Critique

Laurence Yep is known for his beautiful exposés on Chinese history as it intersects with American history. His two books that have previously won the Newbery Honor awards, Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate, bring to life the under-explored story of the men who came to America from China to work on the railroad. They brought with them the hope and promise of a better life only to be met by hardship and disillusionment, but had the strength and perseverance to see it through.

Dragons of Silk is a perfect addition to this series and companion to the previous books because it provides a new perspective on Chinese history and culture as it intersects with American history and culture through a different medium—silk—but also through a different voice—women. The plot and conflict is palpable and multifaceted. Yep has brought his reader into the lives of the characters and done a masterful job creating connection and empathy with their struggles and triumphs.

It seems no accident that Yep has chosen silk as the object of the plot and a main symbolic theme throughout the writing. One can feel the connection, the threads that bind chapter to chapter, person to person, and generation to generation as his story is weaved throughout its 75-year span. I recommend this to all readers 10+ as it will connect with both children and adults.

Critique

I was thoroughly excited to read this book, just based off of the name and the cover, and although, I would generally not recommend judging a book by its cover, this book proved to be wonderful. The premise is already charming, that there would be need for a governess to oversee children who happen to be raised by wolves. Beyond that, it’s every bit fun that you would expect.

The children adapt and learn quickly, but Wood makes them consistent to their wolfly roots, throwing in squirrel chases and conversations with housedogs. They seem like believable characters, as believable as children raised by wolves can be, I suppose, and all of the other main characters in the story are just as ridiculous but lovable, as any good historical satire of Victorian society would be.

Wood’s writing style reminds me of the dry wit of Roald Dahl, and it’s about time that we had books in that style again. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series as it comes out, and I recommend this to readers 9+, focusing more on 9-12.

Critique

Unlike many of the books I read and review in the young adult arena, I was not able to skip through this text quickly. I found myself reading a few chapters and then pondering on the implications of the text and the honesty it forced me to face in my own life. Marcelo has this way of relating experiences in their most simplistic form, breaking things down from the complexity that we often try to shroud our interaction and thought process with in order to pursue negative and destructive behavior that we ultimately know is wrong and bad for us and others.

It caused me to question why we interact with each other in certain ways, and what prohibits us from being living in honesty and decency. It reminds me of many of the conversations I have around ‘sharing’ music, a term we use to defend something that it, in reality, is nothing but stealing. We have many methods we use to doublespeak ourselves into believing that this kind of behavior in all aspects of our lives is not only ‘ok’ but should actually be ‘encouraged.’ Through our selfishness, we create our own systems of misery and suffering, and I believe that a character like Marcelo has the capability to help us refocus and put it all back into perspective—cause and effect, action and consequence.

As for the story itself, it’s beautifully written, and I enjoyed every last word. It reads as if Stork truly took the time to create a rich, engaging, and educational experience for his audience. It’s been several days since I’ve finished, and although I’m in the midst of other books, this text has stuck with me as I continue to process through my priorities and the way I live my life in general. Marcelo is a believable character who goes through a painful transition and an arc that is riddled with sadness and joy. I think, in many ways, his journey helps to remind us that the ‘real world’ is more complicated than we’d like it to be, but that we often create that drama for ourselves. I recommend this to all readers 13+.

Critique

Being as this is such a great classic of literature, both for children and adults, I don’t add that much value by reviewing it and recommending it. However, I thought it would be fun to post something so much older in the midst of my reviews for books published recently. This is my attempt to say, “Don’t forget about me” for the old books that still have a lot of value.

In many ways, the reason that The Hobbit is such a popular book that has stood the test of time is Tolkein’s attention to detail and story. The world of Middle Earth feels tangible, and I would state outright that most of the fantasy books out nowadays are either rehashes of Tolkein’s world, or just action-driven stories that don’t take the time to delve into the setting, characters, or story with much depth. They’re fun reads, but nothing that will prompt any intellectual thought or multiple reads. Comparing books to food, The Hobbit is like a filet mignon while many of these recent books are more like a fast food cheeseburger. Both are meat, technically, but the filet is a much more satisfying meal even though it takes longer to make and eat.

Critique

I really do love these books, and I was certainly excited to see another addition to the series. For those who are just entering the scene of The Mysterious Benedict Society here on this review, you may want to check out the other two that I’ve posted previously because this review will simply be a reaction and comparison to the others.

That said, I have to be honest that I was a little disappointed in this one. Although there are a lot of fun fight scenes between Milligan and the Ten Men, there aren’t nearly as many brain teasers for the readers to engage in with the four main characters. Overall, the book is great, and it’s certainly a fun read, but what I feel makes these books so particularly unique and such a great read are the puzzles that Stewart interjects throughout. Certainly, if you’re a fan, you should still read it, but I think it’s the weakest in the series so far.

The other two books in this series are The Mysterious Benedict Society (book 1), and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (book 2).

Critique

Very much in the tone of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, this exposé of the climate of the South in 1963 reveals the social and racial tension 100 years after slavery had been banned. The mentality of the African American community is still too often that of passive-aggressive servitude, and taking that final step to bridging the gap proves to be more of a mountain than it should be. The White community is often both cruel and two-faced when it comes to their African American townspeople, and it’s sad to see that people were treating each other this way even this long after slavery had been abolished.

Burg also relates the happenings of the townsfolk with that of the important historical moments during the summer of that year, which ushered in the Civil Rights movement in full force. This text is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a great tool in order to help us all remember how far things have come in America, and how far they still need to go for full racial equality and dissolving enmity between cultures. I recommend this to all readers 12+.

Critique

What can I say about Boys Without Names? It is such an amazing book, that I’m not sure describing it, or just using words like ‘moving,’ ‘poignant,’ and ‘beautifully painful’ really do it justice. It’s a simple yet profound story that everyone in America should read, not just teens. It’s important that we as a culture understand that many of the nice things that we want at a cheap price often come at an incredibly high price for someone else. Including becoming a slave.

Read it! Expand your worldview. Change your perspective on what it truly, tangibly means to have your clothes made in sweatshops in poorer countries around the world. Our rampant materialism is an oppressor to people in other nations, and we should have to account for it.

Other than the message Sheth so profoundly communicates, the world she creates is beautiful. I can feel the heat, smell all the amazing smells, and learn a great deal about Indian culture. I feel as if I am also one of those boys without names, working in the sweatshop, and through their experience of creating family and bonds, and reminded fondly of my own childhood. All the more reason that I want to step into the story and save these children from injustice, and punish those who are responsible for it.

It was everything I was hoping for and more, and I recommend that everyone read it.

Critique

As opposed to the previous book in the Emily series, The Lost Days, Stranger & Stranger is not as engaging. Specifically, I felt like there were way, way too many lists, and the story as a whole was a bit difficult to follow. On top of that, it takes too long to get to the exciting part of the story, which is where the two Emily’s split and carry on different stories. The Lost Days has range to the story, since the reader is spending much of the book, along with Emily, trying to figure out who she is and why she’s there. There are several plot twists, and a lot of content that the reader has to piece together throughout the book. Stranger & Stranger, is, to be honest, a bit boring in comparison, and I feel like even though the concept is interesting, the actual implementation is lacking a bit. If you want a good Emily book, or just a good book in general, read The Lost Days. Hopefully the next in the series will be better, and will have less lists and more story.

Critique

Indeed…it’s true that everyone wants to be in Ms. Plum’s class. I especially would have loved to have been in such a magical classroom as a child. This is most certainly a children’s book, which is not usually a book that I review and recommend, but upon seeing the title, I knew it would be the kind of book that a lot of people would enjoy. I feel like it should be added to the list of great children’s books that become classic over time, like Where the Wild Things Are and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Even for adults, it’s an interesting allegory that can give some insight into who you were as a child and who you’ve become as an adult. Honestly, I kind of wish that there was a magical Ms. Plum right now that would show me some of my personal character flaws in order to help me figure out how to right them. I recommend this book to children, parents and teachers.

Critique

Very rarely are authors able to invent a truly original fantasy, and even among that group, only a select few are able to take that original idea and make it into a compelling, well-written novel. Fortunately, both are definitely the case with this book. Knox, who is usually an adult writer took a stab at some young adult fantasy fiction and has executed it brilliantly. The world is tangible as are its rules. The characters are real, and are involved in more than ‘banding together against a great evil to save the world’, which is an all too-often used plot in fantasy books and young adult books alike.

There are many subplots, factions between the characters, and political and historical intrigue throughout the text. The relationships between characters is as complex as the characters themselves, and, in many ways, this reads like excellent fiction that happens to be set in a fantasy world. The aesthetics, dialogue, and use of language is, to Knox’s credit, written splendidly. I recommend this book to all readers 13+, and I hope the sequel will be just as good.

There is one other book in this series, Dreamquake (book 2).