Re-reading Jane Austen

It is a truth universally known that Jane Austen is a constant staple in our pop-culture. You can scarcely turn around without finding an adaptation of her books or her life in some incarnation, and the masses continue to eat them up. (Myself included) We love to passionately argue over which Darcy is our favourite (Colin Firth-no contest) and the 2009 parody of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was a smash success, popularizing the literary mash-up genre. Recently, I came across a charming BBC mini-series called Lost in Austen, and I confess- I was bitten once again by the Austen Bug.

Re-reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time as an adult was a wonderful experience. Having read the novel at least 3x in university, and having been consistently exposed to the various adaptations, I wasn't sure what to expect with this re-reading. Had I stayed away from the book long enough that I could find anything fresh to consider? Would I look at the book any differently than I had as a young woman in her early 20's with all the naivete and lack of life experience of some of her characters? And most importantly, could I enjoy reading something again that I practically knew by heart?

The answer turned out to be a resounding yes on all counts. Knowing the story so well, there were no real surprises in the plot, but I was surprised to find myself paying much more attention to the narrator's voice this time, and looking for the subtexts that I may not have seen in my earlier readings.

Firstly, there were numerous times that I wanted to throttle Elizabeth for being so ridiculously proud, and for her own prejudices against Darcy, all formed on a comment that she overheard and took out of context. Not that Darcy was innocent either- he had his own share of faults, but I had never really considered his point of view before, and I found that I had a great deal more sympathy for him this time than I had in the past. He totally put himself out there for her and she stomped on him quite horribly. It reminded me just how easily we can prove our own opinions (justified or not) when we are determined to believe something.

I also found it much more difficult to feel any empathy for Jane, who when I consider it, really didn't act like a woman in love. She certainly was intelligent enough to recognize that Bingley would be a good match, and I believe that the attraction was real, but if I've learned anything in life, it's that you can't expect anyone else to know what you want or how you feel if you don't go after it. I'm not sure if Jane could have won either way- had she come on too strongly, she could have been   rejected for being improper and wanton, and she still wouldn't have gotten what she wanted.

There were no great surprises in Lydia and Kitty, though I did find myself wondering how much improved Kitty was, and how her story ended. Most likely, one of her sisters introduced her to the "right" sort of gentleman, and she probably settled down and lived a quiet and ordinary life.

And what of Mary? Poor Mary. Stuck in the middle, she wasn't really connected to either group of sisters. Elizabeth and Jane were close in age and always together. Lydia and Kitty were also chummy, and that left Mary with what? Not much really, and that probably didn't change. I doubt if any of her married sisters particularly wanted her around. (I wouldn't have) I always thought she would have been the perfect match for Mr. Collins- they certainly deserved each other, but maybe there were deeper reasons that nobody seemed interested in finding her a match.

In the end, I very much enjoyed re-reading Pride and Prejudice, and it has inspired me to revisit other classics that I studied in university and see how my readings of them will change. Now my question to all of you:

What book(s) did you read in school that you'd like to re-read at your current stage of life (whatever that might be) and how do you think your reading will change?

Going Bzrk for BZRK!

Unbeknownst to the general population, there is a war being fought on a biological and a technological level for all of humanity. On one side is the Armstrong Fancy Gift Corporation, and the conjoined Armstrong twins. (Yes I said conjoined, and yes they're pretty freaky characters) They believe that in order for humanity to reach a state of harmony and complete happiness, we need to all share one mind. In other words (and if you've ever watched Star Trek, you'll know what I mean) they want to turn the human race into BORG. They do this by implanting nanobots into people without their knowledge, and gaining control over their actions. On the other side of this war (and presumably our side, though how can you really be sure) is a top secret agency called "BZRK", whose aim is to stop the Armstrong Twins and preserve our individuality. They have earned their name due to the fact that if their biobots (a biological version of the nanobot which melds with the human brain) get damaged, the person suffers brain damage and either goes bzrk or dies.Teens Noah and Sadie are recruited by BZRK to help bring down the creepy Armstrong Twins, and if they fail, all of humanity is at risk. 


In this new age of reaching kids on a technological level, BZRK perfectly melds book & technology.  I don't know how he came up with this concept, but it's brilliant. Labeled a "transmedia" series, the series crosses over multi-platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, several websites, a downloadable video game, and of course the print book.  It operates on the presumption that fans who discover the web content will flock to the book, and kids who read the book will go online and explore the enhanced content. 



The book is fast-paced, thrilling, and just odd enough that it will pique readers' curiosity and get them invested in the story. While character development is minimal, the teens are quite believable. They think and act like teens, and neither Sadie nor Noah become immediate superheroes. They get scared, frustrated, and injured, and at times, distracted by their attraction for one another. 


Michael Grant certainly knows what appeals to kids, and most importantly, he has accomplished a rare feat- he's created something that is not only well-written and original, but is also something that will hook that ever elusive teenage boy and have him looking forward to the next book in the series. 

The Fourth Stall: A Magnificent Middle Grade Series

Mac (whose real name is Christian but has been nicknamed MacGyver for his ability to solve problems) is the sixth grade equivalent to “The Godfather”.  His office is set up in the fourth stall next to the high window of the boys’ bathroom in the East Wing of his middle school.  There is no toilet there any longer (due to an unfortunate prank a long time ago that resulted in the principal getting crazy glued to the toilet seat), and is in a part of the school that hasn’t got any classrooms, so nobody ever comes in there except for his clients, who are usually other kids from the school. These “clients” come to Mac whenever they have a problem, and for a reasonable fee, (and/or sometimes a favour) Mac will solve it. He’s got connections everywhere, and a network of other kids he calls on to get the job done. Vince, his best friend and business partner keeps the books, Joe is the muscle, and Tyrell is surveillance. (And his camouflage techniques would put the best private eyes to shame)  What do they do with the money? For the last four years they’ve been saving their earnings to buy tickets to see the Chicago Cubs play in the World Series, and it seems like this year might be the one, so making money is more important than ever. Business is booming until one particular Monday when trouble walks into their office, and this time it may be more than even Mac can handle. 

II   In book 2, a new problem lands on Mac's desk in the form of an eighth grade girl. She claims that a teacher in the school is unjustly giving her detention, and wants Mac to do something about it. But that's not the only problem that Mac has to solve. The new No-Nonsense Vice Principal is on Mac's tail, the school is being forced to take an impossibly difficult standardized test, and the cafeteria is serving ridiculously unhealthy lunches. Strange things are happening in the school, and Mac's determined to get to the bottom of it before it's too late! 

     This new middle grade crime series is clever, funny, and refreshingly original. Drawing inspiration from "The Godfather", boys will eat this up. Author Chris Rylander completely gets what Middle School is all about, and more importantly, he gets boys.  Mac is cool, confident and popular, and boys will want to be him. He's flawed, but not a jerk, and he's easy to like and easy to forgive when he screws up. The cast of bullies that Mac occasionally uses as hired hands are completely over the top and hilarious, (Come on-a bully named "Kitten"?)  and the villains are completely villainous. 

I     The writing is intelligent, the plots move at a rapid pace, and they are filled with suspense, crazy characters, and several laugh-out-loud moments. I read the first chapter out loud to my non-book-loving boyfriend, and he was laughing so hard he had tears coming out of his eyes! Being a die-hard baseball fan myself, I also completely related to their eternal loyalty to the Cubs. Our Toronto team hasn't won a championship in nearly 20 years, but every year we continue to hold out hope that this season will be the one! Chris Rylander has also managed to incorporate some heavier issues such as bullying, poverty, and friendship without ever seeming heavy handed or preachy.


      From the moment I started reading I was completely hooked on this amazing new series. I gobbled up both books in succession, and I can't wait for book three to release next year. 

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Observe No Name Calling Week with Addie on the Inside

12-year-old Addie Carle is the only girl in her group of friends. She is smart, outspoken and opinionated, and maybe just a tad obnoxious. As seventh grade progresses, Addie's tough exterior becomes just a little difficult to maintain, and she starts questioning everything about herself.  Told in accessible verse, James Howe perfectly captures the inner turmoil of a girl who just doesn't quite fit in, and how she faces the pain of growing up.

Ten years ago, James Howe published a groundbreaking book called The Misfits. Set in a town called Shaker Falls, the book focuses on a group of four friends- Addie, Bobby, Skeezie and Joe, who for various reasons are slightly on the outside. Tired of the bullying and the name calling in school, the gang decides to challenge the popular kids for a seat on Student Council running on the platform of "No Name Calling", hoping to wipe out name calling and taunting in their school. The book was the inspiration for No Name Calling Week, which is observed across the U.S. and Canada. A few years later, he returned with Totally Joe, told from Joe's point of view, and this past fall, followed up with Addie on the Inside, told from Addie's point of view.

Addie is not like the other girls. She's smart and speaks her mind. She's tall, flat-chested and hangs out mostly with guys, which results in frequent teasing from her classmates. Her boyfriend DuShawn is black, which makes the black girls hate her, and he's popular, which leads to whispers about what he could possibly see in her. DuShawn also doesn't help matters when he seems to always be telling her that she's too...a lot of things. Added to the mix is Becca, who was Addie's friend when they were little and before she moved away, but has since returned and become a queen bee, who does that thing that girls that age do by offering Addie "helpful" advice on her appearance, clothes, etc... and spreads rumours behind her back.

In some ways, Addie is lucky. She has supportive parents who love her, and an extremely close relationship with her grandmother, who encourages her to be herself and be comfortable in her own skin. So many kids don't have that kind of support, and even if they do, it's not enough. Too many kids like Addie end up committing suicide, one of whom- Phoebe Prince, is mentioned in one of the poems. Addie is stronger than that, but she's still extremely vulnerable and confused. On the one hand, she longs to fit in, and on the other, she wants nothing to do with these silly girls who seem to start every sentence with "Like, Omigod". I particularly loved the poem "The Omigod Chorus" which exemplifies just how silly they sound.

Addie however refuses to be a victim. Never shy about standing up for what she believes in (she founded the Gay/Lesbian/Straight Alliance in her school in support of her gay best friend Joe) she arrives at school one day with duct tape over her mouth, and a card explaining that she will not speak for an entire day in protest of all of the name calling that occurs in her school. This action is met with mixed reactions from the teachers and students, but Addie is steadfast and doesn't give in easily. Addie is every girl. She's a mix of anguish,courage, vulnerability,  toughness, and confusion, and all she really wants is to be allowed to be who she is.The messages in this book are universal, and if they make a difference to even one kid whose been bullied or bullies, then I'd call that a good start.

Scrawl: The Compelling Story of a Bully

Tod Munn is a bully. Times are tough, but Tod is tougher. Only now the wimps have stopped coughing up their money, the administration is cracking down, and Tod and his buddies got caught doing something really bad. Now he's being forced to sit in the hot detention room with Mrs. Woodrow, the guidance councilor, every day until she tells him he's done. Tod isn't sure why he's there and not suspended or outside raking leaves with his buddies, but Mrs. Woodrow does, and she's not telling. As punishment, Tod has to write his story in a beat-up notebook. Can this bad guy be redeemed? Read Scrawl and decide for yourself.

Written in a journal format addressed to Mrs. Woodrow, readers will have to dig deeper for the kind of information that is generally revealed in a diary or a first person narrative. There is no introductory paragraph that reveals Tod's age, grade or even his appearance, but by reading between the lines of both his entries and Mrs. Woodrow's comments back to him, a lot of important details are revealed. We learn that the school (and Tod's home) are likely in an inner city. The kids have to pass through metal detectors on their way in and out, and armed security guards police the school. We also learn that there are the "haves", and "have nots", and that Tod definitely falls into the latter category. Perhaps the biggest secret/surprise that readers will figure out is that Tod is extremely smart and is a gifted writer. He gets good grades in school (and especially English) but tries not to let on to the other kids that he's smart for fear of tarnishing his reputation as a tough guy.

I absolutely fell in love with Tod (and not in a romantic way) and his character is so rich and deeply layered that you will absolutely be pulled into his story. Yes he is a bully, but he believes it's the only way he can get what he needs. He is also extremely vulnerable, and that vulnerability comes out in entries that are both funny and brutally honest. Everybody thinks that they've got Tod figured out. They think he's a thug and criminal and they all treat him accordingly. Tod will tell you til kingdom come that this is just how he likes it, but his scrawl says something different. What Tod desperately wants is for someone to believe in him, and even if he doesn't say it outright, it becomes painfully honest as you go deeper into his notebook.

So what was the cataclysmic event that put Tod one step away from Juvie? You'll have to read it to find out.  Recommended for Grade 7 and up.

Playground: A Raw and Honest Read for Middle Grade

13-year-old Butterball hasn't got a lot going for him. He's teased about his weight, he hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to, and he wishes he could live in the city with his dad.  And now Butterball is stuck talking to a therapist named Liz, who somehow makes him talk about things that he didn't think he would ever confess- especially not to a stupid white lady who doesn't understand. As truths are revealed about what led to the playground incident, Butterball starts to consider why he bullies, and what kind of person he wants to be.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really loved this book! Inspired by his own adolescence, and written with his fourteen-year-old son in mind, 50 Cent has written a powerful story of bullying and redemption. Told in Butterball's voice, it is authentic, raw, and honest, and he's an amazingly sympathetic character. Don't get me wrong- the book does not excuse his behaviour, but Butterball believes that he has good reasons to do what he's doing, and I could completely understand where he was coming from.

Butterball is an angry kid, and for good reason. The brief glimpses of Butterball's father reveal a lot about where his attitude come from, and you can't help feeling heartbroken for him. Butterball's relationship with his mother is also difficult. She works all of the time and doesn't talk to him, and there's a lot he doesn't understand so he draws his own conclusions and lashes out. He is virtually friendless at school, and the boys he's hooking up with are bullies themselves. They push him to do things he innately knows are wrong, but at the same time, he doesn't want to look like a coward.

Thankfully, Butterball's a kid who can still be redeemed, and who wants redemption, whether he realizes it or not. Despite his complaints about his mandated sessions with Liz, she is probably the only person who has ever met him without judgement, and she guides him, rather than pushes him, to a deeper self-awareness.

Butterball does swear liberally throughout the text, but it's in context for the character, but don't let that deter you from reading and discussing it. It's gritty, but it's real, and is perfect for kids who are a bit too young for Walter Dean Myers but are craving those kinds of stories.

Moon Over Manifest: A Captivating Middle-Grade Read

Twelve-year-old Abeline Tucker feels abandoned when her father puts her on a train to Manifest to spend the summer with an old friend. Armed with her few treasured possessions and a list of universals, she jumps off the train in Manifest, hoping to learn about the boy her father was. At first, Manifest seems like a boring, old, dried up town, but all of that changes when she discovers a cigar box of mementos that lead her and her new friends Lettie and Ruthanne, on a real spy hunt. Their hunt sends Abeline down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a visit to Miss Saidie- a diviner who tells stories of the past. Abeline soon discovers that the town is full of shadowy figures and long-buried secrets. As Manifest's secrets are revealed one by one, Abeline begins to discover her own story, woven into the fabric of the town.

When this quiet little book came seemingly out of nowhere last year to win the Newbery Medal, I immediately added it to my reading pile, anxious to see what the fuss was all about. There it sat for about a year as other, higher priority books climbed to the top of the stack. After hearing its praises sung by some of our Middle Grade Lit Chat participants, I impulsively moved it back to the top of the pile and decided that I'd better read it before the 2012 Newbery winner is announced in a few weeks!

Having finished it just minutes ago, I now wonder why I didn't read it sooner. It's a wonderful and rich story that just pushes its way into your consciousness and doesn't let go. I absolutely fell in love with the town and its characters, and the author really brought them to life.

The novel is structured as a story within a story, and readers will feel like they are sitting right alongside Abeline as she tells her stories. While it isn't immediately obvious how the past ties to the present (which being historical fiction is also the past), the way everything comes together will delight and surprise you.

As Sadie reaches the end of her story, Adeline comes to an important realization. Sadie has told her that the line between truth and myth is difficult to see, and Abeline starts to wonder whether or not all of the stories were myths that have nothing to do with her. At that moment, she has a choice. She knows she could walk out and be done, or she can stay and see it through no matter how it ends. She chooses to stay, but it was never really a choice. The people in the stories were real. They were people that she'd come to know and to care about (whether they were living or not), and they were a part of her. They, as she put it, had welcomed her into their world, and now, the only way she could give back was by being faithful to the story no matter how it ended. This is the power of books, and I know we've all read a story or two that made us feel that way, (Little Women anyone?) but somehow as readers we steel our courage and read to the last word, even when we know that our hearts might be broken.

 This is a beautifully written, and beautifully told story, and it reminds us of something important and often forgotten: History is made up of stories, and these stories are full of living, breathing people and places. Abeline hoped to learn something about her father's childhood, but she learned so much more than that. She learned how the past can shape the present and make us who we are. How we can be inspired and devastated by it at the same time, and how an entire town can be brought together by love and loss.

A Monster Calls: An Intense and Riveting Read

When the monster comes to Conor at exactly seven minutes past midnight, he is hardly frightened. The monster he's been expecting is the one from his nightmare-the one he's had nearly every night since his mother began the treatments, and it's far more terrifying. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient and wild and what it wants from Conor is the one thing that he fears more than anything- the truth!

Every once in a while comes a book that is such a true masterpiece it's hard to know where to begin to rave about it. It's dark and deep and tightly written, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished it. There is a particular theme in this book, that I've seen in a few other's I've read this year as well, which is about knowing a truth in your heart and being afraid to face it. It also looks at what happens when adults try to sugarcoat the truth from children.

The monster who appears to 13-year-old Conor takes the form of an old Yew tree. He promises to tell Conor 3 stories, but in exchange, wants a story from Conor. Not just any story will do, however. He wants the real story. The true story that Conor knows but hasn't wanted to tell. The story about what is going to happen to his mother, and what will happen to him.

Is the monster real? Maybe. Conor initally thinks that it's a dream, but then sees the evidence of the monster's visit. On the other hand, maybe the monster lives inside Conor. Maybe it represents everything that he is feeling, and it's the way he copes with everything that is going on. In the course of the monster's visits, Conor learns some important lessons. He learns that good and evil are not always as simple as he thinks. He learns that sometimes people do evil things for reasons that are good. Sometimes people do things that are good for reasons that are bad. Sometimes motive doesn't matter and it's the result that matters.

This story is based on an idea from the brilliant Siobhan Dowd, who died from breast cancer before she was able to write this book, and you can tell what a personal story this would have been for her. Ness perfectly captures the emotional roller coaster of an isolated and frightened boy, and he'll pull you along with him until the heartbreaking finale.

Okay For Now: A Notable Tween Read

Fourteen-year-old Doug Swieteck is starting eighth grade in a new town and a new house.  His only consolation is the Joe Pepitone jacket (a popular New York Yankee of the time) that Holling Hoodhood gives him before he leaves, and is as Doug explains, is the only thing he owns that hasn't been previously owned by someone else in his family.  His father is a bully, he has to share his room with his jerk of an older brother, and he has one more older brother in Vietnam who used to be a jerk, but changed when he went into the military. 

The cards seem to be stacked against Doug until a few things happen. 1. He meets local girl Lil Spicer, who gets him a job as a delivery boy for her father's deli, and teaches him how to drink a really cold coke. 2. He discovers the book of Audubon plates in the library, and begins taking drawing lessons with library employee Mr. Powell. 3. He meets the eccentric writer Mrs. Windermere, who drags him and Lil into a broadway adaptation of Jane Eyre. 

Through these experiences, Doug learns about life, loss and love, and he finds the strength to endure an abusive father, and overcome the skinny thug reputation that he's been saddled with. 

This stand alone companion to the Newbery Honor book The Wednesday Wars, though is a worthwhile read in it's own right, and is full of well-drawn, and interesting characters. One thing that Gary Schmidt does well is create characters, and he's certainly done it here. 

The story opens with Doug's family being forced to move to a new town in upstate New York when his father gets a new job working at the local paper mill with his buddy. Doug, a typical fourteen-year-old is angry about the move, and especially the fact that his new house (the dump as he calls it) is smaller and shabbier, and he'll have to share a room with his older brother who also bullies him. He walks around town with a tremendous chip on his shoulder, and while he's aware that he's acting like his eldest brother, he doesn't see a reason not to. 


Doug's brother Christopher, (the one at home) immediately gets into some trouble with the law, and is under suspicion of theft, making things even more difficult for Doug. Whether or not Christopher is guilty of anything is irrelevant- the town believes he is, and expects Doug to be the same. School starts off on a rocky note, and most of his teachers treat him like he's a criminal. This is a classic case of living up or down to expectation, and Doug decides that if nobody is going to give him a chance, he might as well be the troublemaker they think he is. 


Doug is an extremely well-developed and sympathetic character, and he's refreshingly honest. His narration is blunt and brave, and you can feel the emotion behind everything he writes. He wants to be a good kid. He wants to be a kid that people think of as dependable and likeable, but sometimes his life overwhelms him and he gives up.


Doug's brother's are also interesting characters, and there is a lot more to them than it initially seems. Christopher, Doug's second older brother, doesn't even have a name for the first part of the book, and seems to be following in his father's footsteps. He belittles Doug at every chance, steals his stuff, and seems to be a criminal in the making. Lucas, the eldest, returns from Vietnam in a wheelchair with his legs gone, and damaged eyes, and he's emotionally wrecked. Christopher, incidentally is the only one in the family strong enough to carry Lucas' wheelchair, and in his interactions with Lucas, readers start to see glimpses of someone who might be a decent person. 


And then there is Lil, who becomes Doug's friend, and doesn't take any crap from him. She has a strong personality, and she brings out the good part of Doug. She's the first girl that he falls in love with, and they form a really special bond. 


There are a number of other characters whom Doug meets on his deliveries, and they are quirky, interesting, and really give the reader a sense of the community. The characters I couldn't like were Doug's parents. His mother is basically a battered housewife, always walking on eggshells and trying to avoid her husband's wrath. She seems to love her kids, but she's pitiable. Doug's father is an abusive bully through and through, and his buddy Ernie Eco is just as bad. His dad is quick with his fists, doesn't provide for his family, and has a tremendous sense of entitlement. He acts like he's better than everybody, and complains bitterly about everyone he knows. There isn't a single redeeming quality about him, and even his one decent act at the end (not explicitly stated but implied) isn't enough to make me believe that there is anything good or decent about him. Doug certainly implies that he changes, but it's at the end of the book, and a bit too convenient for me. 


Okay For Now is an extremely compelling novel and should be high in your to read pile. The writing is excellent, and the author gives his narrator such a clear and wonderful voice that he'll stick with you long after you've finished the book. There is no swearing or gratuitous violence, but the author does touch on some sensitive issues- such as public feeling towards Vietnam and abuse, which makes it a more suitable read for grade 6 and up. 

Willow Falls Series: Middle Grade Mastery

Many years ago, I picked up one of Wendy Mass' first middle grade novels entitled A Mango Shaped Space. I was hugely impressed with her writing and have since made a point of reading every single one of her books as it comes out. Her newest series of books all take place in a town called Willow Falls where interesting and unusual things tend to happen.

The series launches with 11 Birthdays, which is a kind of Groundhog Day story for kids. Amanda and Leo, born on the same day and best friends since birth have always celebrated their birthdays together. But on their tenth birthday, the friends have a falling out and stop speaking. Now they are about to celebrate their eleventh birthdays alone, and little do they know that that it's a day that they will repeat over and over again until they learn to work together to break the cycle.

One of the wonderful things about this book is the way the author so realistically captures the changing nature of boy/girl friendships at a particular age. Crushes develop, interests change, and it's hard to just hang out. It's a difficult and painful transition, and Amanda, who was used to doing everything with Leo just couldn't understand why he would make fun of her to his male friends. Leo of course didn't mean it. He was simply trying to look cool in front of the guys, but Amanda didn't know that, and he didn't tell her. So what do they do? They stop being friends and live with hurt feelings instead of talking it out and trying to fix their friendship.

The day of their eleventh birthday is awful. Nothing seems to go right for Amanda, and the week leading up to the party doesn't get any better. When the kids ditch her to go to Leo's more extravagant party, Amanda is devastated, and she can't wait to get to bed and end the day. But it's not over- not by a long shot. When she wakes up the next morning it's her eleventh birthday all over again. The first time around, Amanda does everything exactly the same, but then she realizes the opportunity she's been given, and starts to make changes. At first the changes are small, but then she gets bolder and takes more chances, and each day teaches her a little bit more about who she is.

Eventually, Amanda realizes that Leo is also repeating the day and convinces him to work with her to try and figure out why it's happening and how to end it. The shared experience also gives them a chance to work things out and to realize how much they've missed each other's friendship, and only then do they move onto the next day, with everybody else in the town none-the-wiser.

The second book, Finally returns to Willow Falls and readers meet Rory, a girl who is about to turn 12, and has a mile-long list of all the things she's going to be allowed to do as soon as she turns twelve. As soon as her birthday is over, Rory can't wait to start checking off all of the things on her list. But as she'll discover, being old enough isn't the same as being ready, and sometimes being grown up means knowing when to wait.

I loved this book. I remember being twelve and like Rory, wanting to seize the world and feeling so grown up.
I didn't try all of the things that Rory did quite as quickly as she did, but so many things change at twelve, and it's hard not to feel like you have to keep up. I won't spoil the book by revealing too much, but let's just say that a killer bunny and an embarrassing allergy are just a couple of the disasters that Rory faces. Amanda and Leo from the previous book also make an appearance, and the three end up forming a solid friendship.

The third, and most recent book in the series is 13 Gifts, and you guessed it- the main character is about to turn 13. Tara, a shrinking violet, lands herself in hot water when she tries to steal the school mascot- a goat, in order to fit in with the popular girls. As kids like that tend to do, they completely set her up, and Tara ended up taking the fall, while they fled. As punishment, her parents decide to send her to stay with her aunt, uncle and younger cousin Emily in Willow Falls instead of taking her to Madagascar on her mother's research trip.

When Tara finds out that she's being shipped off to Willow Falls, she can't think of worse torture. It's been years since she's seen her aunt, uncle and cousin, and her parents haven't gone back there since graduation. When she arrives, she discovers that she's lost both her mother's iPod, her cell phone and her money, and now she has to figure out a way to replace them without her mother knowing. Her solution leads her to a mysterious old shop run by an equally mysterious lady, who contracts her to find a list of 13 items before her 13th birthday. Tara has no idea what the items are or where she'll find them, but nothing happens in Willow Falls without a purpose, and that purpose will only reveal itself when everything falls into place.

As in the previous two books, Wendy Mass explores a number of relevant issues to tweens. Tara isn't a bad kid. But making friends is difficult when you move around so much and have an oddly overprotective mother, and her part in the unfortunate prank was an attempt to please her by fitting in with the popular kids. She also examines issues of friendship, and of faith, and about understanding whether or not the things you do are because you believe in them, or because you think you should.

The thing I love most about these books is that as realistic as they are, they also contain whimsy and a hint of magic, and I think that the possibilityof magic is something you should never be to old to believe in.

Breadcrumbs: A Bewitching and Spellbinding Middle Grade Read

Fifth-graders Hazel and Jack have been best friends forever. Hazel, with her active imagination has difficulty fitting into her new school, but Jack gets her, and he's always managed to balance spending time with her and spending time with "the guys". Sure they've had their arguments, but they've never stayed angry for long- until they did. Until the day that something hits Jack in the eye and suddenly he's mean to her. Until the day that he disappears into the snow-covered woods with the woman made of ice, and doesn't come back. Everybody believes that Jack has gone off to look after an elderly aunt out of town, but Hazel knows that isn't true. Only Hazel knows where he's really gone, and now she must muster all of her courage and venture into the mysterious woods to rescue him and bring him back.

Anne Ursu's new middle-grade novel has been receiving tons of praise this autumn, and it's deserving of every penny. This is exactly the kind of story that I would have loved when I was a kid, and I loved it now. So much in fact that I actually got a finished copy of the book to keep after I was finished with the ARC.  For those of you who are familiar with the Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, you will immediately pick up on the elements of the story on which this is based, but there is so much more to it than just a straight retelling.

Hazel is the kind of character that you'll fall in love with, and your heart will break for her. Things haven't been easy for her lately. Her parents split up, her father moved away, and now her mother has had to take her out of the private school where she was happy and has put her into public school where she has difficulty fitting in. She's a dreamer with a fantastic imagination, and how can math possibly be more interesting than the magic of snowflakes? Her teacher dislikes her, the other kids tease her, and except for Jack, school is miserable. Hazel's mother is sympathetic, but she's having enough trouble trying to keep their heads above water, and would really like Hazel to just be a normal kid. She even arranges a play date with the daughter of a friend who is about Hazel's age, hoping that they'll become friends. Hazel gets along well-enough with the girl, but she isn't Jack.

Jack has also had a difficult time of things. His mother has been in a deep depression for some time, and his father does the best he can, but it doesn't take away the sting of missing his mother who is there but not really there. When a shard of glass from the Snow Queen's mirror hits him in the eye, everything changes. He is mean to Hazel and stops talking to her with no explanation. Hazel's mother tries to tell her that sometimes it just happens that boys and girls stop being friends, but she refuses to accept this explanation, or the one for his disappearance, and she musters her courage to go and rescue him.

This is such a beautifully written book, and I just loved the references to Narnia and to other classic fairy tales. In a particularly clever moment, the Snow Queen asks Jack if he'd like some Turkish Delight. Jack of course not being familiar with stories doesn't understand, but readers who know the story will appreciate the reference. Once Hazel enters the woods, there are several temptations to distract her from her cause, including a pair of beautiful red ballet shoes, which she would sorely love to have. Meanwhile, Jack's story becomes a more direct retelling of The Snow Queen, and he thinks only of pleasing the beautiful white lady who finds him charming and rewards him with a kiss when he's been good.

This is a story about friendship, loyalty, courage, grief and loss, and not just in a someone died kind of way, but the many different kinds of loss we experience in our lives, and I highly recommend this as a book to be read-aloud and shared, or read alone and treasured by every child who will recognize themselves in Hazel and Jack.

The Toymaker: A Nightmarish Middle Grade Debut

Mathias, the grandson of a fading Conjurer has never known life outside of the traveling circus to which his grandfather Gustav belongs. When a mysterious stranger with a silver-tipped cane appears in the audience one evening, Gustav is so shocked by his presence that he stumbles and falls off the stage to his death. Gustv had many secrets, and the only key to unlocking them is a piece of paper that was sewn into his jacket. There are many who would do anything to learn what that paper contains, and danger faces Mathias at every turn. Mathias's quest ultimately leads him to a sinister toymaker who is missing just one thing that will keep his toys from winding down- a human heart.

Sometimes at a takeaway display when things get quiet and no customers are in the booth, I find a quiet moment to pick up a book off the table and read. Over the course of the day I sampled a number of titles I hadn't yet seen to get a feel for them, but the trouble was, we were selling out of things so quickly, (which is a good problem really) I ended up having to put them all back. Then I noticed The Toymaker. On a table with so few copies left of most of the titles, my eye was caught by the lonely book that hadn't seemed to sell any copies, and I immediately decided to read it and find out why.

The answer? It has nothing to do with the quality of the writing or whether or not the story is good. It is- but, the book is thick, the cover is a bit young (they really should have kept the British Cover) and it's just one of those books that needs to be hand-sold to adults who will probably be pretty creeped out by it.

That being said, I actually really liked this book. The author does a fantastic job of creating atmosphere, and while there are no indications that the setting is a real place, it perfectly sets the mood. The descriptions of travelling through ice and snow certainly indicate a winter climate, and it's most likely a Germanic country. It's dark and eerie, and you just know it's not your fairy tale land.

The author's vivid use of language really brings these characters to life, and they are deliciously scary. Dr. Leiter is a perfectly evil villain, and his doll Marguerite is a terrific reminder of the sinister aspect of dolls. Marguerite is a lie-detecting automaton. If a person is telling the truth, she points to a blue card. If it's a lie, she points to red. And did I mention she's never wrong? She is just one of the creations of the "Toymaker", who though rarely seen, is at the center of the novel.

The book moves along quickly and takes many twists and turns that will keep readers turning the pages (it is surprisingly difficult to put down) but it's really violent and scary, and not for the faint of heart. There are bones broken, shootings, stabbings, and a grave-robbery to name a few, but fans of books like A Tale Dark and Grimm will likely eat this up. The publisher recommends it for 10 and up, but I'd say ideally, it's for a precocious 10 or fearless 11 or 12-year-old.

As for what's on the mysterious piece of paper that everybody seems to want so much, and the secrets that Gustav was hiding? To find out, you'll just have to read it yourself!

Down the Mysterly River: A Ripping Boys' Adventure

Max the Wolf, a young cub scout suddenly finds himself wandering through a strange forest with no memory of how he got there.Max, it turns out, is an accomplished young detective, and quickly sets to work trying to figure out where he is and why. Before long, he meets a talking Badger named Banderbrock, who is a fearsome warrior, and McTavish the Monster, a foul-tempered tomcat who is fleeing from a savage hunter and his hounds. They somehow manage to overcome the odds to beat him, and the now party of three escape with their lives. Eventually, they pick up a fourth member- a lovable but dopey bear named Walden. The group hears word of a mysterious wizard who can supposedly shed some light on the mystery, and they set out on a quest to find him,  all the while trying to stay ahead of the Blue Cutters- a savage group of hunters who use their blue swords who recreate the forest's inhabitants into something that more suits their taste.

In his middle-grade debut, Bill Willingham, the creator of the popular graphic novel series Fables, has written an old-fashioned mystery/adventure story of the best kind. Max is intelligent, courageous, and quite level-headed, and he uses logic that would impress Encyclopedia Brown to puzzle out where he is and why.

The supporting characters are equally as impressive, and like Dorthy's troupe in The Wizard of Oz, each has their strengths and weaknesses. Banderbrock is the courageous warrior, and he frequently saves the group from peril. McTavish is selfish and srcastic, but is sharp and clever. Walden is true-hearted and fiercely loyal,a and thinks nothing of putting himself at risk for his friends. In fact, at several points during the novel he becomes gravely wounded, but makes a miraculous recovery at each turn.

The concept of the Blue Cutters may seem a bit of a complicated one for young readers, but they play a tremendous role in the mystery, and clever kids will figure out how what they have to do with Max and his friends. I don't want to explain too much or it will spoil the book, but let's just say it was very cool.

The adventure, once it gets started moves along swiftly, and there is plenty of danger and action to suit a middle-grade audience. There is also a fair amount of violence, but not the same kind of violence that inhabits movies or even books like The Hunger Games. The writing is at times overly descriptive, which might turn-off readers, but this kind of language does lend itself well to being read-aloud. It's also worth mentioning that there are no girls in this story, and few grown-ups, and the focus stays primarily with Max and his friends.

Being one of the "hype books" of the fall, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was frequently reminded of books like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Wind in the Willows, and while it lacks the flash of some of the more popular fiction, it's a book well-worth sharing with boys between 8 and 10 years old.

Glow: A Pulse-Pounding Dystopian Thriller

Somewhere in a murkey nebula, two ships are bound for earth, decades into their mission. Fifteen-year-old Waverly lives aboard the Empyrean, and is of the first generation of children conceived in space. The large farming vessle is all she knows, and like most teenagers, she's consumed by friends, family and her handsome boyfriend Kieran, the ship's captain to be. When Kieran unexpectedly proproses, Waverly is thrown for a loop. But before she can make a decision, everything changes.

The Empyrean is attacked by their assumed allies aboard their sister ship New Horizons. Violence errupts, people die before her eyes, and all of the girls aboard the ship are taken to New Horizons. The population of New Horizons has been unable to conceive children, and they need the girls in order to preserve their society. Waverly knows that something isn't right aboard this ship, and is determined to escape. But what she will soon realize is that sometimes the enemies aren't all from the outside.

In this riveting series debut, Amy Kathleen Ryan has created a pulse-pounding and complex world. While initially the good guys and bad guys seem clear cut, as the story progresses, the lines become substaintially more blured. Life aboard the Empyrean is peaceful, and it's what Waverly knows, but lately she finds herself questioning her role. Girls are essentially duty bound to marry and have multiple children to preserve their mission, but despite the urgings of those around her, she isn't sure if she's ready, and if Kieran is who or what she wants.

Kieran is handsome, intelligent, and will someday be the ship's captain. They've grown up together, and it seems entirely natural that they'd end up together. But then there's Seth. Quiet, mysterious Seth, and son of the ship's first officer, and Waverly can't help thinking about him. But before you start thinking that this is a space love triangle, this is where everything gets so wonderfully complicated.

After the attack, the novel really becomes two stories. That of Waverly and the girls, and Kieran and the boys, and neither one is pretty. The girls are immediately met by Pastor Anne Mather, who is the ship's self-proclaimed spiritual leader and captain. Readers quickly discover that Pastor Mather is a dangerous spin-master who has her people and many of the girls believing different stories about what really happened to the Empyrean. The thing is, while her actions seem evil, they weren't entirely without justifcation. Whether or not the end justifies the means is another story, and one with which Waverly wrestles.

Meanwhile, on board the Empyrean, everything takes a very Lord of the Flies kind of turn as the boys try to save their damaged ship, rescue the few adults who are still alive, and keep some semblance of order. Kieran knows the boys are looking for someone to take charge, and he does, but can he fully justify the consequences of his choices?

There is no graphic violence, sex or swearing in this novel, and while the themes are complex, I would have no qualms about giving this to mature students in middle school who are fans of the genre. Book two isn't due out until at least next year, but you certainly won't forget this one in a hurry.

The Fifth Rule: An Unforgettable and Intense Read

It's been two years since the incident that changed Reef and Leeza's lives forever. Two years since that angry young man threw the rock off of a bridge, causing an accident that nearly resulted in a young woman's death. Two years since he met Frank Colville, his mentor, and since he started to believe that he could be more than the sum of his parts. Back in Halifax for his mentor's funeral, Reef is flooded with memories, and has no intention of staying in Halifax longer than necessary.

Leeza in the meantime has recovered physically from her accident, and is feeling stifled by her over-protective mother. Regretting her decision to stay at home for university, she finds solace in running, and tries to keep herself from thinking about Reef and what they shared.

Despite Reef's best intentions to stay away, when an eager political crusader wants to close his group home, he finds himself at the centre of controversy. Now Reef will be forced to face his demons once and for all or risk losing everything he's worked for- including the girl he loves.

I've long been a fan of Nova Scotia author Don Aker, and his latest book The Fifth Rule does not disappoint. It is gripping, emotionally complex, and it will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Picking up two years after the end of The First Stone, Aker completes the story of Reef and Leeza with absolute mastery.

There is a lot going on in this novel, and at its centre are themes of betrayal, loss and second chances. Reef made a lot of mistakes, and he's worked hard to prove that he's a different person than the one who threw that rock. It seems like he's succeeding.  Living in Calgary for the last year, Reef has spent everyday regretting his mistake, and working to prevent other kids from making a similar one. Unfortunately, second chances mean little to a politician angling for media coverage, and Reef finds himself doubting himself, and believing everything the media says about him. Maybe he is that bad. Maybe everybody was right about him. Maybe he should just do what everybody expects and let them be right about him. Through all of that, somewhere in the back of his head, he hears Frank's voice telling him that he's proud of him, but is it enough to break through?

Leeza is equally as complex.. Now 19, she knows betrayal well. Her father betrayed her and her sister by leaving them when she was just eight years old. Reef betrayed her by being the same person who caused her accident. She consistently betrays herself by pretending she's fine, and that in spite of everything, she doesn't miss Reef.  In her heart she knows that he's not the boy who threw that rock, but when his words are manipulated by the media, she questions whether she actually knows him at all. It also has begun to occur to her that her life has become about doing what people think she should do and not what she wants to do. For two years since the accident it's been easier to just go with the flow, but

From the first page, this novel grabbed me, and I just couldn't put it down until I finished it.  If you haven't read the first book don't worry. While there's definitely some back story to catch up on, the author recounts enough to catch you up, and it stands solidly on its own. If you have read the first book, you'll find this a satisfying conclusion to Reef and Leeza's story. Some swearing, as well as drinking and Marijuana use make this a more appropriate high school read, but once you read it, you'll be as engaged and invested in it as I was, and you'll be glad you gave it a chance.

Better Than Weird- A Thoughtful and Compelling Read

In this stand alone sequel to The Mealworm Diaries, Anna Kerz revisits Aaron, a character from the previous book, to tell his story. Aaron  is a smart, sweet, gentle, and extremely well-meaning boy. He is extremely smart, and very self-aware, and he knows that those around him think he's weird.  Usually, this doesn't bother him too much because he's got Gran, who has seemingly endless patience for his oddities, and his friend Jeremy from school. Lately, however, there seem to be a lot of things for Aaron to cope with. There's Tufan, the bully at school, there's the news that his dad is coming back for a visit for the first time in the eight years since Aaron's mother died, and that he has a pregnant wife, and there's the news that his beloved Gran is having an operation. But through it all, it's his big heart and his sense of humour that help him to face the challenges that he encounters.

This is a very sweet read, and one with some positive messages. Though not explicitly stated in the text, readers will be able to infer from certain clues that Aaron has some kind of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He generally dislikes being touched, he's often clumsy, and extensive lists help him to make sense of things he has to do. He also has a great deal of trouble reading people, and works hard with the counsellor in his school to understand their facial expressions and fit in better.

Despite his efforts, the road isn't always smooth for Aaron, and I like that the author doesn't gloss over it to create a warm and fuzzy world where everybody just accepts him and accommodates him. The adults surrounding him are flawed. They try their best, but they lose patience, get angry and grumble, and it's an important part of Aaron's emotional growth in learning to understand this. This is particularly important for his new relationship with his father, which is often awkward and uncomfortable. Aaron's friend Jeremy (the featured character in the previous book) is also an interesting foil, and the author has done a nice job of creating a believable dynamic between them. Jeremy likes Aaron, but sometimes he's just a bit too much.

There are many important lessons that Aaron learns throughout the novel, including how to handle a bully, and how to slow himself down and exhibit some patience, and the author handles it sensitively and simply. The book is a fast and easy read, and teachers will find lots to discuss if it's read in a classroom setting.

The Eleventh Plague: A Chilling Post Apocalyptic Novel

In an unspecified time in the future, wars have nearly destroyed civilization. A superflu virus has wiped out most of the population, and the United States is in ruins. Twenty years later, those who are left must either create something new, or find a way to survive in this devastated and dangerous landscape.  Fifteen-year-old Stephen travels with his father and his tough ex-marine grandfather. They are scavengers, living by whatever supplies they can find, and they avoid other travellers. When Stephen's grandfather dies, and his father is gravely injured, he is left on his own for the first time. 

A chance encounter leads Stephen to a community called Settler's Landing- a seeming Utopia where they live off the land, the kids go to school, and patriotism still means something. Distrustful of people by nature, Stephen quickly falls in with the town outcast Jenny Tan. As the two grow closer, he learns some unsettling facts about this perfect community, and what results is a conflict that will change everybody's lives forever. 

There are a lot of things to like about this book, but also some things that I disliked about it that keep me from rating it as highly as I would have liked to. The story is believable and chillingly realistic. Since 9/11, the possibility of chemical or viral warfare has become an ever-growing concern, and I have no difficulties picturing it. It reminds me a great deal of Ilsa J. Bick's summer release Ashes, but with a male character. 

Which brings me to the next point that I liked, which is that the protagonist is a teenage boy. So many of the books in this genre feature female characters that it's refreshing to find one that will have appeal to teen boys who are fans of the genre. 

The book is fast-paced and exciting, and teens will race to the end to see where it goes. There is a hint of romance, but that aspect of the story is minor. Jenny has her own reasons for being jaded, and Stephen's distrustful nature draws him to her. I think he eventually would have figured things out for himself, but Jenny really is the accelerant that exposes the flaws of the community in more rapid fashion. When the conflict between Settler's Landing and a neighbouring community reaches a head, it's no surprise that the result is war, and the author does a good job of making a point about how seemingly harmless acts can have devastating consequences. 

The thing I really didn't like about the book was that it felt like it lacked the emotional depth that other books in the genre have. I admire the fact that it's a stand-alone, and that it has a comparatively short page count, but the book suffers for it. There was not enough character development for me, and I just didn't feel satisfied at the end of it. There is a very definite formula that dystopian and post-apocalyptic books follow, and the author has followed it to the letter. There is no real original ground covered here, and if you're looking for a unique spin, you won't find it here.

Despite its flaws, the short length and straightforward storyline makes this a perfect read for reluctant readers, and it's a tame enough read that you can safely hand it to an eleven or twelve-year-old reader without having to worry about sex, language and gratuitous violence. 

Wonderstruck by Wonderstruck

Gunflint Lake, Minnesota, June 1977 and Hoboken, New Jersey, October 1927: Two stories set fifty years apart, weave back and forth until they converge at the end. The first, Ben's story is told with words. The second, Rose's story, is told entirely in pictures. What do these stories have in common? Most importantly is that both children are deaf. They also both run away, and ultimately end up at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. There is also something else that will link these stories together, but that's up to you to find out for yourself.

When I first saw The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I immediately knew that Brian Selznick was something special. I had never seen any book that was as beautiful or as unique as that, and until Wonderstruck came along last month, I hadn't again.

Being one of those readers who actually reads the acknolwedgement pages, I was particularly struck by a comment that he made about early cinema. Before the "Talkies" as they were often referred to, movies were accessible to both the hearing and non-hearing community. Once the talkies came, an entire community was suddenly cut off from this particular form of entertainment, and although there have been some strides made (like captioning in select theatres and movies), it's amazing to think that 80+ years from when Rose's story begins, it is still largely true.

Rose's story is much like the world she lives in- silent, and entirely visual. There is some text in the illustration, but the author challenges readers to do something that perhaps we don't do enough- really look at what you are seeing. The illustrations are the story, and without a narrator to tell you what you need to know about the character, they become doubly important to pay attention to.

Ben's story is somewhat more straightforwardly told, but is equally as compelling. What develops is the story of a lonely boy who latches onto the idea of finding the father he never knew after his mother's death, and who is learning how to cope in a recently silent world. 

Although the story is largely about deaf culture, it is also about much more than that. With Wonderstruck, Selznick reminds readers how much magic and wonder there actually is to be seen in this world.

The Future of Us: An Ingenious & Thought Provoking Read

The year is 1996, and when Josh gives his best friend Emma an AOL disc to use with her new computer, they are excited to try the internet for the first time. As soon as they log on, a Facebook page from 2011 appears, giving them a glimpse into their future. Unfortunately, our lives don't always turn out the we expect them, and Emma quickly starts trying to alter her future. But as both Emma and Josh will learn, it's the choices they make today that determine whether or not they are happy tomorrow.

At some point in our teenage lives, most of us probably had a vision of where we thought we'd be at 30ish. Perhaps you imagined being married to your high school boyfriend/girlfriend, having your dream job, kids and money. (Or some portion of these) Now imagine being handed a crystal ball and discovering that not only don't you have those things, but you are desperately unhappy. What would you do to change it? In Emma's case, she does the most logical thing she can think of- searches for information and tries to make a change at the beginning of the chain. Unfortunately, she doesn't account for the Butterfly Effect, and every tweak she makes not only changes her own future, but other people's as well.

I love this concept, and the combination of Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler really make it work. Told in alternating perspectives between Emma and Josh, the things they see in their futures are extremely revealing, and it's these glimpses that show them what's truly important. Emma and Josh were best friends until a couple of months prior to the beginning of the story, but a misjudgement of Emma's feelings for him led to a terrible miscue, and has made things awkward between them. Josh is embarrassed, Emma is confused, and neither is quite sure what to do next. I found it especially interesting that each time Emma checks into her future she's checking to see whether Josh is still part of her life.

The book also raises an interesting philisophical arguement about how knowing your future affects the decisions you make in your present. In Emma and Josh's case, the answer is yes. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You'll have to read the book and decide that for yourself. At sixteen or seventeen, I'm sure I would have thought differently than I do now. The positive thing for Emma and Josh about their temporary Crystal Ball is that it forces them to think about where they are and what they want in their presents.

In the end, the real message of this book is that expending a lot of energy worrying about our futures is less important than finding a way to be happy in the now. If we can do that, the future will sort itself out.

Home Truths: A Difficult But Essential Read

Fourteen-year-old Brick is counting down the days until he turns 16 and he can finally escape. Escape his father's temper, his self-absorbed mother's indifference, and get as far away as possible. In the meantime, he lets out his frustrations by bullying the kids in his school. Over the summer, Brick accepts Mr. Larkin's offer of work, even though he's been forbidden to "fraternize" with the neighbours. It seems like a good plan- stash away as much money as possible before he leaves, but there's just one problem- who will his dad knock around if he's not there anymore?

This was a difficult book to read, but an extremely powerful and important one. We all know that sadly, that the abuse Brick suffers isn't a freak occurrence. It happens to kids everyday, and far more than we'd like to admit. There are also oddles of statistics about the pattern of abuse, and it continuing with each generation, etc...but I don't think I've ever seen this type of story presented from the bully's point of view.

Brick is a bully, and while I absolutely felt empathy towards him for everything he's got on his shoulders, initially, its hard to like him. He doesn't just bully, but he enjoys making others feel small and scared, and he isn't really sorry for it. There are however a couple of key points about Brick that suggests to readers that there is still hope for him. Firstly, and most importantly is the way he is with his four-year-old sister Cassie. Sure she's a pain, and sure, he's annoyed that he's being forced to watch her for free the entire summer vacation, but he also looks out for her, and does the best he can to protect her from his father.

The regard that other adults seem to have for Brick, and how eager he is to be held in good regard is also telling, adding another dimension to his character. Behind that bullying, nasty kid is someone who just wants to feel like he can do something right, and that maybe he's not as much of a disappointment as his dad thinks. The fact that anyone's opinion actually matters to him is a surprise to Brick, and it causes him to look more closely at what kind of person he's becoming. It's also a shock to him that anyone would be willing to put themselves on the line for him, and it's extremely difficult for him to allow himself to trust anyone or their intentions.

I also really liked the contrast in the different adult characters, and that they didn't come off as being preachy or stereotypical. As terrible and unsympathetic as Brick's parents are, thanks to people like the Larkins, Brick's view of adults starts to change, and he starts to change.

The descriptions of his father's abuse are certainly not sugar-coated, and with every slap and punch that Brick described, I felt physically ill. There are many valuable lessons about strength of character, integrity, courage, and bullying that are important for kids to read, but I'd be careful of giving this to an especially sensitive kid. That being said, the writing is superb, the story is engaging, and it's the kind of book that deserves to be shared and discussed.