It hit me one day that I spend a great deal of time tracking all the series I read. I do keep a log of all the books I read (with certain qualifications). I used to actually keep lists of the series I read, but realized that I had fallen behind in updating the lists and so, gave that up. I can go over my logbook and see what I’ve read, but then I realized that isn’t an easy way to see if I’ve read the first books in a long series. I find I am flipping pages for quite some time to see what I have read. I get these problems most often when publishers come out with new editions of books. I look at a book cover and wonder whether I’ve seen it before. I look at blurbs and back covers to see if I recognize plots. I recognize titles sometimes, but I’m not sure I have read them. What frustrates me most is when I buy a book to find I have read it. I can often return it, but sometimes the book has sat so long in my to-read pile, I can’t return it. Do other people have this problem?

We have a lot of students who keep up with series. One of my tasks is to promote reading by keeping up with series for them. In our school library I can, at least, check the PAC to see what we have. I am able to help my readers by buying the new books as they come out and replacing worn-out or lost copies as best I can. The one thing I don’t like is to find out that some books in a series are unable to be replaced for whatever reason. I know I like to read a series in order. I am frustrated when I can’t do so, and when I can’t get a series book. That makes me question why publishers don’t watch this more carefully. I have actually gone to a used book store to look for “missing” books. I have to wonder how this works and will work in ebook series. Will there be an electronic bookstore that holds all books forever so readers can forever follow a series and reread all the books in that series?

I’d like to know if anyone else has had problems keeping up with a series or with finding “missing” books. Anyone who would like to discuss this with me, come see me in the library. And, if you know I am missing books in a series in our library, I’d like to know that too.

Just recently I was at a seminar on Young Adult books. According to the presenter this includes grades 6th through 12th. One of the categories she talked about was fantasy books. She said many people do not like fantasy and, for awhile, there were not many fantasy books written for young adults. Realistic fiction was the big area for young adult writers. Now the genre has caught on and I am sure part of it is due to the vampire craze started with the Twilight series. But, there are many more fantasy books that do not have supernatural beings in them and are very good reads. Looking at the list she gave us I noted I had read a number of the books. Here are some of them, along with a few I know students have read and liked. Take a look at them. Our library has most of these books and I expect to get more of them.

Clare, Cassandra.    The Clockwork Angel. (I mentioned this as a steampunk book.)

Collins, Suzanne.    Mockingjay. (The Hunger Games series)

Dolamore, Jaclyn.    Magic Under Glass.

Fisher, Catherine.    Incarceron and its sequel, Sapphique.

Harland, Richard.     Worldshaker. (Also, a steampunk book.)

Harrison, Michelle.   13 Treasures.

Reeve, Philip.     Fever Crumb. (Precursor to the Mortal Engines series.)

Reichs, Kathy.    Virals. (She writes the “Bones” series.)

Riordan, Rick.    The Red Pyramid. (And all his Olympian series books.)

Shulman, Polly. The Grimm Legacy.

Turner, Megan Whalen.   A Conspiracy of Kings. (4th in the series that begins with The Thief.)

Westerfeld, Scott.   Behemoth. (Another steampunk book and third in the trilogy starting with Leviathan.)

Wood, Maryrose.   The Mysterious Howling. (She just published a second book in this series.)

When I saw Gary Blackwood’s new book Around the World in 100 Days I knew I was going to read it. The reviews were quite good. I was interested in the topic of a car trip around the world since I had read a book about a real car race (with many cars competing) many years ago. I wondered how Blackwood was going to treat the topic. This book is sort of a sequel to Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. I had the thought that perhaps I should read Verne’s book first, just to see how it influenced Blackwood.

Around the World in 80 Days is a fairly short book. Though published in 1873 I had little difficulty with the language. I suspect, because I read a lot of history, especially British history, that I understood the references to British and European influences in the places Phileas Fogg visited. I also understood the now-politically incorrect views of the author. I did enjoy the book, though often it was more a catalog of where the travelers visited, than a travelogue. Unless a reader is fairly sophisticated I would recommend a reader find an adapted, and, if possible, an annotated version of the book to read. I do admit that I looked for some maps to track where Phileas visited, including one of Indian railroads to see how he crossed that country. The copy of the book I had did not include a map.

However, Around the World in 100 Days is different sort of book. Harry Hogg is Phileas’s son. He has built, with a good friend, a wonderful steam-powered car. Suffice it to say, he is compelled to make a wager with some friends of his father (who lost the bet with Phileas) that he can drive the car around the world in 100 days. There are some conditions to the bet, including one his father made of Harry. Phileas will provide funds for the race, but if Harry loses the bet, he will stop his aimless tinkering and find a profession. An observer must come along. He is the son of one of the men who lost to Phileas. A woman reporter also tags along. As time goes on, Harry wonders about the motives of these two passengers. Are they there to help him or sabotage the trip?

The story is more of an adventure story (I think) than Verne’s book, and more of a story of self-discovery. Harry and his fellow travelers learn quite a bit about themselves and how they react to life. Also, the world is seen though the eyes of a more enlightened person than Verne was. The world is not always better from contact with Europeans and progress does not always benefit people. I enjoyed the book, though, as one review suggested, and I agree (see above), a map would have made it more enjoyable to follow the adventurers. The reading level puts the book at the middle school level, but junior high students, and adults who enjoy good books of any sort, will find the book a good read. And, one does not have to read Around the World in 80 Days to enjoy this book. It stands on its own as a fine adventure.

I suppose it is because I like Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian Era that I found myself reading steampunk. Steampunk (as a genre) is “speculative fiction that imagines technology evolved from steam-powered cog and gears—instead of from electricity and computers— . . . ” This is a quote from an article by Heather M. Campbell titled “Full Steam Ahead” published in the December 2010 School Library Journal magazine. As I understand it, steampunk fiction (at first) usually showed a darkly-portrayed society set in Victorian times where inventions were created (and used) before their actual time. For example: airships (zeppelins and such) were not created until after Queen Victoria’s time, but show up in many steampunk works. Many works also have “creatures” made from mechanical parts and, perhaps, powered by steam (look for the word “clockwork” as description). There are science fiction and, often, fantasy/supernatural  aspects to steampunk too. Though books written in the 19th century, such as Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, are not considered steampunk, they are considered the forerunners of the genre. If you have read and liked that book, you may like to try steampunk.

Today steampunk is not always dystopian (look that one up), not always set in Victorian England, not always set in that time period (19th century), and not always in England itself. I have truly enjoyed a few adult steampunk books, including a series of mysteries that has a Holmes-ish protagonist. Looking through the article mentioned above, I have found that we have a number of the books listed. I know some students have already read some of them. Ask friends if they have and ask their opinions of the books. I will be glad to talk to you about any I have read. We have the books listed below, and I also give you a few books that we don’t have, but are within our grade levels. Many of the books have sequels, so check for those too. I’d love to hear from any steampunk fans.

We have:

Colfer, Eoin Airman

Dakin, Glen Candle Man: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance

Oppel, Kenneth Airborn

Pullman, Philip The Golden Compass

Slade, Arthur The Hunchback Assignments

Westerfeld, Scott Leviathan

We also have Pastworld: a Mystery of the New Future by Ian Beck which isn’t exactly steampunk, but has elements of the genre.

We have the following books that I recommend for serious (more mature) readers.

Clare, Cassandra Clockwork Angel

Dolamore, Jaclyn Magic Under Glass

A few books to read besides the above:

Harland, Richard Worldshaker

Reeve, Philip Fever Crumb (see his other series, the Mortal Engines)

For older (more mature) readers:

Mann, George The Affinity Bridge

Pagliassotti, Dru Clockwork Heart

Priest, Cherie Boneshaker

A young man came into the library recently and asked if we had The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. We did not. I wound up going to a bookstore (not unusual for me) to see about getting a copy of the book. Well, an unabridged paperback of the book was about three inches in thickness. It also had tiny print. Wow. I had read The Three Musketeers by the same author, and I admit it took effort to get through the book. I, as many contemporary people do, did not enjoy the older style of writing that uses many more words to say what is going on than is done today. I know I’ve mentioned listening to an audiobook to help with language, but my problem was just wading through the words, rather than not understanding what was going on.

So, I was wondering what makes a person persevere reading a “thick” book. I read the longer Harry Potter books, but then, I was a fan of the series. I have read longer history books, but they were on topics I was interested in. Also, most of the longer books I have read used current language styles. What makes one read such books as The Count of Monte Cristo? I read The Three Musketeers because I had seen some of the movies and read some pastiches that had the characters solving mysteries. I was curious to read the inspiration for those movies and books. Is curiosity enough for reading a three-inch paperback with small print? I will have to talk again with the young man who reads the classics. Why does he read them? Why would you read such a book?

I just finished reading The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood. Miss Penelope Lumley has recently graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and needs a job. She has an odd  interview with Lady Constance who quickly hires her to be the governess for three quite unusual children. You see, they were raised by wolves. Reviews have said this book and, obviously the upcoming series, will remind readers of Lemony Snicket’s series. The book is “fun and funny”. I liked the book too. I enjoyed the parody of 19th century governess stories. However, one thing is driving me nuts. The book takes the protagonist and the children through some unnerving events just to have the story end with “To Be Continued.” There are many loose ends in the story and I am sure that any further books will keep the reader dangling with those ends for as long as possible. Grrrrrr!

I like series. I like getting to know characters and watching them grow. I like reading their continuing adventures. But, but, but, I like to have a book satisfy me with a story that has a beginning, middle and end, even if everything isn’t fully explained. It’s one thing to set up a storyline, another to leave a reader with more questions than answers. In this book the reader is left wondering about the background of the children, whether they are in danger, what does Lord Ashton want with the children, and other major questions. Here’s what I mean. For example: I read a mystery series that takes place during the time of Edward II of England. Throughout the series, the two major characters must deal with the chaos of Edward II’s reign. Here is a short synopsis of the time. Edward had a good friend who took great advantage of his position. Edward treated his wife badly and she went to France with his son. This led to a situation that threatened Edward’s throne. Sir Baldwin and Simon have dealt with Edward, his friend, his wife and others. This has made me wonder how the two characters would get through this troubled time. However, each book had a mystery that the two characters solved and this helped them stay alive, even though the next book put them in jeopardy again. Though I wondered how the whole Edward situation would end, I felt I knew something about the backgrounds of Sir Baldwin and Simon, there were no big mysteries unsolved and, if the series did not continue, I did not feel cheated out of a complete story. If there are no more Incorrigible Children books, we are left with no idea of how the children were raised by wolves, why they were in that situation in the first place, why Lord Ashton got involved with them, why they might be in danger, who may be living behind the staircase wall, and other major questions. To me, that is unfair.

I am sure this idea of leaving a book unfinished is a ploy to get readers to keep buying the series. The idea of leaving the reader hanging has become popular in other series, such as the Tunnels series by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams. Again, the end of each book just sets up the reader to search for the next book in the series. One problem with this is, if the next book in the series isn’t published quickly, the reader may have forgotten much of the previous book and then has trouble following the new book. I certainly don’t want to have keep rereading one book before reading another. I also think the author/publisher/etc. underestimates the reader. Give me a good story, good characters and a good setting and I will keep reading a series. I don’t need to be tricked into continuing to buy books. Actually, when I get ticked off at a money-making trick like this, I am apt to go to a library to find the books, rather than spend my money on them. In my case, the publisher’s ploy backfires. I wonder if this “leave-us-waiting” tactic will go away if everyone decides to go to a library, rather than buy the books. It would give libraries more business and show publishers we are intelligent readers.

The 8th grade LA students have an assignment to read either a non-fiction book or a historical fiction book. Historical fiction books have a setting and characters from a time earlier than the present moment. I tend to read books set in time periods before I was born. I have noticed that more books that take place during the 1950s through the 1970s are showing up in children’s literature book lists. Since I was born during the 50s it really makes me feel old to think my youth is long enough ago to be considered historical. I just have to laugh. Such is life!

I have always been fascinated with history. Historical fiction books (especially well-researched and well-written ones) are an entertaining way to see how life was in earlier times, and how people coped with things that I certainly can barely imagine. How did a ruler survive in an era where he would be expected to lead his troops into battle? How did a woman deal with the fact that she was considered property and could be married off to any man who could make good deal with her father? How did a child deal with being an orphan in a time where there were no places to take him or her in?

I wound up deciding that, rather than read a historical fiction book about a person or time period, I wanted to read factual information about those subjects, and so, I now read a lot of history books. To me, why would I read a fiction book about Theodore Roosevelt or King Richard the Lionhearted, or the War of the Roses or the American Civil War when I could get the “real deal” in a history book on those subjects? This works for me.

However, I do like historical mystery books (fiction also) where characters from a past era solve a mystery. For example, in Ellis Peters’s Brother Cadfael series, set in England during the 1130s and 40s, the monk solves murders and other crimes. It is interesting to see how the truth can be found without modern crime techniques to help the investigator. Though this series is for adults, young adults certainly can enjoy it. Many of the Brother Cadfael books were made into a great TV series starring Derek Jacobi. There is a children’s series by Henry Winterfeld that takes place in Ancient Rome. We have one of the books, Detectives in Togas. Laurence Yep also has written some historical mysteries. One is The Mark Twain Murders and its sequel (which we have) is The Tom Sawyer Fires. The mix of mystery and history is what appeals to me about historical mysteries.

There are many many good historical fiction books around. Check with our library, but with this new assignment I suggest checking out the Vernon Area Public Library. I’m afraid we may not have enough of those books to go around.

I had a student recently ask me for a funny book. I suggested some books by Richard Peck. A Long Way from Chicago, A Year Down Yonder, The Teacher’s Funeral, and A Season of Gifts are all books full of humor. They are not silly books. They are not always obviously funny.

Except for The Teacher’s Funeral, the books have Grandma Dowdel as the main character. She is a gruff, big-hearted woman who often does unexpected things. In A Long Way from Chicago two of her grandchildren make yearly summer visits to her small Illinois town. The seven stories related in the book take place from 1929 to 1935, with a short scene in 1942. Every year something interesting happens and, if you are attentive, a lesson is learned. Lessons or not, I laughed so hard at some of the antics that I cried. A Year Down Yonder takes place in 1937. The sister from the first book must spend a year with Grandma Dowdel when her parents lost their apartment because her father lost his job. Mary Alice, now 15, is rather concerned about staying with her “feisty” grandma. Again, much happens and, again, I laughed out loud at times.  A Teacher’s Funeral takes place in 1904 in a small Indiana town. How could you not like a book that starts “If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it.” Suffice it to say, I laughed again. A Season of Gifts takes place in 1958. A minister and his family have moved into town, right next to Grandma Dowdel. Uncertain of their future, they little realize how she will help make the town their home. If I say the scene in the privy is priceless, would it make you curious about the book? I hope so.

I love books that make me laugh. Not with immature jokes or contrived situations, but with rich characters, wit, and good writing. Come in and look at all we have by Richard Peck. Could I interest you in Here Lies the Librarian?

Awhile back I was looking over my fiction books. I think it was because I like horses that I pulled out the book The Absolutely Perfect Horse by Marylois Dunn with Ardath Mayhar. It was from 1983. The cover looks a bit boring and the book itself looks old. It has some yellowed tape marks on the inside covers and yellowing pages. Regardless, I decided to read the book. I enjoyed it. The basic story has a family who must move to a farm in Texas when the father sustains war injuries and cannot stay in the service. There is going to be a new baby in the family and a newly adopted Vietnamese brother. Petey and Annie have to cope with leaving their friends behind, and dealing with an injured father and the new people in their lives. Annie, for one, does not like her adopted brother.

Annie would like to be in the popular crowd at her new school and wants to get a horse so she can ride with her new friends. Unexpectedly, she saves a horse, supposedly a real Indian pony, from going to the dogmeat factory. Her family isn’t sure this was a good idea and her friends don’t understand her choice. Petey, who narrates the story, relates how the family learns to get along with each other, and how an absolutely imperfect horse wins the hearts of them all. I admit I had tears in my eyes at the end of the book.

It never hurts to pull books off a shelf to see what they are like. Not all old-looking books are good, but many are. The adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover” is true. Some great books have unattractive covers and, certainly, I’ve seen some great covers and disliked the books. Give “ugly” books a chance. Always read the backs of books and/or the inside covers to read the blurbs. You may surprise yourself by liking a book you never thought to even take off the shelf. Like people “unattractive” books can be unexpected treasures.

A student recently took out Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was written in the later 1800s and written language was different than how people write today. I suggested that if she had trouble reading the book she should see if the public library had an audiobook she could check out. Sometimes hearing the language makes it easier to read the words. I know that I often get more from watching a Shakespeare play than from reading one. The student said she actually had an audio version on her iPod. Good for her! Quite a few years back another student wanted to read Pride and Prejudice. It was published in 1812. I had an abridged version of the book on tape that I loaned it the young lady. She said it did help her understand the book better. Sometimes seeing a movie version of a book will help a reader more easily understand the plot of the book, but only if the movie closely follows the book. That does not happen often, so be aware of what you watch.

The websites listed in my previous post have audio versions of many classic books. I recommend checking them out if you are having a bit of trouble with the language of a classic book. For more modern books, do check out your local library. Many have excellent collections of audiobooks. Since many people like to listen to books while commuting public libraries have responded with audiobook collections. And, many libraries now have materials that can be downloaded. Go visit your local library and see, read, and listen.