The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, 2010.

Audience: Grades 4 through 6

My Rating: 4* of 5

Summary: Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future.

Comments: Fun, relevant Middle-School read that is perfect for Wimpy Kid fans (though it has more boy-girl crush content than the Wimpy books).

Read-alikes: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Big Nate series

Awards: 2011-2012 Bluebonnet nominee

The Cabinet of Wonders (audio)

The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski, 2008. Narrated by Lorelei King.
Audience: Grades 4 through 7
My Rating: 3* of 5
Summary: Twelve-year-old Petra, accompanied by her magical tin spider, goes to Prague hoping to retrieve the enchanted eyes the Prince of Bohemia took from her father, and is aided in her quest by a Roma boy and his sister.

Comments: Pacing was off for me--too slow until the final few chapters when it seemed everything resolved in a hurry. The magical elements are well done and appealing. Well read by King.

Read-alikes: Kronos Chronicles series, Ella Enchanted by Levine, The Princess Academy by Hale

Awards: 2010-2011 Bluebonnet nominee

Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver

Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) by Michelle Paver. Recorded Books, 2005. Narrated by Ian McKellan.

Audience: Grades 5 through 8

My Rating: 4.5* of 5

Summary: 6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Tarak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father--to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans.

Comments: Read me a story, Gandalf! What reader could do better by this skillfully written adventure? Paver gives just enough detail to create the world, but not so much to slow the pace. The same goes for her explanation (or lack thereof) of the complex beliefs and practices of these ancient clans; we discover only what unfolds naturally in the story which is just enough to begin mapping this world while leaving the reader wanting more. I'm super sensitive about animals in books so I made a co-worker tell me what happens to Wolf right away.

The Lost Hero (aka The Lost Editor) audio

The Lost Hero (aka The Lost Editor): Heroes of Olympus, book 1 by Rick Riordan. Narrated by Joshua Swanson.

Audience: Grades 4 through 7

My Rating: 2* of 5

Summary: After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt Camp Half-Blood where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own.

Comments: Isn't it a shame when a good author goes viral and becomes "above" editing? That appears to be the case for Riordan as evidenced by the dull heft of The Red Pyramid and this, his latest whopper. The Lost Hero begins with all the excitement, interesting characters, and snappy pacing that made the Percy Jackson books such a success, but soon bogs down under sluggish scenes and overdone dialogue (no fault of the talented narrator, Swanson). Lost Hero would be a fantastically fun read if it were missing about 150-200 pages of redundant writing. Trim the fat, Rick, and I'll be a fan once more. As it is I'm done with your books for a good, long while.

Read-alikes: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series; The Red Pyramid

Rant: Bury Dumbledore!

BURY DUMBLEDORE!

If you haven't seen Harry Potter 7.1 yet, there may be spoilers ahead (though if you read the books, no surprises).

Shame on you, Steve Kloves and David Yates. Shame on you, J.K. Why, oh, why would you even consider the omission of Dumbledore's funeral on film? Are you really telling me that the horribly executed and in poor taste wands-in-the-air moment in movie 6 is all we get as a send-off for one of the most important characters of this series? I hoped you had chosen to open movie 7.1 at Dumbledore's funeral--a fitting choice to give closure to his death and launch the action of Deathly Hallows. No such luck. AND you add insult to injury by dedicating 5+ minutes of screen time to Dobby's death and burial? Nothing against Dobby, he was a good Elf, but you can find precious screen time to bury an Elf and not the Godfather of this story? Shameful. As filmmakers, Kloves/Yates, you should have seized the opportunity to use Dobby's burial scene as a catalyst for Harry to flashback to images of Dumbledore's funeral, seamlessly transitioning the audience and poignantly juxtaposing these images to the final scene of the film. And you, Rowling, you can't stand up to the movie eggheads and insist your beloved fans see your beloved Dumbledore given a proper burial? Shame, shame, know your names.

I can only hope you have the sense to put this scene in HP7.2. To close this series' final screen adaptation without burying Dumbledore would be a huge omission. Fans of the books can forgive a lot, but this is an Unforgivable.

Disappointed,

Bonnie

NERDS by Michael Buckley (audio)

NERDS (National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society) by Michael Buckley. Recorded Books, 2009. Narrated by Johnny Heller.
Audience: Grades 4 through 6
My Rating: 3* of 5
Summary: While running a spy network from their elementary school, five unpopular misfits combine their talents and use cutting-edge gadgetry to fight evil around the world.
Comments: Revenge of the Nerds meets James Bond. Clever and funny with plenty of booger jokes to boot. Heller lost my interest in many spots with his slow pacing, but I always made it back on track eventually.
Read-alikes: Give to fans of Wimpy Kid and the like. Or kids with braces. Book 2 (M is for Mama's Boy) available now.

Big Nate: In a Class By Himself by Peirce

Summary: Supremely confident middle school student Nate Wright manages to make getting detention from every one of his teachers in the same day seem like an achievement.

Comments: Total Diary of a Wimpy Kid rip-off, but funny anyway. Hand it to those waiting on the next Wimpy Kid installment.