Showing posts with label children's books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's books. Show all posts
Book Review - The Taken
Author: Inbali Iserles
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: September 29, 2015
Version I Read: Ebook
Rating: 3.5/5
So, I, uh, guess I have a thing for animal fantasy stories and am really happy they're selling right now? Even if they're children's and middle grade books?
Anyway, here's the next one I found. It's called the Foxcraft series, of which only the first book, The Taken, is out. Like the Wings of Fire series, it's written by one of the Erin Hunter team.
Foxcraft stars a young fox named Isla, who lives in the city with her parents, grandmother, and brother. One day, Isla returns to find strange foxes around their den and her family nowhere in sight. Frightened, she runs away, finding herself alone and trying to survive in the city while searching for her family. After running into a strange fox from the Wildlands named Siffrin, learning about the magical powers of Foxcraft, and staying on the run from a malicious fox that might kill Isla if she gets in her way, Isla's life is sure to never be the same.
Spoilers!
Overall, I found the book quite good. The foxcraft itself is probably what the book does best - it's a really clever magic system grounded in reality and the various mythologies about foxes. The mythology of this world is also shaping up to be interesting, with one of the most different takes I've ever seen on wolves in particular. Though I do have to wonder, since there are obviously more canids than just wolves, dogs, and foxes, about what the place of other species, such as African wild dogs or even the mythologically somewhat-similar tanuki of Japan, would be in this world's mythology. The author is British, so I assume she's just going with European species, though us Americans would probably be interested to see where our coyote would fit in among Canista's children.
The book does a very good job of showing readers the human world through the eyes of animals, which is not always easy to do but extremely effective when executed correctly. It made me think and try and figure out what Isla was talking about, seeing, and experiencing, which is great for kids.
While the side characters are just fine, I found some issues with the major ones. Isla herself works well as the protagonist of a middle grade novel, but there's not really anything different about her. Siffrin doesn't appear to have much of a reason for keeping the fact that Isla's family is already dead from her - in fact, it probably would have been to his advantage to tell her, because then she would have trusted him and been really serious about helping him find Pirie. Him being such a jerk for no apparent reason also put me off - I'm kind of getting sick of seeing characters like that. Perhaps he has good reasons for not being forthright with her about a lot of things, but for the reader it just gets annoying after a while and any reasons are never presented, in this book anyway. And Karka isn't given the chance to be a good villain because she has minimal interaction with the main characters before being killed off.
For being the namesake of the book, the Taken don't play much of a major role and we don't know anything more about them other than their eyes glow red and they've had their will taken away by someone called the Mage. How the Taken are made is left a mystery, as well as exactly how it affects foxes. The concept of the Taken is also a little strange, as all the other magic in the book has some basis in reality or folklore, with the magic ability to remove a fox's free will kind of sticking out. This was probably intentional, however, because it adds a wrong, unnatural power, and thematically it works against a mythology that claims foxes chose and will always choose freedom.
The book does a very good job of showing readers the human world through the eyes of animals, which is not always easy to do but extremely effective when executed correctly. It made me think and try and figure out what Isla was talking about, seeing, and experiencing, which is great for kids.
While the side characters are just fine, I found some issues with the major ones. Isla herself works well as the protagonist of a middle grade novel, but there's not really anything different about her. Siffrin doesn't appear to have much of a reason for keeping the fact that Isla's family is already dead from her - in fact, it probably would have been to his advantage to tell her, because then she would have trusted him and been really serious about helping him find Pirie. Him being such a jerk for no apparent reason also put me off - I'm kind of getting sick of seeing characters like that. Perhaps he has good reasons for not being forthright with her about a lot of things, but for the reader it just gets annoying after a while and any reasons are never presented, in this book anyway. And Karka isn't given the chance to be a good villain because she has minimal interaction with the main characters before being killed off.
For being the namesake of the book, the Taken don't play much of a major role and we don't know anything more about them other than their eyes glow red and they've had their will taken away by someone called the Mage. How the Taken are made is left a mystery, as well as exactly how it affects foxes. The concept of the Taken is also a little strange, as all the other magic in the book has some basis in reality or folklore, with the magic ability to remove a fox's free will kind of sticking out. This was probably intentional, however, because it adds a wrong, unnatural power, and thematically it works against a mythology that claims foxes chose and will always choose freedom.
I also had a hard time in numerous places throughout the book being clear on what was going on. Something about the manner in which it's written, which makes it hard for readers to visualize the action some of the time.
While the scene with the snatchers (animal control) is pretty nerve-wracking and well-told from the perspective of a fox, as a human, I'm still trying to puzzle it out. I can tell the author did lots of research, so I'd be a little surprised if it was incorrect, but if they are really killing the foxes, several things don't make sense. First off, I did a little poking myself, and it turns out pretty much all pest control organizations recommend nothing be done with foxes, because they pose a negligible threat to people, pets, and property. If they are killing the foxes, why do they only take them behind the door one at a time (I can't imagine they'd be able to give them a lethal shot, so perhaps they're using gas, but I wouldn't think they'd do that one at a time)? Also, if the humans are killing the foxes, why are they going through the trouble of rounding them up (you'd think they'd just use poison or traps), feeding them (water I get, they don't want to be inhumane, but that's a waste of food if you're going to kill the animal right away). If they aren't killing the foxes, then we're sure to see some of the captured characters again. But if that's it and it's not brought up again, it seems a little weird to me.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is the sheer lack of any kind of resolution. Sure, there need to be things hanging for the next book, but basically the only resolution in book one is that we know for sure Isla's parents and grandmother are dead. Karka gets killed off without having barely any interaction with Isla through which to reveal anything about herself and her motivations, and Siffrin constantly refuses to tell Isla much of anything. Siffrin and Isla get separated before the climax and he doesn't make a reappearance to give any closure either. The one thread that does come full circle is the wolf Isla encounters in the zoo early in the book (another hole: I don't know of ANY reputable zoo that would keep a wolf alone except under extreme circumstances).
The Verdict: A promising beginning, with some misfires, to another animal fantasy series.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
While the scene with the snatchers (animal control) is pretty nerve-wracking and well-told from the perspective of a fox, as a human, I'm still trying to puzzle it out. I can tell the author did lots of research, so I'd be a little surprised if it was incorrect, but if they are really killing the foxes, several things don't make sense. First off, I did a little poking myself, and it turns out pretty much all pest control organizations recommend nothing be done with foxes, because they pose a negligible threat to people, pets, and property. If they are killing the foxes, why do they only take them behind the door one at a time (I can't imagine they'd be able to give them a lethal shot, so perhaps they're using gas, but I wouldn't think they'd do that one at a time)? Also, if the humans are killing the foxes, why are they going through the trouble of rounding them up (you'd think they'd just use poison or traps), feeding them (water I get, they don't want to be inhumane, but that's a waste of food if you're going to kill the animal right away). If they aren't killing the foxes, then we're sure to see some of the captured characters again. But if that's it and it's not brought up again, it seems a little weird to me.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is the sheer lack of any kind of resolution. Sure, there need to be things hanging for the next book, but basically the only resolution in book one is that we know for sure Isla's parents and grandmother are dead. Karka gets killed off without having barely any interaction with Isla through which to reveal anything about herself and her motivations, and Siffrin constantly refuses to tell Isla much of anything. Siffrin and Isla get separated before the climax and he doesn't make a reappearance to give any closure either. The one thread that does come full circle is the wolf Isla encounters in the zoo early in the book (another hole: I don't know of ANY reputable zoo that would keep a wolf alone except under extreme circumstances).
The Verdict: A promising beginning, with some misfires, to another animal fantasy series.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Book Review - The Book of Three
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| Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Publisher: Square Fish
Publication Date: March 12, 1964
Version I Read: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
I'll make no secret of it - I think The Chronicles of Prydain is one of the masterworks of the fantasy genre, children's series or no. So, bam, five star rating right there. Going into a bit more detail why:
The Book of Three is the first novel of the Chronicles of Prydain series by American author Lloyd Alexander. While not a retelling of Welsh mythology, the series heavily borrows elements and characters from the legends, while introducing new ones. Despite the title, The Book of Three and its sequel, The Black Cauldron, were mashed together to form the basis of the 1985 animated Disney film (that no one remembers) The Black Cauldron.
The Book of Three begins the story of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben. Taran, like the protagonists of most fantasy novels, dreams of being a hero but as his title implies, is stuck looking after the pig Hen Wen. Hen Wen, however, is far from ordinary: she is the only ocular pig in Prydain, with the power to show what one is asking for. When Hen Wen runs off, Taran sets off to find her, leading him to a group of odd companions and eventually to confront the dreaded Horned King himself.
Spoilers.
All of the books in the series feature a complex, uncommon moral/lesson/theme that makes them all stand out in one way or another. To illustrate this, I give you an exchange from the end of The Book of Three:
"I have no just cause for pride," Taran said, taking his usual place on the familiar bench. "It was Gwydion who destroyed the Horned King, and Hen Wen helped him do it. But Gurgi, not I, found her. Doli and Fflewddur fought gloriously while I was wounded by a sword I had no right to draw. And Eilonwy was the one who took the sword from the barrow in the first place. As for me, what I mostly did was make mistakes."
"My my," said Dallben, "those are complaints enough to dampen the merriest feast. Though what you say may be true, you have cause for a certain pride nevertheless. It was you who held the companions together and led them. You did what you set out to do, and Hen Wen is safely back with us. If you made mistakes, you recognize them. As I told you, there are times when the seeking counts more than the finding."
The writing itself is quite poetic and even beautiful in places. The pacing is good, the plot moves along logically without characters having to act stupid or random events happening, and there aren't any superfluous scenes. The world-building is simplistic - perhaps a little too simplistic, but I think it works okay in this book, at least. In fact, I think that's one of the only weaknesses of this series: that the world-building is a little confusing at times in later novels.
The characters are all quite memorable in their first appearances here and only become more so as the series goes on and they develop. Eilonwy is spunky and talkative, Fflewddur is the voice of reason in the group despite his tendency to exaggerate. And Doli, well, Doli is just a sourpuss, but his magical abilities make him extremely useful, and he genuinely grows to care about the band. Taran himself is in whiny farm boy mode for most of this book, but it serves to set up his development as a character over the course of the series and he genuinely realizes his mistakes. As the above exchange says, every character gets to do something that is important to the plot and they all have consistent and strong personalities. Gurgi in particular, I feel, is a lot less annoying in the books than in the film adaptation.
The Verdict: The Book of Three is a rousing adventure story set in an interesting fantasy world with complex and somewhat uncommon ideas about heroism and growing up. The characters are also well-developed and memorable.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
The Book of Three is the first novel of the Chronicles of Prydain series by American author Lloyd Alexander. While not a retelling of Welsh mythology, the series heavily borrows elements and characters from the legends, while introducing new ones. Despite the title, The Book of Three and its sequel, The Black Cauldron, were mashed together to form the basis of the 1985 animated Disney film (that no one remembers) The Black Cauldron.
The Book of Three begins the story of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben. Taran, like the protagonists of most fantasy novels, dreams of being a hero but as his title implies, is stuck looking after the pig Hen Wen. Hen Wen, however, is far from ordinary: she is the only ocular pig in Prydain, with the power to show what one is asking for. When Hen Wen runs off, Taran sets off to find her, leading him to a group of odd companions and eventually to confront the dreaded Horned King himself.
Spoilers.
All of the books in the series feature a complex, uncommon moral/lesson/theme that makes them all stand out in one way or another. To illustrate this, I give you an exchange from the end of The Book of Three:
"I have no just cause for pride," Taran said, taking his usual place on the familiar bench. "It was Gwydion who destroyed the Horned King, and Hen Wen helped him do it. But Gurgi, not I, found her. Doli and Fflewddur fought gloriously while I was wounded by a sword I had no right to draw. And Eilonwy was the one who took the sword from the barrow in the first place. As for me, what I mostly did was make mistakes."
"My my," said Dallben, "those are complaints enough to dampen the merriest feast. Though what you say may be true, you have cause for a certain pride nevertheless. It was you who held the companions together and led them. You did what you set out to do, and Hen Wen is safely back with us. If you made mistakes, you recognize them. As I told you, there are times when the seeking counts more than the finding."
The writing itself is quite poetic and even beautiful in places. The pacing is good, the plot moves along logically without characters having to act stupid or random events happening, and there aren't any superfluous scenes. The world-building is simplistic - perhaps a little too simplistic, but I think it works okay in this book, at least. In fact, I think that's one of the only weaknesses of this series: that the world-building is a little confusing at times in later novels.
The characters are all quite memorable in their first appearances here and only become more so as the series goes on and they develop. Eilonwy is spunky and talkative, Fflewddur is the voice of reason in the group despite his tendency to exaggerate. And Doli, well, Doli is just a sourpuss, but his magical abilities make him extremely useful, and he genuinely grows to care about the band. Taran himself is in whiny farm boy mode for most of this book, but it serves to set up his development as a character over the course of the series and he genuinely realizes his mistakes. As the above exchange says, every character gets to do something that is important to the plot and they all have consistent and strong personalities. Gurgi in particular, I feel, is a lot less annoying in the books than in the film adaptation.
The Verdict: The Book of Three is a rousing adventure story set in an interesting fantasy world with complex and somewhat uncommon ideas about heroism and growing up. The characters are also well-developed and memorable.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Violence in Children's Books
(That being said, I'm not opposed to violence in fiction, even children's fiction. Kids are more mature than a lot of us give them credit for. I'm just pointing this all out. I personally think violence is only an issue when it's glorified.)
But it continues to astound me how much of an emphasis our society places on visual fiction versus written fiction and the different standards for each. Minors can't buy an R-Rated movie but anyone can buy a romance novel with explicit sex scenes at Wal-Mart. And who can forget all the hullabaloo about minors being able to buy Fifty Shades of Grey, no questions asked?
And then there's the odd world of children's books. I've mostly noticed this in the genre of animal fiction (which has steadily gained in popularity over the last six years or so) that scenes and actions depicting pretty graphic violence are oddly enough the norm. Scenes that would never be put in an animated kids' cartoon, no matter how old the target audience might be, are rather prevalent in books.
Case in point? Scourge's murder of Tigerstar in Warriors, the rather graphic deceptions of injury and illness in The Guardian Herd, and the cruelty and horrible ways dragons die in Wings of Fire.
My guess? I think we, as a society, place a higher intellectual value on reading. If you read a lot, you're smart right? By extension, this means you might be mature enough to handle reading about a cat getting eviscerated. (Whether or not this is true.) Another explanation might be because these books depict animals harming one another, and not humans doing the same things.
Agree? Disagree? Thoughts? Comment!
Book Review - Hopper's Destiny
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| Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Lisa Fiedler
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 17, 2015
Version I Read: Hardcover
Rating: 4.5/5
I continue to really appreciate these books, and this second outing of the Mouseheart series was even better than the first.
Hopper and his friends have succeeded in driving away the feral cats from their beloved city of Atlantia and ending the rather atrocious agreement the former emperor Titus made with the feral queen Felina. It all sounds like a happy ending, except everything has gone wrong. The city is in ruins, attacked by feral cats at every turn, and food is scarce. What's worse, Hopper's sister Pinke has become the new leader of the Mus, and refuses to offer her resources to anyone else. Only Hopper's most steadfast friends are supporting him anymore. And what is going on with Pup?
I've only seen one other book that so thoroughly broke down its main character at the beginning, and that is Tad Williams' The War of the Flowers, which is decidedly less kid-friendly fare than Hopper's Destiny. That being said, the fact that everything goes so horribly wrong for Hopper and co. really makes the reader believe why Hopper would want to run away and never come back, Lion King style. This gives his inner struggle once he goes to the surface a lot more weight than would be usual.
The themes dealt with in this book are heavy and, in my opinion, quite well-handled. Titus' actions and repentance are given a lot more meaning when his motivations are revealed. Another major theme discussed is the ways of nature, and how, yes, cats and snakes eat mice. They have to to survive. Hopper eventually comes to accept this, but refuses to allow killing for reasons other than hunger or self-defense, which I think was a good moral. The final heavy topic is the book's discussion of faith and how, like the humble cockroach of La Rocha's namesake, it is indestructible. That being said, the book goes out of its way to say that the real strength of faith isn't that some supernatural force is going to come in and make everything better. No, its true strength is to inspire you and get you to believe in yourself. Again, a great message.
Fiedler takes the characters she started with in the last book and builds on them marvelously, offering new dimensions to nearly all of them (except maybe Zucker, who is MIA for most of the book), as well as showing us some new faces, perhaps most memorably Ace the cat and the mysterious true identity of La Rocha. Fiedler's writing is also top notch here, with some incredibly beautiful passages sprinkled throughout the book. Most come from La Rocha himself, but just about every character has something meaningful to say.
The plotting is tight and the action moves along at a good pace, and pretty much everything that happens in the book is important in some way, which I always love to see.
(Though seriously, what professional exterminator uses shovels?)
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
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