Audiobook Review: Behemoth

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld, read by Alan Cumming.  Grades 7+.  Simon & Schuster Audio, 2010.  9 hours and 27 minutes.  Review copy provided by publisher. 

Okay, you all read Leviathan, yes?  (If you didn't, I must insist that you get it and read or listen to it as soon as possible.  It is fabulous.)

Behemoth continues the story of Alek, secret heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and Deryn, midshipman aboard the Darwinist airship Leviathan (really a girl, but disguised as a boy).  As World War I is building, Leviathan steams ahead to the Ottoman Empire in an attempt to foster peace, but nothing goes as planned.  Secrets will be revealed, alliances made and betrayed, in this second book in the Leviathan trilogy.

You guys, this audiobook is barkin' fantastic.

I'd love the book anyway - Scott Westerfeld continues his superb world-building and character development in this book - but hearing Alan Cumming's narration of the story is a wonderful experience.

All the things I loved about his recording of Leviathan are continued in this recording.  He's a master of voices and accents and accented voices.  What I mean to say is that all his German voices are different, all his British voices are different, even when the accent is the same.  I was amused by the lone American in the book, with his John Wayne-esque voice, but hey, it worked.

Not only is this a story that you can easily lose yourself in, this is a recording that you can easily lose yourself in.

I will say one word of warning:  if you tend to listen to audiobooks in the car while driving (exhibit A: me), you might want to read the print book first and then give the story a listen.  The political events and world building make for a very rich storyline and you won't want to miss any of the details as you're driving (like I'm sure I did).  To me, the story was definitely engaging enough to warrant a re-read (or re-listen, if you will).  And you'll want to make sure you've read Leviathan first.

Behemoth is on shelves now (both in book and audiobook form)!

Hey, I'm an Audible Affiliate, which means that if you purchase audiobooks through links on my site, I get a small commission! 

Old Abe, War Hero

Old Abe, War Hero: The Civil War's Most Famous Mascot by Patrick Young, illustrated by Anne Lee.  (Grades 1-5.)  Kane/Miller, September 2010.  Unpaged.  Review copy provided by publisher for Cybils Award consideration (this review reflects only my own opinion).

You knew people fought in the Civil War, but how about an eagle?

Old Abe was a bald eagle, captured as a fledgling and traded to a farmer named Dan McCann.  The Civil War was raging, but Dan McCann could not fight because of his bad leg, so he donated the eagle to a company of Wisconsin soldiers who adopted him as their mascot (they named him Old Abe after president Lincoln).  Since Old Abe had been raised by humans, he had no fear of them and he quickly bonded with the soldiers, who carried him into battle on a wooden perch.  As bullets whizzed past, Old Abe inspired his company and bolstered their courage.  He even dragged an injured soldier out of battle and warned his company of an approaching Rebel soldier, leading to the capture of a Southern camp.  Old Abe retired in 1864, after participating in 25 battles, and was given a deluxe suite at the Wisconsin Capitol Building (complete with private bird bath!).

Old Abe, Eagle Hero is an interesting and engaging story that's perfect for history buffs or to add variety to a unit on the Civil War.  It's just the kind of nonfiction picture book I love - a little known story that turns out to be really cool.  The illustrations compliment the text, the blue, gray and orange color scheme nicely invoking the time period.  Anne Lee's depiction of Old Abe captures the movement of an eagle in flight and adds much to the text.

This is a true story that will capture the imaginations of young readers... BUT.  Where are the source notes?!  Albeit, the jacket flap tells me that Patrick Young is "the great-grandson of Capt. Victor Wolf, commander of Company C of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 'the Eagle Company'" and "He grew up hearing stories about Old Abe from his grandmother and mother..."  And I learned from this interview with the author that he "did further research to expand and update the book" (an edition was published in 1965).

However.  I wonder how we're supposed to expect kids to learn to cite their work if we're not making source notes and citations a priority in our books for children.  A list of sources or an author's note explaining that the stories had been passed down through his family would have added so much to this book and raised the overall quality.

*steps off soap box*

All that said, it's still an engaging story about the Civil War and it's accessible for kids.

Check out more reviews at The Fourth Musketeer, Bull Runnings (includes further research about Old Abe's death and some photos!), Jean Little Library, the excelsior file (who points out many apparent factual inaccuracies...) and Not Just for Kids.

Old Abe, Eagle Hero is on shelves now!

In My Mailbox #61

It's Sunday, which means it's time for In My Mailbox, a weekly meme typically hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren (note: no more roundups in 2010 - she'll be hosting them again in 2011!).

I got one book in my mailbox this week:

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (Mira Books [Harlequin], February 2011).

Summary from ARC:

When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind forever her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child.  Her former friends exult in her downfall.  Her sister, Brynn, faces the whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school.  It's Brynn - shy, quiet Brynn - who carries the burden of what really happened that night.  All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.


But then Allison is released to a halfway house and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.


Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy.  And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

Oooh, it sounds kind of intense!

What did you get in your mailbox this week?  And what books are you hoping Santa's going to bring you??

Audiobook Review: Ramona and her Father

Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary, read by Stockard Channing.  Grades K-3.  Listening Library, 2004. 2 hours, 8 minutes.  Review copy provided by my local library.

Ramona Quimby, spunky second-grader extraordinaire, is looking forward to the upcoming Christmas holiday when the Quimby family receives terrible news: Ramona's father has lost his job.  Ramona wishes she could do something to help.  Maybe someone would pay her a million dollars to be in a commercial!  Or maybe she can at least get her father to stop smoking.  As the Quimbys pinch their pennies, it's up to Ramona to keep their spirits up!

I loved all the Ramona books when I was a kid, but I think Ramona and her Father was my favorite.  And even though it's not about Christmas, I always think of it this time of year because it starts with Ramona making her Christmas list and it ends with the Nativity scene at their church.

The Ramona books are beloved by thousands and one of the nice things about them is that they don't seem dated.  Ramona and her Father will be particularly accessible to kids today because with the economy the way it is, a parent out of work is something that many kids can relate to (unfortunately!).

Stockard Channing does a nice job of narrating these audiobooks.  She has a very nice speaking voice.  My one complaint is that I do not care for her Ramona voice.  She makes Ramona sound like a silly little kid and, while, okay, Ramona is kind of a silly kid, she's more than that to young readers.  When I read these books as a child, I identified with Ramona.  I took her more seriously (and she takes herself more seriously) than Channing's voice gives her credit for.

That said, these are nice recordings and the Ramona books are a great choice for family listening.  They're short enough that you can use them for short trips around town or pick up several for a longer car ride.

Hey, I'm an Audible affiliate, which means that if you purchase items after clicking on links from this page, I may get a small commission. 

Around the Interwebs

It's been a busy week for this librarian, but I do have a couple of things for you:

Have you seen this fan-made Hunger Games scene?  I won't lie: tears were streaming down my face.  They should let these people make the movie. :)



Thanks to Betsy at A Fuse #8 Production for the link.

Melina at Reading Vacation weighs in on ereaders.  Are they naughty or nice?  Check out one tween's take!  (Personally, I am hoping Santa has an ereader in his sack for me...!)

Over at Everday Reading, Kathi Appelt's got a guest post about the importance of reading aloud.  Here's a snippet:

Having experienced this magic, my huge longing is for every child to be read to every day. I have a deep-seated belief that if that were to happen, that if every child were read to every day, by a caring adult, the world as we know would make a shift.

Now, click over and read the rest.

At Youth Services Corner, Whitney's examining some great library teen websites.  If you're thinking about revamping, check out her post for some inspiration.

What are best practices for storytime?  And what are some things not to do in storytime?   Mel's asking these questions, so head on over to Mel's Desk and share your tips and tricks!

And on that note, I'm off.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

City Across Time

Peter Kent's City Across Time by Peter Kent.  (Grades 2-6.)  Kingfisher, May 2010.  48 pages.  Reviewed from library copy.  This title has been nominated for a Cybils Award, and this review reflects only my own opinion. 


What happens to the cities that have been here before us?  Peter Kent gives readers a look at a European city from the Stone Age through the twentieth century (and beyond)!  Detailed cut-away illustrations show layers of civilization, Romans building on top of Iron Age ruins, a medieval city popping up on top of Roman ruins, etc., with each spread giving a brief overview of the time period.

This is a great choice for showing kids the progression of time and demonstrating where artifacts come from.  Kent starts the book with an introduction and information about archaeologists and how they excavate ruins to find out about the people who used to live there.  The illustrations and facts will encourage kids to explore this book again and again, each time finding something new.

Kids will pore over the illustrations, flipping back and forth to see the progression of certain details.  For example, in the 16th Century spread, a family digs a well in their basement.  In the next spread, the 17th century where the village is being pillaged, we see someone hiding bags of coins in a hollowed out niche in the well.  In the 18th century spread, the well's been sealed off, the coins still safely hidden.  They stay hidden through the 19th and 20th centuries, until the 21st century, where we see someone's found them and is delighting in his newfound riches.  There are lots of details like the coin bags and kids will delight in flipping the pages back and forth to see what happens and where certain elements appear.

The book includes a glossary, an index, and a short section with further information on the different eras.  Websites are provided for each time period as resources for further research.

Check out another review at Sal's Fiction Addiction.

Peter Kent's City Across Time is on shelves now!

Gingerbread House Best Practices

I've got a post up on the ALSC Blog on gingerbread house programs!  Have you done one at your library?  Head on over there and leave us a comment with tips and tricks!  Anyone have a blog post or photos of your gingerbread house program?  Leave me a comment and I'll include your link on the post.

Bones

Bones by Steve Jenkins.  (Grades K-5.)  Scholastic, 2010.  Unpaged.  Review copy provided by my local library.  This book has been nominated for a Cybils Award and this review reflects on my own opinion.

Bones.  They're inside you.  They're inside me.  And Steve Jenkins gives us the inside scoop in his latest book.  From femurs to ribs to skulls, Mr. Jenkins describes the various types of bones found in humans and animals.  He gives brief information and what the different bones do.  For example:

"The femur, or thigh bone, helps an animal stand and walk.  In animals that live on land, this bone is often the longest in the body."

And, of course, he includes his signature cut-paper illustrations.  Now, normally Steve Jenkins's illustrations are impressive.  In Bones, his illustrations are actually kind of mind-blowing.

In each spread, Mr. Jenkins includes bones or sometimes whole skeletons from different animals.  This allows for comparison between species and some surprising conclusions.  Take the first spread with pictures of arms, for instance.  Mr. Jenkins shows us a human arm, and the arms from a mole, a spider monkey, a gray whale, a turtle, and a fruit bat.  At first glance, they appear very different, but then I read the text:

"The forelimbs, or arms, of most bony animals and build from the same pieces: one large upper arm bone, two smaller forearm bones, a bunch of little wrist bones, and a set of finger bones.  Animals may vary greatly in size, and they may use their arms to do very different things, but their forelimbs all share the same basic set of bones."

After reading that, I went back to the illustrations and, sure enough, I could pick out the structures that they had in common.

Some skeletons are represented in their entirety - a human skeleton, a two-toed sloth, even a python with nearly 200 pairs of ribs.  And this is where I get really impressed.  The amount of painstaking work that went into creating these illustrations just blows my mind!  Some of the bones are shown actual size (which is really cool) and for the ones that are not, Mr. Jenkins includes a note about the scale.

In the back of the book are two spreads with additional information and fun facts about bones.  The only thing missing is a source note, though Mr. Jenkins does thank Darrin Lunde of the American Museum of Natural History for consulting.  And I'm not sure what my real feelings are about source notes in nonfiction picture books.  The librarian in me loves to have a source note, but probably kids don't look at them unless they're particularly curious, especially in titles geared towards younger readers.  So maybe I should get over it?

This is a particularly impressive offering by one of the central authors of children's nonfiction.

Bones is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday!  Head on over to books together for this week's roundup!

In My Mailbox #60

Hi, all.  It's time again for In My Mailbox, a weekly glimpse into the content of my mailbox (only the fun things like books, of course!).  Kristi of The Story Siren hosts the roundup, so head on over there to see which books you might want to put on your radar!

Here's what I got this week:

ETA:  Oops!  I forgot one because I was reading it and it wasn't in my pile!: 

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow (Egmont USA, December 2010).  This is a 2010 debut and I know it's written by an author of color (and featuring an Asian-American protagonist), so I'm excited to read it!

Edges by Lena Roy (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, December 2010).  This is a 2010 debut! 

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers (St. Martin's Griffin, December 2010).  Kelly is going to be heartbroken if I don't like this one.  It has been getting some super reviews, so hopefully I will! :) 

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal (Egmont USA, January 2011).  This is a 2011 debut and there's a story behind why I requested this one.  The very first year I won NaNoWriMo, my story was about a girl who was secretly adopted at birth and raised as a princess.  Neither the girl nor the kingdom at large knew that the queen wasn't her biological mother.  When I read the blurb for this one, it sounded kind of similar (by coincidence, only!).  Obviously I'm intrigued by the idea and I had to see what a real writer would do with it!

Taking Off by Jenny Moss (Walker, January 2011).  Historical fiction set around the Challenger space shuttle explosion.  I actually just finished this one, so except a review soon!

And that's it for my mailbox!  I have been so busy lately that I feel like I haven't had any time to read... Luckily I've got a vacation coming up after Christmas, so I plan to do nothing but read, read, read! 

Again, not book related

but since it's the holidays...

My choir (the IUS Community Chorus) is singing at a holiday concert tomorrow and it'll be broadcast live on 90.5 WUOL radio!  You can listen over the internet, so if you don't have any other entertainment plans for 3:00 EST tomorrow (Sunday, Dec. 12), please tune in and hear us!  We are singing some really beautiful songs.  The Louisville Youth Choir and the Cardinal Singers will be performing as well!

Fa la la la la!