MMGM: The Whole Story of Half A Girl

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick

The Whole Story of Half a Girl, by Veera Hiranandani

The Whole Story 
of Half a Girl

Written by Veera Hiranandani

Penguin Random House, 2012
Grades 4-8, 930L
224 pages, 46000 words


Themes:
Cultural Identity, Depression,


Opening:
I'm in school, sitting with my hair hanging long down the back of my chair, my arm around my best friend, Sam. We're planning our next sleepover. Sam's parents have the tent and sleeping bags; Her mom even bought us cool spy pen-flashlights just for the occasion. To top it off, it's Friday, and summer's only two weeks away.
       Jack, my teacher, passes out recipes from the next and last country our fifth-grade class will be studying
India. I look down and see the makings of biryani, which is a special kind of rice dish. Jack always teaches us about the country's food first, then gives us the lay of the land and the history. Getting to know the food, Jack says, is the best way to really understand a country, just like sharing a meal with someone helps you get to know them. You can tell a lot from what a person eats. I agree.


Thoughts:

This book about a middle-schooler with parents from different cultures and religions transported me back to school days when you analyzed everything you thought and said and dreamed, hoping it wasn't too weird so you could fit in, whatever that meant. But it clearly speaks to modern audiences whose experiences are wholly different yet fundamentally the same. Sonia's authentic voice makes this a story which makes you laugh, cry, and cheer...and cry again. A cast of endearing, believable characters helps tackle struggles of pre-teen identity.  It explores the issues in a personal way, but with a complete grasp on the target audience. Very few middle  school books can manage this as appropriately. Spoiler warning for parents: this book does contain an instance of French kissing and orthodox practitioners may be frustrated by the lack of parental guidance to the kid characters, but the author's sincere treatment leaves ample room for discussion. We need more books like this.

Bonus: 
 1. If you enjoyed Veera's writing, try some of her other books. Karen reviewed the first book in Veera's Phoebe G. Green series on her blog.

2. Fellow MMGMers recommend these books featuring cultural diversity:

My Basmati Bat Mitzvah, by Paula J. Freedman, reviewed by Randomly Reading and Ms. Yingling Reads

Unidentified Suburban Object, by Mike Jung, reviewed by Jess on The Reading Nook

This is Just a Test, by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang reviewed by Ms. Yingling Reads

Save Me A Seat, by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan, reviewed here on Bookish Ambition, and by Karen on Ms. Yingling Reads

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond, by Brenda Woods, reviewed by Alex on Randomly Reading

The Grand Plan To Fix Everything, by Uma Krishnaswami, reviewed by Joanne.


3. You can learn more about the author, her writing process, and peek behind the scenes of The Whole Story with interviews from Uma Krishnaswami and on Here, There, Everywhere.

My Path to Published with Veera Hiranandani from britta alexander on Vimeo.

Have you reviewed a Marvelous Middle Grade Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday recommendations for October 16, 2017.

MMGM started way back in 2010 by Shannon Messenger, author of Keeper of Lost Cities. Each week, participating bloggers review our favorite books for ages 8-12. Why not join us?

MMGM: So B. It

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

So B. It, by Sarah Weeks

So B. It

Written by Sarah Weeks
Cover by Anna Palma
HarperCollins, 2004
Ages 8-12, Lexile 860L
245 pp, 42000 words


Themes:
Belonging, Search for a past, Coming-of-Age


Opening:
If truth was a crayon and it was up to me to put a wrapper around it and name its color, I know just what I would call it— dinosaur skin. I used to think, without really thinking about it, that I knew what color that was. But that was a long time ago, before I knew what I know now about both dinosaur skin and the truth.
       The fact is, you can't tell squat about the color of an animal just from looking at its bones, so nobody knows for sure what color dinosaurs really were. For years I looked at pictures of them, trusting that whoever was in charge of coloring them in was doing it based on scientific fact, but the truth is they were only guessing. I realized that one afternoon, sitting in the front seat of Sheriff Roy Franklin's squad car, the fall before I turned thirteen.

Thoughts:

Heidi lives with her mom, So B. It and almost with her next-door neighbor, Bernadette. Their quirky, tight-knit family is just right, until the questions about her mom's past pile up too high for Heidi to sit still any longer. She embarks on a journey to find answers, "to know" like other kids do. 

The powerful storytelling and spot-on voice leap off every page. These characters will live in your heart and linger in your mind long after the last page is turned. The author weaves clever dialogue, interesting plot twists and just a tiny bit of magical luck into the story in the perfect blend. She creates a coming-of-age journey which gets to life's basic questions of what's important, what is family, who am I with wit, charm, and gut-wrenching drama.

Grab a box of tissues and a rainy afternoon. When you're finished, find a friend and read it together. It's truly a book to be shared and pondered.

Bonus: 
1. I could recommend Sarah's books again and again. Here are links to my pages for Save Me A Seat and Pie. And for slightly younger readers, try the Oggie Cooder series.

2. The movie version premiered in select theaters October 6. I haven't seen it yet, but you can find more info on So B. It The Movie. It'll never be as good as the book, but the original is so amazing, I'm eager to see them try. Besides, I hope it will prompt new readers to pull a copy off the library shelves.

3.  Have you reviewed a book with a similar vibe? Leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for October 9, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

MMGM: The Wizard's Test

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

The Wizard's Test, by Hilari Bell

The Wizard's Test

Written by Hilari Bell
Cover illustrated by Cliff Nielsen
HarperCollins, 2005
Ages 10+, Lexile 720L
176 pp, 32000 words


Themes:
Fantasy, Destiny, Colonialism


Opening:
"Wizard born!"
Dayven reached for his sword hilt as he spun in search of the speaker. Early in the morning the courtyard was crowded—not only with Watcherlads like Dayven, who'd come for a little extra sword practice, but also with adult Guardians, who were there to increase their skills with sword and lance. Someone had put a lot of effort into that hissing whisper, to make it audible over the clang of metal on metal...but who?

Thoughts:
The Wizard's Test is a stand-alone fantasy novel about an apprentice in a feudal system who must embrace his sordid wizard heritage to spy on his lord's enemies in order to attain his goal of Guardian in the army. Bell's books are self-described as "morally ambiguous." In each that I've read, she poses ethical questions to both the characters and the reader, usually dealing with consequences, violence, or cultural enmity. This book fits that mold. It rather reminds me of Lloyd Alexander's books rather than Avi's. Avi consistently makes you care about the rogue, the thief, the liar, and then ridicules the opposition so the reader is compelled to agree with the main character's decisions. Both Bell and Alexander make you care about characters from both sides of an issue, and challenge you to decide what you might do in a similar situation. They want you to think before you act. This book is one of Bell's earlier works, and doesn't show the mature writing style of her later books. It does however include interesting world-building, deft plotting, subtle humor, and charming characters. Thought-provoking and age-appropriate with some battle scenes.


Bonus: 
1. If you are interested in learning more about Hilari Bell, you can find an early interview on Writers Write, her publishing ventures on Publisher's Weekly, and a personal perspective from the author at the start of her career on the Enchanted Inkpot.

2. I love Hilari's Shield, Sword, and Crown trilogy about a young man's quest for the enchanted objects which will save his world. She has written loads of other books which you can find on her Goodreads page.

3. Looking for books with a similar vibe?
The Ascendance trilogy or Mark of the Thief series by Jennifer Nielsen and covers by Ken Choi and Larry Rostant, respectively.
The InkHeart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke with covers by Carol Lawson.
The Westmark books or The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha by Lloyd Alexander.
Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger, covers by Jason Chan.

Reviewed by Literary Rambles

Mark of the Thief #1
reviewed by Karen Yingling

Queen's Thief #5 reviewed by
GeoLibrarian and Ms. Yingling

Reviewed by Middle Grade Mafia

The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha,
by Lloyd Alexander,
Illustrated by Laszlo Kubinyi

Keeper of the Lost Cities series
reviewed by Cindy and Michelle

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for October 2, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

MMGM: Three Times Lucky

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

Book #1 in the Mo and Dale mysteries

Three Times Lucky

Written by Sheila Turnage
Illustrated by Gilbert Ford
Penguin Random House, 2012
Ages 10+, Lexile 560L
320 pp, 62000 words


Themes:
Mystery


Opening:
Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the color of dirt. Almost before the dust had settled, Mr. Jesse turned up dead and life in Tupelo Landing turned upside down.

Thoughts:
Reasons to love this book

• Stunning cover art
• Intriguing title
• Map of Tupelo Landing
• Curious character names (girls: Moses, Skeeter; boys: Lavender, the Colonel)
• Absorbing voice ("Dale swore, his voice soft as a breeze through the reeds. Dale started swearing last year. I haven't started yet, but the way things are going, I could at any moment.")
• Immediate dilemma (Not just the opening paragraph, but the constant questions which come to the readers mind by page three.)

If you're not hooked by the writing on page two, read on to page ten. Forgive my cheek, but if you're still not riveted, call me a liar and move on to another book, or better yet to the television, because you don't have an ear for fabulous storytelling. 

Bonus: 
1. Middle Grade Mafia posted fabulous Q & A sessions with Sheila Turnage and Gilbert Ford. You can view another author interview on KidsReads. Plus everything you ever wanted to know about cover illustrator Gilbert Ford on the All The Wonders podcast.

2. For previous MMGM reviews of Three Times Lucky, see the GeoLibrarian, Night Writer, Michelle Mason, and Shannon Messenger reviews.

3. Follow Mo's further adventures in The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing and The Odds of Getting Even.

Book #2, The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing

Book #3, The Odds of Getting Even

4. Looking for books with a similar vibe? I highly recommend anything by Sarah Weeks particularly Pie or So B. It. Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead also has the same startling voice and mysterious elements. Find MMGM reviews for Liar & Spy on Always in the Middle, So I'm Fifty, and blogs by Michelle Mason and Melanie Conklin. Also give Green Glass House, by Kate Milford  a try. Reviews by Dead Houseplants, Reading Nook, and Completely Full Bookshelf.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for September 25, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

MMGM: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

Books 1-13, A Series of Unfortunate Events
These covers are out of order!?!

A Series of 
Unfortunate Events

Written by Lemony Snicket
Cover by Brett Helquist
HarperCollins, 1999
Ages 8-12, Lexile 1010L
Avg 263 pages, Avg 41000 words


Themes:
Misfortune, Misery, Despair, Orphans

Opening:
"If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy things happened in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire were intelligent children, and they were charming, and resourceful, and they had pleasant facial features, but they were extremely unlucky, and most everything that happened to them was rife with misfortune, misery, and despair. I am sorry to tell you this, but that is how the story goes."


Thoughts:
A Series of Unfortunate Events follow the misadventures of three orphans as they unravel their parents mysterious past and their uncertain future. All the while they are pursued by a villain-to-end-all-villains, count Olaf. Though the later books were a bit plotless, and the ending was somewhat unsatisfying, the grim humor, inventive storytelling, and iconic Snicket style from dedication to jacket blurb are worth turning every page.

And now random tips:
Definitely start with The Bad Beginning. Read them in order. Don't skip the front and back matter including the dedication, the jacket blurbs, and the author's note. Seriously.
The Wide Window remains my favorite. The Grim Grotto my least. Hang in there. I thought the books lost a little steam by book 8, but 9 is hilarious.
You may want to take breaks in between. I found some of the humor loses its charm if you do all 550K-odd pages in a row.
Don't miss out on all the companion artwork by Brett Helquist. Also stop at his Etsy shop for some Baudelaire prints (some never before published!)
The cds are no substitute for the paper versions because many of the jokes depend on visual cues, but I do recommend the cds once you've read books 1-13. The author narrates his own audiobooks. His creepy deadpan isn't for everyone though, so the publisher rerecorded the series read by the unparalleled Tim Curry. (Have a handkerchief handy for his interpretation of Mr. Poe!)


Bonus: 
1. Our illustrious host, Shannon Messenger reviewed this series on her blog.

2. Want more Lemony Snicket madness? He has written plenty of other amazing books. I reviewed his fabulous picture book, The Composer is Dead, illustrated by Carson Ellis.
Kitty Cat at the Library reviewed All the Wrong Questions, the first book in a different series. All the Wrong Questions has a different voice, but the same quirky bent, this time with a noir twist.

3. Other MMGM bloggers recommend
Deadweather and Sunrise, by Geoff Rodkey, cover by Iacopo Bruno
Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Terry Fan
The 9 Lives of Alexander Baddenfield, by John Bemelmans Marciano, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
A Whole Nother Story, by Dr. Cuthbert Soup, illustrated by Jeffrey Timmins.


Deadweather and Sunrise,
The Chronicles of Egg #1
Reviewed by the Hopeful Heroine

Rooftoppers
Reviewed by Jenni Enzor

The 9 Lives of Alexander Baddenfield
Reviewed by Always in the Middle

A Whole Nother Story,
Reviewed by Shannon Messenger

Visit the Friday Drive-In review of  A Series of Unfortunate Events.

View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for September 11, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Have you reviewed any Lemony Snicket books? Please leave your link in the comments below. Feel free to leave your other MG recommendations, too. Thanks!

MMGM: Nim's Island

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

Nim's Island, by Wendy Orr
Cover by Chris Riddell

Nim's Island

Written by Wendy Orr
Illustrated by Kerry Millard
Allen & Unwin, 1999
Ages 7-10, Lexile 930L
128 pp, 21500 words


Themes:
father-daughter relationship, tropical adventure


Opening:
"In a palm tree, on an island, in the middle of the wide blue sea, was a girl.

"Nim's hair was wild, her eyes were bright, and round her neck she wore three cords. One was for a spyglass, one for a whirly, whistling shell and the other a fat, red pocketknife in a sheath.

"With the spyglass at her eye, she watched her father's boat. It sailed out through the reef to the deeper dark ocean, and Jack turned to wave and Nim waved back, though she knew he couldn't see.

"Then the white sails caught the wind and blew him out of sight, and Nim was alone. For three days and three nights, whatever happened or needed doing, Nim would do it."


Thoughts:
Nim is a young girl who lives on a volcanic island with her scientist father. When her dad leaves her alone during a three day expedition, Nim must use all her ingenuity and imagination to tackle the adventures that befall her. She is aided by a seal and an iguana who show remarkable intelligence. In tough times, Nim asks advice from her favorite author via email. Despite the dangers, this scrappy heroine protects her island's inhabitants and herself.

I loved this book, discovering it only after I had seen the movie. When you're looking for capable female characters, consider Nim whose independent spirit, boundless imagination, and generous heart see her through both emotional and physical crises.The story is full of scientific exploration, stewardship principles, and just plain fun.You'll find my review of the movie on last Friday's Summer Drive-In.


Bonus: 
1. There are more Nim books by this dynamic author/ illustrator duo. Check out the sequels and collections on Wendy's website.

Nim at Sea,
just one of the available stories
featuring Nim and her friends

2. Looking for books with a similar vibe? You might try the nonfiction Girls Who Looked Under Rocks and Finding Wonders, by Jeannine Atkins or Island of the Aunts, by Eva Ibbotson.

Finding Wonders
by Jeannine Atkins,
Cover by Victoria Assanelli

Island of the Aunts,
by Eva Ibbotson
Cover by Kevin Hawkes

3. Other MMGM bloggers recommend

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, reviewed by Shannon Messenger and Michelle Mason.
The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss, reviewed here on Bookish Ambition.
Shipwreck Island, by S. A. Bodeen reviewed by The Reading Nook Reviews
The Explorers, by Adrienne Kress and Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder, both reviewed by Word Spelunking.

4. Liberty Hill House posted all about their chapter-by-chapter classroom activities while they read Nim's Island. You'll find awesome crafts, field trips, and activities. The author also made a companion book with crafts and recipes, available on Amazon Kindle.

Check out the  Summer Drive-In review of the Nim's Island movie, from August 25, 2017.
View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for August 28, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

MMGM: Ozma of Oz

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

Ozma of Oz, The Books of Wonder edition 

Ozma of Oz

Written by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by John R. Neill
Originally published by Reilly & Lee, 1907
Wiliam Morrow/Books of Wonder, 1989
Ages 8-12, Lexile 1070L
272 pp, 37000 words


Themes:
Fantasy Adventure


Opening:
"The wind blew hard and joggled the water of the ocean, sending ripples across its surface. Then the wind pushed the edges of the ripples until they became waves, and shoved the waves around until they became billows. The billows rolled dreadfully high: higher even than the tops of houses. Some of them, indeed, rolled as high as the tops of tall trees, and seemed like mountains; and the gulfs between the great billows were like deep valleys.
"All this mad dashing and splashing of the waters of the big ocean, which the mischievous wind caused without any good reason whatever, resulted in a terrible storm, and a storm on the ocean is liable to cut many queer pranks and do a lot of damage.
"At the time the wind began to blow, a ship was sailing far out upon the waters. When the waves began to tumble and toss and to grow bigger and bigger the ship rolled up and down, and tipped sidewise—first one way and then the other—and was jostled around so roughly that even the sailor-men had to hold fast to the ropes and railings to keep themselves from being swept away by the wind or pitched headlong into the sea."


Thoughts:
Dorothy, accompanied by Billina the hen, travel to Ev to battle the Nome King and free the royal family.

I was surprised how much I liked this book. Though I like Oziana, I would not consider myself a fan of the original series. In general I find I like the ideas more than the stories themselves. Ozma is an exception. Perhaps I've grown wiser or perhaps this book is just funnier. I loved the writing style better than previous books. Of course, I saw the movie when I was in high school (do the math) and absolutely fell in love with many of the characters from Ozma. The movie played in my head as I read.

Have you read any of the other Oz authors? Most people say the sequels are inferior to L. Frank Baum's stories, but I am fond of John Neill's The Purple Prince of Oz. 

You'll find my review of the movie Return to Oz on last Friday's Summer Drive-In.


Bonus: 
1. Fans can join the International Wizard of Oz Club.

2. Ben, of My Comfy Chair, reviewed Rinkitink in Oz for MMGM way back in 2011.

3. Other MMGM bloggers recommend

Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms, by Chris Colfer, reviewed by Reading Violet.
The Ever Afters: Of Sorcery and Snow, by Shelby Bach, reviewed by Green Bean Teen Queen.
The Aviary, by Kathleen O'Dell, reviewed on That's Another Story
No Passengers Beyond This Point, by Gennifer Choldenko, reviewed here on Middle Grade Mafioso.
Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C. S. Lewis, reviewed by BookishAmbition.

The Land of Stories book 4,
by Chris Colfer
and Brandon Dorman

Ever Afters book 1,
by Shelby Bach and Cory Loftis

The Aviary,
by Kathleen O'Dell
Cover by Molly Bosley

No Passengers
Beyond This Point, 
by Gennifer Choldenko
and Tyson Mangelsdorf

Check out the Summer Drive-In review of Return to Oz partially based on Ozma of Oz, from
August 18, 2017.
View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for August 21, 2017August, 21, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

MMGM: The Swiss Family Robinson

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss

The Swiss Family Robinson

Written by Johann Wyss
Penguin Puffin, 2009
first English Translation. Godwin, 1814
Ages 10 and up, Lexile 540L
496 pages, 108,000 words


Themes:
Family, Adventure, Science


Opening:
For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene. Returning light as often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost. We were driven completely out of our course; no conjecture could be formed as to our whereabouts The crew had lost heart, and were utterly exhausted by incessant labour.
       The riven masts had gone by the board. Leaks had been sprung in every direction. The water, which rushed in, gained upon us rapidly. Instead of reckless oaths, the seamen now uttered frantic cries to God for mercy, mingled with strange and often ludicrous vows to be performed should deliverance be granted. Every man on board alternately commended his soul to his Creator and strove to bethink himself by some means of saving his life.
       My heart sank as I looked round upon my family in the midst of these horrors. Our four young sons were overpowered by terror. "Dear children," said I, "if the Lord will, He can save us even from this fearful peril."


Thoughts:
The Swiss Family Robinson tells the story of a family of Swiss colonists who get shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. They salvage wreckage to build homes in various locations on the island, and attempt dozens of experiments to survive. The Robinsons build boats, breed livestock, grind flour, spin flax, excavate caves, and learn blacksmithing. Each new craft is explained in detail along with facts about animals from all parts of the world. The book was written at the dawn of the nineteenth century, so be warned the characters shoot and eat every animal they encounter. They subdue the land in true colonial fashion which some people will find offensive. But at the heart of the book is the story of a family working together to survive the threats and terrors of a wholly alien landscape.

The Swiss Family Robinson was written with the intent to educate the author's children. It has been inspiring admirers and firing the imagination for over two hundred years. I read this book as a child and, being a daughter of the sixties, I dreamed of living in a tree house (still do.) When I reread the book as an adult I found I didn't remember much at all. Whether that was the result of maturity or originally having read a retelling, I cannot say. Honestly, as I pored over the detailed scientific processes, I wondered if the book would interest my children. For insurance I also bought the Educator's Classic Library annotated edition. And while I still recommend the annotated version for its fascinating content, I can wholeheartedly say my children loved reading the book aloud and still enjoy the audiobook version narrated by Frederick Davidson.

Most unabridged editions are from the same translation, but you'll find several different endings, as the author never settled on just one. I normally eschew adaptations, but in this case, as long as it still contains fascinating animal adventures and clever inventions, a retelling may be just the ticket to excite a sense of wonder in a young reader.


You'll find a book-movie comparison on last Friday's Summer Drive-In.


Bonus: 
1. The adventures of the Robinsons have been illustrated by a variety of artists over the years. Louis Rhead, Milo Winter, and the author's son, Johann Emannuel Wyss. Cover artists are too many to list.

2. Other MMGM bloggers recommend books with a similar vibe:

Both Reading Nook and Always in the Middle review Shipwreck Island on their respective blogs.
Ms. Yingling recommends the non-fiction finds  Survival and Pirates and Shipwreck.
Michelle Mason suggests The Map to Everywhere.
Reading Violet reviewed the first two books in the Crusoe Adventure Series, Dawn of Spies and Day of Ice.
For contemporary tree house story, That's Another Story suggests The Great Treehouse War.
And for treehouse-related mayhem, Alice Marvels reviews The 13-Story Treehouse.

3. Other island adventure classics include quintessential N. C. Wyeth standards

Robinson Crusoe,
by Daniel Defoe

Treasure Island,
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Contemporary survival stories

Hatchet, by Gary Paulson

Shipwreck, book 1: Island
by Gordon Korman

Stories of adventure

Treasure Hunters series,
by James Patterson

Adventure Island series,
by Helen Moss

View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for August 14, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

MMGM: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

First edition The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
by C. S. Lewis and Pauline Baynes

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Written by C. S. Lewis
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes
HarperCollins, 1952
Ages 8-12, Lexile 720L256 pages, 54000 words


Opening:
There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. His parents called him Eustace Clarence and masters called him Scrubb. I can't tell you how his friends spoke to him, because he had none. He didn't call his Father and Mother "Father" and "Mother," but Harold and Alberta. They were very up-to-date and advanced people. They were vegetarians, non-smokers and teetotalers and wore a special kind of underclothes. In their house there was very little furniture and very little clothes on beds and the windows were always open.

Eustace Clarence liked animals, especially beetles, if they were dead and pinned on a card. He liked books if they were books of information and had pictures of grain elevators or had pictures of fat foreign children doing exercises in model schools.

Eustace Clarence disliked his cousins the four Pevensies, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. But he was quite glad when he heard that Edmund and Lucy were coming to stay. For deep down inside him he liked bossing and bullying; and, though he was a puny little person who couldn't have stood up even to Lucy, let alone Edmund, in a fight, he knew that there are dozens of ways to give people a bad time if you are in your own home and they are only visitors.


Thoughts:
How amazing is that opening? Reminds one of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, doesn't it, with its tongue-in-cheek way of showing us Eustace's personality and the author's opinion of "advanced people?"

Edmund and Lucy return to Narnia to help Caspian regain the lost parts of his island kingdom and to find his missing subjects. I like the questing format of this particular book and the series of short adventures the characters face. That and the old-fashioned writing may not appeal to every child. For more reluctant readers, try reading aloud or audio versions. We thoroughly enjoyed reading them together around the fireplace when the kids were little, I think we started when the youngest was 3 and the oldest foster child was 12. Now we revisit them periodically with the audiobooks. Lynn Redgrave does an amazing job, as does Derek Jacobi, narrator of The Dawn Treader. Every child and adult should read the series, or at least the core books about the Pevensies, at least once in their lives.

If nothing else, the introduction to Narnia may open the door to a life-long love of fantasy.


A Note on the Christian Aspects:
I probably should address the spiritual nature of the books. The author started the series with the question, "What if the Son of God chose to come to Earth as a lion instead of a man?" and then he wrote a story. So yes, everything C. S. Lewis believed about God and his salvation was a basis for these books. He purposely portrayed different aspects of his beliefs into the story. Many of the characters react as Lewis would himself, because of his religious convictions. The world-building rests on similar principles to actual Christianity. That offends some people. I still think you should read them.

Not that you asked for it, but here's more of my opinion. Every single book you read reflects the moral beliefs of the author, sometimes overtly, sometimes unintentionally.  Sometimes the author is wondering what would happen if. Sometimes the author wants to present multiple sides of an issue. Many times books purposely question the validity of religious or moral views. In every case, the author has an opinion. In every case, the author has to decide his agenda: Throw uncertainty on an issue? Dissuade the reader from a previous belief? Present multiple options as valid? Highlight an area of ambiguity in the author's mind and leave it open to the reader to decide?
Let's stop pretending books are somehow morally ambiguous. And please let's drop the pretense of separation of church and state. If you want everyone's views to be represented, then you shouldn't reject a book because it presents a religious point of view.

OK. Got a lot to say on these issues but let's move on to...


Bonus: 
1. A timeline of the creation of the Chronicles of Narnia.
2. I reviewed the movie version last Friday on the Summer Drive-In.
3. More gorgeous covers

Art by Steve Lavis

Art by Chris Van Allsburg

Art by Leo and Diane Dillon

Anyone know the cover artist?

Art by Pauline Baynes

4. For more C. S. Lewis:
Check out the Hopeful Heroine's review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
G. S. Prendergast's review of The Silver Chair,
AshyGirl15's review of The Magician's Nephew,
an overview of The Chronicles of Narnia as a series on Carstairs Considers,
and reviews of The Magician's Nephew, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Horse and His Boy, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle by Michelle Isenhoff

5. Other MMGM bloggers recommend The Books of Elsewhere, by Jaqueline West, Illustrated by Poly Bernatene, and the Harry Potter series, by J. K. Rowling, illustrated by Mary GrandPre. The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper. The High King and The Foundling and Other Tales, by Lloyd Alexander. I would wholeheartedly add the entire Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander.


Reviewed by 
the Hopeful Heroine

Reviewed by
Laurisa White Reyes

Reviewed by Kim at Dead Houseplants

Prydain, Book 1
Overview here

Prydain short stories
Reviewed by Michelle

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for August 7, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!