Now on GoodReads

Thank you for visiting this blog. Do stay and browse for a while! I am no longer posting updates, but if you're interested in what I'm currently reading, here's a summary from my GoodReads page.

Mary-Esther's books

Ru

by Kim Thúy

Fleeting, yet lyrical.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

No Fixed Address

by Susin Nielsen

Susin Nielsen's an amazing writer. Her characters are always memorable and her stories heartbreakingly wonderful.

The Element in the Room: Investigating the Atomic Ingredients that Make Up Your Home

by Mike Barfield

Very good introduction to the periodic table and the elements that make up our world. Kids will appreciate the atomic comics and the book's brightly coloured layout. Good for teens and adults too!

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge

by M.T. Anderson

Very strange and funny. Good for those who like exotic worlds and fantastic beasts.

Follow my nonfiction blog

Since there are many excellent blogs devoted to so many genres of fiction (picture books, YA, chapter books, etc), I've decided to concentrate solely on my nonfiction book blog Interesting Nonfiction for Inquisitive Kids - http://inquisitive-kids.blogspot.com.

Also see reviews on my Good Reads shelf:

When humans become prey

Zoo
by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge


For those who don't care for the television series, the book is better. A brief summary: amateur scientist Jackson Oz tries to warn the world about escalating human-animal conflict. The science may be iffy - it involves hydrocarbons and cell phone radiation - but Patterson makes it sound pretty plausible. Oz encounters the usual bureaucratic indifference as the animal attacks increase exponentially. The carnage is confined to short, quick chapters, while the rising suspense will keep readers riveted.

For those who aren't keen on nearly 400 pages, try Zoo: The Graphic Novel.

Dear as Salt

Dear as Salt
by Rafe Martin
illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka


One day, a king became angry because he thought that his daughters didn't love him. His eldest daughter said she loved him as dear as bread, his middle daughter said she loved him as dear as wine, but Zizola, his youngest daughter, said she loved him as dear as salt. Incensed, he wants her dead, but Zizola's mother hides her in a giant candlestick shaped like a rooster. 

The similarity to King Lear is obvious, except that this version is definitely stranger. Yet it's also more delicious, and with a happier ending!

A surprising, enjoyable read.

A family of shape-shifters

Aesop's Secret
by Claudia White


Melinda is a ten-year-old girl who one day discovers that she can turn into a horse! She and her family are Athenites, an ancient race of shapeshifters who can take on the form of any animal. Melinda revels in her newfound ability, but her brother Felix wants nothing to do with it. He's more interested in science and goes off to study at the Stumpworthy School of Science in Paris. But things take an ominous turn when Felix falls into a coma, his father disappears, and his mother starts acting strangely. It's up to Melinda to find out what's really happening in order to save her family. She is helped by her pet rabbit Aesop, who is more than what he seems.

White does a good job of blending the mythical with the real, but doesn't allow her story to properly develop. Everything happens too quickly and conveniently, with adult characters explaining key plot points. I find it disappointing that Melinda and Felix are the only children in the story. Another puzzling aspect are the characters' reactions to various situations. They laugh when they should be scared, are reckless when they should be cautious (Melinda makes no attempt to hide her shapeshifting), and seemingly unconcerned at bad news. Part of the problem may be White's attempt to use a word other than "said." So Melinda sneers or drawls or giggles, which often doesn't fit with the serious conversations that she's having. It's also a major letdown that the villain, Professor Stumpworthy, is the boastful type who enjoys revealing his nefarious plans.

Surprisingly, Aesop's Secret has spawned two sequels, Key to Kashdune and Servalius Window, each with beautiful cover art by Larissa Kulik, which is what initially attracted me. 

White has another book on the way, so she does have her fans. But sadly, this reader isn't one of them.

Dream of diving horses

The Girl on the High Diving Horse
by Linda Oatman High
illustrated by Ted Lewin


Ivy Cordelia and her photographer father spend summer 1936 in Atlantic City. Of all the sights and sounds, Ivy most loves the Steel Pier and the high-diving horses. She watches the act every day and dreams of being the girl on a high-diving horse. Will her dream come true?

Poetic words and old-fashioned, postcard-style pictures make for a nostalgic, magical read.

Summer island adventure

Shack Island Summer
by Penny Chamberlain


Twelve-year-old Pepper and her older brother Everett are spending the summer with their grandmother, who lives on tiny Shack Island. Feeling neglected by Everett, her parents and the knowledge of being adopted, Pepper starts dreaming about her real family and of being special, especially since she seems to have psychic ability. She sometimes has slightly scary dreams that tend to come true. These dreams lead her to Ray, a draft dodger who's hiding out in one of the shacks. Pepper quickly decides that Ray is her real brother and is determined to help him. Her poor judgment leads her into danger, but it somehow works out in the end. Along the way, Pepper gains a new appreciation for her life and her family.

Set in 1969, this is an innocent, almost idyllic novel with a nostalgic feel and a happy ending.