List of Fives Part Twenty
Five Great Books (Kid Lit) I've Read This Year
(in no particular order)
1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Yes, believe it or not, I did not actually read the book until this year! I've known about it forever, knew the general idea of the story but I never sat down for ten minutes and actually read the book. It's wonderful; I think it should be required reading for anyone who has children. (I don't, but that's a whole other Oprah.) It's about childhood anger and how children need a safe and constructive way to express that anger. Great stuff.
2. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I am a huge fan of Hiyao Miyazaki's version of the story but when I came across the book in a used book store, I decided to give it a read. While it is vastly different from the tale in the film, it was still an enjoyable read. I am fascinated by children's stories that are not afraid to show the darker side of things. This tale doesn't get too dark but there is some darkness. One of the main characters is a fire demon named Calcipher. Can't get much darker than having a demon hanging around. It's a fantastical tale.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is a very dark story and rather violent so those of faint heart be warned. A friend recommended the book to me and I picked it up on a whim. Once I got into the tale, I had a very hard time putting it down. The premise is a post-apocalyptic America, where the citizens are divided into thirteen districts. As punishment for a great rebellion that resulted in the complete destruction of the 13th district, the remaining twelve must send two children (one boy, one girl) to participate in the sadistic Hunger Games. The Games are simple: the last to survive wins. It's a story of survival, of strength, and the human spirit. The lead character, Katniss Everdeen, is one of the strongest heroines I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Her strength becomes inspiring. (There is a follow-up book called Catching Fire. I hope there are more stories to come.) Again, not for the faint of heart.
4. The Bone Magician by F. E. Higgins. This is a companion book to a wonderful little tale I picked up last year called The Black Book of Secrets. This story follows a young orphan named Pin Carpue who goes to work for the local undertaker. While there, he witnesses the strange magic of the Bone Magician, a person who can seemingly raise the dead. What follows is magical twists and turns as Pin confronts the dangerous Beast caged in the basement of the inn, the Silver Apple Murderer, a Dwarf, and the mysterious apprentice to the Bone Magician, the potion master Juno. Again, these are darker stories and that's what I like about them. Read "The Black Book" first, but this one will not disappoint.
5. Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger. I picked this book up because I liked the artwork on the jacket. Little did I know that there is a whole subculture about this character. She is a dark, brooding genius of a teenager who can talk to cats and who, in this particular book, has lost her memory. The character has existed in graphic novels (which I will now have to find) but this is the first novel. Written in diary format, it chronicles not only how but why Emily has amnesia and the incredible journey she has taken to preserve something that is rightfully hers. It's a great read; I personally heard Winona Ryder's voice while I read. I guess I'm just missing Ryder's "Veronica" character.
So, there are the books for young readers. I like to read such things as a break from heavy stuff.
(in no particular order)
1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Yes, believe it or not, I did not actually read the book until this year! I've known about it forever, knew the general idea of the story but I never sat down for ten minutes and actually read the book. It's wonderful; I think it should be required reading for anyone who has children. (I don't, but that's a whole other Oprah.) It's about childhood anger and how children need a safe and constructive way to express that anger. Great stuff.
2. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I am a huge fan of Hiyao Miyazaki's version of the story but when I came across the book in a used book store, I decided to give it a read. While it is vastly different from the tale in the film, it was still an enjoyable read. I am fascinated by children's stories that are not afraid to show the darker side of things. This tale doesn't get too dark but there is some darkness. One of the main characters is a fire demon named Calcipher. Can't get much darker than having a demon hanging around. It's a fantastical tale.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is a very dark story and rather violent so those of faint heart be warned. A friend recommended the book to me and I picked it up on a whim. Once I got into the tale, I had a very hard time putting it down. The premise is a post-apocalyptic America, where the citizens are divided into thirteen districts. As punishment for a great rebellion that resulted in the complete destruction of the 13th district, the remaining twelve must send two children (one boy, one girl) to participate in the sadistic Hunger Games. The Games are simple: the last to survive wins. It's a story of survival, of strength, and the human spirit. The lead character, Katniss Everdeen, is one of the strongest heroines I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Her strength becomes inspiring. (There is a follow-up book called Catching Fire. I hope there are more stories to come.) Again, not for the faint of heart.
4. The Bone Magician by F. E. Higgins. This is a companion book to a wonderful little tale I picked up last year called The Black Book of Secrets. This story follows a young orphan named Pin Carpue who goes to work for the local undertaker. While there, he witnesses the strange magic of the Bone Magician, a person who can seemingly raise the dead. What follows is magical twists and turns as Pin confronts the dangerous Beast caged in the basement of the inn, the Silver Apple Murderer, a Dwarf, and the mysterious apprentice to the Bone Magician, the potion master Juno. Again, these are darker stories and that's what I like about them. Read "The Black Book" first, but this one will not disappoint.
5. Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger. I picked this book up because I liked the artwork on the jacket. Little did I know that there is a whole subculture about this character. She is a dark, brooding genius of a teenager who can talk to cats and who, in this particular book, has lost her memory. The character has existed in graphic novels (which I will now have to find) but this is the first novel. Written in diary format, it chronicles not only how but why Emily has amnesia and the incredible journey she has taken to preserve something that is rightfully hers. It's a great read; I personally heard Winona Ryder's voice while I read. I guess I'm just missing Ryder's "Veronica" character.
So, there are the books for young readers. I like to read such things as a break from heavy stuff.
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