Buttermilk Hill by Ruth White

I like Ruth White's books, but, now that I have read 3 or 4 of them, they are getting a bit predictable. I am not sure why I say that, as the plots are all different, but the atmosphere of the books seems the same. This one deals with Piper, whose best friend, Lindy, is also her aunt, her father's youngest sister and her same age. Piper's parents have been arguing about pursuing dreams and in the course of the story, her mother returns to college to pursue her dream. The parents separate and then divorce and her father remarries - with a woman who has twin sons. There is also the side story about a boy in the girls' class, who is a loner and becomes their friend.

Things finish up a bit too neatly, as is typical for White's stories. It is heartwarming and pleasant and a good read, but I am left with a bit of the feeling that it isn't quite real enough. Perhaps this is my fault, though, as it is written for an age group probably a bit younger than I usually read books for. If you are in the mood for a non-devastating, good book, this would fill the bill. Worthwhile, but ultimately not one that will linger in your mind.

Excellent Writing, Revisited

After some discussion of this on HPforGrownUps, a list devoted to discussing J K Rowling's Harry Potter books, I can now say that I at least understand a bit better what people are talking about when they call JKR's writing "Grade B". The thing that helped me understand was the comment of one poster (on Adbooks) about her excessive use of the writing construct: [he/she] said [adverb], as in "she said angrily" or "he said excitedly". Extended a bit, my feeling is that people who criticise her writing are the people who appreciate more elaborately descriptive language. They are the people who prefer "she growled" or "he exclaimed", people who actually read and enjoy the long descriptive passages in some books, passages telling just how glorious the sunset is, or describing the beauty of the twinkling of the moonlight on the new dusting of snow.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, now that I understand it. It is just not the thing that is most important to me when I am reading. I am much more focused on plot, on characterization, on the depth and complexity of the story. Oftentimes, I actually get annoyed with the descriptive language, because, for me, it gets in the way of the story. I love Anne of Green Gables, but even so, I am almost embarrassed by her effusiveness at times. I suppose the best thing is to have both effective descriptive language, as well as strong plot, strong characterizations, and a good story. Perhaps that is why Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books are so highly regarded.

I will stick to my opinion that JKR's writing is fine with me. I didn't even notice the problem with the "said [adverb]" until it was pointed out. And the story certainly has depth and complexity, interesting characters, and a strong plot.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Laurne Tarshis

I am not sure if this is meant as a look into a girl with mild Asperger's, but I did think of it several times while reading this book, especially at the beginning. Later on in the book, you find out that her beloved father was killed in a car accident. This event may explain why Emma-Jean is into viewing things unemotionally and through logic - she is still having problems dealing with her father's death and does so largely through denial of emotion. But that is also not the major focus of the story - the major focus is Emma-Jean's attempts to help people, which get her into more and more trouble as she goes along. The problems are realistic, the complications are believable and the resolution is satisfying. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the ease with which she forges a letter at the beginning of the story. It doesn't seem quite in character.

Another side story is the developing relationship between her mother and their boarder, Vikram. Since Emma-Jean considers her father to have been the love of her mother's life, this relationship is troubling, even though she likes the man. The image in my mind of the resolution of this part of the story is, for me, the most memorable part of the story. Emma-Jean and her father used to sit together and read, wrapped in a favorite quilt. Through long use, this quilt had become frayed around the edges. When Vikram had to return to India after his mother had a heart attack, Emma generously packed this quilt for him to comfort him on the long trip. When he returned, his mother improved, and Emma-Jean reconciled to the growing relationship between him and her mother, he brought back the quilt, now with Indian sari fabric skillfully and beautifully integrated around the edges of the quilt.

Enjoyable.

Hidden Talents by David Lubar

This book has such a silly cover, I don't think I would have picked it up had the book not been recommended to me. I suppose it appeals to kids, though, and that is more important than appealing to me, so I am not sorry it looks like it does. Just a warning: there is more substance here than might be thought, if you just look at the cover.

The main idea of this story is that Martin Anderson has been sent to an Alternative School. It is a school at the end of the line for kids who have been expelled from all of their other schools. As might be expected in such a school, there a lot of kids with problems - thugs, certainly, but a wide range of other problems, too. Martin's problem is that he can't keep his mouth shut. He is adept at saying things that are precisely the thing that would anger the person in question, usually an adult, most. His comments hit at the person's deepest worries and vulnerabilities - and therefore, they anger the people beyond tolerance.

The other kids also have problems and Martin, after careful observation, discovers that some of their problems stem from supernatural talents and not willfully bad behavior. One kid starts fires; another throws things randomly; another is an inveterate cheater. This is not a completely realistic book, as most of these hidden "talents" are in the area of supernatural abilities, but that really doesn't detract from the story. Martin and his friends learn to control their talents and even Martin, who thinks he has no special talent discovers that he can, in fact, use his abilities for good, rather than let them control him.

Better than I expected. Enjoyable.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

I am not sure why this book goes to the top of the list of books I have read lately. It is not showy or groundbreaking. It is simply a good and good-hearted read.

Holling Hoodhood is not Catholic, like the kids on one side of town, nor is he Jewish, like the kids on the other side of town. Since the Catholic students and the Jewish students go to religious education classes on Wednesday afternoon, Holling is left as the only one in Mrs. Baker's class on Wednesday afternoons. This premise might strike current-day kids as an unusual arrangement, depending where in the world they live, but it is/was not unheard of. How he and his teacher occupy their time is the basic focus of the story. At first, Mrs. Baker has him doing odd jobs to help around the classroom, but eventually, she decides to assign him to read Shakespeare. Surprisingly, Holling actually enjoys it.

And the plays that she has him read parallel some of the events in his life. His relationship with his father is rather rocky, and his mother doesn't seem to be able to improve things. His sister, older than he is, is also unhappy with their parents. She eventually runs away and it falls to Holling to rescue her - and to prove to himself that he really does like her.

The book is set in 1967 and I am impressed that it sticks to some of the feelings and actions of the era (which I know, having lived through that time :-)) - it feels authentic. I can't remember details right now (I finished it probably a month ago), but one thing is that there is more innocence (naiveté?) than there is now in such books. Issues are addressed more obliquely and are not the constant focus. For some reason, with many current books for older children and teens, I almost feel assaulted by dysfunction. This book does not have that feel for me.

Recommended with pleasure.

Edge City by Terry and Patty LaBan

I suppose this type of book is simply self-indulgence, but this particular indulgence brings me a lot of pleasure, so "so be it".

This is a cartoon book, in the same category as For Better or For Worse and Stone Soup. This particular book deals with a Jewish family, Len and Abby and their two children Colin and Carly. Much as in both of the aforementioned cartoons, this book follows the ups and downs of family life, only with the Jewish component added. I like it. The Jewishness takes an important and realistic place in their lives - at least as far as I know. I am not Jewish, but I have had good friends over the years who are.

I enjoy cartoon books. I have a rather large collection of them. I especially enjoy cartoon books that elucidate the everyday lives of people from various cultures. I am pleased to add this book to my collection.

Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf

Sometimes when I disagree with the reviews that I have seen elsewhere I really wonder what it is about a book that I don't get (or DO get) in comparison to most people. And then I begin to question myself and my opinions. I know that I am not good at detecting "well-crafted" writing, since I never seem to see it in the books that others describe as such.

At any rate, I enjoyed this book. I don't know if it is "well-crafted" or not, but it pulled me in and I finished it in a single day. It is historical fiction and deals with what happened to Lidice in the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia) during World War II. One of Hitler's favorite commanders was attacked in Czechoslovakia and eventually died. Hitler falsely believed that the instigators of the attack were people from Lidice, so he rounded up all of the people in the village, separated the women and children and sent them to a nearby school, and then shot all the men and teenaged boys. Some of the children, specifically those with blond hair and light colored eyes, who conformed to the Aryan ideal, were sent to Lebensborn camps to be trained to be perfect Germans. This is a story about what might have happened to a girl who was sent to such a camp and then later adopted into a German family.

Although the story is fiction, it is based on historical evidence and in fact parallels in some respects the story of one of the survivors of the experience, as is detailed in the author's note at the end.

I found the story interesting and absorbing. It would make for a good discussion with kids, as in some respects you actually begin to feel sorry for the Germans and especially the German mother and sister. In your mind, you KNOW you shouldn't accept the racism and racial hatred they evidenced, but nevertheless, it becomes tempting, as the young girl feels it, to believe that it really isn't all that bad -- until the evidence emerges.

Another chapter in the World War II genre - recommended.