Schwartz, A., & Gammell, S. (1981). Scary stories to tell in the dark (1st ed.). New York: Lippincott.
Summary
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a compilation of traditional and non-traditional stories intended to frighten and spook the reader and whoever the reader choose to pass the tales onto next. The stories are arranged by section, such as “AAAAAAAAAAAH!”, a section where the stories are told with emphasis on causing the audience of the story to jump in fright. The stories themselves are appropriate for the age group with some minor bodily dismemberment and other gruesome images likely to get a scare out of younger readers. The stories are short and easy to read and there are several stories with instructions on how to best to scare the listener.
Impressions
The book was written in 1981 and compared to a lot of more recent publication (books by Neil Gaiman come to mind) the stories are fairly tame. However, the tameness of the stories may be because I am not the intended audience for these stories and have experience much more blood-curdling stories in my many years or literary exploration. Looking at the stories from the perspective of my 8 year old self, I would have most likely been unable to sleep after only a few of these stories.
As for why this book was banned, I haven’t the foggiest. Scary stories are traditional and as old as campfires. Kids will always try to scare each other with ghost stories or other creepy tales, so I can’t understand why writing them down would make them forbidden. I suppose that kids who would use this book to torment other kids would make the book undesirable in the eyes of teachers and parents, but compared to some things, this book isn’t bad at all.
Reviews
“This folklore collection is unusually good. True to the genre, the stories contained are suitable for telling, particularly at Halloween and around the campfire. Contemporary and humorous stories are blended with spooky ones. The scholarship in the source notes and bibliography will be useful to serious literature students. Although the cover art is not charming, it hints at the particular macabre, shadowy black-and-white illustrations inside. The stories are not unbearably grotesque; they are suitable even for low elementary grades.”
Chamberlin, L. (1982). Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Book Review). School Library Journal, 28(5), 81.
“This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright.
There is a story here for everyone -- skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney.
Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even scary songs -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark. If You Dare!”
HarperCollinsPublishers. (2010). Scary stories to tell in the dark 25th anniversary edition. Retrieved 05/09, 2010, from http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064401708/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark_25th_Anniversary_Edition/index.aspx
Library Use
This book would be a great book to have out for Halloween or during the summer to get kids ready for camping.
Noyes, D. (2004). Gothic! : Ten original dark tales (1st ed.). Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.
Summary
Gothic! is a compilation of ten chilling short stories created to provide spine-tingling fear for those foolish enough to read its pages. The stories range from the classic haunted house ghost story to a strangely unique view of our world as the land of the fantastic and the realm of the macabre as the norm. The stories feature authors of great renown, such as Neil Gaiman and Gregory Maguire, as well as several prolific young adult writers. The stories are long enough that the reader has a good feel for the characters and the settings, but short enough to leave the classic cliffhanger in place to really hook the reader and give that satisfying chill after finishing.
Impressions
The stories were very well written and age appropriate for the young adult audience. There was some minor language and sexual innuendo, but honestly no worse than would be found in a PG movie. The stories were varied enough to cover multiple aspects of the gothic genre, but themed well enough so that there was never a doubt that you were very much reading something gothic.
Reviews
“By turns lyrical and bleak and leavened at times with grim, bleak humor or goofiness, the ten stories in this anthology either entertain or terrorize--or both. Although the title conjures up a vision of Victoria Holt-like heroines in peril, Noyes has assembled an exciting variety of dark fantasy and horror stories--all far more sinister and less predictable than formulaic "gothic" tales. After a rather tame start with Joan Aiken's Lungewater--that provides standard gothic fare--terror takes over. Vivian Vande Velde, M.T. Anderson, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, and others offer ghosts and vampires, ghouls and sorcerers, and monstrous family members to quicken the pulse and provide frissons of fear. Consistently well-written, these stories will appeal to many fantasy readers and all horror readers and they will lead to exploration of other writings by the authors. The level of terror, violence, and overt sexual content mark this book for older readers--who will enjoy it mightily.”
(2004). GOTHIC!: Ten Original Dark Tales (Book). Kirkus Reviews, 72(17), 871.
“This uniformly well-written collection features short stories by noted young adult authors such as M. T. Anderson, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Garth Nix, Celia Rees, Janni Lee Simner, and Barry Yourgrau. From Joan Aiken's more traditional tale about a ghost haunting a river in the gloomy countryside to Gregory Maguire's contemporary offering about a teenage delinquent forced to live with an elderly relative who has a secret locked in the attic, almost all of these stories evoke a shivery delight. Vivian Vande Velde's shocking and scary piece features the ghost of a psychopathic serial killer who looks like a teenager and kills an unsuspecting girl posing as a "dead body" at a haunted hayride. Neil Gaiman's selection lampoons the classic gothic scenario of a terrified, nightgown-clad heroine running away from a brooding manor house and will have readers laughing out loud in recognition. These varied tales take place in the distant past and in the high-tech present. Some are humorous while others have surprising twists or are reminiscent of classic fairy tales full of malevolent characters, but all share a love of the surreal or supernatural. Noyes's insightful introduction defines what a gothic tale is and includes information about the authors and the origins of their stories. A sophisticated, thought-provoking, and gripping read.”
Rawlins, S. (2005). Gothic!: Ten Original Dark Tales. School Library Journal, 51(1), 134.
Library Use
This book would be amazing to give to “tweens” during the Halloween season. The stories are just scary enough that they would be chilled by reading them, but not gruesome enough to turn them off.
Smith, J.,1960 Feb.27-. (1996). Out from boneville (1st ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Cartoon Books.
Summary
Bone: Out from Boneville is the first book of nine in the series that follows the Bone cousins and their flight from an angry home town to a hidden valley filled with mystery and war. The story begins with Fone, Phoney, and Smiley Bone being chased out of their home town, Boneville, because of Phoney’s poorly thought out schemes to become mayor. Lost in the mountains, the Bone cousins find themselves off the map (literally) and separated when attacked by a swarm of locust. Fone Bone is separated from Phoney and Smiley and spends the winter surviving on his own thanks to the help of the animals in the valley. The valley is not on any maps and no one in the valley has ever heard of Boneville. The cousins are reunited thanks to Gran’ma Ben and Thorn, two valley residents who were kind to Fone and housed him for part of the winter. The Bones may be reunited, but a hooded figure is hunting for the Bone with a star on his chest, which means that something bad is headed in the direction of the Bone cousins.
Impressions
I loved this book. I loved this book so much that I read the rest of the series just to see how it would end. The art style is fantastic, blending cartoony characters of the Bones with the more serious (yet still over exaggerated) style of the valley people. The story flows easily and is something that any age group could really enjoy.
Reviews
“A whimsical journey, cunningly told. It combines fable with American legend in a tale of greed, friendship, and struggle. The story follows three cousins who have been thrown out of their town for cheating the citizens. Shortly thereafter, they are separated. Each Bone stumbles into a mysterious valley full of odd creatures that reveal strange happenings. The story is well paced with smooth transitions. It is dark, witty, mysterious, and exciting. The full-color art reflects that of classic comic books; one glance at the comic cels and one is reminded of old Disney and "Peanuts" cartoons. However, the animation and fresh story line put Smith in a league of his own.”
La Counte, S., Jones, T., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). Out from Boneville. School Library Journal, 51(5), 164.
“The nine-volume Bone graphic novel series was the toast of the comics world when it was published by Smith's own Cartoon Books beginning in the early 1990s; in this first volume of Scholastic's new edition, the original b&w art has been beautifully converted into color. Smith's epic concerns three blobby creatures who have stumbled into a valley full of monsters, magic, farmers, an exiled princess and a huge, cynical dragon. The story is something like a Chuck Jones version of The Lord of the Rings : hilarious and action-packed, but rarely losing track of its darker subtext about power and evil. This volume is the most lighthearted of the bunch, though, featuring some of the wittiest writing of any children's literature in recent memory--a few of Smith's gags are so delicious that he repeated them for the rest of the series. It also introduces the Bone cast's unforgettable supporting characters: the leathery, tough-as-nails, racing-cow-breeding Gran'ma Ben; the carnivorous but quiche-loving "rat creatures"; a spunky trio of baby opossums; and Ted the Bug, whose minimalist appearance (a tiny semicircle) exemplifies Smith's gift for less-is-more cartooning. The way his clear-lined, exaggerated characters contrast with their subtle, detailed backgrounds is a product of his background in animation, and so is his mastery of camera angles and choreography. This is first-class kid lit: exciting, funny, scary and resonant enough that it will stick with readers for a long time.” (2005). BONE: Out from Boneville.
Publishers Weekly, 252(6), 44.
Library Use
This would be a great bridge book to bring fantasy readers into the graphic novel genre. Conversely, this could be a good book to bridge the audience of graphic novels to the fantasy genre. Or, it could be a good book to introduce anyone to the graphic novel genre, as it is well drawn and easy to read. Several uses, and good all around.
Sís, P. (1996). Starry messenger : A book depicting the life of a famous scientist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, physicist, galileo galilei (1st ed.). New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Summary
The book Starry Messenger is a biography about Galileo Galilei written as a picture book for young readers. The book provides a general overview of Galileo’s life from birth to death and the major accomplishments and hardships that he dealt with over the years. The biography includes excerpts from different documents from the time including publications by Galileo as well as the verdict for his case from the Catholic Church. The biography is well written and simple, though the accompanying text can be difficult to read at times due to its handwritten appearance. What makes this book truly wonderful are the illustrations that accompany the text. While the text tells the story, the illustrations give a feel of Italy when Galileo was alive. The illustrations show the various scenes of Galileo’s life and the accomplishments that he earned.
Impressions
The book was good, but had a few weaknesses that made it difficult to think about a child reading it. The quotes from the original documents, while artfully done, made the text very difficult to read and for the age group that would be reading picture books, may be too difficult for them to understand what was written. The illustrations were amazing and really made the book wonderful to look at. The amount of detail that each illustration has is simply amazing and makes the book easy to follow along as well as giving a feast to the eyes.
Reviews
“Less a picture-book biography than is Leonard Everett Fisher's Galileo, this book instead takes the essentials of Galileo's life and discoveries to frame a rich galaxy of paintings that recall both the scientist's times and the persistence of wonder. Captions ("Night after night, he gazed through his telescope and wrote down everything he observed") and quotes from Galileo's writing ("The moon is not robed in a smooth and polished surface but is in fact rough and uneven") border and embellish the large pages, while the paintings enliven a Renaissance tone with Sis's own peculiar style of iconography: inset portraits and vignettes, stamps and medallions, intricate borders. Much of the text is printed in script and, when the lines whimsically spiral and swoop, is not always easy to read. The best pictures are both sweet and surreal, like the one showing baby Galileo, "born with stars in his eyes," tucked in amidst a host of babies less blessed; or a phantasmagorical map of Europe. Endpapers take the story from the past to the present, the opening spread showing a cityscape of Galileo searching the Florentine skies, the closing one revealing a contemporary skygazer looking at the New York City night. Like Galileo, you should look and look carefully, for there is much to see.”
R., S. (1997). Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. Horn Book Magazine, 73(1), 79-80.
“Author and illustrator Peter Sis has created a children's book about the great Italian astronomer Galileo. Written in fairy-tale-like language, the book is easily understandable to children ages 6 and up. The book discusses Galileo's life and times, his trial, and how his ideas and discoveries withstood the test of time. Paintings by the author illustrate this book.”
Dvorak, J. (1997). Starry Messenger. Astronomy, 25(1), 103.
Library Use
The book would be a great introduction for children who are learning about science and the stars. Astronomy owes a lot to the research that Galileo did and the inventions he made, so having an inquisitive youth learn more about him would give them greater appreciation of his contributions.
Menzel, P., & D'Aluisio, F. (2008). What the world eats. Berkeley, Calif: Tricycle Press.
Summary
What the World Eats is a photographic journey through over 20 countries looking at traditions and conditions of the world’s oldest social event: eating. The book profiles families from each country and looks at what food is eaten, how much is spent on food in an average week, and the lifestyle of the family. In addition to giving a good insight into the types of food eaten by the families, the book gives a good look at the economic status of the area where the families live, as well as the sociological practices in their unique communities. Good information is provided about the countries, as well as lots of statistical data about various food related information, for example, the number of McDonald’s and obesity rates in each country. The pictures are very helpful when looking at what foods are consumed by different families, as well as giving a good picture of what cultural differences each family has.
Impression
The book was very interesting and provided a lot of statistical information. The book would definitely be for an older reader, someone who would be able to read through the information without becoming bored or confused. On the other hand, it would be a good book for an adult and child to read together because the child would be able to find a lot of interest in the photographs the book has while the adult would be able to explain the details if the child had questions.
Reviews
“Can too much information give readers intellectual indigestion? When is it better to graze through a book rather than consuming it in one sitting? Is it possible to make good-for-you information as delicious as (guilty) pleasure reading? The adapted version of Hungry Planet: What the World Eats (2005) raises all of these questions. Intended to inform middle-schoolers of the wide variety of food traditions as well as discrepancies in access to adequate nutrition, this collection of photos, essays and statistics will require thoughtful concentration. Adapted and abridged text, a larger font size, the addition of small maps and basic facts about each country and the deletion of some photos that might have been judged inappropriate or disturbing help to make the wealth of information accessible to this audience. The plentiful photos are fascinating, offering both intimate glimpses of family life and panoramic views of other lands. Whether used for research or received as a gift from socially conscious adults, this version offers children plenty to chew over--but it'll take them some time to truly digest.”
(2008). WHAT THE WORLD EATS. Kirkus Reviews, 76(14), 163.
“Adapted from last year's Hungry Planet, this brilliantly executed work visits 25 families in 21 countries around the world. Each family is photographed surrounded by a week's worth of food and groceries, which Menzel and D'Aluisio use as a way of investigating not only different cultures' diets and standard of living but also the impact of globalization: why doesn't abundance bring better health, instead of increased occurrences of diabetes and similar diseases? These points are made lightly: delivered almost conversationally, the main narrative presents friendly, multigenerational portraits of each family, with meals and food preparation an avenue toward understanding their hopes and struggles. A wealth of supporting information--lush color photographs, family recipes, maps, sidebars, etc.--surrounds the text (superb design accomplishes this job harmoniously) and implies questions about global food supplies. Pictures of subsistence farmers in Ecuador cultivating potatoes from mountainous soil form sharp contrasts with those of supermarkets in a newly Westernized Poland. Fact boxes for each country tabulate revealing statistics, among them the percentage of the population living on less than $2 per day (47% in China, where the average daily caloric intake is nonetheless 2,930 per person); the percentage with diabetes; number of KFC franchises. Engrossing and certain to stimulate. All ages.”
(2008). What the World Eats. Publishers Weekly, 255(35), 53-55.
Library Use
A great reference book for the younger researcher, What The World Eats has a lot of easy to understand information about food and food consumption that can be very stimulating to a young reader. The photographs in the book are also great for showing all the different types of food and variations of familiar food to young readers.
Peck, R. (1998). A long way from chicago : A novel in stories (1st ed.). New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Summary
Every summer Joey and Mary Alice are shipped from their comfortable home in Chicago to their Grandma’s farm in the country. Grandma doesn’t have air conditioning, indoor plumbing, or even a radio. What Grandma does have is chores, heat, and a lot of personality. Joey and Mary Alice learn about their Grandma through the experiences they have with her every summer, such as the time where she blackmailed the sheriff in order to feed homeless people traveling down the railway, or the time where she shot the corpse of Shotgun Cheatham during the vigil in her own living room. The book is broken down into chapters for each summer that Joey and Mary Alice spend at Grandma’s, so the child characters change quite a bit from chapter to chapter, but Grandma rarely does.
Impressions
The book was a good look into how people lived during the 1930’s and the Great Depression. I really enjoyed the portrayal of the small town in which the children were sent to each summer being from a small town myself.
Reviews
“"What little we knew about grown-ups didn't seem to cover Grandma." Using life in a Depression-era small town as the backdrop, Peck regales us with seven thoroughly entertaining stories featuring larger-than-life Grandma Dowdel, a formidable woman whose un-grandmotherly ways are a constant source of surprise (and often shock) to her Chicago-bred grandchildren. For seven summers Joey and Mary Alice spend a week with Grandma, who claims she "like[s] to keep herself to herself," but who surreptitiously does exactly the opposite. Whether getting revenge on the town thugs with a cherry bomb and a dead mouse in a milk bottle or stealing the sheriff's boat to run her illegal fish traps, Grandma is a refreshingly undidactic character. Peck's skill as a stylist, his ear for dialogue, and his sense of drama are all in evidence here. Told with verve, economy, and assurance, each tale is a small masterpiece of storytelling, subtly building on the ones that precede it. Taken as a whole, the novel reveals a strong sense of place, a depth of characterization, and a rich sense of humor. Although firmly rooted in the past, there's no nostalgia here: issues such as bank foreclosures, Prohibition, and hungry drifters play a large part in Grandma's schemes. Armed with her twelve-gauge double-barreled rifle and her own sense of truth, justice, and ethics, Grandma will always be there, "stroking her chins," plotting revenge, and righting the world.”
Flynn, K. (1998). A Long Way from Chicago. Horn Book Magazine, 74(6), 738-739.
“Rollicking celebration of an eccentric grandmother and childhood memories. Set in the 1930s, the book follows Joe and Mary Alice Dowdel as they make their annual August trek to visit their grandmother who lives in a sleepy Illinois town somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis. A woman with plenty of moxie, she keeps to herself, a difficult task in this small community. However, Grandma Dowdel uses her wit and ability to tell whoppers to get the best of manipulative people or those who put on airs. She takes matters into her own hands to intimidate a father who won't control his unruly sons, and forces the bank to rescind a foreclosure on an elderly woman's house. Whether it's scaring a pretentious newspaper man back to the city or stealing the sheriff’s boat and sailing right past him as he drunkenly dances with his buddies at the Rod & Gun Club, she never ceases to amaze her grandchildren with her gall and cunning behavior. Each chapter resembles a concise short story. Peck's conversational style has a true storyteller's wit, humor, and rhythm. Joe. The narrator is an adult looking back on his childhood memories; in the prologue, readers are reminded that while these tales may seem unbelievable, "all memories are true." Perfect for reading aloud. A Long Way from Chicago is a great choice for family sharing”
Brommer, S. (1998). A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories. School Library Journal, 44(10), 144.
Library Use
This would be a great book to introduce a new reader into the era of the Great Depression. The town is ambiguous enough to be anywhere in the United States and the story is light enough to make reading about it fun.
Abrahams, P. (2005). Down the rabbit hole: An echo falls mystery (1st ed.). New York: Laura Geringer Books.
Summary
Ingrid should have waited for her parents to pick her up from the orthodontist’s office, but with her soccer practice time fast approaching and the field not that far away, she decides she can make it on foot. After walking for what she thinks should be the right amount of time, Ingrid becomes aware that she may be lost, and worse than that, she may be lost in the Flats, the worst part of her home town Echo Falls. While thinking about her situation, Cracked-Up Katie, the infamous crazy woman, asks her if she’s lost and offers to call her a cab to get her home. Ingrid reluctantly agrees and enters in Katie’s run down home to wait for the cab. The next day, Ingrid reads in the town paper that Katie was murdered that night in her home. Ingrid is dazed by the news, and becomes even more frightened when she discovers that she had left her soccer cleats in Katie’s home, which contain her name and address. Not wanting to be connected to the crime, Ingrid sneaks back into Katie’s home that night to retrieve them when she accidently arrives at the same time as the killer. Ingrid hides from the killer under Katie’s bed and sees that he is wearing Adidas shoes with green paint on them. Ingrid is compelled to find the person who murdered Katie and clear her own name in the process.
Impressions
The book was very good. The plot was well balanced around Ingrid’s personal life and her role in solving the murder of Cracked-Up Katie. Ingrid’s character was also well balanced between being a thirteen year old girl with braces and being a sleuth trying to solve a problem much bigger than she is. The main thing is that the story was balanced, which is difficult to do in mystery novels. The author didn’t give too much away to spoil the ending, but there were enough clues that with a bit of thinking on the readers part the culprit became more and more apparent as the story went on.
Reviews
“The charming 13-year-old heroine of Abrahams's (A Perfect Crime, for adults) murder mystery will guide readers through its many twists and turns. Ingrid Levin-Hill, who, like her hero Sherlock Holmes, is "a habitual noticer of little things," has just been cast as the lead in Alice in Wonderland when she finds herself in a different role--murder detective. The corpse is that of "Cracked-Up Katie," whom Ingrid encountered when she attempted to get from her orthodontist to soccer practice--and wound up five miles away in the poorest part of Echo Falls. The next day, the local paper states that Katie's body was found soon after Ingrid left her house; realizing she's left her red soccer cleats behind, Ingrid breaks in to retrieve them. But she's not the only one in Katie's house that evening. Ingrid's sleuthing is complicated by a budding romance with the police chief's son, and the dialogue crackles with wit--Ingrid gets the best lines. It's disquieting, however, that big brother Ty, the football star, blackens Ingrid's eye in anger without repercussion, and many of the supporting characters are more fully developed than her nuclear family; the town's newspaper editor, her curmudgeonly Grampy and even Cracked-Up Katie come across as more convincing. And dropped threads abound(e.g., will Grampy stave off developers by populating his farmland with endangered eastern spadefoot toads?) Readers who stick with this intelligent, if overstuffed novel will be clamoring for answers--and more of Ingrid. Ages 10-up.”
(2005). DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: An Echo Falls Mystery. Publishers Weekly, 252(14), 60.
“Impatient with mother for being late for her ride to soccer, Ingrid Levin-Hill, eighth-grade Sherlock Holmes fan and amateur actress, makes an impulsive decision to walk, inadvertently becoming a witness in the murder case of Cracked-up Katie, the weird lady in the rundown house on the wrong side of town. Ingrid is afraid to come forward with her first-hand knowledge, fearing her parents' reprimand for leaving the neighborhood. Landing the lead role as Alice in the town's playhouse production of "Alice in Wonderland," she becomes more curious about the playhouse's past performers and a possible connection to Katie's youth. As the police investigation gets further away from the truth and the wrong suspects are arrested, Ingrid takes increasingly daring risks to solve the case herself and eliminate the evidence she left behind indicating her own suspicious involvement. Abrahams has crafted a suspenseful page-turning drama complete with misleading clues and gutsy midnight escapades that make for thrilling intrigue right up to the culminating drowning-in-the-river scene. Ingrid's plucky, if not foolhardy, behavior will have readers both rooting and worrying for her simultaneously as she continues, like Alice, to fall deeper and deeper into the mystery's unfolding. Harrowingly absorbing.”
2005. "DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: An Echo Falls Mystery." Kirkus Reviews 73, no. 7: 411.
Library Use
Very good book for starting a reader in the mystery genre. The language is a bit coarse for younger readers, however, it sounds natural and teenagers will appreciate the fact that the book does not talk down to them.
Jacques, B., & Chalk, G. (1986). Redwall. New York: Philomel Books.
Summary
Redwall Abbey is a sanctuary for all peaceful creatures seeking aid and shelter. The peaceful monks are known throughout the surrounding countryside and are allowed to travel unhampered by boarders and are welcomed by all. Life is peaceful for the creatures of Redwall until the day that Cluny the Scourge arrived. Bringing his army of rats and other sly rodents, the giant sea rat seeks to take over the Redwall Abbey and exploit the surround land. Redwall is besieged, but a brave young monk named Matthias remembers the story of Martin, the hero of Redwall, and seeks his legacy to defend the Redwall Abbey. Matthias endures many hardships as he searches for the weapons and armor of Martin the Warrior, but eventually recovers the missing items and makes powerful allies in the process. The conflict reaches a climax when Cluny finally breaches the abbey walls, only to find an army raised by Matthias and Redwall ready to defend their homes. Matthias and Cluny fight to the death, and Matthias is eventually the victor, bringing peace back to Redwall.
Impression
The book was very interesting as the author played on the natural strengths and attributes of all the different animals for their roles in the conflict. The weasels were the sly spies, Constance the badger was the strong arm for the abbey, and Basil Stag Hare was the slightly insane, quick on his feet, war veteran rabbit. The characters were very well developed, and the world was rich and very fun to visit.
Reviews
“What on the surface appears to be just another medieval fantasy peopled with animals enacting the fight to the death between good and evil is actually a rich and thought-provoking novel on the nature of good and evil. The peaceful life of the mice of Redwall Abbey is shattered by the onslaught of the fierce rate, Cluny the Scourge, and his army of rats, weasels, and other vermin. The mice and the other peaceful animals take refuge in the Abbey’s strong walls while Cluny lays siege. Advantage is with the besieged (as long as the food supplies last), and the Abbey defenders are able to withstand numerous attacks. Cluny cannot be completely defeated, however, until the sword of Martin, the legendary warrior who founded Redwall Abbey, can be found. A young novice, Matthias, embarks on a quest and ultimately finds it, but a wise cat reminds him that it is just a sword. It attained its legendary status because Martin used it only in the defense of right and good. Just as Martin’s sword is neither good nor evil, the characters avoid being simply personifications of their attributes. The defenders, even Matthias, have faults, while even Cluny displays characteristics which make him not likeable, but at least deserving of a grudging admiration. The book is violent, and at some times downright gruesome, but the quality of the writing, the rich cast of characters, the detailed accounts of medieval warfare, and Jacques’ ability to tell a good story and make readers think all earn Redwall a place on library shelves.”
Harding, S. (1987). Redwall (Book Review). School Library Journal, 33(11), 96.
“Only the lost sword of Martin the Warrior can save Redwall Abbey from the evil rat Cluny and his greedy horde. The young mouse Matthias (formerly Redwall's most awkward novice) vows to recover the legendary weapon. In the course of his quest, Matthias forges strong ties with various local animals. As much as the magic of the sword, it is the help of these new friends that enables Matthias to defeat Cluny once and for all. Jacques's clever use of detail creates an animal world as compelling as that of The Wind in the Willows. From the beginning, each of Redwall's characters is endowed with a unerringly distinct personality: there is a powerful badger named Constance; a mute squirrel named Silent Sam, who knows the forest better than anyone; and his mother Jess, a champion climber who leads a splendid rescue of a piece of the abbey's tapestry. This epic adventure contains elements of all grand quests, with heroic archetypes that will keep fans of Tolkein and King Arthur tales engaged to the final battle.”
(1987). Redwall. Publishers Weekly.
Library Use
Redwall is a good book for an introduction to the fantasy genre. The characters are accessible by younger readers, but there is enough action to keep older readers entertained as well.
Bibliography
DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of ember (1st ed.). New York: Random House.
Summary
The city of Ember was created by the Builders as a last hope for humanity, a safe place to rebuild society for 200 years. The Builders left instructions with the mayor of Ember on how to leave the town once the time had elapsed, but man’s memory is short and their hearts greedy, and soon the instructions were lost and forgotten, and Ember became all that people knew. In the year 241, it is assignment day for the school in Ember. Once a resident reaches the age of 12, he or she is assigned a job to do for the rest of their lives. When Lina chooses the job of Pipeworks worker, she knows that she has the worst luck. However, when Lina is leaving, her classmate Doon offers to trade his job of messenger, the job that Lina wanted. Lina is thrilled and rushes home to tell her grandmother and baby sister. Lina tells them the news and life continues better than she could hope. As she delivers messages, she notices that things in Ember are getting worse by the day. Power outages are resulting in city wide blackouts, light bulbs are become scarce, and even food is being rationed. With all these things on her mind, she returns home to find her grandmother clearing out her closest, searching for something very important, though she can’t remember what it is. Lina finds a piece of paper that has been destroyed by her little sister with the instructions the Builders left to leave the city. Conspiring with Doon, they plan to leave the city to see what is out in the world and hopefully find the future hope for Ember.
Impression
The book was good, if simply written. The characters weren’t very approachable and were difficult for me to connect with. The story was given away by the prologue where the story explained what was in the instructions so the mystery and anticipation wasn’t there. The book could have been done a lot better, and it felt like it was written for someone below its intended age range.
Reviews
“This promising debut is set in a dying underground city. Ember, which was founded and stocked with supplies centuries ago by "The Builders," is now desperately short of food, clothes, and electricity to keep the town illuminated. Lina and Doon find long-hidden, undecipherable instructions that send them on a perilous mission to find what they believe must exist: an exit door from their disintegrating town. In the process, they uncover secret governmental corruption and a route to the world above. Well-paced, this contains a satisfying mystery, a breathtaking escape over rooftops in darkness, a harrowing journey into the unknown and cryptic messages for readers to decipher. The setting is well-realized with the constraints of life in the city intriguingly detailed. The likable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride, their weaknesses often complementing each other in interesting ways. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment.”
(2003). THE CITY OF EMBER (Book). Kirkus Reviews, 71(10), 749.
“Unlike the rundown dystopia of Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue, the darkness of Ember is essentially literal. Its people, by and large, are honorable and civilized; its governance is democratic if quasi-theocratic; its economy frugal but fair. But there is no natural light in Ember, and the blackouts of its antiquated electrical grid are coming more and more frequently: "running out of light bulbs, running out of power, running out of time--disaster was right around the corner." So thinks Doon, a curious twelve-year-old who, along with his spirited schoolmate Lina, determines to save the city. On a deliberately limited canvas, first-novelist DuPrau draws a picture of a closed society, all of its resources taken from vast but emptying storerooms, with no travel possible beyond the lights of the city. The writing and storytelling are agreeably spare and remarkably suspenseful, and rather than bogging down in explanations of how Ember came to be and how it functions, DuPrau allows the events of the story to convey the necessary information. There's a contrivance or two in keeping the narrative moving, but even the device of a hidden letter, complete with missing words, is used with such disarming forthrightness that readers will be eagerly deciphering it right alongside Doon and Lina. The two protagonists are good sorts, distinctively if not deeply etched, and fans (note: there will be many) will be pleased to know that while Doon and Lina's mission is triumphantly concluded, there's plenty of room for a sequel.”
Sutton, R. (2003). The City of Ember (Book). Horn Book Magazine, 79(3), 343.
Library Use
The book is a good introduction dystopian literature. The story provides enough hope that the reader would be able to enjoy the ending unlike some books like The Giver.
