MIddle Grade Monday: Mandrake's Plot, by Helen Laycock

Oops! Missed my posting time again! Well, I can only promise... that it will get worse :D

 

Title: Mandrake's Plot

Author: Helen Laycock

Publication Info: 2014, 198 pages.

Source: Downloaded on a "free day" for members of the GMGR Goodreads group

Publisher’s Blurb:

Evie and Mia meet on a train on their way to St. Agatha's Boarding School for Young Ladies. Dropped at a deserted station, with no one to meet them, they trek through the pelting rain and darkness for miles until they find a sign to St. Agatha's which points to an unlikely overgrown track leading up a mountain path.

A foreboding place, St. Agatha's School is surrounded by a sea of mist, and overlooks a loch. Coming face to face with the grotesque caretaker, Mandrake, is not the only thing to unsettle them.

What is the significance of the strange rings worn by Miss Blackthorn, the head teacher - and why does everyone behave so oddly?

The girls stumble across a forgotten burial chamber. Inside, lies the crumbling skeleton of Sister Beatrice, clutching a note which tells of a curse. Locked in the chamber as a punishment, the friends discover an old book within which is the antidote to the curse... but it is hidden in code. 

My Review:

This book was the November group read for the Goodreads Great Middle Grade Reads group, and my thoughts on the book are undoubtedly influenced by the discussion on that forum. That said, I of course have my own thoughts on the book. 

The story is a quick and easy read, with a fairly simple straight-line plot that made me feel it was good for kids at the younger end of the middle grades. The girls run into all sorts of problems, but they are fairly easily resolved, and moments of scary peril pass quickly with no harm done. As a result, I felt a little unsatisfied with what was otherwise a fun atmospheric story. There were many characters (and the whole school) that I would have liked to see developed more. It's hard for me to know if the book needs to be more fleshed out, or if I was expecting too much from a story for younger readers than what I usually read.

In contrast to most of the book's simple and non-threatening story line, there was a sub-plot regarding the death of one girl's parents (and I can't remember which, because I had trouble telling the two apart and keeping straight which was which) that I found both disturbing and inadequately justified. That is the only part that would make me hesitate about giving this to a child of 8 or younger.
 

My Recommendation:

This might be a good Halloween read for a younger child who is not quite up for the truly scary, but can enjoy an evocative landscape. The setting and plot were interesting enough to make me want to take a look at other of the writer's books, as she has set them in various parts of the UK and clearly works hard to make the setting part of the story.

Full Disclosure: I picked up a copy of Mandrake's Plot during a free promotion, and received nothing further from the author or the publisher in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."   

Monday Mystery for Kids: Murder is Bad Manners, by Robin Stevens

Title: Murder is Bad Manners

Author: Robin Stevens

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015. 307 pages.

Source: Library digital resources

Publisher's Summary:

Deepdean School for Girls, 1934. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own deadly secret detective agency, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't, really.)

But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place . . . and there's more than one person at Deepdean with a motive.

Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning, scheming and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test? 

My Review: 

I was tipped off to this series by a  review from Jemima Pett. She got hold of the most recent book in the series, but I went off and found the first one, because that's the kind of person I am. I'm glad to have discovered them, though the idea of murder mysteries for children is an odd one. 

In fact, there is nothing (aside from a corpse) to make this unsuited for older children, though in my opinion the book is just as suited to adult readers, despite the youth of the main characters. The plot was interesting, the characters (the main characters, Wells and Wong) are well-developed and their friendship has more complexity than might be expected. 

The story had an interesting feel--which probably would match what the kids would feel--of being mostly a lark, right up until things get serious and the girls realize they could be in danger. Of course Hazel Wong, the narrator and the worrier of the pair, sees this first, while her friend is still wrapped up in the joy of having a real mystery to solve.

My Recommendation:

For ages 11 and up, I think. And perfect for adult mystery fans with a soft spot for those old British boarding school stories.

FTC Disclosure: I checked Murder is Bad Manners out of my (digital) library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

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Middle Grade Review: Bloomability, by Sharon Creech

   

Title: Bloomability

Author: Sharon Creech. Narrated by Mandy Siegfried

Publisher: Listening Library, 2009 (original by Joanna Cotler, 1998)

Source: Library (digital download)

Summary:

Dominica "Dinnie" Doone feels abandoned and betrayed. Her big sister is having a baby, and her parents, always on the brink of financial disaster, have sent her off with an aunt and uncle she doesn't even know...to a boarding school in Switzerland. In the course of the school year, however, Dinnie comes to see that maybe this isn't such a bad thing, as she learns about friends, family love, and the beauty of the Swiss Alps.

Review:

The first thing that struck me was wonderment at how anyone could be angry about getting to attend an international school in Switzerland. Dinnie doesn't even have to live in the dorms, since her uncle is the new Headmaster. On reflection, though, I think Creech caught the 13-year-old reaction very well. Dinnie, even though she's used to moving all over the place as her father looks for his one big break, doesn't like change. And at first all she can see is change, and she's not given any say in it, and her family isn't there. No wonder she's upset. 

Creech allows Dinnie to gradually come to a realization of what she has, rather than any sudden conversion. She is justifiably angry at her family for not even writing to her very often, and that doesn't change, even as she slowly realizes that she likes the school. ALL the children are from elsewhere, so she's not the lone outsider this time (though seems to me that being the Headmaster's niece might have been more of a barrier to acceptance than Creech makes it). And she seems to be getting the help and attention she needs to thrive in school, even enjoy her studies, mostly.

The book has humor, growth, exciting developments, and a compelling storyline. The narration was good, and not intrusive. Characters were well voiced, including various accents.

Recommendation:

This is a good 10-and-up book. Nothing is too intense or too adult for younger children (though there is one pretty tense scene), but the interest seems strongest for somewhat older children. There is no romance, which I found a relief, but some kids might think was wrong for 13-year-olds. There are, however, some very strong friendships developed.

Full Disclosure: I borrowed an electronic copy of Bloomability from my library, and received nothing from the author or the publisher in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Middle Grade Classics: A Little Princess

This is the cover from the first edition in 1905

Title: A Little Princess
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Publisher: Warne Published in 1905, expanded from the serialized novel, Sarah Crewe, published in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1888.
I read the

Summary:
When the wealthy Captain Crewe brings his little daughter Sarah back from India to go to school in London, she is the prize boarder at Miss Minchin's boarding school. But when he dies and leaves her penniless, Miss Minchin turns Sarah into an unpaid drudge for the school. Sarah's resolve to always be a "princess" in spirit is sorely tested before everything resolves itself into a happy ending.

Review:
I won't pretend this is the first time I've read this book. For all it's dated and follows a stereotypical pattern (unbelievably good child keeps shining through tribulation and is given a great reward as a result), I  love the story, and I've read it many times. (Oddly, I don't think I ever read it when I was a child). Maybe I want to believe in happy endings. I love that Sarah uses her imagination to escape her intolerable reality, and that she can spin stories well enough to carry others away with her. The descriptions of the child's suffering of mind and body are moving to the point of pathos, but I have always been able to immerse myself in the story and enjoy it on it's own terms. And that is what is needed to enjoy this, as it is for many children's classics.

The lessons about generosity and selflessness ring a little old-fashioned (or at least heavy-handed, since after all, we might hope that generosity isn't an outdated virtue!), but the lesson about the power of imagination is one that every writer has long since learned.

Recommendation:
For fans of orphan stories and hard-luck school stories, as well as those who want to explore the classics of children's literature. The language will feel a bit odd and dated to modern children, but I think that most good readers would have no problem with it. The story will almost certainly appeal primarily to girls, though the lessons aren't bad for boys, either.


Full Disclosure: I long ago purchased A Little Princess, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

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Further musings: 

I have been watching old DVDs of a 2002 PBS show called Manor House, in which ordinary people are recruited to fill an English manor house as it would have been in 1905. They have everybody, from the lord of the Manor to the scullery maid. And therein lies the problem, because for the most part, 21st Century folks have trouble working as servants, especially in that extremely hierarchical society. The butler has to continually remind them that even the servant's hall isn't a democracy, and they have no "right" to time off, or even to complain.

This made me think about two things. One was Sarah Crewe and how she copes with her sudden shift from, effectively, lady of the manor to scullery maid (and those descriptions of her working 14 and 16 hours a day at a very tender age appear to be simply statement of fact as life was lived then). Now, being a child, she may in one sense adapt more easily than an adult (kids do tend to adapt to a new reality pretty quickly), but of course, her gracious acceptance is also exaggerated to show her noble personality.

The other thing I thought about was my own brief excursion into the servant's life. When I finished my undergraduate studies, I spent a winter working as an au paire in Monaco (!). Now, in some families, the au paire is part of the family. I drew a more wealthy family, where I definitely felt that I was seen as a servant. Shall we simply say that the experience suggests that I would have been one of the less successful "servants" in the Manor House? It's no small thing for a person who has grown up with a firm belief in equality to suddenly find themselves decidedly not equal. And that may be a good thing, outside of historical re-enactments.  As we used to say when I was an undergrad, "Question Authority!"

Middle Grade Review: Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Oops, late again!  I failed to notice this hadn't been quite finished and set to go live this morning!  Well, better late than never.

Title: Princess Academy
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher:  Bloomsbury Children's Books.  314 pages

Summary:
Miri lives on Mt. Eskel, in a tiny village whose life is the quarrying of linder stone.  But her father will not let her quarry stone, and she feels left out and useless because of it.  When an announcement comes from the king down below that the prince will choose his bride from among the girls of their village, and that all girls between 12 and 18 must attend an academy to be made ready in case they are chosen, Miri doesn't know if she wants to be the princess, but she does know she wants to be the best student.  In the end, what she learns in and out of class saves the day and changes everything.

Review:
I've seen this one on the shelves at the library for a long time, but I hadn't picked it up because of the princess thing.  You know: all that girly Disney-princess stuff that's eating so many girls alive.  I finally grabbed it in a hurry because I wanted to look at more middle grade fantasy.  Imagine my surprise when I found it was far from the sort of princess book I expected (it really has more in common with some of the Boarding School books I have always enjoyed).

We writhe with Miri under her shame and rage at the injustice handed out by the harsh teacher sent to prepare them for "society."  Yet we also see even more quickly than Miri that learning to read and write might have some benefits, and that there needs to be something more to life in the village than cutting stone, because not all people are meant for that.  Hale builds a nice tension between Miri's need to see the wider world and find a place for herself, and her love of her home and doubts about being a princess.

I do wonder a bit about ages of readers and protagonists.  This is a Middle Grade book, and there's nothing in it that's a problem for a 10-year-old.  And yet.  Miri is 14 at the start of the book, nearly 16 by the end, and the whole premise of preparing a girl to be the bride of the prince is not a childish thing.  There is love, passion, and adult issues to be faced.  This seems to be the way of kids' books, but I'm a little uneasy.  I was made the more so by the feeling through most of the book that Miri was younger--she read to me more like 12 or so, which fits better with the audience but worse with the whole love and marriage thing.  Do girls of ten really need to be thinking that true love will come to them at 16?

That may be a discussion for another day.  For now, I will say that this book won a Newbery Honor, and it probably deserves it.  I certainly didn't want to put it down, and the message about the value of education and seeing beyond one's narrow horizons was powerful and well-communicated without preaching.  And not a pink princess in sight.

Full Disclosure: I borrowed Princess Academy from my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

Middle Grade Fiction: Giving Kids Autonomy

As I have mentioned (since it sparked several reviews), there's been some discussion lately about missing and dead parents in Middle Grade fiction. I also recently did a post on books about boarding schools, and all this together has made me think about the importance of giving kids autonomy, both in books and in reality.

So this week I'm going to start a discussion about ways that authors give kids autonomy.  Next week I'll continue it with a discussion of what we parents do or should do to help our kids achieve some fraction of the level of self-sufficiency that the heroes of their books have.

 An obvious literary approach to getting parents out of the way is the orphan story.  That's easy.  No parents, lots of need to fend for yourself, especially in a historical or fantasy setting where there's no state structure to step in and offer substitutes (though given what I know of the foster system in my state, anyway, any kid who comes out of that with their head on straight and going in the right direction has plenty of gumption and self-sufficiency).

So if you don't want to kill off the parents, how else do you get the kids on their own?  There's boarding school (see last week's discussion, to which I now suddenly realize I should add Tamora Pierce's Tortall novels of Alanna and Keladry going through page training--if that isn't boarding school, I don't know what is.  Complete with strict adults who must be circumvented).  In many of the books I loved as a kid, parents simply gave kids carte blanche to roam, and they then could fall into adventures (think of Enid Blighton's "Famous Five).  This wasn't so far off reality back then; my brothers and I ran around in the woods and on the beach for hours at a time without checking in with parents.  In essence, the author (and the kids) can then just ignore the parents.

Historical fiction often makes more room for kids to be proactive and self-sufficient, as well.  That seems to have been reality.  Even little kids had chores and had to learn fast to do them themselves.

In one of my works in progress, I just made the main characters 16 or so, and put them on their own. Old enough to make it plausible, young enough that they don't have to do the adult love stuff (which I don't seem to want to write, and certainly not in a book aimed at kids).

And, of course, ultimately every kid is to some degree on her own in working out life's issues.  The bigger the issues, the more likely kids seem to be to keep them inside and try to go it alone.  So the parents can be right there and still the kids have to deal on their own.

Can you come up with any more approaches that writers use to make it plausible to have kids doing major (often adult-like) things?

Kid LIt Blog Hop: Back to School!

School starts today in our district (for the little kids; the high school my boys attend started a week ago, which is evil).  So I was thinking about a list of the best books about school.  Or at least a list of books I like which are all or in part about school.

A lot of kids' books of course center around life at school.  But as a kid I had a particularly soft spot for books about boarding school.  Probably a kind of horrified fascination, since I couldn't imagine being sent away from home that way!  (As a parent, despite sundry temptations to leave the boys on the side of the road somewhere, I still can't imagine boarding school as a realistic option).

Of course, the ultimate boarding school story is Harry Potter.  But I'm reaching back to some others I loved.

Starting way back:

 

I can't find a match for the cover of my copy, which was given to my grandmother for Christmas in 1910.

This one is if anything even more outdated, and not precisely boarding school, but a huge childhood favorite of mine:

 

 Madeleine L'Engle wrote some stories of truly miserable boarding schools:

 

And school features largely in such other favorites as Little Town on the Prairie, and even A Wizard of Earthsea.

And, because this is my blog and I can, I will say that 

and   are actually school stories in many ways.