. Fans of Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted) and fans of the Penderwick books will LOVE this tale. 

16. Chi's Sweet Home Vol. 1 by Konami Kanata

 This one came recommended to me by one of my favorite sales reps. He started by saying that his other accounts were selling it like crazy and that it is a multi-book series about a kitten. It's a Japanese graphic novel, for kids who loved the "Bad Kitty" series but are ready for something with a little more substance. I liked it. Didn't love it, but liked it well enough. 

17. The Ranger's Apprentice, Book Two, The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan 

Because I've been thinking so much about Will from the first "Ranger's Apprentice" book, I decided to see what he was up to in the second installment. If anything, this one left me dying to know what happens to him next. There were moments in this story that my heart actually fluttered in fear right along with Will's. He is one of the greatest hero's of young adult literature, hands down.

18. Frindle by Andrew Clements 

 I read "Frindle" just because I like to sell it. Having never read it, I thought I'd see just what I'd been peddling to the younger end of our Middle Reader customer base. And guess what? It was great. So great. An innovative fifth-grader decides to stop calling pens "pens" and call them "frindles" instead. The new word sweeps the school first, then the town, and then, thanks to a national newscast, the country. The ending was terrific, and will make all readers and English-language-lovers happy. 

19. Maze of Bones, 39 Clues Book 1 by Rick Riordan

This is another one of those things that we sell like hot cakes. I'd never read any because they were moving on their own, and quickly. After reading the first one, I can say that these are not at all what I thought they were! This first one is like The Da Vinci Code for kids. There is so much fun history about Benjamin Franklin, and Dan and Amy (the hero siblings) find themselves chasing clues all over the world. So much fun.

20. The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman by Ben Winters

This is maybe the first one I read that I wasn't at least a little bit wowed by. It has such an amazing sounding premise (student's discover that their music teacher, Ms. Finkleman, was once a rock-and-roll star) but for some reason it sort of just hummed along.

21. Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce

Truly a work of art. I was not familiar with William Joyce until the Man in the Moon picture book came out just a few weeks ago, and the two work hand-in-hand. He is a great artist with such a sprawling imagination, having read how St. Nick was chosen, I can't wait for the next installment!

22. Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Windfield Martin

While parts of this short novel were incredibly imaginative and terrific, overall it didn't have enough of a plot to really pull it together for me. It was a little bit wandering. i'm going to read a 31st to make up for this day, since I probably won't be selling tons of this book when it comes out in January. 

23. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli 

Here is a title that is on a bunch of summer required reading lists. And I'd never read it. I liked it very much - it's the story of a high school girl who marches to her own drum. Well, her own Ukulele.  She wears long, flowing skirts and flits all over school singing to herself (and others), passing out flowers and cookies and all sorts of things. Her pet rat, Cinnamon is always in her pocket or on her shoulder. Having been home-schooled up until the start of this novel, Stargirl has no problem living her life this way, the standout among the "normal." When she falls for Leo, our narrator, both Leo and Stargirl learn what it means to truly be yourself. I thought it was great.

24. Mr. and Mrs. Bunny - Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath (comes out in Feb)

Ugh. This one had SO MUCH promise! I loved all the marketing, the copy on the back of the jacket. Unfortunately, I wasn't wowed. I've decided, now that I'm so close to the end of my 30 books, that a sound plot it the biggest factor in whether or not I really, really enjoy a book.

25. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

Now this one. So good. It is a very, very quick read but I really enjoyed it. With all the feel of classic old Nordic fables and lots more charm, I will be thinking about this one the rest of the day. Perfect for the very youngest of the Lightning Thief fans. And, of course, for anyone who loves Neil Gaiman.

26. Charlie Bone #1: Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

This was great - PERFECT for people who want a series that reminds them of Harry Potter. Charlie Bone realizes that he has some magical talents, and is sent by his three spinster-witchy-aunts to a boarding school for kids with magical abilities. He uncovers an evil plot, and works with his new friends to save the day. This is the first in a series of ten.

27. Pendragon #1: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

Here is another series lots of people ask me about that I've never read. And it was good. The story revolves around Bobby - who learns from his Uncle that he is what is called a "Traveler." This means that Bobby can travel through time and space to other "Territories" as freely as he would like. In the first book, he travels to the medieval-ish land of Dunderon where he must find a way to prevent a civil war and keep the peace in the universe.  

28. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

I breezed right through this one. It was on a Summer Reading list this past summre, so I thought I'd give it a go. Very fast paced and funny it parts, I think it has a little bit of everything you'd want in a great story - bullies, wit, escaped convicts, best-friendship. I can see why it was required summer reading!

29. True.....(Sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

I'm cheating a little-teeny bit here, because truthfully I read it on, oh, day -5. But. It is so good, and I'm so close to the end of my challenge, and I'm so burnt out on chapter books....I thought I'd count this one anyway because it was just THAT good. Delaware (Delly) is the greatest accidental chaos-causer I've read. No matter what she does, it never seems to turn out right. In fact, it always seems to be a disaster. Because everything is such a mess, no matter what she does, she decides to quit trying to be good all together. Shortly thereafter, a mysterious young girl shows up in the neighborhood, and she and Delly form an unlikely friendship. I thought this book was so great, so full of moral and mystery and humor - it is one of those Issue books without being a book about an Issue. Give it to every young girl you know (10-12) who like real stories about real girls with only the regular kind of every-day magic.

30. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

The only thing to say about this one: Perfect. For all ages, all readers. I love his stuff.

 THE END.