StarScout Rising: First Trail by Gary Darby

When I first received StarScout Rising: First Trail by Gary Darby I have to admit my thoughts went along the lines of “boy, that’s a thick book” and “jeepers, that’s a creepy cover”. It took me a while to get over my intimidation to find out it was a pretty decent book.
Here’s a little bit about the book from Amazon:
From the last frontier, Space. A must-have, out of this world adventure! Star Scout Rising, First Trail by Gary Darby is a thoughtful, awe-inspiring, and spine-tingling Sci-Fi mystery that follows a young man named Del Baldura during his quest for knowledge, truth, and discovery in the distant future of human and alien kind. This story has it all superb background, surprises, mystery, love, futuristic technological possibilities, bizarre life forms, and a hero trying to make sense of his duty and loyalty, his current leadership responsibilities, and his search for truth about part of his and his family's history. Volume One of a three volume set, Darby hits a grand-slam with this first novel. Smart and thought provoking. Volume Two due out in 2011.

There’s plenty of action and high-interest intrigue in this book. There were moments that made me giggle and others that made me bit my nails. I also liked the mix of characters—old and young, male and female. I liked the way the friends stuck up for each other and stayed together even when it would have been easy to go a different road. Better than that, I liked that the story was clean and unabrasive. There were none of those "icky" bits that you wonder why they really needed to be there in the first place. This is one book you won’t have to worry about handing over to your Sci-Fi loving teen.

What didn’t I like? Eh, there were a lot of different character and subplots going on. I sometimes had trouble keeping it all straight and didn’t get as much closer at the end as I would have liked (yes, even for a series). I should also mention the editing could have been better, but it wasn’t completely distracting. Unless it’s bad enough to hinder my reading I don’t judge a story by how clean the copy ended up being.

I don’t know that you could get a reluctant boy reader to pick StarScout Rising: First Trail up since it is so thick, but I ‘m betting you could hand it to any teen boy who openly enjoys Sci-Fi and not see him for a couple of days as he hides under his covers reading. Hurray for clean reads which cater to teen boys!

Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin is a sweet and satisfying romance. However, it wasn’t a “fluff” story either. Yes, we know who will ultimately end up together, but the journey to get there has more substance than, “Do you like me? Check yes or no,” types of details.

Meg seems to have the worst luck in men. She seems to attract the ones who don’t want to treat her very well, and worse, she begins to believe that’s all she should expect. Is it any wonder she has a hard time recognizing a good man, and the potential for a beautiful, uplifting relationship when it comes along?

I could understand exactly where she was coming from, and I think most young readers will be able to as well. The situation she finds herself in is a common one. Sometimes it felt like she was overcoming her problems a little too easily, but mostly the accomplishments were appropriate and believable.

I highly recommend Meg's Melody for the older teen/young adult scene who are beginning to take a closer look at what they’d like in a future mate. This book offers some non-confrontational food for thought wrapped up in an engaging love story package.


Kaylee is running a contest! Whomever comments a the review post on any of the blogs in the tour, will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Meg's Melody.

January 10th
Shanda at LDSWBR
http://ldswbr.blogspot.com/

January 11th
Tristi Pinkston
http://tristipinkston.blogspot.com/

January 12th
Jolene Perry
http://jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com/

January 13th
Shaunna Gonzales
http://shaunnagonzales.blogspot.com/

January 15th
Taffy Lowell
http://sweeterthantaffy.blogspot.com/

January 17th
Heather at Fire and Ice
http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/

January 18th
Marsha Ward
http://marshaward.blogspot.com/

January 19th
Alison Palmer
http://alisonpalmer.blogspot.com/

January 20th
I am a Reader Not a Writer
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Talley
January 21st
http://www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com/

The Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley

After what felt like a slow start in the first few chapters, I had a great time reading The Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley.

Take a beautiful, intelligent girl from a farm in the middle of nowhere, add a far off kingdom at war with its neighbor and you’ve got the basic plot of a dozen fantasy novels. That said, The Peasant Queen is a romantic fantasy that can definitely hold its own among the most popular of those YA titles.

Krystal is a farm girl whose family has betrothed her to someone who is in no way her equal. In a desperate attempt to figure out how to get out of the marriage she considers running away. But the tables are turned slightly when she’s kidnapped instead. She’s not really sure why she’s there or what will be come of her. The reader isn’t sure either, but the whole attitude with which Krystal faces this unexpected challenge made the whole book for me.

Despite the nature of her arrival in the new kingdom, Krystal is anything but a victim of circumstance. She is a heroine extraordinaire and the kind of girl I’d want my own girls to learn a thing or two from. She’s strong, capable and determined. There’s no damsel in distress in this story and I loved that about it.

Did I have any issues? Eh- I’m one of those that take issue with having a heroine that every male character alive seems to fall in love with. Cheri did a good job of weaving it together in a believable scenario, but I would have been more comfortable if the bad guy’s motivations were more clearly self-love and wanting what he couldn’t have rather than showing actual *love* for her. Yes, it made him more human and all that good writerly stuff, my skeptical mind just didn’t want to buy into it. Sigh.

I’d highly recommend handing The Peasant Queen off to a tween or teen girl in your life. For the good story, but more importantly, for the positive messages about what it can mean to be a woman of strength come what may.

Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins

Well, Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins was a cute little book. Don’t expect any deep thought, only a light romance with a couple of giggles thrown in for fun.

Charley seems to be very unlucky in love. Try as she may, she doesn’t appear to be able to get a guy to stick with her for more than a few months. Sometimes she blames them, sometimes she blames herself. But one thing is clear: she needs to change her approach to love if she wants cupid’s arrow to stick forever.

Enter Max and Damien. Max is an old high school crush who seems perfect for Charley. Damien is the typical playboy next door neighbor: Italian and very cute but very much not what Charley is looking for. Funny how he always shows up and saves the day though. . . .

When Charley runs across an internet article on how to get a guy to like you, she’s all for it and knows just the target. Max will be head-over-heels in love with her before he even knows what hit him. Probably literally.

So what’s this magical “get your man” advice? It involves:

Dark chocolates
Hard-to-find gifts
Compliments
A night on the town
Tall buildings
Funny movies
Mending his clothes
Surprise intimacy
Great memories, and
I love you in a note

Now, I must admit, I rolled my eyes when I saw the list. Maybe it would actually work, maybe not, but I’m not exactly married to the typical male so it seemed a little out there to me. You’ll have to judge that for yourself.

How was the actual story line? Light and fluffy-the way a good romantic comedy should be. It was an okay read for me, but I suspect if I handed it to my almost 17yo the house would rock with giggles. That’s actually who I’m going to recommend Winning Mr. Wrong for. To me it really spoke to those teenage angst years of wanting to catch a certain guy’s eye only to find out he wasn’t such a good catch anyway, and learning who you really are before you can really be part of a solid relationship.

The Price of Gold- First Chapter

Chapter 1

Met looked down at the silver knife in front of him, swallowing hard to push back the bile rising in his throat. He couldn’t do this.
He couldn’t, but he had to. This one horrid act meant the difference between life and death for him.
Just a few miles away there was a twenty-first century world with thousands of people going about their normal lives. They had no idea the things of Met's world could even exist. Met loved his life, but right now he wished he could be one of those normal people.
A breeze stirred the linen around his groin. That tiny sensation was enough to remind him of the traditional garb he was wearing, and the ritual that must be completed. Coming back out of his sickening fears, he glanced at the hooded bird on his arm and then out at the faces of his family. He nodded. The falcon’s grip on Met’s flesh was loosening. It was almost time.
The sour taste came back again in a forceful wave of regret. She was his favorite. He’d trained Paniwi himself. The beautiful falcon had been his almost constant companion for the last two years. He always knew this would be the end of things, tried not to get attached; but it couldn’t be helped. She was a beautiful bird.
Met watched the sea of faces out of the corner of his eye as he gently lifted Paniwi from her favorite perch on Met’s arm and laid her down on the stone altar. Her training, and the sedative that had almost taken full effect, would not let her get up. She would wait patiently and unknowingly for her fate.
The whole process made him weak and nauseous. He prayed with all his heart that things could go differently, but he knew that was an empty prayer the gods would ignore. This was a centuries old tradition. If he didn’t complete it, he would die. He could already feel the heaviness of his limbs and the restriction of his chest. His pulse was slowing as his heart began to harden.
His thirteenth birthday was only 24 hours ago, but the change in his blood was already well on its way to completion. If his body did not change and adapt to the thicker, more precious blood, it would kill him in a matter of days: much faster than his death would come otherwise.
The air began to pulse gently as the others started to shift their forms.
He began quietly reciting the prayer, whispering it to Paniwi’s ka. Though the others would hear, it was for her that Met prayed. He thanked her for her devotion, for her life and beautiful qualities. Then he encouraged her soul to speed its way back to the presence of Horus, carrying his vows of servitude with her.
After a short pause, he took a breath and began the next part of the incantation, his voice cracking with emotion as he pled with her for the precious gift he needed. Though he could not yet hear them, he knew the animal minds all around him now melded together to add their voices to the prayer. Met asked for the gift of her essence, her knowledge and skills as a hunter, her wisdom of the animal world, for her connection to the gods, and most importantly, for her form.
The world seemed silent, waiting, as his sob pierced through the air and his knife slit Paniwi’s throat.
His limbs that were once heavy were now on fire. The royal blood inside him thickened more quickly now and every cell in his body screamed in protest, both for the golden blood’s invasion and for the changes they were now being forced to make to accommodate it.
His vision went black, leaving only the memory of the bloody, broken form on the altar. His legs gave into the fierce pressure, buckling underneath him. Met dropped the knife and slipped out of consciousness.
When his vision returned, it was different. His, but not the sight he had known for the first thirteen years of his life. It was sharper, the edges of everything more crisp, colorful, and defined. It was weird. It seemed more focused, but his line of sight had suddenly grown much wider, like his vision suddenly switched from full screen to wide screen format. Met’s new eyes were extremely sensitive to any movement, making every little leaf that shifted in the wind flick suddenly into focus in the forefront of his sight before being dismissed as unimportant.
It was different, but then so was he. He flexed his new wings a little wider, searching for a current that would pull him up and away from the sacred clearing.
Everything still hurt. He was stiff and felt clumsy, but Paniwi’s gift had been given and received. Met’s new form knew its purpose. Tiny portions of his mind began processing the world in ways that were foreign to the old Met, but very familiar to the new Met. He loved the feel of the wind, the newness of the world.
He sent another silent prayer toward Paniwi’s ka, now in her language rather than the language of his forefathers, expressing gratitude for her sacrifice. He would feel the sorrow of her loss for a long time. But he would honor her gift and his heritage with everything that he now was, as his clan had done since the first pharaohs ruled Egypt.
With that promise he let his weary body drift toward earth, coming back down as night descended around him. Met would need to remain in this form for several days before his body could tolerate another transformation. He would still need time to heal, but the pain would fade and soon he would be able to shift between his two forms at will.
He landed on the corner of the family’s food table, directly across from the banquet prepared for their gods, and watched as the members of his clan filed past him on their way toward the food. Most had already shifted back to their human form, but there were still many other shapes present. Each one performed a swift kneeling bow in greeting; honoring his passage into the realm of the gods and also the god Horus who accepted Met as his son and servant.
Man and beast swirled together in a strange dance. There were humans dressed in cotton robes and wraps mingling with birds, cats, baboons, crocodiles, cows, jackals, wolves and many other creatures which most of the world would never see outside of a zoo. This was Met’s world—a place of mythical fantasy that was all too real. It was a life that very few could even imagine, much less know anything about. This life was a secret trust his family kept quietly enfolded in a world that was only partly theirs. This realm was very much out of place in the 21st century.
This was Met’s family.
He watched with weary falcon eyes until the exhaustion and lingering pain became too much. He drifted into an uneasy sleep while the rest of the clan continued to celebrate.
*****
Want to read more? The Price of Gold is available on Amazon.com and as an e-book.

The Fourth Nephite by Jefferey S. Savage

We’ve all heard them: the arguments given from many different sources that try to discount or explain away the stories associated with the restoration of the gospel. But, what happens when those rationales and excuses are stemming from your own doubts and fears about your place in the gospel? It happens. Some are blessed with strong, unwavering faith. Some struggle to find a footing in life that makes them feel a part of any spiritual journey.

Where does it happen most? Probably among our teens and young adults. They are turning their whole lives upside down trying to figure out who they want to be and where they fit in the world around them. Entering this stage without a firmly planted testimony can lead to many questions and searches for answers. Some will look in the right places. Some will not. How do we help our youth find their place in Christ’s church, and more importantly how do we help them welcome Him into their hearts and lives? Jeffrey S. Savage seems to have found one way to offer a little support and encouragement in the form of The Fourth Nephite.

Kaleo Steele is just a typical struggling teen finding himself caught up in a life that threatens to carry him away and he’s not really sure that a bad thing. . . .until he gets caught by his seminary teacher. In an effort to cover up his mistakes, rather than any real sense of regret, Kaleo bargins with his teacher and gets sent on a special assignment to redeem himself. It’s a journey that requires Kaleo to decide if he is willing to stand as a witness to the truth of the gospel and the prophetic mission of Joseph Smith.

The Fourth Nephite is not heavily laden with scriptural insights and more “ites” to keep track of than you could manage to save your life. It’s simple, straight forward, and honest in its approach. For this I applaud Mr. Savage. His true intent was not to publish a work that celebrated his in-depth knowledge of the gospel; but rather, to reach out with his own beliefs and personal testimony that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God. It’s just right for his intended YA audience.

While most of the arguments given are ones that a seasoned member of the church would understand in their fullness, I can see the need to answer these types of questions for the younger member, new convert or hesitant investigator. I don’t think The Fourth Nephite would ever be souly responsible for someone’s conversion- and that’s as it should be- but it does offer a more personable view point that may make eternal concepts easier to grasp and take to heart. I think the most accepting audience, and those that it could have the greatest effect on, would be the young teens: ages 11-14-ish.

Okay, go ahead- ask me what I found to whine about this time. Just because I’m a little weird I seemed to be disoriented by the basic plot mechanisms. While I think the cover is beautifully done, between the name and the cover I would have had no idea what the book was actually about had I not flipped it over to the back copy. The cover shows a conglomerate of modern, early church and ancient American information. But I still had trouble getting my mind to resolve what kind of story I would actually find. It was a little disorienting to find my sense of time and place in the story. I kept expecting Kaleo to go visit and travel with the three Nephites in some way or another. That’s not the case. Using the three Nephites in both early church history and as a door to the past from our present world was a clever way to explore how one might go about experiencing history from a firsthand perspective but for some reason it still kept throwing me off.

Weird, huh? I have no excuses. I’m just a flake sometimes.

All in all though, The Fourth Nephite is a valuable piece of literature that I hope finds its way in to the hands of the Kaleos of this world. If you have young teens or pre-teens in your house this is a title that you might consider stuffing in a stocking or two. Thank you, Jeffery S. Savage for your sincere, sweet look into the life of the prophet Joseph Smith. It was refreshing.

Pocket of Guilt by Dora Lee Thompson

A few weeks ago I received an ARC of Pocket of Guilt by Dora Lee Thompson. It was certainly an interesting book to read.

From the back cover:
The Schulz family, all members of the Mormon church, is trying to survive in Germany, during and after WWII.

This book is told from several different viewpoints, with the emphasis being on the children. It’s a tale geared toward the YA reader, especially those who have a particular interest in historical events. I see it being something that would really appeal to the teen boy and an adult audience who favors this genre. Ms. Thompson takes great care to both educate and entertain, then helps the reader sort out the fact from fiction by providing references for her findings (always a plus in historical fiction). The storyline also follows the entire conflict and the years after. It’s not just one tiny segment, it helps the reader put the whole picture together appropriately.

I enjoyed the way she wove the different lives in out of each other. I was impressed that the struggles portrayed were realistic and not rose-colored. It was important to me to note that the dilemmas the families faced were tough, not easy to get out of, and that the right decisions were not always made. I think it’s important to keep things real. We don’t always make the right choice. We may not even know what it is. We do ignore promptings when we are overwhelmed by circumstances. But most importantly, just like the characters in Pocket of Guilt, we all have opportunities to learn from and resolve our mistakes with the Lord’s tender mercies.

Did I have any sniveling complaints with Pocket of Guilt? A couple. I wish that the story could have been tightened up and shortened a little. The size of the book doesn’t seem very intimidating until you open it and look at the print—it’s tiny and the paragraphs tend to be long—not necessarily a good thing if you are dealing with reluctant readers, which most boys are apt to be, or older readers.

Also, I was a tad surprised by the list price of Pocket of Guilt. I think it might cost Ms. Thompson some private sales, which is unfortunate. This is a title that I would suggest lobbying hard for it to be purchased by your local schools and libraries. To me, that’s where the investment will have the greatest return.

Pocket of Guilt has good things to offer and a unique perspective to share, so I’m definitely rooting for it to make it into the hands of those who can most enjoy it. Good luck, Dora Lee Thompson!

The Sapphie Flute by Karen E. Hoover

Fantasy is one of my favorite areas to read, YA fantasy, even better. So I was happy to receive an ARC of The Sapphire Flute by Karen E. Hoover. It proved to be a fun and satisfying read.

A little about the book:

The world of Rasann is dying. The mages in the land have been working together to weave their magic into a net to hold the world in one piece, but those cords are breaking down. They need a white mage, the rarest of them all, to step in and take over where they are falling down, but there hasn’t been a white mage for over three thousand years. Their only hope lies in finding the magic keystones, long hidden, which will bind the world together.

Kayla has been given charge of one of those keystones, the Sapphire Flute, and been told not to play it. Another will come, destined to play the flute and bring the magic within it to life. She has never met this player, and has no idea where to find such a person.

In the meantime, Ember has discovered a secret – her father had the ability to shift himself into the shape of a wolf, and she has that gift as well. When she takes upon herself her new appearance, quite by accident the first time, she discovers a family she never knew she had.
Lurking behind it all is C’Tan, the sorceress. She wants the keystones for herself, and she will stop at nothing to get them.

In The Sapphire Flute we are introduce to two young ladies who hold a world of power without really knowing it. The themes encompass freedom of choice, consequence of choice and becoming the master of your own destiny. There are some sweet and valuable lessons to be had- in a very non-preachy form.

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to wax poetically about Ms. Hooper’s first novel, but sadly my brain cells are failing me. So, here it is in a nut shell:

Hurray for a pair of strong heroines!
I love the fact that they aren't wishy-washy.
I love that they tend to save more than be saved.
I love that they stand up for themselves and their choices.
I loved the musical elements, as well. (I’m just that kind of person ;)
I loved that even when you thought you knew who the villains were, there was always something more about them, or their motivations, that wasn't quite so obvious. It adds just the right amount of suspicion and suspense.


I’ve read far too many books lately, some good reads, some not so much, that show the female characters as interesting and strong until the boy comes along, then suddenly she can’t be anything other than a swooning female moth dancing around the boy’s flame. Yes, there are a few elements of romance in The Sapphire Flute, but once again, it is reasonable and within the girl’s control. She has a definite say in the relationship. For me, Ember and Kayla are The Sapphire Flute’s strongest assets, as well they should be. It was a refreshing change and one I wish more authors would take note of.

Do I have any whines and complaints about The Sapphire Flute? A little bit. Maybe I was just too distracted when I opened it looking for an escape, but I had a slight hiccup in the first few pages trying to acclimate myself to the character names and the rules of magic in the world. There was an appropriate amount of suspense and lead- in with the introduction. It was just the names and understanding how the magical elements worked that gave me a moment’s pause. It took me a few pages to get in the groove. That was probably just me.

Second, is something the author has no control over. It's a case of "don't judge a book by its cover." While beautiful in its own right, the cover did not seem to match the book. Yes, it had all the right elements, but the images felt, well, a little juvenile for a YA book. It felt more like something I'd find on a middle grade. Depending on the type of consumer/teen reader you’re talking about, some may actually be put off by the cover instead of attracted to it. Again, just my own opinion and experiences. My 9 and 11 year old children saw the cover and asked what the book was about. I showed it to my teenage daughter asking if she would like to read it- she glanced at the cover and shrugged, not even curious if the subject matter was something she'd be interested in. I hope my own family’s weirdness doesn’t affect a larger audience and detract from the great things The Sapphire Flute has to offer, because Ms. Hoover has a talent for making female characters that really can be inspiring heroines and positive teen role models.

The Sapphire Flute is Karen E. Hoover’s first publication, and is the first of a series of seven. A new book in the series will be published each spring. Congratulations, Karen, you’re off to a great start!

Summer in Paris by Michele Ashman Bell

Summer in Paris marks Michele Ashman Bell’s 20th published title. That should give you some indication of her level of knowledge in her craft. This sweet little book marks her national market début and I think it will prove a success for her.

In Summer in Paris we meet a teenage girl, Kenzie, who seems to have the perfect life, only to find out it’s not as perfect as she’d like. Life is full of ups and downs, and from the beginning of the book we’re thrown right into them with her. I personally think bungee jumping is an excellent way to start a book! ;)

A little blurb about the book:
Kenzie Williams feels like she has it all; wealth, friends, popularity and talent. But when her father tells her he has declared bankruptcy, her whole world in New York City turns upside down. Her parent's solution while they sort through their financial and marital problems is to send Kenzie to live with her relatives in Paris . . . Idaho!

I loved all the little scrapes and adventures Kenzie seemed to find her way in to. I loved that there were a lot of different stories being told from her view. It wasn’t just a romance, or a drama, or a mystery, or a comedy. Each little storyline showed you a different theme as well. It was all woven together very well to create a thoroughly enjoyable picture of teenage angst. There’s a little something for almost any YA reader within the pages of Summer in Paris.

Did I have any hiccups while reading? Well . . . I have to admit that, at first, I thought Kenzie was a little snot. I couldn’t relate to her at all. I know, I know, she’s supposed to be that way. Maybe it’s because I’m coming at it from a mom’s point of view, but all I could do was roll my eyes at her. Luckily, I stuck with Kenzie long enough to see her grow and begin to understand what was really important in life. She definitely grew on me as she grew in the story. Oh, and I was almost as disappointed as Kenzie was when I figured out the Paris I would be traveling to with her was in Idaho. Sigh.

I also think Michele deserves a shout out for showing the contrast of what a healthy, loving marriage looks like. I think that’s an important factor that often gets left out of the “my parents are getting divorced” books. Most YA books, even when they don’t have anything to do with the parent’s marital problems, tend to show dysfunctional marriages and incomplete families. Sadly, I recognize that is the norm, but I also think it’s important that young girls receive the message that love is work, but it can also be very, very lovely. Hurray for Kenzie’s parents who got to learn those lessons, too.

If you happen to live in Salt Lake, Michele will be signing copies of Summer in Paris March 16, 2010 at The Gateway Barnes & Noble in Salt Lake City from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt

This is a little different from most book reviews I do. How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt doesn’t earn a universal recommendation from me. I’ll explain later. But, it did give me something very valuable to think about amidst a good story.

How to Build a House introduces us to Harper (love that name, btw) who has signed up to spend her summer in Tennessee building a home for a family who was displaced by a tornado. She’s a sweet girl who really is interested in helping, but she’s also a sad and bitter girl who is doing everything in her power to escape her own home life. In the process of learning to build an actual home, Harper learns a lot about what it takes to build a family. It’s an interesting journey that I was glad to take with her.

So, why the warning rather than my usual recommendation? I try very hard to only discuss books that I could recommend to my own mother. Trust me; she’s the biggest prude you’ll ever meet. In other words, if I’m gong to endorse it I want it to be squeaky clean. While How to Build a House is not exactly promiscuous, there may be some who are offended by the casual inclusion of teenage sexual activity and underage drinking.

Personally, I was not offended. I found it to be a pretty accurate portrayal of today’s youth without glamorization. There were characters who engaged in more casual sexual relationships, those that were more serious, and those that chose abstinence. There was a very satisfying aspect in which Harper begins to understand that there is a big difference between having sex and being in a relationship where you feel secure and beautiful for just being who you are. Well done, or not, be aware that these aspects are present and you might want to preview the title before recommending it to your own teenager.

Now, what about How to Build a House won it a place in my book reviews? It gave me a few beautiful moments of contemplation. One statement, in combination with the story context made me think about something that hadn’t been on my mind very much lately. It was a reminder I sorely needed.

The statement: Take off your shoes.

Not much, but think biblically for a moment. Moses was asked to take off his shoes before approaching the burning bush. He was entering a sacred space and needed to be reminded of that. Though How to Build a House does not mention Moses it leaves a very clear message:

A home is a sacred space. It is build with love and relationships and should be honored as such. Take off your shoes.

Now, I’ve heard of a lot of different reasons for taking off your shoes before entering someone’s home. This is by far my favorite. My family is not the take off your shoes at the door type. Sure, we run around barefoot most of the time but we kick off those shoes where ever we feel like it. (And hope we remember where that was the next day.) Still, it was nice to spend a few moments contemplating the sacred space of my home. Was I honoring that? Do I bring my best self whenever I enter into my home? Do I leave as much of the world outside as I can? More often than not, the answer is no.

So, that’s why How to Build a Home makes my “Worth the Read” list. I needed to be reminded to pause just a little more often on the threshold of my home, and take off my “shoes”. I need my house to be that kind of sanctuary and I’m the one who can build that kind of home.

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

I bring lots of goodies home with me from the Storymaker’s conference, but I think The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum was my favorite this year. I knew to expect good things from Lisa, but I didn’t know how good until I got pulled into Dante and Abby’s world. Let me tell you, it’s an awesome place to lose yourself for a while.

I purposely held off on reading it until I could clear my schedule. I highly suspected that once I started I would not want to stop, and I was right. I was completely enamored by the end of chapter one and I ended up having to carve out some extra reading time in order to finish faster than I’d first planned. I’m a big fan of good writing in general but as I’ve mentioned before-- it’s the books that grab you so powerfully that you can’t let go even when you should be doing something else that really make my day.

Here, let me sum it up for you:

Totally hot guy

Time travel

Cool music

Great villains

Sweet romance, oh and did I mention

Totally hot guy (I picture him as the teenage version of Josh Groban, nuf’ said) ;)

I’ve also made a mental note to learn Italian. It definitely beats out French as the language of love after reading The Hourglass Door.

I’ve always been a big fan of Leonardo DaVinci and loved the way Lisa wove him into the tale as well. I was however a little bit bummed to realize he didn’t have quite as active roll in the story as I was hoping she was hinting at. (How’s that for an awkward sentence?) What she did instead was completely satisfying, but I still had an “Awe man! It would have been so cool, if. . . ” moment. I won’t say anymore in case it gives something away for you.

Okay, now here’s my shameful confession. I fully remember reading Dante’s Inferno in high school, but, um, somehow I missed the fact that there was a girl involved. Kudos to Lisa for using such intriguing elements as DaVinci’s inventions and classic literature to weave a very engaging tale.

If you, or someone you know, are a Twilight fan you’ll find an awesome, clean “what-to-read-next” option in The Hourglass Door. In fact, don’t tell my teenage daughter I have this book. If she gets her hands on it I’ll never see it again. It’s mine I tell you! Maybe I’ll buy her a copy for Christmas.

The Forgotten Warrior by Kathi Oram Peterson

When I saw Kathi Oram Peterson’s new title: The Forgotten Warrior, I was pretty excited to see what it was like. The tale of the stripling warriors is on of my favorites and a classic standard for the youth. It's one you really want them to remember and understand because the world today can be just as brutal as those war years in the Book of Mormon. We want our children to understand the power that faith can have to protect them.

In The Forgotten Warrior, Syd, a modern teenage girl with a lot of worries and responsibilities weighing heavily on her shoulders is transported back to the time of the Helaman's Warriors. There was much to like about this story. I liked the fact that even though Syd had the emotions and thoughts of any teenage girl, she was far from incapable of handling the situation she found herself in. The author made it very clear that Syd was transported through time for the Lord's purposes, not just for a fun "magical" trip. Syd had a purpose to serve there and a few things to learn. What was her purpose? Well, it just so happens that Syd is a black-belt in karate and helps teach at her mother's dojo. Tada! After some initial distrust Syd is called by the prophet Helaman to prepare his son's for battle with her fighting style. Helaman feels that learning some of Syd's techniques will help give the Stripling Warriors an advantage they sorely need in their fight.

What does Syd need to learn? What it really means to have the heart of a Nephite. What the power of the Lord in our lives really is. Oh, and how to fall in love, too.

There were things about The Forgotten Warrior that I didn't like as well. There are snippets at the beginning of each chapter that are told from the perspective of one of the warriors. This was fine, except in my old age I had a difficult time reading the font that was chosen to distinguish between the two thought processes. Sadly, I ended up skipping many of these passages instead of taking the extra time to squint at it. When I did scan a few lines there seemed to be an added element of Book of Mormon history presented so I partly wish I could have taken in a bit more of it.

It also annoyed me that it took so long for anyone in Ancient America to first: notice Syd, and second: to figure out that the spy was a "she" instead of a "he". I get all the factors that the author put into place to compensate for that and the reasons why not everyone could find out her gender but it was still a little annoying to me personally.

Plus, I always wonder at these types of books when someone goes back in time and seems to carry such wonderful stores of knowledge around in their heads. As I've said before, I'm not the world's best Book of Mormon scholar and though this particular story is pretty well known I tend to get details muddled. Syd, on the other hand, always knew the next step in the war and what its outcome would be. I would not have been able to believe this except that the author let me know it was a portion of the Book of Mormon the teenager had to read and reread frequently for her mentally-challenged little sister.

These little nit-picks aside, The Forgotten Warrior has a lot of potential. It can be a great story for our young people, and big people too, to learn from but I'd have to recommend waiting a year or so before handing it off for someone to read. Why? I was really bummed by the ending. The Forgotten Warrior is obviously meant to be part of a series because the ending just leaves you hanging. I'm all for a good cliff hanger at the end of a book-- it always leaves me sniffing in disgust, but I get its value and use. The problem was there was almost no resolution at the end of The Forgotten Warrior. Aside from a little boy being rescued, every other story problem that had been set up was still just hanging there at the end. That felt very much like a betrayal of reader trust.

That being said, there are definitely things to be learned and inspiration to be had; the messages are still needed by our youth and Kathi is doing her best to get those messages out. She states, “The working theme of The Forgotten Warrior was that faith builds courage and courage builds faith. That faith you can help you learn to forgive. A bonus for me would be if my readers could come away learning more about the stripling warriors, about their strong loyalty to family, faith, and country and apply some of those character traits in their lives.”

To that end, she is currently doing two important things. If you watch her blog you can read her insights about the stripling warriors and how we can be more like them today. She is also currently holding a contest to encourage the youth to find stripling warrior role models among their friends. There is a form on her website that can be downloaded and filled out. People can nominate a youth between 8 and 18 (boy or girl) to be a Latter-day Stripling Warrior by listing a kind deed or deeds they have done. They fill in the nominee's name and address and mail it to Kathi. Every entry will receive a certificate that says "______ is a Latter-day Stripling Warrior". It will be signed by Kathi Oram Peterson and three of the heroes in The Forgotten Warrior. The overall winner receives a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com.

The Forgotten Warrior can also be ordered online at http://www.covenant-lds.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com, and http://www.deseretbook.com.

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My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Okay, this is a secret I’ve been holding on to for several months and now I can finally tell you about it! (Sometimes I just love knowing all these cool authors.) On January 6, 2009 Janette Rallison’s new book My Fair Godmother will be available for purchase. For me, My Fair Godmother was a total keeper. It was right up my alley and a very fun read.

In My Fair Godmother you meet a pair of sisters who are about to become an extra credit project for a fairy in training. (She’s a fair godmother- her grades in fairy godmother school are only average.) Said fairy is also very much a flaky teenage girl which makes her a very scary force to be reckoned with when you add a magic wand.

Savannah, the sister who gets granted three wishes in order to fix her love life, is whisked away to the middle ages to live the life of Cinderella before she can finish saying "Prince Charming". The only problem? The ball isn’t for another 8 months and Savannah is not at all pleased with the middle ages, or the prince for that matter, and her fair godmother won’t return her calls. When she does finally turn up it’s only to send Savannah in to the life of Snow White instead. The resulting story is reminiscent of other tales of modern men and women suddenly finding themselves in places like King Arthur’s court with the added fun of suddenly being the main star in a very popular fairy tale. With that twist there is a lot more of the story to tell and a lot more work involved to get to “happily ever after”.

There were a few very cliché problems sprinkled in the mix, but I didn’t mind them too much because although they are much used, they are also very true to actual worries and bad dreams for a modern teenage girl. I also stumbled a bit with the beginning of the story. It was a cute set of reports and correspondence in the magical world about the sister’s case, but I would have loved to jump into the girls' heads a little sooner. It took me a few paragraphs to transition to the different thought process successfully. My only other complaint was what seemed to me to be an over-emphasis on a negative trait: everyone, including Savannah herself, couldn’t seem to get over the fact that she was seen as a bubble-headed ditz. She had some great qualities and I would have liked to see her discover them in herself throughout the whole story rather than mostly at the end. She did grow as the story progressed, but her negative qualities were still very emphasized throughout.

Oh, and Janette made me crave Ding Dongs. I haven’t had those things in years. Darn her.

Other than those little complaints I had a great time following Savannah’s adventures. There are some great lessons on life and love peppered in subtly and some great giggle factors tossed in with the fairy tale references. I’m a big fan of books that make use of the classic fairy tales. I love to see those stories woven into something fresh and new and My Fair Godmother does a great job of that. Janette Rallison creates a new look at things and weaves them together with a nice twist. Watch for My Fair Godmother in January and treat yourself to a trip to the middle ages and a fun story. Great job Janette!

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Kate's Turn by Cheri J. Crane

Have you read the “Kate” books by Cheri J. Crane? I’d read some of her later works, but I hadn’t read a lot of these. Kate’s Turn is the first of these books. In Kate’s Turn the reader is introduced to 16 Kate who wants nothing to do with the LDS church her family belongs to. This is a heartbreaking experience for her family and her parents plan a family vacation which they hope will give them the time together to work things out and become closer. Kate, on the other hand, sees the whole adventure as a time to see exactly how miserable she can make her entire family. Yep. Sounds like a typical teenager to me.

I was interested to read this book, because I just so happen to have a 16 year old daughter with a mind of her own. Kate’s Turn was touted as a story for mother’s and daughter’s who were struggling to understand each other and teenagers who were struggling to understand the value of the church in their lives. It promised an “alma the younger turn around” type of conversion story and that’s what I got.

But, I have to say I never found myself really drawn into the story itself. The odd part is I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about the story that didn’t appeal to me. Some of the descriptions definitely date the book as first written for the 80’s and early 90’s, but I can overlook things like that. It wasn’t that it didn’t feel like current issues. It most definitely did. It wasn’t that the characters didn’t ring true in their thoughts and actions. They did. The only way I can describe it is to say that parts of the story felt too, well, calculated. Forced, maybe. All the elements were there and I could see that the things written felt accurate, but I didn’t feel them the way expected to personally. I could read a passage, then look back at it and say “yes, that’s probably what would happen” but still felt it kind of rub at me wrong. Weird.

While I appreciated the approach Ms. Crane takes with providing Kate an opportunity to figure things out I got the feeling the pioneer story was the one she really wanted to share rather than the modern conversion. Does that make sense? Maybe I was just having an “off” couple of days when I read Kate’s Turn, I’m not sure. Like I said, I could appreciate the story and what it brought to the table as far as learning about dealing with doubts and families trials. Ms. Crane deals with some very serious issues in appropriate ways. It was worth my time for those elements. It just didn’t become a book I couldn’t put down. I wanted to love it, but I only appreciated it.

I wouldn’t knock this one completely off your “to read” list if you haven’t read Cheri Crane’s series yet, there is information there to be gleaned, but it may not be the one you want to choose for escape purposes. It will be helpful if you are dealing with teenagers in your own home and I do intend to read a few more volumes. Sometimes writers take a while to truly find the voice that can speak to the reader in the most effective ways. I’m anxious to see not only where Ms. Crane takes Kate’s character next, but I’m also interested to see her mature as an author as well.

I’d be interested to hear from others who have read this series. What did you think? Am I way off base?

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Teen Books That I Love

I am an avid children and YA reader when it comes to the national market. I will very rarely venture into the adult fiction section because I know that I can’t trust 95% of what’s over there not to cause my eyeballs to burn right out of their sockets. In contrast, I can trust about 50% of the stuff I pull from the kid and teen sections of the library. It used to be a lot higher than that but the teen stuff has really gone downhill in recent years.

For me, walking into the children’s and teen sections of a library or bookstore is a truly drool worthy exercise in euphoria. Some day I’m going to devise the ultimate scheme which will let me park myself in front of those shelves and never move again.

Ok, I could figure out a way to buy them or check them out, but then I’d have to lug them home. I’m running out of room for books as it is.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that this is one of my favorite places to be. It can only be trumped by my Utah and Arizona trips that find me walking through the door of an LDS bookstore. That’s only because it is a more decadent treat that I can’t get my hands on every day.

So, today I’d like to tell you about a set of thought provoking titles I love. While not LDS, these books manage to deal with serious issues in real world ways without being crude or offensive. Some of these are considered younger than YA, but I’m grouping all teen reads together here. (They’re not in any particular order, I’m just rambling) ;)

Rules by Cynthia Lord

This book deals with autism from the perspective of a teenage sibling rather than the parent. It’s fun, realistic, enlightening and uplifting.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Another autism title from the sibling’s perspective, this one occurs in an era when autism was not understood or even remotely socially acceptable.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

This has a little bit of language in it but it’s definitely controllable with your trusty marker. It tells the story of teen pregnancy and parenthood from the teenage father’s perspective. Aside from the obvious, it deals with very serious natural consequences. You get to see how the father mourns for the loss of his carefree life while still stepping up to the plate and sacrificing his desires to give his child the best he can. Yes, most boys never reach that marker of responsibility. This boy didn’t want to either, but he did.

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

What a sweet look at the mourning process.

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

A heartwarming look at the grief and challenges of leukemia from the older brother’s view point.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

This one does carry a black marker alert (for occasional use only) but if you’ve ever needed to understand the self-esteem issues associated with being overweight this is a good place to start. There is another issue going on here that is pretty serious as well—the older brother is accused of date rape. Unfortunately, both are far more common than my heart wants to admit but this book handles each with more tact and maturity than most of the very worldly YA books on the subject.

Other YA titles with lighter, but still great messages

Deliver Us from Normal by Kate Klise

Ah, bunnies and trying to figure out how to fit in. Kids can be very hard on each other, even cruel. Don’t we all wish we could fix (or escape) that sometimes?

It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison.

Though most would consider this a lighter title, I have to include it because of the main character. Ok, she’s a bit of a flake (most teenagers are) but her basic personality is one who truly loves people. She wants to help and serve them any way she can, even when it’s not popular with her classmates.

The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg

Here are four children who honor their handicapped teacher by winning academic contest.

Donuthead by Sue Stauffacher

Donuthead is one extremely serious and seriously funny little kid who learns to open his heart to an outcast and misunderstood classmate.

Death by Eggplant by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe.

I fell in love with this 8th grade boy who has eccentric parents and wants to be a chef. But, he’s is afraid of the criticism and alienation that might cause among his classmates.

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan.

The epitome of eccentricities surround this unschooling family as they invite a wayward and “troubled” teen to join their family and find his way into belonging. Their daughter also learns that unique and different can be a good thing and that everybody has value and a place in a family.

So there you have it, a completely random list of books for older children that I’ve loved reading. I’ll do a list for younger children on down the line, I promise. Right now I think it might be time for another run to the library. . . .

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