Book Review: Ruby Redfort: Look Into my Eyes by Lauren Child

Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes (Ruby Redfort #1)
by Lauren child
383 pages
Published by Candlewick Press

Goodreads Description:
 
Everyone knows that Clarice Bean is exeptionordinarily keen about the Ruby Redfort books. Now in her own starring role, this genius code-cracker and daring detective, along with her sidekick butler, Hitch, work for a secret crime-busting organization called Spectrum. Ruby gets into lots of scrapes with evil villains, like being trapped in a giant hourglass or held over a flaming volcano, but she's always ice-cool in a crisis. Just take a classic screwball comedy, add heaps of breathtaking action, and multiply it by Lauren Child's writing genius, and what have you got? Only the most exciting middle-grade series since, like, ever.

My Review: 
I was such a fan of Lauren Child's picturebooks, I decided to check out her new middle-grade series as well. 

Child does an excellent job with witty characters and high action, with plenty of danger too. Ruby Redfort is a modern child-genius, turned spy. It's not an original storyline, but Child's parody offers plenty of adventure to the young reader. This is exactly the type of book I would have loved when I was younger. 

This dramatic story involves young Ruby caught right in the middle of a heist with some of the most deadly villains. With the help of her new butler, Hitch, and her best friend Clancy Crew, Ruby participates in a thrilling case to crack the right codes (without much time) and catch the bad guy before something terrible happens. 

Ruby and her friends are your typical American kids. They joke and play normally, except in Ruby's case, she works part time as a child detective as well. They even speak like normal kids. The dialogue in this novel speaks to its young audience, yet doesn't date itself with any slang. It's really a fun read. 

While I enjoyed this book, I have such a hard time finding much to say about it. It wasn't exactly a page-turner, but I still got through all 383 pages quite quickly. There's a little bit of attitude and adventure on each page. The whole book rings true to many of the detective novels I read as a kid; Ruby is a rich prodigy, no one believes her because she's just a kid, her parents are too dumb to realize what's even going on, she gets herself into trouble, she gets herself out of trouble, and bammo! -- the case is solved in the nick of time. Despite this being another detective tale, Child's voice really shines through. Ruby's inner dialogue is often quite humorous, and the exchanges she has with other people - Clancy, Hitch, other Spectrum agents - are equally funny. Also, Ruby's rules offer wisdom to any future crime-solver. 

The book involves some puzzle-solving and may encourage readers to engage with the text and crack codes like the heroine, Ruby Redfort. The plot alternates between crime-solving, puzzles, and action. While it's a longer read for middle grade readers, it isn't boring. Here is a book I would share with my siblings, read along with my niece  or recommend to the detective-novel-lover. Lauren Child remains a favored author. 

I give this book four out of five foxes

Book Review: Percy Jackson & The Olympians - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson & The Olympians Book One - The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
published by Scholastic, 2005
375 pages
Source: Scholastic Book Fair

Goodreads Description:
 
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seet to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stole, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. 

My Review:
Lightning Thief was a very entertaining read, and I think Riordan did a great job with it. I loved the premise of the book - the Greek gods personified in human forms; Riordan embraces the structure of Greek mythology and correlates it all within the new revelations of Percy Jackson, demigod. The plot moved along quickly and made for a very easy read. 

The characters were lovable. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover made a complete trio (similar to the Harry Potter trio, but I don't want to draw too many connections there). Percy, passionate to save his mother; Annabeth, determined to taste battle; and Grover, clumsy yet consistent. I especially loved the Greek characters! Chiron, Charon, Zues, Hades, Dionysus, the satyrs... it was all of my favorite mythology lessons from grade school brought to life. The series is great for young readers to encourage further learning of Greek mythology, at least it worked for me. 

This was a fun read that promoted many conversations with my family members and friends who had read it before. The copy I own is actually a literature circle edition, which encourages discussion and analysis of the book to younger readers. It's a great book to discuss. It might not be overflowing with philosophy and wisdom, but it's very true to young readers. The characters struggle with parentage, friendships, and misunderstandings. Also, the mythology bits are always good to encourage readers to engage with the original myths of the novel's heroes. It's not a mythology lesson, nor is it meant to be, but its a stepping stone to understanding something new - even the realization that once these 'myths' were believed wholeheartedly to be true, and how much has really changed through history. 

I give this book four foxes. It's a good book for middle grade readers to engage with, but its still entertaining enough for the rest of us who just want to read a good story. Interaction with Greek mythology was playful and tasteful, and the characters were likable enough to keep the story interesting. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.  

Picturebook Review: Art & Max by David Wiesner

Art & Max
by David Wiesner
Clarion Books, 2010
Illustrations in acrylic pastel, watercolor, and India ink.

Goodreads Description:

Max and Arthur are friends who share an interest in painting. Arthur is an accomplished painter; Maxi is a beginner. Max's first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Although Max in inexperienced  he's courageous - and a quick learner. His energy and enthusiasm bring the adventure to its triumphant conclusion. Beginners everywhere will take heart. 

My Review:
Wiesner never disappoints me. He's wonderful at exploring new forms and challenging boundaries. And this book is no different. 
The story is a cute one. Art and Max remind me of siblings, the initially unwilling leader (Art) is overwhelmed by the young energy of his new follower (Max). Max is convinced that he can paint too, which Art only sourly agrees to let him try. Max's energy leads to many unconventional paint forms - mostly at Art's expense. And while he seems to be a little ball of chaos, it turns out that Max has one talent that Art may not, which he proves to very worried Art (read the book, and you'll understand his worry!) The story is cute and remains very simple. The text is very brief and entirely dialogue between Art and Max. Much of the deeper interpretation is left to the reader. Don't worry though, the message is clear. 

The book explores many different art forms that could be discussed with readers, but the book does not simply explore different art forms - it explores boundaries and tests conventions. The relationship between Art and Max, though undefined at the start of the novel, suggests that the two have bonded through their artistic adventure. In fact, at the conclusion, the two seem to have earned many insights about the other; though this, of course, is only implied. This book makes art look fun (but when do kids not think art is fun). It's more than that too. It's about discovery - and not just discovering new ways to draw and color.

The illustrations are amazing. From the book cover to the last page, I loved all of the artwork. Very soft backgrounds brought a lot of the focus to the foreground, filled with vibrant, moving colors. The detail is great as well! I could probably go on for a while about the illustrations, but I want to bring attention to the jacket cover and the actual book cover. You'll have to buy the book to see it, but the jacket cover (pictured above) is a delightful work that captures much of the plot expectations and emotions. However, beneath the sleeve is the hard cover is a splatter-work of paint drops and large swoops, all in colors of bright red, orange, yellow, and grey. It's fun, inviting, and it proves that the book itself is a work of art. It's a very clever paratext in my opinion; hidden beneath the initial image is the beautiful chaos that Max truly represents. 

I'm going to give this book a four out of five foxes. It's a fun book and begs to be read aloud!

Review - Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road (Dustlands #1)
By Moira Young
459 pages
Published by Margaret K McElderry Books, 2011
Source: Scholastic Book Fair
Buy: Amazon - BN - Book Depository

Goodreads Description:
 
This fast-paces YA debut novel has it all: smart, savvy characters making their way through an eerily dystopian society, with all the requisite action, adventure and romance characteristics of the genre vividly and at times, chillingly portrayed.
In a wild and lawless future, where life is cheap and survival is hard, eighteen-year-old Saba lives with her father, her twin brother Lugh, her young sister Emmi and her pet crow Nero. Theirs is a hard and lonely life. The family resides in a secluded shed, their nearest neighbour living many miles away and the lake, their only source of water and main provider of food, gradually dying from the lack of rain. But Saba's father refuses to leave the place where he buried his beloved wife, Allis, nine years ago. Allis died giving birth to Emmi, and Saba has never forgiven her sister for their mother's death. But while she despises Emmi, Saba adores her twin brother Lugh. Golden-haired and blue-eyed, loving and good, he seems the complete opposite of dark-haired Saba, who is full of anger and driven by a ruthless survival instinct. To Saba, Lugh is her light and she is his shadow, he is the day, she the nighttime, he is beautiful, she is ugly, he is good, she is bad. 
So Saba's small world is brutally torn apart, when a group of armed riders arrives five day's after the twin's eighteenth birthday, snatch Lugh away. Saba's rage is so wild, that she manages to drive the men away, but not before they have captured Lugh and killed their father. 
And here begins Saba's epic quest to rescue Lugh, during which she is tested by trials she could not have imagined, and one that takes the reader on breathtaking ride full of romance, physical adventure, and unforgettably vivid characters, making this a truly sensational YA debut novel.

My Review:

Blood Red Road was a beautiful dystopian novel - an enchanting and daunting landscape, vivid and emotional characters, as well as a unique writing style. Moira Young delivers.

Following Saba on her quest to rescue her twin brother, Lugh, she becomes rapidly exposed to the dangers and terrors of her world. She meets people and sees things she’d never heard of when living in isolation with her father, brother, and younger sister. Saba was the perfect shadow to Lugh as a child, but after their eighteenth birthday, he is taken from her. Now Saba has to follow him across a rough landscape filled with even rougher people in order to rescue him. Only now, she has a shadow – her little sister Emmi, whom she hates. This story is brimming with adventure. It has an old, Western-style vibe, but with futuristic, dystopian elements. It was honestly such a good read!

I loved the adventure in this book. It is gritty and terrifying and sometimes just repulsive, but I felt it. I felt the fear, the desperation, and red-hot anger that Young wrote about. I was enchanted with the setting and my curiosity raved over the Wreckers. Young doesn’t go into detail about how this bleak future came to be, but clues allow the reader to imagine it all on his own. Wreckers – its not a new idea, certainly, but I loved the way Young played on the idea of self-demolition. This dystopian is imaginative and flexible enough for readers to be coaxed into it from the first page.

I was also very fond of the characters. I think Saba makes a good feminine hero, and her transformation throughout the novel is inspired. Saba doesn’t just become tougher throughout the novel, but she changes too; she’s more mature, wiser. I have to say though, Emmi was my favorite character. Written from the viewpoint of Saba, Emmi is just the annoying, useless (and slow) little sister. Emmi becomes a wild, loyal, and insightful girl by the end of the novel. Although only nine, she proves herself as a true heroine. I was just as amused with characters such as Ike, Tommo, and Jack. Them with Saba made an interesting team. A very dynamic group indeed, and all with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Also, the strong emphasis on family among all the characters, both blood family and adopted family was fantastic and really set this book apart from other dystopian novels. And I can't leave out that readers will be satisfied with Saba's love interest, Jack. The story stays away from love triangles for the most part, which was a huge relief. Also, Jack and Saba's relationship isn't emphasized throughout the story, but does give the story an extra balance, a new relationship for Saba to explore. I think the romance aspect was well written, but my favorite is still the adventure. 

Lastly, I thought the writing style was very creative.  I think it’s important for a writer to try something new as long as it fits with the essence of the story, and Young’s style was impressive. At first, the unique character accents drove me nuts. I couldn’t seem to produce those sounds in my head. But then I got it, and it flowed so perfectly. It gave the whole story a unique feel, and I felt like I belonged in it as well since I that language was what I was reading – it wasn’t just part of the character, but the story.

In fact, character voice wasn’t really defined beyond Saba’s, since the book was written from her point of view. No quotations were used to identify speaker, but I think this really helped with the flow of the book as well as put the reader in the perspective of Saba. The less punctuation, the less distracting the actual text is. Young’s on to something here. Also, there were no chapter markings, which helped with the flow of the story even more.

I thought this story was very imaginative and intriguing. I was very fond of Saba and the rest of the character’s development set in Young’s dystopian future. The landscape is very creative as well as the way it was used (a land ship for instance). The voice throughout the novel was engaging and welcoming to the story, although it may seem off setting at first and take some time to read it through smoothly. Also, Saba has a pet crow and that made me jealous. 

I give this a four out of five foxes. 

Picturebook Review: Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B Johnson

First, I’d like to take this time to introduce this new project of mine. I realize at this point my blog has mostly been dedicated to YA literature, but I recently made the decision to make a weekly picturebook feature. This idea came to me from my sister, who is about to enter into student teaching and is looking for books to fill her future classroom with. I know she’ll be an amazing teacher, but her search for classroom books has sparked my interest in producing the best classroom materials for her.

I find the picturebook to be a unique and fascinating genre. There is so much to explore between the verbal and visual contexts. I will take time to discuss different elements of the text and the art as well as include a brief review of the plot.

A note to those with young children in their care (parents, siblings, teachers, and other guardians): You’ve all heard that reading to your child is important. And it is. Very important in my opinion. But I also believe that we should be choosy about which books we introduce to new and young readers. Picturebooks are meant to be fun, cute, playful, moralistic, and instructional. However, some books, simply take one or more of these elements too far. For example, a book about cars with wheels on it probably puts too much playfulness in the book. Children are meant to want to open and read the book, not use it like a matchbox car. That’s why I’ve taken on this project. For those of you who already read to children or who will one day soon. My purpose is to display quality books for you to share with young readers. If you have read one of these books to a child I would love to hear your feedback! I like to read to my niece and nephews, but they’re growing quickly and won’t be reading picturebooks for too long now. 


Picturebook Review: Henry Hikes to Fitchburg 
by D.B Johnson

Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2000

Illustrations – colored pencil and paint on paper

Goodreads Description:
 
Inspired by a passage from Henry David Thoreau's "Walden," this wonderfully appealing story follows two friends who have very different approaches to life. When the two agree to meet one evening in Fitchburg, which is thirty miles away, each decides to get there in his own way and have surprisingly different days. 

My Review:

This story features Henry David Thoreau as a bear. He and his friend choose different paths to an agreed meeting place. The juxtaposition between the two is paralleled on each page spread; Henry walks and experiences a nature-filled path while his friend chooses to work different labor jobs to earn a train ticket.

It’s an adorable story. The theme of enjoyment and connection with nature is evident on each page, but is in no way pedantic. Henry’s path is filled with adventure and curiosity, and child readers can relate to Henry’s curiosity and appreciate his calm.

The art in this book is phenomenal. Color and line guide the illustrations and tie in the verbal text to the visual. The colors reflect the sunlight on every page. Shadow and Sun are evident in the colors and almost seem to be in some sort of tug-of-war. A vibrant green fills the spaces in each illustration, and the red and blue theme appeals the adventure of the story.

My favorite part of the illustrations is the use of line. The illustrations use line to compare the paths of Henry and his friend. The lines contrast in direction and shape, which convey feelings of leisure or discomfort. Lines surrounding Henry tend to be round while his friend is most often illustrated with slanted and vertical lines to convey the hectic surroundings of city life compared to the peace of nature.

While reading this book, stop to ask the child what he or she sees in the illustrations. Point out color and line and see what they can interpret. There are so many unique details in the illustrations, such as Henry’s friend’s pocket watch. This is definitely a book to read multiple times. Honestly, this a good story for adults to read with children because I’m sure many parents and guardians would enjoy this book just as much as the child. 

I would give this book 4 out of 5 foxes