Journey of a Book-Addicted Librarian: February 2016

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN: How do you know what's good?

While there are many places (especially on the internet) where you can read book reviews, how do you really know if it's a good book or not when a single book might receive anywhere from one to five stars?
The answer: read the reviews of a book-addicted teacher librarian.

NOTE:
** The age recommendations are guidelines only; whether or not a certain book is suitable for a particular child depends on multiple factors, including their maturity, reading level, interests, and in some cases their experiences.
** While the ratings are largely based on my own personal appreciation/enjoyment of the book, they are also influenced by my experiences as a teacher and the potential attraction for the target-aged child (acknowledging that what one child may love, another may find exceptionally boring). A rating of 5 indicates the book is likely to be popular with the majority.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Series: Phyllis Wong Mysteries (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Geoffrey McSkimming (US)
PUBLISHED: Allen & Unwin ; 2014.
PAGES/ILL: ~390 pages.
SERIES: Phyllis Wong Mysteries. Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto ; Phyllis Wong and the Return of the Conjuror ; Phyllis Wong and the Waking of the Wizard.

PLOT: (Book 2: Phyllis Wong and the Return of the Conjuror)
Phyllis Wong, the girl magician, returns to solve a crime from history. Someone has been selling mint-condition copies of Shakespeare's collected plays and Phyllis suspects someone is up to no good. With a secret from her great-grandfather, and with help from her friends Clement and Chief Inspector Inglis, it's up to Phyllis to solve the puzzle and prevent the theft of Shakespeare's missing play.

REVIEW:
This is a fun story, and although I won't go out of my way to read another in the series for my personal choice, I can see it being popular with middle-grade girls. I would have no problem recommending it to children who like 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl.
The book series also has a web-site.

AGE: 9+.
GENRE: Realistic fantasy.
RATING: 3 1/2 stars.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Series: Odditorium (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Gregory Funaro (US)
PUBLISHED: Disney Hyperion ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: ~400 pages.
SERIES: Odditorium. Alistair Grimm's Odditorium ; Alistair Grimm's Odd Aquaticum.

PLOT:
12 year old Grubb has been raised as a chimney sweep. Adopted as a baby, he has lived a miserable existence since his mother died when he was six. But everything changes when he stows away in a mysterious carriage and winds up in the Odditorium and under the care of Alistair Grimm.
The Odditorium is fuelled by a strange blue energy, which Prince Nightshade wants for his own evil ends. Grubb finds himself in an adventure of magic, fairies, banshees, and ninjas. When Grubb is captured by the Prince, he'll need all his wit to save not only himself, but his new family, too.

REVIEW:
The premise is interesting and the story keeps you involved, however there was something about the voice, especially towards the end, that didn't quite gel with me. The plot was generally very predictable, and the character's "ah hah" moments felt flat.

I picked up this book because I'd catalogued the second in the series and it looked and sounded interesting. It's not a terrible book, and I can see that Middle Grade-aged children may really enjoy it, but it just didn't live up to expectations. I think the action would appeal to reluctant readers, and although it is quite long, it's a fast read.

AGE: 9+.
GENRE: Steampunk/Fantasy/Adventure.
RATING: 3 stars.