The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making - Catherynne M Valente

one sentence summary:
September is 12 and she is tired of her boring old life so goes on a grand adventure.

review:
This is a brilliant story, it reminds me of a cross between Phantom Toll-Booth and Caroline. It is so well written that even though it is a children's book I am going to have to recommend everyone take the time and read it. The characters are all unique, there are no stereotypes or tropes to be found on the pages of this thrilling little story. The writing it self is beautiful, with poetry like prose on every page. With each new character comes a new adventure. Do yourself a favour and read this (also a great gift if you don't know what to get a 7-10 year old or for a baby shower... every kid should have this on their book shelve).


10/10

Iron Fey Series - Julie Kawaga

one sentence summary:
A half fey, half human girl tries to figure out where she belongs.

review:
I have only read the first two books in this series and I don't think I will keep going. The idea behind the novels is interesting but the execution needs some help. The characters are all really annoying, all whiny and they all create drama for themselves, basically teenagers will relate well to these stories.

4/10

Henry Huggins - Beverly Cleary

One Sentence Summary:
A boy and his dog overcome the obstacles that face boys as they grow up.


Review:
heartwarming stories aimed at middle-school (and maybe younger) boys. Written using language that young boys can read themselves and overlapping with other characters in the quirky suburban world that Cleary has created.   A 1950's world with ice cream cones and long summer days when a boy and his dog could have adventures and even take the bus without a parent, well before the advent of televisions in every room and video games to play on them. I highly recommend this to any boy (or girl) who likes reading.

8/10

 

Where The Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

one sentence summary
Poetry and illustration team up to explain why life doesn't actually suck (or at least that is what I took out of it)

review
if you are between 8 and 108 and haven't read this yet, put down your knitting and go read it now! The quirky little poems will rattle around in your head for the rest of your life. And you will be grateful for it. It is a brilliant work.

10/10

The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart

one sentence summary:
the story of Merlin before he was the great Wizard we all know him as.

review:
A wonderful take on the Merlin myth. We are introduced to a young Merlin and follow him as he enters adulthood. Filled with family drama and suspense, mystery and intrigue this is a well written, entertaining read. Stewart did a fantastic job of flushing out not only fantastic characters and relationships but also a fascinating country complete with politics and details that are often overlooked in "Arthur" stories. A great mix of verifiable fact and familiar myth. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys long, detailed historical novels and/or the Arthur legend.

6/10

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

one sentence summary:
a little girl finds an alternate world that is exactly like her own, but is completely different.

review:
A really well written story with a strong, independent female protagonist aimed at kids old enough to know the difference between reality and make believe. I can guarantee I will be reading this to my niece and grandniece given the opportunity. Gaiman does a fantastic job of describing the world through the eyes of a child. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially young girls who feel misunderstood by the world.

8/10

The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay

one sentence summary:
The story of a white boy growing up in South Africa in the 1930s-1950s

review:
A very beautifully written description of South Africa, the main character is less than relatable for me but the background plot and details are more than enough to make up for the unlikeableness of the protagonist. The novel is unnecessarily long but the writing makes good use of the extra pages with beautiful pores and a pounding plot. The characters do develop with the continuing plot so that makes it a more enjoyable read that many novels of the same girth. I recommend it to anyone interested in that era world history.

8/10

The Princess Bride - William Goldman

one sentence summary
 The movie is a classic everyone has seen, the book is better.

review:
This story has everything, drama to action to love and adventure. It tells a compelling story using a fantastic vocabulary built around amazing characters and their adventures. I recommend everyone go steal a fourth grader (boy or girl, doesn't really matter) and read this novel out loud with them. If you haven't read it yourself do it now or forever consider yourself deprived of one of the best stories ever. It is a highly entertaining fast paced read with easy to follow intersecting character lines. I have heard criticism that the female protagonist isn't strong, and isn't a good role model, this is true, she isn't but you can use her as a lesson on what not to do in life, and as an adult look at her as one of those stupid annoying females that we all know far to many of. This is a parody after all, you do have to be able to laugh at the characters in their over the top trope ness. In conclusion if you haven't read it read it now...

10/10

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and The Great Glass Elevator) - Roald Dahl

one sentence summary:
Charlie is a little boy who is heading towards a terrible adulthood when an eccentric man puts him on a new and exciting path.

review:
when I was a kid I loved both of these stories. The illustrations added a lot to the books (in these editions I can not speak for the other editions). There is something universally appealing about a poor boy winning the golden ticket to a better life and then actually getting that life by being a good person. Not to mention the satisfaction of seeing the bratty kids get their comeuppance. The writing is endearing, I recommend all kids read these the day they are old enough to make out the vocabulary.

10/10

The Iron Fey - Julie Kagawa

one sentence summary:
a "normal" girl finds out she is part fey.

review:
An interesting twist on A Midsummer's Night Dream, a teenage girl raised in the human world's younger brother is stolen away (and replaced with a changeling) to the other side of the "veil" where she is compelled to follow to save him. The writing is ok, not great but not quite terrible. The characters are all rather static, and very "Bella" (as in Twilight Bella, irrational girl with no self worth) which irritated me. The stories do move along at a rather fast clip, in fact I would guess that most real readers could breeze through the three I have read in a single day at the beach. I recommend this to people who liked Twilight and those who are looking for a light read full of teen angst with a twist of the paranormal.

6/10

Study Series - Maria V. Snyder

one sentence summary:
Yelena has some magic in her, journey with her as she discovers it.

review:
This is a remarkably well written series that appeals to the Twilight readers. The female protagonist in this series is actually a strong person who changes as she learns more about herself (almost like a real person). I enjoy the way that the personality of Yelena changes based on her life experiences (unlike other teen characters in popular fictions). The language of the story is very direct and lacks the super descriptive pros of traditional fantasy but is much better written than most of the modern-aimed-at-teenage-girls stuff. The series starts out really strong and goes down from there so if you can't find the second and third books after reading the first I would say that's ok.

8/10 for the first one, 6/10 for the other two.

The Giver - Lois Lowry

one sentence summary:
with great responsibility comes an ample dose of crazy.

review:
This, for most people, is one of the first looks at a dystopian/utopian world. A coming of age story that is relatable to by almost everyone in our vastly media savvy world where everyone wants to be the same as everyone else. On first read through as an adult it seems very preachy with religion thrown in your face nearly every time you turn the page, but on a second read through it is a much better read. It is a really well written poignant story using beautiful language to contrast with the harsh sameness of the subject matter. On a personal note (coming from someone who has read an awful lot of dystopian fiction) this is the kind of "utopia" I imagine could actually work for a limited number of generations, familial bonds are kept strong (but not too strong), tasks are assigned based on aptitude and evolution has continued in humans to make maintaining the sameness possible. This is well worth reading, it is a short book so just take an afternoon and do it.

8/10
8/10

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales - The Brothers Grimm

one sentence summary:
Before there was Disney fairy tales were much more gruesome.
review:
I happen to know a lot about the brothers Grimm and I can tell you that they did not come up with all of these stories on their own, rather they collected all the folk tales in Eastern Europe and wrote them down, thus they get all of the credit. I do not recommend these for children unless you stop reading and add your own happy endings because none of the true endings of fairy tales are happily ever after ones. These are all timeless classics and I believe no library is complete without them in it. Translated into almost every language these are all brilliant stories. Personally, I have a beautiful copy that was given to me by one of my mom's friends at my baby shower.
10/10

Eragon - Christopher Paolini

one sentence summary:
A boy finds a dragon.
review:
This is a novel that does it's job very well, it is written to bring preteen boys (and girls) into the world of reading and expand their vocabulary while at it. It is not particularly well written and the story is not particularly original, in fact it is one of the most unoriginal works of fantasy I have ever read. That said it is a good introduction to the fantasy genre as it touches on almost every trope of the genre. I recommend it to preteens without a lot of experience in the genre.
4/10
6/10

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne

one sentence summary:
from very different parts of WWII society two boys become friends.

review:
This is a wonderful "children's book", written so a fourth grader could easily read it on their own it touches on some very grown up concepts. The concepts in this book would make it both a wonderful and terrible class read. This story made me sob, literally sob, while it is an easy read as far as vocabulary goes it is anything but when it comes to the story. I recommend everyone read it (as an adult it shouldn't take more than a few hours) but be warned it will make you feel.

8/10
8/10

The Med Center Series - Diane Hoh

one sentence summary:
Grey's Anatomy for 11 year old girls in the 1990's.

Review:
This is a cotton candy read, bad action, terrible dialogue and unbelievable characters. All thrown into one unbelievable disaster after another.They are awesome in their ridiculousness. I recommend them for pretty much noon but they are highly entertaining reads, just don't bitch at me about how terrible they are, I already know it. I am one of those people who will watch bad action movies (such as 2012, Twister, Day After Tomorrow, Earthquake, Volcano etc.) over and over again, these books are like those movies. People like me are who I recommend them to.
6/10

To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee

One Sentence Summary:
A lawyer and his family set about proving a black man's innocence to a racist Southern town. 

Review:
An American classic, this is a must read for everyone. I loved all of the characters in it and the way it was written and everything else about it. It is an easy read but is still a moving and motivating piece, it reflects our own nature back at us through an untainted mirror. Good vs bad is showcased on nearly ever page with good triumphing against all odds. While it may not be the most realistic outcome for the era it makes the points it sets out to make in such a way that even the dumbest kid in the fourth grade class forced to read it can see the themes.

10/10
10/10

Notable Quotes:
"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." 

"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for."

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

If you enjoyed this you should read:

Anne of Green Gables - L M Montgomery (if you love Scout, Anne is just as precocious)
The Watson's go to Birmingham - Christopher Paul Curtis (if you are suddenly interested in the civil rights movement/segregation)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (just because it is the modern American coming of age classic)

the Flavia de Luce series - Alan Bradley

8/10
6/10 middle - high school (coming of age)


The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
(Flavia de Luce #1)

One Sentence Summary:

A precocious young girl solves a murder in her 1950 town.

Review:

I really enjoy the character of Flavia, however she will not be for everyone as she is a very precocious child. Bradley's writing style brings to life the setting but sometimes lacks in the character development end of things. The story in this novel, while not the most believable is still enjoyable.
8/10

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
(Flavia de Luce #2)

One Sentence Summary:
Flavia uncovers another murder, this time of a traveling puppeteer. 

Review:
Flavia really came into her own on this story, and so did Bradley. His writing reached a stride that eliminated the distracting loss of rhythm that was in the first. Again the plot was rather unbelievable but so were all of the characters so it seemed to flow better than the first one.
8/10

A Red Herring Without Mustard
(Flavia de Luce #3)

One Sentence Summary:

Flavia uncovers another murder, this time of a traveling gypsy. 

Review:

I like Flavia even better now, in this story she comes to terms with her life, the death of her mother and the distraction of her father. And Bradley's writing is still on the upswing.

8/10

I Am Half Sick Of Shadows
(Flavia de Luce #4)

I finally got my hands on this one, it was even better than the earlier ones. I recommend sticking it out with the series. Flavia grows even more as a character as she faces the trials of a Christmas with her family, her sisters also develop more and become almost likeable in this instalment. 

Speaking from Among the Bones
(Flavia de Luce #5)
this is not out yet, will be out in 2013 apparently

Notable Quotes:

"I gave her a partial smile and kept the rest of it for myself..." -The Sweetness...

"...silence is sometimes the most costly of commodities." -The Sweetness...

"I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life" -The Sweetness...

"I wanted to shake the stuffing out of him; I wanted to hug him; I wanted to die." -The Sweetness...

"Experience has taught me that an expected answer is often better than the truth." -... Hangman's Bag

"If you remember nothing else, remember this: Inspiration from outside one's self is like the heat in an oven. It makes passable Bath buns. But inspiration from within is like a volcano: It changes the face of the world." -... Hangman's Bag

"She consumed books like a whale eats krill." -... Hangman's Bag

"There's a lot to be said for being alone. But you and I know, don't we, Flavia, that being alone and being lonely are not at all the same thing?" -... Hangman's Bag

"I remembered that Beethoven's symphonies had sometimes been given names... they should have call [the Fifth] the Vampire, because it simply refused to lie down and die." -... Hangman's Bag

"I was learning that among friends, a smile can be better than a belly laugh." -Red Herring...

"The very best people are like that. They don't entangle you like flypaper." -Red Herring...

"Whenever I'm with other people, part of me shrinks a little. Only when I am alone can I fully enjoy my own company." -Red Herring...

"Spare us the pout, there’s enough lip in the world without you adding to it." -Red Herring...

"Thinking and prayer are much the same thing anyway, when you stop to think about it -- if that makes any sense. Prayer goes up and thought comes down -- or so it seems. As far as I can tell, that's the only difference." -Red Herring...

"Books are like oxygen to a deep-sea diver," she had once said. "Take them away and you might as well begin counting the bubbles." -Half Sick...

"Either way, the whole thing was a pain in the porpoise." -Half Sick...
If you enjoyed this you should read:

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Remarkable Creatures - Tracy Chavellier
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

*Disclaimer* I have not read any other books in the series, just this one. I also have no intention of reading anymore of them... if you have compelling reasons I should please comment. 

One Sentence Summary:
A genius child/military leader named Ender tries to save the world from an alien race. 

Review:
While I enjoyed this book I think it is overrated, lots of people call it the best space opera of our time, I disagree.  It is written well enough, has a gripping story line and well described military strategy out the wazoo but that is where the compliments end. It is lacking in character development to the point reading it is almost painful at times, the characters just are really terrible, all stereotypical with no magnetism, super-intelligent kids being kids trying to take over the world. The use of language is weak at best and the descriptions are lacking in depth (other than those of military strategy). It is just one of those books that gets far more credit than it actually deserves, though it is worth a read if you are young or enjoy sci-fi.

6/10
8/10 - Middle / High School depending on individual maturity.

Notable Quotes:
“Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.” 

If you enjoyed this you should read:
The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli (for a philosophical look at Ender's personality)
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

One Sentence Summary:
A Hobbit meets a wizard and some dwarfs, they go on an adventure and he finds a magic ring.

Review:
I first read this when I was 10-12ish and then I re-read it when the movies were coming out in 2001. I liked it best when I read it as a child. The tone and language of The Hobbit is much easier to read than that of the Lord Of The Ring Trilogy which makes it accessible to everybody. It is a grand adventure that draws the reader in and doesn't let go until well after that last page has been turned. I recommend this book for everyone and I advise everyone take the opportunity to read it out loud to any children in your lives.

9/10
10/10 Middle School - especially boys. 

Notable Quotes:

“May the hair on your toes never fall out”

If you enjoyed this and are young I recommend:

Percy Jackson & The Olympians - Rick Riordan
Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini

If you enjoyed this and are an adult I recommend:

(continue with) the Lord of the Ring Trilogy - J. R. R. Tolken
Wayfarer Redemption - Sarah Douglass