That Just Happened!

Shulman, Polly.  The Grimm Legacy.  The Penguin Group (2010).

Lonely at her new school, Elizabeth takes a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, hoping to make new friends as well as pocket money. The Repository is no ordinary library. It lends out objects rather than books—everything from tea sets and hockey sticks to Marie Antoinette’s everyday wig.

It’s also home to the Grimm Collection, a secret room in the basement. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales:  seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White’s stepmother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles and has a will of its own.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth and her new friends embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before they’re accused of the crime themselves—or the thief captures them.

From the Author’s Website

I first heard of this book over at Amanda’s A Patchwork of Books.  She gave it 4 out of 5 stars and I was immediately intrigued when I read that this involved fairy tales and magic items.  To read her review go here.

I love fairy tales (though usually the Disney kind).  I love a good mystery.  I love books that sound plausible.  I loved everything about this book!  It was easy to read and I felt, quite suspenseful.  I appreciated how the author acknowledged that all fairy tales focus on good and evil.  Not everything has a happy ending and not everything is as lovely as it seems, and how these objects are used reflects that.  Being a bibliophile, I can totally appreciate the awesomeness that would be working in a library, even if it is a “Material Repository”.  The characters are really well-written and it was easy to see the continuity of the good and evil theme.  I don’t want to say too much about this book because I really want you to discover it for yourself.  From the obvious parallel of Cinderella to Elizabeth’s family, to the quest to save a princess, this is a book that I feel would appeal to everyone.  I am totally going to check out the first book by this author, Enthusiasm.

I say this one is a Must Read!!  If you do, let me know what you thought!

Martin, Ann M.  The Babysitter’s Club Prequel: The Summer Before.  Scholastic Inc. (2010).

Before there was the Baby-Sitters Club, there were four girls named Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill. As they start the summer before seventh grade (also before they start the BSC), each of them is on the cusp of a big change. Kristy is still hung up on hoping that her father will return to her family. Mary Anne has to prove to her father that she’s no longer a little girl who needs hundreds of rules. Claudia is navigating her first major crush on a boy. And Stacey is leaving her entire New York City life behind in order to find new friends in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.

Scholastic.ca

Well…it was okay.  I think I was really looking forward to this and perhaps I set my sights too high.  If you have ever seen the movie ,  you would see how similar the movie is to the prequel, which came out this year.  The movie also sees Kristy worrying about her dad forgetting her birthday and the girls facing the obstacles of growing up.  The difference is, in the movie the club is already formed and the charges make more of an appearance.  Also, I think the Pikes have red hair in the movie (and in the rest of the series…Mallory definitely does) correct me if I’m wrong. 

I liked Stacey’s journey to Stoneybrook and I wanted to know more about what happened to her after she moved (back to the original books, I suppose).  Kristy and Mary Anne’s relationship is obviously very strong, which is true to the series, but the fact that she knows so much about Kristy and is her sole confident is similar to the movie as well.  Claudia also struggles with feeling separated from the girls in the movie…

I think the similarities are a little too much.  I feel like I am already familiar with this story because I saw the movie (and owned it, so it was viewed multiple times).

Good attempt, and if you are a BSC fan, definitely worth the read.

As part of the TwentyTen Challenge, I had to read two books that were recommended/reviewed by other bloggers.  I have already read Jenners of Find Your Next Book Here ‘s  recommendation of How I Became A Famous Novelist  by Steve Hely.  This time I chose something from Alyce’s At Home With Books. 

Stead, Rebecca.  When You Reach Me.  Wendy Lamb Books (2009).

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

From The Jacket

Alyce said “…Even though it is written for a young adult audience, the text is not dumbed-down, nor is the plot too predictable.  This story is absolutely stunning!  If you like books that deal with time travel in any way, shape or form you must read this book.” (For her full review go here).  I totally agree with her assessment of the book.  I didn’t really feel as though I was reading a YA novel.  Aside from the main characters being young teens, the author didn’t talk down to the Reader.  I mean, Stead even describes the theory of Time Travel as it relates to A Wrinkle in Time  and any novel that goes through the theory of Time Travel is obviously treating the Reader as an intellectual equal.

I also liked how the Reader finds out what is happening along with the main character.  It adds an element of suspense and I ended up reading this in one sitting.  I also wanted to know if Miranda’s mother wins the game show The $20,000 Pyramid.  Her mother received a letter telling her she had been picked and Miranda helps her study.  For those who do not know what the show was about you can go here.  I liked how each chapter corresponded with a Prize Winner’s circle clue.  For example, chapter 1 is titled “Things you Keep in a Box” and the next is “Things That Go Missing”.  Each chapter corresponds with what happens in Miranda’s life. 

This book is a winner of the 2010 John Newbery Medal and it is no suprise to myself, or Alyce why.  I would say this is a Must Read.