Jane on Her Own: A Catwings Tale by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrations by S.D. Schindler

 

Reviewed by Kristin 

Book Bingo can make all of us here at the library read outside of our usual fare. I have a square for “…with an animal on the cover” and I was charmed by the juvenile fiction book featuring Jane, a flying cat. 

Jane lives on Overhill Farm with her siblings, all of whom have wings. Big sister Thelma doesn’t know why they have wings. Their mother didn’t have wings, but she still lives back in the city. One day, Jane flies up, up, up, and goes out on her own for some adventures. 

This small chapter book has delightful illustrations. Jane is solid black with yellow eyes, and of course, wings. After a brief brush with fame (and captivity) Jane’s “Homing Instinct” takes her back to reunite with family. 

Of course, there is a happy ending. If there wasn’t, it would have scared this cat lover off before the end of the book. 

Catwings Tales include: 

   Catwings (1988) 

   Catwings Return (1989) 

   Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings (1994) 

   Jane On Her Own (1992) 

   Tales of the Catwings (1996) 

   More Tales of the Catwings (2000) 

   Cat Dreams (2009) 

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

When Al takes the last few remaining library books out of the store and puts them in a little free library, Mortimer is crushed.  There goes the last bit of his home, the place where he and his sister lived before disaster struck.  Alas, his cries are not understood—Al simply thinks the fluffy orange cat is hungry.  Besides, she is trying to take care of her friends—well, her supervisor who was the head librarian and one of the library patrons, but she’s very fond of both of them—and she misses the library.  That’s why she puts out the  library books, feeling that the books need to be read.

The little free library has an immediate effect on sixth grader Evan.  He is absolutely thrilled to find books, and takes two of them home.  He soon realizes that these are library books, but he’s never heard of a library in Martinville.  What could have happened, and why does no one want to talk about it?  Evan decides to open his own investigation into the matter.

This is a juvenile book, but as far as I’m concerned, a good story is a good story.  And I found this to be a particularly charming one. There are multiple viewpoints in the story, which enriched the tale.  I was charmed by it, and by the little surprises the author provided.  I did figure some things out somewhat quickly but that didn’t impair my enjoyment a bit. Mostly I liked the character interactions, people who care about one another, and what we will do for those we love.

I also was delighted by the description of the Wednesday Book Club, because it sounded very much like our adult Nevermore Book Club.  Members read whatever book they like and then tell the club about it. 

This may not be a book for every adult, but this adult ended up buying her own copy to keep.

Artemis Fowl and Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

 

 

Reviewed by Ashley

 

I’m a big fan of rereading favorite novels- it’s easy to choose one based on my mood, to settle in for a nice visit to a place I’m already familiar with, to know I won’t scoff in disappointment and feel I’ve wasted some of the spare time that seems more and more scarce. I’m also often inclined to grab middle grade and young adult novels that I’ve enjoyed before, for even quicker trips to those comforting places. Having recently become disenchanted with my ultimate comfort series, and having an up-and-coming reader who I enjoy giving books to, I decided to revisit another series I enjoyed when I was younger. As such, I just finished up the first two novels in the Artemis Fowl series, written by Eoin Colfer in the early 2000s. 

Artemis Fowl introduces us to the cast of characters we follow throughout the series. The titular character is a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, using all of the sources available to him to keep his family prosperous after the disappearance of his father. Aided by his bodyguard, Butler, he manages to become the first human to get his hands on The Book of the People, giving him insight to the fairy world and all the rules that govern the People. Enter Holly (the first female LEPrecon officer), her boss Commander Root, and their tech mastermind (Foaly the paranoid centaur). What follows is a vicious game of who can outwit who, all of the involved parties being convinced they have the upper hand and trying to outplay the others to get what they want.  

In Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, we revisit Artemis, Butler, Holly, Root, and Foaly. They’ve all moved on with their lives in the year following the first book, taking what they’ve learned and growing from it. When a vicious goblin uprising in the fairy world reveals itself to obviously having a human on standby for assistance, the LEPrecon trio are certain they know exactly who to blame. Artemis and Butler have their own problems, though, and are trying desperately to save someone they thought lost. The two groups collide and manage to come to an agreement to work together to solve both their problems.  

I hadn’t read either of these books in probably ten years, but I was surprised to find that they held up to the fond feelings I carried for them. They were a bit more violent than I remember, and I did have to reassure myself on a couple of occasions that I knew the outcome wouldn’t be as bleak as it threatened to be for the characters. Also included was a fair bit of typical-of-the-time sexism, with a lot of heavy handed ‘look at how they underestimate the female character’ scenes. Thankfully, Holly’s a force to be reckoned with and is quick to prove that it is indeed underestimating to think she’s capable of anything less than the male leads. 

I did hit a storyline in the second book that I didn’t remember at all, and as I read through and found myself skimming quickly by those scenes which didn’t hold my attention, I realized I’d likely done the same thing on the first read-through all those years ago. Even with that bit, though, I still greatly enjoyed the novels and I have every intention of picking up the third one to finish the series, something I never got around to when I was younger. I’ll also finally be giving the movie that Disney+ put out in 2020 a chance- something I’ve been putting off until I could reread the source material.

The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

Reviewed by Ambrea

I picked up The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag on a whim.  I saw it hanging around the Teen Library and I thought, “Why not?”  It has magic, colorful panels, interesting characters and, even better, an intriguing story.

In Aster’s family, girls are raised to become witches while boys are trained to become shapeshifters—and anyone who dares to upset this balance is promptly exiles.  Unfortunately, Aster has a knack for witchery and, despite reaching his thirteenth birthday, he’s yet to shapeshifte like the other boys.  But when a mysterious creature threats his family and abducts the other boys, Aster knows he can help—not as a shapeshifter, but as a witch.

I really enjoyed reading The Witch Boy.  It reminds me of other graphic novels I’ve read, such as Nimona by Noelle Stevenson and The Lumberjanes (which also happens to be created by Stevenson), because it has such bright colors and a lovely sense of humor and, more importantly, it’s a story with a big heart.  I loved reading about Aster’s journey, as he comes to terms with his talent for witchery—as he struggles with his family history and his future within his family.

I love fantasy and magic anyway, so it was incredibly easy to fall in love with Ostertag’s book and the characters she created.  Moreover, it’s a heartwarming story about love, acceptance, friendship and finding one’s place within the world.  I mean, how could I not fall in love with something so sweet and wholesome and, well, good?

I will note that the graphic novel falls under the category of “middle grade.”  Although I found The Witch Boy to be complex enough to keep me entertained, it is geared for a younger audience.  The language and the content can sometimes reflect this; however, I think Ostertag’s book definitely deserves a chance, especially if you’re looking for something light and fun and heartwarming.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Reviewed by Ambrea

Stephanie Edgeley has lived in a rather quiet life in a small, quiet town with parents who are quietly unextraordinary.  Nothing ever seems to happen, until the death of her uncle, Gordon, turns her world on its head and throws into some strange company.  You see, Gordon made some very unusual friends while he was alive—friends who have suddenly become Stephanie’s very unusual friends, much to the consternation of her viperous aunt and her onerous uncle.

Enter one Skulduggery Pleasant.

Skulduggery Pleasant is a talented detective, a first-rate sorcerer, and a snappy dresser to boot—oh, and he’s also a skeleton.  Stephanie, now drawn into his dark and dangerous world, must confront an ancient evil and stop a malevolent necromancer from wreaking utter havoc upon the world.  But that’s all in a day’s work for Skulduggery and his unusual crew.

Witty, charming, endearing, smart—all adjectives that Skulduggery would use to describe himself (if asked), but I find they apply nicely to Derek Landy’s novel.  Although I believe it falls on the spectrum of children’s/adolescent fiction, I truly enjoyed Skulduggery Pleasant for its wit and its captivating characters.  It’s written with a younger audience in mind, so, of course, the language and humor reflect the age of the reader; however, it’s a well-written novel that’s lively, entertaining, and singularly unique.

First and foremost, I should point out that I absolutely adored Skulduggery Pleasant himself.  (Naturally.)  Stephanie is a clever, quirky character and she makes one heck of a heroine—she’s a tough, intelligent girl who manages to take the idea of magic and animated skeletons in stride—but, let’s be honest, it’s difficult to top a walking, talking, flame-throwing magical skeleton like Skulduggery.  Especially with him being such a snappy dresser and witty conversationalist, and what not.

I also enjoyed the story.  Skulduggery Pleasant has a standard good-versus-evil plot.  Simple, predictable, but ultimately effective, it’s a familiar story arc that can’t go wrong for readers.  However, Landy manages to add layers of richness and complexity by creating intriguing characters—some horrific, others heroic—and, more importantly, putting an entirely new spin on fairy tales, myths, and all sorts of paranormal critters.  He’s careful to craft his story by giving his characters distinctive backgrounds and drawing on Skulduggery’s deep, dark and mysterious past to shed light on a conflict that’s centuries in the making.  It’s frightening, it’s violent, but it’s also riveting to see how Skulduggery and Stephanie will stop at nothing to take Serpine down before he destroys the world.

Overall, I categorize Skulduggery Pleasant as an excellent book.  Amusing and sly, it has an unexpected sense of humor that appealed to me and frequently made me laugh aloud.  Sometimes, I noted the story did take a serious tone:  Skulduggery, for instance, is a skeleton and it isn’t much of a stretch to guess he suffered some horrible fate before he came to know Stephanie.  But, for the most part, Derek Landy’s novel is a fun, rollicking novel that jumps headlong into a strange and scintillating world beneath our own.