MG Review: The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

Published: November 4th, 2014

 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Genres: Middle Grade Fantasy/Adventure

Pages: 448

Format: Hardcover

Source:  Public Library



From Goodreads:  'It is said the Bintheyr Map to Everywhere will take its possessor wherever he or she needs to go...' 

Master thief, Fin, is unusual - when he's out of sight, everyone forgets he exists! He needs to find his mother - the one person who might remember him.  Schoolgirl, Marrill, boards a pirate ship in a car park and is carried off to another world. She needs to find her way home. Fin and Marrill are on a wild adventure to find the Map to Everywhere, but can they escape the Oracle - a dark and powerful wizard who seeks the map to fulfill a terrifying prophecy?"

My Thoughts....

Reading The Map to Everywhere is like going on an adventure, filled with all these different interconnected worlds.  I just loved the premise of the Pirate Stream, which is this magical waterway connecting these worlds at "some place and some time." The settings of the Gibbering Grove to the Crystal Shadow Wastes each were unique and presented new challenges to the pair.  There is also this rich vocabulary of nautical and map terms, pirate lore and fun characters.  Throw in a few wizards, and danger and you have a fun adventure. I adored all the gorgeous illustrations, with small ones at the beginning of the chapters and the full page ones that were just phenomenal.  Just imagine images like the one on the cover ever few pages.  The authors writing style and use of word play, even the way in which they structured the text in one of their chapters, really added to the overall story.  I mean the map is called the Bintheyr Map (been there map), such fun.  Fin and Marrill really are the ones that shine in this story.  You really feel for this master thief that was left at an orphanage when he was four.  Not remembered by anyone, until he meets Marrill. Their friendship is really sweet.  Overall, a very fun pirate adventure story that would make for a great read aloud.  

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books for Readers who like....Animal Stories

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic: Ten Books For Readers Who Like.... Animal Stories






I might just be on my own with this one this week, but I do enjoy reading stories where the animals are the main characters. I thought I would round up some of my favorites from youth up to the last few years.  



Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne  Pooh, Piglet, Owl , Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo all living happily in the  Hundred Acre Wood.  Many night's were spent reading this for a bedtime story.  

Socks by Beverly Cleary  I devoured all of her books growing up and Socks was a favorite read of mine.  

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White  timeless classic that I finally had the opportunity to read.  I would have cried buckets reading this as a child.   


Redwall by Brian Jacques  A series of books that I loved reading.  Medieval setting, fully fleshed out world lots of action and humor.  

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo 
Despereaux Tilling with his large ears and love of books, music and fondness for Princess Pea. 


The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson  The focus of the story is on the three familiars Aldwyn, Skylar and Gilbert who are the familiars to three young wizards.  They go on a quest to save their kidnapped loyal companions from an evil Queen.


The Underneath by Kathi Appelt  A momma cat who befriends a lonesome hound dog in the deep of the Bayou.  Themes of darkness, love and loss told in a very deep moving way.


Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe   Harold and Chester are trying to find out if the newest member to the Monroe family of pets is really a vampire bunny.  





Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo  We loved Ulysses the superhero squirrel,  such a fun entertaining book.  



 Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler  Hopper the mouse finds himself below the streets of Brooklyn searching for his siblings.  He ends up in the city of Atlantia, a rat civilization that is about to wage war.







Finally one that I want to read 
sometime  Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins



So what are your thoughts on animal stories, love em' or leave them?  Any that you especially loved?

First Line Friday: The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

Jill Over at Owlforya.blogspot does a First Line Friday where she share's the first line of a book that she is currently reading, finished, or a book that she hasn't read before.  Today I thought I would join in....

  

Today's Book:  The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis  

"Fin crouched behind a rack of bootleg flavors, trying hard to ignore the taste of rat fur and broccoli juice seeping from the grungy bottles."  

This was published November 4th 2014.  I've just started this, so that beginning really pique's my interest.  I've wanted to read this for awhile, I love the cover and premise (master thief, magic and pirate world.)   Have you read this yet?  

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten All Time Favorites

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

                                 This week's topic: Ten Books You Would Classify As ALL TIME
                                  FAVORITE BOOKS from the past 3 to 5 years. 


This was a very hard choice, complicated by the fact that I tried to mix up the years a little bit. I posted the years in which they were published, but I read so many books within each of those years that I absolutely loved too.  
2012


 The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater   I've really enjoyed the Raven Boys series.  It has a whole Dead Poets Society vibe to me and love the friendship that Blue shares with the boys.  








Of Giants and Ice by Shelby Bach   I'm a sucker for middle grade fantasy and loved the premise that everyone in the story is a character in a fairy tale and they are waiting for their tale to begin.  Shelby Bach demonstrates a love for fairy tales in her stories and I like her twist on them. 

 
Fantasy adventure at its greatest.  I love Sage's willful, playful personality and he's so cunning.  Nielsen has a way of twisting and turning the plot and this is one of my all time favorite stories.  I could re-read it over and over again.   








I adored Fernie from the first moment she came over to Gustav's wearing her green Werewolf pajamas and Frankenstein monster slippers, she is just so adorable. I even love Gustav who is sad, wears a black suit with a black tie and looks like he should be at a funeral. A fun creepy series.  






2013



These three were on my list of favorite heroines from last week.   I really enjoyed the magical poisonous weaponry of Poison and the bantering that occurs between Kyra and Fred.  Lockwood is creepy and funny and has sword battles against ghosts.  What's not to love?  I love Renee de Winter's convictions in The Cadet of Tildor and how strong and determined she is.  


2014

Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson   I was really drawn into the dog sledding and life during the winter in Alaska. You really get immersed in the feel of the snow storm and it is a gripping story.  

All Four Stars by Tara Dairman had me with the opening creme brulee incident.  Glady's is an awesome character and I love her passion for cooking.  When I pick up Dairman's books, I know she will inspire me to be more creative with my own cooking.  



Magical cats, a girl who puts on magical glasses to enter paintings and a strong friendship.  What I love most about the whole series is that there is the right amount of creepiness, with beautifully descriptive, poetic words that conjure up such wonderful images.   "Twists of black crepe paper threaded the warm air, where the smells of popcorn and caramel mingled in a sugary fog..." 

All Time Favorite, which should be no surprise:

So, What are some of your favorites from the last three years?

Classic MG Read-along: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

February's  pick for the Classic Middle Grade Read along with the Midnight Garden was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien.    You can follow along or join in the discussion at http://www.themidnightgarden.net or #tmgreadalong on Twitter.  

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Published March 1st,1986 by Aladdin Paperbacks

Genres: Middle Grade Fantasy, Adventure

Pages: 233 pages

Format: Paperback

Source:  Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads:  "Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service."

This is my first time reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.  I'd enjoyed the movie adaptation, The Secret of NIMH, especially with Dom DeLuise as Jeremy the Crow. And I enjoy reading animal stories, Redwall, Mouseheart, Nightshade City to name a few featuring rats/mice.  Yet, I  recall being confused about the magical elements in the movie, especially when it came to Nicodemus.  I always felt like it was never really explained where his magical powers came from.  The movie also had a creepy feel to it too, which at the time I really didn't like.    I think everything seemed to  flow better in the the book, but this isn't meant to be a blog post comparing the two.   

The story had a slow beginning for me, but then it really picked up.  Although the central theme was on Mrs. Frisby's struggle to relocate her home, there was also this larger backstory on how the rats of NIMH became so intelligent and their connection to Mrs. Frisby's family that I really got caught up in.   I was a little disappointed though whenever Mrs. Frisby's story took to the backburner.  Mrs. Frisby is such an admirable, brave character.  She puts herself in harms way to save her children, just a lovely mom. 

 I enjoyed the mice and rats perspective on the world, like scavenging for food as the season's changed, trying to avoid Dragon the cat.  But, the science of the experiments and the ways in which the rats learned to read were my favorite parts.  Although, I can't help now thinking about the ethical treatment of animals for research purposes.  And, how did I not know that NIMH stood for the National Institute of Mental Health?  There was also all of these moral issues to reflect on, like how the modernization of the rats was turning into their downfall and how they wanted to move away from stealing off of others to live.  Nicodemus was concerned that eventually the rats would be found and what would happen to them then?  

"Why move? We've got a better place to live right now.  We've got all the food we want.  We've got electricity, and lights and running water.  I can't understand why everybody talks about changing things." "Because everything we have is stolen." 

"That's silly." " Is it stealing when farmers take milk from cows, or eggs from chickens?" 

It's was also so easy to get caught up in the characters, lovely Mrs. Frisby, Mr. Ages, Nicodemus and Justin. Then add in the mystery behind Mrs. Frisby's husband, Jonathan, and overall I was very entertained.  

Favorite quote   “All doors are hard to unlock until you have the key.”

   

MG Review: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

A Snicker of Magic 

by Natalie Lloyd

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy/Magical Realism

ebook, 320 pages
Published February 25th, 2014

by Scholastic Press 

Source:  Public Library

Favorite Line:  

“It's so weird how life is so full of moving around-people coming and going, people passing by each other all day long. You never know which person's going to steal your heart. You never know which place is going to settle your soul, All you can do is look. And hope. And believe. “

Midnight Gulch used to be a town filled with magic, where "stars were kept in Mason jars and thunderstorms were caused by singing".  And then there were those who had magic for music, like the Threadbare boys.  This is the town where Felicity's mama grew up, and the one that Felicity, her mama and sister Frannie Jo are just now returning to.  Mama says the magic left Midnight Gulch with the Threadbare boys,  but Felicity learns a secret that might bring the magic back.  With the help of the Beedle and Felicity' s teacher, Miss Lawson's talent show, maybe just maybe Felicity may have finally found a way to stop mama's wandering heart. 

A Snicker of Magic is a magical story with characters that are interesting and varied.  It's a story with a small town feel, where quirky characters stories intertwine to reveal the plot.  Mama with her wandering heart,  not able to put roots down in one spot and Felicity keeping hope and believing that some day it might be possible.   Even little Frannie Jo, who is wiser than she gets credit for.  I read a few interviews of Lloyd's on  The Secret Files of Fairdaymorrow and Literary Rambles where she talked about the inspiration for her story and where her characters came from.  I enjoyed reading about how she incorporated her grandparents, friends and even beloved dog into her story.  Lloyd gives an authentic feel to the relationship that Felicity and Frannie Joe share.  

 "...And I think if you're lucky, a sister is the same as a friend, but better.  A sister is like a super-forever-infinity friend."  

I so loved how Felicity writes her words on her tennis shoes, sees them as words everywhere, above and around a person, even floating down a hallway.  But, especially that she "catches these words" and uses them to develop a poem for her sister on their first day at their new new school.  You can feel their love for one another.   

What comes so easy for Felicity to see, does not come easy for her to speak in front of more than one person.  Her lack of confidence in herself and loneliness make me want to give her a big hug.  I was so happy that Felicity met Jonah, who's words "shimmer and make her heart beat a little faster."  He is so sweet and wonderful as the mysterious "Beedle."   I like the way he is drawn to Felicity over missing pieces in both their families.  He seems to know exactly what she needs, especially since Felicity thinks that "making new friends, in a new place, when you're the new girl, is harder than fractions."  

Most of all I really enjoyed how Lloyd chooses just the right words to tell her story...

"The way he said her name made my heart cramp. In all my years of word collecting, I've learned this to be a tried and true fact: I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that's one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person's mouth. When you know they'll never shout it out like a cuss word, but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time."

   

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Heroines From Books, movies or TV

This is my first time participating in Top Ten Tuesday.  I was inspired to give this a try by http://randommusingsofabibliophile.blogspot.com/ While I don't always promise to have 10 things, well cause sometimes I might not have that many, I thought it would still be a lot of fun to participate.  

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

                                 This week's topic: Favorite Heroines From Books (Or movies/tv).
                                  In no particular order....

RENEE de WINTER

KYRA

LUCY

SOPHIE

BLUE

ANNABETH

HERMIONE

PRINCESS LEIA

NANCY

So, I only came up with nine.  I had a very hard time thinking of that last one... Olive from Books of Elsewhere, Smooth Kitty from The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place and Rory from The Ever Afters Series, came to mind.   A few on my list I think others may have selected too. Especially Hermione, but did I pick some that others didn't think of? I've included links to my reviews about Kyra and Renee de Winter , they are two that I especially enjoy.   Who are some of your favorite heroines?