The Nutcracker (Part 6)

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Mrs.N

The Nutcracker by Alison Jay

This version of The Nutcracker is based on the ballet and will serve well as a preview for anyone planning on going to a performance.  The language is also fairly simple to allow younger children to understand.  Jay’s version is the height of innocence without even a hint of romance between Clara and the prince and the possibly the least frightening Nutcracker battle that I’ve seen.  It’s failing is simply that it’s not all that interesting or exciting.  The illustration run towards folksy, with faux crackling across each page.  Drosselmeyer has none of his traditional wild, crazed white-haired, becaped mystique.  Instead he is a plump man with a curly mustache.   Even the evil mouse scenario is lightened up by the presence of a toy mouse earlier in the evening (so the implication is that the mouse king is also simply a toy come to life).  In defeat he simply crumples to the floor, no definitive death scene is present.

Recommended with Reservations: I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase this copy for anyone, but if you need to grab one from the local public library it will certainly do in a pinch.  I should also admit that I always felt the Nutcracker was a teensy bit scary in parts and when a book eliminates that entirely, it doesn’t entirely make sense with Tchaikovsky’s music.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – The mouse king and nutcracker duel with swords.  The mouse army is armed with swords.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

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Nutcracker (Part 5)

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Mrs.N

The Nutcracker by Michael Hague

Michael Hague is in the big leagues when it comes to illustrators. In fact, he’s done illustrations for any number of classics; his works can be seen in editions of everything from Peter Pan to The Hobbit.  But while Hague excels at drawing fantastical beasts, his illustrations of people range from a bit plain (poor Marie) to Sendak-esque (Princess Pirlipat). One of the lengthier versions of The Nutcracker, Hague uses the full story of Princess Pirlipat and the watchmaker’s nephew who broke the spell placed on her by the Rat Queen.  The Christmas evening festivities and the battle of the nutcracker will be quite familiar to ballet fans.  After the defeat of the Rat King however, the Nutcracker takes Marie to the Land of Toys (which is also full of candy).  The whole second part of the ballet is whisked over in about a page with Marie waking in her own bed.  She meets Drosselmeier’s nephew the day however and is convinced he’s the nutcracker.

Recommended: Many will be pleased by Hague’s illustrations.  The story tries to follow the structure of the ballet while remaining true to Hoffman’s original story.  I especially like the final line which invokes the magic of Christmas, telling children that they can still visit the Land of Toys if they have eyes to see the way and courage for the journey.  However, this edition is too long to be a bedtime read aloud!

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Marie grows up to marry Drosselmeier’s nephew.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Queen Rat’s son (the Rat King) must die for the spell on Fredrick to be broken.  Fritz has toy soldiers and the nutcracker is armed with a gun.   Mice are armed with swords and spears. The rats bite at the soldiers.  The nutracracker has a sword. The toy soldiers fire nuts from their cannons.  The nutcracker drew his sword and killed the Rat King. (The Rat King is reassuringly?  reprehensibly?  depicted in heaven strumming a harp after this occurs).
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – As Hague draws beasties exceptionally well, the Rat King is a sight to behold with beady red eyes and seven heads.  Easily frightened little ones should steer clear.

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‘Tis the Season

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Mrs.N

I am so sorry for my prolonged absence.  Sometimes my actual life gets in the way.  This December I’ll be (of course) offering some seasonal reviews.  To get the ball rolling, here’s a brief Nutcracker recap from last year,  I know many ballet-goers are wondering which version of the Nutcracker is the best!

Recommended:

The Nutcracker by Anthea Bell.  This well-written version is like reading a Christmas fairy tale. It’s not a quick before bedtime read and has some violence, so it’s best for school age children. Read the full review.

The Nutcracker by Vladimir Vagin. A huge winner if you’re headed to the ballet. The illustrations that resemble stained glass are a lovely complement to a story that is faithful to the ballet and allow the Clara and the Nutcracker story to evolve without it having any whisper of a romantic relationship. Full review here.

The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers. One of my favorite versions, this is a lovely mix of the original story and the ballet. Complimented by Jeffers’ exquisite illustrations this is perfect for anyone who wants an accompaniment without needing to stick to an exact match. More of me being delighted here.

Not recommended:

The Nutcracker by Geraldine McCaughrean. McCaughrean’s version is fairly true the ballet, but is marred by sickly sweet writing that may set adult teeth on edge. Read more.

Nutcracker illustrated by Scott Gustafson. A book of last resort, just about everything else I read was better. More here.

Completely different:
The Harlem Nutcracker by Susan Kuklin. A very nontraditional and adult look at the Nutcracker story, this book is meant to accompany the ballet by the same name, which was inspired by Duke Ellington’s jazz version of the ballet. Read about the history behind this alternate interpretation.

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Archer’s Quest

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Mrs.N

Archer’s Quest by Linda Sue Park

It’s not every day when a Korean folk hero falls off his tiger (that’s no typo, he really was riding a tiger, I swear) and ends up in your bedroom.  Kevin is a bit on the bored side, playing with a bouncy ball when an arrow whisks his baseball cap off his head.  Koh Chu-Mong, a legendary ruler from a Korean kingdom has traveled from the first century BC and landed in the present.  Now Kevin must help him find his way back, but first he must learn more about his own Korean heritage and help Chu-Mong navigate the modern world.

Great for: Fans of The Year of the Dog will like the mix of the modern and historical information. I also think the time travel adventure part will appeal to fans of Gutman’s baseball series that aren’t there just for the sports. I would have loved to have this on offer for my third graders. I expect third grade and fourth grade would generally be able to read this and it’s a great choice for introducing some diversity to your reading library (as well as introducing students to a great author, Linda Sue Park).
Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – “heck,” “scared spitless” which I’m including because it is such an obvious euphemism for another phrase, “jeez,”
Death, Violence and Gore – A stranger is in Kevin’s room pointing an arrow at him.  The Archer says he’ll kill Kevin’s father when Kevin says that his father is going to kill him.  The Archer does not understand modern figures of speech so Kevin explains.  The Archer explains to Kevin that fathers do sometimes try to kill their sons.  The Archer’s father wanted to kill him due to a prophesy.  The Archer periodically threatens to kill people.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Kevin is worried that people would not believe the Archer’s story and would medicate him to try to make him well.
Frightening or Intense Things – The Archer enters a tiger complex at the zoo.  It wasn’t particularly scary, but it’s certainly inadvisable.

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Time Cat

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Mrs.N

Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander

One day during an unexpected conversation with his cat, Gareth, Jason learns that Gareth can time travel.  Jason wants very much to go along, so instantly, they are off.  Their journey takes them through nine different time periods (one for each of a cat’s lives).  Each section follows a pattern.  First,  Gareth and Jason meet some people.   Some are fictional and others are historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and St. Patrick.  Then the people learn something about cats and life.  After that there’s some sort of imminent danger, which is usually resolved and then they take off for another time.

The each section break marks a nice little story which is good especially for read alouds or for children that have trouble sustaining attention for long.

The one drawback I see this that the vocabulary is hard compared with interest level.  Examples of more difficult words include:Centurion, legionary, brusque, catamountain, wisha,  major domo, celestial, obeisance.  Students without a lot of historical and cultural knowledge may run into problems as they encounter names, historical people and places that are unfamiliar and  may interfere with comprehension.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – It seems that Gareth fathered a litter of kittens.  Jason receives a kiss on the cheek. A girl will not believe that a boy likes her because her eyes are two different colors.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Jason punched his brother.  Some men threaten to throw Jason to the crocodiles.  They go into battle with Caesar’s army.  Two cats fight.  Jason has a spear pressed to his throat. Men threaten to chop Jason up or burn him in a basket.  Gareth kills a snake.  A magician is threatened.  A king wants to wrap them in leaves and throw them in a fire. Jason is threatened with a sword. Witch hunters in Germany have drowned or burned over 100 cats.   They burn witches too for that matter.  A man swings a sickle-shaped blade at Jason.  Men and guards fight.  The American Revolution is about to start.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

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Ruby Red

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Mrs.N

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier translated by Anthea Bell

This is the first book in the Ruby Red trilogy.
Book 1: Ruby Red
Book 2: Sapphire Blue
Book 3: Emerald Green

Gwyneth Shepherd has never had a normal life.  She sees ghosts, has made friends with gargoyles, and has a cousin genetically predisposed to time travel.  Charlotte is expected to make her first time trip at any moment; she keeps getting dizzy, a certain sign.  Her life has been spent preparing her for this special gift.  But as it turns out, Gwyneth has been getting dizzy too.  One day outside their home Gwen learns the truth, she’s the one who can travel through time, not Charlotte.  The discovery throws her family into turmoil and Gwyneth must quickly learn secrets that have been kept from her for years.  Her new talent means exciting adventures, mysterious societies and working closely with a dreamy boy, Gideon.

The time travel by genetic predisposition system that Gier has created seems carefully thought out, there was nothing in it that really bothered me, aside from the fact that it’s limited to only a few families.  Which means that all the people sort of end up related to each other.  Which means that the aforementioned dreamy boy is a sort of relation, albeit a distant one.

For me the biggest downside of this book was that  it was over almost as soon as it began.  It’s only the first book in a trilogy, so there’s a lot of set up and just when the action was really getting me interested, there was the ending.  And of course, the other two haven’t been released in English yet.  Oh well, something to look forward to I guess!

Unpleasantness- There’s a male character who goes about saying that every male that the girls find attractive is gay.  I’m not really clear on what the point of this is.  He’s the only one who does it, the others all insist that the man in question is not gay (which is true).  I just don’t like it. It’s clear you’re not supposed to like the character who goes around calling people gay, but on the other hand, why does that have to be part of his negative persona?

Great for: Teens and tweens.   I’ve read a few reviews that found Gwen to be a bit young for a sixteen year old.  As an adult, it wasn’t something I noticed. She wasn’t sexually experienced (I think she’s had a kiss) but I found that likable and I was also relieved that so far there’s nothing so overtly sexual that you would feel awkward about handing it to a tween reader.  I’ll reserve final judgment until the rest of the series is here, but so far, I’m a fan.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – A kiss and a marriage proposal.  Many female students are in love with their teacher.  Lots of thinking about kissing.  Avoidance of creeping hands.  Mention of growing out of her B-Cup bra.  A child may have been born out of wedlock.  She thinks Gideon is staring at her breasts.
Profanity – “damn,” “jerk,” “hell,” “darn,” “dammit,”  “ass”
Death, Violence and Gore –Gwen’s father died when she was a child.  There are dangers in time travel.  Gwen feels a man choking her.  Gunshots fired.  There’s a sword fight that leaves someone dead.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Lady Arista smokes cigarillos.  Someone asks the girls if they’d been smoking something (they hadn’t).
Frightening or Intense Things – Gwen sees ghosts.  Obviously, it means these people have died, and generally the ones she sees have died before their time.

 

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Back in Time with Thomas Edison: Qwerty Stevens Adventures

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Mrs.N

Back in Time with Thomas Edison:Qwerty Stevens Adventures by Dan Gutman

While digging holes in his backyard, Qwerty Stevens unearths a machine that appears to be a lost invention by Thomas Edison.  Qwerty’s home is in West Orange, NJ very near Edison’s laboratory and home.  It’s not long before Qwerty discovers that Edison’s machine can transport you Anywhere, Anytime.  Of course he ends up visiting Edison himself.  He’s counting on his older sister Barbara to bring him home, but when she ends up trapped in Edison’s time herself, they’re at a loss as to how they’ll make it home.

The book is full of cool additions like photos of Edison, his home and the men he worked with.  There’s a page with Morse Code (which Qwerty has to learn).  Especially beneficial is Gutman’s note at the end which separates fact from fiction, something young readers should definitely check out.

The time travel device isn’t the most well thought out one I’ve seen, but it’s okay.  I tend to prefer time travel that’s rooted in the mystical. This is definitely technological in nature.  Also, I was unduly annoyed that the book employs the butterfly effect and something in the past makes a major change in the present.

Having both Qwerty and Barbara play major roles in the story makes this more accessible to both genders.  There is some difficult vocabulary (especially when Edison is explaining things) but overall, I would say this is a third grade reading level. Advanced younger students shouldn’t find much objectionable in the content.

Great for: I’m currently teaching an inventions unit and my students have little understanding of what the world was like before the advanced technology that exists today.  This is a great trip back in time to learn about Edison’s work and what life was like before his inventions changed the world.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Qwerty wishes he could visit the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ locker room.  Sixteen year old Barbara holds hands with a man.  She hopes he’ll kiss her.  The book doesn’t make a big deal of it or anything, but the man she’s having a flirtation with should be 27 at the time the book takes place which is a bit old for Barbara’s 16 years.
Profanity – “my God,” “son of a–” the phrase is left unfinished. “jerks,”
Death, Violence and Gore – Qwerty’s father died in a car accident when he was a kid.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Edison has cigars (it’s unclear whether he smokes them).
Frightening or Intense Things – Qwerty tells his sister that parents put kids who tattle up for adoption.

 

Posted in Middle Grades, Primary Grades | Tagged | 3 Comments

Ghost Train

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Mrs.N

Ghost Train by Jess Mowry

Moving from Haiti to Oakland is a major change for thirteen year old Remi, but it’s not long before he’s made a friend, a cute girl who lives in his building, Niya.  Together they try to discover a mystery associated with a train which runs right by the house.  You see, the train only comes through in the middle of the night and the same thing happens each time.  Remi soon determines that he’s witness to a murder, but he’ll need Niya’s help to do something about it.  Especially since the train (and the murder) are part of the past.

This book was published in 1996.  Mowry tried to make the slang appropriate for the time, but the result is that the book is a bit dated in terms of the some of the vocabulary.  This is not so significant that it would interfere with understanding.

Great for: Not all middle school and high school students are able to read books that are intended for their age group.  Students with reading difficulties often struggle to find books that are easy enough to read and yet have content that would be interesting to them.  This book would do a great job of providing a story that would be engaging for middle school through early high school and yet simple enough text that readers who struggle would be able to read it. I would bet the reading level is around 3rd or 4th grade, but the content (as noted below) is clearly meant for students with more life experience.

Jess Mowry writes books about tough issues.  You may find his site helpful in understanding his perspective.  It’s worth checking out his individual books before deciding whether your child is the right age for the content.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – There’s a class at school on sexual awareness.  Remi wishes Niya’s shirt had 3 buttons undone instead of two.  Niya and Remi talk, Remi telling Niya she can take her shirt off if she’s hot, Niya complaining that her mom wants her to wear a bra.  Niya likes talking with Remi because he isn’t just trying to jump her bones.  Niya tells Remi at least he doesn’t have to put up with periods.  She kisses his hand.  An old lady tells him that her home isn’t a cathouse.  They talk about how they might kiss someday.
Profanity – “crap”, “sucked,” “damn,” “screwed up,” “shit” (also in french – merde), “swear to God,” “goddamn,” “ass,”  “asshole,”  “bastard,” “piss off”,  “hell,” “n—rs,” (  I’ve explained my objection to the n-word in prior posts.  It is used multiple times in this book, with no letters omitted).
Death, Violence and Gore – A metal detector and pat down are part of getting into the school building.  There is a class on gangs.  Remi learns many slang words for killing.  Remi tells a story about a volcano that erupted killing everyone in a Haitian village.  One man shoots another on the train.  A character’s father is dead.  They talk about dead bodies and see skeletons.  A man burns himself badly on a stove.  A man is run down by a train.  A girl is shot. There are a few murders.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Remi thinks he sees a man holding a cigarette.  There is a class on drugs.  Niya talks about the hood having crackheads and winos and dope smokers.  Niya offers Remi wine and Remi explains how the French influence in Haiti means a different attitude towards alcohol.  They drink wine. A man smokes.  A character’s father used crack.
Frightening or Intense Things – Remi often compares life in the US to life in Port-au-Prince, noticing that no one at his US school is starving.  The time travel aspect is closely tied with ghosts, to the point where it’s not really clear if they time traveled or if they just interacted with ghosts.  It’s unlikely this would be scary for children that are comfortable with the rest of the content.

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The Root Cellar

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Mrs.N

The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn

Rose has never really had a home, or friends.  Her parents died when she was quite young and her grandmother has brought her up traveling all over the world.  When her grandmother dies in Paris, Rose is sent to Canada to live with her aunt’s family.  The shabby house overrun with children is so terribly different from the quiet elegance of the hotels she’s lived in for most of her life that Rose just can’t cope.

When she runs into the back yard to get away from it all, she ends up farther than she ever expected.  A root cellar in the yard leads her to another century.  Rose begins to build relationships with the people she meets in the past, so when there is trouble, she is anxious to help.  Leaving her own time behind, Rose travels to the time of the American Civil War and begins a long journey to help people who need her as much as she needs them.

Great for: A strong female character.  Despite the time period (and the fact that The Root Cellar itself isn’t exactly brand new) Rose is a tough cookie.   In her trip to the past, she spends much of the time disguised as a boy and is able to do everything a boy could.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – Aunt Nan is pregnant.  A soldier’s wife left him for another man.  A man sidles up to Susan and says he’ll buy her a new dress if she shows him a good time.
Profanity – “damn” a few times, “shut up,” “for Heaven’s sake”
Death, Violence and Gore – Rose is an orphan whose parents died in a car crash.  Her grandmother has recently died.  Rose knew a girl who had the plague.  Other people (from the past) die.  One of falling off a barn roof, another of the chills.   There’s some boy/fighting stuff – a teacher switches a child and gets punched for it.  Great-great-grandfather’s brothers were killed in the Civil War.   Susan’s parents were killed in a sleigh accident.  A boy threatens to break both a girl’s arms and throw her in the bay if she tells a secret.  There’s a threat that “I’m going to split you with a knife.” The back-in-time part is set during and immediately after the Civil War.  This means that there are references to slavery and slaves being beaten.  Lincoln is shot.  Will tells about his time in battle, how soldiers lost limbs and were disfigured, how they died, how injuries could mean rotting flesh and how hard it was to watch someone die.  There is a child that died after only being alive for a few weeks.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – There’s a drunk on the train.  A man has a beer.
Frightening or Intense Things – The pregnant aunt has a fall.  Despite taking place during war time, this book is not very graphic in its violence.

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No Time Like the Present…

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Mrs.N

Unless it’s the past!  This November we’re going back time.  After reading Jackie and Me, I remembered just how much I love time travel.  I think it was always a secret hope of mine, a way that I visit the past without having to actually stay there for good and live with all of the discomfort and danger that would surely accompany life at that time.  So I’ve picked out some time travel books and we’ll see where (and when) they’ll take us!

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