Retrospective Wednesday: The Magician's Nephew

Retrospective Wednesday is a meme set aside to highlight books that were published in previous years but deserve a fresh read (or reread.)

Today I am highlighting The Magician's Nephew published in 1955 by C.S.Lewis, the 6th book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. This book is the prequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so some people (and publishers) think it should be read first.  But that is not the case. The reader will delight with the information they discover in this volume after already being familiar with Narnia and Aslan. C.S. Lewis had this book published 6th.  That is good enough for me to keep it in the order he suggested as the author of the series.

My daughter and I are rereading through the series this summer. When we got to this volume we kept exclaiming "oh, that explains that..." or "I remember when they mentioned that is ___ book." The Magician's nephew and his friend Polly end up in Narnia on the day that it is created by the lion, Aslan. The Christian symbolism is beautiful throughout the series but very remarkable in this one.

We are not only a fan of the books but we are also fans of the movies of The Chronicles of Narnia. Two years ago this website announced The Magician's Nephew would be the next film released in the series...but that was two years ago.  IMDB has the film's status as "In development." So I have no idea if it is really being made or not.  I hope so. If anyone has any information on this, please let me know.

While doing all this not-very-reliable-research I did discover that The Magician's Nephew is the 2nd most popular book in the series.  It really is quite exciting and very different than the other books. I encourage you to give it a try.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

21 / 30 books. 70% done!

Retrospective Wednesday: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Retrospective Wednesday is a meme designed to give bloggers a chance to go back and highlight a book published in previous years and readers a chance to pick up a book that may be off the radar but is certainly worth the read.

Today's highlighted book, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, does not require much of a look back since it was just published last year. It also was a wildly popular book having spent at least eight weeks as #1 on the NYT bestselling books.

Gone Girl is a psychological mystery. The book begins on the fifth wedding anniversary of Nick and Amy. He gets up to find her in the kitchen making crepes humming the theme song to M*A*S*H*, Suicide is Painless. That should have been our clue that something creepy and sinister was just about to happen. Nick and Amy are both out-of-work writers and have a very difficult and unhappy marriage. They have moved to Missouri, Nick's hometown, from New York City. Neither are happy as we find out as the story unfolds. When Amy goes missing later that day and it looks like it could be murder, Nick is the prime suspect. We find out bits and pieces about our characters through alternating chapters told in their voices or through diary entries.  Both Nick and Amy are good liars.  They not only lie to each other and to the police, they also lie to us.  If ever there was a book with unreliable narrators it is this one. We are trapped, right along with the characters, in all the deceptions and lies right up to the very end of the story. It made me think of the line from the poem:

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." - Sir Walter Scott

We are reading Gone Girl as a  book club selection for next month. One of the gals in the club read it early and announced that she hated the book, which of course had a chilling effect on my wanting to even start it. My husband and I listened to the audiobook version read by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne during our latest road trip to the Canadian Rockies and back. It was actually a very fun book to listen to with another person. Every evening we would discuss what we thought would happen next and speculate about the plot. As bits and pieces of the story were revealed we'd moan or laugh depending on what we thought ahead of time. I liked Gone Girl for that very reason.  I never really had it figured out. It kept me interested and guessing to the end.  But I must say, if you only like books if you like the main characters, stay away from this book because you won't like either of them.  Both Amy and Nick are so flawed you'll find yourself rooting against them.

Now for the disclaimer: since my blog is mainly about YA lit I need to add a note of caution. This is an adult book with plenty of sexual scenes and references. I think older teens would enjoy this book but I do not think it is appropriate for younger teens.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

17 / 30 books. 56% done!

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Retrospective Wednesday: A Horse and His Boy

Retrospective Wednesday is a chance to look back at great books published in previous years, some decades ago. All are worthy of a second (or first) read.

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is the 5th book in the Chronicles of Narnia. This is the only book in the Narnia series that looks at a story within a story. It takes place during the reign of Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy. It could be book 1 1/2 placing it somewhere before the ending of The Lion, the Witch , and the Wardrobe. But it was published 5th in the series by Lewis and the story is mentioned in the 4th book as something you will be told later, so it is 5th.

In this story a slave boy, Shasta, and a horse, Bree conspire to run away together to Narnia. Bree, a talking horse, wants to return to his homeland and Shasta wants to avoid another horrible master. On their journey they join up with a girl and another talking horse, Hwin, also heading for Narnia. Along the way they discover a plot by the son of the Tisroc to overthrow Narnia. Thus begins a race to see who will get to Narnia first, the children and the horses, or the son of the despot. Along the way they encounter Aslan, the great lion of Narnia. He has wise things to say to everyone and guides them, even when they don't know they are being guided.

Of the seven book in the Chronicles of Narnia series this is probably my least favorite, but it is only a notch down from the others. Aslan's interactions with the horses and children are so touching. When they ask him questions about others, Aslan replies that he only talks to us about our stories. He deals with everyone on a personal level. C.S. Lewis explained that Aslan represents Christ. Knowing this a head of the reading makes these passages and interactions even more precious.

Reading A Horse and His Boy together on the Puget Sound.

My daughter and I are reading the series together aloud this summer. Even though this is at least the fourth time I've read the series, so much of it seems new, like I'd never read it before. I delight in books that have something new to say to me every time I read them. I hope you consider reading The Chronicles of Narnia someday, too.  

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

15 / 30 books. 50% done!

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Question of the Day: What is your favorite children's book that you think every parent should read to their children?

Answer: I have two. The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood and Jamberry by Bruce Degen. I never tired of reading both of these books to my children.

Your turn.

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Retrospective Wednesday: The Silver Chair by CS Lewis

Retrospective Wednesday is an opportunity to highlight a book published in previous years that deserves attention. Today the highlighted book is The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, #4 in the Narnia series.

If you haven't read or reread CS Lewis' wonderful Narnia series I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so, the sooner, the better. Published in 1953, The Silver Chair was the fourth Narnia book, a high-fantasy series appropriate for young and old alike.

I first read the series in the late 1960s when a friend of my mother loaned me her set of books. I had never read anything so wonderful in my entire life. When my children were young back in the 1990s, I reread the series but this time aloud to them. Both of my daughters have extremely fond memories of the books and the time we spend reading them together. Then, a few years ago, Hollywood started making movies of the series, starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The three of us started rereading the series in preparation for the movies. Unfortunately, the project seems to have stalled out after the third book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

A few years ago, as I perused through a used bookstore, I eyed a complete hardcover set of the seven Narnia books. They were rather steeply priced at $75. I bought them and now rather proudly display them. But it was not until my daughter and I finished rereading The Silver Chair two nights ago that I actually noticed that the set is a 1st edition of the American Publisher: Macmillian and Co. This pristine set is worth over $1000 and what seemed like a steep price when I purchased it, now seems like a bargain. (See the photo above.)

In addition, these old books are also full of the delightful illustrations by Pauline Baynes. When reading aloud one must remember to stop and show the pictures to the listeners. Here Jill and Eustace enter Narnia.

Now about the order of the books.  When C.S. Lewis first published the books, he began with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and published one book per year from 1950-1956. The Magician's Nephew, published 6th, is a prequel to the story. When Harper-Collins started publishing the books, the decision was made to reorder the books into chronological order. Resist the temptation to read them in this revised order and follow C.S. Lewis's original order.

Original publication order	Harper Collins order (chronological)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	The Magician's Nephew
Prince Caspian	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader	The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair	Prince Caspian
The Horse and His Boy	The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Magician's Nephew	The Silver Chair
The Last Battle	The Last Battle

Peter Schakel, in his book Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia, says it this way:

The only reason to read The Magician's Nephew first [...] is for the chronological order of events, and that, as every storyteller knows, is quite unimportant as a reason. Often the early events in a sequence have a greater impact or effect as a flashback, told after later events which provide background and establish perspective. So it is [ ...] with the Chronicles. The artistry, the archetypes, and the pattern of Christian thought all make it preferable to read the books in the order of their publication ----Schakel, Peter. Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia. Grand Rapids: Erdmans. 1979.

Don't start with The Silver Chair, because it is the fourth book in the series.  If you've never read the books before start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. You won't be disappointed. Let the magic begin.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

7 / 30 books. 23% done!

Retrospective Wednesday: Beautiful Creatures

It is time for another Retrospective Wednesday book review.  Here I highlight books published in previous years that deserve a second look, or a first look, as the case may be.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, published in 2009 has never really gone out of popularity in my library, especially because there have been three other books added to the Caster Chronicles series since that time. Just about the time that the popularity of the first started to wane, the second book came out.  Clever marketing!

The book begins with this very compelling and intriguing first few lines:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.

Not being a huge fan of the paranormal romance genre I was a little hesitant to pick up this book until I saw that a movie was coming out and it looked good so I determined to read the book first. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the normal werewolf/vampire/fairy paranormal book. The main characters Lena and Ethan seem to be related to some past lives and loves back to Civil War days, and Lena's family are all Casters which means they all have different magical skills. They reminded me a little of the Addams Family without the humor but definitely with the quirky.

I listened to the audiobook version of Beautiful Creatures narrated by Kevin T. Collins. When Ethan would enter into his dream sequence the listener was treated to some eerie music which was helpful on one hand but a little off-putting on the other. Otherwise, I found the audio version very enjoyable. My eldest daughter is the one who recommended that I listen to this book after she found it a most compelling and engaging story.  She is going on and listening to the other three books in the series. I haven't decided if I will read on or not. At this point I feel pretty satisfied with the story and where it ended in this book.

After completing the book I checked the movie listings in my area and found that Beautiful Creatures was no longer in the theaters so I still haven't seen it and don't know if it is any good. If you have seen it, could you leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of it?  Thanks.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

2 / 30 books. 6% done!

Retrospective Wednesday: The Great Gatsby

In high school I, like almost all American teenagers, was assigned to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Up until today I thought I actually read the book back then, but now I am not sure. I remember vaguely the descriptions of jazz parties and a observant narrator (Nick) but I got the rest of the details wrong. So maybe I just read a few chapters and pretended for the rest. What a great shame because The Great Gatsby, originally published in 1925, is not only a superb book it also provides an amazing peek at a bygone era written by the author whose works actually heralded in the Jazz Age. Lillian Gish said of Scott and his wife, Zelda, "They didn't make the 20's, they were the 20's." If for no other reason than to get a bit of a feel for life in the twenties, this book is a must-read.

So with this Retrospective Wednesday post I hope to encourage those of you who feigned your way through your first Gatsby experience like I did, barely reading it, or those of you who read it so long ago that it is now just a vague memory, to reread it. And for those of you who haven't read it yet, now's the time! Get to it! The movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby is coming to a movie theater near you soon. Read the story first because, as we all know, the book is always better than the movie.

Now I will leave you with a quote from a letter written to Fitzgerald by Maxwell Perkins, his editor at Scribners, after he'd had a chance to read Gatsby:

"I think you have every kind of right to be proud of this book. It is an extraordinary book, suggestive of all sorts of thoughts and moods. You adopted exactly the right method of telling it, that of employing a narrator who is more of a spectator than an actor...The amount of meaning you get into a sentence, the dimensions and intensity of the impression you make a paragraph carry, are most extraordinary. The manuscript is full of phrases which make a scene blaze to life...it carries the mind through a series of experiences that one would think would require a book three times its length." - from the postscript in my version of the book

Do yourself a favor read/reread The Great Gatsby soon! Or, as I did, pick up the audiobook and listen to the excellent voice actor Tim Robbins read it to you. The last disc of the set included a selection of letters written by Fitzgerald  to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, his agent, Harold Ober, and other friends and associates. This section was read by a different reader which gave it the feeling that Fitzgerald himself was reading us his letters. My only criticism of this recording was when Tim Robbins would drop his voice when Gatsby was making an aside and since I listen while I'm driving, road noise made it hard to hear during those parts. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the story in this format.

The audiobook was published in 2002 by Caedmon.

Retrospective Wednesday: The Kite Runner

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic asked about favorite books that predated my blogging career. I decided to focus on Young Adult books or else I certainly would have included The Kite Runner on my list. That got me thinking that I really should go back and blog about some of my favorite books that deserve a second look not only from me but from you, also.

This past February marked the 10th anniversary since The Kite Runner was first published. It was a publishing phenomenon. It spent something like 103 weeks on the NY Times Bestseller list , which is just crazy to think about. But then it is an unforgettable story. It is about the friendship between two boys, one wealthy, one not, and the circumstances which catapulted them into different spheres.

The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.  It is a sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years.---Khaled Hosseini's Webpage

If by some chance you missed the two years that The Kite Runner was at the top of the heap or you were to too young to pay attention, it is not too late to discover this book for the first time. It is one of those books   likely to stay with you long after finishing the last page. If you, like me, read it ten years ago, maybe it is time to give it a fresh peek. It will be a good warm up, as I understand that Khaled Hosseini's third book, And the Mountains Echoed, is coming out next month. Can't wait!

Retrospective Wednesday: One! Hundred! Demons!

 

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago. 

One! Hundred! Demons! by Lynda Barry is the very first "autobiofictionalography" reviewed on this blog. In the first view pages of this graphic novel/biography we learn that Lynda Barry the cartoonist/artist/author decided that she was going to face her demons after reading that Buddism teaches that each person must face 100 demons in their lifetime. Here we are treated to nearly twenty semi-autobiographical comic strip stories set up in a scrapbook format with the demons identified with one word: Dancing, Hot dogs, Hate, San Francisco, etc.

Notice all the "monsters" on the page? Each comic strip is full of these little extras. Such a delight to eyes.

"With fantastic powers of memory (or perhaps imagination) Barry recreates the near-hallucinatory, intensely observed world of childhood," said Andrew Arnold of Time Entertainment in 2002 when the book was first published. As Lynda faces her demons we are led to believe that all was not well in her life at home, school, or in the lower-class neighborhood where she lived. But then again, she was facing her demons, so one can't really go bragging about the good stuff at the same time. Lynda's mother does not come out well in these sketches.  She was angry and abusive, making me marvel that Lynda made it out of childhood in one piece. And, in case you are wondering, I understand that she has been a very popular cartoonist and now leads workshops helping authors find the creativity and inspiration to write. "Fictional or not Barry's demons have a kind of authenticity that makes them totally real" (Arnold.)

Sometimes I find myself crying just thinking about the sad parts of books .

There is a lot to relate to in the demon sketches, maybe not the angry parent part but sketches that express the awkwardness of the teenage years, aching over dumb decisions, wishing that adults would talk to us about negative emotions as well as positive ones, and so forth. I was even tempted to try my hand at a "demon journal" and then decided that, at this time, it is best to let "dead dogs lie."

Look for this treasure at your public or school library. It is a delight.

Retrospective Wednesday...Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

 

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago. 
 

Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface.  In the process they run into air pirates and fight to save their airship and all the passengers on board.

"In a swashbuckling adventure reminiscent of Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson, author Kenneth Oppel creates an imagined world in which the air is populated by transcontinental voyagers, pirates, and beings never before dreamed of by the humans who sail the skies." -Scholastic Books

Airborn, published in 2004, is the first book of a trilogy. But unlike many books in a series, this book ends on a satisfactory note and could easily stand alone. In an feeble attempt to read all the past Printz Award and Honor books I finally made my way to Airborn and found it completely exciting and invigorating. It has a bit of  the steampunk feel to it as the airship plays such an important role in the book and it is set in what appears to be the late 1900s. The other two books in the series are Skybreaker (2005) and Starclimber (2008).

Last year Airborn was optioned to a film company and Oppel is writing the screenplay, so hopefully we will get to see this high-air adventure on the big screen soon.  But I am giving you fair warning.  You will want to read the book first, so get to it. Scholastic books publicizes this book as a grade 6-8 book, I'd say that it could easily be of interest for students in grades 5-10. After I publish this post I am going to check to see if the library even has the other two books in the series, and if not, take care of that immediately.

Happy Reading!

Retrospective Wednesday: Stotan! by Chris Crutcher

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago. 

Stotan! by Chris Crutcher was an appropriate reading choice for this month where we are all watching the Olympics because this book is about four boys training for their school's swim team.  Prior to the beginning of the season their coach guides them through an intense training schedule to become stotans, or stoic Spartans. But in typical Crutcher style to book isn't just about swimming, sports, and boys.  It is also about issues that affect kids today like racism and abuse. It is about how to make one's way through life. Written in 1985 it has an almost historical fiction feel to it. What was life like for teenagers in the 1980s before computers, cell phones, Facebook, and digital photography.  But that is part of the book's charm, kids interacting in real time, face-to-face.


I am a fan of Chris Crutcher because his books all seem to be infused with integrity. Reader learn things bout themselves as they read his books. It would be hard not to feel inspired by Stotan! 

"I'll be a Stotan observer: look for the ways to get from one to the other of those glorious moments when all the emotional stops are pulled, when you're just so goddamn glad to be breathing air---"

I read this book as part of my Chris Crutcher Challenge--- 8/13
and it was my 17th book in Read 20 books in July Challenge.

Retropsective Wednesday: Sabriel by Garth Nix

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago.

Sabriel by Garth Nix was originally published in 1995 and it is the first book of the Abhorsen Trilogy (sometimes called the Old Kingdom Trilogy.) It is high fantasy, very imaginative, but also a lot darker than the usual young adult literature fare.

The story begins when Sabriel, who is in her last year of school in Ancelstierre a kingdom very like ours in the early 20th century, receives a message that means her father needs her help in the Old Kingdom. In that kingdom her father was the Abhorsen, or the necromancer responsible for making sure that the dead stayed dead, or that they traveled past the ninth gate and couldn't return to earth again. When Sabriel returns to the Old Kingdom in search of her father she realizes that something is horribly amiss in the kingdom and she realizes that she will have to fight the living dead without him.

Sabriel has been a favorite book of one of my friends, Sandy. She has encouraged me to read it for years. Now that I have I am prepared to push it in my library, even placing it on my Nifty-Fifty cart where I highlight tried and true books making easy access for readers. In addition, I want to encourage you, too, to give this book a try.  I am ready to read Lireal and Abhorsen, books #2 and #3 in the series.
 

20 books in July Reading Challenge

7 / 20 books. 35% done!

Retrospective Wednesday...Hunger Games Audio Book

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago.

Before The Hunger Games movie hit the big screen, my daughters and I encouraged my husband to read the book. In an attempt to facilitate this, I requested the audiobook from the public library.  It arrived long after we saw the movie.  Ah well.  When I finally got the notice from the library that my hold was ready I considered letting it go, then thought I might enjoy a "reread" in the audio format. I was right.  I not only enjoyed it but so did my daughters. We listened to it with on a recent trip to Oregon and then sat in the family room for several additional hours and continued listening.

The experience was magical.  Not only because I had forgotten how wonderful this book really is, but I enjoyed sharing the listening experience with my daughters so much. Carolyn McCormick, the voice actor for the audio version of Hunger Games, is simply astonishing.  Her pacing, voices, and inflection help build the tension and the drama of each scene.  She created a very believable voice for Peta when he had the gravely throat from illness and dehydration, and, of course, her voice is now Katniss's voice to me.

I encourage you to try an audiobook of one of your favorite books and see if it doesn't make you fall in love with the book all over again.  The audiobook of the Hunger Games, published in 2008, would be a wonderful place to start.

What audiobooks have you enjoyed and recommend?


 -Anne

Retrospective Wednesday...God Went to Beauty School

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago. 

What if God was able to experience everything from a human point of view?  Would he get a dog? Climb a mountain? Watch TV?  What would amaze him the most about our world? Hands? Elephants? Riding in a boat?

"God Went to Beauty School" celebrates the simple things in life while taking a long, hard look at what it means to be human. Rylant's soft, reflective, and often humorous verse glimpses everyday life through wide and wondering eyes and blends the familiar with the profoundly spiritual. -from Goodreads

Each and every poem causes me to stop, to reflect, to smile, or to cry.  I love this little book. I love the idea of God experiencing life on earth as a human, which relates to me and my experiences. Published in 2003 this book is timeless and is a go-to-book when I need a little pick-me-up.  Here are a few lines just to get you started:

GOD WENT TO INDIA
To see the elephants.
God adores elephants.
He thinks they are
the best thing
He ever made.
They do everything
He hoped for:
They love their children,
they don't kill,
they mourn their dead.
This last thing is important
to God...
_______________________
GOD CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN
...it was so still.
"Should've put everybody
on top of Mount Everest,"
God thought.
Nobody'd want to hit
the guy next to him
on top of Mount Everest.
"Next time," thought God.
Next time.

 

Retrospective Wednesday...The Power of One

Retrospective Wednesday is a feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago.  Please leave a comment and link back to Headfullofbooks from your blog post. Join in the fun highlighting favorite "old books."

 This week I am featuring a retrospective look at the book The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, which was published in 1989. It is set in South Africa during the 1930s and 1940s, young Peekay dreams of becoming the welterweight boxing champion of the world. Born into a world divided by racism and hatred and on the brink of war, Peekay must triumph over injustice and does so in a spectacular way. His whole life is about the power of one, the power we have to rise above our circumstances and make a better world for ourselves and others.

Just this week a young man returned this book to the library.  When he handed it too me, I clutched the book to my chest and said, "oh, this book is so good, so powerful." The young man, who isn't a big reader, looked me right in the eyes and said, "This book is a life-changer. I am a different person now that I have read this book." I kid you not, he really said that.  A high school boy said that a book changed his life. And not just any book, but The Power of One, which isn't just a good book, but it is a "clutch-it-to-your-chest" good book. A book that speaks to power that we each have within us.

Trust me on this one.  If you haven't read it, do!  If you are a high school or public librarian and you don't have this book in your collection, get it.  It won't fly off the shelf.  But every year or so someone will discover it and it will be a life-changer for them.  It is worth the expense, I promise.

Retrospective Wednesday---I Am the Messenger

Retrospective Wednesday is a new feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago.  Please leave a comment and link back to Headfullofbooks from your blog post. Join in the fun highlighting favorite old books.

Retrospective Wednesday #5 --- I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

"Meet Ed Kennedy—underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger. . . . Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?"---Goodreads

 It is spring time. The time of year when librarians have to reach down deep to find those books that interest seniors in their last term of school.  Not an easy task.  I Am the Messenger is one of my go-to-books for senior boys this time of year. Boys seem to identify with Ed Kennedy, a slacker who morphs into hero. I've had more than one of these boys tell me that this is the best book they have ever read. First published in 2002 in Australia and 2005 in the US this tremendous book still speaks to teens and young adults today.  Due to mature themes, I do not recommend this book for younger teens.  This story is both funny and touching.  It is also intriguing. Who is sending Ed on his assignments and why?

Read it and find out for yourself.


 

Retrospective Wednesday #4---Mirrormask

Retrospective Wednesday is a new feature at My Head is Full of Books designed to give bloggers a chance to highlight a book that was published in previous years, in the hope that it will cause others to go back and read it. The featured book must have been published one or more years ago.  Please leave a comment and link back to Headfullofbooks from your blog post. Join in the fun highlighting favorite old books.

Retrospective Wednesday #4---Mirrormask  by Neil Gaiman

Mirrormask  by Neil Gaiman with art work by Dave McKean is a darling graphic novel that reminds me of a several favorite tales.  It is a little bit Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a bit of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, and a bit of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and yet all it's own story which makes it completely charming. The book is not only full of delightful graphics but it uses fonts in different sizes to emphasize points and to carry the story along.  Published in 2005 as a companion to the movie by the same name I only recently learned of this book. As a Gaiman fan I'm not sure how I missed it but I'd recommend that you remedy the situation, if you like me haven't heard of it before, and spend a hour in sheer delight reading it. As soon as I finish this review I will check the library holdings to see if the movie is available to checkout.


Here is a favorite few lines from the book. As a librarian, I am captivated by these prose:

"Throw it a book," he said. I threw him a book and it tore into it, like a cat ripping a small animal apart..."We need more books. Big books." It didn't seem like a good time for reading, but I pulled two huge old books off the shelf in the corner and carried them over to him. He took one, but didn't read it. He told it what a bad book it was and threw it on the ground. The book bounced in the air and hung there quivering, and the juggler man jumped onto it and began to float away. "As long as they think you don't like them they migrate back to the library. And we get a free ride."... I rode next to him on my book, and we crossed the chasm safely....

There was a grumpy librarian in the library. I could tell that he was the librarian, because he seemed to be made of books. I told him that we needed information, and he got us some butterfly nets and sent us up to the top floors of the library.