Although October’s books reviews are full of magic, mystery, curses, hexes, witches, humor, and even love, there’s more lurking here than meets the eye.
Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
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Tiffany Aching is a 13-year-old witch with a big problem. Mistakenly, Winter (yes the season) has fallen in love with her. Although she is flattered to have such a magnificent god vying for her attention, the ramifications are deadly serious. Tiffany must use more than her wit, talent, and sensibility to save herself, her family’s sheep and farm, and the entire world from turning permanently to ice.
The main character, Tiffany Aching, is such a likeable girl. It was fun to read about someone who is sensible most of the time, but who occasionally gets swept away with teenage impulsiveness and the flattery of being “liked.” This is an enjoyable, cleverly written book that I recommend for teens who are interested in stories about magic, witches, and crushes mixed in with humor.
Out of Patience by Brian Meehl
Jake Waters has one main goal in life (besides winning the World Series of Work-ups). He wants to accomplish what every other Waters male for 140 years has tried, but failed to do – leave the run-down, tumbleweed town of Patience, Kansas. In fact, as far as Jake is concerned, the sooner he could get away from Patience and his father’s embarrassing dreams of opening up a Toilet Museum, the better.
But then one day “The Plunger of Destiny” shows up and evokes an ageless curse on the town of Patience. Although Jake originally thinks that he wants “out of Patience,” he finds that there are people and relationships that are important to him. Maybe even important enough for him to see through until the “final inning” as the legend of the Curse of Anders Cass becomes reality.
I recommend this light-hearted, original “toilet story” to boys (and girls) who like adventure, humor, and baseball. It was a very funny, easy read that made me chuckle.
The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup
In Iowa, you can find many different things; however, an ocean that surrounds a farmhouse on a hill isn’t one of them. In 1914, strangely, young Oscar Martin’s sister reports that he rowed away on an ocean from his home on a hill in Iowa, never to be seen again. Although no one believes such an outlandish tale, the disappearance of Oscar Martin remains an unsolved mystery.
Fast-forward nearly a century later when one day, the same fourteen-year-old Oscar shows up again at his home. He is surprised to find that things have changed significantly. Not only has everyone but him aged, but living in his childhood home is his great-niece, Lucy, and her parents.
As unbelievable as Oscar showing up seems to Lucy, even more pressing on her young mind is the uncanny disappearance of her father. All roads lead to the fateful book of story beginnings in which has little written, but contains all the answers Lucy and Oscar need.
The two teens embark on an adventure, in a rowboat, across the ocean surrounding the house on the hill in Iowa, to use magic, bravery, and most of all, common sense to put things back in order.
I liked this book because the author creates a world and characters from her imagination that are truly original. I recommend this book to teens of both genders who like magic, mystery, and adventure.
