Peter Pan's Past Plus

Booker's Review
Peter and the Starcatchers (Starcatchers Series #1)  by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

I had avoided this book for a long time, even though the artwork was very appealing and customers asked for the book often.  I'm not much of a Peter Pan fan and didn't want to read a retelling of the story.  When trying to decide from a limited choice of audio books to take on our long car trip, we settled on Peter and the Starcatchers.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  (It doesn't hurt that the audio book is read by Jim Dale.)

The story is really a prequel to the Peter Pan most are familiar with.  It is fun to follow the story as different elements of Peter Pan's past are revealed such as how he can fly, how he came to be in Neverland, how he met Tinkerbell, and more. 

The story is interesting on it's own as well.  The authors did a good job of adding their own plot to the story so the book is much more than a revelation of Peter Pan's past.  We are introduced to the Starcatchers.  These people gather the left over remains of fallen stars and secret it away into safe keeping.  The remnants retain powerful magic that anyone with an evil intention could use to rule or destroy the world.  This first book has a nice conclusion while still leaving the reader anticipating what more is to come.

There's one more thing I liked about this book that I have to mention.  I have never liked the way the Indians are portrayed in the Disney Peter Pan movie.  With all these "re-mastered" and :now available in 3-D" announcements, I thought they'd come out with "new scenes" for Peter Pan and fix the awful sterotypical and racist portrayal of the natives in the movie.  There's no way they could have portrayed African natives that stupid or stereotypical and have kept it like that this entire time.  There would have been an outrage.  Anyway, I really liked how the native people are portrayed in the book.  They are not perfect, no one in the story is, but they are not stupid and they are not friends with the people they view have threatened them.  I really appreciated their role in the story.


Blogger's Review
"Peter and the Starcatchers":  This was a really good story by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. What Barry and Pearson have done is kick off a series that tells us all the origin of Peter Pan.

Peter and 4 other orphans are being sent away from their orphanage for unknown reasons. They are told by their caretaker to board a ship called The Neverland, but they don't know why. On the ship, the boys are treated very poorly, and as the leader of the group, Peter takes to stealing food to make sure the boys have enough to eat. It's on these food missions that Peter comes to know Molly, and they embark on an adventure to secure a chest of "star stuff" (the little bits of a star that falls to the earth and grants powers to the user), and keep this chest from falling into the hands of the Evil Black Stash. Along the way, we find out how Peter gains the ability to fly, how he doesn't grow old, and how he and the lost boys end up on that island. Oh, and we meet Captain Hook for the first time.

I really liked this story! I'm hoping to read others in the series soon. There's humor and plenty of action, and it's all offset with a story of friendship and loss. Just a really good book.

Didn't Find This Book Very Happenin'

Booker's Review
Happenstance Found (Books of Umber Series #1) by P. W. Catanese

I hate writing that I didn't enjoy a book because I could never right a book.  And sometimes people don't like a book that is actually really good.  So keep that in mind as you read this review.

Happenstance is found in a dark room without any memory of who he is or how he came to be there.  Lord Umber received a secret message to keep the boy with him at all times.  Why remains a mystery for the entire book.  A creature is chasing Happenstance to collect Hap's unusual eyes.  As the story goes along, we learn a little more about Happenstance's origins and who Lord Umber really is.  Yet, I found the story revealed too little over too long a time.  There is an exciting confrontation with the hunting creature at the end and a stunning surprise to entice you into reading the second book in the trilogy; however things developed much too slowly for me.

I should also say that I listened to this book all in one sitting riding in the car.  This may have influenced my reception of the book.

Kids who enjoy fantasy and mystery, who like to try to figure out things on their own or imagine lots of possibilities, I think, would enjoy this book.

Blogger's Review
"Happenstance Found":  I was really excited to listen to this audio book, and since this book is the first in a series, I thought maybe I'd have my next great series to read. Instead, "Happenstance Found" was slow to develop and really didn't leave me wanting to read more of the Books of Umber series.

P.W. Catanese has a really neat idea here. Happenstance is a boy, we don't know exactly how old, found in a buried city by Lord Umber and his band. Happenstance is different in that he has bright green eyes, can see in the dark, and seems to possess a few other abilities. As they return to Lord Umber's home, we learn that something is following them, and it's not good. The rest of the tale takes place in and around Lord Umber's home, and we learn a little more about Happenstance, where he came from, and we find out more about Lord Umber.

A neat premise, but it just didn't move fast enough for me. I don't plan to read any more books in this series.

This Book is a Winner

Gold by Chris Cleave

Zoe, Kate, and Jack all meet at the age of 19 at a tryout for spots on Britain's elite cycling circuit with the goal of winning Olympic gold.  But when the Athens Olympics come around, Kate is at home with her daughter while Zoe and Jack race for gold in Athen's velodrome.  The three are still racing and still trying to balance rivalry and friendship two years before the Olympic Games in London.  Love and friendship are never simple, but the relationship Zoe and Kate have reaches some extremely complex emotions and lessons in love.

As you would expect, Cleave has written a fantastic poignant story.  He leaps about in time, but never loses his reader.  And this makes the stories much better than telling the tale chronologically. The story moved me and made me think.

I really enjoyed the cycling aspect of this story.  However, it is never really technical and I don't think there is any loss of enjoyment reading this book if you've never seen indoor cycling or even if you've never ridden a bike.  I highly recommend this book.

A Tale of Two Tails

The Cheshire Cheese Cat:  A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright

I really enjoyed this book.  I guess I can't get tired of books about small rodents.  Skilley, a closet cheese-loving cat, has struggled living on the streets of London, but on this day, he finds himself, with a little help from Charles Dickens, accepted into the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese to help with a mouse problem.  Skilley is not interested in ridding the tavern of mice; he just wants some cheese.  He makes a deal with the mouse, Pip, not to attack any of the mice if they will supply him with cheese.  Skilley and Pip's friendship grows as does Charles Dickens's writer's block on A Tale of Two Cities.   A hidden creature and an alley cat, Pinch, Skilley's most feared enemy, complicate matters in the Ol Cheshire, eventually bringing more trouble to the unlikely friends.  I don't want to give manny details because I don't want to give all the story away. So much more happens in the story. It's full of surprises and twists. 

The vocabulary is impressive.  The focus on friendship is also very inspiring, something I think middle school readers would absorb and appreciate.  There are several references to Charles Dickens, London, and the English Royalty that I don't know if many kids would pick up on if they weren't familiar with these topics.  (I don't know if I picked up on all of them.  For example, I didn't realize the tavern is an actual place where many English writers gathered.)  I think this would make an excellent read-aloud for school classrooms and at home.  I listened to this book on CD, but reviews I saw said the pencil illustrations by Barry Moser, are superb.  This is really an intriguing story well worth the read.  Perhaps you can enjoy a nip of cheese or cup of tea while you read.

America Rewrite Your History Books--the Irish Do It Again!!

The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin

A medieval text leads to a fantastic journey chronicled in The Brendan Voyage.  According to the medieval text, St. Brendan and some fellow Irish monks, sailed to North America centuries before Columbus and before the Vikings.  I was interested in reading this book based on personal recommendations, my Irish ancestry and my Lakota ancestry which, I think, gives me a predetermined dislike for Christopher Columbus. 

Tim Severin sets out to silence skeptics by replicating St. Brendan's voyage.  (He is no stranger to replicating other explorers journeys as can be seen in his other books.)  Severin locates the same type of wood and leather St. Brendan used to make his boat.  The ox hides are tanned using the same methods employed to make St. Brendan's boat.  Even flax rope is used for the stitches to hold the ox hides together.  There is no doubt that boat is an authentic copy of St. Brendan's boat.  If the crew can make it across the Atlantic, they will have proven how plausible the medieval texts are. 

It is an interesting book.   Without any knowledge of sailing, I was still able to get a picture of what was going on to build and sail the boat.  Yet, I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I was more familiar with sailing terms.  There are times of wonder and danger aboard The Brendan.

I especially liked the end of the book when Severin does a great job of summarizing what the voyage teaches us about the knowledge, strength, and faith of the Irish and the spirit of the human being.

St. Brendan is described as one of Ireland's most beloved saints.  I feel bad I had never heard of him.  While looking for The Brendan Voyage if found an historical novel about St. Brendan by Morgan Lleywelyn, a proven author, and children's book, Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus, by Michael McGrew, and a musical CD based on St. Brendan's voyage by Shaun Davey.

Austen + James=Great Story

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James

I liked this book.  I think James did an excellent job of writing in the Austen style.  The characters stay true to who they were formed by Austen to be, but the mystery spun by James is adds a wonderful component to Pemberley.  Probably, my favorite part of this book, was actually the Epilogue.  Darcy and Elizabeth spend time sharing with each other, the thoughts they were having during their unorthodox courtship.  I liked hearing the gaps filled in.

All the Elements of a Good Book

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

I am a huge fan of the periodic table!  However lame that may sound, it's true.  The periodic table rocks (and it still would even if it wasn't made up mostly of rocks).  As soon as this book came out, I bought...on my nook and started reading it.  Then life showed up, and it was so much cheaper for me to buy books with my discount, I rarely used my nook and my memory of the book disappeared just like a spoon made of gallium.  Then I saw Sam Kean was coming for an author visit.  I reproached myself for not having read the book yet.  Some fan I was.

But, I did read it.  And, I did love it!  The book is full of stories about each of the elements.  You learn about the periodic table and the elements, but you learn about them from interesting anecdotes and stories.  The side notes are just as enjoyable as the main text.  This is now one of my most favorite books, perhaps even my most favorite non-fiction book.

Not only are the stories engaging, Sam Kean has a scholarly wit in his writing.  At least, that 's the best way I can think to describe it.  An example, though, comes to mind from his newest book, out yesterday, The Violinist's Thumb.  When Kean describes the copying of DNA in the cell, he introduces the image of tiny monks transcribing away within the cell.  It's those types of images and thoughts that takes The Disappearing Spoon from being good to being great.  I'm very excited to read his next book.  And it's not going to be in a year.  Now that I know how well he writes, his next book will be read as fast as my thumbs can turn the pages.