Wow - it's been far too long since I posted here ... Having three blogs and several wikis to write (not to mention Facebook and MySpace and oh yeah, 2 emails) keeps me busy! Lucky for you, I have also been reading a ton. I meant to blog about these two first books, last on the blog, so that you get them in my chronological reading order, but the cut and paste feature of blogger was having problems, so here are the most recent books I've read.... First up, as you can see above, is Chiggers, by Hope Larson. This is a new graphic novel, definitely written for girl readers. The story is about Abby, a teen going back to summer camp, with very different results from last year. Abby is a little young, socially, and the author does a great job showing the thoughts of others and herself, in reaction to the "lame" things she sometimes says. But she is kind and thoughtful, despite her imperfections, and just wants to fit in. Shasta, the other girl pictured on the cover, also finds difficulty fitting in, but she doesn't seem to mind and is really a strong character ... on the outside. She claims to have been hit by lightning, takes medication for what she claims is migraines, and has an older boyfriend. As Abby tries to make friends, learns the social intricacies of girls' circles, and become comfortable with the opposite sex, she grows up and learns a lot about herself. The illustrations are really well-done - they add a lot to the story like a graphic novel should, and Abby's imaginative day-dreaming episodes about her love life are fun and realistic. The only problem I had was how she "re-friended" the two slightly mean girls by the end. Three stars *** and another possible booktalk for next year.

10 Things to Do Before I Die, by Daniel Ehrenhaft was another three star*** but not a graphic novel. This book is told from the viewpoint of Ted Burger (real name) who has just found out that the fries he ate at a burger joint were poisoned by a disgruntled employee. His friends draw up a list of 10 things he must do before he dies on a paper napkin. Clutching the napkin and fighting off spells of violent illness, Ted slowly comes to terms with his lack of spontaneity and lackluster life as he attempts to "live life to its fullest" in his last hours. This is actually a pretty funny book and a quick read overall. The characters are interesting and not too cliche. The "chapters" are really short and broken up with funny titles. I'd give this three stars ***. There was something lacking that I couldn't put my finger on - I guess it just wasn't all quite believable.

Next up, an OK book, The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West, by Sid Fleischman. I had to read this for a mock Newbery awards nomination that the youth librarians in my system are doing. It is a bio, written in the same language as Twain, with humorous stories and great photos. However, it was just not compelling for me. I like biographies just fine, but this one didn't draw me in. It wasn't spectacular and it wasn't horrible. The photos, actually, were a drawback because they were printed on random pages, often interrupting the text mid-sentence. This was very jarring. As I took time to examine the pictures, I then had to go back and re-read the last sentence to remember where I was. This is not very comprehensive, either, as it focuses on his adult life the most. I only give this 2 stars **.

Luckily, I followed that book with this one, The Red Necklace, by Sally Gardner. This was also required reading for another reason - a book lunch club we do with teens at local middle schools. This was an amazing, can't put down, four star **** read. It has nothing to do with the girl, pictured on the front. It is set during the time of the French Revolution, which means there's lots of blood and gore. The main character, is Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan raised to perform in a magic show. He can read people's minds and that's not the end to the magical elements of the book. However, this book also brings in murder, intrigue and the historical setting, to create a truly original story. Sido, the daughter of a rich and obnoxious marquis, is in trouble and her enemy is one that Yann must face as well: a dark and mysterious Count (not Dracula). There is a little something for everyone in this book, no matter what genre you prefer. Pick it up today!

I went for something a little shorter and lighter next: The Plain Janes, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg. This graphic novel is not just for girls, although it centers around a group of girls, all name Jane. The main character (Jane, of course) has moved to the suburbs after she is caught in the middle of a bomb attack in the city where she lives (her parents freak out and don't even want to go back to visit, but she misses her old life and friends). Jane connects with an unnamed man who is injured during the attack and remains in a coma in the city hospital throughout most of the book. She finds an art journal of his and decides to keep in contact through journaling and artwork of her own. It is Art, in many, various forms, which brings these Janes together, as they fight the typical cliques and obtuse, controlling, and generally misinformed parents. I am considering booktalking this great graphic novel next year when I go to the schools. A strong story, compelling characters (if not a little stereotyped, such as their gay friend, James) with an ending leaving room for many sequels. Three stars ***.

Another graphic novel I stumbled upon (it was about to be weeded) was Mary Jane: Homecoming (Volume 2), written by Sean McKeever and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa. I thought, "Why not?" and was pleasantly surprised. Mary Jane (of Spiderman fame- he's in it, too) encounters some typical high school drama (boyfriend and best friend trouble) and some not-so-typical drama(Spiderman crashing into the mall where's she's shopping, as he fights the villain of the day). Again, there is some stereotyping of characters, but overall, it wasn't bad. A fun and easy read. Two and a half stars ** 1/2.

I typically read mostly adult and YA, but this Juvenile book was on a list of "must reads for new librarians." The Hoboken Chicken Emergency," by Daniel Manus Pinkwater is short, funny and strange. I can see why it would be appealing to kids. The plot revolves around a boy, Arthur, who goes to pick up the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner but comes back with a live 260-pound chicken when he finds that all the turkeys (and any other dead birds people like to eat) are sold out. I won't tell you how this happens, but the rest of the book is mainly the chicken escaping (after Arthur and the chicken become pals) and running amock in the town. The townspeople are scared to death of this "giant white gorilla," "huge polar bear," and whatever else they take it to be.

As a vegan, I hated the idea that eating a turkey or having meat on Thanksgiving was soooo important that Arthur had to run all over town and was so worried about not having one (we had two Tofurky's this year - yum!). I also disliked the way that Arthur felt compelled to teach the chicken tricks - insinuating that all animals must be (or can be) made pets and used for our enjoyment (whether for entertainment or food - don't get me started on circuses!). But, I can see how this would be a fun book for kids and I have to say, the idea of a "ginormous" chicken is pretty cool. Two and a half stars ** 1/2.

Moving on to my next audiobook ... Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, by Eoin (pronounced "Owen") Colfer. I read the first one in print quite a while back, and when I saw this on the shelf, I just picked it up randomly. I wasn't sure how good it would be, since there are many characters, but I was blown away. The reader, Nathaniel Parker, was excellent. His Irish accent was obvious but not overpowering. He read for all the characters, and each voice was distinct without being overdone. He did Artemis's cool, slightly evil boy voice, Captain Holly's elfish, strong female voice, a great, raspy "red-faced" Julius Root, dumb/creepy goblin voices, and best of all the earthy (gross) Irish voice of Mulch Diggums. The story centers around a plotted overtaking of the fairy kingdom, alongside the kidnapping of Artemis's long-missing father. These two events draw Artemis back into the underground fairy world, this time working with not against his arch-enemies. If you haven't read this series yet, you must read it (at least the first one)! It has action, adventure, great characterization, plot twists and even some gross factor (Diggums and the bum flap). As I was trying to recall all the characters names (it's much more difficult when you hear but don't see the words) I found this great site: http://artemis-fowl.com/gallery/, where you can see different people's artistic renditions of what they think the characters look like. This audiobook earned four stars for sure! ****

Well, that looks like it for this post! I'm working on two other books at this time, so there'll be plenty to come before Christmas!