A Northern Light

Amazon.com

It's 1906 and 16-year-old Mattie Gokey is at a crossroads in her life. She's escaped the overwhelming responsibilities of helping to run her father's brokedown farm in exchange for a paid summer job as a serving girl at a fancy hotel in the Adirondacks. She's saving as much of her salary as she can, but she's having trouble deciding how she's going to use the money at the end of the summer. Mattie's gift is for writing and she's been accepted to Barnard College in New York City, but she's held back by her sense of responsibility to her family--and by her budding romance with handsome-but-dull Royal Loomis. Royal awakens feelings in Mattie that she doesn't want to ignore, but she can't deny her passion for words and her desire to write.

At the hotel, Mattie gets caught up in the disappearance of a young couple who had gone out together in a rowboat. Mattie spoke with the young woman, Grace Brown, just before the fateful boating trip, when Grace gave her a packet of love letters and asked her to burn them. When Grace is found drowned, Mattie reads the letters and finds that she holds the key to unraveling the girl's death and her beau's mysterious disappearance. Grace Brown's story is a true one (it's the same story told in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy and in the film adaptation, A Place in the Sun), and author Jennifer Donnelly masterfully interweaves the real-life story with Mattie's, making her seem even more real.

Mattie's frank voice reveals much about poverty, racism, and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century. She witnesses illness and death at a range far closer than most teens do today, and she's there when her best friend Minnie gives birth to twins. Mattie describes Minnie's harrowing labor with gut-wrenching clarity, and a visit with Minnie and the twins a few weeks later dispels any romance from the reality of young motherhood (and marriage). Overall, readers will get a taste of how bitter--and how sweet--ordinary life in the early 1900s could be. Despite the wide variety of troubles Mattie describes, the book never feels melodramatic, just heartbreakingly real. (14 and older) --Jennifer Lindsay

Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, Jennifer Donnelly's astonishing debut novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original.

Includes a reader's guide and an interview with the author.

Customer Reviews:

Hysterical Fiction.......2007-08-09

The Amazon reviewer writes that "the book never feels melodramatic," and the SLJ writes that "Donnelly's characters ring true to life," and, "an outstanding choice for historical fiction fans." Perhaps the reviewers at Amazon and the SLJ are young teenagers?

A Northern Light is not a bad book, it's just not what I hoped or expected it would be, based on descriptions and reviews. First, it's a YA book through and through. Some might call it a coming of age story, but it is so chock-full of "lessons" for adolescents that it seems more like a classroom than a story. In almost every chapter, and every week, of young Mattie's life, there is an eye-opening and paradigm-expanding "experience," all of them methodically sequenced in order to help Mattie - and the young readers of this book - step into less-than-innocent adulthood. There are all the usual lessons of coming of age YA novels, such as boyfriends, girlfriends, kissing, desire, sex, and love. There are additional lessons in pregnancy, birth, postpartum depression, disease, lust, adultery, greed, and racism. And then there is a rather odd and protracted lesson in masturbation and exhibitionism.

As I said, the lessons get in the way of the story, or rather, the story is the vehicle for the lessons. I do not consider this historical fiction, as there are precious few lessons in history, and the characters do not "ring true." For example, there is one black character, Weaver. Weaver and his mother are the only two black people that Mattie has ever seen or known. Weaver's father was lynched. Weaver is Mattie's best friend and he is the smartest kid around, on track to go to a fine university on scholarship. Everyone likes Weaver, he is friends with all the white folks, he goes to the same schools, is welcomed in everyone's home, and works at the same jobs as the white kids. But Weaver brandishes physical rage against anyone who shows him any kind of disrespect. Weaver always manages to escape the consequences of his destructive behavior, because everybody, including the sheriffs and the judges, like him so much. This hardly rings true to life.

The real mystery of this story is the murder, the real-life murder of Grace Brown. At the end, I wondered why the author included it. The murder and its investigation do not play an important role in the story. For most of the story it's barely in the background. And yet, Mattie has letters from the victim showing that Grace was murdered, and even after Mattie realizes this, she goes on with her adolescent life as if she didn't know. She decides to give the letters to the sheriff only at the end, but there's no explanation as to why Mattie waited that long. I think perhaps the best parts of this book are the real-life letters that Grace Brown had written, which are included in the story as Mattie reads about one each day. Given that we know Grace's fate, the letters evoke even more empathy, and make this book worth reading, almost.

Excellent Teen Novel.......2007-08-06

This novel is probably one of the best coming-of-age novels I've ever read. It details accurately the life back in the twenteeith century, as well as giving two stories at the same time. This book is recommended to everyone out there; I know you're going to love it because I did. Excellent teen debut novel from an excellent author.

Great read for adults too!.......2007-07-27

I loved A Northern Light. Mattie is a fully drawn main character and the author paints a compelling picture of life in the Adirondacks in the early 1900s. The first chapter really draws you in.

My only (minor) complaint is that the jumping back and forth in time got a little confusing. The book starts out only about a day before the point where it ends. Almost everything in between is in the past, but it's hard at times to know for sure what is in the past, and what is real time in the chapters between the beginning and the end.

Other than that, it's a great read for older young adults and just plain adults as well!

Great Story.......2007-07-16

When I picked up this book at the half price bookstore, I did not realize it was a young adult book. The book summary on the back of the book got my attention. I read the book, and what a surprise! A very good story. I like that it tied into a true story. Makes me want to read more about the real story, An American Tragedy (Signet Classics) I loved the character development. Jennifer Donnelly is a great storyteller. There were sad moments, happy moments, laugh out loud moments and just good thinking about "life in general" moments. I really enjoyed her style of writing so much, I went and bought The Tea Rose. Once again, the prologue already got me wanting more!. I have read 80 pages of this book and I am throughly enjoying every page. I was lucky enough to find a copy of the next book, The Winter Rose which is difficult to get at the moment. Cannot wait to read it, and I understand that there will be a third book, The Wild Rose. (Triology). I highly recommend this author. Great summer reading.

A Pleasure to be savored...for Adults as well.......2007-07-03

This was a wonderful story. I loved the characters and the time period and the setting.

I loved the Mattie Gokey, our 16 year old narrator, who struggles to make choices that will shape the rest of her life. She is a bright and gifted young woman who is the eldest sister in a farming family.

The story takes place in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. Where Mattie eventually goes to work at the Glenmore Hotel on Big Moose Lake serving the rich tourists in the dinning room.

She waits on a young couple there and sadly before the end of the day the woman, Grace Brown, is pulled from the lake, dead. Earlier in the day she had given Mattie a bundle of secret letters. Mattie realizes that they hold the answers to what really happened to Grace and her missing companion.

Why this was marketed as a young adult novel I don't know...I thought it was well written, rich with detailed narrative and dealt with serious issues; adultery, marriage, feminism, parenthood, racism, death and murder. There are several different story lines with conflict and tension, all realistic and realistically resolved.

I also liked the fact that the story line revolving around Grace Brown was inspired by historical facts.

I thought this was a really enjoyable read. The only criticism I can make is that I thought Jennifer Donnelly could have added more physical descriptions of the many different characters in this story. Otherwise is was just perfect.

Average customer rating:

Hilarious
More Florida madness from Dorsey
Truly, Dementedly Weird
Not as Good as Dorsey's Other Work
Miami Vice meets Mad TV

Hammerhead Ranch Motel
Tim Dorsey
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380732343

Amazon.com

Penzler Pick, August 2000: Is it Florida, or is it the mystery writers who set their stories there? There seems to be a tradition of Florida noir that is as loony as that name implies. Tim Dorsey is the newest writer from the Sunshine State whose stories are inhabited by a cast of characters who, in any other state, would probably be behind bars. In Dorsey's world, not only are they roaming free, they are also wreaking havoc with impunity up and down the peninsula.

In his first book, Florida Roadkill, Dorsey introduced us to several characters who are still at large as his second story begins. Serge A. Storms is a spree killer and Florida history buff, still looking for the five million dollars that's stashed in the trunk of a Chrysler--unbeknownst to the driver--somewhere in the state. Johnny Vegas is a playboy who, because catastrophic events always seem to get in the way, has yet to lose his virginity. Also along for the zany ride is 90-year-old Mrs. Edna Ploomfield, who blows away a man delivering her flowers and chocolates; a DJ who changed his name legally to Boris the Hateful Piece of BLEEP so that he would not be BLEEPED on the air every time he used the name; and Safety Officer Chester "Porkchop" Dole who watches the monitors on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Along with a dancing Chihuahua who forecasts the weather, the Diaz Boys, Harvey Fiddlebottom, undercover cops, and a variety of oddballs, they will congregate in or around the seediest place never to have been shut down, the Hammerhead Ranch Motel on the Gulf of Mexico. There, they will play out their lunacy as Hurricane Rolando-berto bears down on them. This is a wonderful summertime read, relentlessly funny and impossible to put down. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

There's a different schemer or slimeball behind every door: cocaine duckpins who have survived only by the dumbest fortune, hard-luck gigolos desperate to score, undercover cops busting undercover cops who are running sting operations on undercover cops. And just down the row, local historian and spree killer Serge A. Storms -- who has stopped keeping up with his meds -- is still looking for a briefcase stuffed with five million dollars...and is now capable of wreaking more havoc than hurricane Rolando-berto, the big wind gathering force offshore, just waiting for the opportunity to blow everything straight to hell.

Pack up your bags and head south to sunny Florida. Leave your rational mind at home and come well armed. There's a room with your number on it at the Hammerhead Ranch Motel.

Download Description

Pack up your bags and head south to sunny Florida. Leave your rational mind at home and come well armed. There's a room with your number on it at the Hammerhead Ranch Motel.

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious.......2007-08-06

This book is flat out hilarious, not quite as much action as the first book in the series but every bit as funny. I found myself laughing out loud countless times while I was reading it. This book was so good I will make sure I read every book in this series.

More Florida madness from Dorsey.......2007-04-21

Dorsey's sequel to "Florida Roadkill" takes a while to get going, but once it does it more than holds its own.

As he did previously, Dorsey introduces us to a wide range of offbeat characters. The book doesn't really gel until he brings those characters together. Dorsey is at his best when writing about Serge, his off-kilter main character, a Florida-obsessed schizophrenic/OCD/ADHD case. When Serge is leading the charge, he sort of infects the people around him with his insanity, and the novel takes on a sugar-rush, childish gaiety that is absolutely hilarious (especially when it's used, as it often is, during criminal activity).

Dorsey isn't able to exploit the characters for laughs quite as well as he did in "Florida Roadkill" here. His best character -- the one he savages the most -- is actually Florida itself. Dorsey paints it as Hell with beach-front property.

Dorsey's writing style is rather deadpan and cold, with the occasional spot-on observation that leaves you laughing out loud. It reminds you quite a bit of Christopher Moore.

Despite a bit of a slow start, once this novel picks up and gets going, it barrels out of control toward its finale with that dark, wacky comedy-madness Dorsey is known for. Dorsey gets great mileage out of little bits of nuttiness, like a local news station using a dog in the weather reports, and how the Floridians love it. It's these crazy little gems that glue together what is pretty much a plotless novel.

For me Tim Dorsey novels are like the aimless plots of Elmore Leonard with Christopher Moore's sense of humor. So if you like the idea of a crime novel with odd, lunatic humor, filled with hilarious degenerates and weirdos, Tim Dorsey is the novelist for you.

Truly, Dementedly Weird.......2007-04-02

This second installment in Tim Dorsey's series of books about Florida follows Florida Roadkill, and precedes something called Orange Crush, which I haven't read yet. A friend of mine recommended the series: he apparently likes books set in Florida, having been a lifelong fan of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series. Dorsey's books, however, are nothing like MacDonalds', beyond the setting. Dorsey has a very very strange sense of humor, and his books are peopled with weird characters, bizarre events, and odd coincidences. Nothing normal ever happens in Dorsey's Florida.

As much as there's a plot, it involves Dorsey's main character, the eccentrically-named Serge A. Storms. Dorsey likes names that are alliterations of one form or another, so in addition Lenny Lippowicz, a dog named Toto, a girl named Gigi, etc. You get the picture. It seems everyone who doesn't have a name that has double initials has to have a nickname of some sort. Anyway, Storms is chasing around Tampa, looking for a briefcase full of money that came his way in the previous Dorsey book, "Florida Roadkill". He keeps finding the money, and then losing it again. Since Storms is a violent psychopath (in this book he beheads a teenage girl) it's hard to sympathize with him much. He also has an annoying habit of launching into lectures extolling the history and virtues of the State of Florida at the drop of a hat. You have to wonder why someone doesn't shoot him every thirty minutes in the book, but he's the main character and just seems to drift along, aimlessly searching for the money, then displaying some pretty canny intelligence in looking for it just when you thought he was completely crazy.

I enjoyed this book, after a fashion. There's not much point in reading it by itself: it's basically Don Quixote on crack, with a deadhead soundtrack, but it's only some chapters from the middle. You really need to read Florida Roadkill first, and I'm hoping that somewhere in here Dorsey will get to a point other than pointing out what stupid monsters he believes the human race to be. Given that, the action is fun, if a bit violent and bloody, the characters are amusing, if improbably overdrawn, and the coincidences that Dorsey spins into his story lines are weird, to say the least.

Not as Good as Dorsey's Other Work.......2007-02-17

This is Dorsey's second novel and takes up from the to be continued final pages of his debut novel Florida Roadkill. It is not of the same quality as the initial adventure with less action and bloodshed throughout the pages. It is almost as if Dorsey killed off too many of the main characters in Florida Roadkill and had to rush and put together some more characters to accompany Serge in his quest for the briefcase of money where we left him at the to be continued ending. Dorsey is a good author, he has written some great surreal adventures, just this novel isn't up to that standard. If you haven't read any of his work yet and are looking for somewhere to start either read Florida Roadkill or better yet read his fourth book Triggerfish Twist which was actually a prequel to Roadkill and easily the best of his initial novels.

In Hammerhead Ranch Serge, a criminal with an obsession with Florida history is back and along with him Dorsey brings in a hurricane, racist low IQ fundamentalists who want everyone to vote for proposition 213 to get rid of all foreigners, retirement homes paying dimwitted villains to dump Alzheimer's Medicare patients without their ID in other cities so they can get more money from private patients, undercover cops busting other undercover cops at the same hotel as the drug trade is just not that profitable for normal criminals anymore as well as many other surreal events and characters.

Miami Vice meets Mad TV.......2007-02-14

If you are looking for a bit of slick wit and clever comedic writing, Hammerhead Ranch is a surefire bet that injects some fun into the usual dry and typically serious genre of Murder Mystery/Crime novels.

A sequel in a sense to Florida Roadkill, some characters make a triumphant return and Dorsey is able to continously keep them fresh with even further development and fleshing out. At the same time, a new cast of supporting characters are introduced, and again, Dorsey is really able to keep them all unique with their own quirks.

Most of the novel centers around the re-capturing of a stolen briefcase containing millions of dollars as last seen in Florida Roadkill. But most of the action finds our keystone-cop like characters congragating around the central location of the Hammerhead Ranch Motel.

The book was indeed entertaining and reminded me a lot of sketch comedy actors let loose on a serious mission--recover the money and the hijinx that entail.

My only issue with this installment of the series is that when dealing with such a large ensemble cast, Dorsey tends to jump around in chapters quite a bit. It can be easy to lose track of who is who and whats going on. For much of the novel, many of the incidents seem far removed from the actual plot,making me wonder at times....'What is the plot anyway?' Only near the very end are you rewarded with a semi-climax of the briefcase, and of course since unresolved, leads to a third installment.

I felt at times, that while funny and entertaining (which isn't bad), many instances were filler material only, just to get a joke in and didn't contribute to the overall resolution. However, that being said, I will indeed purchase and read the third book.

Average customer rating:

an archaeology classic
Macaulay has some fun
A book ALL Archaeologists / Historians should read
Motel of the Mysteries
Motel of the Mysteries

Motel of the Mysteries
David Macaulay
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395284252

Book Description

It is the year 4022; all of the ancient country of Usa has been buried under many feet of detritus from a catastrophe that occurred back in 1985. Imagine, then, the excitement that Howard Carson, an amateur archeologist at best, experienced when in crossing the perimeter of an abandoned excavation site he felt the ground give way beneath him and found himself at the bottom of a shaft, which, judging from the DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging from an archaic doorknob, was clearly the entrance to a still-sealed burial chamber. Carson's incredible discoveries, including the remains of two bodies, one of then on a ceremonial bed facing an altar that appeared to be a means of communicating with the Gods and the other lying in a porcelain sarcophagus in the Inner Chamber, permitted him to piece together the whole fabric of that extraordinary civilization.

Customer Reviews:

an archaeology classic.......2007-08-06

Archaeologists spend so much time thinking about the past, and it's inevitable that occasionally we wonder just what those in the future will think about us. This does, of course, poke some fun at the profession and the logic employed in how we come about our conclusions, while making you wonder just how wrong we might be in that regard. A must-read for archaeologists with a sense of humor, though just about anyone will find this humorous and entertaining.

Macaulay has some fun.......2007-07-24

I have always been a big fan of Macaulay's work. The humor that makes "The Way Things Work" so much fun is here in full force in "Motel of the Mysteries." The erroneous interpretations by Macaulay archeologist from the future are a riot.

Written about the time the country went crazy for King Tut and Rameses exhibits around the country, it's a fun read by a great illustrator and funny writer.

A book ALL Archaeologists / Historians should read.......2003-07-25

If you are a fan of David Macaulay's books about the contruction of such wonders as a Cathedral, Pyramid, City, Mill, etc ... then you will really enjoy this book about future archaeologists / explorers "discovering" the burried ruins of an American motel room in the 41st century ... and the miss-identification of just about every item found.

I think that this is a book that every archaeologist / historian should read because it perfectly explains the traps that we may fall into when trying to explain the past using present day knowledge and sensibilities.

The events portrayed in this book show the reader just how easy it is to make a mistake ... even when one's best intentions are at stake.

Then again, it is a David Macaulay (always great) and it is funny! Especially the Museum Gift Store items displayed at the end of the book.

Motel of the Mysteries.......2003-06-13

I think this book is creatively written to get young people to read, and to get a good laugh about how people in the future look at people in the past.

Motel of the Mysteries.......2003-06-13

Great and interesting book for adolescents! I would highly recommend this book because it will keep you on the edge of your seats.

The Haunted Hotel (A to Z Mysteries) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

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The Haunted Hotel
To all those mystery book readers.
The Haunted Hotel
Would you want to go to a Haunted Hotel?
The haunted hotel

The Haunted Hotel (A to Z Mysteries) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
Ron Roy , and Ron Roy
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679890793
Release Date: 1999-06-15

Book Description

A ghostly guest has checked into the Shangri-la Hotel! It's almost Halloween and reports of strange sounds and even stranger sights are coming from Green Lawn's only hotel. Hotel guests and neighbors are being scared away, and it's up to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to figure out what's going on--before Green Lawn turns into a ghost town!

Customer Reviews:

The Haunted Hotel.......2006-12-19

The book The Haunted Hotel by Ron Roy is part of the A-Z Mysteries series. I have enjoyed many books written by Ron Roy. In The Haunted Hotel there is this ghost that terrorizes the hotel and three kids try to figure out who the ghost is. The main characters are Josh, Dink and Ruth Rose .The book is set in a hotel. It shows how hard it is to be a detective.
My favorite part was when they found out who the ghost was. The book is very exciting and fun to read. I recommend this book for people who like mysteries. That's what I think of the book.
By Hilda

To all those mystery book readers........2006-10-02

The time that I read this book I felt so thrilled for the ghost that tortures the Shangrala hotel.This book is the one reason that I bought the entire series. Ron Roy is a person that loves mystery books. I am glad he made those books because if he didn't then I wouldn't be thrilled by any other book.

The Haunted Hotel.......2002-11-20

It was the first book I ever read in the A to Z mysteries. I like it because it was short and there were map in the front page. It about three kid, Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose who solve the mystery of the ghost in the hotel. Read it, you will like it.

Would you want to go to a Haunted Hotel?.......2002-03-08

This book was great. I liked it because it was a good mystery for younger kids! My favorite part was when they found out who the ghost ...was! I think it was a good book and I hope other kids enjoy reading it like I did!!!!!!!

The haunted hotel.......2001-08-04

This item is wonderful!!!!! I think everyone should get a chance to redad it! Even rented on the library.Really!

Cam Jansen & the Catnapping Mystery (Cam Jansen)

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Cam Jansen & the Catnapping Mystery (Cam Jansen)
David A. Adler
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142402893

Book Description

The Cam Jansen series is perfect for young readers who are making the transition to chapter books. The first fifteen books in the series have received updated covers, and the series redesign continues with books 16-22, bringing new life to these perennial bestsellers.

Welcome to Lizard Motel: Children, Stories, and the Mystery of Making Things Up, A Memoir

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Why kids hate those YA novels they're assigned in school
An absorbing and thoughtful critique of "young adult" books
The first half of this book is powerful. Buy it for this reason.
I'm so glad someone's saying it.
An elegantly written, beautifully reasoned book

Welcome to Lizard Motel: Children, Stories, and the Mystery of Making Things Up, A Memoir
Barbara Feinberg
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Looking Back: A Book of Memories

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0807071447

Book Description

Unsettled by the fact that her twelve-year-old son, an ardent reader, hated most of the books assigned to him in school, Barbara Feinberg set out to discover just what kids are reading these days. Much to her dismay, she found that novels about abandonment, kidnapping, abuse, and more have become standard fare in many middle school classrooms.

Pre-adolescents, these novels seem to suggest, ought to be confronted in fiction with "real life problems" straight on, with no magical dimension and limited imaginative scope. In fact, the child characters in these books often must face their stark circumstances nearly alone, without adult shelter. You have only yourself, these novels seem to say. Adults cannot help you; they are often the source of your troubles.

Weaving literary analysis with memoir, told in a playful, elegiacal style, Welcome to Lizard Motel sets its inquiry into books and stories in the context of an unfolding narrative of family life. And as the narrative takes on a novel-like velocity of its own, stories become the lens through which Feinberg reflects on our own notions of childhood—both observed and remembered, our culture's rendering of childhood, and the surprising disconnect between the two.

Customer Reviews:

Why kids hate those YA novels they're assigned in school .......2005-10-21

What a remarkable book, one with a fresh perspective toward the young adult novels that are assigned in middle school English classes. Barbara Feinberg's central question is, when and why did books for preteens get so grim? In an extended essay mixed with personal reflection, Feinberg examines the YA "problem novel," the books that more or less began with Paul Zindel's "The Pigman" and which some librarians call "Doom and Gloom" books. The "child" protagonists in these novels face abuse, abandonment, incest, trauma, loss, and lots of death, as if the child needs to suffer and someone needs to die to make the child grow up, accept reality, and be a resilient, self-reliant survivor. In the meantime, most adults in these books are useless for helping the kids to cope, and imagination and play are completely sacrificed, as the kids in these books are expected to grow out of such hindrances.

As the founder of a long-running children's program in New York called Story Shop, Feinberg knows and talks to real children and gives them places for play and imagination. In the book she also writes extensively about her children, 12-year-old Alex (the victim of this dismal school summer reading) and Clair, age 7. This gal knows and loves kids, and her book is an impassioned defense of childhood from an adult who has worked through her own issues.

I heard a sermon several years ago by the Rev. Mary Harrington, a Unitarian Universalist minister and mother at the time of similar-aged children to Feinberg's, talking about environmental education programs for young children. In standard environmental education programs, children were given the message that the world was going to hell in a handbasket and they needed to save it. Interestingly, these children did NOT grow up into environmentalist adults. Instead, they became environmentally apathetic adults. The children who became environmentalists as adults were taken into nature and allowed to enjoy it, look at bugs, take hikes, NOT scared to death and given adult responsibilities to shoulder. As Rev. Harrington pointed out, children can't even make their parents recycle, much less can they save the world, and it is our duty as adults to take those actions, not foist it onto vulnerable, helpless children.

Feinberg makes a similar point about the spate of young adult problem novels currently on schools' required reading lists. By and large, 12-year-olds hate them when they are required to read and analyze them in school. These books -- the same books they could love if they found them on their own at age 15 -- are depressing and demoralizing. Who are they trying to teach with these fake "child" narrators, who have an adult perspective in the guise of a child? Is it the adult's "inner child," a wish to protect our lost child selves by giving our own "past" selves a context for the suffering of life, and also trying to toughen ourselves by toughening up the kids? If so, do the books they are required to read help the actual children, right now, or are they taking childhood away to reassure overwhelmed adults? I remember hating "The Red Pony" in 8th grade. They assigned this Steinbeck novel because it has a young protagonist and the pony dies. So it wasn't until years later that I tried Steinbeck again and was surprised to find that it wasn't all just Faulknerian trauma; why didn't they give us the fun Steinbeck novels to read, like "Cannery Row"?

Feinberg's sacred cows include the whole list of Newbery winners. I work in an independent bookstore, and when a 12-year-old comes in asking for a good book, I would never recommend "Bridge to Terabithia," although author Katherine Paterson writes so beautifully; the book is just too stark and depressing, with a bleak and devastating surprise ending that gives only one chapter for resolution.

The writing in "Lizard Motel" is lovely as well. Memoir is certainly more popular right now than educational theory for preteen readers, so I understand why she wrote the book this way. Teachers, librarians, booksellers, YA authors and readers, and parents should all consider Feinberg's perspective. Memoir writers can also take inspiration from her skillful weaving of personal history and essay.

I'm rather sorry I've given 5-star book reviews so often, because when a book like this comes along, one wants to put in extra-credit stars! But this does have the distinction of being my 100th review for Amazon.com!

An absorbing and thoughtful critique of "young adult" books.......2005-02-21

I loved this book. Last year, I read most of the highly touted books for young adults and was shocked at how vacuous and grim they were. Every teenager, it seems, is angry, lives in a broken home, encounters death and suicide, wants to run away. No flights of fancy, just rage and rebellion and ugly "reality."

Feinberg saw what I saw, and she has written a terrific expose of the shallowness and commercialism of these phony books. She was not intimidated by their awards from Newberry and the American Library Association.

She also takes a well-grounded poke at the pretentiousness of the Lucy Calkins memoir-writing workshop, which squashes children's imaginations and mechanizes their writing. Brave woman to challenge every shibboleth of the schools of education!

Maybe if more teachers and parents read her book, future generations of children would be spared the agony of being compelled to read this dreary stuff and to follow the Calkins formula for writing their life story at the age of 7.

The first half of this book is powerful. Buy it for this reason........2004-12-09

Feinberg deserves praise for bringing forth the troubling emphasis that current curriculums intended for the adolescent age, have placed on the "problem novel". Yet she is not dogmatic enough in her important argument. Instead we are led off track in the 2nd half of the book on a self absorbed meandering with no clear cut themes... that ends up focusing on her daughter's need for several surgeries relating to ear infections. How did we get here?! To presume a connection between the 2 parts of this book, one would need to do as the subtitle suggests and truly "make things up". Nonetheless, the assertions in the 1rst half, as well as the footnotes, make those parts of the book quite a compelling read. Its worth the price of the book for the sake of those first arguments. Then save yourself time and confusion by skimming or avoiding entirely, the author's self indulgent off-topic stuff in the 2nd half.

I'm so glad someone's saying it........2004-11-08

As a children's author myself, I'm delighted to find someone suggesting in a popular book what many of us children's authors have long realized: Problem novels are not written or published for children at all, but for educators and librarians, without whom most of those books would never survive.

I would add that a surprising number of librarians dislike and disapprove of fantasy, and would love to wean children from imaginative works. As such, they are well-meaning but misguided opponents of childhood development, which depends on fantasy and imagination for proper unfoldment. This is the prejudice that kept The Wizard of Oz out of public libraries for decades.

What's more, the "reality" of these problem novels is collectively far from realistic. Authors have actually been advised NOT to write novels about families with both a mother and a father. Only broken families allowed!

Before reading this book, I was not familiar with the writing programs of Lucy Calkins, but I can only say I'm glad I never found myself in their clutches, or I might never have become an author.

An elegantly written, beautifully reasoned book.......2004-10-21

Feinberg has written an extraordinary work that makes use of her literary and emotional gifts as well as her intellectual ones. The basic premise of this small, powerful book is that literature matters; stories that we read and stories we create have tremendous meaning, and the books we hand down to our children express our cultural and personal values. Feinberg sees fiction and metaphor as crucial to the healthy development of children through their pubescent years, and dislikes the current trend in the schools toward memoir writing and the reading of issue-oriented "problem novels." A superbly reasoned and elegant book.

(Weekly Reader Children's Book Club Presents) The Pink Motel

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(Weekly Reader Children's Book Club Presents) The Pink Motel
Carol Ryrie Brink
Manufacturer: Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Baby Island

ASIN: B0007I6ATK

Average customer rating:

An Old Childhood Friend
DREAMY, ENCHANTING, MAGICAL, AND FUN.
My Childhood Favorite
Finally read this cult favorite: YEAH!
A lifelong favorite

Pink Motel, The
Carol Ryrie Brink
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Baby Island

ASIN: 068971677X

Customer Reviews:

An Old Childhood Friend.......2006-11-02

I read this book every summer for years starting when I was a little kid. It stayed in my memory since and when I found a copy of it at a flea market in Pasadena, CA for some ridiculous price like $3.00, it had to be purchased. Had it been 10 times that amount, it would have been worth every cent. Same pink cover, same imprint of the "Weekly Reader's Children's Book Club" on the back, same engrossing story inside. Who wouldn't have wanted to go to Florida and have their own summer adventure?
And it's still enjoyable even at this late date.
My Grandmother owned a Motel once, so the basis for the book was instantly appealing.It wasn't too hard to relate to any of it as a child.
This book is a treasure.It cannot be recommended enough.

DREAMY, ENCHANTING, MAGICAL, AND FUN........2006-07-16

When I was young I read this book and it shaped my whole view of Florida. As a result, I ended up settling there. I don't have my own Pink Motel, but that magical place is still in my mind and heart even as I drive across the bridge to work in the morning.

A few years ago I sat across from a friend at dinner and was trying to explain my view of Florida. I started by saying "I read this book as a child and it made me want to live in Florida". Before I got any further she said "The Pink Motel" and I almost fell out of my chair. It was her favorite too. It's hard to explain but when reading this book, even today it sill evokes white sands, palm trees in the breeze, brilliant pink buildings against the blue of the gulf. Magic.

My hardback edition holds a treasured spot on my bookshelf and in my heart that no other book can replace.

My Childhood Favorite.......2006-02-19

As a girl, I loved this book!

Still love it. I have my hardback on my shelf, in it's pinkness, no dust jacket. Magical. The author, Carol R. Brink, also wrote "Baby Island," another favorite.

Read this a few times, as a kid, and always wanted a Pink Motel of my own. Just the other day, I told my dear Norman, Hunny, let's up and move to Florida, buy a little motel, paint it pink, and have each room different.. just like the book! Palm trees and white sand beaches are calling.. especially since it's been 20 degrees here this week, and miserable!

An adventure for kids. All my daughters read my pink copy. Buy it. Read it. You'll love it too.

Finally read this cult favorite: YEAH! .......2005-10-21

What a magical book! The Mellon family inherits The Pink Motel on the Florida coast and moves down for the summer to run it. There they meet an assortment of regular guests and find some new ones. The children, Kirby and Bitsy, make friends with a local boy named Big and revive a bored girl guest named Sandra. Secrets, mysteries, alligator chasing, coconuts, wonderful treats from Miss Frith's basket, and some very, very valuable dog guests make for a lively and engaging story. For 1951, the integration between white and black children is natural and straightforward. This is the kind of book I would like to write. I sure enjoyed reading it.

A lifelong favorite.......2004-09-12

Like others, I received this book when I belonged to the Weekly Reader Bookclub as a 4th grader. It is the first real novel I ever read and it gave me a love of reading that has lasted about 45 years. The easy fantasy, fun chatacters and secret of Uncle Hiram have lasted that long in my heart. I read this book 10 times, literally, before I ever read another novel. When it came as a book club selection even the hardback was pink!

Aunt Eater's Mystery Vacation (I Can Read Book 2)

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Aunt Eater Does it Again!

Aunt Eater's Mystery Vacation (I Can Read Book 2)

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064441695

Book Description

Aunt Eater hopes to take a relaxing vacation at the Hotel Bathwater. But before long, a missing ferry captain, a diamond ring thief, an absentminded professor, and a suspicious-looking woman arouse her curiosity. "Here's a sprightly, easy-to-read chapter book [that] beginning readers are bound to enjoy."—BL.

Children's Books of 1992 (Library of Congress)

Customer Reviews:

Aunt Eater Does it Again!.......2000-03-27

My seven-year old and I love the Aunt Eater series. These books are ideal for children just moving into chapter books; the plots have enough suspense to keep the pages turning, and Cushman's humorous characters and illustrations bring giggles. A great book for any young mystery lover.

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales

Average customer rating:

Fun Read
An exciting page-turner for children

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales
M. T. Anderson
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152053522

Book Description

In need of a vacation after their last laser-beam-filled adventure, Lily, Jasper, and Katie have flown off for a restful stay at a distant mountain lodge, which just so happens to be hosting a gathering for characters from other middle-grade series novels. Two--the marvelous Manley Boys--look suspiciously like a pair of crime-solving brothers named Frank and Joe Hardy. Two others are a pair of boy-crazy twin sisters who attend a high school in some sweet valley somewhere. And then there are the Hooper Quints, who, along with a wealthy heiress's priceless diamond necklace, have suddenly gone missing.

Does it surprise you that the supposedly "on vacation" Katie, Jasper, and Lily are the only ones around who have the chops to solve this challenging mystery?

National Book Award finalist M. T. Anderson has done it again with this second volume of his riotous and wonderfully weird new series.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Read.......2007-01-28

Humorous parody that will hit home for anyone who grew up on the various "teen wonder pulp" series of the '40s, '50s or '60s (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, etc.) I'll have to let someone else speak to whether it works for today's teens.

You can enjoy this without having first read its prequel, "Whales on Stilts." But I intend to pick up a copy, now that I've been introduced to Anderson's cast of characters!

An exciting page-turner for children.......2006-06-24

Katie Mulligan is sick of life in Horror Hollow: the zombies, the vampires, the horrific practical jokes her mom and dad play --- it's all getting a little bit old. So when Katie's friend Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, receives a coupon for a free dinner at the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort, Katie jumps at the opportunity for a few days away from adventure. When Jasper, Katie, and their friend Lily arrive at Moose Tongue, though, they are surprised to find that most of the guests, like Katie and Jasper themselves, are the stars of adventure novel series past and present.

There are the Cutesy Dell twins (dead ringers for the Sweet Valley High girls), the clueless but oh-so-macho Manley Boys, and Eddie Wax (whose best friend is a horse named Stumpy). All the guests are thrown into turmoil, though, when the Hooper Quints, stars of a series of 1950s adventure novels, are kidnapped and held for ransom in a remote mountain cave. Jasper and Lily join a search party, but Katie, determined to avoid adventure, lounges around the pool with her new friends, the Cutesy Dell twins.

Like WHALES ON STILTS!, the first book in M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales series, THE CLUE OF THE LINOLEUM LEDERHOSEN delights in over-the-top language and outrageous situations: "Freedom, alas, was far away. As Jasper listened in consternation to the screams of distress, he felt a creeping little feeling. It was inside his nose. His hay fever. It was getting worse." The plot is convoluted and absurd (just as a good old-time mystery story should be), and the novel makes dozens of references to other books and movies (for example, the Hooper Quints have a nanny who's a musical nun. When the outfits she sews out of curtains wear out, she makes them a new set of lederhosen out of the kitchen linoleum).

With its glimpses into the narrator's back story and its tongue-in-cheek tone, Anderson's Thrilling Tales series is fast becoming the heir apparent to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Stay tuned --- in the next installment, Jasper Dash heads for the wilds...of Delaware.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

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