The Gaither Sisters Roundup

An excellent series for those interested in diverse characters and stories.

Taking place in 1968, the first book follows three sisters from Brooklyn as they travel to Oakland, CA one summer to meet their mother (who abandoned them seven years ago) for the first time. This book might be especially appealing for those interested in social justice.

The second book sees the girls return to Brooklyn, where they need to get used to a life that is suddenly very different from the one they left before the summer. This book includes some mature content (drug addiction), but is otherwise a more "typical" coming-of-age book.

The last book takes place in 1969, when the girls spend a summer down home in Alabama. While Oakland was a hotbed of activity for racial justice, and Brooklyn was modern if not radical in its take on social issues, rural Alabama was a throwback to segregation and the Klan. The girls learn about some old family history, and each individually becomes more of her own person.

• One Crazy Summer (#1) ★★★★★
• P.S. Be Eleven (#2) ★★★★
• Gone Crazy in Alabama (#3) ★★★

Gone Crazy in Alabama (Gaither Sisters #3) by Rita Williams-Garcia

★★★

I think this book would make a good movie. It's the final installment of the series about the Gaither sisters, yet it stands well on its own.

The book takes us into the Deep South of 1969. Against the backdrop of the moon landing - which sets the context for the time period - the Gaither sisters visit their grandmother Big Ma and great-grandmother Ma Charles in Alabama. Slowly and gradually, the girls learn old family secrets - the family tree at the end of the book is helpful - with Ma Charles trying to impress upon them the importance of knowing where you came from, while Big Ma was content to let sleeping dogs lie.

This summer - perhaps with a bit of a push from the Mrs. always saying that Vonetta and Fern are capable beings, too - Vonetta and Fern started to stretch their wings. Delphine was left at a bit of a loss, as her identity, until then, had been wholly tied to being a substitute mother to her two younger sisters. I felt sad for Delphine, and happy for Fern, who was discovering herself. Regretfully, I came to dislike Vonetta. I couldn't see why Uncle Darnell and Jimmy Trotter favored her. Yes, she was entertaining and lively, but she was also selfish, stubborn, and sometimes downright mean.

The book ambled along until about 3/4 of the way through, when it took a totally unexpected and dramatic turn.

Without giving away too much of the surprise, I hope it's enough, but not too much, to say that something happens to Vonetta. It tore me apart that Delphine felt the need to defend herself against blame, that even Cecile said to Delphine, "I told you to look out for Vonetta,"(p. 232) and Jimmy Trotter said, "You're hard on Vonetta." (p. 255) As if Delphine hadn't spent most of her young life being a mother instead of a sister to Vonetta because her own mother had abandoned them and her father and grandfather expected her to be her sisters' guardian. It was hypocritical of Cecile to expect Delphine to look out for Vonetta, when she just spent an entire book - P.S. Be Eleven - trying to tell Delphine that she ought to act like the child she was, rather than trying to be her sisters' mother. That anyone could blame 12-year-old Delphine for what happened to Vonetta, and not Vonetta's own stubbornness and choice of behavior, was frustrating and infuriating. I was indignant on Delphine's behalf, and I wanted to reach through the book and hug her and tell her she was loved.

Towards the end of the book, there is an especially poignant moment between Delphine and Big Ma after Big Ma returns from the court house. In that brief interaction, we see how truly devoted and loyal and loving Delphine is to her Big Ma - and by extension, to her family as a whole.

Overall, I think the themes in this book surpass the middle grade audience it's intended for. I'm an adult, and this book gave me so much to think about.

P.S. Be Eleven (Gaither Sisters #2) by Rita Williams-Garcia

★★★★

This book picks up exactly where One Crazy Summer leaves off. The girls are on the plane returning to Brooklyn, and right away you can see the influence the summer in Oakland has had on them.

This book, even more than the first one, I think is best read by middle schoolers, even though the reading level might be fine for upper elementary readers. In the book, Delphine wants to read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, but her mother tells her to wait until she's older, because "[i]t is a bad thing to bite into hard fruit with little teeth. You will say bad things about the fruit when the problem is your teeth." (p. 143) I feel like that advice applies to this book as well, even if this is a children's book; if you aren't ready for it, much of it will go over your head, and you won't appreciate it properly. Also, there are some heavy ideas in this book, including drug addiction, which might be a bit much for some young readers.

I didn't find the storytelling in this book as tight as in One Crazy Summer. There's a lot going on as Delphine tries to reconcile her new woke-ness with the un-woke-ness of her Pa and Big Ma. She learns that relationships can be complex; before the summer, Pa and Big Ma were the sole arbiters of right and wrong, but now she realizes that she doesn't always agree with them, and it's possible to like someone for one reason, and dislike the same person for another reason, and all the while still love them. Meanwhile, Pa has a new girlfriend, Uncle Darnell is back from Vietnam, all three sisters are crazy for the Jackson Five, Delphine is still trying to figure out her relationship with her mother via letters, and through all this, Delphine is trying to navigate the sixth grade, including "some-timey" friends (p. 63), boys, and a new teacher she wants to impress.

I have to say, I'm not crazy about how this book ended. A few loose ends were tied up, but mostly it felt abrupt. Knowing this family, you can't rightfully expect a completely happy ending, but I admit I did hope.

One Crazy Summer (Gaither Sisters #1) by Rita Williams-Garcia

★★★★★

Wow. This book is real, contemporary children's literature. The writing has a rhythm to it, a kind of no-nonsense lyricism.

Set in 1968, the Gaither sisters - Delphine (11), Vonetta (9), and Fern (7) - are sent by themselves to spend a summer with their mother Cecile, who left them and their father when Fern was just a baby. The story is narrated by Delphine, and her voice is authentic and straightforward - there's no sugar-coating here. While Papa and Big Ma (their paternal grandmother) in Brooklyn have raised the girls to be ever-mindful of their place as "Negroes" and "colored" children, suddenly they find themselves in Oakland, CA, at the center of the Black Panther party, where they learn that everyone else around them is unabashedly "black" out loud.

I have a working knowledge of the Black Panthers, but I admit, never once before had I considered the question, "What about the children?" Surely there were children coming of age at this time, witnessing the police brutality and the Black Panthers' militant open-carry of rifles. How did they process the world around them?!

There's a lot that can be considered controversial in this book. Delphine is wary of the guns and secrecy of the Black Panthers, and she knows Big Ma doesn't like them, yet she gets caught up in the feelings of empowerment. Are they victims of propaganda? Maybe. But they are learning about justice, and their own identities. It occurs to me that the Black Panther summer camp they attend might not be so different from vacation bible schools sponsored by churches, with activities to engage children and also a specific message to deliver. Anyway, while Papa and Big Ma are deferential and careful around police officers, in Oakland they see black people being outrightly defiant, even calling the police "racist pigs". There is no "good cop" to counter the "bad cop" narrative. Also, it's just a raw depiction of hard lives: the Gaither sisters grow up without a mother, their mother shows no interest in them, and we eventually learn about Cecile's heartbreaking history.

For all those reasons, I'd consider this book most appropriate for middle school readers, or at least preteen readers. Even though the reading level and the characters themselves are suitable for upper elementary readers, I think there's just so much going on in this book, that a little more maturity and worldliness can help the reader to more fully understand and appreciate the events, the characters, and the exploration of race. Overall, an important read for any American, especially those interested in social justice.

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

★★★★½

This book uses the format in which each chapter is told from a particular character's first-person perspective. The chapters alternate between Ravi and Joe. Ravi is - in his words - "fresh off the boat" from India. Joe is one of Ravi's white American classmates. This book spans just one week, the first week of 5th grade.

I loved so many things about this book. I'll just try to lay them out.

I love that we hear the internal voice of a child immigrant. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other children's book that I've read that includes such a character - and I find that shocking. Why aren't there more children's books like this?! I'm going to try to seek out some more... Anyway, I love that the reader is put into a position of better understanding how big the divide is between an immigrant's home country and America. American children - like Joe - are sure to look upon new immigrant classmates like Ravi as odd and different. But Ravi's narration lets us know that Ravi is not only a typical kid in India, but the very things that make him a target for ridicule in America are what helped make him popular and successful in India!

Meanwhile, I love that Joe isn't just a "regular" kid in America - he's a good kid, but he feels different, too, because he has Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). He's thoughtful, but frequently misjudged. In this way, I love that this book includes a positive representation not only of cultural diversity, but also of special education diversity.

On the one hand, I love that this book takes place in just one week. The kids are not bottling up their feelings for weeks and weeks, hiding them from their parents, letting things get worse. Though there is some hesitancy, both kids eventually open up to their parents, and things get resolved. I love that. These kids have parents and grandparents who care about them, and they really can help.

On the other hand, I was somewhat disappointed that the book only spans one week, because at the end, I wasn't ready to leave Ravi and Joe. I wanted to read more, and see how their friendship developed!

I love that this book had the ethnic-food-for-lunch quandary that is like a rite of passage for all immigrant children. I also love that the author gave it a bit of a different spin - Ravi did not have to feel ashamed of his lunch to realize that his lunch made him different. He recognized the difference, but was also proud and happy to eat the Indian food in his Indian-style lunch box.

When I got to the end, I loved that this book has two glossaries - one for Indian words, and one for American words! It really helps to drive home the point that different cultures are tied to the language they use to describe every-day things. Just as an American reader would need a little context to understand words like kho kho (an Indian children's game), Shakti Kapoor (a Bollywood actor), and uppuma (an Indian food), a non-American reader would need a little context to understand words like Hacky Sack, Kohl's, and salsa! Not to mention American slang like "puke" and "crud".

Finally, I loved realizing that the Ravi and Joe portions were written by different authors; presumably the Indian author wrote the Ravi chapters, and the non-Indian author wrote the Joe chapters. Their voices are distinct, you can hear their characters' personalities through their narration, and it may or may not have been relevant, but I just like the idea that both authors had two boys of their own, from whom maybe they drew some inspiration.

So with all that being said, I gave this book just shy of 5 stars because of something that seems to bother me in a lot of children's books - the bully. I don't know why, but when it comes to realistic children's fiction, I always sympathize with the child bully just a little bit - I want the bully to be fleshed out enough so that we all realize that bullies aren't just evil, mean-spirited people, especially when they're kids. Usually, they have some issues they need to work out themselves, probably involving their home life, or how they're treated by their parents. In this case, the bully is a rich, probably spoiled Indian-American boy. He gets his comeuppance, but does he learn anything? Also, I wonder if Indian-American readers might resent how poorly American-born Indians are portrayed in this book, especially in the way they are depicted as being wholly different in every way from immigrant Indians. I would have liked to have seen some kind of resolution that might have brought Ravi and Dillon together in some way, even if only briefly.

Millicent Min Roundup

This an excellent series telling the story of one summer in Rancho Rosetta. Each book is told from the perspective of its main character.

Millicent Min is a precocious 11-year-old Chinese-American girl who is heading into her senior year in high school and taking her first college course over the summer. To her dismay, she is also roped into tutoring Stanford Wong, whom she considers a dumb jock. Happily, she finds her first real same-age friend in Emily Ebers, who just moved to town, but she's afraid that her being a genius might ruin the relationship. Her story is cleverly told through a series of journal entries.

Stanford Wong, also Chinese-American, is the star basketball player on his school's A-Team, but he failed 6th grade English. In order to advance into 7th grade - and stay on the A-Team - he needs to go to summer school, and Millicent Min is hired to tutor him. Stanford is a pretty complex character: he struggles with living up to his tiger dad's high academic expectations, he values his friendships but is embarrassed to tell them about summer school; he has a real soft spot for his aging grandmother who is slowly losing her mental faculties; and to top it all off, he has his first real crush on Emily Ebers. Not being the type to keep a journal, his story is told in the present tense, with both date and time stamps, giving the impression that we're reading his internal monologue narration of his life.

Emily Ebers is blond, bubbly, a little on the heavy side, confident in herself, but not in the world around her. She and her mom just moved to Rancho Rosetta, CA from New Jersey following a heart-breaking divorce. Emily struggles with accepting her parents' divorce; she yearns for attention from her far-away father while icing out her mother and blaming her mother for the divorce. She keeps a letter journal, addressing each entry to her father and planning to send the entire journal to her father at the end of the summer.

I loved so much about each of the books, but what really impressed me was Lisa Yee's ability to get into the mind of whichever main character was narrating the story. I've read books in which each chapter is written from the perspective of a certain character, but in many cases, the only way you would know who the narrator is is by the name in the chapter title. In this series, each character has such a clear personality and distinctive voice that comes through in the writing, and you can imagine real middle schoolers finding so many authentic connections throughout the books.

• Millicent Min, Girl Genius (#1) ★★★★
• Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time (#2) ★★★★½
• So Totally Emily Ebbers (#3) ★★★★★

So Totally Emily Ebers (Millicent Min #3) by Lisa Yee

★★★★★

Lisa Yee just gets better with each book! I have read other books and series in which different chapters or books are meant to be narrated from the perspective of different characters, but so often the only way to tell who is narrating each chapter or book is to read the name in the title. Not so with this series! Millicent, Stanford, and Emily have such distinctive personalities and voices that come through so clearly in the writing.

This is the third book in the Millicent Min series. This time, we are seeing the events of the summer from Emily Ebers's perspective. Emily is a bubbly, life-loving 12-year-old who loves fashion, is a little on the heavy side, and confident in who she is as a person. What she isn't sure of is how to deal with all the life changes around her. Her parents just got a divorce, and she's reeling. Her mother is trying, but is herself struggling with heartbreak and change, and can't yet be the solid source of support that Emily needs. Emily blames her mother for the divorce and continually ices her out. Meanwhile, Emily yearns for attention from her father, yet rarely gets any. Young readers whose parents have divorced may find Emily relatable.

In this book, the story is told in a series of letters written in a journal from Emily to her father. Emily's plan is to send her dad the journal at the end of the summer. Like Millicent Min, there are times when the narration is unreliable; we the reader know what's going on, but poor Emily still has her eyes closed to the truth.

Meanwhile, Emily is trying to make new friends in town before school starts in the fall. Beside befriending Millicent, she also makes friends with other girls in middle school, including Wendy and the "popular girls", Julie and the "Triple A's" (three girls who tag along with Julie and all have names starting with "A"). Emily is already too self-confident to truly fall under Julie's spell, but it does take some time for Emily to stand up and assert herself. I love that Emily is able to tell off Julie without actually telling her off in a rude way - it's just so totally Emily Ebers to stand up for herself in a way that spreads kindness and confidence.

Much of this book also focuses on Emily's first real crush on Stanford Wong. I love how Emily is white - actually, Jewish - and just happens to have a Chinese-American best friend and a Chinese-American crush. It also turns out - from one mention of someone's last name - that one of Emily's best friends back in New Jersey was also Asian-American. It's that flavor of diversity where the multiculturalism is not at all a central or even minor concern; the characters just happen to be Asian-American.

One last thought, just in case anyone appreciates this kind of heads-up. During the course of this eventful summer, Emily also has her Judy Blume moment - that is, she gets her period. It's just something that happens!

Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time (Millicent Min #2) by Lisa Yee

★★★★½

This book is a clever companion book to Millicent Min, Girl Genius. It covers the same time period as Millicent Min, and sometimes the exact same events, only the story is told from Stanford Wong's perspective.

I was impressed that this book is more than just the same story from a different angle. While I pegged Millicent Min for audiences as young as "upper elementary grades", this book I would put solidly in the middle school grades. Stanford's life is somewhat more complex than Millicent's. Not only is he struggling to pass summer school English, but he's hiding his summer school from his closest friends, he has a strained relationship with his parents, he has an aging grandparent who is slowly losing her mental faculties, and he likes a girl. (The book mentions "hickeys" and "second base", both in a vague manner showing that Stanford himself doesn't quite understand what those words mean.)

From a multicultural point of view, I liked that this book was about a Chinese-American boy, but while his Chinese-American-ness was central to his character, it was also clear that Stanford was just another American kid trying to make his way through adolescence. On the one hand, this book is about a kid who just happens to be Chinese-American; the main plot is that Stanford loves basketball, but has failed English, so he needs to go to summer school. I imagine he's relatable to many young readers, and he's non-stereotypical because he doesn't fit the model minority mold. On the other hand, Stanford does have a tiger dad, and his family's dynamics were a pretty realistic portrayal of a Chinese-American family. Plus, Chinese culture makes regular appearances, mostly in the way Stanford's grandmother likes to make dim sum.

A couple things led me to rate this book just shy of 5 stars. First, for much of the book, it really bothered me that Stanford lied so easily. While he eventually comes clean with all the big lies, I'm not sure he ever had any kind of realization that all the little lies along the way were detrimental, too, like in the way they hindered his ability to communicate meaningfully with his parents.

Also, I didn't feel like I got enough closure with Digger. He's only a supporting character, but he was fleshed out enough that we know he acts out partly - or mostly - because he does not have a supportive home life. He is not a one-dimensional bully - we see his vulnerability a couple times - and yet there is no indication that he might change for the better after we leave the characters to their imagined futures. Too bad there isn't a book from HIS perspective!

Millicent Min, Girl Genius (Millicent Min #1) by Lisa Yee

★★★★

I picked up this book because of my interest in diverse books, especially for children. The main character is an 11-year-old girl who happens to be Chinese. Race is not a central issue of the book, but Chinese-ness does make occasional appearances. (I found it interesting, perhaps even a little disappointing, that Millicent did not call her grandmother by any of the typical Chinese words for grandmother.)

For the first few chapters, I felt uneasy. Millicent Min is a child genius, an 11-year-old who is just finishing up her junior year in high school. Each chapter is a journal entry, and Millicent's voice is both informal and pedantic, making for great humor. The first-person narration, however, is unreliable; Millicent seems unaware that other students treat her poorly, yet the reader sees the situation more clearly. I felt bad for Millicent, and wondered if other readers might laugh at her, just like her classmates. As the book progressed, though, Millicent became much more self-aware, her character more likable (she reminded me of the endearing Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory), and the uneasiness lifted.

Heading into the book, I was also concerned that a Chinese child genius might feed too much into the model minority stereotype of all Chinese students being academically successful. This may have been true, but I think the other non-stereotypical Chinese characters more than balanced it out. Millicent tutors Stanford Wong, a Chinese boy who is a jock and not at all academically oriented; her parents are laid back and goofy, the opposite of tiger parents; her grandmother does have an interest in Feng Shui, but otherwise her grandparents were known mostly for being community activists.

Mostly this book is about Millicent trying to figure out where she belongs, and how that sense of belonging relates to happiness. There is a very meaningful thread about the loss of a grandparent, perhaps making this book a relatable option for someone who has experienced the same.

I have to admit that both Stanford and Emily (Millicent's best friend) had to grow on me, but in the end they won me over - Stanford by growing as a character, and Emily by being loyal and just the kind of friend Millicent needed.

Fascinating: The Life of Leonard Nimoy by Richard Michelson

★★★

My to-read list is way too long, and I have yet to find time to read Leonard Nimoy's two autobiographies, I Am Not Spock and I Am Spock. When I saw this children's book in the library, I snatched it up, figuring it could serve as a quick introduction and tide me over until I get around to the autobiographies.

It's a decent book, but I'm not sure who the intended audience is. On the one hand, it's a picture book, but I'm afraid I didn't find the illustrations very compelling. They did a great job portraying the content of the book, but they just seemed sad to me. All the illustrations were colored in muted tones, and it looks like many of them were depicting night-time scenes, to fit with the "Reach for the Stars" theme. That darkness - despite the peppering of stars - conveyed a sense of loneliness to me. I do, though, have to give credit to the illustrator for very effectively rendering human likeness; before reading the text on one page, I looked at the accompanying drawing and immediately thought, "What's John F. Kennedy doing here?" - and lo and behold, Leonard Nimoy did indeed have an interaction with John F. Kennedy!

On the other hand, the reading level seemed more appropriate for middle elementary grades. I can see elementary students reading this book on their own, but then I was bothered that the book assumed a certain amount of broad knowledge. For example, the book references "jump shot" and "soda jerk" without any context whatsoever for young readers to figure out what those phrases mean. Maybe it's just meant to be read aloud by older, more knowledgable readers.

I did like the book, and was happy to learn more about how the Vulcan hand greeting was inspired by a Jewish hand gesture - something I was only vaguely aware of before. Also, it was fun to see that Leonard Nimoy's Boston in 1949 included a few places still quite familiar to modern-day Bostonians.

But then - suddenly! - the book was over. It was such an abrupt ending.

The last four pages consists of two afterwords. The first provides more information about Leonard Nimoy's work and accomplishments, and the second was an Author's Note describing the author's personal relationship with Leonard Nimoy. Clearly the story was meant to bring the reader from Leonard Nimoy's childhood to his success with Star Trek, but I think the content of those last 2 sections were just as informative and interesting as the main body of the book.

This Fight is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class by Elizabeth Warren

★★★★★

I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Warren, and Ken pre-ordered this book for me even before it was released. Life being busy, however, I hadn't gotten around to reading it until now. I was actually spurred on by having had the amazing opportunity to see Senator Warren speak live at a town hall event. Now, reading this book, I could easily imagine her voice speaking the words, full of passion and intensity.

Without going through a full post-mortem of the 2016 presidential election, suffice it to say that I, personally, do not subscribe to the idea that "economic anxiety of the poor white working class" was the primary reason for why we got the results we did. But the "economic anxiety of the poor white working class" was certainly a factor, and the bulk of this book goes a long way towards explaining the economic reality faced by the poor working class - people who used to be able to live as middle class.

I really enjoyed the personal anecdotes from Elizabeth Warren's own life (and the accompanying photos). She had a humble upbringing, and after a medical emergency, her family was saved from the brink of financial disaster because of a government that ensured a livable minimum wage. As a young adult, she took an unconventional path towards college graduation, which was only possible because of a government that supported affordable commuter colleges and the infrastructure that allowed students to physically get there. For Elizabeth Warren, the fight is personal: she wants every American to be given the same kinds of second chances that she and her family got in the 1960s.

This book provides an eye-opening history of how, after the Great Depression, government policies and regulations leveled the playing field and helped set the stage for long-term economic stability and prosperity for all Americans, regardless of class. (Brief asides do admit that the vast majority of benefits were enjoyed by white people, and racial inequality is an issue in itself.) But then, wealthy corporate leaders systematically stacked the deck in their own favor by promoting pro-business and anti-government rhetoric and policies, breaking the system that had already been proven effective, and leading to wider and wider disparities in income growth - the rich got richer while the poor and middle class stayed where they were, or became worse off.

Elizabeth Warren makes the argument for the kind of social contract Americans enjoyed after the Great Depression, one in which "we worked together to form a giant insurance program, with each of us contributing through taxes. When we needed a hand, we could turn to each other, through our government, to help us make it through... [W]e were all in one big American boat together - rich and poor, working and nonworking, young and old." (p. 99-100) I know some people will reject that kind of philosophy as "socialist" - as if "socialist" were, by definition, a bad thing. And yet, I would think that Christians (who make up a significant portion of the Republican base) especially would find that kind of social contract appealing, because it seems like the most efficient way to ensure that we "value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:3-4)

To implement that social contract, Elizabeth Warren believes strongly in two specifics tenets: 1) trickle-down economics is total bunk, and 2) the most important thing the government can do to promote opportunity for all is to invest in education, infrastructure, and research. And she brings the receipts, with data and sources backing up her position, all listed out in the Notes section. I also found her no-nonsense attitude - with lines like, "That idea is stupid on its face." (p. 182) - pretty entertaining.

Though most of the book focuses on economics, policies, and the powers that influence them, a few pages towards the end of the book directly addresses the racism, prejudices, and bigotry of the Republican party - and Donald Trump, specifically.

The book wraps up with Elizabeth Warren's perspectives during the 2016 presidential campaign, and her reaction to the results. She doesn't hold back when she paints a bleak picture of the kind of damage a government run by Trump and his Cabinet can do - and has already done - to Americans and the world we live in. But, the book closes with optimism. Elizabeth Warren lays out exactly what this fight entails - we have to fight bigotry, create opportunity, and demand democracy - and what we each have to do. Specifically, she urges all of us to use whatever platform we have to stand up, speak out, get involved, and even call out other people to do the same. She commits herself to fighting this fight for all Americans, and she invites us to join her.

Ranger's Apprentice Roundup

Worth a read for any fan of medieval fantasy in the vein of King Arthur. There actually isn't any sorcery, but there are knights and castles and kingdoms. At first I was also reminded of Lord of the Rings because Halt struck me so much like a shorter and smaller version of Strider. Also, the first couple books had a fantasy component involving non-human creatures and legendary monsters, but that quickly died away and was not an element in later books.

Also, a tip: If you want to read the books chronologically, after Book 4, read Book 7, and then go back to Books 5 and 6! There is an Author's Note in Book 7 explaining how he realized after the fact that he should have filled in the period of time between Books 4 and 5.

• The Ruins of Gorlan (#1) ★★★★
• The Burning Bridge (#2) ★★★
• The Icebound Land (#3) ★★½
• The Battle for Skandia (#4) ★★★★★
• Erak's Ransom (#7) ★★★★★
• The Sorcerer of the North (#5) ★★★★
• The Siege of Macindaw (#6) ★★★★½
• The Kings of Clonmel (#8) ★★½
• Halt's Peril (#9) ★★★
• The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (#10) ★★★
• The Lost Stories (#11) ★★★★
• The Royal Ranger (#12) ★★★★★

The Royal Ranger (Ranger's Apprentice #12) by John Flanagan

★★★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

I surprised myself by giving this book 5 stars. Especially since I started this book with such wariness.

I thought The Lost Stories did such a great job wrapping up the series, I really didn't want to read another installment. Then, after just a few pages, we find out Alyss is dead!? No!! Why!? Finally, we meet Maddie, who wasn't so likable. So, from the beginning, I wasn't crazy about the book.

Along the way, though, I found myself enjoying the read. I was glad to see Will being stern and unflinching with Maddie, and sure enough, Maddie eventually won me over. In the end, this book was like a satisfying epilogue to the whole series.

Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, A Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship by Michelle Kuo

★★★★★

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. Normally a slow reader, I started and finished this book within 24 hours. It is both eye-opening and heartbreaking. Putting this book down, I have a lingering hopefulness in the humanity of individuals.

This is the true story of Michelle Kuo, a daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, who graduated from Harvard, then joined Teach for America and lived for two years in Helena, Arkansas, a town in the Mississippi Delta. A few years later, while a student at Harvard Law School, she learns that a former standout student is in jail for murder. She returns to Helena and visits him in jail. In this book, Kuo deftly presents a story at the intersection of race, education, poetry, privilege, economics, immigration, law, and the vestiges of slavery in the south, including the prison-industrial complex. Perhaps unexpectedly, this book is, in the way it weaves together so many important issues, quintessentially American.

Along the way, I did fear that the telling of the story might be a kind of white savior narrative. Even though Michelle Kuo isn't white, didn't she swoop in and save Patrick? Maybe... But in the way she portrayed their time together, it seemed like she was just figuring things out as she went. At one point, towards the end, when she realizes that Patrick had surpassed her expectations, had expressed himself in ways that didn't result from her direct guidance, she thinks of herself as a conduit. Just a conduit through which Patrick could realize his true self.

Finally, some personal thoughts on why this book affected me so much. My maiden name is Kuo, I, too, attended an elite university, and my parents were immigrants from Taiwan. Many of the author's experiences, especially her relationship with her parents, were entirely familiar in every way. I'm also a part-time teacher, albeit in predominantly white upper middle class neighborhoods. But every year I've taught, I've taught a particular course that usually meant that my roster was not a typical slice of the rest of the school; in my classes, I'd have students of color, students on special education plans, and students with less than ideal home lives - and frequently one student fit all three descriptions. I wouldn't for a second even begin to try to compare the students in this book with my students in a wealthy suburb who had teachers and guidance counselors and special education liaisons looking out for them. Still, every time a student addressed the author as "Ms. Kuo," I let myself imagine some kind of alternate universe in which I might have been in a situation similar to hers. And when I think about how two of my former students dropped out of school within a year of having taken my class, I can't help but think, "How could I have done more?"

The Lost Stories (Ranger's Apprentice #11) by John Flanagan

★★★★

I very much enjoyed this collection of short stories! In some ways, they are the type of stories I wanted to read early on the series, giving us a broader view of the comings and goings of daily life in Araluen.

At the same time, many of these stories couldn't have been written earlier, because they nicely tied up the loose ends I complained about in earlier books! We finally find out what happened to Foldar, Morgarath's second in command who Halt was supposed to be chasing down when he got himself banished. We get to see a bit more of both Jenny and Gilan, and it was fun to see everyone together again for Horace and Cassandra's wedding. In fact, this collection of stories had such a nice finality to them that I am surprised there is still one last book in this series... I'll certainly plan to read it, but at this point, I think this book would have served as a good ending to the series.

The only thing preventing me from giving this book 5 stars were a few minor complaints along the way. For example, in "Death of a Hero", I just wish Halt had told Will's mom, before she died, that her husband died a hero. And in "The Wolf", it really bothered me that Will seemed to act out of character by brushing off Tug's warnings of nearby danger. You'd think that Will would perk up and be more alert at the first sign of Tug's rumblings. And then, it bothered me even more that Will never apologized to Tug for ignoring him. Perhaps if Will had heeded Tug's warnings, things might have turned out differently!

The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee

★★½

First off, I need to make clear that I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. If I had seen this book while browsing the library or book store, I don't think I would have picked it up; it's just not what I'm usually interested in. However, a friend of mine recommended the book, and then gave me a copy for my daughter to read, so it was a quick read within easy reach.

This book strikes me as like the "pilot episode" for a series like Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I know both TV shows had devoted fans, but I didn't watch either; I didn't dislike them, they just didn't interest me. Both shows - and this book - feature women living in modern times who surprisingly realize they have supernatural powers, which they need to use to defeat evil demons lurking among them. Others in their world don't know of their special abilities or the demons, except for a very limited inner circle. I suspect that if you like that kind of fiction, then this book would be right up your alley!

It took a while for me to get into the book. It felt like there were a lot of random things going on - a science project of dubious merit, a stereotypical "mean girl" (whose role in the book I never did understand...), a best friend who likes languages, Thelma's mom being away, a cafe owner who dabbles in the paranormal. My interest was finally piqued when the big crazy things started happening.

The most sensitive of readers (like me) might not like some of the illustrations or writing - true to its title, this book involves a haunting, with creepy circumstances and scary ghosts and monsters. I do think the author did an impressive job of keeping the tone light, despite the disturbing events surrounding Thelma; regardless of the situation, Thelma always responded and spoke like a "typical" teenager, which made for a good chuckle.

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (Ranger's Apprentice #10) by John Flanagan

★★★

This book started on the wrong foot for me. In Toscana, when Will and Halt watched the display of Toscan military might, they witnessed a method of training in which all soldiers lined up tightly and threw javelins simultaneously at an angle specified by a commander. Additionally, one line of soldiers was protected by a front line of soldiers with shields. They were both impressed - Will even called it "brilliant" - but did they forget that that is the EXACT same method that Will used to train his team of unskilled archers in Skandia?!? Did the author completely forget that he already used that strategy in an earlier book!?

From then on, I think I was just waiting for the book to redeem itself, and maybe I was harder on it than I might have been otherwise. I was already wary when Alyss and Evanlyn had their "incident", in which they both acted immature and petty (though I think Evanlyn was much more of a brat). Of all the many characters in this book - all of whom were, like Mary Poppins, "practically perfect in every way" - it bothered me that the only two to be burdened with significant flaws were the two women. And to make matters worse, they were fighting over a man! Ugh. We can't just have two strong women characters without having to entangle them in a love triangle? Yes, perhaps the author was setting the groundwork for the meaningful reconciliation at the end, however, I think he could have gotten the jealousy across without having the women behave so childishly. Or better yet, couldn't he have contrived some other reason for them to be at odds, rather than make it about a man?

Which brings me to another major complaint: throughout the book, both Alyss and Evanlyn were called "girls", both by the narrative author and by other characters in the book. Evanlyn led a world-wide expedition, and Alyss was a full-fledged Courier - by any measure, they should have been called "women", especially because Will and Horace, who were the same age as Alyss, were never called "boys".

Since I seem to be listing the negatives first, I might as well mention my disappointment at the end. When Alyss and Evanlyn go off on their mission, I thought it was great! Here, the two women would prove - once again - their bravery and worth. And yet, I thought the whole bit about the two of them killing the "Terror" in the forrest was just over the top. Surely if such a massive beast attacked Alyss with all its weight behind it, at the very least Alyss's shield arm would have been broken!

Specific grievances aside, on the whole, I still liked this book. Much more so than previous books in the series, this installment featured an ensemble of characters, and if anyone was a "main character", I think it was Horace! My favorite! So I enjoyed seeing him on his own in Nihon-Ja, and developing his relationship with Shigeru the Emperor. I liked reading about Nihon-Ja as a fictional rendition of Japan, though I have to admit, I'm not sure who the tall, long- and red-haired Hasanu were supposed to be! Perhaps they were a return to the kind of fantasy that appeared in the first couple books.

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell

★★★★★

I picked up this book because a friend had recommended I watch an episode of United Shades of America on Chinese-Americans, and it piqued my interest enough to make me want to find out more about the host. So far I've only seen that one episode, but I'd like to go back and watch others.

This book is part memoir, part comedic social and political commentary. We follow the author from his childhood in different cities, through his time as a struggling stand-up comic, and into his current gig as host of the TV show United Shades of America. He makes a LOT of pop culture references (there are whole chapters dedicated to the children's show Doc McStuffins, Denzel Washington, and the movie Creed), and he explores topics of racism and sexism. While he is generally interested in all things that might add to a sense of otherness, mostly he talks about race, and specifically, being black in America.

I like W. Kamau Bell's sense of humor, and his book on the whole gave me a feeling of, "Come for the jokes, stay for the lessons on racism / sexism / social justice!" I'm already on much the same page as W. Kamau Bell, so when he started to delve into commentary, I could focus on enjoying the humor and appreciating that he has a platform to give voice to his experiences and thoughts. I wonder, though, if there are people out there who aren't quite sure what to make of Black Live Matter, or who don't exactly understand what all the attention given to intersectionality is about, maybe this book could serve as a more light-hearted, non-intimidating introduction?

My one disappointment was that while reading the chapter on sports and activism, I wondered why W. Kamau Bell didn't mention Colin Kaepernick...

That minor detail aside, this book was an entertaining and worthy read.

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker

★★★★

When the book Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear was recommended to me, I looked it up in the library, only to find that there were TWO non-fiction children's picture books published in 2015 about the real bear who inspired the name of Winnie-the-Pooh!? I don't know how the publishing world works, but I certainly found this discovery surprising.

Anyway, I'm no librarian, but this book strikes me as more versatile. While both books can serve as an entertaining read-aloud to young children, the storytelling in this book is more straightforward, which seems to makes it more suitable to be read to an even younger audience. At the same time, I think the simplicity of the writing in this book also makes it more likely to be read by an older emerging reader.

Again, comparing this book with the other, the writing in this book is more upbeat, the illustrations more bold and amusing. Both books contain a collection of many of the same black-and-white photos, but as an added bonus, this book includes a lovely picture of A. A. Milne, Christopher Robin, and Christopher Robin's stuffed bear. (Finding Winnie also includes a few photos not included in this book.) This book also has an Author's Note with additional facts about Harry, Winnie, and the Winnie-the-Pooh books.

Each book offers something a little different to the story, so the way I see it, if you're interested in picking up a children's picture book to share the story behind Winnie-the-Pooh with your child, you might as well just get both books from the library!

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

★★★½

This children's picture book tells the charming true story of how a North American black bear came to live at the London Zoo, and how A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh came to be named after this bear.

The book is written by the great-granddaughter of the bear's owner, and the story is presented as a bedtime story between her and her young son named Cole. While the premise is sweet, the storytelling lacked a certain flow... I think I found the conversational interjections by mother-and-son to be more distracting than cute. The focus on their own personal connection to the story made me feel like this story is more "theirs"; maybe I had too-high expectations, but as a Winnie-the-Pooh fan, I was hoping to feel more connected to the story, but instead I sort of felt like I was looking through a glass window.

I think what really makes the book worth reading are the illustrations by Sophie Blackall. They are soft and lovely, evoking a sense of tenderness. While the text is informative, it's really the illustrations that make the book a pleasant read.

I also really enjoyed the black-and-white photos of Winnie the bear, and her owner, Harry. Though I did find it odd that the photo collection included a black-and-white photo from 2013 of the author and her son... I guess it's a way to show how the story of Harry and Winnie live on, but it also sort of felt like another distraction from the original story.

Incidentally, when this book was recommended to me, I looked it up in the library, only to find that there were TWO non-fiction children's picture books published in 2015 about the real bear who inspired the name of Winnie-the-Pooh!? I don't know how the publishing world works, but I certainly found this discovery surprising. The other book, Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, I actually thought was slightly better, and is also worth a read.

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

★★★★★

I decided to read this book after inadvertently reading the Young Readers Edition. Mostly I was curious to see how the two versions differed.

If all you know of Malala Yousafzai is that "she's the girl who was shot by the Taliban", then the Young Readers Edition is an excellent, approachable introduction to who she is, how people have suffered under Islamist extremism, and what she hopes to accomplish with the Malala Fund. It's the 10,000-foot overview of her story, and it's a worthwhile read for anyone, regardless of age.

If you're interested in zooming in and getting more details, this book is exactly that. This edition provides significantly more information and context regarding Malala's family history, the Pashtun code, and the geography, religion, history, politics, and culture of both Swat and Pakistan. In this book, Malala also talks about U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, and other things related to U.S.-Pakistan relations, which are mentioned only very briefly in the Young Readers Edition. Still, even with the many more names, dates, and places thrown in, the book is primarily a memoir, which makes it a very accessible read.

While on the whole this edition is much more thorough, the Young Readers Edition does have some additional personal reflections and anecdotes that are not included in this book, e.g., what it was like to meet President Obama and Jon Stewart, and the teasing exchange Malala shares with Moniba at the start of every Skype call, about who has forgotten the other more. This book is certainly more informative, but I think the Young Readers Edition actually gives you a more complete and intimate impression of who Malala is as a private person.

There was one very minor, interesting difference I noticed between the two books... In the Young Readers Edition, Malala's best friend Moniba came across to me as kind of volatile, full of drama and quick to become jealous and angry. It wasn't clear to me why Malala was such good friends with her. But in this book, their friendship doesn't seem overshadowed by their spats, and Moniba is much more fleshed out and likable.

Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves

★★★½

I've always enjoyed catching Rick Steves on PBS (he has an endearing kind of dorkiness), but it wasn't until the last election, when he campaigned to legalize marijuana, that I realized he was a vocal, respectful political activist. I "liked" his Facebook page, and now I am even more of a fan, not just of his travel shows, but of the man himself.

This book is not actually about making political statements with your travel destinations (as the title might suggest), but rather, it's about engaging in thoughtful travel that challenges your pre-conceptions and helps to shape your world view. The book urges readers to "travel more purposefully." (p. ix)

I think it's worth mentioning that this book is surprisingly heavy for a paperback. It has thick glossy pages filled with full color photos on almost every page. As with any travel book, the photos provide added understanding to the text.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I actually had several false starts; I kept putting this book down, only to pick it up days later, then having to re-read earlier pages because I forgot the context of what I had been reading. Once I got into it, though, it was an easily accessible lesson on weighty topics such as globalization, the lasting effects of colonialism, and Liberation Theology. It doesn't touch on every major political issue, but does seem to provide sufficient context and content to the select issues that were addressed.

In highlighting the history and politics of different regions, I very much appreciated Rick Steves's honesty in acknowledging his own inconsistencies. For example, he writes on page 104, "I've seen how religion injects passion into local politics...and I've developed a healthy respect for the importance of separation of religion and state. And yet, when a politicized Church...fights for economic justice, I find myself rooting for the politicization of religion."

Basically, most chapters are devoted to a certain region of the world, and Rick Steves writes about his own personal travel experiences, about differences and similarities between that region and the United States - specifically, how other countries deal with certain political issues including taxes, drugs, and transportation, just to name a few - and about what might we learn from each other. Rick Steves points out that every country's way of addressing issues has its pros and cons, and it's the culture and people of those countries that decide what values - individual wealth? social stability? joie de vivre? - are prioritized above others.

Rick Steves is a self-described liberal, as am I, but still I didn't agree 100% with his opinions. I think he does make a lot of really important observations, and good points, and I wonder how this book might be received by conservatives? I also think his perspective is valuable, and though I can't fault him for not being even more well-traveled, I do wonder what kind of insights and impressions he would have traveling to Africa and Asia.

I learned a lot from this book, and it gave me lots to think about.

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick

★★★★★

I read this book after watching the documentary He Named Me Malala. Even though the documentary was inspired by the book, I think it helped to watch the documentary first. Having already seen how Malala carries herself in person, and how she interacts with her brothers, it was easy to hear her voice in the book's narrative, and to imagine her living her life in Swat.

Both the book and the documentary make one thing very clear - at the time during which Malala rose to fame, she was really still just a child! Yes, she was outspoken and brave, and wise beyond her years. But still, she was just a girl who played with friends, fought with her brothers, and liked to watch TV. Seeing her so down-to-earth really emphasized just how remarkable of a person she is.

Written in a very personal, colloquial manner, the book is approachable and appropriate for young readers. (See my last paragraph for more on that...) In fact, I picked up this book after Isabelle read it for a school project.

The content was at times heartbreaking - from Malala's first encounter with children so poor they dug through trash and didn't attend school, to her family's adjustment to life in England - and I teared up often.

I honestly wish every person would read this book. Not just those who are already fans of Malala, but also those who don't know any Muslims personally, or who fear Islam because they only associate it with the Taliban, al-Qaeda, or ISIS. Those organizations are as representative of Islam as the KKK is representative of Christianity - which is to say, not very much at all.

Though not a central issue in the book, I was really affected by how much Malala worried about who would pay for the expensive medical care she received after being shot. Luckily, she was famous, and the Pakistani government pledged to cover all costs. Reading this book in the midst of the U.S. healthcare debate, I couldn't help but think of all the millions of Americans who worry about how they will pay for essential medical treatments, and who don't have any kind of lifeline to help them pay.

As usual, I didn't realize this book has a glossary until I reached it at the end. I actually looked up some Pashto and Urdu words while reading, so knowing the glossary was there would have been helpful.

I also didn't realize until almost the end of the book that I was reading a "Young Readers Edition". I have no idea how this edition differs from the regular edition, but I found this version perfectly informative and enjoyable, so I don't know if I'll bother to read the regular version, though I am tempted just to see how they differ.

Halt's Peril (Ranger's Apprentice #9) by John Flanagan

★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

This book is like the "Part 2" conclusion to The Kings of Clonmel.

First, there were a number of things I liked in this book. I liked the camaraderie shared by Will, Halt, and Horace, and I even liked the continued references to Halt's aging, which made clear the idea of him passing on the Ranger torch to Will. I also really enjoyed the appearance of Malcolm.

Unfortunately, there were also things that irked me in this book. Some of the descriptions seemed to go on too long, almost like the author was just purposefully trying to stretch out the book. I noticed this most during the scene in which Will and Halt were walking into the Genovesans' ambush. I got impatient thinking, "Yes, okay, I get it! They are slow and careful as they make their way through the forest, they have to stay quiet and out of sight. I get it, already, I get it! Just get on with the story!"

On the opposite end of the spectrum, at one point I was anxiously awaiting an upcoming scene, which ended up being excluded entirely! As Will raced towards Malcolm, I was looking forward to reading about Will's unexpected arrival, and how Malcolm and his band of people would react to seeing Will again. I was disappointed when the book just leap-frogged over that event.

Mostly, I was bothered that people seemed to act out of character. After being told repeatedly that Will had an exceptionally uncanny ability to always shoot his target, it was hard to accept that Will missed the second Genovesan, when it sounded like he should have had a pretty clear shot. Later, when Will and Horace were tracking Tennyson, somehow Horace - always bumbling loudly - was suddenly able to make a decent show of moving quietly, a skill that literally took Will years to develop. Also, Horace is supposed to be the "brawn", happy to leave all the heavy thinking to the Rangers, yet Horace is the one who thought of the clever way of getting the Genovesan to tell the truth about which type of poison he used, Horace was the one who spotted the smoke confirming Tennyson's presence in the caves, and Horace was the one who came up with the idea of Halt impersonating Ferris to discredit Tennyson!

And even Tennyson himself seemed to act out of character. Once they tracked Tennyson to the caves, I just can't believe that Tennyson would not post guards outside the caves, especially since he didn't know for sure where the Genovesan, Will, and Horace were. Sure, he's arrogant, but he didn't manage to take over 5 entire kingdoms, and almost a 6th, by being sloppy.

Overall, I did enjoy the read, I think mostly because I am already a fan of the series and happy to be caught up in the characters and the world in which they live.

The Kings of Clonmel (Ranger's Apprentice #8) by John Flanagan

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

Well, I agree with my son, who said this book somehow didn't seem to "fit" with the rest of the series so far. I think because the threat - a cult involving a false prophet in collusion with raiding bandits - seemed convoluted and unlikely to have actually succeeded in overtaking 5 kingdoms before finishing off Hibernia with Clonmel. It's clear that King Ferris was a weak leader, and that's why Clonmel is in such danger, but does that mean that all 5 of the other Hibernian kings were equally weak?! And if Tennyson is so much the sole leader that Halt is confident that by taking him down, the whole house of cards will fall, then how is it possible that the other 5 kings didn't manage to take back their kingdoms once Tennyson left their borders? NO ONE else in a position of power in all of Hibernia saw through the con game!? Only the Araluen Rangers were smart enough to see it and brave enough to fight it? All very hard to believe, even in this make-believe world.

Even Halt's royal past seemed a bit much.

And, I was sorely disappointed when the author seemed to make Will momentarily less intelligent than he had led us to believe. With all of Will's quick-thinking stratagems, you mean to tell me that when he was tasked to follow a Genovesan known for poisoning their victims, and when he saw that Genovesan leave Horace's tent, it didn't occur to him that he poisoned Horace's water!?!? That was just too out of character.

Horace seemed to increasingly take on a kind of comic relief role, as his constant state of hunger was a frequent joke. That, I enjoyed! Also, with his integrity and straightforwardness, Horace is perhaps becoming one of my favorite characters.

Lastly, for those who might care, towards the end of the book there is a battle scene that ends, very swiftly, with a beheading.

Overall, a slower read than others in the series, and it never really got me hooked. Still, can't wait to read the next book in the series!

The Siege of Macindaw (Ranger's Apprentice #6) by John Flanagan

★★★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

A very satisfying conclusion - all loose ends tied up! - to the events that began in Book 5.

I think the author is really good at character development. He keeps Will, Horace, and Alyss interesting while also introducing all sorts of new and different characters. He even had me feeling sorry for Keren at one point!

The book was probably on track for a 5-star rating, but then I reined it in because I felt like there were some major holes in the action. When Will and Horace are hiding for hours under the upside-down cart, it just made no sense to me that the castle defenders wouldn't just walk out and physically inspect the cart after it's abandoned. Why wouldn't Keren order some men to investigate the cart, to see if there might be any hint of what kind of siege they might be planning? And when he orders the cart burned, the flaming arrows fail, so they just give up!? How lazy can you be! Why not walk down to investigate why the cart isn't burning, and then break it apart for firewood or something!?

Then there was the climactic scene when Alyss was on the verge of killing Will. Of course Will wouldn't harm Alyss, but surely Alyss isn't so skilled with a sword that Will wouldn't be able to evade or restrain Alyss, right? He's one of the best-trained Ranger's after all, and managed to avoid being killed by the Scotti general in hand-to-hand combat! I think the implication is that Keren could easily have picked up the sword and finished the job, or held Will down while Alyss struck the fatal blow. But in a book where nothing goes unsaid, and battle scenes are described in great detail, it seemed like the logistics of this scene could have been fleshed out some more.

Anyway, I loved the ending, and left the book with lots of positive feelings.

As usual, a few mild swears ("damn" and "hell") thrown around. My third-grader who is reading the series is always especially entertained when he comes across a swear word!

The Sorcerer of the North (Ranger's Apprentice #5) by John Flanagan

★★★★

This book - which brings us to the small coastal fief of Seacliff, and then to the remote northern fief of Norgate - is exactly what I had wanted to read earlier in the series, when Will and Evanlyn being whisked off to Skandia derailed my enjoyment of being immersed in Araluen lore. I almost gave this book 5 stars for its pure entertainment value, but then I ended up downgrading it to 4 stars because there wasn't quite as much humor, or anything particularly remarkable, as in other books. A solid adventure and a good story, but maybe lacking that "something extra".

I don't want to give anything away, but maybe what I found most memorable about this book is the brief lesson of compassion that pops up towards the end. It was a quick glimpse, and I'm hoping we'll see more of that part of the story in the next book. This one ends on a complete cliffhanger with nothing resolved, so I'm assuming Book 6 is more like "Part 2" to this book.

Oh, and for parents previewing books for children - this book has multiple mild occurrences of "damn" or "dammit", and it also includes the word "bitch" once, but it is actually used to refer to a female dog.

Erak's Ransom (Ranger's Apprentice #7) by John Flanagan

★★★★★

Oh, I liked this book quite a bit! Isabelle and I read it as a read-aloud, maybe that added to my enjoyment.

I was tipped off by other readers that this book - Book 7 - actually chronologically follows Book 4. It says as much in the Author's Note, but you'd never know if you were just reading them in order!

Well, not to give anything away, but I loved the beginning, which delved into the personal developments in the lives of some of the main characters. The overarching theme is that Will is on the verge of becoming a full-fledged Ranger, and even though he's just about completed his apprenticeship, he doesn't feel like he's really ready to be on his own.

By now, I'm liking the idea of meeting new peoples in different parts of this world. In this installment, we meet the Arridi (reminiscent of an Arabian culture) and the Bedullin (like Bedouins). There's a bit of international intrigue here, and it's fun to see where alliances lie.

There were almost "too many" characters caught up in the main events, so frequently I'd even forget that Horace or Gilan were there, too. But that's okay. It was nice to see the whole gang together, even though they were facing danger. And I will say that even though I waver in my feelings towards Cassandra / Evanlyn, she did hold her own in this book.

As usual, I really enjoyed the author's chuckle-worthy humor!

The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice #4) by John Flanagan

★★★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

This book is my favorite in the series so far!

Finally, Will and Halt are back together again! There's a battle to fight in Skandia, but ultimately we see our heroes return home to Araluen, and that's all I really wanted.

The author continues to favor "grim" and "uncanny" as his two favorite adjectives. Humor was a solid strength in this book, as Halt's small size was juxtaposed with Erak's massiveness, and the Skandians' simple tactic-less fighting was pointed out in matter-of-fact ways.

My feelings for Evanlyn continued to wax and wane; I got annoyed at her behavior, and then she'd redeem herself. I think in the back of my mind I'm always fearful that a romance will blossom between her and Will, or her and Horace, and it's one my biggest pet peeves to see an action/adventure movie get sidetracked by superfluous romance! I know we barely knew them, but I thought Alyss was meant for Will, and Jenny for Horace. I guess with Horace becoming a great knight, he's far above Jenny's station now, which is unfortunate. I'm still disappointed that we've now pretty much lost sight of Alyss, Jenny, and George, and I wonder if we'll see much of them at all in the remaining books.

I'm also still a bit indignant that King Duncan "got away" with his daughter never knowing that he completely forsook her to her fate in the hands of her Skandian captors.

Those minor quibbles aside, it was great to see Halt and Will and Horace back in all their glory. And I have to admit, I enjoyed being won over by Erak. Fine, he's the one who kidnapped Will and Evanlyn in the first place, but I guess he, too, redeemed himself after all.

Finally, just an added tip: If you want to read the books chronologically, after Book 4, read Book 7, and then go back to Books 5 and 6! There is an Author's Note in Book 7 explaining how he realized after the fact that he should have filled in the period of time between Books 4 and 5.

The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice #3) by John Flanagan

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

From the very beginning, this book didn't sit well with me. I realize there's a whole world out there to explore, but I wasn't ready to leave Araluen yet. Already we're off to Skandia and Gallica, but I still wanted to read more about Celtica, the fiefs of Araluen, and even this Hibernia that was mentioned a time or two. And after Will received his hero's welcome for his role in taking down the Kalkara, I was looking forward to reading about what kind of honor and praise Horace would get for taking down Lord Morgarath himself! Alas, any recognition he may have gotten went completely unmentioned in this book.

I spent the first several chapters increasingly annoyed that Halt had to go to so much trouble to get himself banished in order to be free to search for Will. You're telling me that King Duncan was perfectly content to let his daughter suffer in the hands of the Skandians, safe in the assumption that she would be treated well and that the King would only have to pay a ransom to get her released!!? So he's just going to sit around for months and months and wait for a ransom message?! He didn't think it was worth sparing ONE RANGER to go in search of his kidnapped daughter!?

Even after I got over those two hurdles, the book just keep veering farther and farther away from what I had come to enjoy about the first two books, which were safely in the upper elementary reading range. Now, suddenly, this book jumped into the upper middle school range, with all kinds of more mature content. The Skandians keep slaves, the Gallic warlord tortured and murdered those who "displeased" him, wanton drunkenness is portrayed more than once, and there's even a case of drug addiction! It's a bit shocking - even though the addict is never truly at fault. I do have to give the author credit, though, for depicting all of the above as negative, contemptuous things that clearly contrasted with the disciplined and honorable ways of Rangers and knights.

Anyway, I kept holding out, figuring that surely the book would be redeemed when Will and Halt are reunited in the end! Alas, again, I was disappointed.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy this book at all. I liked the drama of Halt's banishment - though it seemed unbelievable that it wasn't automatically clear to everyone why Halt did what he did. And I liked that when they said their farewells, Halt, Gilan, and Crowley - hardened Rangers as they were - all teared up.

Evanlyn also grew on me, while Jarl Erak remains a conflicted character. Am I supposed to like him because he helped Will and Evanlyn escape, even though it's ALL HIS FAULT that they were enslaved in the first place!?

Well, I'll just have to read book 4, and see where all this goes...

The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice #2) by John Flanagan

★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

The action continues as Will and Horace play their roles in the coming war with Morgarath.

A good continuation of the first book, with Will still eager to learn, this time mostly from Gilan, who I enjoyed getting to know. Along the way, Will picks up some good advice and interpersonal skills, much of which I hope transfers to the young readers of the book!

I thought it was a bit too easy for the titular bridge, and the tunnel behind it, to have been left unguarded. But I guess even if there had been guards, Will could have just taken them out with arrows or something.

I think my relative rating of this book as lower than my rating of the first book is mostly because this installment had an awful lot of fight scenes. I thought they were well-written - exciting and descriptive, but not gory - but I think I'm just not personally too interested in reading about the battles themselves. Also, I'm not sure yet what to make of Evanlyn. I guess I'll withhold judgment until I see how her character and story line develops.

The cliffhanger ending was quite unexpected!

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan

★★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

The inside flap text of my library copy sums up the premise this way: it's a cross between King Arthur and Lord of the Rings. I agree! There aren't any hobbits or elves, but alongside the castles and knights and scribes, we have Rangers (in the vein of good old Strider) and powerful ancient beasts that live in the mountains and are rarely seen.

This is an entertaining beginning to a lengthy series that I am looking forward to reading. There are adventures and battles, but also some solid character development. Will, the Ranger's apprentice, was not immediately likable to me, but I warmed up to him easily enough. The author seems especially fond of the word "uncanny", which might have irked me if I wasn't such a fan of the word myself. He also throws in some light humor, good for a chuckle now and then.

While listing a bunch of shortcomings doesn't really do the book justice, my intent is to explain why I didn't just give the book 5 stars.

First, I think this book is geared towards upper elementary and middle school readers - both my 3rd grader and 5th grader are eagerly devouring the series now. The word "damn" is used just a couple times, and towards the end, the author made a comically explicit effort to make sure we readers knew that the apprentices were drinking "non-alcoholic beer...brewed from ginger root" (p. 234), instead of just calling it ginger ale or ginger beer. So, in that light, it seemed a bit unnerving that the bully storyline involved a violent resolution at the bullies' expense. Sure, it was satisfying to see the bullies get their due, but it was a bit too much of "an eye for an eye" for me. And it seemed especially odd that Halt - an adult in a position of authority - oversaw the humiliation of the bullies, rather than simply turning them over to Sir Rodney for discipline. And then, with the bullies being expelled from both the Battleschool and the fiefdom, it seemed like a loose thread being dangled - What would become of them? Where would they go? Were they contrite and willing to accept their punishment? Or would they seethe with resentment until they had a chance to exact revenge on Horace, Halt, and possibly the whole fiefdom!?

The other thing that didn't sit right with me was Gilan's complete lack of involvement in the battle against the Kalkara at the Gorland Ruins. Sure, he gives up his horse to Will - instrumental in allowing Will to seek and return with help in time - and yet, when he asked what he was supposed to do, Halt said, "Follow behind me on foot." (p. 207) Like, what? Why not ride on Halt's horse with him!? It seemed ridiculous. I get that Ranger horses are smaller than battle horses, but can they not even hold the weight of two men? In a book with no shortage of explanations of why things were happening, or how people were thinking, a little more information here would have been nice. And then - to make things worse - once the Kalkara were defeated, Gilan just rides up the next morning on a useless plow horse like, "What'd I miss? Oh, I guess I'll just go home now." I liked Gilan from the start, so it bothered me that the author didn't have Gilan return just a little earlier, to help in some way - he was one of Araluen's most skilled swordsman, after all! - and instead just made him out to be a tagalong.

Other than those two incidences, I enjoyed the book, and will surely continue the series.

Frindle by Andrew Clements

★★★

This is the second Andrew Clements book I've read, and it had a number of similarities with the first one I read, Lunch Money. Both books feature a creative and highly motivated boy who gets an interesting idea, but the implementation of the idea puts him at odds with his school. In both cases, the ending has a bit of an over-the-top factor.

I know this book is wildly popular among schoolchildren - even Isabelle names it as one of her favorite books! - and I guess I can see why. The main character Nick takes initiative in a kind of silly way, creating a fad-like movement at his school. He doesn't actually break any rules, and sort of "sticks it to the man" - the "man" being his teacher, Mrs. Granger, and her rigid ways.

I think for me, though, I am too much of a fuddy-duddy adult to appreciate what this book offers. I felt kind of annoyed at the whole situation, and I have to admit, I was impressed in the end with the way Mrs. Granger handled everything. I guess that's why she's a career teacher and I'm not!

The Mysterious Benedict Society Roundup

Having something of an old-fashioned feel, this series follows four children who are uniquely gifted in very different ways. Together, under the guidance of Mr. Benedict, they help foil the evil Mr. Curtain's plans for worldwide domination.

• The Mysterious Benedict Society (#1) ★★★★★
• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (#2) ★★★½
• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (#3) ★★★

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

★★★

I enjoyed this book mostly because I liked spending time with the children. I feel like I know them now, and it was nice to see them getting along, and knowing each other so well. I wasn't exactly engaged in the story, though.

Up til now, the children were special because together they had a set of skills that made them cleverer than most. It's not that they were objectively smarter than others, but Reynie was especially observant, Kate was especially handy and physically adept, and Sticky had a photographic memory. Constance at first just seemed especially willful, but we eventually learned she had a kind of sixth sense. In this book, however, her talents crossed into the downright supernatural realm, and that was kind of weird.

Not much happened in the first half of the book, though the second half seemed to make up for it in the action department. Still, I constantly felt like the story was not so much unfolding in front of me, as it was being explained to me. And oftentimes, the explanations seemed convoluted or contrived.

The book did wrap things up nicely, and though I was prepared to feel sad at the end, there was a surprisingly satisfying happily ever after sort of ending.

March Trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

★★★★½

Every American should read this series in order to understand the full history and current state of racism in our country. Black Lives Matter is not new. In 1964, Ella Baker gave a speech saying, "Until the killing of black mothers' sons is as important as the killing of white mothers' sons - we must keep on." (Book 3, p. 99)

March is a trilogy of graphic novels. This series is first and foremost a history of the Civil Rights Movement. Though written in the first person by John Lewis, it is not an autobiography, and we are given very little insight into John Lewis's personal relationships.

Book 1: This book sets up the model for storytelling. It is the morning of President Barack Obama's inauguration. Brief scenes of John Lewis in Washington, DC are interspersed with flashbacks as he tells stories of his childhood to constituents visiting his office early that morning. Eventually the constituents and John Lewis need to go separate ways, and the reader remains the only audience for the flashbacks. I felt this book was the most accessible in terms of being a narrative, and setting the stage of what's to come. While I knew about the main events of the Civil Rights Movement - like the lunch counter sit-ins - I really did not know, before reading this book, just how much training, preparation, and planning went into them.

Book 2: After the success of the lunch counter sit-ins, civil rights groups initiated a campaign of stand-ins to de-segregate movie theaters. But mostly this book focuses on the Freedom Rides. Again, I was familiar with the general idea, but I had much to learn. By putting themselves into life-threatening danger, participants had to apply and were extensively trained. The horrible treatment they endured is almost unthinkable, and yet, there it was, illustrated on the page. Very powerful. This book ends with the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Book 3: This book is the most intense of the three, explicitly detailing the horrific events surrounding the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL (in which four young girls died), and also of Selma, AL, which I was somewhat more familiar with because of the 2014 movie. The accounts in this book make it clear that the Civil Rights Movement was an agonizing series of demonstrations, arrests, marches, beatings, and funerals. So many funerals. This book also touched upon the internal controversies within the Civil Rights Movement, including disagreements between organizations in regards to methods of protests, and disagreements within organizations in regards to the role of white people in the movement.

It's worth noting that this series is targeted for a teenage audience. Besides the physical violence depicted in the drawings, the first book uses the n-word, the second book uses the s-word, and the third book uses the f-word and makes a passing mention of sex.

While supremely important for everyone to read, I gave the book just shy of 5 stars because the delivery of names and dates at times felt text-book-like, even despite the graphic novel context. I think the graphic novel medium was a genius method for illustrating - especially to younger audiences - just how violent the Civil Rights Movement was. But even as an adult reading this trilogy, I got lost in the names, particularly in the way every person was introduced solely within their role in the Civil Rights Movement. We did not get to know the private, surely complex people behind the names, and I sometimes felt I would have gotten even more out of the books if I had actually known more about some of the other players already.

Also, the series seemed to end on a cliffhanger. As Book 3 progressed, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) became increasingly fractured, and one of the last lines of the story is, "It was the last day of the movement as I knew it." The trilogy ends with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, three years before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. But what happened to SNCC? What happened to John Lewis, as he adapted to the changing needs of the movement? An epilogue would have been nice. Guess I'll just have to pick up an actual biography of John Lewis to find out more about the man himself!

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Sheerly

★★★★★

If you liked the movie, this book is definitely worth checking out. The movie was just the tip of the iceberg that is the full true story, which is rich in culture and history.

I was hooked from the first page of the prologue, when the author revealed her own personal connection to the NASA Langley Research Center. Though the movie focused on the space race, the story of black women at NASA actually started during WWII.

As it turns out, Katherine Goble Johnson joined her group during WWII, well before the space race, and in fact, West Computing was disbanded as part of the creation of NASA. Having loved the movie, I must admit to being somewhat disappointed that many of the most memorable parts of the movie were over-dramatizations and simplifications. Still, it was easy to set aside the movie as entertainment in order to focus on the book's steady reveal of fascinating information. From beginning to end, I was constantly calling out to my husband, "Listen to this!" I learned so much about the history of NASA, day-to-day life during WWII, and even a bit about aeronautics. Most importantly, the book described scientific progress alongside social progress for blacks and women, offering context and keen insight into race relations, segregation, and how WWII helped shape the advancement of racial justice and gender equality.

This book introduces to the reader lots of interesting pieces of history all interconnected at Langley, and many notable individuals who helped shape that history, from black computers and white computers to black professors and white engineer allies. Perhaps a bit like the Langley campus, the story is sprawling, but the author deftly ties it all together in a seamless story of talent, perseverance, and inspiration.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (The Mysterious Benedict Society #2) by Trenton Lee Stewart

★★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

Another engaging installment in which the children use their unique skills both to solve Mr. Benedict's riddles and to escape the clutches of the evil Mr. Curtain. There's a bit of a lesson about how some people are capable of harming others, and some people aren't.

The book had somewhat of a slow start, but picked up once the kids got on the ship. Once again, we see how Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have to work together to survive their journey and reach their goal. We also see a fair amount of character development in Constance and Sticky.

I was a little bothered by the children's encounter with the "boathouse prisoner". The whole incident seemed unnecessarily contentious, especially considering that Risker clearly had suffered at the hands of the Ten Man, and the children were there to help him escape, after all.

What most prevented me from giving this book 4 stars, though, was Reynie's misguided mistrust of Captain Noland. At one point mid-journey, he actually deceives his friends and cuts off all contact with Captain Noland - their one source of assistance!! - and in the end, Captain Noland was trustworthy after all. Yet, the book never addressed Reynie's miscalculation, nor the consequences it had on their journey. With Reynie always being the one the others looked to as the group leader with the best ideas, and him seeing himself in that role as well, it seems like his realization of this significant misjudgment could have been an important piece of character development.

Also, since I've already given the spoiler warning - I also didn't like the way the group took advantage of S.Q. Of course, they had to run for their lives. But I wish there could have been some way for them to avoid betraying S.Q., who had always been soft on all them. I haven't read the third book yet, but I would be sad to see S.Q. turn to the dark side out of anger and spite towards Mr. Benedict.