Yesterday, ”The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film. It’s a beautiful film that truly highlights the role books can play in our lives. I encourage you to take a look.
 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE,” by Christopher Paul Curtis, Wendy Lamb Books, Jan. 10, 2012, $15.99 (ages 9 and up)

Deza Malone is the smartest girl in her class. She’s always first among her peers because she loves to learn. It’s apparent to anyone who knows her, and especially her teacher, who expects Deza to do great things with her life.

But expectations and what actually happens are two different things.

The Great Depression hits Americans hard, and Deza’s family, living in Gary, Ind., is struggling. Deza’s father is without work and the likelihood of him finding something is very low. There just aren’t any jobs for black men.

Deza’s father moves to Michigan in search for work, and Deza feels as if her family is being ripped apart. Soon, Deza, her mother and older brother, Jimmie set out in search of the husband and father they love. The trio travels as far as a Hooverville outside Flint, Mich., before setting down some temporary roots. But even that doesn’t last long, with Jimmie running off to Chicago to become a singer. Can this family split asunder ever be happy again?

“The Mighty Miss Malone” is a sophisticated read for 9 to 12-year-olds. Author Christopher Paul Curtis doesn’t write down to his readers, rather he expects them to keep up.

There are a lot of sad, depressing, heavy topics covered here, though the book doesn’t feel dark. The pacing, however, could have had better pacing, with the action building up and then grinding to a halt. A smoother ebb and flow might make for easier reading.

Where Curtis does excel is in setting the scene. There’s no question that Deza’s story takes place in the depression, nor is there any question that she comes from a loving family. Curtis also truly seems to get into Deza’s head. Deza is smart and ambitious. And both her dreams and fears come across clear. The world through her eyes, though, isn’t always clear, but perhaps that’s the point — as readers we are experiencing things side-by-side with her.

“The Mighty Miss Malone” doesn’t have a particularly satisfying end, though it is happy. That, too, appears to be on purpose. Things look up for the family, but they’re not perfect. It’s an ending probably closer to reality than many books for middle readers, though, and that’s to be commended.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“TEMPEST,” by Julie Cross, Macmillan Audio, Jan.17, 2012, (ages 14 and up)

Imagine closing your eyes one second and opening them the next, only when you open your eyes you’re in a different place and time.

That’s what’s happened the first time Jackson Meyer jumped through time. Now 19, Jackson is pretty much a normal college student — aside from the whole time traveling thing that is. Jackson has a girlfriend, goes to classes and works as a day camp kids counselor.

There’s only one person who knows about Jackson’s “gift.” With the help of his friend Adam, Jackson has been testing his abilities. He can only jump back in time and nothing he does changes the future. For the most part, it’s a harmless jaunt. For the most part…

Turns out the jumping wasn’t completely harmless. By making frequent jumps, Jackson has unwittingly attracted the wrong kind of attention. It all culminates when two men burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly. There’s a struggle, and Holly is fatally shot. While Jackson mentally freezes, his other reflexes don’t and he jumps back two years. And this jump is different. Jackson finds himself stuck in 2007, and he can’t return to save Holly. He’s going to have to stay where he’s at, but that doesn’t mean he can’t start preparing for the inevitable…

“Tempest,” by Julie Cross, is told from Jackson’s point of view and as such is narrated by a man, Matthew Brown, for the audiobook. Matthew does a great job of capturing Jackson’s naïve and sort of arrogant tone early on and his subtler and maturing personality as the story progresses. Overall, Matthew does a great job with different voices throughout the novel, with some exceptions. His personification of a few of the female characters felt a bit stereotypical and over the top. While I found this annoying, it wasn’t too distracting to quit listening.

The part that almost had me stop listening had nothing to do with the narration or quality of the recording, which is very good. What had me questioning if I should finish was the use of profanity. I generally don’t use it in my everyday life, so the F-bomb repeatedly coming through my speakers was not only a surprise but grating as well. In part because I read so quickly, I have trained myself to almost ignore profanity in books, but while listening, there’s really no way to know when it’s coming. For some people this is a minor or nonexistent issue, but for those who are more sensitive to language — consider yourself warned.

“Tempest” reads or — in the case of the audiobook — sounds like a Hollywood popcorn movie. And that’s both a good and bad thing.

While there’s plenty of action and dramatic moments, there’s also a lot of jumping around in “Tempest.” And not just Jackson jumping through time, there’s also flashbacks of certain events. It can get confusing. And my guess is that it’s even more confusing when reading on the page rather than listening to an audiobook where the narrator denotes change through pauses and changes in timbre.

I enjoyed “Tempest” but I didn’t finish it feeling wowed. While some elements felt fresh, others felt like a rehash of books, TV shows and movies I’ve already forgotten. I liked the story enough to be glad I listened, but not enough to listen again.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“INCARNATE,” by Jodi Meadows, Katherine Tegen Books, Jan. 31, 2012, $17.99 (ages 13 and up)

A million souls have been reincarnated for thousands of years. Each soul brings their memories and experiences from their previous lives. No one knows why it happens, but it does, year after year.

But then Ana is born. Ana who is new. Ana the newsoul or the nosoul as her mother calls her.

When Ana comes into existence, another soul vanishes. It’s the first time it’s ever happened, and people are afraid who might be next.

Ana’s mother is ashamed of her child and what she may bring with her. Her only solution: to keep Ana away from society and teach her nothing of value.

As “Incarnate” opens, Ana is leaving her mother’s home in search of her future and her past. Ana has so many questions — how did she get here, will she be reincarnated. To find the answers, Ana heads to the city of Heart, but the people there are cautious. Could this newsoul be the reason dragons and sylph are attacking the city with such vigor?

Ana would feel very alone if not for Sam, who believes that not only is Ana worthwhile, but someone worth fighting for. Standing up for Ana is noble, but it also puts Sam in great danger, and Ana isn’t sure she can live with that, even if she only lives one lifetime.

In “Incarnate” Jodi Meadows has created a world where dragons and living walls exist. It’s as warm and inviting as it is cold and calculating. Jodi’s world is heavy with the weight of history, yet we, as readers, get to discover it anew through Ana’s eyes.

Ideas of reincarnation have been around since before the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and yet Jodi is able to breathe new life into it. Her book feels fresh and is compelling throughout.

“Incarnate” is a quick read. Jodi’s prose is polished and approachable. Though there was a sequence toward the end that seemed both rambling and rushed at the same time. Looking back, I find myself thinking I need to reread the section to fully understand it. But despite that off moment, “Incarnate” remained an absorbing read.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“CHOMP!: A Pull Tab Book,” by Accord Publishing and Heather Brown,  Feb. 7, 2012, $7.99 (ages 3 and up)

One thing most animals have in common is they’re chomping ability.  Crocodiles smile, leopards growl, polar bears yawn, orangutans laugh, sharks chomp and lions roar. All of these things are displayed in “Chomp,” which features die-cut spreads for each animal and a single pull tab that makes teeth move. With bright, bold illustrations and simple text, this board book is likely to be a winner with young children. The one drawback: It’s only 12 pages, which is a bit skimpy, even for a board book.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“May B.” by Caroline Starr Rose, Schwartz & Wade, Jan 10, 2012, $15.99 (ages 9 and up)

Pa pulls me close,
the crisp money crackles
Against my cheek.
My first wage.
“Till Christmas,” he says
“Do your best.”

I nod.

But I know
my best isn’t always good enough.

May has been sent to help on a neighbor’s Kansas prairie homestead. She won’t go to school anymore, and she’ll be 15 miles away from her family. May doesn’t want to go, but she’ll be helping her family.

I hand him the message.
“The missus left this.”

He walks outside to read in the light.
I pull farther back in.
This is his business,
not mine.

Except for it is May’s business. When the woman she’s working for runs away and her husband follows, May is left behind, utterly alone. At first, May thinks they’ll be back, but as time passes, she realizes she’s been abandoned.

The sky
holds the high white
of snow.
It is too early
for this.
I am not ready.

The snow comes, and May is trapped inside her neighbor’s snow-covered house. With only her thoughts and a schoolbook to keep her occupied, May recalls the past and faces her struggles with reading head on.

When Teacher came I’d focus so hard,
trying to imagine that balled-up rag.
I was ashamed
to stand with the little ones
in the front of the room.
I knew more than any of them,
more than Rita,
and Avery,
and Hiram,
put together.

As her food dwindles and a wolf nears, May is determined to find her way home again. Even if it means risking her life in the process.

There’s no creek to guide me.
Nothing is familiar,
but I push forward still.

“May B.” is a beautiful, engrossing book for middle readers. Though in the tradition of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, readers of all ages will enjoy this read.

Written in verse form, this novel is a quicker read than its 240 pages imply. “May B.” is fast-paced while being contemplative and it engages readers on a levels. Though the text is sparse in word count, author Caroline Starr Rose perfectly conveys May’s emotions. So, too, is May’s self-reliance and determination.

“May B.” is a quiet novel that packs a big and unexpected wallop. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in recent months. Well-worth your time.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“NEW GIRL,” by Paige Harbison, Harlequin Teen, Jan. 31, 2012, $9.99 paperback (ages 14 and up)

A beautiful and intoxicating creature, her mysterious disappearance and a love haunted by her memory. There is only one story these elements can truly describe — “Rebecca.”

Or, in Paige Harbison‘s case, “New Girl.”

Based on Daphne du Maurier’s classic tale, “New Girl” is a modernized mystery for the young adult crowd.

Manderley Academy is a posh private school that many would dream of getting into. The school’s newest student dreamed of going there when she was younger, but now that it’s her senior year, she’d rather not attend class halfway across the country. But her parents are so excited and it is the opportunity of a lifetime.

A new student isn’t that big of news, not when it’s Rebecca Normandy that she’s replacing. Becca. Perfect in every way Becca. She went missing at the end of last year and no one can forget her — especially her roommate Dana, who practically worshiped her.

Being the new girl is hard enough, but when everyone acts like your to blame for a stranger’s disappearance, life can be more than a challenge. Add to your already full plate the unwanted attention of the two boys who were Becca’s suitors and you know you’re in trouble.

Becca’s coming back, at least that’s what Dana says. And getting in her way could be very dangerous.

A disclaimer: “Rebecca” is one of my favorite books of all time. My mom handed me a copy of it when I was 12, and I was hooked. When I mean favorite, I mean favorite. Not only did I write a paper on the book for a college class, I also wrote a paper on the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock adaptation of it.

Needless to say, I came into “New Girl” with some pretty strong feelings. I really wanted to like it, if only for its predecessor’s sake. And I couldn’t help but compare the two throughout.

Like “Rebecca,” in “New Girl” the narrator’s name (new girl) is never revealed. I know that sounds weird, but it really works, setting the tone for how “unimportant” the narrator feels and how she is viewed by her peers.

Paige does a great job of setting the tone, almost Gothic in nature. Her narrator is rich and well-developed and the perfect temperament for what she goes through. But the narrator is not the main character. She shares the billing with Becca, whose character unfolds in a series of flashbacks.

This is a departure from the source material and does well to set Paige’s book apart. I found Becca to be an unsympathetic individual and could have lived without those details, but readers new to the story will most likely appreciate the character counterpoint with the narrator.

I really enjoyed many elements of “New Girl,” but I almost put it down about 100 pages in. The problem: an obscene amount of partying — underage drinking, drugs and casual sex, which went into surprising detail for a YA book.

I would not hand “New Girl” to a 12-year-old and I probably wouldn’t even give it to a mature 14-year-old. I’m not so sheltered to question whether the above activities happen in real life, though I think these quantities are more the exception than the norm.

I did finish “New Girl” despite these concerns, and either I became used to the negative elements or they were less frequent later on. Turns out it was a good book. Not a great one, but worth reading if you don’t mind the previously mentioned issues.

 

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“WILDTHORN,” by Jane Eagland, Graphia; Reprint edition, Jan. 17, 2012, $8.99 (ages 14 and up)

Throughout history women have been undervalued. But it’s hard to believe that our mothers and grandmothers lived to experience those lack of rights.

“Wildthorn” by Jane Eagland takes readers back to a time when a woman wanting to be a doctor was considered an illness rather than an ambition.

All Louisa Cosgrove has ever wanted is to become a doctor like her father, but society has other plans. A young woman is expected to know all the social graces. Her only dream: to find an eligible man of wealth and social standing.

Louisa’s father supports her desire, but when he dies suddenly, his wishes die with him. After their father’s death, Louisa’s brother sends her to live as a friend’s companion. Louisa doesn’t want to go, but accepts her brother’s reassurances that the move will be for the best.

The trip is long and tedious, and when Louisa arrives, she finds she has been taken advantage of. Instead of becoming a companion, Louisa is locked away in Wildthorn Hall — a madhouse. Louisa’s identity is taken away, and she’s told everything she believes about her life is a lie. She’s not the daughter of a doctor. Her name is Lucy Childs. She has no family.

Louisa is trapped. She has no idea how she ended up at Wildthorn or who sent her there. It will take all her smarts and ingenuity to free herself and put things right, assuming all of Louisa’s memories are real, and not a figment of her imagination.

“Wildthorn” is captivating from the first page. I found myself utterly enthralled with the world Louisa lives in. I felt her joy at learning new things and her disgust at the world of men.

As Louisa is thrust into the world of mental illness, and the treatment of it, I felt as if I were watching a train wreck — unable to look away, but saddened and angered by what was happening before me.

“Wildthorn” is not an easy book to read. Readers will find some parts of it hard to read — both elements concerning mental illness and for some, elements of homosexuality. Though it should be noted that the author treats both of the subjects carefully and does so with good taste.

Overall, “Wildthorn” is a worthwhile read. It challenges social convention and asks readers to take a different look at things.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

“INVISIBLE INKLING,” by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Harry Bliss, Balzer + Bray, April 26, 2011, hardback $14.99, (ages 7 and up) — paperback available April 24, 2012

Hank Wolowitz’s best friend has moved, and now he feels all alone. He misses their adventures as pretend spies, and wishes he had help dealing with the bully at school who keeps stealing his lunch every day. Then one afternoon — while helping out at his family’s ice cream shop — he runs across what can only be described as an invisible furry creature. At first, Hank is not sure he hasn’t imagined the fuzzy fellow, but when his neighbor’s dog also notices the animal, Hank realizes he has discovered the real invisible deal. And what could be better than an invisible friend? Hank is in for some great fun with his new bandapat companion — Inkling.

The night my daughter and I began reading “Invisible Inkling,” my husband had fallen on the bed beside us after a long day at work. Soon enough all three of us were drawn in and laughing out loud at Hank’s observations on life and his adventures with his new invisible friend. Inkling himself is a character that our family would like to have more adventures with in the future. His quirky way of dealing with problems and his strange bandapat habits bring lots of giggles and interesting discussions.

As far as Hank’s problems with bullies go — I am assuming that more might be resolved with Bruno in the future since Hank himself seems unhappy with how things stand at this point. I do hope that more closure can be found with this important issue, since bullying is such a difficult problem for many children.

Still, with humorous writing and likeable Hank, this is an easy and entertaining read to enjoy together as a family. I often found myself looking forward to our evening chapter and wondering what would happen next, as much as I looked forward to and wondered about my own “grown-up” book at the time. It is also a book I would feel completely comfortable handing over to my child to be read on her own.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.

I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day. There’s something about being told when to tell someone you love them that doesn’t sit well. Celebrating love should be a year-round action. That’s why I like the following picture books, which work as fun reading material any time of the year.

“WHERE DOES LOVE COME FROM?” by Accord Publishing and Milena Kirkova, Dec. 6, 2011, $9.99 (all ages)

Have you ever wondered where love comes from? Does it bloom in a garden? Or blow in the wind? These questions, along with a number of other silly quandaries are posed in this beautiful novelty book. Similar to Accord’s “The Rainbow Book,” “Where Does Love Come From?” features die-cut pages that reveal another possible source of love. Brightly colored images help young readers understand this complicated emotion.

“BIG HUGS, LITTLE HUGS,” by Felicia Bond, Philomel, Jan. 3, 2012, $16.99 (ages 3 and up)

Hugs are a universal language. Everyone around the world shares hugs, and so do animals, in their own special way. Cats, dogs, hippos and raccoons are just some of the animals young readers will discover in “Big Hugs, Little Hugs.” Easily recognizable animals come to life under Felicia Bond’s artful hand. Surrounded by lots of white space, the animals pop off of the page. Children and parents will love this engaging book.

“FRIENDS FOREVER (Peter Rabbit Naturally Better),” by Beatrix Potter, Warne, Dec. 22, 2011, $6.99 (ages 3 and up)

This board book is a sweet tale of what it means to be a friend. Friends are for giggling, sharing, playing and hugging. Friends are forever. Simple text and charming bunny rabbit illustrations make it a perfect choice for children who have yet to start reading on their own.

© 2012, Cracking the Cover. All rights reserved.