Runemarks is an amazing tribute to Norse Mythology!

Runemarks by Joanne Harris Reading Level: Ages 12 and up Genre: Fantasy 

In Maddy Smith’s world, the Order rules. Chaos, old gods, fairies, goblins, magic, glamours–all of these were supposedly vanquished centuries ago. But Maddy knows that a small bit of magic has survived. 

When the book begins it’s been five hundred year since the gods fought at Ragnarok which was an epic war between the Norse gods. A new group called the Order took over and has put everything back into place, but only it’s their view of what is wrong and what is right. To her dismay, Maddy was born with a copper mark on her hand which makes her an outcast or a witch you might say. When she meets a friend whom she calls One Eye, she asks him to teach her about the gods and her mark which is called a runemark. After several years of teachings and conversations Maddy is faced with a dilemma. One Eye wants Maddy to open Red Horse Hill and descend into underworld to retrieve something called the Whisperer. He tells her if she fails there is going to be another Ragnarok a war of all wars. Hesitantly she decides to go on her quest. 

Will Maddy have what it takes to complete her quest? Runemarks is an epic tale that delves into the heart of Norse mythology with excellent characters. A true believer of mythology will really wrap their minds around this one. 

This book is a good source of fantasy mixed with Norse mythology. The heroes are not always who you think they are, a little dual personalities going on here, but they end up winning their battle for good. It's been noted that Harris over did it a bit trying to include just about every Norse god or goddess she could think of. Tweens may be inspired after reading this book to learn more about Norse mythology. I know I was!

Booktalking Bonus: It would be fun to booktalk this book by using the Norse gods that are featured in the story. I would recommend acting out how some of the gods act because some are very entertaining such as Loki and Odin. I also think it would be interesting to talk about Ragnarok and what it must have been like for the gods to fight each other. You could also talk about the different beliefs of Norse mythology and explore the idea of runes and what they mean.

 I love this book because it is a real page turner. With so many great inferences to the Norse mythology and super strong character you just can't go wrong. The main character Maddy is a force to reckoned with. She is strong and has a very well-rounded personality that really balances out the story. There is a lot going on in this book with the coming of the next Ragnarok and Maddy having to go to the underworld to save the day. I highly recommend this book to fantasy and mythology lovers and tweens who loves a good epic saga.

Happy reading,

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Look Out All You Fairy Tale Drop Outs!

This week Mrs. Librarian Lady is featuring the new release of Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School by Jen Calonita!


WOULD YOU SEND A VILLAIN TO DO A HERO'S JOB?

Gilly wouldn't call herself wicked, exactly... but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly's a pretty good thief(if she does say so herself).

Until she gets caught.

Gilly is sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School - where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella's Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its heroic mission.

There's a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder just how good these bad guys are.

Ok, so I bet you are pumped up now to find out about how this awesome twisted mash up of fairy tales plays out. I can tell you that Flunked is clever, cute and adventurous all in one! When Gilly gets busted for stealing a fancy hair clip her whole life goes haywire. She is sent to the Fairy Tale Reform School(FTRS, which seems to have a good mission, but as we get further into the story we find that maybe this reform school might have some major flaws. "Our mission: To turn wicked delinquents and former villains into future heroes." And then we meet Flora, the infamous and so called "formerly wicked stepmother" of Cinderella. Calonita's description of Flora is hilarious. She calls her "stepmonster" which sounds pretty scary to me! Although she does admit that she doesn't have "devil's horns poking out of her head," but rather that she is thin, pointy nosed, with two-tone colored hair.

You'll also love the Happily Ever After Scrolls that frequent the pages of this book. One of my favorites is "Why We Fear Apples: Meet FRTRS's Psychologist, Professor Harlow" which features Harlow the (formerly) evil queen from Snow White and how she has changed and oh yes how she loves fashion and "doesn't terrorize people" anymore. You might also like to know that she like being pretty and extremely dislikes rudeness. And LOL she doesn't have a love life because she is too busy looking at herself in the mirror. Seriously, this is some funny stuff!

I love Gilly because she is such a spirited character and it's so much fun to follow her on her journey in a school of fairy tale misfits. FTRS shows how strong bonds can become when friendships are made, and how sometimes a band of misfits can result in a team working together for the greater good. Enough said, I don't want to give away the ending, which you will never guess who ends up being the most notorious delinquent of all.

Happy reading! I hope you enjoy Flunked by Jen Calonita!

Take a Chance - Read Between the Lines - Samantha van Leer

February Book of the Month!


Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

In this delightful companion novel to Off the Page, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and her daughter and cowriter, Samantha van Leer, present the YA novel that started it all! Filled with romance, adventure, and humor, the magic jumps off the page (literally) in a story you’ll never forget.

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

A romantic and charming story, this companion novel to Off the Page will make every reader believe in the fantastical power of fairy tales. Book-lovers have been escaping into a good book for ever and ever. Have you ever wondered if when you closed the cover of a book that the characters you loved might stop acting out their designated roles like they were in a play?

Between the Lines will have you guessing to the very end and devouring each page at great speed. With gorgeous illustrations dotted around the pages, it is the kind of book you can escape into, just like Delilah. A delight!

Happy reading to you!!
Mrs. Librarian Lady

All Elements of Life are Somehow Connected

The Magician’s Apprentice by Kate Banks

Sixteen-year-old Baz, holds a realistic mix of fear and bravery, as he accepts an unknown visitor’s invitation to leave his village and become a weaver’s apprentice. However, the abusive weaving master to whom he is delivered trades Baz for a sword to a wandering magician, Tadis, who dispenses magic and wisdom with equal alacrity. “ ‘Intention does not come from the mind, though the mind thinks it does. Intention comes from here.’ Tadis pointed to his heart.” Traveling with Tadis and his cart of tricks, Baz embarks on a long physical and spiritual journey to find his true destiny. Set in an unnamed Middle Eastern land and filled with vivid descriptions of earthquakes and sandstorms, as well as physical discomforts and homesickness, the book gently traces Baz’s growing understanding of the universal truths Tadis imparts. Sís’s distinctive, diminutive line drawings appear throughout as spot illustrations, perfectly complementing the understated yet rich voice in which Baz’s story is told.

I loved this story because Baz takes on many roles in each of his apprenticeships, first to a weaver and then to a magician. He learns both crafts, but truly experiences his best apprenticeship when he learns what is important in life. “Poetry in prose” is the apt description of this thought-provoking and insightful story. Kate Banks has taken her own point of view about what is important in life and put it into words through her characters, Baz and a magician and a plethora of lesser characters they meet on their journey together. They all influence Baz’s journey to self-realization. Baz first begins his journey by leaving home to become apprenticed to a master rug weaver. His two brothers have already left home to meet their own destinies, and Baz knows he must go. Along his journey, he meets cruelty and compassion, confusion and clarity, and finally, peace and harmony.

After the magician trades a mysterious sword for Baz, they travel to the desert and then to the mountains. Baz meets people who help him learn life’s most important lessons and eventually works his way back home to his family, which he never spiritually left. The author seems to be saying that all elements of life are somehow interconnected, all chance meetings are deliberate in the whole scheme of things, and peace and knowledge can be attained just by opening our eyes to our life journey, to nature and to trials and tribulations along the way. Banks has created a masterpiece for readers who like to think about all possibilities, who are open to change, and readers will find a certain peace to carry with them after reading this book. The characters are believable, the plot is creative, and multiple life lessons are sure to soothe the souls of all who venture inside the pages of this book. This is a great book for teens who have pondered their role in life. Once immersed in the book, the reader can help but join Baz throughout his amazing and transformational journey.

My favorite quote from the Magician’s Apprentice – “You must let go of your resistance. What is the worst thing that can happen?”

Happy Reading to you!
Mrs. Librarian Lady

Wishes do explode... I mean come true

Spell Check by Julie Wright


I am so excited I finished this ebook on Halloween and I have to say that I loved it! It starts with a group of cheerleaders and their infamous leader Lisa Snoddy who you find to be an excellent “mean girl” are planning a prank on Allyson on her birthday, which just happens to be a few days before Halloween. Ally has no idea that the prank involves her hanging from a tree, and that Lisa and her clique are going to leave her there high and dry in the middle of the night all alone. She will soon find out though that every time she makes a wish something funny happens. Her wishes are awesome! Her best friend Kristin and Jake the hottest guy in school and the one who has stolen Allyson’s heart since 7th grade show up to rescue her. Later on, her Swedish grandmother shows up at her doorstep and tells her she has a magical family, LOL surprise! Allyson finally figures out what's been going on. After some totally hilarious situations arise she realizes that she has to get her head straight or she might spin out of control. My favorite part is at the end when she finally gets the wish she's always wanted to come true. Ooooooh Jake and Allyson possible love connection? I'll never tell. You'll just have to read Spell Check to find out!

Gotta Love a Fire-Breathing Fairy For Sure

Firelight by Sophie Jordan Harper Teen, 2010

This book is smoldering hot! Jacinda is a fire-breathing draki, which means that she can manifest from her human form into a flame throwing fairy whenever she wants. When Jacinda takes a chance to go flying at night with her best friend, things turn to terror as draki hunters track them and try to kill them both. Jacinda hides in a cave and a handsome young man finds her, but does not give her away. In fear, Jacinda's mother decides to move away so that she and her sister Tamra can start a new life. As if you couldn't guess, Jacinda runs into the boy that saved her life and falls deeply and madly in love with him. This of course causes her great torment and pain because she knows that he and his family are draki hunters. Jordan does a fantastic job painting a colorful description of Jacinda's transformation into draki form and the smokin hot chemistry between her the adorable Will.

Faerie Fantastical Delights!

Since it's summertime I thought I would focus each week on different types of genres that are near and dear to my heart. The first genre I always seem to be drawn to is fantasy. As far back as I can remember I have loved to dive into fantasy books and immerse myself in made up lands and fairy tale characters. The greatest thing of all about fantasy is that it can be entirely made up and the writer's imagination can create so many twists and turns and there are so many different possibilities. My love for fantasy almost never breaks my heart, except for last week when I watching the HBO series Game of Thrones and one of my beloved favorite characters was executed. Well, that almost never happens in YA fantasy novels and you can usually be sure that your hero or heroine will survive even the most heinous villain or death and eventually make a come back from any horrible devastation. This week I will focus on YA fantasy novels that feature one of my favorite elements and that is faeries. Yes it's true I am a sucker for anything that has to do with faeries. It must be my English lineage because after studying about the origins of faeries I learned that they have a long standing history in England and Ireland. I actually wrote my master's thesis on one of the most notorious faeries of all time called Morgan Le Fay. She stems from the legend of King Arthur and has been manipulated and molded through time to be a bad faerie. Although, she actually was not all bad in many different stories and legends. I will talk more about Morgan later and offer some titles that feature her up front and center.

I hope you like my faerie fantasy picks this week!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner (Random House, 2009)

Review: Life is dark and dreadful after a war between humans and faeries has left the United States in a state of disarray. On a dark and scary night Liza sees her baby sister born and then cast out of the house by her father because she is pale and transparent like a faerie. The baby dies and Liza is haunted by her cries in the night. After her mother disappears, Liza finds that she may have some special qualities that even her father never knew of. She must seek out the place where the faerie wars began to discover the truth about her family and her own self. She must stay strong and endure whatever hatred or fear that comes her way in order to heal the break that the country has suffered from such a disastrous war. I highly recommend this book for post apocalyptic fans and faerie faith lovers as well.

I really like this book a lot for its originality and interesting plot. It reminded me of how big apocalyptic stories are right now and how the faerie world can sometimes be taken for granted as docile, but in reality their origin may be more devious or aggressive than we think. I loved the mixture of humans living in a world with faeries with a touch of violence and deep internal pain. This is Simner’s first novel and I hope to read more of her work in the future.

Sleepless by Cyn Balog (Delacorte Press, 2010)

Eron DeMarchelle is a sandman, a supernatural faerie like being whose entire purpose is to soothe his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest. But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a complex girl with blazing red hair and heartrending dreams. Suddenly, her boyfriend dies in a car accident and Eron can tell from her dreams that she is holding all of her emotions inside. Eron was human once too, a long- long time ago, and he remembers how love broke his heart. In the past, Eron has gone above and beyond to protect Julia from danger. Now there’s seems to be a new danger that threatens Julia’s life and Eron must decide if he can help her this time or not. His time as a sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement (you won’t believe who it is!) doesn't seem to care about the job like Eron does. As he transitions back and forth from human to sandman, Eron tries to save Julia, but after they've become human again, sandmen are not supposed to have contact with their charges. Eron knows that he will always love Julia. Should he risk it all for a chance to be with the girl he loves? Cyn Balog's Sleepless it witty with faerie fantastic delights and supernatural romance! Teen girls will adore Eron and his story of love and loss and how he fights to protect the girl he loves.

Puddlejumpers by Mark Jean and Christopher Carlson (Hyperion, 2008)

Review: Ernie Banks was named after the legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop because he was left on the doorstep of the Lakeside Home for Boys when he was three years old. All he had on him was an old Ernie Banks baseball card, a crystal acorn strung on a string around his neck and a strange spiral birthmark on the bottom of his right foot. Now at age thirteen, he is a troubled kid living in an orphanage with mean kids and a super mean head mistress. Ernie is about to be sent to the juvenile detention center, but then he is offered a chance to spend three weeks working on a farm working for Russ Frazier. When Ernie arrives he is drawn into a grand adventure that might finally lead him home. He becomes involved in solving the mystery around the kidnapping of the Frazier’s baby years earlier. Ernie joins together with Joey, a local girl to investigate clues that lead them on a dangerous journey into a forbidden world of dark secrets, magic puddles, and the cavernous underground kingdom of the tiny water faeries called the Puddlejumpers with whom Ernie has a strange connection.

This book is very engaging and exciting at the same time. Ernie starts out as a juvenile delinquent and his plight of living in a terrible orphanage is very believable. With a stroke of luck he is sent to a farm and it is there that he realizes that he must become a hero. The plot thickens as this story twists and mutates into a darker tale as it moves deep within the ground to the water faerie world. This is when the fantasy kicks in, because this is where the Puddlejumpers live and they need to be freed. Ernie is their only hope, and with this intriguing plot the reader is held steadily by an intense battle between good and evil. Ernie's intensity is deeply felt by reading about his journey of self-discovery and it is also triumphant when Ernie finds his way back to his true home.

This Guy Is Definitely Not Lost

The Lost Hero is an incredible story! Rick Riordan always comes through with awesome characters that you can't help but love and a storyline that is gripping and adventurous. I have to say that Riordan is very very hot right now. This book had an excellent weaving of Greek and Roman mythology which made for quite an interesting tale. It even inspired me to check out a book on Roman mythology in order to see the differences between the Greek and Roman god and goddesses. I loved the characters Piper, Leo, and Jason. They were all well developed and proved to be incredible progtagonists all in their own special way. I especially loved Leo Valdez and his quick comebacks, funny disposition, and mesmerizing fire and mechanical abilities. Keep on writing books Riordan because you got it going on dude!