Fly by Night is Frances Hardinge’s first novel, but the third or fourth novel of hers that I’ve read. I liked it, and I definitely think that it’s one of the better middle grade novels out there, however it’s not my favorite of her books. Twelve year old Mosca, who is orphaned, lives with her uncle and is smarter than most of the people in her little town. Her best friend is the goose Saracen, because outcasts stick together. When the smooth talking con-man Eponymous […]
These books taught me more about life than any middle school health class.
I remember the summer that I discovered the “older” section of my local library’s children’s department. It had books by authors like Paula Danziger, Lois Duncan, and the goddess Judy Blume. I tore through them all between 4th and 6th grade (and then moved on to Stephen King). And while I knew that I loved these books, I also knew that I didn’t quite understand everything going on in them. Until health class. And then I understood more than I bargained for. Honestly, Judy Blume […]
Why we vaccinate our damn kids now
Polio is a highly contagious disease. In 1949, there were 42,033 cases in the United States. One of those was a twelve-year-old girl in Austin, Minnesota: Peg Shculze. Me. Small Steps is a very accessible piece of non-fiction, due in large part to Kehret’s career as a children’s book author. Her childhood affliction with Polio would make for a fascinating read even without her writing background; by focusing exclusively on her illness and recovery the story never has time to drag. One morning, while singing chorus […]
A satisfying end to a fun series
I’ve finally (regretfully) reached the end of the Percy Jackson books. It’s a little bittersweet finishing an enjoyable new series. It’s been highly enjoyable, however, and I do see myself returning to the series and recommending it to younger readers along the way. The nice thing about these books is that they’re fun without taking themselves too seriously and informational about mythology without being too heavy-handed in focus. In short: they’re appropriate for the audience to whom they are addressed. Percy is trying not to […]
Back into the groove with a maze plot.
Rick Riordan twists the plot a bit so that he breaks the predictability factor of the books. This is overall good for the series, as he has only one book to wrap up the story arc after this. Because I am a puzzle-person, the archetype of the maze or labyrinth has always been of interest to me (though please do not put me in one of those panic rooms), so I was probably going to find The Battle of the Labyrinth more interesting by default. […]
A more repetitive entry in the series.
I think this middle book might have been the weakest of the series for me—it was certainly the least memorable. While Percy falls into a sort of rhythm, Rick Riordan’s plotting starts to get a little paint-by-numbers in a way that makes me wonder if his enormous book output after the Percy Jackson books is being manned by a bookmill of ghostwriters. That said, I was glad to keep inhabiting the Percy universe and learn even more obscure mythology. Annabeth goes missing while Percy is […]
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