Shorter Musings: MG Realistic Fiction

Sometimes I read a book, and I even enjoy it, but I don't have much to say about it. I jot down a few thoughts and then I move on. Some of those are starting to pile up so I thought I would put them all together in one post.

Here are some MG Fantasy books I have read recently with my thoughts.

The Book of the Maidservant by Rebecca Barnhouse

Good solid MG fiction, which Rebecca Barnhouse excels at. I love being able to read a historical novel that I know will accurately represent a time period. You can tell this is her first novel I think. I may have had a more enthusiastic reaction if I read this before her Beowulf books. I do feel it drags a bit in places and just sort of ends with no resolution. I liked this glimpse into the potential life of a person barely mentioned in historical documents and the struggles she would have encountered.

Destiny Rewritten by Katherine Fitzmaurice

I can see MG readers enjoying this. Maybe. It's a little too long and I think references too many things they may not care about. Still it has a lighthearted tone and fun subject matter that will appeal to some young readers. It is a longer than it needs to be. I didn't care for the book at all, but that could just be my adulthood getting in the way I seriously wanted to knock Emily's mother upside the head and tell her to stop being ridiculous. And the end had me gagging on the saccharine sweetness.

Hold Fast by Blue Balliet

On the one hand I really like the portrayal of homelessness and the stark reality of the life too many children in the country are leading. On the other hand I feel the unrealistic aspects of the plot did this sort of a disservice. I found the scenario,the spying,the mystery too wholly unbelievable to take seriously. I doubt kids will have the same problem though and definitely plan to talk this book up. I do love the language and the connections to Langston Hughes.

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

This is an interesting look into the mind of a child who stutters and how he interacts and thinks of the world around him. The book starts off slow and takes a while to pick up and since it is sort of short that means I didn't engage with the story until almost too late. Also there are no quotation marks for dialogue, and I understand why this was done. It is because it is supposed to be him typing out his story. It still drove me nuts and gave the book a very stream-of-consciousness feel to it despite the plot that does progress step by step. I also felt it resorted to cliches one to many times. This is just not my type of book overall, but it is well written and will have appeal for people who enjoy this sort of thing.

Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron R. Hicks
This is a fun mystery that involves old family secrets and following clues to hidden treasure. It is one of those books that I think will be an easy sell to kids, but not necessarily one all kids will stick with to the end. I did like the way the mystery unfolded, and it had a lot of humor in it. There is a villain and some mild danger, so nothing too scary. It could easily by enjoyed by more advanced younger readers as well.

Comments

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t

Favorite Kissing Scenes

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Shadowshaper

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The Field Guide to the North American Teeanager

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