The House in Windward Leaves by Katherine L. Holmes

/5      

Character Development      3

Editing                                5

Sex                                      0

Violence                              0

Romance                             0

Readability/Flow                 4

Happy Halloween All!! In honour of the day, I am reviewing 'The House in Windward Leaves' by Katherine L. Holmes. 

Every child I know spends months deciding on the perfect Halloween costume. It's the one day they get to pretend to be who (or what) they imagine they would really like to be. Wouldn't it be fun, though, if instead of just dressing up, each child could actually become who (or what) they are dressed as? Well, that's exactly what happens in this little book. 

I'd say 'The House in Windward Leaves' would be appropriate for children in grade two and older. The perfect age to enjoy a story about kids who go to a magical costume party - on a star, no less. Once at this party the children become who they are dressed as, and they forget who they really are. Is the fantasy better than reality? Or should the children remember and go home?

I thought the author kind of shortchanged the pre- and post-party action and development. The focus is totally on the party. This makes sense for a children's book, I suppose, but I would have liked more build up before the party. OK, maybe not more so much as better. The set up seemed 'glossed over' to me. Just something to get through in order to start the party. 

The party itself was fun. The interaction between the characters was well done as was the 'magic' that permeated the star. The fortuneteller was my favorite character - I dressed up as one more than once when I was younger - I loved her crystal ball and the things she 'saw'. The climax of the party comes in the guise of a scavenger hunt which brings adventure and suspense to the story.

If you have kids who enjoy fun and fantasy in their books, this may be just the story for them.

Sardoodledom

I learned a new word this week, proving we are never too old to learn from picture books. The word is sardoodledom. It's a real word; I looked. And now I know that during my three daughters' teenage years, our house was the living definition of sardoodledom. (Stay tuned for the definition)

/5

Illustrations                             4
Plot                                          3
Fun                                          4
Educational                             5
Age Appropriate                     5

Rarely do I review children's picture books but this title really caught me eye, so I said yes when Krishna asked. Sardoodledom is about a spelling bee and the

creative ways the children use to remember how words are spelled. It will help children (and adults) learn new words; learn about rhyming and about homonyms in a fun way. (my 17 year old is sitting beside me reading the book as we speak and has just said "I feel like I'm learning so much!")

The illustrations are cute but I would have liked to see more colour. The character drawings have very distinct looks which is nice for telling the kids apart and I loved the look on the teacher's face throughout. Just a really cute book that your kids will enjoy. I know I'm happy to have it in my collection to read to my future grandkids.

A Taste:

"Sardoodledom, s-a-r-d-o-o-d-l-e-d-o-m, sardoodledom." Cloe triumphantly spelled her favorite word to herself for the hundredth time. "It means overly dramatic, almost unbelievable," she recalled."

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

It is a hard thing, as an adult, to try and read a book through the eyes of a child. It would have been easier had I a box of magic eyes like Peter does. Here's what amazon has to say about the plot:

Overflowing with wit and invention, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery by his brutal master, Mr. Seamus. One fateful afternoon, as he's picking the pockets of townspeople enraptured by a travelling haberdasher, he "discovers" (steals) a box of magical eyes. When he tries on the first pair, he is instantly transported to the island at the top of the world, where he meets the maker of the eyes, Professor Cake. The Professor gives Peter a choice: travel to the mysterious Vanished Kingdom and try to rescue a people in need ... or return back to his master and a life of crime. Peter chooses wisely, and together with Sir Tode, a knight errant who has been turned into a rather unfortunate combination of human, horse and cat by a grumpy witch, he embarks on an unforgettable adventure in a book destined to become a classic.

And here's what I have to say about it: (warning!!! I may go on a bit of a rant that may include spoilers - which is OK if you are looking to get it for a child in your life and not so OK if you want to read it yourself)

/5

Character Development          4

Editing                                     5

Sex                                          0

Violence                                  3

Romance                                 0

Readability/Flow                    4

As I began this book, the first word that came to my mind was "charming". It is a perfect read-aloud book. The narrator's voice is strong and fun with lots of age-appropriate humour. Although the back of the book says 10+ years, my precocious 8 year old nephew would enjoy it as well.

Poor, blind, Peter is liberated from his miserable life and embarks on a magical, mystical journey full of: problems waiting to be overcome; friends waiting to be made; lessons waiting to be learned and mysteries waiting to be solved. Peter needs a steady companion and who better than Sir Tode? I have to say that Sir Tode was my favorite character in the story. Who could resist a knight who is also a cat/horse/human? He fills a vital role as friend, confidant and Peter's eyes.

Don't expect this to be one of those books that helps kids understand and appreciate what it means to live with blindness. It is easy to forget Peter's blindness as he can 'see' almost better with his other senses as sighted people can with their eyes. This includes the ability, for example, to catch things thrown at him by 'sensing' their presence.

SPOILER ALERT!!

Although this point was a point of contention for me as an adult, I don't think it would hinder a child's enjoyment of the book. I just want to say that I was a little disappointed in the author's lack of imagination in this one area. See if you recognise the story line - Twins, a boy and a girl, are born to royalty in the middle of an uprising. To protect the line, the male twin is spirited away to be raised as an orphan. The boy is raised to rely on his inner eye or other senses to 'see' things (we'll call it, the force shall we?) At some point there is a huge battle between good and evil and the twins are reunited for the fight, although they are unaware of their relationship. As the battle progresses, the twins realize their relationship to each other and overcome the evil forces threatening to destroy their world. Oh did I mention that the bad guy wears a magical metal suit?

OK, maybe there were two issues I had with imagination. The other has to do with an incidental character and I won't spoil that one.

Mr Auxier's imagination and originality show through in other aspects, however. The use of magic eyes was brilliantly incorporated as were the details of the Vanished Kingdom.

Be forewarned that there is a fair amount of violence in the story but (having some experience with 8 - 12 year olds - and boys especially) nothing they won't appreciate; nothing to cause nightmares; and, likely, nothing that comes close to the violence in their favorite video game.

All in all a great first effort by Jonathon Auxier. I'm hopeful we will find more accounts Peter's magical adventures in the future.

A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

Recently I was moved by some strange force to join twitter. I have no idea how it works but I have fun with it. One day I commented (oops, tweeted?) to some other tweeter that I liked her profile picture. She informed me it was the cover of her book 'A Dog's Way Home'. My curiosity was sparked and I immediately headed over to my local library's virtual catalogue to see if they had the book. Turns out they did and it was currently checked out and there was a waiting list of people wanting to read it. Now I just had to see what the fuss was all about so I added my name to the list. Of course it came in at the worst possible time - I had a list of reading commitments a mile long. How was I going to fit this in? While I waited for my kids to pick their books at the library, I flipped open to the first page. That was it! The only time I closed the book was to drive home. Otherwise it was a 'one sitting' read.

Here's the link to Shelfari if you want all the ins and outs of the plot etc.

To begin with, look at that cover. Is it any wonder I was interested? It's like Tam, the Shelti, is saying "Come on, read it. I promise it will be worth it." And Tam keeps his promise.

The chapters in the book alternate narrators between Abby, Tam's girl, and Tam, Abby's Shelti. It can't be easy to write from a dog's point of view. I have read other novels where, in trying to accomplish this, the author makes the dog human which totally defeats the purpose. Ms Pyron manages to avoid this trap masterfully. The reader is able to follow Tam's adventures and gain empathy for his plight but always he is true to his doggy self. Not that I am privy to what a dog might feel or think, but Tam's motivation is all wrapped up in instinct rather than logic which just feels right for a dog.

Abby is a strong willed, stubborn little girl. She has a well of strength that she draws from when she is afraid or confused or unsure of herself. She is also sweet and naughty (don't you just love that word?) and exactly what you would expect a child to be. I could picture myself reading this book to my kids when they were young. They would have adored Abby! It's always a treat to find a book that parents would enjoy as much as kids.

The only negative I found in reading 'A Dog's Way Home' is that there were characters I was drawn to who disappeared from the story too quickly and completely. I'm not sure there is any way around this. Obviously when a character's contact with Abby and/or Tam was done with, they disappeared from the book. It has to be - just as people I no longer have contact with are no longer part of my life story. It was just sad to lose them.

All in all a fabulous book. And the fabulous author of this book has generously agreed to an interview. So check back for that in a couple of days. I have a feeling she might even agree to a giveaway.