Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge

7 Stars

"When Ryan and his friends are caught stranded and penniless late one evening, they steal some coins from a well for their bus far home. Soon after, strange things begin to happen. Peculiar marks tingle on Ryan's knuckles, light bulbs mysteriously explode and a terrified Chelle starts speaking words that aren't her own. Then the well witch appears, with her fountains for eyes and gargled demands. From now on, the friends must serve her--and the wishes that lie rotting at the bottom of her well." (Taken from the inside cover.)

Well-written (as to be expected with one of my favorite children's book authors) and eerie, I think the biggest downside to this book is just that I hoped to like it more. It isn't as scary as I worried it might be, but it's still creepy enough that I wouldn't recommend it for very young children (or even the very squeamish adult, to be truthful). Hardinge's writing is lyrical, but not as solid as it was on Fly by Night or Gullstruck Island, I thought. Though, perhaps, some of that could be attributed to the more modern setting. It does draw you in, though, until you wonder how the three children can possibly solve this situation they find themselves in and get out of their debt. (And, in case you are wondering,"Verdigris Deep" is actually the British release title. The American release is titled "Well-Witched", but I didn't feel that the English-isms were extreme enough to deter anyone who's a little familiar with word differences between the two countries. I.e. she uses the term "trolley" where we would probably use "shopping cart." Just a heads up in case you have a preference.)

Questing in Camelot

Lately I've been in the mood for Arthurian stories. Since I work at the library, I had easy to access to several books in the genre. I couldn't resist! I thought that I would do a single large post about them all, rather than a post about each.


Merlin and the Making of the King- Margaret Hodges

We'll start with one I didn't like as much. Although I like the illustrations in this one, I didn't much like the writing. I felt that the writing was a bit rushed, skipping over too much. In addition, this version focuses on the Christian elements of the Arthurian legends, which isn't my favorite. I don't really like mixing Christianity and magic together, so I generally prefer Arthurian storytelling that focuses on the magical elements over the Christian ones. I know its impossible to ignore it all together, what with things like the Holy Grail, but nonetheless I like it minimized.



Merlin and the Dragons by: Jane Yolen

A wonderful picture book about Merlin's past. Beautifully illustrated and accurately told, this is wonderful picture book. I enjoyed it! Good for young and older children as well as adults.











King Arthur by: Sir Thomas Mallory

One again, beautifully illustrated. The writing here is average. Along the far sides of the pages there are various facts about Arthurian legends and history to supplement the writing. Overall an enjoyable experience. I'd say the target audience is 8-12.












The Fall of Camelot by: "Time-Life Classics"

This is my favorite of the bunch. It is written for a more adult audience, but I enjoyed it's tone and flow quite a lot. In my opinion, the best written of the bunch. It also has some of my favorite illustrations.













King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Sir Thomas Mallory

This one is more of a chapter book for preteens. The writing feels pretty bland in comparison to some of the others, but it still decent. There are a few scattered illustrations, but they are nothing special.













And that's it for now. I also have a book about the themes within Arthurian stories, and during my breaks at work I'm reading a compilation of relatively unknown or forgotten Arthurian legends. At some later date hopefully I can tell you about them.

Funny In Farsi by: Firoozeh Dumas

7 stars

Funny In Farsi is a memoir of an Iranian girl growing up in America. Firoozeh Dumas first came to the U.S. from Iran in the early '70s when her father was sent to California on a two-year contract from the National Iranian Oil Company. Her family soon discovered that his presumed skill in English was basically limited to "vectors, surface tension and fluid mechanics." In short, humorous vignettes, the author recounts their resulting difficulties and Americans' almost total ignorance of Iran, illustrating the kindness of people and her father's absolute love of this country. - From Amazon.com

I must say that I enjoyed this book. I was led in a playful way through some of the culture of Iran, laughing as I went. Firoozeh amusingly describes the hilarity that ensues when as two very different cultures clash. The easy pace and friendly tone made it a quick and easy read, and one I would recommend to those looking for a little humor or a peek into Iranian culture. My only possible complaint was that in seemed a little rushed at times. I would have liked to have read a little more.

Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguié

5 Stars

Ruth is attacked by a wolf as a child, and ever after has a fear of entering the woods near her home. When her brother leaves to join the Holy Wars, her father is left without help in the blacksmith shop and so Ruth takes over her brothers duties. She is comfortable in her role as blacksmith, and continues to brave her fear in order to visit her grandmother in the woods, who's been cast out of the village for accusations of witchcraft. "Amidst these dark days, a new man enters Ruth's life. William is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and he makes her shiver. But the young man is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family ages ago, and each male of the family has strange blood running in his veins. Now Ruth must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma's house..." (Taken partially from the back cover.)

Okay. Yes, this really is a rewrite of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. And, yes, if I had bothered to really read the back cover first, I might not have read it, either. Another in the "Once Upon a Time..." series, I hoped that this book would live up to the potential it had. Because, truthfully, "Little Red Riding Hood" has always been a pretty creepy tale. So adding werewolves (sorry for the spoiler as I'm sure you were all going to rush out and read this...) to the mix is actually not a large stretch for me. The concept could have been kind of cool. Unfortunately, the writing is as cheesy as the back cover makes it sound, coming across as trite and contrived. The moral of this review? Read every single one of Cameron Dokey's books in this series--but maybe don't bother with any of the other authors.

The Knight's Tales, Books 1 and 2 by Gerald Morris

6 Stars

Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant Knights of the Round Table. Of these worthy knights, there was never one so fearless, so chivalrous, so honorable, so...shiny as the dashing Sir Lancelot. And there were others: Sir Kay the Loyal, Sir Bedivere the Just, and young Givret, who was known for being...well, short. Behold the very exciting and comical adventures of the Knights of the Round Table, as only the acclaimed Arthurian author Gerald Morris can tell them. (Taken in part from the inside cover.)

These books, while funny, are definitely written for a younger audience than Morris' much more involved "The Squire's Tales" series. They read like short story collections in a way, but the brief anecdotes all come together at points, drawing the story together. They were a fun read, but, as I said, not nearly as enjoyable as Morris' other collection (the best of which are the first couple of books). Younger audiences (8-12, maybe?) would probably love the humor and outright silliness in these books.

Ugly by Donna Jo Napoli

7 Stars

Based on Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale of "The Ugly Duckling", this book tells of a young bird who just doesn't fit in with those around him. Set in Tasmania and written for a young audience, Ugly introduces the reader to both the classic tale and a realistic view of wildlife in an unusual setting.

This was a surprisingly good read. As I started it, I was a little afraid that it would be so over-simplistic that it would come across as inane. But, actually, Donna Jo Napoli does an excellent job of getting down the rhythm of the animals she's writing for and about. They all use a simpler thought process--more direct, anyway--but surprisingly large vocabulary. She's obviously put a great deal of thought into how animals would realistically interact with their own kind and other species, as well as the things they would have deeper knowledge about. They are simple, not stupid. This would be a great read for younger children interested in animals, and I could happily recommend it to anyone that likes the original tale, as well.

Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

8 Stars

"The Princess Aurore has had an unusual childhood. Cursed at birth, Aurore is fated to prick her finger at age sixteen and sleep for one hundred years--until a prince awakens her with a kiss. ... On her sixteenth birthday, Aurore learns that the impending curse will harm not only her, but the entire kingdom as well. Unwilling to cause suffering, she will embark on a quest to end the evil magic. The princess's bravery will be rewarded as she finds adventure, enchantment, a handsome prince, and ultimately, her destiny." (Taken from the back cover.)

Okay, so as you can tell, this is a retelling of the fairy tale "The Sleeping Beauty." I know several of you have already read this book (and many of Cameron Dokey's other fairy tale re-tellings), but thought I'd throw this one up here as I just re-read it. This book is probably not my favorite of Dokey's fairy tale books, but I can say it is a great version of Sleeping Beauty. One of my favorites. I am impressed at Dokey's ability to take the predictability out of a well-known tale while still leaving the bones intact. She follows the story and sticks to it, but you are somehow still left in suspense about the ending. And, while her writing is not EXCELLENT, it is good and she has some really beautiful and poetic moments. In this book in particular, I also enjoy her ability to take a princess that in many versions of the tale really doesn't do much, and turn into someone that has heart, bravery, and intelligence. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is a romantic or who likes the tale of "The Sleeping Beauty."