Book Review - Hollow City

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

By: Ransom Riggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication Date: January 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59474-612-3
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: January 26, 2014

This is definitely one of the most highly-anticipated sequels that readers have been salivating over...waiting for the time they could rejoin Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children and see what their next steps would be. For those who are wondering, the vintage photographs are still incredible and unbelievably realistic. They not only bring out the goose bumps, but also scream for the reader to turn on all the lights in the house while reading...just in case the subjects in those peculiar photos come to life.

The first book in this series was immensely popular because of the extreme inventiveness of the writer, Ransom Riggs, and everyone will agree that Riggs delivers yet again with Hollow City.
To catch everyone up, the first book centered around Jacob Portman and the stories his grandfather told him about his own life in WWII, where he grew up in this ‘home of peculiar children.’ Jacob wasn’t sold on any of this, even after seeing the haunting photographs. So when his grandfather passed away, Jacob went on a journey to find out what was real and what was complete fabrication.
Hollow City begins exactly where Book I faded out. Jacob and his ‘peculiar’ companions are on the run from soldiers (which are actually wights); the kids need to get to London fast because that is the place where the cure resides that will transform Miss Peregrine from the bird form she’s stuck in, back to the woman they love and need.

Sinister...evil...all the things that go bump in the night are thrown at the children as they make their way on this very important journey; they even meet some new peculiar children along the way. But humans are not the only things they must bypass; strange animals, a gypsy troupe that may have their own agenda, telepathic characters, shape shifters - this has got it all! And, yes, Emma Bloom - the girl who can make fire with her hands - is also among Jacob’s problems, because he’s trying to figure out his love for her while searching for the hollowgasts that could tear their group apart.

The most amazing thing about this sequel is the fact that the inventive tale, along with the vintage photos, is even better than the first.

Quill says: Miss Peregrine’s realm is full of tension, fear and the unknown; it is a ‘habit’ NO reader will ever want to break.

Book Review - Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella

Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella

Written/Illustrated by: Jan Brett
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: November 2013
ISBN: 978-0399257834
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: January 26, 2013

Poor, poor Cinders. She’s a little chicken who gets pushed around by the big, ol’ mean Largessa and her two equally pushy daughters Pecky and Bossy. When the little girl Tasha comes to feed them, Cinders barely gets any food. Those old, grumpy, cruel chickens seem to get all the good eats.

One evening, with a storm raging outside the henhouse, Tasha decides to stay with the chickens for the night and soon falls asleep. As soon as the girl is sleeping, a magical glow descends and the chickens begin talking about the prince’s ball. From this point on, the story follows the familiar story of Cinderella, albeit with chickens.

Cinders is, as expected, made to help Largessa and her daughters get ready for the ball. Once those pushy hens leave, Cinders is left alone – she certainly can’t go to a ball with her tattered clothes and frayed feathers. That is until a beautiful Silkie (a very feathery, beautiful type of chicken) comes to Cinders’ aid and, as a fairy ‘godchicken’ of sorts, waves her magic wand and turns Cinders into a dazzling beauty. Her clothes morph into a lovely dress, her feathers now have a silvery sheen, a pumpkin turns into a carriage and an assortment of little creatures become her footmen, coachmen, and horses (not quite horses, but you get the idea). Cinders goes to the ball, meets the prince, dances, must leave quickly and well, we all know the story – it has a happy ending. The story isn’t terribly original, but the chickens are absolutely wonderful.

The tale starts off slowly, with the girl Tasha going to the henhouse. She doesn’t have any important part to play in the story, other than falling asleep in the beginning and befriending Cinders at the end. The story would have read better to have simply been a tale about chickens. Other than that small qualm, however, I truly enjoyed Cinders, particularly the illustrations, which were amazing.

Quill says: The illustrations are the real stars of this book – they are magical. Combined with a well-known story with a twist, the book will likely find a place on a special shelf in your house.

Interview with Catherine Aerie - Author of 'The Dance of the Spirits'

Today we're talking with Catherine Aerie, author of The Dance of the Spirits

FQ: War can be a tough subject to write about, how did you decide what to include when describing the battles, surgeries, and wounded?

AERIE: I wanted to emphasize the varying reactions of the human mind when under the crushing weight of hopelessness, despair, and depression - in this case, that of the barren, hellish, bleak, napalm burnt, and shell scarred terrain that was the Korean Peninsula. In my personal opinion, the various scenes of carnage and violence are there to serve the developments of the characters involved in them.

FQ: The Korean War doesn't get as much attention in novels as other wars (thinking WWII for example). What made you decide to write about this war/time period?

AERIE: In the past, I’ve noticed that many historical fiction books set during the Second World War take place on the European fronts. Without meaning any offense, this seems to be because many of the writers behind such literature tend to be unfamiliar with the complexity of Asian cultures, and thus is perhaps why there’s a tendency for fewer novels revolving around the Pacific campaigns.
While there’s also the uniqueness that comes with setting the novel in a conflict and time period often left obscure and untouched by fiction writers, a major aspect of Dancing with the Spirits and the Korean War in general, is of the symbolic clash between the cultures and nations of the West and East. Also, I felt that such symbolism can be timed perfectly with the current rising influence of Asia into the cultural, political, and economic affairs of the West.

FQ: There are times in this book that Chinese architecture is mentioned, is this an interest of yours?

AERIE: Yes; in fact, I was originally born into a family of architects whom were often on the move due to the valuable nature of their work. The quaint, foreign, and mysterious nature of the described architecture also serves to highlight the alien and unfamiliar world in which the book’s Western characters are dropped in.

FQ: Jasmine is an intriguing character who is strong and determined so I was expecting her upbringing to be different. Was she an easy or difficult character to create?

AERIE: It was indeed challenging to write about Jasmine, whose story is a complete inverse of the fabled rags-to-riches adventure. However, almost all humans will inevitably have to face the unpredictable currents of the sea that is life, or else be swept away and consumed by time and misfortune. Both Jasmine and Wesley are shipwrecked in some sense, with the former being disavowed by her country while the latter is captured in battle. In the trials and tests that follow, both characters are tempted to give up to the figurative sea in desperation of escaping the suffering and pain around them. However, a major theme in my book is of how people can find the inspiration and drive to keep on swimming despite the tides around them, and eventually hold on long enough to be rescued while many others fail to.

In essence, Jasmine’s fall from a comfortable and carefree girl living in wealth and residing in a prosperous city to a mud and blood soaked woman struggling to get by on a battlefield, does the job of serving as a platform for trials and tribulations to be thrown at her. Instead of an optimistic Dickens style transformation where the miserable achieve strength and courage through rising to happiness, Jasmine gains such traits through coping with life after being robbed of such happiness and learning to find another form of it in the process.

FQ: It is mentioned a few times about certain characters having a “thinking problem.” What is your definition of this in regards to this story?

AERIE: The aforementioned “thinking problem” as stated by several of the Chinese characters, is a blanket term for personality traits and behavior deemed potentially dangerous or resistant against the supposed merits of the new Maoist culture of China. Those suspected of “thinking problems” were thought to be unappreciative of the reforms theoretically meant to benefit them. Thus, it was lawful in the new China for political personnel to take the initiative in “correcting” these “thinking problems” in whichever method they thought to be effective. On a much more broader scale, the “thinking problems” as mentioned in the book represent the iron handed nature by which tyrannical governments in general assert their authority and ruthlessly stamp out even the most subtle forms of potential discord.

FQ: It was interesting to see a glimpse into Wesley’s point of view and he seems to have some of the same compassion and determination as Jasmine. Was it your intention for them to be alike personality wise?

AERIE: Yes; as readers may have noticed, it is in fact the willpower and perseverance of the two that enables them to reunite and interact with each other again and again, lest alone survive individually, despite the constantly changing circumstances of the war raging around them often striving to separate them.

FQ: The efforts of doctors in the war was highlighted with Jasmine’s character, what research did you have to do in order to write about that part of the war?

AERIE: Apart from several notable books regarding the US MASH units, namely Otto Apel’s MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea and as well as various passages describing them from general Korean War histories, my main sources for The Dance of the Spirits also included several dated surgical textbooks, and as well as interviews with relatives who practice medicine.

FQ: The ending was a surprise for me. Without giving the ending away, did you plan from the beginning to have the story end that way it did?

AERIE: Surprisingly, yes; I wanted the plot to ultimately fall along realist lines despite using a number of liberties over the course of the book. I also wanted to reflect the prevalent misfortune and suffering people go through in harsh times, even if it meant slightly upsetting readers expecting a more optimistic and satisfying conclusion.

As a matter of historical fact that can hand-wave the nature of the book’s final climax, it should be noted that the United Nations’ faction of the war struggled with the immense burden of providing safety and shelter for its thousands of communist prisoners; despite the alliance’s best efforts, suicides, violence, and even riots continued to occur in its camp housing its prisoners of war.

To learn more about The Dance of the Spirits please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football

Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football: Make-or-Break Moment

By: Carla Killough McClafferty
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Publication Date: September 2013
ISBN: 978-1467710671
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: January 17, 2014

It was a rough-and-ready game for athletes who were willing and able to give it all, including their lives. Von Gammon “died as a result of playing the game he loved so much.” Football was slated to be outlawed, but Von’s mother, Rosalind, wanted it to continue. Fans and players alike clamored for the game’s continuation, a game that “was a perfect combination of brains, brawn, and brutality.” Feelings were mixed as some luminaries were against the game while others such as Teddy Roosevelt supported it. Von had died in 1897 and in spite of the continued deaths and injuries, the game went on.

The violence and deliberate brutality were alarming and finally it was agreed that an Intercollegiate Rules Committee would be set in place. Roosevelt was convinced, in 1905, that “the evils of the sport can be eliminated and the game saved.” Eventually, after a few name changes, the “main governing body” of the collegiate football arena was called the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Illegal and potentially lethal moves were banned from the game and some sense of civility was brought to the field. In spite of these changes, the “football rules didn’t drastically reduce the number of football-related deaths.” What was going wrong?

If a player broke an arm or a leg, the result was visible, but what about those head injuries? Oftentimes the “result of a collision is often trauma--a term derived from the Greek work for wound.” Getting a “ding” or “bellringer” didn’t necessarily exclude a football player from continuing a game. A little headache, nausea, or blurry vision wasn’t going to keep a man down. Some players continued to die on the field, but many others would later lead sub-par lives as a result of these invisible injuries. In this book you’ll read about those players, the science behind those subtle traumatic brain injuries, repetitive brain trauma, CTE, what researchers are now learning, and hope to learn in the future.

This is a startling book about the result of concussions earned on the football field. The basic history of the game is outlined for young readers to examine. There is an immediate hook with the death of young Von Gammon, but we go on to see both sides of the football debate. A look back in time unearths the detractors and somewhat prophetic anti-football men such as Harvard president Charles William Eliot. The first part of the book pinpoints alarming incidents, including deaths. The latter part of the book goes more into the science of concussions and brain injury, closing with yet other examples of its devastating consequences. In the back of the book is an index, source notes, a selected bibliography, and additional book and website resources to explore. There are free complementary, downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: This is a powerful book that should be read and discussed among young and old alike in order to prevent sports brain injuries.

Book Review - Darkness Everywhere

Darkness Everywhere: The Assassination of Mohandas Gandhi

By: Matt Doeden
Publisher: Lerner Publishing
Publication Date: August 2013
ISBN: 978-0761354833
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: January 2014

There was nothing about young Monhandas Karamchand Gandhi to indicate that he would one day be a beloved leader revered not only in his country, but around the world. “I used to be shy and avoided all company,” he later claimed, a characteristic that most certainly was not indicative of any future leader. Intellectually even his studies proved to be a struggle, yet another thing that would be a detriment “if he was to become a successful politician,” something he aspired to. His youthful marriage at age thirteen to Kasturbai Kapadia was turbulent at best. Later in life his poor treatment of Kasturbai came back to sting his conscience. It was not an auspicious beginning, not at all.

Obviously there had to be a turning point in Monhandas’s life and the suggestion that he continue his education in England was it. Gandhi realized that it “would be a test of his courage” and indeed it was. In spite of much disappointment and pain, especially at the death of his mother, he began to mature and cement his life philosophy. His “new path,” which would groom him for leadership began with a single incidence of racial intolerance. The twentysomething Gandhi was, first class ticket in hand, told by officials that “he would have to move to the baggage carriage.” It was a life-altering eye opener to the injustices of South African society.

The despicable incident was one that would eventually immerse Ghandi “in the fight for Indian rights in South Africa.” It was also a fight that would, in addition to making him a much revered man, make him the target of extreme Hindu nationalists once he was back on Indian soil. Gandhi’s “ideas of nonviolence and civil disobedience” were set in place to unify Hindus and Muslims in their fight for independence from British rule. It was the work of a simple, yet brilliant man, who began to loosen the British reins of oppression. All the while, a conspiracy began to unknowingly roil in the waters around him. Nathuram Vinayak Godse began his plan to stop the one man he thought was weakening and destroying India. Would he succeed?

This is an excellent look at the assassination conspiracy surrounding Mohandas Gandhi. Many students learn about Gandhi and his philosophy of nonviolence and civil disobedience, but little about the evil surrounding him. This book discusses the well-known aspects of Gandhi’s life, but also Nathuram Godse, his co-conspirators, their beliefs, their initial attempt on his life, and ultimately the successful one. It’s an excellent overview that tells the other side of the story, one that could easily become a stepping stone to further research or a school report. The book is generously illustrated with black and white photographs and numerous informative sidebars. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a timeline (1869 to 1949), a “Who’s Who” biographical section, source notes, a selected bibliography, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: This would be an excellent addition to any homeschool, classroom, or library shelves for students interested in world history and its leaders.

Book Review - Numbed!

Numbed!

By: David Lubar
Publisher: Millbrook Press
Publication Date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-1467705943
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: January 17, 2014

Ms. Fractalli’s class was on their way to a field trip to the Mobious Mathematics Museum. Boooring! “I’m counting on you,” she told Logan, “to see that Benedict behaves.” That would be a lot of counting because Benedict never behaved. Everyone was heading to the Chamber of Fractions, but that restricted area that was off limits to the public looked a whole lot better. Leave it to Benedict to figure that it was just the place to head to. Yep, Logan could c-o-u-n-t on Benedict to make a mess of things. Under the rope and down the stairs he went to check things out.

Dr. Thagoras just happened to be in one of those rooms downstairs. The doctor was cool, but the robot he was working with was awesome. Benedict and Logan soon found out that its name was “Cypher, the Number Cruncher,” part of a new exhibit for the museum. The weird thing was that Cypher only knew two digits, as in binary like a computer. “I love numbers,” Cypher droned. “Numbers are wonderful. I am numbers. Numbers are wonderful.” Not. The robot went on and on until smoke literally came out his ears. And then Benedict had yet another idea. He began to shout at Cypher. “Numbers are stupid!”

Blah, blah, blah. Logan didn’t quite know what to do and things got scary when Cypher had one more phrase for them. “You are wrong about numbers. You must be numbed.” Huh? A “bolt of energy” quickly zapped Benedict and Logan in their heads and then there was darkness. After Dr. Thagoras splashed a little water on them they left Mobious and were soon back in the classroom. Ms. Fractalli promised that if they did well on the math test they would “earn a class party with ice cream sundaes.” Awesome! Well, almost, because Benedict and Logan were numbed and knew nothing about math. How could they possibly ace that test if they couldn’t even count?

This is a fun, humorous tale about math that young readers will love. Of course the premise of this tale is that yes indeed, there are lots of uses for that seemingly useless subject ... math. Benedict and Logan embark on a numbed adventure finding just how many day-to-day uses they really had for it. In their scramble to regain their skills they head back to the Mobious to regain them. In the process they learn all kinds of very interesting math hints, hints that youngsters can use to wow their friends and potentially ace their own tests. The flow of the story is fun, exciting, and far from boring as Benedict and Logan learn all about math.

Quill says: If you have a young math hater in your classroom, they might just love it after reading this book!

Books In For Review

Here's a quick peek at some of the books that have just arrived for review.  Take a look and then stop by our site in a few weeks to read the reviews.





Will Shakespeare and the Ships of Solomon by Christopher Grey In the fall of 1947, Will Shakespeare saw the world collapse around him. Shakespeare, a secret soldier for the Knights Templar, barely escapes the slaughter of his entire knighthood at the hands of a rogue militant arm of the Vatican in a small Montreal church. With orders to escort Templar business associate Dorothy Wilkinson back to her home in Bermuda, Will must locate and rescue the most important secret treasure in human history before it is devoured by a hurricane in the watery caves beneath her father’s property. The spiraling quest sends Will and Dorothy into uncovering dark secrets that make up the origins of the knighthood as they confront the traps and puzzles that masterfully protect the world’s most coveted treasure.

Light Riders and the Fleur-de-lis Murder by Ann Goldfarb When 15 year old Ryn and his younger sister Aeden find themselves in Paris, France due to the murder of a distant relative, they cannot resist the temptation to travel back in time to find the killer. Although they think they have mastered Snell’s Law of Refraction and a way to use light for time travel, something goes terribly wrong. The pair finds themselves in 18th century Paris a day before the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. To make matters worse, they are lost in the underground sewers and their only hope of survival rests with a member of a secret society of revolutionaries who is bent on killing the aristocracy. When Ryn and Aeden learn that his next victim is their ancestor, who has sought refuge in the Bastille, they are forced to conceal their identities and find a way into that fortress to rescue the gentleman. With a bloodthirsty mob of angry citizens only hours away, Ryn and Aeden must rely on their instincts and skill to escape a frightening fate. Will time be their ally or their enemy?

Just Like Heaven: A Sweetland Novel by Lacey Baker As a successful criminal prosecutor, Preston Cantrell thrives in the hustle and bustle of Baltimore. Much as he loved his grandmother, the cozy streets of his hometown aren’t enough for him—not when he can make a real difference in the city. To get back to his career, all he needs is a new home for the energetic puppy he inherited. But when the gorgeous woman who arrives to adopt finds the dog more appealing than he is, Preston’s determined to plead his case.

Compass: Creating Exceptional Organizations: A Leader's Guide Hardcover by William F. Brandt Jr. A how-to-do-it compass for business leaders, executives, and managers of for-profit and nonprofit organizations, large and small. The traditional view of economic reality holds that the pursuit of self-interest benefits not only individuals but also society. While this book acknowledges the past successes of this premise, it offers a new, more powerful paradigm—the simultaneous pursuit of both self-interest and concern for others. This new orientation provides a guide for behavior that reflects both the greatest aspirations of humankind and the reality of the world in which we live. As a leader, you can act according to this new paradigm and create Exceptional Organizations that are viable (they achieve their purposes while acting according to society’s highest values), sustainable (viable over time), and valued (all your owners, employees, clients, providers, and communities benefit far more than with competitors). Such Exceptional Organizations foster the personal, professional, and moral growth of their members and are valued by society because society is among their stakeholders.

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel by Ransom Riggs When Jacob Portman was a boy, his grandfather regaled him with stories of his fantastic life at Miss Peregrine's home during the Second World War, even sharing photos of the remarkable children with whom he resided. As Jacob grew up, though, he decided that these photos were obvious fakes, simple forgeries designed to stir up his youthful imagination. Or were they...? Following his grandfather's death - a scene Jacob literally couldn't believe with his own eyes - the sixteen-year-old boy embarks on a mission to disentangle fact from fiction in his grandfather's tall tales. But even his grandfather's elaborate yarns couldn't prepare Jacob for the eccentricities he will discover at Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!

Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster Reagan Bishop is a pusher. A licensed psychologist who stars on the Wendy Winsberg cable breakout show I Need a Push, Reagan helps participants become their best selves by urging them to overcome obstacles and change behaviors. An overachiever, Reagan is used to delivering results. Despite her overwhelming professional success, Reagan never seems to earn her family’s respect. Her younger sister, Geri, is and always will be the Bishop family favorite. When a national network buys Reagan’s show, the pressures for unreasonably quick results and higher ratings mount. But Reagan’s a clinician, not a magician, and fears witnessing her own personal failings in prime time. (And seriously? Her family will never let her hear the end of it.) Desperate to make the show work and keep her family at bay, Reagan actually listens when the show’s New Age healer offers an unconventional solution...Record Nielsen ratings follow. But when Reagan decides to use her newfound power to teach everyone a lesson about sibling rivalry, she’s the one who will be schooled...