Book Review: Fly By Night, by Frances Hardinge

     "Purely out of interest," Eponymous Clent asked, "what so bewitches you about the idea of the traveling life?"...

     ...Mosca raised her head and stared up the hillside toward the ragged treeline. The sky was warmed by a gentle redness suggesting a soft but radiant dawn. The true dawn was still some three hours away.

   "Very soon," Mosca said quietly, "my uncle will wake up. An' when he does...he's likely to notice that I've burned down his mill."

Summary: Mosca Mye - a girl who can read in a time when girls were permitted to do no such thing - lives in Chough, a curious place - wet all the time, swampy, and if you leave anything in the water for any length of time, it petrifies to a chalky white. Chough is situated on the fringes of what her father dubbed "The Fractured Realm," where it was commonly believed that "books were dangerous." The Realm has a long, twisted, fear-infused and politically charged history. For years, no one has been able to agree on who should rule the land, though many have tried and failed, and everyone had someone different in mind to do the leading.

One night Mosca runs away from the mill house where her aunt and uncle force her to stay. But she accidentally drops her lamp in the straw during her escape. Realizing as she watches the small flame begin to grow that she can never come back, she sets off with her formidable goose, Saracen, to find a new life. Along the way she acquires the company of a loquacious, opportunistic, and not altogether law-abiding writer named Eponymous Clent. And then, the adventure truly begins...

For Teachers and Librarians:

There are so many avenues to pursue here. You've got political issues with ruling factions, kings and other royalty, and behind-the-scenes dealings and manipulations, which merge quite nicely with a unit on the current presidential elections, or a comparison of various systems of government - with plusses and minuses to each. With Banned Books Week coming up at the end of this month, this book fits rather well in that subject, as books and printed matter are fiercely controlled in Mosca's world. How does this affect Mosca's society? How do banned books affect our society? There are educational issues to explore, as girls aren't permitted to learn to read, and schools are controlled by the same group that controls books and printed matter. You could go with a more personal theme: trust issues, right vs wrong (and all the gray areas in between), anger, fear, family relationships. You could even go with the travel angle, creating a map of "The Fractured Realm," and mark the path of Mosca's journey throughout the book, noting significant events along the way. Really, it is a gold mine just waiting to be found as far as educational possibilities go, and a gold mine as far as just plain great story goes. Fly By Night is a fantastically resourceful addition to your classroom however you choose to use it.

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

If you're looking for a book that will grab the attention of both your boys and girls, this is the one! It will be hard for them to put down, as each chapter raises more questions than it answers, and will leave them madly turning pages to see how everything turns out. If you're looking to provide your kiddos with a book with a good message, here's how the author sees things in Fly By Night:

"If there is a moral it's probably something along the lines of 'read everything, question everyone, write what you like and let others do the same.'"

This is a book that works great as an independent read, and will keep them leaning closer and closer if you read it aloud. Even better, you will enjoy the story every bit as much as your kids.

For the Kids:

Mosca is a 12 year-old girl who knows what she wants. And what she wants is to have a life where people can't tell her what she can and can't do. Her dad taught her to read, even though it wasn't allowed, and he taught her how to think for herself, which was frowned upon. One day, she finds herself on her own and searching for that new life, with just her menacing pet goose for company. Soon, she meets Eponymous Clent. They travel together, with Eponymous agreeing to take her on as his secretary. They wind up in very dangerous situations, and Mosca finds herself having to make a lot of decisions all on her own. How do things turn out? There's only one way to know - ask your parents for a trip to the library or bookstore, and find Fly By Night, and read it. It's the kind of book you'll keep reading long after bedtime, under the covers, with a flashlight. Yeah, it's that good!

For Everyone Else:

This may be a children's novel, but all you teens and adults out there won't be able to resist being pulled into this story. It's so full of plot twists, danger, mystery, and even humor, you will not be able to put it down. Fly By Night is definitely a must-read for ages 9 to 99. Go ahead and give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Wrapping Up:

Fly By Night has all the trappings of a great novel - a main character you care about, villains you want to be vanquished, injustice you hope is righted, mystery that keeps you turning pages, plot twists that keep you guessing, and a story that's just plain fun to read.

Title: Fly By Night

Author: Frances Hardinge

Pages: 512

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Harper Trophy, February 19, 2008

Edition: 1st paperback

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $7.99

ISBN-10: 0060876301

ISBN-13: 978-0060876302

Book Review: Kenny & the Dragon, by Tony DiTerlizzi

     Kenny made it to the grassy top by sunset... ...Directly below, curled up and sleeping on the far side of the hill, was the dragon.

     He gulped. This animal was bigger than the illustrations in his book. 

     Much bigger.

Summary:

Kenny is a book-loving rabbit who lives with his farming mother and father. One day, his father bursts in from the sheep field in a panic, announcing that they must pack their things ASAP and light out of there, because he just saw a real, live, dragon! At the top of their very hill! After consulting his borrowed copy of a bestiary, Kenny persuades his parents to let him go check it out. Once he finally meets the dragon, he realizes the bestiary isn't entirely accurate concerning his new friend. But then the townspeople get wind of the dragon, and are so frightened that they prepare to rid themselves of it. Can Kenny show the townspeople that the dragon is not what they think? Or, will he have to make the impossible choice of saving a new friend, or saving an old one?

For Teachers and Librarians:

Fairly short and sweet as chapter books go, Kenny & the Dragon is a great read-aloud or independent read that will capture and hold your students' attention through several sessions and all the way to the very end. The old adage of "you can't judge a book by its cover" is presented in a fresh, new way, and was inspired by that beloved classic The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame. It's a perfect set-up for both a unit on the above-mentioned adage, and also a literature comparison between the two books - written so many years apart, yet still relevant in today's society. Author Tony DiTerlizzi notes on his website (which is very cool, and totally kid-friendly, by the way):

"I think a story like this still has significance today as it did when Kenneth Grahame first told it over a century ago. As a society we still judge and act first, then think about the consequences afterwards."

How's that for inspiration for some fantastic lessons? Even if all you have time for is a bit of discussion, your students will surely be able to enjoy the story, identify with Kenny's predicament, and get to the root of the idea of not prejudging someone - and what could happen if you do. Sometimes the most impromptu discussions lead to the most profound learning for your charges...

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

Sometimes kids find themselves up against some pretty tough odds, just like Kenny. And just like Kenny, sometimes kids find that they know something new that others haven't found out yet. And just like Kenny, sometimes it fees like they're all alone as they struggle with what to do with that knowledge. Kenny & the Dragon is a great book for your kiddos to identify with, and enjoy, and feel good about. They'll see that a problem is easier to solve when they have people who care about them to help them figure it out. They'll see the value of being a good friend. They'll see the great things that come of doing what's right. And they'll see that this is just a fantastic book, and will ask to read it or have it read to them over and over and over. 

For the Kids:

Wouldn't you just love to find a dragon, and have it become your best friend? Someone to talk to, and read with, and play with, and learn from? In Kenny & the Dragon, that's just what happens to a little rabbit named, of course, Kenny. At first, his parents are afraid of Kenny's new friend, but then they get to know the dragon, and to like him, too. But, the townspeople are not so keen on having a dragon around. They're sure he's about to eat their sheep and destroy their crops, and maybe even (gasp!) eat them! How will Kenny ever get them to see his new dragon friend for who he really is? If you really wanna know, (and I know you do), then get your parents to help you find this brand new book. That's right! It just came out! And it is totally cool!

For Everyone Else:

Kenny & the Dragon is a quick read for adults. If you're looking for a sweet story to remind you that there is still justice and goodness in this crazy world, this one is just what you need. And it's brand new! Come on - you can't resist that brand-new-book smell, and a feel-good premise, to boot. Go ahead - indulge your inner child a while...

Wrapping Up:

Kenny & the Dragon is a story to remind us all that people are not what they look like on the surface. It reminds us to take the time to get to know people, to support those who we know to be good, and to find a way to get those who have judged wrongly to take another look. Let's face it: we all need a little reminder, now and then, don't we?

Title: Kenny & the Dragon

Author and Illustrator: Tony DiTerlizzi

Pages: 160

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, August 5, 2008

Edition: 1st

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $15.99

ISBN-10: 1416939776

ISBN-13: 978-1416939771

Book Review: To Catch a Mermaid, by Suzanne Selfors

Boom Broom awoke to find his little sister, Mertyle, looking for spots.

"It's a good day for spots," she announced, examining her knobby knees with a magnifying glass. While Boom rubbed sleep from his eyes and stumbled out of bed, his sister made up another ridiculous excuse for not going to school.

Summary:

Delving further into To Catch a Mermaid, the reader discovers that Boom Broom is a twelve-year-old with a lot on his shoulders. Ever since a freak twister touched down in Fairweather Island a year ago right in the Broom's front yard, and carried off Mrs. Broom, the family had never been the same. Mr. Broom refuses to leave the attic except for bathroom breaks, or to grab food prepared by the hired cook. The cook is a proud Viking descendant named Halvor who only prepars fish, fish, more fish, and thick black coffee. Mertyle, Boom's little sister, refuses to leave the house, inventing one sickness after another so she wouldn't have to go to school. Boom refuses to let the twister alter his life and tries to carry on, but he still has to deal with his family's eccentricities, and with neighborhood bully Hurley Mump and his equally bully-ish family.

Then one day, Boom is sent out to get fish for dinner. He brings home a very odd fish salvaged from a reject seafood bucket down at the docks. When he and Mertyle discover the fish is no fish, but a real, live merbaby, things start to get interesting...

For Teachers and Librarians:

The author crafts a totally believable story around a freak twister, a grieving family...and a merbaby. This book is an excellent addition to a fantasy fiction unit. A project on mythical creatures could morph from there. A study of weather patterns on islands would be an interesting extension. From there, you could expand into a comparison of weather on cold water islands vs. warm water islands. A discussion centered around not letting fear or grief get control of your life could spring from reading this book, too. There's a lot of material to be mined from this complex and vastly entertaining story. But past all of that, it's just a great story. Imagine...finding a merbaby who grants your most fervent wishes...

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

Suzanne Selfors got the idea for To Catch a Mermaid while jogging one day in Vancouver, British Columbia, as she watched children play in tidepools:

I realized that one of the universal joys of childhood is discovering things. What would be a neater thing to discover in a tidepool than a baby mercreature? And so, the story was born. - Suzanne Selfors - Class of 2K7 Interview

Your kids will delight in a fantastic story about a wish-granting merbaby, and the hilarious and intense situations that follow. This is a book with something for everyone - humor, suspense, action and adventure, and mystery. Give it to your kids to try, and they won't be disappointed!

In a different direction, kids who have lost a parent, through whatever circumstances, have a lot of sorting out to do. Perhaps this book could help them work through some of those feelings. Everyone in the Broom household is trying to figure out how to live life after Mrs. Broom is swept away, but none of them is doing a very good job. Until that fateful discovery of the merbaby. Eventually, each of the Brooms learns something about themselves, and each of the Brooms finds a way to move on, and each of the Brooms learns to depend on each other. It's a roundabout way to figure things out, but this book might open some doors...

For the Kids:

A twister carries off Boom Broom's mother, right off of their front lawn. A year later, his dad won't leave the attic because he's afraid of the wind, his sister invents illnesses so she won't have to leave the house, and the family hires Halvor the Viking descendant to cook for them. But he only cooks fish, and fixes thick, black coffee. One day, when Boom is sent to get fish, he comes home with an odd one. Soon, though, he realizes it's no fish - it's a merbaby! Imagine! Finding a merbaby!  And, it grants wishes! But, Boom, his friend Winger, and his sister Mertyle get a lot more than they bargained for when things start to get hairy - literally - and Mertyle is in danger. Can Boom save his sister? Will his father ever leave the house? Are they doomed to eat fish and black coffee forever? Pick up the book and find out...

For Everyone Else:

If you love a good fish story, this is the book for you. If mythical creatures intrigue you, this is the book for you. If you're a Viking descendent, you'll learn a thing or two about Vikings and mermaids. If you're looking for an interesting twist on a twister story, this is the book for you. Really, you can't go wrong. Check it out.

Wrapping Up:

Mystery, suspense, adventure, humor, action - what's not to like? To Catch a Mermaid has all the makings of a classic.

Title: To Catch a Mermaid

Author: Suzanne Selfors

Pages: 256

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007

Edition: 1st

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $14.99

ISBN-10: 0316018163

ISBN-13: 978-031601866