Tag Archive | memories

Fool’s Girl (fiction)

Jun16

Hmm, so the kingdom of Illyria was where? Oh, yes, just down the Adriatic coastline from Venice. No wonder that attacks by the powerful Venetian Empire sent the young Duchess fleeing for her life, searching for the stolen relics which must be returned to Illyria’s cathedral if her homeland is ever to be safe again.

We know this story as Shakespeare told it in Twelfth Night, with its mistaken identities, the evil Malvolio, and the jester/fool Feste.

Imagining that Violetta and Feste meet Shakespeare himself and travel with his theater troupe in search of the Illyrian relics brings us another side of the story, full of intrigue and danger. Whether you’ve read the play or not, you’ll be captivated by this tale well-told by Celia Rees.
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Book info: The Fool’s Girl / by Celia Rees. Bloomsbury, 2010. (paperback Nov. 2011) [author’s website] [author’s blog] [publisher site]

Recommendation: Young Violetta is a duchess of Illyria whose enemies will pursue her to the death. But if she and Feste, royal Fool and jester, can rescue the holy relics stolen from Illyria’s cathedral by Malvolio, they can outwit her late father’s rival and restore the well being of the kingdom and its people.

Disguising themselves, Violetta and Feste follow Malvolio and the relics from Italy to London, where they meet an author who believes their story. William Shakespeare helps them as they travel in his Company, Feste as a player, Violetta as costumer, searching for Malvolio before he sacrifices the relics.

Can Violetta truly see part of the future? What of the secrets that her father sought in mystical books? Will the Illyrians escape the notice of the Queen’s churchmen who are hunting down Catholics in England? Is Feste truly a fool or truly wise?

A memorable retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night where the Bard himself plays a lead role. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Visconti House (fiction)

Jun14

Out of place. The house is out of place in their small Australian town, and Laura is, too.

Since her dad’s writing can be sent from anyplace, the family moved away from the small house in the big city to this huge old house in the small town, so her mum would have more room to create her enormous sculptures.

Of course Laura explores the house’s many rooms, with their fading hand-painted murals and dilapidated velvet curtains and wants to know why… why Mr. Visconti came all the way from Italy to this particular town, why he built this unusual house, why he spent his life here alone, why the cellar door is wallpapered over, why…

This debut novel by an Australian librarian is a charming story of lost loves, found friendships, and a search for understanding.
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Book info: The Visconti House / Elsbeth Edgar. Candlewick, 2011. [author interview] [publisher site]

Recommendation: Laura loved the elegant old house that she and her parents moved into, but she hated being different from everyone at school. Who else’s mother makes huge sculptures in the dining room? What other dad stays up all night writing?

Exploring the falling-apart rooms and imagining their former beauty is interesting, and soon Laura is trying to find out more about why there’s an Italianate villa in their dusty Australian town. Mrs. Murphy said that Mr. Visconti built it for his bride-to-be who never got to live in it.

When Leon moved in with his grandmother and joined Laura’s junior high class, he ignored the teasing better than she could. As she tracks down Mr. Visconti’s history, Leon’s viewpoints lead to other clues.

Can they discover why Mr. Visconti’s beloved never got to live in the beautiful house? Where is the statue which once stood in its gardens? And why did Leon suddenly move here, anyway?

Mystery, misunderstandings, and maybe a ghost! Plan on visiting The Visconti House with Laura and Leon soon! (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Vespertine, by Saundra Mitchell (fiction) – visions at sunset, perilous forecasts

Jun13

Mysterious, metaphysical Monday, and we look to the Sunset, the beginning of evening, those bright moments before dusk and the fall of night… In those fiery glows, is there perhaps the thinnest opening from the spirit world into our own?

In Amelia’s day, spiritualism was a popular pastime with society ladies and their daughters, who enjoyed visits to mediums as part of their social calls. But I don’t think they honestly expected Amelia’s visions to come true…neither did she!

Mitchell is busy on a companion novel, The Springsweet, which will take us west to Oklahoma – due out in Spring 2012.

This is a delightfully spooky tale with a psychic gift that’s rather out of the ordinary and definitely beyond Amelia’s control. Would you believe the Vespertine’s visions?
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Book info: The Vespertine / by Saundra Mitchell. Harcourt Children’s Books, 2011. [author’s website] [author’s blog] [publisher site] [book trailer]

Recommendation: Sunsets brought the visions to Amelia, unasked for. She’d come to Baltimore to finish school and perhaps find a husband, not to capture visions of futures good or bad.

Amelia’s never had a friend her own age or traveled away from her tiny Maine town, so she has much to learn about party manners and calling cards and everything that Zora considers vital for them as well-bred young ladies of 1889. Her cousin soon whirls her into the dances and dinners and archery and park outings favored by the young people of the city. Amelia looks forward to seeing Nathaniel, even though the painter is not in their social class, according to Zora’s mother.

When the red-orange flash of sunset causes a prediction to fall from Amelia’s lips, Zora is intrigued; when it quickly comes true, she’s enthralled. Word spreads among their friends, then among the society ladies of Baltimore, and Amelia is hailed as “Maine’s Own Mystic” for her visions of the future, seen only at the hour of Vespers, at sunset.

But when one vision becomes a perilous reality, Amelia’s world is torn apart. Will she ever stop seeing the future? Can she and Nathaniel find a way to stay together? Will “the Vespertine” be forever entranced and ensnared by the sunset?

Hopeless and hopeful, gloomy and gleaming – sunset may be the finale of one day or the beginning of tomorrow in this stunning book. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, by Dave Roman (book review) – middle school in outer space!

Jun10

book cover of Astronaut Academy Zero Gravity by Dave Roman published by First Second BooksIt’s Fun Friday – Time for school in space! Yes, Dave Roman’s new graphic novel takes us straight to Astronaut Academy, with a curriculum you just won’t believe. Oh, some things in middle school are the same even in outer space (the principal, snarky former best friends), but Astronaut Academy’s variations on ball games and emergency drills are amazing.

Of course, Hakata Soy’s crime-fighting superhero past may catch up with him…

The former comics editor of Nickelodeon Magazine took advantage of its closing to concentrate on his own cartooning, so watch for more of his self-published minicomics to grow into full-fledged books.

Dave is married to Raina Telgemeier who wrote and drew Smile (5/13/11 featured book) – yes, he proposed to her via webcomic! Just imagine two cartoonists in the same apartment… I heard them at a Texas Library Association presentation in April, then met Dave again in May at International Reading Association. Just waiting for their next books!
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Book info: Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity / written and illustrated by Dave Roman. First Second, 2011 [author interview] [publisher site] [book trailer] [selected pages]

My Book Talk: Everyone else is already at Astronaut Academy, but Hakata is late for school! A few weeks late, since he and his mecha-friends were busy saving the world of Hoppiton from the terrible Gotcha Birds.

Senor Panda teaches Spanish (and spying), Doug just wants to wear his spacesuit and stay out on spacewalk all day, and Marcos wonders why at least one of Hakata’s hearts is broken. If the Gotcha Birds decide to attack Astronaut Academy to get the bunny students from Hoppiton, it could disrupt the Fireball Tournament!!

Students, teachers, and non-students take turns telling/showing their stories in this wacky graphic novel – does your Astronaut Academy have classes in Advanced Heart Studies, Fire Throwing, Run-on Sentences, and Wearing Cute Hats? (you can’t win Dinosaur Driving Races if you don’t wear a Cute Hat… just ask Maribelle Mellonbelly)

Action! Adventure! Oxygen gum and flashbacks! The first semester at Astronaut Academy has it all…with an extra helping of funny! (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)