25. Bone, Book 8: Treasure Hunters

Bone, Book 8: Treasure Hunters
By Jeff Smith
Scholastic, Inc., 2008

Genre
Graphic Novel, High Fantasy, Humor

Awards
None known for individual book; the series has received many awards and nominations.

Review
Fone Bone, along with his cousins Phoney Bone and Smiley (with a hidden baby rat creature), are traveling with a queen and Princess Thorn in disguise to get into the city of Atheia.  Many people are trying to take refuge in the city because ghost circles have begun swarming the surrounding towns and desert, forcing evacuations.  Upon entering the city, the group learns that the leaders of Atheia have banned worship of the dragons and demand that only Ven is worshiped, such a change from their old beliefs where people believed that the dragons created the earth, were responsible for life and death, and taught Ven, the first human queen everything she knew.  Guards were ordered to demolish any dragon shrines seen and to capture any dragon worshipers to be burned at the stake.  While the others are hiding and trying to find out more information about those loyal to the dragons and some secret group the queen is part of, and try to figure out how to restore balance between their world and the dream world, Phoney Bone is concerned with finding treasure somewhere in the city while Smiley frequently visits and plays with their smuggled baby rat creature.  All may be lost when Princess Thorn is captured along with the Bone cousins and the queen sees and approaching enemy army of Pawans and rat creatures.  The army belongs to the queen's sister, Briar, who is working to tip the balance toward the dream world, and her master, The Locust.

Opinion
I was lost for this entire book.  I don't think the books in this series, or at least this one in particular, can stand on their own.  The characters are not "reintroduced" in anyway and the plot seems to continue strait from the last book.  This was odd for me having read comic books previously that, though they are a number in a series, don't necessarily depend on their predecessors to tell their story.  The humor in this book is likely appropriate for tweens familiar with the series, but was mostly lost on me.  The artwork is interesting; the humans are fairly realistically drawn and reminded me of how people were drawn in Avatar, the Last Air Bender.  This, contrasting with the more cartoonish drawings of the Bone cousins, the giant bees and the rat creatures made for an amusing idea of what the world of this comic is like.

Ideas
If the first book in the series is available, I feel like it may be a good way to introduce tweens to a graphic novel if they've never read one.  The lively colors, glossy pages, and pressing adventure story will likely keep them entertained.  However, I would recommend suggesting something else if the first book is unavailable as they may be as lost in the story as I was and get discouraged.

23. Inkspell

Inkspell
By Cornelia Funke
Scholastic Inc., 2005
Narrated by Brendan Fraser

Genre
Low-Fantasy

Awards

• Best Sense Book of the Year: Children's Literature (2006)

Review

Meggie and Dustfinger's apprentence, Farid travel into the book Inkheart to find Dustfinger and warn him that Basta, a villainous man who loves to use knives and hates Dustfinger, had returned to Inkheart not long after Dustfinger himself.  A few days after Meggie disappeared into the book, her parents, Mo and Risa, were still heart-broken and thinking they've lost her forever.  They walk into their house only to find more old enemies that came from the pages of Inkheart.  Basta (who hadn’t returned yet), Mortola, and Orpheus had broken in, looking for Mo, Risa, and Meggie to exact revenge on for killing their old leader (also Mortola's son), Capricorn.  When Meggie is nowhere to be found, Mortola has Orpheus read all of them back into Inkheart where Mortola promptly shoots Mo with a gun brought with them from Mo's world.  Meanwhile, after warning Dustfinger, Meggie searches for the book's author, Fenolgio, who had come to live in the book himself, but soon discovers her parents were captured and are in the book and Mo is gravely wounded.  The rest of the story finds the small family trying to finally be reunited outside of captivity, and follows Farid as he tries to keep Dustfinger alive.  Fenolgio tries along the way to write beautiful words for Meggie to read and help him "fix" his story, but everything seemed to turn against his intentions, like a wish made to a genie that wasn't specific enough.  Funke did a wonderful job of trying to include readers whose first experience of the Inkworld is Inkspell by including character synopses at the beginning.  There is also a map for readers to follow the characters as they travel the vast and magical Inkworld, and small illustrations scattered throughout the book, presenting the characters and making the book itself seem as magical as the words in it.

Opinion

This is a great continuation to Inkheart, the first book in the series, but it can't quite stand on its own.  Many events are referenced from the first book, and not all of them are explained enough for those new to the series to be fully aware of the whole story.  A fairly easy read despite its thickness, Inkspell would be a great option for tweens who enjoy the adventure and magic often found in fantasy.

Ideas

Since this book was originally written in German and translated, this may be a good book for a display about popular books originating for foreign countries.  Many of the descriptions in the books are detailed enough to suggest that readers choose their favorite scene and attempt to illustrate it, like an illuminator would do in the book.

22. Cinder

Cinder
By Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends, 2012

Genre
Sci-fi

Awards

• ABC New Voices Title (2012)
• YALSA Teen's Top Ten (2012)
• Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens (2013)
• IRA Young Adult Choices (2013)
• Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year (2013)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Awards: Master List (2013-2014)
• Abraham Lincoln Award Illinois' High School Readers' Choice Awards: Master's List (2014)
• NYSRA Charlotte Award High School Winner (2014)
• Indian Young Hoosier Award Middle Grade Nominee (2014-2015)
• MASL Readers Awards Nominee (2014-2015)
• Nebraska Golden Sower Award Young Adult Nominee (2014-2015)
• VSBA Middle School Nominee (2014-2015)
• Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2015)
• Oklahoma Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2015)

Review

A Cinderella story with a new twist: Cinder is a cyborg mechanic and is the property of her step-mother since her adoptive father died after rescuing her from the hovercraft accident she was disfigured in.  Prince Kai suddenly appears at her mechanic market stall once day requesting she fix his android.  Unfortunately, the plague that has been brushing the outskirts of town has begun to make its way inside the city, infecting Cinder's step-sister and the Emperor himself.  Cinder is "volunteered" as a test subject for vaccines to help with the epidemic where the doctor testing her teaches her much about her past and finds her immune to the illness.  Cinder continues to see Prince Kai, causing them both to develop feelings for one another.  Kai discusses with Cinder a looming threat of war from the Lunars (inhabitants that live on the moon and have special abilities resembling mind control).  Cinder discovers that the Prince's android holds secrets about a possibly surviving heir to the Lunar throne who has been thought dead!  If she is restored to the throne, Kai's concerns about war and possible marriage to the tyrannical Lunar queen could be put to rest.  On the night of a ball thrown by Prince Kai, with the Lunar Queen present, Cinder must make the difficult decision of escaping her terrible stepmother forever and never seeing Kai again, or warning him of impending danger and lose her only chance of escape.  This thrilling and unique retelling of Cinderella will keep readers engaged, always on the edge of their seats to see what will happen next.

Opinion
A very detailed, thought-out story with a rich setting and back story.  Cinder is a well fleshed out, believable character, with a sarcastic and mysterious side, but some of the other characters are a little flat, including Prince Kai.  Though he is a likable character, there is not much to him.  Some parts of the story seem to have been started and then stopped without much resolution leaving the reader unsure if that minor story line is cut short or may be continued in the next book.  Overall, this is a great sci-fi telling of Cinderella that is appropriate for middle grade through high school.

Ideas
Great for a display of modern fairy tale retellings.

20. The Dark is Rising

The Dark is Rising: Book 2 of the Dark is Rising Sequence
By Susan Cooper
Random House Children's Books, 1973
Narrated by Alex Jennings

Genre
Adventure, Low-Fantasy

Awards

• Newbery Honor (1974)
• Named one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" by the National Education Association (2007)
• Named one of the "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time by School Library Journal (2012)

Review

Will Stanton prepares for his Midwinter birthday, but can’t shake the feeling something is wrong.  Animals are reacting aggressively toward him and he is given a strange metal symbol as a birthday present by a long-time family friend, Farmer Dawson.  Soon Will discovers he was the last Old One, an ancient and powerful being, to be born and he came into the fullness of his powers on his 11th birthday.  Will travels through time with other Old Ones "…for all times co-exist, and the future can sometimes affect the past, even though the past is a road that leads to the future . . . But men cannot understand this.”  He is told by another Old One that he is the Sign Seeker, and that he already had one of them, the item Farmer Dawson had given him.  There are six Signs that must be gathered to help fight off the Dark, dark forces that were trying to control the world.  Will, along with the light (the Old Ones and others) fight constantly to keep the Dark at bay.  The Dark had some influence on the world and were the ones causing the snow, which Will soon discovers, is at risk of killing people in his village.  Will learns to control his powers and the Signs to fend off the Dark a while longer and keep his family safe from something they don't know is happening.   Will visits with other Old Ones in different times to learn more about who he is and how he can help fight the Dark.  A captivating book that shows a young boy coping with his new situation that can sometimes be seen as a gift and at other times be seen as a burden.

Opinion

I didn't know this was the second book in a series until looking more closely at the cover.  The author did a wonderful job of making the book stand alone, but now that I know it is part of a larger series, I certainly want to read the first book, and all the rest!  The setting changes frequently and I wasn't always sure "when" the book was, but I was swept up in the story nonetheless.  There is mention of British folklore in this book, and I'm sure I would find it all that more entertaining if I was familiar with the basics of the original folk characters, like Heren the Hunter.

Ideas

A great book for reluctant readers since it is part of a series they can keep going with if they enjoy this one, but the book also stands alone well, allowing readers who may be unsure about fantasy to try new things.

17. Hercules

Hercules
Directed by Brett Ratner
Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, 2014

Genre
Action, Adventure, Legend

Awards
None Known

Review
A brand new telling of the legend of Hercules shows that he doesn't always fight his battles alone.  He has a group of friends and skilled fighters, who stand by him.  The story opens showing some of the great feats Hercules was said to have accomplished, but quickly comes back to present times to find the storyteller is the nephew of Hercules who has been captured by pirates and is trying to delay their attempt to kill him while waiting for Hercules to come rescue him.  The movie continues from there, always hinting that Hercules may or may not really be the son of Zeus, but all that mattered was that his legend lived on so it went ahead of him, casting fear into the hearts of his enemies and inspiring courage in his allies.  The movie also references Hercules's family being killed and that he was banned from Athens, accused of their murder, which lead him to become a mercenary for hire.  A cleaver balance of humor and action/adventure was shown, humor mainly being shown by the character Tydeus, but also at times by others in Hercules's party.  This movie is rated PG-13 due to brief nudity (a quick flash of a woman disrobing from the back and showing her bare buttocks), intense battle scenes and violence, and language.  This telling of the Hercules legend is based on The Thracian Wars comic series by Radical Comics and can certainly be enjoyed by newcomers to the Hercules story, but those who have followed previous shows, movies, or other tellings made about this legend may see references in the movie.

Opinion
I was surprised this movie was rated PG-13.  The battle scenes were intense, but showed little blood.  There were certainly many dead bodies, including those of children showed up close, and heads on spikes.  There was a flash of brief nudity and language concerns including a handful of uses of the word "shit" and a use of the "f-word".  Parental discretion is definitely advised with this movie, as this may be considered absolutely appropriate by some parents and absolutely not by others.  That aside, I think this movie was certainly appealing to the tween group due to the casting of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Hercules and the heavy action in the film.  The 3D effects were a little overwhelming at the beginning, but were very enjoyable and well-timed for the rest of the movie.  Humor was well-used, having Tydeus being a consistent relief during fighting scenes.

Ideas
I would certainly recommend parents to look into this movie before deciding if it is appropriate for their tween to see, whether alone or with an adult.  It is a good addition to the anthology of Hercules retellings and will be a good addition to a mythology display (after it is released on DVD) to hopefully attract older patrons.

2. Maleficent

Maleficent
Directed by Robert Stromberg
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2014

Genre
Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling

Honors
None known

Review
This movie is a retelling of Disney's Sleeping Beauty from the prospective of Maleficent, the protagonist in the original film.  The story follows Maleficent as a young girl enjoying her wings, the freedom of her land (the Moors), and befriending a young human boy named Stephan.  Humans were not allowed in the Moors due to a history of war between the two lands, until Stefan begins spending time with Maleficent.  The two grow up and Maleficent falls in love with him, but Stefan sees a chance to become king in his own realm if he can prove Maleficent is dead.  He drugs her one night, but can’t bring himself to kill her, so he cuts off her wings for his prize.  He goes on to become king, marrying the princess and having a daughter named Aurora.  Maleficent shows up at the celebration of Aurora's birth and curses her to fall into a coma at 16 after pricking her finger on a spinning needle.  But as Maleficent watches the child, she unintentionally grows fond of her and tries to remove the curse, but fails.  This movie has beautiful scenery, but is very dark at times.  It has a general theme of overcoming that can speak to many audiences, though younger children may be frightened at times.  This is a must-see for any fairy tale lovers.

Opinion
Many reviewers, and even Angelina Jolie, consider the scene where Maleficent's wings are stolen by Stefan to be a rape metaphor.  While nothing graphic is shown, this is a very dark scene and can cause a deep emotional reaction.  I feel that most tweens will focus more on the literal occurrences in the movie, but this interpretation is certainly something to be aware of.  Angelina Jolie played her part very well, though most of her character was portrayed through actions and CGI; she spoke much less than I thought she would.  Her facial expressions and behaviors did a good job of portraying her character's feelings without introducing the presence of a narrator reminiscing.  I felt that the characters aside from Maleficent were very non-dimensional and unexplored, and even Maleficent was slightly shallow (though certainly more complete than the others).  The 3-D effects seemed in good taste, not overused or ineffective, and the scenery was believable and beautiful.

Ideas
This is a good family movie, but likely not something to let children watch alone.  This film may provoke discussion about some of the "big questions": why do bad things happen to good people and why do people do bad things? It's a good example of overcoming a desire for revenge and remembering who you are outside of anger.