If you read Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George and enjoyed it, you are ready for Princess of Glass. Princess Poppy now the oldest unmarried sister of the eleven sisters has agreed to take part in a royal exchange program in hopes of creating strong political alliances for her homeland and possibly finding a handsome prince. Of course, she does find a charming prince, but another beautiful young woman lays claim to the same prince. A fun read with an interesting turn of events. (Teen readers 12 and up)

This summer we have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A beautiful new edition of the book has been released, along with the book Scout, Atticus, and Boo by Mary McDonagh Murphy about the novel’s history and the effect it has had on journalists, writers, historians, and artists.

In my own personal realm of children’s books, To Kill a Mockingbird is the quintessential summer reading book. Almost every child who graduates from high school in Mississippi has read this book. In Kathryn Erskine’s new book Mockingbird, the influence of this story comes not from the novel, but from the movie made in 1962 starring Gregory Peck.

At first glance, this novel looks too heavy for its audience, late-elementary and early middle-school children. However, this book was one of the most poignant middle grade novels I have read in a while and I think that people of every age could benefit from a reading of Mockingbird.

Caitlin is a ten year old girl who has Asperger’s.  Her brother was recently killed in a senseless school shooting. He was her protector, her friend, and she played Scout to his Jem. Even without her telling the audience of her pain, you know she is grieving in her own way, but the way she experiences emotion is entirely different than you or me or the people that surround her. The reader follows Caitlin as she struggles to understand not only the emotions and feelings of the people around her, but also her own unavoidable feelings.

Erskine shows in this book how a person with Asperger’s syndrome doesn’t see some things that we think of as obvious, such as voice inflection, sarcasm, literal and figurative meanings of words, and connecting with people. As Caitlin deals with her brother’s death, she often doesn’t even understand why she is sad or exactly why she is reacting the way she is. But, through her understanding of this great loss and community tragedy, she sees that even in death, her brother is helping her through this and that she can do more for the world than she ever imagined possible.

I was genuinely touched by this book. Kathryn Erskine will be here Monday, August 16th at 5:00, and I cannot wait to discuss her novel with her.

Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School: We The Children—Book 1

by Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements author of Frindle, A Week in the Woods, and numerous other good books is now writing a series about sixth graders: Benjamin Pratt and his friend Jill Acton. Benjamin arrives at school one morning to find the aging janitor, Mr. Keane, in need of medical help. Before Ben knows it Mr. Keane entrusts him with a gold coin that has an inscription written on both sides—basically it says “. . . Defend It. Duncan Oakes 1783.” The school was built in 1783 and at the present time it has been mysteriously sold and will be replaced by an amusement park. A great deal of money (thirty million dollars) has changed hands and now Ben finds himself the new defender of the school. Ben and his friend Jill are determined to find the truth and save the school. However, the powerful developers are determined to keep this from happening. Ben and Jill will discover how dangerous a little knowledge can be. You can discover more about the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series, visit www.keepersoftheschool.com (YA/YAM ages 7-12 for boys or girls)

Growing up in Mississippi, I have always know John Grisham’s name. From his huge house outside of Oxford to his books and movies, some of which were shot in Mississippi, I have always felt that he was our very own version of a mythical being. As we would drive in to Oxford for football games, my dad would regale us with stories about John Grisham coaching tee ball and little league for his children, and even as a child I found these stories endearing.

When I heard that John would be publishing a young adult series, the same image of a caring father came to mind, and I knew I wanted to read Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer to see what it was all about. I have to say that Theodore is an adorable character. He is thoughtful when it comes to his friends, loyal when trouble is afoot, and brave when he needs to be.

Theo is the only child of two busy lawyers, so this 13-year-old spends enough time around the courtroom to know quite a bit about the legal system. Every day after school he does his homework with his dog Judge in his “office” at his parents office building. He helps classmates with legal problems, such as bankrupt parents and escaped pets being held by the city pound. He even gets his Government class into the biggest trial of the year: the murder of  a woman in her own home. The only suspect in this trial is the husband, but even with such little evidence, Theo tries to stay objective as he watches the trial progress. When a friend comes to Theo with some information that could make or break this case, Theo must decide if he should convince his friend come forward or let a murderer walk free.

John Grisham’s language when describing the ins and outs of the legal system is so clear that I was never confused. Also, Theo’s knowledge never seemed unrealistic–this smart kid loves law, and whereas my hobby as a thirteen-year-old was reading and dancing, his is legal knowledge.  I had a lot of fun with this novel and cannot wait for the next book in this series, due very soon.

If you are a Grisham fan, young or old, you won’t be disappointed with this new brand of legal mystery. Adults will really enjoy another Grisham mystery, and Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys fans now have another series to devour. In the video below, Grisham talks about the inspiration behind Theo and the challenge of venturing into a new genre. Footage of John reading to his daughter’s classroom is also included, along with their very candid reactions to Theodore Boone.

We have signed first editions of Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, so come on by and pick up one for you and one for the tween in your life.

As the title indicates, this story is about Celeste, art, inspiration, and the meaning of home. The time period is 1821 at Oakley Plantation located a short distance from New Orleans. The story is not only about Celeste and her quest for making a home, but you will get a glimpse into life and time of James John Audubon (1785-1851) and how he went about painting portraits of beautiful birds of North America. The story also includes Audubon’s 13-year-old assistant, Joseph Mason and his relationship with Celeste. This is a very charming and entertaining read. (Young Adult Middle)

A while back I picked up a middle-grade novel entitled The Books of Elsewhere #1 The Shadows by Jacqueline West. Reading about Olive and her family was a similar experience for me as reading Roald Dahl’s The Witches or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh: I just knew it was going to become one of those series that everyone is talking about in a couple of years. Well, since you love us and we love you, I am here to tell you about it now, before it becomes trendy! I have also tested my theory on one of our Oz customers, Sophie Creath, and she agrees!

The Dunwoody’s just moved into Old Ms. McMartin’s old house, and there is definitely something weird about the house. It’s not just that all of Ms. McMartin’s stuff is still in the house, or that the basement is creepy, but the paintings move. And all of them are glued to the walls. Not to mention the cat that Olive is sure spoke to her and told her his name was Horatio. What has Olive gotten herself into? And as she gets to know the people in the paintings and the cats (yes, there are three) who should she trust? Olive is going to have to figure out 1. if she is crazy, 2. if cats can really talk, 3. if a painting can be alive, and 4. if the shadow in the basement are moving on their own.

Sophie says, “I loved The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows because it was the kind of book I love – ghostly fiction.  I liked it because of the characters. I thought they had unusual and crazy personalities and the author used interesting ways to describe them.  Olive,the 11 year-old main character, moves into the McMartin house and she realizes it is strange.  She thinks the house is trying to keep secrets from her.  And when she meets a strange cat she knows the house and cat are keeping secrets from her…”

I thought this book was creative and fast-paced, perfect for these hot days that we are having. I would love to see what y’all think about it, so please comment here!

This is about Isabel—a shape-shifter. Isabel knows that she exists to protect the king, but for the longest time she cannot remember her past or why she should protect the king. She must survive the dangers of court, learn about her past by learning about her magic legend and keep the young king alive even if it means her own end. I hope you read and enjoy. I found it difficult to put this one down. (Teen, ages 12 and up)

If you have enjoyed fairy stories or ever wanted to be a fairy, this a good book for you. Laurel has been home schooled for the first 10 years of education, when all of a sudden, her parents decided that they would move to a small town and Laurel should attend a public school. The first day of class Laurel meets David, and they become close friends. Shortly thereafter, a bump appears on Laurel’s back. You guessed it, it’s the making of fairy wings. Come enjoy the adventure and learn how Laurel copes with the realization of being a fairy. Enjoy Book 2–Spells! (Teen, Ages 12 and up)

If you are looking for romance and mystery, read The Body Finder.  Violet Ambrose discovered at a very early age that she had a very special talent – she could find dead bodies, at least those that were murdered.  She can sense the echoes that the victim leaves behind and the imprints left on the killer.  During Violet’s junior year, a serial killer is loose in her hometown and she is maybe the only person to stop him.  An intense read.

(Teen, ages 12 and up)

According to the author, “The Dreamer is a work of fiction based on the events of Pablo Neruda’s childhood.”  Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 and is considered one of the most widely read poets of the 20th century.

In this story, Neftali Reyes (Pablo Neruda) is a young boy who has a vivid imagination, daydreams, hears voices, and loves to read.  He is easily distracted and can spend hours observing and investigating everything.  This is all well and good unless you have a father that has high aspirations for his young son and is a very no-nonsense man.  The father wants his son to be a doctor or dentist and finds Neftali’s writings and daydreams to be an embarrassment to the family.  Neftali is a very persistent  young boy and lets nothing stand in his way of achieving his goals in spite of being bullied and called stupid.

(Young Adult Middle/Young Adult, ages 9 – 12)

Sometimes, it seems, books of the same topic group together. Often one person writes a book on the topic that does well commercially (Twilight and Harry Potter are good examples) and others try to capitalize on original book’s success by writing very similar stories. When I heard that Margaret McMullan’s new book, Sources of Light, was set in Jackson in the 1960s, I was worried that this phenomenon was happening again. (Anyone remember a little book called The Help by Kathryn Stockett?) However, as I started reading Margaret’s book, I realized I had judged too quickly. Sources of Light may be set in the ’60s in Jackson, but this telling of life stands on its own.

Margaret’s honest writing gives a complete idea of what it would have felt like to be a teenager in Jackson during this tumultuous time. For fourteen year old Sam, monumental events such as the Birmingham church bombing aren’t textbook stories, they are just worrisome events in her life. While she notices the injustices around her, she doesn’t question them to begin with and her new friends are worried more about communists than race relations. Sam and her mother have just moved to Jackson from Pittsburgh after Sam’s father was killed in the Vietnam war. All Sam wants to do is blend in, make friends and get through school; but Sam’ mother is a teacher at a Jackson college, and really doesn’t fit in to the mold of a perfect Missississippi woman. When Sam’s mother goes to speak at Tougaloo college, the all black college in Jackson, her picture ends up on the cover of the Clarion-Ledger and the threats and vandalism begin. Sam knows she can’t do much to help, but she can capture the insanity surrounding her with her camera. With those images, she can shine a light on the injustice that has become law in Jackson.

Sam’s voice is so clear and her observations are given without prejudice. I loved seeing these event through her eyes, understanding that although these events may be my past, they were someone’s present, much like they are Sam’s. I highly recommend Sources of Light. It has a beautiful story and message to share with you. You will not regret reading this book.

Margaret will be here tonight at 5:00 to sign and read Sources of Light. She was also featured in last Sunday’s Clarion Ledger. It’s going to be a fun night!