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I asked the following question on Twitter and then realized the 140 character limit might make it hard to answer:

What  are 5 book/literary blogs you think are under-appreciated? And 5 that you couldn’t live without?

So consider this post a chance to answer the question with as many characters as you need.

(Don’t be shy, feel free to recommend yourself.)

But as I always say, better late than never.  So here is the clip for your entertainment:

Here is a video trailer to pique your interest:

For those of you more literal and less visual here is the blurb:

In the final installment of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, Nick and Laurie had thought they solved their giant problems when they drove all the giants into the sea. But now, the Grace kids have come back to tell them they may have more trouble coming their way!

It turns out the giants control the population of Hydra, a dragon like creature that is creating sinkholes all over Florida. But with the mermaids refusing to return the giants to the shore, the nixie’s still missing and the threat of a destroyed Florida drawing closer, the kids have to take matters in their own hands.

Will Nick and Laurie be able to stop the destruction they unwittingly caused? Can a new giant hunter help save the day? Can Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide help them out of this or are they on their own?

My quick take: for the intended audience (ages 9-12) this final installment is an action packed conclusion to a fun series.  For me, however, the series had run its course and I no longer looked forward to each new book with such anticipation.  So while The Wyrm King was well done it lacked some of the magic of the earlier series.

A bit more below.

The book continues to explore the challenges of mixed families that result from remarriage just as the original series dealt with a family in the aftermath of divorce/separation.  Nick and Laurie have to work out there relationship as their parents decide to separate the two families in the aftermath of the crazy events detailed in the previous book.  Living in a small hotel room, and having their kids mixed up in hard to believe adventures, is just too much stress it seems.

And to a certain extent there is a “coming of age” aspect to this last book.  Nick has to decided where his loyalties lie and whether or not he is going to do what he thinks is right no matter how hard or dangerous.  In all the danger and chaos Nick realizes that friends and family are what’s important.

As I noted above, I found the Beyond the Spiderwick books an interesting spin off of the original series.  But I am glad this is the last book.  I think the series lost a bit of its energy; lacked the magic of the first series.  They were interesting reads but not the type of book where you can’t wait until the next volume is published so you can rush to read it.

I realize not every book has that magic, but it is also wise not to stretch an idea to far.  Black and DiTerlizzi were wise to wrap this series up with an action packed conclusion before the quality suffered.

Synopsis

Are you satisfied with your weight? Do you have enough energy to make it through the day? Do you consider yourself a happy person? All of these things are related, and your energy, mental clarity, mood and, of course, waistline are all directly connected to what you eat.

In Eat Your Way to Happiness, you’ll learn that healthy eating is a lot easier than you may think, and that making a few simple changes to your diet can have amazing results. Discover:

- The 1, 2, 3 combination of breakfast foods that will keep you energized all day.

- Which carbs and fats to eat—and why the right ones will help elevate your mood and decrease your weight.

- The 12 super foods that pack an added punch for boosting mood and slimming your waistline.

- Nutritious foods that have been scientifically shown to tweak brain chemistry so you feel calmer, happier and more energetic— and more likely to stick to your diet.

- The amazing studies showing that chocolate and wine can help you live longer—and more happily.

And much more!

–> The Whole Food Guide to Strong Bones

From the Publisher

It’s essential to maintain strong bones to keep an active lifestyle, but aside from taking a daily calcium supplement, is there really anything you can do to improve your bone health? With this complete program for stronger bones created by health educator Annemarie Colbin, you’ll learn the best foods to eat to build bone mass and find out which foods actually weaken bones. You’ll also discover how exercise and finding personal balance can improve your health and prevent fragility fractures, menopause-related bone loss, and osteoporosis.

· What puts you at risk for bone fracture
· Why medication and estrogen therapy may not work for you
· How the nutrients in whole foods build bone mass
· 85 easy recipes that maximize the bone-building effects of whole foods

After traveling to New York City’s ghostly underworld, Jack Perdu has made it back aboveground, to join the living. But if he’s alive, why is he still seeing ghosts?

Jack tries hard to fit in at his new school-and tries even harder to win the affections of his Latin classmate and friend, Cora. In an effort to impress her, Jack leads Cora to the entrance of the underworld and makes a terrible mistake. Soon they have crossed the threshold—and this time, there may be no getting back.

Like The Night Tourist, this exciting sequel blends together the modern-day world and mythology-this time cleverly introducing readers to myth of Persephone and Eros.

I have a bit of a mixed reaction to this follow-up.

While it has all of the same ingredients as the last (mix of adventure, characters, mythology, and history) it just didn’t quite strike me the same way.  It might be because this book deal more with adolescent concerns: Jack likes Cora but Cora likes Austin, etc. Or it could be the more serious tone.

Marsh continues to use the series to lovingly describe New York City and to explore its history (this time Central Park).  And the characters are further developed (Euri’s past and Cora’s home life) and Jack comes to grips with his feelings toward both Cora and Euri.

The story is a little slower and the focus is more on the emotions involved in relationships.  The threat to Jack and Cora seemed less real to me.  I never really believed Cora was going to come to harm in the underworld. And the connections between finding a secret passage out of the underworld seemed a little forced at times.  Some plot twists at the end, however, were well done and add to the action and suspense.

But it could be these are just the limits of young adult fiction, because otherwise the story is really well done.  It is an intelligent and creative blend of adventure, mythology, and fantasy that addresses some real issues that young people face.

Rather than stealing PW’s plot summary, how about we have Neil himself introduce the book?

I can’t get away, however, without a quote from School Libary Journal, as I like their description of the book.  They describe it as a “thoughtful and quietly humorous fantasy.”  Which was my reaction as well.

As is typical of Gaiman, there is a simplicity to the story but also a playfulness to the prose and  a sense of deeper and darker things lurking behind the scenes.  Odd has that infuriating smile that adds an edge, and a sense of mystery, to this partially lame but brave and generous boy.

While nothing is too dark or scary for young readers, Gaiman hints at the darker and capricious side of the gods and includes an element that will bring a smile to the adults in his portrayal of the relationship between the Frost Giant and the goddess Freya.

This slim volume, originally written for World Book Day in the UK and sold there as par of that charitable endeavor, has the feel of a fable; simple yet hinting at deeper things.  Obviously a must have for Gaiman fans – and fans of Norse mythology – but worth checking out for anyone who enjoys a simple yet well done tale.

From the Inside Flap

Is death the end? Or, as bestselling author Dinesh D’Souza argues, do the latest discoveries in physics and neuroscience, the most convincing philosophical deductions, and the most likely conclusions from anthropology and biology lend increasing credibility to the prospect of life after death?

Life After Death: The Evidence presents a reasoned, scientifically based case that life after death is more than possible, it is highly probable. Indeed it has far more evidence on its side than atheistic arguments about death marking our complete and utter extinction.

[...]

Provocative, and combining a mastery of the arguments from philosophy, physics, and biology with an incisive analysis of how the world’s major religions have viewed the afterlife, D’Souza shows why we can expect that what Shakespeare called the “undiscovered country” will be discovered by us all.

–> Still Standing by Carrie Prejean

From the Inside Flap

Carrie Prejean had no idea, when she walked down the stage to face her final question before the selection and crowning of Miss USA, that her hopes, dreams, and reputation were about to come crashing down around her under a torrent of media attacks.

Her crime? To have answered honestly that for her—and for most Americans—marriage is defined as a sacred bond between one man and one woman. For the thought crime of saying this, Carrie Prejean went from being the likely winner of the Miss USA competition to being the certain loser. But worse, she would be subjected to a campaign of vilification, verbal abuse, and betrayal that did not even end with her being stripped of her title of Miss California.

Here at last is Carrie’s own story—the full story—about what actually happened.

[...]

Carrie Prejean endured the hellish nightmare that the liberal media can inflict on anyone who disagrees with their agenda, but her faith, courage, and conviction have made her a role model for how we can stare down the bullies of political correctness and reclaim our God-given rights to freedom of speech, thought, and conscience.

Cover of Ottoline Goes to School

For those of you keeping score at home, I have been exploring what you might call the graphic novel side of children’s and young adult literature.  Works that are more than picture books; chapter books with a heavy visual aspect to them.

The latest book I stumbled upon at the library, Ottoline Goes to School, is actually the second book in a series but I didn’t know that at the time.  Regardless, it is a witty, silly, and visually stimulating story.

Here is School Journal’s plot summary:

In this second story about Ottoline, who lives with her faithful, hairy best friend, Mr. Monroe, readers are visually thrust into her Big City life, as she befriends Cecily, who is quite a storyteller, and decides to accompany her to the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted. There the students, each with an outlandish and noteworthy pet, seek out their talents in origami curtain-making, plate-spinning, tea-sipping, and other different arts. Ottoline flounders, unable to find her special talent, but is drawn to the mystery of the curse of the Horse of Hammersteins. In the end, she proves to be a fine sleuth.

I am most familiar with Riddell from his collaboration with Paul Stewart in The Edge Chronicles.  And the illustrations here will stand out to anyone familiar with that series.  But this series is much more playful and more of a graphic novel than a straightforward illustrated story.

I read this story to my daughter in one sitting and she really enjoyed it.  I did as well. The illustrations are fun and full of surprises and the humor is dry and witty.  The text illustration combination pack a lot into this slim volume.

As School Journal also noted:

This is an outstanding example of a picture book-cum-graphic novel, in which Riddell dazzles readers with visual detail and comical oddities and language that is rich, zany, and imaginative. It will satisfy visually needy and visually discerning readers.

To use a cliche, this includes readers young and old.

So if you are looking for something different to read at bed time, or to have your young reader tackle themselves, this fun series is a good choice.

Kirkus Reviews

A man heads west with his mute son in an ill-fated attempt to get lucky in both mining and love. Foreman (Toehold, 2007) takes as his hero Gideon, a young man born with a “lazy tongue.” Unable to speak, he sticks close to his father Jubal, who readily intuits his needs and feelings. It’s the mid-’50s (Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline play in the backdrop), and Jubal hopes to make his fortune by heading from Mississippi to Utah to try his hand at uranium mining. Along the way he meets Abilene Breedlove, a good-time girl who preys on men’s ambitions with little concern for morality. So when Abilene and Jubal connect early on, it’s clear to the reader-and Gideon-that there will be trouble. Foreman works in a clean, plainspoken style, writing about the Utah landscape in a manner that evokes other Western writers such as Kent Haruf and Thomas McGuane, though he adds more lurid touches as a love triangle emerges. While Jubal and Gideon work their claim, Abilene begins a lusty affair with Jack, a wealthy landowner. Foreman isn’t subtle about the sinister goings-on here; the patch of land where Jubal drills is called the Dark Angel, and Jack’s last name is Savage.

The author’s efforts to give the novel a mythic feel occasionally makes for cliched prose: “Abilene Breedlove had bored a hole through the skull of Jubal Pickett, crept inside his brain, and searched out all his dreams.” But Foreman expertly intensifies the drama, and he gets away with the occasionally overstated passage by making Gideon a keen observer of the proceedings. As a stand-in for the reader, he seethes at the abuses and manipulations to which his father is subjected, and if Gideon’s own trial by fire in theclosing pages seems unrealistic, it’s a fine setup for the satisfyingly vengeful parrying that marks the closing pages. A provocative story that shrewdly mixes Western and gothic themes.

–> Wyatt’s Revenge by H. Terrell Griffin

Description

On balance, retired trial lawyer turned-beach bum Matt Royal is a pretty laid-back fellow. But when Laurence Wyatt, one of Matt’s best friends, is murdered, Matt trades in his easygoing ways for a hard-hitting quest for revenge. Matt knows the Longboat Key police will do their job in investigating. But for Matt, finding Wyatt’s killer isn’t a job; it’s personal. Determined to do whatever it takes to solve Wyatt’s murder, Matt takes matters into his own hands and embarks on a clandestine investigation. Soon, Matt finds himself in hot pursuit of a cadre of remorseless criminals and trained killers, but the tables turn and Matt becomes the pursued. Faced with mounting danger, Matt calls for backup from his buddies Jock Algren and Logan Hamilton. Matt Royal would go to the ends of the earth to exact revenge for Wyatt’s murder, but will he go outside the law? Expect the unexpected in this wild and dangerous ride from Longboat Key, Florida, to Frankfurt, Germany, because hell hath no fury like Matt Royal scorned.

Cover via Amazon

As regular readers know, I have long had an interest in both well written and/or beautifully illustrated children’s books and chapter books/young adult fiction.  Lately I have been checking out some books that fit in between picture type books you read to your kids and full fledged fiction they read themselves.

One such example, I picked up at a local library sale was Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil written by the creator of the Non Sequitor comic strip Wiley Miller.  Allow me to steal the plot description from the School Library Journal:

It’s 1899, and 12-year-old Basil lives in a lighthouse on the coast of Maine. A dour, gnomish lad with an oversize head, he longs for adventure. When a balloon piloted by a kindly, mysterious man appears outside his window, the boy leaps aboard and soars off to a fantastic city in the sky. Professor Angus McGookin has brought him to Helios, the home of a secret, advanced society, and Basil is soon caught up in an adventure involving evil scientists, pteranodons, and mechanical armies.

I read the book to my daughter who is almost five years old and she enjoyed it enough to sit still and listen to it over the course of two nights.  I found it clever and interesting.

The bright fun color illustrations add some zip and visual excitement to the story. The story itself is certainly not all that unique (boy finds secret world, has been chosen to play a role, bad guy threatens all that is good, etc.) but I found it entertaining and a nice mix of adventure and mystery. There is sense throughout that not only is a sequel in the works but there is a whole lot to the story that isn’t being told.

There is also an undercurrent, a mix of mythology and political philosophy, that is deeper than most kids are likely to pick up on.  The people of Helios exist to keep civilization from being destroyed but mankind’s violent and warlike tendencies keep getting in the way. The bad guy’s plan is “World Peace Through Domination.” It never becomes overt but this sort of thing seems like a commentary on more modern political issues.

If you are looking for finley honed literature you may be disappointed.  SLJ describes it this way:

Miller’s plentiful, full-color cartoons expand on the story, but there’s little invention or character development in this rambling story. The narrative flow is clunky, with awkward shifts in perspective from Basil to that of an all-knowing narrator.

While Booklist added:

Miller’s lack of experience with longer narrative forms shows in the simplistic story arc and thin characterizations, and also in the episodes’ choppy flow, in which the rhythms of a serialized cartoon are still apparent. Even so, the book’s unusually plentiful illustrations make this worth a second glance.

While reading it to my daughter I didn’t particularly notice such literary flaws and I think Booklist’s conclusion points to why:

Varied in size and design, the full-color artwork amplifies the contrast between Basil’s pinched, austere appearance and the extravagant wonders he sees–from flying reptiles to a boat suspended beneath a hot-air balloon. Together with such visuals, the spaciously designed text and plot-driven action will help struggling readers (or those new to chapter books) build confidence.

The point is that this is somewhere between picture book and chapter book and that something kids will enjoy – mine sure did.  As usual expectations play a big role in your reaction.

Overall, I found it to be a quirky, and fun, adventure story with some great illustrations to break up the prose.