Staff Book Reviews

The SILS library staff wants to share some books with you.

Fire, Bed & Bone by Henrietta Branford

A hunting dog narrates this story set in 1381, a time of unrest in England.  From two feet up, she observes all that happens to her kind masters, Rufus and Comfort, and their children and neighbors.  Riots break out, as the peasants’ show their resentment of serfdom made harder by plague and economic upheaval.  Deftly worded descriptions bring the reader to the center of the story quickly, with much of the tale revolving around the hunting dog’s own family, puppies and all.  Everyone has a role to play in the unfolding drama as Branford carries her understanding of dogs, people and history into the tale, making it both believable and fun.  Ages 10 and up. 

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

17-year-old Matt’s account will keep any reader on edge. He is constantly trying to protect his two younger sisters from the violent and capricious actions of their mother. Can he reach out past the ineffectual adults to someone stronger before the abuse from his beautiful mother turns lethal? The tension emanating from Matt’s narrative, a letter to his youngest sister Emmy, could power a jet plane as he documents the events that he hopes Emmy will not remember. Werlin’s succinct and honest prose fully supports the aim of the letter, drawing the reader into the children’s world, where unpredictable violence is the norm. Ages 12 and up.

 All the Way to Lhasa: A Tale from Tibet retold by Barbara Helen Berger

This short parable, the Tibetan relative of the Tortoise and the Hare, focuses on the journey rather than the race. Two travelers run into a wise old woman on the way to Lhasa and receive very different counsel. The young boy, with his yak, slow, doubtful, and persevering contrasts with the overconfident, hasty horseman as they both face a flimsy rope bridge, a blizzard and winding paths through the mountains. Berger’s gorgeous soft pencil and acrylic illustrations carry along the tale originally told by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche. Ages 4 to 8.

 Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

In this retelling of Rapunzel, the old story is re-imagined through the voices of “Zel” and her mother, who has given up her soul in order to have a child. Napoli deftly draws out the scenery in Renaissance Switzerland and keeps to the original far darker aspects of the Grimm’s tale. While using third person for most of the story, Napoli uses first person to capture the inner thoughts of the mother, a truly evil character. The simple but lyrical language allows the book to be accessible to more reluctant readers who might be drawn to the fairy tale. Ages 12 and up.

 Rapture of the Deep by L.A. Meyer

Rapture of the Deep is the seventh installment in L.A. Meyers’s young adult roman fleuve. This time, jack-of-all-trades and reformed beggar girl Jacky Faber heads to the bustling port of Havana and underneath the ocean’s surface in a diving bell. The adventure begins when sixteen-year old Jacky is spirited away by the British government on the eve of her wedding. The government offers her a choice between the hangman’s noose and paying back a debt by diving for Spanish gold. The original members of her gang tag along for the ride, with hilarity, adventure, and great peril in hot pursuit.
While challenging for young readers, especially with its heavy use of dialect at some points, the book requires no previous knowledge of the series. Each novel features Jacky getting into scrapes and working her way out, and the dangers in this volume include killer alligators, ship-to-ship combat, and attempted rape. Meyer handles mature topics—including slavery—with restrained finesse. While intended for a young adult audience, adults in the mood for a spirited yarn will also enjoy this tale. 12 and up.

Dewey : there’s a Cat in the Library by Vicki Myron

Based on the popular adult novel, this colorful picture book tells the story of Dewey, the library cat. After bring abandoned in the book return slot and welcomed by the librarian, Dewey has a new home at the library. Now he must figure out how to be a good library cat even when kids pet him the wrong way and pull his tail. How can he make the library a welcoming and happy place for others? Short silly rhymes and detailed watercolor illustrations make this picture book a wonderful read-aloud for wiggly kids. Myron and Witter’s tale will be enjoyable for cat and library lovers aged 3 to 7.

Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve by Francisco X. Alarcon

Renowned poet Francisco X. Alarcon and artist and illustrator Maya Christina Gonzalez tell how California’s immigrant population celebrates winter in this bilingual collaboration. The poetry, simple enough for a younger reader, is far more lyrical in Spanish, but the literal translations are good for kids new to poetry and also for kids learning either language. The mixture of poems touching on the realities of the immigrant experience has explanations for any unfamiliar concepts. Gonzalez’s illustrations have hidden iguanas for young children to spot among the vibrant collages of color. The poems can be read aloud all at once or picked out by theme. Some poems aren’t winter related such as “Ode to Buena Vista Bilingual School” and “To Write Poetry.” Ages 4 to 8.