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Reader’s Review: The Glass Puzzle

Published at: 02:05 pm - Wednesday May 22 2013

When cousins Zoe and Ian discover a mysterious glass puzzle in their Grandfather’s home in Tenby, Wales, they discover that their town is far more than they ever anticipated. They have always been adventurous, but when they put it together, horrible monsters called Scravens fly from the puzzle and escape into the town. They soon discover that the puzzle is a magical portal to another dimension; a dimension that the sunken island of Wythernsea has reappeared within. Can these two 11-year-olds really stop the Scravens from taking over their beloved town? Or worse, the entire world?

The Glass Puzzle by Christine Brodien-Jones is a wonderful story of magic and adventure unlike anything. I loved the unique choice of setting for its originality. I had never heard of it until I read this book, and that’s something that a great author does; introduces the reader to something new. Christine has done a fantastic job with that. My only pet peeves with this book were the acceleration and the description. The book progressed very quickly. By page 16, they were already seeing “demon people,” and by page 37, they had released Scravens into Tenby. Clearly, it moved fast. The other problem was the description. For example, as they prepared to fight the Scravens, Ian and Zoe said that is would be “to the death.” I didn’t feel this was appropriate, because Christine didn’t really make it seem scary or exciting enough. This book would really appeal to 3rd-6th grade children, in my opinion. Overall, this book really was creative and unique in several different ways, and kept me reading until the end.

  • Posted by Emily D.
Posted in: Action & Adventure, Elementary Book Reviews, Middle Grade Reviews, Supernatural & Horror by PBCReader No Comments ,

Nine Days

Published at: 11:05 am - Monday May 20 2013

Fred Hiatt‘s Nine Days is so much more than an action-packed thrill ride.  Don’t get me wrong, it is an action-packed thrill ride: a story that zips along at a breakneck speed, fueled by a cliff hanger at the end of every short chapter, rife with danger, and near death scrapes. But at the same time, Nine Days is also a story that explores freedom, social justice, human rights, and complex, real world problems.   I found it completely engaging and unexpectedly thought-provoking, enjoying the successfully executed thriller inspired by Ti-Anna Wang, the real daughter of a jailed Chinese dissident.

16 year old Ethan has been fascinated by Asian cultures since elementary school.  He’s particularly interested in Chinese history and politics, but he never would have guessed that in the summer after sophomore year, he’d be putting his life on the line in the streets of Hong Kong searching for a friend’s missing father.  But when Ti-Anna Chen confiding in him that her political activist father has gone missing while on a secret trip to Hong Kong, Ethan decides that since Ti-Anna can’t go to the authorities for help, its up to them to do anything they can to save her father’s life.

Before he can have second thoughts, Ethan and Ti-Anna are on a flight to Hong Kong where by sheer luck and a few clues they find themselves on a winding trail from high rise to seedy underworld.  They’re being followed and Ethan believes they’re also being led astray by people they can’t trust.  When the trail leads them to Vietnam and into the hands of human smugglers, their resourcefulness, courage, and friendship are tested to the limits.

  • Posted by Cori
Posted in: Action & Adventure, Action & Adventure (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Multicultural, Multicultural (YA), Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews by Cori No Comments ,

Sugar

Published at: 06:05 pm - Friday May 17 2013

Coretta Scott King Honoree Jewel Parker Rhodes tells a beautiful tale of determination, hope, and connection in her forthcoming book for young readers, Sugar.  Reading this wonderful book brought to mind other strong-willed young girls who recognize and rise above their limited circumstances (Lillie in Freedom Stone, Deza in The Mighty Miss Malone, Zulaikha in Words in the Dust, and Addie in A Thousand Never Evers) to become more than their communities or their social circumstances would have expected them to be.

Set five years after the end of the Civil War, 10 year old Sugar has lived her whole life on River Road sugar plantation on Southern Louisana.  Her father having been sold years ago and her mother having recently died of exhaustion, Sugar feels that even though she may be free, she chaffs against the prospect of spending her life toiling at River Road.  To find some escape, Sugar explores the edges of River Road, and soon teams up with an unlikely ally, Billy, the plantation owner’s son.

When Chinese laborers are brought in to work on the plantation, Sugar sees another opportunity to quench her thirst for knowledge about the world beyond River Road.  While the other River Road folks are threatened by the presence of the Chinese, Sugar is intrigued and soon has made friends with young Beau and Master Liu.  Sugar realizes its up to her to bridge the gap between the Chinese laborers and the former slaves who still work at River Road, and it doesn’t take long for her loyalty, charm, and determination to bring the whole community together.

Sugar is both a story about and character keenly aware of the possibilities, connections, and opportunities life has to offer.  Faced with a fate that seems harsh, unchangeable, and isolating, Sugar chooses instead to believe in and actively create relationships and a future for herself that are full of hope, promise, and love.

  • Posted by Cori
Posted in: Elementary Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Reviews, Multicultural by Cori No Comments , ,

Hide and Seek

Published at: 07:05 pm - Wednesday May 15 2013

How cool would it be if your parents were part of a secret organization, charged with protecting the world’s cultural artifacts?  Wouldn’t it be awesome to fly around the globe at a moment’s notice to hunt down a shady criminal who’s stolen an ancient treasure?  And can you imagine being privy to all kinds of top-secret information about international events, intrigue, and the criminal underworld?  Some kids have all the luck.  Kids like Jose, Anna, and Henry, whose parents are part of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, would seem to be the kids you’d be jealous of.  But even though the 3 friends have already tracked down the thieves who stole the original Star Spangled Banner from the Smithsonian, Jose, Anna, Henry’s parents don’t seem to see the crime fighting potential these smart, determined middle graders possess.

When it’s discovered that the priceless, pre-Columbian Jaguar Cup has been replaced with a counterfeit, the Silver Jaguar Society goes on high alert.  Jose, Anna, and Henry are quickly on a flight with their parents to Costa Rica, but to their dismay, the friends are left at a provincial jungle resort, far away from the last known location of the Cup.  What the kids don’t expect though, is that despite being deep in the remote rain forests, they’ve actually stumbled right into the mysteries surrounding the golden goblet and the thousand year history of unscrupulous people trying to steal it for themselves.  Not entirely sure whom to trust (even amongst themselves), Jose, Anna, and Henry have to do whatever they can to stay one step ahead of a thief who will stop at nothing – even murder – to unravel the clues before it’s too late.

Kate Messner‘s newest, Hide and Seek, is the first in a proposed series for middle grade and upper elementary readers.  Combining treasure-hunting elements, fast paced action, and a cast of relate-able characters, Messner has set herself up with plenty of possibilities to keep thrill seekers coming back again and again.

  • Posted by Cori
Posted in: Action & Adventure, Elementary Book Reviews, Middle Grade Reviews, Mystery & Suspense by Cori No Comments

Jack Strong Takes a Stand

Published at: 10:05 am - Saturday May 11 2013

This post comes from Brian Griggs: The Tallest Librarian in the World; check out his blog briangriggs.com.

I’m really liking the amount of humorous, realistic fiction that has come out recently. It takes a lot of skill to write characters that are believable and yet live in big enough experiences to keep the narrative interesting. Tommy Greenwald succeeds in doing that with Jack Strong Takes a Stand.

Jack is an overscheduled middle-schooler who decides to stage a sit-in on his family’s couch until his schedule frees up. It reminded me a little bit of Avi’s Nothing but the Truth as one tiny action escalates into a media storm. Newspapers, web sites, and a TV show all run Jack’s story – but not the full version of it. All have their own agenda, whether they support the parents or think that Jack’s parents are the worst people ever. What I love is that Jack doesn’t hate his parents. Even when outsiders criticize his family, Jack is quick to try to defend them. His dad has a legitimate reason for wanting to overschedule his son’s life. Greenwald made sure that the dad wasn’t a two-dimensional antagonist (although the two-dimensional illustrations are pretty fun) and we see that it’s done because the father cares about his son.

Fans of Charlie Joe Jackson (a book on the GCRA list, might I remind you) will enjoy the similar style. There’s a fun reference to Charlie in the book, placing the events in the same world as Charlie Joe. I especially enjoyed the characterization of Jack Strong. Yes, he’s overscheduled. Yes, he’s taking a stand. And yes, he sometimes is taking for granted opportunities that others do not have. If the story was just about us sympathizing with a busy teen, it wouldn’t be as compelling. It’s more realistic that some characters agree with Jack’s choice but still think that he’s spoiled.

Jack’s grandmother is a stand-out character in the book and it’s interesting to note that she shares the same last name as Ellen Kellerman, the woman that the book is dedicated to. What a great memorial. I know that the illustrations may remind people of Wimpy Kid, but I would say this is more of a Gordon Korman-style book (and yet with the very unique voice that Greenwald expertly wields). Make sure to grab a copy this fall.

  • Posted by Brian Griggs
Posted in: Action & Adventure, General Book Reviews, Middle Grade Reviews by Erin No Comments

Pi in the Sky

Published at: 07:05 pm - Friday May 10 2013

Any reader fascinated by math or science or curious about the universe will likely find Pi in the Sky by Wendy Mass intriguing.  Mass tells the story of thirteen-year-old Joss, the seventh son of the Supreme Overlord of the Universe. Each chapter of her book begins with a quote from an astronomer, physicist, mathematician, cosmologist, chemist, engineer, naturalist, or writer captivated by the universe.  These quotes form the underlying themes of the book.

Joss, virtually an immortal life form, lives in The Realms, which are located inside dark matter, so parts of it reach out into all the galaxies.  In The Realms, many of the remarkable places are behind closed doors marked closet.  Although Joss holds the key to the universe, he thinks all he does is deliver pies, and he claims to possess no fascination for the unexpected or for creative problem solving.  All of that changes when, from Earth, Annika Klutzman glimpses The Realms through her father’s powerful telescope.  This infraction causes the Powers That Be to rip Earth out of the time-space continuum.  The ensuing consequences form the plot of Mass’s story, the most immediate consequence being Annika’s unexpected arrival in The Realms and Kal’s disappearance.

As a human, Annika is not suited for survival in The Realms, but Aunt Rae’s creative thinking helps Annika adapt.  Determined to send this exhausting girl back to her home planet and to get his best friend back, Joss decides to tackle Gluck’s utterly impractical and unlikely assignment to rebuild Earth—but how?  The answer lies in the simulations of the Afterlives, in the missing data dots, and deep within Joss.  Although he fumbles clumsily, Joss gathers intel from his brothers and from Carl Sagan.  Eventually he learns that in order to manipulate time, he has to know how to manipulate space.  He also develops a taste for bagels and cream cheese with cinnamon red hots.

While telling her story of friendship lost and gained, identity discovered, and youth coming of age, Mass fills her book with science facts that invite investigation.  She makes science so incredibly amazing, readers will want to check out space.com, nasa.gov, and dailygalaxy.com to discover more.

  • Posted by Donna
Posted in: Middle Grade Reviews, Sci Fi & Fantasy by Donna No Comments , ,

The Rules for Disappearing

Published at: 11:05 am - Wednesday May 08 2013

How would you feel if you had to constantly move, change your name, appearance, and high school? Sadly, this is a feeling that Anna Boyd and her family know all too well. Anna’s parents and little sister are in Witness Protection and have had six identities in less than one year. Moving around is hard enough, but Anna has no idea why she and her family are in Witness Protection to begin with.

Not only does Anna have to pick a new name and memorize her “childhood memories”, she is constantly being placed and taken out of various high schools during her senior year. Her new identity is Megan Jones and she is living in Louisiana. As if high school isn’t hard enough, Anna tries to distance herself from clubs, sports, and friends. Moving every month or so is not worth the time and effort it takes to form friendships; it is even harder to leave without saying goodbye.

Alone and quiet, Megan meets Ethan Landry, a farm boy that attends her high school. Ethan is determined to befriend Megan and learn more about her. He finds her interesting and mysterious…as if she is hiding something. Sadly, not even Megan knows what she and her family are hiding. She has no recollection of the last night she was Anna Boyd, living in Scottsdale, Arizona. The only memory she has is from the night before when she witnessed her boyfriend and his father getting shot and murdered.

Megan was not the only family member to witness bad business. Megan’s father was involved with money wiring and investments with hundreds of clients. Did he take on the wrong client? Megan’s mother has a drinking problem. Did she make a mistake when she was intoxicated one night?

Did the killer see her and is trying to find her to kill off his only witness? Did her father mess with bad investments with his clientele? Will her family ever be free from Witness Protection? This exciting, fast paced novel will leave readers turning pages to find the truth behind Megan’s family. I highly recommend this novel, The Rules of Disappearing by Ashley Elston.

  • Posted by Jacquie
Posted in: Action & Adventure, Action & Adventure (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense (YA), Romance (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews by Jacquie No Comments , ,

Finding Zasha

Published at: 09:05 am - Monday May 06 2013

I’ve said before that I have a rule about reading books about dogs, and for the most part I stick to it – they just tear me up and it’s not worth the emotional upheaval to take a chance.  But every once in awhile I break my rule and, wouldn’t you know it, I am rewarded with a good story, characters I care about, and a dog (or two) that I wish I could bring home and call my own.

When Randi Barrow‘s prequel to Saving Zasha, Finding Zasha, came across my desk, I knew it would be one that’d be a rule breaker.   Far more than just a dog story, Finding Zasha is good historical fiction, an empowering coming-of-age story, and a glimpse into a part of WWII that isn’t explored enough – the Russian front.   Centered around 12 year old Ivan and starting in the Autumn of 1941 just as the brutal siege of Leningrad begins, Finding Zasha deftly mixes all these elements and more into a story you just can’t put down, and for me at least, one that said “rules are made to be broken.”

As the Autumn of 1941 sets in, Ivan believes that the Russians are going to be able to keep the Nazi forces at bay just as easily as he and his friends Alik and Misha beat back Hitler in their school yard games.  But they, and the city of Leningrad, are woefully unprepared for the non-stop attacks the German Army unleashes and too soon there is little left in the way of food, fuel, or hope for the residents of Ivan’s beloved home town.  Desperate to survive, Ivan is sent across a frozen lake to find refuge in the countryside, but his harrowing escape soon seems to have been for nothing: the Nazis are marching across the entire countryside and the small village sheltering Ivan is overrun by enemy soldiers who seem bent on cruelty and ruthless domination.

Ivan’s talent for playing the concertina draws the unwelcome attention of the Nazi commander, Major Axel Recht, who takes Ivan as though he were simply one of the spoils of war.  It’s here that Ivan meets the love of his life, Recht’s two good natured, loving, and innocent German Shepard puppies, Zasha and Thor.  Seeing them being harshly trained to become dogs of war, Ivan sets his mind to both escape Recht’s merciless clutches and take the dogs with him.  What Ivan doesn’t anticipate, however, is the depth of Recht’s cruelty and the longevity of his anger over losing his dogs.

  • Posted by Cori
Posted in: Action & Adventure, Elementary Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Reviews by Cori No Comments , ,

PBC’s 8th Birthday Party!

Published at: 06:05 pm - Friday May 03 2013

Our birthday is on Saturday May 18th, 2013, and we’re planning all kinds of fun to celebrate.

Join us between noon and four for all kinds of fun & games, delicious snacks, crazy sales, the chance to win a free year’s worth of books and more – we can’t wait to see you here!

FOR FULL PARTY DETAILS CLICK HERE

We will be giving away fun prizes at 8 past every hour, plus we’ll have delicious snacks, fun & games, and CRAZY 8′s Sales! Come on by!

We’re Turning 8, So We’re Giving Away 8 Great Prizes! If you like us on facebook and attend our birthday celebration on May 18th, 2013 you will be eligible to win:

One Grand Prize Winner Will Receive: a free year’s worth of books! You tell us what level/type of books you want, and we will send you 3 books a month for a whole year!

One First Prize Winner Will Receive: a free year’s worth of books! You tell us what level/type of books you want, and we will send you 2 books a month for a whole year!

One Second Prize Winner Will Receive: a free year’s worth of books! You tell us what level/type of books you want, and we will send you a free book every month for a whole year!

Five Third Prize Winners Will Receive: a free book on our birthday! As a thanks for joining us to celebrate our birthday, five lucky winners will walk away with a free book!

Some restrictions apply to all prizes. Must attend birthday celebration on May 18th, 2013 to win. No purchase necessary to enter. If you do not have facebook, you will be able to enter the drawing on-site when you attend the party. See store for more details.

Posted in: Ideas You Can Use, Sweepstakes, This is interesting, What's Happening at PBC by Erin No Comments

This Is What Happy Looks Like

Published at: 04:05 pm - Friday May 03 2013

If you received an email from an unknown person, would you reply? Most people would delete the message without even opening it…but what if that email held the fate of your future love life?

Ellie O’Neill receives an email from GDL824@yahoo.com. While the email address is unfamiliar to her, curiosity forces her to read it. The email was accidentally sent to her but the topic of the message piked her interest. This mystery person was telling Ellie about his pet pig and was unaware that he sent it to the wrong person. Ellie informs GDL824 about his accidental message to her, yet their conversation does not end there.

Weeks pass and Ellie and GDL824 know everything about one another except their names and backgrounds.  Ellie has no idea that her new pen pal is none other than the latest teen movie star, Graham Larkin. Ellie mentioned her hometown and high school job in an email to him. Coincidentally, Graham’s latest movie director is looking for a set for the upcoming film, and Graham casually mentions Ellie’s small town in Maine.

Graham and Ellie continue their friendship and emails for months. Soon, the two teenagers are beginning to fall in love with one another. The only problem is, how can Graham start a relationship with an ordinary teen? How will Ellie react when she learns her pen pal is a huge movie star and she is not fond of the public light? Will the two ever meet one another and live happily ever after? Or will the teens crash and burn once their identities are brought to light?

In this adventurous, love novel Jennifer E. Smith portrays the thought-provoking questions that will make the reader question, “What would I do?” I would recommend this novel for teenagers who enjoy reading love stories.

  • Posted by Jacquie
Posted in: Romance (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews by Jacquie No Comments
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