Children's Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoSwear to Howdy by Wendelin Van Draanen
Knopf, October, 2003Hardcover, 144 pages
ISBN: 0375825053
Ages 9-12
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Swear to Howdy will draw in any young reader
with its tale of boyish pranks and the kind of freedom
that boys may still enjoy in small towns, but its message
about the bonds of friendship comes as swift and hard
as unexpected tragedy.
Rusty Cooper tells the story about his best friend, Joey Banks, and their wonderful adventures in the small town of Lost River. Lost river is clearly a Southern town with its most important street named Lee Street, and a history teacher who gives detailed exams on the Civil War.
Each boy has an older sister who seems to get special privileges from parents. Rusty and Joey are the most mischievous younger brothers any teenaged girl has ever had to endure. A huge bull frog in one's underwear drawer is enough to make any young girl scream at the top of her lungs. And that is only the beginning. Clearly sibling rivalry and the basic gender differences between male and female children create havoc in the two households. On a more somber note, Joey's father appears as a powerful and threatening man.
The amusing adventures of the two boys remind the reader of other beloved stories about growing up as a boy in America. One is reminded of Booth Tarkington's Penrod and Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. But then the adventurous tricks that the two boys play on their hapless older sisters take a sudden and tragic turn. Wendelin Van Draanen deftly handles the consequences of too much freedom in the lives of young boys. Swear to Howdy is a book that teaches some tough moral lessons and should be put in the hands of as many young readers as possible.
--Sarah Reaves White
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
The Chicken House, October, 2003Trade paperback, 376 pages
ISBN: 043942089X
Ages 9 and up
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Cornelia Funke spins a Dickens-like
tale set in the streets of Venice in this
somewhat clunky English translation from the
original German (see Funke's excellent novel
Inkheart for a better translation and sense of
what this author is about). Prosper and
his little brother Boniface (or Bo) run
away to Venice from Hamburg where Bo has been sent
to live with his ghastly aunt who only wanted to adopt one of the
brothers after their mother's death. The boys' mother
always told them of the magic of Venice,
with its statues of lions and angels. But when they
arrive in Venice, they are cold, dirty and broke.
Taken in by a gang of young rascals run by
Scipio, a boy who calls himself The Thief Lord,
Prosper and Bo have all sorts of adventures
as they try to outwit and evade the kindly detective
who has been hired to find them.
Venice is the real star of The Thief Lord. Ms. Funke has a way of turning the city into a magical fairyland, where something amazing awaits around every corner. Despite the somewhat awkward translation, Ms. Funke's considerable storytelling skills and descriptive powers shine through. This is an excellent story with a surprising fantasy element that only adds to the magic of the tale.
A Wizard Named Nell (The Keepers) by Jackie French Koller
Aladdin Books, October, 2003Paperback, 180 pages
ISBN: 0689855915
Ages 8-12
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In the land of Eldearth, the dark powers are
kept at bay by the Imperial Wizard, who is growing
old and weak. A new Imperial Wizard must be found or
the dark powers will overwhelm the goodness and light of the
kingdom.
According to the ancient prophecy the
Chosen One "must be royally born, tragedy torn, and
bearing the mark of the Dove." And a boy, according
to the customs of Eldearth. But Princess Nell thinks that
she fits the bill. So she defies her father's wishes and sets
out to fulfill the three tests that the Chosen One must pass
to be accepted as an Apprentice to the Imperial
Wizard. But first she installs a boy named Owen
as her double at her new boarding school, so she won't be
missed. Accompanied by her tiny dragon named Minna,
Nell sets out on her quest. But even if she
accomplishes her goals, there is no guarantee that the
Wizard will even accept a girl as his Apprentice.
Written in an engaging and easygoing style, A Wizard Named Nell is a very readable, delightful story, with dragons, magic and a likeable protagonist. The trials are not too scary for younger readers and the cliffhanger ending will leave readers wanting more about the girl that defies convention and dares much in order to save her beloved home.
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