What Should I Read? Book Talks and More

The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski. This book is that interesting mix of fantasy, magic, and science fiction that I just can't resist! Petra is a small place, village girl who wants to save her father. She has to go far from home to a big city to accomplish this task--while he waits at home. And, he doesn't want her to do it! Her father is an inventor and something important has been taken from him, she must figure out how to steal it back and decide who she can trust along the way. Here is the blurb from the card catalog: Twelve year old Petra, accompanies by her magical tin spider, goes to Prague hoping to retrieve the magical eyes the Prince of Bohemia took from her father and is aided in her quest by a Roma and his sister. I had the sequel to this book IN MY HANDS earlier this week, and I really want to read it! Something happened and before I knew it, I was checking it out to someone else! I will just have to wait! It is on the William Allen White list.

Breath by Donna Jo Napoli (be sure to see her website at this link) I like Napoli's use of mythology in her stories. Her historic periods--the middle ages in this case--are reliably researched and presented, as far as I can tell. The book, Breath , follows the story of the Pied Piper. Remember there was a child who couldn't or didn't go with the other children when they left? He is the main character of this Pied Piper tale. It is set in Hamlin and there are lots and lots of rats causing plagues and food shortages. It is so interesting to see the human side of this tale, rather than just filling the the blanks with imaginings. I was attracted by the painting, The Triumph of Death , by Peter Brueghel the Elder, on the book jacket, as well as the author. 5 - Awesome Book, highly recommend

Here is a quote from this story. I think it shows how on target Keeping the Night Watch is about life at middle school. "Lunch is probably the worst subject you have to take in school. Every day you run the gauntlet and try to come out on the other side alive." This book is written in poems. Each one tells a little story, and all together you know the whole story. It is full of the angst of a boy who is growing up and whose dad has come back to the family after being away. Using the scale we have for the 25 Book Campaign, I give this book a 4--good book, recomend