Stanley, Diane. Bella at Midnight. New York: Harper Collins, 2006.
Isabel, though she does not know it, is the daughter of a knight. Her mother died giving birth to her. Her father couldn't stand the sight of her. Reared by peasants, Bella, as she is called, has a happy childhood. She has a brother and a sister and her dearest friend is Prince Julian. Bella and Julian separate under bad circumstances. Bella is summoned home by her natural father when he remarries. Unwanted and ill used, Bella finds little comfort in the home of her birth. When she learns of a plot to murder Julian, she knows she must act. Disguised first as a boy, then as a lady of the court, Bella warns Julian of the plot. Her warning is not enough. Julian's brother refuses to halt the attack on the country of Brutanna. Bella must and does avert a tragedy. After much worry and wondering, they all live happily ever after.
What I thought: I found it difficult to become engaged in this story. For one thing, each chapter was told from a different character's perspective. I'm sure the author did this for a reason, but wouldn't a first person or third person narrative have made much more sense? From the title, I assumed that this was another Beauty and the Beast story. The beauty is often called Belle or Bella, as bella means beautiful in Italian. This was more of a Cinderella story with a beautiful dress, glass slippers, a godmother, an unwanted stepdaughter, and a prince.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Review: Nine Days a Queen
Rinaldi, Ann. Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life and Reign of Lady Jane Grey. New York: Harper Collins, 2005.
Jane is mistreated by her parents. Beaten when she doesn't obey. They have an agenda: they want to see Jane married to the King's son. The power and influence of their family will then be secure. Jane becomes a mere pawn in a game of power. She tries to assert herself, but fails. Through the ill-guided endeavours of her power-hungry family, Jane looses her head (literally).
What I thought: If you've ever seen the 1986 film Lady Jane, Rinaldi's superbly researched account of Jane Grey's life will set you straight. The assumption that everyone loves a romance must explain the sentimentality of the film. Jane was married to Guildford Dudley against her will. She found him repulsive. In the movie, they eventually fall in love. In reality, they become friends only under threat of imminent death. I like a romance as much as the next girl, but in matters of history I prefer the facts. Rinaldi assures readers, "I have fictionalized some events for the sake of the story, and interpreted others to tighten my plot, but otherwise, no amount of invention or creativity could add to this incredible story" (Author's Note).
Jane is mistreated by her parents. Beaten when she doesn't obey. They have an agenda: they want to see Jane married to the King's son. The power and influence of their family will then be secure. Jane becomes a mere pawn in a game of power. She tries to assert herself, but fails. Through the ill-guided endeavours of her power-hungry family, Jane looses her head (literally).
What I thought: If you've ever seen the 1986 film Lady Jane, Rinaldi's superbly researched account of Jane Grey's life will set you straight. The assumption that everyone loves a romance must explain the sentimentality of the film. Jane was married to Guildford Dudley against her will. She found him repulsive. In the movie, they eventually fall in love. In reality, they become friends only under threat of imminent death. I like a romance as much as the next girl, but in matters of history I prefer the facts. Rinaldi assures readers, "I have fictionalized some events for the sake of the story, and interpreted others to tighten my plot, but otherwise, no amount of invention or creativity could add to this incredible story" (Author's Note).
Monday, January 26, 2009
Review: Brooklyn Rose
Rinaldi, Ann. Brooklyn Rose. Orlando: Harcourt, 2005.
Rose is a fifteen-year-old Southern Belle at the turn of the 20th century. Given a diary, she records her thoughts on her family, life in the South, and her growing attraction to an older man. She marries Rene Dumarest. Rose must adjust from being a Southern Belle living in diminished circumstances since the War between the States to being a rich man's wife in Brooklyn, New York. Still a child and not yet a woman, Rose must find her feet as a married woman.
Author Ann Rinaldi describes her story: "It is my grandmother and grandfather, as I imagined them to be" (Author's note).
What I thought: I particularly like the format Rinaldi chose for this tribute to her grandparents, that of a diary. Rose's voice comes across just as it should: childish yet womanly, uncertain, and at times humorous.
Rose is a fifteen-year-old Southern Belle at the turn of the 20th century. Given a diary, she records her thoughts on her family, life in the South, and her growing attraction to an older man. She marries Rene Dumarest. Rose must adjust from being a Southern Belle living in diminished circumstances since the War between the States to being a rich man's wife in Brooklyn, New York. Still a child and not yet a woman, Rose must find her feet as a married woman.
Author Ann Rinaldi describes her story: "It is my grandmother and grandfather, as I imagined them to be" (Author's note).
What I thought: I particularly like the format Rinaldi chose for this tribute to her grandparents, that of a diary. Rose's voice comes across just as it should: childish yet womanly, uncertain, and at times humorous.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Review: Gold Dust Letters
Lisle, Janet Taylor. The Gold Dust Letters. New York: Avon Camelot, 1994.
It all starts with a letter. Angela decides to write to her fairy godmother. Angela's that kind of girl. She still believes in magic. Her belief is validated when her fairy godmother writes back. Written on parchment paper with purple ink, the letter sheds gold dust whenever it's open. But what does the letter say?
"With great honor I present myself: Pilaria of the Kingdom of Faeries, Eighth Tribe, Fourth Earth, Under the Sun-Star Aravan, May It Shine on Our Land Forever and Ever.
ANGELA HARRELL:
Your message has been received. Unfortunately, boxes of chocolates like the one you requested have long been out of stock. A hundred years ago they were all the rage, but fashions change. The kingdom has not filled such an order in fifty or sixty years and no longer prepares them. We are sorry that we cannot grant your wish in this matter.
Respectfully,
The Gray-Eyed Faerie,
PILARIA"
With the help of her friends Georgina (doubter of magic) and Poco (talker to animals), Angela sets out to discover more about the Pilaria and the fairy kingdom.
What I thought: This was a delightful book. I was pleased to learn that it is the first in a series. The other books are Looking for Juliette, A Message from the Match Girl, and Angela's Aliens. Angela's belief in magic is what made this book so enchanting. After all, believing is seeing, right?
It all starts with a letter. Angela decides to write to her fairy godmother. Angela's that kind of girl. She still believes in magic. Her belief is validated when her fairy godmother writes back. Written on parchment paper with purple ink, the letter sheds gold dust whenever it's open. But what does the letter say?
"With great honor I present myself: Pilaria of the Kingdom of Faeries, Eighth Tribe, Fourth Earth, Under the Sun-Star Aravan, May It Shine on Our Land Forever and Ever.
ANGELA HARRELL:
Your message has been received. Unfortunately, boxes of chocolates like the one you requested have long been out of stock. A hundred years ago they were all the rage, but fashions change. The kingdom has not filled such an order in fifty or sixty years and no longer prepares them. We are sorry that we cannot grant your wish in this matter.
Respectfully,
The Gray-Eyed Faerie,
PILARIA"
With the help of her friends Georgina (doubter of magic) and Poco (talker to animals), Angela sets out to discover more about the Pilaria and the fairy kingdom.
What I thought: This was a delightful book. I was pleased to learn that it is the first in a series. The other books are Looking for Juliette, A Message from the Match Girl, and Angela's Aliens. Angela's belief in magic is what made this book so enchanting. After all, believing is seeing, right?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Review: Beastly
Flinn, Alex. Beastly. New York: Harper Teen, 2007.
You know the story. Boy behaves badly. Gets cursed by a witch. Has a limited amount of time to find a girl to love him in all his beastliness. This is exactly what happens to Kyle Kingsbury. His bad behavior pisses off a witch. Forsaken by even his father, he takes refuge in gardening. His roses are his one peace. He wastes one year feeling sorry for himself. He finally embraces reality and adopts a new identity, Adrian King. Can he find a girl in time to break the curse?
What I thought: As a fan of fairy tale re-tellings, I wasn't disappointed in Alex Flinn's urban version of Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed that the reader gets Kyle's story from his point of view. In traditional versions of the story, readers often sympathize with the girl. After all, there's a reason the beast was cursed in the first place. For fans of Donna Jo Napoli's Beast, this is a must read.
You know the story. Boy behaves badly. Gets cursed by a witch. Has a limited amount of time to find a girl to love him in all his beastliness. This is exactly what happens to Kyle Kingsbury. His bad behavior pisses off a witch. Forsaken by even his father, he takes refuge in gardening. His roses are his one peace. He wastes one year feeling sorry for himself. He finally embraces reality and adopts a new identity, Adrian King. Can he find a girl in time to break the curse?
What I thought: As a fan of fairy tale re-tellings, I wasn't disappointed in Alex Flinn's urban version of Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed that the reader gets Kyle's story from his point of view. In traditional versions of the story, readers often sympathize with the girl. After all, there's a reason the beast was cursed in the first place. For fans of Donna Jo Napoli's Beast, this is a must read.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Happy Birthday, A. A. Milne!!!
Happy birthday to A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. Milne was born January 18, 1882 in England.
In celebration of his 127th birthday, I ask that you read something from his books. I'll share my favorites here.
From When We Were Very Young (published 1924), my favorite poem is "At the Zoo." From Winnie-the-Pooh (published 1926), my favorite is chapter 2, "In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets into a Tight Place." From Now We Are Six (published 1927), my favorite poem is "Us Two." From The House at Pooh Corner (published 1928), my favorite is chapter 5, "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day, and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings."
You might also watch The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, released by Disney in 1977.
Other Pooh resources for those of you who want more information or to throw a Pooh celebration:
The Pooh Party Book by Virginia H. Elliason (1971)
Just-Pooh.com: http://www.just-pooh.com/
Pooh Corner: http://www.pooh-corner.org/
Penguin's Pooh Party Guide from 2001: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/pooh75/pdfs/PoohParty.pdf
Whatever you do today, just remember the joy that Pooh and his friends brought you as a child.
In celebration of his 127th birthday, I ask that you read something from his books. I'll share my favorites here.
From When We Were Very Young (published 1924), my favorite poem is "At the Zoo." From Winnie-the-Pooh (published 1926), my favorite is chapter 2, "In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets into a Tight Place." From Now We Are Six (published 1927), my favorite poem is "Us Two." From The House at Pooh Corner (published 1928), my favorite is chapter 5, "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day, and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings."
You might also watch The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, released by Disney in 1977.
Other Pooh resources for those of you who want more information or to throw a Pooh celebration:
The Pooh Party Book by Virginia H. Elliason (1971)
Just-Pooh.com: http://www.just-pooh.com/
Pooh Corner: http://www.pooh-corner.org/
Penguin's Pooh Party Guide from 2001: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/pooh75/pdfs/PoohParty.pdf
Whatever you do today, just remember the joy that Pooh and his friends brought you as a child.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Review: Our Only May Amelia
Holm, Jennifer L. Our Only May Amelia. New York: Harper Trophy, 1999.
May Amelia is the only girl in her settlement on the Nasel River in Washington State. some say she's a miracle. Others think she's a pest. But they all concur that she's their only May Amelia. May endures a pregnant mother (this means she has to do all the housekeeping), 7 older brothers, a disproving father, and a cruel grandmother. She also has any number of people (relatives, friends, and acquaintances) tell her she needs to be a "Proper Young Lady." May Amelia doesn't see anything special or fun in being a proper young lady. She prefers to be herself though others despair of her lack of refinement.
What I thought: It took me a few moments to get engaged in this book. I think the absence of quotation marks around speech was part of the problem. May Amelia is such a spunky girl. I guess she has to be when there are 7 older brothers there to roughhouse with her. I'm the oldest in my smaller family (only 1 brother & 1 sister) so it was nice to experience what it would be like to be the youngest. I am pleased to discover that Jennifer Holm based the character of May Amelia on her grandaunt. Historical books based on family stories always seem more real to me. (Another of my favorites is Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson.)
May Amelia is the only girl in her settlement on the Nasel River in Washington State. some say she's a miracle. Others think she's a pest. But they all concur that she's their only May Amelia. May endures a pregnant mother (this means she has to do all the housekeeping), 7 older brothers, a disproving father, and a cruel grandmother. She also has any number of people (relatives, friends, and acquaintances) tell her she needs to be a "Proper Young Lady." May Amelia doesn't see anything special or fun in being a proper young lady. She prefers to be herself though others despair of her lack of refinement.
What I thought: It took me a few moments to get engaged in this book. I think the absence of quotation marks around speech was part of the problem. May Amelia is such a spunky girl. I guess she has to be when there are 7 older brothers there to roughhouse with her. I'm the oldest in my smaller family (only 1 brother & 1 sister) so it was nice to experience what it would be like to be the youngest. I am pleased to discover that Jennifer Holm based the character of May Amelia on her grandaunt. Historical books based on family stories always seem more real to me. (Another of my favorites is Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson.)
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