No place like home...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.

     "My darling child!" she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses. "Where in the world did you come from?"

     "From the land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I'm so glad to be at home again!"

~ from The Wizard of Oz,

written by L. Frank Baum

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting every day in the last week or so. Things around our house have been very, very busy. Our high school theatre and music departments are currently putting on a production of the musical The Wizard of Oz (three shows down, three more to go!) and our family has been involved with that. My husband helped build the set, my daughter and I painted many, many of the set pieces, I've created several of the props, plus my husband and I have helped with decorations in the hallway, a special meet-the-cast event, and much more. AND my son Ben is in the show, as a Munchkin and citizen of the Emerald City. 

Needless to say, we haven't been home much! I feel like Dorothy, so glad to be here at home today, getting a bit of a break before the next show. While I'm here, I thought I'd post this excerpt from one of my favorite books. I have always been a HUGE fan of The Wizard of Oz -- the book, the play (I was in it many years ago, as a 6th grader, and played a Munchkin, just like Ben!), the musical, and especially the movie. While I can appreciate Baum's words above, and I almost always prefer books to their movies, in this case I like the final line of the movie better: "And, oh, Auntie Em! There's no place like home!"

The New Year...

Image courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

The New Year, like an Infant Heir to the whole world, was waited for, with welcomes, presents, and rejoicings.

~ From The Chimes:

 A Goblin Story of Some Bells 

That Rang an Old Year Out

 and a New Year In, 

written by Charles Dickens

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year's Eve! Goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016! :)

Interview with a BookWyrm: Destiny

Destiny, reading A Discovery of Witches

Name: Destiny

Age: 17

Do you have a favorite reading spot? I love to read on my bed with soft pillows and soft blankets. Or outside, especially in autumn when the weather's nice.

What kinds of books do you like to read? I typically stick to fantasy and science fiction. I love romance novels, action stories, anything that gets me to read it with rigorous attention. Lately, I've been reading mythology, psychology and philosophy -- subjects I've always thought interesting. I would like to pursue a career in one of those three things so learning about them is both fun and educational.

What kinds of things do you like to do when you're not reading? I'm really into the arts -- singing, theatre, drawing... any kind of crafting, really. I love watching fantasy movies and action movies. I'm learning how to crochet, so I'm working on that as well. My friends are a big part of my life, so I try and see them whenever I'm not doing school work or the like.

Name three favorite books (or series): The Iron Fey [by Julie Kagawa], The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices [by Cassandra Clare], and Catcher in the Rye [by J. D. Salinger].

Who are your favorite authors? Deborah Harkness -- the author of The Discovery of Witches,
Rick Riordan -- the author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians as well as The Heroes of Olympus and The Kane Chronicles, and Shakespeare -- I mean, he's Shakespeare, need I say more?

What book are you reading now? I'm currently reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (by choice) for school.

Out of school I'm desperately trying to find time to finish Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, as well as The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

Name a book on your "to read" list: There are so many.... Not counting finishing the 5 different series I'm getting to the end of, I would say the next book on my "to read" list would probably be Peter and the Starcatchers [by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson].

Other than the books you've already named, what book (or series) would you recommend to kids or young adults? For both teens and adults I would recommend any of the "classic" novels or authors: C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carol, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Jane Austin...

For those of the younger persuasion, read the Artemis Fowl series [by Eoin Colfer] or Harry Potter [by J.K. Rowling].

***

Destiny, thank you very much for doing this interview and sharing your love of books with us! I will be sending you a bookmark to show my appreciation. :)

For the rest of you: I am looking for more volunteers age 18 and under (or parents, volunteering their children!) to appear in future interviews. If you are interested, please message me on the Blue Sky, Big Dreams Facebook page. I will send you a list of the interview questions which you can fill out at your leisure and then return to me along with a photo of your child (or yourself) reading. (The BookWyrm's face does not need to show in the picture and I will only share the first name or first initial of the BookWyrm, depending on your preference. I respect your privacy and safety.) I will send out a handmade bookmark to each of my interviewees.

A world where there are Octobers...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.com

An excerpt:

     October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths.

     Anne revelled in the world of color about her.

     "Oh, Marilla," she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill -- several thrills? I'm going to decorate my room with them."

~ from Anne of Green Gables,

written by L. M. Montgomery

I agree wholeheartedly with Anne -- I'm SO glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. I've decided in the last few years that this is my favorite month. (Though I like all the seasons and months!) I love the beautiful colors everywhere, the crunchy leaves underfoot, the delicious foods we eat this month (at our house we eat all kinds of dishes made with pumpkins or apples, along with chili and different kinds of soups), our tradition of apple-picking, and, of course, anything to do with Halloween! How about you -- do you agree with Anne?

Puppy love

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     I suppose there's a time in practically every young boy's life when he's affected by that wonderful disease of puppy love. I don't mean the kind a boy has for the pretty little girl that lives down the road. I mean the real kind, the kind that has four small feet and a wiggly tail, and sharp little teeth that can gnaw on a boy's finger; the kind a boy can romp and play with, even eat and sleep with.

     I was ten years old when I first became infected with this terrible disease. I'm sure no boy in the world had it worse than I did. It's not easy for a young boy to want a dog and not be able to have one. It starts growing on his heart, and gets all mixed up in his dreams. It gets worse and worse, until finally it becomes almost unbearable.

~ from Where the Red Fern Grows,

written by Wilson Rawls

I am more of a cat person than a dog person myself, but puppies sure are cute and hard to resist! I can understand this kind of "puppy love", having felt it when I was younger, only for a kitten. I wanted one SO badly. I had to wait many years, but my dream finally came true when our family adopted the best cat ever, Hobbit. :) How about you --  have you ever experienced puppy love?

Fiction for Animal Lovers

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Our family loves animals. You may have heard me say that my 16-year-old son Nick lives and breathes animals -- all day, every day. But the rest of us are fans of "all creatures great and small", too. We love our pets (a cockatiel, a leopard gecko, and two fire-bellied toads), we enjoy watching wildlife whenever we spend time outside, we visit zoos several times a year, and we all get excited whenever there's a bird or a squirrel at one of our backyard feeders. Are you an animal lover, too? If so, this post is for you!

Over the past few months, I have read several fictional books featuring animals. Some are realistic fiction and others are pure fantasy. A few of them are picture books and the rest are for older readers. I enjoyed all of these stories and am happy to share them with you here:

Picture books:

One Gorilla,
written and illustrated by Anthony Browne, 2012

This beautifully illustrated book counts primates, a different species on each page. I just love the vivid, lifelike pictures that make counting fun. This book wasn't around yet when my Nick was a toddler, but if it had been, I'm sure that we would've owned a copy and read through it daily!

***

Slow Loris,
written and illustrated by Alexis Deacon, 2002

Slow Loris is soooo sloooow. The people who come to the zoo -- and even the other animals -- all think that he is too boring. But Loris has a secret....

This story introduces readers to the slow loris, a real animal. It presents facts about the primate, but then offers a surprise and some very amusing illustrations of Loris, the fictional character. This is another book that Nick would've loved when he was younger.

***

Birdsong,
written and illustrated by Ellie Sandall, 2010

This story begins with one bird on a branch, singing its unique song. On every page a new bird with a different song arrives. When a large bird with a very loud voice arrives, it clears the branch... with comic results.

While both the story and the colorful illustrations in this book made me smile, my favorite part was reading the birdsongs aloud. Who can resist calling, "Kitcha kitcha Kee kee kee," or answering "Urrah! Urrah! Rah rah ree."?

***

Middle grade books:

The Wind in the Willows,
written by Kenneth Grahame, 1908

A story of the friendship between a Rat, a Mole, a Badger, and a Toad, this book has been a favorite classic of many readers for over one hundred years now. 

When I was a girl, I remember watching Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, partly based on The Wind in the Willows. I also had a big book of Disney stories that included Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, based on the movie. But I never read the full text of The Wind in the Willows until recently. My son Ben received the book Return to the Willows (shown below) from his grandparents. He wanted me to read it out loud to him, but after some discussion, we decided to read Grahame's book first and then Kelly's.

Written in the language style from over a century ago, this book is not an easy read -- despite the fact that it is considered a children's story.  There were many times when I had to pause in my reading aloud to explain the meanings of words to Ben, words such as "imperiously", "contemptuous", or "reminiscence". Once we moved past that difficulty -- or, at least, got used to it -- we both found the tale enjoyable. Ben especially liked hearing about the absurd Mr. Toad and all the trouble he gets into throughout the book!

***

Return to the Willows,
written by Jacqueline Kelly
and illustrated by Clint Young, 2012

One hundred and four years after Grahame's The Wind in the Willows was published, Jacqueline Kelly wrote this sequel to the classic story. She brings back all four friends, along with many other characters from the first book, and a whole host of new adventures.

I believe that Kelly did a wonderful job matching the rich language and the "feel" of the original story. It is clear that she knows and loves that story, and she pays homage to it while creating something new. The story can, in fact, stand by itself -- one would not have to read The Wind in the Willows before reading this one. I am glad that we read both books, but I have to say that Ben and I actually preferred this book to the first. The story seemed to go a little faster and many of the situations that Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad encounter had us both laughing out loud. In addition, Young's illustrations throughout the book are delightful.

***

The Underneath,
written by Kathi Appelt,
with drawings by David Small, 2008

Deep in the woods, where the only human is a violent, scary man called Gar Face, a pregnant cat befriends a lonely chained-up hound dog. She soon gives birth to two kittens and the four animals become a family.  Their world is a dangerous one, however, and the cats must stay out of sight, in the Underneath of Gar Face's ramshackle house. If the man discovers them, he will use the felines as alligator bait....

Though this is a middle grade book, I do not recommend it for children under age 10 -- even older children or teens may be bothered by some of the darker scenes. I found the book a little confusing at first, because the point of view jumps around. The story also travels back in time, thousands of years ago, and there is a magical element to the story that I didn't understand at first. Ultimately, however, Appelt's poetic writing and her message about the power of love drew me in to the story.

***

Young adult books (these are also filed as middle grade books at my library):

Redwall,
written by Brian Jacques, 1986

Redwall Abbey, inhabited by a community of peace-loving mice, is suddenly under attack by Cluny the Scourge, the evil one-eyed rat. Matthias the mouse must learn to become a warrior and somehow save his friends and beloved home. 

There are 22 books in the Redwall series and this is the only one that I've read so far, but I'm hoping to try more of them in the future. I was first introduced to this book about ten years ago, when we were visiting family and my father-in-law read the first couple of chapters to my kiddos at bedtime. I kept meaning to get ahold of a copy so that we could finish the story, but that never happened. Finally, this summer, I checked it out of the library and read it. I liked the story, though I think I would've liked it even more as a child. I knew it would appeal to my 9-year-old son Ben, so once I'd finished it, I recommended it to him. Sure enough, he loved it and can't wait to read more!

***

The One and Only Ivan,
written by Katherine Applegate, 2011

Inspired by a true story, this fictional tale centers on Ivan, a gorilla who lives behind a glass wall at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He rarely thinks about his past life in the jungle, focusing instead on his friends Bob (a stray dog) and Stella (an elderly elephant) or on his finger paint artwork. But one day a baby elephant named Ruby arrives at the mall. Taken from her family, Ruby helps Ivan see their home, and his art, in a brand new way.

This is probably my favorite of the books in this post. I was drawn into it immediately and had to keep reading until I'd finished. I also shed a few tears before I was done. It is a touching, bittersweet story that has stayed with me long after turning the final page.

***

Silverwing,
written by Kenneth Oppel, 1997

The first of a trilogy that includes the books Sunwing and Firewing, this is the story of Shade, the runt of his Silverwing bat colony. While migrating south for the winter, Shade is separated from the others and thrown off course during a storm. He encounters a host of other bats on his journey to find his colony -- but are they friends or enemies?

Throughout this fictional story, Oppel presents many real facts about bats, which is one of the reasons I liked the book. I also enjoyed the characters and the adventure aspect of the book. I have not yet read the rest of the trilogy, but I plan to!

***

Hoot,
written by Carl Hiaasen, 2002

Middle school Roy has just moved to Coconut Cove, FL and already he's being bullied. One day he notices a barefoot boy running past. Roy sees the boy more than once -- always barefoot, always running. As he sets out to discover who the boy is, Roy finds himself caught up in an effort to halt the construction of a chain restaurant that would destroy the colony of burrowing owls living on the site.

This was another favorite of mine -- Ben and Nick are both big fans of the book, too. It was a quick, humorous read that kept my interest throughout.

***

Where the Red Fern Grows,

written by Wilson Rawls, 1961

Young Billy's dream is to own a pair of coonhounds to take hunting with him, but his parents can't afford to buy one dog, let alone two. Billy goes to work doing odd jobs to earn the money himself and finally, after two long years, is able to buy a pair of pups. Old Dan and Little Ann turn out to be the best dogs a boy could ask for and Billy soon begins training them to hunt for raccoons.

I remember classmates of mine reading this classic when I was in elementary school, and in my early 20's I watched the 1974 film based on this story, but I'd never read the book myself until just last month. I have to admit that it was difficult for me to get into the story at first. In most cases, I am opposed to hunting and I did not like reading the passages that were strictly about that sport. (I felt sorry for the raccoons!) When I was finally able to get over that aspect of the story, however, I liked the rest of it. I especially appreciated Rawls's descriptive writing of the woods where Billy lives and hunts, and of the deep love that grows between the boy and his dogs.

***

Have you read any of the books above? If so, what did you think of them? What are some other books about animals that you suggest reading? I am always looking for new books to add to my to-read list!

If you are interested in more of my animal book recommendations, please check the following links:

Wild (and Not-So-Wild) Things

A Passion for Penguins

Groundhogs for BookWyrms

A Penguin Obsession

Wild About Animals? (This post features non-fiction books.)

You can also click on "Wild Things" and "Not-So-Wild Things" in the Labels section on the right to find even more.

Double, double toil and trouble

Image courtesy of NYPL Digital Gallery

An excerpt:

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake:
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

~ from Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1,

written by William Shakespeare

I've never actually seen a performance of Macbeth, and I'm not sure that I've ever read the entire play, but I have read through parts of it before, including this scene.  I love Shakespeare's eerie chant-like rhymes....

Books That Go Bump In the Night

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

I don't think that I'm a particularly brave person.  I'm scared of storms and fire and flying and speaking in front of strangers. (Heck, I'm scared of speaking in front of people that I know!)  However, I love spine-tingling books and movies.  When I know that I'm safe, that what I'm reading or seeing on screen isn't real, I love that feeling of suspense, of goosebumps and my hair standing on end.  I've read several chilling tales this month, and thought I'd share them here for older kids and adults who share my affinity for the horror genre.  (Please note: Not all of the books below are actually classified as "horror".)

I'll start you out with some haunting poetry:

Halloween ABC,

written by Eve Merriam

and illustrated by Lane Smith, 1987

You may wonder why I'm sharing an ABC book in a post for middle grade and young adult readers.  I decided to include it here instead of mentioning it in my post about Halloween picture books because I feel some of Merriam's poems might be too spooky for young children.  Older children and teens (and adults!) who enjoy a good scare, however, will appreciate her poetry, along with Smith's dark illustrations.

I wrote more about this book in a previous post, which can be seen here.

***

The Whispering Room:

Haunted Poems,

chosen by Gillian Clarke

and illustrated by Justin Todd, 1996

This anthology contains both classical and contemporary poetry, including that of Carl Sandburg, Lilian Moore, William Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Marchette Chute, and Jack Prelutsky.  Subjects range from ghosts and the bogeyman to a dark, dark wood to the Titanic to the wind.

***

Witch Poems,

edited by Daisy Wallace

and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, 1976

A collection of eighteen poems about witches, this book includes the work of e.e. cummings, Karla Kuskin, James Reeves, Myra Cohn Livingston, and more.  Along with the poetry, each two-page spread also features deliciously eerie black and white illustrations by Hyman.

I first noticed this book on the library shelf several months ago, but didn't pick it up until earlier this month.  When I finally started flipping through it and reading the poems, I knew I wanted to bring it home and read it over and over again.  A reviewer on Amazon called this book "creepy-crawly" (in a good way), and I have to agree.  It's perfect for reading aloud on Halloween or any time you want to scare up some fun!

***

If you're in the mood for something that will make you shiver but don't have time to read a longer book, I suggest trying one of these compilations of short stories:

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,

collected from folklore and retold by Alvin Schwartz,

and illustrated by Stephen Gammell, 1984

Many of the stories in this book were already familiar to me. I'd heard versions of them when I was younger, at slumber parties and Girl Scout camp.  Schwartz collected the tales from folklore and then wrote them down in his own words. Most of the stories are only two or three pages long, so they make for a quick read.

My favorite parts of this book were the ghoulish illustrations by Gammell -- in my opinion, they are much scarier than the stories themselves.

***

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror,

edited by R. L. Stine, 2010

R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series, put together this anthology of thirteen short stories by different authors including Meg Cabot, Jennifer Allison, and Walter Sorrells.  (Stine also contributed a story of his own.) While each offers moments of terror and suspense, the plots of the stories vary widely-- from the disappearances of humans on a distant planet to a school shooter and his victims to a portal into a shadowy world.

***

The Oxford Book of Scary Tales,

selected by Dennis Pepper

and illustrated by many, 1992

This book contains 35 stories and poems, both classic and contemporary, representing a wide variety of cultures and traditions.  Many authors are featured, including James Kirkup, Grace Hallworth, and Robert Scott.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book, but my favorite entries were the poem "This is the key to the castle" by Dave Calder and the story "Tiger in the Snow" by Daniel Wynn Barber, which literally gave me goosebumps!

***

The House of Dies Drear,

written by Virginia Hamilton

and illustrated by Eros Keith, 1969

Thirteen-year-old Thomas and his family move to Ohio, to a Civil War-era home which used to be a station on the Underground Railroad.  Filled with secret doors and tunnels, the house is supposedly haunted by the ghosts of the abolitionist Dies Drear and two runaway slaves who were murdered there.  When strange things begin happening, Thomas starts to think there really are ghosts in his new home.

This book was required reading for my kids Emmalie and Nick in elementary school (5th or 6th grade, I believe).  I remember both of them talking about it at the time, and when I spotted it at the library awhile ago, I decided to read it myself.  More a mixture of history and mystery than a horror story, the book does still have an aura of spookiness about it, with a dash of suspense thrown in as well.

***

Eddie: 

The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe,

written and illustrated by Scott Gustafson, 2011

Young Edgar Allan Poe (Eddie) is falsely accused of destroying his neighbor's chicken coop.  With the help of his raven, an imp named McCobber, and the magician Captain Mephisto, Eddie tries to solve the mystery and find the true culprit.  Though the story is fictional, Gustafson does offer quite a bit of factual information about the real Edgar Allan Poe.  He also provides several pages of stunning artwork that illustrate his story.

I found this to be a cleverly written book, a quick read that kept me engaged.  While the tale has a gothic feel, as well as moments of suspense, it also contains a healthy dose of humor.

***

The Graveyard Book,

written by Neil Gaiman

and illustrated by Dave McKean, 2008

When a man named Jack murders a family, he inadvertently leaves one survivor -- a young toddler.  The boy escapes from his home and ends up in a nearby graveyard.  Ghostly residents there adopt the boy, naming him Nobody (aka Bod).  They raise him in the graveyard, where Bod learns all about the living and the dead.  Now a teenager, Bod finds himself in danger from the man Jack who is still hunting him.

As Gaiman himself says, this story was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, only instead of being raised by wolves, Bod is brought up by ghosts.  I thought this was an interesting plot idea, and Gaiman succeeds in mixing the macabre with humor and fantasy to create an engrossing book.

***

Looking for a quirky and frightfully funny book series?  Try this one:

May Bird and the Ever After,

written by Jodi Lynn Anderson

and illustrated by Leonid Gore, 2005

Ten-year-old May Bird lives near the woods of Briery Swamp, a place where several different people have mysteriously disappeared over the years.  She's considered an oddball at school and her only friend is her pet cat, Somber Kitty.  One day May finds a letter from 1951 that is somehow addressed to her.  The letter leads her on a quest -- into Briery Swamp and then to the land of Ever After, where people go after they die.  There she encounters ghosts, ghouls, the Boogeyman, and the evil Bo Cleevil, all the while trying to get back home again.

May Bird Among the Stars, 2006

May Bird is still alive... and still stuck in the Afterlife.  She is torn between going home to her mother (if she can ever figure out how to get back) and saving her friends in Ever After from the evil Bo Cleevil.

May Bird Warrior Princess, 2007

May Bird is finally back on Earth and famous for having survived "the land of the dead".  She feels out of place, however, and finds herself missing those she left behind in Ever After.  When she returns to the Afterlife, she discovers that much has changed (for the worse) in her absence.  Can she save Ever After -- and Earth itself -- from Bo Cleevil?

Though this series is filled with ghosts and otherworldly creatures, and it does have an eerie quality about it, the thing I liked most about it was Anderson's dark, tongue-in-cheek humor and the way she pokes fun at popular culture.  I laughed out loud many times while reading these books!

***

The Crowfield Curse,
written by Pat Walsh, 2010

An orphan in the winter of 1347, fourteen-year-old William works as a servant at a monastery.  While out gathering firewood, he discovers a hobgoblin caught in a trap.  William saves its life and learns that only people with the Sight can see hobgoblins.  Soon the boy is caught up in a mystery involving dead angels, evil curses, a haunted hollow, and creatures of the fay -- and danger looms ever closer.

I found this to be an intriguing, spooky story, filled with suspense and enchanting characters.

Walsh has written a sequel to this book, The Crowfield Demon (2011).  Our library doesn't have a copy of it yet, but I am on the waiting list to read it when it arrives.

***

Anya's Ghost,
written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol, 2011

This young adult graphic novel shows readers the life of high school student Anya, a Russian immigrant who is trying to be more "American" and fit in with the other teens at school. One day she accidentally stumbles down a deep hole in a park.  While trapped there, she encounters a ghost named Emily, who died in 1918.  When Anya is rescued from the hole, Emily follows, offering to be her friend and give her advice to succeed in life.  After awhile, Anya discovers that Emily may have ulterior (and sinister) motives for helping her....

This is only the second graphic novel that I've ever read.  It took a little while to get used to because of that.  There really is a difference between reading a regular novel and reading a graphic novel.  However, once I adjusted to that, I found Brosgol's story entertaining.  It pulled me in right away and kept me eagerly flipping pages.  

Just a note:  At first glance, the "comic book look" to this novel may make it seem like it's a story for middle grade readers -- but it's not.  Some of the content and situations presented are much more suitable for older teens and adults.

***

Finally, for those who are eager to be scared over and over again, here is an entire horror series that I highly recommend.  I found this series in our library's section for middle grade readers, but if it were up to me, I think I'd put them in the young adult section.  I'm pretty sure these books would've given me nightmares if I'd read them when I was 9 or 10:

The Last Apprentice:

Revenge of the Witch,

written by Joseph Delaney
and illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith, 2004

Twelve-year-old Thomas is the seventh son of a seventh son. When he is apprenticed to Mr. Gregory, a Spook whose job is to fight evil spirits and witches around the County, Thomas foresees a lonely, dangerous life ahead of him.  He does not expect to face a powerful enemy, Madame Malkin, on his own and so soon after leaving his home.  Despite warnings from the Spook, Thomas befriends Alice, the young daughter of a witch family.  Will she help him?  Or betray him?

The Last Apprentice:
Curse of the Bane (2005)

Thomas and the Spook travel to Priestown on unfinished business. A terrifying, vicious monster called the Bane has been imprisoned deep in the catacombs of the town's cathedral. Though it has been unable to break free to roam the land, the Bane can reach out with its thoughts, controlling the minds and actions of the town's inhabitants.  As if Thomas and the Spook didn't have enough to worry about, they must also evade another enemy in Priestown, the Quisitor -- a man who pursues and executes anyone suspected of witchcraft or being too close to the Dark.  Now the Quisitor is on the hunt for the Spook, who is high on his list.

The Last Apprentice:
Night of the Soul Stealer (2006)

Thomas and the Spook travel to Anglezarke, Mr. Gregory's bleak and desolate winter home.  There Thomas meets Meg, a lamia witch who doesn't remember what she is, and hears rumors of a barbaric beast called Golgath.  He also encounters Morgan, one of the Spook's former apprentices.  Morgan hates Mr. Gregory and, since leaving his employ, has learned necromancy (communication with the dead).  Now Morgan hopes to use his new powers -- and Thomas -- to unleash a malevolent spirit on the County.

I have really been impressed so far by Delaney's writing.  The story is chilling -- it has kept me on the edge of my seat through all three books.  The characters are well-developed and Delaney manages to weave several different plot lines together to create an interesting story with many twists and turns.  Arrasmith's illustrations lend a creepiness to the story, as well.

Other books in this series include Attack of the Fiend (2007), Wrath of the Bloodeye (2008), Clash of the Demons (2009), Rise of the Huntress (2010), Rage of the Fallen (2011),  Grimalkin, the Witch Assassin (2011), Lure of the Dead (2012),and Slither (2012).  I just started reading Attack of the Fiend yesterday, and plan to read through the entire series.  I can't wait to see what happens to Thomas, Alice, the Spook, and the others....

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For even more spooky stories, please check out my post from last year, Oh, the horror!

Do you like reading scary books?  If so, what are some of your favorites?  I'm always on the lookout for book recommendations!

2012 Banned Books Week: Young Adult/Adult Books

Image courtesy of the
American Library Association

Today is the final day of this year's Banned Books Week. Last year, I wrote about several picture books that have been banned or challenged, as well as a few books for older kids. Earlier this week, I featured some more picture books and middle grade books.  Now I'd like to share some novels for teens and adults that have been challenged or banned over the years.

All of the books in this post are classics, and are often recommended (or required) reading for high schoolers.  I read them all when I was in high school myself (with the exception of Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl -- I read a version of that in elementary school) and have read them all again in the past month:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,

written by Mark Twain, 1884

Set in the Missouri of the 1830's, this story is narrated by Huck Finn, a 13-year-old boy.  His father is an abusive drunkard, leading Huck one day to fake his own murder and run away.  At the same time, he helps Jim, a slave, escape. The two runaways ride a raft down the Mississippi River, hoping to make it to Cairo, IL where Jim can then continue on to Ohio, a free state.  It doesn't take long before the two run into trouble, however.

This book has been challenged for "objectionable language and racist terms and content".

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Brave New World,

written by Aldous Huxley, 1932

A dark, satiric story of a 'utopian' future,  the brave new world Huxley writes about is filled with "humans [who] are genetically designed and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order".  Bernard Marx is an outcast of this society, having only one friend -- Helmholtz Watson. He is in love with a young woman, Lenina, and finally manages to convince her to go on vacation with him.  The two visit a "Savage Reservation" where they encounter a way of life very different from their own....

"Negative activity, language and moral content, and anti-family, anti-Christian themes" are the reasons this novel has been challenged.

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Of Mice and Men,
written by John Steinbeck, 1937

Two friends, George and Lennie, are migrant ranch workers, moving from place to place in order to find work during the Great Depression. George is intelligent but uneducated. Lennie, a very large, strong man, has limited mental abilities. The two dream of one day being able to buy their own land and settling there together.  Unfortunately, there are forces at work in the world around them that make this dream impossible.

This tragic story has been challenged for "vulgar language".

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The Catcher in the Rye,
written by J.D. Salinger, 1945

Sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield narrates the story of the few days following his expulsion from an expensive prep school.  Themes of teenage angst, alienation, loneliness, and rebellion are present throughout the book.  Without telling his parents that he's been expelled (yet again), Holden leaves his school and travels to New York City.  He stays by himself in a hotel there, going out at night to clubs and meeting all sorts of people.  Later he sneaks into his own home to see his little sister Phoebe.  He wants to leave and head out west, but in the end he stays.

Reasons for challenging this classic include "occultism, violence, sexual content, and being dangerous and vulgar".

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Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,

written by Anne Frank,

originally published in 1947,

this version published in 1991

and edited by Otto H. Frank and Mirjam Pressler

An autobiography, this is the actual diary of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl living in the Netherlands during the time of the Holocaust.  Anne, her family, and a couple of others went into hiding, sequestering themselves in hidden rooms inside her father's office building.  They lived there for two years before being discovered and taken to concentration camps.  (Anne later died of typhus, only a few weeks before her camp was liberated by British soldiers.)  Anne received a diary as a gift about a month before going into hiding.  She made several entries during that time, and then continued writing about her life after the family moved to the hidden rooms.

This book has been challenged because of "offensive passages" and for "being a real downer".  Apparently it paints too realistic a picture of the Holocaust.  I guess Anne should've left the depressing parts out of her diary?

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1984,

written by George Orwell, 1949

This dystopian novel takes place in Oceania, "where society is tyrannized by The Party [-- headed by Big Brother --] and its totalitarian ideology".  Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth, and his job is to revise past newspaper articles (destroying the old ones) so that the historical record always supports the current party line.  Secretly, Winston hates The Party and dreams of rebellion.  He later meets Julia, another "thoughtcriminal" like himself.   The two develop a relationship and make plans to help out The Brotherhood, a secret organization bent on bringing down The Party.

People have challenged this sci-fi novel for containing "pro-Communist material and explicit sexual matter".

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Fahrenheit 451,

written by Ray Bradbury, 1951

In a world where books are illegal and buildings have been made fireproof, Guy Montag's job as fireman is to start fires (burning confiscated literature), not put them out.  He never questions the societal rules he follows until he meets Clarisse, a young girl who talks about the ideas she's read in books. Soon Montag himself starts saving books from fires and hiding them in his home -- but what will happen when his actions are discovered?

I find it quite ironic that this book about censorship has been challenged, for being "offensive".

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Lord of the Flies,

written by William Golding, 1954

An airplane full of English school boys crashes into the sea near a deserted island.  The survivors, including Ralph and Piggy and Jack, make their way to the island and then try to live together there with no guidance from adults.  They start out with rules and cooperation, but their little society quickly degenerates into two groups, the hunters and the hunted.

Apparently, this book has been challenged for being "demoralizing, inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal".

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Flowers for Algernon,

written by Daniel Keyes, 1959

Charlie Gordon, a mentally disabled man, is eager to learn and longs to become smart, like other people.  He agrees to submit to an operation on his brain, a scientific experiment that has dramatically increased intelligence in the laboratory mouse, Algernon.  The experiment works and in a short amount of time, Charlie goes from an IQ of 68 to genius, creating many unexpected difficulties in his personal life. Then, ominously, Algernon begins deteriorating.  Will the same thing happen to Charlie?

I've read this book at least four different times, and it leaves me crying every time.  "Explicit, distasteful love scenes" is the reason given for challenging this touching, classic novel.

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What are some of your favorite banned/challenged young adult novels?  Banned Books Week may end today, but I plan to keep on reading books from the lists of challenged books throughout the year.  How about you?