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.

McKinley's: Spindle's End

This nap inducing retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty takes us through 21 long years of the well-known cursed princess' life. The original, very simple, tale is drawn out here with long explanations of repeated foreshadowings and roundabout recollections in very long convoluted paragraphs filled with never-ending sentences. Lengthy chapters sprinkled with uncommon words seem to end randomly at times. Characters are often plagued by foggy memories and extended dreamlike experiences sometimes clouding what little action there is. For those who like magic, McKinley's Spindle's End certainly is crammed with it, but "magic can't do everything." It did however help McKinley give us an uncommon but expected ending to the classic tale.

13

James Howe presents a collection of 13 writings on being 13 by 13 authors/writing teams of teen fiction, perhaps for anyone who is 13, is almost 13, or was ever fortunate or unfortunate enough to have been 13 in 13: Thirteen Stories that Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen. This brilliant requiem for childhood may cause a bit of laughter and misty eyes as poignant moments are shared in quality prose and one short poem on a wide array of themes and styles. Each author shares brief recollections of turning 13 at the end of their piece. Particularly notable in style and substance is Howe's own offering about a bar mitzvah which suddenly goes wonderfully and meaningfully awry.

Martin's: The Doll People

Auntie Sarah doll has been missing for 45 years so it's about time that the other dolls set out to find her and bring her home. This title is obviously intended for a young, immature, or unquestioning audience. Sophisticated readers will probably be put off by the inconsistencies which arise from trying to create circumstances where living dolls can believably inhabit a human world. There seem to be a lot of rules about being a living doll which are never really made clear to the reader. A few funny moments occur when the indestructable modern dolls are compared with the century old victorian style dolls but they do not outweigh the creep factor when Martin unsuccessfully climbs out of her human head to write from a doll's perspective.

Gaiman's: The Wolves in the Walls

Picture books just don't look like they used to. Neil Gaiman writes a nightmarish tale of wolves coming from the walls of Lucy's family's home. Lucy knows and warns, but her family denies and ignores until it is too late. Will the family stay to fight or run in fear? McKean's paint/drawing embellished photo collages help set the foreboding tone. This off-the-wall story wouldn't be complete without a surprise visit from the Queen of Melanesia to assist with the gardening. When it comes right down to it, this story is about facing fears and an important pig puppet. Gaiman may also be having a little fun with the idea of urban legends.

Hale's: Rapunzel's Revenge

Shannon and Dean Hale turn Rapunzel, damsel in distress, into Rapunzel, action hero with illustrator Nathan Hale. Presented in graphic novel format, Rapunzel teams with Jack of beanstock fame to take down the evil witch who destroyed the land of Gothel's Reach. This volume told in four parts is packed with action and adventure, just enough backstory, and high quality full color comic book style illustrations.

Napoli's: Zel

In her re-imagining of the fairy tale Rapunzel, Donna Jo Napoli stays true to the Grimm's version. She expands the story by developing in greater detail the characters of the prince, Rapunzel, and the witch (stepmother). She also explores themes of loneliness, love, obsession, rejection, and sacrifice. The only departure Napoli takes from the original here is that the prince meets Rapunzel before she is imprisoned in the tower. This allows for the witch's and the prince's obsession with Rapunzel to be juxtaposed throughout the story. She also explains the origins of the witch's power and the reason for Rapunzel's rapid hair growth. Should be fairly satisfying for those who appreciate novel-length fairy tales.

Flinn's: Beastly

Alex Flinn updates the Beauty and the Beast tale in her novel Beastly. Told in first person from the perspective of Kyle, the teenaged beast living in modern day Manhattan, this version is replete with spoiled not-so-intelligent vindictive teenagers attending private school, high school parties lacking any adult supervision, and magic. Flinn gives her main characters typical teen novel neglectful parents, one, an abusive father addicted to drugs. The present day setting for this version may help to catch the reluctant teen reader's attention. Flinn matter-of-factly inserts a few recognizable minor characters into a chatroom subplot: a frog, a mermaid, a grizzly bear, Snow White ("not that Snow White" (?)), and Rose Red (not that Rose Red?). The chatroom conversations work somewhat as book part interludes despite my biggest nagging question concerning how a mermaid is able to type on a computer. Once I had just decided to let it go, the chatroom characters start questioning each other's access to the internet. The mermaid had conveniently left the chat before that conversation. In an author's note, Flinn ironically goes on to describe her motivation for rewriting fairy tales as the need to resolve "inconsistencies in the traditional tales." Note: this title is not in CLC's library.

Shusterman's: Red Rider's Hood

Grandma stockpiles hunting weapons loaded with silver ammunition. A mysterious slayer comes to town on a black Harley. Red Rider infiltrates a gang of teenage troublemakers known as the wolves. The wolves hunt monthly on the full moon, so does Grandma. In this second less engaging book of the darkfusion series, Shusterman combines the fairytale Red Riding Hood and a couple of legendary monster types now traveling in gangs. Shusterman is able to build some suspense in Red's feeling's of envy as he travels among the "Wolves" and is accepted by their leader. The allusions made to the original fairytale all but slap the reader in the face in highly corny delivery. The main character now has to be male because werewolves cannot be female?

Hale's: Goose Girl

I love this book. Intrigue, murder, romance and humor combine here with a touch of magic to retell Grimm's story of the same name. Shannon Hale builds a world with gentle language and dialogue which is convincingly old world at least enough for the purposes here. With a somewhat slow beginning Hale gradually pulls her readers through the Crown Princess's joys and miseries showing how happiness can be found in life's simple gifts. A diverse cast of well-developed primary and secondary characters work their way in and out of the princess's life learning lessons about prejudice, courage, and loyalty. An uplifting, feel-good read.

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McKinley's: Beauty

A first person account of the tale of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the muddy hazel eyes of the title character Beauty. In other retellings, this tale is about the transformation of Beast; this take focuses on the physical, emotional, and mental changes of Beauty as she grows to love Beast. Gentle, kind, and noble fully-developed characters populate Robin Mckinley's graceful world. McKinley delicately weaves magic into the story effortlessly with such aplomb that it seems almost a part of the natural world. She is deftly able to build and release tension as well as provide a few laugh out loud moments from Beauty's two enchanted chamber maids. I look forward to reading other titles from this author.

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3 Picture Books for Older Readers

Paul Fleischman's: Weslandia fuses 6th grade social science concepts with some fantasy to create a young gifted outcast's utopia named for its main character Wesley. Wesley's parents would even stoop to bribery to get their son to be more like the cookie cutter-type children of the very repetitively styled suburban neighborhood in which they reside. Wesley has other plans after learning about civilizations in school, including creating his own civilization complete with staple crop, counting and lettering systems, and clothing. Wesley's summer project gently shows the reader how being different could be an asset while Kevin Hawkes' colorful acrylic illustrations offer many supporting details.

Patricia Polacco writes an autobiographical piece: Thank you, Mr. Faulker. Her story relates the tragedy of Trisha experiencing what so many children have experienced in our educational system. Trisha has the fortune of being assigned to Mr. Faulker who recognizes her problem and finds the help she needs. Polacco's illustrations help to convey the joy and angst of Trisha's childhood experiences. Any teacher who has spent any decent amount of time in a crowded classroom may find it difficult not to shed a tear while reading this simple, endearing story.

Some authors are able to paint with words in a way that sends the reader into a story. The economy of language necessary for a well-told picture book is so artfully employed by Kim L. Siegelson's: In the Time of the Drums. Siegelson's text has a rhythm like the drums of the African homeland and could stand alone without illustration, but the reader will be glad they don't. Brian Pinkney's illustrations tell the magical legend of the Ibo people all by themselves as if they don't need the words. The scratchboard paintings have a movement and rhythm all their own.

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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