My Depression: A Picture Book

MY DEPRESSION: A Picture Book by Elizabeth Swados (Hyperion, 2005)
GENRE: Nonfiction - Autobiography
HONORS: None

REVIEW: Depression is a difficult topic and there are very few books written for tweens on the subject. Though My Depression: A Picture Book is written by an adult with an adult audience in mind, there are many aspects of her story that will resonate with tweens struggling to understand the condition. Swados writes about depression frankly, as one who has struggled with the condition since she herself was an adolescent. Her illustrations are raw, evocative and gently humorous, underscoring her minimal text and the emotional difficulties of traveling through a depressive episode and successfully reaching the other side. Swados deals with everything from onset and coping mechanisms to social difficulties and treatment options without falling into the trap of recommending a cure - lots of things work, you just have to be patient and find what works for you. With an absolute lack of judgement, Swados delivers an encouraging message from a person with first hand experience.

OPINION: Certain topics in Swados's story may be inappropriate for younger adolescents (she briefly addresses suicide - though in such as way that emphasizes the many reasons she chose not to. Also mentioned are smoking and drinking as initial coping mechanisms). As such, it's a book that should be recommended and read with care. For older adolescents, particularly those who can read the book and discuss it with a trusted adult, My Depression: A Picture Book is an enlightening, encouraging and nourishing read, filled with sensitivity, frankness and the gentle humor of a person who has been there and made it through.

IDEAS: Unless dealing with a tween or teen that you know quite well,  this My Depression:  A Picture Book is best recommended to parents / caregivers by librarians (counselors and professionals often recommend it directly, but for nonprofessionals, caution is best). Though blatantly encouraging (the ability to draw strength from depression is repeatedly underscored, while Swados's positive attitude communicates strong authorial support), for older adolescents, it is still a book ideally read with the support of someone else.

Lilly and the Pirates

LILLY AND THE PIRATES by Phyllis Root; Illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Boyds Mills Press, 2010)
GENRE: Adventure
HONORS: None

REVIEW: Lilly worries. She worries a lot. What if a yodeler causes an avalanche? What if her parents get swept out to sea? She worries to keep disaster at bay, writing down her concerns in her worry book and hoping for the best - until her scientist parents go on an expedition to the Shipwreck Islands to study the frangipani fruit fly, leaving Lilly behind. When their boat wrecks on the reefs, it is up to Lilly to rescue them by overcoming her fear of the sea and finding the hidden island, all while outsmarting a bunch of pirates. She even learns not to worry - at least, not quite so much. Root's lean, well-paced chapter book is exciting and gently silly (the scholar pirate swears by shouting E=MC2!), while Lilly herself is an honest of an anxious child. Her preventative worrying will be familiar to any young worrier, and though slightly over the top, Root treats her with understanding and respect, all while allowing Lilly to overcome her worries in situationally appropriate, intuitive ways. Encouraging without being preachy, Lilly and the Pirates is a hidden gem - a real buried treasure!

OPINION: Lilly and the Pirates is a quick and extremely charming read. Easy to overlook (it deals with classic themes in classic ways), it still manages to feel fresh and modern. Shepperson's illustrations are great (especially the one of Lilly underwater, debating whether or not to let her worry book go so she can float to the surface), lending Root's tale an air of jaunty, piratical fun. Though it may require some blatant pushing at first, it's popularity is likely to grow through sheer word of mouth.

IDEAS: An unexpected though excellent addition to a pirate, adventure or even humor display. Even more directly, however, it's a wonderful recommendation for kids prone to worry or anxiety who are looking for a genuinely fun and encouraging adventure. In addition, it's a great book for younger adolescents or even grade school kids to read with their parents - especially given the lovely relationship between Lilly and her parents paired with her ability to strike out on her own independently at the end of the book while still loving them.

Nicola and the Viscount

NICOLA AND THE VISCOUNT by Meg Cabot (Harper Teen, 2004)
GENRE: Romance - Historical
HONORS: None

REVIEW: Beguiling 16-year-old orphan, Nicola Sparks, is everything a young marriageable young lady in Regency England should be - lovely, charming and just a bit silly. When the young Viscount Farnsworth, (whom Nicola thinks of habitually as "the God"), suddenly proposes marriage, she immediately accepts. The rest of the book is taken up with Nicola's slow realization that her intended, though handsome and superficially charming, may not be all he seems. Cabot treads well-worn ground here, so much so that Nicola and the Viscount, which is obviously intended to read like Jane Austen lite, reads a bit more like a junior Harlequin Regency romance. Not that there's anything wrong with this. Though formulaic in the extreme, the story still follows a winning, time-tested formula, with the heroine caught between two men in a romance peppered with social witticisms. Though Cabot's prose feels awkward, as if she's wearing a dress that doesn't quite fit, the tone is perfect for a light period romance. Even though it's obvious where the story is going from the start, the journey is fun for all it's romantically silly glory.

OPINION: Nicola and the Viscount is a nice alternative to the darker, more fraught passions of paranormal romance. Completely devoid of vampires, demons, werewolves, fallen angels or even run-of-the-mill seriousness, it's a classic sort of romance driven by just enough drama to keep the pages turning. All of the characters, though typical of Regency romances, are charming and fun. The overall effect is of a light little bon bon that's ever-so-easy to gobble up.

IDEAS: With romance that springs from interpersonal tensions rather than blatant physical desire, this is a great read for girls who are ready for more than holding hands at a dance, but not quite ready for Twilight. Also a good suggestion for fans of the film versions of Pride and Prejudice or Emma.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter (Hyperion, 2007)
GENRE: Romance - Contemporary
HONORS: None

REVIEW: Fifteen year old Cammie Morgan goes to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a boarding school that trains future spies. Even there, she is truly special, with an ex-CIA mom (who is also headmistress) and a dad killed on assignment, Cammie is a natural spy. But she's also a girl, as the author is quick to point out. Curious about life beyond self-defense and covert ops, Cammie falls in love with Josh, a local boy, who has no idea who, or what, she is. Hijinks ensue as Cammie uses her skills to keep her worlds from colliding, which, of course, they inevitably do. The 1st person narration is perky and cute, almost to a fault, as Cammie confides in the reader through plentiful, though eventually tiresome asides. The world of the Gallagher Academy is completely over-the-top, though if you suspend the right amount of disbelief, the ridiculousness is almost fun. Unfortunately, the stakes never get high enough for all the drama to seem warranted. There are no real bad guys and no lives at stake. For a novel populated by supposedly hard-core spies, this is a problem. As a result, Cammie's real-girl struggles fall a bit flat in this elevated, fantasy world.

OPINION: Carter keeps a tight focus on the audience I Would Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is aimed at. Though it ultimately fails to live up to it's potential, tweens and teens will very likely devour this blend of everyday romance and girl-power spy-fantasy. Cammie is sympathetic and generally likable and, though not the most interesting person in this motley cast of characters, she is the easiest to relate to.

IDEAS: A good suggestion for girls who want their romance with a little humor and a bit of action. The importance of female friendships is also a nice touch and will likely appeal to a wide variety of girls.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams (Crown, 2004 - Anniversary Edition)
GENRE: Science Fiction
HONORS: Multiple Best-Seller Lists Over Multiple Decades

REVIEW: One morning, Arthur Dent wakes up to find a  construction crew with a bulldozer outside of his house - the location for a new interstate. It is also the day that Earth has been scheduled for demolition to make way for a new intergalactic highway. Luckily, Arthur's friend, Ford Prefect, is not what he seems. He is a Hitchhiker and he knows where his towel is. Just as the Earth explodes, Ford, with Arthur in tow, snags a ride from a passing ship, escaping the Earth's destruction and landing them in a series of comic misadventures across the galaxy. With a cast of characters that have come to personify the ridiculous (in a really funny kind of way), Adams's now classic adventure is true must-read, particularly junior high boys - not to discriminate against junior high girls, it's just that, even thirty years later, adolescent males seem to take special joy in quoting any number of Adamsisms at length. Expertly paced, tonally perfect and truly quirky, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy may be science-fiction lite, but it's still must-read science fiction, even at the risk of exposure to Vogon poetry.

OPINION: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the kind of funny that relies on timing, word play and healthy dose of the ridiculous. It swings along and before you know it, you're halfway through and ignoring chores. Though not for readers that take themselves terribly seriously, most adolescents will enjoy Arthur Dent's slow inculcation into the Hitchhiking way of life. If a library doesn't have this book, there is very likely something wrong...

IDEAS: A great suggestion for parents looking a book they can read with their tween. A lot of parents will remember reading it when they were adolescents and would probably share it, with great enthusiasm, with their own kids. The humor has more than held up.

The Mummy's Mother

THE MUMMY'S MOTHER by Tony Johnston (Blue Sky Press, 2003)
GENRE: Adventure / Humor
HONORS: None

REVIEW: Ramoses is a 4, 010 year old mummy (4, 010 because he was 10 years old when he was mummified 4,000 years ago). For all that time, he and his mother, the Queen, have been tucked quietly in their tomb, waiting for the Afterlife, until one day, nefarious thieves steal his mother's mummy away. Though young, inexperienced and a bit physically fragile (one good thump could crumble his ancient bones), Ramoses heads off in pursuit, undertaking a journey that leads him through the desert on a cranky camel, to a ship where he makes friends and plays ping-pong and finally to New York, where his mother is being displayed in a museum. Ramoses is a sweet and earnest protagonist, whose vulnerabilities (both emotional and physical) are nicely balanced by his bravery and his ability to rise to every occasion. Johnston keeps things moving without unduly rushing the narrative. The result is a well-paced little story that lingers just long enough on each of Ramoses's adventures for humor or tension to bloom, without interfering with the pace.

OPINION: The Mummy's Mother makes up in humor and pacing for what it lacks in depth. Still, given that it is aimed at younger adolescents, a slight lack of depth could be considered a plus. It is especially humorous that Ramoses, who looks like a typical mummy, never arouses the suspicion of adults, most of whom assume he is a normal boy wearing bandages for some reason. This fun and funny suspension of disbelief contributes greatly to the book's charm. As an added benefit, Johnston weaves in a lot of aspects of Ancient Egyptian history and mythology, which will likely pique the interest of young readers and perhaps prompt them to learn more.

IDEAS: A great suggestion to younger tweens interested in Ancient Egypt or quick adventures with a gentle dose of humor. Also a nice supplementary reading for classrooms who are doing a unit on world mythology as the names and functions of Egyptian gods are featured throughout.

The 13 Clocks

THE 13 CLOCKS by James Thurber; Illustrated by Marc Simont; Introduction by Neil Gaiman (New York Review Children's Collection, 1950)
GENRE: Fantasy / Humor / Fairy Tale
HONORS: None

REVIEW: High up in a castle, an evil Duke (who is so cold that even the hands of his 13 clocks have frozen at "ten minutes to five") lives with his beautiful niece, Princess Seralinda. Loathe to lose her to marriage, the Duke devises all manner of impossible quests for the suitors who come knocking at his castle door. It is only when Xingu, a "knight who is not a knight" learns of the lovely Seralinda and undertakes a quest to win her hand in marriage, that the Duke overthrown and justice served. Thoroughly intelligent and charmingly ridiculous, The 13 Clocks takes full advantage of an entire host of fairy tales. Though it won't appeal to every reader, for those who enjoy a touch of the ridiculous, light romance, fairy tales or complex puns it is a wonderful, surprising read.

OPINION: The 13 Clocks is a quick read that works on several levels. For younger adolescents, the story alone, with it's fabulous villain, lovely princess and intrepid knight, is a fun romp through territory littered with familiar fairy tale motifs. For older tweens, or those who read more closely, Thurber's word play and internal pacing give The 13 Clocks and extra degree of interest. One could read this book several times and still not catch every double-meaning or subtle joke, making it a subtly ridiculous, utterly engrossing read for a wide range of tweens. Neil Gaiman's introduction adds a nice bit of context for the modern reader, as well.

IDEAS: Great for fans of Roald Dahl's satirical style and work play. Also an unexpected suggestion for fans of fairy tales and knightly romance, particularly for those who enjoy a dash of humor and a touch of the ridiculous. In the classroom, a nice vehicle for discussion about folklore and fairy tale motifs and themes.

Technically, It's Not My Fault

TECHNICALLY, IT'S NOT MY FAULT: Concrete Poems by John Grandits (Houghton Mifflin, 2004)
GENRE: Poetry (contemporary / realism)
HONORS: ALA Notable Book for Children; ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; VOYA Poetry Pick

REVIEW: Poetry can be a difficult sell, particularly for tweens and teens. The assumption tends to be one of leaves of grass and various meditations on things that don't matter, let alone resonate, with modern teens.  Luckily, John Grandits's collection, Technically It's Not My Fault, effectively, and with great humor, dispels that notion. To begin with, Grandits's poems form a narrative arc in which the narrator / poet, a boy named Robert, recounts and ponders his life, from his older sister's choice in head-wear, (apparently, she wears a pyramid shaped hat) to mowing the grass. The result is a humorous and oddly genuine portrait of a twelve-year old boy's world. The other aspect that makes the poems in this collection appeal so strongly with young people, is the fact that they are concrete poems, or poems in which the words form  shapes that elucidate the topic of the poem as a whole. So when Robert writes about the injustice of being punished for setting off fireworks, the words of the poem illustrate the shoot and fizzle of the fireworks in question. Because the form is so integral, it frees the poetry to sound more colloquial and chatty - more like spoken word than iambic pentameter, a fact which renders the poems in this collection accessible to a fantastic degree.

OPINION: This is one of the best poetry collections for young people that I've ever read. Inventive, accessible and polished, it's fun to read simply for the narrative, but in addition to being a fun, quick read, it begs the reader to think, even if briefly, about the nature of poetry and about what poetry is, all the while deepening their capacity to think critically about what they read.

IDEAS: A wonderful suggestion for reluctant readers of both sexes and fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, as both explore the everyday life of modern tweens. An especially great choice for young people resistant to poetry. In fact, you could probably hand it to a tween without saying a word, confident that he or she would enjoy it without even realizing it's a collection of poetry.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

CIRQUE DU FREAK: A LIVING NIGHTMARE (Book 1) by Darren Shan (Little Brown, 2002)
GENRE: Horror
HONORS: Sheffield Children's Book Award (Second Prize); WHSmith Children's Book Of The Year (shortlisted); RA-CBC Children's Choice Award

REVIEW: In this fictional autobiography, Darren Shan relates to the reader how he, an average, soccer-playing kid with a fascination for spiders, ends up becoming a vampire's apprentice. Though a bit overly descriptive at times (the account of the freak show goes through each act methodically, somewhat dulling the pace), Shan keeps the overall plot moving at a brisk, suspenseful pace. As the tension mounts and the stakes become higher (pardon the pun), the reader is drawn into the story by the inevitable consequences of Darrens actions. Darker, with more emotional repercussions than many horror series for tweens, Cirque Du Freak makes you feel for Darren, even as you hope you would make different choices than he does.

OPINION: Shan manages to balance horror and humor very successfully. Darren is an appealing protagonist, flawed but like-able and easy to relate to. The story is fast-paced and always evolving - just when one locus of horror resolves, another emerges to take its place. The fact that Darran's actions reap some fairly unappealing and graphic consequences at the end is an added bonus, grounding the series in  a pleasing, unapologetic darkness.

IDEAS: A great read-a-like for fans of R.L. Stine or tweens ready to graduate from the Stine's Goosebumps series. Also a fun title to highlight around Halloween, and a good suggestion for fans of vampire fiction, especially boys.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

DIARY OFA WIMPY KID: A Novel in Cartoons by Jeff Kinney (Amulet, 2007)
GENRE: Humor (contemporary)
HONORS: ALA Notable Book Award; multiple Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards and nominations

REVIEW: Diary of a Wimpy Kid enjoys a near universal fandom among middle school boys (and many middle school girls). It's the story of Greg Heffley, a sympathetic and frank, "every-kid" figure of a tween-age boy. Appropriately, the diary opens with a caveat - a statement that Greg's mother is making him keep a journal and so that is why he's doing it. Greg's journal (not a diary - girls keep diaries) is informal and colloquial and full of appeal. Greg's struggles with the middle-school social hierarchy, with his big brother Roderick, with his dorky best friend and with his life in general, are conveyed through hand-written notes and goofy drawings, as is appropriate for the diary of a kid Greg's age. The humor is skewed directly at the middle-school set, and though it falls a touch flat from an adult's perspective, it's appeal is undeniable when considering the target audience. Savvy and topical, it's no wonder that the series took off and shows no sign of slowing.

OPINION: Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become something of a cultural juggernaut. It is rare to find a middle-schooler who hasn't read at least one, or seen the movie. Well-written and extremely in touch with the concerns of adolescents (particularly those who are less than popular), it's a strong series deserving of the attention it gets.

IDEAS: Undoubtedly a sure thing for reluctant readers - especially boys - providing you find one who hasn't read them already. A nice suggestion as well for kids ready to graduate from the Geronimo Stilton books, or fans of The Dork Diaries.

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

OTTOLINE AND THE YELLOW CAT by Chris Riddell (Harper Collins, 2007)
GENRE: Mystery
HONORS: None (Though Riddell has won various honors for his other work)

REVIEW: Ottoline Brown is a singularly impressive young lady - she is a mistress of disguise, solver of complex puzzles, collector extraordinaire and a formidable clever-plan maker. In Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, Ottoline and her best friend, Mr. Munro (a short individual with Cousin Itt hair who hails from a bog in Norway), set out to solve the mystery of disappearing dogs, but instead uncover a series of fiendish cat burglaries perpetrated by the Yellow Cat who is, appropriately enough, a yellow cat. Though the mystery is slight, the solving of it is entertaining to say the least. Ottoline is a thoughtful, independent protagonist, given to a whimsical seriousity, and yet she's also an entirely believable girl (though quite clever and capable, she misses her traveling parents terribly). Fantastic elements add to the story's charm, (a bear visiting from Canada lives in the laundry room of her building, cats and animals behave in human ways and her mom sends lovely postcards that imply that she already knows what Ottoline's been up to). Riddell's generously detailed illustrations fill in Ottoline's world with such charm and humor that one gets the sense that it's quite a fun place to live.

OPINION: Ottoline and the Yellow Cat is a lovely little book. Appropriate for tweens on the young side of adolescence (8-10 years old), it's themes of problem solving and independence are underscored with both visual and verbal charm. Though not for everyone, young fans of mystery and humor will very likely enjoy this quick little read, (and probably wish they had a Mr. Munro of their own).

IDEAS: A great suggestion for reluctant readers. The illustrations really flesh out the text and make the book feel almost like a very wordy comic (though with much more text). The conversational adds to the story's accessibility while the triumph and silliness of the climax more than rewards the reader's efforts.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS Book One: THE BAD BEGINNING by Lemony Snicket; Illustrated by Brett Helquist (Harper Collins, 1999)
GENRE: Humor (dark / slightly gothic / slightly scary)
HONORS: Colorado Children's Book Award; Nevada Young Reader's Award; Nene Award; Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist, among others

REVIEW: Drawing equally upon Dickens, Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events does indeed begin ominously with The Bad Beginning. Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire, abruptly orphaned when their loving, wealthy parents perish in a fire that consumes their whole house, are cast into a world where distant relatives mistreat them and scheme horribly to steal their fortune, while well-meaning adults obliviously fail to help. But what could be a miserably depressing read is, in fact, lovely and darkly humorous thanks to two things. The first is Snicket's narrative tone, which is pitch perfect. Even as he describes horrible things (Klaus is struck, Sunny is hung out of a tower window in a cage, fourteen year old Violet is forced into marrying the odious Count Olaf), the tone is light, dry and cheekily informative, (he often interrupts himself to give the reader amusing and contextually specific definitions or to translate Sunny's baby babble). The other factor is the Baudelaire children themselves. Though things get quite bad, and the reader is warned that they will only get worse, one has a sense that the Baudelaires will somehow save themselves. They are genuinely lovely characters - resourceful, smart and protective of each other. They are everything literary orphans should aspire to be.

OPINION: This is a surprisingly enjoyable book. The perfect tonal balance and dark-to-the-edge-of-ridiculousness plot make it a quick, addictive read. A quality story with mass appeal, it has everything young fans of the gothic could want in one lovely, well-illustrated series.

IDEAS: Pair with other famous orphan stories (Huck Finn, Oliver, even The Willoughbys, etc). on a display; use as a classroom supplement to teach vocabulary, plot and tone. Recommend to reluctant readers of both sexes and those who like their humor a little darker.

The Willoughbys

THE WILLOUGHBYS by Lois Lowry (Yearling, 2010)
GENRE: Humor
HONORS: Iowa Children's Choice Award

REVIEW: The Willoughbys is an "old-fashioned" story about the four Willoughby children - oldest brother Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B and youngest sister, Jane. As is true in many "old-fashioned" stories, the Willoughby parents are despicable people, neglectful, mean and disinterested. Inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretle, they decide to abandon their children, but these children are just as disenchanted with their parents as their parents are with them, so they put into effect a counter-plan to become worthy orphans. The Willoughby's is a parody of those great, old-fashioned members of the children's book canon - Heidi, The Secret Garden, Mary Poppins and the like, filled with gentle send ups of popular tropes such as the charming, no-nonsense nanny and the sad, lonely millionaire.  Though it begins shakily (Tim, who is bossy to the point of despicability himself, and the other children re-abandon an abandoned baby found on their door-step, thus painting themselves as less than sympathetic), Lowry moves forward with a masterful command of both her own skills and the material she is satirizing. By the end of the story, the threads are tied together in lovely, emotionally satisfying bows.

OPINION: Modern tweens may not recognize all of tropes and books that Lowry uses, but they don't have to. It is just as funny taken on it's own merits, thanks to Lowry's sense of the ridiculous and light, narrative voice. Though it is a slight offering by an author honored for more serious works, The Willoughbys is a satisfying read and pleasant surprise.

IDEAS: Create a display using all of the titles mentioned or referenced in the story (Lowry provides titles and descriptions at the end). Also great for classroom use - it's chock full of fantastic vocabulary like "odious" and "winsome" and even features a glossery with highly appealing and slightly irreverent definitions at the back.

Princess Diaries

 THE PRINCESS DIARIES. Film adaptation. (Directed by Garry Marshall. Starring Anne Hathaway. Based on the novel by Meg Cabot)

GENRE: Humor

HONORS: None

REVIEW: Awkward, geeky Mia Thermopolis meets her estranged grandmother and finds out that she isthe heir apparent to the throne of a small European country called Genovia. While most girls would be thrilled at the news, Mia is dismayed. She can’t see herself leading anything, let alone a whole country. What follows is Mia’s physical and emotional transformation as she learns to accept her royal role. Though simplistic at times, Marshall’s adaptation of the Cabot novel is charming, touching and funny by turns, while Hathaway’s Mia is a heroine with substance and depth.

OPINION: Although The Princess Diaries sticks closely its Cinderella / Disney formula, Mia is a refreshing take on the ugly duckling. She is intelligent, sensitive and self-possessed, and while her physical make-over is fun, one gets the sense that this is a girl with enough perspective to rise to the challenge of ruling. 

IDEAS: The movie is a good introduction to the tween romance genre, as well as to fairy tale adaptations. If a girls like it, recommend Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and Robin McKinley’s Rose Daughter (for slightly older tweens). 

Black Butler

BLACK BUTLER. TV adaptation. (Directed by Shinohara Toshiya. Based on the manga by Yana Toboso. Distributed by Funimation)

GENRE: Action (anime)

HONORS: None

REVIEW: Black Butler chronicles the Faustian contract between Ciel, the twelve-year-old head of the Phantomhive family and his demonic butler, Sebastian Michaelis. It is stated throughout the series that Sebastian is “one hell of a butler”, and he is. In addition to overseeing the vast Phantomhive Estate, Sebastian acts as bodyguard, confidant and advisor to his young master as they pursue vengeance upon the villains who killed Ciel’s parents. The premise of Black Butler is rock solid – a young boy in a position of great power wields a secret weapon against those who have crossed him. The pseudo-Victorian setting provides a nice veneer of civilization and Victorian gothic appeal. The overall darkness of the series is leavened by the sometimes heavy-handed antics of the other servants, but though the drama and comedy are, at times, unbalanced, the series is well done, compelling and lovely to look at.

OPINION: Black Butler is a compulsively watchable gothic romp. Girls will find Sebastian to be an attractive, if unattainable figure, while boys will most likely get right behind Ciel’s quest for vengeance and the (moderate) violence that results. The manga, in particular, would be a strong addition to a tween collection, while the anime adaptation is a good suggestion to have on hand.

IDEAS: Both the manga and the anime adaptation are a great suggestion for young readers interested in historical or gothic fiction, but a too young for some of the more intense YA options. It also pairs nicely with Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowle series, which chronicles the nefarious doings of a young, diabolical genius. 

Matilda

MATILDA by Roald Dahl, illustrations by Quentin Blake (Puffin Modern Classics, 1988).

GENRE: Humor (satirical, slightly biting)

HONORS: Federation of Children's Group Award (UK 1988)

REVIEW: Matilda is an exceptionally gifted five year-old, able to read and do mathematics well above her grade level. She is also the daughter of two exceptionally rotten parents, but despite her less-than-ideal home life, she is sweet, unassuming and surprisingly wise. The book Matilda, though charming in its own right (as most of Dahl’s work is), is in-and-of-itself exceptional, because of it’s exceptional heroine. As Matilda good naturedly sets out to do everything from read the classics to avenging her beloved teacher, Miss Honey, the reader is propelled along by a compulsion to see how Matilda will handle herself. And one is never disappointed.

OPINION: Matilda occupies a territory that is difficult to define – it is humorous without being expressly funny and it passes fluidly back and forth between the realistic and fantastic – and yet, Dahl never falters. The story is seamless and his heroine is a delight from start to finish. Though younger adolescents may get more out of reading it with an adult (some of the vocabulary and phrasings may prove challenging), most will gobble the story up as Matilda gets hers over the wretched Wormwoods and the horrific Miss Trunchbull.

IDEAS: Matilda would be a great suggestion for a summer reading program. It would also do well in a display of books that celebrate reading (along with the Inkheart series, etc.)