Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame

Recommended grades 4-7.  L.L. Sampson borrows much from Lemony Snicket in the opening novel to her series, The Enchanted Attic.  Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame (Zonderkidz, 2012) has a tangential, well-read narrator, near-orphans with adult hobbies and interests, and enough literary allusions to keep kids jumping to Wikipedia.  The series follows twins Ophelia and Linus who discover a magical laboratory kept by a former tenant in their aunt and uncle's attic.  This laboratory has the power to bring fictional characters into the present day reality, or to transport a reader into their favorite story.  The nefarious mad scientist Cato uses the lab to rob fictional words of their precious treasures.  The story is funny, the dialogue (too?) witty, and the references to classical novels thorough enough for young readers to get a sense of the allusions without tromping through French literature.  Fans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy the series, while waiting for the original to continue his craft; Samson does not add to Snicket's style.  Recommended, ***

Peter and the Star Catchers

Recommended grades 4-6.  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson attempt to answer the question, "How did Peter meet Captain Hook?"  in their prequel to J.M. Barrie's timeless tale of the boy who would never grow up, Peter and the Starcatchers (Hyperion, 2004).  In the first book of what is now a series, readers find Peter aboard a ship called the Neverland with fellow orphans, headed to be dropped in the hands of a loathsome Caribbean king.  On the way, Peter comes in contact with inexplicable magic that will change his fate forever.

Barry and Pearson craft a fun and fast-paced narrative, sure to keep readers entertained.  Published under Disney's publishing arm, the book has been optioned for a series sure to entertain fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and the many adaptations of Barrie's original work.  The authors provide convincing backstories while still allowing for the magic created by Barrie.  And for that, this Peter Pan fan is grateful.

Highly recommended, ****

Revolution

Recommended grades 7-10.  A love for all things historical pushed me to read Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution (Delacorte, 2010).  Donnelly draws from extensive research on the French Revolution and the family of Louis XVI to craft the dual narratives of 18th century actress-turned-radical-royalist Alexandrine and 21st century aficionado of teen-angst and musical theory Andi.

On the whole, the concept was fascinating.  Even those well-versed in French history can appreciate the depth of description and characterization of this most chaotic period.  The royalist perspective is rarely explored with such clear sympathy in the heroic narrative of liberté, egalité, fraternité.  


That said, the pace and flow of the novel left much to be desired.  Far too much time was spent on Andi's self-pitying diatribe, which even angsty teens themselves will be annoyed by.  In trying to speak for her audience, Donnelly may insult and alienate them.  There are so many aspects of this novel Donnelly may well have explored without wasting the vast majority of the novel on unmoving points and unconvincing relationships.

Ambivalent recommendation, ***

The Future of Us

Recommended grades 7-10.  Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler bring forward a fascinating question; if you were able to see our future Facebook posts in 1995, what would you think of the life you lead today?  This is exactly what happens to Josh and Emma, high school Sophomores who unwittingly download a free AOL sample and gain access to their Facebook pages in 2010.  The 1995 world they create will make older reader smile, and will make all readers think about how we use social networking technology.  The narrative, which switches perspectives between the two characters, is fast-paced and engaging.  This book is a wonderful thought experiment, and a great coming-of-age story.  Highly recommended, ****.

Recommended grades 6-8.  Steven Shenkin loves Benedict Arnold, and he wants readers to share his appreciation.  Shenkin pulls together years of research into a narrative of Benedict Arnolds tumultuous years on both sides of the Revolutionary War.  Shenkin paints a conflicted Arnold, desperate for   acknowledgement (and payment) for his heroics.  Shenkin draws quotes from primary sources, and provides an extensive reference list at the back of the book.  The narrative Shenkin creates is engaging, and he provides vintage-looking maps to illustrate the major battles Arnold participated in.  This book will teach young adults (and adults alike!) to appreciate the sometimes flawed heros that fill history books.  The narrative could have been improved with an insight into Shenkin's process, tough overall an excellent book, well worth the recognition it has received.
Recommended, ***

Rapid City Public Library Story Time

Library Programming.  Like many public libraries, Rapid City, South Dakota has created a YouTube channel to share their storytime and other programming offerings.  One great feature of their videos is that they tape actual events; viewers can see how librarians interact with children and other patrons.  This is extremely valuable for developing librarians who may want to build knowledge of storytime activities, while still learning about the interactive element of a public librarian's job.  For those who simply want to watch at home, the patrons can be loud and distracting, so those viewers may prefer to see the librarians presenting activities and stories for the camera audience alone.  Rapid City story time blends songs and movements with the stories, and it is great to see how librarians tell stories, and how much joy the young patrons take in singing the songs.  Rapid City is a good resource for young librarians, though may be distracting to patrons themselves.  Recommended, ***

Khan Academy

Recommended grades 6-12.  Khan Academy is an online tutoring website for students in upper grades.  Focused primarily on math, but with sections for science and humanities, Khan Academy starts with video "lectures," a teacher working out problems and then offers practice problems for students to work on.  This is a valuable tool as a re-teach, or as homework help.  If teachers and students create free accounts, they can work together to pick goals to work towards through the "coach feature."  Students can save their work and teachers can track and guide their progress.  This site has great potential for remediation, and for enrichment for students who want to go beyond classwork.  The site is very easy to navigate, and users can integrate their accounts with existing Google or Facebook accounts.  Highly recommended, *****