Avi's: The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail ( and an Even Smaller Ant)

If this book is not adorable and charming it truly ought to be. A small snail, Avon, and his new ant buddy, Edward, contemplate the significance of a range of things including beginnings, middles, and endings (not necessarily in that order) and, more importantly, friendship as the two embark on a lifelong and life-changing adventure only to end up in the very best place to end: the beginning. Think: Mamet's George and Emil meet Lobel's Frog and Toad, but don't think too hard.

Avi's: Crispin: At the Edge of the World

Picking up on the same day where The Cross of Lead ended, At the Edge of the World has Bear and Crispin running from their enemies determined to find a place where they can live in peace. Along the way a new member is added to their small family. Avi is able to build some suspense in this volume of the series; however, very little, if any, mystery is present. The once jovial and endearing Bear is either unconscious, melancholic, or privately introspective throughout causing a loss of some of the original appeal. All in all this edition seems merely like an addition and not its own fully realized novel.

Avi's: Crispin: The Cross of Lead

From the day I finished reading the Newbery Medal winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead I've reached for it every time I've led genre discussions in our library. Not only is this book a very good example of historical fiction, it's a very good book. A highly enjoyable action adventure from Avi who seems to know this time period well and knows how to make it accessible for the middle school reader. The story follows a recently orphaned thirteen year old peasant in 14th century england. After news of his Lord's death, Crispin is suddenly the center of attention and thrust into a series of dangerous events which force him to flee the only home he's ever known. He carries around his neck the answer to his mysterious past and the cause of all his misfortunes. He later meets his mentor in the form of a great mountain of a man called Bear. The two cross the country making friends and facing deadly enemies. I look forward to reading the other books in this trilogy.

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Avi's: The Book without Words

I chose this book to read for two reasons: the title intrigued me, and Avi is a Newbery Medal winning author. There weren't a great many words in the story, but perhaps more than one might expect with a book of such a title. None of the words were very difficult to read but then none of the words were very interesting either. This book might prove that not every piece an awarding winning author writes is of award winning quality. Very little happens in the first 100 pages (of the 200 page edition) to the handful of characters in the story. Very shallow characters in a somewhat claustrophobic setting in an ultimately predictable plot gave this reader not much to recommend in this book except a quick easy read. A race is on to read a book of magic which can only be read by those with green eyes. A group of green-eyed children try to decipher the contents of the book for different reasons before an evil wizard completes a series of spells making him immortal by taking the life of his innocent young assistant.

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