Rapunzel's revenge – Shannon and Dean Hale

This is a wonderful graphic novel (a story with pictures – kind of a book length comic book) that modernizes the tale of Rapunzel. Rapunzel lives with her mother Gothel in a house with an enormous garden walled off from the world. One day Rapunzel adventures over the wall to see a world that is in slavery to Gothel. Gothel has growth magic, the power to made things grow or to stop things growing. To keep her subjects in line Gothel has made the surrounding lands barren. . During her escape Rapunzel has a chance meeting with her real mother who works as a slave for Gothel in her mines. Rapunzel decides that all this has to stop but before she can take action she is captured by Gothel's guards. When she refuses to be a part of Gothel's empire she is taken far away into a tree tower. Here she remains until her hair grows and she escapes. She is very naive in the ways of the world and is befriended by Jack (of the beanstalk fame). He becomes her partner in crime and social justice. Rapunzel becomes a hero, righting wrongs and saving the innocent, as she heads towards Gothel's Reach to free her mother.
The story is set in the Wild West with horses, guns and bandits. Rapunzel fits right in using her hair like a lasso. The dialogue is fun and witty and is complemented with illustrations by Nathan Hale (who is no relation to the authors)
An exciting and adventurous tale that retains the magic and romance of the original fairytale. 8/10

I am Number Four – Pitticus Lore

I am not at all surprised that this book has been made into a movie it has all the making of a suspenseful action movie – alien domination, aliens hiding among humans, love, superpowers, guns, and monsters.
The book sets itself up to be real (and perhaps it is for all I know) written by a Lorien Elder about the Lorien Nine, children who were sent to earth to hid from the Mogadorians who had invaded their planet. In order to protect them the children were charmed. As long as they lived separately from each other they needed to be killed in order. Each child would know when one of the nine died as a symbol would appear on their ankle. We meet number 4 and his guardian (or Cepan) Henri just before number 3 is killed. They need to move and find a place where they can blend in. It is a pattern with them that they move regularly to stay ahead of the Mogadorians searching for them. Number 4 chooses the name John Smith and they move to Paradise, Ohio. Here John fits in more than he ever has before, makes his first ever friend and falls in love. However it here that John comes into the beginning of his Legacies – powers and abilities that every Lorien Garde develops.
He is learning how to master these while not drawing any attention to himself which will lead the Mogadorians to him. However when someone he loves is threatened he exposes himself and draws the Mogadorians to him.
A very quick paced and easy book to read that has undertones of saving the planet's resources from technology loving, greedy aliens. I am a bit of a purist as I like to read the book, before I see the movie. I am sure the movie will be as successful as the book as when I was reading I could see the scenes playing out on the screen.
7/10

How do Dinosaurs........ series – Jane Yolen & Mark Teague

There is something magical about dinosaurs, these amazing animals that look like the dragons of make-believe but lived millions and millions of years ago. I have always been fascinated with dinosaurs and was one of the first to go out and see Jurassic Park (and got scared silly!). Now I have a little boy who has shown a little bit of interest in dinosaurs so I am flooding him with dino toys, The Land Before Time movies and of course dinosaur books. Now if you put a dinosaur in the story, my son will listen for hours. Yolen and Teague have hit on a bit of a winner here with their How Do Dinosaurs series.

 

The basic story progression is similar with each of the stories where questions are asked such as “How do dinosaurs say goodnight” and the story suggests ways in which the dinosaur may respond that are negative or naughty. The second half of the book asserts that he doesn't do this and goes on to say how the dinosaur reacts positively to the given situation. It is soon evident that the dinosaur is a metaphor for a child, especially since all the dinosaurs parents are people.

Mark Teague's illustrations are bright and large. Into each page he has incorporated the name of the type of dinosaur in the illustration, which is great for little dinosaur experts.

The series so far includes 16 different titles such as:

How do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends

How do Dinosaurs Say I Love You

How do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food

How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight

How do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms

How do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon

How do Dinosaurs Go to School

The stories are lovely though at times seem a little too directed at getting the correct behaviour for kids. I wonder whether kids realize that the story is trying to socialize them into the correct behaviours or if they enjoy the naughty dinosaurs.

Reccommended for ages 4 -6. 7/10

Matched – Ally Condie

Unlike the heroine of my last post, Cassia is a lovely girl who is popular and has always followed the rules. And the rules in Cassia's world are strict. She lives on a future earth that has reinvented itself. There was far too much information in the world so now all they have is the 100 stories, top 100 paintings, 100 poems, and 100 songs. Everything else has been erased from the human record, gone forever. This was based on the premise 'how can we anything fully, if we are overwhelmed with too much'. Life is regimented. There is allocated time for work, for school, for recreation and sleep. A time for getting married and having children (though people can choose to be 'a Single'), and a time to die (when you are 80). Food is allocated that contains the right amount of nutrients and calories per person and is delivered to homes at specified times. It is all controlled by the Society.
Cassia has waited for her Matching Day her whole life.  When she is 17 she attends a banquet and is presented with her Match that has been determined by the Society and takes into account genetics, character and interests. Cassia is surprised to find that her match is her best friend. Xander. They are excited. However when she opens an electronic document about her match another face flashes up as her match, someone she also knows. However, just as if it is a glitch in the system the face disappears and is replaced by Xander. However now Cassia cannot get this other face out of her thoughts and then finds herself drawn to the owner – Ky. However Ky can never be matched as he is an Aberation, someone who has caused an infraction against the Society. This is the start of where Cassia starts to question all that she has been lead to believe by the Society, especially when she discovers at her grandfather's Final Banquet where he will die, that he has hidden a poem other than the 100 poems.
An absolutely riveting book. I was fascinated by the futuristic Earth that Condie has invented and each chapter unveiled new ways that the Society regimented life. A love triangle always makes for a good plot line, one that I have found in a lot of the teen fiction I have been reading. Cassia finds herself stuck between her best friend who is her Match and the boy she loves but can never marry. Finally Cassia must make a decision that will effect her life and all those in it.
9/10

Skinned – Robin Wasserman

Apart from the main character being shallow, unlikeable, self-centered and has a poor me attitude this would make a good story. It is a miracle beautiful, popular, seventeen year old Lia Kahn is alive after a horrific accident but her new body is a machine which looks human but nothing inside is organic. It doesn't even look like Lia but she will never age and can't die. Lia still feels like herself but in a different body. Slowly Lia adjust to her new body but she doesn't have the same sensations anymore, and her body reacts differently now. Everyone around Lia tries to adjust to the new Lia her family and friends and just as Lia starts to accept herself as 'human' she is shunned by her friends and boyfriend. No one understands that she is still the same person underneath. She is introduced to other 'Mechs' who embrace who they are but Lia is still struggling with who she I. Is she still human? Lia is rejected by the human world and cannot accept life in the other. Her only friend is a human Auden who is fasincated with who she is. It is only another tragic event that forces Lia to chose where she belongs.
Skinned is a novel about identity and what it means to be human. However most of the humans in the story are unlikeable and shallow and Lia's sister is horrible. It is the Mech's that are more real and in her interactions with them that Lia acts more human. The concepts are great and I am interested in finding out more about Lia's story, however I hope that Lia gets over herself so that I can enjoy the story..
6/10

Owl Babies – Martin Waddell

Sometimes the thing that makes good bedtime story is reading a book that is suited to your family. This is one of my favourite books to read to our kids simply because I change some of the words. There are three baby owls who are the stars of the book ant their names are Sarah, Percy and Bill. As I have three children, in my version of the story the owls are called Laura, Aliyah and Daniel.  Don't be afraid to change the words or character names when you are reading books to your little one.  They love it as it helps them to relate more to the story and can bring some more fun to your reading time.
In Owl Babies the baby owls live with their mummy owl in a tree hollow. One night they wake up and Mummy owl is gone and they are a little anxious. Bill the youngest needs the most comforting as all he can say is that he wants his mummy. Sarah is the oldest and tells the others she thinks mummy has gone to get them food. Percy is reassured by Sarah and often agrees with her thinking (as all owls think a lot) However the longer she is away the more anxious they owlets get and wonder if mummy owl has been harmed in anyway.
I love taking my children on this story journey as it has a happy ending. Patrick Benson has depicted the most gorgeous fluffy feathery owls that remind me of my gorgeous children. Especially the youngest owl who just loves his mummy and wants her close to him. This is so much like my Daniel who loves is mummy 'a googolplex of mosts' (This is the largest number he knows, and yes, he is becoming geeky just like his father)  I am enjoying his adoration of me as much as I can because in a few years he won't be so eager for cuddles and snuggles.
A great book to read while snuggling. 8/10.

Five Minutes' Peace - Jill Murphy

I think this book has a really important message which, as a Mum of three children, I could really relate to – getting a bit of 'time out' from the kids. Mrs Large enters the kitchen to find her children having breakfast and it isn't a pleasant sight. Instead of demanding they tidy up she makes up a tray of tea and cake for herself and heads to the bathroom to relax in the bath. However in no time at all her children find her and want to share special things with her. Before you know it all three children are in the bath. So what is a mother elephant to do, but leave her children to play and head downstairs where she gets a few minutes peace.

It is so important as parents to make sure that we have time for ourselves and to top up energy reserves. When our kids are little long moments like are few and far between so finding a few minutes in the day may be all we get, but sometimes is all we need to retain our sanity. Mrs Large does very well listening to her children share special achievements we we as adults know all she wants to do is soak in the tub. I admire her! The illustrations are bright and colourful with lots of detail. I found it an empowering story, but my 4 year old did not. His first comment was “I don't like that story.” Daniels interpretation of the story was that the Mummy elephant didn't like her children as she didn't want to be with them. And you always want to be with the ones you love. He wasn't able to understand that you might not want to be with someone even if you love them.   He would like to be surrounded by everyone he loves all the time.

On the upside it did give rise to a great conversation about how sometimes even though Mummies and Daddies love their children they need to have some time together. And sometimes they want to have some time to relax by themselves. He still doesn't really understand this and I think he thinks that adults are strange.

Definitely an example of how adults and children view books differently. Anyway, I am off to have a bath and hopefully the kids don't notice :)
7/10