Thurston T. Turtle Moves to Hubbleville, a Review

Thurston T. Turtle Moves To Hubbleville by Micki Bare.

Thurston T. Turtle Moves to Hubbleville is a charming story geared towards older elementary school students that tackles some interesting and thought-provoking subjects. We are introduced to Thurston as a stranger that is making his way into a small, southern town. Thurston is seen through the eyes of two of the citizens and their initial interactions. It is a perfect example of a small town and the small town life that so many people are searching for. I was surprised to see that I admired the way Micki handled the characters and gave them all a sincerity that made me want to move to Hubbleville. I wasn't expecting that from a book where the characters are all animals. So, one lesson was about life in a small town and how kind people can be.

Part of the story involved Thurston learning about the town and seeing if he would be able to fit in. Any child that has had to move or change schools would identify with our Turtle. Thurston spends time meeting all of the people in the town and using the various services, like the locksmith, clerk and bank. There is some adjustment that needs to be made and Thurston takes his time and doesn't rush into anything.

Acting as more than a comic foil, one of the other characters we follow is Mr. Possum who suffers as Hubbleville's newspaperman. Unfortunately, Mr. Possum has everything slightly wrong and can never seem to find Thurston to interview him for the paper. A smaller lesson is that you need to make sure that you try and get your facts straight.

Micki has authored a very charming read that will be sure to delight kids that are looking for a more serialized story. The tale is very episodic and offers humor and a little bit of mystery. I can't wait to see what happens next in Hubbleville.

You can find Micki at her website, Inspiredscribe.

The author provided a review copy of the book.

Book Reveiw: The Accidental Time Machine

I'm a nut for time travel fiction.

Yes, I do watch Dr. Who and Torchwood.

When The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman came in, I was excited and apprehensive. I had selected it for my library (I am trying to boost the sci-fi collection), so I knew it would have received a good review. At my other blog, I am always updating and reviewing Disney-related books (thanks to my lovely wife for scoring so many of them for me!), so there isn't much time for fiction. I have about 25 Disney books I need to get through.

One of my few reading times is during my lunch break. I usually have a bowl of soup or a sandwich of some sort. I always round out my lunch with a good book. I knew that I could use my lunch hour for reading a Disney book, but this one was way too tempting. So I picked it up and was hooked right from the begining.

A bored M.I.T. doctoral student accidentally creates a time machine while working on another project for a Professor. The catch is that the time machine can only move forward. It moves forward based on a certain mathematical formula; each time going further and further into the future. The story plays out very well, with some very unexpected situations.

Joe Haldeman crafts a very believable story and he writes hi-tech science for the lay-person. I would plant Haldeman squarely between Orson Scott Card and Michael Crichton. He magaes to write a technological page-turner like Crichton, but he also writes very believable and likeable characters like Card.

It isn't your traditional time travel narrative, but it is a lot of fun

Here’s Some Advice. Stay Alive.

The Hunger Games (Audiobook) by Suzanne Collins

Set in a future America, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a stunning novel about a post-apocalyptic society where the divide between the haves and have-nots has created a truly tieredsociety. Interweaving themes of survival, fantasy, big government, family and competition fill this tense and emotional work. The main character of the story, Katniss Everdeen, is a heroic young lady who is just starting to understand herself and the larger world around her. I forsee Katniss as a heroic, Harry Potter-esque young lady who is desperate to do the right thing and try to make the world a better place
.
When I was listening to the book, I was stunned at the realism of the characters and the society. As much as I believed in the characters, I was torn by the world that was presented. It was a truly frightening world in so many ways. Poverty and depravity mixed with adults and children trying their best to survive. Add a dystopian and technologically advanced society that exists on the backs of the poorer and destitute areas of the country. It is a frightening and all too real vision of the future. As I listened to the tale, I couldn't imagine a society becoming that depraved--could we ever to to the point described in the book? The gladiatorial combat of the Colosseum was one of the first incidents to come to mind. Then you throw in society's addiction to reality-based competition shows and it doesn't seem to far-fetched.

I listened to the audiobook that I downloaded from my local library's Overdrive account. Carolyn McCormick does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and breathing their thoughts and emotions. She made an enthralling and addictive story even more enchanting! The pain and emotion that she lent to Katniss is palpable; her stumbling, her indecision and her growth are all charted through the words, written and spoken.
The book is a very current mix of reality television, video games and action movies. It has the beginnings of a coming-of-age tale, but I need to experience the other two titles in the series to see where it ends. I was reminded of the 1987 film, The Running Man and the similar (but not seminal) video game, Super Smash TV. I would imagine that there are many similarities to Survivor, but I have never watched that television series.

This book is aimed at young adults (teens) and anyone interested in alternative/fantasy fiction. There is a lot of violence sewn into the book, but it is a necessary part of the tale. I would caution anyone under 12 from reading it.

As most anyone who has read the book will testify, it is very hard to put down, The storyline is engaging and well-paced. Even the moments of exposition were tantalizing enough to keep me wanting to learn more about Panem and what happened to society.

Suzanne Collins has woven a rich tapestry. I can't wait to start listening to the next book!

Who is Artemis Fowl and Why Should You Care?

I was a little reticent to start the Artemis Fowl series. While managing a public library branch, I have seen the Fowl books check out over and over, without really getting any feedback from the kids. Also, the Fowl books never seemed to be picked up by the adults like the Harry Potter series and some of the other fantasy and YA titles.

I purchased a copy of the graphic novel for my library and decided to give it a go. I enjoyed it, but it never sunk its teeth into me. It wasn't until I downloaded the audio version of the book (from my library's Overdrive service) that I was able to enjoy it fully.

Before I listened to the audiobook, I would peruse my shelves for something to read during lunch. I would often skip the Fowl book due to my lack of knowledge of the character. What I had skimmed from the cover made me think that this was a book about a spoiled and brilliant rich kid that had an evil side to him. For some reason, I aligned it with the Series of Unfortunate Events, which I could never get into.

After listening to the first book, I devoured the next three in the series and I am happily making my way through the next few. Eoin Colfer has created a truly believable world where the Faerie realm does exist. And it exists in a plausible nature through the use of extremely advanced technology and magic. The Faerie magic is grounded in nature and never moves past a utilitarian Swiss Army Knife-type of use. There aren't complex spells and nothing to scare away the parents who are frightened of Harry Potter.

The more of the Fowl books that I read, the more that Artemis' world view and family change. We first meet Artemis at age 12 and we learn that his missing father is the last in the line of the Fowl Family Criminal Syndicate. And Artemis must do everything that he can to keep his family coffers intact and constantly replenished. He hatches an overtly evil scheme that starts his ascent to a more natural moral code.

Through the Fowl series, we meet an intriguing and well-developed cadre of characters. Butler is Artemis' protector, bodyguard and moral ambassador. He reminds me of a very dangerous Jiminy Cricket. There is a regular cast of Faerie characters that become part of Artemis' family and we become as attached as he does. I won't go into detail here, because the Faerie characters are an amazing creation and need to be discovered for yourself.

I like to recommend the Fowl books to tweens and teens that are a little hesitant to jump into fantasy and scifi. Artemis is a good role model for tweens--which might sound funny after reading the first book--but you see his growth and his desire to make the world a better place. Plus, he has really cool techie toys!

Book Review - From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain

I am so enamored with the new superhero genre.

From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain, by Minister Faust, is written from the point of view of Dr. Eva Brain-Silverman, therapist to hyper-humanoids. Dr. Brain has written a self-help book just for superheros and the cape-induced issues that they suffer.

The book focuses on the therapy sessions for the Fantastic Order of Justice--the dysfunctional super-team. Through the various therapy sessions and crises, we learn what it is like to be a hyper-hominid in today's world and what psychological turmoil being a superhero raises.

Although Minister Faust does write with an agenda, it is well-woven through the entire book and really only comes to light in the finale. He has valid points, but don't let that scare you. It is a sold and well-written.

The real meat of the book is the back story and cultural references that he makes. From the absolutely astounding names for the superheroes to the mind boggling powers they posses. There were so many that it is impossible to single out my favorites. But Mr. Faust did a credible job of weaving the backstories together.

It is deceptively easy to trace the characters to the inspired origins. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Spiderman all exist as the main characters, but with different names and psychological problems.

I highly recommend this book. There is some rough language in it, but if you grew up watching the Justice League or reading comics, you will love this title.

I just finished Invasive Procedures by Orson Scott Card. I am a big OSC fan, but I didn't really enjoy his previous work, Empire, compared to his other titles. I am a huge fan of the Alvin Maker Series and the Ender/Bean works. So, I did approach this title with trepidation.

I liked this book and I do recommend it. OSC is pretty forward that this book is written with a screen writer (Aaron Johnston). It would make a great film. I liken the book to classic Michael Crichton--without the need of a Ph.D--and Lincoln Child. OSC writes a great page turner and adds science and medical information that makes sense to the layperson. There isn't much I can tell you that won't ruin some part of the book, though. It does deal with gene manipulation and a megalomaniac that runs as the book's protagonist. With some unexpected twists and fun to read action scenes., it will fill a weekend easily.

It is a great read.

Book Review

The Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook by Kimberly Button. 2006 ed. Infinity Press. 386 p. 0-7414-3268-4 $19.95

Kimberly Button, a former Walt Disney World (WDW) and Disney Cruise Line cast member, has written a handy guide to easing the time standing in all of those lines at WDW. She states in the introduction that the book “gives you only the essential, straightforward information that you need to simply enjoy Disney’s theme park attractions along with plenty of entertaining fun and games so that your entire day, even the time spent in queue lines, can be purely magical.”

This sums up Ms. Button’s work pretty well. She has divided the book by theme park and then by individual land. Within each land, she describes the rides; approximate time of each ride, helpful hints and if there is a fear factor or other important information. The real fun and excitement begins after the ride overview. For each attraction, there are several pages of trivia, scavenger hunt items and word scrambles.

At first, I was a little unsure of the value of the book. Would I really take this into the park? Would my kids enjoy it? Would I enjoy it?

I thought back to my last trip to WDW and realized that the guide really would have come in handy while waiting for restaurant seating, downtime at the hotel, waiting for the bus and for planning the trip with the kids in mind. I am a trivia hound and often the tidbits and facts that I spout don’t seem to interest my eight year old. This book has various levels of trivia…there were questions to make you laugh and ones that befuddled me! The kids would have loved the word searches and I know that it would have been fun to help them find the scavenger items while waiting in line.

The real questions are whether I would recommend this title and to whom? Wholeheartedly! I believe that this guide does offer something completely unique and worthwhile. I would suggest taking post-it notes and marking the specific areas you are going to visit for that day. Another idea would be to highlight the correct answer for the trivia questions or make a small notation next to the answer. It will make it easier to figure out who is right while you are standing in line. Almost anyone would benefit from this book. WDW veterans will find new things to discover and first-timers will be able to use the book to keep their sanity during long waits.

The book is approximately 8”x5” and about an inch thick. It is a backpack book. I would expect it to be rather dog-eared by the end of a week long vacation at WDW. You will be shuffling it in and out of your bag whenever you find yourself with more than a 5 minute wait anywhere!