Audiobook review: Tar—The Wandering by Helen Sea

Tár—The Wandering by Helen Sea
Genre: Fable
Length: 53m
Audio publisher: Books Are Loud, 2011
Read by: Julia Franklin
From: Review copy from Books Are Loud through Audiobook Jukebox

Story: Tár wanders the frozen world collecting tears. One day her friend Favnea the bird brings her a strange tear. Tár does not know who it came from, but it is not a human tear. This tear seems special. Tár decides to find out where the tear came from, but the journey is harder and more dangerous than she expects.

Thoughts: Tár is a very dense short story, less than an hour long. I listened to it several times and caught something new each time. Tár is an amazing character. She has an all-encompassing job, and her dedication is inspiring. To help with her tear-gathering, she has several unique tools. I'd love to hear more of Tár's family, adventures, and the other Wanderers. There is a lot going on around Tár outside of the story told here.

Reading: This is my first audiobook read by Julia Franklin, and I was very impressed with her professionalism. Her characters were each unique and the melody of her voice lent mystery to the tale. I really enjoyed her reading and will be sure to seek out other books narrated by her.

Music: I am very apprehensive about music in audiobooks. I don't want it to overpower or distract in any way. Tár contains original music composed by the author consisting of short snippets played on a wooden flute. The music was mostly calm and quiet and fit well with the story. The same few bars were used, and they eventually became repetitive, but only a few times did the music clash with the words. At those times the music was too light for the story's seriousness and the music undermined the developing tension. Aside from these few places, I felt the music added to the story and set a mood of calm determination.

Final thoughts: Tár—The Wandering is an impressive fable suitable for middle grades through adults.  Tár's determination is an inspiration to other wanderers.

Graphic Novel review: Jellaby by Kean Soo

Jellaby by Kean Soo
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion Books, 2008
From: Library

Read the first two chapters and Jellaby shorts on The Secret Friend Society

Story: Portia's bored. Her elementary school classes are too easy. Her mom's always working. There's nothing to do. Until one night Portia has a strange dream. She wakes up and sees something out in the woods. It's a monster! But the monster is more scared than she is, so she takes it home.

Thoughts: I loved this book. Portia is too smart for her own good. She has no friends. The teachers don't understand her. Only Jellaby and her mom accept her for who she is. Is Portia really good at hiding the huge, purple monster, or are Portia and her friend Jason, aka carrot boy, the only ones who can see him?

The comparison of Jellaby to Calvin and Hobbes can't be avoided. The art style is even similar. But having another person interact with Jellaby makes him much more real. In fact, there's no indication that he's imaginary. When Portia and Jellaby first meet and they are just having fun together, it made my day. But the story quickly progresses to the quest to find Jellaby's home. This is only the first book, so there's more to come.

Art: Jellaby's black and white drawings with purple shading lend a muted and surreal feeling to the panels, especially the scary ones at night. There are some splashes of carrot boy orange to provide a pop of color.

Final thoughts: Read it now! But make sure you have Jellaby: Monster in the City nearby because you won't want it to end.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch

Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
Series: First in the Hereville series
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy
Publisher: Amulet Books, 2010
From: Local library
Here's a 15-page preview from Barry Deutsch

Story: Mirka's goal in life is to fight dragons, but instead her stepmother makes her learn "womanly arts" like knitting. One day while outsmarting bullies, Mirka finds a strange house in the forest. Afterwards, an evil pig starts following Mirka and won't go away. How can she find a sword when she can't even keep her homework safe?

Thoughts: I picked up this book because of its cover, and I'm glad I did! Mirka is an excellent heroine who's smart and brave yet still has things to learn. I especially liked Mirka's step-mother who's a little wicked, but in a good way. The action stops a couple of times to describe Mirka's Orthadox school, her classmates, and the Saturday Shabbos celebration. These parts got a little teachy as the narrator talks directly to the reader, but the action soon picks up again. My favorite part was the visual description of Mirka's word problems, and Mirka's solutions. Mirka's so fun I could have read a whole book just of her doing math!

The art is grayscale on an orange background. I love this style. The mostly black and white drawings let the action jump right out, while the addition of one color allows for unexpected touches. I especially liked Mirka's striped socks. When it turns to night, the background switches to blue, giving the perfect midnight feel. It's such a great effect, the perfect compromise between the visual interest of color and clarity of black and white.

Final thoughts: A great girl adventure with a window into Orthodox Jewish life for middle grade readers or anyone who had to resort to their brain because they didn't have a sword handy. The second book in the series is in the works. Can't wait!

Grade: 5 out of 5

Graphic Novel Review: Amulet 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi

Amulet: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi
Series: Third in the Amulet series
Genre: Middle grade action fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Graphix
From: Local library

Story: Emily, her brother Navin, and their crew board an airship to find the lost city of Cielis. They have to find it fast, before the evil Elf King finds them.

Thoughts: I picked up the first Amulet book on a whim from the library. I liked the drawings but found the story a little thin. It is meant for middle schoolers. Since it was an easy read, when the second book was returned, I checked it out, too. This one had a more surprising and detailed story and random Star Wars references. Fun! Now to the third book which has the most intricate plot yet with one Star Wars reference after another. From searching for a pilot in a dive bar to refueling at an outpost run by an ex-friend, The Could Searchers is an ode to Star Wars intermingled with its own unique plot, and it's done well.

Emily is a great character as she slowly learns to control the Amulet's power. Navin, the younger brother, is routinely pushed to the side, though is engineering skills come in handy once in awhile. Old friends and new help the siblings out as they travel from one location to another on their fast-paced quest to find the lost city, fighting the Elf King's minions along the way. The Could Searchers has quite a bit of back story jammed in with it's non-stop action and revelations.

The drawings in Amulet are crisp and clean. There's a lot going on in each panel, but the details never detract from the main action. I particularly like the silent panels where the mood of the world really comes through. The book is in color, and the tones are well blended with each location having its distinct palate. Kazu Kibuishi is the founder and editor of the Flight Anthologies, which I've heard a lot about and must read soon.

Final thoughts: The Amulet books are great for middle-grade readers and up who like some fantasy in their action, and a fun treat for Star Wars fans who can re-live the story in graphic form. I'm looking forward to reading the fourth book, The Last Council, which is already out.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Graphic novel review: Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Genre: Middle grade paranormal action
Publisher: Scholastic Graphix, 2010
Lists: ALA's 2011 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
From: Local library

Story: Garth Hale is dying, but he's not dead yet. So when he finds himself in the afterlife, he's got to get back to his mom and the living. Luckily he has a skeleton horse and mysterious boy to help him get to Ghostopolis where, hopefully, he can find a way home.

Frank Gallows has been employed as a ghost wrangler with the Supernatural Immigration Task Force a long time. He's tired. He's jaded. He's sloppy. He didn't mean to send Garth to the afterlife, but that's what happened. Now he has to get Garth back. He needs the help of his ex-girlfriend Claire, but they didn't part on the best of terms.

Thoughts: This book is a lot of fun. Frank Gallows is a great character with his wrinkled suit and sneaky yet authoritative ways. I would love a whole book just about the Supernatural Immigration Task Force (SITF) and Frank on the job with all of his ghostbusting tools. SITF and Frank are only a small part of Ghostopolis. There's a lot going on. The way your afterlife age is decided, the world's political structure, and the workings of time and physics are all described in a whirlwind as Garth races to the town. There's also a lot of heart as Garth learns about trust, compassion, and forgiveness. It was a quick and enjoyable read with only a few bodily function jokes for the younger set. I especially liked the hissing cockroches.

The graphics in this novel are great. The drawings are nice and clear, and there's usually something interesting going on off in the background. I usually don't care for coloring in my graphic novels, but this one does it well. I especially liked the shadowy blues used inside the buildings to notch up the suspense. The dialogue is hand-lettered in all caps, and was sometimes difficult to read due to the non-standard shapes and sizing. My problems were all at the beginning though, so I either got used to the writing or the lettering became more readable as the story went on.

Final thoughts: A fun ghost adventure for middle-grade readers with enough unexpected events to keep teens and adults happy. A Ghostopolis film, starring and produced by Hugh Jackman, is scheduled to be released in 2013.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Audio Review: Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett

Johnny and the Dead (1993) by Terry Pratchett, read by Richard Mitchley, is the second book in the Johnny Maxwell series after Only You Can Save Mankind. There's a lot of trademark Pratchett humor in this Halloween book for kids.

Genre: children's paranormal
Length: 4h
Audio publisher: Random House Audio GO, 2007
From: Library OverDrive

Recap: Johnny has returned from space and can now hear ghosts. But the cemetery is to be sold for development. Can Johnny and the ghosts stop the bulldozers?

Review: I love Halloween. It's my favorite holiday, so this second book in the Johnny Maxwell series hits my sweet spot. Terry Pratchett is a comedy master, and Johnny and the Dead has some really funny parts. The writing has tightened up a bit from Only You Can Save Mankind. The plot is smoother and the laughs louder. Luckily, Johnny and the Dead can stand on its own.

Johnny and his friends are the best part of these books. They're well developed and play off of one another with expert timing. I was disappointed the female friend from the first book isn't around, but Wobbler, Yo-less and BigMac hold their own. Published in 1993, a few of the references have become dated, but in all the book holds up surprisingly well.

Reading: Richard Mitchley is an amazing reader. His enjoyment just bursts out, and he does great sound effects, especially static. My Britishism dictionary was added to with the pronunciation of the word "mall." It rimes with "pal."

Final Thoughts: A fun ghost story for younger readers.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This post is part of Murder, Monsters and Mayhem hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelf
and RIP VI hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett

Only You Can Save Mankind (1992) is a children's book from Terry Pratchett, master of humor fantasy. This book is a little different from his usual fare, being neither fantasy nor very humorous. I'm still not sure what to make of it.

Length: 4h 11m; Grade: 2.5
Random House Audio, 2007

Johnny Maxwell spends his free time playing video games, but what should he do when the game's aliens want to surrender? I had high expectations for this book based on its author but was disappointed. I can't decide if it was the book or my expectations that are to blame. I think a little of both. The characters are well-defined and interesting. I liked Johnny and his friends, especially their nicknames for each other. The premise is similar to Ender's Game and The Last Starfighter, but both of those properties handled the story better. I have special objections to some of the sci-fi logistics which probably wouldn't bother an actual child but drove me crazy. I also expected the book to be a lot funnier than it is. There's nothing offensive, and there are a few chuckles, but it's not laugh out loud funny. The second and third Johnny Maxwell books bring Johnny back to Earth, so I'll give them a shot and see if the trilogy gets any better.

Reading - I wasn't familiar with Richard Mitchley before listening to this book, and I found him a very energetic reader. I like his British Welsh (!) accent. He does an especially good job with the video game sound effects.

Final thoughts - Not a bad kid's book, but adult listeners of children's fiction might want something better.

For - kids who have no experience with the video-games-save-the-world genre
Otherwise - listen to Ender's Game or Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series staring with Wee Free Men

Nums - those video game sound effects really were very well done
Nits - was it all a dream?