Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk, 2011. Print.

Intended Audience: Ages 12 and older

Genre: Fantasy

Personal Reaction: This book was creepy.  I loved it, don't get me wrong, but it was creepy.  There are photographs littered throughout the novel which you find after reading it, are actual photographs.  It is the story of children known as peculiars and their life in a time loop and how Jacob came to find them.  Jacob watched his grandfather die at the hands of a monster only he could see and later finds he is one of very few people who can.  At the end their time loop is broken and Miss Peregrine (their leader of sorts, who turns into a peregrine) is left inhabiting a peregrine's body.  At the end of the story Jacob and the other peculiars go to search for another time loop and leave Jacob's father to stay in the "real world."  Without divulging the entire story I'm unsure of how else to describe my reaction, so read it yourself.  

Author Facts: Ransom Riggs loves to travel, especially to those places not easily found on maps.  He also enjoys scuba diving and telling stories.  When he was much younger he and his friend created videos starring themselves on an old video camera they found.  

Author Website:http://www.ransomriggs.com/

The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Adams, Douglas. The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. New York, New York: Ballentine, 1980. Print.

Intended Audience: Ages 13 and older

Genre: Science Fiction

Personal Reaction: This was another book a coworker and friend of mine could not believe I had never read.  In all reality, I find it hard to believe I have made it this long having not read it either, as it is such a popular book with young adults and grown adults alike.  For a long time I knew the answer to the meaning of live, the universe and everything was 42 and this was known through the knowledge Douglas Adams gave us, however I had not known the rest of the story. 

The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy follows the story of Arthur Dent, human and his friend Ford Prefect, alien as they escape Earth prior to its being blown up.  They learn the Earth was run by mice and had been built by another alien race to solve the question that the answer 42 answered.  If you think of it, we humans do many experiments on mice, who is to say the mice are not experimenting on us!  This book was quite hilarious and I will likely find myself reading more of Adams' stories in the future. 

Author Facts: Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge in 1952.  He founded h2g2, a digital media and internet company.  In 2001 Adams died of an unexpected heart attack while living in California.  

Author Website: http://www.douglasadams.com/

Fables: Legends in Exile

Willingham, Bill. Fables: Legends in Exile. Vol. 1. New York, New York: DC Coics, 2012. Print.

Genre: Comic/Fantasy

Intended Audience: Ages 13 and older

Personal Reaction: I loved these stories. Fables follows the lives of characters in any of the fairy tales and fables we grew up reading.  Snow White is the Director of Operations for the Fable community and finds her sister, Rose Red has gone missing.  Mister Wolf (from the story of the three little pigs) is a detective and is attempting to solve the mystery of her disappearance.  Jack, from Jack and the Beanstalk, Prince Charming and many other characters are included as suspects and characters making an appearance. 

The artwork is beautifully done and colored, making the story easy to follow and a cohesive unit.  When there is a back story, or flashback moment the drawings are done in shades of purple while the rest has bold, but at times, dark colors.  A friend had recommended reading Fables many years ago in my undergraduate degree and at a recent trip to a comic book store I'm glad I purchased this volume. 

Author Facts: As a child Bill Willingham was stationed with his parents in Germany during the Cuban Missile Crisis and after moved to New York City.  He hates receiving mail with improper grammar and punctuation (but who doesn't?). Finally, he loves riding on the Amtrak and has written blogs and books while on it.  

Author Website: http://www.billwillingham.com/

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Riverhead, 2007. 

Intended Audience: Ages 15 and older

Genre: Historical Fiction

Personal Reaction: I was recommended this novel by a teenager at the library I work at.  To start, I was hesitant, A Thousand Splendid Suns does not fit in the books I would normally read.  Thankfully, I have much respect for my patrons' recommendations and devoured this book.  

A Thousand Splendid Suns follows the lives of Mariam and Laila to women growing up in Afghanistan.  The story tells of their childhoods, the war taking place, the Taliban and the Soviets taking over their homes and the lives they led, marrying the same man and sharing children.  This is a novel filled with hope but only after times of brokenness.  I have heard and read how closely this book follows the lives of many women who have lived in Afghanistan and surrounding countries, making it even more memorable. 


Author facts: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965 but moved to the USA in 1980.  In 1993 Hosseini received a degree in medicine years later began to write Kite Runner.  After a visit to Afghanistan he began The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, providing humanitarian assistance to those in Afghanistan. 

Author Website: http://khaledhosseini.com/

Copper Sun

Draper, Sharon. Copper Sun. New York: Antheneum, 2006.

Intended Audience: Ages 12 and older

Genre: Historical Fiction

Personal Reaction:  Copper Sun is the story of Amari, a young girl looking forward to her marriage with Besa.  Instead of marriage, Amari finds herself stolen into slavery, finding herself living the horrible life of a slave girl as she attempts to find herself free.  After being raped, beaten and destroyed in many ways, Amari escapes slavery to freedom. 

Living life as a slave is not a place you would expect hope to exist, but somehow there is.  It is a book that leaves you with the realization of looking forward to what lies ahead, not simply being stuck on the past and the horrible things that have happened.  This is an amazing story, showing the need to live and look forward to what may come, not necessarily what has happened.

Author Facts: Sharon Draper is an educator as well as an author, having won the teacher of the year award in Ohio and an NCNW Educator of the Year award.  Draper's literary achievements began when challenged by a student to submit a short story to a contest.  Draper sees herself as a poet, a dreamer and an innovator. 

Author Website: http://sharondraper.com/

Maus

Spiegelman, Art. Maus A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon, 1992

Intended Audience: Ages 13 and older

Genre: Historical Fiction

Personal Reaction: Maus was a difficult read. Not because of the topic, though the Holocaust is never an easy topic to read about, but because it was a graphic novel.  One of the first pages it shows Jews being drug from their homes and children "not screaming anymore" when they would not stop crying.  Even though Jews were portrayed as mice and Nazis as cats it was not difficult to see how their horrible the living conditions for survivors, and those who did not make it, was.  

I have always had an interest in books about the Holocaust but I hadn't read many showing the life of a survivor after the war.  Seeing how difficult it was for Vladek to throw anything away made sense, as not having enough would always be a consistent thought in his mind.  As difficult as it was to read, this is one book I would recommend for others to read as well, the graphics are very well done and brings history to life.   

Author Facts: Art Spiegelman began cartooning in high school and decided to go against his parents wishes of becoming a dentist.  He believes that comics are on the rise, as they are often the way the brain works.  With this mentality he gave a lecture titled "What the %@&*! Happened to Comics?" a historical journey through the history of comics.  

Author Website: http://barclayagency.com/spiegelman.html

Persepolis

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print.

Intended Audience: Ages 13 and older

Genre: Nonfiction Graphic Novel

Personal Reaction: Persepolis was a beautifully written, though hard to digest, book about the Islamic Revolution and the life of Marjane Satrapi.  As one who grew up in "white bread America" I found myself easily lost in the story of Satrapi's life, realizing how little I know about the Islamic Revolution and the life of those in the Middle East.  

I often found myself sympathizing with Satrapi's unwillingness to conform, to wear tennis shoes, a denim jacket and purchase music, though it was not allowed.  I have a hard time imagining living as she did, and believe I too would have protested against the way the country was run.  After reading the book I long to know more about the Islamic Revolution and the people who have lived through this time. 

Author Facts: Satrapi was born in Rasht, Iran in 1969.  She currently lives in Paris where many new wave comic book artists have settled.  Satrapi wrote Persepolis about her childhood and life through the Islamic Revolution at the insistence of fellow artists. 

Author Website: http://barclayagency.com/satrapi.html

Sunrise Over Fallujah

Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Intended Audience: Ages 14 and older

Genre: Historical Fiction

Personal Reaction: Sunrise Over Fallujah was an extremely difficult, but good, read.  In it the life of Birdie is followed through his time spent serving his country.  The story takes place in Iraq, Fallujah, and Baghdad at the time when Saddam Hussein fell.  The title comes from when Birdie killed the first time, knowing for sure it was his bullet that did the damage.  

Since I vividly remember watching on the news the day Saddam Hussein fell and fearing friends would be drafted if the war became bigger than it was, this story was close to my heart.  I have friends and family who have seen combat, and several who are currently serving in our armed forces who are not currently in combat zones.  It helped me appreciate what our service men and women do to protect our country, and gave understanding to what many must deal with upon returning home.  

Author Facts: Walter Dean Myers lived 76 years, passing from this world in July of 2014.  He wrote more than 100 books in his 45 years writing.  He was born in West Virginia but eventually settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

Author Website: http://walterdeanmyers.net/

The Water Castle

Blackmore, M. F. (2013). The Water Castle. Broadway, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Intended Audience: Ages 8-14

Genre: Science Fiction

Personal Reaction: The Water Castle was an wonderful story that had me hooked from the very beginning.  I started it on my lunch and within the half hour was already 47 pages into it.  In this story, the characters are searching for the fountain of youth, Ephraim wants it for his father, Mallory wants to know if her parents had been telling the truth for her whole life and Will is curious for the sake of science.  Throughout the story there is a journal shown of the Appledores, the family owning the Water Castle and detailing how they found the Fountain of Youth so many years ago. 

As many stories in small towns, there is centuries of hatred between Ephraim and Will's families, a hatred the young boys are able to help push aside as they become friends.  I always find myself loving books with light science fiction and having real problems needing solved.  At the end  Ephraim's father appears to be healed from his stroke, giving readers the understanding that the Fountain of Youth is real. 

Author Facts: Megan Frazer has her Masters in Library Science from Simmons GSLIS and spent more than ten years as a librarian.  She has a degree in English from Columbia and has taught English to high school students.  Currently she is taking a break from traditional jobs and is instead focusing on her writing and her family. 

Author's website: http://www.meganfrazer.com/